Welcome to Senior year

By: Summer McCrary

               Senior year is a wonderful time for most teenagers on the face of the Earth.  When seniors graduate, they hopefully will become more independent in making their own life decisions. This time in someone’s life can be really stressful and exciting or both, depending on the person.

One of the first things that seniors need to do is decide if they are going to college or into the work force right after school. Photo courtesy of Kristen Hegel

               There are many things that you can do to prepare for senior year and graduation.  First, you can make a list of all the things that you need to do, keeping senior year and graduation in mind. One of the first things that seniors need to do is decide if they are going to college or into the work force right after school.  If you want to go to college, you need to take the SAT and apply to a few colleges.  Seniors also need to think about how they are going to pay for college and will need to apply for financial aid and/or scholarships.  Seniors also have to remember to order their graduation items such as cap/gown, announcements, and any other graduating paraphernalia.  Seniors have to also remember to keep up their grades, even after they get accepted into college.  Colleges look at grades from second semester and can rescind your acceptance if you don’t do well. 

              For many seniors, they will be moving out of their parents’ house after graduation, whether it’s into an apartment or a dorm room.  This can be exciting and scary.  With a new place to live comes a lot of responsibility such as having to pay bills, cook dinner, do laundry, and manage homework.

               Along with responsibility come some perks as well.  The perks of being a senior are that we can have extra days off from school when it’s the end of the school year before graduation.  Another perk we get is more time at lunch to socialize with friends during Fall Fling and Spring Fling here atFortMillHigh School. These activities are what make being a senior something to look forward to for an upcoming graduate.

                Senior year can be a really great time for many students.  While it can be stressful, remember to enjoy every minute of it because you only get one senior year.

Fort Mill High around the holidays

Donations around the holidays help those in need be able to have a Christmas. Photo courtesy of Google images

By: Caleb Hinkley

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Fort Mill High School, as many clubs and classes have participated in events and projects to help those who may not be able to have Christmas without their. Those who have participated have given time, money and some things they don’t use any more in order to better someone elses holiday

Last week atFortMill, the student council organized a donation project for less fortunate children in our community. Each second block class was assigned a specific “Angel” to whom the students donated money and gifts based on what the children said they wanted for Christmas. The donations were then added into a total amount for each classroom. The three highest earning classes will be rewarded with prizes based on who had the highest amount donated.

Another project thatFortMillparticipated in was Toys for Tots. On Saturday and Sunday, ROTC of Fort Mill High collected toys at Wal-Mart in Tega Cay. Dylan Petro, a student who participated, said, “Toys for Tots is a donation program where you buy a toy or donate money to help those who are less fortunate; we raised over $1300 in the first hour. Altogether from donated money, we raised over $1,000,000, and there were two truckloads of toys in total.” There is still a section at Wal-Mart reserved for Toys for Tots donations, so it’s not too late for students and teachers to donate.

The clubs aroundFortMillare spreading holiday cheer by hosting parties and events of which members are welcome to participate. On Thursday, the FBLA plans to have a Christmas party meeting for its members. The Art Club is getting creative for the holidays. At their next meeting club members plan to build gingerbread houses. All members have to do is bring in their supplies that they want to decorate their houses.

 

The Chemistry Club is also getting involved in an innovative way, cooking up chemical candy. The only thing members are asked is to make a small $.50 to help cover the cost.The Fellowship of Christian Athletes have also added to the fun of bringing in the holidays. They had a tacky Christmas party Tuesday, and plan on having caroling and dinner in Baxter on Thursday. They are also selling FMHS blankets for $35, and the money collected will go for FCA trip scholarships.

Fort Mill has gotten students ready for Christmas, with so much to do no student should be left out. Why not do something good this season by donating. If you’re not part of a specific club, you can volunteer for projects that the community hosts. So don’t be a Scrooge and spread the joy of Christmas around Fort Mill High.

Fort Mill High around the holidays

By: Caleb Hinkley

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Fort Mill High School, as many clubs and classes have participated in events and projects to help those who may not be able to have Christmas without their. Those who have participated have given time, money and some things they don’t use any more in order to better someone elses holiday

Last week atFortMill, the student council organized a donation project for less fortunate children in our community. Each second block class was assigned a specific “Angel” to whom the students donated money and gifts based on what the children said they wanted for Christmas. The donations were then added into a total amount for each classroom. The three highest earning classes will be rewarded with prizes based on who had the highest amount donated.

Another project thatFortMillparticipated in was Toys for Tots. On Saturday and Sunday, ROTC of Fort Mill High collected toys at Wal-Mart in Tega Cay. Dylan Petro, a student who participated, said, “Toys for Tots is a donation program where you buy a toy or donate money to help those who are less fortunate; we raised over $1300 in the first hour. Altogether from donated money, we raised over $1,000,000, and there were two truckloads of toys in total.” There is still a section at Wal-Mart reserved for Toys for Tots donations, so it’s not too late for students and teachers to donate.

