By JT Samart, Keevin Sakai, and Noble Guyon
Category Archives: Keevin Sakai
Lady Highlanders strengthen team bond
By McKenna Click
The Lady Highlanders basketball team is half way through their season and because of their statistics, can already be considered a winning team. The girl have won six of their ten games so far this season. Which means senior Tori Kingsley’s goal of “[winning] sectionals and conference and to have a winning season” is well on its way.
“We’ve got a lot of returning kids who’ve played varsity and a lot of hard working kids,” said counselor and head girl’s basketball coach Kirk Hamsley. He has hopes of a winning season. Winning does not just happen, teams need to be strong, and the Lady Highlanders have quite a few strengths.
Junior Taylor Andrew recognizes their strengths including the teamwork among the girls. “We’re a pretty good shooting and scoring team too,” said Kingsley.
Although the team is strong, Andrew realizes the girls still have improvements to make. “[We need to] talk and work on leadership.”
Leadership may be something the girls need to work on but Kingsley and Hamsley realize there are other things the girls need to work on also.
Kingsley wants the team to work on their defense, but Hamsley said, “[the girls] need to buy into being a team and playing together.”
The girls said they have been trying to grow together as a team. “We do team bonding like three times a week,” said Kingsley. Andrew and Kingsley rattled off team bonding activities including making balloon animals, a scavenger hunt, and team dinners.
“[At team dinners] we all indulge in a lot of food and talk about stuff that’s really funny and that makes us come closer,” said Kingsley. Team dinners help the team grow closer. “We are a lot closer than past teams. We’re all really good friends and we hang out outside of school,” said Andrew.
Not only have the girls been trying to grow together as a team, Hamsley talked about how the girls have been working hard to have a good season.
“[We worked for] six weeks conditioning. We have practice for two hours and fifteen minutes six days a week,” said Hamsley.
They successfully beat Scottsburg, who were sixth in the state last year, and Seymour, who are a part of their conference. Hamsley cited both of those wins as big wins for the team.
Hamsley looks forward to playing Jeff, New Albany, and Bedford, FC’s main rivals.
The next time the girls can be seen in action is Dec. 27 at 2:30 pm or 28th at 11:00 am at the Lady Highlander Classic held at FC.
For those looking to see a rival game the girls play New Albany at New Albany, January 5th at 6:00 pm for JV or 7:30 pm for varsity. There is also a game at FC January 12 against Bedford 1:00 pm for JV or 2:30 for varsity.
Social media challenge accepted
By Derek Hanke
Social media has taken a dominant position in our society today. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are used frequently by a large percentage of the youth population.
This has led some individuals to become dependent on them, almost to the point where going without them would be unthinkable.
In order to test the theory that social media can be addictive, two students were given the challenge of going a weekend without them.
Both freshman Rachel Lamb and senior Parker Hale underwent the social media challenge. Lamb initially felt that this task would be an easy one.
Before the Challenge
“Going without Facebook and Twitter won’t impact my life but I’ll probably have to delete the apps of my phone so I don’t use them,” said Lamb.
Hale said that others will not be impacted by the challenge.
“I don’t think my followers will notice my absence,” said Hale.
Both Lamb and Hale think they will be able to go a weekend without social media, although they admit social media plays a large part in their lives.
“Everyone has a Facebook. And, when I get on Twitter, it’s normally so I can have something interesting to do,” said Lamb.
“Social media gives me something to do when I’m bored and keeps me informed about what’s going on,” said Hale.
After the Challenge
Throughout the weekend, Lamb was able to go without social media while Hale was not.
“I forgot about the challenge multiple times over the weekend,” said Hale.
He blamed this lapse of memory on his familiarity with the routine of getting on social media.
“I didn’t really feel the need to get on Twitter or Instagram, I just got on there out of habit,” he said.
Hale says the weekend helped remind him of the frequency he uses social media and its importance to him.
“I get on social media quite a lot. Without it, I felt less informed because I didn’t know what was going on all the time,” said Hale.
Hale refutes the claim that social media is an important part of his life.
“It’s not that it’s an important part of my life; I could definitely go without social media, but it’s something to keep me busy when I’m bored,” he said.
Hale found there was an unexpected benefit to going without social media.
“By not getting on twitter and instagram, doing homework was ten times easier,” Hale said.
Lamb came to better understand the role social media plays in her life.
“This weekend made me realize that Facebook isn’t as important to me as I thought it was,” she said.
Even after this realization, Lamb still felt something was missing.
“I felt less informed that usual; if something went on, I wouldn’t know about it because everyone puts everything on Facebook,” said Lamb.
Lamb reports that she was more social without social media.
“Without Twitter and Facebook, I actually spent more time talking to people,” she said.
While certain individuals are more inclined to use social media than others out of habit, this process can actually hinder the socialization process by making one rely it to socialize instead of direct communication.
Seniors’ football careers come to an end
By Blake Dykes
Featured Image By Keevin Sakai
Last Friday was not only the last football game of the season, but for some seniors, the last game they will ever competitively play.
Senior Gavin Horner expressed his feelings on ending the season as they did.
“It’s sad that I don’t ever get to play another football game again. It sucked to lose our last football game.”
Senior Collin Engle agrees with Horner.
“It’s a terrible feeling knowing after four years of legit competitive football it’s all over.”
On the other hand, some players are ready for the break, since they still have another year to come.
“This season was kind of rough, but I have wrestling to look forward to,” said junior Chase Herron.
Even though some of the younger players have more games to play, it is still hard because they are losing teammates.
“I will miss the seniors, the good times we had together. We had a brotherly bond. I’ll miss going out to eat and hanging out with them after practice,” said junior Gabe Kennedy.
Herron will also miss the seniors, and having film sessions along with dinner at senior Bryce Smith’s house.
The team bonded despite the challenges of the season.
“Our team had the talent but we didn’t apply ourselves. We had too many injuries that should’ve gotten taken care of. We should of played smarter,” said Horner.
With as many injuries that team had this season, many changes had to be made throughout this time.
“If the majority of the starting line up wasn’t injured then we wouldn’t of had to have a different lineup on defense,” said Herron.
However, Kennedy thinks that the team did not capitalize in the opportunities given.
“This season wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but next year it will hopefully be much better.”
As they look to the future, most players built very strong bonds with their teammates that the seniors will definitely miss.
“I will miss knowing that I’ve played my whole life with these guys and not seeing them everyday,” said Engle.
Horner will also miss his teammates.
“I’ll miss being with all my friends, and getting through tough things with them, and just having a great time.”
This season brought out many emotions in each of the players, both good and bad.
Engle leaves this program taking away the good aspects of his time instilled in it.
“Even though the season didn’t turn out, the friends made have been taken to a whole new level of friendship that I’ll always have.”
Fall pep rally completes Spirit Week
By Keevin Sakai and Danielle Rehor
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLw2poy_7G0&w=560&h=315]