Chapin Claw » Features

Must watch Shows of 2012

Alison Galat — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:14:53 +0000

With popcorn in hand and several drinks beside, the television automatically switch’s to the new episode of the must watch show. Being the member of the fan site and have never missed one episode, and receiving constant phone/twitter updates on the latest scandal. The season premiers that started in December of 2011, Pretty Little Liars, The Bachelor and Awkward these TV shows have ranked number one in Chapin High School for to see shows of 2012. Pretty Little Liars (PLL) new season hopefully reveals who A is and maybe even, not for another few seasons. “I don’t want to find out who A is, because then I won’t have a new show watch or anything to look forward to till I do find any other who I like to watch on TV.” Said Sophomore Kelsey Jones.
The Bachelor returning from his heartbreak from Ashley Hebert, is on the lookout for a new love. Ben Flajnik (the Bachelor) has captured many hearts, from grandmas to our teen age group. “I fell in love with Ben. He really is the complete package. He likes animals and he has an amazing smile.” Said local watcher Hope Whisman. But some guys don’t appreciate their girlfriends sitting around watching another guy on TV, “It’s annoying. She always talk about this guy, she’ll say why didn’t you do that for me? How should I compete with a guy on a show? He probably gets paid to sit around and flirt with girls all night.” Said Pj Boch “I do watch some drama shows, but it’s not a weird thing or anything. Just it’s something I don’t tell the ladies.” Said Boch.
All of the shows have one thing in common: Drama. They all are jammed full of new things talk about the next day. Never having an off day or a boring episode, expecting lots of things in the new upcoming seasons is a yes. No matter what the show if there’s jammed pack break ups, scandalous acts and a twist that maybe a football player write poetry, as teens there is no doubting that we will be watching it.

Ron Paul ; Alternative Conservative

ofitts — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:14:15 +0000

The Obama administration is about to be tested. At the end of this year, the American public will elect the forty fifth president of the United States. No democratic candidate has offered a viable challenge to incumbent Barack Obama. However, the race for the republican candidacy viciously continues.
Ron Paul ran for president as a libertarian candidate in 1988 and has since gained national prominence. He has kept a consistent record of voting against an unbalanced budget, against raising executive power, and abolishing taxes.
Paul said, “My goal would be always to get it [taxes] as low as possible. . . I would like to get rid of it, but if you can’t, get it as low as you can to invite capital back [to the U.S.].” Paul’s image as a staunch constitutionalist leads many to believe he is too extreme to be elected.
Senior Shawna Blankenship said, “Ron Paul is a radical. His ideas are good in theory, but in application they are not practical
What essentially makes Paul so different from the other candidates is his demeanor.
His answers are not coached; he chooses firm positions and does not rely on glittering generalities when he needs to make a point. When Paul was asked how much foreign aid he would cut, he simply stated, “All of it.”
In the Iowa caucus, Ron Paul proved himself a viable candidate. Coming in third to Santorum, Paul got 21.4% of the vote.
Encouraged by the results, Paul said, “We will go on. We will raise the money. I have no doubt about the volunteers. They will be there. There is nothing to be ashamed of, everything to be satisfied with.”
The New Hampshire primary gave Paul an even greater boost with a strong second behind Romney.
After placing fourth in SC, Paul hopes to regain momentum in the Florida primary, a big swing state.
Paul said, “Less than two percent [of the delegates] have been chosen. This is the beginning of a long, hard, slog. . . If you win elections and win delegates, that is the way you promote a cause. . . We will be going to the caucus states, and we will be promoting the whole idea of getting more delegates because that’s the name of the game.”
Paul’s “Achilles heel” is his stance on foreign policy. He is essentially an isolationist, and many question his rationale in such a global world.
Sawyer Tedder, senior, said, “He is way too extreme about it. I think we still need a military presence in South Korea, the Middle East, and Germany. He is way too radical to get elected. He sticks to his beliefs to a point of fault.”
Other students take a more supportive approach. One such student is John Charles Cain, notorious for his Ron Paul shoes.
Cain said, “Ron Paul is the only true defender of liberty. He is the most consistent constitutional conservative. I agree with his foreign policy. We need to be getting out of everybody else’s business.”
Senior Steven Barton took a more moderate approach on Paul.
“I agree with Paul’s plan for reducing the federal government, but I do not agree with his isolationist foreign policy.”
On the Jay Leno Show, Paul stated that in order to stimulate the economy and increase domestic capital, he would “like to cut spending by one trillion dollars his first year in office.” Although cutting government spending would certainly produce benefits for the American economy, how practical is this idea? Who would sacrifice? How does one choose who will sacrifice?
History teacher Bill Sommerville said, “I fear that cuts will come from the departments that can least afford them.”

