Leo teacher honored Teach of the Year

Lion’s Tale
the
Student profile
pg 3
February 25, 2010
Volume LII
Issue V
Leo Junior/Senior High Schoolo-
Leo teacher honored Teach of the Year
Choir teacher Joan Phillips receives prestigious award
By Amanda Overholt
Special editor
Leo Jr. /Sr. High School
teacher Joan Phillips was named
Teacher of the Year for the 2009-10
school year.
The decision of who
becomes Teacher of the Year
is decided by a committee.
A committee of teachers and
administrators takes nominations
from the faculty to decide who is
deserving of this honor, and this
year, Phillips was chosen.
To qualify to be Teacher
of the Year, a teacher must:
“be a licensed semi-permanent
or permanent member of the
teachers’ bargaining unit with
at least six years of teaching
experience, three of which must
be in East Allen County Schools;
be an exemplary, dedicated
teacher; be actively involved in the
teaching profession; be actively
involved in his/her community,
and have distinguished himself/
herself as a leader; and be willing
to participate in the corporation
and the State Teacher of the
Year competitions,” according
to East Allen County Schools’
documentation.
Phillips
said
her
qualifications for Teacher of
the Year are not as deserving as
previous teachers.
“I hold previous Teachers
of the Year from Leo in very high
esteem,” said Phillips. “Mr. Gabet,
Mr. Jehl, Mr. Flickinger, Mrs.
Mahoney, Mrs. Longtine (to name
only a few)—they DESERVED to
be named Teacher of the Year.”
According to East Allen
County Schools, the goals of
the Teacher of the Year are “to
recognize outstanding teaching in
East Allen County Schools at the
elementary and secondary levels,
to develop a standardized process
for choosing the Teacher of the
year candidate for East Allen
County Schools, and to develop
a system of rewards for those
distinguished teachers”.
Phillips said she was
named Teacher of the Year for
her extra time put in and for the
passion she has for music, for her
students, and for Leo.
“I may put in many
extra hours, and I may have a
passion for music, drama, and
young people, but I am not an
exceptional teacher in the way
these men and women are,” said
Phillips.
Phillips
credits
her
workplace for this honor as the
teachers around her encourage
and respect each other, making
Leo a place for excellence.
“It has been my privilege
to grow and develop here in an
atmosphere of encouragement
and respect among colleagues
who excel at teaching; that has
made me a better teacher,” said
Phillips. “This award is given
to recognize the entire faculty
through one representative. I just
happen to be that representative
this year.”
Phillips will go on to
compete against other EACS
teachers for the EACS Teacher of
the Year award.
Leo teachers fight to keep trimesters
By Amanda Overholt
Special editor
Next year, the trimester
schedule is in question for
East Allen County Schools as
a semester schedule of six or
seven periods may take over.
East Allen County teachers have
voiced their opinions about this
change in a letter to the school
board
and
superintendent.
Teachers of East Allen
County Schools and more
specifically, of Leo, feel that
trimesters are all around best
for the students and staff.
“The teachers feel that
there are many opportunities
for students with the extended
period,” said teacher Ronald
Crosby. “Courses at IPFW,
internships, science labs, and
PE courses are easier with the
longer period. We also have
the capability of allowing
4
students to repeat a course
immediately if they struggle
without having to lose a year.”
The disadvantages of
a semester schedule, according
to
Crosby,
are
numerous.
“If we go to either
a seven period or six period
semester schedule, [we] would
have several disadvantages,”
said Crosby. “Primarily we
would lose available credits for
students to have every year.
This would cut the number of
elective courses students would
be able to take. Courses like art,
band, choir, and other elective
courses would lose numbers.”
Crosby also feels that
the strain on students is greater
with a semester schedule.
“The stress level for
students would also increase as
more classes would have to [be]
taught per day and the number
of students a teacher would
Words of advice on exercise and diet
tips before Spring Break rolls around.
TCID:PP
7
have to deal with would increase
dramatically,”
said
Crosby.
According to Crosby,
all the teachers at Leo showed
support for the letter supplied
to
the
superintendent
and
the
school
board.
“East Allen Educators
Association polled the teachers
within the corporation last year
and determined that 74% of
all teachers of the corporation
favored the trimester which
would put them ‘against’ the
semester schedule,” said Crosby.
The letter made the
intended impact, according to
Crosby.
“I do think [the letter]
made things clear to the
superintendent where Leo
stood,” said Crosby. “We have
already had an ‘impact’.”
Continued on pg. 2
Evan Bayh to step down from senate seat. Read more on pg. 2.
Eight things you didn’t know about the
cheerleading squad,.
10
Highlights on the Winter Olympics
and updates on current medal counts.
2 News
February 25, 2010
February recognized as Black History Month
By Rachel Burtnett
News and special editor
Black History Month
is a remembrance of important
people and events in the
history of African Americans.
