The Stinger - October 2010

Jamie BranscumCopy Editor

This year at Denison High School marks the first year 12th grade students have been allowed to paint their parking spot in the design of their choice. Before the school year was under way, however, some individuals chose to graffiti over the parking spots with paint. “It’s just like anything. You do something for the first time and people have to mess it up. We live in a society where people think they have the right to graffiti things. People put money and time into this. We’ll catch them,” Associate Principal John Parker said.

P.4 AP vs. Dual Credit | P.7 Faces of DHS | P.12 AYA Brings the World TogetherP.14 Band’s New Halftime Show | P.7 Junior-Senior War | P.13 New Student’s Perspective

Senior Parking Lot Gets a Makeover

The Freshman “Fifteen”

-page 12- New teachers

at DHS

-page 6,7-Students memorialize

Stephen Bernier

Denison High School 1901 S. Mirick Denison, TX 75020

October 2010Volume 9, Issue 1

Senior Kathryn Looney works diligently to make her parking space a masterpiece. Photo by: Emilee Bizzle

The people believed to have done this were graduates of the previous year. Last year’s seniors could not paint their own parking spots. This was mainly because the idea was not presented for approval. The thought of seniors having their own personalized spot was not even in mind. Seniors this year asked the school for permission to paint their spot and the principals approved the proposal. Some of last year’s seniors do not like how the Class of 2011 is allowed to do this and they were not. As an act of “revenge”, students of the Class of 2010 painted over the senior spots. CONTINUTED ON P4

Kayla RobinsonStaff Writer

They say that college freshmen gain 15 pounds in the first year of college, but in their first week of high school, “fish” gain an innumerable amount of stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. From the moment the new freshmen enter the Commons as marked underdogs in Fish Camp shirts, the onslaught of class work, the conversion

to A/B schedule, and trying not to get lost, quickly expand the comprehension of “stress.” The Commons on the first day was practically buzzing with the enthusiasm of the freshmen wondering if that’s where they should be, complaints of the older students, and the crowding of everyone’s newly picked out school supplies. The excitement of a new school can unnerve

freshmen as they try to find their way around. “The first week…was a little nerve-wracking because I was so excited, but now I just think of it as school so I don’t want to come,” freshman Brooke Wright said. Once the initial excitement has worn off, freshmen begin to examine the distinct differences from B.Mac, like morning homeroom, four different lunch periods, and the concept of

prioritizing homework. “Middle school was a lot easier than high school,” said freshman Lance Hefner. Getting used to the A/B schedule will be a challenge for freshmen who are used to having the same classes every day. “We already have so much homework, and with the A and B days, it’s hard to keep track of what’s due when,” said freshman Mackenzie Thompson. CONTINUED ON P9

-page 11-Volleyballreview

-page 11-Football season

kicks off

College freshmen may gain fifteen pounds, but high school freshmen gain a whole new set of worries, responsibilities, and opportunities

What’s Inside

UpcomingEvents

October 5thVolleyball Simply the Best Night (Home)

Denison v. Greenville4:30 P.M.

October 5thTennis Match (Home)

Denison v. Mount Pleasant3:30 P.M.

October 6thEarly Release

October 8thVarsity football game (away)

Denison v. Royce City7:30 P.M.

October 8thVarsity, JV, and 9th Volleyball games

(away)Denison v. Royce City

5 P.M, 6:30 P.M.

October 11thNo School

October 22Varsity football game (home)

Denison v. Sherman

October 2010 Page 2

Editorial Policy The Stinger newspaper is a student-generated publication that is produced, edited, and maintained by the DHS journalism staff of room 105. The Stinger encourages student expression and is designed to be a forum for open discussion.

As part of its mission to serve as a medium for debate, The Stinger supports and accepts letters to the editor. All submissions must be signed by the author and delivered to room 105. The staff reserves the right to edit any material.

Editorials appearing in The Stinger represent the sole views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or those of the DHS Journalism Department.

http://www.denisonisd.net/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=7274&

O P I N I O N

COMMENTARY It’s hard to believe that just three weeks ago was my first day entering Denison High School. My first day was full of fun from joining in the Poor Fish parade, to marching around screaming “One, One!” After a couple of days I finally got the swing of things and figured out my way around. Of course this was after being called an awkward freshman multiple times and having to explain to everyone that I am a senior before the agonizing freshman torture began. Been there, done that, no more

please. After I got settled in and the faces became names I started to realize the perks and the opportunities Denison high school has to offer. Mrs. Hatfield helped me so much to figure out my classes and where I would fit in the multitude of students that go here. After finding my out my interests and my career path she ended up placing me in Mr. Eaves’ media class to see if I could be on any of the staffs. Which places me here, on The Stinger staff, and there, on the Yearbook staff. I’ve felt so welcome and yet so overwhelmed because compared to where I came from,

Faith TurnerStaff Writer

A Whole New WorldMcAlester, Oklahoma, Denison is about ten times as big and one hundred times better. The curriculum is a lot different. Oklahoma is on the EOI system which is just one test every year on everything you learned in that one class. Texas is a lot easier and a lot vaguer but the test’s are more to the point and cover what you absolutely need to know to succeed. All in all Denison has been so welcoming, and even though it’s much larger, it is homey. I’ve made so many new friends and I hope to keep making more. I couldn’t have chosen a better school to graduate from. One, One!

COMMENTARY Every time you sit down with a counselor, you’ll hear the same thing regarding choosing clubs and classes to be a part of: “Colleges look for these clubs and these subjects and these grades, and so you must be a part of these things in order to be accepted.” Academic advice, rightly so, has become more geared towards your appearance to college boards instead of the true interest you should have in a subject. My current schedule came from a compilation


of ideas provided from friends in the grade above, my peers, and the ever-looming concept of ranking. An entirely new workload will be expected of me in AP classes, and yet the need to join certain clubs purely for transcript enrichment hangs over my head. Being in Spanish club, UIL academic teams, Denteens, StuCo, and Varsity tennis would look great on college applications, but I’m apprehensive as a timid sophomore: I’ve seen how past students have been affected by taking on too much at once. My advice for all of the freshmen already

planning out their entire high school career, and even upperclassmen feeling the strain of class ranks and college applications, is to get involved with clubs. Further more, clubs that you are interested in joining and learning more about. Instead of going to extremes, attempt to be good at several things, and save yourself the stress of trying to be great at everything. Compromise: the key to high school.

It’ll Look Good on College Applications

Above: Fish Camp Class of 2014. Photo by: Brooklynn Allen

Above: Denison’s own unique “Party Pit” Photo by: Courtney Clapp

October 2010 Page 3O P I N I O N

Vampires Suck: Sparkles, Werewolves, and Crazy Fangirls

Movie Buzz Stinger staff reviews of the latest, greatest, movies and videos

Jerrika WhiteStaff Writer

COMMENTARY Next time you sit down at Mc-Donald’s with your Big Mac and order of fries, and you’re preparing yourself to take that first bite of your juicy burger, take a moment before you chow down to think about what you’re doing. Do you know what you’re putting into your mouth? Do you know who raised that cow you’re eating? Do you know how that meat on your Big Mac came to be a greasy patty with cheese? Most people would say no. As of a few days ago, I would have said no. However, I have recently become enlightened on the subject. After hearing one of my friends go on and on about this movie I had never seen or even heard of, I decided to sit down and watch Food, Inc. to see what the big deal was. As it turned out, I was near-ly clueless as to how our food industry operates. Watching this film has made me look at my break-fast, lunch, and dinner in a whole new way. There are numerous issues that are being kept from the consumers to ensure our business. Food, Inc. takes you to the source and lays it all on the dinner table. Some problems mentioned in Food, Inc. weren’t new to me, such as diabetes, obesity, and pesticides.

