Scotty’s Story

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Viking VoiceViking Voice By: Mariah Gardner

I Spy...

By: Courtney Smith

Community High has been in national news lately because of three selfless boys coming together to give a very special friend a night he’ll never forget. You all know the story; on homecoming night, sen-iors Jesse Cooper, Drew Gibbs, and Zeke Grissom agreed that no matter who was crowned king, the medal would be handed over to CDC stu-dent Scotty Maloney. Their kind act has landed the trio interviews with some very important people. The spotlight has been focused on them and their side of the tale, but what about Scotty’s story?

Scotty Maloney is a senior at Com-munity High this year. He has spent the past four years here and loves it. As a CDC student Scotty gets to stay here until his twenty-second birthday. Re-gardless of which year he gets to walk at graduation, Scotty is a beloved mem-

ber of the class of 2013.

Kalab seems to have jumbled

up his keychain collection. Can

you help him find a few that he

wants to show Courtney?

Power T

A shy, purple friend

A cross

A surfboard

A puffer fish

Evil Stewie Griffin

An abacus

According to Maloney, he has known Zeke, Drew, and Jesse for as long as he has been at Community. During Scotty’s gym class, the three stop in to assist Coach Mark Neill and usually end up playing with Scotty and other members of the CDC class. “They’re my best friends,” Scotty comments.

On the night of January 21, Scotty’s mother, Jo “Mama Jo” Maloney, got Scotty all dressed up and headed out to watch a wholesome night of Vikings’ basketball. Little did Scotty know that this night would be so much different than any before.

When the crowd rose and cheered, Maloney says he felt so, so happy. It was his favorite part of the whole night. After being crowned the “Viking King” as he

calls himself, he has become fa-mous. His story has made it all the

way from little ol’ Unionville to Good Morning America.

Scotty’s story is so sweet, very befit-ting of his personality. He is a pleasure to be around and very grateful for the honor that was bestowed upon him. Scotty wishes to tell the boys, “Thank you; you’re my best friends.”

Best friends Zeke Grissom, Jesse Cooper, Scotty Maloney, and

Drew Gibbs pose for a picture.

2

By: Luis Pedraza Weirdo Awareness Days

M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T

1. Wear Red Day

2.

3.

4.

5. Disaster Day and Weather-man Day

6.

7.

8.

Laugh and

Grow Rich

Day

9.

Read in the

Bathtub

Day

10.

11.

White T-shirt

Day

12.

13.

Get a Different

Name Day

14.

Valentine’s

Day

15.

16.

17.

My Way Day 18.

Thumb Appre-

ciation Day

19. 20.

Love Your Pet

Day

21. 22.

Single-

Tasking Day

23.

24. 25. 26. Tell A

Fairy Tale

Day

27.

Punch a Clock

Day

28.

National

Tooth Fairy

Day

Feb

ruar

y 2013

M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T

1.

2. Old Stuff Day

3. I Want You to be Happy Day

4. Toy Soldier Day

5.

6. Fun Facts About Names Day

7. 8. 9. Panic Day and Get Over It Day

10. Mario Day

11. 12. 13. Earmuffs Day and Open an Umbrella In-doors Day

14. Save a Spider Day

15. Buzzard Day

16. Lips Appre-ciation Day

17.

18. Awkward Mo-ments Day

19. Lets Laugh Day

20. 21. Memory Day

22. International Goof-off Day

23. Kick Butt Day

24 / 31. Bunsen Burner

Day (31st)

25. Letting Go of Stuff Day

26. Make up Your Own Holiday Day

27. 28. Hot Tub Day

29. 30. Pencil Day

Mar

ch 2

013

FCCLA Week

Editor’s Corner

It’s the season of love; birds are singing in the trees, couples are seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, and I’m sit-ting at home in my sweats with my best friends, Ben & Jerry, watching Stepbrothers for the three-hundred and fifty-seventh time. Being single for Valentine’s day is no doubt awful, but I have learned to cope.

