Volume 1, Issue 3 December 2011 2 - PC\|MACimages.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/MobileCounty/BakerHigh/Uploads/... · Volume 1, Issue 3 December 2011 On THEInside Features5 6-7 Center

Although Baker’s holiday participa-tion is similar to

the usual activities this year, clubs and groups around the school take time out of each month

to help those in the Mobile area.On the last Satur-day of every month,

Baker hosts a recycling event that is open to everyone interested. Stu-dents and teachers collect recyclables brought to the school and dispose of them properly. Recycling not only saves energy, but conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals. It also reduces materials that are not biodegradable in the environment such as plastic.

According to Mrs. Morales, who is temporarily the sponsor of the recycling campaign, (Mrs. Morales is taking the place of Mrs. Stevens, who is currently unavail-able to be at these events) “We recycle because we need to find ways to use what we have and not cre-ate more landfills.”Recycling isn’t hard, but the helpers at Baker ask that recyclable products are:• Sorted by color (clear, brown, amber, green, and blue) • Unbroken • Only food and beverage jars and bottles (no Pyrex, light bulbs or window glass) Still on the last Saturday of each month, the Multicultural Student Union club (MSU) holds a “campus clean-up” day. Members of MSU arrive on campus at 8:00 in the morning, and are there until 12:00 in the

afternoon, picking up all of the trash and debris around the school. Morales, who is also the sponsor of MSU, said that she was “tired of seeing Baker look so dreary with all the trash, so we (MSU) clean up around campus to make it look pretty.” But the “pretty” only lasts for the week-end; by the end of the following Monday, the campus is trashed again. Students finish a bottle of soda or bag of chips, and instead of finding a trash can they let their garbage “slip” from their hands onto the ground. This isn’t fair to the members of MSU, who work so hard to keep the school looking decent and presentable. Community service isn’t just for those criminals that are required to do it, or for seniors needing hours for their senior projects. It’s for

everyone, and it isn’t “stu-pid” or “lame” to keep the community of Mobile clean, starting with Baker. So do your part by throw-ing your garbage away, and maybe even picking up a piece of trash instead of ignoring it or kicking it

along. “Volunteers aren’t paid, not because they are worthless, but be-cause they are priceless.” ~Anonymous

HERALDB A K E R H I G H S C H O O L

Volume 1, Issue 3 December 2011

OnTHEInside

5Features

6-7Center

8Sports

10

12theStinger

2Drama students out-perform the

competition.

The Baker art store opens its doors.

Find out about your teachers’ dark pasts.

The Varsity Boys’ Bas-ketball team triumphs.

Hannah and Sterling go head to head.

Hungry readers can get their fill.

HORNET

News

HannahMaineStaffReporter

Show Us What You’ve GotOn the morning

of November 1st, Belles of

Baker, an all girls chorus group, and Bakers Dozen,

a mixed group, board-ed a bus and went to solo and en-

semble competition at Springhill Baptist Church. This competition is an annual performance. A singer can chose to receive

a score or he or she can just go to receive com-ments. This feedback

shows what improvements can be made to expand

the group. Many different choir groups from Mobile County come to perform

and be rated at this com-petition. Although there is

not a prize, it is the score the judges give that matter the most. Four soloists

from Belles of Baker performed. These girls were Marlena Smith, Tiara Thompson, Ansley Alford, and Sarah Mangrum. When performing, as a soloist or an ensemble, perform-ers stand in front of one judge. The judge listens to your breath support, dynamics, he or she

will make sure timing is all together, and they also check for articulation

and pronunciation of the words. The groups that perform are only allowed to sing songs of the arts, songs in foreign languag-es, like French or Latin, and songs that are classics. Modern songs are not permitted. The Belles of Baker’s ensemble received a rating of two, mean-ing they were excellent. Baker’s Dozen ensemble performed and they got a rating of a one meaning superior. There will also be another competition in the spring.

TiaraThompsonStaffReporter

The Belles of Baker pose following a competition.

Volunteers donate their time in community service.

WINTER BREAK BEgINs

December 21st

WINTER BREAKDecember 26th

WINTER BREAKDecember 23rd

WINTER BREAKDecember 22nd

WINTER BREAKDecember 30th

WINTER BREAKDecember 29th

WINTER BREAKDecember 28th

WINTER BREAKDecember 27th

WINTER BREAK ENDs

January 3rd

WINTER BREAKJanuary 2nd

BE sAFE AND HAVE FUN!!!

2 News December 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

The dramatic Difference

Lights, camera, action! On Decem-ber 1st Baker students left for the University of North Alabama

in Florence to participate in the 2011 Alabama State Trum-bauer Festival. Out of 2000 people, 1500 students competed. Mr. Browne, Baker’s new Drama teacher chaper-oned 23 students for the

com-peti-

tion. The awards and trophies Baker received were too numerous to count on two hands. Out of 22 events, 12 students got superior scores, and nine scored excel-lent. These achievements are astounding because this was the first time any of these students had attended the festival. Baker would like to congratulate Ryan Bolonas and Jerrell Johnson for their 2nd place state trophy in Duet Pantomime, and Blake Waters for his 3rd place state trophy for the Solo Male Dramatic category. Superior scores are the equivalent

of getting a gold medal. Congratulations to the following students who received superior scores: Ryan Bolonas and Jerrell Johnson for Duet Pantomime; Joey Baker and Husain Kazem for Duet Pantomime; Kristen Forsberg for Solo Acting Female

Contemporary Dramatic; Dae Jackson for Solo Acting Female Contemporary Dramatic; Husain Kazem for Solo Acting Male Contemporary Comedic; Pierce Nasser for Solo Acing Male Contemporary Dramatic; Raymond Peyton for Solo Act-ing Classical Dramatic; Jessica Wendling for Solo Acting Classical Dramatic; Dae Jackson for Solo Musical Female Dra-matic; Blake Waters for Solo Musical Male

Dramatic; Tyler McIlwain for Solo Musical Male Dramatic; and Morgan Carithers and Blake Waters for Duet Musical Comedic. Excellent scores are equal to silver medals. Congratulations to the excel-

lent score winners: Dakota West for Solo Acting Male Contempo-rary Comedic; Janell Williams for Solo Acting Calssical Comedic; Jessica Wendling for Solo Musi-cal Female Comedic; Ansley Alford for Solo Musical Female Dramatic; Morgan Carithers; Hannah Samarripa; Colton Hol-combe and Brandon Williams for Duet Acting Contemporary Comedic; Dakota Patrick and Sierra Patrick for Duet Acting Contemporary Comedic; and Pierce Nasser for Solo Acting Classical Dramatic.

