Michael Stallard and Brad Diminick

by Emily Hileman At Dobyns-Bennett the students have multiple opportunities to participate in individual and team sports and the sport that everyone is talking about right now is the DB football team! Last year the team didn’t exactly have the perfect season (5 wins and 6 losses to be exact), but we have faith that our Tribe football players will carry us to victory this year. Two of the players helping the team to achieve this are senior defensive end, Michael Stallard (#55) and senior defensive back, Brad Diminick (#18) and the Arrowhead staff was given the chance to interview both of these football stars. Arrowhead: How tall are you? Michael Stallard: 6’, 3” Brad Diminick: Tall enough… 5’, 10” AH: How much do you weigh? MS: 225 lbs. BD: 155 lbs. AH: What position do you play? MS: Defensive end. BD: Defensive back. AH: What’s your favorite meal on game day? MS: Sagebrush. BD: Whatever they serve us AH: What do you usually eat for game day from Sagebrush? MS: Chicken, potatoes and what not. AH: On a scale of 1-10, how smelly are your feet after a game? MS: 2. AH: Who, on the team, looks the best in the spandex things? MS: Jacob Wiseman! BD: Oh yeah, definitely Wiseman! AH: What’s your favorite color? MS: Green. BD: Green. AH: What’s your most memorable game from last season? MS: Tennessee High. AH: Who are you most excited about playing this year? MS: South. BD: They’re all about the same, really. AH: Who do you want to beat the most this year? MS: The heat! BD: All of them.

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Saved by the Bell!

Written by Candace Chatman, Editor-in-Chief

Think back to the first day of school at Dobyns-Bennett this year; all the jitters and butterflies in your stomach, or maybe the dreaded feeling of having to go back to another long year of school.  Remember all the changes you had heard about such as a new dress code, new cell phone policy, and even a new cafeteria. Well, one change I feel pretty negatively about is the “no bells” change.  I remember walking into school and chatting with all my friends, but, then, before I knew it, I was rushing to my first class, hoping I wasn’t late; why?  There were no bells that said you had one minute to get to class or any bells at all.     Our principals at D-B have decided that having no bells will make for a smoother school day and environment.  In my opinion, though, no bells is just asking for complete commotion in our school with getting students to classes on time.  During an interview with Asst. Principal Mr. Brown, he gave us his reasoning behind removing the school bells.  “Having no bells is preparing students for college and the work force; there are no bells in real life.  You don’t need a bell to tell you it’s time to go to your movie or tell you when it’s time to go to church,” Mr. Brown stated as his number one reason in removing the bells.  Mr. Brown’s second reason stated was, “Due to singletons and lunches, unnecessary bells were having to ring that didn’t apply to all students, thus disturbing students and teachers from their classes.”  I agree with Mr. Brown on the fact that there are no bells in life and you have to be responsible for yourself, no one is going to tell you when you have to be somewhere at a certain time all your life.     On the other hand, D-B has almost two thousand students to keep in line, and the bells helped ensure all students were where they were supposed to be on time.  Some problems I see with having no bells are people being late to their classes by mistake, teachers holding classes over, and students not knowing what time it really is.  Not knowing the time is an issue even I have trouble with without the school bells.  I used to live off the minute bell so I could still chat with my friends and make it to class on time.  The student handbook states that cell phones are not allowed to be used for any reason during school.  In today’s society, most teens don’t wear watches to tell time they use their cells phones, and even adults have started to ditch watches and use their cell phones instead.  At D-B however, we’re not allowed to pull out our cell phones and check the time to see if we’re going to be late to class or not.     Also, the clocks in the hallways are all set on different times and do not correspond to the clocks on the classroom TVs.  So, if our school is going to practice having no bells, students should at least be allowed to check the time on their phones in between classes and then turn them off upon arrival to class.  This way, students can check the right time and arrive to class on time and phones can still be turned off while classes are in session.  Another way to fix the time problem is to synchronize all the hallway clocks with the TV clock so there is no confusion.     I do agree there are no bells in the real world, but this is a high school with a huge student body.  I don’t think it’s possible for over a thousand students to get to their classes on time, while stopping and chatting with friends along the way, without minute bells and tardy bells.

