Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]By: Sami Dickerson
With the 2014-2015 school year coming to a screeching halt, many upperclassmen are becoming very interested in scholarships that are offered for juniors and seniors heading to college. Although it seems like scholarships should be easy to find, students often have to take the initiative to find them for themselves. The following list of scholarships will help OHS students find the financial help that they need in an efficient way.
The Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship is an academic-based scholarship. This applies to anyone who is applying to a North Carolina-based school, like UNC-Chapel Hill. Students who apply must be leaders of their community and must have financial need.
The Buick Achievers Scholarship is an automotive engineering scholarship. The applicant must attend a four-year college.
The Alfred Jacobs Memorial Scholarship is another automotive scholarship. The scholarship applicant must have financial need and be a leader in their community. The award is worth $2000.
The Cedar Grove Ruritan Club Scholarship is an academic and merit-based scholarship. The applicant must be involved in an array of extracurricular activities. He or she must apply to receive this award and must be able to prove their leadership in the community.
The Crumley Roberts Founder’s Scholarship is a merit, leadership, and academic-based scholarship. It is a reward of $2500.
Students that wish to apply to a Christian, faith-based college may want to sign up for the The Christian Connector. To find out more, follow this link: www.christianconnector.com.
The Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship is a merit and financial need-based scholarship. Applicants must complete an essay before being considered for the award.
If you are considering essay writing to obtain funds, the Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship is a 700-word essay that is available to many seniors. The winner of the award may receive $3000, and the runner up receives $1000.
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund helps award Hispanic students with money for their college experience. To learn more about this opportunity, follow this link: www.hsf.net.
The Jason and Jessica Evans Memorial Scholarship is a financial need and athletic scholarship that can be applied for online. If an applicant is interested in this, they must see a counselor at OHS for more details. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and the scholarship is only open to OHS students.
The Kacie Chamberlain Memorial Athletic Scholarship is one that is close to many Orange County community members’ hearts. It is offered to senior athletes who have recommendations from their coaches.
The Optimist Essay is an award given to people showing brightness in a world of darkness. The essay focuses on ways to help the world and asks for an essay of 800 words.
The Wells Fargo Scholarship is a $1000 scholarship for people who sign up for college planning and money management from the CollegeSTEPS program.
Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive[/caption]The grass is always greener on the other side, whether one is a lamb or a college applicant. Until recently, Hillsborough, a unique little town filled with interesting people and places, seemed like the dullest place to live in the world. I yearned to leave and go to a big city, where there would always be something going on, and I’d meet new people every day. However, the last few months have taught me the error of my ways. While cities definitely have their perks, towns like Hillsborough are just as important. True, they may not offer the constant excitement of the city lifestyle, but they provide quiet moments, like a casual stroll down the paths of Ayr Mount or free ice cream at Last Friday.
I’ve always viewed Hillsborough as a brief stop on the road to my future. I’d pass through it then go on to better things and bigger places. However, as I’ve begun counting down the months until I leave, my view of the town has changed drastically. Suddenly, certain things have become last moments. These have included ridiculous things like my last last Last Friday (they end in September, and I leave in August), as well as more sentimental moments like my last Halloween and my last first day of school. While I know when the big ones occur, what about the small ones? I rarely get chocolate at Matthew’s Chocolates, so might the next time I go be my last? The same applies to some other restaurants and businesses--Cup-A-Joe, Saratoga Grill, the Maple View store. Since each visit might be my last, I cherish it and make sure to experience it fully.
This has given me a new perspective, as I don’t just glide through life anymore. Little moments have become big moments. I imagine that all seniors go through this, although the colleges I’m planning on attending will make this transition more drastic for me than it will be for other students. I’m applying to 14 schools--three are in North Carolina, six are other states, and five are in the United Kingdom. So far, I have been accepted to the University of Manchester, a college in Great Britain. Finances are certainly an issue with regards to going overseas, but I’m at least hoping to go out of state. My newfound appreciation for my town has not changed this fact--I want to live in a big city, and few places in North Carolina are big.
Assuming that I get accepted into and choose to attend an out-of-state school, I’ll have to leave North Carolina in about nine months. This is the state that I have spent my entire life in. While it isn’t perfect by any means, it is still my home, and leaving it will be difficult. I moved to Hillsborough when I was five and have lived there ever since, so Hillsborough is basically synonymous with North Carolina to me. Both the town and state are charming and unique, and both will be sorely missed.
