With the boys basketball team going for their 4th district title in a row this year, the pressure is on. This year they basically started with a new team since some of the players are all new to varsity One of Carter’s star senior players Brycen Mckeehan says, “I think the more we play together the more we will gel together. One game doesn’t define who we are as a team. Like I said the more we play the more trust we build and start playing like a championship team like we have been. I think other teams will have to look out for us when it all starts to click. We don’t have any expectations short of another championship and making it through the region.” Now having a whole new team this year, only a few things to take advantage of Brycen says “Just execute plays and take care of the ball. When we have less turnover that means more shots and more shots mean more points. Then we have to sit down and guard all 5 with all 5 on defense and don’t let the offense get 2nd chance points. If we sit and guard and take care of the ball on offense then we will win ball games.” Brycen is the shooting guard on the team, and he believes in his team and believes they can do anything they put their mind to.

In Knox County, it is a curriculum requirement for honors English students to complete a summer reading project prior to beginning the English course. Personally, I can’t stand them. They seem redundant to me, and I feel like our time could be better spent having the time of your life. Summer is supposed to be about living your life with your friends and family, going swimming, and staying up too late, not with your nose in a book and writing essays (unless that’s your idea of a good time). The vast majority of summer reading projects are extensive and very time consuming, and that is the reason why so many students are against them. The general opinion is that they are annoying and ridiculous. I can understand being asked to read a book as an OPTION for extra credit, but that much of a requirement just takes away precious time. High school is important but it should also be fun. It’s the time where everyone is growing up and discovering themselves, and that time is wasted by having to read two novels and do multiple projects for each. I see where it may seem beneficial or helpful, but I do not think that they should be required.

Imagine the following scenario, you just get out of class and you are tired; you decide to stop at the vending machine, in order to get a soda or some other beverage, to get some energy for your next class. You stop at a vending machine, and discover that it doesn’t take credit cards, and you don’t have cash on you. You instead have to walk all the way to the gym lobby to buy a drink, which makes you late for your next class. Now imagine how much more efficient this scenario would be, if more vending machines took cards; you wouldn’t have to run all over the school, to buy a soda, because most, if not all, of the vending machines would take cards.

The main focus for this argument is that carrying cash is a thing of the past, and not all students have cash readily available at a given point. If more vending machines took cards, then more students would, most likely, buy  from the vending machines. 

While it’s easy to understand why this would be a good idea, this could also raise the amount of money that the schools have to spend, without returning a profitable investment to the schools financial portfolio. The vending machines taking cards could also bring in a steady amount of money, coincidentally. All in all, this is a game of gambling, and taking risks.

My final verdict is this: while this could be a costly investment, I think that the amount of convenience that it would bring would be worth the cost. I believe that whatever investment that is made on something of this statute, would be beneficial in the long run. While this could be a worthwhile investment, this is still the decision of the administration, however, this would probably bring more use to the vending machines and more money to the administrators pockets.

Seniors at Carter High have different routes they are taking after they graduate. Some students are looking to start a job right away while some are looking forward to attending college where they will pursue their dream occupation. Many students are taking classes that will benefit them in college later on. Students are required to choose an elective focus which helps them get a better understanding of their career path. A few elective focuses include health science, if a student wishes to work in the medical field or cosmetology, if a student wants to attend beauty school. Most seniors have already completed an elective focus which will benefit them in college. A lot of seniors have applied to different colleges including one senior, Jaci Neal. She says she looks forward to attending Pellissippi State Community College then transferring to the University of Tennessee. Jaci wants to become a speech pathologist because she says, “I enjoy helping others and it has always been an interesting occupation to me”. Jaci has also completed the health science courses and the dietetics and nutrition courses to help lead her into her study. Another senior who has her future planned out is Aashna Desai. Desai is wanting to further her education at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She says, “UT is close to home and it is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go”. Desai looks forward to majoring in kinesiology, the study of the mechanics of body movements. She looks forward to this study because she “always wanted to help and take care of people”. Desai and Neal both are taking dual enrollment classes for english and math for a head start for college. Both students are thrilled about graduating in May and beginning new chapters in their lives.

Title: Evil

Director: Robert King

Starring: Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi

Release: September 26, 2019

Available: CBS and Netflix

If you’re into demonic possessions or supernatural dramas, Evil is just right up your alley. Evil is a TV show with just 1 season and 13 episodes; it was originally aired on CBS and was released on Netflix in 2019. In each episode there’s different demons, prophecies, serial killers, multiple exorcisms, many psychopaths and more that this forensic psychologist and catholic priest-in-training face. Somehow all these different threats connect together in some weird paranormal way. This show has a lot of violence and religion twisting aspects to it, so if you’re not open-minded to that kind of activity then Evil isn’t the kind of show you would enjoy. The writer and director take the time to make sure that the emotional repercussions linger and build on each other. However, what happens with the in-the-moment stuff is sometimes active for both characters and audience. Evil is a weird show with visions, dreams, and fantasies being told to you but you never quite know whats real, and it does that without making the viewers question the show. This show can be genuinely disturbing at times, the visuals and makeup for the suspected possessions, fever dreams, and demonic manifestations is definitely not for audiences with a sensitive disposition. Although season 2 has not yet been given the green light by CBS, it’s truly a unique show and worth the watch.

