1

Over the past year, the restaurant,

The Dragon Zone, had become an

after school hang out for many

Mountainburg students. Unfortu-

nately, our hometown hangout has

had to close over this past month.

Our small town does not have many

places, and with one of the best ones

gone, what will

we do now?

Employee and

the owner’s son,

Johnny Sullivan

said that they

have tried to

find someone to take over The

Dragon Zone, but so far there have

been no takers.

Sullivan said that the thing he

misses most about the place is their

food, and many would agree. Not

only did students lose a hangout,

but The Dragon Zone was consid-

ered by many resi-

dents to be the best

restaurant in Moun-

tainburg. Now resi-

dents have only two

places in town left

to eat.

Not only did many students lose a

hangout, but also an employer.

Since its opening about a year ago,

juniors Garth Webster, Michael Sul-

livan, Ryan Chase, Shawnee John-

son, Melisa Graber, Marlon Watkins,

Dustin Houston, and sophomore

Johnny Sullivan have all worked

there.

The Dragon Zone was known as a

friendly place to retreat and enjoy

good company and good food.

Without it, Mountainburg students

and residents are left with very few

options.

No More Dragon Zone???

Mountainburg Dragons and Lady Drag-

ons basketball teams made it to the Re-

gional Tournament. The boys’ team

finished as Conference Champs and

District Runners-up after a disappoint-

ing loss to County Line. Both teams fin-

ished third in regional play-offs and

went on to play in the state tournament.

Cole

Teague, junior,

said he believed

they had a

chance at win-

ning regional

and doing well in state because the only

teams they had lost to are County Line,

Eureka Springs, Waldron, and Danville.

County Line has hosted both District

and Regional Tournaments, which

seemed unfair to many teams in their

conference. In the Mountainburg-

County Line series, the Dragons led 2-1.

Teague believes County Line is slightly

overrated and that the Dragons could

have easily defeated them if they had

faced off in either tournament. Unfor-

tunately, the Dragons lost out the first

round of the State tournament against

Augusta.

The Lady Dragons beat Danville in the

first round of the regional tournament,

and faced the County Line team, where

they lost by 16. The Lady Dragons

ended up placing third after defeating

the Hartford Hustlers. The Lady Drag-

ons went on to play Hazen in the first

round of the 2A state tournament. They

defeated Hazen 40-22 and went on to

play in the sec-

ond round

against the host-

ing team Buffalo

Island Central

where the Lady

Dragons lost 62-54.

Mountainburg’s basketball teams had

exceptionally good seasons. The play-

ers did an outstanding job and repre-

sented the school well, proving Moun-

tainburg is a competitive team in the 2A

conference.

issuu.com/dragonzone

M o u n t a i n b u r g P u b l i c S c h o o l s

Basketball Playoffs

For The Flame

in color visit:

2

En-

ergy Drinks have become a common

drink in students’ diets. I see Mon-

sters, Rockstar and Redbull around

the school every day; I drink them

on occasion as well. But do we

really know what we are drinking?

Many students like the buzz

they get from an energy

drink, but in reality they

are putting themselves in

danger. These drinks are

loaded with unhealthy in-

gredients, mainly caffeine-

an addictive substance.

Serious issues may come from con-

suming energy drinks. These drinks

temporarily increase one’s heart

rate, and over a long period have

caused an increase in heart attacks,

heart failure, and strokes, not only

among adults, but teenagers as well.

Other health issues that are caused

by energy drinks are kidney and

liver failure, respiratory malfunc-

tions, irregular heartbeat, seizures,

nausea, psychotic conditions, and

even death according to the health

website, everydayhealth.com.

In addition to the health risks in-

volved, one article published in The

New York Times on May 26, 2008 ad-

dressed the behavioral risks

as well. According to the arti-

cle, those who regularly drink

energy drinks are much more

likely to participate in risky or

“toxic jock” behaviors, such

as having unprotected sex,

substance abuse and violence.

Though the energy drink companies

insist that adult consumers are the

targeted audience for the product

anyone, regardless of age, can buy

them. This has spurred many dis-

cussions about whether or not these

drinks should be regulated, much

like alcohol and tobacco. According

to health officials a safe amount of

caffeine for younger consumers does

not exist and avoiding it is healthiest

for children and teens.

So how many Mountainburg High

School students drink energy

drinks? A survey shows that 50% of

them confirmed drinking them

regularly, and 25% of those students

drink at least 5 a week and others

admitted to drinking 2 or more a

day.

These drinks have caused many

critical risks to the health of their

consumers, but students continue to

drink them. So the question is, in the

long run, are these drinks really

worth the short term effects?

Energy Drink Risks

Energy Drink Oz Caffeine

Full Throttle 16 oz 144 Mg

Monster Energy 16 oz 160 Mg

Red Bull 8.5 oz 80 Mg

SoBe No Fear 8 oz 130 Mg

Nos 16 oz 260 Mg

Amp 16 oz 110 Mg

Rockstar 8 oz 160 Mg

Crunk 8.3 oz 194 Mg

3

It is not

out of the or-

dinary to walk

down most

high school

hallways and

pass a very

visible A & F

stitched on a t-

shirt, the fa-

miliar moose

logo in any given corner of any arti-

cle of clothing, or a large AE stitched

on the outside pocket of a purse or

the familiar line design on the back

pocket of someone’s jeans. So what

makes brands like Abercrombie &

Fitch, American Eagle, and Aero-

postale so popular at this age?

