Hamsley discusses strategy with team

Head coach Kirk Hamsley instructs his team during a time out at the New Albany game. Photo by Sarah Nasseem.

Freshman Madison Kannapel has fun in art class

Freshman Madison Kannapel cuts out her stencil project in art. Photo by Jenna Elsby.

Baseball conditions for upcoming season

Junior Levi Jecker prepares to sprint down the track during fall baseball conditionings. Baseball players condition twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays after school. Photo by Sydney LaDuke.

Junior Charlie Loveall steps up to the practice tee and visualises his next swing. As he powers through the hit he walks away proud of his day at practice. Photo by Sydney LaDuke.

Sophomore Jordan Stevens continues to carry on his endurance to the weight room after sprints and hitting practice. As Stevens remains doing butterfly curls he maintains his composure and focus. Photo by Sydney LaDuke.

As junior Wyatt Cherry kneels down to take a break after sprints, he watches his teammates at hitting practice. Cherry waits his turn to switch with the second group of players after running sprints and transitioning to hitting practice. Photo by Sydney LaDuke.

Junior Jalyn Kowalski tackles leadership within the community

by Analise Book, Jordan Baird, Mikayla Rehor, and Taylor Willhoite

 Imagine the click of the shutter, the scratch of a pen, the scraping of massive set pieces across the stage.

Can you hear them?

All barely audible sounds, but junior Jalyn Kowalski is well accustomed to them. She extends her leadership into a variety of subjects.

Since the seventh grade Kowalski has been heavily involved in photography.

“I remember getting Jalyn a little Disney camera when she was a kid, but it wasn’t until around eighth grade when I got her a decent camera. In middle school she was always taking pictures of things outside, you know, sunsets, flowers, real abstract kinds of things. One year, close to winter, a thistle grew in our yard. I kind of let it go. It was probably three feet tall and flowering, looked like a cotton pickin’ Christmas tree, but she went out there and took pictures of it like it was a real Christmas tree. They were good pictures, but it cracked me up she was taking pictures of weeds,” said Jalyn’s mother Jackie Price Smith Kowalski.

Junior Jalyn Kowalski documents photo assignments for Karen Mayer-Sebastian’s fourth-period yearbook class. “Yearbook has definitely taught me a lot about myself. It’s really boosted my self confidence,” said Kowalski.
Photo by Mikayla Rehor.

Since then she has worked her way up to becoming the assistant editor and sports editor in Karen Mayer-Sebastian’s yearbook class.

“Jalyn has always shown talent for photography. Most currently, her dominant photo won first place in [sports] photography,” said Mayer-Sebastian.

Placing in the IHSPA (Indiana High School Press Association) state convention was a huge achievement for her.

“I won an award at state that was critiqued by a Sports Illustrated ’69 cover winning photographer.He didn’t have much to say when he critiqued it, but what he did say, I mean, I take that seriously,” said Kowalski.

She has also branched out and started her own photography business doing couples, family, and individual shoots.

“It’s really worth everything I do. Really getting to know the subjects that I shoot has been a big lesson to learn because the more I know them, the more I can pose them efficiently and make sure they aren’t awkward and everything goes well,” said Kowalski.

Photography is not the only subject in which she undertakes responsibility and leadership. Since her freshman year Kowalski has been a part of FC’s technical theatre program.

 “Jalyn is a great role model in tech. She has put a lot of work into it. I think people see her as an upbeat and dedicated peer,” said theatre director Robbie Steiner.

Kowalski was also chosen as an assistant stage manager for the fall’s gigantic production of Les Miserables.

“Theatre is the best thing in the entire world. I love every minute, every day, every hour. I earned the position through countless hours of time. I went to every single rehearsal of Les Mis. but four. I spent the most time there of any manager. I think I have always been a leader in the smallest of things, that’s just my personality, and it was really brought out this year being a manager. With a lot of help from [Chris] Bundy,” said Kowalski.

To her, this experience was extremely beneficial to her.

