THE RED and BLUEHuntsville High School 2304 Billie Watkins Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801

(256)428-8050November, 2011 Volume 77 Issue 2

“We were determined” -Kristina McGroary

“It was exciting” -Briana Sandifer

“We are legit” -Jennifer Cox

“It was magnificent” -Jessica Lewis

“We were motivated” -Lindsey Wintzinger

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By Jared Wasilefsky, Guest Writer | Graph by Jared Wasilefsky

The Red and BlueOBJECTIVES

The Red and Blue is a student newspaper designed to be a public forum for discussion for the students of Huntsville High School. It is the mission of the Red and Blue to provide accurate, objective reporting on issues pertinent to the student body of Huntsville High School as well as editorials and opinions pieces containing the personal opinions of the staff writers. It is our hope that any article printed creates a dialogue between students. The final decisions regarding the content of the paper are decided by the student editors and the staff writers, not the faculty sponsors.

EDITORIAL POLICYLetters to the editor from concerned members of the student body are welcome and can be sent to the below referenced e-mail address or placed in the mailbox of N. Davis or N. Schwartz in the Huntsville High School main office. All letters must be signed and we reserve the right to edit.

CREDENTIALSThe Red and Blue is a member of the Alabama Scholastic Press Association.

ADVERTISINGThe Red and Blue is the official newspaper of Huntsville High School. It is published six times per year and is funded solely through advertising sold by the staff. If you would like to advertise, please contact hhsredandblue@hotmail.com. Advertising space is limited and provided on a first-come first-served basis.

STAFF WRITERS AND EDITORIAL BOARD

MEMBERS:AJ Lindner

Michael PayneHyunki Kim

Marie BeverlySydney Larsen

Jake ArcuriPeyton Pair

Allie BrockmanMaren MabanteAllison Farris

CO-EDITORS:AJ Lindner

Marie BeverlySydney Larsen

PHOTO EDITOR:Hyunki Kim

GUEST WRITER: Hyunjee Lee

Jared Wasilefsky

RESIDENT ARTIST:Michael Payne

TEACHER SPONSORS:Neena Davis and Nicole Schwartz

Guest Writers WantedFor more information, see

Mrs. Davis or Mrs. Schwartz

Front page photos courtesy of Randall Cox

After spending months or years of your life in a romantic relationship with someone, it is extremely difficult when he or she has to move away. Many people would call off the relationship right there, spitting the sorry line of “we can still be friends,” which is like saying “your dog is dead, but you can still keep it.” But some people are so close, so dependent on each other, so in love that they can’t let distance break them apart. How do you stay with someone who you can’t ever see?

Well there are many ways to make the distance seem smaller. Every relationship is different, so not everyone will be able to tolerate the separation as well, but talking to your significant other every day,

texting him or her as much as you can definitely helps. You can also send a carrier pigeon, whatever works for you. The more you distance yourself from each other, the more likely you are to drift apart and find other people, so talking every day will remind you of why you want to stay together.

Pictures are great, but sometimes a picture just doesn’t cut it. Thanks to technology, there are many ways you can video chat with your lover. Unless you both have some kind of teleportation device, which I’m pretty sure hasn’t been invented yet, this will probably involve a computer and a webcam. A decent webcam doesn’t cost very much and can be found easily, and online video chat accounts such as Skype are free. “When we aren’t together, phone calls and Skype really help shorten the distance,” states Ashley Head, senior. “Also, having little reminders of him around really help to remind me that he cares.”

Even with constant communication, it is still easy to lose control. It’s a lonely lifestyle being in a relationship that can’t be physical, because I’m still pretty sure you can’t teleport; sorry Portal fans, you do not own an actual portal gun. Sometimes being faithful is difficult, especially if the gentle touch of temptation steers you away. Honesty and trust are absolutely necessary. There is no reason to hide anything, and the more

honest and trustworthy you are, the easier it will be to stay together and remain faithful.

He or she may move a hundred miles away, or a thousand miles away. Either way, you need to know that you can visit them. It may be difficult and expensive, but if you know there’s no way you can ever see them for a few years, or ever again, then it’s much more likely to fall through. “Waiting is difficult,” Ashley continues, “but it makes seeing each other that much better.” Give it your all, and if it fails, it fails, but at least you know, and can proudly say, that you tried your best and did everything you could, and it just didn’t work. If it does work, then you have one of the strongest relationships imaginable, and a very well-trained carrier pigeon.

The distance between usHow to survive a long distance relationshipBy AJ Lindner, Staff Writer | Photos by Maren Mabante

Politics, sex, and religion. The three forbidden topics. In the classroom setting though, politics crouches in the corner, ready to burst forth when the verbal match sets it aflame. Let the words “Obama-Care”, “Spending cuts”, or “Tax Increase” fly from the lips and an ensuing riot boils to a fervid flame. Verbal volleys veer into the fray as people claim the roots of all evil lies in being Liberal, Conservative, Republican, or Democrat, each with its own particular vindictive connotation. Needless to say, the student population holds strong views on political issues, but do they truly understand what they are yelling about?

Sweet and simple; no. A survey taken from 114 members of the senior class, the class that will vote in the 2012 election, remains unsurprisingly ill-informed. They avoid the newspaper, which educates not only on the current events, but on the biases that plague the nation, like a disease with 56% responding that they read the paper less than four times a month. The Internet remains healthy, with 76% responding that they use the Internet more than one time a day. Students squander their time though, with social networking sites charging into first place for the most time spent and checking the news coming in dead last.

The strong feelings exist, but not strong enough to commit actual time to research and stay informed on our changing world. It is unflattering to know that our generation successfully follows the failures of the one stipulating our future; speak loud words, point the finger, and keep the majority uniformed.

Our generation is the last best hope to turn the country around and make it easier, not harder, for future generations. There are those who stay informed and strive to not just know, but understand the issues; the fact that the minority who understands suffocates

under the majority of misguided knowledge needs to change. Without such change, we are doomed to suffer the same indecisions that engulf the nation today.

Knowing All About Nothing

Other13%

Independent18%

Democrat19%

Republican50%

Feeling regarding the debt ceiling crisis with 10 feeling highly on issue: 6.00 (avg)10 being most supportive on rejecting raising taxes on those making over $1million: 5.12 (avg)10 being most supportive on the passed spending cuts: 5.74 (avg)Congressional Approval Rating: 48%Presidential Approval Rating: 40%*Note: Standard deviation and margin of error was not applied for this survey. All values were calculated directly from the 114 responses given in each topic.

The plague of the uninformed in our generation

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Graph depicting survey results of 114 members of the senior class

Kyle Valley

Claire Quirk

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“Loud, funny, obnoxious, smart…occasionally annoying” are just a few of the words Carter uses to describe himself as. He is freshman leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and enjoys playing football, baseball, and golf.

However, on the night of his eleventh birthday Carter Woodall got a call from his mother telling him that his father was in the hospital. After a week of testing it was discovered that his father was diagnosed with cancer for the third time, this time it was brain cancer.“He was really a fighter,” stated Carter.

Carter lost his father in 2009 to brain cancer. He and his father were very close. Some things his dad enjoyed doing were umpiring baseball and playing rugby all through high school, college and still after he graduated. Carter and his father enjoyed doing a lot together, like hunting and fishing. Almost every Saturday they would go up to their farm to go four wheeling. “Life without him has been weird because for the first year you wake up in the morning, realizing it is just me and mom, dad isn’t here. It is just a

dramatic change,” said Carter. “I was just happy he wasn’t in pain anymore,” said Carter. When someone has brain cancer, it affects someone’s behavior and mood and Carter knew things were already going to be so different. “The worst part wasn’t before he passed away but it was when he started getting sick, because I had just realized that things would never go back to normal.”

