Tag Archives: Mary Ryan Karnes

April 12, 2013 · 12:30 pm

OG athletics adjust to tornado effects

By:  Mary Ryan Karnes 

Editor

In the wake of the February 10 tornado that brought devastating damage to Oak Grove High School, the surrounding area, and other parts of Hattiesburg, Oak Grove’s baseball and softball teams are continuing their seasons despite the harm done to their respective facilities. Although a new football field house as well as baseball batting facility is already being planned, the athletic department at Oak Grove is currently having to make do with battered stadiums and training equipment.

The baseball team, whose entire stadium was quickly destroyed during the tornado, has suffered the most damage out of all the athletic facilities at the school. Junior baseball (and football) player Kirk McCarty, although disappointed by the loss of such an important building, remains optimistic about the team’s season and morale. “We have to travel every game, and everyone is ready for a change,” McCarty said. “But it’s still baseball. It’s still the same game. We still have to play the same.” The team hopes to be fully settled back at its home field by next season, but they are playing at the University of Southern Mississippi and other host fields until that happens. “We’re ready to play on our home field with our home fans,” McCarty said.

The softball field suffered major damage to everything from the bleachers to the concession stand; however, thanks to speedy recovery efforts, the softball team is now back on its home field for the remainder of the season. Senior softball (and basketball) player Constance Quinn is glad to be back at Oak Grove, playing for and being cheered on by the Warriors. “Being a senior, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play on the softball field again,” Quinn said. “It’s really great to have it back.” Although the paint colors are slightly different and the scoreboard and bleachers have not been reinstalled yet, fans are still showing up to games to support the softball team.

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March 1, 2013 · 12:30 pm

Is technology in education worth THE INVESTMENT?

Gotta log in

By: Olivia Diaz

Staff Reporter

We’ve gone so far into exploring the world of technology, but there’s always more room to grow and learn. Running from technological advances won’t stop them from eventually happening. Not allowing students to enjoy enhanced technology now could harm them in the future.

Most students will join the workforce, and with technology playing a vital role in almost all aspects of our world, it’s important for students to learn how to properly use it. I know we currently offer computer classes, but students use old and worn computers to learn. Advanced technology will allow students to work with programs that are too advanced for our current school computers to use.

Many have questioned the safety of updating our technology, but it will be no less safe to use a school computer. Any and all new devices will have filters and protection on them, and administrators will be able to monitor as usual.

While most students have the privilege of using a computer or internet device whenever they wish, some don’t. Issuing laptops, a suggestion that has been made, would provide these students with the opportunity to type their papers at home instead of trying to find a time during the school day to go to the library to use the computer.

Also, the laptops currently in use on the “computer carts” are almost impossible to use. Every computer is missing some, if not all, of its keys, keyboards have been rearranged, and spacebars are missing. With new laptops, students should be allowed to sign them out with a very strict “you break it; you buy it” policy to keep the new laptops from being as tattered as the current ones.

While I agree that we should update our technology, I don’t think every student should have a MacBook. Laptops would be the most practical device as they’re portable, but the school shouldn’t spend quite so much money on them simply because they’re MacBooks. After all, brand new laptops for a school this size will cost a small fortune. Providing students with these laptops, however, is well worth the investment.

Technology doesn’t make the grade

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

We live in an age of turbulent technology advances, and a student’s understanding of modern innovation is essential to progress and success. The mind and the machine are hardly differentiated in many fields of study due to such a dependence on technology. My opinion does not advocate that schools revert to chalkboards and slates in order to combat such an issue. Drastically increasing technology funding in schools, however, is both impractical and unnecessary. By focusing on the student himself and not the equipment he uses, schools can better prepare the human mind for the challenges and opportunities it will face outside the classroom. Funds can be allocated to extracurricular activities, school safety, and, most importantly, the teaching staff.

