Crimson Record, Vol. 59, Issue 2, Nov. 2010 by The Crimson Record

thecrimsonrecor

Vol. 59 • Issue 2

duPont Manual High School, 120 West Lee Street

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November 2010

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visits l a u n a m

New Staff Big Brothers, Big Sisters Dance Disaster UofL Remodel

News

Passing the Torch A Star Among Us Tennis & Golf

Sports

Time Flies Teachers on Facebook Knights in the Nightmare Crimson Corner

Opinion

Wicked Lovely Dentures Comic Horoscopes Change of R&B

Entertainment

The Infamous Student Section Suicide Prevention Rutger Suicide I Object! Painting Spots November Calender

Features

the crimson record

staff

photo by Charley Nold

by Nick Beckman As the former principal of Male high School, Assistant Superintendant Joe Burks appeared calm and collected as he answered the questions of CMA Journalism 2 students. But on this day he wasn’t representing our rival school. Instead, he spoke on behalf of his boss, Superintendant Sheldon Berman. Earlier this year, CMA students in Mr. Miller’s Journalism 2 class had a class discussion about JCPS’ decision to close some schools that weren’t “up to par”. Once Mr. Burks caught wind of the class’s infatuation with the subject, he insisted on speaking to the students. When a date was finally set, the students and Mr. Miller met in the auditorium with Principal Larry Wooldridge and Burks, his boss. Although, he didn’t act like his principal’s boss when he answered the questions. Instead, he acted like an advocate for the school system, a

Editors in Chief Alyssa Johnson Isiah Fish

flashnewstoday.com

Writers

Trevor Griner Alexx Cooper Sarah Kinney Malesha Griffin Anna Dryden Rodney Cox

Workers put the capsule in the ground.

less constructive words as children such as ‘No’ and ‘Stop’ as opposed to following that up with beneficial phrases like ‘No, that’s not right. That makes me feel bad’ and so on.” For the rest of the meeting, the assistant superintendant spoke about different aspects of education in Kentucky and how we, as a state can overcome the low expectations set by other states and countries. According to World Top Ten on www.mapsofworld.com, in comparison to other countries, America doesn’t even rank in money spent on education. The meeting concluded at the end of fourth lunch, and even though Burk could not stay around for additional questions, no information was left out. Wooldridge summed up with a congratulations to the juniors for keeping their wits and representing Manual High School with poise and presence.

A Miner Rescue by trevor Griner

Editors

Gabrielle Webb (Managing Editor) Tianjian Lai (Managing Editor) Barrett Grider (Creative Director) Doc Surrell (News Editor) Craig Pearcy (Sports Editor) Rachel Niel (Opinion Editor) Virginia Johnson (Design Editor) Clara Campeau (Style Editor) Nikia White (Entertainment Editor) Juliette Rosado (Entertainment Editor) Mac Hahn (Features Editor) Coty Capps (Photographer) John Kenney (Business Manager) Nick Beckman (Advertising Exectutive)

mediator of sorts. The first question was dealt with the closing of schools within JCPS. Burks responded with a reference to the Diane Ravitch book, The Life and Death of the American School, which dealt with the changing of failing public schools and turning them into charter schools, which are public schools that receive public money and are not always subject to the regulations at traditional public schools. The second question hit a more “touchy” subject: Whether or not someone’s socioeconomic status affects his or her ability to learn. Again, Burk’s response was well thought out, wellworded, and thorough. He explained that people of lower class usually have less of an education than that of someone in say, upper-middle or upper class. “This is because,” explains Burk, “people with a lower socioeconomic status hear a lot

On October 13th, 2010, thirty-three Chilean miners were rescued from under 2,000 feet of rock after 70 days of surviving deadly circumstances. The men became trapped under almost 700,000 tons of rock on August 5th, which lead to their marathon survival. It is estimated that some 22 million dollars has been spent on the miners rescue, but the Chilean government says that money is not an issue and the health of the miners is what is at the forefront of the government’s thinking. The miners were rescued in a futuristic capsule that NASA helped design. It was thirteen feet tall and just wider

than the miner’s shoulders. It was painted white, blue, and red in honor of the Chilean national colors. President Obama was quick to recognize the efforts of NASA and the scientists that worked on this project when addressing the media after the final miner was brought to the surface. The final rescue completed an almost 23 hour rescue process and ended over two months of anxiety and worrying, including a two-week period where the miners were feared to have been dead. Mining is one of Chile’s main sources of income, providing nearly 40% of the country’s earnings. This was the most successful large-scale rescue in the history of mining tragedies.