“I am just happy that I am here to take care of my mom,” he said. “At my aunt’s wedding my mom wouldn’t dance so I asked the D.J. to play a song and they called her up there and she just started crying…it is just things like that, now we have to do without him.” In the experience of losing his father, Carter now thinks about things, like his father not being there for when he goes to college or when he gets married. “Things just gradually got better”, Carter bravely states. Although he lost his father, he did not lose the morals he was taught by him. “My mom says I am so much like him. Who doesn’t want to be like their dad if they had a really good dad.”

After being left with a lightning bolt shaped hole in their hearts this summer, Harry Potter fans were left to wander the Internet reading old Leaky Cauldron news and stale J.K. Rowling rumors.

Thankfully, Rowling did not completely abandon her fans and quickly announced the release of the enigma that is Pottermore. This new community is an innovative and brilliant way of continuing the legacy of the Harry Potter series.

Through interactive artwork and games, Pottermore users are able to delve deeper into the story and learn background information on Rowling’s most curious characters. But the sheer fact that this exists is not what has one million beta users in a tizzy.

Besides becoming an honorary wizard, a person will receive one of thirty-three thousand wand combinations and take a specially formulated quiz that sorts the user into one of the four Hogwarts houses.

For those who have spent a lifetime loyal to their self-chosen house affiliations, this quiz is the moment of truth. To have gotten their own classification wrong is to have misunderstood their entire personality and character.

Sam Holder, a junior, is disappointed to find that he was sorted into Gryffendor when he expectantly waited for the results to be for the Ravenclaw house. Sam previously felt confident and clever enough to be a Ravenclaw. He suspects foul-play and is unsure of the validity of his results.

Senior John Coleman believes he possesses the characteristics of a

Ravenclaw rather than those of a Gryffindor. He finds himself clever and quick witted instead of loyal and fearless. John confesses that, “I’ve thought of myself as a Ravenclaw ever since the third grade and now I just don’t know

what to think anymore. I know I’m totally selling out, but I’m thinking of making another Pottermore account just to get resorted.”

Some students from Huntsville High have felt the need to change their clothing and entire attitude in order to conform

to their designated house. The manipulative Slytherins, courageous Gryffendors, intelligent Ravenclaws, and the ever searching Huffelpuffs are thrown into a confused

jumble. Of course, some have simply chosen certain houses because

they want to be one of the “good guys” or “bad guys,” or because green really makes their eyes pop. They don’t fully understand what it means to be a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff. Actually, a

certain “Albus Dumbledore,” as portrayed by StarKid in “A Very Potter Musical,” doesn’t understand what a Hufflepuff is either.

As more and more fans are granted access to Pottermore, it is important for them to remember to keep an open mind

during the sorting ceremony and let the cards fall where they may. They may end up in the house they always wanted, or they

may be utterly surprised. Either way, it is important to embrace your house, whether it is your former

allegiance or your newly acquired affiliation. Of course, that’s easy for me to say. I don’t have to buy a new wardrobe.

An identity crisis: A new Harry Potter experienceBy Maren Mabante, Staff Writer | Artwork by Maggie Jobe

The loss of a fatherCarter Woodall shares his story

By Allie Brockman Staff Writer | Photos from Carter Woodall

Huntsville High has seen a lot of new faces in recent years, from places such as China and Russia. Meet Victoria Offei-Dua, currently a sophomore at HHS. She’s just recently moved to the U.S. from Ghana, which is in West Africa.

Victoria has been living in Huntsville Alabama for about two years now, having moved to the U.S. in hopes of a better education and a better life. She’s able to speak English, a little French, and Twi, a native language in Ghana. Before

coming to Huntsville, Victoria has visited Illinois, Missouri, and Texas.

She’s stated that one of the biggest differences between here and Ghana are the personal relationships. “Over in Ghana I kept my friends over time, year after year, but here, I need to make new ones every year” Victoria said, “Also there’s a lot more schoolwork over here than in Ghana”.

Some of things Victoria likes to do on her spare time include reading, ROTC, and listening to music, with ROTC being her favorite

thing to do. She has a taste for artists such as Alicia Keys, Rihanna, P-square, along with some Country, African music, Gospel, and R&B.

In Africa you’re not allowed to get your driver’s license until you’re 18, and generally you won’t have enough money to buy a car until you’re at least 35. She’s especially fond of Italian food, more specifically, fettucini alfredo. Overall, Victoria likes America and has adjusted very comfortably to life in the States.

Victoria Offei-DuaThe girl from Ghana

Carter Woodall’s father, Spencer Woodall, passed away on February 22, 2009.

By Hyunki Kim, Staff Writer | Photo by Hyunki Kim

Victoria Offei-Dua moved to the United States two years ago in hopes of a better education and life.

By Allison Farris, Staff Writer | Photo by Maren Mabante

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Change in Health InsuranceHHS teachers pay the

By Marie Beverly, Staff Writer | Photo by Maren Mabante They walk our halls in their skinny

pants, emitting a carefree attitude, talking with their comrades about things like Belle and Sebastian. You know in an instant that these individuals are classified as hipsters. Sophie Crozier and Nick Patton, who neither admit nor deny being hipsters, share their views on this type of person.

“A hipster is generally someone who is opposed to anything mainstream like clothes, music, etc. Some tend to have an arrogant attitude about it” says Sophie. Nick feels that “a hipster is a person who is socially, intellectually and tastefully above the rest of people their age.”

Not all hipsters are arrogant and pretentious. Some of them have good personalities, and they can be really cool people. An atrractive quality in a hipster may be a good sense of humor or style. They do things before they become mainstream.

There is nothing definitive about a hipster; however, many sport signature Converse sneakers and old v-neck tees. Shopping at vintage boutiques or at Salvation

Army is a must for all hipsters. “A hipster aspires to have tastes and interests that are "underground" or "obscure". If you want to find one, start looking at all the local coffee shops. They'll be typing on a Macbook, sipping coffee with their ear buds on. Hipsters usually listen to alternative, or "indie" music. Dare I say music that most people probably haven't heard of. Although, alternative is quickly becoming more mainstream every day, so they may have to find a new genre to listen to.” states Sophie.

However, do not let their care free attitude fool you, hipsters are very sensitive creatures. “Hipsters only listen to music that you've never heard of. never tell a hipster that you like their favorite band too. It just ruins it. Only hipsters are allowed to like another hipster's taste in music,” tells Nick. Calling a hipster “hipster” also makes them mad because they don’t want to be associated with stereotypes.

Don’t be afraid of this new social group that is not a social group, but embrace them. Who knows, they may let you wear their cool glasses.

Life of a hipster People who are too cool to conform to the norm

Coach Balentine plans on retiring by January.

Teachers are retiring earlier than expected to avoid a hike in health insurance rates.

There is a new law that will raise teacher premiums significantly on or after January 1st. Here at Huntsville High three staff members have filled out their paperwork to retire on or around December 1st.

Coach Balentine is one of the teachers that will be retiring when the deadline is set. He has been at Huntsville High for twenty years. "I will miss the students and teachers here the most."

After Coach Balentine retires, he plans to teach private driving lessons. Even though he has taught drivers education for about 5 years, he still loves it. The main reason he said he was retiring was a financial issue. He would have

to pay too much money on just health insurance.

Mrs. Kirk, HHS science teacher, is another teacher affected by this change in policy. She has decided to retire on January 1st. She may not agree with this policy, but she is willing to go along with it. Mrs. Kirk has been teaching for thirty-nine years, she says "that this is a hard decision to make, because once you have done this all your life, it's hard to picture yourself doing anything else".

Mrs. Caneer, HHS’s bookkeeper decided that it would be best that she retire by December 1st. She has been with Huntsville City Schools for 23 years.

