New Minimum Wage

St. Amant High School
March 2013
Volume 2 Edition 2
Mr. Clark to Possibly Retire From St. Amant High
School
By Reese Perkins
Gata Data
It is an undeniable fact that if you attend
St. Amant High School, whether you're a
teacher or student, then you know who Mr.
Clark Lambert is.
Mr. Lambert, known at school as Mr.
Clark, is the assistant janitor at St. Amant
who has recently announced his retirement
after three and a half decades of being
employed at St. Amant High.
"I've been here since day one. That's 35
years, and I've never missed a single day,"
said Lambert. He went on to say that
working at St. Amant has been a mostly
positive experience.
When asked what has changed most about
the school since it's opening, Lambert
pointed at fellow custodial member David
Joshua and said, "Him." The two shared a
laugh like old friends sharing an inside joke.
"He can't do without me, just like I can't
do without him," joked Joshua.
"Honestly, it'd have to be the kids,"
continued Lambert. "The kids don't seem as
disciplined as they were way back then."
Though Lambert is nearing retirement, he
doesn't seem to have any immediate
vacation plans.
"Oh, I'll be too old for all of that. I'll be 69
years old in a couple of months. I'll probably
just be sitting in my rocking chair at my
house," joked Lambert.
When asked when his last day at St.
Amant would be, Clark replied by saying
that he didn't know the exact date that he
will be leaving, but it can be assumed that
this will be his final semester here.
When asked if he would miss St. Amant,
Lambert replied by saying, "I might. It's too
early to tell." However, at this point in the
interview, Joshua leaned in and joked,
"Look, he's been here 35 years and has never
missed a day of work. Do you really think
St. Amant's
New Career
Coach
By Matthew Sperandeo
Gata Data
Reese Perkins
Mr. Clark Lambert hard at work on St. Amant's campus.
he's going to miss it?"
The two shared another laugh, and as the
interview came to a close, Lambert said that
he has no last words to share with St. Amant
High School.
Though it is not certain when Lambert's
last day here at St. Amant will be, it is
certain that when he finally does say his
goodbye's, he will be greatly missed.
Because Lambert has worked at St.
Amant High since its doors first opened, it is
as if we are losing a part of the school itself.
So if you see Mr. Clark as you are moving
through the hallways to your next class or if
you just so happen to bump into him as
you're wandering the school, take a moment
to stop and thank him for his hard work and
long dedication as a St. Amant High School
faculty member.
Many students at St. Amant High School
are not aware that we have a career coach,
or even what a career coach is. Mrs.
Gremillion is the newest addition to the St.
Amant High School staff; she is also the
current career coach. A career coach is not
a counselor. Many students are
misinformed on what the actual purpose is
of a career coach. A career coach helps you
with whatever you are planning to do after
high school and to prepare you for all the
requirements to get there.
"I help students with college
applications, financial aid, free applications
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and the
Taylor Opportunity Program for Students
(TOPS)," said Gremillion.
No matter what your plans are after high
school, Gremillion is there to assist you.
Even students that do not plan on going
straight to college can be assisted by
Gremillion. Any student that plans on
going to a technical school, community
college, art institute, or cosmetology school
can also meet with her. Gremillion's office
is not the easiest to find. It is located behind
room 319 in the main building. There is a
mailbox inside of room 319 in front of the
door to her office. Gremillion is here every
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from
the beginning of school to the end of third
block. A student does not need an
appointment to meet with the career coach,
but can schedule one with her.
STA's Sweetheart Pageant
New Minimum Wage
By Taylor Talley
Gata Data
By Stephanie Stelly
Gata Data
Rebecca Boone, Jada Stewart, Ashley Viverata,
Tristyn Laborde, Courtney Duhe, Jenna Cornett,
James Vercher, and Poco Dunbar.
Imani Douglas wowed the judges with her
This year's annual Sweetheart Pageant was question and answer, and was crowned St.
held on Thursday, February 28th in the Amant's 2013 Sweetheart Queen. James Vercher
commons. The contestants were: Abby Leblanc, was crowned as the 2013 Sweetheart King
Imani Douglas, Jade Bardwell, James Vercher, because of his excellent dress attire and answer.
Rebecca Boone, Jada Stewart, Ashley Viverata, Kayla Jordan was voted fan favorite by the
Douglas Danner, Victoria Braud, Ayleen Angel, crowd, and Jade Bardwell was crowned Miss
Barbara Gill, Poco Dunbar, Anna Guillory, Congeniality by her fellow contestants because
Tristyn Laborde, Anissa Angel, Courtney Duhe, of her friendly personality.
Jenna Cornett, Ashton Cole, and Kayla Jordan.
Congratulations to Imani Douglas, 2013
In the first round
Sweetheart Queen,
of the pageant the
James
Vercher,
contestants
are
2013 Sweetheart
judged by their
King,
Kayla
appearance and the
Jordan,
fan
dress or tux that
favorite, and Jade
they are wearing.
Bardwell,
Miss
Once the judges
Congeniality.
deliberate,
the
Also,
scores
are
congratulations to
presented and the
all
of
the
girls and boys with
contestants who
the highest scores
participated in the
move on to the
pageant,
and
Lauren Lee hopefully next year
semifinals.
The
semifinalists were: Imani Douglas was crowned 2013 Sweet- there is as great of a
Abby
Leblanc,
turnout as there was
heart Queen.
Imani
Douglas,
this year.
There has been talk of a new federal
minimum wage that will raise it from $7.25 to
$9.00 an hour. This will help the economy by
the middle class building a better future for
themselves.
President Obama has
been hearing that he needs
to do something about the
weak economic growth
and the unemployment rate
rapidly increasing, and this
is his proposal to solve
those problems. He is
planning on traveling the
country for six weeks to
deliver the message to the
people. First he will visit
Georgia, then North
Carolina, and he will finish
with Illinois.
The president has been trying to index
minimum wage with inflation so that it will go
up at the same time as the cost of living. For
the minimum wage to increase, the proposal
must be approved by congress.
