Denison High School, 1901 S. Mirick St. Denison, Tx- 75020

Are writing letters really that romantic? One

writer gives their opinion about Dear John. –Page 3Every cheesy commercial product needs a review. Should you try that

unique “Perky Jerky”? Check out Danny’s Deal or Dud –Page 5

How two different girls are facing brain tumors and the support they’re receiving from the local community

-Page 6-7We’ve got talent in every area, from baseball to all region band. –Pages 9-11

Find out more about Coach Brittan’s return from Iraq –Page 12

2 table of contents april 2010

Editorial Policy: The Stinger newspaper is a student-generated publication that is produced, edited, and maintained by the DHS journalism staff of room 105. The Stinger encourages student expression and is designed to be a forum for open discussion. Editorials appearing in The Stinger are the sole views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or those of the DHS Publications Department.

The Stinger staff would love it if you wanted to submit a letter to the editor or a commentary on something you like,

don’t like, or just want to talk about.

Letters and other materials to be considered for publication should be signed and delivered to room 105. It should include your

name and grade on it.

The staff has the right to edit any material.

april 2010 commentary 3

COMMENTARY It’s a hard life. Every day, I walk in the halls and can hear some-one complaining to one of their friends

about homework, their family, or their boyfriend/girl-friend. And for a lot of people, they try to find easy ways to relax. Personally, I like to read a book or go workout. But something else that I can hear in the halls every day is how about other people find their ways to relax or to go out and have fun. By smoking pot. Yes, it’s illegal. But so is drinking and I hear plenty about that during the week too. You know what, it’s your own decision to go out and do that stuff, just so long as you don’t drink and drive. But when you’re going to

COMMENTARY Boy meets girl. They fall in love in an uncharacteristically short time. Something tragic comes between them. They fall in love

again and live happily ever after. This is the story line typical of most, if not all, “chick flicks” these days, and it definitely holds true for Dear John. Based off a Nicholas Sparks novel, Dear John tells the story of a man, played by Channing Tatum, who meets a girl when he is on leave from the army. John, after an adolescence of little mean-ing and a strained relationship with his father, has turned to the army, simply for lack of a better option and desire to turn himself around. He is happy with the life he has chosen for himself. That is, until he meets Savannah. Savannah is a col-lege student visiting John’s hometown over spring break to build a house for Habitats for Humanity. They meet on a beach, where John dives into the water to retrieve Savannah’s bag that has fall-en off a pier. You can pretty much guess where the story goes from there. If there is a fault in the movie, I would say it is in the speed that John and Sa-

COMMENTARY The earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th was of a 7.0 magnitude. In the Haitian hearts, however,

the devastation was much greater. Many people from various nations have tried to help the Haitian people recover from the disaster, but none have yet to mend the people of broken hearts. Since the earthquake, children with parents have been taken when presumed as “orphans”. Some cannot tell if an infant is an “orphan” or if their parents have simply been lost. The devastation has left the government in chaos, families have been parted by death, and schools have been crushed (some with students and teachers inside). On the 12th, Haiti became to need medicine and financial support. Many countries, such as the U.S., have raised funds to support the Haitians. Even though millions of dollars have been donated by the U.S., Haiti still needs much more for family needs. In addition to having a dilapidated government, Haiti needs high funds for reconstruction. Even though the earthquake was terrible overall, there is a good side to it. Aid to Haiti has brought the country together with former enemies. Before the earthquake, Haiti’s citizens have especially despised American people who visited their country. Since the quake, no overwhelming hostility has been displayed to Americans. Coming together after this devastation has repaired relationships between Haiti and America.

vannah fall in love. After just two weeks, they are ready to commit to maintaining a relationship that spans the ocean, with only periodic letters for communication. In fact, it really comes as no surprise to the viewer when Savannah breaks off their relationship, claiming that she has met and fallen in love with someone else. In fact, she falls in love with a man named Tim, who she has known since childhood. Cliché as it may have been, Dear John had some moving moments and tough lessons. John’s relationship with his father had been strained through-out his childhood, but John learns how to deal with and appreciate his father’s abnormalities. Unquestionably, the best moment in the movie is when John sits beside his father’s deathbed, reading a letter he had written that expresses his

