December 2012 - Spartanburg County School District One

Index 

P THE 

News & Features 2 

Review 3 

Centerspread 4 - 5 

Opinion 6 - 7 

Sports 8 

ROWL 

P.O. Box 389, Inman SC 29349 

Ready for a 

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update? You 

may have to 

keep waiting. 

page 4 

Test scores, student and parent surveys could affect 

teacher pay, according to possible new law 

by Caroline Stewart 

Currently, South Carolina teachers get 

paid based on the level of education they 

have. This may not be the case for much 

longer. 

State Superintendent of Education Mick 

Zais believes that teachers should be paid 

based on effectiveness in the class room. 

Basically, a teacher that teaches well 

gets paid more than a teacher that does 

not. At face value, this does not sound like 

a bad idea at all. 

The problem with the law is how the 

teachers will be evaluated for pay. 

For core subject teachers, pay will be 

decided based on standardized test scores. 

But not all teachers teach courses 

with standardized tests, which leads to a 

problem. 

For example, a global studies teacher’s 

pay will be determined by the U.S. history 

EOC scores, even though that teacher 

does not teach U.S. history. 

Even though they do not teach anything 

related to core subjects, all of the elective 

class teachers will get paid based on the 

overall school grade, as well as other 

factors, including HSAP. 

As a whole, the school will be graded 

on the school’s improvement from year to 

year. 

It is questioned as to whether or not the 

grading system is fair. People wonder if 

even the best teacher will be able to meet 

the requirements. 

by Caroline Stewart 

In South Carolina, about 30,000 

children between the ages of 5-17 are 

home-schooled. 

They have special homeschool 

“extracurricular” programs but are 

now allowed to participate in any 

extracurricular that their local public 

school has. 

The official South Carolina law states 

that home-schooled students are allowed 

to participate in anything as long as 

they have been home-schooled for a full 

academic year prior to the activity. 

Many involved students at Chapman 

Assistant Principal Tucker Hamrick 

does not see the law as realistic. 

“I think I agree with everyone else. We 

have no problem being held accountable 

but the parameters of grading seem to be 

almost impossible to meet,” Hamrick said. 

Many teachers, including French 

teacher Frances Pack, do not think the law 

will work. 

“I think that it would be impossible to 

(make it work) because it affects people so 

far down the road that you can’t calculate 

it,” Pack said. 

It may also not work because a lot 

of the things that teachers teach in 

their classroom are not necessarily on 

standardized tests. 

“I don’t think they have considered 

that it’s an investment to the future,” Pack 

said. 

There is also a possibility that students 

and parents will be grading teachers on 

their teaching abilities. 

Some understand how having a student 

grade them could be beneficial but do not 

see any reason to let a parent grade them. 

“I can understand the students if they’re 

mature enough to do it responsibly, 

but how can parents’ grade classroom 

performance when they aren’t in the 

classroom?” Pack said. 

Not only does this raise problems for 

teachers, but it also can cause problems 

with students. 

Students that do not like a teacher 

can grade him or her unfairly to get 

them fired or 

purposely bomb 

standardized 

tests to “get 

revenge” for 

their failing 

grade due 

to their own 

slacking off. 

“Students 

have to be 

mature enough 

(to handle 

this level of 

responsibility),” 

Pack said. 

While 

Hamrick 

understands 

the concern, 

he does not 

think that 

students will 

sacrifice their 

grade to get revenge. 

“I don’t think students will hurt 

themselves to hurt someone else,” 

Hamrick said. 

Junior Allison Jolley does not agree 

with this law. 

She said that this law will cause teacher 

pay to become a matter of favoritism and 

unfair grading. 

“I don’t believe students and parents 

should have any say in the payment of 

teachers. Lazy students will intentionally 

Vol. 13 Issue 3 

Photo by Charlotte Miller 

Julie Settle, English teacher, teaches her English II students skills necessary 

for HSAP. If State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais has his way, 

Settle’s students’ test scores could affect her pay. 

fail to hurt the teachers pay, and teachers 

will hand out As in order to get the big 

paycheck,” Jolley said. 

Hamrick believes that the law will 

probably have to be reevaluated due to 

the schools’ concerns, and as long as that 

happens, the schools system will improve. 

“I don’t think it will destroy (the public 

school system). Ultimately, the schools 

will become stronger if the parameters of 

the system are changed,” Hamrick said. 

Home-schooled have legal right to participate in public school activities 

have opinions about the new law. 

Freshman Mariana Carreno does not 

think that it is fair because they do not go 

to the school they are representing. 

“I disagree (with the law) because if 

you play the sport, you are representing 

the school, but you would not go to the 

school,” Carreno said. 

Because the activities were meant for 

the schools’ students, some people find it 

unfair that home-schooled students can 

participate. 

Junior Shania Browning believes that 

since home-schooled leagues exist, homeschooled 

students should not participate in 

public school leagues. 

“That (law) is the most outrageous thing 

I’ve ever heard. I completely disagree 

(with the law). Since they have their own 

leagues, they shouldn’t have to come to 

our schools,” Browning said. 

She cited accountability as an issue. She 

does not think it is fair that they can be at 

home all day, while the other participants 

are at school. 

“It’s not fair to the rest of us. We’re 

supposed to be in school all day,” 

Browning said. 

Freshman Caleb Loftis does not find it 

unfair but thinks that the homeschooler 

might not fit in with a group of regular 

students. 

“It would be hard for them 

(homeschoolers) to fit in, but it wouldn’t 

be unfair for sports as long as they had to 

come to practice,” Loftis said. 

Freshman Rosa Ramirez, a band and 

colorguard member, does not think it is 

fair for band students because being in the 

band classes are a requirement. 

“I don’t think (the law) is fair. We‘re in 

the class and do what we’re supposed to,” 

Ramirez said. 

Students also questioned whether or not 

it would harm the programs. 

