Once Upon a Prom...

       Mist hung in the air like fairy dust, lanterns and torches illuminated the way to the castle, and music echoed in the night. When you first step onto the path to castle Mcculloch the road took on a dark and scary scene, but when the castle appeared, the atmosphere transformed into a fairytale. Although it was cool and rainy outside it couldn’t hide the splendor that shone from the walk on the torch covered bridge to the inside of the castle. The first few steps inside were enough to keep you in awe; not only because of the view that one was given of the outside, but also because of the grand chandelier that captures your attention from the moment you first walk in. The Prom committee definitely did an amazing job in not only the location, but also in hiring a professional photographer and DJ, as well as having games and raffle tickets for students to win prizes. What probably stuck out the most would have to be the theme, which was ‘Once upon a time’. While guys showed up with their tuxes, girls released their inner princess by wearing either big ball gowns, or fit and flare dresses. The night started off with a lot of socializing and exciting chatter, and although people were a little shy of stepping onto the dance floor, two students broke the ice by having a dance off. This definitely excited the students because when the song ‘The Wobble’ by V.I.C came on, everyone immediately started dancing, from then on everyone kept their feet planted on the dance floor, including teachers and staff.

       Aside from the dancing, couples were taking the time to have their picture taken by a Professional photographer, while those who went with groups of friends went in the photo booth. The night was definitely full of activities for students to do; whether it was socializing, taking pictures, dancing, eating, or playing games. I was able to interview Lisa, a senior at EGHS, when asked of how she felt about how Prom turned out she said “It was a little creepy driving up here and kind of hard to find, but the castle looks amazing”. She wasn’t the only one who thought so, Dr. Bishop, an EGHS Member, said “The setting is just beautiful, and everyone looks fabulous”. For the most part everyone seemed to be having an amazing time, so I was able to interview the one who was responsible for the organization of Prom 2015. Ms. Shakiri Jones, an EGHS teacher as well as the one in charge of organizing it said “I was very happy with how everything turned out, and I think everyone enjoyed it for the most part.” Since the ‘Once upon a time’ theme was such a success, I was able to ask her how she was able to come up with it, she answered by saying “Well the Junior and Seniors in the Prom Committee were brainstorming ideas of what the theme should be, and one of those were ‘Once upon a time’. Also since the venue was going to be Castle Mcculloch, ‘Once upon a time’ was the most obvious and fun choice to go with”. Aside from the actual Prom, one of the things most students might have been looking forward to was finding out who Prom King and Queen was going to be. The three finalists for Prom King were Connel ‘Tre’ McLean, Quayson Williams, and Terrell Pickett; while the three finalists for Prom Queen were Ariel Sheares, Shamisa Sumpter, and Jordyn Williams. When all the voting was done it was announced that Prom King was Connel ‘Tre’ McLean and Prom Queen was Jordyn Williams.  All in all, it was a night to remember and definitely a Once upon a time moment for EGHS Juniors and Seniors!

 

Tre's Music Breakdown

Ive never paid any real attention to the true value of music until about 2 summers ago. My cousin, Kayla broke down some Wale lyrics to me. I started to really listen then. Wale then became my favorite R&B/Rap artist. Then I started to listen to music a lot more after that. Especially J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Wale, and other various artists.

In the Car Playlist

·         She Knows –This song is by Juicy J and Neyo. This is a song ranked in the top 50 on music charts. I like this song because it is a fast and slow song . 

·         Trap Queen-This song is by Fetty Wap. This is a very popular song at the moment. 

·         My way-This song is by Fetty Wap. This is also a very popular song at the moment. Fetty Wap is on the rise.

·         Blessings-This song is by Big Sean and Drake. I like this song because of the punch line "way up, I feel blessed.

·         Know Yourself-This song is by Drake. I like this song because it is one of the better songs on drakes mixtape. 

·         Energy-This song is by Drake. I like this song because it is one of the better songs on drakes mixtape

·         Earned it-This song is by The Weeknd. I like this song because it comes from a great artists and it comes from a great movie in 50 Shades of Grey.

·         Coco-This song is by OT Genasis. I like this song because it is very catchy.

