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VOLUME 40, ISSUE 10 THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

Minutes can change acountry, seconds canchangealifetime.

An 8.9 earthquakedevastated Japan on March 11,causingblackouts,firesandatsu-nami. These combined disastersdestroyedthenortheastandkilledthousands. Afterthesirens,residentshadonly11minutestoreachhigh-erground,astidalwavessweptuptheir homes, businesses, schools,shopping centers—everything. Lit-erallyEVERYTHING. Some170,000residentswereasked toevacuate thearea12 miles around the Fukushimanuclear power plant. Officialsfearedameltdown,averyseriouscollapse of a power plant’s sys-temsanditsabilitytomanagetem-peratures. As a result, dangerousbyproducts are released whichpose serious health risks. Japan’sfood exports have been stoppedbecauseofradiationleaks. Tohelp,manyclubsaretakingpart in the10,000Cranesfor Japan, a charitable origamiproject. Japanese believe in thepower of 1,000 origami cranesto make a person’s wish cometrue.Thegoalforthisprojectistomake10,000cranes,withdollarsattached. Monieswillgo to theAmericanRedCross. Staff Developer JenniferHigdongotthecranes/collectionideafromKayCoomes.

“I think it would beawesome if students could make10,000cranesandraise$10,000ontheirown-tohelpherout,”Ms.Higdonsaid. QuillandScroll,StudentCouncil, Beta Club and manyothers are helping with the proj-ect. “We have a moral obli-gationtohelpthoseinneed,”Stu-dent Council sponsor Kris Kroppsaid. Ms.TracyGutsche’scre-ative writing class is also partici-patingintheproject. “Howcan I sayno toaproject thatasksme tocontributejust one dollar and a little time?I’malittlerusty,butIthinkI(can)spendfiveminutesfoldingasheetofpaperasatokenofmycompas-sion for the Japanese,”Ms.Guts-chesaid. The summer Japaneseexchange trip had been post-poned before the earthquake/tsunami. October 2011, however,isthetentativetraveldate. Junior Ryan GentryhopestomakethetriptoJapan. “The disaster that tookplacemakesmewanttogomore,”Gentry said. “Now we can actu-allyhelpout, insteadofdonatingmoney.This(earthquake/tsunami)could have happened anywhere,andnow that it hit theplace thatI want to go the most, it’s hit medeep.” The tragedyhasperson-allyaffectedMs.BrittanyWard.

“I stayed with a familythere(inJapan)andgainedmanyfriends last summer,” Ms. Wardsaid. “Also, a teacher from Dai-ichi, Fumie, stayed with me lastAugustandIwasveryconcernedaboutthesafetyandwelfareofallofthem.” Ms. Ward has beenkeeping in touch with her Japa-nese friends via e-mail and Face-book. “The students from thetriplastsummerwererunningintomyclassroomfirstblockthedayithappenedaskingmeifIknewhowtheir ‘Japanesefamilies’weredo-ing,”Ms.Wardsaid.“Itwasveryemotional for us who now havecloseconnectionstoJapan.Iamstillkeeping themandthepeopleof Japan in my prayers and canonlypray for comfortandpeacetocometothemsoon.” JuniorsBrittanyLeggandKendallMooreparticipatedintheJapanexchangetriplastsummer. “DChasasisterschoolinDaiichi,Japan,andalthoughtheywerenotphysicallyaffected,Ibe-lieve the whole nation of Japanhas been emotionally impacted,and itwill requireacollaborativeeffortofallinJapantobuildJapanback,” Ms. Higdon said. “...ourcranes will show Daiichi and theentirenationofJapanthatabunchof people in Owensboro, Ky—onthe other side of the world—haveheartsthatbreakforthemandthatweareprayingforthemtorecov-er.”

Radiation leaks pose huge threat to Japan

NEWS BRIEFS

Alex AndersonPeople Editor

Bradbury visits

Clubs clean DC

NJROTC travels Financed by candy bars, theDaviess County NJROTC recentlytravelledtoVirginiaBeach. Transportation for the trip wasviamilitaryairliftOC9,whichwasfreeforthepassengers. “[Thebestpartof the tripwas]the USS Wisconsin,” said sopho-moreJoshArend,talkingaboutthebattleshipthegrouptoured.

One of DC’s biggest clean-upprojectsistheannualPantherPrideDay.Manyclubsandgroupsareparticipatinginthiseventandindi-viduals can also help. FFA, FCA,NHSandNJROTChavepledgedtohelpwiththecleanupefforts.“Lastyearwejustworkedaroundtheschoolandcleaneditup,paint-ed some sheds and planted newflowers,” junior Kendall Mooresaid. If interested inparticipating inthisproject,seeyourclubororga-nizationsfacultyadviser.

