Ruston High School May 19, 2011 - Ruston High School - Lincoln ...

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Ruston High School May 19, 2011 

Box Tops 

Outside Our Box (2-4) 

Academia (5-8) 

Editorials/Opinions (9-12) 

Service and Social (13) 

Clubs (14-17) 

The Dark Nutt (18) 

The Arts (19-20) 

Senior Information (21) 

Senior Wills (22-23) 

Entertainment (24) 

Student Center (25) 

Fun Page (26) 

Sponsors/Staff (27) 

Bearcat Spirit (28) 

Sports (29-32) 

Millage Vote 

Results 

by Jocria Thompson 

Social Reporter 

State Literary 

Rally Results— 

See Page 8 

FFA State Championships– See Page 15 

The millage vote was held on April 30, 2011. The final results of the election 

were 68% to 32% in favor of the millage extension. Many are very excited that with 

the positive influence it will have on Ruston High‘s addition of 8 new New Tech 

classrooms and an entirely new AG building. It is a great vote of confidence for Ruston 

High School for its administration, faculty, staff, and students. The community 

wants to see the momentum that the school has been experiencing continue with this 

additional funding. As far as the changes, it is going to change the first perception that 

people will have of Ruston High, as when they turn the corner from Tech Drive, they 

will see our beautiful school. The new facility for New Tech will be located where our 

current AG building is and it will look very similar to the one we have now. The AG 

building will relocate and also have a much modern look and be a much better environment 

for our AG and FFA program. The architect has made preliminary plans in 

anticipation of this but the bid process is still pending. Hopefully, construction will 

begin in the fall during the 2011-2012 academic years. If everything goes as planned, 

the upperclassmen will move into the new building in the Fall of 2011. 

http://rustonhigh.lincolnschools.org/chatterbox.html 

Baseball Playoffs 

See Page 32 

Mrs. Howell: Regional Teacher of the Year 

by Whitney Durrett 

Photographer/ Reporter 

Mrs. Emily Howell of Ruston High School was selected as the Regional Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. Last year‘s 

state Teacher of the Year was Mrs. Julie Stephenson from Ruston High School, and there is a possibility this year‘s could be too! As Teacher 

of the Year for Ruston High School, Mrs. Howell was obligated to apply for Teacher of the Year for the region, which includes Lincoln Parish 

and fourteen other parishes. Of all the teachers in the region that apply, one is selected to represent Lincoln Parish at the state level for 

Teacher of the Year for Louisiana. 

As a semi-new teacher, Mrs. Howell is very enthusiastic about her 

job and was honored to receive this award over other teachers who 

have been teaching longer than she has. Oddly, she always wanted to 

teach freshmen. She absolutely loves teaching and never gets bored 

with it. Mrs. Howell loves her students and she loves to see them get 

excited about something they have learned or improved on since the 

beginning of the year. Without the help of other teachers, Mrs. Howell 

would not be where she is today in her teaching. 

Mrs. Howell told Chatterbox she was ―honored and very excited‖ 

to receive the honor of Teacher of the Year for RHS and for the region! 

Mrs. Howell will now compete to become Teacher of the Year 

for the state of Louisiana and is hoping to receive that great honor! 

Congratulations, Mrs. Howell! Ruston High School is very proud to 

have you represent RHS as Teacher of the Year for the region! 

Graduation Attendees Information 

by Natasha Alva 

News Editor 

Another year has flown by. The whirlwind of homework, tests, sports, and many 

other extracurricular activities is taking a break until next year. Well, next year for everyone 

but the seniors. For the seniors, the whirlwind is evolving as they go their separate 

ways. To celebrate this evolution and each senior‘s achievement, a graduation ceremony 

is held. This year, at seven o‘clock, the Class of 2011 will march across the stage at the 

Thomas Assembly Center on Tuesday, May 24 th . 

Here are a few things that everyone needs to know if you plan to participate or be 

spectators of this formal occasion: 

1. Dress nice. Note to girls: there are several steps –your highest heels may not be 

too comfortable . 

2. Behave properly. Catcalls and whistles are not appropriate and please hold your 

applause until all names have been announced. 

3. Bring- camera, video recorder, and your inside voice. 

4. Don‘t bring- balloons, air horns, or other noise makers. 

Everyone is invited to attend graduation and express their support for the seniors. 

Juniors, it is an especially good idea to attend graduation this year so that when you 

graduate the concept is not completely foreign. Just remember, graduation is an important 

and treasured time for seniors and their families. Please be respectful.

O utside Our Box? Chatterbox 

Ruston High School May 19, 2011 Page 2 

Class of 2015: Here They Come! 

by Patricia Duhart 


On April 20-21, the 8 th grade girls and boys from A.E. Phillips and Ruston Jr. High visited and toured Ruston High School. They previewed 

their future Bearcat home and family. They started their visit with the RHS Choir performing an exhilarating preview of clips from 

―Bearcats on Broadway‖. Following the electrifying show, they proceeded with the tour of the school. Everywhere they went, from the Library 

to the AG building to the weight room to the cafeteria, they were able to observe every nook and cranny of RHS. 

After walking up and down stairs, squeezing into Dr. Lewis‘ Office and the guidance office, the tour ended and the groups headed back to 

the auditorium. They listened to Coach Whitlock and Coach Walsh explain how amazing the soccer team is. Coach Laird expressed how RHS is a big Bearcat family. Next, 

Coach Agulair piggybacked Coach Laird‘s statement, exclaiming that ―We are a family and we are student athletes.‖ After the coaches gave a rundown on many of the sports, the 

9 th -12 th grade counselors were introduced. In closing, the Bearcat Brazilian Ensemble left them with a rocking exit. So watch out 2011-2012 upper classmen, because here comes 

the Class of 2015! 

1 st Responder Works With EMTs! 

submitted by Coach Dolly Weir 

Girls P.E. Coach 

First Responders class at Ruston High School is designed for students who are 16 years and older who are interested in working in the 

medical field. During this course, students receive hands-on training in CPR and First Aid Certification. The First Responder class took a 

field trip to the Ruston Fire Station for hands-on work. They worked with paramedics and fire fighters to gain information on how to be 

an EMT. They also visited the Pafford Ambulance Services and the Air One helicopter. This gave the students experience on fire fighters, 

EMTs, Paramedics, and Flight Nurses. This is a career opportunity to see if this is a field they would like to enter into and possible gain 

employment. This course is a half year course and and certifies students to be Responders (if they pass). See your guidance counselor and 

Coach Weir to see if you can be a Responder too! 

RHS PTA loves and appreciates the 

teachers and staff at Ruston High! 

Thanks for all you do! 

Saluting Outstanding Student 

Achievement 

Throughout the Bearcat Nation



Ruston Daily Leader: ‘Newspaper of the Year’ 

by Reed Malek 

Sports Reporter 

On Saturday, April 30 th , Ruston‘s own Ruston Daily Leader won the Louisiana Newspaper of the Year award, along with 42 other awards, in the Louisiana Press Association 

Better Newspaper Competition at the 131 st Annual Louisiana Press Association Convention held in Marksville, Louisiana. This was the tenth time in the past fourteen years in 

which the Ruston Daily Leader has won the award for best newspaper. 

The Leader earned a grand total of 42 awards at the competition, winning 18 first-place awards. Among the gold medals were: Best Editorial Page, Best Overall Sports Coverage, 

Best Ad Campaign, and General Excellence, along with a sweepstakes awards in the editorial and advertising sections. 

This year and last, the Ruston Daily Leader has been instrumental in the publication of the Chatterbox, especially in the sports section. The RDL covers several Ruston High 

School sports events and provides statistics and information which myself and other Chatterbox sports reporters find very useful. As well as providing valuable information for 

Chatterbox writers, the Ruston Daily Leader prints the Chatterbox, provides technical assistance, and helps us with distribution. On behalf of the entire Chatterbox staff, I would 

like to thank the Ruston Daily Leader for all of their contributions and congratulate them on their first-place award! 

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s…A Hot Air Balloon?? 

by Polly Michelle Gwan 

Academics Reporter 

On Friday, April 29 th , Mrs. Wooley‘s STEM-Chemistry class ventured out in front of the school to boldly attempt what no other RHS class had 

ever done: fly hot air balloons. STEM students hand-crafted their balloons out of paper tissue and decorated them to their liking. The hot air balloons 

were made with a variety of different colored tissue paper, glitter, and glue. 

One of the most interesting balloons was the adorable ―Better Bumbler‖, a giant bumblebee hot air balloon created by Ashyln Thompson and 

Macey Sutherland. ―It took us 2 weeks to work on it, and in the midst of our work, we ended up buying a puppy,‖ said Ashyln Thompson. With all 

of their hard work, Macey Sutherland confidently stated, ―Making the Better Bumbler was really fun and we are confident he will fly!‖ 

When the students were ready, the balloons were filled with hot air and they watched and hoped that their balloons would fly!!! Most of the first 

attempts were not the best flights for the hot air balloons, but soon most were flying in the sky. In the end, though, one balloon soared above the rest. 

The hot air balloon created by Taylor Condie and Dara Smith flew high in the sky further and longer than all the others. ―It took us eight and a half 

hours to make and decorate it,‖ said Dara Smith and Taylor Condie, ―But we‘re so glad it flew far.‖ Even though they are floating away, one thing is 

for sure, the STEM-Chemistry students are not full of hot air when it comes to having smarts! 

318-255-4030



A Trip to Spain! 

submitted by Connor Haskins 

RHS Student 

What can I say? Europe was nothing short of amazing! I believe I speak for all the Spanish clubbers 

when I say the trip was a wonderful experience, and quite a blessing. We started in Madrid 

(Central Spain) were many of us got to step on the (Kilómetro 0) which also for the Spaniards 

means that any tourist who steps on it would come back to Spain in the future. While the days went 

by, we also worked our way south through Seville, Granada, and Costal del sol, where took the opportunity 

to relax and enjoy ourselves by going to the beach (Mediterranean Sea). 

After this, we made a brief tour through Morocco and ended our trip in Lisbon, Portugal. To me, 

Europe was a whole different world, absolutely full of culture. The food was nothing better than 

fried fish on the Mediterranean Sea. We had a great guide everywhere we went and despite all the 

learning, we still managed to have so much fun. I really would like to thank our magnificent Spanish 

teachers, Mrs. Cazenave and Mrs. Rivera, as well as our great chaperones. I also thank those who 

made the trip possible by buying the raffle tickets and jeans passes, I thank the many supporters who 

attended and invited friends and family to the Language Fest. 

I highly recommend that all students travel to Europe if the possibility ever arises because the 

experience is something unlike anything else. You will love the people and their culture, but you 

will also get to visit places such as the Generalife and the Alhambra. You will also have the chance 

to visit museums such as the Prado Museum, where you learn a little more about the history of Spain 

itself and the wonderful painters in the history of Spain. The best memories that I will always have 

are shopping with Mary-Kyle, taking pictures with Chase, and arguing with Lauren Pate after being 

up for thirty-six hours. I will always remember my trip to Spain. I encourage you to go next year! 

Students enjoy a meal in Spain! 

Mrs. Rivera‘s camel ride. 

Cinco De Mayo! Wow La Verdad. 

by Stephany Arias 

Senior Reporter 

¿Es el 5 de mayo el día de la independencia de México? Pues la verdad no lo es, por muchos 

años muchas personas alrededor de las Américas han pensando que el 5 de Mayo se debe a la independencia 

de México, pero no es así. La independencia de México o también conocido como; El 

Grito de Dolores aconteció el 16 de Septiembre de 1810, aunque la independencia de México no 

fue adquirida hasta el año 1821. Por otro lado el 5 d Mayo se conmemora por ser una batalla victoriosa, 

que tuvo lugar en Puebla de Zaragoza en el año 1862, esta se celebra especialmente en lugares 

como: Puebla, en el Sur de los Estados Unidos, los cuales hace muchos años atrás formaban 

parte de México tales como, California, Nuevo México, y Texas. Ese día las tropas Francesas con 

un ejército de 6000 hombres tenían planeado tomar México a la fuerza, pero lo que nunca pensaron 

fue que se encontrarían en su camino a la conquista a una parte del ejército Mexicano con un total 

de 4000 hombres esperando por ellos en un pequeño pueblo de México 

llamado Puebla. Esa batalla fue increíble ya que era la primera vez 

que un grupo en desventaja numérica y militar tuvo el poder de vencer 

a las tropas imperiales de Napoleón III. Por eso decimos que fue la 

ganancia de una batalla pero no de la guerra ya que tomo más tiempo 

sacar a los franceses del país y al emperador Maximiliano del poder. 

Paris et Barcelona ! 

submitted by Mrs. Greenwood 

French Teacher 

Miam ! Une crêpe 

au chocolat! 

Le pain français ! 

Délicieux ! 

Collioure, France. 

La Tour Eiffel !