They all found out about the insurance rate this past summer. These teachers and staff will be missed.

In case you haven’t already heard, our own assistant principal, Barbara Little, has left us to take the position of Principal at Monte Santo Elementary School after five years at HHS. “I’ve totally enjoyed my experience here,” she said. “The only downside is that this job made me the mean lady on campus, when it was my job to enforce the rules that were given to me to enforce.”

Before becoming an assistant principal, Ms. Little started out as a teacher in 1982. She earned her Administrative degree at

Alabama A&M, spent some time doing internship hours at AAA and Grissom, sometimes subbing for the principal, and taught Kindergarten and first grade for 6 years, after which Ms. Little stayed at home for 11 years to raise her children, then started back teaching again when her children started going to school.

When she made the leap to high school Ms. Little couldn’t help but notice the great students and faculty and how they’ve made her time here extremely enjoyable. When asked how she feels

about leaving HHS, Ms. Little described her feelings about leaving HHS as a very “mixed-emotion” type feeling, “I’m sad to leave a lot of personal relationships I’ve had with students, and I can’t see any of them take those first steps towards becoming successful,” she said. “But I do feel that my time here has prepared me for the principal position, and I am excited about getting back to my roots.” Ms. Little hopes that the students at HHS will stay positive and set their goals high for the years to come.

Big change for Ms. LittleMonte Santo Elementary School welcomes its new principal

By Hyunki Kim, Staff Writer | Photo by Yearbook

Ms. Little

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Coach Sharp

Mr. Bean

Mr. Swanson

Le meilleur ami por toujours… major amigo… beste freunde fur immer No matter how it is said it still means the same thing: BFF!By Allie Brockman, Staff Writer | Photos from

Everyone has that one person who they can act completely crazy with, who laughs at their un-funny jokes, who cries when they cry, who is strong when they are weak, and who no matter what will always be by their side. That person is your BFF, (a.k.a. Best Friend Forever).

“You are the best friend I have ever had. You care about me and how I feel, you don’t judge me and we laugh together all the time!” States Gabby Rodgers, to her BFF Chaney Sexton. Although they met freshman year, they have shared a lot of memories so far. They love going out to see movies and of course the occasional “girl’s night!”

“I couldn’t imagine what it would be like without Erin and Hannah, they help me get

through so much and I am so grateful for them in my life,” stated by Rachel Hood about her BFF’s Erin Harold and Hannah Oswald. They have been friends since seventh grade and have been inseparable since then. They enjoy just hanging out and picking on Rachel’s younger brother. “We are very entertaining…to ourselves,” jokes Erin.

Another pack of BFF’s at HHS would be sophomores Allie Ledford and Taylor Morrow. “We have been best friends since we were little. Seriously, we do everything together!” says, Allie. “We have a lot in common but we are also very different. We do a lot of activities together like swim team and powder puff so not a day goes by without her!” says

Taylor. They love to be silly and just hang out. Neither of them would know where to start without one another they both openly admitted.

Teenagers are told over and over again that most friends in high school will most likely not still be your friend when you are older and a mere acquaintance. The “FOREVER” part is the promise to maintain your friendship like these group of girls will, because there are those unique few whose friendship will last a lifetime.

Erin Harold, Hannah Oswald, and Rachel Hood hug in the hallway.

Allie Ledford and Taylor Morrow in Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The name “Dragon Lady” may scare a few freshmen, but Mrs. Dotts is only called so for her love of the fictional beasts. She has over one hundred dragons living in her classroom and no two are exactly the same. Cleaning supplies, books, sport equipment, you name it. If it exists, it is probably on one of the dragons flying in Mrs. Dotts’ English class room. Each year, she has her ninth-grade Honors English students create their own dragons any way they wish.

“The dragons flew into the principal’s conference room and once the new school building was done, they began to inhabit my room” the dragon lady reminisces.

“I love dragons and art. I wanted my room to reflect that” she tells. Mrs. Dotts wants her room to be a fun and captivating place to come to. She previously tried to find ways to relate the dragon to the book the students were reading such as dragons being a symbol of evil in Western literature, but eventually admitted that she just loves dragons.

Her students’ eyes wander the ceiling, looking at the dazzling display of flying beasts. This year the freshmen in ninth grade Honors English will make their own dragons that will join the ever growing dragon colony of room 220.

The Dragon AwardsMrs. Dotts’ Beasts are the stars of room 220By Marie Beverly, Staff Writer | Photos by Maren Mabante

Mrs.Dotts sits in her dragon chair, surrounded by her friends.

This dragon is the smallest in the entire class room.This lovely dragon wins the award for the pretiest dragon for her pink sparkles. This huge beast hangs above Ms.Dott’s door.

Victoria Offei-Dua moved to the United States two years ago in

hopes of a better education and life.

Gabby Rodgers and Caney Sexton enjoy hanging out.

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Homecoming events cause Administration to look for solutionsChanges coming for future dancesBy Allie Brockman, Staff Writer and Hyunjee Lee, Guest Writer | Photos by Hyunjee Lee, Allie Brockman

Homecoming was an interesting event for many this year. Students generally had a great time, but there were some “poor decisions made,” as Huntsville High’s Officer Whepley and Officer Duncan describe it. Officer Duncan explains, “There were more than a few students involved in the misdemeanors that took place – enough to prompt

changes to be made for prom.”

Mrs. Wolfe, a chaperone at Homecoming felt that a lot was learned for the mistakes that occurred. She stated, “I thought overall it was a nice night, but students seemed a lot more rowdy then at prom.”

H H S p r i n c i p a l , L e s l i e Esneault thought that homecoming seemed enjoyable

to many of the students that attended. She said, “There were a few incidents

that we hope to resolve in future, we have already started a commitee to do so.”

The officers also commented that alcohol was present at the dance and in the bloodstreams of several teenagers. Not only does this go against the Huntsville City School System rules and policies, but it was very dangerous as well. In fact, our school system prohibits it because it is dangerous and threatens the well being of students.

Reportedly, an ambulance was called, and a few of the students had to be

taken to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning; we are extremely fortunate that nothing worse happened to the students involved. Discipline for the students involved followed the school system guidelines, including out of school suspension, principal probation, and recommendation for expulsion.

Huntsville High students were asked for their opinions on the events that took place homecoming night. “I wasn’t really affected by what happened at homecoming. I heard more things about it when I got back to school than I did at homecoming,” says an anonymous freshman student.

Another anonymous student says, “I thought it was pretty gross, it just isn’t my kind of fun.” This student also stressed that she was nervous and concerned. “I was worried for the people who were involved, that they might get hurt, but I wasn’t directly affected by what happened,” said HHS homecoming queen, Sarah Russell.

Sophomore student, Haileigh Steigler expressed her opinions, "I thought it was pathetic how some people thought they needed alcohol to have fun." She said she was sort of off to the side because she didn’t want to associate with them. Overall, she had fun though.

When Cali Stutts shared her opinions she struggled to find an answer, she replied with, “well, I enjoyed homecoming but I felt sort of uncomfortable when I was around people who were drunk and going crazy. They were selfish in a way, because they made homecoming less enjoyable for the sober students.”

Some guys generally had a different outlook on the situation such as HHS student Jared Gillies. He said, “I was just there to have a good time and be with friends. I wasn’t really affected by the things going on that involved police and stuff.” Similarly, junior William Allen said, ”I had a good time and enjoyed dancing.”

What will happen to future prom and homecoming dances, you ask? Lucky for us, they will continue. However, more extreme measures to ensure the safety of all students will be put into action. Immediately after the homecoming dance, the administration, Student Resource Officers, the PTSA, and Student Council met and discussed what necessary changes will be made for future school events.

Counselor, Mrs. Wolfe

Principal, Mrs. Esneault

Jared Gillies, sophomore, explains his homecoming expericence.

