Hunka Hunka Holidays

by Alexis Arms

Last Saturday, the Haynes Academy Key Club traveled to William Blvd. Baptist Church for a special persons’ Christmas party. Before guests arrived, members from Haynes, Curtis, Crescent City and Bonnabel were working hard setting up tables, decorating the walls, and cooking a delicious dinner. Christmas music was playing to set the mood as the guests arrived and were greeted by church members and Key Club volunteers. Guests were encouraged to get on the dance floor and show off their moves. Key clubbers from Crescent City put on a skit about Charlie Brown and the meaning of Christmas. Afterwards, everyone left their seats and moved to the center of the floor to limbo. Once everyone was limboed out, the gathering was served a delicious meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and tea.

     To add to the festivities, all of a sudden, Elvis music began to play and before anyone knew what was happening, “Elvis” entered and began to jive. Everyone cheered and laughed while singing along and dancing. The moment came that all the guests had been waiting for! The four Key Clubs, dressed up as reindeer, escorted Santa! The guests clapped and rushed to snap a picture with old St. Nicholas. The event was meant for a celebration for special people but the Key Club volunteers made valuable memories as well.

Food for Thought

By: Taylor Waguespack    

On Saturday, December 8th, Haynes hosted its 6th annual International Food Festival. This event recognizes the cultural diversities of the Haynes families. The night was full of wonderful entertainment from students who sang, danced, and played instruments. The entire Haynes community donated time volunteering, decorating, cooking, and doling out samples of a variety of delicious foods from countries all over the world. Sponsored by the PTO, the International Food Festival supports Haynes’ clubs and organizations. Mrs. Nancy Serio and Mrs. Gina Schuette worked closely to make this event a success. The fine arts department coordinated the talent and Mr. Piazza carried out the theme, “Colors of the Wind” with the Native American and waterfall tableau above the stage.  

There was a great turnout and more than sixteen countries were represented. Everyone who attended had a great time and we look forward to having another fantastic night at the International Food Festival next year.

McKenzie's NFL Moments

by Matthew McKenzie

It was yet another exciting week in the NFL. There were so many upsets it was hard to count. But we can’t forget about the recent death of the Cowboys player, Jerry Brown Jr. He, along with team mate Josh Brent, were driving home. Brent was intoxicated and the accident that ensued took the life of his best friend.

Though mentally distraught, the Cowboys took on the Bengals and ended up winning the game they dedicated to their fallen teammate. In the emotional win, they kicked a last second field goal to seal the game.

The Vikings took on the Bears in a divisional match-up this week and they won 24-17. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota's running back) ran for over 150 yards and scored. If he rushes for 155 yards in each of the remaining games this season, he could break the single season rushing record of 2,104 yards. To add to this incredible story, Adrian Peterson is coming off of knee surgery from last season.

New York took on New Orleans in what was expected to be a closely contested game. The outcome was completely different. The Saints started off strong, intercepting Eli Manning and returning it for a touchdown. Immediately after, New York returned the kickoff for a touchdown. New York’s special teams and stellar defense embarrassed the Saints on national television in a 52-27 victory.

Monday night the Patriots took on the Texans. This was a very important game for both teams because playoff seeding is on the line. Many favored the Texans to win but the Patriots came out firing. The Patriots knocked off the Texans 42-14.

This Thursday the Eagles battle the Bengals, a critical game as Cincinnati is fighting to stay alive in the playoff race. Tune in for a good one!

Gotta Kick It Up

by Megan Robles and Kara Thomas

Winter sports are getting started. The Lady Yellow Jackets Soccer Team opened its season on November 13, against McGehee. Having lost four significant seniors, the team has a lot to prove. Welcoming several new players, including seventh grader Megan Marsolone, and a new coach-teacher Chris Totaro, the Lady Jackets are competing in District 10-2A.