The state minimum wage has changed in 10
states on January 1, 2013. These 10 states and
their new minimum wages are Arizona
($7.80), Colorado ($7.78), Florida ($7.79),
Missouri ($7.35), Montana ($7.80), Ohio
($7.85), Oregon ($8.95), Rhode Island ($7.75),
Vermont ($8.60), and Washington ($9.19). You
must be paid the higher wage, whether it's the
state or federal law.
The raise in minimum wage could possibly
make it harder for small
businesses to pay their
workers.
President
Obama is also trying to
spend another $50
billion
in
new
infrastructure. He needs
to make sure that none
of these improvements
are going to increase
our federal deficit
because he has been
trying to reduce it.
The new minimum
wage is necessary because everything is
starting to become more expensive. The
country has not had an increase in minimum
wage since 2009. If the price we are getting
paid is not enough to afford anything, then we
need a higher minimum wage.
"The new minimum
wage is necessary
because everything
is starting to become
more expensive."
Academics
Page 2
GATA DATA March 2013
Teacher of the Year
Bess Melancon
Success for St.
Amant's DECA Club
at State Conference
By Jamal Vaughn
Gata Data
The 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year Award
was presented to Bess Melancon. The award
is based on how the teacher uses his/her skills
to meet each student's individual needs and
voted on by the faculty. Melancon does a great
job in getting to know her students and uses
that to evaluate what she could do to make
sure that each student knows what they have to
do to be successful in her class.
Her students respect her because she always gives respect to them. Avery Beavers
said, "I think she is a fantastic teacher and person. She has taught me so much in the past
three years like, meeting a deadline, how to
work with people and trust in my work."
Melancon wants all of her students to be learners for life and never quit and believes that
teaching involves so much dedication. She believes that it is not always just about what happens in the classroom, but what students take
with them when they leave the classroom. "I
really believe that teachers can have a tremendous impact on student's lives, and I have seen
teachers and other adults on the campus who
make students needs in the classroom and in
their personal lives a priority. Teachers have
helped and guided students in ways people
will never understand. I am proud to be a part
of that."
Melancon does her best in being there for
By Matthew Sperandeo
Gata Data
Jamal Vaughn
Mrs. Melancon helps Avery Beavers on the computer.
her students whenever help is needed inside or
outside of the classroom. Her students feel that
if they ever needed anything then they could
go to her. Alyssa Buker, one of her students,
said, "Mrs. Melancon is always there for us no
matter what. She's very charismatic and always makes learning fun. When anyone needs
help, she drops whatever she's doing and
comes to their rescue. Mrs. Melancon is an
amazing teacher and I know she will always
be someone I can go to for anything I need."
Melancon won teacher of the year for many
reasons, but the most important reason is because she has impacted student's lives in positive ways so that they can be successful in any
situation, job or career that they choose
The state DECA conference was held on February 24th through the 26th. A total of 26 students
from St. Amant attended and 17 of the students
placed in 22 events. The DECA conference took
place in Baton Rouge at the Marriot Hotel. Any
school state- wide that has a DECA club came together to compete in role plays, written events
and group projects. Kase Savoy, Chris Kelly, and
LeeAmber Perry won 1st in their role plays.
The St. Amant DECA club is run by Mrs. Rae
Broussard. "DECA is very thankful to have Mrs.
Broussard as our sponsor and teacher. She has
taught us many things, and we would not be this
successful without her leadership," says Elise
Normand.
Kristy Peabody placed 5th in math business application test. Elise Normand won 1st place,
Julie Breaux, Chez Babin, and Michael Minvielle
placed 2nd in the entrepreneurship innovation
event. Matthew Sperandeo, Brittany Dearmond,
and Amber Bartell placed 3rd in the community
service project written event. St. Amant DECA
members Elise Normand, Scout Savoy, Chris
Kelly, and Matthew Sperandeo received a $500
scholarship to Johnson and Wales University.
Clayton Villmarette was elected state president; Clayton is president over all of Louisiana
DECA. Next for DECA is the national conference held in California.
How to Bypass Senioritis
Teacheritis: The New Level of Senioritis
By Taylor Talley
Gata Data
By Tara Jones
Gata Data
Senior year of high
school is the year that
all students look forward to, and with only
months away from
graduation it may seem
easy to begin slacking
off on school work.
High school becomes
less important to students whenever they are
applying to colleges and
looking for jobs, but if you don't keep your
grades up those last few months, then colleges
may withdraw their offers. In order to keep the
senioritis away you must plan ahead, don't
stress, talk about it and have fun.
Instead of waiting last minute to get things
done, you should plan ahead. Planning ahead
allows time to make sure everything gets done
and less time for stressing. It helps to write
down all assignment deadlines in a calendar or
in your school agenda so that you won't forget.
Next, you should make sure you don't get
caught up in college applications and freak
Taylor Talley
yourself out. Spend your time being a good
student and make choices that benefit you.
Drop things that you don't have time for, and
don't get caught up in things that don't matter.
Try not to stress yourself out by worrying too
much.
Make sure you stay in touch with friends and
don't get worked up about moving on to the
next step in life. Don't be scared to talk to a
friend or a school counselor about fears of
leaving high school and entering college.
Last but not least, make sure you have fun.
Senior year only happens once, so be sure to
live it up. Make memories that will last forever, but be smart about it. You've already experienced your last first day of school, your
last homecoming and you're about to experience your last prom and your "last" last day of
school. Spend the last few months smiling
with friends and staying active.
Take each day as it passes and be thankful
that you have gotten to spend the past four
years of your life at St. Amant High as a Gator.
As you enter the next step of your life journey,
be sure to remember all of the great teachers
and friends who dedicated their time to help
you become ready for the next chapter of your
life.
I remember being a
senior in high school; I
can still fortunately remember that far back.
The only worries I had
were graduation and
moving away to college. In those days, I
thought there couldn't
Mrs. Jones be anything worse than
senioritis, but I was terAdviser
ribly wrong. Teacheritis
is an affliction far worse than senioritis and
seems to affect teachers at the same time as
their ailing students.
