issue 5 10-11

Fun Fact of the Issue:Fun Fact of the Issue:

Coca-Cola is green untilCoca-Cola is green untilthey dye it with foodthey dye it with food

coloring.coloring.

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

21News

Editorials

Features

Sports

Entertainment

p. 3

p. 8

p. 12

p. 18

p. 20

National Day of Silence, Jon Frye............................................................................3Eating Disorders.......................................................................................................4Gas Prices............................................................................................................7School Does Not Listen................................................................................................8Other Sports Classes.............................................................................................9Letter to the Editors, Follow-up..........................................................................10Valedictorian..................................................................................................11Shoe4Africa..........................................................................................................12Student/Teacher Quiz...............................................................................................16Yemen Food........................................................................................................17NFL Labor Issues................................................................................................18Lupe Fiasco........................................................................................................20Memphis in May, iPad 2.......................................................................................21Rango...........................................................................................................22

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Contents

EditorsEmma Caylor

Savannah JohnsonAndrew LeganMcCord Pagan Ginny RoperHunter Todd

Section EditorsNic Berry- News

Sean Stapleton- OpinionLauren Brooks- Features

Chris Wagner- SportsWalt Carter- Design Assistant

Business ManagerHunter Todd

Photography ManagerJill Vondy

Production ManagerChris Wagner

Circulation ManagerShelby Andrews

ReportersAubrey Andrews

Mary Elizabeth HamiltonCorena HasselleBasmiah Homran

Anna HornKatherine Keller

Victoria NoeLauran OldsHunter Perry

Shelby PleasantJean TurnboMaria YousufYuki Zhang

AdvisorsSuzanne Edwards

Laura Wright

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

Trojan

3TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5News

Emma CaylorEditor

With the retirement of principal MickeyMahon this year, DHS recently announcedthe principal for the 2011-2012 school year

to be Jon Frye. Frye previously held the posi-tion of assistant principal and athletic direc-tor. Frye is excited about moving on to thenext step and seeing how DHS can im-prove.

“The exciting part of school is seeingyoung people grow into young adults. It is

very fulfilling to help people accomplish sig-nificant things in their life,” Frye said.

Frye is already looking to make positivechanges at DHS. Starting in April, Frye plans tomeet with the faculty, advisory boards and stu-dent groups to understand changes they feelshould be made. These changes may be madeaccording to the requests from these meetings.

“Changes should help reach ultimate schoolgoals as defined by community, staff and stu-dents,” Frye said. Frye is taking others opinions seriously. A sur-

vey conducted by the Dyersburg City Schoolssystem showed weaknesses in the consistency ofour school’s disciplinary plan. Another weakness

shown was that some groups are struggling academically. Frye plansto attempt to fix these problems and strive for excellence.

“I am concerned that we provide the support and resources to help

teachers help students achieve,” Frye said.There are some things, however, Frye feels are already working.

“(DHS has) excellent community support, knowledgeable faculty andgenerally good facilities. Students have shown a commitment to workfor the betterment of their organizations at DHS, and I hope they havethat commitment for the school at large,” Frye said.

Taking over a head role can be intimidating, but Frye feels he is pre-pared for the job. “I think we learn best by doing, and I feel experiencehas been a great teacher for me. Being in administration for severalyears has allowed me to experience success and failure, my own andothers,” Frye said.

Frye is working to make DHS a better place. “Whatever we do, itshould be available to all, beneficial to the individual and the schoolmission, and it should be done well.”

Elizabeth HamiltonReporter

Talking is something a lot ofteenagers like to do. But whatwould happen if for just one

day, the halls of high school weresilent?

On April 15 students all over thecountry, as well as all over the world,will be taking an oath of silence tobring attention to bullying inschools.

The first day of silence was fifteenyears ago at the University of Vir-ginia. It was started by a small groupof students as part of a peacefulprotest project. Today every year onthe designated day of silence, hun-dreds of thousands of students fromover 8,000 schools across the countryparticipate.

Important information for anyonewishing to participate is that stu-

dents have a right to participate onbreaks and outside the classroom;however, students DO NOT havethe right to refuse to talk in class ifthe teacher asks a question orprompts students to speak. It is ad-vised for students who wish to par-ticipate to speak to their teachersbefore the day of silence and ask if itwould be all right to refrain fromspeaking.

Additionally, many people organ-ize group vigils and other cere-monies at the end of the day in orderto, “break the silence.” This opportu-nity is used to speak about what youexperience throughout the day.

Day of silence is a way to bring at-tention to school bullying which isbecoming a major issue throughoutthe country. Perhaps, through the si-lence of the students, the voices ofthe bullied will be heard.

Community input important to new principal Jon Frye

Let your voice be heard: Day of Silence

Speaking Out: This shirt demonstrates that actions cansometimes speak louder than words.

Photos by Emma Caylor

Photo from smilepolitely.com

Working Hard: New principal Jon Frye is already makingplans for his new position and the upcoming school year.

4 Volume 43 TrojanTorchNewsIssue 5

Shelby PleasantReporter

Eating disorders are a problem in the United States. As many as ten million females and one million males are fighting a life-and-deathbattle with an eating disorder. Because of the secretiveness and shame associated with eating disorders, many cases are not reported.Many individuals struggle with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Statistics show that 80% of American

women are not satisfied with their appearance. The most common element of any eating disorder is the presence of a low self-esteem.

Anorexia NervosaThose suffering from anorexia nervosa usually have a low self-

esteem and often a tremendous need to control their surround-ings and emotions. Sufferers may be sensitive about beingperceived as fat, or have an excessive fear of becoming fat.With a low self-esteem and need for acceptance, they will turnto obsessive dieting and starvation as a way to control not onlytheir weight, but their feelings and actions. Some may also feelthat they do not deserve pleasure out of life and will deprivethemselves of situations offering pleasure, even including eat-ing.

Some of the behavioral signs for anorexia can be obsessiveexercise, starvation and restriction of food, the use of diet pillsto attempt controlling weight and a constant concern withbody image.