Mr. Browne, the drama teacher at Baker, is very proud of all his students. This is his first year at Baker, and to have the accomplishments from the Festival is a great honor. The group hopes to continue carrying the record set through dedication and hard work.

JordanMcElroyStaffReporter

Students compete in a drama competition.

“On your marks! Get set! Go!” These were the words heard over a mega-phone officially starting the walk

for epilepsy early on Saturday, October 15th. Despite the fact that the initial goal

of 200 students was not reached, a large amount of students and citizens from all over showed up on the track at Baker High School with high energy. Most of the school clubs participated in this

walk, including the following: National

Honor Society, Key Club, Multi-Cultural

Club, Hornet Herald, SADD, Art Club, and many others. It was a beautiful, sunny and breezy morning with a chill of about seventy degrees throughout the event. The DJ was jamming to his beats and the people were excited and pumped up for this cause. When asked how many people

ended up showing up to participate in the epilepsy walk, Mr. Connick cheerfully replied, “Well, I would say about forty-five people ran the track and I’m going to guess there was about twenty to twenty-five cy-clists. I would say they got out here about 7:00 this morning and have been out here for about three hours.” The walk was held on Saturday morning and started promptly at 8:00. The cyclists began early at 6:00 in the morning and continued throughout the walk. As Brian Wimberly, a Biloxi Mississippi cyclist, returned to the start-ing point at Baker as one of the first after riding thirty-two miles, he was asked what he thought about the event, and out of breath he proudly stated, “Very good, not a bad mile and I had a good time. We love

to ride and so if it’s something we can contribute to help something out then by all means we want to do that, and we’ll take the challenge to help by riding or running.” Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. A seizure is the physical findings or behavior that comes after a large amount of electrical activity in the brain. Not all seizures are shaking and loss of control of the body’s muscles; however, those are one of the most recognized symptoms. Others include a person’s change of alertness and cannot remember a

period of time, unexplainable mood changes, change in sensa-tion of the skin, tasting a bitter or metallic flavor, and very rarely people have hallucinations. Sei-zures may go unnoticed depend-ing on what part of the brain is affected; however, symptoms may stop after a few minutes or last until fifteen minutes. Seldom do the symptoms last any longer.

TaylorTuceiStaffReporter

An epilepsy patient rides her bike for the cause.

On your Marks!

The Ways of the WorldFor 28 years, Mobile has held the

International Festival. The Interna-tional Festival showcases the culture

of other coun-tries. These countries have exhibits set up with informa-tion for the viewers. When attending, it is

possible to meet people from the country that you are learn-ing of. One

can ask those questions and get to know what life is like for that country. Baker has taken advantage of this and many foreign language teachers use this festival as a learn-

ing experience. A passport is given to the specta-tors, and every exhibit passes out a stamp letting the individual know where they have visited. It is possible to purchase trinkets and other gifts from the exhibits as well. This adds to the fun of the International Festival. The goal is to acquire every stamp from every country. This proves to be very difficult for those who attempt to take on the challenge. There are many hidden booths that are often missed. The only prizes for this endeavor are bragging rights. The Festival also includes varieties of foods, letting buyers get a taste of what the actual food tastes like. Festival goers can buy these foods with tokens from the festi-val; they can buy extra tokens but are given four at the door. The majority of the meals are priced at two tokens. The International Festival is a real eye opener for foreign cuisine specialists.

Entertainment is provided as well. It is possible to watch a col-lection of music, dancing, even acro-bats. Many of the acts are from the country they are representing. This gives people an authentic experience that only the International Festival can provide. People choose to take pictures of the entertainment. The tickets for the Interna-tional Festival are not as expensive as one would think. Tickets for adults are ten dollars, tickets for seniors are eight dollars, tickets for kids seven through fifteen are five dollars and kids six and under get in for free. These are ideal for the current economy and families for who want a very inexpensive yet fun vacation.

SterlingSpencerCo-EditorTiaraThompsonStaffReporter

A performer dances in the International Festival.

Many people participated in the Epilepsy walk.

These students participated in the competion.

In today’s present economy, finding jobs is hard for anyone, but it

is especially hard for young people who are still in high school. While concen-trating on their studies, many

students seek to find ways to make money. For most teenag-ers in high school they will be seeking first time employ-ment. This makes it even more difficult to be hired because of their lack of experience in the work force. Some fortunate students will land a job at a local or fast food restaurant making

minimum wage, while others will find themselves stuck in a viscous cycle of application and rejection. Before the U.S. entered a reces-sion, fast food jobs were looked down upon, even by teenagers. With the unemployment rates so high, adults are taking jobs that students would normally retain. This leaves fewer opportuni-ties for inexperienced workers. Because teenag-ers are still in school, this dampens the chance of get-ting a job due to the fact that employers have to schedule around school and extracur-ricular activities. Many jobs that teenagers are privileged enough to occupy are only seasonal or temporary jobs, meaning that a teenager could have a job during the Christ-

mas season or summer break, but could be let go when the season is over. This can be

convenient for some employ-ers, but inconvenient for most employees. Filling out resumes, talking to counselors, and searching online are all ef-ficient ways to strengthen the chance of finding a steady job. Both turning in applica-tions and being consistent in showing the employer that

the applicant is interested are major factors in landing a job. Once scheduled for an inter-view, appearance is a deter-mining factor in being hired or declined the position. An employer makes his/her decision within the first ten minutes of when the ap-plicant walks through their door. Do not dress in a tuxedo, but do not dress in a t-shirt either; one should just look presentable. Another useful tip is to make a list of places to apply to, and

check them off one by one. Be prepared for rejection, the odds of a teenager getting a job on their first application are tremendously small. For most teens, finding a job is a job within itself; but if the effort is put forth, the ordeal can become much easier.