·         Planes-This song is by J. Cole and Drake. This happens to be my favorite song!

·         Truffle Butter-This song is by Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne. I like this song because it has a great beat and it has three young money rappers in it.

EG Musician: Morgan Allen

 

 

 

 

 

1.       How long have you been rapping? I’ve been rapping for about 5 years now.

2.       How did you start rapping? I was listening to older rappers, and just wanted to rap and be like that.

3.       What are the things you plan on doing with rap? I plan to make a lot of money once I get enough to make myself a studio.

4.       Do you play any instruments? I used to play the tuba but not anymore.

5.       What else do you do except for rapping? I can also play sports like wrestling and football (even though I’ve never tried out.

Who’s underrated?

I honestly think J. Cole is so underrated. To me he is the best rapper in the game. His lyrics speak volumes. He is mature beyond his years. When he is flowing he is telling you a story. Also Wale and Big Sean are underrated because people think they “fell off the face of the earth”.

                                                                Me                                         Mariah Peavey                                  Nobers                                                

First CD	Exclusive(2007)	N/a	Pearl Jam
First Concert	Lil Bow Wow	None	Paula Abdule
Bucket List Musician	J. Cole	None	None
Instruments you play	N/A	Viola	Trumpet
# of songs on your phone	130	A lot	Few
Can’t stop listening to	Planes- J. Cole	Ariana Grande Songs	None
Favorite Breakup Song	Say goodbye- Chris brown	Say goodbye- Chris brown	None
Get hype song	Gas and mud – Lil Durk	None	Guns and Roses
Little known music act	N/a	N/a	N/a
Fav song ever	Gas and mud – Lil Durk	Chris Brown-Fine China	None , I like all!

 

Streaming music

Pandora just happens to be my favorite. It seems like they correlate with exactly how you are feeling that day. I know that isn’t possible but I like that it seems that way. They also have the most recent songs and the ones that are most popular. I also like the fact that they give you a like and dislike thumb so you can keep playing that song often or cut it off.

www.Pandora.com

Foreign Music

Emily Martinez

What is the genre of music that you enjoy? Nortenas

What country/nationality listens to this music? Mexicans

Who are some famous acts in this genre? Prince Royce

Why should people listen to this even though they are not familiar with the language?  It is an interesting thing to listen to.

Hitting Local Music Scene

Quincy Malloy

What inspired you to enter the radio broadcasting industry? A friend that wanted to do it

What education is recommended to work in radio broadcasting?  Communications and Business

What is one of the most rewarding parts of the radio industry? You get into games to broadcast for free.

What song would you keep in rotation and why? N/A

Wildcats in the Swing of Spring and Doing Big Things!

Would we say that we are in the swing of spring? More like fluctuating temperatures, pollen, "Is Noah showing up in his ark to take us to school today?" April showers do bring May flowers, but more accurately, they bring mid-April sinus infections.

It's all good. May is only a couple of weeks away. I can smell the Memorial Day cookout from here...or at least I could if it were not for the sinus infection.

Let's dig into what's making its way into headlines and conversations lately.

• Congratulations are in order for every administrator, educator, staff member, and student at Eastern Guilford HS. This week, we hosted a visit to welcome AdvancED, a team of professional educators who evaluate schools for accreditation purposes. Through interviews with a variety of Wildcat representatives, classroom observations, and a collection of artifacts, it has been determined that EGHS is an accredited institution of learning through June 30, 2020. This is concrete evidence that EGHS is comprised of talented individuals all working toward a common goal! Tell EVERYONE!!

• The Occupational Course of Study (OCS) students won 2nd place in the GCS Employability Duel this past Wednesday. Congratulations to these students, Ms. Wilkins, and our fantastic team of teachers who contribute so much to this program of super kids.

• One of our very own assistant principals, Mrs. Jamisa Williams, is showing exemplary leadership through a service learning project focused on literacy. The focal point of this project is to expand literacy in the community and model its importance to our future Wildcats at our feeder elementary schools. Ms. Jobe's Early Childhood Education classes are visiting McLeansville Elementary and Sedalia Elementary to read books to students. In conjunction with modeling literacy skills, a QR code has been developed for students to take home to their families. This QR code links to parent resources and interactive storybooks. Feel free to scan the code, which is posted by the article. This is such a rewarding experience to everyone who is a stakeholder in this wonderful service learning activity.    

