TROJAN TORCHThe

Jenks High School NewspaperAugust 2011

Campus patriotism

on page 4London Riots get out of hand

page 4

Jopl in embraces the help of many

TragedystruckthetownofJoplin,MissourionMay22,2011whenthedeadliesttornadointhecountrysince1947sweptthrough,takingmanylives.Homes,schools,churchesandhospitalswerealldemolished,leavingthetown’speoplelookingforrelativesinthehopesthattheyhadsurvived.Afterthetownwasdestroyed,peopleeverywhere were shaken by how much devastation was caused.Not only were locals eager to support the recovery process, butseveralcelebritieswantedtodotheirshareofhelping.SherylCrowis planning on auctioning off her 1989 vintage Mercedes-Benz,andtheproceedswillgotowardsrecoveringJoplinschools.Eventhe Duggar family, fromTLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, packed upsuppliesandheadedtoJoplintoassistinmovingdebris,deliveringneededsupplies,andlookingforsurvivors.TheBostonRedSoxarereadytohelpaswell.OnbehalfoftheRedSoxFoundationandRedSoxpitcherClayBuchholz,moneywillgototheJoplinTornadoFirstResponseFund.Someofthemoneythatishelpingthetownrecoverwas donated before the tornado even hit. Taylor Swift donatedthousandsofdollarstowardstheU.S.floodandtornadoreliefeffortsbeforeanybodyknewthatJoplinwouldsooncomeincontactwithdisaster.HertimingwasimpeccableseeingthatmuchofthemoneyshedonatedishelpingJoplinrecover. Howeveritisnotjustthebigcelebrity’sdonationsthatmakeadifference.Manypeoplefromalloverimmediatelyjumpedintoaction to help out the town. Items like bottled water, diapers,lotion,andtowelsareonlysomeofthesuppliesthatpeoplehave

Natalie MillerReporter

DisasterstrikesthetownofJoplin,Missourileavingresidentswithnothingbutthehopeofrecovery.

Vacations can be stressful enough by themselves, but imagine having to speak an unfamiliar language while on one, too.

That was the challenge that faced a group of French teenagers this summer. The students, all of high school age, came from various cities from all across France, and most of them did not know each other upon arriving in the United States. The students were in Tulsa for two and a half weeks, and used their time here to practice their English language skills and become more familiar with a completely different culture from their own. Students from Mrs. Brown’s French classes opted to

host the students during their visit in July. The goal was to offer the French students a taste of what life is like for an average teenager in America. They taught their partners American slang, watched American movies with them, and introduced them to American foods like onion rings - a new experience for many of the visitors. During their visit, the host students showed their guests around the city of Tulsa, as well. They visited local attractions such as the performing arts center and the Riverwalk Crossing. Students were even offered the opportunity to go to the Drillers stadium to watch a baseball game. In some cases the students traveled even farther, visiting places like Oklahoma City and Grand Lake. Many toured area universities like Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas. It became necessary for the students to speak almost solely in English during their time here, too, but for some of them that was what they were looking for. “I went on the exchange to get better at speaking English, and to meet new people,” Cathleen Berthe, one of the exchange students, said. Some are learning the language for fun, and some are trying to learn so as to provide them with job skills for the future. The experience was just as unique and eye-opening for many of the American students. “I have always wanted to go to France,” senior Victoria Litz said, “and hosting a French exchange student was the next best thing. I wanted to immerse myself in a different culture and language.”

French students pay a visit

StudentsfromFrancevisitedtheUnitedStatesfortwoandahalfweekstopracticetheirEnglishandlearnaboutAmericanculture.

Rachel LampiReporter

Page 2 News

beensendingtoJoplin.Localchurchesaskedforitemstobebroughtinandwiththehelpofneighbors,andfriends,theysortedthrougheverythingandgottheitemstoJoplin. “Weorganizedeverythingintogroupslikefood,showeritems,andtoys.Weboxeditallupandthentookitouttoabigtruck,”seniorMaddieLikinssaidafterassistingachurchinloadingsupplies. Volunteersarecomingfromallovertodowhattheycaninhelpingoutnotonlythetownitself,butalsothepeople.Celebrities,lovedones,andpeoplewithjustadesiretohelpareallcomingtogethertosupportthistowninneed.ItseemsthateveryonewishesJoplinaspeedyrecovery.