I am a super-busy person and frankly don’t have the time (or energy) for a relationship. I know there are many of you who are the same way. An even more re-latable trait contributing to my singleness is my horrible luck with guys. After eighteen years, I have given up and succumb to my solitariness, or independence as I like to call it.

surrounding myself with oodles of happy couples, I decided to treat myself the Tuesday before. I went to Nashville and saw my boys, the Nashville Predators, take the ice after the forever long lockout ended. Happy couples aren’t my thing, but giant, sweaty men beat-ing the crap out of each other defi-nitely is!

My point in all of this is simple: even if you’re single you can still enjoy the day of love. Take yourself out, enjoy some “me time,” do something you love, and relish in the fact that you’re you and no one can change that. To quote Minnie from the book The Help and movie of the same name, “You is kind. You is smart. You is impor-tant.” Happy Valentines Day, guys!

I believe that before anyone else can love you, you have to love yourself. I also believe that God has the perfect person waiting for me. For those reasons, I am con-tent with my independence for now. As for my spare time that would otherwise be spent with my significant other, I am choosing to spend it on, well, myself.

Since all the couples went out to eat on the day of Valentine’s Day and I don’t find any enjoyment in

It’s that time of year again: FCCLA

week! The club is up and running with

great ideas for how to celebrate this

honorary time.

On the

first day of

FCCLA week,

February 11,

the club

showed their

appreciation

of teachers

by handing

out 100

Grand bars

with a note attached that said, “You’re

worth more than one-hundred grand!”

On Tuesday, FCCLA gave valentines

“hugs and kisses” to their loving mem-

bers. This went over great, then they

also hid logos around the school. For

the lucky few who found them, they

received a glorious prize of Sun drop and

Hershey's kisses.

Wednesday and Thursday, FCCLA

took to their normal Valentine’s sale:

Carnations! The

price went up

this year, unfor-

tunately, but

sales were still

great due to an

amazing student

body.

Though what

the group had

done up until

this point was great, what follows is an

amazing show of the quality and love

burrowed deep within this club. Mrs.

Joanne Thomes was a beloved teacher

here in this school and still is greatly

cherished by many, but, since her stroke

she has been unable to come back to

teach.

She had been doing well and was

on her way home when FCCLA de-

cided to donate a food basket to her

family. Really, who doesn’t enjoy nu-

tritious, ready-to-eat food? If nothing

else, they all just wanted to put a

smile on her face. Many students

signed up for and filled a heaping bas-

ket for the teacher who is dearly

missed.

3

By: Paige Vincion

By: Mariah Gardner

“We have so much more room for activities!!”

Defining Deason

Match Made in Heaven

Couples need to

be able to mesh and

cooperate with one another

in order to have a happy relationship. You both need to have

similar interests and dislikes. With a simple compatibility test

you can see who would most likely be a good match for you.

In honor of finding that perfect match, the Viking Voice put together a compatibility survey. They had asked that all homerooms give out a compatibility test to their students. They then compiled the results and matched students up with their closest match. May the love be ever in your flavor!9* ***Please note, this is FAKE and only for FUN!!

Also, we had over 250 surveys turned in, so we

took the most compatible couples from each grade.

Love can be a lot of things, and it can also have a lot of

different meanings depending on what person you ask. Love

is beautiful, but love is also complicated. Love is like a cake,

many ingredients are thrown together and mixed up to make

something that turns out to be wonderful. However, without

the right ingredients, the outcome can leave a nasty taste in

your mouth.

To make a good relationship you must first have the right

ingredients, or compatibility. Compatibility is existing or

performing in harmonious, agreeable, or congenial combina-

tion with others. In other words, you are able to stand being

with one another and have similar things in common.

Have you ever had a situation where everything your sig-

nificant other did would drive you crazy? Or maybe you

could never agree on what T.V. show to watch because you

hated what the other person had picked? This was most

likely a lack of compatibility.

Going into her second year of teach-

ing, Mrs. Deason is ecstatic about teach-

ing here at Community High. After

graduating from MTSU, Mrs. Deason

began her teaching career at King’s

Daughters’ school in Columbia teaching

CDC. She then, within the same year,

began to teach ELA (English Language

Arts) and math at Tullahoma’s East Mid-

dle School and interned at Coffee County

Middle School in eighth grade ELA.

