April 13, 2012

Softball heats up with district play

by: Kirk McCarty

Guest Reporter

Right-handed ace Mahalia Gibson, sophomore, propels a pitch to the plate in a recent match-up against Hattiesburg High, her first game back from an injury. / Photo by Raven Jones

The team goal this year: win a state championship. Halfway through the regular season, the Lady Warrior softball team sits at  12-2.  Due to Mother Nature’s wrath, the Warriors have had five games rained out and have played three district games so far this season, those being dominating wins over Meridian, Petal, and Hattiesburg.

This year’s Warrior team is led by a very talented group of seniors. Kelsea Lewis and Heather Boutwell have both been starting since their eighth grade years and are committed to continuing their softball careers at Pearl River Community College, while other senior starters include 2nd basemen Aston Vincent and pitcher Stefani Cayten.

The pitching staff has had to really step up early in the season due to the loss of ace Mahalia Gibson who was forced to have surgery on her throwing hand pinky. Peyton Sheffield and Stefani Cayten have definitely done just that for the Warriors. Sheffield has logged 37 innings already this season with an impressive 1.14 ERA (earned run average). Cayten is right behind her with 27 innings and a 1.30 ERA.

The Warriors have been a force at the plate as well posting a team batting average of .375. Kelsea Lewis leads the team with an average of .484 followed by Constance Quinn and Carly Crawford who are hitting .458 and .457, respectively.

Great stats are, well, great, but what really sets apart this team is their attitude and mindset to win games. “Our team has a lot of heart, and when we get down, we spring right back up,” said senior first baseman Heather Boutwell. “We all have the same mindset to win.”

The Warriors will really find out what they’re made of in the next couple of weeks when district play really heats up.  Oak Grove will take on HHS, Petal, and Meridian one more time before the season’s end. Senior night and the game many fans will attend with cowbells in hand, takes place at Warrior field on April 17 against the one and only Petal Panthers. Come support the Warriors on their quest for a ring this season.

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April 13, 2012

Top-ranked baseball continues winning ways

by: Laura Prehn

Staff Reporter

Baseball season is up and running, and the Warriors couldn’t be playing any better. In their longest winning streak in several years, they now stand at an impressive 22-1. Although none of this year’s players are new to varsity baseball, they possess a dedication and solidarity that enables them to play harder than ever before.  Many of the seniors have been playing together for several years, and their relationships and ability to work together gives them an edge.

This season has proved both challenging and exciting so far. Most recently, on April 10, the Warriors faced rival Hattiesburg and pulled out an impressive 8-6 win.

Oak Grove sluggers Tyler Odom and Jansen Bounds have both led the team to victories with huge homeruns. Odom helped the Warriors overcome Vicksburg with three homers while Bounds homered twice in a win over Gulfport.

In addition to successful hitting, one of the team’s greatest assets this year is their number of talented pitchers, including, but not limited to, sophomore Kirk McCarty. McCarty, a starter for two years now, is one of the strongest pitchers on the team. McCarty’s biggest claim to fame was pitching a no-hitter at the Meridian game earlier this season. Spoken like a true athlete, McCarty said, “I love to compete, and I love being out on the field with my teammates.” The Warriors have had only one loss this season, one many would like to forget against Petal. Surprisingly, McCarty admits that the Petal game was the most memorable of the season. “That loss motivates us to keep up the hard work and never give up,” McCarty said. He, like most of the players, is focused on just one ambition. “The goal is to make it to state and win,” he said. “I think we have a good chance.” A predictable goal, yes, but perhaps more attainable than ever before.

There’s a lot of talent on this team, and the possibility of making it to State is looking good. The Warriors have raced through the first half of the season with flying colors, and the remainder of the season promises to be just as, if not more, thrilling for the players and fans alike.

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April 13, 2012

Rookie Driver’s Handbook

by: Jordan Farrar/Morgan Guess

Staff Reporters

 Quite a few teens think that all you need to drive is a set of keys and a license,
but that is not the case.

