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Features, Lexi Burch

Meet assistant principal Rob Willman

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By Alexis Burch

Assistant Principal Rob Willman can be seen walking the halls, talking to students, observing classrooms, or disciplining students. Willman is just one of the many administrators at FC, but being an administrator was not always Willman’s plan.

“I wanted to be a lot of things,” said Willman. “I wanted to be a professional athlete. I also wanted to be a college football coach.”

Willman grew up right here in Floyds Knobs and graduated from Hanover College. Willman began right back where he started when he took the English job at FC in 1999. Willman did not decide to become an administrator until the fall of 2008.

“I wanted to do something different,” said Willman. “I wanted to see if I had the leadership skills to do the job.”

As the years of being an administrator have gone by, Willman said he is enjoying a lot of things about the job.

“I really enjoy going to the events,” said Willman. “I like to see the success of the students and staff. I really like observing, that is probably my favorite. I feel like after observing the classrooms and the way teachers teach, I could go back into the classroom and be better teacher than I was before.”

Although there seems to be plenty of positives of being an administrator Willman said there are a few down sides to the job.

“[The hardest part is] the difficult conversations that aren’t positive, whether it’s with students, teachers,or parents.”

For those freshmen wondering where to find such a person as Willman, he said he can be found just about anywhere. The hallways, classrooms, and the lunchroom are the places students will most likely spot him.

“It is hectic, it is busy,” said Willman about his administrative job. “You have a to-do list every day that is usually, by 8:30, different.”

News, Peter Hyle

Students purchase parking permits for new school year

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By Peter Hyle

Driving a car comes with lots of responsibilities. Paying for gas, insurance, repairs, and maintenance takes a lot of money. For driving students at FC, purchasing a parking permit is included on the list of must haves for school. Having a permit is a requirement to be able to park in the school’s student parking lot.

Aside for paying for the actual use and convenience of the parking spaces, the permits themselves serve many purposes.

“We run the drug dogs through the student lot and it just makes it easier to identify whose car it is,” said assistant principal Jeff Cerqueira.

But mostly, the permits are used so the staff can make sure that students do not park in the wrong places.

“If someone, for example, parked in a fire lane, I can look at the number on their permit and know the student,” said dean of students Joe Voelker.

Though they are used for many things, parking permits are not used to collect money. The permits themselves cost only two dollars which covers the cost it takes for each individual permit to be made. It is simply a way for the school to monitor the parking lot. However some students disagree with the procedures of the parking permits at FC.

“I can see why they serve a purpose, but I don’t think that we should have to pay for them. They should be provided by the school,” said senior Gannon Yeaton.

Most teachers would agree that parking permits are necessary for the school, whether they belong to the students or the staff.

“Yes [parking permits are needed] so that students park in their spaces and teachers park in their places. If they [students] had no parking permits, students would just park wherever they want. They might just take the teachers spaces,” said math teacher Rusty Cecil.

There are measures taken to make sure that students do park in their designated parking lot.

“Basically, the teachers monitor their parking lot themselves. If they see a car that doesn’t belong there, then they call it into the office and we find out who the car is registered to,” said Cerqueira.

At the start of every school year, there seems to be a problem with getting every student that uses the parking lot to buy a parking permit. The administration staff regularly checks the student parking lot to make sure everyone has one. This year, on the first check, seventy-eight percent of students did not have their parking permits.

“I forgot my permit at home, so I didn’t have it on the first check,” said senior Noelle Wilcox.

On the first few checks, the students are given a warning. If the problem proceeds, the student gets a demerit. The problem rarely progresses to the point where the student loses their driving privileges or receives a parking violation.

“We will never tow a student’s car away.” said Cerqueira, “That’s just a misconception.”

The past few years, FC has relaxed parking permit regulations due to building renovations on the school. Parking was a bit of a challenge during that time, but now the staff has been making sure that every student purchases a parking permit. Most students do not realize how important that plastic pass hanging from the rearview mirror is.

“Driving is a privilege, and so is parking on school grounds. And that can be taken away if rules are not followed,” said Cerqueira.

A&E, Michael Pepin

Columnist reveals sneak preview into library’s hottest books

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By Michael Pepin

With the school year back in full swing, some students turn to the library to do some recreational reading.  These books are the top five hottest books in the FC library this week, according to the week’s Top 10 list posted in the library:

