Road to Rupp begins Friday in region openerThe Cards begin the Road

to Rupp Friday against Augusta in the fi rst round of the 10th Region Tournament. Game time is 6 p.m. at Montgomery County High School.

A win places the Cards in a Saturday semi-fi nal against the winner of Campbell-County/Deming. The 10th Region championship is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, and the boys’ state tournament will be held March 14-17 with the Region 10 winner facing the Region 3 winner at8 p.m., Wednesday, March 14.

The 27-5 Cards won the 40th District championship Thursday at Bourbon County.

Their only loss to a Region 10 opponent came Dec. 9 in a two-point road loss toMontgomery County.

The Card student section, led by front row, from left, Mikey Thornberry, Zach Sharp, Brent Stephens, Garrison Conn, Ross Todd,Reid Campbell, Andrew Ping, Jerod Metz and Christian Colvard cheer the Cards on to their 40th District title Thursday

at Bourbon County. The Cards beat Montgomery County 55-38 for the crown.(Smoke Signals photo)

Look inside for...

Pinterest, pg. 21

Look inside for...

Black history month,pg. 8

GRC to perform GodspellThe spring musical this year

is Godspell, which is a musical production of the

gospel of St. Matthew. Featuring quirky acting and an improv-feeling take on

parables, the musical is sure to be a hit among the

religious and secular alike. The musical is set to debut in early April.The exact dates have

not been set.

Right, seniors Tyler Brooks and Melissa Rowland

are the lead roles of Jesus and Judas,

respectively. (Photo by Sarah Sams)

ACTJuniors are to take a statewide ACT on March 6. A free ACT prep course will be offered on March 3 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and will cover English and math. There will be 25 door prizes given away at thesession.

AP ExamsStudents planning on taking AP exams need to register and pay by March 21. Each exam is $87. Students on free/reduced lunch have to pay $15 per exam, but have to pay $53 for the fourth exam and on.

Ballroom dance classesThe public library is offering free ballroom dance classes to students ages 14 to 18 inter-ested in working on their foot

work. The classes are on Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. fromMarch 13 to May 8, with the exception of April 3.

SeniorsThe final payment of $115 for senior trip is due on March 5.Cap and gown fees are now $60. Be sure to get those in as soon as possible,A Project Graduation meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m.,Monday, March 5.On March 6, SpectrumPhotography will be at GRC to take cap and gown pictures.

College/Career FairLocal colleges and businesses will be set up in the gym to offer advice and opportunities to GRC students on March 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

News Briefs

Haley Tye

FeaTures ediTor

It may not have been an Oscar, or even a Golden Globe, however, a group of Clark County youth felt like celebrities as they walked down the red carpet at the 2012 Keep-It-Real video contest on Feb. 8.

Starting in December, members of the Clark County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy began to work on a 30-second public service announcement to enter in the Keep-It-Real video contest. The contest has been around for eight years, and strives to get youth and their communities involved with preventing underage drinking.

Every year, the Keep-It-Real organization, along with the Kentucky State Police and WKYT, holds an awards night at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington to honor the winning videos. During the ceremony, the Clark County ASAP Youth Network was awarded the “best cinematography” award, as well as a $150 cash prize. Each member was also given a gold Oscar trophy and a certificate. For each category, a runner-up and a winner were named. “Winning the best cinematography award on our first year entering was so surreal,” said freshman Emily Houston.

The Keep-It-Real organization encourages students to think outside of the box, and create a video that clearly portrays the message “do not drink underage.” The Clark

County ASAP students focused in on George Rogers Clark football player, Nick Bailey. In the video, Bailey appears to be at a party where he is drinking alcohol with friends. Right as he picks up the bottle of alcohol, a handcuff appears on his hand. Before he knows it, he is being escorted out of the party, and placed into a police car. The movie ends with Bailey rethinking his actions as he stands behind prison bars. The ASAP Youth Network named their video “If I Could Only Go Back,” to represent the friends, dreams, and opportunities that can be lost by drinking underage.

Janna Smith, Clark County ASAP Coordinator, said she was proud of the members of the youth network. “They worked really hard on the concept and the shoot to make a quality video,” said Smith. She credits Steve Morris with the camerawork of the public service announcement, and feels that his contribution to the project helped the youth network win in the best cinematography category.

The ASAP Youth Network is an up and coming organization that focuses on getting teens involved in spreading the awareness of underage drinking and substance abuse. The ASAP program has been a part of Clark County since 2004, but the youth network was newly formed two years ago when the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, through the Kentucky State Police, gave a grant to the Clark County ASAP.

The ASAP board saw a need for more youth involvement in the community that focused on educating peers and adults about the dangers of underage drinking and substance abuse. “I understand the topics we deal with are hard for youth to stand up and say they don’t drink or use other substances because of the peer pressure they face,” said Smith. “However, I hope they remember that real friends will support you for making these decisions.”

Aside from the Keep-It-Real video contest, members of the youth network also participate in many activities within the community. Members are currently working on creating a website that focuses on substance abuse prevention

and education. They are also in the process of making a television show titled “What’s Up Winchester” that involves member interviews with people in the community that play a key role in youth substance abuse prevention. The youth network also participates in “sticker shocks” where the members go to local gas stations and put stickers on alcoholic beverages reminding the parents to keep those beverages away from their underage teenagers.

The largest project the youth network has focused on deals with Alcopops. Alcopops are fruit flavored alcoholic beverages that are sold widely throughout the community in convenience stores. These fruit flavored beverages are extremely

dangerous because most people are unaware that they contain high levels of alcohol. To educate the community about the dangers of alcopops, the youth network created a powerpoint that they present to different organizations around the community. If any parent, youth, church, or civic group would like to see the alcopop presentation, please contact ASAP coordinator Janna Smith.

If you would like to view the Clark County video, as well as other winning videos from the contest, visit www.keep-it-real.us. To keep up with current events taking place with the local ASAP Youth Network visit their Facebook Page, Clark County ASAP Youth Network.

ASAP students “Keep It Real” as they claim first place prize

Front row, from left, Jacob Omohundro, Matthew Omohundro, Nick Bailey; second row, Kayla Finley, Janna Smith (coordinator), Haley Tye, Kayla Harrison, Mikayla Jones, Emily Houston,

Chanda Scobee, Anna Omohundro, Steve Morris (cameraman) Not pictured: Ragan Clark, Julie Willian, Addison Lowry, Katie McCrary, Caleb Mohr, and Hannah Mohr

(Photo submitted)

Kelsey White

expressions editor

Throughout our lives, it’s almost guaranteed that we will face challenges and come across obstacles. At the time, it seems that those troubles define us and facing them may seem impossible. It takes serious courage to be able to stand up against your hardship and courage is not something senior, Lindsey Hannan lacks.

When Lindsey was three, doctors diagnosed her with a form of epilepsy, a disorder that triggers seizures when brain cells cluster together and send false signals. “In elementary school,” she said, “I had between 50-100 seizures a day. My eyes would flutter for a few seconds.” Lindsey says that the abundant seizures not only prevented her from learning the proper content in school, but forced her to follow the Ketogenic

diet in middle school. The diet consisted of high fat intake and no sugar intake. While on the diet, Lindsey’s meals consisted mainly of a mixture of heavy whipping cream and canola oil because of their low amount of protein and carbohydrates. This is also prevented her from eating like her friends. “I couldn’t have birthday cake or even have cookies as a snack after school.”

While doctors have done all that’s in their power to stop the seizures, Lindsey says they still continue to happen. “I’ve had two surgeries,” she recalled. “I’ve been on 12 different kinds of medicine and almost all of them failed to reduce the number of seizures, and I suffered from side effects from almost all of them.” The disappointments with having epilepsy provoked Lindsey to attend a conference for people with the disorder, and she met the president of the foundation. “They

suggested that I participate in a program at Capitol Hill with our congressman,” she said. After looking into the “Speak Up!” program and realizing she was interested, she applied and was the selected candidate out of all of Kentucky.

At the end of March, after participating in a walk for epilepsy, Lindsey will travel to Washington, D.C., to speak in front of a large group of people about her life and her disorder. “My goal is to get more healthcare benefits for epileptic people like myself and to get more funding for research,” she said. “I’m just going to tell them my story. I was diagnosed when I was really young, and I plan to share the struggles I’ve experienced throughout the past 15 years as well as telling of the happy times.” To assist her presentation, Lindsey is creating a brochure.

In her eyes, “Epileptics

are people who let themselves be buried in self-pity. A person with epilepsy, however, is someone who is determined to overcome all obstacles, all the disappointments, keep hoping and praying for a miracle, and try to live life as normal as possible.” Lindsey says that knowing she’s helping someone is a great feeling and being called someone’s hero would be a “tremendous blessing in life.”

If you find it in your heart to make a pledge for Lindsey and her activism in the National Walk for Epilepsy, donations can be delivered to her personally through check or cash form. She needs the student body’s help to reach her fundraising goal and do all she can for the Epilepsy Foundation.

Senior Lindsey Hannan acts a representative who speaks on epilepsy with elected officials in order to promote education and

research.(Photo by Julie Willian)

Hannan speaks up on epilepsy

Academic team to go to state

Above, from left, Cory Parr, D.J. Richardson, Justin Carrus, and Chris Wheeler make up GRC’s quick recall team.

