issue 7 09-10

Check it out!Check it out!Look at the backLook at the back

cover cover for a calendar for a calendar

of upcoming events!of upcoming events!

Letters to the editor can be Letters to the editor can be on any topic of any length. Theyon any topic of any length. They

may be edited for length may be edited for length or libelous content.or libelous content.Letters to the editor Letters to the editor

are accepted are accepted in room 220.in room 220.

EditorsHunter ToddGinny Roper

Savannah JohnsonAndrew LeganEmma Caylor

Photography EditorElizabeth Bumpas

Design EditorWilliam Bumpas

Copy EditorsAnna Claire Bradshaw

Katie Taylor

Business ManagerHunter Todd

Circulation ManagerSavannah Johnson

Reporters Shelby Andrews

Nic Berry Lauren Brooks

Elizabeth BumpasWalt Carter

Rachel Chaffin Logan CollierMaggie FeithZach GolsonJackson Lay

Aura Mae NorthcuttMcCord Pagan

Shelby Pleasant Tyler RobertsSam Shankle

Sean StapletonJacob Stegeman

Chris Wagner

AdvisorsAnna Claire Bradshaw

William BumpasJaylin Gardner

Katie TaylorSuzanne Edwards

Nancy Speck

Trojan TorchDyersburg High School125 Hwy. 51 By-PassDyersburg, TN 38024

CONTENTS

8

Trojan

News

Editorials

Features

Sports

Entertainment

p. 3

p. 4

p. 9

p. 17

p. 18

Honors Banquet.............................................................................................................................3Dyersburg Lack Attraction.............................................................................................................4Pop Quiz, Bullying.........................................................................................................................6Textbooks.......................................................................................................................................7Fire Lane........................................................................................................................................8College Plans.................................................................................................................................9Go Green Everyday, FCCLA.......................................................................................................10Quotes.........................................................................................................................................11High School Then and Now.........................................................................................................12Movie Musicals, National Honor Society.....................................................................................14Top 5 Rollercoasters....................................................................................................................15Spring Sports Wrap Up................................................................................................................17Eminem Review...........................................................................................................................18

9 18

3

3TrojanTorch Volume 42 Issue 7News

Emma CaylorSports Editor

On Thursday, April 22, DHS had the annual Honors Banquet inthe commons. A new system was used this year for determin-ing the valedictorian and the new Trojan Scholars. The Top

Ten has left the building, and like Elvis, it was definitely missed bysome students.

“I think you could still have the Trojan Scholars but have a top tenaccording to the same point system,” senior Anna Claire Bradshawsaid.

“The Trojan Scholar system gives more people opportunities, but Iwould want to know my class rank,” junior Savannah Johnson said.

The new equation is ACT times 27.7 plus GPA times 250 equals TrojanScholar points. If the accounted number is 1700 or higher, one is con-sidered a Trojan Scholar. Altogether, 26 students were announced Tro-jan Scholars. This list included seniors Kathleen Alford, Todd Baker,Joseph Ball, Brandy Behrens, William Bumpas, Courtney Countess,Carter Crews, Kaitlyn Davidson, Jessica Floyd, Jaylin Gardner, OliviaGreenlee, Lauren Hill, Hillary Hopgood, Alex Jacobi, Cason Nobles,Sarah Norville, Cory Nunez, Tyler Orr, Michael Pagan, Deanna Plewa,Tyler Roberts, Cory Smith, Sydnee Stafford, Katie Taylor, Finley Whiteand Mary Whitnel. Later on in the evening, Cory Smith was namedthe 2010 class valedictorian.

This new program allows more students to earn scholarships; how-ever, the process of the new system was not liked by all.

“The Trojan Scholar system gives only one person credit as the top,no matter how close anyone else was,” junior Michelle Bostic said.

“I would rather have the top ten because it shows the students whohave worked the hardest their entire high school career,” junior EmilyDiGirolamo said.

This plan also ignores the second place rank who might have been afew points away. With only AP classes being weighted and GPA notincluding an exact point measurement, the new rule puts the personwho took all honors classes for four years in the same boat as the per-

son who took a less challenging route all four years. The second placeperson is the same as the 30th.

“I think advanced, dual and honors classes should all be weightedin regards to the Trojan Scholars and Top Ten,” junior Elizabeth Finleysaid.

“There is a huge difference between a student ranked second or thirdand a student ranked 26th. The new system does not give any recog-nition at all to students who worked hard throughout high school butstill only made second place,” senior Will Bumpas said.

Students were not given advance notice about the new system. Sen-iors were told of this new plan at the beginning of this year.

“I think it would have been easier to implement had they startedwith freshmen just because they would know what to work for,” seniorSarah Norville said.

Another concern is that students are not reaching for 99’s anymore.They are getting the borderline A because that is what matters now.Two additional concerns are whether all 25 Trojan Scholars will be con-sidered salutatorians and how will colleges regard DHS’s 25 salutato-rians.

Another group recognized at this year’s Honors Banquet was the30+ Club, students who achieved a 30 or higher on their ACT. Thiswas the first year this group was announced at the Honors Banquet.This group consists of seniors Kathleen Alford, Todd Baker, JosephBall, Will Bumpas, Courtney Countess, Carter Crews, Olivia Greenlee,Cason Nobles, Sarah Norville, Cory Nunez, Tyler Roberts, Cory Smithand Katie Taylor. Juniors who received this award are Michelle Bostic,Winn Decker, Elizabeth Finley, Margo Jenkins, Savannah Johnson, An-drew Legan, Ricky McCoy, Madison Ricks and Micah Wright. Sopho-mores receiving this award are Tillman Austin, Sean Stapleton andJacob Stegeman.

