The long-view - Longview Independent School District

Page 7
(Pinch!)
PROM
SENIOR
CELEBRATION
Happy St. Patricks Day!
Page 3
Pages 5 & 6
The Official Newspaper of Longview High School
The Long-View
Friday
March 11, 2011
Volume 74, No. 6
Since 1937
Senior earns national recognition
Tobeya Ibitayo
Editor-in-Chief
After a long and successful competition process, senior Claire Henderson
will be eligible for scholarship awards
in the spring as this year’s only National Merit Finalist from the high school.
The academic competition, established
by the National Merit Scholarship Company, selects the highest scoring junior
participants on the PSAT to qualify for
distinction.
“When my dad handed me the letter,
I screamed because I couldn’t believe
it,” Henderson said. “It was just a huge
relief because I’ve been stressing out
about that all year long.”
Of more than 1.5 million nationals
entrants into the program, only about
15,000 semifinalists advance to the
Finalist standing. Last year, the high
school had just one student to receive
this distinction.
“Once you get to the semifinalist
stage, there are further steps,” Henderson said. “You have to make a high
enough score on the SAT to match your
PSAT score to know it was not a fluke.
You have to have a recommendation
from your principal and they look at all
your high school grades. You’re score
on the PSAT is just what gets you to the
next level.”
The National Merit Scholarship
National Achievement:
National Hispanic Scholars: Commended Students:
Hannah McDonald
Britton Eastburn
Matthew Cole
Carlos Rodriguez
Christine Suggs
Allyson Castillo
Collin Gonzalez
Bria Hardeman-Moore
Michael Ibeh
Tobeya Ibitayo
Freshman gains
world-wide attention
with Facebook faceoff
Judge ends
desegregation
law from 1970
Tobeya Ibitayo
Editor-in-Chief
Felica Ellison
Staff Writer
T
Amanda Hutcheson / THE LONG-VIEW
Freshman Alaxic Smith checks his website for updates. Nearly 5,000 people
have signed up for an account on the social network SwiftSharing.
to interact with their friends in
the same way as Americans are on
the website.”
SwiftSharing, like Facebook,
is a social network that is mainly
based on feeds or posts.
“SwiftSharing is a social network that allows you to differentiate the posts you want to see from
your friends based upon the topic
of the piece of content,” Alaxic
said. “Unlike on Facebook, people
can like and dislike posts.”
SwiftSharing plans to be out of
beta this summer. Beta is the testing stage of a working website.
“The site is all about what the
people want, not what we want
to do,” Smith said. “Facebook
makes sudden changes without
consulting the 500 million people
that use it and it really frustrates
them. Eventually we hope to offer
customized feeds which will in a
way be like Facebook fan pages,
but with more customization and
wider user reach.”
The SwiftSharing team has
plans to go to California this summer to discuss future business
prospects.
“We have an offer from someone who’s interested in investing
some major bucks in the site,”
Smith said. “As far as offers to buy
it, we haven’t gotten any.”
Pinecrest
to host
senior prom
A 1970 federally mandated desegregation order for Longview ISD ended Jan. 24 with the
signing of a court order. The lifting of the desegregation order, which required 70 percent white
and 30 percent minority students at each campus, is part of a district effort to obtain unitary
status – a distinction given to districts no longer
operating segregated school districts and that
have eliminated vestiges of past segregation.
“We’ve been out of compliance with the order
for a long time because the makeup of the district has changed,” Deputy Superintendent Andrea Mayo said. “Very few districts still operate
under a court order. Forty-one years is a long
time, but the time is here.”
Mayo said the district has been working with
the court to try to receive a consent degree where
we could move from the original order.
“We are very delighted that the district received the signed consent order,” Mayo said. “I,
personally, and we, as a district, have a great
deal of satisfaction that this was accomplished.”
In addition to signing a joint motion with
the Department of Justice, the district recently
implemented six new attendance zones for elementary schools under the neighborhood school
plan. Elementary students feed into one of three
middle schools, which then feed into the high
school.
“I think the students are going to benefit because the attendance zones were approved,”
Mayo said. “They stay in their neighborhood
schools pre-K through five and don’t have to
change schools.”
With LISD now educating more black and Hispanic students than white students, the lifting of
the desegregation order comes late according to
freshman Jaida Murray.
“I think they should have gotten rid of it a long
time ago, because we were already integrated,”
Murray said. “It’s pointless for them to have just
now lifted the order.”
desegration law
Established in 1970 (forty-one years ago), an
era suffering from educational segregation
Required 70 percent white and 30 percent
minority students at each LISD campus
Prevented the district from obtaining the
unitary status distinction
Ended Jan. 24 with a federal court order
signed by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis
News-Journal awards two juniors
for annual essay competition
Tobeya Ibitayo
Editor-in-Chief
Tobeya Ibitayo
Editor-in-Chief
Pinecrest Country Club will
host this year’s prom from 8
p.m. to 11:45 p.m. with hors
d’oeuvres to be served at nine.
“I think it will be really nice
this time because of the fact
that will have a larger venue,”
senior sponsor Sybil Blacklock
said. “Our DJ is Coach Sims,
and we will be taking requests
the week of prom so that should
get the music in order. People
need to go ahead and buy their
prom tickets, like now.”
Indicative of the event’s nature, this year’s theme is A
Black Tie Affair which is an ex-
See NATIONAL MERIT on Page 2
sat /psat recognition for seniors
The New Social Network
he clicking of the keyboard
overpowers the music coming from the speakers as
freshman Alaxic Smith rapidly
knocks out line after line of coding. He is interrupted by an instant message from a classmate
asking for help on homework,
which reminds him that he has to
squeeze that in somewhere into
his busy night. He flips through
different screens pausing for
a matter of seconds on each to
check status updates, the number
of members, and the database.
Smith created a growing, world
wide social network called SwiftSharing with the help of fellow
freshman Spencer Smith. The adventure started back in the summer of 2010 when they started
site similar to Facebook.
“We were making a very pretty
penny off the site with almost no
maintenance,” Alaxic said. “We
were right at our peak, and then
Facebook blocked us, which drove
our traffic down.”
Once their Facebook page was
blocked, they created their own
social network called Your Mine
and Our Life.
“YMO Life wasn’t successful at
all because it did exactly what Facebook does in the same way,” Alaxic said. “I then got the idea for
the SwiftSharing site one night
while frustrated with all the crap
on Facebook.”
SwiftSharing was released Jan.1
and within the first week had over
five-hundred members. As of
March 8, the site had 4,742 users.
“I never thought it would grow
as fast as it is,” Alaxic said. “I honestly have no idea where the people are coming from, but they’re
coming.”
There are users from all over
the world. The United States has
the most users, but many users
originate from about fifty other
countries.
“After we translate the site into
multiple languages it will grow
even faster than it is now,” Alaxic
said. “That opens up the door for
us to communicate with people
from other countries and for them
Company also recognizes students as
commended who show outstanding
academic promise, but do not continue
in the competition for National Merit
Scholarships. For underrepresented
Kevin Berns / THE LONG-VIEW
Senior Emily Todd purchases her prom tickets from senior class sponsor
Sybil Blacklock during lunch on Wednesday.
tension of senior celebration.
“Seeing every one look all
pretty at senior celebration
was a lot of fun, so I think prom
will be fun too,” senior Danica
Sheek said. “We’ll all get to be
together hanging out. I’m excited to see everyone dressed
up.”
After today, tickets will be
sold at the normal price of $60
for couples and $35 for single
guests, instead of $40 and $25
respectively.
Zonta Club: For students with
trouble affording prom dresses, the
Zonta Club is here to help.
Page 6
Juniors Jack Littlejohn and
Sarah Konvalin won scholarship awards as winners of
the annual Laws of Life essay
competition, sponsored by LeTourneau University and the
Longview News-Journal. The
regional contest requires high
school juniors to write about
people and experiences that
have helped to shape their
values.
At the award ceremony in
the S.E. Belcher Center, Littlejohn received the first place
overall award and a $5,000
scholarship to LeTourneau
University for his essay entitled “A Summer Not Easily
Forgotten.”
“It was really exciting when
I found out I had won first
place,” Littlejohn said. “I
wasn’t really expecting it to
happen. I was a little nervous
because I had to read my essay
in front of everybody.”
Longview High School was
the only school that boasted
two winners in this year’s
competition, with Konvalin
taking an Excellence in Writing award for her essay entitled “Overcoming Adversity:
A Peruvian Guide.”