Carreno feels that it could harm the 

programs because a homeschooler does 

not face the pressure that a high school 

student feels. 

They might not be on the same page 

mentally and emotionally as the other 

participants. 

“It might be harmful because they don’t 

have the same stresses we have,” Carreno 

said. 

Loftis does not see any harm in letting 

them play. 

“It would help with their 

(homeschooler’s) social life. It wouldn’t 

be an issue with the coaches,” Loftis said. 

Ramirez believes it could harm the 

programs because they student might be 

behind the other students. 

“In some ways kind of (it would be 

harmful) if they can’t catch up to what we 

do in class,” Ramirez said. 

The girls soccer team has two 

homeschooled sisters planning on trying 

out for the team. 

Soccer coach Cayce Wampole-Lell feels 

good about the law and sees how helpful 

it can be. 

“I’m excited about the opportunities. 

I think it’s good socially for all the girls, 

too,” Wampole-Lell said.

Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High 

2 N & F 

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Chapman 

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Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High 

by Matt Phillips 

For some students at Chapman, it is not 

enough to wake up in the morning and put 

on the first clothes they find. 

For these students, appearance is 

important. 

The question, though, is why. 

“Our society judges on our appearance, 

so most of us try to come off as 

impressive,” junior Caleb Mayfield said. 

Junior Dillon Garner thinks that 

appearance is important but only to a 

degree. 

“Yes, (it is important) in a way, but then 

again no,” he said. “It shows that you care 

about how you look, which means you 

care about how you show yourself. But 

it’s not all that matters.” 

A startling statistic suggests that 

females are heavily affected by the focus 

on appearance in today’s culture. 

by Matt Phillips 

It is not uncommon for students to get 

mad or upset for the wrong reasons. 

Some students become so blinded by 

rage that they fail to see the consequences 

of their actions. Getting anger under 

control is an important skill for students 

to learn. 

One way students can learn to do this is 

by visiting the guidance office. Guidance 

counselor Jarrod Ray has an anger 

management group, but he is willing to 

see people individually. 

“I see students individually to help them 

work through their situations before they 

get out of hand,” Ray said. “Sometimes 

having a person to talk things out with is 

enough to help us regain a sense of self 

and perspective before we lose it and do 

the things we’ll regret. Anyone can come 

One study found that some women 

would give up to a year off their lives in 

order to achieve the perfect body. 

Senior Anayeli Guerrero said that 

pressure from others can be a problem. 

“They believe that if they don’t dress up 

or wear the new stuff they will be looked 

down on,” she said. “That shouldn’t be the 

reason they dress up. They should do it 

for themselves to feel better. At the end of 

the day, no one’s opinion matters but their 

own.” 

Guidance counselor Jarrod Ray warns 

of the dangers of judging someone based 

on looks. 

“How others perceive you with 

appearances can be deceiving, so don’t 

judge on the outside at first glance,” he 

said. 

Still, appearance plays an important 

role in society. A 2006 report from the 

National Association of Colleges and 

Employers found that a majority of 

Learning to control anger is valuable for students 

to me anytime.” 

Some students choose not to talk with 

a trained counselor and instead attempt to 

solve problems themselves. 

“I try to listen to music if I can,” 

sophomore Kody Butler said. “Other than 

that, I just walk around until I calm down. 

Also, sometimes I like to get away and 

just enjoy what nature has to offer.” 

When students let anger control them, 

they lose sight of the consequences of 

their actions. Students must try to calm 

themselves down. 

“I try to think about the outcome of the 

situation if I do let it get out of control,” 

Butler said. “Then, I think about what 

the outcome would be if I stay calm and 

just let it go through one ear and out the 

other.” 

The consequences of not controlling 

anger are severe, according to Ray. He 

said that students can lose their personal 

Dealing with diabetes at school 

by Austin Graham & Charlotte Miller 

According to Diabetes.nih.gov, diabetes 

affects 25.8 million people of all ages in 

the United States, or about 8.3% of the 

population. 

This condition has also affected students 

here at Chapman, including RJ Waid and 

Jonathon Barron. 

Waid and Barron live life with this 

medical condition. 

According to school nurse Summer 

Abbott, there are two types of diabetes. 

“Type 1 is insulin dependant. It is 

inherited mostly through genetics, but the 

chances of getting it can be reduced by 

watching your sugar intake and exercise,” 

Abbott said, “For Type 2, you take a pill 

and it can be controlled with diet and 

exercise.” 

“I knew I had it because I had 

symptoms so we went to see a doctor,” 

Waid said. 

Barron also realized he had diabetes 

when he started showing symptoms. 

“I was diagnosed when I was five years 

old,” Barron said, “I lost a lot of weight 

Need more information? 

and I just wasn’t eating or drinking a lot. I 

didn’t feel good at all.” 

This condition also affects their school 

lives. 

“I have missed class a lot to check my 

sugar,” Waid said. 

“It affects my attention span, it’s hard to 

concentrate and sometimes it just puts me 

in an all around bad mood,” Barron said. 

This condition also impacts their diets. 

“There is a strict limit on my carb intake 

and I have to watch my sugar level,” 

Barron said. 

“I have to eat healthier than other kids 

sometimes,” Waid said. 

They both stated that they had to take 

insulin to help control the condition. 

Waid says that it has slightly affected 

his social life. 

“The biggest impact it has made is not 

being able to eat candy with the other 

kids,” Waid joked. 

Barron does not believe that it has made 

a large impact on his social life. 

“It doesn’t really affect my social life,” 

Barron said, “It’s just a part of life and 

I’ve learned to live with it.” 

For more information on Type 1 diabetes, commonly known as juvenile 

diabetes, visit The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at 

http://www.jdrf.org/ 

employers judge 

potential employees 

based on their 

appearance. 

Ray believes 

there is a middle 

ground, that people 

can be nice while 

still maintaining 

individuality. 

“If you dress 

like a bum people 

might think you’re 

a bum,” he said. 