Haleigh Steigler, sophomore, expresses her concern.

“I thought it was pathetic how some people thought they needed alcohol to have fun.”

Haleigh Steigler

Callie Stutts, sophomore, shares how her night went

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No matter what we do, it seems that the one thing we can’t get enough of is sleep. We take naps in class, and on the couch at home when we’re supposed to be doing homework. It also doesn’t help that there’s always a reason to stay up late.

You put off that project or essay for too long, you feel inclined to play another round of COD, or you flat out just can’t sleep. But believe it or not, there are some people who manage to keep their grades up, do a ton of extracurricular activities on the side, and still get an adequate amount of sleep. How do they do it without going absolutely insane?

Sarah Russell:Sarah Russell is currently taking AP Government, AP English,

Advanced Chemistry, Latin 3, and Pre-AP Pre-Calculus. She’s part of the Marching Band, President of the Biology Club, Vice President of the Latin Club, a member of the Chemistry Club, as well as a member of the small group for her church, and her Youth Leadership. On top of all that she’s trying to make time to join FACTS, which is a Financial advice club at HHS. The fact that she has insomnia doesn’t help much either, but luckily it only kicks in when she’s really stressed.How does she manage so much and still get to bed by 10? Well, she always utilizes her planner, and tends to spend ages at her locker, making sure she hasn’t forgotten anything. “I’m a huge procrastinator, which always comes back to bite me.” Sarah said, “Sometimes I’ll wake up at 5 in the morning to finish any work I didn’t already finish the night before, because I’d rather get a good night’s sleep then stay up all night doing homework.” Sarah usually tries to get to bed by 10, but if she’s really lucky she can get to sleep by 8:30.

Benjamin Brewer: Benjamin is currently taking AP Gov/Econ, AP Calculus, AP English, and

AP Physics. He also plays tennis, is a part of the HHS Show Choir, the Academic Team, and his Youth Group at Church, as well as dedicating many hours to college trips and preparation along with volunteer work. How does he do it? He straightened his posture, and simply asked “are you ready?” Benjamin has two different routines, one for Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the other for Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he has tennis after school, usually until about 6:30. He gets home at around 6:45 or 7, and goes straight to homework until 10 or 10:30, while sneaking in dinner every now and then, getting to bed by around 10:45. The Monday and Wednesday schedule has a bit more to it. Due to Academic team after school on those days he usually doesn’t get home until about 4:45. When he gets home he takes a 30 minute break, and then proceeds to do homework until 8, squeezing in dinner somewhere in there. From 8 to 9 he spends his time looking up colleges he might want to apply to, any scholarships he might want, etc. Basically a dedicated hour towards college prep. From 9 to 10 is his little chill hour, spent mainly on Facebook and listening to music, T.V. from 10 to 10:30, and then he’s in bed by 10:45. Even with this set routine, however, stress can still creep into Benjamin’s life. “Whenever I feel stressed

I usually listen to music,” Benjamin said, “Mainly church hymns and choral music. Also, I pray a lot.” When he absolutely needs to Benjamin calls up a friend to just talk. If he’s really stressed he goes to Hampton Cove Middle and hits a tennis ball against a wall. “I always tell myself to keep my eye on the prize, get into a good school, get a good salary, etc., because high school has a defined endpoint.” Benjamin said, “People are always complaining that it’s going to go on forever, well it’s not. This is all going to be over May 2012.” Benjamin often pictures himself in the donkey with a carrot hung in front of it scenario, with himself being the donkey, “I always set a goal for myself, for example, just make it until Labor day, then fall break, etc.”

Amanda Nagle: Amanda is currently taking Pre-AP Pre Cal, AP Stats, AP English, AP US

History, AP English, AP Chem, and Spanish 2. She’s one of the Captains of the HHS Color Guard, a member of FBLA, and does Dance twice a week. Because of all these AP courses, 2 math classes, and extra activities, she’s finally been using a planner and things really aren’t all that stressful for her, if anything she’s one of the least stressful people she knows, saying that organizing everything in her head from most to least stressful tends to help. “I’m always asking a lot of questions to make sure I understand something,” she said. “To me, making sure I understand something when it’s taught is more important than studying.” This usually helps her a lot at home with anything she doesn’t already finish during school. “Also I definitely phone a friend if I don’t know what I’m doing.” A very important thing for Amanda is dance. “I never skip dance, because taking a break and exercising really helps me focus on my homework.” Another thing Amanda does is schedule EVERYTHING, nothing is thought up and executed on the spot, she plans everything ahead of time, including the fun stuff.

Sleep Sleep SleepWe just can’t get enough

By Hyunki Kim, Staff Writer | Photo by Hyunki Kim

Tell the truth. At least one point in your life you dreamt of having superpowers. Some of you have gone as far as to pick out a name for yourself and even create your own nemesis. There are people who even have a sidekick planned out. Here are a few examples. Some are masterpieces of awesome potential and others are just plain interesting.

Take Matthew Stone, one of our very own sophomores. His vision of himself as a superhero is that of Xenocrates, a controller of the elements. When asked “What would you do with your power,” he answered, “I don’t know, save the world?” He’s either skeptical about the situation or very very sarcastic. Mr. Stone’s true identity is a lone wolf, a fighter of crime without a young ward to aid him.

However, it’s easy to see why he wouldn’t want to have one. Being a man of such capabilities as controlling the elements, a sidekick seems rather unnecessary. On the other hand, a sidekick would seem to be a good idea when your nemesis is Oswald, the man who can transform into an octopus. It is a known fact that the opposite to the elements

is the power of an eight legged marine animal. Godspeed, Xenocrates.

Dani Bronsing, another sophomore, chose a more self-teasing approach to her character. Being a female endowed with red hair, she decided that her superhero counterpart is Ginger Girl, or GG for short, which does have a better ring than Red-Haired Female. Now, this is where it gets even more interesting- her power is not red hair related. In fact, her namesake and powers aren’t even remotely similar. That is, unless, she whips her hair back and forth to initiate her power, but that’s just my imagination working for her. With one snap of the finger or flick of the wrist or something, she is able to stop time. How she plans on using this power is very mysterious, but being a super heroine it has to, at the very least, be for good. Also, with the majestic power of a panda at her side, she should quite possibly be an unstoppable force of red-haired, time stopping, panda-ness.

That One Guy doesn’t sound like a very menacing name, does it? Well, it just goes to show that names can be deceiving. This man,

or, shall we say, tank, has the one of the most intimidating powers in history of superpowers- super strength. This power of his can very much encourage the citizens of whatever town he’s saving to say sarcastic lines such as; “Did you see That One Guy do that one thing? You know, where he jeopardized that one person?” You should hope that Logan Nunn’s magnificent power to transform into a t-rex is enough to thwart this evil being who is also known as Levi Smith.

Wouldn’t it be awful to have a super villain in your midst that could control when you sneeze? That’s the bizarre power of Alex White, also known as The Magnificent Mucous, and his devious young ward, The Snot-Nosed Brat.

“I would give my enemies the perpetual need to sneeze, but the inability to do so,” he says. Now, that is downright evil not to mention extremely inconvenient. Making Batman his nemesis seems fairly inappropriate, but I doubt the power of The Dark Knight could stop this man while he’s hindered by his allergies.

May the world tremble or be blessed by the powers of these young men and woman.

SUPER YOUHHS students take on being a superhero

By Michael Payne, Staff Writer

LIVING WITH DIABETES

A normal day with diabetes

Wake up.

Take a dose of long lasting insulin called lantus to last for most of the day

and check blood sugar.

Eat breakfast

Take a dosage of short-lasting insulin called novolog. The dosage

depends on how many carbs were eaten.