James Bradbury

JenniferBradbury—DCgrad,formerBRMeditorandauthorof“Shift” andotherbooks—willvisitDC,April14. Shewillspeaktoallgradesandanswerquestionsaboutawriting career. Presentationsabouthernovelarebeingcre-atedbyEnglishclassesanddis-playedinthemediacenter.

Morgan Katchuk

Morgan Katchuk

BLOODdrive

Prom planned!See Features page

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Morethanjustahousepet—thatisexactlyhowyouwoulddescribeseniorAerielMorgan’scat,Sugar.Asanotherpartofthefamily,Sugaralsorequireslove,attention,and…ashoteveryfewhours? Thispastsummer,Morgan’scatwasdiagnosedwithdiabetes.WhileMorganwasawayatGovernor’sScholarProgram,Sugarbeganlosingweightandshowingalessener-geticsideofhimself.WhenMorganreturned,itwasobviousavisittothevetwasneeded.ThatwaswhenthefamilywasmadeawareofSugar’scondition. “Nowhehastoeataspecialfoodthatwehavetofeedhimthroughsyringestwotimesaday,exactlytwelvehoursapart,”Morgan’smotherTammysaid.“Thenwait30min-utesandgivehimashot.ButAerielloveshimandheisapartofthefamilysothat’swhatwedo!” Now14yearsold,diabeticSugarisahealthierandhappiercatthanbefore. “Prior to treatinghisdiabetes,hewasvery lethargicandhadlosta lotofweight.Now,mykittyhaswaymoreenergyandhasgainedweight,too!”Morgansaid. Morganstronglyfeelsthatpetsshouldbeapartofeveryone’slife. “Idefinitelythinkstudentsshouldhavepets.Havingpetsteachesstudentsresponsibil-ity.Nottomention,theyalwaysmakethedaybetterbyeagerlygreetingyoubythedoor,”Morgansaid. SugarhasbeenabigpartofMorgan’slifeandhasbeentherewaitingtobepattedwhenshegetshomefromschoolorkeepingherfeetwarmatnight.

Meaghan GlennIntern

Morgan’s cat battlesdiabetes, now stronger

They cannot be found on ashelfor inadollhouse.Twenty-threeDCDiamondDollswillbecheering from thestandsofbaseballgames.SeniorMorganKatchukhasorganizedthegirlstosupporttheDCteam. “I started Diamond Dolls be-causeIrecognizedhowwellourbaseballteamdid last year,yethow little supporttheyreceived,”Katchuksaid.“So,Iputthepedaltothemetalwiththeidea,contact-ingadministration,coachesandpossiblesponsorsfortheDiamondDollsandwithinaday,everythingjustfellintoplace.” With spring weather approach-ing, theDiamondDollsare ready to seethebaseballseasonkickoff. “Diamond Dolls are dedicatedtobringingsupportandspirittothevarsitybaseball team. We make treat bags for

theguys,signsfor thegamesandattendeverygameathomeorintown,”Katchuksaid. Duringtheprocessofstartingupthegroupofseniorgirls,therehavebeenupsanddowns. “The best part about planningthegrouphasbeenknowingthatweareappreciated by the baseball team andcoaches...themostdifficultpart isgetting23busygirlstocollaboratetogethersev-eralnightsaweek,butIknowtheyareallgoingtocomethrough,”Katchuksaid. SomethingelsefortheDiamondDollstoworkthroughisfindingsupportforthe expense of players’ goodie bags. Inthefuture,theDiamondDollsplanondo-ingsomefund-raiserstocovercosts. “I like knowing at least there’sgonnabesomebody there towatchandsupport us no matter what,” said AustinEdge,asenioron thebaseball team.“...andeveryonelikesthegoodiebags.”

