Giant Word

Mr. Derek McDaniel, Ms. Sandy Hall, and Ms Lisa Blacka work at the ticket stand. Tickets for basketball games were $5. Picture taken by Vinny Armpriester

Alex Graves, reporter

“Do you want go to the game tonight?”

“No, I can’t, I don’t have enough money.”

This is a conversation that commonly takes place between students at WHS.  The admission price to school athletic events is five dollars.  So if students want to go to three games a week that is $15 dollars for the week that they have spent on sporting events.  Over the course of a season this could get expensive, especially in this tough economic time.

The ticket price for district games is set by the district, according to Ms. Becki Teerlink, the athletic secretary.  The athletic directors meet and discuss what the price should be and make a decision.  Once this decision on the price is made it becomes a rule for all district schools.

Clearly expenses have to be covered and try to make a profit, but more people would come to more games if the admission price was decreased.  This would draw more students to the games and the students are the one that make the atmosphere of the game better.  Students get rowdy during the game and could have an impact on the outcome of the game.  Having a lot of support during the game can be the extra boost a team needs to win the game.

Senior Johnny Garcia who has played football, basketball, and is currently running track said, “It gets me hyped with the intensity that we have to win for the fans.”

There is also the fact that parents come to games and have to pay.  Over the course of the season that could become very expensive.  Then if they bring any other kids they have, that will cost even more.  The ticket prices should be lowered to bring in more fans and help parents save money but still get to watch their children play.

Senior and Editor-in-Chief Jorie Logan poses with other journalism officers Allison Graves, Aysha Adrees, and Joe Bryant outside of WHS.

By Jorie Logan, Editor-in-Chief

Upon entering my first day of high school, I never had the last day in mind. In some ways, I don’t like to think of graduating as a “final day,” but more as a “new chapter.” And that is exactly what it is; life doesn’t end after graduation. High school is merely one road we take in the journey of a lifetime as the whole world unfolds before us. There are endless opportunities and limitless pathways to take; we just have to choose for ourselves.

I still remember the first day of my freshman year vividly; I was, at the very least, an anxious and confused 13-year-old with no idea of what the future could possibly behold for me. My only thoughts that day were to survive and make it again for the next 179. Freshman year in its entirety was a huge struggle for me: I was just another kid trying to fit in, searching everywhere for my identity and attempting to make my mark on the school. My personal battle worsened that year when my dad was diagnosed with bone and prostate cancer. I fought with my grades, my friends, and myself constantly, and as a result, the pain from my freshman year bled into my sophomore year.

As the years progressed, I believe I grew stronger as an individual. Not only emotionally, but as a student, as a daughter, and as a friend as well. Although nothing particularly momentous occurred during my sophomore year, I treated it as a period of recovery, and I appreciated this time. My recuperation transitioned into one of the most memorable parts of my life when I traveled to Europe with a group of unforgettable friends, teachers, and above all, my wonderful mom. The month I spent in Europe in the summer between 10^th and 11^th grades drastically helped me to improve my own personal health, and beginning my junior year I felt refreshed and truly content with who I was.

My junior year was literally groundbreaking. It was my toughest year academically, but furthermore, I feel that 11^th grade taught me what are now many of my emotional values. I somehow grew up that year, on the inside and out. I am especially grateful for the challenges I faced that year, because in truth, they have shaped part of who I am today.

And now I am edging closer and closer to walking across that stage to receive my diploma. My senior year has been my favorite because I have formed so many memories, but additionally I’ve been reminded of old memories. This year, I’ve matured to a point that I never thought possible. My experiences this year have formed me into who I am, and I truly love who I am today. I love the beautiful souls I have encountered along the way, from great teachers to amazing friends to my terrific family; these are the people who have helped make me who I am. Without them, I honestly wouldn’t be who I am. I have to thank everyone I love for just being here and growing with me over the years.