3News December 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

How did you feel when you found out you made trail?I was very excited. I ran and told everyone about it the minute I got my letter.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a Trail Maid?I almost fell in my first parade. Luckily, I caught myself.

What was your favorite memory as a Trail Made? We danced in Bienville Square with some kids that were there for a charity run.

How has Trail introduced you to new people?I have made some of the best friends through trail. My group is the most amaz-ing group of girls I’ve ever met.

In your opinion, what is the purpose of doing Azalea Trail?To meet new people and to represent Mo-bile in a positive way.

Advice to 2013 Trail Maids?Take plenty of pictures because it’ll be gone before you know it.

On the Trail With...Morgan Carithers

The Path to AcceptanceIt is midyear through

the senior term of high school and it seems that

someone has pressed the fast forward button on time. It

is only Decem-ber and friends are receiving accep-tance

letters from school

never heard of, parents are expecting grades to impress future colleges and teachers speak of the present class as if they have graduated already. Everything seems to have a deadline that is right around the corner and help is

needed. The solution to this dilemma is to check the timeline. Seniors who have not applied to colleges still have a window of opportu-nity left. Students, especially those who are undecided

concerning college enroll-ment should begin with ap-plying to school within their locales. Applications to local schools for the fall semester, such as the University of South Alabama, are open until July of 2012. For those

students who have already completed the application process, it would be wise to follow up on submissions. By contacting the college or uni-versity’s office of admissions, one can easily confirm that the institution has received materials and that supple-ments are not necessary. While college deadlines are quickly ap-proaching, many scholarship competitions are still open for entry. Remember scholar-ships are not exclusively for the scholarly. Students who range in talents, backgrounds, and abilities are all recipients of scholarship awards. One simply has to match the scholarship to the individual. Students should know where college advisors are located.

MichellePhillipsEditor

We are the 99%“We are the 99%” is

one of the many cries you can hear from Wall

Street presently. These shouts are from the protesters partic-ipating in Occupy Wall Street.

These protest-ers stay out in the freezing weather and rain to show their support

for this movement. They are a prime example of citizens exercising their first amend-ment rights. Occupy Wall Street started on September 17, 2011 in Manhattan’s financial district. It is a grass roots campaign to bring to atten-tion that the richest 1% is buying politicians. This is upsetting to the 99% of the country who cannot follow suit and are forced to watch as the cards fall where they

may. That has caused an uproar which has spurred this movement to its current form. This is the basis of Oc-cupy Wall Street. There are many misconceptions about Oc-cupy Wall Street. The most common misconception is that everyone there is lazy and does not want to get a job. One third of the protest-ers have jobs; the other two thirds are actively seeking jobs but cannot be hired due to the current economic condition. Another mis-conception is that all of the protesters are liberals, hippies, and the homeless. This could not be farther from the truth. The protesters come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicity, politi-cal ideologies, and class. The protesters are inspired by many pro-tests around the world. The uprising in Tunisia and Egypt earlier in the year have helped mold the protest. The oc-cupiers are using a technique

called the “Arab Spring” technique. This involves pro-

testers occupying a place for an extended amount of time using civil disobedience to get their points across. Just as much as Occupy Wall Street is inspired by other protests, the demonstration has also inspired many other protests around the world. Occupy Wall Street has inspired over 1,500 protests in cities around the world. The students of Baker also have an opinion on the protests. Noah Hacker remarked, “I think the middle

class has been attacked. While corporations are hit-

ting record profits, the middle class remains stag-nant. We are the 99%.”

Brad Robinson said, “I agree with the points they are making but this is the wrong way to go about it. They have a multitude of wants but do not understand what it takes to achieve their goals.” Whether you agree or disagree with the protes-tors the amount of vigor they display is admirable. The occupiers will continue to stand for their cause in rain or snow. You can read more about Occupy Wall Street on Occupywallst.com.

SterlingSpencerCo-Editor

Stduents Noah and Brandon discuss the movement.

MatthewO’NealStaffReporter

A Job in I t se l f

A student completes an applicattion.

Ho r n e t He r a l d4 FeaturesDecember 2011

Lighting the Way Every Christmas season many

people gather to experience the magical decorations and lights at

Bellingrath Gardens. Bellingrath Gardens is a 65 acre botanical garden and man-sion located on Fowl River in Theodore, Alabama. Bellingrath Gardens and Home was the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath.

The Gardens first opened to the public in 1932 while a national garden

club meeting was taking place in Mobile. Mr. Bellingrath placed an ad in the Mobile paper, announcing that anyone who would like to see the spring garden could do so free of charge. After an overwhelming re-sponse, the couple decided to keep the gar-dens open year-round, beginning in 1934. Throughout the year, this 65 acre Garden Estate is in full bloom with camellias in the winter, azaleas in the spring, roses in the summer, chrysanthemums in autumn and Magic Christmas in Lights during the holiday season. This is the time that draws the most attention. Workers begin installing the show after Labor Day weekend, lighting walk-

ways and shrubs throughout the gardens. People come from all over to see the magi-cal lights of Bellingrath. There are over 3 million sparkling lights making more than 14 thousand light strands used. The themes change as you stroll though the garden. They feature an “underwater” tunnel where they have all kinds of sea life created in lights. Also, they have a Japanese creation composed of a traditional Japanese house, flowers, and a dragon. Bellingrath Gardens is an amaz-ing experience for all ages. The beautiful lights and jaw dropping decorations will wow anyone. Whether bringing a date, or going with family Bellingrath Gardens is a

wonderful place to celebrate the holidays.

The Gardens feature creative light displays.