While seniors have fun and exciting opportunities on the horizon, teachers are faced with
an overload of grading, testing, worrying
about the success of their students and anxiety about changes that will take place over the
summer. While it would be great to think that
teachers have the summer off to relax and refresh themselves, the new world of education
has left them with new challenges that must
be tackled over the summer. The end of the
school year is usually the most hectic time for
teachers who are trying to make sure their students are imparted with all the wisdom they
feel they need to succeed in school and in life.
While the year is winding down for students,
it is just really beginning for teachers.
Students may be surprised to know that
teachers get tired too. While we would love to
take a day to kick back and relax, we realize
that we would be doing a disservice to our students by showing weakness. The real difference between senioritis and teacheritis, is that
teachers are not just responsible for themselves. Gone are the days where our own desires are the only things that we need to worry
about. We have 75 young minds that are dependent on us to do our jobs and do it well.
Talk about responsibility.
So what's the cure? For most teachers, it is
realizing that what we do is really making a
difference. When I see a student who struggled all year long start to do well or earn the
score they really wanted on the EOC or ACT,
it gives me just the little kick of energy that I
need to keep pushing on. Don't forget that
your teachers are human too and telling them
how they have helped you along the way can
make a world of difference.
Is there a cure for senioritis?
How do you plan to get through the last months of school?
"With a smile on
my face everyday!"
Jordyn McCaskill
"By keeping my
mind right."
DJ Nickens
"Studying hard!"
Kirsten Despino
"By doing work." "By not letting my
senioritis kick in!"
Cresley Pierce
Taylor Duplessis
GATA DATA March 2013
Page 3
Student Life
Page 4
Fashion Tips
For Prom
By McKenzie Hawkins
Gata Data
Prom is right around the corner. There are
many different dress designers and different
style dresses this year to choose from. It's
time to start buying your dresses and preparing for this unforgettable event. Get together
your highest heels and your best dress! Are
you going to win best dressed this year?
As for girls, the popular designer dresses
you will want your dress to be range from
Sherri Hill, Jovani, Tony Bowls, Teriani
Couture and many others. Prom is very formal. Girls tend to wear floor length gowns
rather than cocktail
dresses.
Over the years,
prom dresses have
changed. It was common back then for
girls to wear traditional ball gowns.
Now, girls like to
wear dresses as if
they are about to
walk onto the red carpet. Today, dresses
are more fitted and
tend to show off one's
figure.
There are many style dresses to choose
from this year aside from the designer of the
dress. There is the simple, straight style
gown that flows to the ground and then there
is the mermaid style dress that is fitted all the
way down to the thigh area and poofs out at
the bottom as if it were a mermaid tail.
There is also some new style dresses this
year. There's one called a "high-low" dress.
Jordyn Mccaskill stated, "A dress in style is
the style thats short in the front and long in
the back. Bright colors and anything flashy
are also popular." This style dress is short in
the front and long in the back. This dress allows it to still be long and formal, but also
short. It reveals your legs and also allows
your shoes to be more visible than if you
were to wear a dress that was long all the
way around.
There is another style dress that's not very
common, but it's very different. This style
dress is actually a romper rather than a dress.
Although some are long sleeve and some are
short sleeve, the dress is just like a shirt and
shorts that are connected into one, almost as
if it were a body suit. Not very many people
choose to wear this style dress simply because it's so different, but it's very stylish and
always an option. There are many other
styles; those are just the most popular.
Jewels, beads, sequences, and rhinestones
are very commonly found on dresses; something to spice your dress up, make it loud and
different. Hollywood is the new Cinderella
this year.
Aside from your
dress, in order to be
best dressed this prom
season, you will need
lots of other items to go
along with your dress.
You will, of course,
need shoes to go with
your dress, jewelry and
also a clutch of some
sort to put your personal belongings in that
you will need throughout the night.
As for guys, you'll
want to look very sharp and make sure you
are best dressed as well. Guys are required
to wear tuxedos to prom. Because prom is so
formal, you'll want to wear a nice pair of
dress pants or slacks with a nice button down
shirt. A tie or bowtie is commonly worn with
the shirt as well as an optional vest worn
over the shirt and tie. And then of course,
you'll wear the tuxedo jacket on top of your
shirt, vest and tie.
If you are a senior, it may also be popular
for you to wear white. In the south, it is traditional for a couple to wear white to their
senior prom. You don't have to wear white to
your senior prom, but it is common tradition
for the girl to wear a white prom dress and
her date to wear a white tuxedo rather than a
black one.
Don't forget prom is right around the corner! Be sure to follow up with the latest
trends this year and strive for best dressed.
"A dress in style is
the style that's short in
the front and long in
the back. Bright colors
and anything flashy
are also popular."
Jordyn Mccaskill
Raining Blossom Prom Dresses
These are some examples of prom dresses that are in style this year.
GATA DATA March 2013
Playing with Swagger
ball player might wear arm sleeves and head
bands, and a softball player might wear
bright colored hair bows.
Some athletes might use the different
Athletes around the world add their own
certain style of fashion to their game. Some fashions to simulate what kind of person
may use the fashion as an encouragement, they may be, some may use it just to get people to look at them,
stating if they're looking
some might use it for
their best then they'll
extra protection, or
play their best at the
some just to make a
sport. Most athletes use
statement of how
the latest equipment for
good their skills are.
just catching people's atSteven Booty, who
tention with different
has played football,
color patterns to show
said, "If I know I look
their style.
good, then I'll play
Athletes also have their
good also. It gives me
own type of swagger in
confidence in mythe different sports that
self."
they play; a football
Some pro athletes
player may buy the
use the term "playing
newest cleats with their
with swagger" in relateams colors attached
Staff Photo tion to the fashion
with it and get their
trend. The great
gloves embroidered with Nic Bickham wears his pink Nike
Deion Sanders once
their number or name.
leggings for breast cancer month.
said "If you look
Track athletes may buy
track spikes and socks with bright colors that good, you feel good, if you feel good, you
don't match his or her teams color just to play good, if you play good, they pay good."
catch attention. A baseball player may have The question of whether or not the fashion
the latest gloves and baseball bat, a basket- trend affects an athlete can only be answered
by an athlete's opinion of him or herself.
