The Warrior Beat vol L1, Issue 1 October 31, 2011 Oak Grove High School www.thewarriorbeat.com Warriors off to a good start! Facebook VS. Twier! Who will win? Page 4 Opinion Page 8 Entertainment Coldplay Rocks ATL! Student body’s choices make Homecoming special! Page 2 Sports Jordan Disotell and Hanna Turnage (left) and Allen Jones and Aldraunna McNair (right) parade as part of the Homecoming princes and prin- cesses at the pep rally on September 30th. By: Morgan Guess Staff Reporter Over the summer, Mallory Maples went to the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp as a counselor and came home with an idea that would change Oak Grove’s homecoming for years to come. After meeting a girl with disabilities at camp who had been crowned homecoming queen at her school, Maples thought that Oak Grove should also include students with disabilities in all aspects of school, not just academics. As the idea spread, petitions surfaced all around school, showing the entire student body’s support. What started as Maples’s senior project and small student petitions gained the aention of the school board. Maples sent a proposal to Principal Wayne Folkes as a part of her senior project that assured that one maid and one escort with disabilities, whether mental or physical, could partici- pate in the school’s homecoming. Folkes then informed her that the proposal would have to be approved by the school board. However, the school board reported it was too late to change the school board policy for this year. Although the proposal couldn’t be put into action this year, it is a definite possibility for the 2012-2013 school year ac- cording to the school board. The results of the homecoming elec- tions showed that the proposals and petitions were never needed. All students nominated from the community-based classes won homecoming escort and maid for the homecoming court in his or her grade. Those students elected for homecoming court from the community-based classes include freshman escort Josh Mixon, sophomore escort Cha Mar Booth, sophomore maid Sharnee Fairley, junior escort Ryan Hendley, junior maid Amber Wil- liams, and senior maid Kaitlyn Fuller, who is also now in the running for Homecoming Queen. When the results for the homecoming court were announced, there was much excitement throughout the school. When the parents of the newly selected court heard, they were extremely impressed with the Oak Grove student body and, as community-based teacher Mrs. Stacy Todd re- called, many cried. “I am so proud of our student body! They really rallied behind campaigning for these students, who normally are not given these types of opportunities,” Todd said. Students not nominated were recognized as princes and prin- cesses at the pep rally for the Petal game. In preparation for home- coming, Maples and others are shopping for dresses, and the stu- dents will practice a day in advance for the big night. “The Junior Civitan Club is also helping with many of the preperations,” Todd said. The results of this homecoming election Photos By: RAVEN JONES They will never forget this!” -Mrs. Carmen Swilly Community-Based Teacher “ Jaylen Robertson (top) and Dalton Teck (boom) greet the crowd at the pep rally. prove that the student body of Oak Grove High School has a huge heart. Like Maples, they all believe that the students with disabilities should be given the opportuni- ties to participate in all aspects of school, including homecoming. The participants and audience alike will never forget Home- coming 2011. As Mrs. Swilley, another community-based teacher, exclaimed, “They will never forget this!” Rapid growth leads to new schools in district By: Mary Ryan Karnes Staff Reporter More crowded hallways, longer cafeteria lines, and a fuller parking lot are all signs of the exponential growth at not only Oak Grove High School but also throughout the Lamar County School District. Last year school officials were in the midst of developing a five-year comprehensive plan to deal with the influx of new students in the district. Thanks to the work of the Lamar County School Board, these plans will be carried out starting with the construction of a new Oak Grove kindergarten building west of 4th Street and, hopefully, other buildings, classrooms, and caf- eterias all over the district. School Board President Mike Prui explained that construction for the new K-5 building is expected to begin this October and end in about a year. “This means a mid-year move, but we’ve proven that our administrators, teachers, students, and parents can do this as we moved into the OGLE and OGUE in mid-year of 2010,” Prui said. There has also been talk among school board members of a 9th grade academy, which could be lo- cated on the Oak Grove High School campus and used for that grade only. Additional facilities that could potentially be built for the use of Lamar County Schools include a central track and field and tennis courts that would be used by all high schools in the district. Fortunately, no area of the Lamar County School District budget will be cut in order to pay for these new facilities; however, some debt will be retired over the next year or two to pay for the loan on this new school. Lamar County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ben Burne has realized the rapid growth within the district and made the commitment to take action before maximum school capacities were reached. “We conducted a ten year enrollment study a year ago to determine the long range needs of the school district,” Burne said. “This study shows that our district could possibly double in size over the next decade and increase to as many as 17,000 stu- dents. We have to build new buildings and new cam- puses to keep up with the growth.” Both Burne and Prui agree that without effective expansion, safety, scores, and the well-being of the student body could be jeopardized. “When classrooms are overcrowded, it diminishes the environment for learning, not to mention the comfort, safety, and convenience of using the public spaces such as hallways, the library, and the cafeteria. Our job as a school board is to con- tinue to plan for our district in order to meet the needs of all our students,” Prui said. Expansion at Oak Grove is causing and will cause many changes for both students and faculty. For- tunately, the administration is working to meet the needs of each individual. Prui asserted that one downside of Oak Grove growth is money that could be used for an auditorium must be used to expand classrooms. This issue of prioritization, however, is outweighed by the fact that new learn- ers are being added to Oak Grove schools each year. Prui explained that many students are choosing Oak Grove over other nearby area schools because of all the awards it has re- ceived, which is an honor to the hard work of administrators, teachers, and students. “I believe schools are the most important compo- nent of a community’s economic development efforts and from that we have exciting new retail, restaurants, and offices,” Prui said. Even though certain aspects of expansion may be setbacks, the construction of new schools is expected to re- duce the burden of overcrowding. “It will allow our students more room and will enable us to continue to increase our academic scores and to keep all of our students safe,” Burne said. The exapansion of the Lamar County School District is sure to broaden education opportu- nities for all its students. ...our district could possibly double in size over the next decade and increase to as many as 17,000 students.” Dr. Ben Burne, LCSD Superintendent “
Transcript
The Warrior Beatvol L1, Issue 1October 31, 2011Oak Grove High Schoolwww.thewarriorbeat.com
Warriors off to a good start!
Facebook VS. Twitter!Who will win?
Page 4 Opinion Page 8 Entertainment
Coldplay RocksATL!
Student body’s choices make Homecoming special!
Page 2 Sports
Jordan Disotell and Hanna Turnage (left) and Allen Jones and Aldraunna McNair (right) parade as part of the Homecoming princes and prin-cesses at the pep rally on September 30th.
By: Morgan GuessStaff Reporter Over the summer, Mallory Maples went to the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp as a counselor and came home with an idea that would change Oak Grove’s homecoming for years to come. After meeting a girl with disabilities at camp who had been crowned homecoming queen at her school, Maples thought that Oak Grove should also include students with disabilities in all aspects of school, not just academics. As the idea spread, petitions surfaced all around school, showing the entire student body’s support.
