october
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October issueTRANSCRIPT
Journalthe
October2011Volume Seventeen Issue 1
Decatur High School
pg. 15 >> Senior Brooke Millican manages community park called Project Bloom
>> photo courtesy of Brooke Millican
2 TheJournalOctober2011Inside
Dear Readers, � is is our � rst print publication of the school year. We decided to go magazine style, all in color. I hope you enjoy it. � is year we have a sta� of eight and hearing your feedback to our new look is very important to us. Send me an email or letter about what you think, or if you have ideas for our next issue, which will go to print before Christmas break. � is is my � rst year as Editor-in-Chief of the print edition and I’m not as stressed as I thought Iwould be. I also participate in the PALs program, the WC Messenger Youth Spoken section and am a member of NHS. If I’m not doing newspaper or other school activities I am working at Braum’s. I have worked there for a year and nine months. � ey’re like my second family. We have a great year ahead of us and I am so excited to see what God plans for me to do the rest of this year. � anks so much,
Newspaper Sta 2011-2012
Decatur High School750 E. Eagle Summit Dr
Decatur, TX 76234
Journalism phone:
940.393.7231Online: www.decaturjournal.com
Cristin Morgan >>Editor-in-Chief, Print >>Business Manager >>Feature/Sports Editor
Madeline Peña >>Editor-in-Chief, Online >>Webmaster >>Trends/Technology Editor
Austin Lamirand >>Video Editor, Design
Sarah Stromberg >>Community/World Editor
Allie Davis >>Photographer
Paris Walther >>Health/Opinions Editor >>Artist
Jackie Truijllo >>Review Editor
Christy Maha ey >>Sta picks/How-to Editor
Cindy Berry >>AdviserMembers:•CSPA•NSPA/JEA•Interscholastic League Press Conference•Texas Association of Journalism Educators
Letters to the Editor:� e Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be submitted one week prior to publication and must have a word count no greater than 300. Length may be subject to editorial judgement, and letters will be edited for obscene language, racial remarks and libelous material. All letters must be signed and writ-ers’ names will not be withheld. � e Journal is not obligated to run any letters. Letters can view any matters directly or indirectly related to Decatur High School, sta� and students. Views and opinions expressed in letters do not re� ect those of sta� members of � e Journal, Decatur High School or Decatur ISD.
Honors:•ILPC Silver Star Award 2003, 2005, 2006•ILPC Bronze Star Award 1999, 2007, 2008, 2009•ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011•CSPA Gold Medalist 2009
>>Captions Contest Cut out on the dotted lines and submit a creative caption to room A201 or sub-mit it to [email protected]. � en check back on the newspaper website www.decaturjournal.com to see the winner. First place will receive a chili’s gi� card. Submit photos through gaggle.
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Cristin Morgan Editor-in-Chief, print
3TheJournalOctober2011 Inside
Exclusive Look:>>The Journal Online<<
www.decaturjournal.com
Be the next Spot On? Email: [email protected] yourself in 30 sec.
Sta� er expresses opinion over stereotypes pg. 5
Healthy options when o� -campus pg. 7
Sta� s favorite Halloween costumes pg. 9
Head 2 Head: Last meal pg.19
Eavesdrop pg.23
Volleyball setters look up to senior pg. 12-13
Foreign exchange student from Germany pg. 16
No death penalty law in Norway pg. 18
Jake Anderson, professional photography pg. 24
11FFA Wranglers carry � ags
On the Cover: Brooke Millican
manages pocket park
15 7 24
Roping Up:Rodeo Team includes
more freshmen this year.
Take the Load o� :How heavy is your
backpack?
To go, or not to go:Is four minutes long enough to go from one class to the next?
Lupe Perez>>Photo by:
4 TheJournalOctober2011Editorial
‘Y-E-L-L, let us hear those se-niors yell!’ � e once competitive class competition allows stomping, yelling, shak-ers and noisemakers, but not silence. � e spirit competition allows each class a chance to yell their class chant as loud as they pos-sibly can; the loudest class wins the spirit stick. Blatantly ignoring the traditional spirit competition does not prove any point except that there is none to make. � e pep rallies provide students an opportunity to dress crazily on designated Fridays in themes such as ‘Twin Day,’ ‘Grease,’ and ‘Nerd Day.’ � ey also let students participate in entertaining and comical competitions in front of the student body like the reoccurring $100 half-court shot sponsored by Cary Bohn. � e dance team, cheerleaders, and band showcase their talents as they support all the teams doing what they love. � ese special Fridays tend to o� er students something to look forward to at the end of the day. � ey shake up the schedule, ending the week on a high note. Not participating during the class competi-tion stomps on that high-note, eliminating team spirit and the overall energy of the school. Sitting down or keeping quiet shows an immense amount of disrespect towards the school, teams, cheerleaders and faculty. Whether they take o� ense to it or not, the
cheerleaders put on these pep rallies ev-ery Friday to bene� t the student body. Blatantly ignoring their e� orts to build school spirit shows an incredible amount of disregard towards the school. If noth-ing else matters, showing even a little bit of courtesy should. Respect doesn’t stop at the school song or the pledge of alle-giance; it carries over to the class cheer as well.
Students believe that the senior class automatically wins the spirit stick at every pep rally no matter how loud they actually yell. As this is not true, ceasing to yell dur-ing the class cheer does not
prove this. In fact, it makes very little sense. If all of the classes except the se-nior class yelled and the seniors still won the competition, that would be making a point.Whether or not seniority prevails during each competition, it looks bitter and resentful on everyone else to just give up. Each class will receive the opportunity to experience the seniority in time. Arguably, students have the right to sim-ply not participate or pay attention during the pep rallies. � ey can sit down in the bleachers and not engage in the spirit activ-ites. While this may be true it’s, to simply put it, not right. Students experience only four years of high school and should be exposed to every aspect of it. Whether this means
attending school functions such as football games, school dances or pep rallies, showing school spirit is part of that aspect. ‘Y-E-L-L, let us hear those seniors yell!’ � e class competition brings students to-gether through a little friendly competition in an e� ort to become one voice. It supports and encourages teams and fuels a sense of camaraderie among classes. Neglecting to participate does not prove a point, but merely looks childish on the part of the in-dividual or class.
>>Actions speak louder than wordsSilence during pep rallies proves nothing
StaffEditorial
Vote>> 7/8
Shake and bakeHow to create an eagle spirit shaker
1. Fill an empty water bottle with a small handful of dried beans or small rocks.2. Seal cap back on bottle with hot glue gun.3. Decorate the outside with blue and black paint, eagle stickers, and rib-bon to match.4. Pass them out at pep rallies, foot-ball games or other spirit functions.
Your Thoughts>> Do you like to participate in the class spirit competition?
