Marching forward, reflecting back Staff honors colleague

More than just cookies and balloons
page 5
A behind the scenes look at Bear Necessities, the school store, shows
that managing retail is more demanding than at first glance.
Grizzly. Gazette
PHOTO BY D. TSOGBE
the
Volume 1, Issue 1
NEWS
Mountain View High School
Lawrenceville, Georgia
September/October 2012
Marching forward, reflecting back
PHOTO BY J. GILBERT
Black & Gold Brigade pays tribute to the first four years with its half time show
Bailey Drouant ‘15
Staff Writer
NEW HEAD COACH
Doug Giacone takes on varsity football
- Page 2 -
PHOTO BY D. TSOGBE
SPORTS
A
s senior snare player Matthew Nelson marches onto the field, he takes
a moment to think of what the show is
all about: honoring Mountain View’s first
four years. As a student that has been at
Mountain View since the beginning, it
gives him a lot to reflect upon. He was
there from the start when there were only
21 members, on to now when the band
is pushing 60 members. He was there
when Mountain View was completely
new. And the show honors people like
him. “This year’s Marching Band show
is a huge part of my senior year,” he said.
As the first full class comes to graduate
from Mountain View, the award-winning
marching band aimed its show this year
to honor those students and the school.
The show features “Alice,” the theme
from the 2010 Alice in Wonderland
movie, “Imagine” by John Lennon,
“Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson, and “Reflections” by Diana Ross.
“What better way to look back at the
CROSS COUNTRY
Young runners show promise for program
- Page 4 -
PHOTO BY MAGIC MOMENT
STUDENT LIFE
HOMECOMING
A View of Mardi Gras and a football win
- Pages 6 & 7 -
PHOTO BY N. SARTAIN
LIVING
PHOTO BY N. SARTAIN
Band Director Mr. Owens looks on at the half time show ‘Reflections’ for the first home game September 7
against Pebblebrook High School.
Staff honors colleague
Sleuth welcomes
new female mascot
Amelia Hood ‘15
Deborah Tsogbe ‘15
Social Studies teacher Mr. Steve White named Teacher of the Year
TUMBLR & PINTEREST
Networking sites geared toward sharing
ideas inspire both staff and students
- Page 9 -
PHOTO BY D. TSOGBE
OPINIONS
BIG BROTHER
Teens may not realize the government
could be watching their every move
- Page 10 -
achievements of the band, school, and the
community than to ‘reflect’ back on how
far we’ve come in these 4 years,” the band
director Mr. William Owens said. “Using
‘Reflections’ as the theme yielded the opportunity to bring that original idea to life.”
The performances remind seniors of their
freshman year at the brand new school.
“The first year, we barely marched, and
the band didn’t have uniforms. Guard just
had flags. Now we have rifles and sabers;
the band is actually a band,” said senior
Jordyn Shafer, who is on the color guard.
Trumpet player and fellow senior Asia
Passmore said, “We definitely grew more.
People are identifying themselves as Bears
and not as whatever school they came from.”
“It has been a pleasure working with
such dedicated young men and women who stuck with it,” said Mr. Owens. “We stayed together, and now
the fruits of 4 years of work are paying off as we see this program growing.”
As the band has grown, so has Mountain View. “We were once just a school
on a hill. Now we’re so much more! We
have our own rec team, and each athletic
department has a reputation,” said Shafer.
Passmore adds, “More people have started paying attention to marching band.”
As for his last year marching, Nelson
said, “The students in band are working harder than ever this year to create
the best show we’ve had to date. And I’m
positive the student body will love it.”
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
“It’s a really great honor after years of
teaching to be acknowledged. I work with
many excellent teachers, which makes it
mean more,” said Mr. Steve White, who
was voted the 2012 Teach of the Year by
his colleagues. Being a teacher of seventeen
years, he relishes his job. “Teachers should
understand that they’re students, too, and
they’re always learning.” This is the philosophy that Coach White employs in his
classroom to make him love teaching even
more. It helps him model the same qualities that he wants students to embrace.
Coach White has a love for teaching so-
cial studies. “I get to talk about something
I love, and students pick up something,”
Coach White said. He does the best job
that he can and enjoys it as much as possible. Coach White makes his classroom interactive so that the kids can learn a lot and
The giant bear head is hot and sweaty,
and the smell of B.O. lingers, stale. The
view through the small eye holes is dim.
The cheering of the crowd is a muted
roar. She can hear herself breathing heavily, her heart racing after running up and
down the sidelines and doing cartwheels.
Boomer is a role that has been filled
only by boys since the founding of the
school four years ago, but this year, a
sophomore girl is filling the space in the
bear suit, alternating with three boys.
The new female mascot said, “The
worst thing [about being Boomer] has
to be the costume itself. It’s really hot
Continued on page 2... See TOTY
Continued on page 2... See Boomer
PHOTO BY J. RASAPHONE
Coach White hands back papers in AP US History.
2 NEWS
Volume 1, Issue 1
TOTY shares teaching philosophy
Continued from front page
enjoy class while also being challenged.
“Coach White puts emotion into the information he gives which makes it into a
story that you can remember,” said junior
Charbel Aoun. Aoun explained that when
Coach teaches, students can really get into
it. “If he’s talking about something scary,
you feel scared. That is the biggest thing
that makes students appreciate his class.”
Coach White is more than just Teacher
of the Year. Along with teaching social
studies, he coaches golf here at Mountain View. “Coach White is always smil-
ing and joking around. When I have a
bad day on the course, no matter what, he
makes me smile,” said sophomore Sarah
Buice. “He’s always encouraging us and
saying you can do it.” Encouragement is
also a strategy he uses in the classroom
so the students will feel empowered.
Teaching social studies helped Coach
White win the teacher of the year award
because he appreciates coming to work
to teach something he has fun with.
“Not many people can go to work every day and do something they love.”
3 Boomers make the mascot come alive
Continued from front page
and smelly in there, but it’s worth it
to be able to be the face of MVHS.”
The other students who are also
Boomer don’t feel as though the fact that
she’s a girl will make any big difference.
“I mean, she’s like one of us,” said Boomer 2, a junior who plans to be the school’s
mascot next year as well. “Honestly, I
think it’d be a lot easier for her. She’s more
flexible... she can do cartwheels and stuff
like that, stuff that my big self can’t do.”
The only problem, according to Boomer
3, is her height. “It’s just that she’s shorter
than everyone, and everyone notices when
we change the suits because when we were
at the pep rally all the kids were like, ‘you
got shorter!’ whenever she came out, and
whenever me or the other tall Boomer came
out they were like, ‘you got tall again!’”
According to Boomer 4, the best thing
GrizzlyGazette
about being Boomer is “seeing all the fun
people are having, like encouraging people, representing Mountain View, having
fun, showing spirit.” Boomer 1, and maybe
many other girls for whom Boomer 1 has
opened the door, will get to experience this.
“You can definitely count on me boomering it up next year!” said Boomer 1. “It is
so much fun, and it creates a lot of funny
memories that I’ll remember forever.”
PHOTO BY J. GILBERT
Boomer pumped up the crowd at the homecoming pep
rally 7th period Friday, September 24.
New coach leads
team with zeal
Josh Gilbert ‘15
Staff Writer
“B
Lexi Dashiell
Bailey Drouant
Emily Harrell
Amelia Hood
Josh Gilbert
Kelsi Nguyen
Alexis Poggi
Nicolle Sartain
Deborah Tsogbe
Leslie Wyatt
Mrs. Ortman, Adviser
“When free discussion is denied,
hardening of the arteries of democracy has set in, free institutions are
but a lifeless form, and the death of
the republic is at hand.”
- William Randolph Hearst
Emily Harrell ‘15
Staff Writer
OBAMA
ISSUE
eing able to coach is something
that is really a unique experience
and really allows you to stay close to the
game that you love,” said head varsity football coach Doug Giacone. Coach Giacone
is experiencing his first year as head football coach. “This is my 14th year in coaching. I spent 6 years coaching in college at
different levels and 7 years in high school,
one of my stints being over at Grayson
and helping them build their program.”
Coach Giacone feels little pressure being
the new head coach. “The only pressure
you have is the pressure you put on yourself. We try to approach every day as a new
day. We try to get better every opportunity
we have, and teach our kids a lot about
football and a lot about life. I really feel the
pressure is self-generated and not something that comes from your surroundings.”