“Your perspective 

shapes your reality. 

That’s why when 

you dress nice people 

think you’re nice. 

How you perceive 

something affects 

your experience of 

that thing. That’s why it’s important to 

property and their relationships if they let 

anger get out of hand. 

“Uncontrolled anger is destructive,” 

he said. “It can destroy relationships, 

property, your health and your options for 

the future.” 

Ray said that most people usually deal 

with their anger in two ways, passively 

or aggressively. He believes that a third 

option is a much better choice. 

“Neither of these are healthy ways to 

deal with our emotions,” he said. “The 

middle of the road is being assertive, and 

that is a lifelong process of learning how 

to express your thoughts and feelings in a 

way that builds relationships rather than 

destroying them.” 

One way that students can stay out of 

trouble is by avoiding the situations that 

trigger anger. It can be a very small thing, 

according to Butler. He said he can be 

driven to anger by his peers’ attitudes. 


Seniors Anthony Giuliano and Ashton Dixon prepare for their 

senior project presentations. The senior project emphasizes the 

need to make a good impression on the judges through proper 

dress. 

Important dates 

Dec. 20 -- 3rd and 4th block final 

exams 

Dec. 21 -- 1st and 2nd block final 

exams; half-day for students 

Dec. 22 - Jan. 6 -- Winter break 

Jan. 7 -- Students return 

represent yourself well while being true to 

who you are.” 

“Ignorance,” Butler said. “Students 

acting like little kids and the attitudes 

students have these days are really not 

good.” 

“Overall, it’s about trigger things that 

people say or do that set someone off,” 

Ray said. “Usually ‘this’ is about ‘that,’ 

meaning the issue you are angry over 

probably has more to do with something 

that happened way over here that you 

haven’t completely dealt with than the 

situation that’s currently in front of you. 

“Unresolved hurts and unfinished 

business from our past keep us sensitive, 

like a wound that hasn’t healed, and when 

people hit that wound or nerve, then they 

get a big reaction from us. Our family 

patterns, past experiences, environment, 

habits and own ways of thinking cause 

us to react, automatically making our 

emotions difficult to control at times but 

not impossible to change.” 

Jan. 21 -- Martin Luther King Jr. 

holiday; students off

N 

3 


ews & Features 


Chapman looks to update outdated computer technology, 

but change is not cheap 

by Melony Gibson 

A student opens up at laptop and logs 

on to her account. 

Eight minutes later, the computer is still 

logging on. 

When it finally opens, the student gets 

about ten minutes of work done before 

the laptop notifies her of low disk space. 

When she tries to save her work, it shuts 

off instead. 

This scenario is a common one for 

Chapman students. 

“The laptops don’t work very well,” 

freshman Megan Scheel said. “They 

take a long time to log on and that takes 

time away from me doing my work. I 

also haven’t been able to save my work 

before.” 

Unfortunately, school budget cuts mean 

that it has been difficult for the school 

to replace what has become outdated 

technology. 

“I think our technology is way ahead 

of a lot of schools,” Global Studies 

teacher Fara Stewart said. “However, a 

lot of our computers need to be replaced, 

particularly the laptops.” 

Administrators are working on a plan to 

bring in a certain number of computers on 

each hallway. 

“We are trying to come up with a set 

plan to bring in a certain number of 

computers, and we are discussing this 

with the school’s source (that provides the 

computers),” Assistant Principal Robert 

Ross said. “Doing that will decrease the 

amount of money spent trying to buy all 

the computers at once.” 

But there is more to replacing the 

computers than what students know. 

Bandwidth is a major factor in what can 

be brought in and how many computers 

will work. 

If the district bandwidth cannot support 

the computers, then new computers will 

be futile. 

Ross has been trying to figure out 

how many computers can be brought 

in without affecting bandwidth, though 

that number is not known yet. Other 

administrators are working him to replace 

the old technology. 

Teachers recognize that the limited 

bandwidth affects how the school 

technology can be utilized. 

“I think another problem with 

technology is the limited bandwidth we 

receive from the state,” Stewart said. 


Students in Mrs. Hollifield’s AP Literature class compose essays on the school laptops. The laptops, 

along with other school technology, is becoming outdated, but there are plans for 

replacement, provided a cost-effective plan can be found. 

“It’s not adequate with the technology we 

have.” 

Computer Lab Coordinator Sundra 

LeCroy has been a part of the process to 

assess the technology. 

“I have gone around the school to 

count all rooms and labs to see how 

many computes will be needed,” she said. 

“There are approximately 500 computers 

in the school. That’s a vast amount of 

bandwidth and money to replace all 

computers.” 

According to LeCroy, not all computers 

need replacements. She said that the 

school shouldn’t throw them all out just 

because they are old. When the computers 

no longer work at all, then they will need 

replacing. 

“Some are still working great even if 

they don’t look as new,” she said. 

Students’ busy lives interfere with a good night’s sleep 

by Linda Srey 

Students have busy lives – school, 

homework, practice, jobs, families, 

friends. 

Something has to give, right? 

For many students, that something is 

sleep. Unfortunately, sleep is a necessary 

activity, and some students decide to catch 

up on it in class. 

“Sleep gives us energy to do stuff,” 

sophomore Danielle Mccomas said. 

“Sleep is important because we need 

to rest so that we can perform better in 

everyday activities,” Spanish teacher 

Adela Trejo said. “A lot of people who 

don’t get enough sleep are usually in bad 

moods.” 

Sleep can help protect a person’s mental 

and physical health, quality of life and 

safety. Most people need at least eight 

hours of sleep per night. 

Many, however, do not get that. 

“I think the average student gets like 

four or five hours of sleep because they’re 

tired (when they come to class), and they 

don’t want to do anything,” Trejo said. 

Sometimes, school is the reason 

students are up late, which creates an 

Preparing for a life of medical 

research and study 

ironic circle of events when students fall 

asleep in class. 

