issue 4

School E-mail addresses

Student Newspaper:[email protected]

Reynolds High School: www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/acrhs

Reynolds Athletic Department: www.acreynoldsathletics.org

Buncombe County Schools: www.buncombe.k12.nc.us

A.C. Reynolds High School1 Rocket Drive, Asheville, NC 28803

Phone: (828) 298-2500 Fax: (828) 298-2002www.reynoldshs.org

School Population: 1,343

Cedar Cliff NotesEditors-in-Chief

Opinion EditorNews Editor

Features EditorA&E Editor

Sports EditorPhotography Editor

Staff Writer

Adviser

Cedar Cliff Notes is the official newspaper of A.C. Reynolds High School and supplements the educational environment by providing information, entertainment and a forum for student opinion. Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. Letters should be directed to the editor or adviser and must be signed. Cedar Cliff Notes reserves the right to edit or reject letters and advertisements to comply with responsible journalistic codes. Cedar Cliff Notes is written and designed by the students of A.C. Reynolds High School and is published six times a year.

Member of:

North Carolina Scholastic Media Association

Quill and Scroll Honor Society for High School Journalists

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

National Scholastic Press Association

Maegan ClawgesAlana GerlachChelsea SmithNick HaseloffKaitlin MundyEmily TaylorAnna HitrovaDerek GreenTrellace LawrimoreArianna Satz

Phyllis Cooper

Cliff NotesMarch 10, 2011

OpinionDuke v. UNC divides family p.4

Disney Channel decl ines p.5

ACR students deal with poverty in WNC p.11Zip-i-dee-do-da! CCN staff on the ropes p.8

News

Features

A&E

Sports

Instrumental is ts play al l that jazz p.17Zumba gets a second chance p.19

Mindless doodl ing praised p.14Future jobs: Whatʼs hot? Whatʼs not? p.15

Boys basketbal l wins MAC p.20Spring sports kick off p.24

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Letters to the EditorCedar Cliff Notes is a valuable forum for student opinion. Letters to the

editor are welcomed and encouraged. Letters must be signed, and no more than 150 words in length. CCN reserves the right to reject letters that do not comply with responsible journalistic codes. Let us hear from you.

March 10, 2011Cedar Cliff Notes Opinion 3

Make your voice heard. Send a letter to the editor, Room 313

HitORMiss

If you could ask the whole

school one question,

what would you ask?

Matthew Hanes, 09

“What kind of change would you like to make in this school?”

Kate Raybon, 09

“What would you do for a Klondike bar?”

Zoë Clarke, 10

Rylan Lovejoy, 10

“If you could be any myth-ological crea-ture, which one would you be?”

“What super-power would you have?”

Steven Austin, 12

Jordan Slaughter, 11

Delaney McDaniel, 11

Maggie Antaramian, 12

“Which teacher would win in a battle royal?”

“If you could punch anyone in the face, who would you punch?”

“How many students does it take to make Garrett Brown cry?”

“Who’s pregnant?”

Being “smart” with money is a value that has become more than relevant in nearly every aspect of the American life-style. While inefficiency is a word that has come to describe institutions from local businesses to the bloated federal bureaucracy, “smart” financial decisions are increasingly rare. The beautiful sign recently installed in the Commons Area is a shining exam-ple of such negligence. As our wonder-ful school faces such a paucity of funds for the coming year, one has to ask, “Is it ‘smart’ to spend money on an aesthetic addition to the Commons Area?” Coming from a family of teachers, it is apparent to me how difficult it is to be a proponent of education in this econ-omy. I recently discovered that some of my teachers were unable to provide workbooks to supplement their lessons and that some wonderful AP classes may be curtailed, travesties that are victims of a shrinking budget. However, the purchase of a “Rock-ets” sign, appealing as it is, does not pro-vide me with an education, does not give me more spirit and certainly does not ap-pear to be a “smart” allocation of school money. After investigating the origin of the funds for the sign, I discovered that

it cost over $1,000 and was bought with funds from the Athletic and Academic Booster clubs, the student council and miscellaneous school funds. The very concept that this money could have been used to pay for such supplies as paper or printer toner is one that makes me wonder where the priori-ties of those determining fund allocation lie. Even if the funds were intended for school beautification, I can think of many other areas of the school—such as the dying grass patches, the broken heat-ing devices in some rooms and the ruined desks with graffiti from the 1980s—that have a desperate need for beautification funds. I want to make high school the best experience it can be for every student, and any dollar spent on providing a better education for my peers and me is worth it. However, as fantastic as the sign is, I see no comprehensible purpose it serves in achieving that goal. In 20 years, I will judge my high school saga based upon what I learned, not on a sign expressing a logo already seen in almost every other corner of the school. -Buck Hinman, 11

A sign of failure

Thurs. March 24 � Noon - 7pm Teacher Work Day - You can shop early

Fri. March 25 � 10am - 9pm � Sat. March 26 � 10am - 7pmSat. 7pm - 9pm � 50% off remaining prom inventory

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Change is only a click away Over the past two months we have watched as, first, Tunisian men and women brought down their dictator and, then, as poverty-stricken Egyptians took to the streets in rebellion against President Hosni Mubarak and his government. Some credit the widespread rebellion in the Middle East to the introduction of new lines of communication, while others point to the growing number of youth in the region. According to Newsweek, roughly a third of the Middle Eastern population is now under the age of 30. We are lucky that we do not have to resort to violence to make our voices heard in the United States. However, we can draw inspiration from the energy and determina-tion of the Egyptian youth. It takes guts to stand up to injustice, whether it’s a high school bully or an oppres-sive government. The open and evolving democratic process is de-signed to protect us from brutal dictators and violent protests. As Americans we have a responsibility to work for what is right in a subtler manner, by being informed about current issues and events. Whining that something “sucks” or is “lame” is not enough. It is critical that we contribute our own opinions to the democratic process in the form of constructive criticism so that we do not wake up one day to find our government mistreating Americans or suppressing hu-man rights. Sometimes it feels as if our tiny voices will not be heard among the billions of people in the world. How-ever, as children of the 21st century, we have the tools at our disposal to reach a large number of people simply by updating our “status” or uploading a video. Until the government shut down lines of communi-cation in February, young Egyptians used the Internet and their cell phones for the same things American teen-agers do: to convey plans, share stories and boost mo-rale. That use moved to a different realm when protesters used the technology to fan the flames of revolution and bring down a dictator. It is heady stuff. However, with the power of this technology, comes a need for responsibility and wisdom. The sheer amount of information and the ease of access-ing it can distract us from the fact that much of it is false or misleading. It continues to be vital to consider issues from our own unique perspectives based on our own ex-periences and to avoid getting caught up in blind group hysteria. Nevertheless, 21st century citizens now have previ-ously undreamed of opportunities to unify across racial, geographical and economic divisions to have a positive impact on the world. So, let us embrace the international conversation. See you on Skype!

Cedar Cliff NotesMarch 10, 20114

Editorial

Editorial PolicyAll unsigned editorials represent the views

of the Cedar Cliff Notes editorial board. Signed commentaries and columns are the express opinions of the authors. The views expressed in Cedar Cliff Notes do not represent the opinions of the school’s faculty or administration nor those of Buncombe County School Board or its administration.

It’s the classic response, how do you put into words four years of experiences or describe what liter-ally changes the rest of your life? That’s where I find myself when asked to review the Univer-sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The academics speak for themselves in quality and diver-sity. Traditionally, I go with the people. That’s what makes it different. That can be said about all universities though, and it depends on you. Find a place where you feel like home. Carolina was home for me, so I’ll walk you through it just like a house. Just like a home, the outward appearance is important. Carolina is renowned for having one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Catch it on a spring day when the azaleas are blooming around the Old Well, people in the quad or the pit enjoying the Caroli-

na blue sky, or on a football or bas-ketball game day when everyone is wearing Carolina blue clothes. Now walk into the foyer and sitting rooms that we’ll compare to the classrooms or the undergrad library. All the family portraits are the professors who choose to be part of Carolina, many of whom are unparalleled within their dis-ciplines. You can be among 400 or 9, depending on the department. I graduated with a BA in Geology but will admit one of my favorite classes was Psychology and Law. The Dean Dome can be the game room, along with Franklin Street. Everyone cheering, every-one excited, or at least singing his or her favorite ‘80s song at Bub’s on Tuesday nights. The kitchen is obviously Lenoir Dining Hall or Ram’s Head. My fa-vorite meal was breakfast at mid-night during exams. All the bedrooms are the dorms, just much smaller and with no per-sonal space but more fun that you

thought possible with people you have only known a fraction of your life. I could not be more proud of my home. That to me may be the best part. I want to talk about it, which seems true for everyone who goes there. They want to share their stories on Franklin Street, playing ultimate frisbee in the upper quad at 11p.m. after a rainstorm, the all-night-ers in the undergrad library, senior weeks, Greek parties, anything that made them love Carolina. It starts a conversation because of its reputation, but it holds the conversation because it becomes part of you, just like your family.

Rave Reviews: Ashley Dack

Guest columnist

The Blue. The White. The hated. The revered. The hallowed halls of Cameron Indoor Stadium. This is what most often comes to mind when hearing the phrase “Duke University” -- images of basketball prowess and strong academics. Sure, these images provide a snapshot of Duke, one that national media and rival fans like to make you think is the “real” Duke University. But these im-ages do not tell the story of the everyday students, the campus life, and the challenging academics that make Duke an outstanding university. Do not get me wrong – Duke students love their basketball team – that much is clear every time the Cameron Crazies are on television. But more than that, Duke students love their school. They are dynamic in-dividuals committed to making a difference, whether that is on campus or across the world. Duke is primarily a residential college – in this case that means students must live on campus three out of the four years they are enrolled in classes. The campus becomes students’ homes, and for that reason they are committed to making it fun, engaging and energetic. Groups such as Campus Council, a governing body for Residential Life, plan concerts in Cameron Indoor Stadium, cookouts on the quad and movie screenings in the amphitheater. Another group, the Duke University Student Din-ing Advisory Committee (or DUSDAC), gives input on campus eateries, student meal plans and potential restaurant expansions. Fraternities, sororities and selective living groups play a large role in the campus social scene, often throwing on-campus events to compliment the late night social activities.

Athletic events are highly-attended – yes, even sports outside of basketball such as lacrosse and soc-cer draw large crowds. Basically, Duke has a thriving campus life that largely goes unnoticed but is one of its most redeeming factors. In addition, it has an impressive array of research and service opportunities for students to utilize. For ex-ample, with the help of Melinda French Gates, Duke recently started a program called Duke Engage. The premise is that students will spend eight weeks of their summer performing intensive community ser-vice around the globe, and Duke will provide the fund-ing. There are group projects in South Africa, New Or-leans, India and China, just to name a few. The students who participate come back with new perspectives and ready to make a difference in Durham. Then there are the classes. While everything else that Duke offers is a great attraction, the classroom is the heart and soul of the Duke experience. This is where you learn the critical thinking skills necessary to make the transition to postgraduate life (also known as the “real world”). It is in the classes, where students debate with their peers, question their professors, and critique theories, that students gain a confidence in their be-liefs and the ability to defend their opinions. It is where stu-dents go from teenagers to adults. Duke students are passionate, and the campus hums with their energy. It is where I found my best friends and myself –my only wish is that you find as much wherever you go.

