Dresses go short, heat up prom night

The Shield
Volume XLI Issue 5
D. H. Conley High School
May 25,2012
2006 Worthington Road Greenville, N. C. 27858
Dresses go short, heat up prom night
Julia Allsbrook
Who says freshmen can’t crash prom? Definitely not Maddy Engleman with the silver short dress, Juliana Haag with the short light blue
dress, Alex Wiggins with the long to short blue dress, and Jessie Zhou with the golden short dress.
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2
News
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Our athletes stars on the track, stars in our hearts
By Taylor Copeland
W
hen the gun sounded at Rose High
School on April 18, 2012, Steve
Timmon’s class was on the line and ready
to win the gold.
The field was full of laughter, applause,
and smiles as one of the athletes went
around the track with the Olympic torch
and welcomed everyone to the GreenvillePitt County Spring Track and Field games.
AJ, Bianca, Robert, Savannah, Shannan,
and Nicole (all student-athletes from
Conley), all received either a first, second,
or third place ribbon in their events.
The events that these athletes
participated in included wheelchair races,
softball throws, standing long jump,
50-meter dashes, 100-meter dashes,
200-meter dashes, 400-meter dashes, and
additional team relays.
Mr. Timmon’s class gathers together.
Bianca, a senior at Conley who won
first place in the 100-meter dash, and
third place in the softball throw, said that
she did well because of her training.
“We ran, did jumping jacks, did
stretches like over the head and touched
our toes, and then I came back the next
day and did the same thing all over again,”
said Bianca.
Savannah, a junior, said that she
practiced her running every day, even
though it was very tiring.
Although
the
Special
Olympics has a huge impact on
“We ran, did
jumping jacks,
did stretches
like over the
head and touched
our toes, and
then I came back
the next day and
did the
same thing all
over again,”
said Bianca.
the athletes, it also gives students and
other adult volunteers the opportunity to
learn about different kinds of people.
Senior Madison Smith attended and
was partnered up with Nicole. “My favorite
part of the day was the look on Nicole’s
face when she realized that she had won
her event,” Smith said.
“The experience with a variety of
different kinds of people is what I got out
of going to the Special Olympics.”
Mr. Timmon’s class walking onto the field.
Staying safe at Conley under Carter Administration
By Kyle Griffin
What makes Conley such a safe school?
Is it the 32 cameras installed in areas
all around the campus? The Student
Resource Officers that are always standing
in the lunch room during all lunches? Or is
it that the school administrators and staff
really care about the students’ welfare and
safety?
The answer to this question is all of
the above.
Conley is the only school in the county
that has resource officers monitoring the
cafeteria while students are eating lunch
and in doing so it eliminates the violence
that could go down in this setting.
Conley is also the only school that has
a parking attendant in the county that
watches over the parking lot.
“The students genuinely care about
keeping themselves safe and take pride
in going to Conley. They don’t want to
feel threatened,” assistant principal Lynn
Barber said.
“When students feel threatened, they
almost immediately come to the office to
inform the administrators.”
During the moment of silence, “I pray
that God will keep this school safe every
single day from outside problems, and that
I will make good decisions as a principal,”
Principal Mary Carter said.
Carter’s advice to students is “don’t
be over trusting of people. There are bad
people in the world, whether it is on the
internet, someone you meet somewhere,
or in your community. Just always be
cautious.”
Carter said that the biggest challenge
to being a principal can sometimes be
the parents, not the kids. It can be hard
“getting parents to understand that teens
will be teenagers,” she explained. “Don’t
say my child wouldn’t do that because
you just don’t know. Everyone makes
mistakes; everybody is capable of doing
something wrong.”
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Opinion
Heartbreak hotel,
not worth a stay
3
By alison tyson
What’s New? Check out our map of the future. At #1 is the new Dick’s
Sporting Goods, at #2 is the Mellow Mushroom and at #3 is the new Wal-Mart.
Small town, big changes
by Davon Moore
Is Greenville about to turn into another Raleigh, Greensboro, or Charlotte?
I think so, with all of the new corporations coming to Greenville, which will
create more job opportunities.
