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Riverdale's Online News Source 802 Warrior Drive  Murfreesboro, TN |
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Quote of the Week "You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself.” –Harvey Firestone
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Water Warriors end season with state achievements by Kristen Lang, Staff Writer The 2011-2012 the Riverdale High School Water Warriors season is the sixth consecutive year with swimmers or divers finish in the state's top 16! The boys 200 freestyle relay team—Mitchell Rust, Todd Pate, Dylan Higgins, and Hunter Moisan--finished 14 th in the state. The final curtain took place on February 10, at the Centennial Sports*Plex in Nashville, Tennessee: the state swim meet. The top swimmers worked as hard to post state qualifying times. Warriors that qualified for individual events were Emily Hines (9), Melanie Brumfield (9), Rachel Jones (10), Dylan Higgins (11), Ian Baker (11), Hunter Moisan (12), and Mitchell Rust(12). Warriors that participated on a relay team are Sarah Garren (10), Savannah Bowker (10), and Todd Pate (11). Also, the Water Warriors aren’t just swimmers; there are divers as well, and Parker Powell (9) made the state meet in diving. In the last weeks before state, Coach Brett Hoehn did not give light practices. He uses a method called a “taper” to build up the amount of yardage and increase intensity. When the swimmers reach a maximum amount of yardage, they start dropping yards off and decreasing the intensity. Freshman Brumfield said, “The whole swim season, it seemed like every time [in the 500 yard freestyle in meets] I would touch the wall and see 00:06:10, then 00:06:11, and then 00:06:10 again; but I strived to get a 00:06:07 and qualify for state. At the county meet I got a 00:06:16. I wasn’t really worried about making state in the 500 yard freestyle anymore, because I already knew I was going to state to be in a relay, I had no worries or pressure on my shoulders. I just wanted to swim it. I remember touching the wall and looking up to see the beautiful numbers 00:6:06.4. I was astonished, and I kept asking the person with my stopwatch if that was really my time. It just feels amazing to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m Melanie Brumfield. I’m a freshman this year, but I qualified for state in the 500 yard freestyle.’ ” In other end-of-season achievements, Mitchell broke the RHS school record in the 500 freestyle relay with a 00:06:03 and Hines maintained her record in the 100 backstroke that she broke in the regional meet with a 00:01:06.
by Melinda Lewis, Smoke Signal Junior Editor The 36 th annual Black History Month is observed this February; President Gerald Ford declared it a national event in 1976. But, it originally began in 1926 as the brain-child of historian Carter G. Woodson and lasted only one week. The month of February was chosen in recognition of two important figures behind the abolitionist movement-- Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, both born in February. About 13% (or roughly 42 million) of the population of the United States identifies as African American. However, not everyone thinks that this should be a national observance. In an interview on 60 Minutes, Morgan Freeman said, “ I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” Others at RHS feel the same. Junior L.B. Brandon feels like the month makes him stand out. “I appreciate the history, but I wish it was recognized all year instead of just a month.” Junior Daezia Smith expressed a similar opinion, “I wish it was incorporated year-round. Having a month makes people’s attitudes change towards me, and they tend to be overly nice. America is supposed to be a melting pot.” African Americans aren’t the only group assigned a special month. March is Women’s History Month; May is Asian-Pacific Heritage Month; Hispanic Heritage Month is from Mid-September to Mid-October; and American-Indian Heritage Month is designated as November. According to an article in USA Today, there is an idea growing in popularity that black history would be best integrated into the regular history curriculum. The thinking behind this change is to reduce racism and create an awareness of a shared American history.
Fashion show features gowns, tuxes, and dance by Sarah Jarrett, Smoke Signal Editor Riverdale High School hosts an annual fashion show featuring students who entertain an audience with much more than just a catwalk. The fashion show is open only to upperclassmen, so a first-time audience member is often shocked by the elaborate production. Senior Amy Watson says, “When you say ‘fashion show,’ you think of just walking, but there’s so much more to this type of fashion show.” The show includes prom-themed wardrobe provided by Street Tuxedo—located on Memorial Blvd—and the Bridal and Formal Shoppe—located on South Church St. The show also features choreography by none other than Craig Watkins and Todd Johnson of CAT Choreography—the same choreographers that produce the dances seen performed by the RHS Halftimers during pep rallies and basketball games. Watson says, “You don’t have to have any dance experience or walk experience [to be in the fashion show], but Craig and Todd are going to make sure you’re ready to go on stage as long as you’re willing to show up and take criticism.” Watson participated as a model/dancer for the fashion show during her junior year, and she is excited to perform again. With all the hard work and time put into the show, it is clear that the students who participate aren’t just doing it to advertise the dresses and tuxedos. Senior Dallas Faro also takes pride in performing in the fashion show. He says, “[The purpose of the show is] to project your confidence to the crowd.” Watson says, “We’ve worked so hard, and everyone has sacrificed so much, so we really hope a lot of people will try to come out. Just be ready to enter a world of fantasy.” The in-school show will be held on Tuesday, Feb 14.
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African-American Quiz Bowl held Feb. 22 and 23 The African-American Quiz Bowl will take place in the RHS auditorium on February 22 and 23, in recognition of Black History month. The competition will be in a game show setting in the sense that there will be buzzers, a crowd, a runner-up prize of $300 and a grand prize of $400. This school-sponsored event will supply each team of four with a lengthy packet of information to study and memorize before the competition begins.