News

By tianjian lai

Robert Barr Science, Rm. 304 Subjects/ activities: MST Chemistry/Science Fair Previously worked for: Ballard (7 years), Male (14 years) Favorite part about Manual: “The block schedule is really a selling point. It’s a better use of time” Fun fact: “I may be one of the few chemistry teachers in the world who thinks learning chemistry is easy.” Debora Cruze Social Studies, Rm. 139 Subjects/ activities: AP Macroeconomics, Adv. Microeconomics, Adv. American Government/Beta Club Previously worked for: Fern Creek (11 years), Shawnee (3 ½ years) Favorite part about Manual: “I love the enthusiasm.” Fun fact: “I collect moose because they’re so misunderstood.” Bev Meng Office Staff Previously worked for: Wilder (3 years) Favorite part about Manual: “The wonderful people, pace of high school, the history –a lot of things.” Fun fact: “I love dogs. I’m a pet sitter on the side.” Krista Just Office Staff Previously worked for: the city of Louisville (1 year) Favorite part about Manual: “All the teachers and staff seem to really care about the students’ wellbeing.” Fun fact: “I have five children.” Oliver Lucas Science, Rm. 311 Subjects/ activities: Honors Biology and Integrated Science/Head football coach Previously worked for: Bryan Station High School (4 years) Favorite part about Manual: “The students are unique from the standpoint that it is a diverse school eclectic for learning.” Fun fact: “I am a renaissance person. I try to make sure I say what I mean, mean what I say and be supportive of all students.” Russell Rigdon Security monitor/football coach Previously worked for: Bryan Station H.S. (2 years) Favorite part about Manual: “I like the staff and faculty, the kids are great, and I like the tradition. We’re about high standards.” Fun Fact: “I went to school in Daytona Beach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.” Ritchie Sharp Social Studies, Rm. 139 Subjects/ activities: AP Human Geography, AP World History, Adv. US History /Teenage Republicans Previously worked for: Olmstead North Middle School (8 years) Favorite part about Manual: “The students and their willingness to learn.” Fun fact: “I can clap with one hand.” Denee Walsh World Language, Rm. 109 Subjects/ activities: Adv. French I, Honors French I, Adv. French II, Honors French II/ Young Democrats, French Scrabble Previously worked for: PRP (13 years) Favorite part about Manual: “All the students seem eager to learn. The atmosphere is very positive.” Fun fact: “I taught for 2 years in the French West Indies on the island of Guadalupe.” Christopher Williams Social Studies, Rm. 135 Subjects/ activities: AP US History, Adv. US History, Honors US History Previously worked for: Butler (8 years), Fairdale (4 years) Favorite part about Manual: “It’s the best public high school in the state of Kentucky.” Fun fact: “I’m restoring my house. It was built in 1913. I’m also restoring my Willys Jeep. I’ve had it since I was 16.”

Big Brothers, Big Sisters by juliette rosado

Between the truckloads of homework and intense practices for the average DuPont Manual High School student,it’s hard to make time for anything extra anymore, let alone, volunteering. However students at Manual find a way to help the community anyway. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a national mentoring program that has been around for over 100 years. The program matches high school students and adults in the community with at risk children to serve as a role model. A volunteer known as a “Big” is paired up with a child known as a “Little”. The children range in age and come from all different types of backgrounds. Volunteers visit their Little for one hour every week either at the child’s school or at a local community center. The first thirty minutes of the hour is focused on homework or some kind of literacy-related activity including reading a magazine, writing journals and letter writing. The second half can be spent doing anything that both the Big and Little enjoy, such as painting, drawing, making crafts and playing sports. Students who volunteer are expected

to commit to their Little for at least 12 months, visiting the child usually on the same time and day weekly. A Bigs job is to be both a mentor and a friend to the child. Surveys show that 81% of former Littles agree that their Big gave them hope and changed their perspective on what they thought was possible. Research over the years also shows that the relationships built throughout this program impacted the children’s lives both physically and mentally. By participating in the program, children are more confident at school and are able to get along with their families and friends better. When asked why this organization is important, Ms.Williams, who is in charge of the program at Manual says, “It hopefully raises the self esteem and confidence of the child, in order for them to overcome obstacles and be successful in life.” The Big Brothers Big Sisters agency promotes diversity, and is a great learning experience for both the children and volunteers involved. For more information on the program, visit www.bbbsky.org.

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UofL Remodel by john kenney

Recently, private developers out of Valparaiso, Indiana began their 55 million dollar, construction plan at the Masterson catering site on South 3rd street. They began tearing down the old building to make room for a new fourstory building. The building will consist of housing and dorms being rented out to the University of Louisville, and will also include a first floor dining hall of new food services. The facility is said to be able to house more than 500 students, with a monthly rent of $650. The rooms will come fully furnished, and will be more upscale with granite counter tops and walk in closets. To add installations like this, the University of Louisville has had to work consistantly with private owners, due to the tight budgets they are presented with. Some of the restaurants included in the dining hall will be, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop, and Home Run Burgers & Fries. All of these will help bring money to the university and help house many of their students in a more upscale environment.

