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A&E, Sidney Reynolds

Iron Man 3 excites columnist

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By Sidney Reynolds

Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 is incredibly refreshing and thrilling. This time Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is back with his same arrogant, brilliant, and humorous self with a slightly more humanized effect that makes it easier to connect with the audience.

Throughout the movie it shows Stark having anxiety attacks from his time in New York working with The Avengers. During this time it also shows that there are a string of terrorist attacks committed by the main villain, the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).  In response to his actions, Stark publicly insults and threatens the Mandarin. This results in his house is bombed while he and his girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), are inside. Stark goes to find him but results in getting captured by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). This leads to a full out battle between Stark and the Mandarin.

It was very nice to see this movie pick up after The Avengers instead of just ignoring it as if it never happened. Drew Pearce and Black also did an outstanding job writing the script making each scene exciting, intriguing, and hilarious to kept the audience’s attention. They also did a good job with character development. Stark seems a little more human and less like the perfect man due to his post-traumatic stress disorder. Robert Downey Jr. did an excellent job as he has done in the past two movies. He managed to get every emotion, thought, and word to touch the audience.

In the movie, Potts really transforms from just a love interest in the first movie into a bit of a hero all her own even though she is not necessarily the main hero in this movie. In this movie she really shows more of her independence which is different than most superhero movies that typically just have a damsel in distress. She is an inspirational role model for young women showing that she does not need to wait around for Stark to save her and that she can be her own hero. Paltrow does an amazing job portraying Potts and makes it very easy to see the chemistry between her and Stark.

This movie was definitely worth seeing again and again. It is an all around exceptional movie.

News, Sidney Reynolds

NHS hosts annual blood drive

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By Sidney Reynolds

Seniors Abby Marguet and Joe Wolf wait patiently to sign people in for the annual blood drive that is held at FC.

“I’m glad we are it doing it because it benefits our school and the people that receive the blood,” said Marguet.

Monday’s blood drive was hosted by The American Red Cross and the National Honor Society and helps raise scholarship money for NHS.

Students who donated had to pass some basic requirements such a being given a mini physical and having their health history checked. Once the test is passed a person was able to donate one pint of blood or two units of red cells, which is the same amount of blood.

“Some kids do it just to get out of class but they are still doing it. Holding it here gets people to donate who normally wouldn’t,” said senior Carmen Keehn.

Once a person donated, a NHS member helped them get a snack and a drink.

“I give them snacks and drinks. Then I patrol to make sure no one else passes out,” said Keehn.

The red cells people donate can only last 42 days, and The American Red Cross is always in need of donations.

“There’s always such a need for blood because of people with illnesses or car accidents,” said Lt. Col. Ben Gipe.

The students that donated blood on Monday received community service hours, along with the satisfaction of help saving lives.

“My dad had to get blood donated to him a few years ago and I think that’s why he donates. He got me into wanting to do it. Last year but I wasn’t old enough. I got to donate this year,” said Keehn.

Students were not the only ones to donate blood; teachers and staff members also did.

“It’s good for the kids to see, even if they aren’t only enough to donate yet,” said assistant principal Rob Willman.

“I’m proud of FC for hosting it, and it’s cool all the students helped out,” said Gipe.

Features, Sidney Reynolds

School members discuss mandatory reading

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By Sidney Reynolds

Year after year students buy, check out, and borrow books necessary for school. They need a summer reading book, which they must purchase during the summer or at registration. Perhaps they need a book for silent reading time in class.

“Summer is a time that we have a break from school and shouldn’t have to worry about doing work,” said junior Katie Davis.

Others enjoy it and see the benefits they can gain from it.

“Just reading in general benefits the student. It helps with their vocabulary and spelling. Students don’t know how much reading benefits them,” said English teacher Matthew Townsend.

Honors English students have to online quizzes over the book they have to read over the summer, while some AP classes must write essays in class upon arrival back to school. Some students think that students should just take quizzes over independent reading books instead of projects or activities.

“I think it would be much easier and would take up less time if we could just take quizzes like we did in middle school,” said freshman Katelynn Harrison.

Reading helps in many other areas of their lives.

“I truly believe that there are just some books that students should read before they graduate so they so that you have that knowledge going into a college setting, a career setting, or just adult life,” said English teacher Jessica Broady.

Sophomore Alexa Tuell thought both Night and Tuesdays with Morrie were very good books to read and learn from. Many students complain about required reading and wish they could choose the books themselves. Although there are many problems with students choosing the books that they like best.

