March 2016 - Mountain View High School

Volume 4, Issue 5 March 2016
Mountain View High School
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Grizzly Gazette
the
“Expect Excellence in Everything”
QUESTIONS
& ANSWERS
Rhodes takes
over, Waters
retires
CHRISTINE BUSHART ‘18
Q: Why are you the new
Curriculum AP this year?
A: I’ve always wanted to work in
curriculum. I’ve always enjoyed
thinking of new programs to start,
it’s more of a strength of mine.
Mr. Waters started training me
last year [in preparation for his
retirement].
Q: What new changes have
you made, and why?
A: Something different this year
was that teachers would make
recommendations, so when
registration forms are distributed,
there’s already information on it.
It gives students and parents a
place to start.
DECA competitors bring back nine plus awards
ASHLEY MONTGOMERY ‘16
March 3-5, fifteen DECA members participated in the DECA
State Career Development Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in
Atlanta, Ga. Nine DECA members
placed, including freshman Faith
Najfus, freshman Andrew Abraham, freshman Amaya Acklin, senior Meredith Brown, senior Drake
Durden, senior Becky Lockwood,
senior Madison McRae, and senior
Jake Tupper. The school store Bear
Necessities won the DECA Gold
Level certification, a school-based
enterprise, as well.
Durden, who is a new member
of DECA, performed in front of
the judges for the first time in his
DECA career.
“Well, at first, it’s kind of scary
because you don’t know what’s going to happen; the judge is looking
at you, you are looking at them, it’s
kind of one on one, but you just
h
t
a
p
e
Th
a
k
i
of Z
have to go up there and start talking, make sure you are doing all
right. Just be confident, that’s the
biggest thing,” Durden said.
Besides the actual competition,
DECA members were able to participate in other extracurriculars in
their free time.
“Thursday night, we went out
to dinner as a group in the pouring rain, but then once we got
back to the hotel, we had the opening session, and Mountain View
was recognized for three different
awards as a DECA chapter in its
whole. And Friday is when we all
competed, so then we all went to
the World of Coke, and also out
to dinner that night. That was a
lot of fun. Georgia DECA put on
Minute to Win It games that night,
so that was fun to compete in as a
chapter,” Lockwood said.
The nine state placers move on
to Internationals, which will be in
Nashville, Tenn., April 23-26.
HOW-TO-VOTE
Many students are eligible to
vote, but may not know the
requirements, or how to register
The most common symptoms of
Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or
conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other
common symptoms include
muscle pain and headache
Transmission
occurs between
humans through
mosquitoes
About 1 in 5 people infected
with Zika virus become ill
REQUIREMENTS
18
You must be at least 17 1/2 years old to
register to vote and 18 on Election Day
To treat the virus, get
plenty of rest,
drink fluids to prevent
dehydration, and
take medicine such
as acetaminophen to
relieve fever and pain
Q: What’s the curriculum
department’s main goal?
A: Our first goal is to
communicate with students. We
want to be very customer service
[oriented] because students are our
customers. We want to work with
them so that they’re content with
their schedules.
Important to Know
Schedules are final in August
Any scheduling problems
will be addressed this May
Students will not be able to
drop AP courses in August
Only changes in August will
be made due to summer
classes
You must be a legal Georgia resident with a
valid driver’s license or ID issued by the DDS
GERI CHARLES ‘17
The Zika virus has become
a common household name in
North and South America. While
many rumors fly about the virus,
the truth has become blurred. The
virus has not killed anyone, yet.
Zika is not an STD, but when it is
contracted from mosquitoes, it can
cause a birth defect called microcephaly. Microcephaly causes babies to be born with a small head,
and this leads to developmental
disabilities, and it can affect the
babies’ brain growth. This is the
main concern regarding the virus
and its impact.
Zika does not kill people directly from the virus, only from
symptoms caused by the virus.
There is no current cure for Zika,
so health officials are recommending people to treat the symptoms
of the virus with certain medicines
and rest. To prevent the virus from
spreading or to prevent people
from contracting the virus, health
officials are recommending the use
of bug spray to ward off mosquitoes, which are the carriers of the
virus. A person with Zika has the
infection in their blood, and it can
be spread to others. As soon as the
virus has passed from the person,
he is protected from future infections of the same strain. The main
concern with Zika is the effect on
babies. Overall, Zika is not a huge
threat, but health officials are still
looking into the disease to make
sure it doesn’t further hurt society.
You must be a citizen of the United States of
America
HOW TO REGISTER
Visit https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov and fill
out the short application
GRAPHIC BY KAIDEN SMITH
inside this issue
3
Dr. Wendy Rhodes
Beauty pageant contestants share
their experiences and aspirations.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALYSSA ANNARELLI
12
Varsity baseball trumps Newnan
6-1 at home.
PHOTO BY NIA-SIMONE ECCLESTON
News
2-3
Opinions
4-5
Center
6-7
Reviews
9
Sports
10-12
2 NEWS
Volume 4, Issue 5
FAFSA BY THE NUMBERS
NEWS BRIEFS
BY JORDAN STALLWORTH
From about 22 million FAFSA
submissions, 1,200 employees
provide $150 billion and more
to more than 13 million students
under Title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965.
Academic Teams. JV academic team
placed 4th at the Mary Pearson’s regional
tournament. Science Olympiad had four 1st
place ribbons, six 3rd place ribbons, and 21
ribbons for 4th-7th. Columbus State Math
competitors placed 3rd overall. JETS physics at UGA won first place overall.
*Free Application for Federal Student-Aid
Art. Art Club is hosting the first annual
Mountain View Cluster Art Exhibition April
14. Congratulations to Riley Humphries,
Christina Tien, Madison Wood, and Lilinna
Ramos for being chosen to have their artwork displayed at Hartsfield-Jackson airport
this summer.
Percentage of
applicants aiming for
their first bachelor’s
degree
VISUAL SPACE
Money, money, money
Athletic Association. The Georgia Athletic
Directors Association named Wayne Smith
as Gwinnett’s Region 7-AAAAA athletic director of the year.
»»Work-Study (earn cash)
»»Grants (no repayment)
Basketball. Former varsity assistant coach
and history teacher Brad Blackmon has
been named women’s head coach. Blackmon hopes to build a program that values
positivity and player development.
Band. Both concert band and wind
symphony received high marks and praise
from the adjudicators on their large group
performance evaluation. Winter Guard
received 1st place in the Flowery Branch
Invitational.
Bear Buddies has a general meeting April
5 in Haley McDonald’s room. They will be
organizing for the party to be held April 26.
Beta Club has seven seniors that are graduating this year as Beta Honors and Honor
Grads. Current students with a 3.5 GPA or
higher can see Dr. Fisher in person.
Chorus. There will be a Spring Concert in
the Performing Arts Center May 17, and
admission will be $5.
College Board. Junior Santiago Escobar
scored in the top 2.5 percentile of all Hispanic and Latino PSAT Test takers this year,
and is invited to join the National Hispanic
Recognition Program. This is the first time
ever that an MVHS student has received
this recognition from College Board.
Dance. “People are Strange: Cirque de
Vue”, the spring dance show, will be showing April 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on
sale for $5 at lunch or $7 at the door.
FBLA. Congratulate junior Davy Waku on
his Business Achievement Award (Future
Level), and freshman Suraj Modi won Introduction to Business Communications 3rd
place and Public Speaking 4th place.
FCCLA. There will be a meeting April 12
and an end of the year celebration May
10. All cord logs are due April 10 and are
$10 cash or check made out to MVHS. A
letter patch is $25 and an FCCLA insert or
bar is $2.
»»Loans (I.O.University)
Writer Harper Lee dies a legend at age 89
NIA ECCLESTON ‘18
Harper Lee is an American
novelist accredited for the classic
novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Her
book defied the social boundaries
of its time, taught the importance
of equality, and the underlying evil
of man.
