Volume 57, Issue 5, February 11, 2009

C O N T R A I L S
Volume 57
February 11, 2009
Ice Tundra
BOMBERS
Issue 5
Neverending?
Hanna Turner
copy editor
Delaney Smith
staff writer
On January 27, 2009,
Mountain Home, Arkansas
experienced a weather phenomenon unlike any other in
recent history. A catastrophic
ice storm occurred on Monday night and lasted through
Wednesday. An inch or more
of ice coated trees and roads
and began a long onslaught
of destruction. Tree branches
continued to fall and cause
more wreckage. Many residents are still without power
and are unsure of when it will
return. Hopes are high that
power will be back on shortly.
Students of MHHS have
been greatly affected by the
results of the storm. Senior
Sloane Zimmerman didn’t
lose power for too long, “I
Concurrent
Credit
pg. 2
Trees damaged from the ice storm.--Photo by Maranda Martin
lost power for about a day.” With all this
darkness it is hard to keep oneself occupied. Zimmerman kept herself entertained quite well, “I was at my grandparent’s house with my little cousins. We
passed the time by throwing snow and
things at the icicles to break them off the
roof. I also ate and read a lot.” Provisions become scarce when tragedies
such as this strike. Luckily, Zimmerman
had a gas fireplace and running water.
When the electricity went out, Zimmerman was “right in the middle of watching
the second Harry Potter movie. I just
said, ‘oh darn.’” Junior Laura Drake lost
her power but now has it back. Drake’s
power was out for 7 days. Drake had a
wood stove and a generator to power
Choir End of the
Year Review
pg. 5
Sweetheart
Royalty
pg. 8
the fridge and occasionally the television. Some people were not using city
water which would cause other problems besides staying warm. Drake had
city water but no hot water. Drake had
an interesting experience during this
power outage, “I was juggling eggs yesterday. They all came down and cracked
on me though.” To pass the time, she
played Pokemon and watched movies
powered by the generator.
Not all students were devastated by
the weather event that took place. Junior Samantha Smith enjoyed it. “I lost
my power for about 15 hours. I kind of
wanted the power to be out longer.
Continued on Back...
Top Ten
pg. 9
Morgan Nick
Foundation
pg. 11
Contrails
2
the option of concurrent
credits. Concurrent credits
might mean one thing to
one student while another
student sees a whole world
of prospects and ideas.
Concurrent credit is the
process of students enrolling
for a class for universities
and colleges, but instead
of taking the class on that
So can you
campus, they take it at their
very own high school. A
few of the concurrent credit
classes offered at Mountain
Delaney Smith
Home High School are:
staff writer
AP English, AP Chemistry,
AP Environmental Science
and Human A&P. Mr.
At Mountain Home High Thomas is the head of all
of the concurrent credit
School the students are
organizations at Mountain
given the chance to be
Home High School.
a part of many different
Many students at
things. Among the piles
Mountain Home High School
of clubs, sports, and
seize the concurrent credit
other opportunities at
opportunity, one such
MHHS, teens are given
They Have
Concurrent
Credits
s
il
a
r
t
on
C
STAFF
Mary McNabb
editor-in-chief
Brandon Tetrick
editor-in-chief
Jessica Wells
editor-in-chief
Larra Wagner
spread editor
student being junior Brandy
Cooper. Cooper decided
to take concurrent credit
classes, “To get a head
start on [her] college hours.”
Brandy thinks that by taking
concurrent credit classes it,
Junior Brandy Cooper is one of many
students who are enrolled in an AP class.
-- Photo by Maranda Martin
“will allow me not to have
to take the class in the
future.” Brandy is taking the
class of Human A&P for her
concurrent credit, and this
is the very first concurrent
credit class she has taken.
February 11, 2009
Among the students who
are taking classes to gain
concurrent credits there are
many who have not even
heard of them or who are
simply just not taking them.
Sophomore Zach Tucker is
one of the many students
who is not taking concurrent
credit classes. “I know about
them,” Tucker stated, “but I
have not even really thought
about taking one. I do not
actually think they would
have any concurrent credit
classes that would help
me for the career I want to
pursue in my future. I do
not know if I have heard
about them enough, though.
Maybe AAP teachers could
tell us more about them or
something. Then maybe
more kids would do it. I
probably would, if I thought
it might help me later. I think
they are a really good idea.
Austin Seaborn
chief advertising editor
Jacklyn Rounceville
co-opinion editor
Molly Elders
staff writer
Harley White
advertising editor
Maranda Martin
sports editor
Jessica Montgomery
staff writer
Dana Maley
opinion/editorial editor
Karissa Sylvia
photo editor
Amelia Jaeger
staff writer
Bobby Howard
co-copy editor
Brooke Klasinski
co-photo editor
Delaney Smith
staff writer
Hanna Turner
copy editor
Raychel Raney
art/graphics editor
Kayla Steffens
staff writer
Angel Adkins
layout editor
Sarah Arnold
staff writer
Mrs. McGraw
sponsor
It’s good that we can get
ahead for college.”
Another student who
is not taking concurrent
credit classes is sophomore
Maddie White. “I’m not taking
any classes right now for
concurrent credits, but I’m
planning on it during my
junior and senior year. I think
they’ll benefit me when I get
to college, and they’ll save
time and money. I heard about
concurrent credits a lot in
junior high, but the high school
doesn’t stress them as much
as I thought they would.”
Concurrent credit classes
are made for a variety of
classes at Mountain Home
High School, and it is a great
opportunity for the students at
this high school. Ignoring this
opportunity could prove to be
detrimental to one’s college
career in the near future.
200
8-20
Mem 09
bers
c/o Mountain Home High School
500 Bomber Blvd.
Mountain Home, AR 72653
Tel: 870-425-1215
February 11, 2009
Contrails
will focus on “the importance of a
transitions program that prepares
students with disabilities to
enter the workforce when they
graduate high school.”
The AETN coverage consisted
of two main parts. During
one part of the coverage the
AETN coverage crew focused on one student
who demonstrated his real
of the special
work responsibilities at his
internship at McDonald’s.
education class
“The film crew will be filming
internships
at McDonald’s showing the
student working at various
jobs like the drive-through
Harley White
window, cooking, and performing
ad editor
lobby jobs,” explained Mrs.
Regan. The second part of the
coverage was an interview with
On January 26 AETN
some of the key people involved
(Arkansas Educational
Television Network) came to with C.B.I. “The crew also
highlight the special education filmed around table discussion
on transition from school to the
class Community Based
Instruction internship. AETN workforce with Mrs. Brown, Mrs.
Bergman, Mrs. Atkinson (Director
of Special Services), Mrs.