Food for ThoughtOmm nom nom: the noise most

often associated with food and eating. This holiday season,

Baker High School is doing a great deed in helping those in need by contributing to the annual food drive. The premise of a

food drive is to help the community, or as Mrs. Estle, the FBLA sponsor, said, “To help those who are less fortunate or in need.” For over ten years Baker has been doing the

food drive. There are only two food drives per year and they each last for about three or

four weeks, collecting numerous amounts of canned food during that time. Anyone can be a part of the food drive; it is not just for the clubs around the school. The clubs who participate in the food drives are Junior Civitian, Mrs. Fairley;

Key Club, Mrs. Roe; Student Council, Mrs. Rockhold; and Future Business Leaders of America with Mrs. Mills. The food drive is also for the students doing the senior project; it counts as one of the senior activi-ties. The food goes to several different destina-tions. A part of it will go to local churches around Mobile. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile carries a large part in the food drive. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mo-bile is a non-profit organization supported by individual, corporate, and foundation

donations. It provides a “home away from home” for families who travel to Mobile for

their chil-dren to re-ceive treat-ment for seri-ous, often life-

threat-ening

illnesses and injuries. The house has room for up to 38 families a night. Families stay for days, weeks, and sometimes months at a time while their children receive care. In

its 11 years of existence, Ronald McDonald House has served over 3,000 families from around the Gulf Coast, from across the country and around the world. Families are asked to contribute 12 dollars a night to stay, but no one is ever turned away for the lack of ability to pay. Also, The Bay Area Food Bank offers many hunger relief programs to help the local communities. They offer programs for every population, for every food and for every nutrition needed. The main ware-house is located in Theodore, Alabama. It is a 39,000 square feet facility capable of holding 2 million pounds of food at a time. Baker also collects canned food for any of the disaster victims around Mobile. During the holidays is one of the most difficult times for the homeless to find food. Food drives present a solution to this problem.

Donation collectors appreciate all contributions.

All is Write with BakerThe Writer’s Guild, the new addition

to the Baker family, is a place for all aspiring writers as well as those

who are interested in honing their skills. The Writer’s Guild is open to all grade levels. If a writer intends to join the club they will need to pick up an application from Mrs. Williamson,

the club sponsor. This application is designed to see how

developed the individual’s writing abilities are. The applicants are asked to submit any kind of writing from a poem to a short story. These applications are reviewed by Mrs. Williamson who will announce the accepted applicants. The Writer’s Guild meets every other Wednesday in Mrs. Williamson’s room. They then have their warm up activ-ity which can range from serious to goofy.

After the warm up everyone reads their assignment from the week before. These assignments are then given to Mrs. Williamson who will make a book with all of the pieces of art and donate it to the media center. Then the writers are given another assignment for the next meeting. The atmosphere in the room is built to be caring and intended to be judgment free. Many writers in the guild write what is on their minds. No matter what material is submitted there is zero judgment to the author. The word weavers genuinely show good will and

care about each other. After the presenter is done with reading their work there is

always a snap applause. This club fosters a sense of camaraderie that shows through

their work. The aspiring authors are encour-

aged to give advice as well as construc-tive criticism. The writers feel this is the best way to improve their writing abili-ties, which are put to the test when their next assignment is due. The author then feels an amazing amount of power and confidence in their abilities. LaShawnveá Moss, the president of the Writer’s Guild, said, “I honestly love to write. I am extremely excited and happy to be president. I am interested in how others write.” Mrs. Williamson said, “I am excited about seeing my students express themselves. I cannot wait to see what the year unfolds to be.” These students also enter contests to win grants as well as prizes for their writing. The writers compete with multiple students across the county. These contests are in a way the final test

for the writers. The Writer’s Guild is a new and exciting addition to the hive.

The members of the Guild read submitted material.

SterlingSpencerCo-Editor

JordanMcElroyGuestReporter

LoganSingletonCo-Editor

WE sTAND UNDEFEATED

Baker High school is proud to announce the 2011 record of the Var-sity scholars Bowl Team. Finishing an undefeated season of 13-0 the

members won the scholars Bowl Championship! Team members include seniors:Kevin Lazarus, Ryan santmyer, CJ Conn and juniors: Chris Mar-

zullo, and Meghan sergeant!

Monet for MoneyCome one come all! Welcome the

first annual art gallery store now being hosted by the Art Club at

Baker High School. The chairs of the gallery store committee are Taylor Tucei

and Michelle Phil-lips. The opening of the new gallery was held on Monday, December 12th and following Tuesday, December 13th. This gallery served as an experimental prototype for the opening of the

store the following year. The store was an opportunity for those running behind on Christmas shopping to catch up on

their purchases. If successful, the prob-ability of reopening annually is more likely to happen. The art gallery store contained a variety of hand-made items and clothing including knitted scarves, crochet hats, beaded bracelets, multicol-ored key chains, decorated headbands, painted dice and what are now known as “car pompoms”. These pompoms, along with the dice, are little car ornaments that are made with different colors and are commonly hung from rear view mirrors in vehicles. Some individual artworks were hung and advertised for anyone to take a glimpse and purchase if interested.

Mrs. Peavy, sponsor of the Art Club, made the art store possible. She dedicated her time and money to help motivate the club to make merchandise to sale to the students of Baker High School, parents, and the faculty and staff members. Mrs. Peavy expressed her thoughts and feelings of this event by stating, “In the beginning of the year when we first met as a class, we brain-stormed about new projects. One of the things the art club strives for is school, community and involvement such as Mural Project.” Mrs. Peavy expressed her excitement for the grand opening and the overall success of store. Mrs. Peavy stated, “The gallery shop is one way to show the talents of our art students here at Baker High School and encouraging

them to learn the value of their time and talents and how to them share with the general public.” As a club, organizing the first art store was difficult and being un-sure of the complete outcome of the project was extremely hectic. For consecu-tive weeks,

club members worked nonstop on their individual projects preparing for this new store until the very last minute. Michelle Phillips, one of the leaders of this particular project and a current senior attending Baker, briefly stated her opinion by stating, “It was a really unique experience seeing everyone work together under so much pressure and to make the store come together at the last minute was impressive.” This is the first attempt of the creation of the art gallery shop by the Art Club and Baker is in hopes for a fol-low up opening next year.

TaylorTuceiStaffReporter

Ho r n e t He r a l d 5FeaturesDecember 2011

The art store was set up in a room conjoining the library.

