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

2 table of contents february 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.

Page 3One staff writer tells you what she thinks is really going to happen on December 21st, 2012

Page 4Does all your primping really help you score your crush? Find out from each perspective in Danny vs Natalie

They’ve got spirit, yes they do, they’ve got spirit, how ‘bout you? Find out more about the cheerleaders and the cheer managers.

Remember That one time, all the waY back in november, when we kept the axe?

Toto, I don’t think that we’re in Denison anymore...

Pages 6-7

Page 11

Page 8

Page 12

8

Making History, one game at a time. Review what happened during football playoffs

COMMENTARY Standardized testing: it’s been going on since we first learned how to read and write. As a junior this year, I feel like it has become

especially prevalent: we took the PSAT at the beginning of the year, we are bombarded with flyers for the ACT and SAT, and TAKS and AP testing are lurking at the end of the year. With all of the testing we are forced to take, it seems as if our identity as individuals has been reduced to a series of darkened circles on a scantron, and I am forced to question whether these types of tests are able to accurately reflect our academic abilities. Up to 89% of colleges use the ACT and SAT to partially determine admissions, especially large and selective institutions. Although these provide an important way

february 2010 commentary 3

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the commentaries are the sole views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DISD administration or the DHS Journalism Department.

The End of the WorldCOMMENTARY The Bible knows it as Armageddon. We all know it is as the end of the world. 2012. The myths that everything will come to an end with tidal waves, earthquakes that destroy entire cities, shifting poles, or a planet

on a crash course towards Earth to cause our doom. The most popular myth that has many in apprehension, is the Mayan calendar ending. All of these have people world wide in terror. Yet none of the signs have happened. Maybe 2012 is the biggest myth of them all. First off, the myth of the tidal waves has many countries in fear. Tidal waves three to four miles tall could over take cities, even countries. It would be a natural tsunami. The worst known tsunami to hit in the world was on December 26th, 2004 in Indonesia. It killed approximately 225,000 people. After this, people look at the myths of the tidal waves and are in fear. It’s just a natural disaster. It’s just nature. Can you really live in fear of nature? In the world, we feel tremors, shakes, and jostles. Earthquakes that can shake down a town or just make you move a little bit. On a Richter scale, earthquakes are measured from a 1 to 3.5 which don’t cause much damage to 8 or above which WILL cause serious damage. It is said that earthquakes at

of fresh water can not cause climate realignment when the poles shift. In the 1980’s it was said that astronomers saw a planet, known as “Planet X” or “Nibiru”, at the furthest part of our solar system. It will enter our solar system and come crashing towards us, destroying everything in its way. Well, scientists have been looking into this hysteria and have proved that there is no “Planet X” in our solar system and it’s not coming crashing towards us. The most that can happen would be a few asteroids coming but nothing huge, like in the movie “Armageddon”. Most of the small asteroids will vaporize in descending our atmosphere. Finally, to address the most popular myth to hit the web and our world today, the ending of the Mayan calendar, also known as the “Long Count”. The Mayan calendar or “The Long Count” will end on December 21st, 2012. This, however, does not mean the world will end. All it means is that something will happen spiritually. The sun and Venus will be seen at the crossing point of the galactic equator and the ecliptic, which is a Sacred Tree to the Mayans. They do not believe that the world will suddenly end or that the calendar proves it will. Most shake their heads, and tell people what is true. Maybe people should believe them, it is THEIR ancestry. No crashing comets, no destruction of society, no world war breaking out, no monstrous tidal waves drowning most of the population. There will be no ending of human kind, no killing of us all. The most that can happen is a beautiful view of the sun and Venus and a polar shift, maybe a couple shooting stars. No deaths, no destruction. The most people will think of this is waking up on January 1st, 2013 and thinking how stupid they were for believing in it. The mass hysteria will seize and people will start believing in something else. 2012. Seems that it is the biggest of all myths known.

to make comparisons among a large number of students, mistakes can be made in the scoring process and the tests can be manipulated through test-taking shortcuts taught in test-prep courses. These facts can be dangerous if college rely too much on test scores in admitting students. Relying on standardized test scores as the primary basis for important educational decisions has the potential to distort and damage the curriculum that schools use to teach their children. Because such tests are sometimes geared to examine test-taking ability rather than actual academic ability, and teachers are judged by their student’s success on tests, schools who rely too heavily on test scores may begin to teach only material that will be covered on the test, instead of covering all material necessary to understanding the subject.

