issue 5 08-09

Check it out!Check it out!Look at the backLook at the back

cover cover for a calendar for a calendar

of upcoming events!of upcoming events!

Letters to the editor can be Letters to the editor can be on any topic of any length. Theyon any topic of any length. They

may be edited for length may be edited for length or libelous content.or libelous content.Letters to the editor Letters to the editor

are accepted are accepted in room 220.in room 220.

Editors-in-ChiefAndrew FordWilliam Lay

Kaitlyn TurneyMandy Yates

Assistant/Production EditorsAnna Claire Bradshaw

Will BumpasKristen KerrKatie Taylor

Business EditorHannah Chapman

Business StaffAllyson Agee

Amber DonaldsonElizabeth Finley

Circulation ManagerJaylin Gardner

Circulation StaffPatrick HeckethornSavannah Johnson

Design and Technology EditorDavid Grueser

Electronic ColumnistJames Northcutt

Exchange ManagerMcCord Pagan

Opinion Page ManagerMatt Coker

Photography ManagersAlex Jacobi

Madison Johnson

Sports ManagerEmma Caylor

Staff CartoonistWill Bumpas

Video Yearbook EditorsJames Guttery

Erin Naifeh

Video Yearbook StaffAnna Claire Bradshaw

Emma CaylorMatt Coker

Jeffrey DycusSavannah Johnson

Victoria KirgisAndrew LeganMcCord PaganGinny RoperHunter Todd

AdvisorsSuzanne Edwards

Nancy Speck

Trojan TorchDyersburg High School125 Hwy. 51 By-PassDyersburg, TN 38024

Trojan

NEWS

TABLE OF CONTENTS3

45

6

STUCO,DECALife Choices Extravaganza,Michael PhelpsChoir,Senior PicnicTrimester

ENTERTAINMENT282930

31

Big Bang TheoryBlu-ray,Fiction FamilyMadea,CoralineJava

EDITORIALS10

11

12

Unexcused absences

Honors and special classes,Stimulus packageLack of student voices

SPORTS2425

26

Courtney Wells,BowlingTrack,TennisDance/cheer

FEATURES141516

19

2122

20

18

How to make speakers

How to drive a stickArtists of the schoolCollege planAdam FordFashionSleep

Safe driving

This year, many changes areunfolding within the studentcouncil. Problems arose

within the council because of thelack of participation and dedicationby some members, according tosponsor Lori Finley.

“It hasn't been very productive,”freshman classrepresentativeNic Berry said.

“This year hashad its up anddowns. It wouldbe a lot better ifthe whole coun-cil would partici-pate,” seniorclass vice-presi-dent Sara-JaneVia said.

In order to improvestudent council, thecouncil was given aquestionnaire to fillout in order to evalu-ate their personalcontribution. Someof the questionswere to list involve-ment throughout theschool year, to statethe purpose of stu-dent council and tooffer suggestions for the future stu-dent council.

“The student council needs to begiven more of a voice. Underclass-men members need to step up andrealize that without a student coun-cil the student body would miss outon the fun activities that we allenjoy,” student council/body pres-ident Matt Coker said.

“It is more just Alli Purvis andMatt Coker who actually do stuff. I

feel horrible for Mrs. Finley becauseno one listens to her, and she hasenough stress outside of school,and she does not need to deal withit inside of school,” Via said.

To most of the council and studentbody, the student council is mostlyknown for their title of “the dance

committee.”“We are not really a

student govern-ment,” student coun-cil sponsor LoriFinley said. “Some-thing has to changebecause I have tohave people who

want to workbecause I cannotdo it all.”

“The seniorclass officers domore work. Ithink theyshould assignpeople to jobsinstead of every-one walkingaround becausesome people donot care becausethey do not thinkthey areneeded,” sopho-

more vice-president Kalli Parr said. Logan Collier mentioned the “tex-

ting at the last minute” when beingnotified for a student council meet-ing is not working.

Next year, student council will bereformed to a new council withfewer students to establish a moreproductive committee.

erin naifeh

3TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5News

This year is proving tobe a successful onefor DECA. During a

regional competition, over300 students across WestTennessee traveled to Jack-son to put their skills to thetest.

Of the competitors, 22from DHSwalked awaywith victory andare eligible tocontinue on tostate competitionin March inNashville.

Participants inDECA, which is amarketing associ-ation, studied inclass prior to thecompetition, and the study-ing paid off tremendously.

“They did outstanding!Twenty-two regional win-ners are progressing on tostate,” sponsor Judy Henrysaid.

Test and Role Play win-ners are Mandy Yates,Becky Austin, HollyOwens, Kristen Kerr, JamesNorthcutt, David Grueser,Andrew Ford, Meaganne

Davis, Kayla Marberry,Allen Burns, Claire Tidwell,Hannah Caylor, AnnaClaire Bradshaw, FinleyWhite, Alli Purvis andBecca Guthrie.

“I’m excited about seeingall the other people atstate,” senior Becky Austin

said. Other overall

winners includeKrista King, TylerBurns, CJ Nolen,Shelby Wright,Ryan Wood andS a v a n n a hHarbin.

“I’m preparingfor state bystudying market-ing definitions,

and getting more comfort-able speaking one-on-onewith someone else,” juniorTyler Burns said.

In the past, DECA hasgone on to win secondoverall in nationals.

“We would love to placeat nationals this year,” saidHenry. “I am very proud ofall my students who com-peted this year.”

ginny roper

DECA dominates regional competitionChanges take place

within Student Council

Thoughtful Writing: CaitlinArmstrong (top) and KopperHarris (bottom) work to re-solve problems in studentcouncil at a recent meeting.

Regional Success: DECA contestants pose for apicture after participating in the Jackson competition.

“I am veryproud of allmy students

whocompetedthis year.”

-Judy Henry

Photo courtesy of Judy Henry

Photos by Erin Naifeh

Apicture of MichaelPhelps surfaced on Jan-uary 31 that showed

the Olympic champion smokingmarijuana. Originally printed inthe British magazine News of theWorld, the photo shows Phelpstaking a large rip from a tall,glass bong. The picture wass u p p o s e d l ytaken at ahouse partylast Novemberon the campusof the Univer-sity of SouthCarolina.

Since theimage was re-vealed, Phelpshas made astatement anda public apol-ogy about hisinvolvement with the illegalsubstance. "I engaged in behav-ior which was regrettable anddemonstrated bad judgment,"Phelps said during his apology.

Despite the fact that Phelpshas admitted that he was smok-ing reefer, the vast majority ofhis sponsors have accepted hisapology and are standing byhim. Kellogg, however, decidedto not renew their 10 milliondollar contract with Phelps thatwas up at the end of February."Michael's most recent behavioris not consistent with the imageof Kellogg,” Kellogg said.

However, many people aresplit on this on this issue. “Kidsdo not care about that,” sopho-more Sara Hester said. “Theyjust want their cereal.”

Further punishment of Phelpscame when the United StatesSwimming Association madethe decision to suspend Phelps

from competition for threemonths. Even though Michaeldid not violate anti-dopingrules, the Association bannedhim because they “decided tosend a strong message toMichael because he disap-pointed so many people,” theUSSA said.

Phelps, however, willnot be charged in acourt of law for theclearly illegal drug vi-olation.

“Celebrities have agreater chance of get-ting away with thesethings,” seniorSharetha Haynes saidwhen asked if the rea-son Phelps was notbeing charged wasthat he is anOlympian.

Although this has been ahighly publicized incident, thereis no indication that he will notbe allowed to attend the 2012Olympics. “This is a small inci-dent that will soon be forgot-ten,” senior Jake Gulledge said.

allyson agee

Dyersburg willsoon host anevent tentatively

called the Life Choices Ex-travaganza, to be held atFirst Christian Church onApril 25.

