Junior Katie Tarr, Dazzlers strive for success

by Samanta Garcia and Taylor Willhoite

A simple scrape brought on an infection that resulted in junior Katie Tarr taking a time consuming and agonizing break from her true passion, dancing.

“The worst part about the injury was not being able to dance for a month,” said Tarr, a member of the Dazzlers.

That injury occurred five months ago as a small scrape on her right knee became infected and then began to swell at an alarming rate.

“One day we got a text from Katie with a picture of her knee that was swollen to the size of a baseball, and it scared us,” said senior Kelsey Korfhage.

Junior Katie Tarr concentrates on her routine during a Dazzler practice. Tarr is a third year member and is perfecting her favorite type of dance POM. Photo by Samanta Garcia.

After going to the doctors to disclose more information on her knee, Tarr was told she would have to have surgery to fix the problem.

A month after the surgery was performed Tarr started anew with small steps.

Tarr said her recovery took a relatively small time. “It took me a few days to get used to the simplest things like walking, but I got used to it and getting back to dance was important to me.”

Junior Coral Portman said, “Katie only complained that she couldn’t dance because that’s all she ever wanted to do, so it was great having her back.”

Getting through her injury and recovering was helped by her loyal and passionate teammates.

“We are really close and get along well; we are basically sisters,” said Korfhage.

The Dazzlers are now preparing for the new school year learning routines, having long grueling practices, and working with a driven work ethic with the goal of nationals set on their minds. ”This team has a lot of pressure and this pressure just makes all of us stronger,” said Dazzler coach Todd Sharp.

Long turn sequences, sweat flying, and panted breathing are all aspects Dazzlers implement at one of their typical practices.

“The practices are hard, but that’s what ultimately makes us better and helps propel us for success,” said freshman Maddy Robinson.

As nationals approach in early February the Dazzlers will continue to push themselves to win those national championship titles and reclaim their national championship title.

“All we want to do is wear the white jackets at the end of the night, ” said Korfhage.

“Nationals is exciting and nerve-racking, but I’m glad I am recovered and I’m confident in my team to do their best and work hard,” said Tarr.

Soccer team thrives on Yagle’s leadership

Sophomore Zach Yagle passes the ball in the soccer game against Christian Academy of Indiana. The Highlanders won 2-0. Photo by Braden Schroeder.

by Braden Schroeder

It is textbook for him. He knows he has drilled this 100 times. It all happens so fast because of instinct, and with a quick kick, the ball is in the back of the net.

During the soccer game against Christian Academy of Indiana sophomore Zach Yagle scored the second goal putting FC up 2-0. They ended up winning that game 2-0.

“I love the thrill of scoring,” said Yagle. Although he tries to control it when he scores, he looks so excited. He said when he scores it is just pure excitement.

Starting soccer at the age of four Yagle has played on up to three teams at once. “We have five practices a week, not including personal workouts,” said Yagle.

Despite working to get himself better Yagle is a team player, too.

“He is a very supportive teammate and very optimistic,” said freshman Will Haley.He said that he really likes to play soccer with him.

Yagle said that he really likes soccer and being a part of a team, as it’s a great way to meet people and it’s really fun. He said it helps build friendships.

According to freshman Landon Campbell he is respectful to the team and others. He said that he gives good advice when we make a mistake.

“Zach is really a good leader,” said freshman Evan Michell. He is a good team leader and very dedicated to the sport.

When Yagle plays, his serious expression is iron. He hustles up and down the field. The mindset is set on one thing, winning

The first thing he looks at when he scores is the bleachers. Then he gives a smile as bright as the sun and then looks the other way. Running to the sidelines his face goes back to a serious expression, knowing he still has a game to finish. But in his head he still feels pure excitement.

Miller creates excitement for French language, culture

by Allie Moburg

French teacher Shannon Miller stands in front of her dry erase board, riddled with various French words and phrases in every primary color, as she explains one of her favorite French quotes.

It is always one of the most profound moments in a person’s life when he or she discovers their passion. French philosopher Denis Diderot’s famous quote,”Seules passions, de grandes passions, peuvent élever l’âme aux grandes choses translates from French to English as, “Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

French teacher Shannon Miller plays a vocabulary game with her French IV students the day before a test. Miller finds that using games helps her students to learn by having fun with the language and memorization. Photo by Allie Moburg.

