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Th eMarch edition of the Rampage
Citation preview
Arabia Mountain’s Student Newspaper
News:
Shine Bright with Your Talent
Making a Difference 1 Pint At a Time
Alabama A & M
Arabia Stepping for Success
Free Market Expose’
A Deserving Teacher
Apply Before it’s Too Late
Wax History In Arabia
The Murphy Candler Experience
Bible Study
Features:
College Acceptances
College or Prep School
Saying Goodbye
SAT isn’t as Hard as it seems
Sisterhoods in the Making
Rushing Toward your Future
Best Friends
Interacting with Easter
Easter Egg Hunt
Lucky You
What Are You Watching?
Sports:
Baseball is Back
On the Path to Success
Looking Back at Four Years of Memories: Cheerleader Edition
Starting Something New: The Jewels
Opinions:
Discrimination
The Grammys
Dress Code Down Fall Ask A Ram
NEWS
By Teresa Hope
Saturday, March 2, was the day of the stars when Arabia Mountain hosted our
annual talent show. The show gave students a chance to express themselves,
and show their hidden abilities.
Javon Robair, co director of the show, said “ I was surprised to
see some of the people that are participating in the production.
Some of the participants will be big one day”.
Senior Jarrod Hester, right, explains “ I feltconfident about the
outcome, of my performance.” He sing in a group with seniors
James Hester and Javan Mcburrows. These young heart throbbs
stole the night and left the audience in amazement.
The talent show had many surprises;
like our guest The Rich Kids, seen to the
left posing with the Jewels dance
team. They had the audience dancing
and enjoying their performance.
The winner was junior Amari Connor, right, who danced to a
medley of songs.
All of the participants did a wonderful job, and All deserved the
prize. This night showed our school spirit, and how much talent
that our peers have.
NEWS
Donors Experiences
Teacher (Mr. Gray)
“I frequently donate it is a truly gratifying experience. To know
that you’re actually saving a life by donating makes me feel like a
super hero.”
1st Time Donor (Steven Smith) “My experience was amazing
better than I expected. I didn’t feel too much pain during the
process just afterwards.”
2nd Time Donor (Ophelia Kent) “My second time was actually
better than my first. I knew what to expect but I got real
light headed”.
Bad Experience (Brianna Sims) “My experience giving blood
was horrible. I felt light headed and somewhat nauseated
afterward. I wouldn’t suggest it to ANYONE.”
traveled to another country in the last year then you have put yourself at risk of malaria and you can’t donate.
Many ask why people should donate blood, but there isn’t just one reason. People donate because of personal reasons or love the feeling of knowing they are saving someone’s life.
The donating process may take up to an hour or more. When you first arrive, you will check in and read over the hand book given to you. The handbook is given to donors to make sure they qualify to donate blood, what they should expect before and after donating, and any other question the donor may have. A staff member of the Red Cross will then have a private and confidential interview with you. During the interview, they will check your pulse rate, body temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin. Once you have been approved, the actual blood donating begins.
You are seated in a comfortable chair and your blood pressure is once again checked. A staff member approaches you and introduces themselves and starts prepping you for the donation. The area around your arm is cleansed. Once clean the needle is inserted and the process may range from 8-10 minutes. During this time you may listen to music, talk with other donors, and ask the staff member’s questions.
After you are done donating, there are refreshments available for you to eat and drink. It is recommended for one to sit for 10-15 minutes after donating.
Making a Difference
One Pint At a Time
On February 19, 2013, Arabia Mountain 11th and 12th grade
students waited patiently in the healthcare room to donate blood for the purpose of making a difference and saving lives. This was Arabia’s third blood drive hosted by HOSA. The healthcare room was filled with American Red Cross staff, volunteers, and member of the healthcare program. Mr. Gray, an AMHS Healthcare teacher, says, “Our goal was set to 34 pints and at the end of the day we had collected 36.” Over 60 people showed up, but only 36 qualified to donate because of low iron levels, or being underweight also for the risk of malaria. If you have
By Noely Escorza
NEWS
On February 12, 2013 Alabama A&M came to the Arabia Mountain
College Fair. At the college fair, Alabama was the only school doing on-site
admissions. Many applied, but few really knew about the school.
Alabama A&M in Normal, Alabama is a university committed to teaching,
researching, and public service. It was founded in 1875 in the city of Huntsville. It
became a university in 1969. It is a 2300 acre campus and is five minutes from
downtown Huntsville. It houses five undergraduate schools and 4,940
undergraduate students. The highest degree
offered is a doctorate.
Athletically, AAMU is part of the
Southwestern Athletic Conference. Their
women’s soccer team is one of the most
prestigious athletic teams. Many of their athletes
have been nominated and selected as offensive
and defensive players of the week by the
conference. The school embraces the concept
of an effective athletics program that values
success in competition, academics and personal
development of student-athletes.
It is estimated that A&M has admitted over
100 of Arabia Mountain’s seniors. Jazzmin
Minnitee is one of the many accepted who is
committed to going and being a dancer while majoring in Animal Science. Her
best friend, Sydne Ridgeway coincidentally wants to do the same. “They have
great animal science program!” she says.
Mar’Kayla Bethea plans on attending A&M majoring in Food Science with
aspirations of becoming a nutritionist. “I visited last year during their open house
and I loved the campus. I’ve got close with one the administrative assistants
who helped me to finalize my decision of attending.”
We commend all of seniors for taking advantage of the opportunity to
apply and be accepted to Alabama A&M and wish them the best on their
upcoming endeavors!
By Aaliyah Copeland
NEWS
Arabia Mountain’s step teams have
achieved a lot during the past three years. At first
they were a little rough around the edges, but after
practicing and raising team spirit, they now are one
of the best high school step teams.
On February 16th, Arabia’s step team hosted
their own step show where fans came from
different schools to show
support and have fun. On
February 23rd, the teams attended a step show at
M.L.K. Other high schools like Southwest and Rockdale
came out and performed for the big trophy. Middle
schools also performed.
Fans like Alyhia
Garvins and Kayla Else
went to both events
and really enjoyed
themselves.
“I think the step team represented our
high school very well at both events,” said
Alyhia. She really liked how they showed
sportsmanship towards each other and their
opponents.
“The step team hosted their event very
well and had welcoming arms,” said Kayla. She
really liked how it was very sociable, and they interacted with others.
Even though they really enjoyed the show, they both still had their own
views on the shows. Alyhia said, “I feel that at the first event they did very well,
but at the second event they could’ve spoken a little louder because I couldn’t
really hear them clearly.” Kayla says, “They could
have had more interaction in the first event,” but the
second event was live, and she loved it.
Arabia Mountain and M.L.K’s step shows both
were very entertaining. The step teams helped earn
respect for Arabia Mountain. The step team
represented Arabia Mountain with confidence, and
that makes our step team one of the best.
By Taneishia Watson-Parks
NEWS
AMHS Students gather around
a cupcake and bracelet
table to buy a product.
Senior Andre Campbell tries
to get students to buy from
his group’s table by giving an
incentive for each purchase.
The teachers at Arabia Mountain High School are
always coming up with new ideas to teach concepts and
standards in order for their students to be successful in the
classroom. The most recent of these ideas was by far the
most hands-on and educational. During the week of
February 18th, Dr. Little’s senior economics class decided to
hold a Free Market Exposé to showcase how competitive
capitalism works in the real world and the steps you need to
do in order to make a profit.
“The Free Market Expo,” explains Dr. Little, “was a
symbolic view of a mini capitalistic market and used to show students what competition amongst others felt like and how easy it was to lose a profit in the real world.”
Capitalism is when privately owned businesses create goods and services for the
purposes of gaining a profit. If you make a profit, you get back more than what you
spent. If you do not make a profit; however, you get back less than what you spent. It is
more difficult than it sounds, but when it is done right, there is a sense of accomplishment and you begin to understand the concept.
“The purpose of this project,” says senior Tia Bolden “is to
learn about the flow of money and make a high income in a short
period of time.”
Most students who participated benefitted from this activity
because they were able to purchase things that they normally
would not see during school hours at a reasonable price. From
freshmen to seniors, everyone in every grade was able to get a
variety of products ranging from a quarter to $5.00.
This was a good way to demonstrate a new concept that
benefitted both the students conducting the sales and those
making the purchases. Now, students will be able to have a
better understanding of capitalism and how it relates to
competition.
The Free Market Exposé
By Briana Brown
NEWS
At the last pep rally, after recognizing winter
sports, Mrs. Ella Davis was named Teacher of the
Year.
Students may see Mrs. Davis as the teacher
that is always speaking about the dress code, but
she does it because she cares for the students.
In Mrs. Davis’s words, “I was stunned, and a
little perplexed because I thought there were a lot
of other teachers deserving of Teacher of the Year.”
Even though Mrs. Davis felt like other faculty
members were deserving of the award, she won.
