SHS Students` Journey to the inauguration

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SHS Students’ Journey to the inauguration
By: Jo Anna Eason
I
t was the coldest day in Summerville in the past twenty years, but on January 18, 2009, around
3:00 am, the Summerville High School Advanced Women’s Choir, Eleganza, boarded a charter
bus, departed for Washington, DC and promptly fell asleep. We were competing in the Heritage
Music Festival. We won first place in our competition, received a superior rating and won the “Spirit
of Washington, DC Award.”
While I cherish the memories, accomplishments, and learning experiences from the
competition, the details will fade through
the years. There is one event from our
weekend in DC that I will be able to describe
in detail from now until the moment I leave
earth for my eternal home. This memorable
event is the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama.
In order to see the inauguration we checked
out of our hotel close to 4:00 am on that
cold and bright Tuesday morning. It was 18
degrees outside, which for a southerner is
cold! The air forced words back down your
throat, which was already dry from the lack
of humidity. Wind raced through clothing
and layers were bulky, but necessary. We
loaded the bus for a two hour ride from our
Choir group picture taken in Washington D.C.
hotel in Virginia to find a parking space. As
we departed from the bus and prepared to walk to the National Mall, I was cold, tired, but filled with
excitement.
There I was, little me from Summerville, South Carolina with the opportunity to be part of history
just moments ahead. Overhead, the sky was grayish blue and the air circling our group of 35 travelers was clear. We looked like Eskimos; I was wearing my new hot pink winter hat; everyone had
boots and gloves; Ms. Jones wore her visible piano scarf; and Mr. Rutherford had on his bright kelly
green Summerville jacket.
People were everywhere; to the right, left, front, back, and snipers were on the buildings above.
With so many people I would not have been surprised if someone leapt out of the sewer system
shouting ‘boo!’
We walked, and walked, and walked for about one and one-half hours to reach the National Mall.
Then we waited for what seemed like the time passing in an extremely largo tempo for the ceremony
to begin.
Keeping warm was the funny part of the day. We started running in circles, doing exercises like
jumping jacks, and line dances. People from the crowd actually joined us in our crazy efforts for
warmth.
To continue, click here or go to page 6.
Summerville news
Can a simple rivalry go too far?
By: Katherine Yawn
T
he rivalry between Fort Dorchester High School and Summerville High School has
been an issue for years. Sporting events are bombarded with Summerville and
Dorchester County police officers during almost every game between the two teams.
The sports teams themselves are escorted from the fields or courts almost immediately after games “for their own safety.” Have the two schools taken this rivalry to extremes?
On February 12, 2009, Summerville High School’s Greenwave vs. the Fort Dorchester Patriots game was on the Summerville basketball court., and afterwards,
a Fort Dorchester student brought a loaded gun to the game
and fired shots
into the air after the game in SHS’s junior parking lot. This extreme over-reaction has cost the Fort Dorchester student more than a ball
game. Whether the
shots were fired out of anger, excitement or just plain foolishness, this teenager’s life will be changed significantly. Was it really worth it?
Currently facing serious charges as an adult, he is probably asking himself the same question.
Coach Kafina of SHS, feels the shooting had nothing to do with the game. Kafina also said, “the
[sports] rivalry has not gone too far, however, I think it is a very heated rivalry. There are a
lot of factors that go into [the] rivalry. I think the shooting was just someone acting foolish.”
Fort Dorchester High School was established in 1992, and like Ashley Ridge High School,
it grew out of Summerville High School. Summerville High School does not do anything differently when they are up against Fort. “We have one of the best programs around,” said
Coach Wilson, an assistant football coach and head Track and Field coach for Summerville. “We are everyone’s rival, so we never change our routine. It is just another game.”
With both teams in the same district, everyone is from the same town. Many Fort Dorchester parents were students at Summerville High School. No one wants to see anyone get hurt, especially by
fellow Summervillians. Healthy competition is great, so having a safe rivalry is okay. The athletes
realize this and see it for what it is. They are on the court to play ball. Students need to remember
that a school game or other event is no place to fool around and thoughtlessly make bad decisions.