Junior Coleton Brindle said of Coach Giacone, “There is always some type of pressure, even with a new head coach. He was
there last year as defensive coordinator.”
Obstacles arise that have to be dealt with
in coaching. “The obstacles that we have
here are the continuity of our program and
me stepping in, this being my first year as
head coach trying to keep the continuity
and the momentum of what we have start-
ROMNEY
Has put forward a specific,
balanced plan of spending
cuts and revenue increases
that will reduce the deficit by
more than $4 trillion over the
next decade
Spending
Will require spending cuts
of approximately $500 billion per year in 2016 assuming robust economic recovery
with 4% annual growth, and
reversal of Obama-era defense cuts
The Affordable Care Act is
helping people with Medicare
save on the care they need to
stay healthy—from free preventive services to lower costs
on prescription drugs and
monthly premiums
Healthcare
Will issue an executive order that paves the way for
the federal government to issue Obamacare waivers to all
fifty states. He will then work
with Congress to repeal the
full legislation
Education
Will provide incentives for
states to increase choices for
parents and develop quality
alternatives; build on the success of effective charter and
digital schools
States education is not a
top-down, one-size-fits-all
issue; has given states the
flexibility to create their own
ambitious plans for reform,
relieving them of No Child
Left Behind mandates.
Student Body and Faculty Comments
the
Staff
Obama
vs.
Romney
A look at the issues that matter most to voters
“I believe President Obama is an effective communicator that is able to make
connections with a significant percent of
citizens. He has good intentions. However, I also believe he is digressing from
some of our traditional American values like a belief in self-reliance,’’ said
social studies teacher Mr. Garin Berry.
“I think Obama has a lot of unfinished business because no president
could fix everything in only 4 years.
His policies, like the job plan of cutting taxes for small businesses, could
definitely work,” senior Shiv Tailor said.
“I feel like Romney knows more and
knows how to fix everything instead of
making useless laws that won’t help the
mess we are in. Obama has invested billions of dollars into useless organizations. Also, he is more of a celebrity than
a president. Instead of showing up in a
bunch of magazines, he should be helping
our country,’’ said junior Hope Salloum.
“I think Bush left Obama a huge
mess. I like Obama’s views on healthcare. I just don’t believe it should be required. Obama’s family values also add
to the reason why I like him. He’s such
a family man,’’ said senior Andre Okosi.
ed to build here and getting more students
in our halls, more kids out for football, and
maintaining our weight program and continuing to get bigger, faster, and stronger.
There are always some obstacles and some
things that you have to overcome, but as
I tell our coaches and our kids, you know
we’re building a football program, this being our third year of varsity competition.”
Mentors made Coach Giacone the
coach he is today. “I’ve played and coached
for guys that are all different levels. I’ve
played and coached for Taver Johnson,
the assistant head coach at Arkansas. I’ve
had other guys that I’ve worked with that
*Chart information taken from official sites
for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
“I’d much rather see Romney in office. Obama is not worried about important things like what’s happening in Libya. He’s more focused on
going green,” said junior Nick Sacco.
“After watching the first Presidential debate, like many, I was surprised at President Obama’s dull performance. Even
with a weak performance from Obama,
I still felt like Romney did not present
enough facts about his plans. The debate
last night was a much better exchange between the candidates. I continue to be impressed with the consistency of the Obama
campaign in the facts and information presented and disappointed with Romney’s
vague answers and avoidance of offering
any specifics to his economic plan,” said
social studies teacher Ms. Kristin Murphy.
“Obamacare is beneficial because it
helps us kids stay on our parents’ healthcare until we are 25. We need to be
more focused on education, not military.
Military has gotten us nowhere but in a
deeper problem. I think Obama knows
what he’s doing,’’ said junior Alex Caruso.
“After Romney’s 47% comment, I
wasn’t very turned on by him,’’ said social studies teacher Mr. Brandon Wood.
are now head coaches in Division III programs. I’ve been really blessed to be around
some very good coaches. Some guys that
I know are now in the NFL coaching.”
“Coach Giacone is a very upbeat, very passionate coach,” said
Brindle. “He would do anything for
us that he would do for his family.”
Giacone said, “It’s a marathon, not
a sprint. It’s not something that’s going to happen instantaneously, it’s not
something that’s going to happen overnight, but we have to stay the course,
and we have to be positive, and we have
to try to get better every opportunity.”
FEATURES
September/October 2012
3
Artist cultivates passion for ‘dragon’ her pencil across the page
Family motivates Ella Makin to spend free time creating art
Lexi Dashiell ‘15
Staff Writer
A
fter hours upon hours of drawing,
the picture Ella Makin is creating is
almost complete. One last stroke of the pencil to her paper, and the creature on her paper is alive, its detail producing a fierce and
intimidating image. Truly, her hard work,
practice, and long term dedication brought
Ella Makin to be the artist she is today.
Makin, a sophomore, comes from a long
line of artists. “[I have been drawing] ever
since I could hold a pencil, I guess. My
whole family draws,” she explained. “I was
brought up with it.” Though she has not
always been a good drawer, she sticks with
it. “Practice makes perfect!” Makin said.
Makin draws in her free time, mostly
when she feels bored. When she begins, she starts to form mythical animals
such as dragons or griffins. “They can
be like anything. They aren’t real, so you
can make them any way you want,” she
PHOTOS BY L. DASHIELL
Makin explains where her creativity originated, “My
mom does textural art, my dad and brother both
build, and I was inspired by them to draw animals.”
Transitioning from Bear to Bulldog
Alumnus Kevin Schatell shares what lies beyond these four walls
Alexis Poggi ‘15
Staff Writer
Many students have a desire to go on to
college after high school. 2012 alumnus
Kevin Schatell shared the experiences of
the transition from high school to college.
He admits to college being a lot of fun, but
with freedom comes great responsibility.
Schatell said that the transition from high
school to college can be difficult at times,
but admits it is the most exciting time in
your life. “You get to make the experience
what YOU want, and although that’s intimidating, it’s also really rewarding,” he said.
Learning a new environment and meeting new people is something everyone goes
through in life. “A lot has changed!” Schatell said, “It’s definitely different from high
school. The scariest part about the transition was leaving home and saying goodbye.”
To address some seniors’ fears, Schatell
said that being homesick does happen.
“For me, it was one of those things where I
didn’t realize what I had until it was taken
away from me,” Schatell said. “I was always surrounded with my family and close
friends, and I think I took that for granted.”
But upcoming college freshmen can take
comfort in the fact that they are in good company. “Everyone is going through the emotional transition together,” Schatell said.
Even though college can be scary, it has
its perks. “It has been the most exciting experience of my life!” said Schatell. He said
that for him, meeting new people and having more freedom have been the best parts.
Schatell had some advice for all high
school students, freshman through senior: “Take AP classes and get involved.
I dedicated myself to studying and working hard in high school, and that has
made all the difference being here in college. Academics are the root of college, so
you have make sure you take good care
of your grades and make time to study.”
To upperclassmen, Schatell said, “Also,
apply EARLY! Once you apply and are accepted, you have something tangible to look
forward to and you can start preparing.”
High school really does count and help
you for future endeavors. Schatell said,
“Everything I worked toward and learned
in high school is being put to the test.”
“Savor every moment.” Now that he
has moved on, he reflects on his time in
high school and the memories of it often.
Everyone gets caught up in the day to
day and runs low on time, so Schatell suggested some things to do and not to do.
“Things not to do in college: Forget about
academics and spend too much time socializing.” Schatell said that you have to learn
how to manage free time and school time.
“Things to do in college: Network
and get involved,” said Schatell. “Getting involved helps downsize a big
university and make it feel smaller.”
Making the choice about college is a big
decision to make in life. To Schatell, it was
the greatest decision he made. He said,
“It definitely makes you more mature.”
PHOTO BY K. SCHATELL
Kevin Schatell cheers on his Bulldogs at the first home
game Saturday, September 1.
said. Though her favorite drawings are
of these mythical animals, she also focuses on drawing eyes, flowers, abstract
designs, and other animals of all types.
Melissa Rosenhauer, a sophomore
friend of Makin’s, has seen her artwork
and said “[Ella’s drawings] are really
good! They are really detailed and colorful, and they are good fantasy drawings.”