“In this case, hard work definitely pays off. The feeling, even if you aren’t recognized, of knowing you have done a show like Les Mis., it’s incredible. Building it and  being a part of it, whether you are a manager or a deck hand it is truly valuable and truly the greatest experience to  be a part of a program as big and as qualified as we are,” said Kowalski.

She has also been involved in the community program Miles for Merry Miracles, which provides food and Christmas presents for underprivileged children.

Junior Jalyn Kowalski shoots photos with Santa at the Miles for Merry Miracles event Dec. 7. This event was hosted to give underprivileged children Christmases. “Christmas is dear to me and I really love helping the community. Miles is a true organization for these kids. It just makes my heart soar,” said Kowalski.
Photo by Analise Book.

“Jalyn has been very committed to this project, especially over the last four or five months. She has attended leadership conferences, board meetings and has looked for ways to make Miles (for Merry Miracles) more successful. It’s refreshing to find young people that can handle the stress of being a student while also having adult-like responsibilities. This year we gave her an extremely important job of managing spending. She was responsible for nearly $7,000 in receipts over the course of three days,” said coordinator Teresa Hebert.

 Her kindness in this program has not gone unnoticed.

“If you watch and see her compassion for things and for people you’ll see her heart is as big, if not bigger than anybody’s. This year for Miles Jalyn ran the photos with Santa, she adored the kids,” said Price Smith Kowalski.

Because she is immensely involved in so many extracurriculars Kowalski must remain extremely organized.

“I believe Jalyn has two strengths. She is a great communicator and is able to honor her commitments because she is very focused and driven; and she uses great time and stress management principles to not get overwhelmed,” said Hebert.

Personality wise, Kowalski is extremely social and must be to stay up to date in sports (for photography), theatre, and her community work.

“Jalyn knows everyone, I’m convinced if she can’t point the out in a picture in the yearbook they must not exist,” said sophomore Jenny North, who is in yearbook with Kowalski.

 Kowalski is always attempting to put more hours on the clock just to fit everything in, but somehow she is able to manage all the different leadership roles she takes on.

 “Jalyn is stubborn and difficult and headstrong, but wise to many things. She’s living in an adult world, but she’s still a kid and in many ways this makes her so much better at what she does. Jalyn is extremely organized and great at what she does and I guess it really impresses me,” said Price Smith Kowalski.

 

 

Madison Kaiser shoots a free throw at scrimmage game

Junior Madison Kaiser shoots a free throw at a scrimmage game against New Albany.
photo by Megan Siltz

 

 

 

 

‘Hunger Games’ devours competition

by Andrew Lash and Avery Wohlleb

Families flock to the Regal Stadium 16 theater in hopes of getting a good seat for Catching Fire. Although this film has been in theaters for nearly a month, it still produces a large turnout of movie goers.
Photo by Allie Moburg.

Dominating the U.S. movie theaters, the famous book series entitled The Hunger Games stirs curiosity among teenagers and adults alike. The saga hit the big screens on Nov. 22 making over 67 million dollars. Viewers swept the box offices.

“Working a double shift that night was a little overwhelming, but well worth the excitement of running a show every 30 minutes,” said Regal employee Michael Clark.

As the online servers for Regal entertainment overflowed, eager students sat behind their phone waiting to purchase tickets for that evening.

“I had to wait a while to get my tickets for that night, but it was all worth it because the movie was amazing,” said sophomore Maddie Watts.

It seems students were not the only viewers enjoying the movie as “Catching Fire” was given a 90 percent by critics on the website Rotten Tomatoes.

“The next morning was a real struggle for me and my friends. The night definitely took a toll on us,” said Watts.

Teachers were also noticing the dragging feet throughout the hallways. “The students I had that saw the movie looked washed out physically but the conversation between them would not stop. I’m assuming the new movie was the cause of it all,” said math teacher Kim Haley.

Ninth grade-English teacher Natasha Finn said anytime a new series is introduced there is almost always an uproar because people enjoy following the continuous releases. “It seems to be a very appealing genre to people,” she said.