Mrs. Deason became a teacher in or-

der to meet the demand for special edu-

cation teachers. When asked why she

enjoys teaching, Mrs. Deason courte-

ously replied, “I’m meeting a need and

By: Kalab Fulton

making a difference. I love to learn and

hope to instill this into others.” Most of

Mrs. Deason’s children are older; however,

one of her stepdaughters is a sophomore

here at Community.

Outside of school, Mrs. Deason is ac-

tively involved in her church. She loves to

sing in the choir and bake food for her

church. She also likes to travel on a multi-

tude of mission trips. So far she has gone

on a medical mission in Honduras and a

building mission in Ecuador. She has also

helped with the flood recovery program

Hands on Nashville.

Mrs. Deason loves Community’s small

By: Courtney Smith

4

country atmosphere and the amazing

folks who work here. Mrs. Deason was

pleasantly surprised by how comfortable

and stress free she has felt at Community

compared to other schools. Community is

lucky to have such a devoted teacher who

wishes to keep pursing her career here at

Community.

Mrs. Deason is ready to begin class.

Shelby Seibers and Garret Mikulka

pose for a fun-loving picture.

Courtney Smith and Jesus Abarca

are a real match made in heaven.

Chase Mooneyham, Megan Williams, Tori Broiles, and Zach Holton all

pose in shock at who they were paired up with.

Vincent Fausnaught and Alex Milliken

show off their love for each other.

Look Who Matched up

5

Quote of the Month

This month’s quote goes out

to all of the wonderful

Community High seniors. As

graduation approaches, there

are many deadlines for

scholarships, school

applications, etc. All this hectic

running around can leave you

extremely discouraged and

exhausted. Remember this

quote by Dale Carnegie when

events and struggles begin to

smother your livelihood:

“Take a chance! All life is a

chance. The man who goes

furthest is generally the one

who is willing to do and dare.”

The next moment you find

yourself falling asleep while

doing homework (which is due

first thing in the morning),

take a deep breath, and dare

yourself to go further. When

you feel like giving up,

reminisce on all the dedication

and preparation put in to

achieve your goal.

It’s okay that you feel as if

the world is throwing too

much at you. Just keep in mind

that victory is all the sweeter

when you’ve battled the storms

and mountains and the

darkness and cold.

Here’s another trick:

promising yourself that you

WILL keep going toward each

and every finish line enables

understanding and also makes

some really cool memories. At

the finishing of your races, stop

and dance like a lunatic, sing

to the wind, and say to

yourself, “Who cares if I look

weird? I did it!”

By: Holly Crowder

Written By: Ramon Gonzales “In the Year 1984”

Freedom is an oddity In this modern world. No matter what kind

Our every move is watched

In the year 1984.

Rebellion feels like the answer. There are those that agree.

There are far more that disagree. Love may be the answer

Or it may be the destruction.

Trust is a scarcity here, But this time it feels right.

However, in an instant that can disap-pear.

What seems to be real Turned out to be a betrayal.

Only the love remains,

But tortured fear looms. Nightmares do come true,

And the battle is lost

In the year 1984.

By: Brandon Marks

This poem is a response to the book

1984 by George Orwell. This was part of

the book report assignment in Mrs.

Segroves’ English I class.

“Take a

chance! All life

is a chance.

The man who

goes furthest

is generally the

one who is

willing to do

and dare.”

- Dale Carnegie

After attaining the goals you set

in life, you can call yourself the

“man who goes furthest.” You did

because you dared - dared to take a

chance. As senior year becomes

filled with races, the seniors of

Community High School (the best

school….period!) can look back on

all the chances taken, all the times

they dared to work just a little

harder, but, at the same time,

seniors can apply Carnegie’s quote

about daring to the journey they are

collectively about to take upon

graduating.

Whatever goal you have, run the

race toward it with this

inspirational saying in mind. Who

knows; you might just find yourself

daring to go a little bit farther on

the track.