The Honors Banquet takes a lot of time and effort and was a reward-ing night for the students.

“I think we should be thankful for our Honors Banquet and the workthat is put into it,” Johnson said.

New Trojan Scholar system implemented

Photo by Charlotte Gardner

Standing Proud: The Class of 2010 Trojan Scholars pose in front of the camera after being recognized at the HonorsBanquet for their academic achievements during their four years of high school.

4 Volume 42 TrojanTorchEditorialsIssue 7

Jaylin Gardner Editor

Dyersburg has done some phe-nomenal things. It has builtfoundations that will be here

for many times to come. But the youthof Dyersburg believe that this townshould not stop where it is.

A problem with Dyersburg is that itlacks the ability to entertain the youthof a city. Dyersburg needs to figure outways to entertain young people. Themore places this town builds for youngpeople to hang out, the more crime byteens will decrease. Even students whohave moved on to college agree thatDyersburg needs to upgrade entertain-ment for the youth.

One suggestion is to increase enter-tainment by adding music venues. Dy-ersburg youth desire music here.

Another idea is to increase studentdiscounts, a popular technique inlarger cities, allowing students to beentertained without outrageous prices.

Last, the city should look to currenttrends. It should have book clubs,dance classes, or downtown stores orshops that youth would enjoy.

“When I come back to visit, now that

I am in college, I find myself saying‘There’s nothing to do!’ Society ischanging around us, and everyone isconstantly staying active and busy. Dy-ersburg really needs to provide moreentertainment opportunities so thatpeople won’t do things they reallyshouldn’t. There really just is not any-thing to do. With it being a tough econ-omy, the city needs to be creative andhelp provide more opportunities forpeople. Dyersburg lacks diversity inwhat people can actually do,” 07’ DHSgraduate and MTSU junior MalloryGrooms said.

Furthermore, Dyersburg struggleswith acceptance of outsiders. Dyers-burg groups are usually composed ofpeople who have been here for yearsand have grown comfortable and ac-customed to how things are done. ButDyersburg cannot afford that bubble ifit wants to survive. Dyersburg hasgrown and has people coming in fromall over the country. However, a com-mon complaint is that the people arenot welcomed and not accepted bythose already familiar and comfortablewith Dyersburg.

Moving On Up: Rock wall climbing isa way to spend time for those whoenjoy outdoor activities.

Drawing Local Bookworms: A bookstore is a wayfor people to relax and get away from everyday life.

lack of attraction:lack of attraction:

Photos from Wikipedia

5TrojanTorch Volume 42 Issue 7Editorials

“The city consists of such a smallpopulation that everyone basicallyknows each other. So when an out-sider visits Dyersburg, people tendto stereotype rather than become ac-quainted with new people,” seniorJefferey Gardner said.

One of the most crucial problemswith Dyersburg is that job opportu-nities are scarce. The truth is job op-portunities are low nationally, butwhen people graduate or move fromhere looking for better opportunities,little is available.

“Many young people leave Dyers-burg after graduation because of thelack of opportunity. Dyersburg does-n’t have much to offer young peoplewhen it comes to a promising future.Students are seeking a life that hasmany more needs and wants thanDyersburg can give,” junior MichelleBostic said.

Some argue that Dyersburg is asmall town for a reason, and peoplelike it just the way it is. But others be-lieve Dyersburg can keep its smalltown feel and still attract young peo-ple. Attractions can be added toallow the city to help its young peo-ple thrive, like humanity projects oreducational opportunities that caterto desired professions.

“It is an issue that there is not an ac-tually solution to. Young people aregoing to leave because culturallythey want to go on and find out whatis out there. This isn’t always a neg-ative thing. The problem is thatyouth that leave just aren’t comingback, and that problem is mostly em-ployment,” English teacher PennySwitzer said.

Youth are expecting better oppor-tunities in Dyersburg. These expec-tations must be considered ifDyersburg wants to grow.

Dyersburg losing youth

Bringing Out the Kid in Everyone: An amusement park is agreat addition to any town because it brings a fun, lively vibe.

Pumping Up the Crowd: Bands provide entertainment for those who listen to their music.

“Many young people leave Dyersburg after graduation

because of the lack of opportu-nity. Dyersburg doesn’t havemuch to offer young people

when it comes to a promising fu-ture. Students are seeking a life

that has many more needsandwants than

Dyersburg can give.“-Michelle Bostic


Shelby AndrewsReporter

January 14th, 2010, will be remembered by many as the dayPhoebe Prince, of South Hadley, Massachusetts, took her ownlife. After three months of humiliation and suffering, Phoebe

finally decided she had taken enough torment from her fellowclassmates between terrible Facebook messages and ugly languageat school. After having a soda can thrown at her on her way home,she kept walking, got to her room, and hanged herself.

We hear about awful cases, such as Phoebe Prince’s, and it breaksour hearts. But that happened in Massachusetts; that did not hap-pen at our school, so we move on and try not to think about itagain. But the truth is, people we come across every day could beembarrassed or disheartened about who they are, and we do noteven know about it.

When we hear the word bully, we think of that guy that dunksheads in the toilet and forces lunch money from others, but thereare other ways to be bullied. Gossip and rumors, Facebook postsand text messages, verbal abuse and death stares can all be easilyconsidered bullying, and for Phoebe, this was the case.

These can all be considered bullying situations because we areputting someone else down. We do it just to be sarcastic or to giveour friends a good laugh, but we do not realize that others are of-fended by what we say.

Next time you share gossip with a friend, or he or she shares itwith you, be respectful and say no. Decide to end an awful rumorthen and there.