Located in three different locations within the gym lobby here at Carter High School, is a beverage that can only be described as the taste of nostalgia. The company that makes this product, began in 1890 and has only grown since then; producing a wide variety of teas, both bottled and in teabags. The company got its start, when its founder Thomas Lipton was traveling the world for new items to stock, and he happened upon tea which was rare and expensive at the time; therefore Lipton purchased a plot of land known as a tea garden in Ceylon, this of course became known as Sri Lanka. The company is now owned by Unilever, and sold by Pepsi Lipton international, which of course is jointly owned by Unilever and Pepsico.

The location of the product is incredibly convenient for band students, and wellness students alike. And the refreshing taste makes it the perfect beverage for a hot summer’s day, even if it is almost christmas. It is my prediction that the popularity and the nostalgic taste of this beverage will most definitely stand the test of time. 

To me, whenever I take a sip of a diet green tea, made by Lipton, I am reminded of my experiences as a freshman for Carter’s band program, and obtaining a diet green tea is really convenient because if you can’t pay in cash for the $1.25 price tag, then you can pay with a credit or a debit card. Speaking from personal experience, this is a drink that both teachers and students will love while still being healthy I might add.

Perhaps, one negative is that this beverage is not appealing to everyone, and some people obviously don’t enjoy it. For those that don’t enjoy this beverage, obviously there are other options, like Coke products in other vending machines, and even a few sodas in the same vending machines as the green tea.

My final verdict is this, Lipton’s diet green tea, is more than just a healthy alternative to soda, and an effective stimulant to give you the much needed energy to survive the day, this drink is the past and the memories it holds, it is the future and all that is to come, and more than anything this drink is the taste of nostalgia itself, and is most certainly worth your time and money. Thank you.

Product: Lipton’s diet green tea”

Company that makes it: Lipton

Price: 1.25 in the vending machine

Homecoming fundraising won’t be taking place until the spring semester. Homecoming is an event that usually takes place in the fall that lets young women raise money for a certain club, class or sport event. Whoever raises the most money gets announced Homecoming Queen until next year when it all starts back up. Any sport or club can participate and be apart of the Homecoming court. Cosmetology teacher, Elizabeth Flatford and Health Science/Nutrition teacher, Rebccea Pollard run the Homecoming Court. These ladies make it their priority to give the court a once in a lifetime experience. Due to Covid-19, Mrs. Flatford and Mrs. Pollard decided not to do Homecoming this fall, because they were afraid Carter would “go red.” “We are looking at possibly doing it mainly in February, and again it all depends on how Covid goes”, Mrs. Flatford says. The money raising is all between the candidate and their sponsor, Mrs. Flatford says “Whether its a car wash, doing the tents at football games, or just selling candy during the day its all between you and your sponsor” When Mrs. Flatford was a student at Carter High school, she ran for Homecoming, she says “It kinda takes me back to when I was in school. My favorite part is to see all the girls dressed up the day of and watch them take pictures, and walk out on the field” Mrs. Flatford gets kinda nostalgic when she says “It just kinda reminds me of when I was in school and how exciting it was then and I like to see the community come together.” Carter High School senior, JaDejsha Arnold, was Homecoming candidate for the Carter High School Marching Band her junior year. JaDejsha fundraised by doing a multitude of things such as: a car wash, serving teacher lunches, selling concessions during football games along with t-shirts, and baskets of candy during the school day. She says “If your willing to take on the headache, go for it.” JaDejsha also says, “It’s a nice time for everyone to come around and it’s a good way to raise money for school and their activity.”

The Carter High School boys’ soccer team is currently looking for a new coach. Their coach from the previous season, Mr. McGee, has resigned, so they are now in search of a new leader. If a new coach for the team is not found by the time the season starts, they have a backup plan. If there is no other option, Ray Wynn, the bowling coach and technology specialist for CHS, has decided to fill the position himself. This is only as an absolute last resort, though. In these uncertain times, the seniors are expected to step up and be leaders for the younger boys on the team. “I feel very excited because I can’t wait to play an actual season, because the last one got cut short,” Tanner Henderson, a senior explains, “but at the same time, I’m also sad and scared because we still don’t know if we will have a season, and if we do, it’ll be our last.” Their season was cut short last year due to COVID-19. It was devastating for the upcoming seniors because there was a chance of not having a season at all. That chance is still present if they cannot find a coach, which is why they are so diligently searching. Tanner also says that the seniors will make a great leadership team, because they all get along and work very well together. These boys deserve a good last season, and so far things are looking positive for the boys’ soccer team.

Do you prefer to work with a teacher you like or a teacher you don’t like? More than likely, it’s with the teacher you’re on good terms with. Nobody likes to do their assignments in a hostile classroom environment. That’s why teachers and students at Carter High School should put special effort into creating and maintaining good relationships with each other.