A cademia 

Chatterbox 


NT@R Showcase 

original article by Cathi Cox- Boniol 

revised by Jonathan Craig 

New Tech Reporter 

The staff of New Tech @ Ruston recently hosted the regional New Tech Showcase on its campus at Ruston High School. Attended 

by more than fifty teachers, administrators, policy-makers, and stakeholders from throughout Louisiana, the event marked the first time 

that the National New Tech Network has selected a first year school for this type of distinction. 

―This is a great vote of confidence for our New Tech program,‖ stated Mike Milstead, principal of Ruston High School. ―The staff 

has worked incredibly hard to see that ours is a quality program that promotes excellence while achieving high levels of success for all 

students. To see that effort recognized at the national level is unbelievably gratifying.‖ 

The NT@R staff was joined by Sharon Oldham, Director of New School Development for the New Tech Network, as well as Starla 

Collins, School Development Coach, in presenting the event. Ruston Mayor Dan Hollingsworth, Ruston 21 Co-Chair and NT@R Advisory 

Board member Dr. JoAnn Dauzat, Lincoln Parish Superintendent Danny Bell, and NT@R Director Cathi Cox-Boniol joined 

Milstead in providing remarks that opened the showcase. ―Lincoln Parish has been actively implementing and promoting programs that 

will not only enhance our public school system, but also contribute to the economic development of our area,‖ Hollingsworth stated. 

―We want to attract the best in business to our community and New Tech will help us do that.‖ 

Dauzat highlighted the strong partnership NT@R has with Louisiana Tech University as well as the impact the program is having 

on the community as a whole while Bell spoke to the impact of quality instruction in the classroom.―Those involved with our New 

Tech program have invested an incredible amount of time and energy in making the program an unqualified success,‖ Bell noted. ―And it is absolutely amazing when you observe 

what the students have been able to accomplish.‖ 

Mr. Milstead highlighted the school‘s two year investment in researching and planning for NT@R, something Oldham sees as a key to the program‘s success. ―Today was a 

benchmark in the school‘s journey map as it looked back and told how the community invested in the decision making process and made the school happen. It is very clear that 

students come first and this staff will do what it takes to help them be successful. The students and staff have captured New Tech culture and defined it in a very unique way that 

really works for this school community.‖ 

The NT@R students and faculty would like to thank you for your cooperation with this very important event. Thank you for cleaning your classrooms and making the school 

look nice as well as your participation with this event. This is truly an honor for the NT@R. We look forward to greater things in the future. 

KOM Easter Egg Hunt 

submitted by Caroline Oakly, Emma Norton, and Maggie Ward 

KOM Members 

After many weeks of preparation, a team of Kick-Off Mentors went to Cypress Springs Elementary 

on April 21 to help with a few Easter festivities. They prepared six eggs loaded with candy for 

each of the kindergarten students. Once at Cypress Springs, they hid the eggs in the classrooms and 

watched as the children frantically searched for the eggs and discovered them with delight. This was 

only possible due to the wonderful dedication of the Kick-Off Mentors and the freshman class, who 

fundraised for the plastic eggs and candy. The mentors (pictured below) also stated that they had a 

blast and were glad they could make the children‘s Easter special. 

From Frosh to Sophomore 

by Polly Gwan and Lauren Townsend 

Education Reporter and Assistant News Editor 

With the 2010-2011 school year coming to a close, classes are preparing 

the transition to a new grade (unless they‘re seniors, they‘re just free). 

That means the Freshmen are stepping up in the world and are filling the 

shoes of the Sophomores. Before you Frosh start the new year as a ―bigger 

kid‖, there are a few things you need to know before you get choked by 

being a Sophomore. 

Do Your Homework: Since you are older, your teachers will be 

expecting you to take on more responsibility. Pay attention, do 

your assignments, and don‘t tick off your teachers! 

Shout out to Pre-AP; Beware of Mrs. Stephenson and Her Eels: 

you Pre-AP and Honors students need to step up your game so 

that you don‘t fall behind! Esp. if you have Mrs. Stephenson 

(read when you‘re supposed to read!). 

Respect Your Elders: You may not be Frosh anymore, but you 

are still younger than the Juniors and Seniors, meaning we rule! 

REPRESENT: Make sure to represent your class by being 

―da‘bomb‖ at the pep rallies! 

Park Your Car in the Right Spot: For those who drive, make sure 

you park in the correct area so you don‘t get a ticket. 

That‘s just some quick tips to help keep up with last year‘s Sophomores. 

You will miss being a Frosh because ―It‘s REAL Now! No more 

high school babying because you are no longer the newbies. You actually 

have to work now!‖ Don‘t worry though, when it‘s all said and done, 

you‘ll look back on your Sophomore year and realize it wasn‘t that bad. 

Good Luck incoming Sophomores for the 2011-2012 school year!

A 

cademia 


Chatterbox 

Student Council: The Results Are In! 

by Lauren Townsend 

Assistant News Editor 

―In sports, when the team huddles up right before the game starts and yells ‘1-2-3 Bearcats!,’ well this year[we] yell ‘Family!’ We chose [the RHS Student Council] because 

[this] family is one of the hardest things to defeat. Vote…because we are family…[and voting] to give this ‘family’ a chance to work for you, our extended RHS family.” – Nick 

Letendre, Newly Elected Student Council President 

On April 26, 2011, Ruston High School students gathered in the Boys‘ Gym to meet the candidates for the 2011-2012 Student Council. Beau Russell, 2010-2011 Student 

Council President, introduced the two teams for the April election. 

Garrett Warren, Student Council Representative and campaign manager, announced ―Wilson‘s Warriors‖ to the audience. Wilson‘s Warriors candidates were: Carrington Wilson 

for President, Shelby Giddings for Vice President, Cyril Noland for Secretary, John David Moore for Treasurer, Shelton Wooley for Parliamentarian, and Bailey Wright for 

Sergeant-at-Arms. Ashley Davison, Student Council Vice-President and campaign manager, announced TEAM Letendre consisting of the following candidates: Nick Letendre 

for President, Jake Haddox for Vice President, Courtnei Dunn for Secretary, Pierce Spangler for Treasurer, Beth Ramirez for Parliamentarian, and Eric Goree for Sergeant-at- 

Arms. 

On April 27, 2011, students were given tickets to vote for the 2011-2012 Student Council. The ballots came in and the 2011-2012 Student Council results are as followed: 

Nick Letendre as President, Jake Haddox as Vice President, Courtnei Dunn as Secretary, Pierce Spangler as Treasurer, Beth Ramirez as Parliamentarian, and Eric Goree as Sergeant-at-Arms. 

Congratulations to the new 2011-2012 Student Council as the Ruston High School student body is looking forward to the upcoming school year. 

New Grading Scale at RHS 



The Louisiana State Department of Education has made a mandatory 

change to the grading scale. Neither, Ruston High School nor 

the Lincoln Parish School Board is responsible for this change. The 

grading scale will be the same for the whole state and it will affect 

nearly all students. The grading scale is somewhat broader for each 

letter grade. The scale will be the same for all grades, 9-12. The 

reason it was changed was to make the scale the same for every 

school system in the state. An "A" in Lincoln Parish will now be the 

same scale as an "A" in Ouachita or Orleans Parishes. Ruston High 

old grade scale is A:94-100 B: 86-93 C: 76- 

85 D:67-75 and the new grade scale is A:93- 

100 B:85-92 C:75-84 D:67-74 F: 66 and 

below. 

Left: TEAM Letendre 

Right: Nick Letendre giving his speech. 

Below: Class VP, Ashley Davison, Team‘s Campaign Manager. 

Rotary Club Winners 



Month Students 

September 

Elizabeth Sawyer 

Valerie Wheat 

October 

Christopher Taylor 

Kate Warner 

November 

Elizabeth Moore 

Hannah Rose McIntire 

December 

Ashley Davison 

Mary Glenn Lyons 

January 

Caroline Oakley 

Taylor Kaufman 

February 

Rachel Hill 

Casey Jean Pierce 

March 

Andrew Serio 

Josh Phillips 

April 

Mary Kyle McDonald 

Mayesha Nakib 

Overall Winners 

Ashley Davison 

Rachel Hill 

Note from the staff about 

Rotary Club Winners: 

Congratulations to all 

Rotary Club Winners! 

RHS is so proud of your 

hard work and dedication 

during the school year! 

Good luck in college. 

You‘re going to do great!

A 

cademia 

Chatterbox 


Seniors of 2012 Get Bling’d! 



The Class of 2012 got to take the stage and get ―bling‘d‖ with rings by their loved ones on May 9 at 6 p.m. Mrs. Diana Humphries, the RHS junior counselor, teamed up with 

Balfour ® to create a memorable and organized ring ceremony. Students were lined up in alphabetical order to receive their ring from their chosen presenter as Mrs. Humphries 

called out their names and RHS titles (if applicable). The Balfour ® photographer took pictures of the groups in front of the radically huge Balfour ® Ring cut out on the stage; 

these pictures can be ordered. Baseball players, who had another engagement to attend to, strutted their stuff and then headed straight to their quarter-final playoof match-up and 

victory. Those who didn‘t participate in the game stayed for cake and more pictures and to show off their new ―bla-bling‖. All of the ring owners are happy over the fact that the 

rings finally arrived and now they can look forward to having a decked-out senior year. 

Congratulations juniors for finally getting your rings! Now that you hold your ―rings of power‖ – senior power that is – there are a couple things that you need to remember 

about your rings. As Mrs. Humphries said, ―Your parents spent a lot of money on these rings, so you need to respect them,‖ and by ―them‖, she meant both your parents and your 

rings! To prevent the loss of your class ring, try putting it in a safe spot whenever you take it off. Make it a familiar home so that you always know where it is. Try not to give it 

to your boyfriend or girlfriend, because you will probably lose it should you break up (sorry - some folks are vindictive and have no class). If something does happen to your ring, 

you need to pull your pink receipt and call Balfour ®. A replacement can be ordered (see receipt or website for details). Keep up with your rings! 

Any student who participated in the 2011 Ring Ceremony and wants to order pictures taken by the Balfour ® photographer can look on the order card or back of the program 

that were given at the banquet to place picture orders. See Mrs. Humphries in the guidance office if you have questions or comments. The RHS Class of 2012 would like to thank 

Balfour ®, Mrs. Humphries, and their parents/family for giving us our rings. Thanks again for making our class rings unforgettable! 

Coach Weir stands with her daughter, 

Loren Weir, at the Ring Ceremony. 

Farewell, Mrs. Sutton! 



Mrs. Sutton is a World History and English IV 

teacher at Ruston High. After many years of teaching, 

she is retiring. In the future she plans to travel more, 

read more, and be a good grandmother. Though she is 

leaving us, she does plan to come back and visit and 

possibly teach. What she will miss after her retirement is 

everything that has ever happened while she taught at 

Ruston High School. The best memory she holds is the 

awesome students that she had the opportunity to teach. 

She wants students to remember that she loved history. 

Mrs. Sutton will be greatly missed and people will always 

remember Mrs. Sutton for her great attitude and 

smile. On behalf of Ruston High School, we would like 

to say to Mrs. Sutton, ―thank you for all your hard work 

and to have a wonderful retirement.‖ Now let‘s show 

Mrs. Sutton our appreciation and give her a cheerful 

farewell! Good bye Mrs. Sutton! We‘ll see you around 

and we will miss you so much! 

The Wilson family pose together after the ceremony. 

The traditional RHS ring juniors walk under. 

Farewell, Coach Taylor! 



As you all should know, Coach Taylor is leaving us. He 

currently teaches students financial math, Algebra I part II, 

and Journey to Careers. He also coaches the freshman football 

and baseball team and is an FCA Advisor. The reason 

that we must say farewell to him is because he will be deploying 

to Afghanistan to serve our country as a proud 

member of the Louisiana Army National Guard. Don‘t 

worry though, he plans to come back to RHS to teach and 

coach. While away, he will miss many things, such as Friday 

night football, baseball season, and pep rallies. The best 

memory he holds is the baseball team‘s opportunity to plsy 

in the State Baseball Tournament. Coach Taylor wants to 

see his students graduate and leaves one message for all the 

RHS students to remember - he represents ―an awesome 

God, an awesome country, and an awesome school.‖ Thank 

you Coach Taylor for all your dedication and hard work for 

the improvement of RHS! We hope to see you in the future, 

but for now, good luck and Godspeed!

A 

cademia 

Chatterbox 


State Literary Rally 

by Benicia King 

Education Reporter 

On Saturday, April 16 th , Ruston High School‘s district-qualified students went to the State Literary Rally in Baton Rouge. Testing was difficult, but Ruston High School students 

excelled. Heather Strawbridge placed in 1 st Overall in Accounting. This is an outstanding achievement as earning ―overall‖ qualifies for additional scholarships as Heather 

was ―Top Cat‖ in the entire state, regardless of classification. In addition to Heather‘s overall victory at state, she also claimed victory in FBLA competition in the same area. 

