Tag Archives: Anna Kate Baygents

April 13, 2012 · 1:30 am

McCarty, Dysfuntion Junction continue entertaining readers

by: Anna Kate Baygents

Staff Reporter

When Kent McCarty graduated last year as a Valedictorian, Star Student, National Merit Finalist, and Hall of Fame recipient, most of his teachers and classmates expected him to achieve big things. As former editor of The Warrior Beat, it came as no surprise when one of these included writing. Last September, The Conservative Journal, a popular political blog, was looking to start a new project geared toward a younger audience and needed a writer for it. “I never thought I’d get it,” McCarty said, “but I took a chance and applied.” McCarty was chosen, and The Dysfunction Junction was born. While writing for The Warrior Beat, McCarty wrote a column following his personal series of unfortunate events entitled The Dysfunction Junction. So when trying to decide what to name his blog, he chose to carry over the catchy title “because the only thing more dysfunctional than my life is the

Kent McCarty shakes hands with Phil Bryant at the Governor’s Inaugural Ball. / Submitted Photo

American Government,” McCarty said. McCarty’s first article was a live blog following a GOP debate this past September. Since then, The Dysfunction Junction has grown immensely and has even been mentioned on The Huffington Post for GOP primary predictions as well as spotlighted on Red Alert, another young political blog. Most recently, McCarty joined the staff of The College Conservative, a blog written by college students from all over the country. However, McCarty doesn’t only blog about politics; he is also very involved. On January 10, McCarty attended the inauguration of Governor Phil Bryant where he was able to speak and shake hands with the Governor. A few weeks after, McCarty flew to Washington, D.C.,   to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference, or better known as CPAC. Speakers ranged from Ann Coulter to Herman Cain, yet Sarah Palin stole the show. “I’ve never seen someone so well-received by such a large crowd,” McCarty said. McCarty met Palin and Cain along with other “celebrities” Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich. McCarty’s connection with Gingrich, however, didn’t end in D.C. At the beginning of March, McCarty received an email from Gingrich’s campaign stating that they were looking for a chairman for Lamar County, and he excitedly took the position. McCarty was responsible for setting out all of the Newt signs around the county and for calling voters and reminding them to place their ballots on Election Day. Gingrich did indeed win Lamar County. For this summer, McCarty has applied to intern for Mississippi representative Steven Palazzo in the U.S. House of Representatives. He should hear back from Rep. Palazzo’s office soon. McCarty attends the University of Southern Mississippi but has yet to declare a major. “I have so many things I want to do with my life,” McCarty said. “I’m still trying to narrow it down.”Although he doubts he’ll be a professional blogger, McCarty hopes to keep his blog up and running for as long as possible.

Facts about his blog:

700 subscribers

3,300 Twitter followers

1,000 daily visits

100,000 unique visitors

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March 2, 2012 · 2:08 pm

Mauldin selected as SEATA Athletic Trainer of the Year

by: Anna Kate Baygents

Staff Reporter

Oak Grove’s athletic trainer Kevin “Doc” Mauldin, was recently awarded High School Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association. This title is given to one trainer from a seven state area. Mauldin was nominated by Ray Burr from the Mississippi Sports Medicine Association.
“It was an honor to be nominated,” Mauldin said, “but it’s an even greater honor to win.”
Mauldin will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, to be presented the plaque at an awards banquet on March 17th.
Mauldin graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2000 with a degree in Athletic Training. He has been at Oak Grove High School for 11 years. Initially he taught Science Skills and Reasoning, and in 2004, he began teaching the Sports Medicine class. Oak Grove was the first school in the district to offer this class. It teaches first aid and emergency situations, nutrition, proper training, and the anatomy of the ankles, legs, knees, and shoulders along with basic sports injuries.
“I learned so much in Doc’s class,” senior Madison Bourne said. “It helped me realize that I may one day want to pursue a career in the medical field. Plus, I can tape an ankle in under three minutes.”
Mauldin’s duties extend outside of the classroom. Mauldin is required to attend all football games, play-off games for any sport, and athletic functions on school grounds. This schedule keeps him working 3-4 nights a week.
Mauldin also helps rehabilitate injured players, much like a physical therapist, to help them return to play as soon as possible. Senior Shelby Stiglets tore one of her Anterior Cruciate Ligaments (ACL) in the spring of 2009 and tore the other in the spring of 2011. Mauldin helped her rehabilitate both, which allowed her to return to playing soccer.
“It was so nice having Doc here to help me,” Stiglets said. “Without it, I don’t think I would have ever been able to finish playing soccer in high school.”
However, not all schools have the luxury of having their own athletic trainer on campus every day. The coaches also appreciate his work and availability.
“Doc is a huge asset
to our athletic department,”
Coach Terry Smith said.
Mauldin’s dedication definitely does not go unnoticed.

