Coach Honea, the Attendance Clerk said, “If I had to make an educated guess about how many dismissal notes I write on Friday pep rally days, I would say about four to five hundred. Out of those notes I would guess that eighty percent are forged. I’m also guessing that about 300 people cut and don’t even turn in a note.”

But take into account that on average there are about 80 to 90 students that are out on regular Fridays, and to that about 110 senior study halls. Add all of that to the early dismissals, and there is still about five hundred students that skip out on pep rallies.

“The pep rallies are not exciting. There is nothing for me to stay for,” Junior Michael Young said.

Student Government plays a big role in the spirit at ChapinHigh School. They plan all the pep rallies and the spirit weeks, plus they are mainly the ones that dress up. There are a few others that choose to dress up and promote school spirit, but the number of people getting involved is not ideal. 

Student Government Teacher, Mrs. Brinkley said, “Student government puts a lot of time into planning pep rallies. They are really challenged though. Our student body has changed because they aren’t so easily entertained by the simple things anymore.”

One of the most debated topics is the Toga pep rally. Some people think it is unfair that the seniors win the pep rally by default.

Sophomore Nash Parham said, “Seniors win because it’s a tradition. But the other students don’t try because they always win.”

Some students do try to defeat the seniors, but no matter how much effort they put forth, they will lose no matter what.

Junior Jennings Stroud said, “Class of 2013 got shafted. We had the creativity, originality, and most importantly, we brought the noise.”

Many of the upper classmen remember the toga pep rally last year. It was held outside because the number of students attending was so immense that the school had to have a large area to accommodate all of them. The homecoming nominees also had skits that the student body enjoyed. Students also participated in activities such as sumo wrestling and relay races.

Where did that school go? At the Toga pep rally this year the seniors were the majority of the ones to attend. We had the dance team and Nique perform but then a short game where student government representatives threw Cheetos onto peoples’ faces. Compared to last year, our school spirit and pep rallies are lacking in the charisma and excitement students should have for their own school.

School spirit might not seem like a major concern during spirit week, but it does reflect on the school.  A school in Vermont recently banned school spirit at football games. A woman got kicked out of the game for starting the wave. This seems extreme but students might want to think twice about the freedoms they have and show their appreciation by participating. Since most of the student body at Chapin has a negative outlook on our school spirit, maybe it is time for a change.

Brinkley says, “There are some students not in student government that dress up everyday just for the high school experience. I think that is what needs to happen.”

Whether you are a spirited person or not, how many times can you dress up and go crazy at pep rallies like a complete fool and have an excuse to do it?

China and India are becoming superpowers. Dean Rust, former secretary of state, predicted “. . . the world cannot support another U.S. . .” Competition for resources is increasing and not all will survive if American trends are imitated. “I have no idea, and the pressure that India faces as just the population. . . if we don’t get on a global scale we can actually do more damage to ourselves. It can’t be a global relationship where we [U.S.] sit down and we set all the parameters,” says U.S. History AP/CP teacher Anastasia Sease. A nation’s security is based on global leverage. Jeopardize that and compromise occurs. Americans, lacking historical context, may find change difficult.

“They [foreigners] think we are all rich, and maybe we are,” says U.S. History and Sociology teacher Bill Sommerville. Almost half of the world lives on less than 2 dollars a day. “I think sometimes some of the wrong things get reported, they hear about the extravagances and everybody views us that way”-Sommerville. The media glorifies the Kardashian wedding, and the reality T.V. show Jersey Shore. If these far cries from reality is what the rest of the world is shown, it is no surprise they think us wealthy. “They live in awe of our convenient lifestyle.” says senior Caitlin Kitchens. 15.1% of Americans are living in poverty. Most of the time the poor do have air conditioning, a car, and a T.V., but lack less obvious amenities such as health care.

Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 4,421 Americans have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Eight years later, a democratic Middle Eastern government has yet to be successful, and the Taliban still has power. Both Osama Bin Laden, former leader of Al Queda, and Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq, have been removed. Is it because of American ignorance that we are still involved in Middle Eastern affairs? “The way in which we reacted to that [9/11] was important. You can see the shift, it was like, we defended our country, and rightfully so, into Afghanistan, and when the decision was made to make that a two front war you could see the attitudes shift immediately. I mean you went from calling it Operation Freedom to Bush’s war.” -Sease. A western mindset based on Christian ideals cannot replace a deep rooted Islamic tradition. Home support for the war has decreased, and global sentiments do not differ. “The war in Iraq is not very popular in most European countries, even if the government of the country supported U.S.efforts, populations of countries are not supportive of their government’s support,”says science teacher, Crispulo Issiminger.

How Americans react on a global level reflects cultural misunderstanding. “The U.S.tends to force its elitism on other nations, for example when the U.S. went to Southeast Asia and attempted to force westernization,” says senior Sawyer Tedder. America is a soapbox for democracy. The Cold War, the Vietnam War, and now the War on Terror all implement the same strategy; infect the world with democracy. Western culture is infused with a righteous spirit.
“I think it’s a cultural thing, we think we are entitled to something but haven’t earned it,” says Allison Layton, senior. Expectations that one country will change at the expense of another are not appreciated.
“We, in America, we expect them to speak English, we feel like the language world revolves around us,” stated Summerville.
A superpower nation does have significant leverage, but it does not erode the value of other nations.
“People are different; they are not wrong, just different,” added Summerville.

Despite negative assumptions about the U.S., stereotypes are not strictly an American phenomenon. The French are lazy artists, Asians can’t drive, Italians associate with the Mafia. Differentiating bias from fact reveals more similarities than differences among people from all nations.

- you spend more time playing Angry Birds than studying for your tests

- you gave up Physics for Lent

- your highest grade is in senior study hall

- the snooze button is the new “man’s best friend”

- you’re among the 25 other people in your class who didn’t do their homework

- you now fully understand the definition of procrastination

- the only grade you care about is an 85

- you weigh the pros and cons of skipping on a daily basis

- you pay more attention to your absences than politics

- taking mental health days is a regular habit

- over half of your work is turned in the day the interim ends

- you gave up using binders 6 months ago

- doodling is the new note-taking

- you’re too lazy to redeem your claw cash

- the only writing in your agenda is in the bathroom pass section

- …..you don’t even have an agenda to write bathroom passes in

- you convince underclassmen to do your work for you

- your bookbag itself weighs more than the contents inside

- you paid more attention on your college visit than in a week’s worth of high school

- not caring is something you brag about

- you sleep more in class then you do at home

- you believe exempting exams is equally as important as graduating

- you create Facebook groups so you can group chat about not doing homework

- college applications were the only assignments you completed all year

- you are too lazy to count down the days until graduation

- you wrote this article in class the day it was due

The answer may come in geography.  Chapin High is the closest of the three District 5 high schools to Lake Murray.  As many know, living on the lake isn’t cheap.  In fact, Chapin’s average listing price for a home is double Irmo’s and triple Dutch Fork’s. Chapin also has a higher average income than the state average.  Chapin’s average income is $77,542 while the state average is $42,442.  Newberry, which is only miles away from Chapin, has an average income of $28, 773; this is drastically smaller than Chapin’s income. I understand now why the Newberry and Prosperity schools may have this bias towards Chapin.

 Most of the upper-classmen currently have jobs and pay for many of their personal belongings. It is true that a lot of students come from wealthy families because Chapin is a lake-community and lake homes attract the wealthy, but, not everybody in Chapin comes from a wealthy background. Based on research, only 12% of the population in Chapin has an income above $99,000.  So roughly about 1,362 out of 11,351 citizens are part of the upper-class or upper-middle class in Chapin.

Chapin’s average income for a household is $77,542.  Newberry has an average income of $28,773. 

Recently I’ve heard the word “spoiled” has been tossed into conversations about Chapin. By definition spoiled is to “do harm to the character, nature, or attitude of by over-solicitude, overindulgence, or excessive praise.” So do we have spoiled kids at our school? Maybe, but don’t try to tell me that Irmo and Dutch Fork don’t have their fair share of “spoiled” students.  Actually out of all the three cities, Irmo’s citizens have a greater percentage of the population making over $99,000 per year. 