It’s of no surprise that her death
Feb. 19 was a hard pill to swallow for her fans. According to her
nephew, Lee died in an assisted liv-
ing home while in her sleep. Her
death trended on social media, emphasizing the impact her writing
had on people all over the world.
An 89-year-old woman, Lee was
born and died in Monroeville, Ala.
Similar to Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, her father was a lawyer,
and she grew up as a tomboy. Multiple times within her novel, Lee
incorporates aspects of her own
personal life into the plot of her
books and the characters, explain-
ing why people resonate with her.
July 2015, Lee released her original effort of To Kill a Mockingbird
where Scout was an adult. Controversy arose about the matter, with
the possibility that she was coerced
by her lawyer to publish the second book. No evidence was found
of unethical penmanship; however,
her new book Go Set a Watchman
has become a best-seller today with
more than 3.3 million copies in
print.
Mountain View
students who
have submitted
their FAFSA...
123
*As of March 18, 2016
June 2017
30
Federal Aid
deadline
for online
submissions
In case of
emergency
or probable
confusion:
“Thanks
for your
help!”
800-433-3243
President Obama takes trip to Cuba to restore broken ties with government
JAYLA MCCRAY ‘17
It has been more than 80 years
since a current president has visited
Cuba. President Obama’s goal is to
repair the bond between the United States and Cuba.
The United States and Cuba
have had a strained relationship
since the Spanish-American War.
The relationship came to an end
when the Cuban government nationalized local United States Corporations.
Cuba is a socialist government.
A socialist government is where the
government controls the distribution and production of goods.
“In Cuba, the government
doesn’t protect business owners.
If the government wants to shut
down a business, it can at anytime,”
science teacher Jordan Raettig said.
The United States is a capitalist
government. A capitalist government allows the individual or corporation to control the distribution and production of goods.
BY BRITTANY JOHNSON
Suwanee ChickCounty fil-A’s cell phone
coops inspiring a
movement
“The Cuban government doesn’t
like foreign businesses operating in
their country. When a foreign business operates in Cuba, the Cuban
government has to have 51 percent of ownership of the business,”
Raettig said.
According to ABC News, American Tractor Company is trying to
build the first U.S. factory in Cuba
in more than 50 years.
United States Marines return to
Cuba to raise the American Flag
for the first time in 54 years.
According to ABC News, in
1961, due to President Eisenhower
ending diplomatic ties with Cuba,
the United States took down the
American Flag at the United States
Embassy. President Obama reopened the Embassy in Cuba, and
the American Flag flies over Havana. Secretary of State John Kerry
will travel to Havana to officiate
the reopening of the embassy. Kerry will be the first secretary of state
to visit the island in more than 70
years.
Analyzing news locally and globally
Teacher accused
State of calling student
‘dumbest girl’ he
ever met
The Suwanee Chick-fil-A has inspired a
new movement. Their ‘Family Challenge’ urges families to put their phones
on silent and leave them in ‘cell phone
coops’ for the duration of their meals.
Any family that can meet this challenge
gets free ice cream. The challenge was
launched in January and is taking over
in hundreds of stores in the chain.
Teacher allegedly called student “the
dumbest girl” he had ever met. Junior
Shaniyya Hunter has an eye condition
that sometimes keeps her out of class at
Greene County HS. She was attempting
to catch up on material when he allegedly said, “You know what your purpose
is going to be? ... to have children
because you ain’t gonna ever be smart.”
“I think it’s good that they’re
making them put their cell
phones in a box because it
gives them family time to
communicate. It affects me
because I know during this
lunch period everybody’s on
their phones, and nobody
actually talks to each other,
so the challenge kind of
just brings out the best in
people.”
“What happened in the
situation was rude and
disrespectful because you
don’t call a girl ‘the dumbest
girl you ever met’. It applies
here because there’s teachers
that have their moments
and might say something
slick out their mouths, but
it shouldn’t ever go to that
certain extent. That’s really
rude.”
Junior
»»Scholarships
ILLUSTRATION BY NIA-SIMONE ECCLESTON
IN THE KNOW
Dakota
Crumbley
45.7%
National
Prosecutor: Suspect
in Tyshawn Lee killing had planned to
torture boy
The plan was to kill Tyshawn Lee, the
son of a Chicago gang rival, by cutting
his fingers and ears off, but instead Lee
was led from the playground to an alley
where he was shot several times. Chicago police officer John Escalante said
that although he witnessed numerous
gang-related killings, the murder of Lee
“was something far more sinister.”
World
‘Dentist of horror’
goes on trial in
France, accused of
mutilating patients’
mouths
Jacobus van Nierop, “the dentist of
horror,” went on trial March 8 in France
after being accused of disfiguring the
mouths of more than 100 patients.
Nierop is tried with having ripped out
healthy teeth and left dozens of patients
with broken jaws, abscesses, and septicemia. He is also being charged with
fraud, forgery, and false billing.
“ “ “ “
Kimberly
Haynes
Senior
Aja
Bodie
Freshman
“These gangs just drive me
crazy, and it’s dumb that
they’re just out here shooting
people for no reason. They
all think it’s about money.
If you’re trying to get your
money, get yourself a real job
and pay for stuff you earn, so
you don’t have to be fighting.
I had a friend that got himself
shot because of a gang. It just
doesn’t make sense.”
Rayyan
Mahmood
Freshman
“Why would you do that?
How did he get away with
this? I would never think that
someone like a dentist would
ever do that because you trust
them. You think that because
they’re your doctor. You trust
them with anything, but this
dentist, which is probably
their neighborhood dentist, is
breaking their jaws.
NEWS
March 2016
MISS MOUNTAIN VIEW PAGEANT
On March 26 girls of all ages took to the stage in support of the community
ALEXIS CARTER, 11
Q: What do pageants mean to you?
A: Most people think pageants are just
about crowns, but to me, it goes beyond
that. It means getting to go volunteer and
do community service. Going to the events
and seeing smiling faces in our community
makes me happy. Personally, pageants help
my inner confidence.
Q: What else is there to a pageant besides looking pretty and walking across
the stage?
A: What people don’t see is the interview
portion. That’s the part that isn’t about
beauty, it’s about who you really are as a person, and why you should get the title. Also,
a pageant helps people with confidence and
breaking out of their comfort zone. It’s also
not just about crown and sash. Beyond that,
it’s being able to serve the community.
Q: How does winning or even just participating make you feel?
A: Just competing makes me feel awesome.
I’m able to show people my personality on
stage. For instance, fun fashion. My fun fashion outfit gets to show who I am and what I
like.
Q: Do you hope to continue pageantry
or the lessons involved in the future?
A: I hope to do pageants until about the
end of high school. The morals and lessons
will probably stick with me because having
the interview in pageants taught me how to
talk to people and show them who I really
am. Also, I’ll use the lesson about being confident no matter what.
BY CAROLINE WIRL ‘18 &
HERMELLA WOLDITSADIK ‘18
Runner for Life Under her ball gown,
Carter sports sneakers after she was crowned
Miss Sophomore her first time doing the
Miss MV Pageant her freshman year.
Carter and
Annarelli both
participated in
the Miss MV
Pageant, and
both have been
in the spotlight
before.
ALYSSA ANNARELLI, 10
Q: What are things that you do or have
done to help the community?
A: We’ve worked with Relay for Life, Streetwise in Atlanta, and Brown Bag Lunches; we
sang Christmas carols at a retirement home,
and we have worked at animal shelters and
helped with adoptions.
Q: What goes into a pageant, appearance wise? How long does it take to prepare?
A: It takes hours to physically prepare,
getting hair and makeup done is really complicated. It’s basically “Toddlers and Tiaras”
without the hissy fits.