When I look back across these four incredible years, I see a significant contrast between the adolescent I was on my first day and the 18-year-old I’ve grown into now. When I think about my years in high school, I can visually recall the transitions that I went through as time gradually passed, and although many of my personal choices were not the best, overall, I think I have always stayed true to myself. And as I start all over, as I begin to live my dream, I’ll never forget the place I grew up that taught me how to ultimately be me.

Cartoon By: Kylie Roberts

Cartoon By: Taylor Dewitt

Students from WHS create political cartoons based on events happening in the community.

Cartoon By: Jenna Robinette

Cartoon By: Sara Coiner

        On days that are stressful and full of work in a school environment, I sometimes have nostalgia for last year’s advisory class. I looked forward to a 20 minute break after my long first and second period classes. Because of advisory, I had time to go to club meetings, Freshtones sectionals, and I was able to get ahead on homework and do work for other extracurricular activities such as forensics. This year, I have to stay after school for meetings. With a busy schedule, it’s difficult.  

 I run cross country during the fall, and with 3:45 practices, it’s hard to attend club meetings after school. Last year, informational meetings, class officers meetings, forensics announcements and assemblies would have been held during advisory.  Also, teachers would use this time to hand out information to students.

 If I had any questions on assignments, I would advisory to get help. Now, I either have to get help after school before I miss the bus or I’m forced to bother my teachers during their lunch break. Additionally, I have a zero-period class so I can’t go in during the morning.  

Also, on days of assemblies, I am confused, like some other teachers, on whether we have an activity schedule or not.

At the same time, I don’t regularly notice the absence of an advisory. Since I always have some place to go or something to look forward to, I am focused on getting to class rather than getting a break. I’m not taking a study hall, so I have no breaks except for lunch during the day.

But at 3:07, I’m exhausted, and sometimes I feel like my brain will explode. I think if I had a more sufficient break, I wouldn’t be so tired or crammed after school.

It doesn’t seem fair that some students are able to take study halls and get a break for an entire class period when those who are actually taking classes don’t get a break at all. I may have had the choice for a study hall, but I believe all students deserve a good break no matter how many classes they are taking.

Junior Danyelle Edwards takes a study hall and enjoys the extra time she has.

“It helps because I can finish work I didn’t do for APUSH, and it’s more than 15 minutes so I can actually get something done.”

But, she likes advisories because everyone had them; she doesn’t know many people in her study hall class.

                 Jamie Allen, a sophomore, doesn’t have any study halls in her schedule and has a longer day because she takes a zero period class. She misses the chance to catch up on her work and get a break.

“By my third period class, I’m really tired and feel like I can’t focus as well as I do in the morning,” Allen said. 

She doesn’t feel that it’s fair that some students get a break while others do not.

                   According to principal Mr. Tim Teachey, one reason advisory was taken out was because the purpose of advisory wasn’t being taken seriously.

 “One of the recommendations from an outside group that watched how we did things and spent three days with us said that advisory is a waste of time,” Teachey said. He has tried to revamp advisory to make it more worthwhile but there were still students that improperly took advantage of the laid back class.

“What you don’t see is the amount of skipping that [went] on during advisory.  When you change classes to go to advisory sometimes a quarter of the kids in the school leave,” Teachey added.

The more obvious reason why we don’t have an advisory is because of the new schedule. There simply isn’t enough time in the day to squeeze a 15-20 minute break for advisory. 

But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to bring it back.

 “I’m very much interested in reinstituting an advisory-type thing where it’s every day or every other day, because I think there was some productive things that happened,” Teachey said. “You guys just need some down time. That’s the point that I miss the most for you guys.”

I hope that by next year, the administration will have plans to have some sort of advisory built in the schedule. Assemblies will be scheduled in a timely manner, and no one will get confused as to whether an activity schedule is in place on a particular day. Students can get a good break and catch up with responsibilities or activities they participate in so they aren’t rushed after school.

[Picture by Brandon Floyd]

By Aaron Ford, Reporter

Why are students so whiney? Is it to get their way? Is it because they’re immature and haven’t grown up yet? A few people at Waynesboro High School expressed their opinions on the topic.

Ms. Amber Loyacano, English teacher, explained her feelings on whining students.

