Having been in an art class for my entire time here at Carter High, I have familiarized myself with the tools that the school has to offer. From fettling knives to Exacto blades, I’ve used almost every tool at least once, and I have grown to enjoy using them. The tools in the art room are not only a pleasure to use, but they have aged beautifully with care and experience from the past students. Some of these tools have assisted sculptors who have gone on to produce beautiful pieces in their careers. Good-quality pieces are definitely easier to create when using good-quality tools and materials. Some of the tools that the school has to offer would be the versatile fettling knife, the serrated rib-tool, various wood-tools, many texture stamps, as well as wire and needle tools. The fettling knife, being the most used, helps sculptors shape and carve into the clay, as well as smooths out the surface. Serrated rib-tools however, are crucial to the process in that they are needed to score and slip pieces (a process in which watered down clay is used like a glue to attach separate clay pieces). These tools and processes have assisted me personally on many projects I have done throughout my time in Art 1 last year, as well as Advanced Sculpture this year. For example, my first clay project: a mug that I had made and sculpted eyes into, I had used the extractor to create my mug shape (an extractor is a large machine used to extract raw clay into different shapes to be sculpted). And then I used the fettling knife to cut and create the eyes found throughout my mug. Both of these tools were very easy to use and produced high quality results for my skill level. Moving aside from my earliest project, my most recent piece is a raku style animal sculpture. For this one, I primarily used either wood-tools, or an Exacto-blade. The wood tool helped me create smoothness, as well as texture where I needed it. And the Exacto-blade allowed me to carve deep into the clay, where the wood tool would not have produced such deep and clean cuts. An overall statement on the school’s selection of equipment would praise their reliability, versatility, and their wide range of different tools to use in any situation. Some more particular individuals may point out the age and condition of a few of the tools, I’d excuse this however because being in a school for any extended amount of time would obviously create some wear and tear. The conditions of the tools are surprisingly good for being in a school environment as long as they have, as it is common for students to misuse school materials, so with only a few being damaged, the condition is impressive. Thus, these art room tools have lasted years, assisting students in everything from cups, to full scale sculptures, and hopefully, they will continue to last through the years.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, for liberty and justice for all. We all have been reciting these words since Kindergarten. Recently, however, schools across the nation have many students opting to sit or kneel during the Pledge and the National Anthem. Many do not even understand the purpose or origins of the Pledge. The Pledge was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy as a pledge of allegiance for any nation. This was not made into the American pledge until 1923; “Under God” wasn’t added until 1954 in response to the “godless threat of communism” following WWI. The Pledge was adopted by America as a way for the people of the nation to unite in patriotism under the liberty established and symbolized by the flag. The issue today revolves around the political unrest in the nation. Many are sitting in protest of government or social policies; an objective way to use their rights as American citizens. And while they can’t legally be forced to stand for these things, many people, myself included, think that they should out of respect for their freedoms. Our nation had a long history of fighting for the protection of our rights,  hundreds of thousands of men dying to ensure that the next generations could enjoy the liberties ensured by the US Constitution. Sitting or kneeling during the pledge or national anthem is indirectly disrespectful for the men who fought and died so we could live. By rejecting the ideals of the republic, you are rejecting the purpose of their death. They didn’t fight because someone told them to, they fought because they supported the ideals of the Republic that the flag embodies. I think that many people don’t realize this though. Oftentimes, they believe that they are protesting the government, which is not what these things stand for. The misconception is that the Pledge and Anthem represent our government’s policies or representatives, when in reality, it represents the inalienable rights enumerated by our founding fathers and endowed by God. By rejecting the “republic” you are not rejecting the people or policies of the government, you are rejecting the ideals and the concepts on which the nation is founded. If you are waiting to have a perfect government, then you are going to be waiting for something that will never exist. We did form a “perfect Union” but rather a “more perfect Union”. Which brings me to my next point. Our founding fathers risked everything to bring us the nation we have today, a fact embodied by the flag, the pledge, and the anthem. Protesting these symbols is an indirect, and most likely unintentional, way of protesting our nation’s foundation. However, it is an American right to protest. They have every right to kneel and sit for these symbols, but by doing so they are protesting their rights, as these things embody our rights and laws protecting those rights. All in all, our nation embodies freedom and liberty, and standing for the pledge is a great way to pay respect and due to this fact, even if you do not love everything about the nation.  

From a Southern state, Alaska has always seemed far away, but for new student Tarynn Macfarlane, it’s home. Born in San Antonio Texas, Tarynn moved to Alaska at the ripe age of 4. There she remained until about 2 months ago, when she moved to our fair city. She walked into ACT prep one fine morning, and many, including myself, knew she would bring a new brightness to our tedious days here at school. One student in particular, junior Robin Foster, was drawn to her. When asked why she felt an automatic platonic connection with Miss. Macfarlane, she replied, “Her outgoing manner made me feel comfortable enough to talk to her.” It was a good thing that Robin introduced herself that day; she is now a close friend of Tarynn’s. Other than her extroverted personality, Tarynn is also incredibly funny. Robin noted that she “loved her humor.” Tarynn herself has an interesting background. She comes from three generations of USAF members: her father, grandfather, and brother are all veterans or active members of the Air Force. In fact, the reason why she moved to Alaska from San Antonio, home of Lackland Airforce Base and AF basic training, was a base transfer for her father. Tarynn, like her family before her, wants to go into the Air Force as a medical personnel. Tarynn said that when she retires she wants to “move back to Alaska to grow a homestead.” When she isn’t planning for her future or attending school, Tarynn leads a typical teenager’s life. She hangs out with her friends, and loves to play with her Alaskan Husky, Koda. So, if you ever want to meet someone who is fun, interesting, and loves new friends, say hello to Tarynn; I promise you won’t regret it. 

