successful

THE LAKER REVIEW 

Volume 36 

Our Vision: “Successful- Now and Beyond” 

Our Mission: “Learners for Life” 

Calloway County High School 

Issue 1 2108 College Farm Road, Murray, Ky. 42071 September 18, 2015 

Homecoming Court 

Amber Coy 

One of these seniors will be crowned homecoming queen before tonight’s game against 

Trigg County. From left are Maddie Balmer, Lauren Eastwood, Tanna Roberson, Emma 

Gallimore, Alex Arnett and Lily Lowe. Coronation begins at 6:15 p.m. 

SBDM introduces new policy 

Matthew Canning 

Photographer 

Students may have noticed that 

this year begins a new policy in attendance 

for them at CCHS. 

The Site-Based Decision Making 

(SBDM) Council decided that 

the number of student unexcused 

absences should be reduced to continue 

participation in extra and cocurricular 

activities. 

The members agreed on a new 

policy that the number of unexcused 

absences that a student accumulates 

before a loss in the privileges 

given to the student, such as 

the ability to go to prom, do certain 

high school-related athletics, or 

even walk across the stage at their 

graduation, has been reduced from 

nine to five absences, and to nine 

unexcused tardies. 

This does not mean that if a student 

has two unexcused absences 

one year that it will transfer to the 

next year. This is only an accumulation 

of absences over the course 

of that year. The other parts of the 

attendance policy remain the same, 

with the number of possible excused 

absences and tardies remaining 

unchanged for this school year. 

The policy is meant to teach 

students the responsibility of being 

in attendance at school, or their 

job, which should be learned now 

rather than later. 

“If students are not going to 

make an effort to attend, then the 

extra-curricular activities such as 

prom, graduation, competitions, 

athletic events, and Project Graduation 

will not be available to them,” 

Principal Randy McCallon said, 

“unfortunately, life does not provide 

for us to always only participate 

in those things in which we 

want to participate.” 

However, some students seem 

to be unfazed by the new policy in 

place. 

“Eh, it’s alright,” said senior 

Cameron Savage, “I don’t get sick 

often, so I’m not worried about it.” 

“This policy was intended to 

help increase student achievement 

as the main focus. Teaching and 

learning are most impacted by students 

attending school regularly,” 

McCallon said. 

According to getschooled.com, 

a report made in 2012 by Robert 

Balfanz of John Hopkins University 

stated that nearly 10-15 percent 

of students are chronically absent, 

making the academics of a student 

difficult to make up. 

This also seemed to affect 

CCHS, as attendance had dropped 

more last year than in previous 

years, as was noted in the minutes 

from the SBDM Council meeting 

when the new policy was voted on, 

and the new policy was made to 

correct that for this year and the 

years to come for the student body 

at CCHS. 

State completes right-turn lane 

Karlie Proctor 

Circulation 

All summer and the first month 

of school, traffic had to navigate 

around construction of a rightturn 

lane in front of CCHS on 

College Farm Road. 

Superintendent Tres Settle 

described the plans for the road’s 

progress. 

“The Department of Transportation 

(DOT) is calling it a turning 

lane. They will come back at 

some point-- I don’t have a definitive 

when, and top-coat it with 

new asphalt all the way across, 

paint lines in it, and restripe the 

District welcomes Settle as new superintendent 

Taylor Smith 

Photographer 

Laker Nation welcomes Tres 

Settle as the new superintendent of 

Calloway County Schools. 

Before coming here, Settle 

served in McLean County as superintendent, 

principal 

at McLean County 

Middle School, and 

was a teacher of English 

and Psychology 

at McLean County 

High School. 

Settle said of his 

current position, “I 

think being able to 

impact student learning 

on a larger scale 

beyond just the classroom 

led me towards 

superintendent certification.” 

Settle has a few 

goals he would like to 

accomplish this year. 

“I would like to 

learn a bit more about 

Calloway County 

Schools and what 

they do. Calloway 

County has a rich tradition 

of academic excellence, and 

I think it’s a great opportunity for 

me as an educator to learn what 

great things are happening in the 

district. Once I’ve met teachers and 

had an opportunity to meet other 

administrators and principals, then 

I think we can start having discussions 

about moving forward.” 

road.” 

Facilities Director Kenny 

Duncan also commented on plans 

for the road. 

“In theory, it’s supposed to 

help out with the through traffic 

on College Farm Road. DOT 

had mentioned that it is just going 

to be a turn lane for now, but I 

think that’s probably just a stage, 

but for now it’s just going to be a 

turn lane for us and is supposed to 

help the flow of traffic.” 

Regarding the new lane, Principal 

Randy McCallon said, 

“We’ve needed it for a long time. 

I think that the right-turn lane 

that extends all the way down 

Settle has made an impression 

in his short time he has been here. 

Principal Randy McCallon said, 

“I have known him for quite some 

time, and got to know more about 

him during my time as Superintendent 

at Carlisle County. He comes 

to us with a great deal of experience 

Jennifer Stubblefield 

New Superintendent Tres Settle, left, attended a Chamber of Commerce 

breakfast Tuesday with other district administrators. Also attending 

were juniors Mattie Miller, center, and Jacie Spann, who represented 

the Future Business Leaders of America. 

should make things safer, theoretically, 

because those cars know 

that they’re going right and turning 

into the high school parking 

lot or middle school parking 

lot because it’s not just about 

the high school. I do not know 

a target date on when they will 

complete the whole project, but I 

would think it shouldn’t be too far 

out now.” 

Recently licensed Ellie Futrell, 

junior, said, “I think it’s going to 

be very good, and the traffic flow 

will be much easier because you 

don’t have to wait for people turning 

when you’re going straight.” 

having been a teacher, principal, 

and a superintendent. I know he 

and his family have a strong background 

in the field of education. It 

is a difficult job since he along with 

the Calloway County Board of Education, 

must consider the whole 

district when decisions are made. 

Obviously, he knows the more successful 

we are at CCHS, the more 

we contribute to the district’s success.” 

Teacher DeAnn Anderson said, 

“When Mr. Settle visited our farm 

with Mr. Sampson and Mr. Falwell, 

I--as a parent and teacher--was 

immediately impressed with his interest 

in our students’ extracurricular 

activities. When 

the three of them left, my 

daughter was in awe of his 

taking the time to pay a 

farm visit on a blistering 

summer day. He not only 

accompanied our advisors, 

but he asked questions and 

seemed genuinely interested 

in our FFA program 

and seeing our FFA kids do 

well.” 

Teacher Jennifer Stubblefield 

said, “The first time 

I met Mr. Settle was on a 

sweltering day in July. He 

saw me unloading my truck 

and helped me bring several 

huge boxes into my classroom. 

Not sure I have ever 

had a superintendent help 

me with some of the physical 

aspects of my job, and it 

impressed me!” 

Settle plans to be visible in the 

district. 

“One of the things I really enjoy 

about being superintendent is being 

in schools and being in classrooms. 

Right now my schedule is very busy 

from being new, but I hope it will 

clear up in the future and give me 

more opportunities to visit.”

2 News 

Band alumni raise money 

Rebecca Tucker 

Entertainment Editor 

The 2015 band seniors certainly 

left a mark before their time at 

CCHS was over. Last year, the 

Laker band seniors were hard at 

work to raise $3,000 to contribute 

to the establishment of the Levi 

Jones Memorial Scholarship at 

Murray State University (MSU). 

The scholarship will assist a 

graduating Laker band member 

at Murray State University in 

pursuit of a degree. 

Laker band alumnus Wade 

Griggs said, “The Laker band senior 

class was very much impacted 

by the passing of [Band Director] 

Dr. Derek Jones’s son. We wanted 

to leave a lasting impression upon 

Dr. Jones to let him know that we 

are always there for him, and that 

we will always keep Levi Jones in 

our hearts. We remember Levi 

as an extremely caring child that 

would always put a smile on our 

faces when we needed it, so we 

decided to set up a scholarship 

fund in Levi’s honor to give students 

that little smile that Levi 

always gave to us.” 

According to the office of 

MSU Branding, Marketing and 

Communication, the scholarship 

fund can assist students in paying 

for books, housing, tuition or fees. 

The recipient of the scholarship 

must have been a member of the 

Laker band his senior year, and he 

must be entering MSU as a fulltime 

freshman. 

According to Griggs, the 

$3,000 was raised by taking up 

 

donations from members of the 

senior class. 

The news of the scholarship 

was announced at last year’s band 

banquet in May. It was a big surprise 

for Jones, who had no previous 

knowledge of the work the 

senior band class had done to remember 

Levi in such a big way. 

Jones says, “I was pretty overwhelmed. 

Levi was such a giving 

little boy, so it’s such a wonderful 

and fitting tribute.” 

Senior band member Madison 

Erwin said, “I think that what the 

band seniors did with starting 

up the Levi Jones scholarship is 

amazing. The fact that all those 

kids raised $3,000 out of the 

kindness of their hearts is really 

moving. They really left behind a 

great legacy and are inspiring the 

seniors this year to make a difference 

and do what we can to 

help.” 

According to the office of 

MSU Branding, Marketing, and 

Communication, anyone interested 

in making a donation to 

the James “Levi” Jones Memorial 

Band Scholarship can contact 

Tina Bernot in the office of development 

by telephone at 1-877- 

282-0033 or 270-809-3250 or by 

emailing cbernot@murraystate. 

edu. 

Donations can also be made by 

mailing a check made out to the 

MSU Foundation (please write 

Jones Memorial Band Scholarship 

in the memo line) and sending 

it to MSU Foundation, c/o 

200 Heritage Hall, Murray, KY 

42071. 

Club Briefs 

Class Officers- Class of 

2016: President, Holland Tetrev; 

Vice-President, Bobbi 

Brashear; Secretary, Jaewon 

Kang; Treasurer, Lily Swain 

and Reporter, Jose Villeda. 

Class of 2017: President, Cole 

Emerson; Vice-President, Sydney 

Roberts; Secretary, Lindsey 

Wagner; Treasurer, Emily Boyd 

and Reporter, Lauren Wagner. 

Class of 2018: President, 

McKenna Friedrich; Vice 

President, Logan Eastwood; 

Secretary, Lexie Lamb; Treasurer, 

Suzanna Grady and Reporter, 

Avery Wilmurth. Class 

of 2019: President, Rebbie 

Balmer; Vice President, Beau 

Barrett; Secretary, Kati Wyant; 

Treasurer, Kolbee Thorn and 

Reporter, Gabe Walker. 

Skills USA- is hosting an 

archery tournament Oct. 3 rd at 

Kenlake State Resort. Registration 

begins at 7:30 a.m., and 

there is a $20 entry fee. Proceeds 

go to Skills USA. 

BETA- will be hosting the 

homecoming dance tonight. It 

starts after the football game, 

and tickets can be purchased at 

the door for $8 each. 

College Coach- Bryan 

Warner is in room 309. Students 

who have questions about 

colleges, essays, standardized 

testing, or economic need, talk 

to Warren any time. 

FFA- had its annual freshman 

orientation and picnic. 

Upcoming events include 

Food, Land, and People teaching 

at the elementary schools, 

soil judging, and MSU Fall on 

the Farm. 

Attendance Day - is Sept. 

24. Sponsored by the Kentucky 

Directors of Pupil Personnel, 

schools throughout the state 

will compete for the highest 

average student attendance. 

Schools winning in each 

category at the state level will 

receive a cash prize of $500; 

regional winners will receive an 

award plaque. 

Hispanic Heritage Month 

- is through Oct. 15. 

Cheer Clinic - is tomorrow 

morning for grades K-5. Registration 

begins at 8:30 a.m. 

Cost is $30. Bring money to 

registration. Campers should 

wear a t-shirt, shorts, socks and 

tennis shoes. 

Performance for parents 

is at 11:30 a.m. Campers will 

perform during the CCHS 

football game Sept. 25. 

Egg Drop Experiment 



A new soup kitchen opened recently 

on the court square. 

Soup for the Soul is located at 

411 Maple Street. It serves meals 

from 4-6:00 p.m. Monday through 

Friday. Soup for the Soul has been 

a project in the making for quite a 

while now, but this past summer all 

the pieces fell into place. The kitchen 

is run solely on donations. 

Senior Emily Szyszkiewicz said, 

“I think that having a soup kitchen 

is really great for Murray. Some 

people don’t realize how hard it is for 

some families to get food on the table. 

With this soup kitchen, I think 

it will be a great way to help out the 

families who really need it.” 