2012 brings New Year’s resolution for students

Amanda Dobson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:04:06 +0000

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year! Hello 2012, a new year means new changes, a new start, and new beginnings.

For most people the start of the New Year means it’s time for a New Year’s resolution and for many it is a chance to break bad habits. Unfortunately, few people end up following through with their resolutions. Each year thousands will make promises to themselves that they will never keep.

“Every year my resolution is to not procrastinate, and every year it does not work out,” Says Junior Caroline Amick.

Mastering a New Year’s resolution takes drive, commitment, and focus. A study shows that most people do not have the required drive, as about 45% of adults make one or more resolution each year, but after a week only 75% of them are successful. After a month only 64% percent keep up with their resolutions and after 6 months it drops to 46%.

Every year people continue to make these resolutions as a tradition even though in the past they have never followed through with their commitment and have been unsuccessful.

Sophomore Sarah Wetherall starts out the New Year with the best intentions of keeping her resolutions but she never manages to.

“It’s a new Year and a new chance to start life off right, so I try and keep my New Year’s resolutions as long as I can but they usually end in about a month,” says Wetherall.

Common resolutions often focus on being healthy, and weight loss is the number one news year resolution. For the month of January gyms are crowded, pantries are stocked with the healthiest foods, and more people are exercising and trying to be healthy. After about a month, however, the healthy trends die down and people return to the same old bad habits. It is easy to keep up with promises for a month but after that the lack of commitment starts to show.

Freshman Stephanie Brougher notices this when she exercises.

“When I go to the gym in January it is really crowded for about a month and a half, then it drastically changes because people stop going and give up,” says Brougher.

It is hard to make such big changes in life and making resolutions just seems routine for most people. It is great to start out the New Year by making changes, but maintaining those changes throughout the year is the important part. It seems to be more effort than most are willing to give.

Not everyone chooses to make a resolution though. Some people do not see the point in making a promise they are most likely going to break.

“I think New Year’s resolutions are just stupid because if someone really wanted to make a change then why would they wait until January? They should start then” says Junior Jonah Whiteside.

Why do so many people continue with the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions when history shows they are not likely to complete them? If someone really wants to make a change they should not wait until the New Year. They should make changes because they want or need to, not because it is a new year. A New Year’s resolution sounds great in theory but looking at the success rate proves that they are not very useful.

Zandi finds inspiration on and off the field

Erika McVey — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:46:28 +0000

Mention Chapin High School senior Mason Zandi in a conversation and one image will come to mind: a 6’ 8” giant of a football player who recently turned heads at both Clemson and Carolina and verbally committed to USC for a full scholarship.
“What really makes Mason special is his potential due to his young age,” defense coordinator Scott Stogner said, “he’s very fast and coordinated for his size, and the coaches have four years to make him bigger, stronger, and better.”
While it is clear that Zandi is a dominating force come game time, not everyone knows what goes on behind the scenes. He practices between two and four hours every day but he says that if he did not have his family and God he never would have made it this far.
“My family is always there to support me and help me when I need them,” Zandi said. His track and football teammates can testify for his love of God.
“One thing I’ve really noticed about Mason is how openly he talks about God. He said something at our track banquet about how God is his inspiration for everything and I think that’s great,” senior Lannon McCoy said.
What really sets Zandi apart from other football players and students is his determination. His drive transcends across all areas of his life, not just athletics.
“I don’t know what exactly I’m going to do when I’m older, I don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years, but I’m going to make sure that whatever I do I’m good at it. I’ll sacrifice everything but my family and my religion,” he said. Such great determination can be hard to find in someone so young.
While his love for football takes up a great amount of time, Zandi loves to hang out with friends and go fishing. He will be majoring in International Business at USC so he is interested in travelling.
“After I graduate college I want to spend 10 years in Europe. I was raised in SC and in school we learn about all of these places but I’ve never seen them. I would like to travel and see the world like my dad did,” Zandi said.
Europe is a far plane ride from Chapin but that is several years from now. Closer in the future is graduating CHS. Of course he will miss his friends but Zandi said he will also miss Principal Akil Ross.
“I love Mr. Ross. He’s a major mentor in my life because he did what I’m going to do. He played Division I football and I really like to hear what he has to say.”
Something different about Zandi is his interest in people.
“Everyone has their own story, their own life. Everyone has wisdom to offer. I like to know what makes them who they are,” he said.
He really values what other people have to say and takes their words to heart.
“My dad always used to tell me that if you have a dream, don’t ever let it slip through the cracks,” Zandi said. Clearly he has kept those words in mind as he has progressed throughout his football career.
Zandi knows that sometimes it’s difficult to keep your eye on the prize. In order to stay on track he saves inspirational quotes in the notes section on his phone.
“Regardless of the amount of love you have for something, at some point you will start to lose that passion. You have to go back to the foundation and remind yourself why it’s so important to you. Inspirational quotes can help remind you. I have quotes from Ross, Stogner, anyone really. I write down anything that alters my perspective in a positive way.”
With so much talent it would be easy to assume that Zandi wants to be remembered as one of the greatest football players to come from Chapin, but he says he would rather be known as helpful.
“I want people to remember me as the best server ever. I want them to know that I did everything I could for my track team, football team, teachers, and friends. I tried to do everything I could for them.”