“Students whine because they are having a bad day,” she said. “They also whine because they don’t understand the class assignment.”

Loyacano also believes that students whine to get a result from the teachers.

“When students complain to me, I act sarcastically towards them,” she said.

Ms. Bridgette Roberts, art teacher and mother of a freshman, stated her opinion as well.

“Students whine mainly out of frustration,” she said.

Roberts believes that when teenagers start complaining, it’s their form of manipulating someone. She feels that teenagers need to “suck it up “and act their age.

Ms. Dianne Truslow, drama teacher, explains how she feels on whining teenagers.

“They feel like they’re not in control so they feel like they need to gain control,” she said.

Truslow also said that most of the time they don’t realize they’re whining.

“I try to joke them out of it,” she said.

Last, Alexis Wiseman, junior, gave her opinion from her point of view.

“They whine because they don’t get what they want so they think whining helps,” she said. “Some kids do it instinctively.”

Wiseman believes teenagers should know by now they don’t always get what they want. She says when teens whine, she cuts them off and ignores them.

[Photo by Jaleesa Davis]

By Jorie Logan and Deion Nabors

What is a bully? Is it the kid down the street who took your bike? The big bad child who used to take your lunch money? Perhaps it’s the girl who has a crush on your boyfriend and posted an embarrassing photo of you on Facebook. Waynesboro High’s own guidance counselor, Ms. Heather Haney, defines bullying as, “any kind of power that anybody can use over someone else to make them feel less.”

“In 9th grade I was shoved in a locker,” said senior Kayla Lamb. “I was mad and sad; people just get teased because they’re different.”

Lamb’s scenario reflects one of many silent stories of bullying in the lives of students not only in the school environment, but on the Internet as well. It seems as though teachers have been talking to students about bullies as long as bullies themselves have existed in the modern world. Instructors are perpetually trying their best to put a stop bullying among their classrooms and in the hallways.

However, have parents taken the time to acknowledge what is going on in front of their children’s computer screens? Bullying has evolved into an entirely new monster. Children are no longer only in danger at school, but in the apparent comfort of their home as well. Technology has opened a door to new methods of bullying as well as shaping new tormentors.

“People say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn’t ordinarily say or do in the face-to-face world,” states professor John Suler in his online book The Psychology of Cyberspace.

“I was shocked and mad. I felt like she was being immature and I ignored her,” an anonymous student said. “It was over AIM [AOL instant messaging]. I wasn’t even at my computer when it happened. I came back to it and my sister started asking if I was having trouble at school. Even though I ignored it, it still kind of hurt.”

Unfortunately, not all students can simply ignore their grim situations. This travesty follows many of them for days, weeks, even months. Some students may even buckle under the constant pestering and take the only way out that appears to be left, such as Tyler Clementi did in a recent ordeal at Rutger’s University.

The judgmental bullying and slandering by his roommate of Clementi on the web for being homosexual eventually lead to Clementi’s suicide. This controversial incident has opened the nation’s eyes to the harrowing, yet true, facts about bullying. Suicide has sadly been the dismal fate of many others worldwide due to struggles with bullies and pleas that have gone unheard.

“It can really affect someone’s entire high school career,” said Haney in regards to bullying, “It can even make them not want to be here.”

Contrarily, some students have taken the bullying experience and put a positive spin on it.

Senior Brandon Crawford said, “It [bullying] taught me to be bigger, to be a bigger man.”

But what about the students who can’t flip the script? What can they do? Stand up for themselves? Time has proven that indeed that day has already passed. It is past time for society as a whole to stand up to bullies, physical and cyber alike. If children are the future, why aren’t older and influential generations trying harder to protect them? Here’s a question to think about: who has a more damaging impact: the man who does wrong or the man who watches as wrongs are being done?

by Courtney Reid, Reporter

From the very beginning of Obama’s election, Americans have been well familiar with his promises of “Hope and Change.” His communication skills and what he represented for America created an open door to engage people around the world. Aside from his charismatic posture and his well known slogan, “Yes We Can”, exactly why was he elected, and what has he done for our nation?