Answers for the Tests

BA C D

2012

a scale of a 10 will hit and cause mass destruction, destroying large cities and causing the worst tsunamis. Yet, signs should’ve been shown shouldn’t they? How can an earthquake just suddenly come with no signs to show it? Maybe, it’s just another myth to chalk up on the chalkboard. The poles shifting, is not something new to us. Albert Einstein stated that the poles have shifted over 170 times, so what makes this one so important? The earth’s crust is broken into plates, which are sitting on molten lava, and it moves constantly. The lava spins faster than the crust due to the rotation of earth, so for the poles to shift, the crust must move faster then the lava. This is what causes volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, and such. The poles to shift would just be another shift that has happened in the past. Yes, the climate change has caused a drastic change into the polar ice caps melting, but the amount

4 commentary february 2010

COMMENTARY Now, I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but there is n o t h i n g m o r e

annoying than being on a date with a girl that goes to the restroom to “freshen up” for fifteen minutes. Think about it, if you’re on a date with a guy that asked you out, why worry about your appearance? It’s obvious that he feels the same, if not more strongly than you do. First things first. It’s apparently obvious, by some freak force of nature, that most guys, including myself, are naturally and undeniably slobs from time to time, if not all the time. I myself, my father and his father and his father’s father have not taken more than twenty minutes of our day to get ready for some girl that we have been crazy about. Girls, at least ninety-nine percent of the time, are inherently m o r e beautiful than guys and stress way too much about their looks. Trust me, if a guy says that you’re beautiful, he means it.

COMMENTARY We all know what it’s like to get a new crush, just wondering if they like us back. The cute text messages, hours in front of the mirror

making sure we look perfect, the smell of their cologne, blah blah blah… I’m not a fan of all the cheesy stuff that takes place whenever you start dating someone. Yeah it’s fun and exciting and new, but why do girls go through so much trouble just to impress a boy? I know plenty of girls that wake up in the morning extra early just to look pretty for “their guy” and put themselves through all this extra stress just to look good. What’s the point? As hard as I have tried, I just can’t imagine a guy waking up earlier in the morning to make sure his hair is perfect for whoever he likes and I actually admire that attribute. Guys don’t have the mentality that they need to look perfect all the time whereas some girls have the mentality they can’t go out into public without make up on. If a guy is “allowed” to walk outside

Secondly, nobody walking on Earth today is perfect. Everyone has their own little set of flaws, and guys will be

the last to notice your flaws.

Unlike girls, our minds aren’t set to monitor

every single detail. Seriously,

I take two to three minute showers; do you think that I take time to observe every little blemish or the spot on my face where I forgot to shave? Sure, we like our girls to take a little extra time to look nice for us, but sometimes girls try too hard. I don’t want someone coated in pounds of powdered makeup or obsessed with the latest fashion trends; I want someone who truly embraces the

w a y that they look and has a good time doing it,

because chances a r e , like most guys, I’ll t h i n k that she’s beautiful the way she is.

Danny Natalie Two of our wriTers discuss The value of primping for your laTesT crush.

in sweats and no make up then you better believe that I’m going to walk outside in the exact same attire. I’ve never understood why the world as a whole puts the stress on women to look awesome all the time and the invention of Photoshop hasn’t made it any better because it has distorted people’s view of true beauty. I have never seen a person who looks flawless all the time but because of because of Photoshop, girls are starting to feel inadequate whenever they look at models that weigh 95 pounds and don’t have any pimples. It’s not real or realistic to view anybody in that light! What I’m saying is that girls don’t need to go to the extent that they do when all guys do is brush their teeth in the morning. The best compliment I’ve ever gotten is that I look the prettiest whenever I’m in sweat pants and I think girls tend to forget that in the end, guys don’t really care about all the primping.

The Stinger staff says: The Stinger staff says: Make your next month marvelous by...

Get ready for spring- go embrace the upcoming warm weather by wearing shorts all the time and showing off your lovely legs

Say good-bye to winter by wearing your warmest winter jacket all day, even inside.

