Lee County sophomore Russell “Chase” Horne brought home the gold in the Welding Sculpture competition in statewide SkillsUSA competition. “[I] won fi rst for a wine rack,” Horne said.“[I was] excited [it was my] fi rst year welding.” With the guidance of Ray Dell of Lee County High School and Brenda Butler of South Georgia Technical School in Cordele,

Chase moves on to the National competition in Kansas City, Missouri in June. “His work experience in my class got him interested in welding,” w e l d i n g instructor Ray Dell said. “This led him to South Georgia Tech where he

The PanopticApril 2011

The eye that sees all at Lee County High School, Leesburg, GaS

Volume X, Issue 4

Campus Clout

Daddy on the diamond Varsity baseball player Mark Fowler has one foot on the baseball fi eld and the other in his role as father

National Honor Society fi lled the bed of a truck with over 1000 pounds of canned foods. The drive lasted one school week long in March and the challenge was to come up with a service project that could successfully be carried out here on campus. The drive was led by junior Kayleigh Sullivan with the assistance of juniors Koby Schwarzkopf, Becky Jo Baltenberger and Allison Heiskell.

NHS sponsors canned goods drive

Literature (11) May 2, 8:15 in gym

Literature (9) May 2, 12:30 in room 714

Economics May 3, 8:15 in gym U.S. History May 3, 12:30

in gym Biology May 4, 8:15 in gym

Physical Science May 4, 12:30 in gym

Math I May 5, 8:15 in room 714

Math II May 5, 2:30 in gym

Make ups May 6, 8:15 in cafeteria

EOCT schedule posted

Psychology May 2, noon in gym

Calculus May 4, 8 a.m. in activity building

English Language May 5, U.S. History May 6, 8 a.m.

in gym European History May 6, noon

in activity building English Lit and Composition

May 11, 8 a.m. in gymStatistics May 11, noon

in activity buildingMacroeconomics May 12, 8 a.m. in activity building

World History May 12, 8 a.m. in gym

AP tests coming soon

The Panoptic staff traveled to Columbia, South Carolina on March 4 to compete in national competition and brought home many awards. Sophomores Hannah Rivers and Elizabeth Ponson both earned third place awards for their photography entries. Sophomore Ashley Archer’s environemtal portrait earned a seond place photography award. Kelsey Rogers and Anna Roberts, also sophomores, cornered third place in ad design competition, Rogers for black and white ads and Roberts for color. Roberts also placed thrd in editorial page design. The Panoptic staff won best of show for their new online website. The highest award they received was an All Southern rating for the print version of the Panoptic. Junior Lizzie Dovle was named SIPA vice president for the upcoming school year.

Panoptic brings home national honors

In the last issue of The Panoptc, state wrestling winner Zach Thompson’s name was errone-ously listed as Zack Thompkins. The Panoptic staff apologizes for the error.

Retraction

Horne dominates state

It’s not every day that a student athlete answers to the name of Daddy. But for junior baseball player, Mark Fowler,

his day is not over once he leaves the practice fi eld. After a day at school, followed by a practice or a game, Fowler goes home to to fi ll another role -- father to his nine-month-old son, Keaton. Fowler admits it: having to care for a child is not easy. But he thankfully has a tremendous level of the support from his parents and friends. Although he knows his life is completely different, it doesn’t stop him from playing baseball AND loving his son. “Well, it’s defi nitely much harder […],” Fowler said, “but the support from my parents is amazing. They’re always willing to watch the baby while I’m practicing or playing.” Truly, without the efforts of Fowler’s parents, Christine and John Fowler, his days on the baseball diamond would probably have ended when the responsibilities of fatherhood entered the picture. The teenage couple actually live

with the elder Fowlers, and grandparents also step into the picture when extra hands are needed. Fowler is not alone. According to “Time Magazine”, 17.4 of every 1000 teenage males became fathers in 2002. Statistics from March 2011 show that rate has increased to 7.3 out of every 100. Ironically, the number of actual births to teenage mothers has drastically decreased. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, just under one third of teenage girls world wide will become pregnant this year. While that sounds drastically high, statistics show that this is actually a decrease of 33 percent since 1990. Media . focuses on teen moms, while teen fathers are often considered the afterthought. Despite the stereotype, research shows that more and more teenage fathers are taking an active role in raising their children. But few of those are also able to continue at the same level

Shay Glover and her son Keaton cheer on Keaton’s dad, varsity baseball player Mark Fowler, at a home game. One parent balances baseball, school and father-hood while the other juggles classes here on campus and Albany Technical College, all while changing diapers. Parents Fowler and Glover welcomed baby boy Keaton on June 27, 2010, when Fowler was a sophomore and Glover was a junior.

phot

os b

y C.

Gre

bel

McDonald named Georgia Master Advisor for FCCLA

Two state competitors bring home gold

Extemporaneous isn’t a word included in most students’ vocabulary. But for junior Kyle Constable, it’s a term to live by. After securing a fi rst place in the GHSA State Literary Meet for extemporaneous speaking two years in a row, a legacy continues in Lee County, a school that’s always held high standards for debate and literary competitions. Constable is a champion at the podium. Make that a state champion. Twice.

His motives are what some might c o n s i d e r strange. Fear, he says, drives him to perfection. “I love p u b l i c s p e a k i n g because I hate to speak in public,” C o n s t a b l e said. “It’s one

of my greatest fears, but it’s one of my greatest passions.”

Public speaking itself evokes a certain amount of nervous

energy. Harnessing is what proves to be the biggest challenge for most. Lee County’s debate and forensics team has done so beautifully, winning numerous accolades and awards spanning from the program’s origin. Advisor William Swafford has racked up a Diamond Coaching award and 1,500 NFL (National Forensic League) points, showing the absolute dedication and wholehearted devotion to success exuded by the program. A well developed program spawns well researched and well prepared competitors. Kyle Constable is a prime example of the hard work pumped into the club. Constable, who has been involved with debate and forensics since freshman year, competed in the GHSA Literary Meet on Saturday, March 19 in boy’s extemporaneous speaking. Competitors randomly select three topics out of an envelope and choose one to prepare a seven minute speech on. Students are allotted 30 minutes in which they research their topic with only information that they’ve prepared prior to the competition, pen a speech and practice speaking. After, two judges examine the speeches

and determine a winner. The number one votes for Constable were unanimous. But he’s not stopping at two state titles. “I would love to win state championship three years in a row,” Constable said. Swafford is equally confi dent in his abilities. “I expect him to repeat state tournament,” Swafford said. “He’s just a really stand-out young man […] Whatever he does in life, I’m certain he’ll be successful.” Senior Danielle Ackler also received second place for girl’s extemporaneous speaking.

Anna Roberts

Kyle Constable plans on dominating state next year for the third time. Consta-ble placed fi rst in extem-peraneous speaking.

photo by H.Vann

submitted photo

submitted photo

Horne will be moving on to nationals in Kansas City, Missouri. He won fi rst in weld-ing at state competition.

(Continued on page 11)

Teachers are a dedicated species. Many show their continuous efforts for education through hard work and long nights touring the hallways of LCHS. But one of the most unique and commendable forms of dedication

lingering within the school lies in the expanded room of Mrs. Leslie Sharpe McDonald, who is so devoted to the FCCLA program that she can be found making pigs-in-a-blanket during her planning period. This commitment has not gone unnoticed. McDonald has been tapped as Georgia’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America Master Adviser for 2010-2011. The accolade is given to the adviser who exhibits

exceptional leadership within their chapter of FCCLA. Executive Director of the Georgia Association of FCCLA Vicki Rundbaken commended McDonald for her “demonstrated ability to organize and carry out meaningful FCCLA chapter activities.” FCCLA, founded in 1945, was formerly known as the Future Homemakers of America. The main focus of the organization was expanding students’

leadership skills and potential for success in both their own homes and community. McDonald upholds this vision with an exceptional chapter in Lee County. “We do a lot of community service…,” McDonald said. “[We work on] strengthening the community and the family.” The award, McDonald says, is one that she holds close to her

Anna Roberts

(Continued on page 3)

photo by C. GrebelMcDonald devotes most of her time to FCCLA. Due to her dedication,McDonald was named Master Advisor for the state of Georgia.

Elizabeth Ponson

Rachel McDaniel

Constable named state literary champ

What’s inside... Literary magazine

... see page 2 Earthquake in Japan

... see pages 6-7 Panama City

... see page 8 (Continued on page 4) (Continued on page 4)

The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 2011 2 Editorials

Social networking; everyone knows about it, and almost everyone has their favorite site with a profile to call their own. Just think about it: our parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, and extended families all have at least one medium of social networking, and use it quite frequently. Some of us use it as our primary resource for communication. It is more uncommon now to not have a Facebook or Twitter profile than to be with one. “I have a Facebook,” junior Austin Everson said, “I mean, who doesn’t?” No one can deny that social networking is taking over the lives of our generations and the generation’s before us. We are very quick to debate how it effects our day-to-day, but what we rarely do is take some action to determine how large of an impact social networking makes. After realizing how many hours of my precious time were being devoted to updating my status, composing tweets, or checking my news feed I decided to give up all social networking-Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry Messenger and Skype- for Lent. I knew before I started this sacrifice that it would be a difficult task, but I wasn’t sure how long this period would seem. Ash Wednesday was the hardest. Logos for the sites and

the small icons at the bottom of my screen seemed to be calling my name. Every time I would hear the word “Facebook” my heart would start racing and temptation would rise. The voice inside my head kept saying over and over: “No one would know if you just looked once.” And it’s true; no one would know but me. I had to remember to be honest with myself and remember why I made this sacrifice and exhibit loads of self control. Social networking was not only affecting my time. It was beginning to affect my schoolwork and academics. I would stop in the middle of studying, working on a project, reading or doing homework to check Twitter and Facebook. “If I had to give up something, I would give up [social networking] too,” junior Morgan Smith said. “It is a big

distraction while I am trying to do homework.” Because of smartphone’s growing popularity, social networking mediums are growing at an exponential rate. People all over the world have every one of their friends and their personal business at their fingertips. The technology once reserved for businesspeople who needed to be in touch all the time is now used by ordinary people. For example, I have a Blackberry complete with a Facebook, Twitter and Blackberry Messenger app. I don’t run a business, nor am I a CEO of a large corporation. I am a 17 year old junior in high school with the world at my fingertips. “I get on [Facebook] everyday multiple times,” junior Kirby Whitehead said, “It occupies all of the time I spend on my phone.”

From Lent’s beginning until now, I have had time to realize that social networking is just really not worth my time. I honestly don’t even miss it anymore. After sacrificing something that was once such a major factor in my life, I know now just how frivolous and time consuming it really is. What our generation today needs to realize is that this can be done. We can go without social networking; it is not a necessity. “I know for a fact I could live without [Facebook],” Whitehead said. The journey so far has been a long, difficult one. I went from seeing something before I went to bed and as soon as I woke up to being totally without it. I am however, very proud to say that I will make it through, and before it is all over some—if not all—of my social networking profiles will see their final day.

Frustrated students. Aggravated teachers. Heated arguments. What is the cause of all this madness? Poor communication. It might seem a small thing, but for good students, it is not. When teachers do not inform their students about tests, students get anxious and worried about their grades. No one likes pop quizzes, much less pop tests. “I feel furious [when teachers do not tell me about tests] because, one I would like to prepare and study for the test and two I could understand a pop quiz--that’s why it’s called a ‘pop quiz’,” senior Dakota Wilson said.