Q: What else is there to a pageant besides just dressing up and going on stage?
A: Meeting new people is huge in every
pageant, and in the actual competition, the
interview is a big part. Practicing enough to
feel comfortable in front of the judges is huge.
Q: How does winning or even just participating make you feel?
A: Winning, of course, makes me feel
good, especially in the moment when I’m
up on stage- it feels good to have everyone
looking at you. Even if I don’t win, though,
it’s so much fun to help the less experienced
girls out and just having fun on the stage the
whole time.
Q: Do you hope to continue the lessons
you learned during pageantry?
A: Public speaking is definitely something I
want to continue because it will be so helpful
later in life. Talking to people I don’t know
and interviewing will help with jobs, too.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALEXIS CARTER
New Waffle House impacts community
GERI CHARLES ‘17
As of last year, plans of a new Waffle
House being built were being discussed.
Now, the plans are being executed on
Braselton Highway in front of The Gun
Club. As the new location comes closer to
opening, more students have opinions on
the opening of the new Waffle House.
“I think the new Waffle House location
is a good idea because the Waffle House is
going to make a lot of money because of
their clever location, and I know that I’ll
definitely be getting fatter because I’ll eat
there all the time,” junior Kaylee Spurlock
said.
While the exact opening date has not
been released, according to the Gwinnett
County Department of Planning and
Development, the Waffle House is being built on .77 acres of land. The Waffle
House opening up by our school will allow students to have a new place to hang
out together and call our own.
“I think that a lot of Mountain View
students will be going to the Waffle House
after football games because of its convenient location,” Spurlock said.
After games and other events, students
will now be able to have a new place to
eat food and claim as “Mountain View’s”
Waffle House.
“There was never any food place for me
to go on the way to school, but now there
is, which is awesome,” junior Paige Guthrie said.
Due to the new location of the fast food
restaurant, there were some concerns.
“With the new Waffle House opening
up, there’s going to be even more traffic,
especially after football games,” junior
Clara Sulek said.
The new location opening up by Mountain View High School will provide a larger sense of community among Mountain
View students.
“I think this Waffle House is the start
of development of Mountain View’s area.
Hopefully, this will lead to even more
places to eat and hang out,” Sulek said.
NEWS BRIEFS
Girls’ Lacrosse. Senior night is the last
regulation home game against the Grayson
Rams April 15.
Junior Classical League will attend the
annual Georgia JCL Convention April
15-17. Latin students compete in chariot
races, speeches, tests, frisbee, writing, art
and costumes. Special shout out to the
freshmen who are diving in for the first
time: Danielle Olivier, Ashlyn Grams, Sophia
Claymore, Alex Ly, Andrew Tonnesen, Kelly
Jones, Alli Flatt, and Walker Manuel. Huge
congrats to the 4-time attendees: Brandon
Beck and Lauren Schuster. April 21-27 is
National Classics Week.
OECD Testing. Mountain View will be
administering the OECD to a select
85 students to help identify Mountain
View’s strengths as compared to schools
across the world. This is a school-level
assessment based on the internationally
recognized program for International
Student Assessment (PISA). It aims to
provide a school-level measure of students’
performance in the higher-order skills
in reading, mathematical, and scientific
literacy necessary for their future success
and ability to compete in a global economy.
Orchestra. Chamber Orchestra and
Philharmonic Orchestras performed
at LGPE at Lanier High School. They
performed three LEVEL V pieces (Level VI
is professional level) and walked out with
straight superiors from all three judges and
superior in Sight Reading.
Peer Leading is having wellness week
coming up in the month of April.
Prom. Monies not used on the prom night
are donated back to the school or other
charitable causes. In 2015, Junior Class
made a sizeable contribution on behalf
of MVHS to American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life. In 2014, the Junior Class
helped subsidize the cost of materials
and construction of the Special Education
kitchen and laundry so our students could
learn much-needed life skills at school.
Relay for Life. March 19 Relay for Life had
a family fun day at the Gwinnett Infinite
Energy Center in the parking lot. It was a
mini Relay for Life event that had food and
tents for the whole county. The big Relay
for Life event is May 31. T-shirts are on sale
for $10.
Back in the
Spotlight
Starting
Young
Carter,
pictured at
age 5, shows
off her winning trophy,
certificate, and
flowers.
3
PHOTO BY CAROUSEL OF LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Annarelli takes
to the stage in
the 2015 Miss
Mountain
View Pageant
her freshman
year.
GOOD NEWS - SCIENCE FAIR
Seniors. Senior dues are currently $170 but
will be raised to $195 April 1 and will only
be received in cash or money order. Senior
week is April 25-29. All senior letters will be
due May 2 to Jody Teague room 1.578. The
senior breakfast and walk will be May 20.
Girls’ Soccer. Come out and support your
Varsity soccer team March 31 against
Norcross for senior night.
Spanish Honor Society. Please
congratulate senior Amy Jenkins whose
poem was chosen to be published in
Albricias, the nationally-distributed student
journal of the AATSP. In the National
Spanish Exam, senior Felipe Garcia-Arias
was of one of 55 students in the world to
earn every possible point on the AP Spanish
Language and Culture Exam. We applaud
Felipe’s hard work and congratulate him on
this remarkable achievement.
SLT has planned a field trip for community
service and will be landscaping a food
garden. They are also helping the middle
school SLT to be more involved and guide
them into the high school SLT. Lastly,
there’s a dodgeball tournament, and there
are posters around the school.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW KIM
Regional Science Fair Sat., Feb. 24, at Gwinnett Center,
the Regional Science Fair was held. Participation in the Science Fair was optional. Students that participated worked
three months preparing for the fair. The fair consisted of
seperate interviews by three judges and a portion for scoring the presentation and content. Sophomore Matthew
Kim placed first in mathematics and won grand prize.
“The project was on the formation of a ring system around
the Asteroid 10199 Chariklo. I created simulations and
computational models postulating the development of
such a system,” Kim said. Since Kim won grand prize, he
moved on to state, which is held March 31 through April 2
at UGA in Athens, Ga. an all expense paid trip to Phoenix,
Ariz. where he will compete at Intel International Science
and Engineering Fair.
Technology Student Association is making
senior yard signs as a fundraiser. All
proceeds will go to TSA. The signs will be
printed in school colors: gold and black
on a white background. Each sign is
personalized with the graduate’s name.
Visit the “SENIORS- Class of 2016” eClass
for the order from. The deadline to order
is May 6.
Track and Field. Region meet, hosted
at Mill Creek, will be April 21-22, and
Sectionals, at Mill Creek, will be April 30.
Volleyball tryouts will be May 2-6 for Varsity
and JV. This will be the first time this is
allowed. 9th Grade tryouts and some JV
players will tryout Aug. 1.
Washington Youth. Congratulations to
junior Zachary Miles for being selected as
a representative for the Washington Youth
Tour.
4 OPINIONS
Volume 4, Issue 5
All in favor
GrizzlyGazette
the
Mountain View High School
2351 Sunny Hill Road
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
678.406.7600 | www.mtnviewhs.com
2015-2016 Volume 4
The Grizzly Gazette is a student produced newspaper, published six times
a year by JS Printing. This publication’s
MISSION is to unify the student body,
advocate its interests, and establish a
culture of trust while striving to uphold
the highest journalistic standards.
The opinions in this newspaper are
those of the individual authors, and do
not reflect those of the publication staff,
students, faculty, or administration.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jordan Stallworth, Editor-in-chief
Uzochi Enworom, Opinions editor
Ashley Montgomery, Features editor
Kaiden Smith, Sports editor
STAFF WRITERS
Christine Bushart, Geri Charles,
Nia-Simone Eccleston, Brittany
Johnson, Cheryl Kwapon, Sabrina
Luong, Jayla McCray, Zion Smith,
Caroline Wirl, Hermella Wolditsadik
ADVISER
Jennifer Ortman
Please follow us on Twitter and
Instagram for live news updates and
interactive content @MVHSnews, or
email us at MVHSGrizzlyGazette@
gmail.com with responses to or suggestions for content.