It is celebrated annually in
the United States and Canada
during the month of February
and in the United Kingdom
during the month of October.
In 1926, United States
historian Carter G. Woodson
founded this remembrance
as “Negro History Week,”
according
to
infoplease.
com. He chose the second
week of February because
it marked the birthdays
of two Americans: former
President Abraham Lincoln
and abolitionist and former
slave Frederick Douglass.
Woodson thought of these
two people as Americans
who greatly influenced the
lives and social conditions
of
African
Americans.
Black History Month
is recognized and celebrated
all over the United States and
the world. According to MTV,
the Black History Month
campaign
was
launched
in February of 2005; it was
titled “Say It Loud.” During
this month this year the MTV
channel will be taken over by
this operation and will include
special programming and
music hours giving viewers
historical insight through some
great years in black music.
“I think that Black
History Month is something
that should be recognized
more,” said junior Jenae
Bennington. “I think I respect
the reason for this month a lot
more now because I’ve been
learning about all of these
people in my history class.”
Important figures in
African American history who
are recognized as people who
inspired this holiday include
Harriet Tubman, Frederick
Douglass, and Dred Scott.
Harriet Tubman, the
African
American
female
refused to give up her seat
on the bus to a white person.
Frederick
Douglass
was
a famous journalist and
abolitionist who emerged
as a major anti-slavery
force and a supporter of
women’s rights according
to
aboutfamouspeople.com.
Dred Scott was the first
African American to sue for his
freedom and have his case taken
to the Supreme Court in 1857.
Although Scott did not win his
freedom, he is remembered.
“I watch the Black
History Month program every
year on MTV,” freshman Sam
Waters said. “I think it is really
interesting and entertaining.”
Indiana Senator Evan Bayh steps down from office
Democratic congressman announces retirement this coming election
By Rory Harris
Editor-in-chief
On February 15,
Indiana senator Evan Bayh
announced that he would not
be running for a third term
for the senate, according to
CNN.
CNN also said that
the Democratic senator first
took office in 1998 with 62%
of the vote, and then again
six years later with 64% of the
vote.
Bayh is now the
third Democratic senator to
announce that he is retiring
after the closing of the 111th
Congress.
“Congress is not
operating as it should,” said
Bayh at a news conference in
Indianapolis.
According
to
abcnewsgo.com, Bayh said
that compromise is necessary
in Congress. He thinks that
the voters in America need to
get rid of the lawmakers that
are just focused on politics
and partisanship.
There
was
speculation that the two
term senator was planning
on running for president for
the 2012 election, but Bayh
is now saying that he there
is “no truth whatsoever” to
such rumors. He said that he
supports President Obama
and is confident that the
president will be re-elected.
Apparently the senator
is stepping down because
according to him, he could
get more done by himself in
the private sector and do “real
accomplishments in a real way,
perhaps in a smaller stage but
something meaningful,” said
in an interview with Good
Morning America on February
16.
The interesting thing
about
Bayh’s
retirement,
“Congress is not operating as it should.”
- B a y h
according to campaigndiaries.
com, is that it was announced
only 24 hours before the
registration
deadline
for
statewide candidates.
Bayh’s
retirement
means that the competition for
his seat will be more intense. It
also means that the Democratic
Party will form a nomination
committee to virtually “hand
pick” their candidate for
the 2010 senate election.
According to Andy Downs,
director of Mike Down’s center
for Indiana politics, the state
committee has until July 7 to
make their selection.
Because
no
Democratic candidate has
been announced, the election
is heavily leaning towards the
right. According to wfie.com,
former U.S. Republican senator
Dan Coats is looking to get the
seat, along with former U.S.
Representative,
Republican
John Hostletter. There will be
at least 3 others to face in the
primaries.
“I think I have
something to offer to the
people and representing what
I think represents the course
they want this country and
this state to take in the future,”
Coats said at a Republican
fundraiser in Warrick County
on Tuesday, according to wife.
com.
Because no Democrat
is qualified and set to run,
party officials are capable of
appointing a replacement
for the vacant spot. The only
individual who was set to
challenge Bayh before his
announced retirement was
Tamyra d’Ippolito.
d’Ippolito
is
a
progressive, and only three
days ago, admitted that she
was 1,000 signatures short.
Democrats must stick with her
or force her to withdraw so that
a party committee made up of
32 officials can step in and find
a replacement that can bypass
the primary.
Trimesters
continued from p.1
According
to
Principal Dr. Mark Daniel,
and Assistant Principal Mr.
Jody Smith, the change is
largely an economic issue.
“We’re going to try to
maximize learning in a fiscally
responsible way,” said Daniel.
As far as costs go, a
trimester schedule is the most
expensive option. It also isn’t
the most cost efficient choice.
With five periods a day, teachers
teach four periods and have
one prep period; therefore,
there is 80% effectiveness.