Stepping up to represent our distinguished FFA program, Zach Hannibal tested in AG III and placed 1 st in his division. Just placing at the state rally is significant, and Ruston 

High School had five other top 3 winners: Jonathan Craig placed 3 rd in AG I, Darby Guinn placed 3 rd in French I, John Herren placed 3 rd in Spanish I, Casey Johnston placed 3 rd 

in Environmental Science, and Natasha Alva placed 3 rd in Principles of Business. Congratulations to everyone who did an outstanding job at the State Literary Rally. 

STATE LITERARY RALLY 2011 

CONTESTANT CATEGORY PLACE 

Heather Strawbridge Accounting I 1st 

Zach Hannibal AG III 1st 

Jonathan Craig AG I 3rd 

Darby Guinn French I 3rd 

John Herren Spanish I 3rd 

Casey Johnston Environmental Science 3rd 

Natasha Alva Principles of Business 3rd 

Heather Strawbridge placed 1 st Overall in Accounting I in the State 

Picture below (students-left to right): Heather, Zach, Jonathan, Darby, John, Casey, and Natasha. 

Pictured above: Students who attended the State Literary Rally in Baton Rouge. 

GO CATS!

E 

ditorials/Opinions 


Chatterbox 

FFA Conquers State! 

by Gray Taylor 

Graphic/Design Editor 

Note: See page 15 for the article about FFA’s championships! 

Millage Vote - What’s it Mean? 


Photographer/ Reporter 

Thank You for Your Support! 

by Elizabeth Smith 

Business Manager/ FBLA President 

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) had seven first place 

finishes at state and over twenty people qualified to attend the National 

Leadership Conference this summer. FBLA would not be able to compete at 

Nationals without the support they have received. FBLA would like to express 

a thousand thank yous to Principal Milstead, Superintendent Dr. Danny 

Bell, and the Lincoln Parish School Board for making considerable donations 

and providing award winning support and recognition to the best chapter 

in the state. Thanks for all your support. FBLA appreciates it very much, 

and hopes to make you proud at Nationals by performing to the best of each 

student‘s ability. 

Pictured below are Dr. Danny Bell and Mr. Mike Milstead. 

Ruston High School will continue to grow! With a growing number of students coming to Ruston High School, of 

course we need more room. The Millage expansion passed with a 68% to 32% vote for new New Tech classrooms and a 

new Ag building. This expansion is great for Ruston High because it will allow students of the Ag department more 

room to work and an entirely new area to work in. Also more students will be able to be a part of New Tech with more 

classrooms. 

Ruston High School is constantly growing in numbers. As the school improves, more students want to attend here. 

With the expansion of the Ag and New Tech departments, incoming students will be more enthusiastic about attending 

RHS. As a soon to be junior at Ruston High, this school means much to me. Seeing it grow and give greater opportunities 

to younger students makes me excited and ready to do my part! Ruston High School is striving to be one of the best 

schools in Louisiana and is well on its way to being the best!

E 

ditorials/Opinions 

Chatterbox 


First Amendment: Would It Pass Today? 

by Amber Brown and Natasha Alva 

Senior Editor and News Editor 

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution was written by James Madison. It was submitted to the states for ratification along with the Bill of Rights on Sep. 25, 

1789, and was adopted on Dec. 15, 1791. This ratification occurred over a century ago during a much more conservative era. There would be three questions that come to mind 

when wondering if this amendment would exist if introduced today. First, would it pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President? Second, would it then be ratified by 

the states? Finally, would today‘s Supreme Court uphold it? 

Before answering these questions, one must consider carefully what this amendment entails. The First Amendment states: ―Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment 

of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the 

Government for a redress of grievances.‖ This seems straight forward, but today‘s politicians, special interest groups, lawyers, and judges have made this a grey area. With changing 

times, morals, and access to information within seconds to anything said or done anywhere in the world, this simple amendment faces challenges everyday as groups throughout 

try to enforce their own standards to each new scenario and situation met. 

Arguably, it is one of the most important amendments in our country‘s constitution. As written, it explicitly gives everyone the right to freedom of religion and expression. 

Yet, everyone must think about this seriously for just a moment. Should everyone have the right to do so in all circumstances? What if one group‘s expression or religious beliefs 

conflict directly with another‘s right to do the same – which gets to enjoy the freedom and which gets oppressed? In general, most will stand up for this amendment in most 

cases, but we already have several instances where the courts have ruled against this in certain situations where the safety and security of its citizens can trump these rights. You 

can‘t scream fire in a public building if there is no fire. You would be sadly mistaken to holler ―bomb‖ in an airport. Hate crimes legislation specifically ignores this amendment. 

Even the placement of the Ten Commandments is an issue as in some areas it is fine, in others it is illegal. Try to explain how you can‘t have religious symbols in public places 

yet religious institutions have tax exempt status. Isn‘t that tax exemption a law that respects the establishment of religion? Then again, one could argue that the taxes were never 

passed by Congress but rather by an agency, but that is another argument in itself. 

Passing a constitutional amendment worded as the first amendment is right now probably would never pass as it is written. With all the special interest and politics of today, 

lawyers would probably end up writing more words than that of the entire Constitution. When they finished it, only they would know what it really says and then they would start 

a new debate and it would end up back at the Supreme Court. Obviously, within a few years of ratification, there would be amendments submitted to amend it too. So I guess the 

real question is, where do we draw the line on this issue? See you in court. 

More Reasons to Celebrate! 

by Emily Moore 

Arts Reporter 

Well, summer is almost here and this is the year‘s final edition of Chatterbox, 

other than the June Senior Edition. Therefore, I have taken the initiative to go ahead 

and throw in some days to help you celebrate this summer! I hope everyone has a 

great summer and finds something to celebrate everyday! 

May 

19- Read Chatterbox Day 

21- Finish Shopping for Summer Wardrobe (because I know you‘ve already started) 

23- Don‘t forget to get your Graduates a Gift Day 

24- Senior Graduation! 

26- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 

Summer Break: 

May 27- Official Start of Summer Break! 

May 28- Bon Fire (burn old school notebooks) 

May 30- Memorial Day 

June 2- EMILY MOORE‘S BIRTHDAY! (must bring Oreos 

to get into my party!) 

June 7- Take a Road Trip Day 

June 9- ―On a Boat‖ Day 

June 11- Jurassic Park Day! (18 th anniversary of Jurassic 

Park!) 

June19- Father‘s Day 

June 21- Summer Season Officially Begins 

July 4- Independence Day! (Fireworks, bbq, bonfires, 

etc.) 

July 6- Slip-n-Slide Day 

July 12- Fly a Kite Day 

July 15- Enjoy Some Cheese Cake Day 

July27- Surprise Someone Day 

August (just before school starts): 

-Shop for Clothes and School Supplies 

-Soak up last days of Vacation 

Hooray for Parents! 



May and June are very important months. They are not important just because they‘re 

the last months of school and the first months of summer, but because they‘re the two 

months that celebrate Mother‘s and Father‘s Day! Mother‘s Day is the second Sunday of 

May and Father‘s Day on the third Sunday of June. Mother‘s Day was founded in 1868 

by Ann Jarvis so that families could be reunited after they were divided during the Civil 

War. As years passed, Mother‘s Day has grown into not just a national, but a worldwide 

holiday. Today there are over 53 countries that celebrate this day. The origin of Father‘s 

Day is unclear. Some believe it was created in 1907 when a memorial service was created 

for a large group of men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident 

in West Virginia; others believe that it started with a Father‘s Day ceremony in Vancouver, 

Washington. Like Mother‘s Day, Father‘s Day is celebrated by many countries 

all over the world. Whether your gift is a sentimental card to your father or giving your 

mother a break from the kitchen (hint to feminist guys!), don‘t forget to thank your parents 

for all their love, hard work, and tolerance for you! 

Victory in Europe Day 



On May 8, 1945, brave allied forces were victorious in World War II as the Axis 

Powers surrendered to them. Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was the victory claimed 

after D Day, the day when the operation began, and before Victory in Japan Day (V-J 

Day). Though V-E Day is technically not a national holiday celebrated in these countries, 

there have been many military ceremonies held for the brave soldiers who served 

during that time. These ceremonies recognize them for their honor and dedication to 

their countries. Even though we were unable to spend May 8 th popping fireworks, eating 

our favorite dishes, and spending time with family like we do on many other holidays; 

you can still take the time to remember all the men who sacrificed their lives for the love 

of their country.

E ditorials/Opinions Chatterbox 


For All Who Remain 


Arts Reporter 

Everyone has advice for the graduating seniors, such as ―You‘re starting a new beginning‖ and ―College is so much better than high school‖, but what‘s the advice for the rest 

of us? Where‘s the comfort for the remaining high school students that have to say goodbye to their senior friends? Where‘s the certainty that things will still be great? 

I am an upcoming senior and all of my senior friends this year are leaving and that makes me sad. For me, it will be strange not seeing them in the hallways. I wonder if we‘ll 

still hang out on weekends. I wonder if they‘ll make new friends in college that will cause them to forget me. What about my friends going to colleges far off? What about the 

friends who think they‘re too old to be hanging out with a high school student? Well, I‘ve got some advice for anyone who feels the same. 

Schedules are different in college, so they may not be able to hang every weekend like before. 

They will make new friends in college! It‘s going to happen and there is nothing wrong with that. People grow apart and make new friends. 

It is possible that you‘ll lose contact with those moving away, but that‘s why technology and telecommunication are so great! 

If your friends are likely to start thinking they‘re better than you because they are going to be in college, then you probably need to check out who you‘re hanging 

with. There are certain times in life that people get cocky. These tendencies are easily found in 8 th graders, high school seniors, college freshman, and college seniors. 

It is hard to say goodbye to friends under any circumstances. Focus on the good times you‘ve had and try to keep in touch. Oh by the way, congratulations seniors! We will 

miss you! Good luck! 

Motherly Advice to Seniors 

by Keekee Williams 


The day has finally come and the timing is right. May 24 th serves as the graduating date 

for seniors at Ruston High School, and afterwards, it will be off to college or work. 

Whether you‘re graduating at the top of your class or barely making it through, it‘s time to 

do something with your life. We know that college is fun with the partying, but now is the 

time to work harder and do your best. Your family will miss you and get emotional, or 

maybe they will be glad you‘re leaving and throw you a going-away party (after you‘re 

gone). 

College is full of dangers and all the lowerclassmen want the best for you guys, even 

though you have put us in the trashcan multiple times and told us the wrong classes to go 

to. But besides your old people disease (senioritis), the Class of 2011 is the best ever. We 

just don‘t want to see you guys leave and run into a tree on the way to your dorm. Please 

do not drink and use drugs. Stay focused on your futures and do the best that you can. 

Do it for us, do it for RHS, do it for your family, but most of all, do it for yourself. Get 

ready to think positive going into college and remember, be responsible. 

As you have heard countless times over our intercom, ―Make it a great day or not. The 

choice is yours‖. Well, add more to that. Make it a great life or not. The choice is yours. 

SCHOOL IS ALMOST OVER! 

by Benicia King 

Education Reporter 

The sun will be shining and time will be spent by the pool! Summer is just around the 

corner! But with that, a lot of stress comes over teens from having a hectic last month of 

school. Here are some tips to help make this last month (more like few weeks) of school 

not to be so crazy! 

1. Eat, drink, and sleep: During this last month, eating, sleeping, and keeping hydrated are 

most important. Do not skip meals or binge either! When people are stressed, they tend to 

eat large amounts of junk food. Drink lots of H2O and get sleep every night – which 

means the full 8 hours required! 

2. Study outside: it's finally nice outside! So instead of being pinned up in a tiny dark corner 

of the library go and find a quiet spot outside. Who doesn't love fresh air? 

3. Set time aside for free time: Schedule something fun to do; chill with friends, go see a 

movie, play the new Pokémon game, or go get a smoothie from Eskimo‘s. 

Juniors, What’s Next? 

by Stephany Arias 

Senior reporter 

For many junior students, it is hard to realize that the end of this school year is 

only a few steps ahead, and yes ―end‖ means ―Vacation Time.‖ ―End‖ also means 

that soon you will become a senior and that you need to start thinking about where 

you want to be in the future. Some of you still wonder what you want to major in, 

or what you are going to do after high school. Well, I encourage you to think about 

all those questions you have, but I also want to encourage you to do the best you 

can and to put your energy into your senior year. Try your best to get everything 

done in time, and I am not just talking about school work. I am also talking about 

―COLLEGE‖; apply to as many schools as you like and don‘t forget to work hard 

on your ACT if you are trying to get TOPS. 