Communication between students and teachers has been an issue for as long as I can remember. Such was the case this semester with several benchmark exams. Some teachers regarded benchmarks as an afterthought, while others did not inform the students at all. If teachers do not take benchmarks seriously, why are the students expected to? Students should be informed when a test is coming up. If students do not get the chance to study, the test is more about their ability than how much they have been taught, which is what a benchmark is really supposed to test. “It’d be nice to know [about the benchmarks], but some

teachers purposely don’t tell the students anything,” principal Kevin Dowling said. “It’s the notion that benchmarks are a test of what you know at the moment, and that studying invalidates them. In my opinion, teachers should let the students know about the benchmarks and give them the chance to succeed.” It is not just the benchmarks. Some teachers never tell the students about any tests, then claim that they had the test date up on the board or that they had been telling the students all week long. A popular saying that teachers use is “y’ll have known about this test since last week.” “Students should be warned about tests so that they can

study,” sophomore Cy Lamb said, “Quizzes can be given anytime because they are good practice for tests.” If a teacher gets to plan a test possibly weeks before, students should at least get a warning before the day of the test. In order to receive good grades, a student must put in a large amount of effort. Studying for a test is putting in a lot of effort, not just paying attention in class. It seems that the hardest tests are the ones we are not told about. Students should have the right to know about their tests before they take them. Otherwise, why are we told about the EOCTs weeks in advance?

‘Benchmark? Today?!’

“We want you!” “Come and visit!” “Check us out!” I never expected colleges to seek me out. Actually I thought students were supposed to do the seeking, but that all changed after receiving my results for The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which I took in October. My email inbox and home mailbox have been filled to the brim with information from schools. Little known colleges, Ivy League universities, and technical institutes have all made their presence aware to me. Each school is unique in their choice of recruitment material. Brochure, postcard, email, or pamphlet they all say about the same thing, but each school adds their own special twist. One college sent a current student’s feelings about the college, while Notre Dame University gave students a “personalized website”’ to get more information on the

college. A proud feeling comes over me every time I read a new message from a school. Searching for college insignias in the mail has become a daily ritual. I rush to the mailbox like a little kid running for the ice cream truck. Excitement builds as I swiftly shuffle past the bills, advertisements, and offers. The envelopes I am searching for appear. I rush into the house and

open my mail. Not every student shares the same joyous feelings as me towards college mail. “I kind of freak out a little,” sophomore Katie Curry said, “It reminds me that I have to grow up and be on my own. I don’t want to grow up.” Growing up too fast is not a common worry. Talking to other students allowed me to learn that some are not as receptive

as others toward the plethora of mail. “It’s sort of annoying, schools that I am not even interested in send me mail,” junior Vicki Deady said. Senior Rashonte Pettit felt the same way. “I feel weird having all this information sent to me that I never asked for,” Pettit said. I understand that feeling of annoyance. I made the choice to not respond to the University of Georgia. They send not one, not two, but three emails asking about my lack of response. Even though I did not reply to receive mail, I was still sent information on the school through the mail. While I know thousands of other high school students receive the very same letters and very same messages as me, letters from colleges make me feel happy. Especially since some of the mail comes from colleges on my “dream schools” list. Those messages make me feel a little more comfortable about my senior year, knowing that all these schools believe I could be a possible member of their freshman class of 2013.

Did you know ... ?Lent is the 40 week-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

Lauren Bell

Kelsey Rogers

Lizzie Doyle

The

PanopticStaff

Editor-in-ChiefHaley Vann

Web EditorRachel McDaniel

Assistant Web EditorAshley Archer

Photo EditorJessica Pina

Business ManagerHannah Rivers

Ad Designer/Assistant Copy Editor

Anna Roberts

Feature EditorLauren Bell

Copy EditorsLizzie Doyle & Kelsey

Rogers

Calendar/Competition, Conference Coordinator

Elizabeth Ponson

Event PlannerKara Brinson

AdviserConi Grebel

Editorial PoliciesThe Panoptic is pub-lished by Lee County

High School and Coni Grebel’s advanced

journalism class. It is part of a credit course,

applicable towards graduation requirements and functions under the

language arts curricu-lum. It is a publication of

the Lee County School System and as such, it is designed in their Code of

Conduct as a public fo-rum for the students. The

Panoptic will publish material that might be

interpreted as obscene. It will not subject itself

to accusations of libel or unethical journalism.

All news and feature articles are by-lined un-

less the inclusion of such information unveils other

identities which need to be protected. Material

created by staff members is property of the LCHS journalism staff and of

LCHS and is protected by copyright laws.

Staff members of The Panoptic are trained

in journalistic law and ethics and are bound to

honor copyright laws. Plagiarism is not toler-

ated. Staff members finance the publication

of their paper through ad sales.

It is the policy of The Panoptic to accept ads

from individuals and from businesses.

The staff publishes letters submitted to the

editor. All letters must be signed by the writer, Let-ters may be placed in the mailbox outside of room

214. The staff reserves the right to refrain from

publishing a submitted letter because

of space restriction.

Every day, Lauren Bell grows more excited to run to the mailbox. Even as a sophomore Lauren Bell has already received information from colleges.

photo illustration by G. Bell

Bye-bye, Facebook Calling all artists, writers, poets, photographers, musicians and anyone else with artistic talent! The Panoptic staff is reviving an old tradition by bringing back The Mag, a school-wide literary magazine. If you aren’t sure what a literary magazine is, let us enlighten you. A lit mag showcases talent from across the student body. Students submit their poetry, prose, artwork, photography, musical lyrics – anything that is original and appropriate. The Panoptic staff of 2002 started our lit magazine, The Mag, as a venue for talented writers and artists on campus. Producing a yearly magazine along with six issues of the newspaper, however, turned out to quite an expensive and time-consuming job for one staff. Eventually The Mag lost its annual status and moved to alternate years – or whenever the job looked feasible. But with the cyber world now engrafted in so much of society, we think we’ve solved the issues of time and money – at least where lit mag is concerned. The Mag has moved to the web. This year’s lit mag will appear online, significantly decreasing our cost and giving our school’s talented artisans a much broader audience. We know that some of you have been waiting for this opportunity to showcase your work. Check out the rules and procedures for submitting work below. And then, get busy creating! Who knows? One of you might just get discovered!

1. The work submitted must be your own. (You might want to check out our school’s policies on plagiarism, both intention and non-intentional. Believe us – it’s just not worth it.) Submit as many masterpieces as you’d like – no limit!2. No anonymous entries will be considered for publication. 3. Your submissions must be made digitally. Bring it to room 407 during 2nd or 3rd period on a flash drive or disc, email it to panoptic@lee.k12.ga.us with your name and grade level in the subject line, or for those with supernatural powers, telecommunicate into our brains. But it must come to us in a digital format. We’re betting that if you ask nicely, your English teacher or art teacher might just help you get the work to us. Artwork should be scanned in or photographed for submission.4. Your work must have a title. No exceptions.5. All entries must be in our computer files by the end of April – that would mean Friday, April 29.6. Entries in each genre will be judged by a panel of experts from the community. Entries usually fall in the realms of poetry, prose (etc… - see above and don’t make us type it all again), but we’re open to new ideas. If we get tapes of musical performances, for example, we might create a section of competition for that.7. Your entry may not have been published professionally elsewhere. (Psst. You might want to check out things you’ve already created for school assignments. Whether poetry for Ms. Adams or charcoal sketches for Ms. Bryan-Beshear, most of you probably have something buried deep within your locker that you’re secretly proud of. Time for an excavation; dig it out, scan it, and turn it in.) 8. If your work is chosen for publication, you will be notified during the week of May 14. The Mag will be accessible online that same week -- just in time to let you bask in the glory of having become famous. 9. Still have questions? Ask a staffer or email us at panoptic@lee.k12.ga.us.

Staff EditorialShowcase your literary talents

Lizzie Doyle reacts to life without social networking. She sacrificed social networking for forty days and forty nights. In the beginning it was very difficult for her, but the lack of social networking became easier as the days went on.

photo illustration by E. Ponson

Doyle gives up social networking for Lent

Dear Sophomore ... Love, Your Future

Student, teacher communication proves vital

School News 3April, 2011 The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga.

Debate Interview: Alan Un

Archer: What is duo interpretation? Un: We present a piece of literature using dialogue. The presentation can be humorous or dramatic. There are limits to what we can do. We can not use props, physical contact and we also can not make eye contact. Your presentation depends on how you express verbally.

Archer: How do you prepare for the competition together? Un: During the week we practice whenever we can, but since we procrastinate we practice in the hotel room before competition. Tournaments are good practice for other tournaments. Archer: How is team competition different than individual competition? Un: Having a partner makes it easier. You have some one to fall back on and help you win. It’s a matter of personal preference. Some people may not like a team competition as much as individual competition. It’s

a mutual partnership. We are like family, except we do not

get to share the cookie recipe. Archer: Are you friends outside of debate? Un: Of course! Hugh and I have known one another since 6th grade. Archer: What other activities are you involved in? Un: Tennis, Student Government Association (SGA), Future Business Leaders Association (FBLA), Math Team, and National Honors Society (NHS). Archer: Do you plan to continue debate in college? Un: If I find a good program maybe, but I’m not going to college for debate. I want to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology for chemical or nuclear engineering. Archer: What are some benefits of debate? Un: Debate helps you develop socially. Having to work with certain topics allows me to develop and organize my ideas. You become comfortable with speaking. Archer: Do you have any additional comments? Un: Even though we are a small team, our team is one of the top five in the states.

On Saturday March 12, 2011 the Lee County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the 5th annual Under the Oaks Art Festival and Run. Vendors lined Starksville Ave., while children showed off their craftsmanship inside and outside of the old elementary school gym. The event kicked off with an art exhibit inside of the T. Page Tharp building, hosting paintings and drawings done by local artists. Outside, visitors could purchase many items from candles to handbags, along with some southern barbecue. Inside of the gym was a vast assortment of crafts for the kids to create and take home with them including creating sand art and frosting cookies. “It was a gorgeous day in Lee County to come out and appreciate the arts in our community and we at the Chamber certainly appreciate those who came out to support the Festival,” Director of Marketing and Memberships Lisa Davis said.

The festival also hosted a 1 mile and 5k race with the proceeds benefiting the LCHS Youth Council Scholarship. There was close to 90 runners who participated. “The run achieved its goal of raising money for the Youth Council’s Scholarship Fund. The whole day was a success, and helped bring the community together to appreciate and celebrate local talent,” senior Emily Butts said.

Some local entertainers showcased their talents during the festival. The LCHS Jazz Band performed along with a group from The Pointe and Caitlin Gutierrez. The cast of Drood performed “Off to the Races” for everyone at the festival along with a performance by Broadway Bound. “I think the jazz band did a great job. It was our first performance at the festival and I think we rocked it,” freshman Rachel Reimer said. The festival also hosted a

sidewalk chalk art contest. Local artists took their art to the sidewalk and created masterpieces on the ground. Kelli Sapp received the first place award for her drawing of tree frogs. Donnette Lewis won second with her drawing of a young Asian girl and Cameron Malphrus received an honorable mention for his picture of elephants. The festival was a great success and the Chamber of Commerce hopes for the same success next year.

Lizzie Doyle

Ashley ArcherLauren Bell

Exclusive interviews with debate duo

Elizabeth Ponson

Leesburg gets artsy

Under the Oak Art festival held a sidewalk art show. Using chalk, paints and other utensils, talented artists portrayed each of their masterpiece.

photo by E. Ponson

HOPE takes different stance

photo illustration by J. Pina

photo illustration by J. Pina

AP tests come at the end of the year, but have to be paid by April first, and must be taken before the students can graduate. As many as 312 students need to take the AP tests and 490 tests will be taken have been reported.

illustration by A. Archer

LCMS PTO hosted the second annual Trojan Trot on Saturday, March 26. The 5K/1 mile run was open to the public and many runners and their families attended. Around 75 people participated in the run. The returning runners from 2010 like the run because it was “challenging” and really pressed your mental and physical strength.

Runners ages 11 through 68 participated in this event and the LCMS PTO hopes that the run will continue to be held annually and the turn out will increase every year. The fastest time for the 5K was 22:46 for the men and 24:58 for the women. The LCMS PTO thanks all the runners and sponsors and can’t wait for the Trojan Trot next year.

