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News-N-EverythingThe Official Student Newspaper of Robinson High School Volume 90, Issue 07

March 26, 2013

The New

Sadie Hawkins Dance

Yeehaw! What’s that sound, you ask? Only the attendants at this year’s Sadie Hawkins Dance.

Think of all the country swag that illuminates this town of Robinson. Rows and rows of corn, a kind society, and the southern accent of our people. This dance embraced every little bit of that spirit.More country music was incorporated at this particular dance, and plaid shirts and boots were a must. The DJ was Paul Pritts, who did a wonderful job, as always. The decorations were spot on, with little hay bales and boot decore surrounding the walls.

It was a fun time for everyone who attended and got down in their dancing boots.

Brittney Quick

Photos by Aviana Beckes

The Academic Foundation

The Academic Foundation. The “Invisible Hand” behind the scenes at our high school, one might say. An organization composed of those in our community who wish to enhance our education experience by funding projects which our state funding cannot (hint: that’s a lot of stuff).

Started in 1985 by then-Principal Gene Manuel, the Academic Foundation has served our school well over the past 28 years. The current officers of the foundation include Joe Davis as President, Robert Quick as Vice President, Carmen Rains as Treasurer, and our very own LaDonna Waggoner as Secretary.

Now, readers of this article have probably noticed that just about every room in the high school has been outfitted with a Smart Board, and digital overhead presenters. We have several sets of TI-84 graphing calculators in our math classes for students to use. Those who have taken Chemistry or Biology have more than likely had an opportunity to use the Vernier Software to perform labs. Were it not for the Academic Foundation and their funding, we would have none of these things. Several field trips taken by classes are provided for or assisted by Academic Foundation funding. Even our very own digital newspaper, the News-N-Everything,

recently had a brand new Mac computer purchased for its use by the Academic Foundation. Currently, they are assembling the funds to purchase a cart containing 20-30 iPads to be delivered between classes for in class use.

The Academic Foundation, while not the most actively talked about group in our community, certainly has a large hand in helping our school remain modern in the way school is taught, despite the rather large deficit in funds.

I for one would like to thank each member of the foundation on behalf of our student body for their help in keeping our learning experience up to date. Please know that your assistance has been noticed, and we are extremely grateful.

Matthew Buercklin

RHS In...ACTION

Photos by Jessica Kartawich

Music in Our Schools Concert

The Good and the BadReviews and Recommendations You Can Trust

This month I had a hard time deciding what medium I wanted to review, and after much prodding to write about movies centered around teen angst or video games that two-thirds of the readers wouldn’t care about, I decided to widen my view. Instead of focusing on a single piece, I elected to cover an entire work: the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.

Most will probably recognize the name of the protagonist due to the recent film adaptation of the same name. While Tom Cruise did a fine job, he does not truly capture the essence of Jack Reacher. The 6’5”, 250 lb ex-military cop has a brute force about him that is uncannily matched by his meticulous detective skills. You find in Reacher every comforting yet intimidating characteristic that a man could possess.

Child does an amazing job constructing very intricate and mystifying storylines that leave you feeling like you got whiplash. It can go from calm to a fist fight, or to attacking corrupt police with a dart gun, just to get your shoes back. The never-ending thrill ride is incredibly present in each of Child’s novels, yet he maintains a fresh tone and context.

Recommended titles: One Shot, Gone Tomorrow, Echo Burning, Without Fail, and Persuader.

Willem Devin

Jack Reacher

The story that makes one teenage girl and one not-so-normal guy come together in what they believe is true love: Twilight.

Whether a person hates or loves the Twilight Saga, chances are that everyone has heard all about it. The plot goes alittle like this.

An extremely pale, but strangely beautiful, girl moves to live with her father for the school year. Upon arrival, she meets the Cullen family, who are anything but ordinary. Slowly, Bella starts noticing a secret connection with Edward... yada yada yada... and BAM! They’re in deep, creepy half-vampire love.

This story of true love being morally forbidden may creep out some of the intended audience, but for others it has been a roaring hit. Pale vampires not your thing? Don’t worry, there’s Taylor Lautner for that one. Extending from

Twilight

that, the cast was pretty well picked to fit each specific role, except for one. Not going to say any names, *cough* Kristen Stewart *cough*.