Dance Disaster By isiah Fish

As students entered Manual’s football homecoming dance on Friday October 8th, crackdowns on dancing etiquette were enforced by the administration in a rigid attempt to keep things PG-13. Staff members patrolled the dance floor, often walking through the crowd of dancing teens in order to split up those who were dancing “too closely.” “There were more adults on the dance floor than students!” says Michelle Brudner (9). “The administrators being on the dance floor kept kids from dancing.” Says Gabby Webb, winner of Homecoming Queen. “The dj cut the good hip hop tracks short, right when students started singing the unedited version of the songs.” A possible reason for the apparent increase in chaperones may have been related to dancing. The assistant principal, Mr. Kingsley was one of the chaperones at homecoming. “I don’t want to chaperone a dance where the students are an embarrassment.” He says, “There are many ways to dance appropriately. I want students to have fun.” Some students didn’t mind the chaperones. “You can still have fun without grinding,” says Tammy Nguyen (12) “A group of seniors just danced all night and had fun.” Assistant Principal Daryll Farmer was one of the chaperones.

“I thought it went well. We have an obligation to keep the crowd at an acceptable level, and we’ll be there for basketball homecoming too!” Another reason students disliked the homecoming dance was because of the strict guest-policy, which states that if you bring a guest, you must fill out a form and have the guest’s school fax it to manual with the school’s administrator’s approval. For some students this policy is too rigid. Some students skipped the dance completely because

Students dance at the Back to School dance.

of this rule. “They aren’t going to sell any tickets if people can’t bring guests.” Says Renee Groulx (11) The guest-policy is enforced so rigidly because in the past, when guests could enter without IDs, some of them proved to be troublemakers. “The bottom line is that being sticklers about the dance rules keeps students safe.” Says assistant principal Greg Kuhn.

photo by Naiyana Willliams

New Staff

November 2010

Sports

November 2010

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Passing the Torch BY NICK BECKMAN

season already underway, time will tell. At 5’9” Maya has already gotten the attention of her Manual coaches in addition to her club team, KIVA. But, as she blazes through her sophomore year, many are wondering what she will do after high school. “Right now, I’m just focusing on finishing up the year, but I think I will end up playing in college”, explains Maya. “Since I went with Deja on a lot of her college visits, I got an opportunity to meet a lot of coaches and put my name out there.” Maya claims that she’s looking at Big Ten schools for college, though it is in the best interest of her volleyball career for those schools not to be named until she makes a final decision.

Photo by Sally George

It’s been just over three months since former Manual volleyball player Deja McClendon left for college on a full-ride to Penn State, but as the 6’0 senior left, she passed her legacy on to her younger sister. Now a sophomore at Manual, and free from the shadow of her sister, Maya McClendon is on her way to the top, but she’s not looking to fill any footsteps. When Deja left this past year, she left behind her much more than a jersey and retired number. But, as they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In this case, Deja is the tree and Maya is the apple that has fallen from the best. But, how does Maya feel about that? Couldn’t she do just as good, if not better than her older sister? With the volleyball

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Golf

duPont Manual senior, Akash Mirchandani is one of 12 golfers in the nation to be named to the HP Scholastic Boys All American Team. Akash was named to this prestigious team after winning the Boys Individual State Title this month. He will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet in Florida. Congratulations to Akash and the rest of Manual Golf Team.

Information Courtesy of Dr. Michael Bewley: On Saturday October 16, the Manual Girls Tennis Team dedicated their new tennis facility and stadium at Central Park. The facility includes a total of six courts complete with bleachers and lights. The 2010 Regional Champion team coached by Tennis Pro Evan Bailey will settle for nothing less than the State Title in 2011. We urge your support for arguably Manual’s most talented team in years, for each squad member has either high county rankings or very high Southern Junior Tennis rankings.

Former NBA Star Substitutes BY malesha l. Griffin

tively, he still remembers his days as a professional athlete. Former NBA player and Louisville Spencer explained the rigorous native, Felton Spencer was a substitute schedule of a NBA basketball player. for World Civilization and AP European Morning practices usually began around History teacher, Coach Pendleton for nine. During this time, they were often three weeks in late September and early watching film of other teams, to learn October. their strategies, so they could better Spencer is a former University of defend. Then, the players were sent to Louisville student and NCAA player, who training, usually weight lifting. Later, the was drafted by the Minnesota Timberplayers would return for a two to three wolves, and later played for the Utah hour practice. After this practice, they Jazz, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and the New York Knicks. were able to have time for themselves. On game nights, players had to be there After leaving the professional league, Spencer began teaching. at least two and a half hours before the game started to prepare. “My mom taught around [Louisville], “The NBA is a lot of hard work, but and my sister teaches in North Carolina. it’s fun. [The difference between college They put the bug in my ear.” Spencer basketball and the NBA] is the speed said. Spencer also plans to continue substi- the of the game, and definitely the talent level,” laughs Spencer. tute teaching after he leaves Manual. After tearing his ACL and Achilles “I like meeting new students and faculty.” tendon, Spencer decided to retire. Spencer says. “I have no regrets. I had fun. The only Spencer enjoyed traveling with the regrets I have are my injuries, but I would NBA, but also enjoys the more laid-back do it all over again,” replied Spencer. schedule. As a former professional athlete, “I can stay home a lot more. You Spencer also had some advice for people make a lot of sacrifices [in the NBA]. looking to make that their career. Sometimes, I wasn’t able to be home for “Practice. Practice. Practice,” says Christmas or New Year’s.” Spencer, “A lot of guys don’t realize that Although Spencer now teaches in it takes a lot of work to get to that level.” Louisville and no longer plays competi-