Trojan trotAshley Archer The annual Under the Oaks Art Festival and Run

hosts run, art and entertainment.

photo by K. Rogers, C. Grebel

Hugh Slaton:Duo Interpretation Interview Bell: What is duo interpretation? Slaton: A team of two must act out a piece of published literature. There are no props, touching, or eye contact allowed. The use of emotion and getting into character is the way to portray the piece. The maximum amount of time for a presentation is nine to ten minutes. Most presentations take between 9 and ten minutes. Bell: How do your prepare for duo interpretation together? Slaton: Practice. Practice. Practice. First we must memorize our line which takes a couple days. After that we begin to “block”. We developed our presentation, it’s a building process. Bell: What was the book used for the presentation that qualified you for nationals:? Slaton: “That’s All Folks” by Barbara Lhota and Janet B. Milstein Bell: How does working as a team differ from working alone in a debate competition? Slaton: The challenge I find, is trust. If they mess up it affects

both of us, but on the other hand if I forget a line he can give me a cue. Working as a team has its pros and cons. Bell: How do you split responsibilities between the two of you? Slaton: It depends on the piece, the characters, and what direction you are taking the piece. Our current work has me saying more line. Alan only repeats certain lines since he is playing an autistic boy. He still is conveying emotions and doing his part. By the end the work is split about half and half. Bell: What else do you do outside of school? Slaton: I am an active member in the Student Government Association (SGA), 4H, and National Honors Society (NHS). Bell: Do you plan to continue debate in college? Slaton: Definitely, the amount of scholarships are enormous for debaters. Bell: What are your strengths and weaknesses? Slaton: Alan and I are both cocky. The cockiness can cause problems sometimes. If we mess up we do not show it during the performance, but afterwards we bicker some.

Mostly we point out the points were one another messed up at. Bell: Do you have any rituals or habits before your performance? Slaton: Black magic. {laughs} Bell: {laughs} Slaton: Just kidding. Before we go on to present we practice our performance facing a wall. Bell: We noticed one major difference between you and Alan, you have fourteen middle names and Alan has none. What are your 14 middle names? Slaton: Here you can just copy it down from my birth certificate. {reaches to retrieve wallet}

Bell: When did you start carrying your birth certificate in your wallet and why? Slaton: I started about two years ago. People would not believe me when I said I had fourteen middle names, so I made a copy of my birth certificate and began to carry it around as proof.

Bell: Your full name is Hugh Dorsey Abdul Jalil Francis Willie Albert Barney Brian Kowalski Jeffery Faith Love Star Breeze Slaton III. Your name has been carried on for three generations, your ancestors must be proud. Slaton: Yep, they are very proud.

Sharpe continued. . .heart. “It means that all of the hard work on nights and weekends, spring break and summers has been recognized as important,” McDonald said. “It means that maybe I’m growing personally and developing.” Growing personally and developing is one of the main goals of the LCHS chapter of FCCLA, a program molded to perfection with the help of dedicated hands. “She has a commitment to the students,” CTAE director Sandra Parker said of McDonald. “She’s

encouraging and very supportive of her students.” McDonald will be formally announced as Master Adviser on April 15 in the Theatre of Classic Center during the Recognition Session of the State Leadership Meeting. McDonald’s award is undisputedly deserved. Her recognized excellence travels far beyond the margins of Leesburg, penetrating new realms of merit. The recognition, as Mrs. McDonald would say, is indeed very “fabulous.”

Seniors all over the state of Georgia have applied for college, or have camped out by the mailbox carefully, hopefully awaiting the arrival of an acceptance letter. Now that the applications are sent and plans have been made for the following fall semester there are some changes to the HOPE scholarship that so m a n y s t u d e n t s rely on to attend college. The state legislature has been planning to change the requirements for the HOPE scholarship, and a decision was recently made. Governor Nathan Deal

has proposed many changes, including a raise in the Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement. Effective fall of 2011, students attending public colleges with a GPA of 3.0 will have 90% of their college tuition paid.

“90% is not too shabby,” Principal Kevin Dowling said. “It’s not 100%, but college is expensive and you could use all the help you could get.”

Valedictorians, S a l u t a t o r i a n s and students that have a GPA of

at least 3.7, an SAT score of 1200 or an ACT score of 26 will receive 100% college

tuition paid in full. Many students think that the GPA change is all there is to it. The fact

of the matter is that it gets more complicated than that.

Previously, the scholarship was tied directly to tuition rates. With the new changes, the scholarship will now instead be tied to the revenue gained from the Georgia Lottery. The amount of the tuition rate paid does not account for the spike in tuition rates expected in the near future. “For example,” Laura Diamond of the Atlanta Journal

Constitution said, “HOPE students attending the University of Georgia this fall could expect $6,363 for two semesters—90% of today’s tuition. If tuition increases by 16% as it did this year, the scholarship would only cover 78%.” In 2009, Georgia lawmakers stopped the “Fixed for Four” program. This program guaranteed students would pay the same tuition for four years. The State Board of Regents stopped the program because of budget cuts but “grandfathered in” students that were already on it. Some Georgia representatives were asked why this clause could not work for the HOPE program. “If we were to grandfather in students who were currently in the HOPE program, it would cost [the state] about $180 million,” Representative Doug Collins, a Republican from Gainesville, Georgia said.

Under the previous HOPE program, scholarship recipients would also receive money for books and mandatory fees. However, when the changes in House Bill 326 were made, these provisions were cut. “The money that would pay for books and fees is gone,” Diamond said. “It would start disappearing July 1 anyway due to earlier provisions lawmakers made to cut costs if reserves got too low.” Remedial classes, once covered by HOPE, will now only be covered for the Technical College System of Georgia instead of both the Technical and University system. Since these classes will not be covered, lawmakers want students to take more rigorous classes in high school. Students in the 2015 graduating class will be required to take more rigorous courses to receive HOPE.

The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 2011 4 School News

Everyone who owns a car, or has even passed a gas station in the past month has noticed a dif-ference to the tune of about 50 cents to one dollar. No one can escape from it. The seemingly ever-increasing rise in the price of gasoline is all over the news, printed in the newspapers, pasted all over the internet and sneaks its way into everyday conversa-tion. Every time it is mentioned, the occupants of the room feel their heart sink to their shoes, and if the room is quiet enough, the sound of someone’s wal-let crying permeates the area. For about a week, when leav-ing the house to go to school, work etc. gas was one price, and by the end of the day, the price of gas would be very dif-ferent than it was that morn-ing. Instead of seeing prices on a downward spiral, they seemed to be steadily climb-ing. Why was this happening? Many speculate that the cause of the price increase is the unrest and uprisings in the Middle East—especially Libya.

“The problem in the price of oil has virtually nothing to do with the supply of oil and everything to do with the per-ception of crisis in the Middle East,” Oil Price Informa-tion analyst Tom Kloza said. The price of oil started rising, which causes the price of gaso-line to go up as well. Crude oil has to be sent to a refinery to then be converted into gasoline. If the oil’s price goes up, it direct-ly affects the price of gasoline. Students at LCHS are no ex-ception to the effects of the ris-ing gas prices, especially since such a large part of the school population drives. Many people have to adjust their budget and their schedules to accommo-date the gas prices. There are many options, but some of the most popular in our area and the nation are carpooling and planning trips to conserve gas. “When I have several things to do, I’ll do it in one trip to save my gas,” junior Devon Peeples said. Paying for gas just to get to school gets to be a hassle, especially considering some students don’t have a job to

pay for gas on their own. “My dad pays for my gas,” Peeples said. “My parents won’t let me have a job this year be-cause I am in two AP classes and academics come first.” With prices as high as they are, sacrifices have to be made in order to save money for the students’ sakes or their par-ents. This could involve riding the bus a few times a week or carpooling to get to school. “I don’t drive to school ev-ery day to conserve gas,” Pee-ples said. “I catch rides to and from school and sometimes I carpool with Sidney Deese.” However, the option of riding the bus is not preferred by some. “I would honestly rather walk than ride the bus,” ju-nior Tyler Dorminey said. With gas prices at $3.45 a gal-lon, speculation continues as to when prices will go down. Opin-ions vary from person to person but there is one thing people ev-erywhere can agree on: everyone is waiting for the day gas prices will be reasonable once again.

Brinson checks in with sharp-shooter Sara Jernigan to find out the latest f rom the ROTC rifle team.

Brinson: When did you decide to join the rifle team? Why? Jernigan: I joined in 9th grade because I love shooting!

Brinson: What is required of someone who wish-es to join the rifle team? Jernigan: They must have a cur-rent physical and make 100% on the test, which is over rifle safe-ty, gun safety, how to handle the weapon… a lot of safety things.

Brinson: What happens at rifle team competitions? Jernigan: There is an 8 lane shooting range, and two schools compete against each other. Four people from our school go against four from another. The top four shooters who get the maximum score win. Everyone has a chance to get a perfect

score out of a 300.

Brinson: What is your fa-vorite part of rifle team? Jernigan: Competing ... and winning.

Brinson: How do you balance rifle team with your school life? Jernigan: It’s kind of hard be-cause we have practice until six. You have to be organized, that’s the main thing.

Brinson: What are the ben-efits of being on the rifle team? Jernigan: Lettermen jackets, trophies and medals. Your self-pride also goes up from win-ning.

Brinson: What relation-ships have you developed through your involve-ment on the rifle team? Jernigan: [I’ve developed] friendships and teamwork with the people on the team.

Brinson: Have you ever had any difficulties

with being on the team? Jernigan: At the beginning, teamwork was a problem. Not everybody liked each other. But by the end of the year you get to know who people really are.

Brinson: What kind of rec-ognition do you get from suc-ceeding in a competition? Jernigan: You can get rifle scholarships, and at the end of the year you get recognized for your accomplishments and med-als, and people {become} letter-men.

Brinson: What’s something interesting about rifle team that people might not know? Jernigan: People don’t know the mental and physical ability you have to have. It’s not easy. You have to control your body—that’s the main thing.

The rifle team competed at state but was defeated in the semi-finals round by St. Vincent’s Academy.

Panoptic reporter Kara Brinson gets the low-down concerning the campus’s only student-run retail operation from junior Austin Askey.

Brinson: Austin, why did you decide to become involved with DECA in the first place, and when did you make that deci-sion?

Askey: In 9th grade I took Intro to Marketing, and since I was a part of the class I joined DECA.

Brinson: How often do you work in the Campus Shop?

Askey: At least twice a week, but I fill in when I’m asked to.

Brinson: Do you have a spe-

cific postion of office in

D E C A ?

Askey: I’m a part of the campus shop staff.

Brinson: This seems to be extremely important to you.What makes you so commit-ted to DECA?

Askey: Being a part of staff makes me want to get more in-volved. I was a state competitor this year.

Brinson: Would you suggest joining DECA to others?

Askey: Yes! DECA is a great club to get involved in, and go-ing to the competitions is a lot of fun.

Brinson: How much revenue do you make in the campus

shop?

Askey: According to Mr. Bur-gess, we make somewhere close to $100 to $150 a day, but I’d have to check with him for exact figures.

Brinson: So how do you think your experience in the campus shop will help you in your fu-ture career?

Askey: Learning how to have a good attitude when working will help me in whatever I do when dealing with customers or other employees in the future.

Brinson: How do you decide what to sell in the campus shop?

Askey: It’s the management’s decision on what we actually buy for the shop. But what we sell a lot of, we make sure we restock.

Brinson: What has been the biggest issue for you in work-ing in the shop?

Askey: I have to keep a posi-tive attitude the entire time I’m working in the shop. You have to treat every customer with re-spect, even the ones that make you mad.

Brinson: Tell us something cool in-volving DECA.

Askey: At state

this year we stayed in this ho-tel with over 40 floors and the rooms were all centered around the elevator; we all thought it was pretty awesome.

Shop talk about DECA, campus shop

photo illustration by K. Rogers

photo illusration by K. Brinson

The students of the month for March are Taylor Schwarzkopf, Dalton Daniel, Hailey Scott and Cara Walker. (Not pictured: Jay Howell and Mikey Bacon.)Students were chosen by teacher nominations and were treated to lunch with Principal Dowling.

photo by H. Rivers

Kara Brinson

Lizzie Doyle

Shooters make stateKara Brinson

DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America.