Giovanini (CBI Jobsite Manager),
and myself ( Special Education
teacher and CBI Internship
Coordinator)”, said Mrs. Regan.
are also the sponsors of the
Planeteer club, which is
involved in constructing
this wildlife habitat. Mrs.
Regan explains just what
“certified wildlife habitat”
entails, “The habitat will
A wildlife habitat is feature native Arkansas
plants that will attract
underway
birds and butterflies. A
pond will be built as a
Hanna Turner
water feature to house
copy editor
toads, fish, and aquatic
plants also native to Arkansas.”
A certified wildlife habitat is The details of the habitat include:
a “green” gazebo, native vines
being constructed right here
on the Mountain Home High covering the pavilion and retaining
School campus for students wall, shrubs camouflaging the
and the community to enjoy. fence, vegetation stabilizing
and managing storm water, a
Mrs. Nora Regan is one of
the supervisors of the project, bridge over the ditch, plant areas,
along with Mr. Kennedy. They and benches. Students are
Community
Based
Instruction
Where the
Wild Things
Are
3
Community Based Instruction
is an internship program. Mrs.
Regan commented, “CBI is an
experience for all students to
prepare to enter the workforce.
The purpose of the program is
to help students transition from
the high school environment to
the workforce.” The program’s
main focus is to help students
make a smooth transition to
the workforce. Mrs. Regan
continued, “Individualized and
‘real world’ experiences lie at
the heart of our program. The
experience and training that
these students gain can be
extremely valuable to those
entering the workforce.”
C.B.I internships are
arranged through a series of
interviews and job interest
surveys the special education
students participate in. Mrs.
Regan clarified, “We try to
match students with jobs that
they like and jobs that they
may be able to qualify for after
graduation. Mrs. Giovanni
contacts area businesses
and educates them on CBI
internships. She then visits
the worksite and makes all the
arrangements for the student to
start his/her internship.”
The internships can sometimes
lead to a job for the participating
student. Mrs. Regan stated, “While
the purpose of the program is to
give students the opportunity to
experience real world work, we
do hope that it will open the door
to job possibilities. The student
that will be featured on the AETN
special has been offered a job at
McDonald’s after graduation. He
has accepted. He and his family
are very happy with the outcome
of his internship.”
The special education class
has been involved with the CBI
program for four years. Some
of the jobs the student performs
includes: washing tables in the
school cafeteria, a recycling
program that is run as a business,
a shredding program, and
sharpening and packaging pencils
used for target testing.
encouraged to incorporate art or
sculptures.
Along
with the
Planeteers
and other
interested
students,
Mr.
Carpenter’s
construction
class will
develop
the student area that is presently
anchored by the pavilion. Mrs.
Regan invites students to help
out with the project, “With the
notion that many hands make light
work, we encourage all interested
students to become involved once
the hands-on work begins. We
also hope to involve area garden
groups to assist us.” Members
of the community are welcome
to assist with the project. The
assistance of Kate Lynch has
proved very valuable to the
construction and organization.
Mrs. Lynch has experience
in conservation, landscape
architecture, ecology research,
and as a biologist/interpretive
naturalist. “Under her guidance,”
comments Mrs. Regan, “We
hope to evaluate our soil, prepare
the grounds, and complete the
planting by the end of this school
year. The construction of the
‘green’ gazebo will hopefully
begin in the spring.”
The Learn and Serve Grant
and Game and Fish Funds are
handling that aspect. Mrs. Regan
expounds on the funding, “The
Planeteers received money from a
Learn and Serve Grant to support
the recycle program and educate
students about the need to protect
and sustain our environment.
We chose to beautify our school
grounds, in particular the student
area. The Game and Fish Fund
will be used to purchase the plants,
creating a beautiful student space
and a living outdoor classroom. We
would like our habitat to serve as
a model for other schools and our
community.”
Junior Kaytlyn Carson believes
the wildlife habitat is a great idea, “It
will be nice to have a beautiful place
to go outside when the weather
is warm. Taking a break from the
hectic hallways of school is really
nice.”
4
Contrails
Run with the
Bulls
years, and this year the race
raised $2,100 for all three
events. Run with the Bulls is
a great organization
raising money for the
girl’s Cross
Fundraiser for the MHHS
Country team.
Girl’s Cross Country This fundraiser is
helping the girls pay
Team
for their state rings.
This year they added
two new features to
Amelia Jaeger
this race. One feature
staff writer
is a one mile fun run.
It brings in younger children
On December 13, 2008, at and people who like to walk
eight o’clock the Run with the rather than run. The other
Bulls 5K race and one mile
feature is the virtual runner
fun run took place around
spot. This was for people
Mountain Home High School who were taking the ACT test
and ASUMH. This race has
during the race. The earnings
been going on for at least six coming from this fundraiser
were very prosperous, and
most of the rings were fully
paid for.
liked to avoid. “About three
years ago I was talked into
ramping my bike off of a loading dock,” Martin explained,
“The tires popped. I wrecked
and shattered my right hand
had to go to the hospital
If I were ten again… and
to have surgery and rebuild my
hand. I had to get pins, screws,
and two wires built in. If I
Raychel Raney
would have checked my tires
art/graphic editor
and hadn’t been so careless
before I did the stunt, I probably would have made it out
without hurting myself badly.
Because of my tires popping,
Some people are comI flew over the handle bars, hit
pletely content with how
a concrete wall and ate gravel,
life turned out. Others live
with regret. MHHS students just because my tires weren’t
were asked what they would ready to handle that kind of
change if given the chance to impact.” Martin continued, “It’s
kind of depressing sometimes
go back in time.
Junior Patrick Martin had because my hand is crippled
for the rest of my life. I can’t
an incident he would have
always do things the same way
as I used to.”
The most common things
that people regret later in life
are: not going to college, smoking, marriage at a young age,
being angry at others, spending money, and not spending
enough time with family.
Junior Gabee Pagni said
she regrets getting angry at her
father, “I yelled
at him, I felt
sorry for raising
my voice at
him,” she continued, “I think
I could have
been a little
nicer to change
the situation.”
Mandy Webster, sophomore, said that
Changing
the Past
February 11, 2009
side Clan Weatherford. Ms.
Broederdorf finished with a
time of 18:21 seconds. Clan
finished with a time of
seventeen minutes and
forty seconds. Both of these
winners are in college and
are attending Hendrix. The
winners of the eleven to
nineteen age group were Wil
Norris, seventeen minutes
and forty seven seconds,
and Sam Mohler at twenty
minutes and forty nine
seconds.