“Chapin’s a 3A school and Irmo and Dutch Fork are 4A schools so it may seem smaller.” Said Dutch Fork sophomore Bailey Shealy. As we know, Chapin is a small town that seems to be getting smaller everyday.  We’ve all joked about how boring Chapin is and how “nothing ever happens at Chapin” and when something does happen everybody and their brother knows about it.

“I mean every school has a reputation, but I feel like Chapin is in a bubble and most of us don’t really focus on life outside of Chapin so I see how that could be seen as acting snobby or spoiled.” Said Mary Efird, a sophomore.  Really, every school has its “rich kids” and Chapin does too, but what people need to realize is that Chapin also has a lot of students who come from middle-class families and live without extreme luxuries like a brand new BMW or a three story, lakefront house.

ost of America knows her, Snooki, is a pint sized bundle of drunken indecency. Snooki’s rise to fame came via the hit MTV show, The Jersey Shore, which is one of hundreds of reality TV shows. What’s ironic about this particular show is that everyone on the cast prides themselves in being a “guido” or “guidette” which is slang for an Italian. However, the only member of the cast that actually has Italian relatives is Vinny Guadagnino. Among the Jersey Shore, several popular shows include The Hills, Flavor of Love, Keeping up with Kardashians, Real Housewives of New Jersey, and, of course, Survivor. The longest running reality television show is Cops. From catching ruthless criminals to the blunt issue of survival to finding love to observing the lives of the rich and famous, these shows cover all types of interests. And while no one can deny that the shows are entertaining, there have definitely been debates on the content. In the three seasons of the Jersey Shore there have been countless scenes, (of one night stands), drinking, and an extremely colorful vocabulary. In one particularly racy episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians the youngest sister, Khloe, took nude photos for her husband – on national television.

With irrefutably controversial content on the show, one might be curious about what attracts people to the shows. Sophomore Jennings Stroud says “Watching the lives of the people on these shows makes me feel better about myself. It raises my self esteem”. For anyone who has ever watched the Jersey Shore, this is quite understandable. While some love the shows for their irresistible train wreck effect, others hate them for the same reason. “I hate them because it’s all scripted. None of its real,” says sophomore Caleb Bagley. Regardless, they’ve become a staple part of American culture. Magazines often have updates of celebrities’ lives, but lately they’ve started covering reality stars, too. And the shows are even reaching other parts of the globe.

Some of the more famous moments of the shows are almost impossible to have not seen. Student intern Susan McDonald says “The craziest thing I’ve seen on reality television is when a girl on the Amazing Race had a watermelon slingshot into her face. I have no idea how she didn’t die.”

The crazy world of reality TV doesn’t appeal to everyone. But love them or hate them, they’re here and they will go out of their way to get attention.

I am already running late to class when my time quickly starts disappearing and I get stuck behind the slowest walker, “the granny walker.” I understand that students are usually not in a hurry to get to class but I don’t understand why they feel the need to resemble a “granny walker” when I am running late to class. After several unsuccessful attempts to pass them I am forced to walk behind them until they decide to turn.

Then I encounter “the stop and talker.”  You know- the people who stop to have a conversation in the middle of the hallway creating an obstacle for other students to walk around.  These clueless conversationalists think their chatter is the most important thing in the world, but my precious time is running out.

After that crisis ends I turn a corner and see the “packers.”  No, not the Green Bay Packers (although they form a defensive line that might rival Green Bay) I am referring to those girls that walk in a pack.  They form one long line that stretches across the hall. Shoulder-to-shoulder they are an impenetrable wall of babbling blondes who cannot be apart for even one class change.  If you encounter them at the 200 hallway squeeze near the bathrooms– FORGET ABOUT IT.

My destination is finally in sight when I get stuck behind the Otis Spunkmeyer cookie cart line. This is the worse obstacle to try and avoid because it is never a good thing to try and get between students and their cookies.  The cookie line is so long that it takes up the already overly crowded hallway not to mention it couldn’t be in a more inconvenient place. It is placed in the most crowded hallway and in the most jam-packed spot where students are trying to get through the door to go outside or come inside.