Photo provided by UNC-Chapel Hill

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Alyssa DackGuest columnist

Dack sisters reflect on Duke, UNC

Cedar Cliff NotesMarch 10, 2011 5

If you’re anything like me, you watched a lot of Disney Channel when you were grow-ing up. Besides all the great shows (my favorites were “Boy Meets World” and “So

Weird”), I’m sure you remember the real draw of the channel: the movies. The Disney Channel Original Mov-ies from the late ‘90s and early 2000s were amazing. Movies about in-line skaters, bowlers, life-sized Barbie dolls, ghosts and cloning dominated the channel, providing top-notch en-

tertainment for kids. As well as being fun to watch, the movies all had the same core lessons: the importance of family, believing in yourself and following your dreams. (I watched one of the movies, “Su-sie Q,” just the other day, and it still holds up.) Sadly, those wonderful Disney Channel movie filled days of yore are over. The current movies (and, to a lesser extent, shows) on Disney Channel are terrible. The very moment when Disney Channel movies began to go downhill: 2006’s “High School Musical,” featuring Zac Efron. The movie is just an exercise in cheesiness, as are all the movies Disney Channel has produced since then.

Sure, the “follow your heart” mes-sage is still present in the movies, but the actual heart is missing in action. The movies serve as vehicles for the young actors who are already popu-lar, to make more money, rather than focusing on the stories, as the former movies did. For someone raised during Dis-ney Channel’s Golden Era (1996 to about 2003), movies like “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior,” “Camp Rock” and “Princess Protection Program” are not only lame, but disappoint-ing. (Don’t even get me started on the travesty that is “Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.” In trying to modernize the clas-sic, they completely ruined the charm of the original movie.)

I genuinely feel bad for the kids who grow up watching Disney Channel to-day. They will never know how good it used to be. Disney Channel used to be the top of the children’s television food chain. Now, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network often have far better shows. It’s sad to see the beloved, once proud Disney sink so low as to make a movie called “Lemonade Mouth” (premiering April 2011). The movie has a character named “Mudslide Crush.” Listen? Can you hear that? It’s the sound of all the classic Dis-ney Channel Original Movies crying in shame.

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Owned by Reynolds

Alumni

4/07/11 4/07/11

Chelsea SmithCo-Editor in Chief

Dack sisters reflect on Duke, UNC Disney Channel movies

disappoint veteran viewer

The impending state budget sched-uled for release July 1 prompted parents across the Reynolds district to organize the “Fund Schools First” rally, express-ing concerns about cuts to education.

The Feb. 21 gathering drew more than 150 people to the Reynolds Middle School auditorium for presentations from Superintendent Tony Baldwin, PTO and PTSO presidents, students and parents.

“I think Dr. Baldwin was preaching to the choir,” said Agriculture teacher Ernie Kuster, “because the majority of the audience was teachers who knew about most of the issues.”

“(However), I think it was an excel-lent speech. I think he made it very un-

derstandable and very clear for everyone to know what is going on,” Kuster said. “The message that he gave needs to get out to the public.”

Following junior Alicia Russell’s performance of the national anthem, a welcome by the middle school PTO president and a video on facts and fig-ures in Buncombe County schools, Bald-win spoke about the budget and how cuts will impact education.

“I was really impressed by all the statistics he presented, and I never real-ized how successful Buncombe County was compared to the rest of the state,” Russell said. “I would hate to think that possible budget cuts could impede the success of our students.”

Baldwin noted that about 37 per-cent of the state budget is tied to public

schools, so it is difficult to balance the budget without impacting education. He also said that protecting classrooms and supporting the K-3 initiative are two of Gov. Beverly Perdue’s main initiatives.

The top three local funding priorities, Baldwin said, are classroom teachers, teacher assistants and the efforts to en-sure that high school students will meet graduation requirements.

“When you look at putting those priorities in place, it becomes simple math,” Baldwin said. “Thirty-seven per-cent of the state budget is K-12 educa-tion. . .(and) 84 percent of our operations are tied to personnel.”

Yet this does not appease the con-cerns of the Reynolds community.

“(My primary concern) is losing teaching positions because it will in-crease class sizes and limit student choices,”principal Regina Lambert said.

By eliminating just one teacher, the school will lose six classes, she noted. Although the state has guidelines on the maximum number of students per class, the administration has set an “ideal” goal of 25 or 26. That often has to be exceed-ed, though, in the core classes because of budget cuts.

Lambert’s second worry is losing the AB-Tech and online classes, which are sponsored by UNC-G, because that will further increase class sizes.

“(I wonder) what we are going to be able to offer our juniors and seniors next year,” Lambert said.

With $15 million in federal stimulus money disappearing next fall, the N.C. General Assembly’s ratification of the state budget will determine the future for Buncombe County schools.

Rallies similar to the one at Reynolds Middle were scheduled for every Bun-combe County district as well as for the Asheville City schools.

“You hope that all the elected offi-cials were able to hear the voices of the parents who spoke (at the rally),” Lam-bert said. “I hope that it helped inform the public of the current budget situation in the state of North Carolina. I hope that it helps us realize that it’s going to take everyone working together to solve this budget crisis.”

Buncombe County Schools superintendent Tony Baldwin speaks at the Fund Schools First rally at Reynolds Middle School Feb. 21. He said despite budget cuts, the goal is to “stay high-flying.”

Photo by Trellace Lawrimore

Trellace LawrimorePhotography Editor

Parents, educators rally to ‘Fund Schools First’

Class registration for the 2011-2012 school year opened March 2. Students can log onto Career Cruis-ing (click the “Career Cruis-ing” link on the school web-site) anytime and sign up for classes. Students must print out their course selection, sign it, have their parents sign it and turn it in to their mentor teachers.

Any students with ques-tions can meet with assistant principal Nathan Allison or a counselor before or after

school or on one of these dates:March 21 — 4 to 7 p.m. Rising freshmen and sophomores.

March 22 — 4 to 7 p.m. Ris-ing juniors and seniors.

March 24 (Teacher Work Day) — Students must make an ap-pointment.

March 28, 29, and 30 — Stu-dents may report to the media center during lunch.

REGISTRATION

March 10, 2011Cedar Cliff NotesNews6

Buncombe County Schools superintendent Tony Baldwin speaks at the Fund Schools First rally at Reynolds Middle School Feb. 21. He said despite budget cuts, the goal is to “stay high-flying.”



Tractor overhaul gives Ag students ultimate hands-on learning experienceIn the fall, Ernie Kuster purchased (with his own

funds) a 40-year-old International Harvester tractor to use as a valuable teaching tool for his agriculture students. The goal was to show them how to repair, refurbish and use a vital piece of farm equipment. Some of the students had their doubts about the proj-ect.

“I was there to help unload the tractor in mostly pieces,” junior Natialya Girard said. “The difference between then and now is completely remarkable.”

Kuster used the project to teach the students about overhauling engines, repairing tires and painting the body. He also taught them about power and weight

ratios, which are critical in preventing rollovers.“By midsemester, almost all the students were

frustrated by the constant painting, fixing and refix-ing the tractor,” Girard said. “But as we look at it now, we have no regrets on the effort we put into it.”

It looks like Kuster’s plan is successful.“Taking a rundown tractor and turning it into a

beautiful piece of work is very satisfying,” Girard said. “We can forever look at the tractor and say, ‘Between us and Mr. Kuster, we turned that tractor into what it is today.’ Most of us will not have the opportunity to do something like this again.”

Effort finally underway to replace Ag barn

On March 2, surveyors began plot-ting the location of a new barn to re-place the one that was destroyed by fire in August of 2009. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but the loss of the barn and its contents has created hardship for the agriculture depart-

ment.At the time of the fire, the barn

served as shelter for nine cows, hun-dreds of bales of hay and farm equip-ment used by the ag students. In the 18 months since the fire, the cows have been without shelter during two harsh winters that produced more than 30 inches of snow in 2009-10 and more than 20 inches so far this year.

“If we get a big snow, I can’t feed the animals,” said Kuster, who cannot access the hay that is now stored in the elements instead of a barn.

The ag program suffered further losses this year when 10 chickens ap-parently froze to death during January snow days because of inadequate shel-ter from the elements.

Not having a barn limits the teach-

ing options for ag classes.“Without a barn, there is not a

good place to pen the animals up and work with them safely,” Kuster said. “When students do not have access to proper facilities, they don’t get to see reality,”

Indications are that the school dis-trict will begin construction on the new barn in March.

Staff ReportsStaff Writer



newsin the

Leaders may not grow on trees, but apparently they do zip from one to the other. The newspaper staff traveled to Beanstalk Journeys, a zip line course in Morganton, to try a new leadership de-velopment program Feb. 17.

The program requires group mem-bers to work together to complete chal-lenges, such as transferring big bags of magical beans from one tree house to the next via a series of zip lines and swinging bridges. The program teaches people a model for organizing meetings and brainstorming possible solutions that requires them to listen to all ideas and then discuss the best plan of action.

“A common experience such as this one is a nice icebreaker for people who may not know each other well but need to be able to work efficiently in a group setting together,” said Mike Fischesser, the designer of the Beanstalk Journey.

Each participant takes a turn leading the group to plan and complete a chal-lenge. He or she is also responsible for clipping the other group members to the safety cables, an experience designed to build trust within the group and em-power individual members.

“Up in the trees the consequences are greater,” sophomore Nick Hasel-off said. “If I clipped them in wrong or didn’t check their carabineers correctly, they could die. I don’t lead very often, so it was nice to have the opportunity to help people and know that I could handle the responsibility.”

Experiential learning in wilderness and ropes course settings is popular in leadership development. Local middle

schools, such as Cane Creek, take their students to Earthshine Mountain Lodge, a retreat center designed to challenge students to do things they never thought possible.

“These activities require you to con-sider what you personally bring to the table,” said special education teacher

Emily Bongarzone, who used to work in wilderness therapy. “In school, people can back off and let others take control. But in a ropes course, everyone has to participate in order for the group to suc-ceed. You have to do things outside of your comfort zone.”

6 students win Scholastic Art Awards

Reynolds art students collected eight awards at the 2011 Scholastic Art Awards Show at the Diana Wortham Theatre Feb. 20. Senior Tyler Jenkins and sophomores Anna Hitrova and Sheila Sarti received Gold Keys for their work in painting, drawing and comic art, respectively. Jenkins also earned both an honorable mention for a printmaking piece and an American Visions nomination. Senior Matt Donnelly received a Silver Key for “See Through Me, See to Me” in the drawing category. Senior Juliana Blanton and junior Rebecca Adams also received honorable mentions.

Makeup schedulereflects parent poll

Because of the snow days in January and February, Friday, April 22 is now a regular school day, and Memorial Day, May 30, is an early release day. The school year has also been extended to June 10.

More than 9,000 parents responded to a Buncombe County Schools phone survey Jan. 10 regarding how to make up snow days. The most preferred op-tion was attending Saturday school fol-lowing a snow event. That was followed by using up to three days of spring break and extending the school year as late as June 10. The least preferred option was extending school into the week of June 13. Sixty percent of parents wanted that option to be a last resort.

Summer internship availableRising sophomores, juniors and se-

niors interested in the health care field can apply for Mission Possible 2011. Anyone interested in the four-week in-ternship at Mission Hospital this summer can check with Sherry Rice in Room 220 for more details.

Any student who has already interned in the Mission Possible program is eligi-ble for the Leadership Academy through Mission Hospital. The deadline for appli-cation is March 16.

8 place at math competitionEight students brought home awards

from the College of Charleston math competition Feb. 26. Seniors Courtland Clavette, Dave Hwang, Brett Lytle and Cody Owenby; juniors Zach English and Kelly Hwang; and freshman Tessa Jones won first place in the All Day Sprint. The team of English, D. Hwang, K. Hwang and Jones also won second place in the math team relay.


Cedar Cliff Notes staffers pass Jack’s “magical” beans up through a climbing web. Participants worked together to develop a plan for moving the beans while keeping them from touching the net. Only five people at a time were allowed in the net, so each person had to lie down and pass the beans to the next person.