“I wasn’t surprised at the two
who received awards because
they’re such wonderful writers,” English teacher Christy
Triece said. “It was really hard
to narrow down from all of my
students. I could only turn over
two essays and the committee
read them. They had two narrow them down to three, and
out of those three, two people
won, so I was very proud.”
PAGE
2
Spoon Full
of Sugar
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
Wireless Woes
Students try to find the Wi-Fi password, not knowing who is really in control
Magan Tyler
Staff Writer
Spring
Fever
Jan Banks, RN
LHS Nurse
CA LEND AR O F EVENTS
With the beautiful weather
that we have been having, have
you heard anyone say that
someone has “Spring Fever”?
Spring fever is a term applied
to physical and psychological
symptoms associated with the
arrival of spring. It is a feeling
of restlessness, excitement, increased energy or sometimes
laziness brought on by the
coming of spring.
I have seen several students
recently in the nurse’s office
with fever, but not the type
that is brought on by Spring.
A fever is usually a sign that
something out of the ordinary
is going on in your body like
an infection. Usually a fever
goes away within a few days.
An over-the-counter medicine
like Tylenol can lower a fever,
but sometimes it is better left
untreated. Fever can actually
help your body fight off a number of infections.
Fever symptoms may include
sweating, shivering, headache,
muscle aches, loss of appetite, dehydration, and general weakness. A fever usually
means your body is responding
to a viral or bacterial infection.
Here’s how body temperature
works:
Your body temperature is set
by your hypothalamus, an area
at the base of your brain that
acts as a thermostat for your
whole system.
Your temperature is the balance of the heat produced by
your body tissues, particularly
your liver and muscles, and the
heat your body loses.
When you’re ill, your normal temperature may be set a
few points higher as your body
directs blood away from your
skin to decrease heat loss.
When fever starts your body
tries to elevate its temperature,
you feel chilly and may shiver
to generate heat until the blood
around your hypothalamus
reaches the new set point.
When your temperature begins to return to normal, you
may sweat profusely to get rid
of the excess heat.
If you do feel symptoms of
fever, be sure and see the nurse
if you are at school and if at
home, let your parents know.
If you are experiencing
symptoms of spring fever…
ENJOY!!!
Prom
Freshman Jacob Boles sits
discouraged in his free time
during class. He can’t figure out
the Wi-Fi password. He’s tried
every combination and every
password he can thing of. No
one seems to know the correct
password except one person.
That person is Brian Pitts,
Technology Coordinator for
LISD. He resets the password
and controls when it gets
changed. He knows that students try hard to figure out how
to get into the GOLOBOS network.
“GOLOBOS is for legitimate
guests of the district only,” Pitts
said. “The press is our primary
user along with people who give
presentations.”
GOLOBOS is free of Websense which blocks Youtube,
FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter,
and other social networking
sites. The Education Support
Center (ESC) has made a conscious decision about blocking
those sites from our learning
environment to prohibit distractions from occurring.
“You’re not supposed to get
on the Wi-Fi network or even
use your technology devices at
school,” Carol Nylum, head librarian said, “Cellular devices
and iPod are only supposed to
be allowed at lunch.”
There are many ways students
obtain the Wi-Fi password.
“I always find out from my
friends,” Boles said. “No one
seems to be able to figure it out
this time.”
Students say the WiFi password hasn’t been hard to figure
out in the past. The recent passwords have been as simple as
‘happynewyear’, ‘quarterfinal’,
and even the WiFi network’s
name, ‘GOLOBOS’.
“I figured out there was a free
WiFi internet connection at the
high school a while back even
before I was a freshman,” Boles
said. “It was 8th grade when
I came to practice Golf at the
Aquatic Center.”
Boles is one of the many students that use the WiFi to access Facebook and other social
networks.
“There should be a Wi-Fi
network just for the students,”
Boles said. “I wouldn’t be willing to pay for it. Especially if it
has websites blocked. It should
just be free.”
You can use any Wi-Fi enabled device to connect, as long
as it’s in range. The name “WiFi” suggests Wireless Fidelity,
resembling the long-established
audio-equipment classification
term “High-Fidelity” or “HiFi”.
Wi-Fi enabled devices such
as personal computers, smartphones, and certain digital audio players can connect. The
coverage of one or more interconnected access points, called
hotspots, can comprise an area
as small as a few rooms or as
large as many square miles.
Coverage in the larger area
may depend on a group of access points with overlapping
coverage. GOLOBOS covers
the whole district, but networks
such as Pythagoras and Prometheus only covers the high
school.
“The primary difference
from Pythagoras and GOLOBOS is its encryption protocol. It’s an internal network.
It has a specific speed set to it
as well. Prometheus is the latest on to arrive. He has a different encryption and a higher
speed.” Pitts said. “You can’t
connect to them. They are
built inside our firewalls.”
Dominion Long
Staff Writer
High school choir, orchestra, and band
members competed at the UIL Solo and
Ensemble contest a few weeks ago. The
Lobo Band went to contest on Feb. 26 at
Nacogdoches High School. Almost 80%
of the members who competed received a
first division rating. Only top performers
advanced to the State Solo and Ensemble
Competition, held in Austin at UT campus in May. Musicians are judged by the
finest collegiate directors in the state.
Scholarship opportunities are made
available for state medal earners.
“We performed very well despite a two
week postponement,” band director Louis Robinette said. “These students volunteer to compete and I am very proud that
they decided to give up another Saturday
to represent themselves, the school, the
band, and the community.”
Freshman Michele Farren, a student
who advanced to the state completion,
said it was difficult earning a 1st division
rating.
“You have to be pretty dedicated to
even consider make a 1st division,” Far-
Cheerleading
Pitts said that it would be easy
to set up a Wi-Fi network for
educational purposes only that
is blocked by Websense. If students did get this network class
dues at the beginning of the
year would increase do to the
new cost to maintain the network. Pitt is unsure if he wants
to do this because he feels students won’t pay for the network
if Youtube and social networking sites are blocked.
“I’m still going to be on
the hunt for the password to
GOLOBOS,” Boles said. “Even
if they make some of the websites blocked.”
ren said. “The one thing you need to fo- tion,” Richardson said. “When I did praccus on is to be musical; just playing notes tice, it would be for a week for about an
on a page definitely won’t get you a one.” hour. The most difficult aspect would be
Farren also considering playing in to concentrate on the task at hand which
front of judges one of hardest parts of the would be the music instead of the judge.
The goal is just to enjoy the music and
auditioning process.
“The most difficult part for me had to be the experience, worry about the judge
knowing that I fumbled on a certain mea- later. It all depends on your personal
sure and wondering if the judge counted skills pertaining to music, but for me it
it against me,” Farren said. “However, didn’t take much for me, just came naturally.”
music is fairly well. I enjoy
The orchestra also
slow, lyrical pieces. So I The one thing you
competed in solo and enconsider them pretty easy.
semble contest. One orOther people enjoy fast mu- need to focus on is
chestra participant was
sic, so slow might be really to be musical; just
Shariee Peoples.
hard for them.”
“The hard part about
The Longview High School playing notes on a
Choir competed at UIL Solo page definitely won’t the music was trying to
continue to keep a cerand Ensemble contest on
tain tone as I played for
Friday, Jan. 28 at White- get you a one .
the judges,” Peoples said.
house High School. Up to 28
choir students participated in
— Michele Farren “However, the thing that
the contest with 14 students
freshman I like the most about the
contest was the fun. It
making a 1st division.
One student who received this honor was very entertaining, you get to meet
was Unique Richardson. She tells of her new people and play music with each
experience and hard work of getting a 1st other and laugh all day. When I found
out that I made 1st division, I felt like I
Division as well.
“I prepared for solo and ensemble the was number one which made my hard
last two weeks before we had to audi- work pay off in the end.”
►►March 12 Tryouts
In Coliseum from 3:00 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m. Contact Mrs.
Heckard for more information
Viewettes
UIL District Meet
Science Fair
Science
►►May 14
An error message appears as an wireless device attempts to connect
to the GOLOBOS network.
Students earn awards, advance
to state at UIL music competions
►►$40 per couple (TODAY
ONLY)
►►$60 per couple after
March 11
►►Tryouts
May 20 & 21
news
►►March 25 & 26
See Ms. Mercer for more info.
►►Shirts and hoodies now in.
