NewsNorseVolume 33 • Number 5

Spartanburg High School • 500 Dupre Drive • Spartanburg, SC 29307

February 27, 2015

News Briefs

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sStudent Body Elections will be March 2nd-6th, followed by Class Officer elections March 9th-13th, ending with Senator elections March 16th-20th.s

sThe local Shining Stars Concert was held at Daniel Recital Hall featuring seniors, Christopher Durham, Dara Thompson, and Taylor Moody, and junior Simon Patel, showing off their exemplary musical talent.s

sOn Winter Signing Day, senior Myers McKinney signed to Wake Forest University for cross country. Senior Landon Kunak signed to East Tennessee State University for football, and senior Cedarius Rookard signed to Troy University for football. s

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Thomas inspires audience with speech“The Heart of a Champion”

Danielle CassellsCenterspread Editor

Expectant eyes looked out upon speaker Mary L. Thomas, awaiting

her words at the annual Black History assembly, sponsored and coordinated by Student Council and the Black History Club. Many agree that this year’s assembly was one of the most interactive they have seen in a long time.

Student body President Timothy Davis had the first words, welcoming the gym audience. Following JROTC’s presentation of colors, the orchestra’s rendition of “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” “The word was God” by the chorus and “The Best of Duke Ellington” from band, Black History Club member Hannah Davis introduced speaker Mary L. Thomas.

Thomas is a Winthrop University graduate who has

“Everybody is a champion. Keep

pounding and encourage others to

do the same,”-Senior Breonia

Jackson“succeeded in many aspects of her career, including earning numerous awards. Among these awards are: the Robert W. Scrivner Award, 1997 YMCA Black Achiever Award and the Mary McCloud Bethune Trailblazer Award.

Thomas is currently President of the Spartanburg County Foundation where she handles day-to-day operations of the organization.

The theme of Thomas’ speech was “The Heart of a Champion.” She encouraged students with three steps: to change their dreams, not become distracted, and never give up. Many listeners enjoyed her sports analogies and turning to a neighbor to repeat her uplifting words, especially the phrase “Keep pounding!”

With a boxing glove raised on one hand, Thomas demonstrated the importance of moving forward no matter what challenges life presents.

“My goal for all the students I spoke to today is that they find their place in society and that they leave with passion, purpose, and vision so that this can truly be the United States of America,” Thomas said.

Senior Victoria Means was moved by Thomas’ speech.

“This morning Elder Mary Thomas gave us an amazing speech on the “Heart of a Champion.” As all of my fellow classmates and I enjoyed her amazing speech, I also took it to a spiritual level. Sometimes

storms and obstacles come in our way that make us feel like giving up. Sometimes we feel as [if] we are all alone and as if God has forgotten about us. In order to be a champion, you must keep pounding and seek after what God has for you. Even when times get hard and you feel like giving up, you have to go on,” Means said (via Facebook).

Seniors Robert Johnson and Breonia Jackson also felt inspired by speaker Thomas.

“When Mrs. Thomas said to ‘Keep pounding’ it inspired me to go on even if I face challenges in life,” Johnson said.

“Everybody is a champion. Keep pounding and encourage other people to do the same,” Jackson said.

Though this was a new type of audience for Thomas, she spoke with a heart for young people, which was sincerely felt among the student body.

“I hope they gained a sense of hope and that they take life seriously and use education as their path to greatness,” Thomas said.

With a boxing glove raised, Thomas demonstrates the importance of strength and perseverance, no matter what challenges life presents.

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sThe Virtual Enterprise Team went to Myrtle Beach to compete in the Southern Region Trade Show. SHS placed 1st in Sales Catalog, Employee Manual, and Newsletter. They placed 2nd in Brochure and Flyer, and 3rd in Video Commerical. The team consists of seniors Shontavious Banks, Kia Bate, Brennen Hayes, Michael Krell, Victoria Means, Sebastian Mendez, Ben Rivers, AJ Ruff, Suphanith Simthong and Jade Watt, along with junior Niaya Boyce. The management team made it to the final round of the Business Plan presentation competition where they earned 5th place.s

2 Norse News News Friday, February 27, 2015

1040 Fernwood-Glendale Rd.Spartanburg, SC 29307

864-582-3028Gerod Allison, Agent

770 Union StreetSpartanburg, SC 29306

(864)515-9004

New Youth Philanthropy boardMaking lives easier

Ashton StephensSports Editor

A s Spartanburg looks for ways to improve the city and give back to those in the community, the Youth Philanthropy Board

is already one step ahead. The newly formed board is helping to make beneficial changes to the community

The board has just been created this year and is hoping to get their name out and spread philanthropy across the community. They plan on doing this with the help of members seniors Sarah Wade and Sarah Martin, and juniors Eliza Bishop, Mills Brice, Elisa Gonzalez, and Jarius Williams. These members were selected by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce for their previous work in the community.

United Way of the Piedmont created this organization as a way of getting the next generation of Spartanburg involved in understanding grant making and community outreach, according to the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce website.

Engaging young people in philanthropy gives them

the opportunity to take a formal and structured active role in their community. The board teaches how philanthropy plays a crucial role in everyday life and in non-profit agencies.

Senior Sarah Wade is thrilled to be a part of the board and has high hopes for its impact on the city of Spartanburg.

“I have learned so much about issues in the community from some very influential leaders in Spartanburg. The board is a way for me and others to have a wide impact on the community. I have always loved to volunteer and the Youth Philanthropy Board takes my work to a whole new level,” Wade said.

The Youth Philanthropy Board is run just like the United Way except with a more youthful board. The board meets once a month and discusses top-

ics important to the board such as fundraising and grant-making. Notable leaders in the community also come to speak in the meeting including former Mayor of Spartanburg, Bill Barnet.

Junior Mills Brice enjoys both the social and charitable aspects of the board.

“It is a lot of fun to get together with other stu-dents from other schools and collaborate about im-proving our community and learning along the way. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to get involved and have a say in making our community a better place,” Brice said.

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Members of the Youth Philanthropy board Eliza Bishop, Elisa Gonzalez, Mills Brice, Sarah Wade, Sarah Martin, and Jarius Williams pose for a picture together. The board was created to better the community.

Eight campers, six teachers, 7,000 thousand miles from home; this year’s Chinese Winter Camp

with the American School of Handan has brought new campers and new ideas, now that the program is in its 3rd year.

The program began on Tuesday, Feb. 10, when the campers met their “buddies” to shadow during the day. Each camper had a buddy that they would follow to their class-es and spend the day with them. After the school day, the campers would go to their host families, who they lived with for the two weeks during their stay in America.

Freshman Celia Dominick’s family par-ticipated as a host family to Lisa Chai.

“Lisa is really interesting because she has taught me and my family so much about Chinese culture and how they live

Chinese Winter Camp returns for third year to District SevenFrom Handan, China to Spartanburg

Jack WestCo-Editor-in-Chief on a daily basis,” Dominick said.

Camper David Wang, is excited to be visiting America where he hopes to one day attend MIT.

“My dream is to be a scientist and have my own business in America,” Wang said.

Wang has been immersed in the American culture, and has been observant about the differences between the Chinese and American cultures. While the curriculum at the Handan school is modeled after American schools, the schools share their differences.