Without good teacher-student relationships, students may not get any work done. Studies have shown that whenever teachers put effort into understanding their students, then many good things happen. Sarah D. Sparks, author of the article “Why Student-Teacher Relationships Matter,” states that during a 2018 study at Arizona State University a researcher named Victoria Theisen-Homer found this out. There were two different groups of teachers each with their own group of students. One group of teachers was more affirmative and distant while the other one took time to know their students and help them. According to Theisen-Homer’s results of the emotionally-taught pupils, “These students not only learned to think for themselves, but also had adults who affirmed and responded to their thoughts and experiences.”

A Carter High School counselor, Mr. Mead, agrees with the claim that the relationship between students and teachers is important. “I think that Carter does have good student-teacher relationships… sometimes.” I agree that Carter’s teachers are generally kind, but there are still some with problems to address. We really need to look into it. However, some teachers may argue that being “too nice” to students may lead to them feeling empowered and engaging in bad behaviors. They are probably afraid of misbehaving students, but their worries can be put to rest with simple facts. If the opposing claim were true, then the students that were led with kindness in the experiment mentioned above wouldn’t have come out with such great results. It was the sternly led students that were less confident and more stressed. Also, many times young people (especially teenagers) rebel because of feeling controlled. If teachers give students some room to be themselves, then they will most likely reap the benefits that way.

Good student-teacher relationships can positively impact teachers, too. According to the article, “A study in the European journal of Psychology and Education found that a teacher’s relationships with students was the best predictor of how much the teacher experienced joy versus anxiety in class.” Teachers that don’t give love or feel love in a school are more likely to feel anxious, as there is no security or trust established between themselves and their students.

Lastly, a teacher’s relationship with their students can help those students become more understanding of others. You’ve heard of “leading by example,” right? Well, you see, teachers have the ability to impact their students with the way they act every school day. If you have a teacher that is understanding of others, these qualities can rub off onto students and help to equip them in further situations.

In conclusion, if students and teachers put effort into knowing each other, then both parties will feel better and improve in different ways. Without a good relationship established, it will be harder for the students to work and stressful for them both in general. This is why student-teacher relationships matter.

Many LGBTQ students attend Carter High School and have very unique experiences in the school. While all students have different experiences in the school, students in the LGBTQ community have vastly different experiences than heterosexual and cis-gendered students. One certain issue the students deal with is acceptance. Students who do not identify with a part of the LGBTQ community do not usually struggle with acceptance. The Equality Club was a huge issue for the school and thus has been put on hiatus. This club was a safe place for many students. This is only one example of not benign accepted and a struggle these students deal with. Acceptance is not the only struggle or “experience” the students deal with. Jason Dassaro, a junior student, is transgender. He came from another East Tennessee school and says the bullying, harassment, and overall vibe of the school he came from was awful. He was bullied for being part of the LGBTQ community and struggled with the experience he had there. According to Jason, Carter is “Pretty accepting over all, no aggression at all. Walking down the hall, you couldn’t tell the difference. Everyone is integrated. Everyone mixes with everyone.” He has not experienced any homophobia for himself while at the school, even if he is accidentally dead-named by some people. At the school he came from, he would be misgendered and dead-named on purpose. Another place Jason feels accepted in is the color guard. The band of Carter High School is very accepting towards Jason. As a part of the color guard, Jason is made to feel accepted and safe. He wears the male guard uniform, is called by his preferred name and pronouns, and is overall completely accepted in the guard. It is much different from his last school but in a very good way. Students are not the only ones with unique experiences. Ms. Sharp, color guard instructor and junior English teacher, considers herself part of the community. She prides herself on creating a safe space for all students, including those in the LGBTQ community. Even though she is a new teacher, Ms. Sharp has noticed some very large differences in the atmosphere at Carter towards students of the LGBTQ community. “Some students at Carter are more blantan in the harassment of LGBTQ students.” Sharp commented when asked about one difference between the schools she has worked at and Carter. She has witnessed one student using the f-slur against another student who was openly gay and was shocked to say the least but the boy handled it very well and Sharp was quick to remove the harrasser from ehr class. At another school she worked at in East Tennessee, the student population is larger which means the LGBTQ student population is larger as well. This allows those who are part of the community to be more accepted in the school. On the other hand, she taught in a small school in Georgia. With such a small student body, LGBTQ students are very few.  Due to being in the Bible Belt, the school in Georgia was not very accepting of the LGBTQ community. The Bible Belt refers to states that are mainly Christian, a religion that is mostly against LGBTQ people. Being here, there was a lack of LGBTQ students which caused those who are there to be bullied, according to Sharp. She concluded that Carter was what would be considered a middle of the road experience. There isn’t a horrible amount of bullying and harassment but it does exist. Overall, Ms. Sharp sees Carter as the normal type of experience for most LGBTQ students and continues to do her best to support and accept those in the community. The LGBTQ students of Carter high school have had good and bad experiences but overall, Carter is generally accepting towards them.