Have a party for Hoodie-Hoo day and invite all of your friends to come over and go outside to shout “Hoodie-Hoo!” to scare away winter.

When you’re bored at home, and you want to read up on your favorite school news, go online to:

And read the Stinger online! http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/newspaperid/3557/Default.aspx

(Normally celebrated February 20th)

(903) 465- 1288

offi ce@parkavenuechurch.comwww.parkavenuechurch.com

Meeting Times:Sunday Bible Class 9:00AMSunday AM Worship 10:00 AMWednesday Night Class 7:00 PM

Come join us at Innermission!-our weekly youth rally-

Every wednesday night at 7.

“WORD UP”-Our youth hang out-

every monday night at 7

february 2010 commentary 5

COMMENTARY The passing of Maynard Hines came to my utmost dismay as well as the grief of many of my fellow students.

For those of you who never met him or knew him personally, he was a young man with a lot of troubles in life, but he was also a young man with a great heart and an even greater spirit. Though I did not speak with him for many years before his passing, I will always remember the childhood memories that I shared with him. Our friendship started on the hot summer fields of the Denison Boys and Girls Club. I remember my father, who coached our football team that year, placing all of us in the positions that he saw fit. I, Maynard, and the other boys quickly built all of the essential strengths that would guide our team to victory and the young pride that would drive our friendships throughout the many years of school that awaited us. Over the course of my 5th grade year, Maynard and I became the best of friends. It was almost like he became part of my family before I moved away that very next year. Just simple memories, like cracking jokes with him after our games, eating dinner with him and my family, playing with our BB guns, or even something as simple as playing videogames has a pure innocence to it that I take to heart to this very day. It is as the old saying goes, “bad things happen to good people,” which I believe is undeniably true in Maynard’s case. I do feel regretful if I look back on the situation; we became so detached over the years that I didn’t even hear of his passing until days before his funeral. I leave this as a tribute to my long lost friend as well as a reminder to you all that we must all, like Maynard, strive to make the best of what the world can offer us while turning away all of its empty promises in hopes of achieving all of our dreams. Rest in peace, my friend.

COMMENTARY The killings at Fort Hood caught most Americans off guard. Troops usually believe they are safe while at home. Events

like 9-11, the Murrah Building Bombing in Oklahoma City, and the Fort Hood shooting have shown us otherwise. Some think the killing of 13 people

COMMENTARY Breakfast is what people say is the most important meal of the day. Due to shortages, some may start to notice that it’s

getting harder to find certain breakfast foods, especially waffles.

One of the main Kellogg waffle factories

Rest In Peace,

Maynard Hines

A Writer’s Viewpoint on the Treatment of Terroristswas a terrorist attack. Nobody knows the actual reason of this friendly fire. The killer may not be an acclaimed terrorist working for Iraq, but many would agree that anyone brave enough to harm Americans on American soil is a terrorist, indeed, no matter what race. We diminish people like the suspect at Ft. Hood into animals. We have no forgiveness for their act. Without forgiveness, though, every human would be denoted as wild animals and be like

the “untouchables”. If we saw ourselves plainly, we would be disgusted. We commit sins everyday. Some people are already sick with their selves and see nothing in them that can be forgiven. There is hope, however. Jesus came to save the “sick” not the “righteous”. He also says that “there is none righteous, no not one.” We need to have forgiveness for people like Major Nidal Malik Hasan because Jesus has forgiveness for us, too, if we only ask.

was recently shut down because of flooding. There is also another underlying reason for lack of waffle production. A few months ago, a mostly harmless bacteria was found in Eggo waffles and Kellogg agreed to recall thousands of boxes of the waffles. Plenty of stores are a l r e a d y

dealing with empty shelves, where Eggos and other Kellogg breakfast foods would normally take place. A few stores have seen little or no shortage. Nonetheless, stores are working hard to keep up stock as usual, until mid 2010 when production in the factories starts up again. Until then, leggo’ my Eggo.