Marching band concludes another great season

adviser — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:29:23 +0000

Through the stinging wind and the blazing sun, the band stands tall, playing each note with grace as if it was their last. Toes up, shoulders squared, eyes on the drum major. Finally, the last note of the performance rings in the air, as a drummer clicks the drum sticks on the ring of the stair, signaling for the band to march off the field. Leaving their hearts on the field, with their chains held high, they smile knowing they gave the show their all.
The Chapin High School Band received first place at SCDBA 3A Lower State Championships. For many, it was their first time marching at lower state. For others, it was a routine.
“It felt amazing- being on the field in front of the crowd…there’s nothing else like it,” said junior Jon Simmel, Assistant Drum Major.
This year’s show is titled “Influence.” It had a bit of jazz, classical, and funny moments. The band shows how music and actions can influence different reactions. Some band members felt that the sow fir the style of the marching band well.
“I thought the show was a cool idea, and I thought it was a pretty cool that it was original, and it wasn’t taken from other pieces,” said sophomore Braydon Manley, a second-year drum line member.
Some members had other thoughts.
“I enjoyed it; it was a lot of fun. But I wished it was more jazzy, because that’s when I feel the band shows their true abilities,” Taylor Gibson, a second-year pit member said.
As marching band season concludes and they hang up their marching shoes until next season, some tears were shed for graduating members.
“I feel like the Chapin Band is at a new level that we have never been on before. I have to say that this year’s band is probably the best this band program has ever been in my four years. I’ll be sad that I’m leaving but I’m also so proud to have been part of the Chapin High School band,” said senior Corey Hallman, a veteran trumpeteer.

Q and A with Mr. Richard Hiller

adviser — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:08:09 +0000

1. IF Y OU WERE A CANDY BAR, WHAT KIND WOULD YOU BE? WHY?
Snickers….I am nutty and Delicious!

2. IF YOU WEREN’T IN EDUCATION WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?
CEO of Banana Republic

3. IF YOU WERE A CANNIBAL ON AN ISLAND WITH NO FOOD AND JUST THE ADMIN, WHO WOULD YOU EAT FIRST? WHY?
This question makes me LOL!!! The appropriate answer would be to draw straws
because I really like my job and they are all my bosses!

4. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE STUDENTS IF THEY WERE ATTACKED BY ZOMBIES?
Aim for the head and Google it for more options.

5. WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING YOU HAVE EATEN?
I was in Maastricht, Holland and ate a raw Herring.

6. WHAT CELEBRITY WOULD YOU DATE IF YOU COULD? WHY?
Hmmmmmmm so many to choose from… If it was just one date I would go with Angelina Jolie, but for a longer relationship Jessica Biel because she seems to be wholesome and hot!

7. WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO FOR A MILLION DOLLARS: LICK DIRTY HOBO TOES, WALK FROM FINE ARTS TO THE GYM IN A THONG DURING CLASS CHANGE, OR LAY IN A BATHTUB FULL OF GIANT HISSING COCKROACHES?
I would do all three of these for a million dollars, but I see licking the toe as the
quickest and easiest.

8. WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DIE FOR?
This one is easy- my kids and maybe Mrs. Sease.

9. IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHICH ONE AND WHY?
I use to think time control until I saw the movie Butterfly Effect. So, I would go with being invisible. I could sneak into everything and have the ability to be the “fly on the wall” with everything.

10. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO RELIVE?
Tough question….. I have been lucky and had a great life and traveled a lot, but maybe my senior high school cruise to the Bahamas. That trip was a LOT of fun! No worries or responsibilities in the world.