The clubs aroundFortMillare spreading holiday cheer by hosting parties and events of which members are welcome to participate. On Thursday, the FBLA plans to have a Christmas party meeting for its members. The Art Club is getting creative for the holidays. At their next meeting club members plan to build gingerbread houses. All members have to do is bring in their supplies that they want to decorate their houses.

 

The Chemistry Club is also getting involved in an innovative way, cooking up chemical candy. The only thing members are asked is to make a small $.50 to help cover the cost.The Fellowship of Christian Athletes have also added to the fun of bringing in the holidays. They had a tacky Christmas party Tuesday, and plan on having caroling and dinner in Baxter on Thursday. They are also selling FMHS blankets for $35, and the money collected will go for FCA trip scholarships.

Fort Mill has gotten students ready for Christmas, with so much to do no student should be left out. Why not do something good this season by donating. If you’re not part of a specific club, you can volunteer for projects that the community hosts. So don’t be a Scrooge and spread the joy of Christmas around Fort Mill High.

Dance team travels to Tennessee

By: Kristyn Blackwood

This past weekend, December 1 through the 4, our Fort Mill Dance Team traveled to Sevierville, Tennessee for UDA’s Smokey Mountain Christmas Dance Competition. They competed on Saturday, December 3 against eight other varsity high school dance teams.

            The girls have been preparing since early July for this competition. This includes choreographing and cleaning the dance, as well as, getting together and participating in fundraisers to help pay for the trip. They hosted their own competition, in which nine other schools came to compete, raising the majority of their money. The dance team also worked a refreshments booth at the Baxter Fall Festival which made more money and also allowed them to promote themselves and advertise for Breakfast with Santa.

            Breakfast with Santa is one of the events Dance Team hosts every year that brings in a good amount of money. This event already happened this year, but make sure to be looking out next year for the dance team to be selling tickets. This event, happed on December 10, provided breakfast and a chance for the children to meet with Santa and tell him what is on their Christmas lists.

            Back to the competition, the girls came in fourth place out of nine. The team scored higher than over half the teams there to compete and was just 10 points away from beating the highest scoring team. They were pleased with their score, but also know what needs to be done to improve. When asked what her favorite part about the weekend was, Senior Sarah Oldiges said, “I enjoyed being with all the girls and having the opportunity to attend the University of Tennessee basketball game and meet their dance team!” The UT dance team is the four time National UDA dance team champs, making them the best college dance team in the country. Mrs. Dukes, the dance team coach said, “I don’t know who was more excited, me or the girls, to meet the UT dance team, but it was definitely an awesome opportunity.”

            All in all, the dance team had a good competition as well as many opportunities to help inspire and improve their abilities for future competitions. They are looking forward to the rest of their season this year and are hoping everyone comes out to support them at upcoming events like Breakfast with Santa and basketball games this year.

FCA Afghan sell

By: Raven Rascoe           

          With winter now here, the temperature is dropping quickly. What better way to snuggle up tight than to buy an Afghan from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. For those who don’t know what an afghan is, it’s a blanket that is thick and heavy. The five and a half foot blanket is one of the most treasured items I have seen so far this year.

            This warm blanket only cost $35 and is a great present for FMHS alumni. “This warm thick blanket is a great way to have a piece ofFortMillmemory,” English teacher and FCA sponsor Laura Anne Cranford said. The afghan is blue and yellow, and has our famous mascot, the Yellow Jacket. “These blankets are my favorite and it knocks out a lot of people of my list for Christmas,”Cranfordsaid. As I looked and felt the blanket, I instantly wanted to by one. The feel of the blanket reminds me of a comfort item as a child. This is something that you know will keep you safe forever.

            The money that is raised from the blankets will be used for FCA’s trips that they take throughout the year. There are two trips towards which the money mainly goes: the spring trip to Garden City and the fall trip to the Clemson football game. The blanket is a great remembrance for the four years you spend here atFortMillHigh School.

            This blanket is great for football games to keep you warm and comfortable. FCA is a very dedicated team that likes to lead with Christ. This is the perfect blanket to share time with another person and show that you care.

            I’m sure that there are a number of people on your Christmas list, both young and old, who would love to receive their own FMHS afghan this holiday season.  Keep the Yellow Jacket spirit alive and buy your afghan today!