They placed second in regionals and are headed to state.(Photo submitted)

The GRC academic team racked up at

regionals on Feb. 18. Placing second

overall and placing individually in written

competitions, the team is to advance to state March 10 and 11. Justin Carrus,

Chris Wheeler, Cory Parr, D.J. Richardson and Connor Martin

all placed individually and will

compete in those areas at state.

New football coach announces staff

On Feb. 13, new head football coach Steven Collins hired on eight assistants to the football program.

Brandon Brewer, Robbie Graham, Bob Howard, Dustin How-ard, Kyle Johnson, Elton Parish, Brandon Powell and James Stults are to join Collins for the upcoming season. He will be announcing two more assistants in mid-March. There is a combined total of more than 50 years of experience among the coaching staff.

“This is the best staff I have had to work with over the past 20 years I have coached,” Collins said Monday. “All of us have playing and coaching experience, along with football knowledge.”

Principal Bolen distributed hats to the new staff with the stitched phrase “A New Era Begins” on the back. And with that, Collins starts the beginning of a new reign at GRC.

Shelby broeking

JournaliSm i

Think back to your freshman year at GRC. As a new high school student, you weren’t quite sure what to do. Instead of being thrown into the mix with upperclassmen, you were welcomed into the three teams of teachers called the Freshman Academy. They were your teachers for the core content classes and taught you how to function in a high school environment. You were surrounded by freshmen just like yourself. Few ever admit to liking the academy as they go through it, but looking back, it helped them more than they realized in the areas of study skills and general maturity. But what if this weren’t the case? What if you were thrown in with the upperclassmen and expected to learn these lessons and skills on your own?

“The goal of the Academy is to give every freshman a successful start to high school,” said Kris Ann Creteau, three year leader of the academy. According to Creteau, the freshman academy is like a “clean slate for the students.” The academy is a step between middle school and high school. “Students are not thrown out there to get lost in the shuffle of the big school,” Creteau said.

The academy was started eight years ago under the watch of former principal John Atkins. The dropout rate at

GRC was one of the highest in the state. Over the nine years preceding the founding of the Academy, the dropout rate was an average of 7.842 percent. Students were repeatedly failing classes, and the teachers suspected that students had developed bad habits during freshman year. Creteau said they wanted the “freshman failing classes to turn around to success.” And the success is not all talk; the Academy has the facts to prove it.

Along with other contributing factors, the Academy has played a big role in the declination of drop-out rates and an increase in graduation rates. Since the start of the academy, the drop-out rates have gone down by about 7 percent. In the first year alone, the dropout rate dropped 3.22 percent and they have continued to go down since. The number of students failing has gone down as well. Creteau said, “We have a lot more students graduating college and career ready.” Since the academy started, the graduation rate has gone up about 10 percent.

Because it is self-contained, the teachers in the freshman academy work together to provide a safe environment where students are able to build confidence as well as lasting relationships. Gordon Parido, the first freshman principal for the academy and former GRC principal said, “Any time

teachers can collaborate on student issues, great things happen.” Parido said the Academy teachers, spend extra time to ensure the student’s graduation and success. “You don’t see that on a ‘Performance Report’ or NCLB Report, but you see it in our hallways and the changes in the culture of the school; you see it in the tears of joy on a student’s face after graduation while hugging that favorite teacher,” Parido said. “That is what it’s all about.” He is a big supporter of the academy and small learning communities, and he played a significant role in researching and forming the freshman academy.

“Initially, students were very skeptical and some upset,” Parido said. “They heard teams and thought they were going to be trapped in a middle school situation all over again.” However, this was not the case at all. As a high school student, they were entitled to more freedom. “Parents were on board from the beginning,” Parido said. “Many parents are very nervous and cautious when their child reaches high school and I believe the closeness and structure of the academy helps calm those fears.”

Parido says when students have a personal connection to the school and teachers, they perform better academically and the freshman year is “vital to this endeavor.” Rachel Ridener, English I teacher in

the Academy, agrees saying, “If you can get the students in the beginning, you can make a positive influence.” Ridener is also parent of a student who has already gone through the academy. She has been teaching in the academy for five years and claims that there is a huge maturity gap between 9th and 10th grade students. She said, “Freshman year is a year for change and a year to grow and mature.” Ridener says the academy helps break these negative patterns and behaviors that could be developed. She supports the academy. “It improves the entire child and saves them from failure or dropout,” Ridener said. “It gives them time to take responsibility for themselves.”

GRC senior Lindsey Hutchison said that the Academy is “like a middle school atmosphere but in high school to help ease the transition with familiarity.” She said she was thankful for having classes close together and not being fully submerged with the upperclassmen, who she said “somewhat scared me.” She said, “It was a good milestone that helped me get to where I am today.” Looking back on her freshman year, she said it benefitted her as a student to go through the academy and adjusted her to high school without feeling overwhelmed.

Freshman Jett Clarke says he likes having classes with the freshman. Clarke thinks

the Academy will help with his future because it has already “gotten me ready for future years of high school.” For him, it has eased the transition from middle school to high school and has really helped get him used to GRC. He said, “It’s not too bad, but everyone likes to complain about it,” especially while they are in it. Hayley Reed, a freshman in the Academy, said that the academy has helped her and other freshman learn self-discipline and not to depend on the teachers as much. She thinks the teachers are an asset to the academy; they make sure you know what to expect, and they want you to succeed. She says they are “willing to work side by side with you” but are not as lenient as they were in middle school. Although the academy has its benefits, Reed says she would love to interact more with the upperclassmen that they will have classes with next year.

For freshmen, getting used to high school can be a big challenge and the Freshman Academy provides a simple solution that “we are fortunate to have,” said Creteau. Hayley Reed said that the Academy helps the freshman work their way into GRC. It is an easy transition that she compares to a mother bird and its baby. “You have to slowly nudge them out of the nest,” She says laughing. “You can’t just give them a big shove.”

Freshmen Academy: A crucial element to GRC

Through all the hysterical laughter and tears along with the chaotic practices and com-petitions, the GRC Dancing Cardinals had a successful and unforgettable season. Being part of the 2011-2012 team, I have experienced first hand, all of the hard work and emotion put into what we do.

Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, we gathered together for two and a half hours of practice. During this time, we not only bettered our routines and technique, but also grew closer as a whole. None of us are strangers to adversity,

whether it be trying to master a difficult turn/jump or just trying to get along with all 18 different personalities.

The team is only in its second year at GRC, but has already made great strides. This past season we competed in three competitions. In all three we earned a first place award for our Variety dance. At JamFest, the biggest competition of the season, we also received a Grand Champ title and a bid to US Nationals for Variety. Nationals takes place in May, and if we’re fortunate enough to raise the money in time, we’ll be repre-

senting GRC in Virginia. The Hip-hop dance

was not quite as easy;

the routine was continuously being improved, but by our last competition we received a second place trophy and the best choreography award.

But behind every team, there is a leader. Someone who is there to push us and to make sure everything runs smoothly. Coach Lindsey Powell was the backbone to our team. Having been the 2010-2011 coach as well, we could only expect the best choreography and leader-ship from her.

The season is over for now, but it will soon be back up and running again for a third year. Tryouts will be held at the end of April.

Dancing Cards have successful, unforgettable season

GRC’s dance team earned a bid to Nationals and has hopes of going and out-dancing the competition all the way to the number one spot.

(Photo submitted)

Kierra Jones

expressions assistant

Competitions:Cheers for the Holidays 1st place variety3rd place hip-hop

Jamfest1st place varietyGrand Champ variety4th place hip-hop

Just Keep Dreaming1st place Variety Best choreography/WOW award2nd place hip-hop

The Dancing Cards performs at a recent home game during half time.(Smoke Signals photos)

Staff EditorialACT Prep class needed for college, career readiness

Illustration byChristian Puckett

Forty-five minutes of English, sixty minutes of Math, thirty-five minutes of Reading, and thirty-five minutes of Science. Collectively, these 175 minutes ultimately determine the future of a high school student. Many students aren’t at all prepared to take this on confidently, and without a qualifying score, their college career is nothing but a fog.

George Rogers Clark should offer an elective course based solely on preparation for the ACT to not only improve scores, but to increase morale when approaching the ACT. Being “college and career ready,” like GRC claims to be focused on, isn’t only about learning to manage time or being a part of accelerated classes. Being college ready is dependent on the quality of a student’s composite ACT score.

GRC offers electives ranging from Woods to Floral Design and ending at Cardinal Singers, but nowhere in between will you find a course offered to improve ACT scores. Acknowledging the fact that teachers are encouraged to implement ACT content into their classroom instruction, the actual benefits of that, or even the consistent implementation, could often be questioned.

In the early 2000’s, an ACT/SAT preparatory class was offered to GRC students and was a huge success. Each semester the roster often times had to be cut down, retracting such an opportunity from a multitude of students who genuinely wanted the course.

Furthermore, this class was offered at a time when the ACT didn’t have such a dramatic impact on college admission. Today, you can’t get

into college without making the cut when it comes to an ACT score, which urges more students to do what they can to raise their score. This determination would bring back a roomful of students working toward a higher ACT score, if such an elective were offered.