There were over seventy
Mrs. Carol Norris organized
people who participated in
the race, and she said, “This
these races. The ages of
the runners ranged from six
race was one of the better
races we’ve had in a long
years old to over fifty years
old. The overall winners were: time.” She also added, “We
still have this fundraiser even
on the women’s side Laura
Broederdorf, and on the men’s if we don’t win state, but we
are happy with the second win in
a row. Our girls work hard, and
some even got to run in the race
with some of the community,”
Mrs. Norris stated.
There were fourteen students
from MHHS and twenty four
MHJH students who participated
in the races. Some even brought
their parents to run with them.
The race preparations started
at about six in the morning and
didn’t finish until around one
o’clock in the afternoon. There
were many volunteers who
helped direct the runners, pass
out snacks, and sign up people
for the races. Mrs. Norris was
pleased with the outcome, and
she hopes to have an even
better race next year.
she used to have an attitude
problem when she was little, “I
used to like to cause mischief
for any reason, and now that
I’m older, I don’t think I have
changed too much because
I’m still always getting in
trouble. If I could go back and
change my decisions and all
the bad events that I personally caused, I would have tried
harder not to be such a bad kid.”
Senior Greg Maples had
an encounter with a bad event
when he was younger also, “I
was riding my skateboard on my
hands and knees. Then I tried to
do a wheelie, and I lost control
and hit the ground. Looking back
now, I would have definitely
changed it.”
February 11, 2009
Contrails
5th and 6th in the high school
in throughout the year. Many
cafeteria. The performers
of the choral students of Mrs.
dawned renaissance costumes
Hitt, the Mountain Home
High School choir teacher,
auditioned for All Region
tryouts in both October and
November, but not everyone
made it. According to junior
Connor Szecsi, “During the
A year in review
try out, the timing of the
song was off. Even though
I knew the song really well,
Kayla Steffens
my singing didn’t match up
staff writer
to the beat, and I got points Choir student senior Photo by
taken off. I didn’t make it.” Austin Seaborn
During the Christmas
By the half-way mark of the season, two of the biggest
and sang while the meal was
2008-2009 school year, the
being served to the audiconcerts were performed:
Mountain Home High School The Madrigal Feast and the
ence. Sophomore Jhoone’
choir was busy and working
annual Christmas concert. The Bailey expressed, “I didn’t
hard.
Madrigal Feast was performed really like the costumes, but it
All Region tryouts were
was tolerable. I did, however,
by all tenth, eleventh, and
the grand kickoff to the many twelfth grade choir students
enjoy the turnout. As far as I’m
events choir has participated
and drama students December concerned, it was a success.”
differently. Some
say that their future
is right here. People
grow comfortable to
what they are used
to, and to some, it
has opened doors
to a possible future.
Few people realize
that there are actually
many career options
The choice to
right in front of their
Junior Photo by Dana Maley
stay or to leave
faces. There has always
considered.
been a high demand for nursing
Senior Brittani Frunzi is
or healthcare type jobs in this
staying in Mountain Home
Raychel Raney
community. Dental assistants
after she graduates, “I plan to
art/graphics editor
and sales representatives are
stay here because I’ve already
good jobs for this area also. Ac- started to settle down,” Frunzi
counting, banking, and finance
said, “I already live on my own,
are
also
very
well-respected
and I plan to go to college here
People say that this town
jobs
that
have
potential
in
this
for computer networking. I am
doesn’t have any future postown.
Business,
sales,
and
retail
taking all the necessary classes
sibilities as far as careers. Some
are
also
options
that
can
be
in high school to help me with
students in this town see things
The Year in
Choir
Dear Old
Mountain
Home
5
As for the annual Christmas Concert, a collection
of Christmas themed tunes
resonated from the lips of the
high school choir on December 11th. On December 12th,
there was also a State Capitol
Performance in Little Rock,
Arkansas.
In the up and coming
months, the choir will have
five more performances. Emily Prohl, a sophomore, worried, “I just realized how busy
we are going to be. Practice
will make us a better group of
singers.” On February 6th, All
State try-outs are scheduled.
An All State Clinic will be
held February 17th through
the 19th. Finishing out the
month, both the 27th and the
28th will be occupied by the
Choral Performance Evalu-
ation (CPA). Julia Meier, a
senior, stated, “I’m excited to go
the competition in Paragould,
Arkansas in February. I love to
sing and if you are good, you
might get a plaque. Also, the
choir gets to go to the mall and
shop!”
In April, on a currently
unknown date, a final All State
Choral Performance (CPA) is
scheduled.
As a close to the 2009 portion of the school year, on May
6th, the annual Spring Concert
will be held in the Dunbar Auditorium, free of charge, successfully fulfilling a year in choir.
Gabe Traylor, a senior, said, “I
just love to sing, and I am really
excited for choir to come to an
end so maybe I can pursue a
career in the music industry.”
Many of the choir students
that course in college. The
area of computers seems
very interesting to me. I am
also staying because I love it
here. My family is here, and
I’m comfortable.”
Kayla Harding, junior, said
that she will stay here for college to get her basic schooling, and then she wants to go
out of state to finish. “I want to
stay here because it is a big
discount for students at ASU
compared to out of state. It’s
just a little longer that I spend
with my family until I leave.”
Junior Taylor Willett wants
to stay here also. She knows
what she wants to do with her
life, “I’m staying in Mountain
Home; I don’t see any reason
to leave. I like it here. I have
been here my whole life. My
friends are here, and my family
has always lived in this town.
I have too many memories to
leave this town behind.” Willett
continued, “I want to be a registered nurse. I like helping people,
and I think that career would be
a good choice. I’ve wanted to be
a RN ever since my mom has
worked at Dr. Burnett’s office.”
ASU offers many degrees: associates of art, banking, business
management, criminal justice, funeral science, health professions,
information systems technology,
nursing, teaching, welding, and
a few more. Mountain Home
really does have many opportunities. Some people just have not
opened their eyes to see all the
good things that this town has to
offer.
Contrails
6
Starting With
A Clean Slate
How to make the
most of the second
semester
Sarah Arnold
staff writer
The week before Christmas break started, student
after student could be seen
entering and exiting the library with looks of worry and
anxiety. Studying for semester finals was a stressful time
at the end of last semester,
but some of that stress
could have been avoided
with good study habits and
homework completion.
As the second semester is beginning, students
should make an effort to stay
focused on their schoolwork.
Quite a few students, a majority of them being seniors,
have a hard time keeping
their mind on school during the last semester. Most
students find themselves
drifting off during classes,
shirking their homework
responsibilities to spend
time with their friends after
school, and even missing their morning classes
because they wanted to
sleep in. Such habits should
be halted and prevented
from returning to the lifestyle
staying focused in school
of MHHS students. Senior
Cassady Atkins said that her during the final semester, but
he plans to make time for his
mentality at the start of the
second semester is, “Just to
schoolwork by “fitting a study
hall into my
focus on
schedule.
school and
That way
get through
I know
it.” She said
that she
that I’ll
have time
usually has
set aside
a great deal
during the
of trouble
school
staying foA new semester brings on new challenges.
day just
cused, and
-- Photo by Angel Adkins
in order to combat that habit, to focus on my homework.”