After I bravely force my way through the sugar crazed students I have to make the deadly left into my classroom. If I do not time my turn absolutely perfectly then I will be t-boned in a split second.  My seconds start ticking away but my timing must be absolutely impeccable.  Finally, I reach my destination but with only seconds to spare and I just barely escaped a tardy.

Clearly, hallway etiquette is becoming a serious problem because students don’t know how to share the hallways, or they just don’t care.  Maybe our hallways need to start using traffic lights or stop lights so students can actually get to class on time and avoid traffic jams. Of course everyone could just share the hallway, but that is something that is apparently just too hard.

Reality is tough to face.  Everyone is struck by it at different times and under different circumstances.  Unfortunately for many of Chapin’s seniors, the reality of their entire high school career comes at the most stressful time possible.  This event is known as the college application process.

I will admit that in my high school career, I have always been a procrastinator.  Whether I’m writing an article the night before or even studying for a test just a block in advance, my nature has been to procrastinate.  When I was faced with college applications, I decided that I would not procrastinate.  Unfortunately, my nature overcame my desires.

As the University of North Carolina application deadline approached, my stress level began to rise.  I had, in fact, waited to the literal last minute to submit my completed application.  This is not a desired path.  Staying up until hours past midnight for an entire week was the sacrifice I made in order to reach the Chapel Hill deadline.  Imagine attempting to convince a university of your worth through mere numerical and biographical information, and the importance and difficulty of applications will become evident.

Similar to college, the actual admissions process is a learning experience.  Whether it is memorizing your social security number for the first time or even taking on the responsibility of communicating with the guidance department, college admissions extend beyond the literal application.

Everything you’ve ever done (or haven’t done) in high school is the only measure for your admittance into college.  Some colleges include in-depth essay topics, and others just require basic information and test scores.  The largest issue with college applications is beyond any field that the documents require.  Rather, the management of time and effort to complete college admissions material is the most difficult aspect of all.

Learning from my North Carolina experience, I intend to get a head start on my future collegiate submissions.  Hopefully underclassmen and unsuspecting seniors are amply warned.  Trust me, an experienced procrastinator, when I say start early and prepare earlier.

Take “legit” for example. In case you live under a rock, “legit” is a shortened form of legitimate. The dictionary definition of the word legitimate is ” lawful, or according to law.”  Now explain this quote to me – “Dude, I need a legit shower.”

This is what I mean when I say improper.  Apparently, this person wanted a shower that was lawful. So what’s the difference between a “legit” shower and a normal shower? Is a “non-legit” shower an unlawful shower? How on earth is a shower lawful in the first place?

Another example of language abuse is the term “sick”. This one is a personal favorite. The other day I heard someone call a band “sick.” The definition of the word sick is to be “afflicted with ill health or disease.”  So is this person saying that all of the members of Death Cab For Cutie are about to throw up. This makes no sense whatsoever.

However, these are only a few examples in the appalling selection of slang available. There’s “preesh” which is an unholy abbreviation of appreciate. Another abbreviation is “presh” which derived from precious. I don’t need to go on.

Is it really that hard to add a couple of extra syllables or maybe look up the word before you use it? It gets me “legit” aggravated, so I would “preesh” if you would think before you speak.

 When it comes to teen relationships, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

 Junior, Thames Jamison, said, “Relationships stink! They’re pointless…it’s high school, You’re going to break up.”

 Some people in high school, such as Thames, do not want to waste their time with relationships.  Being in a relationship can sometimes get a little sticky.  Keeping up with a boyfriend or girlfriend and your friends can be hard.  A lot of times, teens have to choose between the two.

“When Phillip is busy, I hang out with my friends,” said junior, Lexie Ricard.

 Sometimes, couples have the same group of friends which allows them to hang out with each other more and not have to worry about upsetting their friends.  Being in a relationship can be hard, but generally fun.  Being with someone you really like that also likes you in return can boost your self confidence and make you a happier person.