From the student body’s point of view, out of seventy students who completed the
RAMpage’s survey, forty-two students felt like Mrs. Davis deserved
to win, and twenty-four students felt like she didn’t.
Senior Diamond Coles states, “She puts her all into teaching
and makes her students her life.” Mrs. Davis does have a personal
life, but when it comes to her students, she truly cares.
Atiya Williamson, junior, states, “Because of her work ethic,
drive, and determination, she won. That’s who she is. She wasn’t
trying; she does this on a daily basis.”
Mrs. Davis was inspired at a young age to have the
courage and desire to teach by, she explains, “teachers that I
had in elementary and junior high, like Ms. Smith who was my 3rd
grade teacher, and Mr. Andrews who was my 8th grade algebra
teacher. Watching them teach and the commitment they had
for the students gave me the desire to teach.” From this
statement Mrs. Davis shows that same drive and determination
today when she teaches her students.
Diamond Coles adds, “She is the type of woman that always wants to help you no
matter what, prepares you for the real world, and takes school seriously because she wants
the best for you.” Congratulate Mrs. Davis on winning Teacher of the Year because she is a
phenomenal teacher and shows it every day.
By Tiffany Daniels
The class is engaged with the lesson on
World War II. (Photo: Casey Neal)
Who Is Your Favorite
Teacher?
Ninth grade: Varied
many different
teachers were
chosen
Tenth grade:
Ms.Hruska
Eleventh grade:
Mr.Pak
Twelfth grade:
Mr.Canney
Seniors, there are plenty of ways to get money for college. The most
common way to get money is by applying for scholarships. Scholarships are very
easy to find because they’re all over the internet. The key is to apply for the ones
that aren’t that popular because no one is looking for them. Some seniors, like
Teresa Hope and Briana Brown, have already started applying for scholarships
and have been given positive responses.
Teresa Hope, left, has been accepted to Johnson and Wales
Culinary University located in New York. The university gave her a
culinary and an academic scholarship combined into one. This
scholarship is worth $10,000 in total. Teresa says, “They sent me a
golden ticket for a free application and asked if I wanted a
scholarship. Who was I to say no?” Teresa explains that this would
give her a reduction in the amount she would be required to pay in
tuition expenses.
Senior Brianna Brown, right, was also awarded a scholarship. She
received the Women of Excellence and Embry Riddle Scholarship.
Brianna says, “I received this scholarship because of my GPA.” This
scholarship alone is worth $11,400. She explains that a scholarship fund
takes the load off of people because it reduces the amount you have
to pay.
Listed below are open scholarships that are now available for seniors to
apply for:
News
By Theresa Ogbu
Eligibility: 18 & over
Deadline: March 18, 2013
Overview: Complete the brief
registration process to enter for
the chance to win the
GotScholarship: $40K to Give
Away drawing. No fee and no
purchase are necessary to enter
or win.
Website: www.gotchosen.com
GotScholarship $40k to Give Away
$10,000 Free College Scholarship
Eligibility: at least 18, must be an
active user of ScholarsipPoints
Deadline: March 18, 2013
Overview: Create a Student
Profile and do the following:
earn points, enter drawings, and
win scholarships
Website: ScholarshipPoints.com
CaptainU $2,000 Student-Athlete Scholarship
Eligibility: All Student-Athletes currently
attending a US high school and junior
college students planning to attend a 4
year institution.
Deadline: March 31, 2013
Overview: CaptainU, the leading college
sports recruiting platform, is awarding a
$2,000 scholarship every quarter to a top
student-athletes looking to play at the next
level. To apply, go to
www.CaptainU.com/scholarship and
setup a free account and recruiting
profile. In addition to a chance to win a
scholarship, you'll be able to get noticed
by over 16,000 college coaches.
Website: www.captainu.com/scholarship
Eligibility: The competition is open to all full-time students and home schooled
students aged 13 to 18 (14-18 in Spain and South Korea, 16-18 in the
Netherlands), from around the world. Students may enter as individuals or as
teams of up to three.
Award Amount: $50,000
Deadline: April 1, 2013
Overview: * Sign up to enter the competition visiting
google.com/sciencefair and clicking the blue "Start your project" button at the
top of the screen
* Completed parental consent form
* Plan your project, conduct your experiment, and write up your results on your
project site using a topic that fits into one of the following categories:
1) Computer Science & Mathematics 2) Earth & Environmental Sciences
3) Behavioral & Social Sciences 4) Flora & Fauna 5) Energy & Space 6) Inventions
& Innovation 7) Physics 8) Biology 9) Chemistry10) Food Science 11) Electricity
and Electronics
Website: google.com/sciencefair
Google Science Fair
Eligibility: Must be a US high
school student in 11th or 12th
grade at the time of entry &
girlfriend must represent the
couple in this contest
Deadline: June 30, 2013
Overview: * Sign in to
PromGuide.com
* Activate the Cutest Couple
section by clicking the "Cutest
Couple" link
* Upload your photo
Website:
http://www.promguide.com/cu
testcouple.aspx
$1,000 Cutest Couple Contest
News
NEWS
By Teresa Hope
Wax History is our new and improved Black History Month play.
Written by Mrs. Klein’s creative writing class, the play features an
original plot. Senior Shantonia Weaver, left, explains the class wanted
to write “something that would stick out.”
The concept of the play was to show kids sneaking off from a
field trip and running into a tour guide, Ruby Bridges, who brings the
museum to life while teaching the students about African American
leaders. Some of the talented actors and actresses in the play are
Christina Ramsey, Caleb Logan, Kasey Griffin,
Ayana Laws, and Jarrod Hester, right.
In the play, Kasey Griffin’s character, Carter, portrays to the
typical demeanor of high school students on a field trip. Christina
Ramsey as Ruby Bridges brings an intellectual point of view to the
stage. Of course Senior Jarrod Hester is the humorous and comical
knuckle head, while Caleb Logan’s character, Lionel, is the know it
all goodie two shoes of the group. Sophomore Charles Rainey grabs
the audience’s attention as President Obama.
Some of you may be wondering why the
play was not staged in February. Mrs.
Klein explains, “The play has been
postponed due to casting difficulties and
low attendance at rehearsals.
Unfortunately people, who were cast in
the play, quit or stopped coming.”
“However,” she continues, “We have a
talented group of performers who are
working hard and will do a good job.”
So keep your eyes open and listen for announcements for the Wax History performance
coming in March.
Featuring students from Mrs. Klein’s Creative Writing Class
To attend, sign up in the library by Friday, March 15
The first 50 students to sign up may attend
NEWS
By Nikkiah Boyd
Arabia Mountain High School has adopted and made use of the EIC program to
engage their students into creating new and unique ways in becoming more involved.
This year, the senior class has been giving the opportunity of displaying their ideas of action of community service.
The senior class has been given the opportunity to conduct community
service. Ms. Andrews, left, is a 12th grade British Literature teacher. Her
daughter Arianna, left, attends Murphey Candler Elementary school.
Ms. Andrews said “I chose Murphey Candler because I pick Arie up from
school, and saw that the teachers were in need of some assistance. So I decided to let my students give a helping hand.”
She challenged her 4th period class into creating a lesson plan over a
course of two days to teach the Murphey Candler Elementary students about black
history month and its importance. They were divided into six groups and each group
was assigned a different grade level. Senior Theresa Ogbu said, “Some students helped
the administrators in the main office, while some went to the other classes.”
Ms. Andrew’s cautioned her students that their lessons couldn’t be
straightforward, but needed to be more complex, because the students are very
advanced. Also each group had to read a biography of African American that the
students may never have heard about before. The students then designed an interactive activity involving the selected biography.
Ms. Andrews’ class was very impressed by the attentiveness the students showed
them. The activities ranged from the different grade levels. For example, kindergarten
and first grade had a coloring worksheet. Second and third grades had a
comprehension worksheet, and fourth and fifth grades played a game about segregation.
Senior Teresa Hope, right, said “The students were very engaged.
We taught the second graders about Garrett A. Morgan, who was the
black American who invented the traffic light. Then we played the
game “Red Light, Green Light.” Next we had them draw maps of the different places they wanted to go or dreamed about.”
This project helped her students utilize their skills obtained from their pathways into
communicating with the students. They will continue to perform the service learning
project because they gained so much experience from it and will help them with college application.
NEWS
Students attending Bible Study in the
morning.
Plenty of people do many different things in the morning to get them ready for the
day. Some may listen to gospel music, some will read the bible, and some may even go as
far as to go on certain websites for inspiration quotes. Recently, some students at AMHS have
attended bible study with Coach Byrd in the auditorium.
Initially the group started out with 50 to 75 people, but as word spread, the size
doubled to 150 to 200 people attending. Coach Byrd wasn’t expecting this big of an
outcome when she first started the group. Coach Byrd primarily started it to get young
people more involved with Christianity. She says, “Things are really growing! We’re having
more young people to speak and get involved. And there are students sharing a lot more
testimony.” In addition, to a morning service, there is also a prayer box. This is where the
students place a prayer request, in the box, and Coach Byrd will pray over the prayer
request. If they choose the students may remain anonymous.
