Redha k TimesLet’s Get Redhawky!Oct/Nov 2013

Westwood High School 180 Turkey Farm Road Blythewood, SC 29016 www.richland2.org/wht t

Vol. 2, No. 1

It’s college application time again and with college comes expenses like tuition, room and board, and books that add up to thousands of dol-lars each semester. How can you pay for it? With scholarships and loans. Here are some quick tips on how to get the money you need to go to the school you want: Step One: Research your schools. Go on school websites and check out what kind of scholarships they offer and what type of financial aid programs they provide. Step Two: Apply for as many scholarships as you can. “You can never apply for too many because if you don’t get one, eventually you will get another,” said junior Alandria Haynes. There are tons of scholarships out there including scholarships for tall people, inventors, bowlers, scuba divers and golf caddies. There are scholarships available for fashionistas who create prom dress/out of Duck Brand duct tape, bakers interested in “confectionary technology” (new candy/sweets invention) and scientists fascinated with crystallography (the science of crystals). You just have to look — and you can start that search in the College and Career Center. Step Three: Look at what kind of clubs or groups you can join that might offer members scholarships. Groups like Beta Club or honor so-cieties are always good bets. AVID teacher Stefanie Glover said, “There are more than just academic scholarships out there.” Even if you’re an average student, having athletic or artistic abilities or community service credits could get you a scholarship for college. Step Four: Fill out your Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application as soon as possible. This is for student loans with low interest rates, which

College expenses don’t have to be overwhelming

By Brianna Brooks

you’ll definitely appreciate when you get out of school and have to make those monthly student loan payments. College Specialist Lisa Faulkenberry shared the secret to getting money fast. “Turn in your application as soon as you can because the ones in first are the ones who get their money first. They are going to get a better amount and are almost definitely guaranteed money.“ FAFSA applications are due in January. “To get that money, make sure you turn that application in ASAP,” she added. Step Five: Make sure you stay calm and don’t stress out. Keep those grades up. Apply, apply, apply to both colleges and for scholarships. Save your dollars so you have minimal money worries come next fall.

Senior Shelton Hickmon visits with a recruiter from the Citadel in Charleston. Open to juniors and seniors, this year’s college fair brought in colleges from across the country and provided upper-classmen with the chance to speak with various representatives. Photo credit: Whitney Johnson

Follow these steps to get money you need for tuition, room & board, books, other costs

By Katie McCarthy

Sorry, we’re closed: The US government shutdown When the government shut down on Oct. 1, it left many Americans wondering what was yet to come. So what exactly is a shutdown, and what should you know in case it happens again? Congress has many duties, one of which is to pass a bill to fund the government by the end of the fiscal

year, which ends Sept. 30 and starts over the next day, Oct. 1. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly difficult for the Republican-run House and Demo-crat-controlled Senate to reach an agreement. But why has Congress had so much trouble reaching a decision?

This year, Obamacare was a sticking point. According to the Washington Post, the House originally passed a bill that would have delayed Obamacare for one year. Rejected by the Senate, the bill was reworked and voted on again and again. Unfortunately, Congress did not reach an agreement by the mid-night deadline, and the government was shut down the next day. There is only one way for a shutdown to end—Congress has to pass a bill. Sixteen days into the shutdown, Congress got their act together, and President Obama signed a bill into law on Oct. 17. During the shutdown, many feder-al agencies deemed “nonessential” found themselves either partially or entirely closed. This included the National Park Service, which lost over $30 million a day due to park closures. Tourist sites were also closed, including the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial, Library of Congress, the National Archives and the National Zoo. New applications for passports, gun permits and federal housing loans were no longer accepted.