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(house editorial)
Celebrities’ affect on society and political issues
Celebrities should use their platform to address nationwide issues
UZOCHI ENWOROM ‘16
SABRINA LUONG ’17
At the 2016 Superbowl, Beyonce shocked audiences across
the nation when she performed
her new song “Formation” dressed
in Black Panther inspired outfits
with all African American dancers. The 20-time Grammy award
winner took it upon herself to use
her platform as a public figure to
raise more awareness of the issues
that the Black community faces in
America.
Beyonce taking a stand is only
one example of a celebrity that is
using her influence to call attention to certain issues. Although
celebrities have their inherent right
to their privacy, there is no denying
that they also have the power to inspire change in social and political
issues.
“When I see celebrities that are
liberal and voicing their opinions,
I think that’s really cool and important. I think there should be a
lot more of that than just trying to
keep their image and popularity
up,” senior Taylor Moore said.
The reason why celebrities are so
influential is because of the power
given to them by the public and
the media. They have a certain
duty to their fans to speak up on
topics that affect their demographics. In Drake’s song “30 for 30 freestyle,” he expressed his opinion on
the topic with the lyrics.“Kids are
losing lives, got me scared of losing mine. And if I hold my tongue
about it, I get crucified.”
The problem with the lyrics is
that these celebrities feel pressured
to state their position on major
topics which causes them to withhold their opinions due to potential backlash. For example, Demi
Lovato commented on Taylor
Swift’s lack of acknowledgement of
Kesha’s situation, and she endured
backlash from the public for several days. It was not until Taylor
Swift donated $250,000 to Kesha
did people finally began to ease the
pressure off of her.
“I think that it’s good when celebrities use their platform to speak
about these issues because a lot
of celebrities would probably be
scared,” Moore said.
Other people say that celebrities
should not have a voice in political
or social issues because they just see
them as figures of entertainment,
not people who should strike emotion or controversy. The reality is
that these people have actual opinions, and therefore, have the right
to express them.
Celebrities play a crucial role
in delivering information to the
younger minds. Teenagers often
base their information and morality on their favorite songs and artist,
so to teenagers, celebrities are their
source of information. They have
such a huge impact on the minds
of kids which gives them the potential to lead and inform younger
generations on major issues in their
community and the world.
“Teenagers these days don’t really look at newspapers. We look at
music a lot, so I think that we can
get more knowledge on worldwide
issues through music,” junior Niyah Johnson said.
Some celebrities have taken this
FOCAL
POINT
The Chatter Coming-of-age
When serious first impressions come, will
this generation be prepared?
JORDAN STALLWORTH ‘16
Eye contact. It is the number one
thing that cripples the modern teenager when attempting to make impressive first impressions, but its
absence is noticed in basic, daily interactions, too. I bet your eyes spend
more minutes on your smartphone’s
screen than on the people you speak
with.
Ryan Jones, President/CEO of
Ryan L. Jones & Associates, Inc.,
spoke to Kristina Hesson’s nutrition
classes Mar. 16.
Jones asked for two things: 1. That
all cell phones be put away. “I don’t
even want to see them,” he said. And
2. That a student from each table introduce themselves to him. All of the
brave volunteers—all seniors—lacked
proper eye contact and voice projection, even the great ones.
Jones said that us young people
“have issues” with “looking people in
the eye.” Why is that? Much research
blames early exposure to electronics.
But, advances in technology is not
the sole culprit in this communication
issue. It begins in lack of education.
If action is not taken to require first
impressions, public speaking, and
likewise classes, then employers will
be forced to hire employees who do
not have the invaluable intangibles
needed to make businesses excellent.
The Gazette’s
editor-in-chief reflects
on comments heard
from your everyday,
transitional chatter
Guest speaker,
Ryan Jones:
“You guys have
issues with
looking people
in the eye
when you talk
to them.”
into account and have publicly
shown support and opinions on
current issues. For instance, after
Kesha lost the case against Sony
Productions, celebrities like Lady
Gaga and Demi Lovato have stood
by her and made it publicly clear
that she has their support. This has
caused huge controversy, but also
has gotten Kesha more attention
and support. They have utilized
their platform in order to impact
an issue that should be taken seriously.
“I think it’s really great that
Lady Gaga has been supporting
Kesha and has been around her a
lot the past few months. I think it
brings a lot of awareness because a
lot of people may not have heard
what happened to Kesha, and Lady
Gaga is making it more important
and is incorporating it into her performances,” Moore said.
There can be a variety of reasons
for celebrities to speak out ranging
from publicity to genuine concern.
“We don’t have a human resources department, we don’t have
a union as artists. We’re just fighting for ourselves, and we have
these huge obstacles against us. If
we don’t stick together, our voices
won’t be heard,” Lady Gaga told
Amp radio during an interview
with Carson Daly.
It is not celebrities’ responsibility to voice their opinions on social
and political issues. However, they
do possess a platform that can be
used to raise awareness and inform
the public about issues that are
relevant in the world. With their
influence, they can greatly affect
important issues.
VIEWS
from the
VIEW
“I think that
it’s good when
celebrities use
their platform
to speak about
these issues
because a lot
of celebrities
would probably
be scared,
especially if
you’re a liberal
and you don’t
want to lose
support for
people who are
conservative.
When I see
celebrities that
are liberal and
voicing their
opinions, I
think that’s
really cool and
important.”
TAYLOR MOORE
Should Beyonce address
social and political issues?
Morgan
McCree
Adna
Torlo
Junior
Senior
“Celebrities of color really should be
using their platform to speak on these
social issues that are happening right
now. They [people who were rioting
against Beyonce] were just mad because it’s not a song they can relate to.”
Chelsea
Frimpong
Junior
“Yes, because there’s a bigger audience where people are watching. She
has a right to speak about what she
feels is necessary.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a celebrity
or not, they should still have their own
valid opinion. Since she has such a big
influence, it’s good that she’s standing
up for something that a bunch of people
identify with and struggle with everyday.”
Timothy
Bouaphanthavong
Freshman
“I feel like she doesn’t have a right to
do it at an event like the Superbowl,
but she has a right to express how she
feels about political problems because
she is a citizen.”
OPINIONS
March 2016
5
Life of a gifted student holds more than high test scores, AP classes
ZION SMITH ‘18
Many students have an academic
path laden with advanced placement classes and gifted or accelerated areas of study. Outside of the
gifted program, people view kids
much differently than they really
are. Instead of school-crazed shutins with nothing more to them
than the six AP classes on their
schedule, a closer look proves that
this perception is far from true.
“I embrace the stereotype that
we try hard because hard work is
the most rewarding,” junior Cheyenne Stewart said.
Students with more rigorous
schedules most likely acquired
these misconceptions from the
type of environment they are constantly exposed to at school. Gifted
kids are secluded from the rest of
the student body and concentrated
in classes with similar minds in
early years of elementary school.
Students tend to stay in the same
classes with each other because
they take the same ones.
“I don’t feel like I get the diversity that there is in high school
because I’ve been around the same
people my entire life,” sophomore
Rachel Hodges said.
They also strive to achieve balance in their schedule, similar kids
outside of gifted programs. They
do not just take the classes that
look the best on their transcript,
but pay special attention to their
own needs and abilities.
“I set my limits ahead of time
and don’t try to do everything at
once. I take things step by step,
little by little,” Stewart said.