“My inspiration for the love of the language was my high school teacher,”said Miller. “She’s always going to stand out in my memory as someone who was an inspiring teacher, who made me wonder and dream about what it would be like to be in another culture and it seem all so very attractive.”

Miller’s interest for French culture did not stop at simply imagining the experience of visiting an entirely new culture. She would go on to live in France for two years and visits often. This past summer, Miller took a group of French students on a trip to France, where they visited some of her favorite areas of the country, including Paris and Bretagne. Miller found going abroad very beneficial for her French education and wanted to give this opportunity to her students as well.

Miller’s studies of the French language and culture began at a young age. She said that she began to study French at the age of 10 years old. It was a required class for the school program that she was in, and her required studies continued from fifth grade until eighth. “As I did that I became more and more interested, and in high school I elected to take it [French] all four years,” said Miller.

In her junior year of high school Miller entered a statewide competition in which she was chosen to study abroad. Her dreams of world travel and opening up the world were beginning to unfold. Without her teacher and French studies Miller would never have discovered her passion for language.

Miller hopes to have the same inspiring effect on her students as her teacher had on her. “We try to expand beyond just learning the language; we want to have cultural units, French Club, and film and literature, and we try to go abroad and use our language, just all different ways.”

Miller’s teaching technique of combining different elements to her curriculum has paid off for her students. They gain both a broader understanding of the language and culture and they stay interested in the subject due to her enthusiasm.

“I definitely think that Ms. Miller has inspired a lot of my love for French and passion for French,” said senior Savannah Wormley. “She is so knowledgeable about both the language and the culture, that she’s made sure that our class has been a combination of those two elements which keeps us interested. We’re not just learning the language. We’re also learning about the culture, which is completely different from our own, and we’ve learned so much about France itself.”

Miller truly believes that going the extra mile is key to her students understanding and appreciating the French language. Not only does she interact with her students during class, but she also runs the French Club and uses it to introduce her students to activities that extend into the French culture.

“French Club is nice because we get to participate in activities outside of class with our peers and do things that are related to french culture. It is just a nice extra-curricular that involves French and it’s a chance for people who love French to get together and, you know, do all things French,” said Wormley, the president of the club.

Being a language teacher always provides extra opportunity to connect with students. Along with being able to interact outside of class in a club, Miller is able to have her students for as long as three or four years.

“I get to know them on a personal level and I know very well their strengths and weaknesses as a student. It helps me know how to teach better, that particular person and see what they need to review and what we need to do to make progress,” she said.

Miller’s students also feel that they have been able to get to know their teacher on a more personal level and have formed a strong bond with her.

“Of course I feel like I have developed a great connection with her. Ms. Miller is my favorite teacher and she’s such a nice person and wonderful teacher,” said Wormley. “Also, I love the fact that she is our only French teacher and we’ve been able to continue with the same teaching style for the last four years. I think that’s really contributed to my understanding of French because I know how Ms. Miller teaches it and she does the same thing year after year and I am really learning it because the way Ms. Miller teaches really sticks on me.”

It is not uncommon to walk into Miller’s classroom and see her scrolling through various websites that include French videos and activities that she feels her students will benefit from and enjoy.

According to junior Katie Rosenberg, Miller is a great teacher because she really gets to know her students and talks to them. She also uses different techniques like videos and games to help the students understand what they are learning about. Miller enjoys employing a very hands-on and visual curriculum to make learning French interesting and fun.

“High school is my niche. I like to see the kids develop from when they’re freshmen to seniors, I get a kick out of that, I get inspired by it. I think sometimes it is really important as a high school teacher to remember what it was to be a high school student. If you can remember that and remember all the feelings and the process you went through over those four years, it helps you be a better teacher,” she said.

Miller not only inspires a love of France in her students, but also her sons. Her oldest son is minoring in French in college, while her youngest son is currently in her French II class. It is nice having his mom at school said Miller’s son, Grant Miller. Both of her sons have visited France with their mother.