“I think that Americans became weary of the Republican Party because of what happened while Bush was in office,” senior classman Denzel Minnis said. “Everyone was ready for change no matter who represented it.”

“A lot of people voted for him because of his title, “First Black President of the United States of America,” and his promises to help change our nation,” sophomore Jaquan Chisholm stated.

Indeed, Obama would be our first African American president and make United States history. However, it was important to remember that we were electing someone to help get our country back into shape, not just make American history. Appealing words and a memorable image are not going to benefit our society. But he told us what we wanted to hear.

“He shouldn’t have made people all those promises if he didn’t know he could keep them,” said senior John Haliburton.

Obama did make a lot of promises. For example, he has promised a better health care plan, and a new tax plan to financially help the middle class. Some people agree that this has helped our society, but I feel that he is only helping a certain percentage of Americans. He promised a lot of “change” for our nation. I do agree that after all the issues that happened while Bush was in office, as in our recession and the war in Iraq, people were ready for change. Nevertheless, people don’t always look into the facts; a lot of voters do not even know much about who they are voting for. A majority of their knowledge comes from media and public opinion.

“Few Americans can point out all 50 states,” Minnis said. “How are they supposed to know who is most qualified to run our country?”

I could not agree more. Not all voters are well aware of what they are voting for. They see what is on the surface but few really dig deeper into the issue. I know that if we had taken a better look at what he was promising, we potentially would have realized the truth behind his promised “change”. Which I believe is the promise to help a certain percentage of Americans, spend money that we don’t have, and give more control to the government through the economy.

“He never said whether it would be a good change or a bad change,” senior Jordan Vela said.

Subsequently, statistics are showing that not many Americans are agreeing with this new “change”. According to a recent tracking poll, 45 percent of voters strongly disagree with the way Obama is handling issues. But in his defense, he was placed with much pressure coming into office. He had the economy to deal with, tax cuts, and many unemployed Americans to help.

“At the time, people felt like Obama’s ideas were better since McCain represented more of what Bush had done,” senior Bobby Ross said.

Things were bad by the end of President Bush’s terms, and I do think that in order to get back on track our nation will have to suffer a little more. But my point remains, that Obama’s perspective on change has not done much to help America. His health-care plan costs more than he said it would, and although it might be helping a percentage of Americans who need it, where are we getting all this money from? The “stimulus” bill has done nothing but put our nation in more debt, gives more control to his government, and helps maximize the pockets of the richest three percent of America.

So do I feel that Obama has helped change America? Yes I do. However I do not feel like it has been beneficial to our nation’s needs. Obama is a convincing speaker with a slogan “Yes We Can.” He did a great job influencing Americans that he was the man who could give us the hope we needed to change America. Contrarily Obama’s hope- filled words get old and tiring when there are no strong actions that support them. We do need a good change for our nation. But who are we going to get it from?

By Deion Nabors, Sports Editor

Last week I wrote an article entitled “Wake Up Seniors” encouraging the senior class to strongly finish their final year. I released some statistics and explained the decline in the senior class numbers. I implored the senior class to tough it out and finish with a bang. Now I am writing to shed some light on scholarships and how it’s not as difficult to get into college as some may believe.

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to college is how students are going to pay for it. Stressing over getting in can be scary enough, but add the five-figure price tag and you’ve got a certified nightmare.

However, Waynesboro High wants to see its college-bound students get to the schools they want to attend. In the guidance office, next to Ms. Heather Haney’s office, there are red and white notebooks filled with a veritable plethora of national, state, local, and special program scholarships.

“We definitely want students to apply for local scholarships,” said guidance counselor and scholarship expert Mrs. Deborah Watson.

Students wouldn’t know unless someone told them, but there is money everywhere just waiting for students to fill out applications. While there are deadlines and due dates, Waynesboro High School tries to makes sure that students are always informed about scholarships.

“It doesn’t just go to the top five seniors,” said Watson. “Last year 34 students received almost $50,000 in local scholarships.”