Diamond Dolls bring support to baseballMorgan CarricoAds Manager

Snakesandsnailsandpuppydogtails,that’swhatboysaremadeof.Well,notallboys,someboysarejustbundlesofjoylikeDrewIsaacFeldhaus. DrewwasadoptedbyMs.KarenFeldhaus,dramaandspeechteacher,andherhusbandMr.AndrewFeldhaus.HewasborninIndependence,Mo.,andthehappyparentsweretherewithinanhourafterhewasborn. “Oncewehadhiminourarms,2hoursafterhisbirth,wewereelatedandjustlikeallnewparentsabitoverwhelmed,”Ms.Feldhaussaid. BabyDrewwasoriginallyduespringbreak.Ms.Feldhaus feltcalmbecause itgaveherasenseofcontrol.Withtheduedateduringthebreakshecouldfinishalltheobligationstoherstudents;thefeelingsoonvanishedwhenthedatewasmovedupsignificantly,morethanamonth. “GodknowshowIstrugglewithcontrolandDrewhadotherplans.Sohecameearlierthanexpected.Itwasablessing,”Ms.Feldhaussaid. SheandherhusbandhadbeentryingtoadoptsinceFebruary2010andwentactivewiththeiragency,AmericanAdoptionsonthefirstdayoftheschoolyear.TheyalwayswantedtostartafamilyandinJanuarythechancecamewhentheyreceivedthecallthatmanywaityearsforandwereconnectedwithDrew’sbirthmother. “Thereisnothingpleasantabouthavingtoprovetosomeonethatyouarefittoparent.ButwedidwhatwasnecessaryandwenowhavethiswonderfulblessingofDrew,”Ms.Feldhaussaid. EventhoughtheprocesstooktimeMs.Feldhausfeelsitwaswellworthit.Sheadmitstohavingnerves,butthefeelingjustcomeswithbeinganewparentasdoesfeelingtired.Ms.Feldhaussaidwhatshehasis“agoodtired.”Sheislearningwhathernewnormalis,andhowitfeelstobeDrew’smother. Ms.FeldhauspromisednottodisappointDrew,andtosomethatmayseemimpossible,butshemeantit.“Iwanthimtoalwaysknowthatthepeoplewholovehimwilldotheirdeadlevelbesttonotdisappointhimandtodothebestforhim,”Ms.Feldhaussaid. Sheisspendingall thetimeshecanwithherbaby,andenjoyingeveryminuteof it.Theyarefinallyhome,andareateasewithoutanydisappointments. Shenolongerhastoworryaboutpaperworkorcalls;sheisfocusedonhernewlittleman.M

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With the costof college tuition rising it seemsonlyevi-dentthatstudentsshouldmakethewisestchoicespossiblewhenitcomestotheiracademicfuture.Butforsomereasonmanystudentsarewearyoftheoptions. Whatittendstocomedowntoisfinances.Howmuchiscollegegoingtocost?Whatcanbedonetolowerthiscost?ToAPtestornot? APclassesoffer collegecreditwhilea student is still inhighschoolbytakinganexamoverthematerial.Ifthefinalscoreontheexamishighenoughtheycanavoidhavingtotakeasimi-larclassincollege. “APtestingwillsaveyoumoneyanditcouldsaveyouthetimeyoucoulduseinanotherclass,”saidMs.KristieMiller. AlthoughAPcourses tend tobemorechallenging thanothercourses,theyareworththeworkandtheexamitselfisworththemoney.Itvariesbetweencollegesbutonaverageascoreof3cangetyouupto3hoursofcollegecreditinthatgivensubject.

Whetherit’sOCCorVanderbiltyou’regoingto,ahighscorecouldsaveyoumajorcash.ThecostofanAPexamis$87andcompared toaclass that couldcostanywhere from$300to$3,000, then itbecomesevidenthowmuchmoneycouldbesaved. Theredoesn’tseemtobeanylogicalreasonwhytakinganAPexamwouldn’tbeworththemoney.SomearguethattakinganAPclassisawasteoftimeandbecauseit’sachallengetheydon’tbelieve takingtheexamisworth theriskwhentheycouldjusttaketheclassincollege.Butpayattentiontothefactthatthiscoursewilleventuallyneedtobetaken,oratleasttheequivalent. Ifyoucan’thandletheAPversionthenthinkabouthowitcouldbejustashardwhenyou’retakingthatsameclassincol-lege.Don’tputofftakingtheAPexamjustbecauseyou’rescaredoftheoutcome. It’sworththeriskanditbenefitsthosewhoarereadytostepoutsideof theircomfortzoneandgetaheadstartontheireducation.It’sanexcellentwaytosavemoneyaslongasyou’rewillingtoputintheeffort.

