Monthly Archives: February 2012

February 3, 2012 · 3:06 pm

Jungalbook takes State, Oak Grove Theatre heads to SETC

by: Miranda Rester

The Fight Scene; The jungalbook cast performs The Fight scene with Heather Boutwell and Stephanie Weiss. Also in the scene are Allison Richards, Nathan Maxwell, Haley Laird, Rachel Hummel, and Jessica Palmer

The Warrior Theatre Department’s Jungalbook snagged the title of Most Outstanding Production at the Mississippi Theatre Association’s (MTA) annual competition. They will be attending the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) March 7-11. In addition to being awarded the Best Show, director Suzanne Allmon won Best Director; senior Xavier Martin won Best Actor; seniors Taylor Nace and Heather Boutwell, Allstar Cast; and the show, Best Costume Design and Best Fight Choreography. “These guys have put in lots of time and work and really deserve this win,” Allmon said. “SETC includes the top 20 productions in the southeast, so there’ll be some tough competition. However, these guys are prepared to do their best.” The cast and crew have already begun preparing for SETC with weekly rehearsals and extreme determination.“I’m really excited to be going to SETC. As a senior, this means everything to me, and I’m going to give it my all on that stage,” senior Rachel Jackson said. “This department is a family, and we’re going to work together to win SETC again.” The bond within the department is a definite advantage when it comes to working through problems calmly during
a production. “I spilled water in my costume pants during MTA, and I’m in a puppet,” sophomore Logan McCarty said. “None of us really had a choice but to laugh hysterically, in hushed voices, of course.” This is OGHS’s sixth state championship, and the last win was in 2008, where they won SETC that year as well. Since SETC will be held in Chattanooga, TN, the travel expenses will be costly. The Theatre Department will be presenting an encore performance of Jungalbook on March 2nd at the OGP auditorium, and tickets will be $7. In addition, they will perform The Grimm Brothers Spectaculathon on February 16-17 in the OGHS Black Box. Tickets will be $5 for students and $7 for adults. The department will also be presenting 39 Steps as a dinner theatre production on February 23-24 at the OGP auditorium, and tickets will be $18 per person, including a meal. Tickets for all productions are now on sale in the Black Box. The theatre students are also selling cookie dough to help off-set the cost.

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· 3:01 pm

Golden Spirits bring home fourth consecutive State title

by: Brittain Allgood

On December 16, the Golden Spirits traveled to Jackson to the state dance competition, leaving with their fourth consecutive State Championship. They received 2nd place in the 6A jazz category and 1st in the 6A kick category, but it was their high-scoring kick dance that gave them the title of overall 6A Kick Champions, helping them maintain their title. Every year, the Golden Spirits attend the Mississippi High School Activities Association competition where they compete against various schools in the state. This year there were over 40 high schools competing in four different categories: jazz, pom, kick, and hip hop. For years schools in the 6A division have tried their hardest to out-dance the Golden Spirits with their dances, but none have come close. The Golden Spirits are not only recognized by other high schools but are also recognized by the University of Southern Mississippi. They will be performing their award-winning kick routine at one of the USM basketball games in February. This year was a huge difference for some of the older dancers, going from 15 dancers last year to 23 this year. “Having 23 girls was definitely a blessing in disguise,” senior Golden Spirit Catherine DeLeon said. “It was difficult to adjust, but it was worth it in the long run. Our kick lines have never looked so good!” The girls also welcomed a new sponsor this year, which added to the adjustments. Lexey Robinett, a ninth-grade English teacher and Golden Spirit coach, is more than pleased that the girls were able to keep their title. “I look forward to helping them win another one next year,” Robinett said.