ID= Five dollars + Detention

Alison Galat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:41:58 +0000

Every morning most students wake up and rush through their morning routines trying to be on time for school. Book bags in tow, they go running out the door to catch the bus or drive their own car hoping they can make it on time before the first bell rings.
They beat the odds (and traffic on Amick’s Ferry) to make on campus in time but they have forgotten one small (about two by three inches) detail.
“Where’s your I.D.?”
“Put your I.D on!”
“IDs around your necks, please.”
This chorus of reprimand is usually the reminder that the ID is laying on the kitchen counter at home.
Trudging to the front office, mumbling about the stupidity of ID’s and questioning why the school makes students wear them, the ID-less scoundrel signs the clipboard for the five dollar fee… but there is another form- a form for an hour of Wednesday morning detention.
The new ID policy now requires students to purchase a new ID and they must sign up the form stating they will attend a Wednesday morning detention. Students are now facing double the consequences for forgetting their IDs.
Administrator Sully Sullivan said, “That’s a change made to try to cut down on people not having their IDs and getting so many IDs from the front office. He (Ross) made an announcement to the school and from that point on he added the one hour detention in the morning.”
The change in policy has many students angry at what they feel is an undeserved punishment for a rule they don’t see the point in.
Sophomore Mel Bussard said, “All of my teachers already knew my name by the second week of school. Why I have to wear I.D. I honestly don’t understand. I get the parents sign-in and stuff but I think we would notice if some creeper just walked in the door. And no teen is going to come to school and just walk around, especially if they don’t go here. What would be the point of that?”
Ironically, one of the main reasons for IDs is so that teachers can identify each student, yet it is often a teacher a student has that ends up enforcing the ID policy. Many students have similar views to Bussard. They feel the ID policy is unnecessary and its enforcement ends up being overly harsh, but the punishment seems to be reducing the amount of time spent handling IDs.
Front Office clerk Fran Tucker said, “Now that we’ve added the detention after the 7:55 bell we probably only print five. Before the detention, it was probably twenty and then it was all day long. Now, it’s very minimal.”
The school isn’t picking on the students, Mrs. Tucker and Mrs. Evers understand we are just teens. “We are sympathetic to you guys, we don’t want you to have to pay out of pocket for an I.D. and have to serve a detention, but we make close to 30 I.D’s a morning that some of you just tear up or loose.”
There is a point when enough is enough. Already over 400 students (according to Mrs.Tucker) owe money for I.D’s and some students already owe over 25 dollars, most of these students haven’t gone to Wednesday detention and haven’t had to serve a three hour Saturday for it either. Those who do go to Wednesday detention, pay the five dollars will most likely not be buying another I.D. all school year. The front office staff, Mrs. Evers and Mrs. Tucker has had a tree up all year that the students can up and place an extra I.D. up on so that if they do ever forget it they can just walk in find it on the tree and walk out.
Junior Olivia McCammon said, “I haven’t had to get an I.D once; I simply clip it to my book bag every day after school I don’t even have to think about it. I just do it. It’s honestly not that hard to keep up with it every day. I think that the I.D policy should be more enforced, if I haven’t had to go get one then no one should have to, I’m so forgetful of lots of things but taking two seconds out of my day to clip it on my bag doesn’t take hardly any effort” An easy way to keep up with our I.D’s is to simply clip it to our book bags or put an extra on the tree in the front office. Make the little step to avoid have to go to detention and pay five dollars.

NIQUE Takes Center Stage

Haley Willingham — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:43:43 +0000

With exciting performances at the school’s most recent pep rally and the winter semi-formal dance, senior, Dominique Steward–stage name “NIQUE”– has recently gained a lot of recognition for his strong rapping talents and lyrics that talk about the scenarios many people deal with.
“I write about situations that people go through so everyone can relate to my music. I also write about things I’ve been through,” he says.
Steward has been rapping since he was six, but over the last few years, he has started getting serious about his love of music and possibly a career in the industry.
Whether he’s singing about girls he’s chased or just everyday life, Steward always makes music his audience can connect to. He has written countless songs with titles such as “Cinderella,” “Right Here,” and “Biggest Fan.”
He released a mix tape a few months ago recorded in his home studio where he does most of his work.
Listeners have responded well to his music, and his lyrics have even been quoted in students’ Facebook statuses. Some even have his music loaded up on their iPods. There is also a Facebook page dedicated to him where he has a good amount of “likes.”
One reason that NIQUE is popular is his dedication to maintaining a positive image along with a positive message.
“I don’t cuss in my music, and I never say the “N” word.”
A lot of popular, modern rap is full of cursing and profanity, but Steward executes his music in a professional way, and that is what sets him apart from the rest. He manages to make impressive music without all the excessive cursing and vulgarity, which has earned him appreciation among his fans.
”I respect the fact that he doesn’t curse because he proves that he can be a good artist without swearing and bad language,” said junior Dillon Gums.
Senior Victor Tirado added, “I think it’s a very different approach but it makes his music a lot better than most of the rap songs that are put out. His music is something new and different that is still good.”
Steward has often been compared to artists such as Lil Wayne, whom he has been listening to since he was a kid. He considers the comparison a huge compliment, and considers Lil Wayne to be his greatest inspiration.
“Even though a bunch of people hate him, he keeps rapping like everybody loves him,” Steward said.
Steward also considers Andre 3000 to be one of his big inspirations and says he would love to someday get famous and collaborate with him.
“We have completely different sounds, and it would be cool to see what we could do.”
Steward recognizes the difficulties of making it into the music business and the challenges he faces. In order to have some career in the music business, Steward is going to college to study music in hopes of pursuing a career as a producer, and his fans hope to see the release of another mixtape.