College is a huge step for many people. It seems like it was just yesterday when 

you were still a student at junior high. But guess what? All those years of stressful 

times and several headaches are about to be gone. Do not, for any reason, give up 

―NOW.‖ Each one of you has the skills and the power to succeed in life and be 

someone. Do not let others tell you differently because the people who really care 

about you are the ones who stick with you until the end of the road; giving support 

every step of the way. Even though I do not know all of the juniors, I want you to 

know that you are really ―IMPORTANT‖ to me, and that I want the best for you. 

―Good Luck‖ my junior friends.

E 

ditorials/Opinions Chatterbox 


President Obama Fired Celebrity Apprentice? 



We are on the verge of the final countdown; with 2012 lurking near, the showdown between current president Barrack 

Obama and potential presidential candidate Donald Trump has many of us on edge in anticipation. 

We all know Donald Trump or at least have heard something about the entrepreneur from friends or parents. Who 

doesn‘t know the famous line ―YOU‘RE FIRED‖? Now Mr. Trump has taken the spotlight by campaigning for the 2012 

Presidential Election. For weeks, Mr. Trump has run against President Barrack Obama, such as using his recently famous 

arguments discussing Obama‘s birth certificate. In return, Obama has made some retaliations of his own. 

After producing a Hawaiian birth certificate and the White House dinner Trump-jokes, I believe that President Obama 

purposely rescheduled his speech on Osama bin Laden‘s death to cut into the last ten minutes of Donald Trump‘s reality 

show, Celebrity Apprentice. After all, it was over an hour later, and several news broadcasts‘ ―updated times‖ before 

President Obama actually spoke. What do you think? 

Mayday! Going Down! 



Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! We’re Going Down! 

Talk about a stressful day. ―Mayday‖ has embedded self in emergency situation 

communications and classic fame. The emergency code word originated from the 

French word ―m’aider‖ – meaning ―Come help me!‖ – and serves a distress signal for 

radio communications. Pilots and captains use the distress call to signal to headquarters 

(HQ) that they are in a life-threatening situation and need help. 

By using ―Mayday‖, HQ knows to send help to the distressed vessel, such as a 

lifeboat to a sinking ship. 

May Day: The Holiday 



Things You’ll Realize if You Grew Up in the 1990’s 


Graphics/Design Editor 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles never used their weapons. 

Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince was Shredder. 

Doug was always under Patty‘s control. 

150 Pokémon was more than enough. 

Batman: The Animated Series is the best form of Batman. 

Luke Skywalker was The Joker. 

Mortal Kombat was hardcore. 

Are You Afraid of the Dark? was legitimately scary. 

Goosebumps books weren‘t the least bit scary… 

and neither was the show. 

Tommy Pickles from Rugrats was Jewish, 

and Chuckie Finster was a pansy. 

Tiger handheld games were not ‗da bomb.‘ 

Ren & Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life are funnier now. 

Helga Pataki is psychotic. 

The Power Rangers were all stereotypes. 

Steve Urkel was Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Barney was African-American. 

If you‘re just like me, you‘re probably looking at this title and thinking what is May 

Day? Well, May Day is something the United States does not really celebrate. May Day 

is the celebration of the upcoming of spring. Around the world people celebrate May 

Day as they march for better working conditions and often higher wages. In other countries, 

May Day is also known as Labor Day. Here is the US, we know Labor Day to be 

in September. In the Middle Ages, May Day was celebrated with a procession led by 

the ―Queen of May‖ who was chosen from a population of pretty teen girls. It was then 

followed by the townspeople dancing around a May pole decorated with streamers and 

colorful spring flowers. Today, May Day is celebrated with different parties, singalongs, 

parades and much more. 

Bill Nye the Science Guy taught us half of what we know. 

Dee Dee needed to leave Dexter‘s stuff alone. 

Pizza Lunchables were a game changer. 

Inspector Gadget was a goofball. 

Inception stole its plot from a DuckTales episode. 

The All That original cast is better than the current SNL cast. 

Kenan & Kel. Great together, not so great apart. 

Riding the Magic School Bus would be awesome. 

Breakfast cereal was an important part of life. 

Mufasa‘s death was the first tragedy in our lives. 

Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Pinky & The Brain, and 

Freakazoids were all done by Steven Spielberg. 

Tamagochis and Gigapets aren‘t as difficult as children. 

Blowing into Nintendo cartridges was the easiest fix ever. 

Princess Peach needs to save herself. 

Mario Kart makes a great sobriety test. 

Space Jam had a Pulp Fiction reference. 

Johnny Bravo would have been perfect for Jersey Shore. 

Ma-Ti from Captain Planet drew the short straw. 

The X-Men cartoon was better than the movies, and 

Rogue has gotten hotter.

S ervice and Social Chatterbox 


Holocaust Butterfly Project 

submitted by Mrs. Thomason 

RHS English Teacher 

Approximately 1.5 million innocent children perished in the Holocaust. In an effort to remember them, the Holocaust Museum 

Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies. These butterflies will comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled 

for display in Spring 2013, for all to remember adolescent victims of WWII. The Museum has already collected an estimated 600,000 

butterflies. 

During their nonfiction unit, the Freshman Academy 9 th grade English classes studied the autobiography Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel 

was only a teenager during the Holocaust and survived to tell of his experiences. As a pre-unit activity for nonfiction, each student 

in 9 th grade English classes created his/her own butterfly that was displayed at the end of the 9 th grade hallway, symbolizing the innocent 

children who endured suffering during this horrific event in history. Along with making a butterfly, students studied pictures and 

drawing from the book … I never saw another butterfly… This book was compiled from children‘s drawings and poems excerpted from 

Terezin Concentration Camp from 1942-1944. The exhibit was recently taken down to be sent to Holocaust Museum Houston. 

Notes from RHS Staff, Mrs. Garrison: 

Our very own, Molly Humphries, is the current Miss Dixie Gem Peach Outstanding Teen. 

If you have a female student you believe would do well in the Miss Dixie Gem Peach Outstanding 

Teen (ages 13-17) or a Senior (at least age 17) you believe would do well in the Miss Dixie Gem Peach, 

please encourage that young lady to enter the Peach Pageant to be held June 18, 2011 at Dixie Center for 

the Arts. The website follows. 

If you are a parent of a little princess between the ages of 4 and 5 and would like her to enter the Princess 

Peach Pageant to be held June 18, 2001, just go to the following website for more details and application 

forms: 

http://www.dixiegempeachscholarshiporg.com 

4-H Awards 

submitted by Darby Rowland 

4-H Club Reporter 

Achievement Day was held Wednesday, May 3rd, at the Lincoln Parish Expo Center. The following 

students received awards (and pictured): 

Kimberly Miles—1st place for Div.3 Black History Poster 

Darby Rowland– 1st place for Div. 3 Dairy Poster 

Taylor Brazzel—2nd place-9th grade Leadership Lingo Contest 

Amber Wyatt– 3rd place-10th grade Leadership Lingo Contest 

Patricia Duhart– 2nd place-11th grade Leadership Lingo Contest 

Darby Rowland– 1st place 4-H Scrapbook and Outstanding Officer (Reporter) for Lincoln Parish 

The quiz bowl team, consisting of Aubrey Simmons, Garielle Dupree, Rachel Cowell, Keirstyn Sonnier, 

and Darby Rowland won 3rd place. 

Congratulations to all those who attended and won at Achievement Day! 

Reminder: 4-H University will be held this summer on the campus of LSU in Baton Rouge. This is a 

great opportunity to meet other 4-Hers, have fun, and win trips and prizes. If you are interested in attending 

and have not yet signed up, contact the Lincoln Parish 4-H office for more information.

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lubs/Organizations 

Chatterbox 


FBLA’s Partnership With Business Wins State Championship - Again! 

by Amber Brown and Mr. Bruner 

FBLA Vice-President/ Chatterbox Senior Editor and FBLA/Chatterbox Adviser 

Ruston High School‘s Chatterbox project, Partnership With Business, repeated as 

state champions at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership 

Conference in Baton Rouge held in late March 2011. Chatterbox is Ruston High 

School‘s student newspaper – the voice of Ruston High School. Several worthy projects 

were submitted, but the FBLA chapter members who participated in preparing the 

project demonstrated that the partnership developed between FBLA, Chatterbox, the 

Ruston Daily Leader, and many businesses and government entities was superior. 

Expanding on last year‘s project, Chatterbox, made up entirely of FBLA members, 

updated the project with several key points and even more effective writing and pictures. 

The project reported on these changes as well as the overall partnership in 

achieving such great success. Using last year‘s critique from the National Scholastic 

Press Association (NSPA), who awarded the Chatterbox publication a 2 nd Class Rating 

last year, students made several changes to the format and layout of the newspaper. 

With the outstanding support of the Ruston Daily Leader, who provides advice and 

editing as well as prints the Chatterbox, the project highlighted the partnerships and 

involvement of everyone associated with it. 

Amber Brown, Whitney Durrett, 

and Jonathan Craig: 

FBLA State Champions 

Partnership With Business 

2010-2011 Chatterbox Staff 

This year‘s Partnership With Business project was produced primarily by Amber 

Brown, Vice-President of RHS FBLA and Senior Editor of the Chatterbox; Whitney 

Durrett, current photographer and next year‘s Senior Editor of Chatterbox; and Jonathan 

Craig, FBLA member and a guest reporter for Chatterbox. Also contributing significant 

contributions were Reed Malek, current sports reporter and next year‘s Sports 

Editor for Chatterbox, and Elizabeth Smith, the Business Manager and next year‘s 

FBLA President who has the added responsibility of ensuring we have funds to print. 

And of course, the other outstanding editors and staff of the Chatterbox contributed all 

year long as each edition of the newspaper was prepared. 

The Chatterbox will again be critique by the NSPA this year and results should be 

available sometime between June and November. Many individual opportunities for 

recognition are also pending submission and evaluations. The Partnership With Business 

Project now heads to the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida on 

June 24 – July 2, 2011 where Amber Brown, Reed Malek, and Elizabeth Smith will 

present the project to a panel of distinguished judges as they represent Louisiana in 

national competition. 

FBLA Rolls Into RJHS! 

by Amber Brown 

Senior Editor and FBLA Vice President- Service 

Mr. Bruner, Ruston High School‘s Future Business Leaders of 

America (FBLA) and Chatterbox adviser, has recently been 

granted permission to start a Middle Level of FBLA at Ruston 

Junior High School (RJHS). The RJHS chapter was chartered as 

Chapter #17034 on December 6 th , 2010. At the start of next 

school year, Ruston High‘s FBLA, Chapter 617 officers will 

―mentor‖ the younger chapter‘s members any time they need 

assistance or are attempting to organize community based projects. 

Mr. Bruner is officially listed as their primary adviser with 

Mrs. Brewer as his assistant adviser; however, Mrs. Brewer will 

be taking over the RJHS chapter as soon as she feels confident 

after working with Mr. Bruner. Current plans include their chapter 

working with RHS next year as we train them to become selfsufficient. 

This training includes helping them plan, organize, and 

run their meetings, and allow them to compete actively at district 

and state levels in introductory level events. Helping them in turn 

helps us, as our chapter will benefit when their members move up 

to our school. 

FBLA President Elizabeth Smith, FBLA Adviser Mr. Bruner, 

and FBLA Member of the Year Amber Brown recently visited 

RJHS for the initial planning meeting for the new chapter.

C 

lubs/Organizations Chatterbox 


FFA Wins State Titles 

submitted by Robert Gilbert 

FFA Club Reporter 

On April 25 th , the Ruston FFA chapter's qualifying students headed down to Baton Rouge for the annual State Career Development Events (CDE), looking for a state title. The 

night before the twenty-eight students had a fun time at Celebration Station to ease the stress and unwind before the next day of big events. Students played putt-putt, rode gocarts, 

swung away at the batting cages, and played arcade games all while having a great time. 

The next day the FFA teams headed to the LSU campus to represent Ruston High School at the State level in Poultry, General Livestock, Dairy Cattle, Meat Evaluation, Dairy 

Foods, Nursery Landscape, Electricity, and Small Engines. Teams competed against 

the top sixteen best teams in Louisiana in each event, all wanting to be named the 

―Champs‖. In the end Ruston wasn‘t disappointed. Winning third place in Meat 

Evaluation was the team of Hannah Hearne, Chad Leachmen, Nick Liberatoes, and 

Robert Gilbert. Winning the Louisiana State title in Dairy Foods was the team of 

Zach Hannibal, Savannah Best, Brandon Myers, and Taylor Rose. This qualifies 

them to go and compete for the National Title in October. In FFA only the state 

champion team from each event moves on to the National competition. Last but not 

least was the State Champion team in Small Engines of Justin Wilkinson and Will 

Edmiston. Justin was also named the state's highest individual in the Troubleshooting 

portion of the event. Both students will receive significant scholarships to Universal 

Technical Institute (UTI) for their efforts. Congratulations to all the teams 

and students for your hard work and dedication to make it to the state level and beyond. 