The Golden Spirits dance team brought home another state title afer competing in the 2011-12 MHSAA Dance Competition held in Jackson, MS

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· 2:57 pm

Oak Grove names 2012 Star Student, Teacher

by: Anna Kate Baygents

Recently named 2012 Oak Grove High School Star Student, Daniel Beck, named Brandon Webb his Star Teacher./ Photo by Parker Brewer

Oak Grove recently announced Daniel Beck as the 2011-2012 Star Student. With a score of 35 on his ACT, achieving this feat was quite an honor.“I am so excited to be named Star Student. I originally heard about it my freshman year, but never thought I’d ever get it,” Beck said. “It’s nice to be recognized for your accomplishments.”
Beck plans on attending the University of Southern Mississippi to study business next year on “hopefully a Presidential scholarship.” That, combined with the Air Force ROTC Commander’s Leadership Scholarship will result in refunds for him.
“Making money while in collegewould definitely be a plus,” Beck said.
Beck chose Mr. Brandon Webb as his Star Teacher. Webb has been at Oak Grove for four years, teaching English, Spanish and speech classes.“I was blown away when I found out I was chosen,” Webb said. “It had been a running joke for years that he would pick me if he made it, but I never expected it.”
Beck has advice for other students hoping to be Star Students: “Read anything and everything, and challenge yourself with lots of AP classes, even if it does hurt your GPA in the long run.”
The Mississippi Economic Council and its M.B. Swayne Educational Foundation sponsor the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program in an effort to encourage scholastic achievement among the state’s high school sudents.

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· 2:52 pm

Centerstage! prepares for cometition season

by: Nan Buti

Running through numbers, harmonizing vocals, and perfecting routines every day, the OGHS show choir, Centerstage!, is headed to multiple competitions in preparation for the national competition in Orlando, Florida, at Universal Studios in March. The team practices every day during third block as well as a few nights 6:00-9:00 p.m. With 23 girls and 15 boys in the group, the show choir’s division placement is in Large Group Triple A for competition. This year’s show choir director is Mr. Darren Dale who took the place of previous years’ director Mr. Tim Breland. “It’s like a new year for us since we are a large group,” sophomore Sydney Green said.
The show choir’s theme includes upbeat music combining jazz and rock and roll. The show choir girls’ costumes consist of purple beaded dresses with a costume change of black leather corsets and black heels. The boys’ outfits are charcoal gray suits and matching ties with a costume change of black skinny jeans with black leather jackets. The groovy songs chosen this year are “On My Way,” “Price Tag,” “New York State of Mind,” “All of the Above,” “Shook Me All Night Long,” “I Wanna Rock,” and “Here We Go Again.”
The team is required to undergo choreography sessions instructed by dancers from Louisiana. The sessions are usually very time-consuming, but they are worth learning. Centerstage! performs one show consisting of eight songs equaling roughly 15 minutes. The routine involves high-speed movements as well as quick costume changes. The team is preparing for competitions by cleaning choreography, ensuring organization, and perfecting memorization of songs and dance moves. Many skills for the ambitious sport are required for each member to have. “I would say definitely dancing is more important than singing. You need to be able to learn quickly as well. It’s pretty difficult at first, but as the year goes on, it gets easier,” sophomore Mary Margaret Hyer said. “I encourage many people, especially guys, to try out because it’s very fun, and it’s a great experience.” The guys feel like it is a team sport and requires dedication and practice. “We practice often like the football team, and we have to go over it again and again to perfect our show. It’s always a work in progress that we work diligently at improving,” senior Gunnar Thorderson said. The show choir is indeed different from other sports but has a lot of similarities. “Show choir is a sport because we do just as much sweating as every other sport does. I wish anyone from other sports would try show choir,” senior Markos Williams said.

Centerstage! practices a number during a recent dress rehearsal the choir held at Purvis High School./ Photo by Raven Jones

The team is anxious yet confident for the upcoming competitions. The members stick together and keep their performances at top notch. “We’re definitely a family. We’re very close, closer than my actual family,” sophomore Jaclyn Creel said. “It’s really fun because we all connect through music,” Centerstage! has proven successful in previous years and feels confident of continued excellence with this group’s talent and courage.

