SPIN Issue 1 volume 8

Established 2006 Volume 8 Issue 1 October 2012 South Pointe High School Rock Hill, S.C.

Stallions crown senior Homecoming royalty

Sierra Gilmore/SPiN Wired

Erin Fields/SPiN

Senior Gabe Ruiz wins Homecoming King of 2012 on Saturday, Oct. 6.. He is the first of the new tradition of electing a Homecoming King at the Homecoming Dance.

Senior Alexis Watson greets the crowd as Homecoming Queen of 2012 on Friday, Oct. 5. She was crowned at the annual homecoming football game against Nation Ford High School.

Ashli SimmonsManaging editor

Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, was the begin-ning of one of the biggest weekends of the season, Homecoming. Not only did the Stallions host the annual Homecoming football game against Nation Ford High School, but they also started the new tradi-tion of electing a Homecoming King at the dance on Oct. 6.

Senior Alexis Watson, a cheerleader and the student body president, was elected South Pointe’s Homecoming Queen. After campaigning and giving out cookies and candy all week she had high hopes of win-ning.

After winning it all Watson stated “I felt honored and excited,”

The following evening at the Home-coming dance from seven to 11, senior Gabe Ruiz was crowned the 2012 Home-coming King, the very first king South Pointe has ever had. Also doing campaign-ing throughtout the week ruiz was excited to win.

Ruiz described his feeling of the first king as “awesome.”

“I made history,” said Ruiz.After the eventful weekend, the Stal-

lions have made memories. They carried out a tradition and created a new one.

”“ Gabe RuizI made history.

Page 2 October 2012

O’brian BrownNews editor

“D” on report card raises eyebrows

O’Brian BrownNews editor

Without much thought, if anyone saw a D for a letter grade on a report card, their instinctive reaction would be to say, “This is horrible.” That was also the case when South Pointe received their ESEA report card results. The total weighted grade was a 62.8, which is a D on the report card rat-ing scale.

So the questions start. Why did we get this? What was the reason for it? Although it may seem horrible, is it really as bad as it seems?

In a few words, the grade boils down to one thing: dropouts.

Ironically, SPIN’s February issue contained an opinion piece about South Carolina having the 48th ranked graduation percentage among the 50 states. The edito-rial encouraged the class of 2012 to look to itself and be sure to do what was necessary

to graduate. But analyzing the report card with

South Pointe principal Al Leonard reveals these seniors actually improved on the school’s graduation rate.

“I’ll begin by saying I’m not trying to make excuses for anything,” Dr. Leonard said. “These numbers are accurate, but can be misleading if you do not take the time to determine what it is that is being mea-sured.

When most persons see a ‘D’ on a school report card, myself included, they would assume that there were major aca-demic problems; however, in this instance we were relatively strong on the academic side. Our performance was good in science, and social studies as measured by students’ performance on the End of Course (EEOC) tests. Students’ performance on the lan-guage arts HSAP was strong as well; how-ever, the performance on the math HSAP was weaker.”

But the glaring loss of points on the school’s “grade” came in the area of graduation rate, using numbers from the 2010-11 school year although this report card was mostly based on last year.

“The area that hurt us on this particular report card was the gradua-tion rate that measures the percentage of students who graduate within four years. The graduation rate counts for 30 percent of the report card grade,” Leonard explained.

“When a student leaves and goes to adult education programs or receives a GED. If a student has left our school and we have proof that they enrolled in another school, it does not count against us. It’s when students leave and we don’t know where they are that they count against our graduation rate.

In addition, students who come in from other schools at any point dur-ing those four years are counted for or

against our graduation rate,” he explained.“Another important factor is that our

graduation percentage is not determined by the most recent graduating class. Our grade on this report card is for what the class of 2011 accomplished,” he continued.

Leonard believes that record-keeping was something that hurt us as well. It was not until 2009 that high school in the dis-trict developed stricter record-keeping to track students’ whereabouts in terms of the graduation rate. By that time the class of 2011 was halfway through, and it was dif-ficult to backtrack to identify where all the students were who may have left.

“The good news is that based on pre-liminary analysis, we know that the class of 2012 has a much higher graduation rate than the previous class. While the class of 2011 generated only 7.5 points toward the current report card, the class of 2012 will generate at least 21.8 points toward next year’s rating,” Leonard said.

Another factor is that with the No Child Left Behind law, certain students who do not graduate within four years count against the school in more than one category, lowering the school’s over-all score on the report card in the area of graduation rate.

“Our report card is also broken down into numerous subgroups – sex, ethnicity, disabled students – just to name a few,” Leonard said. “The reason for me telling you that is if there is one student that is among many of those categories, if they didn’t meet standards, that hurt us in each of those subgroups.”

Leonard wants people to know how close the school was to meeting the stan-dard in each of the categories that hurt the school’s score—meaning math HSAP scores and the graduation rate, mostly.

“If we meet the standard in a certain area, we get one point in that specific cat-egory. If you do not meet the standard, you’re also graded on your improvement on a scale from 0.0 to 0.9. On our report card in academic areas where the standard was not met, South pointe received a 0.9 in four categories and 0.8 in one, so that shows you how close we were to meeting standards,” Leonard said.

“To sum it up, if possible, numbers can be misleading. In this instance, it came down to the simple fact that we were hurt not because of students’ academic perfor-mance, but by the simple fact that too few students graduated within the appropriate length of time,” he concluded.

Leonard has already celebrated with faculty at an after-school meeting this year the improvement South Pointe saw in the graduation rate, good news that won’t show up until the 2013 report card.

“Based on the projected gradua-tion rate, South Point is definitely on the upswing,” Leonard said. “That has been proven so far by the class of 2012 making the steps in the right direction.”

Photos by Shirley Nicholson/Contributor

Shivam Patel speaks at graduation at Winthrop Coliseum last year.

Rate for students graduating within four years hurt school the most

Based on the projected graduation rate, South Point is definitely on the upswing.That has been proven so far by the class of 2012 making the steps in the right direction.

Principal Al Leonard

“”

Graphic by O’Brian Brown

South Pointe High SchoolNumber of Graduates from 2008-2012

October 2012 Page 3

O’brian BrownNews editor

Photos by Brandan Barber

Seniors Tabatha Cline, Baily Oliver, Cristina Suaso, Mary Hannah Neil, Gabriel Ruiz, Mary Cambell Kellett, Alex Simms, Natalie Deas and RJ Luang pose as the Smurfs for group day.

Senior Devin Pearson (left) and junior Zeek Rod-ney (far right) stand with Shay Robinson and Ashley Jaggers as they hold fat heads of them.

(above) Senior Alex Sims poses as hamburger boy on super hero day.

(middle) Teachers Portia Stokes and Kristy Hicks stand as Batwoman and Super woman on hero day.

(far right) Junior Jay Degen poses as Captain Underpants on super hero day.

Super Stallions show spirit

Page 4 October 2012

Vinita MaigurOpinion editor

[email protected] or twitter @vinita_opinion

Have you paid yet?

1.How do you feel about the athletic fee?2. How do feel about your players not paying the athletic fee?3. Has not paying been a problem in the past?

Coach Justin Hardin

1.“I don’t think it should be as expensive as it is.”

2.“If it’s a school rule they gotta pay it, but I think it should be cheaper to cut down controversy.”

3. “Not at all.”

Students, coaches struggle to accept athletic fee

Coach Eddie Cook1. “I don’t like them. I wish kids

didn’t have to pay, but I understand with the economy, they are needy.”