When pulling into the driving world, it can be a bit overwhelming, but with a few rules and tips, you can go from 0-50 mph in no time flat. To start, teens will have to hold their horsepower. Patience is the key to driving safely and efficiently on today’s roads. We all know that it is a virtue, but

Elizabeth Lee was caught texting and driving while leaving the school parking lot. / Photo by Raven Jones

sometimes being patient is easier said than done. It is required for everyday driving from stop signs to traffic lights. Being aware of one’s surroundings is another rule that is necessary for rookie drivers.  One must be diligent when they are driving on the road; you never know what will happen. Like most parents say, “It’s not that I don’t trust you; it’s that I don’t trust the other drivers.” Driving defensively means being aware of your surroundings and knowing how to react to whatever may occur. Being safe on the road is the number one goal for all drivers. However, being safe doesn’t mean anything if one gets distracted by the buzzing of a cell phone. Turning the phone on silent or pulling over is a safe alternative to texting and driving. There’s no reason to put not only you, but the drivers around you, in danger. All of these rules are necessary to becoming a safe and experienced driver, and if followed you’ll become a pro in no time.

 Rules of the Road

Common Courtesy – We all know what common courtesy is. Just be polite to your fellow driver on the road.

Don’t Text and Drive - Wait until you get home to answer your next text message. A text message isn’t worth your life.

                            Hold Your Horsepower- Be patient on the road. Everyone is trying to get to their own destinations.
 Be Aware of Your Surroundings - Know what is happening not only in your car, but also be aware of what others are doing around your car.
 Defensive Driving, not Offensive- Notice and be able to react to what the other drivers are doing.
 Park on the Straight and Narrow - Be aware of your parking. Take the time to park evenly between the yellow lines.

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April 13, 2012

Warriors Take a Bow Presents Snow White

by: Morgan Guess

Staff Reporter

From the classroom to center stage, Oak Grove’s community-based classes continue to enchant the students and faculty that have the privilege of working with them. For the second year in a row, Warriors Take a Bow has had the opportunity to put on a play which they then performed in for their fellow peers and beloved families. This year they did a production of Snow White and the Eight Dwarves on March 22. The play was performed in the morning for all of the special education students at the primary and elementary schools and then in the evening for everyone else. The turn out was around 300-350 people who came to support – far more in attendance than last year’s play.

Prince Charming (Allen Jones) and Snow White (Amber Williams) perform “the kiss” scene in their recent performance of Snow White and the Eight Dwarves. / Photo by Raven Jones

The idea for Snow White was sparked at the end of last year’s play, The Wizard of Oz. Amber Williams, a student in the community-based class, requested that they do Snow White because the story is her favorite. The rest of the class thought it was a great idea because it gave all the special education students a chance to have a part and become involved. Williams’s dream has always been to play Snow White. “I love her, and I love her dress,” Williams said. After she was chosen to play Snow White, it wasn’t long before the other students chose their parts as well. Allen Jones, who played Prince Charming in the play, said, “Dancing with Snow White was my favorite!”

The students of the community-based classes worked a long and hard two months for the play to come together. “It’s a huge collaboration project; everyone helps,” teacher Stacey Todd said. There were a lot of people who helped make the production possible. According to teacher Carmen Swilley, who helped make the majority of the props, said that the hardest part for the students was learning their lines. “Once they memorized the lines, the hardest part was saying them loud enough,” Swilley said. Many general education students volunteered to help with the play. They dressed in all black to blend in with the stage curtain and stayed close behind the actors in case they needed to whisper lines to them or to help them stay in character. “Our stage hands really made the show,” Swilley said.

Since this is the second year they have put on a play, the special education teachers were able to improve from last year’s trials and errors and produce an excellent show. Todd said her favorite part about doing the play is watching everything come together. “There are so many people that helped make this possible: Ms. Swilley, Sydney Sanders, who is the Junior Civitan Club president, Ms. Hogue, and many, many more,” Todd said.