Many senior students at
she is going to “be more
Mountain Home High School
organized.”
Senior Trevor Bogart said have done the same thing as
that his mentality as he starts Bogart, by scheduling a study
the second semester is, “The hall for themselves. Also, a
second semester means that number of seniors are office
my entire high school career workers, counselor’s aids,
is almost over, so I just want and library workers. Those
jobs often give students the
to get done with it.” Bogart
said that he also has trouble opportunity for some free
Fedruary 11, 2009
time to do their schoolwork,
which is always a plus.
When pondering how she
felt about the starting the second semester, senior Kaylee
Wedgeworth merely said,
“Thank the Lord it’s almost
over.” So many students like
Wedgeworth have the mentality that this is the last stretch
of the year, and they’re just
eager for summer break to
begin. What they should do,
however, instead of focusing
on the break that’s waiting at
the end of the semester, is put
their effort into organizing their
schoolwork and managing
their time wisely. If students
would focus a bit more of their
thoughts and energy on their
schoolwork, they would find
that the time would fly by on
its own, and it would be spring
break in no time.
Contrails
February 11, 2009
Cab Wrap’s
First Touch
A foot-stomping
success
Susan Bergman
academy director
Amid stand-up applause,
Guy Berry fourth graders
participated in a student-led,
locally sponsored business at
the first CAB WRAP student
assembly.
Nominated by teachers
because of significant
progress, selected fourth
graders received individual
prizes. Then high school
students involved in CAB
WRAP tossed prizes including
frisbees and soccer balls to all
the students at the assembly.
CAB is the Communication
Arts Business academy.
WRAP is Wachovia
Rewarding Student Process.
The Guy Berry assembly
kicked off the mentoring part
of the CAB academy - WRAP
business. The business
product- student motivation.
“By recognizing student
progress at this early age,
our hope is to keep students
engaged-to help them see that
motivation has a big pay-off,”
said Beth Ivens, CAB Academy
Leader.
Wachovia Securities LLC
is the local sponsor of the
project, contributing financial
support and business guidance.
MHHS Career Academies
seniors Sydney Thomas and Ali
Croom are co-chief executive
officers of the company with
Harley White as executive vice
president.
Jackson Rhodes, branch
manager of Wachovia
Securities, said 23 CAB
Academy teachers were hosted
by Wachovia’s company
7
headquarters in St. Louis last
summer to learn more about
the operations of a business.
“With this business background
orientation, local teachers
have really become a resource
for the students,” Rhodes
commented.
What do the WRAP
customers think? Fourth
grader, Lauren Wilbur, liked the
prizes and also said, “I thought
the WRAP assembly was cool
because they told us about
different parts of business and
how it will help us.” Finally,
Caleb Furgeuson said, “I liked
the WRAP assembly because
I was one of the students
chosen to receive a special
gift. My teacher nominated
me because I have made
improvements in my classes.”
CAB students spent
most of the first semester
producing their business plan
for WRAP. Since November,
CAB academy students
prepared all the materials for
the assembly. Student CEO
Croom said, “This business
calls for a group of students
to inspire other students in a
creative way. I think we all feel
very accomplished because we
put so much hard work into this
project.”
“You cannot imagine how far
a 30 minute assembly can take
student achievement,” noted
Mrs. Sondra Monger, Guy Berry
principal.
Mrs. Kristy Goodwin,
counselor, echoed Monger’s
observation: “The WRAP
assembly proved what many
educators already know. A little
enthusiasm goes a long way. “
Contrails
8
February 11 2009
Congratulations to Jesse Todd and Molly Elders
Congratulations to the following
male students that were elected
to the 2009 Sweetheart Royalty
court:
Congratulations to the following
female students that were
elected to the 2009 Sweetheart
Royalty court:
Seniors:
Josh Berry, Trevor Bogart, Jake
Bolt, Brandon Tetrick, and Jesse
Todd
Seniors:
Juniors:
Juniors:
Kali Brady and Amy Coleman
Jackie Adams, Molly Elders,
Jessica Linck, Megan Powell, and
Daphne Trivitt
Devin Johnson and Seth Sullivant
Sweetheart Royalty King and Queen
Sophomores:
Sophomores:
Shelby McCormack and Shelby
Upshaw
Mason Jones and Weston Monger
The History
of a Holiday
Saint Valentine’s
Day
Molly Elders
staff writer
St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February
fourteenth. It is a day of tradition
involving lovers and admirers
expressing their affection in cards,
flowers, and candy. Today, the
gifting has escaped the hold of
couples and mixed into the hands
of friends and family. But cupid
has not always ruled this day;
Saint Valentine gave the inspiration to couples all over the world.
There are many early Christian martyrs that hold the name
of Valentine and other reproductions. Originally, the Catholic
Church celebrated eleven
different “Valentine’s Days”, but
in 1969, cuts were made, and
the 14th day in February was
declared to celebrate two different people, Valentine of Rome
and Valentine of Terni. There is
much debate on whether or not
these two men were indeed the
same person, but nevertheless,
they are both respected as influential men. Neither, though, is
recognized as romantic, so the
motivation of the day centering
on love cannot be traced to the
“founding fathers.”
The 14th is most widely
associated with the exchange
Holding hands around Valentines Day is a sure sign
of affection-- Photo by Karissa Sylvia
of “valentines.” Usually the
cards are elaborate and fancy,
but a new trend of comical and
simple has swept the modern
era. The demand of cardstock
hearts promoted the industry
of the “holiday card” to such
an extent that cards can be
found for any occasion nowadays. An estimated one billion
cards are sent in appreciation
of Valentine’s, which ranks
second in numbers behind
Christmas. “I remember when
we used to make Valentine’s
Day mailboxes in kindergarten
to fourth grade,” said senior
Sydney Thomas, “Everyone
would run around the room
and drop candy and cards
in everyone’s boxes. All the
cards that we’d get had tattoo
stickers and puppies with giant
eyes…those were the good
old days.” The mass produced
cardboard cards were a big hit
with the younger kids. Senior
Connor Barnes said “I would
always get the Ninja Turtles
or Power Rangers cards, the
ones that could fold out and
stand up. I thought they were the
coolest ever. Then I’d tape some
candy to it just to pump up the
coolness.”
