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Lexi Burch, News

Senior Mandy Dunlap to be awarded Outstanding NJROTC Cadet

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Senior Mandy Dunlap
Senior Mandy Dunlap

By Lexi Burch

Senior Mandy Dunlap will be awarded Outstanding NJROTC Cadet on May 16 by the Louisville Armed Forces Committee. This award is awarded to those cadets who have exceptional leadership, commitment, and skill.

“I was really surprised, and it means a lot to me to get the Outstanding NJROTC Cadet award,” said Dunlap.

The procedure in order to pick the outstanding cadet analyzed cadets on their skills, mental ability, and leadership.

“To win this award, I was chosen by my instructors to write an essay on leadership qualities,” said Dunlap. “NJROTC has prepared me on how to be a successful leader, to be committed, and how to work together, along with many other skills. The leadership qualities that I have learned and wrote about were leading by the Navy’s core values of courage, honor, and commitment.”

Dunlap plans on using her NJROTC skills by continuing her career in the national defense field. She hopes to enlist in the Navy.

 “After graduation, I am continuing in the field of national defense by serving in the U.S. Navy; I enlisted as an Aircrewman,” said Dunlap. “I believe that as a citizen I should help protect my country, and I chose the Navy because I like the Navy way of life and the opportunity to travel the world.”

Dunlap has been a member of FC’s NJROTC for four years. She said she is glad that her hard work is finally paying off.

“This wraps up my four years in NJROTC,” said Dunlap, “how I have grown as a person, and how I have been blessed for the things I have accomplished.”

Bryce Romig

Students share Derby plans for this weekend

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By Bryce Romig

Every year Louisville hosts one of the biggest moments in sports: the Kentucky Derby. From sophisticated hats to luxurious parties, Derby is a big deal in the Kentuckiana area. High profile celebrities attend the event, along with the world’s top horse trainers.

Award-winning horses and professional jockeys make the races extremely competitive. This year’s favorite horse is California Chrome and is expected to be the horse with the most bids. Betting on horses is one of the many traditions that come along with this weekend’s big event.

“My family always votes for the horse expected to come in second place. You have to factor in previous races, temperature of track, type of track, how much the jockey weights, and past horse industries,” said senior Christian Overbey.

Along with the race come the parties and fashion. Many students take part in Derby traditions and enjoy the event annually. Families and businesses hold extravagant after parties the same day, allowing women to show off their high class hats and celebrate. Today, Oaks Day, is when female horses race.

“Although I’m only attending Oaks, I still picked out a hat. I’m going with my boyfriend and we plan on attending an after party,” said junior Hannah Enlow

Senior Tierney Flahtery plans on going out to dinner after the race.

“The family I’m going with usually goes out to dinner afterwards. Last year we went to DiOrio’s Pizza and did karoke. It was delicious and really fun.”

Derby hats are one of the many Derby icons. Women who plan on attending spend an extensive amount of money and time picking out the perfect hat to match their outfit. Typical hats are pastel colored and attention drawing. They have prominent features and tend to be quite big.

“I’m really excited to go, because I love looking at all the different hats and outfits. I also love the atmosphere and yelling when the race starts. I’ve gone the last two years,” said Flahtery.

Enlow shares enthusiasm about her own outfit.

“The hat I picked out is orange-creme, yellow, and blue. It goes with my outfit really well and im really excited to wear it,” said Enlow.

Junior Corina Watier also plans on attending and wearing a hat.

“I found the perfect white hat to go with my dress. They match so well.”

Tomorrow’s horses racing and odds:

1. Vicar’s in Trouble – 30-1

2. Harry’s Holiday – 50-1

3. Uncle Sigh – 30-1

4. Danza  – 10-1

5. California Chrome- 5-2

6. Samraat  5-1

7. We Miss Artie  – 50-1

8. General a Rod J – 15-1

9. Vinceremos  – 30-1

10. Wildcat Red – 15-1

11. Hoppertunity  – 6-1

12. Dance With Fate – 20-1

13. Chitu Martin -1

14. Medal Count  -20-1

15. Tapiture Ricardo -15-1

16. Intense Holiday –  12-1

17. Commanding Curve –  – 50-1

18. Candy Boy –  – 20-1

19. Ride On Curlin – 15-1

20. Wicked Strong – 8-1

 

A&E, Michael Pepin

Project Keep the Inspiration proves successful

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By Michael Pepin

Inspiration has a great deal to do with success, and for many FC students involved in music, this inspiration began with the elementary school tour, in which Highland Hills middle school eighth graders play for the elementary school kids to inspire them to pursue music in middle and eventually high school. However, when it became known that the school board was thinking about cutting this program, several students stepped up to the plate and formed Project Keep the Inspiration to show just how important this tour was to the school board.