Sadd Brings Hol i day HappinessCandy, Trick-or-Treating, turkey, and

presents are just a few things that come to mind when thinking about

fall and winter holidays. But for members of Baker’s Students Against Destruc-tive Decisions (SADD) and sponsor Mrs. Gladen, holiday time means helping the

less fortunate in the school, throughout the community, and around the world.

The SADD club educates students about decisions that could have deadly consequences, and works to prevent these bad decisions

being made. In Oc-tober, SADD mem-bers were taught the dangers of drinking and driving, smok-ing, and texting while driving. Students had the option of sign-ing a contract for life, and were able to choose specifi-cally the promises they agreed to so there were not any questions or doubts. There was also a contract in which students agreed to not text while driv-ing. What they did not know, though, was that if they signed one of these agreements their name would be put into a raffle for a prize – a huge candy basket – given out on Halloween. (The name was entered twice if they signed both) These contracts have all been posted on the red wall just outside Mrs. Gladen’s room, in the science hall. Right before Thanksgiving break, SADD collected about 50 shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, books, and other things children need. These boxes go to needy children, often in third-world countries, all around the world. In most cases, this is the only Christmas present the child receives all year. This project (Opera-tion Christmas Child run by Samaritan’s Purse) had to be completed long before the Christmas season because of the time it takes to inspect the boxes and send them

to the other side of the world. For the winter holiday project, SADD will be collecting money for the Child Advocacy Center. This facility is in Mobile, and helps physically or sexually abused children. Along with this collection, SADD will also be accepting new toys to donate to Toys for Tots. SADD may at first seem “nerdy” or “lame,” but it could save someone’s life to know the dangers of daily habits that seem so harmless. Mrs. Gladen says that she “…can’t stand to see someone die when it could’ve been prevented,” and that is why SADD exists at Baker. Members work to raise awareness of these dangers, and to help the community in any way they can.

Meetings are the second and fourth Tues-days of every month at 6:50 a.m. Any-one interested in joining should see Mrs. Gladen in room 221 for an application and a morning pass.

HannahMaineStaffReporter

Students signed and posted contracts for SADD.

A P S T U D E N T S

AP

ST

UD

EN

TS

The students pictured here are the proud members of the Baker High

school Advanced Placement Program. These individuals have earned a three

or above on at least one of the AP subject area tests.

Congratulations students!!!

HO HO HO OR

NO NO NO

“I got a 3XL pink sweater from my grandfather’s

wife. I was a size zero at the time.”

-Mrs. Bermudez

“I really haven’t gotten any bad gifts. I appreciate

everything I get.”-Mr.Broadnax

Some of these teachers may have received the worst Christmas gifts

EVER!

“I got an Auburn sweat-shirt.”

-Mr.Hanson (an Alabama fan)

“For Dirty santa I got marshmallows and was

told it was reindeer poo.” -Mrs. Armstrong

“I got a keyboard with-out a computer. My par-ents weren’t exactly tech-

nologically advanced.”-Mrs. Heavner

A metallic gold jacket. Whoo it was bad! -Mrs. Holbrook.

8 SportsDecember 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

The Crowd Goes WildSwish! is the only noise

heard when attending the Hornets basketball

games. Starting out the sea-son undefeated against seven

dif-ferent oppo-nents, includ-ing rival Theo-dore, the Hor-nets beat

the Bobcats by double digit intervals. The Hornets have been dominating the court for the first part of the season. The Hornet team members are so versatile that this team does not have a

main starting five. The play-ers, along with the crowd, are electrified when the team takes the court. The fabulous five swarm the court and are an amazing sight to see. The head coach of this undefeated team is Jeb Blackerby. He has been coaching the Hornets for several years. Coach Blacker-by has taken the Hornets to many tournaments, such as The Elite 8 and Final Four. With Coach Blackerby being the leader of the Hornet Hooligans, he is a strong believer in moral support and enthusiastic positive re-inforcement from the crowd. Coach has his heart set in this team and in this game; his expression tells it on the court and his dedication tells

it off the court. The Hornets are looking forward to a picture perfect season. With the leadership of several senior players such as: Brandon Grant, Lawyer Lily, Matt Glenzer, A’Zsan Scott, Bernard Lampert, and Joshua Paul Shelley the team has enough talent and experience to win state. With this being their last year of enrollment at Baker High School these seniors have high hopes of winning it all before leaving their fellow teammates and coaches. One amazing play-er, Joshua Shelley, has been a starter for Baker Hoops since his freshman year. Josh, being a three sport all around athlete, was injured in a tragic

football accident in the Baker vs. Faith game at the begin-ning of the season. While tackling an opposing player, Josh broke his neck. At first, it was thought to be a slight concussion, but the injury was later found to be more drastic. He has been making a speedy recovery and has had a large amount of moral support from his family and friends. Josh is hopeful in his return to finish out the basketball season with the Hornets. An outstanding team and exhilarating crowd makes Baker Hoops at Daniel Bumpers Gymnasium a great venue for any sports fan. Come out and support the Hornets in all their suc-cess.

CaseyMcSweenyStaffReporter

Jayda Carney Spotlight

Po wd e r p u f f M e m o r i e s

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL DATE LOCATION SITEDec.16 Davidson HomeDec.20 Daphne AwayDec.28-30 Tournament Away Jan 3 Murphy Away Jan.6 Theodore AwayUan.10 Blount HomeJan.13 Fairhope Away Jan.17 Faith AwayJan.20 Blount AwayJan.24 MGM Away Jan.31 Murphy HomeFeb.2 McGill Home Feb. 3 Davidson AwayFeb.6 Daphne Home

W hat ’s G oing On?Your guide to Baker

Sports 2011-2012

Unplug cords that are not in use.• Use higher wattage light bulbs. They • last longer which saves money and cuts down on waste.Use a full load in the dish washer. • Turn your toilet tank blue. Or green or • red. Pour food coloring into the water in the tank, wait two hours, and then check to see if any color has seeped into the bowl. If it has, your tank’s flapper is leaking. Toilet leaks waste up to a gallon of water per minute. That’s more than 43,000 gallons a month.Wipe your feet, so everyone enters • with clean shoes. You’ll drastically reduce the amount of grime tracked in. That means fewer pathogens that cause disease and less chemical cleanup.If you’ll be away from your computer • for more than 20 minutes, change it to “sleep” mode.Collect aluminum cans and plastic • bottles to redeem for cash to spend on a treat.Turn off the water while brushing your • teeth. Install dimmer switches in the living • and dining rooms and three bedrooms to dial down electricity fees about $37 a year.Wear clothes that don’t need to be dry-• cleaned.Keep your cell phones, computers, and • other electronics as long as possible.