By Jamal Vaughn
Gata Data
Student Life
GATA DATA March 2013
Page 5
The Price of Being a
High School Student
By Taylor Talley
Gata Data
Have you ever wondered how much your
parents pay for you to go to school? There are
class fees that need to be paid, school uniforms
to be bought, supplies and any other extracurricular activities or events must be paid for.
Today, if you don't have the best looking
clothes or materials, then you are considered
out of loop with what's in. It is common for students to want name brand school clothing,
shoes and supplies. In this economy, there is a
lot of unemployment and cut in pay, so parents
are less likely to be able to afford name brand
things for their children along with the school
fees.
If a student is active in sports and extracurricular activities, then they must pay a fee that
covers the cost of uniforms and travel expenses. If a student is enrolled in an Early Start
class, then they have to pay a fee of $150 if they
are taking more than one course per semester.
Once you enter junior year you'll get pushed
for your money. There are events such as homecoming, ring night and prom. For homecoming
the dress attire is formal; a decent pair of
slacks, a dress shirt and a tie can cost up to
$100. Girls may end up paying an arm and a leg
for the best looking dress, which ranges from
about $100 to $400. Accessories like shoes and
bracelets are also bought which can range from
$50 to $100. There are the cosmetics such as
hair, nails and toes. It usually costs around $50
to get your hair done with an additional $50 to
get your nails and toes done. Corsages and boutonnieres range from about $30 to $70 and are
bought by the boy. There are also pictures and
dinner which may be about $200 altogether.
Students can attend homecoming all four years
of high school and this can average up to $450
or more for a girl and $300 for a boy.
Ring night is an event where juniors receive
their class ring that they have purchased. It is
required to dress nice, therefore another outfit
usually needs to be purchased. Class rings can
range from $300 to $500. Then another $50 to
$100 is spent buying dress clothes.
Parents are usually willing to pay more for
prom than they are for homecoming. Prom
dresses are extremely expensive and range
from $300 to $800. Tuxedos are also expensive
and are usually about $200. Once you add up
getting hair, toes, nails, makeup, and accessories it is about $150. Corsages and boutonnieres are bought, and also pictures and dinner.
Those things add up to be about $250.
Senior year is the most expensive year out of
all. Once again you have a homecoming and
prom, but also have things like graduation and
senior trip. For graduation you need to have
senior pictures taken, which can cost up to
$1000, and invitations and your gap and gown,
which may be another $200. If you're going to
Panama through Grad City, then that costs
almost $800.
If you do the math and calculate having four
homecomings, two proms, ring night, graduation, and school supplies and class fees through
the four years it is unbelievable how much
money has been spent on school. Altogether it
is over $5,000.
Levin College of Law
Calculating a high school students school expenses may
be very time consuming.
How much have you spent
for school this year?
Senior Frankie
Mazzei
Senior Logan Senior Cameron Senior Taylor
Templet
Comeaux
Duplessis
Senior Wyatt
Reid
"$2,000"
"$1,300 on senior
fees, Homecoming
and Sadies."
"$1,200 on school
supplies, dances
and school clothes."
"It's all pocket
change to me."
Freshman
Elliot Turner
Freshman
Jamie LeBlanc
"$1,500 on
senior trip, fees
and dances."
Freshman
Dre'Neice Tillotson
"$700 on fees
and books."
"$850 on fees
and sports."
"$650 on fees
and sports."
Junior Natalie
McDonald
Senior Falan
Liotta
"$2,500 on
cheer fees and
homecoming."
"$5,000"
Features
Page 6
GATA DATA March 2013
New Focus For Security
Upgrading Security at St. Amant High School
By Bella Karas
Gata Data
Schools across the country have
been taking extra precaution and trying to improve their school's security
since the incident at Sandy Hook
Elementary School. Schools are aware
of the tragic event and realize that the
situation is very real and that it could
happen to any school.
St. Amant is one of many schools to
focus more intently on security.
"I do feel that St. Amant High
School is a safe environment and that
our staff does a great job of protecting
our students, being cautious about
strangers on campus, students wearing
IDs and following the dress code. Of
course, we can always make improvements and currently have met with our
crisis management team to revisit our
plans and look at areas in which we
can improve security," St. Amant's
principal Edwards said.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff's
Office has revamped their SRO system of providing security to the
schools. Instead of one officer being
assigned to a school like before, there
will now be four officers that will
service the schools on a two week
rotation. These officers will be called
SSO's-School Security Officers, and
will be highly trained marksmen and
must have passed a physical fitness
test.
Edwards believes the school still
holds room for more improvement. "I
would like a better way to secure our
campus in regards to the track and Tbuilding area. We are in process of
adding more cameras for added security."
The new security system for our
schools will allow for four deputies to
be very aware of the layout of the
Upgrading
Campus
Security
Schools across the country
react to Sandy Hook shooting
By Reese Perkins
Gata Data
If you pay attention as you walk the
halls of St. Amant's campus, you may
notice a few things that weren't here a
few months ago.
You may notice the addition of new
security cameras lining the ceilings. It
is also possible that you may run into
a police officer patrolling the hallways as you move to your next class.
It is obvious that St. Amant High
School has made a few upgrades to
the security precautions, but you may
find yourself asking why that is.
These security changes are
undoubtedly a response to the Sandy
Hook Shooting that occurred on
December 14, 2012 in Connecticut.
The shooting resulted in the deaths of
20 children and six faculty members.
The tragic shooting has raised
awareness towards public school
safety and as a result inspired parents
and school board members to issue
new safety policies.
As a part of the new initiative to
reduce gun violence in the country,
President Barack Obama has created
plans for schools to use in order to
make their campus' safer for students
and faculty members.
These plans include putting more
school counselors and resource workers on the job, improving mental
health services to help those with
mental illnesses and funding for new
school safety programs.