NASA shut down its website and television channel, but mission con-trol was allowed to continue. The WIC (Women, Infants, and Chil-dren) program was put on hold, while the food stamps program (SNAP) was set to continue for a limited time. Nearly 800,000 federal work-ers found themselves furloughed (placed on a temporary, unpaid leave) and without a paycheck during the shutdown. Furloughed employees included aviation safe-ty inspectors, food inspectors and a number of agents from the FBI and CIA. Yet, according to CNN, the President and Congress were still paid due to the 27th Amendment, which outlaws any changes to their salaries. The shutdown is estimated to have cost $24 billion. Besides lost wages for workers, The New York Times stated that this shutdown may have slowed an already sluggish economy and reduced the country’s estimated GDP growth. The US may not be out of the woods yet, as government funding expires again on Jan. 15.The 2013 Homecoming Court: King Kevin Williams, Queen Jessica Briggs and First Run-

ner-Up Autumn Walters are crowned during Homecoming. Photo credit: Cozette Reschke

Dress Code: The total amount of hours given each morning due to dress code violations is crazy, to say the least. Students know exactly what the district dress code is, yet refuse to comply. The administrators this year aren’t play-ing around or being lenient like they were last year. You want to dress inap-propriately? Prepare for six hours detention. #sorrynotsorry

Athletics: Not only does Westwood have a brand new Athletic Director, Ja-son Powell, but we’re also welcoming in a few more sports that weren’t here last year. We’ve got a girls’ golf team and we’re hoping to introduce boys’ golf, lacrosse, and boys’ tennis as new teams this year. #trashcan

Hall Pictures: You’ve probably already noticed the 70-some-odd photo-graphs hanging in the hallways throughout the building. All of these pictures were supplied by Westwood’s Convergence Media program, and they’re set to be changed as needed. #pictureperfect

Traditions: Last year, our main goal was to make Westwood’s “firsts” the best possible. This year, Mr. Schmidt wants our focus to be on establishing great traditions. Step one of this process? “No excuses.” #justdoit

In 1963, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. In the speech, he called not only for equality and peace but for also jobs. Fifty years later, we’re still working on it. Back then, the unemployment rate was five percent for whites and 10.9 percent for blacks, according to an article in the Wash-ington Post. Today, it’s 6.6 percent for whites and 12.6 percent for blacks. While bet-ter than the 1960’s, our schools are more segregated today than in 1980, accord-ing to a study by the Pew Research Center. However, when it comes to voting in elec-tions, black voters have not only closed the gap but surpassed those of other races. Senior Abrianna Martin says the speech gives her inspiration and made a difference in the world. She said, “Society back then was tragic. Ever since he wrote and said his speech, he changed over millions of Ameri-cans lives and mindsets and howe as people should treat each other.” “Don’t judge a book its cover,” she add-ed. She believes King’s speech has helped create less strife and more understanding in our lives, that all races are more accepting of each other in today’s society. Eli Miller, sophomore, thinks the speech did not change the world, but it did change our country. He feels the issues Kings’ speech addressed were primarily in Amer-ica. Miller said, “The speech focused on

Summer is meant for Fun, Relaxing, and Exciting new Expe-riences. Freshman Anijah Lawrence: “I visited Puerto Rico where I was born, and I went to visit my family. It feels like home; it’s very different from South Carolina. It’s pretty hard to transition my language from English to Spanish other than that I loved it!” Junior Evan Cowles: “I went to an all-day concert in Char-lotte, North Carolina on July 30th from 9am to 11pm. It was defi-nitely exciting! I got to see a lot of bands. It was my second time. I went last year, and it was more nerve-racking because you’re in the sun all day so you have to make sure you stay hydrated. I’m going to try to do it every summer!”