Ivy-League schools are not necessarily on the radar for all students
enrolled in advanced classes during
high school. Gifted students, like
many other students, have focuses
outside of becoming a neurosurgeon and studying medicine at
Harvard. Prestigious schools may
not have the athletic association or
career focus that a student is looking for.
“The harder classes help with college. We don’t necessarily take the
classes to get into higher schools,
but to get ahead. Just because we
take these classes doesn’t mean we
want to go into certain careers,”
Hodges said.
A gifted student can become a
“guinea pig” for several years in a
row. There are constantly new programs, curriculums, and protocols
being concocted every year, and
the students selected to test them
out are usually gifted students.
Many kids have seemingly always
been the first to try new school initiatives when they arise.
“I don’t like always being the
first one to try something new.
There’s other people to test it out
on,” Hodges said.
Contrary to popular beliefs,
gifted students focus on more than
maintaining high grade point averages and studying past midnight.
Many take up extracurricular activities, debunking the myth that
a rigorous schedule prohibits them
from having a life outside of academics.
“I define my
schedule. I have
work to do, and
I’ll get it done,
but that won’t
stop me from
taking a nap.”
KAITLYN CATAPANO
“School is a main focus for me,
but it’s not the only thing I do. I
play golf, work two days a week at
Kumon, and I am a board member
of two different clubs,” sophomore
Kaitlyn Catapano said.
“I define my schedule. I have
work to do, and I’ll get it done, but
that won’t stop me from taking a
nap. Productivity and self-care are
not mutually exclusive,” Catapano
said.
All in all, students in gifted programs are not always what they
seem. Like other kids, they have
interests and aspirations outside
of academics. Advanced students,
though, are usually subject to a
conflicting environment where
regulations vary and people remain.
There is more to a person than a
heavy course load and a challenging schedule. It would benefit the
students in gifted programs, the
people that run them, and other
kids to dissolve the inaccurate portrayal of these scholars and help
all groups gain more of an understanding of one another.
Young people begin to ‘Feel the Bern’ during election
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders builds momentum in the presidential election
UZOCHI ENWOROM ‘16
HERMELLA WOLDITSADIK ‘18
Bernie Sanders seemed to come
out of nowhere in the presidential
race in 2015, but since his appearance, the Vermont senator originally from Brooklyn, New York,
has gained a large following. The
presidential candidate has become
a pop culture icon; people dress
their babies up as him, shirts insert
his name into popular phrases, and
he’s become the star of a popular
meme “Bernie vs. Hillary”.
Sanders is the oldest candidate
in the race, yet his supporters
consist mostly of young people,
the views of the 74-year-old align
with the ones that this generation places value on. Regardless
of the candidate’s age, his young
supporters believe in him and his
policies. Since the 1960s, Sanders
has been an outspoken supporter
of equal rights; he was an organizer of several civil rights events
and participated in the March on
Washington, has been a pioneer for
gay rights since the 1970s, and has
consistently supported women’s reproductive health rights.
“Bernie Sanders is the man, and
the new revolution. He’s a very
revolutionary person who believes
in the rights of human beings. He
believes in the legalization of marijuana, believes in gay rights, women’s rights, rights for everybody,”
junior Zach Miles said.
Sanders’ political views completely differ from those of the
current Republican frontrunner
Donald Trump. The Republican
candidate has been causing controversy ever since he announced his
run, and he does not lack any criticism from Sanders supporters and
Sanders himself.
“Trump’s views and Bernie’s
views are completely different. I
just don’t think a Trump supporter
would vote for Bernie. He should
be our president because he’ll stand
up for the middle class, and he’ll
stand up for the poor,” junior Gino
Yu said.
As long as young people continue to support Sanders and show
up to vote, Sanders’ voice will be
heard and this generation will have
the input they desire in American
politics.
The future of the presidential election turns as
candidates find new ways to appeal to the youth
CHRISTINE BUSHART ‘18
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
takes the country by storm with her political campaigning through the primary
and is expected to snag a slew of new voters.
Young voters have been supporting
Clinton’s competition Bernie Sanders
despite his being the oldest candidate on
the ballot. But since she has performed
the newest dance, the dab, Jan. 11, on
the Ellen Degenres Show, a mob of voters aged 18 to 30 are expected to switch
allegiances.
It became clear once Clinton participated in the new dance craze, that the
grandeur of the presidential election had
reached a new height.
Sanders’ made a mistake in his strategy, since appealing to the issues that
affect young adults, like college affordability, loses its novelty so quickly in the
eyes of some youth. Clinton’s strategy of
participating in trends and using social
media just like an honorary millennial is
the way to go for any candidate who is
losing face with the teen demographic.
Clinton’s lead on Sanders proves that
her strategies work, although it should be
noted, a majority of her supporters are
65 or older. So far, she’s won over 1,614
delegates compared to Sanders’s 856.
This round of candidates’ strategies on appealing to young voters has
been unique to the times. For example,
Trump’s youth outreach strategy of yelling at and condemning people has,
like Clinton’s, been a success in today’s
judgment-free society. Not to mention,
Trump’s public vulgarity warrants his
cult following because every modern
teenager cusses like a sailor.
Sanders’s age makes him a prime candidate for the older demographic, and his
support of several modern movements
can only turn away teens who started
Pride Parades and supported Beyonce’s
“Formation.”
Since the millions of activist teens
would rather see Clinton “chilling in
Cedar Rapids,” future candidates should
keep in mind the bar Clinton rose for
tactics in youth outreach with this presidential election.
PHOTO BY HERMELLA WOLDITSADIK
Feel the Bern Democratic suporter Zachary Miles holds up a Bernie Sanders
T-shirt with the slogan, “Feel the Bern”. This slogan has become very popular
among Bernie Sanders supporters, as well as within the Bernie Sanders campaign. Other slogans like “Bern Down For What?’” and “Bernie is Bae” are also
popular with supporters and solidify his presence in pop culture.
Delegates won
Trump - 678
Republican Candidate
Cruz - 423
Democrat Candidate
Information courtesy of AP. Current as of March 21.
Kasich - 143
Clinton - 1,614
Sanders - 856
Ms. Copeland’s Movie Advisement
Top MUST SEE Movies
Breakfast Club
Star Wars
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
Mad Max: Fury Road
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire
Inception
Princess Bride
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dark Knight
Edward Scissor Hands
Fight Club
Guardians of the Galaxy
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Straight Outta Compton
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Shawshank Redemption
Are We There Yet
Pulp Fiction
Bridge to Terabithia
Deathly Hollows 2
Scary Movie
Birdman
Dark Knight Rises
James Bond: Skyfall
6 MUSIC
Volume 4, Issue 5
MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
Whether it is being played or listened
to, music has an impact on everyone
the
Head in
Game,
the
Hear
So
BY GERI C
“Music helps me focus and mentally prepare for what’s
gets me excited, and it makes me want to perform bett
the hype lyrics and music. My team really relies on cert
pump us up and get ready for a hard practice. We use a
of songs, anywhere from High School Musical to rap, to
to perform at a high level.” - Paige Taylor, 11 PHOTOS B
SCIENCE &
MUSIC relate
1877
Flowers
grow faster
with music.
1920
Music therapy
can reduce
depression by
25%.
1963
Music can create
antibodies
that help fight
illnesses.
Vinyl Record
Cassette Tape
1980
Melodic intonation
therapy can repair
brain damage.
Phonograph Cylinder
CD
2000
Evolution
of
Listening
MP3 Players & Phones
These cylinder like objects
were the earliest commercial
medium for recording and
reproducing sound.
Also known as “records”
were the new and improved
phonographs used as an
analog storage medium in
the form of a flat polyvinyl
chloride disc.
Family
This paved the way for all
sorts of innovations in portable listening. These either
came fully recordable but
blank or already containing
content as a pre-recorded
cassette.