If GRC can find it in the scheduling to offer elective courses such as Floral Design, Brake Systems, Parenting, Sports Officiating, and Landscaping, which all can be applicable to ensuring career readiness, surely an ACT prep elective can be maneuvered in also. Little to no schools surrounding GRC have offered such a course to their students, and this would be yet another way for GRC to set the standard, all the while increasing the success of its graduates.

“While popular African American leaders played a vital role in history, the most important African Americans are those whose names and faces we don’t know—the numbers. We can thank those who marched alongside

civil rights leaders, boycotted unfair bus systems and beat the odds seeking a better life and equality for the progress

that has been made today. Without supporters—men, women, and children—the civil rights movement itself

couldn’t have possibly been successful. Those (extra)ordi-nary people who rallied together in fight for their own

freedoms and hopes for better future are the true heroes.”

“Stokely Carmichael was one of the most active and impactful leaders of the Civil Rights Movement,

but is also one of the more unknown figures, often over-shadowed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and

Malcolm X. He started out as a follower of Dr. King’s beliefs (non-violence and integration), eventuallybecoming the leader of the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee and registering African American voters in the South. In the mid-1960’s, he was one of the first Civil Rights leaders to abandon pacifist values, adopting a more radical and violent

viewpoint and setting the tone for the late 1960’s. His more aggressive ideas helped create the Black

Panther movement as well as popularize the term “Black Power” and subsequent hand gesture.”

“I consider Angela Davis the most influential African American in US history. She spent her life fighting against the injustices and oppression faced by many AfricanAmericans in a deeply segregated south. Highly educated, Angela Davis became an assistant professor at theUniversity of California, but after joining the BlackPanther party and embracing the ideas of communismshe lost her teaching position. The author of severalbooks, Davis’ life’s work has been about fightinginjustices and raising our social consciousness.”

“Carter G. Woodson is recognized as the founder of Black His-tory Week, which later became known as Black History Month. It was designated in February due to the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Woodson earned his Bach-elor’s Degree from Berea College. He is the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University(W. E. B. DuBois is the first). Convinced that the role of his own people in American history and in the history of other cultures was being ignored or misrepresented among scholars, Woodson realized the need for research into the neglected past of African Americans. Dr. Woodson began publication of the scholarly journal, Journal of Negro History, which is currently published, and has been renamed, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Dr. Woodson’s novel, Mis-Edu-cation of the Negro (published in 1933), was very profound to me in describing the plight of African Americans’ issues in the past and to the present day.”

“It’s probably a little cliché, but I have to go with Barack Obama. Yes, he’s the first African Ameri-

can President, but I think the greater importance is how his race really isn’t much of an issue. Certainly

there are plenty of people who like or dislike him as a president, but it’s because of his policies or his party affiliation, not his race. I think it’s an impor-tant milestone for our society that we have devel-

oped to a point where a man’s political beliefs and theories are more important than his skin color.”

Doug WilkinsonTeacher

Amy MadsenTeacher Kaylee Raymer

Viewpoints Editor

Brent SizemoreTeacher

Shelby DetringExecutive Editor

Elton ParishCounselor

“Emmett Till. That’s a name not many recognize, but has affected all. This young boy experienced thehorrors of racial segregation and violence in the South, and following public outcry, sparked the Civil Rights movement in 1954. Personally, this boy’s story, struggle, and affect on America touched me andinfluenced a National History Day documentary plac-ing top 14 in the nation. More should learnabout Emmett Till and understand the impactshe has made.”

Who do you consider the most influential African American?Compiled and designed by Kaylee Raymer

• Bustedsnowforecasts

• $5regularseasongameticketsforstudents

• Studentswhotrashthehallways

• Newclocks• MockAPEnglishtests

• MarchMadnessishere!

Rants

Raves

Iampro-life.Ibelievethatamanandwifeconstituteafamily.Iliketheideaof asmallgovernment.ThesebeliefsguidemetothinkthataRepublicancandidatecanrepresentmefairlyaccurately,butuponcloserexamination,Iincreasinglyfindotherwise.

Thoughthevastmajorityof Americanstakereasonablymoderatepositionsonagivenissue,thosechosentorepresentthemtendtohaveextremeviewsthatfrequentlyborderstupidityinthenameof fittingpartymolds.WhileImyself embracecertaintraditionalvalues,itismyfirmbelief thatmyvaluesshouldnotbeforceduponanother.

PresidentBarackObamawasheavilycriticizedbyRepublicansforhismovetousetaxdollarstosupportgayrightsabroad.GovernorRickPerrycalledthismovethe“administration’swarontraditionalAmericanvalues.”Obama’ssupportwaslargelytoensurethatgaysandlesbiansarenottorturedorkilledfortheir

sexualpreferences.Americansshouldbeabletouniteagainstindividualsbeingkilledforpersonaldecisionstheyhavemade,evenif Americansdon’tsupportthosepersonaldecisionsthemselves.Thisheavycriticismof Obama’sdecisionwascompletelyunnecessary.

Inthefinancialarena,Republicansarenolessextreme.QuicktocutsocialprogramspassedbyDemocratsandpointthefingerof blameforourcurrentnationaldeficit,theyaretoostubborntorealizethattheonlywaytocombatourgrowingdeficitisthecombinationof programcutsandtaxincreasesinacompromisedplan.Also,whilethemajorityof Americanssupportatleastsomeformof ataxincreaseforthewealthy,theverymemberswhoaresupposedtorepresenttheAmericanpeople,voteagainsttheseincreasesinalarminglyhighnumbers.

Fundedbylargecorporations,itisnowonderthatRepublicancongressmen

havebecomemoreandmoreeconomicallyconservative.WiththecurrentsysteminplacethatfailstoadequatelyreducefundsgiventoCongressionalrunnersbybigbusiness,wecanexpecttoseemoreextremisminregardstooureconomy.Withreelectionatstake,CongressionalRepublicanscontinuallydefendpositionsthatfavorthebusinessesthatfinancetheircampaign.

Likewise,extremesociallyconservativeviewscanbeexplainedbythevocalright-

wingrepublicansthataremostprominentlyshoutingtheiropinions.RadicalRepublicansaremuchlouderintheirbehaviorthanmoderateRepublicans.Theresultisleadersthattakeextremepositionsinhopesof quietingtheloudestof theirconstituents.

Thusuntilweseevocalmoderateswhoknowtheiropinionsarebeingsilencedinthefaceof extremistsanduntilmoneyisslowlywhittledoutof theequation,wecanonlylogicallyexpectforthetrendtocontinue.

Inlightof theseissues,Istillconsidermyself tobemoreconservativelyleaning,butIdofindithardtocallmyself aRepublican.TheRepublicansenatorsandrepresentativesalikeshouldgivethemselvesapatonthebackforcompletelyturningoff thefutureof theirparty:youngconservative-leaningmenandwomenwhocanonlyshaketheirheadsandchangethechanneluponseeingRepublicansarguetheirextremeandunsoundviews.

Congressional elephants crush constituents with extremism

Ragan ClaRk

ExECutivE EditoR

“Peopleareincapableof stereotypingyou;youstereotypeyourself becauseyou’retheonewhoacceptsrolesthatputyouinthisrutorinthisstereotype.”–EvaMendes

Itdoesn’tmatterif you’reapartof theminorityormajority;itdoesn’tmatterif you’reamaleorfemale;itdoesn’tmatterif you’reyoungorold;itdoesn’tmatterif youworshipahigherpowerorchoosenotto,societywillcreatestereotypesforyou.

Thethingaboutstereotypesisthattheyareonlytrueif you

letthembe.Theideaof beingclassifiedintoagroupbasedonyourphysicalappearance,beliefs,ororiginisridiculous.

Whilesomeconformtosociety’simageof them,thegreatestaccomplishmentinlifeistobeattheoddsandtoshowthatthesefalsestereotypesdonothinderyou.

WhetheritisbeinganactivistlikeSusanB.Anthony,becomingthefirstof yourracetodosomethinglikeNBAstarJeremyLin,orsimplybeingyourself,youractionsmaychange

theunfair,stereotypicalviewsof asingleperson,andthatisworthit.

Thebottomlineisthis:stereotypesaretheproductof close-mindednessandignorance.Theonlyreasontheysurviveinourworldtodayisbecauseweallowthemto.Thefightagainststereotypescanbeginwithyou.Donotconform.Beyourself.Thisjourneycalledlifeisaboutcreatingyourself andyourownoriginalpath,notaboutfillingtheshoessocietyhascreatedforyou.

