Exactly 303appointments werescheduled for students andfaculty members to donateblood to the annual blooddrive in the New Gym on

March 1 .Math teacher KC Bellfower is in

charge of the Interact Club, and sheorganized the blood drive to help getblood for those in need. Bloodreceived is given to victims of caraccidents, cancer patients, transplantpatients and sickle cell diseasepatients along with other blooddiseases.

The blood drive can only acceptblood from donors over 16 years ofage, weigh over 110 pounds and havea signed form by a parent orguardian.

Although students decide todonate for a good cause, giving bloodcomes with its challenges.

Miranda AkinsStaff Writer

photo by peyton bellflower | the saga

Numerous students and teachers made appointments for the blood drive held on March 1 . All donations went to the local blood bank.

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS

Tyler Roberts, freshman, watchesfreshman, Jackson Browining practice hispitching skills on Noel George field.

photo by regan ruff | the saga

Seven Lowndes Highathletes signcommitments to collegesall around Georgia onnational signing day. Page1 6

FREE Lowndes High School Issue 2

photo by rosemary martin | the saga

Twenty two dual enrollment students were awarded recognition as certified nursing assistantson December 1 1 .

Django a little toounchained? Movie sparkscontroversy. Page 1 3

Martin Stadium's hiddenabyss claims precioustechnology. Page 1 1

The diary of anuncordinated girl with asolo cup and a song.Page 1 2

Swim team makes asplash at the state level.Page 1 6.

Trading in the apron forcombat boots: Women onthe frontlines. Page 6

VEX Robotics dominatesthe competition andadvances to the WorldChampionship. Page 3

Postponed plowboy ravesthe night away. Page 4

Watch new episodes ofVNN every week on theVikingNewsNetworkLHS

YouTube page.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.AM I RIGHT, GUYS?

MARCH 201 3

MTV's "Catfish" exposes cruelform of cyberbullying

Page 1 0

Student host ofAustrailian exchangestudent sharesexperiences. Page 1 1

The saga staff has pickedsome of our favoritealbums from all genres.See what made the cuton page 1 2

Sandy Hook debunking:The truth behind thedisaster. Page 7

A broken down fence that seperatesLowe's from LHS could be used as apossible entry point. After recent events,the school's ability to keep us safe isquestioned. More on page ****

photo by steven portela | the saga

Annual blood drive collects hundreds of pints for the local area blood bank.

Students Receive Nursing Assistants RecognitionStudents earn creditthrough dual-enrollment program.

On December 11 , 22 studentsachieved the status of nursingassistants. These students completeda dual enrollment course thatprovided them with both a highschool credit and a college credit

through Wiregrass Technical College. Thestudents had a choice to be pinned by theirteachers or by their parents during theceremony.

“The students were nervous at thebeginning, but over time, they built confidencethat allowed them to learn from and enjoy thehands-on work,” said Brinkley.

“Proud” is the word Rosemary Martinused to describe her feelings toward herstudents' achievement.

“The dual enrollment course was anexcellent opportunity for experience in the realworld environment. It is important the studentsget a chance to get experience so that theyknow if the medical field is what they want topursue after graduation,” says Martin.

Sometimes the students would wake up at6:45 on weekdays instead of their usualweekends to do their clinical work.

“It was difficult to complete because ofthe commitment put into the course, but it wasbeneficial towards everyone (students) with theinterest in nursing,” described LindseyMcLeod, junior.

Both students recommend getting involvedin the dual enrollment course during freshmanyear for others with the same interest. Thesestudents are now qualified to take the GeorgiaCertification Exam in order to receivecredentials as Certified Nursing Assistants.

“I was really proud ofmyself forcompleting the course. It was an excellent formof gaining experience at the nursing homes andclinics,” said Jordan Harris, junior.

Makenzie SheaSports Editor

“I’m always afraid they willmiss my bloodstream,” said DrewPage, sophomore.

Despite his hesitation, Page wasreassured that the units werecollected by professionals from theAmerican Red Cross who are trainedto draw blood, but some students didhave trouble.

“I almost passed out,” saidCourtney Braswell, senior. “They hadto put a rag on my forehead and leanmy chair back for a little while.”

Some students signed up to giveblood, but their fear of needles keptthem from doing a good deed afterthey arrived in the gym.

“I’ve never given blood before,so I was scared I would pass out. Idecided not to go to myappointment,” said Miranda Mizuar,junior.

Underclassmen planning ondonating during next year’s blooddrive should expect to have only onepint of blood drawn from them, andthey can expect cookies and juiceafter it is over.

Hundreds of LHSStudents Donate Blood

photo by peyton bellflower | the saga

Stephanie Hughes patiently waits to finsh giving her donation at theblood drive.

The tone deaf preteensknown as kidz boprelease their latest CD.Opinion on page 1 2

Saga Staff Spring 201 3

MARCH 201 3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 2

photo by a. floyd

The SagaLowndes High School

1 606 Norman DriveValdosta, GA 31 601

(229) 245-2260

Faculty Advisor: Adam FloydFaculty Editor: Pam GuiceEditor-in-Chief: Kaylon DayManaging Editor:Danielle D'AcuntoAd Manager: Ivy BonnerNews Editor: Randi LaddingtonFeatures Editor: Maggie SterlingOpinions Editor: Delanie BuckleyArts Editor: Ashli SladeSports Editor: Makenzie SheaStaff Writers:

Jon Burch, Tia Burge, MeganCampbell, Kristen Dodd, TaylorHritz, Brandon Joiner, StevenPortela, Regan Ruff, Miranda Akins,Shelby Breeden, SamanthaCallaway, Karla Diaz, KemashaKincade, Derise Mobley, BailyPeacock, Erika Townsend

Contact Us

To contact The Saga staff about *advertising, submissions,

corrections or questions,

please visit room E728 or *email the faculty advisor.

*adamfloyd@lowndes.k1 2.ga.us

The Saga is a member of the Georgia *Scholastic Press

Association.**Want to join the staff? Pick up an application*for next

semester or the 201 3-1 4 school year in the guidance or*in room E728.*

Believe it or not, you areholding the latest issue ofThe Saga.After weeks of hard work, the staffand I decided to end our fellowstudents’ anticipation and grace youwith a paper chopped full ofinformation and maybe even a fewlaughs. Along withthis new issuecomes a newEditor-in-Chief,me. Kelly Jones dida fantastic job withthe newspaper lastsemester, and Ihope this semestergoes just as well.

Lowndes High is a wonderfulschool. It is full of talented teachers,dedicated staff and gifted students.And just like any good student, theschool always strives to put its best

foot forward. But just like any goodstudent, there will always be someflaws. Flaws are what make ushuman, individuals. Flaws make usbeautiful. In the middle of the paperyou’ll find a photo essay we are allvery proud of. We wanted to take a

look at the hideously beautiful side ofour campus, the flaws. I hope youwill like what we found when wewent looking under rocks.

In our features section, you willfind the debunking of the Sandy

Hook shooting video that has beenmaking a buzz online. We even take alook at what is becoming a newcyber-pastime, “catfishing.” For alook on the more humorous side,check out Miranda Akins' story aboutthe seemingly endless march ofKidz

Bop albums andAshli Slade’spersonal journey oflearning how toperform the “cupsong” from PitchPerfect. Movies onthe brain? Ouropinion section

takes it a step further by investigatingifDjango Unchained took things alittle too far.

Better late than never, right?

Kaylon Day, Editor-In-Chief

I hope you will like whatwe found when we went

looking under rocks.

On March 15, theFuture Business LeadersofAmerica (FBLA) willparticipate in Atlanta atthe state leadershipconference. At the

conference, the students will becompeting in areas such as businessmanagement, accounting, businesscalculations, hospitality managementand business math. Out of the 71members, only eight studentsadvanced to state and will be amongover 5,000 students.

“It is going to be an extremelydifferent competition, and it is goingto be a lot tougher. But I have a lot ofconfidence in my kids. I believe wewill have some students place highlyat state,” said Stephanie Hezikiah,FBLA advisor.

In order to advance to the statecompetition, competitors must firstparticipate in their chapter’s regionalconference. Lowndes’ FBLA

Kaylon DayEditor In Ch ief

participants had three first placewinners: Cameran Clement foraccounting one, Max Wang,freshman, in business calculationsand Alexandria Wang, senior, inimpromptu speaking. Kayla Kohr andKasey Phelps, seniors, also placedfirst in desktop publishing.

“I am not all that nervous aboutheading to state, it is just that I amgoing to be surrounded by so manypeople. It is really overwhelming,”said Skylar Eidson, junior.