Check blood sugar and count the carbs for lunch and then

take another dose of short-lasting insulin depending on what will be

eaten.

If any snacks are eaten, carbs must be taken into account and the according amount of short-

lasting insulin must be taken.

Check blood sugar and count the carbs for dinner and then take another dose of short-lasting insulin depending on

what will be eaten.

Take a dose of long- lasting insulin before

going to bed.

Go to bed.

6:30 A.M. 11:00 P.M.12:30 P.M.

Diabetes is a life-changing disease that affects over twenty-five million people in the United States (American Diabetes Association). Chances are somebody you know will be affected by diabetes during their lifetime. This disease, along with the obvious health risks, makes everyday life much more challenging. Diabetics do not enjoy the same benefits of carefree eating as most other people. In order to stay healthy, diabetics must carefully map out each piece of food they consume while at the same time monitoring their blood sugar levels. In fact, the effects of diabetes are felt right here at Huntsville High School. HHS students Abby Parris and Liam Glenn both face these challenges daily. They have to plan their school schedule to fit in routine clinic visits and accommodate any sudden health problems. Along with the stress of everyday school life, they have to factor in the hassle of maintaining control of their disease. But, the effects of diabetes can reach farther than most people think. When a diabetic’s blood sugar isn’t under control, it can make it incredibly hard to concentrate. A sudden change in blood sugar during a quiz or a test can cause loss of concentration and mean the difference between an A and a D. Unexpected consequences like these cause many inconveniences that can complicate the lives of diabetics. Although staying healthy requires a little more work, Abby and Liam have each been able to rise up above their disease and lead a normal life.

This is an insulin shot used to help the body convert sugars and starches into energy. Abby has to give herself insulin shots daily depending on what kind of foods she eats.

This is Abby Parris’s blood sugar meter and test strips. In order to stay healthy, she must test the amount of sugar in her blood at regular intervals.

This is Liam Glenn’s insulin pump. It automatically injects him with the correct amount of insulin. This way, he does not have to worry about giving himself shots.

- In general, how does having diabetes affect your everyday life?On a daily basis, I have to check my blood sugar before every meal and take a shot of insulin after I eat. When your blood sugar is not under control, it can make you feel bad, tired, or restrict you from activities that others may be involved in.

- How is your school schedule different because of diabetes?If everything goes well, I visit Nurse Wood’s office after lunch to tell her what my blood sugar was before I ate, count my carbohydrates from lunch, and take a shot accordingly, and then also at the end of the day before I leave to make sure my blood sugar is okay for me to drive.

- What advice would you give to another student with diabetes?I would tell them that it’s important to keep your blood sugar under control. It being out of control for long periods of time can cause long term effects.

- What is the hardest thing about dealing with diabetes at school?It can be very frustrating when I need to be in class to take notes or finish a test or anything and my blood sugar goes low or high. It takes a good amount of time to get it to where it needs to be, so if it isn’t under control, I often miss a good portion of class. Also, if it’s not in a good range before I leave, I have to stay at school until it gets under control.

- How would you sum up living with diabetes?Living with diabetes isn’t awful. The shots don’t hurt, I didn’t get it from eating too much sugar as a child (I speak for all of us on that one), I can basically eat whatever I want still, and if you do everything right, it’s pretty easy to take care of. It can definitely be a hassle, but overall, it’s not a big deal.

Q&A

Withabby Parris

Liam Glenn can enter the food that he eats as well as his blood sugar into this device which then remotely activates his insulin pump to administer the correct dosage.

LIVING WITH DIABETES

Wake up.

Take a dose of long lasting insulin called lantus to last for most of the day

and check blood sugar.

Eat breakfast

Take a dosage of short-lasting insulin called novolog. The dosage

depends on how many carbs were eaten.

Check blood sugar and count the carbs for lunch and then

take another dose of short-lasting insulin depending on what will be

eaten.

If any snacks are eaten, carbs must be taken into account and the according amount of short-

lasting insulin must be taken.

Check blood sugar and count the carbs for dinner and then take another dose of short-lasting insulin depending on

what will be eaten.

Take a dose of long- lasting insulin before

going to bed.

Go to bed.

6:30 A.M. 11:00 P.M.12:30 P.M.

Diabetes Basics25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new

cases of blindness among adults.

$174 billion: Total yearly costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States

In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin that is needed to convert sugars, starches and other food into energy.

In type 2 diabetes, either the body

doesn’t produce enough insulin or the

cells ignore the insulin.

Diabetes contributed to a total of

231,404 deaths in the United

States in 2007.

Diabetes is a life-changing disease that affects over twenty-five million people in the United States (American Diabetes Association). Chances are somebody you know will be affected by diabetes during their lifetime. This disease, along with the obvious health risks, makes everyday life much more challenging. Diabetics do not enjoy the same benefits of carefree eating as most other people. In order to stay healthy, diabetics must carefully map out each piece of food they consume while at the same time monitoring their blood sugar levels. In fact, the effects of diabetes are felt right here at Huntsville High School. HHS students Abby Parris and Liam Glenn both face these challenges daily. They have to plan their school schedule to fit in routine clinic visits and accommodate any sudden health problems. Along with the stress of everyday school life, they have to factor in the hassle of maintaining control of their disease. But, the effects of diabetes can reach farther than most people think. When a diabetic’s blood sugar isn’t under control, it can make it incredibly hard to concentrate. A sudden change in blood sugar during a quiz or a test can cause loss of concentration and mean the difference between an A and a D. Unexpected consequences like these cause many inconveniences that can complicate the lives of diabetics. Although staying healthy requires a little more work, Abby and Liam have each been able to rise up above their disease and lead a normal life.

This is an insulin shot used to help the body convert sugars and starches into energy. Abby has to give herself insulin shots daily depending on what kind of foods she eats.

This is Abby Parris’s blood sugar meter and test strips. In order to stay healthy, she must test the amount of sugar in her blood at regular intervals.

The use of technology in education has skyrocketed in the past decade. E-readers such as the Kindle and Nook are good examples. These specimens of electronic innovation, as many students know, are a convenient source of accessing required reading and even textbooks.

“Yeah, I think we should use [e-books]. They’re lightweight, easy to use,

and extremely portable,” Josh Hardiman, a senior, explains. This is, indeed, a very convenient aspect of owning a Kindle or Nook. The convenience in itself would make the use of backpacks or even lockers unnecessary because all of a student’s textbooks can be stored in this little piece of technology.

“I’m all for it,” says Reed Miller, a junior. “It’s cheaper, and I know a lot of schools are already doing it because of that.”

Krel Haymes, a senior, is an owner of a Nook. “It’s great. You can’t lose your page and you can hold thousands of books, but you have to charge it and it doesn’t have a backlight.” Krel, as a student, uses his e-reader constantly. He believes that replacing textbooks with e-readers would be much more convenient because it would save gratuitous amounts of space.

Unfortunately, most of the schools that have already issued this e-book rule are private schools. Because of this, the vision of mandating the use of e-textbooks in public schools is seemingly out of reach at the current time.

There are quite a few students at HHS that support the use of e-textbooks, but some believe that it would be a detriment rather than a benefit. “Kindles seem like they’d be more expensive and more difficult to replace than a textbook, and easier to damage,” says Sophie Crozier, a sophomore. These cons raise a good counter argument, but the pros--and the steady march of technology--make it seem inevitable (eventually) at HHS. This is shown in a recent news article in The Huntsville Times. According to our local newspaper, the Huntsville City School Board is arranging the use of e-readers. “Now, each principal will have an iPad and a laptop computer. Each elementary school will also be allotted 28 iPads, and all fifth-graders will be assigned a netbook,” says the article “City schools push high tech” as seen in the Sunday, October 23 issue of The Huntsville Times. After years of technological advancements, schools are now becoming more and more electronic.