Good luck at Nationals! 

FFA‘s 28 students competed at the State FFA CDE in Baton Rouge on April 26, 2011. 

FFA Chapter Banquet 

submitted by Mercedes Fife 

2011-2012 FFA Reporter 

On Thursday night, May 5th, we held the annual Ruston High School FFA Banquet at the Ruston Civic Center with more than 200 members, parents, and guests in attendance. 

Many FFA members took the walk across the large stage at the Ruston Civic Center to be awarded for all their hard work and accomplishments throughout this school 

year. Our newly elected Ruston High FFA officers are now inducted and have begun their designated roles. We are all so eager to see what the next year will bring, especially 

since Mr. Danny Bell announced that Ruston High School will be getting a new Agriculture building that will further the Ruston High School Agriculture program in the upcoming 

years. 

Receiving the Outstanding Greenhand (freshman) Awards were Jonathan Craig and Keirstyn Sonnier. The Outstanding Sophomore Awards went to Layton Richard and 

Mercedes Fife while the Outstanding Junior Awards went to Zach Hannibal and Brandon Myers. There were four Outstanding Senior Awards that went to Will Edmiston, Taylor 

Rose, Savannah Best, and Antonio Wilson. 

It was rather difficult saying goodbye to all the seniors who had helped not only me and other FFA members but other people in the community. A tearful goodbye was 

said as the lights were turned back on after the year-in-review slide show and people began to exit. The memories made will not leave us but instead will stay with us and continue 

to help those influenced stay strong and remember everything we were taught about being leaders and toughing it out through the hard times. It was a wonderful experience 

working with you all and I hope you‘ll come back to see us and I hope that we will see more FFA members at the banquet next year getting their awards. 

1206 Farmerville Hwy. 

Ruston, LA 71270 

(318) 202-5929 

Located next to Emmanuel Baptist Church 

Bring this ad to use as a coupon to receive 

$10 off your purchase of $25 or more 

2010-2011 FFA Officers (Left to Right): Adam Bryant (Sentinel), Seth Wells (Vice 

President), Mercedes Fife (Jr. Vice President), Will Edmiston (President), Robert Gilbert 

(Reporter), Savannah Best (Treasurer), and Annabelle Grossman (Secretary). 

The FFA thanks you for your service!!

C 

FBLA Recognizes Their 

Chapter’s Best 

by Lloyd R. Bruner 

FBLA/Chatterbox Adviser 



On April 14, 2011, FBLA Chapter 617 held their awards ceremony for the year. The 

chapter recognized many of its own accomplishments as well as the many individual 

accomplishments of the 165 members this year. Members who placed at the district and 

state conferences, members who earned membership recruiting awards, and members 

who earned BAA and other awards were recognized. As is tradition at RHS, senior 

members who were active members of FBLA all four years were presented with career 

awards. There were four special awards presented. These were the Exceptional Career 

Award, the Senior Scholarship Award, the Business Student of the Year Award, and the 

Member of the Year Award. 

This year‘s winner of the Exceptional Career Award was Preyesh Govin. As a four 

year member, Preyesh attended the district and state conference every year, and did so 

with distinction. He served as Treasurer for three years. Among his accomplishments, 

he placed in the top five in state competition every year that he participated in the Community 

Service Project. 

Drew Boyd, last year‘s FBLA President and winner of both the Senior Scholarship 

Award and Member of the Year award, presented the three top awards for the chapter. 

The first award he presented was the Senior Scholarship Award, which was awarded to 

Danielle McCoy. Danielle McCoy made it three year‘s in a row in which the sitting 

President of FBLA was awarded this scholarship. As a four year member, Danielle 

served in many positions and was instrumental in many community service projects. 

Preyesh Govin 

Exceptional Career Award 

Ruston High School 

1st Place 

Louisiana FBLA 

Largest Chapter 

Membership 

Danielle McCoy 

Senior Scholarship Award 

Among her many accomplishments were two state championships in Business Financial 

Plan and three top 10 finishes at the state conference in Accounting I and Accounting II. 

A new award was added this year – Business Student of the Year. In order to qualify 

for this award, students must have successfully completed IBCA, Principles of Business, 

Chatterbox, and either Accounting or COE. The winner of this first time award 

was Natasha Alva, chapter Secretary. Natasha met all the requirements and went beyond 

all other business students in her career at RHS. In addition to the required course, 

Natasha was team leader of Business Plan, earning two state titles and two trips to the 

national conference. She was also team leader of the Entrepreneurship team, placing 2 nd 

at the state conference and also qualifying for nationals. Natasha further provided outstanding 

editing skills for the award winning Chatterbox. 

The Adviser‘s Award – Member of the Year, is the highest award that can be earned 

by a FBLA member at RHS. This year winner was Amber Renee Grace Brown, FBLA 

Vice-President and Senior Editor of the Chatterbox. Amber was the high recruiter and 

the high fundraiser for FBLA this year. She was also the leader of many community 

service projects, and was selected as the Louisiana Member of the Month for October 

by the state chapter. Her accomplishments this year included placing in the top 10 in 

four different events at the state conference, the only member to ever compete in that 

many events yet along qualify. This year, Amber will represent RHS in two different 

events at the national conference: Partnership With Business, State Champion, and Local 

Chapter Annual Business Report. As the senior editor of Chatterbox, her leadership 

has ensured the success of the newspaper as well as brought much positive publicity to 

the chapter and the many related FBLA projects covered. 

Congratulations to all winners and members recognized at the FBLA awards meeting. 

Through your efforts, Ruston High School FBLA Chapter 617 is, once again, the 

top chapter in the state. 

Natasha Alva 

Business Student of the Year 

Amber Brown 

Member of the Year 

Ruston High School 

Chapter of Merit 

2 State Officers 

7 State Champions 

2 State Runner-Ups

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FBLA Officer Induction Ceremony 



The year has almost ended, and it is time to say ―Aloha kãkou!‖ to senior FBLA officers for the 2010-2011 school year. These 

leaders have proudly led us to success, including seven State championships for the 2011 State Conference in Baton Rouge. The 

2010-2011 officers are as followed: Elizabeth Smith, Technology Officer; Christian Amos, Multimedia Officer; Justin Welch, 

Sergeant at Arms; John Herren, Parliamentarian; Alex Osborne, Historian; Jared Spiller, Reporter; Preyesh Govin, Treasurer; 

Natasha Alva, Secretary; Amber Brown, Vice President (Service); Brittany White, Vice President (Progress); and Danielle 

McCoy, President. Amber Brown, Vice President (Service) and FBLA Member of the Year, represented the chapter flame and 

transferred the symbol of leadership from this year‘s officers to the new 2011-2012 officers that will take their place and carry on the legacy of leadership they have left behind. 

The new 2011-2012 FBLA officers inducted and pictured at the above right are John Herren, Parliamentarian; Justin Welch, Reporter; Alex Cockerham, Treasurer; Lauren 

Townsend, Secretary; Jared Spiller, Vice President; and Elizabeth Smith, President. Recently, Kari Hackbarth has accepted the new office as Chaplain. The only vacant office at 

this time is Sergeant - at - Arms and may be filled by incoming freshman! Congratulations and good luck to these new officers; see you later old officers and good luck! 

Amber Brown, Member of the Year, holding the 

―Chapter‘s Flame‖, lights Lauren‘s Secretary Candle 

and Justin‘s Reporter Candle. 

2011-2012 FBLA OFFICERS 

OFFICE HOLDER 

President Elizabeth Smith 

Vice-President Jared Spiller 

Secretary Lauren Townsend 

Treasurer Alex Cockerham 

Parliamentarian John Herren 

Reporter Justin Welch 

Chaplain Kari Hackbarth 

Sergeant-At-Arms * Incoming Freshman – TBA

T 



he Dark Nutt 

Chatterbox 

Ruston High School May 19, 2011 Page 18

T 

he Arts 

Chatterbox 

Ruston High School May 19, 2011 Page 19 

Band Members Walk the Red Carpet 


Arts Reporter 

On April 28 th , RHS Band members were all dressed up with somewhere to go. The Lincoln Parish Library 

Events Center was transformed into a Red Carpet Hollywood Premiere just for them! All of Ruston High‘s Bearcat 

bandies strutted down the red carpet, featuring ―famous stars‖ for the seniors. After pictures and some fun fellowship, 

everyone rushed for the food! Two tables of students wiped out the desert table and left everyone else wanting, 

but it was all good. The movie premiere was made possible thanks to Mr. James Hashimoto – a father of two 

band members – who always had his video camera handy every time the band performed. Despite technical difficulties 

with the sound, everyone had a good laugh and enjoyed this year‘s memories. 

Mr. Moss gave a small speech and passed out the ―Grammy Awards‖! All freshmen were given patches. Sophomores 

received key chains and juniors received name tags to place on their instruments or whatever else they desired. 

Seniors were announced and accepted pens and plaques. Tears were shed as everyone remembered their past 

years as band members. After all of the gifts were given, special awards were handed out. Four students with a 4.0 

grade average were awarded. One member of every class, and two in some, was awarded in each of the following 

categories: Most Improved, Service, Leadership, and Musicianship. Some members eligible for lettermen jackets 

also qualified for one or two lettermen bars. 

After all of the ―Oscars‖ and ―Emmies‖ were given, four very special awards were granted to four special celebrity 

students. The Student‘s Choice Bandsman of the Year Award went to Andrew Serio and the Director‘s Award, 

chosen by Mr. Moss and Mr. Wood together – was granted to Demetrius Mays. Principle Mike Milstead was given 

the honor of granting the two most prestigious awards of the night. The Semper Fidelis Award is a U.S.A Marine 

award given to great band members across the United States, and this award went to McKenzie Rhodes. The final 

award, the John Philip Sousa Award (like the Semper Fidelis award, it is a Marine based award), was given to 

Bradlee Martin. 

Too soon the night was over and everyone walked the red carpet for the last time. Everyone left with smiles on 

their faces along with the proud faces of their families. It was a great way to round up this band‘s school year! 

Band Notes 


Arts Reporter 

Several of Ruston High‘s band members attended the District 1 Solo and Small Ensemble Festival. 

Both the Woodwind and Brass ensembles received superior ratings for their performance. Chaning Dorr 

and Sarah Campbell played a flute duet and were graded superior. Many bandsmen played solos. Jacob 

Hashimoto received a superior for his tenor saxophone solo. Sarah Campbell, Chaning Dorr, and Anna 

Scroggins received superiors on their flute solos, and Elizabeth Eddy received a rating of excellent. 

Taylor Condie was awarded a superior for her skills on the oboe. Garrett Mills was also awarded a superior 

on the alto sax. After a break, Cody Briscoe performed a trombone solo and was judged excellent. 

Joe Murphy also received excellent for his tuba performance. Sebastian Pisciotta was the last RHS 

student to play and he received excellent for his horn solo. All of these talented musicians made Ruston 

proud by going to this competition, doing their best, and bringing home great results. 

The RHS Brazilian Ensemble performed at the Howard Auditorium for the Louisiana Tech percussion 

ensemble. They were followed by a concert by the Tech Percussion Ensemble. On May 5 th ,the 

Ruston High School auditorium was filled with sweet sounds as the Bearcat band put on their annual 

spring concert. The seats were filled and the band members were decked in their uniforms. The woodwind 

small ensemble performed first. The brass small ensemble followed, directed by Mr. Wood. They 

played a special arrangement that Mr. Wood put together from the original ―Legend of Zelda‖ video 

game. The concert band played a bright circus march called ―Blazing Fury‖ along with two other songs. 

The symphonic band played four songs for the audience and received a standing ovation. As this year 

wraps up, band members are practicing for their last gigs because ―It Ain‘t Over Yet!‖ 

Mr. Wood directs the small brass ensemble. 

McKenzie Rhodes 

accepts the 

Semper Fidelis Award. 

Mr. Moss presents 

Bradlee Martin the John 

Philip Sousa Award. 

Andrew Serio takes the 

Student’s Choice Bandsman 

of the Year Award. 

Mr. Moss awards 

Demetrius Mays the 

Director’s Award. 

We have all your instrument needs at 

Piney Hills Music!! 

214 N. Trenton Street 

232-3002

T 

he Arts 

Chatterbox 


The Music Plays On 


News Editor 

On May 5 th , during fifth hour, music students gathered in the band room to recognize four talented music students. These four students will be taking their music skills to the 

next level as they signed with local colleges in Louisiana. Bradlee Martin of RHS band fame will be taking his talents to Louisiana Tech University. Aisha Jackson, Christopher 

Taylor, and Melissa Ramsaur, award winning members of the RHS choir, will all carry their talents to Northwestern State University. Under the leadership of Mr. Walter Moss, 

band director, and Ms. Mindy Martin, choir director, these students show that the music program at RHS is thriving. Congratulations to these students for a job well done. 

Bradlee Martin (right) signs with 

Louisiana Tech University. 