Long Term Effects on Haiti

love and gratitude towards his dad. John also learns the value of sacrifice. He con-stantly sacrifices for his country, signing up for an extra term after the events of 9/11. He sacrifices a large amount of money to pay for experimental treatment for Savannah’s husband Tim as well, af-ter Tim is diagnosed with cancer. For a person that has read the novel, the movie is somewhat of a disappoint-ment. In the book, the relationship be-tween to two is developed over a longer period of time and on a deeper level. Sa-vannah’s relationship with Tim is much more believable in the book as well. In the movie, Tim is an adult who had been married before and has an autistic child that Savannah looks after, while in the book, Tim is in college with Savannah and takes care of his autistic brother after his parent’s death. The novel was also much less cliché than the movie. The movie’s ending could practically be predicted word for word, while the ending of the book was totally unexpected (and, albeit, disappointing.) It was understand-able for the movie directors to select a happy ending to please the viewer, but I think that they sacrificed the originality of the story for the sake of a happier audi-ence.

Cliché as it may have been, Dear John had some moving moments and tough lessons.

“”

scream up and down the halls about all the pot you smoked that morning, and be ignorant in general about your choices because you don’t know the facts, that’s when I’m going to stick my nose in your business. Weed, pot, mary jane, whatever. It’s marijuana, and it is a drug. It is defined on dictionary.com as the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucino-gen. Drugs are substances that alter the mental state of mind of a human being. So when you’re lighting up that joint and taking a puff, you are doing more than becoming “happy, tired or hungry.” You are getting a faster pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. And while you think that you aren’t causing any long term effects to your body, you are. Many of the long terms effects are similar to that of smoking cigarettes. So,

yes you can get lung damage. And you can even develop a panic disor-der. You can get an acute panic dis-order, where you can get an extreme fear of losing control and can have a panic attack. Plus, smoking pot dam-ages your brain and it’s been proved that it regresses your performance in school, and you make worse grades than someone who has never smoked it. And ask any expert they’ll tell you, you can get addicted to pot. It’s also a gateway drug to harder drugs like co-caine, meth, or heroin. Sure, you may not think that anything bad will hap-pen, however, one day you’ll be think-ing about your life and you won’t re-member anything other then smoking pot and doing other drugs. That’s a life experience I’m going to live without.

Drug use isn’t as cool as everyone makes it seem

COMMENTARY Most of the current population has seen the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, so we

all know the character Jack Sparrow. Need I say more? Jack Sparrow was able to outsmart his opponent in every situation he got into and took on an entire fleet of pirates with just himself and Jack Turner. Do you really think a ninja could have taken down the Kraken? A ninja may be the appropriate person to call when you need somebody to be assassinated but I would definitely trust my life with Jack Sparrow on any occasion. The reason Jack Sparrow got out of so many life threatening situations was because of his wit and conversational abilities. I’ve never heard of a ninja talking his way out of predicament the way Jack Sparrow does. I’m pretty sure ninjas don’t even talk. Another issue that needs to be discussed

4 commentary april 2010

Danny COMMENTARY Blackbeard is heading to his cupboard for an aged bottle of rum, and what does he find? The answer is

obviously a ninja. You know, t h o s e black clad w a r r i o r s trained in the deadliest of killing arts. They are inherently better combatants than pirates for many reasons. First and foremost, pirates are quite typically drunk. I mean, have you ever seen a partially sober pirate? I sure haven’t. Just imagine Peg Legged Johnny is sipping on his booze when a ninja assassin climbs aboard his vessel and strikes him down with a strategically placed ninja star. The pirate wouldn’t even be able to dodge it if he were sober enough to notice it in the first place. I think in terms of sheer soberness, the ninja will

always prevail. Now, other than the fact that they are drunk, pirates are scurvy ridden, are missing legs, eyes, hands, and other essential warrior components. Ninjas not only have these parts, but they utilize

them with the utmost finesse and skill. You can’t tell me that it doesn’t take skill to jump from

rooftop to r o o f t o p w h i l e

slaying hordes of enemies with

amazing grace and stealth. In conclusion, pirates are primitive and undeniably archaic. A few years ago, the last pirate outbreak resulted in the Navy Seals (who are essentially ninjas because of their guile and sniping abilities) taking the out the pirates within a matter of minutes. How’s that

for a triumph? Just remember kind readers, the next time you see a pirate, just remember that he is probably to intoxicated to make you

walk the plank, let alone a ninja.