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New math and science center debuts on campusBailey Fischer-Columbo

Reporter

The JMASC, Jenks Math and Science Center, is now open. But many people are torn over whether it was a wise investment or not. The multi-million dollar project was decided in the 2008 bond issues and started construc-tion in 2010. The new building has eight math classrooms and 14 science classrooms, all furnished with top-of-the-line equipment made to enhance learning experiences

in these particular fields. The new building was costly, running a grand total of 20.8 million dollars. However, it is very eco-friendly and re-sourceful. Inside the building, some of the green features are; motion censored lights-- to conserve electricity, geo-thermal heating and cooling, and the wind mills located outside the building. “Sometimes I see the new building as meant for attract-ing new students rather than for bettering the existing ones,” sophomore Parc Wasneo said. Junior Ashley Wilson also expresses her mixed feel-ings about the new building. “I think [the building] looks great...however I also think that much money could have been better spent on repairs around the campus.” Even though some students are not completely sold on the building right now, there are many others who are ex-tremely excited to be learning in it. “I haven’t been inside [the new building] yet, but I can’t wait to be able to use the planetarium and the new labs!” sophomore Kendall Hughes said. Although some people think the money should have been invested else where, it is an exciting time for all.

The building over all is very impres-sive. With wind mills generating power on the outside and environmentally friendly facilities, the new state-of-the-art JMASC is sure to impress new stu-dents and teachers alike.

HEALTH: Sleep As school starts alarm clocks are coming back into play and sleep is once again a rarity. During summer, a majority of students fell asleep in the morning and woke up in the afternoon, causing the brain to assume that this is its new schedule, which is harming during the school year. According to kidshealth.org, teens need on average about nine or ten hours of sleep every night, but when students can not shut their brains off, they end up getting only about four to six hours. This can end up effecting awareness, moodiness and concentration levels and even grades. Some things that are helpful to ease the mind into a new sleep pattern include going to sleep around the same time every night, do not stimulate yourself with electronics or caffeine late in the evening, and turn on a few more lights when you wake up. When the brain senses light, that is a cue to wake itself up, so if the room is still dim in the morning then your mind could still be half asleep when you leave for class.

-Andrea Mayes

Presidential nominations draw nation’s attention

A s the year of 2011 draws to a close, so does President Obama’s first term

in the oval office. With elections coming soon, many candidates have entered their name or expressed interest in being in the running for the 2012-2016 term. There is one woman officially entered to run, Michele Bachmann, as well as two other potential female candidates (accord-ing to 2012.presidential-candidates.org). While a large majority of the candidates are Republican (out of the twenty-three entered, seventeen represent this party), many of the smaller parties are attempting to get their people in too. Stewart Alexander, a candidate rep-resenting both the peace and freedom and socialist parties, is a former radio talk show host who hopes to take his smaller parties to the white house. At this time,

there are two libertarian party candidates entered to run, as well as one business-man, Vern Wuensche, who ran in 2008. Jon Huntsman, a former Utah gover-nor and ambassador to China, is one of the most anticipated entries to the 2012 race. A republican, Huntsman is considered by many in Washington as one of the few men who has a chance of beating Obama in the upcoming presidential race. So far this father of seven and former Mormon missionary has no skeletons in his closet to speak of, which differentiates him from the other republican nominees. Although Obama has lost many of his original followers since 2008, his office still has a strong backbone of supporters. This president could very well be looking at his second term as long as he plays his cards right.

Annie Roach Reporter

Page 3 News

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Raising the flag

Neighborhood pools prove a lasting investment

Bethany MannReporter

Most people’s memories with summer involve water in some way, either at a beach somewhere on a faraway coast or just down the street at the neighborhood pool. For people vacationing on a budget, their best choice to cool off might be only half a block away. Suburban areas benefit greatly from the fact that they are open nearly every day, as well as their accessibility to residents and their guests without having to pay much if anything at all. Also, swimmers do not have the hassle of taking care of and cleaning a pool themselves. A few problems with the system have caused pools in many neighborhoods to be put on the chopping block, though: a lot of times the pools lose more money than they receive, costing some neighborhoods more than $200,000 a year. This number can be added to with the cost of hiring lifeguards and buying cleaning materials. Sometimes the price per year can double if the neighborhood’s population is high. But the important benefit of exercise to the mostly couch-ridden kids of today makes it a very worthwhile addition to the neighborhood community. With Oklahoma’s weather hovering above 95, many students are holding on to their few fragments of vacation by taking some last swims before the pools in their neighborhoods close for the year.