Senior Alexis Avina and junior Maya Norman
both agreed when they stated, “I thought it was
going to be a joke at first.” Now both Alexis and
Maya love it! “It really wakes me up,” said Maya.
While Alexis said “I love it! It’s an inspiring way to start
off the day, and it’s very touching when people
share testimonies and stories.”
Juniors Xaziera Conover, Jazmyne Stewart, and
Alexis Arnold, along with senior Phillip Reeves were all
brought to Bible Study for different reasons, but all got
the same outcome in the end. “I heard about it
through basketball, because Coach Byrd is my
basketball coach,” said Jazmyne.
“I started going toward the end of first semester right before finals, I felt I needed a
whole lot of prayers,” Alexis said, as she laughed at herself.
Phillip started going because he likes studying the bible. When asked about Bible Study
Xaziera stated “It gives me words of wisdom, and it starts my day off right.” Jazmyne and
Alexis stated “It helps you stay positive and go down the right path.” And Phillip stated “its
inspirational altogether.”
All students had nothing but good things to say about Bible Study, and are all very
happy and grateful to have it. As for Coach Byrd, she is looking forward to a lot more people
coming in, and seeing who else will be joining Bible Study in the morning because she feels
it’s a great way to start the morning. For those students interested in attending Bible Study, it
is held in the theatre, every Wednesday and Friday morning from 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
By Kinoy Griffith
FEATURES
By: Aaliyah Copeland
Kandlar Rhodes
Aaliyah Copeland
Danielle Richardson
Chelsea Cobb
Taliyah Knight
Courtney Clark
Javon Robair Theresa Ogbu
Jonathan Noble Irene Polk
Aaliyah Copeland
Jordan Boatwright
Jaliyah Holmes
Briana Brown
Franjellica Amiker
Briana Brown
Florida Institute of Technology: Boakai Morris Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Briana Brown
Hofstra University: Boakai Morris, Diamond Coles Brenau University: Imani McMahon Butler University: Seana Deas
Georgia State University: Theresa Ogbu Liberty University: Jonathan Noble Alabama State University: Julia McDaniel
Louisiana State University: Javon Robair Johnson C. Smith: Khalil Wright, Teresa Hope Clemson University: Courtney Pringle
Johnson and Wales University: Noah Banks, Teresa Hope University of Alabama: Jonathan Noble
FEATURES
Senior Melvin Staley after
signing with Atlanta Sports
Academy, a prep school
located in Atlanta.
By Philip Reeves
College is the next best step after seniors graduate from high-school.
Many students don’t know that tertiary school or, as it is commonly known, prep
school, is also an option.
Prep schools are usually private, day, or boarding schools. Prep school is
post-secondary education that prepares high school graduates for college. If
students need help academically, then prep school is for them.
A few of our very own students, Melvin Staley and Bryson Jones, looked at
prep school as an option, and they both signed to Atlanta Sports Academy for
football.
Senior Melvin Staley said, “Missing all of the
season due to ineligibility, I was able to stay strong
and still strong and sign with ASA. It will help me
with college life.”
However, Bryson Jones later de-committed
from ASA, saying, “Not to down talk ASA, but I feel
like it wasn’t the best option for me.”
Less than 1% of students enrolled in school
in U.S. attend prep school.
College and prep school both are
educational institutions, but college is a whole
different level of experience. Colleges are degree
awarding institutions, and the campus life is better with more students enrolled.
Most high school graduates run to college for post-secondary education.
The choice between college and prep school is up to the students once
they graduate. If they know they are not ready for college life, attending prep
school could be a good option. On the other hand, if they feel like they can
handle college, they should go for it.
FEATURES
This year we have over 390 students in our graduating class of 2013 and out of these seniors there are a few
who have siblings that attend AMHS. The graduation date is swiftly approaching and seniors are always
getting bombarded by questions on how they feel once it’s time to part ways, but have you ever thought
about what their siblings think? Well here are a few little brothers and sisters who have taken time out to
express their feelings on how they feel about their graduating brother or sister leaving for college and what
they would like to say to them before they leave.
By Mar’Kayla Bethea & Philip Reeves
Tai Conley (freshman) –
Sister of Tommy Conley
“I am so proud of my
brother and I wish him the
best! I am really going to
miss him when he leaves! I
love him.”
Chad Johnson (sophomore) –
Brother of Robert Johnson
“I hope my brother has fun, but at
the same time good riddance! I’m
just also looking forward to getting
the most attention.”
Keith Strozier (sophomore) –
Brother of Kyle Strozier
“I just hope he gets a life
and live it to the fullest once
he leaves because at home
I will have two rooms now.”
Brittany Sears (junior) – Sister of
Ayana Sears
“Once my sister leaves I will
become a COMPLETE MESS!
She’s like my other half and
she is very lucky that she gets
to graduate this year. I just
hope she has a great time
and live it up. I love her.”
Edward Ogbu (freshman) –
Brother of Theresa Ogbu
“I hope my sister does very
well in college. I mean I won’t
have to miss her much
because she is probably
going to stay in state.”
Brandon Halls (junior) – Brother of
Brian Halls
“Brian is my other half so I know
it’s going to be hard for me after
he leaves for college. I can’t
even flex, deep down inside I’m
going to miss him and will
probably cry at his graduation.”
FEATURES
Victoria Rhodes (junior) & James Rhodes
(freshman) – siblings of Taylor Rhodes
“I hope my sister turns out very successful
and I will miss her when she leaves”
“I hope I get to take her room when she
leaves other than that I want to wish her
luck and want her to do good and act
good, I love her.”
Anthony McIntosh (freshman) –
Brother of Alexcia McIntosh
“I am very proud of my sister for
getting this far. I really look up to her
as a big sister. I love her and I want
her to know that I don’t want her to
mess up. I hope she stays focus and
still acts like a young woman.”
Gabriel Jackson (freshman) –
Brother of George Jackson
“I would probably miss my
brother once he goes off for
college and I’m taking his room!”
Amari Johnson (freshman)
– Sister of Mariah Johnson
“I’m happy that my sister
got into college, but I will
miss her. I just want her to
stay focus and good luck.”
Niah Redmond (sophomore) – Sister of
Noah Banks
“I can’t lie and say that I don’t care
because I do. I will miss him a lot because
once he leaves I will be by myself most of
the time. I hope Noah does well in
whatever he does in college.”
Lauren Deas (freshman) – Sister of
Seana Deas
“The feeling will be bittersweet. I just
want her to know that NO ONE can
take her place! I love my sister.”
Kayla Brooks (freshman) – Sister of
Alexis Brooks
“I want to say that I’m going to miss her
and that I will be lonely at home since
she will be gone.”
Ayobami Akin-David (freshman) –
Brother of Charles Akin-David
“I am honestly happier than ever that
he’s leaving for college… DEUCES!”
Photo Credit: Casey Neal & Mar’Kayla Bethea
FEATURES
Like most high school students, Karri Thomas took the SAT. Unlike
everyone else at Arabia Mountain, she scored one of the highest
scores out of everyone in the school.
Karri attended a SAT program over the summer that took place
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a $6000 program that she was able
to take for free.
Karri says of the SAT, “It
wasn’t hard, because I took
prep class. I didn’t take it
immediately after the class,
so I forgot some
information.”
The test was four hours
long, so of course she was
tired. Karri says, “I was
motivated to do well
because I want to go to a
competitive school and I
want to out shine the
competition.”
Karri did very well on the SAT in the hopes of attending Georgia
Tech, which she was accepted to and is unsure if she will attend in
the fall.
To do well, Karri suggests studying and taking prep classes to
better your comprehension skills.
After attending the STAR banquet, Karri says, “It was long but it
was nice to see other students being honored for positive things.”
By Jordan Barron
ADVERTISEMENT
FEATURES
Seniors Breeahna Gresham, Aaliyah Copeland, and
Danielle Richardson (L-R) among a few other
debutantes in the Delta Debutante Cotillion
photographed during a lock-in. Photo Credit: Aaliyah Copeland
A debutante ball, also known as a debutante cotillion, is traditionally known as a high
society event where young ladies are presented by their parents to a specific community of people.
Several seniors are participating as debutantes and escorts in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Debutante
Cotillion and the Delta Sigma Theta Debutante Cotillion provided by metro Atlanta AKA and Delta
chapters.
A local Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter stated that “The debutante cotillions are an
avenue used to introduce deserving and outstanding young ladies as Debutantes in a formal setting.