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· 1:51 pm

Does a president’s personal life affect his decisions?

by: Anna Kate Baygents

Staff Reporter

When you hear the name Bill Clinton, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, it is not his foreign policies or economic decisions, but of his now infamous alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky. Even after adamant claims that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman,” Clinton’s legacy belongs more in US Weekly than Time. I fully believe that a public official’s personal life affects his or her professional life. However, the extent of the effects depends on the severity of the personal conflicts.
In Clinton’s scenario, I see it as this: If you’re willing to cheat on the one person you vowed “ ‘til death do us part” to, what else are you willing to cheat on? Americans want honest leaders, not ones whose integrity they have to question. When a President or other elected official loses credibility in his or her personal life, he or she undoubtedly loses it in his or her presidency or office. This can also be seen in John F. Kennedy’s years in office. JFK, who is by far the most attractive president, was seen more as a celebrity and hunk of the 1960s than as Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful country. After his assassination, many women came forward claiming to have had affairs with him. Regardless of the truth, that is what he is remembered for.  I want public leaders who are more concerned with running our government than their personal affairs.
There are, however, often debated personal issues that don’t affect one’s time in office. For example, many people criticize President Obama for smoking. That does not affect his decision making or question his morals and integrity. I would not condone smoking, but that is a personal freedom, and even elected officials should not have any of their personal freedoms infringed on.  During the 2008 election, former Alaskan governor and Vice President nominee Sarah Palin was hounded by the media because of the pregnancy of her teenage daughter out of marriage. Many said it cast her as a hypocrite and questioned how she could help run a country if she couldn’t even handle her own daughter. Palin acknowledged the pregnancy as “wrong” but concluded that nothing could be done after the fact. That pregnancy was not her decision but was her daughter’s. Though that personal issue should not have played a role in the election, it unfortunately did. Citizens want politicians that represent them – their beliefs, values, and morals.  If at any time during the elected’s term he or she begins to compromise on those, it may be time to re-elect. There are some decisions that can, and should, disqualify officials from office, but also those that that are private and should have no affect on professional duties.

by: Will Pipes

Staff Reporter

Today, the most effective way to know all you can about a person’s history all the way back to high school is very simple: make them run for an elected office. Elected officials are under constant scrutiny from the moment they begin a campaign to the day they leave office. The President of the United States  is possibly the most closely examined. Whoever is the essential face of America must uphold the image we as the American people are looking for in a president, whatever that image may be. However, while the examination and critique of a president’s policy and administration are welcomed and encouraged aspects of American democracy, letting facts about a president’s private life color the public’s opinion of him, as a president at least, strikes me as illogical. At this point, I think it is important to make a distinction between the office and the person serving in it. In context, the president’s job is to execute the office of president of the United States, and to the best of their ability, “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” as specified in Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight of the Constitution of the United States. As long as they meet those goals and all that they imply with acting in the best interests of the people, then what they did in the past, as well as their private lives, should be kept private to keep even more in line with the ideals that America is founded on, namely our right to privacy. We elect a president not because they have led a life free from bad decisions or things they weren’t proud of, but because the majority of the people believe they can do the job they are assigned to do. If the former were the case, people like Andrew Jackson wouldn’t be elected because of  their tempers, people like Theodore Roosevelt wouldn’t be elected because of their fighting spirits, and people like Franklin Delano Roosevelt wouldn’t be elected because they partied too much in college. Yet all three of these men were fine presidents in many people’s opinions, and their supposed faults in their private lives were irrelevant when it came to their job: leading the nation. Finally, imagine electing a president who made no mistakes in their private life. How would they relate to the rest of the nation? The United States was built on trial and error, as evidenced by our history. In a nation of wonderfully flawed citizens, why would we hold our president to the impossible standard of always being morally upright in his private life? If that were the case, we would never find someone to fill the position.