2. “Most of them do pay; that’s not really a problem. I would really hate to punish a kid just because they can’t afford it.”

3. “Not really.”

Coach Brett Childers1. “I think it’s appropriate for the

times we live in, but I also think it can be a burden for some athletes.”

2. “Well, I really haven’t had a problem with our team in the past, but we make sure they pay them”.

3. “Not for us. We’ve been lucky in the past; we haven’t had any girls miss games because of not paying.”

Japorcia McConnellReporter

In an area of shrinking resources, loss of jobs, a severe economic downturn, and aversion to broad based taxes, higher fees are often imposed to fill in budget gaps. South Pointe High School along with every other middle and high school in the district is required to pay a 60 dollar athletic fee each year they participate in any athletic programs.

The fee is due once the athlete is se-lected to participate on a team. Ten dollars of the fee goes to mandatory supplemental

insurance for each athlete, while the re-mainder goes to equipment, uniforms, and other athletic- related expenses. The fee is non–refundable.

“The fee that athletes have to pay is outragous; some people aren’t so fortu-nate,” sophomore Jacovia Cherry said.

The athletic fee is not based on a sliding scale so everyone pays the same amount no matter your financial situation.

”I really hate that the funds were needed, but it was a board decision, not South Pointe” said Dr. Al Leonard, prin-cipal.

Basketball players like senior Ashley Jaggers think that the athletic fee is unfair.

“We have to pay it, while most foot-ball players don’t,” said Jaggers.

On the bright side, it is a one-time fee for athletes like junior Anthony Johnson, who plays football and basketball.

“If I had to pay the athletic fee twice I wouldn’t play two sports” said Johnson.

The athletic fee isn’t just disappoint-ing to students and staff, parents are not too happy about it neither.

“I have three boys, two in junior high

and one in high school that play football. Paying the athletic fee three times in a row is a lot of money. Times are hard,” said parent Synthia Agurs.

Sixty dollars is a lot of money and sports are really big, but some people just aren’t so fortunate to pay it. Athletic de-partments could really be missing out on good athletes just because of this fee.

Sophomore Michael Miller slams his way into the semi-finals of the Feb. 13 State wrestling tournament. Miller paid his fee, although other Stallions say they did not but still participate in their fall sport.

SPiN STAFF:Editor-in-chief........................Mary Hannah Neil

Managing editor......................... Ashli Simmons

News editor................................ O’Brian Brown

Features editor.................................. Erin Fields

Student Life editor................... Rileigh Glasgow

Opinion editor............................... Vinita Maigur

Centerspread editor.....................Kendra Harris

Sports editor...............................Wade Hopper

Photography editor.........................Kaelyn Jiran

Senior photographer................Brandan Barber

Reporters.........................Jakeviyonna Sanders Japorcia McConnell

Mike Miller Abby Smith

Lakyn Evans Shanternia Tyler

Contributors...........................Shirley Nicholson Kaylia Giviens

SPiN WIRED STAFF: Editor-in-chief...........................Vinita Maigur

Copy editor................................. Blake Roberts

News editor...............................Catherine Stiers

Opinion editor...............................Abigail Norby

Sports editor...............................Sierra Gilmore Webmaster..........................Brianna Marie Ealy

Executive Producers of SPiN in the morning..................... Hannah Hart Justin Norwood

Adviser.............................................Cindy Koon

Principal............................................Al Leonard

SCSPA 2012 Palmetto Award Winner

2009 Journalism Education Association Administrator of the Year

Write letters to the editor at [email protected] or tweet vinita at @vinita_opinion The editorial board, which consists of the staffs’ student editors, will determine the content of all unsigned editorials. The view stated in signed columns, editorials or reviews represent only the opinion of the author.

SPiN Offers a public forum for expression. If you wish to submit a letter to the editor, guest column or news release, it must be 300 words or fewer and contain the author’s name, address and phone number. All submissions will be verified.

The SPiN editorial board reserves the right to withhold any letter or other submission and/or return it for revision if it contains unprotected speech or grammatical errors that could hamper it’s meaning. Letters and columns which have been submitted should run in the next issue. Junior Reagan Miller swims fiercely to finish in a

Stallion swim meet. District 3 athletes notonly have to give their all on the field, court, course or in the pool, they also have to drain their wallets.

senior CJ Pendergrass catches a pass during a Stallion football game on Aug. 24. Should the district still charge him $60 for that privilege?

Brandan Barber/SPiN

Brandon Barber/SPiN

Sierra Gilmore/SPiN

Brandon Barber/SPiN

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

SPiN’s snailmail address: 801 Neely Rd., Rock Hill, SC 29730phone: 803-980-2100

gram. Leonard also stated that the money

spent on parking passes is used for extra things, such as field trips, supplies for teachers, and school organizations, like Student Council.

Leonard said it is, “successful to the students who abide by the guidelines for safe driving.”

Dr. Moody defined success in this class, “Safety!! If we can help save one student from a life threatening accident, it will be worth all the trouble and expenses. Hopefully, it will help students become better drives immediately and for a long life time.”

However, some students at SPHS view things differently compared to school officials.

Junior Morgan Hudson has taken the Alive at 25 class. She feels that because the material has already been covered in the driver’s education, it does not need to be covered again.

Sophomore Hailee Epps has also taken the class but admitted to sleeping through most of the four and a half hours she spent in the classroom.

Junior Kathryne Hurley believes the parking pass should cost less because of the sports fee students are required to pay if they wish to participate in a sport at SPHS, and because of the cost of the Alive at 25 class.

So Stallions, you’ve got the facts, you’ve heard the opinions, now you must decide: is this class worth your money and time if it saves a friend’s life, or is it just a pointless four and a half hours on a Satur-day you could have spent doing something else? The choice is yours. You can always ride the bus.

October 2012 Page 5



Parking lot, or bus loop?

Kaelyn JiranCo-photography editor

When students at South Pointe hear another student mention the Alive at 25 driving course, there’s seldom a positive reaction.

When asked, many have never heard of the class, did not know what the class was about, and did not know they were required to take it.

Others who know about it are mad, concluding that basically a parking pass now costs the usual $15 plus an extra $35 to take another class when they’ve already had drivers’ ed, depending on which driv-ing school you choose to attend.

And then there are the students like senior, Alicia Trinkle.

“I guess I’m just one of those rule-following people,” Trinkle said in Journalism I class discussion about the new requirement. “I just do what I’m told. Even though it doesn’t take effect until January, I’ve already taken it and thought the class was pretty good.”

Principal Al Leonard feels the class is necessary because it “raises student awareness” regarding the bad decisions made by students while driving and the effects of those choices on family, friends, and other people around us.

Opponents of the requirement resent the cost and the extra time necessary. Depending on which driving school you choose, the cost and the amount of time may vary. You can sign up through the driving school website.

The price was set by the company that developed the course, SCNSC (South Carolina National Safety Council).

And basically, District 3 has bought into the course.

Dr. Leonard spoke about the thought process shared among the principals of each high school in the district as they together considered the new requirement. He stated that the facts and informatio found on the website was one of the major

work for our employees.” Dr. Leonard also said the principals

in our district did research other classes to see which one would best fit District Three.

There are students at South Pointe who have yet to take the class and have also failed to buy a parking pass. Some Stallions have announced to anyone within hearing range they have no inten-tion of every buying a parking pass, let alone take this new add-on requirement to park on campus.