Including food, drama,live music and games, theExtravaganza will alsoserve to encourage teensto make good decisionsand to increase awarenessof local non-profit organi-zation Life Choices.

The theme of the eventis "Live. Choose." The en-tertainment and speakingwill be geared towardshowing teens the valueof making wise choices inorder to live a better life.The Extravaganza willserve to bring togetherteens from across the Dy-ersburg community forone night of fun, enter-tainment, fellowship andlearning.

The event is being al-most entirely producedby Life Choices’ teenagevolunteers, known as Jun-ior Ambassadors (severalof whom are DHS stu-dents). Details are still inthe works, but teens fromaround the communitywill be involved in speak-ing, skits, music and otherperformances. Collegestudents and churchyouth group leaders fromthe area will also be in-

volved."The goal in having this

event is to create positivepeer pressure and forteens to reach out to otherteens to encourage posi-tive choices. The JuniorAmbassadors want toshow others the impactthat their decisions haveon their life and future,hence the theme 'Live.Choose.' And the best partis that it will be tons offun!" Laura Waite, ClientServices Manager at LifeChoices, said.

“I’m looking forward toseeing local musiciansperform music that I likeand having a great timewith teenagers from allover Dyer County,” Lan-don Little, a Junior Am-bassador and DHSfreshman, said.

Life Choices is an organ-ization that provides freeand confidential help tothose facing pregnancy-related dilemmas, but thescope of the Life ChoicesExtravaganza will bemuch more broad, acces-sible and useful as well asfun for students of anybackground.

New volunteers are stillwelcome to help with theprogram; call Life Choicesat (731) 286-4673 to be-come involved.

will bumpas

4 Volume 41 TrojanTorchNewsIssue 5

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nPhoto emerges ofOlympian Phelps

Smoking Swimmer:Olympian Michael Phelpswill continue to swim com-petitively after a three-month suspension forsmoking marijuana.Photos courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

5TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5News

15 choir studentsgo to state

Seniors work their hard-est all year. They en-dure academic

challenges and the confusionof choosing a college or job.All of this hard work is re-warded with the famous sen-ior picnic, sponsored bysenior English teacherSuzanne Edwards and mathteacher Wanda Robertson.

The senior picnic has not al-ways been here to encouragestudents. Principal TomCross, Sr., originated a cook-out for seniors during fourthhour. This tradition contin-ued until English teacherSuzanne Edwards took overin 1987, expanding the cook-out to a half-day event in thestadium. Edwards added avariety of food and manyrecreation choices to the day.

Senior picnic activities ofthe past include everythingfrom live music to test driv-ing cars.

“One year, an Apache heli-copter came and studentscould look in it,” Edwardssaid.

“The rock wall is what Iwant to see,” senior BenJames said. The NationalGuard often brings their rockwall to challenge seniorswho are up for the task. Twovolleyball courts are usuallyset up, and seniors are al-lowed to bring sports itemssuch as soccer balls and foot-balls.

“If we can test drive cars,that will be the best part,”senior Anish Patel said.

“Senior picnic is one of myfavorite days of the year,”Edwards said.

Food is another famous fea-ture of the senior picnic.Math teacher Wanda Robert-

son has been in charge of thissection for almost twentyyears. The huge variety offood is one thing many sen-iors look forward to.

Numerous local restaurantsand businesses donate food,drinks, paper products andcondiments. A few foodsfrom past years includepizza, hotdogs, Pepsi prod-ucts, chips, doughnuts, bar-beque, hamburgers, cookies(made by our own cafeteriachefs) and dozens of otherchoices.

“The community has beengracious in providing foodfor the students,” Robertsonsaid. Three helpful organiza-tions that have consistentlydonated every year are BurksBeverages, Neil’s and the Dy-ersburg Police Department.In the past, Burk’s Beverageshas donated drinks, Neil’shas donated barbeque andthe Police Department hascooked the hotdogs andhamburgers for the picnic.

228 seniors will be eligiblefor this year’s picnic. The pic-nic usually takes place theday before seniors’ fourthnine week’s exams. Studentsmust not have any I’s to at-tend the picnic. Seniors at-tend first, second and thirdhour classes before being dis-missed to the stadium ateleven, where they remainuntil three.

The senior picnic is a relax-ing reward for seniors whohave been working hard allyear and for some teachers aswell.

“Our goal is for everyone tohave a great senior picnicthey will always remember,”Edwards said.

andrew legan

Looking forward tosenior picnic

Merry Music: Choir director Cooper Patterson and all of the choirsrecieve a standing ovation after a successful performance.

This year has been memorablefor anyone fortunate enough tobe involved in choir. The choir

students have always been successfulin sending students to All-West andAll-State competitions, with this yearas no exception.

“Singers have a responsibility to therest of the choir to learn parts, strate-gies and techniques. Hours of prac-tice arerequired,” sen-ior HollyOwens said.

This year, 15students wentto the All-Statechoir competi-tion, more thanDHS has hadin a long time.These studentswork hard toget to the levelof competitionthat they arein. All-Statersare Courtney Countess, HollyOwens, Price Whitnel, UrielHawkins, Becky Austin, BriannaClark, Marci Coleman, Patrick Heck-ethorn, Evan Jones, Anna Vandiver,Zach Little, Kyle Paschal, Rachel Hol-loway and Ian Hunt.

“To prepare for competitions, manyhours of practice and rehearsal areneeded,” freshman WhitneyReynolds said.

“Peer and teacher evaluations helpprepare you for competitions,” seniorBrianna Clark said.

“You have to practice your music alot to get placed in all of them,” juniorKadeem Riley said.

Choir has be-come an impor-tant part of DHS.In 1988, there were12 choir students.Today, choir hasgrown to 370 stu-dents in both thehigh school andmiddle school.

“I knew when Iwas a sophomorein high schoolthat I wanted tobe a choir direc-tor,” choir direc-tor Cooper

Patterson said. “Choir is very important to me. I’m

going to be a vocal music major atLambuth,” senior Evan Jones said.

mccord pagan

Photo by Mandy Yates

Photo courtesy of Cooper Patterson

Succesful Singing: Seniors Brianna Clark, Becky Austin, HollyOwens and Patrick Heckethorn takepride in making the All-state choir.

6 Volume 41 TrojanTorchNewsIssue 5

Photos by Anna Claire Bradshaw

High School to move to trimester schedulingHigh School to move to trimester scheduling

Deep in Study: Students yearly time insome classes will be affected by thetrimesters. Some classes, such as Dual andAP, will be 3 trimesters.

Helping Out: Makayla Flatt and ChelseaTaylor help each other with geometry class-work. Geometry will be 2 trimesters while ac-celerated geometry will be 3 trimesters.

Lending a Hand: Teresa Maxwell helps stu-dents with a challenging Algebra II problem.Algebra I will be 3 trimesters while Algebra IIwill be 2 trimesters.

For 65 years or more, DyersburgHigh School has been accustomedto the typical six-period day. With

the American Diploma Project and thestate increasing the high school gradua-tion requirements, DHS must makesome changes.

Trimesters are the alternative schedul-ing that will take place at the beginningof the 2009-2010 school year.

This trimester schedule is differentfrom the current schedule: instead ofhaving four nine-week grading periods,there will be three 12-week periods.With that change comes adjustments tothe normal school day. The idea is thatthere will only be five classes a day, andthey will each be 70 to 75 minutes long.Trimesters have more daily class timethan the six-period day but have lessclass time than a block schedule.

“We cannot go all year like we haveand still get everything we need to getdone done. If we still wanted to continuethe six-period day, we would have to goto school from seven to four to get stu-dents their needed courses to graduate,”assistant principal Jon Frye said.

“We visited a school in Michigan thatchanged their scheduling four or fivetimes. They adopted the trimester andhave had much success with it,” princi-pal Mickey Mahon said.

“Trimesters will offer students moreopportunities for success. This will givestudents more chances and time to mas-ter a subject,” superintendent LloydRamer said.