A ball game is a place for cow bells, cheers, foam hands, clappers, body paint, and even green
Teacher of the Year: Laura Bridgman
By: Drew Moore
T
eachers are a rare commodity. To have the pioneering desire to lead and
inspire while also harboring the maternal instincts to assist and instruct
is something found only within a select few in our society. Even amongst
these there are those whose scholastic excellence stands out. One of these
teachers is Summerville High School’s Teacher of the Year, Laura Bridgman.
An AP Biology and Applied Biology teacher, Ms. Bridgman was chosen via
two teacher votes and a three-person interview committee. When informed
of her selection Ms. Bridgman was “[at a] loss for words.” She considers
her nomination a “tremendous honor” and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to represent her fellow teachers. Ms. Bridgman is the senior trip
sponsor and has been teaching for twelve years. The daily uniqueness of
teaching is something she enjoys. “The students themselves are the highlight of teaching,” Bridgman says. Not only is she a great teacher, but Ms.
Bridgman gives to her community by assisting with the Summerville Relay
for Life and volunteering with the Meals on Wheels of Summerville. She is
an exemplary citizen of our community, and contributes to welfare of Summerville. One can hardly wait to see what she might do later on, as
she enters her thirteenth year of teaching as Teacher of the Year. Ms. Bridgman at home with her dog.
Editorial
STD’s, Teen Pregnancy... Is Ignorance to Blame?
By: James Mwaura
I
n Tuscon, Arizona, living rooms were filled with excited fans of the home-state Cardinals playing in
the Super Bowl on February 1st. Mom, Dad, brother and sister, everyone was there; even Gramps
made it out of bed to watch the big game. Right after Larry Fitzgerald’s go-ahead 60-yard touchdown reception, Cardinals fans were screaming in delight, seeing the light at the end of an awfully
long tunnel (a light that was snuffed by Santonio Holmes’ even more spectacular snag in the corner
of the end zone a few minutes later). Then, something quite peculiar happened, and Gizmodo’s John
Herman describes it best: “the video feed abruptly switched to a scene from stablemate channel Club
Jenna, treating viewers to the sight of seemingly omnipresent porn guy Evan Stone swinging his junk
around like a maniac.” Immediately afterwards, the aforementioned gentleman received favors from
his female cohort, while Mom and Dad clamored for
the remote and Little Bro and Big Sis watched in
stunned amazement.
Talk about awkward.
Unfortunately for Gramps, the clip quickly reverted
to the Super Bowl, leaving Comcast and thousands
of Tuscon viewers scratching their heads. Comcast
quickly released statements saying that they were
“mortified” and had “no idea” how this content appeared on the airwaves, and has since granted a
ten-dollar credit to all Comcast customers affected.
Turns out, someone hacked into the fiber optic line
transmitting the signals from Comcast, substituting
footage of the big game with something far more
interesting than the Bruce Springsteen
http://www.eventimagecenter.com/300x180/super_bowl_xliii_300x180.gif
halftime show, which Comcast has
branded an “isolated malicious event.” It seems Janet Jackson has been trumped.
But those not affected by the brief risqué interlude were also exposed to a Super Bowl Doritos commercial in which a woman’s clothing literally falls off, and several Go-Daddy commercials that included
a shower scene with race-car driver Danica Patrick and the line “I’ll show you enhanced!” (One can
guess which assets the lady then almost exposed). And if not for NBC’s refusal, we would have been
treated to an ad displaying nearly-naked females fondling fruit and vegetables, courtesy of Michael
Vick’s favorite non-profit organization, PETA. As advertisers turned up the heat, some commercials
likely left Tuscon thinking that porn was just the logical next step.
It seems we are so obsessed with sex, the most family-oriented program of the year cannot avoid
a nipple-exposing halftime show, an outrageous number of controversial commercials, and an Xrated clip. What is even more harebrained is the fact
that we continue to teach abstinence-only education
Kids are nothing more
in school and blame teenage pregnancy, the spread
of STD’s, and poverty due to accidental maternity on
irresponsible children. Although our teen pregnancy than kids: stupid and easy to
rate has been steadily declining from the record-highs
of the nineties, America still boasts the highest rate
influence
among western nations and has recently seen a 3%
increase, breaking the 14-year streak. Are American
children really that much more aroused than the rest of the world? Possibly, but sex is used here more
than anywhere else to manipulate consumers and young people, leading to raunchy Super Bowl ads
and frisky teenagers.
