Bear Facts 25¢

Volume 1 Number 3 January/February 2013 1200 Dallas Ave, Mena, Arkansas 71953

The

A PUBLICATION OF MENA HIGH SCHOOL

Tragedy happens in Newtown. See pg. 2.

Is the flu coming for you? See pg. 4.

Who will itbe? See pg. 7.

EAST goes to conference w i t h h i g h h o p e sby Robert Lane

This year the EAST Conference is at Hot Spring, Arkansas. Every year over 60,000 students have experienced EAST. The EAST Conference is an annual gathering of over 2,000 EAST students, teachers, parents, and community and business leaders from more than 100 communities across America.

This year the EAST Conference is being held in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The conference is the EAST Initiative’s largest training venue of the year. This three-day-

long conference is more about teaching students about leadership and working hard.

Mr. Dixon is this year’s facilitator of EAST Lab. He is taking six EAST students to conference this year. Those students are Dakota Allen, Kori Cain, Hope Dunlap, Holly Lewis, Andrew Moore, and Ryan Thomas. All six of those students will be going to experience some fun being at EAST Conference if they have never been to one. They will be showing how EAST Lab has been helping the community and school in Mena.

FCCLA members make stateby Ivy Powell

Last fall, students from our school participated in FCCLA District VI STAR Events at Henderson State University. The participants were Brooke Pearce, Morgan Ashley and Carissa Gordon. Brooke participated in a “Teaching and Training” project where she investigated a career in primary 4th grade teaching. Morgan and Carissa participated in a “Focus on the Children” project in which they presented a project titled “Kids for Cancer.”

STAR Events are the competitive events available through FCCLA. In addition to the STAR Events like the ones presented by our own students, there are also online events which consist of two parts. In the first part, participants submit their digital project to be judged. If the project makes a high score, the creators are invited to present it with an

oral presentation at the National Leadership Conference. Participants receive recognition through achieving medals, certificates, and press releases for local media.

According to FCCLA’s regulations, in these experiences, “members are recognized for proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation.” They also offer development for individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation through individualized programs designed to let one member work alone to accomplish specific goals, such as Brooke Pearce’s accomplishment, and competitive occasions in which an individual or team performance is measured by an established set of criteria, which was Morgan Ashley and Carissa Gordon’s specialty. They all qualified to advance to State STAR Events which will be held in February, in Conway, Arkansas.

EAST IS SENDING (top row) Ryan Thomas, Andrew Moore, Holly Lewis, (bottom row) Kori Cain, Hope Dunlap, and Dakota Allen (not pictured). (photo by Zach Atchley)

CARISSA GORDON AND Morgan Ashley present at an elementary school at District VI STAR Events. (photo contributed by Kristi Wilson)

Page 2 January/February 2013

Advertising rates are $10 per column inch. For advertising or subscription information, address all correspondence to Bear Facts, Mena High School, 1200 Dallas Ave, Mena, Arkansas 71953.

The Bear Facts, a publication of Mena High School, is pub-lished monthly October through May by MHS journalism students and is printed by the Mena Star. The Bear Facts is a member of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association, the American Scho-lastic Press Association, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Editorials and letters to the editor refl ect the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect those of the staff or school. All letters must be signed, and all published letters will include the author’s name.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Zach Atchley; ADVERTISING MANAGER: Ivy Powell; SPORTS EDITOR: Zach Atchley; ED-OP REPORTERS: Ivy Powell, Mikayla Rath; FEATURE WRITERS: Tashiana Dancer, Leon Gellings, Kaitlyn Maechler, Tyler Richardson; ART DIRECTOR: Ivy Powell; CARTOONIST: Mikayla Rath; CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER: Zach Atchley; PHOTOGRAPHER: Robert Lane; ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Tyler Richardson; REPORTERS: Zach

Atchley, Brandon Colson, Tashiana Dancer, Leon Gellings, Robert Lane, Joseph Maddox, Kaitlyn Maechler, Ivy Powell, Mikayla Rath, Tyler Richardson; PAGE DESIGN by Digital Communications students: Zach Atchley, Kori Cain, Ann Marie Cecil, Kim Erickson, Renee Fergason, Charles Ford, Alex Fuchsberger, Macey Hubbard, Joe Lewis, Mason Martin, Dakota Price, Connor Purvis, Walker Rapp, Christa Super, Bob Wilcox; ADVISER: Krisanna Miller

The Bear Facts - Editorials

Tragedy strikes Newtownby Mikayla Rath

As of Friday, December 14, 2012, even the least informed on the latest news will have heard of the Newtown tragedy at the slightest mention of what happened that terrible day in Connecticut. As for ourselves, we choose to refuse to even ponder the name of this violent offender, and choose only to honor the stolen souls ripped away from those they loved that day. Even as we dredge through an infi nity of information, we will disregard any mention of that name, as we refuse to acknowledge his existence.