What makes Hillsborough different? For people like me who grew up in the town, it may not seem like that special a place. It has some cool shops and a nice atmosphere, yes, but why is it so dearly loved? It takes an outsider’s perspective to answer this question. When I was being interviewed for a job at The Chapel Hill News a few months ago, the editor of the paper said that he wished he had more coverage of Hillsborough because it’s such an interesting place. I didn’t respond negatively, as I wanted the job, but in my head I scoffed at this remark.
A few days later, when I was walking through town running an errand, I looked around and actually saw the town I had lived in for 12 years. A toddler spun around happily in a circle and fell on the grass. An elderly couple walked their dog down the street. A band played guitar and the spoons in an alleyway. Behind the courthouse, there’s a beautiful glass wall, but a few hundred feet away there are historical buildings and signs explaining Hillsborough’s past. This mixture of young and old, historic and new, is what makes the town so intriguing.
Hillsborough isn’t a bad town. It certainly isn’t perfect, but it contains many memories for me, and I’ll miss it and its inhabitants dearly.
The boys cross country season came to a bittersweet ending this past weekend at the regional competition. It was bitter because, they did not qualify for the state tournament on November 1st. However it was sweet because, they have been working hard all season and 3 PR’s were set. The girls are advancing to the state tournament and are looking to pull off an upset. Overall the season for the boys was more or less what was expected, the program is rebuilding, but next year the should be even better because, they are only losing 2, all be it fast, seniors to graduation (Robert Russell and Jacob Larson). The girls team will be even better next year, because the top 4 runners are sophomores and freshman, so the next 2-3 years the girls team will dominate. Things only get better from here.
Joey Ricca kicks the ball.[/caption]The varsity men’s soccer team had their senior night on Monday, October 20. They played at home against JF Webb. The team came away with a 6-0 win over Webb. This was a great celebration for the seniors, who played their last home game as Orange High School Panthers.
It was a bittersweet game for the Panthers. They came out with an astonishing victory over the Warriors, but they had to say goodbye to eight strong players--Morgan Collins, Bowen Collins, Jonathan McLamb, Joey Ricca, Gerardo Figueroa, Luis DeLara, Caleb Anderson, and Eli Lockwood.
The ceremony started at 6:00 p.m. and each senior was recognized for their contributions to the team. After the senior celebrations, the game began. From the start, the Panthers possessed the ball and had many two player combinations around the opposing team. They came up with three goals in the first half, one scored by Lockwood, and the other two scored by junior Lionel Reid-Shaw. After an intense start, the Panthers concluded the first half with a 3-0 lead.
The second half started out at a fast pace, and the Panthers were able to keep possession for the entire game. Orange scored three more goals, and the game concluded with a Panther victory, 6-0.
The Panthers came out with a big win and an even bigger victory for the seniors. They had a great season, and the seniors will definitely be missed. Chandler Compton, a junior on the team, said, “I made really good friendships with some of the senior guys on the team. I’m going to miss sharing the field with them day in and day out.”
Senior tennis players Michaela Shriner, Hannah Link, and Beth Bryan pose on their senior night. Photo Credit: Brooke Asbury[/caption]By Hannah Link
It was a sad night for the Orange High School women’s tennis team on Wednesday, October 1 as the three seniors played on their home court for the last time during the regular season. The season may have been coming to an end, but the underclassmen on the team weren’t about to let the seniors leave without a bang.
Festivities kicked off Wednesday morning during school as the team joined together in wearing tie-dye T-shirts made in honor of Senior Night by some underclassmen on the team. “We love our seniors,” said sophomore Brooke Asbury. “We couldn’t bear the thought of not doing something special for them.” The seniors are having a hard time coping with the occasion. “It’ll be really hard to leave our team,” said senior Michaela Shriner. “We’re all so close; we’re basically a family.” The love for the seniors this year could be seen all over the court. Posters and signs hung from the fence and every player wore their tie-dyed T-shirts during the match.
The efforts made by the underclassmen weren’t the only thing that was sweet--the victory was too. Orange took a big 7-2 win over Oxford Webb in their last home match of the season, something the players and the coach were proud of. “We worked really hard tonight and, despite all of the food and candy the girls ate, we still worked hard and played really well,” said coach Andy Brown.