In Handan, school begins at 7:30 a.m. and lasts until about 10 p.m., with several breaks. From 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. serves as a study hall time. Most of the students live in dormitories, making the Handan school a boarding school-like atmosphere.

Chinese students also take standardized

tests, like the ACT, as well as the TOEFL, which tests English fluency. While most campers are fluent, the fast pace of American’s speech poses the biggest challenge for many students.

The differences do not stop there. One of Wang’s first questions upon arriving was, “Are you allowed to date in this school?” This is because at the Handan School does not allow dating. Wang can describe this rule in one word.

“Disgusting,” Wang said. Social Studies teacher Alison Little

has been involved with the program for all three years, and is excited to see the interactions between the American and Chinese students.

“The [Chinese] students will learn about American holidays, like Valentine’s Day, and American students will learn about

holidays like Chinese New Year,” Little said. Little believes that the cultural exchange

is one of the biggest benefits of the pro-gram, Little wants to ensure that everyone has a good time while in America. George Gu, a freshman camper, is enjoying the ex-perience, which ended on Feb. 20.

“I’ve made many friends,” Gu said

Lisa Chai sits in a Freshman Academy class during the camp.

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Norse News News Friday, February 27, 2015 3

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious announcement“Mary Poppins” revealed as district’s yearly production

Mary Louise VannCover Editor

N ightfall on Friday, Jan. 30, brought an evening of music, laughter, and joy as students, faculty, staff, and families from

throughout the district waited to find out this year’s district musical.

Dr. Al Jeter, Director of Assessment, Accountability, and Research, opened the night with a solo. As he proceeded to emcee the night, Jeter cracked jokes,

broke out in song, and danced around the atrium. The Corporation pumped up their audience with a rendition of “Aquarius” from the ‘60s musical “Hair.”

Senior Perrin Hines is very excited to be in another play produced by Dr. Terry Pruitt, and has high expectations for the performance.

“I’m really excited for the play, especially because this is my fifth and final play with Dr. Pruitt. I think the play is going to be great with the high energy of it,” Hines said.

Before the video montage that would later announce the play, last year’s Best Singer in the District, eighth grader Carson Hardigree, promoted this year’s competition that will take place on Saturday, March 21. Hardigree was awarded with a standing ovation for her performance of “The Alto’s Lament” which brought not only musical theatre to the stage, but comedy as well.

After enjoying a video montage of possible plays, the audience was ready and optimistically shocked

as “Mary Poppins” was revealed to be this year’s play. Pruitt revealed that the rights to the play were only released in December.

However, Pruitt is optimistic for the outcome of this year’s play.

“It is a great show with wonderful music and char-acters and has great appeal for all ages from children to adults,” Pruitt said.

The night was brought to a close with a sing- along of the “Mary Poppins” soundtrack allowing future cast including junior Mary Thalassinos, who will play Mary Poppins, to have fun.

“It’s exciting to be with people who love to perform and have the same passions as I do,” Thalassinos said.

Eighth grader Carson Hardigree sang “The Alto’s Lament” to announce this year’s Best Singer in the District competition on Saturday, March 21.

The Corporation performs “Aquarius” from “Hair” in costumes from different movies and musicals throughout the decades.

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Co-Editors-in-Chief - Jack West and Makrina Nayfa

News - Makrina NayfaOp/Ed - Kate Copeland and

Amy MurphyEntertainment - Nora Grace SmithCenterspread - Danielle Cassells

Features - Jack WestSports - Ashton Stephens and

Kamryn WalkerStudent Life - Caroline Carey

Cover - Mary Louise VannBusiness Manager - Jakayla Booker

Staff Reporters - Hunter Hicklin and Nate Lewis

Adviser and Photography Instructor Lisa McCulley

Norse News is the student publication of Spartanburg High School. The editors and staff are responsible for all editorial

decisions. Therefore the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the

adviser, the faculty, or the administration. Letters to the editor and student submissions are welcomed, and can be delivered to room 107C. The editors reserve the right to edit,

shorten, or reject any or all materials.

4 Norse New Opinion Friday, February 27, 2015

Norse News

Staff Editorial

Who is responsible for paying for college tuition?Funding secondary education

Facebook, Google provide interesting workplacesWhistling while you work

Wonders never cease

Makrina Nayfa

Looking at big pictureFinding what is important

Mausolus was the king of the an-cient city of Halicarnassus. He ruled with his queen, Artemisia, but when Mausolus suddenly died, Artemisia was left heartbroken. In order to pay tribute to her husband Artemisia built the most lavish and expensive tomb she could imagine.

In today’s society there is nothing wrong with spending a little extra on something that is really important to you. This could include a house, a car, or even an education, but it is impor-tant to know when to draw the line over what actually matters.

While it is easy to get distracted by the material things in life, we must filter out what has actual mean-ing. Yes, the people of Halicarnassus could admire the polished, white marble of the Mausoleum, the tomb dedicated to their former king. Or they could rather look at the man be-hind the tomb and how loved he was by his people.

Spartanburg High School500 Dupre Dr. / Spartanburg, SC 29307

(864) 594-4410 ext. 7236Fax (864) 594-6142

Vol. 33 / No. 5 / February 27, 2015

Jack WestCo-Editor-In-Chief

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With slides to get from floor to floor, Google believes that inter-esting workplaces make for a happier, more productive staff.

T he “workplace” is commonly thought of as a scene from

the television show, “The Office,” with fluorescent lights, a multitude of desks crammed into a small space, and several sassy co-work-ers. However, companies like Google and Facebook are paving a new path of fun workspaces with slides, touchscreen tables, and even bowling alleys.

Google has been named by “Fortune” magazine as the 2014 “Best Company to Work For,” and it is certainly because of more than just their health insurance plan. Google’s East Coast headquarters takes up an entire block in Manhattan and is known for being a hub of creativity.

Google’s offices contain

gourmet food options, with cafés and coffee bars. Google has meeting rooms designed in Broadway themes and subway inspired rooms for brainstorming. A slide was even put in an office and is

actually functional, allowing for employees to go from one level down to the next.

Google also enhances the work experience with perks such as massages, yoga classes, and health counselors.

Junior Daryl Cunningham agrees that happy employees are productive employees, and would consider working at a company like Google.

“They have slides and pool tables, and I like to have fun,” Cunningham said.

Facebook has also joined the “fun office” craze.

Facebook offices are open spaces, without cubicles, allowing for an open feel. These offices include similar features to Google, includ-ing recreational centers and innovative features, such as a rooftop area for grilling and musical performances.

Sophomore Alyssa Kenekham thinks working at a place like Facebook would be beneficial for her.

“I’d like to work at Facebook because I can express my cre-ativity,” Kenekham said.

G etting older can mean more freedom, but it also means more responsibility.

Recently, in two New Jersey cases, young adults Caitlyn Ricci and Rachel Canning attempted to sue their parents for college tuition. The audacity of these girls took many by surprise, even State Superior Court Judge Peter Bogaard who stated in the online magazine “The Blaze”: “Are we going to open the gates for 12-year-olds to sue for an Xbox? For 13-year-olds to sue for an iPhone? We should be mindful of a potentially slippery slope.”