One of the advantages of trimesters isthat they will provide that flexibility forstudents to develop an individualizededucational plan that meets their needsfor the future.

Students will benefit greatly as far asacquiring needed courses for gradua-tion. This accelerated scheduling willbenefit above-average students by pro-viding extended time with dual and APclasses. Most of all, this new plan helpsthe average or below average student by

providing that extra space needed forclasses that are required for graduation.

“It will be good for students by gettingthose graduation required classes with-out a hassle,” senior Melvin Shaw said.

“Trimester scheduling has its goodsand bads. It will allow us to take moreclasses and get more credits. Plus stu-dents will be able to take classes theynever thought they would have room totake,” sophomore Hannah Austin said.

“It is going to be confusing having todeal with three different schedules. It isalso going to be hard to have to takeexams when we come back from breaksbecause I will have forgotten every-thing,” freshman K.K. Tate said.

“This (schedule) will benefit us all bygiving us extra opportunities to getthose needed credits plus extra elec-tives,” junior Avy Stansbury said.

Classes will be split up into two parts.Part A will be the first part of the courseand Part B will be the second part. Thesetwo parts do not have to be taken con-secutively. One interesting thing aboutthese AB classes is that part A can betaken the last trimester of one year butthen part B can be taken the beginningof the following school year. Also if astudent fails part of A of a class, he orshe can take part A again the followingtrimester.

Approximately one third of theschools in Michigan function on atrimester schedule. According toMahon, these schools have had muchsuccess with this program. The studentsat one of the smaller schools that localadministrators visited talked about howmuch they like the trimesters.

Dyersburg High School will be one oftwo schools in the state of Tennessee toadopt this form of scheduling.

“I like what we can do with this newschedule. It is flexible to work with, andit will allow more students to graduate,”Frye said.

anna claire bradshaw

One of two schools in Tennessee to implement innovative schedule

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This school year, the students of DHS have experiencedmany rule changes, which had little, if any, studentinput. As students we are expected to follow rules that

teachers, administrators and school board members deem ap-propriate, no questions asked, because our adult superiors onlycreate rule changes to better our education and make us safe,right? That question cannot be answered, but I believe that itis time that we, as students, start asking questions.

Why are students who did not feel well when they woke upsitting in the parking lot with a parent note waiting until thebell rings for their next class before entering the building? Whycan one student wear a hooded sweatshirt and others cannot?Why are the pocket books of student-led organizations such asStudent Council becoming dangerously empty?

The answer to all of those questions is that there is no studentvoice. Sure, there are opportunities for students to “have avoice,” with student council being an obvious organization thatshould provide that opportunity, but that organization’s voicehas become all but mute.

It is becoming more and more obvious that student councilexists only to put on school dances. Is this the fault of the stu-dents who serve on student council? Do they not care? Do theynot have an opinion? Of course they do, but they have no oneto address their opinions to. The very organization that provides every single “fun” oppor-

tunity for students is also under financial restraints because of

the new dress code. The council was unable to sell class t-shirts,and the shirts they were able to sell for homecoming and Miss DHS provided very little profit, in part because students whoactually follow the rules cannot wear them at school.

But the students are not completely innocent. Most studentscomplain about the dress code or the ISS policy, but that is allthat they do, simply complain about it to their friends. It is timethat the students of DHS become leaders. If you have a concernabout the well-being of our school, act on it.

First, address a faculty member about your concern, but thatdoes not mean stand up on top of your desk, screaming at thetop of your lungs. Actions like that are part of the reason ourrights are so constricted.If you want to be taken seriously, you MUST go about it in an

appropriate manner. No one, especially the administration orthe school board, will take you seriously unless you act like anadult. Sometimes the best way to get a point across is not topicket and protest but to assess the situation and address yourconcerns in a reasonable way.

The next step is to address your concern with the administra-tion. Again, no abrupt main office rampages are needed to solvethe problem. A simple office visit and the scheduling of a con-ference with a principal is all it takes for students to begin re-gaining their voice.

Some issues though are just too complicated or too important.For these concerns, the final step is the Dyersburg City SchoolsBoard of Education. It is simple: you or a parent pick up thephone and call your elected school board representative. (Do Ieven have to say it? Treat your school board members with re-spect or you will not get any in return.)

The solution to the problem is two-sided. First, studentsshould begin politely to address their concerns. Next, the ad-ministration and the school board should give students the op-portunity to voice their opinions. The logical thing to do wouldbe to allow selected student council members to be student-rep-resentatives to the school board for the sole purpose of givingopinions to the school board on issues that directly impact stu-dents, such as the dress code. Students could be a valuable re-source to the school board and superintendent.

Our recent problems with the dress code and the consistencyof consequences could be more effectively addressed by two-way communication between students and the adults leadingour school.

Matt Coker

Students can make a difference in school byvoicing their opinions to decision makers

Photo by Matt Coker

Being Heard: Students, especially upper classmen, should express their opinion to school administration and decision makers. The student voice needs to be considered.

10 Volume 41 TrojanTorchEditorialIssue 5

11TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5Editorial

Families across the nation arebeing adversely affected by theeconomic recession our nation is

currently experiencing. A multi-bil-lion dollar stimulus package has beenproposed by Congress to help rectifythis troubling situation. However, thispackage may not be effective in heal-ing our nation’s economic wounds.

First, the package includes newmoney for government spending witha focus on infrastructure, much likePresident Roosevelt’s New Deal.However, this is not an effective use ofthe stimulus money. There is no timefor a New Deal II; our nation needs re-lief immediately. A quick and effec-tive economic stimulus is needed tojolt the economy, and long-term proj-ects such as infrastructure improve-ment will not effectively change theconditions.

Also, tax cuts are proposed to giveconsumers more spending money.The consumer will have more moneyto spend, but just like infrastructure,there is no time for this slow process.This is not the best way to spend stim-ulus money.

Another method likely to fail is fed-

eral interest rate cuts. This method hasbeen effective in staving off economicwoes in the past. It gives borrowers amore favorable rate of interest. How-ever, banks are cutting back on loansfor reasons other than tax rates, so theproposed plan would be ineffective.

There are some bright spots in theeconomic stimulus plan. Expandingfood stamp and unemployment bene-fits and giving money directly to con-sumers and businesses would help theeconomy recover, provided the corpo-rations and individuals actually spendthe money, not save it. This is wherethe majority of the stimulus moneyshould be spent.

Our economic stimulus plan hasmany flaws. Despite these flaws, astimulus plan of some form MUST bepassed. Our government has to actnow, with a precise and effective stim-ulus package if we are to avoid a long-term financial crisis. Fundamentally,the stimulus package is imperfect, butthankfully, it contains some methodsthat will help bring our nation out ofrecession to become the global power-house we deserve to be.

william lay

Economic stimulus planto prove ineffective

Students abusetheir privilegesto take honors

classes

Students have lost the drive to succeed and to pushthemselves to their greatest potential. By sophomoreyear, many students drop out of the honors classes

they might be taking. While this is best for some and mayhelp a student’s GPA, many students are dropping honorsclasses because they do not wish to apply themselves.

On the other hand, many students are taking honorsclasses, AP classes and also dual credit classes without ap-preciating the opportunities they are given daily.

Students at Dyersburg High School are given academicopportunities for which we do not show appreciation. Weshow no appreciation for those teachers who teach thoseclasses, respect to our fellow classmates or thanks to ourfaculty and administration.

Our administration and faculty have gone to great lengthsto provide such learning opportunities; however, we abusethe learning opportunities. The value of these classes is soprecious to our future that if we take them for granted anddo not see how ‘honored’ we are to have them, we mightlose the opportunity to take honors classes one day.

