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A little financial help for college
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Written by August Aguilar, Arts and Entertainment Editor
It’s almost spring, and for most students, they are excited to get past another year of school. But for seniors, it’s about time for graduation and to step into the real world. A lot of seniors are going to do different things, whether it’s going into the military, going straight into the workforce, or taking time off of school. But most seniors are going straight to college in the fall. Now for myself, I am excited to start this new experience, new people, new environment, and new opportunities. Most seniors are probably freaking out and asking themselves, “How will I pay for this?” Good grades can help a lot, but it won’t guarantee everything free. With college just months away, there are a few things seniors should start on now instead of waiting until the last moment.
What more does one want than a free education? There are some things you can do now to be well prepared, and help you get some money for school. First off, decide what school you want to go to, research information about it, and find out approximately how much you will need for however long you plan on attending there. Almost every college has scholarships that anyone can apply for. According to www.finaid.org/scholarships/ there are several free scholarship databases online, with more than 1.5 million scholarships worth more than $3.4 billion. One of the best websites they recommend to use is www.fastweb.com. You can also find scholarships by talking to your counselor, or actually reading the flyers on the walls in the hallways. You will be surprised what you will find, there are really easy ones, and there can be some challenging ones.
Another way to get some help for college is by filling out FAFSA. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid; this program basically helps you get financial aid for school. It can also help you find scholarships, grants, and student loans that you can apply for. Every senior should fill this out as soon as they can. Mrs. Nelson, a Dobyns-Bennett counselor, says that, “Every senior needs to be keeping up with the announcements. Scholarships are constantly being posted on the D-B website, and on the announcements. They can also be picked up in the counseling office.” She also said that a lot of the seniors that are qualified for the Hope Scholarship can only get it if they fill out the FAFSA.
Now, I know it can be very annoying and stressful, but if you have to write an essay and get a letter of recommendation to get some money, it’s well worth it to me. Just understand that college isn’t just another easy thing to put aside, it’s something you need to plan ahead and get started now. It will be worth it in the end. For more information about scholarships and help filling out your FAFSA, set up an appointment with your counselor.
On February 14, 2010, at Northeast State, there will be a day called College Goal Sunday for students to come and fill out their FAFSA with professional help. Students need to bring their parents tax information, and their PIN number (which you can apply for free online at www.fafsa.ed.gov). Nelson says, “It will help families that have special situations or not sure how to complete FAFSA, they can get individualized help.” This program starts at 2:00 p.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m.
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Currently Browsing: Student Life / Top Stories
Striking The Right Chord:The Guitar Club Returns To D-B
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Written by Nathan Skeens, Reporter
One thing that can be said about Dobyns-Bennett High School is the vast number of clubs, both past and present, that have called the rooms and departments of D-B home. Some, like the National Beta Club and Key Club, are well-grounded and have remained at D-B for decades. Others, like the Science Fiction Club, died out years ago. But, now, one of these long-dead clubs, the Guitar Club, is coming back to the halls of D-B.
For background, the Guitar Club existed here at D-B until early 2008. The club was intended to allow members to learn from and teach each other about playing the guitar. However, the club had some problems. “It was just a bunch of people seeing who had the loudest amp with one or two people trying to teach,” commented junior Jordan Suydam. Ultimately, they succumbed to poor structuring and lack of sponsorship and completely disappeared after the 2007-2008 school year.
But, now, the club may be returning to D-B. Some students recently came to Mr. Allen Pickel, asking him to sponsor the club. Pickel accepted and is currently working with Ms. Kilgore on the project. “I’ve talked to Ms. Kilgore on the project and she said it looked good and its only a matter of what formalities have to be taken care of.”
Sophomore Darien Dingus also commented on the return of the Guitar Club. “I’m excited about it and I’m really looking forward to it.”
The club is in its embryonic stage at the time of this article, and little progress has been made at the moment. However, the Guitar Club will differ very little from its former predecessor. The only major difference will be that the new club will meet every other week, whereas the former club met every week, Pickel said.
The Guitar Club is still currently in its early stages and nothing has been finalized at the moment. However, the Guitar Club should soon rejoin the ranks of clubs here at this school.