Did you know ... ?

Student journalists get the inside scoop from DECA members

Senior Kenny Harris is part of the foundation that holds Lee DECA together. Harris has been invovled in DECA since his freshman year. Brinson chats with Harris to get

his persective on what makes DECA so decadent.

Brinson: Why did you decide to become in-volved with DECA? When?

Harris: I started fresh-man year. I thought it

would help me forward my career in marketing.

Brinson: How often do you work in the Campus Shop?

Harris: I work every day ex-cept Thursdays.

Brinson: What type of lead-ership position do you hol in DECA?

Harris: I’m the morning manag-er [for the Campus Shop]. I get up at 5:30 am to get to the shop on time.

Brinson: Seriously? That’s pretty early. What makes you so committed to the Campus Shop?

Harris: Well, it looks good on college and job applications ,and I can benefit from the expe-rience of the shop.

Brinson: You’re graduating in a little over a month. What will you leave behind for DECA?

Harris: Hopefully, well-trained employees [in the Campus Shop] to continue where I left off.

Brinson: How much revenue do you make in the campus shop?

Harris: We average between $50 and $60 a day in the mornings.

Brinson: Let’s cut straight to what we really want to know: How much do you get paid for working in the campus shop?

Harris: We have a standing ac-count and get a free item every-day for working. Last year it

was around $2 a day.

Brinson: How do you decide what to sell in the campus shop?

Harris: It is based on previous sales. The best selling product, we keep, and if we have room, we try out new things.

Brinson: What has been the big-

gest issue for you in working in the

shop?

Harris: It’s staying committed to get up so early to work in

the shop.

Brinson: Tell us a funny story involving you in DECA.

Harris: The dance at the DECA State Conference—all the new people you meet there acted like themselves at the dance. It was crazy!

Literary meet (Continued from p. 1)

March Students of the Month named

Did you know ... ?

Swafford commended both her presentation and speaking style. Both Ackler and Con-stable are the top rated students in the district. Thirst for success is a common denominator in de-bate and forensic competitors.

Lee County’s reputation for a talented program is one sure to be continued on the backs of driven students like Ackler and Constable.

Gas prices again

The school store is open from 7 to 8:05 a.m. and from 3:15 to 4:05 p.m.

rise

he will compete against the best high school students in the country. Chase’s sculpture was inspired by his young brother who has Aspergers and his mother, who is the development coordinator for Easter Seals Southern Georgia.

Horne (Continued from p. 1)

Entertainment 5 April, 2011 The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga.

From library shelves to lit classIf you need a good beach book or a movie for a rainy day, the students from one 10th grade honors lit class are here to help. So sit back, kick off your shoes, AND ENJOY!

“She smiled at me and I smiled at her and all I could wonder was how I’d ever fallen

in love with a girl named Jamie Sullivan.” So begins the walk Landon

“You will know what it is like not to be beautiful, to be as ugly on the outside as on the inside. If you learn your lesson well, you may be able to undo my spell. If not, you will live with your punishment forever,” said Kendra, the evil witch in the book Beastly. She gave the handsome and popular Kyle an opportunity to prove himself, but he did not pass her test. He now has two years to learn the true meaning of beauty, learn to be kind, and find a girl that loves him for who he really is. Kyle Kingsbury lives a lavish life with a maid named Magda, whom Kyle treated very badly. After Kyle’s transformation into a beast, Magda was one of the only people he had left. His father abandoned him because he didn’t want people knowing his son was this hideous. Kyle also had a blind tutor that lived with him. His tutor, Will, shows him that roses bring a delicate beauty into the world. Kyle tends to the roses everyday. They are his one form of true beauty. Kyle learns that Will and Magda truly love him. They want him to succeed in his task of finding his true love. He finds that they love him very much. He wants to do something kind for them. He made a deal with Kendra. If he completes his task, Kendra will give Will his sight back. Magda will be able to be

with her family again. Neither of his friends knows about this request. Kyle just does it because he loves them. When Kyle was still in school, he gave a girl a white rose. It meant nothing to him, but she loved the rose. When he holes himself away in his new house, someone breaks in. He offers his daughter up to Kyle. Kyle accepts. He finds out that the girl he gave the rose to is her. The girl, Lindy, comes to live with him. He is kind to her and eventually they become friends. He thinks that she could be the one to break the spell. Will and Magda think she could turn into the magic girl also. Could she really be the one? I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of romance. Everyone has heard the story of Beauty and the Beast. Beastly is the modern version from the beast’s point of view. He has to break a curse and learn to love for what’s underneath. Will he be able to do it?

The last person in the world has to cope with lonely and depressing circumstances that follow, which makes staying alive even more difficult. This movie inspires me as an individual, giving me a new outlook on life as a whole. The main character struggles with the will to keep living and the fight for a cure to end the horrific global epidemic, which is why I love this movie. Will Smith plays Robert Neville, a doctor whose immunity to the deadly virus keeps him alive. He lost both his wife and daughter due to the outrage and evacuation of Manhattan. They entered onto a helicopter ready for take off, when another helicopter overran by troubled citizens, flung itself over and destroyed the other. The tragic death of his loved ones falls back to the dog that his daughter gave him. Alone, and living in a strongly secured residence, Robert Neville tries to sustain an ordinary life with a pet and daily routines. The main character develops over the course of the story into someone you can care about yourself. Will Smith does an excellent job portraying a man fighting for a purpose. The night crawlers make Robert Neville’s goal even harder. These monsters, mutant infected people, mostly relate to vampires. They cannot stay in sunlight or they will burn. He must not go out during the night due to the fact that he places himself at enormous risk. Meanwhile, as the story unravels, Robert Neville manages to trap an unexpected night crawler, take it to the lab, and continue the development for a cure. The unsuspecting

events make the movie even more enjoyable. A typical story involving the last man on earth is cliché, but in this movie, the plot twists and turns forming an interesting ending. The movie contains scenes that literally force you to the edge of your seat. You can hardly watch as you suspect the worse. For instance, Robert Neville’s dog chasing a deer into a dark and eerie apartment complex shapes an extremely terrifying and frightening scene. He has to follow his dog, knowing his vulnerability and escapes with his dog just in time. Several of the night crawlers retreat into the daunting building moments after he escapes. The dog keeps Robert’s emotions at a minimum, and his mind stable. If Robert Neville lost his dog, he would lose his only friend, making every upcoming decision dangerous. The production of the movie is marvelous. Showing Manhattan as a barren city taken back in time overwhelms you and gives yourself a sense of reality. The story places you in his shoes. Hold your breath, and hope for the best as the story unfolds. Welcome to Earth. Population1.

Imagine you are watching a calm sunset, laying in the grass with the sweet smell of summer swirling all around you. You don’t have a care in the world, especially with the one you’ve loved since the day you were born laying right beside you. This is what life was like for Emily Gold. She was living the teenage dream, at least on the outside. The battles she faced inside were a whole different story. She has one deep, dark secret that she has never told anyone, not even the love of her life: Chris Harte. A secret SO terrible it has ruined her whole life. The Pact, by Jodi Picoult, is a riveting and heart warming story that almost wouldn’t let me put it down. Filled with suspense, love, and a big twist, it is sure to have hit home with many of its readers, including

A story not so easily forgotten Carter would remember forever. A Walk to Remember teaches readers that people aren’t always what their stereotype

may suggest, while also reminding us that love really does conquer all. This wonderful novel kept me hanging on page by page until its bittersweet ending. The setting of the novel takes place in a quaint small southern town in Beaufort, North Carolina. The year is 1958, and Landon Carter is seventeen years old. Landon Carter is Beaufort High’s typical high school kid. He has known Jamie Sullivan, the goody goody reverend’s daughter, for most of his life but seldom had much to do with her. Until his senior year, when things change completely for both of them. “But Jamie wasn’t exactly what I considered attractive, either. Despite the fact that she was thin, with honey blond hair and soft blue eyes, most of the time she looked sort of…plain, and that was when you noticed her at all. Jamie didn’t care much about outward appearances, because she was always looking for things like ‘inner beauty,’ and I suppose that’s part of the reason she looked the way she did. For as long as I’d known her-and this was going way back, remember-she’d always worn

her hair in a tight bun, almost like a spinster, without a stitch of makeup on her face. Coupled with her usual brown cardigan and plaid skirt, she always looked as though she were on her way to interview for a job at the library.” Landon and Jamie’s first conversation occurs when homecoming rolls around and Landon, dateless, becomes desperate and asks Jamie to go as his date. Surprisingly, Landon actually has a pretty good time with her, but he doesn’t feel compelled to talk to Jamie much at school after the dance, until Jamie asks him for a favor. Jamie asks Landon to play the lead in their school’s annual Christmas play. Since Jamie is another lead in the play, Landon and Jamie begin to spend a large amount of time together. Against all odds, and every thought and feeling Landon has had about Jamie Sullivan over the years, he ends up falling in love with her. “She looked toward the tree, and my eyes followed her gaze. Her gift was still beneath the tree, partially hidden by the

stand, and I reached for it. It was rectangular, flexible, and a little heavy. I brought it to my lap and held it there without even trying to open it. “Open it,” she said, looking right at me. “You can’t give this to me,” I said breathlessly. I already knew what was inside, and I couldn’t believe what she had done. My hands began to tremble. “Please,” she said to me with the kindest voice I’d ever heard, “open it. I want you to have it.” Reluctantly I slowly unwrapped the package. When it was finally free of the paper, I held it gently, afraid to damage it. I stared at it mesmerized, and slowly ran my hand over the top, brushing my fingers over the well-worn leather as tears filled my eyes. Jamie reached out and rested her hand on mine. It was warm and soft. I glanced at her, not knowing what to say. Jamie had given me her Bible.” When Jamie gives Landon her Bible, her most prized possession, it shows just how much she cares about him. Landon realizes just how special the gift is right away. When reading this for the first time it makes you feel happy because it lets the reader in for the first time on how Jamie feels about Landon, and it leads up to the climax of the story, where Landon talks about his feelings for Jamie. After that night, Landon and Jamie begin spending more and more time together. They grow even more fond of each other, and Landon eventually tells Jamie how he feels about her. Although she feels the same she doesn’t say it back, because she has a secret she is hiding. A secret so big that it could effect their whole relationship. One that makes them both love each other more, but also teaches them both about life and about miracles. A Walk to Remember is another original love story by Nicholas Sparks. These romance novels are mostly read by women, ranging from the teens to the middle aged adult. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good romance novel. With its unexpected turn of events and sweet little moments, it keeps you hooked page by page wondering what will happen next. “First you will smile, and then you will cry- don’t say you haven’t been warned.”

“It’s never too late for a second chance.” Nights in Rodanthe, a movie full of heartbreak and the discovery of another shot at love brings together two strangers, Adrienne and Paul. These two meet as Adrienne looks after her friend’s Inn as a guest. The grown couple of strangers find that the setting of Rodanthe brings a gleam of hope in their pained love lives. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I believe the director did a very good job with both the technical aspect and the characterizations.

myself. In reading the first page of the book I already found myself enveloped with curiosity as to what would happen next. Reading further, Picoult’s analogies and descriptions jumped out at me, perfectly depicting each scene and painting the bigger picture. It was almost as if she had been there herself. Picoult also makes excellent use of writing the book not in chronological order, but by writing it in the “then and now” or flashback structure without getting confusing. This way she can describe what’s happening now and tell how it came to be that way between chapters. Also, she starts off each chapter with a quotation that sort of summarizes the whole section. I found one particular question within a later chapter that I truly loved. It is from the Bible, Ezekiel 36:26, “A new heart I will also give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” There was one particular part in this book that really struck a chord in me. I’ve seen firsthand that a death in a family can really break ties apart, and Picoult perfectly describes just

this. Melanie and Michael Gold are traumatized by the death of their daughter, and Melanie’s best friend’s son is suspect number one in her murder. Melanie has taken it upon herself to personally punish Gus by not peaking to her, and treating her like it’s her fault that all of this is happening. Gus is grocery shopping one day and has a breakdown over all the passing events. As she sits on the bottom rack, crying, Melanie passes her and accidentally nicks her shoe with the shopping cart. After apologizing, she realizes who she has bumped and retracts the apology rather nastily. Gus runs after her and tries to talk to her, but Melanie shakes her off and leaves the store. Not only did she leave behind her shopping cart, but she also left behind the dying olive branch Gus has tried to offer so many times.