Jaylin Gardner

Signing off: Vice President Joe Biden observes as President BarackObama signs off on the U.S.s newly approved stimulus package.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Photo by Jaylin Gardner

Students at work: Some students work hard totake advantage of opportunities, while others decideto to take a more laid-back approach to learning

12 Volume 41 TrojanTorchEditorialIssue 5

With the implementa-tion of the “Power ofI” policy, students can

make up all missed work for fullcredit regardless of whether the ab-sence is excused or not. This policyencourages students to miss school forpointless reasons and still avoid nega-tive repercussions.

Skippers carry around a colored piece ofpaper, which is supposed to embarrassthem.

Skippers bring the pointless, colored noteto their teachers, who leer at them disapprov-ingly, knowing that the note is the beginning ofmore work for the teacher, even though the skip-per just took the day off. The teachers now haveto create makeup work for the skipping students,work that will probably not be completed.

Obvious to everyone except the powers that be,absence from school no longer matters. Skippingschool at DHS carries no consequences. Stu-dents can just skip school once in awhile,take a break, relax and have fun. They de-

serve it. And when theycome

back,teachers can-

not punish them ortheir unexcused absence.

Skippers get an extra dayor week or month to do that

homework, take that quiz theymissed, and even make a 100, if

they complete it in a timely manner.So, in essence, unexcused absences do

not matter. Teachers have to give skipperstheir work. Teachers pay the price. Skippers

get a day off. Skippers get full credit. Studentswho come to school get the same diploma theskippers do.

So skippers, as long as you can avoid truancy,just do not come to school.

hannah chapman

Absences “excused”regardless of excuse

Is th

ere r

eally

a di

ffere

nce?

UNEXCUSED

EXCUSED

Photos by Hannah Chapman

Mill Ave.285-0485

Industrial Park287-4939

Parker Plaza287-4920

Mall Blvd.287-4917

120 North Mill Ave. Dyersburg, TN

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16 Volume 41 TrojanTorchFeaturesIssue 5

Everyone is an artist in one way or another.You do not have to major in your creativeinterest to enjoy it. Art is a form of express-

ing yourself. Look around and see what you dobest. You can learn interesting things about your-self. Many people do not view themselves as cre-ative, but dig deep and you might find that youare much more artistic than you think. Here arejust a few classmates w ho have discovered waysto express themselves and enjoy doing it.

jaylin gardner

“I find it hard to express myself in words—

so art is my substitute.”-Jayne Anne Wilkerson

“Music can invoke many different emotions.”-Ian Alley

“Beautiful scenes just make me happy, and I like to share that.”-Alex Jacobi

“It lets me be unique.”-Walt Carter

“It sounds good.”-Submerged

“Art is an escape from reality.”-Sara Hester

“Its my way of expressing myself.”-Micheal Singleton

Why

doyo

ulo

veart?

FF ee ll ll oo wwss tt uu dd ee nn tt ss

ee xx pp rr ee ss ss tt hh ee ii rr cc rr ee aa tt ii vv ii tt yy

Adam Ford

Brianna Clark

17TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5Features

What inspires you?

“Im inspired when I have a writing utensil and ablank piece of paper in front of me.” -Lizzie Lee

“My mood and expression for that day.”-Celina Martin

“The motive to be better.”-McKenzie Shankle

“The world around me and all the diversity found

in this wonderful creation; I feel there is a

greater force from God that inspires me.”-Adam Ford

“Nature and the beauty of the world inspire me.”-Walt Carter

“Anyone and everyone is an artist in some form. Its a matter

of tapping into your creativity and exploringyour place on this earth.”-Adam Ford

Lizzie Lee

Alex Jacobi

“Im inspired by everything.”-Brianna Clark

“My questions.”-Kemisha Thompson

FFeeaattuurreedd aarr tt iissttss

Jayne Anne Wilkerson

Ian Alley, Musician (Senior)Brianna Clark, Graphic Artist/Photographer (Senior)Adam Ford, Musician, Artist and Painter (Senior)Celina Martin, Artist (Senior)McKenzie Shankle, Musician (Senior)Micheal Singleton, Musician (Senior)Kemisha Thompson, Artist (Senior)Katelin Burns, Artist (Junior)Alex Jacobi, Photographer (Junior)Lizzie Lee, Artist and Musician (Junior)Jayne Anne Wilkerson, Photographer (Junior)Sara Hester, Artist (Sophomore)Walt Carter, Pencil Artist (Freshman)Submerged, Musicians (Ryan Joyner & Joseph Ball, Juniors; Adam Golden & Chris Sorrell, Seniors)

“I believe Im so incredibly passionate about music because its the universal sound that

brings the world together.”-Lizzie Lee

“Creating art is good for thesoul.”

-Katelin Burns


excelling in performing arts

Adam Ford :Adam Ford :

Q: What made you decide to join the band

program in middle school?

Adam:At first, I did not join band; I

joined about two weeks late. Everyone was carry-ing an instrument around, and I wanted one too.

Q: Who or what is your motivation to further

your education in music?

A: My motivation for furthering my education in

music is largely intrinsic. My motivation comes fromwithin. Dr. Gorman, my trumpet teacher for years,and the Grahams have also had a great influence onme to continue music.

Q: Where do you plan to attend college?

A: I plan to attend either the University of

Tennessee at Knoxville or Martin.

Q: What do you plan to major in? Minor in?

A: I plan to major in music education and possibly

minor in psychology.

Q: What is the accomplishment you are

proudest of?

A: There are many. One was making the

Interlochen Trumpet Institute and any time in anaudition or performance that I feel I did my verybest. I also enjoy teaching my section and studentsand seeing them understand.

Q: How many hours a day do you practice?

A: I try to practice at least two hours a day,

but it varies depending on the demands I have inrehearsals that day.

Q: What would you like to do with a degree in

music?

A: I would like to teach high school band or or-

chestra and eventually teach trumpet in college andperform in a professional orchestra.

Q: Do you have anything else you would like to

add?

A: I want to become a music educator to give

back to others what was given to me. Also, no matterwhat it may be, I think it is important for everyone tofind a passion, something they love, and seek itwhole-heartedly. In everything I do, I do it to glorifyGod because I feel he allows me to “do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens me.” Phillipians 4:13

Q: Who inspires you and your music?

A: Dr. Gorman, Mr. and Mrs. Graham and great

musicians like Phil Smith and Hakan Hardenbergerinspire me. As I make improvements in my playing, Igain inspiration from myself.

Q: How did you become so good?

A: My abilities are all gifts from God. I prac-

tice every day and have dedicated an incredibleamount of time to practicing. I take advantage ofevery opportunity presented to me from JacksonSymphony Youth Orchestra to Interlochen Sum-mer Camp for the Arts. I never settle for anythingbut my best. I do not care whether I win or lose aslong as I give it my all.

andrew ford

Photo submitted

20 Volume 41 TrojanTorchFeaturesIssue 5

Take off those pea coats and slip into yourfavorite shorts. Spring is here, and it isblossoming into a beautiful season for

fashion.“A popular color this spring is lemon-grass. It

was the color of Michelle Obama’s inauguraldress,” Jane Bradshaw, the local owner of CricketCorner, said.Colors are huge this spring. Look out a window

at the sky, grass and flowers. Let that reflect thecolors you choose. Have fun, and be bright withyour fashion.

“Yellow is my favorite spring color. It is a boldstatement to wear yellow: it is the perfect springcolor,” said senior Alli Purvis.The weather in the spring changes as fast as

fashion. It is always good to have a pair of rainboots handy. They are a cute way to bring colorand fun to an outfit. They come in all differentpatterns and colors. Rain boots are relativelycheap and can be found at Target for a greatprice.

“Peace necklaces are huge this spring. Thisyear marks the 50th anniversary of the peacesign, so they are everywhere,” Bradshaw said.Accessories are vital for everyone’s look this

spring. Do not overdo it though. Keep it simpleand classy. A headscarf or a pearl necklace is asimple way to add class to an outfit. Forever 21has a great line of accessories for a respectableprice.