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· 2:46 pm

Forensics team springs into new semester

by: Will Pipes

The Forensics team has begun the spring semester part of their season in an exemplary fashion. Since the beginning of the semester, the team has competed in the Pascagoula Singing River Classic Tournament, the National Catholic Forensic League Qualifying Tournament, and the Emory Barkley Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. The team has had a string of successes, winning the Individual Event Sweepstakes at Pascagoula and winning 2nd place overall, qualifying nine people to the Catholic Forensic League (CFL) Grand National Tournament in Baltimore this summer and having multiple breaks to the top 12 events at Emory, a national circuit tournament with over 300 schools in attendance and approximately 50 in each event. Notable names include Ashton Beightol, junior, who won Dramatic Interpretation and Prose Interpretation at Pascagoula, qualified to CFL Nationals in Dramatic Performance, and made quarterfinals at Emory; and Mary Ryan Karnes, junior, who qualified to CFL in Original Oratory (and also received the highest score of the six qualifiers), made semifinals in Original Oratory at Emory, and also made quarterfinals at the same tournament in Duo Interpretation. Her Duo partner, freshman Evan Woods, shares the last honor with her and is also the first freshman in the history of the team to advance at the Emory Barkley Forum. In the future the team will be competing at the Hub City Classic at Hattiesburg High School, the Tupelo Rock and Roll Classic at Tupelo High School, and will attempt to qualify to the prestigious National Forensic League Tournament which will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, this summer. The team will also be competing for their seventh state championship in April. When asked about his game plan for state, Coach Shane Cole responded, “We are set to defend our title, and we hope to repeat as we have for the past six years.”

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· 2:42 pm

Kicking it with Evan Sobiesk

by: Allison Slusher

Evan Sobiesk is currently the kicker for the Warrior football team and has been recruited by many Division 1 schools this year. This article has followed him throughout the decision making process and allowed us to see which college he will choose in the end.After months of visiting campuses, meeting with coaches, and making many difficult college decisions, Signing Day has finally come and gone, and athletes no longer face the stress of deciding where they want to play football during their college careers. After a series of football offers, Evan Sobiesk made his long awaited college plans official after signing with Mississippi State on Wednesday.Sobiesk chose Mississippi State for many reasons. “My brother goes to Mississippi State, and I have friends that go to State,” Sobiesksaid. Sobiesk also mentioned that the school’s proximity to home aswell as its engineering program appealed to him. One of his ultimate deciding factors, however, was that Mississippi State is part of the Southeastern Conference which has been a dominant force in NCAA football.Since Sobiesk has had offers from many schools, there is no doubt that choosing which school to play college football for was no easy decision to make; however, we can all be assured that Sobiesk has a bright future ahead of him as a college athlete and will, one day, leave all the students and faculty at Oak Grove remembering when we once had the opportunity to kick it with Evan Sobiesk.

Sobiesk, pictured with parents, signed a letter of intent to play football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs on National Signing Day./ Photo by Raven Jones

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· 2:36 pm

OG defense leads way to district playoffs

by: Austin Heusser

After having a great season, the Oak Grove boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are set to head to the district playoffs. On January 20th, the basketball teams faced Oak Grove’s fierce rivals, the Petal Panthers. The Warriors proved their worth after both teams emerged victorious over the Panthers in front of a massive cheering student section. This win has helped boost their confidence going into the district playoffs. Through much work and a hard-fought season, the boys’ team has achieved a 10-16 record while the girls’ team has put together an impressive record of 21-6.

Christian Hathrone, senior forward for the Warriors, sets up on defense in recent action agains Petal./ Photo by Raven Jones

The teams will face off against Sumrall for a final regular season matchup February 3rd, and then they will head into the first game of district playoffs on February 6th against Meridian High School, a huge rival of the Warriors. In order to advance to the state playoffs, the teams must emerge from the district playoffs in either first or second place. The top two teams in each of Mississippi’s eight districts will go on to represent that district in the State Championships. “Our boys’ basketball program hasn’t been to State since 1988. If the team makes it to the playoffs this year, it would surely be a historical and memorable event for Oak Grove High School,” senior guard Nathan Sims stated. Although this would be a historical event for the Warriors, they must first get past Petal, Meridian, and Hattiesburg. Although these teams stand in their way of making history, the teams are focused and ready to face any challenges which may lie ahead. The girls’ team is also prepared and ready for the upcoming challenge, and they are looking eagerly towards the District Tournament with high hopes of making it all the way to the State Championships.