Picoult specializes in writing suspense novels that often include a murder and a trial in court. Nineteen Minutes, along with The Pact, is about a tragic death of whom a judge and jury try to decide the killer. The target demographic for this particular book would be a more mature set of readers. There are very adult topics

addressed throughout this book that an older mind would more likely to pick up on, rather than a silly elementary-schooler. I honestly could not find anything in this book that I could offer a critique on. Picoult was very particular about how she described each character. They are all round, and all have a specific personality. Whatever emotions I read on the page, I feel them myself. This proved to be very effective in conveying their unique feelings and reactions to the events throughout the book. She touches on some very sensitive subjects, such as suicide, betrayal, abortion, and murder, all the while telling a moving story of teenage love. I really enjoyed reading every page of this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

Ellison GarrettLegend worth praiseMatthew Pavlik

Beauty shines from the inside outKalyn Warren

A deal to change your lifeTaylor White

Rodanthe deserves a chanceTiffani Miller

For more reviews, visit The Panoptic’s

websitelchspanoptic.com

The plot of this movie, like all the movies based off of Nicholas Sparks’ books, involves many clichés. However, there was much hype surrounding the movie, for this movie contained an older couple, unlike all of the teenage love stories that Sparks previously wrote. In this movie, Dr. Paul Flanner has come to Rodanthe to talk a man out of filing a lawsuit for wrongful death. Though he had done this operation many times, Robert’s wife did not make it out of the operating room. When he arrived, he

didn’t expect to find a woman who he could open up to and fall in love with. As a man who was once a workaholic, his wife left and his son became a distant figure in his life, he slowly changed to want a relationship with his son again. Adrienne was the factor that helped him become his true self. The best scene in this movie is one of the final scenes. Adrienne returns to Rodanthe to relive her days with Paul. You hear of wild horses early in

the movie, and finally Adrienne sees a herd of these valiant wild horses. The camera angles to where you can see the sun setting behind as the horses gallop past Adrienne. As a whole, the scene was one of those perfect little tickets that make the movie sweeter than it seems. As I watched this movie, Diane Lane honestly inspired me. A beautiful mother, who wants to have the same feelings she had when she first married. Compared to all of her other movies, she appeared more fragile. Much unlike movies Untraceable and Unfaithful, Lane portrayed someone who had much heartbreak, but is compelled to find that spark with someone whom she doesn’t even know. The target demographic for this show would definitely include the female population. Some suggestive content appears, so I would recommend it to at least mature 13 year old girls. Males could possibly find some parts of the movie enjoyable, but not all men would like the sappy love story of two fifty year olds. I found in this movie that you can always have a second chance. Adrienne and Paul had both been left, and now they’ve found each other. These two took their chances and no matter how the rest of their lives go, neither of them would take back any of the moments they had together in Rodanthe. I loved watching this movie and found it intriguing as I watched the characters of the Nicholas Sparks novel, Nights in Rodanthe, act as teenagers who discover love for the first time. “It’s never too late for a

6 Earthquake in Japan The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 2010 Earthquake in Japan 7The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, GA

七転び八起きなり。“Fall seven times, stand up eight” Strength. Perseverance. Unity. The people of Japan harbor all three of these character-istics. After the atomic bombing in Nagasaki and Hiroshima the country picked up the pieces and reemerged stronger. The recession hit the Japanese economy harder than most nations, but the country persevered. Japan’s latest tribulation, the March 11 earthquake did not defeat the Japanese spirit of unity. All over the country citizens came together in a time of need. For more information on the situation in Japan vist lchspanoptic.com.

From Japan to us

160文字以内“160 characters or less ”

原子力災害“Nuclear Disaster”

Japan on March 10 was normal; bustling and busy with the flurry that comes with being a massive international power. At 2:46 p.m. on the very next day, Japan shook on its axis, bearing the wake of a magnitude- 9.0 earthquake that generated a massive tsunami. Thousands of families have been stranded, left homeless as their entire cities have been virtually wiped off of the face of the Earth. The Japanese emperor Akihito is “deeply worried” about the tragedy unfolding in his nation, and understandably so. The earthquake and its consequential tsunami were some of the worst recorded natural disasters in the nation’s history. More than 8,400 people have been reported dead, but that toll is said to be conservative, with the expected numbers to be in the 10,000s, according to the National Police Agency. “It’s a terrible, unfortunate accident,” junior Jarrod Savage said A Google-sponsored person finder is a grim indicator of the complete frenzy being endured by the Japanese people. Hundreds of people lined the Fukushima airport in order to secure a flight out of the disaster zone. Some have been trapped in rubble while others patiently wait for hours. The disaster left a dismal path throughout all of Japan, burdening the country with personal hardships and losses. Japan is a long way from the bustling, busy flurry of a massive international power it once was

Anna Roberts

The effects of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami have spread all the way from Hawaii to California. Fortunately, Hawaii has not detected any elevated radiation from the damage of the nuclear reactor facilities in Japan. Hawaii and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are in partnership to monitor for radioactive dust. The tsunami that hit Japan hit the shores of Santa Cruz in California on Friday March 11 around eight in the morning. According to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the waves would be small and would last about 40 minutes; the tsunami’s destruction lasted for more than six hours. According to Port Director Lisa Ekers, the damage in Santa Cruz is estimated at $17 million. 17 ships were sunk and up to 50 others were damaged. Currently U.S. Senators are debating if the power plants and natural gas pipelines are safe enough to be re-licensed. A tsunami also hit the coasts of Hawaii, leaving many homes, businesses and the economy destroyed. Both Hawaii and the west coast states will be aided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and plans on clean up are ongoing. The tsunami that hit Hawaii had damaged many business, homes, public and private property. Governor Neil Abercrombie said to civilbeat.com, an estimated of $30.6 million in federal assistance is needed to help pay for damage caused to the Big Island. The tsunamis that hit Hawaii and California were not as big as the one in Japan; people are concerned that they will not be prepared in the future.

Jessica Pina

Although Georgia may not feel the actual seismic activity of the earthquake in Japan, the state has already felt the effects emotionally and commercially. Numerous Japanese-Americans, especially those from the Japan-America Society of Georgia, are deeply concerned for the welfare of their relatives who still reside in Japan. According to the website, globalatlanta.com, Japanese-Americans “are looking for information about how to connect with family members in Japan”. Several planes belonging to Delta Airlines were also unable to provide 29 flights from Atlanta to Tokyo. Also, the Aflac Insurance Agency in Macon has “pledged to donate 100 million yen ($1.2 million) to the American Red Cross for disaster reliefs efforts in the country. The Red Cross “is still sheltering hundreds of thousands of evacuees”. Georgia is doing what it can to ensure the security of this foreign country. But it will without a doubt take time.

Rachel McDaniel

“[The earthquake] hasn’t affected me at all,” sophomore Landon Duke said. Sophomore Taylor Hutcheson also said the earthquake has not affected him “in any way yet.” Although students may not think the effects of Japan’s recent natural disasters have reached Lee County, the earthquake and tsunami affected more than just Japan. The disasters are also affecting Japan-based businesses, like Toyota, NYDailyNews.com said. Because some cars are made entirely in Japan, they are not being made at this time. For this reason, the cost of buying one of these Japanese cars is going up. “The price of popular made-in-Japan cars like the Toyota Prius is spiking in the wake of the disaster.” Christina Boyle, NYDailyNews.com writer, said. This news is affecting Toyota of Albany, which only has three Prius models left, according to ToyotaofAlbany.com. “The Prius is made entirely in Japan,” Boyle said, making it harder to find and more expensive.” Another company that has been effected by Japan’s disasters is Sony. According to Sony.com, Sony closed eight of its plants located in Japan. “The company is currently evaluating the full impact of the earthquake, tsunami and related power outages on Sony’s businesses and consolidated financial results,” Howard Stringer, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Sony Corporation said. This news will also affect the price of cameras everywhere. It will soon spike, just like the price of Prius cars did. This will cause the price of Sony cameras to go up at places like Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Target and Radio Shack.

Kelsey Rogers

California, Hawaii

Japan

Georgia

Lee County

Students When the catastrophic 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan on Friday, March 11 it resulted in a tsunami that struck the Japanese coast as well as neighboring countries including the United States. The entire world will be effected in some way by the earthquake. The earthquake was so monumental that it has even affected some students at LCHS. “I was afraid when I heard about the earthquake because I didn’t know where it was. It was very saddening but it didn’t happen where I lived,” sophomore Brandi Canady said. Canady recently moved from Japan to Lee County. Many students have ties to Japan whether they have family there or friends there, the crisis in Japan will effect us all. “It’s absolutely terrible what’s happened to them; it’s a major toll on their economy and infrastructure, but after talking to contacts in Japan, I’m also thankful, considering the magnitude of the earthquake and the damage its done, that the death toll is so low in comparison to other earthquakes and tsunamis.” Sophomore Katie Ryan said. Ryan was planning to travel to Japan with the organization People to People this summer but her trip has been moved to Australia because of the uncertainty in Japan. This earthquake is proof that even a stable infrastructure and strong building can be destroyed by nature. Any country or town can be hit by an earthquake at any time. “This tragedy makes people aware of what is going on in the world. It really hits home when you know people who have family there. The radiation could potentially affect us but it is not likely.” Physical science teacher Andrea Inman said. After the rubble is cleared and the radiation is controlled Japan and LCHS will never be the same.

Japan’s earthquake and tsunami have caused immense damage, leaving people homeless and missing. Six reactors are held at the Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Even though each reactor was built to automatically shut down, three of the six reactors were operating when the earthquake and tsunami hit. This incident was dangerous that evacuations have been ordered. The evacuation was voluntary and only 50 out of 800 emergency personnel stayed to maintain the reactors that are undergoing these unexpected problems. “The most effective options for protecting the public have already been instituted. In the early stages of this event, authorities ordered evacuation of the people who live around the Fukushima Daiichi site to prevent or mitigate radiation exposure from any releases,” The Nuclear Energy Institute said. Nuclear reactors are cooled by water circulated by electric pumps and the main problem at the Daiichi plant is that the facility lost electric power. The loss of power prevents the water to circulate and causing the water to sink. Every time the water drops in a fuel pool, the rods heat up and the temperatures become extremely high. Partial melting happened to Units one, two and three nuclear reactor cores; if the water completely drains from the units, it could result in the release high levels of radioactive gases that could put the people and everything around the plant at risk. Units one and three have already

exploded because of built up pressure inside the inner containment in the reactor. The worst case for Japan is if multiple reactor meltdown according to Joseph Cirincione, who was the Director for Non-Proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “That means the fuel in the reactors core gets so hot that it fuses together into molten lava and that bursts right through the reactor container vessel, and right through the concrete containment box that is built around the reactor,” Cirincoine said. Bringing in power to Units one, two, three and four is the main concern

as of Sunday, March 20. Japanese workers have collected cables to try to restore power to the pumps. If the workers are able to successfully get the pumps working, the reactors will be stabilized and the clean up can begin. This concept is easier said then done. According to Dr. Kaku, founder of bigthink.com, if the workers are not careful when turning on the power the cables collected could be damaged and may not work and if the cables give off an electrical spark, it could cause an explosion. Either way the cables would be useless for the cause. Radiation is still being detected in the Daiichi area and may cause workers to stop working and evacuate.