According to NoKidHungry.org, 

21.7 percent of children in Kentucky 

don’t have access to nutritionally 

adequate diets in their households; 

62.8 percent of the kids receive free 

or reduced-price meals at school, but 

only 7.5 percent participate in free 

summer meal programs. 

The Laker Review 

September 18, 2015 

Amber Coy 

Seniors Jaewon Kang, left, and Martin Mikulcik participate in Beth Morehead’s physics 

class egg drop experiment. 

Soup kitchen opens downtown 

Soup for the Soul is an easily accessible 

place for families and individuals 

to go to get a proper meal 

five days a week. 

Soup for the Soul co-founder 

Debbie Smith said she noticed the 

need for the soup kitchen while 

serving a community meal with her 

church. 

She said, “After the meal, I had 

several people telling me that was 

their only hot meal they got for the 

week, and I just thought it was sad in 

our town when people have so much 

that some people don’t.” 

Senior Clark Mosely said, “I 

know that I am very fortunate to not 

have to worry about getting a meal 

every day. I have always wanted to 

be able to help out in any way I can, 

so having this soup kitchen is a great 

way to allow me to contribute to my 

community.” 

The soup kitchen is always taking 

both food and money donations, 

and volunteers are always welcome. 

To volunteer, call Tina Wright at 

270-293-8462. 

NAR00611 a service of Mspark 9/1/15 To advertise call 1-888-859-6380 

NAR00611.indd 1 

8/12/15 4:29 PM



FFA attends state convention, fair 

Jaewon Kang 

News Editor 

Many exciting events have 

happened in FFA over this 

past summer. 

Once again, the FFA enjoyed 

great success at the 86 th 

annual Kentucky FFA State 

Convention. While at the 

convention, several former 

and current students received 

many honors. 

Former students Logan 

Palmer, Clay Smotherman, 

Audree Harper, Cassidy Neal, 

Delissa Green and Skyler 

Hunter all received State FFA 

degrees. Palmer was named a 

finalist for the Kentucky Star 

in Agribusiness, and Smotherman 

and Audree Harper 

were named candidates for 

Kentucky Star in Placement 

and Farmer, respectively. 

State champions included 

Harper in Goat/Sheep Impromptu 

Speaking; Hunter in 

Greenhouse and Impromptu 

Speaking and alumnus Caleb 

Brannon in Grain Production-Entrepreneurship 

and 

Agriscience Research-Integrated 

Systems. 

This makes 44 state champions 

for CCHS in the past 

11 years. Alumnus Lucas Hill 

and Hunter were named state 

runner-ups in Nursery Operations 

and Diversified Crop- 

Placement, respectively. 

Third-place finishers included 

alumnus Erin Orr in 

Tobacco Essay, senior Brandon 

Falwell in Specialty Crop 

Production, alumna Harper in 

Goat Production, junior Jonah 

Brannon in Agriscience 

Research-Plant Systems, senior 

Shelby Bellah in Ag Education; 

the Ag Sales Team 

of senior Lily Swain, Green, 

Harper, and Bellah; the Junior 

Parliamentary Procedure 

team of sophomores Hannah 

Anderson, Avery Wilmurth, 

Lexie Lamb, Jacob Bellah, 

Jake Hunter, Sarah Palmer, 

News 3 

Courtesy Jacob Falwell 

Front row (L to R): sophomore Hannah Anderson, senior Hannah Ray, sophomore Avery Wilmurth and sophomore Emily Wilson. 

Middle Row: senior Shelby Bellah, sophomore Lindsey McNutt, senior Madison Jeziorski, sophomore Lexie Lamb, alumna Delissa 

Green, senior Lily Swain, alumna Audree Harper, senior Shelby Robinson and sophomore Suzanna Grady. Back Row: alumnus Caleb 

Brannon, alumnus Logan Palmer, junior Cole Emerson, sophomore Sarah Palmer, alumnus Skyler Hunter, sophomore Jake Hunter, 

alumnus Clay Smotherman, junior Cameron Cooper, senior Brandon Falwell and sophomore Jacob Bellah. 

Suzanna Grady, Emily Wilson 

and Lindsey McNutt. 

Other state qualifiers included 

juniors Cole Emerson 

and Cameron Cooper, seniors 

Shelby Robinson, Hannah 

Ray, Madison Jeziorski, and 

alumni Ely Coles and Danielle 

Potts. 

FFA members also achieved 

more success at the state fair 

this past month. The team of 

juniors Jonah Brannon, Emerson, 

Kamden Price, and 

Ethan Sheridan placed sixth 

in the state against 33 other 

teams and 127 competitors. 

CCHS agriculture teacher 

and FFA sponsor Jacob Falwell 

won Kentucky Association 

of Agriculture Educators 

(KAAE) Teacher of the Year 

in an award ceremony this 

past summer. 

“It was a great honor to 

win this award,” Falwell said, 

“especially out of the several 

agriculture teachers around 

the region and the state.” 

CCHS welcomes new teachers 

Makayla Robinson 

Staff Writer 

Students returned to CCHS 

with lots of new faces in the 

faculty. 

Math Teacher 

Haley Sonnek 

previously 

Sonnek 

taught at Marshall 

County. 

“I was a graduate 

of Calloway County High 

School and decided I wanted 

to be a Laker again,” she said. 

CCHS has two new social 

studies teachers. 

Jonathan Grooms is originally 

from Louisville but attended 

Murray 

State University. 

He said that this 

is his 11th year 

teaching, and 

he previously 

Grooms 

taught at Carlisle 

County. Grooms is also the 

new cross country head coach. 

Allison Dublin teaches 

World History 

and Global Issues. 

She is head 

coach of the 

Dublin Speech Team 

and assists with 

Student Council. 

“I have a passion for history 

and want 

to share it,” she 

said. 

Mickey Garrison, 

previously 

a guidance counselor 

at CCMS, is 

the new art teacher 

and head football coach. 

Mikulcik 

Garrison 

New science 

teacher and assistant 

cross 

country coach 

Kristen Mikulcik 

previously 

taught in Ohio but wanted to 

move a little closer. 

“I was looking for something 

in Western Kentucky. I didn’t 

think I’d get this lucky to actually 

be in Calloway County, so 

it was a pleasant surprise,” she 

said. 

John Larkin 

is also a new 

science teacher. 

Alex Walandro 

teaches 

Larkin 

Career Awareness 

and is the 

new boys’ soccer coach. He said 

that everyone is being so kind 

and helpful. 

R e g a r d i n g 

Career Awareness, 

he said, 

“We meet something 

like four 

times a month 

basically trying to bridge the 

gap between high school and 

college, trying to make it much 

easier than mine was.” 

A l u m n a 

Katie McCui- 

McCuiston 

ston teaches 

Special Education. 

She previously 

taught 

at Southwest 

and North Elementary 

Schools. 

“I have a very strong passion 

for helping and teaching; 

there’s not a better place for me 

to be than Calloway County.” 

Connie Umstead 

previously 

taught English 

at Calloway 

for three years, 

then at Graves 

County for two 

Walandro 

Umstead 

years, and is back at Calloway. 

“It’s great to be a Laker 

again; once a Laker, always a 

Laker,” she said.

4 Viewpoint 

from the 

Attendance is paramount 


Halee Bergman 

Editor in Chief 

Bobbi Brashear 

Associate Editor 

Blake Schanbacher 

Sports Editor 



Chasity Ross 

Sports Writer 

Amber Coy 


Taylor Smith 

Photographers 

Kris Fazi 

Adviser 

Principal’s Desk 

Randy McCallon 

Laker Nation MOTIVATION! Excellence and Example 

Without a doubt, I think all 

would agree that getting a good 

education is a critical component 

for success in life beyond high 

school. 

That education can come in 

the form of college, post-secondary 

training, apprenticeships, 

mentoring and other activities 

that increase one’s knowledge 

which, in turn, should provide an 

opportunity for a higher level of 

success in a future vocation. 

However, the “other” intangibles 

will be defining in determining 

the path we travel after our 

years at CCHS are over. 

Cooperation and teamwork are 

important attributes in the workplace. 

Very seldom will there be 

jobs and opportunities that do not 

require us to work with others for 

desirable results at a company or 

organization. 

The ability to “get along” and 

work together for the betterment 

of the group is important 

and usually brings about deeply 

rooted relationships, celebrations 

of success, and a beneficial feeling 

as a contributor. 

Life is much easier to navigate 

when people are pulling for each 

other and coming together as a 

unit. The rewards of cooperation 

are usually shared by all. 

Attendance is often undervalued 

when 

it comes 

to reaching 

goals individually or as a 

group. The most difficult task for 

a teacher is to teach students who 

are not in attendance. Instruction 

missed cannot be fully replaced 

with makeup work, even though 

a specific grade may not suffer. 

The CCHS Site-based Decision 

Making Council views 

attendance as a priority for students 

requiring no more than five 

unexcused absences or no more 

than nine unexcused tardy events 

in order to retain the right to 

participate in activities including 

athletic events, club events, prom, 

graduation and CCHS Project 

Graduation. 

This policy was instituted with 

student success in mind as well 

as placing emphasis on the need 

in the workplace for students to 

understand the importance of 

the commitment made when accepting 

a job. The workplace is 

very similar to school, due to the 

fact that in most cases, people are 

counting on each other to do his 

or her part completing the task at 

hand. 

Many times, lack of attendance 

creates more work for those 

around us to cover the shortfall in 

human resources. Quite frankly, 

employers and colleges are not 

looking for workers and students 

Taylor Crouch 

Advertising Manager 

Jaewon Kang 

News Editor 

Krystan Proctor 

Feature Editor 


Circulation 

Chase McCoy 

Emma Gallimore 

Kelsey Eells 

Tori Scroggins 

Lauren Hale 


Staff Writers 

The Laker Review is published by the CCHS journalism class. Its purpose is to obtain 

and record current events and issues of the school, to inspire students and faculty, and to 

stimulate school pride and spirit. All letters and school commentaries to the editor must 

be signed; the staff reserves the right to edit copy. Mail correspondence to The Laker 

Review, 2108 College Farm Rd., Murray KY 42071. To telephone, call 270-762-7374, 

extension 312. Views in this publication may not necessarily represent those of the Calloway 

County Board of Education, administrators, faculty or staff of the district. 

who do not have excellent attendance 

rates. 

And lastly, commitment and 

dedication are so pleasing to witness. 

I absolutely love seeing students 

create goals for their four 

years of high school and then 

exemplifying the commitment 

and dedication it requires to meet 

those goals. 

I have found very few success 

stories when a person is not committed 

to carrying out his or her 

duties and doing his or her part 

to reach lofty outcomes. 

Often, the individual does 

not succeed as expected, and the 

organization falls short as well. 

Committed and dedicated people 

are always in demand whether it 

is in the workplace, in the school 

setting, on an athletic field, or as 

part of a civic endeavor. 

What a feeling it is to know 

the person beside you is just as 

committed and dedicated as you 

are to reach the desirable end 

goal! 

Of course, life never has guarantees, 

but we do know if cooperation, 

teamwork, excellent 

attendance, commitment, and 

dedication are all exhibited, the 

chances for success are greatly 

increased. These are all areas of 

personal growth we want to instill 

for students at Calloway County 

High School. 

Editor says to 

pay it forward 

Walking down the hall on a late 

Thursday afternoon, my day was 

completely changed for the better 

when a stranger reminded me of 

the importance of a simple smile 

and a kind word. 

It’s also contagious. 

Regardless of how cliché it may 

seem, a small act of kindness has 

the power to start a chain reaction. 

It’s simple and rewarding. It’s one of 

the easiest, yet most effective ways 

to brighten someone’s day, no matter 

how insignificant it may seem. 

I challenge you today to start 

that chain reaction. More importantly, 

I challenge you to do it, not 

for the glory, but for the satisfaction 

of knowing you may just change 

someone’s life. 



Principal meets with seniors 

A school’s administration plays a monumental role in the success 

or failure of a school year particularly in regard to the CCHS theme for 

2015-2016, “Laker Nation Motivation—Effort and Example.” 

Without the guidance and instruction of a well-trained, well-intentioned 

administrative staff, neither employees nor students can perform 

to their fullest potential. 

CCHS can find a shining light in a man such as Principal Randy 

McCallon, who is working to change the way that students view him and 

his co-workers in administration. 

In his first three years back as principal, McCallon has made evident 

his love for not only this school system and this region, but also each 

and every student passing through the halls. Regularly making appearances 

at football games, soccer games, track meets, FBLA trips, academic 

team competitions, and basketball games, just to name a few, McCallon’s 

outpouring of support for students across the spectrum is truly admirable 

and impressionable. 