Dr. Leonard is aware of this prob-lem, and is in the process of correcting it. Students have until January to complete the course in order to park on campus and according to the South Pointe Student Handbook, “all finan-cial obligations must be paid before a parking permit can be purchased.”

If a student fails to follow the parking regulations stated in the student handbook on page 29, a student can be reprimanded, fined $10, fined $10 and lose a week of driv-ing privilege, fined $10 and lose driving privileges for the remainder of the semes-ter, and the final step would be another $10 fine with a loss of driving privileges for the remainder of the school year.

Another question some students have: where does the money go students pay to take the course?

Leonard stated that the money spent goes back into helping support the pro-

hooks when deciding which program was best for South Pointe, Rock Hill High and Northwestern.

Leonard also said that because SCNSC is a non-profit, this also helped in the decision making process. Another factor that determined the choice high school principals made was the number of schools in the state of South Carolina that were already using this program--65 high schools at the end of summer 2011.

If a student is unable to pay for the class, the SCNSC would cover the cost for

that student. If this is the case, either the parent or student must contact the SCNSC for more information.

According to Leonard, as of this school year, at least 90 schools in the state have adopted this same program designed to educate students further on the effects of reckless driving.

Students have also questioned having to pay at all to park at South Pointe.

Leonard described the view of the Rock Hill School District Three school board; they see driving as a privilege, not a right, for high school students. And he sees this required class as a way to address complaints regarding reckless driving involving students.

“We do provide bus transportation for our students; therefore it is a privilege for a student to park on campus,” Super-intendent Lynn Moody said in a phone interview.

Why are teachers not also required to pay to park?

“As the employer,” Moody said, “we provide a space for employees to park; we do not provide transportation to and from

School improvement council agrees to new district parking requirements

Next Alive at 25 class here at South Pointe11/3/12 the class starts at 9 a.m. 12/15/12the class starts at 9 a.m. 1/8/13 the class starts at 4 p.m.

To register for a class or for more imformation on Alive at 25 go to www.scaliveat25.org.

164 young drivers were killed in 2011 in vehicle collisons in South Carolina, according to scaliveat25.org

Photos by Alive at 25 website and Na-tional Safety Council website

Meeting Mi-chele Bach-mann at her book signing at the Rock Hill’s Books a Million

One election, two people, two planes and one dream



Republican DemocratSupports Same-Sex Marriage Pro-choice

Supported the 2009 bailout of the auto industry

Repeal Obama Care

Pro-life

Wasn’t in favor of the 2009 auto bailoutPassed the Dream act for immigration

Believes in a traditional marriage

Passed Obamacare

Vinita’s Take

The Issues

My highlights from the trail

Mitt Romney’s signature at his campaign stop in Rock Hill.

Meeting Romney at Winthrop Univeristy asking him the tough questions and getting him to sign my reporter pad.

Meeting Ron Paul outside the Holiday Inn in Rock Hill after his speech.

Photos by Vinita Maigur

reform the corporate tax code

wants to cut taxes unemploment rate 8.2% wants to create jobs

Believes in Heavy Immigration

Running is President Obama Running is Mitt Romney

Vinita Maigur Opinion editor

Young people 18 to 24 make up 24% of eligible voters in the United States, ac-cording to civicyouth.org.

Yet poll after poll report a drop in interest in the 2012 national elections among young voters.

Young people, America needs us. We have to be the change. We got to get up on Nov.6 to vote and make our country not stereotype us as arrogant youth who don’t fully engage in what goes on. We make up the future of America, so why wouldn’t we take a stand and vote?

We all need to become educated about what goes on around us. It also takes time to understand the views of both parties and individuals before deciding what qualities to choose from and vote for.

In some cases, I wish I could just walk up to1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and knock on the White House door and say, “I need to see the president to discuss some possibilities.” And in a dream sense they would invite me in, but we all know that would never happen.

When you follow candidates on the campaign trail as they meet people from all walks of life and age groups and give their views on some of the hot button issues we face as a nation, you gain under-standing of where you fit in with both the candidates and their political parties.

I got the chance to meet Republi-can nominee Mitt Romney at Winthrop University; that was an experience of a lifetime. Getting to know him, not only on television but in the flesh, was a week that I look back on and wonder that not

too many students get to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

I went to see Republican primary can-didates anytime they campaigned in Rock Hill. Getting to ask the real questions, as well as the tough ones, at rallies and book signings was a little intimating at first. So was working my way to the front to get a better view.

With my camera and reporter pad in hand, with more or less than 20 questions on it, I really do not know how I got the nerve to speak up and ask them questions with so many types of news media . It was so surreal and such a blur now. But it helped solidify my belief that I am a Republican.

By educating yourself about the candidates and issues, you might conclude differently. The important thing is to do it.

President Barack Obama was already picked to be the nominee, which he made official in Charlotte at the Bobcats arena in early September, and one of my fellow SPIN staff members was sorely disappointed that her ticket to see him in person at Bank of America Stadium was cancelled due to weather concerns. I respect her for being passionate about her candidate, even though I disagree with her choice.

Romney had to jump through hoops and fire to finish out strong. Romney had to endure a primary season, something the incumbent President did not. A primary is a preliminary election in which vot-ers nominate party candidates for office. Romney became the Republican nominee in Tampa, Fla., at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in late August.

Both parties, the Democrats and the Republicans have been around since the years of 1792 and 1854, with other parties still developing, such as the Tea Party, a small conservative group that thinks the less government the better. And then there are other independents out there to learn about.

With young Stallions not so sure who or what to vote for, or what issues stand out and or appeal to them, it’s important to be informed. Start asking questions. Start paying attention. We are all looking for confidence, strong leadership and a good reformer that stands out from the rest of the group.

This upcoming November is a little

daunting, but just look around our own lives and we can know what issues affect us the most. So many of us go through life and are now affected by the economy. Most of us who go to the gas pumps every week to fill up our cars know what I am talking about and how hard it is for us to find a job and start saving for college tuition. We know what it is like to feel the change in our pockets disappear in a flash. Every penny in our pocket goes to the things we need with higher prices than before. Which candidate seems to make the most sense to you on the economy? Who might do the best job fixing the mess?

No one can make you vote; it is a right given to you when you turn 18. Re-member these three things: first, that vot-ing gives you the power of your voice and a say in the matter that not only affects you, but others so make sure you know the facts; second, do not forget to register when you turn 18 and locate your voting place before going; third, it is important to bring your voting card and picture ID like your driver’s license.

South Carolina passed a law stating that every voter must show picture ID to vote, since you have to show ID to buy Sudafed and to get on an air plane. This law was passed under the governorship of the first female Indian-American gover-nor, Nikki R Haley, but it was overturned by the courts. Right now, the state is suing, and the results of the suit should be coming in right as this is going to press. Still, be prepared in either case by bring-ing a photo ID.

With our busy lives of working and classes finding the time to vote is an option that we leave on the back burner sometimes, but not this time. Not in this national election. According to civicy-outh.org, 39 million seniors will go vote this election. With that kind of number these candidates need us.

Happy voting Stallions!

My signed copy of Michele Bachmann’s book “Core Of Conviction: My Story” from her book signing at the Rock Hill Books a Million.

Important days to rememberOct 3 was first Presidential Debate; see it online.

Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. is the Vice Presidential Debate.

Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. is the second Presidential Debate.

Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. is third the Presidential Debate.

has a plan to fix Health Care

Nov. 6 is Election Day/ Voting Day.