“My favorite spring accessory this year will becute head wraps and sandals,” junior JayneAnne Wilkerson said.Boys, do not be shy with your fashion choices

this spring. Do not be ashamed to rock a brightpolo or wear a fluorescent tie. Fashion can be funfor you, too.

“Do not be afraid to express who you arethrough the way you dress; that is what I do,”said junior Tre Mosley. It’s time to release those winter blues and swing

into this spring’s fashion.savannah johnson

Blossom thisspring in fuschia,lavender, salmon

Photos by Savannah Johnson

From top to bottom:Tre Mosley,Sara Hester,Alli Purvis

Staying up late, waking up for school, sleeping in on week-ends and finding it hard to resist the temptation of a napin between characterize the lifestyle of an average

teenager. However, this lifestyle limits the amount of sleep stu-dents get during each week. Sleep is a vital necessity to thehuman body and mind.

According to www.nhlbi.nih.gov, the body carries out impor-tant tasks during sleep. Some parts of the brain increase activitydramatically, and the body produces more of certain hormones.Both are necessary for the mind and body to function normally.

Sleepiness because of chronic lack of sleep is a huge problemin the United States that affects children, adolescents andadults. When people get less sleep (even one hour less) thanthey need each night, they develop a “sleep debt.” If the debtbecomes too great, it can lead to problem sleepiness: sleepinessthat occurs when one should be awake and alert, that interfereswith daily routine and activities and that reduces ability tofunction.

Even if one does not feel sleepy, sleep debt can have an in-tense negative effect on daytime performance, thinking andmood. It can also cause one to fall asleep at inappropriate anddangerous times. Drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheelcause more than 100,000 car crashes each year.

According to www.sleepfoundation.org, skipping sleep can beharmful, even deadly, especially if one is behind the wheel, andcan cause one to look bad, feel moody and perform poorly.Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with friends and fam-ily, can hurt scores on school exams and can negatively affectathletic abilities on the court and on the field.

Biological sleep patterns tend to shift toward later times forsleeping and waking during adolescence. In other words, it isnatural for a teenager not to be able to fall asleep before 11:00

PM. Teens need about nine hoursof sleep (for some 8.5 is enough)per night. However, most do notget it. One study showed thatonly 15% of those tested weresleeping 8.5 hours on schoolnights.

There are several negative af-fects of teen sleep deprivation. Itmay limit one’s ability to learn,listen, concentrate and solveproblems and can also cause oneto forget important informationlike names, numbers, homework,or a date with a special someone.Also, it can lead to aggressive orinappropriate behavior, whichcould include yelling at friendsand being impatient with teach-ers or family members.

In addition, lack of sleep canlead to several physical health is-sues. For instance, it makes skin more prone to pimples, acneand other skin problems. Also, one may start to eat too much oreat unhealthy foods, such as sweets and fried foods that lead toweight gain. One may experience heightened effects of alcoholuse and start to use caffeine and nicotine more often.

Needless to say, sleep is vital to the well-being of the mindand body. It is as important to life as the air you breathe, thewater you drink and the food you eat. Sleep helps teens to eathealthier and handle the everyday stress of being a teen.

madison johnson

Lack of sleep takestoll on mind body

Photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.com

Sleeping In Class: Lack ofsleep may cause one to fallasleep at inappropriatetimes, like during class.

Sleeping and Driving: There aremore than 100,000 car crashescaused each year by drowsinessand falling asleep at the wheel.

Photo by Madison Johnson


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24 Volume 41 TrojanTorchSportsIssue 5

Band. Student Council. Key Club.National Honor Society. Shooting?Many students may know senior

Courtney Wells and that she has been in-volved with various high school activities,but many may not know that she has alsohad a successful shooting career.

Wells has been shooting since she wasten years old, but shooting was not heroriginal intent.

“I started training for hunting, and mydad heard about the shooting sports. So, Istarted competing,” Wells said.

She shoots with USA Shooting and doesInternational Olympic Trap. Since beingactive with competitions, she has beenable to travel to places like Colorado andwin several awards. For instance, Court-ney won 2nd place in the Ft. Benning PTOcompetition and 3rd place at the JuniorOlympic Development Camp. She enjoystraveling and making new memories.

“My favorite thing about shooting is

meeting the people because I get to travela lot,” Wells said.

Her success, however, requires hardwork. She practices various aspects ofshooting nearly every weekend.

“We run shooting drills, which is wherewe practice shooting a target at a certainangle consistently,” Wells said.

Courtney has no plans of ending hereight enjoyable years of the sport any timesoon.

“I plan to shoot until I can’t, which willprobably be when I’m old and decrepit,”Wells said.

She recommends shooting to everyoneand feels that it is an entertaining hobbyfor all.

“It doesn’t matter who you are; you canget into shooting. It’s a sport for everyonewhether you’re ten or like some I’ve seenwho are 80,” Wells said.

amber donaldson

The Dyersburg High School bowling team ended theirseason on a good note this year with the girls placingfourth and the boys finishing a little lower in sixth

place.“This year we had a great

group of kids,” coach JeffHartleroad said. “There werelots of groups you wouldn’texpect like cheerleaders, bas-ketball players, lots of vari-ety. I’m proud of how thisyear turned out.”

“Bowling team isn’t as com-petitive as your othersports,” senior ZachHartleroad said. “One of thebest tips I can give is to staylaid back and have fun. I’m

going to miss a lot of the new people I met this year.”“My most memorable experience from bowling team is

beating someone for the first time,” junior Sara Frye said.Out of the 16 games this season, thegirls won 12 and the boys won 2.

“All and all it was a very excitingseason for the Trojan bowling team,and it’s always welcoming and fun tosee fresh new faces,” Coach Hal-teroad said.

“If you really like bowling, I wouldmost definitley recommend the bowl-ing team,” said junior Jonathan New-man. “It’s fun to share a hobby youhave with people you really haven’tmet before,” Newman said.

victoria kirgis

Wells shoots her way into new accom-plishments, memories, friendships

Bowling team ends season on a good note

Photo by Victoria Kirgis

Photo courtesy Tonya Wells

Taking Aim: Courtney Wellsprepares to take a shot duringa shooting competition.

Bel-Aire Lanes: The building where home gamesfor the bowling team are played.

25TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5Sports

The new tennis season has arrived and with it,many new changes. This year the team has anew coach, new players and new possibilities.

Replacing Coach Durbin is Coach Mark Schneider.“I enjoy tennis and have played my whole life,”

Schneider said.Not only has Schneider played in both high school

and college, he has also coached tennis at anotherschool.

Along with a new coach, the team has gained newplayers who enjoy the sport.

“It is fun to play, and it is independent,” sophomoreMarilyn Muñoz said.

Last year proved to be a successful year for the ten-nis team. The team ended their season by being thedistrict champions in Boys Team, Boys Doubles, andGirls Doubles. Expectations are high for the new sea-son.

“I hope to win my third straight district champi-onship, and hopefully make state,” senior Tallon Scottsaid.

Since the middle of February, the team has beenpreparing for the new season. Afternoons have beenspent doing drill work and playing mini-practicegames.

The first game is at home against Union City onMarch 9th. Home matches are played at the commu-

nity center.Coach Schneider’s wishes for the team and the new

season are to go out and enjoy the season, get betterand have as much fun as possible.

hunter todd

With the beginning of spring and the promise of suc-cess in the air comes the birth of another track sea-son for the Trojans. With several regional and

sectional titles under their belt, the future of this year is look-ing up.

Runners and coaches alike have high hopes for the upcom-ing season. New boys’coach Burt Snow is look-ing for regional titles onboth the girls’ and boys’teams as well as a sec-tional and state champi-onship.