The team will go to Cedar Ridge High School on Monday, October 6 to take on the rival Red Wolves in their last regular season match before the Big Eight Conference tournament Wednesday, October 8.
Megan Joyner, a senior and returning member of the Den Echoes staff, spends most of her free time on the soccer field. Joyner has played soccer for 13 consecutive years, and she has already committed to playing college-level soccer at Western Carolina University (WCU).
[caption id="attachment_4879" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Photo Credit: Amanda Tavares[/caption]Athletics come naturally to Joyner, but she hopes to improve her overall strength and technical skills before joining the Western Catamounts in Fall 2015. “I have done a few athletic labs and training sessions that will help to prepare me for soccer in college,” Joyner stated. In addition to preparing for WCU soccer, Joyner anxiously awaits stepping onto the college’s field. “I am excited to be a part of the team and travel as a whole,” Joyner said. This future WCU Catamount has big plans ahead of her.
While athletics are a big part of Joyner’s life, her academics take top priority. Joyner is in the top 10 of the senior class, and she looks forward to expanding her educational career. When asked about future college studies, Joyner replied, “I have a few interests, but the medical field seems to interest me most. I will most likely choose my major after freshman or sophomore year.” Although undecided on her major, Joyner fully believes that Western is the perfect environment for college courses.
Joyner still makes time for family, friends, and adventurous activities; she especially loves to try new Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. “My mom and I are really crafty and love to experiment with new room decorations. Pinterest is my go-to website for making gifts or amping my bedroom,” Joyner explained. With a crafty hand and plenty of DIY’s in mind, Joyner is confident that her Western dorm will be a stylish place to store her cleats.
With Joyner’s knowledge of sports and educational background, she will be a large contributor for the Den Echoes during her senior year.
Photo Credit: Career Cruising[/caption]Orange High’s teacher assistant (TA) program, which gave students the chance to help out a teacher during a class period, has been suspended by the administration until further notice due to a lack of accountability. The program may be brought back in “a year from now, two years from now, we don’t know,” according to OHS Principal Jason Johnson. Johnson said the school would have to “have some accountability measures in place” before the program could come back.
The administration considered other options before deciding to end the program. “We thought about doing an independent study where teachers would write up a course for a TA and a TA would follow those guidelines, but I felt like even that was too loose,” Johnson stated. Seniors signed up to be teacher assistants will have the course removed from their schedules.
English teacher Brooke Connor said she is “really sad that we will no longer have the TA program.” Although there were issues with the program, she would have liked the school to “have tried some other solutions instead of just overhauling” it. Some possible solutions were “a 15-minute meeting with teachers to make sure that they knew their expectations before having a TA and ISS for students who skipped their TA period.” She said that “having a TA for the past couple of years has been invaluable to me” and she hates “that I will no longer be afforded that luxury.”
Senior Kayla Phillips, who was hoping to be a teacher assistant next year, said that she doesn’t “understand why it was gotten rid of since so many students loved it.”
Other similar courses, like the peer counseling and help desk worker courses, are still available.
Photo Credit: Jonah Neville[/caption]In 1966, Orange High School started building houses for the community. Since then, they have gone on to build 46 houses, and are currently building the fifth Hands for Habitat house. Orange has a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, while Sports Endeavors pays for sponsor costs. “They have been wonderful to work with, and this whole thing probably could not have been done without them,” construction teacher, Mat Hamlett, said.
Hamlett brings 30 years of teaching to his construction class. When asked when they were going to finish the house, Hamlett replied, “We probably would have been finished with it already, but the weather has really been an issue.” The students are usually working on the house for a hour everyday, although the time varies depending on the weather. Jaime Figueroa, a senior who has been in the class for the past three years, said, “It’s been difficult at times to work on the house sometimes because of the weather, but overall during this year it has been really fun to work on and a great experience.” All the students in construction classes talk about how enjoyable it is to work with Hamlett.
Hamlett has seen and helped build many houses throughout his teaching career at OHS. He commented on how things have changed since he first started teaching. “The biggest change, I would say, is that there is less time to build the houses every year because of graduation requirements and classes like this are being shut down everywhere.” Starting his teaching career at Stanford, then moving on to the school where he graduated from, OHS, Hamlett has experienced one fine teaching career and will always be remembered.