The Bottom LineStereotypes: the greatest injustice of our time

kaylEE RaymER

viEwpoints EditoR

It’s great departure from Scorsese’s fi lms of the past. It’s a great movie forpeople who love movies. Sacha Baron Cohen is excellent in his serious role-Matthew Cunningham,social studies

After reading the novel, I was leery in watching the

movie as I am often disap-pointed in movie adaptations

of books. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

pleasantly surprised me by exceeding expectations. I

really thought the movie was well done and very

entertaining.-Ragan Clark, senior

Although I enjoyed the existential exercise of viewing Tree of Life, this fi lm may not be for

everyone. Rush out to rent (don’t buy, seriously– one time through is enough) this fi lm if: (a) you are looking

for a fi lm that will simultaneously impress and bore a date with your intellectual prowess; (b) you are hav-

ing a crisis of faith or identity and need inspiration to uncover the meaning of life; (c) you are in the market

for a beautiful screensaver with gorgeous music to play at your next social gathering; or (d) you accidentally meant to hit the screen at Redbox for Transformers

and this came out instead.-Katherine Lowther, arts and humanities

The Artist shows the Hollywood median of fi lm and that you can still make a movie with the same elements from the origins of cinema.

-Corey Dotson, senior

George Clooney and ShaileneWoodley are incredible in this fi lm. They were father and daughter in this movie and were having to look at healing their relationships as well as dealing with personal tragedy. You could not help but cry and feel for this family, and everything going on in their lives. This was a stand out role for Clooney, and I hope he wins best actor for this piece of work.-Amanda Crowell, social studies

With solid acting, great direction, and an imaginative, quirky screenplay, Midnight in Paris is a truly enjoyable fi lm, especially for anyone who loves literature or the 1920s. Seeing Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and other notable fi gures brought back to life was my favorite part of the fi lm. The real world in the fi lm wasn’t quite on par with the alternate reality in the past, however.-Justin Wylie, English

Walking into the movie, I thought this movie would be solely based around a horse. I’m allergic to horses, so I was a little skeptical. But when I watched the movie, a tear came to my eye. It could just be my allergies acting up. Who knows?-Ian Rowe, junior

The Help is a great movie about the

struggles of African American maids in

Alabama in the 1960s. It has many moving and

comical moments that will make you laugh

one moment and cry the next.

This is a must-see. -Brittany Brewer, senior

It was a good baseball movie. Jonah Hill is

deserving of best supporting actor. I really

enjoyed it.-Hunter Osborne, senior

And the winner is...

GRC gives opinions on nominees for Best Picture

The Artist takes an interesting perspective on the creation of talking pictures. As silent fi lms enter the world of talkies, silent fi lm star George

Valentin faces the end of his career while Peppy Miller, young star in the making, sees a bright future in the

movie business. Their paths cross, creating an

interesting dynamic that keeps the audience intrigued. The Artist took home a total

of 5 Academy Awards and received 10 nominations.

Page compiled and designed by Sarah Sams Oscar illustration by Christian Puckett

Superhero movies are nothing new in Hollywood. Last year alone there were six major movies featuring super humans, and this year there are set to be

even more. While most movies of this genre are all about great power, honesty, and justice; Chronicle, the fi rst superhuman movie to release this year, focuses on the corruption that comes with power.

The movie focuses on Andrew (Dane Dehaan) an awkward high school student who it not only abused at home, but also by his peers. His only happiness is in his sick mother and his newly acquired video camera

that he takes everywhere.

He is asked to follow his

Cousin Matt (Alex

Russell) and

a friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan)

down into an underground cave and get footage of what they fi nd, but once down there, everything changes. The three gain powers of telekinesis and this quickly bonds them.

With their powers they begin to joke around, messing with everyone they see, but soon the powers become too much for Andrew. His life and the struggles he faces begin to consume him and he sees how he is now strong enough to fi ght back. With that in mind Andrew distances himself from the group and allows his powers to take him over. It takes all that Matt and Steve have to save him from the monster he becomes.

This new take on superhuman abilities is really what makes this movie good. It takes the average story that Hollywood has done so many times and made it completely new. It takes the fantasy of superheroes and puts it into a believable light. Instead of having a

trouble kid gain powers and save the day, it has that troubled kid gaining power and taking revenge.

The vengeful side of the movie defi nitely adds to violence. Half of the movie is dedicated to fi ghting, explosions, and guns shot. While this does make the movie more engaging for a while, after about fi fteen minutes of fi ghting, it gets old. It might just be because all the bloodshed is compacted to the end, and not evenly distributed throughout, but it really seems to last for too long.

Overall, the movie is pretty good. The fact that it’s shot as if it is a documentary, and that the director did a good job of doing so, really added to the affect of the movie. The story is fresh and interesting, but, as mentioned earlier, has a few dry spots. Despite its fl aws, this is a movie that everyone should see, simply because it’s like no other movie they’ve seen before.

Superhero movies are nothing new in Hollywood. Last year alone there were six major movies featuring super humans, and this year there are set to be

superhuman movie to release this year, focuses on the corruption that comes with power.

The movie focuses on Andrew (Dane Dehaan) an awkward high school student who it not only abused at home, but also by his peers. His only happiness is in his sick mother and his newly acquired video camera

that he takes everywhere.

He is asked to follow his

a friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan)

TAYLOR WELCH

A&E EDITOR

Valentine’s Day is notorious for romance movies. It seems like every year a new movie releases where boy meets girl and they fall in love and get married. Basically it’s the same story every time, but just a different set of actors and actresses. However this year, Valentine’s Day was marked by a new type of movie, an action movie.

This year the movie Safe House released just days before Valentine’s Day, making the day of love fi lled with action and violence.

Safe House is about a young CIA agent, Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), who has been working the desk at

a safe house in South Africa. After working there for a year, and not ever experiencing action, Weston expects the rest of his career to be mundane. Then, the movie starts to pick up as it switches to Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), an ex-CIA agent who went rouge. Frost who acquires some secret information has to turn himself into the American embassy in order not to be killed by other criminals. Once he turns himself in, Frost is transferred to the south house in South Africa, and that is where he and Weston meet. Once Weston and Frost are put together, secrets about the CIA begin to unravel and everyone involved will go to extreme limits to keep them from coming out.

This movie was defi nitely fi lled with

a lot of questions. During the whole fi lm, viewers were guessing what was going to happen next. Is Frost going to run? Where does the corruption truly lie? Who is manipulating Weston? Those are just a few of the questions that the movie has people asking. The fact that this movie is unpredictable defi nitely keeps viewers engaged, and the fact that they are all answered at the end keeps viewers happy.

Of

course, as in all action movies, this fi lm is fi lled with a ton of fi ghting. The scenes are well constructed, but often times the way they are fi lmed is a bit shaky and distracts from what is going on. However, despite this minor fl aw the scenes are good, and defi nitely make for a good action fi lm.

Overall, this fi lm was good. It wasn’t exactly a high quality fi lm, but for a typical action fi lm it defi nitely receives high marks.

TAYLOR WELCH

A&E EDITOR

Safe House : Dangerously intriguing for all audiences

movie is unpredictable defi nitely keeps a good action fi lm.

was good. It wasn’t exactly

Chronicle : a new take on superhuman abilities

Another Breath,Brings another opportunity.Complicated at timesDiversity in every heartEach life has ups and downsFollowing gets you no where,Go on your own road.Honesty is the only thing we can fully offerImpossible to forgetJealousy is an act of insecurityKeep God in your heartLife is a game, don’t be on the side linesMorals define your backgroundNew beginningsOpen yourself for a bigger worldPatience is rewardingQuestioning prolongs the journeyRoutine never lets you exploreStubborn thoughts to lead to anarchyTomorrows not a promiseUtmost perfection comes in the form of individualityViolence disrupts humanityWhat-ifs never take the chanceXtravagence comes from internal beautyYears don’t define your maturityZealous for life

Journalism II studentsexpress themselvesby creating poetry

through the alphabet.

Accidents happen,Believe in yourself,Create a life worth remembering,Dare to be different,Everything happens for a reason,Faith keeps you strong,Give it your all,Honesty prevents pain,Indescribable moments,Jealousy damages hearts,Knock down your fears,Live out your dream,Mistakes don’t define who you are,

Never give up hope,Open your mind to possibilities,Promises are sometimes broken,Quasiatoms of every moment,Recognize the risks,Strength in the midst of weakness,Trust few,Understand the finality of your actions,Virtue matters,Wish for the best,Xcede your expectations,You never know what you have until it’s gone,Zealous is the way to go.

IllustratIon by ChrIstIan PuCkett

Ashley Becknell, Wes Wattenburger, Haley Pinson

Actions speak louder than words.Be brave and do what you want.Cause a change.Death ends life, not a relationship.Every breath should be a moment of life.Follow your heart.Goodbyes aren’t forever.Happiness is always the answer.Inspire others.Judge no one.Kindness shall overcome all hate.Live, laugh, love.Make life what you want it to be.Never back down.Over protected isn’t always bad.Put others before yourself.Quitting is forever.Remember who matters most.Step out of their shadow into your own light.Take your hand in mine.Unstoppable in doing what you love.Voice your opinion.Where there is love, there is a way.Xtraordinarly awesome. You’re irreplaceable.Zest up your life.

Kolbi Mitchell, Kourtney Young, Bree Bates

Brooklyn Thomas, Chanda Scobee, Madisen Reddix

Ms. Johnson’s Art II students express themselves

through stepping stones.

“Making art makes me happy and it helps me express

myself. It gives me something productive to do.”-Olivia Scalia, 11

“Art helps me relax and it calms

me down.”-Sydney Wright, 11

Andrew Penechet, 10

Amber Brineger, 12

“Art helps me get my feelings out and it’s really relaxing.