Twilight the movie actually follows the book pretty well in the grand scheme of things. The location and descriptions really matched, as well.

But whether you’re a Twilight hater or lover doesn’t matter... as long as Taylor Lautner takes off his shirt every once in a while ;)

Brittney Quick

Listening to the morning announcements or visiting the bake sales during lunch, you may have noticed that we have a new club this year. This group is called the Safe Alliance and is dedicated to fostering an open-minded and diverse student body within the school.

The group is dedicated to stopping bullying and providing a safe space for people who may not feel welcome elsewhere. Brody Wilt discovered the need for such a club after witnessing a student being bullied for his/her sexual orientation.

“Even if it affects only one person,” he said, “it’s still an issue for everyone.” Sara Brashear felt it was important to keep the club open to everyone because a wide variety of students are victims of bullying, and its presence affects everyone, not just the victims. A new study shows that students who witness bullying suffer the same psychological distress as those who are victims of bullying.

In April, the Safe Alliance will be hosting an anti-bullying week and putting on “The Bully Plays,” directed by Addie Miller. The group also plans to find a speaker to come to the school, as well as sponsor a school dance and host a party at the end of the year for its members.

If you’re interested in being a part of this club, you can still join. There are no attendance expectations; all you need is a friendly attitude. The Safe Alliance is a place for anyone who wants to stop bullying and is committed to keeping an open mind.

Kimbra Shaner

Safe Alliance Beta ConventionEarlier this March, Beta Club

members stayed two days in Springfield at the annual statewide Beta Convention. Every single person had a blast, but this year was extremely special.

Junior Michael Akande was chosen to run for Vice President at the convention. Not only was there tough competition, but he managed to give a great speech to an audience of around five hundred.

Speeches were not the only thing given. The rest of the Robinson Beta members that attended had to perform a skit, one they had only practiced three times beforehand. It was a success on stage and the skit recived third place out of eight possible high schools.

The talent competition was also a big win for Robinson, with Tara Thomas, Jennifer Rose, Emily McGathey, and Jessica Quick placing first with their flute quartet.

Finally, it was the moment that

we all had been waiting for. The announcment for who was to be the new Secretary, Vice President, and President. It seemed like hours during the voting period and now we were just minutes away from hearing the results.

Finally, the winner was announced as Michael Akande for Vice President. Great job, Michael! Robinson will be supportive through all of your Beta Club endeavors.

However, without the help of our Beta Club sponsors, none of this would have been possible. Mrs. Cooley and Mrs. Hannahs have put forth an amazing amount of effort. They never give up and always have faith in our abilities.

It’s safe to say that this year’s Beta Convention was a huge hit, but don’t worry if you couldn’t attend this year because next year is always something to look forward to.

Brittney Quick

James Jones Literary Essay

Photo by Mr. Cook

Every year, five essays from the Comp & Analysis class are chosen to compete in the annual James Jones Literary Society’s Valentine’s Day Essay contest. The essay focuses on the short story The Valentine, by Robinson native James Jones. This year, first place was awarded to Bethany Knight, second to Brittney Quick, third to Brayden Scott, and honorable mention was awarded to Jessica Kartawich and Taylor Grove. Great job to everyone!

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Published ten times a year, the RHS News-N-Everything is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its content.Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows. Letters must be signed, although the staff may withhold the name on request. The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process, as are all the contents of the paper.Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.

The RHS News-N-Everything would like to invite student body submissions (creative writing, letters to the editor, cartoons, guest columns, etc) for future issues. Interested parties should see a member of the editorial board or email us at newsneverything@me.com.

News-N-Everything

Editorial Board

Brittney QuickEditor-in-Chief

Elise JensenDirector of Photography

Staff

Aviana BeckesMatthew Buercklin

Willem DevinJessica Kartawich

Allison KiteMarisa Koester

Alexandria MidgettJessica Quick

Kimbra ShanerJessica Wyckoff

Sponsor

Jonathan Cook

Photo by Jessica Kartawich

Photo by Jessica KartawichPhoto by Aviana Beckes

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