Still, McCallon is not satisfied with his depth of involvement in 

student life, which is why he has decided to sit down personally with each 

and every senior before graduation in hopes of becoming better acquainted 

with the individuals to whom he will present diplomas in May. 

Over the course of the year, each senior will be called out of class 

at McCallon’s request for a positive discussion with the principal. 

Last year at graduation, McCallon said he noticed that among 

the students walking across stage, he had only briefly gotten to know many 

of the now alumni. He decided that something had to be done, so he decided 

to formally introduce himself to all 200-plus students in the senior 

class. 

Of this change, McCallon observed, “Many times seniors go 

through their senior year whom I have not gotten to know, or I have just 

passively spoken to on occasion. It may be the only time, but I want to 

make sure I introduce myself to every senior and talk a small amount of 

time at the very least!” 

McCallon believes that more than anything, students need to realize 

that he is not only available but also more than willing to work with 

them to achieve their goals and discuss any problems they may be facing, 

school-related or otherwise. 

Regarding his intentions for this school year and the students 

at CCHS, McCallon emphasized the approachability of administration 

and his desire for elevated relationships between students and their adult 

counterparts. 

McCallon remarked of his upcoming introductions with the seniors. 

“I mainly want every senior to know I am behind him or her and 

want to be here to assist in any way I can. If I can help in any way, my door 

is always open.” 

Students have responded with respect and admiration for Mc- 

Callon and his unique gesture. It is intriguing to witness students’ reactions 

when they realize that their principal, a man with many obligations, is 

taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to them personally about their 

life, their school work and their ambitions. 

Senior Elizabeth Alexander was shocked when she was called 

out of AP Calculus to visit McCallon in his office. Overall, she was pleased 

with the experience and excited to see our principal taking initiative to 

improve his school and community. 

“I think it is a great idea. It lets students know that they are welcome, 

and that the faculty and staff truly do care.” 

Although senior Joe Brashear has not yet been called for discussion, 

he is interested in what McCallon is doing and admires his determination 

to grow closer to every senior at CCHS. 

“I think Mr. McCallon has done a great job as principal these 

past few years and really made the school a better place,” Brashear commented. 

The reaction from students, faculty, and administration alike has 

been overwhelmingly positive. CCHS has been blessed to have a principal 

so truly and deeply concerned with the lives, goals and futures of the 

people surrounding him. He lives out his promises not just through words 

but by actions as well. 

The Laker Review staff believes that McCallon truly embodies 

the sayings he endorses, demonstrating “effort and example” to anyone and 

everyone he encounters.



What stands out most 

about freshman year? 

“I remember the state basketball tournament 

in Lexington. I went up thinking 

it wouldn’t be very fun. But then we 

defeated the best team in the tournament 

in the first game and had a nail-biter the 

second game. Even though we lost, it was 

still a great game.” 

-Braden Bogard, Sophomore 

“The first week I was back, I walked into 

the girls’ bathroom. It was early in the 

morning, and I was half asleep. I didn’t 

walk too far inside; I noticed it was different. 

I have not done so since.” 

-Cole McCoy, Senior 

“I haven’t been embarrassed yet. It was 

really nice since I got to the high school 

because I had my teammates to help me 

find my way around the school. They’re 

my family!” 

-Abbey Arnett, Freshman 

“I think awkward and braces when I 

think of freshman year. Though I did fall 

up the bleachers literally, the first thing 

in the morning of the first day.” 

-Mattie Miller, Junior 

“I remember the first day of my freshman 

year. I walked into the senior English class 

which was beside my freshman English 

class. I went through the door and saw 

the football starting line-up. I stood 

frozen, thinking, ‘God, open the floor and 

let me go through it.’ They looked at me 

like, ‘What are you doing here?’ I turned 

around and ran to my actual class. I was so 

embarrassed; I will never forget that.” 

-Amy Workman, Nurse’s Assistant 

Viewpoint 5 

School no longer pays for AP Exams 



With each passing summer, 

a new year starts at CCHS. 

With each new year, changes 

come: freshmen are new, and 

everyone steps up a grade. 

Without fail, changes are made 

to dress code, school lunches 

and teachers. 

Another new change for 

students for this year is the 

Site-Based Council’s (SBDM) 

decision to no longer cover the 

costs for AP tests. 

Last school year, the state 

asked every school to find ways 

to make cuts in its budget. 

“It’s common for many 

schools to cut five teachers, or 

they won’t purchase a bus that 

year to cut down on expenses,” 

District Assessment Coordinator 

Brian Wilmurth said. 


Photographer 

This year marks the third year 

of President Barack Obama’s 

final term, and it also brings 

in the next batch of candidates 

vying for the position. Donald 

Trump may not be a favorable 

candidate to many, but he evidently 

has many supporters nationwide. 

How he manages to retain 

the support of so many voting 

age citizens in the United 

States, yet gets away with his 

remarks, demeanor, and politics, 

is difficult to say. 

There is already a large swath 

of candidates campaigning, and 

among them is golden-boy 

businessman Trump. He is currently 

in the lead in the polls 

nationally, but many disapprove 

of his goals and methods he is 

currently showing in his campaign. 

Trump is probably best 

known for his television show, 

The Apprentice, and for his vast 

holdings of high-end real estate. 

Though he is running for 

president, he currently has never 

held a government position. 

Many of his presidential 

nominee competitors oppose 

However, CCHS chose to 

go a different route. 

SBDM member and teacher 

Ashley Fritsche said, “As a 

member of the council, we assessed 

all of our choices, and 

we felt our best option was to 

cut the AP test funding. The 

research was done. None of us 

could think of any schools in 

our area that paid for the testing. 

We were the only ones, 

which was nice, but when it 

came down to making the cuts 

needed, it was something that 

could go. I also thought of it 

as a dual credit class. When 

you take those, you have to pay 

for them. Comparatively, with 

AP classes you’re getting high 

school credit and potentially 

college.” 

According to Wilmurth’s estimation, 

CCHS paid $12,000 

to $15,000 each year for the 

his proposed policies and his 

mannerisms, thinking them to 

be brash, loud and illogically 

made. However, this also seems 

to be selling point to many of 

his supporters. 

According to nytimes.com, it 

stated that his inexperience in 

government is one of the reasons 

that people support him, 

that people want a businessman 

in the White House. 

According to CNBC.com, 

Trump recently signed a loyalty 

pledge to back the Republican 

nominee with whoever is voted 

as the nominee. This states that 

he will not run as a third party 

nominee if he doesn’t win the 

Republican nomination. 

Trump’s policies include the 

end to birthright citizenship, 

meaning that being born in the 

United States does not grant 

automatic citizenship, which 

would include both the children 

of illegal immigrants and citizens 

of the United States; a giant 

wall to be constructed along 

the entire length of the U.S./ 

Mexican border, which Trump’s 

campaign website says will be 

paid for and built by the Mexican 

government, and the end of 

federal government funding for 

sanctuary cities. These are just 

past seven years for students to 

take AP tests. 

“At first, when I heard the 

news, I was sad. But when I 

saw the costs and compared it 

to the passing rate, my mind 

changed. It just didn’t seem 

feasible. Now, I think students 

who choose to take the test will 

be more motivated to take it 

seriously and make passing it a 

goal. The only thing that worries 

me is students who may 

have trouble paying for it won’t 

take the time to go through 

the process to get the fee waivered,” 

teacher DeAnn Anderson 

said. 

Students need to consider 

whether they are eligible to receive 

aid and be proactive. Students 

can go to the Guidance 

Office and talk with a counselor 

to see if they qualify. 

Trump runs controversial campaign 

a few of his views on immigration 

reform. A larger list can be 

found on his campaign website, 

donaldjtrump.com. 

Trump’s mannerisms have 

also gotten him some heat as 

well. In his presidential nomination 

address, he stated that, 

“Mexico is sending its crime, 

drugs, its rapists; some, I assume, 

are good people.” 

He also got into some trouble 

at the GOP debate, where 

he insulted one of the moderators, 

Megyn Kelly, a correspondent 

from Fox News, and has 

continued with other insulting 

remarks on Twitter. 

Trump has also attacked 

Sen. John McCain at the Family 

Leadership Summit in Iowa, 

saying that, “He’s a war hero 

because he was captured. I don’t 

like people who were captured,” 

according to a post made by 

huffingtonpost.com. 

“People like him because he 

is bluntly honest,” senior Grant 

Cottingham said. “But that’s 

no excuse for idiocy and rudeness.” 

Only time will tell if he will 

become the Republican nominee 

for president, or if he will 

slip up and burn out of the 

race.

6 Entertainment 



Regaining My Sparkle 

Kalea Anderson 

Guest Writer 

I struggled with three basic concepts 

when I made the transition 

from middle school to high school: 

(1) confidence, (2) making friends, 

and (3) final exams. I expected too 

much going into my freshman year, 

and that contributed to my lack of 

confidence. The only impression I 

had of high school, however, was 

from watching High School Musical, 

my favorite movie from childhood; 

and, let me clarify that my experience 

was completely different from 

that of Gabriella. I didn’t have a Troy 

Bolton to sweep me off my feet or a 

Sharpay Evans to call my friend. My 

freshman year was difficult; in fact, I 

found fitting in extremely hard. 

I had embraced the same three 

best friends throughout elementary 

and middle school. I had never had 

to be outgoing because I had always 

had these three to hide behind. We 

did absolutely everything togethercheerleading, 

speech team, sleepovers, 

and double dates. It wasn’t until high 

school that we went our separate 

ways. I no longer had my friends to 

depend on, and I was forced to come 

out of my comfort zone. 

In the midst of losing my best 

friends, the only people I had ever 

communicated with, I also lost my 

confidence: I became uncomfortable 

with my body image and my personality. 

I was afraid to express my 

true self, and within months, I had 

become an introvert. It wasn’t until 

the end of my freshman year that I 

became fully confident with myself; 

however, I had to work very hard on 

recovering my “sparkle.” 

I didn’t get my confidence overnight; 

instead, I got it from a book. I 

was shuffling through my bookshelf 

one day when I stumbled upon a 

book— Redefining Beautiful: What 

God Sees When God Sees You--my 

seventh grade science teacher, Mr. 

Pile, had given us just before we got 

out for summer break. At the time, I 

had simply shoved it to the back of 

my bookshelf, and I had never considered 

reading it. But, I couldn’t have 

found the book at any better time 

because it contained just the advice I 

needed to regain my confidence. The 

book included real-life examples that 

the author Jenna Lucado had gone 

through when she lost her self-confidence. 

You and I are about to go on a 

cleaning spree, but I’m not talking 

about cleaning out a closet. And 

you might be surprised at how this 

new look can influence everything in 

your life. Plus, it’s free! We’re going 

to clean up our hearts a little. Let’s 

get rid of all the bad stuff that prevents 

us from having a fresh look- a 

look that radiates joy, that sparkles 

with confidence, and that says, “I am 

beautifully and wonderfully made.” 

It’s time to redefine beautiful. 

I slowly read the book over the 

course of a week, and within that 

week, I regained enough confidence 

to last a lifetime. I realized that 

confidence is more important than 

makeup, clothes, or anything materialistic. 

I no longer struggle with 

making friends or being outgoing. I 

have made new best friends, created 

new memories, and I have become 

involved in new pursuits. Finally, 

more than anything, I realized that 

my high school experience should be 

my own. I have regained my sparkle! 

Broadcasting class students take home wins 

Chasity Ross 

Sports Writer 

Broadcast students at CCHS 

came away with top honors when 

the Kentucky High School Journalism 

Association (KHJSA) announced 

the winners of its annual 

state wide contest at the end of 

May. The Laker TV crew won 2A 

broadcast Excellence Award for 

the second year in a row. 

addition to taking first 

place in the state, 15 

students from the Laker 

TV crew were awarded 

with individual honors 

in various categories. 

Junior Josh Conner, 

who won first place 

Sports Feature Package 

and Second and Third 

Place in Sports Package 

said, “My interest 

in broadcast television 

came from an initial 

interest in making You- 

Tube videos. I spent a 

lot of time watching 

my favorite YouTubers, 

so I decided to begin 

making my own videos 

in middle school. 

I learned a lot about 

media, design and film 

In 

by jumping in and creating my 

own content. So when I discovered 

CCHS had a great broadcast 

TV program, I wanted to put my 

skills to use.” 

KHSJA was formed in 1997 

by the Kentucky Press Association 

Board of Directors, as the 

state had no association for students 

who were interested in 

broadcasting. 