Makin said her favorite thing about
drawing is that she has the power to draw
anything she wants. “I get to put the image in my head on paper, and others can
see.” She said, “No matter how bad you
are, your drawing is still good to someone.” She also finds drawing fun because
there is always the curiosity of seeing if she
can accomplish drawing something or not.
For Makin, drawing is just a hobby,
but for other aspiring artists, she recommends starting off with small tasks and
gradually building up. She said she likes to
start off with simple shapes and then form
them into something. “Art is in the eye of
the beholder,” she said. “Never give up!”
She lives like she’s actually human
More than just a teacher, Ms. deMeritte enjoys a lifestyle all her own
Nicolle Sartain ‘14
Staff Writer
T
eachers actually live outside of the
school. They don’t sleep here. This
comes as a shock to some students who see
teachers as robots programmed to teach,
give homework, and little else. Ms. Jolyn
PHOTO BY N. SARTAIN
deMeritte, a social studies teacher, lives
Ms. deMeritte aids law students taking their 5th
period Unit 2 test September 28.
life just like a normal person, not a robot.
The Muslim Student Association (MSA)
and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) are two
Ms. deMeritte is not only a hardworkof the three clubs Ms. deMeritte sponsors. ing teacher of Law, Political Systems,
MSA is currently working on a skit for In- World History, and Gwinnett Online
ternational Night. “She supports a lot of campus, but also a loving grandmother.
students. She has GSA and MSA, which
She has raised her children and now is
are like two opposing ideas, but she’s sup- watching them raise their own. “I love
portive of both. She’s an open-minded my little nugget [grandson],” said Ms.
person,” senior Omii Rahmany said about deMeritte. Carrie, her daughter, is a marMs. deMeritte. GSA was invited to march keting rep, but Ms. deMeritte said her
with other GSAs
main job right
in metro Atlanta “She supports a lot of students... now is taking care
October 12-14
of Noah, more
She
is
an
open-minded
person.
”
in the Atlanta
affectionately
- Omii Rahmany, 12
Pride
Festival.
known as nugget.
“It feels like we
Ms.
deMerare being proactive in the community,” itte has two sons, Jacob and Justin. Jussenior Victoria Mock said about GSA. tin is living with his mother and conAdditionally, Ms. deMeritte created sidering going back to school. Jacob
a new club this year called the Aroma- is a dancer and currently in Germany
therapy Club. They meet to learn about dancing with the Oxford Opera House.
different oils and scents and will even
Though child-rearing is no longer on her
learn how to make various items in their to do list, she looks after her animals. “It’s
‘crafternoons’. “I love it and want to a good thing I don’t own a house in the
share my interest with the kids,” Ms. country because I’d have a bunch of anideMeritte said. “I’d really like to get mals,” Ms. deMeritte said. Penny, a boxer
to the point where I’m making soaps.” terrier, is living with Ms. deMeritte and her
Coaching is yet another part of Ms. son. “She’s really powerful, but she thinks
deMeritte’s life. She has coached JV bas- she’s a lap dog puppy.” Ms. deMeritte also
ketball cheerleading for the past two owns three cats living in her home. And
years and was also the JV football cheer- she always wishes she could have more.
leading coach its inaugural year in 2010.
Robot she is not. Ms. deMeritte loves
Blaine Pulliam, a freshman, talks about to travel outside of school, as her favorite
the upcoming season and Coach D’s subject is world history. She has visited
plans: “[At cheer retreat] she said the Sweden, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Canada,
[Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader] kick-line and Belgium. Ms. deMeritte’s fun, insplit would be our signature move. She volved life paints the picture that teachers
seems nice and reasonable to work with.” truly do live a life outside of the classroom.
4 SPORTS
Volume 1, Issue 1
Crossing the country in less than 100 days
Cross Country continues to improve throughout the season and strives to go great distances
Deborah Tsogbe ‘15
Staff Writer
T
he cross country team has 90 runners, 3 coaches, has run 2,400
miles, collectively, and is hoping to go
even farther. “We [achieved] one of our
goals, which is to get a trophy, and another goal, [as a team], is to really show
out at regions and beat a lot of teams,”
said Ben Yin, a sophomore on the team.
Running isn’t just about running.
“There’s always something to improve on,
like, just my form... being able to just run
correctly,” said freshman Leonora Luce.
All the members of the cross country
team work hard each day to get better. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for workouts, like
hill sprints, indian runs, and stadiums. The
other three days of the week are for mileage
or time, and on Saturdays, there are meets.
The cross country team has improved greatly since last year, and
has been joined by dedicated freshmen, sophomores, and upperclassmen.
“We have a lot of really natural talent this
year. We are ranked, currently, number two
in the region. Top four in the region go to
state, so I absolutely think that our teams
will make it to state this year,” said the girls’
coach, Mrs. Jordan Raettig. “... The harder
SPORTS SCHEDULES
10/18
JV Football - HOME vs Peachtree Ridge
9th Football - AT Peachtree Ridge
10/19
Varsity Football - AT Norcross
10/20
Competition Cheer - Loganville
Cross Country - Coach Wood Invitational
10/25
JV Football - AT Norcross
9th Grade Football - HOME vs Norcross
10/26
Varsity Football- HOME vs Meadowcreek
10/27
Competition Cheer - Winder-Barrow
Marching Band - Creekview Classic at
Creekview
11/2
Varsity Football - AT North Gwinnett
11/3
Cross Country- 7AAAAA Region Meet
Competition Cheerleading - Regional
Competition at Loganville
11/9
Varsity Football- HOME vs Duluth
Swim Team- vs Dacula at Collins Hill
Aquatic Center
11/9-10
Competition Cheer - State Competition at
Columbus Civic Center
11/16
Swim Team- vs Berkmar/Lanier at
Collins Hill Aquatic Center
11/30
Swim Team- vs North Gwinnett/Mill
Creek at West Park
11/31
Swim Team- Meet vs Norcross/Archer at
West Park
you work, the more you get out of it.”
The improved state of the cross country team is a testament to hard work
and determination, as well as the freshmen runners -- Raine Harkins, Leonora Luce, Ashley Lewis, and Chloe
Gorinas -- who have run varsity races.
“I’m really happy with the freshmen and
how much work they put in. Even as a
freshman, I was really lazy, but these freshmen actually put in work, and they’re actually really trying hard, and I love those guys
already... I’m proud of them, and I’m happy to see where they’re gonna go,” said Yin.
Cross country is not entirely an individual sport, though, and not just about
running and workouts. “The team is
just so bonded. You don’t think cross
country’s a team sport, but it is, ‘cause
everybody’s so encouraging,” said Luce.
And it’s not just the runners, either. The coaches are there to give support and encourage runners. The cross
country team has a new boys’ coach this
year, Mr. Mayer, and of him, Yin said,
“[He’s] a real runner. I mean, I love him.
He’s probably the best coach I’ve had,
overall, over every sport I’ve [played],
and he really knows what he’s doing.”
Coach Mayer began coaching here in
early August and is settling into the routine. “Mountain View is hopefully go-
ing to be my home... I think that it was
tough to leave Mill Creek, and I hope
that it becomes a fun rivalry in a few
years... I felt very welcomed [at Moun
PHOTOS BY D. TSOGBE
Photo Above. Coach Mayer watches freshman Ashley Lewis and
sophomore Ben Yin run laps at practice on Thursday, September
20. “The potential for what we can do in the next couple years,
from our first year runners, is very high,” he said.
Photo below. Girls’ cross country lines up at practice to run 400s.
Girls’ softball prepares for new season
Lexi Dashiell ‘15
Staff Writer
During summer workouts, the softball
players did various drills to prepare for the
upcoming season. They begin with conditioning and practicing their fundamentals
of catching, throwing, running, hitting,
and making independent plays. As punishment, the team runs back and forth,
foul pole to foul pole, in small groups.
To fundraise for the team, softball players sell doughnuts after Friday football games by the gate.
They also do a 5k run first semester.
This season, the varsity team had more
wins than they did last year with a record of
15-12, when last year they only had 13 wins.
Courtney Kichefski said the varsity
team improved because there was a stronger senior class and more leadership.
Next year the team will do the routine
again and prepare for another good season.
Practice enables Lady Bears to serve up victory
Kelsi Nguyen ‘14
Staff Writer
With the fall sport season being half way
over, the volleyball team is out of hibernation and ready to maul its remaining opponents. The girls tried out August 1st and
2nd, and the three teams - freshmen, junior varsity and varsity - were chosen from
the over 100 girls who wanted to play.
