.JPG) |
| Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive. |
By: Baje Wells
With the OHS junior/senior prom coming up in a few weeks, students are in a rush to get ready. The stress of asking or being asked to prom is intense, because everyone wants to make sure they ask the right person or find the right group of friends to go with.
Aside from worrying about dates to prom, students also have to worry about what to wear. Choosing the right dress or tuxedo is just like choosing the right date. You want to feel comfortable, confident, and all around good about yourself with whoever you choose to be with or whatever you choose to wear. For the girls, there are many different types of dresses to choose from, ranging from shorter, summer-like dresses, to long, flowing evening dresses. And for the guys, any sort of plain-colored tuxedo should do just fine. Just make sure to match your date!
In the end, although prom season is an extremely stressful time, try not to worry too much. Just have fun, make memories, and stay positive. Go with a group of friends, your boyfriend/girlfriend, or anyone you’d like for that matter. For anyone who’s thinking about not going, well, don’t knock it until you try it!
 |
| Photo Credit: Den Echoes archive |
By: Ashton Kajcienski
This year, Orange County Schools have had nine school days that have not been in session because of the snow. Although this plan is being revised, the school board previously announced that students and teachers would attend school on every other Saturday.
Different people have different opinions on these days, whether they care if they miss school, whether the make-up days should be on a Saturday, and how the snow affects them personally.
“I like snow, and I don’t mind not being in school for a few days, but not a long time… I don’t want to make it up on a Saturday or an extended day to the end of the school year,” says freshman Hailey Owens.
Maddy Werner, also a freshman, says that “Saturday school kind of takes the fun out of [snow]. No one will ever want to go to school on the weekend.”
Missing school because of the snow affects both students and staff members. Teachers have to work around the snow days. Lee Gordon, a history teacher, says that he may have to change some of his lesson plans. “I may need to condense some concepts and skip other activities that offered more in-depth analysis. Homework may also increase in order to cover what is a must-know material,” he says. Becky Smith, a biology and chemistry teacher, says, “Snow days make planning very hard and affect the continuity of learning for students. It is hard to keep momentum going when we are out for multiple days. It makes spring makeups seem like forever.”
With all the time off, teachers and students have had lots of time to themselves. During the snow days, Gordon likes to “stay in my coffin during the daylight hours… and check email from my tablet.” Smith enjoys reading, watching television, and doing things she usually can’t during the school days. Owens enjoys relaxing and hanging with her friends or neighbors. Werner likes to hang out with her family or friends.
Tamara Mangum, a 16-year-old junior, hopes to go to the University of South Carolina to study pediatrics. After graduating from the university, she wants to get a job involving children in some way. She is considering working as a nurse, midwife, babysitter, pediatrician, or preschool teacher. When asked why she is interested in this field, she replied, “[I] want to help [children]... They’re very interesting and fun to play with.”
Mangum has already had experience working with children. “I babysit a lot.” She takes care of her six-year-old brother and a five-year-old child. Ideally, she would like to work with elementary school-age children in the future.
She is already taking two classes at OHS, a teen living and a child development class, to prepare her for her career. Mangum is planning to have children of her own, but she wants to wait until after she is through with high school and most of college. She would like to start having children when she is 20 to 24 years old.
During the summer, Mangum spent her time away from OHS playing baseball with her father and shopping with her mother. Her father, George, plays on a local team, the Destroyers, in his spare time. She also went to Myrtle Beach, where she swam in the ocean and walked on the beach shore.
Mangum feels “good” about her second semester of journalism. “I feel good because I’ve taken it one time.” She is taking the class again because “I like finding out information… Everybody would have their different story if the truth didn’t come out.”
Thursday, March 21, a tree was planted between the Ag building and the gym. It was surrounded by a beautiful wooden base that had a plaque on it that read “Chase Underhill." Many friends and family members gathered around this tree to remember Underhill’s life.
The ceremony started with David Latta speaking about about how Underhill was a loving person and always tried to help with his class when he needed it. Then Edward Marsh spoke about the effect that this has had on our whole Panther family. It was a very emotional time.
After Marsh’s speech, the staff invited members of the family to come up and speak and Underhill’s brother, Chad, was the first one to speak. Underhill’s father, Kevin, spoke next and he and his son’s messages were the same: to take life and treat it with respect. After this, they had all of the members of the family and Underhill’s friends come and spread mulch over the base of the tree.
Underhill’s mom then talked about the value of life and how much Underhill is going to be missed. She thanked the community for being so close and helping her family in this time of need and she recalled that camouflage was her son's favorite color and seven was his favorite number. They had green, light green, and brown balloons, seven of each color, and one pink balloon for Kacie that they released. Chase’s mother said, “Hopefully one [balloon] would find him.”
Chase Underhill and Kacie Chamberlain were in a fatal car accident on December 29, 2012. Ever since the accident, the OHS family has been mourning its loss.