“I’m definitely considering 

this as a career choice after high 

school. Media is becoming more 

and more a part of our everyday 

lives, and it is super fun to create,” 

Conner said. 

Junior Kalea Anderson, current 

executive producer of Laker 

TV, was randomly placed in a 

broadcasting class her freshman 


Teacher Randy Herndon instructs a student in broadcasting 

class. 

year. She never thought she would 

develop such a deep passion for 

television, but she has had teacher 

Randy Herndon every semester 

since freshman year and couldn’t 

imagine having a semester without 

him. 

Anderson won Best Sports 

Package and third place in Best 

Spirit Week 

Sports Feature Package. She said 

she has made so many wonderful 

memories through Laker TV and 

never really considered pursuing 

this as a career until last year. 

“I love the feeling of being behind 

a camera, and I love knowing 

that I can make an impact on 

people through media. I am definitely 

keeping my options open,” 

She said. 

Broadcast students like senior 

Amber Stout have a 

much deeper passion for 

video animation, and she 

said broadcast gives her just 

that, an opportunity to use 

her love for video making 

and art. She and a group 

of other students won first 

place in the category Best 

Music Video. It was about 

a scary video game and they 

brought the game to life 

with a fun video. 

“I really want to go into 

video game animations. I 

love creating things that everyone 

will enjoy.” 

Herndon said that he 

was extremely excited that 

Laker TV has won consecutive 

times. He felt like they 

had a really good chance, 

and he was confident in the 

work his students put forth. He 

said he was pleasantly surprised 

that in a short period of time that 

Laker TV has established a legacy 

of quality work. 

“It will be a challenge to do it 

again, but I think we can do it; we 

definitely have a lot of talented 

TV students,” he said. 

Taylor Smith 

From left, teacher Rose Elder, sophomore Kensie Orange and teacher Melissa Wetherington 

show off their school spirit on Grandparents’ Day during Spirit Week.



Featured Artist 

Amber Coy 

Featured is work by senior Josie Cothran. Art teacher Mickey Garrison said Cothran 

is talented, adding that Cothran has only taken one art class so far, but is doing exceedingly 

well. Outside of class, Cothran enjoys sketching and acrylic painting. 

Marvel announces movies 



According to cnn.com, Marvel 

has released its movie slate through 

2019. 

The Marvel Universe is renowned 

for the presence of fantastic 

superhuman beings, the supernatural, 

and the cosmic. Marvel 

Entertainment utilizes its character 

franchises in entertainment, according 

to marvel.com. 

“Yes, oh my, gosh, yes, I’m so 

excited [for the upcoming Marvel 

movies],” junior Brook Olin said. 

Captain America: Civil War is at 

the top of her waiting list, though. 

“I’m most excited for it, but 

I know my heart’s going to get 

crushed in Civil War because I don’t 

want our babies to be fighting each 

other. They all should get along and 

then save the world from Hydra, 

and everyone should just love each 

other. But they’re fighting, and I’m 

not okay with that,” Olin said. 

Junior Claire Umstead said, “I 

like Marvel because it’s action, but 

there’s a lot of comedy through the 

movie, so you’re laughing through 

CCHS Beta Club Presents... 

Homecoming 

Dance! 

Tickets $8 at 

the door! 

TONIGHT 

After game- 

11:15 pm 

the whole thing while being entertained.” 

According to dcentertainment. 

com, DC partners with many Warner 

Bros. divisions to publish their 

stories on the media including, but 

not limiting to film, television and 

comic books. 

As to her preference for Marvel 

as opposed to DC, Olin said, “I love 

so many things about Marvel; the 

movies are exciting; they represent 

female characters really well; they 

stay true to real morals, and they 

aren’t DC. I don’t like DC because 

they don’t represent their female 

characters well, and I feel like they 

always copy Marvel. Marvel is the 

epitome of all what comic books 

should be and then there’s DC, 

they’re just tagging along.” 

Umstead said her favorite character 

is Captain America because 

he’s wholesome and just a good 

guy in general, while Olin said her 

favorite is Iron Man. 

“He’s a genius, billionaire, playboy, 

philanthropist, and he’s super 

sassy. He’s really smart, and he’s 

down to earth, unlike Batman,” 

Olin said. 

Entertainment 7 

Band changes class to 3A 

Chase McCoy 

Staff Writer 

The 2015-2016 Laker Marching 

Band season has kicked into 

gear, with a performance tomorrow 

at Roy Stewart Stadium, the 

40 th annual competition of the 

Festival of Champions. 

The band has one major change 

this season; it was lowered from 

4A to the smaller class of 3A. 

Kentucky Music Educators 

Association (KMEA), the organization 

responsible for setting 

the rules and guidelines of 

marching band and its competitions, 

dropped CCHS to 3A. According 

to kmea.org, the school of 

the marching band is responsible 

for how the bands are classified. 

Because enrollment at CCHS 

has decreased and other schools’ 

enrollment across the state increased, 

the Laker Band was lowered 

to the 3A class. 

Junior T.J. Maness said that he 

isn’t worried about the new class. 

“As a transfer student from Paducah 

Tilghman High School, I 

have competed in the 3A class before. 

I feel that it is an easier class 

to compete in, although the 3A 

schools we compete against do 

tend to have more money because 

of the smaller school populations. 

We do have an advantage, however. 

We are one of the biggest 

bands in the 3A class.” 

Maness also says that he feels 

that we have a better chance of 

making state than any previous 

year. 

“Last year, we were 1.35 points 

away from making state, and 

that really hurt knowing we were 

so close. The band uses that as a 

motivation for how we rehearse. 

There is a lot more focus and care 

being put into rehearsals this year, 

and that is really showing.” 

Senior and Drum Major Clara 

Arnold said that it is a good thing 

that the band is being put in the 

class of 3A. 

“I feel that being in a new class 

serves as a clean slate for everyone 

who has previously been in 

the marching band. We no longer 

have to worry about setting 

our standards to our previous 

rival bands. With that in mind, 

we can now fully practice at our 

fullest potential. Of course, there 

are bands in the 3A class that are 

known nationally for their talent, 

such as Adair County, Bourbon 

County, and Russel County, and 

we all know what our standards 

have to be in order to compete 

against those bands.” 

Arnold is excited about how 

the group is practicing. 

“Practices are going very well. 

Everyone has goals that he wants 

to accomplish, and the group as a 

whole is motivated. Compared to 

previous years, not everyone was 

fully sold into the show. This year, 

everyone gives it their all, and rehearsals 

are going very smooth. 

The band is largely underclassmen, 

so the majority of the 

marchers are new and had little, 

previous experience. I’m not really 

worried, because collectively, the 

freshmen have a lot of new and 

fresh talent.” 

Arnold said that the biggest 

goal for the Laker Band is to make 

the Final Four in the state competition 

held at Western Kentucky 

University’s L.T. Smith Stadium 

on Oct. 31 st . 

The show this year, titled Out 

There, is a show concept that the 

Laker Band has never done before. 

Out There is a concept themed 

show about the possibility of extraterrestrial 

life somewhere “out 

there” in the universe. It features 

hits from the movie Interstellar, 

Signs and other classic movies. 

The band recently competed 

at Madisonville North-Hopkins 

High School and received first 

place in class 3A, best overall 

percussion, and reserved grand 

champion. 

Art teacher 

will host club 

for students 


Circulation 

Art students were concerned 

that with the retirement of Sandy 

Sasso, CCHS would not have 

an art club this year. 

Fortunately, the concerns 

are unfounded. Teacher Mickey 

Garrison confirmed that he will 

be running an art club. 

“It’s just kind of hard to get it 

started, but next week is our bye 

week, so this weekend I’m going 

to devote it to getting things 

lined up.” Garrison, who is also 

the head football coach, said. 

Regarding his plans for the 

club, Garrison explained, “That’s 

stuff that I have just got to 

look into, I don’t have anything 

planned right now. I know that 

Mrs. Sasso did cool, awesome 

stuff at a high level, and I want 

to maintain that, and then eventually 

even take it further. But 

we’ll just look and see what our 

budget allows and what the opportunities 

are, and I might try 

to do something a little different 

this year.” 

Not only is there to be an art 

club, but the tradition of Sasso’s 

art open house is still in the plans 

for this year’s club. 

“I definitely want to do things 

like that. That is one of the main 

things, to allow an opportunity 

for the kids to show their stuff, 

and that would be cool.” 

Previous art club members senior 

Bethany Harrell and junior 

Hailey Robinson both look forward 

to field trips to Nashville, 

Tenn., the Yeiser Art Center, 

and the National Quilt Museum 

in Paducah, similar to previous 

years. Harrell also hopes Garrison 

will be involved in summer 

art workshops.

8 Feature 



Feature Profiles 

Samantha Radomski 

Freshman 

Victor Rojas 

Sophomore 

Gage Barnes 

Junior 


Senior 

Activities: swim, band and Beta- 

Club 

Plans after high school: go to college 

for a doctorate and become a 

scientist 

Biggest accomplishment: going 

to regionals in History Bee, going 

to state in quick recall and getting 

distinguished in solo and ensemble 

Activities: playing sports and reading 

Plans after high school: go to college 

and double major in Spanish 

and business, travel all 50 states, 

and spend time traveling to Brazil, 

Germany and Spain 

Biggest accomplishment: traveling 

abroad to Canada and Mexico 

Activities: trail running, reading, 

and Special Olympics soccer 

volunteer 

Plans after high school: apply to 

Coast Guard Academy, major in 

marine and environmental sciences, 

and travel the world 

Biggest accomplishment: won a 

Spanish award and currently competing 

for valedictorian 

Activities: KYA/KUNA, art club, Beta 

club, Spanish club, journalism and class 

vice president 

Plans after high school: undecided but 

applying to a variety of schools to major 

in something that would be helpful to 

people 

Biggest accomplishment: maintaining 

a 4.0, being associate editor for journalism, 

and having art commissioned and 

a piece going to state last year 

Miss Kentucky High School Rodeo 

Largest Selection & Hottest Brands For both 

Girls & Guys! 

1205 A Chestnut Street Murray, KY 

(270) 753-0100 

Courtesy of Emily Duncan 

Senior Emily Duncan won Miss High School Rodeo over the summer. See related 

story on page 19.



Caffeine intake increases health risks 



Caffeine consumption is worldwide 

a popular method to pull 

through long, weary nights in order 

to meet certain deadlines and 

complete projects, according to diethealthclub.com 

“I drink coffee every day,” junior 

Mattie Miller said. “I usually go to 

bed really late and I need it to wake 

me up. If I don’t drink it, it messes 

up my entire routine in the morning. 

It really throws me off. I usually 

get up, and I brush my teeth, and I 

wash my face, and then I get coffee. 

So, if I don’t do that I’m probably 

going to be late for everything.” 

Caffeine can cause health issues, 

however. 

“Teenagers who regularly use 

at least 400 mg of caffeine subject 

Halee Bergman 

Editor-in-Chief 

Four days before the beginning 

of their senior year began, the final 

group of Governor’s Scholars 

(GSP) returned home from Bellarmine 

University in Louisville 

exactly one week after their fellow 

scholars graduated from the Morehead 

State University campus four 

hours away. 

Six CCHS students 

were selected to attend the 

five-week summer program 

that prides itself on providing 

students with a co-curricular 

and residential life 

experience free of charge. 

Seniors Madison Jeziorski 

and Martin Mikulcik 

were selected to attend the 

Bellarmine campus with 

focus areas in Psychology 

and Film Studies, respectively, 

while Sam Morehead, 

Jaewon Kang, Jacob 

Friedrich and Halee 

Bergman traveled to 

Morehead State, taking 

classes in Historical Analysis, 

Modes of Mathematical Thinking, 

Spanish Language and Culture, 

and International Relations. 

While scholars are required to 

attend classes during the week, the 

alumni insist that the experience 

they gained was so much more 

than that. 

Friedrich remarked of his experiences 

this summer, “I met incredible 

people while at GSP, many of 

whom I never would’ve gotten the 

opportunity to meet if it hadn’t been 

Six CCHS students attend Governor’s Scholars Program 

for the program. GSP is a place to 

step out of your comfort zone, try 

new things, and meet great people 

that you wouldn’t get a chance to 

meet anywhere else.” 

Likewise, Daniel Kennedy, a senior 

at Dixie Heights High School 

in northern Kentucky, explained, 

“You mention you have classes 

and then people automatically assume 

it’s some boring enrichment 

Pictured are CCHS GSP alumni second from left, Jacob 

Friedrich, Halee Bergman and Jaewon Kang. 

thing for smart people who’d rather 

be in a classroom than have a decent 

summer, and they’re totally 

wrong.” 

