Monthly Archives: February 2010

February 10, 2010 · 2:02 pm

Oak Grove drama succeeds with Selkie Girl

By: Amelia Landers

Oak Grove High School’s Theatre Department recently attended and competed at the annual Mississippi Theatre Association State Festival in Tupelo on  January 14-17.  Schools must pre-qualify to earn the privilege of competing at the state level.  OGHS Drama achieved this by receiving Top 5 Best Production at Drama Fest which was held in December at USM.   Eight high schools earned the opportunity to compete at this level.

The Selkie Girl was the production selected for this competition.   The competition was intense and as always, Oak Grove High School was well represented.  In addition to the drama presentation of The Selkie Girl there were individual events as well as a children’s show.

Noel Anderson received Best Actress and Logan Little was awarded All-Star Cast for this drama performance.  The Water also received special recognition for an outstanding interpretation of the ocean.  Actors in the role of Water were Ashley Thompson, Heather Boutwell, Jessy Palmer, Abbie Odom, Haley Walley, Becca Glaze, Rachel Jackson, and Joleigh Pigott. Alice Through the Looking Glass was Oak Grove’s entry for the Children’s Show category.  Logan Little and Luke Bush both received All-Star Cast for their performances in this category.

Several individual events were held during the festival.  In the Set Design category, Chris Permenter received first place and Amelia Passer received second.  Kristen Zumbro received first place in Costume Design.  In the area of Publicity Design, first place was awarded to Alicia Matlock along with Joleigh Pigot who received second place.  Noel Anderson placed third in Solo Musical while Stephanie Miles and Taylor Nace placed in Duet Musical.  In the Monologues competition, Brennan Kreiger placed second.  In the Duet Acting category, the team of Logan Little and Sara Sanner received first place honors and the team of Abbie Odom and Haley Walley received third.  In the Scene event, first place went to Logan Little, Noel Anderson and Luke Bush.  Victoria Stein, Jessica Palmer, Taylor Nace, and Ashley Thompson received second place in this event.

The drama team took 35 members to MTA.  The work for their show and competition began in August.  Suzanne Allmon, director, who is known to most students as Mrs. A, is proud of the team and their accomplishments. “I am extremely proud of the wins so far, and as they move on to the next competitions, I know they will do just as well,” Allmon said.

The next competition for this group will be at the ITS Conference on February 12 and 13 in Tupelo, MS.  While they are preparing for this competition, the students are also preparing for a Dinner Theatre scheduled for April 8th and 9th at Oak Grove Upper Elementary.

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· 2:00 pm

Lamar County unveils plans for new YMCA

By: Kent McCarty

The days of students traveling across town for tennis and swim team practice will soon be over when construction is completed on the new YMCA building that will service Lamar County.  Since last April, YMCA officials have been hard at work piecing together the details of the project, and, most importantly, securing financing for the new facility.  That important step is closer now than ever with the Lamar County Board of Supervisors approving a plan that will provide the facility with $1.3 million toward the construction fund.  By the project’s completion, the undertaking is expected to cost between $15 and $17 million.

While final complex designs have yet to be finalized, the project, when completed, will be the largest YMCA facility in the state.  The main building is expected to be between 60,000 and 80,000 square feet and include indoor fitness areas and basketball courts, as well as tennis courts, swimming pools, and softball fields on the surrounding grounds.
The school district looks forward to the long term benefits the new Y will bring to area schools.  “It will benefit the entire school district by providing tennis courts and a swimming pool.  These will be used by Purvis, Sumrall, and Oak Grove high schools,” LCSD Superintendent Dr. Ben Burnett said.  The facility’s location at the intersection of Hwy 98 and Hwy 589 will eliminate the long commutes members of these teams must make for practice every day because it is at a close proximity to all of the schools in the county.  The district also sees the opportunity of moving the pre-K program to the facilities educational space.  “The partnership could not be more tremendous,” Burnett said.

The school will not only benefit from the new facilities the Y will bring, but the entire district will also reap economic benefits from the facility.  Officials estimate the district will receive $2 million additional dollars over a seven year time span as a result of the project.