Writer’s Spotlight

6

By: Mariah Gardner

I will preface this review with this: Lovescan is proba-bly, no, definitely worthless. But, gosh, is it fun?! All my friends and I were to-gether and played with it; we all tried it like five times. It supposedly tells you by super high tech means if you are compati-ble with the other person. The app is totally not functional, but it’s pretty fun to play with, and it’s FREE in the App Store!

Weird Apps

This app is, again, probably not functional, but oh-so-fun! I’m pretty sure you can’t get a perfect score, but you can get

close. The most com-patible with anyone I

found was a 7.9 out of 10 (or 79%). I think I played with this thing for 20 minutes straight. It’s a free Apple app; what do you have to lose?

Lovescan iHeart Love

Community takes pride its

teachers and faculty; therefore, it is

its honor to welcome Mrs. Dyer to

its staff. She has said that she

adores Community’s atmosphere

and is thankful for the teaching

opportunities Mrs. Leverette has

provided her with. As a mother of

two kids who do not love math,

Mrs. Dyer wants to share her en-

thusiasm for math with other stu-

dents who do.

After attending MTSU to earn

her bachelor’s degree in mathemat-

ics, she has now come to Commu-

nity High School as a student

teacher. When she arrived here, she

had set one goal for herself: get

our students ready for the EOC.

She plans to work her students

hard but on a one-on-one basis.

Mrs. Leverette’s classes have the

privilege of experiencing Dyer’s

hands-on methods of teaching

such as groups, activities, and Power-

Point. She finds it easier for her stu-

dents, along with herself, to work and

learn in this environment.

Mrs. Dyer is looking forward to

teaching any high school level math.

She enjoys the high school settings

where she doesn’t have to walk a child

to the water fountain or bathroom.

She hopes to get a teaching position

Student Teacher Feature By: Courtney Smith

This app is bonkers but actually is pretty neat. You can put your face on this little dancing thing; and, well, it dances to the music you have on your iPhone or iPod. You can change this crea-ture’s clothes, and it will shake it until your heart’s content, all for free.

Love Booth

here at Community. However, teach-

ing was not her first choice in occu-

pations. Dyer was originally seeking a

career as a lawyer. In the end, she

ended up perusing a field of work

that she enjoys and loves. Commu-

nity is so thankful to have her here

and teaching at the best school PE-

RIOD!

Three good app reviews? What?! That never happens! Let’s break the trend, shall we? This app is pointless!!! I mean; it’s entertaining for about thirty seconds then becomes ridiculously annoy-ing. The controls are awful.

The graph-ics are aw-ful. The sound is awful. This app in its entirety is awful, but it’s free, so feel wel-come to waste your time.

Vday Sucks Free

Mrs. Dyer makes instructing a class look easy.

Up-Close and Personal By: Brandon Marks

Dumbest Fights By: Holly Crowder

Everyone has a story to tell about someone else who

did the dumbest thing to this chick or that guy; well, as

it turns out, dumb fights can also be pretty funny. Here

are a few from around the school:

“I once told Connor Pope I didn’t

like his glasses, and he cried for a

week and followed me around until I

told him I was only kidding.”

- Ali Armstrong

7

Pay very

close attention

to the following

pictures. Try to

figure out what

they are. The

answers will be

on page 9.

Good luck!!

“When I was young, my brother

and I got in a HUGE fight over a ring

box. He took it and ran for his room. I

caught him, barely, and stole it back.

He grabbed my leg, and I fell, catch-

ing the door knob. He bit my leg,

drew blood, and left a huge bruise, all

over a ring box (Crazy!).”

- Victoria Brown

“The dumbest fight I’ve ever had

been in with the opposite sex was

with a boy in the eighth grade because

he told me he had a glove that could

catch lightning, and I said that he and

his glove were both invalid.”

- Constance Seagraves

“I broke up with a girl because she

was an Auburn fan, and I’m a ‘Bama fan

all the way.”

- Ty Cook “My mom told me to put my paper

plate in the oven (she meant the wood

heater). I put it in the oven as I was told.”

- Brad Perry

“The dumbest fight I’ve ever had was

that girls add too many extra letters,

punctuations, and smiley faces to mobile

communications (i.e. - Heyyy!!! ;D). We

discussed that no one really talks like

that EVER! Smh -__-”

- Alex Powell

“I once had a fight about vegetarians

and how the lack of protein was worse

than the fats they contained.”