“It [France] was very nice and everything was really pretty,” said Grant. “It was nice to visit.” .

Miller first went to France as an exchange student and is still in touch with the family that she stayed with.

“It’s been since 1983. We still communicate all the time and now we’re all grown and married and thinking about letting our kids go back and forth to do an exchange,” she said.

Miller’s passion for language truly does inspire her students love for the culture as well.

“Culture’s my favorite thing. I love learning about French culture, that’s what gives me that zest for French class,” said Wormley.

Miller finds not only French language, but all language to be a very important part of life.

”I think it opens up our world. The world is shrinking and because the world is shrinking you have a great opportunity or great chance that whatever it is that you’re going to do, you’re going to encounter foreign cultures.”

Communicating to the world is becoming increasingly important. It is Miller’s wish to help her students become active members in this shrinking world and to be able to communicate with those around them.

“I think it is important now, more than ever that you have some aptitude in a foreign language. If not you’re behind the times. It’s just like if you didn’t know how to type. We don’t just go over there and speak English real loud to get something done.”

Dazzler Elizabeth Scott manages schoolwork, dance

by Avery Wohlleb

She’s a master at juggling, but she’s not risking her life juggling flaming bowling pins. Instead she’s trying to keep her head above the water dealing with both schoolwork and dancing as a Dazzler.

She puts in hard work at practice for a couple of hours working out the kinks in the routine and heads straight to homework and studying. As soon as she gets home she opens her book bag and unpacks each book and binder needed for her assignments for the night.

“I always make sure to put schoolwork first so I’m not stressed,”said freshman Dazzler Elizabeth Scott.

Like all student athletes, making sure school work is taken care of is always a difficult task and as an incoming freshman, the amount of homework is an increase already. Adding a major sport that takes up hours of a student’s evening time could be potentially tough and harmful to their grades, but her friends say she’s balancing her priorities well.

“She works hard to succeed in her academics,” said freshman Karissa Korinek. Scott still keeps great work effort and her priorities straight. She maintains her grade, making the honor roll with four A’s and two B’s. Scott says she always tries to get her work done, be a good friend, and dance her best.

“She’s a really fun person to be around and she’s an amazing dancer,” said freshman Anna Dietrich.

Going from Highland Hills Dazzlers to FC Dazzlers there has been a big change.

“They [FC Dazzlers] have a personal trainer. There’s a lot more practices and the practices are a lot longer,” said Scott. They practice four times a week and their practices last around two and a half hours long each. Some days they have choreography practices, which last 12 or more hours long.

Dancing is a passion for Scott, but excelling in school is also a main goal for her.

She has a bold smile, whether she’s walking off the field breathing hard after a spot-on performance or coming to class prepared to learn. She is determined to please others and do well.

“Elizabeth’s always trying to be a good friend, but she doesn’t hesitate to let you know when she needs to get stuff done,” said freshman Meredith Collings.

One of the hardest things she’s had to perfect is the Dazzler turn sequence. Scott said she spends any free time she has at practice trying to nail the move.

Before a big performance on Friday nights during halftime, while the crowd is cheering with faces painted under beaming lights, Scott inhales from her spot in the formation, closes her eyes, and thinks,”Come on guys, let’s do this.”

“Nothing is more thrilling than being out there in front of my school doing what I love,” she said.

Former FC baseball player headed to MLB

By Sydney LaDuke and Chandler Stumler

For some student athletes, going into the Major Leagues is just a dream, but for FC graduate Jeffrey Thompson that dream has become a reality.

Soon after graduating from FC, Thompson got into the University of Louisville.

During high school, Thompson received All-State Honorable Mention his senior year. He finished his season with a 9-1 record on the mound. He also earned all-conference honors as a junior after completing a 5-3 record.

Along with three years of baseball, he also earned three letters in basketball and football.

“I loved it as much as you could enjoy playing high school baseball. I’ve met a lot of good people playing all three sports,” said Thompson.

Thompson said his father is his biggest inspiration. “He’s taught me how to work hard and has showed me what hard work can do for you.”

During his free time he likes to relax and play video games. He plays baseball every day and looks forward to those few off days.