However, with six periods a
day, there is 83% effectiveness.
A trimester schedule takes
more teachers than a seven
period day as well, which
isn’t a cost efficient option.
According to Smith,
the teachers (at Leo) are very
concerned that they are able
to maintain a high level of
rigor and relevance. Smith says
the teachers are proud of the
relationships formulated in Leo
and take a sort of ownership in
the Blue Ribbon School title.
Therefore, any change to the
school is a concern to them,
as teachers feel protective
of where the school is and
what it has accomplished.
“The teachers at Leo
Jr. /Sr. High School feel very
strongly that the way we have
implemented the trimester
schedule has worked very
well for our students and
for our staff,” said Crosby.
“We feel that it has helped
Leo be as successful as it
has been. We also feel that
our programs would suffer
through implementing a six or
seven day semester program.”
However, a big problem
with the trimester schedule
is its inconsistency with most
other
schools
schedules.
“Trimesters
are
a
perfect schedule option if you
can get the rest of the world
to do it as well,” said Smith.
“The
primary
disadvantage of the trimester
is it is inconsistent with
IPFW and other school
corporations for transferring
students,”
said
Crosby.
No
decision
has
been made yet regarding
the change of schedule.
3 Entertainment
February 25, 2010
Student reviews popular Ball State University
By Rory Harris
Editor-in-chief
According to
collegeboard.com:
-located in
Muncie, Indiana;
56 miles from
Indianapolis
-17,737
undergraduates
-90 % in-state
students; 10% outof-state
-92% of first-year
students live in
college housing
-44% of all
According to studentsreview.com:
undergraduates -45% of students would choose to return to Ball
live in college
State; 55% would not
housing
-over 350 student According to bsu.edu:
organizations
-180 undergraduate majors and professional
-9% of men join programs
fraternities; 8% -more than 100 master’s and doctoral degrees
of women join
-named one of the best universities in the
sororities
Midwest by The Princeton Review for five years
Senior tells all in
her student profile
By Aubrey Dean-Cross
Opinion editor
Full Name: Frances Michelle Graber
Age: 18
Birthday: October 29, 1991.
Name you’d want if you were a guy: Reed.
Favorite food: anything with A1 and honey combined,
fries, and Mexican food, obviously.
How you spend a snow/rainy day: sleep til 3, coffee,
and friends.
Biggest pet peeve: obnoxious people, slow walkers, girls
who talk in baby voices.
Fear: I’m terrified to walk from the street to my front
door. Someone could attack me or something.
PHOTO BY AUBREY DEAN-CROSS
Best day of the week: eh, Friday.
Place you want to live when you’re older and why:
somewhere I can be barefoot the rest of my life like
Shakira.
Five things you can’t live without: Tucker (my dog),
TV, caffeine, friends, Cooper.
Obsession: tanning, my weave, sleeping, TV shows,
Miley Cyrus.
Something you can’t wait for when you graduate:
going to Jersey Shore with my friends.
Best animated movie: I watch “Cinderella” quite often.
4 Entertainment
February 25, 2010
Getting fit is a priority to Spring Breakers
By Elliot Adams
Entertainment editor
The countdown to
Spring Break 2010 is wearing
thin. In fact it is about six
weeks away. This fact could
excite many, not matter to
some, and scare the heebiejeebees out of others
In these closing weeks
to spring break, most wish
they wouldn’t have totally
gorged themselves with all
the holiday ham, turkey,
duck-you name it. Whatever
regrets
one
has
from
December to March, they will
have to buckle down to make
some last-minute changes. If
one wants a desirable form
for spring break, they will
have to change their lifestyle,
eating habits, and exercise
routine.
Let’s face it. There is by no
means a lot of time until
April 2. If one is hoping to
get their body from that of
Rosie O’Donnel to the likes of
Taylor Lautner or Jessica Biel,
he or she will most likely be
sadly disappointed. There are
although, a few things one
can do for those last minute
tune ups.
Exercise is a given
factor to having a decent
form in the swimsuit wearing
months. It is important to
have a balanced workout
schedule while exercising.
One common myth is that the
more crunches one does, the
more defined their abs will
be.
On any given day,
one could find several people
in a gym doing crunches and
abdominal workouts; this
practice is most of the time
to no avail if that person
isn’t running as well. This is
because doing crunches does
not burn belly fat. It more so
builds muscle.
“Doing hours of
crunches and other ab
Eating balanced meals and exercise can help in weight loss and toning up
exercises as a way to reduce
body fat and build the perfect
six pack, however, is a waste of
time,” said Elizabeth Quinn of
Sports Medicine.
Running and walking
is a huge part of losing weight
because it stabilizes your
core, boosts your metabolism,
and improves your cardio.
Ab workouts should be done
like any other lifting routine;
meaning, one should not focus
on abs every time they are in a
gym.