“
”
One thing that policy-makers on the boards of education seem to forget is that kids are nothing more
than kids: stupid and easy to influence. Constant messages in ads and television are counteracting the
abstinence-only regulations so strictly imposed by the Bush administration, and it seems advertising
has a lot more effect. Safe-sex education being implemented is unlikely, but a liberal Congress might
make steps towards something a bit more sensible. There’s only one thing for sure:
I’m watching the Super Bowl in Tuscon next year.
Entertainment
Shedding Some Light on a Nighttime Novel
By: Dakota Davy
A
sk any teenager and they’ll tell you the Twilight phenomenon is the hottest read this year. With millions
of books sold and a movie made, everyone has heard of the newest love story. But is it really all it has
been hyped up to be? Authors, hobbyist writers, and even the movie actors do not seem to think so.
The author of Twilight, Stephanie Meyer, admited in an
interview with Time Magazine that she had little to no
previous writing experience before the Twilight series.
This lack of experience is exemplified in the books by
her drastically Mary-Sue type characters. A Mary-Sue
is a character in a major plot role that is overly idealized. Mary-Sues have little or no flaws, are incredibly powerful in some way, and are essentially perfect.
Nothing bad ever really happens to Mary-Sues, and
when bad things do happen, they come out just fine.
These characters pretty much function as wish-fulfillment for the readers and the author often presses how
amazing they are. Edward is the “perfect man,” completely flawless and incredibly powerful. In the classic
Mary-Sue example, nothing bad ever really happens to
Edward. The other main character of the story, Bella,
is also an example of a Mary-Sue type character. A
girl moves to a new town, and is instantly very popular and manages to start dating the “hottest guy” in
the school, Edward Cullen, who never dates anyone.
Throughout the story, the girl also receives some grave
injuries from supposed “bad vampires,” but is somehow
well enough within a short time to attend her vampire boyfriend’s prom despite that the average human
should be stone cold dead or severely hospitalized.
The writing itself is rather riddled with an overuse
of adjectives and adverbs, as numerous authors and
writers have pointed out. Similar to Rowling’s obsession with words ending in “-ly”, Meyer seems to be
fascinated with these parts of speech. One could also
argue that the story also holds several overused clichés. The character Edward himself seems to lack
http://www.freewebs.com/the-cullen-clan/twilight.jpg
just that, character. Robert Pattinson, the actor who
portrays Edward in the movie, remarks on the character’s “lack of personality” and the “difficulty to
act” due to this condition. The characters always seem to be rather hollow, as if they were created so
the reader or viewer could portray themselves into the desired role. Perhaps this is the secret to the
author’s success, as millions of people project themselves into a role that seems more perfect than a
fairy tale. Critics often attack the story’s plotline, which seems to be rather narrow and filled with holes.
An example of the lacking plot is the mystery surrounding Bella, who seems to be missing a personal history. Readers do not receive much about who she is or details about her life previous to her move to the small desolate town of Forkes, and the same applys to Edward.
Others worry over the direction the younger readers will be inclined to take after influenecs from the
novel. Fans have been observed doing frightfully strange things, from scratching their necks until they
bleed when meeting Pattinson to the destructive behavior such as tearing their book apart in a frenzy
of “love”. Others worry over the message the author sends about teen pregnancy and dating. Such worries arise when accounts such as “… a testimony of how a 15 year old had sex because she thought it’s
what girls want thanks to Bella” arise. Critics of the book often frown upon the idea of love that Meyer
portrays in her story. The issue tends to be that the character Bella is a new girl in a town, and falls in
“love” with a person not because she knows anything about him or his personality, as he hasn’t shared
a shred of personality at this point, but purely because he is the “hottest” thing she has ever seen.
To continue, scroll to page 6 or click here:
Horoscopes
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
This month you will get in a terrible accident by driving off a cliff and surprisingly landing on a massive pink matress.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
You will be attacked by purple hippos while eating queso dip and chips. Be
willing to share.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
In the midst of celebrating the cold weather start hanging out with your
friends more so that they dont turn to illegal subtances.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Beware of people with red eyes; they will give you dance fever.
Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Please, stop wearing the Top Hat. It just is not you, please stop pretending.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
There is a stressful month ahead for you. Just take deep breaths and apply extra deodorant.
Libra (September 23 - October 22)
It is a good time to buy flowers for someone you love.