“The amount of time I sleep each 

night changes based on whether or not I 

have homework and the time I get home, 

basically,” said Mccomas. 

Lack of sleep can affect people can 

cause both mental and physical changes in 

people. 

“With less sleep I’d be walking around 

like a zombie all day, and I would 

probably sleep in class,” Mccomas said. 

Teachers hope to model good sleeping 

habits for their students, all too aware of 

how a lack of sleep can hurt. 

Hall talk 

“I do get my eight hours,” Trejo said. “I 

go to bed early. I can’t stay up late.” 

Students not sleeping at home can lead 

to them getting in trouble at school. Most 

teachers do not appreciate a sleeping 

student. 

“I’ll have a few that try it, but I don’t let 

them so they won’t do it or they wouldn’t 

stay asleep long,” science teacher Tina 

Gragg said. “Whenever someone sleeps in 

my class, I wake them up and sometimes 

I get them to stay awake by making them 

stand up.” 

What the students are saying... 

“I know what fatback is! It’s an 

eighth grader that’s mean to everyone, 

right?” 

“Have you seen Oscar?” “Oscar 

who?” “Oscar Mayer Wiener!” 


Senior Justin Stewart, junior Caleb Mayfield and senior Aja Miller dissect a cat during 

lab in Amy Driggers’ biology lab. According to Driggers, it is a valuable lab experiment. 

“Because they’re internal and external anatomy are very similar to humans, (and 

because) they’re size and proportion of organs to humans -- that’s why we do this,” 

Driggers said. “We look at the dissection and learn about the physiology and anatomy of 

humans. This is especially important for health science students going into research and 

study in this field.” 

“I thought every town had its own 

pope.”


4 Centerspread 


Chapman High School c 

People set to spend big 

money during the holiday 

season, but Chapman faculty 

and students search for true 

meaning 

by Austin Graham 

According to Business Insider, Americans spent an average of $704.18 on 

Christmas presents in 2011. Americans are projected by American research 

group to spend an average of $854 on Christmas gifts in 2012. 

This year many kids will wake up with iPads, cell phones, video games 

and many other things under their trees. For students and teachers here at 

Chapman, the true meaning of the holidays isn’t so materialistic. 

“I think the true meaning (of the holidays) is spending time with family. 

It’s a time of jokes, sarcasim and humor,” senior Anayeli Guerrero said. 

Senior Sheree Edwards and sophomore Will Lanford believe that people 

are spending too much time focusing on gifts. 

“People are too materialistic. They think too much about the gifts they 

will give, instead of the time they will spend with family,” Edwards said. 

“People worry too much about getting others expensive gifts so that 

people won’t think bad about them. I think that’s wrong,” Lanford said. 

Media center assistant, Allison Maybry believes the greatest gifts are the 

ones that help others. 

“We should focus on how we spend our money, not on how much we 

think we should buy. A gift of time or money for charity would make a 

more positive impact than buying gifts just for the sake of having something 

material to give to someone,” Maybry said. 

Some here at Chapman focus on the religious meaning. 

“(Christmas) means the birth of Christ. We celebrate by giving gifts on his 

birthday, but that’s not the main point,” Maybry said. 

“The meaning of the holidays is about celebrating Jesus, not gifts. I mean 

think about it, they didn’t have Walmart during his time,” sophomore Jacob 

Simpson said. 

For many here at Chapman the holidays are just about having fun and 

spending time with friends and family. 

“I like to hang out with family and friends. The break is good for that,” 

Lanford said. 

“I’m going to spend the holidays at home with family,” Simpson said. 

“We will be going to see my family in Campobello on Christmas Eve, and 

my husband’s family on Christmas day in McBee,” Maybry said. 

“I’m going to spend time with my family and my best friend Kaylee 

(Sellars),” sophomore Logan Marlow said. 

Some people just enjoy embracing the holiday cheer. 

“My favorite part about this time of the year is decorating for Christmas. 

I really enjoy seeing where my daughter’s elf on the will show up next,” 

Maybry said. 

“I love to decorate the tree,” Gurerro said. 

“I love the snow! I really hope it snows this year,” Marlow said. 

What do you want under your tree this Christmas? 

“I want a brand 

new car.” 

- Alex Hammett, 

‘13 

“I want the super 

T-shirt I’ll get when 

all my students pass 

(the EOC).” 

- Teresa Caton


5 

Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman 

Centerspread 

High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High Chapman High School Chapman High School Chapman High 

elebrates the holidays 

Staff Editorial 

Consider the true meaning of Christmas 

With Christmas right around the corner, 

people are scrambling to get their last 

minute shopping done. Stores are jampacked 

with people waiting in line to get 

the newest Apple technology, hundreds of 

dollars worth of Hollister clothes and if 

you’re lucky, a car. 

But why does all of this matter? 

Christmas is about gift-giving, right? 

We all preach about “The True Meaning 

of Christmas,” but do we really practice 

that? 

Christmas is supposed to be a 

celebration of Jesus’ birth, not an excuse 

to max out a credit card. 

No, gift-giving is not a horrible thing. 

That’s not the point of this article. 

The problem with Christmas is that 

we, as Americans, use it as a time to buy 

junk and think that the nativity and cross 

ornaments we put out are a sufficient way 

to recognize the Jesus. 

Putting an angel on the top of a tree 

doesn’t count. 

Going to the Christmas Eve service at 

church is a good start, but it is completely 

pointless if you only go because you feel 

like you “should.” 

And no, an oversized, colorful light-up 

nativity scene on your lawn, complete 

with the Shepherd’s sheep, means nothing 

and kind of looks ridiculous. 

The worst part is seeing nominal 

“Christians” complain about what they did 

or did not receive. You’re some Christian 

alright. Way to be appreciative. 

Being a Christian and celebrating 

Christmas is about acting in a way that 

God would. 

