Art Competitions
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Mason Wheaton, Abby Miller, Brent Goforth, Kat Gerharz, Jessi Stone
By: Kat Gerharz
Over the last couple months the art department and their students have been working on pieces to put into shows. The first competition to come around was the Scholastic competition. This is a very competitive art show and we were happy to have a few of our classmates make the cut.
- Jennifer Wells – Entire photo portfolio.
- Richard Bolton – “American Dinner” (ceramic sculpture)
- Emily Rogers – “Bath” (drawing)
- Zoey Neighbors – “Kicks” (scratchboard)
- Anna Sobon – “Jimmy Rurdon” (drawing)
The competition to follow this was the Little Egypt Art Competition in Marion. The following students won awards at this show:
- Mason Wheaton- 3rd place with a linoleum block print.
- Jessi Stone- Special award with and octopus ceramic sculpture.
- Brent Goforth- 2nd place and a special award with a scratchboard of baseball
- Abby Miller – 1st place with a photo
- Kat Gerharz – Best of show with a scratchboard of Slash
admin @ March 5, 2012
Former Graduate Participates in All Women Nuclear Alert
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In October of 1962, the U.S. and Soviet Union participated in a 14-day standoff that would change the world. The Soviet Union lined the coastal regions of Cuba with nuclear weapons and the United States established A-01, 10th Strategic Missile Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana—America’s first nuclear enterprise that John F. Kennedy labeled his “Ace in the hole.”
This Missile Squadron has Emergency Combat Capable Crews man A-01 and other missiles. This is called “Strategic Alert.” For years, these crews were made up of strong, military men only—a gender trend that was destined to be changed. Since 962, women in the Air Force have continued to break barriers and establish themselves as equals. The first female to attain alert duties was Patricia Fornes in 1978. Then, in 1989, Lea Holt became the first female minuteman missilleer in Wyoming. Yet, history is still in the making even after so many have proved that excellence is not dependent on gender. At Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where it all began so long ago and in the very same missile squadron that provided a beacon of hope during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ten females are preparing to “man” an entire nuclear missile alert for the first time in history. This brave group of women will be responsible for the security, safety, maintenance, and operation of fifty missiles—billions of dollars worth of military resources.
Among these talented, determined lieutenants is a former Anna Jonesboro High School graduate, twenty five year old Laura Ribbing. After graduating in 2004, Laura attended St. Louis University where she was a member of ROTC. Her outstanding performance and completion of the program resulted in her subsequent assignment to the Space and Missiles section of the Air Force, where she was eventually assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base. Now a respected First lieutenant, Laura has helped put together this all women squadron. She and her fellow missileers are eager to continue to break barriers and show the world the progressiveness of the military. Their enthusiasm and purpose serves as an example for women everywhere and an example for future female endeavors. Laura says nothing makes her happier than being to come to work and make a difference.
admin @ March 5, 2012
Beta Club
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By: Justin Brimm
Beta Club has been apart of Anna-Jonesboro High School’s extra curricular activities for many years. However, a lot of people don’t know exactly what Beta Club is. Beta Club is typically labeled for smart kids only, which isn’t the case at all. Actually, Beta Club’s true purpose is designed to promote the ideals of academic achievement, building character, service, and leadership among students involved in the organization.
In order to fully understand Beta Club and what they stand for, it is important to know more about the history behind the organization. Since the first Beta Club was formed in Landrum, South Carolina in 1934, Beta Club has become the nation’s largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. This club is committed to recognizing and promoting high academic achievement, rewarding and nurturing worthy character, fostering leadership skills and encouraging service to others.
Another thing people aren’t fully aware of is all the different opportunities this organization has to offer. So what can Beta Club do for you? Being involved in Beta Club looks great on an application. They are also active in the community; they do things like bake sales, and many other fundraisers that can be fun. If you think that you may be interested in joining Beta Club, and are eligible, or if you just want to know more about it, speak with Mrs. Penniger.
admin @ March 5, 2012
Editorial: School Cuts
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By Amber Skelton
If you listen in to any classroom discussions or happen to hear some teachers talking, it’s likely you may find people buzzing about the cuts the A-J school board is making to many of the school’s extra-curriculars. Many are enraged at the idea of the school musical only receiving funding for every other year, and having no pep band to cheer on our Wildcats at the football or basketball games, but there are a lot of people who just don’t know the whole story.
The football team, cheerleading squad, golf, basketball, and wrestling teams are all losing coaches. The dance team and cross-country are being cut from the budget all together. And speech team will be gone too, so don’t think money is just being taken from sports and music.
A large part of the A-J community is upset at these losses, and with good reason. It’s not fair to the teachers, and not good for the students. These teams and clubs are some students’ only motivation for doing well in school, and they make a difference in salaries for our educators. I understand that money is tight and spending needs to curbed, but surely there are other areas that could be looked in to.