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Tori's Picks

Written by Tori Fleury

Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” Hollywood is a place some dream of, where people are willing to change every unique aspect of themselves to become famous.  Millions of people from our country and around the world look up to the few lucky persons on T.V. or in magazines whose lives seem so glamorous, almost perfect.  Young girls aspire to be seen as talented and beautiful, like the most recent pop star.  During the past few weeks, women have been depicted in a few different ways, all of which have become popular.  Katy Perry released another of her signature bouncy hits, this one called “Teenage Dream”.  This song is basically about a girl who falls for a guy that makes her feel like she is living a “teenage dream.”  Depending on if you like Katy Perry’s controversial music, this song may be your new favorite.  The song itself may not have any shocking lyrics, but the music video shows many scenes that made Katy Perry the famous pop star she is now. Eat Pray Love Liz Gilbert, the main character in Eat Pray Love, is the complete opposite of the girl depicted in Katy Perry’s song.  She proves that women can find their joy in life through adventures, making this a must-see for many girls.  Unlike most “chick flicks,” this movie is not about falling in love or drama, but about an independent, smart woman who is just having fun.  Julia Roberts perfectly captures the main character of this movie, which is based on the book written by Elizabeth Gilbert.  This film has been harshly critiqued by many who basically called it boring and the main character spoiled.  Director Ryan Murphy pointed out how “There are so many rites-of-passage movies for men. Not a lot for women.”  He is saying that it is normal for men to find themselves through exciting experiences, but is not for women, even if it should be.  Eat Pray Love shows that girls can have adventures and find their freedom.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo             Some women in our culture are portrayed as having too much freedom, such as Lisbeth, the main character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  This is a book about a girl who is genius hacker and gets pulled into helping a journalist uncover the truth about a disappearance.  Her character is wild, with her strange tattoos and intimate relationships.  Lisbeth is very intelligent but her mistakes make her relatable, which is why the book is popular enough to be made into a movie.  The past few weeks of entertainment have included many different women role models, it’s the choice of all those who are reading, watching, or listening to pick which one to look up to.

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A No-Show

Written by Emily Garrison, Graphic/Layout Editor

Family Movie Night at DB! Free Admission! Free popcorn! Come out and watch The Blindside, a movie that, for the most part, nearly everyone who watches movies has already seen. Though it was announced several times over the loud-speaker and displayed by posters in the hallway and on the school’s television, the turnout that Friday night was not a great number. When Jasmine Parks was asked if she had gone to see the movie, she replied, “No. I’d rather watch a movie with my own family in my own home.” She also stated, “Some students have other plans with friends or family on Friday nights.” Just minutes past six o’clock and the parking lot was nearly empty, with the exception of a teacher’s car and a few students who left soon after I arrived. A reason for the low attendance may have been because the recognition of fall sports, which was originally planned to be before the show, was canceled.  Based on all of the negativity towards the event I heard in the hallways, I was expecting a low outcome, but the actual outcome was shocking. Maybe Friday the 13^th wasn’t the best day to plan a movie night at school.

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Chocolate Milk Madness

Written by Hallie Smith, Opinions Editor

Ever have a craving for something sweet and delicious as well as nutritious?  If so, chances are, you might be craving chocolate milk.  This scrumptious drink is not only a good source of calcium, it is also packed full of vitamins, protein, and potassium.  Many students in the school building swear by drinking a glass of chocolate milk after a long workout due to its richness in carbohydrates.  However, other students simply swear by the taste.  In a random survey recently conducted at Dobyns-Bennett on chocolate milk, 13 out of 30 students chose chocolate milk as the supreme dairy drink when given other choices of regular white, strawberry, or no milk at all.  