Independent thought, communication skills, and creativity are integral to the successful student. Increased dependence on technology has been known to dull the very qualities characteristic of bright and productive individuals. No, technology is not bad; however, the greatest machines cannot replace the human mind and all it has to offer. With increased dependence on technology comes a negative, mechanized streak within schools. By switching funds to improve the quality of education rather than the quality of equipment, administrators can be assured that students are enlightened far after the power is switched off. Funds can be reallocated to the arts or athletics (both worthy causes), but a more radical approach is to support the force that has made education possible long before schools wrote grants for gadgets. Teachers, although their roles as educational and social catalysts and guides are paramount in the lives of children, are grossly underpaid. The low salary that accompanies a teaching position steers away some of the best and brightest educators from an honorable profession. If the funds that are currently set aside for technology were used for teacher pay raises, the quality of education in America would undoubtedly increase. The aforementioned theory is wildly unlikely, but simultaneously practical. As Bill Gates said, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important. “

 

 

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· 12:30 pm

Eaglepalooza

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

American Idol winner Phillip Phillips set to headline USM’s Eaglepalooza

Hattiesburg, much like the nature that surrounds it, is in full bloom this spring with a full social and entertainment calendar. As the weather warms up, so will a few standout music acts before they hit the Hub City. 2012 American Idol winner Phillip Phillips as well as 2012 Soul Train Awards “Best New Artist” recipient Elle Varner will headline Eaglepalooza on April 5. Eaglepalooza will be held in downtown Hattiesburg, and the event is free to the public.

Eaglepalooza, an annual music festival hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, is traditionally hosted in the fall on Southern Miss’ campus. Annually, the concert is known to draw about 3,500 people, but last year’s event drew about 5,000. This year, the Student Government Assocation (SGA) hopes to draw even more listeners from all over Hattiesburg and the surrounding area.  2013 marks the festival’s tenth year.This year, however, the SGA at the university decided to move the concert to the spring in order to raise more funds for the event. The SGA’s Eaglepalooza committee is comprised of seven members, all of whom focus on compiling a diverse lineup of artists for the outdoor concert. The group deliberated and decided that the lineup needed to represent USM’s student body. Last year, the YouTube sensation-turned-pop duo Karmin was scheduled to play at Eaglepalooza. Karmin’s potential performance at Eaglepalooza generated much hype, but the band turned out to be a no-show. In the past, big music names like Sister Hazel, Train, Better Than Ezra, Mya, and Pat Green have headlined Eaglepalooza, but this year’s lineup may be one of the most impressive to date. Phillip Phillips, whose single “Home” is wildly popular, has appeal among the college crowd as well as among families. His debut album “The World from the Side of the Moon” peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Elle Varner, an R&B artist, has only been popular since 2007 but is quickly gaining traction among large audiences. She was also recently nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song. In many ways, the Eaglepalooza lineup presents relatively new artists to an eager audience. Be sure to mark Eaglepalooza on your calendar. With two hot new performers as well as a variety of local ones, this small-scale, free festival isn’t to be missed.

In addition to Eaglepalooza, Live @ Five will also draw music fans downtown this spring. Scheduled to occur every Friday during the month of April, the outdoor concert and vending event will feature a different act every week. Known to draw families and the college crowd alike, be on the lookout for additional entertainment each weekend in downtown Hattiesburg.

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December 14, 2012 · 1:35 pm

Football cheerleaders prep for State competition

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

The Oak Grove football cheerleading squad is set to compete at the Mississippi High School Activities Association cheerleading state championship at the Jackson Coliseum on December 15. The squad also competed at a regional competition at the Jackson Convention Center on December 8. After last year’s victory at the state competition, this year’s squad hopes to bring home another championship.

Members of the squad have been preparing a routine for State since the beginning of the school year. “We practice everyday and work hard in fourth block to get the skills we need to compete,” senior cheer captain Mary Taylor Jones said. This year’s football cheerleading season has been characterized by new members and new challenges. “We have a lot of new girls on the squad this year,” cheerleading sponsor and algebra teacher Laura Lightsey said. “A few girls have gotten sick or injured during the season, but I am thankful for such a hardworking group of girls.” Additionally, the football cheerleaders have come closer as a group this season.  “This is my first year at Oak Grove, so the best part of being on the squad is meeting so many great girls and making new friends,” junior Kaleigh Gornak said. “Our squad has such a tight bond, and that, as well as all the hard work we’ve put into our routine, is what will help us win State.”