What started as Maples’s senior project and small student petitions gained the attention of the school board. Maples sent a proposal to Principal Wayne Folkes as a part of her senior project that assured that one maid and one escort with disabilities, whether mental or physical, could partici-pate in the school’s homecoming. Folkes then informed her that the proposal would have to be approved by the school board. However, the school board reported it was too late to change the school board policy for this year. Although the proposal
couldn’t be put into action this year, it is a definite possibility for the 2012-2013 school year ac-cording to the school board. The results of the homecoming elec-tions showed that the proposals and petitions were never needed. All students nominated from the community-based classes won homecoming escort and maid for the homecoming court in his or her grade. Those students elected for homecoming court from the community-based classes include freshman escort Josh Mixon, sophomore escort Cha Mar Booth, sophomore maid Sharnee Fairley, junior escort Ryan Hendley, junior maid Amber Wil-liams, and senior maid Kaitlyn Fuller, who is also now in the running for Homecoming Queen. When the results for the homecoming court were announced, there was much excitement throughout the school. When the parents of the newly selected court heard, they were extremely impressed with the Oak Grove student body and, as community-based teacher Mrs. Stacy Todd re-called, many cried. “I am so proud of our student body! They really rallied behind campaigning for these students, who normally are not given these types of opportunities,” Todd said. Students not nominated were recognized as princes and prin-
cesses at the pep rally for the Petal game. In preparation for home-coming, Maples and others are shopping for dresses, and the stu-dents will practice a day in advance for the big
night. “The Junior Civitan Club is also helping with many of the preperations,” Todd said. The results of this homecoming election
Photos By: RAVEN JONES
They will never forget this!”-Mrs. Carmen SwillyCommunity-Based Teacher
“Jaylen Robertson (top) and Dalton Teck (bottom) greet the crowd at the pep rally.
prove that the student body of Oak Grove High School has a huge heart. Like Maples, they all believe that the students with disabilities should be given the opportuni-ties to participate in all aspects of school, including homecoming. The participants and audience alike will never forget Home-coming 2011. As Mrs. Swilley, another community-based teacher, exclaimed, “They will never forget this!”
Rapid growth leads to new schools in districtBy: Mary Ryan KarnesStaff ReporterMore crowded hallways, longer cafeteria lines, and a fuller parking lot are all signs of the exponential growth at not only Oak Grove High School but also throughout the Lamar County School District. Last year school officials were in the midst of developing a five-year comprehensive plan to deal with the influx of new students in the district. Thanks to the work of the Lamar County School Board, these plans will be carried out starting with the construction of a new Oak Grove kindergarten building west of 4th Street and, hopefully, other buildings, classrooms, and caf-eterias all over the district. School Board President Mike Pruitt explained that construction for the new K-5 building is expected to begin this October and end in about a year. “This means a mid-year move, but we’ve proven that our administrators, teachers, students, and parents can do this as we moved into the OGLE and OGUE in mid-year of 2010,” Pruitt said. There has also been talk among school board members of a 9th grade academy, which could be lo-cated on the Oak Grove High School campus and used
for that grade only. Additional facilities that could potentially be built for the use of Lamar County Schools include a central track and field and tennis courts that would be used by all high schools in the district. Fortunately, no area of the Lamar County School District budget will be cut in order to pay for these new facilities; however, some debt will be retired over the next year or two to pay for the loan on this new school.Lamar County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ben Burnett has realized the rapid growth within the district and made the commitment to take action before maximum school capacities were reached. “We conducted a ten year enrollment study a year ago to determine the long range needs of the school district,” Burnett said. “This study shows that our district could possibly double in size over the next decade and increase to as many as 17,000 stu-dents. We have to build new buildings and new cam-puses to keep up with the growth.” Both Burnett and Pruitt agree that without effective expansion, safety, scores, and the well-being of the student body could be jeopardized. “When classrooms are
overcrowded, it diminishes the environment for learning, not to mention the comfort, safety, and convenience of using the public spaces such as hallways, the library, and the cafeteria. Our job as a school board is to con-tinue to plan for our district in order to meet the needs of all our students,” Pruitt said. Expansion at Oak Grove is causing and will cause many changes for both students and faculty. For-tunately, the administration is working to meet the needs of each individual. Pruitt asserted that one downside of Oak Grove growth is money that could be used for an auditorium must be used to expand classrooms. This issue of prioritization, however, is outweighed by the fact that new learn-ers are being added to Oak Grove schools each
year. Pruitt explained that many students are choosing Oak Grove over other nearby area schools because of all the awards it has re-
ceived, which is an honor to the hard work of administrators, teachers, and students. “I believe schools are the most important compo-nent of a community’s economic development efforts and from that we have exciting new retail, restaurants, and offices,” Pruitt said. Even though certain aspects of expansion may be setbacks, the
construction of new schools is expected to re-duce the burden of overcrowding. “It will allow our students more room and will enable us to continue to increase our academic scores and to keep all of our students safe,” Burnett said. The exapansion of the Lamar County School District is sure to broaden education opportu-nities for all its students.
...our district could possibly double in size over the next decade and increase to as many as 17,000 students.”Dr. Ben Burnett,LCSD Superintendent
“
2 news/sports October 31, 2011
NEWSBRIEFSBy: Miranda Rester, Copy Editor
Juniors Morgan Eguia and Nick Stevenson both received fives on the AP World History test. “Seeing that score made all of the studying I did in AP World History worth it,” Eguia said. This test is a three-hour long exam which contains 70 comprehensive multiple-choice questions and three essay questions. Students earn scores ranging from one to five. “AP World History covers nearly 10,000 years of human history. The course is fast and furious, to put it mildly,” AP World History teacher Christopher Rusco said. Sophomores in AP World History spend many hours doing weekly reading, writing history essays, and working AP exam practice tests. Rusco expected his students to do well on the multiple-choice portion of the test, but he was slightly nervous about the essay portion solely because the course wasn’t able to allow students to spend a large amount of time writing essays due to the semester time crunch. Although time restraints forced students to retain a lot of information in a small amount of time, Rusco’s students all gave their best efforts on the exam. “There are many students who did well, and I am proud of all of them,” Rusco said. This year, however, students will get an entire year to prepare for the exam. Also this year’s AP World History students are learning from a new book which Rusco hopes will make the course more stimulating and hopefully easier for his students to understand.
AP World History students excel on exam
Rhonda Crawford receives $5,000 grant Last fall, STEM teacher Rhonda Crawford completed a portfolio to apply for a grant to improve her classroom. Crawford received great news at the beginning of this school year. According to a letter from the Mississippi Department of Education, due to her exceptional teaching, Crawford’s
request for a grant was approved. Crawford was given $5,000 to improve her classroom which is a blessing for any teacher, but it is especially useful for any sort of technology teacher solely because technology is very costly. “I received an e-mail listing the specifications of what I can and cannot buy, so I’m still trying to decide what I want to
use the grant for,” Crawford said. As technology advances, the price of items of this genre increases. This grant will help Crawford update her classroom and in the long run, will provide a better teaching environment for her students. “Keeping computer technology up-to-date is expensive and requires grants,” fellow technology teacher, annual and newspaper advisor Joy Davis said.
Rhonda Crawford
Homecoming dress up days announcedHomecoming week will be October 12th, 13th, and 14th this year. “The only reason I’m not upset about homecoming week being only three days is because it’s right after fall break,” senior Brittain Allgood said. Since homecoming, October 14th, and fall break happen to be in the same
week this year, there will only be, as most students know, three days of Homecoming week. The theme for this year will be Warriors Celebrate the Good Times with all hallways decorated as
creatively as possible with only black and gold colors. “The black and gold hallways will help raise school spirit during Homecoming week,” Student Body Reporter Hayley Higgason said. The theme for Wednesday will be Twin Day, which two students will dress exactly alike (expect to see a lot of Thing One and Thing Two costumes). Character Day, a student body favorite, will remain this year and will be on Thursday. One can only wonder which teacher Anna Schwartz will choose to transform into this year. Friday will be Black and Gold Day as it has been for years. However, this Homecoming week may only be two days for the students who are signed up to take the PSAT because the test falls on October 12th, Twin Day. “I’m upset that I have to miss the first day of Homecoming week especially since it’s so short,” sophomore Morgan Guess said.
