The league in a vote held by state 4A schools determined that the team had formed legally but had not followed the petition to play process that allowed to form a mult-school team in the first place. The violation forced both teams to forfeit some of the wins from this season.

In a separate action, the SCHSL rejected both teams petitions to be allowed to play in state playoffs if they qualified.

The lacrosse team for Chapin is comprised of players from three total schools: Chapin, Irmo, and Dutch Fork.  All three schools combined to form what some call a “super team.”  When it was discovered that Chapin had not made the annual request to continue to play as a super team, the league took action.

The request was resubmitted but was denied again. 

The team practiced hard all season and looked to have had a fair shot in the playoffs for this year.  However, a minor mistake cost the team their chance. 

“It’s unfair because we tried hard and now we don’t even get this chance all because of that form,” said sophomore lacrosse player Bethany Hermelin. 

Perhaps the biggest change to arise out of the controversial season, will be a separation of teams by school. Each school if there is interest will form its own boys and girls lacrosse program. 

Some players are concerned that this year’s disqualification will hurt interest in the sport at CHS since many athletes and parents were disappointed with the situation.

Only a few details have been given about the team next year. 

Dutch Fork recently had an interest meeting at their school for students interested in playing for the Lacrosse team next year.  The school had over seventy students sign up with interest in joining and it can only be hoped that Chapin has this many interested participants. Once all the details have been sorted out Chapin will hold its own team  interest meeting this coming school year and will be able to try again for another shot.

“The idea of getting dressed up in a fancy dress, going to dinner and dancing, just sounds fun to me,” says junior Jordan Elgin.

Prom hasn’t lost its excitement yet and it seems like it never will.  Although many students believe that prom itself isn’t all that great, the getting ready and going out is the most appealing.  Every year the junior class gets hyped up about prom.  They choose the theme and the junior board plans it.  The “typical prom night” for most high school students would be spending most of the day getting ready, taking tons of pictures, going out to dinner, dancing with their friends then having some fun after.  This year at Chapin’s prom a teacher will be attending with the “prom promise”.  The “prom promise” is a promise to not participate in drinking and other illegal activities after prom.  It is basically promoting students’ safety.  In most cases couples go with a group.  This allows them to ride together, go to dinner together, and hang out after prom.  Prom is a great high school experience.

“I feel that everyone needs to go to prom because in the future you might regret not going,” says senior Megan Fallaw.

Some students feel that if they don’t go to prom they will miss out on the experience and regret it later.  Personally, prom is still a big deal and something most students enjoy going too.  Not everyone likes the idea of dancing and getting dressed up is not appealing to everyone but for those who like it, Prom is a wonderful night of fun and enjoyment!

So, for everyone who is going toChapinHigh School’s prom on May 5, please be careful and stay safe!

I still remember the first time I opened the doors toChapinHigh Schoolas a freshman and I can’t believe that in less than a month I will be exiting those same doors that I entered but this time I will no longer be a student at Chapin.

All I really remember about sophomore year is that it was for the most part uneventful; I just remember being so excited about our field trip to the zoo because we got to miss an entire day of classes.

Junior year was one of the more difficult years because of having to apply and prepare for college while keeping up with school work which seemed to come harder that year. It seems like just this school year I was saying in a year I’ll be a senior and I’ll be graduating; Now that its here I can hardly believe it.

And now, Senior Year, I can’t wait to graduate. Next year I’ll be a gamecock but the whole situation feels so surreal. I find it hard to believe that I won’t be coming back with all the other classes next year. That next year I’ll be on a huge campus and not in the halls ofChapinHigh School. It’s weird to think that there are a lot of my current classmates that I am likely to never see again.

Next year my class will be the ones that don’t come back, the ones that are off at college. There are a lot of reasons I’m excited- I have to be responsible for myself which gives me both more responsibilities and more freedom at the same time. It’s up to me to make decisions instead of having administrators telling me what to do and if I make a bad decision I can’t simply get by with making an excuse.