Listening to music
releases dopamine,
a chemical that can
cause addiction.
How
BY BRITTANY JOHNSON
This was originally developed
to store and play sound
recordings. People could also
burn things from their computers to a CD and play it on
any CD player or Walkman.
This new wave was the highlight of bumping your tunes
anywhere. Music was able to
be downloaded at the touch
of a button.
S
F
MUSIC
March 2016
rt in
ong
CHARLES
s coming. It
ter to match
tain songs to
a wide range
o get us ready
BY JOHN HANI
“I’ve been playing [the violin] since I was three, so thirteen years.
There was no orchestra at my middle school. I went to a private
school, but I was in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony downtown in
sixth and seventh grade. In ninth grade, I went to Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra, which I am still in this year,” junior William Bontempo
said.
Since Bontempo’s passion for playing the violin started young, it
is hard for him to shake the talents he has and explore other options.
“I want to go to college and major in music performance, and I
want to try out for orchestras until I get into one for my professional
job,” Bontempo said.
Bontempo does not see the violin as the source of his talents but
rather as a vessel that he uses to express himself.
“The violin isn’t so much an object that I use to play, it’s just
something that helps me express how I feel. It’s not a tool, it’s an
enhancement that just lets people listen to me,” Bontempo said.
No Strings Attached
PHOTO BY UZOCHI ENWOROM
“I don’t even know when I started singing, it just happened. I used
to sing all the time, and one day, I just started sounding good. Whenever I went into the shower, my dad used to turn the TV to its highest
because I was so bad, and now he turns the TV down whenever I go
into the shower,” senior Angel Taylor said.
Since then, Taylor has developed her music skills and has branched
out of singing and into other aspects of music.
“My biggest achievement would have to be when I won Honorable
Mention and Alternate awards in the Georgia Music Educators Piano
Competitions held at Mercer University. I’m classically trained in the
piano, so my music career started with the piano and then evolved into
composing and writing my own music,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s affinity for music is uncomplicated and genuine.
“Music makes me happy, it relieves my stress. It gives me comfort,” Taylor said.
Voice of an Angel
PHOTO BY UZOCHI ENWOROM
Seniors Chris Henriquez and Akim Grant are the driving founders behind the hot new rap group
Regal Music Family. Despite the competitiveness of the rap game, they keep their spirits high from
inspiration from the fans. “What inspires me really is when people listen to my music, and they
compliment me. If I could get a dollar or a compliment for every song I dropped, I’d rather get a
compliment,” Henriquez said.
Grant draws his inspiration from the bond he and his step-brother had. “I started doing music after
my step-brother passed because he used to make music. I wasn’t really even into music before he
passed, but after, I gave it a shot, and I feel closer to him because of it,” Grant said. RMF continues to
progress and hopes to make it big one day.
“The goal is to keep making music that hopefully one day we will make music that everybody listens to. We started out making two mixtapes, and we’re going to start doing shows over the summer
and getting a manager to promote,” Henriquez said.
RMF
y Matters
STUDENT
VOICES
FAVORITE
LYRICS
7
PHOTO BY DANIELLE BROWN
“It embodies a bold, confident person, and I think it speaks
to and gives people the courage to have the voice and be the
person that they’ve been striving to be.” -Aliyah Norton, 9
“Yeah, respect lasts longer than a check.”
“What a Year” by Big Sean
“In the big scheme of things, money is
just a material object, and the respect
and love from your friends lasts way
longer than the dollar does.”
-Andrew Turner, 12
“Only longing for persistence, only
want something consistent, does it
make you nervous? I’m not afraid
to say what I want. Does it put fear
in your heart that I know where I
started?”
“Runnin’” by Kehlani
8 THE GRIZZLY GAZETTE
Volume 4, Issue 5
REVIEWS
March 2016
PARAMOUNT REVIEWS
food
music
theatre
BUBBLEOLOGY
TALENT SHOW
The seventh annual Mountain View Theatre community talent show, ‘Performers
Among Us’, was a big hit. It
was a two-night show with a
different showcase of talents
each night. Two awards were
given, the “Judges’ Choice”
and “People’s Choice.” The
winner of the first award
received a North GA Dance
Music Factory $150 Gift
Certificate, MVHS Boosters Association $100 cash,
and The Actor’s Scene $25
cash. The “People’s Choice”
winner was given the same
along with a $50 gift certificate. Senior Master of Ceremonies Zander Sugarman
added entertainment value
with his witty commentary.
On the second night, March
18, there was a variety of
talent, ranging from vocal
and dance performances to
karate demonstrations and
cello instrumentals. A few
hits of the night were senior
Nathan Jenkins and his father Rob Jenkins with their
vocal/duet/guitar performance of ‘Sound of Silence’.
The duo’s chemistry on stage
added interest and fluidity to their performance.
Another crowd favorite was
junior singer EJ Thompson
with his heartfelt rendition
of ‘7 Years Old’. The singer’
soulful voice helped to make
the night one to remember.
BY ASHLEY MONTGOMERY
Bubbleology was an overall
great experience. At first
glance, the prices are higher
than other boba places.
Normally boba drinks range
from $3-6; however, at Bubbleology, it ranges $5-7. The
boba balls should be larger
and have a hint of honey or
sugar, but at Bubbleology,
they were small and flavorless. However, the milk tea
was delicious, it was sweet
and tasted very authentic.
There were many different
milk tea flavors, as well like
taro and almond. The other
drinks, which were fruit teas,
were a bit sour, but overall,
had a refreshing taste which
would taste amazing on a
hot day. There were many
JCL is the largest Classical organization in the
world. Its purpose is to encourage an interest
in and an appreciation of the language, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome
and to impart an understanding of the debt of
our own culture to that of Classical antiquity.
National Junior
Classical League
How has the Classics
influenced your life?
“UBI CONCORDIA
IBI VICTORIA”
Scan to visit the
JCL website!
mvjcl.weebly.com
Publius Syrus
“Where there is unity
there is peace.”
Mary Kay
9
INDEPENDENT BEAUTY CONSULTANT
Kelly Dougherty
Jordan & Jaron’s mom
678-717-8999
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www.marykay.com/kellydougherty
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KANYE WEST
different flavors to choose
from, so there were many
different options depending on preferred taste. The
booth was the best part of
the experience, the theme
is science so they had the
workers dressed as scientists
and had test tubes hanging
from the top of the booth.
Also, in the booth’s walls,
they had quadratic formulas
and scientific quotes so there
was something interesting to look at. Overall, the
decorations and beverages
were very well put together
and created a comfortable
atmosphere; however, the
boba ball itself was a bit
disappointing.
BY SABRINA LUONG
Kanye West is no stranger
to a controversial spotlight
thrown on him, and with
the release of his new album,
“The Life of Pablo”, this time
is no different. His antics
include taking credit for
Taylor Swift’s fame and declaring his run for presidency
in 2020. After West lost his
mom nine years ago due
to a heart attack, there was
an apparent change in his
conduct, and as a result, his
music suffered. Many of his
loyal fans stopped listening,
but TLOP is a step in the
right direction to get back
to his original greatness. It’s
unarguable that West’s first
three albums were his best
masterpieces; however, TLOP
has some of his older stylings
mixed in with experimental
beats that make it an album
worthy of blasting through
speakers.The features on this
album help to make it what
it is. From the first track,
“Ultra Light Beam”, West
takes the listeners to church
with a powerful verse from
Chance the Rapper and the
backings of a soulful choir,
and in “Famous”, Rhianna’s
flavor brings a island vibe
that makes brings a slew of
emotions at once. The album
is not the greatest thing to hit
the earth as West stated on
his Twitter, but if he continues making music like this,
he will see his fanbase reborn.