A debutante is a young lady who has been prepared in the social graces, trained to dance formally,
and who is community service oriented. She is then presented to her community in a formal
presentation, which is her first public appearance into society. [Also] the purpose is to empower and
enrich young women with leadership and etiquette training, opportunities for community service,
and expose them to cultural arts and workshops designed to assist them in career choices to
become productive members of the African- American community and society.”
“The [Delta Theta Sigma] Debutante experience is designed to be a rite of passage
program that prepares young ladies for a successful transition from high school into the world at
large. We provide a year of business, cultural, and social enrichment activities that culminates in the
presentation of these outstanding young African-American women at the 2013 Debutante Cotillion.”
Senior Aiyana Parks was told of the Delta Debutante Cotillion by means of her best
friend’s Aunt and her two best friends from middle school. She has incredibly enjoyed the experience
of bonding with the other young ladies. Parks says to all of the young ladies interested in participating
in a great experience that “it’s worth it because it prepares you for the next step in life and gives you
aspects of the future that would have not been seen without this experience!” She found the rite of
passage program to be inspirational because
she gets to constantly surround herself with
girls from all over the metro Atlanta with similar
goals and aspirations as her. Parks enjoyed
the self-defense class the most because it was
something that she felt was very beneficial to
learn in today’s violent environment.
Many young girls have sorority
ties in their families that have influenced their
decision on being a part of these cotillions
such as senior Aaliyah Copeland whom is also
a participant in the Delta Debutante Cotillion.
She absolutely adores all of her “deb sisters”.
She has attended the college tour, etiquette
classes, and the career panel provided by
By Diamond Coles
FEATURES
Seniors Shaunya Sutton and Jordan Boatwright with
their fellow debutantes captured practicing a dance
for the AKA Debutante Cotillion. Photo Credit: Chelsea Cobb
the experience associated with the cotillion. Copeland wants younger girls to prepare themselves to
be involved in the debutante cotillions whether they have family embedded in the sororities or not
because all the tools provided “can be used in the future”.
Senior Chelsea Cobb is a debutante for the AKA Debutante Cotillion because of a
heavy influence from her mother. Originally she wasn’t apt to participating in the experience
because she thought it would just take up weekends and not influence her, but Cobb was
exceedingly overjoyed to realize the foundation the experience was creating for her. The three
components she says that are exemplified from the program are sisterhood, leadership skills, and how
to be a lady. Chelsea is now an advocate for the experience of being a part of such a life changing
event because it has significantly changed her. She says to all of the underclassmen and juniors girls
that this is definitely something you want to be involved in because “they [the coordinators and other
debutantes] not only help you find yourself but they open the lid to the box society has placed us
young girls in.”
AKA Debutante and Senior Jordan Boatwright was informed about the AKA Debutante
Cotillion through her best friend who told her about the program her junior year. She participated by
being a sub-debutante last year, which she encourages other girls to do because it helps to “have
those sisters you were a sub-debutante with [when you become a debutante]”. Jordan remembers
that “As a sub-debutante I couldn’t wait to be in the shoes of the debutantes and have my time to
shine”. Boatwright has been involved in various activities such as a daddy/daughter bake-off, a girls’
night out, dance rehearsals, etc. She says “it [the program] has influenced me to be more of an
observant young lady because you never know who is watching. Being a debutante has been a
significant dedication of time and has allowed me to make several friends, sisters, who I know I can
always count on.”
Both of the debutante cotillions
are being held at the Marriot Marquis Hotel on
March 16, 2013 at 7:30. All of the young ladies
participating are very excited for it to all come
together and have already prepared by
getting their dresses fitted and choosing their
hair styles. A few of the debutantes have
decided that although their deb journeys will
soon end this experience will be something
they will cherish for a lifetime and pass down
to the next generations in their families.
FEATURES
Choosing to pledge a fraternity or sorority can be one of the critical
decisions in life. Greek life has a lot of advantages to offer. For example students
who were affiliated with fraternities and sororities have higher average incomes
following graduation. Not only does it pay off financially, but you will also forever
be a part of the influential group of your choice.
English teacher, Mr. McKinney, pledged Chi Psi. “This was the best decision
of my life because I was finally a part of a united brotherhood,” exclaimed Mr.
McKinney. “From the rush parties, to initiation day, I enjoyed every day of
pledging.” The fraternities and sororities play a remarkably active role in various
campus events such as homecoming. Becoming active in campus life can be a
valuable experience and may lead to friendships that last a lifetime.
Each organization holds social gatherings with other associates within the
community. Giving back to the community plays an important role within the
Greek community. “I have always wanted to be a part of an organization that
impacted lives,” said Ms. Arnold “I loved the fact we united together as one to
achieve one goal!” “Pledging Alpha Kappa Alpha is a choice I will never
regret!”
All Greek organizations offer members hands on development on
leadership skills. Each chapter provides a variety of leadership positions for its
members. “My brothers have always been there to guide me down the path to
success,” says Coach Truitt. “So it is my job to do the same when coaching and
in the classroom, Greek life or not.” The Greek community also provides campus-
level leadership experience, for this serves as a stepping stone to being a leader
in today’s society.
The process may seem long and drooling, but fortunately there will be a
payoff in the end. You will become a part of campus history, social events, and
a bond with your fellow brothers and sisters for life. Making this choice will bring
forth the desire to strive for, and achieve, excellence in everything you do.
By Sean Thomas
FEATURES
IMPORTANT SUCCESSFUL AFRICAN
AMERICANS By Taliyah Knight
The celebration of Black History Month began in 1915, after slavery was
abolished in the United States. It is an annual celebration of achievements by
African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African
Americans in U.S. history. Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland are both
responsible for establishing this annual celebration. During Black History Month,
schools and communities nationwide have been inspired to host performances
and lectures. People are also informed about successful African Americans such
as:
Barack Obama:
• Born on August 4, 1961; Age 51
• Born in Honolulu, Hawaii
• 44th president
• First African American to hold the
office
Michelle Obama:
• Born on January 17, 1954; Age 49
• Born in Chicago, Illinois
• First African American 1st lady
• Attended Princeton University
and Harvard Law School
Madam C.J. Walker:
• Real name Sarah Breedlove
• Born on December 23, 1867
• Born in Delta, Louisiana
• First female self-made millionaire
in America
• Made a fortune from a line of
beauty and hair products for
black women.
• Died May 25, 1919, age 51
Jane Bolin:
• Born on April 11, 1908
• First African American female to
graduate from Yale Law School
• Died on January 8, 2007
Eartha Kitt:
• Born on January 17, 1927
• Known for an actress, singer
• Known for her single “Santa’s Baby”
• People call her the “Beyonce” of her
time
• Died from colon cancer December
25, 2008
FEATURES
A best friend is someone who is there through thick and thin, one who accepts you for
you, and one who doesn’t judge. There are many best friends at Arabia Mountain, and they
all share a bond that is inseparable.
Shawn Clarke and Ashlee Miller have been best friends for 4 years. They met at school.
They are best friends because she can talk to each other about anything. Ashlee said, “He is
always there when I need him, and he is like a brother.”
Khalil Timmons and Saeb Henry have been best friends for 4 years. They met through
an argument. They say they are best friends because they
see a lot of each other in each other.
Ryan Baptiste and Tytiana Grier have been friends for 3
years. They met in the hallway trying to help each other find
their classes. They are best friends because they get along
well.
Khalil Wright and Shaunya Sutton have been best
friends for 5 years. They are best friends because they are
always there for each other, and they give good advice.
Khalil said, “Shaunya is very caring and loving.”
Steven Smith and Megan Walker, left, have been best friends
for 2 going on 3 years. They met in Biology. They didn’t like
each other at first, but they finally got the chance to know
each other. They are best friends, because they need each
other.
Jessica White and Amari Conner have been best friends
for 2 years. They met in 10th grade. Jessica said, “We are best
friends because I can talk to him about anything, and I trust
him. He is like a brother.
Noelle Hughley and Brandi Pierre, right, have been best friends
for 1 year. Brandi Pierre and Sha’Vonna Garr have been best
friends for 3 years. Now, they are all best friends because they
have a lot in common.
Jada Allred and Lyric Jones have been best friends for 3
years. They met at school in P.E. They are best friends because
they know everything about each other, they click, and they
have a connection. Jada said, “She is just a phone call away.”
By Chelsea Cobb
FEATURES
Jordan Barron and Javon Robair, left, have been best
friends for 1 year. They met at the Miller Grove football
game. Javon said, “We are best friends because she is
amazing, beautiful, funny, and she knows how to make my
day.”
Sydney Sailor, Cerise Graham, and Taylor Montgomery
have been best friends since 9th grade. Taylor and Sydney
met in middle school, and when they got to high school
they met Cerise. They are best friends because they always
have fun together.
Clarke Tulloch and
Danielle Arnold have been best
friends for 4 years. They met at
school in Ms. Gates class. They
are best friends because they
understand each other and irritate each other. They are sisters,
and will forever have love for each other.