However, I had no idea that genetically engineered meat and produce was being sold in grocery stores. The recent discovery of the ability to mix and match genes have taken the food industry to a new level. Biotechnologists have now begun to take the genetic make-up of one organism and insert it into the genet-ic code of another to create genetically engineered food, such as “su-per” pigs with human growth genes. Now more than ever, these products are being released into stores for our consumption. As astonishing as it may be, there are several other issues just as baffling as ge-netically engineered food that are unveiled in Food, Inc. These in-clude factory farming, foodborne illnesses, and cloning, just to name a few. Hearing of all the new inven-tions, dangers, and

Food, Inc. Makes Eating Scarymysteries of the food industry made me question many things. As a consumer, I honestly felt betrayed to learn that companies are doing their bests to keep these issues secret. Food, Inc. has shown consum-ers what the companies of the food industry wouldn’t. To learn more about these issues check out the of-ficial website of Food, Inc. at foodincmovie.com.

details that they add to make it very similar to the actual movies. I won’t give all the details for those of you who have not seen it yet, but I will give you some ideas. Of course they need to cast people who look similar to the real charac-ters in the movie; that’s a given. They also have the same lines from the book, but a tad different and over exaggerated. The clothes they wear are more so spot on than not. And the settings, where everything takes place and how cer-tain things look, are creepy close. I even heard that for the 4th movie, “Breaking Dawn”, is being held at the exact same place that they filmed this movie, but we’ll just have to wait and see for that in 2011. I know that there are some major Twilight junk-ies out there

Mikayla RossStaff Writer

COMMENTARY Seeing the previews for any movie on TV really catches my eye. I usually can’t wait un-til it comes out so I can see it. So, it was no different when the advertisement for Vampires Suck came out. It’s a spoof about the Twilight saga movies. Now, I am a big twilight fan and read the books multiple times and adore the mov-ies, but I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see a movie that makes me laugh to no end. Vampires Suck has got to be one of the funniest, most teasing movie spoofs that I have seen. It doesn’t just diss on Twilight either. It also has Lady Gaga, Fox News, and even Jer-sey Shore! What makes it funny is some of the little

who worship the ground at the mere mention Twilight. There are websites devot-ed to Twilight fanatics and there are even websites devoted to Twilight haters. I must tell you that either if you are a lover of not, you should really see Vam-pires Suck at least once. It’s just a lovable movie, I guarantee you that you will laugh more than once. The fans would probably love it more than the non-lovers because of how much de-tail they put in it. And sure, sometimes they may try too hard to make it funny and it is just stupid, but that’s what makes it a spoof. I must tell you that the ending is hilariously funny. I guarantee that you’ll want them to make another one after this. I wonder what it will be called….

I could be just one of those people who think everything’s funny, just so I can have a laugh, but I truly do think Vampires Suck is a funny, cute, and awe-some movie, I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD. So girls put on your Team Edward or Team Jacob shirt, and guys go……get your shirt on, and watch vampires Suck! Well besides that, it is a very great movie that I went to go see with my best friend Taylor Jones the Friday after it came out. We were laughing so hard that, if possible, we would have been walking out of that theatre with a new set of abs. Or, if legal, would have gone into anoth-er theatre to watch it again. But just for the record, we would never do that.

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October 2010 Page 4O P I N I O N

COMMENTARY An-other school year has rolled around, and ev-eryone, from freshmen to seniors, has new classes to face. There have always been de-cisions for students to make regarding classes: Pre-AP or regular, dou-bling up or taking it easy, distinguished or recom-mended plan. However, as senior year arrives for the class of 2011, one question arises that seems even more mud-dled than all the rest: What really is the differ-ence between AP and Dual Credit? We’ve been taking AP classes for years, but Dual Credit is a whole

new playing field. Both are upper level classes, but there are some dif-ferences that have to be considered when mak-ing scheduling choices. First of all, Dual Credit is just what it sounds like—the students, if they pass, get credit for the course in both high school and college. Ad-vanced Placement can also be used as college credit, but only if the student passes the end-of-the-year exam. Even then, not every college accepts AP credit, and different schools require different scores on the test to earn credit hours. However, for students playing the rank game, AP is the way to go. AP classes are level 3 courses at Denison High School, while Dual Credit

classes are level 2. That means that a 100 in an AP course counts as a 6.0 in the calculation of GPA, but a 100 in a Dual Credit course counts as a 5.0. It’s not a huge dif-ference, but it’s enough to make Dual Credit un-desirable for especially competitive students. There are also costs associated with Dual Credit that AP students may not have to pay. To be in Dual Credit, students have to enroll at Grayson County Col-lege, which means pay-ing tuition and, some-times, buying books. On the other hand, the only fee for AP classes is the $20 payment to take the test in May. Students in Dual Credit are taught by GCC professors, not DHS faculty. Because

of this, some Dual Credit classes require that the student comes to night classes on the Grayson campus, and get to leave during the school period that their class would otherwise occur. So, the answer to the AP vs. Dual Credit question had to be an-swered with even more questions: Can you pass the AP test, or do you want guaranteed college credit? Are you trying to move up in rank? Do you have money to pay for GCC classes, or do you pre-fer the cheaper option? Whatever the answer to these questions is, it’s guaranteed that Deni-son High School has a class that will match your preference.

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COMMENTARY Dear Abby, My girlfriend, who I have been dating for a couple of months now, won’t talk to me any-more. She is acting like she doesn’t want to be with me and that she doesn’t like me. I really like her. What do I do?

Dear John Doe,

I’m going to rely on my dear friend and Commu-nication Theorist, Harold Lasswell’s famous quote “who says what to whom in what channel with what effect.”This simply means what you are saying to her in what way and how she is reacting to it is going to affect the way the re-lationship goes. What

are you saying to her? Are you listening to her? Are you paying her your full attention? You could even ask her what you are doing, if anything, wrong, but, remember never change yourself to be in a relationship. Al-ways stay true to yourself first and foremost. Com-munication is key in any successful relationship. You have to remember this is high school. Girls do not know what they want and they are con-stantly changing their minds. If all else fails you move on. Find the girl that wants to communicate with you, and I do mean communicate. Talk face-to-face and maybe even have conversations over the phone. Do not rely on text messages through the whole relationship, because you cannot see how she is talking. With

girls, body language means everything and they love texting because they can be totally differ-ent and seem exactly how they want. Read her eyes and the way she is moving around you. Is she standoffish? Does she fold her arms? Does she fold one arm to hold the other? These signs show shyness or indif-ference. Try calling your girl. Even hearing her voice can give you a sign of what she is thinking. Is her voice quivery? Is she just giving you one word answers? Does her voice have a monotone sound? However, if she does not answer call her back, but, don’t keep calling. I hate to say it, but, after the second time and she has ignored your call it is a lost cause and it is time to move on. Relation-ships are not games.

Dear Abby: Relationship AdviceAbby

Staff Writer

AP vs. Dual CreditCina CatteauEditor-In-Chief

Emmi de VriesStaff Writer

When the bell rings the last day of school, assignments are forgotten and not touched again until the end of summer. Three months of relaxation, fun and laziness open to the students and school is let down the moment they leave the building. Things one had to work hard for during the school year fall into oblivion and the first day of school, finally, is a rude awak-ening from the dream of summer. Still, American stu-

dents can be pleased with the length of their summer break. Com-pared to the world, the USA belongs to the group of countries with the longest sum-mer vacation. Most others release the kids for just between six and eight weeks during the hottest time of the year. Germans, French, Swiss and Italians, to name just a few, aren’t benefited with a twelve week summer holiday. “I’d rather have a little more relax time than six weeks,” soph-omore Wesley Ste-phens commented.