“Pretty much for the last three years, I’ve been going about every day,” said Thompson. “Just going through workouts or maybe throwing but its non-stop; especially when you get to college.”

In college there’s no off season but he usually plays fall ball or summer ball just to keep things going. According to Thompson, this year is his first year really having an off season, but he’s still staying in shape, and throwing every so often.

Being a “student-athlete” has taught Thompson how to write the papers and get the work finished. Athletically, it has gotten him used to going to practice every day and still keeping up with his work.

“Jeffrey’s very athletic. He played all three sports. He’s proof that you don’t have to play one sport to be good at it,” said Thompson’s high school baseball coach, Casey LaDuke.

During Thompson’s high school years he’s known by leading by example.

“When it was time to run or condition, he did it. When Jeffrey did it everyone else was going to do it,” said LaDuke.

Coach LaDuke put Thompson in some pretty good situations. He’s gotten him to play for UofL and has prepared him by playing some really good teams during their high school conference. And Thompson was able to take advantage of those situations and make them what he is today.

According to LaDuke, Thompson is not only the first person to get to the Major Leagues but is the furthest any FC athlete has gone.

“It’s a neat part of the FC Baseball program for someone to play professional ball,” said LaDuke.

Earlier in 2013, Thompson has received many honors. He’s been the Big East Pitcher of the Week (2/1813 and 3/11/13), 2013 Pitcher of the Year; he’s been a part of the Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team, Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, and Second-Team Louisville Slugger All-American.

Also, not only has he received those accomplishments but has been selected into the 3rd round of 2013 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. He then left UofL ranked third in career wins.

During his college season while playing for Louisville, they beat Vanderbilt and got the opportunity to play in the College World Series. During the game Thompson threw his fastest pitch ever recorded, 95 mph.

“It was awesome winning that game with the team and getting to that point, it was a really great experience and it was one of those moments I’ll never forget,” said Thompson.

Indiana University shutout Louisville and the Hoosiers beat them 2-0 in TD Ameritrade Park, and Oregon State, 11-3.

As of today, Thompson is playing for the West Michigan Whitecaps. So far he has played in 12 games and has done pretty well.

“Just stay focused, work hard and keep going, and never settle for just being good you have to be great,” said Thompson, as a little advice for anyone looking along the same road he has come from.

Violist Shannon O’Brien shares her love of music with others

Sophomore Shannon O’Brien performs a solo in her quartet’s arrangement of Smooth Criminal. O’Brien later received a standing ovation from the 2,000 plus people that attended the Orchestra Rocks concert in September.
Photo by Analise Book.

By Analise Book

You can hear it.

The first epic measure of Henri Casadesus’ Concerto in the Style of Handel swells throughout the small practice room, the breathtaking piece played flawlessly by sophomore Shannon O’Brien, a four-year veteran of the viola.

O’Brien started playing viola in the sixth grade because she said she had a crush on one of the viola players in her school. Since then she has picked up violin, upright bass, ukulele, mandolin and piano.

“Playing is like second nature for me. I have been able to learn so many different instruments because it has always given me a feeling of accomplishment,” said O’Brien.

“Shannon stood out the second day in class. She has an apparent love for music; you just have to stop what you are doing and listen. It’s just so compelling. Her intelligence, her talent, and her love for music are just so natural,” said O’Brien’s long time orchestra director Doug Elmore.

She uses her talent to help others, too. O’Brien started giving lessons in her home two years ago when a girl struggling in orchestra approached her. After that the director of Scribner Middle School’s orchestra, Terri Shockley, contacted O’Brien to teach some of her students to help her program.

“Teaching came so naturally to me that I kept picking up more kids. One day I would love to take Mr. Elmore’s job, and I want to continue teaching private lessons as well,” said O’Brien.

O’Brien recently received the chance to play in the orchestra pit for the theatre’s main stage production of Les Misérables. Though she did not think she would have the time to commit to Les Mis, she loved the play and wanted the experience. O’Brien is extremely grateful be a part of the play, but she says it’s an immense challenge.

“How hard is it? On a scale of 1-10 I would probably say closer to 2,000. The music is definitely testing my patience. It has been like keeping a kid out of a candy store, it’s so boring,” said O’Brien.

