Student joins photography class at Carter High School.
Elizabeth Sprinkle, a senior at Carter, joined photography class in the spring semester of 2022. She was 15 when she became interested in photography.
Elizabeth talks about how she got into photography. She says, “I originally started taking pictures with my phone and realized if I change certain settings, the pictures become more artistic. Then I signed up for photography class, which allowed me to work on camera skills and learn the basics of photography.”
Elizabeth loves to go outside at home, grab her camera and take pictures of birds and other stuff like other animals, flowers, etc.
Elizabeth says that she likes the class because people could take the same picture but it has a different meaning behind it. “I like how everyone can take a picture of one subject, but the subject gives a different meaning in each photo.”
A photo Elizabeth has taken of a Eastern Bluebird.
Peace is a word that Rebecca Lavender knows well so she even got a peace sign tattooed on her. She states “ I am a firm believer in kindness and think it’s crucial to be and have in your life.” Moreover, she often sits under her tree barefoot and thinks about how I can help my peers be kinder to each other. Often in this state of mind, feels the laws of attraction that are associated with dressing hippy. A way she acts out her beliefs is by working at KARM. Every time you spend $2 it provides a meal for the homeless she is glad to be able to spread kindness to them and help the homeless since it’s a giant part of her life. At KARM, she is a shift leader and has been working there for two years now. Likewise, she tries to have a healthy work environment and loves her job, and plans to continue a future with the company. She believes we all need to get together as a collective and spread more love and positivity in this cruel world, especially in high school. One piece of advice she wants to share is that you are allowed to dress how you want, love who you love, and ignore anyone who brings you down, you are a precious soul and in the end, life goes on. Most importantly live your life and be your own main character.
Recently the Carter High administration has forced E-HallPass. Many students, teachers, and parents think it is unfair and takes away students freedom.With E-HallPass you make a pass to where you are going,When you are leaving, and what time you get back. If you are gone more than 10 minutes you risk getting in trouble and if you use too many passes you get in trouble also. If there are more than a certain number of people in the area they won’t let you make a request. People have health issues where they are gone more than ten minutes or multiple times a day. Some might say it’s a good thing because if something happens to a kid they will know where they are but they won’t necessarily know what happened or where they are. Kids are still going to rebel and go against what they say. They have cameras that they can look at so It doesn’t make sense why they don’t utilize them. They don’t need to track everywhere we are, they should be able to look on the cameras and the teachers should know where we are going. The E-HallPass is ridiculous and says a lot about our administration. The E-HallPass takes aways our freedom and is an unfair punishment. Parents,Teachers, and Students dislike the app very much and don’t agree with their decision.
Where it is found: Sam’s Club, Walmart Supercenter, Target, Dollar General, Kroger, Publix, and the school vending machines
Prices: $3.00-$8.00 (Depends on Size/Package in Stores) $1.75 (Vending machine)
What is your favorite drink? A lot of people’s favorite drinks are Coke, Pepsi, Dr.Pepper, etc. One unique drink that people should try is Cherry Coke Zero Sugar. It has a cherry pop of flavor that’s hard to resist. I had heard of Cherry Coke and never tried it, but when I did, it was one of the best Cokes I’ve ever tasted. Cherry Coke Zero is a cherry-flavored version of Coca-Cola. It is sold in Sam’s Club, Walmart Supercenter, Target, Dollar General, Kroger, and Publix. It is produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola company. Cherry Coke was released in 1985. The Coca-Cola company tested the official cherry-flavored Coke in 1982 at the World’s Fair audience in Knoxville, Tennessee. The first glass of regular Coke was sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Downtown Atlanta. Cherry Coke Zero Sugar was introduced in 2005 but was named Coca-Cola Zero first. In 2017 the name changed because the formula was modified. In 2021, the formula was changed again. This is a good drink because it is really good and you can taste the cherry flavor. The drink wrap makes it stick out because it is purple and not the typical red. Something about the drink that is not so great, is that it is in so high of demand that it is often overpriced or sold out. There is also the fact that I hardly see it advertised unlike the regular Coke and new Coke flavors. Even though there is a high demand, and they may be overpriced at some places, the school sells them cheaper for $1.75 at the vending machines. Cherry Coke Zero Sugar is a good drink to try if you want something new and good tasting.