61% said Yes 38% said No
�”I’m not comfortable with it.-Martin Avina, 12th
�”It gets too loud and obnoxious.-Courtney Massie, 12th
�“ �“
�”It gets me pumped about school and gets my heart pounding.-Cole Ozuna, 11th
�”It’s something di� erent.-Tracey Cordell, 9th
�“ �“
55 students surveyed
5TheJournalOctober2011 Column
>>Between a rock and a hard placeJackie [email protected]
� ere’s just something about being assumed that I’m good at something when I’m not, that irritates me. I’m not one to complain, but it all began to happen at the beginning of this year. Since there is no longer French, I was required to enroll in Span-ish I. I don’t have anything against the language itself- just the fact that because I’m Hispanic does not mean I’m a genius in regards to the subject. Sure, my parents are � uent but I was raised learning English � rst. I still have the bene� t of pronouncing the majority of the words but I struggle with as much di� culty as the rest would when pertaining to grammar. Ever since I could remember, my father was a primary in� uence in my speaking English. He learned it as a sec-ond language and always spoke to my siblings and me in both languages. I used to sit in front of a T.V. watching shows like Doug and Franklin. I think that’s where I lost my accent. Because my grandparents and distant relatives only spoke Spanish, I learned to adapt in order to un-derstand them. Eventually every little word stuck in my head and I grew to instinctively know what they were saying. I never actually learned to write or physi-cally read words o� a page. I could only speak it. To this day, whenever I attempt speaking only Spanish in my household, my mother always cor-rects me. Some might say it’s embarrassing because of who I’m supposed to be. Students presume that because of the color of my skin, I must already have this language perfected. � ey believe that I know all the answers when prompted during class. Truth is, I don’t. I’m usually about as lost as every-
one else. My other family members like my cousins and aunts frown upon my way of speaking. � ey tell me things like “you’re Hispanic so you should already know this” or “learn your language, girl!” It gets to the point where I don’t even want to show my face. And they always correct me on every little detail, sometimes speaking to me like I’m an infant who can’t tell the di� erence between le� and right. It’s downright mortifying when a younger cousin of mine speaks to
me like I’m dense. In a way, it feels like I somehow don’t belong. I look so Mexican that I never truly � t in with English-speaking so-cieties, but I speak Spanish so roughly that I never blend in with Hispanics either. I’m forever stuck between a rock and
a hard place. � e term “stereotypes” has been preached way too
many times and I never really gave it much thought until all this assuming began. Now I guess that I’m just
tired of telling people “No, sorry I can’t help you” and explaining why I don’t know the answer. I’m so reluc-tant to even try to give them help because I’m afraid I’ll get blamed for giving them the wrong response.
It’s been a complicated ride this year so far, more tir-ing than anything else, really. And although this is the � rst time I’ve been in this situation, I’m certain this ex-perience taught me a lesson, one of which will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. It’s cliché but I’ll
never judge a book by its cover ever again. I’ve been on the other side of the picture and it’s de� nitely not fun. Truthfully, I feel sympathy for those who are misjudged- I know I’m not the only one in this school
who has been.
Sta er takes look at personal stereotypes
People thought I was stupid
because of cheer-leading.
>>sophomore Morgan McGee
�“�”
They think I�’m either emo or goth
because I wear skinny jeans and
black all the time. >>freshman Lydia
Vazquez
�“�”
Someone thought I was mean be-
cause of the way I looked at them
but I�’m really not.>>junior Letty
Fernandez
�“�” The biggest one
that I can remem-ber is before I
moved here. I had my hair cut short-
like a pixie cut and I had my gen-
der questioned.>>junior Lyndsay
Franke
�“
�”People think I�’m preppy and stuck
up because of how I dress and walk.
>>sophomore Valerie Thompson
�“�”
I was stereotyped when...
6 TheJournalOctober2011Head 2 Head
>>Coke vs. Dr. PepperFountain favorites ght for rst
Cindy [email protected]
Emily [email protected]
I lived in Wisconsin for � ve years so Coke isn’t a northern drink. It’s mainly a southern drink so I drank Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper is better than Coke. Ever since I was little I didn’t like Coke, so I usually drank Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper has a unique � avor that is di� erent than any other soda. It has been the same
for years and hasn’t changed its � avor in over a hundred years, while Coke has
changed many times, and has many dif-ferent � avors. Coke may be a southern
drink, but Dr. Pepper is really good. Dr. Pepper is so good that they have
gotten some old rock bands to do commercials for them. Coke
may have gotten football players to do their commer-cials, but not everyone likes
football. People like music, so people should also like Dr. Pep-
per. With the unique � avor of Dr. Pepper any generation will drink it. If you drink it now your kids will most likely drink it. Not every generation has drank Coke and it’s not served around the
country. My family loves to travel and no matter where we go we
can always � nd Dr. Pepper. I love Dr. Pepper because I can � nd it anywhere.
Most of the time you can’t � nd Coke anywhere. Dr. Pepper is a classic and no
matter the age anyone can drink it. I have always found Dr. Pepper better than Coke
because Dr. Pepper has a better � avor than Coke and the recipe has never been changed
in a long time. Dr. Pepper is the better soda because
everyone has drank it. No matter where you are you can drink Dr. Pepper. If someone were to go up north they would have an issue buying Coke, but Dr. Pepper would easily be found. It’s a better and more classi-
cal drink.