Photo Credit: Hannah Phillips/MIa Frenduto. All the seniors line up with their parents before the game starts.[/caption]The Orange High School Panther baseball team earned their twentieth win of the season on Friday, May 10, after defeating cross-town rival Cedar Ridge by a score of 10 to 6. The game was just the Panthers third at home all season due to an ice storm on March 6 that left that field severely damaged. With the victory, Orange improved to an overall record of 20-3 and a perfect conference record of 14-0. Prior to the game the teams ten seniors were honored in front of a near capacity crowd.
The Panthers were lead by a strong offense, which was able to score heavily in both the first and third inning, scoring four and six runs respectively. Sophomore catcher Brad Debo was the catalyst for the offensive attack, hitting a towering two-run homerun to right field to give Orange an early 2 to nothing lead. The Panthers also added two more runs on a Red Wolves error that brought in sophomore Bryse Wilson and a sacrifice fly by junior Josh Kiehle that scored senior Matthew Crabtree.
Orange kept their foot on the gas pedal in the third inning as they brought their run total to 10 due to six hits and another Cedar Ridge error. Despite not scoring for the rest of the game, the Panthers pitching was good enough to secure the win. Junior James Cunningham got the start on the mound, pitching four innings and ushering three runs, as only one was earned, while also striking out three. Senior Jonah Neville acted as the set up man in his final regular season home game, as he pitched two innings, while striking out one and allowing two runs to score. Finishing out the game and moving from behind the plate to the mound was Debo, as he struck out the side to get out of a bases loaded game, while allowing one run.
The Panthers will host round one of the 3A East playoffs against Northern Guilford. Neville’s expectations for the playoffs are to, “Win and advance as deep as possible. It’s a completely new season for us, our accomplishments from the regular season no longer matter.” Orange will face the Nighthawks on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
Photo Credit: Hannah Phillips. A shot of the 3A Mideast Regional, hosted by Northern Guilford High School.[/caption]The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional could have gone better for the Panthers that qualified, as some of the six athletes had remarkable performances, and the others leaving with the desire to have a redo. Two Panther athletes achieved the ultimate goal of the meet: qualification for the NCHSAA 3A State Championship.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming and sophomore Montee Mitchell have qualified in the 800m and the 110m hurdles, respectively. Fleming ran her PR (personal record) by over five seconds, an incredible accomplishment in the 800m. The freshman rising star finished in 2:24.87, taking the bronze medal by finishing third. Fleming missed regional runner-up by less than a second, while also becoming the first freshman to place in the top three in the 800m at this regional since 2003, an unbelievable feat. Adalyn also ran the 1600m, finishing seventh in 5:46.
As for Mitchell, the meet’s Performance of the Day winner, the sophomore was actually entered into the meet due to consideration (the process of selecting additional athletes other than the ones who did not meet the qualification mark). Mitchell, different from the hundreds of athletes, coaches, and spectators watching, had an ambition to not only participate, but to show out and prove that he belonged there. The sophomore was seeded thirteenth out of the fourteen entered athletes. In the prelims of the 110m hurdles, Montee took over a half a second off of is PR, finishing sixth in 16.23. The top eight finishers in the prelims qualify for the finals, meaning Mitchell was only one great race away from state qualification. Later in the day, when it was time for the 110 meter hurdle final, the sophomore was ready. Mitchell took almost another quarter of a second of his PR, finishing in 16.02. In his fourth-place finish in the finals (top four qualify), he officially made the state championship. Mitchell was the only non-senior in the top five, and will be facing his toughest competition at states.
Six other Panther athletes competed at this regional meet. Fleming’s partner-in-crime, fellow freshman Claire Barger, ran the 1600m and the 3200m. Barger just missed state qualification herself, finishing fifth in the 1600m. Her 3200m performance was a minor disappointment, with the freshman running well off her PR. The last student-athlete that rounds out the star freshman milers trio here at Orange is Julianna Lester, who actually ended up running the 1600m, despite her running in a local 5k race earlier in the morning. Lester was the second overall female in the 5k, but it was not her best performance in the 1600m. Lester finished in 6:02, 11 seconds off her PR. It was a pretty solid performance for Lester as a whole on the day.