I love it.”-Stefany Moran, 11

Rebecca Wells, 10

Chasity Reffit, 11Ra

chel

Lig

ht, 1

0, ri

ght

Emily

Loy

, 10,

left

Pictures by Kierra Jones

Basketball

BASEball

TEnnis

football

Track and Cross counTry

Cheerleading and dance

Bowlingsoccer

Swimming Golf

VolleyballAfter months locked inside the Smoke Signals classroom -- writing, editing, photographing, designing, and eating donuts -- we needed

to get some exercise and enjoy some social competition. So we came up with the bright idea to challenge GRC athletes to fun games related to their sport to see how we measure up. Not surprisingly, we failed miserably, and need to stay in G-115 – writing, editing,

photographing, designing, and eating donuts – and leave the sports to the professionals. We appreciate the athletes for being willing to participate in outrageous challenges such as dunking their heads in

bowls of water and bouncing eggs on spoons. We had a blast!

Sarah Sams, Ragan Clark, Shelby Detring, and Austin Curtis vs.

Wes Lawwil, Kolbi Mitchell, Whitney Conkwright, and Robert Hatler

Austin Curtis and Shelby Detring vs.

Cora Kerber and Jerod MetzBrent Stephens vs. Reid Campbell

Austin Curtis, Ragan Clark, Shelby Detring, and Colbi Howard vs.

Jonathan Hubbard, Lindy Darnell, Alex White, and Genna Petrey

Cameron Colvard and Kayla Harrison vs.

Shelby Detring and Austin CurtisCaroline Browning and Mark Thomas

vs.

Brent Stephens and Addison Lowry.

Taylor Welch, Sarah Sams, and Shelby Detring

vs.

Adaisha Skinner Raven Stratford,

and Kaitlyn Marsh

Nick Oliver and Daisha Moore vs.

Shelby Detring and Austin Curtis

(Paper Toss)

(H-O-r-s-e)Shelby Detring and Austin Curtis vs.

Charlie Rogers and Tayloir Rose

Marissa Everett and Markisha Sweat vs. Austin Curtis and Shelby Detring

(Cornhole)

(Water Balloon Toss)

(Egg Race)

(Bobbing for apples) (putt-putt) Taylor Humphrey and Ross Todd

vs.Shelby Detring and Austin Curtis

(ping pong)

(Three-Legged raced)

(Paper Football)

(shoot-out) (dizzy bat)

Strengthening the body physically, mentally, and spiritually opens the door to victory, but only to those who have the courage to try.

Finding the time and location to achieve physical fitness is half the battle. P.E. teacher Bob Howard helped create an ultimate fitness class for those actively determined students who have the desire for intense workouts.

“Last year, students would come and ask if they could stay after school and work out, so I came up with a solution and requested for the Intro to Fitness class to be available,” Howard said. “It’s for people who want to improve their overall health and maintain good physical fitness, for athletes and non-athletes, for boys and girls, for people who are in shape and out of shape.”

A course designed to teach students the skills to become physically fit that focuses on the four components of fitness (Flexibility, Balance, Muscular Endurance, and Muscular strength) is now offered during sixth period.

George St-Pierre’s Rushfit (an eight-week training program in DVD format) is used; the video instructs group exercises and caters to each individual’s own strength and speed.

“The best part about the class is the break from the everyday sit-down-at-desks setting and getting to rest your mind from the daily grind of school,” said senior Logan

McQuerry. “If you are willing to work hard and give 100 percent effort, this class can be beneficial physically and mentally.”

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion leads the viewers through five rounds of combat training; demonstrating and explaining each exercise.

These home-workout programs include intense training such as kickboxing, muscle strength exercises using dumbbells, and abdominal workouts to create full body movement.

“My favorite aspect of the class is when I have students tell me that their muscles are sore from the workout the previous day and that they are losing weight and getting fit,” said Howard.

Intro to Fitness is beneficial for both genders by teaching how to maximize your time, achieve ultimate fitness at your own strength and speed, and to push yourself towards your goals.

“I’ve actually found that I rather enjoy the feeling of keeping up with the boys in a sense,” said Avicia Rogers, senior.

The class offers the opportunity of escaping the regular school day for 45-minutes of continuous fitness training, and learning how to compromise an effective workout with limited time, space, and equipment.

So far, Intro to Fitness has proven to be effective by giving students the opportunity to be involved in a group workout

with peer motivation to demand that quitting isn’t an option.

Aleyda Hernandez, senior, is taking the Intro to Fitness class because of her desire to exercise and to “improve her physical health.”

She lost a total of nine pounds in the first three weeks she started doing daily workouts in Intro to Fitness. “I was determined to lose the weight and I started to eat healthier in order to improve my fitness,” said Hernandez. “My favorite exercises were the abdominal workouts. Mr. Howard would always motivate me to keep going and to not quit during workouts.”

Hernandez said she has learned skills she can take with her when she graduates. “So far, I have learned skills for how to maintain good physical fitness and some fighting techniques,” she said. “By the end of this school year, my goal is to lose a total of 20 pounds and still continue to exercise regularly after the completion of this class. If you want to get in shape, I recommend this class for next year.”

Whether your goal is to lose weight, to better your physical health, or to just be more active during the school day, the new Intro to Fitness class would be a great option for the upcoming school year.

It has been a success amongst the participating students within the class and is prepared for its next go-round of students.

Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you goingEmily DaniEl

Staff WritEr

Clockwise, from top, LuisFuentes, Hunter Osborne,

Michael Atwood, and Kyle Wipert(Photos by Kayla Harrison)

Beyond these halls, Allison Becknell is involved with showing and training horses. The horse industry has been passed down in her family from her grandfather to her father. By showing and training Tennessee Walking horses, she gets to meet many new people across Kentucky and several other states. “The thrill of competition is awesome,” said Allison, who has won several ribbons and banners. “I hope to con-tinue showing horses throughout the rest of my life,” said Allison. “2012 is my last year competing in juvenile divisions, so hopefully it will be my best year yet.”

It’s a Monday morning. You slam your hand down on the alarm clock, groaning in disgust as your eyes meet the window to see that the sun has yet to even rise. You slide out of bed, take a warm shower and begin your day, complaining of being tired as you trudge your way into school. To you, this seems like a punishment. School is something you dread and only attend because it’s the law. The truth is, however, children only 1000 miles away would give anything to have the opportunity to be your shoes. Senior, Ryan Terry learned this first hand when she traveled to Haiti in January.

“My mom wanted me to

go with her for a medical trip,” Ryan recalled with a smile on her face. “It seemed like it would be a good learning experience and it really was.” Because of this trip, she now has somewhat of an idea as to what she wants to do with her future. Spending four days in a medical clinic taking vitals, performing hemoglobin and sugar test, and weighing children helped her realize that her calling is to be a nurse practitioner. “It really makes me want to travel down the medical path. I loved helping out.”

For Ryan, the Haitian children were a highlight of the trip. Outside of the clinics, she and her mom traveled to an orphanage to play with and nurture the unfortunate. “We went and helped them make

toys, like hula-hoops,” she began. “We also gave them candy and they loved it. They were freaking out.” Since the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, a startling rate of underweight and malnutritioned children has risen to nearly 23% so Ryan really found it essential to meet with the children and care for them.

While in Haiti, Ryan frequently attended local, run-down churches where her eyes were opened like never before. Out of all of the moments that stood out, a simple prayer ritual remains in her mind. “They [citizens of Haiti] got off of their benches and kneeled down and began to thank God for the same things, even though they had very little. It was something I hadn’t seen before.” The

“peaceful cacophony” of sounds helped Ryan realize that what we have here in America is too much and we’re not grateful enough. “Almost everyone there is either homeless or living in portable tent cities,” she sadly recalled. “It makes me realize that a lot of what we have is useless.” Besides being in the comfort of her own home, Ryan missed being able to take warm showers.

After her recent travels, Ryan says that it was a “wonderful opportunity.” While she highly suggests that others go to Haiti for relief efforts, she advises others to take heed to her warning: “Do not take pictures of anyone without their permission,” Ryan says. “They get pretty angry and do some

super mean things.”If given the opportunity,

Ryan would love to travel back to Haiti, but plans on going to other places as well through peace groups.

Kelsey White

expressions editor

Students Beyond GRC’s Halls

Allison Becknell, 12

‘This is the story of a girl who went to Haiti to change the whole world’

Beyond these halls, Jacob Moore enjoys being a ventriloquist. His hobby began at just 5 years old while watch-ing a Goosebumps movie called Night of the Living Dummy. Fascinated, he had his parents order a toy version of Edgar Bergen’s Charlie McCarthy and practiced all the time. “My favorite part of being a ventriloquist is either making my own new characters and develop-ing a personality for them, or talking with other ventriloquists about the new characters we are working on,” said Jacob. He put all of his hard work into performing at his grade schools, libraries for little kids, and occasionally at birthday parties. Jacob has many plans for his future of being a ventriloquist and plans on going to a convention this summer. “I hope to develop and work with more in depth characters,” he said, “and to focus on acquiring as much knowledge as possible about ventriloquism.”