What started as a controversial police shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, led to riots across the country. Duggan, a father of three, was shot and killed by London police while trying to avoid arrest. The police let out false information, quoting that Duggan had fired first, which led to anger among the youth in London. These riots spread to different locations in and around London, leading to police forces taking the streets by the hundreds. The rioters are burning down cars and buildings, looting

stores and shops and fighting police men with rocks and whatever else they can get their hands on. The number arrested from the riots is quickly nearing 2,000 and they have not been fully contained yet. Londoners across the city have gathered in the spots affected to clean up the streets and shops destroyed. With London in shambles, the riots seem to be about more than the death of one man. For such an uprising to take place and so many arrested, this seems to have been building up for some time. With streets covered in rubbish and ash, the English capital is coming together to try to fix what has been broken by rebellion.

Riots in London: disturbing the peace

Annie RoachLifestyle director

Rachel CampbellEditor-in-chief

The JROTC raises the American flag in its new location in the bus oval.

The remains of a 140 year old furniture building burnt to the ground by rioters in Croydon, south of London.

photo courtesy of theatlantic.com

The class of 1991 dedicated this plaque that lies beneath the school, state, and American flags.

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ing of the American flag in its most recent position at the entrance of the bus oval. The JROTC preformed a traditional flag raising ceremony. The three flags (school, state, and American) were relocated partly because of construction issues for the Math and Science Building and partly because of what the flags’ newest location will rep-resent. “Having the flags at the front of our campus really presents the high respect we have for our American flag,” principal Mike Means said. Another proclomation of patriotism lies in the campus’s freedom tree. It rests beside the flag poles in the parking lot. The tree is held in such high regard to the school that although it was a major ob-stacle in construction and drainage, they did everything possible to preserve it in

its orignal spot in the oval. “My first year at Jenks, we had a formal dedication for the freedom tree,” Means said. The tree was planted in memory of two prisoners of war who went missing in action in 1973, Capt. Galand Kramer and Mjr. Martin Scott. The freedom tree and the flags now reside by each other, acting as an outward symbol of the school’s American pride.

Sometimes history is classified as dull and dry, but after reading Water for Elephants it can be seen that some historical fiction is anything but boring. Written by Sarah Gruen, and recently adapted in a film version starring Robert Pat-tinson and Reese Witherspoon, the book focuses on the story of Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell University, and occasion-ally switches to scenes of Jacob many years later while he is in a nursing home. When his parents die in a sudden car crash, Jacob flees his exams and ends up hopping a circus train, becoming the circus’s veterinarian. But things quickly spiral

beyond Jacob’s control when he meets Marlena, the wife of the ringmaster, and finds out her tragic secret. What happens next is a shock that he could never have seen coming. The book recieved wide acclaim in the world of publishing, quickly rising on the New York Times bestseller list and holding a place there for 12 straight weeks. It was originally written as part of National Novel Writing Month, an event for writers in November in which a month is given to write a novel of at least 50,000 words. But what is it about Water for Elephants that draws such a large audience? As a start, people will want to stay up late just to find out where Jacob’s story is going to take them next. The imagery and research Gruen put into her book makes it very easy to see what is happening and paints a very vivid picture of circus life in the 1930s. It is like watching the events happen, rather than reading about them, and the pictures included with the book are hardly needed to see the circus and its people. This book has captured the hearts of many across the country, and it is no surprise that so many people continue to praise it.

History comes alive in Water for Elephants

Must see movies of summer 2011

T his summer has been one of the hot-test on record, which made for great

time to go to the movie. Many summer movies offered the chance to escape to exotic Monte Carlo or travel on the final train to Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal-lows Part 2 grossed more than any movie

worldwide at a record $168.6 million during the opening week. In the eighth and final movie, Harry Potter is forced to battle the evil Volde-mort again and attempts to defeat him once and for all. Filled with constant suspense and a shocking twist to the story, this summer movie is a must see. Larry Crowne stars Tom Hanks, who goes back to community college where he is told that a speech class taught by Julia Roberts will change his life. This funny, light-hearted movie is a good alternative to wizardry in Harry Potter. In Crazy Stupid Love, Steve Carell plays a soon-to-be divorced dad and receives lessons from Ryan Gossling on how to become cool, but when the tables turn he ends up teaching Ryan about the importance of love and family. This is easily one of the funniest films of the summer. Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy. The girls begin their trip in Paris, France, but end up impersonat-

ing a British heiress to have the trip of a liftime. This movie has everything from beautiful scenery on the Mediterranean to fun fashion and even an exciting sum-mer romance. These must see summer movies were all filled with fun, adventure, and suspense. Each one had left movie-go-ers feeling that their money and time had been well spent.