DCproudlyboastsawidespectrumofopportunitiesinsidetheclassroomandbeyond.Sowhynotmoreparticipation?Theschoolisdisorganized. Studieshaveproventhatstudentsandyoungpeoplelearnbyobservingtheauthoritiesandadultsintheirlives.Studentsspendthebiggestpartoftheirdayinschool; therefore, theadultsatschoolhaveagreat impactonastudent’s life.It’simportantthatfacultyhaveapositiveeffectonstudentsandencouragethemtolookattheirlivesinapositivelight. Themostrecenteventthatdisplayedpoororganizationinvolvedprepara-tionsforthestatebasketballtournamentatRuppArena.Almostaweekbeforetheeventteachersknewthemajorityoftheschool’sstudentswouldbeattendingthegame—duh.Thisgaveplentyoftimeforthestafftoplanandorganizeanefficientway tosell tickets. Instead, itseemsas though theywaiteduntil the lastpossibleminutetodecidewhattodoandhowtodoit. FirstthingMondaymorning,thedayDCreceivedticketstothegame,asingletablewastosetuptosellticketstoallstudentsandvisitorswantingtoattendthebasketballgame.Hundredsmobbedtheschool,allwithmoneyfortickets.Thatonetablewasmeanttoaccommodatethemasses.There’snowaythatcouldwork.Shoving,yellingandcuttinginlineweretheunintendedresults.Themoblookedlikeazoo,withpeopleeverywherebehavinglikeanimalstogetwhattheywanted. Schoolpersonnelcouldhavemanagedthesituationbetter;itseemednoplanwasinplaceforcontainingthewildmess.Thoseinchargeyelledandshouted,justmakinghopefulticketbuyersfrustrated,ratherthancalmingthem.Thestaffevenbegantosendparentshomeemptyhandedandtoldstudentstheyweren’tallowedtopurchaseticketsforfamilymembersbecausetheywerehavingsuchdifficulties.

Eventually studentswereasked topayand signa sheetofpaper foraticket,saying theywouldreceive the ticket thenextday.Studentsanxious togettheirticketsagreedtothisformofpurchase. Thenextdaythough,nobodyknewwhereorhowtopickuptheirtickets.Announcementsweremademanytimesthroughouttheday,butthesedidlittletoclarify the situation, again unintentionally creating more confusion. Even worse,somemadeticketannouncementsinangrytoneswithgruffvoices.Howappropri-ateisthis—eveniffrustrationlevelswerehigh?Studentsneedtobeencouragedandsupported.Studentsaretaughtfromaveryyoungagetorespectothers,regardlessofwhotheyare,yetlittlerespectwasmodeledtowardstudents. Thisisnottheonlytimepoororganizationhasbeenaproblem.Theclubsandafter-schoolactivitiesareinorganizationaldisarray.Manyclubschangemeet-ingspots,butdon’t relate thechanges toparticipants.Studentsareoftenaskingquestions, unsure of where they should be and what time they are meeting. Incertaincases,theteachershaven’tevenbeeninformedoftheschedulechanges.Inaddition,constantlychangingschedules(MA,AA,S)throughouttheweekaddstothesenseofdisorganization,upheaval. Truestory:Astudenthadanimportantdentistappointmentandneededtobecheckedout.Thestudent’sparentscametoschoolandaskedtocheckoutthestudent.Theofficecalledallthestudent’sclassroomsandclubsandcouldn’tfindtheindividual.Howcanahighschoolcanloseastudent? ThesearejustafewexamplesofDC’sdisorganization.Leadersneedtorealizethatorganizationbreedsorganization,justassuccessbreedssuccess.Con-sistencyandwellplannedeventsandwellcommunicatedexpectations/guidelinesyieldbetter results. This schoolneedsa renewedcommitment to restoreamuchmoreorganizedatmosphere,whichwillbemutuallybeneficialtostudentsandstaff.

Staff: Embry Luallen, An-drea Howard, Deron Mil-lay, Sydney Settle, Kaely Holloway, Emily Ferguson, Emmalee Ryan, Ashley Ro-ethemeier, Alex Anderson, Mackenzie Morris, Brit-tany Greeson and Morgan Carrico.Interns: Kaitlyn Hale, Ali Thompson, Abby Brandon and Meaghan Glenn.Cartoonist: Dakota Montgomery TheBigRedMachineisabi-weeklyindependent newspaper producedby the journalism students of Da-viess County High School. Theopinionsexpressed in theBRMdonot necessarily reflect the viewsof the administration or the Da-viess County Board of Education.

Disorganization disrupts DC family

AP testing proves to be too much

Ali ThompsonIntern

Brittany GreesonStaff Writer

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On a night as important as prom, anythingcould go wrong to make what should be a night toremember a night that just needs to be erased frommemory. Whenmostpeoplethinkpromdisasters,theymaythinkrippeddressesormaybeevenapromdatedrop,butsomethingtheymaynotthinkaboutiswakingupwithpinkeye.ThatjustsohappenedtobethecasewithseniorMorganKatchuk. “Well, Iwokeup thatmorningandmyeyejustwouldn’topen,”Katchuksaid.“Ihadpinkeye.” Thenthingstookanevengreaterturnfortheworse,ifthatcouldevenhappen. “Well,itjustsohappenedthatwhenIstartedtoputmymakeupon,itreallyirritatedmyeyeandkindofmadeit,well,itmadeitstartoozing,”Katchuksaid. To some, it may have been something thatwouldjustruinpromforthem,butKatchukdidn’tletthislittlemishapbringherdown.