Five years ago, if you’d ask me whether I liked Coke or Dr. Pepper, the answer would be without hesitation: Coke. � en my neigh-bor Candy moved in next door, and the on-going battle between Coke and DP ensued between us – a friendly battle of course. Growing up, so� drinks were sort-of a luxury in our home, and we didn’t drink them much. But later on in life, I guess I got hooked on Coke, drinking sometimes 2-3 a day. And only Coke, not DP and de� nitely not Pepsi; what an insult to be o� ered Pepsi when I ordered Coke – how rude! Having a neighbor as close as Candy meant that if I ran out of Coke, I could just go bum one o� her, and visa versa. Only, she never had Coke, and always kept the DP stocked. So one day, in desperation for a shot of ca� eine, I settled for a DP. With the � rst sip, it all came back to me. As a child, I would get to spend a week in the summer, and every holiday with my great-grandparents. It was such a treat. Granddaddy was a genius, from the � rst local indoor toilet, to turning his toaster on it’s side for cinnamon toast (I think HE actually invented the toaster oven), to poking a tiny hole in those long-neck DP bottles with an ice pick and freezing them for us. Once frozen, he’d send us out to the farm to explore, and that DP would last for hours, while only taking tiny sips through that tiny hole in the metal cap. I remember carrying it with me through the pastures, in and out of the barns where he kept his feed and tractors, over the dam between the two stock tanks, on the tractor with him, and everywhere in between – all in the good company of siblings and cousins. And so now, every time I take a sip of DP, I’m reminded of the many wonderful memories of my great-grandparents of the past, and the new ones made every day with great friends like Candy. Kinda sappy, I’ll agree, but at least now I don’t have to o� er an insulting look when someone tells me they don’t serve Coke, and I’ll choose (and not settle) for a DP any ole day! Allie Davis
>>Photo by:
7TheJournalOctober2011
Healthy living
As the lunch bell rings, restau-rant employees brace themselves for the swarm of students who darken their doors everyday at noon. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are allowed to leave the campus for lunch. With less than an hour to commute, eat and come back to school, fast food tends to be the easi-est way for students to eat o� -campus and still make it back to class. � ough a convenient and relatively cheap option, it can be di� cult to distinguish the healthy menu items from the less-than wholesome ones. Sophomore Austin Shugart � nds ways to eat at one of his favorite fast food joints, Wendy’s, while still managing to keep his health in mind. “I eat the � ve-piece spicy chicken,” he said. “� ere’s only � ve so you don’t overindulge in salt and fat and I drink water because it’s free.” More and more restaurants o� er a Value or Dollar Menu that serve separate individual food items for a lower price. “I like to eat at Wendy’s because of their Val-ue Menu,” Shugart said. “It’s still a meal.” According to cdph.ca.gov, the average American consumes about 50 gallons of soda and other arti� cial drinks per year. With al-most 17 teaspoons of added sugar to every 20 ounce serving of soda, sweetened bever-
ages claim to be the largest individual source of added sugar in the American diet. Junior Rebekah McGregor plays basketball and con-stantly tries to avoid all the unnecessary sugar when o� -campus for a competitive reason. “I can’t drink Cokes for basketball because all the ca� eine dehydrates you,” she said. On game days, McGregor usually eats at Subway to fuel her body and boost her energy level. Eating regular-sized portions helps her power through every quarter. “You’re not supposed to eat too much,” she said. “You get full and have side-cramps.” � e USDA recommends that a balanced plate allot 50% to fruits and vegetables, 25% to grains and 25% to proteins with a glass of milk on the side to include a dairy product. Shugart tries including these elements into his meals while eating o� -campus. “I like things that are good in protein so I feel energized,” he said. “And I eat things with carbs so I don’t feel empty; I usually eat chicken because it’s better for you than red meat.” � ough he recommends choosing better al-ternatives over the latter, Shugart also knows achieving a healthy mind and body doesn’t just come from a strict diet or crazy exercise regime. “Eating healthy isn’t necessarily eating sal-ads or protein bars,” he said. “Eating healthy is eating smaller portions and exercising.”
Would you like fries with that?Students seek healthier options for o -campus lunchParis [email protected]
Sugar RushHow much sugar does it
really have?
20 oz Mountain
Dew
1 Can Red Bull
12 oz McDonald’s
Oreo McFlurry
=sugarstacks.com
47 grams or 11 1/2
sugar cubes
===
77 grams or 19 1/2
sugar cubes
27 grams or 6 1/2
sugar cubes
73 grams or 18 1/2
sugar cubes
Starbuck’s Grande Mocha
Frappuccino w/ whipped cream
[[SWAP]] >>Wendy’s o� ers better alternatives to the classic fried option
Small French FriesCalories- 320Calories from Fat- 140Total Fat- 16 gSodium- 350 mgSugars- 0 g
Trade this... For this...
Garden Side Salad
Calories- 210Calories from Fat- 120Total Fat- 13 gSodium- 400 mgSugars- 4 g
Or this...
Apple Slices
Calories- 40Calories from Fat- 0Total Fat- 0 gSodium- 0 mgSugars- 7 g
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Dancing and twirling- isn’t that what every little girl does anyways? Every little girl spins and twirls pretending to be a fairy princess. For me, I wanted to do this every single day. When I was � ve years old, the ballet stu-dio where I was taking dance put on a production of Alice in Won-derland. � at same year, when Halloween came along, I wanted to be a lady bug. However none of the costume stores had a lady bug costume. So naturally, we provided our own which hap-pened to be my ballet costume. As black paper was taped to my back, excitement for trick-or-treating grew. But something else grew too. � e wind. � at just annoyed me. Watching my black paper sweep down the street, I ripped of the rest of the paper, sat down, and cried, right there in the street. When my dad approached me, he just told me to be what I was in the ballet production. With that, I danced down the sidewalks enjoying the rest of the Halloween night.
You probably remember the weird girl from elementary school. Her dark brown hair was so frizzy that she wore it in French braids or a braided ponytail. You probably thought, “Wow she would make a
perfect Dorothy from � e Wizard of Oz.” Yeah that weird girl was me. I was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and I could quote and sing ev-ery line of the movie. I even had a birthday party dedicated to this classic. For two di� erent years I dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween, once when I was three and another time when I was eight. My costume in-cluded the braids, ruby red slippers and a stu� ed Toto dog in a yellow basket. � e Wizard of Oz is an Ameri-can Classic. In the past 72 years, various children watch this time-less tale. Every girl wants to cart a dog in a basket and wear ruby red slippers, I was fortunate enough to portray her for two years.
My favorite Halloween cos-tume was when I was four. I re-member that the entire year I had wanted to do my own thing and be independent. Well, it became such a task that I ended up put-ting together a pretty ni� y cos-tume. And yes, it was all by my-self- I � gured I could piece items together and present it as a big surprise on Halloween. It was a mix between R&B and a retro look. It consisted of one of my mother’s tank tops, my clothes underneath and a pair of sunglasses. I topped o� the look with � u� y, messy hair! As a 90s
child, I recall looking into the mirror and thinking I was the coolest kid on the block. Honestly now I think back to it I must’ve looked pretty ridicu-lous. It’s funny how times changed from then to now. And as I remi-nisce about that one particular day, the more I’m now tempted to dress up again with originality. Hey, maybe I’ll restore that costume idea to its former glory and dress up even crazier this year! With this holiday in context, anything is possible.
9TheJournalOctober2011
Sta picks
� e best Halloween costumes are the ones worth repeating two or three years in a row. Among these notable costumes are the omnipres-ent Disney princesses, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the clas-sic bed sheet ghost. My timeless cos-tume came complete with a ketchup red cowboy hat that � t snug over my chili bowl haircut. � e very worn but beloved black cowboy boots may have endured a little wear and tear over the years, but what was a cow-girl without her dependable boots? As I grew out of diapers, the fabric part of the costume evolved from a toddler jumpsuit to the traditional high waisted jeans and collared shirt. � ough the costume was al-tered over the years, it was my trusty hat and boots that never abandoned me. Sticking it out through the choc-olate stains, the sticky � ngers, and the mud and grime couldn’t have been easy, but like good friends, they hung in with me until the end. Some Halloween costumes are just worth repeating, ketchup red cowboy hat and all.