However, these symptoms alone do not mean a person isanorexic. Often, someone suffering from this illness will con-tinue eating but just eat a bunch of "empty calories." Thesefoods could include celery, cantaloupe and honeydew.

Compulsive OvereatingPeople suffering with compulsive overeating have what is characterized

as an "addiction" to food, using food and eating as a way to hide from theiremotions, to fill a void they feel inside and to cope with daily stresses andproblems in their lives. People with this disorder are generally overweightand are usually aware that their eating habits are abnormal, but find littlecomfort because of society's tendency to stereotype the "overweight" per-son. A person suffering as a compulsive overeater is at health risk for a heartattack, high blood pressure and cholesterol, kidney disease and/or failureand stroke. People suffering from this disorder normally feel guilt for notbeing "good enough" and shame for being overweight, and they generallyhave low self-esteem. They use food and eating to help cope with thesefeelings, which only leads to these feelings intensifying.

Eating DisordersNo school is exempt

“Beauty issubjective...everyone isbeautiful in their own

way.” - Anonymous

Struggling: Those who struggle from an eating disorder have anobsession with their size and with tape measures.

Photos from deviantart.com


Bulimia NervosaMen and women who live with bu-

limia will go through binge and purgeepisodes. They will eat large quanti-ties of food in a relatively short periodof time and then self-induce vomitingor take laxatives. People who sufferfrom this illness most often feel over-whelmed in coping with their emo-tions and feel they should punishthemselves for something they blamethemselves for. Bulimia sufferers mayseek episodes of binging and purgingto avoid and let out feelings of anger,depression, stress or anxiety. Thosewho suffer from this disorder usuallyknow that they have an eating disor-der. They are usually fascinated withfood, and they may buy magazinesand cookbooks to read recipes andenjoy discussing dieting issues.

Some symptoms for bulimia can berecurring episodes of food consump-tion followed by guilt and purging, afeeling of lack of control over his orher eating habits, regularly goingthrough hard diet plans and exercise,the misuse of diet pills and a persist-ent concern with body image.

What makes a person bulimic is notthe purging, but the cycle of bingingand then purging. There are differentmethods of purging that some suffer-ers use. These methods may be self-induced vomiting, compulsiveexercising in an attempt to burn offthe calories of their latest binge orfasting the day following a binge. Aperson with bulimia will often hide or"store" food for later binges; he willalso eat secretly and can have largefluctuations in his weight.

Eating disorders are not about food and weight, but are the symptomsof something deeper going on inside of the person who is suffering.Some students anonymously commented on eating disorders and howthey are dealt with in the school and society.

"We don't often preach that beauty is subjective, and that everyone isbeautiful in their own way."

"A majority of high school students suffer from eating disorders. It'sthe pressure and stress from society that drives teens to it."

"Even if one person suffers from an eating disorder, it is a problem.""I was anorexic/bulimic part of my high school years. It impacted

everything in my life.""There is a problem with eating disorders. It is just not easy to see be-

cause it is so well hidden by its sufferers. You can't physically see thehurt and anguish that these people go through every day of their lives.

You can't hear their silent screams for help. You don't see the blood andvomit that people's mean words bring to the surface. It is hidden. Butif we try to raise awareness about eating disorders then maybe theywill come out of that dark, suffocating world. If we don't try, then wewon't ever find out. So don't just dismiss this issue like it is nothing. Ifwe don't raise awareness, lives will be broken and lost each day. By notraising awareness you are murdering people every day."

Eating disorders not only affect those who suffer from them but alsoeveryone who is connected to them. Eating disorders affect the parents,friends and family of those who suffer.

If you suffer from an eating disorder, there are people who care. Thereare many organizations and websites that you can go to that can givemore information about these disorders and can get help for those thatsuffer from them. At DHS you may see Mrs. Connie Wright.

“[D]on’t just dismiss thisissue like it is nothing. If wedon’t raise awareness, liveswill be broken and lost each

day. By not raising awarenessyou are murdering people

every day.” - Anonymous

Hard times: Everyday people struggle with theoverwhelming fear and feeling that they are in-adaquate. Most people know that they need helpbut just dont know how to get it.

Help for sufferersGoing through an ordeal like suffering froma mental illness can be a very trying time foryou emotionally, physically and physcologi-cally. This emotional strain only intensifiesby having the feeling of being alone throughwhatever you are going through. If you aresuffering from anything and have notreached out to anyone, I encourage you tofind someone you can talk to about the feel-ings that you are experiencing. Whether thatperson is a best friend, a favorite teacher or aprofessional counselor, find someone whocan be your emotional rock through yourhard times.

There are numerous ways that you can gethelp if it is wanted. Such as:

Finding a trusted friend to talk to.Reading a book such as Regaining Your Self

by Ira M. Sacker, Intuitive Eating by EvelynTribole and Elyse Resch and Hope Help &Healing for Eating Disorders by Gregory L.Jantz.

Calling a helpline for your area.Going to see a professional about your dis-

order, either your doctor or a guidance coun-selor

Also numerous websites have differentways to help.

ANAD.org hosts a search engine for sup-port groups and help lines in your area andneda.com also hosts this search engine. Adios-barbie.com deals with body image and has ahelp line on it. These websites are greatsources for information, but if you want amore personal feeling www.bethlyonsphd.comis the website of a licensed therapist who canhelp. Eating disorders can be overcome. Thefirst part to overcoming it is to come out withit and get help.

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see related article on pg. 8


McCord PaganEditor

About a month ago I filledup my car at $3.05 a gallon.The other day I drove

home and saw that gas is now al-most $3.70. What in the world hap-pened?

The short answer? Fear. The longanswer? Economics.

Oil investors are afraid of whatmight happen in the Middle East,as is everyone else. No one knowswhat will happen to the oil refiner-ies that have become the battle-grounds in Libya, if Saudi Arabiawill successfully be able to meet thedemand, if gas prices will hit fivedollars a gallon as some economistssay and what the long-term effecton the economy will be.

The price of a barrel of crude oil,the international standard for trade,has gone up almost 20% in just onemonth. Many fear that these pricesare here to stay.