“The funds aren’t available for us. I could go to the resource room and ask my students which book they would like but I don’t know if the students are going to choose classics. They are going to want something like anything by John Green,” said Townsend

Sophomore English students read the book Night. Broady said most of her students did not seem to care for the book.

“I just learned a lot about the Holocaust so I kind of already knew what that book was about,” said sophomore Bryce Moore.

Each student is unique and different, so it is no surprise they all have a different taste in books.

“I really liked the book Night. I would always take a break and read it throughout the day,” said Tuell.

The book Night caused a lot of conversation between students and this made some student wish FC would do the One School, One Book program. The One School, One Book is where the entire school reads a book together. They say this causes bonding throughout the school and helps strike up conversations.

“If you didn’t understand something then there would be more teachers there to help you rather than just one teacher,” said Davis.

Broady strongly believes that FC should do the One School, One Book program.

“I think that is a really cool idea and I wish we could do it here. I feel like we get close with summer reading, but there are so many kids in our school that don’t do summer reading. Something that I think is really cool is when Mockingjay was coming out, the third book in the Hunger Games series. I was waiting for it to come out, and so were Mr. Lang, Mrs. Stansbury, and Mr. Townsend and the whole group of us teachers waiting for it to come out and a whole group of students waiting for it to come out, so we would have these conversations everyday. When the book was finally released, we had conversations about it as we read it and it was just cool for that community of readers to exist. I loved the idea of the school becoming a community of readers,” said Broady.

Not everyone feels this way about the idea of the one book one school program coming to FC.

“It is not a good idea because what I like to read is completely different than what my math teacher likes, and I know if I don’t like a book then I won’t read it. I just put it down and find something else to do,” said Tuell.

This is what makes choosing a summer reading, class book, or group reading book hard to choose.  For now, teachers and the school will just have to work hard and do what they think is best for the students.

“I don’t think I could make everyone happy. That’s the thing about mandatory reading; it is hard to make everyone happy because not everybody likes one genre or another,” said Broady.

Sidney Reynolds

Newspaper, yearbook staffs excel at recent competitions

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By Sidney Reynolds

Last Friday The Bagpiper newspaper Staff and Bartizan Yearbook staff went to Southeastern Indiana’s High School Press Association convention at Indiana University Southeast where The Bagpiper was named Newspaper of the Year for the ninth consecutive year. Additionally, the Bartizan yearbook was named Yearbook of the Year.

The Bagpiper newspaper and Bartizan yearbook were honored at two different conventions in October. The Bagpiper was named a Hoosier Star newspaper at the Indiana High School Press Association convention, and Newspaper of the Year at the Southeastern Indiana Student Press Association convention. The Bartizan was named Yearbook of the Year at the SISPA convention. Photo by JT Samart.

These honors came one week after The Bagpiper was named a Hoosier Star newspaper at the annual Indiana High School Press Association convention at Franklin College, placing it among the state’s top newspapers. The newspaper and Bartizan yearbook also won several individual Harvey awards at the IHSPA convention.

“I was really happy to see it do so well. We spent a lot of time and dedication on producing a good book for our students and competitions,” said senior Lauren McNeeley, Bartizan editor-in-chief.

Sophomore Jalyn Kowalski won second place in On-site Student Life Design at the IHSPA convention.

“It was really a big accomplishment for me because it was the first time I’ve ever done something like that,” said Kowalski.

McNeeley said the numerous yearbook awards are a reflection of the staff’s high standards. “We have very high standards for the work that we do. I think that’s what pushes us for our photos and captions to make a good yearbook,” she said.

Senior Anna Boone, co-editor-in-chief of The Bagpiper, said the newspapers staff’s focus on producing quality journalism has paid off.

“It was very rewarding,” she said. “I think it solidifies all the hard work we have been doing throughout the year.”

Senior Grace Runkel, co-editor-in-chief of The Bagpiper, agreed with Boone.

“I was really honored to win this award again. It was nice to see all our hard work pay off,” said Runkel.

Boone said the writing and reporting talents of the newspaper journalists helped lead to the recent honors.

“I think every single year we’ve had great writers on our staff, especially this year,” she said.

For next year, The Bagpiper plans to work on their website design and layout, and the Bartizan is already putting together this year’s yearbook for the next competition.

“We are going to continue our excellent writing,” added Boone.

The most recent edition of The Bagpiper was published and distributed at FC today. Interested readers can look through pdf’s of pages posted on this website.

To see a complete list of individual students honored at the SISPA convention, click here.

To see a complete list of individual students honored at the IHSPA convention, click here.