However, teenagers do not need to be in a relationship to be happy.  Many teens are happy with their normal routine, such as school work, spending time with their family and hanging out with their friends on the weekends. 

“There’s a lot more time that I don’t have to waste and I enjoy keeping my money,” said senior, Thomas Fitzpatrick.

“I think relationships are too much drama,” said freshman, Andrew Minges.

“I don’t think that people should date until they can drive because it makes it easier, said sophomore, Dillon Gums, “You don’t have to have your parents drive you everywhere”.

The most common break up line is, “It’s not you, it’s me”.  Break ups can be upsetting, but friends and family can always help you feel better.  Teen relationships can be a great.  It depends on who is in the relationship and how they manage their time.

Tens of thousands are feared dead in Haiti’s capital after a massive 7.0 magnitude hit the city of 2 million. Many main buildings in Port-Au-Prince collapsed, including hospitals, schools, the main prison, and the National Palace. Rescuers and aid workers are searching for any victims that may be trapped in the rubble.

Hospitals that are still standing have been filled to maximum capacity and make-shift field hospitals have been set up wherever possible, but there is not enough medical aid to get to the thousands that are wounded and waiting in the streets.

President Rene Preval told CNN, “It’s incredible. A lot of houses destroyed, hospitals, schools, personal homes. A lot of people in the street dead…I’m still looking to understand the magnitude of the event and how to manage.”

President Obama responded to the disaster by sending ships, helicopters, transport planes, and Marine units, along with humanitarian aid. “We have to be there for them in their hour of need,” he said.

Leaders from Haiti estimate that anywhere between 100,000 and 500,000 could be dead, but say that it is too early to tell.

Stunning Republican victory in Massachusetts

Republican Scott Brown has been elected to fill the Senate seat left by the late Ted Kennedy. Brown defied odds to beat his Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley, who at one time held a double digit lead. The GOP victory in Massachusetts, a Democratic stronghold for nearly 50 years, means that the Democrats no longer hold a super majority and the Senate will likely not get the 60 votes needed to pass a healthcare reform bill.

Senator-elect Brown said, “I’d like to look at the bill but I’m not in favor of higher taxes, cutting medicare half a trillion, affecting medical coverage for veterans and basically having a one size fits all. So I know what I don’t want, now I’m looking forward to reading the bills and coming up with a plan because you know if it’s something the President feels is important, I’m certainly willing to look at it.”

Reid apologizes for racial remarks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid apologized to President Barack Obama after racial comments he made during the 2008 campaign surfaced. A new book reveals that during a private conversation, Reid made a comment saying that Obama could win because he is “light-skinned African-American with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Many Republicans believe that Reid should step down from his position as majority leader, but Democrats came to his defense, along with the NAACP, and the Congressional Black Caucus.

Attorney General Eric Holder, the first black Attorney General, also defended Reid and said, “I don’t think that there is a prejudiced bone in his body.”

Reid called President Obama to offer his apology, which the President accepted.

Google to possibly end operation in China

Google Inc. is threatening to suspend all operations in China, after alleged censorship and cyber-spying. The company said that it will stop censoring its Chinese search engine and may pull the company out from the country. Google has several other business operations in China that could be affected by the plan.

Google claims it discovered several cyber attacks against itself and other foreign companies. Google’s China branch operates out of Beijing and is required to follow Chinese regulations to censor search results, such as politically sensitive content.

Several other web based companies, including Yahoo Inc., have aligned themselves with Google. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the claims “raise very serious concerns and questions” and “we look to the Chinese government for an explanation.”

Iranian scientist killed in suspicious bombing

An Iranian physicist was killed in a bombing that the Iranian media is blaming on the West as an attempt to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. However, many suspect Iran is to blame due to the amount of detail that has emerged so quickly after his death.

Masoud Ali Mohammadi has been hailed as a martyr by many in Iran for his work, but according to the BBC, Mohammadi was likely not working in Iran’s nuclear program at all. They also claim that Mohammadi’s field was not nuclear science, but quantum mechanics. Mohammadi was also featured on a list of academics who pledged to support the opposition leader in Iran’s disputed presidential elections.