For the last few years, US oil de-mand has been stagnant. Peoplenow have more fuel efficient carsand are driving less. But thanks toIndia and China, two rising eco-nomic giants, global demand is in-creasing.

The fear of a global disruption inthe oil supply is running the oilspeculation that is driving upprices. More than 84 million barrelsof oil are produced every day andLibya accounts for over one millionof what is produced. Any majordisruption in the supply of oil willcause global prices to go up ascountries would scramble to makeup for the shortfall. Italy, which hashad a pact with Libya for their en-ergy supplies, has cut off their co-operation, which will force them tomake up the gap by importing theiroil from other countries.

Gas prices are going up becausepeople are wondering “Willdemonstrations actually take placein Saudi Arabia? That will have amajor influence on the price of

crude oil, which will have a majorinfluence on the price of gas in theUS,” Joseph Stanislaw, senior ad-viser at consulting company De-loitte said.

The US is the primary consumerof oil in the world, with almosttwenty million barrels consumedevery day, and only nine millionbarrels produced domesticallyevery day. In addition, the US takesin about 25% of the global supplyof oil, a number that will probablychange as emerging markets reachout to meet their energy require-ments.

For the last several years, theworld has had a surplus of six mil-lion barrels every day for any eventthat might disrupt the oil supply,something that should be enoughto stem any major price increases.The crisis in Libya has cut theglobal supply by about two millionbarrels; therefore, there is still arather generous buffer zone for anyother eventuality.

Nevertheless, there is still a greatamount of fear around that is rais-ing gas prices.

Unfortunately, there is no imme-diate cure for these high gas prices. The US imports 50% to 60% of itsoil from other countries. Some law-makers believe that an increase indrilling permits for offshore com-panies and in Alaska will help easeprices, but this is not the case. Evenif the US started drilling for new oiltomorrow, we would not see thebenefits for years.

But even more important is thefact that the US would still be sub-ject to global oil prices. An oil crisisin one country affects the wholeworld. As much as some peoplewould want oil independence as ameans to keep down prices, it is notrealistic.

Until the US can dramatically cutback on its addiction to oil, we willstrongly be influenced by gas pricesand its effect on our economy.

Crisis in Middle East produces high gas pricesPhotos by McCord Pagan

Pain at the Pump: Outrageous gas prices have recentlyprompted people to investigate reasons behind the spike.

Ripple Effect: Revolutions in the Middle East have af-fected gas prices in the United States.

8 Volume 43 TrojanTorchEditorialsIssue 5

Shelby PleasantReporter

Do you feel special? Important? Well,you are too young to be significant, sowhy should adults listen to what you

have to say? That is the message that some adults are

sending to youth.There are things that students need to tell

older adults about, but they feel as if thoseadults will not listen--suicide, self-inflictedwounds, eating disorders and overwhelmingfeelings of depression and inadequacy are justsome of many problems that teenagers arefacing today, yes, even in this school.

Do adults ever wonder why students neverwant to talk to them? Have they ever consid-ered that maybe it is because every time a stu-dent opens her mouth about something thatshe wants changed or something she feelsstrongly about, no one listens?

We live in a world filled with communica-tion problems. Everyone is so wrapped up intext messages and other electronics that peo-ple have less face-to-face communication.When a young person wants actually to standup for what he believes in, he is ignored be-cause he is simply a student and not a parentor someone with community power and in-

fluence. Just because someone is young does not give

an adult a free pass to ignore what he says.There are some serious problems in thisschool and our culture that will become largerproblems if they are ignored.

One administrator said that there is not aneating disorder problem in this school, andsome students responded to that.

“Just look around, it’s evident.”--male sen-ior

“I would tell that person to take a reallygood look at the school and then tell me thatagain.”--female sophomore

“Being a teenager today is much more diffi-cult than it was when our administrators wereour age. Anyone who dares to think that DHSdoes not have students suffering from an eat-ing disorder seriously needs to put on a col-lared shirt and sit at a lunch table one day. Ibelieve that as people become older, theysometimes try to block out things they don’twant to have to deal with.”--female senior

“It is a sad day when our administratorsdon’t listen to the students and take theirproblems personally. Our system has becomea heartless machine that only wants to benefitits own reputation.”--female senior

These same students feel that the school

needs to be more open to students’ ideas. Stu-dents have also said that the school needs ac-tually to read information provided to themby students. Many students have either writ-ten a letter or given the school informationthat they feel will help improve the school,and it was either not read or returned.

Another suggestion for the administrationand the school is for those who are in chargeto realize and understand that our generationand its challenges are different from those oftheir generation.

Our school and even all society are more ap-athetic now. Having an assembly to try tohelp spread understanding about these disor-ders and challenges is necessary. Important is-sues that students and young people will facein their lives should be addressed head on,not dismissed as non-existent.

Our leaders and administration need to un-derstand and listen to the students of today.There is a growing generation gap becausethose who are older than we tend to shut usout rather than try to understand what we aregoing through.

Remember--just because adults do not see itdoes not mean it isn’t there. Listen to ourvoices.

See related article on page 4

Administration—Dont brush us off—listen to usPlease Listen: Many faculty--demonstrated by Kim Decker--turn away when students such as senior Mary Baker approachthem with issues that they believe are unimportant. Todays issues are different from the issues of their generation.

Photo by Shelby Pleasant

9TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5Editorials

Shelby AndrewsCirculation Manager

One significant issue for student-athletes at Dyersburg HighSchool is whether sports, other than football, girls’ basketballand boys’ basketball, should be offered as a class. Yes, those

sports bring in the most money for Dyersburg High School, but whydo they merit the benefit of having a class period when other sportsdo not?

Just like students who play football and basketball, others are lookingto achieve the same goals--work hard, play hard, win. A portion ofthese students are even looking to further their careers by continuingon to the collegiate level. Just as Dyersburg High School has had schol-arships in football and basketball, it has also had scholarships in base-ball, softball and soccer.

To add to the success of other offered sports, the volleyball team andgirls’ soccer teams both attended the state tournament for the first timein history the past two years. Should these sports not be rewarded fortheir hard work and dedication?