Page 5 ReviewLocal bands

dwell in Tulsa Rachel Lampi Reporter

Sarah Richey Reporter

T ucked away in the center of the Blue Dome District in downtown Tulsa is a boutique

that offers everything T-Town, including a wide variety of local music. Dwelling Spaces is a Tulsa tradition and so is everything in their store. The first thing to notice through the doors is the prominent display of local talent paraphernalia. It is the perfect spot to pick up local favorites, including the classic Hanson, to up-and-coming Flaming Lips. The Flaming Lips is a group that originated in Norman, OK and who recently made a trip to Tulsa as the final and most anticipated act at the first ever Brady District Block Party on Aug. 6. In addition to fresh coffee, the shop offers CD’s that cover a variety of music including The New Tulsa Sound.

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Andrea MayesReporter

Larry Crowne was a funny, light-hearted summer movie and is a must see.

The final Harry Potter was the highest paid movie of the summer.

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Summer camps prepare teams for the year ahead

T he beginning of summer started relaxation for many of the students, but not for the Jenks Pom squad. The squad prepared

all summer to perform their dance routines at the UDA dance camp here in Tulsa. They had coaches teach them two different routines to practice and then to perform against seven other pom squads. The camp lasted for four days, but their hard work paid off as they received many awards, such as: 1st Place Home Routine, Super Spirit Stick, and Team Full Out Award. The Varsity Pom Squad turned up the heat this summer and supporters are now looking forward to what they are going to offer this upcoming year. Varsity Football has been working non-stop this summer. The team attended a camp in the beginning of the summer in Arkansas. The only two teams from Oklahoma at the camp were Jenks and Stillwater. They were able to test themselves against teams from other states around the area. “At the camp is where we really started to come together as a team. We were able to compare ourselves to the other teams to see where we were at,” senior Sam Laptad said. Senior Hunter Collins recently went to the NFL Duel of the Dozens Quarterback Challenge in Canton, Ohio. About 150 other quarterbacks from across the world arrived to compete as well. His dedication this summer won him the Duel of the Dozens Quarterback Challenge following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Sawyer Kollmorgen.

The Varsity Softball Team has been gearing up for a big sea-son. The team went to training camp two times during the week over the summer. One single day lasted for two hours. They ran for one hour and lifted weights for the second hour. The last day during the week was considered a “fun” day. They played exciting games like dodgeball. The training camp lasted for 12 weeks to get everyone ready and well fit for the start of a new year. Our Varsity sports have been working hard this summerin order to have a succesful season during the school year. Whether they were lifting weights or attending camps, football, pom and softball have ensured some exciting seasons up ahead.

The Varsity Softball Team has been working hard this summer. They attended a training camp where they ran and lifted weights. Their upcoming season is sure to be a great one.

Page 6 Sports

Erica Engelby and Amy PrittEditor-in-chief and Reporter

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Hunter Collins attended th NFL Duel of the Dozens Quar-terback Challenge earlier this summer. The Varsity Foot-ball Team has worked hard to gurantee a great season.

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The Varsity Pom Squad attended a UDA Summer Camp earlier this summer. The team did exceptionally well. They won first place in the home routine competion, the Team Full-Out Award and eleven of the seniors recieved the honor of All-American.

Photo provided by: Erica Engelby

Thisyear’sworldcupbroughtAmericatothetopandbrokeviewingrecords worldwide. They were predicted to give Japan some realcompetition,thankstoourSwedishcoachwhohastransformedourteamtoaseriouswinningcombination. OurlosswasunexpectedaftertheUnitedStatesdominatedtheentiregameandmademanyshotsongoal.Thiswastheteam’sfirstworldcupfinalsince1999,andit”sfair tosaythat thewonderfulplayersofthoseyears have largely been forgotten in the past decade, despite the factthat theUnitedStateswongold in theBejingOlympics.At the endofregulationtimethegamewastied1-1,followedbytwo15-minuteovertimeperiods.Attheendofovertimethescorewas2-2andtheyresortedtopenaltykickstodecidethewinner.Safetosay,Japanshockedtheworldand pulled off amiraculous victory.This exciting gamebroke viewingrecordsworldwide.