As you may not know, we have a new pizzeria called Mellow Mushroom
in front of Colonial Mall on Charles
The pizza there is very
Blvd. The pizza there is very delicious;
the crust was like pretzel and the
delicious; the crust was
marinara sauce on the pizza was out
like pretzel and the
of this world. Mm Mm Mm good! Just
the setting alone was very exotic. marinara sauce on the pizza
The prices are not bad at all, very was out of this world. Mm
affordable for what you get. Mellow
Mm good! Just the setting
Mushroom would be a great hang out
alone was very exotic.
for the summer.
The pizza prices are as follows:
10’ Small pizza $7.75, 14’ Medium $12.95 and 16’ Large 14.95. You can also get
cheese by the slice during lunch time for only $1.99 plus $0.65 for toppings.
There is also a Dick’s Sporting Goods being built near Kohls, in Galleria
shopping center on South Memorial Drive, and the second Wal-Mart, will be
located on HWY 33 like you’re going towards Grimesland. Dicks and Wal-Mart
will be completed by fall of 2012.
Also, traffic will be changing as there will be a new bypass on Stantonsburg
Road (US 264)/Memorial Drive (NC11) running from Greenville to Ayden. The
bypass will help to give visitors alternatives, and could alleviate traffic through
Greenville. A year from now, many students that will be coming home from
college will come back to a new city.
Heartbreak usually comes with relationships,
especially in high school. You don’t know who
you are, and you definitely don’t know where
you’ll be after you graduate. Are you sure giving
yourself away is the right thing to do?
If you are looking for a real, meaningful
relationship, remember that the best
relationships are based on a good friendship.
If the two of you aren’t good friends, I can
guarantee you it won’t work.
One day those romantic, fuzzy feelings
will go away, and you will need that friendship
in order for it to last. Someone is less likely to
cheat on you, take advantage of you, leave you for
someone else, or lie to you if they’re your best
friend.
You need to be careful with who you trust.
Not everyone means what they say. Learn the
difference between “I love you” and “I lust you.” If
a person takes advantage of you, they don’t love
you. EVERYONE deserves respect. Demand the
respect you deserve. Before others can respect
you, you must respect yourself.
Don’t give your heart or your body away
before it’s time to. One day the right person
will come around, and they shouldn’t get your
leftovers. They deserve the best, not what’s left.
If you think about it, dating in high school
is a little pointless. If you barely know who you
are, how can you know who someone else is? If
you won’t listen to me, listen to business teacher
Kenneth Weston, who has been with his wife for
seven years. They dated for four years before
they got married.
“Don’t date seriously in high school. There
are a lot of life changes and a lot of maturity
changes that take place, and by the time you
finish high school, you barely know who you
are. The odds of you knowing that boyfriend or
girlfriend of yours are very slim,” Weston said.
He also advises to wait until you have
employment and a good job before you settle
down with someone. It makes for a much easier
transition. Spend your high school years learning
to be happy by yourself, so that one day you can
truly be happy with somebody else.
If insecurity drives you to chase relationships,
you are doomed. Know that you are still you,
without that other person in your life. You don’t
need anyone else to be complete.
4
Seniors
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
James Walker
Seniors, mostly from Donna Gladson’s fourth period English IV class, enjoy their dress privileges on the last Friday of regular classes.
Seniors earn a variety of scholarships, recognitions
By Davon Moore
While some of us have been working
for $7.25 an hour at part- time jobs after
school, senior Miles Wobbleton was
working for $62.00 an hour.
His focus on schoolwork helped to
achieve a once in–a- lifetime scholarship
to Harvard University and scholarships
totaling worth nearly half a million dollars.
Miles represents the other 299 seniors
that have worked hard all four years to
make it to success, which is graduating
and going out into the real world.
Davon Moore
Miles Wobbleton
Fifty-six out of 300 seniors were
offered 113 scholarships all together
worth 1.6 million dollars. Seniors usually
receive scholarships for financial needs,
community service, academics, the arts,
and athletics.
Senior Kim Reid was the only senior
out of Pitt County to receive the Perkins
Health Scholarship to ECU, and after she
graduates from ECU she has to work at
Vidant for two years. “I didn’t do anything
special, but did what I had to do to receive
the scholarship.”