“
National Merit
Continued from front page
minority students, the program offers National Achievement and National Hispanic Scholar awards. Ten
students from the high school were
recipients of these distinctions.
“I got commended performance
recognition but I didn’t score high
enough to become a National Merit
Semifinalist,” senior Hannah McDonald said. “I’m proud of myself,
but I just wish I would have known
that there was even a possibility for
me to get some kind of recognition.
I may have taken it a little more seriously.”
For Henderson, the National Merit Finalist recognition has already
opened up scholarship opportunities
”
at her Baylor University, her prospective college.
“They haven’t sent official word
yet, but they said when I was visiting
during the application process that
they’ll pay full tuition for National
Merit Scholars and National Merit
Finalists,” Henderson said. “While
I’m there, I plan to major in English
literature.”
With plans to peruse book publishing, Henderson attributes some of
her success to her high school English teachers.
“Claire is fabulous; she has been
since she was a sophomore,” English
teacher Nicole Harbison said. “She
always surprises me, always works
hard, and is exceptionally gifted at
English. I know that she wants to be a
publisher, and I think that if she goes
that route, she’ll be very successful.”
“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, therefore, is not an act
but a habit.”
--Aristotle
PAGE
3
opinion
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
Driving is not the
only danger of
teenage drinking
In the advent of prom night, a prominent danger comes
to mind, alcohol. We cannot deny that teen drinking is
an issue, especially at this time of year, but while there is
always a concern in regards to alcohol at this particular
event, this is still a crisis year round. Even though popular
culture shows that alcohol is only a danger if one drives,
drinking poses many more threats. The major difference
between underage drinking and legal consumption is the
amount. When teenagers drink, they usually consume more
than 5 drinks, this behavior is known as binge drinking,
which further compounds the usual problems. Teenagers
should not be drinking any time of year; it is a major hazard
to themselves and others.
As previously mentioned, when teenagers drink, they
usually drink a lot, which means they get drunk. Inebriation
severely impairs our brain functions, such as decisionmaking and reaction time, both of which are imperative to
safe driving. But even with small amounts alcohol driving is
still a danger. In Texas alone there are over 1,400 alcoholrelated accident fatalities, which is 43% of the total number
of fatalities. No one should drive if they have had a drink, but
especially not if they are under the legal age. As teenagers,
we are inexperienced drivers, so by consuming any amount
of alcohol we greatly hinder our already limited judgment.
However, when most teenagers drink, they get drunk, so
driving a car might as well be a death sentence.
Popular culture tells us it’s ok to drink. We see TV
shows and movies all the time where teens regularly drink.
We’d like to think that the only danger of alcohol is being
killed in a car accident, but this is far from the case. Our
bodies do not fully develop until our early twenties, which
means that any form of drinking is a danger. Alcohol can
literally act as a poison to under-developed organs, such
as the heart, lungs, and liver. The liver is the organ that
processes alcohol, but it can be damaged permanently by
large amounts of it even in adults. In young bodies it could
take days for the alcohol to process and the risk of damage
is greatly increased. Alcohol is a depressant and has been
reported to slow the heart so much that it stops beating. In
the same way, breathing can be slowed to the point where
one can no longer breathe.
Alcohol greatly affects the brain, as well as the body. Of
course, it temporarily impairs us, but in adolescence it can
even destroy us. Recent studies have shown that young
brain tissue can be killed by alcohol. It can permanently
destroy memory and cognitive awareness. In girls, it impairs
spatial functioning and in boys it destroys attention span.
Drinking destroys our bodies, our minds, and our lives.
It can kill brain tissue and make our heart stop, whether
by physical failure or drunken error. Teen drinking is
unnecessary and dangerous. It isn’t worth our lives to “have
a good time at a party,” when you don’t even need alcohol
to have a good time. Patience is a virtue and a lifesaver.
poem
I Went to a party mom
anonymous
I went to a party,
and remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom
so I had a sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
the way you said I would,
that I didn’t drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I made a healthy choice,
and your advice to me was right
as the party finally ended,
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my car,
sure to get home in one piece,
I never knew what was coming, Mom
something I expected least.
Now I’m lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
‘The kid that caused this wreck was
drunk, ‘
Mom, His voice seems far away.
My own blood’s all around me,
as I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
‘This girl is going to die.’
I’m sure the guy had no idea,
while he was flying high,
because he chose to drink and drive,
now I would have to die.
So why do people do it, Mom
Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell sister not to be afraid, Mom
tell daddy to be brave,
and when I go to heaven,
put ‘Daddy’s Girl’ on my grave.
Someone should have taught him,
that its wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his parents had,
I’d still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, Mom
I’m getting really scared.
These are my final moments,
and I’m so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me Mom,
as I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say I love you, Mom
So I love you and good-bye.
Countdown to Commencement | Christine Suggs
St. Patrick’s Day
A ‘Pinch’ of History
Zach Williams
Opinions Editor
St. Patrick’s Day has been an
iconic holiday for over fifteen
hundred years. To the Irish, this
day commemorates the very
man who changed their culture
forever, St. Patrick. Around the
world, those of Irish descent
(and those who wish they
were) celebrate by wearing
green, pinning shamrocks on
one another, and of course, the
old Irish past time, joyously
drinking at their favorite pub.
This holiday in America has
grown and evolved into one big
festival of parades, games, and
drinking. But why does one
day take the world by storm?
It’s just an Irish holiday, it’s
not like President’s Day is one
humongous, world-wide party.
To
answer
this
question, let’s start at the
beginning, with the man to
whom this day is dedicated,
St. Patrick. St. Patrick was
born in the 4th century into a
wealthy family living on the
island of Britain. At sixteen he
was captured by Irish raiders
and was taken to Ireland to
become a slave. After six years,
he escaped from Western
Ireland to the east coast where
he departed on a ship back to
Britain. There he studied to
be a priest. Years later Pope
Clement I sent St. Patrick back
to Ireland to convert the Irish
to Christianity. While at first he
was unsuccessful, by teaching
the faith and performing many
miracles he converted the
whole of Ireland within a few
years. He died at Downpatrick
on March 17, 461.
After his death, March
17 became an important holiday
to the Irish who celebrated
by holding feasts and pinning
shamrocks to their clothes.
It was by this action that we
now are instructed to wear
green. It was celebrated on a
smaller scale in Europe during
this time, as St. Patrick’s Day
became a religious holiday
in the early 1600s; however
it was obviously not as wide
spread as it is today. But like an
infectious disease, St. Patrick’s
Day slowly found its way into
mainstream society.
By climbing aboard ships
headed for America, the Irish
immigrants
unknowingly
changed the status of March
17 forever. In fact the first St.
Patrick’s Day parade in the
world was held in Boston in
1737. Ireland itself did not even
hold one until 1931. St. Patrick’s
Day grew in importance as it
traveled south to New York,
which held its first parade in
1766. New York is now home
to the largest St. Patrick’s Day
parade in the world. In 1848,
several Irish aid organizations
combined their parades to
create one, massive procession.
Over 150,000 participants
travel down the 1.5 mile trek
and are accompanied by more
than 3 million spectators each
year.
Today, the U.S. houses
over 100 parades, stretching
from Dallas, Texas to St. Paul,
Minnesota and Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to San Francisco,
California. Around the world
it’s celebrated in Japan,
Argentina, and New Zealand.
This day has always marked
a great victory in the early
history of Christianity, but
now St. Patrick’s Day has fully
integrated itself into our world
no matter what our background
is. This important holiday
has been celebrated for over
thousand years and it will stay
that way in another thousand
years.
St. Patrick’s Day Around the World
In the USA
• Boston held the first
ever St. Patrick’s Day
Parade on March 17,
1737
• New York now holds
the largest parade: with
over 2 million spectators a year
• Chicago dyes its river
green each year
• Seattle paints their traffic lines green
• Dallas holds the largest celebration in the
Southwest
• Baseball teams wear St.
Patrick’s Day ballcaps
• Several NBA teams
wear special green jerseys
• In America there would
be 75 million people at
one festival.
In Ireland
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Became a national holiday in the late first millenium.
• Became religious feast
day in the 1600s.
• Named an official holiday in 1903.
• Held first parade in
1931.
• Held first St. Patrick’s
day Festival.
• Today this festival lasts
5 days, with 1 million
participants; 1/4 of the
Irish population.
St. Patrick
•
Celebrates the life of St.