Two other Orange girls competed, junior Morgan Efland and senior De’ja Johnson. Efland finished fifth in the prelims of the 100m hurdles, and eventually ran a 17.49 en route to a sixth-place regional finish. In what was the last Orange High School athletic competition for Johnson, the senior triple jumped almost a whopping two feet farther than her previous PR, leaping her way to a sixth-place finish at 34’2.5”.
In a very unfortunate sequence of events shortly before this regional championship, the more than likely team MVP, senior Brandon Vanhook, sustained two serious injuries in his knees. His ambition for a regional championship pushed him to participate. Shortly before departing to get to Northern Guilford, the site of regionals, Vanhook’s spikes broke. With the combination of replacement shoes and a somewhat crippling injury, the senior leader could not pull of a miracle. In what was thought to be Orange’s greatest chance for a regional champion, Vanhook in the long jump, was an unfortunate disappointment, but adequate considering the circumstances. The senior jumped just under 20’, almost two feet under his PR, finishing sixth. If Brandon would have jumped his PR, he would have won by over a foot. One great performance emerged from Vanhook, however. He ran his PR in the 100m prelims (11.19), in an eighth-place finish. This, unexpectedly, put Vanhook in the 100m championship. Vanhook ran a 12.01 in the finals in another eighth-place finish.
The last Panther who participated was another underclassman, freshman Joseph Pannachia. Pannachia ran alongside Mitchell in the 110m hurdles, and ran his PR by .7 seconds. Pannachia missed finals qualification by two spots, running a 16.91 in a solid tenth-place finish.
Congratulations to our Panther track team for a very successful regional meet! Adalyn Fleming and Montee Mitchell will advance to the NCHSAA 3A State Championship meet, which will be this Friday, May 16 at NC A&T’s Irwin Belk Track. We wish Fleming and Mitchell best of luck at the highest level of competition in the state!
Photo Credit: Mrs. Joyner.[/caption]Friday, May 2, the Lady Panther soccer teams played the Northwood Chargers at OHS. The JV game kicked off at 5 pm and varsity followed at 6:45 pm. It was a perfect 70 degree night for an intense match against a new conference rival. Despite the ideal conditions and packed stands, the Panthers weren’t able to pull through with a victory.
The JV team was prepared for another close game against Northwood, after coming close to a victory in their previous game. Being evenly matched, the ball was possessed by both teams for most of the half. However, midway through, the Chargers went up by one goal, due to a miscommunication between the goalie and center-mid on the Orange team. Thinking the ball was out of bounds, Aaron Collins passed the ball back to the keeper for a goal kick, who let it slip behind her. Aside from the keeper error, the Panthers had a clean game and finished the half with a score of 1-0. By the start of the second half, the Panthers were determined to come back. Lexi Mignosa, starting center-mid for OHS, controlled the ball and drove it up the field. Despite the tenacity that the Panthers showed, the Northwood forwards were too much for their backline, and the Chargers scored two quick goals, ending the game with a 3-0 victory. Mileah Shriner, one of the goalies for Orange, said, “Everyone played really hard. It was a good game.”
Following the JV game, the varsity team came out seeking revenge for their previous matchup against Northwood where they suffered a defeat 3-0. The game was evenly matched and tied at 0-0 for the majority of the half. But with about 20 minutes left in the half, #13 for Northwood, Haley Piester, received a long ball over the top of the Panther’s backline and scored on a breakaway, making the score 1-0 in favor of the Chargers at halftime. The score, however, did not accurately reflect the first half, with the Panthers keeping the majority of the possession and controlling the ball on the Chargers’ defensive side. At the end of the half, the Panthers had three shots on frame, but were unable to finish any of them. At the start of the second half, the game was evenly matched with both teams possessing it on both halves of the field. However, near the middle of the second half, the Panthers broke down and allowed five more goals to slip through. The Chargers finished with a conference win, 6-0 over the Lady Panthers. The outcome did not match up with the level of play. Until the Panthers broke down in the back, the game was fairly even, with the Panthers having most of the possession.
This game was the last one for senior Tallie Philips, who will be unable to attend senior night. She had a great season as an outside defender, holding the team up and making the defense impenetrable. She was not only a huge asset, but a team captain that led the team as they progressed throughout the season. She plans to take a semester or two off after she graduates high school to travel abroad in Europe with her older sister, Mia Philips. She then hopes to attend Alamance Community College and later transfer to a larger university.