After a year of anxiety, torment and distraught hearts, peace finally came to the Richland District Two communi-ty with the discovery of Gabrielle “Gabbiee” Swainson’s body in a deep grave in Kershaw County. The former Ridge View High School honor roll student was laid to rest at a “Celebration of Life” Aug. 18, 2013, one year after her disappearance. Destined to start the new school year as a rising sopho-more and member of the junior varsity cheerleading team, Swainson disappeared from her home in North Crossings on Aug. 18, 2012, after her mother left for work, accord-ing to The State. After Amber Alert was reported, news of Swainson’s disappearance ripped through the community. After a year of terror, prayers and candle-lit gatherings, the search is finally over. On Aug. 8, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced on WIS News, “The monster Freddie Grant took us to a location in Elgin where he bur-ied Gabbiee.” He said, “The search for Gabbiee is over...She is coming home.” Long a person-of-interest, Freddie Grant, a family ac-quaintance and neighborhood landscaper, was charged with kidnapping and murder. In return for showing author-ities where he buried 15-year-old Swainson’s body, Grant pled guilty and accepted concurrent sentences of 30 years with no chance of parole. The news that Swainson had gone missing scared peo-ple around the state and across the county. Many friends tried to contact her immediately, while hundreds of others offered up prayers for her safety and questioned why this could happen to an innocent teenager. “It felt unreal to me because I’ve never had someone that I knew personally go missing,” said junior Daven Chiles, a close friend to Swainson. Swainson’s murder left people speechless and heart-broken. But hearing about a missing child on the news doesn’t always affect individuals until it happens to some-one they know. Junior Lauren Garrison, one of Swainson’s best friends, is among those who wish they could have said a few last words to her before it was too late. “You are my beautiful Guardian Angel and there was a reason for you giving me that heart with the word Forever on it; That’s where you will always be, forever in my heart,” said the former Ridge View student. “She was always a caring person and when people were in need of help, she was always there for them,” junior Clanesha Munford said.

The Dance and Drama performance, Gullah Gumbo: Stories and Songs of the Sea Island, features a play that explores stories from the culture of the distinctive group of South Carolinians known as “Gullah”. “The fact that the students are writing this play from absolute-ly nothing is remarkable,” said Dr. Anne Richardson, Drama and Dance teacher. At first, the play began as a research project for the Drama III class. However, the students wanted to display their knowledge of the culture and decided to split the stories into differ-ent skits all narrated by Maum Bess, an old woman who lives on St. Helena Island. To write the script, drama students worked with Barbara Tomson, former PCA Literary Arts Program Director. “We hope to open everyone’s mind to new ideas when they see the sets and the props,” said sophomore Kathryn McCarthy, set de-signer. “I hope they were really, really entertained because the stories are funny and the dances are phenomenal. It’s fantastic,” said senior Kevin Holloway, who acts and dances in the show. The admission fee helps pay for the spring musical.

Staff: Brianna Brooks, Baili Byrd,

Bryanna Commander, Shayla Charles, Varsha Devarapalli, Alandria Haynes, Monique

Holland, Kevin Holloway, Kelsey Keesee, Katie McCarthy Jordann Patton, Wesley Randolph, Anisah Reed, Stephanie Seabrooks, Ashli

White

Photographers: Evan Cowles, Destini Evans, Lar-kin Hancock, Whitney Johnson, Cozette Reschke, Kelly Smeby

Faculty Advisor:Mary Brebner

To send a letter to the editor:RedhawkTimesWHS@gmail.com

To advertise:mbrebner@richland2.org

803.691.4049 x36072

Editorial PolicyThe purpose of the Redhawk Times is to inform the students, faculty and com-munity of Westwood High School of events and issues which affect them. The paper also serves as a communication link between the students of WHS and the community at large. Unsigned edito-rials reflect the opinions of the staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the faculty or administration. The Edi-torial Board, consisting of staff and ad-visor, make publication decisions. Two selected faculty members will be added to the board should a controversy arise that needs school-wide representation for arbitration.

NonDiscrimination PolicyRichland School District Two is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its pro-grams and activities. Inquries regarding the nondiscrimination policies should be made to:

Director of Human Resources6831 Brookfireld. Rd.Columbia, SC 29206

803.787.1910

Redhawk Times

Working hard to preparing for the new season, the Redhawk band pushed through long summer rehearsal days to perfect their show. Freshman trombone player Karrington Garner said the summer rehearsals were hot but added, “We kept pushing.” All sections of the band, including winds, percussion, brass and color guard, worked together to create a sound that has already garnered awards including a spot at State Finals, thanks to an eighth place win at SCBDA Upper State March-ing Band Championships on Oct. 19. “The parents and staff of the Redhawk Band are extremely proud of the in-credible hard work and dedication our students have demonstrated this year,” said Band Director Daniel Humber. “It is absolutely amazing that a small band of 19 winds, 12 percussion, and 9 Color Guard could achieve so much when compared to other bands in 3A, many of which are much larger in size,” he added. Marching band students must be dedicated and ready to perform. Garner, a first-time marching band student, said he joined band because it caught his interest. He’s stuck with it because he enjoys “the music and the excitement of performing.” Dedicated to making practices and getting better, sophomore Kaila Boyd is a color guard member who has always wanted to be a part of color guard. A part of color guard last year, Boyd said she is looking forward to getting good rankings in competition. Jalynn Nelson, freshman, is excited for her first competitive year in color guard. Nelson said, “I’m looking forward to improving and getting better rank-ings.”

By Kelsey Keesee

Missing teen Gabbiee Swainson laid to rest one year after her disappearanceHer killer plead guilty to kidnapping, murder; sentenced to 30 years with no chance for parole

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Alandria Haynes

Fifty years later, Martin Luther King Jr.’s message still powerful, going strong

issues that affected the African-American population of America. The speech did not have nearly as much impact on other coun-tries as it did here.” To him, the speech was a turning point in human rights for America. However, Miller does not believe that everyone will have a job, that the issue of employment will never be completely erased. Sophomore Del Hubble believes life these days did change because, if the speech did not lead to changes in this country, he would

still be living in Mexico, not here in South Caroli-na. Christi-na Harmon, senior, said, “The speech was very

important.” She believes if King did not give his speech, things would never have changed. “I do believe America will one day im-prove in our economy. A lot of people don’t have jobs; they will try to get money by go-ing back to school, taking a part time job, applying for unemployment check, or get-ting a retirement check,” she said. Junior Quinton Kleinert, an exchange student from Germany, feels King is inspir-ing, and the “I Have a Dream” speech, to this day, still moves him. He values freedom and equality and enjoys the speech because it gives hope for him. “Being an exchange student is pretty tough because you’re in an environment you’re not used to. So, I understood how uncomfortable it was for an African Amer-ican to be in an all white class. But, even though it is tough, I’m going to stick it out just like they did,” Kleinert said.

History teacher Katie Adams: “Going to Haiti really opened my eyes to what’s going on outside of the USA. I worked with the Special Needs Orphanage; working with very joyful children that are living in such bad conditions gives you a second look at your life.”

Summer means F.R.E.E.by Shayla Charles

By Baili Byrd

#TransformationTuesdayThis Year vs. Last Year

New year, hot sound earns band spot at State Finalsby: Bryanna Commander

Wearing their band whites and protective headgear, flutists Abigayle Mabey, sophomore, and Xavier Mill-er, freshman, know what it takes to succeed in marching band. Photo credit: Kelly Smeby

Teacher Katie Adams volunteers in Haiti, enjoying her time with the kids she met.

Student-created Gullah Gumbo brings SC culture to life through skits, performance

Getting ready for a performance takes plenty of practice and preparation. With a variety of skits and different stories, Gul-lah Gumbo is writ-ten and performed by dance and drama students. On Oct. 25, students had the op-portunity to see the performance during 6/7 periods, paying just $1 to see their peers in action. Mon-ey collected helps pay for other performanc-es. Photo credit: Lar-kin Hancock

On Oct. 3, the Convergence Media program hosted a media workshop for middle school journalists from Longleaf, Blythewood and Muller Road Middle Schools. Westwood students led sessions on layout and design, writing, pho-tography, video production and media production. Keynote speaker Mary King, sunrise anchor at WIS news, talked to students about a career in journalism and answered questions from the students.

by Stephanie seabrooks

Pre-Order Your

Yearbook Today!

only $60Order online at

www.yearbookforever.comand type in “Westwood”

or choose our

layaway program:$25 down

pay the rest by May 1st!