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wisebrings healing,” [Proverbs 12:18].

We never know when someone might be looking to us for inspi-ration or hope. Every time we smile or frown, we are impactingsomeone’s life. Someone might be plotting to hurt themselves, butthen they see a smile while walking down the hallway, and theyrealize that someone does notice them; someone does care.

We never know when we might impact someone else’s life in apositive way, even to the point of saving them. So instead of takingthe easy road, take the road less traveled by because it can makeall the difference.

Lauren BrooksReporter

Every student dreads walking into the classroom andfinding the words on the board, “Pop quiz today!”Immediately, students begin cramming information

into their brains, hoping to retain some of it. After they takethe quiz, it is handed back, usually to the students’ dismay.

But do these surprise quizzes contribute to the quality ofstudents’ educations, or are they merely scare tactics teach-ers use to intimidate their students?

When these quizzes are announced, students go into panicmode. After stuffing information into their heads, they takethe quiz, forgetting half of what they just looked over.Under such stress, students will not perform well.

Many students usually make an unfavorable grade onthese quizzes, lowering their GPA and their confidence inmastering the material.

When the material on the quizzes is only presented a dayor so before, students have not had ample time actually tolearn the material.

It is discouraging if a bad grade is handed back, and if anegative attitude begins towards the class, it is almost cer-tain that the grades following will also be bad.

It is better to announce the quiz before it is given. Studentswill have a chance to study, thereby making themselveslearn the material.

Say no to bullying: makecompliments a priority

Pop quizzes:

Putting on a Smile: Freshmen Bailey Austin, Kevin Danleyand sophomore Landon Moore make a positive difference.

Getting the Grade: Sophomore Abbi Tabor gets aterrible grade on a quiz that was not anticipated.

Photo by Lauren Brooks

Photo by Shelby Andrews

helping or hurtingstudents’ educations?

7TrojanTorch Volume 42 Issue 7Editorials

Sean StapletonReporter

Astudent’s textbook, in some cases, can be the only lifeline hehas to getting a passing grade in a class. An invaluable tool, itgives him the ability to access any information on the subject,

to study for a test with all the necessary materials at hand, or to evenre-teach himself a confusing lesson.

But if textbooks are so important to a student’s education, then whydoes it seem that they are not a high priority at Dyersburg HighSchool?

In classes such as chemistry and economics—two subjects that stu-dents must pass to graduate—teachers have only a set of textbooksthat must be kept in the classroom. Granted, a few teachers allow stu-dents to “check out” these books, but this proves to be a hassle for theteachers and books are liable to be lost or stolen.

Without a copy of the textbook to take home, a student finds himselfsearching through illegible notes and confusing scribbles while tryingto do homework or study the night before a test. Sooner or later he willsee his grades drop significantly unless he pays close attention in classand ensures that he keeps up with all materials he is given.

At times it seems as if the school avoids buying extrabook sets to save money. In some cases, copies of text-books for students were not purchased until several par-ents called the school and requested them.

“The teachers decide which textbook we are going to buyas well as how many we will need to purchase,” curricu-lum director Kim Worley said. “The budget for buyingbooks is fairly large, and overall it isn’t our biggest con-sideration.”

Regardless of teachers’ decisions, the school should stillprovide each student with some sort of textbook, espe-cially for the particularly demanding accelerated, Ad-vanced Placement and dual credit classes.

Furthermore, some courses do not even have enoughbooks to support the high numbers of students in eachclass. Scheduling conflicts this year have packed the max-imum amount of students into classes, and there are notenough to books to accommodate these numbers. Stu-dents are forced to share textbooks to complete in-class as-signments and bookwork, and teachers are limitedbecause assigning homework from the book is virtuallyimpossible.

On top of a limited number of textbooks, many appearto be old, misused and outdated. For instance, the condi-tion of the Spanish I books has deteriorated over the years,and now its is difficult to find a copy that is completely in-tact.

The state of some books often comes down to how stu-dents handle them, but one might wonder why these cer-tain students are not monitored more closely and forcedto replace the books they vandalize.

Many students get by with damaging and, on occasion,

stealing books because it is virtually impossible to keep up with everystudent and every book. But the school should still have a plan to re-place books that are beyond repair. Ordering replacements or runningchecks on these books each trimester would be a few simple solutions.

So why do school officials allow our textbooks to be in such a poorcondition? Should they not be responsible for replacing even the leastdamaged? The truth is that it is effectively out of their hands when itcomes to ordering new, complete sets.

“Each year we can only buy books from one of the six specific subjectareas,” Worley said. “We rotate which area we buy from every year;so some of the books students are using could be almost six years old.”

Even though books can only be purchased infrequently, measurescan be taken to guarantee students will get a textbook for each classand that extra copies are in storage. Further steps can prevent booksfrom becoming noticeably aged and dilapidated since the school sys-tem has the authority to assure the upkeep of every book.

In conclusion, the school has no excuse for neglecting to supply stu-dents with textbooks in each class.

Lack of textbooks leads to frustration

Photo by Sean Stapleton

Shortage of Textbooks: The lack of text books is keeping students fromexcelling on their own outside of school.


Mccord PaganEditor

Since my first day at Dy-ersburg High School, Ihave seen cars parked

in the fire lane. Like many ofthe students and facultyhere, I have become compla-cent and have become accus-tomed to it. The only time Isee the fire lane empty is lateat night and when the carsare moved for the fire drills.

Nevertheless, it is a seriousproblem here at school andone that needs to be ad-dressed immediately. Iwould voice my opinions tothe administration, but theyhave become part of theproblem.

I have witnessed theparked cars of school offi-cials and, on one occasion,was sent to the vehicle of oneof the principals to retrievesomething.