Maya McClendon laughs with her teammates during a break in the game.

Tennis

E L A M

Opinion

November 2010

Waste

Teachers on Facebook

Before this year, I couldn’t imagine leaving my study skills to do schoolwork. I would see CMA and VA Juniors and Seniors leaving all the time, and I thought they were insane. All of my study skills classes were electronics tolerant, so I could play video games the whole time. I didn’t have anything I cared enough about to sacrifice extra free time. A couple weeks into the school year, I switched from Multimedia to Newspaper. I was uncertain, at first. I never really saw myself doing Newspaper. I always thought I’d go for a more modern class. From the very beginning, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but I knew what I wanted to change. I wanted to represent an art form often scorned and I wanted to make the paper modern in design. The Crimson Record could not be the same when I was done with it. Slowly, it looked like these things could be possible. I tentatively gained optimism. I spent my study skills playing Birth by Sleep and taking notes for my video game review. I forced myself to keep going rather than take a year to complete the game at my normal pace. I had a week to write this review, and it had to be as accurate as possible. My friends made fun of me for considering gaming as homework, but I took it seriously. I wrote an article I was proud of. For the first time since freshman year, I did work in my study skills, and it was not an obligation. I put twen ty-five hours of research into what amounted to one page. I wanted to write this article. I

Everyone loves receiving a new friend request on Facebook, but what about when that request is from your teacher? Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace enable us to connect with friends all over the world. Facebook now has over 500 million members, and websites like Twitter and MySpace are close behind. It’s available all over the world and unless certain privacy precautions are taken, all of your information can be seen by virtually everyone. Is it appropriate for teachers and students to share personal information like that with each other? With so many different kinds of people on Facebook, what’s the big deal with teachers creating accounts? In order to be effective, educators must have authority and I believe that when a student is given access to look at their teacher’s personal life— see who they are friends with, what they do on a day to day basis— the professional line between student and teacher becomes blurred. Major news organizations like CNN and the New York Times have reported on teachers being suspended or fired from their jobs due to inappropriate content on their profiles or relations with students. Like with the case of an elementary school teacher from Georgia who was fired from her job for posting pictures of herself drinking while on vacation in Europe. Even at Manual, student opinion of teachers on Facebook widely varies. Hannah Kingsbury (10) is completely opposed, saying “I wouldn’t be friends with a teacher on

started to care. When the final drafts were in, things got hectic. Now that I had articles, I could start my real job as Design Editor. I had high hopes. We had a basic outline for the front page. I had no idea that designing the newspaper would be a lot of work. Before I knew it, the deadline was approaching. And then we were a week past deadline. Make that two weeks past deadline. I don’t even know how far behind we were, but after all that work I know that Room 351 feels like a second home. Every White Day, I spend 90 minutes in Newspaper working on the design, scurry down to my study skills, scrawl “not returning” on the sign out sheet, and spend another 90 minutes trying to get a page done. If it was a Wednesday, I’d stay at school until 5:30. If I could get my hands on the program I needed, I’d spend time over the weekend as well. I always knew one thing about myself: I was a slacker. But for this one thing, I worked as hard as I could, and now it actually feels unusual to sit and read during study skills. It took me weeks of work to realize that I am not a slacker. I work very, very hard. Especially when I care.

By Anna Dryden

Facebook because it’s creepy. Teacher-student interaction should be limited to school. They shouldn’t be able to see your personal life and you shouldn’t see theirs.” Adrienne Meekus (12) is more open to the idea, saying “I would probably only add a teacher on Facebook after I graduate and I really loved their class.” And Kameron Johnson (11) is pretty relaxed about it, saying, “It’s not a big deal. I add my teachers on Facebook all the time. I can ask them about homework and stuff.” Teachers seem to feel the same, ranging from the strongly opposed, like Dr. Crawford, who says “adding current students on Facebook borders on unprofessionalism,” to the easy-going Mr. O’Bryan who says, “It’s just another way to communicate with students.” Many teachers at Manual create two separate profiles, one for their personal life, and one to use with their students, players, or graduates. While some teachers prefer to charge ahead into the world of social networking, some of them are just like our parents— confused. Teachers like Ms. Perkins, who says, “I tried to join, but I have forgotten my password,” and Ms. Norman have attempted to join the Facebook craze and found it just isn’t her thing. People will certainly surprise you. After researching and interviewing students and teachers alike, I’ll offer you some advice. Get used to the idea of your English teacher being on Facebook because just like the “Bedroom Intruder” YouTube video and silly bands, this is one trend that’s here to stay.