- Ian Cunningham

“Apparently girls think they

aren’t complicated, when, in

fact, God himself is the only

one who can reach into the

depths of a woman’s brain and

emotional imbalance to find

even a seed of understandable

thought/emotion. I pray for

understanding in this area to

prevent unnecessary fighting

based on the woman’s lack of

understanding of her own

complicated nature.”

- Garrett Mikulka

Viking Voice Staff

Holly Crowder

Kalab Fulton

Mariah Gardner - Editor

Brandon Marks

Luis Pedraza

Courtney Smith - Assistant

Editor

Paige Vincion

Angela Cahill - Advisor

Carol Garrette - Advisor

Artist of the Month

8

What do you get when you

combine Michael Jackson,

musicals, CHS alumni, and

much more? The Smokestack

Theatre’s tenth annual Thea-

tre Festival, that’s what!

Far more than a simple get

together, Smokestack’s Thea-

tre Festival, hosted in Com-

munity High’s auditorium last

February 18th (President’s

Day), was a series of work-

shops led by special guest

instructors. Along with musical performances,

it also included duet scenes, a complimentary

lunch (provided by Whitt’s BBQ), and returning

alumni.

Among these alumni were Lety Pena (most

known for Smokestack’s 2012 production of

The Miracle Worker), Keith Wortham (Grease),

Theatre Festival By: Luis Pedraza

This issue’s Artists of the Month were chosen

by Mrs. Struk.

Katie Leverette drew a stunning ver-sion of a draped cloth to show her knowledge of direct observation. J.D. Parker’s assignment showed off his skills in using linear markings to illus-trate a magnificent house.

By: Paige Vincion

and Kaylea Kupczyk (The Wizard

of Oz).

To start off the festival with a

bang, Shelby Henderson-Hawn

sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from

the musical Les Miserables. After

the roaring applause, the crowd

consisting of eighty students from

Central, Cascade, Community

High School, and Community

Middle School was divided into

four groups.

Since the Theatre Festival’s

theme for this year was “I

Dreamed a Dream,” these groups were named

after the musicals Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Les

Miserables, and Footloose. Each was placed with

a different instructor and would rotate from

one session to the other. Kaylea Kupczyk’s ses-

sion showed “How to Build Your Character”

while Lety Pena taught “Stage Tactics.”

Keith Wortham’s workshop included the

focus and physical observations of an actor

when on stage.

The fourth instructor was Mrs. Emily Seal,

who taught how body language affected your

acting.

A few musicals numbers from Tom Meeks

and the Haint Hollow Hootenanny were also

performed, along with a mind blowing Dubstep

-Michael Jackson dance collaboration between

John Brown and Aaron Gaines. Needless to say

it was anything but boring!

The picture to the left was

drawn by Katie Leverette.

The picture above was drawn by J.D. Parker.

Shelby Henderson-Hawn sings

“I Dreamed a Dream.”

Aaron Gaines (left) and John Brown (right) perform a

Dubstep dance collaboration at the Theatre Festival.

Here are the

answers to the

pictures on

page 7. Did you

get them right?

If so, good job!

9

school. This day was set aside for the FFA

to show how the business of agriculture is

a constantly growing industry.

On February 28, three groups consist-

ing of three FFA members each were to be

going to

Community

Elementary

School to

speak to the

students

about vari-

ous animal safety pro-

cedures. The first

group was made up of

Alexis Hankammer,

Jackie Barnes, and Ja-

mie Freeman. They

taught the students

how to safely handle

small animals. Jenifer

Paterick, Kalab Fulton, and Denton Bell

gave a presentation on how to properly

treat insect bites and stings. Carlton Ral-

ston, Chris

Garrette,

and Kaitlyn

Melton

educated

the stu-

dents on

how to

safely han-

dle and groom horses.

Community’s FFA also sent a group of

twelve or so students to help Jason Barber

with the R.O.K.