As excited as I am, I will miss some aspects of Chapin such as the students and teachers that I have gotten to know. I wish all the underclassmen the best of luck; bear with the renovations-at the end we’ll have an incredible school and if you won’t be here at least you know future students will. I also want to say goodbye to the teachers who have helped me make it by and have taught me throughout the years.

Junior Hannah Derrick also thought that The Hunger Games drew fans because of good timing. “People are looking for something else to get into; having the series replaced the other one,” Said Derrick

The Hunger Games has become more than a movie or book; it is now a social phenomenon.  Students have become involved in the series because recommendations and reviews by other students. Other students became involved in the series because of the hype surrounding the movie. Students have admitted reading the books up to three times, and going to watch the movie more than once. The fans have become so involved that they are trying to relive the magic as much as possible.

“I think anything that people are a fan of automatically catches on if it is a big ordeal,” Said junior Megan Rich.

The series has all of the perfect elements to a capture an audience’s attention: love, action, and a three character trio. It has the characters Peeta and Gale that makes every girl wish she could be Katniss. It also has the blood, battles and violence of the games to capture boys’ attention. They also draw in fans because of the dynamic characters of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta and a gripping love triangle these three characters are involved in.  These elements are much like the infamous Jacob, Edward and Bella love triangle of Twilight or the three character trio of Ron, Harry and Hermonie that first captured fans.

“It is a very interesting plot and a lot of action with a romance story” Said Junior Carli Sims.

The movie also stayed fairly true to the book, and most fans were happy with the overall product of the movie. When books have such diehard fans it is hard to meet fans expectations and allow them to relive the magic of the books. This movie did not disappoint with the exception of the minor tweaking or minor scenes, and characters.

Rich was pleased with the overall movie,

“The book went into a lot more detail and the movie left out minor characters. The book is definitely a lot better mostly because of the details. But I think they did the best they could with the effects and everything; there wasn’t much more they could do to make it better,” said Rich.

The Hunger Games is the new “it” thing, its popularity has invaded Chapin and the books can be spotted in class. It does not take long for anyone to bring up a conversation about whether Gale or Peeta is right for Katniss, did you cry when the favorite tribute died, or which book is the best. Hunger Games is making a lasting impression on their fans whether it is for their books or the movies mourning Harry Potter fans now have something to fill their Potter loss.

The lack of students running for student government positions is extremely disappointing, but the number of students voting is not ideal either. Most students don’t vote because they don’t care or think that because there are few spots running in opposition, there is no need to vote.

Junior Amari Hawkins said, “I didn’t care what people said in the election videos. I voted for my friends and to get a free Popsicle.”

 Although getting a free Popsicle is a good bribe to get students to vote, most of them don’t do it for the right reason. Then the following year students complain about pep rallies, spirit week, school events, and most of all, the people in the student government positions, which is highly hypocritical. The student body complains but they do not take advantage of the opportunities for change that are given to them.

Student Body President Logan Schumpert said, “In high school you’re going to have a majority of students who don’t care and who just check off a box. Then those same students are the ones who come to you and complain about it. It’s frustrating, but you can’t change everybody.”

Voting isn’t the only thing that lets students have voice in how they are governed at school. Running for positions can be a way to change the complaints students are making, but most people are not willing to do vote or run.

“There are plenty of students that have leadership qualities and have leadership characteristics that could thrive in a student government position but they choose not to because they don’t want to take the time,” said Schumpert.

Students do not realize that being in a student government position could be beneficial. Most colleges would rather take an average B student that participates in a multitude of extracurricular activities than a straight A student who is solely focused on school. Having that balance shows a person’s involvement and ability to handle various things at the same time. But some people, regardless of what the benefits might be, don’t want to participate because they do not enjoy it.

Freshman Beau Schelble said, “I wanted to do student government in the first place so I could be involved and represent my class. But this year was not an enjoyable experience….”