Join me now as we journey past their shadows in death, and remember them in the light they cast among those who will forever love them, so that their brief existence will forever shine on.

First, we will recognize the teachers who tried to save the lives of those innocent children in Newtown: Rachel D’Avino, 29: a bright and passionate behavioral therapist, living her life daily to better others; Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47: a selfl ess principal; Anne Marie Murphy, 52: married mother of four, died doing what she loved; Lauren Rousseau, 30: who had wanted to teach since she was a child and had achieved her dream and will always be remembered; Mary Sherach, 56: who ran in the direction of danger, sacrifi cing herself for the sake of others; Victoria Soto, 27: a selfl ess young woman who wouldn’t hesitate to save the life of another.

Now, we will acknowledge the little angels who had their lives stolen from them.Olivia Engel, 6; Daniel Barden, 7; Josephine Gay, 7; Dylan Hockley, 6; Madeline Hsu, 6; Catherine Hubbard, 6; Chase Kawalski, 7; Jesse Lewis, 6; James Mattioli, 6; Jack Pinto, 6; Ana Marquez-Greene, 6; Caroline Previdi, 6; Benjamin Wheeler, 6; Grace McDonnel, 7; Avielle Richman, 6; Alison Wyatt, 6; Emilie Parker, 6; Charlotte Bacon, 6; Jessica Rekos, 6; & Noah Pozner, 6.

W e m a d e i t … a g a i nby Ivy Powell

Did you buy into the apocalypse theory of late? If so, don’t fret—you weren’t alone. Many had been so bombarded with the fact that the end of the world was nigh that they started to believe it. Plus, there was “valid evidence” that the impending doom was real, such as the predictions of Nostradamus and the Mayan Calendar. Nostradamus was only human and did not factor leap years into his conjectures, and a thousand pardons, but Mayans were a civilization that believed their fellow clan members’ chests should be hollowed out and set afl ame, lest the stars transform into monsters and come to earth to devour everything. Gotta love those Mayans. The Y2K scare was bunk, this latest conspiracy was a joke, and there have been some “mini-raptures” peppered in between then and now (which were all garbage).

It makes one wonder why things like this happen. Perhaps people do it to be extremely precautionary, or maybe they just put on a show to get excessive attention. Why would somebody take the time to analyze an aged, cumbersome calendar just to discover that it implies that the world may end? Then, after that, why would they would take the information from this to heart and announce it to the world? There are many words for people like this, but that isn’t really necessary…all that matters is that last year the entire world was graced by mercy--or rather, reality. Nobody knows, nor will ever know when the end will come. It could be any time, of course, but the moral of this ordeal is to live your life to the fullest. It’s an atrocious cliché, but nobody enjoys regrets or loose ends.

While the subject still stands, there are also popular rumors about a zombie apocalypse, but that is not plausible either. The zombie was an abomination created by Hollywood, meant to represent fear of the masses and their sheer multitude. What a coincidence that Hollywood is the fallacy capital of the world! Nothing like that would ever happen unless all the lepers of the world banded together and started eating people’s fl esh (which they are too indisposed to do). So just remember…if the end does come, don your superhero cape and get ready to fend off killer zombies and ravenous space monsters.

January/February 2013 Page 3The Bear Facts - Features

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Manti Te’o and the girlfriend hoaxby Leon Gellings

The hoax about Manti Te’o and the story about his (non- existing) girlfriend got a lot of attention in the last months and days.

After telling the press that his girlfriend and grandma died on the same day just hours apart, a fairytale began to empower the daily news. Because his story appeared in the last months before the Heisman trophy was awarded, many people think that he lied on purpose to get the attention of the public and to have better chances in the race for the trophy. But now, the story begins to unwrap the truth.