World Cup: Shattering records across the globe

Oklahoma is thunder struck!

Oklahoma’snewestbasketballteam, Oklahoma City Thunder, isnot wasting any time settling in.With their advancing record theyare not just winning games, theyarewinningfans.Injustthreeshortyears, the OKC Thunder qualifiedfor playoffs their second year andwon their first division title thefollowing year during their 2010-2011season. Their continuing success hasdrawnmanyfans. “IhavebecomeaThunderfanbecause they have come a longwaysfromthefirsttimewhenthey

AnexcitedfanrootsfortheOklahomaCityThunderatoneoftheirhomegames.

Varsity Football Schedule:September

Bixby9-2

Union9-9

Owasso9-16

Shawnee9-23

PutnamWest9-30

Page 7 Sports

Madison ReichertReporter

Bailey Fischer-ColumboReporter

JAKE LAPTAD CHASE BEELER

FormerJenksTrojans,JakeLap-tadandChaseBeeler,haverecentlybeen inducted into the NationalFootballLeague.JakeLaptadgradu-ated fromJenks in 2007.Hewas aDefensive End and Tight End. Heattended University of Kansas andhas switched stictly to being a De-fensiveEnd.ChaseBeelergraduatedin 2005. He was an Offensive andDefensiveLineman.HeattendedtheUniversityofOklahoma.

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juniorColePowellsaid. Having a professional team inOklahoma is something new andmanystudentsenjoybeingabletoroot for a home team. Even if it isnotaspopularasfootball,ThunderisquicklymakingbasketballnearanddeartomanyOklahomans’hearts. Jr. D’Arion Wilson explains thatheisafan‘’because…itgivesmeachancetorootforaproteamfrommystate”. AslongastheThunderkeepsuptheirenergyandwinningenthusiasm,theirfanbasewillcontinuetogrow.

photocourtesyofusatoday.comThis year’s world cup broke viewing records worldwide.The women soccerteamscompetedexceptionalywelltowintheWorldCupfor2011.

Googlehasmanyapplications,butthe latest project is the social networkGoogle+ that offers expanded optionscomparedtoFacebook. The site is still in its initial experi-mentalstagesandisbyinvitationonly,butwillbeavailabletoeveryoneinthefuture. Google+offersanewwaytouseasocialnetwork.Itallowstheusertoor-ganizefriendsintogroupscalledcircles.One might have a circle for family, foraschoolgroup,andforacquaintances,ratherthanhavingasinglelistoffriends. Userscanalsoinstantlyuploadpic-turesandvideos.Onecanpostaphotoorupdateastatussothatonlycertaincirclesareallowedtosee,whichmakesamoreprivateenvironment.Nomoresharingfamilyvacationphotoswithanyoneotherthanaselectcircle. Thehangoutfeatureallowsfriendstovideochat.Someusersmayfindthehuddlefeaturehelpfulwhentextingoneor multiple friends. A mobile phonescreenshowsgrouptextsforfriendswhoarehuddlingtodecidewheretomeetforamovieonFridaynight. Also,keepinguptodatewithme-diaontheinternetispossiblebyusingsparks,whichautomaticallyfindsvideos,links,etc.basedonselectedinterests. “The network is very user-friendlyand easy. I would much rather useGoogle+becauseitismuchmoreprivateand a more useful social network. It isgrowingextremelyfastandIthinkitwillbecomethenumberonesocialnetworkin no time,” recent University of Tulsagraduate Jeffrey Metcalf said. MetcalfwasinvitedtoparticipateinGoogle+andevaluatethenetwork. Google+hasmanyadvantagesovercurrent social networking sites. Usersmayhaveahardtimeinitiallychangingtoanewsite,butmayfindthebenefitsareworththetimeittakestolearnhowtousethemanyfeatures.