Knights in the Nightmare BY VIRGINIA JOHNSON

The first thing I noticed about Knights in the Nightmare was the title. I normally despise puns, but this one drew me in. The cover art was detailed and beautiful. At first glance, it’s just a tactics role-playing game. I expect to hop around a map, bash some bad guys, and watch a simple cutscene with well drawn anime characters that don’t so much as move their mouths. This game doesn’t exactly fit my expectations. Knights in the Nightmare is anything but simple. Most characters can’t move, so you have to change your attacks accordingly. Different classes have different ranges, and those ranges change depending on the

image (c) STING

BY VIRGINIA JOHNSON

Enemies, like this tree wraith, have wonderful character art.

environment. You play the “wisp.” You have no memories. You travel and encounter battles, where you control characters to defeat monsters. It is easy to tell what is the main focus of the game is: the art. Scenery is detailed and the characters are beautiful. Sprites are well animated and attacks are breathtaking. The intro at beginning of the game is stunning. But for all of the beauty you can see, the game is strangely lacking in the storyline. You are told what is happening around you, but you are not part of it. You aren’t told enough about yourself. You have no objective. In Super Mario, you want to rescue Princess Peach. In Pokémon, you’re trying to get all eight badges. In Knights in the Nightmare, what are you trying to do? Nothing. There’s nothing there to get you excited in the game. You don’t have anything to look forward to for the first few hours of playing. If you have never played a tactics game, beware. Knights in

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rimson C Corner

Dear Lady M, Okay, so my best friend and I met last year and immediately hit it off. I’ve never had a friend who was that close to me so fast. At first it was like the best time ever. We’d always hang out on weekends. We’d text each other constantly. We could laugh about the stupidest things, and we had sleepovers almost every weekend. We made videos and all this stupid stuff that friends do. This year, she met some new people, and just started distancing herself. She started texting me less, and it seemed like I came last with everything. She stopped hanging out with me as much and started hanging out with these new people she met. She’d still call me her best friend and everything, but it seemed like I was the only one doing my part. Oh, and she didn’t get me anything for my birthday but she made our other friend cupcakes, with their name on them. Am I wasting my time, in this relationship or should I keep trying to get us back on track? -One Sided Relationship Dear One Sided, This sounds a lot like some people I know. I know it’s really hard to try to balance your old friends with your new ones, so maybe they’re just doing the best they can. I know you probably miss the old days, but people change and you have to be willing to change with them or move on. I’m not saying don’t be friends, but you can’t expect it to be how it was forever. If it really bothers you, try talking to them. If they really are your best friend, they’ll listen, and you should too. You never know what their side of the story may be. If that doesn’t work, then maybe you need to change. It could be that your friendship is changing, so you need to too. It’s only a suggestion, but it might help you feel like you’re not doing all the work. -Lady M Send questions to crimson.corner@hotmail.com

weapons. Every fighter has a different range depending on whether the game is set to “Chaos” or “Law,” and each weapon only works in one of those. At the very beginning, you’re swamped with weapons you have no idea what to do with. “Trying to describe the Nightmare is very complicated everything that makes up Knights in the Nightmare would necessitate a tiny book,” and you’ll do best with prior says IGN writer Mark Bozon. experience. Luminous Arc is a In the end, Knights in the Nightmare is good game to start on. If you like like a collage of beautiful photos. Instead it, come back to Knights in the Nightmare, but good luck with the of being a masterpiece, it’s a piece of paper 30 minute long tutorial. You attack with masterpieces on it. It’s definitely a fun game and it’s worth buying, but it’s still with several classes of fighters, disappointing. The game doesn’t live up to and all of which have different its art. ranges of attacks and different