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· 1:30 pm

Help wanted: Warriors in the workforce

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

High school is full of academic and social

WILL WORK FOR COFFEEJunior Field Bennett mixes speciality drinks at Java Moe’s drive-thru coffee shop.

WILL WORK FOR COFFEE
Junior Field Bennett mixes speciality drinks at Java Moe’s drive-thru coffee shop.

opportunities. Many students, however, take on more responsibility in their
high school careers by working. Having a job can improve a student’s work
ethic, dependability, and understanding of money. In the United States, 26 percent of teenagers 16-19 had jobs in 2011. This year, Oak Grove boasts a number of students with jobs. The food, childcare, and retail industries are all popular areas of employment for Warriors in the workforce.

Senior Kim Franklin got a job as a waitress at Two Brothers Grill at the beginning of the school year as well as a job at the Largesse gift shop in Turtle Creek Mall. “Juggling school and two jobs may be difficult at times, but it’s worth it end in the end because I know that I am only dependent on myself,”
Franklin said. Junior Field Bennet also works in the food industry; he mixes specialty drinks at Java Moe’s, a drive-through coffee shop in Oak Grove. “I really like working at Java Moe’s,” Bennet said. “They work with my schedule, and I always have extra spending money.”

Seniors Hayley Higgason and Olivia Sanguinetti both work in the Kids’ Zone at Anatomies gym. “I love working with the kids, and the parents are really
sweet, too.” Higgason said. “And honestly, it’s nice to have extra spending money.”

Senior Mallory Jennings has been working at Aeropostale at the Turtle Creek Mall since June 2011. Her duties at the store include straightening the clothes
on the floor, filling in clothes where some are missing, helping customers, and working the cash register.  “My job has taught me responsibility and independence, and having a little money that I’ve earned on my own is always nice,” Jennings said. She plans to work in college, depending on her class schedule and how much time she has to spare.

These students have learned to balance their academic, social, and financial priorities by seeking and gaining employment. Having a job is a beneficial aspect of the high school experience; it rewards students by giving them financial freedom and skills they will use throughout their adult lives.

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· 1:30 pm

OG teachers and students deck the halls

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

This year students and faculty have been surrounded by holiday spirit. More festive than in previous years, teachers on F and G halls have decorated the walls with Christmas trees, snowflakes, and Christmas posters. Ceilings boast colored lights shrouding fluorescent ones, and classroom doors have been turned into colorful displays of seasonal cheer.

United States History teacher Robert Burgess had the idea to decorate F hall for Christmas shortly after Thanksgiving break. “Mr. Burgess came to me with the idea, and I was all for it,” community-based teacher Carmen Swilley said. F hallway, which boasts white and colored lights and a set of speakers that plays Christmas music in between classes, has seemingly set the tone for peaceful class transitions. “We are also trying to incorporate the new PBIS system into our Winter Wonderland hallway,” Swilley said. The PBIS system, a schoolwide positive reinforcement program, is especially rewarding on F hallway. “One day we gave out candy canes to the first 50 students on our hall who were in dress code, and we are hoping to do a hot chocolate day soon,” Swilley said.

Following F hall’s pattern,
G hall has put up similar decorations in celebration of the Christmas season. Community-based teacher and Mississippi Teacher of the Year Stacey Todd decided that G hall could use some holiday cheer, so she asked all the teachers on the hall to partake in decorating festivities. The yearbook and newspaper staffs also volunteered to help with decorating. Many teachers on the hall decorated their doors with motifs that reflected their subject areas. For example, Mrs. Morrison created a “Chemis-tree” on her door.

As a whole, Christmas cheer has reached a peak this year. Students and teachers have reaped the benefits of warm and welcoming decor throughout the school. “Everyone just seems calmer when they walk through the halls,” Swilley said. “It’s peaceful here.”