Jayda Carney is a senior here at Baker and has played varsity basketball and softball for four years. Over the course of the course of three years Jayda has broken collectively five state

records. she has 106 stolen bases in one season, which is the highest in Alabama. she also has back to back records holding

first and second places in most stolen bases; thirteen being first and nine being second. Her most recent accomplishment is The golden shoe Award. This is awarded to one girl in every college division of softball,

and only one high school stu-dent. The award is presented

annually to the top base stealer in the country. We

are so proud to have Jayda as a Baker Honeybee and we wish her luck in the future.

Senio

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9SportsDecember 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

Right on TargetDuring hornet block, the

“whoosh” of an arrow can be heard outside. This is the Baker

Archery team perfecting their shots. The young sharpshooters hope to come in first at state champion-ships. With practice and diligence put into their craft they are assured to do well.

There was an influx of students ask-ing about having archery as a class

because of an error in the available class list. This spurred a teacher into creating an archery team. That teacher is Mr. Brown, who is currently the sponsor of the ar-chery team. The way the marksmen are scored on their shots is through a point system.

The archers start with five arrows in their quiver. They will then take their first dis-tance to shoot at the intended target. Then they are tasked with hitting a target with ten rings. The out-ermost ring being one point where as the innermost ring is worth ten points. Once all five arrows are shot competi-tors then move to their other distance and repeat the same process of shooting five arrows. They will do this for three rounds and their scores will be added up for a grand total. Awards are handed out based on individual scores. There are a few rules and regulations the team must follow to be able to compete in the archery tournament. The team must have at least four

female students shooting. The team can be composed of up to 24 students. Only the original, unmodified Genesis TM bow may

be used. Once these rules are met the team is allowed to compete in competition. Senior Steven Champagne said,

“I think we are a strong, solid team. In the future I think we could be the best. We just need to work hard and shoot straight.” The archery team is a beloved part of the hive. Whether they are behind the gym firing off arrows or in front of judges, these competi-tive teammates will continue to do great things. The archers always be aiming for the top.

SterlingSpencerCo-Editor

Baker’s disc golf club has come a long way from where it began in 2007; with more students partici-

pating than any prior year, cool club polo shirts, and a whole new course, the club has

a lot to offer to any-one looking for a new after school activity. Disc golf is a lot like normal golf, except instead of hitting balls toward holes, players toss

discs (not Frisbees!) toward chain-lined baskets. Like golf, different discs are

made for certain situations, like drivers, mid-range, and putters. Unlike normal golf courses, most disc golf courses consist of par 3’s. Never played disc golf before? Do not fret! Mr.Tolbert and the other

players will help you get better, lend you a few discs (not Frisbees!) and have more fun playing. The club meets and plays on Thursdays after school on the course located ad-jacent to the Freshman Academy but anyone can play on the course anytime they wish. The club is run by Mr.Tolbert and is made up of about 20 students. Many stu-dents in the club participate in disc golf

tournaments around Mobile, wearing their new club polo shirts. Trey Duke recently placed 5th out of 76 in a local tournament.

Bak-er’s course is main-tained by Mr.Tolbert and club members and is frequently changed, but due to the construc-tion of the new Freshman Academy, the course had to be completely

redesigned to fit the space allotted. “I

definitely like the new course better than any of the old ones. I’ve come much closer to acing these holes.” says Levi Creech, a disc golf veteran. If one is looking for a new after school activity and thinks that the disc golf club sounds right for him or her, they should just head over to the course after school on Thursday and give it a toss. Just make sure you do not call a disc a frisbee.

MatthewO’NealStaffReporter

A l l t he R oa rThe South Alabama Jaguars football

program was established in 2009. In December 2007, the university’s

board of trustees approved the addition of football to the intercollegiate athlet-

ics program. The board and athletic director, Dr. Joel Erdman, have high hopes that the Jags pro-gram will be an NCAA Division I contender and also in the Sun Belt Conference by 2013. Joey Jones is a former wide receiver for the

University of Alabama and for the Atlanta Falcons. Joey Jones was announced coach of the Jags in 2008 by President Gordon Moulton and Athletic Director Joe Got-tfried. Jones started his season in 2009 and came out undefeated at 7-0. The Jags outscored their opponents in total 321-41. The Jags went from playing seven games in the first season to adding an extra three to their 2010 season. The second season, much like their first, was picture perfect. Playing no junior colleges the Jags would go on to defeat schools from the NAIA and NCAA Division II

conferences. Jones and the Jags would go on to yet another undefeated season in 2010 with a record of 10-0 and throwing around their opponents and outscoring them greatly by a combined score of 413-130. The 2011 season for the South Alabama Jaguars should have had the Jags playing an eleven game season but with the of the contracts of UC Davis and Edward Waters College, South was only able to replace one of those games with Missis-sippi Valley State. Also, the 2011 season brings a beginning to South’s two year transition period from unclassified to Division I FBS status. Another first for the Jaguars was having their season opener against West Alabama televised on WJTC and also on ESPN 3. In 2012 South’s football program will be in their final transition year to the full Division I FBS. This outstand-ing football program and school will begin to face Sun Belt conference teams in their 2012 season, but the Jags will still not be eligible for post season bowl games or the national championships. Following the death of running back, Anthony Mostella, one of many football traditions started in the second season of

South’s program. Mostella was a terrific leader and an amazing workhorse for the Jags program. Head coach, Joey Jones, shows respect by using his Jersey as mo-tivation, as a memory, and as a metaphor for hard work and dedication by awarding his number 5 jersey to one outstanding senior to admire throughout the season and the year. Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been home

to the Jaguars ever since starting their program in 2009. Ladd is the home to two differ-ent NCAA games name-ly the Senior Bowl and Go Daddy Bowl. Seating 50,000 elec-

tric fans in this classic stadium is not so conventional considering there are another 20,000 fans tailgating in the parking lot. The Jags at Ladd-Peeble Stadium in small town Mobile, Alabama, are a sight to see, so come support a local up and coming football program and a great college.