Google+improvessocialnetworking

R umorsof the iPhone5arespreadingquickly. People want to know what

advancementswillbemadeandwhattheycanlookforwardtowiththisnewaddition.Howeveritisnearlyimpossibletofigureoutwhatwillactuallybeaddedtothetechnol-ogyandwhatisjustrumor.Consumersareeagertogettheirhandsonthisexcitingnewphone,andtalkofwhatcanbeexpectedisnotuncommonforApplelovers. “I think a lot of iPhone users will belooking forward to AT&T providing a 4Gnetworkforthenewphone,”seniorAdrianaSharpsaid. Themuchanticipatedphoneiswidelypopularbecausemanybuyershavewaitedfor this phone since the iPhone 3GS, notwantingtouseupcontracttimewiththeiPhone 4. A larger screen, longer batterylife,upgradedcamera,betterlighting,morememory,andevenanewhomebuttonarejustafewofthesuggestionsthatconsumerswanttoseeintheiPhone5.ManypeopleareexcitedaboutiOS5comingout.WiththisinterestingnewtechnologybuyerscanreceiveiCloud,anewwaytostorecontentandobtainaccess to informationsuchasmusic,photos,calenders,andcontacts. Itnotonlyprovideseasieraccess,butitalsokeeps information updated across everydevice. iCloud requires no management,andthereisnotanysyncingneeded.Thisnewwaytogetinstantaccessissupposedtomakeeveryone’siPhoneexperienceevenmoreeffortlessthanbefore. Anotherrumorthatpeoplearetryingtodecipheristhereleasedate.SomesaythatitisscheduledtocomeoutinSeptemberwhile others protest that it will be muchlater than people are expecting. Apple isnotwillingtoletinformationslip,andthishasleftconsumerswithnothingbutrumorsandspeculationtosatisfytheirquestions.Asmoretimegoesby,anticipationgrows,butitseemsthatonlytimewilltellwhenitcomestotheiPhone5.Onethingthathasnorumoraboutitisthatnomatterwhatupgradesaremade,theiPhone5issuretobeahit.

iPhone5rumorscirculatePage 8 Entertainment

Sarah RicheyReporter

Natalie MillerReporterNewAlbums

David Guetta

Lil’ Wayne

“NothingButtheBeat”

“ThaCarterIV”

Red Hot Chili Peppers“I’mWithYou”

tolookforwardto

Beirute“TheRiptide”

TRENDS that have taken over

Summer--timetobreakouttheflipflops,shorts,andthesunglasses--butsummerfunisoftenspoiledbytheoutdoors.Noworriesthough,hereisaquickfixtoallyoursummermishaps!Poolsideisanalltimefavoritewaytospendlazysummerdays…untilyouforgetthesunscreen.Twocupsofpasteurizedmilkandafewicecubesisallyouneedtosoakyoursunburnaway!Lactoseintolerant?Tryspreadingsomemustardacrossthesunburns.Onceitdriesitbecomesapastethatyoucansimplyruboff,takingtheburnwithit.Waterandvinegardroppedintoearscanquicklytakeaway‘swimmer’sear’.Outdoorhikesisanotherpopularactivityinthewarmerweather,buttheriskofpoisonivyandmosquitobitesishigh.Totaketheitchoutofyourpoisonivy,createapastefrombakingsodaandwaterandapplytwotothreetimesaday.Crushedaspirinandwatercanbeappliedtomosquitobitestoeradicatethesting.

Summer remedies for pesky problems

Using lace and floral pat-terns is a cute way to soften a look and make it prettier.

Chaco TansBecoming increasingly popular every summer, chaco tans have been appearing more and more. Whether earned from wearing them all day at a summer camp or while on the lifeguard stand, the multiple straps and designs of these sandals make for cool tan lines that are meant to be shown off.

Bailey Fischer-Columbo Reporter

photos by Annie Roach

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Page9 Lifestyle

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Page 10 Opinion

Don’t wake me if I’m dreaming

Live. Laugh. Love. As this final high school year begins, my life seems to be moving faster than ever. I have already started planning for my life after senior

year by applying to colleges. During my previous years at Jenks High School I have been counting down the days until I can go off to college. Now that graduation is closer than ever, I find myself holding on to the securities of high school life. From my freshman perspec-tive, senior year looked fun and excit-ing. What I didn’t see was how scary the thought of leaving truly is. Don’t get me wrong, I am still very excited for senior year, I am just not as ea-

ger to graduate as some of my classmates may be. In high school, students become familiar and accustomed to the school day. We have gotten close to friends and aren’t necessarily ready to say our good byes. With college comes not only more independence but more responsibility as well. Our parents will not be there to help us wake up for classes in the morning. Teachers won’t remind us of essays and assignments that need to be turned in. While for some high school is merely a middle ground before college, for me it has been much more. The thought of leav-ing in a couple months saddens me. I guess change is just all apart of growing up. Make this last year count se-niors, because it is going to be over before we know it. -Erica Engelby