Christian Chauvin, senior, leaves Purvis defenders behind at the Warrior-Tornado showdown on August 26th.
Photo by RAVEN JONES
By: Austin HeusserStaff Reporter
Oak Grove Warrior football stomped into the 2011-2012 games with a bang kicking off the season at home against the Sumrall Bobcats. The Warriors got their first hint of success in front of a screaming student section as they defeated the Sumrall Bobcats 52-0. After that victory, the Warriors traveled to their first away game against the Purvis Tornadoes where they continued their success by gaining another win with a score of 35-21. The following week, the then 2-0 Warriors prepared for their next opponent, the Laurel Golden
Tornadoes. Oak Grove defeated them 17-3. With a record of 3-0, Coach Barr began preparing his players for the hardest game of the season yet. Just coming off of a victory over the i n f a m o u s S o u t h Panola High School, Gulfport High School set its crosshairs on the Warriors. Little did they know what awaited them on that Friday night. The Warriors, led by senior quarterback Steven Swindle, forced Gulfport into a submissive defeat of 31-14. The Warriors then hopped on the bus and headed to Forest Hill High, where
they brought their record to an impressive 5-0. The following week, the student body eagerly awaited the weekend game against the Warriors fierce rivals the Petal Panthers. On that cool Fall night, the Warriors charged into the stadium amidst screaming fans. The Warriors fought hard in the first half achieving three touchdowns and forcing a safety making the score at halftime 23-12 Oak Grove. Petal came back with a vengeance in the second half, expanding their score to a three touchdown lead. Oak Grove answered back with multiple touchdowns and increased their score to 37; however, the Panthers continued to score with an impressive 54 points. After losing to the Panthers 54-37, the Warriors held their heads
high as they walked off of the field. “We fought through the final whistle, and there’s no shame
in that,” center Allen Cummins said after the game. Hopefully this mentality will go with the Warriors tonight as they travel to Meridian to face the Wildcats, ranked #3 in the state.
We fought through the final whistle, and there’s no shame in that.”Allen Cummins,Senior
“
GOP candidates battle for nominationBy: Will PipesStaff Reporter
Americans are about to make the choice which plots the future of their nation. The 2012 presidential election is near. This means campaigns, polls, and speculation galore about candidates, nominations, and possible victors. On one side of the aisle, the Democrats have a returning candidate, President Obama, who has officially announced his run for re-election. On the other side of the presidential nomination field, the Republicans, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), have several contenders with numerous ideas to offer. However, as with all political races, a few front runners have distinguished themselves from the pack. The first is Michele Bachmann, the Congressional Representative for Minnesota. Bachmann’s mindset is one of a conservative Tea Party member. This may hurt or help her
in the long run, depending on how well Bachmann can relate to the people on certain issues such as the lagging economy. Bachmann has started her campaign with a win in the Iowa Straw Poll, which measures a GOP presidential candidate’s popularity in the nation. Collecting attention from several media networks and magazines such as Newsweek, where she made the cover of the August 15th issue, has transformed Bachmann into a well-known public figure. Next is Ron Paul, a former Texas Representative and Bachmann’s polar opposite. Although he is a member of the GOP, Ron Paul’s viewpoints consistently stray from those of his party and into more of a moderate standpoint, supporting a number of Democratic ideas as well as GOP ones. With 4,671 votes to Bachmann’s 4,823, he came in a close second in the Iowa Straw Poll. However, with news outlets choosing to cover Bachmann and other potential GOP candidates such as Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, and Herman Cain, Paul has been given almost no coverage in the media. While his media coverage may be lacking, Paul is projected to have an advantage over the other candidates. Paul holds the lowest difference in approval rating against President Obama with 47.8% for Obama and
42.0% for Paul making for a difference of 5.8% .Rick Perry is the last GOP front runner for the presidential nomination. Perry has served as Governor of Texas since December of 2000. While not as popular as the other two candidates, Perry’s strength lies in his image of being on the opposite end of the political spectrum in relation to President Obama. Perry recently suffered a loss to candidate Herman Cain in a Florida straw poll. Although daunted, a CNN poll released September 26th cites GOP (and independents who lean towards the GOP) as still being largely in support of Perry, with his support rating at 28%, 7% higher than his closest competitor, Mitt Romney. These are the current front runners poised to challenge President Obama for the presidential office. As always, anything can change in a political race of such importance. As the election approaches, the people can only wonder who will come to represent the nation for the next four years.
2012 Presidential Match- UpsSource: Real Clear Politics approval rating aggregator
32.8
Oba
ma
Bach
man
Oba
ma
Oba
ma
32.8
Paul
Perr
y
42.0%47.8%
41.4%
49.0%52.4%
October 31, 2011 Sports 3
OG swimmers gear up for south state
Morgan Eguia, junior, competes in the 100-meter Butterfly event at the West Jones Invitational on September 24th.
Photo by HAYLEY HIGGASON
By: Amelia PasserStaff Reporter
As Oak Grove athletes start off their new seasons, these Warriors are filled with determination and certainly with Warrior pride. And while most sports teams fight on the fields, others find a more aquatic approach. The OGHS swim team dove into their new season leaving their rivals nothing but bubbles. So far the team has participated in four meets. Both boys and girls teams have placed in at least the top five at every meet. But this is not at all surprising considering
the amount of practice the swimmers have had. In the past years, tryouts have been held during the beginning of the school year. Usually the turnout is close to 40 members. This year, however, Coach Nora Rapetti decided to take another approach. Tryouts were held for the 2011-2012 swim team last April, and it was required for all team members to attend summer practices. For a number of reasons, this turned off many former swimmers. The purpose was to eliminate kids who weren’t as dedicated or as gifted at swimming. This also gave members more time to get back into swimming shape. “It takes a lot to get back into the swing of things after not swimming
for so long,” senior Emilee Asquith said. “The extra time really helped all of us improve.” Summer practices were held every Monday and Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. “At first practices were really tough, but I just kept my eyes on the prize,” Asquith said. Winning a swim meet isn’t just about being the best swimmer; it takes lots of thought and strategy as well. “We’re still trying to figure out the best way to strategize the events,” Haley Higgason, girls’ captain, said. “Everyone on the team this year is a good swimmer, but the hard part is figuring out who’s best to put in which events.” To score in a meet, the top eight of each event are given points. First place gets eight points; second place gets seven points, etc. Each swimmer on the team can participate in a maximum of four events, which include two relays and two individual events, and no swimmer can participate in the same event twice. The events range from distances of 50 meters to 500 meters and include either one or all of the four strokes: Free Style, Breast, Butterfly, and Back Strokes. Events throughout the meet are numbered with odd numbers for boys and evens for girls. The main goal of this year, according to Higgason, is to win South State on October 15th. “Last time we won was two years ago, and I think this year we have a really good chance,” Higgason said. Swim meets are held mostly on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and the season lasts until late October. Please come support the swim team as they splash their way to the state finals.
Volleyball spikes Panthers, advance to playoffsBy: Jordan FarrarStaff Reporter
Anna Kate Carstens, freshmen, blocked a hit from the Petal Panthers at their matchup on October 4th.