While the project is still in the early phases, the recent advancements with funding are key in gaining momentum for the project.  The school district sees their participation in the development as an investment in the future.  Developers of the project are currently exploring other avenues of financial support and hope to begin infrastructure work as soon as possible.

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· 1:59 pm

Football to play district teams

By: Taylor Herring

In an attempt to bring the Lamar County School District’s community together, the School Board has recently decided that Oak Grove, Sumrall, and Purvis should play each other in football each year. This plan will go into effect for the 2010-2011 season. Now the annual Pre-Season Jamboree, where the three schools play one another, will be considered a preview of future games in the season.

Mr. Jeff Vanderheiden, OGHS Assistant Principal, who student-taught at Sumrall while in college before transferring to Oak Grove, is in favor of the new decision. “It gives local teams a good opportunity to come together as a community.”
Not only will the decision generate rivalry, but it will also boost competitive spirit among players, parents, and fans.Furthermore, the three teams will no longer be forced to pay such high transportation fees since they will only be traveling a few miles for these games. All three teams can now expect an even bigger turn out of fans since traveling to a neighboring city is much less burdensome than traveling across the state.

Oak Grove Junior Class President Anne Morgan Banquer is excited about the decision to play different local teams. “Friends and members of my church who play on their school’s football teams will finally be able to see what it’s like to play on Oak Grove’s field,” she said.

Coaches and football players are in favor of the plan as well, considering they will now be competing against many of their close friends in the community. Many players have complained in past seasons that they have gotten tired of playing the same teams each year, and would like to see new head-to-head match-ups. Fans often guess which team in the district is the best, and they will soon have   their proof in the coming season.

This new policy will create a healthy rivalry among students in the area. With a newfound competitive spirit in the community, it’s a whole new ballgame.

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· 1:58 pm

Oak Grove students honored by fraternity

By: Lauren Pace

On January 23, 2010, three of Oak Grove High School’s seniors were recognized by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity for their outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, and arts.

Kappa Alpha Psi’s motto is achievement. They were founded at Indiana University in 1991 and have grown to Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The fraternity has trained over 125,000 men for leadership roles in their communities and for excellence in their academics.

Oak Grove seniors Antonio Benton, Kimble Allen, and Jay Hughes celebrated Founder’s Day at the Thad Cochran Center located on the USM  campus. Not only did Oak Grove students receive an achievement award, but also students from Hattiesburg, North Forrest, and Petal high schools were recognized as well.

The fraternity’s theme for the event was “Creating Inspiration: with Education as an Emphasis.” This annual event gives respect to the founding of the fraternity and recognizes achievement in the community. The most anticipated moment of the event was awarding the area’s high school students for their achievements, as well as announcing the Humanitarian Award.

The local speaker for the event was Dr. Jerlando F.L. Jackson, who is an Associate Professor of Higher and Post Secondary Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin.  C. Jerome Brown, president of the Hattiesburg Alumni Chapter, also spoke at the event explaining the background of the fraternity and the significance of the awards.

Mitchell Williams, WDAM Sports Director, was the recipient of the Humanitarian Award, which  recognizes individuals or organizations for a determined support of others and of their community.
Hattiesburg Coco-Cola was the sponsor of the event and were very proud to be a part of recognizing student achievement. “We think this is an excellent program that continues to motivate and inspire our youth to achieve positive things and we are proud to support it,” said Brad Brian of Hattiesburg Coco-Cola.

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· 1:55 pm

Warrior athletes sign to play college sports

By: Ashley Ricks

February 3rd marked the day that all athletes work hard to get to: signing day. This day gives players the chance to prolong their educational career, as well as the thing they most enjoy, their athletic career. Football player Jay Hughes said, “I signed to be somewhere I felt I’d be needed. Coach Mullen wants Mississippi players and I’m proud to be a part of his team.”

To start off the honorable day, Coach Tim Heldt, athletic director, welcomed everyone. The library was filled, standing room only, with local media, students, family, and friends of the players. “They’ve represented Oak Grove very well and will be missed,” Heldt said. The audience cheered for the players and their accomplishment.