Today’s generation has lost
some level of uniqueness in their
valentines. A handmade card is
often a rarity, and most flower
arrangements are delivered to
the recipient without the sender
seeing them. The missing effort
doesn’t bother most people;
today’s world is hectic and finding
free time is like finding gold. “I
love getting flowers on Valentine’s Day; we used to do that
carnation give-away in Pinkston,”
said junior Bailey Elders. “It was
always exciting to see if you were
going to get one.” The tradition of
St. Valentine’s Day still thrives on
in our chaotic world.
Contrails
February 11, 2009
Chocolate
The truth about the
famous Valentine
candy
Sarah Arnold
staff writer
It has been said that chocolate
can mend a broken heart, and
recent nutritional studies have
proven that some types of
chocolate actually are beneficial
to the cardiovascular system.
The word “chocolate” comes
from the Aztec word for the
cacao bean, “chocolatl.” The first
Top Ten
edible chocolate was created in
1849 by English confectioner,
Joseph Fry. He experimented
with the cacao bean and found
that chocolate can be created
by fermenting, roasting, and
grinding cacao seeds into a paste
called chocolate liquor. Different
combinations of the parts of the
bean also gave him three primary
types of chocolate including dark,
milk, and white chocolate.
Dark chocolate is made from
cocoa solids or cocoa liquor to
which fat and sugar have been
added. Senior Cassady Atkins
favors dark chocolate because,
“It’s the healthiest!” Dark
chocolate is commended for its
nutritional benefits including the
improvement of endothelial and
platelet function, which helps to
maintain a healthy cardiovascular
system. Dark chocolate has
anti-oxidants similar to those
found in red wine, which help
protect against heart disease
by preventing fatty substances
from forming plaque that can
eventually block arteries. Dark
chocolate can also help lower
high blood pressure. Mr. Giovanini
said that he likes dark chocolate
the best because, “I just like the
taste better. It’s firmer and more
solid, so I think that might have
something to do with it too.” As it
turns out, Mr. Giovanini actually
used to work in a candy factory
when he was younger. He said
that the best days were when they
had to clean out the chocolate
vats.
Milk chocolate tends to be
softer and sweeter than dark
chocolate because it is made
with a higher milk-to-liquor ratio.
Senior Rachel Baugh said that
Worst things to say on a first date…
9
she likes milk chocolate
because, “It tastes better
than anything else.” Milk
chocolate is made similarly
to dark chocolate, but it has
a lower content of cocoa
and it contains fresh whole
milk. White chocolate isn’t
really chocolate at all,
because it contains milk
solids, butterfat, sugar,
cocoa butter, lecithin, and
flavorings but no actual solid
cocoa. White chocolate
is promoted for its higher
content of milk, but the coloring
of white chocolate comes from
vegetable fat, not milk content.
There are also higher contents
of fat in white chocolate than in
any other type. Not only is white
chocolate an imposter in the
family of confections, but it also
has the poorest nutritional value.
Chocolate has more nutritional
value than most may believe.
It contains vegetable protein,
potassium, magnesium, calcium,
sodium, iron, and vitamins A, B1,
B2, D, and E. Chocolate also
contains caffeine, which is why
it is said to be an addictive antidepressant or stimulant.
Valentine’s Day Shout Outs
10.) “You look nothing like your Facebook picture…”
Senior Paul Foreman– “Mr. Thomas, you’re an amazing
teacher. I hope you have a good Valentine’s Day.”
9.) “Your outfit looks great. I love a girl with a sense of humor!”
Coach C. – “Happy Valentines Day, Nurse C!”
8.) “Lil Wayne really inspired me to do something with my life…”
Senior Greg Hoffman – “I love you, Mom….and my car
needs gas.”
7.) “I voted for McCain.”
6.) any “Yo Mama” jokes
Senor Rodriguez – “Feliz Día de San Valentín, los
estudiantes.”
5.) “Yeah, I’m growing my hair out...hoping to go for a Blagojevich look...”
Mrs. Sherman – “Happy Valentines Day, graduating class of
2009!”
4.) “Sorry, I was late...it took my mom forever to iron my shirt”
Mr. Chentnik – “Happy Valentines Day, band students.”
3.) “Can you spot me twenty bucks?”
Senior Chase Armistead – “Happy Valentines Day to the
soccer team.”
2.) “I have to admit – this has been one of the best dates of my life, Alyssa….Amy…uh, Amber…..I
mean, Jamie.”
1.) “No, really…you look NOTHING like your Facebook picture!”
Senior Kelsey Caja – “Happy Valentines Day, Paul. Sorry I
sneezed on you.”
10
No Doors on
Boys’ Bathroom Stalls:
An invasion of
privacy or just a
simple precaution?
Brooke Klasinski
opinion assistant
Amelia Jaeger
staff writer
Doors have become
just a few of life’s gifts that
have given people their
privacy. Whether people
are in their private homes
Contrails
or just trying to enjoy some
peace and quiet, doors
have helped make privacy
a reality. While they go
unnoticed from day to day as
we mechanically close them
behind us as we go, the
minute they are taken away
is the moment they become
the most noticeable things in
our lives.
Suggestive writings,
smoking, and other criminal
intentions are just some
of the reasons students
think that the doors on the
boys’ bathroom stalls were
removed by school officials.
Senior Ryan Deaton said,
“People kept writing and
drawing all over the doors
and I think that the janitors
just got tired of repainting
them.” Junior Jeremiah
Gulley had similar thoughts,
“Major vandalism isn’t that
big of a problem in Mountain
Home, but people definitely
have had a lot to say on
bathroom doors. I just think
that school officials got
tired of having to see all
the vulgar sayings.” Junior
Dylan Barger thought the
reason the school officials
took the doors off was
because of a problem with
smoking, “Smoking is a
known problem in MHHS,
but I don’t think that taking
February 11 2009
the doors off the bathroom
stalls is going to solve that
problem. People are going to
smoke regardless if there are
doors on the bathroom stalls.
Besides, it’s a major invasion
of our personal privacy to
not have doors.” Problems
with the students weren’t the
only reasons that students
thought the doors were taken
off. Ben Crawford, a junior,
said, “The only reason I think
there aren’t any doors on
the boys’ bathroom stalls is
because it was costing the
school too much money to
continuously repair them.”
Assistant principal Ron
Czanstkowski stated, “Most
of the bathroom stall doors
were originally taken off by
the students. They were
constantly damaging them
and taking them off every
time we repaired them, so
we stopped spending our
time and money to fix the
doors.” All of the doors in the
language hallway and the
Agriculture hallway are off
in the boys’ bathroom, and
the doors are mostly broken
in the CAB and Commons
bathrooms.
Senior Colton Walker took
action, “I started to petition to
get the doors put back on all
the boys’ bathroom stalls. I
like having privacy when I use
the bathroom. By the time I
submitted the petition to Mrs.
Brown, I had a total of 300
signatures from the MHHS
student body.”