Governor’s Scholars are highly 

encouraged to immerse themselves 

in the GSP community. One controversial 

rule on campus is the 

prohibition of cell phones outside 

of scholars’ dorm rooms; however, 

Kang noted the benefits of going 

five weeks without such a distraction. 

“At first I thought it would be 

Feature 9 

themselves to addiction,” according 

to livestrong.com. “John Hopkins 

Medicine warns that addicted teens 

suffer from withdrawal symptoms if 

they decide to stop taking any caffeine. 

Withdrawal symptoms can 

include achy muscles, headaches, 

fatigue, sadness, vomiting and impaired 

mental focus.” 

Calloway County School Nurse 

Vicki Williams describes how coffee 

and caffeine can affect teenagers. 

“Caffeine is something that we 

all think we need a lot of, and it is 

addicting,” Williams said. “Some 

people get very addicted to caffeine. 

However, after stopping it for 

a while, you may get a headache, 

but you will get past that, but caffeine 

gets the heart rate extremely 

elevated at times. One cup of coffee 

or coke a day will not bother anybody, 

but anything more than that 

can affect the attention span, and 

the body starts becoming very used 

to it and may even need it just to 

get the day going. Many teenagers 

drink way too much caffeine because 

it does wake you up.” 

Pamf.org states that coffee can 

work as an appetite suppressant or 

replace nutrient-dense foods when 

consumed, but most people drink it 

as a stimulant. 

“Most people use caffeine as a 

stimulant, primarily in the morning 

to increase adrenaline production 

and help them feel alert during the 

day,” according to pamf.org. “The 

amount of caffeine in less than 

three eight-ounce cups of coffee 

per day is excessive. This amount 

can lead to anxiety, dizziness, and 

insomnia.” 

hard to go five weeks without having 

my phone all the time. However, 

I was glad that GSP had this 

no phone rule because it allowed 

me to make new friends easily and 

socialize a lot more.” 

Students spend these five weeks 

attending seminars, performing in 

the weekly showcase, forging irreplaceable 

friendships, and participating 

in fun, community-based 

events such as the GSP Olympics 

and the Fourth of July Parade. 

GSP 2015 alumni are encouraging 

this year’s junior class to 

consider applying for the prestigious 

program. Anyone selected 

to attend is guaranteed scholarships 

to almost any university in 

the state; more often than not, 

students leave the program with 

their college tuition completely 

paid. 

“The application for GSP is 

very long, and it requires a lot of 

time and effort to write it well, 

but it is very rewarding in the 

end. GSP is something every 

junior should apply for,” Jeziorski 

said. 

The application consists of six 

main parts: ACT/SAT score and 

current GPA, Extra-curricular Activities, 

Community Service, Honors 

and Awards, Teacher/Community 

Recommendations, and an 

essay. 

The deadline for applications 

are usually sometime in December, 

The completed application serves 

as a good reference for creating a 

resume and filling out college applications. 

Senior races stock cars 

Amber Coy 

Photographer 

Senior Tya Cunningham devoted 

her summer days to working on 

her four-cylinder street stock cars to 

prepare them for racing. With the 

help of her grandfather, 

she has been 

able to race every 

weekend during the 

summer the past six 

years. She races at 

The Paducah International 

Raceway 

and Kentucky Lake 

Motor Speedway 

in Calvert City. 

The season starts 

in March and goes 

through November, 

usually until the 

weather is too cold 

to race. 

Cunningham has 

been very successful 

throughout her years of racing. In 

2009, she won the championship in 

her division. In the season of 2011, 

she was named Rookie of the Year. 

This year she is in the running for 

another championship title. As of 

now, she is in second place and is 

determined to succeed in her goal 

of receiving the championship title 

once again. She is ready to press the 

pedal to the floor until the end of 

Tya Cunningham 

the season in November. 

Although she has a passion for 

racing street stock cars, she knows 

how dangerous it can be. Going 90 

miles an hour around a dirt, circle 

track is not necessarily something 

everyone would be willing to do. 

Fortunately, she has 

never been seriously 

injured. 

Although this 

sport is dangerous, it 

hasn’t stopped Cunningham 

and her 

family from making 

street stock car racing 

into a family effort. 

Her father and 

grandfather help 

work on her four-cylinder 

street stock car 

when preparing for a 

weekly race. Racing 

street stock cars has 

also led her to meeting 

new people and 

other families who race. Cunningham 

mentioned that another senior 

here, Jared Swift, is a part of street 

stock car racing as well. 

“Tya loves racing more than any 

other sport she’s tried or done. The 

adrenaline rush from racing is a 

bigger thrill than any roller coaster 

you could ever ride on,” Cunningham’s 

father, Tim, said. 

David Taylor 

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Senior Maddie Balmer is pictured above with other members of the University 

Church of Christ and a young girl named Georgia whom she met while on a mission 

trip to Atlanta, Ga. 

Atlanta 

Senior Maddie Balmer 

spent a week of her summer 

vacation in Atlanta, Ga., when 

University Church of Christ 

went on a mission trip. 

Every morning of that week 

the church group, along with 

the Seven Bridges Program, 

made 500 lunches to give to 

those who lived in rough looking 

neighborhoods and the 

homeless. With each person 

that received a lunch they also 

received a prayer. 

Balmer said, “The experience 

was very impactful because 

the people there had a 

bigger faith than those that 

were handing out the lunches. 

It was awesome to watch the 

people there. We’d give them 

their lunches, and they would 

tell us, ‘We want prayer more 

than we want lunches.’” 

During the mission trip, 

the church also performed 

team building activities every 

morning with volunteers and 

sang songs about basic Bible 

stories to teach the children. 

While there, Balmer met 

a young girl named Georgia. 

She lived in a rough neighborhood 

in Atlanta and as soon as 

Balmer reached out to her, she 

held on. 

“I have thanked God every 

day for Georgia because 

she was such a blessing to me. 

She might not remember the 

prayers she got that day, and 

she might not remember me, 

but I will remember the blessing 

she was to me, and I will 

continue to pray for her safety, 

shelter, and walk with the 

Lord.” 

Orlando 

Sophomore Joey Parker traveled to Orlando, 

Fla., to visit Universal Studios, Orlando, with 

family, staying a total of five days riding rides 

and spending quality time with his family. 

“The most memorable part of the trip was 

riding the Harry Potter and the Forbidden 

Journey inside of Hogwarts Castle,” he said. 

Lexington 

Junior Tabytha Reed went to camp for Gear 

Up in Lexington for three weeks in July. She 

said that she was the only one from Calloway 

County who went, but there were sophomores 

and juniors from all over Kentucky who attended. 

As for the most memorable part, Reed said 

“On the last night, I was in my best friend’s 

room until three in the morning. We watched 

Netflix, and we skyped another friend of ours.” 

Honolulu 

Senior Lily Lowe went to Honolulu on the island of 

Oahu over the summer. 

“It was an amazing experience, and it wasn’t like any 

where I had ever been. The culture was completely different 

than anywhere around here. It’s something that 

everyone should get the chance to experience.” 

Lowe added, “There are so many different things you 

can do there, and I didn’t have time to do everything. 

Some things I did were swimming with baby sharks, 

hiking through a waterfall, and snorkeling. Another 

cool thing was cliff jumping. I surfed almost every day; 

I loved it. The only bad thing about it was the food was 

so expensive, but it was always good. The beaches there 

were like nothing I had ever seen before. They were so 

pretty, and the waterfalls were beautiful.” 

“Hawaii is so different than anywhere around here. 

The atmosphere, the food, the animals, the bodies of water, 

the rooms and people are just completely different. 

Lowe enjoyed her visit to Hawaii and is looking into 

attending University of Hawaii and running track for 

them. 

Sophomore Jake Hunter is pictured above alongside his mother, Tawnya Hunter, 

and other family members on their trip to the Badlands and Yellowstone National 

Park. 

Badlands & Yellowstone 

Sophomore Jake Hunter traveled across the country 

this summer with his older brother and Calloway 

alumnus, Skyler Hunter, as well as his dad and mom, 

Tawnya Hunter, current Senate Bill 1 program coordinator 

at CCHS. The family stopped in South Dakota 

for a vacation in the Badlands before continuing 

on to Yellowstone National Park in July. 

Chicago 

Nineteen students and three advisors from the Future 

Business Leaders of America went on a weeklong 

trip to Chicago, Ill., for national competition. 

The group attended seminars, competed, and toured 

the city. Adviser Ashley Fritsche said seeing the kids 

learn how to get around a large city was the most 

memorable part to her. Twenty students qualified to 

attend the National Leadership Conference in the 

Windy City, a record number for CCHS, Before 

competing against teams from all across the country, 

students competed in Louisville at the state competition 

where they were recognized for having one 

of the largest chapters in all of Kentucky. 

GLOBAL 

... 

Junior Karlie Proctor is shown above on her European vacation 

this summer in Basel, Switzerland. 

When it comes to planning your summer 

vacation destination, the sky is the 

limit. Traveling to somewhere new is a 

simple way to learn new cultures and traditions 

that you might not have known 

existed. Most students find themselves 

either hanging out with friends, working, 

or going on vacations during the summer. 

Europe 

For junior Karlie Proctor, summer of 

2015 was adventurous. 

“My dad took me to Europe for my 

16th birthday. I went to Basel, Switzerland, 

Munich, Germany, and Innsbruck, Austria,” 

she said. 

When asked why she chose those three, 

she said, “Europe was my choice because 

pretty much all the other places I wanted 

to go to had deadly diseases and whatnot, 

so I was like ‘nahh, I don’t wanna get malaria 

for my birthday.’” 

Proctor participated in an assortment of 

activities while in Europe. 

“In Switzerland we went hiking, some 

of which had creepy cows that stared 

at us as we walked by, and we did a rope 

course with zip lining,” Proctor said. “We 

went on a Segway tour in Germany, and in 

Austria we went to the Olympic ski jump 

from when the Olympics were held there 

– I really respect the people who can jump 

down those things. We also rode a lift up a 

mountain in Innsbruck to over 7,500 feet. 

Some of our students even went on trips to 

help other people who are in need. Many 

of our own students went to some very interesting 

places and told us about it. 

It wasn’t all that scary because we were in 

the clouds, so you couldn’t see all the way 

down to the city, but it was still at the peak, 

so we got to climb around the rocks.” 

With a could’ve-been-avalanche and an 

eye-opening view, Proctor said her favorite 

part was when she and her dad took the 

gondola up the mountain. 

“It was almost 8,000 feet above the city,” 

Proctor said. “It was super high, and it was 

super scary, but we were in the clouds, and 

you could see the tiny city below. Then 

we were at the top of the mountain, and 

I was sitting down because it was thin air 

up there. It was mainly rocks, and I saw 

a pebble, and I thought it would be neat 

to chuck it off the edge. And it was – you 

heard the sound travel all the way down. 

Then my dad picked up a really big rock 

and slung his arm around to toss it over the 

edge, and at first it was cool, and we were 

laughing, but then it kept going, and it got 

louder, and it wouldn’t stop. We got kind of 

worried, and we looked at each other, and 

he whispers, ‘please stop.’” 

Freshman Slade Harrison is pictured above with his family on a 

summer vacation to Mt. Rushmore. 

Montana & Wyoming 

Slade Harrison, freshman, and family (11 

members) took an 8 day chartered bus tour 

starting in Rapid City, SD, traveling through 

Montana and Wyoming, and ending in Salt 

Lake City, Utah. Major attractions visited included 

Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, 

Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, 

Pompey’s Pillar, Little Big Horn Battlefield 

and National Cemetery, a float trip down the 

Snake River in the Grand Teton Mountains, 

Jackson Hole, WY, and Temple Square- home 

of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 

Louisville 

Sophomore Sarah Palmer traveled to 

Louisville for some fun times with kids and 

went to a zoo. 

Seniors Emily Napper and Lily Swain are pictured above with 

other members of the Hardin Baptist Church youth group on a 

mission trip to Nicaragua this summer. 

Nicaragua 

Senior Lily Swain went to La Panama, Nicaragua, this 

summer for a mission trip. She went with a group from 

Hardin Baptist, and they spent a week there. Thirty students 

and parents went, along with youth leaders Kory 

Cunningham and Nick Calhoun. This group dedicated 

their time to a less fortunate group and helped spread 

kindness and messages of Christianity to others. They 

provided Bible study sessions for the kids at the La Panama 

school every day. 