Brasche Q and A!!

MCharpia — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:45:55 +0000

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT TEACHING AT CHAPIN HIGH SCHOOL?

It’s my alma mater, so it’s nice to come home.

HOW HASCHAPINHIGH SCHOOLCHANGED SINCE YOU WENT TO CHAPIN?

It’s a lot bigger than it used to be. There are also a few more behavior problems since I attended

Chapin.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND RE-DO HIGH SCHOOL WHAT WOULD YOU DO OVER AGAIN?

I wouldn’t try to be such a Chapin student. I always tried to be one of the popular kids and now that I’ m actually back here I kind of wish I didn’t waste as much time trying to fit in with that crowd. Looking back, I actually knew more people than I thought I did and I fit in more than I thought I did. So, I wouldn’t have wasted as much time trying to be what I thought everyone wanted me to be.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES OF BEING A FIRST YEAR TEACHER AT CHAPIN?

Rewriting everything because the curriculum is more difficult here than my last school.

WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST MEMORY FROM WHEN YOU ATTENDED CHAPIN?

We spray painted the Mid-Carolina football field Chapin colors the week we played them.

IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT WOULD YOU BE MOST PROUD OF?

I guess that I’ve done as much as I have… having only been alive twenty-four years. I went to college (Mars Hill) and did really well. I swam as a college athlete and I have coached kids that are going to Olympic trials.

DID YOU HAVE A NICKNAME IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE?

Well not really but in college they called me momma because I took care of everybody. Because I was the swim team captain, if people ever got stranded somewhere I was the one who was called to pick them up at two in the morning and made sure they got to feeling better.

IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?

I haven’t been skydiving. My best friend, Rachel Wilkes, agreed before either one of us got married that’s what we would do. We’re not doing a bachelorette party. We’re going to go skydiving.

WHAT’S YOUR FUNNIEST TEACHING MOMENT SO FAR?

We had a random conversation about concussions since a couple student of mine had one, and

talked about all the funny stories they had to tell.

WHAT GAVE YOU THE INTEREST INTO THE QUIDDITCH TEAM?

“I love me some harry potter”

Trick or treating replacement

Brooke Bauer — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:32:56 +0000

Trunk or Treating has become a very popular festival during the fall season. Rather than doing the typical house-to-house style trick or treating going from car-to-car has gained popularity.

“We regularly have over 100 trunks giving out candy,” says Michael Cathey, worship pastor and marketing director of Chapin Baptist Church.

Trunk or Treating typically revolves around a church or community when groups or individuals park their cars in a parking lot to trick or treat for the candy out of decorated trunks.

Senior Program Director of the YMCA Sabrina Ceballos says, “We have music playing, give out prizes for the best decorated trunk and have fun.”

Many groups around Chapin partake in this activity; local organizations such asChapinBaptistChurchand the Northwest YMCA have been holding this event for many years.

“We have been doing Trunk or Treat for over twelve years,” says Cathey,

Ceballos says this will be the third year of Trunk or Treating at the Y.

“It’s a great way to kick off the weekend. It’s a safe place for kids and families to dress up, go trick or treating and hang out with their friends,” Ceballos says.

Not only is Trunk or Treating a fun event for families, it is also a safer alternative to Trick or Treating for younger crowds.

“Having Trunk or Treating at the Y lets parents see exactly where they and their kids are going, who is giving them candy and not have to worry about asking strangers or houses who don’t celebrate Halloween,” explains Ceballos.

Cathey says the event does provided a safe venue to celebrate Halloween but that is not their sole purpose.

“While many churches do harvest festivals or trunk or treats to offer a safe alternative to trick or treating, we believe this is not a great need in the relatively safe town ofChapin,” Cathey continues, “What we do believe in however, is no strings attached. Our goal is not to raise money or add to our numbers in terms of church attendance. We simply want to let our community know that we love them.”