It is easy to be lulled into asense of safety here at school,with all the fire-preventingtechniques such as yellowexit signs and the randomassortment of fire extin-guishers, but the fact re-mains that fires never occurwhen you are prepared.

The unofficial school policyof letting anyone and every-one park in the fire lanewhenever they feel like it isonly effective as long asthere are no fires.

When a fire does erupt,what is the plan? Coordinateall the teachers together to si-multaneously move theircars in time for the fire trucksto arrive with hundreds ofstudents crowding the exits?

By not enforcing the mostbasic of fire codes, the school

is encouraging recklessnessand disregard for the safetyof the students.

I have averaged the num-ber of cars in the fire lane for10 days, and figured thatthere are about 10 cars in thefire lane each day, and 20empty faculty parkingspaces. In addition, the ma-jority of the vehicles I haverecorded are not those of theparent who comes to checkout his or her student, butrather those of faculty mem-bers, and, in one case, theparking permit for a parkingspace thirty feet away wasvisible.

If there were a genuine lackof available parking spaces,that would be different.However, upon further ob-servation, there are almostalways adequate spacesavailable around the cornerby the West Wing and ag fa-cilities.

The obvious conclusion isthat many of the faculty sim-ply do not care enoughabout safety to walk an extra30 yards. It has become a sadday indeed when teachersare willing to risk the deathof students in order to avoida little exercise. For the twodays that we were out forthe flooding, there was stillparking in the fire lane, eventhough there were almostforty empty teacher parkingspaces.

If the current policy contin-ues, the inevitable conclu-sion is a picture of our schoolon the cover of Newsweekwith a smoking, gaping holein the top and a headline asin Oceans 13 reading “Who’sto Blame?”

Disregard for fire code endangers students

Photos by McCord Pagan

Blocking the School from Safety: Cars belonging to parents, staffand faculty that are parked on the fire lane poze a hazard for schoolsafety, and are in violation of a Tennessee State law.

9TrojanTorch Volume 42 Issue 7Features

Whitney ReynoldsReporter

Choosing a college is one of the hardest things for a senior to do.It is also one of the most important decisions a senior mustmake in his or her lifetime.

The college a student chooses, if he or she is deciding to go to college,can begin the pathway to the rest of his or her life. There are so manydifferent schools to choose from, it is difficult to pick the one that isjust right. Some seniors already know where they are going; some haveto have some help making that decision.

“It’s going to be okay, even if you don’t have a clue where you wantto go,” senior Alissa Plewa said. “Don’t try to rush it, and don’t letother people tell you where you should go or who you should be.”

Another important aspect of college life is choosing a major and aminor. Like a college choice, what one wants to major and minor incan be a difficult decision because there are so many majors to choosefrom. On the other hand, a major can be chosen based upon what onelikes to do.

“I’ve known since I was little that I wanted to go into medicine,” sen-ior Courtney Countess said.

When choosing a major or minor, students should choose something

they like and are good at.Senior Todd Baker is majoring in engineering and minoring in agri-

cultural business. “I believe it is something I will like to do,” Bakersaid. “(I am) good at science and math.”

Though making the decision of where to go to college and what tomajor or minor in is difficult, the choice is up to the student. A studentcannot depend on someone to choose where he or she should go orwhat he or she should do.

“Follow your heart. Don’t let people sway you for or against a school.Go look for yourself!” senior Sarah Norville said.

The majority of seniors here at Dyersburg High School are going toa school in state, some far and some very close to home. Senior TreMosley is attending Bethel University on a cheerleading scholarship.“It is small and close to home,” Mosley said.

Many students, such as Vickie Woolridge, are staying home andgoing to Dyersburg State Community College. “It’s close to home andit has a good nursing program,” said Woolridge.

Out of sixty Dyersburg High School seniors, eight are undecided onwhere to attend college. Another eight are attending school out of state.The rest of the results can be viewed on the chart provided.

Where are seniors going?

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

UT Martin

UT Knoxville

MTSU

Other in TN

Out of State

Ole Miss

Lipscomb

Austin Peay

Union University

UT Chattanooga

University of Memphis

2010 Graduates College ChoicesMilitary Undecided

10 Volume 42 TrojanTorchFeaturesIssue 7

Piling Up: In 2001, the United States generated nearly 2million tons of aluminum in the form of containers and pack-aging; manufacturers used approximately 1.2 million tons ofaluminum to make durable and nondurable goods.

Anna Claire BradshawEditor

Ever since 1970, April 22 has been designated as a special day forrecycling, planting trees and helping the Earth. This day is for-mally known as Earth Day.

There are plenty of different things one could do on Earth Day tohelp benefit the cause of helping out the place we call home. VariousEarth Day activities include planting flowers or trees, cleaning up var-ious places in town or even helping spread the knowledge and impor-tance of “going green” to the community.

Although this beneficial day only comes around once a year, there isno reason not to help Mother Nature every day. Simple daily tasks willbring great results to help save the environment.

Here are some things that can be done at home tohelp save the environment (and maybe somemoney):

1. Unplug appliances, such as laptop and phonechargers, when they are not in use.

2. Avoid drinking bottled water. Not only is it expen-sive, but it generates large amounts of containerwaste.

3. Recycle cell phones, computers and other electronics that can nolonger be used. Electronic waste contains mercury which is extremelyhazardous to the environment.

4. Do full loads of laundry instead of wasting all that water and soapfor one or two tops. Also, choose shorter cycles and cold water to helpsave money.

5. Turn the lights off when leaving a room. Energy costs can rack upbecause lights are left on when no one is in the room.