NoraMagnone & CaseyMcSweeneyStaffReporters

A student plays disc golf on Baker’s campus.

SO Not A FrisbeeArchers prepare to shoot a target.

RandomActsofTrivia

President Kennedy was the fastest ran-• dom speaker in the world with upwards of 350 words per minute. Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.• The most common name in the world is • Mohammed.Karoke means “empty orchestra” in • Japanese.It would take 11 Empire State Build-• ings, stacked one on top of the other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point.The most money ever paid for a cow in • an auction was $1.3 million.The names of the two stone lions in • front of the New York Public Library are Patience and Fortitude.The Main Library at Indiana University • sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.The king of hearts is the only king with-• out a moustache.When snakes are born with two heads, • they fight each other for food. American car horns beep in the tone • of FThere are twice as many kangaroos in • Australia as there are people. The kan-garoo population is estimated at about 40 million.Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards.• A lion’s roar can be heard from five • miles away.Children grow faster in the springtime.•

Switzerland is a small country in central Europe, and it is not connected nor has it anything to do with Sweden. A lot of people often get Switzerland and Sweden mixed up. Switzerland is much smaller and farther south than Sweden. About 7.7 million people live in Switzerland. Switzerland is known for many things such as chocolate, mountains covered with snow, cheese, famous ski resorts, the homes of Tina Turner and Pussycat Doll lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, and a destination for many famous stars. Switzerland’s four official languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. German is the dominant lan-guage. Second is French, Italian is the third, and the smallest part speaks Romansh. Switzerland is surrounded by Ger-

many, France, Austria, Italy and Fuersten-tum Lichten-stein.

The School system there is extremely differ-ent from the Mobile County Public School System here in the United States. High

school is completed after 9th grade; it is required to have 3 forty-five minute lessons of physical education per week.

School normally starts at 7:15, but you might not have a class that requires you to come at that time. I do not come to school until 8:05 because my classes do not require it. Classes last for 45 minutes, then there is a break to switch classes for 5 minutes. From 9:40 until 10:00 there is a big break where you must go outside. There you can talk to your friends, play soccer, basketball, or just walk with your friends and eat your snack. At 10:05 class starts back up again. At 11:40 most students go home with their bike, with the bus, or walk. The bus however is not a school bus, this is a public, and so if the bus doesn’t stop where you live, you can walk, catch another bus or ride the bike. In the afternoon, school starts at 1:30pm. It can last until 2:15, or until 5:35pm. School is always out on Wednesday after-noon. The school I attended had about 120 students from seventh up until ninth grade and about 20 teachers. Class sizes were between 12 and the largest being around 30 students.

10Ho r n e t He r a l dDecember 2011

N o r a ’ s

H e S a i d S h e S a i d

SterlingSpencerCo-Editor & HannahMaineStaffReporter

I personally think whoever initiated the date should be the one to pay. When you are in the beginning of a relationship you need to be able to see if a person is responsible and de-pendable. I know I would be livid if I was asked out and I had to pay for both of our dinners. When you reach a point where you are further

in a relationship you can then start to split the bill.

I don't think religion should matter at all when it comes to who you are dating. When you go on a date with someone it is to meet them a person. You aren't going out with a god or a church you are go-ing out with a person. When you start making a list of what your date needs to have then you really limit yourself. When you get further into your relationship you can cross the religion bridge when you get to it.

I think that scary movies are perfect for dates. Romantic-Comedies often put unrealistic expectations on the table. No, I will not show up at your door step in the rain with a radio playing “When I Get You Alone” to win you over. It is better to be next to each other watch-ing a scary movie because if it is scary you have each other. If it isn't you can laugh at how cheesy it is.

Who should pay on the first date?

Should religion factor in on who you date?

Scary movies or romantic movies for dates?

A lot of people think that whoever asked the other person out should pay. I think that the guy should pay for the first date or two, regardless of who asked whom out. I believe that the guy should act as a gentle-man towards the girl. After the first few dates, the girl needs to offer to pay for her half. Most likely, the guy will say no, but at least he knows she’s not going to let him go broke because of her.

To me, religion really matters, especially in a serious relationship. Dating standards and boundaries are based on religion – or the lack of –whether people realize it or not. Plus, in some religions, you have to raise your kids to the beliefs of your spouse, rather than to your own. If you have religion in common, that eliminates any arguments or problems related to reli-gion.

I prefer to watch romantic-comedies on a date because I don’t like scary movies. And with a roman-tic movie that is funny at the same time, you can find out if your boyfriend/girlfriend has the same sense of humor as you, without things getting too awkward.

Ne ws

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December 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

“I’m not going to go to the EQT be-cause I know I’m going to fail.”

“Iz you from London?”

“You can take the uh… uhh snack room stairs!”

“I just moved here from Michigan.” “Do they drive on the same side of

the road there?”

“Is Alaska part of the U.S?” “Yes…” “Is it connected?” “No.” “Ohhh…”

“She thinks she is from Japanese..”

“He’s dumb. With a capital D-U-M.”

“He has the body of a walrust!”

EAsT TO WEsT: story of a Foreign Exchange student

Xixuan(Vincent) Wang is a new foreign exchange student to Baker. Vincent just left from China to visit here on an extended student VIsA. He is looking to study at Auburn to become an engineer. His positive outlook on life and humorous personality will carry him far in life. Vincent studied the English language for approximately one and half years before apply-ing for the Foreign Exchange student program in China. He was then taken in by his host fam-ily who also houses another exchange student from Brazil. In the Foreign Exchange student program the host families pick their student. Vincent will be staying with his host family for 6 more years. Vincent says “I am very happy with my host family. They are very nice people. I could not pick a nicer family.” Vincent has said that the American way of life is extremely different from the Chinese one. One of his favorite foods in America is the hamburger. He also finds it odd that the roads are much less congested than in China. He also said one of his favorite American shows is “Terra Nova”. From the East to the West let's show Vincent that Baker is the best.