Many others share his opinion. They can not imagine a shorter summer vacation and want it to be even lon-ger. On the other hand students can also see the negative side. “You forget a lot of things you learned during school,” sopho-more Sarah Shearer pointed out. This shows that peo-ple have shared views about a three month summer vacation. Ar-guments, however, support advocacies as well as adversaries. Since school and summer vacation go

hand in hand, the teachers of course have something to say on that subject. Surely they think beneficially about a three month break from their work, but they also have something positive in mind from a student’s point of view. “A three month summer vacation al-lows you to travel, to do projects around your home,” U.S. His-tory teacher Gloria Davidson declared. But teachers also see some negatives in being out of school that long. “Students lose good

habits and it takes a long time to build those habits again,” made English teacher Tim McFadden his concern clear. No doubt there is truth in these words, but nevertheless in the end it’s up to the students to decide whether to take a teacher’s advice seri-ously or not. After all, everyone is respon-sible for his own life despite the fact that some decisions might not look right to oth-ers. But people should always keep in mind that knowledge is power and that gain-

The Pros and Cons of Summer Vacationing this power is sim-ply paying attention to the environment and absorbing new im-pressions. Learning in the truest sense of the word, that’s what is taught in school. As the Roman phi-losopher and play-wright Seneca once said: “Non scholae, sed vitae discimus”, which is Latin for “We do not learn for the school, but for life.” Learning isn’t just something you need in school or something to please your teach-ers. It is a fluent, ever-changing and never ending process.

October 2010 Page 5F E A T U R E

Cina CatteauEditor-In-Chief

Students’ minds are beginning to be loaded with new information—rules, notes, lessons, homework, meetings, you name it. Sometimes we can become so consumed with our worries of the present that

we forget to remember the good times we’ve had in the past. This summer was better than ever for many students, and regardless of the school-

related thoughts that now stuff our heads, summer is worth remembering.

Of course, the typical summer activities have ensued this year: going out on

the lake, swimming, vacations, and the like. Two senior girls, however,

Meagan Hunter and Cassy Butters, took the opportunity of their summer vacation to change lives in an amazing way. “This summer I went to Japan on a mission trip. I went to the city of Tokyo with a group of about 120 Texas students. There, we had a mission to ‘Make Him Famous’ all over the city. Sharing God’s word with the Japanese people has completely changed my life,” Butters said. Students also went on vacations to get a much-needed

break from the stress and the hectic schedule of school. There’s

nothing like a week on the beach to take away all of the worries

(and, occasionally, knowledge) that the school year usually imposes.

“I spent a week in Hawaii on vacation. It was so beautiful, and I didn’t want to

leave. I got to swim with sea creatures and it was super awesome,” sophomore

Maria Hayes said. As the school year starts, and new stress

starts to overshadow our summer fun, let’s look back on an awesome summer and look forward to

the next. The summer is gone, but that doesn’t mean the memories won’t last a lifetime.

Kayla Robinson Staff Writer

This summer, there were more days than could be counted on someone’s fingers that it was possible to “fry an egg on the sidewalk.” This August has been the hottest since 2006, according to KXII weatherman Steve Lanore, and the Yellow Jacket extracurricular teams sure felt the heat during their summer practices. “I had a sunburn on my sunburn,” sophomore football player Joseph Trinkle said. Football practices were a feat to accomplish when the 18 days of temperatures 100 degrees and higher through August were accounted for. “You get used to it really quick,” sophomore football player Michael Parker added. Football isn’t the only sport having to fight the

temperatures. “Summer heat can be challenging for athletes. The temperatures on the tennis courts can easily get up to 120[degrees],” Brandon Wood, tennis team captain said. A big problem during matches was the heat index, which added to the higher court temperature. During summer practices, sitting out for several minutes was a necessity for some players as it reached the hottest part of the day. At first glance, sports teams seem to be the only groups forced to play through the heat, but the Touch of Gold band also persevered this summer. Band camp is reputed for its long, hot practices, during which many water breaks have to be given to the participants. “The heat during Band Camp was definitely a disadvantage,” Makayla

Snapshots of Summer: Students Share Experiences

Summer Weather Takes a Toll on Extracurriculars Reese, a sophomore tuba player, said. With temperatures forcing students to sit out the extremes and heat indexes creating moods of exhaustion instead of enthusiasm, learning the show must have involuntar i ly dropped a few places in priority for the group. “We just focus in and work hard to get what we need to do taken care of. If not for our own sa t i s fac t i on with success, we do it for Steve,” said Reese. Although the heat has d a m p e n e d some of the sports attitude, the

Junior Tim Bolen and sophomore Clifton Jack-son practicing during football two-a-days, where summer heat made practicing difficult. Photo by: Emilee Bizzle

dangerous temperatures haven’t got the best of everyone, including the soccer team. “Playing soccer in the summer heat was pretty tough, but I’m glad that we got some extra time

to kick a ball around,” senior Joseph Hefner said. The soccer team tends to play in horrible conditions and has proven resilient in the heat of the 2010

summer. Now that we’ve entered the fall, the sports scene should be looking up and we should expect great results from the hard work put in during the intensely hot summer.

This year, sports groups were forced to cope with the summer heat and long hours of practice.

CONTINUED FROM P1 “I thought it was pretty sad that people would actually come back to do that. A lot of people put money, time and pride into their own spot. I really hope, though, next year gets to do it because it’s really awesome to have your own decorated spot,” senior Abby Allen said. While the “awesome” idea has been approved, this year’s juniors wonder whether they will be allowed

Senior Parking

Lot Gets a Makeover

to paint their spot next year or not. “I think that it would be wrong to not let us paint our parking spots… I think [the juniors will be allowed to] because the juniors weren’t the ones who graffiti the parking lot, so why punish them for something they didn’t do,” junior Ashley Craig said. Mr. Parker said that the incident should not affect next year’s seniors being able to paint their parking spots.

Cina CateauEditor in Chief

As of August 18, Facebook unveiled the new “Places” feature, which allows mobile users to “check-in” to their location. While some people welcome this new feature as one more way to share relevant information with friends, it also raises some serious privacy questions. Everyone on Facebook wants to share details about themselves with the public: they post pictures, share personal information, and now let people know exactly where they are. People want to establish their own public image: it’s a simple matter for someone to find out

virtually everything about a Facebook user. However, it’s questionable whether such an image is desirable or not. Many times, Facebook has been heavily criticized for its confusing privacy settings, and the fact that the default settings are too lenient. On the places feature, the default setting is that only friends can see a user’s location. Still, this does not guarantee complete privacy. Many Facebook users are friends with people they do not know well—the places feature distributes sensitive information to these people. “We recommend that if you’re going to use any kind of location identity

social network, that you don’t tell people where you live. Don’t tag your own home,” Rainey Reitman, a spokes woman for the Privacy R i g h t s Clearing h o u s e s a i d . “If you at least k e e p your home somewhat private, you

won’t be sending an open invitation to burglars.”

In addition, friends can tag each other in

locations—whether

you’re there or not. The

user can

deny that

they’re at that

location, but

chances

The New Places of Facebookare, unless they are on Facebook at the time, it may be a little too late.

“Facebook should leave it up to users to enable the feature if they want to check in at places instead of making the people who don’t want to use it have to adjust their privacy settings. It’s kind of unfair to people,” executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center Marc Rotenberg said. “It’s a little bit like saying, ‘We’re not sure if you’re happy, but this is how it is.’ “ If it’s so controversial, some may wonder why Facebook came up with this feature in the first place. The new feature allows Facebook

and its advertisers to reach a more specific audience: they use the places that a user visits to determine your interests and activities, and then they know which advertisements to display on that user’s page. All social networking sites, from Xanga to MySpace to, now, Facebook, are potentially dangerous in the information that they share with the public. There is always the danger of revealing too much information to too many people—information that has the potential to be used against the user. Caution must be taken on the part of the user, with or without the places feature.

Floods in Pakistan Devastate the CountryJamie Branscum

Copy Editor

In World Geography and History class, students hear about monsoons in the Indus River Valley during the Harappan civilization time period. Of course students learned that these floods happened B.C. However, this year a monsoon hit Pakistan, a country located in the same place as the ancient civilization, and was declared the worse flood in decades to the area. Sometimes people hear about tragedies that happened/ are happening in the world and do not realize the magnitude of it. One may learn of fifty people dying one day in war and not take in to account how many lives will be affected. To realize the impact of the flooding in Pakistan, a comparison would be a p p r o p r i a t e . Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of 2005 and directly affected seven states in America, in a country of roughly 300 million people. Pakistan has a population of 176 million people. 1,800 people were killed by the hurricane, According to the BBC news, 1,500 were killed by the monsoon in Pakistan.