These are just some of the many ways one can “go green” and jointhe movement for helping save the environment. Several people here,at school, also take part in saving the Earth and its natural resources.

“When I go on vacation, I try to unplug the electronics in our houseso that they aren’t drawing power while we are gone,” senior AllisonHutson said.

“I use recycled bags,” student resource officerOfficer Deanne Mosley said.

“Well, I turn off any lights in the house thataren’t needed. I also turn the water off when Ibrush my teeth,” sophomore Makayla Flatt said.

“I recycle Coke cans and take them to my pastorto be recycled,” freshman Jaliya Mosley said.

“I make sure to turn off lights when I leave aroom,” freshman Sellers Hickman said.

“I buy recyclable products,” junior Bria Taylor said.“I reuse water bottles a lot; I wash all my clothes in cold water to save

energy,” senior Olivia Greenlee said.Do not limit saving the planet to one day out of the year, but make it

a part of an everyday routine. “Going green will keep the Earth clean!” Officer Mosley said.

Going green: An everyday job

“I recycle Coke cansand take them to my

pastor to be recycled.” -Jaliya Mosley

Photos courtesy of WikipediaCutting Back: Cutting Back: The average person generates 4.5 poundsof trash every day – about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. Al-though the EPA estimates that 75 percent of solid waste is re-cyclable, only about 30 percent is actually recycled. Although,overall data from 2005 concluded that recycling trends haveincreased since 2003.


Walt CarterReporter

Quotations have driven mankind when there was no be-lief, no sense of a tomorrow and no hint of prosperity.A simple placing of words can leave a complex mark

on a world, a continent, a country or even a single life. Societybelieves in the power of words. “Whatever words we uttershould be chosen with care for people will hear them and beinfluenced by them for good or ill,” Buddha said.

Words have changed the role of our world. While lookingat our country’s past, we can sit and wonder where we wouldbe if Abraham Lincoln had never said, “Four score and sevenyears ago..,” if Martin Luther King had never said,” I have adream..,” or if John F. Kennedy had never said, “Ask not whatyour country can do for you...” A quotation can change theconcept of man even if it is to the slightest degree just as thefluttering of a butterfly’s wings can effect climate changes onthe other side of the planet.

These quotations have been contributed by teachers of Dyersburg High School. Theseare the words that have inspired them through the ups and downs of their lives:

“For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to PROSPER you and not to harm you. Plans to giveyou HOPE and a FUTURE.” the Lord, Jeremiah 29:11. Contributed by secretary Athena Kanable.

“As long as algebra is taught in school, there will be prayer in school.”Cokie Roberts. Contributed by calculus teacher Patricia Gam.

“ No day but today.” Rent. Contributed by English teacher Sarah Morris.

“That man is RICHEST whose pleasures are CHEAPEST.” Henry David Thoreau.Contributed by English teacher Laura Wright.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God,to them who are called to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. Contributed by English teacher Penny Switzer.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”Albert Einstein. Contributed by biology teacher Deborah Gatlin.

“You can’t be a butterfly until you are WILLING TO STOP being a caterpillar.”Contributed by chemistry teacher Kim Decker.

“The measure of a man’s character is what he will do when no oneis looking.” Contributed by English teacher Suzanne Edwards.

“CHOOSE a job you like and you’ll never have to WORK a day in your LIFE. Former teacher of senor Roy. Contributed by Spanish teacher Lance Roy.

COMING together is a beginning; KEEPING together is a process; WORKING togetheris success” Henry Ford. Contributed by Coach Bart Stowe.

“The BEST things in life are FREE.” Contributed by Principal Willie Cole.

“

”~


Elizabeth BumpasReporter

Students sometimes view their teachers’ and parents’ highschool experience as ancient, complete with a one-room schoolhouse and an apple for the teacher. But what was high school

really like back then? Several teachers are willing to set the factsstraight.

Socializing with Friends:“People actually talked to each other. We had a teen center in my

hometown where young people could hang out, and now we havetechnology that allows us to come in contact with each otherquickly, but it seems like more students talk at each other rather thanto each other.” -AP Government teacher Mark Stenberg

“I spent a lot of time lying in the floor in the hallway on the phonethat was shared by the whole family. Weekends were spent drivingfrom one fast food establishment to another. We had to have a “RedBird” (seven-up with cherry juice and crushed pineapple) on Fridaynight.” -Dual Biology teacher Deborah Gatlin

“We went to ball games and restaurants to eat and talk.” -assistantprincipal Jon Frye

“We talked on a phone with a cord. (You actually had to pay at-tention when you drove.) We wrote secret notes on paper or learnedsign language to use in class. Sounds silly now, but then it was cre-ative and fun.” -band director Deana Graham

“We would just sit there and talk big about the future and do verylittle about it.” -AP Geography teacher Neel Durbin

“About 30 of us would ride our bikes all over town every Sundayafternoon. We’d end up at a railroad trestle and hang out.” -AP Eng-lish teacher Suzanne Edwards

How high school has changed:

Then: (above right) Students in the eighties had to use theclassic typewriter to get their papers and projects done.(above) Students gather around the lunch table in a differ-ent fashion for their meal. (right) Chemistry in the seventiesconsisted of fewer tools, safety measures and equipment.

Photos from DHS yearbooks

Academics:“Homework every night! Four to five hours.” -Guidance Counselor Jan

Holder“Classes are tougher now; we expect more out of students, but I don't

know if we ask our students to think as much as we used to. Schools usedto throw concepts out, and students would have to figure out a solution.”-Stenberg

“Our teachers felt no compulsion to be entertaining. Boredom was a per-sonal problem.” -Gatlin

“You just haven't lived until you've had to type a research paper on amanual typewriter and tried to figure out how much space to leave at thebottom of each page for footnotes.” -librarian Patricia Twilla

“Classes were harder and the grading scale was harder. Everyone wasnot supposed to get A's. The classes required research that was much moredifficult without the Internet. Imagine math without a calculator.” -Durbin


Improvements:“There are more opportunities for academics, sports and activities.”