Newspaper staff zips through leadership courseMaegan Clawges

Co-Editor in Chief

“People respect leaders who are willing to do the things they ask others to do.” -Kyle Kinnebrew, 12

“A leader must show confidence, courage and respect, for both themselves and others.” -James Ederer, 11

“Someone who listens well, looks at the big picture and responds in the best interests of all who are involved.”

-principal Regina Lambert

“Martin Luther King is a good example of a leader because he was a kind, persuasive, hon-est person working for a good cause.” –Brandon Allison, 9

“A leader is a person who takes charge and knows what he is do-ing before he does it. As a leader, it is important that I not let peo-ple distract me from my plan.”

–Chris Smith, 12

“Teachers set an example of lead-ership by following the rules and keeping us focused.” –Shannon Bradburn, 9

“A leader has to have an authori-tative relationship with the peo-ple she is leading and be able to compromise. People should trust you enough to come to you when they need something. At track practice, I lead by teaching new people how to do the warm-up drills.” –Leslie Frempong, 11

What is a leader?

Cedar Cliff NotesMarch 10, 2011 9Cedar Cliff Notes

March 10, 20118

Eighteen days of protests led to the ouster of Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, Feb. 11 after 30 years of op-pressive leadership. Political activists, leaders and scholars around the world view the protests and successful remov-al of the president as one of the most important blows for democracy in the 21st century

It began Jan. 25 when demonstra-tors gathered en masse at Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the port city of Suez. They waved flags and sang the Egyptian na-tional anthem, crying out for change. The casualties from the first day of protest were three dead, another 48 in-jured.

Although the protests convinced him to leave office, Mubarak did not go out without a fight. He repeatedly de-nounced calls for his resignation despite efforts by the U.S. and other countries urging him to step down.

“For Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democra-cy will carry the day,” President Barack Obama said.

The 82-year-old Mubarak inflamed his opposition Feb. 10, when he an-nounced that he would not resign but would transfer power to his Vice Presi-dent Omar Suleiman. After another day of protests Suleiman announced Mubarak’s official resignation Feb. 11.

One key to the success of anti-gov-ernment protestors is the role the Egyp-tian military played. Soldiers did not fire at the demonstrators but helped maintain order. Protestors could be seen shaking hands with soldiers and spray-painting slogans on the sides of the tanks that

were rolled out to suppress them.The Muslim Brotherhood, an Arab

political party that represents Islamic views, supported the revolution. Be-

cause it was the only political party allowed by the Mubarak regime, some Westerners fear it will hijack the fledg-ling democracy and turn Egypt into an-other Iran.

During the 18 days of protest, people of diverse beliefs worked harmoniously together. When Islamic anti-Mubarak protestors gathered in the middle of the squares to pray, Christian and secular counterparts joined hands around them to protect them from violence during the daily rituals.

The situation did produce moments of violence. Estimates show that by the end of the protests, around 360 individ-uals died and more than 5,000 had been

wounded.From the beginning, social network-

ing sites such as Facebook and Twitter played significant roles in spreading the news of both Tunisian and Egyptian re-volts.

Wael Ghonim, the head of market-ing for Google in the Middle East, may have triggered the Egyptian protests. He created the Facebook group named “We Are All Khaled Saeed” to raise aware-ness about a 28-year-old businessman who was allegedly beaten to death by police in Alexandria in December 2010.

On Jan. 25, Ghonim called for the protests through the Facebook page. The ability to organize hundreds of thousands of demonstrators on a single day is one of the things that sets recent protests apart from earlier ones in other countries.

Egyptian officials held Ghonim for 12 days, but he rejected calls to name him the leader of the revolution.

“Because I am not a hero,” he said in an interview with Dream TV (a pri-vately owned Egyptian news network,) “I was only using the keyboard, on the Internet. I never put my life in danger. The real heroes are the ones on the ground.”

Social networking was such a prob-lem during the revolt that the Egyptian government shut down all Internet com-munication in the country. Protestors and revolution leaders then used services set up by outside sources to continue post-ing tweets and Facebook status updates organizing the revolt and reporting news from the front line to other countries.

The Egyptian government restored the Internet after the shutdown failed to stop the social networking revolution.

“I certainly do not think he (Presi-dent Mubarak) would have left office at this point if it wasn’t for social network-ing tools,” said Brad Shimmin, princi-pal analyst of Current Analysis in an interview with Computer News Middle East. “I think they wanted all eyes to be turned away from the uprising, but the crackdowns on Internet access failed.”

The role social networking played in the Egyptian revolution shows the far-reaching capabilities of the Internet. The median age in Egypt is 25, and the ma-jority of young people use the Internet daily. So the turnouts on the first days of protest were not surprising.

A simple message posted by one man on a Facebook page, made acces-sible to millions of people in seconds led to a revolution in Egypt, a revolu-tion that has significant international implications.

Democracy 2.0: Social networking aids revolt in Egypt

Anti-governemnt protestors, including those who filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square for 18 days, succeeded in bringing about the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak Feb. 11.

Nick HaseloffOpinion Editor

Photo provided by MCT campus

“I feel the United States will feel we need to get involved with the problem in Egypt and we may get pulled into another war that is not needed.”

– Mark Henderson, 09

“Now that I’m driving, I’ve been paying more and more attention to gas prices. Due to the crisis in Egypt, gas prices are slowly increasing and that makes me ner-vous because that’s more money coming out of my pocket.” – Tyler Hurd, 10

“I believe that the revolts in Egypt will af-fect our respect for their country. Seeing a revolution much like ours in 1776 brings a feeling of patriotism and the right for all people to have freedom of choice. Us knowing the feeling of oppression from a higher power will help us empathize with the people of Egypt and show our sup-port, as individuals and as a school.”

– Kilian Taylor, 11

“Hopefully, these recent events in Egypt provide teachers a relevant current event to relate their curriculum to. Being able to connect knowledge learned in history to the here and now is crucial to under-standing it, and oft it seems that history is just a list of facts that don’t really affect the present age. Personally, the largest ef-fect may well be the expected rise in gas prices due to the protests in Libya, which were, in part at least, incited by the hap-penings in Egypt.” – Ashton Wilson, 12

Information from: globalvoiceson-line.orgDay Eighteen11 Feb – Vice Presi-dent Omar Sulei-man announces Mubarak’s resigna-tionDay Seventeen10 Feb – Mubarak speech denies plans to resignDay Sixteen09 Feb – Workers across the country go on strikeDay Fifteen08 Feb – Largest number of protestors to date shows up in Tahrir SquareDay Fourteen07 Feb – Wael Ghonim released from custodyDay Twelve05 Feb – Tahrir Square calms down for a dayDay Eleven04 Feb – Inflamed protestors call for the resignation of MubarakDay Ten03 Feb – Attacks on reporters by violent protestorsDay Nine02 Feb – Internet re-stored02 Feb – Thugs sup-porting Mubarak

spur violenceDay Eight01 Feb – Millions of Egyptian citizens march to protest Mubarak’s reignDay Seven31 Jan – All Egyp-tian Internet Service Providers shut downDay Six30 Jan – Military presence increasedDay Five29 Jan – Mubarak speech denounces plans to step downDay Four28 Jan – Protestors bypass the Inter-net to send videos, tweets and Facebook statusDay Three27 Jan – Egyptian government shuts down some Internet Service Providers27 Jan – Police bru-tality risesDay Two26 Jan – Facebook and Twitter blocked in EgyptDay One25 Jan – Protests start in Tahrir Square and in the port city of SuezBefore January 2506 June 2010 - Khaled Saeed beaten to death by police in Alexandria

What impact do the Egyptian revolts have on you or the school?


Learning Mandarin, the world’s most widely spoken language, is now an op-tion at Reynolds. But French, a class that has been at Reynolds for more than 30 years, is no longer offered. This presents new opportunities for some students, but disappointment and scheduling conflicts for others. Xiuming Liu, the new Mandarin teacher, arrived in the U.S. from China to teach his native language last August. “Before I came here, I was told that a large number of American students are really interested in Chinese language and culture,” Xiuming said. He said his most gratifying part of teaching is when the students know how to pronounce Chinese words and com-municate with him in Chinese. “Learning Chinese will help (stu-dents) to know China, which is becoming stronger and more prosperous,” Xiuming said. This semester, 25 students are en-rolled in Mandarin. Xiuming teaches one class at Reynolds, then drives to AB-Tech for his afternoon Mandarin II class for students across the county. Junior Haylea Roark is enrolled in the Mandarin II class at AB-Tech. “I want to eventually be an English teacher in China,” Roark said, “so I

thought that learning Mandarin was im-portant for me.” A common misconception about the recent changes in the language depart-ment is that Mandarin replaced French. Mandarin came as a grant to the school district and would have been offered even if French were still available. When long time French teacher Stephanie Casstevens retired in Decem-ber, the district hired Spanish teacher Kristen Althouse to take her place. “It was tough to find a new teacher in the middle of a semester,” assistant principal Nathan Allison said. “There was more of an interest in Spanish than French, so we were able to hire an inter-im Spanish teacher.” Junior Tori Gilkeson said taking French online was available to her after she learned French IV was no longer an option, but she said it would be a differ-ent teacher and a harder learning style. Instead, Gilkeson enrolled in Mandarin this semester. “I enjoy learning new languages,” Gilkeson said. “But the hardest part (of Mandarin) is learning all of the new char-acters.” Allison said the school is working with North Buncombe High in an attempt to offer both Mandarin and French next year. He said Chinese would be offered in the fall and French in the spring. How-ever, the details are not yet finalized.

Other students who were enrolled in French and had not met their two years of language requirement must now choose

a new language or enroll in an online course. Now, at least, Mandarin is one of these options.


Mandarin teacher Xiuming Liu reviews recognition and pronunciation of Mandarin words with his second period class Feb. 28. The class is new to Reynolds this semester. Xiuming said his favorite part of teaching is when his students learn to communicate with him in Chinese.

Kaitlin MundyNews Editor

Ni hao Mandarin, au revoir French

DECA goes to state, international events

Five DECA students went to the state conven-tion last week, and they all came home winners.

The biggest winner of all is junior Kathleen Holland, who won a state office, earned a top test score and finished as a top eight finalist. She will serve as the Blue Ridge Region vice president for a year.

“I’m really excited to be an officer, Holland said. “I’ll get to do a lot of traveling and promote DECA.”

Juniors Thomas Worley and Samantha Under-wood, senior Krystina Ellershaw and freshman Katrina Nguyen all reached proficiency in their events.

The state competition offered a wide range of events that challenged the students understanding of marketing and finance. In addition to written events, students participated in role-playing, tests and quiz bowls.

DECA is more than just a club. It is co-curricu-lar, written into the marketing curriculum by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and taught in the classroom. Therefore, only students enrolled in marketing classes can be members of DECA.

As DECA students learn skills in entrepreneur-ship, marketing, finance, hospitality and manage-ment, they develop the leadership, self-esteem and understanding of the importance of community service they will need in the business world.

“I think that DECA (provides) great prepara-tion for dealing with business situations,” Under-wood said.

Since Reynolds students placed at state, they will be going on to compete internationally. The international competition is in Orlando, Fla., April 30 – May 3. More than 15,000 students attend each year from both the high school and college levels.

“DECA is (a) steppingstone or foundation that helps (students) be more successful in college,” marketing teacher Gina Bradley said, “but even more so as they enter the business world.”

Emily TaylorFeatures Editor

Photo provided by DECAJuniors Kathleen Holland and Samantha Underwood, marketing teacher Gina Bradley, junior Thomas Worley and freshman Katrina Nguyen show off their awards after the DECA state competition March 1. “(We did) really well for such a small group,” Underwood said.