“We got more experienced. Last year,
half of the team had never touched a volleyball,” JV Coach Laura Keefer said.
Keefer said that their goal for this season is to make the top three teams in
the county and to improve in the sport.
Former JV player and now manager of
the team, sophomore Candler McDade
said at first the team didn’t know how to
play together, they didn’t know each other’s
playing skill. But now they have developed
a chemistry and built the team together.
From passing to serving, the girls’ JV
coach had a lot to say about the players’
skills. “We have solid servers, and that
carries over to our offense,” Keefer said.
“Our team bonded well together,” freshman Jenna Burns said. “Before games,
tain View]; I’m very excited about the
potential that we have. I think that in
due time we can become one of the best
teams in the state,” Coach Mayer said.
we would hold hands and step over
the line together, and we do a cheer.”
Preparing the girls for games was one
of the most important aspects of being
a coach. Keefer said they drill a lot of
fundamentals, they practice basics every
single practice, and she tries to find creative drills for offense, so it could develop.
JV Volleyball has high aspirations for
the remainder of the year. Sophomores
August Brown and Ashlee Holness’s goal
is to get bumped up to the varsity team by
the end of the season, and if not, by next
year. Coach Keefer shared her goal is “to
get to the county tournament this year.”
PHOTO BY J. AKOUBIAN
JV Volleyball girls huddle up before the home game
against Dacula and Parkview on September 5.
JV football winning
record increases
Lexi Dashiell ‘15
Staff Writer
I
t was getting late in the game, and
the JV football team had a good
chance of walking away with its first victory. The clock was running low in the
fourth quarter, and the game was nearly
over. Finally, time was up, and the JV team
came out on top with an 8 point lead.
On Thursday, September 6, 2012, the JV
football team went head to head with the
Meadowcreek Mustangs and the score ended up 29-21. This was the team’s first win
since the year the school opened in 2009.
Junior Crew Peery #16 helped contribute to the JV win by scoring the majority of the touchdowns. “MVP! MVP!
MVP!” his teammates said when he entered the locker room after the game.
The second game JV won was against the
Duluth Wildcats on September 13 with an
end score of 31-12. After this game, the
JV team had already won more games than
any other MVHS JV team has in the past
with a record of 2-0, being undefeated.
Sophomore Myles Cabrera #78 said his
goal for the team is to improve every day.
To be successful the team has made some
changes, and some varsity football players
have been playing in the games to help the
team be victorious. #52 Fred Geiter is a
junior who plays on the team. “[To be successful we are] executing, going over plays
and putting in more effort,” Geiter said.
JV football has already won most of
their games this season. The team’s last
game will be against the Norcross High
School Blue Devils on October 25.
SCHOOL PRIDE
September/October 2012
Get it together
Clubs promote membership
at Bear Fair
Kelsi Nguyen ‘14
Staff Writer
Hot sun blistered as clubs gathered
in the faculty parking lot. Music starts
from the car speakers, the smell of barbecue permeates the air, and students
stand by their decorated cars and signs.
The clubs tailgated at the 4th annual Bear Fair on Friday before the football game against Pebblebrook. The
club members came together to promote their clubs with designed posters and goodies to offer for students.
“Our club is mainly about bettering
the school; we are in charge of events
that occur at the school such as International Night, which broadens students’ knowledge of different cultures
around the world. We are in charge of
Teacher Appreciation, we hand out the
gifts, and we also host the Drunk Driving Expo,” Student Leadership member
and sophomore Nicholas McGarry said.
Junior Thaxton Lipscomb passed out
candy representing Student Venture. “Student Venture is a party with a purpose; it’s
a student-led Bible study. There is free food
every Friday after school from 2:30 to 4 in
Mr. Grimshaw’s room,” Lipscomb said.
The Junior Classical League is a club not
only about language, but about competition, also. “JCL is like a Latin Club. We go
to conventions, and we go to competitions
and compete,” sophomore Lindsey Rouner
said. Rouner said the club is beneficial because students get recognition, and it’s fun
and helps students learn the language better.
The Bear Fair was a time where clubs
came together to show students what
the school has to offer and that there
are many options students can choose
from to become more involved in school.
Little leader, big job
Dave acts as vice president of Future Business Leaders of America
Bailey Drouant ‘15
FBLA-PBL.org states that its members have competitive edge, as the best
Staff Writer
and brightest of FBLA and PBL cons a freshman, Leah Dave was chosen vene to compete in leadership events,
to be vice president of FBLA and share their successes, and learn new
continues these duties her sophomore year. ideas about shaping their career fuDave was in FBLA at Twin Rivers Middle ture through workshops and exhibits.
School and joined the high school FBLA in
“They follow her leadership because
its first year, so she had to adjust to a new she has experience that no one curhigh school life while helping run a club. rently in FBLA has,” said Ms. Booker.
“When people want something as worthDave also helps a lot in the process of
while as FBLA,
leading.
“My
they make it
main job,” she
work,” Dave said. “With FBLA, I am able to get bet- said, “is to help
“It’s an honor to ter chances at high paying jobs. I the
president
be able to join a can start my own design business.” and make sure
club that allows
that everybody
- Leah Dave, 10
me to do so many
is getting what
activities to preneeds to be done,
pare for interviews and allows me chanc- done. Think of it as a friendly helper.”
es to earn scholarships and cash prizes.”
“She’s doing an excellent job; she is
Even though she was a freshman, FBLA hard working and she’s always volunadvisor Ms. Marlena Booker chose Dave teering. I have so many good things
for the position. “She’s different; she [was] to say about her,” said Ms. Booker.
not an average freshman,” said Ms. BookDave said, “We have ordered shirts that
er. “[The officers were] just finding out she say ‘Join us today or work for us tomorwas a freshman. She has awesome critical row’. It is true, though. With FBLA, I am
thinking, and it balances the age difference.” able to get better chances at high paying
Dave is the only current FBLA mem- jobs. I can start my own design business.”
ber who had gone to competition where
Dave continues her work with
she went to lectures on how to lead the club, which meets on the secFBLA and be a good business person. ond
Tuesday
of
each
month.
A
Clubs set up in the teacher
parking lot before the September 7 football game and
give out candy to promote
membership and inform
attendees of their clubs’
purposes. DECA member
and junior Courtney Link
paints herself shoulder
down for the Pebblebrook
football game and is present
at the Bear Fair to represent
her club.
PHOTO BY K. NGUYEN
Providing necessities, gaining experience
5
CLUB
ANNOUNCEMENTS
10/18-21 Greek Festival
FCCLA
10/19 Senior Ads due to Mrs.
Ortman 1.393
10/22 Math Team meeting
10/24 FCCLA meeting
10/26 Trunk or Treat 4:00-7:00
10/29 State math exam
11/1 Mix it up week
11/5 Math Team meeting
11/7 Senior Cabinet meeting Room 1.502 at 2:15
11/9 Senior Night - Tailgate
5:30-7 in senior courtyard
11/10
Turkey Buzz Off - JCL
11/21
Junior Cabinet - 2:30
11/28
FCCLA meeting
11/29
Men of Change
graduation
12/1 Last chance to buy yearbook at www.YearbookOrder
Center.com
12/1
FBLA lollipop sale ends
12/3
Math Team meeting
*FCA meets every Tues morning
*Student Venture meets every
Friday at 2:30 in Mr. Grimshaw’s
Room 1.552
To announce your club’s events,
email dates and descriptions to
staff member Amelia at
ameliahood97@yahoo.com.
School store employees learn the value of hard work and knowledge of the real world
Deborah Tsogbe ‘15
ing how to work in the real life retail environment, so it gives them an opportunity
Staff Writer
for that. The school store is known as a
marketing lab, so that way they’re putting
he smell of cookies wafts through the their marketing skills to work. So they’re
air and drifts through the commons selling, they’re advertising, they’re doing
area and down the hall. Everyone knows it’s those sorts of things. Obviously, they need
cookie day, and, come lunchtime, the line integrity and honesty; they’re working
in Bear Necessities will be at least 15 deep. with money. They need teamwork and coTensions can run high when the sup- operation because they all work together,”
ply of cookies runs
said Ms. Andrea
low or runs out.