“Itmadethenightactuallyprettyfunny.Iputmyboyfriendonoozepatrolallnight;hewouldtellmewhentheoozewasgettingextraoozy,”Katchuksaid.“Also,allnight,everyonekeptaskingmewhyIwascry-ing,orifsomethingwaswrong,butIjusthadtokeepsaying,I’mfinereally,Ijusthavepinkeye.” Whynotgo to thedoctorbefore?Whynotskipout?Well,whywouldshehavedoneanyofthosethings? “Well,Iwenttothedoctorthenextdayandhejustgavemesomeeyedropstotakeandeverythinggotbetter,butIdidn’tgobeforethedancebecauseitdidn’tevenstarthurtinguntilIputmymakeupon,andbythattimeitwasalittletolatetodoanythingaboutitbeforeIhadtoleave,”Katchuksaid. Katchukisalsoverywillingtogiveadvicetootherstudentsaboutpromdisasters. “Never let it get you down and don’t let itruinyournight,justpowerthroughitandhaveagoodtime.”

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Ali ThompsonIntern

Andrea HowardEditorial Editor

Disasters don’t take a break; Katchuk relives experience

OtherthanSpringBreakandstudyingformid-terms,theonethingonstudents’mindsisprom. Girlsare stressingabout theirdressesandwhat todo to theirhair, while boys are worrying about getting the perfect date. But onethingbothgendersarecuriousaboutisifthe2011“BreakfastatTiffany’s”promwillhaveaDJ,becauseSadieHawkinsdidnot.Noworries:Promwouldn’tbepromiftherewasn’taDJ,andthepromcommitteerealizesthat. “TheDJisthemostimportantthingaboutprom,”juniorHannahHarpersaid.“WithagoodDJ,everyoneissuretohaveagreattimeatprom.” The success of prom usually rides on the music that’s to beplayedandtheDJwho’splayingit. “Thewholepoint(ofprom) is togoanddance,” juniorTaylorWingfieldsaid.“Peoplewon’twanttodanceiftheDJisn’tgoodorisn’tplayinggoodsongs.” SeniorWillAlveyagreed. “I think a DJ is important because without one, the dancewouldn’tbeas funbecause theyknowwhatkindofmusicweall like,”Alveysaid. ThepromcommitteehasbookedDiscDaddyDJDocHarristoplayfor2011’s“BreakfastatTiffany’s”prom. HarrishasbeendoingmostofDC’sschooldancesinthepast,anditisanticipatedthathewilltoagreatjobandmakesureeverystudenthasaphenomenaltime.HemayevendobetterthanevertomakeupforaDJ-lessSadies. “I’mlookingforwardtotheDJplayingsomegoodmusicandnothavingtoworryaboutthesongstoppingbecauseitwasn’tloadedallthewayonYouTubelikeatSadieHawkins,”Wingfieldsaid.

Afterall,studentsrememberthedancebythemusicthatwasplayed.DiscDaddypromisesnottoplayYouTubevideos.

Alex AndersonPeople Editor

DJ will be mostprized accessory

Cinderella dressed in yella’. Or pink, purple, orange,blue. VisitingCinderella’sCastleatDisney isadreamofmany

little girls. Visiting her closet? Oh yea, ‘big’ girls even wouldenjoythat.Right? Cinderella’s Closet is a nationwide organization. Theirmissionistoturndresses,promdressesthatis,intodreams.Prom dresses can be very expensive, so this organizationprovidesdresses forgirlswhocan’tafford the sometimes

exorbitantprices. Cinderella’s Closets mission; “For each girl to leaveknowing theyarecherished,”according to thewebsite,

www.cinderellasclosetnky.org.“Each(closet)isfoundedonthebeliefthatprovidingformal

wear is simply a way to show God’s extraordinary love tosomeamazingyoungwomen.” Manygirls havehadawonderful experiencewith thisprogram.Hereareafewstories:“I’dbeengoingthroughaveryroughpatchwithmyfamilyandfoundmyselfwithoutthefundsto

getadressformyseniorprom,theonlypromI’devergoto.”ACinderellarecipientsaid.“But,afterfindingout

about theorganization, Iwas stunnedat theeffortputintohelpingthegirls’dreamscometrue!” The girls’ who participate in this event get a‘fairygodmother’whohelpthempickouttheirdressandmaketheexperienceevenmoreenjoyableforthegirls’. Manyothersaretouchedbythisexperienceand