If the World were a village of 100

peopleIf we could reduce the world’s popu-lation to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ra-tios remaining the same, the demo-graphics would look something like this:


An 8-year-old steps off the school bus where his mother is waiting to usher him quickly inside their house. She is prepar-ing to leave for her second job but wants to make sure her son is inside to keep him safe from shootings and kidnappings.

Living in government housing sur-rounded by police arrests, domestic vio-lence and burglaries, the single mom feels hopeless and desperately wants out of her poverty lifestyle.

One in six people in Buncombe County live under similar conditions, according to new census data reported in the Asheville Citizen-Times. With the recession and ris-ing unemployment rates, 16.2 percent of the county’s population was living in pov-erty in 2009.

Such impoverished or homeless citi-zens suffered more than the average this winter as temperatures fell along with in-ordinate amounts of snow.

“For this winter, the Asheville air-port has received 20.2 inches of snow,” Climatologist Jake Crouch at Asheville’s National Climatic Data Center said. “The normal snowfall for the entire winter is about 12.4 inches. Last year, for the entire winter, the Asheville airport received 39.2 inches of snow.”

Crouch added that the average night-time temperature this winter was 23 de-grees. The coldest temperature was 4 de-grees on Jan. 14.

“I imagine these cold temperatures are very hard on the homeless people that live in Asheville. It would be very hard to stay warm, especially when you are outside,” Crouch said.

The cold weather has also hurt eco-nomically disadvantaged students and their families.

“With the way the weather has been lately,” said Reynolds social worker Mer-edith Hammond, “buses are not running on icy roads. . .(and) many families do not have transportation to get their kids to school.”

According to the 2010 Buncombe County Health Assessment, 22 percent of students are designated as lower class or

homeless as defined by the government.“This definition is very broad.” said

David Thompson, Buncombe County’s Director of Student Services, “(It) in-cludes students whose family is living in inadequate or unsafe conditions. . .has lost housing due to economic hardship, or who are living with other families or friends (sometimes referred to as ‘doubled up’) due to economic reasons, natural disasters, loss of housing.”

According to Thompson, the county has about 230 homeless studentsin the school system this year. Also, a little more than 50 percent of the system’s 26,000 stu-dents receive free or reduced lunch.

The counseling office addresses pover-ty issues on a daily basis, Hammond said. Problems can include loss of job, housing needs, medical aid, insurance options and transportation.

“Families that have had transgen-erational issues with poverty have also struggled with making education a prior-ity in their child’s life,” Hammond said. “They’re basically trying to survive and provide basic needs (for their children.) Therefore, education is a little lower on the totem pole.”

During a school board meeting Feb. 17, principals and teachers of Asheville City schools suggested ways to alleviate

literacy and educational problems among low-income children. Potential solutions to those issues include extending school hours and moving to a year-round sched-ule.

“When children are with us, we can make a difference with them,” said Cyn-thia Sellinger, Vance Elementary School principal, to the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Some Reynolds students help combat

poverty outside of the school by volun-teering with organizations like MANNA and ABCCM.

“Our work to collect food for MANNA alleviates one particular symptom of pov-erty – hunger,” said Beth Love, Reynolds’ MANNAfest Student Food Drive sponsor. “If families can get the food they need, they can use their income to help meet other needs such as housing, transporta-tion and medical care.”

English teacher Katherine Schmidt sponsors an additional program at Reyn-olds where students can get toiletries and even school supplies from a closet in her classroom. She said that about one child comes by each week. She keeps each child’s identity anonymous.

“People have donated money, (for which) we have an account,” Schmidt said. “I stock the cabinet with that.”

Junior Haylea Roark engages in her own volunteer work through programs at Asheville’s First Baptist Church.

“I help by setting up beds at Room at the Inn (where the church houses homeless women for one week each month) and by providing food for the homeless at Lunch at the Crossroads,” she said.

Eddie Morgan, Minister of Missions, Outreach and Pastoral Care at First Bap-tist, said that with organizations like ABC-CM and Habitat for Humanity working together, homeless people can reach their ultimate goal of living in permanent hous-ing.

To get started on this journey, a foun-dation called “Hope to Home” identifies the needs of homeless people and sends them to support groups where they can make connections to get a job. After ad-dressing issues that may include addiction, budget or food, Habitat for Humanity can provide previously destitute families with a home.

Morgan said there are two ways to combat poverty in our area: through mercy and justice. “(Mercy) is the things we can do for the person,” he said. “The justice part is sometimes harder. . .it is not just managing homelessness, but. . . building community and making political chang-es.”

•The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific.•82 would be non-white; 18 white.•80 would live in substandard housing.•67 would be unable to read.•50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation.•33 would be without access to a safe water supply.•39 would lack access to improved sanitation.

Poverty impacts local families, students

•24 would not have any electricity. (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)•1 would have a college education.•1 would have HIV.•5 would control 32% of the entire world's wealth; all 5 would be U.S. citizens.•33 would be receiving—and attempting to live on — only 3% of the income of “the village.”

Source: www.familycare.org


FBCA member Angela Mathis prays with some of the needy people who have come to Lunch at the Crossroads. “I feel like God will reach out through this and help us show love and concern,” she said. “It shows that we are interested in them, and God will react to their needs.”


Cedar Cliff NotesCedar Cliff NotesMarch 10, 2011 1312 March 10, 2011

Welcome to

A day in Alex’s life: “I sleep in until 3 p.m. when I can. I spend a lot of my time researching politics on the com-puter and reading “Politico” and “The New York Times.” On a free weekend I like to visit historical sites.”“I live with my mom, dad and grand-mother. She is handicapped, so I am much more aware of her needs and I help her do things.”

Breakfast of champions: School breakfast, normally a chicken biscuit.

Favorite book: “Game Change’ by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. It teaches you about the world of poli-tics by telling the history of the 2008 election.”

What moment in history would you like to witness? “The inauguration of

George Washington because it was the first time an American president was sworn in. The moment represents the beginning of our country.”

Best way to spend a dollar? “Donate it to a charity that will use it to make a difference.”

Do you believe in miracles? “No. I believe if you set your mind to some-thing, you can make it happen. For example, I am determined to succeed in school and life, so I meet my goals, anything from doing my homework to graduating from college.”

Who is your role model? “Franklin Roosevelt. He managed to make something of his life in spite of his disease. I am inspired by his success in spite of disadvantage. My family hasn’t been really significant, I will be the first to graduate from college.”

If you could engrave one thing on your class ring what would it be?

“Democrat.”

How do you feel about:Gay Rights? “It should be a non-issue,

a personal right, not a political de-bate.”

Abortion Legislation? “Women should have a right to choose. In many cases I believe it should be al-lowed but not abused. Abortion is not just another birth control method.”

The Death Penalty? “It’s hypocritical on the government’s part.”

Gun control? “I definitely do not want criminals, crazy people or children to have access to guns.”

Goals for the future: “I plan to go toAppalachian State University next year. After I graduate I want to work in public service.”

Are you more likely to choose a high-salary career or one that you really enjoy? “I won’t do a good job unless I

enjoy what I am doing.”

Alex Desormier, 12He grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Class schedule: Discrete Math, Anatomy, Co-op for the front office, Spanish IV

Alec Skidmore, 11Class schedule: U.S. History, Construction, Co-op for Coach Anders, English III

Mandalynn Baird, 09Class schedule: JROTC, Algebra I, Yearbook, Physical Education

Kayla Hayes, 10She grew up in Haw Creek, Asheville.

Class schedule: Women’s Chorus, Geometry, Weight Training, Civics

His family moved around a lot as a child because his dad is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. Alec lived in South Dakota, Michigan, California, Minnesota and Florida before coming to Asheville. “Traveling got me to compare dif-ferent places. I have seen the biggest difference in the people’s attitudes and the terrain.”Class schedule: U.S. History,

Construction, Co-op for Coach An-ders, English III

Favorite class at Reynolds: “Principles of Business because it helped me learn to create a budget and manage money.”

A day in Alec’s life: “On a Saturday I wake up around 11 a.m., then go hang out with friends. It is not so much about what we do as just spending time together.”

One compliment Alec really values: “A friend in Florida told me that I was one of the nicest people he’s ever talked to.”

Who is your role model? “Barack Obama. He is stepping up to a job that no one would really want to take. Fixing America takes a whole lot of bravery.”

What do you wish you were better at? “Becoming a better person in accept-ing people for who they are.”

What moment in history would you like to witness?

“I would like to see the first humans arriving in North America. It would be cool to see how they started over.”

Best way to spend a dollar? “A bottle of water.”

If you could engrave one thing on your class ring what would it be?

“Varsity in every sport I play.”

Favorite quote:

“Live life to the fullest.”

Political views: “I am an Independent. I try to combine the best of what both parties say.”

How do you feel about: Gay Rights? “People should be what

they want to be and do what they want to do.”

Abortion Legislation? “An option if pregnancy was an accident.”

The Death Penalty? “If they deserve it, then yes.”

Gun control? “You need a permit.”Goals for the future: “I want to study dentistry at The University of South Florida. Also, I’d really like to go to Sweden. I have family there and heard it is beautiful.”

A day in Kayla’s life: “On weekends, I hang out with my boyfriend, shop, go out to eat or go to the movies.”“I was adopted when I was 13 years old. I used to live with my real mom, but now I live with my adoptive par-ents, uncle, cousin and niece. I have a lot of siblings. I can’t even name them all.”

One thing she won’t leave the house without: “My iPod.”Favorite class at Reynolds: “I really

liked learning to design stuff on the computer and make notepads and fli-ers in printing graphics. I can actually apply those skills in my life.”

Who is your role model? “My dad because I can count on him to know what’s right from what’s wrong. He helps me choose the best thing and keep my head strong.”

Are you a confident person? “Yes, I stick up for myself. I don’t let anyone bully me or run over me.”

Something Kayla would love to do:

“Fly around the world.”What do you wish you were better at? “Geometry and math in general.”Best way to spend a dollar?

“Two things that each cost 50 cents.”

One compliment Kayla especially val-ues: “When people tell me they like

the way I dress.”Are you religious? “I am a Christian, I

go to New Vision Baptist Church. Believing God is my savior gives me peace and confidence in my everyday life.”

Goals for the future: “I plan to be active in the ROTC program at AB-Tech for two years and then go into the Army, maybe in the medical field.I like ROTC because I am very athlet-ic. The program also teaches me a lot about etiquette and managing myself in formal settings.”

She lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, West Virginia and Mexico before moving to Asheville. “I have had the chance to be friends with a wide variety of people. I think I look at people differ-ently. I like talking to people with differ-ent personalities, not just one clique.”A day in Mandalynn’s life: “I take

two classes in twilight school Monday through Thursday to make up classes from missing school in 7th grade. I normally don’t get home until 8 p.m., and then I do my homework because I like to make good grades.”

Breakfast of champions: Coffee and Reese’s peanut butter cups.

She won’t leave the house without:

“My boots.” “Some people would say they love their best friend, but I love my boots. I guess I am just a redneck.”

Do you believe in miracles? “It depends on the situation. I think love at first sight and miraculous healing are possible, but world peace is not.”

One compliment Mandalynn espe-cially values: “I like when people say I

am smart. It means a lot when teach-ers recognize my ability to write, think and express my ideas.”

Who is your role model? “My mom because she is really good with peo-ple. She’s been on her own since she was 14 and taken good care of me.”

Favorite book: “I read fantasy novels. My favorite is the ‘House of Night’ series.”

Best way to spend a dollar? “A toy for my nephew or a pop.”

What do you wish you were better at? “I wish I was more committed to a sport. In middle school I was third in the conference for hurdling, but I don’t have time for that anymore.”

What moment in history would you like to witness? “The Holocaust.

I don’t think the U.S. helped out enough, especially compared to our modern involvement in world af-fairs.”