Page 6 October 2012

October 2012 Page 7

Cadets escort Homecoming candidates

Tabatha Cline Stacia Hill

Lauren Harper Erica Bradley Sade Moore Bailey Oliver

Alondra Mendoza Natalie Deas Ashley Beacham

Mary Campbell Kellett Caroline Crowder Breonna McKlurkin

Porshe Simril

& Christian Moss & Ian Bailey

& Evan Vanpelt & Walker Mathews & Andrew Hobson & Ben Johnson

& Joshua Stroud & Austin Messer & DeAndre Johnson & Andrew Harris

& Adam Ebeling & Ricky Blackman & Andrew Sprouse

Photos by Sierra Gilmore

Page 8 October 2012

Lakyn EvansReporter

At the age of 10, DiAmond Tyree Miller, the son of Connie and Jerome Miller, had a severe asthma attack.

Miller said that his mother did not know what to do at the time, so she im-mediately called 911.

While in the back of the ambulance Miller says that as soon as he was given

an IV, he “freaked out and then passed out.”

The paramedics thought he had died. Because of the potentially life-threatening situation, a chopper was called immedi-ately.

Miller was then flown by helicopter to Charlotte and stayed in the hospital for almost a week.

Other than that bump in the road, Miller thinks he has had a pretty smooth-going ride of Life.

‘Progress Is a Process’“Pretty much a no

drama, solid middle class upbringing.” Miller described.

So how in the world does he make it in a field that usually draws from all the bad stuff—poverty, racial discrimi-nation, police brutality and class warfare? This rapper DiAmond Millz has to be smart.

Enrolled in the most rigorous English and History classes the school offers, he breathes life into his rhymes from his talent with and knowledge of language.

At the age of 17, Miller is pursuing his career that he started when he was 13. His asthma has not affected his rapping at all, unless he has not taken his medication.

Miller made his first mix-tape as a freshman at Northwestern High School. Although his first was pretty much

overlooked, he now has three well-known mix-tapes that are published: “Diamond In the Rough,” “Progress Is a Process” and “Business as Usual.”

“His flow and his lyrics,” are what give Miller’s fans a feel for his raps, ac-cording to junior Chance Montgomery.

Sophomore Andrew Hawthorne describes Millers lyrics and instrumentals as “dope”.

Not only do Miller’s lyrics and beats

grab the attention of his fans, but also the feeling he puts into his raps.

“It’s inspirational. I understand him,” said junior Trey Massey.

Miller said that his parents both enjoy his music except for the vulgar language that is used.

“My dad listens to it a lot,” Miller said.

Miller’s brothers, friends and his fa-vorite rappers, J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar inspired him to create his raps.

All of Miller’s lyrics are created orig-inally by himself, “no help, just advice.”

On the other hand, his AKA name is definitely not an original.

Each Miller brother--Jay, 25, Mar-cus, 24, and Manzey, 18--all inherited the nickname “Millz,” which DiAmond uses as his artist’s name.

What kind of message does Miller send out through his music? “You don’t have to be hood to rap,” said Miller.

Being recognized and just making music are two things that Miller simply likes about being an artist himself.

Northwestern senior Nick Gregory, Miller’s close friend, helps him produce his music through a somewhat recording studio inside Gregory’s home.

The photos and videos are done and made through the camera of Tony Tas-sarotti, a student at the Art Institute in Charleston.

Super Plain t-shirts, created by Nick Horton, another friend of Miller, became a new trend to help pay for equipment to expand the young rapper’s career.

Why the name Super Plain? He explained that a lot of people try too much and try to be “swagged out.”

After asking Miller who he compared himself to as an artist, he answered, “My-self, I am not like anyone else.”

Photos by Tony Tassarotti/contributor

You don’t have to be hood to rap.“ ”DiAmond Miller

Senior DiAmond Miller records his music insidde his studio.

October 2012 Page 9

1. “Do classes get harder as your grade get higher?”

2. “Is high school anything you ex-pected it to be?”

2. Yes, because I knew when I got to high school I would have a lot of freedom.

1. No, it’s like the same material just more learning.

3. “Was it easy on your first day to adjust to the new rules?” 3.Yes for me it was because I never

get into trouble.

4. “How does it feel to be a senior?”

4.The feeling is unexplainable.

5. Yes, because there’s a lot of activi-ties to do and its fun.

Alexis Dye, freshman Tacori Brock, senior

Hunter Varney, freshman Ashley Jaggers, senior

Cody Blake, senior

Tykerria Minton, seniorDenisha Hall, freshman

ZiQuavion Brown, freshman

Darien Whittaker, seniorJonathan Lowery, freshman

Fresh start calls for senior adviceJakeviyonna Sanders Reporter

Photos by Jakeviyonna Sanders

5. “Do you enjoy attending South Pointe High School?”

Senior Jay Hart and freshman Tinayah Chislom hook arms to symbolize the Stallion unity.

“We’re all in this together.”

1. When did you start getting tattoos?2. What made you get it?3. Do you want any more?4. What’s your next tattoo?5. Who did your tattoo?6. How much did you pay for all of them?7. Do you regret any of your tattoos?

1. “I started getting them in 10th grade.”

2. “My mother was my motivation.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “A rosary.”5. “Wayne and Fat

Fred.”6. “$100.”7. “No.”

1. “12th grade.”2. “Because I always wanted one.”3. “Yes.”4. “A matching tattoo with my best

friend Sierra Gilmore.”5. “Wayne.”6. “$30.”7. “No.”

1. “I started in 8th grade.”

2. “Because I wanted a tattoo, they have meaning to them.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “Angel wings and a scripture.”5. “My homeboy gerda.”6. “$45.”7. “No.”

1. “August 22, 2012.”

2. “Because of what I’ve been thru.”

3. “No I don’t want anymore.”

4. “No answer.”5. “Ink link Tat-

toos.”6. “$80.”7. “No.”

1. “I started getting them when I was 14.”

2. “Because that’s what I wanted.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “Get some more added

to my chest.”5. “House of pain and

Wayne.”6. “$140.”7. “No.”

1. “I started getting them when I was 14 years old.”

2. “They all mean something special to me.”

3. “Yes I want a full sleeve.”4. “A picture of my sister, she died.”5. “Wayne.”6. “$200”7. “No.”

Stallions tatted up!!

Buddy Byers, senior

Malik Adams, junior

Nijule Gordon,senior

Alexis Watson, senior

Shay Robinson, senior

David Laberage, senior

Tips about tattoos1. Carefully remove the ban-

dage approximately two to five hours after the completion of the tattoo. If the gauze sticks to your skin, use some water to help remove it without causing any wounding.

2. Wash the area thoroughly with antibacterial soap and warm water using only your fingers. Do not use any cloths or other materials.

3. Gently pat dry with a tow-el. Avoid rubbing! Let air dry completely after patting it with a towel.

4. Be sure to apply only a small amount of Bacitracin or A & D (vitamin) Ointment. Too much ointment will heighten the risk that bacteria will grow there, and not allow oxygen to the area.

5. Oxygen is extremely im-portant in the natural healing of the tattoo. Too little ointment will cause the area to dry out, crack and bleed. Rub the oint-ment into the skin well.

6. Clean four to five times per day for about seven to 10 days, or until the wound is healed. Avoid soaking or sub-merging in water, such as swim-ming or taking baths, during the healing process. Doing so could result in color loss, scarring or

Tips contributed by Tattoo artist Shannon “Cat” Cato

infection. 7. Don’t wear tight or restrictive

clothing around the area, which will cut off much-needed oxygen to the area. Tight clothing could also hold in any bacteria, possibly causing an infection. Your clothing touching the tattoo should be soft.