Barrett,
marSenior
Deborah “They’re selling, they’re advertis- keting teacher
Austin and sopho- ing... they need integrity and hon- and supervisor
more Tiffany Leon
to employees of
esty... they need teamwork
agreed, “I think
Bear Necessities.
and cooperation.”
dealing with the
Patrons can
- Ms. Barrett, marketing teacher
customers is the
buy sweatshirts,
hardest
because
tote bags, cofsome people come in here with differ- fee mugs, key-chains, and more. Ement attitudes. And the customer’s al- ployees do surveys to better get to know
ways right, so we always have to respect their customer base and do the decoratheir opinion, and if they feel some type tions seen in the windows once a month.
of way, we have to just deal with it.”
When asked about the work, Leon
The fact that there are cookies in the said,“It all depends on how you act... If
school store is all most people seem to know, you’re really lazy, then it’ll be kinda hard on
but there’s more work put into running you because we do things besides cookies
the school store than most students think. and balloons. We have to do some boring
“Students in the school store are learn- things like cleaning up or wiping counters
T
and stuff, but if you really like what we’re
doing in here, what we’re learning, then
it won’t be as boring for you or as hard.”
Bear Necessities has been in business since Mountain View opened its
doors. The layout and placement of the
store was planned from day one and has
been a staple in the school ever since.
“We started with nothing... [the school
store has grown] exponentially. We have a
whole lot more inventory. When we opened
PTSA sold some of the spirit wear, so we
inherited some of what was left over from
them. And that kinda got us started and we
were able to build up some funds to buy
our own things,” said Ms. Barrett. The school store has grown noticeably
and is even DECA bronze certified. DECA
is a club for marketing students that oversees “school-based enterprises,” like Bear
Necessities, and enterprises like that have
to apply for certification. Ms. Barrett hopes
to be gold certified this year, and her students will be writing a manual describing
in detail what goes on in the school store.
Employee of Bear Necessities and
junior Kenny Gallo said, “[It’s] absolutely [fun], you know. you learn about
life. You learn about what you’re go-
ing to do when you get a job out in the
real world... [I’m] looking forward to
[working in the school store again].”
PHOTO BY D. TSOGBE
Cookie time! Senior Shelbi Aldrich prepares chocolate
chip cookies for costumers. Aldrich said, “I love
[working in the school store] because it’s fun, and I get
to interact with other people. It’s not like desk work.”
6 STUDENT LIFE
Homecoming
proposals
“He asked me with huge colorful postcards spelling out ‘’ Homecoming?’’ in
the middle of 6th period lunch. He had
11 people hold up the posters.’’
- Taylor Shane, 10
“We went out to a movie, and he paid
the movie theater people to put ‘Will
you go to homecoming with me, Kenia?’ on the movie screen.‘’
- Kenia Ruiz, 11
“I got on one knee and held up the
homecoming ticket, then said ‘Will you
go to homecoming with me?’”
- Steven Kemper, 12
“I made her a necklace with beads
that spelled ‘Will you go to homecoming with me?’” - Austin Chaney, 10
PHOTO BY E. HARRELL
Volume 1, Issue 1
YOUR FIERCE FASHIONS
Leslie Wyatt ‘15
Staff Writer
Homecoming
attendees
strutted into ‘A View of Mardi Gras’ dance
dressed to impress. The dresses, accessories, shoes and jewelry were stunning. Some popular choices pervaded.
1. THE STRENGTH OF STRAPS
Strapless dresses are popular style
choices, but straps can be just as eyecatching. Straps can make the front or
back of a dress stunning. Wearing a
strapped dress in a room full of strapless
dresses can set you apart from the rest.
2. BE THE DARING DAMSEL
The dress doesn’t always make the look.
Sometimes it’s the cake that has dazzling
icing on top. The right or wrong jewelry
can make or break a dress. But to make
the perfect outfit, be daring with the
jewelry, do not go overboard, but add a
necklace, bracelet, or earrings that pop.
Dressed in disguise
Bears demonstrate school pride by participating in Spirit Week
Amelia Hood ‘15
Staff Writer
M
PHOTO BY J. GILBERT
PHOTO BY J. GILBERT
Top left. Tony Torres on Nerd Day. Top Right. Clarissa Miles, Dare Peery, and Madison Corry on Spirit Day. Bottom Left. Sarah Aitcadi and Ben Yin on Character Day. Bottom Right. Emad Henien on Holiday Day.
Michelle Sequeira’s
Homecoming night
Nails at
QV Nails
Make-up
at home
PHOTO BY M. SEQEIRA
SENIOR
Hair
“Brianna’s dress was beautiful. It
really showed her personality.”
2 p.m.
10 a.m.
“We got our nails
done together.”
Pictures
at home
5 p.m.
PHOTO BY A. HOOD
4 p.m.
PHOTO BY J. RASAPHONE
onday, everyone saw double.
The next day, nerds were everywhere. Wednesday, Christmas came
early. All sorts of creatures walked the
halls Thursday. Then Friday, everyone wore their best bear spirit wear.
“The spirit committee came up with
all different days, and all the committees
got to vote,” said junior Emily Phillips.
Phillips is on the Relay for Life committee and voted on the spirit week days.
The final vote decided on twin day,
nerd day, holiday day, character day,
and spirit day. All these days got the
students hyped for the homecoming
football game against Habersham on
Friday, September 21, and the homecoming dance on Saturday, September 22.
Students enjoyed the days and had
fun getting creative. “My favorite spirit
week day is nerd day because it was the
most participating day,” said sophomore
Amelia Langford. Langford brought out
her nerd side by wearing a button up,
khakis, suspenders, and braided pigtails.
Sterling Pyles also loved nerd day. “I
was looking forward to it all year. It’s fun,
and you get to see everyone’s true nerd.”
Pyles dressed up every day this year.
Jaymin Harris, a junior, liked holiday day the best. He said it was cool to
see all the different holidays. Junior Taylor Hess dressed up in honor of Valentine’s Day. She wore a red sweater and
handed out valentines to her friends.
Friday all of the football players wore
their jerseys and the cheerleaders dressed
in their uniforms for the last day of
spirit week. Other students wore homemade shirts, letterman jackets, and face
decorations. At the pep rally 7th period,
all of the students came together for
the final day to celebrate homecoming.
At the pep rally, the students were loud
and prideful. Sophomore Jenny Jones
said, “Playing ‘White Chocolate’ got
the students excited for the game, which
definitely got them ready for homecoming. It was the perfect end to spirit week.”
“My sister looked so pretty. I’m really
going to miss her.”
Nails at
QV Nails
Hair
Make-up at
friend’s house
Pictures at
Buford Square
RR tracks
STUDENT LIFE
September/October 2012
AT MARDI GRAS
3. THE ART OF THE PATTERN
A simple dress can be the most majestic of
dresses because of its pattern. A pattern can
be complementing to a body type or be visually appealing to everyone who walks by.
4. SIMPLE WINNINGS
Some dresses have beauty, but an accent piece on the dress makes it gorgeous. A sash can flatter a figure, a small
jewel piece makes the dress sparkle, and
a raindrop effect on the dress creates an
eye catching and flattering display. But
for a truly amazing dress be extravagant,
contrast dress material with accent pieces
like feathers. Feathers on a dress shout the
word “fun” and are a great way to show
fashion knowledge and a lively personality.
Top Row. Tierra Moss & Mark Aaron. Jonah
Toncz & Allison Stallworth. Aubri Brogan, Alex
Jablonski, & Jessica Keenan. Austin Chaney &
Aubrey Peat. Allie Jons & Michael Jenkins.
Bottom Row. Kaitlin Long & Deondre Singleton.
Garrett Gruber, Mychaela Tabares, & Julian Bisbay. De’Asha Green. Sophia Brown & Brandon
Tokaji.
PHOTOS BY L. WYATT
Winning the weekend
Students celebrate homecoming victory over Habersham
Nicolle Sartain ‘14
Staff Writer
H
omecoming has become a big deal
for high schoolers. Students go all
out for the dance from dressing up nicely to
making restaurant reservations. But what
about the game? That’s a big deal too right?
On September 21, the football team
won its first homecoming game in the
four years Mountain View has been
open. The team beat the Habersham
Raiders 24-12. The cheerleaders rushed
the field after the clock hit zero, and the
student section followed close behind.
