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| SEPTEMBER 15, 1999 |
NEW! Click here to go to Mustangs Weekly-
Articles written by Madison County Middle School Students
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| SEPTEMBER 15, 1999 |
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RAIDERS WEEKLY |
Dedicated teacher and drama advisor
BY ASHLEY WALLER
Lights, camera, action... Tammy Westmoreland has certainly earned
her place in the spotlight.
Westmoreland is a 1983 graduate of Madison County High School.
After graduation, she went to UGA and received her teaching degree
in 1988.
After turning down several job offers in South Georgia due to
location, she started graduate school at night and substitute
teaching during the day. When a teaching position opened mid-year,
Westmoreland stepped in wholeheartedly.
She took over the drama club during her second year of teaching.
She started with only 15 members and that number has now grown
to around 55 members. Due to her hard work in making the drama
club a success and the convenience of block scheduling, a drama
class is now available as an elective. When asked why she loves
drama so much, she replies, "I love encouraging students
to use their imaginations, and most of all, it is FUN!"
Her drama students are always learning new and interesting ways
to expand their imaginations. She is always coming up with unique
games for them to play, like Hula-hooping with imaginary Hula-hoops.
She spends many strenuous hours working on plays at nights and
on the weekends. After all the hard work she puts in at school,
she goes home to her husband Jeff and her two dogs, Lily and Barney,
and Barney's cat, Tickle.
Roger and Rory Raider
Hi, Roger and Rory here. We are replacing Ronnie and Rochelle
this year, but we still offer the same reliable advice as always.
If you need advice, have a problem with school, at home or with
your love life, drop us a line and let us know how we can help.
Do not tell us your name. Your questions are completely confidential.
Leave your letters in the box on Mr. Phillips' door (Room 108)
and we will do our best to help you in any way possible. Thank
you so much for your support and we are looking forward to hearing
from you!
Sincerely,
Roger and Rory Raider!
Surveillance cameras installed
BY MEGAN McCAY
A bomb explodes in a locker and when the smoke and debris are
cleared, five high school students are dead. A boy, angry at his
ex-girlfriend, hides a gun under his shirt and walks into her
classroom and shoots her.
Events like these are happening more and more frequently in schools.
To prevent catastrophes such as these from occurring in our school,
16 active surveillance cameras have been installed in and around
the school building. In the future, more cameras will be added.
Principal Allen McCannon said, "Many students see this security
step as a way to make the school a prison, but it really protects
them and their belongings."
The example McCannon illustrated was, "If a car went into
the parking lot and was acting suspicious, we would see them and
block off the parking lot until it was investigated."
This keeps the students' and faculty's cars safe.
The surveillance cameras were installed for safety, so that students
will feel safe in keeping their personal possessions in their
lockers, leaving their cars in the parking lot, and to see that
the incidents of school bombings and shootings are prevented.
A whole new world
BY LORI MOON
The freshmen have arrived. For upperclassmen, this meant more
crowded halls and longer lunch lines. For the freshmen themselves,
it meant a whole new world.
Some were scared of the upperclassmen, others afraid of the extra
work.
Jimmy Payne said, "High school is harder that I thought it
would be."
Jonathan Fulghum, on the other hand, stated, "High school
is not at all as hard as I imagined it to be."
Sara Seagraves was one of the students afraid of losing their
way in the new environment.
"I was definitely afraid of getting lost, but the teachers
are nice (and helped me out)," she said.
Most freshmen tend to like block scheduling better.
Marchus Lang said, "Block scheduling is definitely better
than seven classes a day."
Matt Hall added, "It makes the day go by faster, although
the classes are longer."
Other freshmen are adjusting to the new lunchroom taste.
Josh Deal said, "If it weren't for the Fruitopia (drinks),
I wouldn't have much of a lunch."
With all the changes from middle to high school, the freshmen
will eventually adjust. Sooner or later, this new world will not
be so unusual.
DCT student of the week
BY SALLY RODGERS
Ronna Bellew, a senior, is "DCT Student of the Week."
DCT (Diversified Cooperative Training) is a work-study program
where sudents get school credit while working part-time jobs.
Bellew has been a cashier at Bi-Lo for 14 months. She hopes to
someday become a registered nurse. She says that DCT has helped
her to become more responsible with her actions as well as with
money.
Cliff Bray, Ronna's supervisor (at Bi-Lo), says that along with
being pleasant to work with, she has also "made a big improvement
in her job responsibilities."