Are you religious? “I am a Christian, but only go to church occasionally, I believe you can praise God from wherever you are.”

Political views: “I am Democratic, but I have some Republican views. We should help the poor by teaching them to get up on their feet instead of just supporting them to stay poor.”

How do you feel about: Gay Rights? “If it’s their preference,

they should do what they want.” Abortion Legislation? “You should

suffer the consequences of your ac-tions, unless you were raped.”

The Death Penalty? “They should be put out of society if they did some-thing bad enough.”

Gun control? “Everyone should be allowed to have a gun in their house. I have five.”

Goals for the future: “Graduate and attend a four-year college. I want to be an RN or an attorney so that I can support my family.”

Editor’s Note: We use categories to classify the people we encounter daily. Stereotypes save us energy by simplifying our everyday inter-actions. Too often we ignore or dismiss those who fall into categories that we disapprove of. Howev-er, as I interviewed students for this story and past stories, I have come to believe that this process of elimination costs us more than it saves us. In some ways, most Reynolds students live

similar lives. We go to school, take tests and eat lunch in the cafeteria. In other ways, we are very different, with our own sets of past experiences that have blessed us with unique perspectives. Each of the 1,400 students at this school has something to contribute, share and teach. I asked each of these four students a long list of questions, hoping to discover the things that really excite and motivate them. I enjoyed watching their

eyes light up as they told me about things they care about. So, here’s the challenge: let these questions in-spire you to reach out to people you don’t know. Ask them about how they spend their time, what they have done, what they hope to do one day. You will be surprised, not only by what you learn about them, but also by what you learn about yourself and the world around you.

City

Top Left: Senior Alex Desormier volunteers for the Democratic Party. During the 2010 election season, he polled Democrats and Independents. “I spent a lot of time talking to Heath Shuler,” Desormier said. “The experience also allowed me to develop good connections with other prominent politicians such as Patsy Keever and Elaine Marshall.”Bottom Left: Junior Alec Skidmore contemplates his next shot. “I really like to golf,” he said. “Being outdoors in general is just really peaceful.”

Top Right: Freshman Mandalynn Baird reads “Wicked Lovely” by Melissa Marr. “If I had a free afternoon, I would probably just read a fantasy novel,” Baird said.Bottom Right: On weekday afternoons sophomore Kayla Hayes practices with the JV soccer team. “Most days I don’t get home until 6 p.m.,” Hayes said. “Sometimes I wish I could just relax at home in the afternoon, but it is fun to get out and see friends at practice.”

Maegan ClawgesCo-Editor in Chief

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March 10, 2011Cedar Cliff NotesFeatures14

While the current definition of the word ‘doodle’ is fairly new, the word itself goes back to the 17th century, when it meant “fool or simpleton.” The original meaning of the word is evident in the song “Yankee Doodle,” which was sung by British troops to ridicule colonial soldiers in the Revo-lutionary War.

The modern meaning may have originated in 1937 when Russell M. Arundel described doodling as “a scribble or sketch made while the con-scious mind is concerned with matters wholly unrelated to the scribbling.”

In an educational atmosphere, doodling generates conflicting opin-ions.

“(Doodling is) not a battle I want to fight,” said biology teacher Martha Cowan, “but it is rude and distract-ing.”

When polled, 23 of 33 teachers said that doodling is already allowed in their classrooms. Another four said that they would consider allowing it.

“I am not convinced that a student can focus on math while doodling,” said Algebra II and geometry teacher Carol Baldwin. “However, some are destined, and I deal with it.

A study by psychologist Jackie Andrade of the University of Plym-outh (UK) found that doodlers tend to retain more information than nondoo-dlers. She put together a test consist-ing of a two-and-a-half minute long tape. The participants of the experi-ment listened to a recording of an in-vitation to a 21st birthday party.

Out of 40 test subjects, 20 were assigned to doodle by filling in boxes and circles. In between doodling, they were required to write down the at-tendees of the party. At the end of the tape, both the doodlers and nondoo-dlers were required to orally recite the list from memory. The test subjects who doodled performed 29 percent higher than the nondoodlers when re-calling the information.

One theory about how doodling aids memory is that it prevents people from daydreaming. Daydreaming uses up high amounts of energy compared to doodling. This is because when daydreaming, a person tends to use what psychologists refer to as “execu-tive functioning,” a process that is re-sponsible for planning.

“(Doodling) aids students that struggle to focus. It’s way to control, to some degree, how far their minds wander and yet still absorb the pre-sented information,” said academic support teacher June Johnston. How-ever, doodling is not always used as a learning tool.

“Doodling in class keeps me en-tertained when I’m bored,” said soph-omore Cassidy Cramer. “However, I

can understand some teachers’ frus-trations with drawing because I get caught up in what I’m doing and tune out the teacher.” Cramer’s confession expresses what some teachers worry about when it comes to doodling.

“It is an avoidance strategy for students who lack comprehension, listening and note-taking skills,” said academic support teacher Tyler Harts-horn.

Other teachers feel that it depends upon the student. “For some, doodling may increase focus. For others, it may be a distraction,” English teacher Chris Gilbert said.

One teacher even encourages doo-dling. “I like the students to doodle next to their notes, small pictures that represent an idea that could help them understand [the lesson],” said civics teacher Allie Hustead.

Allowing doodling in a classroom is usually determined by whether or not the teacher thinks that it is produc-tive. But that is not the only deciding factor.

“I have other, bigger problems to worry about,” said history teacher James Goode. “(I’m OK with it) as long as kids learn and pay attention.”

Study shows aids memorydoodling

“I do it all the time! Helps me survive meet-ings!” – Teryll Krisher, counseling

“Everyone doodles, no matter what age you are. On the phone, dur-ing a conference call, wait-ing for the computer to do its thing… If someone tells you they never doodle, they’re ly-ing.” – James Rumbaugh, counseling.

“Hmm…who has time to concentrate on such ‘deep’ and ‘pro-found’ concerns?” – Pat Rayburn, ECE and apparel.

“I do it – wish I was more artistic. But don’t waste paper!” – Janis Bryant, chorus.

“I wish I was a better doodler. I have doodle anxiety. I also re-ally like the word ‘doodle.’” – Kelli Self, me-dia specialist.

What teachers

say about

doodling...


Doodles by Cal-len Burril (left), Joe

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March marks a month of waiting for seniors who anticipate the arrival of April 1, the college acceptance no-tification day that will determine their futures and the careers they pursue after college.

Though prospects look bleak for job seekers today, the Bureau of Labor Sta-tistics predicts a “moderately strong” economic expansion with “a labor force growing at a steady rate with a favor-able outlook for a wide array of job op-portunities.” The BLS predicts the fast-est job growth in education, health care and business.

That goes along with The Princeton Review’s list of most common majors, which include Business, Nursing, Biol-ogy/Biological Sciences and Education in the top five.

According to those statistics, educa-tion should be a secure job, but psychol-ogy teacher Rick Roberts disagrees.

“Look at the state budget and see what they are cutting,” he said sim-ply.

Success in the job market, how-ever, does not always correlate to overall happiness in life or even job satisfaction. According to a 2007 study by Tom W. Smith at the Univer-sity of Chicago, careers with the most job satisfaction are mostly professions

involving helping others or fostering one’s creativity. The jobs that will also lead to the most general happiness in life are professions involving helping others, technical and scientific exper-tise or creativity.

“I think people should do what they love because they will be spending the rest of their life doing it,” senior Can-dyce Edwards said. “I would rather do something that makes me happy even if I am not as successful as I could be in another job.” She plans to major in film studies with the goal of becom-ing a cinematographer. “If I am doing something every day for the rest of my life, I’d rather it be exciting instead of something that I do only for money.”

According to the U.S. Labor De-partment, 13 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations from 2004 to 2014 are re-lated to health care.

However, there are several jobs to-day that are in strong demand and hard to fill. According to a study in 2010 by Manpower Staffing, 14 percent of em-ployers reported difficulty filling posi-tions of skilled laborers (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, tradesmen), sales representatives, nurses, techni-cians, truck drivers, restaurant and ho-tel staff, management/executives, en-gineers, doctors and customer service representatives.

“The current education system is struggling to prepare students for a

job market that is unknown and ever-changing,” said a local educator who wishes to remain anonymous. “People should understand that four-year uni-versities are not always the direct path to financial security.”

The educator pointed out that skills-based jobs include tradesmen, plumb-ers, contract workers, machinists and more. Though these jobs are not glam-orous, they are financially dependable. “So for those struggling to keep up with academia, they’re not hopeless,” he said.

Another major factor that goes into the development of future jobs is the international business sector. It is in-creasingly necessary to know at least two languages.

“There are so many Spanish speak-ers now and so much global commu-nication. As global citizens, it’s a big advantage to be bilingual,” Spanish teacher Alison Iwasko said. “It gives you an extra edge in job interviews.”

Though several different sources project a steady economy with health care dominating the job market, no one can predict the future. But there will al-most certainly be a wide range of jobs to accommodate anyone’s career choice.

“Do what you love!” Roberts said. “It is much easier in life if you get up every morning looking forward to work.”

These job picks are based on job-growth projections, salary data, and other factors like job satisfaction.

Business Jobs:• Accountant• Actuary• Financial adviser• Financial analyst• Logistician• Meeting planner• Public relations specialist• Sales manager• Training specialist

Creative and Service Jobs:• Commercial pilot

• Curator• Film and video editor• Gaming manager• Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technician• Interpreter/Translator• Multimedia artist• Technical writer

Healthcare Jobs:• Athletic trainer• Dental hygienist• Lab technician• Massage therapist• Occupational therapist• Optometrist• Physician assistant• Physical therapist

• Physical therapist assistant• Radiologic technologist• Registered nurse• School psychologist• Veterinarian

Social Service Jobs:• Clergy• Court reporter• Education administrator• Emergency management specialist• Firefighter• Marriage and family therapist• Mediator• Medical and public health social worker• Special-education teacher

• Urban planner

Technology Jobs:• Biomedical engineer• Civil engineer• Computer software engineer• Computer support specialist• Computer systems analyst• Environmental engineering technician• Environmental science technician• Hydrologist• Meteorologist• Network architect

Information used with permission from http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/

articles/2010/12/06/the-50-best-careers-of-2011?PageNr=4

According to ilookforwardto.com, most of these jobs will be ob-solete or replaced by better-working

robots. (Used with permission)

1. Actor2. Cashier3. Construction worker4. Soldier5. Security Guard6. Car mechanic7. Garbage collector8. Assembly line worker9. Toll booth operator10. Prostitute11. Nature photographer12. Surgeon13. Pilot14. Film processor15. Librarian16. Call center operator17. News anchor18. Mailman19. Waiter20. Receptionist

20 jobs that will not exist in 20 years

U.S. News and World Report - 50 Best Careers of 2011

Careers of the future : finding the right pathAlana Gerlach

Co-Editor in Chief


One of the greatest moments of a teenage life is the acquisition of that first car. It’s a rite of passage. It’s a sign of freedom, rebellion and independence.

With a car, the possibilities seem lim-itless to new drivers. Want to go to Cook Out and grab a burger? Asking parents to drive is unnecessary. It’s as simple as grabbing the keys and cruising away.

In America, 41 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds own cars. CNW Marketing Re-search reports that 40 percent of the cars owned by teenagers are paid for by their parents. The choices for a first car are endless, from Porsches to Pathfinders, Corollas to Cadillacs. Gas mileage, ease of service, price, financial availability and reliability are factors.

“I drive a minivan,” senior Matthew McEntire said, “It’s not the coolest car ever, but it gets me from point A to point B.”

Many parents decide which car their

child will drive. MSNBC reports parents choose cars that are big bulky, safe and old. They choose overall safety over gas mileage or looks.