According to Title IX, “No person in the United States shall, on thebasis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefitsof, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program oractivity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

DHS offers two classes for boys’ sports while only offering one classfor girls’ sports. Girls are being “denied the benefit” of having the sameamount of time as boys to devote to sports during the school day. Ifthe administration were abiding by this amendment, it would offer a

girls’ sport for the same number of trimesters as football is allowed. Offering these other sports as a class period will give these equally

competitive students the additional opportunity to excel and becomemore successful as a team. With only twenty-four hours in a day,coaches can only hold their athletes at practice for so long because ofstudents’ excessive homework. With this extra allotted time, playerswould have an increased period of time to build as a team. This classtime would give more teams access to the weight room and providethem with time to complete tasks such as watching game footage.

If the administration were to schedule these classes for fifth period,when athletes usually leave for early games, the athletes would not bemissing class time, which would result in less make-up work.

With fifteen class periods a year, dedicating (at the most) two periodsto sports should not greatly interfere with scheduling. Football andbasketball players find a way to fit their classes into the school day.How difficult would it be to treat the other sports the same way?

To correspond with the football schedule, volleyball could be givenone class for the first trimester; softball for the second two trimesters.Girls’ soccer could be given one class for the first trimester then boys’soccer for the last two trimesters; baseball could be given the last twotrimesters.

This is a question that has been pending at Dyersburg High Schoolfor the past several years, but other schools in our district, such as DyerCounty and Covington, are allowing these sports to have a class pe-riod. We, as a high school, should jump on the bandwagon and giveour athletes more opportunity to succeed.

only school sports allowed class time

Volleyball Victory: Despite each having gone to state twice, girls volleyball and soccer teams still lack deserved classtime.Photo by State Gazette

Football and basketball

10 Volume 43 TrojanTorchEditorialsIssue 5

Letter to the EditorTo the Trojan Torch Staff,Your recent installment of the Trojan Torch was inspiring. The pictures were great,the articles detailed, the ideas thought provoking. But my interest was piqued atthe Editorial section. The first article, “Peer tutoring, advanced research assessment:Administration should take a second look,” pinched a nerve. I myself am a peertutor in the Student Services office, and I help each of the guidance counselors dailywith their work. I do not have advanced research, but I do know several peoplewho use that class to take online classes and study for their other classes. Other stu-dents have said they are glad they have the class or else they’d be swamped in manyof their harder classes.

Claiming that the students did nothing of value is an overstatement and might bequite offensive to the students, even if it’s true. It is in my belief that the Trojan Torchshould reflect each student in a positive way. A group of high-ranking, well taughtstudents should not be allowed to point fingers at groups of students because thismakes the Torch look bad. Some students are taking the initiative and spending theclass time better. That’s punishing the minority because of the majority.

The article on page eleven, “Distraction, interference: Does the dress code accom-plish goals?” wafts of writing without facts. Rules and codes are a part of life. Claim-ing that they are badly enforced is one thing, but claiming they are ineffective ornot making any change is another. The United States is a nation based on severalideas, one being consent of the governed. Consent of the governed is an idea thatdistinctively states that the people under a government are subject to some rules tokeep anarchy from taking over. The school system is a draw of the same idea. Thestudents in the school are the people. The teachers and staff are the government.Rules are here to keep things in order. The dress code, although it may be unpopu-lar, is still a rule like every other. It is known that the dress code is not enforcedevenly, but it is the same as one police officer letting you off on a warning while an-other may give you a ticket. The teachers are simply using administrative discre-tion.

In the article, the dress code was ssid to incite teen rebellion. The analogy was likesaying two people in Wal-Mart are fighting over a Chick-fil-a coupon book and thenblaming it on Wal-Mart for letting them fight, even though the Chick-fil-a couponshad nothing to do with Wal-Mart. There is simply no proof of the dress code andrebellion being linked. The rebellious nature of a teen is a well-known stereotype,

but saying it comes from something as frivolous as a dress code is unprofessional.Multiple sources could contribute to this rebellion. Problems with self esteem, prob-lems at home, trouble with the law: all of these could be reasons for school trouble.I doubt that “the curl of the collar” is a legitimate reason to claim that students arehaving trouble. Students break rules because of outside or inside forces, not simplybecause the rules are there.

One paragraph down, the author writes that the dress code makes students de-pendent, though it doesn’t claim upon what, and that it does not allow independ-ence. The paragraph states that because of the dress code, students lose theirindividuality. After all school and life has done to say, “It’s not what you look like—it’s who you are”, people say that dress code stops yourself from being an individ-ual. I know that an editorial is simply an opinion, and although I might not like it,the first amendment still stands. But I would hope the common opinion is that ittakes more than a nice shirt to win someone over. It’s more about how you ‘’dress’’yourself inside than outside. The Torch has a very large, broad audience, and al-though an opinion is an opinion, editors should not plant the idea that the dresscode defines who you are.

The Trojan Torch is a very good paper. There is so much work put into it from thestudents, and I truly enjoy reading it! I respect the opinions of the authors just as Ihope my own opinions are respected, and I am very sorry if I may have come offcrude, rude or mean in any manner. I love reading the paper whenever it comesout because it’s nice getting so many different things in one simple object. The paperis fun and a good read, but from a student here at DHS, try to be more accepting ofcontroversial things! I’m not trying to say change your opinion, but just to look atthings from a spectrum that is more of a middle view than a radical. The good, andthe bad, and supporting facts! Seeing things from a different side is refreshing, butseeing things from a different side with a questionable argument is making a one-sided opinion even more one-sided.

To all the students who work on the staff, keep doing what you’re doing! There’snothing that I love more than reading a good newspaper with good articles. You allare so amazing because every now and then you churn out this magnificent maga-zine full of meaningful information. It really is inspiring!Anonymous

Staff EditorialAfter the article “Peer tutoring, advanced research assessment: Admin-istration should take second look” was published in the fourth issueof the Trojan Torch, we—the DHS journalism staff—were informed thatsome of the details forming the argumentative foundation of the edi-torial were incorrect.

The article stated that every student in the class advanced researchreceived a 100 on his or her report card while every student taking thecourse peer tutoring received a 97.