Born in 4th century, BritPatrick
ain
Captured by Irish raiders • Festivities include concerts, outdoor theatre
Escaped after 6 years
performances, and fireJoined the priesthood
Came back to Ireland as
works
a bishop
• Biggest celebrations are
Converted the whole islocated in the city of
land to Christianity
Dublin
The Official Newspaper of Longview High School
Design Editor Amanda Hutcheson
Managing Editor Myranda Isaac
News Editor David Vasquez
Opinions Editor Zach Williams
Sports Editor Spencer Borens
Business Manager Taylor Oswalt
Staff Cartoonist Christine Suggs
Graphic Design Alaxic Smith
Staff Writers
Trenae Bowie
Gabrielle Coates
Felica Ellison
Summer Evers
Dominion Long
Preston Mitchell
Andrea K’Ka Moss
Brittany Nelson
Magan Tyler
Mason Winn
The Long-View
Adviser
Kevin Berns
Editor-in-Chief
Tobeya Ibitayo
201 E. Tomlinson Pkwy
Longview, TX 75605
Vol. 74, No. 3
The Long-View is printed by Champion Printing.
The Long-View is a free publication distributed each month during the school year.
The opinions expressed in The Long-View are those of The Long-View staff and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of LISD administration or staff.
The Long-View welcomes comments on school related issues. Names will be withheld
upon request. We reserve the right to edit letters before publication.
The Long-View is self-supported by advertising sales sold by newspaper students.
Advertisements in The Long-View are $6 per column inch, with discounts for large ads.
For more information, contact The Long-View Adviser Kevin Berns at (903) 663-1301,
or email at kberns@lisd.org.
PAGE
4
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
feature
What makes an Internet
video go viral?
FRESHMAN
CORNER
Mark W. Smith
Detroit Free Press
Tobeya Ibitayo / THE LONG-VIEW
Freshman Paulo Pliego prepares to return a serve in a tennis
match last fall. Pliego and his family moved to America from
Spain a year and a half ago.
Spanish acquisition
Felica Ellison
Staff Writer
The humming of the engines filled the cabin air and lulled him
into a dazed trance. His mind became flooded with all the things
he had heard about this foreign place he was going to. He painted himself a vivid picture in his mind of students riding to school
on horses and wearing cowboy boots. He asked himself just what
on Earth he had gotten himself into, but it was too late. The ten
hour flight from Spain to Texas was already flying high over the
Atlantic Ocean.
Freshman Paulo Pliego moved to Longview a year and a half
ago from Spain.
“My dad told me if I wanted to come over here and see how different the school and culture is we could,” Pliego said. “So I was
like yeah sure and we just came.”
The differences among the people here have become clear to
Pliego.
“In Spain you are closer to your family, it’s like your cousins
are like your best friends and over here it’s like you barely know
them,” Pliego said. “Over there you can meet somebody on only
like one day then he’s going to be like your best friend and he can
just come and sleep at your house.”
Pliego currently plays on the Longview High School varsity
tennis team.
“I play tennis, soccer and cross country,” Pliego said. “They
aren’t really any different over there except in tennis where you
play on clay courts and here you play on hard courts.”
So far Pliego says that academics have yet to show a real challenge to him.
“I think the classes here are really easy but I’m just really lazy,”
Pliego said. “It’s like everything I’m being taught I already know.
It’s not like here where you can take algebra two or geometry,
and since we don’t have that there, I have to come here and take
algebra one when I already know everything about that.”
Pliego still isn’t sure whether he will stay in America or go back
to Spain.
“I miss a lot of things about Spain and I like it more there,”
Pliego said. “I don’t know if we are going to stay here or not, we
might go back after I finish high school. This summer I’m probably going back but I don’t know about spring break.”
s p r i n g b r e ak destinations
Cancun, Mexico
Punta Cana,
Dominican Rupblic
Panama City,
Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Nassau, Bahamas
South Padre,
Texas
GIA
There’s no mistaking the power of the viral video, which can
pull in tens of millions of views
on the Web.
From clips of a baby laughing
hysterically at tearing paper to a
boffo middle school talent show
performance by a pint-sized
kid, videos are some of the most
commonly shared things on social networks like Facebook and
Twitter.
But how do you make that
magic?
“Everybody wants every single video to be a viral video, but
there is no way to really predict
it, because the whole point of viral is that it’s organic,” says Chris
Farah, 34, a Los Angeles-based
writer and director of featurelength films and short Web clips.
Farah is a frequent contributor
to one of the Web’s most consistent viral video machines: FunnyOrDie.com. The site is known
for its hilarious and often selfdeprecating _ celebrity cameos
from the likes of Will Ferrell (one
of the site’s original creators),
comedian Zach Galifianakis and
actresses Lindsay Lohan and
Natalie Portman.
Farah’s brother Mike, 32, is the
site’s chief producer, overseeing
a staff of about 20 writers and
filmmakers that create as many
as 30 original videos a month.
The site, which also allows users to upload homemade videos,
is a frequent stop for A-listers
who want to build viral buzz
ahead of a new project.
“All of this is such real currency to studios in the selling of TV
and movies,” Mike says.
The Michigan natives teamed
up on a video posted last week after it was ripped from the headlines back here in Detroit.
Mike had been sent a link to
a Detroit Free Press story about
the social media-fueled effort to
erect a Detroit statue of RoboCop the fictional crime-fighting
cyborg from the 1987 cult classic
movie.
LiPo Ching / San Jose Mercury News
YouTube Software Engineers Vasili Pantazopoulos, from left, and
Simon Ratner, with YouTube Web Developer Toby Watson sit at the
YouTube office in San Bruno, California, February 18, 2011.
“We should do something
about this. This is an amazing
thing,” Mike recalls telling his
brother.
Chris was friendly with the
agent of Peter Weller, who played
the deceased Detroit police officer who came back as RoboCop
to save the city. Weller eagerly
agreed to spoof the story in a
short Web clip for FunnyOrDie.
com.
Just more than a week later,
the 2-minute RoboCop spoof
written and directed by Chris
and produced by Mike was lighting up social network feeds.
“To take advantage of news
and try to make things viral, you
almost have to be like a newspaper or publication that can move
at the drop of a hat,” Chris says.
The video shows Weller making a tongue-in-cheek plea for
erecting the RoboCop statue,
knocking Detroit Mayor Dave
Bing for dismissing the idea on
Twitter.
The RoboCop clip has been
seen more than 300,000 times
on FunnyOrDie an impressive
tally given its regional bent. It’s
one of the site’s top 25 mostwatched videos of the month.
HOW TO DO IT
So how does one go about making a successful viral video? Mike
offers some insider tips.
Keep it short. Popular Web
videos are often 3 minutes or
shorter. “People online have a
very short attention span,” Mike
says.
Make it relevant. Topical
and timely videos are often the
most easily shared. Reacting to
a buzzed-about news event like
Charlie Sheen’s well-documented recent media tour can help
give the video a hook that helps
it spread.
“Think strategically about what
your idea is and what your entry
point online is,” Mike says.
Keep shooting. Creating a video that is seen by millions is a bit
like striking oil. The more holes
you dig, the better.
“The first thing that you do is
probably not going to become
some huge viral sensation that
50 million people see, but that
shouldn’t stop you from going out
and making stuff,” Mike says.
Move quickly. Jump on a story
at the beginning of its trajectory.
“If you overthink it or take too
long, you kind of lose that moment to kind of create something
crazy and special and unique that
would work well online,” Mike
says.
But even with careful attention
to each of those details, there is
no way to guarantee a video will
be a hit, Mike says.
“It always surprises me, what
takes off and what doesn’t,” he
says.
“That’s part of the fun.”
Confessions of a Twirler
By: Summer Evers
A glimpse into the life of an aspiring LHS majorette
“Shake, Kick, and one, and two, and three, and four, five and six halt.”
I can hear the varsity majorettes yell while marching during band practice. I’ve been told that
being a majorette painful but addicting. It gets my adrenaline rushing while I twirl during the
half time performances. On top of that, they lead the band when we march. It seems like such an
honor.
Every Friday, I can see out of the corner of my eye the underclassmen receiving gifts from their
“big sister.” So much love seemed to be shown on the facial expressions of the girls. The same
expressions were shown during the games in the stands with all the cheers and dancing.
There’s more to being a majorette than just dancing with a baton and leading the band. And I,
a candidate for the varsity line, was finding out firsthand.
