New School… Old Traditions

Volume 7 Issue 1
We promote
excellence and
provide
opportunities for
all to succeed.
A thought from Mr.
Garmon, “Writers
who don’t read are
like birds that don’t
fly.”
Upcoming Events:
 August 27-30th is the
AHS
Musical
Auditions in the
music room from
3:30-9:00 PM.
 August 30th is the
AHS Altus Teens
interact Membership
Drive in room 2 at
6:00 PM.
 August 31st at 2:00
PM is the AHS kickoff assembly in the
auditorium.
 September 3rd NO
SCHOOL for Labor
Day!
 September 4th at 7:30
AM is the AHS NHS
meeting in the choir
room.
 September 5th is
Senior
Picture
retakes.
 September 5th is
picture day for all
students.
 September 6th at 6:00
PM is the AHS Altus
Teens
Interact
meeting in room 2.
New School… Old Traditions
August 24, 2012
By Jackie Willis
& Ruby Gonzalez
Our administration shows their Bulldog Pride in the new building. Photo by Ruby Gonzalez
As you walk through the
halls of AHS, you notice many
different things such as new
teachers, new students, and a new
building! Although AHS has been
remodeled into a bigger and better
building, we still have the same
old
traditions
such
as
Homecoming Week, assemblies,
dances, and, of course, the famous
Battle Cry.
This year’s administration
approved many new school
policies. They include, drug
testing in extracurricular activities,
no backpacks in the classrooms,
and the random searching of
A Look Inside
Student Features Pg.2 vehicles and students. Although to
STUCO
Pg.3 some students this many come
Creative Writing Pg.3 across as bad thing, when it comes
Teacher Spotlight Pg.4 to the safety and well-being of the
students
and
staff,
AHS
Link Crew
Pg.4
administrators
do
the
best
they
can
Football
Pg.5
to
provide
students
with
a
safe
and
Softball
Pg.5
Bulldog Bites
Pg.6 healthy place to learn.
Besides the newest additions
to AHS, there are still many old
traditions. For example, after
every game and assembly the
student body joins That Altus
Band in singing the Alma Mater,
which has been around since the
early 1980’s, and the Fight Song.
Also,
at
the
sports
assemblies we have a “class war”,
which is basically where the
classes compete to see who can be
the loudest in chanting the Battle
Cry and the graduating class
numbers. Sometimes the winning
class gets rewarded with a Bulldog
Friday
or
another
special
treatment. A Bulldog Friday is
where the seniors, or the winning
class, gets an extension on their
lunch break and get to walk off
campus.
Dr. Haught states, “I would
have to say my favorite tradition
would definitely have to be
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singing the Alma Mater with the
classes because it brings everyone
together.”
Another tradition would be
our colors, blue and white, the
mascot, and how well AHS
students and staff treat one
another.
There are so many different
activities the student body could
participate in like FCCLA,
SWAT, ATI, NHS, STUCO, and
ROTC, so join today.
Dr. Haught exclaims, “Not
too many other communities
support their school like the Altus
community does, and I’m very
grateful for that!”
To all the upcoming
freshmen and new students, be
prepared to defend your class and
show your Bulldog Pride. This
year is starting off great, so get
ready because ‘once a Bulldog,
always a Bulldog.’
STUDENT FEATURES
Student Feature: Collin Stork
August 24, 2012
Sophomore Collin Stork
was born in Breda, Iowa, and
moved here when he was 7
years old. Collin has attended
Altus High School since his
freshman year, and really
enjoys it here. Collin lives with
his mom, dad and his little
sister Carly. His dad works on
base, and his mom is a dentist
at Dr. Goodman’s dentist
office.
Collin’s favorite things
about Altus High School are
the new building and the al la
carte line, which has great
food!”
When
Collin
isn’t
working his job at the SnowCone factory he enjoys golfing
with his dad on base. He
aspires to play at a Division 1
College and get degree in Biomed.
Something you may not
know about Collin is he has
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Student Feature: Beth Braddock
Beth Braddock is a 16
year old junior here at AHS.