PARKS is a resource management board game stylized after a group of hikers attempting to experience the most that nature has to offer over the span of a year (4 seasons or 4 rounds). Each season, players line up their hikers on the starting tile, taking turns moving down the trail, which grows a tile longer each season. Players perform the action specified on each tile of the trail, actions include collecting a certain resource, trading a resource for another, trading in resources for item/photo cards, etc. Players can gain points by trading in their resources to “visit parks” at the end of every season, parks that provide more points cost more resources, and the person with the most points at the end of the year wins. PARKS, in addition to that general gameplay loop, provides many other factors that enrich gameplay and provide variety to sessions. The biggest draw that PARKS provides is its beautiful illustrations. Each card, container, and token is hand-drawn by a different artist, in a various unique style. Over 35 separate illustrators worked on PARKS to give it an alluring, artful feel. Park cards each showcase a defining feature of that specific national park, as well as its date of establishment, and an interesting fact about it. PARKS is also very beginner-friendly, only consisting of a 12 page rulebook (most of which is going over basic board game rules). In fact, my family, who had only really played something as complex as Monopoly, got the hang of it by the first round. Games are on the shorter end of the tabletop spectrum lasting about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on your group’s size and experience). This short play time is definitely a plus for beginners, as well as those who don’t have much time for serious sessions, however those used to games such as Gloomhaven or Twilight Imperium may find PARKS a bit too casual for their liking. Overall PARKS is a very interesting casual board game with beautiful illustrations. For those who enjoy a quick and easy session, PARKS is a great option. And with a $50 dollar price point and a short ruleset, it is extremely accessible to beginners. More seasoned gamers may find PARKS a bit simple, but still enjoyable nonetheless. PARKS is definitely worth picking up if one is into resource management tabletops.
Carter High School students and staff at Pigeon Key do a board walk.
Mrs. Chollman is a Carter High school science teacher who has been teaching for a total of 25 years. In late February, she took her Marine Ecology class, as well as the school’s science club on a once in a lifetime field trip to Pigeon Key, Florida. On this trip, students snorkeled at Sombrero Reef, Tidepooled in the natural calcified coral shores, learned marine biology in hands-on classes, and interacted with native Tropical wildlife on an island exclusive for the class, as well as visited conservation centers/wildlife hospitals. Pigeon Key is an island in southern Florida, the island acts as an overnight educational facility, teaching marine botany and zoology through fun, hands-on learning such as the exploration of a coral reef, the dissection of a shark, or vertebrate identification during low-tide. Pigeon Key is open to summer camps, field trips, daily tours, and even limited internships!This trip was not easy to pull off. Mrs. Chollman and the school started planning the trip early in June 2022, visiting the facilities of Pigeon Key and beginning to think about scheduling prior to even informing students. When asked about the amount of thought that went into this trip she replied simply: “A lot, we’ve been planning this trip for quite some time.” The school didn’t do it alone however, along the development of the field trip, there were multiple donors, assisting with the large expenses of the trip. One such donor, who wished to remain anonymous, donated a significant amount, shaving over a hundred dollars off of each student’s overall cost, as well as providing meals for students on certain days. In the end, all of this hard work paid off. On the trip, students arrived in Florida after around a 2 hour plane ride, then hopped on a bus to take them across the 7 mile bridge into the Florida Keys. Students were then welcomed by Pigeon key staff onto a 5 acre island, fit with two student dorms, a kitchen, a research pool, beautiful shorelines, a scenic pier, and a large outdoor classroom fitted with buoys of numerous shapes and sizes. The trip was a hit with the students, with many happy but sunburnt faces returning to Tennessee on the final day of the trip. When asked about her favorite part of the trip, junior Rylie Tarver explained, “My favorite part was definitely the tidepooling, the whole trip was great, but I liked the self-guided discovery aspect of the invertebrate identification.” And with such a successful field trip, Mrs Chollman has already begun planning a second trip to Florida soon, focused around the CDC classroom, and possibly giving them an opportunity to visit the Dolphin Research center in Grass Key Fl in the near future.
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nick Offerman
Network (Streaming): HBO Max
Release Date of Most Recent Episode: March 12th, 2023
HBO’s The Last of Us adapts the hit PlayStation game from Naughty Dog into a show that pleases not only fans of the game, but general audiences as well. The Last of Us is the story of Joel Miller, a man who loses his daughter during the outbreak of a fungal infection that causes its victims to start attacking others. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is tasked with transporting Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country because she is immune to the virus. The show, which ended last month, presents the post-apocalyptic world as brutal and unforgiving but displays warmth in Joel and Ellie’s growing relationship. As both characters undergo the journey, the viewers undertake a personal voyage as well from connecting with each character and empathizing by placing themselves and their loved ones in Joel and Ellie’s shoes. Both Pascal and Ramsey are great in their respective roles as many scenes showcase true chemistry and lead those watching to fall in love with the characters and their respective personalities. Visually, the show also impresses with amazing makeup for the “clickers,” an advanced type of infected. While the show deviates from the game in some areas, the director and producers show an infectious love and respect for the source material; some players of the game may have qualms with these changes, but most of them made sense to the adaptation and the nature of a realistic adaptation compared to a game. The show may have even been heightened if some episodes in the show would have been longer; the last few episodes towards the end of the season were some of the shortest which may feel rushed to some or create a longing for players of the original game as other scenes could have been implemented. Even with this being said, there are few complaints to be had. Like nearly every other zombie movie or show, the trope of not referring to the infected as “zombies” is present here. However, it is not as annoying due to the uniqueness of the zombie virus being a fungal infection which creates a terrifying, yet authentic possibility. The true endearing characteristic of HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us is that it does not gatekeep plot points for only those who have played the game. While those who have played the original form may have more insight into future events that will be explored in further seasons and include easter eggs, the show is also created in a format that non-gamers can join and experience an equally impactful story.