For tryouts we are given a CD with an ample amount of tunes on it. We all must be capable of
doing a solo routine showing our mastery of how well we can twirl. On top of that the girls trying
out must go to a mandatory group routine practice. There we will all be taught a routine by the
instructor, Mrs. Nehaus. The group routine will show how well each individual can perform as a
group.
It takes a lot of time and discipline in order to be a twirler. When you mess up you have to
make sure that you do it right the next time. It takes even more discipline to learn a difficult trick
because you have to do it over and over again to perform it flawlessly.
“One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight,” I chant as I try to figure out the group routine.
I take a look around and the rest of the girls were doing the same. There were 10 eighth graders
who were trying out for the freshman majorettes and the other 22 had their eyes on the varsity
line. As my feet slide along on the ground I also keep in mind to be sure that my moves are really
sharp and that I am in sync with the other girls. The joyous instructor Mrs. Nehaus takes a walk
around us all and makes sure everyone is doing it correctly.
The music comes on and we start to dance. I can hear all of our feet moving together and batons falling on the ground. I dropped my baton trying to do the Elbow-Roll that I hadn’t quite
perfected. My baton rolled away from me and I dodged kicks and swinging batons while running
to get it. I saw a flash of seriousness on most of the girls faces. For some I saw a mood of calmness
and peace proving that twirling has been a part of their life for quite some time. It has only been
two years for me. I grabbed my baton and looked at the girl who was next to me to see where to
pick back up. I got back on track and finished the routine.
After the group routine practice was over we each drew a number for the audition order. There
were four directors who judged us on our fundamentals, how capable we were with our solo routine, and how well we performed in a group.
My number was called and I walked into the empty room. The judges were sitting at separate
tables so that they wouldn’t be able to communicate with one another. There was no sign of emotion. I handed them my CD and told them “track three”. I got into my beginning pose and immediately my heart raced with fear and I got nervous. The music started and I completed my drill. As
I was leaving the room I was going over in my head whether I did every move right or if my moves
were sharp or even if I smiled.
I returned to the hallways with all the other girls. Gifts were being passed out for good luck and
happiness was all around. Hour after hour the tension built.
It seemed as if everyone wanted everyone to make it. Essentially, like one big family unit loving
one another.
Mr. Robinette was coming swiftly with the results and we all piled into the Choir room. All the
parents and families were left in the hallway with just an ounce of hope that their loved one would
come out with good news. We all held hands, and sat tightly together. Mr. Robinette started reading the names in alphabetical order. My last name started with “E”, so when he jumped from the
“B’s” to the “F”s, I knew it was over for me. The list was read and he promptly vanished.
Though I wont be apart of the line, this experience was great. I can also say that I didn’t give up.
Most of my friends made the line and that’s all that matters mostly. I will still be in band so I won’t
miss a thing. I’m a proud supporter of the 2011-2012 Majorettes.
PAGE
5
feature
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
LHS 2011 Senior Superlatives
Mr. Lobo
Miss Lobo
&
Ladarian Robertson
Summer Evers / THE LONG-VIEW
A group of seniors gathers around the stage as geography teacher Cal Hanzik announces the Class of 2011
senior superlatives during Senior Celebration on Feb. 19.
Community honor seniors
at annual celebration
Brittany Nelson
Staff Writer
ner-up for best all around boy.
“I was excited because I did not
expect to win anything,” Gonzales said. “It feels pretty good
He leaped in the air, arms (being a senior this year).”
flailing, in an uncoordinated
Quan Nguyen, who escorted
jester. His feet landed on the his best friend, had mixed feelground, they were visible, and ings about the event.
then they weren’t. He was
“I loved it. Being able to be
running, pumping his fist in recognized and all that hard
the air proudly, with a toothy work paid off. Every girl was
grin
plasbeautiful
tered across
and every
his face. Peguy
was
ter Robinson
stuntin.
was named
I had a
Mr. Longview
great time
High School.
with
my
In the traescortee,”
dition of the
Nguyen
high school,
said. “The
seniors celonly small
ebrated their
flaw was
accomplishthat
we
Keirsten Brewer, Senior came in,
ments
and
achievesigned in,
ments in the
a n d
sat in the
coliseum on the night of Feb- burning heat of the basement
ruary 19. Seniors Peter Rob- for like an hour.”
ertson and Britney Colbert
Football player Joe Brown,
won the award for Mr. and who received the award for
Miss. Lobo.
most athletic, was disappoint“It feels good knowing I’m ed.
the head of the class and ev“I didn’t expect to win most
erybody looks up to me.” Rob- athletic, I really wanted to
ertson said, “The crowd start- win Mr. Lobo but since I got
ed screaming my name. It felt most athletic I’mma be happy
good.”
about it. Me and my boys are
Britney Colbert was also gonna celebrate.” Brown said,
very animated when she won “The highlight of the night was
the Miss LHS title.
when Fuequan Lilly won most
“I feel very excited,” Colbert sincere and Ladavian Hall won
said after taking many pictures Most Handsome. It was just a
with friends. “I think it is a big big night for the 400 (Fredohonor to receive this award.”
nia Street).”
Colin Gonzales, Lareisha
Joe Brown represented his
Murphy, and Emily Brown neighborhood at senior celwere surprised to hear their ebration with Ladavian Hall
name called for their titles.
and Fuequan Lilly who also
Colin Gonzales received run- won awards.
“
The highlight of
the night was when
Bubba and I walked
out and saw the very
bright lights and all
the people here.
”
“Yes I did [expect to win] because I’m a good looking man
you know?” Ladavian Hall
said. “Very popular, everybody
loves me. I yeaaaah 400!”
Dannica Sheek, a lieutenant
Viewette, won runner-up for
“most school spirit”.
“It was fun,” Sheek said. “I
was nervous but I enjoyed it.”
Daniel Pearce escorted
Christine Suggs, a friend he’s
had since birth.
“The lights were blinding.”
Pearce said. “I smiled this way
and that and undid my button.
It’s not like I was nervous, I
just kind of stood there and let
the girl look pretty.”
Some of the senior superlatives were already each other’s
dates. These people include:
Myranda Isaac and Tobeya Ibitayo (most likely to succeed),
Peter Roberston and Britney
Colbert (Mr. and Miss Lobo),
and Keirsten Brewer and Javarus Poole (most friendly).
“I won most friendly I feel
that you should always wave
at people and speak to people
each and every day. I’ve been
told that I am a little friendly
so I’m excited about it,” Brewer said. “The highlight of the
night was when Bubba (Javarus Poole) and I walked out
and saw the very bright lights
and all the people here, it was
exciting.”
As the event came to a close,
the class of 2011 and their parents gathered on the floor of the
coliseum to take pictures and
admire each other’s extravagant gowns and suits. Afterwards, many seniors went out
to eat and or to parties to end
the incredible night together.
Britney Colbert
Best All-Around
Anthony Wiley
Laterria Jones
Best Friends
Eric Nedd &
Daqaulyn Handy
Laterria Jones &
Torree Said
Best Personality
Chris Malen
Chelsea Cowley &
Whitten Shappell (TIE)
Friendliest
Javorus Poole
Kiersten Brewer
Most Likely to Succeed
Tobeya Ibitayo
Myranda Isaac
Outstanding Leader
Ladarian Brown
Gabrielle Halton
Most Dependable
Eric Nedd
Emily Brown
Most Sincere
Feuquan Lilly
Courtney Stansell
Most Talented-Creative Arts
Chris Lister
Christine Suggs
Most Talented-Performing Arts
Blake Brightwell
Haleigh Hughes
Most Outstanding Citizen
Antwone Rugley
Rachel Morris
Most School Spirit
Brooks Welborn
Latoria Williams
Most Athletic
Jovorious Brown
Emily Todd
Most Handsome
Most Beautiful
Ladavian Hall
Torree Said
Cutest
Andrew Doerrfeld
iPad 2: Thinner, Lighter,
2 cameras; ships March 11
Apple / MCT
Stanley A. Miller II
from 1.5 pounds to down
to 1.3 lbs. Jobs noted that
the iPad 2 has a new proSteve Jobs strutted cessor that is about twice
out the next generation as fast as the original iPad
of Apple’s iPad today: A and processes graphics
faster, thinner, lighter up to nine times faster.
tablet with two digital It will ship March 11 and
cameras.
the prices are the same as
Jobs told a select crowd the original iPad, starting
at an Apple press event in at $499 (16GB Wi-Fi).
downtown San Francisco
The new iPad will come
that the iPad 2 is 33 per- on models that work on
cent thinner than its pre- the mobile networks of
decessor shrinking from AT&T and Verizon Wire13.4mm to 8.8mm thick less. The iPad 2 also will
and lighter, slimming come in two colors black
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
and white and both will
be available when the
tablet goes on sale a week
from Friday.