200,000 American homes were destroyed, and1.2 million homes in Pakistan. One million people in Hurricane Katrina were “displaced” and the total cost of damage was 100 billion dollars. In Pakistan 17 million people were directly or indirectly affected, and 1.6 million people have already got a disease (cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery) from the dirty flood waters. Hurricane Katrina is to America as the 2010 Monsoon is to Pakistan. The overall worst thing about the Monsoon is the little interest Pakistan’s government has shown for helping out the part of Pakistan being destroyed by the flooding. Hurricane Katrina received all America’s attention as well as help from the entire nation, even

from the government. In Pakistan, however, the government is offering little to no help for the people and the land, even though it is badly needed. “Hundreds of thousands of people were left stranded and in need of food, medication and clean drinking water,” rescue workers in Pakistan said. Some help is expected for the affected area of Pakistan, though. The E.U., Japan, Australia, and the Islamic Development Bank have p l e d g e d

October 2010 Page 6F E A T U R E

millions of dollars for the cause. Smaller organizations like the Baptist World Aid have pledged money for the relief of Pakistan.

“Every dollar makes a difference. Five dollars can buy 50 high energy bars providing much needed nutrition; ten dollars can provide a

child or mother with a blanket; and about 40 dollars can buy material to shelter a family of four,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

N E W SOctober 2010 Page 7

FACES O

F DEN

ISON

HIG

H

Jerrika WhiteManaging Editor

Each year juniors and seniors get pumped for the traditional junior senior war, a never ending battle of practical jokes, pranks and gags. However, this year the junior senior war has been brought to a whole new level. Vandalism has taken place on school property, and it’s assumed that it has something to do with

the junior senior war. “Most kids just toilet paper houses, or egg cars. But they went a little far with spray painting on the senior parking spaces. I didn’t get one, so it didn’t really bother me. But I know a lot of people who were pretty mad about it,” senior Alex Elk said. The vandalism is still being looked in to, but whoever is responsible still remains a mystery. However, some have


In elementary school, each summer painted a picture of nonchalance and relaxation paired with family trips and sleepovers. The only thing that’s changed is the addition of a dark cloud of worry that hides in the back of students’ minds as their summer assignment is put off until panic starts to set in for school. One of the school’s customs most opposed by students is the summer assignment. Understanding why teachers assign summer assignments is crucial to plucking up the motivation to finish your project before the last week of summer, but most high school students don’t make the effort to see the purpose of summer assignments. “Teachers assign [summer assignments] in order to

prepare us for the new year, but don’t they realize we put them off until the last minute,” said sophomore Maria Hayes. The teachers’ ideas behind assigning summer homework, in student’s opinions, are not beneficial enough to override the infringement of their summer relaxation. “Summer assignments are like taking medicine or eating Brussels sprouts; You hate it at the time, but it helps you in the long run, English teacher Mrs. Matherly said.In spite of agreeing with the concept of summer assignments, support for the “turnitin.com” system of turning in essays is hard to come by. The online site, in which essays can be turned in on the due date whether it is during a weekend or a summer vacation, is reshaping the way summer assignments

are tackled. Hayes points out that “[putting off summer assignments is] no longer an option since they can now set earlier deadlines than the first week of school.” Having to turn in homework before the school year has even started will take some time getting used to for high school students. “I do not like summer assignments at all because summer is a break from school,” said sophomore Kaila Powell, who started her summer assignment mid-July.Instead of being called carefree teenagers during the hot summer months, the term “student” has become appropriate as a permanent classification. For many students the online system implemented by the Denison school district seems to be bringing education that much closer to year-round schooling.

Junior-Senior War Taken to a New Lowtheir own suspicions as to who did it. “Too bad it wasn’t even any of the juniors or seniors. It was the high school heroes. I think some kids from last year’s graduating class, Big Ten, did it. I guess they think they’re still big and bad,” senior Anthony Piazza said. Some think it was last year’s graduating class, and some think it was a cause of the existing junior senior

war. Either way, it has many upset. One might say that whoever spray painted the parking spots are missing the original point of the junior senior war. “The junior senior war isn’t about messing up parking lots. The whole point is to have some fun and put a little excitement into Denison, Texas, which is pretty hard to do,” senior Timothy Hoover said.

Summer Assignments Harder Than EverGone are the days of carefree summers, free of unwelcome intellectual intrusions. Now, especially for AP and Pre-AP students, summer assignments can make the summer almost

as stressful as the school year itself.

SCHOOL

“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity”, William Penn. Penn might have been think-ing about his deceased father while writing the above sen-tence. This sentence, a simple collection of words, would cause anyone to think about a loved one they have lost. The thought would be encouragement for them to go on, even though the battles inside are tough and the pain often seems unbearable. When one loses their child, their parent, their sibling, or their friend, death can seem like a terrible being trying to rid them of the extra skip in their step and the gleam in their eyes. Death, however, just means the spirit is no longer imprisoned in the body and life no longer confined in time. Since Stephen Joseph Bernier (Steve) had a testimony of believing in Jesus, his life has not ended. Steve may have faced death on Wednesday, June 15, 2010 but his soul will never perish. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16. Stephen was born August 6, 1994, to his parents Mi-chael Bernier and Chris Orr Bernier, in Atlanta, Georgia. He leaves two siblings, Michelle Bernier and Matthew Bernier. “He is survived by… paternal grandmother Ellen Bernier of Cleveland, GA; maternal grandmother Arlene Orr of Alpharetta, GA; aunts & uncles Wayne & Debbie Orr of Dunwoody, GA, James & Jo Orr of Rome, GA, Christo-pher & Gretchen Bernier of Cleveland, GA, Timothy & Col-leen Bernier of Cleveland, GA, Jeffrey & Robin Bernier of Lula, GA; cousins Aaron Lewis, Alivia Bernier, Alyss Berni-er, Anna Orr, Caitlin Bernier, Darren Orr, Isabella Bernier, Jarred Bernier, Jessica Bernier, Naomi Bernier & Will Orr. He was preceded in death by grandfathers Laurent Bernier and James Orr.” Steve was in the Class of 2012 at Denison High School. He was the type of guy that put school work high on his priority list. Through many hours of study and self-determi-nation Steve completed his sophomore year as second in his class. While attending Golden Rule Elementary School in Denison, Texas, Steve set the record for the most AR points earned. His record stands to this day. He received several trophies for his reading skills as well. In 7th grade at B. McDaniel Middle School Steve won the “Patriot’s Pen” award sponsored by the VFW every year and received a savings bond as a reward. The school, in fact, ran out of awards to give him and created new ones every semester. Teachers in school liked Stephen in their class because he was a hard worker and very polite. He set the mark for an ideal student. “Stephen had many qualities that teachers wish for their students; among them were hard work and determi-nation. I had the pleasure of having Stephen in two of my classes last year, Algebra II PAP and AP Statistics. Out of both those classes I can’t say that I remember him ever not having his homework much less having it incomplete. He took all the PAP and AP classes that were available to him even though it was a very rigorous schedule. He made sure that he did what it took to be successful. He is remem-bered by his friends as “Super Steve” and “Mr. Integrity”. I believe that these names do a great job of describing him outside the classroom as well as in it. He strived for his best in all he did. He was an excellent example to all who

Steve was honored and remembered by the band with a balloon release on his 16th birthday.