However, I feel that it’s important to note that not one single group of our school is being targeted, and no favoritism is being shown. The money is simply not there, and everyone has to make sacrifices.
admin @ March 5, 2012
Social Networking
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By: Jenna Ribbing
Facebook consumes much of our lives. Everyone is constantly connected and glaringly aware of each other’s actions, words, and whereabouts through one website. There have been studies conducted over the addictiveness of Facebook, all of which yield results indicating a certain level of infatuation and compulsion when it comes to merely checking one’s personal page and those of their numerous ‘friends’. The invention of such a technological revolution is a great accomplishment and it represents the progress of humanity. It’s innovative, smart, and serves society’s hunger for on demand knowledge. However, there are dangers—even health concerns—when it comes to utilizing social networking sites.
Being constantly connected may be convenient, but it can also be dangerous. Bullying takes on a whole new meaning when someone can hide behind an electronic wall. It is also nearly impossible to escape from. Cyber bullying is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. Each year, more and more teens commit suicide because of the harassments of another on networking sites such as Facebook. It can ruin someone’s life, all because we rely so heavily on the convenience of being constantly informed. We have all been bullied in one form or another, but victims of a cyber bully often feel as if they have no one to turn to. It is extremely important to be wise in your social networking dealings. Only friend those closest to you, post appropriate pictures and updates, and keep private the things you wouldn’t shout out to a room full of strangers.
Facebook may be dangerous, but it is also addicting. It consumes time that would normally be spent perhaps accomplishing more vital endeavors. In a teenager’s case, it’s a distraction from homework. Facebook also emphasizes on making a mountain of a molehill. In other words, trivial things that would normally not concern you are now life or death. Facebook users are immersed in each other’s problems and much more pressured to gossip. While it is unreasonable to advise the sheer depletion of social networking from one’s life, it is recommended to reevaluate the amount of time spent on these sites and the manner of one’s posts. Each and every one of us has the power to be better and to be safe, even on the Internet.
admin @ February 14, 2012
“A Night In Wonderland” Prom 2012
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By: Kat Gerharz
Prom is almost here! The junior class has been working hard to come up with great ideas for this years prom. After a few meetings, the prom committee finally agreed on a theme “A Night in Wonderland.” The theme might sound a little weird but trust me it’s a great idea. We decided that we are going to go with a jungle-like Avatar/Alice in Wonderland sort of look. Our decorations will consist of a lot of neon, vivid colors. We are working on making backdrops for the picture area and the stage. We are having a lot of LED lights incorporated into our decorations along with a few black lights to add a sort of neon look to the place. We were going to pass out glow sticks and things to add to our effect but the thought of people breaking them open and making a mess makes us a little hesitant to go with that idea. We are going to have a prom with a rave kind of feel. We have made a decent amount of money for everything with our success of the concession stands. All the work the juniors put in to take time out of there days to work them is greatly appreciated and is going to help make prom even better. I interviewed Mrs. Penninger and asked her how she felt about being head dean for prom she replied, “I’m looking forward to prom because I have an enthusiastic group to work with.” We talked about the fact that we have a lot of work ahead of us with decorations and tickets but we are all excited to get it done. We might get extremely stressed doing it but I think it will be worth it and we’re going to have a success with prom.
admin @ February 14, 2012
Craft Corner: Coffee Filter Flowers
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Materials
*Coffee Filters
* Pipe Cleaners
(Green, but any color works
* Inexpensive Paint
The desired color of flower
* Bowl
*Small Pom-Pom
-Can virtually be substitute
with anything, I often use
duct tape and fold into
appropriate shapes
Coffee Filter Flowers
1) First step is to get out your coffee filters. The amount of
filters you will need is dependent on how many flowers
you are making, and the size of this flower. I would take
out 8/9 filters and crumple them up into little balls.
2) Next, you will want to take your paint and mix it with a
small amount of water creating a “dye” for your filters.
3) Drop your coffee filter balls into the dye and allow them
soak up the dye. Unfold the falls and make sure that the
Dye has soaked through all of the filter.
4) Allow to dry Completely.
5)This next part is the most complicated part, but it is still
very simple. Take your dry coffee filters that have been
laid out to dry, and crumple them up. This will cause the
to look wrinkled.
Place ALL of your coffee filters on top of one another.
They should be spread out, but still looking rumpled. Push
down in the very middle of your stack, and pinch from the
bottom. You should have a small area that allows you to
hold all of the coffee filters at once. Once you have this
established, you are going to take your pipe cleaner and
wrap it around this part.