8. You should also avoid exposing the tattoo to the sun. Too much sun exposure could cause your tattoo to lose some of its color. After the tat-too is healed, you will need to apply sunscreen before exposing it to the sun, but you can still expose it in moderation.

9. If swelling occurs, you can use ice packs or take some ibuprofen to ease the swelling. Avoid rubbing, scratching or picking at any scabs that may form. The scabs are a part of the healing process and will even-tually fall off on their own, usually in one to three weeks. Your skin may peel or scab during the healing stage, which is normal.

10. Just allow the process to take place, and it will pass. Some color will fade during this process, but should return after the area is com-pletely healed. After a few weeks the area should be free of scabs and peeling. You should still continue the standard cleaning and apply oint-ment to keep the area from drying out.


1. When did you start getting tattoos?2. What made you get it?3. Do you want any more?4. What’s your next tattoo?5. Who did your tattoo?6. How much did you pay for all of them?7. Do you regret any of your tattoos?

1. “I started getting them in 10th grade.”

2. “My mother was my motivation.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “A rosary.”5. “Wayne and Fat

Fred.”6. “$100.”7. “No.”

1. “12th grade.”2. “Because I always wanted one.”3. “Yes.”4. “A matching tattoo with my best

friend Sierra Gilmore.”5. “Wayne.”6. “$30.”7. “No.”

1. “I started in 8th grade.”

2. “Because I wanted a tattoo, they have meaning to them.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “Angel wings and a scripture.”5. “My homeboy gerda.”6. “$45.”7. “No.”

1. “August 22, 2012.”

2. “Because of what I’ve been thru.”

3. “No I don’t want anymore.”

4. “No answer.”5. “Ink link Tat-

toos.”6. “$80.”7. “No.”

1. “I started getting them when I was 14.”

2. “Because that’s what I wanted.”

3. “Yeah.”4. “Get some more added

to my chest.”5. “House of pain and

Wayne.”6. “$140.”7. “No.”

1. “I started getting them when I was 14 years old.”

2. “They all mean something special to me.”

3. “Yes I want a full sleeve.”4. “A picture of my sister, she died.”5. “Wayne.”6. “$200”7. “No.”

Stallions tatted up!!

Buddy Byers, senior

Malik Adams, junior

Nijule Gordon,senior

Alexis Watson, senior

Shay Robinson, senior

David Laberage, senior

Tips about tattoos1. Carefully remove the ban-

dage approximately two to five hours after the completion of the tattoo. If the gauze sticks to your skin, use some water to help remove it without causing any wounding.

2. Wash the area thoroughly with antibacterial soap and warm water using only your fingers. Do not use any cloths or other materials.

3. Gently pat dry with a tow-el. Avoid rubbing! Let air dry completely after patting it with a towel.

4. Be sure to apply only a small amount of Bacitracin or A & D (vitamin) Ointment. Too much ointment will heighten the risk that bacteria will grow there, and not allow oxygen to the area.

5. Oxygen is extremely im-portant in the natural healing of the tattoo. Too little ointment will cause the area to dry out, crack and bleed. Rub the oint-ment into the skin well.

6. Clean four to five times per day for about seven to 10 days, or until the wound is healed. Avoid soaking or sub-merging in water, such as swim-ming or taking baths, during the healing process. Doing so could result in color loss, scarring or

Tips contributed by Tattoo artist Shannon “Cat” Cato

infection. 7. Don’t wear tight or restrictive

clothing around the area, which will cut off much-needed oxygen to the area. Tight clothing could also hold in any bacteria, possibly causing an infection. Your clothing touching the tattoo should be soft.

8. You should also avoid exposing the tattoo to the sun. Too much sun exposure could cause your tattoo to lose some of its color. After the tat-too is healed, you will need to apply sunscreen before exposing it to the sun, but you can still expose it in moderation.

9. If swelling occurs, you can use ice packs or take some ibuprofen to ease the swelling. Avoid rubbing, scratching or picking at any scabs that may form. The scabs are a part of the healing process and will even-tually fall off on their own, usually in one to three weeks. Your skin may peel or scab during the healing stage, which is normal.

10. Just allow the process to take place, and it will pass. Some color will fade during this process, but should return after the area is com-pletely healed. After a few weeks the area should be free of scabs and peeling. You should still continue the standard cleaning and apply oint-ment to keep the area from drying out.


Page 12 October 2012

Drama: do you need help?1. What is the worst situ-

ation you have ever been in that concerned drama?

2. What would you do if you were in a certain situation that concerned drama?

3. How do you prevent drama or stay away from it?

Alex Simms, senior1. “The girl I liked also liked my best

friend.” 2. “Don’t worry, be happy.”3. “Stay away from people like that.”

Darian Thompson, sopho-more

1. “Someone trying to fight over a girl.”2. “Ignore it.”3. “I haven’t caused drama.”

Maleah Sturgis, junior1. “People ratting out other people

about scandalous photos from 8th grade.”2.”Tell them how I am gunna stay out

of it, and I want to remain friends.”3. “Hang out with people that don’t

like or have drama.”

Keely Mcrae, freshman1. “A friend talked behind her back

and didn’t know who to believe about the certain situation.”

2. “Not to talk with either person or let them handle it.”

3.”Not to associate with drama-filled people.”

How the young Nigerian transformed into his American way of lifeShanterria Tyler Reporter

In 1993 senior Yemi Salami’s father, Ademola Salami, left his homeland in La-gos, Nigeria and came to New Jersey with only five hundred dollars and no place to stay. He left behind his wife and children. It was hard for him to raise a family being in a different country. An anesthesiologist, he had come to America to begin building the American dream.

A couple years later he went back to Lagos to bring his family to the United States, his children and his wife with a child on the way.

On May 13, 1995, Titilayo Salami started having contractions on a flight to New Jersey from Nigeria. Once everyone figured out that Mrs. Salami was in labor, they took her to the closest hospital.

Within a few minutes, Yemi was born in New Jersey.

After a few weeks the family flew back to their homeland. Lagos is your average city, except it has a lot of power outages and dirt roads, and the houses are made of concrete.

In Lagos the infant received his other names from his aunts, uncles, and grandparents, such as Adedoyin , Tunde, Micheal and Feyi.

In the Nigerian culture, Nigerians like to give their children names that have a meaning and reflect the events that have surrounded the child’s birth. They could

change his name anytime they chose to. There is a big sense of community

in Nigeria, where everyone relies on one another.

“In Nigeria, my mom was a nurse. So, when she had to go to another place, the people she took care of offered to take care of me,” Salami said.

“Nigerians are more of a whole,” he said, referring to the unity of the citizens.

At the age of four, Salami and the family moved to New Jersey to join his father. His first language was Nigerian.

“At first, I did speak in a Nigerian ac-cent. So I also spoke English, but it wasn’t as fluent,” said Salami.

Salami states that his siblings might have had a rough time transitioning, because they had deep Nigerian accents. For him it was very easy because he was a young child. So, he learned with the other kids.

“I would be ahead of class some-times because in Nigeria, I’d be two years ahead,” said Salami of school in America, “and my teachers did not like me because I was too advanced.”

On the other hand, this country as-similates many different people and their traditions, a big difference from what the Africans had experienced in their home-land.

“When we came to the United States, it was so many different cultures. It con-fused us,” Salami said.