“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity”, William Penn. Penn might have been think-ing about his deceased father while writing the above sen-tence. This sentence, a simple collection of words, would cause anyone to think about a loved one they have lost. The thought would be encouragement for them to go on, even though the battles inside are tough and the pain often seems unbearable. When one loses their child, their parent, their sibling, or their friend, death can seem like a terrible being trying to rid them of the extra skip in their step and the gleam in their eyes. Death, however, just means the spirit is no longer imprisoned in the body and life no longer confined in time. Since Stephen Joseph Bernier (Steve) had a testimony of believing in Jesus, his life has not ended. Steve may have faced death on Wednesday, June 15, 2010 but his soul will never perish. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16. Stephen was born August 6, 1994, to his parents Mi-chael Bernier and Chris Orr Bernier, in Atlanta, Georgia. He leaves two siblings, Michelle Bernier and Matthew Bernier. “He is survived by… paternal grandmother Ellen Bernier of Cleveland, GA; maternal grandmother Arlene Orr of Alpharetta, GA; aunts & uncles Wayne & Debbie Orr of Dunwoody, GA, James & Jo Orr of Rome, GA, Christo-pher & Gretchen Bernier of Cleveland, GA, Timothy & Col-leen Bernier of Cleveland, GA, Jeffrey & Robin Bernier of Lula, GA; cousins Aaron Lewis, Alivia Bernier, Alyss Berni-er, Anna Orr, Caitlin Bernier, Darren Orr, Isabella Bernier, Jarred Bernier, Jessica Bernier, Naomi Bernier & Will Orr. He was preceded in death by grandfathers Laurent Bernier and James Orr.” Steve was in the Class of 2012 at Denison High School. He was the type of guy that put school work high on his priority list. Through many hours of study and self-determi-nation Steve completed his sophomore year as second in his class. While attending Golden Rule Elementary School in Denison, Texas, Steve set the record for the most AR points earned. His record stands to this day. He received several trophies for his reading skills as well. In 7th grade at B. McDaniel Middle School Steve won the “Patriot’s Pen” award sponsored by the VFW every year and received a savings bond as a reward. The school, in fact, ran out of awards to give him and created new ones every semester. Teachers in school liked Stephen in their class because he was a hard worker and very polite. He set the mark for an ideal student. “Stephen had many qualities that teachers wish for their students; among them were hard work and determi-nation. I had the pleasure of having Stephen in two of my classes last year, Algebra II PAP and AP Statistics. Out of both those classes I can’t say that I remember him ever not having his homework much less having it incomplete. He took all the PAP and AP classes that were available to him even though it was a very rigorous schedule. He made sure that he did what it took to be successful. He is remem-bered by his friends as “Super Steve” and “Mr. Integrity”. I believe that these names do a great job of describing him outside the classroom as well as in it. He strived for his best in all he did. He was an excellent example to all who

knew him and will be greatly missed,” math teacher Jen-nifer Brown said. “Super Steve” was commended on his TAKS (Texas As-sessment of Knowledge and Skills) scores several times, and even received a special commendation from the school board in 2004. He was a member of the National Junior Honor Society and was selected for membership in 7th grade. He received academic medals for science and history and math and Spanish and English. In May 2010 Steve took 4 AP exams and excelled on 3 of them. He made honor roll numerous times. Of course he did work for these things for a reason. His high school career goal was to become valedictorian. “Steve was an amazing and smart person who had a wonderful future ahead of him and was sure to succeed at whatever he chose to do in life. He’s left a mark on so many people…at our school and will never be forgotten,” junior Stacey Bangerter said. Steve was also a member of the 4H Livestock Club and for 5 years at Loy Lake showed meat goats. For this he won several ribbons and a silver belt buckle. Steve was also a part of band since 6th grade and he played the trumpet. As a Junior Steve would have been the trumpet section leader, and done very well at it. Steve was a dedicated musician and did his best to help other band members become the best they could be. It was said after his death that Steve did push-ups after every time he made a mistake when playing. This conditioning inspired some band members to try their hardest. “The headstone for his grave includes a special tribute to his love of music and playing in the band,” Mike Bernier said. Steve excelled in his academics and extracurricular activities, but the more important element of Steve was his character. When he saw a bully picking on a person, Steve stood up for the inferior. He was not afraid to get in the face of any person and explain to them that their behavior was not tolerable. He was able to put bullies in their place while being a friend to all. When someone looked at Steve, they might not have understood how he had the courage to stand up to a bully or stand up for an outcast. While on a bus route, Steve noticed that the riders were causing a distraction to his driver, Karla Kennedy, by talking too loudly and acting rowdy. His brother, Matthew, was there and said Steve stood up and gave everyone on the bus a lecture about not distracting the driver. In a few ways Steve took the place of an adult by his use of authority. Matthew said that Steve was able to do these things through leader-ship. “I got to see Steve at least twice a day while I was his School Bus Driver and sometimes on a band trip... He was a very respectable young man. I was glad he was a friend of my daughter Jamie,” Bus driver and Pastor Jim Bran-scum said. Steve made a good friend, but Steve always appeared to be the tough, unemotional guy, especially at school. His father, however, says this wasn’t always the case. This macho-man had a weakness. “Although Steve may have given the appearance of be-

ing a “tough guy”, he had a fear that became almost an ob-session - spiders. Much like Ron Weasley in the Harry Pot-ter books, and films, Steve was deathly afraid of spiders, and his greatest fear was that they would crawl on him and bite him while he was sleeping. He used to commandeer cans of bug spray to attack anything in the house that he thought was related to spiders,” Mr. Bernier said. Even though he had a phobia of spiders, Steve could face many challenges. After all, he was Mr. Integrity. Steve could endure hardships and improve in whatever he did. Stephen was the kind of guy who stood firm in his beliefs and showed others that no matter how wild, uncertain, or unsteady life can be, one can always be patient and learn from tribulations or mistakes. Everybody loved Steve be-cause of the kind of person he was. He was always willing to take time out of his very busy schedule to lend a hand to others. “Many of his classmates have remarked how he nev-er hesitated to help them with class work whenever they asked him; that was just part of his nature to be helpful. Al-though he was so open and helpful to others, and seemed such an outward personality, in reality he was extremely shy. He found it hard to talk to anyone, especially girls, about non-school or non-band subjects...and although he wouldn’t admit it to me, I could tell how alone that made him feel at times,” Mr. Bernier said. The saying that goes something like this: “If you just take time to get to know me…” could be applied to Steve. As quoted, he was “shy”. His emotions seemed to be hid-den from public view at times, but his close friends saw his personality unravel. This memory is very precious to his closest companions. He made an impact on many lives. “Steve was a gentleman and very well respected; all around, Steve was a good guy. He always kept us in line and never said no when asked a question on homework. He was one of the best people I ever got the chance to know. He made an impact on my life and I will never for-get him,” close, and personal friend of Stephen, Samantha Hander said. Impact in this sense is an understatement when de-scribing what kind of effect Steve had on many lives in the community. What is missed most about Steve is his de-sire to do everything well and his calm temperament (most of the time). When he wanted to do something in school, band, or church, he strove to put in his all. “Steve never failed to put his whole heart into whatever it was that he was working on. Steve was an awesome person. He was always willing to help whenever I had a question about school work. He made a huge impact on my life and I will never forget him and his love for God and others,” junior Kaitlyn Dowling said. The day of Steve’s accident, his family and friends lost a piece of their lives. However, Steve wouldn’t have wanted this to happen. Does one think that, when they move away from home, their family should forget them? No. Steve wouldn’t have thought that either, but he probably would say that his family and friends should try to live the life they have been given to its maximum. He might lay in the grave right now, but his soul, wishes, love, and memories live on, and so should we.