When a child reaches 18, he becomes an adult and must take on certain responsibilities. Now, of course college tuition is a conversation to have with parents, but it should definitely not be left to parents to pay all costs.

Unlike child support or doctor bills, college tuition is something every student can contribute to. Scholarships and financial aid cover most tuition expenses.

According to the National Center for Education Services, current dollar values show that the price of attending a 4-year public institution averages $16,789 while attending a 4-year private institution costs about $33,716. With such numbers facing seniors, it is important to discuss with a parent or guardian the best path to

support for college, as opposed to the 80% support for children of nuclear families.

In some cases, it is best for a student of divorced parents to become an emancipated minor, independent of his parents, so more financial aid or full tuition can be provided.

Of course, no parents want their child to leave college owing tons in student loans, so they will help out, but it is always preferable to find scholarships or grants to cut tuition costs. One can find support for college through scholarships, financial aid, staying in state for college or circumstance scholarships.

The benefits of funding one’s own education are innumerable. The student will work harder to keep grades up and keep scholarship money. It promotes responsibility and better work ethic. Taking charge of funding one’s own education, not only makes a person proud, but increases the drive to work hard for their bucks in college.

Are we going to open the gates for 12-year olds to sue

for an Xbox?-State Superior Court Judge

Peter Bogaard (via The Blaze)“

payment and whether an in-state or out-of-state school is the best choice.

Family relations can also have a huge impact on the affordability of college. Studies on children of divorced parents reveal that only 29% actually receive

Social media shines light on injustice through hashtags#HashtagsRaiseAwareness

Norse News Editorials Friday, February 27, 2015 5

Nate LewisStaff Reporter&Q A

Kyle Hanna, 10

When I am angry I count to ten and

if that doesn’t work I go on a run to burn off steam.

I talk to my parents and

friends about why I am angry and get

their advice.

Whenever I am mad I try to walk away from the situation

and listen to music.

I listen to music and try to find

my happy place.

Felisatie Kinnarath, 12

Alaze Wathano, 11

Louise Franke, 9

Layton Davis, 9

Chasmond D-Smith, 12

How do you deal with

your anger issues?

The anger sometimes gets the best of me

and I break things to calm down.

Amy MurphyStaff Reporter

Hashtags are an effective way for popular topics to go viral.

Service takes away taxi hassle Uber app provides new transportation alternative

I try to walk away from whatever is making me mad and find something to

improve my mood.

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For years people have used tax-is when they don’t have a car available. However when time

is against them or they are short on cash, they have struggled to find ways to get where they need to be. Thanks to Travis Kalanick, co-founder of Uber, there is now an app that allows you to

before you arrive.After being founded in 2009, Uber

services are now provided in over 200 cities. The service is growing further across America and globally.

This has made traveling within va-cation destinations much easier now that the hassle of renting a car, hailing a taxi, or making sure all your sight-seeing spots are within walking dis-tance has disappeared.

The service has even expanded to Greenville, SC, and charges a $1.95 base fare with $.20 per minute and $1.75 per mile.

Senior Dara Thompson believes that this program will progress fur-ther and become a much more popu-lar service soon.

“Thanks to Uber, going place to place while on vacation is far easier. So much stress is removed and leaves less room to worry and more room to enjoy the vacation,” Thompson said.

The Uber service is available in over 40 countries and is expected to keep ex-panding in the near future.The Uber app is used as a quick and easy way to get a car sent to your location.

find a car nearby which can come to you as a taxi would.

The Uber app asks your current lo-cation and your destination, then pro-vides a time you can be picked up and a cost estimate for the ride. There’s no need to worry about having enough cash, since the app requires a credit card on file, so that the ride is paid for

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S ocial media is still growing. With mil-lions tweeting, post-

ing, and sharing daily, it is hard to tell whether online interac-tions are positive or negative. A majority of things being shared are random updates or goofy photos with clever captions but there have also been a handful of movements to bring awareness to different social issues.

People have used Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as a hub for spreading aware-ness using a hashtag. People all using the same hashtag can see what one another are saying. Hashtags let people see what others are posting about popular situations and can be used to inform those

who are concerned. There have been several

cases where people have rallied together through social media to shine light on police bru-tality. One of these cases was the #ICantBreathe movement which erupted all over the in-

ternet this past autumn.The movement began when

New Yorker Eric Garner was placed in a choke hold and killed by a NYPD officer in July. Garner’s final words, “I can’t breath,” have been brandished all over the internet since then

to raise awareness about this case and similar ones. On many occasions cases like these have fallen through the cracks and gone without attention.

Senior Aaron Sykes believes hashtags are helpful as long as there is an attempt at change.

“Hashtags are good for rais-ing awareness of issues but they won’t fix anything unless peo-ple act on them,” Sykes said.

But Garner’s case didn’t remain solely on the internet. It was not long after his passing that people wore “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts. Celebrities also came together to raise awareness. Basketball star Lebron James wore a shirt with Garner’s final words on them before a game on Dec. 8 that caught the President’s attention.

In Memoriam

Aja Prema DasaMay 28, 1998

toFebruary 11, 2015

restaurant business.Guallpa, as the owner of a family busi-

ness, values his customers. “I had many Eastside customers com-

ing to my Roebuck location, which is why I decided to move,” Gallupa said.

On the menu there are appetizers, tra-ditional pastas, sandwiches, pizzas and

A new year means that new restaurants have opened in Spartanburg. If you are in the

mood for pizza, Italian, or a southern homemade meal, Spartanburg has it.

Fratello’s has settled in its new location on Fernwood Glendale Road, but started out in Roebuck. Segundo Guallpa is an Ecuadorian restaurateur. At the age of 15, Guallpa immigrated to New York City from Azogues, Ecuador, where he started out as a dish washer. Two weeks later he was promoted to cook.

He first opened his restaurant in 2008 with his brother. Although his brother does not work with him anymore, both of his daughters have now joined him in the

6 Norse News Entertainment Friday, February 27, 2015

Novel Savvy

Don’t you forget about me

Johnston publishes twisting mystery romance

Mary Louise Vann

Between Now & Never” is a teen mystery, adventure, and romance

novel by Laura Johnston. It is written in a fluxtuating

point of view between Cody Rush, a high schooler who can’t remember the night leading up to a near fatal car accident, and Julianna, a girl he has pictures of, who has half Rush’s story.

At first glance, the novel seems like the average teen romance, but after accidentally getting caught in a drug sale, Cody Rush’s life changes forever.

After running and being caught in a hit and run, Cody cannot remember what happened and why these people are so familiar to him. Or why the girl from the Photo Booth pictures seems to hold the key to his memories of the fateful night.

Julianna seems like she is the perfect girl on the outside, but on the inside, her life is crumbling down. With her mom in jail and her brother falling back into his addiction, it is up to her to keep the family from drowning.

As school starts back, tutoring begins, and a pageant takes place, the two lives cross again. As they unravel the story, no one is safe from it’s implications.

“Between Now & Never” is a suspenseful novel with just enough romance to remind the reader that the two leads are high school students.

With tensions and hormones running high and clashing personalities the book draws the reader in with an emotional appeal.