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February 3, 2012 · 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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December 9, 2011 · 12:00 pm

New baseball facility coming to OGHS

By: Anna Kate Baygents
Staff Reporter
After two years of planning and fundraising, Oak Grove High School is getting an indoor baseball facility. All of the funds for the nearly $300,000 facility have been donated by the community group Foundation for Future Development and private donors throughout the community.
“This really shows how much the community cares about the baseball program here at Oak Grove because all of the money hasn’t come from the school board or the Board of Supervisors,” assistant coach Larry Ainsworth said, “This facility won’t only help our current team and coaches, but will improve the game of teams to come for years & years.”
The metal building for the 10,200-square-foot facility will be delivered some time in late January. It will include a film room, a weight room, storage area, two toilets, and three roll-up doors to connect it to the baseball field. A canopy system will connect it to the already existing baseball field house.
There are over 80 players between all four teams – junior high, ninth grade, junior varsity, and varsity – that will benefit from the new building.
“I’m really excited about the new hitting facility. It will allow us to practice and better ourselves regardless of the weather conditions,” senior varsity player Brooks Becton said.
In the past, baseball players have had to share the weight room in the football field house with football, soccer, and basketball players. This will allow them to have more workout and conditioning time and better prepare for games.
“I hope the new building will help us better compete against others schools that already have indoor facilities. We’ll have our own place to train whatever the weather and won’t have to fit our time in between other sports using the weight room,” senior varsity player Steven Papas said.
Head Coach Chris McCardle is looking forward to the upcoming season. “A facility like this is going to continuously help enhance the program. We’re excited to see what progress this will allow, and hopefully, we can show it on the field this season to all of our supporters,” McCardle said.
Sumrall High School already has a facility much like the one Oak Grove is getting. “Hopefully this will help us compete better against them. Beating Sumrall would be a great way to end my senior year,” senior varsity player Tyler Odom said.
The season is quickly approaching and is looking bright. This new indoor facility can only help further warrior baseball success.

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November 4, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Is Proposition 26 right for Mississippi?

By: Anna Kate Baygents
Staff Reporter

Abortion is one of the most controversial social issues in politics today. When the topic is mentioned, extremists from both sides come out with pitch forks. I first heard of Proposition 26, the personhood amendment, during the August primary elections. It asks, “Should the term personhood be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof?” I have always been pro-life, but before staking my “Yes on 26” yard sign, I wanted to read all of the facts.

First and foremost, Prop 26 would outlaw all abortions, including those using RU486 and “morning after pills” containing levonorgestrel. RU486 is an artificial steroid that blocks progesterone, a chemical that is essential to continue a pregnancy. This can be taken up to five weeks into the pregnancy to terminate it. Another drug, commonly called the “morning after pill” can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. It will not affect an existing pregnancy but will disrupt the hormones and will prevent the fertilized egg from implanting into the uterine wall, allowing the baby to grow. So here’s the big question – when does life begin? Is it right at fertilization? Or five weeks in? Maybe not until after delivery? I, however, believe it’s at fertilization. Within hours, that egg has all 46 chromosomes that nothing or no one else will ever have. Until he or she dies, no other information will be added or taken away from its makeup, only nutrients and oxygen. Yes it’s only a single cell, but a completely unique single cell.
Pro-choice advocates always bring up rape and incest situations, and it’s tough to think about. The Prop 26 ban on abortion would include these scenarios. As a Christian, I have to remember God’s sovereignty in all situations. For some unknown reason, He has allowed these incidents to happen. In fact, most mothers of children fathered by rape said that the child turned out to be a huge blessing. Adoption is another option that can greatly bless couples who can’t have children themselves. Many people believe that Prop 26 will take away much of mothers’ rights. In medical emergencies, doctors will be required to try to save both the lives of the mother and the unborn child. If for some reason the baby’s life is unviable, the life of the mother would take priority. This does not limit a mother’s rights, but helps protect the unborn child.