State Choir Festival 


Arts Reporter 

On May 4th, the Bearcat choir traveled to Lake Charles, Louisiana for the state festival. The advanced choir sang their hearts out and wowed the judges. They received a superior 

from one judge. The other two judges agreed that the choir did great and each awarded them an excellent rating. The choir also performed in sight reading and earned another 

superior rating. The choir also had try-outs to see who would qualify to be next year‘s ―Bearcat Idols‖. This has been a good year for choir and they are looking forward to accomplishing 

even more next year. 

Art Classes Travel 


Arts Reporter 

New Art Display Livens up 

RHS Hallways! 


Arts Reporter 

Sweet success for the students 

signing at local universities. 

Thanks to the hard work of Mrs. Ashworth and the creativity of the art department, 

the hallways of Ruston High now have art displays for the all to see. The 

display case next to the front office now showcases Art II masterpieces. The display 

unit next to the boys‘ bathroom on the main floor was given new glass, where 

Art II students display their Impressionist Landscapes. If you haven‘t viewed the 

display yet - you should. Ruston High School has some very talented artists, and we 

should all be proud of what they have to offer. 

NSU signs on Christopher Taylor, Melissa Ramsaur, and Aisha Jackson. 

Choir director Ms. Martin (far right), joins her students at the signing. 

Mrs. Strickler‘s Art III, Art IV, and Art Club officers took a trip on April 21 st to Monroe‘s Masur Museum of Art. Masur‘s famous "Blue Dogs and Cajuns‖ paintings – that 

usually reside at the New Orleans Museum of Art – were on display in Monroe. The Finalist Exhibition of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts 2011 Art Contest was also 

put up for all to see. Mrs. Ashworth‘s Art II students took a trip of their own also on April 20 th to the Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport. There was a special display of Cuban art 

and the Ruston High students got to view. Before they left, they visited the IMAX and watched a special on the Hubble spaceship.

S enior Information Chatterbox 


Plans for the June (Senior) 

Edition of Chatterbox 

by Lloyd R. Bruner 

Chatterbox Adviser 

Chatterbox is already working on a special senior edition of the Chatterbox that 

will be published and distributed after graduation on June 2, 2011. The senior edition 

will include complete coverage of graduation, including a list of all graduates, 

honors, scholarships and awards presented to all seniors, along with many other 

special features to close out the 2010-2011 school year. 

Features will include students who excelled in academic pursuits, winners of 

academic awards, recognition of achievements from various organizations, and top 

performers at the State Literary Rally. Also featured will be our senior sports section 

and recognition of sports teams/individuals that earned district/state awards. 

We are looking to include any student, organization, group, or team that excelled at 

the State level and above this year, so ensure that your sponsor or coach sends us 

the information in event to make sure that we catch it all. 

To make this truly special, senior ads will again be available for purchase as 1/8 

page ($15) and 1/4 page ($25) ads. Ads will be black and white. If you desire color, 

ads prices are doubled. As we will need to make space available for anyone who 

wishes to purchase an ad, and have time to format these, all ads must be turned in 

by May 27th – the sooner the better! All ads are subject to space available and will 

be accepted on a first come, first in basis. Don‗t wait! 

VALUABLE INFORMATION 

FOR 

SENIORS 

Final Transcripts: Before the last day of classes for seniors, each senior completed 

a ―Request for Final Transcript‖ form. This form was distributed to each 

senior during English class. This form directs Mrs. White where to send your final 

transcript. Transcripts must be sent to Baton Rouge for certification and are 

usually not returned until June 15 th or June 16 th . Once they arrive, Mrs. 

White will send out final transcripts to the colleges and universities indicated 

on the ―Request for Final Transcript‖ form. 

TOPS: To apply for TOPS and/or any federal student aid programs, you must 

complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2010-11 

school year. If a student meets the ACT and GPA requirement for TOPS yet fails 

to complete the FAFSA, he/she will not be eligible for TOPS. Online applications 

are preferred. You may apply online at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. NOTE: We encourage 

seniors to apply before graduation. If there is a problem with the application, 

then we can work together on a solution before graduation. ACT scores must 

be sent to TOPS. If you have not already taken care of this, please call ACT at 

(319) 337-1313 and request that your scores be sent to TOPS (code #1595). TOPS 

will not accept scores that I send. They must be sent directly from ACT. In late 

June to early July, TOPS will send out letters notifying you of your TOPS eligibility. 

Remember, TOPS determines your eligibility for the program, not 

Ruston High School. 

NCAA Clearinghouse: If your child plans to participate in collegiate athletics, he/ 

she must be registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Register online at 

www.ncaa.org. Official ACT scores must also be sent to the Clearinghouse. Call 

ACT at (319) 337-1313 to request that your scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse 

(code #9999). Official ACT scores must be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse 

from ACT. The Clearinghouse will not accept scores from me. Also, a student 

will not be officially cleared to play a collegiate sport until a final transcript is 

sent after graduation. After graduation, I will send final transcripts to the 

NCAA Clearinghouse as soon as they are certified by the State of Louisiana. 

Transcripts are usually not certified by the state until around June 15 th or 

16 th . It usually takes the Clearinghouse until late July or early August to clear 

athletes, but I assure you the transcripts will be mailed as soon as I receive 

them. 

Resume’ Reminders 

by Maxwell Cook 

Yearbook Club Editor 

By now all of the seniors have left and the school feels empty, and it is time for the juniors 

to step up. For you upcoming seniors, don‘t forget that summer and spring time are going 

to be the best times to get some good outdoor senior pictures (think of the weather and 

scenery). Go ahead and be the over-achiever that gets your work done early! Also, everyone 

can still preorder a yearbook from Mrs. Strickler for $45. Don‘t be the kid that shows up to 

buy it next year thinking there are always extras. Believe it or not, we do run out of the extras. 

So don‘t miss out on a lifetime of memories! GO CATS and have a great summer!

S enior Wills 

Chatterbox 

Ruston High School May 19, 2010 Page 22 

Will Douglas wills Tanner Givens his B & E skills as well as my parking spot under the oak tree. 

Christian Amos wills Reed Malek his Chatterbox shirt. 

Gray Taylor wills Emily Moore his Graytness. 

Natasha Alva wills Lauren Townsend her competitive spirit and servitude to Mr. Bruner. 

Maxwell Cook wills Emily Moore his cookies. 

Shelby Griffith wills Emaleigh Bickham, KT Hopkins, and Lauren Taylor her dream of a ―Back to Back‖ National Championship title. 

Avneet Bola wills Daniella Alva her title of ―girl with the really long hair‖. 

Mary Glenn Lyons wills Mary Conly Hammons her weekly psycho rants and obsession with depressing country music. 

Yusuf Darrat wills Mahdi Saleh his tardies to school. 

Marci McDowell wills Amy Gibson her street smarts and debts. 

Annabelle Grossman wills Kathryn Sanderson her awesome cookie making skills. Love you Mini Me! 

Kiyanah Taylor wills ―Meosha Johnson‖ her front, right seat in ISS...KMSL, I love you chick. 

Sarah Gordon wills Shelby Webb her ability to catch a fly ball without breaking her nose, sometime ;) 

Melissa Ramsaur wills Jake Kyte her amazing beat boxing skills. 

Emma Harris wills all her friends her crazy awesome insanity. 

Hannah Rose McIntire wills Anna Hall her friendliness. 

Matt Poole wills Shane Giddings my workout ability and to become big dawg on campus when he is a SENIOR! 

Elizabeth Moore wills Reeves Barr her weirdness and fluency in dwejumiese. 

Garrett Warren wills Bobby James his voice cracking skills. 

Jasmine Tibbs wills Dominique Jackson her outstanding FBLA membership. 

Trimeche Raymond wills Alexis Sims her laughs and giggles cause we are both silly! But I love my little cousin though! 

Mason ―New Money‖ Dean wills Darren Crawford his ability to grow. 

Lauren Prescott wills Helen Ayim her spot on the field as center mid.

S enior Wills 

Chatterbox 


Amber 

Brown wills Jared Spiller her magical skills of putting up with Mr. Bruner and the ability to read his 

chicken scratch. :) 

Mckenzie Rhodes wills Melissa Dosher her girl power skills on the bass line. 

Casey Pierce wills Anna Hall her Varsity Cross Country locker (#9) and left over shampoo. 

Nakendra Foster wills Lou-Lou Foster her sense of humor and my last name. 

Chase Frasier wills Nick Letendre his ―what if‖ statements in baseball. 

Michael Thompson wills Brendan Owens his Spanish answers. 

Reed Durham wills Stone Nichols his haggard swagger/ rapping abilities. 

Patrick Beatty wills Josh Beatty his undisputed soccer skills and his legendary #18 jersey… wear it proudly. 

Laura Gearhart wills Morgan Stanley her Heather Reeder song. 

Alexandria Osborne wills Patricia Duhart her on-time-lines. 

Raylyn Rist wills Savannah Chrisman her waiting till the day of to study for a test. :) 

Danielle McCoy wills Alexio Williams her wisdom and knowledge to achieve big goals and dreams without experiencing 

failure. 

Amber Sanders wills Samantha Wilson her random personality and pigeon toedness. 

Jedaven Goldsby wills Jasmine Allen his heart. 

Dinah Diaz wills Jake ―Stacy‖ Kyte her man punches and free style rapping skills. 

Amber Brown wills Whitney Durrett her creativity and patience to achieve and be the best Chatterbox editor! :) I 

love you like a sister!

E 

ntertainment 

Chatterbox 


It all Started With the Greeks 


News Editor 

He had written many books for adults but no teenager knew that there was an author named Rick Riordan until (drum roll please) The Lightning Thief. Riordan then became 

the favorite read for many young adults as he wrote the bestselling series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (three cheers for Rick!). The books included in this series are, in order: 

The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian (applause). These books contain ancient Greek myth united 

with the modern world, suspense, and a good sense of humor, as the cherry on top, but that is not all (gasp). Riordan continues the great adventures with the gods of ancient times 

in his two new series The Kane Chronicles and The Heroes of Olympus (oohh… aahh…). 

The Lost Hero, the first book of The Heroes of Olympus series, starts some time after The Last Olympian leaves off; the war is over but another is beginning. Old heroes are 

secondary characters as new heroes are introduced. Jason, Piper, and Leo must work together to help each other overcome their problems and uncover a danger that they never 

would have imagined with their old perception of the world. The Greek gods are once again ―not meddling‖ in the affairs of their 

children and neither are their counter parts the Roman gods. This series introduces a new mystery adventure with more than just 

Greek myth. 

The Red Pyramid is the beginning of the series The Kane Chronicles. The magic in these books comes from the intriguing recreation 

of Egyptian gods. Siblings, Carter and Sadie have lived separately for years but when an accident makes their father disappear 

and they learn of powers that they have, they get over their jealousies and differences to work together to try to reunite their 

family. 

Unlike Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which was told in first person from only Percy‘s perspective, these books are told 

from a couple of characters‘ perspectives. This gives a different view to the reader but makes the books even more intriguing. The 

Throne of Fire, the second book of The Kane Chronicles, went on sale May 3 rd . The second book for The Heroes of Olympus, Son 

of Neptune, will go on sale in October. Both of these new series by Riordan are great reads. The more previous knowledge of 

myths makes the books even more intriguing. 

He Said/She Said 



Rio! 


Photographer/Reporter 

Rio, directed by Carlos Saldanha of Ice Age is filled with love, and motivation to follow your dreams and conquer your fears. This 

movie is set in present day Rio de Janero, Brazil. The main characters, Blu and his future wife Linda, take a journey from their small 

town in Montana to Rio de Janero to see the only other bird of Blu's kind left in the world. The other bird of his kind is female, Jewel. 

Blu and Jewel get stolen from a scientific research center where they were being held to be tested. 

Throughout the movie, Jewel and Blu fight to get back to Linda. During their journey, Blu overcomes his fears of being on his own 

and seeing the real world. The two ―love birds‖ take part in the carnival festivities taking place in Rio de Janero as they fight to get 

back to Linda. Blu and Jewel also have to overcome not getting along and fighting each other to get back to Linda. 

My overall favorite part in Rio is when Blu overcomes his fear of flying. Throughout Blu‘s life, he never could fly. He was always 

too scared to try, and when he got the courage to he always failed, leading him to believe he never could fly. With a push from Jewel, 

Blu finally flew! Rio is a family friendly movie that teaches everyone not to be scared to try new things and to overcome their fears! If 

you haven‘t experienced Rio, it would be a great movie to see! 