Johnson’s novel, “Between Now & Never” comes out on March 31.

“Diva Deals”200 S. Liberty Street

Spartanburg, SC 29306

Owner/Operator: Joyce Spears-Smith

864-384-2815

Family-owned restaurants thriveFratello’s, Roots offer new eats in Spartanburg

Kamryn WalkerSports Assistant

Junior Mills Brice eats at Fratello’s with his family during its opening.

Evil feature films give new point of viewVillains’ulterior motives captivate movie audiences

Caroline CareyStudent Life Editor

W hile most see villains as sour and cold charac-ters, Disney is shining new light on a different point of view. With the recent release of their

movie “Maleficent,” viewers get to see the flip side of the story.Maleficent was instantly the antagonist in the original

storyline of the classic Disney princess movie “Sleeping Beauty” when she shows up at a christening furious due to her missing invitation. However, in her movie, it is revealed that she and the king had a history, and her wrath upon his newly born daughter was merely revenge. The story develops further as the reason behind Maleficent’s acts are revealed to the viewer, softening many harsh thoughts about the villain. Junior Haiden Lancaster enjoys being able to see a different side of the story.

calzones, and desserts. The prices range from $11-$19 and $6 for kids meals. Fratello’s has gained 20 employees and several locations since the move from its Roebuck location.

A new southern homestyle restau-rant has also officially opened doors right down the street. On Dec. 1, there was a ribbon cutting for the opening of Roots, another family owned business that serves homestyle specialty dishes of chicken and waffles, fried green toma-toes, and shrimp and grits.

Co-owner and head chef Barry Easler focuses on comfort food.

“Our philosophy is to offer delicious comfort food that is consistently good,” Easler said.

“To see why these characters that I have seen in such a neg-ative light for so long act the way they do and treat people the way they do is truly eye-opening,” Lancaster said.

Many want to see more movies like this, so they can discov-er the motives behind popular villains’ evil actions. Lancaster wants to see more of these flipped stories, but based on other fairytale characters like the evil stepmother in Cinderella.

“She is just so haughty and arrogant and outright irritat-ing that I want to know why she acts that way... or if there is even a reason, besides her dimwitted and whiny daughters,” Lancaster said.

On the other hand, junior Kayla Means would like to see more of a backstory on the popular villain the Joker.

“I want to know why he acts the way he acts, what really made him the bad guy,” Means said.

2 Spartanburg Locations276 S. Church St.

1411 W.C. Ezell Blvd583-8459 - 576-4539

Visit us: www.thomasandsons.com

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For listeners to hear their selected music in order, without similar artists added in, and without ads, they can upgrade to Spotify Premium by paying a fee of $12.99 a month.

Many students benefit from all three of these services. Junior Mary Thalassinos uses iTunes to buy her fa-vorite songs, but other radio services to find new music or listen to a variety of artists, albums, and genres.

“I love how you can pick what you want to listen to, and can find playlists for a genre or artist you like as well,” Thalassinos said.

Norse News Entertainment Friday, February 27, 2014 7

Memoir fights misconceptions of mental illness“To Write Love on Her Arms” tells story of awareness organization

Amy MurphyStaff Reporter

Y ou need to know your life matters.” This is the vision of the non-profit organization

To Write Love On Her Arms.Founded in 2006, TWLOHA is dedi-

cated to giving help to all who are strug-gling with addiction, self-harm, depres-sion, and suicide.

Senior Jake Keim follows To Write Love on Her Arms closely and takes the efforts of the organization to heart.

“As someone who has struggled and continues to struggle with anxiety and depression, I think the cause of To Write Love on Her Arms is very noble. It brings attention to an important issue that is easily overlooked,” Keim said.

To Write Love on Her Arms is espe-cially active in the music community. The organization has been working a booth at Vans Warped Tour since 2008. Their most recent movements are “Fear vs Dreams”

and “Heavy and Light.” Both movements contrast the good times and trying times of rehabilitation, but remind those who are struggling that they can recover.

Founder Jamie Tworkowski often expresses gratitude and hope for the followers of TWLOHA.

“The highlight of our work is when people say, ‘I’m still alive because of you guys,’” Tworkowski said via his blog.

Now, the story of the inspiring force behind the organization, Renee Yohe, is the focus of a movie about the develop-ment of the organization.

Renee Yohe struggled with a severe drug addiction and suicidal actions for several years before going to rehab. De-spite her bleak outlook for her own life, Renee often spoke to others about hope. Renee’s inspirational recovery story is portrayed in the movie “To Write Love on Her Arms,” which is scheduled to be re-leased officially in March 2015.

Nora Grace SmithEntertainment Editor

The film stars Kat Dennings as the heroine Renee Yohe and Chad Michael Murray as Jamie Tworkowski.

The film was originally released in foreign countries in 2012 under the names “Renee” and “Day One,” but is now ready for its widespread release.

“To Write Love on Her Arms” is not for the faint of heart as it features graphic scenes and adult themes that some may find troubling. However, what defines the film is its transitions from Renee’s love of

fairytales to her harsh reality.The film has won several awards, in-

cluding Cinematography, Best Actress, Best Sound, Best Casting, and Best Special Effects at the Crystal Reel awards.

Senior Natalie Krell is looking forward to seeing the movie.

“I think this movie will raise aware-ness of mental illness and get more people the help they need. I also hope it will dismantle misconceptions about depression,” Krell said.

Carolina Smiles, LLCFAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Philip C. Morrow, D.M.D.Jason J. Davis, D.M.D.

Alison A. Llewelyn, D.M.D.

150 Country Club RoadSpartanburg, SC 29302

(864) 583-3717

www.carolinasmiles-sc.com “We specialize in smiles”

Spotify, Pandora hit high note for music loversApps allow listeners to find new tunes and play old favorites

S martphones have made music available to listeners wherever they go. Different

services that make this possible include iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify.

iTunes and iTunes Radio are both Apple generated services, and come downloaded on any Apple product. iTunes charges anywhere from $1.99 -$.69 for songs. There are also week-

ly free songs given to users. iTunes Radio was released by Apple more re-cently to com-

pete with other internet radio services. Like most, it has the occasional ad-

vertisment and does not allow users to skip songs.

Sophomore Jasmine Clark often uses iTunes and iTunes Radio to listen to her music.

“I prefer to use iTunes and iTunes Radio over other services because it allows you to create playlists and listen to the artists you want,” Clark said.

Pandora is a radio-like service that allows you to pick a song, artist, al-bum, or genre and create a station that plays similar music. Like iTunes Radio, Pandora doesn’t give unlim-ited skips and has the occasional ad.

However, there is an option to upgrade to a premium membership, Pandora One, to improve the experience for a monthly fee of $4.99.

Sophomore Sam Kistler prefers Pandora over competing services. “Pandora lets me listen to music I like, and find new music related to my his-tory which allows me to find new art-ists and songs,” Kistler said.

Spotify originated on computers and has made great leaps to be available on mobile devices as well. Spotify gives users the options to make playlists that contain unlimited songs and shuffle the playlist.

Spotify also gives the option to shuffle all of an artist’s songs or the songs from a specific album.