>>Behind the masksSta ers reminisce over childhood Halloween disguises
Jackie Trujillo Madeline Peña
Christy Maha ey Paris Walther
10 TheJournalOctober2011
Sports
Brother and sister compete in sportsA yeLIAD efil
Cristin [email protected] Every morning cross country coach David Park sees the face of twin juniors Macky and Gunnar Dailey for practice at 5:45. “I’m thrilled that they do cross country,” Park said. “� ey always seem in a good mood.” Park shares the Daileys with so� ball, baseball, basketball, football and track. “I think it’s great our school gives students the privilege to partici-pate in multiple sports and I’m happy to work with them to make it happen,” Park said. Every morning Macky wakes up at 4:30 to make it to cross coun-try workout by 5:45. “It takes determination,” Macky said, “and dedication.” On a Decatur team since seventh grade, Macky ran on varsity freshman year. “In ninth grade I was a state champion,” she said. Macky also participates in basketball and so� ball. “I played basketball in middle school and ninth grade. And then I am doing it again this year,” she said. Macky describes basketball as her challenging sport. “You have to remember plays and then you have to work on the plays a lot,” Macky said. A � er cross country practice she gets ready for school and goes to all her classes until the eighth period bell rings. “I have athletics eighth period and that’s when I practice basket-ball,” she said. A � er practice ends, she goes home and starts homework. “I try to get as much homework done as possible, I have Ms. Pow-ell for AP,” Macky said. “� en sometimes I go to work at Sweetie Pies and other days I go to fall ball so� ball practice at 6:30pm.” Her third sport, so � ball, also takes practice and time. She de-scribes this sport as commitment. “You work on basics all the time because if you lose the basics you can not really do anything,” she said. Macky made it to playo� s her sophomore year in so� ball. Her younger years consisted of t-ball and baseball with her brother. “I used to be on my brother’s pewee teams. So, I’ve played pretty much my whole life,” Macky said. Playing three sports, the last event on Macky’s daily agenda includes sleep. “I’m so busy all the time and I have to catch up on chores, work, homework, go to church, and other stu� ,” she said. “� is past week two nights combined I got sev-en hours of sleep.” On average Macky gets to bed around 2:00 in the morning. Her overall goal in the three sports includes keeping up and improving. “I want to become a better player and runner in all of them,” she said. Macky’s brother Gunnar also participates in sports: football, base
�“They aren�’t going to say it, but they like each other
and look out for each other.�”
>>cross country coach David Park
�“�”
ball, cross country and track. Waking up at 5:15 every morning for cross country practice Gun-nar describes this sport as pain. “Running six to eight miles everyday is painful,” he said. Participating in cross country for three years now, he hopes to make it to state for the second year in a row. “My favorite part of the race is the sprint at the end,” Gunnar said. Playing football for six years, Gunnar is wide receiver on varsity. “My favorite part of the game is fourth quarter because either we’re winning and we know we got it, or we’re losing and we know we have to get going,” Dailey said. Getting done with football practice around 6:30, going home, then � nishing homework, Gunnar goes to bed around 11:00. “[Participating in multiple sports, my weakness] is not getting enough energy throughout the school day,” Gunnar said. For more than ten years Gunnar participates in baseball. His posi-
tion includes second and third base. “Just hanging out with my friends makes the sport fun,” he said. On the track team for four years, every meet inspires him. “I get real excited and nervous before a race,” he said, “and I hope to improve my times this year.” At the end of the day, the Daileys � nally get to bed and set their alarm for 4:45 and 5:15 to start
another day tomorrow. “Believe it or not they get along better than most,” Park said. “� ey aren’t going to say it but they like each other and look out for each other.”
Allie Davis>>Photo by
11TheJournalOctober2011
Sports
Touchdown runners at football games continue � ring up the crowd whenever the team scores. � e only change is that the FFA is in charge instead of the Spirit Crew this year. “Mr. Cochran asked our chapter to take over the � ag running and I thought it was a good idea,” junior Shelbie Chandler said. Chandler, president of the FFA, encouraged FFA members to vol-unteer as a Touchdown Wrangler. “It’s a blast; you get to see the game up close and take part in something you usually wouldn’t do,” Chandler said. FFA member, junior Brenna Prentice remains faithful on the sideline. “I took part in the Spirit Crew my fresh-man and sophomore year,” Prentice said. “It’s fun and they needed people to run the � ags.”
Waiting on the � eld, the Touchdown Wranglers watch the game. � eir feet itch with anticipation as the game starts. “Being a Touchdown Wrangler is a lot of fun because I am usually with my friends,” freshman Chance Walther said. As they announce a touchdown, the Wranglers run across the � eld with the eagle
� ag. “It’s more fun when you have support from the crowd,” freshman Jake Cobb said. � e crowd shouts as the Wranglers � nally settle down a� er the run in their western
out� ts. “You have to wear a cowboy hat, boots, jeans, and a button up shirt,” Cobb said. Wearing these un� roms represent the dedication of the FFA Touchdown Wran-glers. “I think it’s a good activity and it pro-motes FFA and other teamwork,” FFA spon-
sor Scott Ford said. “We are all a team- together.” FFA stands for Future Farmers of America and everyone who rep-resents the program dedicates their time as young citizens. Touchdown Wranglers set an example of this. “We opened it up to our o� cers and then to our volunteers a� er we
got started,” Ford said. “We are doing it to promote school spirit.” FFA members interested in becoming a Touchdown Wrangler, contact Shelbie Chandler or Scott Ford.
>>FFA WranglersChristy [email protected]
It�’s a blast; you get to see the game up close and take part in something you
usually wouldn�’t do.
>>junior Shelbie Chandler
�“ �”
Freshmen Cody Reed and Chance Walther run the �‘D�’ ag after a touchdown, as the crowd cheers Sept. 29 vs Burkburnett.
New ag runners spirit down eld as local crowd cheers
Lupe Perez>>Photos by
Freshmen Cody Reed and Chance Walther run the Eagle ag after the nal touchdown as Decatur wins 52-27.