There would be days he would show up to school and wait for the bus for hours. There would be days like a holiday that he did not know about, and he would turn around and go back home. When it was time for recess, Salami was not used to the fact that the kids had to only play on the playground, instead of sports.

His favorite American holiday is

Christmas because of the presents that are received and how happy people are.

“In Nigeria we don’t really celebrate. Well if everyone is dancing, if we like you, we throw money at you to show our appreciation and respects,” stated Salami.

He says that he thought America would be like Hollywood. He had the im-age that everyone was rich.

When he came to America, he said he enjoyed it.

“I remember when I first came to America the air felt cleaner and brighter,” Salami said.

Later on in time, Salami’s feelings about America changed.

He started to miss his homeland, where his nine aunts and uncle on his mom’s side of the family lived. He felt isolated.

A lot of people in South Carolina bul-lied him because of his race.

“Once this white kid called me an African booty scratcher; it really hurt my feelings. I beat him up,” Salami stated.

Salami has now been living in America for 11 years.

He forgets his culture sometimes and wants to go back to Nigeria after college.

On the other hand, he has set his sights on a goal already achieved by an American also of African heritage.

Salami wants to become president when he gets older. He wants to make a change in the world and make it a better place.

Yemi Salami does work in the library.Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

Photos and art illustrations by Rileigh Glasgow

October 2012 Page 13

Erin FieldsFeatures editor

Hairstyles help students express themselves

Jessica Laney, junior1. Make it brighter and dye more of

it.2. It shows her artistic ability.3. Some thought it was weird at first,

while others were interested in it.4. “It shows everybody how artistic I

am, plus it is boring to have plain brown hair, I think.”

5. Afraid about cutting it. 6. Hated the fact that it was brown.7. “Until I have kids.”

Collin Downey, freshman1. Nothing about it.2. A big personality.3. They liked it and lots of people

wanted him to get cornrows.4. “It looked fluffy and really soft.”5. Scared he was going to get made

fun of at first, but he didn’t.6. It was short and he wanted some-

thing different.7. “For a while.”

1. Shirt:Dress2. Shoes:Targetflats4. “Becauseofthecolorandshape

andit’smostlypatternsandtexturesinsteadofplainT-shirtsandjeans.”

1. Shirt:GraphicT2. Pants:PFG(PerformanceFishing

Gear)3. Shoes:Sandals4. “Becauseit’stheSoutherninme

andit’scomfortable.”

1. Shirt:RalphLaurenPolo

2. Pants:Levis3. Shoes:White

Vans4.“Becauseit’s

comfortableandlooksgood.”

1. Shirt:Kato2. Pants:Kato3. Shoes:KevinDurant’s4.“Becausemystyledefinesmeas

aperson.”

1. What brand of shirt are you wearing? 2. What brand of pants are you wearing? 3. What brand of shoes are you wearing? 4. What inspires you to wear the clothing that you wear?

* Fashion extras: T.J. Maxx gets three to four shipments of 10,000 new items each week.

Nick Robbins, senior1. “I thought it would be cool to have

dreads and also it is for baseball.”2. “A little bit but I got used to it.”3. “Not really bored but I grew up

with several different hairstyles and for senior year I wanted something different.”

4. “Just a little bit longer and to keep growing it out.”

5. “It’s unique, go with the flow, not normal.”

6. “For a while and keep them until the first semester in college.”

7. “Weird looks and got a lot of crap about it at first.”

Questions: 1. What would you change about this hairstyle if you could? 2. How does this hairstyle express who you are as a person? 3. What were some comments from your peers about your new hairstyle? 4. What inspired you to get this hairstyle? 5. What is something that made you afraid at first? 6. What is it that made you bored with your old one? 7. How long are you planning to keep it this way?

Deshawn Davis, sophomore1. Nothing, he would keep it.2. “Makes me feel good and

gives me swag.”3. It looks like perfection.4. He and his uncle both wanted

to get it done together.5. “Until it gets ugly.”6. “There was nothing.”7. “Before it gets old and gray.”

Photos by Rileigh Glasgow


Stallions rock hottest fall fashionsWhat are the current trends for teen clothing?

October 2012 Page 7

Erin FieldsFeatures editor

Photos by Ashli Simmons

Ashli SimmonsManaging editor

In the theater movies always seem more realistic; the movie “House at the End of the Street” proves that. It’s a PG- 13 thriller that will get your heart pumping. The intensity only steepens.

Directed by Mark Tonderai , starring actors Elisa-beth Shue, Jennifer Lawrence and Max Thieriot worked well together, creating very believable characters in a good story.

Elisa (Lawrence) has had some problems in her young life and is looking for a new fresh start with her mother Sarah (Shue).

Sarah wasn’t in Elisa’s life as much before but is trying to change that. They move into a nice wooded area in Chicago. It all seems normal at first, but when the neighbors start mentioning things about how a fam-ily was killed in a neighborhood house, you already know there’s something that’s not quite right.

Meeting her new neighbors and friends at school,

Elisa goes to a party that doesn’t turn out too well and realizes what kind of people the locals are. Leaving the party she bumps into the mysterious Ryan (Thieriot), the very boy whose parents were killed in the house that she’s been hearing rumors about. Elisa hesitates to get a ride.

Eventually befriending him, she then realizes the stories that she’s been hearing about and the truth may have a slight difference.

Elisa, being the “savior” as her mother calls her, tries to help Ryan out, and make him not feel so distant from her or any of the other characters, but one person can’t fix everything.

Besides the tension in the plot and the good acting, the lighting in the movie also helps with the feeling of terror. Making most of the movie very dark and gloomy, Tonderai created a very believable set.

With all the running through the woods the movie has a similar feel as the movie “Wrong Turn.”

Some audience members say that it didn’t flow well. I disagree; the timing in the movie was perfect. Starting off with a simple girl and her life, you would

never know the way her couple of months in this very upscale neighborhood would turn out.

The movie is certainly a thriller, keeping you at the edge of your seat the whole time you watch. Tonderai did a great job on the movie; although it had some con-fusing parts, it explains itself at the end.

The movie deserves a three out of five horseshoes.

Stallion horseshoe ratings:

Motion picture brings scary to your dreams


Students go wild, Stallions win big

Team captains Devin Pearson (19), Dakota Mozingo (60), Devin Starnes (37), and Buddy Byers (4) meet the Trojan captains at midfield for the coin toss. The Stallions dominated on both sides of the ball in a 28-25 victory against the Trojans Sept. 28.

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

(Above) Quarterback Devin Pearson dashes out of the pocket and into the endzone on a 65-yard touchdown run that put the Stallions up 7-3. Although Pearson broke his hand in the third quarter, he played through the pain and led the Stallions to the win with his four total touchdowns. Pearson was 16-21 through the air with three touchdowns, and added 104 yards and a score with his 27 rushes. (Center) Senior Clay Bell showcases his American pride during the Star-Spangled Banner. Bell was one of the hundreds of South Pointe students in attendence at District Three Stadium on Sept. 28. (Below) The STUDS flash their South Pointe signs and throw up number ones for one of the many media cameras at the game. The South Pointe/Northwestern game was replayed many times on local station CN2, and was featured as Game of the Week on Channel 9, WSOCTV.

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

Sierra Gilmore/SPiN

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiNKaelyn Jiran/SPiN

Students rush the field in celebration of the rivalry win. The seniors’ cutout heads of quarterback Devin Pearson and defensive tackle Zeek Rodney proved their dedication.