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Emily Brown is what you may call a dedicated dancer. She dances twelve hours a week. This is Emily's fifteenth year of dance at Ann's Dance Studio. She takes Jazz, Pointe, Acro, Hip-hop, Ballet, and Company. Out of the six classes she said she likes tap the best.

You would think some people would get tired of that much dancing, but it does not bother Emily. She has always loved dance since she was a little girl. “I would see the older girls at recital and they made it look so pretty and they looked like they were having so much fun,” she says. You would think after performing so much that she would not get nervous, but every time she still does. "When I dance my mind kind of goes blank. I'm always really nervous when I'm waiting for the music to start but once I start dancing I relax and have fun," she said. It’s not just the moves that are difficult, her performance schedule is extremely demanding. One of the toughest dance moves Emily does is called the fouetté. Fouetté‘s on Pointe is not the easiest move to accomplish. A fouetté is where a dancer whips her leg in a circular motion while spinning on the other leg. Emily has had this move down for awhile but has just recently perfected it.

The last recital Emily was in she performed thirty-three times. One of her favorite things is getting ready for the performances, because all of the excitement and energy as they prepare to go on stage. After Emily is done with a recital or a performance, she does not throw her costumes in some random box that she might never see again. Her parents actually put all her costumes in a nice box to keep all the memories she made.

One of Emily's favorite experiences is being a student assistant. Emily loves being a student assistant, because she gets to help kids with something she love and hoping that they will love it too.

Dance takes Emily to many places, such as Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and St. Louis to compete. She has thought about going pro, but is not for sure about what she wants to do. Emily has a good thing going for her let's hope she keeps it up. Her definition of a dedicated dancer is a dancer who works as hard as they can at improving and is willing to sacrifice other things for it. Emily definitely fits her own description of a dedicated dancer.

By Allison Farris, Staff Writer Photo by Maren Mabante

Dedication at its peak Emily Brown dances 12 hours a week

Emily performing at the VBC for Ann’s studio of dance.

“When I dance my mind kind of goes blank. I’m always really nervous when I’m waiting for the music to start but once I start dancing I relax and have fun.”

E-Readers Kindle Academic InterestStudents support the use of e-books in school Michael Payne, Staff Writer | Photo by AJ Lindner

Nooks could replace your books in school.

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By Peyton Pair, Staff Writer | Photos Courtesy of MaranathaThe weekend is supposed to be a time of catching

up on sleep, watching football, and doing homework. In the case of HHS’s JROTC unit, it consisted of paintball, conquering fears, and climbing up onto a high ropes course. The unit traveled to Camp Maranatha in Scottsboro for an action-packed weekend.

The JROTC unit was divided into four flights, or groups, and would rotate through a challenge and earn points from the challenge. The group earned points at each activity based on teamwork, effort, and overall success.

The first activity was paintball. The group would play each other on Maranatha’s paintball course. The cadets played a game of speedball, which is a game of elimination, and scored points for their flight based on wins/losses. Two sophomore cadets, Faaiz Saad and Wes Anastas-King spoke about the paintball event. “Paintball was fun but it was a little disappointing that there wasn’t a flight vs. flight battle.” This pushed the cadets to think on their feet to conquer this challenge.

The cadets also found out their limits on the high ropes

course at the camp. Whether it was a fear of heights or the fear of failing, fears were conquered. The high ropes course has a variety of obstacles almost 30 feet off the ground that you must conquer in order to succeed. The cadets had to learn in this challenge to face their fears and work as a team to motivate each other to the next obstacle facing them. They also faced this challenge with great enthusiasm. Faaiz Saad, said, “The high ropes course was pretty fun,” making this one of the most-liked challenges.

The fears that the cadets conquered throughout the weekend, whether it be on the high ropes course or the paintball field behind cover, taught them valuable lessons for life and the military. Tim Jones, the assistant director of Maranatha said, “We really worked at challenging the JROTC mentally as well as physically. Giving them choices and obstacles that would force them to grow as a team as well as individuals. Our goal was for them to face and overcome fears, and to develop comradery with each other and with their leadership.”

Learning the RopesJROTC’s adventure to conquer Camp Maranatha

For a club devoted to business, Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, can offer a ton more than just a glimpse into the professional business world. By joining FBLA, members have the opportunity to participate in numerous experiences and gain lifelong skills. FBLA Vice President and third year member, Peyton Cook said, “FBLA has helped me become a better leader over my time in the organization through many hands-on experiences”.

Each year, students have the chance to attend three conferences: the Joint Leadership Development Conference in Montgomery, the annual State Leadership Conference in Birmingham, and the National Conference in San Antonio, TX. Along with these conferences comes the opportunity to compete in business oriented competitions ranging from Business Law all

the way to an Entrepreneurship project competition. Achieving a winning spot in any of these competitions is an honor and also looks great on a college or scholarship application.

Members who are really interested in the activities and principles of the club have the chance to take their involvement even farther and get involved outside of just HHS. Qualified members can run for state offices and even national positions that offer great networking opportunities and leadership experience. Along with offering all of these amazing opportunities, FBLA is a great way to “meet people from different parts of the nation, interact with them and learn about what it means to be a business leader where they are from” said Peyton. At the National Conference, people from all fifty states along with a few international club members

gather for a week filled with competitions, learning, and most of all, fun. This past summer, members who achieved a qualifying score on the state level got to spend a week in Orlando, FL at Disney World.

FBLA also takes the chance to give back to the community each year by participating in many volunteer activities, most importantly the March of Dimes. Each year, members take time to raise money and awareness in order to help premature babies. By simply joining FBLA, you can open doors to a whole new experience that can last a lifetime. Members can choose to continue their membership into college and their professional life by joining PBL and the professional division. FBLA can last beyond high school and really become an important part of a member’s life.

Future Business Leaders of AmericaWho knew business could be so fun?

FBLA Vice-President, Peyton Cook, raises money for The March of Dimes during lunch.

The assault paintball course at Maranatha.

By Sydney Larsen, Staff Writer | Photo by Sydney Larsen

The speedball course at Maranatha.

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One can feel the pure energy and enthusiasm of Huntsville High’s drama program from the beginnings of production until long after the last curtain falls. Recently garbed in full pirate regalia, the boys of production class cavorted through the aisles and brought everyone back to a time when imagination was king in the sandcastle.

Although How I Became a Pirate performances have ended, Mr. Chappell has something new up his sleeve. He has adapted the novel The Paper Bag Christmas, for the stage and Huntsville High will be the first to perform this enchanting Christmas story.

Mr. Chappell was thrilled to see so many new faces at the open auditions. Out of over ninety auditionees, a cast of 43 was selected and put in charge of creating the roles for this heart-warming holiday play.

He says, “It revolves around Molar and Aaron Alan, two young boys, whose parents wish for them to experience a “real” Christmas. The boys are asked to volunteer

at a children’s cancer unit from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. During their time there, they meet several kids - an Indian boy who doesn’t celebrate Christmas and a young girl who is so disfigured from her surgeries that she wears a paper bag over her head. The way that these kids’ lives become involved with one another makes for a poignant, moving, and gripping tale.”

Those who have had to suffer through adaptations of beloved books need not fear. Mr. Chappell worked to keep it as true to the novel as possible. Few changes were necessary, he explains. Besides manipulating some technical aspects, he created a less formal dialogue that transforms the characters and makes them more realistic.

He explains that “one of the reasons [he] originally asked to take on the project was because it was written in a way that just lent itself to being a play. Kevin’s prose was almost like stage directions!” He worked closely with Kevin Milne, the author, who

observed the script’s progress and offered encouragement and praise all along the way.

Mr. Chappell reports, “He has been extremely gracious from the beginning and is thrilled that we’re bringing his story to life. He and I both hope that the script will be published and that will allow other groups the chance to produce this play.”