On top of the persistent Les Mis practices, O’Brien has been continuously learning music for the Louisville Youth Orchestra (L.Y.O). LYO is a very disciplined program that creates an incredible musical experience for talented musicians. They practice over 100 hours and have performances throughout the season. This is O’Brien’s second year participating in the program and she is among the youngest kids accepted into the orchestra.

“It has been a lot of learning music, period. Frustration is the biggest part of it. I used to be the youngest kid in there, so it’s pretty difficult,” she said.

Though O’Brien is somewhat intimidated by the pieces she has been given, Elmore has nothing but faith in her talent.

“I have the utmost confidence in Shannon’s abilities. She takes lessons, she practices a ton, she has immersed herself completely in playing,” he said.

She also has branched out by herself and created the No Fret Quartet with sophomore Ben Carpenter and juniors Madison Eickholtz and Garrett Metz. O’Brien arranges most of the music herself and has redone songs like Michael Jackson’sSmooth Criminal and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. She has no trouble arranging new pieces because she said she gets bored with the old ones really quickly and loves introducing herself to a new challenge.

“Shannon gets us all to work harder; she is very motivational and dedicated. For her a limit does not exist,” said Carpenter, the quartet violinist.

Although O’Brien’s talent puts a considerable amount of stress and pressure on her, she is able to turn it around and use it as a medium to lessen the strain.

“Being in the quartet helps relieve the stress that viola puts on me sometimes. We are such good friends. One time Garrett broke his knee showing us his new tennis shoes. He just fell down and broke his knee. I laughed for at least five minutes; we all did,” said O’Brien.

And as the last measure of Henri Casadesus’ Concerto in the Style of Handel reverberates off the walls, O’Brien starts to lay her beloved viola in its case with a look of triumph on her face. It’s obvious this is something she will continue to pursue.

Sophomore continues varsity golf career

By Sydney LaDuke

As she steps onto the box, takes off her head cover and hits the ball, sophomore Jessica Ingram is on her way to the next green.

“I’ve been playing golf since seventh grade and I also swim but most of the time you could easily find me on the golf course,” said Ingram.

Her dad has been a big part of her life. He has helped and coached her through many experiences.

Sophomore Jessica Ingram tees off on hole 4 at Old Capital Golf Course practicing with her teammates before sectionals. Photo by Sydney LaDuke.

“Golf definitely conflicts with school. I barely have any free time,” said Ingram “We usually go right after school until 6:30 p.m.”

Her normal routine is like any other teenager. School, golf, homework, and sleep.

But as far as her golf career, Ingram is one of the best.

“She has tons of talent,” said senior Scarlett Hartlage. “I have absolutely loved playing with Jessica the past two years. Anytime she has a good shot she walks away with a big smile on her face.”

Playing with the upper class men has certainly been a challenge, but Ingram has continued to hold her title as #4 on the varsity golf team.

“When Jessica plays a round she usually plays at the same level as who she’s playing with,” said brother Kole Ingram.

Her father, Kip Ingram, also plays golf and is a great supporter in her career. He always attends her golf tournaments and loves to see his daughter grow through this experience.

“I’ve always loved being out there with her and sharing her many accomplishments throughout her seasons,” said Mr. Ingram.

Today, Ingram is continuing her golf career with you FC team and has currently won their sectional, came in third at regional and advanced to the state finals.

Disney deterioration: Rise in rebellion leads to ruin for teen stars

200 students completed this survey. Teachers were given surveys to pass out to some of their students.

By Allie Moburg and Nika Chin

Many things come with fame, some good and some  bad. Can being in the spotlight have a dramatic effect on how today’s stars act?

“Yeah, I do think being in the spotlight encourages certain behavior,” said psychology teacher Chad Clunie. The behavior of stars is something that has been very present in the media lately. Stars such as Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes, and even Justin Bieber have been criticized for their outlandish antics.

What is it that causes these former teen and child stars to become so rebellious?

“I feel like she [Miley Cyrus] is doing it for the attention,” said senior Bekah Landers. ”It’s just like high school girls she’s doing it for the wrong attention and I don’t think she can control it anymore.