  1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a fast-paced and hard action story featuring the experience’s of Katniss Everdeen as she is thrust headfirst into a bloodthirsty tournament where only one person is allowed to emerge victorious of all the 24 tributes.  The writing style of the book is very clear and straightforward, and its strength lies in the unpredictability and suspense in the plot.  It was published by Scholastic Press and reprinted in 2010.  Since then, it has become a teen classic and the inspiration for the hit movie. Strongly recommended to readers who love a fast-paced and action-packed story.
  2. The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto is a well-written fantasy tale that surpasses and exceeds any other before it.  The book’s strength comes from its authors amazing ability to turn the genre of fantasy into a thrilling new story rich with description and suspense.  Its setting is a ingenious mix of Egyptian, Japanese, and Mayan culture.  Published by the famous Tor Fantasy, which also published The Wheel of Time series as well as the Ender Game trilogy by Orson Scott Card.  Strongly recommended to anyone seeking a well-written story.
  3. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman is a fascinating tale in a unique and breathtaking setting.  The story revolves around 12 dragons representing the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals and the bonds they form with specifically trained individuals.  The setting is a very realistic blend of Chinese and Japanese culture with a very strict society favored towards men, which makes it all the harder for Eona, the crippled teenage girl masquerading as a man to train in the ways of the dragons for a chance at a life worth living.  The story’s strength lies in its rich setting and vivid description, and its unique and realistic plot certainly carries it ready along well. Recommended for people who have a taste for original plot lines.
  4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman is a bittersweet story of a teenager whose life is changed forever in a terrible accident.  The story itself is told from her point of view as she watches herself being treated in the hospital and her loved ones around her.  Through the author’s use of revealing flashbacks, the reader comes to know her story and life better.  Faced with the horrible decision of living unable to move but still able to see and hear, or leaving and dying a natural death.  The story’s strength is in the authors ability to inspire emotion in the reader.  Published by Speak in 2010, If I Stay is truly an emotional story with a lesson to teach the world.
  5. Black Butler by Yana Toboso is a manga that features the unusual lifestyle of the phantomhive family, which is ruled by only a single 12-year-old boy.  Forever at his side however is Sebastian, an outstanding butler how seems to excel at any task.  No matter what happens, The Butler can accomplish it perfectly….too perfectly.  A story set in an altered Great Britain during the reign on the monarchy.   This is the graphic novel for those who are looking for something that can be both lighthearted and deadly serious.

Of the three novels on this list that I have read, I would decide that my personal favorite would easily be Eon: Dragoneye Reborn.  The unique setting and story really drew me in, and the part about the 12 dragons of the Zodiac animals (rat dragon, boar dragon….) was completely original and fresh.  While I felt that it did drag on a bit in the middle of the story, it was nessassary for the author to do so to better explain the story.  Very rational and understandable, Alison Goodman does not abuse her power as an author, instead choosing actions for her web of characters that makes sense for what they would do rather than simply the author dictating everything.  I enjoyed this story, and was thrilled to find out that a sequel, Eona, was now present in the library.  

The Hunger Games similarly presented a new idea in a much faster paced story that certainly was thrilling to read.  However, I felt the writing style of the book was very staccato with its short sentences and constantly referring back to Katniss.  It seemed to me that the romance in the story was never fleshed out enough to be the focus of the story, for me it was the action that drew me in.  The strange arena where the main character has to survive and emerge victorious by being the only one left alive was certainly a good idea, and the novel also focused on the ideas of how corrupt governments use people like tools.  The Hunger Games was not the best book I have ever read, but I would have to say, however, that it was thrilling.

I firstdiscovered Black Butler because so many people that I knew talked about it and referred to it often, so I read the story myself and was shocked.  In a sense, Black Butler is a very unique story that can easily confuse the reader, because for almost the entire first half of the story is petty nonsense serving only to show off how unnaturally skilled this butler is.  In the end, if was a lot more complex than I originally anticipated, and it was very easy to understand for a graphic novel.  There are no super complex relationships and characters to understand, everything is in black and white….literally.  I would recommend this story for someone looking for a new series to start that breaks the original formula of drama typically characterized by graphic novels.

Boys Cross Country, Features, Sidney Reynolds

Doebbler excels in the classroom and on the track

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By Sidney Reynolds

Before a big race junior Zach Doebbler always puts his headphones on and cranks his favorite metal music on high so he can focus for the big race ahead of him. He began running at a young age and decided to embrace it, and like so many of his teammates he got a start through his parents.

“I actually got into cross country when I was six. My dad had coached for 23 years at a school in Arizona, and he had taken me under his wing to run with him. New to the whole running aspect, I quickly picked it up and carried it with me up to this point,” said Doebbler.

Now he is in his third year on the varsity cross country team. “Zach is an extremely strong competitor. He wants to win every time he goes out and runs,” said junior teammate Grant Reynolds.His father,William Doebbler, who originally inspired him said, “I am extremely proud of him. He has worked very hard to get where he is at.”

Doing practices that are usually an hour and 30 minutes long everyday including weekends, he has definitely earned it.

“At least twice a week we [the varsity team] will have intense runs to train our speed and one long run typically ranging from 12-17 miles,” said Doebbler.

Doebbler plans to attend a Division One school and to run both track and cross country, which is why he is taking honors Algebra II, AP Composition, AP Psychology, and advanced classes in web design. “He treats school like running; he works hard, and does good in school as well,” said Reynolds.

To make his college dream come true he has to plan his schedule very carefully to make sure he has enough time for practice and to get his homework done.

“I try to have a good balance between my heavy course load and demanding schedule by completing my homework in school and getting as much help as possible from my teachers. For me, life is about picking and choosing,” said Doebbler, “and sometimes I have to cut down on other extracurricular activities and time with friends in order to meet my team’s demands.”

He also has his friends to help whenever he needs it. “Zach is a hard worker and it helps push the rest of the team to try and stay up with him,” said junior teammate Reese Tarr.

“He is always encouraging the junior varsity guys at races,” said sophomore Brett Yeaton.

“He’s a great friend. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes me laugh.” said Reynolds.  Fitting in school, family, and sports can be very challenging but he manages.

“Most of my time is spent with my team overall, and most of my team has become a part of my social life,” said Doebbler. “All of my teammates encourage healthy behavior, even to the extent of getting good sleep and eating right. Our team is very much so like a family; we are very tight-knit.”

With all his friends and family out there to motivate him, he is a student-athlete that has a future in track as well as in academics.

“The only thing I have to say is watch out everyone, I’m going for all-state,” said Doebbler.