This was it. He could feel it. It was his time, his team’s time. They had spent months training and working hard to get themselves to this point. The crowd’s cheers and screams reached down to

them on the field as they began to

jump, bouncing the tunnel up and down, making the Yellowjacket

on top shake with intimidation

to the oppos ing

team. One city, one team, one desire…Denison Yellowjacket football playoffs. “It was really rewarding to me for us achieve our position in the playoffs, we worked really hard to get to where we got,” junior safety Trey Marrable said. After an extensive and rewarding season, the season ended 13-2 on December 12 against Aledo. But with so many games, there would have to be a favorite game for each of the players. “My favorite game was against Marshall because it was such a big game for us to win, plus we won it big,” junior corner Trevor Holzbog said. The team earned district champions, bi-

district champions, area champions, regional champions, and state semi-finalists titles. With so many levels reached, and with the time commitment required to be a part of the team, the boys bonded to the point to where they all were almost brothers.

“Leaving the team atmosphere had to be the worst. Football connected us

all in a brotherhood, friendship kind of way, something that

will never be taken away from us,” senior

right guard Ben Hander said. The roughest part of any

season is when the seniors have to face the fact that this is the last time for them to be playing. Some, just their last high school game, for others it would be their last game ever. “The hardest part of losing against Aledo was knowing that it had been the seniors’ last game. They all put so much into this season, and they were all really upset after we lost,” junior defensive corner Josh Vick said. With every game they won, the Jackets knew that they were facing teams that were also high up in the state ranking. And

for many, they began to notice the pressure that they were facing because of it. “There was always going to be pressure from the town. Denison is all about football. One thing that made me strive to be my best and to help get us to where we were was my father. It was a great feeling to come home and see him telling me I did well. So in a way, I was pressuring myself to make my father proud of

me,” Hander said.

8 feature february 2010

The DHS cheerleaders have started in on the new year with a bang once again. Working through the summer to perfect jumps

and tone muscles, they’ve done their best dominated the techniques of cheerleading. Along with the physical aspect, the DHS cheer squad has also taken on another challenge. “This year we have a large varsity of 20 which is new to Denison, but we work well as a team and I feel that it will benefit us,” says senior Elizabeth Corcoran. Going from 12 to 20 is a big change, but most cheerleaders feel confident in thinking that it will be for the best. However, having such a large number of varsity girls causes difficulties in

A fan is sitting in on a Yellow Jacket football game. They holler and cheer because Denison just ran in a killer touchdown. Next they see three guys out of the corner of your

eye running up and down the end zone with flags. They think, “Who are they?” Well, these are the cheer managers of DHS. “[A great thing about our school spirit is] not only students but every one in Denison supports, and they’re always pumped,”

cheer manager Chris Carry said. The cheer managers are Joseph Heffner, Ivan Hernandez, Jared Barger, Jacoby Bachman, Chris Carry, and Tevin Vest. They are a group that loves school spirit. “[The best part about being a cheer manager is] running the flags and yelling at the other team’s players with my friends,” cheer manager Joseph Heffner said. Most every school has a football team. Most have cheerleaders and band. Some even have Drill Team and Color Guard. A unique feature about Denison High School is a group of guys who show immense school spirit. We call them the cheer managers because their focus is making sure our school has enough spirit to support our football game. They are like cheerleaders, except they don’t wear skirts. The purpose of the cheer managers is to not only to wave a D, H, and S flag to show we put up 6 points on the score board. The cheer managers show us that anyone can show spirit. “They tell us that spirit isn’t just a girl thing. They aren’t in only a male

environment, but they are still showing school spirit. They participate in a

gender-free environment. They show loyalty to DHS,” social

study teacher Mrs. Schneider said. The cheer managers are guys who take on the roll that female cheerleaders usually take on. The cheer manager organization was actually founded by the cheerleading program. “I like the male presence and, of course, the shakers and flags,” former cheerleading coach and audience member Mrs. Hatfield said. They may be guys, but just like cheerleaders, the cheer managers show everyone school spirit. The cheer managers, cheerleaders, party pit, and the audience together make up a prideful fan section. The cheer managers support the football team by encouraging them. They attend the games, paint their faces, scream and holler, and run with pride. The cheer managers go to every game, in and out of town. This will be even more exciting to see them go out of town to the football playoffs to support the Yellow Jackets. Every time, they encourage the audience to get involved with supporting the team. Most of all, they pump up the school spririt. “I’ll put our Yellow Jacket fans up against any in the state when it comes to school spirit,” Superintendent Dr. Henry Scott said on the DISD website.