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November 9, 2012 · 12:30 pm

OBAMA WINS

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

After months of continuous campaign slogans, ads, speeches, and merchandise, President Barack Obama won the 2012 Presidential election with 303 electoral votes and 59,299,505 popular votes. Republican candidate Mitt Romney ended his campaign with 206 electoral votes and 56,803,566 popular votes. Overall, the election was split 50% to 48%. 270 electoral votes are needed to win the election.

Tuesday, November 6 was a busy and anticipatory day for the entire nation. Voters filled up precincts and watched the news to see which states turned red and which turned blue. Several key states, called “swing states”, created voter anxiety throughout the nation. Ohio, Iowa, and Wisconsin were undetermined in regard to their red-or-blue status. Obama won these states, victories that propelled him forward and essentially guaranteed four more years of his leadership in the Oval Office.

2012 Electoral College (Source: http://www.cnn.com, printed 11/7/12)

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Barack Obama walked onto a stage in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and two daughters. To the tune of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”, an enormous crowd cheered for the President’s second election success. His acceptance speech was full of hope, sincerity, and realism. “We’ve got more work to do,” Obama said. “Your work is not done. The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote. The hard and frustrating, but necessary, work of self government–that’s the principle we were founded on.”

Republican candidate and former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney gave a concession speech at the Boston Convention Center following his defeat. He thanked his campaign team, his wife, his family, and Paul Ryan, his running mate and Republican Vice Presidential candidate. “You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently,” Romney said. “You inspired us, and you humbled us.”

In the next four years, Americans can expect the House and Senate to look much like they do now. Obama, who ran on a ticket that involved increasing education funds, energy independence, and job creation, will be in office for the next four years working to make America more financially and socially stable.

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October 12, 2012 · 12:59 pm

Speech and debate now in full swing

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

The Oak Grove forensics team has had a successful year so far and plans to continue its winning legacy throughout the season. After a second place ranking last year at the MHSAA State Speech and Debate Tournament, the 2012-2013 Warrior Forensics team is striving to achieve the first-place status it held for six years prior to the spring 2012 state competition. Throughout the school year, the team will go to five out-of-state tournaments, seven in-state tournaments, and four National Tournament qualifying tournaments.

Both seasoned competitors and new team members are competing and hoping to qualify for and succeed at the State Tournament in the Spring. “Our goal is to take the title back,” head coach Shane Cole said.

So far, the team has been doing just that. At the Stennis Novice Tournament on September 14-15, first year competitors earned Oak Grove the School of Excellence in Speech title. Sophomore Jillian Walters took home first place in Prose Interpretation, and junior Tyler Harden earned first place in Extemporaneous speaking. Most Oak Grove novices competing in the Stennis tournament made semi-finals or finals in one or more of their events.

That same weekend, Oak Grove’s varsity forensics team traveled to Dallas, Texas, for the Grapevine Speech and Debate Tournament. Over half the team made semifinals  in their events, and seniors Ashton Beightol and Mary Ryan Karnes made finals.

On September 28-29, the Oak Grove novice and varsity forensics teams traveled to the Ole Miss Speech and Debate Tournament in Oxford, Mississippi. The team had six first place rankings and numerous finalists. They also won the sweepstakes award and the Glenn Menna Traveling Trophy for gaining the most points throughout the tournament.

“I think we are stronger in both speech and debate events than we were last year,” Cole said. “There is new energy and new blood on the team this year. Everyone is working harder than they have before.”

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· 11:45 am

Yoga fits into new OGHS physical education curriculum

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

Girls’ physical education courses are now more exciting than ever before. With the addition of Yoga Fit and Zumba classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays during first and second block, students have the opportunity to become more physically and mentally engaged in new types of exercise. Licensed Zumba and Yoga Fit instructor Kriste Lewis leads classes both first and second semester for all girls enrolled in physical education or weight lifting courses. The new classes, which promote diverse exercise methods, are benefitting students by promoting both physical and mental health.