After state competition takesplace, students have the opportunityto advance to the nationalcompetition which will be held inAnaheim, California during theupcoming months. In order toadvance, the competitor must place ineither first or second place in theirevent.

“I learn a lot from theconferences, it is a great experienceto be a part of. Now that I have priorknowledge and more experience, Ibelieve I will do really well this timearound," says Skylar Eidison, junior.

MARCH 201 3NEWS 3

NEWS

LHS robotics team's exceptional year leads to advancement.

VEX Robotics team advances to world

Lowndes VEXRobotics team hasdominated the competitionat Home, Savannah andNewman.

January 26, 2013,Lowndes held a VEX Roboticscompetition at home in the schoolcafeteria.

Four Lowndes High VEXRobotics teams attended the CoastalRobotics Tournament in Savannah,Georgia on January 8, 2013.Competing were Reid Lindsey, Tyler

Randi LeddingtonNews Editor

Phillips, Dipan Patel, Karan Rao,Wesley Newton, Jalen Weise andParth Patel.

“I was a little nervous at first butI knew we were all going to do prettywell during the tournament,” saidParth Patel, junior.

After 36 qualifying rounds,Lowndes had claimed the first,second, third and seventh place spots.In the finals, it came down to acompetition between the first andsecond place holders. Both teamspaired up. Lowndes walked awaywith the tournament championtrophy, runner-up positions and oneof the teams also earned theExcellence Award.

photo by john newton

Karan Rao and Parth Patel, juniors, along with Jalen Weise, sophomore, compete in VEX robotics tournament held on January 26.

This allows them to now go toWorlds in Anaheim, California onApril 1 7-20, 2013. The VEXRobotics World Championship is agathering of the top robots fromaround the world to celebrate theiraccomplishments and to competeagainst some of the best.

“I am very happy we advancedto the world championship. It isgoing to be more difficult but I amstaying confident,” said Karan Rao,sophomore.

On December 12, 2012,Lowndes VEX participated in anothercompetition in Newman, Georgia.

Lowndes teams paired up onceagain, and they came out winning the

After doing well at regions, FBLAgoes to state competition tocompete with over 5,000 students.

Future Business leadersprevail at regions andhead to state

photo provided by flickr

The Future Business Leaders of America's motto for this school yearis "Leaders by Design".

overall event. They got thecompetition first place trophy, first inDriver Skills, third in programmingskills and also won the supportaward. This award is won forassisting other teams with problemsthey are having. This is judged byobservers that walk aroundthroughout the competition.

“It [VEX] is a great thing to beapart of. It is fun to compete and youlearn a lot from it that you would nototherwise be taught in a classroom,”said Patel.

for more informationvisit

vexrobotics.com

What doyou know?

Number of keys on thepiano + Number of

songs on Frank Ocean'sAlbum "Channel Orange"

=_____________

Jonny Cash's first wife?

Who was his second?

True or False:The first recording of theuse of toilet paper was in14 AD China.

What year did HilaryClinton run for president?

After what fruit didGwyneth Paltrow nameher child?

Which of these late nighttalk shows have ran thelongest?A) The Tonight Show withJay LenoB) The Late Late Show withCraig FergusonC) Conan

Nuns arefound inwhat religion?__________

by kaylon day | the saga

Plantiff attorney, Jenny Siegrist, Senior, confronts witness Cj Hopson, sophomore, during mock trial'spractive preparing them for state held on March 1 6 in Atlanta.

photo by noah coil

photo by noah coil

Witness Cj Hopson, sophomore, shares his knowledge on evidence with attorney Anna Kate Davis, senior.

MMoocckk TTrriiaall:: PPrreeppiinngg ffoorr SSttaattee

MARCH 201 3 NEWS 4

Students finallyget to rave aftermonth longpostponement

The Lowndes HighPlowboy dance, firstscheduled to be held onJanuary 19th, waseventually held onFebruary 9th.

“This year, Plowboy wascanceled due to a lack of ticketsbeing sold and the death ofKendrickJohnson,” said Jaybez Floyd,principal.

Floyd also stated that, "Thefreshman had worked very hard onthe preparations." He and others didnot want any disappointment, or forthe freshmen’s hard work to go towaste.

The solution that was reachedwas to reschedule the dance in hopesthat when it came time for it, therewould have been enough tickets soldto support the effort put into thedance. Many students this year werelooking forward to a new themerather than the country theme fromthe years passed.

Plowboy is a tradition ofLowndes High. A few decades ago,Valdosta High students picked atLowndes High students by callingthem country and saying that they arenothing but plowboys. Not offendedby the name calling, Lowndesembraced and accepted themselves asplowboys.

“I asked my date by using theelectronic menu in the lunchroom,”said Jana Register, junior.

Now each year, a Sadie Hawkinsdance is held in the name of Plowboy.The dance has become an opportunityfor girls to trade in their dresses for at-shirt. Most girls find creative waysto asking their date to the dance.

“As long as they do not usechloroform in the process,” said JayDouglas, sophomore.

A selected class is in charge. Forthis year,the freshman class of 2016hosted the dance. They created allnecessary preparations along with thehelp ofKarmen Browning and AprilHarrell. The rules for the dance werethe same as they were atHomecoming.

“I thought it [the plowboydance] was nice and all, but therefreshments could’ve been better.And maybe they could have gottenthe word out there more,” said KariMester, junior.

Randi LeddingtonNews Editor

Students hit the dance floor

Students take a moment to pose while patiently waiting for the plowboy dance to begin.

photo by karmen browning

Seven senior couples gather together while at their last plowboy dance.

photo by karmen browning

What doyou know?

Name The New Radicals'#1 hit single in 1999.

A."Closing Time"B."You Only Get WhatYou Give"C."Heart Shaped Box"D."Walking On The Sun"

List the colors of theORIGINAL Power Rangers.____________________________________________________________

What state isGeorge W.Bush from?________

Members of Maroon 5+Number of Continents= _______

What do the letters inNASA stand for?

Which of the following canKristen Stewart NOT do?A. ActB. SmileC. Star in a decent movieD. All of the above

Of what relation is Frodo toBilvo?

Capital of Michigan?________

Capital of Maine?________

Capital of Alaska?_________

Barack Obama modeledhis inauguration similar to ex- president __________.

A. HarrisonB. GrantC. CarterD. RooseveltE. None of the above

What zodiac sign fallsbetween the dates of July23 and August 22?

_________________

According to the movieGhostbusters, what shouldyou NEVER do with theproton packs?A. Leave it running longerthan it needs to.B. Release ghosts with outa fendrificator nozzleC. Cross the beamsD. None of the above

True or False:Mario has never been to

Prison

What day is daylightsavings time?___________

wild adventures ad

MARCH 201 3NEWS 5

CASS BURCH AD

Derise MobleyStaff Writer

OPINIONS 6

OPINIONS

Unsafe, exposed areas are beingquestioned regarding school safety.

School Safety: HowSafe Are We?

With the scare of theSandy Hook shooting andother events, our schoolsafety is understandablyon the minds of students,parents and faculty.

Everyone seems to be thinking aboutwhether or not our campus is safe.

Some students are convinced.“I do not think that there is any

threat to our safety; we are safe,” saidDebra Stauty, freshman.

Despite her confidence that LHSis safe from threats, I do believe thereis at least one weak spot that needs tobe addressed.

The fence the separates the LHScampus from the Lowes HomeImprovement store is resting on theground due to a truck accidentallyrunning into it. Lowes is currentlytrying to get the truck driver’sinsurance to pay for the damages, butit has remained on the ground formonths. Lowndes High cannot takeany precautions to fix the fencebecause is not on school property.

Administrators say they have nothad any problems with kids takingadvantage of the broken fence inattempt to leave campus or anyinstances of an individual sneaking oncampus.

I find this extremely unlikely.The downed fenced is located in aplace where no one would notice astudent leaving campus through thefence or someone coming on campus.I believe that is why it should be sucha big concern.

Steven PortelaStaff Writer

“It could be a threat to ourschool, but the location is very closeto the security officer's post,” saidJaybez Floyd, principal.

According to Floyd, the securityofficer is always on post. That meanshe is going to have to actively watchit all day long to make sure nobodysneaks or runs across it.

But the portion of the fence thatis down is not visible from thesecurity checkpoint. It is blocked bybushes and small trees. It would bevery easy for someone to slip bywhile the guard is checking on vehiclecoming on campus.

The fence needs to be put up assoon as possible, but not everyoneagrees.

“I do not see the fence as a threatbecause everything is already openand exposed,” said Joanna Boylan,American literature teacher.

Boylan is right. Our campus isalready very open and exposed, andmaybe the downed fence does notreally ad to any threat that does notalready exist.