BY CHERYL KWAPONG
10 SPORTS
4
APRIL
6
APRIL
8
APRIL
9
APRIL
11
APRIL
12
APRIL
VARSITY BASEBALL
Trailblazer places second at state
@ Duluth vs Duluth 7:00
p.m.
CHERYL KWAPONG ‘17
VARSITY BASEBALL
@ Home vs North Gwinett 5:55 p.m.
VARSITY BASEBALL
@ Home vs Peachtree
Ridge 5:55 p.m.
VARSITY BASEBALL
@ Meadowcreek vs Meadowcreek 7:00 p.m.
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER
@ Home vs Westminster
School 5:30 p.m.
VARSITY BASEBALL
@ Home vs Mill Creek
5:55 p.m.
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER
@ Duluth vs Duluth 5:30
p.m.
Schedules
12
VARSITY BOYS SOCCER
APRIL
12
APRIL
12
APRIL
12
APRIL
13
APRIL
13
APRIL
@ Duluth vs Duluth 7:30
p.m.
V. WOMEN’S LACROSSE
@ Home vs Gainesville
5:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Region Tournament @
Hamilton Mill 8:00 a.m.
VARSITY MEN’S GOLF
@ Sugar Hill Golf Club vs
Lanier 3:30 p.m.
MEN’S TENNIS
Region Tournament @
Hamilton Mill 8:00 a.m.
VARSITY BASEBALL
@ Norcross vs Norcross
5:55 p.m.
15
V. WOMEN’S LACROSSE
15
VARSITY BASEBALL
APRIL
APRIL
Junior Bri Murphy is no longer
the new girl on the mat. In her
second year of wrestling, she
entered with high hopes and
expectations.
“This season was just about getting better, getting more mat time,
and gaining more experience. In
wrestling, you can be a natural,
but you have to work at it because
it’s a hard and intense sport that
requires a lot of skill and technique,” Murphy said.
While Murphy did see progress,
she was critical of her own performance and recognized the need
for more improvement.
“In a way, I think I did get
better, but not to the point that I
would have hoped because I didn’t
have as much success in matches.
I guess I didn’t work as hard as I
should have. Instead of just going
to practice, I did stay after a lot,
but I should have put in more
hours really working towards that
goal,” Murphy said.
Her second year at the girls state
competition, Murphy had longed
to bring home the gold.
“State didn’t go how I hoped
it would. I lost to this girl from
Cambridge for first place. She
was really good; she had a lot of
experience and technique which
is why I wish I would’ve trained
harder so I could’ve been a little
@ Home vs Grayson 6:30
p.m.
@ Collins Hill vs Collins
Hill 5:55 p.m.
MARCH
SCORES
1
APRIL
Volume 4, Issue 5
more prepared,” Murphy said
To further improve, Murphy
plans on participating in a different form of wrestling for the
spring.
“This year for the first time,
I‘m doing spring wrestling which
is free style and greco. Free style is
PHOTO BY MAGIC MOMENT
Smile Big. Murphy poses for her
wreslting picture for the 20152016 school year.
what girls do at the college and the
Olympic level,” Murphy said.
Murphy does not deny her love
for wrestling, however pursuing it
in the future is still up for grabs.
“I don’t know that I want to
take it all the way, but it’s still
something fun and active,” Murphy said. “It’s not that I don’t like
it because I love wrestling; I don’t
know if it’s really a priority in my
life. I want to go into nursing and
help people in the medical field.
I‘m just the type of person who
likes to be active, and I like doing
something that will push me.”
Murphy recognizes girls wrestling is not as widely participated
in as other sports; however ,she
was met with a pleasant surprise at
girls’ state.
“The school [Alexander] only
had one girl last year, but this year,
she [my competitor] got a bunch
of girls together, and they started
a community and a girls’ team,”
Murphy said.
She hopes to one day begin that
initiative here.
“It’d be cool if we had some more
girl wreslters. It’s not that I don’t
love my teammates because they’re
super chill and accepting , but
there’s definitely a lot of moments
when I feel left out .I guess you
can’t avoid that,” Murphy said.
Murphy continues to stay athletically involved at the school and
will also rejoin the cheer team.
“I cheered varsity my freshman year ,so might as well end
senior year having as much fun as
possible and doing all the sports I
can.” Murphy said.
In tennis, an ace is a serve that is hit so
hard and so exact that it is not returned
by the opposing side, earning the server
the point. “Hitting an ace is probably the
most exciting feeling because it feels so
rare,” sophomore Dani LaMadrid said.
Scratching
A contender in a throwing event scratches
when they exceed boundaries, and they
lose that turn in competition. “With every
scratch comes another opportunity to
be more focused for each throw,” junior
Melad Rasoli said.
Bascule
Equestrian riders strive to improve a horse’s
bascule, or position in the air, as they jump
over an obstacle. “To improve a horse’s
jumping, you have to practice by jumping
often. The only thing the rider can control
about the horse is the distance from the
jump [before take off],” sophomore Logan
Wilson said.
JV MEN’S BASEBALL
3/2 VS Archer @ Archer 12-2 W
3/4 VS Dacula @ Home 15-8 W
3/5 VS Shiloh @ Shiloh 13-0 W
WOMEN’S GOLF
3/8 vs Lanier Sarah Thomas 36 W
3/8 vs Lanier Adrian Hopkins 43 W
3/8 vs Lanier Heaven Kim 48 W
VARSITY WOMEN’S LACROSSE
3/2 VS Parkview @ Parkview 7-6 W
3/8 VS Mill Creek @ Home 2-23 L
3/10 VS Archer @ Home 3-9 L
VARSITY MEN’S GOLF
3/8 vs Lanier Hayden Johnson +1, 37 W
3/8 vs Lanier Matthew Shelton +7, 43 W
3/8 vs Lanier Drew Kent +8, 44 W
A PLAYER’S OPINION
BY HERMELLA WOLDITSADIK
“As a person, I’m just hardworking. I like to give 100%, and [I’m] kinda OCD. I like to
do things in order. I’m organized and have a structure to things. And that reflects the way
I play baseball, too. I like to do the same thing to get a routine and get going because it
just helps me stay on track and let me know what I have to do to get better,” Freitas said.
I think I’m real calm under the pressure, so it helps. I calm other people down in big moments during the game, like last week during Parkview. It was a big situation; everyone was
kinda like ants. I was able to settle down everything.”
I
Ace
JV WOMEN’S LACROSSE
2/25 vs Collins Hill @ Home 7-2 W
3/8 vs Mill Creek @ Home 3-16 L
3/10 vs Archer @ Home 11-3 W
SAMUEL FREITAS | SENIOR | BASEBALL | 10-3
LOOKING FORWARD
BY ZION SMITH
VARSITY MEN’S BASEBALL
3/5 vs Newnan @ Home 6-1 W
3/7 vs Parkview @ Parkview 2-1 W
3/8 vs South Gwinnett @ Home 7-9 L
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
After playing for 14 years, Freitas
is ready to take the next step in his
baseball career. “I’m gonna try and
walk on somewhere. I’m not sure
where yet. I’m considering going
to Georgia, or Samford, or one of
those schools. I’ve contacted the
coaches,” Freitas said. He looks
forward to attending college, and
studying engineering or some sort
of business.
“As they say in...”
””’m looking forward to
when we start region
play, then of course
playoffs. This is my last
season trying to win the
state championship.”
“You can always count on him, no
matter what you’re doing. He’s the
guy you want up in a tough situation on the field. He’s the smartest
kid on our team and one of our best
players.”
- Teammate Trey Vanderpool, 12
ALL COUNTY
ACADEMIC
AWARD
2
YEARS RUNNING
PHOTO BY KAIDEN SMITH
SPORTS
March 2016
Player’s
Perspective
KAIDEN
SMITH
MLB preview
and predictions
After an exciting MLB postseason ending with the the Kansas
City Royals, getting redemption
for last years World Series loss,
next season has high hopes for
fans. Oddsmakers give KC a legitimate shot of making it back to
the World Series, but some offseason trades have some teams heavy
contenders.