F E A T U R E

COMMENTARY Closed stores stringing together for hundreds of meters. Old roadside billboards swinging in the light afternoon breeze. No voices to be heard, just the engine of a car every now and then and the shining empty vehicles glistening in the bright sunlight, while the drivers are nowhere to be seen. Main Street - an empty road deserted

by humans, that exactly was my first impression of Denison downtown. Almost literally a ghost town and a closer look just confirmed that opinion. Completely abandoned, those are the words that jumped into my eye while reading the definition of a ghost town. Comparing that to my home town Kaltenkirchen, which is a small German town 20 miles north of Hamburg, I admit I was shocked. No people running around, for crying out loud. In

Downtown Ghost town - DenisonEmmi de Vries

Staff Writer

October 2010 Page 10

Denison there is just emptiness and drabness everywhere you look, and I am used to downtown as a place buzzing with life. I totally missed the diversity of stores and restaurants, the people pursuing their business and kids relaxing after school. There is a lot of potential for arguments in the reasons for the desertion, but at least from my point of view there are three main points. First, the convenience. It is much easier to do the shopping

in a big grocery store and cheaper as well. Second, the good old laziness. People do not want to walk around if they can as well take a car. And third, simply listlessness. There is no motivation to go to downtown and spend the day outside. However, I cannot share this opinion. Meeting friends downtown and go shopping can be so much fun. At least if there are some stores left. My host father just told me that the last shoe store had finally closed

and really, when I went to downtown the first time about two weeks ago, it was only to see that there are already too less shops left. But the question is whether downtown is abandoned because there is nothing interesting or exciting to do or if the lack of entertainment is a result of the desertion. No one can possibly answer this question since there is no way to make out the starting point in a cycle. Fact is that stores in an

abandoned area have no chance of surviving and no one bothers to come to downtown just to see close doors, shabby buildings and empty streets. Now imagine, just for a moment, how Denison downtown would look like in 10 years if it goes on that way. In my imagination there is no downtown Denison. What about yours?

Denison downtown. Photo by: Emmi de Vries Kaltenkirchen downtown. Photo taken from Google Earth

On a blind date, one may not meet their star crossed lover, or the Brad to their Angelina, but they can still have fun. All it takes is that leap of faith, and that’s what two people did when they turned in their names to be set up on a senior blind date. The winning applicants were Kourtney Phillips and Trevor Eaves. Neither of the winners knew who each other were. “I had seen him in the halls, and I heard Mr. Eaves had talked about him, but I didn’t, like, know him personally,” Phillips said. “I had seen her in the halls, but I didn’t know her either,” Eaves said. Anonymity always makes for the best blind date. What is a blind date if it’s not well…blind?

The point of this event was to help people make new friends, and that is exactly what was achieved. Both agreed when asked if the two would stay friends. “She’s pretty cool, and she’s funny,” Eaves said. “He’s so sweet,” Phillips said. There’s no better way to a man’s heart than with food. That places the setting of our date at Chili’s, of course. This provided the two with a great atmosphere and great food. The conversation between the two mainly consisted of future plans. “We both want to be teachers” Eaves said. They also discussed football. “I thought it was so cool that we both enjoyed football,” Phillips said. After talking to both about the experience, it’s easy to see that they had fun and that a new friendship was made.

Faith TurnerStaff Writer

A Blind Date - Top or Flop?

The winning applicants Kourtney Phillips and Trevor Eaves. Photo by: Kourtney Phillips

DHS SeniorS Submit applicationS for a Special project to be paireD up on a blinD Date to See if a new frienD, or a new relationSHip, can be maDe.

F E A T U R EOctober 2010 Page 11


It’s here. The new school year, the new freshman, the new seniors, the new everything. The 2010-2011 school year is defiantly a time to make a fresh slate and start something new. Students feel it in the air that something that has never happened before or has never been expected is going to pop out and surprise everyone. “It’s going to be a great year, I just know it,” junior Gloria Romano stated. Right she is, life is full of obstacles and it’s the way people face them that get them to the top. If it feels like this year is going to be horrible, think of all the new things that are available to do that last year was impossible to fit into the schedule. Join a club, play a sport, be active with the school, have spirit, show school pride, anything to keep this year as awesome as it can be. When it comes to DHS, the students are the ones that hold it together. “This new school has been the best by far! Not only because I’m a senior

but because I’ve met new people and made new friends,” senior Erichell Moore said. Meeting new people is always a great way to start off the new year with a bang. It definitely makes the experiences

faced worthwhile and it becomes a time where the memories of friendships made are cherished more than ever and are even more enjoyable. Friendship is the key to a great school years, as well as grades, but mostly

it’s the friends that make school so much better and fun. “I think my last year at DHS will be very memorable and I’m excited to see what’s in store for me this year,” Moore stated.

It’s all very exciting. This year is going to be a ticket down memory lane because so much is in store. This year will not want to be missed. Documenting is the best way to save those precious memories that

can never be forgotten. Change is occurring faster than ever and be prepared for anything that sneaks up. Change is healthy, change is fun, and change is something that needs to be done.

Students Adjust to New High School Roles

CONTINUTED FROM P1 Freshmen have to adapt from being the “top dogs” last year to being the little fishes in a sea of sharks. “I’m very proud of myself…because I’m not getting lost anymore. I kept asking everyone where to go because I didn’t know which hall to go to,” freshman flute player Flor Ortiz said. Asking seniors for directions can be dangerous for a freshman, but thankfully Ortiz “feel[s] so comfortable” being a part of Denison High School. It can come as a shock to a student to walk into a classroom on the first day of school, set down their heavy backpacks full of books that they inevitably bring “just in case,” to find kids they’ve never seen before in their class. Noticing sophomores and juniors grouping together in a mostly freshman class can be unnerving after years of systems isolating each grade, but some overcome this fact by shedding a positive light

on an alien situation. “I love how…you’re not stuck with the same people all day,” Thompson said. After having a class full of strangers, walking into the Commons for lunch and gazing out across the crowded bodies pushing towards the Snack Shack or scrambling for seats on the stairs multiplies the stresses of high school. Right when panic starts to set in as people start piling up at the entrance of the Commons, the concept of friends gratefully throws itself back into the complicated mess of thoughts. “My favorite part of high school would have to be seeing all of my friends again,” freshman tennis player Brooke Wright said. After a week or two of pep rallies, four minute missions to every class through the packed hallways, and extensive homework assignments, everything starts to set in. “[School is] very, very, very boring,” Hefner said.

The Freshman “Fifteen”

Freshmen got their first taste of high school in fish camp during the summer. Photo by: Brooklynn Allen

Denison’s traditional Party Pit shows support for the football team. Photo by: Courtney Clapp

High School Comes With New BeginningsJerrika White

Managing Editor

A new school, new students, and new teachers; like a fish out of water. It can be hard to adapt to the dramatic changes that high school include. However, it can be a chance to make new friends, learn new things, and earn new freedoms. Overall, the good out weighs the bad.

“I wasn’t really scared, just nervous. I already had two older sisters going to the high school, so I wasn’t worried about anybody messing with me or anything. I just didn’t want to get lost on the so called third floor or something stupid like that,” freshman Megan Miller said. Being a freshman can be nerve racking, but

it’s not as bad as it seems. Some might even say that high school is even fun compared to middle school. “I don’t really enjoy school at all, but the difference between the middle school and the high school is crazy. School is kind of fun when you get treated more like adults and not two year olds,” Miller said.

Being in high school, you get more privileges and freedoms. This can make school easier to enjoy. “I already like the high school way more than the middle school,” Miller said. Miller has taken a liking to her new home here at DHS, as most fish have.


September 11th: We Will Never Forgetworkers and families still face the after effects of 9/11 in 2010. A woman named Reggie Cervantes was a worker at the 9/11 site the day of the attack. She is called a “dust victim”. Her story is that she arrived immediately after the towers were hit and started to help rescue workers find victims and clean up the debris. She lost seven of her friends and one of her cousins when the towers collapsed. She


On September 11, 2001, America was struck by the worst terrorist attack in her history. With the twin towers demolished, workers tried to rescue any persons still in the building, but 2,975 of its inhabitants were killed. Even though many Americans have moved on past September 11,

Reggie Cervantes stands out-side at a rally supporting “The

Dust People.”

AYA Brings the World TogetherEmmi de Vries

Staff Writer

“Is this your first year at DHS?” “Well, … actually it’s my first time at an American high school at all. I am an exchange student.” Imagine this is the first meeting between an American teenager and an exchange student. The teenager’s response could very likely look like this: “Oh, that’s interesting. Where are you from?” Most Americans are really excited about students from a foreign country. Everyone wants to talk to the new student, the boy or girl with the strange clothes or the funny accent, in other words the exchange student. Although most American teenagers are used to them, they get excited with every new face because each one

has a different story to tell. “I think they are awesome because they are different…they don’t seem as influenced by outside things as a lot of people in our high school,” senior Tanner Morgan said, talking about his opinion on exchange students. This is a very positive point of view indeed that many others share and confirm. “I love learning how it is around the world for kids our age,” another senior Abby Allen said. But while most Americans are outgoing and eager to talk to them, most exchange students are rather shy in the beginning. That doesn’t mean they don’t like the Americans, in fact, they secretly wish to be part of their cliques, to be accepted. Surely

that can be difficult considering the cultural difference, but the much more important reason is that they don’t know the other students jet. Socializing isn’t always easy and people shouldn’t forget that talking and understanding a foreign language can give one a hard time as well.