Tara’s Homemade TreatsAvailable at Mosley’s Meats

4678 Airport Blvd. (251)344-5764

HEARD IT IN THE HALLS Ridiculousness from the dangerous depths of Baker’s hallways

12 The StingerDecember 2011Ho r n e t He r a l d

The Hornet Herald is published by the Journalism class of Baker High School. The objective of the Hornet Herald is to publish a factual, informative, and entertaining newspaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints.

The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all Herald staff members.

The newspaper reserves the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

The Herald will not print obscene or libelous submissions, nor submissions that target an individual.

Advertisements that are obscene, misleading or illegal to minors will not be printed. The Herald reserves the right to reject any advertisement. To place an ad, contact the adviser or the Herald staff at 221-3000.

Staff ReportersNora MagnoneHannah MaineJordan McElroy

Casey McSweeneyMatthew O’NealSterling SpencerTiara Thompson

Taylor TuceiJanell Williams

HornetHeralD

Editor-in-ChiefMichelle Phillips

Co-EditorsLogan SingletonSterling Spencer

Hungry For MoreWith over 1 million sales in the

United States alone, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games has

already become a huge success, but with a film adaptation of the story set to release March 23rd of next year, the book has been gaining so much attention that many are calling it “the next Twilight”.

`Published in September 2008, The

Hunger Games is a post apocalyptic, science fiction story about sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen’s wearisome life in District 12 of the country Panem, where North America once existed. Once every year, The Capitol hosts the annual Hunger Games in which

two children are randomly se-lected from each of the districts to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death; the entire event is broadcasted on every screen in the nation, so The Capitol can remind citizens just how powerful they are. When Katniss’ little sister Prim has her name drawn to participate in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the arena. With two more books added to the series, surviving the Hunger Games is only the beginning for young Katniss Everdeen. Overall, the book has received positive reviews from credible authors like Stephen King, Rick Riordan, and Stephenie Myers.

Myers said, “I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner

and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn’t have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it...The Hunger Games is amazing”. Many fans are skeptic about the movie being adapted into a film, due to the odd casting choices and the fear of things being excluded, but they can all rest easy knowing that Suzanne Collins adapted the story for film herself. Personally, I think that The Hunger Games is a fantastic story that builds heart-pounding suspense and it will leave any reader hungry for more.

MatthewO’NealStaffReporter

On November 17, 2011, the much waited for Breaking Dawn Part

1, hit the big screen. Teens waited outside of theaters to see the movie at the midnight

premiere. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga has become a huge hit across the United States, mostly because

it is teen audience targeted. It is so big that movies have been made based off of her book

saga. Her books and the movies cre-ate the inspiring love story of Bella and Edward in a fantasy world. Girls and guys over the world have become obsessed with the series. The story line moves from Bella moving to Forks, meeting her new friends and the unbelievably charming Edward Cullen in Twilight, to Edward walking away, Bella get-ting close to Jacob, and Edward coming back to Bella. These movies and books have kept us Twilight fans wanting more of the dramatic turns these movies offer. In this movie, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) finally get married, but little do

they know that their marriage has serious consequences that both their family and friends

have to bear. Jacob, (Taylor Lautner), also has some battles

of his own to face as he finds out where he belongs. Breaking Dawn Part 1 is rated

PG-13. All in all, this movie has been one of the best movies in the whole collection and is definitely a must-see if you love Stephenie Meyers books. The Breaking Dawn Party 2 comes to

theaters on November 16, 2012.

TiaraThompsonStaffReporter

Answering the Call: MW3Sledgehammer Games has done it

again with the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This

game features a breathtaking campaign with outstanding graphics. It was released on November 12, 2011 and had people

camping out at the stores awaiting the release at midnight.

While taking on the campaign, players assume the role of three various characters. These protagonists feature unique perspectives

to play through the campaign. With

each mission, there are certain objectives to be completed shown on the “heads up dis-play,” that also sets the distance and direc-tion to the location needed to complete the objective. The goals could be any number of things from reaching a certain point, defending an area, or eliminating enemies. This game also features a Survival Mode. This mode features one or two play-ers fighting off endless waves of enemies with increasing difficulty. Unlike the Nazi Zombie mode in World at War, enemies do not spawn at random locations; they are placed in tactical positions around the map based on where the player is located. In the mode, players earn “cash” for items such as weapons, upgrades, ammo, air/

ground support and equipment. Special Ops also returns from Modern Warfare 2. These challenge missions feature up to 48 stars, unlike its previous installment, which featured 69. Some weapons in Spec Ops are exclusive to that game mode, and are not available for play in Multiplayer mode. The entire Kill Streak reward system has been retooled. Kill Streaks are now known as Point Streaks and kills are no longer the only way to increase the player’s point streak. Completing objectives such as plant-ing the bomb in Search and Destroy or capturing a flag in Capture the Flag awards points towards the player’s Point streak. Point streak rewards are organized into three different “strike packages” called Assault, Support, and Specialist. The Assault strike package works the same as the Kill streak re-ward system in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, offering rewards like the Predator drone and attack helicopters. The Support strike package offers support-style rewards, such as UAVs and SAM Turrets. Rewards from the Support category do not reset when the player dies, but accumulate over the course of a match. The Specialist strike package rewards players with perks of their choosing after every second consecutive kill. After eight kills, they receive every perk in the game, but reset back to none upon death. Players

are allowed to choose which Point streak rewards they want to use when they gain it during the match, rather than choosing

them between rounds. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a must have for all shooter fans and is no doubt the game of the year. This sequel finally has an ending to the story that was started in Call of Duty 4. Embark on the journey to end World War 3 and save the world.

LoganSingletonCo-Editor

As the Dawn Breaks