"We need to make our schools
safer, not only by enhancing their
physical security and making sure
they are prepared to respond to emergencies like a mass shooting, but also
by creating safer and more nurturing
school climates that help prevent
school violence. Each school is dif-
school's campus. This is a more secure
system than the previous one. Duty
officers will also stop by during peak
times such as before school, lunchtime
and after school. This new approach to
the security of the campus should
begin sometime before the end of this
school year.
Edward's also had a message to St.
Amant's students: "Students at St.
Amant High School are safe and they
should be assured that their safety is
always a number one priority for us.
We will continue to re-evaluate our
security measures and make improvements in places where it is needed. I
would also like them to know that
their cooperation during practice drills
is critical. The response that we take,
should a situation occur, will be a
direct result of our preparation
efforts."
ferent and should have the flexibility
to address its most pressing needs.
Some schools will want trained and
armed police; others may prefer
increased counseling services. Either
way, each district should be able to
choose what is best to protect its own
students," said Obama.
Schools around the country have
taken the initiative to introduce new
safety procedures for their students
and faculty members. These plans
vary between every school, because
each school individually sets their
own additional procedures.
Schools In Milford, Massachusetts
are arming their staff members with
police radios so that they can have a
direct line to the authorities. The
schools are also paying for classes to
instruct teachers how to properly handle and react to situations such as
lockdowns and other emergencies.
Superintendent Bob Tremblay has
worked closely with the schools in
the Milford area to better the security.
"Just like 9/11 changed air travel
security, so Sandy Hook will change
how schools think and operate in
terms of safety," said Tremblay.
The Newport Mesa Unified School
District of California is also in the
process of increasing their schools
security.The school has proposed a
"Run, Hide, Act" procedure that will
require teachers to barricade doors,
turn off cell phones in classrooms and
turn off all lights.
Teachers and staff members are
also being taught how to properly
repel threats of violence by yelling,
throwing objects and charging at a
shooter when the situation demands
such extreme actions.
"This will allow staff members that
identify a threat of violence to act;
Bella Karas
St. Amant's Sergeant Aikens working on the job.
Hays Post
Emporia District school security guards watch students
enter the main building in Kansas.
they won't have to wait for a call from
the front office to begin to move.
They will be trained to respond in a
proactive manner," said Newport
Mesa Unified School District
Assistant Superintendent Susan
Astarita.
It is without question that schools
across the country have the right to
find ways to better protect their students and staff in case of emergencies
in order to prevent another tragedy
like the one that occurred at Sandy
Hook. Many schools in the country
The Purpose of IDs
By Stephanie Stelly
Gata Data
Stephanie Stelly
IDs are important to identify students who belong on St.
Amant's campus.
At St. Amant High School we
expect our students to always be in
proper dress code. If a student is not
dressed properly and happens to pass
by an administrator, they will receive
a dress code referral. Students get
really frustrated with this, but do not
realize the importance of our dress
code.
Many students choose not to wear
IDs and complain that we don't need
them, but they do not understand the
significance of them. St. Amant High
has around 1,800 people occupying
the campus at all times. There is no
way possible for the few administrators that we have to be able to know
every single person that comes on
campus.
The purpose of IDs is for the faculty and the students to feel safe and not
have to worry about an unauthorized
person coming on our campus.
Without IDs it would be easier for a
tragedy to occur by giving anyone a
free pass on our campus. Having uniforms and other parts of our dress
code makes it harder for others to hide
have already acted on this right, and
many other schools are following
suit. Parents and school board members are actively pushing for changes
in school safety procedures that will
help them sleep easier at night knowing that their children are safe from
harm and well protected.
So whether you feel intimidated by
the new school security or happily
welcome it, you should at least appreciate the simple fact that your school
cares so much about your safety.
weapons and fit in on our campus. It
also helps preventing students from
leaving campus when they are not
supposed to. Our IDs are where we
keep our shell lot and bus stickers so
the faculty can be sure of who is supposed to leave the room and who isn't.
The main reason for IDs is to help
protect us from the dangers that can
occur if someone not permitted was
on our campus. It is a prevention
method that let's everyone on campus
have a proper identification saying
they are supposed to be here. After the
increase in school shootings over the
past few years, schools have started to
get stricter about identification saying
that you attend that facility. This is
why when you do not wear your IDs
you will have consequences.
Features
GATA DATA March 2013
Page 7
Plans for St. Amant's
Security Cameras
By Bella Karas
Gata Data
All schools have some type of
security. It's customary for a school
to have security that involves surveillance and teachers' watchful
eyes. Some schools, however, have
extreme security while others have
degraded security.
St. Amant High school, like other
schools, has been taking extra precautions by upgrading security
recently. Right now, St. Amant's staff
is planning to add extra security by
adding more security cameras, especially in places where they are needed the most.
One reason behind the planning of
more security cameras is because
there are many places currently not
covered by video surveillance. These
security cameras will allow the
school to view areas where incidents
occur and hopefully keep unwanted
situations from happening.
When asked about St. Amant's
upgrade in security, some students
were unaware that the school was
planning to better the security. Some
students, however, did happen to
know that the school's security has
been rising lately.
Some feel that the addition of cameras and security will make the
school more comforting while other
students feel that St. Amant is
already safe enough and that adding
more security is unnecessary.
Freshman Lindsey Hammatt said,
"The security cameras are invasive,
but they're also helpful. Our school
is open so that anyone can walk in.
The cameras can see people without
IDs."
Even though there are several benefits on adding more security cameras, there will also be a downside;
adding the cameras will constantly
add to the amount of surveillance
that is being conducted on St.
Amant's campus.
The staff is hoping that adding
security cameras onto the school will
take place during the summer
because they have already been
ordered.
Bella Karas
Security cameras are used across campus to monitor student safety.
Do you feel
safe at school?
Sophomore
Christina Bourgeois
Senior
Spencer Duhon
"Yes because of all
the protection our
educators and school
cop gives students."
"Yes because I'm a
senior. My friends
always have my
back."
Junior
Macy Miley
Freshman
Jeremy Dunn
"Yes, because the new
school cop has new
eyes and our administration is good."