The equal and possibly
larger factor of losing weight is
diet. Unless someone is born
with animal like metabolism,
he or she is not going to be
able to eat everything they
want without bearing the
consequences. For the rest of
humanity, they will have to
have a balanced diet if they
want to gain any ground on the
scales.
There are a few
things one can do to kick start
metabolism before this year’s
spring break. One would
be to always eat breakfast
in the mornings; and not
just sugarcoated cereal and
Students share about jobs
Name: Andie Ehrhorn
Name: Olivia Burns
Grade: Freshman
Grade: Senior
Likes: I like my position, I work the cash
register and I seat people.
Likes: Great boss, super cool co-workers,
flexible hours, and monthly “extra” bucks to
spend in the store.
Dislikes: There’s really nothing I dislike.
I guess getting up at 8 am would be
something to dislike.
Benefits: The biggest benefit is how close
it is to my house. It takes less than five
minutes to get there.
Where is your job located? I work at
That One Place on State Road One.
Interesting fact about your job: The
interesting fact about my job is the name.
The boss couldn’t think of a name and
they kept calling it “That One Place” so
that’s what they named it.
Is this your first/second/third job? This is
my first job.
Dislikes: It can really wear me out. Customer
service can really stink especially at Plato’s
because we not only sell clothes like a normal
clothing store, but we have a strategic process
of how we buy them from our customers.
Benefits: Praise from my boss. People like me
and I get “extra bucks.”
Where is your job located? In the Joann
Shopping Plaza, north of the Glenbrook Mall.
I work at Plato’s closet.
Interesting fact about your job: I sort
through people’s crappy used clothes.
Is this your first/second/third job? Second
job, my first was Wendy’s, enough said.
Poptarts. Put good things
in your body, particularly
protein.
“Protein
blunts
your hunger the most and
is the most satiating,” said
Purdue University researcher
Wayne Campbell, PhD, in an
interview with WebMD.
Things like eggs,
ham, sausage would be
protein choices for breakfast.
Avoid lots of carbohydrates
in the morning (things like
toast, biscuits, French toast),
because more often than not,
it will be stored as fat.
PHOTO BY FLICKR.COM
If one wants to keep
their
metabolism
going
throughout the day, eat four
or five small meals every
two hours. This will keep the
body working hard.
Portion control is
always helpful too. Maybe try
not eating everything on the
plate at restaurants, buffets,
etc.
Doing some of these
things with commitment
could get you that last set of
abs or shave off a little more
of undesirable fat before you
enter spring break this year.
5 Feature
February 25, 2010
“Valentine’s Day”comes to theaters
By Kelly Lantz
Entertainment editor
“Valentine’s
Day,”
a
movie
that
debuted
Friday February 12, may
not be what viewers expect.
Featuring big name
stars such as Jessica Alba, Patrick
Dempsey, and Anne Hathaway,
“Valentine’s Day” bounces back
and forth between the lives of
nineteen people living in Los
Angeles and the various troubles
they go through on Valentine’s
Day. With so many “main”
characters it is nearly impossible
to keep track of anyone’s names.
The movie starts out
somewhat
slowly,
starting
with Ashton Kutcher playing
the owner of a florist shop,
proposing to his “too good for
him” girlfriend (Jessica Alba),
who accepts his proposal.
Kutcher
then
excitedly
announces to his best friend and
co-worker (played by George
Lopez) the exciting news.
It
then
skips
to
elementary
school
teacher
(Jennifer
Garner)
and
her
romance
with
her
cardiologist boyfriend (Patrick
Dempsey),
who
will
be
out of town on Valentine’s
Day for a heart surgery
The
beginning
relationship between Anne
Hathaway, an aspiring poet
who has found alternative
ways to pay the bills, and
Topher Grace, an Indiana man
who works in a mailroom, is
also introduced.
Hathaway
rushes off in the morning
leaving a very confused Grace
wondering what went wrong.
The film begins to pick
up as the rest of the characters’
stories
are
introduced;
Sean Jackson plays an NFL
quarterback
questioning
retirement. Bradley Cooper is
Ascene from the movie “Valentine’s Day”
on a fourteen hour flight with
Julia Roberts playing a U.S.
Army Captain flying home
for only a day to visit a loved
one. Taylor Swift and Taylor
Launter play a comical high
school couple caught up in the
clichés of the holiday. Jessica
Biel plays a woman who
throws an “Anti-Valentine’s
Day party.” Jamie Foxx plays
a sportscaster forced to cover
Valentine’s Day, and Emma
Roberts plays a 17-year-old
high school student and
her boyfriend debating sex.
With so many plots
going on it is sometimes very
hard to follow who is who
and what exactly is going on.
At times viewers may feel
like they are watching thirty
second clips from each person’s
life, and as soon as the viewer
begins to feel a connection
to the characters, a new clip
is brought onto the screen.