Until this point, I’ve agreed 100% with the proposition. The issue, however, comes in with in-vitro fertilization. Couples who can’t conceive often use this method to help. Several fertilized eggs are implanted into the mother in hopes that one will attach. In accordance with Prop 26, because all of the fertilized eggs aren’t used and most are expelled, this is considered a type of “abortion” of the eggs. This holds doctors responsible for the unused eggs and can result in major lawsuits for them and their practices. Because that is likely, many doctors will not want to perform in-vitro operations, making pregnancy impossible for many women.

I agree 97% with Proposition 26, but it’s that other 3% that I can’t support. As a firm pro-life advocate, I believe this topic should be given much more consideration by our law makers.  I encourage a “NO” on 26 to give this amendment with such drastic consequences more than one sentence on a ballot.

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April 1, 2011 · 12:43 pm

Upgrade/Downgrade

By: Anna Kate Baygents

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ve probably heard of Charlie Sheen’s newest claim to fame: his final hit of rock bottom. The Two and a Half Men star has been struggling with drug and alcohol addictions for years and finally let it get the best of him- or so we thought. In countless interviews and on his new Twitter page, Sheen has made off-the-wall comments that make him seem as if he’s completely lost it. One would think that all feedback would be negative, but Sheen now has more fans than before. Whether it’s a publicity stunt or he really is on “the Charlie Sheen drug,” Sheen is back and funnier than ever.
Charlie Sheen #winning?: Upgrade

Everyone remembers the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti in January of 2010 and all of the destruction and devastation it brought. But an 8.9-magnitude earthquake recently struck the east cost of Japan on March 11th. This quake triggered a 23-foot tsunami that crushed the coast and swept away homes, cars, and anything else in its path, causing even more problems than Haiti has endured. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami affected the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Powerstation, Tokoyo’s main power company. Employees there, now known as the “Fukushima Fifty” are trying to repair the plant, but are exposing their bodies to extreme levels of radiation in the process. Send money and prayers to help these victims because who knows, the U.S. could be next.
Natural disasters destroying Japan?: Downgrade

IT’S MADNESS! After five rounds of play in the 2011 NCAA basketball tournament, very few people could have guessed the teams remaining in the final four. Multiple upsets like the eleventh seeded VCU Rams defeating the first seeded Kansas Jayhawks, the Arizona Wildcats taking down the number one seed Duke, and the eighth seeded Butler Bulldogs defeating the number two Florida Gators have surprised basketball fans everywhere. This has added much excitement at the expense of most fans’ brackets.
NBA March Madness upsets more than ever?: Upgrade

Most students look forward to spring because of baseball games, specifically big rival games. This year, the Oak Grove vs. Sumrall game has been scheduled on April 9th, Prom day, with JV playing at 12:00 and varsity playing at 2:00. This isn’t a conflict for the players, because guys don’t take very long to get dressed, but for the girls’ big night, this creates a disaster for hair and make-up appointments. The numbers of fans will be down dramatically, and support is the one thing the Warriors need. Scheduling one of the most anticipated games of the 2011 season on Prom was not wise on the schedulers’ part.
Baseball game on the day of Prom?: Downgrade

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· 12:29 pm

How-To do laundry, deal with a bad date, and jump-off a car

How To Do Laundry

By: Brittain Allgood

Graduating from high school and starting a new year in college brings on responsibilities that some students may not be prepared for. College students, who live on campus, will be required to do their own laundry without the help of their moms and dads. It is important that students know the correct way to do laundry so this timely task will become an easy chore.

Step 1: Create three separate stacks: towels, light clothes, and dark clothes. Check labels for dry clean or hand wash instructions.

Step 2: For towels, choose the following settings: heavy duty, high spin, and hot/cold. For light and dark clothes, choose the following settings: normal, medium or high spin, warm/cold. You can use cold water only to use less electricity.

Step 3: When choosing a detergent, check if the washing machine is High Efficiency (H.E). If so, look for a detergent with H.E. on the label.  Press start!