Senior Lauren Porter received a
Kim Reid
Davon Moore
volleyball scholarship to Pitt Community
College. As a back row specialist for
Conley, “I called and emailed Tom Marsh,
Pitt Community College volleyball coach,
last year to get him to come and watch me
play,” Porter said. Lauren was offered half
tuition for two semesters.
For rising seniors in the class of 2013
senior counselor Karen Pumphrey’s advice
is to
•Start applying early
•Keep up with senior news on Edmodo
•Pay attention to announcements
Davon Moore
Lauren Porter
Davon Moore
Shaquanza Manning
Seniors 5
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Staying power:
Senior lends
a helping hand
By Jamison Owens
I
f you happen to see somebody handing out
doughnuts to all the teachers and faculty while
wearing a dress shirt and tie, it’s likely to be
senior Kenderick Davis. But you probably already
knew that.
As a senior, Davis was only required to take an
art class and his last English class to graduate, but
he spends more time as school than most other
students. He has a full schedule of classes, tutors
freshmen in math, helps out in the media center, and
is part of Link Crew’s after school tutoring program.
Davis is a part of Project Heart, a program which
is based on nominations that takes seven students
from each school to tutor freshmen. The program,
organized at Conley by counselor Courtney Yates,
requires participants to accumulate 300 hours of
tutoring by the end of the school year.
Those who complete their hours receive 1,200
dollars in scholarship money, but Davis said, “Being
able to help them is an extra [benefit].”
While Davis helps out in the media center doing
things like running errands, he also uses his time
Senior Kenderick Davis helps freshman Katarina Wilson with some of her
schoolwork in the library during second period.
getting to know people. “I take that
time seriously to really learn about
people and who they are,” Davis said.
While most people might get
bogged down with juggling so many
responsibilities, Davis doesn’t mind.
“I just like being able to be around to
help people,” he said.
Being positive despite whatever
challenges he may face is important
to Davis. “My key goal is to try to put
on a positive face, so as to not have
an adverse effect on someone else’s
day,” he said.
Davis stresses the importance of
helping others, even those who are
strangers. “I try to look for people
who are sitting by themselves [at
lunch]. I try to include them,” Davis
said.
He says a lot of people know him,
teachers included. Why? Because
“part of having a positive relationship
with students is having a positive
relationship with teachers,” Davis
said.
Thus,
the
aforementioned
doughnuts.
After graduation, Davis plans
to attend Pitt for two years before
transferring to ECU in order to
become a nurse practitioner.
Seniors: It’s time to say our final farewells
By James Walker
As I walk closer to shaking the
speaker’s hand, my eyes tear up when
touching my diploma which holds a
lifetime of memories.
As a senior, I am not the only one
feeling this way. Senior Dillon Taylor says
he would like to start all over. “I would
start over because I know I could do a lot
better and I know that life is different after
high school,” Taylor said.
A lot of seniors feel the same way, but
there are other seniors who feel differently
about leaving high school. “I wouldn’t
start over because I’m done, and I know
that college life will be better,” senior
Shaquanza Manning said.
Like Micah Johnson and other seniors,
as I started this year off, I thought it would
be easy until I got to English IV. “My
toughest point as a senior would have to
be the senior project. It is so stressful and
I can’t stand all the pressure that comes
from it,” Johnson said.
Donna Gladson is one of the English
IV teachers who helps with the Senior
Project. “Mrs. Gladson is one of the best
teachers out here,” senior Shannen Adams
said. “Without Mrs. Gladson, I don’t know
if I would complete my senior project,”
senior Adam Pierce said.
Life as a senior is always an experience
when you realize that you are about to
enter an atmosphere with new adventures
and people. “The first year of high school
is the year that all freshmen should enjoy
because life passes by fast,” senior Summer
Hague said.
James Walker
Senior Adam Pierce sits with English IV
teacher Donna Gladson.
Conley seniors have finally made it
to the real world as the days count down
to the 2012 graduation. With every day
getting closer, they think about what’s
going to happen after leaving high school.