Photo by LAURA PREHN
The Lady Warriors won Tuesday night’s game against the Petal Panthers. The Lady Warriors almost had a landslide victory of 3-0, but the Panthers gave a fight and won one of the games. The game against the Panthers gave the Lady Warriors a final record of 13-5 for the season. The team surpassed last year’s record by winning four more games than last year’s team. Head Coach Renee McInarnay (Mac) added, “These girls are just fantastic, no, fabulous. They’ve brought something different, and it’s great.” Coach Mac commended the Lady Warriors on their teamwork as the season progressed. “They have quite the fluid communication and work well together. Each girl has her own talent that she uses to better the team,” Mac said.For most Warriors, ringing a cowbell in the student section at the Warrior football field on Friday nights is the extent of school spirit. Volleyball, however, has not always had the
recognition like that under the Friday night lights. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, it’s played with two teams, each with six players. The goal is to ground the ball on the opposite court or to make the other team fault.To begin the game, one player, the setter, will set up the ball. Another player will then come up behind to swat the ball over the net. The points are tallied by faults/kills. But volleyball requires much more than just hand-eye coordination. One must be a leader on and off the court.Senior Dana Marx is one of the Lady Warrior’s leaders and has played in all positions. One quick kill made by Dana Marx during the Brandon game had some of the spectators do a double-take to see which girl had the shot. These kills are explosive hits over the net that the opposing team cannot reach in time to recover. Marx ended the game with three spikes, four kills, and two line shots, a shot down the opposing teams’ boundary line.“My team really loves playing volleyball. It’s amazing,” second year player Samantha Knowles
said. “It’s a pleasure to watch all of them on the court in front of everyone.”Oak Grove has a definite spot in the upcoming playoffs. The Lady Warriors will take on Hancock on Saturday, October 8th for the first round of the playoffs.
Warrior cross country off and running
Will Murphey, sophomore, and Jackson Shahady, senior, hustle to the finish line at the USM Invitational on September 2nd at Tatum Park.
Photo by RAVEN JONES
By: Allison SlusherStaff Reporter
Every afternoon around 3:40, the majority of the Oak Grove High School student body gets their daily exercise by running to their cars to beat the parking lot traffic. One group of students, however, the Warrior Cross Country Team, begins a different run at 3:40, one that involves rigorous training in order to become the best team they can be. The team’s training consists of difficult
workouts including morning and afternoon runs. With all of this training, the team has seen its efforts pay off after receiving many top placings at meets and even gaining new personal records.The team began the season with their annual Oak Grove Running Festival which serves as both a fund raiser and the first meet of the season. Overall, this has been a busy year for the cross country team, seeing as they have competed in numerous meets including the Mississippi College Choctaw Relay Challenge, two USM Invitationals, the Mobile Challenge of Champions, the East Central Invitational, and the Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola. “My favorite meet would have to be the Mobile meet because of its course,” said Will Murphey, a sophomore on the team. Many members on the team have even set personal goals for themselves this year as
they continue the season. “I hope to improve more than I have in the past five years on the team,” senior Lindsey Hardin said. When asked what he would like to accomplish as a team, Murphey said, “I would like to see us win state.” It is no doubt, though, that with all the determination the team has, these goals can easily be accomplished.The team has two more meets, the George County Invitational on October 15th and the Ocean Springs Invitational on October 22nd, before the Division meet on October 27th followed by the State meet on November 5th. As the season comes to a close, however, it has become clear that the Warrior Cross Country team will be one to watch not only as a team but also as individual competitors.
#13 Kicking it with
Evan SobieskBy: Allison SlusherStaff ReporterEvan Sobiesk is currently the kicker for the Warrior football team and is being recruited by many Division I schools. This column follows him throughout his decision making process and allows us to see which college he will choose in the end. Warrior football has made many proud accomplishments in the past several years including two South State Championships, numerous awards, and many Division I recruits. One distinguished upcoming recruit is Evan Sobiesk. Sobiesk’s performance as a kicker has now led him to the opportunity to play at a Division I university, an accomplishment every high school athlete hopes for. Many universities have already contacted Sobiesk including Southern Miss, Iowa State, Rice, Texas Christian, and even South Eastern Conference schools Mississippi State and Louisiana State. Even Ivy League universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Brown have contacted Sobiesk. “I would like to go to a school with good academics, good athletics, and a good atmosphere,” Sobiesk replied when asked what he is looking for in a college. He also explained that one of the most important aspects to him in making this decision is playing time. “I want to be able to play early in college. I don’t want to spend my entire freshman year sitting out,” Sobiesk said. With all of these options, however, Sobiesk said he has not yet ruled out a school. In turn, we are all left to guess where he will go. In the meantime we will just be, dare I say, kicking it with Evan Sobiesk.
WarriorSports Notes
FootballRecord
5-1Scores
OG 52, Sumrall 0OG 35, Purvis 21OG 17, Laurel 3
OG 31, Gulfport 14OG 41, Forest Hill 14
OG 37, Petal 54
VOLLEYBALLRecord
12-5Scores
OG 3, St. Patrick 0OG 3, Meridian 0
OG 2, Pass Christian 0OG 1, Vancleave 2
OG 3, Terry 0OG 3, Sacred Heart 0OG 0, Hattiesburg 3
OG 3, Brandon 0OG 2, Petal 3
OG 3, Sumrall 0OG 3, McComb 0
OG 3, Sacred Heart 0OG 3, Meridian 0OG 3, Brandon 0
OG 1, Salem 3OG 3, Terry 0
OG 0, Hattiesburg 3OG 3, Petal 1
Upcoming ScheduleRound 1 of Playoffs - OG @ Hancock
Saturday, October 8th
4 opinion October 31, 2011
acebook witterStatus Update +UpdateComment Like Dislike
What’s on my mind? Will PipesSomething more than 140 Characters!
Home Profile Find People Settings Help Sign Out
#ThatAwkwardMoment when you realize you tweet just to avoid the new facebook.
10:30 AM Oct. 7th From Web
@JoAnnaGunnufsenJoAnna Gunnufsen
ver the past few years, one social networking force has been connecting humans around
the world in ways not seen since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. That force is none other than the incredible Facebook. Created in a college dorm room by Mark Zuckerberg in 2005, Facebook has grown to encompass over 750 million people worldwide according to the Huffington Post. What makes Facebook so great is that it puts life online in a unique and interesting way. Users can have conversations, respond to the thoughts of another, or even post pictures of some of the memories they’ve made in order to show their friends all within a matter of minutes. Twitter tries to re-create the same effect, but the conversations aren’t the same when they are submerged in dozens of tweets from others. Pictures require several different sites to view while Facebook simply uses its own picture viewing system. After all, a “retweet” just doesn’t amount to a like or a comment. What’s even more impressive about Facebook is how it has invaded our society. Today a message sent on Facebook is more likely to be responded to than a message on an e-mail account.While checking an e-mail account is seen as a chore by most, people find checking their Facebook more instinctual as Facebook is an extension of themselves. You can’t find that kind of personalization on Twitter, being limited in what your profile can have on it and having only 140 characters, spaces
VS.