Other people don’t participate due to the restrictions set by student government. Students not only have to be willing to devote their time to events, but to even be eligible to run for a position, students have to have a 3.0 GPA.

“I think the restrictions are dumb because I have leadership abilities, but can’t run for a position because I’m not a good test taker and don’t get good enough grades,” said sophomore Shawn Cromer.

Decreasing the grade requirements and the amount of events a student would have to attend would increase the participation, but the student government doesn’t want to lower their standards. 

Schumpert said, “The requirements are set in place to find the right people. So if you don’t have the requirement of this grade or having this GPA and you don’t have the requirement of attending events, then you’re going to have the wrong people in the wrong positions. You’re not going to have the people who want to be there, you’re going to have people who are just in that position just because it is a resume booster or it is a grade booster.”

The problem of participation is obvious, but finding a solution is difficult.

The problems started when current school board member Kim Murphy filed a lawsuit against the district. The lawsuit lasted three years and cost the district roughly 12 million dollars. Most students are very informed on the lawsuit due to media coverage and the attention it has received in school.

Unlike the lawsuit, little interest has been placed on the auditorium. This is most likely because there is little known about it. Many younger students do not know that it existed the earliest stages of the referendum process.

“I didn’t even know we were ever supposed to get an auditorium. No one ever mentioned it to me and I guess I didn’t pay attention to it,” freshman Michael McVey said.

Some of the upperclassmen are aware of the auditorium, but they are not much more informed.

Junior Brandi Wallick is not sure what happened.

“I know we were supposed to have an auditorium originally. It was mentioned in band sometimes but then the lawsuit started and all I heard about was that. Then we came back after Christmas break and it turns out we weren’t getting one,” Wallick said.

While the auditorium was removed from the plans much earlier than December, it is not clear when and why it was removed.

Staff members aren’t even sure what happened. According to Superintendent Hefner, an auditorium was never on the official plans.

“It was on one of the original referendums, but it was never passed. There were two or three referendums that failed before one finally passed. The taxpayers didn’t want to raise taxes that much and they viewed the auditorium as fluff.  It wasn’t something they thought we absolutely needed so it was removed,” he said.

Dr. Hefner does not personally agree with this, as he is an avid supporter of the arts.

English teacher Scott Compton remembers it differently.

“As I recall, the initial plans shown to the faculty after the referendum passed included an auditorium near the current fine arts building. After we came back from summer break 2009 the auditorium was gone from the plans with no explanation,”Comptonsaid.

Senior Allison Layton formed a petition to get the auditorium back. Her petition has received several hundred signatures.

Laytoncreated the petition because she believes Chapin deserves an auditorium, and she is passionate enough about music to fight for it even though she will graduate before she can benefit from it. 

“I have three younger siblings who are all currently enrolled in multiple music lessons/ensembles who will be a part of this fine arts department for the next nine years. I want them and every other fine arts student who comes through here to have the proper performing facilities that they deserve. And I’ll be coming to their performances and I really don’t want to have to sit in the gym because it is uncomfortable and the acoustics are terrible,”Laytonsaid.

No one can deny the Fine Arts Department truly deserves an auditorium. Their list of accomplishments this year alone is quite extensive. The Chamber Choir was recently recognized at the National Cathedral inWashington,DC, and the band is heading toWashingtonas well to partake in the National Memorial Day Parade. The band also places at state competitions consistently. The Drama department and Fine Arts are very talented as well.

Many students believe the auditorium money went to new sports fields but that is not the case. Financial decisions are made at the district level and rarely left up to individuals such as a principal or athletic director.

Dr. Hefner believes Chapin will have an auditorium within the next three to four years, but until then it is important that CHS students, not just those in Fine Arts, continue to attend board meetings to make their need known.

Junior Kimberly Breland agrees:

“District Five is one the best districts in the state, and its students deserve the best. It is important that next year’s students pick up where Allison left off, because we have a right to know what happened to our auditorium and when we’re getting it back.”