• Have you received a compliment this week? Maybe someone passed you something you needed to hear, or maybe you picked out something for yourself. Throughout this quarter, expect to see some fun and interesting happenings around our school, as several students and teachers are conspiring to spread random acts of kindness throughout the building through exams. Each week will be a little different and every week will be exciting. Someone might pay for your lunch soon. You might find some treats in unexpected places. Someone may deliver you a message that you have been waiting for someone to say. If you get a compliment, choose a motivation for yourself, or participate or receive something in the movement, please take a picture and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #eghsrak . Who DOESN'T want to feel a little happier? :) Join the movement and I promise you will be changed, just as these two students on the right.

• The EGHS Travel Club, along with Ms. Canoy and Ms. Laws, enjoyed spring break in France and Italy. This was reported to be a fantastic experience. Please ask these students about this amazing opportunity: Lexi Bridges, Jermaine Martin, Tanner Cagle, Eve Trammell, Webay Jimenez, Matthew Ferris, Dorian Johnson, and Selena Zobro

• Our students have contributed over 17,000 service learning hours since August of this school year! This number is continuing to grow as spring service learning activities are recorded. We surpassed our goal for this school year, and we will be naming those seniors who will graduate with a service learning diploma very soon.

• Quayson Williams joins the SoCon as he signs to become a cadet for the prestigious Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Quayson has earned a full scholarship to The Citadel as a member of the Citadel Bulldogs Men's Basketball team. What an accomplishment!!

• Jarius Morehead, who has been signed to play football for NC State in the fall, is very excited for the future, and he plans to share about the hard work and dedication it took to get him to his dream. You can see a video interview from EGHS sportswriter Tre McLean in our last edition. This week, we will be sharing a video about Jarius and what it takes to be successful on the field and in the classroom.

• If you are still debating on whether or not to go to prom next Saturday, let's make the decision easy: GO! :) We need to sell 50 more tickets, so stop by the prom ticket table during lunch to purchase your ticket for 40.00. You will NOT be disappointed

• The American Red Cross spring blood drive co-sponsored by Ms. Offhaus and the EGHS Student Council and Ms, Melvin's Nursing Fundamentals II students was integral in providing 47 units of blood to our community!

• Ask a senior how his or her senior project is coming along! It's starting to get a bit more intense as the paper, board, and speech are coming into fruition. Please encourage these students as they prepare for the final mile of a 13 year marathon!

• Congratulations to Mrs. Jamila Jones-Watts on the birth of her beautiful daughter. Ms. Jones-Watts had her on April 10. Everyone is just fine! :)

• Our Wildcat spring athletics are staying fiercely competitive! Please encourage our student athletes!

• The newest series created by The Wild Times of EGHS journalism students includes an in-depth focus on music. Be prepared to hear some throwbacks from the wayback, as well as receive introduction to some music sure to be in regular rotation. Many EGHS students are featured in this series, so scroll down to check it out!

• Please let Ms. Crider or lead editor Katia Landeros-Ruiz know of any newsworthy information in the Wildcat habitat as we run headlong towards the finish. Stay tuned for more releases and projects from our publication. Thank you so much for your readership. Please share our link far and wide on social media, email, etc. You have the appreciation of 16 student journalists and 1 very grateful newspaper adviser.

From the Adviser : Pushing the Wildcat Wake Up Call to #EGHSRAK

Pushing The Wildcat Wake Up Call to #EGHSRAK

     I might be the only teacher in the world who thinks this way, but I like to think my career allows me to have three other "New Year's Days".