(Rewarding Our Kids)

concert. This group of FFA

members performed vari-

ous odd jobs from helping

park cars to selling food in

the concession stands

within the Calsonic

Arena. Thus another

amazing FFA week will

come to an end, adding to the to the expec-

tations for next year’s FFA week.

Up Close and Personal Answers

FFA Week By: Kalab Fulton

Once again FFA week is upon us.

Every year Community’s FFA chapter

organizes multiple events to celebrate

FFA week. This years FFA week has been

cut short due to school not being in

session on

Monday, Feb-

ruary 18, be-

cause of Presi-

dents’ Day. On

February 19 -

22, however,

the FFA offi-

cers had a booth set up in the cafeteria

during lunch to inform the public on the

history of FFA and how to become a

member. The FFA also spoke each day

about a black pioneer in agriculture and

describe his or her accomplishments on

the morning announcements to com-

memorate Black History Month. On

February 20, the students enrolled in

Mr. Tocchio’s agriculture classes were

encouraged to drive their tractors to

By: Brandon Marks

The boys and their toys: FFA week style!

Bobbie Lee Peoples and Mathew Woods

brought this “Big Green Tractor” to school.

Power of God’s Gifts

The football team held their annual ban-

quet at 6 p.m. on January 31. They had a

wonderful pot luck meal. As everyone was

enjoying their divine feast, they showed

major highlights from this past football sea-

son.

Preceding, Coach Frost got up and

started presenting awards and jerseys to

players. There were some wild awards given

this year, for example, Austin Lees got the

“God Award,” along with Zack James who

received the “You Only Thought I was

Hurt” award. Every player that attended the

banquet got an award, including the water

girls. The night was a great way to end the

successful football season.

Psalms 100:1 in the Bible reads, “Make a

joyful noise unto the Lord.” That’s exactly what

the 18 acts and host Janzen Powell did on Janu-

ary 31 at the Power of God’s Gifts, held annually

by Community’s FCA/FCS. The elementary,

middle, and high schools had a spectacular rep-

resentation of talent ranging from music to

dance to improvised comedy. It was a wonderful

night of fellowship and a blessing for all in-

volved.

The show kicked off with a warm welcome

from FCA/FCS president Janzen Powell and a

beautiful per-

formance of the

National Anthem

by Mrs. Diane

Rivalto and Joel

Powell. The trio

up next was from

the elementary

school singing the

heart-warming

tune “He Knows

My Name.”

By: Mariah Gardner Pop was the genre on tap for the next five

acts. “We’re Never Getting Back To-

gether,” “Love Story,” “God Gave Me

You,” and “You Belong with Me” all in-

spired the crowd to sing along. However,

Kaitlyn Tomlin’s Version of “Call Me

Maybe” moved the audience to a dance

break. After those fun performances,

sisters Ryli and Savannah Lepley also

took the stage.

After the two finished their beautiful

harmony, there was a wonderful dance number full

of tumbles and stretches. The remarkable thing

about Haleigh Arnold and Alexis Balin-

ger’s performance was not their amaz-

ing flexibility or their cool dance

moves, but that they performed their

whole routine with a smile.

Next up was hidden talent from the

high school. Shyan Travers and Tiffany

Leverette wowed their crowd with

their amazing voices. Nick Feck ,

Mackenzie Russell, Abi Smith, and

Maggie Yates performed two songs together arous-

ing goose bumps in the crowd. Alex Powell and

Lynna Reed took the stage together next to perform

By: Brandon Marks

10

some beautiful music before

Lynna left and Alex per-

formed alone. Jessie

Leverette sang a wonderful

version of “Jesus Take the

Wheel.” Diane Rivalto, Han-

nah Warrick, and Mrs.

Mandy Beech also individu-

ally performed and

wowed the crowd.

The final act of the

night was definitely a crowd-pleaser. Unionville’s

own Uncle Shuffelo and the Haint Hollow Hoote-

nanny set up and played a few of their classic

songs and even added a new one. The group has

picked up a new member, Jack O’Riley (Connor

Derryberry). Uncle Shuff and Riley Harper

sported new duds and Jimmy Joe Macon sported a

new instrument, the trumpet, which he played

exceptionally well during his long-winded solo.