As far as next year’s play goes, “I keep thinking bigger,” Ms. Todd, who was recently named Lamar County Teacher of the Year, said. “I’m hoping next year to maybe do Aladdin or Robin Hood to give the play a male lead,” Todd said. The community can’t wait to see what surprises are in store for the classes’ play for next year.  Nothing can stop these kids from shooting for the stars. “Eventually we’ll be at the Saenger Theater,” Todd said.

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April 13, 2012

Centerstage! takes Orlando by Storm

by: Brittain Allgood

Staff Reporter

Oak Grove Centerstage! show choir will be attending the FAME national competition in Chicago on April 20. Centerstage! traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at one of FAME’s national competitions on March 3. The group competed with groups from all over the south region and received third place overall, giving them a bid to the national competition in Chicago. The competition was held on the Hard Rock Live stage in the center of Universal Studios. “It was really cool because the name of our show choir was displayed on the same marquee as rock bands who have performed there,” said senior show choir performer Destiny Lomax. They were the first group to perform on Saturday, so they were able to watch all of their competitors after performing. Surprisingly, there was one other group from Mississippi that attended FAME in Orlando: South Jones High School. Having another school there that they were familiar with made it easier for them to focus and made them feel more at home. “The other groups were amazing,” said Lomax. “We all thought that we performed to the best of our ability and would just have to hold our heads high and accept last place since the competition was so fierce.” The group was so excited to hear that they had received third place because that meant that they had beaten over half of the schools that competed. Along with getting a bid to nationals, senior Clay Gatlin received Best Male Soloist and senior Markos Williams received Best Male Performer. “It was a very humbling experience, and I was extremely shocked because I didn’t think that I would ever receive this award,” said Williams. “Winning this award just made the trip much more exciting.” These specific awards were very significant because the two Oak Grove seniors were chosen as the overall singer and dancer of the entire competition. The week of attending FAME in Orlando was more than just a competition. The group was in Orlando for four days, giving them plenty of time to enjoy the theme parks. They spent Sunday and Monday at Universal Studios riding roller coasters and for some, experiencing Harry Potter World and the world famous “butter beer” for the first time. Oak Grove Centerstage! has had a successful season. Not only did they get a new show choir director, Darren Dale, but they also moved up this year to the large group category. They have made it to finals at every competition that they have attended this year, and have placed in the top three at all of them. Considering that Centerstage! was used to hardly ever making it to finals, this year has truly been a Cinderella story for them. “I have greatly enjoyed working with these talented students this year, and I look forward to competing in Chicago and preparing for next year,” said Dale. Not only have they made a name for themselves on the stage, but they have also been featured on WDAM for their hard work and dedication. The group has been working hard to raise money for the Chicago trip. They have had several fundraisers and have had much success but still have a long way to go to reach their goal. They will be in Chicago from Thursday the 19th through Sunday the 22nd. Since this is most of the group’s first time to the windy city, they will be spending time sightseeing as well as preparing for their competition on Saturday. “I am confident in their abilities, and I know that they will represent Mississippi well,” said Dale. Be sure to wish Centerstage! good luck as they prepare to compete against 18 of the best groups in the country. “This is the biggest competition that we have ever attended,” said Williams. “Everyone is so excited to go to Chicago, and it is a perfect way to end my senior year in show choir.”

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April 13, 2012

Mass Effect 3 Review

by: Will Pipes

Staff Reporter

Picking up Mass Effect 3 was, for me at least, exciting and scary. It was exciting because it was the last installment in a series I’ve come to love, but scary because I was worried that it would be a whimper of an exit to one of the most brilliant marriages of science-fiction and the modern video game industry I’ve ever seen. After fighting against only two of the spaceship-sized sentient machines known as Reapers, who are intent on destroying all organic life in the galaxy, for two games, I was concerned that fighting a war against thousands of them wouldn’t feel at all real. However, I’m happy to say that Mass Effect 3 made the series go out with a bang, several of them in fact, by retaining the most popular aspects of the first two games while still showing enough growth and evolution to have an identity of its own. The game continues the biggest tradition of the series: letting players choose what their stories turn out to be.