Her favorite thing about high
school is the Friday night
football games. She has grown
up here in Altus with her
parents Suzie and David
Braddock. She has a 24 year
old sister, Rachel, who
graduated from AHS and is
currently a senior at the
University of Oklahoma.
Beth also has a 28 year
old brother, Adam, who also
attended AHS and graduated
from OU. Beth’s plans after
high school are to attend the
University of Oklahoma like
her siblings and get a medical
degree in pathology.
Beth has many talents
and interests including dance
and cheer. Beth has been
dancing since she was three
years old and currently attends
dance classes at Studio One
School of Dance. Beth started
dancing because her sister,
Rachel, was also a dancer and
inspired her to do it as well.
Beth is currently a
cheerleader on the Altus High
School cheerleading squad.
Beth states, “I like dance
and cheerleading because of all
the memories made and lessons
learned.”
This
summer
Beth
competed in the Miss Altus
Outstanding Teen scholarship
pageant. She received the
physical
fitness
award,
interview award, talent award,
and at the end of the night
walked away as Miss Altus
Outstanding Teen 2013! Beth
says she is very excited and
blessed.
Beth
stated,
“God
motivates me in life because
He is the only one who truly
understands me and believes in
me.”
Beth’s favorite Bible
verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own
understanding; but in all your
ways acknowledge Him and He
will make your path straight.”
Something students
The Collar page 2
By Adam Trigg
met every player of the Dallas
Mavericks, and the Oklahoma
City Thunder, and has shaken
hands with Phil Mickelson.
Collin
has
a
few
motivations in his life, but his
biggest one is his dad. Even
though he only sees his dad for
1 hour a day Monday through
Friday, he still makes the best
of it.
He states, “My dad has
motivated me in golf, school,
and pretty much everything
else in my life. I look up to
him big-time!”
Another big influence on
Collin is his mom. He states,
“My mom does everything
with me during the week like
working out and running,”
Collin’s favorite quote is,
“Life is like a box of
chocolates you never know
what you are going to get.”Forrest Gump.
By Morgan Gover
BULLDOG CLUBS
Student Council is Your Voice
August 24, 2012
The Student Council is
Altus High's way of being
involved with the school. It
allowsS students to have a
voice in making changes in
the school.
The Student Council is
involved in putting on the
Back-to-School Dance, which
is being held in September, as
well as the annual Blood
Drive.
Other
events
the
Student Council traditionally
sponsors
include
the
Homecoming Week activities
and dance.
New
events
the
Student Council plans on
holding this year are a
luncheon for Habitat for
Humanity and attending a
Thunder game as a group
activity.
The class officers were
all elected at the end of last
year and plan on 2012 being
a very successful year.
The Student Body
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By MJ Davis
Student
Council
advisor
Mrs.
Debbie
Cox, with
officers
Allie Cox,
Madison
Morrow,
Hannah
Henry, and
Darbi
Latham.
Photo by
MJ Davis
President is Darbi Latham, the
senior class president is
Hannah Henry, and the junior
class president is Allie Cox.
The sophomore class
president is Madison Morrow,
and the freshman class
president and other officers
will be elected later this
month.
Other officers include a vice
president and secretary for
each class and for the main
student body.
Student Council sponsor
Mrs. Debbie Cox says, "Give
to the world the best you have
and the best will come back to
you.”
Last year they raised
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Be Creative & Get Published
Join “Scriblerus” and strive to get your writing published. Photo by Baylee Smith
If you have a passion
for writing and you want to
get your writing published,
get involved with Scriblerus.
The informal organization
Scriblerus is not like any
The Collar page 3
other club. The club will not
have officers, they will be
more interested in publishing
books. The club is put on
by Mr. Garmon. Scriblerus
encourages students to write
stories for publication.
The creative writing
club promotes the writing of
fiction and poetry can be
submitted for publication.
Senior English teacher
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$1,583.20 at their fundraiser
for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Mrs. Cox hopes to beat
that this year and help our
community even more
Meetings are held once a
month Wednesday evenings.