Consumers know certain brands and

where they came from by seeing

these symbols and logos, of these

companies as well as others. Popu-

larity of a clothing brand implies

something

about the

wearer’s

status.

There is a

popular

adage that

says “the clothes make the man,”

and that saying fully explains the

desire to buy certain brands.

Many teens don’t think about how

much they are actually paying for

that little moose to be sewn on that

shirt or the letters to be placed. In

fact, many

parents are

still footing

the cloth-

ing bill for

many

teens; how-

ever, for

those lucky

individu-

als, the

time is coming closer and closer

when they may have to pay for

clothes themselves. That’s when

many teens begin to ask themselves

the question: “Am I paying too

much for too little?”

In other words, are shoppers spend-

ing too much on low quality clothes?

It makes sense if they are paying a

pretty penny and getting long last-

ing, durable, high quality clothing,

but what doesn’t make sense is pay-

ing a pretty penny for low quality

clothing that rips, loses but-

tons, or falls apart in the wash-

ing machine.

Mountainburg students

sounded off on their choices of

clothing brands based on price

and durability.

“American Eagle is

probably where most of

my clothes are from,”

said Matt Kimes, junior.

“Their prices are pretty

reasonable, and the

clothes are good quality.”

Josh Kelly, senior, said he has mostly

Abercrombie and Fitch clothing in

his closet. Though Kelly admits

prices may be a little more, he be-

lieves the quality of the clothing

make them worth the higher prices.

Another

senior,

Courtney

Wasko,

named

American

Eagle as

one of her

favorite

stores. “They have fairly reasonable

prices and that’s because they usu-

ally have a few sales going on,”

Wasko said. “I’ve had jeans for years

that I bought from American Eagle,

and they still look great.”

Is it crazy to spend a little extra on

clothes if they come from these

stores? Mountainburg students

don’t think so because of store sales

and the quality of the clothing. But

is it the popularity of the quality that

makes the name? Or is the name

made popular by price or logos? Ul-

timately, it depends on

you and your own

sense of style and

value.

Are You Paying Too Much for Too Little?

4

A couple has a fight, breaks

up and gets back together again. A

girl cries as she leaves a mansion

because she doesn’t get a rose. The

most hated person in the house gets

the power of veto and remains in the

house another week.

These

popular

scenarios

are simply put, but

millions of people (especially teens)

will carve out time, set their DVR or

TiVo or do anything to make sure

they don’t miss a single episode of

their favorite reality show. What is

so interesting about these shows that

involve fighting and crying and

mind games? Why are we excited to

watch it happening in someone

else’s life on a screen, but cringe at

the thought of a conflict arising in

our own lives? Why do we love the

drama?

Cheyanna Milton, former

Mountainburg senior, said she en-

joys

watching

the hit

show,

Jersey Shore, to see the fights and

arguments which she thinks are

“kind of funny.” She also enjoys it

because it is a way to be interested in

the gossip from a safe standpoint.

“Television drama is better than real

life drama because you aren’t loos-

ing anyone or going through all the

arguing yourself,” Milton said.

But why are humans so fas-

cinated with drama anyway? Well,

the real interest starts with the lim-

bic system, the part of the brain that

produces emotions, unconscious

judgment and memory. When we

are on the edge of our seats wonder-

ing who will be going home once

“the tribe has spoken,” we have this

brain system to thank.

Though we live

for televised “real life”

drama, when it comes

into our own lives, involving us or

those close to us, we put our guard

up. Why is conflict interesting from

a distance, but when it hits close to

home, we aren’t as interested as we

are defensive? What’s the big differ-

ence between TV drama and real life

drama?

“Real life is more interesting

but not necessarily so much fun,”

said Marlon Watkins, junior.

“Television is

just to enter-

tain. It’s kind

of fun to keep up with, like

a hobby. Like if you could put your-

self in that situation. Real life could

actually affect you, good or bad.”

So why the obsession with

reality shows? Watkins said, “Maybe

some people who don’t

have a very social life try

to fill that void by watch-

ing it.” Tishina Johnson, senior, be-

lieves people watch them because

“they want to switch places with

them, live their lives in a weird

way.” Why do people admire

watching wealthy or glamorous peo-

ple if their lives contain so much

conflict?

Whatever reasons for crav-

ing drama,

involun-

tary, bio-

logical

response or a genuine

interest and obsession, humans get

an instant excitement when tensions

arise. The biggest difference be-

tween television and real life drama

is where you are when it happens.

Are you on the couch watching the

next elimination from a safe dis-

tance, an entertaining situation that

has nothing to do with you? Or is it

right in front of you between friends

or yourself or someone who can’t

stand up for themselves. Are you

doing something about it or simply

standing there like it’s just another

episode?