Photo Credit: Greensboro Daily Photos. Northern Guilford High School's track, site of the 2014 NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional Championships.[/caption]As previously mentioned in the OHS track conference meet/wrap-up article, the instance of adding more athletes to the regional championships has occurred, sending four more Orange athletes to the 3A Mideast Regional Championships. The complete list of Panther athletes that will be competing are as follows:
* Claire Barger - 1600m & 3200m
* Morgan Efland - 110m Hurdles
* Adalyn Fleming - 800m & 1600m
* De’ja Johnson - Triple Jump
* Julianna Lester - 1600m (Will Not Participate)
* Montee Mitchell - 110m Hurdles
* Joseph Pannachia - 100m Hurdles
* Brandon Vanhook - 100m & Long Jump
The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional for track and field will be this Saturday, May 10, at Northern Guilford High School. Congratulations to all of the Panthers who will be representing us at regionals!
Photo Credit: Brianna Hales. Corey Johnson hits as serve.[/caption]The Cedar Ridge Red Wolves came to the OHS tennis courts Monday, April 21 for the last game of the season. Although it was a tough fight, the Panthers lost to the Red Wolves. The Panthers celebrated senior night and recognized three seniors -- Jaden Vines, Corey Johnson, and Matthew McLaughlin.
Vines has been the number one player on the OHS team for four straight years. He joined the team as a freshman and quickly showed his skill, which has continually made him the first seed. He and Jarbari Hargrove have had a very successful season together as doubles partners, as a team they made it to the semi-finals in the Conference Tournament. Vines will be attending the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall.
Johnson was the fourth seed this year on the team and he has also played all four years on the team. He is going to Appalachian State University next year. He had a successful season as a singles player, making it to the quarter-finals in the Conference Tournament.
McLaughlin was one of the newest additions to the team, only playing for one year. He came out onto the team to have fun. He will be attending High Point University next year.
To celebrate senior night, all the seniors and their parents were called out on the courts and given a celebratory orange rose. While this was occurring, each senior had their post-high-school plans read aloud. The mothers of all the seniors also bought the whole team pizza and snacks to celebrate their last night together as a team.
Photo Credit: Texas A&M University-Commerce Marketing Communications Photography.Photo License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/[/caption]
It’s that time of year now when seniors know they're nearing the end when one certain event comes around- cap and gown pictures. The pictures will be taken Tuesday, May 20.
Seniors need to wear...
their cap and gown
a white shirt
dark tie (for men)
the stoll
They need to make an appointment with Mrs. Riley so they can get their pictures. She will assign them a time when they will take the pictures once they go see her.
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Prom. When the major event in high school is reminisced about, we all think back to the cheesy movies, where the only worries in the world are who's going to win Prom King or Queen, and the dresses. Orange had its 51st annual prom, and this year’s theme was "A Gatsby Affair." The Durham Hilton was filled with gold and black balloons, while the ballroom had a DJ, as well as different multi-color lights, with lighted mini palm trees illuminating the tables.
Students danced the night away with a variety of songs, including "Timber," "Cotton-Eyed Joe," and "All of Me." Students also gathered together for group songs, like the "Cupid Shuffle" and "Wobble." Prom ended at midnight with "Let it Go" from Disney’s hit film Frozen.
Students enjoyed a wide assortment of food provided by the Durham Hilton. Of course, there would be no prom without chaperones, which was the Orange High Staff, who all looked quite dapper.
When asked how she would describe her prom experience from this year, senior Brianna Hales said, “Prom was so much fun! I love seeing all my friend dressed up, they look so dapper.” Also, sophomore Jared Riley said, “It was pretty fun, the DJ did a good job of keeping us students pumped up and dancing. My favorite thing would probably be just hanging out with my friends and having a great night.”
Though prom started at 8:00 pm on Saturday, most students didn’t make their grand arrivals until 8:45 pm or later.
Of course, one of the most important factors is the attire! Each and every girl had a dress a little different from the rest, with popular colors from the night ranging from mint green to orange. Just like the night, the decorations, and the theme itself, each and every dress had class, mixed with pizzazz and flare.