“It’s interesting and exciting to meet all the new people and learn new things, but sometimes it can be a little scary, too,” exchange student Juliane Waack from Germany admitted. Nevertheless is

an exchange a great opportunity for everyone involved. About 25,000 students come to stay in the United States every year. Reams of organization offer teenagers around the world the opportunity to travel to and live in a foreign country. One of those is AYA (Academic

Year in America), which is one of the largest and most respected high school/homestay programs in the United States. It was founded in 1981 and is now recognized by many American high schools

and host families. Most of those school and families accept one or several exchange students every year. The personal reasons vary but all of them want to learn. Such as in schools and classes a teenager from a different country can bring fresh and alternative experiences.

So, to be sure, a teacher’s opinion on cultural exchange is important. “Having a different perspective opens up lessons and discussions in class. I wish more U.S. students would take advantage of this

opportunity,” English teacher Tim McFadden agreed. But not just in school, also in everyday life another culture can change many things. Students seek to learn and travel, American

families however, have their own reasons to accommodate an exchange student. “We wanted to give a student the opportunity they are seeking to be an exchange student and offer them various experiences in this country,” host parent Kristi Brashier said. Basically the families are interested in learning about a different culture and language. If the chemistry is right the exchange can become an unforgettable experience for both sides. It’s even possible that student and host family develop a life-long relationship. The same of course goes for everyone else. So students, teachers and parents shouldn’t miss their chance to learn about a different culture and join the world.

said that no counseling was provided to her or others like her who lost loved ones in the disaster. After weeks of cleaning up the debris she noticed that she had trouble breathing and her cough was terrible. She went to her doctor and he prescribed her some antibiotics, but would do nothing more for her. He simply said she should be grateful that she was even alive. After a few months

her condition had not improved. She used to be a runner and suddenly her “lungs could not keep up with (her) body” when she ran. She was wheezing constantly, and her health was gradually deteriorating. The government gives her no financial help for her hospital bills (worth tens of thousands of dollars). She is a single parent with no job; she receives a disability that is not enough to live on. For people like

Cervantes, government assistance is minimal and hospital bills climb. With national attention focused on international devastation like the hungry in Africa, little action is taken to help soothe domestic issues. It seems as if the dust victims have no say in the matter. These are Americans, the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On every September 11 since the attack, Americans remember

those who died in the killing. America also proved herself after that day by making a statement that terrorist attacks could not destroy the country or the country’s pride. The next time September 11 rolls around, Americans need to take thought for the ones who lost their lives and pray for the dust victims who need a voice in American government.

Thanks to the “Academic Year in America” organization, Denison High School is blessed with students from all over the world, which provides opportunity for beneficial cultural interaction for both parties.

Animal Shaped Cities in Southern Sudan


Mikayla Ross Staff Writer

They’ve been seen everywhere. At the stores, on people’s wrists, just about every place imaginable. So it’s no shock that they’re seen in school. Silly Bandz have grown to be the top, most popular fashion item. And being in high school, one is bound to find someone with their wrists covered with the rubber bracelets. At first, Silly Bandz were just rubber animal bracelets. But now they have been elevated into every type of shape imaginable. From the Toy Story 3 characters to the Statue of Liberty. People all around the world wear them, and Denison High

Emmi de VriesStaff Writer

Looking at this picture, at least one thing is pretty obvious: the rhino-shape. This discovery doesn’t help to answer the original question, though. A closer look, however, reveals strange patterns all over the rhinoceros. These abnormal shaped squares in different colors suggest the blueprint of a building or place, and right- it’s a rhino-shaped city. In fact the rhinoceros

isn’t one of a kind. Along with this one, Southern Sudan unveiled two more plans for the rebuilding of cities. One shaped like a giraffe, the other looking like a pineapple from above. The idea might sound strange, but the design hasn’t been randomized. All three are symbols in flags of Sudan’s states. “The shapes are what is innovative about the whole idea, that is what is attracting all the attention,” Daniel Wani, the man in charge of

Silly Bandz: The rubber band sensation that’s gripping the nation

the plans, said in an interview with CNN. So far, the reconstruction plans apply to the cities Juba, Wau and Yambio, which are all three capitals of Southern Sudanese states. The blueprints, containing detailed plans inter alia for a theme park, a golf course and a five-star hotel, attracted attention around the world. Smiles and laughter as well as worries and protest can be heard. “It’s such an awesome neat idea,” senior Abby

School is no different. “They’re great, and cool. And they say stuff,” j u n i o r T a r y n McDaniel said. Yes, t h a t ’ s right. Silly B a n d z also have bracelets that spell out words. But what a l s o c a t c h e s people’s eyes is how some of the bracelets a c t u a l l y h e l p them. “I think that they are good for kids to get to

know their numbers and alphabet,” senior Shaneel Jackson stated.

Silly Bandz are for every age, big and small. And the younger

crowds really seem to enjoy them. Silly Bandz are very helpful for the

younger age. It can help them know what certain shapes look like, how

Allen declared and sure the idea sounds nice. Yet people have also reason to disagree. They disapprove with Sudan’s newest plans for various reasons. ”It sounds ridiculous. No one could see its actual shape… satellites maybe,” biology teacher Stacey Counce pointed out and she as well is right though however the looks are not the only point argue about. As with everything, the issue really is about the money. Sudan is a rather

poor country despite its rich mineral resources. About 90% of Sudan’s population, which is one and a half times bigger than that of Texas, lives on less than $1 a day. The government, however, hopes that the new cities will boost the tourism and bring money into the state treasury. So far it doesn’t sound like the worst plan in the world, but everything has its price. In the case of the animal-shaped cities, talk is about

the outlines of animals look, and it keeps them interested about learning

everything and that is one of the reasons they are so popular. Another

A collection of the super popular Silly Bandz.photo by: paisley brady

expenses of $10 billion. Critics say the project may never escape the planning stage, and even if it does it would take decades to carry out the plans. Nevertheless, politics involved in the project tend to see things positive. Wani confirmed the reaction had been very good and they were getting calls from everywhere. Maybe someday people can say that they live in a rhino, or even a pineapple.

The blueprints for the city of Wau form the shape of a rhino.

interesting part is that the founder of BCP (brainchild products), Robert J. Croak, does not advertise them, it is simply viral marketing. No publicist or anything, it just started and stretched out into a seemingly epidemic fad. “Everyone has them, they’re pretty cool,” junior Gloria Romano stated. It’s amazing how popular these silicon rubber bands have become in such a small amount of time. Can grow old fast from over-usage, let’s hope Silly Bandz stay on the top list for a while. Silly Bandz are for anyone who wants to wear them. Collect them, trade them, and wear them. Silly Bandz are the must have item of the school year.