Of the 2009 football team, 6 of the players signed to play with universities. Steve McNair, JR. signed with University of Southern Mississippi, Vince Taylor with Vanderbilt University, Robert Johnson and Jay Hughes with Mississippi State University, LeBrandon Mosley with Itawamba CC, Kylan Bosarge with Millsaps College. Robert Johnson said about attending MSU. “I love the campus, and I’m looking forward to going out and working hard for the position. It’s close to home, but I have family there that I can spend time with.”

Two girls from the 2009 Warrior Soccer Team signed with colleges. Jordan Papas will be playing with Birmingham Southern College, and Heather Smith will be with Pearl River Community College. After years of practice and hard work, both girls are excited to challenge themselves to work up to college level soccer. Jordan Papas said, “I’m really excited about playing soccer at Birmingham Southern College. The level of play at BSC is going to be a huge step up from the level I’m used to. I’m excited to improve as a player.”

After all players had signed and taken dozens of pictures, Coach Heldt closed the signing ceremony. He welcomed all family to stay and enjoy the refreshments table. All players are excited to begin the second chapter of there athletic career.

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· 1:54 pm

OGHS receives notable donations

By: Taylor Rigney

Displayed in the school library freshly hung painting of George Washington.  Oak Grove was fortunate enough to be one of the select schools to receive reproductions of the famous painting of Washington given out by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.

In 2004, Mr. Sutton, OGHS U.S. History teacher, was lucky enough to be accepted to attend Mount Vernon’s prestigious George Washington Teacher Institute, a highly competitive program that brings teachers from thirteen different states to Mount Vernon for a week during the summer, where they study George Washington’s life and accomplishments and get the chance to live on the grounds of Washington’s estate.

Being an alumnus of this program, Mr. Sutton received notification from the Mount Vernon Institute that, to commemorate George Washington’s character and achievements, it would be offering free limited-edition framed replicas of Rembrandt Peale’s Porthole Portrait of George Washington to schools that completed and sent in a school administrator’s request letter.  Mr. Jeff Vanderheiden, OGHS Assistant Principal, wrote a letter to the Mount Vernon Institute, explaining why Oak Grove would make a good candidate to receive the painting, and later the school received notification that it had been selected to receive a copy.  So far, about 7,000 schools across the country have requested to receive a 30” x 36” copy of the portrait.

In addition to the portrait of George Washington, Oak Grove received an American flag that has actually been flown over Washington’s home of Mount Vernon.  Both the flag and painting are to be put on display in the high school library.

On February 22, the OGHS Historical Society will be sponsoring a reception to formally dedicate the portrait and flag to the school.  School board members, as well as local business owners who have made contributions to the Historical Society, are expected to attend the reception.

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February 9, 2010 · 3:38 pm

Dysfunction Juntion

By: Kent McCarty

Dysfunction Junction chronicles the unfortunate strings of events that plague my life. Everything below is true, and that’s what’s scary.

December 4, 2009, was a day that I will never forget. On that day my belief that I was the world’s greatest driver was put the test, and I failed miserably.

It started out as a really good day. School was dismissed early for the football state championship, so of course the hours we did spend at school weren’t very strenuous. When I got home, my family still needed to eat lunch, so, being the perfect child that I am, I volunteered to pick up lunch before we left. After I picked up all of the food, I started on my way back home. When I got to the light at Cole Road, I decided to dig through the bag of food from Topher’s and eat one of the onion rings I got for my dad. That decision is what leaves me scratching my head because I don’t even really like onion rings. Nevertheless, I found the perfect onion ring, the light turned green, and I started on my way toward home.