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Nathan Hall
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Nathan has decided to become a long distance swimmer for Milligan College. Hall broke his own 400 Freestyle record by winning the race at 4:37.1. Hall has qualified in the 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 100 Fly, and the 200 IM.
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Currently Browsing: Student Life
Paris-Part 1
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Written by Ethan Todd, Reporter
Traveling to Paris on December 26, I was skeptical about missing the rest of my relaxing Christmas break. Just a day after receiving various gifts from my family, I had to leave them all behind and get on a plane. However, it wasn’t that easy getting to Paris. After arriving at the Spartanburg Airport, my family was told all the flights were cancelled due to the snow. Just a week before, I had many snowball fights with my friends. After arguing with the front-desk attendant and holding up the line for an hour, my family jumped in the car and started driving to the Charlotte Airport.
Oh, Christmas is such a stress-free time of year!!! Before walking into the airport, we stopped to enjoy our last legitimate, American meal at Fatz Café. Once in the Charlotte Airport, we were notified that the Paris flights were now cancelled. So instead of flying straight to Paris, we went to Frankfurt, Germany to wait for a connection flight to Paris. I had an opportunity to freshen up on my German. After thirty-one hours, the Todd family had arrived in Paris! Even though we were extremely tired, my mother made sure we didn’t waste anytime. As Lainie Kazanin says in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.” Just like the mom in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, my mom runs our family. So instead of sleeping, like my dad wanted, we toured the Opera House.
The Opera House was surprisingly very interesting. Since my sister is a ballerina, she enjoyed it more than I did, but I couldn’t ignore the beauty of the building. Later in the day, we took a bus tour through Paris so we could decide what things we wanted to see(my parents had already been to Paris, so they wanted us to enjoy some things). Finally, we slept! After sleeping for more than twelve hours, we went out and toured the Latin Quarter of Paris. This area includes Notre Dame Cathedral and La Sainte-Chapelle, two of the most beautiful churches in the world. Check back next week for Part II of Paris with the Todd Family.
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Currently Browsing: Student Life
Registration on the rise
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Written by Nicole Larkins
As the end of the school year comes closer, the students at Dobyns-Bennett High School begin preparing their schedules for the next year. Registration began this month, with the rising seniors and will be ending in April. It takes a full three months to get everyone prepared for the next year because of the size of D-B’s student body. “We have just started our rising senior registration. Things have gone smoothly,” says D-B counselor Kayte Daffron. Throughout the next few months, the counselors will continue to help students ending with the uprising freshmen.
The process of registration is one that is long and tedious. In the past, the counselors have met with each of the students individually to sort out their classes; however, this year they will begin trying out a new plan for registration. The rising 10th and 11th graders will be meeting in groups after being sorted by their grades and then by which counselor they have. Once they have figured out their classes, the counselors will then meet with each student to make sure that the cards are filled out correctly.
“We appreciate all of the efforts our students are making in choosing the correct courses and we urge them to choose wisely,” says Daffron. Choosing which class you want to take can be a very difficult decision. “Which classes do I need to graduate?” and “which classes will I want to take the most?” are just a few of the questions asked during registration. Scheduling will be much harder now that there are more classes to choose from. The classes that are available and are offered every other year are, Bible as Literature and Gothic Literature. The new classes being added are, Service Learning, for seniors who have at least a GPA of 2.5 only, Equine/horse science, pre-Veterinary Science, Principles of Horticultural science, Pharmacy Tech, and Electromechanical 1and 2.
This time is extremely stressful not only for the students but for the counselors as well. “It is a very stressful time of the year because there are a lot of demands for classes and college registrations, but it’s not anything we can’t handle,” says Daffron.
The counselors do so much for our students and they rarely take a break from helping us. Without the counselors, the school would not function and all of the students would not be able to get the credits they need to graduate. The counselors are asking the students to be patient with them. Hopefully, the registration will continue to run smoothly and all of the students will be enrolled in their new classes for next year without any problems.
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Currently Browsing: Student Life / Top Stories
Helping Haiti
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Written by August Aguilar, Arts and Entertainment Editor
Everyone knows about the tragic event in Haiti that happened a few weeks ago, and now, like every disastrous event, almost everywhere you look someone is trying to help the victims in need. It is great to see our country come together and help thousands of people that are in trouble, and what makes things greater, is our own school is doing some fun and creative things to help Haiti.