There are no scheduled dates
just yet, but be on the lookout
for the announcement!
By Baylee Smith
Mike Garmon wants to publish
an anthology of original
student writing at the end of
the year.
As a published writer,
Mr. Garmon has 14 published
novels under his belt. He has
also had one former AHS
student
accepted
for
publication.
Garmon
states,
“Scriblerus is a very informal
club. My main objective is to
work with students who want
to be published writers.”
If you are interested in
joining Scriblerus find out
when the meetings begin by
going to see Mr. Garmon in
room 212 to join and for more
information about Scriblerus.
Be on the lookout for
other clubs at AHS this year
like the Art Club.
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT/NEWS The Collar page 4
By Shevetta McCaskill
Link Crew Leads AHS into New Year
& Kendra Gibson
August 24, 2012
Link Crew has been
going strong for three years
now and it continues to run
smoothly. The club was
created for juniors and seniors
to help incoming freshmen
transition easier to the high
school.
Since shifting to a
bigger school can cause
emotional
stress
and
discomfort, their link leaders
give a tour around the building
and let them know the do’s
and dont's to help them survive
their first year. They also
promote a better attitude
towards high school life and
learning.
Link Crew will be
recruiting new leaders around
March. The club offers great
leadership skills and will also
look wonderful on college
applications.
During orientation they
get to see their old school
buddies, greet new friends, and
meet their link leaders.
“At first they seemed
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Link Leaders after freshmen orientation. Photo by Mrs. Beisel and Mrs. James
very shy, but once we started
interacting and playing games
they really became more out
spoken,” stated Dashauna
Jackson, a senior Link Leader.
The club will be hosting
activities throughout the school
year such as a scary movie
night during the month of
October and a cocoa and cram
study session to help the
freshmen pass their first nine
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weeks tests.
Throughout the year the
link members will be meeting
during lunch to discuss ways
on how to improve the club
and to organize special events
for their freshmen.
Link Crew is a great
club to join because not only
do you get to mentor and help
freshmen with their problems,
but members also develop
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Teacher Spotlight: Brandon Benson
Coach Brandon Benson
is not only new to AHS, but
also new to Altus. He moved
here
from
Tahlequah,
Oklahoma, where he coached
8th grade football, junior high
baseball, and was also the
head wrestling coach.
Now, Coach Benson
teaches sophomore and junior
English, and he also coaches
running outside linebackers
and will soon be the assistant
wrestling coach for AHS
when the season begins.
Outside of school he
enjoys
golfing,
fishing,
hunting, attending country
concerts and two-stepping.
Coach
Benson
graduated high school from
Tuttle Oklahoma, and then
went on to the West Point
Military Academy where he
wrestled at the collegiate
level.
stronger leadership skills.
Link Crew has given
many
freshmen
the
opportunity to get an early
inside view of what high
school is really like, hopefully
starting the rest of their school
years on a good note.
Freshmen, you are no
longer pups but are now
BULLDOGS. Welcome and
congratulations!
By Kadi Henry
After two years he
moved on to wrestle at
Oklahoma City University
while majoring in English.
A few things you may
not know about Coach Benson
is that he is a two-time AllAmerican
wrestler
at
Oklahoma City University,
and he once lost 18 pounds in
18 hours. He is also related to
“Pretty Boy Floyd” – a bank
robber.
Benson has one brother,
Cramer, who lives in Hawaii,
and a sister, Pamela, who
attends The University of
Central Oklahoma. His father
is the head football coach at
Sallisaw, and his mother lives
in Moore.
Coach Benson states,
“My dad inspired me to be a
teacher. I have always wanted
to have an impact on kids like
he does.”
SPORTS
Bulldogs Hitting the Field Once Again
August 24, 2012
Bulldogs practicing for the Vernon scrimmage. Photo by Ashley Alcorta
“One Team … One
Heartbeat … One Mission”
can be heard chanted from the
locker
room before an intense
xxxxxxxxxxx.
game. The Bulldgos have
worked harder this season
than ever before. If they can
stay healthy, the team should
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be much improved.