For our general school safety,there is a safety and securitycommittee of teachers andadministrators. The committeereviews many safety guidelines suchas the layout of the buildings, theconditions of our cameras andupdating drills and emergencyresponse checklists. The securityissues related to how open ourcampus is has already been dealt with.

“I think we have a safe schoolcampus, but there are still certainareas that need to be revised and

photo by steven portela

Lowes’ gate is currently broken and exposed, making Lowes and Lowndes High School easily accessible.Lowes is currently taking precautions in order to restore the fence to good condition.

updated. I don't think we can ever saythat it is as good as it needs to be,"said Floyd.

Soon, there will be a check onour school safety by an outside firm.The review from the outsidecommittee will inspect the currentlayout of our buildings. They willreview everything in our school todetermine how safe it is.

The committee's findings shouldhelp in creating a more secureenvironment, but some studentsalready have some solutions.

“Our school safety depends onhow many deputies we havepatrolling the school,” said TaylorDasher, freshman.

I agree with Dasher. Our resource

officers are a deterrent, but the size ofour school prohibits them from beingvisible at all times and at all places.

In the place of officers in everyhallway, we have security cameras,but those need to be addressed too.

“They are not the best cameras,but they function in needed areas. Thecameras are going to be replaced,”said Floyd.

Some students also wonder whenour exterior doors are locked. Thedoors are locked after school whenthe night staff custodian come in andwhen all students and teachers havecleared campus.

Hopefully, if anyone does makeit on campus with malicious intent,they would be immediately singled

out because they have not followedthe check in process.

“Most visitors have to check inwith the security officer so that is nota huge problem,” said Floyd.

Recent events around the countryhave many people paranoid abouttheir safety. It is understandable. Thefence between our campus may not bea huge threat, but it looks like one. Itfeels like one. And I do not have touse much ofmy imagination to seehow that weakness in our securitycould result in devastatingconsequences. So, whether or not is abig deal, I think it should be fixed assoon as possible. It would make me,and whole lot of other people, feelsafer.

photo by tia burge

Brooke Rothrock, sophomore, sits at the lunch table reading 1 6teen magazine. Which is one of the manycelebrity gossip magazines that students read.

This generation isobsessed with the latestcelebrity gossip. Alwayswanting to know whatthey are doing andwondering whether it is

true or not. Even though they mayseem above average lifestyles,celebrities deserve the right to aprivate life as well. These magazinesare able to be found all over theschool.

Taylor Swift has been breakingheadlines left and right lately. All of itis completely unnecessary based onthe fact that we can hear all thesestories in her songs.

Why read about it when you canlearn her life story by heart and singalong? Breaking up, going out,breaking up and getting depressedjust does not go out of style for her.

As ifwe did not have our ownlove lives to worry about, now we areforced to deal with her’s every timewe turn on the radio.

“They are famous and they arereally interesting to hear about,” saidRebecca Knight, sophomore.

Yes they are famous. However,the biggest celebrity tabloids print 53issues a year with each issue havinganywhere between 80 to 100 pages.

Tia BurgeStaff Writer

This is a little much. Do we reallyneed to hear more gossip than wealready hear about our peers?

This has gotten so out of handthat Alyssa Milano's dog has gotteninto the news. Her dog died of cancer.Though sad for her, it really is notnewsworthy. This is more like smalltalk. Not for us, but more for her andher friends.

Although people believe that thelife of a celebrity is much moreinteresting than that of their own, it isnot. These tabloids stretch the truthentirely too much all to get one singlesale.

The Grammy’s have been up andout in the news lately. The most seenheadlines are controversy about theattire that was worn there. It is a hugenight in some people’s opinions, butthis does not mean that the entireworld needs to read about how KatyPerry broke the dress code while shewas there. People should beinterested in what was paid to bewatched - the winners of the awards.Not interested in the thousands ofdollars put into a dress that mostlikely will never be worn again.

“I find reading tabloidsinteresting,” said Brooke Rothrock,sophomore.

There are even gossip magazinesfor people of a younger age. Sixteen

Many students care too much about the all the gossipgoing on with celebrities.

Celeb life distracts this generationfrom reality

and Tiger Beat were made to attract amuch younger audience. Despite theage group that they are trying toreach, these magazines still feel theneed to talk about Taylor Swift andHarry Styles’ famous separation.

The fact that on the BOP andTiger Beat websites they have asection labeled “News and Gossip”,means that they are basicallyadmitting to putting out falseinformation.

These teeny bopper magazinesare nothing but ‘ interesting’ storiesabout celebrities and their oh soentertaining lives. You can even geton the websites for them at theschool. Apparently you can’t spendyour time playing educational games,but you can most definitely spend allblock reading about Lindsey Lohan’snext rehab visit.

You would think that even for atabloid, a writer would find sometype of inspiration to find a littlemore truth in the stories that he/she iswriting. Maybe America is just toostupid to even care.

In 1994, a policy waspassed which preventedwomen from serving onsmall frontline combatunits. On January 23,2013, the Pentagon issued

an order that offers women jobs thatare closer to the frontline.

The ban on women from servingon the frontline in combat wasofficially lifted after years of justfighting on battlefields with nofrontlines. Now that the ban has beenlifted, they will be recognized fortheir contributions.

The act tears down many of thebarriers that kept the women frompursuing certain positions womenwere not allowed to take. Women willeventually be able to fight alongsidetheir male comrades in more perilouscombat jobs such as special operationforces and infantry.

Due to the law being torn down,I feel like it is a step in the rightdirection. A step toward equality forwomen.

I think that allowing women tofight on the frontlines will have itsbenefits such as advancing in status.They will be able to assume positionssuch as general and admiral.

“It is clear to all of us thatwomen are contributing to theunprecedented ways to the military’smissions of defending the nation,”said Leon Panetta, defense secretary.

Panetta explained that womenare capable of fighting on thefrontline and that they should if itswhat they want to do. He alsoexplained that women must also beable to meet certain physicalstandards of combat so that thecombat efficiency of the units are notdegraded.

Panetta does make a good pointby saying that they must meetspecific physical standards ofcombat. I believe that women whohave the desire to serve on thefrontline must be held at the samephysical level as men. They shouldbe physically able in order to carryout certain missions and to furtherprove that women are capable offighting on the frontlines.

“I am not for women fighting on

the frontline. I do not understand whythey would want to fight in combatwith men. I would not choose to dothat. If they asked me to go and fighton the frontline, I would refuse. Iwould rather be at home with myfamily and loved ones. Those womenmust be really brave to want to fightwith men in a war,” said CiaraMartin, sophomore.

“I like the fact that women willget a chance to serve on the frontline.I want to go into the military and Ifeel like the policy that was passedgives me the opportunity to serve onthe frontline. These women are myheroes,” said Amber Griner, junior.

Due to the fact that women aresteps closer to serving on thefrontlines, it gives many youngaspiring women combatantsinspiration and hope for achievingtheir goal; to fight on the frontline.

I am all for the women beingallowed to fight alongside the men. Itis the perfect example of equality andwomen having the same rights asmen. If a women feels they arecapable of holding the same positionas men, I think they should go for it.If they are passionate about fightingfor our country, I see no problem withletting them fight.

"This is a historic step forequality and for recognizing the rolewomen have, and will continue toplay, in the defense of our nation,"Murray said.

Levin said it reflected the"reality of 21 st century militaryoperations."

In my opinion, a woman's placeis on the frontline. For years theyhave been denied the right to fightalongside their fellow malecombatants and receive the samerights as them. I believe thatwomen’s rights for equality is finallybeing put in place. They are beingrecognized as equals and no longer asthe inferior sex.

"Women already do so much forthe armed forces and are an importantpart of it. Why not just let them goahead and be on the frontlines if theywant to be there," said JoannaJasinski, junior.

This policy being passed willhopefully lead to the passing ofmanyother policies concerning women'srights and equality for women. I amexcited to see what other policies willget passed and to see what thesewomen will accomplish in the ArmedForces.

Out of the kitchen andinto the ... warzone?After a lifted ban, women are nowfighting on the frontline.

March 201 3

March 201 3OPINIONS 7

It starts in elementaryschool, when you aresitting in history class andnotice that your historytextbook, which has atleast 800 pages, only

contains a section or two aboutAfrican Americans. Not even a tenthof the black history is recorded inour history books.

Even though Black Historymonth was introduced in 1976, it is

Derise MobleyStaff Writer

still relevant to this very day. Thereasoning behind the establishmentwas to commemorate and celebratethe abundance of contributions andaccomplishments ofAfricanAmericans in America.

Black History month clearlyneeds to be celebrated due to the lackof information regarding the AfricanAmerican minority.