           The schedule includes many fierce competitors such as Riverside Academy and St. Charles Catholic. The Lady Jackets hope to face them head on with an offense of two great scorers-Sydney Schaubhut, freshman, and Hannah Rosamond, sophomore-and a strong midfield and defense comprised of Carolina Ochoa, Keely Reynolds, Celita Dopp, and Sabrine Mohammad. The Haynes Lady Jackets keepers are Nancy Nguyen and Rachel Marin.
           The season, lasting until late January/early February, is expected to be a true test of whether the Lady Yellow Jackets Soccer Team is ready to compete in district. As of December 12, the team is undefeated with five wins and one tie.

Hoops with Haley

by Haley Gonzales
The Lady Jacket basketball team is just in the beginning of their season, with a record of 5-6. Last year the Jackets had made it to the first round playoffs and the team is hoping to go even further this year. Losing two of last year’s starters is a detriment, but it will just make each player push individually for more improvement. Coach Michael Bonura is in his fourth year at Haynes and he believes in the Lady Jacket ability.
On December 22nd, the Jackets will play their rival Thomas Jefferson in the New Orleans Arena. Basketball players are selling tickets for this special event. Please come out and support our great team!

Welcome to the new Haynes Academy Journalism blog, The Hive! The purpose of this blog is to keep everyone at Haynes Academy-that is, students, faculty, and parents-well informed on events at Haynes, including dances, sports, pep rallies, and more! With this blog, the Journalism class hopes to be able to update events more frequently than the past quarterly school newspapers.

This blog is going to act as a replacement to our school newspaper with the exception of the coveted Senior Edition at the end of the year.

The Journalism class hopes that you will enjoy this blog, and comment on articles that are posted. If you have any suggestions to better the blog, or would like a story concerning your club, extracurricular activity, or sports team, please feel free to contact Mrs. Dooley, Jessica Smith, or Malerie Eiserloh.

Volley with Dollie

by Haley Gonzales

The Haynes Lady Jacket volleyball team’s successful season has come to an end with a record of 19-11. Advancing to the playoffs, it was déjà vu as Haynes and Berwick met again for a rematch. Last season, Berwick topped our Jackets 0-3 but this time Haynes turned the table in defeating them 3-0.  It was the Jackets’ fourth year making it to the first round of playoffs and our first time winning.

The jackets went on the road for the second playoff game at Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette. Haynes fell a little short losing in 3. Finishing the season off positively, the Jackets’ new coach, Mrs. Dollie Lala, said that everyone really stepped it up this season. The Jackets can’t wait till next year and are planning on going even further!

Dancing in the Dark

by Taylor Hickman

The Sophomore and Freshmen Student Councils hosted the annual MORP dance this month. MORP is an event created for the underclassmen since they cannot attend prom. The difference between MORP and PROM is that all of high school is invited.

The dance was held at the Metairie Lions Club from 8-11. "Dancing In the Dark" was the theme this year and the venue was decorated with neon and black lights. Glow stick bracelets were given to all of the guests to light up the dance floor! The ambience from the lights and glow sticks was carried further through the use of fog machines and laser lights. Attired in all white, everyone added to the glow. A night of food, dancing, and music, as well as the clever decorations made it a memory for all in attendance.

The Beat

by Quinn Lemon

Instead of giving the top 10 songs for the week, this article will be about a musical group that few people know -  Atmosphere. Atmosphere, a Minneapolis-based rap group, formed in 1989. Its members include rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and the DJ/producer Ant (Anthony Davis). Their former member and co-founder, Spawn (Derek Turner), left after their first album Overcast! because he believed that the group wouldn't go anywhere. Other former members include Stress (Brent Sayers) and Beyond (Musab Saad).

The members of the band met in high school and performed under the name Mental Subjects.  They then changed their name to A Rhythmic Culture, and finally to Urban Atmosphere. Original group members, Stress and Slug, met Ant through group member Beyond and welcomed the opportunity to work with him. Slug thought that Ant was good and saw an opportunity to work with him. They soon started recording tracks together and later dropped "Urban" from their name.

Their first album Overcast! was released in 1997. It was viewed by a wider audience than expected due to the amount of airplay of the album's single, "Scapegoat". The album was received very well by critics; it earned a 9.5 out of 10 by Rap Reviews.