   The cafeteria sells two sizes of chocolate milk in the lunch for students to enjoy.  The absolute best milk served is the pint sized Mayfield Chug bottles.  The chocolate Chug is the perfect amount of creamy, chocolaty goodness to get you through the rest of the school day.  Parker Fox, a junior and chocolate milk connoisseur stated, “Chocolate milk makes me feel happy inside.”  Students at D-B simply go crazy for chocolate milk. 

   How to enjoy the ultimate glass of chocolate milk:

1. Drive to your local grocery store.  (If you have no means of transportation, walk.)
2. Locate the dairy section of the store.
3. Buy one gallon of Mayfield Chocolate Whole Milk.
4. Drive home. (Unless you walked, in which case, walk home.)
5. When you arrive home, immediately put the milk in your personal refrigerator.
6. Take the biggest glass you own out of your cabinet.
7. Remove milk from fridge.
8. Unscrew cap, and pour milk into glass. Make sure to get the glass as full as possible.
9. Screw cap back on, and place the gallon back into the fridge.
10. Go to your nearest couch, turn the television on to an old cartoon show, and enjoy the deliciousness of chocolate milk. 

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Policy Changes

Written by Hannah Cutshall, Reporter

The 2010-2011 school year is here! Along with a new school year, new students, and a new cafeteria, there have been more changes around the school. That’s right policy changes, such as dress code and cell phone usage.             You may have noticed some slight changes in dress code policy. For example, shirts which previously were required to have a collar or crew neckline are now allowed as long as they don’t show any portion of the breast. Another change is that sleeveless shirts are now allowed as long as they extend to the point of the shoulder and have an opening no larger than the approximate size of the arm.             Shirts aren’t the only requirements changing. Shorts/ skirts length has been raised from to the knee to 2 ½ inches above the knee. As well as shorts there were alterations in jean requirements too. You can now wear jeans as long as they have no holes that reveal skin above the knee.             When asked about her view on the new dress code policy and why the school board changed it Ms. Kilgore said they changed the guidelines to be a little more reasonable. She recognized that there are few skirts/ shorts that meet the previous knee requirement of at or below the knee. Also, it’s challenging to find shirts that reach the collar bone. Another reason is that it took time away from class to reprimand students and therefore unless the clothing, piercing or hair color is deemed disruptive it is more of a disruption to dress code the student.             As you may have heard they’ve also altered cell phone usage consequences. Didn’t you hate having your cell phone taken for 5-10 days? Well now with these new changes high schoolers are permitted to pay a small fee of $20 and will get their phone back that day.             Why all the sudden changes? “Any changes we make are for the overall happiness of the students and to create a warm learning environment”, Ms. Kilgore stated when asked about this. I guess we’ll just have to see what these changes bring about.

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Featured Musician

Written by Ashley Lovin, Reporter

Shane Byington, also known as “Dwald,” is a talented, young gentleman who lives and loves music every hour of every day. He began his love for music with just a basic keyboard. One morning, he began to figure out what makes the keyboard tick. Shane began playing music, and eventually started writing his own. He decided with the style of alternative. And when he says alternative he really means it. His music is like no other.    His music started as just random notes played on his friends’ instruments, which he borrows. He owns a harmonica and a xylophone, which helps him make some really weird, but interesting sounds within his songs.    In the middle of his sophomore year, he reached the climax of his musical hobby, after selling almost three CD’s and becoming influenced by “Beck.” His recent CD that he published is known as “Untraveler.” There is no way to explain with words the music on this or any other CD of his.    Shane does attend Dobyns-Bennett as a senior and is continuing his music career with an upcoming CD called “EP Bacon.” Shane loves his friends and family and hopes that they will respect him and his choices for the musical arts.