is the difference between a ninja star and a cannon. Sure, ninja stars are more convenient but

a pirate’s mission isn’t to be convenient, it’s to cause

mass destruction and steal treasure. How boring would it be to go see a pirate movie where they stealthily killed people and caused no chaos and stole no treasure? If I wanted

somebody to be done away with, so to speak, I

might call a ninja or I might just call a hit man since they have the same abilities

which just proves that ninjas lack uniqueness;

but if I wanted somebody killed with some pizzazz and I felt the need to take

all of their possessions afterwards, I would definitely

call some pirates.

NatalieNinjas or Pirates?

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COMMENTARY As a self proclaimed food expert, there isn’t anything that I wouldn’t try to gorge myself on at least once. While checking out at a local store one

evening, I came across a very peculiar snack called “Perky Jerky”. As the title suggests, it is caffeinated beef jerky, any caffeine fanatic or carnivore’s dream come true. It took a lot of courage to purchase such a strange type of jerky and I was very opposed to buying it because of its seven dollar price tag, but I just couldn’t resist the novelty of the product. I immediately tore open the metallic wrapper and indulged in one of the most outlandish foods I have ever tried. Unlike big named brands, like Jack Links or Slim Jim, this jerky was very moist and seemed quite fresh. The taste could best be described as flavorful and tangy yet incredibly unusual, but that wasn’t necessarily bad thing. I found it to be quite addictive and caught myself making

excuses to go back to the bag for more. I did, however, find myself exceptionally disappointed by the so-called “boost” that the jerky was supposed to give the consumer, especially since the company proclaimed that one bag had the caffeine content of two energy drinks. I could say that I didn’t feel tired, if that accounts for anything. In short, I found that the jerky never carried out its main purpose, but it excelled in other aspects, such as its original taste. That taste, unfortunately, comes at a heavy price of over seven dollars. The company does give a portion of its proceeds toward the fight against Down Syndrome, but one could argue that Jack Link’s is less expensive (and it is), and has already been giving very generous donations to several different charitable causes for years now. As far as taste comes, it’s very unique, but not nearly worth the price for such a small amount of jerky. If you’re just as curious as I was, maybe you’ll see something in the product that I didn’t. I’m disappointed to say that this jerky just falls too short of its potential greatness.

april 2010 commentary 5

COMMENTARYReading and

writing, speaking and reading; they all go hand and hand. For most students, this lecture began around kindergarten

and hasn’t let up yet. Considering this, most students gag at the thought of reading a novel for fun. Even I used to think of reading as a chore instead of entertainment. However, once the idea of A.R. goals was out of the equation and the pressure of having to read was erased, I found that reading was quite enjoyable; more meaningful and in-depth than television. Yet, most students still think of reading as something that is forced upon them; a burden, task, or nuisance. Be that as it may, most students that think this way do not read simply to read, but

only out of obligation. Therefore, they never experience reading what they want to read, only what they have to read. For me personally, it makes an immense difference. There is no person who knows you better than yourself. So let yourself decide what you should or should not read, then make your decision whether or not you actually like reading. I would not venture as far to say that reading is for everyone. However, I will say that everyone can benefit from reading. It widens your vocabulary, increases writing skills, helps your better grasp complex ideas and furthers your abilities to comprehend all types of information. With that being said, if you decide that you may not particularly enjoy reading, you can still gain many assets from it. So next time your bored and think about watching television, consider putting the remote down and picking a book up.