The background of it began in 2009, when Te’o befriended a girl named Lennay Kekua on Facebook. After they had communicated via internet and cell phone, she called him and asked him for help in a personal problem. Although Te’o did not meet her yet, he intensified the relationship with her.

In June 2012, Kekua informed Te’o about her having Leukemia. Te’o told ESPN, and once again, he and his “girlfriend” arranged to see each other, but Te’o was tied up because of a family reunion.

In September 2012, Te’o’s grandma died. About three hours later, he was informed that Kekua also passed away. He mentioned it in an interview after a game against Michigan on September 15, also the day on which Kekua’s funeral would have been held.

After finishing as runner-up in the race for the Heisman trophy and losing the BCS title game, it got a little quieter in the story of the linebacker. But in the first days of December 2012, the story blazed up again.

On December 4, Te’o was warned that Kekua didn’t exist, a first sign of a made-up story. Two days later, he was called by a woman who told him that she had not died. He already knew that he was hoaxed and broke up. In late December, he told his parents and his coach about the bad joke.

The last important point in the story happened in January 2013. Te’o was told that Kekua’s real name is Leah and that she would tell the truth in a few days. On January 16, he was called by the woman that told him she was Kekua. She told him that she made up the story and she apologized to him. Apparently, the truth finally came out. But the story is not told until the end, and still, there are many questions to be answered.

High school graduation rates hit an all time highby Kaitlyn Maechler

Graduation rates have hit an all time high since 1974. It’s been nearly forty years since they have been this high. The U.S. Department of Education data stated that 78.2 percent of U.S. high schoolers completed their studies and earned their diploma within the four years of high school in 2009-2010 school year.

The biggest improvement was in Hispanic students. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics are the nation’s largest minority group, making up about 16.5 percent of the U.S. population. Their graduation rates soared 10 percent to 71.4 percent between 2006 and 2010. The four-year graduation was highest for Asian and

Pacific-Islander students at 93.5 percent, while white students were at 83 percent. American Indian and Alaskan Native students graduated with a rate of 69.1 percent, with black students at 66.1 percent, states Reuters.

Vermont had the highest four-year graduation rate in the country in 2010, with a 91.4 percent rate. Nevada has the lowest four-year graduation rate in the country with 57.8 percent of students graduating within the time. Arkansas was at 75 percent of four-year graduates.

The Oakland Press states that on average, high school graduates earn about $130,000 more in their lifetime than dropouts. People with a bachelor’s degree in college make 84 percent more than a high school graduate.

86%

87%

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89%

Top Ten Graduation Rates

82%

83%

84%

85%

Mena Optimist basketballl is underwayby Mikayla Rath & Tashiana Dancer

Optimist basketball started over 30 years ago, and games are currently under way in 2013. Sports play has a very important role in our community. Community sports help keep children away from the influence of drugs and alcohol and even gangs in bigger cities.

Sports help form structure for younger children, as well as to help them learn respect for others as well as to help to be able to take criticism from others.

Games in Mena got a late start this year due to the spreading flu epidemic, but kindergarten through 2nd grade games started on January 14, and 3rd through 6th grade games started January 12

Due to the recent death of Aubrey Tapley, founder of Mena Optimist basketball, this will be the last year for the program.

In 2013, over 300 children are currently playing in Optimist basketball. That adds up to many hours of family bonding, teamwork, and life building skills.

IOWA, VERMONT, AND Wisconsin topped out the graduation rates in the 2009-2010 school year with more than 86% of students graduating within four years. (graph by Zach Atchley)

Page 4 January/February 2013The Bear Facts - News

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Juniors and seniors invited to participate in Four States clinicby Joseph Maddox

Juniors and seniors from our high school band were invited to the four states clinic. They were competing for a spot in one of three bands. In regards to concert style music, there was a symphonic band and a concert band. For jazz style music, there was only one jazz band.

Those that participated in the clinic are Nathan Smallwood, symphonic band, 2nd

chair; Connor Purvis, symphonic band 5th chair; Veronica Vanbuskirk, concert band, 2nd chair; Jordan Butterfield, concert band, 4th chair; Jeremiah Foster, concert band 4th chair; Race Hobson, jazz band, 2nd chair; Luke Callahan, jazz band (bari sax); Allison Austin, jazz band (tenor sax).