Ryan Terry, senior

Jacob Moore, 12

Brittany Neely

GRC class of 1993

Jeff Chugg

GRC class of 1976

Heather Abner

GRC class of 1988

Shane WisemanGRC class of

1992

Involvement: Football,Future Farmers of AmericaFondest Memory: Winning the state 4A foot-ball champion-ship my senior year!Did you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?Teaching agriculture was my plan all along, and I was very fortunate to get the job herewhen I did.

Involvement: Girls’ Basketball, Softball, Fellowship of Christian AthletesFondest Memory: Making the Sweet Sixteen state basketball and softball tournament my senior year.

Did you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?I never imagined that I would be teaching at GRC.

Involvement: Varsity Cheerleading, TennisFondest Memory: Winning the State Football Championship when I was a Junior!! There was so much excitement and community support surrounding the team that year. We got to cheer at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville for the championship game. It was an amazing experience!Did you ever imagine you would end up teach-ing at GRC?Not in a million years! Teaching is a new career for me. I lived in California and worked in marketing for Major League Baseball and the NFL, so I never imagined I would live in Kentucky again much less teach at GRC. I loved my sports jobs, but I missed my family. So here I am!

Involvement: Marching and Symphonic Band, French ClubFondest Memory: Going back to my band days again, I would say winning every band contest we entered except one (that’s over 4 years), being the Bicentennial Band repre-senting Kentucky in Washington DC in sub-zero weather, playing in a regional symphony band director’s symposium in Pittsburg while Winchester was being hit by multiple

tornados (including the high school), trading 8-track tapes in the back parking lot before and after school, drag racing on “chicken road” and hanging out at Jerry’s Restaurant or Sir Pizza. Making the sweet sixteen state basketball and softball tournament my Senior yearDid you ever imagine you would end up teaching

at GRC?After working in the corporate world for over 20 years, it was good to bring back those experi-ences to share with students who are just starting out. However, when I graduated those many years ago, I never thought I would be teaching here one day.

Paul ColumbiaGRC class of

1975

Involvement: Football, BaseballFondest Mem-ory: The friend-ships that were made with my teammates and my schoolmates and the relation-ships built with teachers, coaches, administrators and staff.Did you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?No, not at all.

Maggie Doyle

GRC class of 2001

Involvement: Senior Advisory, Fellow-ship of Christian Athletes, Girls’ Basketball, DARE Role Model, Advanced Choir, na-tional Honor Society, First Priority, Home-coming CourtFondest Memory: Probably just all the

good times with friends and the rest of the basketball teamDid you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?No! I even turned this job down three times until Mr. Parido and Mrs. Fraley fi nally

convinced me to take it.

GRC

return

their

Involvement: 4-H, Future Homemakers of America, Na-tional Honor Society, Pep ClubFondest Memory: School spirit at the pep rallys and at the games. Everyone stood

up for the school song and cheered at the games. Most games the gym was packed with support from

the community and especially students and physics trip to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to tour the nuclear power plant.Did you ever imagine you would end up teach-ing at GRC?I did not plan on becoming a teacher until my senior year in college where I had a biology professor that said in class that anyone majoring in biology would have to either teach or go back to school and get a different de-gree so I took the 3 required education class to become a teacher. In the early 80’s there were not industrial parks in all communities so those with a degree in biol-ogy would have to move to large cities.

Involvement: 4-H, Future Homemakers of America, Na-tional Honor Society, Pep ClubFondest Memory: School spirit at the pep rallys and at the games. Everyone stood

up for the school song and cheered at the games. Most games the gym was packed with support from

the community and especially students and physics trip to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to tour the nuclear power plant.Did you ever imagine you would end up teach-ing at GRC?I did not plan on becoming a teacher until my senior year in college where I had a biology professor that said in class that anyone majoring in biology would have to either teach or go back to school and get a different de-gree so I took the 3 required education class to become a teacher. In the early 80’s there were not industrial parks in all communities so those with a degree in biol-ogy would have to move to large cities.

Linda Ormsby

GRC class of 1966

Sara AldridgeGRC class of

1981

Nancy Wills

GRC class of 1977

WillMeurer

GRC class of 2005

Involvement: Basketball, Golf, National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian AthletesFondest Memory: Be-ing selected as a Kentucky Gover-nor’s ScholarDid you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?Yes, this was the plan all along.

Involvement: Quil and Scroll, Future Teachers, Tri-H-Y, History Club, Latin Club, Psychology Club, Pep Club, Beta Club, Student Council, Thes-pians, Yearbook Staff, Class AdvisoyFondest Memory: I have many fond memories from high school- actually, all fond memories: bonfi res, ball games, dances, play practice. Did you ever imagine you would end up teaching at GRC?I never imagined nor wanted to teach at GRC. I had been a gradu-ate assistant at Eastern and went straight from earning an under-graduate degree to a master’s degree. Armed with that MA degree, I applied at colleges and junior colleges as far away as Hawaii. Sadly, no one was as impressed with my degree as I was, and at the moment, strongly encouraged by my mother, I applied at my alma mater and started teaching at GRC in 1971.

Involvement: Colorguard of the GRC Marching Band, National Honor Society, Beta Club, Ashram (a Christian club), Senior Advisory Fondest Memory: Marching in the Orange Bowl Parade on New Year’s Eve in Miami Florida my senior year Did you ever think you would end up teaching at GRC?No.

Back in the Day• students had to buy

their own textbooks

• the library was where the auditorium is now

• the breezeway was not enclosed

• the computer lab consisted of less than 10 computers (no internet)

• there was no R-wing or music hall

• it only took 18 credits to graduate (now 25)

• football games were played where the public library stands now

• there was no air conditioning

graduates

roots

to

COMPILED AND DESIGNED BY

MAKENZIE WALTERMIRE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kesean HarrisHaving a leap year birthday is cool because it’s like I’m only

turning four this year. When it is not a leap year, I usuallycelebrate my birthday on

March 1. Since this year is a leap year, I plan on having a big birthday party with special gifts

and big surprises.

Allison Blevins Having a leap year birthday is very

different from having a normal birthday. When it is not a leap year, I usually

celebrate my birthday on Feb. 28. When I do have a leap year birthday, my whole

family comes together, including the ones I don’t normally get to see, and we all hang

out. My family is planning big surprises that will be kept secret until the big day.

Luis VillaHaving a leap year birthday is exciting because my birthday is different from everyone else. When it is not a leap

year, my family and I usually celebrate my birthday on Feb. 28. Although my birthday is special when it falls on leap year, my family and I still celebrate my birthday in the same ways. My birthday

plans consist of hanging out with my family, and having fun.

GRC’s Leap Year BABIES are finally four!

Leap Year comes every four years, and back in 1996, three babies were

born who would one day be students at GRC.

On this 2012 Leap Year, Smoke Signals wishes a

fantabulous Happy Birthday to,

from le� ,Kesean Harris,Allison Blevinsand Luis Villa.

Information compiled byEmily Jackson and Haley Tye

GRC’s Leap Year BABIES are finally four!

Leap Year comes every

Illustration byChristian Puckett

Photo by Julie Willian

1.

2.

4.

3.

DONE1. Pick out an old shir t.2.Cut it into hoizontal strips that are about 1.5” wide 3. Stretch them out. You’ll see the ends curl up, the rough edges will go away. You can braid a strip to make it interesting.4. Gather all the strips together, and tie them with a scrap piece of cloth.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6.

DONE

1. Get a used can, glue, paper, and a marker.

2. Cover the can wih paper.

3.Decorate the can. write a slogan or your team’s name.

4. Add glitter or stickers to make the can look good.

5. Put buttons or rocks in the can.

6. Glue on the lid. T-shir t Scarf

DIY Spirit Shaker

Sarabee’s Little Yarn Shop

Located on 74 S. Main Street, the Little Yarn Shop is a store where you can make or buy knitted scarfs, bags, hats, you name it. Free beginner classes are on the fi rst Saturday of each month. This would be a great idea if you are looking to make a good gift.

page

Photo Project Looking for something cool to do

while you’re bored? Pick up a cam-era, and look aound you. Try to fi nd different things that resemble letters of the alphabet. You can spell you

name, or a word that inspires you! It’s fun, easy, and doesn’t cost anyhing.

Cake Batter Truffl es1.

3. 4. 5.

2.

DONE

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1 cups fl our • 1 cup yellow cake mix • 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/8 teaspoon salt • 1 1/4 milk • 2 Tablespoons sprinkles• 8 squards almond bark• wax paper

Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Blend in vanilla. Add cake mix, fl our, and salt, and mix thoroughly. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough

into one inch balls, and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill for 15 minutes to fi rm up. Melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Using a fork, dip

truffl es into almond bark. Place truffl e back on the cookie sheet, and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until fi nished.Makes around 40-50 truffl es.