Kaydence Hancock is one of the kindest students here at Carter High School, who has a love for education, adventure, and pizza! She is 18 years old and works at Cruze Farm Pizza Barn which takes up most of her time outside of school. Cruze Farm motto is “work hard, and love harder,” which is something she lives by in her day to day life. She is also one of the cleanliest people I have ever known, and has a deep hatred for germs. Kaydence has a lot to share about her additional love and memories for school.
When questioned which class Kaydence loves, she declared, “Peer tutoring, definitely. My heart feels deeply inclined to show love and compassion to everyone. Mrs. Foust’s class sure had a thing or two to teach me about love, too.” Kaydence is always wanting to improve herself for the better. She has so much love and respect for everyone around her, and wants to grow. “My best memory from Carter High School was peer tutoring with Becca.” she says. Kaydence has a deep love for the CDC class, which stands for Comprehensive Development Classroom. There are two classes, one of them being taught by Mrs. Foust, and the other class being taught by Mrs. Chollman, in which students can peer tutor and help not only the students, but the teachers.
Kaydence was asked what she sees when it comes to Carter High School, and what CHS represents to her, and she stated, “I could be cheesy and say ‘love’ or ‘community’, but when it comes to CHS, I recognize it for our staff most of all. Throughout my years of high school here at Carter, the staff has always managed to show me the compassion and understanding that most of the students couldn’t.” Giant shout out for the staff of Carter, you are recognized.
Kaydence has a giant heart for everyone and everything. One last piece of advice Kaydence would like to share is, “Be your own biggest fan, and self-advocate for yourself.” As always, she is a giant advocate for spreading love and positivity.
Some people just have some crazy, unbelievable stories.
One of these people is a freshman named Tony Morton.
Tony has many crazy stories that just seem like they cannot possibly be true.
“One of my favorite stories to tell is the Golden Corral story. I took a tinkle in the ice cream machine one time when I was like six or seven.” He also has a couple stories with hamsters. “My mom ate a hamster in front of me once, for no reason. I also tried to eat one before just because I was hungry.” These stories may seem absolutely unbelievable, but, according to Tony, they are all real.
Tony has told many of his friends and teachers about his favorite intriguing stories. He’s told Mr. Martinez many stories in his AP Human Geography class, and he’s told Mr. Berkeley many stories in Musical Theater. Sailor Bivens, a freshman, is very familiar with these stories, as she’s heard them multiple times.
When asked which of Tony’s many stories is Sailor’s favorite, she responded with, “The Golden Corral story.” She also says that she doesn’t believe his stories at all.
It’s hard to tell if these stories are true or false, but they are definitely entertaining.
A student only has a dollar to spend at school, but nothing is drawing their attention. The smell of fresh baked cookies wafts to them, and there they are: Otis Spunkmeyer cookies at the school store. It is perfect, one fresh Chocolate Chunk Cookie for only one dollar.
The Otis Spunkmeyer company was founded in 1977 and produces baked goods. The company sells cookies, muffins, frozen cookie doughs, and other pastries. Many may have seen these cookies in Subway restaurants.
We have been lucky enough to get these cookies here at Carter. The school store sells Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Most of the time, these cookies are fresh, soft, warm, and gooey. The chocolate is melted perfectly into the cookie dough. They are served in a little paper bag with the Otis Spunkmeyer logo right on the front. Other times they can be cold or unavailable.
The only bad things about these cookies are that they can be hard to get at times. Many students buy too many cookies at a time to the point where they take all of them. Cookies take time to bake so some may not get them in their lunch period. It can be very frustrating if a student brings money and cannot get the one thing they want. Also, the cookies are normally fresh, but not always. When the cookies are not fresh, it takes away from the overall taste. The chocolate is not melted and the cookie itself may be cold. Some people may like their cookies like that so that room temperature cookies may be perfect for some but not all.
Overall, the Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chunk Cookies at the school store are worth the dollar. It is important that every student who likes cookies should try them.