Each band performed a series of pieces at the clinic, which was held in Texarkana, Texas, on January 19.

The massacre of St. Valentine’s DayBy Tashiana Dancer

It was the most infamous of all gang land slaying in American History, and it savagely achieved its purpose. Al Capone had arranged some of his men to kill a rival gang member.

On Friday 14, 1929, St. Valentine’s Day, five members of the North Side Gang, plus gang collaborators Reinhardt H. Schwimmer and John May, were lined up against the rear wall of the garage at 2122 North Clark St, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago’s North Side, and executed. Two of the shooters were dressed an uniformed police officers, while the others wore suits, ties, overcoats, and hats, according to witnesses who saw the “ police” leading the other men at gun

point out of the garage shooting. John May’s German Sheppard, Highball, who was leashed to a truck, began howling and barking, attracting the attention of two women who operated boarding houses across the street.

The seven that were killed were Frank and Peter Gusenberg, James Clark, Adam Heyer , Reinhardt Schwimmer , Al Weinshank ,and John May. The Gusenburg brothers were hired killers; Weinshank was a club owner; Clark was a killer and hit man; Heyer took care of the financial affairs; and May was a mechanic.

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre remains the most notorious gangster killing of the Prohibition Era. The massacre made Al Capone a national celebrity as well as brought him unwanted attention of the federal law.

Fluseasonhasnotflownbyby Kaitlyn Maechler

The 2012-2013 flu season was a little more brutal for Americans than in the past years. The death totals just keep rising. The flu season could last until spring. As of January 16, thirteen people have died just in the state of Arkansas.

The flu vaccine is helpful, but it takes ten days to two weeks to become effective. Flu cases have been recorded in forty seven states already at the beginning of January. Most local hospitals aren’t allowing visitors under the age of twelve because of the high flu activity.

Doctors’ offices are inundated with flu patients. The symptoms are really high

fever, severe body aches, nasal congestion, and cough. Some pharmacies are actually out of TamiFlu. Hospitals are strongly encouraging all of their employees to get the flu shot. The vaccine provides sixty to eighty percent protection against the flu and provides roughly seventy to ninety percent protection against flu-related hospitalization.

The most at risk for severe flu-related complications include pregnant women, children under the age of five, people over the age of sixty-five, and people with chronic conditions. Our society is definitely on target for one of the worst flu seasons on record.

FBLA members showcase their skillsMena High School Future Business

Leaders of America attended the 2013 District I Spring Leadership Conference in Fort Smith on January 23. Thirty-one students competed in different team or individual events consisting of objective tests or presentations in different areas.

Receiving scores high enough to continue on to state competition in April are Andrew Schoeppey - 6th in Accounting I; Brent Musser - 5th in Business Calculations; Kimmi Hanners - 4th in Public Speaking II; Ashlynn Denley, Lexi Hansard, Brooke Hines, Daryan Torix, and Jordan Ward - 4th in Parliamentary Procedure; Cheyenne Fairless - 4th in Healthcare Administration; Olivia Geyer - 3rd in

Word Processing I; April Ganster - 3rd in Computer Applications; Christa Super - 2nd in Hospitality Management; Greg Spalding - 2nd in Cyber Security; Connor Purvis, Jake Talamantez, and Cameron Ulmer - 2nd in Business Ethics; Nathan Hinson - 1st in Personal Finance; Alex Fuchsberger - 1st in Introduction to Technology Concepts; Colten McDaniel - 1st in Business Math; and Hadley Dahlem - 1st in Business Communications.

Every student who competed in these competitive events from the Mena chapter this year placed in the top ten of their event. This is an admirable accomplishment for all these students. The local chapter adviser is Molly Lindsey.

JAKE TALAMANTEZ, CONNOR Purvis, and Cameron Ulmer prepare for the presentation portion of their competitive event, Business Ethics, at the FBLA Spring Leadership Conference. They received 2nd place and will now compete at the State Leadership Conference in April. (photo submitted by Molly Lindsey)

January/February 2013 Page 5The Bear Facts - News

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Red tai led hawk released a t s c h o o l g r o u n d sby Kaitlyn Maechler & Tyler Richardson

Tommy Young, master falconer, came to Mena High School January 24 to release a red tailed hawk. Kimmi Hanners released it and it flew into the field across from the school. Young stated that the hawk will stay within a mile of where it is released for up to two years. The tail of the red tailed hawk will turn red in the fall.