Watson wants students who are interested in scholarships to check with guidance regularly for due dates and information. She also recommends students go to Fastweb.com or Collegeboard.com to further their search for scholarships.

“The money is huge,” said Watson. “Online scholarships are much more competitive, but don’t let that discourage you.”

The money is there. It’s just waiting for you to take it.

[photo by Meredith Sledge]

Written By: Deion Nabors, Reporter

For our entire stay at Waynesboro we, the class of 2011, have been prepped for this very year, senior year. We’ve talked about this year with each other and our teachers and it’s finally here. However, we aren’t as big as we once were.

In 2007, 240 freshmen entered Waynesboro High School and became the class of 2011. We sat in the auditorium and were informed, “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” On August 23, 2010, 187 seniors were reminded of that same thing.

“Really, the goal is to graduate more than 187 seniors,” said assistant principal, Mr. Matt Schult.

One hundred and eighty seven? What happened to the other 53 students?

“It’s not so much that they’re lost. They don’t progress,” said Principal, Mr. Tim Teachey.

It seems that the decrease in students is because we aren’t doing as well as we thought. But this is not always the case. According to Schult and Teachey, different factors contribute to the loss of students. There have been a few dropouts and a few repeats but some students have also moved to different districts.

It’s not as bad as it seems. Waynesboro has had students earn the credits they missed early in high school and graduate on time. It has also seen students move and enroll here.

“The flow of students mirrors the population flow,” said Schult.

It is only natural for people to move where the jobs are. With the way the economy is now, parents have to uproot their families and move to where the money is. Unfortunately for our class, those jobs aren’t always in or close enough to Waynesboro.

So why am I dropping this info on you now? It’s our senior year. It’s our last year of high school. We can’t stop now. According to freeeducation.com, people who don’t graduate from high school on average make $23,400 a year and $936,000 in a lifetime. However, people who do graduate high school without college on average make $30,400 a year and $1,216,000 a lifetime.

Crunch those numbers next time you’re thinking about giving up.

Written By: Faryal Zubair, Editor-In-Chief
 

A decade ago, many people couldn’t even point Pakistan out on a map let

alone tell you anything about the country. Things have surely changed. Pakistan is constantly scrutinized in the media for making peaceful agreements with the western world while apparently making a home for the Taliban under the table. But there’s a lot that the media misses.

This past winter break, I was half forced to visit my native country for the first time in seven years in order to attend my sister’s wedding. Most of our family still resided there and my sister wanted to celebrate with them. We moved to the States 12 years ago. After much pleading and begging, it turned out that my sister wouldn’t change the whereabouts of her wedding and all her wedding plans solely on my behalf. Big shocker there. 

Just in case you haven’t been keen on international news lately, Pakistan has been quite a hot spot for suicide bombings in the last few years. To put it bluntly, innocent people in Pakistan are losing their lives because the country’s military has been fighting against the Taliban. The terrorists have been sending a harsh message back by harming the public. To make the extent of these bombings a little more clear it is important to know that Pakistan had 28 suicide attacks in the first eight months of 2008 alone. This number even exceeds the number of suicide bombings occurring in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 So, I wasn’t too thrilled about going there. Nonetheless, I boarded a 17-hour flight to Pakistan. Upon arrival, I was expecting to go through heavy security. After all, this place did seem to be the hostile capital of the world. After passing through customs, I walked to the exit with my suitcase. What was their method of security? A policeman stopped every person walking out and picked up their suitcase to decide whether or not it contained explosives. I presume he must have had x-ray vision. I passed the test and walked out.  

There was excessive noise coming from the hundreds of people crowded outside. Frankly, it was scary. My brother, who had arrived there earlier in the week, spotted me and raced to my side. Pakistan isn’t like America. Women don’t walk alone in crowded areas. They would easily become victims of harassment.

 Another reason why a scene like this was so scary is because it’s a potential place for a bombing. Hundreds of people in a single place at Pakistan’s most popular airport equaled trouble. We left the airport as quickly as possible. I got in a car with my Uncle and we started driving to my Aunt’s house. 