All in all, it was a beautiful night filled with

wonderful performances and the love of God. All

the acts were wonderful and did a phenomenal

job glorifying the Lord and singing His praises.

Thank you to all those who performed and the

FCA/FCS for hosting this lovely event.

Football Banquet

Hannah Warrick sings a beautiful,

inspiring song.

Alex Powell plays an enchanting melody!

The love bug is not the only thing attacking the heart this month. One in three adults have cardiovascular

(heart) disease, and this remains the number one killer of Americans. Since February is Heart Health Awareness

Month, I thought it would be fitting to give you some helpful information about the heart, warnings signs to

look for, and some tips on how to keep your heart as healthy as possible.

The heart is a muscle that pumps blood to the rest of your body, and, just like other organs, requires oxygen

in order to function properly. One of the things that could cause damage to the heart is too much cholesterol,

or fat. Cholesterol is found in red meats, fish, cheese, butter, eggs, and whole milk. As cholesterol builds up in

the arteries, blood, and therefore, oxygen, is unable to get through. Along with a diet high in cholesterol, there

are some other things that may put you at risk for heart disease:

Smoking

Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)

Being overweight or having a high BMI (Body Mass Index)

Physical inactivity

Heredity (family history of heart disease)

All of these risk factors are controllable except for heredity. In order to keep your heart healthy, you should

avoid foods high in fat, such as cheeseburgers, French fries, cookies, cakes, chips, and pizza. You should also

avoid foods high in sugar and sodium. Keep in mind that some of your favorite drinks, like soda, are high in

both sodium and sugar. You should also aim for at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise every day, or at

least five days per week.

A person with heart disease may eventually go on to experience a heart attack. Possible warning signs of a

heart attack include:

Chest discomfort – feeling of pressure, squeezing, or fullness

Discomfort in other areas of the body – arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach

Shortness of breath

Cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness

If you or anyone you know experiences any of the above symptoms, don’t just pass them off. It is best to call

911 and get checked out right away.

Unfortunately, this is no longer just an “old person’s” disease. Teens and young adults need to have yearly

check-ups with their doctor. It’s also very important to know your numbers in regard to blood pressure and to-

tal cholesterol. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 or less. A good total cholesterol level is less than 200.

If you have any questions or concerns about your heart, it is best to talk to your doctor.

February Is Heart Health Awareness Month

By: Nurse Jill

11

The Buzz By: Brandon Marks

The newsletter members have started

up their very own coffee shop. It will

open at 7:10 every morning and will stop

selling at 7:40. When you get your coffee,

you will need to report back to the cafete-

ria. Please be responsible with this privi-

lege and follow

all of the rules

provided.

There are

price sheets,

rules, and the

flavor of the

The newsletter members have

started up their very own coffee

shop. It will open at 7:10 every morning

and will stop selling at 7:40. When you get

your coffee, you will need to report back to

the cafeteria. Please be responsible with this

privilege and follow all of the rules provided.

There are price sheets, rules, and the fla-

vor of the

Soldier Letters

Since I was little, I have al-

ways loved the idea of having a

pen pal. So when it came time

to do my English IV

project over the

book Dear John, I

thought nothing

would be better

than to write to a

pen pal since the

book was named

after a letter. I

wanted to do some-

thing no one else had ever done

here before.

This connects with my life

because I am joining the mili-

tary. I decided to do this be-

cause I wanted to do

something of which I

could be proud. With

the army in my family

and all my friends go-

ing into the army, it

was the perfect choice

for me. Not to men-

tion, they will pay for

my schooling, I will

stay fit, and I will get to see

many parts of the world I

would otherwise never get to

see.

A total of thirty-three stu-

dents and two teachers wrote

letters to soldiers stationed in

South Korea. Thanks to every-

one who helped me and partici-

pated in this project.

Written By: Victoria Brown

12

week posted right

outside the conces-

sion stand. We

thank you for all the

support we have re-

ceived so far. All

proceeds will go to-

ward the students’

journalism scholar-

ship and toward any

possible service pro-

jects. Come on out,

and enjoy a great

cup of coffee or some

nice hot chocolate.

Thank you!!!