どうすれば手伝うことが

What do the earthquake in Japan and the revolution in Egypt have in common? Social media. Social media platforms reached new heights and new potential this year. They have been harnessed in ways never expected. Breaking news rarely comes from the television or radio, like in the past, but from online. One of the quickest formats for spreading news and ideas is social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc...). When traditional network drop due to power outages or government interference, social media survives. Social media gives people around the world a way to connect with victims. Rather than the plethora of mass media stories, people receive a pure first-hand accountant of events. The website PrayforJapan.jp is a collection of social media messages from those associated with Japan. Below are a two messages from the website:

“Nights were never this dark, and I never realized how beautiful the stars were. Sendai, look up and keep your heads high.” The message was posted after the writer heard others talking in an evacuation camp. “Last night when I was tired out waiting for the train at the station, the homeless people gave me one of their card boards to prevent the cold… even though we usually ignore them in daily life… So warm.” This twitter post shows that everyone, no matter their place in society, is trying to help others. The Japanese prime minister’s office has decided to use the benefits of social media to their advantage, by setting up Facebook and Twitter pages in both English and Japanese. This allows the outside world a chance to get a glimpse into how the government is handling the crisis.

Google and other sites have created a “people finder.” Those missing loved ones get a chance to try and find them. Junior Patty Betton shared her comments on the new use of social media. “I saw it coming [the new use of social media]. Big things tend to happen through little things.” Betton said. Social media has been a source for news, a spreader of inspirational messages and most importantly a connector that has united people all over the world. Maybe one day the grandchildren of this generation will open their textbooks and learn how a revolution began through Facebook and Twitter in Egypt. The next chapter on Asia could reveal to them how prayers were sent around the world to Japan through the “hashtag” #PrayforJapan. They will leave that class knowing, in 160 characters or less, that people came together to rebuild and grow stronger.

Jessica Pina

Lauren Bell

Elizabeth Ponson

“How to Help” --Redcross: Go to Redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. --Salvation Army: To contribute to earthquake relief, text ‘JAPAN’ or ‘QUAKE’ to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. --Save the Children: To make a donation, visit Save the Chil-dren’s Web site, call 1-800-728-3843, or text JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10.

photo used with permission by MCT Wire Service

all photos used with permission by MCT Wire Service

photo illustration by L. Bell

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Translation-

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The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 2011 8 Trends

Everyone knows the stigma attached to Spring Break. Partying and drinking run amuck as teenagers flock to the nearest sandy beach. That nearest sandy beach is nearly always a small city situated cozily on a corner of Florida’s 200 mile beachfront Panhandle. Panama City Beach is usually quiet. During the fall and winter months, police officers are hassled with only moderate arrests. Their alarms blaze over normal domestic violence calls and petty thefts instead of teenagers falling from balconies and date-rapes. The very day that the calendar turns to April, Panama City Beach transforms into a melting pot of drugs, drinking, nudity, and fun. Just last year, two fatal balcony falls resulting from drunkenness. These accidents have stigmatized Panama City Beach and casted an even worse shadow on a city that’s always been regarded as a party place. “Both of these incidents could have been prevented,” Panama City Beach Police Chief Robert Harding said. “Nobody stood up and said, ‘enough is enough.’”

Young adults seem to have the most difficult time determining exactly how much is “enough”. According to the Mayo Clinic,

it takes nearly an hour for one drink to be processed by the liver. Consuming more than five drinks in a row is

considered potentially lethal. Because Spring Break is usually a harbor for drinking to a point of belligerence, adults

are quick to rap the destinations themselves for promoting such activities. Seventeen magazine even dubbed Panama City Beach

Spring Break as the “sketchiest Spring Break in America,” a dubious title compared to places like Key West and Orlando. “Every Spring Break has the reputation for being a party place,” Harding said. “It’s always been that way.” Despite the stigma of Spring Break, the city prepares for the months between mid-February and April with much anticipation. The thousands of people bring huge economic boom to the small city, raking in as much as “several hundreds of million dollars” according to Chief Harding. A couple of arrests and horror stories won’t keep students from flocking to Panama City Beach. “A lot of the nasty stuff I hear happens here, not at Panama City,” senior Ansley Crews said. Panama City won’t have to worry about a lack of tourism any time soon. As long as Spring Break occurs and students itch with cabin fever, the white sandy beaches of Florida will be crowded, hot, sticky, sandy, and a little less than parent appropriate.

Panama City Beach brings spring

Besides academics, colleges look at students extracurricular activities. All students are encouraged to devote sometime outside of school to a volunteer program or community service center. The school is a great place to find those opportunities. Talk to a counselor for extra tips on how to gain the right amount of volunteer hours.

The United Way ●Volunteer Center- (229) 883-6700 xt. 22Habitat for Humanity- ●(229) 446-8199Phoebe Putney ●

Volunteer Services- (229) 312-4335Lee County Animal ●Shelter- (229) 759-6037Ask local churches if ●they are involved with a soup kitchen or food bank and how to help.

Volunteer opportunities become plentiful

Anna Roberts

Elizabeth Ponson

photo illustration by H. VannPanama City Beach brings in the vote as the number one spring break spot in the United States. Last year, 56 Geor-gia teenagers were arrested there for underage drinking.

2011 Career Fair benefits Insight is given about options after high school

*Panama City Beach has a year-round popu-lation of 7,500 people, but over 6 million tourists visit there each year

*The average days of sunshine are 320 days a year

*This area holds one of the highest concen-trations of bottlenose dolphins in the world.

Did you know ... ?

For more pictures on the 2011 Career Fair, go to www.lchspanoptic.com

If you have not bought your prom

tickets yet, they are available for $45. Prom will be held

April 16 at the Hilton Garden Inn from 8-midnight.

break sketchiness to new heights

students, businesses

photo by H. Vann

photo by H. Vann

photo by H. Vann

Senior Zach Thompson succeeds in giving 23 pull-ups. Five branches of the military set up information booths for students

(Left) Rep-resentative Ricky Wat-zlowick gives students brownies and infor-mation on the culinary school at Albany Tech. Watzlowick originally lived in Ger-many.

(left to right) Attorneys Shannon Sparks and Judy Var-nell displays information on the benefits of becoming a lawyer. The career fair took place on April 1, 2011.

photo by H. Vann

photo by H. Vann

Mr. Bill Swafford talks to a representative from the Papa John’s booth. Papa John’s gave away numerous scholar-ships last year.

(Left) Se-nior Leon-ard Mosley receives informa-tion about Walgreens. The career fair took place dur-ing English classes.

Trends 9April, 2011 The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga.

Let me just go ahead and say it-veganism is not for the faint-hearted. I’ve been curious about veganism since the ninth grade when the concept was first introduced to me in science class. Having grown up in a non-vegan household, the idea of not consuming any sort of animal products (yes that includes meat, milk, eggs, cheese and yogurt) seemed foreign to me. According to statistics on vegan.com, only about 1% of the US population considers themselves vegan. But nonetheless it seemed fairly easy and obtainable. My goal? Become a vegan for one week and report on the effects it had on my body, mood and performance in school, as well as any struggles I had sticking to the diet. Simple right? Wrong. I was fine the first day. I went to school, ate lunch, went to the gym…then supper time came. Usually by the end of the day, my stomach hurts because I’m so hungry, so I usually enjoy the chicken my mom bakes or some of my dad’s grilled fish. That first night, my mom made a roast from the crock pot. I was so eager to get some that I almost forgot my commitment to veganism. It was such a disappointment to not eat as I normally did. By the third day, I was craving some protein. Milk sounded so great to my taste buds and my stomach. I also felt really tired and out of energy. I knew I had to do something. Publix is located conveniently close to my house and I had taken notice of the vegan/vegetarian isle before. I decided that in order to continue this experiment, I had to go buy some vegan friendly

food. Looking along the wall at the choices I was given, the thought of buying this food made me nauseated or made my wallet hurt. I finally sucked it up and bought some Silk soy milk. I braced myself as I poured my first glass, but upon tasting it, I found it to be not as bad as I thought. And as the week progressed, I found I really genuinely liked it. I decided to get a little more ambitious and buy almond milk, which I liked better than soy milk. I knew now I could press on through the rest of the week. Now that the experiment is over, I’m somewhat proud that I stuck to it. Granted, I know that hard-core veganism is not for me. But it allowed me to experience something new and realize that I really like Silk soy milk and other such products. The effect it had on my body was not necessarily a bad thing; I mean I was tired. However, overall I felt somewhat normal. The first few days I was irritable because I wanted some sort of animal product, but it got better as the week progressed. Veganism may not be for me, but I can officially mark it off my list of things to try before you die. Looking into more research, I learned that although I was weak from lack of protein, a person who has chosen to take on the vegan lifestyle has other ways of receiving the proper amount of protein. “Vegans can get their daily needs of calcium from dark green leafy vegetables,” Dr. Winston Craig of the vegetarian-nutrition website said. Sometimes though, people

who would like to make the transition to veganism are unable to due to lack of resources. “I’m a vegetarian,” junior Shelly Wallace said, “but if we had a Whole Foods [Grocery], I would be v e g a n . ” Whole F o o d s M a r k e t a n d

Grocery is a grocery store strictly designed for providing food for those who wish to enjoy a natural and organic lifestyle. As of right now, the best place for a vegan to receive their food in Albany would be Publix, due to its broader arrangement of vegan friendly foods. But who knows? A Whole Foods may very well make a new home in this southwest Georgia town.

Rachel McDaniel

Vegan or vegetarian: After living in a meat-eating household all her life, staff reporter Rachel McDaniel decided to make a temporary lifestyle change and become vegan for one week

living without meat

What would you do for a

hamburger, or if you had

to miss chicken

day in the

cafeteria? Being a vegetarian for a week isn’t that long, but it made me appreciate meat in a whole new way. I am an omnivore therefore, I need meat and vegetables to live. One week without meat, this is the challenge. My week without meat began on Monday, March 13 which just so happened to be shrimp popper day in the lunchroom, but the hardest part was dinner.

Being a vegetarian is not only a dietary change but it is a lifestyle change. No meat whatsoever this includes pork, beef and even chicken. Many people choose to become vegetarian because they believe that killing animals for food is morally wrong. Religion can also be a factor when choosing to become a vegetarian. Many celebrities choose the vegetarian lifestyle including Natalie Portman and Paul McCartney. There are also several types of vegetarianism such as

fruitarians who only eat fruit and lacto-vegetarians who

eat dairy products but not eggs. It all depends on

your personal food choices.

According to Dr. Gary Fraser,

Professor of Epidemiology

at Loma Linda University in California a diet of fruits,

vegetables and plenty of fiber

can protect against heart disease and the vegetarian diet is much healthier than one filled with fats and cholesterol found in meat. Personal health becomes an issue when removing meat from your diet. There are other ways to get protein into

your diet without eating meat. Protein shakes are a great substitute as well as beans and rice. “It is my religion to not eat meat, but if I wanted to I could.,” junior Nishant Patel said. “I choose not to because I don’t want to harm animals. I’ve never even tried it so it doesn’t affect my life. I drink protein shakes to gain muscle.” Being a vegetarian can be a difficult transition. A life without meat can be a daily challenge. “At first it was hard giving up meat,” senior Mary Maynard said. “I’ve been without meat for almost seven years so it is very easy now and I don’t ever think out meat or miss it. I do not feel like I am missing out on anything.” Giving up meat was difficult, but by the end of the week I felt like I had more energy than ever before and I felt great. I didn’t really miss it and almost forgot that I needed meat. The week was an eye-opening experience and giving up meat turned out to be very beneficial.

In a search to learn more information about vegetarians, staff reporter Elizabeth Ponson

sacrificed eating meat for one weekElizabeth Ponson

Vegetable oils and fats, some sweets, salt, spices and nutsUse Sparingly

Dairy Substitutes2-3 ServingsEat Moderately

Legumes, seeds and beans2-3 ServingsEat Moderately

Whole grains, bread, rice, pasta and cereal6-11 ServingsEat Generously

Vegetables3-5 ServingsEat Liberally

Fruits2-4 ServingsEat Liberally

illustration by L. DoyleVegans and Vegetarians eat mostly the same things, with the exception of things like dairy products and eggs. Staff reporters Rachel McDaniel and Elizabeth Ponson spent a week experimenting the two meatless lifestyles.