COMMENTARY Diabetes in America has been a growing problem. 16 million in this country have diabetes. The government proposes that they

want less people to suffer from this disease, so they want to propose an 18% tax on a popular beverage, the soft drink, so that Americans will be encouraged not to buy such “sugary-sweet” drinks. If the tax was passed, the soft drink industry would lose a lot of money and unemployment rates in the business would increase. In hopes of Americans spending less of their money on “sugar-sweet” drinks, the government wants families to spend more money on healthier drinks and foods. If this 18% tax levy is successful,

then hopefully it does lead to healthier choices. In turn, this could decrease America’s dependency on well-fare because the tax would go towards the health-care reform. This would possibly make sure that “all Americans have regular access to doctors” and it would reduce health care costs. If it is successful, then thousands of employees will lose their jobs because the soft drink industry will lose money. In Canada alone, 14,600 people are employed by these companies as well as many more employed by soft drink companies in America. Right now, 1 out of every 10 Americans is already unemployed. If it is unsuccessful, and Americans choose to spend the extra money on “pop”, then families may lose their money and not be able to make ends meet. When it comes to the tax, pros and cons thrive together.

Reading is made fun againTax proposed to deter diabetes

This month:Danny’s

The verdict: Dud!

DEAL or DUD Perky Jerky

Radiant Eternal Luna. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl, inside and out. A 2nd grader at Terrell Elementary, Radiant has been battling brain cancer since

late November. “We first noticed the fact that she wasn’t eating very much, she wasn’t sleeping so she was always tired, she kept on vomiting even though she wasn’t eating anything… We were going to go to her regular doctor to get her checked out, because she had fallen on the playground at Terrell one day and bumped her head. The doctor wanted to do an x-ray or MRI, but we had to wait for Medicare to get it approved. One day I was fixing dinner and she started vomiting, saying that she wasn’t hungry, and I decided I wasn’t going to wait for the MRI, so I took her to Wilson N Jones. We told the doctor there what was going on and he went ahead and did an MRI. He said all the symptoms weren’t because of the fall; he had seen a mass on her x-ray,” Radiant’s

mother Melissa Luna said. Anyone who meets Radiant immediately falls in love with her. Her smile lights up a room; her laugh is infectious. On sight, no one would ever guess that this child has cancer. No one knows for sure what causes brain cancer, but everyone knows that this girl did nothing to deserve it. “Radiant is a very quiet, sweet, tender-hearted second grader; very soft spoken with a great smile and genuine desire to learn. When first diagnosed, I visited her and asked her if she would like for me to bring her anything. All that she asked for was math… She loves brightly colored wigs to wear to cover the hair loss. She has maintained a very positive attitude throughout her illness,” Terrell principal David Kirkbride said. Radiant had a surgery at Children’s Hospital in Dallas to remove the initial tumor in her brain, a golf-ball sized mass that was blocking the flow of brain fluid to her spine. Doctors have now found two new, smaller masses that they say are inoperable. She also has to undergo weekly chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Home-bound services come

into their home twice a week to continue her education. “[Radiant] has just finished her first round of treatment. She had radiation every day and chemotherapy once a week for six weeks. She will have and MRI done in March to determine the results of the treatment and also determine the next course of treatment,” said Weda. Money is not plentiful for the family, and their situation has gotten even tighter since Radiant’s diagnosis. Insurance doesn’t pay for all the treatment that are necessary, so many efforts have been made to raise money for the family. Local churches have asked for donations, a medical fund has been set up specifically for her at American Bank of Texas, and Terrell has started a program called Tokens of Love. “The fund raising efforts have been tremendous. There have been multiple private donors, our students bring in ‘Tokens of Love’ daily (loose change)… we are dedicating our Relay for Life Campaign to Radiant this year, Terrell is organizing a mini relay at school after hours that we’re calling Relay for Radiant,

and KATY Country ran a radio program around Christmas communicating Radiant’s situation to their listening community,” Kirkbride said. Although Radiant’s disease is a tragedy, it has brought students and adults together to help her out, and has made some realize how blessed their own situation is. Not only students at Terrell, but also high schoolers and faculty have come together to help out a member of the community in need, and every bit helps the family. “It is amazing how the whole school has come together to help Radiant. Some of Houston Elementary 5th graders made a blanket for a raffle and the Yellow Jacket Football Players signed a football for a raffle to help raise money…Our School nurse has made a Yellow Jacket quilt that we will start raffling after spring break,” Weda said. Thanks to a recent stay in the hospital undergoing intensive treatment, her doctors have declared her tumors gone. She will continue the treatments originally prescribed, but things are looking up for Radiant and her family.