“My first car? It was a 1967 Chevy Camaro,” said former assistant principal Dennis Watts. “It gave me the ability to go where I wanted to go and to hang out with my friends. Oh yeah, and I got to show off a bit, too.”

For more than a hundred years, the automobile has been a vital part of Amer-ican culture. Yale University reports there are 117 vehicles for every 100 people in America. In 2007, there were more than 800 million cars and light trucks in the world, almost 250 million of them in the United States.

The “Big Three,” Ford, General Mo-tors and Chrysler, provide not just cars, but a way of life. People view their cars as more than machines that take them places. They are symbols of freedom, in-genuity, materialism and style.

“Every time I go somewhere, I feel like I turn heads,” said senior Alisha Cof-

fey, who drives a 2006 white Acura.Of course, other countries are pas-

sionate about cars, too. Germany pro-duces such fine performance luxury cars as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Ger-man cars are expensive, sophisticated and not targeted for the youth market.

The legal driving age in Germany is 18, but high costs for insurance, driving schools and registration limit the number of teens who get a license. The driver’s license test in Germany even includes a written section. According to ABC News, German drivers pay much more attention to the road and the cars near them and don’t try to multitask while driving.

“It’s too expensive to own a car in Germany!” said exchange student Dan-iel Niklas. “It’s much easier to just take a train or bus, and the money is better used for college. It’s either a car or college. Most kids choose college.”

While new cars are also expensive in America, it is still possible for a teenager to get a job and save up for a used car and to pay for such expenses as gas, insur-

ance and repairs.“I love my

car,” said ju-nior Jacob Reese, who drives a black 1987 Chevy Z28 Camaro. “I paid for it myself, and I’m even fixing it up myself. It’s my car.”

Getting a driv-er’s license is a milestone the majority of American teens are eager to reach. Crowded parking lots attest to the popu-larity and prestige of driving to school. The student lot at Reynolds has some 320 slots filled daily.

“Your first car is like a new friend.,” senior Lily Clarke said “You have an in-timate relationship with it, no matter how crappy it is.”

First car driving force for teensNick Haseloff

Opinion Editor

Senior Conner

Hall stands next

to her silver Chrysler PT

Cruiser Woody.

March 10, 2011Cedar Cliff Notes A&E 17(Arts & Entertainment)

Most students know what “jazz” and “jazzy” mean but might have trouble coming up with a concrete definition of the words. Some Reynolds musicians, however, can define them in and words and music.

“Jazz is an important part of my life, and it’s a great experience to be able to play such classic music,” said junior Buck Hinman, who plays the saxophone in the jazz band.

The number of musicians in the jazz band is still unsettled because of the dif-ficulty of fitting in rehearsals among the snow days and extracurricular activities. Conductor William Bryant would like to have at least 16 to 20 members for a Big Band Ensemble consisting of five saxes, four trombones, four trumpets and a full rhythm section.

“The purpose (of jazz band) is to teach styles and prepare students so they have tools for the next level,” said Bry-ant, who chooses such classics as “In the Mood” for the students to play.

Even though jazz emerged in the 20th century, its roots can be traced to Afri-

can American music produced before the Civil War according to the Kennedy Cen-ter website.

“The way jazz music is written can-not be sketched in my head. But when I play it, I can feel the uniqueness of jazz,” said junior Kelly Hwang, a former mem-ber of the jazz band.

Jazz is not as popular among young Americans as it is with older adults. But there are still jazz artists that can out-shine pop stars and rappers like Justin Bieber and Drake as shown during the 53rd Grammy Award Show in February where jazz artist Esperanza Spalding won the Best New Artist category. She made history as the first jazz performer to win Best New Artist.

“Oscar Peterson is my favorite jazz artist,” sophomore Sully Hart said, “be-cause you can tell by just listing to him perform that he is so into his music.”

So jazz may not be on the top selling list on iTunes but students still recognize the importance of the jazz genre.

“Jazz,” said junior jazz band saxo-phonist Caroline van Nort “is a way to express yourself like no other music can.”

Anna HitrovaA&E Editor


Junior Buck Hinman joins junior Caroline van Nort and other saxophonists in jazz band rehearsal in the band room Feb. 25. “It was nice getting the whole gang together,” he said. “I get lost in the music when we play such fun music.”

Instrumenta l i s t s j a z z i t u p

Sight-reading key to choral excellence

One of the components that sets Reynolds’ chorus program apart is the intense focus on sight-reading.

“(Sight-reading) is really important. One of the things that we start working on the very first day of school is how to read music,” chorus teacher Janis Bry-ant said.

Sight-reading is a skill students use to learn and per-form music they have never seen before, and it benefits music students beyond of the realm of music.

Countless studies document the positive impact of music education on people. In the 1980s, Mission Viejo High School in Southern California reported that the overall grade point average of music students was 3.59, while non-music students only had a grade point aver-

age of 2.91. The study also found that 16 percent of music students had a 4.0 overall grade point average compared to just 5 percent of students not enrolled in music classes.

Even government officials have strongly advocated the arts.

“The dumbest mistake of this generation is cutting the arts out of our education system,” said former Ar-kansas governor Mike Huckabee in a 2007 interview. “If you have an art and music program, you develop both sides of the brain.”

In 2004, the College Board, which sponsors the SAT, found that students who studied music scored 40 points higher on the SAT on the math section than stu-dents not involved in music. Similarly, students who studied acting and play production outscored their un-

involved-in-the-arts peers on the SAT verbal section by 66 points.

“I feel pretty good about (sight-reading),” sopho-more Zoë Clark said. “It is pretty compatible with math.”

Sight-reading and the study of music in general, develop both the right and left sides of the brain. In a choral program a student is also learning about tonal qualities in human voices, which aids them in learning foreign languages. The more mathematical process of sight-reading also helps strengthen the left side of the brain.

“(Sight-reading) is a tool just like anything else,” Bryant said. “If you can’t see the notes without some-one telling you, you’re not growing.”



beaton the

If I say “vampires” you’ll say “ew.” A generation overexposed to “Twilight” mania is beginning to shy away from any books or movies involving the word “vampires.” But a story has come to light that should not be overlooked.

Justin Cronin’s “The Passage” cap-tures its readers and takes them on an imaginative journey. It is the story of a government military experiment gone horribly wrong and the life of the girl who was the only successful patient. As the story bounces from person to per-

son, suspense builds and the unbeliev-able tale unfolds.

The first part of this book is amaz-ing. I was enthralled from Page 1 and could not tear myself away. I probably read the first 259 pages in about two or three school days. However, to avoid be-ing drawn into its darkness completely, I found myself needing to step away from the book for short periods of time. It is not a leisurely read by any stretch of the imagination. Summer is the perfect time for a book like this. My only advice is not to read it right before bedtime.

The societal character growth and de-velopment are believable and intriguing despite the unbelievable circumstances

Cronin’s characters face. But some characters lack sophisticated develop-ment. If Cronin had edited this book just one more time, it probably would have been as close to perfect as a book gets. The plot is exceptional. As far as literary worth goes, “The Passage” has a lot to offer. It is rich with imagery, foreshad-owing, symbolism, extended metaphor and more.

Pure imagination and horror-fueled suspense fill its 766 pages. Stephen King fans will eat this up. As King him-self wrote, “Read this book, and the or-dinary world disappears.”

Not all vampire literature sucks

Madrigal Singers

The Madrigal Singers received a Superior rating (96 out of 100 points) at the Western District Small Ensemble Festival. Each soloist also received a Superior rating:Mary Williams, 11Steven Austin, 12Sully Hart, 10Nick Gritta, 11Haley McGuinn, 11Alicia Russell, 11Marissa Cranford, 10Ashley Russell, 10

The Orange Peel

MenomenaSaturday, March 12 9 p.m. (8 p.m. doors) $12 advance / $14 door Ages 16+

Omar Rodriquez Lopez Groupplus Zechs Marquise Saturday, March 26 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) $18 advance / $20 door All Ages

Hands of Hope presents Billy JonasSunday, March 27 3 p.m. (2:30 p.m. doors) $15 adult / $10 childrenAll proceeds benefit River-Link and Children First

Diana Wortham Theater

Blue Ridge Orchestra’s 2011 Spring MasterworksSaturday, March 267:30 p.m.$25 regular / $10 stu-dents / $5 children

Viver Brasil feet on the ground Tuesday & Wednesday, April 5-6 8 p.m. $5 UNCA students $35 general public

Civics Center

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Sunday, April 17 7:30 p.m.

Alana GerlachCo-Editor in Chief

Rocket Review

Everyone knows the say-ing “It takes a village to raise a child.” It can also be said that it takes a village – in this case the Reynolds school community – to stage the spring musical. This year’s ambitious production is “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Last summer, teachers in the Fine Arts department spent hours sifting through options before deciding on the annual musical. The long tradition of excellence makes it almost impossible to top previous performances when they include such plays as “Les Miserables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “West Side Story.”

But “Phantom” promises to set the bar even higher. This is the first year the play has been released for amateur performance, so in August the teachers decided to make the commitment to be among the first high schools in the country to stage it.

“We went back and forth between being terrified, then excited, and being certain to do it, then unsure,” said Janis Bryant, director of music for the production.

The challenges of staging “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest running Broadway musical in history, are many. First of all, the rights to pro-

duce the play cost $4,000, no insignificant amount of mon-ey considering it is not the production’s only expense. Other costly elements are sets and costumes.

The decision to take on such a challenging produc-tion is founded on the abun-dant talent available from the student actors, musicians and tech crews to the set de-signers and builders to the costumers.

Theater Arts teacher Kirstin Daniel will direct the play and acknowledges that “all of the technical elements – magic, underground lake, a life-size elephant – are a bit intimidating.”

The complexity of turn-ing the performing arts cen-ter stage into a haunted 1881 Paris opera house will require tedious attention to detail.

“This attention to detail and level of professionalism is what sets our productions apart from other high school musicals,” Daniel said. “We don’t dumb things down. ‘Phantom’ is a disturbing story, and we will attack it head-on and bring it to life.”

Assistant principal Kayren McKnight is the cre-ative force behind costum-ing the cast, a task that takes many weeks of work prior to opening night.

“There are a lot of bustles and elaborate costumes and

masks, which are always fun,” McKnight said. “It will be amazing!”

Of course, the stars of the production are the student performers. One of the most important considerations in selecting the musical is the quality of the vocalists and instrumentalists available.

“We have the best cast

imaginable for this particular play,” sophomore Alex Lit-trell said. “There are so many creative and devoted people all together, so it’ll be won-derful.”

When the spring musical opens May 26, everyone will be able to see what the Reyn-olds High School village can produce.

Staff Reports

Spring creeps in with ‘The Phantom’

Juniors Buck Hinman and Alicia Russell block scenes for the spring musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” Hinman plays Monsieur Andre and Russell plays Carlotta Giudicelli. “The dra-matic expressions come incredibly naturally to everyone involved,” Hinman said.

Photo by Nick Haseloff


I was expecting a life-changing experience. Or if not life-changing, at least health and fitness-altering. Unfortunately, neither of those transformative mo-ments applied to my first Zumba workout.

However, when I decided to give the class that I had previously deemed boring and too easy another chance, I spun a 180. I found the class both fun and exciting.

There are several reasons why I found the first class unpleasant. One: Despite extensive efforts to find

someone to join me in my Zumba endeavor, everyone was unavailable, leaving me to dance alone.

For Zumba Experience Part II, I met sophomore Gabi Levine at the YMCA and together we laughed about my pitiful dancing, making me less self-con-scious of my missteps and awkward movements. Just remember, it takes two to Zumba.