“We’re two and two, undefeated at
home,” senior Marvin Elam said. Seniors
on the team appreciate the win. “It gave
us more confidence going into the next
game,” Elam said. It’s the win they needed
to push through after the tough loss to Mill
Creek the week before. The boys who have
been playing together since their freshman
year can see their hard work paying off.
The students see the hard work, too.
Senior Kevin Hahm helps lead the student section. “It increased student
unity. The fact that the seniors have pioneered a student section has left a tradition to the upcoming classes,” Hahm
said. The homecoming win gave students pride in the school and the team.
After four years of dedication and
time, students who have spent their entire high school career here finally got
the win they’ve been waiting for. The seniors loved seeing and playing the game
that all students will remember as the
first homecoming win for the school.
Royalty made
appearance at
homecoming game
#1 “The Wobble” - V.I.C.
Bailey Drouant ‘15
#2 “Gangnam Style” - PSY
Staff Writer
#3 “Wop” - Lil’ Chuckee
As junior Kimberly Simpson strides down
the football field, she stops to think that she
is here because of the people she has met
and has made an impact on, enough that
they would elect her to homecoming court.
“I don’t consider myself to be popular or the type of person who would
be elected, so I was surprised. But
it was a pleasant surprise,” she said.
Simpson has made an impact in many
ways. As well as having many friends at
Mountain View, she also plays keyboard
and sings for the youth sermon at the
First United Methodist Church. “I love
my church,” she said. “It’s where my best
friends are, and it’s a second home to me.”
Simpson has played piano since second
grade and started because her mother also
played. As for her singing talent, she said,
“I’ve been singing as long as I can remember. One of those natural things, I guess.”
Junior Mara Stewart heard Simpson’s
talent for herself and said, “She’s so calm
and talented. I feel moved when she performs, you can’t help but feel moved. If you
don’t, then something is wrong with you.”
“It made me feel good that so many
people at Mountain View wanted to vote
for me,” she said. “[My friends] were really happy for me, and they were all excited that I was getting that opportunity.”
Simpson was in great company. Senior
boy representatives included Paul Andresen, Michael Hayes, Stephen Hayes, Michael Jenkins, Erick Nunez, Josh Roberts,
and Yonas Takele. Senior girl representatives were Mackenzie Bell, Maria Escobar,
Chloe Palmer, Sade Parker, Nikki Robinson, and Hayley Valeri. Along with Kimberly Simpson, junior girls were Emily
Phillips and Kenia Ruiz. Sophomore representatives were Megan Boyd and Allison
Stephens, and freshman representatives
were Alexis Henderson and Kayla Whitner.
Top 10 songs
at Homecoming
#4 “Bring it Back” - Travis Porter
#5 “Sexy and I know it” - LMFAO
#6 “Call Me Maybe”
- Carly Rae Jepsen
#7 “I Got a Feeling”
- Black Eyed Peas
#8 “We are Young” - Fun
#9 “Single Ladies” - Beyonce
#10 “Baby” - Justin Bieber
Where
did you eat?
“My friends and
I went out to this
really good Asian
restaurant
called
Pearl Lian. I had
the squid. It sounds
nasty, but it was so good fried!”
Thaxton Lipscomb, 11
“I went to O’Charley’s homecoming
night with a big group of 20 people.”
Denisa Boitos, 12
“Me
and
my
friends went out
to Waffle House after
homecoming.
The best part was
that people started dancing around. One guy even
started dancing on the table.”
Kayla Nunn, 9
“Me and a couple of friends went
out to Chili’s. I got the triple dipper.”
Matthew Misenheimer, 10
“I went out to eat
with my best friend
Sarah Farnham at
the Kani house. It
was fun and had
really good food.”
Hayat Ramzi, 10
Quarterback Chris Bartlett gets a signal from Coach
Pelot.
PHOTO BY S. SIMPSON
Proud papa escorted daughter Kimberly Simpson onto
the field Friday, September 21.
PHOTO BY J. GILBERT
7
PHOTOS BY A. POGGI
Dinner at
Sophia’s
Arrival at
dance
Friend’s
house
Arrival
home
Dinner at
Iron Wok
Arrival at
dance
11 p.m.
10 p.m.
8 p.m.
7 p.m.
6 p.m.
“My last homecoming was great; I’m
really going to miss the experience that
high school gives.”
“I had a lot of fun at my first homecoming. Getting ready with my friends
was a blast. I can’t wait for next year.”
Arrival
home
Brianna Sequeira’s
Homecoming night
FRESHMAN
PHOTO BY B. SEQUEIRA
8 SEASONAL
Volume 1, Issue 1
Prepare yourself
Dress the part and look good on Halloween
Deborah Tsogbe ‘15
Staff Writer
Nicolle Sartain ‘14
Staff Writer
alloween hails as a holiday for children to dress up, go door-to-door
for candy and have fun. However, teenagers are caught in between being a care-free
kid and a hard working adult and want
to have fun on one of the most popular
holidays in America. Whether they go to
a costume party, walk their little sister or
brother around the block trick-or-treating,
or trick-or-treat themselves, they also need
options for dressing up. Some choices
that will be seen this year include princess, super hero and monster costumes.
Time is running out. If you haven’t
gotten your costume for this Halloween yet, rush over to Halloween Express where they have walls full of them!
The costumes seen here were provided
by them, but they offer much more.
PRINCESSES
SUPER HEROES
H
Guide to a good
haunted house
“The little mermaid is my favorite
princess because I’m
a swimmer, and I
want to be a mermaid
when I grow up.”
Hayley Gaunt, 11
“Batman is a boss; he
has no weakness. He’s
a real man and a hero.”
Edward Lim, 12
“Snow
White
sometimes is forgotten cause it’s such
an old movie, but
her dress has the
most colors, so it’s
one of my favorites.”
Lauren Deneau, 12
“Superman is my
favorite superhero and
super girl costumes are
always ‘super’ cute.”
Karli Popovich, 11
MONSTERS
“Halloween
isn’t
for little kids. It’s
about scaring them,
the creepier the costume the better.”
Daniel Copeland, 12
“I love scary stuff,
and Halloween is
great for that, but the
guys always get better
costumes than girls.”
AbbieWilliamson, 10
PHOTOS BY N. SARTAIN
“T
he theme of a good haunted
house is fear. Most peoples
fears stem from one or more phobias.
Enclosed spaces, snakes, zombies, insects and elements of a surprise attack,
all induce the fight or flight mode. This
is when people get scared the most,”
according to Eric Brennan, 5 Easy
Tips for the Ultimate Haunted House.
Sophomore Adora Okosi’s haunted
house would have fake blood, real glass eyes,
toe nails, spiders, and “unidentified goo.”
There would be “random hobos” following
guests around and weird smells, she said.
Daniel Smith, a senior said he
would have small dim candles, zombies, mirrors everywhere, shrunken skulls, and creaky floorboards.
After putting some thought into it, junior Jon Vaughn said he would set up lights
that change color - white, red, and orange
- in a path leading up to the house, skulls
on sticks, and a doorknob that shocks
people when they grabbed it. When the
door is opened, the house would be pitch
black except for a path of LED lights
that goes to the end of the hall. There
would be hands grabbing people, werewolves, zombies, and smoke machines.
“Varying the intensity will keep
your guests off-guard and ironically
end up making them more scared,”
according to Brent Hartinger, How
to Make the Perfect Haunted House.
Language Arts teacher Mr. Andy Dean
said, “I prefer a more mysterious scary than
a violent scary. It’s like the Blair Witch Project - more of a ‘jumping-out-at-people’ sort
of thing than a really bloody, violent scary.”
“Your location for your haunted house
is critical. The desired theme should
match the actual location as closely
It’s fall, y’all!
“I love it because my
birthday’s in October,
and I like to dress as
myself for Halloween.”
Katie Barton, 10
“I like how it gets cooler and
it’s not too hot but not too cold
either, so you won’t sweat to
death. Then it’s harvest season,
and you’re prepping for Thanksgiving.”
Amy Mathews, 10
“I love Halloween because all the
parties and the candy you get.”
Stephanie Adams, 12
“When I was a kid, I would always jump in leaves. I also like the
cool weather, and I still go trick or
treating sometimes.”
Hani Hussein, 10
“There are new and upcoming
games that are like beast.”
Emen Ivbaze, 11
“At Stone Mountain they hold
events like a pumpkin eating contest, and at Uncle Shuck’s, they
have a corn maze.”