Jessica Wray, Alexis Avina, Tyana Mack, Kaalyah McIntosh,
Imani Hemmitt, and Chelsea Cobb have been best friends for 2
years. Although they act alike, they are all unique. They all met
at Tyana’s slumber party.
Zanny Ransom and Andreus Ladson, right, have been best
friends for 2 years. They met each other, when they were
stranded together. They are best friends because they
have the same views, and think alike.
Kayla Brooks, Sydney Wilson, and Gabrielle Slaughter,
left, met at different times, but been best friends for
about a year now. They are best friends because they
can talk to each other about anything with no
judgments, and they like being around each other.
Monique Boyd, Ruth Omaivboje ,Jackie Moore
Sha’Vonna Garr have been best friends for 1 year.
They are best friends because they are all silly, funny,
and all like to have fun.
Alexis Avina and Chelsea Cobb, right, have
been best friends for 4 years. They met at school.
Alexis said, “We are best friends because we can tell
each other anything. We will always be #TTH. We
always have fun together, and I really love my BFFL.”
FEATURES
Sydni Todd is dressed and ready
for her Easter day.
Mrs. Trisha Klein, left, and
her sisters are ready to
celebrate Easter in their
dresses.
Taylor McGee, dressed
up and holding her
Easter basket, is very
excited about
celebrating Easter.
What is Easter? When people usually hear of
Easter, they usually think eggs, candy, and bunnies.
Most people know that Easter Sunday has to do with
the resurrection of Jesus. What most people also don’t
understand is why egg, rabbits, and candy are
associated with the resurrection of Jesus. Actually, the
traditions of Easter have absolutely nothing to do with
Easter Sunday.
In order to attract more non-Christians to
Christianity, the ancient Roman Catholic Church mixed
the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus with the
spring fertility rituals, which are the source of the egg
and bunny traditions.
Easter comes from European Traditions. The
name “Easter” comes from a pagan figure called
Eastre. She was celebrated by the Saxons of Northern
Europe as the goddess of spring.
There are many different ways to celebrate Easter. One
of the most popular traditions is egg hunts. Egg hunt is a game
where decorated eggs, hard – boiled or plastic ones filled with
candy and/or chocolate, are hidden in various locations for
people to find.
Even Paula Vollbehr, the foreign exchange student from
Germany, participates in this tradition. “We only do egg hunts.
They’re pretty fun.”
Other ways to celebrate
Easter are “Easter services at
church and painting eggs,”
says Noely Escorza
At church during Easter
Service, the pastor gives a
sermon about the resurrection
of Christ. One of the topics
during Easter Service is lent.
Lent is when you give up
something for 45 days and it
ends on Easter.
Other traditions that are recommended by Morgan
McKinley are “going to church, dressing up, and hosting
Easter plays.”
As a show of respect to the resurrection of Christ, people dress formally as a form of
celebration. The colors are usually bright, and the common colors are purple, green, light
blue, yellow, orange, and pink.
By Javon Robair
FEATURES
Easter Egg Hunts going on in our area:
Kirkwood Family Find Easter Egg Hunt - Easter egg hunts for toddlers, Easter egg hunts
for children, Easter breakfast (no bunny), Cancelled in inclement weather (call if the
weather looks bad), FREE admission, Children's crafts, Other activities for children,
Baskets are provided, restrooms, face painting Bessie Branham Park 2051 Delano
Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30317. Phone: 678-607-6076. Email: [email protected]. Open:
Saturday, March 30, 2013 from 10am to 12pm. Directions: At Bessie Branham park on
the fields. Payment: Cash, only. Bring the kids to the Kirkwood Family Find... an Easter
Egg Hunt! This is part of an annual community Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 30,
2013
at Bessie Branham Park in Kirkwood. We will have over 2000 eggs, filled with candy and
prizes. The event begins at 10am and the hunts will be grouped by age. Children ages
up to 12 are invited to participate in the egg hunts. There will be many activities for the
children. Free breakfast will be provided for all parents and children who attend! Up to
12 years old.
Atlanta Governor's Annual Easter Egg Hunt - March 31, 2012 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Governor's Mansion, 391 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. Phone: 404-
656-1776. Email: [email protected]. Call to RSVP in advance (required). Activities
will include a moonwalk provided by Jumpy Fun, Easter Bunny Photos, a Cupcake
Decorating Station, Face Painting, a Storybook Station featuring Clifford the Big Red
Dog, an Easter Egg Roll, an Easter Egg Decorating Station, and of course, an Easter
Egg Hunt! Children are asked to provide their own Easter baskets to collect souvenirs.
Storybooks provided by Scholastic and the Pearson Foundation will be given to each
family until supplies run out. Easter gift baskets provided
by GourmetGiftBaskets.com will also be given away to those lucky enough to find
"Prize Eggs." Imagine It! Childrens Museum of Atlanta has provided discount coupons
to their museum store for families attending the Easter Egg Hunt. Questions regarding
the Easter Egg Hunt may be sent to Jessica Sullivan at [email protected].
Callanwolde Giant Egg Hunt - Usually on the Saturday before Easter, April 7; 10 am – 12
noon Park at Emory University Briarcliff Campus, 1256 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA.
Phone: 404-872-5338. Easter Egg Hunt: Eggstravaganza hops into Callanwolde! A
family favorite for years, Callanwolde’s Easter egg hunt features thousands of candy-
filled eggs to find, a live performance by Enzo Clown, Atlanta Braves games & prizes,
and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny. There will be homemade baked goods for
sale and spring-themed arts and crafts for kids. Bring your Easter basket and your
camera for a fun, family day set in Callanwolde’s beautiful spring gardens and
grounds. All proceeds benefit the Callanwolde Dance Program. Save time and buy
tickets online at TicketLeap.com. Adults free ; Children 12 and under $10 advance
purchase online; Children 12 and under $12 cash or check at the door. In case of rain
the event will be cancelled. No onsite parking available. Arrive early for free parking
and shuttle bus service beginning at 9:30 am at the Emory University Briarcliff Campus,
1256 Briarcliff Road, just one-half mile north of Callanwolde.
FEATURES
Fernbank Museum Dinosaur Egg Hunt - Saturday, March 30, 2013
Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. Phone:
404-929-6400. Advance registration is required to participate in a timed egg hunt.
Space is limited. This year's event will be on March 30 and will feature even more eggs,
prizes and family fun! Radio Disney AM 590 will join us again and our very own Giggy A.
Dinosaur will be on hand in his best bunny ears for special photo opportunities. All egg
hunts will take place on the Front Lawn. Advance registration required.* 9:20am Ages 4
and under, 9:55am Ages 5-8, 10:30am Ages 4 and under, 11:15am All ages “Family
Hunt”, 11:50am All ages “Family Hunt”. Directions: from North Atlanta, go south on I-
75/I-85/GA400 to downtown Atlanta. Take exit 248C Freedom Parkway (GA 10 East).
Go 1.7 miles to Ponce de Leon Avenue and turn right. Go 1.7 miles to Clifton Road and
turn left. Go 1/10 mile to the Museum entrance and turn right. After the egg hunt,
children may also participate in various games, unique giveaways, special exhibitions
and photos with a Fernbank dinosaur. Admission costs range from $5 for museum
members to $20.50 for non-members. Tickets are $5 per child for members. Get your
tickets online today!
Trinity Presbyterian Egg Hunt - Williams Hall, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA.
Phone: 404-237-6491. Email: [email protected]. For reservations, contact the
church office
2nd-5th Grade
Easter Egg Hunt and Dinner, Friday, April 22, 2012; at 6:30 p.m., Williams Hall
Children in grades 2 through 5 and their families will eat dinner together, hear the
Easter story, play a few games, and then hunt eggs with flashlights. Cost is $7 per
person. Contact the church office for reservations, 404-237-6491 or
1 Year - 1st Grade
Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 23, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., Williams Hall
Children ages 1 year through 1st grade and their families will have breakfast, hear the
Easter story, and hunt eggs on the front lawn. Cost is $7 per adult, $5 per child; the
maximum cost per family is $24. Cost for the egg hunt only is $4 per child. For
reservations, contact the church office at 404-237-6491 or [email protected].
Peachtree Presbyterian Easter Egg Hunt - the Saturday before Easter,
Chastain Park, at Chastain Park Playground, Atlanta, GA. Phone: 404-842-5800. Open:
March 30, 2013 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Join us for a family Easter Egg Hunt at
Chastain Park, Saturday, April 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. We will hunt Easter eggs and enjoy
Chick-Fil-A or your own picnic for lunch. (Ages 2 and under will hunt at 10:30 am; ages
3 - 5 will hunt at 10:45 am; and ages 6 and up will hunt at 11:00 am.)
Have fun and Happy Easter!
Easter Egg Hunt
Easter is March 31 this year and the RAMpage wanted to
celebrate the holiday by adding an Easter egg hunt. Try and
find all 9 eggs! Good Luck! Flip to the last page for the answers.