They upgraded their
strength and conditioning
program ten-times better than
last year.
Coach
Stone states,
Photo
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“We have worked very hard
in the off-season in the weight
room; we have set some “Top
Five” weightlifting marks and
have a 500 lb. squatter, Kyle
Detrick.”
Diquon
Woodhouse
(with 4 Division I offers),
Brantley
Ford
(3
year
quarterback), and Demauri
hhhh
Lady Bulldogs Feeling Brand New
The AHS Softball girls
are off to a fast and furious
start despite gaining a new
coach this year and having a
much younger and more
inexperienced team.
The new head of the
Lady Bulldogs, Randy McKee,
recognizes the team will have
some “bumps in the road”
considering they said goodbye
to quite a few key seniors last
year. He states, “We will learn
things as we go. Our players
have been working hard.”
The whole team seems
to acknowledge the fact that
they are almost developing a
brand new team.
Senior Destiny Abila
states, “We’re in a totally
different atmosphere. After
losing some of the best players
Altus has had, we came in with
intentions to fill some big
shoes.”
This year the girls aim
to simply improve every time
they step onto the field-wins
and
losses
are
merely
The Collar page 5
By Ashley Alcorta
Randall (2-way returning
starter) are just some of the
seniors and key players for the
season.
Their goal for this
season is to bring home the
school’s second gold ball and
the first in 41 years. Injuries
hurt the Bulldogs greatly last
year. With a return of 16
starters in the 22 positions, the
team has a good chance in the
playoffs.
The Bulldogs are a tight
team and they will fight to the
end for each other! The
Bulldogs need fan support.
Come yell and cheer them on
to victory at their first game of
the season in Vernon on
August 31st.
“We have an incredible
amount of depth in the skill
positions. If our big guys get
hooked up, we have the
opportunity for a winning
season” says Coach Benson.
By Kamren Barham
The Lady Bulldogs after winning two hard played games. Photo by Kamren Barham
they step onto the field-wins
and losses are merely
secondary right now. Our
softball girls are representing
the Bulldogs well with a 5-3
record.
Softball
practices
started up in early July for the
Lady Bulldogs. Neither Coach
Mckee nor
Mckee nor the Oklahoma heat
shows any mercy for the girls.
Sophomore
Tessa
Duncan states, “Practices this
summer were intense! As
coach says, ‘If someone isn’t
puking or bleeding, it’s not a
real practice!’”
Senior players this year
include: Sarah Gilstad, Nohely
Vasquez, Italia Centano, and
Destiny Abila.
Coach McKee and the
Lady Bulldogs encourage
everyone to come out and
cheer as they take the field
against Cache next Tuesday at
6 p.m.
August 24, 2012
BULLDOG BITES
The Collar page 6
“What do you like most about the new changes to the High School?”
Freshman Scivern Hill says,
“It’s just a big swagged-out
building.”
Sophomore Mac Coleman
says, “Everything is closer
together.”
Junior Tera Downs says,
“We’re all in one building and
everything is so nice.”
By Chris Sherlock
Senior Rebecca Minor says,
“That we’re all in one building
and I get to see my friends.”
By Allie Cox &
Senior Spotlight: Carley & Reed
Michelle Bonewitz
Senior Carley Graham was born in Lawton and grew up in Altus, Oklahoma. She has
dAberRRRReexxxxxxx
attended AHS for four years now and has loved every minute of it. Carley loves working
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out, hanging out with her friends, and spending time with her family.
Carley lives with her mom and dad who are both teachers, one at WOSC and one at
Sunset Elementary. Carley’s older sister Katey is a senior in college and attends SWOSU.
Carley loves her dog, Macey.
After Carley finishes high school she plans to go to the OU to become a sonogram
technician. Carley currently works at her church nursery on Sundays.
Carley’s favorite thing about the high school is going to the pep-assemblies and
sporting events! Something cool you may not know about Carley is that she met Bela
Karolyi, the former United States Olympics gymnastics coach.