The money that was raised from the penny wars in the history classes last year is going to fly a hawk to LSU for a replacement muscle. Young has a Master’s degree in

ornothology and animal medicine. Young is always in need of any hay, fruit, or other sources of food for dogs, cats, and several other native animals. Young needs to raise up to $200,000 for his facility in order to bring more wildlife into the community. He also has an apprentice falconer who is in training to work with native wildlife animals.

For those who need something to do over the spring time, Young could use some help around his facility because during the spring is when the baby animals are born. Watch for the red tailed hawk that is flying around Mena High School.

NHS MEMBERS PREPARE to help Tommy Young release a red-tailed hawk into the wild. (photo contributed by the yearbook staff).

RACE HOBSON, NATHAN Smallwood, and Joseph Maddox qualified for the Arkansas All-State clinic by placing in the top chairs at region competition. (photo contributed by Joseph Maddox)

Musicians qualify for All-State clinicby Joseph Maddox

The senior high band members that qualified for all-state by placing in the top chairs at region attended the tryouts that were held at the Russellville Middle School/ATU campus on the first weekend of February. Jazz tryouts were held on February 1, while the concert tryouts were held on February 2. Five students

participated in the All-State clinic. The results were Race Hobson, 3rd alternate tenor trombone (jazz); Joseph Maddox, 1st alternate bass trombone (jazz), 2nd chair bass trombone concert band; Nathan Smallwood, 3rd chair tuba wind symphony.

All-State clinics were held from February 13-16, with the jazz clinic held on the first two days and concert clinic the last two.

Page 6 January/February 2013The Bear Facts - Sports

Searching for the bestby Leon Gellings

After a long year, the NFL 2012-2013 season has come to an end. Not without spectacular games and scores, nothing was missed in the final weeks before the Ravens held the Lombardi trophy up in the air on a spectacular evening in New Orleans. Although there were no real surprises in the fight for the conference championships, there were many during the season.

A whole wave of new quarterbacks entered the league and many of them did surprisingly well. Probably the biggest story on a new player in the league was the one about Robert Griffin III, known as RG3. In the first season as a professional, he scored 20 passing and 7 rushing touchdowns. Although he always had problems with his knee, the discussion about his quality never ended.

Another surprise was the comeback of Peyton Manning, probably one of the biggest in NFL history. Although he and his new team, the Denver Broncos, played a terrific season, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens, 35:38 in OT.

MVP Adrian Peterson ran 9 yards short to the all time rushing record in regular season, but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Green Bay Packers.

Although their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, got the highest QB rating in the

league this season (108.0), he and his team got beat by the San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship. After that the 49ers went on to the Super bowl, including the win in the NFC title game against the Atlanta Falcons (28-24). Their opponent in the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens, had to go a little longer way, winning their first game in the playoffs in the wildcard game against the Indianapolis Colts.

In the next game, Baltimore played an outstanding defense and solid offense with their quarterback Joe Flacco and beat the Broncos.

New England, the opponent in the AFC title game, had just won the divisional championship against the Houston Texans, a superior 41-28 win. But in the face-off against the Ravens, there was no chance to go on to the Super Bowl. Baltimore won with 28-13.

The final showdown took place in the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. With an outstanding first half and a TD after the kickoff in the second half, Baltimore took a big lead of 22 points. With a big comeback, 49ers QB Kaepernick led his team to an immediate score of 31-29. After a field goal and a big stop in the red zone, the Ravens finally were named the winners of Super Bowl XLVII, with a final score of 34-31. Finally, this game closed the season 2012/2013 and gave the Baltimore Ravens their second Super Bowl ring.

Soccer season is coming soonby Brandon Colson

The soccer season is almost upon us and this year’s team is shaping up to be a very talented one. Coach Bentley raved about how hard-working the group has been. He also went on to say that, “they will work their tails off,” and that “they will not be outworked.” Soccer as a sport is growing in popularity here in our school so much that the coaches had to limit the number of players that can play this year.