(Above) Senior kicker Logan Ard (6) knocks in an extra point to give the Stallions a four point lead after holder Pearson’s (19) touchdown sprint. Ard was 4-4 on extra points, giving the Stallions the spread that they needed to ensure a win and carrying on the legacy of his graduated brother Landon, who now kicks for the University of South Carolina. (Be-low) Runningback CJ Pendergrass looks downfield on one of his eight rushes. While the team’s offense revolved around Pearson against the Trojans, several players chipped in to make victory possible. Pender-grass totaled 38 yards, 19 of which came on the ground. Wide receiver Anthony “Lit’ Man” Johnson (81) blocks for him downfield. Johnson turned in a solid performance of five catches for 72 yards, and hauled in the last two touchdowns of the game for South Pointe. Johnson, who also plays basketball for the Stallions, has a bright athletic future.


Every day we nobgobblin’Wade HopperSports editor

Many people think cross country is the simplest of athletics.

It’s true; running is much more humble than most other sports. Run-ners don’t have to learn zone blitzes or complex half-court defenses. They don’t have to worry about which club to use, or how many runners are on base. To the average viewer, they just have to run faster than everybody else.

“People don’t realize how dif-ficult of a sport cross country is,” said junior Megan Grogan. “You have to strategize. You have to know your splits and pacings. You can’t just go out there and sprint.”

“It’s different every time,” added junior Madison Goode. “There are dif-ferent courses and different terrains, and you have to change how you run each race.”

As it turns out, the South Point Stallions Cross Country teams are very, very good at both thinking and running. When those two things come together, other schools have a hard time beating them.

The Lady Stallions placed seventh in the state last year, and the men finished eighth. Having lost a combined three varsity seniors to graduation, they look to be in good position to have a better finish this year.

The boys’ team returns two seniors this year, Chris Sacco and Garrett Tomlin, while the girls have only one, Parker Ellenburg.

Fortunately, several juniors are stepping up to ensure that the Stallions make another run for the championships.

The fastest runners in the team belong to the 2014 class. For the men, Loftin Bridges leads the team with a 5K personal best of 16 minutes, 49 seconds. The ladies are led by Madison Goode and Victoria Bur-dette, who share times in the 19 minute, 50 second range.

In addition to being high-perfor-mance athletes, the members of the cross country team are among the smartest people in the school.

In the last three years, two valedicto-rians and two salutatorians have run cross country. The trend looks like it might continue: Bobby Farris is ranked second in the junior class, while Victoria Burdette is ranked third in the same class.

“Cross country is definitely the smartest sport in the school. You have to be smart to race,” said junior runner

Megan Grogan. The school’s sudden shift to AAAA

may make a repeat of last season’s results much more challenging.

A common consensus among the boys’ team is that changing divisions will definitely up the ante on the path to state.

“We got jacked because AAAA is a lot harder than AAA,” said junior Wells Ferguson.

“AAA really isn’t comparable to the type of runners that AAAA has,” assures Bridges. “There’s gonna be a lot more competition, but I feel like it’ll make us better.”

According to junior Michael Cran-ford, “a good time in AAAA is like low 16’s to high 15’s.”

The girls, on the other hand, aren’t worried at all.

“It really won’t make a difference,” said Goode. “We’ll still go out there and do well.”

The men beat Lancaster Aug. 28, and had great finishes at the Coaches Classic in Columbia on Sept. 8. Bridges finished eighth out of 336 runners, while Cranford finished 37th and sophomore Will Boynton came in 48th.

As the boys tore up the competition, the Lady Stallions achieved simi-lar results.

At the Trojan Invitational on Sept. 1, Goode finished first and Burdette brought home second.

Burdette empha-sized the importance of having a strong team presence at their meets.

“If we weren’t good individually, there’s no chance that we would win, but we need to be good as a team, too, because we could come in first and second and still do bad as a team,” she said.

Runners on both teams have notice-ably improved since last year. Bridges

hopes to break the 16 minute mark on his personal best, while other runners make short-term goals for them-selves.

“I want to consistently finish in the top five,” said Goode.

Apart from strong individual performances, the one thing that could help the Stallions the most this year is nobgobbling.

According to several runners, nobgobbling is when you keep an extremely close distance to the runner directly in front of you.

Slightly similar to draft-ing in NASCAR, nobgobbling gives the trailing runner a dis-tinct psychological advantage.

“Nobgobbling helps you to get ahead at the beginnings of races, and it is used to pass people at the ends of races,” said Harden.

The Stallions acknowl-edge the fact that they have taken nobgobbling to a new level of dedication.

“Nobgobbling has always been around, but we’ve revolutionized it,” said junior Elliot Stone. “I guarantee that other schools, they can’t nobgobble as good as South Pointe.”

The men’s’ team en- forces a unique nobgob-

bling strategy that hinges around the speed of lead runner Bridges.

“Loftin’s not a nobgobbler, but the person behind him is a nobgobbler,” said Harden.

“Yeah, I never get nob-

gobbled on,” added Bridges. “I always do the nobgobbling.”

Nobgobbling with friends is cool enough.

But what happens when another team nobgobbles

on the Stallions?“You can nobgobble

on an opponent, but op-ponents can’t nobgobble on

you, because that gives them a competitive advantage,” said

Cranford.The Stallions are le-

thally efficient in the closing stretches of each race. They

take it upon themselves to each pass at least one person in the last minute of their races.

“South Pointe never loses a sprint,” said senior Garrison Tomlin. “Never.”

“We make a path for the people who eat our dust,” added sophomore Mark Benson. “The greatest feeling in a race is the last hundred meters where I DE-STROY somebody.”

With State Championships approach-ing on Nov. 3, the Stallions plan on doing lots of destroying within the next month.

Victoria Burdette and Madison Goode start a race in top shape. They hope to lead the varsity girls to another good finish at State finals.

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN

The varsity men prepare to dominate the competition at the Trojan Invitational. Loftin Bridges (520) and Will Boynton (519) finished in 17th and 36, respectively.

Kaelyn Jiran/SPiN


Stallion swimmers make splash at Regions

Photos by Ashli Simmons

Stallion boys prepare to start at the Region meet Sept. 29. They begin in the diving position to start their 100-yard freestyle.

The Stallion swim team captains gather for a group shot. (left to right) senior Caroline Crowder, sophomore Brandon Jones and senior Murphy Cannon pose for the camera.

Junior Kendall Chavis poses with principal Al Leonard as he comes to support his Stal-lion swimmers at their Region meet at Rock Hill Aquatic Center Sept. 29.

Seventh-grade Stallion Maddie Neil warms up for her next event. She practices her technique for the 100- yard breaststroke.

Senior Natalie Deas prepares to dive into the pool. The Stallion lady 200-yard freestyle relay team is neck and neck with the Trojan lady team.

Senior Clay Bell poses with seventh-grade Stallion swimmer Carson Lewis.

Wade HopperSports editor


Going in for the kill

Art illustration by Wade Hopper


The South Pointe Lady Stallions vol-leyball team may lack height, but they’re in no short supply of talent.

Led by senior captains Brittnay Brad-ley and Lindsay Bradley, the girls are a force to be reckoned with this year despite being the smallest team in the region. With a record of 3-6, they currently com-mand the fifth playoff seed in the region.

The success they are having did not happen overnight. Last year, the Lady Stallions reached the second round of the playoffs; the year before, they were ousted in the first. In 2012, they hope to continue their trend of steady improve-

ment.“We have talent to match any other

team,” said junior outside hitter Monica Mullis, who is also a team captain. “I think we’ll be good as long as we don’t rely on certain people to carry us.”