Both the books and movies have become extremely successful. “I like the books better because it puts you into the story more and it’s also much more descriptive,” said freshman Lauren Perkins

“The change in directors made the movie more intriguing,” said Perkins. Obviously the change in the directorship of the series caused a major inflation in ticket sales. This is reflected in the mass amounts of media hype surrounding the second installation of this popular franchise.

The lost city of Angkor Wat

A hallway facing the mope surrounding Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. The walls are decorated with history of what had taken place many centuries ago. Every night, the women of Angkor City would dance through the hallways of the palace while King Jayavarman II had his ceremonies. Photo by Nika Chin.

Scripture carved into the walls of the outer hallway walls of Angkor Wat. The stories reads piece tells a story about the first battle of Angkor when enemies attacked. The Angkor people were equipped with horses and armor. Photo by Nika Chin.

Possible ban on trans fats indicates turn for healthier nation

by Haley Palmer, Elise Kurk, Amber Bartley & Jeannine Barr

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every four Americans dies from heart disease.

Heart disease can be a consequence of high blood pressure which is a caused by unhealthy eating habits or the intake of trans fats. According to science teacher Randy Hein, consuming trans fats starts a domino effect. It begins with clotting in the arteries which elevates blood pressure. Next is the hardening of arteries, which affects the whole body by making it harder for organs to get the blood they need.

On Nov. 8, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the possible ban on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) due to health risks. This would ban companies from having PHOs in their foods, which are the main carriers of trans fats.

Trans fats are chemically made by injecting hydrogen into an oil or lipid. They can be found in many generic junk foods such as Twinkies, french fries, chips, muffins, cakes, and frying oils. However, in recent years, the amount of trans fats in common foods has decreased drastically. This ban would be the final push in the long battle make the United States a healthier nation.

Despite health complications, some companies continue to use PHOs in their foods. It increases shelf-life and affects the flavor and texture of the foods.

“The foods have a finer consistency and it gives the food that waxy texture that we desire,” said Hein. “It’s natural to crave those things.”

Due to the spread of awareness, many have begun checking food labels. Regardless of the care taken to be attentive to health, it is legal for companies to round down to zero grams of trans fats on the label, if the traces are 0.49 grams or below. So all of those “healthy” foods, may actually contain the very thing contributing to the leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Sadly some companies are just out to sell their product.

In spite of the difficulty finding delicious yet healthy foods, the cafeteria strives to provide wholesome fresh meals.

“School lunches are very healthy,” said food nutrition manager Jody Kramer. “We offer a variety of vegetables that contain vitamins, such as broccoli, which is full of antioxidants.” Kramer said that no foods served contain trans fat and even the oil used to cook french fries is trans fat free.

While some may disagree with the ban, many at FC feel very positively about it.

School nurse Earlene King said, “If there is something better [for our health] we can do, we should do it.”

Freshman Carson Conley agreed, “It’s a good idea to increase the standards of the food we eat.”

Although the ban may not affect the cafeteria food, it will stop the heart disease epidemic caused by trans fats in other foods.

“We have an obesity problem in this nation.  We have a heart disease problem in this nation. And the problem is the way we eat,” said Kramer.

Pre-show rituals among theatre community

by John Renfrow and Gus McRae

The echos of “break a leg!” ring through the hallways, students with their makeup half complete run about, and vocal warmups can be heard as soon as you enter the building. It must be opening night at FC. There is a lot more than what meets the eye “behind the curtain” as far as getting ready for each individual student.

“I always like to warm up before a show and go over my rough spots in my head, it really gets me focused and allows me to be comfortable on stage,” said senior Collin Jackson.

But “warming up” doesn’t always mean the same thing for everybody when getting prepared for a show. For senior Tyler Tuma, jamming to some music that is different from the tunes in the show gets him in the right mindset to be the best that he can be.

“I usually listen to music before the show, as well as vocal warmups and some meditation as well,” said Tuma, “It helps me get pumped.”

Many people believe that rehearsal is all that actors need to get ready to perform, but it is actually a lot more personal than that. Before every show, theatre students circle around for a prayer, followed by a group exercise that loosens everybody up and gets them excited. This exercise consists of “shaking out the nerves” mixed with loosening the vocal cords.

