Photo Credit: Maddie Norwood[/caption]The first nine weeks are over and, for some people, that means a new start to help build a strong foundation for the rest of the school year. Many students may want to bring up their grades or make new friends. This new nine weeks is a good time for a new start to a new season.
So what should you do if you are having grade problems? Becky Smith, an OHS science teacher, gave her opinion on how this problem should be solved. “They need to see their teacher for help, and they need to make sure they’re doing all the work themselves,” said Smith.
The new lunch gives anyone slipping the perfect chance to bring their grades up. More people can come for tutoring and make up work during this time. Students who aren't using it for work may want to rethink their decisions.
If you feel hesitant to go back for tutoring, just bring a friend that can support you and maybe even help, but not one that can distract you. This will help you get over your fear and learn to build study groups.
Is your focus slipping? Another tip that Smith shared addressed this. “The best thing to do is make sure you aren’t hanging around with people that can distract you from your work, causing you to slip in school.”
If a student finds himself bored or in need of a community to hang out with, Smith recommends that he become more involved in the school, whether it be with clubs or sports. When asked why students should be more involved, she said, “Do things that make you happy and enjoy your life.”
Photo Credit: Rene Schwietzke (Flickr)[/caption]Just about everyone loves a hot donut right out of the oven, but people currently have to drive nearly half an hour out of their way to taste that delicious Krispy Kreme goodness. That's all about to change, because there will be a Krispy Kreme opening up in Durham on Hillsborough Road soon.
The building that Krispy Kreme will soon be inhabiting was once famous for the restaurant known as Miami Subs Grill. The plans for this donut shop have been filed, and Krispy Kreme is on its way to starting another branch. This new location is close to where it all started, considering that this is a global chain. The chain began in Winston Salem, North Carolina, founded by Vernon Rudolph.
Why is this so important? Hillsborough and Durham residents who want a hot donut from Krispy Kreme won’t have to drive all the way to Raleigh just to get it. Several people have even tweeted about it and put their thoughts on Instagram. College students that attend school in Durham are excited to have a place to hang out at besides the beloved Cook Out.
Although the renovations haven’t started yet, the shop is definitely on its way. When it comes to its new destination, residents should make sure to stop by and take a selfie with one of the chain's famous paper hats on and eat a freshly-baked donut.
Do you think that you could survive a zombie apocalypse? What if it happened during school, could you still survive it? These tips will help you if this were to ever happen during school.
If you were sitting in English class and all of a sudden a zombie came bursting through the door you’d probably freak out. The best thing to do though is keep calm and think straight. Most people can’t handle stress and pressure of near death experiences, which wouldn’t be helpful in a situation like this. You should try and figure out what the best option to do is. If you’re a good fighter then maybe you should be the hero and save everyone. Try and find the sharpest object or one that can impact the hardest blow, just try not to get bitten. If fighting isn’t your thing than maybe you need to get behind the fighter or find a way out. If you’re on the first floor then it may be best to you just take a little jump out the window and find a safe place to hide.
If you happen to be in the cafeteria when one of those brain eaters comes out then what should you do? Best thing to do would probably be get in the middle of a crowd of people trying to storm out. A perk of being in the cafeteria when it happens is that you’ll be able to grab any sharp utensils that are near you. If all else fails just grab a chair and swing it at them until they can’t move anymore. After that you should probably try and find an adult that you can run to, and its best to follow them.
Even though its not too likely that something like this will happen, its good to think about what you’d do. Try and think of what you would do in a situation like that and think of strategies to help you get through it. Think smart and don’t let the brainless get you.
Photo Credit: Kathryn ObenshainThe new Art Club murals.[/caption]
The art department unveiled eight murals at homecoming. Many groups worked together to make this possible and donated supplies. The PTSO, Student Government Association, and Art Club collaborated on this project. A total of eight panels made of marine plywood were primed by the ag department and given to the Art Club to paint last year.
Elizabeth Dell-Jones, the art teacher here at Orange, said that she agreed when the PTSO asked her if she could do the project, not knowing its size. She was overwhelmed when she learned the size, but, with the creative minds in her classes and Art Club, she was able to go above and beyond.
Patrick Pettiford and Mary Giordano, two seniors last year, had a large part in the painting of these murals. In fact, Pettiford’s original ideas are in every mural. But everyone could add a little bit of themselves to the murals. For example, Haven Roberts painted an armadillo because it is her signature thing.