included, to express your thoughts. Even teachers have been looking into using the social networking site to post assignments via a Facebook group tailor-made for that class. Not only is Facebook useful for socializing, the site is also more than adequate for education. Possibly the most amazing aspect of Facebook, however, is the reasoning behind this rethinking of social interaction. Mark Zuckerberg, along with partners Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, changed the way we look at the world by creating a world of social interaction that is, to borrow from Tron a bit, for the Users. When they made Facebook, they didn’t know what it would become, only that they wanted to make something amazing. And according to 750 million plus people, Facebook is quite amazing indeed. So at the end of the day, Facebook has more of a personal feel, a better way to display some of your favorite moments for everyone to see, and an easier method of interaction between users. So when I update my status tonight (and invariably comment on something funny I read while doing so), I’ll remember the uniqueness of the site of which I’m on, and I encourage you to do the same.
ive years ago, Twitter was just another word in the dictionary. What was once defined as “a series
of short, high-pitched bird calls” has since taken on a whole new meaning. In the world of social networking, Twitter seemed to be a humdrum, copycat version of the popular Face-book. Of course, I came to this unfa-miliar knockoff and refused to join. I considered myself above the Twitter fad and would tell you so with pride. Facebook had satisfied my social needs for years. What did Twitter have to offer? Basically, nothing new. One simply logs on, “tweets” a mes-sage in 140 characters or less, and posts it for others to see. “Follow-ing” replaced friending. “Retweets” were essentially “likes,” and replies were another way to comment on a status. Spring semester of my junior year, I was required to tweet once a week for my AP Statistics class. Kicking and screaming, and for the sake of my grade, I began to tweet. My world was forever changed.Twitter was the answer to my pent-up Facebook frustration. It had all the attention-getting and knowledge-sharing ability of Facebook without the bells and whistles. There aren’t any flashy sidebar ads promising a lower credit score, perfect love life,
O or free college tuition. Unlike Face-book, Twitter isn’t plagued by risky, lawsuit-inducing privacy issues.With that said, Twitter has been gaining momentum among current Facebook-ers. Twitter, uncorrupted by college recruiters and nosy relatives, is a form of freedom. Change the privacy setting on your account and write without inhibitions. Complaints, teenage love quotes, and awkward moments are encouraged. You can say what’s on your mind, but you can also see what others are thinking. Ce-lebrities, politicians, and journalists have been creating Twitter accounts to accompany their already popular Facebook pages. However, Twitter is not just a publicity tool used by the elite. On May 1st of this year, Presi-dent Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden but not before the news was leaked through a tweet by Keith Urbahn, a former Navy intel-ligence officer. The news spread like wildfire across Twitter’s website, and soon the rumor was confirmed. Twit-ter has nonetheless proven itself to be an efficient communication tool.Of the 106 million Twitter users, around 742,000 are high school students. Start your tweeting. Fol-low me, @jgunnufsen.
F
tarting high school can be the most exciting day for a
14-year-old. As freshmen walk through the doors on their first day of high school, they wonder if the first day will be as in-timidating as it is on Mean Girls or as relaxed as on Saved by the Bell. The War-rior Beat staff polled five freshmen to see if high school has met their ex-pectations.
S
Compiled by ANNA KATE BAYGENTSPhotos by RAVEN JONES, LAURA PREHN
“Hanging out with Mrs. Sanders and Coach Thomas in the library
has made it all worth it.”
“I thought it would be like it was in movies, but every-one gets along better.”
“It’s a lot better than I had expected because there’s so much more freedom.”
“I thought they’d be really strict about enforcing rules, but it’s re-
ally laid back.”
“It’s a lot different than I thought. I have classes with juniors and seniors, and that’s
kind of weird.”
Jessica Tran, 9th Grade
Robert Becton, 9th Grade
John David Fortenberry, 9th Grade
Kintaja Griffin, 9th Grade
Rebecca Gemes, 9th Grade
OPINION
The Warrior Beat
The views and opinions expressed
on this page are of an editorial nature and do
not necessarily represent the views of The Warrior Beat
staff, advisers, school faculty, or administrators
of Oak Grove High School or the Lamar
County School District.
Oak Grove High School5198 Old Highway 11
Hattiesburg, MS 39402601.264.7232
www.thewarriorbeat.com
Editor - Sydney SandersCopy Editor - Miranda Rester
Staff - Brittain AllgoodAnna Kate Baygents
Nan ButiJordan FarrarMorgan Guess
Joanna GunnufsenAustin Heusser
Raven JonesMary Ryan Karnes
Elizabeth LeeNathan MaxwellAmelia Passer
Will PipesLaura Prehn
Julie RobinsonAllison Slusher
Jenny TranAdviser - Joy Davis
October 31,2011 5Opinion
An apple a day keeps the debt awayUncle Sam has met his match. According to the latest updates, Apple has become the new top dog.
W a t c h out, President Obama! According to the June statement from the U.S. Treasury, compared to the U.S. government’s
operating cash balance of $73.8 billion, Apple has a whopping $76.2 billion in cash and marketable securities. In other words, the world’s largest tech company now has more money than the world’s largest sovereign government. This symbolic feat - the world’s most highly valued tech company, surpassing the fiscal strength of the world’s most powerful nation - is just the latest pinnacle for Apple, which has been on an unprecedented roll. This feat comes to no surprise seeing as Apple has been rolling out new electronics every few months. The
federal government could probably learn a thing or two from Apple’s success. For the past few months, Congress has continued to remain embroiled in a debate over spending and whether the government, which currently owes trillions in debt, should be allowed to borrow even more. Not only that, international credit rating agencies have downgraded the national debt for the first time in the nation’s history if Washington doesn’t come up with a solution to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while implementing a concrete plan to get the nation’s financial house in order. In a recent address to the country, President Obama seemed to have the answer to such a crisis. Obama proposed the American Jobs Act to save the United States’ economy. “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working,” President Obama said. Essentially, he plans to increase consumption within our economy through job growth. While I do agree that we must focus on job growth within the economy, how do we know this act will work when the 2009 stimulus package did not? In February of 2009, Obama proposed $787 billion in economic stimulus when unemployment was around $25 million. Now, more than two years later, unemployment is still
around $ 2 5
m i l l i o n . W h y ,
t h e r e f o r e , should Obama’s latest proposals to create jobs, consisting about half the size of the 2009 stimulus, expect to create jobs when the larger stimulus did not? Compared to the government’s budget and spending money, Apple is valued more than $363 billion. With the rise in Apple’s spendable wealth, experts believe the company may use the money to secure more technology patents or make strategic acquisition of other businesses such as Hulu and Netflix. However, one thing is for sure: this news of Apple having more money than the U.S. government has not fazed the company at all. “We don’t let the cash burn a hole in the pocket or make stupid acquisitions. We’d like to continue to keep our powder dry because we think there are one or more strategic opportunities in the future,” former CEO of Apple Steve Jobs said. Offering Uncle Sam a short-term loan, however, is probably not one of them.
By: Jenny TranStaff Reporter
pgradeordow grade?By: Sydney Sanders EditorImagine that it’s 6 a.m., and your eyes pop open. But before your legs hit the floor, you have to put them on first. Now
imagine that after putting forth all of the extra effort it takes to get dressed for the day with two artificial legs, you have to walk on them ALL day long. For the past 30 years, such is a typical day in the life of Coach Schraeder. The accident that took his legs, and nearly his life, made Schraeder’s daily routine a bit more difficult than most of ours. So, it’s a special kind of upgrade that this inspiring teacher and coach finally has a classroom of his own...no more trekking up and down the hallway between classes, floating into someone else’s classroom. But Coach Schraeder never has wanted sym-pathy or favors because of his artificial legs. “I love having my own room, but I understood having to float with a school as big as ours and growing!” he said. “I love OG and want to be here for the rest of my career, God willing.” This is Schraeder’s 25th year teaching and his 7th year at Oak Grove.