Is he going to look at your light-up 

nativity and think, “It’s really great 

that you are recognizing Christmas by 

spending hundreds of dollars on a poor 

representation of what really happened. 

Forget about those people you murdered. 

Free pass to Heaven!”? 

That’s just dumb. Maybe instead of 

buying hundreds of dollars worth of 

Christian related décor, you should donate 

that money to a good cause. Or buy 

something or for someone less fortunate. 

That’s what Christmas is about, right? 

The true meaning? 

So, as you celebrate this Christmas 

remember that acting in a Christian way 

and appreciating what you have is worth 

more in God’s eyes than having a cross 

ornament on your tree. 

Chapman High School Christmas assembly 2012 

“I want clothes 

and some 

Kobes.” 

- Brandon 

Goodwin, ‘13 

“I want a 

puppy.” 

- Christie 

Fowler, ‘13


6 Opinion 


Preparing for (or participating in) the end of the world 

Caroline Stewart 

Editor 

As we all 

know, Dec. 

21, 2012, 

marks the 

end of the 

world. Since 

most people 

don’t want 

to die, I’ve 

compiled 

some tips 

to help you 

through the 

apocalypse. 

You’re welcome. 

If you want to avoid it completely: 

The first thing you should do is find 

a safe place to escape. Most people 

recommend an underground safety shelter. 

Whoever says this is clearly an idiot 

because when the world ends, that shelter 

is going to be obliterated with it. 

I mean, the end of the world isn’t 

going to be like “The Road.” That’s so 

unrealistic. Hate to break it to you, but 

all heck will break loose and then the 

zombies will get you. 

Personally, I would recommend buying 

a rocket and trying to live on Mars. I feel 

like that would be a much more realistic 

way to survive. 

Don’t say a rocket is too expensive – 

buy it anyway. It’s not like you’re going 

to have debt. The guy you bought it from 

will be dead. 

I would also recommend that you pack 

your ship like Noah did. Two by two 

really worked in his favor. 

Your next order of business would be 

food. I mean, without food, you’ll die, 

right? So now you should drop whatever 

you’re doing and go buy everything in 

the canned food section at your local 

Walmart. 

And I do mean everything. Don’t leave 

a single can. You’ll regret it when you’re 

on Mars and only have five cans of carrots 

left. 

Water is next on the list. I plan on going 

to all of the local stores and buying all of 

the jugs of water. Then, I can just load 

them onto my rocket. 

Now you might also consider bringing 

along some building supplies, just in case 

you need to build a house or you know, 

start a new society. 

When you’re on Mars, you might get 

bored. Make sure that you bring some 

reading material, board games, and party 

supplies in case of someone’s birthday. 

Teachers and students share their thoughts about the apocalypse 

“I’ve already started preparing. We have a stockpile of 

emergency rations -- a 30 day supply -- and water. We 

also have our stockpile of weapons. I have been training, 

using knives and other sharp objects to help save ammo. 

I have also been working out in case I have to run or go 

into hand to hand combat, not only with zombies, but I 

think people will be a real danger in the apocalypse.” -- 

Holly Hollifield, English teacher 

“I don’t think the world is going to end so I’m going 

to keep living life like I am now. I’ve lived everyday 

to the fullest and I’m going to keep living everyday 

to the fullest.” -- Chardenai Vang, ‘13 

“On Dec. 21 I’m going to start taking chances I wouldn’t 

normally take. I’ve started taking karate classes to 

prepare, and I’ve been stocking up on food and weapons.” 

-- Kristy Foster, ‘10 

“Despite my husband’s preparation for 2012, I have 

given it no thought nor will it concern me in the 

least.” -- Casey Nunnemaker, English teacher 

If you want to participate in the 

Zombie Apocalypse: 

First, go stand in the middle of a natural 

disaster and die. Death is obviously a 

necessity in this scenario. 

Then, come back to life as a zombie 

and attack the idiots that thought the 

apocalypse was a lie. How could they 

be so stupid? A zombie attack is totally 

realistic in modern society. 

After that, enjoy the brains of your 

victims and prove the zombie stereotype 

to be true. I mean, you have a reputation 

to uphold. 

If you want to try to wait out the 

disasters and fight the zombies: 

First, you should gather some supplies 

to attack the zombies with. These include, 

but are not limited to, baseball bats 

(preferably aluminum), human flesh/ 

brain to use as zombie bait, a chainsaw, a 

crowbar, matches to ignite the zombie, a 

woodchipper (one of the most brutal ways 

to kill) and weapons of mass destruction. 

These weapons can be used in many 

ways. Be aware that many of the tactics 

that murderers use on their victims will 

not work on zombies. There are excellent 

online resources for more information on 

this. 

Some muscle might be necessary to kill 

a zombie, so, go ahead and start buffing 

up now. 

You might also consider forming a 

lynch mob to help with your attacks. You 

might recall that in “The Walking Dead,” 

the zombies also tend to travel in packs. 

I wish you the best of luck in whatever 

you choose to do. 

Below I have provided resources for 

additional information and advice. 

I hope that these websites can provide 

you with enough information to make an 

educated decision about your future. 

The next installment of The Prowl may 

be delayed, as we’ll have to relocate on 

Mars. 

http://voices.yahoo.com/howkill-zombie-ten-best-ways-killzombie-4740282.html 

http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm 

http://www.survival-spot.com/survivalblog/how-to-survive-the-end-of-theworld-as-we-know-it-tactics-techniquesand-technologies-for-uncertain-times/ 

http://www.primermagazine.com/2010/ 

learn/survival-pack 

http://www.survivetheapocalypse.net/ 

Why the Grinch was justified in 

stealing Christmas 

Austin Graham 

Staff Writer 

The ABC 

family of 

networks 

shows the 

classic 

holiday 

special, 

“Dr. Seuss’s 

How the 

Grinch Stole 

Christmas”. 

In this 

special, the 

Grinch is portrayed as a villain. 