6
Prom
Sophomore
Abbey Hudson,
juniors Leslie
Dymock, Kaliegh
Stokesbury,
Dylana
Harrington, and
Emily Harris line
up to show their
full-length prom
gowns before
hitting the dance
floor.
Blair Burgwyn
By Blair Burgwyn
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 MAy 25, 2012
Dresses show off
creative minds
Dress drama: from ripped dresses
to sparkles everywhere, prom 2012 was
anything but boring.
Senior Lauren Porter’s dress was
riding her hipline in the back and had
a lattice going up the back. In the front
it looked like a 2 piece, skirt and top; “I
guess you could say hers was the most
memorable,” junior Allie Fulcher said.
But how did Porter feel about her
dress? “It was my dress, I wore it and I
loved it.”
Dress prices ranged from $100-500.
Junior Samantha Gorham’s dress cost
$360,and sophomore Jamison Owen’s
dress was $150. Although this is frowned
upon, senior Alison Tyson bought, wore
and returned her dress after prom.
Junior Jordan Santos had a mishap
while dancing at prom. As Santos danced
back-to-back with someone, they stepped
on the train of her dress, and it ripped.
After leaving prom Santos tweeted, “YOUR
DRESS ONLY RIPS AT PROM ONCE! #YOLO
#LOL.” Even though her dress ripped, she
held it for the rest of the night and kept
dancing.
There were so many different types,
kinds and colors of dresses. There weren’t
a lot of prints this year, mostly solids.
Most of the colors were blues, pinks, reds,
purples, and your standard blacks and
whites. There were also lots of sparkles;
everywhere you looked there were
sparkles this and sparkles that.
All in all there were so many different
and unique kinds of dresses. From short
to long; black to pink; modest to risque,
everyone looked gorgeous and special in
their own way.
Senior Lauren Porter shows off the back of
her dress at prom.
Blair Burgwyn
Prom
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
7
Getting asked to prom can be an
unexpectedly creative moment
By Lauren Bewick
Blair Burgwyn
Sophomore Grace Anne Isenhour and junior Lauren
Kozup dance for the camera on the dance floor.
There are many fish under the sea
that got a memorable asking to prom
this year. Some students just agreed
to go like they were making plans to
see a movie, but others got the luxury
to experience unique opportunities.
Junior Lucy Beaman was sleeping
during class one day when Senior JB
Pearsall came to the door along with
some fellow male seniors. Each of
them had the word prom spelled out
on their shirts when science teacher
Joe Moss opened the door. Pearsall
succeeded, and Beaman agreed to
go with him. She also received a
box of doughnuts. “I couldn’t say
no, especially after I got the box
of doughnuts,” Beaman said in a
laughing manner.
Sophomore Jaisa Loch was
warming up for a varsity soccer game
in goal with the help of her boyfriend,
senior Enrique Ochoa, when he
kicked a very peculiar ball her way. As
she caught the ball, she saw the word
Despite all changes prom is the same
By Taylor Copeland
Whether its 2012 or 1982, pictures, a
nice dinner, dancing, and after-parties are
all things that would make someone think
of prom.
While music and style has definitely
changed through the years, before and after
plans remain the same according to some of
the Conley staff.
Teachers Libby Halstead, Kurt Garner,
and Rob Maloney all said that before prom,
they took pictures and went to eat with
their dates.
When it came to after prom plans, most
of the staff either went somewhere with
their friends or went to a set after-party.
Halstead said that they had a parent to cook
breakfast for a group of them, and Garner
went to a campground after prom.
“We had an after prom event that was
sponsored by the school. It was held at
Washington Square Mall,” teacher Kim
Rogers said. Rogers agreed that her after
prom outfit was almost as important as
her prom attire.
Though the before and after prom
plans seem the same, one thing that has
definitely changed is the music.
When James Fleming went to prom
in 1972, artists like Al Green and The
Temptations blasted the speakers while
they danced along.
This year, artists like Nicki Minaj, Tyga,
and even Usher were played and filled the
Greenville Convention Center.
Junior Eric Fontana and senior Dominic
Fontana show off their rebel style before
prom.