Everyone knows that their mothers are special, so when it comes to gift-giving for Mother‘s Day, who doesn‘t get hassled? Boys and girls both 

have their own way of treating their mothers like queens on Mother‘s Day. Guys mostly give the appreciation award to the mother who took care of 

them, the mother who is always there, and the mother that showed the most love and affection towards them. The guy doesn‘t want to upset his 

mother but usually doesn‘t have time (or just plain forgets) to find his mom a gift, so he usually decides to get that quick Mother‘s Day gift (because he knew he would be dead 

if he showed up with nothing). What do guys do for Mother‘s Day? Maybe that quick ‗Breakfast in Bed‘ or that handmade gift that never failed in elementary school? Hopefully 

this year was better. 

Now on the girls end, there‘s always a list of all the mothers she knew and whether she should give a materialistic gift or just a card that said ―Happy Mother‘s Day‖. Either 

way it went, any mother known to her was getting a gift. Girls like to take time and pride in things they do, so no matter how big or small the Mother‘s Day gift was, no mother 

was left behind. 

Maybe this is a heads up for next year, or maybe not… don‘t forget about your mother on Mother‘s Day.

S tudent Center 

Chatterbox 


Ask Russell 

submitted by Beau Russell 

2011 Class President 

What are your summer plans? 

Lake, lake, lake, lake, Cruise, lake, volleyball, lake, volleyball, lake, volleyball, lake, volleyball, Oneway, Weekend 

of the cross, lake, lake, lake… 

Where are you going to College? 

Well, I thought about attending Harvard with Maddie Wiggins, but he decided to go to MIT… Then I thought about 

going to college with Nick Richardson but he can‘t make up his mind between Alabama, Auburn, Florida, or Oklahoma 

(football scholarship) so I‘m going to attend Northwestern State with Garrett Warren, Jordan Rushing, and Davean 

Jones. After two years there I‘ll go to Auburn University in Alabama. Y‘all better check up on me!!! 

Ask the Staff 

by Kori Teague 

Guest Reporter 

Q: How should I plan for my senior year? 

Another Eagle Scout at Ruston High! 



This past month, another Bearcat has exceeded above his peers by earning the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Nicona 

Lacy of Troop 59 has been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, an achievement that only four percent of Scouts across the country actually 

reach. To attain this honorable award, Nicona had to lead a group of volunteers in his own Eagle Project, a service project led by one Boy 

Scout that will benefit his community. In his project, Nicona led his fellow Troop 59 members and other volunteers in repainting the 

parking areas at Grace United Methodist Church, where weekly troop meetings are held. 

Nicona and his team did an amazing job and saved the church an otherwise costly project. For his exceptional leadership skills shown 

in his project and devotion to the Boy Scouts of America, Nicona Lacy is more than worthy of the Eagle Scout rank. At his Eagle Court 

of Honor, Nicona will receive his award alongside Gray Taylor, another recently-appointed Eagle. Both of these young men set an example 

for everyone, including fellow Bearcats Hunter Humble, John Ramsaur, Mark Weir, Logan Young, and Zachary Bertrand. Way to go 

Nic! 

Advice for the Guys 

submitted by Ghenet Araia 

RHS Student 

A: Begin planning for college. See where you want to go, what you want to do there, and start preparing for that. Apply 

to schools and for scholarships. Figure out your major and if you want to take dual courses next year for college 

hours! It‘s never too early to prepare! 

You know that one girl you see in the hallway? All of you ―players‖ are probably thinking ―Yeah… more than one. Ha!‖ but you know what I‘m talking about. That one girl 

you wished you had the courage to talk to, or maybe you do talk to her and you just wish could say what you really wanted to say. It is way past your time to act. The school year 

is almost over, and some of us will change schools, but don‘t fret too much; you still have a chance. 

For you it may be forgotten love or even unspoken love. Who knows? What I do know is that you need to stop staring at her in the hallway and when she looks your way only 

give a nervous smile, or worse, look away. Go up and talk to her. The best way to start out is to say ―Hi.‖ If you think you are a ―player,‖ forget it. Do not go up to her saying 

―aye girl.‖ Show some respect and treat her like a lady by learning her name. Oh, and one more piece of advice –be on point with your look and hygiene. You can never go wrong 

with clean teeth, good breathe, cut nails, and stainless clothes. So go talk to that special girl. Be confident but not cocky because that is not attractive. And last but not least, remember, 

don‘t just be a man, be a gentleman.

F un Page 

Chatterbox 


Sudoku 

April Answers: 

ool Movies to see this Summer! 

5/20 

Pirates of the Caribbean: 

On Stranger Tides 

7/1 

Transformers: Dark of 

the Moon 

5/26 

Kung Fu Panda 2 

7/15 

Harry Potter and the 

Deathly Hallows (Part 2) 

6/3 

X-Men: First Class 

7/22 

Captain America: The 

First Avenger 

6/10 

Super 8 

Summer Word Search 

7/29 

Cowboys and Aliens 

6/17 

The Green Lantern

ponsors and Staff 


Chatterbox 

S 

2010-2011 Chatterbox Sponsors 

Platinum Level Sponsors: ($200 +) Mark Bartlett, LLC First National Bank 

Ruston High School Alumni Association Garrett Foundation (Grant) 

Gold Level Sponsor: ($100 - $199) RHS FBLA, Chapter 617 

Silver Level Sponsor: ($50 - $99) Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Lloyd and Christy Bruner RHS Business Department 

2010-2011 Chatterbox Advertisers 

Business/Organization Owner/Manager/Contact Agent Page of Advertisement 

Lincoln ACHIEVE Cathi Cox 2 

Ruston High School PTA Melinda McIntire 2 

Davis & Co. Hair Salon Dana Davis 3 

Bestway Michael Kolb 4 

Driver‘s Ed Ricky Durrett 12 

Geri G. Taylor Geri Taylor 14 

Callie‘s Corner Callie Hockenios 15 

National Jewelry Paul McCormack 16 

Pow Wow Manuel and Nilda Chinchilla 17 

Mayfield Construction Beth Mayfield 17 

Piney Hills Music Nick Goff 19 

Smoothie King Bradley Walker 25 

Nick Brown Show Nick Brown 28 

Ruston Florist and Boutique Debbie Allen 31 

Power House Tumble & Cheer of Ruston Susan Simoneaux 31 

Please thank and support these businesses, organizations, and individuals for making your Ruston High School Chatterbox possible! 

If interested in sponsoring or advertising in the Chatterbox, email us at chatterbox@lincolnschools.org 

2010-2011 RHS Chatterbox Staff 

Senior Editor Amber Brown Senior 

News Editor Natasha Alva Senior 

Assistant News Editor Lauren Townsend Junior 

Graphics/Design Editor Gray Taylor Senior 

Senior Reporter Stephany Arias Senior 

Sports Editor Christian Amos Senior 

Business Manager Elizabeth Smith Junior 

Academics Reporter Polly Michelle Gwan Junior 

Arts Reporter Emily Moore Junior 

Clubs Reporter Shamario Daniel Junior 

Education Reporter Benicia King Junior 

Social Reporter Jocria Thompson Junior 

Social Reporter Patricia Duhart Junior 

Sports Reporter Reed Malek Junior 

Sports Reporter Arquisia Williams Sophomore 

Photographer Savannah Chrisman Sophomore 

Photographer Whitney Durrett Sophomore 

Guest Reporter Amy Gibson Junior 

Guest Reporter Kori Teague Junior 

Adviser/Sponsor: Mr. Lloyd R. Bruner, chatterbox@lincolnschools.org 

The Chatterbox is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). 

The purpose of the Chatterbox is to provide information and to promote school pride. We strive to meet the criteria set by the National Scholastic Press Association for student journalism. In addition, if a 

reasonable basis or belief that a publication would materially disrupt class work, involve substantial disorder, or invade the rights of these, it will not be published in keeping with the guidelines of Hazelwood 

School District vs. Kulkmeier (1998). Signed editorials may be sent to Ruston High School, 900 Bearcat Drive, Ruston, Louisiana 71270. 

Access the current edition of the Chatterbox at: http://rustonhigh.lincolnschools.org/whatsnew.html and archived editions at: http://rustonhigh.lincolnschools.org/chatterbox.html

B earcat Spirit 

Chatterbox 


Bearcats Got Talent 



Ruston High Bearcats seized the stage on April 21 st to strut their talent for the 

2011 Talent Show, sponsored by Pepette sponsor Mrs. Heather Reeder. The show 

produced an assortment of performers, including musicians, singers, dancers, and 

even a comedian. The contestants and their talents are listed below by order of performance. 

The show‘s curtains closed early due to an impatient bus schedule, but everyone 

got their fill of entertainment by the end of the show. The three selected judges, 

Mrs. White, Mrs. Ratcliff, and Coach Laird, announced the three pianists bolded 

below, which are Molly Humphries, Emmanuel ―E-Man‖ Gwan, and Caleb Backus, 

as the winners of a 3-way tie for 1 st The three pianists, sophomore Emmanuel Gwan (above, left), junior Molly 

Humphries (above, right), and freshman Caleb Backus (below, left) made up a three- 

place for the 2011 Talent Show. Congratulaway 

tie for winner of the talent show. 

tions to the pianists and all other contestants for making this year‘s talent show one 

jam-packed with talent and entertainment. Bearcats can‘t wait 

for next year! 2011 TALENT SHOW CONTESTANTS 

NICK BROWN 

SHOW 

Saturday Mornings 

8 A.M. – 10 A.M. 

ESPN 97.7 FM Radio 

Find us on Facebook! 

# CONTESTANT TALENT MUSIC (if applicable) 

1 Katherine Remides Singing 

2 Joe Murphy Tuba Two Pieces on Tuba 

3 Skye Henry Comedy 

4 Caleb Backus Piano 

5 Emma Carpenter Dance Pink Panther 

6 Rayne Axton Singing Jesus Take the Wheel 

7 Malaika Minnifield Singing Footprints in the Sand 

8 Chizi Akoma, Ryan Booker, Seth Robinson Singing Pretty Wings 

9 Garrett Allen Guitar National Anthem 

10 Chizi Akoma, Moe Labbe Singing I‘m Yours 

11 Alexis White, Jakem Smith Singing/Dancing Comfort Me 

12 Tristan Sasser Singing Broken 

13 Victoria Witt Singing Name 

14 Emmanuel Gwan Piano 

15 Bree Harris Singing If I Ain‘t Got You 

16 Kee Kee Williams Rap Original Piece 

17 

Dava Jones, Octavius Jackson, 

Bree Harris, Jarmario Crowe 

Singing I‘ll Be There 

18 Neshia Donald Singing Unbreak My Heart 

19 

Kawaii Murphy, Patricia Duhart, 

DeAndrea Roberson, Martin Bedford 

Rap/Dancing 

20 Molly Humphries Piano 

21 Clay Amie, Key West Dancing 

22 Celia Dotson Singing 

23 Ryan Booker, Tony Ceasar Dancing

S ports 

Chatterbox 


2011 Senior Aces 

Staff Report 

The 2010-2011 athletic seasons for RHS prove to be another successful one with teams reaching runner-up titles in the district and state rankings. The following student athletes 

you see below are seniors from class of 2011 that have helped RHS get to great heights and break barriers in the athletic area. The Chatterbox Senior Aces recognizes seniors 

from each sport that have shown improvement over the years, have the athletic aptitude to be the most valuable player, or showed leadership potential. Each student was selected 

by their senior teammates for their respective awards. Senior Aces will continue through next month‘s issue. 

Jessica Goulart (MVP, Softball) 

Jersey number: 7 

Summary of years at RHS: I’ve had a lot of 

bumps and bruises but it was all worth it for four 

years. 

To coach(s): You all taught me and made me 

stronger. I thank you for all you have done! 

Meagan Hammons (Team Leader, Softball) 


Summary of years at RHS: I love my girls and 

would do anything for them and it has been a great 

four years. 

To coach(s): Fowler, you are such an inspiration to 

me, on and off the field. I love all of my coaches and 

I will never forget what they have taught me. 

Jordan Crume (Team Leader, Softball) 

Summary of years at RHS: I’ve learned a lot 

about tennis and life in general and I’ve made 

lasting friendships. 

To coach(s): Thank you for always supporting 

me and putting up with me. You mean so much to 

me! 

Mary-Kyle McDonald (Most Improved, Tennis) 

Summary of years at RHS: I got to get close a 

lot of people that I hardly knew outside of tennis 

and I will never forget my tennis team. 

To coach(s): Thank you for the sacrifice of time 

to endured for our team! 

Diana Diaz (MVP, Tennis) 

Summary of years at RHS: It’s been an interesting trip 

with some downs and a lot of ups, and I love my tennis 

team. 

To coach(s): Mckinney, Smith, and Ashley Wedderburn - 

thanks for everything. 

Parker Elliot (Most Improved, Baseball) 

Jersey number: 19 

Summary of years at RHS: I had a great time and 

I’m truly going to miss it. 

To coach(s): Thanks for everything and teaching me 

the right way to play. 

Ben Edminston (MVP, Baseball) 


Summary of years at RHS: Overall, I had the 

greatest time of my life. 