wish togivebacklater. “Asyoumayknowpromdressesareverypric-eyandnomatterhowmuchItriedtosaveIalwaysendedupalittleshort.BecauseofCinderella’sClosetabigburdenwasliftedoffmyshoulders,andIjustwantsomeoneelsetofeelthewayIdid.”Acheerfulrecipientsaid. “This year I hope to buy my own prom dress with themoneyIhavebeensaving,andIamplanningondonatingit toCinderella’sclosetafterwardsothatsomeoneelsecanfeelspe-cialontheirbignight!” The closest closet to us is in Frankfort, Ky., at The FirstUnitedMethodistChurch.OnMarch5a fewgirls fromDCat-tendedthiseventinFrankfort. SeniorOliviaPaynewasoneof thosegirls.She,alongwiththeothergirls,reallyenjoyedherexperiencethere. “My fairy godmother, Alison, helped me pick out mydress.Shealsotalkedtomeaboutmylifeandeverything,”Paynesaid.“Therewaslike500dressestopickfromandtheonecolorIsaidIdidn’twanttoget,that’stheoneIendedupfallinginlovewithbecauseshemademetryiton.” Payne selected a red open back, halter with a bell-shapedskirt. “ThewholetimeIwassohappyanditmademyentireday, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was mainly because the peopleweresonice,whenyoursurroundedbynicepeople,yourfeelingschange.Itwasareallypositiveexperience.”Paynesaid. “When you actually get the dress and you know youhavenoworriesanymoreabouthowyou’regoingtoaffordit,abigweightisliftedoffyourshoulders.”

Cinderella’s closet provides dresses During high school there are specific memo-riesthateveryonewillremember.Memorieslikeathleticteamsmakingittostatewouldbeonthatlist.Butsome-thingthatisaspecialmemoryisthewaysomeonegetsaskedtoprom. Promissomethingthatisveryimportanttousu-allyeveryjuniorandsenior.Thestyleofgettingaskedhaschangedalotsincetheolddays.Teenagersnowalwaysfindauniquewaytoaskpeople,whetheritbeonnationaltelevision,ontheGreenbeltorwhileplay-ingcards. JuniorHunterNordknowswhatisfeelsliketohavemanyhighschoolsandmiddleschoolsacrossthenationwatchherpromdateaskinghertoprom. “ItwasreallyuniqueandIlikeditbutpeoplefromCatholic toldmeabout itbefore I saw it,”Nordsaid.

Prom proposals went from national viewingtolocalviewingthegreenbeltwasaplacewhereRa-mesyKeatonthoughtwouldbethelastplacedshewasasked.Runningwasn’ttheonlyexerciseherheartwasgetting.Keatonandboyfriend,GlenwardFuchs,weretakingarunon thegreenbeltwhentheycameacrossthebridgebyBrookhill. “Therewasballoonstherewaitingformeandasign that saidprom. Itwas reallyunexpectedand Ilikethat,”Keatonsaid. Uniquewaysofaskingsomeonetopromareonlygettingbetter.Asimplecardtrickchangedintoamagical moment for junior Will Meloney. Before thiscardgamewentdown,Meloneywrote“prom?”onajoker.JuniorJamieAdkinspulledoutacardandputitback in the stack.Meloney shuffled the cards,pulledoutthejokerandaskedifthatwashercard. All of these ideaswereagreat successandonlyshowthechangeofuniquenesswithinthelastfewyears.

Prom proposals rock their worlds; shock ensuesEmmalee RyanEntertainment Editor

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OneofthemostpopularrealityTVshowsisbeingdisrupted.FornineseasonsAmericanIdolhasbeenatthetopofthecharts.Inthemostrecentseasons, though, it lost someof itspopularity.Getting thepoint,AmericanIdolstaffmadesomeseriouschangesforits10thseason. Thebiggestchange is thenew judges. RandyJackson is theonlyjudgeleftfromthepremiereofthefirstseason.SimonCowell,KaraDiogaurdiandEllenDegenereshavebeengiventheboot,creatingcon-troversy. “ImissSimon. It’s sodepressing thathe left,” sophomoreMi-chaelaJarvissaid. NewjudgesStevenTyler,formerAerosmithsinger,andJenniferLopez,singerandactress,havebeenaddedandhavebroughtquiteanewspintotheshow. “IlikeStevenTyler.He’sagreatvocalist,”sophomoreWesleyHartgrovesaid. Many viewers are calling Tyler the “nice judge” because hewordshiscomplimentsandinsultsinapositiveway. “IthoughtStevenTylerwascreepyatfirst.He’skindofweird,buthe’sturnedouttobereallynice.Youjusthavetounderstandhim,”