That being said, the murals vary in theme. One has mice, while others have mermaids and mythical creatures. “[These murals are] random iconic images from the hearts and minds of these very creative people,” says Dell-Jones. Many hours were spent meticulously painting the finest of details.
Meet the new counselor, Lynn Douglas! She is the counselor for names M-R. Photo Credit: Kathryn Obenshain[/caption]Orange High has a new counselor named Lynn Douglas. She is the counselor for names M-R. She is a very laid back, relaxed counselor, but if a student needs help, she is ready for action. When Douglas was in high school, she had a poor counselor. Her and her classmates were very under-informed about opportunities they needed to be aware of. Having this experience made Douglas want to become a counselor. She applied and got accepted to North Carolina Central College in Durham. Recently, she completed her masters and bachelors degree in school counseling. Although she is a newer counselor, she isn’t new to the school scene.
While completing her masters at NC Central, Douglas was an intern at Dudley High School in Greensboro. Douglas enjoyed her time there, but she needed a real job now that she had her masters. When looking for jobs, she says that she always looks for opportunities where the population is diverse. She sees Orange High School as a place that is not only diverse, but where she can add diversity. Douglas wants to help the Panthers celebrate world cultures, talk to students to fulfill their needs, and make sure Orange High School is well taken care of.
Although Douglas is a devoted counselor, she doesn’t stay at Orange all the time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, shopping, cooking, traveling, and pageantry. She has been all over the United States with her college marching band. However, she hopes to go out of the country this upcoming summer. Douglas competes in and organizes pageants in her spare time.
A word of advice for the Panthers: “Always, always, always have a plan, a back-up plan, and a back-up plan for your back-up plan,” said Douglas. She loves talking to, interacting with, and helping students. Her door is always open to help anyone.
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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.
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.
Photo Credit: Will Okun. Orange celebrates after winning the Eastern Guilford Christmas Tournament.[/caption]The Panthers took on second-seeded Hunt on Saturday, in an attempt to reach their first state championship game since 1969. The Panthers put up an incredible fight, but in the end, the Panthers took the L from the Warriors, falling by a final score of 66-60.
Orange kept it close early, closing the first quarter with only a 2-point deficit. The Panthers, almost all season, were not a very good second-half team, as they had scored more points in the first half in two-thirds of their previous 27 games. With this said, it was very important that the Panthers pounce on Hunt throughout the second quarter, reducing the deficit, if not leading, by halftime. That’s exactly what they did. With several pivotal defensive stops and good play inside, Orange regained the lead with less than two minutes to play in the half. They held the lead and even increased their margin, and lead by three at halftime.
Now it was the Warriors time to make a push. This push would be too much for the Panthers to eclipse. With an 11-point swing, Hunt regained the lead by nine at the end of the third. With one of the teams about to experience its final 10 minutes of the season, it was evident there was going to be a good fight to the end.
Orange started off strong, tightening the game to seven with a little over seven minutes to play. Then, it all started to fall apart for the Panthers. Hunt went on a 10-2 run in about 3:30 remaining, and had a 15-point lead with less than four minutes to play. It was not looking good for Orange, but they put up an incredible run to cap off the game. The Panthers got it down to single digits, trailing by nine with 2:34 remaining. Then down to seven, then five, then a three pointer by senior forward Keegan Crabtree cuts it down to four with 51 seconds to play. Following the Warriors’ 10-2 run, the Panthers went on their own 15-4 run. The Panthers were not able to complete the improbable comeback however, as they eventually were defeated by the East Regional Champion, Hunt, 66-60.
The Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams truly had incredible seasons, with their combined record finishing at 46-7. Varsity came within one win of competing for their first state championship since five years after the school’s inception in 1964, and the Panthers received several mid- and post-season awards. Orange won the Eastern Guilford Christmas Tournament in late December, and Coach Greg Motley and senior Keegan Crabtree won the Big Eight Conference Coach and Player of the Year Awards, respectively.
Next season, the Panthers will be without two of this year’s starters, but will leave a very talented core in starting guards Jawan Chambers, Eryk Brandon-Dean, and Tay Jones. You can expect forwards Garrett Cloer (who missed all of this season with a torn PCL) and Jace Jordan-Cornell to take seniors Crabtree and JD Brooks’ spots. We look forward to the Mighty Panthers taking the floor for the 2014-2015 Varsity and JV basketball season.
Biggest Flirt: McKenzie Almers and David Peters-Louge
Perfect Couple that Never Dated: Kentcie Robbins and Silas Anderson