The history of blacks is notbroadened in our history books,leaving so many people in this nationignorant to black history. Manystudents have no knowledge of thedetails of our history regarding the

Black history month is vital in educating against ignorance of the heritage.

"Black history is American history."

The original purposeof Black History Monthwas to honor andrecognize theachievements of theAfrican-American

people. Some of the most prominentfigures that will be rememberedthroughout history are MayaAngelou, Rosa Parks, Martin LutherKing Jr. and most recently, PresidentBarack Obama. Yet, we forget thatwith the creation of this celebrationcame the hope that one day it wouldcome to an end. It was aspired thatBlack History Month would no

Karla DiazStaff Writer

longer be a necessity because blackhistory would one day become acardinal basis ofAmerican Historyitself.

As far we can remember,February has always beenacknowledged as Black HistoryMonth. Since the time in 1 976 whenit was officially regarded, schoolshave found ways to incorporate itwith the students’ learning. Whetherit be drawing a picture of the CivilRights Movement or composingpoems of the African-Americantriumph through the years, we haveall had some level of participation.But is Black History Month stillrelevant today?

In contrast to what a majoritybelieve, most everyone has

photo by flickr

In such a diverse world, withpeople of all ages, intelligencelevels and mindsets, common senseseems to be increasinglyuncommon. Shortly after the SandyHook massacre in Newtown,

Connecticut, a video arose claiming that theentire event was set up like a movie. Uponwatching this ‘ truther’ video, I ponder: Is theproblem simply that people are heartless or arethey lacking an ability to think and fullycomprehend things which they do not see?

Of the numerous lies portrayed in this 30minute video, four strike me as outrageouslyunbelievable. The pages upon pages ofcomments in support of this poster - whoprefers to be referred to by his pseudonym‘ThinkOutsideTheTV’ (TOTT) - blew mymind.

TOTT’s argument concerning the firearmson the scene is baseless. He propagates hisopinion based on initial reports made hoursafter the shooting occurred. With tragediessuch as this, initial media coverage is oftenunreliable. There is simply not enoughinformation concerning the events to form anaccurate outline of events.

With millions of viewers, the amountwhich simply took his unsupported assertionsas fact worries me.

TOTT asserts that there is no way that sixyear old Emilie Parker was murdered in themassacre because, according to him, the

Danielle D'AcuntoManaging Editor

victim’s father, Robbie Parker, was seenjoking and laughing in interviews concerninghis daughter’s death.

DeeAnna Merz Nagel, psychotherapistfrom Highlands, New Jersey, is the co-founderof the Online Therapy Institute. In one of herinterviews, she is heard citing “paradoxicallaughter” as a common symptom of shock andtrauma.

“In fact, a person in emotional shock mayoften display behaviors that may seem out ofplace, but it is a coping response in theirattempt to makes sense of something that islikely impossible to understand. The morefamiliar version of this is nervous laughterhappens during intensely stressful periods -many of us have experienced this,” said Nagel

In an attempt to further support hisassumptions, TOTT continues to comment onEmilie’s alleged presence in a picture withPresident Barack Obama shortly after theshooting.

He then exhibits a portrait of the Parkerfamily in which Emilie is seen wearing a blackand red dress, claiming that is was shot onlyan hour preceding the meeting with PresidentObama. In the picture with the President, thereis also a young girl - which TOTT claims to beEmilie Parker herself - wearing the samedress. However, Emilie is survived by twoyounger siblings which are both present in thepicture with President Obama. Why wouldanyone believe such a ridiculous assertion?

Furthermore, TOTT uses Google Earth -which unbeknownst to him does not showreal-time footage - to show that the town andschool are ‘calm’ and lack ‘any ambulances oranything of the sort in sight. ’ As he is saying

Sandy Hook hoax video flies in the face of thought

civil rights movement, slavery andother issues pertaining to blackhistory other than the most talk aboutleaders such as Martin Luther Kingor Malcolm X. That is the reality ofcountless citizens in this nation.

Black History Month givespeople a chance to be exposed toinformation about black history thatis usually ignored in society.

A sense of pride is omnipresentduring the month of February.African Americans get theopportunity to be proud of theirheritage. We have the chance toembrace our history.

Some people may view BlackHistory Month to be exclusive. Ioften hear other races gripe andcomplain about how there is not a‘white’ history month. Clearly, thereis no need for a ‘white’ historymonth. There is already a widespreadrepresentation of the whitepopulation is society.

Black history month creator,Carter G. Woodson stated, “If a racehas no history, if it has noworthwhile tradition, it becomes anegligible factor in the thought of theworld, and it stands in danger ofbeing exterminated.”

The worthwhile tradition ofAfrican Americans is the fact that wehave February to celebrate ourheritage. We have this month to gainknowledge of our history. It iscrucial that we are aware of our past.If not, we become insignificant inour society and shall soon beforgotten.

Be aware that extermination isextreme, but not having the month ofFebruary to celebrate, be proud andeducate yourself about your historyand your heritage is even moreextreme.

knowledge of the African-Americanstruggle to freedom. It is one of themost well-known minoritymovements of history. Our textbooksare filled with paragraphs, photosand quotes revering famous African-American contributors. If you took itupon yourself to go through everytext book ranging from theelementary to high school level, youwould find a substantial percentageof text regarding black history.

Although there is no sense indepreciating black history, peopleindeed choose to be ignorant aboutit. It’s not that they don’t have priorcomprehension on the topic; theyjust have their own views. You can’tforce somebody to do or thinksomething they don’t want to.

Almost always, it has to do withracism, but that’s just a negativefactor we have to deal with.

I agree that Black HistoryMonth serves as a motivation forpeople to dive deeper and acquiremore understanding of black history,but that shouldn’t be the case. Blackhistory is a part ofAmerican history.Our history. We should want toknow in-depth information about ourown history.

If we’re being honest, it’s nosurprise that even the African-American community doesn’t holdBlack History Month with theesteem it deserves. There is a largegroup that holds pride in the month,but there is also a large group whodo not care. It is just another month

for them. Black History Monthdeserves respect, but what does itmean when even the people itcelebrates have no regard for it?

People should not wait forBlack History Month to comearound and spark their interest.Black history is an abundant part ofour history. One thing we have incommon is that we are allAmericans. It doesn’t matter whatcolor you are. We should celebrateour heritages and history all thetime, not just one month a year.

I leave you to think with a quotefrom Oscar-winning actor, MorganFreeman:

“I don’t want a black historymonth. Black history is Americanhistory.”

graphic by kelly jones

this, he switched to news broadcasts whichshow ambulances and a disorganized mass ofcars surrounding the fire station - which herefers to as ‘neat and calm.’ The only lack ofactivity was due to the evacuation and ensuinglockdown of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

TOTT finalizes his argument withscreenshots ofwebsites that were, accordingto him, posted’ days before the shooting

occurred. However, once fact checked, all ofthese websites were dated to the 1 4th ofDecember or after. Clearly, the screenshotswere forged.

Society has conditioned us to rely onexternal sources to provide information,despite the often dubious accuracy.Unfortunately, some guy with a webcam onYouTube account is not a reliable source.

[editorial cartoon] [by delanie buckley]

NAILS BY CHRIS AD

MARCH 201 3 OPINIONS 8

LLoowwnnddeess HH iigghh iiss rraatthheerr aattttrraaccttiivvee..PPeeooppllee oofftteenn ssaayy tthhaatt iitt llooookkss lliikkee aa ccoolllleeggee ccaammppuuss.. BBuutt wwee ddeecciiddeeddtthhaatt wwee wwoouulldd ggoo sseeaarrcchh iinngg uunnddeerr rroocckkss ffoorr tthhee uugglliieesstt ppllaacceess aatt LLHHSS..TThhee ttrruutthh iiss tthhaatt yyoouu hhaavvee ttoo llooookk cclloosseellyy ttoo ffiinndd wwhhaatt''ss lluurrkkiinngg iinn tthheesshhaaddoowwss,, ccrraawwlliinngg oonn tthhee wwaallllss oorr ggrroowwiinngg iinn tthhee ccrraacckkss.. JJuusstt ll iikkee uuss,,oouurr sscchhooooll hhaass ffllaawwss.. OOuurr ffllaawwss mmaakkee uuss hhuummaann,, mmaakkee uuss bbeeaauuttii ffuull..

TThhee ssaammee ggooeess ffoorr oouurr sscchhooooll..