Swain said, “I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity 

to spread the words of the Bible to less informed 

people. It was an amazing trip, and I couldn’t be 

more thankful.” 

Senior Lauren Eastwood went with the group as well 

and really enjoyed the trip. Lauren said getting to go to 

the orphanage and play with the kids who are less privileged 

and spread the Lord’s message was her favorite part 

of the trip. 

Both students enjoyed the opportunity and said they 

would love to do it again whether to Nicaragua or some 

other place. 

Senior Emily Napper also went on the trip and said 

that the most memorable part for her was when the 

translator from her group was saved. 

Several members of the FBLA club are pictured above alongside their advisors in Chicago, Ill. for 

a national competition. 

Senior Kelsey Eells is pictured above on her trip to Canada this summer. 

Freshman Rachel Brandon is pictured above with her family on a 

trip to Mt. Rushmore this summer. 

Mount Rushmore 

Freshman, Rachel Brandon, and her family traveled to 

several states out west this summer including Colorado, 

Wyoming, and South Dakota. Brandon is pictured above 

with her family in front of Mount Rushmore. 

Canada 

Senior Kelsey Eells ventured to Canada for a week 

with Murray State sophomore Whitney Workman and 

her family. Eells said that the most memorable part of 

the trip was when they went to Quebec City. 

“It’s a really old town, and it’s just really cool to get to 

experience it.” 

Atlanta 

Mrs. Vicki Williams, school nurse, left in the middle 

of the night the Thursday after school let out to go to 

Atlanta, Georgia to attend the birth of her first grandchild, 

Ford Jeffrey Ameloot.

12 Feature 

CCHS welcomes exchange students 

Jaewon Kang 

News Editor 

Every year, CCHS is host to a 

number of foreign exchange stud 

e n t s 

f r o m 

v a r i o u s 

parts of 

the globe. 

This year, 

C C H S 

has five: 

J o r g e 

C a m - 

bon from 

Spain, Jorge 

Vargas from Mexico, Gloria Crespiatico 

from Italy, Maria Jaramillo 

from Colombia and Tomas Salas 

from Venezuela. 

These students have attended 

CCHS just under a month, and 

they only had positive remarks. 

“I like that everyone is really 

nice at Calloway,” Cambon said. 

“I like 

that it is 

Vargas 

Cambon 

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a whole 

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(270) 753-8926 

Vargas said. “I really like the classes 

and the people.” 

The students described the 

differences between school in 

their home country compared to 

CCHS. 

“In my old school, our classes 

were very different, and we had 

to wear uniforms,” Jaramillo remarked. 

“My old school was very different 

because it was a private school,” 

Salas added. “Instead of us changing 

classes, 

we stayed 

in the 

s a m e 

c l a s s , 

Salas 

and the 

teachers 

changed 

rooms.” 

B o t h 

V a r g a s 

and Crespiatico 

commented on the different 

lunch schedules in their old school. 

“In Mexico, our cafeteria was 

more of a concession stand style,” 

Vargas said. “In general, I feel as if 

the food in Mexico is healthier.” 

“For lunch, we would go home 

and eat,” Crespiatico added. “The 

lunches in Italy were a lot fresher 

and less processed.” 

Despite the fact that they are 

foreign exchange students, many 

had interests similar to the average 

high schooler here. Many of them 

liked listening to music, hanging 

out with friends, and various 

sports. 

“My interests are gymnastics, 

t r a v e l - 

ling, list 

e n i n g 

to music 

and 

h o r s e - 

b a c k 

riding,” 

C r e s - 

p i a t i c o 

said. 

“I like listening to alternative 

music and hanging out with my 

friends,” Salas said. “I also like playing 

soccer with my friends.” 

Host families have already befriended 

and become close with 

many of the exchange students. 

Many other CCHS students have 

as well. 

Sophomore Liz McClain described 

what it’s like being a host 

family for Crespiatico. 

“It’s really cool waking up to a 

new person,” McClain said. “Her 

g i v i n g 

me sass 

e v e r y 

morning 

is really 

fun, and 

it’s really 

like 

h a v i n g 

another 

sister.” 

S e n i o r 

Maddie Balmer said, “I love the 

exchange students because they are 

really fun to be around, and they 

are really talkative. I’m interested in 

their cultures, and I’ve learned a lot 

while hanging out with them.” 

A Festive Touch 

1623 121 N Bypass, Murray, KY 42071 

270.873.2900 

Fresh & Silk Arrangements 

Candy & Balloon Bouquets 

Gift Baskets 

Weddings 

Funerals 

Events 

Go Lakers! 

Crespiatico 

Jaramillo 

Students benefit from cards 

Emma Gallimore 

Staff Writer 

Some students here are enrolled 

in Racer Academy classes. 

These classes are offered as dual 

credit, which means they count 

as curriculum classes at the high 

school and credit as a Murray 

State University (MSU) student. 

According to murraystate.edu, 

The RacerCard is a student’s official 

MSU ID. The MSU RacerCard 

Identification fee is 

assessed once to all students enrolled 

in main campus courses. 

Scheduling courses and payment 

for all financial obligations 

are necessary for appropriate 

ID activation each semester. 

Students use the RacerCard to 

access meal plans, flex dollars, 

University Libraries, Wellness 

Leadership group begins year 

Kelsey Eells 

Staff Writer 

Leadership Tomorrow is an 

initiative of Murray-Calloway 

Community Education and is 

sponsored by Leadership Murray 

Alumni, the Murray Independent 

School District and 

the Calloway County School 

District. The Community Education 

Director and Leadership 

Tomorrow Steering Committee 

coordinate the program, according 

to calloway.kyschools.us. 

There are 36 juniors and seniors 

in this years Leadership 

Tomorrow program. 

20 students from Calloway 

and 16 students from Murray. 

To be accepted into the 

Leadership Tomorrow program, 

students applied, and the applications 

were sent out of state to 

Office (270) 759-9504 

Fax # (270) 759-9821 

WARREN K. HOPKINS 

Attorney At Law 



Center, Residential Colleges, 

campus buildings, and discounts 

at local businesses. 

According to murraystate.edu, 

Racer ID cards are $20. 

Since CCHS students in 

Racer Academy are enrolled 

at MSU as freshmen, they are 

required to get a Murray State 

ID. 

Senior Taylor English said, 

“I use my ID to get discounts at 

boutiques in Murray, like Ribbon 

Chix and Carey’s. I also 

use it to get into the Wellness 

Center for free to run and work 

out.” 

Senior Jason Marquardt said 

he uses his ID to play basketball 

at the Wellness Center. 

Senior Lauren Eastwood said, 

“I use my Racer ID at the boutiques 

in Murray and at some of 

the local restaurants.” 

be scored so all scoring is fair. 

Teacher Jamey McDaniel is 

the sponsor here, and Sherry 

Purdom is Murray’s sponsor. 

Once a month the group visits 

different parts of the community 

to gain a broad perspective 

of what goes in our community 

while learning leadership skills. 

Leadership Tomorrow participates 

in law and government 

day, agriculture day, arts 

day, community resources day, 

health day, and a business day. 

Senior Sara Maxwell, a member 

of this year’s Leadership Tomorrow 

program, says that she 

is very excited and honored that 

she got accepted. She believes 

this will be a great opportunity 

for her, and that she will learn 

many new skills that will help 

her in college and even after. 

405 Maple, Suite B 

Murray, Kentucky 42071-2584



Local teens play hockey 


Circulation 


Staff Writer 

Traveling Pants 

Mon.-Fri. 9-5 

Saturday 9-4 

Closed Sunday 

*Find us on Facebook 

There might be more hockey interest 

around here than one would 

think. 

Alumnus Seth Svebakken said, 

“I play street hockey with mainly 

local high school and college kids. 

But it’s not just kids, there are also 

some adults that will drive to come 

play on occasion as well. There is 

one guy that will make a drive all 

the way from Nashville to come 

play.” 

For those who aren’t as familiar 

with street hockey, Svebakken 

explained, “We play street hockey, 

which is pretty much the same as 

regular ice hockey, except you know, 

it’s not on ice. We don’t use skates, 

just run around and play in tennis 

shoes. Our rules vary based on how 

many people we have playing, but 

generally it’s the same as ice hockey.” 

Unfortunately, hockey, especially 

street hockey, is not the most popular 

in Kentucky. 

Athletic Director Greg Butler 

said that it’s great students are getting 

together to form teams and 

play street hockey. However, it cannot 

be a school-sanctioned sport. 

“To the Kentucky High School 

Athletic Association, which is the 

governing body over high school 

athletics, street hockey isn’t a sport. 

So it wouldn’t be like we could form 

a real team because that wouldn’t 

be a recognized team by an athletic 

governing body,” he said. 

Nashville Predators hockey fan, 

teacher Beth Morehead said, “I 

think if there are enough students 

interested in playing street hockey 

then that would be an interesting 

sport to add; being a hockey fan, I 

think that would be a neat thing.” 

Students apply to college early 

It’s time for seniors to start 

choosing the right college and 

sending in applications. Meeting 

deadlines for college is a 

must, so getting admitted earlier 

means more time to apply 

for student financial aid. 

Principal Randy McCallon 

said, “Applying to college early 

really helps in the decisionmaking 

process so that plans 

can be made and a direction for 

future years can be plotted. This 

enables students to start the 

scholarship process with a focus 

on those scholarships offered for 

or by a specific institution. 

“Additionally, early applications 

allows for understanding 

the options that are available. If 

a school does not accept an applicant, 

the applicant can redirect 

his/her energy into looking 

at those schools that are available 

or place an additional application 

into the mix. It also 

becomes easier to plan ahead 

with finances, courses, major 

options and living arrangements. 

There is no downside to 

early application for admission 

to a university.” 

Guidance Counselor Laura 

Crouse said, “There are some 

colleges/universities who require 

an early deadline for scholarship 

purposes. University of Kentucky 

is one of them. All universities 

require students to be 

admitted before the scholarship 

process can begin. So, the earlier 

you are admitted, the earlier 

you can start working on the 

scholarship applications.” 

Guidance Counselor Conda 

Wilson said that it is best to 

apply earlier because early admission 

students will have time 

to visit campus and pick their 

roommates if that is something 

that interests them. 

Total Consignment 

1196 St. Rt. 121 N 


(270) 753-5007 

Saving Your Family Money Everyday 

Chasity Ross 

Sports Writer 

Feature 13 

Harbour offers services, resources 

The Harbour Family Resource 

and Youth Service Centers 

(FRYSC) offers a wide variety 

of services to students and their 

families. Many 

things happen 

within the walls 

of each center as 

well. 

The Harbour, 

located 

at CCHS, has 

school supplies, 

hygiene 

products, drug 

awareness information, 

and 

job applications, 

along with many 

other services 

and resources. 

CCHS Harbour 

Coordinator 

Lisa Hays 

said, “I love being 

a part of The 

Harbour, and I 

love having relationships with the 

kids. I feel it’s important that we 

are here to help any non-educational 

barriers that any students 

may have.” 

The Harbour offers parenting 

classes that require preregistration. 

Some classes are grandparent support 

groups, which start Sept. 28 th 

at the Murray Board of Education. 

Another session of this class will 

be Oct. 26 th . 

A Beginner’s Guide to Couponing 

is Sept. 21 at the Calloway 

County Board of Education at 6 

p.m. 

Active Parenting Now is a 

six-week series class. It started 

Sept. 10 th and meets the next four 

Thursdays. It costs $45 a person or 


Jenny Ison, left, and Lisa Hayes bundle school supplies in the Harbour. 

$55 per couple and is located at 

the Calloway County Extension 

Office. 

Take 5 to Thrive Timeout for 

parents is Oct. 1 st at Calloway 

County Middle School at 2 p.m. 

The Harbour also offers a Nutrition 

Program which starts Oct. 

21 st at the Calloway County Extension 

Office at 6 p.m. Another 

class, Keys to Great Parenting, is 

geared to families with infants to 

5-year-olds and starts at 6 p.m. 

Taking Care of People and the Cars They Drive! 

www.harlanautomotive.com 

(270) 767-0101 

Located at: 

408 N 4th St. 

Murray, KY 

at the Calloway County Board of 

Education. 

The Harbour also offers services 

and programs in conjunction 

with the middle and elementary 

school FRYSCs. One program offered 

is the Santa Project. In order 

to participate in the Santa 

Project, parents are required 

to attend one of the aforementioned 

classes plus one 

parent-teacher conference. 