The theatre department at FC is a very tight-knit community that is notorious for superstition before shows, according to senior Savannah Wormley. The words “good luck” are not frequently spoken because of students’ fear of being jinxed prior to show time.

Also, for reasons unknown among the theater community, the word “Macbeth”, after the Shakespearean drama, is also forbidden to speak or acknowledge before the show.

Aside from not speaking certain words, there is a huge diversity in getting ready to on. For senior Clay Gully, he enjoys arriving to the show an hour early to help get himself “in the zone” for what he is performing that night. As for junior Mary Hayes, it’s as simple as going over lines while putting makeup on in the dressing-room.

No matter what student is doing what, it must be working to keep a consistent and successful theatre department. There is one tradition that everyone in the department stays true to: to have fun and put on the best show possible.

 

Christmas spirits, surprises gather families in unique ways

by Kaelyn Gibson, Chloe Andrews, Emma Anderson and LaVonne Happel Students who celebrate Christmas do so in different ways but no matter what, they all have a special meaning to us. Either if its going all out on your Christmas decorations, spending time with your family, staying up way past your bed time to rip open presents or attending the Christmas mass. Freshman Madison Kannapel’s family cheerfully celebrates Christmas. “Every year my nana and paw-paw come over early in the morning and watch me and my little sister open presents,” Christmas means a lot to people, “Christmas is very important to me because it’s a very spiritual time and it is a time to celebrate with your friends and family,” said Kannapel. “I learned Santa wasn’t real in the fifth grade, I walked into the living room because I was hungry and I saw my parents setting out our presents. The next mornings those same presents were the ones that were supposed to be from Santa.” For some people Christmas is about decorating. “We go all out, Secret Santa, lights, Christmas trees in every room. It’s just crazy,” said freshman Katie Pollard. Although Pollard goes all out on decorating, helping her community and sharing Christmas spirit is important too. “We go caroling on Christmas Eve then go to Exit Zero and feed the homeless.” On Christmas Eve kids stay up wondering what we got from Santa this year. Kids cant sleep all night and then wake up at the crack of dawn. For Delbert Hillegas, the career info teacher, there was no shortage of early risings as he was a kid. “As I got  older, I started infuriating my family, I could touch a box and know what was inside,” said Hillegas. Now Hillegas spends his Christmas Eve portraying the spirit of Santa Claus. “My favorite thing about Christmas is the love.” Many students have different holiday traditions. Freshman Taylor Barksdale puts Christmas lights up every year and has a family dinner. For Barksdale, she found out at a early age that Santa was a myth. “I was five. I woke up and saw my dad putting presents underneath the tree, and then he explained everything to me,” said Barksdale. After asking about 20 people about the age they found out Santa wasn’t real, the response varied drastically. About half of the people said they found out around 5th grade, the other half said they found out earlier than that. “The spirit of Santa shows through the kids. It shows that there is still something worth believing in,” said Pollard even though most of us don’t believe in the Tall Tale of Santa Claus, he is still a big part of child hood and always will be. Freshman Jolie Anderson LOVES Christmas. Every year they put up their tree the week before the go to Gatlinburg for Thanksgiving. “My family goes to the Christmas Eve service at our church, we open our presents, then we go to my grandmas,” said Anderson. Another one of Andersons family traditions is to decorate the trees upstairs and down stairs, then they go out side and put lights on the bushes. Presents are one of the most exciting parts of Christmas. Kids stay up late hoping our parents understood the little hints that had given them, or to catch a glimpse of “Santa”. Some of us wake up early in the morning or don’t sleep at all. “My brother and I stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve just so we can open up our presents,” said sophomore Nigel Schrampke unlike Anderson who wakes up around 9. “The reason why I don’t wake up so early is because I pick the presents out and wrap them, so I already know what I had gotten,” said Anderson. Christmas is the time of year we look forward to all year long. Everyone has different ways and different traditions they spend their time over the holidays. Christmas brings people together and is one of the happiest times of the year.