Blair Burgwyn
prom was written across the ball. She
ecstatically said yes and went on to
have a remarkable game that day and
an even more remarkable night at
prom with Ochoa. “He makes me so
happy,” Loch said.
Junior Samantha Gorham was
sitting at lunch when junior Everett
Paschal surprised her with a famous
Wonka bar. As Gorham opened the
bar, out came a golden ticket with the
word prom on it. “I wasn’t expecting
it at all. It was really sweet of him to
go that far for me,” she said smiling.
Junior Lauren Kozup was
escorted to prom by junior Thompson
Brown after being invited to prom
in a very unique way. “He had prom
spelled out with glow sticks in my
front yard and then called me to
look out of my window, and there it
was,” Kozup said. “It was so cute and I
couldn’t say no.”
When it comes to fun under the
sea, Conley prom had the most of it.
8
Sports
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Viking train comes to a stop early in the playoffs
By Julia Allsbrook
After taking hold of the Coastal
Conference title, a short playoff run
wrapped up the season for the varsity
Viking baseball team.
A heartbreaking 5-3 loss against C.B.
Aycock in the first round of the 3A state
playoffs put an end to the Vikings season.
“This was a very fun season, and
I hate it had to end so quickly,” junior
Davis Kirkpatrick said. Prior to the game
against Aycock, the Vikings had just
defeated Havelock to clinch the conference
championship.
The boys lost two games to Rose and
one to South Central. When playing South
Central at home on May 4, the Vikings
suffered a 9-2 loss.
“This game was most frustrating
because we played poorly and couldn’t
throw strikes,” coach Jason Mills said. The
first win over South Central was away, and
Mills claims that it was a key turning point
in the season.
“From that win forward we never
looked back,” Mills said. “This season was
outstanding and most fun. We had great
Blair Burgwyn
Pitcher Damien Jenkins delivers a pitch to South Central with Kyle Cross is at first base.
young men who were good players,” Mills
said.
The varsity Vikings finished the season
with an overall record of 16-7 and 10-2 in
conference, but #The Grind will continue,
and there is always next season.
Jv baseball enjoys laid back success in 19-3 season
By julia Allsbrook
Conley’s JV baseball team finished up
the season with a 19-3 record overall and
11-1 in conference. Sophomore Garrett Jones
described the season as being “entertaining.”
“We were able to joke around and have
fun, but also win games,” Jones said. Head
coach Matt Howell stated that he was satisfied
with the season because his team “made plays
and hit the baseball.”
“Strong team leaders were sophomore
Turner Shafer and sophomore Dylan Nichols
because they worked hard, led by example, and
stayed positive,” Howell stated.
The only conference loss the boys had was
against South Central. “We made too many
errors and didn’t make adjustments at the
plate,” Howell stated.
This team was a strong offensive team
without a doubt. Statistics showed that when
playing Rose on the road, the team racked up
18 hits in one game.
“I feel that I am prepared for varsity next
year and to play at the next level,” Jones said.
Blair Burgwyn
Sophomore shortstop Cameron Wrenn flips the ball to sophomore second baseman
Turner Shafer to get the out against South Central.
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5
May 25, 2012
Sports
9
Freshmen baseball players work to prep for next year
By Blair Burgwyn
“the chemistry of the team
“Great, fun, energetic, and positive, that’s
was good. They all clicked
freshman baseball for you,” said freshman Jason
Price when asked about his team’s attitude.
and knew each other very
Price led the team by keeping them pumped
well. They also worked well
while they were losing, and he carried himself
well on and off the field.
as a team.
The team finished 9-4 this season. Although
Rose is not in our conference, Conley beat Rose
in the Easter tournament.
Both freshmen Josh Walston and Hudson
Tuck said that this team will be a solid group
Spain said that beating Rose in the Easter
for their upcoming JV season. He feels they mesh
tournament was their favorite moment and also
well. They talked it up when they were behind or
a turning point for the season.
ahead, and they have each other’s backs.
This year’s team got off to a slow start. In Freshman baseball player
Freshman Tyler Crum said, “the chemistry of
the first practice of the season, they went back Hudson Spain enjoyed a
the team was good. They all clicked and knew each
to the fundamentals by practicing throwing and remarkable first season.
other very well. They also worked well as a team.”
catching skills.