Picture day
BY JAMI MASSEY
Approximately 1,300 students, faculty and staff lined up in the
gym for mug shots recently. No, they were not under arrest, but
they were being photographed for the 2000 Hilltopper. These pictures
will also be used for student identification cards. For seniors,
however, the traditional tux and drape photographs that were taken
during the summer will replace the more casual pictures in the
yearbook.
School pictures were taken by Lifetouch.
A new year brings changes to student parking
BY KIM JOHNSON AND ASHLEY BURFORD
"Vroom, Vroom, Honk, Honk!" Are these sounds familiar?
They are not strange to the student parking lot. Most seniors,
juniors and sophomores provide their own transportation to school.
Even though public transportation, buses, is available to all
students, about 320 students have chosen to drive themselves to
school this year.
There are, however, two changes in the student parking lot. The
first is 24-hour surveillance, and the second is stricter enforcement
of parking regulations. Students were required to purchase parking
permits in order to drive to school. The deadline to purchase
permits was Friday, August 27. If permits were not visible, students
were threatened with the possibility of their cars being towed.
Also new to the students is the pro-rated plan. This plan is designed
for students who may acquire their license during the school year
or for students who will not drive every quarter. Students can
pay $5 for each quarter they drive or the full $20 for the entire
school year.
Principal Allen McCannon thinks these changes will make the parking
lot safer and will decrease vehicle vandalism. In the future he
hopes to have a security guard in the parking lot during school
hours.
Volley Raiders begin a new season
BY NATALEA FERRELL
Bump, set, spike... WIN! The 1999 Madison County Volley Raider
season is now in full swing. The team consists of four seniors,
five juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. With nine returning
players from last year, as well as two new recruits, senior captains
Heather Hanley and Angelia Clark work strenuously to have a successful
year. The Volley Raiders have competed in 10 matches versus various
teams in their regions including some top-ranked teams. And now
with a record of 3 and 9, the Volley Raiders are learning what
it takes to win a best of three match as they pull off a 15-10,
15-3 match against Monroe Thursday night.
The Volley Raiders, though currently with few wins, still have
a chance to come back with a decent record.
Play auditions begin
BY ARRIE BROWN
Most people hate being crammed into an elevator with 10 other
people, but last week about 50 students showed that they actually
wanted this privilege when auditions started for the fall one-act
play, The Lost Elevator. Audition days were overflowing with potential
cast members demonstrating their improvisional skills, followed
by reading from the actual play. Students showed their talents
in groups of four or five at a time on the stage while the drama
directors, Tammy Westmoreland and Deron Cash, and the other auditioners
watched in amusement. Out of the many that tried out, only 11
were chosen to be in the very limited cast.
Set in the 1930s, The Lost Elevator is a play about an elevator
full of people with contrasting personalities that gets stuck
between floors. Cast members will go to One-Act Play Competition
in Newton County on November 6 to perform their play and compete
against area schools.
Madison County Y-club steps into the new year
BY TESSA HOLLIS
The coed Y-Club is ready to step into the 1999-2000 school year.
After attending the Youth Training Conference (YTC) in Rock Eagle
on July 23-25, the officers of Y-Club are armed with skits, project
ideas, and inspiration to make this year one of the best.
The Y-Club has received honor club ratings for the past three
years. These ratings are achieved through service toward the school
and community. The Y-Club helps with certain community events
such as the Madison County Recreation Department Easter Egg Hunt
and Reindeer Run.
Last year's club had approximately 45 members, a number which
the officers and advisors hope to increase this year due to the
first annual club fair. The club fair, held in the high school
gymnasium, helps clubs encourage the student body to become more
involved with extracurricular activities.
With Y-Club's clearly set goals, determined officers, dedicated
members, and caring advisors, it is sure to be a fun, rewarding
year.
 Welcome
to the Mustangs Weekly. The Madison County Middle School journalism
class is working on articles and interesting information about
our school to submit to the paper each week. We hope that you
enjoy the articles and information that we write. Our class includes
the following people: Brooke Adams, Mandy Perry, Kristen Lunsford,
Ashley Drake, Tressie Phillips, Amanda Nortan and Brittany Drake.
Our teacher is Mrs. Donna Smith.
The Madison
County Journal is proud to present these students' work in our
printed product as well as online. MCMS girls' softball begins Y-Club holds first meeting Mustang yearbook staff named Upcoming events at MCMS MCMS cheerleaders named |
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