Tag Archives: Taylor Batliner

Blake Dykes, Features

Students share New Year’s goals

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By Blake Dykes

With every new year come new resolutions. Every resolution is made with the intent on staying loyal to it and really making a change. However, it is usually a lot harder to make these changes because they have become a habit or part of our everyday lives.

Some students decided to become a healthier person by changing their eating and drinking habits.

“I am giving up soft drinks for a year because they make me feel bad and they are bad for me, especially because I used to drink them all the time,” said junior Taylor Batliner.

Batliner plans to pursue this goal by having her parents stop buying them, drinking water, and avoiding them.

Along with Batliner, sophomore Brandon Smith plans to improve his diet by eating healthier.

“I have decided I’m going to start making smarter food choices, to make me a healthier adult in the future.”

This resolution differs for Smith because purely because this is the first one he is actually made.

For others, health is still the main aspect in their resolution, only a different branch of it, social health.

Sophomore Logan Minzenberger plans to make friends and meet more people.

“I plan to be more outgoing and go out and introduce myself, this way I can experience different people’s lifestyle.”

Another common theme this year, falls into the category of organization.

“I plan to start being on time places. I am always late everywhere I go, even to school,” said sophomore Collin Reschar.

Reschar decided to make this change because he gets in trouble a lot by always being late.

“I am going to start checking up on the time more and leaving earlier.”

Others have a habit they decided they need to break.

“This year I really need to stop hoarding trash. Mostly like empty bottles or trash from food,” said freshman Lindsay Sparrow.

However, this is not the first time Sparrow has attempted to make this change.

“I have had this resolution for several repeating years, I just can’t stop myself. But this year I am saying no with an iron fist. When I am done using something I am going to fight the urge to keep it and just throw it away. I know that it is becoming a problem because my room is actually starting to smell from all of the collective amount of garbage.”

English teacher Jessica Broady shared her thoughts on new year’s resolutions.

“New year’s is a good time to make resolutions because it’s good to stop and see what path we’re on and if we want to continue on that path.”

Blake Dykes, Softball, Sports

Softball Senior Night leaves team emotional

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By Blake Dykes

The varsity softball team takes pre-game hitting in the outfield. Photo by Justin Weber.
On May 9 softball Senior Night took place down on the field. This night recognized all of the seniors for their hard work and for continuing to excel through their high school experience.This year’s seniors include Alex Engleman, Kallie Krammes, Kate Kaiser, Sam Feather, and Hailee Fultz.

Senior Night is something many softball players look forward to all four years of their softball career, for multiple reasons.  First, all underclassmen report down to the field directly after school. They then decorate the entire baseball and softball area. These decorations include hanging up multiple posters in the dugout made specifically for each individual senior. While the freshmen are doing this, the rest of the team decorates the sidewalk starting from the parking lot, leading all the way down to the field with chalk. The sidewalk is covered with inside jokes and cheers preparing them for the game.

“One of my favorite parts was seeing all of the of the chalking everyone did,” said Engleman.

However, the teammates are not the only ones helping to prepare for this night. Moms from the team spend several hours making displays of each senior with pictures leading up to this year.

After all of this took place, the seniors arrived to the field, admiring each aspect of the decorations. They then prepared for their game against one of their biggest rivalries, Jennings County.

Once both teams were warmed up, an announcer recognized each individual senior. During this time each senior’s parent walked them onto the field, while the announcer read off speeches each senior gave, which included their best memory of softball at this school. Each senior was then handed a bouquet of flowers. This was a very emotional time for many of them.

“Walking out on the field with my parents was a great feeling of achievement,” said Fultz.

Continuing on with the night, FC then defeated Jennings County 1-0. The starting players of the game were sophomore Morgan Harper at the mound,  Feather at third, sophomore Taylor Batliner at shortstop, junior Bre Mayfield at second,  sophomore Kateline Dreher at first, sophomore Taylor McClure behind the plate, Krammes in left field, Kaiser in center field, and Fultz in right field.

Although the victory over Jennings County was exciting, the event that happened last left many of the fans laughing. Another tradition for Senior Night is that the sophomores and juniors to perform a dance to some of the team’s favorite songs combined into one.

“My favorite part is the dance because it’s tradition that the underclassmen dance for us,” said Kaiser.

Beyond all of the exciting events that go on during Senior Night, there is still some seriousness and sadness to it.

Feather shared what she will miss most about leaving.

“I’ll miss being around the team because we have become a second family and we always have so much fun together.”

Fultz agreed with Feather in that aspect.

“I’m going to miss our coach and playing softball a lot, but most of all I’m going to miss all of the funny, talented, intelligent girls that made me laugh every day.”