Troubles with Texting & Driving By: Kristina Burton Reactiontimedecreasedby35%.Steeringcapabilitydecreasedbyashocking91%.Twenty-threetimesmorelikelytohaveanaccident.Theseareallhorrifyingstatisticsthatoccurasaresultoftextingwhiledriving.RecentlypassedKentuckylawsareworkingtoaddresstheseastoundingstatistics.Cellphoneuseisbannedforalldriversundertheageof18.Textingwhiledrivinghas been banned for all drivers. The first offense of breaking this law will result in a $25 fine. Following offenses will result in $50 fines and court fees. Opinionsontheselawstendtovaryamongteens.Surveyshaveshownthatsometeenstendtothinkthattextingwhiledrivingisquiteeasyifdonecor-rectly,butothersagreethatitcanbeincrediblydangerous.Someseemtothinkthatnewdevicesshouldbeinventedthatwouldallowyoutotextinasimplerandsafermanner.Also,anotherlargeamountofteensseemtothinkthattextingshouldbeallowedwhendrivingspeedsof45mphorless. Sincepassageoftheselaws,enforcementhasbeencloselymonitored.Inplaceswhereenforcementincreased,anda“blanketeffect”wasusedovertowns, a very significant decrease in texting while driving was shown. However, inplaceswhereenforcementstayedthesame,orpossiblyevenlessened,textingremainedthesameandsometimesevenincreased. Allinall,thisisaveryseriousissue.Parents,besureandtalkaboutthiswithyoursons/daughters.Itmayseemlikethey’renotlistening,butitcandefinitely make a difference. Teens, you should definitely obey the law. Text mes-sagescanwait(Ipromisethey’llstillbeinyourinboxlater),andIdoubtthatanymessagewouldbeworthlosingyourlicenseoryourlifeover. I’mKristinaBurton,andIguessthat’swhytheycallitthenews.

Announcements By: Kristina Burton1/20—Boys Basketball v. Larue (JV/V)—Home1/21—Swim Team—Berea1/23—Girls & Boys Basketball v. Cumberland—AwaySwim Team—Knox1/24—Girls & Boys Basketball v. Pulaski—Home1/27—Girls Basketball v. Taylor—AwayBoys Basketball v. Madison Central (JV/V)—Away1/28—Academic Team District Governor’s CupSwim Team—Winter Classic Invitational (Shelby)1/30—Girls Basketball v. Casey—Home1/31—Boys Basketball v. Taylor (JV/V)—Away

Swim Team Jesse Murrell

InaninterviewwithSeniorswimteamcaptainCoyComer,wefoundoutwhatallisgoingonwiththeteam.Q: How is the swim team doing so far this year?A: We are doing great! We’ve won every swim meetsofar.Q: What goals has the team thus far achieved?A: Well, our goals are more individually-based, butasalwaysourgoalissimplytodoourbestatregionsandmakeittostate.Q: What are your hopes for the rest of the sea-son?A: To finish out hard by hopefully sending relaysand/orindividualstostateQ: Mostimprovedswimmers?A: Our first year swimmers. We always see big changes from start to finish, but the team as a whole hasimprovedQ: Areyoulookingforwardtoseeinghowtheteamfaresnextsemester?A: Yes,eventhoughIwon’tbeswimmingmy-self, I’m looking forward to cheering on the Lakers. I hope they swim fast and keep the team spirit going! “Russell, Russell, Russell!”

Robertson Enters 1000 Point Club By: Alyson Williams The boy’s Laker basketball team startedoutthenewyearinactionagainstGreenwood winning 57 to 44. During the game,juniorTylerRobertsonscored23points, and also joined the 1000th point club.IaskedTylerafewquestionsaboutthisgreataccomplishment.Tylersaysthatitfeels“alright”tobeamemberofthe1000th point club. He has been working atthissincehewasinthe5thgrade.Tylerknewgoingintothegamethathewasonly 18 points from reaching the 1000th, but this will not stop him. His next goal is winning region. The Lakers also had two morewinsagainstCumberlandCounty,90 to 54, and Casey County, 70-51.

Girl’s Basketball By: Alyson Williams

The Lady Lakers started off the newyearwithahugewinandaloss.TheyplayedCumberlandCountywin-ning 70 to 28, and Glasgow losing 59 to 30. I spoke with Chandra Stephens, the senior member of the Lady Laker basketball team, to find out what im-provements the Lady Lakers are trying to make. Her response was, “I think theteamneedstoworkonourteamdefense,andalso,onethingthatwecan’tworkonduringpracticeisourenergylevel.Rightnowthatisateamgoal, to work on that. We think as a teamourenergyneedstoimprove.Also,ourheartduringthegamesneedstoimprovebecausewehaveheart,butsometimeswedon’tplaylikewedo.”