Two girls are struggling with brain tumors, but through it all they keep smiling and bringing joy into others’ lives.

Two girls are struggling with brain tumors, but through it all they keep smiling and bringing joy into others’ lives.

Brain tumor: two words, three syllables, and a countless number of consequences. For junior Tiffany Martinez, these words meant chemotherapy,

bromocriptine, cabergoline, surgery, financial problems, and an abundance of life altering experiences.

“On March 3rd of last year, my mom had to take me to the emergency room because I had a really bad migraine. They did a CT scan and said they found a “mass”. It really didn’t sink in at first, but for a while after that I had this weird foggy feeling, like I wasn’t sure if it was real or not,” Tiffany said.

The epidemic started with a bad migraine and a trip to the emergency room and has continued with various treatments and medications.

“The first step in treatment was chemotherapy medication to try to shrink the tumor. They put me on this stuff called bromocriptine, but that ended up not working at all. Then they put me on

a different medication called cabergoline. That worked a little better, but I have to continue to take it to make sure the tumor doesn’t start growing again. About a month ago, I had to have surgery to relieve the pressure that was on my optic nerve. They made the incision above my front teeth, went in through my nasal cavities, and go about half of it out. The next step is radiation, but my doctors are trying to figure out the safest way to go about it. The tumor is still close to my optic nerve, and it’s also wrapped around my carotid artery, so the type of treatment I’ll receive hasn’t been decided yet, but should be soon,” Tiffany said.

The road to recovery stretches out before Tiffany, paved with difficulties and hardships that she will have to overcome before she reaches the end. However, she will not be alone in her journey to health. Her family is fighting right along side her, though the experience has been one of terrifying concern since the beginning.

“First off, I’ve got to give ‘em props. They’ve really held themselves together, and I know it’s mostly for my

sake. My parents and brother were pretty shaken up in the beginning, but I think they feel better now that we’ve gotten through a big part of it,” Tiffany said.

Surpassing surgery was a relief to the family but the battle still wages on as Tiffany struggles with everyday activities, all the while keeping a positive attitude.

“I can’t read or look at the computer screen as much as I used to, but other than that nothing is too hard. In the beginning, I was on heavy duty medication that made me very sick and weak. I couldn’t do anything besides eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom, so I was in bed pretty much the whole time. After I was taken off of it, I started to get my strength back to where I could do some normal stuff, like walk around without getting lightheaded. I’m doing a lot better now, but I can’t do anything that makes me strain or wears me out quickly. I still get headaches easily, so I have to limit my daily activities, but I still try to do as much as my body will let

me,” Tiffany said.Struggling to have normality

throughout her days, Tiffany pushes herself to participate in the everyday routine of her life before the brain tumor was discovered. However, that routine will be changing as her perspective on life has changed due to her realization brought into light by this experience of a lifetime.

“I used to just flow with whatever was going on, and that was fine with me. But now, there’s so much stuff I want and need to be doing, but it has to be put on hold until all of this is over. I feel like I’ll have a more productive outlook on life once everything is taken care of,” Tiffany said.

Taking on a brain tumor has put things into perspective for Tiffany. Where she once was content with coasting through life, she now feels motivated to take on all that life has to offer.

FIVE CRAZY FACTS ABOUT THE CAFETERIA! 1. There were over 500 million lunches served in Texas schools last year. 2. According to the Texas Public School Nutrition policy, candy is not allowed to be distributed on campus. 3. Hand sanitizer was made more readily available in the cafeteria as a response to the swine flu epidemic. 4. As of last year, carbonated soda cannot be made available to students. 5. Over 300,000 half-pints of milk were served in texas schools during the 2008 - 2009 school year.