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Kat Dennings from “2 Broke Girls” takes on a more serious role in “To Write Love On Her Arms,” which will be released to DVD and BluRay on March 3.

logos courtesy forbes.com

Proud to support the Spartanburg Vikings!

8 Norse News Centerspread

photo courtesy salmonguy.org

Seuss-isms

Today you are you

that is true

r than tr

ue.

There is no one alive

who is youer th

an you!

Fun is good.

A tree falls the

way it leans.

Be careful which

way you lean.

Fantasy is an ingredient necessary in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope.

I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.

Sometimes you never know

the value of a moment until

it becomes a memory.

Quirky Dr. Seuss quotesyou’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut

You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in

Step with care and great tact, and remember that life’s a great balancing act

From there to here and here to there, funny things are everyhwere

Hunter HicklinStaff Reporter

F or years, Dr. Seuss books have stolen the hearts of millions of readers,

showing the joys of reading with the magic of wordplay.

No matter the age, at some point in life Dr. Seuss has made an impact on the lives of many. His books encourage children and adults to look at the world in different ways, whether this means upside-down from the top of a tree or from inside a tiny speck.

Dr. Seuss books were inspired by essays about

A rhyme to rememberDr. Seuss books impact readers

childhood learning, and from that it has become a major legacy in preschool and elementary school education. The National American Read Cross Day is even set on the author’s birthday.

Senior Ashley Fields grew up reading Dr. Seuss books, which have impacted his life.

“Dr. Seuss books never get old, whether you read them in elementary, or as a senior to younger siblings. Regardless, they forever put a smile on your face as you read them,” Fields said.

Dr. Seuss had a gift for creating rhymes that are fun to read aloud and easy to remember. All his models of craft fuse a unique point of view with his artistic style.

Many like junior Estelle Micanos admire Dr. Seuss’ creativity. His books will always be her favorite.

“I think it’s the combination of playfulness and lyricism that makes Dr. Seuss’ works stand the test of time,” Micanos said.

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Makrina NayfaNews Editor

Author with big imagination for childrens’ booksThomas Geisel becomes world famous Dr. Seuss

E very artist has to start somewhere. The famous Dr. Seuss started out as the mere Theodor Seuss

Geisel, born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. After he reached the age of 18 Geisel left home to attend Dartmouth College.

At Dartmouth, Geisel became Editor-in-Chief of the college’s humor magazine “Jack-O-Latern.” Later, Geisel began to write pieces for the magazine using the pseudonym “Seuss” for the first time.

After graduating from college, Geisel went to England to attend Oxford University and then moved back to America to marry his wife,

Helen Palmer. While back in America, Geisel be-

gan to draw cartoons that were pub-

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Dr. Seuss revolutionized the way children learn to read. Published in 1957 “The Cat in the Hat” was written in response to a literary crisis in America. The book made learning to read fun for kids.

Welcome to seussville

Friday, February 27, 2015 9Centerspread

Seuss’ point-of-view and way of looking at the world plays a huge role in his books and movies. In Horton Hears a Who! the elephant tunes in to what he hears to discover a whole new world.

A rhyme to rememberDr. Seuss books impact readers

Dr. Seuss had a gift for creating rhymes that are fun to read aloud and easy to remember. All his models of craft fuse a unique point of view with his artistic style.

Many like junior Estelle Micanos admire Dr. Seuss’ creativity. His books will always be her favorite.

“I think it’s the combination of playfulness and lyricism that makes Dr. Seuss’ works stand the test of time,” Micanos said.

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Author with big imagination for childrens’ booksThomas Geisel becomes world famous Dr. Seuss

Helen Palmer. While back in America, Geisel be-

gan to draw cartoons that were pub-

lished in “Life” and “Vanity Fair.” After publishing a cartoon in “The Saturday Evening Post” using the

pseudonym Seuss, Geisel earned a staff position at the New York weekly “Judge.” Geisel also spent 15 years advertising for Standard Oil.

Geisel’s first chil-dren’s book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was rejected 27 times before it was actually published in 1937.

In 1954 an article

fROM PAGE TO SCREENNora Grace Smith

Entertainment Editor

Dr. Seuss books are wonderfully weird and wacky, which makes them

perfect for movie productions.The first Dr. Seuss movie ever

produced was “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The movie is a classic around the holiday season, and has since been remade into the comedy “The Grinch” starring Jim Carrey.

Senior Palmer Smith prefers the original Grinch movie.

“‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ is my favorite because I like the way the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes. I don’t like Jim Carrey, so the animated version is far better,” Smith said.

In 2003, the least popular Dr. Seuss movie “The Cat in the Hat” was released. The movie starred Mike Myers as the Cat and Dakota Fanning as the Girl.

This movie proved to be vastly unpopular with fans and critics alike, including Manohla Dargis of the “Los Angeles Times.”

“Critics are paid

Seuss works as moviesto suffer bad art, no matter how icky it is from the start. So all we could do was to Sit! Sit! Sit! And we did not like it. Not one little bit,” Dargis said in the “Los Angeles Times.”

More recently, animated movies like “The Lorax” and “Horton Hears a Who!” have revived the positive views of Dr. Seuss movies.

“Horton Hears a Who!” was released in 2008 and stars the voice talents of Steve Carell and Jim Carrey.

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Dr. Seuss has showed the world that easy readers don’t have to be boring. He believed in engaging kids

with books and helping them learn that reading could be fun, not just for children, but for adults, too.

Freshman Sophia Barry reads “Ten Apples Up on Top” by Dr. Seuss to first grader Mary Franklin Gilman after school.

in “Life” magazine began to criticize child literacy rates. It claimed that the country was in a literary crisis because children did not know how to read. Geisel was asked to write a children’s book using 220 vocabulary words. This challenge resulted in the birth of “The Cat in the Hat,” Geisel’s 13th children’s book.

Geisel spent much of his time after that writing more children’s stories such as “Green Eggs and Ham” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Geisel died at the age of 87 on Sept. 24, 1991. In the “Publishers Weekly” 16 of his books remain in the “100 Top-Selling Hardcover Children’s Books of All-Time.”

Dr. Seuss revolutionized the way children learn to read. Published in 1957 “The Cat in the Hat” was written in response to a literary crisis in America. The book made learning to read fun for kids.

Welcome to seussville

line art courtesy d. cassells

Slamming social injusticesPerformance poetry promotes equality

10Norse News Features Friday, February 27, 2015

Mary Louise VannCover Editor

How-To Guy

Jack West

So many optionsHow to make a decision

Nate LewisStaff Reporter

D ecisions, decisions, de-cisions. People make choices every day,

whether it be the cinnamon sug-ar bagel with honey nut cream cheese, or the spinach breakfast wrap. Some choices are simple, but other choices, such as what to do with your life, pose more dif-ficult decisions.

Let’s start with the easy stuff. Nine times out of ten, a decision will be a quick, easily processed choice. Evaluate the major factors and outcomes of a choice. The cinnamon bagel is delicious, but it is also a million calories. The breakfast wrap it is.

Other decisions may require a bit more effort, especially when faced with two nearly identical choices. The “eenie meanie” game is actually a useful tool from your kindergarten day. Eenie meanie gives you a solid answer. One might even find after “eenie meanie” that the result is not what you really wanted, bringing the better decision to light.