Dobyns-Bennett has always had ways to raise money for charities, clubs, and other things. Car washes and selling candy are just a couple of things that clubs do to raise some money. But for the Haiti relief, more people seem to want to help. The 4v4 soccer tournament was last week, letting students play with their friends in a fun game of soccer. The cost to play was five dollars per person, and each team had to bring at least 2 cases of water per person, with all the money going to Haiti. Last Tuesday was the dodge ball tournament that everyone loved and anticipated the most, since students seem to have so much fun throwing balls at people’s faces. It was ten players per team and five dollars per person as well, and of course, all money went to Haiti.
One way D-B is showing support in a fundraiser this past week is the somewhat disturbing, hairy leg contest. This is another funny way to raise money for Haiti, and is something totally new and creative. Select students were chosen to participate in the contest. The student body donated their change in jars with their picture on it during lunch to the person they thought had the most appealing or appalling leg, and whoever gained the most money won. The contest started on February 5th and ended February 12th. All money went to the American Red Cross to give to the Haiti relief.
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Currently Browsing: Student Life
European Exchange
Written by Jesse Jenkins, Student Life Editor
Many people dream of traveling the world. A majority of those people are older people who have jobs, problems, and obligations. Luckily for me, I am only seventeen and the sky is the limit. It’s supposedly the time in my life when I’m supposed to be carefree and adventurous, and I’m going to take advantage of this common outlook.
This summer, I plan to participate in a foreign exchange program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kingsport. An interview with Rotarian officials is required before one can participate in the program. My meeting went well and I was given the green-light. Mrs. Judy Fischer, the Rotarian with whom I met, was enthusiastic and encouraging of my desire to spend the summer in Germany. I found out that I could host an exchange student for up to three months, and spend them same amount of time living in Germany. Although three months is too long to spend in Europe before I got to college, I figure that six weeks in Germany would be the best way to begin my life outside of Tennessee.
Mrs. Fischer gave me the paperwork I would have to fill out in order to sign up. It was well over forty pages of bureaucratic redundancy, requesting my name, address, phone number, and other personal information multiple times. It was tedious, but the outcome should be well worth the hours I put into completing the forms.
I hope that my trip to Germany will pay off in many ways. I’m very interested in learning the language. I’ve been practicing my German daily since I was in German level two. I’m currently in AP German level five, and I am going to the University of Cincinnati to study German language, literature, and culture more in-depth, as well as European history with an emphasis in Germanic people and regions My favorite historical figure is Frederick the Great. I want to experience the differences in culture that exist between the United States and Germany, so when I am in college learning about Germany, I will be able to compare what my professor tells me to what I’ve seen, heard, and felt with my own senses.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the resources to travel the world. Sometimes they come from a family who just don’t have the money. Some people just don’t want to learn about other cultures. Some of these people are convinced that the U.S. is the best country in the world, and foreign countries aren’t worth thinking about. Nothing could be further from the truth. The United States is a great country, and nobody will ever convince me otherwise. But how can someone possibly know how great a country it is when they have no base for their claim? Countries may be like different dishes of food. Sometimes they’re too small, sometimes they’re too big, sometimes they’re unhealthy. Sometimes they’re too hot, and sometimes they’re too cold. But you’ll never know unless you try them on.
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Currently Browsing: A & E
“Til Beth do us part” Debuts at Kingsport Renaissance Center
Written by Nathan Skeens, Reporter
At the Kingsport Renaissance Center, a new play,”‘Til Beth Do Us Part”, is getting rave reviews.
The play follows the story of Suzannah Hayden, a woman trying to be successful in her job, while struggling with her lazy husband, Gibby. To help organize her life, Suzannah hires an assistant named Beth. However, besides keeping Suzannah’s life organized, Beth decides that it is time to get rid of Gibby. Meanwhile, Gibby realizes that all Beth really wants is Suzannah’s job, and the play then becomes a race to see who can outwit who.