     One of these occurs around the first week in August when I can't hold the calendar back anymore, the sunburn doesn't sting quite as much, and I smell new crayons in the stationery aisle at Target. This is THE year...year number...eleven? Maybe twelve now? Anyway, this is THE year where I am going to be what I call the PERFECT TEACHER.  I'll have matching, funky, and fun bulletin boards, super clean desks, a teacher's desk that would pass white-glove inspection, and I will have engaging lessons EVERY SINGLE DAY that would make even the most challenging student putty in my hands. Seriously. My classroom could be on Pinterest because it's just SO.PRETTY. Who can't learn in here? Then, around mid-September, I have learned 90 names in 25 days, with 10 parents to call, and about 19839203 papers to grade. There's also 14 more days until payday and a checking account that is getting close to single digits. Sigh. There's always next semester.

     The second one is around January. Exams are finished. Semester 1 is in the books. I've got new kids, new ideas, and a new energy. Kids are excited to see new people. For this "first day of school" they don't have that "summer sunscreen haze" on them and it takes less time for them to figure out life. Then #SNOWWWWMG occurs and we are out for two weeks. As a result, everyone's names escape me and we need to read pages 1-39849892 before March. Buckle up, kids.

    However, there's that third wind that comes around April. We're safely out of snowy weather territory, you hear the ping of the baseball bats from the field, and you realize for the first time since October, you left your jacket in your classroom and it's not that serious. The environment around you is a lovely clean rain, then a thunderstorm rain, then OMG..for the LOVE...STOP RAINING!! This is followed by "It's hot", but now "It's cold", followed by doing a double take on a student and saying "Honey, I know yesterday it was 85, but today it's 45, and I'm not entirely sure that's in dress code", and a thousand other in-between, one foot in and one foot out kind of situations. To me, this is the time of year where I roll my sleeves up, close the door at the tardy bell, open the door at the dismissal bell, and the word that comes to mind is "push". Push the kids to stay strong through the year. Push myself to stand before kids in April with the vision of the teacher I aimed to be in August. Push myself out of bed at the alarm and push myself into bed when the "go to bed" and "wake up" times get too close together. Push through the novel. Push through the pacing guide. Push through this lesson. Push to 3:55.

     Sometimes, in all of the pushing, we often push away what matters most...each other.

     Voices in the classroom get a little sharper than intended. Communication gets a little more punctuated. Patience for everyone gets a little closer to nonexistent. Then, it's Friday night/Saturday morning and while all day you would have loved a nap, as fate would have it, the one time you can finally hear your own voice inside your head, THAT voice is now the one that you wish you could silence with a stern, but "you know I still think you're awesome just stop talking when I'm talking" look.

     That was my wake up call.

     So I asked my students if they felt the same way. I asked if there was something about that March/April that brought the moody out in everyone, if the rain made everyone a little more in their feelings that day, or if I was the only one. It appears as though it we are a bunch of moody,
"somewhere else we'd rather be" individuals making it bell to bell.  We like each other. For the most part, we like what we're doing. However, we've just pushed away that energy and replaced it with "dig in...seven weeks...exams....doooo iitttttt." 

      It turns out that we can have our cake and eat it, too. We can push and dig and roll our sleeves up and make magic happen AND do it with a smile. This is where The Wildcat Wake Up Call was born.

      For the next seven weeks, many students and staff members will be participating in fun, themed weeks that engage each other, push each other through to the end, and encourage everyone around us that no one wakes up determined to fail. We fail because some obstacle gets in the way and it's hard to work around. Remove the obstacles and reinstate the success. Please join us in this wake up call that we have hashtagged #eghsrak. RAK = Random Acts of Kindness, which we can all use! Here's a taste of what's to come!

• Unlike the film Mean Girls, You CAN Sit With Us! One week will focus on inclusion in the cafeteria. Anyone wearing a You CAN Sit With Us sticker is considered "safe", willing to let go of the "assigned" seats, and open to making a new friend that week.
• Motivate Me begins this coming week. There will be a daily short video (between 1-2 minutes) from a different senior. This will be sent to teachers via email before school to show during 1st period attendance. Each one of the five seniors explains how focus, determination, and hard work matter in growing from a freshman to a senior. There will be EGHS trivia questions posted around the building and motivational tickets to hand out to anyone who needs a pep talk.
• Chalk Talk includes positive messages throughout the student parking lot, the bus lot as students walk in, and D-lot. Who wouldn't want to walk on a bit of sunshine into the building?
• We can't share all of our secrets. :) 