S P O R T SOctober 2010 Page 14

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The crowd cheers as the intercom announces their arrival. The well known tapping for the music to begin is heard and the white boots that kick to the highest step off into a prance. People are shouting names, and

red lipsticked lips are plastered with smiles as the united members of Touch of Gold guide the music to an end and the ladies from drill team are announced. “Left, left, left,” the performers say to keep them on foot while the whistle is blown to count them off. This is how every

Considering All the Time Spent on Half-Timehalftime show for Friday night football games start out. The hard work and time both of these organizations put in to make a wonderful halftime performance are definitely not overlooked. With the band, the Touch of Gold, having a two week camp along with color guard, they work extremely hard to get everything they

have trained for down. there theme for this year is “Haunted Carnival’. As well as the drill team, the ‘Stingerettes’, having only three short days to get five choreographed dances stuck in their head, all together that’s over 300 steps. It must be a work out for both organizations. “I love how they all practice together before a game to have a great halftime performance,” junior Gloria Romano said. Being a former Stingerette, she knows what it is like to have the special bond between the drill team and band. On Thursdays before

Friday night’s game, band invites the Stingerettes to practice performing their routine so that they can get a feel for the music as well as hear how the band will be playing it. It really helps them connect. It’s also easier on the dancers because when they play the CD version, it’s different from how the band plays it and getting their spacing and knowing where to go on the field is extremely important if they want the dance to look spectacular. The band also benefits because they know how far away they have to be so the Drill Team have enough room

to dance without running into someone’s shiny gold music player. “They’re very enjoyable. Playing over and over again gets tiring, but I like it,” freshman and Touch of Gold member Drew Davis stated. It is true that the band has to play the song multiple times because the Drill Team has to go over the dance more than once, but seeing them on the field with their sparkly overlays or sequin jackets is definitely worth it. They all work so hard and it will be very exciting to see how far they will take the music and choreography.

Left: The Touch of Gold band performs their 2010 halftime show “Haunted Car-nival.” Photo By: Courtney Clapp

Below: Stingeretees perform to “Let’s Get Crazy.” Photo by: Emilee Bizzle

S P O R T SOctober 2010 Page 15


With the Lady Jackets having a new coach it may be a little hard to adjust, but with the 11-12 record they seem to be doing great. Starting up district in

Greenville should be a fun and challenging experience, especially for the freshman.

“My favorite part of the games is working together and when everyone is supportive of each other and winning” freshman Christina Stinson said.

The Lady Jackets got through their first tournament in Whitesboro on Friday, September 3rd, with a record of 5-1. The Lady Jackets also went

on to win the Consolation Championship. “Our best strategy is team bonding, usually by playing the Zip and

Bong game which requires the use of good teamwork” junior Brieann Heaton said. The team overall looks happy out on the court playing and the passion for the game is intense. “We’re like one big happy family,” junior Alex Eichleberg said, “the intensity of the practices always brings us closer.” “The biggest strength these girls have is the desire to make this year the best one yet,” coach Shari Christensen said. So let’s hope for a great season and more kills to come from our queen bees of the net.


The football season has started once again and the question that has everyone guessing is: how will the Yellow Jackets do this year without the boys from the class of 2010 to the lead the way? “Honestly, in my opinion, I think we will be a pretty good outfit. We may not be as talented as were last year, but we are in just as good of shape as they were. We should at least make

it to an 11th game, hopefully, like every jacket tradition,” senior Kedrian Perry said. With the advantage of physical fitness on their side, Perry is optimistic as he starts out the new season. However, he admits the team may be lacking in some areas and Coach Rozell agrees. “The greatest disadvantage is our inexperience on Friday nights,” Coach Rozell said. Most players have little experience on the field. However,

Lady Jackets Own the Court

Below: The team demon-strates camara-derie. Photos by:

Left: Senior

Brooke Furst spikes the ball over the net. Photo by: Taylor Bogle

the team has been working hard on the things they can improve on, hoping to give them a good start to the season. “We worked hard at our lifting program and 7 on 7. 2-a-days played a huge roll in getting a good kick start on the season, too,” senior Dillon Wedel said. The team has done plenty of physical conditioning in efforts to prepare for this season. According to Wedel, not only is the team in great shape,

but they also have a better work effort that might be enough to keep them on top. “The advantage we have against the other teams is that we strive to get better. Not many people will feel the need to work harder and improve after a win. We do,” Wedel said. With that in mind, the Jackets will head out to the field in hopes of a victory. “We will work as hard as we can and do our best to bring home a win every week,” Wedel said.

New Football Players Step Up on the Team

Right: Senior Amanda Stevens prepares for a serve. Photo by: Courtney Clapp

October 2010 Page 16S P O T L I G H T

At the beginning of the school year, students tend to focus on the plight of freshmen, who may be overwhelmed with the transition into high school and the new opportunities that they are offered. However, they aren’t the only ones starting from scratch: this year, Denison High School welcomes 22 new staff members, teaching everything from athletics to fine arts to math to science. Take a look at just a few of the new staff members that began the new year with us. Matt Schielack joins Denison ISD as the Theater Director at DHS, teacher of Tech Theater classes, the Drama Club Sponsor, and the Music Teacher for all Denison elementary schools. He is from Caldwell,

Texas, and came to Denison because of the our high school theater program, as well as the opportunity to teach at the elementary schools. “I didn’t always plan on being a teacher—I have done some Professional Theatre work, and that was kind of what I wanted to do coming out of College, but I found the work force difficult at the time and fell back into teaching - which has been an excellent decision. I would still like to do some Professional Theatre on the side and maybe even get back to working with the Walt Disney Company which I’ve had 3 years of experience with so far. Teaching will always stay with me though - I love it,” Schielack said. Karen Ramirez teaches Algebra 1 and Math Models, along with coaching the girl’s soccer team. She

always planned on being a teacher and a coach, and enjoys her teaching

position because the students work so hard. “I am from the North Texas area originally but I was in South Texas the last 6 years. I came to Denison because of the opportunity to coach the girl’s soccer team,” Ramirez said. Another teacher and coach joined us this

year, Shari Christenson. She replaced Coach Hess as the Girl’s

Athletic Coordinator and volleyball coach, and teaches chemistry and physics. She was originally from South Dakota, but loves it here as well. “I won’t be moving back any time soon! I am in Denison because I am the new head girl’s volleyball coach. My

Cina CatteauEditor-In-Chief

New Faces in the BuildingStudents aren’t the only people new to Denison High School this year

[volleyball] girls are great... they help me to see that I definitely made the right decision to move to Denison,” Christenson said. Jodi Lynch also joins our ranks, as a preAP and AP chemistry teacher. She is a native Texan and is glad she got to stay close, even though, in college, she didn’t originally have any intention of teaching. “My husband took a job in Durant in January, so we are in the process of building a house and moving to Durant…I had no plans of being a teacher. In college I studied chemical engineering. Thank goodness life throws you curve balls, because that is what gave me the opportunity to teach. What I love most about DHS, so far, is that all the faculty and students have been so warm and welcoming,” Lynch said.

New students and freshmen aren’t the only new faces in the halls—our new teachers are also definitely deserving of a warm welcome and a fantastic year. They, like the freshman, are excited to be here and are glad to face a year of new opportunity. “I love the people here in Denison! Being a larger town/city, I expected a more big city feel coming here, but it’s not! Everyone is real friendly and makes you feel a part of their family almost. My co-workers have been extremely gracious thus far and I thoroughly enjoy working with the District. I also love the students! They bring a lot of joy, love, and excitement to class and in other activities/events, and that is really cool! I look forward to much more, and can’t wait for the rest of the school year,” Schielack said.

Sarah Stanley

Tom Longo

Matt Scheilack

Tami Hernandez

Casey Price

Karen Ramirez

Jill Blount

Starla Laxton

Sarah Stanley

Marty Nichols

Shari Christenson

Jodi Lynch

Joe Barnett

Jeremy Green

Wes Scott

Michael Alton

Krista Brown

Sue Ellen Long

Donna Parkinson

Josh Kelly

Basketball

CATE

Fine Arts

Cate Guard

Health, Football

Math

Math

Math

PE

PE, Basketall

Science, V-ball

Science

Science

Science

Social Studies

Spanish, Coach

Special Ed.

Special Ed.

Special Ed.

Special Ed.

New DHS Staff Members

Above, clockwise from top right: Karen Ramirez, math teacher and girl’s soccer coach; Matt Scheilack, the-

ater director, tech theater teacher and elementary school music teacher; Jodi Lynch, preAP and AP Chemistry

teacher; and Shari Christenson, chemistry and physics teacher, volleyball coach, and girl’s athletic coordinator.

Photos by: Taylor Bogle.

Documents

The Stinger - October 2010