Page compiled and

designed by Julie

Willian

DONEDONE

the go-to place for cra� s, creations, and culture

The road back to Rupp: Boys’ Basketball

Lady Cards’ season ends with first round region loss

The Cards’ success this season is a surprise to many after losing every-thing they lost last year: four of the five starters, and the sixth man going to play college ball. But those on the team knew the success was theirs, as long as they played hard-nosed defense, and stuck together. So far, with a 27-5 record, they are doing just that. The Cards demolished Bourbon

County in the first round of District, and they came out on top against a tough Montgomery County team, winning 55-38. The Cards have over-come every task that has been thrown at them, like coming back from

a 18-point deficit in the second quarter to beat a talented Dixie Heights team. They also beat powerhouse Henry Clay, who is not only ranked

18th in state, but beat Scott County by 4, and beat Madison Central by 15, both ranked in top 10. The Cards look to be in great shape for making

this run to state for the second year in a row. Taylor Howard, 20We will have to be solid on

defense, and help out our de-fenders. Also execute better on offense, get on the floor to all

the 50/50 balls, and try our best to stay healthy.

Bopper Stenzel, 11We have to practice and not take any days off. We have to make sure we play good D and give it 100% every single game from

here on out. Malachi Israel, 10 We need to take charges and play defense without fouling. We have to make sure we stay poised and composed playing

in tough environments.

Charlie Rogers, 23 We will have to stay focused and have everyone

buy in on defense.

Compiled by: Austin Curtis Photos by: Julie Wllian

The Lady Cards fell short Monday in their bid for a regional championship, as Campbell County triumphed 58-43.Clark bids farewell to two

seniors -- Kelsie Parido and Tayloir Rose, who each ended stellar careers with the Lady Cards, including two district championships, a region title, and a trip to the Elite Eight of the state tournament in 2010.

Two of the top returnees next season, from left,

Maddie Hamlin,sophomore, and

Sandra Skinner, freshman(Smoke Signals photos)

Kelsie Parido, 4

Tayloir Rose, 10Photos by: Addison Lowry and Kayla Harrison

What will have to happen for this team to make it

back to state?

CONGRATULATIONS, SENIORS!

The GRC Boys’ Tennis team will

begin practicing in March. The team, along with head

coach Scott True, has high hopes for the season.

“We have depth and experience returning to the team,” said True. “We will still be

very young within the top 6, but

everyone will have some big match

experience.”

Boys’ Tennis: Young but talented

Swim team: Making impressive strokes in post-season

Cameron Colvard lost in the semi-finals of the regional tour-nament last year, but continued on to state to represent Clark County. Colvard will take the

court again, leading the Cards this season.

(Smoke Signals file photo)

Compiled by:Brooke Powell

The senior girls’ tennis players are hoping the third time will be a charm as they receive their third coach throughout their high school career. Their tennis journey began with Rebecca Prater, until last season when Carol Schochler took the position. This spring, a new face and a new attitude will take the court with the girls’ tennis team.

Donald “Lee” Tegt brings several years of coaching experience to his new position as the Lady Cardinals Tennis coach. “I’ve heard that GRC has a great girls’ tennis program and I decided it was a program I would like to be a part of,” said Tegt.

Tegt has been involved

with tennis since the age of eight. He played tennis for seven years at Richmond Model before he graduated in 2006. Before they graduated, Tegt and his fellow tennis teammates won seven region titles in seven years.

Tegt began coaching tennis while he was still in high school. During the summer of his junior and senior year, he coached a

Tiny Tot team where he taught the sport to children ages four to seven. “It was funny because these kids enjoyed getting to pick up the tennis balls more than actually playing tennis,” said Tegt.

He then coached one year while he was in college, but this time with older students. Tegt was the assistant coach for the boys’ tennis team at Model. He spent the past three years before coming to GRC as an assistant coach for Model’s Girls’ Basketball team.

As his first tennis season at GRC begins, Tegt hopes for not only wins, but also for improvement. “As a coach when I plan the goals and expectations for a season I don’t just look at the win and loss columns,”

said Tegt. “Even though we plan to win a regional title and compete for a state title I want our team to be successful in working and coming together as a group and for everybody to improve their game by the end of the season.”

The team has been conditioning and will begin practicing next week as it prepares for the first match on March 22. The future of GRC girls’ tennis looks bright as Tegt hopes to bring “a positive new attitude focused on hard work and effort” to the program. “I believe that great things are ahead of us here at GRC,” said Tegt.

Coach Lee Tegt

New season, new coach, new attitude: Girls’ Tennis

Makezie WalterMire

executive editor

Whether it was diving into or treading through, the GRC swim season was marked by constant improvement. The majority of swimmers met their personal bests this season and senior diver Colby Coleman broke a state record at the UK Invitational, won first at the region meet, and was third at the state meet. Coleman has signed to dive for the Cats next year.

“State went well,” said Coleman. “The overall experience was good practice for bigger meets in college.”

Although Coleman was the only one to make it to state, each member of the team, along with the team as a whole, saw improvement this season.

“Both the team goals and my personal goals have, I think, surpassed everyone’s expectations,” said freshman Richard Roche who was only a few places away from qualify-ing for the state meet. Roche received his personal best times in Indi-vidual Medley and Backstroke at the regional meet, where he finished 15th and 12th, respectively.

First year coach Alicia Henderson

brought a routine of new drills and workouts to help improve the team’s

performance. “At first, it was difficult to

change routines from the old ways,” said senior Colbi Howard. “But once the team got in the hang of things, we all benefitted.”

With the swimming program at GRC still developing, being placed against schools with programs that have long been established can be difficult. “For our size I think we did pretty well,” said senior Caroline Glenn. “Our team is young and small making it difficult to compete with large developed teams.”

Coleman dives at the state meet. Coleman placed third

and was named Second Team All-State

(Photo from iHigh)

• Colby Coleman won regional meet for the second year in a row and broke the Transy pool record

• Girls 200 Medley placed 16th ( Colbi Howard, Lindy Darnell, Caroline Brown-ing, and Caroline Glenn)

• Girls 200 Free Relay 16th ( Lindy Dar-nell, Conley Baker, Caroline Glenn, and Caroline Browning)

• Boys 200 Free Relay 13th ( Ethan Weck-wert, Sam Ritter, Jansen Browning, and Richard Roche)

• Boys 200 Medley Relay 13th ( Richard Roche , Jansen Browning, Parker Dean, and Sam Ritter)

• Richard Roche placed 12th in backstroke and 15th in Individual Medley

• Caroline Browning placed 34th in 50 free• Jansen Browning placed 22nd in 50 free

and 23rd in the 100 breast• Sam Ritter placed 29th in the 100 breast.

Region Stand-Outs

Brooke PoWell

SPortS editor

Music, Prayers, Stretches, Warm ups: Pregame Rituals

Cardinal cheerleaders make their presence known at state

The vast expanse of blue lies before them. Adrenaline runs through them as they prepare themselves for two and a half minutes that they hope will be perfection. Each girl knows what she has to do. Each tumbling pass, each stunt, each jump, and each motion has to be nailed. At last the moment is here, “George Rogers Clark Cheerleaders, you may take the floor.”

The few minutes that follow are the cheerleaders’ only chance to show that the hours of hard work were worth the while. The GRC cheerleaders did just that when they competed in the state competition and placed 3rd overall. “We have grown as a team and our confidence has reached a major peak,” said senior Adaisha Skinner. “No one has any worries when we perform now because it feels natural.”

The girls were proud of

the results from their state competition. “Even though we did not walk away with a state title,” said senior Makenzie Waltermire, “I was very proud of all the hard work the team has put in this year and our performance reflected that.”

But, placing 3rd was not all

of the excitement that Saturday. Waltermire received very special recognition by being selected for the Stella S. Gilb Scholarship. This scholarship rewarded 10 individuals for their athletic and academic achievement and out of all the seniors from over 100 teams in all divisions,

Waltermire was selected. “At state, freshmen, sophomore, and junior year I watched seniors from other schools accept this scholarship and each year my anticipation to be able to do the same my senior year grew,” said Waltermire. “I was really excited to receive this award and the fact that it gives me money for college is a great bonus.”

Though the cheerleaders saw success at the state level, their journey this season is not over yet. The cheerleaders will be present at each girls’ and boys’ post-season games in hopes of cheering them on to state. The team’s initial plan to compete at NCA Nationals this weekend was canceled because of the regional tournament.

While the Cards prepare for their season to near its end and realize how far they have come. “Our team has become much closer since the beginning of the year,” said senior Kaelin Flynn. “We all had to get to know the freshmen and new people on the team, including

our coach, Mrs. Madsen.”LaMaster also sees how

tremendous the team’s growth has been. “Our team has worked very hard this year, and we have gotten so many things accomplished as individuals and as a whole,” said LaMaster. “I am extremely proud of my girls and glad that I had the opportunity to work with them this year.”

Ragan ClaRk

ExECutivE EditoR

Jennifer Stephens, front, cheers along with her fellow teammates as they lead the crowd in the spelling of “CARDS.”

(Smoke Signals photos)

Everyone has their own way to warm up before each game, but here at GRC pregame-rituals are a little

different, lets take a look at what some of our student-athletes do before each game.

“I listen to some gangsta music to get me motivated

to play. I always listen to The Motto by Drake but I remix it talking about myself and my team,” said freshman center,

Sandra Skinner.

“I listen to music and I pray before each game,” said senior guard, Tyler

Carrier.

“I do my routine stretch before the game and then I go out and rage,” said senior

centerfielder, Justin “Pokey” Harris.