Who Says Guys Can’t Cheer

Keeping up the Jacket Spirit

communication and organization. “With the new, larger squad it can sometimes be difficult to keep up with who’s doing what stunt, or who’s standing where. But, we’re working hard to fix all the kinks and I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it soon,” Sierra Gilliam, sophomore, said. Although some numbers have changed, most DHS cheerleaders are optimistic about our growing squad. Having faced the new complications, the girls are left with the old hardships as well. When asked the most difficult part of being a cheerleader, sophomore Samantha Stubbs said, “learning new skills and time management.” There are many things that complicate the life of cheerleaders. From perfecting jumps to managing time; the list goes on and on. Nevertheless, they’ve managed to start the year off exceptionally well. Hopefully, that’s the way it will end.

february 2010 sports 9

yards and 27 touchdowns. Taylor was able to rush for 1,356 yards in 169 attempts, with 23 touchdowns. In the 2008-2009 football season, running back D.J. Jones was the main guy in the running game. This year, Taylor has proved to be a versatile quarterback. He became a perfect compliment to the entire offense. “Coming into the season, it appeared Denison QB Jordan Taylor’s main job would be handing the ball to star RB D.J. Jones. Taylor has proven to be much more versatile than that. With defenses focusing attention on Jones, Taylor has established himself as a big-play threat for the Yellow Jackets,” saidwww.texasfootball.com, the official website for Texas High School Football Player of the Week. Taylor is said to have had spectacular stats. However, he gives much credit to the offensive line, the ones who are responsible for protecting their quarterback. “Nothing would have been accomplished without those guys up front. I loved the way they all played dirty and 110 MPH every snap. These guys are by far the most unselfish group on the field and had an outstanding season,” Taylor said.

Jordan Taylor was nominated to receive the Dick’s Sporting Goods “Player of the Week” award for Week 14 in the football

season. He and Pilot Point RB Jarman Johnson were neck and neck the entire week. Taylor, in the end, came out to be the winner. “If it wasn’t for the other ten guys around me I would have never even been nominated for this award. My teammates pushed me and encouraged me to do my best everyday and I wanted to [do my best] for them,” Taylor said. The thing that has helped him the most was his teammates. He was a team player and good on the field. “He was always a good runner. He threw the ball awfully well. It took some pressure off of D.J. He was a big bonus to us,” Coach White said. In the 2009 season, Taylor attempted 231 passes with a percentage of 65.8%. He threw for a total of 2,475

Dick’s Sporting Goods “Player of the week”- Jordan Taylor A football team cannot stand together without good teamwork. Denison’s 2009 Varsity football team set a lot of records as a team, including championships, and as individuals. These athletes will be a group to miss. “They grew up as young men. They had a great year together. The players are a good group to know. We will miss the seniors next year,” White said. Because votes were necessary to award the “Player of the Week” title, many fans were needed to decide which athlete prevailed above the others. This means that there were more fan votes for Jordan Taylor than any other competitor. Taylor would like to say something to every person who cast their ballot for the Yellow Jacket quarterback. “I just want to thank everyone who voted for me because they went out of their way to do so. Most people voted every chance they got and that shows how strongly our community feels about Denison football. I also want to thank every one of my teammates for a great year and the best time of my life,” Taylor said. Taylor will be playing football for Rice University.

Some things that people notice, more then how good our swim team is, is the shear number of boys on our team, but more of what they’re wearing. “Men shouldn’t wear spandex, it’s just weird looking,” junior Kourtney Phillips said. Many on the swim team that have friends get a lot of advice, good and bad. They get things like, “don’t hold your breath”, or “you’ll swim faster if you shaved all your body hair off”. Some even say the non-fictional, “don’t eat at the meet or you can’t swim for thirty minutes”. The best advice comes from some on the team, but sometimes the funny advice seems to help more in some instances when people outside the team says it. The best advice you’ll probably ever get is, “Don’t drown, just keep swimming,” senior Jacob Simons says. The swim team is hard working like every other team, and they deserve to be recognized. They work hard but goof off a little. Some of the school doesn’t even know they exist. If you ask anyone on swim team, they’ll probably laugh and smile and just walk away. It’s not a made up group, they really do exist, and love to “splish splash”.