Contact yearbook advisor Mary Brebner at mbrebner@richland2.org or

803.691.4049 ext.36072to order or for more information

Over the summer, the Cross Country (XC) team prepared for their season with pos-itive attitudes and bright hopes to make it to regions this year. Returning members wel-comed new runners including a full team of girls, something they did not have last year. Head coach Brice Mann is pleased to finally have some more girls running for the team. “They are making improvements every day. By the end of the year, they should all be running great times,” said Mann. At the Run Wild Invitational on Aug. 24, the boys ran their pre-season at Sesquicen-tennial Park. With an team average of 20 minutes for the run, Mann decided there was much room for improvement. The team worked hard the following two weeks during practice by sprinting up numerous hills and with long, vigorous runs. By the end of the second week, everyone on the team improved their personal record (PR) by shaving off at least two minutes from their runs. Freshman A’keriah Praylow said she was a bit intimidated about her first race but, with the help of her coach, she was more than ready to run. During the first meet of the season on Sept. 11 at Crooked Creek Park in Chapin, the team’s fastest runner, Ereck Lewis, ran a 17:33, a a new PR for him. Lewis said he loves racing, and his favorite part about XC is the last 100 me-ters when he sprints to the finish. He enjoys the roar of the crowd as they applaud.

The first girls to play football at Westwood, freshmen Ma-lyia “Mason” East and Jada Balsinger know what it takes to be a part of a team. Both of the girls are on B-team and play defensive positions: East, #4, is a safety and Balsinger, #21, is a linebacker. Some people may think that as a girl playing football, you might be treated differently by your teammates. How-ever, Balsinger doesn’t agree. “Our teammates don’t treat us any differently, and we get hit as hard as anybody else.” She added, “But, when I wear my pink cleats when I play, I do get hit harder.” Because football is a male-dominated sport, being a fe-male football player can be challenging at times. There are always disadvantages girls have that boys don’t, said East, including muscle mass and raw power. However, East added that she is dedicated to the game and doesn’t give up easily despite her inexperience, even when this inexperience means that she misses more tackles than the guys on the team do. While Balsinger doesn’t hit as hard as most of the guys, she said is pretty good at catching the ball when it is thrown to her. Both girls had an interest in playing football when they were younger but haven’t had the opportunity to play un-til now. Now that they are playing on a high school team, they’re enjoying every aspect of the game. “I love getting pre-game and after-game meals and hanging out with my friends on the bus,” said Balsinger while East said, “I love being able to get on the field and play in the game. I think it’s really fun to make a tackle.” East wants to continue playing football for Westwood and plans to play for the next three years. “I believe that I won’t be able to play college football so I want to play as long as I can. Basically, I just want to make up for lost time.” Balsinger said this is her last year playing football, want-ing to focus more on her basketball skills.

Did you know that Westwood just established its first girl’s golf team in school history? Coached by Michael Do-breski, the team now has two wins under its belt. Dobreski has been playing golf for much of his life and has a lot of experience. During practice, he teaches the fundamentals of golf while throwing in some life lessons for good measure. “Coach D”, as Dobreski is known, said, “I love play-ing golf because it is relaxing.” He added he likes knowing that, when he gets older, “There is a sport I can play and enjoy, no matter how fat and old I get.” Of the six team members, the majority have never played golf before though they all believe it is a good experience to try something new. However, some players do have experience, something that helps the team’s standings and those who haven’t played before. Junior Elizabeth Holliman, one of the team’s top scorers, has been playing golf for five years. She said, “I enjoy golf because you learn how to be independent and how to be relaxed when playing.” She added, “It’s a sport of value, character and resilience.”

New girl’s golf team learns fundamentalsby Jordann Patton

Football’s not just for boys Two girls join Redhawk B-Team, enjoy success

By Ashli White

SENIORS! Come & get your senior ads! Check your Email or see a staff member for more info!

Run, Redhawks, Run!by Wesley Randolph

Cross Country team keeps eyes on improving times, PRs

During tennis practice, junior Kyara Livingston returns a serve alongside doubles partner sophomore Anna Bram-lette. The Varsity team won its first match ever against Lower Richland on Sept. 24. Photo credit: Baili Byrd

XC runner Kaleb Wilson, freshman, runs for the finish line in Run Wild Invitational at Seswuicentenial Park, cheered on by a large crowd. This was a pre-season run. Photo credit: Nina Brook, RNE