Editors-in-Chief: Rachel Campbell Erica EngelbyLifestyle Director: Annie Roach

Ad Director: Bethany Mann

Advisor: Daniel Manley

Staff:Dallas Elmore

Bailey Fischer-ColumboRachel Lampi

Bethany MannAndrea MayesNatalie Miller

Amy PrittMadison Reichert

Sarah RicheyCam Thomas

Staff Box

by lifestyle director Annie Roach

W e’ve all heard the old “is the glass half full

or half empty?” question a dozen times. Supposedly you are an optimist if you believe the former and a pessimist if you believe the latter. While this is a decent method of dividing the separate ways of thought, it does not answer the prevalent question echoing through the general public, that being--Which view is better, optimism or pessimism? Obviously optimists tend to be happier by always managing to discover hidden gems within mounds of misfortune. However,

their positive thinking can sometimes act as a veil to keep them from seeing desperate situations as they are. This can lead some to a dangerous apathetic attitude. Pessimists are never disappointed because they always expect the worst. But living in constant negativity is a depressing thing. Realism, however, offers a perfect compromise between the contrasting positions. Rather than seeing everything in a positive or negative light, realists see things exactly how they are. The outcome of something may be good

or bad, but regardless of what it is realists accept their fate with open arms. They make the decision to acknowledge bad circumstances, but maintain a constantly cheerful mood anyways. Optimism and pessimism have their uses, but I think I’ll stick to accepting things as is.

-Rachel Campbell

A far better fate

I am an indigo child. When my coworker first told me this phrase, I was genuinely confused and honestly a little skeptical. But as she got to explaining I was hooked on this theory. Originally created in the 1970’s, many liked the ideas and thoughts behind the idea of a group of people with strong traits. Indigo children are those who are often leaders in groups; they have the traits of empa-thy, curiosity, a strong will, intelligence, are intuitive, and have a certain resistance to authority that I’m sure many of the students attending Jenks could claim to. The funny thing that caught my attention when looking further into the theory was that indigo children are often categorized as ‘weird’ by friends and family. That was the exact moment that I knew I was one of this category. I have a tendency to be called weird, freakish, blunt, crazy, the list goes on. It’s nice to finally have a category of people who can relate, who I can call my own. The second half of the theory (as my coworker told me, anyways) is that there are Indigo children and then there are the blue children, or everybody else. As an indigo child, you either get along with the other indigos or you lead a group of the blues. Indigo children are often diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and other similar attention disorders. Some believe that the theory is a fake so that there’s some reason behind these attention deficits. While a valid point, if these non be-lievers dug further they would realize the theory was not originally created as an explanation to these deficits but as a mere observation of human behavior and the two categories (and ultimately question) that has been around since time began-- are you a leader or a follower?

A SUMMER IN OKLAHOMAAcross:3. A lake recently infested with algae4. 59 cent drinks during the summer5. Summer sandals that leave cool tans8. Pink and green fruit that is a popular symbol of summer10. A trip taken in the summer11. An Oklahoma team; follows lightning12. A popular hair accessory from the summer13. Typical summer attire14. A music genre favored in the summerDown:1. Josh likes to make these2. The effect of too much sun on the skin’s pigments6. A tangy fruit flavored drink7. A summer tradition for most teens9. Popular summer job at the pool

Riddles:1. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?2. How many bricks does it take to complete a house?3. Feed me and I live, give me drink and I die. What am I?4. Say my name and I disappear. What am I?

Page 11 Puzzle Page

***answers to crossword and riddles are located on the back page of the issue

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Answers to riddles on puzzle page--1. a postage stamp2. one3. a fire4. silence

Answers to crossword on puzzle page--

Across:3. Grand4. Quiktrip5. chacos8. watermelon10. vacation11. Thunder12. feather13. swimsuit14. country

Down:1. snocone2. sunburn6. lemonade7. camp9. lifeguard