Another strategy is the pro-con list. Get out the yellow legal pad, the bright blue pen, and start listing. When this list is completed, the lon-ger list will reveal what the right deci-sion is. Hint: A long list of cons is an indicator to go in another direction.

Some decisions should not be made alone. Ask someone older, per-haps wiser. Almost everyone loves to share what they know, so take their advice when making a decision. As painful as it is to admit, parents are right almost all the time.

After all choices have been made, do not forget the old proverb, “All roads lead to Rome.” No matter what decision is made, it will lead you in the path of your future.

Happy decision making, whether it be a college or your next breakfast order!

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A Converse College student recites slam poetry from memory at The Coffee Bar’s open mic night.

Public library encorporates technologyMore than just bookshelves

M arch brings not only the begin-ning of Spring,

but Teen Tech Week with it. This year the event will take place during the week of March 8-15. Teen Tech Week is a specific week hosted by the American Library Association, in which libraries across the nation make time to showcase their digital resources.

According to the Director of Teen Services Susan Myers at Spartanburg County Head-quarters library, one week is not enough time.

“We celebrate Teen Tech Week for a whole month so there’s more time to promote it. It’s meant to highlight the won-derful non-print resources the library offers. Too often teens

think we just have books, and we have so much more,” Myers said.

This year’s Teen Tech Week theme is “Libraries are for making…” which is the idea that anything may be created at the library. To promote Teen Tech Week the Teen Ser-vices Department is holding a county wide fill-in-the-blank and design contest for what that means to each student.

The technology the library offers is great for those who are looking to widen their horizons according to senior Elizabeth Freeman.

“At the library I get to ex-plore new technology and ideas with other teens and friends. It’s exciting to learn,” Freeman said.

The Teen Room at Head-

quarters library is where a majority of these events take place. The room is filled with computers, out-lets, and free Wi-Fi. Junior

Alexis Cheeks is one of many who spend their af-ternoons at the Teen Room.

“It’s our own little sanc-tuary,” Cheeks said.

T here are endless ways for a person to express themselves. Some people choose to

lace up their sneakers and run for miles to alleviate stress while others choose to write poems that reflect how they are feeling.

Poetry has been an outlet of expression for people and has left lasting impacts. In the 90s slam poetry caught lots of atten-tion and the audience for perfor-mance poetry rapidly grew. Slam poetry usually references social injustices, gender equality, and prominent economic issues.

Slam poetry consists of a per-son or group of people reciting a poem from memory. Since the poem is being spoken it conveys a deeper sense of emotion and meaning as the performers use different tones and gestures. When a poem is read it is usually confined to the reader’s

thoughts and can be interpreted differently but with slam poetry the audience gets a more intense visualization of the poem.

Sophomore India Foster loves poetry and competed in this year’s Poetry Out

Loud competition, “Poetry is when an emotion has found

it’s thought and the thought has found it’s words,” Foster said.

A well known organization called Button Poetry has helped push slam poetry into the media. Button Poetry is famously known for their YouTube channel that has close to 300,000 subscribers. The channel features videos of poets performing their work. They are uploaded regularly and some have millions of views. The videos are so popular because of how diverse and meaningful they are to the people viewing them.

Freshman Alex Rothschild finds Button Poetry captivating,

“I’ve watched their videos and I enjoy them. The poets are

all ages and speak about almost any-thing,” Rothschild said.

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Freshman Dillon Bermaldes and Teen Librarian Travis Sanford work on a project durin g a library lunch visit on Feb. 20.

Norse News Features Friday, February 27, 2015 11

Ashton StephensSports Editor

Just like Picasso Artists declare concentrations

A s the school year comes to a close and many are preparing for their AP exams in May, the AP Studio Art students are

finding their focuses for their artwork and prepar-ing their last pieces to submit for the AP Portfolio.

Seniors Casey Anderson and Jillian Hoffman, and juniors Louisa Dunn and Grayson Schmitt are the select few who take the class. These artists spend countless hours in and out of school perfect-ing their pieces and getting instruction from their teacher, Mrs. Cindy Goforth.

The students are required to create a total of 24 pieces each semester for the class. Twelve breadth pieces and 12 concentration pieces are to be submitted in lieu of a traditional AP exam.

Goforth, who has taught AP Studio Art for 10 years, cherishes the passion and dedication her art-ists have for their work.

“It is very satisfying to see students reach their ar-tistic potential. They do amazing work,” Goforth said.

David Dixon

Director of Youth and College Ministries

The Episcopal Church

of the Advent

ddixon@churchofadvent.org • 864.504.3695 • 864.541.1861

141 Advent Street Spartanburg, SC 29302

1451 Fernwood Glendale Road

Spartanburg, SC 29307

Katrina Lane Morris

katrina@upstateoverstocks.com864-573-5843

Spartanburg SC 29302795 N Pine Street

Nate’s Detail Mobile Service“Just Call, We’ll Come To You”

864-205-8229Washing, Waxing, and Full Details Available

Schmitt has recently been able to begin pieces that pertain to his concentration, which is focused on grotesque images. “I was inspired by David Lynch and Thomas Eakins,” Schmitt said.

Dunn chose to focus her 12 pieces on her grand-parents’ farm in Louisiana. Dunn chose this subject matter for not only the visual appeal, but also for her connection to the location.“The farm has pretty archi-tecture and enough variety to do 12 pieces on it. I also have an emotional tie,” Dunn said.

Hoffman chose to make her concentration on road trips tell a story. “I’ve gone on road trips and my concentration is more of a story as op-posed to just random things,” Hoffman said.

While this piece is not one of Anderson’s concentration pieces, she chose mental illness to focus her 12 pieces on. Anderson’s choice may be considered unusual, but she enjoys her individuality. “I chose this fo-cus because I like exploring different points of view,” Anderson said.

Packedby Jillian Hoffman

Singularityby Grayson Schmitt

Living Room Doorby Louisa Dunn

Lacesby Casey Anderson

12 Norse News Student Life Friday, February 27, 2015

Horsing around with HALTERNewman volunteers for local school

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Kamryn and Kate’s Kooking Kreations

Kamryn WalkerAdd spice with spring rolls

Kamryn WalkerSports Assistant

Senior Hannah Newman has many buddies including Buddy, her horse that she

takes care of and has become very close to over the years. She is in-volved with Natural Horsemanship at HALTER (Handicapped Athletes Learning To Enjoy Riding), which teaches her new ways to work with her horse. HALTER was founded in 1985 and has been located at the South Carolina School for the Death and Blind since 2006. They serve students with mental and physical disabilities at the school and from other surrounding ar-eas. HALTER also has service programs six days a week for the children.

Newman got involved with HALTER in 2008 for a girl scout project called the Bronze Award. She has earned her

Silver and Gold Awards which are the highest awards a girl scout can earn. Newman has volunteered over 650 hours with the HALTER program. During the summer she volunteers three or four days a week and two days during the school year.

Newman’s brother, sophomore Daniel Newman has seen how much HALTER has changed his sister.

“It’s cool how my sister has found something that she cares so much about. Hannah is so passionate and committed about being a part of the HALTER program,” Newman said.