Jobs said the iPad 2 will
have a battery life consistent with the original,
which is officially up to
10 hours.
iPad Prices
iPad with Wi-Fi
16G - $499
32G - $599
64G - $699
iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
16G - $629
32G - $729
64G - $829
Khristian Poss
Wittiest
Daqaulyn Handy
Miecha Jackson
Most Courteous
Gerald Templeton
Lareisha Murphy
PAGE
6
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
feature
Britney Nelson, Amanda Hutcheson, & Tobeya Ibitayo
Courtesy of Myranda Isaac
Myranda Isaac proudly shows off her beautiful dress and looks forward to the upoming
prom April 9 that will be held at the Pinecrest Country Club.
Z-Club provides dresses for prom
Brittany Nelson
Staff Writer
As seniors prepare for
graduation many of them
look forward to prom
leaving an impression on
their lives as the pinnacle
of high school memories.
For Charisma McFarland senior prom is the
culmination of a lifelong
dream.
“Ever since I was a little
girl I’ve been looking forward to prom,” McFarland said. “I would see
my older cousins getting
ready and I couldn’t wait
for the day to get dressed
up and pretty just like
them.”
Girls like McFarland
are eager to be primped
and prepped in beautiful gowns while boys like
Anthony Wiley, who has
already purchased his
tuxedo, are excited about
looking dapper on prom
night.
Formal wear can be
costly, for Senior Dexterell Stoker price isn’t an
issue.
“Prom may be a one
time event,” Stoker said,
“but I’m going to have my
tuxedo for a lifetime and
pass it down to my kids.”
The apparel plays a
major role in the prom
experience. McFarland
believes the search for
the right dress or tuxedo
is critical.
“Without a good prom
dress, prom is nothing,”
McFarland said. “It’s
almost like a wedding
dress. It’s in the same
category.”
Student
Assistant
Counselor, Eleanor Kirk
agrees. In high school,
Kirk attended both junior
and senior prom. Both of
her prom dresses were
hand sewn by her grandmother.
“I can still remember
everything about my
dress,” Eleanor Kirk, “I
think the prom dress is
important but $2000 is
too steep. In this day and
age, you can go to many
resale shops, you can find
a lot of dresses in reasonable places, you just have
to shop around.”
The Zonta Club Prom
Boutique is renovating
gowns for senior girls in
East Texas who do not
have the financial means
to pay for a prom dress.
“Not only will they get
to pick out a dress that’s
completely free, but they
will also have an opportunity to get jewelry, make
up, and other accessories.” Kirk said. “Money
shouldn’t be an issue. The
only thing that matters is
if they feel special.”
The Zonta Club requires
the girls to schedule a specific time with the Zonta
Club on March 26 or they
will not have a personal
shopper with them.
Seniors Anthony Wiley,
Charisma
McFarland,
Dexterrell Stoker, and
Christopher Lister all
agree on the subject of
buying a limousine.
“If you are going with
a lot of people to prom a
limo would be something
to consider,” McFarland
said. “If it’s just you and
your date going there is
no need for a limo.”
Lister thinks that limousines are too expensive
for a one night event.
“I’m not getting a limo,”
Lister said. “That is unless my mom hits the lottery or something.”
The overall desire to attend prom is for the seniors to enjoy themselves
at their last high school
dance.
“Prom, It’s all about
having fun with my seniors,” Wiley said. “It’s
the highlight of my senior
year.”
Juniors Braden Pointer and Aaron
Perry fascinate themselves by looking at
the brochure.
Sophomore Cookie Guck poses with poise
at the art table.
The cosmotolgoy class adverstise their work at the fair and encourages
others to join the upcoming school year.
Senior Keunte Davis stands with stance at
the health science table.
Seniors Ladarrion Brown, Shalae
Dickie and teacher Mrs. Blacklock show
all smiles at the Ready Set Teach booth.
Sophomore Andrea Benton admires the
hat on the manniquin at the fashion table.
PAGE
7
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
entertainment
Just
Go
With
It
Adam Sandler’s new romantic
comedy may have box office
success status,
but his usual antics
are beginning to wear thin.
SONY PICTURES
Katherine (Anniston) does Danny (Sandler) a small favor by acting like his soon to be ex-wife when meeting his girlfriend, Palmer (Decker).
Preston Mitchell
Staff Writer
There was a time when Adam Sandler seemed to be passionate about the
lowbrow, madcap comedies he made.
Regardless of the project’s quality, he
looked enthused about farting in David
Hasselhoff’s face or acting disfigured
when a shovel hit him in the mouth.
But in “Just Go With It,” he only appears to be acting more wholesome
this time around - constantly ad-libbing to get the next quick laugh in the
presence of those that are hackneyed.
Between this and “Grown Ups,” Adam
Sandler movies are starting to feel
more like Tim Allen’s career choices only with Sandler’s pension for childish humor being used to punch up the
script.
Sandler portrays Daniel Maccabee,
a plastic surgeon whose patients are
mere cartoon characters. Daniel feigns
an unhappy marriage in order to get
with women, and the only woman
aware of this is his manager, Katherine
Bite Sized
by
Murphy (Jennifer Aniston playing a
divorced mother of two). But when he
spends the night with a random “girl
of his dreams,” schoolteacher Palmer
(Brooklyn Decker), his ruse kicks into
high-gear when he becomes bent on
winning her back. Instead of simply
coming clean or easily creating a more
plausible lie, Daniel brings in Katherine, her two kids, and even his cousin
Eddie (Nick Swardson) to spend time
with him and Palmer in Hawaii - and
participate in his asinine charade.
Nowhere as good as “The Wedding
Singer” or “50 First Dates,” this romantic comedy juggles back and forth
between being a children’s film and a
boorish comedy aimed towards mature audiences. The huge bulk of it is
nearly dominated by juvenile gags and
scenes conjured up for cheap laughter,
whether it’s a horrifically lame plastic
surgery gag or horrifically bad potty
humor. By needing to rely on Sandler
and Aniston’s fibbing - which nullifies
Palmer’s competence as a credible love
interest (other than her looks) - the plot
becomes so convoluted that it reaches
a point where you stop truly caring for
your characters; and the movie continues to ask you to howl and cackle at
their silly shenanigans time and time
again.
Unfortunately, the eye-rolling and
squirming in the seat doesn’t even stop
there. While her slow motion scenes
are a treat, Brooklyn Decker portrays
one of the most painfully absentminded characters in modern romantic comedy history. The fact that she
can apparently detect when two people
are falling in love, but cannot clearly
see when those two people are obviously conning her is pure nonsense.
But even worse is the addition of Nick
Swardson, whose Eddie character has
to fake a lame Austrian accent and play
Katherine’s lover. The more Swardson
spoke with that gimp voice, it became
more evident that the director needed
a replacement when a better comedian
wouldn’t return his calls.
Worst of all, the film is crippled by
its own design. Right when the movie
actually germinates a heart and wears
it on its sleeve, it finishes off with a
painfully rushed ending. This ending
shows Sandler narrating all of the subplots and their conclusions; as predictable as the movie even was, it could’ve
had the courtesy to tie things up with
a little more effort. To be fair, “Just Go
With It” has funny moments, but these
are all ad-libs and punch-up lines the
actors probably said on the spot. None
of them really matter in the long run,
especially when scripted gags that include children with defecation issues
continue to defecate the movie itself.
“Just Go With It” feels like those
parodies of Sandler’s other comedies
that are featured in “Funny People.”
This is nothing but PG-level movie
fare strained too hard by its writers to
be appreciated by a PG-13 crowd. The
end result is a lowbrow romantic comedy with characters that are terrible at
lying with only has hollowness to offer
in return. To put it truthfully, unlike
Daniel Maccabee does, “Just Go With
It” just sucks to me.