Getting from point A to point B turned out to be a bigger hassle than I anticipated. Driving was more like a competitive car race than a form of transportation. The rules were there, they just weren’t followed. No staying in your own lane, no following the signs, and no abiding by the speed limit. No speed limitations might sound like a thrill but between trying to dodge pot holes to traveling on the most unpaved roads, it’s a miracle their tires don’t give out every day. Oh, and the way to tell a car to move is to tailgate excessively and toot your horn every chance you get.

 Every once in a while, we’d come across road blocks right in the middle of a street with army men patrolling them. They were basically in a zig-zag and their intent was to slow down drivers. Well, not drivers, bombers. 

Contrary to popular belief, I was not forced to cover my hair by wearing a hijab. I was able to walk around in jeans and a t-shirt. Mostly, I stuck to wearing shalwar kameez, traditional clothing for Pakistani women. I never felt like the odd one out even though I was surrounded by family members I hadn’t seen in years. I was constantly being introduced to new faces, hugged by aunts & uncles whose names I had long forgotten.

 However, the perception of who I had become always seemed to be there. I would catch it in an accusing look when I walked out in my tight jeans or if I spoke in English continuously rather than in Urdu.  In other words being American meant to them that I must have lost a great deal of my traditional values. Similarly, I believed that they would disapprove with the little bits of my life such as staying out late, baring my legs in public, and most definitely boys. 

Over the next week, I noticed some blatant differences in day-to-day life. Electricity was a big problem across Pakistan. The power would go out at various times of the day. We’d be sitting in the dark munching on our cold dinner. This was a new experience to me but to them, it was just another day. Water was a problem as well. Large buckets of water were kept in the bathroom and kitchen when the water wasn’t running, which was most of the time. This made showering an interesting challenge.

 Such everyday obstacles make Pakistan sound like it is lacking the resources to run as a functional country. However, that’s not what its residents believe. The resources are there, the government is just not allowing the people access to it. The bad economy is the result of corrupted government officials who use tax money for their own personal benefit. It’s why Pakistan’s middle class is basically nonexistent. 

It seemed like every time we turned on the news there was a new threat or bombing that had just occurred. I asked my relatives how hearing that their lives could be in serious danger at any second made them feel. The response would be preceded by a quick smirk. They couldn’t live their lives in fear.

 On our last day in the Pakistan, the entire family decided to go out to dinner together. By now, I was very homesick and ready to board the next plane home. As our food arrived, my cousin started a conversation with my parents about the future of the country. He’s 30, married, and two years ago moved to Australia on account of work. His basic thinking was that Pakistan wasn’t a reasonable place to live in; it shouldn’t even be a country anymore. He said that nothing could be done for the country and that people should move, like him, to places that would greater benefit their lives. 

Based on the tone of my writing, it’s easy to infer that I did not have the best view of Pakistan either. Sure, I spent the first six years of my life there but I had no real connection to the place. I was never old enough to make one. Nevertheless, such a comment from somebody who was being so cynical about the place where I was born was enough to spark some heated patriotism inside of me.

 I told him that Pakistan’s problem isn’t that it’s not capable of providing a good home for its citizens; its problem is that the future bright leaders of this country find it easier to make a home in foreign countries. How can we expect things to change and to better the nation if we only think about ourselves and our wellbeing? This country is filled with potential but corrupted by leaders who steal, lie, and cheat. It educates its children who grow up to realize that this isn’t a good enough place to make a living in. How can Pakistan ever expect to prosper if its citizens have already accepted defeat? 

That sure shut him up. But it opened my eyes. I came to Pakistan with the same sort of cynicism. Where was this country going? I had had no expectations for it. But then I wondered, how can a country be defeated if its citizens aren’t fearful? They live in sad circumstances but they don’t give up. One of my aunts was invited by her sons to come abroad so that she could have an easier life. She refused. I asked her why she didn’t accept his offer. She answered that this is her home, this is where she was born, and she’ll die either watching it flourish or defending its honor.