What happened over the next five and a half minutes is still a little fuzzy, but after long hours of intense focus, I’ve managed to piece together most of what happened. When I left from the green light, I dropped the “onion ring of all onion rings” that I had taken great care to find a few seconds before. I did manage to find it in only a matter of seconds, but when I looked up I saw a sight that will forever haunt my dreams: a small car. Nothing is particularly frightening about small cars, until you add in that said car was stopped while I was sill plugging along at 55 mph. Unfortunately, I looked up just in time to watch my Mountaineer slam right into the back of the small Pontiac that was turning into the roadside Satsuma stand, but not in enough time to do something about it. Out of instinct I jerked the steering wheel to the left, but it was of no use. I pulled my smashed car over, took out the keys, and flung my door open. For reasons I will never understand, I threw my keys down on the ground when I got out of the car and ran over to the Satsuma salesman and the guy on the other end of the wreck. The closer I got to the victim the sicker I felt, and by the time I got within talking distance I felt as if I was going to vomit. To avoid making his day even worse by throwing up on him, I ran back to my car where I dry heaved for at least 3 minutes. When I could heave no longer and the world began to come back into focus, I realized I needed to contact my parents. The only problem was, I couldn’t find my phone, the guy I hit didn’t have one, the Satsuma guy had already left, and the customer at the stand wouldn’t let us use his. Luckily, my mom was coming home and she happened to drive by about ten minutes into the insanity. The police had long been there at that point, but of course I couldn’t string together any useful thoughts for their report. I did, however, offer 3 different police officers the French fries I had bought at Topher’s earlier. When everything was straightened out, my mom handed me my detached bumper, calling it “a souvenir,” and we were on our way.

Luckily, my car wasn’t totaled. I did, however, go without a car until Christmas Day when my parents surprised me with the car I had loved and missed dearly for nearly a month. While my car is back and better than ever, my personal view of onion rings will be tarnished forever.

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· 3:37 pm

Excitement mounts for Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

By: Arik Shams

The 2010 Winter Olympics, being held at Vancouver in February, promises to be a truly momentous event. This year’s theme, “With Glowing Hearts,” (taken from the Canadian national anthem) represents “the pride that results from outstanding achievement; be it an athlete’s performance of a lifetime or the valuable contribution of a dedicated volunteer,” according to John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee.

The Winter Olympics consist of 86 medal events in seven categories: Luge, Skiing, Skating, Ice Hockey, Biathlon, Bobsleigh and Curling.

Ninety-seven countries are participating, with Ghana, Bahamas, Gabon, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru, Serbia, Montenegro and the Cayman Islands debuting this year.

Some athletes to watch this year include five-time medalist short-rink skater Apolo Anton Ohno, snowboarding superstar Shaun White, skier Lindsey Vonn, luger Erin Hamlin, favored speed skater Shani Davis, and figure-skaters Evan Lysacek and Tanith Belbin to name a few. Team USA is going after the gold much more aggressively this year. After the last Winter Games at Torino in 2006, the U.S. walked out with nine gold medals and 25 total – the second highest number won that year. The most exciting events this time around for the U.S. will be figure-skating, speed skating and hockey. The hockey team is much younger than last time, and hopes to improve significantly from their previous appearance when they finished in eighth place. Some other events to watch out for include the face-off between long-time figure-skating rivals Kim Yu-Na of South Korea and Mao Asada of Japan.

The games start on February 12, with the opening ceremony starting at 6 p.m, and will be aired consistently on WDAM-TV until they end on February 28. A complete and detailed schedule can be found on nbcolympics.com/tv-listings.

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· 3:35 pm

Junior varsity basketball wraps up successful season

By: Sara Sanner

This season has been one of success for the Boys Junior Varsity basketball team. With a record of 8-3, the Warriors have proved that despite their limited practice time, they are definitely a team to be feared.
The team consists of eight 10th graders who are eager to get playing time on the court. “Starting players are the best five on the team, so you have to work to prove you are the best to get that playing time,” junior Nick McLendon said. The sophomore players include Devin Hebert, Dra Ellis, Nathan Sims, Connor McNellis, Christopher Bolton, Larry Thomas, Christian Hathorn, and Ron Simmons.

Head coach of the Junior Varsity Warriors Edmond Bradley seems to be impressed with the team’s achievement, although his ultimate goal is to train the boys for the varsity team. “In JV, it is all about becoming good enough to play for Varsity and we have set a goal in the JV program to win a state championship for them,” Bradley said. For most players on the Junior Varsity team, a spot on Varsity would be a dream come true. “It takes a lot of hard work. You also have to show Coach everyday that you have what it takes to play with the older guys and that you can play on that higher level of competition,” McLendon said.