6) Paste your pom-pom or makeshift pom-pom in the center
and you have a beautiful flower!
admin @ February 14, 2012
Crush for a Crush
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Interview done of Mr. Haunstein, Sponsor of FBLA
Interviewed and Reported by Nina Mattingly
One of the most popular fundraisers done at our school is the Crush for a Crush. This fundraiser is done by FBLA every year around the time for Valentine’s Day. Students are able to purchase a paper heart. They write who it will be sent to and have the option of writing who it is from. A small note can also be written on them. Those hearts will be sent to the intended students during the day and then, after school, they may redeem a Crush soda of same color as their paper heart. Red (strawberry) stands for love, orange (orange) stands for friendship, and purple (grape) stands for secret admirer. Each paper heart costs one dollar each. They may be purchased at various lunch hours at a table set up by FBLA, or bought from FBLA members throughout the school.
Each member of FBLA has a goal of selling 20 hearts, which totals up to $20 raised per person. Last year, FBLA sold a total of about 900. This year, the club has a goal of selling 1,000. The Crush sodas are being generously donated by Pepsi. Also, businesses will be asked for donations. Last year, AJ’s FBLA won the award of most creative at one of their competitions and also won 2nd place for most money raised per person.
The money that FBLA raises in this fundraiser will be put towards their national charity, March of Dimes. In honor of this charity, this money raised by selling the Crush soda will be cashed in as dimes and used to build a baby bottle. This baby bottle will then be presented on February 21st, 2012. AJ’s FBLA is hoping to build the world’s tallest dime sculpture. So, once they have built the baby bottle out of dimes, they will measure it and send those measurements in to Guinness World Records.
admin @ February 14, 2012
ACT
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Written by: Justin Brimm
As a junior, the idea of the ACT scares me, as I’m sure it does many others. I decided to learn more about it, not only for myself, but for the benefit of my other fellow juniors, in hopes of making the test taking butterflies go away. Most everyone knows about the ACT, but a lot of people do not fully grasp how important it is. One thing they may try is to not think about it, which can make things worse. First administered in fall of 1959, the ACT is a college admission exam that consists of four basic subjects at all different levels. All the questions are multiple choice. “What if I don’t pass it?” This is probably the most frequently asked question that runs through a person’s mind that is to take the exam. Well, if you fail the first time, the good news is you can retake the ACT. However, it costs money out of your pocket that is non-refundable. Other points to remember are you must take the exam on your own time, you can retake it no more than twelve times total, and only once per national test date. Many students take the test twice, once as a junior and again as a senior.
A lot of people think that the only reason you take the ACT is to get into college, however there are many other useful benefits that you can use to your advantage as perks to taking this exam. The ACT is more than a test; it also provides test takers with a unique interest inventory that gives them a better idea of their future plans as far as a career. Because the ACT tests are based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are usually more comfortable with the ACT than they are with traditional aptitude tests or tests with less content. As a private, non-profit organization governed by educators, ACT is committed to providing services at the lowest possible cost. This being the case, the ACT provides a great educational assessment and career planning services for college-bound students at a fee that is lower than the fee for competing college admission tests
So, whenever you go into taking the ACT exam, remember that it is only as scary as you make it out to be. Remember to stay focused and not to panic. Watch your time and most importantly, answer all questions to the best of your ability.
admin @ February 14, 2012
Editorial: New Beginnings
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By: Kat Gerharz
Everybody has regrets, and unfortunately we can’t go back and change the things we’ve done. The one thing we can do is make up for our mistakes. Obviously this isn’t easily done, and we don’t always have the answers. Fortunately, we are offered new starts and second shots all the time. Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. It is a new year and what better opportunity can we get than that? Its 2012, we’re in a new semester of school and summer is right around the corner. Whether our problems have to do with family, friends, grades, even relationships, a new year is our shot to make things change and do something better than what we have already done. What I’m trying to get at is it’s a new year lets follow through with our resolutions, start out with the A’s were given, and try to maintain them. Lets make new friends and even try to get back in touch with our old ones. Lets stop fighting with our parents and just go with what they say. They may not always be right, but all they’re trying to do is look out for us, help keep us happy and on the right track. Lets appreciate the people close to us. Our boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes, best friends, siblings, teachers, parents, and what ever we have in our life, they are there and we need to make sure they’re here for us for a reason. Lets not be stubborn and keep treating people like they don’t matter and aren’t important, but instead, try to accept them. If they’re in our life, they want to be there. Even our enemies choose to be in our life, in good ways and bad, and we need to realize this. Its our chance to make up for lost time and bad decisions. If we’re ever going to be happy in life these are the things we need to worry about. So lets put the drama aside, and just go the flow but the good one the one we want to follow. It’s never too late to set yourself straight.
admin @ January 31, 2012