Hays said, “Our goal 

for the Santa Project is to 

not only make our students’ 

Christmas brighter, but to 

give our parents the opportunity 

to become more 

involved in their child’s education. 

A child benefits in 

so many ways when a parent 

is engaged in their lives; 

therefore, we offer monthly 

parenting classes that cover 

many different topics.” 

Whatever It Takes is the 

district FRYSC’s motto in 

hopes of making a difference 

in kids’ lives. 

Hays said, “Working at 

The Harbour is such a rewarding 

job! Students are always stopping 

by before and after school just to 

visit. I love these kids; they are 

what make me look forward to 

going to work every day!” 

Sweet 

Temptations 

1246 Hwy. 121 North 


Johnna Smith: Owner 

(270) 761-1111

14 Feature 



Seniors give advice to freshman students 


Staff Writer 

Freshman year can be tough. 

The transition between being at 

the top of the middle school and 

becoming the youngest in the 

high school isn’t fun. 

Don’t worry; it gets better. Before 

you know it, you will be starting 

your senior year and wondering 

where the time went. Here’s 

some advice to get you through 

your high school years. 

Principal Randy McCallon 

said, “My advice to freshmen is to 

reduce and eliminate the drama 

in your life by working well with 

others, planning ahead, managing 

your time, and being diligent 

in your studies. It is very simple 

to follow the rules and guidelines 

at school, making a strong effort 

to enjoy the ride by staying the 

course, and supporting friends 

and other students. 

“Four years really is a short 

time during your life. You can 

embrace these four years and enjoy 

the activities and work that 

goes into being the best you can 

be each and every day. Setting a 

good example, as well as putting 

in the necessary effort to attain 

goals, generally results in a successful 

high school career with 

rewards at the end.” 

Seniors offered their advice. 

Clara Arnold said, “My advice 

for freshmen is that they should 

never feel obligated to change 

themselves just to fit in with a 

certain group of people. They 

should feel free to be themselves; 

it will take a lot of stress out of 

their lives and make them much 

happier in the long run.” 

Cole McCoy said, “Don’t walk 

slowly in the hallway, and be involved 

in all of the clubs that interest 

you.” 

Calle Hill said, “Be involved 

and have fun in high school; it 

goes by fast.” 

Hallie Ray said, “Walk on the 

right side of the hallway, and don’t 

do your homework at lunch.” 

Senior Jason Marquardt said, 

“Don’t run in the hallway; don’t 

write on the bathroom stalls, participate 

in clubs, and take classes 

that you will get college credit 

for.” 

Kylie LeFew said, “Do not 

slack off now that you’re in high 

school. Your grades now count 

more than anything. Do your 

homework and study, study, 

study.” 

Brandon Falwell said, “Walk 

on the right side of the hall at all 

times. Always get to your lunch 

table first and stay seated until 

the line goes down. Have fun, but 

keep a close eye on your grades. 

Get involved with a lot of extracurricular 

activities so you can get 

out of academic prep.” 

Alissa Garrett said, “Always 

stay positive, and stay on task 

during class. Worry about your 

grades, and be the first one at 

your lunch table.” 

My advice for all of you freshmen 

out there is don’t be scared. 

Talk to people, even if you don’t 

PICKET FENCE 

Unique Gifts & Monogramming 

Olympic Plaza (next to Jasmine) 

270.761.1313 

know them. If you don’t, you will 

regret it when you get to be a senior. 

You’re growing up with these 

people, and you may not even 

know all of their names; make it 

a goal to talk to as many people 

as you can. You never know who 

may need a friend, and one day 

you might find yourself in a situation 

where you will need one, 

too. 

The group of friends you came 

into high school with will most 

likely not be the friends you will 

leave high school with. That isn’t 

the case for everyone, but it happens 

a lot. It’s okay; you’re going 

to lose friends throughout high 

school, and that is just part of the 

experience, but you will also make 

new friends. 

Have fun. Go to the sporting 

events with your friends; sit in 

the student section. Even if you 

go by yourself, there will always 

be people to talk to. Be involved 

with clubs. It will make your high 

school years so much fun. 

My last tip is don’t goof off all 

the time; there is a time to have 

fun and a time to be serious. Do 

your work; don’t try to be cool 

and not do your homework because 

when you get to be a junior 

or a senior and start applying to 

college, you will regret it when 

you don’t have a GPA that is good 

enough for most scholarships. 

High school goes by so fast. It 

feels like just yesterday we were 

the freshmen. Before you know 

it, you will be walking in on your 

last first day of high school. 

Gear Up returns for students 

Taylor Smith 

Photographer 

As a new school year starts, 

CCHS has two new college 

and career advisors for the Gear 

Up program: 

Joel 

Thornton 

and Neal 

Cummins. 

R e - 

g i o n a l 

P r o g r a m 

Coordinator 

Audrey 

Neal, said, 

Neal Cummins 

“One of 

our key student 

services 

is a college-and-career-readiness 

curriculum that is delivered 

to all students. These lessons are 

prepared by Gear Up and delivered 

by the Academic 

Prep teachers. There 

is a set curriculum for 

each grade level, 9 th -11 th 

grades.” 

Thornton said, “Before 

coming here and 

coming on board with 

the Gear Up program, 

I was the associate athletic 

director at Mid- 

THE 

GARDEN 

GATE 

CAFÈ 

2397 ST RT 94 E 


(270) 978-7147 

Mon.-Thurs. 10-4 

Fri. 10-9 

Closed 

Sat. & 

Sun. 

Continent University,” 

he said, adding that he 

likes to work with young 

people. 

“You are put on Earth to do 

something, and when you’re 

young, you make mistakes, but 

when you get older, you want to 

help people not make the mistakes 

you made.” 

Thornton said Gear Up is 

important because it is a tool to 

address a student’s area of weakness. 

“Gear Up is a program where 

the federal government gave up 

money to the states, and the goal 

of Gear Up is to make everyone 

in school knowledgeable on how 

to go to college, or tech school or 

grade school. Everyone should 

know how to do what they want 

to do next in life.” 

According to the National 

Council for Community and 

Education Partnerships, “The 

program serves at least one grade 

level of students, beginning no 

later than the 7th grade, following 

them through high school 

graduation and their first year in 

college. Gear Up provides critical 

early college awareness and support 

activities 

like tutoring, 

mentoring, 

academic 

preparation, 

financial education 

and 

college scholarships 

to 

improve access 

to higher 

education for 

Joel Thornton 

low income, 

minority and 

disadvantaged first-generation 

students and their families. Gear 

Up funds are also used to provide 

college scholarships to low-income 

students.” 

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Lauren Hale 

Staff Writer 

The Calloway County 4-H Club 

allows students to do fun activities 

here in Murray. 

Ginny Harper, the county 4-H 

agent, said she would be glad to 

inform students of the many different 

clubs and activities that they 

can be a part of. 

What most people do not know 

is that 4-H actually stands for head, 

heart, hands, and health; this illustrates 

the different ways members 

can accomplish many great things 

in the club, community, country 

and world. 

The club allows kids and teens 

to be active in their community 

and to have a sense of accomplishment 

from either doing good work 

on something or winning an award 

at a competition. 

The club advisors try their 

hardest to work around members’ 

schedules so that they can attend as 

many practices as possible. 

Murray High School junior 

Shaylee Cullop said, “4-H teaches 

you that there are many opportunities 

in life that most people don’t 

know about.” 

There are many camps and conferences 

offered through 4-H. The 

most well-known camp is Western 

Kentucky 4-H Camp. This is 

a four-day camp held in Dawson 

Springs during the second week of 

July. Campers sign up for classes, 

play fun games, and make a lot of 

new friends from different counties. 

Teen Retreat, which is the last 

weekend of March, is held on the 

same campgrounds. Teen Retreat 

is similar to 4-H Camp but is restricted 

to kids 13 and older. 

Teen Conference is a fourday 

event on the University of 

Kentucky’s campus in Lexington. 

There, teens sign up for different 

tracks and workshops to take each 

day. This conference provides the 

early experience of college life. Participants 

stay in dorms, eat in the 

campus cafeteria, and take classes 

on campus. 

Lastly, the Southern Region 

Teen Leadership Conference 

(SRTLC), is held in Knoxville, 

Tenn., during the last weekend of 

September. 

At SRTLC, teens take fun 

classes and meet new people from 

Kentucky and Tennessee. 

All of these events are open to 

everyone and are great opportunities 

for teens to get out and learn 

new skills. When the term classes 

is used, people instantly think of 

school and tune out. 

However, these classes include 

Dance Fitness, Arts & Crafts, 

Shot Gun, Rocketry and Designing 

Clothes for Children in Ghana, 

among others. 

Murray State freshman Austin 

Smith has been in 4-H for four 

years now and has traveled to places 

such as Washington, D.C., Tennessee, 

Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana 

and all across Kentucky. 

Smith said that his favorite 

thing about 4-H is having made 

friends from all over the United 

Feature 15 

4-H Club provides opportunities to serve, grow Society saves local animals 

States from different 4-H events. 

He said that no matter where 

he goes, he knows someone near 

on whom he can count. 

His favorite memory was being 

an escort during Fashion Review at 

Teen Conference in 2014. He said 

that performing in front of 800- 

plus people really brought him out 

of his shell. 

“4-H has taught me to be less 

insecure about myself. Too many 

teens are worried about fitting in. 

Everyone in 4-H is so different; 

we all come from different backgrounds 

and have different views, 

but everyone respects each other 

for who they are. Diversity is definitely 

a good thing.” 

Being involved in 4-H allows 

children and teens, as Smith said, 

to come out of their comfort zone 

and try new things. 

Junior Grace Steward said, “4- 

H has taught me how to constantly 

try new things and to put myself 

out there without feeling uncomfortable. 

It’s also taught me how to 

be responsible and has helped me 

to discover new things about myself. 

4-H has helped me become a 

better person.” 

This club is also a great way to 

get involved in one’s community. 

Though many aspects of 4-H 

are nationwide, many activities 

occur in Calloway County. Help 

is always needed and welcomed in 

this club. 

Interested students may contact 

Harper at the Calloway County 

Extension Office at 270-753- 

1452. 


Staff Writer 

“Every time we help an animal, 

we’re also helping a person.” 

That is the theme of the Humane 

Society, which is a big part in 

many animals’ and people’s lives. 

The Humane Society of the 

United States is said to be one of, 

if not the largest, animal protection 

programs. The Humane Society are 

supporters of Friends of the Shelter, 

fixed for life, pet assisted therapy, 

microchip ID clinics and many 

more. 

The Humane Society provides 


Human Society seeks forever homes for pets, such as this puppy. 

spay/neuter assistance, an adoption 

program, obedience classes, and 

other hands-on programs. 

According to the Calloway 

County Humane Society newsletter 

of upcoming events, the spay/ 

neuter is the biggest program they 

provide. 

“Well over 7,200 pets have 

been spayed or neutered since the 

program started,” according to the 

newsletter. 

Teacher Linda DeVoss supports 

the Humane Society, both financially 

and as an owner of rescue 

pets. She said that in lieu of gifts, 

she likes for people to donate to 

the Humane Society instead. She 

added that one of her relatives contributes 

regularly in memory of a 

loved one. 

DeVoss added 

that anyone can 

donate canned pet 

food and supplies 

to the Humane Society. 

An organization 

called “Friends for 

Life” comes in as 

the second largest. 

Friends for Life is 

not directly operated 

with the Humane 

Society and 

helps find forever 

homes for puppies, 

kittens, dogs and 

cats. 

Volunteers provided 

by the Humane 

Society work 

closely with rescue 

organizations, provide 

pet care, and set out posters on 

petfinder.com. 

For more information, contact 

Kathy Hodge at 270-759-1884.

16 

Sports 

Laker Soccer begins season strong 

Jaewon Kang 

News Editor 

The Laker Soccer Team currently 

stands 6-2 at press time. 

The Lakers, led by captains senior 

Holland Tetrev, junior Brian Wilhelm 

and sophomore Christian 

Adams, have high hopes for this 

season. 

“If we keep playing the 

way that we have been and 

beating the teams that we 

have beat, I think we’ll go 

far in the district and regional 

tournaments,” Tetrev 

said. 

“We know it’s going 

to be tough to make it to 

state, but we’re going to try 

our best to make it all the 

way this year,” Wilhelm 

said. 

The team has also received 

new leadership in 

Head Coach Alex Walandro. 

Walandro is originally 

from Brazil and 

coached at Mid-Continent 

University before coming 

to Calloway this year. 