Personally, my favorite class by far is Mr. Webb’s choir class. Not only do we just sing or do paperwork, but we have concerts and go out on trips to perform for not just our school, but other schools as well. Besides our trips, we do have paperwork to do, but all it really even is is practicing note names on the higher and lower singers parts, like Do, Re, Mi, (also known as solfege) etc. Or we practice the lines and spaces. On the treble clef, the spaces are FACE and the lines are EGBDF (Every Good Boy Does Fine). On the bass clef, the spaces are ACEG (All Cows Eat Grass) and GBDFA (Great Big Dragons Fly Around), or whatever you can make it out to be then memorize it. We sight read our music before we do anything else. Sight reading is going over the rhythm, counting the beats, and singing Do Re Mi and so on before we actually start singing the real thing. On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, we had a choir concert in the auditorium of Carter High School. Since it was pretty close to Halloween, we sang a couple different Halloween-ish songs. It was nerve wracking because we have freshmen through seniors and some of them have never been out in front of a crowd before, but we all did well. On Friday, November 5, 2021, Mr. Webbs’ 2nd block class went on a trip to Carson Newman University. We practiced singing two of our songs for maybe 15-25 minutes. After that, we went into the choir room so we could help more with our vocals. Then we went back into the auditorium and had the opportunity to choose between one of the two songs we practiced, then we sang in front of the choir group from Austin East. Not only did we sing, but we had the opportunity to hangout with our friends and meet new ones from another school. As of right now, we’re practicing Christmas songs for our Christmas concert next month. 

A new kid walked into school one Friday morning. He was looking forward to the first football game at his new school. When he paid the 5 bucks to get into the game he went to take a seat in the bleachers. At half time he was mesmerized by the performance the cheerleaders had. The routine they were doing was amazingly choreographed. One of these cheerleaders is Alyssa Sharpe, a cheerleader for Carter High, is a highly devoted cheerleader. Alyssa has been cheering since 7th grade. She has done 4 years of school cheer and 1 year of competition cheer. Alyssa stated that she “loves being on a team.” She went on to say “ I get to show school spirit while watching interesting sports.” She has good chemistry with the other girls on the cheer team because she has been cheering with them for a while. She described it as something to do and she is good at it. Alyssa also said that one of the best things about being on the cheer team is that it is year round. She gets the privilege to cheer at the football games and at the basketball games. Alyssa is so devoted to cheer that she works outside of the school practices as well. She does stuff like tumbling and stunting with different colleges to prepare herself for cheering in college. One of Alyssa’s best friends, Izabella Hill, said that Alyssa “will do almost anything for her cheer career and will go above and beyond with anything she is asked to do.”

 Kaiden Wilson is a sophomore at Carter High School. He enjoys music, video games, watching sports, and playing sports. Especially football. He is the quarterback for the JV CHS football team. Kaiden says he has had a great time in High Schools so far. Last year Kaiden did virtual. Kaiden says outside of school he enjoys watching sports very much. “My family and I, watch football pretty much every night,” Kaiden says he also enjoys hanging out with friends. Like Seth, Brycen, and Ben. Kaiden also enjoys playing football a lot too and going outside and playing basketball in the summer. Kaiden says his favorite class besides workouts, is health science. He says they do fun stuff in there. He said, “one time we made fake skin, and I did one that made it seem like my bone was sticking out.” Kaiden is very smart and has been fr a long time, he has been in the national honors society/beat club his whole school career. He is very athletic and earned a spot as the quarterback on the CHS football team. Kaiden takes football very seriously. This includes going to all practices, working out, and eating right. Kaiden loves playing football. He also says “carter high school isn’t so bad.” Kaiden likes this school and doesn’t mind going to Carter High School. 

A yearbook is a tool used to commemorate the school year in a variety of different ways. Whether it be by pictures, quotes, or written summaries of exciting events, the annual edition is an important part of the high school experience. It is so important, in fact, that there is an entire class dedicated to writing and producing it. This year’s yearbook staff at Carter High consists of four girls: Zoee Messer, Afton Reid, Brylea Cardwell, and Regan McKeehan. With the help of Mrs. Stanton, the teacher in charge, the girls have been working hard this first semester to create a meaningful yearbook for everyone at the school to enjoy. Brylea Cardwell, a member of the staff, comments about the class: “I love yearbook [class]. It allows me to experience all aspects of high school, even the ones I am not actively involved in. I also like the photography involved, as well as meeting new people, which yearbook [class] allows me to do.” The class is responsible for including a section of the yearbook for as many of the school activities as they can, including but not limited to: clubs, sports, classes, superlatives, and much more. Brylea works alongside her friends to accomplish the goals of the yearbook class and have fun while doing it. One of these friends includes Afton Reid, who says: “Yearbook [class]  is important because when we go into the real world, we are going to want to look back at our high school memories. The yearbook is the best way to do that. We strive to make sure every name and face will be remembered in a special way.” As Afton explains, the significance of the yearbook is not only for the students who buy it, but especially those who make it. Without the yearbook, high school would be a span of four years of memories that students may or may not remember as life passes by. Because of those who work so hard to produce the yearbook, those good times can be preserved for years to come. The deadline to order a yearbook is the last week of February. 