Since its origin at this campus, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) has been the subject of controversy throughout the halls and around the community. So many are quick to throw judgment at the members of this organization, its sponsor and the school, but an even greater number don’t know what the club stands for or what they do. “This club is about acceptance and tolerance,” sponsor and World History teacher Luann Bloodworth said. “We want to teach the school about tolerance and diversity.” The organization as a whole has had to face much criticism, especially in the Soap Box of the Lee County Ledger. In this section, people of the community can share their complaints

or praises about someone or something in the community. Recently, the favorite complaint seems to concern the GSA and the school. “[I’m] terribly disappointed in the new “club” at the high

school ,” one soap b o x

contributor said in the March 2 issue of the Lee County Ledger said. “What club you ask? Why it’s the GSA, which stands for Gay Straight Alliance. Is this really necessary? Not sure I like the way our school is headed…straight down the toilet like our country.”

What this person and many others don’t understand is the fact that the school has to be fair about clubs. If it has a sponsor, permission from principal Dowling and doesn’t harm others, it can be a club. For example, since there is a Democrat club, there can be a Republican club. Since there is a FCA, there can be a club about Buddhism. Another frequent misconception is that this club is only for gays. The GSA is not a gay club; it is a club for everybody. Bloodworth wants the member of her sponsored organization to feel like they belong to something bigger and better than a small club at school. “My favorite part of sponsoring this organization is seeing these kids’ change in attitude,” Bloodworth said. “They feel like they belong in something and like somebody cares.” Tolerance of all is the ultimate message in this club, and teaching others this message is

the ultimate goal. “It is their fault for being ignorant,” sophomore Jakob Jones said, “but not their fault for not knowing.” It can be hard for some to ignore the constant degradation from the community on something that they are passionate about, but sometimes retaliation can make the issue bigger and much worse. “Don’t stoop to their level,” Bloodworth said. Although this is a new organization to our community,

the GSA has been around for about 50 years. “My parents were a member of their GSA when they were in high school, and they are supportive of my decision to be a member also,” junior Quentin McKennon said. For an organization dedicated to teaching tolerance, they have been targeted by less than tolerant people. Their mission and standings are honorable ones, and teaching the masses will not be easy, but it can be done.

Different side to GSALizzie Doyle

The Gay Straight Alliance has been facing criticism from the community and some students, but most don’t know how the club operates

To find more information on Vegan-ism, veg-etarianism or the GSA, go to...

http://www.LCHSpan-optic.com

Did you know ... ?According to vegetariantimes.com, approximately 3.2% or 7.3 million of U.S. adults are vegetarian while 0.5% or 1 million in the U.S. are vegan.

ilustrations by E. Ponson

The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 2011 10 Fine Arts

Behind the costumes, props and spotlight of the stage are the Palladium Players hard at work on their production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The drama department’s Town and Gown Spring production is a musical mystery where the audience gets to vote and decide which ending the performers put on. The play within a play is the story of young Edwin Drood who disappears yet no one knows who committed the crime. The audience decides who the detective is, whether Drood is dead or alive and who the murderer is. “I love that the audience has the opportunity to change the ending and make it different at every show. It’s a great show and it is so much fun because it is so interactive.” director and choreographer, Dotty Davis said.

Many students star in the play however, being a Town and Gown musical members of the community were given the option to audition for the play. Chet Dreschel is also a star of the play, he is a music teacher in the Dougherty County School district. The role of Edwin Drood is always performed by a female actress. Amelia Maxfield even cut her hair for the role. “I was willing to cut my hair, and Mrs. Davis even got hers cut too. I don’t like wigs and I wanted a change.” Maxfield said. For some the Mystery of Edwin Drood was their first experience with the Palladium Players. “The Mystery of Edwin Drood was my first ever experience in the world of theatre. The theatre program is internationally renowned and it was an honor to be a part of the cast of this year’s musical,” junior Garrett Odom said.

Almost more important than the cast is the backstage crew. In order to make the production a success someone has to be in charge of costumes, set design, music, and lights. Jenna Luke is that person. Luke was named stage manager for the musical. She coordinates all of the minor and major details that will make or break the show. “I basically manage everything and assist the director when she needs it,” Luke said. “ It’s been a joy working with all of the leaders, I am so proud of the cast and crew for working with me. I’ve learned a lot through my great experience as stage manager. I’d especially like to thank Laura Ruckle for showing me what to do.” This year’s show was a great success. Dedication, perseverance and a lot of talent go a long way in the world of the theatre.

Defending their title as a Superior band, the band earned straight Superiors at the district festival held on March 17-18. On Thursday, March 17, the Wind Ensemble played a Level five and a Level six piece. According to band director Hank Carter, music is graded levels one through six, with level six being the most difficult. This is the most difficult program the Wind Ensemble has performed in five years. The ensemble was complimented by the judges for their tone quality and music artistry. “This performance was a treat!” the head judge said, “Fun to hear the great literature played well.” Another judge said, “This is one of the best high school bands I have heard all year.” This is the third c o n s e c u t i v e year that the Wind E n s e m b l e has earned a Superior rating, two of the three being straight superior. “I was sort of surprised that we

got Superiors,” sophomore Drew Woolard said. “I say that because during warm-up I did not feel we were entirely focused, but I’m glad we got focused and did a good job.” The Symphonic Band performed Friday, March 18.

They played a Level three and a Level four piece; a more challenging show than last year. They also earned superior

ratings and compliments from the judges. The judges complimented their tone quality and precision. “A very fine performance

from a very fine band program,” one of the

panel judges said. This is the second

consecutive year that the Symphonic Band earned straight

superior ratings. With another successful year at the district festival under their belt, the band is looking

Band sustains Superior

Whether on water crew or drum major, anyone can be a leader. Everyone in band has the opportunity to be a leader; they just have to learn how. Since Feb. 11 marching band members interested in holding a leadership position, have been attending Officer Candidate School (OCS). This class is mandatory to anyone that wants to hold any leadership position during the 2011 marching band season. Band director, Hank Carter instructs the class weekly. The officers learn about being servant, yet powerful leaders. “We believe in servant leadership,” Carter said. “In other words, in order to lead, you must be willing to serve. Students who are motivated selfishly-that is, they want a leadership position so they can be in charge and tell people what to do-should not even bother trying out for a leadership position. We want leaders who are motivated by the idea they are helping others. They put the needs of others above their own needs.” Officer candidates are given the opportunity to prove they are servant leaders through several band-related service projects. The projects include several opportunities, such as serving

on stage crew for the upcoming Prism Concert or coordinating equipment and transportation for the performances at the elementary schools that were held at the end of March. “OCS is beneficial because we learn how to be the best leader we can possibly be,” junior Rebecca Cooper said. Students who are interested in being drum major, band

captain, or any other captain, must audition in front of the band. Drum Majors are asked to demonstrate marching, call commands, and conduct the band. Drum majors and band captains are required to speak to the band telling them why they want to be drum major or band captain; then band students vote via secret ballot. Carter and co-band director, Carol Kluball, count the votes and also consider other leadership aspects that each candidate possesses before making their decision. “By working as the band’s drum major, I have been able to discover what it is like to be the teacher instead of the student

w h e n working with the band during rehearsals,” drum major for the 2010 season, senior Tory Beck said. “I discovered the stress that is placed upon a person with a higher leadership position, because there are so many things that you worry about. Though I was supposed to teach the band, I believed that they taught me more.” Every Friday officer candidates

meet in the band room to begin the class. In order to learn the

importance of being on time, the class starts at different times each week. When the time comes for the class to start, the officers must be in their place at attention. The officers must bring with them to the meeting an OCS folder with their name on it and a pencil; notes during the day’s lesson are to be reordered in the OCS folder. At the last OCS meeting, folders will be taken up; no folder-no name, no name-no leadership position. Leadership positions, along with drum major and band captain, will be announced at the Band Awards Night on May 16. “On the night of awards I was terrified and excited,” Beck

said. “I worried whether or not I would succeed as a drum major and not let the band down. I was so excited and honored that the members voted for me, and my biggest fear was to

fall short of their expectations of me as their leader.” “Leadership is not a title, it is an action,” a motto that all the band leaders strive to lead by. Anyone who can walk-the-walk and not

just talk-the-talk can be a leader.

Officer Candidates learn leadership skillsBand students attend classes to learn to be effective leaders

Band director, Hank Carter instructs the OCS students on how being a leader is not only a title it is an action. Leadership positions will be anounced on May 16.

Hannah Rivers

Hannah Rivers

On those fall, Friday nights under the roaring of the crowd, the band can be heard cheering on the football team. But even after the jerseys are hung and the pads put away, the band is hard at work. “Although marching band is the most visible thing that we do, it is only a small part of our overall band program,” band director Hank Carter said. “Almost all of marching band is done after school, but band members are also in a band class. With the exception of color guard and dance line members, you have to be in a band class to be in marching band.” However, not everybody that is in a band class is in marching band. There are several other bands that band students can participate in. According to Carter the band’s “specialty” bands meet after school on different days. The Jazz Band meets after school once a week. The Jazz Band performed in the Under the Oaks Art Festival on March 12. They will perform in the ABAC Jazz Festival and GMEA District 2 Jazz Festival, which are both in April. In May, they will host “An Appetite for Jazz” dinner. The Jazz Band will also be performing in the annual Prism Concert held in the

Clay Auditorium on May 10. The Wind Ensemble, which meets every day in 4th period, is the top band, and students must audition in order to be a member of the ensemble. The Symphonic Band is divided into three classes that meet every day: Freshmen, Brass/Percussion, and Woodwinds. They come together to rehearse once a week on an as-needed basis. They had six-after school rehearsals, each for two hours, in order to prepare for the Large Group Performance Evaluation (Festival) on March 17-18. Junior Morgan Ruyle, who is both marching band and Symphonic Band, said, “Being in both is not too difficult because we do similar things. It is a lot of fun to see and hang out with the people in band.” Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Sax Choir and Brass Choir are optional groups that meet after school on Thursdays for one hour. Flute Choir is instructed by Jessica Hand, who is the music teacher at Kinchafoonee Primary School. Clarinet Choir is led by Professor Russell Brown, who is the clarinet professor at Albany State University. The Sax Choir is led by Carter. Stephen Hand, a local professional trumpet player and music minister at Sherwood Baptist Church, instructs the Brass Choir. These groups will perform at

Solo and Ensemble Festival in April and in the Prism Concert. The Percussion Ensemble meets after school on Mondays for one hour. The Percussion Ensemble will perform at Solo and Ensemble Festival and in the Prism Concert.

During the marching band season, the Symphonic band learns marching band music for the first three months even if all members are not in marching band. They then start working on concert music.

Symphonic Band members also learn marching band music as a tool to help teach the curriculum based on the Georgia Performance Standards for band. “It s hard to learn both marching band music because I will never have to play it, but otherwise

being in the same class with marching band members is fun,” sophomore Jamie McClung said. Even though marching band is a major function of the band program, it is not the only thing band is capable of. Band members

Life after marching bandHannah Rivers

Lee County High School Marching Trojan Band was awarded overall superior in both competitions this past marching season.

photo by E. Ponson

“ “ In order to lead, you must be willing to serve

Did you know ... ?

Colorgaurd stands alongside the band in their pregame tunnel at parade rest waiting for the mighty Trojans to run through. The band has a final run through every Thursday on the field from 6-9 pm.

Elizabeth Ponson

The cast of Edwin Drood thrills the audience wth another dazzling performance of the Palladium Player’s audience-inclusive mystery. Mr. Robby Davis and Mrs. Dottie Da-vis had expierence in the play havng performed the same curtain-raiser in the Albany Theatre years before.

photo by H. Rivers

photo by H. Riversphoto by H. Rivers photo by E. Ponson

photo by E. Ponson

Snap a picture of this QR code with your smart phone and visit The Panoptic website for more informa-tion about students’ recent trip to Greece and Italy and more fine arts news.