As the ball meets the setters hands, the crowd cheers louder. � e setter pushes the ball back into the air and another teammate hits it over the net. “KA-BOOM!” With four setters on the teams, three are freshmen and they all look up to senior Joey Redwine. “I hope to become as good as Joey,” JV setter Stevi Perkins said. “She is an amazing setter and she just looks so graceful every time she sets and she’s a great leader.” Freshman team setter Morgan Taylor also looks up to Redwine. “She never gets down on anybody and she can set any spot no matter where she is on the � oor,” Taylor said. Freshman Stormi Leonard plays as second setter on varsity. “ � is season Joey has become like my sister,” Leonard said. “She is amazing at volleyball and gives me good pointers.” Perkins also creates high standards on herself to improve, she also tries to follow the coaches expectations. “I expect 100% all the time, everyday,” JV coach Della Stallard said. Perkins and Redwine both know what the coaches look for from them. “She de � nitely wants me to be a leader and to be very vocal on the court,” Perkins said, “and to encour-age everyone.” Redwine agrees. “ � ey expect a lot from me. � e setter is the leader on the court because the setter hits the ball the most,” Redwine said. Coaching JV volleyball for four years Stallard leads the team to an undefeated season so far. “ � is is my best team that I’ve coached,” Stallard said. Playing since sixth grade, Perkins enjoys JV and tries to meet her goals to improve her skills. “It’s fun. It’s not as high stress as varsity,” Perkins said, “but I de� -nitely want to be on varsity next year,” Perkins said. Practicing every morning from 5:30 to 8:10, � ve days a week takes
dedication. “ � e hardest thing in the sport is getting your body to do what you want it to do with a moving ball,” Stallard said. � e team bonds through team lunches and hanging out together. “I see a group of individuals coming together as a family,” Stal-lard said. “� e relationships I build with these girls is a real positive, because it’s like a new family every year. � at’s one thing that keeps me coaching.” � e second reason Stallard loves coaching volleyball is the com-petition. “I love the game, the pace and the attacking at the net,” she said. During the game, each player creates di� erent goals. “I’m thinking about how I can help the team get better and how we can run it smoothly,” Perkins said. Before each game the team huddles to make a plan. “I think about pushing myself through the goals we set before each game,” Redwine said. As the game comes to an end and the team wins, Stallard is proud
of them. � e neatest part of the game for Stallard to see in an indi-vidual is when it clicks. “[It’s neat to see] when the light bulb comes on, when they � nally get something they have been working so hard on for the last four or � ve years,” Stallard said. “As a
team it is neat to see them play at the potential you know they have.” As a leader, Perkins is also really proud of the team as they win another victory. “Knowing we didn’t slack o� , we played our best and we kept our energy up is great,” she said. Stallard has a goal she wants the team to reach. “To polish their skills, to learn how to work at our extremely high expectations, but yet still keep them loving the game,” she said. Playing on varsity for three years and playing volleyball since � � h grade, Redwine hopes to pursue this sport a� er high school. She describes it as thrilling.
12 TheJournalOctober2011
Sports >>�‘Setting�’ the StandardsYoung eyes rest on role model
Cristin [email protected] Austin Lamirand
>>Photo by
I want to be more like a family than a team.
>>varsity coach Claire Rose �“ �”
“� e pace of the game keeps it going; it’s like a reaction game where you have to be really fast and it’s really fun,” Redwine said. Leonard plays on the same level as upper-classmen and won’t let them down. “Playing on varsity is intense,” she said, “be-cause you have to stay up and do your job. � e team is counting on you.” Whereas Perkins describes the sport as un-predictable. “� e same thing never happens twice. It’s al-ways subject to change,” she said, “so you have to be ready for everything.” � is year’s varsity volleyball team includes leadership, di� erent ages, bonding and success. “It’s an honor to be on the team,” senior Hal-ey Dale said, “because it is such a good pro-gram and good group of girls. Every one on the team has worked very hard to earn that spot.” Varsity coach Claire Rose develops goals which include creating a successful program people enjoy watching. “I want it to be a family more than a team,” Rose said. Winning 36 games so far, there are � ve freshmen on varsity this year. “It’s pretty new to me competing on the var-sity level,” freshman Annie Parks said. “But it’s exciting because there is so much to do and af-ter every point during the game you can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.” Practicing every morning at 5:30, Dale de-scribes volleyball as her life. “It literally consumes my life, in a good way,” she said. “All I do is eat, sleep and play
volleyball.” Coaching varsity for � ve years, Rose enjoys watching the game. “� is year, the team’s success is from reach-ing their goals they made on day one,” Rose said. “� ey work hard to achieve them and they don’t settle- that’s the biggest thing.”
14750
36 5 5’11”Career wins by
Coach Claire RoseAverage height on
the team
Freshmen on Varsity
Wins by Varsity in regular season
Volleyballs used for everyday practice
By the NUMBERS 6:00
Time practice starts in the morning
>>Photos courtesy of Donna Billmire
1
2
3
4
5
1. � e Lady Eagles Eaglebuilt poster. 2. “We are � red up!” echoes through the gym as the team gets ready for a big game. 3. Players watch intently from the sideline, waiting for their team to score. 4. Showing sportsmanship, the Lady Eagles shake their oppe-nents hands a� er a win. 5. Libero, Amanda Delka, shows her hops as she high � ves her tall teammate.
13TheJournalOctober2011
Sports
New members are inspired by watching the seniors. ”It’s cool to see the team grow and to see ev-eryone improve,” senior Amanda Delka said. Winning isn’t everything, but it’s a bonus. “We work for it,” Dale said. “It feels good to win, but we work harder than anybody else so we should win.” � e team feels closer this year, than in the past. “Besides everyone getting better, we’ve been more rounded,” Dale said. “We also have bond-ed more and we play well as a team.” Park’s � rst year in high school she loves play-ing volleyball. “� e workouts are a lot harder than middle schools,” she said. “But we have a coach that ex-plains a lot really well and we have team leaders and role models for us younger ones.” Playing on varsity for two years Delka enjoys the cool experience. “� ere’s so much going on, it’s not just one thing happening,” Delka said. “It’s exciting.” On their way to playo� s Rose speaks to the team with determination. “I couldn’t be more proud of these ladies that work hard everyday to do a sport they love,” Rose said.
14 TheJournalOctober2011Feature
>>Oh Boy!Madeline Peñ[email protected]
With a quick � ick of the hand, a � ag soars through the air and freshman Isaac Caban catches the smooth silver pole. As the � rst boy to ever spin a � ag for the DHS color guard, Caban enjoys this activity to its potential. “It’s not much dif-ferent,” Caban said. It’s like I’m just one of the girls with a little more strength.” Caban satis� ed the needed criteria and re-quirements to enter as one of the four fresh-men in color guard. “Whoever can do it I’m taking them,” color guard instructor Ginger Dillard said. “It’s not a gender-spe-ci� c activity so it didn’t really a� ect any-thing.” At the end of each school year, interested band members audition to join the color guard. � ey perform routines with � ags and costumes while the marching band plays at games. Last year, an interest sparked Caban at a football game. “� at’s what makes marching look cool,” Caban said. “It’s not just the people walking around making shapes; it’s the pretty � ags everyone looks at.” Before the audition, interested spinners attend four two hour workouts sessions af-ter school. � e practices involve learning basic � ag movments of color guard. “I thought boy’s are kind of goofy and I
didn’t think he’d be very good at it,” � ompson said. “But he turned out to be good at it.” As a male asset to the program, Ca-ban brings more to the table.
“I think he’s a lot stronger than the girls,” � ompson said. “Tosses seem easier for him.” At a recent competition in Lake Dallas, the team was named best guard. “Everyone is about the same skill level,” Caban said. “Just being a boy just adds a little bit of mixture to the group.” Along with the advan-
tages of strength, Caban � nds learning the routines comes naturally. “He gets his stu� down,” � ompson said. “He was one of the � rst people who knew the show before the season even started.” Along with the work put into color guard, Caban also creates a positive atmosphere. “He’s all over the place,” � ompson said. “He makes us laugh a lot.” � e love of turning � ags isn’t the only thing that struck Caban’s interest. “I want to eventually get to a point where I can be captain my junior or senior year,” Caban said. Other members see this as an achievable goal. “If he stays in it I can see him as a captain because when he is serious he can get stu� done,” � ompson said.