One of Newman’s favorite parts of HALTER is watching how the kids progress with their abilities.

“I help with one little girl who could not support the weight of her head on her own when she

first started coming, and now she can sit up all by herself. There have been several riders who have been able to walk away from their wheelchairs because of therapy they have received at HALTER,” Newman said.

In the fall of 2015, Hannah Newman will be attending St. Andrews to minor in therapeutic horsemanship, and will still be volunteering at HALTER.

Get ready to spring into new tastes this season. The weather is getting warmer, and so are our foods. East and Southeastern Asian cuisine is ideal when looking for a zesty flavor for new cultural foods to try. If the taste of the roll is not enough, dipping it in soy sauce is always a good. Soy sauce, which contains soybeans, wheat, and barley, is known as a staple condiment throughout Asia.

5 ounces thin rice stick noodles2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice1 tablespoon sambal chili paste2 teaspoons sugar1 large cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks1 large carrot, peeled and grated3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped3/4 cup fresh mint, chopped12 (8 1/2-inch) round rice paper wrappers12 leaves Bibb, Boston, or other soft lettuce

Spring Rolls

Boil 1 gallon of water and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Drain rice stick noodles and add to water, cook until tender. Mean-while, whisk the lime juice, sugar, chili paste, and soy sauce together. Drain noodles and add to the previous mixture. Gather cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint in a bowl to mix. Dip 1 rice paper in a pie dish of warm wa-ter for 10 seconds. Place vegeta-bles into rice paper with noodles on top. Start to roll the paper from top to bottom, be careful not to tear the rice paper.

Rolling into spring flavors

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Matthew and Dilliard Copeland

Role model breaks moldJunior Gist-Hilton follows his true passions

Breaking the status quo has al-most become a life motto for junior Jayah Gist-Hilton. He

grew up in Spartanburg attending Pine Street Elementary and McCracken Middle School. During middle school, Gist-Hil-ton followed his fathers footsteps and took part in school sports. Gist-Hilton was an exceptional football player and wrestler.

However, in his sophomore year, Gist-Hilton began to choose his passion over the stereotype. Gist-Hilton quit both of his careers as a football player and wrestler and started running track. Along with track, Gist-Hilton decided to excel in the arts.

Sophomore Ruslana Tkachuk looks up to Gist-Hilton for his unique personality.

“I look up to Jayah a lot. It is really inspiring how unique he is and how he is so comfortable in his own skin, and he doesn’t worry about what people think about him,” Tkachuk said.

Within the performing arts, Gist-Hilton has made a big impact on the Corporation, which he joined this year. He also writes poems and songs, sings, and acts. Gist-Hilton modeled for Rack Room Shoes this past Spring.

“I believe that art is one of the ultimate forms of emotion, sports are fun but they do not speak to me. Art has a language that corresponds with the vibrations of your soul and your heart,” Gist-Hilton said.

Although Gist-Hilton is hardly ever seen without a smile on his face, the

Kate CopelandOp-Ed Editor

Newman helps lead a pony during a Saturday session.

Gist-Hilton models for Rack Room shoes.

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journey hasn’t been easy. “The hardest part, and one I am still

struggling with today, is expressing myself without fear or restriction.” Gist-Hilton said.

Norse News Sports Friday, February 27, 2015 13

SCOREBOARDVarsity Girls Basketball

Varsity Boys Wrestling

C-Team Boys Basketball

JV Boys BasketballJL Mann 39-42(L)Byrnes 50-41(W)Wade Hampton 55-40(W)Dorman 37-49(L)Mauldin 52-43(W)Boiling Springs 70-49(W)

Mauldin 28-43(L)Dorman 10-61(W)Byrnes 43-42(W)Boiling Springs 62-9(L)

Hunt mixing up matFreshman girl joins wrestling team

SENIOR MEMORY

-Amanda KenekhamSoccer

“My favorite memory was watching Coach Coslick dance around with my teammate’s weave extension.”

Varsity Boys BasketballRiverside 87-78(W)JL Mann 60-50(W)Byrnes 62-79 (L)Wade Hampton 47-69(L)Dorman 60-80(L)Mauldin 84-65(W)Boiling Springs 65-54 (W)Clover 68-66(W) Blythewood 52-57(L)

Riverside 56-44(W)JL Mann 73-37(W)Byrnes 66-49(W)Wade Hampton 75-53(W)Dorman 66-61(W)Mauldin 59-61(L)Boiling Springs 70-25(W)Ridgeview 88-64(W)

W hen it comes to social pro-tocols, freshman Sarah Hunt has a mind of her

own. This season, Hunt decided that she was going to try out of the wrestling team, and she became the only female wrestler.

Hunt wrestled when she was about nine years old. She enjoyed wrestling then so she thought she would like it now as well. This is Hunt’s first official year wres-tling for a team.

Hunt loves being out on the mat and trying to outwit her opponent, antici-pating their next move. She does admit though, that the hardest part of wrestling is learning all the new moves and working to improve on those moves. Hunt wants to improve on committing her shots.

Hunt recently discovered that her fa-vorite wrestling maneuver is the cement mixer. This move is where the wrestler puts their arm under their opponent and weighs down on them dropping them on the mat.

While being a girl on the wrestling mat can be a disadvantage at times in terms

of strength, wrestling is not just a match of strength. Even if one is not as strong as their opponent they can still outwit the opponent and move quicker than they do.

Junior Trey Smith is a teammate of Hunt’s and believes that she works harder than a lot of others.

“She works just as hard as we do. There isn’t an activity where she would ask to sit out. She actually works harder than most of the guys on the team,” Smith said.

Hunt practices every day of the school week. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays include weight-lifting as well as practice.

Hunt loves the sport, but she loves her teammates even more.

Makrina NayfaCo-Editor-in-Chief

“I do think it is important to let everyone know, though, to never

underestimate what a girl can do.”

-Freshman Sarah Hunt “

“I feel as if I have 30 older brothers. This can be both a good and a bad thing, but I can’t pick a favor-ite teammate. Picking one is like pick-ing a favor-ite brother, I like them all,” Hunt said.

When telling others that she wrestles, Hunt receives a variety of reactions from shock, to doubt, to approval. When on the mat faced against a male opponent, they start off a little nervous but they quickly get over this.

This being Hunt’s first official season wrestling Hunt has won two matches. She also placed 3rd in the Carolina Invitational.

Hunt’s stepfather has been the biggest influence on her wrestling career and always pushes her to get up off the mat

Go Vikings!Congratulations to Tavien Feaster for committing to Clemson University!

Hunt (left) grabs her opponent in attempt to pin him and win the match.

when she is down. Depending on what college she attends, Hunt plans to wrestle in the future.

When on the mat, Hunt focuses solely on wrestling and lets nothing else interfere.

“When I get on the mat, the only thing I have in mind are the voices of my coaches. I don’t have time to think about anything else. I think it is important to let everyone know though, to never underestimate what a girl can do,” Hunt said.

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Boiling Springs 38-41(L)Riverside 46-35(W)JL Mann 59-43(W)Byrnes 48-42(W)Wade Hampton 27-38(L)Dorman 18-58(L)SCA Acadamy 38-36(W)Boiling Springs 48-44(W)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the Varsity Boys

and Girls Basketball teams for advancing

to the playoffs.