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy eerrii kkaa ttoo wwnn sseenn dd

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy nn oo aahh ccoo ii ll

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy dd eellaann ii ee bb uu cckklleeyy

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy nn oo aahh ccoo ii ll

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy dd eellaann ii ee bb uu cckklleeyypp hh oo ttoo bb yy dd eellaann ii ee bb uu cckklleeyy

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy dd eellaann ii ee bb uu cckklleeyy

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy nn oo aahh ccoo ii ll

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy dd eellaann ii ee bb uu cckklleeyy pp hh oo ttoo bb yy eerrii kkaa ttoo wwnn sseenn dd

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy nn oo aahh ccoo ii ll

MARCH 201 3OPINIONS 9

LLoowwnnddeess HH iigghh iiss rraatthheerr aattttrraaccttiivvee..PPeeooppllee oofftteenn ssaayy tthhaatt iitt llooookkss lliikkee aa ccoolllleeggee ccaammppuuss.. BBuutt wwee ddeecciiddeeddtthhaatt wwee wwoouulldd ggoo sseeaarrcchh iinngg uunnddeerr rroocckkss ffoorr tthhee uugglliieesstt ppllaacceess aatt LLHHSS..TThhee ttrruutthh iiss tthhaatt yyoouu hhaavvee ttoo llooookk cclloosseellyy ttoo ffiinndd wwhhaatt''ss lluurrkkiinngg iinn tthheesshhaaddoowwss,, ccrraawwlliinngg oonn tthhee wwaallllss oorr ggrroowwiinngg iinn tthhee ccrraacckkss.. JJuusstt ll iikkee uuss,,oouurr sscchhooooll hhaass ffllaawwss.. OOuurr ffllaawwss mmaakkee uuss hhuummaann,, mmaakkee uuss bbeeaauuttii ffuull..

TThhee ssaammee ggooeess ffoorr oouurr sscchhooooll..

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy kkaayylloo nn dd aayy

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy ii vvyy bb oo nn nn eerr

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy ii vvyy bb oo nn nn eerr

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy ii vvyy bb oo nn nn eerr

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy mm eeggaann ccaamm pp bb eell ll

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd eepp hh oo ttoo bb yy kkaayylloo nn dd aayy

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy ii vvyy bb oo nn nn eerr pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy aasshh ll ii ss llaadd ee

pp hh oo ttoo bb yy jj oo nn bb uu rrcchh

MARCH 201 3

School supply list: pens, pencils, papers and...guns?

With school shootings on theuprise, and in the wake of the SandyHook, Connecticut, shooting,lawmakers have been brainstormingways on how to stop these tragicevents from happening.

State representative, Paul Battles ofCartersville, proposed a bill which wouldpermit school administrators to carry loadedguns on school campus’ to protect a studentbody. Battles states that this is the best way tohelp with school safety other than placing morepolice officers in the school but that would bevery expensive.

“I understand it is cheaper just to train theadministrators to have guns but what is theliability? Risk the student body even morerather than just provide another police officer tothe school. How does that sound good enoughto be legalized? Although, I have heard ofUtahalready having this law in effect for the pastcouple of years and they have not had problemsthat I personally have heard of. Then again,what works for Utah is not going to alwayswork for South Georgia,” says Kaylon Day,junior.

If the bill passes all administrators that arechosen to handle the weapon must undergo abackground check and law enforcementtraining. They also must get a permit for thegun.

Even though it has been enlightened thatthis bill, if passed, would not affect LowndesCounty Schools, it still had the LHS Saga staffthinking, “is this a good idea?”.

Kaylon DayEditor In Cheif

“I think if they carry guns, they could putus at even more risk than imagined. I see thatthey (law makers) mean well and are just tryingto protect us but, this is not the way to go aboutit. Is it not possible they would end up goingcrazy? Then what would I do? More than likelynothing cause I would be the one to get shot,”said Brandon Joiner, junior.

One of the most common concerns thatwas brought up was the administrators mentalstability. Everyone is human and has a limit butwhen that limit is surpassed anyone can snap.As past events have shown “snapping” while inthe possession of a gun has yet to turn out to bepositive. It is not the issue of ifwe trust theadministrators; it is the issue ofunpredictability.

“It is a scary to think someone I barelyknow will be carrying a gun around my friendsand I. I am just not comfortable with someonehaving a gun at school. The school is notunprotected, we have a police officer andplenty of people to help if anything happened. Iknow that they (adminstrators with guns) wouldbe there to protect us but who will protect us ifsomething happens to them? It is reallydangerous, plus it is unpredictable. I wouldmuch rather see another police officer comeinto the school ifwe need more protection,”says Baily Peacock, sophomore.

According to the bill, gun trainedadministrators would be allowed to carry a gunin any building, functions put on by the schooland transportation.

“Those bad guys who want to invade aschool more than likely will already know whohas a gun and where they are. Giving theadministrators guns will just make them targetsand put them in jeopardy,” says Steven Portela,freshman.

photo provided by flickr

A sign designating a school as a "weapon free school zone". If the bill proposed bystate rep. Paul Battles passes, schools such as these will no longer be "weapon free".The question is, does adding a gun carring adminstrator to a school make it safe?

OPINIONS 1 0

[editorial cartoon] [by delanie buckley]

What is Catfishing?To "catfish" someone is to

pretend to be someone you are notwhile engaging in an onlinerelationship. The term becamepopularized by the 2010 documentaryCatfish. In the film, Nev Schulmanhas been in an online relationship foralmost a year with an attractive,young woman. When he sets out tovisit her, he discovers that he hasbeen tricked by an older woman.

The term “catfish” came from astory the woman’s husband told aboutcod that were being shipped in barrelsfrom Asia to North America. Afterthe long journey, the fish's’ fleshbecame disgusting and mushy frominactivity. According to the husband’sstory, a catfish was put into eachbarrel to nip at the the other fish’stails to keep them active. Thehusband felt that life would be boringwithout people like that, people who

keep us on our toes.Catfishing is a particularly

cruel and life-consuming form ofcyberbullying. There are a fewthings to look to make sure you donot become a victim.

warning signs

1. less than 100 friends on FacebookFaking a Facebook profile is easy.Getting friends on a fake profile isn't.2. will not to meet in personImaginary people do not go on dates.3. claims to be a modelModels have lots of pictures and arealways out of town. That is why theycannot meet you.4. refuses to video chatSkype is a pretty sure fire way toverify identity.5. is unable to provide a recent photoNo recent photos is a big red flag.

MARCH 201 3FEATURES 1 1

FEATURES

When people think ofValdosta Georgia, manythings come to mind.Culturally diverse usuallyis not one of them. Whenthe students ofLowndes

and Valdosta High caught wind thatapproximately forty Australianexchange students would beembarking on a United States tour,everyone wanted their own Aussie.Morgan Manning, sophomore, wasone of the Lowndes High studentslucky enough to score her ownexchange students.

To become a host family, therewas not exactly a definite process orany preliminary requirements besideshaving a high school age child.Manning was fortunate enough to gettwo Aussie girls - both from the stateofVictoria near the capitol,Melbourne. Once the families knewthey had been lined up with anexchange student, the “matching”process began.

“I had to write this biographyabout myself and I gave it to the headlady. Meanwhile in Australia, theexchange students wrote their ownbiographies and gave them to thehead lady as well,” said Manning.

The exchange student programpaired the Aussies with their hostfamilies according to similarities andcompatibility. Both parties thenreceived each others “biographies” sothey knew a little bit about the personthey would be sharing a home with.

The Australian’s United Statesjourney began in California, and itconcluded in Florida with the triplasting a total of a couple weeks.Their stay in Valdosta lasted ten days.While in California, the exchangestudents toured iconic Americansights such as Disney Land, the waxmuseum, Hollywood Knott’s BerryFarm and shopped at well knownstrip malls.

In Valdosta, the Aussies weregiven the full “American experience”as they were able to shadow studentsat Valdosta High for two consecutiveschool days. They also visited thePlantation Home in Thomasville, thecivil rights museum in Albany andChehaw Wild Animal Park - also inAlbany. They also got to shop at theTallahassee mall. Manning and herexchange students were also givenfree time to spend as they wished.

Maggie SterlingFeatures Editor

“We had a few down days wherewe could take our Australianswherever [we liked], but mine weretired and asked to stay at home andsleep,” said Manning.

The Australians may have beenthe ones that got the chance toembark on a two week vacation to aforeign country, but the Americanhosts got quite a bit out of theexperience as well.

“It was an awesome experience.It was so cool to see how we dothings differently than them,”Manning gushed.

According to Manning, theAustralian exchange students claimedthat they were expecting Americansto be rude and pompous, butthankfully, that proved to not be thecase.

The Australians also came toexperience many “firsts” while in theStates, like eating macaroni andcheese for the first time. One ofMannings exchange students, Freya,was particularly excited to see herfirst squirrel.