Help an Angel

By Julia Applegate

Leaving Thanksgiving behind and looking forward to Christmas can only mean one thing at Fort Mill High School: Christmas Angels

“The best part of this is wrapping, we have a pizza party and it’s a great time for the Student Council to bond." photo courtesy of Julia Applegate

             The Christmas Angel program has been going on at Fort Mill High School for about 20 years, and the program has been successful in helping families all over Fort Mill. Mr. Gales Scroggs, the head of Fort Mill Student Council, said it is Student Council’s biggest philanthropic event and brings in an average of $6,000 in donations per year. Last year’s donations were so significant that the school was able to add more kids to the Christmas Angel list.

Every second block classroom at Fort Mill High School will get assigned a “Christmas Angel.” The sheet with the Christmas Angel number on it also contains details about that particular person. It states the gender, age, their interests and the items that they would like to receive for Christmas. The students in that second block classroom can then decide if they would like to bring in monetary donations or buy gifts for their angel. Student Council members will then come by to every second block classroom to collect the donations and gifts and tally the total amount of money the classrooms bring in. Remember to bring in a receipt with the purchased gift so your class can get credit! This is important because this program is also a school wide competition and the classrooms are competing for prizes. The first place prize is a pizza party and will go to the classroom that raises the most money, the second place prize is an ice cream party and the third place prize is a cookie party.

After all the donations and gifts are collected the members of student council take the money and go out to buy the Christmas Angels their requested presents, this year that will take place on December 9. After all of the presents have been bought, it’s time for the Student

Council to wrap them. On Monday, December 12 after school, the Student Council will gather around and wrap all of the gifts for the families in need.

“The best part of this is wrapping, we have a pizza party and it’s a great time for the Student Council to bond,” Scroggs said.

Once all of the gifts have been wrapped, the presents will be taken to the parents of the Christmas Angels.

“My favorite part is knowing that all of the hard work will pay off when we see the smiles on the families’ faces,” Sophomore president Chelsea Helms said.

Regardless of all of the parties, the real prize is knowing that your donation will give presents to a child who wouldn’t have one otherwise. Making these children smile on Christmas morning is the best reward of all. So be sure to make a small donation or buy a small gift today, because anything would mean the world to a child who has nothing.

My Christmas tree

By: Raven Rascoe

Come support the Fort Mill High School baseball team by buying your Christmas tree near Main Street Fort Mill. Photo courtesy of Brad Mercer

          Christmas is almost here. People are going to be buying presents, hanging the mistletoe and putting up decorations. In order to put up the decorations you, must have a Christmas tree. Finding the best Christmas tree can be difficult. There are all different shapes and sizes. With the economy down, it’s hard to find a perfect tree at a good price. Where to go and how much will soon be the least of your worries this Christmas.

            Fort Mill High School Baseball team is holding its fifth year annual Christmas tree sale. This sale started November 25 and will go on until December 16.

          The baseball team gets trees from Avery North Carolina. The selling of trees is the highest paid fundraiser they do. You can buy your tree onHwy160 Main Streetin downtownFortMill.

            Tree sizes are anywhere from five feet to fourteen feet. Prices vary between 35 to 120 dollars. “We do this fundraiser every year to give service to the community and people are going to buy” Brad Mercer, the Baseball Coach, says. The money goes to the baseball team to pay for its trip to the beach, baseballs, hats and for socks. Trees are on sell Monday through Friday from five to eight-thirty, Saturday from nine to five and Sunday from one to five. When you go you will see multiple players to help you pick out that special Christmas tree.

           FortMillis proud to have a lot of people who come out and support the team. The accomplishments they have made are amazing and it really pays off in the end. The perfect Christmas tree is right by the railroad tracks, and the players are ready to serve with a bright smile and warm hello. The team just wants to say thank you for all the repeat customers that come out and show them support and encourage the team to do their best.

            Coach Mercer is very proud of the team and wants everyone to come out and get the best tree. It’s not too late to walk around and see the tree that puts a smile on your face and warms your heart with Christmas spirit. The team would love to see your face. Have a Merry Christmas and have fun tree hunting with our fellow Yellow Jackets.

 

All Youth On Board

 

The new club, All Youth on Board, is dedicated to making Fort Mill a better place. Photo courtesy of Google Images

By: Cassidy Parker

We all know the major clubs that have been at Fort Mill High Schoolfor a long time like, Beta Club or Key club. But a new club is on the way toFortMill. All Youth On Board is a group that was started inYorkCountyto help support healthy lives and environments for teens. AYOB’s mission is to “develop a safe and healthy environment for all York County Youth, and discuss the issues teens face and make change through educational opportunities for kids and parents.”

            All Youth on Board is committed to making the community as better place. It’s members aim to reduce risky and bad behavior such as alcohol, drug abuse, and violence. They promote the value of diversity by including all of the diversity in students that York County has to offer, and use this diversity to spread the values of school success, respect, good health and leadership skills to everyone in the community.   