Students who take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in any Rutherford County high school get an extra five points added to their final grades. Students who take honors or advanced honors classes get an extra three points. Students who take standard classes get zero. Why does this happen? Is this fair? Students in AP and honors classes are said to have heavier workloads. However, not every student is challenged at the same level. While advanced classes are more demanding, a student in a standard level class could be just as challenged as an AP student, and work just as hard. Truthfully, some students in AP classes already manage their academic load easily--hence the advanced placement. All the while, some students in standard classes may be just as challenged to keep their heads above water, due to the new curriculum standards. The challenge lies within the individual, not the curriculum. This is a problem that can be fixed by not giving points to anyone and believing in original credit only, by giving the extra points to the kids who need it most, or allowing the teacher’s discretion for these types of grades. Perhaps this would not be an issue if the Rutherford County School System Student Handbook and Code of Behavior and Discipline gave a clear explanation for justifying the extra points given. Are these points merely an incentive to increase the enrollment in their advanced classes in order to make the statistics look better? No matter what the reason, students are going to work hard, not for the points, but because a grade earned is better than a grade given. Some controversy has arisen about the extra five points added to the final grades of advanced placement classes. Riverdale High School and schools across the district offer bonus points for students who take AP classes. This policy is familiar to RHS students because those that take any honors course receive the perks of three extra points. Some believe that these points should go to the students who are in lower courses, but the points are reflective of work and rigor of the class. The students who take A.P. classes are expected to be capable of a more difficult and advanced curriculum. Though students are capable of taking a class, this does not necessarily mean they will. For those who strive to reach their potential, the extra five points added to the final grade are just a reward for the additional work required. Obviously, a student should not take the class for the five point bonus, but students such as these, who are not self-motivated, will not succeed. It is similar to parents rewarding their children for work that they are not directly asked to do. If a child picks up their toys without being asked they get praised, where as if they have to be told, they do not. Likewise, those that push themselves reap the rewards, while those in the standard classes are doing the average and universally-expected level work. There is nothing wrong with the standard class if a student struggles in a subject, but the extra points are an incentive to work harder, not relax academic standards. In addition to a more rigorous curriculum, the grading system for AP classes is different as well. Because the amount of work exerted for an AP class is greater, it is logical that the grading scale would be tougher. The students in AP classes should be the elite in that subject, and thus, their best should be held to a higher mark than that of a student in a standard-level class. Therefore, teachers tend to grade their AP students more rigorously. An AP English paper that made an 80 would probably make a better grade in a different class level; so, in addition to being a reward, five points are also a grade buffer. An AP student could take standard simply to pass with an A, but the self-motivation of an AP student pushes him or her toward the AP challenge. Yet, it is very disconcerting when those in a standard class have a better GPA or a better final grade than an AP student. But, this is usually not reflective of the work that the AP student put forth, so the extra points help keep the grading scale even and balanced. The bottom line is the importance of students to be self-motivated and attempt a more rigorous curriculum. The reward for that challenge comes from the county’s added bonus of five points—making the burden of extra work a little more palatable.
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by Kaylan Orphanos, Smoke Signal Staff Writer Passion—for the Riverdale High School Halftimers, the passion for dance is what brings this talented group of students together. “It’s not about our gender or the color of our skin but the pure joy of dancing that makes us the tight-knit family we are,” said junior Igolo Obi. The Halftimers have been around since the late 1980’s, but what exactly goes on behind the scenes? For starters, the Halftimers are choreographed by C.A.T. Choreography and glamorized by Craig Watkins. Surprisingly, the choreography comes from not only C.A.T. Choreography but from suggestions made by the whole group of dancers—talk about a team effort. Like most sports, being a Halftimer requires a lot of hard work, patience, and most importantly, dedication. The group practices twice a week for two and a half hours, but according to junior Dontre Perry, their practices are far from ordinary. “Our practices, in my opinion, are the most entertaining compared to other teams. We are constantly goofing around but unlike some, we know the time and place for appropriate behavior,” says Perry. After rehearsal is said and done, performing for Riverdale is just around the corner. “I was really intimidated at first due to so many expectations, but I’m really happy I tried out. My first time performing was definitely nerve wrecking, yet at the same time a moment to remember,” says Obi. Since the Halftimers are one big family, teammates know how to boost each other up before hitting the gym floor. “As a returning veteran, I do my best to help the new bees calm their nerves before performing. I was once in their shoes and being the person I am, I want them to know their hard work is going to pay off—just believe in yourself,” says Perry. In reality, being a Halftimer isn’t always easy. From tryouts to first time performances, confidence and positive attitudes are the keys to success. “I can whole-heartily say being apart of this dance crew has broken me out of my comfort zone. I’m now more outgoing and feel as if I can accomplish anything I set my mind too. I strongly encourage any student interested in dancing to tryout. You never know, it could be a life changing experience for you too,” says Obi.
Ag teacher wins $2500 FFA grant Lucas Holman, agriculture teacher at Riverdale High School, applied for the National FFA Organization's 2012 Food For All Grant and was chosen as a recipient. The grant, in the amount $2500, is available to agriculture teachers across the nation for the purpose of helping to provide fresh food in our areas, such as a community garden. His grant will be a joint project between Riverdale's Agriculture Department and Rutherford County Community Care. Riverdale agriculture students will help develop vegetable containers for the elderly through their grant titled "Veggies For All."
Your 2011-12 Smoke Signal Staff:
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