At the moment, no actions
have been taken to replace
the bathroom doors.
Contrails
Febuary 11, 2009
The Morgan
Nick
Foundation
Hope for the
lost and missing
Delaney Smith
staff writer
On January 19, 2008 in
Dunbar Auditorium at Mountain
Home High School, the Morgan
Nick Foundation came to spread
its message to Mountain Home
residents. The seminar was free
of charge and took place at 6:30
p.m.
The Morgan Nick Foundation
is an organization for missing
and exploited children. The foundation was set up to help families
in times of need when they were
dealing with their own missing or
lost children.
The organization was set up
after a tragic event; the kidnapping of six-year-old Morgan
Chauntel Nick in Alma, Arkansas. On June 9, 1995, little
Morgan was playing with her
friends at a baseball game, just a
few yards from her mother. Her
mother said she looked away for
only a second and then Morgan
was gone. Many investigations
have been underway, and many
still continue, but Morgan Nick
is still missing. After dealing with
this dramatic loss, Morgan’s
Garden, Steak & Shake, and
Target are to come in our
community, but I have also
heard Old Navy is supposed
to be located in the new
New Franchises
Stage.”
in Mtn Home?
Junior Kim Taffner is becoming admittedly skeptical,
“I mean I have heard them
[rumors] from everyone. LiterJessica Montgomery
ally, almost the whole school
staff writer
is talking about what is going
to replace the old Stage and
Wal-Mart building. It’s almost
absurd because someone
Rumors surrounding the
arrival of new businesses and told me that the old Walfranchises arriving in Mountain Mart would be a teen dance
Home have spread for years. center.”
Another student, senior
Senior Nancy Harvey
shared, “I have heard recently Dylan Hargess shared, “I don’t
and also in the past that Olive see why a big franchise would
Rumors
11
and exploited children. They
mother, Colleen Nick, realized
that there should be an organiza- like to put their main focuses on
three key things; Intervention for
the families, Education for the
families, and Legislation for the
families.
From the Morgan Nick
Foundation website, www.
morgannick.com, it is stated that
their mission statement is: The
Morgan Nick Foundation exists
to provide solutions to educate
Sophmore talked
families, law enforcement,
about the Morgan Nick Foundation.-Photo by Maranda Martin
and youth leadership to aid in
the prevention of missing and
tion or foundation to help bring
exploited children. Their vision;
the missing children of families
home. Just a year after Morgan To be an organization recognized by the general public and
Nick went missing, in 1996,
law enforcement as a leading
her mother officially started the
resource in the prevention of
Morgan Nick Foundation.
missing and exploited children,
The Morgan Nick Foundation, or MNF for short, is focused as well as a source for family
on providing support to parents
crisis management when a child
and families of all of the missing is missing.
Junior Conner Hopper commented, “It is a good cause, but
it doesn’t seem like they can do
much. They give a lot of support
with passing out fliers and making
people aware, but it’s pretty much
left up to the police and other
authorities in the end.”
Sophomore Miranda Manchester has different, views on the
matter. “I think that the foundation of Morgan Nick can be very
helpful to the community of the
missing children. It is a very great
organization. It’s good to hear they
visited Mountain Home. I wish I
would have heard about it.”
The Morgan Nick Foundation
hopes to keep helping and enriching the lives of the families of the
missing and exploited children.
And they hope to help as many as
they possibly can for many years
to come.
not come to Mountain Home.
Think about it! Colton’s came
in, and it seems to me they
We don’t have anywhere to go
and eat pasta, so if something
like Olive Garden did come in,
I’m sure they would be successful as well.”
There is a lot of hope, from
many students at Mountain
Home High School that an
Olive Garden and a Target will
move into our town. However,
as Smith said previously, will
the rumors “make or break the
community’s decision on the
new franchises?” In the months
soon to come, MHHS students
will “definitely be keeping a
close look on the new shopping
center and any possible new
ground that breaks, so I will
expect to be hearing a lot more
rumors about this.”
Junior and Sophomore
tell secrets to each other.--Photo
by Delaney Smith
make more business than
Chili’s or even El Chico’s on
a daily basis. Another local
business that is fairly new to
Mountain Home is Staples,
and I don’t know about any-
one else, but if I need a big
appliance like a computer,
printer, or even small items
like pens and things I go there
instead of Wal-Mart. The reason is mainly because I feel
that I get more for my money.”
Junior Jordan Hudson also
agreed with Hargess. “In all
honesty if Olive Garden or
even Target came in, I think
they would have a lot of business. I know when I worked
at Colton’s they were busy all
the time, and now that I work
at Chen’s Garden, where
busy just as well. We make
just as much money as any
of the other Chinese Restaurants and seem to be doing
fine even with the economy.
Contrails
12
Christmas ‘08
A vacation to
remember
Jacklyn Rounceville
co-opinion editor
This past Christmas, my
mother and I took a cruise
through the eastern Caribbean which included stops
at the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
We drove from Mountain
Home to Memphis. Then
we flew to Atlanta. We
had about an hour layover
because there had been
bad weather up north. This
layover turned out to be
quite interesting because we
met a soldier who was trying
to get on an earlier flight. He
hadn’t seen his family in 18
months, and he only had 19
days before he had to ship
out again.
So we continued on to
Port Canaveral, Florida with
bright skies and roads lined
with palm trees. We left
Port Canaveral on our cruise
ship, the Carnival Glory, to
start our week of fun. When
you see the commercials for
Carnival Cruise lines being
the “fun” ships, they are
right!
The next day we ported
in the beautiful Nassau,
Bahamas. I have never
in my life seen water so
amazingly blue. We took a
glass bottom boat and saw
some of the most amazing
and exotic sea creatures.
After that we went shopping at what was similar to
a flea market. It was actually called a street market,
and we “haggled” natives
down on their prices. It was
a blast.
After a day in the sun at
Nassau, we headed to St.
February 11, 2009
Thomas where we went and
saw Black Beard’s castle.
I got corn rolls in my hair.
The sun was beaming down;
it literally was an island
paradise. We went to the
beach where the water was
just right: not too hot, not
too cold.
Then we set off again.
This time our destination
was St. Maarten. We took
this big tour bus around the
island which has been devastated by so many hurricanes. St. Maarten is in fact
split in half; half is Dutch
and the other half is French.
Each side has a different
spelling. The Dutch spell it
“Maarten,” and the French
spell it “Martin.” Then, of
course, we went shopping.
On our way back to the
ship we had a crazy cab
driver who was so hilarious,
I cant find the words. This
concluded our trip to the
Caribbean because sadly,
the next day we headed
back for the beautiful United
States of America.