To coach(s): Thanks for teaching me not only baseball, 

but life. 

Meny Hernandez (Team Leader, Baseball) 


Summary of years at RHS: I looked forward to 

baseball season each year because it’s what I love 

to do and I had a great time Playing for RHS. 

To coach(s): Thank you for everything! You are 

great role models that I will never forget!

S 

ports 

Chatterbox 


Bearcat Track & Field Excels at 

District and State Meets 

by Reed Malek 


Once again, Ruston High‘s track & field team has made its school proud. Merely 

weeks after dominating at the Oil Belt Relays and ―Hoss‖ Garrett Relays, the track & 

field Bearcats made yet another incredible performance at their District tournament 

on April 21 and State tournament on May 7. At District, both the girls‘ and boys‘ 

track & field teams brought home first place overall. 

First place victories by lady Bearcats at the District tournament were: freshman 

Sunni McAllister at 200m Dash, junior Maya Robertson at 800m Dash, two by senior 

Haven Schroeder at 1600 and 3200 Dash, junior Nakera Jenkins at 300m Dash, freshman 

Sara Jones at pole vaulting, junior Shadarria Crawford at long jump, senior Jasmine 

White at triple jump, senior Byroneshia Santiago at shot put, senior Elizabeth 

Eddy at discus throw, and freshman Kristen Clark at javelin throw. Boys first placements 

were by: sophomore Devin Price at high jump and long jump, senior Nick 

Richardson at pole vault, senior Deundre Davis at shot put and discus throw, and junior 

Brandon Hearn at the javelin throw. 

The Bearcats extended their fantastic performances on to their State tournament 

on May 7. The boys team earned an overall third place ranking in the state while the 

girls brought home sixth place overall. Notable individual performances by Ruston 

High were: the girls‘ 4x200 relay team (4th), senior Madison Meyer in 800m dash 

(5th), the girls‘ 4x100m relay team (2nd), junior Nakera Jenkins in the 300m hurdles 

(5th), junior Chase Millien in the 1600m dash (2nd), Chase Millien again in the 

3200m dash (1st), sophomore Dominique Cheffin in the 800m dash (5th), freshman 

Kristen Clark (1st) and sophomore Alli Brasuell (5th) in the javelin throw, junior 

Shadarria Crawford in the long jump (6th), senior Byroneshia Santiago in the shot put 

(5th), and seniors Elizabeth Eddy (5th) and Byroneshia Santiago (4th) in the discus 

throw. Boys‘ field events placements were: seniors Nick Richardson (2nd) and 

Daveon Jones (3rd) in the pole vault, and senior Deundre Davis at the shot put (5th) 

and discus (4th). 

The Bearcats‘ victories at District and State were incredible accomplishments, so 

be sure to congratulate them if you see them! 

Junior Chase Millien runs the 

3200m Dash at Regionals. 

Tennis Shines at District 

And State Meets 

by Reed Malek 


After one of its most thrilling years ever, Ruston High‘s tennis season 

has ended. The Bearcats saw huge success in their district and 

regionals tournaments in mid- to late- April, but their dominating run 

ended at the state tournament. 

Before their critical district, regionals, and state tournaments in 

April, the Bearcats had a stressful couple of competitions early in the 

month. After losing 6-8 overall to West Ouachita on April 5th, the 

‗Cats rebounded and defeated Cedar Creek two days later by an overall 

score of 8-6. Against Cedar Creek, Ruston had dominating victories 

by Chris Taylor (8-0), Matt Oakes (8-0), and Phillip Alva (8-2). 

The doubles teams of Jack Woods/Kyle Carter and Jonathan Abernathy/Cody 

Sanderson shutout their Cedar Creek opponents 8-0 each 

during the competition. 

Congratulations to the Bearcat tennis team on finishing up strong 

and for having one of their best years ever! 

DRIVER’S EDUCATION 

• 6 – Hour Pre-Licensing Class 

• Course is State Approved 

• Must be 17 or older 

• Cost: Only $30 

For information, call: 251-1234 

Ruston Golf Excels at Regionals 

by Reed Malek 


On Monday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 26 the Bearcat golf team traveled to Haughton, 

Louisiana to the Olde Oaks Golf Club for their regionals tournament. The ‗Cats gave 

a stellar performance, snatching second place overall and qualifying for the state tournament 

at Zachary High in Baton Rouge. 

Besides Ruston‘s great performance as a team, two Bearcats shined in particular. 

Mitchell Haddox gave Ruston‘s best individual performance, finishing in 79 strokes and 

tying for third place among individual golfers in the whole tournament. Ruston‘s second 

-best finish was Henry Thompson, who finished the course in 83 strokes. 

Bearcat senior Chris Taylor shakes hands with an opponent after 

winning a match.

S ports 

Chatterbox 


Lauren Prescott Signs with Mississippi College 


News Editor 

On April 29 th family, friends, coaches, and team members gathered in the teacher‘s lounge to recognize RHS 

Lady Bearcat Soccer captain Lauren Prescott and celebrate her signing with Mississippi College. 

Lauren‘s soccer career began at age ten on the streets of Argentina where she played with friends. When she 

turned twelve, Lauren joined a women‘s team with its members‘ ages ranging from twelve to twenty-four. Through 

her participation, Lauren developed great enjoyment of the adrenaline rush and team aspects in the game, and a pure 

love for the sport in itself. 

It is not a wonder that Lauren qualified and will be a great asset to her new team. Her four years on the Ruston 

High Soccer Team as center-mid have seen her recognized and awarded numerous times for her athleticism and devotion 

to the game. During her freshman year, Lauren made First Team All District and Second Team All Regional. 

Her sophomore year was also successful when Lauren again made First Team All-District and Second Team All- 

Regional. During her junior year, Lauren was named Overall Team MVP and District Offensive MVP. This year as 

a senior, Lauren was again recognized as Overall Team MVP and was also named Overall District MVP. 

Lauren has dreamed of playing college soccer and now that she has reached this goal she looks forward to working 

hard and enjoying a goal achieved. Lauren gives much credit to her family, especially her two older brothers who 

both play college soccer, for her success. In an interview she stated that ―Their love for the game became my love for 

the game.‖ She also pointed out that Jeremy Winzer, assistant coach, was there pushing her the whole way. As she 

goes to fulfill her goal of playing soccer in college Lauren leaves a few words of wisdom for the younger girls on the 

team: ―You can improve every day. Don‘t be afraid to step 

up and be a leader. Do your best, don‘t be nervous, and love 

every moment of it.‖ 

Lauren Prescott (center) surrounded by friends at the 

celebration of her signing with Mississippi College. 

Next Year’s Bearcat 

Lady Soccer Team 


News Editor 

Tryouts for the 2011-2012 Lady Bearcat Soccer 

Team were held on April 27 th - 29 th and results were 

posted the following Saturday. Congratulations to all 

who showed the coaches they were RHS Soccer material. 

The following thirty-five girls need to remember to 

get their physical, if they have not already: 

Daniella Alva 

Helen Ayim 

Audrey Boone 

Cristal Cano 

Vanessa Cano 

Bethany Cardenas 

Farryn Cooper 

Ashley Crook 

Brittany Dowdy 

Garielle Dupree 

Traci Evans 

Danielle Finley 

Banquets, Team Awards, and Soccer 


News Editor/ Team Member 

Darby Guinn 

Hannah Hearne 

Margarita Hernandez 

April Hooper 

Shawna Igou 

Cassidy King 

Moriah Labbe 

Katie Lashley 

Gracie Lewis 

Montana Little 

Kendal Martin 

Melanie Maxwell 

Maggie Morgan 

Rachel Nugent 

Erin Otwell 

Araceli Rodriguez 

Darby Rowland 

Anna Ryder 

Hannah Siegmund 

Erica Sorensen 

Tyllor Townsend 

Samantha Wilson 

Muriel Woodard 

On Monday, April 18 th , the Lady Bearcat Soccer Awards Banquet was held at Temple Baptist Church. The following 

night, the Boys‘ Soccer Banquet was hosted at the same location. All team members were recognized and awards were 

given to members who showed leadership, skill, spirit, and improvement. Congratulations to the following outstanding 

players on Varsity: Bearcat Spirit Award- Daniel Nichols and Garielle Dupree, Most Improved- Daniel Nichols and Erica 

Sorenson ,Coaches Leadership Award- Joshua Crook and Darby Guinn, Offensive MVPs- Rafael Lacayo and Traci Evans, 

Defensive MVPs- Cameron Perez and Helen Ayim, Overall MVPs- Patrick Beatty, Rachel Hill, and Lauren Prescott, 

Team Awards were also given to the following members of the Junior Varsity teams: Coaches‘ Leadership Award- Caleb 

White, Fredie Acosta, and Erin Otwell, Offensive MVPs- Arturo Gonzales and Kendal Martin, Defensive MVPs- Andrew 

Thompson and Ashley Crook.

S ports 

Chatterbox 


Softball Season Ends 

by Keekee Williams 


Starting off roughly earlier in the year, softball season has finally come to an end. With an ending record of 13-16-1, the team has played its hardest and showed much improvement. 

Head coach Coach Danny Roberts and the assistant coaches, Coach Ricky Goulart, Linda Fowler, Amberly Waits, and Linda Roberts have been working hard to 

whip these ladies into great shape and their playing this season has really shown us the effects. The key players for offense were: Jessica Goulart, Kendall Smith, Shelby Webb, 

and Katherine Chisolm. The defensive leaders were: Emori Mathis, Allison Tryon, Maddie Huckabee, and Kate Warner. Coach Danny Roberts comments, ―We overcame a lot 

of early mistakes because of our youth. We got stronger as the year progressed but we came up short in the playoffs and hopefully this year‘s experience will pay off next year.‖ 

Assistant coach, Coach Ricky Goulart, said ―They worked hard and they were competitive.‖ He also stated that, ―We had a pretty young team and the older girls did a good job 

of encouraging the younger girls.‖ All in all, the Lady Bearcat softball team excelled at their game and did an awesome job this year. Congratulations girls and keep up the good 

work! 

Baseball’s Cinderella Playoff Run Ends 

by Reed Malek 


Bearcat spirit was at one of its highest levels all year when Ruston High School rolled into the district 4A state tournament semifinals at Louisiana Tech‘s J.C. Love Field in 

Patterson Park. Facing a tough St. Louis Catholic team, along with being a Cinderella underdog the whole tournament, put the Bearcats in a tough position; however, they had 

proven the game before that their tough will and resilience separated them from the rest of the underdogs. 

On Monday, May 9th, the Bearcats played Breaux Bridge in the quarterfinals game of the district 4A tournament. After going down 6-1 early in the game and with hopes for a 

semifinal appearance dwindling, the Bearcats rallied behind the support of an energetic crowd and won the game by a final score of 8-6. On Friday, May 13th, the Bearcats found 

themselves in very much the same position. Down 6-1 early once again, Ruston found themselves backed against the corner with no way out. After all was said and done, the 

scoreboard read 12-5 in favor of the St. Louis Catholic Saints. Even though both teams accumulated 12 hits in the game, St. Louis was able to hold off another Ruston rally 

thanks to several great defensive plays in the outfield. As hard as the Bearcats played, St. Louis seemed to have ―Angels in the Outfield‖ and held on. These same angels eventually 

led to their state title as well. 

Reaching the semifinals of the district 4A tournament was a feat that Ruston baseball has not seen in a long time. Though the end to the Bearcats‘ season was a heartbreaking 

one, we will always remember the thrilling run the ‗Cats gave us right up until the end! Under the direction of Coach White and his excellent staff, and with the character of the 

Ruston High School players, we all know that they have the heart of champions. This year has set the foundation for many future runs at the state championship, and there is no 

doubt that schools around the state will look close at the brackets and say to themselves - ―hope we don‘t have to play the ‗Cats. 

Meny Hernandez - Safe Again! 

RHS 2010-2011 Player of the Year 

by Christian Amos 

Sports Editor 

After the RHS football team started a rough season, they shaped up in the middle of the season 

and the Bearcat squad ended the 2010 season as three-way district champions. This championship 

title was a total cause of team work, but one player that represented Ruston well on and off the 

field was a young man by the name of Ja‘Ren Johnson. 

Ja‘Ren was a magnet to the goal line on Friday nights, averaging four touchdowns a game and 

gaining over 1,000 rushing yards for the entire season. For leading the school to a title it hasn‘t 

grasped in 20 years, there is no disagreement that Ja‘Ren deserves his own title as Player of the 

Year. 

Not only has Ja‘Ren been honored by Chatterbox‘s Player of the Month series but he has also 

received camera time from new station KNOE‘s Aaron‘s Aces for his outstanding performance in 

the game against Bastrop, rushing for over 400 yards. 

Nick Letendre Makes Contact in the Semi-Finals

Ruston High School May 19, 2011 - Ruston High School - Lincoln ...

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