Preston
“The Hangover Part II” Hits
Theaters This Year
The highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, “The
Hangover,” has become one of the most popular movies
of the last couple of years. Director Todd Philips, who
helmed the solid “Old School” and the awful Zack
Galifanakis movie “Due Date,” returns to a cast of old
and new members for the sequel this May. Bradley
Cooper, Zack Galifanakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, and
Mike Tyson will return along with famed cameos with
star such as Taken’s Liam Neeson! Watch the trailer as
soon as you can, and let’s hope that Galifanakis’s schtick
doesn’t begin to grow even staler.
“Justin Bieber: Never Say
Never” Review
Don’t worry, I’m not a “Belieber” either. And based on
that, I was shocked that I enjoyed aspects of “Never Say
Never.” It chronicles both his preparation for his Madison
Square Garden concert and his time growing up in
Canada. With interviews from industry insiders, watching
this documentary unfold is a fascinating experience. The
humor, which is targeted towards the family rather than
its G-rated audience, surprisingly works. Best of all, the
movie shows Bieber as a teenager that all of us can relate
to. Though his music isn’t my preference, “Never Say
Never” isn’t the biggest train wreck either.
“Take Me Home Tonight”
Bombs
Topher Grace’s Take Me Home Tonight was released
last weekend - but didn’t make the box office’s top
ten. As much as it wants to evoke the nostalgia of
classic 80’s movies, particularly John Hughes films,
the more interesting story is its release and promotion.
Unbeknownst to many, the film was supposed to be
released in 2007, but stayed shelved since Rogue Pictures
didn’t know what to do with such a nostalgic comedy
like this one. Unfortunately for the studio, Take Me
Home Tonight flopped this weekend to films like Rango,
Beastly, and the director’s cut of Never Say Never.
Charlie Sheen no longer an
object of amusement
Verne Gay
Newsday
(MCT)
Francis Specker / Landov/MCT
Actor Charlie Sheen arrives at the CBS Summer Press Tour “Stars Party
2007” in Los Angeles, California, July 19, 2007.
His hair is wild, untamed by
comb. His eyes are glassy and
frantic. He swigs something
from a bottle, off to the side he
rants, spouts and sputters, while
sucking on a cigarette through
his nostril. His words are in
English, but strung together,
they form shards of meaningless
thoughts and fulminations _
about trolls, and “winning,” and
something called “Apocalypse
Me: The Jaws of Life.”
Charlie Sheen stopped being an
object of our national amusement
sometime during the past 72
hours, while the jokes about
“tiger’s blood” or “winning
(DUH)” got tired real fast.
“Sheen’s Korner,” launched
Saturday, is the reason. Fired
from “Two and a Half Men” on
Monday, TV’s highest-paid actor
has now taken to the Web and
a live UStream show to air his
grievances.
You don’t need to be a highly
trained psychologist to know that
the spectacle has been deeply
disturbing. Sheen’s descent
had been bad enough _ battery
charges in Colorado, a trashed
room at the Plaza _ but this is
something entirely new and
harrowing.
We expect spoiled, overpaid
actors to act out occasionally.
We don’t expect to see them go
insane.
There are two ways of looking
at this strange twist in the Sheen
saga. It’s either an elaborate
“Borat”-style put-on that will
somehow be spun into a touring
act. Or it’s a descent into
madness. (A third option may
even exist _ it’s both.)
Nevertheless, viewers and fans
are on uncertain ground as well.
Sheen has drifted off-script, into
a dark seedy place _ or a poorly
lit virtual street corner where he
barks and scowls at passersby.
Earlier Tuesday, Sheen promised
in a tweet that that night’s edition
was to be the final “Sheen’s
Korner.” But he also promised to
settle scores, telling E! Tuesday
that longtime castmate Jon Cryer
is a “turncoat, a traitor, a troll.”
His crime? Cryer failed to reach
out to him.
Sheen may survive, and may
one day even thrive _ another
gifted actor who pulled back
from the edge in time.
But right now, he deserves fans’
pity and probably their prayers,
too.
Rob Lowe to take over?
Is Rob Lowe in line for “Two
and a Half Men?” Several
online reports cited “sources”
that said show creator Chuck
Lorre had reached out to Lowe’s
representatives to discuss a
possible role on the show if it
goes forward _ although it was
left unsaid by these reports
exactly what this role would
be. Both CBS and Warner
Bros. Television have declined
to comment on reports about
Sheen’s replacement, saying
the fate of the show remains
undecided. Lowe currently plays
the incredibly nice and alwaysoptimistic Chris Traeger on
NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”
Verne Gay: verne.gay@newsday.com
(c) 2011, Newsday.
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
KRT STAND ALONE ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO
SLUGGED: CBS-PRESSTOUR KRT PHOTO BY BARBARA
BINSTEIN/ABACA PRESS (January 19) Charlie Sheen
appears at the CBS session of the television critics winter
PAGE
8
Let the Madness
Begin
Spencer Borens
Sports Editor
I
t’s that time of the year for
college basketball’s biggest tournament of the
year. The tournaments of all
tournaments have extended
an already huge number in 64
teams to 68. There are plenty
of teams that could have the
talent to win it all this year like
Kansas, Pittsburg, and West
Virginia, but here are my favorites to win it all this year.
TEXAS
This team maybe the best
basketball team to ever play at
Texas. With dynamic scorers
in sophomore Jordan Hamilton and sophomore JaCovan
Brown and great post play in
freshmen Tristan Thompson
and senior Gary Johnson, the
Horns have the balance to win
it all this year.
DUKE
The defending National
Champs know just what it takes
to win the championship this
year. With starters Nolan Smith
and Kyle Singler, and 6’10 twin
towers in Miles and Mason
Plumlee, Duke seems like almost a lock to win the National
Championship this year.
OHIO ST.
Ohio St. nearly went undefeated during the regular season and with National Player
of the Year candidate freshman
post Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes have what it takes to win it
all. Along with Sullinger, junior
guard William Buford balances
out the scoring for the Buckeyes, and coach Thad Matta is
looking for his first National
Championship win.
BYU
Anytime you have the nation’s leading scorer on your
team, with a little bit of luck,
your team has the chance to
win it all. Jimmer Fredette has
been scorching the nets all year
averaging 27.3 points per game.
If his teammates give him any
help, BYU could shock the
worldy.
The Long-View
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
sports
The Return of the LOBO RELAYS
Spencer Borens
Sports Editor
Sams signs
with ULM
A
fter years of absence
the Lobo Relays have finally made their return
back to Longview. “We’re
excited to bring it back, it’s
the first time in a long time
we have had the Lobo Relays,” head coach Chris Clay
said. “It’s a big deal for the
community; a lot of people
are looking forward to it. I’m
looking forward to a good
showing from a lot of teams,
a big crowd, so we’re excited
to represent the Longview
high school track team.”
Junior Eric Hawkins and
sophomore Tory White will
both compete in the 100M
dash. Tory White finished
second place only hundreds
of a second behind winner
Gladewater’s Corey Davis two
weeks ago in Pine Tree.. Eric
Hawkins ran in the 100M
dash in the state track meet
last year, finishing 4th as a
sophomore.
For the girl’s Kiersten Brewer, will be running the 100M
Kevin Berns / THE LONG-VIEW
Senior Jamel Sams signs his
national letter of intent February 16
as his mother looks on.
Spencer Borens / THE LONG-VIEW
Senior Keirsten Brewer pepares for the 100 M dash as Eric Hawkins sets her
spot. Brewer won the race.
dash, the 4x2 relay, and the
sprint relay. Two weeks ago
Kiersten Brewer ran a 12.06,
winning the 100M dash at the
Graham Knowles Track meet,
and just last week won the
200m dash at the Earl Campbell/Emma Barrett Relays
with a time of 24.88.
“Friday is going to be my
very first and last Lobo Relays and I’m ready to show up
and show out,” senior Kiersten Brewer said. “Hopefully
my times will go down, and
the lord will bless me and I
can come up in first.”
The Lobos will compete
against Whitehouse, Marshall, Tatum, Tyler Lee, Pine
Tree, Hallsville, Kilgore, and
Gladewater.
“The field events will start
at 1:00 and the running finals
will start at 5,” Clay said, “so
everybody from the community will be off the job and
the kids [are out of] school so
we’re looking forward to a big
crowd.”
A standout on the track and
football field, Jamel Sams
signed a scholarship to attend
the University of Louisiana
Monroe and run track. Sams,
a hurdler in track and standout special teams player in
football, lettered three years in
track and one year in football.
Sams won district last year in
the 300 meter hurdles and
was .22 seconds away from
qualifying for state.