Jarvissaid. Lopezbringsafemininepointofviewtotheshow. “JLoismyfavoritejudgebecauseshe’ssweetandthosearethekindofpeopleIliketobearound,”sophomoreMaryBethWilksaid. Theyalsocutbackonrounds,upsettingmanyweeklyviewers.Inpastyearsauditionswereheldandthegroupwasquicklycuttothetop24.Afterthat,therewasaseparategirls’andboys’nightandoneofeachwouldbecutweeklyuntilthetop12.Thisyear,however,theseasonwasshortened.The24contestantswerecutdownto13injustoneweek. “Iwassoupsetaboutthecutdownofweeks.Thattookawayseveralroundsofcompetitionmakingtheshow’sseasonshorter,”Jarvissaid. Thetalentthisyearisalsomoreofatwist,addinganelementofexcitementtotheshow.Contestantsrangefromcountryandrocktopop.Therearepowerhousesingers,screamers,andpopsingers.Thetalentisenormous. “Iamamusicianandloveanythingrelatedtomusic.Ilikesee-ingthecontestants’differenttakesonthesongs,”Hartgrovesaid.“Ienjoythemusicalexperience.” AmericanIdolismakingbigchangeshopingtomakeitbacktothetopofthecharts.

RobertsStadiumwasfloodedwithlittlegirlstheweekendofMarch19.Cladintheirbestprincessdresses,resignedmom-mies and daddies in tow, they came enmasseforwhatpromisedtobeaspectacu-larshow:DisneyonIce. Somenot-so-littlegirlsalsoattend-ed,however,andtheyprobablyenjoyedtheperformancejustasmuchastheiryoungercounterparts. SophomoreAmandaHamil-toncertainlydid. “I thought it was really cool,”Hamilton said. “The dresses were reallypretty;theyhadreallygoodcostumes.” Hostedby theever-lovableMick-eyandMinnieMouse,withthehelpoftheenergeticTinkerBell, theeveningrevolvedaroundtherecurringthemeofwishes:thosewell-known Disney classics whose heroesand heroines wished with all their hearts,andwhosedreamscametrue. TheshowbeganwiththestoryofAladdinandJasmine.Outskatedaturban-cladmerchant andhis camel (two impres-sively coordinatedpeople ina camel cos-tume)totellthetaleofamagiclampwhose

master was granted three wishes by apowerfulgenie.AfteracomicchasescenebetweenAladdinandthecityguards,Alad-dinandJasminewerereunitedandskatedaround in a heartwarming dance of truelove, which involved some fancy lifts andtwirls. “Itwasawesome,”sophomoreAl-exaFuqua said. “And itwasn’tawesomejust because I love Disney—it was a reallygoodshow.” SoonMickeyandMinniereturnedwith another story: that of a girl namedSnowWhitewhowishedforlovebyawish-ing well. All seven dwarfs were includedin this performance, singing and dancinginadorablylarger-than-lifecostumesontheice.Heigh-ho,heigh-ho... Belle,thatpeculiarmademoiselle,tooktheiceafterwards,alongwithLumièreandtheDiningRoom.Afterperforming“BeOur Guest,” they relinquished the rink toEric,theherofrom“TheLittleMermaid.” He and his shipmates performedsomeextremelyimpressiveacrobatics.Onesailor took his place at one end of a bal-ance as his partners took a running jumpontotheotherside.Hewascatapultedintotheair,flippedandwascaughtsafely,with

anaudiblegaspfromtheaudience. “It was a show for everybody,”Fuquasaid. “Evenguyswould’ve liked it.Theydidflipsandstuff...” The “Little Mermaid” portion ofthe show took most of the first half of theperformance. Sebastian sang “Under theSea” and Ursula made her appearance,trickingArieloutofhervoice.SheandEricendedhappilyeverafterattheconclusionofaromanticdance,whichincludedanac-tualkissbythecharacters. After intermission, Mulan andShang emerged for a short time. NextcametheepicclimaxandFuqua’sfavoritepartoftheevening:“SleepingBeauty.” Poor Prince Phillip, chained bytheevilMaleficent,wasfreedbythethreegoodfairiesinordertorescueaslumberingAurora.Outraged,Maleficenttransformedintoaferociousdragon. “...A big, huge, fire-breathingdragon!”Fuquasaid. Itwasanenormous,eeriecontrap-tion thatglidedacross the ice—and itactu-allybreathedfire,spittingouta liquid thatinstantlyburstintoalineofflames. “Theyhadreallygoodspecialef-fects,”Hamilton said. “The ice caughton

fire.” Phillip defeated Maleficent withtheSwordofTruthandhurriedtowakehisbelovedwithakiss.Anotheractualkissbytheactors. The finale, “Cinderella,” was abeautifulthing.Outskatedseveralelegant-lydressedcoupleswhowaltzedgracefullyaround the ice, rudely interrupted by evilstepsisters Drizella and Anastasia. Thepairproceededtostumblearoundtherink,bumpingintoeachotherandfallingdowninacomicattempttocatchCharming’seye. Soon,however,Cinderellaarrivedinhercarriage. PrinceCharminghandedherdownandtookherinhisarms,twirlingheracrossthefloor.ThewholecompanyofDisneycouplesjoinedtheminonelastsongastheaudiencecheeredandapplauded. “Therewerefireworksattheend,”Hamiltonsaid. Itwasaneveningtorememberforbothgirls,andaccordingtoFuqua,herfa-voritepartwaswatchingthewonderintheeyesofallthelittlegirls. “Ilovedseeingallthelittlegirlsintheirlittledresses,allsquealingandhappy,”she said. “Igotmade funofby theguysworkingtherefortakingtoomanypictures.”