The Zumba exercise program incorporates Latin dance routines and cardiovascular exercise and has been part of weightlifting classes at Oak Grove since last year. Participants can expect an upbeat variety of music and fast-paced, fun dance moves in each class. “Zumba is a great way to do more cardio and get fit,” senior Mary Kate Waldron, who took classes during the weightlifting period last year, said. Yoga Fit combines stretching poses with strengthening exercises and is a new addition to weightlifting classes this year. “It really helps stay calm and focus on and off the mat,” Waldron said. Yoga Fit’s program promotes both physical and mental health. More relaxed than Zumba, Yoga Fit allows participants to focus on each pose and objective. “I would love to see Zumba and Yoga Fit as part of the Lamar County physical education curriculum,” Lewis said.

Lewis, who graduated from the University of West Alabama, has been practicing yoga for ten years and teaching Yoga Fit classes for one year and Zumba classes for two years. “I’ve always had a love for dance, and I have coached dance and cheer for years,” Lewis said. “I taught in the public school system before I became a fitness instructor.” In addition to teaching exercise classes at Oak Grove High School, Lewis also volunteers at Oak Grove Lower Elementary’s art days and conducts special sessions like Accelerated Reader parties. “Zumba does more than just getting kids moving,” Lewis said. “It promotes multiculturalism and an appreciation for the arts.” 

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September 11, 2012 · 10:00 pm

Music Review: Maroon 5

By: Mary Ryan Karnes | Editor

 

When I was nine years old, my mother introduced me to Songs About Jane, Maroon 5’s debut album. I knew every song and (much to my mom’s chagrin) belted every jazzy tune with as much soul as a fourth grader could. Maroon 5 introduced an elementary me to the in’s and out’s of romance with soulful songs and unapologetic lyrics. Since then I have grown up; however, Maroon 5 seems to have done the opposite. The pop-rock group’s newest album Overexposed is overflowing with catchy, electronically saturated, unoriginal tracks that detract from the initially genuine image of a previously groundbreaking band. As a whole, the album overexposes the listener to fun, lighthearted tunes and deprives him of depth with paltry attempts at emotion.

The most recognizable song on the album, “Payphone” sets the tone for the rest of Overexposed. The song is repetitive, upbeat, and irresistibly easy to remember, but it is also lacking in emotion and similar to every other fast-paced track on the album.

Another popular anthem, “One More Night” features numerous “ooh” interludes that barely count as lyric. In traditional Maroon 5 style, Overexposed is saturated with the spectrum of emotions associated with romance and the pursuit thereof. “Lucky Strike,” an energetic ode to a mysterious girl, is eerily similar to two other tracks on the album: “Doin’ Dirt” and “Tickets.” All three songs are quick, catchy, and full of cheap double-entendres. Throughout its career, Maroon 5 has channeled the power of a memorable chorus, and Overexposed is evidence of stanza strategy. The tracks on the album seem to follow a formula: energetic instrumentals, redundant choruses, and a high-pitched bridge just long enough to showcase lead singer Adam Levine’s Barry Gibb-esque vocal range.

Although Overexposed blatantly disregards sensitivity in some songs, other tracks at least attempt to handle heartbreak and longing. Instead of emotion, the listener gets filler lyrics; however, Levine’s voice is strong and makes up for thought-provoking messages with impressive ability. “Daylight” and “Beautiful Goodbye” are relaxed songs with similar themes and lyrics about separation. In a vague testament to honesty, “The Man Who Never Lied” mainly repeats a chorus that laments the consequences of evading the truth. Perhaps the most rudimentary song on the album is “Sad,” which explores the emotion with a tagline of “I’m so sad.” The message of the album, though, is easily found in “Love Somebody” which reflects a common desire among the majority of humans: to find love, fall in it, and keep it.

As evidenced by an album cover depicting a large, whimsical face vomiting colorful goop, Overexposed is to be taken lightly. Even Levine claims, “We thought we’d say it before everyone else did in case we were to become overexposed.” Maybe that’s the point of the crayon monster cover art, mass-produced pop tunes, and sugar-coated ballads. Or maybe the album is just as shallow and non-progressive as the band’s first three were original and groove-worthy.

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