According to administration, the fact that each advanced researchstudent earns a 100 is false: students are being graded and assessedbased on attendance and work ethic. Each advanced research studentdoes not receive a perfect score on grade reports.

Furthermore, the grading policy has since been changed so that anadvanced research student’s highest possible grade is a 97.

It is also the position of administration that regardless of the gradenumber—whether a 97 or a 100—a student is still receiving an A. Thegrade number bears little to no weight or meaning in the current DHSgrading system.

The advanced research course was not created so a student could

possibly boost his GPA with an “easy A.” (In fact, the grade receivedfrom either advanced research or peer tutoring does not affect gradu-ation or class rank.) Advanced research was created to give more stu-dents the opportunity to have access to the library and the library’sresources. In addition, any overloaded or stressed students would havetime in their day to catch up on overwhelming assignments and pilinghomework.

Now, we recognize that there are some students, possibly many, whodo choose to maximize their time and take advantage of having a classthat can basically act as a study hall. But there is still the fact that thetime in advanced research is being abused. Each student does not pos-itively make use of the resources they are provided during this classperiod.

Administration had good intentions when they provided advancedresearch as a new class. They purely had the goal of enrichment andeducation in mind when deciding to give every student access to theinfinite resources of the Internet and wide range of books in theschool’s library.

But without being regularly monitored for some form of productivity,students are prone to exploit or misuse their opportunities.

Advanced research, peer tutor policy clarified

Sean StapletonOpinion Editor

Dyersburg High recognizes its top students—those who goabove and beyond all academic expectations—annually dur-ing an honors banquet. Each student who worked hard

enough to maintain an A average throughout the year is rewarded witha formal dinner and a congratulatory plaque. Traditionally, at the endof the banquet, the top ten students of the graduating class with thehighest grade averages are distinguished above the rest.

But as of last year, DHS has adopted the Trojan Scholars policy to de-cide the elite seniors. Every student who achieves a set number of Tro-jan Scholar points (which are based on grade point average andcomposite ACT score) is selected as a Scholar and is considered a salu-tatorian for his or her class. The Scholar who has surpassed all othersis then singled out as the valedictorian.

But this radical change from the long-established system has yieldedquestionable results. To begin, it becomes almost impossible for stu-dents to feel actual pride or honor from a system that seems to rewarda significant, if not excessive, number of their peers.

Before, it was outstanding to be recognized as one of the top ten inyour class. But that same exceptionality is lost when one is only namedin the top thirty and forty. Getting into the top ten was an exclusiveprize, but now it is demeaned to just another award.

“We believe this system will allow us to recognize more students’hard work,” vice-principal Jon Frye said before announcing the Trojan

Scholars during the 2010 honors banquet. After that short speech, Fryeproceeded to call out 25 Trojan Scholars for the class of 2010.

Well, isn’t that the very same reason we have awards such as honorroll and golden honor roll: to honor more students? DHS recognizesprobably more than half of its student body in a single honors banquet.Why would it be necessary for one of the most coveted awards to berelegated to the ranks of just another accolade that “everybody wins.”

The selection process of the Scholars system is what really needs re-pair. Many believe that the reason the system was changed to GPA andACT instead of just a raw average of a student’s grades was due to thefact that modestly smart students would be ranked high in their classbecause they only took easy courses that didn’t challenge them what-soever. Yes, it’s good to try to prevent that from happening, but thenew system isn’t much more foolproof than the last.

At the absolute lowest, a Scholar must earn a 4.0 GPA with a 27 com-posite ACT score. Obviously that is too lenient if more than twentypeople get to call themselves salutatorian of their high school class forthe rest of their lives.

Why not raise the bar to all students who make a 30 on the ACT?That would certainly weed out a few of the Scholars. Or even better,why not use the Trojan Scholars system, but still have a top ten?

Let’s face it. The whole reason some students work hard in their highschool career is to be ranked among some of the best in their class attheir senior honors banquet. But now, regardless of how hard one maywork, he may still be categorized as equal to twenty to thirty others.

11TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5Editorials

Trojan scholars system lacks honor of true award

Graphic by Jeff Betonio

12 Volume 43 TrojanTorchFeaturesIssue 5

Savannah JohnsonEditor

Toby Tanser, a former elite runner, has turned his passion for run-ning into a catalyst for social and political change in Africa. Heis currently a running coach in New York City, but he spends

about 5 months a year in Africa. After training in Kenya for the firsttime in 1995, he returned to Stockholm shoeless. He had given awayevery pair of shoes he had brought with him. This is how his organi-zation Shoe4Africa was born.

Since then, thousands of running shoes have been donated.In December of 1999, Tanser was running on a beach in Tanzania

when two men attacked him. One man had a machete, the other ahomemade club. They beat him to unconsciousness and left him witha fractured skull and collarbone and his wrist slashed to the bone. Helost 25% of his blood supply, but somehow managed to run two milesto his motorbike so he could receive proper medical care. However,this attack did not stop him on his mission. In fact, he feels it happenedfor a reason— it gave him purpose.

After being attacked, he did not turn away from the issues in Africa.Instead, it inspired him to continue pursuing his mission to evokechange. Providing these shoes has changed the lives of young African

athletes. One of the beneficiaries of Shoe4Africa, Fabiano Joseph Naasi,started training after receiving his shoes. This Tanzanian native wonthe World Half Marathon Championships in 2005.

Not only is Tanser providing running shoes, but he is also sponsoringraces for Africans to take part in. In the aftermath of Kenya’s violent2007 election, Tanser visited the village of Kiambaa. A local church hadbeen burned with 35 people inside. He was inspired to do more thanjust donate shoes. He started with a peace race where two world cham-pion marathoners, Douglas Wakiihuri and Luke Kibet, presided overthe race. Wakiihuri, a Kikuyu, and Kibet, a Kalenjin, each representeda tribe that was in the center of the conflict. The 600 participants in therace were children. It was the first of several Run for Peace events thathave been held in the region.