As my trip went on, one
island even more beautiful
than the last, I felt a wave
of grief because I had to bid
farewell to the sunshine, the
warm breeze, the friendly
natives and passengers,
and to the skies as blue as
the seas. I will never forget
the Christmas of 2008!
Contrails
February 11, 2009
2008
A.D.
Brandon Tetrick
editor-in-chief
2008. A year that I will never
forget. Our school, community,
state, and country battled so
many challenges and uphill
climbs. The world has always
been this dynamic, but it
has never really hit so close
to home. People’s homes
and lives were blown away
in Gassville. Personally, it
shocked me, looking at the
damage first hand, almost
like something out of a movie.
I never pictured I would see
something like that before and
get to experience it. To make
matters worse, our lakes and
rivers flooded over its shores
and into people’s homes. Just
within the first six months of
that year, people were homeless and trying to rebuild.
Meanwhile, at MHHS, we
continued on with everyday
life. The only thing, in reality, that
kept us together was the few
good times we had together.
With mother nature tearing things up, another tragedy
came, the death of our beloved
Kyle Berke. We all loved him
so dearly, and it was so hard
watching the tears shed. In that
single moment I realized that the
world is a terrible place. All of
you, whoever it may be, should
be so thankful of the peaceful
community we live in. Enjoy
the moments you have with
your friends. Enjoy the times
when you laugh so hard you’re
crying; you will never feel more
alive. Then the death of Jeremy
McCulley came as a shock as
well. It was another challenge
that we all had to face. He was
a son of MHHS, and it was a
terrible event that took place. All
13
of these things are memories
that will be laced in our brains
for the rest of our days. All of
the things that took place will
always be with me.
Many changes took place
in the world as well. Gas prices
(its a little cliché to talk about
them now) were crazy. Our
generation must now find a
new fuel for us to use. We
have many geniuses in this
school. If we combine our
thoughts and ideas we will
create the greatest technology
the world has ever seen. The
generations before us went
through, in my opinion, even
greater challenges, but different none the less. World Wars,
overpowering the Soviet Union,
and creating the band U2 are
just a few examples. Even
though they triumphed over
them, they created problems for
us. The economy is in trouble,
and we can’t ‘world war’ our
way out of this one. We will find
a solution. Our generation will
continue on the greatest story,
the American story. When the
British burned down the White
House, we stayed together.
When people lost their fortunes
in the 30’s, we stayed together.
When 6 million Jews were
killed during the Holocaust, we
stayed together. When terrorists hijacked airplanes and
killed thousands of innocent
Americans, we stayed together.
We are a divided country, and
we must stay together during
these hard times. Who knows
what 2009 will bring. I matured
so much in 2008. No doubt, I’m
still a kid at heart.
14
Adtljfro8mdb.
Sailboat.
…because I
wanted to.
Kayla Steffens
staff writer
The Ending
Only 16 more
months to go
Brooke Klasinski
opinion assistant
Contrails
February 11, 2009
Oddly, which is unsurprising from my point of
view, I often find myself
a) fantasizing about the
truly lovely and truly British
actor, Hugh Laurie, and b)
thinking about my ending. I
don’t particularly think about
where I may wind up in
fifty-or-so years or if/when I
will break down and marry
(eww) following with the
production of at least one
offspring (eww), because it
is the “Human Thing” to do,
but my actual ending—how
I will die.
As depressing or pessimistic as that may sound,
I assure you, I am a generally content person, and
I promise to refrain from
unnaturally provoking my
own death.
All of this came about
due to the fact that my
friend, Tom Suntken, asked
me out-of the-blue after algebra II, “How do you want
to die?”
As startled as he rendered me, I involuntarily
blurted, “In a car crash.”
“I knew it.” He seemed
pleasantly satisfied as he
walked away. I was overly
paranoid, and as insane
as it is, I checked over my
shoulder once or twice to
make sure he wasn’t going to personally deliver my
death-wish.
I had never really taken
into account my own death
prior to Tom’s curiosity and
I was still in awe as to why I
had answered so quickly as
to the whole car crash fiasco,
but It doesn’t matter to me If
I am the only one who thinks
about death in such ways.
I only do things because I
want to. I only think things
that I want to. As shocking
as that is, it is all okay.
It is okay if I spend most
of my time procrastinating.
It is okay if I think of sleep
as a time-waster and eating
as more of a chore if nothing else. It is fine if I want
to play Mr. and Mrs. Potato
Head with my best friend,
Emily Prohl, although we
are “mature” high school
students. It is okay if I would
gladly take Hugh Laurie over
Robert Pattinson any minute
of the day, because I am in
my right-mind. It is ok if
I am a feminine girl, but I
can’t do bubble-letters. It
is okay if I don’t like inviting
people over to my house as
much as I like going to their
houses. It is okay if I am
not shy, and I think saying
things like ‘I look fat’ or ‘My
hair is so ugly’ are unnecessary.
It is totally okay if I want
to die by a meteor crashing
down to Earth. It is alright
if I want to know when it is
coming, so I can see it. In
fact, I want a countdown to
the end of the world.
Everyone, and Tom, this
is what I want. It is okay.
It’s the weirdest thing in
the world to think that in just
sixteen short months, I’ll be
done with high school. I’ve
been in school for nearly
the past eleven years and
it’s almost time for it to be
all over. It’s a very scary
thought that I wasn’t ready
to think about just yet.
Looking at transcripts and
scheduling for next year has
forced me to realize that I’m
in desperate need to get
things in order.
I’ve got all my credits
figured out for this year
and next, but I’m still not
even sure what I want to
go to college for. I already
know that I want to start out
going to college here and
maybe switch to a four-year
college, but I haven’t even
thought about applications
or scholarships or anything
like that yet. Some people
have had all of this planned
out since they started kindergarten, but I’m definitely
not one of those people.
Procrastination has been
a very big enemy of mine
lately. It has helped me with
my writing, but it has led
me to become very worried
about the next year and a
half. I know I’ve missed way
too many days of school,
and I didn’t think about the
fact that colleges are going
to look at that when I put in
my applications. While I’ve
kept a pretty good GPA, I
know I could’ve put forth a
little more effort towards my
classes to bump it up just a
little bit more, but now it’s
almost too late to do that.
As high school draws
to an end, it’s time to realize that the dramas of high
school are no longer going
to be the biggest news of the
day. Who was seen holding
that girl’s boyfriend’s hand
won’t matter. What that girl
wore the same day you wore
that same outfit will be the
least of your cares. Doing
well in college, finding your
calling in life, and starting
your career and life outside
of school will be some of
your biggest worries. Not
everyone, like myself, has
the rest of their life planned
out, but it’s about time to
start getting an idea about
what direction you’re wanting to head in.