Step 4: Dry your clothes on normal setting. For towels, do a timed dry (60 minutes). Remove promptly to avoid wrinkles.

How To Deal With A Bad Date

By: Ashley Ricks

We see it on movies, TV shows, and (unfortunately) some of us have experienced it: the disaster date. We all want to sit down and eat dinner, maybe see a movie, with Mr. or Mrs. Right and watch as sparks fly. But what do you do when the spark is a rancid fire and there’s no way to escape? There are infinite “deal breakers” that can turn a hope-to-be night to remember into a night that all you want to do is forget. Well, here is your map to the emergency exits.

The Narcissist: It may be an obvious answer, but it’s the only one that will shine a little hope on the night: change the subject as quick as you can. Talk about friends, family, anything and anyone you can to get the subject off of the other person. Once the conversation veers to another subject, it will make the night a little more bearable. You never know, you could even find something in common.

The Shy One: If you know that your date is shy, try to pick a location that he or she will automatically be comfortable in. The pair of you could go see a movie, giving you something to discuss after, or keep it low key and casual, taking less pressure off of the other person. Don’t give up. It takes some time to warm up and get the sparks flying. The most important thing is to keep the energy up. Try to converse over subjects that you know will interest the other person and keep the date from going down the drain.

The Worrier: Try to pull off your own version of cool, calm and collected as possible. Your relaxed attitude could show your date that there’s no need to be nervous and just have a good time. Keep the conversation light, and the date could take a surprisingly enjoyable turn.

How to Jump-Off a Car

By: Anna Kate Baygents

With the senior class about to head off to college, there are a few things they need to learn. Car maintenance, specifically how to jump off a dead car, is something that most students don’t know how to do. Here are step-by-step instructions for those times when your daddy can’t get there in time.

Step 1: Find a friend’s car that can be pulled about two feet in front of yours. Pop the hoods.

Step 2: Find jumper cables. Each end has black and red clips. Be sure to never let the ends touch each other while any part is connected to the battery.

Step 3: Connect one of the black clips to to the black (negative) knob on your battery, and the red to the red (positive) knob. Do the same for the other knob.

Step 4: Once connected, crank both cars and let them run for a few seconds. Carefully remove the cables and close the hoods.

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March 4, 2011 · 12:20 pm

Should Haley Barbour run for President?

YES

By: Anna Kate Baygents

During the 2010 midterm elections, Governor Haley Barbour first mentioned running for President. Before then, I had never considered our Governor as a possible candidate for our nation’s Commander-in-Chief. Barbour has been great for Mississippi and handled Hurricane Katrina in 2005 almost flawlessly. So sure, he’s completely capable of it. His capability, however, is not the issue–his candidacy is. Barbour’s running would not provide a Republican win, but increase President Obama’s chances of re-election.
Most people have a strong opinion on Barbour, regardless of their party. Barbour’s running would split the Republican vote and lose the majority of the independent vote, which is going to play a huge role in this upcoming election. As a former tobacco lobbyist, Barbour seems to be what most of “middle America,” mostly Independents, thinks the Republican party is: too white, too male, and too conservative–opposite of Obama in every way. This is not what the GOP needs to put against our first African American President to end with a victory.
As ridiculous as it seems to say, Barbour doesn’t have the look nor the voice to win. After speaking on the Republican House sweep, critics from almost every news outlet had something negative to say about his Mississippi accent. Although everything Barbour was saying was accurate and well put, reporters couldn’t get past his southern-drawl and his not necessarily attractive appearance. These trivial things shouldn’t play a part in politics or help determine who will be the most powerful leader in the world, but we all know they do. Barbour running against our current charismatic leader, even if that is the only thing Obama has going for him, may end much like the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election.
But the number one reason Haley Barbour shouldn’t run for President: there’s no one good enough to play him on Saturday Night Live.  Fred Armisen is spot on as Barack Obama and may be the only good thing  in the four years of Obama’s Presidency, but no one currently on cast could portray Barbour as accurately as needed. So before you purchase that Barbour 2012 bumper sticker, consider SNL. Because really, who wants to suffer through four years of bad Barbour skits?