World Language ClubThe world lan-guage club is celebrating Italian this month so they decide to take a trip to Giovanni’s. They picked Giovanni’s because it is more Italian then other pizza ria’s around here. Compared to Pizza Hut and Papa Johns, Giovanni’s serves more than pizza and cheese sticks.

SurveysWhat is your New Year’s Resolution?• Focus more on grades. Alannah Nichols• Get a job and make some money for college. Julanna McQueary• Start saving some money. Bethany Copley• To get 185 pounds solid. Zach Wallis• Go to New York with best friends. Katie Branscum• To live life. Coy Comer• To make more friends and to meet new people. Kaitlyn Bronson• Be a better person. Alisa Bennett• To lose weight. Kayla Camp • To go to church more and be more of a Christian. Susan McGowan • To get to know God more. Sydney Malone• To succeed in everything I do. Chan-dra Stephens• To have better relationships with friends and family. Megan Stapleton • To get more involved with my family. Shelby Bell• To be able to walk. Brenan Coffey• Go to state for baseball. Evan Selby• To go to school more. Eric Roberts• Win baseball games. Steven Sanders• Win more basketball games then last season. Cody Pickett

What will you be doing on the first snow day.

• Bundled up to stay warm, then get a garbage can top to slide down the hill. Brittney VanAlstyne • Make a snowman, and slide in the snow. Wendy Casterjon• Snow forks and sledding. Jennifer Blair• Sleep in. Taylor Spring• To go sledding. Corey Polston• Sledding down a hill. Corey Tarter• Sleeping in and lazing around. Bobbie Beane• Play in the snow. Dakota Meece• Sleep and watch T.V. Keisha Whitis• Sleep all day. Lucas Upchunch• To go sledding. Kristina Cundiff• To play in the snow. Kayla Antle• Watch Pretty Little Liars all day. Jacob Phelps • Play video games all day. Dustin Poff• Play in the snow. Mason Miniard• Go sledding. Kaitlyn Kerr• Go sledding with friends. Brittany Meyers• Hang out with friends. Becky Smith• Build a big snowman and name it Boliphius. Leigh Brown• Hang out with friends. Blake Aaron

ClubsY club

It’s this time of the year for the y club once again Kuna. A well know part of the y club is

KUNA. The y club is preparing to

participate in a 30 hour famine.

College Spotlight:

Bellarmine University By: Alisha Shepherd Ifyouarethetypeofpersonwhomarchestothebeatofyourowndrum,then Bellarmine University is definitely theplaceforyou.LocatedinLousiville,Kentucky,BellarmineUniversityisthehomeoftheKnights.TheyhavePizzaHutexpress,Einstein’sBagels(aLouisvilledelicacy),andahealthieroptionknownasSimplytoGo.Duetopopulardemand,theyhaverecentlybuiltanewhousingcomplexknownastheSienas,togoalongwithKennedy/Newman(freshmenhalls)andPetrik/Anniversary(UpperclassmenDorms.)Bellarminetendstobeanartisticschool,offeringmajorssuchasTheatre,ArtsAdministration,liberalstudies,politi-calscience,andexercisescience.Theyarealsoknownforsmallerclasssizes,offeringafamily-likeatmospheretotheirstudentsthroughthingssuchasfacebook,twitter, youtube, and flickr. Bellarmine alsohasvaststudyabroadopportunites,andclubs,suchasAriel-Bellarmine’sfriendlyEnglishsociety,Artclub,St@b-StudentTheater@Bellarmine,Educationclub,andBellarmineclubFrisbee.Whenitcomestoyouathletesoutthere,Bellar-minehassomethingtoofferyouaswell.Mencanjoinsportssuchasbaseball,lacrosse, basketball, track and field, and golf.Womencanjoinsportssuchasvol-leyball, softball, field hockey, tennis, and cross-country.Theyalsohavecheerlead-inganddanceteams.Soallinall,Bellar-mineoffersgreatopportunities,foruniquepeople.

Scholarships Now AvailableThefollowingscholarshipscanallbefoundon-lineat http://www.studentscholarships.org/scholarship.php

Odenza Marketing Scholarship A) Bebetweentheagesof16and25onMarch30,2012B) Submitanswerstotheessayquestions,whichcanbefoundon theapplicationpage,priortotheMarch30,2012deadline.C)Haveatleastonefullyearofpost-secondarystudiesremaining atthetimeoftheawardD) HaveaGPAof2.5orgreater.E) BeacitizenoftheUnitedStatesorCanada

270.866.7322 2554 S. Hwy. 127 Russell Springs

Senior DuesPaidtoCarolDelkinthe front office.CapandGown--$25Picnic/Movie--$10T-Shirt--$10

ACT Test InfoSchoolCode:182-310

DateofTest—Feb.11RegularDeadline—Jan.13LateDeadline—Jan.20If you receive free or reduced lunch, talk to the guid-ance counselor about receiving an ACT fee waiver.

IMPORTANTSENIORINFOBYALISHASHEPHERD______________