-Frye“Teachers are held to more standards, technology, more opportuni-

ties for education beyond high school. Many of my classmates werethe first to graduate from high school. The few of us who were ableto go on to college were the first in our families to do that.” -Twilla

“The diversity of the student population has improved.” -Gatlin“Technology has allowed even marginal students to do more than

we could. If students want to succeed, they are given more chances.”-Durbin

“Students are more involved, and we offer a lot more for studentsto take.” -Holder

Biggest differences:“We took the ACT just once. We had P.E. for all four years. Ugh!

Lots of sit-ups!” -Holder“The biggest difference was the amount of money available to stu-

dents for cars, phones, etc. and the attitudes of students. People(today) seem less friendly and more hostile.” -Frye

“Smoking was allowed on the patio area. If you did somethingwrong, you got licks (a paddling), less cultural diversity and recentimmigrants, higher standards, lower grades, no earrings in men, notattoos, hair was blonde, brown, red or black and seemed to stay thesame color, less diversity in clothing.” -Durbin

“The biggest difference would be technology. We have access to theInternet in school, we can use the computer to teach and we have eas-ier access to information. In the stone age when I was in school wehad to develop better research skills.” -Stenberg

“The biggest difference is the lack of respect for teachers. When Iwas going to school no one ever talked back to a teacher or refusedto do what you were asked to do.” -math teacher Joy Norman

“We didn't wear our pants down to our backsides but we did havea need for them to drag the ground by 3 inches.” -Graham

“There is no lottery for the military draft.” -Edwards

Many things are very different now from then; however, somethings just never change. Teachers said there were still cliques. Cheer-leaders and football players were still popular. Students still had alot of homework. Pep rallies were just as fun. Their experiences arenot quite as ancient as students today might think.

Teachers tel l a l l

Now: (above) Sophomores Kayla Wright and Hoyt Newsom work with newer, more efficient lab equipment.(below) Junior Matthew Eaves works on an up-to-date, morecompact, and better quality computer.

Photos by Ginny Roper

School Dances:“Girls did not dance unless asked by a boy. Only couples were on

the dance floor.” -Gatlin“We only had two a year, and we had a live band.” -Holder“Many, many more people went, almost everyone, and there was

much more alcohol consumption.” -Durbin


Singing on screen: Movie musicals, a historyRachel ChaffinReporter

Movie musicals, or films where songs are in-cluded in the story, are still popular to thisdate. But when did they begin?

Movie musicals got their start in the 1920s. Musicalshort films were created in 1923 by Lee De Forest. TheJazz Singer, released in 1927, was the first feature filmthat was also a musical.

So, how have movie musicals stayed popular fornearly 90 years?

“The songs are catchy, and the plot is appealing.There is a movie musical out there for everyone,”freshman Mackenzie Clark said.

During the 40s and 50s, musicals took off. In this eracame classics like Singing in the Rain and the Wizard ofOz. During the 60s, there were hits like The Music Man,My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins. Some prefer theseolder films to newer musicals. “Although the newermusicals are fancier, the older ones have the classic el-ement that I enjoy,” senior Deanna Plewa said.

More recent musicals include Moulin Rouge, ThePhantom of the Opera and Sweeny Todd. “I love that inthe past several years they’ve brought modern musi-cals to the screen, like with Chicago and Moulin Rouge,”theatre arts teacher Chris Solmon said.

Some movie musicals are merely film adaptations ofBroadway musicals. “I think the 1968 version of Anniestayed true to Annie on Broadway. I barely saw anydifference when I saw it,” senior Sanibel Wilson said.

Other musicals get their popularity from the musicthey provide. The movie Across the Universe is knownfor being based on songs written by the Beatles.Mamma Mia is based on the songs of the popular 70sband ABBA.

Musicals also have a variety of musical genres. Fromthe rock and roll of Grease to the Bollywood style ofMoulin Rouge, the movies offer everything. “Moviemusicals are the best thing that ever happened to theworld. It shows someone giving their all to a certainsituation - singing. Singing offers people more thananything dialogue could ever do,” Wilson said.

Another thing that adds to the appeal of musicals istheir diversity. Musicals can be either dramatic orcomedic. Comedies include jokes and parodies whiledramas are usually more serious and emotional. “Inmovie musicals, I prefer comedies because everyonelikes a light-hearted laugh,” junior Kayla Mosley said.

It has been almost 90 years since the first movie mu-sical was made, and they are still a prominent part ofAmerican pop culture. “Keep the movie musicalscoming!” Plewa said.

Looking Smart: The new NHS members line up after their initiation.To be a member of NHS, students must maintain a 3.6 GPA.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Photo submitted by Anne Houston

Rachel ChaffinReporter

On May 2nd, the Dyersburg High School Chapter of Na-tional Honor Society welcomed 38 newly initiated stu-dents into its membership. NHS President Katie Taylor

welcomed parents, guests and initiates and introduced thespeaker, Cindy Taylor, who addressed the assembly in the library.The installation ceremony for new officers immediately followedthe initiation. This year’s officers passed candles of leadership tothe officers for 2010-2011: President, Michelle Bostic; Vice-Presi-dent, Micah Wright; Secretary, Madison Ricks; Treasurer, EmilyDiGirolamo; Community Service Chairperson, Savannah John-son; and School Service Chairperson, Andrew Legan.