By India Webb
What comes to your mind when you think about St. Patrick’s Day?
Most people think of St. Patrick’s Day as a day full of luck and a day that
the Irish celebrate. St. Patrick’s Day is symbolized by many objects such as
a pot of gold, a rainbow, a four leaf clover, or a leprechaun. It is believed
by some that St. Patrick’s Day is not a real holiday and that it should not
even exist. There aren’t many people at Arabia Mountain that celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day, but “luckily” we’ve found a few.
Senior Courtney Pringle left says, “I celebrate St.
Patrick’s day because it’s a fun holiday to celebrate.
My mom cooks a nice big dinner and the whole
family comes over to eat and celebrate. I love St.
Patrick’s Day so much.”
People, who are serious about St. Patrick’s Day
such as custodian, Mr. Williams, get a lot of the
holiday spirit around this time. Mr. Williams says, “I
cook, I clean, and I wear green. I have a green leprechaun suit that I
wear; I just hope they have my size. I also eat collard greens on St.
Patrick’s Day so I like St. Patrick’s Day.
Mr. Rogers says he only celebrates St. Patrick’s Day because,
“everybody else does and there is no other holiday in March. I dress up in
all green and I count my gold out of the pot at the end of the rainbow,
because, you know, I’m Irish.”
Although not many people celebrate this
day, we’ve found some that feel very strong
towards this holiday such as Mr. Barashango and
Mr. Taylor. Mr. Barashango, right, stated, “No I do
not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because I’m not
Irish, but my favorite color is green.” So if you are
“lucky”, you might catch him wearing green on
St. Patrick’s Day!
Mr. Taylor really felt strong about this subject. He said, “Yes I’m
from Savannah, but St. Patrick’s Day is not a true holiday. I believe it
should not be celebrated but, I’m Irish.” St. Patrick’s Day is not a popular
holiday in our community.
NEWS
FEATURES
Based on a random survey of the Arabia student body these are the most
popular television shows that students should be watching.
Reality
1. The Real Housewives of Atlanta is a reality TV drama that focuses on
seven ambitious women in Atlanta, Georgia. This television series takes you
through the heart aches to loosing and gaining new friendships. Nene
becomes a “Glam mother” this season while Phaedra attempts to make
an exercise video. Cynthia is introduced to the pageant life, while there
are two new additions to the show named Porsha and Kenya! Airs
Sundays 8/7c on Bravo
2. Black Ink Crew is a great reality show
about upcoming African American tattoo artist
striving to make it big in Harlem. There are five
main characters: Dutchess, the southern belle,
Caesar, the boss, Puma, the manager, Oh Ish
an amazing tattoo artist, and Sassy, the feisty
event planner. All together these five make a
wonderful team working with some of the
hottest celebrities, dancers, producers and
much more. Black Ink shows that tattoos aren’t
the only thing that takes place in this shop, they
are not only becoming one of the hottest
tattoo shops but they are establishing an
everlasting bond. Airs Mondays 9/8c on VH1
3. Catfish is about people who sign up on social networks to meet new
people. Eventually they start to develop feelings or either began a
relationship online. These people email Nev Schulman, an actual person
who has been in the same situation as them; in hopes of to meeting the
person they have gotten to know. Schulman takes them to meet the
What are YOU watching?
By Aiyana Parks
Alexis Avina and Rosaline
Olorunshola both enjoy
watching Black Ink Crew
because “they may want
tattoos in the future.”
FEATURES
people they actually fell for, which results in either
a good or bad outcome. At the end of the show
all suspicion ends and they are able to see if the
person is real or just a fake hiding behind the
screen. Airs Saturday 3/2c and Monday at 10a/9c
on MTV
4. Dance Moms is a wonderful show that
displays the lives of moms that have daughters
that aspire to become professional dancer. These
girls dance for the Abby Lee’s Dance Company.
Both the mothers and daughters have many ups
and downs throughout the show, whether it’s
fighting for a solo or trying to make it to the top of
the pyramid, but Abby Lee Miller, their dance
instructor expects nothing but the best from each
and every one of them, yet mothers and
daughters face challenges wondering if they will
even have a spot each week. Airs Tuesdays 9/8c
on Lifetime
5. Impractical Jokers is about a group of four
friends in New York who constantly dare each
other to do embarrassing things towards the
public. Although this is a daring game, everyone
doesn’t always accept. This fun game ends in one
big dare according to the amount of strikes you
get. Airs Thursdays 10pm on Trutv
Drama Series
1. Pretty Little Liars is an American teen drama
about four girls in high school who have lost their
best friend Ally. However they are being harassed
and threatened behind text messages and even
sometimes by their closest friends. They’re being
torn down by “A” because of the secrets they
have kept. Although they have yet to figure out
Cartoons
You are never “too old”
for cartoons. Cartoons
bring out the best in us.
Whether you’re having
a good or bad day you
could always change to
one of these channels
and watch one of these
entertaining, comical,
animated shows.
Regular Show Airs
Mondays 8/7 c on
Cartoon Network
Adventure Time Airs
Mondays 7:30/6:30c
on Cartoon Network
Family Guy Airs
Sundays 9/8c March
3 on Fox
SpongeBob Airs
Monday - 7:30, 8:00
am, 2:00 pm, and
3:00-5:30 pm
Tuesday - 2:00 pm.
5:00-5:30 pm, and 8
pm.
Wednesday - 7:30
and 8:00 am, 2:00
pm, and 4:00-5:30
pm
South Park Airs
every weekday at
9:30 pm, on Comedy
Central
FEATURES
who killed Ally they are trying to survive as well! Airs Tuesdays 8/7 c on
ABC Family
2. In the political thriller, Scandal, Olivia Pope is the key fixer (crisis
manager) of Washington DC. Olivia and her law firm cover up various
scandals, illegal activity and crimes so the situation being taken care of
and the people associated with it will not be exposed. There are many
riddles throughout the episode, that cause certain secrets to be kept and
lies to be told. Olivia is secretly having relations with President Grant, but
how long will this last? Airs Wednesday 10/9 c on ABC
3. 90210 This young and fun television drama
is about a group of friends who has recently
graduated from West Beverly Hills trying to
become successful in California. Many trials
and tribulations can sometimes get in the way
of their relationships, friendships, and family. Will
they continue to let these distractions
determine their success? Airs Mondays 9/8 c on
CW
4. Criminal Minds This mysterious drama
focuses on a team of FBI profilers who analyze
the most abnormal criminal minds of the
country, figuring their next moves before they
strike again. During this show you will see that
there is history behind every killer and there
psychological state. Airs Wednesdays 9/8 c on
CBS
5. Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama about residents working the
way up at Seattle Grace Hospital. They deal with many challenges such
as relationships, their own health as well as the health of their patients.
The main character of this show is Meredith Grey. This show explores her
relationship with her husband Derik Shepard as well as her best friend
Cristina Yang. Airs Thursday March 14 9/8c on ABC
Senior Siata Carter says “she
loves watching Criminal
Minds because they go into
detail of why the killer
actually kills; it is very
suspenseful and
interesting.”
FEATURES
Bad Meets Evil is the hip hop duo consisting of Eminem and Royce Da 5’9”. Both have
excellent reputations as lyricists, so a lot is expected of them. With the Bad Meets Evil EP they
exceed those expectations.
The album is fast paced from beginning to end,
starting with an energetic intro to the album
demonstrating both artists knack for punch-lines,
multisyllabic rhyme, and speed.
It then continues to “Fast Lane” which is arguably
the best song on the album, in which both Eminem and
Royce brag about their success and their intentions in
the future.
What is great about this album is that it doesn’t
take itself completely serious. The album is satirical and
humorous in nature which is an excellent departure
from the serious subject matter from most self-
conscious artists and the weak party-themed songs
from mainstream artists.
The lyricism and multisyllabic rhyme schemes
never cease to impress or entertain, which gives fans or hip hop fanatics reason to
comeback. There are a remarkable number of double entendres and complex metaphors
that decipherers on Rapgenius.com are still trying to discover two years after its release in
2011.
But what may surprise many is that Eminem is not the star of the album. Royce Da 5’9”,
while lesser known, is no lightweight and proves himself equal to Eminem in skill and
presence, a feat that not many artists who have Eminem on their song and album tend to
accomplish. What also amazes me is that neither Eminem nor Royce overshadows the other
rapper. There isn’t even one instance of one having a better verse than the other on any of
the songs on the album.
I would not only recommend this album to any fans of Eminem or Royce Da 5’9” , but
fans of hardcore genuine hip-hop that is hard to find these days without doing some serious
digging. However, no matter who you are, it’s impossible to be disappointed with this album
By Eric Murphy
FEATURES
“Fast Lane” - This is my favorite song on the album. The song is fast but not too fast to
the point where no one can keep up. The production is top-notch as well as the lyrics. The
amount of double entendres, hidden meanings and references in each verse is astounding
and the song never really gets old. To be honest, the song gets better every time I hear it.