It�’s not justthe people
walking aroundmaking shapes, it�’s the pretty ags everyone
looks at.>>freshman, Isaac Caban
�“�”
Guard welcomes new member
Allie Davis>>Photos by:
Color GuardIn the rst game of the season, the color guard anxiously awaits the half-time perfor-mance. �“Everyone is about the same skill level,�” Caban said. From left to right, freshman Alexis Hamm, sophomore Valerie Thomp-son, freshman Isaac Caban, sophomores Jessie Hoerth, Haylee Newton, Andrea Ramirez. Not Pictured: Captain Sam Clark, freshman Christy Maha ey, freshman Ana Perez and junior Daniela Davila.
15TheJournalOctober2011
Community
>>Project Bloom � is past summer sitting in a conference room on her training trip, it clicks on what she wants to accomplish to make a di� erence. Senior Brooke Millican, applies for the Ford Leadership Scholar program and out of 450 other applicants she earns her way into the ten � nalists. “I had to go through lots of interviews,” Mil-lican said. “� en I got accepted and went on a two-and-a-half week trip where I traveled all over the state; we saw what other people were doing to make a di� erence.” With no requirements or guidelines, Millican needs to take what she learns on the trip and complete a community service project. “I have a huge place in my heart for special needs children and knew right away that my project would somehow in-volve them,” Millican said. “So I decided to build a com-munity pocket park for the special needs kids to make a di� erence.” Millican’s best friend Rob-ert Smith died of spina bi� da ten years ago. “ � e whole park is in mem-ory of him,” she said. “We are going to have a big plaque that says, ‘In memory of Robert Smith and other loved ones that made a di� erence’.” Located at 106 S. Trinity Street, by the Decatur Visitor Center others can donate $250 or more and place a plaque on a bench or brick. “My vision for this project is not for special needs kids’, it is to help special needs kids help other people,” she said. Her purpose already shows development. � is park re� ects on her friend, junior Aubrey � ompson, who helps her with the project. “My outlook on special needs children changed,” � ompson said. “I give them more credit now than I did before. All the things they actually do that people don’t see and just over look.” Millican’s Aunt, Frieda Hanley, knows how much determination her niece holds. “I think when she started she did not real-ize how complicated it would be,” Hanley said.
“I think she made a visual for the end reward. With her determination, she will do anything to get it done.” Millican named this pocket park Project Bloom to symbolize growth. “I’m a person who’s not very patient and last year I was in a � oral class where I watered the greenhouse every day,” Millican said. “And I had to be patient and I actually ended up loving it, especially the horticulture part. I wanted to put the special needs with the horticulture part.” Agricultural science teacher Jim Allsup gives all recognition to Brooke and hopes others see the same. “ � is is awesome,” he said. “I wish every high school student had to do a project like this in the community.”
Allsup helps Millican by dis-cussing ideas and methods. “She’s always been an indi-vidual wanting to help others,” Allsup said. “If she wants to do something and has the desire to achieve it, she makes it happen.” � is project includes three phases: project fertilizer, project cultivate and project blossom. � e � rst phase introduced the fundraising in October. A concert, silent and live auction, and other activities for kids raise money for the park. “ � e second phase consists of
construction, done in November,” Millican said, “and the third phase, project blossom, the spe-cial needs come and paint everything.” Hoping to � nish the whole park by mid-De-cember, Millican adds one special touch. “We’re making a big metal tree,” she said. “You can walk under it like a normal tree and it sym-bolizes growth. At my fundraiser we made paper chains with our dreams and goals on one side and our name on the other, so we are going to bury it under the metal tree to watch our dreams grow.” Millican describes the process as stressful but knows the end product pays o� . “ � e best part is when the whole park � nishes and she has the grand opening,” � ompson said. “It will be like a 1000 piece jig-saw puzzle � nally coming together.”
Student builds community pocket park
For more pictures of the � rst phase, go to www.decaturjournal.com to view slide-show. Also, visit the website and click on the Brooke’s Donation link if interested in donating money to help fund the pocket park.
Cristin [email protected]
I have a huge place in my
heart for special needs children and knew right away my project would somehow involve them.
>>senior Brooke Millican
�“
�” 1)Millican dedicates the park to her friend Robert Smith.2) Millican speaks at her fundraiser event.3) Nationwide speaker, Lyn-don LaPlante, 24, has Down syndrome and spoke at Proj-ect Fertilizer.4) Community came out and participated in activities to help � nance the park.
2
>>story continued on page 20>>photos courtesy of Brooke Millican
1
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3
16 TheJournalOctober2011Feature
German exchange student enrolls for school year>>A foreigner among us
She’s foreign, she’s new, and she’s in Decatur! Lena Moles, a junior, arrived from Darmstadt, Germany as a foreign exchange student and re-sides with the Norris family for the school year. “I like them so much. � ey are so sweet and cool,” Lena said about her host family, with a smile on her face. She arrived in Decatur � ve weeks into the current school year. Lena attends the usual classes as those currently enrolled in DHS. “School is way harder in Germany, so I already did a lot of it,” Lena said about her new classes. Lena’s school requires her to repeat her junior year over the sum-mer once she gets back to Germany, but nothing stopped her from wanting to become a foreign exchange student. “My parents are very proud of me because many kids do not have the courage to do this because it is very hard,” Lena said. Lena le� her parents, older brother, twin brother, and boyfriend of 16 months, a dog, a cat, two birds and � ve chickens in Germany. She regularly video chats with friends and family back home. Lena says life gets di� cult staying away from her family, but welcomes the experience. “I don’t get to see my dad much because he lives in Spain and I live with my mother,” she said. Lena’s mother works as a hairdresser and her mother’s boyfriend works at Merck, a large computer company. Although her family separated, Lena loves them. She feels homesick while away from both of her parents.
“I think that the � rst time you’re away is hard because you become homesick, but I think it will get better,” Lena said. She became a foreign ex-change student because her friends who went o� before loved the trip and she wanted to learn English and experience the food and sports Germany lacks. “I went to a volleyball game; it was very cool. � e teams are so connected and it is very fun to watch,” she said.
She gets to enjoy the small town, Friday-night lights and school spirit. Back in Germany schools go without sanctioned sports and mascots. Rules in German schools also di� er from those in Decatur. “We can wear tank tops, short shorts, pretty much whatever we want,” Lena said.
Stormi [email protected]
I think that the you�’re away is hard be-
cause you become homesick, but I think it will get
better.