Coach Schraeder having his own classroom? Upgrade
3 words. Green. Mesh. Vests. Bring back the bacteria-laden, incredibly loud-sound-when-dropped making apple. Please.
downgrade Prison issue bathroom uniform?
Have you noticed that man behind the ‘stache roaming the halls this year? Mr. Davis, sporting a new look, made a deci-sion over the summer that he said was based on a need for psychological warfare against the freshmen he would be teaching in the Fall. But, when school started and he learned that he would be teaching seniors, making the “exploita-tion of the enemy” factor unnecessary, Davis decided to keep it anyway. He said he can always get a part-time job as a player in the re-enactment of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Either way, the Fu Manchu is around until Christmas. “Look for a smooth-lipped Davis in January,” he said.
Davis’s version of a taller, less red-headed Yosemite Sam? Upgrade
Homecoming on Fall Break week?
So here’s the question. Why was Homecoming Week scheduled the same week as Fall Break? Intentional or accidental? Fess up, LCSD calendar makers. We’re bummed that we only have three days to show our school spirit that week. Now we’re forced to decorate the halls, a time-honored Warrior tradition, on a Fall Break day! Basically, this means that many of us will only have one day off instead of two. But, in true Warrior spirit, we’ll be there to help make our class’s hallway the best ever. It just seems a shame that our classmates will only have three days to enjoy the hard work that will surely be put into the job. And what about dress-up days?! Only three days to be Warriors Celebrating Good Times, dressing in crazy get-ups to display our school spirit. We’ll make the best of it, but the bottom line is this...Homecoming on Fall Break week? Really?
downgrade
THAT’S ALLFOLKES
INSIGHT FROM YOUR WISE PRINCIPAL, MR. WAYNE FOLKES
video bonus coverage:www.thewarriorbeat.com
Q: Why do you feel that it is necessary to have flat screen TVs in the cafeteria?A: It is not necessary that we have flat screens in the TV. We’ve survived this long without them, but I thought it would be educational, fun, entertaining, and
informational. We could work them in a way where we could run announcements on them eventually. We don’t have the funding, so if there is money out there that someone wants to donate, we’ll take it.
Q: Besides being everyone’s favorite princiPAL, what are some of your other hobbies?A: I have a 1966 Mustang Convertible that I like to show and work on. I haven’t shown it in a while, but I like to work on it. I like reading. I also like things that interest me like motivational stuff. I like going to the beach and the farm place we have. We have horses.
Q: Why don’t any of the clocks in the hallway work?A: We are looking into what it would cost us to put in digital clocks to replace them and stuff like that. That would be even better or just take them out. They are just there. They were put in the building when it was built, and they have never been real efficient.
Q: If Oak Grove’s mascot were not a Warrior, what would we be?
A: I went through a list last night of all mascots at different high schools. There are a lot of crazy names out there. The Warriors have been with Oak Grove for a long time. Before the Warriors, someone had given the old annual the Acorns, but what we would have to do is vote on a mascot through the student body. However, if I had my choice, off the top of my head, it would be the Grovers. But I like the Warriors because they are winners in many ways.
Q: What is your favorite Warrior tradition?A: I have many different Warrior traditions. I don’t know if one outweighs the other one, but I think that one thing that is important while I have been principal here is having the alma mater song written. Then the music was written, and the students took it upon themselves to learn it. Now kids everywhere who are in Oak Grove schools know our alma mater. It’s so important to know the alma mater because they can come back to homecoming so many years later and sing it. I think the Warrior pride that we exhibit at ball games and other extracurricular events promotes excellence in all areas. Cheering, painting up, and all those things are what I would consider great Warrior traditions. Running the halls? It happens. No! I’m not for it.
If you’d like to submit a question to Mr. Folkes, please e-mail it to [email protected].
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October 31, 2011 Features 8
umbaDances i nto OG
Kriste Lewis and the 1st block girls’ fitness class shimmy and shake their way through the morning. Photo by BRITTAIN ALLGOOD
Most students dread P.E. fitness class at Oak Grove because they know what awaits them each morning: push-ups, jumping-jacks, and of course lifting weights. Strenuous activities, such as these, are not something that most girls qualify as fun; however, girls who enroll in P.E. fitness can now look forward to a lively Zumba class every other morning. Kriste Lewis began teaching first and second blocks Zumba classes around the end of August. The coaches, who normally teach the fitness classes, were looking for something new and fresh to keep the girls entertained while maintaining their health. Anna Lauren Weeks, a freshman in the first block class, knew that the coaches were looking for an instructor and did not hesitate to ask Lewis. “She teaches Zumba at Heritage United Methodist, a church that I go to sometimes, and I knew she would do a great job at Oak Grove,” Weeks said.
By: Brittain Algood Staff Reporter
Lewis has been teaching Zumba for a little over eight months and normally teaches at her church. “I have enjoyed instructing the girls here at Oak Grove. It is giving me the opportunity to work with many different age groups,” Lewis said. Zumba is a dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez during the 1990s. The program combines Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise enjoyable. Zumba is Spanish slang for “to move fast and have fun.” In these classes, participants are in constant motion. It incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, mambo, martial arts, Bollywood, and belly dance moves. Squats and lunges are also included in choreography in order to tone muscles; participants are burning calories while having fun. Zumba has been referred to as a party rather than a workout, which is probably why over
12 million people of all shapes and sizes take part in weekly Zumba classes in more than 125 countries.
Many of the girls have found Zumba to be a new and exciting experience. “I actually look forward to first block now that
we have Zumba classes,” senior Susannah Carpenter said. “It’s a fun way to stay in shape!” The girls are beginning to memorize some of the choreography and get excited when they hear one of their favorite songs begin to play. Even other groups such as
Golden Spirits and the community-based classes take part in the Zumba classes.Lewis’s goal is to show girls that fitness can be fun rather than stressful and strenuous. “Statistics prove that Mississippi is one of the fattest states, as well as one of the laziest states, so I want people to know that they don’t have to run laps or starve themselves in order to lose weight,” Lewis said. “The classes are easy and something new to take part in.” Lewis plans to continue her instructing at Oak Grove for the remainder of the year and hopefully for years to come. Freshman, sophomore, and junior girls: talk to your counselor about next year’s schedule for “an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.”