“[We hope] to win ourfourth straight regional,qualify many to stateand Jessica Light to winshotput at the state meetagain,” coach Amy Beck-ley said.

“Our goals for this sea-son are to get more peo-ple to the statechampionship, win ateam championship andestablish a better track

program,” senior Justin Whitfield said.Both Whitfield and senior Jessica Light won first place at the

state championship last year in the 400-meter dash and theshotput respectively.

The Trojan Track team has been conditioning to prepare forthe upcoming season since December. In addition to teamtraining, many members have also been preparing individu-ally.

“I am training at practice and anytime I can on my own,”senior Sara Beth Byars said.

“I am eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and buildingup my leg muscles,” sophomore Bria Taylor said.

Unfortunately, as with anything that is worth achieving,there are obstacles to overcome. Many inexperienced runnershave joined the team this year, but they seem to show signif-icant promise.

“We have quite a few good freshmen,” Beckley said.“We lost some good runners for track from last year, but

with hard work we can fill their spots,” senior Tallon Scottsaid.

“I think everyone likes winning, so I try to help the inexpe-rienced runners and make them better,” Whitfield said.

With a great deal of heart and determination, the Trojantrack team exhibits much enthusiasm about the road ahead.

“We’re a young squad with big dreams,” Taylor said. madison johnson

Star athletes hope to defend state title

New

coa

ch le

ads

tenn

is te

am

Photo by Hunter Todd

Photo by Madison JohnsonSprinting to the Finish: JustinWhitfield flies across the finish.

Eye on the Ball: Tallon Scott begins prepara-tion for the upcoming season.

26 Volume 41 TrojanTorchSportsIssue 5

“We have got spirit. Yeswe do.” Trojan fansshow their school

spirit on and off the court. The un-sung heroes of this spirit are

the cheer and dancesquads.

Whether it is leadingthe students in a cheeror a dance routine dur-ing halftime, the cheer-

leaders do their best tokeep the crowd pumped.

Cheerleading is broken upinto two squads: football and

basketball. Tryouts for bothsquads are on March 18th, 19th and

20th at one o’clock in the gym. During tryouts, girls aretested on their cheers, jumps, gymnastics and spirit.

“My advice for incoming freshmen is to be sharp with theirmotions, and be really loud. Have a good time at tryouts, anddo not stress out about it too much,” junior football cheer-leader Avy Stansbury said.

Both squads practice on average two or three times a weekdoing stunts, going over cheers and practicing dances.

Cheer camp will be this summer at Arkansas State. “My fa-vorite cheer memories are at cheer camp,” sophomore bas-ketball cheerleader Cara Williams said.

“My favorite memory was at cheer camp this year. Oursquad won the banana, which was a huge deal and was apersonal goal since we have never won it before,” seniorfootball cheerleader Alli Purvis said.

“It was a great season. The girls were a joy to be around,”sponsor Kristi Luckett said.

“I will miss the thrill of running outon the football field before

cheering at the game. It wasjust a rush,” Purvis said.

“My goals for next yearare to make the squadand improve from thisyear,” freshman LilyMurray said.

The dance team hypesup the crowd during half-

time of the boys’ and girls’basketball games. With ener-

getic and eye-catching routines, the

dance team brings the crowd to theirfeet. This year’s squad consists of eight sen-iors, two sophomores and four freshmen.

The dance team will be trying out during April.During tryouts, dancers will be judged on how they executea newly-learned dance as well as turns and jumps. There isa panel of judges from around the area who judge how welleach dancer performs.

“My advice to incoming freshmen is to have a lot of confi-dence. Do your best and don’t give up,” sophomore JuliaSeaton said.

“It is a great way to have a great support group. If you arewilling to give 110% and can dance, you should try out,”sponsor Marcia Van Sant said.

This summer the dance team will attend dance camp inNashville.

To ensure a successful performance, the dance team meetsthree times a week throughout the year to practice. Practicestake place from 3:30 to 5:30 in the Hillcrest Baptist Churchgymnasium. During practice, the team learns and perfectsdances, while also bonding with each other.

“No one can believe how much workthere is to be on a dance team. Thegirls have to be dedicated, tal-ented and be able to work to-gether. It is an athletic sportthat has to look pretty, butmy girls do it beautifully,”Van Sant said.

The team comes up withdances to popular songs thatthe students will enjoy, but thesongs also have to be somethingthat the parents will approve of. Thedances involve intricate moves along withturns and head-turning formations.

“This year by far was the best and my favorite year ofdance. We had good dances and fun people on the team,”senior Whitney Van Sant said.

“This year was great. The girls on the dance team were likefamily,” freshman Bailey Tidwell said.

“What I will miss the most about dance is performing; Ilove to perform and get the crowd involved. I love to dance,and I will never stop,” senior Brittany Leonard said.

“Join the dance team,” senior Deana Mallard said.mandy yates

Photo courtesy of VictorPike

Photo courtesy of Whitney Va

n Sant

Photo courtesy of KristenKerr

Top left picture features football cheerleaders Katie Clark and Kendra Taylor. Middle right picture features the DHS dance team members Julia Seaton, Faith Davis, Bailey Tidwell,Brittany Leondard, Kaitlyn Turney, Hannah Caylor, Madison Hinkel, Kayla Wright, Caitlyn Beams, Whitney Van Sant, Kayla Spoon, Jordan Gunn, Deanna Mallard and HannahChapman. Bottom left picture features basketball cheerleading seniors Becca Gutherie, McKenzie Shannkle, Kristen Kerr, Madison Johnson and Kirsten Farrer.

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The Big Bang Theory:

with nerdy humor,scientific witLeonard: So, tell us about

you.

Penny: Um, me? Okay - I'm aSagittarius, which probably tellsyou way more than you need toknow.

Sheldon: Yes - It tells us that youparticipate in the mass culturaldelusion that the sun's apparentposition relative to arbitrarily de-fined constellations at the time ofyour birth somehow affects yourpersonality.

Penny: [stares at Sheldon inutter confusion] Participateinthe-what?

Leonard: [scrambling to saveface] I think what Sheldon is try-ing to say is that Sagittariuswouldn't have been our firstguess.

Penny: Oh, yeah, a lot of peoplethink I'm a water sign.

So goes typical dialogue inCBS’s hit series The Big Bang The-ory. The show, which is currentlyin its second season, centers upontwo socially awkward but bril-liant physicists/roommatesLeonard Hofstadter and SheldonCooper. When a pretty aspiringactress, and for now waitress atthe Cheesecake Factory, Penny,moves into the apartment acrossthe hall, they soon find out howlittle they know about human in-teraction. From a plot like this,one could not expect to findmuch more that a mediocre sit-

com with a short life span. But theshow proves to exceed its expec-tations by its hilarious scienceand nerd related humor and thequirky characters who bring it tolife.

First there is Leonard, a kind butawkward experimental physicistwho is hopelessly infatuated withPenny. Penny provides the “aver-age girl” comic foil to the guys’“dysfunctional genius.”

Leonard’s roommate Sheldon isa wunderkind (he entered collegeafter completing the fifth grade)whose ego is just as big as hisbrain. What he has in intelligencehe lacks in social skills. He cannotunderstand everyone else’s need

for human contact and is fre-quently confused by sarcasm.Sheldon is a highly logical personand is a creature of habit to thepoint of being OCD.

All these things make Sheldonthe funniest and most complexcharacter on the show, often de-livering the best lines with perfectcomedic timing.

They have two friends, HowardWolowitz and Rajesh Koothrap-pali, also scientists, who workwith them at Caltech. Wolowitz isa Jewish engineer who thinks heis a suave ladies’ man, but alwaysends up being rejected, especiallyby Penny. Rajesh, or Raj, who is aphysicist from India, is just as un-

successful with the ladies, butonly because he cannot talk tothem, at least not when he issober.