With the team’s victory came many obstacles. “We’re limited on practice time [fourth block]. Also, the roster is always changing because there’s a chance of moving a player up to Varsity,” Bradley said.

Although winning more games than the previous season has generated much excitement for the players, that’s not the only thing they are enthusiastic about. “The highlight of our season was not only winning more games, but also getting to play with new teammates,” sophomore Ron Simmons said.

While the team has had an overall successful season so far, they would like to see an improvement in student participation. “Some students come to watch, but parents are our main supporters. It’d be nice to have more students cheering us on in the future,” sophomore Connor McNellis said.

The Warriors have fought through this season with two victories over their rival, Hattiesburg, a noteworthy accomplishment. The Junior Varsity Warriors’ season concludes on February 5, with a home game against Petal.

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· 3:34 pm

Spring sports review

Baseball

By: Luke Bush

Oak Grove baseball is getting ready to kick off another year. The season officially begins with the first game in the Oak Grove Classic Tournament being played at the Harry Breland Field. They are very hopeful for victory this season. “A lot of people are underestimating us,” Scott Weathersby, senior pitcher for the Warriors, said. “We discussed it as a team and our goal is to go to the State Championship. If we give it our all, there is no reason we can’t make it.” If the Warriors are able to hold up their promise, they will be traveling to Pearl, Mississippi, where the State Championship is played each year.

Weathersby is not the only one who will be pitching for the Warriors this year. The pitching rotation will include Casey Comfort and James McMahon. “Our team has a lot of talent this year with solid hitting, pitching, and defense,” Weathersby said.

This year should prove to be a promising year for the Warriors. The team is looking forward to seeing the support of students and the community.

Tennis

By: Kate Zachary

As the tennis season approaches, the new coach and 10th grade English teacher, Samantha Padgett, is excited about the new season. “My goal for the team this year is to represent Oak Grove High School with dignity as we travel to other high schools in the area. We want to enjoy and embrace the chance at camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the bond of being a part of a team, and hopefully we will perform as well on the courts as we do off the courts,” Padgett said.

Even though the team consists of new players this year, they are confident about the upcoming matches. “I expect the team to grow, to embrace and mentor our new, younger teammates, and to hopefully win some important matches,” Padgett said. “The road to state will be a difficult one this year, knowing that the team is young; however, we should never put anything past anyone. Doubt is an unhealthy quality as a coach or as a member of a team,” Padgett said.

Track

By: Taylor Herring

At the beginning of a new season, the track team hopes to get off to a strong start. The head coach, Robin Ryder, feels confident considering their successful 2008-2009 season. The team recently began daily practices, and Coach Ryder expects even more runners to join after soccer and basketball seasons end. As of now, the sprinters are full-speed running one mile a day; and the distance runners are doing up to eight miles a day. The official practice schedule begins February 8th; and Coach Ryder held a set of tryouts on February 1st. Ryder is looking forward to another successful season and reaching new goals. “Last year, we had more all-state runners than ever before. Hopefully we can build on that success,” Ryder said.

The team kicks off the season with a meet on March 1st in Slidell, LA.

Softball

By: Lauren Pace

The Lady Warrior Softball Team plans to have a very exciting season this year. With six of the 2009 All-District players returning, Coach Gary Ivy has high hopes for the season.

Last year, the team made it to the first round of the playoffs and finished with a record of 17-7. Head Coach, Gary Ivy expects to have another great season. “Our biggest competition would probably have to be Brandon or Clinton in South State,” Ivy said. Northwest Rankin currently holds the State Championship title.
The only returning varsity senior, Kayla Stanley, recently signed to play softball at The University of Southern Mississippi next year.

Recently, the team has been sprucing up the softball facility. They have a new bullpin area and are looking forward to a new field house. “The Lady Warrior softball team is on our upswing,” Ivy said.

The team is striving for many goals this upcoming season and hope to win the State Championship.

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