” Publicity is always an important factor in staying relevant in today’s fast-paced world. Some would say that stars, like Cyrus and Britney Spears, have resorted to these theatrical performances and unruly undertakings to keep their names in the media.

“Being in the spotlight encourages them to go out and do outrageous things. They seek the attention, and there are people who will only reinforce that for them,” said Clunie.

Though attention seeking is a popular theory that is tossed around when discussing rebellious teen stars, the idea of pressure and stress are also a notable factors that could possibly be causes.

“There is a lot more that they have to deal with today. I wouldn’t know how to deal with that if I was 10, 12 years old and my face was all over the front page of a magazine,” said Radio/TV teacher Tim Dench. ”I couldn’t have dealt with it and I don’t think anyone should have to deal with it at that age.”

Stars today deal with a lot of stress due to large amounts of public exposure. This is especially applied to stars that have been in the media from adolescence to adulthood. These stars not only deal with press now that they are adults, but have had to since before they could go to a PG-13 movie. Growing up in the limelight, everything is examined. There is no room for error or bad judgment.

“There’s that possibility where they have that certain image, like the ‘Disney image’ where they are supposed to be this perfect image of what a child or a teenager is supposed to be like, and they act a certain way on the show and everybody assumes they’re that way in life,” said Clunie. ”Of course we all do bad things and we all make mistakes, so being under that microscope they feel like when they get away from it or they feel like they’re an adult, they really want to hit it hard and prove that they’re an adult.”

All teenagers go through a rebellious stage. They test the limits, they feel all grown up, but do teen stars truly get the chance to experiment with this new found sense of independence? Do they become so rebellious because they missed out on their chance to make these mistakes like a normal kid? Clunie said they do what they think adults do. All teens mess up, only the stars do it with an audience.

Stars were not given the same amount of attention that they are today. “Stars in my time weren’t watched as closely as they are today, sure they were in the news frequently, but their personal lives weren’t publicized for the world to see,” said Dench.

He agreed that the older stars could have been just as reckless as the stars today, but with little media  people didn’t have as much to criticize them for.

According to Dench, any publicity is good publicity. “Publicity gets you fame, and fame is a good thing in most cases. You see Miley Cyrus getting on stage dancing on people and you wonder if there’s actually something wrong with her.” With so much fame, stars practically do anything they wish and get away with it, this behavior only increases the amount of publicity they receive.

“Amanda Bynes is using social media to her advantage now with a Twitter account,” said sophomore Ashlyn Anderson. “I’m not sure why famous people have to do bad things to get on the cover of a magazine. You could still get the front cover if you did something nice, like help a homeless man.”

In this generation it is easier for someone  to become well-known for doing something crazy and outrageous, like Miley’s infamous VMA performance, than someone who does something kind and courageous. The general public is most likely not the only group who has taken notice of this pattern.

“We are not the only people watching television,” said sophomore Kacey Hagan. “I bet famous people watch other famous people on television getting lots of attention and they try to top it, so they go out and do outrageous things.”

The idea of stars competing against each other for who is most tweeted about or even who is made fun of the most everyday, is a strange thought. Yet, it is somewhat easy to understand coming from the point of view of a person who partakes in this media circulation. This notion leads one to imagine how pop culture will evolve in the future. Will this trend of crazy teen stars and outrageous publicity stunts increase with the expansion of media and technology? Well, that is something we will all have to wait and see.

FC welcomes multi-talented artist Sarah Denison

By Analise Book and Breanna Dye

For freshman Sarah Denison, love of art comes in all forms. From being on the stage to being in art studios, she has proven to be a very promising part of the FC Arts Department.

Denison grew up surrounded by a very artistic family and was urged into starting art at a young age.

“It’s hard to tell when I first noticed I could draw well. It was probably sometime in middle school, but I have been taking art lessons since I was three,” said Denison.

The first real piece she remembers creating was a stick figure sculpture when she was very young.

“I did the hair with a fork; I literally took a fork to the head and called it hair. It was awful, but I think my mom still has it,” said Denison.

Now she prefers larger projects like drawing people and faces in detail. One of her favorite pieces was a large self portrait done in her eighth-grade art class. Since then she has done portraits of icons like Marilyn Monroe and Cher.