8 feature april 2010

T h e cafeteria has kicked it up a notch with the new U.B.U. design. You will now find colorful posters

in place of the bare walls and decorative signs hanging from the ceiling. However, style is not the only thing that the U.B.U. lounge has brought to the table; it has also sparked some new emotions throughout the DHS students. “I think it’s a bit hypocritical. The school believes that we should be ourselves and yet they restrict us from so many things. The school tells us what’s appropriate and what’s not. I’m sure they mean well, but we can’t choose our own hair color if it’s too exotic. What if we are exotic? Shouldn’t we at least have that much freedom,” junior Sierra Flinn asks. Flinn feels that the

U.B.U. design makes a mockery of the restrictions that are placed upon students, such as hair color. However, some students are pleased with the changes of the U.B.U. design. “It’s about time someone put some color in the cafeteria! I admit, they could have done a better job and added some paint or something. But it still looks a lot better than it did. I was getting really sick of plain white walls,” junior Taylor Miller said. While some students voice their opinions on the matter, others are feeling apathetic towards the issue. “I really don’t see what the big deal is. I mean, it’s pointless. Nobody really pays any attention to it. I honestly didn’t even notice it. It’s made no difference whatsoever,” junior Teresa Martinez said. Very different emotions are bouncing around the school regarding to the U.B.U. style in the cafeteria; some like it, some don’t, and some don’t care.

The Cafeteria Gets a Facelift

With all of the commotion resulting from the disastrous e a r t h q u a k e in Haiti, it is comforting to see politicians

and certain organizations aid the country’s people. Help for the Haitian people can even be found on a local scale. DHS senior John Carlson, junior Daniel McKearan, and alumnus Kyrsten Burroughs have taken a stand by selling custom made t-shirts through their

own brand, Solace Clothing. Solace Clothing actually began before the turmoil in Haiti, when John, Kyrsten, and eventually Daniel wanted to help those in need in an innovative way. The prospect of selling designer t-shirts was appealing and proves successful in terms of sales. “Our idea to sell shirts originated when Kyrsten and I wanted to help victims of global disaster. We actually aren’t funded by anyone, the people who buy our shirts fund all our projects. We have sold over 180 shirts in response to Haiti

Solace Clothing Gives DHS Students a Chance to Save Livesalone. All of our proceeds were donated to the Red Cross,” senior John Carlson said. The Solace brand is undoubtedly growing and expanding its horizons. By selling more shirts and recruiting more people to their cause, they are spreading a message of prosperity that reaches out to the small crowds of people that buy their shirts, which in turn, reaches out to the large crowds of people that see the shirts in public. “I was really excited when Kyrsten and John asked me to

join. I wanted to help people so I was definitely honored to join the cause. I know that some countries really need our help and that people will notice our projects,” junior Daniel McKearan said. Solace Clothing is giving less fortunate countries a fighting chance against the unpredictable forces of nature. Hopefully more and more students will join Solace’s cause and realize the power of giving to their fellow human beings. For more information on how you can help, check out the group’s Facebook page.

april 2010 aD 9

10 sports april 2010

With basketball season coming to an end and the cool winter air gradually fading away comes the beginning of baseball season. This year the Jackets

are looking to take it all through their undying teamwork and commitment. Denison has a long running history of success in sports when compared to surrounding schools. It’s been several years since baseball has been in the spotlight, but with the talented athletes from other sports joining the roster, the success of the team should be unprecedented. “Anybody can go out onto a baseball field. It’s what you do out there that matters. If everyone pulls their weight and we finish strong, we will be successful,” senior Kyle Galyon said. Last year’s season proved unsuccessful, but with the recent

Three Strikes, You’re Outsuccesses of the football and basketball teams, the baseball team is looking for their shot at triumph. “We should do fairly well this year. I know that Coach Hughes is a very talented coach and that everyone on the team is driven to win. This year should definitely be way better than last year,” junior Daniel Davis said. Change is in the air this season. Hopefully all of the pride and commitment will lead to the victories that the players are most definitely capable of achieving. “I’ve been playing this game since I was young and it’s always been a passion of mine. I know that we can go far because everyone is an essential part of the team; in the end we all rely on each other,” Galyon said.