On the bright side
the film had its comic moments
between Hathaway’s cowgirl
and Russian accents and a
long-jump attempt by Swift.
It was interesting how every
character was connected to one
another, such as Garner and
Kutcher being close friends.
“Valentine’s Day” as one
may predict, has its sentimental
moments. A small boy tells his
grandfather, played by Hector
Elizondo, he is in “love.” The
young boy then attempts to buy
a $55 dollar bouquet of roses
from Kutcher’s flower shop
with less than $15, of course,
to be delivered at recess.
Although at times
viewers may be questioning
what in the world is going on,
overall “Valentine’s Day” is a
tolerable film, not a must see,
but it does have its moments
and its plot twists that are
relatively more unexpected
than one would assume.
Sobota collects greeting cards for St. Jude’s
Mrs. Sabota’s 8th grade reading classes have been aiding St.
Jude’s Ranch for Children by collecting the fronts of used
greeting cards to help break the vicious welfare cycle and
teach the children to learn to ear. People from all over the globe
send used greeting cards, and the children at St. Jude’s Ranch
for Children trim the cards and glue them onto pre-printed
card backs, which are then sold to the public through the St.
Jude’s Ranch for Children Greeting Card Recycling Program.
If anyone is interested in helping out the program please send your
used card fronts that can be attractively trimmed to fir our 5”X7”
card backs, and that do not having writing on the back of the card, to:
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005-1681
High school pranks at Leo
A school covers a car with sticky notes as their high school prank
By Melanie Matteson
Staff writer
School
pranks
have been an issue at Leo
in the past. Many have not
been too memorable, but
they have still occurred.
Pranks are generally
done for a good laugh, but
depending on the severity
of the prank it can damage
property or injure a person.
Pranks are discouraged
for many reasons. One concern
is the fact that it takes away
from the learning process at
school. People are concerned
for the property damage and
safety of the other students.
According to dean
of students Dennis Kern, at
Leo the consequences of a
prank depends on what school
rule or policy is violated.
In the past, the
administration has threatened
to not let seniors walk at
graduation. Each year the senior
class wants to leave the school
with a bang, but to most students
it is more important to walk at
graduation than to do a prank.
“I would do a school
prank as long as it did not
hurt anyone and I did not
get in trouble. I guess if I
would not get caught by Mr.
Kern I would be down for
it because I like the thrill,”
senior Frances Graber said.
The most recent school
prank, which occurred last
year, was when certain seniors
zip tied all the lockers so the
lockers could not be opened.
A few years back the seniors
played a prank on junior high
awards day by broadcasting the
song “pop, lock, and drop it” by
rapper Huey over the intercom.
The prank Kern remembers
most is when a former student
climbed the cell tower and hung
a homemade flag from it.
Other pranks such as
stink bombs in the hallways
and lockers or sitting in
different desks when there
is a substitute are more
commonly
done.
Those
mild pranks may or may not
have consequences for the
most part, but it makes life
a little bit more difficult for
teachers and administration.
School
pranks
can either be a funny joke,
but it can turn out to be
much more serious than
that. If there is a suspicion
of a prank, the sheriff’s
department
will
patrol
around the school more often.
As the year is
getting closer to the end,
the administration is not
necessarily expecting a prank
but will not be surprised
if one happens, said Kern.
If one would like to purchase St. Jude’s Recycled Greet Cards,
please send $6.50 per package of 10 cards, (along with the typer
of cards you wish to purchase) to:
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
P.O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006-0100
Call 1-800-492-3562
How To...
Spend a snow day
By Madison Carroll
Feature editor
•
•
•
•
Get a group of friends
to meet up somewhere
and wear warm snow
clothes. Start a game
of football. Because
everyone will be so
bundled up, it makes it
easier and more fun to
play tackle football
Go ice skating
Go sledding
Pull sleds behind
a four wheeler or
snowmobile
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Go on a hike
Start a huge
snowball fight in a
random, accessible
spot
Get ahead on school
work
Have a movie day
Make a movie
Make an igloo
Make snowmen
in friends’ yards;
it would be a nice
surprise
Make something
like an accessory or
painting
6 Special
February 25, 2010
Inside the newspaper room...
By Kelly Lantz
Entertainment editor
The Lion’s Tale.
To
those who receive it, it may just
be something they get every
few weeks, but to the staff
members that write and edit
the Leo High School paper, this
means weeks of hard work.
The
second
tri
staff consists of fourteen
members;
seniors
Rory
Harris and Ashlynn Jenkins
being
the
Editors-in-chief.
The duties of the editorsin-chief are to place and sell ads,
check over stories and pages,
and to keep everything running
smoothly during the class.
“I have really enjoyed
being the Editor-in-chief, but
I don’t think people realize
how much work, time, and
energy it takes,” said Jenkins.