"Yes, becuse we have
an officer and they ask
you if you're having
probems with bullying."
Senior
Dominique Wilmore
"I feel unsafe at St.
Amant High school
because Brooks is gone...
#bringbrooksback."
Junior
Rebecca Boone
"Yes I feel safe at
school because I
have really big
friends."
Freshman
Freshman
Nathan Taylor Jordan Averett
"No, I don't feel
safe
at
school
because
people
steal."
"I feel safe at
school because
there is a cop."
Freshman
Zack Brignac
"I felt safe at school
until Officer Brooks
left. Now I have to
watch my back."
Senior
DJ Nickens
"No, because anyone
could come into school
with anything and
you'd never know."
Page 8
GATA DATA March 2013
GATA DATA March 2013
Sports
Page 9
Coach Arceneaux Wins Athletic Trainer of the Year Award
By Reese Perkins
Gata Data
On March 9th, St. Amant's coach Scott Arceneaux was awarded the District IX Athletic
Trainer of the year by the National Athletic
Trainers Association.
The award is given to athletic coaches and
trainers who have demonstrated exceptional
performance in their respective fields.
Arceneaux believes that this award is not only
a major accomplishment for himself, but for the
school and athletic district as well.
"I think the award is an
accumulation of a body
of work over a long period of time, a lot of
commitment, a lot of
sacrifice, a lot of hard
work by a lot of people.
Basically this award is
more or less honoring
our school and our athletic department for a
commitment that they made," said Arceneaux.
Arceneaux was also the first person from
Louisiana to win an award in this category.
When asked if he thought this was a big deal for
him, Arceneaux responded by saying, "Anytime
you're the first to do anything it's a big deal."
Arceneaux has been teaching sports medicine
for 16 years and he considers the class a major
part of the award. "The course started here, as
what was called a locally initiated elective, and
that means that we wrote the course booklet,
along with the descritpion ourselves and started
offering it here as an elective. Then, later on, because of its popularity, it was a key component
to starting the Allied Health Academy. The
course was also recognized about 10 years ago
by the state department, who approached some
of the trainers about writing a curriculum. Of
Reese Perkins
Reese Perkins
Coach Arceneaux assists STA athlete Richard Williams
course, I was involved and seated on a committee to help write the curriculum for the rest
of the state. So, really it's safe to say that the
modern high school sports medicine classes
evolved from here. It wasn't the first sports medicine class, but it is definitely the oldest," said
Arceneaux.
As far as sports medicine goes, Arceneaux
never truly intended to have a career in that specific field.
"I got into athletic training in college. Everyone kind of has an idea of what they would like
to do and it wasn't until about a month before I
actually enrolled in college that I was sure I
even wanted to go to school. So when I finally
got the opportunity to go to college, I got into
athletic training by happenstance because the
school had just introduced the class. It wasn't
until I got involved in the class that I really
started to see a future in it. A big inspiration for
sticking with athletic training was reading the
book Friday Night Lights. Once I got caught up
in it all, I knew high school was the setting that
I really wanted to work in," said Arceneaux.
Sports
Page 10
GATA DATA March
Athlete
Spotlight
Kasey
Neilson
Standout softball
player with a bright
future
By Jeffery Williams
Gata Data
Senior Kasey Neilson is one of the
most decorated players at St. Amant
High. Since the age of seven,
Neilson has been playing softball
and it has paid off for her in the long
run because now she's going to college at Southeastern University to
continue her career.
Neilson's career started off fast.
When she was a freshman the softball team won 1st in district. Her
sophomore year would prove to be
the start of her highly successful
career at St. Amant High School. She
began as the starting pitcher for the
varsity team and has not looked back
since. As a sophomore she was
awarded First-Team All-District and
All-Metro honors. Neilson's junior
year would prove to be a big follow
up. She received First-Team AllDistrict and All-Metro honors again,
along with District Most Valuable
Player,
First-Team
All-State,
Second-Team All-South Region and
was an Academic All-American. Her
senior year should be no let down.
She has already been put on the
Jeffery Williams
Senoir pitcher Kasey Neilson stands on the mound.
Times Picayune Newspaper PreSeason Team and Pre-Season Pitcher
of the Year and hopes to gain even
more accolades.
Neilson's favorite thing about softball is all of the people she has met,
places she has been and friendships
she has made that will last a lifetime.
Softball has also been a positive
influence on her life. It motivates her
to stay on track and set goals for herself. It has also taught her how to
work well with others. Since it's a
team sport, she has to work with
other people to reach the ultimate
goal of winning.
Charlotte Morgan is Neilson's idol.
Morgan plays softball for Alabama
(Neilson's favorite team). Morgan
inspires Neilson to be a better person
on and off the field.
Neilson wears number 11 because
when she started high school the
number she had been wearing her
whole life was retired. She chose this
number because her birthday is on
the 11th.
Neilson had numerous offers from
many different colleges, but decided
to attend Southeastern University.
She says she would have gone to
Southeastern regardless of if she had
a scholarship or not. She plans on
being a teacher and really likes
Southeastern's education program
for teaching.
You might notice Neilson on cold
days when she is wearing her letterman jacket. She will be the one with
patches all over her sleeves as well
as the back of the jacket.
Neilson has had a very successful
career at St. Amant so far and hopes
to end it well. She hopes her college
career will be just as successful as
her high school career. She is an
example that with hard work and
dedication you can achieve great
things. Neilson and the rest of her
teammates look forward to another
successful year and will represent St.
Amant High School well.
Tennis Team Defeats East Ascension
St. Amant takes home a victory with a final score of 4-1 for the boys and 3-2 for the girls
By McKenzie Hawkins
Gata Data
St. Amant High School's tennis team
played against their biggest rival, East
Ascension High School on March 4
and took home the overall victory for
both the boys and girls. Overall, the
girls won with a final score of 4-1 and
the boys won with a final score of 3-2.
For the boys, Kevin Cundiff played
against Wayne Picou in singles and
won 6-3 in the first set and 7-6 in the
second set.