Instead of being given a cardboard cutout of a protagonist with an arsenal of witty one-liners and a charming smile, players get to make Shepard (the main character) in their own image, male or female, mix and match three different styles of combat, and manage the war effort as they see fit. If they choose to be the compassionate, caring hero who everybody loves, then they can do that, but likewise, they can also be the ruthless antihero that everyone fears. Either way, the decisions you make in the game (and in previous games if you’ve played those) stay with you and play out in front of your very eyes before the end of the game. Along the way you gather an assorted group of compatriots, both alien and human, who, instead of playing second fiddle to Shepard, have their own backstories and their own emotions and problems that come to light as the game goes on.  The game does an excellent job of portraying the scope of the war as truly galactic in size, by showing how humans and various alien races are affected by the Reaper invasion, and by having the player go through the process of smoothing over relations between these races, as well as building a galactic armada in order to fight for the survival of all organic life.

The gameplay is completely overhauled from the second game, changing a stiff-and-awkward-to-control Shepard to an agile and mobile force of destruction in combat, giving the environments the breadth and depth they need to feel realistic and not restricted, and giving the weapons in the game enough customization options to form a strategy around but not so much that players are lost in the myriad of options and advantages. The added multiplayer portion of the game brings an entirely new aspect to bear for the Mass Effect series, tying into the story in a unique and inventive way.

The bottom line is that Mass Effect 3 delivers a rich, compelling, player-driven narrative, smooth, unhindered gameplay, and a fun, challenging multiplayer, all of which create a game that only comes around once in a blue moon and pits not just the player’s reflexes, but their mind and personality against an enemy to see just how good of a job they would do defending the galaxy.

 

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April 13, 2012

One Rev 2012

PEDAL FASTER
and get pumped about making a difference

One Revolution will be a day when students drive to the Optimist Park to gather together to walk or ride their bikes, scooters, battery powered golf carts, or any other non gas-poweredforms of transportation to school to bring awareness to the rising gas prices and pressing environmental issues. April 27th, Buy a T-shirt for $10, and participate in spirit day.

 

by: Allison Slusher

Staff Reporter

Teachers vs. Gas Prices

Gas prices affect everyone, including commuting teachers. After some teachers were questioned, they admitted that gas prices have affected their travel plans. While gas prices continue to rise, teachers are left with the price of gas becoming an unecessary burden. Some teachers have even claimed that the amount of money they pay commuting to school is just shy of their salary. Teachers, like many other U.S. citizens, are waiting to see a change in gas prices, but as summer approaches, they are left to manage with what they have until they know exactly what they will have to work with budget-wise this summer.

Students vs. Gas Prices

Teachers aren’t the only ones who are dealing with the current gas prices. According to a survey conducted by The Warrior Beat staff, 52% of student drivers surveyed at Oak Grove pay for their own gas. Some of those students even admitted to paying upwards of $180 on gas each month. However, 61% of students surveyed said they carpool with other drivers in order to cut down on the amount of gas they use.  As gas prices continue to rise, though, students said that they would consider changing their travel plans, if they haven’t already, to accommodate their gas budgets. One thing, however, is certain: students are eager to see if gas prices will continue to increase or if the prices could make a historical decrease as summertime approaches. For that, the students will simply have to be patient to receive their answers.

LCSD vs. Gas Prices

There is one group that cannot be forgotten when determining how gas prices truly affect the community. That group is the Lamar County School District. With 130 bus routes and about 5,500 students being transported, there is no doubt that fueling costs loom over the county budget. Since the beginning of the school year, the school district has purchased 20 loads of diesel with each load containing 7,500 gallons of fuel. This means that 20 loads with 7,500 gallons each over eight months comes to a grand total of 18,750 gallons of fuel a month. With an average cost of gas at $3.51 per gallon, the district budget for fuel comes to a total of $65,812 per month. This year, $369,000 have been set aside for fuel costs, making up 38.8% of the county’s Transportation and Maintenance budget and a little less than one percent of the county’s entire budget. As gas prices continue to rise, there is no doubt that the fuel budget will need to increase as well, causing our county officials to be left wondering how we can attempt to pay for this necessity without having to take away from other important funds in the district.

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