The best part of the show is thescience/nerd-related humor. Theshow even has a scientist, DavidSaltzberg, a professor of physicsand astronomy at the Universityof California, Los Angeles, tocheck the jokes and references toscience to make sure they are ac-curate. The show has definitely found a

niche among geeks, whether theyare physicists, sci-fi enthusiasts orboth. Even though some of thejokes are obviously funnier if theviewer is in the know, such as thetime when the four friends play“Klingon Boggle” or when Shel-don dresses up as a visual repre-sentation of the Doppler effect forHalloween and no-one else un-derstands, “Hint, nnneeeoooow,”the majority of the humor can beappreciated by almost anyone liv-ing in the technological era.

Overall, I highly recommendThe Big Bang Theory to anyone.Whether they love science or sci-ence fiction, or just a good sitcom,The Big Bang Theory is highly en-joyable. It combines quirkyhumor and lovable characters toproduce a hit show.patrick heckethorn

28 Volume 41 TrojanTorchEntertainmentIssue 5

Friends and Mu Shu: The gang gathers at Sheldon andLeonards apartment for their weekly dinner of Chinese food.

EXPLODINGEXPLODING

Photo courtesy of CBS.com

Photo courtesy of CBS.com

What happens when two al-ready-famous musicians gettogether? Incredible music is

born. So is the situation with Fiction Fam-ily, a duo of Switchfoot's Jon Foreman andNickel Creek's Sean Watkins. Their firstrelease album came out in January andcontains an assortment of intriguingmelodies.

One song, “Out of Order,” contains a va-riety of acoustic-type sounds that cometogether to create an interesting song.Even the lyrics seem placed together in anabstract way, as to create something that'sout of order. The dissonance rings in linessuch as “I've been lonely too long,” but re-solves in other areas of the song.

“Please Don't Call it Love” also has aninteresting mood and sound. It starts outsounding like a tragedy with violins andends with a huge arrangement of soundsas if an epiphany has been reached. It is aretrospective description of an unrequitedlove and ends by saying “Truth finds timesweet enough; please don't call it love.”

“Elements Combined” is a song thatstarts out with rich guitar and piano com-binations. It describes a person, saying“You are elements combined, earth, air,fire, wine,” and ends saying, “Somedayyou'll be mine.”

“When She's Near,” is a love song. Itsays, “When she's near, the new year'shere, and there's not a resolution that Ican't do” to show how this person's lovemakes all things possible. It also talks ofhow this love is scary and how the personis “waiting for the day when love's nolonger blind.”

These are just a few of the amazingsongs on this album, and fans of Jon Fore-man's EPs, Switchfoot, Nickel Creek, orsimply any listener could enjoy and ap-preciate this album.

alex jacobi

29TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5Entertainment

What exactly is a Blu-rayplayer? Why does itcost more than a DVD

player? Is it really worth all theextra expense?

A Blu-ray player is much like aDVD player but has some advan-tages. Blu-ray discs look just like aDVD, but are a more advancedtechnology, allowing for greatervideo capabilities.

A single Blu-ray disc can hold upto 50 gigabytes. This is a hugeamount for such a small disk. Anormal DVD only holds five giga-bytes.

The reason Blu-ray discs canhold so muchmore data thana DVD is theBlu- ray discsare made witha high-inten-sity laser. Thisblue laser has aw a v e l e n g t hthat allowsmore informa-tion to beburned into aBlu-ray disc.

All of this space seems great, butnormal movies only take a few gi-gabytes on a disc. The differencewith Blu-ray is the format inwhich the movies are played.

HDTV is becoming an everydayword in television talk. This for-mat of television and movies al-lows for a higher resolutionpicture on every television.

The catch is that, to really feel themajor effects of HDTV, a newertelevision with HD capabilities isneeded.

While 40-inch plasma screen tel-evisions are growing cheaper andmore abundant, not everyone can

tell the major benefits.The best way to get the most out

of a new flat screen TV is to hooka Blu-ray player to it. Blu-rayplayers bring high definitionmovies to your home theater andare well-worth the extra cost.

Blu-ray player prices are spiral-ing downward; a well-equippedmodel can be purchased for lessthan 300 dollars. Blu-ray moviescan be found for anywhere from20 dollars to 60 dollars.

The player seems reasonable butbuying a movie for 60 dollars doesnot. Luckily, movies can be easilyrented from most movie rental

stores for only afew dollarsmore thanDVD’s.

“We rent Blu-ray moviesfrom Hastingsall the time,”senior WilliamLay said.

The majorquestion manypeople askwhen coming

across Blu-ray is whether it is re-ally worth it. If one were to buy anewer TV with HD capabilities,the answer is yes. If your TV set isyour grandmother’s hand-me-down, then keep popping in thoseVHS tapes and enjoy.

If there is still a doubt about Blu-ray, go to the nearest Best Buy andcheck out one of their Blu-ray dis-plays. The quality is amazing anddoesn’t hurt the wallet too much.

james guttery

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alb

umMovie quality that is

better than the theater

Look at This: Blu-ray discs displaybetter quality than DVD playersand offer more data space.

Photo by Alex JacobiPhoto by Alex Jacobi

Tyler Perry, betterknown as the infamousMaple Simmons

(Madea), has brought morethan 70 million to the box of-fice with Diary of a Mad BlackWoman (2005) and his latestfilm Madea Goes to Jail (2009).

Madea Goes to Jail, itself,brought in Lionsgate's biggestproduct with 41.1 million itsopening weekend hittingnumber one at the box of-fice. Although Perry'sworks usually stay onthe lighter side,Madea Goes to Jail

brought in several serious moments. Con-flicts involving prostitution, drugs andlying all hit home in this movie.

Joshua Hardaway (Derek Luke) is aprofessional lawyer engaged to bemarried to a fellow co-worker, Linda(Ion Overman). When a case for a for-mer friend "Candy" (Keisha KnightPulliam) gets in the way of Joshuaand Linda's engagement, things getout of hand leaving everyone withquestions.

Meanwhile, Madea is in troublewith the law once again. WhenMadea gets into a car chase and issent to court, the results are notwhat Madea had in mind. With jailtime and anger managementclasses, the adventures of Madeawill have viewers laughing fromstart to finish. Guest appearancesfrom Dr. Phil and Judge Greg Mathisreally bring this movie to its top poten-tial. Bonds between “Candy” andMadea show how one can get past thehard times in life and make people realizeno one is perfect. True love will take its tolland the "getters will dun get got" making thismovie one of Perry's top performances.

Madea's troubles are funnier than ever and thestory line will keep viewers on their toes. A littlemore Madea could have been used to make this movieperfect, but for all Madea lovers, this movie is a must see.

emma caylor

Photos courtesy of www.rottentomatoes.com

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Madea Goes to Jailhits number one

at box office

Coraline brings back thebeauty of stop-motion film andcaptivates all ages. Henry Selick,

also the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, restores adying art form and creates a fantasy world like no other. Coraline,

based on the creepy fairy tale of the same name written by Neil Gaiman,is a wonderful change from common animation.Meet Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning): an unhappy little girl who is uprooted

from her home to rainy Oregon and is ignored by her parents. While trying to findways to occupy herself, she meets her odd neighbors, former actresses Miss Spink

(Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French) and Russian acrobat Mr. Bobinsky(Ian McShane), who trains a mouse circus. She also has the mishap of running into Wybie

Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.), the annoying neighbor kid and grandson of the Pink Palace owner,who finds a doll that strangely looks exactly like Coraline and continually stalks her throughout

the movie.Out of boredom, she explores her new home at the Pink Palace and discovers a small door that has

been wallpapered over. After it is unlocked, she finds that the mysterious door leads to an alternateworld where everyone has button eyes and “other” parents. This world seems similar to the originalone, except everyone will do anything to impress her, especially her Other Mother (Teri Hatcher). Cora-line sees this world as a dream come true, until she realizes not everything is as it seems.