This Christmas story about the true spirit of the holiday will premiere on Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 pm. Kevin Milne will be flying in from Portland, Oregon to attend the Friday, December 2, 7:30 pm performance. The drama department will host a dessert and coffee meet-and-greet and he will be on hand to autograph copies of his book.

In keeping with this philanthropic theme, Mr. Milne and Mr. Chappell asks that any group who chooses to perform the play give a portion of their proceeds to their local children’s cancer unit.

Christmas in the fallHHS Theater’s new holiday productionBy Maren Mabante, Staff Writer| Picture by Maren Mabancte

From the pixellated, 8-bit Pong that took over Atari to the interactive bloodbath of Call of Duty and the stunning animated landscapes of Oblivion, video games have enticed multitudes of players of all ages throughout their existence. Too often, the addicting challenges, the beautiful universes, and the gripping stories of games steal the lives of players and warp their reality until the game is all that exists.

It’s no secret that students overlook homework to plug into new video games. When critically acclaimed, hyped-up titles are released, fans and addicts allow the excitement and euphoria to alter their priorities. Sure enough, students’ grades will drop when large title games are released—but how much?

This year, an alarming eruption of games is exploding onto and immediately off of the shelves. The third installments of Gears of War, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Saint’s Row,

Resistance, and many other beloved games are scheduled for release during this school year. Will HHS students’ grades suffer as victims to the addictive grip of video games?

Riley Miller is impatiently awaiting the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMORPG that he is positive will ruin his grades. “Why do homework when you can play Star Wars on your iPad? It’s gonna take over my life,” he stated excitedly, “but I can hopefully at least have B’s.”

Jacob Maurel spends all his spare time playing Gears of War 3. “It doesn’t hurt my grades, but it does take up all my time. And I have to get Battlefield 3, and [The Legend of Zelda:] Skyward Sword, and the new Batman and Assassin’s Creed, but I’ll still keep my grades up.”

Sophomore Felix Woodson is preparing for the end of his social life with Bethesda’s release of Rage. “The entire game is

literally hand-crafted,” he explained, “and its completely open world. When it comes out, I know I’m gonna play it at least seven hours a day, and it will only get worse from there. So my grades are really gonna suffer.”

Austin Levi Smith expects The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to keep him holed up in his room for months, causing him to forget and ignore homework altogether.

The majority of casual gamers can handle splitting time between their games and their homework, but there are always hardcore fans that will become so immersed in the marvels of a new game that everything else in life will drop in priority. As long as addicting games are released, homework will have to wait in the sidelines.

By AJ Lindner, Staff Writer| Artwork by Michael Payne

I’ll do my homework…After I beat this levelGames vs. Grades

Androids are on the riseWill iPhones be able to stop them?By AJ Lindner, Staff Writer| Artwork by Michael Payne

Since the original Droid was released, many cell phone manufacturers develop smart phones running off the Android operating system. This new OS quickly became an intense competitor of Apple’s iOS, and the war of Apple versus Android began.

Android users brag customization, compatibility, and an extensive market that make these phones more personal, whereas iPhone users claim simplicity, ease-of-access, and familiarity that make iPhones more convenient and easier to use. But does easier mean better?

iPhones are generally restricted to compatibility with Apple software only. As long as the iPhone is used within these limits, its simplicity reigns. But attempting to add customization and flair, pull music from multiple computers, download an app from a third party market, transfer music and videos from the device to a computer, and many other simple functions can cause severe headaches.

Android phones have much more compatibility with apps, software, and computers, but they often have more complex interfaces and technical issues. Most work like USB drives for data transfer, making the process much easier, but allowing for lots of confusion with file placement in the directory of the phone. The flair of customization offered by Android often overrides the complexities of using the phone. Memory can either be a large problem, or a godsend with Android phones. Whereas iPhones have fixed hard drive sizes, Androids take micro SD cards. This allows users to purchase cards to hold all the memory they need, although the price range on these can often be very high. But what do HHS students think?

Alexander Dombrowsky was one of the first to grab the original Droid at the height of its release. “After the first few months,” he said, “it started to glitch all the time and run really slow. It removed apps without telling me, lost service all the time, and the slider got really scratchy and stuck all the time.” When it was time for an upgrade, he went to the Verizon Store with no intentions of purchasing an iPhone, but left with the iPhone 4. Compared to his Droid, he says the iPhone is “smooth, never glitches, has great service, faster internet, better apps, and a better music player.”

Tyler D’Arienzo loves “the huge screen [of the HTC Inspire] and the little green guy,” which is the Android logo. Android phones give the user more freedom, and, as Greg Artalona explains, “iPhones are better for the common idiot. And I have an iPhone.” “But if you want to actually spend time learning how to use your phone,” states Jordan Bagwell, “Androids are better because there’s so much more you can do with them.”

Xavier Schouten, an employee at Phone Restore and a smartphone enthusiast, offered an extensive evaluation of both phones. “There really can’t be a winner in my opinion. Apple’s interface is simple, easy to use, and everything blends together nicely. However it does lack some major features like Flash support on web pages and restriction to 3G, while some android phones have been using a 4G. Android on the surface is about the same way in terms of function, but for the people that really want the most out of their phone, Android allows pretty much full customization for almost all aspects of the phone without having to go through jail-breaking or any other outside

sources. Working at Phone Restore has given me a lot of experience in working on both iOS and Android based phones, and although I personally have an iPhone that I made red and black , it wouldn't be that hard for me to switch over to an Android based phone.¬¬”

An iPhone is like a place to sleep, a bed in a room. It’s neat, tidy, and works great for what it’s built for. An Android is like a cluttered mess of a room, filled with toys, games, and movies. You might trip over yourself a little, but there’s a lot more fun inside.

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John Coleman: The Final Countdown by Europe and Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi because they’re fun to sing along to. Pirates of the Carribean, Go the Distance from Hercules, and Sandstorm are just intense and get me pumped up.Caleb Eversole: Jean Val Jean by Edison Glass because it’s a good chill song that you can fall asleep to. Identity 2: Adoption by Tedashii for the same reason. Elegy by Becoming the Archetype because it’s a long song that can pass time and has a lotta different musical aspects all in one. CAFO by Animals as Leaders just because it’s epic, and its polyrhythms keep me entertained. And the last one is Breathing Light by Becoming the Archetype because it’s epic, and I have a lot of memoires of road trips listening to it.Samantha Martin: Straight to Video by Mindless Self Indulgence because it’s really catchy and will never get old. Desolation Row by Bob Dylan can get you through

anything! Vampire Money by My Chemical Romance because they have been one of my favorite bands since seventh grade. Slit Wrist Savior by Carnifex because when you’re on a road trip, you gotta have some deathcore, bro. Pong by Eisenfunk because industrial is awesome. It makes time go by quicker. It’s so good.My personal playlist: Rills Rills by Sleigh Bells because that has to be the best driving music for any occasion. Bars in Astoria by Emmure because it helps get me pumped when I’m doing pretty much anything. My B-Side Life by Veara because I cruise to that all the time, and it’s a good song to sing along to. The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis by Norma Jean because it has a driving ambience to the entire song. Finally, I have to choose the AC-130 Remix by Attack! Attack! because everyone’s road trip needs dubstep.

The question: What five songs are on your ideal road trip playlist and why?

HHS, Roll Out!Students reveal their ideal road trip playlists.

By Jake Arcuri, Staff Writer| Photo by Jake ArcuriThe French horn is a brass instrument

with about 13 feet of coiling wrapped up into a smaller instrument that is about a foot and a half by a foot and a half. Kyle Reasons, a senior at HHS, has been playing the French horn since he was in 6th grade. Kyle decided to play the French horn because his mother played it and “It looked like fun.”