What motivates Carley in life is her relationship with God, and also her friends and
family.
One of Carley’s favorite quotes is: “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would
hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you
gave me.’” –Erma Bombeck.
Senior Reed Abernathy was born and raised in Altus, Oklahoma. Reed has been very
active in the Altus FFA chapter for four years and has won many titles with showing his
steers.
Some of his favorite classes at Altus High School are Ag and art class. He has been
involved in these two classes since he was a freshman. Reed also says his favorite thing
about high school is seeing all his friends’ every day. After high school, Reed plans to
attend Oklahoma State University and major in Agriculture. After graduating from college,
he plans to come back to Altus and continue to help his dad farm.
Since Reed was a little boy his interests have included team roping, showing cattle,
hunting, fishing, and golf.
He lives with his parents Tommy and Kristy Abernathy. Reed has two sisters,
Lindsay and Lori, and two brother-in-laws, Kyle and Boone. He also has a nephew,
Kamden Reed and another nephew named Mason Makay on the way.
Reed attends the Altus First Baptist Church and plays a huge part in their youth
group. Reed says, “My number one motivation in life is my Lord Jesus Christ.”
2012-2013 Collar Staff
Staff:
Ruby Gonzalez
Jackie Willis
Morgan Gover
Kadi Henry
M.J. Davis
Mrs. Sherman, Advisor
Ashley Alcorta
Kamren Barham
Michelle Bonewitz
Allie Cox
Kendra Gibson
Shevetta McCaskill
Chris Sherlock
Baylee Smith
Adam Trigg
BULLDOGS
REMEMBER…
Jaleel
Foyé
Jaleel Foyé, a well-known student and athlete here at
Altus High, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, August
22, 2012. He was involved in many extra-curricular
activities including: basketball, football, track, The Collar
Staff, competitive theater and was a big part of
Homecoming Week.
We always knew we could count on Jaleel to keep a smile
on our faces. No matter where we were or who we were
around, Jaleel was always cracking jokes. Just the other
day at the senior assembly Jaleel asked Dr. Haught if he
could put foil and ice packs in his locker and turn it into a
mini-fridge.
Mrs. Debbie Cox states, “Jaleel was a super guy with an
infectious smile and was genuinely liked by so many
people.”
In football Jaleel was always a big competitor out on the
field. Jaleel was a two-way starter for the Bulldogs as a
junior. He wore #85 under the Friday night lights. Jaleel
also played for the Bulldog basketball team. Jaleel would
have been a returning starter wearing #20 for the
Bulldogs.
Coach Chad Stone states, “Jaleel was an extremely gifted
athlete, probably one of the top three over-all athletes in
Altus Public Schools. Jaleel also had a very infectious
personality. Everyone was his friend. He had a way of
making you feel good even when it hadn’t been a very
good day. He worked with my son’s city league basketball
team and was able to communicate and teach kids with all
backgrounds and skill levels. Those kids loved him. We all
love him… he will be greatly missed.”
Coach Rick Bull says, “Jaleel was one of the best allaround athletes at Altus High School. As far as a
basketball player he had great form on his shot and
tremendous jumping ability for his size. He played much
bigger than he was. He had been in the basketball
program since the seventh grade. Jaleel will be sorely
missed.”
As you can tell Jaleel had a huge impact on everyone here
at AHS. Jaleel was friends with everyone. He never
judged anyone. Jaleel was good at uplifting someone who
was feeling down. We will never forget that big smile on
his face and that great sense of humor he always
possessed.
“I never saw Jaleel without getting a big smile and a “Hi
Mrs. Neely!” He had such a sweet, gentle spirit about him.
I will cherish every memory of him and miss seeing that
beautiful smile every day,” states Mrs. Neely.
AHS has been hit hard with this tragedy. Let us take this
time as Bulldogs to come together and help each other deal
with the loss of one of our own.
Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog.
Tribute by Kadi Henry, Michelle Bonewitz, & Allie Cox