“Rory and I will sit and stare at
a computer screen from about
6:30 am to 12 or 1 pm on deadline
day, so we make it an essential
to get Starbucks before! Other
than that, I like being a leader
and helping people become
better all around journalists.”
“The Lion’s Tale”
publishing process begins with the
planning of the upcoming issue.
Every member of the staff gathers
in a circle to discuss story ideas
and talk about their thoughts.
Each person is also assigned
one or more “beat”, which is a
member of the school staff that
give ideas for upcoming stories.
The publication date
is then determined, along with
when stories and pictures are
due. Each member of the staff is
required to write two stories per
issue. The planning process can
last anywhere from one to three
days, depending on the number
of ideas being approved and
events going on in the school.
Each issue must have
news, feature, opinion, and arts
and entertainment stories. “The
Lion’s Tale” always includes a high
school and junior high student
profile, a “Secret Life” of a teacher,
8 things you didn’t know about
a sports team, and a “How to”.
After the issue is planned,
the staff begins to either write and
pass out interviews, or interview
someone over the phone or in
person. When all the necessary
information
is
acquired,
the writing process begins.
Each story has to be a
minimum of four-hundred words
and it has to follow the rules of
the “AP Stylebook” and general
journalism guidelines.
Each
member also has to take pictures
for each story by the time stories
are due, which is usually three to
four days after the issue is planned.
After
stories
are
checked and edited by Harris,
the staff makes any needed
corrections, and then waits for
their supervisor, Cheryl Ashton,
to approve the story to run in
the paper and check for any
errors that were not corrected.
Some touchier topics need to
be approved by administration
before running. The entire paper
is signed off by Dr. Mark Daniel
before the paper is distributed.
Each member of “The
Lion’s Tale” staff edits a page of
the paper. Each page must have
the story, picture, headline, and
caption all in a rectangle, which
can make fitting everything on
your page in that format a bit of a
challenge. The only exception to
this format is special pages, which
are in color and usually have
one story and many pictures,
typically pertaining to a special
event. Pages are created using the
Adobe InDesign CS4 software.
“Deadline Day” is a
day that can be very stressful
and hectic for the newspaper
staff. Because the issue comes
out the next day, stories must
be checked and cleaned
of all errors, pictures gray
scaled, and pages completed
with stories and pictures
placed in the correct format.
“Its
really
frustrating to get your page done
on time if you only have one or
two short stories on your page,
you have so much white space,”
said Freshman Jordyn Furnish.
After
pages
are
completed they are sent to the
press, according to Jenkins. The
next day papers are printed
and delivered to the school.
The staff then separates and
distributes the papers to each
classroom, and the papers are
then placed into the hands
of students and staff.
The
entire procedure takes about
one and a half to two weeks.
The development of
the issue then begins once
again with the staff hard
at work to bring students
and staff a paper to enjoy.
Do you read the school paper, “The Lion’s Tale”?
140 students at Leo Jr./Sr. High School were polled
78%
Yes
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
--------------------->
22%
No
The newspaper staff gathers in a
circle to dicuss and plan the issue
--------------------->
Staff discusses ideas for the issue
Senior Melanie Matteson writes the page plan on the white board
Junior Madison Carroll works on her page
7Sports
February 25, 2010
8 things you didn’t know about Leo Cheerleading
1.We have a mascot named Hiney.
2.We eat Goldfish before every practice
and game.
3.We have to slick back and loop our
hair for every game and practice and
tuck our shirts into our shorts.
4.We almost got kicked out of
cheerleading camp.
5.We have chants in Spanish for Coach
D.
6.We all have matching purple skorts.
7.We used to practice in the lunch room
until this year.
8.Some of us keep Chap Stick in our
spankies.
Leo Boys Varsity Cheerleading
Beck places second in Sectional Winter
state finals in Wrestling Sports Update
Milton was eight to six. In
By Melanie Matteson
Staff writer round three, which was the
Senior Justin Beck
and
sophomore
Garrett
Weber made their way to
the
state
championships
in
Indianapolis,
Indiana
at Conseco Field house.
The competition was on
March 19 through the 21.
Justin Beck had his
first round on Friday night and
he wrestled Paul Manba from
Warsaw High School. Beck
won by pinning him in the
third period. Round two took
place on Saturday morning
and he went up against a
returning state placer named
Matt Milton from Centers
Groove. The final score against
semi finals, Beck wrestled
against the second ranked
wrestler in the state from
Lowell High School named
Cameryn Brady. The final score
of that match was six to two.
Round four, which was the
finals, Beck faced the returning
state
champion
named
Francisco Porras from Hobert
High School. Unfortunately
Beck lost with a final score
of five to one therefore he
placed second in the state.
“This means a lot
considering, thousands of
wrestlers try and reach the
state tournament every year
and only 224 make it each year.