But can you blame him? The Grinch has 

many reasons to have a bad attitude. 

First of all, wouldn’t you be just a little 

bit cranky if you were being kept up all 

night by terrible singing? Even Horton 

could hear the whos. 

And another thing, what happened to 

the other four Ws? Everyone who watches 

sees the Whos, but what happened to 

what, when, where and why? If that was 

the only “W” I had I would be pretty 

irritated too. 

He has plenty of reason to be cranky. 

Consider all that fur he’s covered in. He 

has to be burning up. At least throw an air 

conditioner in there or something. 

The Grinch also has wardrobe issues. 

He has to choose between nothing and a 

ridiculous Santa Clause outfit. He looked 

more ridiculous than a cat in a hat. 

Also what about his pet? Obviously he 

wanted a reindeer but all the pet store had 

was dogs. Life just isn’t fair sometimes. 

The Grinch is left alone the whole year; 

somebody could at least send him a card, 

fruit basket, or at least some green eggs 

and ham. Where is the common courtesy 

in Whoville? 

The Grinch also had some sort of facial 

issue too. Nobody’s mouth should curl up 

that many times when they smile, it’s just 

unnatural. 

Can’t you see why he would be in such 

a bad mood? 

Clearly the Grinch wasn’t thinking 

straight to begin with. With a heart that 

that was two sizes too small there is no 

way that blood was making its way to his 

brain properly. 

And the way I see it, the Grinch didn’t 

really “steal “Christmas. The Whos left all 

of their Christmas supplies and presents 

out for grabs. 

If you ask me, Christmas was just 

thrust into his hands, and he happened to 

be there to catch it. 

P 

THE 

ROWL 

Volume 13, Issue 3 

Chapman High School 

P.O. Box 389 

Inman, SC 29349 

FAX 864-472-0914 

Phone 864-472-2836 

Email-www.Spart1.org/chs 

Printer 

JS Printing 

Adviser 

Drew Timmons 

Member of the South Carolina Scholastic 

Press Association 

Editor 

Caroline Stewart 

Staff Writers 

Melony Gibson 

Austin Graham 

Matt Phillips 

Charlotte Miller 

Vitaley Rantsevich 

Linda Srey 

The Prowl welcomes all letters to the 

editor. Letters are subject to editing 

for libel, grammar, content and space. 

Letters will not be considered for publication 

unless they are signed. Please 

deliver any letters to the editor, in 

person, to Mr. Timmons in room 308. 

Discrimination of all persons is prohibited 

with regard to the provision of 

educational opportunities and benefits 

on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, religion, sex, age, or disability 

in Spartanburg School District One as 

required by Title IX of the Educational 

Amendment Act of 1972, Section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 

the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.


7 

Opinion 


Why students are fighting and what the school can do to prevent it 

Students 

today all 

over the 

world 

fight in or 

on school 

grounds over 

things that 

could be 

Melony Gibson avoided. 

Most 

Staff Writer 

students 

choose to 

fight because they want to make someone 

mad or to push another student to see if 

they will fight back. 

Some of the students in school feel that 

by bringing others down to rock bottom 

Stop abusing the word “love” 

Matt Phillips 

Staff Writer 

Love is 

a strong 

word in 

life. 

I choose 

the people 

I say “I 

love you” 

to wisely 

because 

those are 

the ones 

that are 

always 

going to be there for me no matter what. 

To those of you here at Chapman 

that are supposedly in love with your 

boyfriend/girlfriend, great, think that. 

I don’t think half of Chapman 

understands the true meaning of love. 

They think just because you have strong 

feelings for someone it is love, and others 

think love revolves around money and 

riches and the most popular things. 

This might seem weird, but to me, I 

think the true meaning of love is when 

you stand by someone through thick 

and thin, give them a shoulder to cry on 

when no one else is there for them, be the 

person they never want to lose, make them 

feel wanted in every way possible, make 

it to where your job is to make them smile 

every day, spend time with them, and hold 

them close and tight to let them know 

you’re not going anywhere and that you 

Myth of high school is very different 

than the reality of high school 

When 

I was in 

middle 

school, my 

teachers 

told me that 

it wasn’t 

anything 

compared to 

Vitaley Rantsevich high school 

and that 

Staff Writer 

they were 

preparing 

me for it. 

In middle school the teachers would try 

to treat us like it was high school and tried 

to treat the students like adults. 

Then when I got to Chapman High 

School, on the first day I was all like, 

“This is it. Let the hardships begin.” 

Then I got to class, and in my opinion, 

it was not much different. 

We had more homework, and we 

actually had to pay attention, but it was 

still wasn’t has hard as I wanted it to be. 

In middle school they made you think 

that everything would be harder like 

it will build them up and make them feel 

better about themselves because they have 

no self-esteem or like themselves. 

I think some fights are for some pretty 

idiotic reasons. 

I’m a junior and in my three years of 

high school the fights I’ve witnessed have 

been for a variety of reasons. 

One reason is that someone was bullying 

someone to the point they were in 

tears of anger. 

Others were because of someone standing 

up for themselves and fought back 

because the other person wouldn’t stop. 

Some were because of the egos of others. 

I have my own opinions on how to 

handle students with the urge to these 

actions. 

will always be there for them. 

Love isn’t supposed to be a game or 

something to play around with. Love also 

shouldn’t be a circle. That means don’t 

fall in love with the wrong person. Often 

times, people chase the wrong ones while 

the right ones are standing in the corner, 

waiting. 

Love should be what this world runs 

on, but it’s not because we have people in 

this world that think love is just something 

to play with. We have cheaters, and they 

say, “once a cheater always a cheater.’ 

Love isn’t about breaking hearts and 

hurting each other in the process. Love 

is the strongest word in the world. If you 

want to find true love you have to search 

for it. 

Minimize your selection and you will 

find that one for you. Don’t let anyone 

stop you from searching or loving 

someone. Love will always live among us. 