>>junior Lena Moles
�“
�”
School usually runs from about eight in the morning to one in the a� ernoon. Students choose not to bring their lunches. Class gets out early enough for them not to, which gives students time to practice outside activities. “I’m going to try out for soccer,” Lena said. Soccer is a popular sport in Germany and Lena plans to play it here also. She plans to attend the informational meeting with Coach Stan Smith and start playing soon. “In foreign exchange you don’t choose where you go. You write a letter to the agency explaining what things you like and they � nd a place for you to stay,” Lena said. Even though the agency chose her location, Lena enjoys resid-ing in Decatur. � e size and resources in Decatur di� er from her hometown, Darmstadt. “In Germany there are a lot of places to shop, but here you are like in the middle of nowhere,” Lena said. Lena says social cliques serve as one of the biggest misconcep-tions America portrays. She says movies describe it wrong and that the few people she met seem very friendly and open. “I’m looking forward to this experience. I’m going back home to � nish school, but I don’t know what I want to do a� er that,” Lena said about her future a� er Decatur.
>>Published by Journalism I student Stormi Leonard.
Allie Davis>>Photo by
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18 TheJournalOctober2011World
>> 77 Lives and a 21 year sentenceSta er re ects on punishment of terrorist in NorwaySarah [email protected]
When they were both about 13 years old, my brothers went to Europe on their own with my mother. Because of situations we could not control, I did not get to do this until I was 17. Even though I was- in my mind- quite a bit older than my brothers on my trip, I was about as giddy as a 13-year-old when I � nally got there. We spent a week in Switzerland around Morges, and then a week in Paris, France. It was really an interesting experience. As fun and exciting as our time was there, I will probably not forget what hap-pened just on the other side of the North Sea. It was the second day that we were in Paris. On the way down to breakfast in the hotel, our lovely guide Kat- a young lady from England- said, “Oh, did you hear about what happened in Norway?” � e answer was a bewildered, “No?” I had no idea. � at morning, she explained it all to us with a look of sad acceptance on her face. On July 22, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, a right-wing extremist, carried out two sequential terrorist attacks against the government and civilian population of Norway within two hours. Eight people died by a car bomb placed outside of the o� ce of the Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg on the main land. � e car bomb also critically injured ten people. Breivik then disguised himself as a police o� cer, gained access to the island of Utøya, and opened � re on the participants of a youth camp there, killing 69. Breivik was charged for terrorism, which holds the maximum time sentence in Norway- 21 years. Yes, that’s right: Norway doesn’t have a death penalty or a life sentence. � eir prison systems are all about rehabilitating the prisoners and helping them safely back into society as soon as possible. And so, a man who caused 77 lives to end and impacted countless others will be released back into the Norwegian population at the age of 53. I was shocked. As a person who has grown up in a state highly approving of the death penalty, I’m sure I expected a man who killed 77 people to be convicted and sentenced to death in a heartbeat. Sadly, violence like that isn’t exactly uncommon in this day and age, but I still didn’t want to accept that this man’s sentence would hardly
equal his crime- at least not in my mind. � en there was the fact that we were in Europe at the time of the attack. In fact, my mother and I exchanged a worried glance at the news- yes, Norway and France are separated by the North Sea, but would we be allowed to leave when we had expected? We didn’t need to be worried, though. We got home on time and without any complications at all. But throughout that week, and the plane trips home, my mind would o� en wonder to Norway, and to the people no doubt struggling to emotionally recover from this tragedy. I didn’t forget it soon. When I got back in the states, I asked sev-eral people I knew, “Hey, did you hear about Norway?” fully expect-ing someone to chime in with a view similar to mine on the tragedy of so many deaths and the short sentence of the man’s punishment. However, the answer was, far more o� en than not, “No? What hap-pened?” I would explain it all to them and then tell them about how he would get out of prison in a maximum of 21 years, and mostly the reaction would be “wow”. Seventy seven lives and a 21 year sentence later, the response was “wow”. I am not always a girl who believes in the death penalty. I have actually been known to say that it isn’t our decision who lives and who dies. But maybe- just maybe- a man who has made himself a monster like this deserves to die in my book. I learned a lot when I was in Paris and Switzerland. I learned that a Coke isn’t worth eight Euros, seriously mischevious Gypsies are everywhere, and making eye contact with street vendors isn’t smart if you’re an American. Mostly, though, I learned exactly how di� erent Europe is from here. � eir way of life is di� erent, but so is their punishment. In a few years, I may forget about how many Euros a Coke costs, but I doubt I will forget about the tragedy in Norway.
>> 4663 miles lay in be-tween Decatur, Texas and Utoya Island, Norway. >> Norwegian prisons de-tain 3,300 people in total, compared to the 2.3 mil-lion in American prisons. >> The population of Norway is 4,827,438. The population of the United States is 307, 006, 550.
www.time.com/time freeworldmaps.net
>> Decatur, Texas
>> Utoya Island, Norway
19TheJournalOctober2011 Head 2 Head
>> To eat or not to eat In September, Senator John Whitmire of Texas ordered that the Huntsville state prison not extend a choice in food for death row inmates a� er one prisoner’s extensive meal went untouched. Two stu-dents share opposite opinions about whether or not to allow inmates to choose their last meal.
� ere has been a long standing tradition not just in Texas, or the United states for that matter, but every country that practiced or still practices the barbaric acts of death row executions: � at the prisoners be granted their � nal meal wishes by the state. Just recently, inmate Lawrence Brewer’s spiteful order of a meal went untouched. Senator John Whitmire (D) became so enraged that he decided to cut the “� nal meal” option for every inmate who passes through the doors of the state Huntsville prison. � e controversial decision to cut the “last meal” option is wrong on every level, and just goes to show the extent of bloodlust that speci� cally the Texan populist has reached. Food is held at the centerpiece of every event, whether it be a wedding, a party, or even a funeral. Whether you agree with capital punishment or not, one must realize that the “last meal” wasn’t for the purpose of letting the inmate splurge one last time, or even be-ing reminded of past experiences and loves, but to recognize the somber moment of an upcoming death, and the government taking yet another life. � e Texan Criminal Justice Committee apparently doesn’t see that, but only the so called “justice” of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Regardless of being in support of capital punishment or not quite frankly doesn’t matter. But to not recognize that the prisoner is in fact a human life, and the somber moment of their death, is an in-sult to the sanctity of life and further mires our justice system.