Placing second and having
the opportunity to wrestle in
the state finals when only 28
people get this opportunity
every year, it is an indescribable
experience,”
said
Beck.
Beck has been a part
of the Leo wrestling team all
four years of his high school
career and plans on continuing
his sports into a division three
college. With Leo wrestlers in
the past few years like Justin
Woods, Cameron Friend, and
Justin Beck the underclassmen
have a lot of live up to. Beck is an
inspiration to the team and tries
to help out as much as he can.
Since Beck placed
second at state, he will
be competing on March
13 and 14 in the IndianaIllinois All Star Super Duals.
-Congratulations to the
girls basketball team
for making it to the
championship Sectional
game.
-Gymnastics sectional
starts March 6.
-Boys basketball sectional
starts March 2.
8 Feature
February 25, 2010
Getting up close and personal with Mrs. Dick
Dick discusses childhood years, kids, family, and past experiences
By Brooke Wilcoxson
Jr. High editor
There are not many
students who can grasp the idea
that yes, teachers do have lives
outside of teaching. Nutrition
and wellness and careers
teacher, Beth Dick opens up
about her personal life to Leo.
Dick currently lives
in Leo with her husband of
10 years, Doug Dick, and her
two sons, 15-year-old Evan
and 12-year-old Max. Dick was
born in Fort Wayne, Ind., on
September 5 on a year that she
would like to remain unknown.
She was raised in Avilla, Ind.,
as the youngest of six children.
While some of the
siblings chose to stay close to
home, that was not the case
for all. Dick’s brother Rex is
currently a farmer in Avilla,
her sister Paula is a homemaker
in Leo, sister Marian is a
cosmetologist in Tennessee,
followed by sister Marcia who
is a homemaker in England,
and brother David who is a
local business owner in Avilla.
“I was the youngest
of six, but I was not spoiled,
just for the record,” said Dick.
Dick
attended
East Noble High School in
Kendallville and went on to
attend college at Ball State
University. She finished at
IPFW to get her master’s degree.
Dick was a typical
high school student who
participated in many high
school extracurriculars. She
was a class officer, a student
council member, a softball
player and a member of the
pep club (which is similar
to Leo’s super fanning).
Mrs.Dick takes a break from grading papers
In Dick’s spare time
she enjoys attending concerts,
plays, and movies. She’s a
regular cheerleader at her sons’
sporting events. Dick enjoys
shopping, scrapbooking, and
collecting American Girl Dolls.
“I have no daughters
of my own, so I collect
American Girl Dolls,” said
Dick. Dick thoroughly enjoys
traveling especially to New
York City. She also enjoys
visiting England and France.
Some
of
Dick’s
passions include her family and
friends with whom she’s close,
and her faith is also important
to her. Being a girl, Dick
enjoys shoes and chocolate.
Dick’s students are aware of
her avid Diet Coke addiction.
Being a teacher is also
a passion of Dick’s. It was a
long road for her to decide
teaching was what she wanted
PHOTO BY BROOKE WILCOXSON
to do, but she knew she wanted
to help people in some way.
“I didn’t think that I
wanted to teach, but I’m glad I
changed my mind,” said Dick.
Dick has been teaching
at Leo for five years now and
loves it at Leo. Her favorite
part of being a teacher is
working with the students.
“I really do enjoy my
students even the ones who
make me crazy,” said Dick.
If Dick wasn’t teaching,
her fantasy job would be a
critic for movies or Broadway
plays, but actually she would
do something in counseling.
When Dick has had
enough of her ornery students
and considering pulling every
hair out of her head, she
would enjoy traveling with
her husband. Dick would like
to do some missions work
and maybe open a doll shop.
Five ways to get involved in your community
Students can get involved in events such as various fundraisers and volunteer work
By Madison Carroll
Feature editor
•
Habitat for HumanityIn
addition
to
c o n s t r u c t i o n
volunteers, people are
needed to help work
with partner families,
run ReStore, run can
routes, and many other
activities. If interested
in
volunteering,
call Kory Stucky at
260-422-4828.
Also
visit
http://www.
fortwaynehabitat.
org/
for
more
information.
•
Get
involved
at
school- See what
different programs
the
school
is
volunteering
with
and see if it is
possible to help out
with them. Even if
not involved with
Interact, NHS, SSH
or any other club, it is
possible to contribute
to the society. There
is currently a group
working on helping
out
the
Burmese
society that anyone is
welcome to volunteer
their time to.
•
There are different
organizations
and
fundraisers that can
be found by visiting
www.charity-charities.
org. Go near the
bottom of the page,
find the state, then find
the city and there will
be a list of different
organizations. Little
River Wetlands Project
is just one example.
•
If time is not always
available,
money
can always work.