Kelly Hanrahan, 10
as possible,” according to Brennan.
Imari Cordero’s haunted house
would be a campsite instead of a house.
“It would be dark outside with and
people would come out of the woods
and scare you,” junior Cordero said.
Dylan Harper, a sophomore, said his
haunted house would be maze-like. “It
would be dark with a fog machine, cobwebs,
things that pop out, and sudden noises.”
LIVING
September/October 2012
9
Finding inspiration all over the web
Social networking sites that provide a forum for creative outlet gain popularity with students and staff alike
Nicolle Sartain ‘14
always from scratch and some funky flavor.
But that’s who Gaunt is. She’s definitely
Staff Writer
not normal, and her cupcakes fit her,” junior Colin Anderson said about Gaunt’s
umblr and Pinterest hit inspiration Tumblr inspired baked goods. Teenagers
right on the mark for many peo- like Gaunt and Anderson seem to love the
ple. Want a new cool recipe? Search the ideas from Tumblr, but some staff members
tags on Tumblr or look at people’s recipe use Pinterest for their baking inspiration.
boards on Pinterest. Need crafty ideas for
Heather Brindle has two boards on Pinyour home? They have that, too. Look- terest devoted to cooking and baking, Bake
ing to make a fashion
like Desdemona and
statement? Clothes are
If I Was Only Paula
all over the place on “Tumblr is a great way for Dean. “Desdemona
these sites. Students me to get ideas about deco- is a character from
tend to use TumJimmy Buffet’s book
rating and baking.
blr, while Pinterest is
Where is Joe Mer- Hayley Gaunt
used more by the staff
chant? She’s a baker
members. The similar
who is also psychic. I
sites show how students and staff have the love Jimmy Buffet as singer, and I love the
same idea to express their interests online. Desdemona character, so I have my board
“Tumblr is a great way for me to get Bake Like Desdemona,” Mrs. Brindle said.
ideas about decorating and baking in new
Nicole Wesig, the school nurse,
ways. Deciding which design to put on my also has a Pinterest. She bakes a lot as
cupcakes is always difficult because I get so well, getting many ideas from Pintermany amazing ideas off of Tumblr,” junior est. “My favorite thing about makHayley Gaunt said. She bakes all the time. ing stuff is probably people’s reactions
Cupcakes are her specialty, and she loves if they like it or not,” Mrs. Wesig said.
to find new things on Tumblr to make. She has a recipe board as well as Things
“Hayley’s cupcakes are the best. They’re To Do, Ideas, and Around The House.
T
Tumblr and Pinterest don’t just inspire
cooking and baking, they inspire people in
their daily lives. Junior Christian Almeda
said, “I see what some other people are doing
athletically and how hard they work, and
it makes me want to strive to be like those
people.” Almeda’s inspirations from Tumblr are usually sports related. The pictures
of others motivate him to improve himself.
Inspirations from Tumblr and Pinterest
alike come in many different ways. Another
staff member Diane Schatell used her Pinterest mainly for her daughter’s wedding.
Most of their reception decorations came
from an idea off of the site. Mrs. Schatell’s
favorite idea inspired from Pinterest was
her daughter’s bouquet of fabric flowers.
“I think the clothes you wear define
the type of person you are, and Tumblr
helps me find outfits that show my personality,” said Lindsay Freitas, a junior
who dresses to impress as often as she
can. Her fashion makes a statement about
her. Whether it’s sporty or dressy, Freitas
wears an outfit to express herself. She uses
Tumblr to get ideas about different outfits.
She enjoys seeing the different styles and
loves how easy they are to put together.
Destiny Roberts, a junior who is in
chorus and has been told she sings very
well, uses Tumblr as musical inspiration. The inspiration she gets helps her
to express her own emotions and feelings. “If you see lyrics, you can relate to,
you feel it emotionally, and you can reblog it. [Music] makes a statement that
you don’t want to or can’t say on your
own. It’s a way to admit something without actually admitting it,” Roberts said.
Tumblr and Pinterest have strong effects on the lives of students and staff
members. The two sites bring out people’s
connections to others and help inspire
them to do more of what they love to do.
PHOTO BY N. SARTAIN
Looking at a cupcake blog on Tumblr, Hayley Gaunt
gets ideas for her latest culinary creation.
Gluten free lifestyle: a healthy eating alternative
Alexis Poggi ‘15
Staff Writer
C
ould you imagine life without pizza, muffins or cereals? For someone that has an allergy to gluten, these are
common foods that he cannot eat. Gluten is found in grains, wheat, barley and
rye, which are in most processed foods.
Celiac disease is the allergic reaction to
gluten. Mayo clinic states that celiac disease
causes inflammation to the small intestines
when gluten is ingested. Anyone can have
the disease at any age. Most people don’t
know they have it until they get tested for it.
Simply being allergic to gluten is also
common. Language arts teacher Ms. Jamie Lovett said that she didn’t know she
had the allergy until she told her doctor
her symptoms of migraines, heartburn
and loss of focus, and the doctor said, “I
can guarantee you have a problem with
gluten.” Ms. Lovett said that she was just
diagnosed last January, and since then, she
has been very careful about what she eats.
Although gluten is found in an abundance of food varieties, there are special gluten free alternatives. Junior Aryn
Dennard said, “There is really delicious chicken, and I eat more fruits
now.” Dennard said that she enjoys trying new gluten free foods and recipes.
People do not have to be allergic to gluten to reap the benefits
of a gluten free diet. In
fact, a gluten free diet
is somewhat of a fad
now with a lot of people
across the nation going
gluten free even without
having an allergy. Bistro
MD said “a gluten-free
diet can have a variety
of health benefits, such
as improving cholesterol levels, promoting
digestive health, and increasing energy levels.”
Assistant
manager
of the cafeteria Joanne
Scrocca said, “We incorporate gluten free foods
such as grilled chicken,
salads, and really anything
non-breaded.”
Dennard said, “It makes
me feel a lot healthier eating non-gluten.”
The benefits are numerous. Ms. Lovett
said that gluten free eating cured all of her
symptoms like headaches and heartburn.
“Since I’ve been eating [non-gluten prod-
ucts], I have lost 30 pounds.” The gluten
free diet has positively impacted many
people and their health. Next time you’re
at the grocery store, look for the gluten free
section. You may feel and look better after.
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10 OPINIONS
Volume 1, Issue 1
Beware posting on social networks; Big Brother is watching
Government takes liberties with Americans’ right to privacy
Deborah Tsogbe ‘ 15
Staff Writer
B
atman found the Joker in The Dark
Knight by tracking cell phone conversations, and the United States government can find you the exact same way,
but probably better and faster. The government is notorious for keeping things
from its people - from Watergate to Area
51. The term Big Brother refers to a totalitarian government that keeps its citizens under close surveillance. While the
U.S. government’s tracking of citizens
is not new, the level and intensity with
which it’s being done has escalated over
the years, especially in the time since 9/11.
The majority of the country would like
to believe that the government would
not violate its citizens’ rights by invading their personal lives in such sneaky
and undermining ways, let alone sustain
that surveillance for a year, or a lifetime,
but what the occupants of the United
States see, or are allowed to see, is only a
This might be acceptable, if not for the
portion of the whole story, which is ex- fact that the Department of Homeland
pected. No government would want its Security currently monitors social media citizens to know if they could be or were and that includes Tweets, status updates,
being surveilled around the clock for the and the pictures you post on Facebook
sake of prevention or even mere curiosity. (McMillan, Big Brother is Watching).
According to
“Be careful about
Margaret Hu, an
what you put up
“And it’s not just ‘persons of
assistant profesinterest’ anymore. With cyber- on Facebook or
sor at Duke Law
Twitter. Law enSchool, “Tech- surveillance, it’s now cost-effective forcement agencies
to track everyone.”
nology has given
all over the globe
the government
are now focusing
- Margaret Hu, Duke Law School
the
capacity
on social media as
to track both your body and biography never before,” said Michael, a writer for a
24/7. And it’s not just ‘persons of inter- site devoted to Big Brother. In fact, the
est’ anymore. With cyber-surveillance, NYPD created a “social media” unit to
it’s now cost-effective to track everyone.” specifically look for criminals on Facebook
Mr. Brad Blackmon, history teacher, and Twitter (Micheal, Big Brother 2.0).
said, “I think everything changed after
Monitoring is not limited to the web. A
9/11. Prior to 9/11, I don’t think Big Broth- team of researchers created a “smart skin”
er really was needing to... But since now (Michael, Big Brother 2.0) that could be
we’ve been 11 years removed from 9/11, I used to track the whereabouts of all citithink you gotta watch to make sure some- zens. While it seems unfathomable, this
thing to that effect doesn’t happen again.” type of technology could one day be au-
thorized for every citizen, including Biometric National ID Cards, drivers’ licenses
enhanced with radio frequency identification, and GPS tracking of all identification
documents (Hu, Big Brother Surveillance).