“We had seventeen tryout, and we really appreciated all of them and their dedication, showing up both days and doing what we asked them to do,” Coach Bentley

told the Bear Facts. Of the seventeen that tried out twelve made the team, and with six returning players from last year’s team that makes eighteen. After basketball season the team will gain two returning players and have another four try out. So the overall numbers will range from twenty to twenty-four players.

The season will officially begin at the end of February. The team’s first game will be on February 26 at Texarkana. The first home game will be on February 28 against Heavener. They will also be hosting the 2nd Annual Shoot-A-Thon at Bearcat Stadium February 19 and invite all students and teachers to attend.

District guaranteed for the Bearcatsby Zach Atchley

The Bearcat basketball team has had a good year so far. They’ve played nineteen games, with three conference games left in the season. And after all is said and done, they’ve got a district tournament to attend at Booneville. Coach Tedder has high expectations for the remaining games.

“It all depends on how everything comes together as far as if we’re clicking and playing the best ball,” Coach Tedder said. “If we come out ready to play, and we play together and play like we’re capable of playing, we could finish strong and make

some noise in the district tournament.”The Bearcats have their sights fixed on

the tournament. Despite the loss of senior Malachi McGee, the team is still going strong. Their record stands at 2 to 11, but with three more conference games to play, those numbers are still set to change. Only time (and the scoreboard) will tell which side changes. “I don’t keep up with the records,” Coach Tedder says. “I just take it game by game, and I’m more focused on what we did the night before, and even more focused on what needs done in the upcoming games.”

The object of desire: the Vince-Lombardi Trophy. (photo donated by Zane Hight)

STEFAN WARD, MARTIN Scholz, and Anthony Dominguez (left to right) practice after school. (photo by Zach Atchley)

January/February 2013 Page 7The Bear Facts - Sports

Bearcat/Ladycat Soccer 2nd Annual Shoot -A - Thon

February 19th at 5:30 in Bearcat Stadium

Free Hot Dogs, Chips, Drinks

Come out and support the Mena High School Soccer teams and their upcoming

2013 season!

COACH BENTLEY WATCHES as Joby Mcphereson and two other students tryout for soccer (photo by Zach Atchley)

Bearcats search for new head coachby Zach Atchley

The Bearcat football staff is at a loss. Former Head Coach Jeff Weaver accepted an offer from Little Rock Christian, leaving Mena coaches searching for a replacement. Mena coaches have been scouring Arkansas to find the right man for the job.

“There have been forty-six applicants to my knowledge, with many great coaches,” coach Kris Clark said. “With the success we’ve had the past three years, and the

updates on the facilities, this job has drawn great attention. I am hoping for our new coach to be hired as soon as possible so we can get to work implementing his offense/defensive before spring ball. It will be an exciting time.”

Both coaches and players are hoping the search will be over quickly. Coach Clark expects the search to end February 18 at the latest. And with forty-six coaches lining up for the position, he very well may be right.

Take me out to the ball game…by Zach Atchley

Baseball season is coming up! The team has been working hard to prepare for the last few months, and they’re ready to play.

Coach Rose, the head baseball coach, said, “I believe we have a chance this year to have a really successful season. We’ve got some returning starters and we also have a healthy group of young guys that’ll be coming in that will be expected to fill some of the starting roles from the graduating class that went ahead of them.”

And with the new facilities coming together, this year is sure to be a good one. Coach Rose commented on that, saying, “The reality of the new facilities coming to

fruition is gonna be a really nice deal. We’re about to quadruple our potential to practice and get better year round with the addition of this just unbelievable baseball and softball facility they’re currently working on. It’s really gonna be a huge addition that’s really gonna help our program.”

Both players and coaching staff are looking forward to the start of the season. However, they still have some waiting to do. The first game will be held in Nashville at the Nashville Tournament on February 28. Coach Rose says, “It gets here a lot quicker than you think. You think you’ve got time and then February 28 is here and it’s time to play.”