Working as hard as you can, practicing until you are perfect, and running until you can’t anymore. That’s what being on Denison high schools track team

is all about. It is not just about running around pointlessly, it’s what keeps some of the team members going throughout the day. “I try to practice running and work on my speed timing as often as I can,” Senior Charles Trimble said. It is obvious that our schools track team works very hard at what they do. There’s also no doubt that they know working hard now will surely pay off for them in the long run. Not just in winning

a race or being able to say that they did well in it when they are adults, track can also help keep them healthy. “I hope that all the work I’m doing now will keep me and my body healthy later on,” Junior Tanner Morgan said. Everything that the track team members work toward will surely benefit them in many ways, other than health. Everyone likes to keep healthy, but some are definitely in it to win it. All the adrenaline, the sweat, and the speed is what keeps them going on the team. “Being on track is a positive part of my life and is some of what drives my determination,” Trimble said. Being on track and sticking to it is a great feat, in all reality, and it seems like the people are in it are proud of their team and always ready to work hard.

Track Team is Triumphant

april 2010 fun page 11

1. Any pop music icon, for example5. Music’s Arista, Atlantic, and Apple11. Pothole-patching stuff14. Tiny bit15. Singer Newton-John who has won four 58- Acrosses16. Scarfed down17. Digital format for much pop music: 2 wds. 19. Nonstick cooking spray20. Device such as a Black Berry or Palm Pilot, for short21. ___ Vegas22. Quarterback Manning23. Hall & _____ (pop duo that had six #1 hits)26. Kind of guitar in a rock band28. Highest point29. Apples’ portable music player30. Individual song on an album31. 1998-2008 MTV show that featured popular music videos, for short32. Cut off, as branches33. Main singing parts in band: 2 wds.38. Response to a punch in the guy. 39. ___ Francisco40. Suffix with velvet or Hallow41. Supportive vote

Across

Down

42. Female who sings 33- Across in a band45. Fish that may be “electric”46. Sugar ___ (band with the 1997 #1 hit “Fly”)47. Album ___ (designs on a record’s cover)48. Boats like Noah’s 49. The best of ___ worlds51. “The ___ the limit!”53. “I Don’t Want to ___ Thing” (1998 Aerosmith hit) 2 wds.54. When said three times, a 1983 #1 hit for Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson55. French holy woman: Abbr.56. “Tell ___ About It” (Billy Joel hit)57. Suffix meaning “somewhat”58. Annual honor in categories such as Best New Artist and Re cord of the Year, 2 wds. 64. 502, in Roman numerals65. Bring the the same pitch, as instru ments in a band: 2 wds. 66. Rock band with the 1980s hits “Heat of the Moment” and “Don’t Cry”67. Approximate amount: Abbr.68. Place to record an album69. Barks sharply

1. “Attack, Spot!”2. “I’m ___ Sexy” (1992 #1 hit)3. 24- hr. banking convenience4. Performed like Eminem or 50 Cent5. “Livin’ La Vida ____” (Ricky Martin hit)6. ___-rock (music genre)7. Auction offer8. Wicked deeds9. Singers Stansfield and Loeb10. Bodily pouches11. These were commonly used to listen to music before 17- Acrosses became popular; 2 wds. 12. Charles Dickens’s “___ of Two Cities”; 2 wds. 13. Club version of a pop song, for example18. Product plugs23. ___ Olay (former name for a face cream brand); 2 wds.24. “I’m just ___ boy, I need no sym pathy” (Bohmemian Rhapsody lyric); 2 wds. 25. Song on a popular Billboard chart; 3 wds. 26. Spanish for “good”27. ___ loss for words; 2 wds. 28. Circle segment

30. Cat’s weapon31. 2,000 pounds34. Darlings35. Openings to let out air36. Onion relatives37. Music genre of Marc Anthony or Celia Cruz39. Pig’s home43. Slangy refusal44. Might48. Windpipe, for one49. Half of a pop single regarded as less important one: Hyph. 50. Band with the 1996 hit “Wonder wall”51. Walk like a peacock (or a 1984 Sheena Easton hit)52. Actor Reeves who played 26- Across in the band Dogstar53. “Somebody Get ___ Doctor” (Van Halen song); 2 wds. 55. Mil. officers56. Syringe, for short59. Dr.’s field60. Hong Kong pop music queen Anita61. The Beatles’ “Free ___ Bird”; 2 wds.62. Copy, as music from a 17-Across to a hard drive63. Karl Marx’s “___ Kapital”

