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Page 4 FEBRUARY News/Features
Ahh! Snake on a student!
Junior Melodi Miller blows a kiss to her pet snake
Hazel as it curls up around her. Photo by Bethany
Parnell
right before they take place.
One possibly negative aspect
of the new system of safety drills is
the confusion that the variety of bells
may cause. Mistaking a tornado siren
for a routine fi re drill and heading
to the inside safety spot could end
up in disaster, similar to a scene
from Twister, rather than a picture of
students hovering in a safe haven.
Thus, becoming familiar with what all
the bells and drill signals mean will be
vital.
“Students need to be aware
of what each bell means and [also be
aware of] what is expected to keep
them safe in any emergency,” science
teacher Dianne Barrick said.
Students, however, seem to be
on the fence regarding the new drills to
be put in place.
With a 47
pound, 5 foot long
slithering snake, who
needs a dog? Of course,
owning a snake would
have its challenges.
Junior Melodi Miller
knows of the pros and
cons.
Around four
months ago Miller
received a pet most
people do not have.
“It was a
[birthday] present for
my little brother,” Miller
said. According to
Miller, her brother has
always liked snakes.
“The snake cost around
$145. It was a great
deal.”
The snake
was a Burmese Python,
which originates
from Southeast Asian
countries including
Burma, Thailand,
Vietnam, southern
China, and Indonesia.
Miller said that kind
of snake was chosen
because of the price,
Drills continued from page 1
“It’s a good concept – making
students familiar with a variety of
emergency precautions – but I still
don’t think that shoving me in a girls’
bathroom with fi fty other kids once
every couple months will make me
calm and confi dent when a tornado is
threatening to blow the school away,”
said sophomore Alicia Woodrum.
While it is inevitable that
a situation of dire emergency could
induce panic, the goal of the new drill
schedule is to lessen the level of – if
not completely prevent – panic. After
running the drill a number of times,
students will be familiar with the
necessary processes to be carried out in
the case of an emergency, according to
Migliorino.
By Linsea Howard
color and its beauty.
“Her name was
Hazel because of her
color,” Miller said.
Taking care
of a snake is obviously
different than taking
care of a cat or dog.
Burmese Pythons require
temperatures between
85 and 90 Fahrenheit.
It cannot reach below
79 degrees Fahrenheit.
A heating pad and light
was provided to supply
heat.
“One thing we
always worried about
was either the light or
heating pad going out,”
Miller said.
Due to Hazel’s
size, 5 ft., it would
be impossible to cage
also resolved. As of February 2 nd ,
18 counties, including Cherokee
county, are eligible for disaster Public
Assistance.
Preliminary Damage
Assements (PDA) are being conducted
in response to several claims of
damage. Once the assements have
her within the house.
Especially since most
Burmese Pythons can
reach the length of 20 ft.
“She was
living outside in a
cage my dad built,”
said Miller.
Heating pad? Outside
cage? It may sound like
a hassle and very costly,
but according to Miller
it only cost $6 a week to
care for her.
“She was
exciting, a little bit more
exciting than other pets,
but not as playful.”
Snakes are
more exotic and
interesting than most
pets today. Luckily,
the Miller family is not
afraid of snakes, and no
accidents have occurred.
The lack of playfulness
may be a good thing.
Miller said it
amazed her to see that
some of the popular
guys in school are afraid
of snakes.
“She was a very
interesting animal. She
moved so gracefully, she
was just a very beautiful
animal.”
Has the dog,
man’s best friend, been
replaced? Depends if
beauty or playfulness is
wanted. Due to the large
number of people scared
of snakes, Spot’s place
in the family should be
safe.
By John Davis
Weather continued from page 1
Trees bend under the weight of the ice forming a lovely arch. The ice and snow from
the storm also covers toys and fences making this backyard a winter wonderland.
Photo by John Davis
been fi led, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), along
with the Oklahoma Depertment of
Emergency Management will award
money for damages accordingly.
By Cassandra Carter