“I am a pitcher so I have to warm up the same way. And I have to write just breathe on

my wrist to remind me to stay calm and breathe if I walk someone or I’m not doing

my best,” said Junior pitcher, Whitney Conkwright

Compiled by: Austin CurtisPhotos by: Colbi Howard and Kayla

Harrison

Senior Makenzie Waltermire recieves the Stella Gilb

Scholarship.

Boys’ indoor track team is ‘exceeding expectations’ and hoping for top 10

Making A’s and Making Plays Hunter OsborneSport- Baseball

GPA- 3.6

Baseball and softball teams prepare for season

“It can be tough to keep good grades

and play ball at a high level. Playing sports

and maintaining good grades requires some

sacrifice, such as doing homework instead of hanging out with friends.”

“My goal for this team is to repeat last year’ssuccess, and win district, then region. This preseason

our pitching and hitting has looked strong, ouronly struggle will be lack of experience after

losing seven seniors.”-Robert Hatler, 12

The indoor track season has gone superbly with the boys’ team off to a 37-1 start. “The goal for the boys’ team was to be undefeated during the indoor season,” said 9-year coach, Dodd Dixon. “The only loss we’ve had was by four points. I believe that our team is one of the best in state and we are performing at that level.”

While the 2007 indoor team finished 13th at indoor state, Coach Dixon said he expects this year’s team to finish in the top 10.

The coach pointed out several key senior members the team can rally around. “Jonathan Hubbard at high jump is phenomenal,” said coach Dixon. “Mark Davis, Andrew Ping and Clay Dixon are also very successful in sprints. It’s a senior-devoted team,

along with sophomores Matt Daughtery and Grayson Brookshire who have helped support the fourth years.”

Brookshire said the team hasn’t yet reached its full potential. “Our sprinters have exceeded expectations, but our distance crew hasn’t been up to expectations,” he said. “Our training has

increased since last year. I can see this team easily being top 10 in the state. We have a lot of fast people on the team that have a good deal of experience.”

For the girls’ team, however, it’s a different story. “The lack of numbers is holding us back,” said junior Cora Kerber. “If we had more people, we could be really good.”

Although the lack of participants on the girls’ team is an issue, the quality is not. Coach Dixon considers Lydia Gapp and Kerber to be two girls that stepped up this year to put the Cardinals on the map.

Meanwhile, the track program as a whole continues to grow stronger. “When I first got here in 2004, the program had fallen on hard times,” said Coach Dixon. “Now, we’re placing people in colleges and most boys’ team records have been broken.”

Even with the program’s consistent financial struggles, Coach Dixon said this year’s boys’ team “is one of the best teams ever to compete for GRC.”

Justin Harris, right, throws to first base as Brent Stoneking guards

second. (Photo by James Mann, The Sun)

Rebecca Strange catches a fly ball during the 2011 region.

(Smoke Signals file photo)

The baseball and softball teams are preparing for their seasons to begin. Both teams have high hopes for success and will begin playing in March. Players from each team share their thoughts about the season

with Smoke Signals.

“I expect us to work hard and just work with what we have. We are young, so we will have plenty of time to progress. Our biggest struggle will be the fact that we

are young and will have a lot to work toward.”-Carrie Irvin, 10

Complied by: Brooke Powell (Photo by Julie Willian)Complied by:Brooke Powell

Senior Andrew Ping pratices long jump for Mason-Dixon this Saturday. Ping is currently

ranked 4th in the state with a 39 ‘9”. (Photo by Sarah Sams)

Smoke SignalS

Staff RepoRt

Mark Davis, senior, takes advantage of the nice weather to practice his sprints for the

state competition. (Photo by Sarah Sams)

Look-A-Likes

Kenan ThompsonActor in “All That”

Robert Cornelius Junior

Andrea Kochel Senior

Kelsey Barnett Junior

•It costs about 3 cents to make a $1 bill in the United States.•A baby octopus is about the size of a flea at birth.•A person will burn 7 percent more calories if they walk on hard dirt compared to pavement.•All babies are color blind when they are born.•7,000 new insect species are dis-covered every year.•In ten minutes, a hurricanereleases more energy than all the world’s nuclear weapons combined.•It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint for the average Sunday edition of The New York Times.•A broken clock is always right twice a day.•Coca-Cola’s ‘Super Pure’ Dasani bottled water is just filtered tap water.

Excelsior CollegeMs. Wright and three friends each signed up for two courses at Excelsior College this term. With the help of the clues below, can you figure out each woman’s full name and program?1. Ms. Jackson attends one course with Donna and another with Vicky.2. Donna and Ms. Kane take only even courses, butCarolyn and the only one who takes car maintenance each take at least one daytime course.3. The only one to take accounting also takes oil painting.4. Ms. Moore attends one course with Laura.5. At least one of the women takes aerobics, which meets only in the evenings, and at least one takes decorating.

guiltyFour men, one of whom was known to have committed a certain crime, made the following statements whenquestioned by the police.Archie: Dave did it. Dave: Tony did it.Gus: I didn’t do it. Tony: Dave lied when he said I did it.If only one of these four statements is true, who was the guilty man? On the other hand, if only one of these four statement is false, who was the guilty man?

Fun Facts

Illistartion by Christian Puckett

Animal of the Month: Dove•Also known as the love and peace bird.

•There are various types of doves.

•The white dove is the most well known.

•The white dove is very intelligent. Magicians use them in their acts, because they can learn simple tricks with ease.

•Doves have a homing instinct and will always return to their house.

•People believe that if a White Dove flies across their path, they will be brought to peace and hap-piness.

•Doves date all the way back to 3000 B.C. Keira Knightley Actor in “Pirates of the Carribean”

Evan Rachel Woods Actor in “The Ides of

March”

Excelsior: Carolyn Jackson: Aerobics, decorating; Laura Kane: accounting, oil painting; Donna Moore: aerobics, oil painting; Vicky Wright: car maintenance, decorating Guilty: a. Gus b. Dave

We all know he was kind and had a great personality, and no one will ever forget him – he was so funny.

You rock, Triston.-C.J. Clish

Triston was a good friend and like a brother to me.

I wish he was here.-Nick � ompson

Triston was cool – I’ve known him since

elementary school, and I miss him.

-Taylor Wells

Triston was a good

friend.-Nick Hall

I had Triston in class his freshman year, and what always stands out when I think of Triston is his pride. He took great pride in his work and accomplishments.

I’ll never forget the day he walked into my class wearing his ROTC uniform for the � rst time. You could see the “pride” oozing from him. He was so

excited that he made me take a picture of him with his other two classmates who were also in ROTC. Over the

next two years, Triston would always stop me in the hallway and keep me informed on the things he was doing, like working at Roger’s Exhaust and his desire to be part of the football program. His smile will be

greatly missed, and my heart aches for his family.-Bob Howard, Physical Education

He was extremely goofy and we all loved him.

-Jearead Holliman

Triston was funny and couldn’t bowl worth anything. Fridays

won’t be the same.-Christian Durbin

“You’re my boy blue.” Love you, Tristan!-Katie Roseberry

Triston was one of the funniest people to hang around. He will

always be loved and missed.-Avery Fritz He was my hero. I love him

and miss him. He was like my brother and now he’s gone but

he won’t be forgotten.-Kevin Hall

He was the Grizzly Man!

-Janetta Re� ett

Triston was a really funny, good guy.

-Oscar Canter

Triston was a bright spark; he loved irony and had a brilliant sense of humor. I will miss his laughter and participation in my 1st period English class.

He knew his strengths, knew what he wanted and had a plan to achieve it. I am saddened by his loss.

-Kara Davies, Language Arts

Triston took a great deal of pride in doing a good job on his work. He would always kid around and say that he wasn’t going to do it, but then he’d smile at me and begin the work. In Arts & Humanities, he was

meticulous in his drawings.-Eugenia Harrison, Arts & Humanities

Triston was a great student and young man. He was a student headed toward a successful future, because of his attitude and work ethic. Triston was a student who came to class with a smile and positive attitude

everyday. If every student came to class with the same demeanor as Triston, every teacher would have an easier job. He will be greatly missed, and I feel very

fortunate to have had him in my class.-Justin Baute, Chemistry

Triston was an excellent student who wasalways a joy to have in class. He always kept me on my toes. � e last activity he did in my

class was installing the brake rotor andcaliper on the school’s 1996 Audi A4. We

worked together one-on-one to get the job done. -Kyle Sward, Vocational

Triston was always smiling and o� en joked with me and his classmates. He is gone now, but his

memory will continue to be with us. My class and I will forever remember the smile on his face.

-Heesung S. Choi, Math

He was a really sweet and caring person, and we all

miss him so much.-Kristin Bu� n

Triston was a really funny, good guy.

-Oscar Canter

Triston was a good kid and my best friend.

I’m going to miss him.-Skyler Stump

Triston “Grizzly” HagerSept. 18, 1994 - February 26, 2012

Triston was a wonderful student. He had a very pleasant demeanor, positive attitude, and worked hard. It was a pleasure to have him in class, and to get to know him. He will be greatly missed. Our

thoughts and prayers will be with his family.-Stephanie Wilson, Arts & Humanities

Triston, center, during freshman year with friends Skylar Stump, left, and

Alex Gorham