Luke Savoie played against
Jonathan Ordonez in singles as well.
Savoie won the first set 6-2 while
Ordonez won the second set 6-4. They
split sets and Savoie won the third set
6-3.
As for doubles, Chris Kelley and
Scout Savoy played against Chase
Loupe and Victor Robert. Kelley and
Savoy won the first set 6-3 while
Loupe and Robert won the second set
7-6. Kelley and Savoy split sets and
won the third set 6-4.
Alex Bourgeois and Mytrail
Whitehead played against Cody
Turner and Joseph Babineaux.
Baineaux and Turner won the first set
6-0 while Bourgeois and Whitehead
won the second set 6-3. They split sets
and lost the third set 3-6.
Kase Savoy and Brett Leblanc
played against Jake Benson and
Hayden Decoteau. Savoy and Leblanc
won the first set 6-4 while Benson and
Decoteau won the second set 6-4.
They split sets and won the third set 76.
For the girls, Carlie Melancon
played against Michaelynn Parks and
won the first set 6-1 and the second set
6-2.
Rebecca Boone also played singles
against Ashleigh Muscarello and won
both the first and second set 6-0.
As for doubles, Brooke Broussard
and Emma Frederic played against
Darbie Kling and Taylor Wiley losing
the first match 0-6 and the second
match 5-7.
Kaitlin Rawls and Naomi Keller
played against Lizzy McDowell and
Erin Whiteside losing the first set 1-6
and the second set 3-6.
Kelly Young and Victoria Buquet
played against Christina Mack and
Taylor Meyers. Young and Buquet
won the first set 6-4 while Mack and
Meyers won the second set 6-4. They
split sets and won the third set 7-5.
Although there were a few people
who lost their sets, St. Amant still
defeated East Ascension and took
home another victory.
By Stephanie Stelly
Gata Data
the victory, “It was a good, close
game at first and then we pulled away
and took the lead because we hit the
ball really good.”
Brennan Grant was the saving
pitcher with two complete innings.
Grant was at bat five times and scored
two runs. Mitchell Mayard, Branson
Bowen, Jacob Morales, and Ryan
Cardinale were also all at bat five
times. Morales had the most hits out
of the team, ending the game with
four hits; three of those hits were singles. Mayard ended the game with
four RBIs which led the team.
While Templet and Grant put in
solid pitching performances, St.
Amant’s other pitcher, Austin King,
pitched during one inning in this
game and faced seven batters. King
had 14 strikes which added to Grant's
18. Templet faced 21 batters and
ended the game with 43 strikes. While
Templet completed a stellar perform-
McKenzie Hawkins
Rebecca Boone serves the ball across the court to her
opponent.
St. Amant's Victory Against Neville
St. Amant High School’s baseball
team won the game against Neville
High School 12-9. The game was at
Neville on March 2. The Gators were
proud of their victory.
Cameron Templet was the winning
pitcher with four complete innings
pitched. He also made six runs, seven
hits, and a homerun. Templet said of
ance in this game, his day was not
without its challenges.
Templet said, “The most memorable part of the game for me was giving up a home run and then striking
out the next two batters to get out of
the inning.”
Cole Benoit had the most putouts
ending the game with 10. Benoit also
had six steal attempts in the game and
was only caught stealing once.
Morales had the best batting aver-
age at .800 with Kirk Elisar and Owen
Richard following him at .333 and
.500. Morales also had the best slugging average at 1.00.
St. Amant had a total of 12 runs
versus nine runs from Neville. Both
teams had a total of 10 hits. It is safe
to say this was a close and well played
game. As the season continues, the
Gator baseball team is sure to keep
fans excited about the stellar baseball
program at St. Amant High School.
GATA DATA March 2013
Athlete Spotlight
Ryan Cardinale
By Jeffery Williams
Gata Data
Ryan Cardinale is a senior third
baseman for the St. Amant baseball
team. He has been playing baseball
since he was five years old, back in
his tee-ball days.
Last year, Cardinale had a .340 batting average, which earned him
Second-Team All-District honors.
Cardinale is most inspired by Chipper Jones who played for the Atlanta Braves. Jones inspires
Cardinale because he was the best
third baseman in the Major League
and Cardinale hopes to also be the
best one day.
Cardinale's favorite thing about the
sport of baseball is batting. He likes
batting the most because when you
step up to the plate, all eyes are on
you, and everybody wants to see
what you are made of. Cardinale
has high hopes for his team this
year. He feels they have a serious
shot at state, because of all their
senior leadership and experience.
Page 11
Sports
Lady Gators Win Big in "Coach I" Tournament
By Jeffery Williams
Gata Data
On a very cold and windy Friday
night, the Lady Gator softball team
took on Archbishop Chapelle to start
of the Coach "I" tournament at
Butch Gore Park.
The weather would prove not to be
a factor. The Gators started off
strong, opening up the game with a
7-0 lead in the first inning. It seemed
every batter in the line-up was having a great night. Then, on her second at bat junior Maddie Edmonston
hit a home-run right over the center
field wall (her second of the year)
electrifying the crowd.
By the end of the third inning the
Lady Gators were up 12-0. After
pitching the first three innings, senior Kasey Neilson went back to the
dugout to sit the rest of the game. In
her three innings she struck out
seven batters while only giving up
three hits and one walk. Sophomore
Gabby Sharp finished pitching the
rest of the game.
The Lady Gators finished the
game in five innings with a 17-2
win. This would prove to be the
building block for the rest of the
weekend. The Lady Gator softball
team won all three of their games in
the Coach "I" Tournament.
When asked about how she
thought the team played senior
Kirsten Despino said, "I think we
played well, we just need to cut
down on the mental mistakes. We
just got our full team back and we
are still trying to learn to work to-
Alex Lavigne
Senior Brooke Roberts takes the plate.
gether as team. We have a lot of talent and it is going to benefit us in the
future."
Senior Brooke Roberts spoke on
the potential she thinks the Lady
Gator softball team has this year.