The classes are easy and something new to take part in,”Kristie Lewis,Zumba Instructor
Susannah Carpenter is that girl at school who looks cute every single day. Last year when the new dress code was implemented, she was the first one to figure out how to make the dress code look nearly fashionable. Even in weightlifting class, Carpenter’s hair and makeup are flawless. Usually, when Carpenter wears something new or different, everyone else starts wearing it; she’s a trendsetter if there ever were one. How would a girl like Carpenter be expected to spend her summer vacation? To everyone’s shocked surprise, Carpenter accidentally spent a week of her summer at boot camp in Maryland at the United States Naval Academy. What many people don’t know about Carpenter is that she is very interested in studying engineering and more specifically aerospace engineering in college. She thought she was going to get a week of classes on aerospace engineering when she signed up for the Summer Seminar at the Naval Academy. When she got there, she realized that she would be spending a week in boot camp and had seriously misinterpreted the Naval Academy’s
brochure. A few of the other ill-informed girls left early, but Carpenter chose to tough it out. Carpenter sharply stood out from the remaining girls and guys at the Summer Seminar who were built for the army. She noted that the girls were probably all in the heavy division on their high school weightlifting teams. While Carpenter is athletic, she would never fit the criteria for a heavy division weightlifter. If the girls were muscular, then the boys might as well have been already in the army, and the ratio of boys to girls was four to one. There were 750 at the Summer Seminar in all. An average day for Carpenter consisted of waking up at 5:00 a.m. to 30 minutes of physical activity, classes, and more physical activity. She did 300 push-ups a day for a total of 1,500 push-ups in five days. She was forced to run everywhere she went and totaled 35 miles for the week. One of the many activities Carpenter participated in during the week was called Sea Trials; this activity was comprised of 12 hours of non-stop physical exertion. Carpenter’s maximum number of push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-
ups were tested and recorded, and her fastest mile was clocked. She had to wear a uniform of boy shorts and tucked-in t-shirts all week long. When asked if, given the opportunity, she would participate in the Summer Seminar again, Carpenter replied, “I would definitely do the seminar again because I gained so much from it. The Naval Academy’s campus
is beautiful. I am strongly considering going there for my undergraduate degree next fall.” Carpenter’s example warns us to carefully read the brochures we are sent advertising summer college camps but also proves that misinterpretations can lead to new challenges and new experiences that can shape who we will become.
Susannah Carpenter, senior, (middle) and friends relax after a grueling twelve hours of physical activity at the Naval Academy’s Summer Seminar.
Mississippi State University
Tuition and feesApplication Fee - $40In-State Tuition & Fees - $5,808Average Financial Aid Package - $10,854
HousingOn-campus housing - Approx. $8,160Other• SAT or ACT is required, but ACT writ-ing section is optional
• Average freshmen enrollment - 2,450
• MSU has 15,543 undergraduate stu-dents
• MSU is located in Starkville, MS in a rural setting
• Average indebtedness at graduation is $25,261
• Student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1
Campus TourVisit www.statement.msstate.edu to schedule a tour.
College SearchMississippi College
Tuition and feesNo Application FeeIn-State Tuition & Fees - $13,988Average Financial Aid Package - $15,010
HousingOn-campus housing - Approx. $6,340
Other•SAT or ACT is required, but ACT writing is optional•Average freshmen enrollment - 508•MC has 3,107 undergraduate
students•MC is located in Clinton, MS in a suburban setting•Average indebtedness at graduation is $21,332•Student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1
Campus TourCall or email JJ Benson at 601.925.3948 or visitwww.mc.edu
9 Features October 31, 2011
From the big screen to the school sene,
Oak Grove gets a taste of Hollywood Oak Grove is full of ambitious and talented students such as former Warriors model Andie Arthur, star athlete Steve McNair, Jr., and singer Lindsay Lee. Jake Walker’s name can now be added to this list. Walker is an established actor and singer at the age of 14, and he is now a freshman at Oak Grove. While W a l k e r has spent s e v e n years in California,
develop an inflated ego from all of the attention, Walker makes it clear that his family is, and always will be, his first priority. “Family is first. Without my family, I wouldn’t be in the acting business. Without my mom and dad keeping me confident, it never would have happened. I think the only reason someone can be an actor or is allowed to do
something like this is because of their family,” Walker said. Walker knows how much money and effort his family had to put into making his dream come true, and he expressed extreme
gratitude for them. Oak Grove is the first public school Walker will have attended for an entire year. “The only real difference between here
and California is that everyone in high school has their own little groups. In California, no one cares who you are. There, everyone got along because we realized we’re just people. No one is better than anyone else,” Walker said. Walker makes the point that while he loves acting, it is not easy. He uses Bella Thorne, star from Disney’s hit show Shake It Up and a friend of Walker’s, as an example. “Bella Thorne’s been at this for nine years, and she just became a star. This shows that you don’t go straight out to California and get a role on a show or in a movie. It just doesn’t happen,” Walker said. Walker is currently waiting to hear the results from his latest audition for The CW’s new show Charlie’s Angels.
BONUS VIDEO INTERVIEW with Jake Walker available at
www.thewarriorbeat.com.
By: Miranda ResterCopy EditorMORGAN
he was born right here in Hattiesburg. “I was born here, and I’ve made a lot of great friends here. I’m a normal kid. I love going to the movies, hanging out at the mall, and ringing the cowbell at the football games,” Walker said. At the age of eight, Walker’s acting career surprisingly began with a singing performance at Talent Rock in Orlando, Florida. “The singing was okay, but I choked up. So, they handed me a monologue, and I memorized it right off the bat. I went in there, and they loved it,” Walker said. After Talent Rock, Walker got a manager and moved out to California. “I’ve been on at least a thousand auditions,” Walker said. Walker auditioned constantly in California, and he is still continuing to do so. He premiered in his first movie at the age of ten, Front of the Class in which Walker played the childhood bully. While he has performed in five movies and ten television shows, Walker’s first movie in which he was a main
character was The Chaperone which he filmed only last year. “My favorite by far is this movie I just finished called No One Lives. I got really bloody and shot up, and that was a really cool experience,” Walker said as he joked about the fact that his character is one of the first murder victims. While many young performers
Family is first. Without my family, I wouldn’t be in the business,Jake Austin Walker,OGHS Freshman
““
Photo by Raven Jones
Hattiesburg gets a blast
from the past!
Rocket City Diner has launched as the new dining hot spot in the West Hat-tiesburg area. Social networks buzzed with anticipation for the opening of the local diner months in advance. The diner was made popular in the early 90s and has been missed ever since its closing. Before the big lift off, crowds of invitation-only guests filled the diner for the soft opening of Rocket City on Tuesday, September 13th. Guests enjoyed rounds of hula hoop contests and dancing to the “Hokey Pokey” while others snapped memorable photos in the photo booth and enjoyed some of Rocket City’s
diner style food. Hundreds of locals gathered outside the diner for the long awaited grand opening the next day. Employees and customers of the origi-nal RCD were among the hundreds of local guests anticipating that the new diner would have the same fun atmosphere and as good food as the original. New custom-ers were eager to get a taste of the famous milkshakes and classic burgers they had heard so much about. “There was no better place to work where you could have a little fun with the customers at the same time! I met my husband
there so we are having a blast returning to the new Rocket City Diner,” Stacy Odom, former Daisy Mae, said about the new RCD. The outgoing wait staff and the bubbly hostesses added to the energetic 50s theme as they dance around to 50s music in between serving. Just like the original RCD, the wait staff wears 50s style uniforms and goes by fake names from that decade such as Daisy Mae, Peggy Sue, Opie, and Bubbles. The main staples of the
original Rocket City Diner menu such as wet fries, classic hamburgers, and blue plate specials are all offered at the new Rocket City. The blue plate specials include red beans and rice, chicken fried steak, pork chops, burger steak, fried chicken, and pot roast. The blue plate specials also include a choice of two sides: mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, black eyed peas, green beans, fried okra or turnip greens. Even some of the desserts, including strawberry shortcake, fudge brownie, and pies, are offered in addition to some newer options such as bread pudding. For the health conscious, RCD offers some of Season’s former famous salads and Rocket City Grilled Chicken Sandwiches. Since many of Rocket City Diner’s fans are kids, there’s also a special menu for them that includes the famous Hailey’s Hot Diggity Dog. Because of Rocket City Diner’s unique atmosphere and good food, it is as-sured to be enjoyed by people of all ages! The new Rocket City Diner is located at Newpointe Shopping Center and is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9
p.m. Also, there’s good news for Oak Grove Warrior football fans, Rocket City stays open late after all home football games! Many Oak Grove students are experiencing the 50s lifestyle as servers, soda jerks, and hostesses. Go say hello to Alexa Martin (Lola), Carley Robertson (Rizzo), Rachel Rogers (Bets), Dylan Car-penter (Jeb), Andrew Adams (Opie), Ja-cob Creel (Duke), Michael Shannon (Slick), Amelia Passer (Mary Jane), Willie Jean Lewis (Billie Jean), Mary Taylor Jones
(Trudy), Cassidy Crampton (Frenchie), Caitlin Osborne (Ozzie), Brooke Carney (Pinkie), Will Glenn (Scooter), Jade Willis (Thelma Lou), Cole Lang (Fonzie), Sean Thomas (Frankie), Garneisha Jones (Wanda), Ty Creel (Bud), Addison Arroyo (Rosa Lee), and Hannah Coursey (Roxie).