Two: On the first day I had no idea what I was doing and found it difficult to pick up the moves. But once I learned the dances, the subsequent classes be-came more fun as I could focus on executing the moves rather than figuring out what the instructor was doing.

Three: I was anticipating a challenging workout. Even in the second class, I acknowledge that the exer-

cise did not push me to the limits of my athletic abili-ties. I recommend that participants focus on having fun and not on getting a strenuous workout.

Although the Asheville YMCA does not offer them, there are other Zumba options that can provide more of a challenge. Zumba in the Circuit is 30 min-utes of dance moves combined with strength exercises. Zumba Toning uses Toning Sticks to target arms, abs, glutes and thighs.

Zumba is the perfect workout for children, teens, parents or senior adults. And as long as you don’t make the mistakes I committed on my first try, you will be pleased with your first Zumba encounter.


Working out to a zumba beat

For some artists, voice may be their only instrument. But senior Juliana Blanton draws her voice from the im-ages she creates.

All artists pull from personal ex-periences to craft their works. Blanton says that traveling to places like Spain and Italy influences her artistic style. She admires Renaissance and Impres-sionist art, especially Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.

“I have a lot of pieces that have themes of nature or music, and I like drawing portraits of my family and giving them as gifts,” Blanton said. “Everyone’s style is different, and right now my style is still evolving because I have a lot of new things left to learn and try out.”

She has been drawing since she can remember with encouragement from her mother.

“My mom is my biggest inspira-tion and the one who has taught me the most. She is an artist, too, so we can bounce ideas off of each other,” Blan-ton said. “I’ve been able to learn a lot of different types of mediums (from her) that we don’t cover in school courses.”

Her mother works mostly with painting, pastels and pottery.

“She helps me a lot with printmak-ing,” said Blanton, who focuses most-

ly on drawing portraits. “But I’d like to be a better painter.”

This year, she won a Scholastic Art Award in printmaking for a print she created of a water lily.

“It was fun because it was a new medium for me, and I feel like the print of the water and the flower had really cool texture and light,” Blanton said.

She has won three prizes for work she submitted to the Buncombe County Art Show in drawing and painting and two Scholastic Art Awards for print-making. But she has a few personal fa-vorites, one of which is a drawing from junior year.

“I think one of my best drawings is a portrait of a girl with intricate flower designs and celtic knot designs on her face,” Blanton said. “I like the expres-sion on the face and the rich colors in the drawing.”

Blanton has already been accepted at UNC-Chapel Hill and is still wait-ing to hear from Wake Forest and Da-vidson before deciding where to attend school in the fall to pursue an art major. Though she does not want to go to an art school, she has applied for several art scholarships.

“I think liberal arts schools will give me more options,” Blanton said. It will “allow me to study art as well as my other interests and discover new interests and career options.”

Alana GerlachCo-Editor in Chief

B l a n t o n b e g e t s b e a u t ySenior Juliana Blanton com-pleted these paintings in Art IV when she studied portraiture and landscape painting. The bottom painting is inspired by 19th century English water-colorist William Turner.

March 10, 2011Cedar Cliff NotesSports20

For every high school sports team, the ultimate goal is to win a state champion-ship. That has not happened for Reynolds boys basketball since 1988 and, based on last year’s 4-17 record, seemed unlikely when the season began.

But the Rockets shocked WNC, finishing first in the conference and going into the state playoffs with a (15-7) record and a newly ac-quired sense of confidence.

“We (had) to have a must-win mentality,” senior Isaac Nesbit said. “It’s win or go home now.”

Reynolds clinched the MAC 4-A title with a 62-56 win at McDowell Feb. 4.

“We’ve won some exciting basketball games,” coach Billy Phillips said.

One of those exciting games was against conference rival Erwin on Jan. 21 when the Rockets knocked the Warriors off their path to a perfect season. The 61-46 win pushed Reynolds into outright possession of first place in the conference. The hype surround-ing the game brought enthusiastic support for the team in its quest for the first conference title since the 2006 season.

“We try not to put a lot of emphasis on (the game) being a rivalry,” Phillips said. “(It’s) more of just another basketball game, another step in the process of winning a con-ference championship.”

A seven-game winning streak, that ended

with a Feb. 8 loss at home against Roberson, put the Rockets into first place in the MAC 4-A division. Although the streak ended, the Rockets followed up the disappointing loss with an eight-point win over MAC rival North Buncombe on senior night at Malvin Roberts Gymnasium Feb. 11.

Even though the Rockets won, it was without the help of senior center Courtland Clavette, who was out with mono. Clavette provided a major spark on both ends of the floor all season, averaging 12.6 points per game and hauling in an impressive 14.6 re-bounds.

“Some people had to step up to fill the gap,” junior guard Dylan Sprinkle said.

The conference champs lost the MAC tournament to the No. 2 seed McDowell 81-63 Feb. 17, a team the Rockets had beaten twice during the regular season.

The season ended Feb. 21 with a first-round exit in a 70-62 loss to East Mecklen-burg, whose record was (7-17).

“They play in one of the toughest con-ferences in the state,” junior forward Mason Ryon said. “They were very underrated.”

Although the Rockets had playoff expec-tations beyond the first round, they still came away with the school’s first conference cham-pionship since the 2005-2006 season. And the focus is already turning to next year.

“We lost seven seniors this year,” Phillips said. “But we have seven juniors ready to step up and continue their work ethic.”

Derek GreenSports Editor

R o c k e t b o y s t o p M A C


Senior forward Cody Owenby (No. 11) goes up for a layup in a 73-65 win over North Buncombe Feb. 11. Owenby averaged 11points and brought in 5.6 rebounds for the season.

This will be an ad one day!(1/4 Page)

It’s 5:30 a.m., and the day has al-ready begun for junior swimmer Ryan DeBerry. The drive to succeed and the dedication to his sport is what De-Berry feels separates him from other swimmers.

DeBerry swims year-round even though the school season wraps up in late February. He also swims for a club team based out of the YMCA. He practices at the Y for both teams, swimming on average around two hours a day depending on whether or not he is training for one of several national meets. Daily dedication is the key to his success.

“My workouts vary between lifting and swimming,” DeBerry said. “I have to workout every day in order to per-form my best at the meets.”

Coming into the season DeBerry was not being recruited by any big name schools in the area. However, after his recent success placing ninth in the state meet in the 100-meter Freestyle, colleges such as Duke and North Carolina are talking to him about the possibil-ity of swimming for their schools.

“I am really working towards

swimming at the next level,” DeBerry said. “But right now, I am just focused on the team and bettering our times.”

DeBerry was a member of the re-lay team that went to the state com-petition in February. He also qualified as an individual swimmer. To make it to the state finals, the Rocket relay team shaved an incredible 14 seconds off their previous time in the regional meet.

On Nov. 23 the Rockets lost a close meet to rival Roberson 112-104. The loss helped motivate the team for the rest of the season.

“It was tough, but (Roberson) defi-nitely respected us this year,” DeBerry said.

Local competitors recognize De-Berry as an elite swimmer who tire-lessly puts in the work required to get to that level.

Junior swimmer Natalie Newberry calls him “one of the top-10 swimmers in the area.”


Playing basketball is something An-twanet “Bookie” Johnson has done ever since she can remember, and it has never disappointed her.

Johnson’s nickname, Bookie, came from her dad, who calls her Boo, and her cousin, who added the “kie” to the end. The senior has been playing bas-ketball all her life.

“Other sports are boring to me,” Johnson said. She still does track, which she started in seventh grade when her friend talked her into it.

Johnson craves the competition of sports.

“The best part about track is running against T.C. Roberson,” Johnson said. But she cannot decide what she likes best about basketball.

“I just like playing basketball and everything about it,” she said. She is clear about what she does not like, how-ever — bad attitudes.

Friends and teammates see her as a leader and like her sense of humor, which is good because Johnson said that her teammates are “very important.”

“Bookie is funny and a great ath-lete,” sophomore Catherine Blalock said, “and she always keeps us enter-tained.”

Johnson’s coaches appreciate her and find her a valuable member of the team.

“She makes people smile and laugh, and I feel lucky to have gotten to coach her,” said Amanda Gladys, the girls bas-ketball coach who has known Johnson since freshman year.

Track coach Bill Abromitis describes

Bookie as “quick and confident.”But the person who has influenced

Johnson the most as an athlete is her for-mer basketball coach, Kathy Marlowe.

“I was very devastated by her leav-ing because she has taught me so much,” Johnson said. Marlow feels honored to be the person who had such a strong im-pact on her as an athlete.

“ She has grown not just as an athlete but also as a person,” Marlow said. She describes Johnson as someone “who has never met a stranger.”

Of course, there is more to life than sports. Johnson also enjoys poetry and cooking and plans to study culi-nary arts.

Best friend and teammate, senior Stepha-nie Cabral, sums up Johnson’s pos-itive impact best by saying, “She is one of a kind.”

219th place finish draws attention to Deberry

Phot

o by

Tre

llace

Law

rim

ore

With time winding down and Reynolds trailing Erwin 40-37, sophomore Samantha Papay passed the ball to senior Stephanie Cabral. From behind the arc, Cabral drew a foul and swished the three. And one.

After the made foul shot and a failed last effort full-

court pass by Erwin, it was of-ficial. The Lady Rockets had knocked off the undefeated Lady Warriors 41-40 Jan. 21.

“(Cabral) came over and said, ‘I’m making this free throw.’ So I knew she was go-ing to bang it in, and we would win the ballgame,” said coach Amanda Gladys about Cabral’s four-point play.

A win against the North

Buncombe Blackhawks Jan. 18 began a season-high five-game winning streak for the Lady Rockets. Three of the five wins were on the road. The most notable of the road wins was against the rival Asheville Cougars, who were one game behind Reynolds for fourth place in the MAC standings.

“They finally got the con-fidence that they needed. They

are putting it together at the right time,” Gladys said.

The Lady Rockets went into the conference tourna-ment with a must-win attitude, having to beat McDowell for a guaranteed shot at the 4-A state playoffs. However, the Rockets lost to the Titans 48-45 Feb. 15 and finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-11 going into playoffs.

The Rockets did get a play-off berth but lost to Hopewell 65-38 Feb. 21 to end the sea-son 11-12. With the loss of only three seniors, the play-ers have reason to be optimis-tic.

“We were really young this year,” Cabral said. “But the fu-ture is bright next year with so many girls returning.”

Late surge boosts Rockets into playoffs

Bookie a safe bet on and off the court

Player Profiles

Anna HitrovaA&E Editor

Antwanet “Bookie” Johnson, who plays two sports, said that being an athlete is something that definitely defines her because she is “a good leader and role model.”



Junior Ryan DeBerry placed second in the 100-meter freestyle at the regional meet Feb. 5 and qualified for state competition.

DeBerry’s work ethic is legend-ary. “You have to

stay committed to practice and your team,” he said.

R o c k e t b o y s t o p M A C

Photo used with per-mission from Asheville

Citizen-Times

Did you know?$5 can feed a starving child for 20 days with healthy nutritious meals packaged

by volunteers right here in Asheville.

You or your group can be part of this amazing and fun project that touches lives here in Western North Carolina as well as Haiti,

Honduras, the Congo and other parts of the world.

To volunteer or donate, go to missionfoundation.org and click on

“Kids Against Hunger.”

Nearly 40,00 children starve to death each year.

You can save lives through a simple act of kindness right here at home.


sports

Recruiting: flattering or harassing?

editorial


Cutting 14 seconds off a team’s best time is a monu-mental feat in swimming, where victory can be mea-sured in hundredths of a sec-ond. But the 400-yard free-style relay team did just that to propel a Rocket team to the school’s first state finals in six years.

The road to the state fi-nals began with qualifying at the 4-A Western Regional meet in Huntersville Feb. 5, when the relay team swam a season best 3 minutes, 31.29 seconds.