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· 2:31 pm

Warrior soccer falls short in playoffs despite succesful season

by: Nan Buti

The Warrior soccer teams have practiced energetically and played games vigorously almost every week since November of last year. Their hard work definitely paid off and both the boys’ and girls’ teams earned the right to be named District Champions. The Lady Warriors finished the season at 4-4-4 and the boys finished at 4-2-4. Both teams faced tough opponents throughout the season in powerhouses like Ocean Springs and Biloxi.
Despite putting up tough fights in the playoffs, both teams’ seasons came to a close in January. The Lady Warriors, who made it to South State last year, were put out in the playoffs by Biloxi 3-2. The boys’ team progressed to South State beating Biloxi in the first game 1-0. They fell short in the second game losing to Gulfport 0-1.
This season’s games kept fans and players on edge with very close scores and a couple of ties with West Jones, Poplarville, and Clinton. The boys’ team faced a talented Brandon team that also ended in a tie.
Success on the soccer field requires dedication and a lot of hard work, and many players feel this year’s season was very rewarding. “I think soccer prepared me to be competitive and has helped me learn to think in different ways,” junior Hayley Allen said. “Soccer teaches you to make decisions quicker and definitely gets you in shape,” junior Clay Richardson said. The teams faced a lot of challenges this season and felt prepared by enduring tough practices and learning to work together. “I think when we played with heart, we did our best,” Allen said. “We aren’t just a team; we are a family, and we are carrying on the Lady Warrior soccer tradition. I love my team, and they are the best people to play with because they understand me.”The intense games and cheering fans definitely encouraged the teams to play their hardest this season. The players and coaches feel fan support provided them with motivation the whole season. “We really appreciate all of the support the students have given us this year,” girls’ coach Kayla Lalley said. “We are tremendously proud of the teams’ performances and efforts this year. They represented Oak Grove very well.”

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· 2:25 pm

“Hallmark holiday” or day for true love?

by: Miranda Rester

While many people believe Valentine’s Day is just a ploy to force men to spend loads of money on chocolate heart-shaped candies, bouquets of bright red roses, and over-priced singing cards, Valentine’s Day traditions began in ancient Roman times. In these times, Valentine’s Day wasn’t about how much money you spent but about reminding the one you love that he or she meant everything to you.
Most guys would argue that the only way to show a girl how much you care for her is to shower her with gifts. However, the ancient Romans showed their affection a bit differently. At the fertility festival Lupercalia, boys would slice the hide of a sacrificial goat into strips and slap girls in the face with it. This tradition was thought to make the girls fertile, so they appreciated the gesture. Now, I’m certainly not suggesting that guys should just go around swinging hunks of goat at the objects of their affection; however, this tradition was meaningful to the ancient Romans. It wasn’t expensive or over the top either.
That’s what Valentine’s Day is. It’s not about how much someone spends on a gift; it’s about how much the gesture means. Who decided that guys have to buy flowers and candy for Valentine’s Day, anyway? Yes, flowers are lovely, and chocolate is tasty, but they don’t exactly scream “I love you.” Any sane girl would rather have a guy actually put thought into what he does for Valentine’s Day instead of generic flowers and heart-shaped chocolates. Because while to men that may seem perfect, to me it says “Hey, I didn’t feel like putting any thought into this, so I’m giving you the most meaningless gift I could come up with.”
Yes, Hallmark certainly has cashed in on Valentine’s Day, but that’s only because people stopped putting thought into what the holiday means. I think that once everyone, men and women alike, begin to focus on using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to express love, then the world will be a better place.

Artwork by Aubrey Sanders

by: Nathan Maxwell

We associate most holidays with some fabricated mythological being. For Christmas, we’ve created a gelatinous man with a beard full of cookie crumbs, a craving for milk, a group of flying reindeer, and a pair of open arms for little people who enjoy making toys. For Easter, we’ve created a towering bunny with the urge to leave eggs around your yard for you to find and clean up and a wardrobe that’s vibrantly blinding. No one has ever seen either of them, but we allow both of them free entrance into our houses while we are sleeping. And for Valentine’s Day, we’ve created yet another gelatinous man. This time he’s wearing a diaper and a pair of wings and wielding a bow and arrow to strike someone with the feeling of love.
Besides the ridiculous icon, it’s just a day for Hallmark to make billions of dollars on cards and other small gifts. In 2011, Americans spent $15.7 billion on loved ones for Valentine’s Day. An average of 144 million cards are exchanged each year for Valentine’s Day. That doesn’t include the children’s boxed Valentine’s cards; that $144 million is just the sentimental stuff. The only holiday that outdoes Valentine’s Day in terms of cards is Christmas.
Hallmark’s been cashing in on Valentine’s Day since 1913. That’s almost a century of tricking us into buying their cards. Don’t think that we are the only ones who celebrate Valentine’s Day because we’re not. Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy. Imagine the money spent on this day in those countries on top of our $15.7 billion.
Hallmark isn’t the only one making profits. Florists, candy makers, and chocolatiers are making money, too. Almost 198 million roses are produced to be sold for Valentine’s Day. 75% of those, 110 million, are sold in the U.S. Valentine’s Day’s candy sales are only second to Halloween. As for chocolate, an estimated 58 million pounds is expected to be bought for Valentine’s Day. A total of $345 million is expected to be spent on candy and chocolate.
There is no way that Valentine’s Day is legitimate. It must be a collective effort by Hallmark, florists, candy makers, and chocolatiers around the world to bring in the profits. They’ve done a great job of creating such as successful holiday. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