Emily FergusonCopy Editor

Disney ‘Under the Sea’ transformed

Ali ThompsonIntern

Thursday, March 31, 2011 BIGREDsports

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The night before every race, she lays out her lucky bagel, bagel buttering knife, rubber frogs and her bible. She prays to God for endurance and speed not only for her, but for her teammates and competitors. She relies on her faith for another good race, and this ritual is persistent. Rituals involving good luck charms and superstitions are very common among young athletes. Athletes may eat something, drink something or do something one time before a competition and have positive results, and will think if they stop doing it they will perform badly. Students across DC have their very own rituals they do before each meet, game or competi-tion with hopes of performing at their peak. Freshman runner Whitney O’Bryan’s ritual fits the sto-ry above. Beginning in 6th grade, O’Bryan ran her first race with great success. She had her rubber frogs in her bag, and they still come to every meet, even four years later. “I don’t necessarily depend on my frogs to get me through a race,” O’Bryan said. “They are just something I bring along. I rely on my faith and God.” Also to every overnight meet, O’Bryan brings along her own bagel for the following morning in case the hotel doesn’t have the kind she eats. Her buttering knife is also brought along with the bagel O’Bryan says laughing. “My prayer rituals will continue forever whether I am running or not,” O’Bryan said. “The good luck charms will

probably be put away one day, collect dust and be forgotten.” O’Bryan and her team also have team rituals they follow before each race. “My team and I circle up in the middle of the course, we put our right foot in the middle, grab hands and thank God for giving us the ability to run and ask for everyone to stay safe,” O’Bryan said. “Then we take five strides out from our circle, clap, make a circle again and quack attack (the team’s chant).” “I don’t consider this a good luck charm really though,” O’Bryan said. “It’s just our way of staying loose and not psyching ourselves out.” Junior soccer player Jackie Lohmann’s tradition be-fore each game is much simpler than O’Bryans. “I eat two Subway double chocolate chip cookies before a game,” Lohmann said. The location of the Subway doesn’t matter to Lohm-ann; as long as she gets the cookies, she is content. “I started this my freshman year,” Lohmann said. “My team thinks it’s weird though.” Lohmann says teammate Emily Hurt brings along her hippo stuffed animal to every game, and that it is considered the team’s good luck charm. “I’ll continue this through next high shcool season,” Lohmann said. Both girls have their own unique pre-event traditions- whether it be superstition motivated or not. “My greatest ritual will always be my bible and my faith,” O’Bryan said.

Sydney SettleSports Editor

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p Ashley RoethemeierEntertainment Editor

Athletes share pre-game rituals, good luck charms

Out of 15 students surveyed, 14 people said they have a pre-game tradition or ritual. One per-son said they did not.

14:1

Panther pride, everything that DCHS is built upon. Panther pride, everything that can tear down the schools’ reputation. Losing a Sweet 16 basketball game had a storm of emotions for the energetic student body that came to Rupp Arena Thursday, March 17. Some of the reactions were expected...others not so much. “I was on the opposite side of the student section and at the end of the game I was sitting there watching, all the sudden you heard a bunch of laughter and then I saw the cup hit the floor,” senior Shaina Tinnell said. Our school is represented by OUR student body. What we do shows who we are. Maybe it might be funny to do some stupid things for jokes while hanging out with friends. While wearing a DCHS T-shirt or going to an event where it is a school function, it does matter what you do.

“It affected me because I didn’t want everybody to look at our school like we were sore losers. No one else at the tournament did stuff like that. I stayed for the whole tournament and no one threw cups or flicked off cameras or did anything besides booing,” senior Eric Farley said. The sportsmanship that anyone shows affects the way the school is represented. This was the first time since 2003 that DC has made it as far as they did with the boys’ basketball team. Even if they didn’t win on the scoreboard we should have left like winners, not sore losers. “When I was a student here we could not boo another team. That was wrong. That was not honorable. You didn’t boo other teams, you could just be quiet. It was forbidden,” Ms. Jessica Grimsley-Mounts said. “Having gone to school being forbidden to boo, it just didn’t seem acceptable what happened. I couldn’t believe it.” Where’s our Panther Pride?

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