NO

By: Kent McCarty, Editor

Think for a second about the ideal picture of a Presidential candidate.  Chances are, the image that’s developed probably looks nothing like current Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.  Despite lacking the “presidential look,” however, Barbour’s lifelong background in politics and law and his strong sense of leadership make him more than fit to run for the nation’s top office.
Unlike many prospective Presidential candidates, Barbour has political experience that nearly spans his entire life.  At the ripe old age of 22, Barbour made his first foray into the political world as director of the 1970 Mississippi census.  Following his time with the census, Barbour entered law school at Ole Miss, and, upon graduation, practiced law in Yazoo City.  Barbour later worked as an aide for the Reagan administration in the late ‘80s and was a key part to George H.W. Bush’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign.  What first put Barbour on the national radar, however, was the work he did as chairman of the Republican National Convention.  As chairman, Barbour orchestrated the Republican’s 1994 sweep of Congressional elections, marking the first time Republicans had controlled Congress in over 40 years.  Barbour raised funds for the Republican Party at an unparalleled rate during the 1994 campaign; and he knew exactly to which candidates the money should go.
As the Governor of Mississippi, Barbour turned around Mississippi’s massive budget deficit only two years after taking office.  In fact, the 2006 fiscal year budget, designed by Barbour and Mississippi’s largely Democratic state Congress, was the first balanced budget the state had seen in decades; a stark contrast from the $709 million deficit that was in place when Barbour won the election in 2003.  By implementing his Operation: Streamline plan, Barbour cut spending across the board, and still managed to fully fund MEAP (Mississippi Adequate Education Program) for the first time since its inception in 1997; and he managed to do all of this without raising taxes once.  Barbour is unafraid to make tough, necessary cuts, which is exactly what the American government needs to get its runaway spending under control.
Barbour’s long-spanning political track record shows that he’d be a more than capable Commander-in-Chief, and exactly what America needs to turn Washington around.

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February 4, 2011 · 12:04 pm

Bomb threat forces students to evacuate

By: Anna Kate Baygents

The morning of January 14th started off like any other Friday. When students heard the intercom beep, they expected to hear the usual dress code check announcement, but instead they heard Assistant Principal Shelia Kribbs. She announced that she would be dismissing classes by hallways to evacuate to Temple Baptist Church.
“The students could tell that I was serious, and they were willing to do what had to be done,” Kribbs said.
With reasons still unknown, all 1,500 students made the journey to the church. This could have been like “herding cats” as Principal Wayne Folkes said, but all faculty members agree that it went well.
“I was very pleased with the way the students followed directions the first time given,” police officer Rita Pickering said.
Temple Baptist allowed the school to hold students in the sanctuary. Once all were seated, Mrs. Kribbs announced that a message had been left on the school’s phone the previous night. It stated that there was a bomb in the school, and if everyone evacuated, no one would get hurt.
“We always have to act as if it’s the real thing, whether we think so or not,” Kribbs said.
Students began checking out by the masses, and Coach Smith provided the comic relief while announcing checkouts.
“We were able to do what we did efficiently because we have great students and faculty that handled it the best way possible. I couldn’t have asked for a better response,” Coach Smith said.
Mr. Folkes was out of town for an MHSAA conference, and did not return to campus until around noon that day.
“I hated that I wasn’t there in my school’s time of need, but I was in constant communication with the administrators that were,” Folkes said.
Many faculty members stepped up in his absence to help. It wasn’t, however, just OGHS staff calling the shots. Chief Rosser, over all Lamar County School District officers, stayed at the school with secretary Barbara Keaster the whole day, and helped advise Mrs. Kribbs on some of her decisions. When teachers were bussed back to the school to check their classrooms for any abnormalities, the hallways were flooded with officers to ensure the teachers’ safety.
The MS Highway Patrol brought a bomb dog from Jackson, causing the wait at Temple to be longer than expected. For lunch, students were fed sack lunches in the church’s gym, and did not return back to class until 1:30 p.m. When the dismissal bell rang at 3:40 p.m., only 214 students remained on campus.
An investigation of the culprit is currently underway. The case is being worked on by not only the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, but also the FBI and the United States Marshals. The school district plans on persecuting the offender to the fullest extent of the law.

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