     The reality is that everyone has a battle, whether it's big or small. However, what trips us up is that we will call someone's battle small when it is a full out war to the other person. Let's push through for our H15TORY making SEN1OR5, our DEL16HTFUL juniors, our EL17E sophomores, and our freshmen who think that they are INVINC18LE. Mostly, because regardless of the class, the subject, or what side of the desk we are on, we're Wildcats. :)

     

A Part of Everyone... Music

Music is one thing everyone loves. Whether it is making music with fellow band members, or jamming out in your bedroom to your favorite band. Music inspires us to make a change in our world, make more music, and inspires us to be better. At Eastern Guilford I see just about every student with headphones in their ears walking to their next class, myself included; music is just great for everything.

Music has been very frequent throughout my life... Whether I am in the car with my mom listening to it, or I am in chorus singing a solo; music has always been there for me. Growing up I always found an escape listening to music. My style of music has also evolved as I've grown up. I used to listen to predominately pop, or whatever was on the radio; but now I listen to Indie, Folk, Rock, Pop-Punk, and a lot more. Music has always been there for me.

I also created a playlist full of music I love... If you love female singers that are independent at their core then you will love this playlist I have created!

Eclectic Indie Women:

1. Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez: Dollhouse is a great song, it is about a dysfunctional family and is very truthful. Also the singer, Melanie Martinez, has a great style and voice.
2. Old Money by Lana Del Rey: Old Money has lines like "My mother's glamour lives on and on,
   Yet still inside I felt alone, For reasons unknown to me." Lyrics like this make an already amazing song, even better .
   For reasons unknown to me.
3. Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine: This is a very emotional song that talks about death in all of it's entirety. This song is very delicate and can bring you to tears.
4. Tessellate by Ellie Goulding: This song has sick beats, and would be great to dance to. This song also features a lot of different instruments, that highlight Ellie Goulding's voice.
5. Lockdown by Amy Lee: This song is by the lead singer of the band Evanescence, and is very good. This song showcases Amy Lee's voice, and is a great start to Amy's solo career.
6. Try by Colbie Caillat: This is a very emotional song that tells a story. The song basically says that you don't need other people to put you down, or other people to tell you you are beautiful.
7. Light Me Up by Birdy: This is a very upbeat song that is very catchy. With lines like " You light me up. When all I see is darkness" makes the song upbeat and happy.
8. Glory and Gore by Lorde: This is a very morbid song disguised by an incredible voice and catchy beat. This song showcases "Royals" and "Tennis Court" singer Lorde's voice very well.
9. The Race by Caroline Pennell: This song is from Caroline Pennell, season 5 of The Voice contestant. This song is very simply amazing in it's entirety.
10. One Last Time by Ariana Grande: This is a great song about love. Ariana's voice is very clean and beautiful throughout.

To learn more about music art our school I interviewed a musician. I interviewed Tabitha Dillon, a member of Honors Vocal Ensemble and Drama classes, about how her passion for singing began... I started by asking her questions, they were as follows:

 1. What inspired you to become the musician you are today?
"Well, I guess growing up on Disney movies and loving princesses. You know, they all had the most gorgeous singing voices and I would sing along and I just kept singing."
 2. Who inspired you to be the musician you are today?
"Sierra Boggess and Julie Andrews are definite influences. They have the most gorgeous voices and they've both played my favorite stage and film characters while singing some of my favorite songs, but I also have to credit two very important teachers. My middle school Chorus teacher Mr. Graham introduced me to musicals by showing my class West side Story and I was just entranced... And then my freshman year Mr. Goodson was the theatre advisor and he got me into musical theatre and it just put me on my path"
 3. What is your biggest goal/aspiration as a musician?
"My biggest goal is to at least have a featured role in a broadway show, but you know, a lead role would be nice too. my biggest goal is to at least have a featured role in a broadway show, but you know, a lead role would be nice too."
 4. What advice do you have for other musicians that want to be something one day?
"Practice! Oh my God practice so much! That's what it is. Even if you're just singing along to the radio it's practice. Branch out and listen to different musical genres, because you may be disappointed that you don't have a pop voice but find that you have an opera voice, and that's wonderful! Also, be nice to your chorus teacher. Get to know them and ask them for help if you need it."
 5. What is your favorite thing about singing; what makes it so amazing/special to you?
"My favorite thing about singing is that it is a uniquely human experience, that we take our thoughts and feelings and put them to music and all of a sudden you can say things you couldn't say before. There is a fundamental magic to music that really can't be explained because I don't think there are words for it. One person can write a song they think only applies to them, and it can move a crowd to tears because everyone relates to it on an emotional level. I think that's what makes being a singer special to me, knowing that I can write a song about my own struggle with things such as sexual assault, and not only will singing it help me get over what happened, but it may influence someone else who needs help to reach out and find what they need. So... Yeah"