Coming into the season, many people had worries about how the girls would measure up to other teams; their size, however, hasn’t affected their game so far.

“In blocking, height matters,” said junior middle hitter Wesley Turner, who stands as the team’s tallest girl at 5’9”. “That’s about the only time it matters, though.”

“We’re pretty good at passing and de-fense, so we’ll be fine,” added junior right

hitter Brooke Teague, who is the teams’ shortest player at 5’4”.

The Lady Stallions run a perimeter defense, as opposed to the rotational de-fense that they enforced last year.

Another change that has impacted every team at South Pointe has been the move up to AAAA from AAA. Luckily, that transition won’t be as hard for vol-leyball as it will for other sports.

“Going to AAAA really won’t make that much of a difference until playoff time,” said Turner. “All the other teams that were in our region last year are mov-ing up, too.”

“It’s gonna be harder to get into play-offs because we will be fighting for four out of eight playoff spots instead of four

out of six,” said Brittnay Bradley.The girls kept region opponent

Northwestern Lady Trojans on their feet on Sept. 4, but lost in straight sets here at South Pointe.

“We played them really close. The most we lost by was six, but we lost by two or three in the other sets,” said junior OH Kathryne Hurley.

The girls recovered against the Clover Blue Eagles two days later; they dominated in a three sets to one win.

After tying the Woodmont Wildcats, the team owned a 1-1-1 record. Prepar-ing for the Nation Ford Falcons, who are ranked 10th in the state, was made easier by a promising match against Spring Val-ley.

Although the girls lost the fifth set 14-16, the close finish proved that they could have just as easily come away with the win.

“We played so good,” said Mullis. “I’ve never felt our team gel like that.”

At this point, the Lady Stallions are ranked 36th in the state, trailing only Nation Ford, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Northwestern in the region. A loss against Clover on Oct. 2 set them back a few steps, but with crucial games remaining against region foes York and Fort Mill, the team remains calm and confident about their prospects.

“It’s out of our hands, now,” said Lindsay Bradley. “We need Northwestern or Nation Ford to lose some games.”

A late-season game against Lancaster could provide the boost needed for the girls to make the playoffs, depending on how the other region teams fare. South Pointe picked up a win on Sept. 27 when they beat the Bruins on the road, 3-1.

Even if the playoffs turn out to be a bust for the Stallions, they can rely on plenty of senior leadership in 2013. Most of the girls plan on playing volleyball at the collegiate level, so they plan to put all they have into next season.

“I think the talent we have coming up is really good, too,” said Teague.

“The team will be good next year,” added Lindsay. “As long as they play with energy, they’ll be fine.”

(above) The girls wait for the serve against region foe Nation Ford.(left) The team gets pumped up for their match against the Falcons. If the Lady Stallions get key wins late in the season, they will have earned a spot in the playoffs.Troy Rawls/Contributor

Troy Rawls/Contributor


October 2012 Page19

All we see is goldMichael MillerReporter

This upcoming wrestling season the South Pointe Stallions wrestling team have their eyes set on gold. “All we see is gold,” is the motto for this sea-son, according to senior captain Cameron Pike.

After South Pointe’s seven years of existence, the wrestling team has yet to win a state cham-pionship.

This year will be different, according to head coach Eddie Cook, who is setting the bar high this season and holding his team to even higher expectations than before. Cook guarantees a state title this season, and he is preparing his team for that championship and noth-ing less.

The very first day of off-season practice Cook got his wrestlers fired up with an inspirational speech.

Cook addressed his team and said, “Guys, look beside you and look around you. Somebody is sit-ting beside a state champion. When you guys stepped through that door and onto these mats, you stepped into something special. There are guys in this room that want to be great, that want to be national champions that want to get a scholarship. You can’t reach that level if you miss practices. You can’t reach that level if we don’t come together as a team. Our leaders know what it takes. Keep up with those guys and we will be state champions!”

After Cook’s speech every wrestler in the room had a determined expres-

sion on his face. The team cap-tains— junior Mike Miller, junior Corey Morgan and

Pike— all feel this year is their championship year.

“We will not be denied. We have 10 out of 13 starters returning from last year, including our only three state placers Corey, Mike, and I,” Pike said.

Last season in Division 3A Mor-gan placed fourth in the 195 weight class. Pike placed second at 138, and Miller placed fourth at 126.

“Last season I feel we had gotten so use to winning that we figured states would be a cake-walk, since we were wrestling guys we had already beaten. This year there will be no underesti-mating,” Pike said.

Miller, Pike and Morgan were South Pointe’s only state qualifiers and placers last season.

The wrestling team is even more anx-ious this season now that they have been moved up to AAAA. They’re also fueled by their crosstown rivals, Rock Hill High School, who made it to the AAAA state semi-finals last season.

“Whatever they do, we can do a thou-sand times better. We will finish what they couldn’t, and we will be state champions,” Morgan said.

The Stallions will face off against the Bearcats on Jan. 12, 2013. They will also face a start-of-season grudge match with AAAA state runner-ups Lexington High School on Nov. 22, 2012.

Despite the competition from the crosstown rivals, the wrestling team will also have stiff competition against the other two new AAAA teams Fort Mill High School on Jan. 3, 2013, and York

Photo by Alex Bigham

VARSITY WRESTLING SCHEDULE

Nov. 23, 2012: Monroe Red Hawk Tournament

Nov. 27, 2012: @Lexington High School

Nov. 30, 2012: Southern Slam @Eastside High

Dec. 5, 2012: @Lake Norman & Cuthberston High School

Dec. 7, 2012: Beef O’ Brady Tournament @Fort Mill

Dec. 15, 2012: Porter Ridge Wrestling Tournament

Dec. 21, 2012: Lugoff Elgin Tournament

Dec. 28, 2012: King of the Mat Tournament @North Davidson

Jan. 3, 2013: Region Quad @Lancaster, Fort Mill, and Nation Ford

Jan. 4, 2013: Border Wars Tournament @South Pointe

Jan. 8, 2013: @York High SchoolJan. 12, 2013: Regional Meet

VS. Rock Hill, Northwestern, and Lancaster

Jan. 17, 2013: Senior Night VS. Lancaster

Jan. 22, 2013: @Clover High School

Senior captain Cameron Pike goes for the pin in the division AAA State Tournament. Pike squeezes his opponent in a claw.

High School on Jan. 8, 2013. On Nov. 23, 2012, the Stallions will

kick off their wrestling season in No-vember at the Redhawk Invitational in Monroe, NC.

Michael Miller/SPiNThe varsity wrestlers throw up their goal—to be the number one team in the state.

Wade Hopper Sports editor


Kaelyn JiranBrandan Barber

Co-photography editors

Cars, trucks and everything in between

There is a story behind every-one’s car; it’s only a matter of revealing the truth. In these photos, going clockwise from top left, each vehicle owner celebrates his or her ride. Senior Ashli Simmons poses with her 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. Senior Logan Ard stands with his 2005 Chevy 1500 HD. Junior Asheid Beckham sits on the hood of his 1987 Oldsmobile Cutless. Sophomore Sarah Craig leans on the hood of her 2012 Kia Forte. Seniors Jamie Campbell & Wil-liam Robbins sit on top of Wil-liam’s 2002 Honda Pilot. Photos by Kaelyn Jiran & Bran-don Barber

SPIN Issue 1 volume 8

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