“My goal is to have a hurdle
time in the 36’s,” Sams said.
ULM’s early decision to offer put them over other choices. Sams chose ULM over
Houston, UT Arlington and
North Texasy.
Playoff Implications on the line in Soccer
Spencer Borens
Sports Editor
BOYS SOCCER
The Boy’s soccer team takes
on DeSoto tonight at DeSoto.
The Lobos are 15-3-1 and 4-2-1
in district, putting them in second place behind North Mesquite.
“We’ve been doing well this
season until the last two games
we stumbled,” head coach
James Wright said. “Friday’s
loss was disappointing, and
we’ll probably end up finishing
second place.”
Even though the Lobos won’t
win district this year in soccer,
they will still make their return
to the playoffs. Last year was
the first season under Coach
Wright’s reign, the team didn’t
make the playoffs.
“We set out the season thinking we could’ve won district,”
said Wright. But I’m excited
about our return to the playoffs,” said Wright.
The Lobos have been led
by great play from two senior
leaders, Danny McQuaid and
Felix Tapia and junior Jorge
Perez. Wright commented that
McQuaid and Tapia lead on the
field and do a great job keeping
the team together.
“This team is the most together team I’ve had at my
team here in Longview,” Wright
said. We just have to find a way
to play like we did earlier in the
season for the playoffs.”
The Lobos take on Mesquite
Horn on March 18 which is
Senior Night, and Tyler Lee
March 22, the last game of the
regular season.
GIRLS SOCCER
The Lady Lobo soccer team
takes on DeSoto tonight here
on the grass fields. The girls
are 11-7-2 and with three
games left in district, they
stand in 2nd place. The 1st
place team is Tyler Lee who
beat the Lady Lobos 1-0 on
February 15.
Sophomore Keeley Bowles
leads the team in goals with
nine, but head coach Chris
Yoder is impressed with the
team in other areas.
“I’m proud of our overall
defense,” Yoder said. “Our
defense has only allowed
one goal on defense.”
Yoder also said he was impressed with junior Chelsey
Floyd.
“She’s stepped up lately
in becoming a leader; vocally and on the field,” Yo-
der said.
The Lady Lobos made a
run all the way up to one
game shy of the 4A state
tournament last year. This
year the Lady Lobos are in
5A and Yoder said that the
teams have been definitely better compared to the
teams in 4a.
“It’s going to take every
player fulfilling their role
on the team,” Yoder said in
regards to the post-season.
“They’re going to have to
figure out what it means to
play for the team, and unselfishly commit themselves
to it.”
The Lady Lobos play Mesquite Horn at Hanby Stadium March 18 and will have a
rematch with Tyler Lee here
on March 22, which is also
Senior Night.
Break out the Bats: Lobos Softball and Baseball Begins
New coaches take reigns over teams
Spencer Borens
Sports Editor
SOFTBALL
The Lady Lobo softball
team has had a busy start to
their season, already playing
15 games with a record of 9-6.
Under first year head coach
Barielle Sims, the Lady Lobos have already eclipsed last
year’s win total of 6 games.
“Right now we’re playing
pretty good,” Sims said. “We
need to work out all the kinks
before we get to district. Our
defense is solid; we just need
to be consistent in hitting.”
The Lady Lobos are led on
the field by senior catcher
Stephanie Pepper. Pepper
was selected second team All
East Texas last season for her
play.
“Stephanie is doing a great
job catching and hitting right
now,” Sims said. “She’s a born
leader, leads vocally, and sets
The Lady Lobos play at
home today against Del Valle
and begin district play on
March 15 against DeSoto.
The Lady Lobos host district
favorite Mesquite Horn on
March 22.
Stephanie Pepper
great examples in practice.
Vocally she’s does a great job
at keeping the girls together
on the field and the girls really
respect her.”
Coach Sims also mentioned
Sierra Bailey for her pitching,
Desiree Moon for her work
in the outfield, and that the
infield play has been pretty
solid, led by senior third baseman and utility player NatTaysha Mitchell.
3 Lobos tagged All Stars
for both on, off field abilities
Tommy Bell
Sports Writer
B
laine Tomlinson, Brian
Tomlinson and Spencer
Borens were selected
by coaches from East Texas
to participate in the first Fellowship of Christian Athletes
(FCA) Heart of a Champion
Bowl. They are among 80
players selected to play in the
game.
“It’s an honor to even be
nominated for something
like this,” Borens said. “To be
thought of as a great football
player, but to be thought of as
a great person by Coach King is
even better.”
Borens and Blaine Tomlinson will be on the Blue Team
while Brian Tomlinson will be
playing on the Red Team, creating a sibling rivalry.
“We’re both really competitive so it’s going to be a good
match up,” Brian Tomlinson
said.
Blaine will be playing wide
receiver while Brian will be
playing cornerback, meaning
these two could be lining up in
front of each other often.
The three will spend three
days in Tyler starting June 8.
All of the activities will conclude with the All Star game on
June 11 at 7:30 at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.
The Blue team will be
coached by Grace’s Mike Maddox, while the Red team will be
coached by Henderson’s Dickey Meeks.
BASEBALL
The Longview Lobo baseball team is off to a 5-1 start
and is heading to Rockwall
to play in the I-30 tournament this weekend. The Lobos will play nine games in
ten days this weekend and
over spring break.
“This will be a great opportunity to extend pitching
and try different combinations and find the right combinations to win district or
get into the playoffs,” head
coach Bernie Martinez said.
Head Coach Bernie Martinez is starting his first year,
after being an assistant last
year here. Martinez was the
head coach aty LeTourneau
University before coming to
Longview.
“I’m interested in playing
great baseball,” Martinez
said. “I’m interested in progressively getting better and
the process of the plays, and
the way we prepare for the
games. We’ve played good
in every game except one.”
Martinez noted that he’s
had great play from seniors
Blaine and Brian Tomlinson,
sophomore Spencer Barton,
and clutch play from Brooks
Wellborn and Justin Sellers
has been great as the closer.
“Offensively the team is
hitting really well,” Martinez said. “We need to improve on our bunting and
base running.”
Martinez also noted the
progress of a key returning
letterman Luke Mack. Luke
was apart of this year’s basketball team and was the
second leading scorer.
“We are working Luke
in slowly,” Martinez said.
“We’ll use him as a utility
player filling in at second
and third base and in the
outfield. He’s a month and
a half behind but he’s coming on strong. It’s different between coming off the
basketball court and on the
grass fields.”
The boys start district play
here on March 25 against
Mesquite.
Clay Stanley
Basketball Seasons come to an end
in playoffs for both boys and girls
Spencer Borens
Sports Editor
BOYS BASKETBALL
The boys basketball team finished their season 20-10 after
a 65-48 loss to Kileen Harker
Heights in the first round of the
playoffs. The Lobos trailed by
one point in the middle of the
third quarter, but that was as
close as they would come. Harker Heights was 27-5 at the time
and are still in the playoffs.
“I thought this season was
a real good season being it my
first one here,” head coach Casey
Jones said. “We had to put in
a new system and get the kids
what I needed them to do each
and every night. I was proud of
our seniors on and off the court.
Off the court I never had a problem out of them and even though
they weren’t vocal leaders on the
court, they led by example.” The
Lobos return three starters in
Richard Flakes, Romeo Noel,
and lead scorer Tony Foster.
“We’ve got a lot of kids coming
back, winning 20 games was big,
getting into the playoffs was big,
[and] just getting that taste of
playoff atmosphere something
that we weren’t used to was big,”
Jones said.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Lady Lobos finished their
season 20-11 after a 46-42 first
round loss to Kileen Ellison.
“We played a very good team,
in Killeen Ellison,” head coach
Kevin Smith said. “They were
ranked 14th or 15th in the state
and we battled. The biggest thing
was that they outrebounded us.
They were much bigger than
us.”
Kileen out rebounded the Lady
Lobos 41-23.
The Lady Lobos had large
production all year from seniors
Britney Colbert, Tiara Davis, and
Nee Nee Hawkins. The three formulated a 3 headed monster that
led the team in all categories.
“Most team had to prepare for
all three of those girls all three
had their own unique abilities
on the court. Tiara is signed to
TWU, and I think the other two
will have an opportunity at the
next level,” Smith said.
“We’ve got some young people
that are going to come up; it’s going to be an uphill battle,” Smith
said. “We’re going to have to rebuild our whole varsity.”