“In the 6th grade, I had to choose between band, orchestra, and choir, and I chose band” said Kyle. “I figured I would enjoy band the most.” Nowadays, Kyle practices the French horn at school every day and occasionally after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is 1st chair in the school band for French horn and that’s not all he does. Kyle also keeps busy as the section leader for the mellophone section.

What would Kyle like to change about the school band? “I wish that people didn’t think that our band followed the typical stereotype of nerdy and being full of band geeks” said Kyle. “People should realize that we in the band are just normal kids.” Band kids walk the halls wearing clothing similar to that of everyone else and probably enjoy many things that everybody loves such as college football, Ralph Lauren Polo, etc…

Kyle looks forward to two marching competitions this year and the end of the year trip to Spain. The band takes a big trip every

year, but only leaves the country every four years. This year the band goes to Spain. “HHS will perform in several concerts while we’re in Spain,” said Kyle. “We’re also going to do a lot of touring while we’re there and we’ll probably visit Belarus.” Sounds like it will be a fun year to be in the band.

French Horn eh?Life inside the band

HHS Senior Kyle Reasons, plays the french horn for the award-winning band.

By Michael Payne, Staff Writer

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RTSBy Allison Farris, Staff Writer| Photos Courtesy of the Jackson Family.

By Jake Arcuri, Staff Writer| Photos by Jake Arcuri

Some of you may have heard of Janie Jackson. Ranked first in the state, Janie started playing golf at the age of four and continues to play today.

Janie did play other sports besides golf. Dance, soccer, softball, volleyball, but golf seemed to stick with her.

She often travels out of town to compete in tournaments. The farthest she has gone is Oregon. Betsy Bryom, Janie’s best friend, is one of her biggest supporters along with her parents. “She travels with me and watches me play a lot” Janie mentions. When it comes to tournaments, her mom usually comes with her, but sometimes her dad comes too.

Janie has played in tournaments since she was about eight or nine years old. She said that her favorite tournament would have to

be the LPGA, which stands for Ladies Professional Golf Association. She liked the tournament, because everyone asks for autographs and pictures.

Janie misses a fair amount of school during the year. She does not get tutored, but instead gets all the homework she needs and teaches herself what she can. Janie’s work has paid off. She received a full golf scholarship to the University of Arizona, one of the best golf schools. “I plan on playing pro after college. I’ve already made my debut as a professional golfer, but opted to keep my status as an amateur instead of taking money I would’ve made for a tournament,’ Janie says. She was thinking about getting a degree in art history, but she said that it could change. She is currently in the top ten in the nation.

Janie Jackson Takes First In StateShe is bound to go pro

Janie concentrates on her putt.

Two times the catches! Two times the blocks! Two times the everything! There are twins on the football team. Seniors Josh and Joe Pannone have played on the Huntsville High Football team since they were freshmen, and have played football since the fifth grade. At one point in time, both Pannones played wide receiver on opposite sides of the field. Now, Josh plays defense and Joe remains a receiver.

Josh is a corner, guarding wide receivers of the opposing team. Because Joe is a wide receiver, the Pannones often have to go against each other in practices with Josh attempting to cover Joe. Josh often claims “I am better than Joe” while Joe frequently disagrees with the casual, “yeah right.” Josh states that he can cover Joe easily during practices due to his twin telepathy. “I can read his mind when he goes out for a pass. I always know what he is thinking and I can jump his routes,” says Josh.

The Pannones are identical twins and are mistaken for each other on a regular basis. “At one pep rally, Coach Sharp called for Josh while looking at me,” said Joe. On the back of their football jerseys, the Pannones each have their full names written out to prevent further confusion.

When Josh and Joe each played receiver on opposite sides of the

field, they had a special nickname. “When Coach Noblitt wanted us on the field, he called for the Wonder Twins,” said Joe.

The Pannones look forward to the rest of this year’s season. With big games coming up, Josh and Joe could be described as both very anxious and nervous.

Josh and Joe Pannone outside of their AP Physics class. Can you tell the difference?

Exactly the OPPOSITE OPPOSITE Twins play football at HHS

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Last year, Huntsville High had a “stacked” cross country team, with a lot of great senior class runners, according to cross country coach, Stephen Baker. There was much doubt as to whether or not the HHS team would be able to do as well as it did last year because last year the team placed fourth in the state among 6A teams.

At the beginning of this season, HHS was not even in the top ten among 6A teams, let alone schools 1A-6A. Due to a recent race at Bob Jones, Huntsville’s cross country team has shot way up in the rankings. The boy’s team is now ranked sixth in the state among all schools 1A-6A and is fifth in the state among only 6A schools. The girl’s team is now ranked seventh among all schools and fourth among 6A schools. Currently leading the Varsity Boys team is senior, Matt Little, with a 5K time of 16 minutes and 12 seconds. Leading the Varsity Girls is senior,

Madeline Sharp, with a 5K time of 19 minutes and 36 seconds.

“If our team keeps improving at the current rate, there’s no reason we wouldn’t be able to take a shot at winning state this year,” said Coach Baker. “It’s possible that our team is even better than last year’s team because we have so much depth this year.” Currently, the top ten runners on the boy’s team all run their 5K’s in under 18 minutes and 5 seconds. The top five on the girl’s team all run theirs in under 21 minutes.

“I would like to be a heavy favorite coming in to the state meet again this year” said Coach Baker. “This could be our year.” But there is always next year. HHS has one senior who is running in the top ten on the guy’s team and one or two in the top five on the girl’s team. Losing only one or two people for each team won’t really kill the team. There is hope for the future of HHS cross country.

H H S C r o s s C o u n t r yO n t h e r i s e a g a i n

By Jake Arcuri, Staff Writer| Photos by Carmen Arcuri

Ben Guillard running in the Randolph cross country meet.

Madeline Sharp leading the Huntsville girls in the Randolph cross country classic.

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16BMX at HHSWhat HHS senior Chris Rost does with his spare timeBy Hyunki Kim, Staff Writer| Photos by Hyunki Kim

Chris Rost, a senior at HHS, is a BMX rider, and a darn talented one at that.

BMX, also known as Bicycle Motocross, is a sport in which motocross inspired stunts are performed on bicycles. It was recently made a full medal Olympic sport, and has increased in popularity over the years.

He first started getting into the sport at the end of 8th grade, “I’ve always been on a bike since I was a kid, but never did any freestyle tricks or anything. Moving to Alabama is a big part of why I started riding. I got here and found out how boring it was, so I started getting into riding.” Whenever he’s not working or it’s not raining, he is riding, riding, riding. The craziest thing he’s done is a huge rail hop out of a ditch.

Places he’s been to include the Huntville Skatepark, the skatepark of Tampa, Orlando skatepark, VANS, Daytona, Florence, Hartselle, Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Nashville. He’s stated that his favorite place to ride so far is Camp Woodward.

Chris has been to two competitions so far, placing 11th out of 30 competitors in one and 24th out of 40 competitors in the other. He’s hoping to compete in one in November up in Ohio.

He intends to turn this into a career, he stated “That would be cool if I turned pro! I mostly just ride for fun and have a good time, but hopefully I can get somewhere with it.”

“Yeah, worst injury I’ve had was when I rode into a stop sign and busted my head open.”

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The dynasty continuesVolleyball team wins state championship for the ninth time in ten years

Huntsville Panthers Football RecapBy: Jake Arcuri, Staff Writer

Carter Wright, Lindsey Wintzinger, Calla McCulley, Kristina McGroary, Becky Phelps, Jennifer Cox, Coach Donahoo and Huntsville High’s very own Mike Seay pose after winning state. They beat Bob Jones in the finals on October 28th. Photo courtesy of Randall Cox.

Chris Rost at the skate park.