For next year’s theme, junior Megan Joyner hopes “the theme next year is something exotic and exciting.” While Maddie Norwood, also a junior, hopes that next year’s theme “is a masquerade, because I think that would be really neat.”
“I think the prom was a lot of fun. I loved the decorations -- even though they didn't really seem to be Gatsby-themed, they were still amazing and gave prom a much more sophisticated atmosphere than at other dances. The music was pretty good and I loved the food, especially the punch fountain,” said Norwood.
Lately there have been many questions arising about what will happen with exams this year due to extra days added on to the end of the school year. Because of the snow and ice storms that caused us to be out of school, we now have four more school days after the last exam.
The dates for exams are June 4 through June 9. This year, there was a new rule created that students had to take exams on the last five days of school. Contrary to this new rule and the extra days added to the school year, Orange High has decided to leave the dates for exams.
The last exam is on June 9 but the four days after that will be mandatory school days and students must attend or they will be counted absent. Student athletes who are only allowed to miss less than thirteen days should take into consideration these last four days because absences will go on their record.
The last day of the 2014 school year will be June 13 but graduation day for seniors is June 12.
“I feel like just because we missed days of school, our exam schedule shouldn't be affected,” Mia Maxwell, sophomore, said about the added days.
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Photo Credit: Will Okun. Megan Joyner goes to kick the ball.[/caption]
The varsity Lady Panther soccer team played Oxford Webb, a conference rival, Wednesday, April 10. The Panthers survived with a clean escape, gaining their first conference victory. The JV and varsity teams traveled to Eagle territory to play Eastern Alamance on Friday, April 11. Both teams came out with a loss after a hard-fought game.
Wednesday the varsity team kicked off an intense match against the Oxford Webb Warriors on their home turf. They came away unscathed with a 7-0 win. The Panthers scored two quick goals within the first 10 minutes of the game, and by the end of the half they had six goals, four of them scored by the Shinnick sisters, Rachel Shinnick with one and Becca Shinnick with the other three. Ashley Badstein, the starting keeper for OHS, had a shutout in the first half, and Becca Shinnick also had a clean break in goal in the second half, tipping the ball over the goal on a close shot from the Lady Warriors.
The Warriors held strong in the second half, only conceding one goal in the last 20 minutes of the half. The Panther’s seventh goal came from Kaela Lane, a junior, who finished a cross from out wide and headed it over the keeper into the goal. The game concluded at a win, 7-0, for the Lady Panthers. This is the third conference game that the Panthers have played, however this is their first conference victory. Rowan Jaynes, a sophomore center defender for the team, said, “I thought that we were very well prepared for this game. We were able to work on the things we needed to work on and build as a team.”
Friday the OHS Panthers suffered a tough defeat against Eastern Alamance. The JV team started, coming out with a strong offensive force. After 20 minutes of evenly matched competition, the Eagles squeezed through the Panther’s back line, scoring three goals, making the final score 3-0. In an interview with Maggie Asuncion, starting center mid for the OHS team, she said, “Our goal as a team is to win our final game.” Instead of dwelling on the defeat, they are focusing on improving for their final game against Cedar Ridge.
Following the first match, the varsity team kicked off at 6:45. Before the start of the game, Eastern Alamance held a moment of silence for Desmond Piccini, a student from their school who had recently passed away. In honor of Piccini, Eastern wore blue bows in their hair, and the OHS Panthers played with green wristbands on. From the very beginning, the game was full of physicality and fierce competition, with both teams fostering a rivalry. Eastern went ahead in the first half, scoring off of a cross with a header into the corner of the goal. The score remained stagnant until the final third of the game when the Eagles finalized the score at 3-0 with two additional goals. The Panthers, who had prepared for a rematch after an earlier defeat in the season, played a solid game, although the score didn’t reflect their effort.
At the end of the week, the Panthers came out with a conference victory, further pushing them ahead in the playoff standings. Although they suffered a tough loss from Eastern Alamance, they are deciding to focus their efforts on improving for the upcoming conference games.
Photo Credit: Will Okun. Megan Joyner goes to kick the ball.[/caption]Megan Joyner, a junior at Orange High School, has recently committed to play soccer for Western Carolina University. As a junior she can’t sign with the school, but as a committee she is able to sign with WCU her senior year.