Freshman Jakeel Andrews said, “the work
“The whole team has improved over all since day one,” coach ethic of the team was pretty chill. They didn’t have to work very
Brian Tuck said. “The most improved was Dylan Crum; he worked hard.”
very hard over the whole season and always listened to the
“I thought the season was a good one, we all improved
coach’s advice,” said Tuck.
dramatically,” said freshman Dylan Crum.
~Freshman Tyler Crum
Conley girls’ soccer season ends with a bang
By Lauren Bewick
Conley soccer this season was
full of construction and rebuilding
after losing a few key team players
last season.
The team this year worked
really hard to achieve success.
“Ashlee brought great leadership
skills, and players have big shoes
to fill,” coach Shannon McLaughlin
said.
Senior
Ashlee
Bogenn
has played soccer since she
was in the fourth grade. “It’s a
disappointment we didn’t make
it to playoffs,” Bogenn said. “I
wouldn’t change a thing. My
biggest achievement this year was
scoring more goals this year than I
have in my past seasons.”
As you can see, this year’s
season was full of fun for all of the
girls. “The bus rides are the most
memorable. Record doesn’t reflect
the skill we have,” McLaughlin
said.
The girls ended their season with
seven wins, nine losses, and three ties.
Differing from previous seasons,
the team this year has really worked
very hard to stay close and to treat
each other as one.
Lauren Bewick
Freshman midfielder Alexis Goodson (19) works hard
to get the ball from a Rose defender at the Conley-Rose
game on March 12. Goodson is supported by teammate,
junior Caitlin Molloy (6).
10
Sports
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Sweat, blood, tears equals an NBA championship
By James Walker
As you form a team, you form goals,
and those goals form dreams, which lead
you to a path of winning, or a path of pain.
There are eight teams fighting for an
NBA championship. I see on the eastern
side that the Celtics will definitely end
up beating the 76ers because they are
experienced in playoff games, and know
how to end a series. They will go on to play
the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals,
which the Heat will win.
On the western side, the Spurs will beat
the Clippers because they are the number
one team in the NBA. The Thunder will
beat the Lakers because the Thunder is a
younger team and are more athletic than
the Lakers.
The Thunder will end up being
conference champions and go on to play
the Heat in the championship game where
they most likely will end up winning it all.
There is a downfall that might change
all of my predictions, and that is injuries to
players on the teams.
Back in April, 16 teams came together
to go out for a championship. In the early
NBA 2012 playoffs, there were already
good games starting off. Out of 30 teams,
only 16 entered the NBA playoffs-- eight
from the western conference, and eight
from the eastern conference.
Starting from the eastern side, the
number one seed Chicago Bulls lost to the
number eight seed 76ers, which changed
up the standings that people thought
would happen.
This victory ended up putting the
76ers in round two against the Celtics who
defeated the Hawks. Continuing on the
Eastern side, the underdog Pacers beat
the Magic to join the Heat, who beat the
Knicks.
On the western side of the playoffs,
the number one team in the NBA, San
Antonia Spurs, beat the Utah Jazz to move
to round two. The Clippers went against
the Grizzlies, which was the only playoff
that went to game seven. This ended up
resulting in the Clippers coming out to be
winning it all. Now they are put in round
The NBA is a growing phenomenon that
gets better each year.
two against the Spurs. The Lakers are
playing the Thunders in round two leaving
the Nuggets and Mavericks who were last
year’s champions in round one.
Whether my prediction is right or not
right, there will only be one winner in the
end. The winner will have met their goals
and know how it feels to give sweat, blood,
and tears to meet their dreams and to win
a championship.
The key to being a good team? Being one to begin with
By Mitchell Lea
Points,
rebounds,
and
assists are important, but all
of those pale in comparison to
teamwork, poise and veteran
leadership.
It sounds old-fashioned
and a little out of date, but it is
clearly the truth. Look at the
Miami Heat last year, clearly
the most talented team, but yet
when it came down to it, the
Dallas Mavericks brought home
the bacon and the Heat fizzled,
not sizzled.