“Freya e-mailed me before shegot to America and said, ‘ I can't waitto see a squirrel! I’ ll probably passout when I see one; I’ve only everseen them in documentaries andcartoons! Do they like, run up to youso you can pet them?! ’” saidManning.

The poor girl must have beenterribly disappointed.

Some other cultural differencesnoted by Manning was theAustralians odd use of slang words.What the typical American would calla pickup truck, the Australians called“utes”. As the Americans say“dinner” or “supper”, the Australianscall it “tea”. They also tend to callbubble gum “chewie” and candy“lollies”.

Overall, it seemed that theAustralian exchange students had agrand time in the United States.Although both exchange students andAmericans were nervous at first,Manning’s experience turned outgreat. It went so well, that one of theAussies parents offered to host her inAustralia.

The exchange students summedup their thoughts of the USA in onesimple statement.

“You guys have a lot ofhomeless people. And you have thosebig parties with the red cups.”

Well, those Americans sure doknow how to leave an impression.

Exchange student host tells of herAussie experience

The Land Down Underto the Land of Liberty

photo by derise mobley and steven portela

One miniscule flick of the hand and your phone meets its doom with a small slip through a crack in thefloor of the stadium benches.

MartinStadium isknown forbeing the homeof the Vikings.The stadium

has had its fair share of victories anddepressing losses in its day. Thestadium also happens to be the homeofmany abandoned and lost phones.This infamous void within MartinStadium, known for ruthlesslysucking up cellphones, is betterknown as “the cell phone graveyard.”

There are many cracks locatedon the floor of the stadium stands.The cracks are just wide enough forcell phones to slip through. It iscommon for objects to fall down inthe cracks and disappear into a blackabyss filled with lost items, mostnotably, the cell phone.

Some of the items that have gonemissing in the stadium graveyardinclude a brand new iphone.

Derise Mobley & Steven PortelaStaff Writers

Sophomore at Lowndes High, AlexisNichols quoted,

“ I was cheering at a footballgame and I had my phone in myhand, since it was brand new and Idid not want to lose it. It must haveslipped out ofmy hand and into thecracks. I was so upset! "

Andre Moore, junior, has asimilar story. He reported; “I lost myGalaxy at a football game one Friday.I set my phone on the seat andaccidently knocked it down. Iwatched as it fell through the crackon the ground and I quickly began topanic."

But cell phones are not the onlyitems that can be found in the fearedcell phone graveyard. Najee Moore,freshman, said, “I lost my house keysin one of the cracks.”

Perkoshia Smith, junior, stated,“Yes, I lost keys while hanging out atthe stadium Friday night after afootball game. I had them in thepocket of the hoodie and i wasjumping up and down and they fellout ofmy pocket into this huge crack.

I couldn’t believe it."Daroslyn Waters, dophomore, “ I

was dancing in the stadium stands ata game and I had my band tie in mypocket and it fell on the ground. Ithought it would be ok there until Igot done dancing, but I looked downand it was not there. It had fallen inthe crack! "

Mr. Battles , an employee atLowndes HIgh, explains that itemsthat fall through the cracks cannot beretrieved. He also said there havebeen numerous people that have beento graduations and football gamesand other events being held in thestadium, have demanded that theiritems be found and returned to themimmediately.

When the items slip through thecracks, they are lost forever. Theyslip down into the bottom of thestadium making it impossible toretrieve the lost items. So hide yourphones, hide your keys, because thegraveyard shows no mercy.

Martin Stadium has claimed more than just footballvictories.

Cell Phone Graveyard

Student, Jarrett Johnston, shows artistic skill

Hidden Talent at LHS

Everyone has a talent, a talentthat we either decide to keep insideour own selves, or share with theworld. Sophomore at LHS, JarrettJohnston, has chosen a career paththat not only reflects his emotions

and experiences, but also brings out immensetalent. He wants to share it with everyone.

“I use a pencil. . . and paper. . . and mythoughts,” said Johnston.

Johnston’s comic’s started out as doodles.He would pick up a pencil and use the paperas a release for his feelings.This hobby startedwhen Johnston was in the sixth grade. Hecontinued to draw and sketch as much as hecould and since then, he has filled about eightsketchbooks with his comics.

With school and the other aspects ofbeing a teenager, Johnston only works on hisdrawings when he has a spare space in hisschedule. Over the years, he has practiced,took classes and brought out his naturalabilities that might not have been there in thebeginning to produce great artwork.

Taylor HritzStaff Writer

This was not always a career option forJohnston. Soon after he started putting hisimagination on paper, he believed he couldpursue a career as a professional comic. Hesays graphic arts also grab his interest.

“If I don’t crash and fail, I would love tomake a career out of it,” said Johnston.

At first, not many people knew aboutJohnston’s hobby based simply on the fact thathe never mentioned or showed his comics toanyone. It was more of something he didpersonally to escape for the time being. Butonce he did reveal his talent, his family andfriends were very impressed and had highhopes for him.

“At first my dad said I was terrible, but Ikept working at it and I wanted to live up tohis expectations so then I got better,” recallsJohnston.

Not yet has he tried to get his artworkpublished. He has thought of going to NorthCarolina art schools, or even being an Intern atDisney World. Johnston does not necessarilywant one set place of employment for histalents.

Like any teenager, he just wants to drawand express himself in ways that words cannotdescribe. All of his friends support him in hisworks and agree that he can go far.

photo by taylor hritz

Johnston sits on the school steps while sketching one of his comics.

photo by taylor hritz

Johnston finishes up the final touches on a sample of his work.

MARCH 201 3ARTS 1 2

ARTS

I was cleaning out mycloset a few weeks ago,and I stumbled upon anold compact disc my mombought me when I wasyounger - Kidz Bop 5.

Kidz Bop, in a nutshell, is childrenscreaming lyrics to the most recentTop 40 Hits. The first one debuted in2001 . Twelve years later the tonedeaf pre-teens are still going strongwith their latest edition ofKidz Bop- Kidz Bop 23 - and there does notseem to be an end in sight.

Kidz Bop was created by Razor& Tie co-founders, CliffChenfeldand Craig Balsom. Obviously thesetwo were having a midlife crisis ofsome sort. The two pondered upwith the idea of recording childrensinging “kid-friendly” versions ofthe latest hits on Top 40 radio.

The Kidz Bop versions of songsare basically the same as the originaltracks. They just changeinappropriate lyrics to somethingacceptable for children to listen to.For example, in KE$HA’s song“TiK ToK”, the original lyrics in thebeginning are “goin’ up to theparties, tryna get a little bit tipsy.”

"I do not understand why KidzBop has been such a hit. You wouldthink even kids would understandhow bad it is," said Samantha Best,

Miranda AkinsStaff Writer

Junior.Kidz Bop producers changed this

to “going to birthday parties, bout toget a little dizzy.”

If these children have dreams ofbecoming the next teen sensation,they are off to a less than desirablestart. Beyond belief, Disney actuallyhas seemed to save a few kids frommusical embarassment and send themdown the just as torturous but moredegnified path of televsion stardom.Disney Channel stars such as RossLynch, Zendaya and Olivia Holt oncestarted out from the muscial menanceknown as Kidz Bop.

“The only thing those kids aresuccessful is successfully makingpopular music sound reallyannoying,” said Best.

The ensemble chosen to sing forKidz Bop are found by a nationwidetalent searches, with the word“talent” being used loosely. There arecurrently five unfortunate soulssinging and dancing like they havelost all signs of self-esteem anddignity.

It seems the major purpose of theCDs is to convince the innocentchildren that by listening to Kidz Bopthey are listening to “big kids music”.I am not sure what they considered tobe big kid music but this is definitelynot it.

"It [Kidz Bop] completely ruinsa song that was probably already badenough to begin with," said MariaBrathwaite, junior.

Pre-teens go to all lengths possibleto destroy modern music.

Kidz Bop - Please Stop!

What we're listening to

"The album Bon Iver, Bon Iver byBon Iver frequents my iPod. Ilove how it is super calming andmakes me feel all reflective,"- Maggie Sterling, sophomore

"Currently, I am listening to thealbum King of the Beach byWavves. I love the upbeat soundof each track; it never gets old,"- Kaylon Day, junior.

"I am listening to My Head is anAnimal by Of Monsters and Men.They have a bunch of great songsand I like their alternative/indiestyle,"- Noah Coil, senior.

"On of my favorite albums isOverexposed by Maroon five. Theway they harmonize is amazing plus,all of their lyrics have meaning tothem,"- Kristen Dodd, freshman.

"My favorite artist right now isA$AP Rocky and I am listening tohis album Long Live A$AP. Hisamazing lyrics and fantastic beatsmake for an unforgettable album,"- Jon Burch, junior. A movie poster for Django: Unchained which lists the main actors from the film.