“Take From Me” - An interesting song and possibly one of few truly serious songs on the
album. The album throws punches towards album piracy and people who listen to albums
but fail to appreciate the hard work, time and complexity that goes into those albums. This
brings some thought into the morality of internet piracy and how it affects the artist in
question.
“Loud Noises”- I love this song a lot because the raw energy that is prevalent to each
artists verse. This song also features Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz Royce Da 5’9”
and Crooked I). The song is practically a love letter to those waiting for a Slaughterhouse
and Eminem collaboration on a song. Each rapper does their job in impressing its audience
and leaves them satisfied as well.
“Living Proof” - The song is primarily about Royce’s return to the spotlight. Royce’s verse
tells his story on how he struggled to get back to the top and how he linked up with Eminem.
Eminem’s verse acts as a motivator to Royce Da 5’9” telling him not to give up and press on.
SPORTS
Baseball Is Back By Makia Jackson
The Arabia Mountain Rams baseball team begins the season with a win
against Mundys Mill High school with a score of 13-6. This was a great and
exciting way to begin the season and only made the team more eager for the
games to come. Last season the baseball team experienced a remarkable
season from beginning to end. Baseball has always been one of the
strongest sports here at Arabia Mountain High School.
Coach Hoxie is the baseball coach here at AMHS. He has
coached the baseball team all four years. Coach Hoxie states that he
is very proud of the accomplishments the team has made so far and
cannot wait to see more success in the future. Entering into this new
season Coach Hoxie hopes that this year is very successful and that they
make it all the way this year and brings home a trophy.
Senior George Jackson (left) has been playing
baseball for a couple of years now. His motivation for this
upcoming season is the lessons learned from previous
seasons. George hopes that the team advances all the
way to state with the hopes of winning. Over the course of
time George mentioned that the team has become a
brotherhood. Win or lose they all share a
bond that is unbreakable. That bond between the players is shown in every
game played. They never seem to disappoint the crowd or themselves they
stay level headed and always focused on improving skills for the game.
The students here at AMHS can’t wait to cheer the baseball team all the
way. They will experience a remarkable season and achieve all their goals.
Good Luck guys!
SPORTS
Devin Crawford, l, and Kwame Bowens, r, will attend Jackson State
University.
On February 5, 2013, seven of our seniors signed their way to a
guaranteed future in the sport of football. Seeing our fellow peers committing to
college brought many tears to the eyes of other seniors. Signing and committing
to a college shows that they have been recognized for
all the hard work and determination they had on the
football field.
Devin Crawford, left, and Kwame Bowens, right,
signed to Jackson State University in Jackson,
Mississippi. “I was TOO turnt, happy, and blessed,”
Devin explains how he felt about signing.
Kwame, on the other hand, felt sentimental
about signing. “I thought I was about to shed some
tears,” he said. Kwame received a full ride as a
linebacker.
Michael Holloway, left, signed to Charleston Southern
University in North Charleston, SC on a full-ride as a running
back. He explains that he is “relieved the process is over. He
chose to sign to CSU because he feels that he’s going
somewhere where he can do great things.
Melvin Staley, right, will be sending his talent to Atlanta Sports
Academy located in Atlanta, GA. Melvin is going as a wide-receiver
and special teams on a full ride. He explained it was a good feeling
and he was excited about signing.
Offensive guard, Chazmon Chapman, left, signed to
Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte, NC on a full ride. “I feel
accomplished,” he said. “I achieved my long term goal for high
school.” He explained that he’s ready to play college football.
By Casey Neal
SPORTS
Danny Ezechukwu, right, signed to Purdue University in
Lafayette, Indiana. He was offered a full ride as a linebacker.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment all year,” said Danny. He
committed to Purdue last semester but had to wait until
February to actually sign. During his speech, he spoke about
being happy that he got a full ride so that his mother does not
have to pay for him to go to college.
Senior Bryson Jones initially signed to Atlanta Sports
Academy with Melvin Staley but has since decided not to
attend.
The RAMpage staff is very proud of these extraordinary student athletes
and wishes them the best of luck next year.
Seniors, left to right, Bryson Jones, Michael Holloway, Danny
Ezechukwu, Devin Crawford, Kwame Bowens, Melvin Staley, and
Chazmon Chapman celebrate their accomplishments on signing
day.
SPORTS
High school is a place where students develop themselves to enter
society as a fully independent young adult. It is also a place where memories
are made. These memories will stay with you throughout your entire life, so why
not make them great?
No one wants to remember their high school years as being less than
perfect. High school memories should be the most enjoyable experiences that a
person will have.
Just ask varsity senior cheerleaders
Aaliyah Copeland, Amari Jones, and Alexis
Brooks. These girls have formed a bond with
each other that they will carry with them one
they leave AMHS Ram family and hopefully
their experiences with one another will urge
the new squad of girls for the 2013-2014
seasons to create their own memories.
Amari Jones, senior, was a basketball player before coming to Arabia
Mountain High School. She ran track her freshmen year and then decided to try
out for the cheerleading squad and has been cheering since her sophomore
year. One of her most favorite with the
squad was when they were leaving a
game held at a rival school, AMHS
busses were in the back of the school
and she thought they were in the front.
Once she realized they were in the back
of the school she had to chase the
busses so she wouldn’t get left! She
laughed at the memory in good humor
and said it was most definitely a
memorable moment. Amari recalls her
favorite games she cheered in, “It would most definitely have to be Stephenson
By Atiya Williamson
SPORTS
for basketball and Miller Grove for football because even though their tumblers
killed us, it was still a fun night for school spirit.” There are many reasons girls
should try out for the squad, Amari said “It’s a great experience mixing with new
personalities; it’s very fun and exciting because everyone can bring their own
talents to the squad to make it better as a whole.” She definitely feels like she
has bonded with all the girls and will remember her time on the squad for years
to come.
Aaliyah Copeland, senior, has cheered for the AMHS cheerleading squad for
all 4 years, form her freshmen year to her to senior year. Her most favorite
memory with the squad was the 2011-2012 cheer camp this past summer. It was
one of her fondest memories because they
trained with the junior varsity squad and
bonded with the new girls joining the
squad which turned out to be a great
thing for everyone. On her relationship with
the squad, Aaliyah said, “I love my girls;
they are all such great people. I am
sincerely glad I met them” She says she
would absolutely keep in contact with the
girls once she goes off to college. The last
piece of advice Aaliyah would offer to the
girls for the upcoming crop of girls is
“Come in and know our place. The girls
that have been there do have authority over you, so come in like you want to
earn your spot and please be humble.” This group of girls was not only her
teammates but her sisters as well.
Alexis Brooks, senior, originally wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad
her freshmen year but it wasn’t really advertised well to the student body and
she had to wait till the following year to become part of the squad. She has
been cheering for the AMHS cheerleading squad since her sophomore year. Her
favorite memory with the squad was celebrating Amari’s birthday. They went
out to celebrate and went to fellow team member Cerise Graham house and
then went to Applebee’s and it was just an overall fun night with her team.
Alexis recollects her favorite games she cheered in “For football, I liked the Miller
Grove game even though they tumbled us out and we lost and for basketball, it
SPORTS
would be the Southwest DeKalb game because it was the second time we
played them and we won and it was just really fun.” Alexi’s advice for new girls
to have the best experience on the squad was, “You have to have a great
relationship with the coach, no attitudes and just start off fresh with the coach
and the squad in general.” Her reason behind joining the squad was her
curiosity about cheering for the school and she is glad she did because these
have been some of her best memories in high school.
These girls have built strong friendships that nothing can come between. Even
though they may fight, fuss and argue, the memories they have together will
never be forgotten.
FEATURES
By Chelsea Cobb
Chelsea Cobb
The Arabia Mountain Jewels are known for their outstanding excellence!
But students are wondering how
they are going to rebuild a team
where seven out of the eleven girls
were seniors.
The Jewels are an award
winning team, and have improved
a lot since 2009. They work harder
and harder each year to become
the best.
Senior captain Jazzmin Minnitee said, “I have faith in the upcoming dance team.
Since the team was mostly seniors this year, next year will be a year full of new faces and
technique. I expect for the legacy to be carried on, as there will be some girls remaining
from last year’s team. They can be better by staying focused throughout the year and by
keeping in mind that it’s a sisterhood and not just girls dancing on a team together.”
Senior captain Tylesha Giddings said, “I feel that the upcoming team will be just as
good or even better. I have high expectations for these ladies and I know they will be great.”
On Monday, February 25, 2013, they held an interest meeting in the cafeteria. There
were about 64 ladies interested in becoming a Jewel for the upcoming school year. Coach
Beal introduced herself, as well as the seniors. She talked about how tryouts would go, and
her expectations for the girls and team. At the end of the meeting all the girls had to strut,
and introduce themselves. It was a lot of new faces, and a lot of girls willing to try out for the
dance team. On the other hand, I could tell some people wanted to quit, when they found
out all the hard work they would have to put in to make the team.