For starters, the Chicago Cubs
broke their playoff curse last season and their young nucleus and
solid pitching rotation give them
a good shot of winning the pennant. This offseason they acquired
outfielder Jason Heyward and
RHP John Lackey to their lineup
which will make fans wonder if
this could be the year they break
their World Series curse going on
108 years.
Some other major pitcher trades
were made including Zach Greinke, David Price, and Aroldis
Chapman. Greinke will give the
mediocre Arizona Diamondbacks
some pitching strength, but overall, they will need to make a few
more trades to even be considered
a contender in the NL West. Lefty
veteran David Price has found yet
another home in the American
League East team as he signed a
seven year deal with the Boston
Red Sox. With Price’s recent feud
with David Ortiz, it will be interesting to see them now have to be
teammates, especially in Ortiz’s
last season. And probably the biggest pitcher trade made was Aroldis Chapman joining the New
York Yankees. Chapman is one of
the league’s most dominant closers
with a cannon for an arm. The average speed of his fastball last season was 99.98 mph topping out at
a blazing 103.92 mph. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Chapman
will be suspended for 30 games
this season for a domestic violence
case against his girlfriend. Chapman denies hurting anyone ever to
reporters but is still accepting and
serving the suspension.
With the trades and young talent the MLB has to offer, this upcoming season will be one of the
most exciting yet. I predict in the
National League that the championship game will be between the
11
Chicago Cubs and San Francisco
Giants. I think the Giants will win
that series from their experience
and upgraded pitching this offseason. I also predict that the American League Championship will be
a repeat of last year between the
Royals and Blue Jays. They have
sparked up a rivalry that made for
one of the best playoff series in
history. But this year the Blue Jays
will come out on top and go on
to win the World Series. The Jays
now have playoff experience with
a good veteran and young mixture
of players. They also play in the AL
East where this year they will have
more consistent, high level competition.
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Bus: 678-218-0777
[email protected]
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12 SPORTS
Volume 4, Issue 5
PHOTO BY NIA-SIMONE
Batter Up Varsity left fielder Chase Chaney (#19) prepares to bat against Newnan pitcher Marino Anthony (#14)
at the March 5 game against Newnan.
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BUSHART
Varsity baseball gears up for region schedule
NIA ECCLESTON ‘18
On March 5, the varsity baseball game against Newnan resulted in the fourth win for the
Bears, 6-1. Pitcher Evan Ashburn highlights that this game
proved one of his more significant experiences.
“I closed the game; I pitched
well. My location was good, and
I had a good line for my fastball,”
Ashburn said.
With region games creeping
ahead, Ashburn knows what his
team needs to be successful.
“We have a week off next week
to get some rest. We had a tough
schedule to help us prepare for
our even tougher regions schedule,” Ashburn said.
Assistant coach Daniel Szathmary also knows the importance
of preparation in order to be successful for the upcoming regionals.
“To get ready for regions, we
have been inter-squad scrimmaging, [practicing] fly balls. We’ve
played seven games 5 and 2.
When regions come we should
be ready to go.”
Putting Practice Hannah Kim practices her putting at the Reunion golf
course.
When it comes to being a successful team, the overall learning
experience affects the players’
performance.
“We’ve played a lot of good
nationally ranked teams. We’re
trying to gain experience from
everyone else,” Ashburn said.
For Szathmary, the knowledge
that younger players gain from
their peers is invaluable.
“We have a group of thirteen
seniors. With that leadership,
there really is no reason why
we shouldn’t be playing the way
we’re playing,” Szathmary said.
Beat by Bulldogs in first region game
Girls’ soccer faces North Gwinnett, ends with a 0-1 loss
CAROLINE WIRL ‘18
Going into its first region
game on March 15 with a 4-41 record, the varsity girls’ soccer
team finished with a close 0-1
loss against the North Gwinnett Bulldogs. The game included several offsides calls and
penalties, but the two teams
pushed through it until the end.
While the Bears had four direct shots on goal in the first half,
none scored them a goal. North
Gwinnett had six shots, but all
were blocked by Mountain View’s
goalie Morgan McCree (#24).
Less than four minutes into the
second half, the Bulldog’s Emily
Mason (#15) shot and scored to
make the score 0-1 in their favor.
“More speed up top would
have helped to even out the score.
There was a little bit of a defensive
error on the goal that was scored,
but we have worked on that in
practice and resolved that issue,
so we shouldn’t have it again,”
varsity coach Veronica Cross said.
North Gwinnett was an even
match in the first half with equal
play between the two teams. By
the time the second half rolled
around, Mountain View gave the
Bulldogs heavy possession nearing the end of the game, but it was
an overall well-matched game.
“I think that running onto
the ball up top could have been
improved, but I think the girls
did really, really well to equally
match the team. Somebody
just had to win,” Cross said.
Six more region games are to follow after they faced the Bulldogs
on the 15th. With a rocky start,
junior Cynthia Arackal (#10)
said the girls are working hard
to win their upcoming matches.
“I think we could have played
better. They weren’t particularly
the best team, so I think on a
better day we could’ve beat them.
We were just not giving 100%
effort that should be happening in every game,” Arackal said.
According to Cross, they
are stepping it up at practice with shooting and speed
drills to improve footwork
and get ready for harder
games in the coming months.
Golf’s influence in Kim’s life
CHRISTINE BUSHART ‘18
Golfer Hannah Kim has been
playing golf since a young age due
to the her family’s involvement in
the sport, and she continues to utilize golf in her high school career.
“Golf is a big thing in the Korean community, like they have their
own PGA tours. My dad pushed
me to play golf, and the fact that
my family plays golf got me interested,” Kim said.
Playing golf in fourth grade got
Kim interested in the school’s golf
team, which has one girl’s team and
a varsity and junior varsity boy’s
team. But her competitive drive
kept her interest as a child.
“As a kid, I wanted to keep getting better. Like I kept seeing that
my brother was doing better than
me, and whenever I was tired I
pushed myself to keep up with
him,” Kim said.
While golf fueled Kim’s competition at a young age, it served a
different purpose when she got to
high school.
“For the past three years, I’ve
also done cross country. I wanted a
sport where I could have a break or
a rest time from constant competition, even during its season, and
you don’t really get that unless you
play a sport like golf,” Kim said.
Golf ’s calm nature has driven
many to write it off as a boring
sport. As an both an avid golfer
and teenager, Kim disagrees.
“Even I think golf is boring if
you’re just watching it on television, but when you start playing
and you realize it’s like calmly competing with yourself, it gives you a
peace of mind,” Kim said.
Every sport provides its players
with certain benefits, both mental
and physical, but golf ’s unique individuality as a sport gives its players a different set of positives.
“Every sport has its strategic
element, but that’s what golf is
mainly about. It’s not that much
about strength or speed. You need
to think about the wind, the grass,
the height of everything. You need
to be able to take all that in and
aim at your goal, and that helps in
real life, too,” Kim said.
Golf has been a constant
throughout Kim’s life, both relaxing and challenging her at the same
time.
“Golf gives me a
time to myself to
think about things,
while other sports
can be too chaotic.”
HANNAH KIM
In her first match this season Kim shot a
PHOTO BY CAROLINE WIRL
60
Shoot to score Sophomore Jessica Stebnicki (#16) protects the ball from
North Gwinnett’s junior Sara Larsen (#3) during the first half in an attempt
to take it down to the goal and score. Although Stebnicki’s try did not result
in scoring, she kept the ball moving and away from Mountain View’s goal.
at Bears Best against North Gwinnett