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News, Will Huston

Seniors talk about their worries, hopes for after high school

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By Will Huston

As students enter the final nine weeks of school at FC, many are looking forward to summer break. However, for seniors it is the last time they will be at FC, causing them to be excited about graduating.

“[I’m] very excited. I’m ready to leave,” said senior Greg Micco.

Micco shared his plans on what he is doing after high school. His plans include going to Ivy Tech, where he plans on studying electrical engineering for two years.

Other students plan on less technical careers, such as Claire Watkins, who plans on going to two different colleges — the first one, Jefferson Community College (JCC) for her general classes, and then to Western Kentucky University (WKU), where her father went and studied.

“I want to study education, and I want my minor to be English,” said Watkins.

Of course, as important as some people consider college, it is also incredibly expensive, making some students wonder how they are  going to pay for it. Micco, for example, says he plans on joining the Army or Marine reserve.

“[I’m worried] that I go to college, I get this big debt, and I don’t get anything out of it,” said Micco.

Others, such as Cody Hunter, who is going to college to study nutrition, plans to work part time.

“UPS is going to pay for half of IUS, and my parents will help me along the way,” said Hunter.

Of course, during this time of heavy unemployment, some are concerned about the post-college life.

“I’m super-duper afraid that I won’t be able to get a job,” said Watkins.

With others, it is a matter of personal preference.

“[I’m worried] if I actually like what I’m doing, if I actually like the career path I’m going with,” said Hunter.

Despite these worries, many students continue with their plans, waiting until the day school is over and they go out into the world.

Girls Tennis, Sports

Tennis team dives into the 2014 season

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By Melanie Parrish

Parents and friends alike cheer as sophomore Alex Jamison and junior Erin Patterson play doubles together against Columbus North in the tennis tournament on Saturday. Saturday’s tournament was the team’s first of the season.

“I think we’ve been doing pretty good,” said Patterson. “It’s a little different, because we had to start without our two best players.”

Both girls feel that the team will do well this year.

“With a lot of practices and matches, I think this season could turn out pretty good,” said Jamison.

“I believe we can get back to state this year,” Patterson added.

Coach James Markert also intends for the team to make a return appearance at state this season, for the fifth consecutive year.

“The last four years we’ve been in the top four teams in the state. I think we will this year, too,” he said.

The tennis team has made some changes in structure this year, as well as having fewer seniors.

“Last year we had a set goal, but this year, it’s all on the fly, which I like,” said Jamison.

The team, although having lost several All-State girls, has gained four new members.

“We have three new freshmen and our Italian foreign exchange student, Georgia. She’s awesome,” said Jamison. The new teammates have integrated well with the rest of the team.

“They get along really well,” said Patterson’s mother, Tami. “They have a really strong bond. I think they’ll do well this year.”

The tennis team’s next match is tomorrow (Tuesday, April 15) at home against New Albany.

A&E, Isaac Mathewson

Critic reveals the summer’s most anticipated movies

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by Isaac Mathewson
Summer is approaching and so are the summer blockbusters. These past two years have been pretty strong on their movies, being mostly benefited from superhero films such as The Avengers and Man of Steel, and it looks like this year might be very good as well.
The following list is a non-opinionated list of the summer’s most anticipated movies;
1. The Amazing Spider-man 2: While the first film in the rebooted “Spider-man” series may not have been as good as the original Sam Raimi classic, it did satisfy many fans and leave high hopes for a sequel. The trailer alone seems promising enough, as well as its casting, with many actors returning (Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone), and several more making their debut in the franchise (Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti). While it may not bring anything new to the franchise, it will hopefully give us a meaningful story and good action, as well as 3-D effects.
2. Godzilla: The last time “Godzilla” hit the big screen in the U.S. it disappointed many fans and was poorly received. With last year’s release of Pacific Rim , many people have shown that they still have an appreciation for giant monster movies and many believe that this film may have a chance to make up for that disaster. The casting is good, and the visuals on Godzilla look more like the original. This could probably be the “Godzilla” movie we’ve been hoping for.
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past: Bryan Singer finds himself back in the director’s chair in this new installment of the ever popular X-Men series. This time The Last Stand and First Class intertwine and brings to us virtually every actor who has been in this hit series: Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Patrick Stewart, to name just a few. It shouldn’t disappoint fans.
4. A Million Ways to Die in the West: While some may dismiss this film based on the supposed stupidity of the trailer, there is no way this could stay off this list. Following the enormous success of Ted, Seth MacFarlane makes his on screen debut as an everyday farmer who finds himself in a Mexican standoff with the fastest gunslinger in the west. If anyone knows Seth MacFarlane, they will know what to expect or not expect. After all, he’s a master of hiding treasure in a pile of trash.
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction: Michael Bay returning to the director’s chair may turn some people off by this fourth installment of the Transformers series. However, this cannot find a way off this list because of the enormous popularity of the Transformers. This film takes a huge turn from the previous installments because it does not have Shia LaBeouf; in fact, it has almost a completely different cast. With Mark Wahlberg in the lead role, fantastic visuals, and a different take on the story, this film will not only bring in huge amounts of cash, but possibly redeem the series.
While there are many other films that are widely anticipated this year, these are the ones that will most likely bring in the most money and leave the biggest impact on audiences. Hopefully, they will leave critics and audiences happy.
News

Day of Silence raises awareness of bullying issues

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by Lindsay Sparrow and Raquel Renton

As sophomore Kelsey Skeens sits in Tim Dench’s second-period class, she has said nothing today.

“The day of silence is a way to pay respects to those who have committed suicide because of bullying,” said Skeens. This day will not only touch the students involved, but the entire school.

Although many students aren’t speaking today, hundreds of messages are being sent by this commitment.

“I think a message of courage and respect is being sent be acknowledging those we have lost because of bullying,” said health teacher Juli Hutson. The students seem to be recognized more for their silence then when their voices are heard.

“People will wonder what is happening and try to get us all to talk, and that will create dialogue about the alliance, possibly leading to more members and people involved,” said sophomore Zach Thomerson. Thomerson hopes the attention will bring more attention to the club.

Students wonder about how the teachers and staff will handle not being answered when spoken to. The purpose is not to ignore the teachers, but to commit to the message and the cause.

Freshman Colleen Bryant said, “Some teachers could get mad or frustrated, but hopefully they will respect what we are doing. Especially since everyone knows what is going on ahead of time.”

Some teachers are very understanding on the subject. Dench has many students involved in the day of silence in his classes, and he has pre-planned how he will handle the situation.

“I plan to have alternative way to get the students involved. I am not going to make them speak in class, but I still expect them to work on their assignments and get work done. That way the students are participating silently instead of not participating at all.

Dench doesn’t mind student remaining silent for a good cause, but he is concerned that students genuinely care about the cause.

“There are rumors that people that aren’t associated with the alliance are staying silent for the wrong reasons. They are just trying to get out of participating in class,” said junior Ramsey Hafling. Members of the club have their eye out and won’t let anyone get away with mocking the meaning of the Day of Silence.

The club is also participating in other activities. There is another meeting after school starting at 3:45 in Hutson’s health classroom. The alliance accepts all members and is still looking for other members to join.