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Cavers of the World Unite! Caving Club Comes to Dobyns-Bennett

Written by Nathan Skeens, Editor-in-Chief

Tennessee is known for its natural beauty, from majestic mountains to powerful waterfalls. However, few people think about caves when considering the natural wonders of our state. But that is what the Caving Club, one of Dobyns-Bennett’s newest clubs, is devoted to: the protection, study, and exploration of these forgotten gems.    But, first, a word of explanation is in order. The Caving Club is a club entirely focused on “spelunking,” or the exploration of caves. The club itself is still organizing; the club had its first meeting on Thursday, August 12, 2010. However, Scott Reis, sponsor of the club, is already planning some trips. “We’re going to try to do a trip each month.  This month, we’re going to the Appalachian Caverns and we might also explore some wild caves,” Reis said.    Student interest in this new club seems to be high. “We had 35 students that came to the first meeting and quite a few more who are interested. I was surprised. It seemed to be a very good turnout.”     Senior Katie Todd had this to say about Caving Club, “I’m excited to be a part of the new club, and see what it has to offer.”    But, is it really worth it? After all, how many caves are available for a caver to explore? There are well-traveled caverns like the Appalachian Caverns, Bristol Caverns, and the Forbidden Caverns. However, wilder and lesser known caverns also abound in this area, often found on private property. Reis says cavers are secretive about these places. “Most cavers won’t tell you where a place is. They will take you there and make sure you respect it first.”    Reis himself has had five years experience in spelunking. He began spelunking in California at the behest of a friend. He is a member of the National Speleological Association, the nationwide organization of cavers which boasts to have as many as 12,000 members (www.caves.com). He is also a member of the Mountain Empire Grotto, a more local group of cavers. Reis stated he was very excited about the Caving Club. “I enjoy caving and it’s a chance for me to share it with people.”    Reis also has a project in the works for the members of caving club. A disease known as White Nose Syndrome is currently afflicting bats caves everywhere. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, caves and abandoned mines on the Great Plains and in the Mountain West have been shut down as a result of the disease. Researchers are currently searching for ways to stop the disease. The members of the Caving Club will be washing their gear extensively in order to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome, but Reis also wants the cavers to help research and study the disease as well, in hopes of helping to stop it.    The Caving Club is currently welcoming anyone who wishes to join.  No experience is required to be a part of the club. Do not worry about equipment, either. “We have all the gear,” said Reis “We have everything.” So, if you’re looking for a new hobby, give the Caving Club a try.

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Pep Rally 8-19-10 - 001

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Buying Our Way Out Of Trouble? No Says I.

Written by Niko Graham, Graphic/Layout Editor

If you fall into the category of teens who would be grounded for life if they got their cell phone taken up in school, listen up.  This year at Dobyns-Bennett, we have the ability--no--the privilege of purchasing our phones back from our principals at a price of 20 dollars.  While some self-titled “philosophers” would argue that money cannot buy happiness, I beg to differ.  Personally, I think that the concept of purchasing our phones back, rather than spending five whole school days without it, is a wonderful idea.    In our current state of technology, most families are doing away with their old house phones and relying primarily on their cell phones for communication.  By taking a student’s phone from them, we are taking away their only form of communication in the event of an emergency.  What if your child (or future child) was in a near-fatal car accident and had no means of calling for help because their phone was sitting in an administrator’s desk?  Death, ladies and gentlemen, is not a punishment we should wish on any student for texting in class.      Although the new cell phone policy is very clearly a wonderful addition to our ever-growing student handbook, some people are perturbed over this new change.  Jack McCarthy (Senior at DB) says that the new policy is “Scammin’ little kids.”  Jack’s motivation behind these harsh words is the financial crisis that many families are suffering from.  Other nay-sayers wonder where the money will go. Will it go straight into or administrator’s pockets, or will it go towards our school’s enhancement and beautification?  Quite frankly, I believe this is irrelevant information.  We have a privilege.  Now it is our job to take advantage of it.

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