The key to being a team
worth watching in June is
having the guys that can step in
off the bench when the starters
are tired and make baskets, play
defense, and most importantly
keep the tempo going despite
not being starters.
The coach that can sleep
best at night is the coach who
has 10 guys that can put up
double digit points every night,
not the coach who has two
superstars and little-to-no
other production.
Look at the Bulls. Derrick
Rose and Joakim Noah go
down, and the hopes of them
winning anything (yet alone
a championship) go down the
drain as well.
The main thing about
team sports is being a team,
and basketball is no different.
Having a superstar or two
can get you into the playoffs,
but having a team full of solid
players with maybe a top 10
player is championship-caliber.
So, superstars are nice and
Grace Locklear
you need them to hoist the
trophy in June, but having a Miami Heat’s Lebron James is one of three stars striving for the
balanced roster talent-wise is MVP title in the 2012 NBA championship.
essential to success.
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Entertainment 11
Avengers assemble, moviegoers should as well
By Mitchell Lea
have just reignited a passion for
the muscular superhero which
What you heard was not a
was starting to take a back seat
sonic boom.
to Captain America, Thor and
No, instead it was fanboys
defintely Iron Man.
and moviegoers everywhere
“The Avengers” has been
high-fiving each other as “The
anticipated
for a long time by
Avengers” turned out to be
many
fans
and
doesn’t disappoint
exactly what they had hoped: a
as
the
movie
came
through and
solid movie that was more than
delivered.
worth the price of admission.
This is truly a light-hearted
In “The Avengers” the
superhero
movie compared to
Asgardian god Loki (Tom
darker
upcoming
superhero
Hiddleston) gets from Asgard to
www.allmoviepics.com
releases.
In
particular
“The
Earth by the Tesseract. His goal
“The Avengers” is worth checking out despite cliches.
Dark
Knight
Rises”;
however,
is to rule the earth and control
I recommend seeing “The
humanity.
Avengers”
in theaters because like “Iron
But the real scene-stealer is The
Sounds a bit cliche? Fear not, as
Man
2”
despite
an overused plot of a villain
Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as the green
trying
to
take
over
the world, the action
(Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man (Robert raging monster had the best action scenes,
pulls
through.
Downey Jr.) save the overused plot and and by far, the funniest parts. Ruffalo is an
“The Avengers” is a ticket worth
give the action moviegoers have been upgrade over the previous Hulk actors,
buying
as it is one hulk of a movie.
Edward Norton and Eric Bana, and he may
anticipating for quite some years.
Get your popcorn ready: no matter what your taste
By Kyle Griffin
“The Avengers” started
and the Huntsman,” “The Bourne Legacy,”
and “The Expendables 2,” being released
into theaters, you will be sure to get your
action fix.
Laughs are in store this summer as
well with the releases of “The Dictator,”
“Men In Black 3,” “Madea’s Witness
Protection,” “That’s My Boy,” “Ted,” and
“The Campaign.”
The Men In Black franchise hopes to
be revived in “Men In Black 3,” Josh Brolin
has joined the cast of the old Men In Black
movies portraying the younger version of
Tommy Lee Jones’ character: Agent K.
There’s no shortage in animation if
you want to release your inner child. With
movies such as “Madagascar 3 Europe’s
Most Wanted,” “Brave,” and “Ice Age:
Continental Drift.”
“Madagascar 3 Europe’s Most Wanted”
and “Ice Age: Continental Drift” are hoped
to be big box office hits after the earlier
movies of those franchises were very
successful.
the summer off with a bang and obliterated
box office records; however, there are
many movies to look forward to seeing.
Superhero movies are high in demand
this summer with “The Amazing SpiderMan” and the highly anticipated movie
“The Dark Knight Rises.”
“The Dark Knight Rises” may be one of
the most anticipated movies of the summer,
if not all time, as it is the conclusion to a
stunning Batman trilogy.
“The Amazing SpiderMan” could be a rebirth to
the old Spider Man films that
were loved by so many. This
is the reboot to the critically
acclaimed
Spider-Man
movies of the early to mid
2000’s.