Junior Noelle Hughley said, “I feel upset that the seniors are leaving because they
have made such a huge impact on the AMHS Jewels. They have all been here since the
bricks were laid at Arabia and to see them leave makes me sad. As an upcoming senior I will
make sure to continue the Arabia Mountain High School Jewels legacy.”
The Jewels are known for being the BEST dance team in DeKalb County. Their style and
technique is very unique and different. I know that next year, the legacy will be carried on. It
will take a lot of hard work, practice, and dedication for them to live up to this year’s team.
But with their outstanding coach, they will be able to do it.
OPINIONS
By Diamond Coles
Something commonly taken as a joke today
Was something that destroyed the grandparents of today
Many if you asked wouldn’t even know where to begin
When describing discrimination
Some say it’s a thing of the past
But the hurt know it still exists today
Discrimination was
My grandmother a women of a lighter skin complexion
Having gotten a man fired for allowing her to escape the cold
By entrance through the front
Discrimination was
Killing off young people who wanted
The system integrated
Discrimination was
Denying a child the opportunity to play
With her friend because her skin was of the darker complexion
Discrimination is
A nation that claims to be man’s free land
But restricts races to certain lands
Discrimination is
Where ignorance still exists in some places
Due to the fact that people can’t fully comprehend
That the bonds have been broken
The racial lines of separation have been crossed
And none of us can no longer be bought
Discrimination
Is a woman with the white feeling of superiority
Who has a small outlook on real life
Confusing the life of a young man in a movie
With the reality of every young black man
Her blind side was that she assumed
That every black young man sleeps in the hood
And gun shots are every African Americans night time lullaby
Discrimination is
The secret battle between all blacks
To place one lighter above another
Unity is
Forgetting the past
Letting it go
Learning from where we’ve come from
And mending the nation with success from all race
OPINIONS
The 55th Grammy Awards was held in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 10, 2013.
Last year, 39.9 million people tuned in for music’s biggest night, many tuning in out of curiosity
of how the show would go on in spite of the legendary singer Whitney Houston’s death. This
year was no different; the CBS broadcast drew 28.37 million viewers, and continued its tradition
of being a highly watched and rated program. Here are my thoughts:
By Karri Thomas
On the host:
This year, LL Cool J hosted the show for the
second time in a row. I feel like he was
brought on as this year’s host again to have
another chance at hosting without a major
catastrophe happening right before the show.
I’m not really a fan of the rapper, and I did not
enjoy his hosting. He’s just a boring person to
me, honestly. He also kept pronouncing Ed
Sheeran’s name incorrectly. That’s not cool, J.
On the performances:
I know the Grammy’s purpose is to
celebrate achievements in music
throughout the year, but was it really
necessary to showcase 20 performances
in one night?!? Most of them were very
boring, anyway. I, as a proud Hooligan,
was of course looking forward to Bruno
Mars’ performance, but I must admit, I
didn’t really care for it much. He has
performed the same version of his hit
“Locked Out of Heaven” on several
television shows, and this was nothing
new. I assumed that the presence of Sting
and Rihanna would spice things up a bit,
but the performance just seemed to be a
cluttered combination of people singing
reggae music.
I was also looking forward Justin
Timberlake’s return to the stage with his
performance of “Suit & Tie”. In front of a
worldwide audience, he proved that he
always has been (and always will be) a
better Justin than Bieber.
On the fashion: Apparently, after years of risqué fashion moments, Grammy officials finally decided to enact a dress code. According to some of the red carpet interviews I watched however, many celebrities disregarded the memo. I saw cleavage and skin that I shouldn’t have. ...But Katy Perry’s dress WAS nice. The men were generally dressed well as well. The only person whose ensemble I had an issue with was ?uestlove. He had a HUGE pick in his hair during the red carpet. Apparently , no one told him that we left that style back in the 1970s.
OPINIONS
On the winners:
Record of the Year: “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra
Although I REALLY don’t like this song (songs’ overplay on pop radio tends to really make them suck
in my opinion...), I’m glad it won. It’s only real competition, in my opinion, was “We Are Young” by fun.,
but that song has been ruined by the airwave as well.
Song of the Year: “We Are Young” by fun.
This one was hard... “We Are Young” is a really great song, but I was secretly hoping that “The a
Team” by Ed Sheeran or “Adorn” by Miguel would win. To this day, I still don’t even know why Carly Rae
Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” was nominated. Its nomination is probably the closest thing Justin Bieber will
get to a Grammy anytime soon, though.
Here’s what YOU thought:
Favorite performance: "Locked Out of Heaven/Walking on the
Moon/Could You Be Loved" -- Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna, Ziggy Marley,
and Damian Marley
Favorite female outfit: Rihanna, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, and Katy Perry
Favorite male outfit: Chris Brown
OPINIONS
By Amber Gaines
In high schools, there are dress codes and many rules, but why
can’t we dress how we all please?
Dress codes seem to be a problem with many students. Here at
Arabia it is a disaster! For many females we love to wear our skirts to what
best fits our style.
Personally, I love to wear my skirt above the knee because I find it
cute, and so do other young teenage females.
But the skirt length rule is not as bad as females tucking in their shirts.
Why must the females tuck and pull?
Females wear petite shirts that already fit properly, so there
shouldn’t be a rule for females shirts.
Jessica Stephens, a junior here at Arabia, said, “We shouldn’t tuck in
our shirts because we’re girls.” She also feels that the skirts should be 3
inches above the knee.
Everyone has their outlook on how their uniforms should look. To
some students, tucking in your shirt is very presentable. Shanice Clarke
explains how she likes to tuck in her shirt, but the skirts should be above the
knee and not below.
Wearing a uniform is hard for many students because everyone has
their own creativity with what they wear. I really encourage students to be
free and wear what makes them comfortable. Even with jackets, I think
we should be able to wear what ever color as long as we are warm.
Education should be the main focus in many schools, and not what
students wear!
However, even though I may not agree with the dress code, unless
these rules change, we still must follow them.
Ask a RAM
On Valentine’s day I was severely rejected by the girl I have liked since
middle school. I don’t know what happened. It’s not like I have
stalked her or anything. I just need to know what I should do next?
Well since she rejected you, don’t keep pushing for it. Take it slow, become friends with her first, and then see if you all’s interest goes past friendship.
Hey RAMpage my question is how do I get more kids to notice me? I am very quiet at school and only
have a few friends I’m also called lame which also hurts what should I do?
To get more noticed, you should join clubs and sports. Also, you
should befriend more of the
“popular” people. You’re probably not a lame person. Don’t drop your old friends, just widen your circle.
Hey Rampage,
I have a girlfriend. We've been together for six months and things are just now starting to go right. I stayed faithful
through all that time. I tried being a good boyfriend buying her lunch when she didn't have money and getting her gifts
etc.. But now people are coming up to me telling me that she's using me, and that she doesn't really love me. I try not to believe it but the thing is that it's ALOT of people telling
me this, and the majority of those people are her close friends. I don't know what to think anymore. Please help!! P.S. Six months and we still haven't been out on a date yet.
You sound like a great boyfriend, who just isn’t with the right person. Six months is far too long to not have gone on a date. I’m not saying leave her, just reconsider the relationship. If her friends are telling you things like that, then it’s a serious matter. Don’t waste your time, when you could be with someone else, giving them your time and effort and receiving the same in return.
How do I know if a girl likes me?
If a girl likes you, she won’t tell you, but she will show signs. Some signs will include that she’s comfortable around you, she tells you everything, and she flirts with you. If she talks about other guys with you, then you have been friend zoned. I hoped this help.
I really like this guy that's a senior, but I've been dating another guy at a
different school that's a junior. I told the senior I liked him before a
basketball, come to find out him and my boyfriend are best friends. I love
my boyfriend, but ever since the senior started to notice me, I like him about as much as my boyfriend. What
should I do?
You should stay faithful to the junior. Messing around isn’t cute. If you’re going to cheat, just don’t be in a relationship, because by talking to both guys at the same time, then you’re wasting your boyfriend’s time.
I want a girlfriend. I am just ready to give some lucky girl my attention that she deserves, but
I am wondering if having a girlfriend here at arabia or
having a girlfriend at another school is better? I have options on the type of girls I might want
to talk to but I don’t know if I should stay within my school or
try outside of school for my next girl?
This situation is something that is clearly up to YOU. I admire that your intentions on giving a girl something she deserves, but at the same time you have to make that decision on your own. You are still young so even if the choices you decide to try don’t work out like you said you have options. Also I don’t recommend you rushing with the person you choose either.
Do you have a question for the RAMpage? Go to http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/arabiamtnhs/newspaper.html to submit your question!
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