“We first heard about the elementary school tour being cancelled by Mr. Thomas in band class.  It’s something that a lot of people look forward to and it’s a big part of the program,” said eighth grader Alleson Estar, who, along with her friend Camden Hardin first formed the project.  With the number of arts programs being cut from schools, they said they felt inspired to make sure that the same thing does not happen to their music program.

Since then, they have created a page on Facebook to advertise the project, and wrote a formal letter to the school board to persuade them against their decision.  In addition, they got over 130 students from the middle school and Floyd Central high school to sign a petition.  They presented all of this to the school board on Monday, April 8th.

They argued that music was vital to the growth of elementary and middle school students, and that the elementary school tour encouraged students to join the music program.

“I remember when I was in elementary school and when the band came to visit Galena.  He (the band director) stopped and turned around and asked a question, ‘Who would like to come up and direct the band?’ Out of the hundreds of kids that raised their hands, he chose me.  At that moment when I walked up there, I realized that I wanted to be in band, and play music,” said former FC student Zach Stigler.

“I believe that the elementary school tour is necessary because if we don’t have it, then people will be less inclined to join band,” said Hardin.  She believes that the tour is necessary to inspire the younger generation to play an instrument, and that they will join because they wanted to.  This tour was, after all, first designed to show the elementary school students what they can do in middle school.  When they see firsthand the result of the work it will take to learn an instrument, more are willing to put in the effort.  With more students that are willing to put in the necessary effort, the band program improves.

“The elementary school tour is the reason that I did band in middle school.  Without it, I would not have learned how to play the saxophone and then gone on to marching band,” said sophomore Christian Bush.  When middle school band students progress to the high school level, they are required to participate in one year of marching band.  For many, that one year leads to a lot of good times and memories.

“Marching band has become part of my life, a lot of great memories were made during band season,” said Bush.

In addition to inspiring the elementary school students, the middle school students receive a surge of inspiration as they see first hand the effect of music on others and get to show off their talent.

“The elementary school tour is something that really benefits all the students; the eighth graders get a lot out of it as well as the middle schoolers,” said senior Christian Thomas.

Recently, Highland Hills principal Steve Griffin relayed the information that the school board has decided to keep the tour active annually.

The school’s decision to keep the elementary school tour was brought about heavily by Project Keep the Inspiration.  The HHMS eighth graders will continue to display their talents to the nearby elementary schools.  The musical arts program will continue in the years to come.

“I treasure my four years in marching band, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the elementary school tour,” said senior Derek Hanke.

Features, Lexi Burch

Senior Cylie Miller wins programming award

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By Lexi Burch

Senior Cylie Miller has devoted herself to web design and technology. That devotion paid off not too long ago when she won the National Center for Women and Information Technology Programming award. This is an award only given to a few girls in the state of Indiana, so for Miller this means a lot.

“I was very surprised when I found out I had won the award. I know there are girls out there that are a lot more advanced in computers than I am, so to be picked as a winner was an honor,” said Miller.

Winning an award like this takes a lot of devotion, time, and practice. Miller just got started with computer classes in her junior year but instantly loved it and worked hard to be on the level she is.

“What I like best about Computer Science and Web Design is that you are given a task that you have the freedom to complete it how you want,” said Miller. “You can design or program in your own way. “

Since the Technology Programming award is a ‘Women’s’ award, Miller, hopes to get more girls involved in programming. By winning this award, Miller hopes she will inspire more girls to go after their dreams.

“I hope to show other girls through this award that computers have been a career path mainly pursued by men,” said Miller. “This only makes a woman in computing more valuable to a company so you are more likely to get a job in the growing career field! Also it’s great to get an accomplishment and award in something that you love doing, so I hope to show others to pursue what they love.”

Many people are very proud of Miller one of which is programming teacher David Traughber.

“I am very proud of her, ” said Traughber. “She will go far in programming, if that’s what she chooses to do. She is very talented.”

Miller has an even brighter future after winning this award. She said she plans on staying on the technology track and hopes one day she will have a job in the field.

“In the future I hope to attend IU for computer science,” said Miller. “Through that, I think I can find a great career that will allow me to see new people and places, as well as a career that I will love.”