We just have to choose to accept the fact 

that we have to learn how to love each 

other in harmony. 

And to my fellow students no matter 

how tough life gets just know that your 

parents love you and they are here for you 

don’t ever be afraid to tell your parents 

anything no matter what they will always 

be by your side through thick and thin 

just like my mother is for me. Always 

remember that family comes first. 

random quizzes and tons of homework. 

But in geometry my teacher is nice 

enough to give us study guides and warn 

us about upcoming quizzes and for test 

she tells us what we should study. 

In some movies that you would see, 

there are people getting pushed around 

everywhere, and that is what I thought I 

would see every day, but I haven’t and 

nearly everyone here is nice. 

Also, I would think that everything 

would be tough and there would be no 

fun. Then it turned out I like high school, 

and that it is fun. Even the core classes 

are fun! 

Sometimes we get pep rallies, which are 

fun, especially since we get to lose like an 

hour of class. 

So far high school has been pretty good; 

I mean school is usually never fun, but so 

far, I like school. 

I am not trying to sound like a totally 

positive person, but school is fun if you 

try to make it fun. 

I feel that students shouldn’t get into 

the personal business of others and that 

they should stay out of drama. However, 

I recognize that this is unlikely for some 

students. The school must be proactive 

in other ways to make sure that fights are 

stopped. 

I think that a more involved faculty and 

staff, stricter rules and harsher punishments 

would lead to a decrease in fighting. 

Faculty and staff members should work 

on more efficient ways of preventing or 

breaking up the action before it escalates 

into more than just the unfriendly exchange 

of words. 

Most students are old enough that they 

could be arrested for assault. Students 

should think about that before throwing a 

punch at someone. 

A woman’s opinion does not matter, huh? 

I’m a 

woman; 

society has 

taught me 

that my 

opinion isn’t 

worth much. 

So this 

time I’m 

Charlotte Miller not going 

to give my 

Staff Writer 

opinion. 

Instead 

I’m just going to give you a list of some 

facts I found online. 

If you want to read something that 

“matters” you can go read Austin, Matt or 

Vitaley. 

There are more chickens than people in 

the world. 

All 50 states are listed across the top of 

the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the 

five dollar bill. 

It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes 

open. 

Linda Srey 

Staff Writer 

On Nov. 

1, 2012, 

Chapman 

held the 

production 

of “Romeo 

and Juliet” 

in the 

auditorium. 

Chapman 

held two 

shows, a 

morning 

show and an evening/night show. 

We have two drama classes, and there 

are two Romeo and Juliet casts. Everyone 

in the classes thought each casts would 

be able to play in one show and another 

would star in the other. But instead of that, 

our drama classes were separated. 

In the play our Lady Capulets, 

Mercutios, Tybalts, Juliets and Romeos 

were swapped into different shows, 

mixing the two classes together. 

It made it harder for us to work 

together, given the fact that everyone 

in my class had gotten extremely close 

as if we we’re all family. We’ve always 

rehearsed together, helped one another out 

and understood where each of us needed 

more practice in. 

Some of us found it a bit unfair that we 

were all split apart. 

We were all separated equally, so 

practically our whole cast were in 

different shows. Of course, both casts 

appeared in both shows but the roles were 

For the safety and security of the students 

and staff at school, students should 

work on keeping some opinions and 

thoughts to themselves. 

Punishments are also an issue given that 

OSS is the punishment for fighting. 

Students don’t mind missing days of 

school. Getting suspended gives some students 

a bigger incentive to fight, honestly. 

If they fight, they can stay home. For 

some, that’s all they ever want. 

Let’s change some punishments around 

and make it to where students would be 

scared to fight, not where they fight to get 

out of school. 

It is impossible to lick your elbow. 

Wearing headphones for just an hour 

will increase the bacteria in your ear by 

700 times. 

It’s against the law to have a pet dog in 

Iceland. 

A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. And no 

one knows why. 

Deer can’t eat hay. 

Money isn’t made out of paper; it’s 

made out of cotton. 

On average 12 newborns will be given 

to the wrong parents daily. 

Human thigh bones are stronger than 

concrete. 

It’s against the law to sneeze in church 

in Nebraska. 

Here’s the funny thing: I just gave 

you a list of facts rather than my opinion 

because that’s what you expect of me. 

But I’m pretty sure even my facts are 

entertaining to you. Just goes to show 

what a woman really can do. 

Still, I hear you: I’m going to go make a 

sandwich now. 

Two classes, both alike in dignity, 

work together in “Romeo and Juliet” 

not the same for everyone. 

We didn’t like that. We preferred our 

class to be in the same show together, 

playing the roles we were originally casts 

as. 

Some were cast a role and played that 

role in both shows. Those people had 

nothing to worry about. 

Everyone else who only played the 

leading role or a supporting role in one 

show found it difficult because they had to 

work with someone they hardly knew. 

All of us had to transition to being able 

to work with other actors instead of the 

people they usually rehearsed with and 

felt more comfortable with. 

It made everyone act a bit off because 

we were all unsure of how the others 

performed because if they had a different 

way or method of doing things then 

that would definitely throw us off. Our 

rehearsal time where both classes got a 

chance to come together was a bit limited, 

so we had to get everything done in a 

rush. 

All of us didn’t know most of the other 

actors or how they acted so it kind of 

stopped us from being able to perfect 

the show for a while. Everyone was 

constantly stumbling over lines and on 

smaller things. It definitely made us more 

nervous. 

Still, I think both shows turned out fine. 

I thought that it would never work 

out, but I was wrong. I hoped everyone 

enjoyed it as much as everyone behind the 

curtains did.


S 8 

ports 


Chapman athletes do not let traditional gender roles stand 

in the way of excellence 

by Austin Graham 

Earning respect in athletics is hard. 

It’s even harder when you are different 

than everyone around you. 