Django: Unchained, one of thetop-ten 2012 films released this pastChristmas, is stirring up controversypertaining to racism. As shown inhis past works, Quentin Tarantino,writer and director, is not afraid topush the boundaries. With his latest

film though, some wonder if he has gone toofar.

Viewers across the nation feel theexcessive use of the “n-word” wasunnecessary as well as racist, and that thewestern cowboy angle portrayed slavery as ajoke. Spike Lee, American film director, tookto twitter and stated, “American Slavery WasNot A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It WasA Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. StolenFrom Africa. I Will Honor Them.”

With such harsh and common criticism, itcame as an utter surprise when this reporterhad trouble finding LHS students who agree.

Is Django: Unchained racist or just anotherwestern with a twist?

Django UnchainsControversy

Kemasha KincadeStaff Writer

In fact, their thoughts were almost completelyopposite.

"The word itself is offensive, but it wasused in the correct context. The "n-word" was acommon term during that time. Even though itwas obsessively used, it was realistic," saysShad Hurst, senior.

In a recent count, it was discovered thatthis ‘funny’ movie used the “n-word” 110 timesin total. This excessive amount shocked many,but to students ofLowndes High it is nothing toworry about.

“The “n-word” was a little overused, but itwas used a lot back in those days. People areoverreacting; it’s just a movie, not real,” saidAunika Cross-Monhart, junior.

According to a recent interview, Tarantinoexplains that he wrote this film because he‘wanted to give African Americans a hero.’Even though some may disagree, racistcontroversy was never the intent.

Audiences are always looking forunderlying meanings in movie, but sometimes amovie is just what it is, a piece of entertainmentand nothing more.

MARCH 201 3 ARTS 1 3

photo provided by flickr

Released on February first, "Warm Bodies" made over 20 million at the box office.

Warm Bodies, directed byJonathan Levine, came out onFebruary 1 st, 201 3. “R” is playedbyNicholas Hoult and Julie isplayed byTeresa Palmer. The twomade a greatzombie/human couple

in this twistedlove story.“I felt like this movie was justanother

weird spin off ofRomeo andJuliet that wasnot funny, but they(the makers of the movie)wanted itto be popular so they used the overrated trend of zombie apocalypse. Alot ofpeople I have talked to liked themovie a lot,so I guess you could callit some what of asuccess for thechick flick genre,” says NicoleLangstaff, junior.

This movie answers thequestion; can ahuman and a zombiereally fall in love? Themovie beganwith R as a zombie with feelingslikeno other. When R captures Julie’seye, heloves her almost instantly.Throughout themovie, Julie findsreasons to doubt hergrowing feelingsfrom R This leads to R andJuliegetting into quite a few scary andevenfunny situations. Because ofR’sfeelings hewas noticeably turningback human. A littlefar fetched, butthen again we are talkingaboutzombies.

Due to R’s transformation, Julie and herzombie lover go on a journey back to Julie’shome where all the other human refugees livewith Julie’s father as their leader. The goalwas convince Julie’s close minded father toallow R and the other changing zombie’s help.In the end, the love ofR and Julie changed amajority of the race of zombie, returning tothem their humanity. This is an amazing lovestory, and it included an important lesson: loveis the cure, not some epidemic.

“I left the movie not really knowing whatto think about it. I kinda liked it but then againI did not really like it all that much.Regardless, I did actually like the way theyput a plot twist on a romance story. The wholeNicolas Sparks type of romance has gottenold. I am glad someone attempted to bringsomething new to the table,” says DrewstanPage, sophomore.

Overall, I would recommend WarmBodies. It has something for everyone in theaudience to enjoy; horror, romance andcomedy.

Taylor HritzStaff Writer

A review of the latest additon to the zombie trend but with a romeoand juliet twist

Twilight meets zombieland

Karla Diaz & Kristen DoddStaff Writers

“You CorbinBleu me

away.”-Shad Hurst, senior

“Steal mytweet again

and I will domore than just

subtweetyou.”

-Joanna Jasinski, junior

“Keep calmand

dubstep.”-Luis Huerta, freshman

“If I could beany type of

animal, Iwoulddefinitely besome sort of

bottomdweller.”

-Savannah Pierce, junior

“Do you everlook at

yourself andwonder

just howcomplex

humans are.”-Sydney Dallas, freshman

MARCH 201 3 SPORTS 1 4

MARCH 201 3SPORTS 1 5

SPORTS

At the beginning of every sport season atLowndes High, everyone is usuallyexcited to see who is going to stepup to the plate and make a bigstatement. This year is no different.Of course we are expecting bigthings from all of our

upperclassmen, but we are also wondering whois going to step up for the Junior Varsity and forthe 9th grade teams.

This year, I would not be surprised to hearthe name Jackson Browning regularly during abaseball game. Browning is a freshman whohas, along with 18 others, made the 9th gradebaseball team. Browning has high hopes ofmoving up from the 9th grade team and gettinga chance to play with the Junior Varsity.Jackson plays second base and will alsooccasionally pitch. He came from HahiraMiddle and has hopes to play at a college levelsomeday.

“I love playing baseball. It keeps megrounded. When I step out onto the field I feellike I am at home,” said Browning.

Another baseball player that everyone atLowndes is expecting big things from is TrentVish, freshman. Vish attended Pine GroveMiddle and plays first base, shortstop and healso pitches. He has been playing since he wasthree and also has hopes of playing for theJunior Varsity. Before every game Vish willalso make sure to wear his under armour shirtbackwards due to superstition.

“I hope to go as far as I can withbaseball. My dream school to play baseball forat a college level is Arizona State. My dreamsjust do not stop there, I would love to play forany Major League Baseball team if I was giventhe opportunity,” said Vish.

Makenzie SheaSports Editor

The baseball team still has a lot of hope inanother player. This player’s name being TylerRichards, freshman. Richards played baseballfor two years at Lowndes Middle andtransferred to Hahira his 8th grade year andplayed baseball there also. Richards specializesin pitching and playing third base. Richards hastwo older brothers that play baseball and backin the day his dad played too. He hopes to playbaseball one day for his dream school, FloridaState.

“I was really excited to make theteam this year. I have been playing since I wasfour and I also play for a competitive travel ballteam. I have a love for this sport that is like noother,” said Richards.

Not only does the baseball team have agood looking season ahead of them the soccerteam does too. Zach Temples, freshman is astriker and right back who has been playingsoccer for eight years. He plays travel ballregularly and participated in 3v3 tournamentsover the summer. Temples hopes to play soccerthroughout high school and one day play for acollege team.

“I am really excited to be playingsoccer this year. I was blown away when Ifound out I made the Varsity team. I ampumped to start playing here at LowndesHigh,” said Temples.

Elizabeth Lott also has given everyone atLHS high hopes for another great girls soccerplayer. Lott has been playing soccer for sevenyears and like Temples, competes in 3v3tournaments during the summer and playstravel ball. She specializes in forward. Lott alsohas a few superstitions when it comes to gametime, she always has to wear a blue headband.

“Whenever I step out onto the fieldalways get pumped up. The soccer field is likehome to me. It brings me comfort,” said Lott.

Those are just a few of some soon to bestandout athletes at Lowndes High. Be sure tocome out and watch them play when you get achance.

An inside look at some upcoming stars thatare sure to make a big statement in theirhigh school careers.

Tomorrow's MVPs

Tyler Richards, Jackson Browning, and Trent Vish are just a few of the upcoming starsat LHS. (From left to right)

LHS Swim Advances toState

The Lowndes High golf team isbusy preparing for their firsttournament in order to win regions.

“We all feel like we couldcontend for the region ifwe playconsistently enough, but our main

goal at the moment is to really focus onwinning a region championship. We are notworried about state right now,” said Mr. Brown,golf coach.

The team is practicing four days a week inorder to reach their goals. Kinderlou, StoneCreek, the Valdosta Country Club and theFrancis Lake golf courses allow the team to usetheir courses once a week in order for the teamto get a different experience each day.

“Golf has always been a favorite sport ofmine since I was four years old. I have beenpreparing for my senior season for quite sometime. I hope not only I do well, but the teamdoes well as a whole, “ said Caroline Turner,senior.

The Lowndes High Golf Team is startingpracticing with their focus on regions.

Lowndes High Golf SwingsInto New Season

Makenzie SheaSports Editor

photo by regan ruff | the saga

This is important because when the teamgoes and travels to different schools or goesand participates in a tournaments, the golfcourses are never the exact same. This gives theVikings and Vikettes a competitive edge.

“Two years ago, we won state and it wasthe best feeling in the world. I hope we can dothat again and get that same feeling back,” saidBryant Thagard, junior.