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· 2:17 pm

Media Bias a “Primary” concern for the GOP

by: Mary Ryan

Artwork by Aubrey Sanders

The GOP presidential nomination race has been full of surprises. With scandals, dropouts, accusations, and confusion, support has shifted from candidate to candidate. In order to stay politically informed, I have recently turned to the media in order to figure out just what these clean-cut politicians advocate beyond their catchy slogans. The world of politics has always eluded me. During the 2008 election, I supported John McCain for the same reasons that any eighth-grade girl would: Sarah Palin, former Alaskan governor and his then-running mate, had a funny accent, voluminous hair, and cute glasses. As I’ve grown in maturity and curiosity, however, politics have become less about hairstyles and more about splitting hairs. Who has the right ideas about the future of America? Why does our tax system work the way it does? So, I began a search for answers; consequently, I was left with as many questions as Rick Santorum has sweater-vests. My opinions regarding the 2012 GOP nomination have been varied, and I believe the media has done its fair share in twisting facts and presenting misleading data that has confused me and, indeed, many Americans. Both left and right-wing news sources have misled the American people by presenting sound-byte generalizations of the GOP candidates.
In November of last year, Reverend Al Sharpton and MSNBC’s “Lean Forward” Campaign launched an anti-GOP ad that suggested the Republican party’s destruction of the United States economy. In the ad, Sharpton likens the GOP to a group of neighborhood children who all claim they did not eat a blueberry pie. Conventional analogy? No. Accusatory and unwarranted? Absolutely. The problem with ads like this is that they reach out to the American people with a familiar metaphor but have no evidence to support their claims. Propaganda like this persuades the American people that the GOP is not to be trusted. Another example of left-wing bias towards right-wing candidates is a recent MSNBC bash of former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Also in November, MSNBC anchor Martin Bashir, along with Karen Finney and William Cohen, called Gingrich a “serial adulterer.” Even though Gingrich’s private life has nothing to do with his politics, the media still chooses to tear his policies down through fallacious personal attacks. However, right-wing media often bolsters the pitfalls of conservatism. Fierce conservatives like Bill O’ Reilly have even admitted to the anti-liberal stance of networks like Fox News. Both sides of the media are prone to blaming one another for national issues, especially when election time is near. The problem posed by these hasty generalizations and blame games is thatthe American people are not getting fair or balanced information, not even from the news station who bears that slogan. Overall, I believe the general population should, to paraphrase Sarah Palin on the night of January 23 Florida GOP Debate, do its own homework. When asked by Sean Hannity which GOP candidate she would support, Palin replied with typical Alaskan hardiness. First stating that her opinion was “probably not worth a hill of beans,” she encouraged voters to decide for themselves. I, for the first time since the eighth grade, agree with Palin. On a campaign trail of twisted endorsements and distorted facts, the most important source of opinion a voter has is himself or herself. The media can provide colorful commentary, but it is only healthy if paired with a fair amount of personal investigation. Rather than consulting the often skewed opinions of news anchors and broadcast journalists, I propose we consult the hard evidence of our politicians’ work: bills, resolutions, and even those messy Romney tax returns. Perhaps we will be able to choose a candidate, whether Republican or Democrat, with firm and informed resolve in the choices we make instead of “flip floppin’ around like a halibut getting ready to be clubbed.” Sorry, I couldn’t resist another Palin-ism.

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