We’ve all heard the song, “splish, splash I was taking a bath”, but that’s not the only thing some students around the high school think of when they hear

“splish, splash”. They wear tight uniforms, spandex for some, quite unlike any other, and can probably move faster in a clear liquid better then on land. The swim team is definitely a secret bunch but a part of our high school none the less. The swim team works very hard. At Waterloo Pool they work on everything they must, swimming till they can’t feel their arms, also joking and jostling around some. They practice breast strokes, breathing, and swimming under water. They work to get the fastest time. The few that do know that DHS has a swim team notice things that many others might as well. “You must be in really good shape to be on the swim team,” junior Lynsey Testerman said. The people that do go to the meets cheer them on. They scream for our boys and girls and make them feel loved.

Splish, Splash: There goes the Swim Team

10 feature february 2010

First it starts off with just a little fever it may be 100F to 103F, maybe into chills and dizziness. Next you have this nasty hacking cough, congestion,

restlessness, disgusting sweat poring off of you, and an urge to throw your stomach up with everything you’ve eaten. The virus has already invaded your body, and started its battle inside you, leaving with you with symptoms that make you feel horrible. It can last from a week, to ten days. Your body has nothing left in it but enough energy to keep you awake to eat, if that. The ugly flu strikes again. “The body aches can be painful but my energy level is non-existent. I have no strength, whatsoever, and just trying to lay still is an exercise in itself,” junior Sierra Flinn said. Sometimes, if your energy stays, then you can find a way to be in bed and find a way to entertain yourself. It may be music, television, internet, reading a book, or just drawing until the weight of your eye lids over power you and you fall asleep. It’s good to rest, but never to be out of bed. “When I’m sick I watch a lot of TV, listen to music, but mostly I sleep it off. I try to just stay in bed,” junior Harley Hayton says. Most Americans spend hundreds of dollars on medicine to get over the flu better, or to at least relax the symptoms so they can eat. Nasal sprays, day/

Don’t want to get sick?It’s perfect for on-the-go, tastes good, and you don’t even have to wait in line that long, fast food. It seems to have taken over the better part of the American diet and changed how the rest of the world may look at us. “It’s good when you’re in a hurry,” junior Brianna Steudeman said. While fast food may taste really good and leave you wanting more, and it does in fact live up to its name, fast food isn’t always

healthy for you. It can leave you fatigued and gross feeling afterward. “I always feel a little sluggish and tired after I’ve eaten it,” junior Nicki Goggans said, “I try to tell myself that I feel fine, but I really don’t feel as good as I would have if I’d eaten something homemade.” It is not a rare fact that fast food mostly isn’t good for you. Recently, though lot of larger fast food chains have adopted healthier choices like salads and fruit. “At fast food places, I always try to order a salad or yogurt,” senior Carmen Soriano said. While people agree that they like fast food, sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad.

Fast Food Fai l

The DHS criminal justice department recently took part in the 10th annual Crime Scene Competition held at Grayson County College, where Denison prevailed over

Sherman, winning two out of three of the awards. The criminal justice students witnessed a spectacle of events led by college students and some of the faculty at GCC. They participated in a set up crime scene, criminal sketching, a shooting range, and even witnessed a volunteer college student get tasered and sprayed with mace. They also learned the fundamentals to each of the activities and the career paths that they correlate to. “The day was a lot of fun. I definitely had a great time and I learned a lot. I realized that

it would take a lot of courage to be a part of the law enforcement because I know that if someone held a gun to me that I would cry like a girl,” senior Jacob Simons said. All in all, the day was a huge success with senior Erik Haraldsen winning 1st place in the shooting competition and senior Danny Rodgers winning 1st place in the crime scene description. Several other students from DHS won 2nd and 3rd place for many of the events as well. “The day gave me a chance to practice what I preached. I hope my students took all that we learned to heart and do something good in the future,” criminal justice teacher Mr. Cherry said. With all of this success, Denison’s criminal justice department opens many doors for prospective law enforcement officers and crime scene investigators, which, in turn, will ensure greater peace in the crime filled streets of tomorrow.