Entertainment

November 2010

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Bonanza by alexx Cooper

Horoscopes Sarah Kinney Coty Capps Capricorn (December 22-January 20) The falling leaves are a symbol of change, the kind of change that a steady person like you should try every so often. Aquarius (January 21-Febuary 19) When the sadness that accompanies change in season sets in, just remind yourself that someone’s day is brightened by you. Pisces (February 20-March 20) Go with the flow and you will receive the inspiration you have been looking for from an unexpected source. Aries (March 21-April 20) You are the luckiest sign this month. Venus and Neptune have a pleasant surprise in store for you little lamb. Taurus (April 21-May 21) Reconnecting with old friends can be just as invigorating as meeting new ones. So why not do both? Gemini (May 22-June 21) You are rubbing someone the wrong way even if they aren’t showing it. Think before you speak and act. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Look out for any and all new opportunities in your life. Trying new things is a great way to fill your inner void. Leo (July 23-August 22) Keeping focused and staying on course is a sure path to success for a determined Leo on the prowl. Virgo (August 23-September 23) It’s time for a hard worker like you to relax and give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it. Libra (September 24-October 23) You live in a world of mind and deep thought. Remember to stay connected with the real world too. Scorpio (October 24-November 22) You have to let go of the past in order to accept the future. Holding grudges wounds the soul. Sagittarius (November 23-December 21) Your energies need to be recharged and cleansed. Try a calming bath or productive room organizing.

The Change of R&B By Gabrielle Webb

In the world of R&B music, things are not always consistant. Musicians come and go, but a few stay and some even try to make comebacks. Some of the R&B song topics stay same, like sweet melodies of people confessing their love or how they lied and cheated or how deeply they just want to take the next step in a relationship whether it be strictly mutual relations or marriage. Many listeners have different opinions on how R&B has changed. Some appreciate it, others don’t think anything of it or believe that it simply isn’t the same. Artists that our parents listened to like K-Ci and Jo-Jo, Isley Brothers, Boys II Men and Baby Face will always be the kings of the genre. These artists are what many newer artists want to be like. Trey Songs in the September issue of Vibe Magazine said, “I always like to be noted as a great musician, but I would love to be one of the greats, like, if I could be half the performer that the Isley Brothers are I would be very proud.” As more new artists become relevant in the genre the older artists become more cherished. Victoria Marables, a senior, said, “The older artists, like K-Ci & Jo-Jo set the foundation that newer artists are building off of. The public has forced the industry to change direction to more sexually advanced lyrics. It’s not like they weren’t talking about sex then, it’s just more obvious now.” Many other students at Manual had this same attitude. Rodney Cox, a senior, said, “The new stuff is getting annoying. The new artists should try something fresh.” DJ Diamond Cuts spoke of this topic

Wicked Lovely Ink Exchange Fragile Eternities Radiant Shadows Darkest Mercy (To Be Released) Series by Melissa Marr Following the story of Aislinn, a young girl with the ability to see Faeries- and a deathly fear of what she sees- the reader advances through the books as Aislinn is pulled deeper into the world of Faeries. When a Faerie King takes interest in her, she is faced with the choice to become a “Summer Girl”, to die, or to accept an offer she has been warned against ever since her mother disappeared. The Faerie have four courts: the Summer Court, Winter Court, Dark Court, and High Court. Aislinn distances herself from her friends and family and does her best to escape the Summer Court King, hiding from his subjects in a train made of iron, a poison to Faeries. This is four-part series, with a

and Niall) are all characters that are only mentioned briefly. In the second book, however, they are the main characters. I was held by the way Marr introduced and developed the aspect of Faeries. She holds true to myths that have been around since mythology began; that Fae are terrifyingly beautiful creatures. Marr builds up the absolute horror that the Fae can inspire with the Dark Court, whose subjects feed on the suffering of others, and contrasts that with the High Court, where the subjects thrive on tradition and class. As one of the most captivating stories I’ve read, this series is a must for those interested in the magical world of Faerie. And for those readers who are interested, but just can’t follow a five-part series, watch for Wicked Lovely in theatres! Similar books for those that enjoy these: The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint

fifth and final book to be released soon, that I have followed ever since the very first book reached my hands, a series that is fantastically written. The cover art captures the eye of the reader immediately with its dark beauty. The second book, Ink Exchange, features a tattoo of a wing coming out of a girl’s shoulder blade and blossoming into a real wing, fitting in well with the plot of that book. Every successive book reveals its own plot, and rarely ever imitates the others. The same characters appear in each book, allowing the reader to develop deep connections with each of them. The background characters from the first, for example (Leslie, Irial, in a radio broadcastin October. She said, “The game had changed. When we had young, 14 or 15-year-old Usher talking about sex.” Let’s get real, it’s obvious that more and more teens are having sex. The number of girls pregnant in high schools increases every year. Young people are the ones who buy the music though. People are out here trying to get money so they’re going to market to a younger

audience. A prime example is Pretty Ricky. Half of their fan base was younger than 18, and what was their hit record… Grind With Me!” As many can agree, old and new R&B have always told the same stories of lust, love, and lies but it nowthe lyrics are raw. The audience as a whole hasn’t dismissed the genre but a lot of its critics would like to see a change in the music for the more innocent.