Churches always have
some type of donations
collected for certain
causes. For example:
St. Vincent’s Catholic
Church has a specific
number people can
call to get involved,
the number is 260-4893537 opt. 3.
•
Another
beneficial
website is http://www.
americantowns.com/
in/fortwayne-make-adifference#volunteer.
Almost all volunteer
opportunities
in
the Ft. Wayne area
can be found on
this site, and the
contact information is
provided.
9Junior High
February 25, 2010
Academic Super Bowl provides
advanced knowledge for students
By Aubrey Dean-Cross
Opinion Editor
From January to the
beginning of May, junior high
Academic Super Bowl teams
are formed and busy at work.
According to language
arts teacher Barbara Yamano,
the Academic Super Bowl has
been at Leo for at least 15 years.
This year for Academic Super
Bowl, the coaches are Yamano,
English;
Richard
Flickinger,
science; Mike Lance; social
studies; and Kirsten Crowe, math.
Students
use
their
knowledge of historical periods,
scientific developments, and
important literary works in
fiction, nonfiction, and drama.
By joining this club students can
form close friendships by working
with others who have similar
interests. When joining this
club, students need to know that
reading and research is involved
on top of the school work that
students may have, said Yamano.
The Academic Super
Bowl is for students who are
skilled in math, English, science, or
social studies. Each team consists
of no more than five students
and each student should have a
good foundation in the subject
area for their team. Another good
quality for students to have is
the ability to work and get along
well with others, especially
students that they may not know.
“By joining, students
can definitely increase their
knowledge in these subjects also.
Students not only learn about
different things in different
subjects but they also learn decision
making skills,” said Yamano.
The Academic Super
Bowl takes time and concentration
but each student learns so much
more information by just helping
out their team. According to
Yamano and Flickinger the
Academic Super Bowl can be
very helpful to any student that
is dedicated and loves to work
together and compete. Each team
does the subject they are assigned
thoroughly and to their best ability
to try and win at the competition.
During the season for
Academic Super Bowl, students
will be formed into teams
in January. Once the teams
are formed students do any
necessary research and reading
from January to April and then
compete either the last Saturday in
April or the first Saturday in May.
Students
will
travel
to
Indian
Springs
Middle
School in Columbia City on
May 1 for the competition. The
competition begins at 9 a.m.
Some
students
who
join the Academic Super Bowl
team in junior high continue it
in high school. In high school
it becomes more challenging.
Academic Super Bowl
is for any junior high students
who enjoy working with others,
learning new topics about
different subjects, and having a
good time finding information and
competing against other schools.
Junior High Teachers Word Search B r a i n t e a s e r s
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Q: What can fill a room but takes up no space?
Q: He has married many women, but has never been married. Who is
he?
Q: Which does not belong in this group: Apple, Grape, Banana,
Cherry, Pear?
Q: I’m not an airplane, but I can fly through the sky. I’m not a river,
but I’m full of water. What am I?
Q: If a train was on its way to Florida and it tipped over, where
would they bury the survivors?
A: They wouldn’t need to, the survivors are still alive!
W
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A: A cloud
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A: The Banana. It’s the only one that needs peeling before eating.
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Q: Other than being colors, what do the words orange, silver and
purple have in common?
A: A Preacher
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A: There is no word in the English language that rhymes with them.
Flickinger
Word search created on puzzlemaker.com
Brainteasers provided by brainteaers.org
Getting to know...
Eighth grader Logan Glaze
By Brooke Wilcoxson
Junior High Editor
What is your full name? Logan “Xavier” Michael Glaze
How many siblings do you have? Names and Ages? Tanner-16 and Braeden-12
What sports
football,
do you play?
basketball, baseball
What’s your
Immature girls
biggest pet-peeve?
What’s your
park
biggest fear? The
Who’s your
Carter Davis
secret crush?
What’s your
moment? One
most embarrassing
time I fell down
Who’s your
George
celeb crush?
Clooney
What’s your
lunch?
favorite school
Salisbury steak
What’s your
restaurant?
favorite fast food
Arby’s
What’s
people don’t know about you? I play the piano.
something most
10 Special
February 25, 2010
Winter
Olympics
Medal
Count
United
States
Germany
Norway
Russian
Federation
Canada
Korea
Austria
France
Switzerland
Sweden
Netherlands
China
Poland
Italy
Slovakia
Czech
Republic
Japan
Australia
Latvia
Belarus
Croatia
Slovenia
Great Britain
Estonia
Finland
Kazakhstan
Total
7
7
6
3
6
5
4
2
6
3
3
3
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
9
9
5
4
4
4
3
3
0
2
1
1
3
1
1
0
1
1
2
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
10
7
6
6
1
1
3
5
2
2
2
1
1
3
1
2
2
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
26
23
17
13
11
10
10
10
8
7
6
5
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
United States
Photos provided by Flickr.com
in the lead with 26 medals