Director Joe Smith stated that the characters are “ordinary people we see on a daily basis.” The character of Suzannah, played by Debbie Shoun, is very ambitious and career-minded. Suzannah’s husband, Gibby, played by Brent Edwards, is basically a slob who, even though he loves her, does not help Suzannah take care of the house or himself.
Gibby also has a friend named Hank, played by Eric Hyche, who constantly bickers with his ex-wife Margo, played by Becky McClanahan. The character of Beth is played by Brandy Oerly and the character of the CEO Celia is played by Elaine Murray.
Additional cast for the play will include Amber Kent as stage manager, as well as Anna Heim and Betty Casey.
Smith says that production came along well, and also mentioned that this would be the play’s debut performance in Tennessee. The play is sponsored by Pal’s Sudden Service and the Tennessee Arts Commission. The play debuted on Friday, February 12th, at 8p.m.and will also run on February 19th at 8p.m., as well as February 20th and 21st at 3p.m.
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Currently Browsing: A & E
Valentine’s Day: the movie
Written by Heather Salyers, Reporter
Now the number one movie in America, Valentine’s day will be a box office hits for weeks. Ironically enough, Valentines Day came out into thaters just in time for the holiday, and is a film filled with many big shot actor and actresses.
This movie resembles He’s Just Not That Into You, where many couples are struggling to find themselves and wonderful relationships. Theres all kinds of relationships in this movie, from young sparks, to engagments, to long lasting love, to lost love. It has relationships that everyone can relate to.
Actors that star in Valentine’s day include Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher, who are playing newlyweds. Jessica Biel plays a smart over acheiver who just wants that special someone, but hasnt quite found him yet. Heart throb, Taylor Lautner has a fiery relationship with america’s sweetheart, Taylor Swift. Bradley Cooper and Julie Roberts play another happy couple trying the make it through another Valentines day. Kathy Bates, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway, Eric Danes, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, and Queen Latifah are some other actors who star in this romantic comedy!
So whether you’re watching Valentines Day by yourself, or with that special someone, it’s bound to put a smile on your face no matter what! You’ve got to just love these movies that warm your heart, and give you a good laugh at the end of the day! Valentine’s Day hit theaters on Friday, Febuary 12th. So grab that special someone and go see Valentine’s Day and enjoy a romantic evening!
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Currently Browsing: Opinion
Celebrities- Why do we care?
Written by Tucker Shull, Reporter
Is it just me, or is the media coverage in America given to those we consider celebrities far overblown? What’s with all the coverage about Tiger Woods’ personal life and the late-night comedians losing their shows and so forth? Why are Americans (and, for that matter, most Westerners) so obsessed with this kind of stuff? Aren’t there a lot more worthwhile things we could be looking at, like what’s happening in the political world and the economic world? Maybe if we watched the news more often than celebrity gossip, a lot of the negative stuff that happens in the world (recessions, wars, natural disasters) wouldn’t be such a surprise.
I’m not criticizing the idolizing of certain individuals per se, even though it’s certainly not very egalitarian. All societies have had their form of hero worship, certainly, from ancient Greece on, but here’s the thing: ALL THEIR HEROES ACTUALLY DID STUFF. Theirs were warriors and conquerors and generals, men who accomplished things. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Davy Crockett, the list goes on and on. Ours? We follow the lives of actors, singers, and athletes (i.e.: people whose sole purpose in life is to entertain. Now, I’m not beating down on their professions, this is a free country and we can do whatever we want for a job, but come on. Does what they do in their personal time really, actually matter? Is it even really that exciting and unique? We have enough love triangles, men cheating on their wives, people addicted to drugs, etc., in our actual lives.
We even make movies about the topic for those of us fortunate enough not to be entangled in these situations, but no, we have to go back to the whole “hero-worshipping” deal. Why do the problems of a select few people matter? Why does ANY bit of their personal life matter!?!? I’ll probably never find an answer to this question, or at least one that will restore my faith in humanity, but at least I can take solace in the fact that I don’t follow this stuff. In the end, it kind of reminds me of bread and circuses, the Roman term for keeping its masses happy and generally apathetic on what was happening all around them. Well, I can only say one thing: we all know what happened to the Roman Empire.
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