Features

November 2010

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The Infamous Student Section “Booooo!!!” The strong, bellowing voices are all that you hear bellowing out from Manual’s side of Manual’s stadium. Not because of the action on the field, but because of what was happening on the sidelines. Trinity High School’s students and fans, dressed in their school colors of green and white, are greeted by die-hard, screaming manual fans. Unfortunately, Manual students are fiercer than the opposing team’s. Popcorn and bottles fill the sky and are highlighted by the stadium lights. Parents and some on-lookers are terrified and amazed at the sight. Some of the game-goers are scared, others amused while they cross in front of the infamous manual student section.This section was be mostly enticed by the senior class of 2011. They start another war-like chant “DUPONT! MANUAL! DUPONT! MANUAL! YEAH!” This time pumping a fairly small freshman up and down and tossing him in the air. Most students who attend Manual believe our student section is more rowdy compared to past years. A senior, Craig Pearcy, who attended the Manual/ Trinity game, had this to say, “It was uncalled for, for the opposing team to come on our side because they’re asking to start unnecessary altercations. Plus I think it was very unsportsmanlike.” Most of the participants in the student section think that if the opposing team had stayed in the away seats things wouldn’t have been such a big problem and wouldn’t have reached “violent levels”.“We scream and we have spirit, we tailgate, we paint up, and to parents we seem like we go too far and are out of line but it’s all out of fun and love of the game” said one senior of duPont Manual, defending the student section. While most students have this same

attitude, some students have seen the change in the student section of the years.“I don’t think when I was here our student section was that wild” said Nick Williams a 2010 graduate. Many different graduating classes didn’t expect to see how the student section had changed this year. A junior, Dionna Cleveland, thinks that without the student section manual football games wouldn’t be as fun to go to, or be as entertaining. “They are rowdy and sometimes it can end up in a fight, but it’s funny how we can lose in the end but have such a big section I think its fun, and I think the student section can do what they have to do but they shouldn’t get everyStudents cheer in the student section. one in trouble and ruin it for everybody else.”As many can agree, our student section is rowdy and sometimes uncontrollable By Alexx Cooper but everyone knows that is how a student Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers section is supposed to act. Another junior, University in New Jersey, committed suicide Andria McCravy said “the student section is on September 22 of this year. It is believed good for the football team because it allows them to know we are still behind them.”Even that he committed suicide over a video his roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another fellow though there aren’t really any official rules student, Molly Wei, made that showed him on duPont Manual’s student section we engaged in a sexual encounter with another should all respect the art of the game, act male.While Ravi and Wei are being charged kindly to one another and have sportsmanwith multiple third- and fourth- degree like conduct. After all we are representing counts of invasion of privacy (for placing the duPont Manual. video online and for viewing it, respectively),

photo by Josh Beal

Gabrielle Webb

Rutgers Suicide

Suicide Prevention By Nikia White

With the suicide prevention awareness program that’s occurring around the state, a mandated informational video was showed to the DuPont Manual student body, to bring some awareness to the students and to inform students of identifying suicide victims and preventing suicide from happening.For some students the program really affected them, which was the initial point of the video, but for some students it really wasn’t informative, nor did it have a huge effect. In fact 9th grader Danielle Kitchen said the video was “funny.” This wasn’t the purpose of the video, the purpose was to bring awareness to the seriousness of suicide. This brings questions to the effectiveness of the video. “It was hard to take the video seriously.” Senior Erica Less told. “If the video was different, I would’ve taken it more seriously. The way it was portrayed was bad.”Another problem that could’ve affected the seriousness of the video could be the “Permanent nap” phrase, which is frequently used as a joke. “My friends

on Facebook use [permanent nap] in their statuses sometimes.” Sophomore Thomas Davidson says. “It’s kind of a big joke.”Davidson is speaking about the usage of the term “permanent nap.” According to many of the students here at Manual, the phrase isn’t taken very seriously, considering the seriousness it could have in some circumstances. In fact on Facebook, there is a group called “Permanent Naps.” If a user “likes” the group, it will be added to the activities section on the user’s profile, adding to the comical version of the phrase. “I think people turn it into a joke.” Junior Danielle Hampton, who doesn’t think the phrase is so funny, shared. “There people out there who really take that seriously.” Many students also said that if the acting wasn’t so bad and the delivery of the video was more modern and updated, then they would’ve taken it more seriously. Many students also agreed that they took the message seriously, but didn’t fully grasp the message through the video.

many wonder whether Ravi should not also be convicted of manslaughter.The dictionary defines ‘manslaughter’ as the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought. What happened with Clementi seemingly fits this description. Shelby Wones (10) agrees with this, stating, “the release of someone’s sexuality is pretty sever, so I say, yeah, he should be charged.” Laura Oropesa (11) elaborates on this. “You don’t go around putting people’s ‘gay webcam sex’ on the internet unless you want to ruin their lives.”However, others disagree. Andrew Blum (12) said, “He shouldn’t be let go, but he also shouldn’t be charged with manslaughter,” to which Caitlin Carter (11) very simply added, “suicide is a choice.”Assistant Principle Kingsley expresses his thoughts on the matter, “because of things like Facebook and Twitter, it has become O.K. in our society to post people’s personal life online. For some people, it blurs the lines. Would it have been different if it was a video of [Clementi] and a girl?” Kingsley goes on to conclude that he feels manslaughter isn’t the “best thing to charge [Ravi] with, but he does need to be punished.”All around duPont Manual, students who have heard of the “Rutger Suicide” have their own opinions. Being a widely known event, many have strong feelings about the conviction of Ravi, Wei, and Clementi’s suicide.