Children are not his only inspirations as a race director. He hashosted races to empower women in Kenya and Tanzania. These raceshave been the largest women-only events in these countries.

“The colonists took away the rights of women and set standards thatwere listened to as they had the power of cash. For instance, in Kenyano woman was allowed to own land, no woman could receive money,women were not allowed in athletic events,” Tanser said. He is alsotaking initiatives and promoting AIDS awareness through Shoe4Africa.

Elite runner evokes social,political change in Africa

Striding Towards Change: Shoe4Africa hosted a women empowerment race in Kenya providing these women withcourage and inspiration. This was the largest women-only event that has ever been held in this country.

Photos from tanser.org

13TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5Features

“50% of one team I sponsored had the virus. I knew they were tooproud to listen to advice about not spreading the virus, using contra-ceptives, taking the free anti-virals, and I also knew the village wouldnot listen to a health officer coming in. However, I knew everyone inmy school, when I was a kid, would have been attentive if Magic John-son came to our school and spoke, and I knew if Magic was giving thespeech then subconsciously the advice would sink in— bingo; itworked. Also [I worked] to de-stigmatize the word by printing it onT-shirts that people would wear in the community instead of hidingthe word as they did,” Tanser said. HIV testing has become availableat the races the organization sponsors. His latest mission is to build the largest children’s hospital in Africa

in the Kenyan town of Eldoret. This $15 million task was inspired by atrip he took there in the spring of 2008 where he saw hospitalized chil-dren sleeping four to a bed. Progress is being made, but raising fundshas been tough. “I have, in cash, a million [dollars] which consideringpeople are donating to an organization with the word Shoe and no his-tory in the medical world, is not bad. I hope once ground breakingstarts and people see ‘something’ coming out of the ground then morehelp will be coming,” Tanser said.

He recently ran from the “Sea to the Stars.” This run stretched from

the African tropical ocean, over land and to the top of Mount Kiliman-jaro (the world’s highest freestanding mountain). “The peak is not theend of the journey; touching the stars will start breaking ground tobuild the first public children’s hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Tansersaid.

His work is not going unnoticed. He is gaining support from peopleall over the world. “My original goal was keep the organization assmall as possible, just me giving my shoes to a small community ofrunners; it got out of hand. I never know where we are going, I keepseeing more things I can fix; that is the problem,” Tanser said.He received the Runner’s World Heroes Humanitarian Award in 2008.

“If I truly thought I was [a hero] I would be honored. Every day inAfrica I meet people who are a hundred times a better person thanme.”

Tanser’s passion for change is still burning. There is still progress tobe made and funds needed.

“People are very supportive, especially the runners in Kenya wherevirtually every single runner stands up for this cause— but if I couldonly just relate that support into dollars,” Tanser said. For more infor-mation or to donate to his cause visit shoe4africa.org. “Even you alonesending one pair will change one person's life,” Tanser said.

HHooww ccaann yyoouu hhee llpp??Send your own old running shoes to:Shoe 4 Africa 1725 West Forms Unit#1004 Bronx, NY 10460

Leaving His Print: Shoe4Africa founder Toby Tanser travelsto Africa about five months out of the year to promote socialchange and spend time with those that he impacts.

Passing On Passion: Four-time Boston Marathon winnerRobert Cheruiyot gives a pair of shoes to a younger runner ata Shoe4Africa sponsored event in Kenya.

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16 Volume 43 TrojanTorchFeaturesIssue 5

Hunter ToddBusiness Manager

Ever wonder if studentsactually know morethan teachers? A recent

general knowledge test wasgiven to both students andfaculty at Dyersburg HighSchool to find out the answer.

To determine who the trueintellectually superior are,the exam was given to anA.P. junior English class, theA.P. senior English class andfourteen random teachers.The test, containing twenty-five problems, was com-posed of a math, history/politics, English, generalknowledge and geographysection.

Would the group of senior

or junior students take theplace as the smartest in theschool? Or would teacherskeep their titles as the educ-tional leaders? The followingresults have the answer.

Out of the three participat-ing groups, the teachers’overall score was the highestwith an average score of 80.3.The seniors came in secondwith a score of 73 and thejuniors came in last placewith a score of 68.9.

As for individual scores,junior Sean Stapleton re-ceived the highest score of 92.Senior Michaela Chandlerand teachers Suzanne Ed-wards and Anne Houston re-ceived the second highestscore of 90.

Are teachers or students superior in knowledge?Recent test finds answer

Graphs by Hunter Todd

Overall Score

Scores by Sections

17TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue xSectionsTrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5Features

Basmiah HamranReporter

The origin of Yemeni cuisine goes back to the ancient civilizationsof Awsan, Hadramout, Ma’in and Qataban, and the two impor-tant powers in the ancient world: Saba and Himyar.

Yemen cuisine serves very distinctive authentic dishes that differ fromthe other Middle Eastern cuisines. Yemeni meals begin with bread ac-companied by a fenugreek relish. Bread to a Yemeni is like pasta to anItalian and fenugreek is a popular spice. A great fan of Yemeni food,Boris Kester from the Netherlands, said that Yemeni food is goodenough to be one of the world’s most delicious cuisines.

Yemenis love hot, spicy foods. The dishes are high in spices and lowin fats and sugars.The famous foods in Yemen are salta, assidah, spicyfood andshafot.

The cooking reflects the influences of both India and Yemen’s Arabicneighbors. Yemenis have always been great meat consumers. Meat isalways on the daily menu. On the other hand, even without meat, thesimple diet of the less fortunate classes is nourishing and healthy.Yemeni food is a health-oriented cuisine with meat generally served atlunch, but rarely for dinner, which is not considered healthy. Meat isgenerally cooked in stews, soups and rice.

“My favorite meal is Zurbian. It’s a combination of rice and meat. It’sso delicious,” said Julien Dussart, from France, who has been a residentfor one year in Sana’a.

Yemenis are not sweets eaters. When they do serve desserts, they aremade with honey. Yemeni food is not difficult or complicated. It is sim-ple and delicious.