“I think Sarah enjoys what she is doing, and enjoys the gift that she has of creating art.  It is so rare.  I never had her turn in an assignment that wasn’t perfect!  I admire her ability and creativity and know she will go far in whatever she does,” said Denison’s eighth-grade art teacher Leslie Shell.

Denison also uses theatre as an outlet for her creativity. She was Amaryllis in New Albany High School’s 2009 production of The Music Man, a lost boy in Peter Pan, and she was chosen to play Adelaide in Highland Hills’ production ofGuys and Dolls Jr. She is also in the chorus for this year’s production of Les Miserablés.

“Sarah was punctual, trustworthy and cooperative at all times.  She is a very talented girl that has a bright future in theatre,” said the director of Guys and Dolls Jr. David Stone.

“Theatre helps me express myself, which helps with my art. The people are less afraid to say their feelings, and they’re so outgoing,” said Denison.

Denison’s whole family has been nothing but supportive in her involvement in the arts, seeing as they are all heavily involved in them, too. Her father sings and plays guitar and bass, and her mother plays piano and bassoon. Denison’s brothers, Sam and Ben, also have what can only be described as the artistic edge. Infact, Ben, a senior, does animation and figure-drawing, while Sam, a junior, creates extremely complex origami figures.

“We are supporting her by turning the old sound studio into a dance studio, and she is doing some of the work herself.  It’s what she wanted for birthday and Christmas.  She’s taken a couple voice lessons but picked up most of the singing on her own.  She loves dance and dance lessons and wishes she’d done more ballet when she was younger,” said mother Kathy Denison.

“Both her brothers were also amazing artists, so I had high expectations for her as an artist and she did not disappointment me ever,” said art teacher Danae Emerson.

Though only a freshman, Denison already has a very hopeful future ahead of her at FC. She plans to continue singing and dancing, as well as drawing.

“I love everything about theatre and art. It sets goals for me, gives me something to work with, and keeps me focused,” she said.

New Albany’s sophomore Timothy Moses attends Friday’s football game against Providence

New Albany sophomore Timothy Moses watches the Floyd Central and Providence game August 30. Photo by Nika Chin.

By Nika Chin

It isn’t uncommon for people to attend another school’s football game, but for New Albany sophomore Timothy Moses, he attends other school’s games more than his own school’s.

Moses is the epitome of a sports fanatic, said sophomore Colin McKinley. McKinley used to attend New Albany High School with Moses and they were close friends. McKinley recalled Moses speaking highly of other football teams as if they didn’t have a football team of their own already at New Albany. Sometimes people couldn’t tell whether Moses went to New Albany or Floyd, said McKinley.

On Friday, August 30, the Highlanders, covered in red, white and blue, cheered at the top of their lungs to touchdown after touchdown. With them was Moses, blending in so well with the rest of the Highlanders, unable to pick him out in a crowd at Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

Moses came to the game because he was invited by some friends. According to Moses, he didn’t expect much out of it, and thought it would be really boring. The school spirit of both schools were incredible, said Moses. He plans to continue attending more games hosted by different schools.

“I had a great time regardless of whose school was playing who,” said Moses. “I know a good game when I see one, and that was a game well watching. Both teams played very well.”

According to sophomore Ashlyn Anderson, since Moses is a soccer athlete, he understands the importance of being a good sport and appreciating the hard work that’s put into every game. He does not care who plays, as long as they play their best.

“He didn’t treat it as if he was trying to compare Floyd to New Albany. That was really surprising. He looked like he really enjoyed himself,” said Anderson.

“It’s not strange for outsiders to attend their rivals’ football games, but it is strange for them to cheer them on whole-heartedly,” said junior Taylor Payne. “He [Moses] goes to football games at other schools because he has an open mind. He’s more into the actual sport than the teams, I wish more people would think that way rather than bashing on other teams because they don’t belong to your school.”

Fireworks lit up the night sky as the Highlanders won the football game and their fans engulfed the field with such pride.

“It was such a beautiful feeling,” said Moses. “I may not be a Highlander, but I sure felt like one that night.”