I Object!

By Tianjian Lai and Sarah Kinney

An elderly grandmother without health insurance gives her sick granddaughter the wrong medication because she can’t afford to buy the real one. Should she be charged with reckless homicide in the death of her own grandchild? This hypothetical event is the main case that members of the Manual Mock Trial team will face in their bid for the state title this year. Mock Trial is a competition that draws high school teams of 6 to 12 students interested in a career in the legal system. Students come from almost fifty different regions, including Guam and South Korea. Kentucky’s Mock Trial team has been considered one of the strongest nationwide, and consistently places among the top fifteen teams every year. Members of Mock Trial are required to have excellent speaking skills and be able to work well in a team. “I love Mock Trial because it teaches me about proper courtroom presentation. You develop the skills of confidence, poise, and teamwork. Everyone on the team has significance to our success,” says junior Amanda Allen. Mock Trial is a challenging test for all participants, with tough cross-examinations that have even reduced witnesses to tears. During competitions, team members are assigned different roles comparable to a real-life courtroom trial. “I have been both a lawyer and a witness and I realize the importance of the responsibilities of both,” says Allen. Participants must also be able to see both sides of the case and must be able to switch from prosecution to defense given a half hour’s notice. The team devotes many hours to practices, holding meetings every Monday and Friday and having scrimmages that pit themselves against each other or against local rivals Collegiate and Eastern High School. Despite the demanding requirements to succeed, members agree that the team is well worth the effort. “If you are interested in law, you get to network with lots of judges and lawyers from across Kentucky,” says junior, Maggie Heine. Students interested in a career with medicine will also benefit from involvement, since this year’s main case involves the issue of medical malpractice. “Ultimately,” says Allen, “Mock Trial gives you experience that will help you in the courtroom and in life.” Last year, Manual made the state finals, and although the members of the 2010 team have already graduated, this year’s team, led by Sponsor Patrick Stevenson is looking to repeat that accomplishment and even win the state title in March. If Manual wins the state championship, they will be eligible to go in May to Phoenix, Arizona to participate in the national competition.

Features

November 2010

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Painting Spots BY Alyssa Johnson

Many Jefferson County High Schools, including Fern Creek and PRP, allow their senior students to purchase their own parking spot that they are allowed to paint with a design of their choice. At the end of the year, the parking lot is repainted black and the process continues with the new year’s seniors. This gives students the chance to show their creativity and eye for art while also giving them a spot of their own in the parking lot. It’s recently been discussed why we, here at manual, aren’t allowed to do this same thing with our seniors. “Manual is an absolutely beautiful building with a beautiful campus. Anything that is put on Manual’s campus has to be approved by the city because it has to blend in with the surrounding Old Louisville buildings. I also think that painting the parking lot would take away from Manual’s beauty and class,” said principal, Larry Wooldridge. There are 240 parking spots allotted to seniors each year. With the idea of students painting their spots, more students might want to comply, there-

fore not leaving enough spots to every student and thus becoming unfair. As of now, the parking spots are given out on a first come, first serve basis. Students are split on their thoughts on having their own spots. “I think it would be a waste of time. The lot is never full so there’s no need for individual spots. Plus, you have to think about the use of profanity and how to wash it,” said Parker Melton (12). “It would be nice to get to school and know you’d have a spot. I don’t necessarily think we should paint them but we should have our own spots,” said Madeline Bowling (12). It should also be known that students from the University of Louisville and other visitors use Manual’s parking lot when school isn’t in session and they’d witness this artwork as well. Because of a tough process to be followed through Old Louisville Manual seniors shouldn’t get their hopes up. “Even if it was approved by the people of Old Louisville, I cringe to think of it happening,” he said.

November Calender - 11/02: No School

photo by Coty Capps

- 11/03: 3 PM SBDM in Rm. 129

The senior lot will remain unpainted to instill it’s beauty.

- 11/05: End of 2nd 6 Weeks - 11/08: PD Day: No School

- 11/09: Faculty Meeting: 7AM YPAS, 2:30PM Manual - 11/10: Balfour Ring Orders in Cafeteria

- 11/16: 7:40-7:50: Homeroom Report Cards - 11/24-11/26: Fall Break

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