During practice, the team is mainly goingto focus on short game and putting. Short gameis the key to success when it comes to golf. So,it is important to practice it vigorously. Puttingis also important because it can improve theirscore.

In order to be on the team you must gothrough three days of tryouts unless you havebeen on the team for two years previously. Intryouts the team just practiced the normalbasics of golf to see who would be able tocompliment the team.

Tyler Richards, Jackson Browning, and Trent Vish are just a few of the upcoming starsat LHS. (From left to right)

photo by regan ruff | the saga

Five swim teammembers participated instate competition atGeorgia Tech.

Grant McCarty,senior, Madison Marshall,

senior, Ashley Powell, junior, KaitlinSweet, junior, and Jordan Ray,freshman. The qualifiers went toGeorgia Tech on Friday, February 8that 10:00 am.

“I have been anticipating goingto state ever since I found out I wasgoing. To prepare, I have been goingto the YMCA.” said Powell.

The swim meet started at 6:30pm and the events lasted until 11 :00pm. Swimmers from all Georgiaschools were represented. Each eventhas a starter qualifying time, in orderto compete. McCarty swam the 100yd. Breaststroke with an ending timeof 1 :08.

"I have been training andweightlifting to prepare for state”says McCarty.

Hannah ThompsonStaff Writer

Marshall, Powell, Sweet, andRay swam the 200 yard style relaywith an ending time of 1 :52 and the400 yd. freestyle relay, ending it with4:1 0.

"I was excited when I found outI was going to state again, I workedreally hard”, said Sweet.

MARCH 201 3 SPORTS 1 6

www.amyforgeorgia.com

Multiple athletes from Lowndes Highsign to schools all over thesoutheast.

Viking athletes sign with colleges

National Signing day- February 6th - was onceagain an eventfulexperience at LowndesHigh. Athletes from allover the spectrum signed

their letters of contentment tocolleges all over Georgia.

Megan Charbeneau, senior, is across country and track star atLowndes High School who hasdecided to continue her career at theUniversity ofGeorgia. Charbeneauhas brought a new level of excitementto Lowndes High's track team sinceshe moved here from New Jersey herjunior year. While Charbeneau is atUGA, she hopes to compete in longdistance running for both the CrossCountry and Track teams.

“I really enjoy the aspect ofthe University ofGeorgia. When Itook my first visit as a junior I knewthat’s where I wanted to be,” saidCharbeneau.

The football team all together

Makenzie SheaSports Editor

had seven players sign collegefootball scholarships. Out of theseven to sign scholarships, only oneplayer, Tiquan Lang, senior andsafety and punt returner, signed witha Division 1 school. Lang will beattending Marshall University thisfall.

“I think it is really specialthat Lowndes had so many athletesfrom all over the spectrum sign to gofurther their careers. It shows thatLowndes produces hard workers,”said Sam Washington, senior.

Out of the the other six to sign,three football players from LHSchose to play for the Valdosta StateBlazers who just won a nationalchampionship in football. Those threeplayers were: Kenny Moore, seniorand cornerback, Nick Burgman,running back and Alex Stephenson,senior and quarterback.

The other two Viking footballplayers committed to Fort ValleyState -a college located in Fort Valley,Georgia. Those two players wereSam Washington, senior anddefensive lineman and AnferneeChandler, offensive lineman.

photo by a. floyd

Megan Charbeneau, Tiquan Lang, Randy McPherson (athletic director, Kenny Moore, Chandler Sumlin,Nick Bergman, Sam Washington, and Alex Stephenson all stand for a picture after all athletes finishedsigning.

Every sport atLowndes High isenjoyable to watch. Withthe competition being sohigh this year, every sportusually brings on their A-

Game. One sport singled out everyyear based on how they play thegame and the commitment brought tothe table is baseball. Leaving theseason last year being second inregion, the boys are determined towork hard this season to make surethey win the same title or higher.

With so many boys trying out forthis sport, the coaches separate theminto three different teams: varsity,being the highest which is usuallyjuniors and seniors and sometimessophomores, junior varsity, which issophomores and some freshman andlast but not least, the 9th grade teamconsisting of just freshman.

Regan RuffStaff Writer

“Baseball has always been mynumber one sport since I was fiveyears old. I could not be more readyfor this season to begin,” saidJackson Browning.

All teams usually practiceMonday through Friday from 3:00-6:30. Most of the boys playingbaseball have been playing since theycould pick up the bat. With so muchcommitment from each of them, theyare determined to not only makethemselves better for themselves butfor the team.

“There is not one day that goesby I do not have a baseball in myhand. I work hard every day to be thebest at the most failing sport in theworld,” said Josh Day, junior.

The players are not the only onesready for the season. The coaches seea different variety of boys try outevery year, and it is always nervewracking to figure out which one thetwant for their team. Dipper Davis, the9th grade and junior varsity coachlooks for the same thing every year,which is commitment. If you do not

Baseball Season Ready to Begin

bring it, do not try out.“Coach Davis is a very

straightforward person which helpsme because he does what is best forthe team,” said Parker Bonner,sophomore.

Even though the players look upto Davis, they also look up to twoother coaches. Varsity coaches, KipMcLeod and Danny Redshaw. Whenyou are on the 9th grade and JVteams you play the game withpassion. You prove yourself to thesecoaches to let them know you areready when it is time to be on theVarsity League. McLeod andRedshaw choose their men based onnumerous things including their skilllevel, passion and commitment.

“All the coaches are wonderfulpeople and mentors. They care abouteach individual in different ways anddo what is best for the team as awhole. Along with teaching us lifelessons, they help us with life ingeneral. We are all honored to playunder them,” said David Wortham,senior.

photo by reagan ruff

Tyler Richards, freshman, and Jackson Browning, freshman, practicing their skills in preparation for theupcoming season.

LHS swim advances to state

LHS Swim brings five swimmers to state to compete at Georgia Techfor a chance at a state championship.

photo by stephan ie powell | the saga

This is not the first time ourcompetitors went to a state swimmeet.

Last season, the swim team wentto Georgia Tech to compete. It wasthe first time any boys from theLowndes High swim team had evergone to a state swim meet.

201 3 Varsity Baseball

Feb 1 4 - Cairo (Scrimmage) @ CairoFeb 1 9 - Berrien @ Valdosta HighFeb 22- Florida Christian -Miami @ Miami, FlFeb 23 - Lasalle- Miami @ Miami, FlMar 1 - Ponte Vedra, Fl @ HomeMar 2 - Pace, Fl @ HomeMar 5 - Cook @ AdelMar 8 - Coffee @ HomeMar 1 2 - Chiles- Tallahassee @ HomeMar 1 5 - Tift @ TiftonMar 22 - Valdosta @ ValdostaMar 26 - Chiles- Tallahassee @ Tallahassee, FlMar 29 - Colquitt @ HomeApr 5 - Creekside- Jacksonville @ Jacksonville, FlApr 6 - Providence-Jacksonville @Jacksonville, FlApr 1 0 - Cook @ HomeApr 1 2 - Brunswick @ HomeApr 1 6 - Lee @ HomeApr 1 9 - Camden @ St. Mary’sApr 23 - Thomas Central @ HomeApl 24 - Lee @ Leesburg

201 3 JV and 9th Grade Baseball

Feb 20 - Tift 9th/ JV @ HomeFeb 23 - Lincoln 9th/ JV @ HomeFeb 27 - Colquitt Co 9th/JV@ Home

Feb 28 - Thomas Co Central 9th/ JV @ Thomasville

Mar 6 - Cook 9th @ HomeMar 7 - Coffee JV @ DouglasMar 9 - Lee Co 9th/ JV @ LeesburgMar 1 2 - Lincoln 9th/ JV @ TallahasseeMar 1 3 - Chilies 9th/ JV@ Home

Mar 1 6 - Camden Co 9th/ JV @ HomeMar 20 - Tift 9th/ JV @ TiftonMar 23 - Lee Co 9th/ JV @ HomeMar 26 - Berrien 9th @ NashvilleMar 27 - Valdosta JV @ HomeMar 30 - Camden Co 9th/ JV @ KingslandApr 1 - Colquitt Co 9th/ JV @ MoultrieApr 3 - Chilies 9th/ JV @ TallahasseeApr 1 0 - Leon- 9th Tournament @ Lincoln- TallahasseeChilies - 9th Tournament @ Lincoln- TallahasseeApr 1 1 - Berrien- JV @ HomeApr 1 3 - Lincoln 9th - Tournament @ Lincoln- TallahasseeApr 1 5 - Valdosta JV @ ValdostaApr 1 7 - Cook JV @ Adel

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