Roberts said, "We are going to go far
this year because we have a lot of
depth. We have some things to work
on, but overall our future is looking
good."
The Coach "I" tournament was
just the beginning of what looks like
a good year. After making it deep in
the playoffs last year, the Lady Gator
softball team is hungry to go further.
They work hard day in and day out,
hot or cold and in the end it will pay
off. St. Amant High School looks
forward to their softball team having
another successful year and representing the school well. The Lady
Gators accept the high expectations
and will not be a let down.
Opinion
Page 12
GATA DATA March 2013
No Place Prom Can Empty Your Wallet
Do You Really Have to Spend So Much to Have a
for PDA Great Prom?
We've all witnessed a
good make-out session
in the halls of St. Amant
High. In that type of situation, you are unsure
of what to do. You
might just casually walk
by as if you hadn't seen
it at all, you might give
them dirty stares, or you
By McKenzie Hawkins might take my defense
Gata Data
and tell them to get a
room.
Public displays of affection, better known as
PDA, is something I've come to witness a little
too often at school. Throughout all my years of
being at St. Amant, I've grown to see more PDA
as I walk the halls and personally it makes me
sick.
In certain situations, PDA is acceptable.
There's nothing that melts my heart more than
seeing an old couple in the grocery store holding
hands or a married couple with their arms
around each other. But being a junior in high
school, I don't enjoy seeing kids even younger
than me making out as I make my way to class.
Is it my business? No. But it shouldn't be anyone
else's business either, so keep it in private.
No one wants to see a couple locking lips in
the hall way. I think it is more of a distraction
than any uniform violation or crazy hair color.
PDA is actually against the school rules. For
some reason, students feel the need to kiss their
boyfriend or girlfriend in between every class.
It makes me laugh sometimes when I think that
all these couples most likely hangout after
school all the time, so why not just save it for
when you get home?
I feel like PDA is also a way of showing you
have no self-respect. When couples show extreme affection towards each other in public,
they are allowing people to give them looks, talk
about them and judge them. It is a matter of selfrespect that determines how couples will act in
public, and I strongly believe that you have no
self-respect if you show extreme PDA in public.
Basically, PDA is not something I enjoy seeing
on a daily basis. In my opinion, it is completely
unnecessary, and I have absolutely no tolerance
for people who feel that extreme PDA is necessary. PDA is not something that I, nor others,
should have to see just by walking to class. Most
parents don't approve of their children using this
behavior and if they wouldn't do it in front of
their parents then they shouldn't do it for the
whole school to see. Long story short, save your
affection for whenever you are in private.
By Bella Karas
Gata Data
When you hear prom, what pops into your
head? For most people dresses, limos, tuxedos,
corsages, and music are what come to mind. All
those things are most of what makes prom so expensive.
$500-$1,000 is spent on prom. In a survey on
how much regions spend money, it showed that
the west, including Colorado, comes in at $744;
the midwest, $696; the south, $1,047 and the
northeast, $1,944.
Most of the money for prom is spent on outfits
and appearances if anything. Girls go to the salon
to get their hair fixed; that can cost around $40.
One of the popular hair styles that girls pay a lot
for is the up-do. Girls can also pay up to $400 or
more on dresses at the maximum when they can
go to sales racks and discount stores such as T.J.
Maxx and Marshalls or order their dresses online.
As for make-up, you can apply it yourself at home
or have a friend do it.
Most guys spend less than girls. When it comes
to hair and accessories, guys usually don't have to
worry about them as much. Tuxes can be cheaper
as well if you look in the right places for rentals or
sales. As for getting that special lady a corsage,
they cost $5-$65. The cost depends on what type
of flower you get and how many flowers you get.
Google Images
Prom doesn't have to break the bank if you decide what is really important.
Rides to prom are also expensive; limos can
range from $400-$600 while party buses cost $75$300 per hour. A less expensive option is to carpool or drive to school for prom.
The formal portraits can cost anywhere from
$25-$75 for prom. Then again, you always have
the option to use your camera to take pictures.
It's agreed that prom is a special event that you
rarely get to participate in, but that doesn't mean
we have to spend so much money on it. You can
still look great and have that amazing prom experience even when you spend less.
Prom Can Never be
Too Expensive
By Matthew Sperandeo
Gata Data
Prom is a much anticipated event for upperclassmen high school students all across the country.
Prom is an end of the school year celebration.
For seniors, prom is to celebrate your high school
career coming to an end, and for juniors it is a celebration of becoming seniors as the current seniors
get ready to graduate.
The purpose of prom is a big deal for high school
students; the average teenager spends around $1,000
on prom. Yes, this may seem shocking to most; however, after you sit down and think of everything that
is essential for prom, it all does add up.
The real question is do teenage Americans spend
too much on prom? Teenagers spend money on
everything from tuxedos, dresses, food, transporta-
tion and pictures. Most photography studios sell
packages starting around $70. Also the restaurant
choice for prom is usually a more upscale place,
which can run around $20-$30 for an entree. None
of these things are cheap, yet they make a more
memorable experience.
Every girl wants to have a beautiful prom dress
and look their best--it makes the experience much
more sentimental to them.
The average prom dress in America ranges from
$300-$600, while tuxedo rentals for guys cost
around $150.
Most of the money that is spent for prom is strictly
on formal attire. Formal attire is essential for prom.
Most American girls feel that their senior prom dress
is as important as their wedding dress.
There are only two proms you will ever have, so
why not make the most out of them.
Prom is such a highlight memory of your high
school experience; most people will look back at
prom as almost as important as their high school
graduation. Not to mention it is also the last time
you will ever be with everyone in your graduating
class.
This may be the very last impression you leave on
your classmates, so why not go out with a bang?
Most seniors also choose a group transportation
method such as a party bus or a limo to have an even
more memorable time with their closest friends.
Limos and party buses are far from cheap which
also add to the expensive estimated price of prom.
The conclusion on how much to spend on prom is
up to the individual, and not everyone has a lot of
money. Although a certain amount doesn't have to
be spent, you should spend enough that makes prom
the most memorable event of your high school career.