Her Other Mother seems to control everything, even going as far as to making Other Wybie a mute toplease Coraline. When Coraline is told that she has to have buttons sewn into her eyes to stay in this al-ternate world, she realizes she is in over her head. From the help of Wybie’s cat, who also crosses worldsand can talk in the alternate one, she comes to realize how much danger she really is in; “You probablythink this world is a dream come true... but you're wrong,” says the Cat. This statement brings Cora-line’s dreams of a fantasy world of magic gardens and trumpeting mice to a halt. The responsibilityof saving not only her own life, but also those of children long gone and her real parents, rests onher shoulders. Coraline partakes in the game of her life.

This masterpiece truly captures the viewer’s attention, especially in the alternate world. Froma gorgeously blooming garden in the shape of Coraline’s head to freaky visions of the ever-

changing Other Mother, the visuals do not disappoint. Watching Coraline in 3-D does notoverwhelm the viewer; it only makes the movie more lifelike, which draws the audi-

ence into this dark fairy tale.However, the plot seems drawn out at points, especially in the beginning.

Coraline is a must-see and is appropriate for all ages except for youngchildren, who might have nightmares afterwards. I give Coraline four

and three-quarters out of five stars.kaitlyn turney

Artofstop

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inCora

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30 Volume 41 TrojanTorchEntertainmentIssue 5

31TrojanTorch Volume 41 Issue 5Entertainment

Java Café hosts a warm, cozy at-mosphere, conducive to sippingon a hot cup of coffee--and eating

a “Fricken” sandwich. Dyersburg’slocal coffeehouse is now selling home-made food in addition to the home-made ice cream and pies it haspreviously sold. But how does all thisfood taste?

Since the food is homemade, it allhas the hearty tastes one can expectwhen going to a family reunion. Theportions are undersized for their price,but the laid-back atmosphere andscrumptious tastes make up for it.

One difference in the old Java (nofood) and the new sandwich parlorJava is the aroma. The place used tosmell only of coffee. Now it smells ofcoffee with fried food, which detractsfrom the atmosphere.

Along with the good tastes, thebaristas (now converted sandwichartists) are friendly and personable,yet professional. This service is onereason for the many Java devotees. All in all, the Java Café is still a chill

place to hang. The Café still has freewi-fi, so it is nice to enjoy the coffee,food and Internet all in one package. Igive it an all around rating of ****.Vegetable Stew- ***(*/2)-$4.50- Thisstew is thick and anything but bland.It includes chicken, celery, carrots,corn and many other vegetables. Witha little salt and pepper, this stew isgood to go.Roast Beef & Swiss Cheese- ****(*/2)-$5.00 This sandwich is a filling sand-wich. It is similar to a deli sandwichfrom the market. The kicker in thissandwich is the delicious honey mus-tard horseradish dressing.“Fricken” Sandwich- *****-$6.00- Thisis a grilled chicken sandwich with twofried pickles, ranch dressing and trim-mings on top. It is the most filling dishon the menu. I recommend it to all.Tuna Salad Sandwich-***(*/2)-$5.00-Normally, with the mention of tuna,

people’s faces cringe. It should not bethe case with this tuna salad. The tunasalad is full of flavor and a delicious,healthy meal.Grilled Chicken Salad-**(*/2)-$6.00-This was a good salad, but there arefast food joints with larger salads fora significantly lower amount.Chicken Salad on a croissant roll-***-$5.50- This chicken salad was a goodalternative for the tuna salad sand-wich if you do not like fish. PB&J-**-$3.00- It is not worth itsweight in dollar bills. Three dollars fora sandwich that could be made easilyat home is not worth it. My suggestionwould be to get a bagel with peanutbutter instead.Grilled Cheese-**-$3.00- This one isanother disappointing sandwich. Thelack of cheese left my mouth dry. Iwould much rather have a grilledcheese made with Velveeta instead ofColby jack.Ham and Cheese-**-$5.00- This sand-wich is small for its price. The home-made honey mustard dressing is tasty,but it does not qualify this sandwichfor three stars.Hammer’s Homemade Chili-***-$4.50- This chili is semi-spicy and in-credibly hearty. My suggestion wouldbe to get a side cup instead of a fullorder. Baked Potato Salad-****-$1.50- Thisside item is the unknown jewel of themenu. It tastes like a savory, chunkydish of twice-baked potatoes. It isserved cold, but I recommend askingfor it to be warmed up.Chocolate Chess Pie-****-$3.00- This isa definite favorite of the public. It istremendously rich, so be preparedwith a mild drink.Birthday Cake ice cream-*****-$2.50-This is the most purchased-ice cream,and rightfully so. It is comparable toother birthday batter ice creams at topice cream parlors.

david grueser

Java brings in business with new food selections

Photos by David Grueser

Q: What made you interested inthe medical field?A: Its not boring; its always achallenge. I get to help people.Q: What is one dream you havefor your children?A: Ireally just want them to behappy and follow theirdreams.Q: Where did you go to school?A: Lebanon, then Beirut, thenLebonize University. Q: What is your favorite color?A: Aqua blue, but it changes.Q: What is one thing you haveaccomplished you never thoughtyou would?A: I learned to ice skate!Q: Where is a place you wouldlike to travel?A: All over the world like

Europe and Australia.Q: What is your favorite season?A: Spring; it reminds me ofhome.Q: What is one thing you appre-ciate about Dyersburg?A: I am very grateful for thepeople.Q: What do you love about yourjob?A: Ijust love those kids.Q: Books or music?A: Music definitely. I dont likereading.Q: What advice would you giveto high school students?A: Know what you want.Learn how to study and youcan do whatever you want.Have a good time; those arethe best days.

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FFA West TN Skills atHaywood Co.

Softball at Ripley at 4:30

Track Meet at Home

Baseball at JCSat 8

Softball at Union Cityat 4:30

Exams(3 & 6)

Baseball at Homeat 6:30

Exams (1 & 4)

Baseball at GibsonSoccer at HomeTrack at Home

Softball at Homevs. Halls at 4:30Baseball at JNS

at 6

March and AprilSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

MonaChoueiry,M.D. is a

pediatrician inDyersburg.

She has madea very positive

impact.Here is a

quick Q and A to

become familiar withthis member

of our community.

Band SpringConcert at 2

Soccer at BrightonBaseball at MartinFCCLAConference

Report Cards!Project Grad. Meeting

Softball at Homevs. Dyer Co.

Track at USJSoftball at HomeSoccer at Home

Baseball at HomeEaster Slam

Baseball at HomeEaster SlamGood FridayNo Classes!

Baseball at Bonifay, Florida

Photos by Alex Jacobi

Softball at Brightonat 4:30

Baseball at Chipley, Florida

Baseball at HumboldtSoccer at HomeSoftball at Halls

SPRING BREAKBEGINS

Baseball at Bonifay, FloridaSoccer at Freed

HardemanSoftball at Home

Baseball at Homevs. So. Pemiscot

at 6

Back to SchoolBaseball at HomeSoftball at Milan

Softball at Covington

Baseball at USA Stadium

Softball at Dyer Co.Soccer at TrentonBaseball at Home

BandSolo & Ensemble

CommSpot

Baseball at HomeEaster Slam

Track at Marshal Co.

Daylight SavingsDECA State Competition

Baseball at Trinity Christian at 4FFA District SkillsBasketball Banquet

at 6:30

Baseball at Dyer Co.Soccer at JacksonTrack Meet at Home

PROMSoftball at Covington


ACT at 8

Baseball at Libertyat 12

Softball at Munfordat 11

State FFA Convention

at Gatlinburg


Track Meet at HomeSoftball at Crockett

Soccer at HomeMaking College

Count

Exams(2 & 5)

Schools out at 11

issue 5 08-09

Documents

student council needs

student body

editor letters

future student council

calendar of upcoming

libelous content

theschool year

year hashad