“We didn’t have a lot of competition all year,” senior Ben May said, “so we were pushed by the faster teams at regionals.”

Swimmer May, senior Eddie Kirby and juniors Ryan DeBerry and Michael Yanik swam 14 seconds better than their season high, earning the team a sixth-place finish in the tournament and a trip to the state meet.

“Swimming is a team

sport that requires the in-dividual,” Coach Eric Vess said. “The team members push each other in practice and in competition.”

DeBerry also qualified as an individual in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle.

“I’ve been continuing to train and improve all sea-son,” DeBerry said.

At the state competition in Cary Feb. 11, the relay team swam a season best 3 minutes, 30.81 seconds. That time landed the Rockets in 18th place out of 24 teams and was 0.3 seconds short of qualifying for finals.

“It was a little disappoint-ing,” May said. “But I know we all tried our hardest.”

Yanik said working on starts and turns was a key in their success at regional competition.

DeBerry also swam his individual season best at the state meet. He placed ninth in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.7 seconds and 13th in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 54.5

seconds. The boys team is losing

four seniors to graduation, two of whom made it to the state finals this season.

“We can still be a top contender next year,” Yanik

said. “We just need people to step up.”

DeBerry said committing to working hard and chang-ing techniques will also be vital to the team’s future success.


Swimmers take fast lane to state competition

The 200-meter relay team of seniors Eddie Kirby and Benjamin May and juniors Ryan DeBerry and Michael Yanik performed at the state swimming competition Feb. 21. They swam a season best 3 minutes, 30.81 seconds, which landed them in 18th place out of 24 teams.

Photo provided by Ryan DeBerry

The phone of a sought-after Division I recruit rings about 30 times a day as col-lege coaches try to convince him to join their schools and re-porters try to stay on

top of where he is going and which schools are recruiting most heavily. It is one of the most stressful times in a student athlete’s life as he juggles stud-ies, sports and the pressure of deciding where he will attend college the next four years.

It is not only the phone calls but the invasion of personal space, whether it is friend requests on Facebook from desperate 40-year-old men trying to see where their schools stand in the eyes of a high school senior or the flood of e-mails and text messages from recruit-ers and reporters.

Recruiting has become one of the most complicated issues in sports, part-ly because coaches, media representa-tives and fans have easy access into the everyday lives of high school athletes through social networking sites (Twit-ter and Facebook), cell phones and e-mails. People are constantly pressuring athletes to make decisions, dazzling them with promises of great expecta-tions and a wonderful college experi-ence when, in reality, nothing is guar-anteed.

In a way, the vigorous recruiting game penalizes student athletes for putting in the work that it takes to be an elite player. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limits the number of scholarships colleges can offer prospective players. For exam-ple, Division I schools are allowed to give out only 56 football scholarships when there are hundreds of thousands of players across the country striving to get to the next level of the sport.

Continued on p. 23

Fans at a local church basketball league cheer a lit-tle louder when a girl makes a shot. In the past, girls have shied away from the league,

which was male dominated until this winter, when six Reynolds girls joined the boys for three intense, fast-paced months of basketball.

Junior Tanner Narron, who plays for Trinity of

Fairview, said he thinks “it’s good that everyone (mean-ing girls) can get involved as long as they don’t beat us.”

A high school basketball team needs only 10 or 12 players, so church league is a convenient alternative for athletes who don’t make or choose not to play for their school team. This year, there were not enough interested girls to form a separate divi-sion, so the six girls had to play with the boys.

Seniors Lily Clarke, Looie Doucette and Mason Burril and sophomore Zoe Clarke joined the Fairview Christian “Fighting Lep-ers” for the team’s return to church league play af-ter a three-year hiatus. The team’s most memorable win was an overtime victory over West Asheville 46-43 Jan. 20

“The Fighting Lepers was one of the greatest teams in the league when I played freshman year,” senior L. Clarke said. “I just wanted to revive the legacy.”

The other two girls, ju-niors Haylea Roark and Katie Stroupe, play for the league’s host team, First Baptist Church of Ashe-ville. Stroupe is a starter for FBCA.

“(Stroupe) has more basketball intelligence than most of our male players,”

coach David Hart said. “Next year, with a year’s experience behind her, I fully expect her to be one of our better players.”

The girls said they faced some difficulties in a mostly male league. Hart said the size difference is some-times an issue at first, but that problem can be solved by putting girls on the wing so they can look for open shots.

“I can’t jump as high for rebounds,” Roark said, “but (the guys) don’t block us because we are girls.”

Doucette said it is frus-trating when the guys play easier against the girls. Other girls said the “unwrit-ten rule” that guys aren’t al-lowed to block girls can be annoying at times, too.

Hart said he would sup-port an all-girls league if enough players were inter-ested. He said some girls in the past have been too intimidated to play, but he is confident that they would have played had an all-girls team been an option.

“The goal behind this church league is to allow young people who love the game but do not play at school to continue to play,” Hart said, “and to allow them to have fun at church with hopefully like-minded teens.”


shortssports

Photo by Trellace LawrimoreJunior Haylea Roark, a member of the First Baptist Church of Asheville team, practices foul shots in a warmup Feb. 24. FBCA lost to West Asheville 52-31, ending their playoff run. “I really enjoyed playing church basketball,” Roark said.


6 girls join boys in church basketball league

Sports Editorial continued from p. 22

Don’t get me wrong. It is an honor and a privilege to be recruited by any school, and especially so by top pro-grams in the country. But it is almost a punishment for anybody to have to en-

dure the pressure-packed atmosphere of recruiting.

The NCAA has recently cracked down on schools such as the Univer-sity of Tennessee and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for

violations linked to the recruitment of players. Both of those investigations are pending, but sanctions are likely to come down for their actions.

Even though the schools are penal-ized, that is still not enough. The coaches themselves need to be dealt with because they can just leave the school to avoid punishment as evidenced by University of Kentucky basketball coach John Cali-pari. He has left his last two coaching positions at the University of Massa-chusetts and the University of Memphis

with both schools under NCAA investi-gation. Right now, coaches like Calipari move on unscathed while the school suf-fers.

Recruiting is a necessary part of sports, one that changes with each new technological advance. The NCAA, which already has strict rules for re-cruiting, needs to do more to regulate the activity and alleviate the burden put on players by the constant contact from the coaches and other school representa-tives.

Councell, Wyman sign LOI

Two Rocket athletes signed let-ters of intent (LOI) to play Division I sports Feb. 2. Senior forward Aus-tin Wyman will play college soccer at Liberty University, while senior out-side linebacker Ben Councell signed to play football at Notre Dame. Lo-cal media outlets WLOS-TV and the Asheville Citizen-Times covered the highly anticipated signings.

Marion to attend Nike Camp

Junior running back A.J. Marion plans to attend the Nike Combine for high school football stars in Charlotte, N.C., March 19. Marion, who has al-ready received a scholarship offer from East Carolina University, thinks attending the camp will gain more national exposure and possibly result in more offers. The Nike Combine at-tracts nationally ranked prospects.

3 bound for Mars Hill

Seniors Joey Papay, Kevin Lyda and Damian Martin will attend Mars Hill College in the fall. Lyda and Mar-tin have already signed their letters of intent for football. While Papay has not yet signed his letter, he is leaning toward the Lions where he hopes to be a two-sport athlete, playing both basketball and football.

Pressley walks on at Chapel Hill

Senior quarterback Caleb Pressley will accept a preferred walk-on spot at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill next fall. Pressley is one of several successful Rocket athletes who will play at the collegiate level. He threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for 451 yards last season.

“I was most excited about UNC,” Pressley said. “I can be a part of the big games and compete for a spot down the road.”

Hustead wins marathon

Track coach Allie Hustead won the Black Mountain Marathon for the second straight year Feb. 26.


Tennis3/14 vs. McDowell3/16 @ Roberson3/21 vs. Asheville3/23 vs. Erwin3/28 @ N. Buncombe

Golf3/14 @ Reems Creek3/22 @ High Vista3/28 @ Broadmoor3/31 @ Asheville Muni

Softball3/14 vs. Newton-Conover3/18 @ Erwin3/22 @ Asheville3/24 @ Pisgah3/29 vs. Enka3/31 vs. Tuscola

Baseball3/11 vs. Roberson3/15 vs. N. Buncombe3/18 @ Erwin3/19 @ Watauga3/22 @ Asheville3/23 vs. Owen3/29 vs. Enka

Track3/15 @ Roberson3/17 vs. Roberson & Asheville3/22 vs. Roberson, Ashe-ville, N. Henderson, ACA3/24 @ Asheville3/29 @ Madison4/2 Blue Ridge Classic @ ACR

Soccer3/11 @ St. Stephens3/18 @ Marvin Ridge3/23 @ Enka3/25 @ Owen3/28 @ McDowell3/30 vs. Roberson

Sports Calendar

Big green machine gears up for spring

Now that basketball, wrestling and swimming have wrapped up, the spring sports season is getting underway. Ath-letes in baseball, softball, track and field, men’s tennis, men’s golf and women’s soccer are ready to see if their preseason training will pay off.

Women’s Soccer

Even with gloomy weather, women’s soccer coach Patrick Gladys keeps spir-its up with humor. “Who is this Shenny Lenhart? I keep hearing she’s a good player,” Gladys said with a smile, refer-ring to junior forward Shenny Lenhart, who played a key role in the 19 victories Reynolds posted against competitors last year. The Lady Rockets finished in sec-ond place the 2010 season in the MAC with a conference record of 10-2-0. The team won the season opener March 2 against Tuscola 3-0.

Baseball

After finishing the 2010 season with an overall record of 16-11, the Reynolds baseball program is returning this spring with determination to succeed. “We are a very young team, but we’ll develop over time and have a really good year,” sophomore John Nick Setterlind said. The team lost the first game of the season 11-4 at home against Watauga March 1.

Softball

The softball team kicked off the sea-son at home against Pisgah March 5. Before the game, senior Jessica Duckett said that the youth of the team would “make things interesting.” The softball team began practicing for the season in October, proving their dedication to the sport.

“We work hard, but it’s OK because we are like family and support each other,” freshman Abby Bishop said. The softball team posted a 7-5 conference re-cord in 2010.

Track and Field

The track and field team includes a slew of jumpers, throwers, hurdlers, sprinters and distance runners. Four ded-icated coaches take on the job of work-ing with individuals, so it feels more like a close-knit team than a mob of 90 athletes. The connection among team-mates is strong. “Track is the only place you can smell like sweat and no one will judge you,” senior Marissa Mueller said. The sweat paid off last year when both men’s and women’s teams placed second in the MAC, and the goal is to perform even better this season.

Men’s Golf

Men’s golf ended the 2010 season with a conference record of 19-5, mak-ing the team a successful yet seldom rec-ognized part of the Reynolds sports pro-gram. The golfers are working to turn last spring’s second-place finish into a conference championship. “Coach An-ders is pushing us hard this year,” senior Richie Cardillo said, “and we are going to be state championship contenders.”

Men’s Tennis

After finishing 7-6 in the 2010 tennis season, sophomore Tyler Hurd thinks the addition of two exchange students from Germany, Max Nadicksbernd and Dan-iel Niklas, will give the team a boost. Nadicksbernd, who only began playing tennis in the fall, has a simpler ambi-tion: “My goal is to play one game,” he said. The team lost the opening match to Asheville High March 2.

Arianna SatzStaff Writer

Photos by Trellace Lawrimore and Nick Haseloff

A.C. Reynolds High School 1 Rocket Drive, Asheville NC 28803Vol.21, No.4March 10, 2011

Doodle by Maegan Clawges and portrait by Nick Haseloff

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