Drama determines new ending for Drood

Sports 11April, 2011 The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga.

Despite the competition toughening up this year, both the boys and the girls varsity soccer teams have been fighting hard to come out on top. As the boys scramble to regain the top

spot, the girls are holding onto their winning record by a thread. The boys team is wrestling down a record of 2-8. Though the record is not as good as it has been in previous seasons, the team is still hopeful and working hard to turn their season around.

“We won more games last year, but this year has been more intense --- and more fun,” junior Forrest Russell said. The girls’ record this season currently stands at 6-5. This year’s record may not reflect the success they have had in the

past due to their having tougher teams within the region this year. However, the threatening competition has had little effect on the team’s confidence. “This will make us a better team in the playoffs,” coach Dave Baltenberger said. “... We are a young team and playing the toughest schedule we have ever played since I have been coaching {here}.” A large portion of the team also plays travel soccer during the off-season. Playing a sport continually throughout the year can do nothing but improve members of the team. “It helps give me more time to practice and improve in the net so I become more confident as a keeper,” sophomore and goalkeeper Danielle Brendel said. “It also keeps me better conditioned.” Both the seasonal and off-seasonal teams plan to keep practicing hard and rack up more wins for the Trojans.

Kara Brinson

THE LIT MAG IS COMING...

Are you a talented writer? A closet poet? A dynamite photographer?The Panoptic staff is now accepting any prose, poetry,

Only the BEST of the BEST will be published.

No anonymous entries, please!No untitled entries, please!

Submit entries in room 407 during 2nd or 3rd period or email to panoptic@lee.k12.ga.us.Deadline for entries is April 29.

artistry, photography, song lyrics, etc... to be considered for the 2011 literary magazine.

Entries will be judged by community experts.

The Mag will be published as an online literary magazine on Monday, May 14.

Soccer perseveres through tough season

Track and field is not your average sport. It requires extreme athletic ability, mental

capability and large bouts of endurance. Just recently, the LCHS track team took home laud from a meet. The girls had several members of its team place, including sophomore and

pole vaulter Holly Ebbetts, who won the pole vault event. Junior Jacob Kennedy also won first place in both the two mile and one mile runs.

Sophomore Emily Peters fights with a defender for the ball. The Lady Trojans ended up beating Thomas-ville 2-0.

Carsen Taylor takes the ball down the field in hopes of scoring another goal for the Trojans. The team worked together to defeat Thomasville in this March 30 game.

photo by K. Brinson

photo by K. Brinson

Makingtracksintrack,field

Boys, girls tennis measure net worth The tennis team is comprised of a seven person varsity team. Three of the top seven play in a singles match, then four players play doubles. If three of these matches are won, Lee County wins the match overall. The singles team for the girls is comprised of Haley Exum, Elizabeth Ponson and Taylor Schwarzkopf. The doubles team is made up of Ashley Archer, Anna Roberts, Becky Kluball, Hailey Scott, Katherine McConnell and Amber Griffin. These players switch positions throughout the season. The boys’ single and doubles teams also switch out players, but the typical roster is as follows. The singles boys’ team is Kyle Wingfield, Judah Pines and Shelby Cook. The doubles team is Aanand Patel, Nick Dubravcic, Robert Hatcher and Gavin Lee. According to Coach Breeden, both teams worked hard this year. “We’re going to beast next year,” sophomore Brooks Rynders said. The last two matches were played on Tuesday, March 22 against Baconton County and

Thursday, March 24. The tennis teams are young overall but the talent is evident.

Rachel McDaniel

The tennis teams are sponsoring a silent auction on Saturday, April 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the softball fields at the high school. The money raised will go to the teams uniforms and sports equipment for next year.

Ashley ArcherKelsey Rogers

visit http://www.lchspanoptic.com

For more about this article ...

Becky Kluball prepares for an overhead shot. Kluball’s favorite posi-tion to play is net, where overheads and volleys are generous.

Laura Hegarty drops her racquet for a half volley. This type of shot is one of the hardest of all the tennis strokes.

photo by L. Doyle

photo by L. Doyle

In every sport there are rules, and along with these rules come standards of etiquette. Somewhere among all the shouting and scoring, these man-ners are often overlooked. Nowhere is that more evident than on the ten-nis court. With spring well underway and summer tennis season rapidly approaching, perhaps a refresher on tennis etiquette is in order. Players:

Call the score loud enough for the oppo-• nent to hear before each point.If in doubt, call the shot IN.•

Spectators:Clap quietly after a point is won, never in • the middle of a point.Do not cheer for a player if the opponent • made an error that ended the point.

Diamond dad (continued from page 1)

Trojan 2011 football schedule released

Date

August 19August 26

September 2September 9September 16September 23

September 30October 7

October 14

October 21October 28**November 4*

Opponent

Monroe (SCRIMMAGE)Baconton

Crawford CountyTerrell County

OpenNorthside Columbus

Houston CountyNorthside Warner

RobinsHardaway

TCCBainbridge

Warner Robins

Site

Home HomeHomeHome

Columbus Kinnett StadiumHome

Warner Robins (McCo-nnel-Talbet Stadium)

Columbus Kinnett Stadium

ThomasvilleHomeHome

All varsity games are at 7:30 on Fridays unless otherwise noted.Region games are in bold.

*Senior Night **Homecoming

of academic or athletic involvement. Most do not even finish high school. Fowler is determined to beat those odds. Baseball is just one of the ways he is trying to work towards that. Keaton is what inspires him to keep working. “There is nothing like going home to ‘your baby’,” Fowler said. “It’s one of the best feelings.” Fowler’s girlfriend and Keaton’s mother, senior Shay Glover, agrees that blending parenthood and teenage life is hard, but also provides a great joy in their lives. “We got really lucky; Keaton’s a great baby,” Glover said. “All our friends love him.”

Along with the support of family and friends, the couple say that they have felt support and encouragement of the coaching staff. “They’ve been so understanding,” Glover said. “If Mark ever needs to miss a practice to go to a doctor’s appointment or to do something for the baby, they always understand.” But neither Fowler nor Glover denies that this was not exactly how they had envisioned their junior and senior years. Both admit that life has changed drastically for them. They have had to grow up a little earlier than most. Baseball head coach and athletic director Rob Williams

recognizes the importance of baseball to the Fowler clan. But Fowler’s distinction as a father does not lessen his obligations to the team. “Sometimes maybe getting on the baseball field gives him a chance to be a teenager again,” Williams said. “But he’s a player -- just like anyone else.” But when the game is over and the hometown heros have put Trojan Field to bed, Fowler heads straight to the outstretched arms of his biggest fan. Keaton doesn’t miss a game. As of right now, the couple is unsure about what the future holds, but they each still have their dreams. “We want to get married later on when Keaton is older

and can understand it,” Glover said. “Right now I’m in college {at Albany Tech} and in high school.” Glover’s plans include becoming a special education teacher, while Fowler has becoming a firefighter on his mind. For right now, the two are taking life one step at a time. Glover is passionate about making a point to reach out to others facing the trials of teenage parenthood. “I always try to make a point to talk to other girls who have found out they are pregnant,” Glover said. “I want them to know that it’s going to be okay --- that they’re going to make it.”

Did you know ... ?

So what are all of these bar codes?

A new trend sweeping the media nation is QR codes. These codes abbreviated for Quick Response consist of embedded data on a white square background. Black squares form a unique shape on this background, individualizing a certain code for every URL and link in the internet database. These codes are designed for smart phones so that with a certain app and a scan by the camera, the user will be immediately directed to the embedded URL without manual searching. These codes are most commonly designed for owners of iPhones, Androids, or Blackberry devices. To use QR codes first go to your “app market” and search for an app using keywords such as QR reader. Download the app and open it on your phone. Proceed to follow the in app directions and scan the QR code you want to use. It will take around 5 to 30 seconds for you to be redirected to the appropriate URL. These QR codes are such a hit because the online information and print information is now connected with a bridge that is easy to overcome. The simple use of QR codes help to advertise and sell products in a quick and popular fashion. People can be connected everywhere they go. Anyone can make there own QR codes using a QR generator. The Panoptic has gotten in on this fad and has placed codes throughout the paper redirecting you to our online site. Go ahead and give them a try!

Ashley Archer

Cheerleading try-outs begin Mon-day, May 2in the KPS activity room. All paper-work is due before the try-out pro-cess.

How do you prepare for a weight lifting tournament? It takes a lot of work, a lot of time, and perfection of technique. The night before, as in all sports, you have to eat healthfully and get enough sleep.

How long do you prepare for

the weight lifting season? Since I’m a football player, I lift weights all year long.

What kinds of foods do you eat to prepare for tourna-ments?What ever food is available.

What is the best part about being on the weight lifting team?

Being able to compare how you stack against other lifters from all over Georgia.

What safety precautions do you take in order to avoid injury?Practice proper technique and always be aware.

What is the most weight you have ever lifted?

Bench Press-310 lbs; Squat-475 lbs; Power Clean-315 lbs.

What are you required to do at tournaments?You have to be separated into weight classes; I’m in 191-205 pound weight class. You have three opportunities to lift the most weight that you can (bench press, squat, power clean). To determine a winner,

the total amount of weight you lift is added together and who-ever has the highest total wins.

At tournaments, what weight do you start with?I start with a comfortable weight, one that I am positive that I can get.

How do you win a weight lift-ing tournament?

The total amount of weight you lift is added together and who-ever has the highest total wins.

How many weight lifting teams are in Georgia?Depending on the year, there could be more or less, not ex-actly sure, but there are enough.

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said. “This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, hav-ing the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens.” The members of the weight lifting fall under those that qualify for champions. Their numerous hours of training and hard work take them to the next level of muscle use. On March 5 the team put their hard work to the test in the Lee Murray GACA Weight Lifting Tournament held in Hawkins-ville, Ga. Dale Stroud placed first in the 141-150 lbs weight

class. Thomas Wright took first place in the 191-205 lbs weight class. Chris Lockett placed second in the 161-170 lbs weight class. Ver-norris Hayes took fourth place in the 161-170 lbs weight class. Taurean Whi-taker placed 5th in the 141-150 lbs weight class. Overall the team finished second. Dale Stroud, Chris Lock-ett, Thomas Wright, and Zach Gardner qualified for the State Championship competition that was held in Hawkinsville on March 19. Thomas Wright placed third at state in the 191-205 lbs weight class. With hard work and dedi-cation come rewards. The weight lifting team has prov-en they have what it takes to be champions.

The Panoptic, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga. April, 201112 Sports

Hannah Rivers

Hannah Rivers

Junior Thomas Wright spots members of the team dur-ing training. Wright emerged victorious from the Lee Murray GACA weightlifting Tournament in the 191-205 lbs weight class.

Weightlifting takes down season

photo by R. McDaniel photo by R. McDaniel

Becoming a champion weightlifter is no simple task. The team was dedicat-ed to their training and worked hard throughout the season.

Q&A with Thomas Wright

Did you know ... ?Weight-lifting is a prominent sport in the summer Olympics. Also, free weights activate more mus-cles than machine weights do.

Snap a picture of this QR code with your smart phone to visit The Panoptic website for more pictures, articles and fun facts.

Panoptic on your smart phoneFootball

Dean FabrizioBasketballBoys: Tim McPhersonGirls: Fran McPhersonBaseballRob WilliamsGolfBrad Cowart

Cross CountryTom MathenyTrack & FieldBoys: Condre’ PayneGirls: Ric CarrSwimmingKelly FutchCheerleadingDonna Jones

TennisBoys: Ja BreedenGirls: Jill AddisonVolleyballKysha DavisWrestlingTom Matheny

SoccerBoys: Billy CashGirls: Dave Balten-bergerSoftballLynn AveryAthetic Director Rob Williams

Interested in trying out for a varsity sport next year? Contact these head coaches...