Tenth Annual Crime Scene Competition

night quil, Vicks rub to help you breathe, even a vaccine to help stop or relieve some of the symptoms. Some Americans just let it run its course and live with the misery for the next few days. “I do not take any medicine unless I have to,” sophomore Kyle Kern said. Even if you’re not the one sick, you’re taking care of someone sick. Most teens, when they’re sick, have a family member or their special someone taking care of them making sure they’re getting better. Some go completely independent, and just sleep it off, eating when only absolutely necessary. Either way, you’ll get better either faster or slower, depending on how well you take care of yourself with the right amount of rest to accommodate. “My mother and aunt take great care of me, especially when sick. When I get the flu, my equilibrium is thrown off and balance is impossible, so there goes walking,” Flinn says. Either way you see it, the flu can take a toll on your body and cause you to feel ten times as worse then with any other cold you get. It feels like the symptoms are as bad as the flu itself, which makes the flu just as bad. Don’t hide in your attic with a mask on under a blanket, hoping the virus never touches your house. The only way to stay away from the flu is washing your hands, using Germ-X when possible, covering your cough or sneeze if you already have it, and not sharing drinks or foods to stop the spread of the virus.

Read on to get some facts and be armed with infromation to keep yourself healthy

Is Life looming over you?Need some Relief?

You can find it here at

Of Denison

Young Adults Bible Study Tuesdays

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The place where faith meets life head-on

Sunday Morning Worship - 10:55 am

Sunday Evening Worhip 5 pm

(beginning April 4)

First Presbyterian Church213 Burnett903-465-3923

Rev. Jim Hawthorne, PastorRev. Liz Lindsey Assoc. Pastor

february 2010 feature 11

Wars, battles, and fights have broken out across the world throughout countless generations. It’s human instinct to react to rude

comments, impolite stares, and snappy attitudes. However, while a little aggression is only natural, there are moments when these instincts take control of our moral instincts. Then what? Here at Denison High School, our staff keeps a wary eye out to keep the violence within our school to a minimum. However, there’s only so much that can be done. “I think that there is not much you can do to prevent fights. Teenagers thrive on emotion, and not all of them know how

to redirect it into more positive forms of expression. As a teacher, all you can do is pay attention, be present, and step in before things get out of hand,” teacher Mrs. Hamilton said. It’s easy for teenagers to get carried away with their emotions, and most of them turn to violence to settle their issues with one another. Containing hundreds of raging hormonal teenagers together for at least seven hours sets the stage for arguments and cat fights galore at school. “I hear people talk about fights that happen at school at least once a week. Students always talk noise so I hear about it quite a bit,” junior Joel Maresh said. To prevent fighting as much as possible, the school endorses strict punishment for any individual who engages in a fight.

The cops are called and anyone who was involved is arrested. Many students feel that this is extreme and unnecessary. “I believe the one who originally causes the fight, whether it’s throwing the first punch of being the first to open their mouths, should be in trouble. If it’s in self-defense, then the person who is getting attacked should not be punished at all. It’s not fair to be punished for something you didn’t cause,” junior Sierra Flinn said. While most students disagree with the punishment that comes along with fighting at school, some think of it as a vital key to keeping fights to a minimal. I think the punishment for fighting at school is reasonable because school should be a place where students can feel safe and not have to worry about fights breaking out all the time. I think

if they are punished, students that are causing the fights may stop,” Maresh said. Agree or disagree, the penalty for fighting at school still applies to those that are involved. With the punishment in place, the school is hoping to decrease the number of fights. However, as one student has pointed out, it could definitely be worse. “People are naturally going to get angry at someone. Violence isn’t a big issue here anyway. No one brings knives or guns to school, so we don’t really need to do anything to put an end to violence at our school,” junior Michael Mitchell said. Fortunately, weapons are not a problem at DHS. Hopefully, that’s the way it will stay. Still, to keep things under control, the penalty remains.

