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.

Winter Lights

by Shelby Katz

December 8, 2012, or the 25th of Kislev, is Hanukkah, according to the regular and the Jewish calendars. Since the Jewish calendar is shorter, Hanukkah falls on a different date, in December, each year. 

Every year, the Jewish people keep special traditions such as, cooking everything in oil, lighting the menorah, saying prayers, having a big feast, and going to temple. A favorite event of the Jewish community is the giant menorah (Hanukkiyah) that is lit by the Rabbi. Lighting the menorah is a special task because it is done in a certain way. The first night, a candle (shamash) is placed in the middle and one candle to the far right on the menorah. Each day after, a candle is added to the left of the far right candle. This symbolizes the miracle with the oil. The lighting of the candles is usually done right before sundown (if it’s the Shabbat) or just after sundown and prayers are said. The shamash is lit first and then is used to light the rest of the candles, from left to right. Following this sacred tradition, the Jewish family celebrates with a feast. This is repeated for eight consecutive nights. Gift giving usually accompanies the celebration.  

Football Finale

by Kyle Montgomery, Carlos Murillo, and Miguel Jimenez

After a huge overtime win over St. Martins, the Yellow Jackets played a very talented Houma Christian. The game was close until the 4th quarter when Houma Christian intercepted the ball and ran all the way back for a touchdown. When we received the ball back, we charged back down the field and intercepted the ball again. After that, Houma Christian ran the clock out and the Jackets lost the opportunity to win their homecoming game.

This past week we played a close game with Ascension Episcopal. At the end of the first half, Haynes was winning 14-13. By the start on the 4th quarter we were losing 33-14. Energized by the spirit of our loyal fans and the fact that it was our final game, we found a spark and charged back, winning the game 37-33. Now the Haynes Yellow Jackets have their first winning season, with the record (5-4)! J

Seeing Stars

by Minh Cao

     

     In 1960, the United States flag design altered to reflect the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. Now, 50 years later, there is a possibility our flag will soon be out of date.

     On November 6^th, 2012 Puerto Ricans voted to become a state with about 61% of the votes in the affirmative. The options on the ballots were statehood, sovereign free associated state, or full independence. Sovereign choice received about 33% of the votes, with 5% of the people voting for full independence.

     Even though Puerto Ricans voted for statehood, they may not even attain it. Before Puerto Rico becomes an official state, the United States Congress must vote on the issue. Since there is no urgent need for this topic to be approved, Congress may not vote on it for some time. Meanwhile, flag designers can wrestle with how to accommodate 51 stars. 

The Beat

by Quinn Lemon

For the week of October 21-27, The top songs are as follows:

1. One More Night by Maroon 5

2. Gangnam Style by PSY

3. Some Nights by Fun.

4. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift

5. Die Young by Kesha

6. As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean

7. Too Close by Alex Clare

8. Diamonds by Rihanna

9. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) by Ne-Yo

10. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) by P!nk

        The number 1 song “One More Night” was released on June 19, 2012 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Overexposed. It quickly became popular among the mainstream audience due to its catchy tune and its reggae-influenced sound. As for the lyrics, the song is about the battle between what the mind, heart, and body want. The singer, Adam Levine, sings, “You and I go hard at each other like we’re goin’ to war.”, indicating that he is involved in some precarious activities. But he then  contradicts his previous statement by singing, “Try to tell you no but my body keeps on telling you yes.” This implies that he knows that he shouldn’t be involved in such activities, but his “body” thinks otherwise.

HAAS Volleyball Team Goes Pink

by Megan Robles

Breast Cancer Ribbons

Everyone was thinking pink when they came to support our Haynes volleyball team in their efforts to raise money for breast cancer awareness!  Haynes Academy and Ben Franklin combined earned over five hundred dollars to donate to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The volleyball team earned money by selling pink breast cancer ribbons and t-shirts as well as asking for a dollar donation from each person in attendance. 

The Volleyball Team's Pink T-shirts

The pink game was also Senior Night for our team captain, and only senior, Katie Philippi.  Thanks to her great leadership and encouragement, the Lady Jackets have been very successful throughout the season.  The team would like to say, “Congratulations to Katie, we all appreciate and love you! The best of wishes for your future and we will all miss you very much.”

Nicole Lala, a JV player, was also announced at the pink game.  She gave a speech about her great aunt who passed away from breast cancer and the effects it had on the whole family.  “If only Aunt Teresa would have not procrastinated in getting a breast exam, maybe she would still be here to tell all her funny jokes, make everyone smile and laugh, and still be able to give her nieces and nephews the best presents ever. Because Aunt Teresa did not get her exam until it was too late, she died of stage 4 breast cancer and is greatly missed in all the hearts of her family members,” Nicole says.  Hopefully, that speech was a wakeup call for many women out there.  Do not wait until it is too late. Take care of business and get an annual breast exam.  As the celebration and remembrance of breast cancer continues through the month of October, show your love and support to those people out there affected by this terrible disease. Go Pink! 

Game Corner

by Austin Erwin

     Hello Internet, and welcome back to Game Corner! Last time, we gave a glance at the world of Dishonored; this time, we’re going back to see how it plays.

     First off, let me just say that the game was well worth the $60 price tag. Upon starting, I was greeted with a veritable chorus of digital sights and sounds. The opening scenes gave a distant look at the island on which the story takes place- beautifully rendered and full of a certain nuance that remains hard for this reporter to describe.

     Once arriving at my destination and gaining control of my character, Corvo, I was happy to see that his controls were smooth and simple to understand. The opening serves as a way to gain familiarity with the controls, as well as the stealth aspect, in an innocent way- a game of hide-and-seek. Indeed, once the Empress’ daughter sees you, she will approach you with the option to play. For anyone just starting the game, it is a simple way to gain an understanding of your sneak skills, as well as being a fun distraction.  

Senior Spotlight

by Precocia Parlow

Senior night was a great success! We honored our football, dance, cheerleading and band seniors on the field at halftime. Escorted by their parents, each senior’s achievements and future college plans were announced by Heather Held to all in attendance. After, each senior gave their mothers a flower in appreciation. There were many people there to support both the Yellow Jacket football team and to honor these deserving students. The jacket fans cheered loud and proud and we beat Ecole Classique. Both the game and the presentation made memories for everyone. Haynes Academy will definitely remember our seniors. Go Jackets!!

Running with the Wind

by Minh Cao     

     The Cross Country team continues its quest to be the fastest in the league. The following chart shows the top 7 Varsity (3 mile) and Junior Varsity (2 mile) members’ best times. 

Varsity

Name	Grade	Best Time
Adam Strickland	10	17:43
Travis Theall	12	18:03
Lucas Schexnayder	10	18:31
Kyle Montgomery	10	19:39
Alan Tran	9	19:39
Jonathan Flores	9	20:07
Peyton LeBlanc	9	20:34

Junior Varsity

Name	Grade	Best Time
Joseph Walther	11	14:00
Bobby Wahl	8	14:21
Muhammad Al-Hassani	11	14:45
Andy Beams	9	14:48
Devon Neil	9	15:26
Blake Zamjahn	8	15:29
Noah Walther	8	15:53

      

     Our next race is the Metro Meet this Friday at 4:30. We will be running the Lakefront course near the UNO campus. This race is run by the top 7 runners of both Varsity and Junior Varsity. The State Cross Country meet is on Monday, November 12 in Natchitoches. This meet is only raced by the top 7 but others are welcome to come along.