The upcoming musical “Meet Me In St.Louis” is going smoothly, but there are some challenges regarding “lack of experience”, says Mr.Webb. Mr.Webb has informed me, “We have a young cast and it has been frustrating.” It can get difficult because Mr. Webb himself and experienced students have to take time to help inform the younger students what they should and shouldn’t do. Jasmine Gerner, a sophomore, says, “It’s coming together but there is still a lot of work to do.”

For those who don’t know what the musical is about, it’s mainly a love story in a small town in 1902, where two people are trying to get together but don’t acknowledge their interest in each other. Mr. Webb said, “Between Easter and John, Easter is really into John but doesn’t realize she is interested in him.” It goes back and forth with them falling for each other but not recognizing it. The play will be presented on December 9th, 11th, and 12th at Carter High auditorium. They had to move the date further away because of the lack of experience that some students have. But to be honest, this can be a good thing for the students working on the musical because it can cause more effective work into the musical. Overall, the musical is a whole process with having to help everyone that needs the experience. It takes time along with patience to teach students how to make the musical come to life and be professionally done. Mr.Webb and the students that are included and working their hardest to make sure everything goes smoothly and into place. It can get frustrating, but with everyone taking their time to learn the musical properly and doing it correctly.

Imagine if the little conveniences that assist you daily suddenly became inconvenient. Opening doors, walking up and down the stairs, or even reading a sign becomes much harder, and you just have to deal with it. This is how many disabled people feel every day, and it’s vital that we at Carter High School pay attention to the needs of the handicapped students and staff that go here. The fact that these people have to deal with trouble to do minor things is unfair, unlawful, and could be changed without any negative effects for the rest of us. With that being said, let’s explain why. First of all, it really isn’t fair that disabled people at school have a hard time doing simple tasks while others can do these things with ease. The fact that people with physical disabilities should have to work harder to simply open a door or go to another part of the school is very upsetting. If we found a way to add a handicap-friendly handle to our doors or provided another elevator at school, then things would be much easier for those people. In addition to the general argument based on morality, refusal to cater basic necessities to the disabled people at our school is technically against the law. In an article titled, “Many of America’s Schools Aren’t Fully Accessible for Students With Disabilities,” the author states that “The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits handicap discrimination.” It is mentioned in the article that many schools disobey this law by not providing enough for the disabled/handicapped, as previously mentioned before. This disobedience is relatively common among schools, as the author also states that, “⅔ of U.S. public school districts have steep ramps, tight door vestibules, inoperable door handles, and other potential violations.” Some people at our school might say that we already have enough for the disabled currently attending our school, but even if we do, that might not always be the case. As a new generation of students comes to CHS every year, we may not always have enough for the disabled minority, since students with different disabilities may appear. There are also some problems currently with disabled accessibility at our school that some may not notice, such as: one elevator, tiny bathroom stalls (in most bathrooms), and no brail for signs. It is always good to be considerate to those that are a little dissimilar, which brings us to the last point: We can make permanent changes in the school to help those with physical hindrances without getting in the way of accessibility for the other people. This means that it would do no harm to help the students and staff that are a little bit different by adding extensions to the school for their benefit. Altogether, accessibility for the disabled could -and should- improve at our school to bring justice to the disabled, obey the law, and improve overall handicap life at Carter High School without taking away from the experiences of others.

On October twenty-eighth the advanced art, photography, 2D, and 3D classes took a field trip to an art museum and a sculpture park in Chattanooga. I have been to the art museum in previous years but it added new things that were pretty cool to me but today I will be talking about the sculpture field. There were so many interesting looking things there, such as the sculpture that looks like a giant chair, a man squatting, and a gigantic man standing with his hand up. Mary Thayer Montague donated 49 acres of land to be used as a park to the city of Chattanooga. During the 1940s, the park was misused as a construction landfill,there was trash and stray animals in the fields. The park was shut down in 2003 due to environmental concerns.in 2006 the sculptor John Henry came up with the idea of making it an sculpture park. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park has become the largest sculpture park in the Southeast and one of Chattanooga’s premier tourist destinations. One sculpture that stood out because of how they made it so tall and how cool the texture looks. It looks like a giant man standing with his hands up. The texture of this is so unique and feels smooth at some places and bumpy in others. This 65-foot-tall sculpture was raised at Montague Park.This concrete and metal piece by international artist Peter Lundberg was dedicated to five servicemen killed or mortally wounded in the July 16 attack in 2015.