By:Morgan GuessStaff Reporter
October 31, 2011 10entertainment
Movie One Day By: Joana Gunnufsen
Dexter Mayhew and Emma Mor-ley first meet on the night of their college graduation. After just one day together, they begin a 20-year friendship that with-stands the tests of time, distance, and miserable life choices. Clearly, Dexter and Emma are made for each other. However, like most love stories, their relationship just never seems to work out in a picture perfect way. Through life’s ups and downs, their only hope of happiness appears to simply be with each other. David Nicholls wrote two nov-els before finding tremendous popularity with One Day. The book takes a different route than most romantic beach reads. He chronicles the anniversary of their college graduation for 20 years to see where life has taken Dexter and Emma. Surprisingly, Nicholls manages to write a complex relationship between two main characters who seem like total opposites. At first, Dexter and Emma are frustrating. Dexter, a party-loving woman-izer, spends his younger years chasing af-ter a superficial career and abusing many mind-altering substances. Aspiring author Emma just wants to publish her own novel. They refuse to become romantically involved with each other because they want differ-ent things in life. Once they grow closer, the reader can’t help but finish. To all those who get emotionally attached to their main characters, One Day will leave you feeling heartbroken with its unexpected and tragic
ending. Like most best-selling novels, One Day was quick to sell out into big screen adaptation. The movie features Anne Hathaway as smart, headstrong Emma and Jim Sturgess, known for his role in Across the Universe, as the proud Dexter. The chemistry between them seems unrealistic, and their dialogue falls flat, coming across as simply scripted words. The movie’s director Lone Scherfig worked with Nicholls to write the screenplay, but I was shocked at how far the m o v i e strayed from the b o o k . E m m a is made out to be the pre-dictable good girl who is wa i t i n g for Dex-ter to fi-nally fall in love with her, even though the novel shows her faults. Scherfig’s film falls short of the book’s high standards. To those who see the movie, beware: One Day will seem like a boring eternity.
Did you know:• that Anne Hathaway was born in New York but raised in New Jer-sey, has a seven-year-old choco-late Labrador named Esmeralda, and is lactose-intolerant?•that Jim Sturgess has played in three bands: Dilated Spies, Tragic Toys, and Saint Faith; and his breakthrough role was in the musical, Across the Universe?
Music Coldplay Live• Piedmont Park, Atlanta Georgia By: Allison Slusher
On September 24th, the Music Midtown Festival came back to Atlanta, Georgia, for the first time since 2005. The event was held in the city’s Piedmont Park in order to house the expected 50,000 audience members witnessing the festival’s reprise. In a successful attempt to bring back the excitement the festival once held, the event created a line-up featuring many big name artists including Young the Giant, The Black Keys, and Cage the Elephant to name a few. The festival’s headliner, however, was a band MTV puts in the same commercial category as U2: Coldplay. Coldplay’s appearance was one of few in the United States until the upcoming release of their new album Mylo Xyloto on October 24th. The band took advantage of this opportunity by pulling out all the stops. Coldplay began the night with “Yellow,” one of the songs on their first album. They kept the night rolling by playing many songs from their upcoming album including “Paradise” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” but
of course the band continually impressed its audience by playing some of its fan favorites including “Viva La Vida” from the same name album. The band even paid tribute to the newly dissembled band R.E.M. by covering their song “Everybody Hurts.”
In order to add a special touch to what could have been an average concert, the band added many unique features to make the concert unforgettable. The first of these features was a surprising firework show that captured everyone’s attention. Secondly, the band displayed the most incredible light show. Coldplay made each song more memorable by presenting a light feature for each particular song. During the song “Yellow,” for example, huge yellow lights streamed across the audience, making the song reach out to even those in the last row of the crowd. Another light effect came during the song “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” in which fog machines dispersed clouds that were highlighted by an assortment of laser lights. With all of these special effects, the energy level at the concert was quickly lifted, and it became evident that this was no ordinary show. Unfortunately, at concerts of any size, there is no way for every audience member to feel as though they were on the front row, right in the action. However, Coldplay’s efforts were obviously to include everyone in the audience during their performance by
constantly mentioning the people in the back of the crowd and making sure they were enjoying themselves as much as the people closer to the stage. Coldplay even ended the night by claiming the audience at this event was one of the best audiences they had ever played for; however, whether or not that statement is true remains to be decidedly undetermined. With all of the build-up of the festival’s return, the concert could have easily been over rated and somewhat of a let-down. Fortunately, the event wound up being anything but. After all was sung and done, the event was definitely one to be remembered, and with results such as these, the Music Midtown Festival and Coldplay will be around for many years to come.
Did you know...• Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer, majored in Ancient World Studies at the University of London?• On May 18, 1998, Coldplay released a three-song EP entitled Safety. The band only made 500 copies of the album that were given to friends and family mem-bers.
ChewsWisley
with Julie Robinson
Many people eat to live, but I live to eat. Food brings me the utmost joy, so writing about it comes naturally. In this column, I will document all my glorious food-related adventures.
One of my favorite foods is ice cream and, until Twist and Taste frozen yogurt opened, I believed there was no substitute for it. Then frozen yogurt became the new fad. I jumped on the band wagon and raced over to Twist and Taste to pick my frozen yogurt flavors, the amount of yogurt I wanted, and my toppings. In my ignorance, I was blissfully happy. My world was yet again rocked upon the opening of 32 Degrees, a Yogurt Bar. 32 Degrees seems so much more modern and all around better. The yogurt seems better, and there are so many more toppings. Surely, 32 Degrees is the all-around better frozen yogurt supplier, right? As the hype about the opening of 32 Degrees, a Yogurt Bar settles down, I have to ask the question, is it really all that much better than Twist and Taste? They both sell frozen yogurt at 45 cents per ounce, so the price isn’t any better. Originally, I argued that the yogurt at 32 Degrees tastes better than the yogurt at Twist and Taste. I decided to test my theory by getting the same flavor yogurt at both 32 Degrees and Twist and Taste. I concluded that my French Vanilla yogurts tasted exactly the same. Since price and flavor are the same at both 32 Degrees and Twist and Taste, the two yogurt suppliers were tied until I polled the newspaper staff to find a winner. They voted on customer service, environment, and toppings.Their results are as follows:
Customer Service
Enviornment
Toppings
After adding up the statistics, I have come to the conclusion that all the hype about 32 degrees really is warranted. 32 Degrees won by only a small margin but really is a better yogurt bar.
11 Entertainment October 31, 2011
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