Some athletes and coaches at 

Chapman are involved in sports that 

are not considered the “right” sport by 

stereotypes. 

Terra Brannon is one of the wrestling 

coaches at Chapman. Although she has 

years of experience, she still feels as 

though she has trouble gaining respect. 

“I’ve been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 

for a few years now, which is similar to 

wrestling,” Brannon said. “It’s a style 

of ground fighting or grappling, but 

sometimes I don’t feel like I get the same 

respect.” 

Brannon feels as if she has to prove 

herself to the male wrestlers. 

“Sometimes I feel like I have to prove 

myself to gain respect where as if you’re 

an average male and you walk into the 

wrestling room you won’t have to prove 

yourself,” Brannon said. 

Senior wrestler Chardenai Vang also 

feels this way. 

“I get underestimated a lot. Some 

people doubt me,” Vang said. 

Although underestimation happens, 

Brannon does not believe that it’s a big 

deal that she coaches wrestling or that 

women wrestle at all. 

“With my Jiu Jitsu team, it’s more 

common for women to train Jiu Jitsu 

and MMA. Being a woman in there isn’t 

a big deal, I’m just part of the team. 

With high school wrestling it’s not that 

popular, so it seems like they have a hard 

time accepting me since it is so male 

dominated,” Brannon said. 

Brannon has noticed people around her 

taking an interest in what she does. 

“The biggest response I get is when 

I say I am a wrestling coach they say 

‘really?’ as if they are in disbelief. When 

I explain things to them they seem really 

interested,” Brannon said. 

Vang has also noticed a positive 

reaction to what she does. 

“I get mad respect for what I do. People 

who know me respect me.” Vang said. 

Wrestling 

is not the 

only sport 

at Chapman 

with an 

athlete in 

the “wrong” 

sport. 

The 

Chapman 

Cheerleading 

team also 

includes 

Senior Nick 

Easler. 

“I joined 

the team 

because 

I talked 

to Mrs. 

Gramling, and I really wanted to get a 

scholarship,” Easler said. 

Although Easler has faced challenges, 

he has gotten a positive reaction from 

people around him. 

“Most people I talk to think it’s pretty 

cool that I cheerlead,” Easler said. 

Photo courtesy of Panaroma Staff 

Senior cheerleader Nick Easler prepares to entertain the crowd during a 2012 

football game. Easler is the only male cheerleader but not the only Chapman 

athlete who has broken the gender barrier. 

Easler has also noticed differences 

between this sport and other sports. 

“The biggest difference is being around 

a bunch of girls,” Easler said “Sometimes 

it’s okay, but sometimes I just want to pull 

my hair out.” 

Off-season training an essential part of athletic success 

by Austin Graham & Vitaley Rantsevich 

Being fit and active is important for 

many things, particularly sports. In 

athletic events it is important that athletes 

can push themselves to their very limits. 

Each yard that they gain, each point 

they score, each goal they make is crucial. 

Coaches and athletes spend an entire off 

season working so that they can maximize 

their success. 

Because coaches cannot practice with 

their athletes all year, they expect their 

players to take some responsibility for offseason 

training. This way, athletes are not 

inactive for nine months while their sport 

is in the off season. 

Despite the coaches’ desires to have 

their athletes in prime physical condition, 

there are limitations imposed by the South 

Carolina High School League. 

Every coach is given a three-week 

period of working with athletes and doing 

many things available in regular training. 

After those weeks, the coaches have to 

be hands off. 

Tennis coach Alex Hollis said that 

he would prefer having more time with 

the players but hopes that they will take 

personal responsibility. 

“I would like it if tennis trained on their 

own and together,” he said. 

Junior tennis player Clay Smith also 

knows the importance of this off season 

training. 

Pull a half! Chapman wrestlers 

seek domination 

“I do intense ball hitting all day every 

day,” Smith said, “It makes me a better 

player.” 

Head boys soccer coach Will Maley 

said that he would like to have his players 

work on skill in the off season, even if he 

is not the one who is there to coach them 

individually. 

“Players should play club soccer or at 

least pick-up games, as well as work on 

their skill work and conditioning,” Maley 

said. 

The idea of playing for school or nonschool 

teams during the off season is 

similar to what baseball players do. 

“Players will do speed training and 

pitchers do a bull pen,” Coach Steve 

Fusaro said. 

“I practice through the spring, summer, 

and fall,” junior baseball player J.W. 

Emory said “November workouts and 

weight lifting help out a lot.” 

Because off-season training is not 

mandatory, those who go to practice, show 

dedication, passion, commitment and are 

more likely to make the team unlike those 

who rarely go or do not go at all. 

Even when Emory is not with the 

School, he still realizes that he needs to 

practice to become a better ball player. 

“I usually get a friend and go long toss 

or hit in the cage,” Emory said, “It makes 

me better at baseball and a better athlete 

all round. 

Recent Champman accomplishments 

* Girls golf reached the state championship 

* All-State Chorus members who made it to All- 

State Sight-Singing: Luke Holden, John Small, 

Aaron Owenby 

* Cross country runner Jacob Grigg made it to the 

state meet 

* The volleyball team was region champions and 

made it to the second round of the state playoffs 

Errors & Corrections 

In issue 1 of The Prowl, Chavious Hill was listed as 

a junior. He is a senior. 

Photo by Ashley Brannon of Panaroma 

Junior Klint Tucker tries to run a half on his opponent during a match at a tournament 

at Powdersville High School on Dec. 8. 

The Panthers won first place at the tournament, although head coach Leo Sawyer 

said there is work to be done. 

“(The team is) doing okay, but we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. 

In issue 1 of The Prowl, Caleb Mayfield was listed 

as a senior. He is a junior. 

In issue 2 of The Prowl, the story “Is cheerleading 

really a sport? Coach and her cheerleaders say, 

‘Yes!’” was printed without a byline. The story was 

written by Austin Graham.

December 2012 - Spartanburg County School District One

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