Looking towards the
future has been completely
terrifying for me. It’s time
to finally figure out what I
want to do with my life and
where I want to go with it.
Would’ve, could’ve, and
should’ve are very common words in my thoughts,
but those won’t get me
anywhere. I can’t keep
thinking about things that
I should’ve done. It’s time
to keep my head high and
look to the future and think
about what I’m going to do.
Contrails
February 11, 2009
Friendship
Never Ends
Friends
Maranda Martin
sports editor
Cheerleading
It is a sport
Amelia Jaeger
staff writer
15
High school; what does
this mean for us? While
changing from 9th grade to
10th, there are many changes. Even though some friends
have been together since
they were in kindergarten,
some don’t make it in high
school. Friends change and
grow apart. It is common for
students to change from one
year to the next. On the other
hand other students stay
friends forever.
As we grow into young
adults, friends end up either splitting apart or growing closer together. I have
learned that everything happens for a reason. My group
of friends has been together
starting at the jr. high and
coming closer through high
school. As I have come from
the jr. high to the High school,
I have lost many but gained
many more. It has been a
hard adjustment coming to
the high school, but as people
grow, everything changes.
Even though we don’t
understand the everyday
routes of our friends, we
come and socialize and are
there whenever they need us.
Coming to know my friends
has opened my eyes to realize
that every one of my friends is
different in every way. When
I was young, I had one best
friend through the 6th grade,
and then when my parents
explained to me it is okay
to have more than one best
friend, my best friends list
grew tremendously. There is
no way that we can all make
every one happy, and we
never will be able to, but
as a best friend, we try to
make our closest friends
happy.
I know for me when one
of my friends is down, we
come together as a group
and try to make that person
feel better. It has been hard
in the past for me to open
my eyes and come to know
that I can’t make everyone
happy, but I can try. I know
that when I need a friend,
my closest friends come
running. Knowing that my
friends are by my side, I
know that anything is possible. I know that growing
up, it has to get better.
Going through high
school, the drama can be
bad, unless you stay away
from it. Drama is just an-
other way to break you and
your friends up, and if you
let it get to you it will tear
you apart. With my friends,
we stay away from the
drama. We don’t want to be
a part of all the jealousy.
High school for me
means coming close with
my friends and having the
best high school experience
that I can have. Memories, jokes, and stories are
what I want to remember
with my friends when I get
out of high school, not the
other stuff. Coming from
the 9th grade to the 10th
grade might have been a
big change, but it can go
well with a strong group of
friends by your side.
Most people say cheerleading isn’t a sport. Those
people are so wrong. We
may just stand and cheer on
the teams, but there’s more
to us than the cute smiles
and pom poms. If the doubters could just see our competition routines, they would
think differently and call us
a sport. We aren’t just at
games for show, we are there
to help cheer on the teams to
victory. Also people think we
stunt to show off to the other
cheerleading teams, but it
isn’t like that; it’s something
to get the message across to
the fans. Our cheer team is
just as important as the basketball teams or the football
team because we are the
ones to help cheer them on.
People also think we are
stuck up snobs, but we aren’t.
This year’s cheerleaders are
some of the nicest people
I have ever met. They are
courteous, and the juniors
and seniors help us sophomores with cheers and even
homework because they’ve
had those classes before. Our
coaches are the same way.
They can be critical, but they
are doing it for the good of
the team and to make us look
better. Their critical eye helps
us out, and they love us too
much not to offer constructive
criticism. Also, our coaches
are some of the best.
Other times people think
cheerleading is very easy.
Cheerleading is one of the
hardest girl’s sports. We lift
people in the air, but when
you are doing it for two
or three hours it takes up
lots of energy as well as
muscle. The girls we lift
may be light, but when you
get done with one routine,
they feel like a ton with all
the stress of going up and
down so many times. When
people say, “Cheerleading looks so easy because
they don’t do anything,” I
would like to tell them, “If
you think it’s so easy, you
should try it sometime.”
Our practices are very
hard compared to a game.
We aren’t double-blocked,
and that’s not good sometimes when we need extra
time to practice stunts or
a dance. The after school
practices that are close to
competition are some of the
worst, but they pay off in
the end. We mostly practice
from about six o’clock to
about eight-thirty on week
nights and one o’clock to
five o’clock on Sundays.
The summer practices are
different than fall practices
by far. Summer practices
are mostly conditioning and
flexibility for football and
competitions. The practices
in the early summer are optional, but they are needed
if you plan on missing later
in the summer.
16
Ice Tundra continued…
We don’t really need
were also. American History
electricity to survive, and
teacher Mr. Snyder still has
this storm helped me to see
no power. He lost power
that.” Smith had hot, running last Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
water and used blankets
for heat. “I thought it was
cool. Even though it was a
disaster, it was still really
beautiful.” Many students
are worried about whether
they will have to stay late in
June because of how many
days were missed for the
storm. “I enjoyed the break.
I kept myself occupied by The thickness of the ice is evident on this tree
branch.-- Photo by Hanna Turner
playing Scrabble with my
mom and making a huge col- Mr. Snyder had running
lage,” comments Smith.
water and used gas logs in
Not only were the stuthe fireplace to get by. Mr.
dents affected, but teachers
Snyder had a humorous story
Contrails
pin, Arknsas, and although
to share, “My mother-in-law
the Flippin area wasn’t hit as
is staying at my house along
with her elderly male friend.
My grandchildren are also
staying with me. One of my
granddaughters said it was
like living in a nursing home
because they were taking
care of my mother-in-law
who is 90 years old.” Keeping young children occupied
can be a challenge without
Entergy trucks gather as workers take a much deserved
electricity, but Mr. Snyder
used his generator to run the lunch break-- photo by Karissa Sylvia
television and DVD player at
night to play movies for the
hard as Mountain Home and
the surrounding areas, they
children. “The kids also colored a lot and played games,” are still repairing from the
damages. Xiques stated that,
he shares.
Sophomore Michael Xiques “There’s a boil water order
lost power for 12 hours Tues- around Flippin. When the
day night through Wednesday power went out the pumps in
midday. Xiques lives in Flipthe Bull Shoals dam went out
February 11, 2009
too. They’re afraid that the water may be contaminated. Now
before we drink water, or use
water to cook, or even wash
dishes, we have to boil the water first.” Even though Xiques
was more fortunate than others,
only being without power for the
said 12 hours, he still kept busy.
“The first few days we helped
my grandma get to my house to
stay, because she doesn’t have
power. Then I helped out at the
Flippin shelter, which was at the
Flippin Christian Church. I just
did whatever they needed me
to do, and there were about five
people staying in the shelter.”
All are in expectation of
a restored Mountain Home.
Hopefully, some won’t have to
live in darkness and cold for too
much longer.