Drama is drama. Question is, how

do you react to it?

Why We Love the Drama

5

Hunting Ginseng

Deer, squirrel,

bear, turkey and

other wild game

that inhabit the

Ozarks are proba-

bly among the first thing most peo-

ple think about when going hunting,

but the Center family hunts some-

thing else-something a little more

difficult to find.

Hunter Center, a junior, and

younger brother, Nick, a freshman,

hunt for ginseng during the summer

with their family. But you can’t call

up or lure in ginseng. According to

them, finding the root is no easy

task.

Ginseng is a root used to make

medicines and other products such

as energy drinks. It has three small

leaves surrounded by three larger

leaves topped with red berries de-

pending on the time of year. “You

really have to know where to look

and what it looks like,” Nick said.

They average a successful hunt once

out of every two times they go.

The reward for hunting the root is

great. “The highest

profit for ginseng was

$1,200 a pound. But

usually its $350 to

$400 a pound,” said

Nick. “If you find a

long, stick shaped piece, people in

China will pay a large amount be-

cause they use it to make voodoo

dolls.” However, it is usually sold to

medical companies.

So can anyone get in on this great

deal? “The government is trying to

make a bill for it [requiring a license

to hunt for ginseng], but now one

isn’t needed,” Nick stated.

The Centers started in the business

just by setting out on their own to

look for it. “I think my Dad just

went out and started to pull it [the

ginseng] up or someone told him

about it and he started to look for

it,” Nick said.

So how many people ac-

tually attempt to hunt for

the root? “I’m not really

sure,” admitted Nick.

“Definitely not in metro-

politan areas, so not a whole lot.”

“It feels amazing,” said Nick de-

scribing the search for something

that helps cure people’s illnesses and

pain. The difficulty of the search is

well worth the rewards to this fam-

ily. The result in the end for this

family is not only a nice profit but

also the satisfaction of helping peo-

ple overcome diseases and illnesses.

Many high school students look for-

ward to their shining moment, the

moment when they are singled out

and allowed to play a solo. Bobby

Torbitt, senior, has many of those

“solo” moments. As the only mem-

ber in Mountainburg’s high school

band, Bobby gets more than his fair

share of solos.

Torbitt knows that many teens pre-

fer the faster pace of an athletic ca-

reer, but he finds solace and the op-

portunity he wants to express his

creativity in band.

Though he admitted

being the only member

can be lonely, he

knows the importance

of the class.

Mr. Allen Lawson, the

band’s director believes many stu-

dents just aren’t able to work the

class into their schedules. However,

Lawson also said he works hard to

encourage students to join.

Lawson admitted that it’s difficult to

have a band with

only one student, but

he also recognizes

the significance of a

class to someone like

Torbitt, who truly

enjoys the music and

being a part of something.

Next year Mountainburg may see a

year without music, as Torbitt

graduates this May; however, both

Lawson and Torbitt hope to see new

comers in the fall.

One Man Band

6

Over the past month, our school has

missed 10 days of school due to the

weather. Many have wondered and

worried about how we will make up

those days.

We have used days we would nor-

mally have not been here to make

up some of these days such has

Presidents Day, Good Friday, and

Martin Luther King Day. Another

concern for students and staff was

the possibility of losing Spring

Break. Although this rumor made

its way through the masses, it will

not happen.

Another option was Saturday school

-a horrible thought

to most students.

However, the fac-

ulty voted to decide

whether or not eve-

ryone would be at-

tending Saturday

school or going later

into the summer season. The staff

decided that there will be no Satur-

day school, and we will use holidays

during the year to make up some of

these days as well as pushing the

last day of school back.

School is now sched-

uled to release on June

8th, with the exception

of seniors who will be

released May 13th.

Snow Days!

Winter 2011 was one

of the worst in recent

years.

Though brutal, the snow paints a

beautiful picture.

Even creeks and streams

struggled to keep moving.

Small birds search for food beneath

the snow.

7

Most Popular Reality Shows on

Television Right Now (according

to tv.com):

● The Bachelor

● American Idol

● Top Gear

● The Amazing Race

● Jersey Shore

● The Apprentice

● America’s Next Top Model

● Survivor

● The Real Housewives of Orange County

● MythBusters

● Break Out Kings

● Bad Girls Club

● Ghost Hunters

● American Chopper

● Keep Up With the Kardashians

● Undercover Boss

● The Oprah Winfrey Show

● The Doctors

● Top Chef

Most Popular Clothing Brands for Teens!

March is Women's History

Month

“Every time you meet a

situation, though you

think at the moment it is

an impossibility and you

go through the tortures

of the damned, once you

have met it and lived

through it you find that

forever after you are

freer than you were

before.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

"We delight in the beauty of the

butterfly, but rarely admit the

changes it has gone through to

achieve that beauty."

Maya Angelou

“Please know that I am quite aware of

the hazards. Women must try to do

things as men have tried. When they

fail, their failure must be but a

challenge to others.”

Amelia Earhart

2011 Theme:

Our History is Our Strength!

8