In some countries of the world, like South Korea, what we call “football” is non-existent. This is unlike Denison, Texas, where

football is a high priority. The thing that links America and the rest of the world is definitely not football, but rather the enthusiasm of competition. The most important game is the Battle of the Axe because of the rivalry between Denison and Sherman. The Battle of the Axe has been going on for a while. It has been an inspiration for football players in both towns. It is a time where people from all over Grayson County can come and share in the excitement. The winner of the annual game not only gets the Ax, but can proudly wave it in the enthusiasm of a victory. “This game means way more than any other game, because this game means, basically, bragging rights for a whole year with your cross town rivals. [My favorite part of Battle of the Axe is] the excitement of the two towns coming together and being in one place, the tradition, and how many years the rivalry has been going on. They both know that something valuable is at stake,” senior football player D.J. Jones said. Every year the team that wins gets

the honor of bringing the Axe home. The other team of the competition goes home empty handed. Many enjoy the anticipation of what the outcome will be. Also, with the exciting game, many football players get to play in the game. The number of athletes has significantly increased in the past 60 years. “On our A stream we had 22 players. When we wanted to scrimmage, we had to get the B squad,” alumni Marvin Vincent said. A foreign exchange student from South Korea sat in on the game. He watched a football game for only the second time in his life. Of course, he did not know what exactly was going on. It wasn’t the most interesting thing for him to sit in on because he was unfamiliar with the rules and the object of the game, but there is a deeper meaning in the rivalry of the game. “I think we have rivalry like Denison and Sherman [in South Korea]. Football is interesting for me, but not too much. The football game was exciting, because I never watched football in Korea,” foreign exchange student Hyeon Ahn said. The Battle of the Axe was very exciting to some during the week of the game. It gave Denison “bragging rights”, but also allowed Denison to lead off into the playoffs. It was a great time for Denison fans and players.

The Axe Stays Home

Violence: a growing problem among todays teens

NHS S

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This year, NHS has recognized several teachers and staff members for their hard work and dedication by honoring them with the title of NHS Staff Member of the week. Below is a list of the ones who have been recognized so far this school year.

Gloria DavidsonNorma BorenLou ChandlerWilly JohnsonRenee BurroughsJohn Terry

Christina AlemanRhonda KunkelJane JohnsonPatti CorneliusDr. Cavin BoettgerLori White

Students followed the yellow brick road to the auditorium last December to see Denison High School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Following the tradition of past performances, they stunned the student body once again with a high-energy show full of music, dancing, and excitement.

“I love the transformation in color and energy from the bland, gray plains of Kansas into the beautiful, glittery

magical world of Munchkinland. It’s a buffet for the eyes,” director Nikki Silva said. The theater department includes students from many other departments, such as band, cheerleading, and drill team. Theater is enjoyed by a wide scope of students because it caters to the talents of so many.

“I enjoy being able to be creative on a whole new level. Since I’m also in band, being in theater gives

me an outlet to perform in a way that is different from usual. We all do out part and work together splendidly to perform a good show. There is just so much talent in all areas,” said senior Helen Moore, who plays the part of a beautician and flying monkey. This play reached out to even more students than usual. Many children from the community played the part of munchkins, and the part of Glinda was played by a home schooled student, Amber Clay. “Glinda is my dream role and has been since I was a little girl. Being the first home schooler to be in a Denison High School play was really hard… by then end of my first show, I had

several friends. Now that I’m on my fourth and final show with Denison, I’m just one of the beloved theatre kids. I’ll always be the ‘home school girl,’ but I’ll also always be a part of my Denison theatre family,” Clay said. The play itself differed from the movie that many are familiar with, but not my much. The play included a couple new musical numbers and the part of jitterbugs, creatures designed by the Wicked Witch. These new parts contributed

to the energy and overall effect of the play. “The Wicked Witch is funnier in the play than in the movie, and there are some

fun group numbers like the “Jitterbug” that were left out of the movie for time’s sake. Much of the show is about the relationship between Dorothy and her three

friends, making it more intimate than other musicals,” Silva said. Like all other plays before, The Wizard of Oz requires hard work and cooperation on the part of all the performers, directors, and backstage workers. Although putting together the play was undoubtedly challenging at times, the end result was something to be truly proud of. “I enjoy the opportunity to hang out with my friends and our wonderful directors! They are my second family. Theatre is my home away from home,” Clay said. The main characters in the show were Dorothy played by Heather O’Roark, Glinda the Good Witch played by Amber Clay, The Wicked Witch of the West played by Britni Craig, Scarecrow played by Hunter Balch, Tin man played by J.Q. Ivers, the Cowardly Lion played by Bear Omundson, and Oz played by Matt Hamilton. Performances were on December 11, 12 and 13.

T h e W o n d e r f u l