Byliyani--Middle Eastern Cuisine Yemenia Byliyani is different from the Indian

one. It is spicy fried rice. Rice has two colors, or-ange and white. Add fried chicken and eat.Kebab--Middle Eastern Cuisine

We can see kebab in wide areas of the MiddleEast. It is a mixture with minced meat, spicesand herbs.

Yemeni Type FalafelMakes about 4 dozensmall patties2 cups chickpeas,soaked overnight anddrained4 cloves garlic, crushed1 cup finely choppedfresh cilantro leaves1 cup finely choppedparsley1 cup finely choppedgreen onions2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper1 teaspoon cuminoil for frying

Experience Yemen: Basmiah explains cuisine of her homeland

Photos from tabisite.com

Place chickpeas in food processor and processfor about a minute. Add remaining ingredi-ents, except oil, and process for about aminute until a dough-like paste is formed.Make into small patties, then deep fry andserve warm.Note: Falafel are best eaten as sandwiches byplacing patties in a bed of eggplant purée andtomato salad in pita bread, cut in half andthe halves made into pouches.

Shai halib or Shai ma halib or Shai bihalib--Yemeni Cuisine:Shai means tea, and halib means milk in Ara-bic. It is just milk tea! Yemeni milk tea has adark orange color.

Chris WagnerSports Editor

Since the end of the 2010-2011 season, the players and ownershave been meeting to discuss the expiring National FootballLeague Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). However, be-

cause they were unable to come to a deal before the expiration dateof the CBA, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell chose to lockout theplayers, until both sides can agree on a new CBA. This means thatgames could be missed if an agreement is not made in time.

Meetings are still taking place between the NFL and the NFL Play-ers Association to discuss a new bargaining agreement.

So what are the issues being discussed at these meetings?Among the issues being discussed is the topic of the current dress

code, which is rarely enforced by the league. Another issue discussed is the proposal of an 18-game season.

There are currently 16 games played during the regular season, andmany players believe that extending the season to 18 games will in-crease the number of injuries suffered.

So which side is forcing the issue?The owners want a CBA that covers for the high-risk investments

they have made on new stadiums and other capital investments. Are the two sides making any progress towards making a deal? Not really. Though there have been recent reports of an improved

atmosphere between the NFL’s management council and the players’union, there has been no substantial movement toward a new CBA.

This may be partly due to the desire of some owners to play hardballand lockout the players until they give in; it also may simply be afunction of timing.

So what will happen if there is a work stoppage?If there is a lockout next season, many players will be hit where it

hurts the most, their wallets. A lockout will force the players to take a serious pay cut, and the

already short career enjoyed by players would make the thought ofmissing games unbearable.

Big name players like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are not thetype of players we are talking about. A lot of people who are not onyour fantasy team – and that you might not have heard of – mightfind themselves in a tough spot come mid-season.

So what has to be done if an agreement is to be made?Certainly, this is a volatile issue that impacts the careers and lives

of numerous individuals and their families – but in the end it is abusiness dispute between two entities that have it pretty good in astrained economy.

If the owners and players test fan loyalties by robbing them of anentire season – or, in a worst-case scenario, dragging the dispute pastthe fall of 2012 – both could end up as losers.

The first thing that has to happen for a deal to be forged is thateach side has to move past the rancorous rhetoric and intense emo-tion that is likely to worsen over the coming months.

18 Volume 43 TrojanTorchSportsIssue 5

Handling Business: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ar-rives for labor talks at the Federal Mediation and ConciliationService building March 11, 2011, in Washington, DC.

Pleading His Case: National Football League commissionerRoger Goodell speaks during one of the many tedious labortalks held March 11, 2011, in Washington, D.C. to plead for anew collective bargaining agreement.

Fans guide to NFL labor negotiations

Photos from bleachereport.com

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20 Issue 5 Entertainment TrojanTorchVolume 43

Andrew LeganEditor

After much anticipation, Lupe Fi-asco has produced his thirdalbum, Lasers. Released on

March 4, the album reached top chartson iTunes. In this twelve-track album,Fiasco maintains his reputation as one ofthe most socially aware rappers on thescene as he addresses issues from globalpoverty to racism through his lyrics.

Lasers is an acronym for “Love AlwaysShines Everytime, Remember 2 Smile.”This title reflects the message Fiasco con-veys in his socially conscious and some-times uplifting new album.

Fiasco’s disgust with the process be-hind music production is apparent inthe album opener “Letting Go.” Whilesigned at Atlantic Records, Fiasco hasseen the often corrupt business side ofmusic. “I don’t like the process behindLasers. The music is dope, but I just don’tlike the process,” Fiasco said in an inter-view with Complex magazine.

The next track, “Words I Never Said,”criticizes the war on terror, public edu-cation and modern media. “I’m a part ofthe problem. My problem is I’m peace-ful, and I believe in the people,” Fiascosaid in the first verse of the song. SingerSkylar Grey volunteers her vocals forthe chorus.

“Till I Get There” discusses Fiasco’sposition in the rap world. In this track,he asserts that he will continue writinghis songs with originality and support-ing socially conscious hip-hop. Despitelower record sales than rappers like Jay-Z, Eminem and Lil Wayne, Fiasco re-fuses to appeal to the dominant hip-hopscene, which often focuses on meaning-less concepts.

The following song, “I Don’t WannaCare Right Now,” displays the use ofsynthesizers that is prominent in Lasers.

The electronic sound is a pleasant newstyle in Fiasco’s music, and “I Don’tWanna Care Right Now” brings a soundworthy of any radio station or club.

“The Show Goes On” is the most pop-ular song on the album. However, Fi-asco’s feelings towards the track aremixed. “I was literally told for ‘TheShow Goes On’ that I shouldn’t rap toodeep. I shouldn’t be too lyrical. It justneeds to be something easy on the eyes,”Fiasco said in an interview with theChicago Tribune. Knowing that this wasthe song Atlantic Records valued themost, Fiasco spends most of the firstverse disrespecting the record com-pany’s corrupt approach to music. Thesong is based on a sample of ModestMouse’s “Float On.”

“Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways),” another ofthe most impressive songs on the album,is next. This song shows that Fiasco canproduce top-chart music in which heconveys his views of the world. He con-demns conformity and promotes origi-nality in this track. Some of the mostenticing verses of the album and an ad-dictive hook by MDMA are present inthis song.

“Coming Up” is another song featur-ing MDMA. The lyrics in this track areuplifting, and they mention Fiasco’sfaith in God. “God got a number; gethim on the phone. He'll never put youplaces where you don't belong,” Fiascoraps in the last verse.

“State Run Radio” criticizes the gov-ernment for influencing media. It is oneof the most political songs on the album.The chorus is sung by Self, a band fromMurfreesboro, Tennessee.

Overall, Lasers is a successful albumworthy of purchase. Although somesongs are weak, the majority of thealbum is entertaining as well as mean-ingful.

Lupe Fiasco’s new albumrevives rap world

Rising above: Fiasco refuses to be part of thecorrupt business side of the music industry.

lupefiasco.com

21TrojanTorch Volume 43 Issue 5Entertainment

Anna HornReporter

On March 11, 2011,Apple Inc. came outwith the new iPad 2.

The new iPad is 33% thinnerand 15% lighter. It will keep thesame shape as the iPad firstgeneration.

The prices are $499 for 16 GB,$599 for 32 GB and $699 for 64GB. It comes in either black orwhite. Some of the new featuresare Facetime, Photo Booth, HDvideo and more.

The media supports thingssuch as books, periodicals,movies, music, games, webcontent and more. The game-

play is smoother and more re-alistic and apps with videos arebetter. The product was madewith a dualcore processorApple A5, which gives it fasterperformance.

The multitasking is a lotsmoother also. It has a 10-hourbattery, which is good for peo-ple who like to watch movies.The iPad has two cameras de-signed for Facetime video call-ing. The front camera puts youface-to-face with other people.When you switch back to theother camera, you can sharewhere you are, whom you arewith or what is going onaround you.

Jill VondyReporter

The Beale Street MusicFestival, or as it is morecommonly referred to,

Memphis in May, is just aroundthe corner. From April 29thuntil May 1st, Memphis willhost over 60 musical acts. Thisyear’s line-up offers somethingfor everyone. Artists this yearrange from Cee Lo Green to

Ziggy Marley. This year alsooffers a lot in the form of newartists such as solo pop actKe$ha, psychedelic rock bandMGMT and the indie bandMumford and Sons. Tickets arealready available online atmemphisinmay.org. Ticketsrange from $69 for a three-daypass to $30 for a single day;tickets are also available at thegate for $37.

Memphis in May, Beale Street Music Festival Returns

Well-Known Artists PerformingJohn Mellencamp

Ke$ha Jason Mraz

Stone Temple Pilots MGMT

Godsmack The Flaming Lips

Cee Lo Green Buckcherry

Jerry Lee Lewis B.o.B.

Mumford and SonsCake

Ziggy Marley Saving Abel

Cage the Elephant Sick Puppies

New iPad 2: Apple has come out with the new iPad 2 that islighter, thinner and faster. The new iPad 2 also has a camera.

New iPad 2 available in StoresPhotos from BealeStreetMusicFestival.com

Memphis in May: Memphis will be hosting different artists at thisyears Beale Street Music Festival April 29- May 1.

photo from Apple.com

22 Volume 43 TrojanTorchEntertainmentIssue 5

Walt CarterDesign Assistant Editor

Alonely chameleon sits in a tank lying in the back of a car trav-eling down a desert road. With a bump in the road the tankflies out of the back of the car, and the story begins.

Now trapped in the hot, flat desert, the main character Rango (JohnnyDepp) sets out for a town made up of small animals. With the scenariorevolving completely around the desert location, it is evident that thetown's main focus is water.

The once lonely chameleon now sees a chance to be whoever hewishes to be. Standing at the bar, Rango starts the story of how he shotseven people with a single bullet - a constant motif. Now, Rango, whois actually a coward, has placed himself in a position where the wholetown's eyes are on him.

When Rango luckily and accidentally kills the evil hawk, he is giventhe position of Sheriff and gladly boasts upon the subject. Stuck in a

situation that can only lead to a downfall, the problem unfolds involv-ing the theft of the water supply and a corrupt political system.

Writer John Logan and director Gore Verbinski come together tomake a creative animation work that is a hit-and not only in the eyesof children. Mild language, somewhat suggestive humor and parodyof Clint Eastwood make it evident that Logan and Verbinski were notgoing for the normal animation audience.

Verbinski used a unique style in the making of Rango. Actors couldnot wear their normal comfortable outfit to record their voices; instead,they still had to act out the scenes even though it would be animated.This meticulous technique proved to work. Each action scene or simpledialogue draws the viewer into the situation and makes everythingmore believable as well as dynamic.

All in all, Verbinski's directing technique, Logan's humorous styleand Depp's performance make a movie to be added to the list of ani-mated greats.

Rango utilizes unique animation stylePhoto from zap2it.com

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SCHOOL SPOTLIGHTOver spring break, the Dyersburg FFA chaptersuccessfully competed at the state level, winningmany awards.Q: Did you do as well as you had hoped? Ag teacher Chris Cummins: Yes, we won morestate titles than any other chapter inTennessee.Q. How many other schools did you competeagainst?A: There are approximately 300 other chapters inTennessee Q: What are you most proud of?A: Im just glad we were able to go up there, and,as a whole, do so well.Q: What would you say to anyone interestedin getting involved in FFA?A: I feel like there is something in here for every-body, just try it out.Q: Is there anything you would like to add?A: Im really proud of the kids, I always tell themyou get out of something what you put into it.They put a lot of hard work into it, and it paid off.

State FFA winnersOpening and Closing Ceremonies Team: Madison Vaughn,Suzanne Schultz, Nic Bowers, Bre Buckner, MorganReed,Payten Anderson and Mary ByarsCreed Public Speaking: Morgan ReedZoology Agri-science Project: Maryanna McClureAg. Mechanics Repair and Maintenance: David McCuistonLandscape Management: Jacob DudleyGrain Production: Matthew GrayBeef Production: Todd Baker

issue 5 10-11

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