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14 Norse News Sports Friday, February 27, 2015

Brewton maintains ball control at a home game against Gaffney. Brewton has been a key player on the boys varsity basketball team since he transferred from Byrnes this year.

Eat, sleep, work out, repeatSmith works towards better fitness, healthier lifestyle

Senior, Morgan Smith has changed her lifestyle around completely. She has taken being athletic and healthy to another level.

Smith not only plays softball to stay fit, but she has

changed her eating habits, and is now working out in the gym every day to better herself.

Smith decided about two years ago to change her lifestyle. She started at the end of her sophomore year when she decided she wanted to have the perfect summer body. She began working out vigorously and then changed the way she eats.

“I decided to change my lifestyle when I wanted to get fit for the summer, and ever since then I never stopped,” Smith said.

She occasionally works out by herself, but most of the time she exercises with partners. She enjoys working out with her boyfriend because he helps motivate her. He helps her with her daily routine and also with her food choices before and after the workout. They motivate each other to push through every workout and to strive to do more the next day. After her workouts Smith and her partner go and cook a healthy dinner.

“I work out at Gold’s Gym every day for one to two hours depending on what muscles I’m working with,” Smith said.

Even though Smith works out a lot and has a job,

she still keeps up with her grades and maintains them. She has set aside time before and after her workouts to study and do her homework. Smith received all As last semester which shows her hard work and dedication not only to her new lifestyle, but her school work as well.

Smith has to balance her school work and athletic training with her job. Some days she goes from school straight to work. On days like this, she goes to work out after leaving her job, and when she is done she goes home and does her school work.

Smith does an intense workout challenge every year. She was able to motivate other friends and students to do the challenge, as well. Seeing the progress that she has made with the challenge, others felt that they could do it as well.

Smith does not just work hard and motivate herself, but she has also motivated others to change their lifestyle. They have started to do the challenge that she does every year. She loves working out and sees the progress of her work every second of the day and sets a higher goal for herself after every single workout.

T he transition from one high school to an-

other is always hard, but coming in with a starting position on the boys basketball team has made the change a little easier for junior Keishawn Brewton.

From a Byrnes Rebel to a Spartanburg Viking, Brewton has already

Ballin’ like BrewtonByrnes transfer pushes team to success

“Keishawn is a great addition to our team. He brings his talent and his intensity to every game, and it really benefits us as a team.”

-Junior Coleman High“ph

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Smith perfects her pull ups at a local Gold’s Gym. She works different muscles each session at the gym.

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Jakayla BookerStaff Reporter

Kate CopelandOp-Ed Editor

made a huge impact on the basketball team.

“I like Spartan High much better both bas-

ketball and education-wise. I feel like the teachers care a lot more about my education, and when our team works together, we have a great basketball program,” Brewton said.

Brewton started play-ing basketball when he was seven and has only improved since then. As a Viking, Brewton had a minor setback in the be-

ginning of the season. Since Brewton trans-ferred from Byrnes, he was ineligible to play in

the first four games as a Viking.

“It hurt me because my team lost two of the four games and I felt like I could’ve helped out with those two games,” Brewton said.

Brewton played as a starting point guard this year for the Vikings.

“Everyone on the team has a role. If we all play our position then were a great team,” Brewton said.

In the 2014-2015 sea-son, Brewton averaged 13 points a game, with a total of 223 points all year. Brewton had a game high against River-side, scoring 26 points, and a second game high with 25 points against Central Gwinnett. He

also made the All Tour-nament team.

Close friend and fellow teammate junior Coleman High spends a lot of time practicing with Brewton,

“Keishawn is a great addition to our team. He brings his talent and his

intensity to every game, and it really benefits us as a team. We are glad he made a successful transfer from Byrnes,” High said

Head Varsity Coach Fred Ford believes Brewton has a bright fu-ture and brings a lot to

the team.“We are very for-

tunate to have gotten Keishawn Brewton on our team. He gives us another option on of-fense and is a great passer when he gets ev-erybody involved,” Ford said.

Norse News Sports Friday, February 27, 2015 15

Athletes use fury to their advantageVictories away from homeHome schooled athletes excel at tennis, track

Jakayla BookerStaff Reporter

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Anger on the field

The Viking teams don’t discriminate, whether it’s age,

race, gender, or even being home schooled. Viking home schooled athletes are as much a part of the team as any other member. They earn awards and are working every day to improve their performance to get more.

Bryce Keim is one of the home schooled players on the

Often while watching or taking part in a sport, one notices rage in an opponent, or even in themselves. Anger while playing a sport can be the result of

several different factors. Sometimes passion for a sport can lead to aggression and aggravation in an athlete and can even make them play better. In some athletes, fury actually results in better performance.

Freshman Thomas Battisti agrees that sometimes anger on the field can translate into better performance.

“I think it is better to play angry because you have more aggression,” Battisti said.

Other times an athlete’s aggression and anger may go too far. When the anger turns into violence, a good thing can turn bad quickly. Battisti has seen violence first hand when he plays lacrosse.

“I have seen anger because of words exchanged back and forth. On my team, I have seen people get upset and push or hit another player,” Battisti said.

In sports like tennis and lacrosse, anger can give motivation to play better.

Studies have shown that as anger increases, perception processing speed goes down, fine motor coordination and sensitivity to pain decreases, and muscle strength often increases. So, depending on the sport one plays, anger can either be an advantage or a disadvantage. Therefore, as long as an athlete’s anger is translated into motivation rather than violence, performance on the field can instantly increase.

Caroline CareyStudent Life Editor

tennis team. Keim is a well known player in the state and is recognized for his tennis achievements. He was named to the All Region Team for Region II.

He not only puts in work during the season but also in the off season. When he

isn’t playing tennis locally, Keim spends his time at the Carolina Country Club and in Charleston. He also spends many weekends playing in USTA tournaments.

Coach Todd Seagle likes coaching home schooled athletes because it brings outside people together.

“I like the idea of home school students being allowed to play. It makes the team more diverse,” Seagle said.

Another home schooled student, Matthew Green, plays on the cross country team. He has earned many awards. He was the number two runner for the entire season and was also selected to the All County and All Region teams.

He set some personal records last season. His best time was 16:15 for the 5,000 meters during the season. He logged 528 miles of running.

Green works hard in the season, and he runs in the off season and holidays, as well.

Coach Jack Todd thinks very highly of Matt and is grateful that he is on the cross country team.

“Matt is very knowledge-able about cross country and is extremely disciplined. Even

Sophomore Bryce Keim plays for the boys tennis team.

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Senior Matt Green runs for the cross country and track teams.

though he is home schooled, I know that he is doing the necessary things to prepare himself for the competitive season,” Todd said.

Just like those who attend public school, the two home schooled athletes come to practice right after school like a normal week day. They fit in with the other players as if they attended the same school with them every day.

Keim and Green show that anyone with discipline can excel in a sport. It is just about playing the game.

Teams are about bringing people together who love a sport and play it together. Players on a team are not all the same and that is what makes Viking teams special.

Battisti takes part in an ag-gressive face-off while playing in a lacrosse scrimmage. ph

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