All Youth on Board meets regularly to discuss their values and how they plan to spread them to the community. Joining the club is a great way to earn service hours for school or other organizations and it teaches leadership that will help you in college and in your future employment. The club is youth-led and is only made up of students, so it is a good opportunity to hang out with other students from Fort Mill that one might not normally get to meet, while having fun at meetings.

            Anyone can join the club as the advertisement says. It repeats one line a few times: “Anyone can be the change they want to see in the community – whether its trying to promote healthy lifestyles and choices…every time someone stands up to help the improve the lot of others they are helping to create a better world.” That line basically says it all about the club and its values. They stand to represent nonviolence and to make Fort Milland all of York Countya better place. Anyone can help them by joining, or just going to a meeting. Fort Mill has needed desperately to get a club that helps address real problems that teens face everyday and now they will have one.

Fort Mill High School cheerleaders

By: Ciera Johnson

Nailing their stunt, the Fort Mill cheerleaders compete to win first place! Photo courtesy of Google images

The Fort Mill High School cheerleaders have been working together since April to reach their one major goal; that is to make it to the state championships. They practice on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and then also have a football/basketball game every Friday night. That is not the end of the week for them though; throughout the months of September-December they have competitions on almost all of their Saturdays on top of everything else.

            Normal practices consist of tumbling, aerial stunts, cheers, dancing and also conditioning. “In order to be a FMHS cheerleader you must be dedicated,” junior Sarah Stalions says. Although some people consider cheerleading to not be a “real” sport, when you look at everything they do, it truly is a sport just like football or basketball. They only go out to perform on the mat for two and half minutes, but it consists of constant movement. One cheerleader stated that if you are not in good physical condition then it will be really hard to complete the routine.

            The captains of this year’s cheerleading squad are seniors Logan O’boyle and Sierra Amaya. “They really know what they’re doing and really help us out a lot to reach our goals.” Stalions stated. They lead the cheerleaders every time they head out on the mat in order to reach their major goal of reaching state.

            The cheerleaders have had 5 competitions already and have placed in all of them. It is now time for them to take on the major challenge they have been practicing all year for; placing in the state championships. State will take place on Saturday, November 19^th 2011 at the Greenville Bi-Lo center and the cheerleaders will perform just after 1:00 p.m. The competition will be aired on the internet at the cheerleading state website, so everyone is able to watch, even if you are not able to make it to the actual thing.

            The cheerleaders would truly appreciate the support since this is the biggest competition that they will be competing in, so if you can make it out there this weekend then you should go! The cheerleaders work really hard all year to cheer on other teams, including the football and basketball teams, so it is now time to cheer them on! The girls are sure to makeFortMillproud no matter how the scores come out because they have jacket pride and work their hardest at all times.

Thanksgiving break

By: Mariah Wilson

            Thanksgiving is a holiday that has brought laughter and memories into the homes of many Americans.  It traditionally guarantees a needed break from school and an opportunity for students to spend valuable time with their families.  When hearing the word Thanksgiving, the first things that come to most people’s mind are turkey and football.  “Food, sports, and more food,” Eric Procter, a student at Fort Mill High School, stated when asked what first comes to mind when he thinks of the holiday.

            Students use the Thanksgiving holiday away from classes, athletics and clubs in countless ways.  Often, it is used as a time to spend with family that you may not get to see very often, giving each member a moment to recap the past year’s events. When asked about her views on Thanksgiving break, Stephanie Proctor, sophomore, replied, “It’s important because you get to spend time with your family.”

            At times, a family reunion over turkey leads to some unintentional comedy or drama. Whether it is Uncle Larry having too much to drink and lighting his pants on fire or Cousin Pat falling through the ice on the lake, one thing is certain, memories will be made. When asked about a Thanksgiving gathering gone bad, Freshman Caleb Hinkley quickly stated, “The worst had to be my mother burning the turkey,” proof that a man’s heart truly is through his stomach.

            Food is never far from anyone’s mind during this time. Although each family may have different dishes at the table, there will undoubtedly be lots of them. From the traditional oven-roasted turkey and cranberry sauce to other not-so-traditional items such as Cornish hen and Brussels sprouts, a good meal is in the taste buds of the beholder. When asked about her essentials of a good Thanksgiving dinner, Lauren Anderson Junior said, “Green bean casserole, turkey…duh, mash potatoes, rolls, and a lot of other stuff,” proving that she not only loves the traditional but that there better be turkey on the dinner table.

            Thanksgiving can be about whatever you want it be. It can be about the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, the Macy’s Day Parade, or just sitting around the fireplace reminiscing about the good old days. Whatever your plans may be, remember, that at the heart of it all, it is about those who surround you. It is about family.