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
You will go through an identity crisis this month when your parents tell
you your name does not really sound right, and decide change it.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
Getting your hair cut will make you feel better, finding the nest of spiders
in your long locks will not.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 20)
Four of your fingers will need to be splinted this month after an extreme
air-guitar contest you have with your grandma.
Aquarius (January 21 - February 18)
While waiting in a pumpkin patch for The Great Pumpkin, you discover an
underground dumping ground for toxic waste; you are declared a hero
and given the key to the city.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
Despite your best efforts your idea of a solar powered flashlight is never
going to make you any money, keep trying!
All Images from http://www.timegenie.com/astrology
Journey to the inauguration
continued from page 1
We knew to be wary and watchful of crime. Everyday a chaperone reminded us of what we could
expect from other people, but while I was on that field I never remember feeling scared. I am a
worrier and perfectionist by nature, but I never felt any kind of fear or anxiousness. I also never felt
threatened by the people around me. All of the travelers from Summerville and everyone around us
exploded with excitement and happiness.
At 11:00 am, some of the girls went back to the bus to sleep, but not me. I had put in a great amount
of effort for this election. I knew Obama’s positions, his beliefs, and I knew his opponents as well.
This was the first election I was able to vote in-- no way was I going to miss this event--as Ms. Jones
said to me during that day “You have come so far; you would die to see this event, wouldn’t you?” I
laughed and said “No, because that would be foolish, but I am going to stay and see this through.”
As the nine girls and few chaperones left waiting stood and shivered from cold and excitement, I
could feel the energy pulsing around me. If energy and feelings had color, the people standing on
the grass that day cast a rainbow brighter than looking directly into the sunlight.
There were tears, cries of joy and relief, ear to ear grins, memories and honor for those lost trying
to form our country and hope for those who have sworn to protect it. Most importantly though, the
event was not about democratic or republican, black or white, Jew or Christian or Muslim, smart or
dumb, South or North. The event was about America.
I understand now what Michelle Obama meant when she said “I can finally be proud of America.”
I can see a glimmer of why people see hope in Barack Obama. I may not have voted for him, but
standing with Americans as he took the oath of office, even a blind, deaf, and mute person could
see and hear what he stands for to some and should for all.
He stands for one people; a people striving to create what our founding fathers were so afraid we
would lose- opportunity. Michelle Obama knew this, but I was not ready to hear it. The inauguration
of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America reminded me that
all Americans have the opportunity to be the best they can be. Together we can create an America
that is a mixture of the old and the new.
Twilight
continued from page 4
This idea goes one step further, with the girl quickly jumping into a sexual relationship with the
character Edward with what some think as the intent to have a child. Many fear that the popularity of this story may influence the younger readers into a skewed idea of what a relationship is, and what to expect of their partner. It does not always end with the younger generation either, as seen when so-called “Twi-Moms” ask the actors Taylor Lautner
(Jacob Black) and Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) what undergarments they wear, if at all.
One further concern from critics is the age of the characters. Questions of a pedophilic message arise when some consider the age of Bella (18) to the age of her boyfriend (108). Some
defend that Edward is “young in vampire years,” but that hardly defeats the point. This is also
noted in the character Jacob (15) falling in love with the child daughter of Bella and Edward.
Considering the fan-fiction-like writing style, the Mary-Sue characters, the shaky plotline, as well
as moral concerns over the effects the story has already and may have on readers who have begun to show rabid devotion and attachment to the story, should this book really be held to the acclaim it seems to have gathered? One must wonder whether this story is really deserving of the
success that is has garnered, equaling and eclipsing most novels before it. However, the decision
lies upon you to make your own opinion. No one can truly say whether the book is good or bad.
Contributors to this issue
Jo Anna Eason, editor
Katherine Yawn, editor
Drew Moore, staff writer
Will Hunter, staff writer
James Mwaura, editor
Dakota Davy, staff writer
Amanda Myers, astrologist
Wave Breaker editors
Becca Ball, layout editor
Gabby Dibble, editor-in-chief
Jo Anna Eason, business/production executive
Margaret Kramer, copy editor
James Mwaura, online editor
Chelsea Taylor, copy editor
Katie Yawn, public relations editor
Contact Us:
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James Mwaura
Editor of Online Newspaper
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