I disagree with allowing inmates to choose their � nal meal. I have argued this point before, and my opponent told me, “� ey deserve one � nal act of kindness.” I’m sorry. Are you being serious? Do you think they showed “one � nal act of kindness” to their victims? If they did, I don’t be-lieve they’d be hanging out on death row right now. Just a thought. Another valid point thrown at me by my old opponent was, “De-nying them their � nal meal is making us sink just as low as them.” � e last meal doesn’t decide that. Didn’t we sink to their level when we enforced the death penalty? � e meal is just food. Death is the ending of life. All taxpayers also pay for the meal, and the inmates have the ability to order whatever they want, and however much they want. � ey can order the most expensive dishes possible, and not eat any of it. Plus, a lot of criminals have been known to abuse this power. � e most recent was Lawrence Brewer of Jasper, Texas. He ordered two chicken fried steaks with gravy, a double bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet, a full pint of ice cream, a half a pound of barbecue, a half a loaf of bread, some fried okra with ketchup, fajitas, a whole meat lover’s pizza, and three root beers. He didn’t take a single bite or drink. So, we are going to allow them to play their manipulation games all the way to the end. Fantastic.
>> For the Last Mealsenior Austin Raburn
Against the Last Meal <<junior Kelsey Smith
Allie Davis>>Photo by:
Allie Davis>>Photo by:
To not recognize that the prisoner is a human life,
and the somber moment of their death is an insult to
the sanctity of life.
>> senior Austin Raburn
�“
�”
Didn�’t we sink to their level when we enforced the death
penalty? The meal is just food. Death is the ending of life.
>> junior Kelsey Smith
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�”
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With one goal in mind, Millican proves she can go out and achieve anything she wants to. “I want somebody to be changed because of it. If it makes a di� erence in one person, then I’m happy,” Millican said. Hanley encourages Millican through the process of this project and is happy to help. “� is project is just another thing to add to the list for one more reason to be proud of her,” Hanley said. A� er the pocket park is � nished, Millican hopes to walk away with the $1,000 scholarship, as she begins to pack for Texas Tech in the fall. A� er college and as she gets older, Millican has even big-ger goals. “My ultimate dream is to have a rehabilitation ranch for special needs kids,” she said. “� at’s what I really want to do.”
>>story continued from page 15
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21TheJournalOctober2011 Ads
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>>Keep it freshJackie [email protected]
Heinz packets undergo makeover>>Upcoming
Events<< A� er having the same ketchup packet design for 47 years, Heinz Co. released the new “Dip & Squeeze” design for consumer use. According to the front of the packet, there is three times as much content than the traditional. To top it all o� , the container is actually shaped like a ketchup bottle. � e consumer can tear o� the “cap” and squeeze. I found this feature to be a bit tough for me though since I’m not very strong. Or, one can dip by peeling back the tab. However, I do advise not to cram a french fry in there because the package is wider than it is deep. It was made for easier access when on the road; this way drivers don’t have to deal with the pesky tin foil packs. I like how the plastic container keeps everything clean- for once the table surface around me wasn’t covered in ketchup. All in all, a very cool and fresh ketchup packet for the new generation. Food joints like Chick-Fil-A and now Braum’s distribute them with every meal.
November
4Next home football game against Castleberry
22 TheJournalOctober2011Entertainment
j forSqu
Atimall obott
�I fousincebackfrencit is d It wthis wtin foieverytme wa Allthe nenow B
4Registration deadline for ACT here on Dec. 10
Seussical performances
5Cross country regionals in Lubbock
Student leadership lunch in lecture hall10
Swim meet in Aquatic Center at LISD, at 9am
17-20
21-25� anksgiving Holiday
Check out :www.decaturjournal.com for more upcoming events
2-3College fair online. Sign up at www.collegeweeklive.com
5
My mom and I passed by this sun� ower � eld on all of our trips to Austin over the summer. We always wanted to stop and take pic-tures but never had the time. It was when we were on our way back from visiting my eight-month-old nephew Payton in the hospital that we decided to stop there, because the sun� owers looked close to withering away and we wouldn’t be traveling to Aus-tin again very soon. So we pulled over on the shoulder, and I hopped out of the truck. I fell in love with the whole setting as soon as I stepped foot onto the cracked soil. I walked though rows and rows of the sun� owers taking pictures, enjoying every second. � e sun slowly ducked beneath the horizon, casting a stunning glow on all the � eld and what it contained. � ree images stood out among the cluster of sun� owers as I looked through my lens and focused. With just a click of a button I captured their fading beauty.
Quick Pic by sta� photographer Allie Davis
23TheJournalOctober2011
Eavesdrop“How pretty I feel all of a sudden!” -Lance Morse, � eatre II
“What are they chemically doing to this room?” -Teresa Powell, APUSH
“I can’t snort, what is wrong with me?” -Sarah Alling, band
“Is that a foreign exchange student?” -Arin Blaylock, lunch“No, it’s a ten year old.” -Cristin Morgan, lunch
“You need to go on a pen diet.” -Audrey Micinski, physics
“I feel like my vibrato is in a very Kristin Cenoweth mood today.” -Lacy Franklin, varsity choir
“Do I have gummy bear poopy on me?” -Jason Cochran, principal
“When he puts up his head, he’s actually pretty smart.” -Aubrey � ompson, U.S. History
“Too many Chiefs...” -Della Stallard“...Not enough crackers.” -Ryan Inman, U.S. History
“Do we have an armless football player?” -Madeline Peña, newspaper
“I’m like bleu cheese. Sometimes people want me and then sometimes they hate me.” -Tyler Sirman, mock trial
“Who doesn’t prefer a magic show over bananas? -Holt Garner, mock trial
“� ey are better than new shoes because they’re on my face.” -Sarah Stromberg, newspaper
“I just paper cut my face.” -Krista Tamplen, economics
“I didn’t � nd any scissors, but I got these fruit snacks.” -Erin Patterson, passing period
“� e stapler broke my paper.” -Stephanie Micinski, college algebra
“Everything related to technology is having seizures today.” -Jennifer Smith, British Literature
“Lacy, give my sanity back to me.” -Natalie Neighbors, varsity choir
“� e insurance covers one toe at a time.” -Madeline Pena, newspaper
“Put the banana back on the sofa!” -Lance Morse, � eatre II
“I don’t like big ripped women.” -Franklin Killen, US History
Have a funny quote? Submit it through gaggle [email protected]
“If your arabesque isn’t up to par, I’m going to tell.” -Cole Wendling, newspaper
24 TheJournalOctober2011Last look
Allie [email protected]
>>Beautiful You
Junior Jake Anderson has always loved photography, “I’d have to say I really got hooked when I realized I could capture a mo-ment or a story in a tiny little box,” Anderson said. Half of the pro� ts from Anderson’s photography go to Here’s Life Africa, an interdenomi-national mission ministry providing people in Centeral and East Africa with the chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. � e rest of Ander-son’s earnings will support him attending theatre camp. His main interest in photography is taking pictures of abstract places, places that aren’t cliche, but stand out at the same time. “I think photogrpahy is thought as something that is a feminine, and easy thing to do, but in reality it’s a hard thing to do,” he said. “It’s not just a click of the button. It’s lighting, the angle, and timing. It deserves more credit than people give it.”
�“ �”No matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone thinks, God made beautiful, beautiful you. >>junior Jake Anderson
Student expresses himself through freelance photography
Jake Anderson >>Photos by