Not even kids are immune. In Florida, the
Department of Juvenile Justice will begin
using software to judge which kids will be
juvenile delinquents and what crimes they
will commit so that those kids can be placed
in special prevention programs (Michael).
This future may be incomprehensible
now, but science has advanced rapidly in
the past centuries and will not slow for
paranoid intellectuals or scared mothers.
Soon, technology will be at a controversial
crossroads and to know where to go, this
country - and this world - is going to have
to brush up on its knowledge of government, laws, and science, because when the
time comes, the citizens of the U.S. and the
world will have to decide whether or not
to be ruled by a government that deems
it necessary to watch its people 24/7.
Flipping the food chain: Upperclassmen at the bottom
#StopHiding
Kelsi Nguyen ‘14
Alexis Poggi ‘15
Staff Writer
Senior Natalia Gonzalez walks down
the hallway to her bottom locker. Bending down, she puts her textbooks away
and gets her books for 1st period. Down
a couple lockers from her, she sees an
underclassman on her tiptoes working
her locker combination. Gonzalez then
thinks to herself, “How did she get a top
locker? It’s not fair; I’m an upperclassman; seniors deserve to get top lockers.”
PHOTO BY K. NGUYEN
Natalia Gonzalez kneels at her bottom locker.
Due to the way locker assignments
were handled this year, many upperclassmen have gotten bottom lockers, while
underclassmen were assigned top lockers. “It’s kind of ridiculous. [Freshmen]
should get bottom lockers,” senior Cortlin Mounts said. Agreeing with Mounts
is senior Xavier Cassagnol. He said seniors should be able to get top lockers because they have been at the school
longer. “It’s not fair because when we receive our locker decorations, they’re going to be at the bottom,” Gonzalez said.
Nisha Kurian and Angie Le said the
people in charge of the lockers should
find a better solution. Administrators
should look up the students’ grade in the
system and assign the lockers, instead of
letting students fill out the locker information sheets and put down their
own grade because some students could
lie about their grade to get a top locker.
Staff members were not aware of the
situation until complaints started to come
in. “We spent hours trying to give [stu-
dents] the lockers they requested,” administrator Dr. Wendy Rhodes said. “We
have twenty-four hundred lockers in the
main and upper levels and four hundred
lockers in the basements, and we have
over two thousand students, and all the
top lockers were taken. We really tried.”
Dr. Rhodes said students that request
their lockers in May will most likely get
the locker they want. Testing clerk Ms.
Heather Brindle said maybe next year
they will assign lockers differently, having seniors pick their lockers first, and
then juniors, and last sophomores. Freshmen will automatically get bottom lockers. Ultimately, the only time a freshman
will get a top locker is when the student
has a medical condition and would have
to bring in a document from his doctor.
So a message for next year, if students
want a certain locker, then they need
to be sure to reserve it in advisement in
May because there are more Bears coming next year, and students will have
limited options if they wait too long.
Students speak their minds
Would you rather fit in or stand out?
“Stand out because fitting in is boring.
Standing out makes people remember who
you are.”
Gregory Burns, 10
“I would rather fit in at school but stand
out in things like sports.”
Brendan Zurica, 9
What do you think of the hour lunch?
“I think it’s good that they changed the
hour long lunch to include everyone on
Fridays because everyone should get the
experience.”
Kaitlynn Eastham, 11
Who is your favorite musical artist?
“Cher Lloyd. Her songs make me happy,
and she is pretty.”
Andrew Stoddard, 12
Do you still go trick-or-treating?
“Yes! My friends [and I] still go trick
or treating. We dress up and everything.
We love candy.”
Chloe Gorinas, 9
“No. I usually go out to parties!”
Yannick Nzeza, 11
PHOTOS BY A. POGGI
Staff Writer
Behind the screen, you can say and
do anything you want. Does it make
you cool to take advantage and use that
power for no good? Are you the cyberbully who is hiding behind the screen?
Are you any less guilty if you just don’t
say or do anything? Are you the witness?
Posts, tweets, and text messages. Bullyingstatics.org says that 25% of teens are bullied repetitively through cyberspace. 65%
of people see someone else being cyber-bullied and don’t say or do anything about it.
Freshman Ashley Varughese said that
she has witnessed cyber-bullying on
sites like Twitter and Facebook. She
has observed peers making rude comments and laughing at others’ pictures.
“[I didn’t try to stop it] because I didn’t
want to get in the middle of things and
cause more problems in the situation,”
Varughese said. Most teens respond this
way because of the intimidation they feel.
Senior Kaitlin Long encourages people to stand up for peers being bullied.
“As a person who has been cyber-bullied before, I know how helpless you
feel when you’re in it alone, and there’s
no one standing up for you,” she said.
“Cyber-bullying is a very important issue, but it can’t be stopped,” Varughese
said. “It is so easy to do because everyone
has some kind of access to the internet.”
Enough is enough. Let’s all help a friend
out and stand up for no more cyber-bullying. When we see something hurtful
going on in the ever-growing world of
social networking, let’s say something.
Life is such a precious thing, and we do
not want teens not valuing theirs because
of a couple thoughtless, cruel people. So
to all the cyber-bullies out there, please
find something better to do. #GetALife
ENTERTAINMENT
September/October 2012
11
Sudoku
13 books to check out
A list of students’ favorite novels, most of which can be
found in the MVHS Media Center
Leslie Wyatt ‘15
Staff Writer
#1 - 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
#2 - Gone by Michael Grant
#3 - City of Bones by C. Clare
#4 - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
#5 - Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
PHOTO BY L. WYATT
Shiver from the Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater became one of junior Samantha Brewer’s favorite books, so much that she has now read it twice.
#6 - Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba
“The reason why I like it is because the whole series goes through a manga
artist’s life. Though they say it’s not related to anything in real life, they show
the two worlds and the process and struggle that go into making a manga. I
recommend it to anyone who is interested in how manga is made or more
works by the author who wrote Death Note.” - Kelly Hanrahan, 10
#7 - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
#8 - Dark Hunter Saga by Sherrilyn Kenyon
“I think people who mind some mature content wouldn’t like it, but beyond
that, it’s a fast paced book that will keep you on your toes. Plus, there’s a
good romance plot.” - Nicolas McGarry, 10
#9 - Legend by Marie Lu
#10 - Missing Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
“It has mystery, history, and science. It’s for people interested in science and
history, those who love problem solving and thinking.” - Corey Ferrier, 10
Fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers. In a 9 by 9 square
Sudoku game:
- Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order
- Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order
- Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1
through 9
#11 - Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Xbox provides multiple forms of entertainment
#12 - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Josh Gilbert ‘15
Staff Writer
“The Book Thief is for fans of serious and real stuff. It’s told through
Death’s point of view, who is surprisingly funny. The book’s based in Nazi
Germany about a German girl living with her foster parents who take in a
Jewish boy that she becomes friends with.” - Diana Jimenez, 10
#13 - Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
“The trilogy gets you tied up in the character’s stories, making you feel
every emotion they do. The books are perfect for book lovers and wolf
lovers, too.” - Samantha Brewer, 11
The evolution of gaming consoles
over the past two decades is staggering. Technology has advanced so much
that Xbox allows players to use their
hands, voice, and body as the controller.
Also, players can watch movies, sporting events, and TV shows. “Since I don’t
have soccer channels on my TV, I am
able to keep up with soccer matches on
the ESPN app,” said senior Josh Kurtz.
Another great feature of Xbox live is the
experience of interacting with other people
in a game. Up to eight people can join a party and chat live with others in their group.
A recent addition to Xbox live is the
Bing search bar. Bing is a search engine made by Microsoft. “It allows
me to search through my Xbox faster
to find videos or games,” said Kurtz.
12 THE GRIZZLY GAZETTE
Volume 1, Issue 1
.
September/October 2012