After their debut album came God Loves Ugly, released in 2001. It sold 130,000 copies and reached #18 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks charts. It, too, was received well by critics.

Seven's Travels, their 2003 release, reached #1 on KTUH's charts for the week of October 6, 2003. Again, critics raved. It received 4 out of 5 stars from HipHopDX.

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that **** Gold (2008) was one of their best albums. Selling 36,000 copies within its first week of release, it debuted at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200. This was the first time one of their albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. Critics awarded 5 out of 5 stars and praised Ant’s producing skills and Slug’s smooth storytelling. HipHopDX gave it 4.5 out 5 stars, and The New York Times said that it was favorable.

Their most recent album, The Family Sign(2011), debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and sold 28,000 copies within its first week of release. This did not receive as much critical praise as When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that **** Gold, but it was still liked among critics with AllMusic giving it 3.5 out 5 of stars.

It is not known whether or not Atmosphere is working on another album, but it is certain that many people are waiting.

Beyond the Grave

by Megan Crowder and Rebecca Garcia
Beyond the Grave is a Christian play based on the Columbine shooting in Colorado. Its venue is the Victory Fellowship on Airline Highway, every other week, until sometime in the spring. In the play, teens in a drama class are preparing for their annual performance of Phantom of the Opera. Other scenes give the audience a look into the life of the students and the problems that they are facing at home. During the performance of Phantom of the Opera, a student comes to class dressed as the Phantom and shoots his classmates. Eight of them are dead and the shooter commits suicide.
In the next scene, those eight students are facing God and being judged on whether they go to Heaven or Hell. The message Beyond the Grave tries to convey is that you never know when you are going to die, so you have to accept God into your heart and live your life according to His plan. Every year, hundreds of people get saved and baptized because of this play. The next performance is on December 7, 2012, and admission is free. Everyone should come see it!

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

by Megan Arabie and Precocia Parlow

Besides electing a president, Tuesday, November 6, was also a referendum on the Crescent City Connection Tolls. The three parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, and Plaquemines all got to have their say on the subject. 58% of Orleans, 46% of Jefferson, and 44% of Plaquemines voted to keep the tolls. In the end, this important tax renewal passed by only a sixteen vote difference.
There has been great controversy as to where the money, from the tolls, is going. Toll opponents have argued that the state has misused the $400 million collected for the purpose of the bridge and adjacent roadway. They claim the monies, instead, were used to maintain the Westbank Expressway. The money was originally earmarked for maintenance of the two structures and for the Crescent City Connection police and the administration. Few people know that $22 million is collected annually from the toll booths.
Opponents say that although West Bankers pay the majority of the toll revenue, they have been shorted when it comes to giving back to the community with the money. They claim the money has become a fund for ferries and road projects around the entire state. Over 200 West Bank businesses have opposed the renewal of the toll. They also think it's unfair to have only the West Bankers pay when they cross the bridge, and not the East Bankers.
Proponents of the toll tax said that eliminating the tolls could put the region's security and progress to a halt because the bridge and expressway would have to fight other structures across the state for funding. If the bridge fees were discontinued, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and
Development would stop collecting at the end of the year and have to find a way to direct traffic after the booths are removed. The bridges would also be dirtier, with more debris, because the  decrease in funding would curtail daily clean up.
Haynes Academy, on the East Bank, boasts 35 West Bank students. Julia Vedros, a sixth grader from Harvey, says that it takes her about thirty-five minutes to get to school everyday. She dislikes the tolls but was uncertain about where this revenue goes. East Bank sophomore, Victoria Jones, travels the bridge for volleyball clinics on weekends. She sides with renewing the tax because it pays for lighting and trash pickup. But, she added, “…if the vote was different and the toll didn't stay, then I guess there are other ways that those things could still be possible.”
It took several days for poll commissioners to validate the toll votes but, in the end, we’ll still be passing the toll booths and paying our dollar for years to come.