Tabitha has a lot to say about music... She has experienced a lot that has shaped her to be the musician she is today.


An artist that I think is underrated is Melanie Martinez. She was a contestant on Season 3 of The Voice and came in 6th place; that was three years ago though. Since then she has been writing songs and finishing school. Now she is touring on her "Dollhouse" Tour and has an EP out, and hopefully releasing her album sometime in the next few months. One of her songs "Carousel" was featured on the teaser trailer for American Horror Story, which made her popularity go up more. She is a great artist and I highly recommend you listen to her.

I also took a survey, surveyed another student and a teacher. Our responses were as follows:

	Will Brummell	Olivia Hood	Mr. Leyboune
First CD Bought:	Halcyon Days by Ellie Goulding	21st Century by Green Day	Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
First Concert:	Lana Del Rey (Hopefully)	All Time Low (Maybe)	Aerosmith
Bucket List Musician:	Ellie Goulding	Blink-182	Bela Fleck
Number of Songs on Phone:	119	Over 400	630
Can’t Stop Listening to:	Broadripple is Burning by Melanie Martinez	Good Girls by 5SOS	The Beatles… Abbey Road
Favorite Break-Up Song:	Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding	Breakeven by The Script	Tuesday’s Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Favorite “Get Hype” Song:	Flashlight by Ellie Goulding	Animal by Neon Trees	Around The World by Daft Pink
Favorite Little Known Musician:	Melanie Martinez	Melanie Martinez	Jens Kruger or John Hartford
Favorite Song EVER:	Explosions by Ellie Goulding	I Miss You by Blink-182	Steam Powered Aereoplane by John Hartford
Instruments You Play:	Guitar and Voice	Throat	Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Piano, Organ, Voice, Drums, Bass, and learning other things.

Everyone has that one website they use to listen to music on. Personally I use Pandora Radio. It is a great station and here's why I love it:

• You can listen to any artist, anytime.
• They recommend similar artists to the ones you are already listening to.
• You can put your stations on shuffle so you can listen to as many genres as you want.
• On the app there is a sleep timer you can set to turn off the music after a certain amount of time.
• There are advertisements, but they are short.

To learn even more about music at our school I asked someone about music they listen to in a foreign language. I talked to Quentin Goldston about what music he listens to in a foreign language:

1. What is the genre of music you enjoy most in a foreign language?
He responded with a simple "Reggae."
2. What country/nationality listens to this music?
His response was "Jamaica and a lot of other countries."
3. Who are some famous acts in this genre?
He said "Spice and Bob Marley are some of my favorites."
4. Why should people listen to this act, even if they are not familiar with the language?
He then responded "It is calming to listen to, and it's easy to dance to!"

As you can see not just music in our first language are listened to at our school. It is good to have an open mind and experience other culture's music.


Music is a big part of most people's lives; but where do we go to see lived music? A place I have gone is S.W.E.T. (The Somewhere Else Tavern). Although S.W.E.T. is a bar, they do have nights where all ages are allowed to come and listen to great music. S.W.E.T. is a great place to experience great indie/rock/alternative music and I recommend you go check it out!

As you can see; music is a big part of our student body's lives. Music has helped me through so in my life and I hope it can do the same for you.