Joyner visited a number of different colleges including Messiah College in Pennsylvania; Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina; Lee University in Tennessee; and Wingate University, which is also in Charlotte. Of all of these though, she liked Western the best. “My favorite thing about Western was the atmosphere. It really felt like a family,” she said about her visit there.
Joyner started her soccer career at age five when she played on her first team, the Rainbow League in Chapel Hill. Since then, she has played on a variety of teams including the club team Triangle United. “My favorite thing about soccer is that I can stay active and I’ve met a lot of new friends along the way,” she said. “Some of my closest friendships were made through soccer.”
“I’ve played with Meg for about eight years now, that’s actually how we met,” said Rachel Shinnick, a junior on the Orange varsity soccer team. When asked about her favorite part of playing with Joyner, Shinnick said, “Meg is is such a competitive girl. She plays with a lot of heart.”
Tallie Phillips, a senior, also had something to add about Joyner’s contribution on the field. “She’s really feisty,” Phillips said. “She can be counted on and she’s also really nice.”
Joyner is looking forward to her experience as a soccer player at Western Carolina, but in the meantime she is enjoying every minute of playing with the varsity team at Orange. “The Orange soccer team is like my second family, and Coach Hunter has had a really big influence on me as a person and as a soccer player,” she said. “I’m really going to miss this team.”
A shot of turn one of Cedar Ridge High School's track. Photo Credit: article.wn.com[/caption]April 12, the Orange Panthers track team traveled to in-conference foe Cedar Ridge High School for the 2014 Orange County Championships, this year dubbed the “Orange County Invitational.” At 10 am the meet kicked off, and right off the gun, great performances and personal records were set across the board, including an individual qualifying for the 3A Mideast Regional Championship meet. The Orange boys and girls squads both placed fifth of the five teams participating (Orange, Cedar Ridge, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill). However, despite the rough final rank, there were two boys and two girls that placed in the top three in their respective events, with one of them qualifying for regionals.
Senior De’ja Johnson and freshman Joseph Pannachia “medaled” in their respective events, with Johnson placing third in the long jump and second in the triple jump, and Pannachia taking the bronze in the 110-meter hurdles.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming placed third in the 1600 meter, running her PR (personal record) of 5:39 and officially qualifying her for the regional meet. Another freshman, Claire Barger, finished fourth, and missed officially qualifying for regionals by just one-tenth of a second, running her PR of 5:40. Luckily for Barger and another freshman Julianna Lester, who also has a chance of qualification with a PR performance of 5:54, they still have two more meets to break the 5:40 barrier. Despite another excellent performance from the freshman phenom, a county-renowned sprinter and jumper will take home the Orange County Invitational’s Performance of the Day Award, senior Brandon Vanhook. Vanhook qualified for regionals last meet, running a 11.0 100 meter and long-jumping 21’4”. This time around, at the Orange County Championships, Vanhook was one of two athletes. and the only boy, to place in the top three in all of his events (participating in at least three). Vanhook took home all the medals on Saturday, finishing third in the 200 meter, second in the 100 meter, and being crowned Orange County Champion in the long jump. With Vanhook’s PR jump of 21 feet, 8 inches, he puts himself in the record books as one of the best long-jumpers in school history. The senior’s leap ranks him in the top 35 in the state this outdoor season. A big congratulations goes out to our current qualifiers, Fleming and Vanhook.
Next up on the schedule, Orange has their second and last home meet, senior night this Thursday against JF Webb. Then, the team will travel back to Cedar Ridge for the Conference Championships on April 30.
Jaden Vines, the first seed, and Jabari Hargrove, the second seed, went to the semifinals, losing to Chapel Hill in doubles ending with a tie breaker. Fourth seed Lee Oechsle won his first-round match but lost to the first seed of Chapel Hill. Third seed Corey Johnson also won his first-round match but lost his second-round match. Sixth seed Grayson Caudill and fifth seed Benjamin Pickard both lost in the first round of doubles to JF Webb.
Vines finished fourth in the Big Eight conference tournament. Vines and Hargrove made it to the finals, losing in a third set tiebreaker to Chapel Hill. They competed and represented Orange High School in a excellent manner.
In the end, Johnson and Oechsle made it to quarter finals for singles. Corey upset Northern Vance’s first seed 8-6 in the first round and Oechsle defeated Oxford Webb.
All photos taken by Brianna Hales.
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