National Honor Society initiates newest members


Named after the shikra, an Asian-African hawk that isknown for diving straight down for its prey, the Sheikradoes just that. Raising the riders 200 feet into the air, theride then plummets them at a 90 degree angle, pullingback out into varioustwists and turns.

After having theirbreath completelytaken away by thedrop, students favor-ing this rollercoastercould really only get afew words out:“It's awesome!”“Negative droppage!”

Top three rollercoasters: Get the adrenaline pumping!

“I like how your feet hang.”“It's fast and it doesn't jerk.”“It is exciting, suspenseful, and exhilarating!”Those comments are just some of the various

reasons students favored the Batman ride. And ofcourse, “Because he's Batman.” The first invertedrollercoaster in the world, Batman allows the pas-senger’s feet to dangle. Going up to 50 mph, theride takes passengers through 360 degree flips,corkscrew turns and zero-g rolls.

Named after the infa-mous villain of the Bat-man stories, this rideleaves the riders’ stom-achs, and perhaps mindsas well, far behind as itshoots them from 0 to 70mph in 3.8 seconds.“You were never really

ready for it because it took off so fast.”After shooting the crazed adrenaline junkies

out, the ride does a 360 flip and continues up avertical rise until it gets to the top, and then itdrops, going through the entire ride in reverse.

Elizabeth BumpasPhotography Editor

“Put your hands in the air and scream!” Fromhuge drops that leave the stomach far behindto exhilarating twists and flips, rollercoasters

give riders the enjoyment and thrill they want. But whichrollercoasters are the most thrilling and fun? According to a recent poll of Dyersburg High School stu-dents, Batman at Six Flags tops the others as the best thrillride. Closely following were Mr. Freeze (also at Six Flags)and Sheikra at Busch Gardens. All quotes are from Dy-ersburg High School students.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

2. Mr. Freeze

3. Sheikra

1. Batman

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17TrojanTorch Volume 42 Issue 7Sports

Spring sports conclude successful seasons

Sean StapletonReporter

As the school year nears its end, Dyers-burg High’s spring sports—includ-ing men’s soccer, baseball, softball,

track and tennis—draw to a close. Lookingfor district and regional championships, theteams have started to make final preparationsfor their concluding seasons. After havingproved to be strong opponents in their regu-lar seasons, Dyersburg also hopes to make ap-pearances in state competition.SoccerBeginning the year with a somewhat rockyand altogether unsuccessful preseason, theDyersburg men’s soccer team seemed to havebegun another “average” season that wouldinevitably end with a region semi-final loss.But as the season progressed, the Trojans soonestablished themselves as a powerhouse wor-thy of being ranked as one of the top ten

teams in the state. With a record of 15 wins,one tie and two losses, they conquered MilanHigh School in the regional finals, the first re-gional championship in DHS boys’ soccer his-tory. The Trojans hope to win in sectionals,allowing them to advance to the state tourna-ment for the first time in four years.Baseball Exhibiting a lineup of eleven seniors, the Tro-jan baseball teams has enjoyed a successfulseason. The Trojans pocketed a first-place vic-tory at the Easter Slam Championship andearned the title of district champions. Thisalong with a record of 26 wins and ten lossesestablished the team as a strong contender intheir league.TennisThroughout the season, both the boys’ andgirls’ tennis teams defeated strong opponentssuch as Westview, Crockett County andObion County. The Trojans concluded their

year with districts on Monday, May 3rd. Sen-ior Zach Cathey won the boys’ singles cham-pionship, advancing to the regionaltournament.SoftballThe softball team has not been without its upsand downs, and the fifth seeded Lady Trojansovercame many opponents such as ObionCounty and Westview High School. Despitea young roster, the team has earned a recordof 15 wins and 17 losses and seek a successfulseason next year. TrackAfter earning several state championshipslast year, the boys’ and girls’ track teams hopefor another trip to state. Both teams placed inthe top three at both the USJ and George Han-cock Invitationals. These wins predicted thesuccess of many members, and several havealready secured spots in sectional competi-tion.

Photo by Becky Hasselle

Photo by JaylinGardnerPhoto contributed by State Gazette

Photo by Shelby Pleasant

Leaping for Length: Junior Kali Parr warms up for thetriple jump at Track A/AA Regional meet.

Swinging for Victory: Senior Jacob Gaither hits a grandslam against Northside High School at Pringles Park.

Returning a Serve: Sophomore Aura Mae Northcutt at-tempts to deflect her opponents carefully placed serve.

Focused on theBall: Senior Shawnna Weed aims toscore a run for her team against Westview High School.

18 Volume 42 TrojanTorchEntertainmentIssue 7

Jeffrey GardnerGuest Reporter

The 36-year-old rapper Marshall BruceMathers, III, better known as Eminem,is one of the most accomplished artists

in the recording industry. His rise to fame wasnot easy, and the racial aspect made it difficultfor him to be accepted. However, the lack ofacceptance from others instilled in him deter-mination, dedication and discipline. Thesequalities are what have made him successful.

He devoted his time to master the art of hip-hop, and to some, he is labeled the greatestrapper of all time. Though his fame and for-tune have not brought him happiness- rather,insecurities- he is one of the most celebratedperformers in the recording industry.

Eminem was born on October 17, 1972, inSaint Joseph, Missouri. His mother, DeborahNelson Mathers-Briggs, raised him alone afterhis father, Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr., aban-doned the two just six months after Mar-shall’s birth.