As the Touch of Gold makes the transition from marching season to contest season, they hope that the spring will be just as successful as

the fall. They not only got to experience a killer football season with our team, but also made a division one rating at the UIL marching competition and advanced to the area level. So far, the spring has brought just as much success, with 6 members qualifying for the All-region band. All-region is a prestigious band made up of musicians from Denison, Sherman, Lovejoy, and McKinney schools. Tryouts are held in November over 3 challenging pieces of music, and a concert if performed in January. “The tryouts are pretty scary. You’re put in a room with a bunch of other musicians and some judges hiding behind a screen, and you have to play in front of everyone… pretty

nerve-racking,” senior band member Rachel Bullock said. Although the tryouts are strenuous, the experience of the rehearsals and concert is undoubtedly worth it. “You get to play with other people who love band as much as you do. They all play really well, which makes it really fun. The director we had was really energetic and fun, and I loved the music we played,” senior band member Michelle Wasmund said. The challenge of All-region reminds students to always remain competitive. “[What I liked most was] the overall challenge of the process—it reminds you not to get complacent, and to always strive for improvement, because if you’re not, someone else is,” Bullock said. Band members that made the were senior Michelle Wasmund, senior Rachel Bullock, junior Cina Catteau, junior Brandon Fisher, junior Cody Clapp, and freshman Olivia Perkins. Wasmund and Fisher also advanced to All-area tryouts.

Band members make All RegionAfter A strenuous Audition process, six members of the touch of Gold eArned the honor of performinG with the All-reGion bAnd.

Coach Brittian Returns Many have personally known family and friends who have had the courage to fight bravely for the security of our own rights and

freedoms. Without people like Coach Brooke Brittian to lead on into battle and defend America, there would be no America, no freedom, and no heroes. Brittian is truly “Army Strong”. She has been deployed to Iraq two times (March 3, 2003- March 4, 2004/ January 2009-November 2009) and has made it back home safely. We, as Americans, give high regards to the men and women who guard our well-being while risking their own. The reasons that soldiers go into combat are similar to the reasons we and

o t h e r s before us have fought for what we believe in. Some, like Brittian, join because of their role models and because serving is in the well respected history of America. “I have always admired and respected the veterans before me and I just love my country. I wanted to be part of a time- honored tradition and join the ranks of the people I personally looked up to,” Brittian said. Brittian’s decision to go into war was brave. She fought for all Americans when she fought in Iraq. When she left in 2008, the girls she coached were heartbroken. But to personally know someone who went into war is a privilege. You can learn from what they have been through. Your attitude towards them may also morph into respect. “Well before coach Brittian went to

Iraq I didn’t know her very well. All I knew [was] that she was a good

coach and treated each of her

players with just as much respect as she would the coaches. Now that she is back from Iraq, I have much more respect for her, not only due to the fact that she is one of America’s heroes but also because she chose to come back and pass what she learned in the army (discipline, character, etc) to her athletes as well,” Sophomore Kristyne McKoy said. Brittian can now teach others the value of our freedoms. While in war, Brittian learned about many things that she says she is blessed to have. Many Americans take things in their daily life for granted. “There are countless lessons I have learned, but most importantly I have learned how blessed I am, and I am now much more thoughtful and appreciative of what freedoms, opportunities, and

blessings I have in my life,” Brittian said.

Coming out of war and going back home can be very

d i f f i c u l t .

L i f e in America is obviously much different than combat in Iraq right now. That is why the change is called a transition. “If I said it were easy I would be lying, but I have a tremendous support system and a blessed life. I am certainly fortunate to come home to the conditions I have and that has made the transition period much easier on me,” Brittian said. Brittian truly has been involved with two different kinds of life. She has been able to adjust to a country with numerous rights and freedoms and another country with the lack thereof. “She’s fantastic for having two feet in two worlds,” Social Studies teacher Mrs. Schneider said. America is glad to see another soldier back home safely. We, as Americans, are honored to be in the presence of the people who risk their

lives for us.

From Iraq