Mena Bearcat BaseballDate Location Team(s) Time

2/28 – 3/2 (Th, Fr, Sat) @ Nashville Tournament Var TBA3/6 (Wed) @ Lake Hamilton V/Jv 5:00Pm3/7 (Th) @ Sheridan vs. Sheridan & White Hall Var 4:00/6:30 Pm3/11 (Mon) @ Subiaco V/Jv 3:30Pm3/12 (Tue) @ Waldron V/Jv 4:30Pm3/15 (Fr) Home Vs Dequeen V/Jv 4:30Pm3/21 (Th) Home Vs Ozark V/Jv 1:00Pm3/21 (Fr) Home Vs Sheridan V/Jv 5:00Pm3/23 (Sat) Home Vs Foreman V/Jv 1:00Pm3/26 (Tue) **Home Vs Subiaco V/Jv 4:30Pm3/28 (Th) Home Vs Smithville V/Jv 4:30Pm3/29 (Fr) **@ Dardanelle V/Jv 5:00Pm4/2 (Tue) **Home Vs Waldron V/Jv 4:30Pm4/5 (Fr) **Home Vs Dover V/Jv 4:30Pm4/9 (Tue) @ Booneville V/Jv 4:30Pm4/12 (Fr) **@ Maumelle V/Jv 5:00Pm4/18 (Th)(Senior Night) Home Vs Horatio V/Jv 4:30Pm4/19 (Fr) **@ Pottsville V/Jv 5:00Pm4/23 (Tue) @ Smithville V Only 4:00Pm4/26-27, 29 (Fr, Sat, Mon)**District Tournament @ Waldron TBA5/3-4, 6 (Fr, Sat, Mon) Regional Tournament TBA5/10-11 (Fr, Sat) State Tournament TBA5/17-18 (Fr, Sat) State Finals TBA

PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE

Page 8 January/February 2013The Bear Facts - Entertainment

Second installment of Black Ops explodes on opening nightby Robert Lane & Tyler Richardson

The sequel to the world-wide and well loved video game developed by TreyArch and published by Activision released November 13, 2012 on X-Box 360, PS3, Wii, and PC Platforms. Following the release of Black Ops II, maps are still being released for online players. The game was launched at 16,000 stores worldwide, selling 7.5 million copies, making it the highest grossing game of the month.

The game is set during the 1980s, in the future of 2025, and Nuketown, where the zombies map is a lot larger than the previous edition of the video game. This game marks the third

time that the zombies have appeared in a Call of Duty game.

The campaign takes place during a new cold war between the United States and China. In this Call of Duty players follow the story of David Mason in past and present.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II features David Mason, Alex Mason, Raul Menendez, Jason Hudson, and Frank Woods. The game features futuristic warfare defined as

robotics, cyberwarfare, and unmanned vehicles. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II has been an exciting and long-waited for action first-person shooter game.

Final book to Maximum Ride series is here:Nevermoreby Robert Lane

James Patterson has written his final book for the Maximum Ride series. Nevermore was rated 3.6 out of 5 from Amazon, and Goodreads gave the book 3.85 out of 5.

Dylan finally thinks that he has won Max’s heart, but Fang returns out of nowhere. A confrontation has exploded between the two of them for Max’s attention. Old enemies have come back to kill Fang,

a group called The 99%, thinking his DNA is the first step to immortality.

After everything that goes down between Fang and Dylan, Dylan leaves and no one knows where he is. Max’s mother takes them to a place where it is peaceful, just like if it was Heaven. But out of the blue an explosion ruins everything. But Max, Fang, Angel, Nudge, and Gasman all survive. Now, the end of the world is happening right in front of them. What will happen to them now?

Zero Dark Thirty is a killer movie!by Tyler Richardson

Zero Dark Thirty has been one of the most controversial movies since Oliver Stone’s JFK due to the subject matter and according to where the writer Mark Boal received his information. Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is the supposed true story of the hunt for the US’s top most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden. It has been one of the most talked about films on the news for 2012 and 2013. The movie aired in chosen locations in 2012 and on Friday, January 11, 2013 it aired in all theaters.

The raid of Osama bin Laden’s fortress is brought to life in this action thriller, allowing you to follow the journey of SEAL Team Six on the hunt. The news

has revealed why this Hollywood film has been so controversial and why its air date was delayed. Supposedly the creators of the film received files from the CIA that were still classified, and also got a name of one of the SEAL team members who performed the raid. Also scenes were too graphic and disturbing in the ways of getting information on the whereabouts of the former al-Queda leader.

The film Zero Dark Thirty is a historic masterpiece even if it is just Hollywood’s spin on the hunt for the world’s most wanted man, O s a m a b i n Laden.

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