They lived in deep poverty- trailer parks,dumps, and government-funded homes- andby the time he was twelve, they had traveled

among numerous citiesbefore settling inWarren, Michigan- asmall, low-classsuburb on the out-

skirts of Detroit. Because of constant

r e l o c a t i o n ,M a r s h a l l

did noth a v em a n yfr iends ,and thiscreated

i n -tense

b i t t e r -ness in

him to-wards the

majority ofhumanity.

At the ageof 14, he wasintroduced torap musicthrough his

uncle Ronnie. He instantly fell in love withrhyming. Eminem felt becoming a rapper wasmore important than schooling because of thesilenced voice of a low-class white male,which he longed to be heard.

He soon began amateur rapping in localareas and participated in battles with thoseoutside of his school. After failing the ninthgrade three times because of truancy and nearfailing grades, he dropped out at the age of 17.Instead, he depended on making a name forhimself, now known by the stage name M&M.

His first rap album, titled Infinite, was a totalfailure, with sales of less than one thousandrecords. The constant rejection from fellowrappers (because of his race) only createdanger and hostility in his music.

Shortly after the album, his daughter, HailieJade Scott, was born on December 25th. Withnothing going for the rapper because of hav-ing to move nearly each week without know-ing where he would lay his head next, the MCfelt like he had nothing to lose.

So, he began his escapade to Los Angeles tocompete in the 1997 Rap Olympics. Afterhours of throwing back every racial slurthrown at him, the artist ultimately placed sec-ond after a minor slip up.

The MC was furious with everyone, includ-ing himself, and was so blinded by rage thathe did not realize one of his idols, Dr. Dre, hadrecognized his talent. Dr. Dre invited Marshallto record with Interscope Records, and withinsix hours of meeting each other, they recordedfour songs. This started the beginning of whatwould eventually become a legacy.

Rather than listening to a single form ofmusic, Eminem listened to all genres, which ishow he acquired his unique rapping tech-nique consisting of diverse humorous matters,relating and connecting with his audience,and bending and changing words that wouldnot normally rhyme so that they could, evenin a scheme of complexity.

LL Cool J and Run DMC also contributed tothe author’s slant rhyme style. Even today, noone has a rhyme scheme like Eminem, andthis makes him one of the most original artiststo ever rap. In the movie, 8 Mile, he even says,"Your style is generic; mine’s authentic made."

Eminem’s third and probably most personalalbum, The Eminem Show, was released in thesummer of 2002. The album touches base on

more of the personal, Marshall side of Em-inem instead of his crazy alter ego known asSlim Shady he usually presents in his albums.

Even though this album is less derogatorythan his previous ones, there is still apparentanger in many of the tracks in which he re-flects upon his past experience with women,especially his mother.

The album instantly boosted his popularity,as well as reflected his rise to fame, the rela-tionship with his daughter, and his status inthe hip-hop industry. It makes the audiencemore in-tuned with him by illustrating highlypersonal experiences, in hopes they will un-derstand the true meaning behind his lyrics.For example, he mentions in “Cleanin’ OutMy Closet” the incident where he caught hiswife in an affair with a club bouncer in 2000,as well as the resulting assault charges hefaced after the incident.

The serious and personal elements of thealbum made it a huge success. In the firstweek, it reached number one on the charts,selling over one million records. Selling overten million records in the United States, andtwenty million worldwide, he became one ofthe few artists to produce two albums sur-passing that of platinum status.

Certified "diamond" by the RIAA (RecordingIndustry Association of America), his stardomand fame took a substantial leap from the rap-per of melancholy drama and derogatorylyrics to that of influence and inspiration.

Today, Eminem is back in action after a cou-ple of years of drug problems, rehab, and de-pression. He was recently titled the“Best-selling Artist of the Decade” by the or-ganization that compiles the Billboard charts.

Eminem is still influencing young rappersand has come back into the game more posi-tive--totally contradictory to his most recentalbum Relapse--by putting out his newestalbum Recovery, that is scheduled to be re-leased this summer on June 22nd.

It is clear Eminem is more focused and is be-ginning to leave his insecurities behind him,which is illustrated in the newest single fromRecovery titled, “Not Afraid.” His status in therecording industry is rising, and only time willtell whether he will have another emotionalbreakdown, or pull it together and be foreverconsidered one of the greatest American mu-sicians of our time.

Eminem: from relapse to recovery

singerpictures

Collector’s Connection 1663 Hwy. 51 Byp.Parker Plaza

We buy sell & trade all systems: Atari, Xbox 360, PS3 & Wii. DVD and Blu-raymovies, large selection. Comic books & graphic novels also available.

285-6262


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Randall P. Prince,DDS, FAGD

1950 Cook St.Dyersburg, TN 731-286-4300

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285-4410800-321-3176

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Open House forFreshman ParentsYouth Leadership

GraduationSoccer Region A/AATourney May 10-20

May and JuneSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Senior Exams State Track Meet (A)

Band BanquetBaseball Regional

Semi-Finals

APHuman GeographyExam

DECACo-Op Appreciation LuncheonDance Class Recital

Track State Pentathalon (A)

Sophomore ID Pictures

US HistoryEnd of Course Test

Choir ConcertDECA End of Year

Cookout

Thespian Banquet

Baseball Regional Finals

Scholarship/ AwardsDay

Baseball State Sectionals

Track A/AA Sectionals(A)

FFA Banquet Soccer Sectionals

Graduation Practice

Algebra II End of Course

Field TestTrack A/AA

Regionals (H)

Tennis BanquetTrack A/AA

Regionals (H)

Senior Picnic

Memorial Day (no classes)

DHS Graduation Final Exams

Senior Exams Soccer State A/AA

Tourney

Final Exams

Time to Graduate!

Illustration by Will Bumpas

issue 7 09-10

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