If you’re one of those
moviegoers who enjoy action
flicks then, this is the summer
for you. With movies such as
www.allmoviepics.com
“Battleship,” “Snow White
Superheroes are in demand with films like “The Dark Knight Rises” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
The Shield Volume XLI, Issue 5 May 25, 2012
Entertainment 12
Chorus and orchestra prove hard work pays off
by mikayla lewis
Tyson said, “it was really cute!”
Recently the Conley Orchestra and
Also a popular number performed
Chorus held their Spring Concert. was “Jar of Hearts,” which was sung by the
The concert consisted of a number ladies in the chorus, while the orchestra
of performances, some standing out more played.
than others. For instance “Little Bitty
Overall the concert was a big hit, and
Pretty One” performed by all the guys in the turn out was very strong.
the chorus seemed to please
the crowd.
The guys’ performance
consisted of solos from
sophomores Omar Taha, and
Reece Watson, and seniors
Mark Shaw, and Jeremy
Belcher, each bringing a bit
of their own personality
to their solo. While they
were performing, Taha and
Belcher kept beat as they
snapped their fingers.
All in all the gentlemen’s
performance was a big hit.
“Everyone loved it!” Chorus
FAITH STEWARD
member,
senior Alison The chorus and orchestra performed at the spring concert.
Alcohol often
treated as trend,
not deadly drink
by mikayla lewis
The trend of alcohol consumption in
the US is no surprise, but why is it people
are so consumed in the consumption?
Perhaps it’s peer pressure, perhaps
they want to drown themselves in their
sorrows, or perhaps they simply just want
to have fun.
Though it may be the only way to make
their boring lives a little more interesting,
need they be reminded of the sometimes
deadly consequences, and the degrading
shame that comes along with the activity,
when carried away.
You’ve all seen the movies, if not
personally experienced it—the shameless
and just plain ignorant attitude and
motives that the drinker possesses. Yes,
that one. Where they make an absolute
idiot of themselves slurring their words
and stumbling and falling everywhere.
So why? Why has America come to
the need of alcohol for entertainment? As
if the world weren’t corrupt enough, now
we have preteens, teens, young adults,
adults, the elderly, and people of all ages
consuming alcohol to quench their thirst
for fun.
In 2009, 32% of traffic related deaths
involved alcohol. Approximately 254,000
people suffered injuries from alcohol
related collisions. One hundred and eighty
one children aged 14 and younger died in
2009 from crashes involving alcohol.
In 2008, an estimated 12.4% of
persons ages 12 or older drove under the
influence of alcohol within the last year.
The rate was highest among persons aged
21-25.
I’m not even going to elaborate on the
fact that this habit can result in alcohol
addiction because chances are it won’t. But
bear in mind, it is possible. Roughly 7-12%
of social drinkers develop a dependence
on alcohol. It isn’t a very large number and
seems insignificant, until you are a part of
the statistic.
So it’s obvious why the teens do it—to
entertain themselves—despite the ones
who may actually have a real issue. But
the adults and the elderly, really? Some
of these adults have children and are
supposed to be a responsible role model
for their kids.
Seniors talk about
leaving high school
Q
A
: How does it feel to leave all your
friends?
:Well right now it doesn’t feel bad
because I haven’t left yet, but I’m sure that
once I leave I’m going to miss them a lot.
-Alison Tyson
Q
A
:Are you excited to graduate?
: Oh yes I am, I am ready to move out
of my parents house and start over with a
new group of people (okay, a new group of
girls, I’ll admit it!) and the chance to start
working on my career goals. I am going
to Appalachian State and the possibilities
are endless once I get there. Conley was
nice, but I am more than ready to put high
school in my rear view mirror. -Mitchell
Lea
Q
A
: Was your senior prom memorable?
: Yes, because of all the memories and
friends that will be missed as Imove closer
to my future. -James Walker
Q
A
: Would you start over if you could?
: No probably not because I don’t want
to go through high school again. Four years
was enough. -Lauren Bewick
by mikayla lewis
Senior staff James Walker, Alison Tyson,
and Mitchell Lea hang out in the courtyard.