“The main difference 

from coaching at the college 

and the high school is 

simply just the level,” Walandro 

said. “College kids are a little bit 

more ready, but I like the instruction 

part of coaching high school. 

I want to build this team up.” 

The players expressed how 

grateful they are for their new 

coach. 

“We haven’t had a day off since 

the beginning of school,” Adams 

said. “He pushes us harder, and I 

think that’s really helped us.” 

“His coaching style is a lot 

more aggressive and competitive, 

which is different than what we’re 

used to,” senior Ethan Vasterling 

said. 

The Lakers started their season 

undefeated with a 5-0 record, 

thrashing opponents such 

as Murray, Marshall and Mc- 

Cracken County. However, the 

Lakers suffered two heartbreaking 

losses against Graves County 

and Hopkinsville. Despite the 

losses, sophomore Ty Davenport 

and senior Jose Villeda said that 

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the team remains optimistic for 

the rest of the season. 

“I think we’ve been doing really 

well,” Davenport said. “We 

have a very young team, but also 

very talented team as well.” 

“The two losses could’ve gone 

either way,” Villeda added. “We 

just need to take advantage of the 


Freshman Jacob Smith, second from left, beats a defender in their game against Murray. Calloway 

ended the game with a 5-1 win over the Tigers. 

chances that we get.” 

Freshman Will Benson talked 

about the experience of being a 

varsity starter as only a freshman. 

“It’s been a lot of pressure, 

but I feel like me, along with the 

other freshmen, have integrated 

with the varsity players very well,” 

Benson said. 

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Girls win cheer award 

Kelsey Eells 

Staff Writer 

Every year CCHS cheerleaders 

travel to Bowling Green 

for their summer cheer camp. 

Libby Roberson 

This camp is an elite camp, 

and the teams that attend it 

are known for their incredible 

skills and advanced stunt capabilities, 

and these skills are 

only improved upon during the 

duration of this camp with the 

help of uniquely qualified and 

talented staff members, according 

to uca.varsity.com. 

Sydney Roberts 

The All-American cheerleading 

award is given out during 

this camp every year. 

Three of our very own were 

awarded this honor over the 

summer, senior Tanna Roberson 

and juniors Libby Roberson 

and Sydney Roberts. 

“Around 100 campers try 

out, and only around 16 will get 

awarded as an All-American 

each year, so I’m very honored 

to have received this award 

for the third time now,” Tanna 

Roberson said. 

According to uca.varsity. 

com, every senior is eligible to 

try out, and if there are no seniors, 

a maximum of six squad 

members may be nominated to 

try out. 

Tryouts are held in groups of 

three or more and consist of a 

Tanna Roberson 

jump, cheer and dance that are 

performed in front of the entire 

camp. 

“It’s a tough award to get but 

very rewarding, and I had a lot 

of fun during the whole process,” 

Roberts said. 

Libby Roberson said that it 

was a great confidence booster 

to her and her cheering ability. 

Varsity All-Americans who 

tried out and were selected at 

this year’s 2015 summer camp 

are eligible to travel to London, 

England, where they will be 

able to cheer in the New Year’s 

parade that is held there. 

Murray Recycling 

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Sports Editor 

The Laker Volleyball Team 

has a record of 4-7 at press time, 

but look to improve as they go 

through the season. The Lakers 

started up the season at home last 

month against Hickman County. 

They played well for the first game 

of the season and won 3-0. 

At Owensboro they faced 

some stiff competition and finished 

a tournament at Apollo 

High School going 2-3. 

The experience was good for 

the Lady Lakers, however, because 

the only way to get better is 

to play, and tougher competition 

just makes it that much better. 

Senior Calle Hill is confident 

that the team can play much better 

and pull ahead of the competition. 

“We have started the year off 

good, but I know we are capable 

of more. We have plenty of returning 

players that are talented, 

and we worked hard in the offseason 

so that we would be ready 

when it came game time.” 

Hill is hopeful that the team 

will put on a good performance 

at districts and make it to play in 

regionals again this year. 

It won’t be easy, however, being 

in the same district as Marshall 

County, Christian Fellowship, and 

Murray High, which make some 

good competition. If the Lakers 

play well together like they did 

last year, they have a good chance 

of winning districts and advancing 

on to perform in regionals. 

Head Coach Mary Price is 

optimistic of the ongoing season 

and proud of the way her team has 

been working. 

“They are a 

very talented 

group with 

a good work 

ethic. They 

worked hard 

this summer 

in camps and 

practices, and 

I am pleased 

so far with 

the majority 

of the way 

we have been 

playing. If we 

continue to 

play at a high 

level, I don’t 

see a reason 

why we won’t 

have the opp 

o r t u n i t y 

to compete 

in regionals 

again this 

year.” 

P r i c e 

added she is 

proud of the way a lot of her players 

have stepped up and shown 

qualities of leadership after a good 

senior group graduated last year. 

The Lady Lakers next big opponent 

is at home against Murray 

Sept. 24. 


Sports Editor 

Sports 17 

Laker Volleyball keeps pushing Laker Football begins its season 


Sophomore Lexie Lamb, second from left, returns the ball during a 

recent game. 

The football team is looking forward 

to what should be an exciting 

season. 

After a 

tough season 

last year, new 

Head Coach 

Mickey Garrison 

brings a 

lot of intensity 

and passion to 

the field. 

In late August, 

the Lakers 

headed 

over to Ohio 

County to 

play their first 

game of the 

season. Despite 

a hardfought 

loss, the 

team looked to 

shake it off and 

regroup for the Murray game. 

The Lakers faced the Murray 

High Tigers at Roy Stewart Stadium 

as underdogs, but they sure 

did put up a fight. It began with a 

rough start; Murray got up 21-0 in 

the first quarter. The Lakers got on 

the board in the second quarter and 

went in to halftime down 28-7. 

A third-quarter surge by the 

Lakers made things interesting 

when they scored two more touchdowns 

to make the score 28-21. 

Their efforts came up short, 

however, and the Tigers scored 20 

unanswered points to end the game 

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48-21. 

Senior Cole Stetson remarked, 

“We played well but didn’t quite get 

the job done. We have to be able to 

keep a short memory as a team and 


Senior Cole Stetson drops back to throw a pass in the game against Murray. The Lakers lost 

48-21. 

be well-prepared for our next opponent. 

I definitely think that we 

are making major improvements.” 

Stetson said he is looking forward 

to the rest of the season and 

thinks it will be remembered as the 

year Calloway turned football back 

in the right direction. 

Seniors Jacob Friedrich and 

Raymond Perez said the team must 

be a band of brothers. 

Friedrich said, “We have to have 

each other’s backs and look out for 

one another. Our brotherhood has 

to be strong and be all about football.” 

Perez added, “We thrive as a 

team when we come together, so 

we have to play as a unit.” 

Garrison said the game against 

Ohio County should have been 

won, but that’s 

how it goes 

s o m e t i m e s . 

Garrison said 

he was proud of 

what the team 

showed against 

Murray by not 

giving up and 

having confidence 

as a team. 

“I think we 

have had a good 

start to the year, 

but the games 

haven’t ended 

in our favor. 

The rest of the 

schedule is 

tough, but I see 

no reason that 

our guys can’t 

get the job done.” 

“After seeing them come back 

from 21 points to Murray really 

meant a lot to a coach. It showed 

that no matter the circumstances, 

the team will always fight until the 

end. Every single one of them has 

worked extremely hard, and they 

deserve to have a great year as long 

as they keep putting in the faith 

and effort.” 

The Lakers had bye week and 

then played Marshall County. 

The Lakers play Trigg County at 

homecoming tonight. Coronation 

is at 6:15 p.m.; kickoff, at 7 p.m. 

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18 Sports 



Fishing team excels at finals 

Jo Beth Robertson 

Guest Writer 

Laker Bass Fishing Team members 

senior Coleton Jennings and 

alumnus Brandon Bogard finished 

a grueling week of fishing on Alabama’s 

Pickwick Lake for the Student 

Angler Federation World Finals 

over the summer. 

The field of 167 boats began the 

tournament in two days of consolation 

rounds, with the duo placing 

first overall on the second day of the 

tournament. Five Pickwick monsters 

tipped the scales at 24 lbs. to give the 

boys the lead for the first day of the 

final round. 

Narrowed down to 42 teams on 

the first of the final two days of competition, 

Calloway’s senior team fared 

well with another five-bag limit, tipping 

the scales at 18 lbs. 

Boat captain Josh Lovett was 

pleased with the results for each day 

of the rounds that put his team in 

fifth prior to Saturday’s last round of 

fishing. 

“It’s a grind out here, three days of 

practice before even getting to hit the 

water for the 

competition 

phase. These 

two have stayed 

tough. I’m very 

proud of them,” 

he said. 

S c h o o l s 

from 18 different 

states 

made it to the 

last day of the 

World Finals. 

By the end of 

Saturday, it 

was apparent 

that CCHS’s 

boys were in the 

running for the 

title. They fell 

short, with only 1.5 pounds separating 

their sixth-place finish from the 

winners, a local team from West Tennessee. 

For their sixth-place finish, Jennings 

and Bogard were rewarded 

with Cabela’s gift cards, as well as 

SwissGear backpacks, and most importantly, 

bragging rights for a job 

well done. 

Kelly Jennings 

Senior Coleton Jennings, left, and alumnus Brandon Bogard hold up 

their catch in the World Finals at Pickwick Lake in Alabama. 

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Beauty Shop 

Girls’ soccer looks to finish strong 

Chasity Ross 

Sports Writer 

The Lady Laker Soccer Team 

has had a rough start, but they 

are improving day by day. They 

started the season with a win 

over Trigg and then had to 

play three 

tough district 

games 

a g a i n s t 

M u r r a y , 

M a r s h a l l 

and Graves. 

They were 

e x t remely 

c o m p e t i - 

tive in the 

M a r s h a l l 

and Graves 

games but 

c o u l d n ’ t 

pull out the 

W. 

T h e y 

are looking 

to try 

and work 

out the 

kinks with 

new Head 

Coach Jeremy 

Stom. 

Freshman 

Keeli Puckett said, “The new 

coach knows what he’s doing. 

He understands our limitations 

and pushes us to do better; we 

wouldn’t want anyone else to 

coach us.” 

Stom thinks the team has third team. By the time districts 

bonded greatly the past few roll around, we most definitely 

months and has been training have a chance to be the team to 

very hard. He hopes they continue 

working hard and com- 

Although it’s a little early to 

beat.” 

municating on the field. So far, think about the season ending, 

the season record is 5-4 at press Robertson reflected, “It’s bittersweet 

that this is my last year. 

time, with three of their losses 

I have played soccer 

since I was four 

years old. I love it - 

-the bonds and the 

friendships I’ve created 

over the years 

are things I will always 

have. I am going 

to miss soccer, 

but I’m glad I have 

had the chance to 

play for 13 years.” 

Puckett said, 

“This year we are 

right there with the 

other teams. We 

are working hard to 

get a good seeding 

for the tournament, 

and hopefully, we’ll 

come out with the 

wins.” 

Stom said, “The 

girls can accomplish 

anything if 


they believe they 

Senior Maddie Balmer, left, battles a Murray defender for the ball. 

against teams ranked in the top 

25 of Kentucky. 

Senior Brittany Robertson 

said, “There is no doubt in my 

mind we could enter the district 

tournament as the second or 

can. Our goal as 

a team is to make it to the regional 

tournament; I believe if 

we can win three or four of our 

next five district games, then we 

will be in a good place to achieve 

that goal.” 

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Duncan wins 

Rodeo Queen 


Staff Writer 

Over the summer, senior Emily 

Duncan became Kentucky’s High 

School Rodeo Queen. 

After years of practicing, months of 

planning, and weeks of preparing, Duncan 

competed in modeling, speaking, 

impromptu questioning, knowledge of 

the rules of rodeo, horsemanship, and 

interview, winning the title June 12. 

She competed for the national queen 

title in July in Rocksprings, Wyo. 

Although she did not capture the 

national title, as Kentucky High School 

Rodeo Queen, Duncan will travel 

throughout the state, promoting the 

sport of rodeo. 

Duncan, who has been horseback 

riding all of her life -- she won her first 

lead line competition at 10 months old 

-- now competes in barrel racing, pole 

bending, and her personal favorite, goat 

tying. She said her mother encouraged 

her to join high school rodeo her freshman 

year. 

For students interested in rodeo, 

Duncan said, “To join high school rodeo, 

all you have to do is become a member, 

and the rest is uphill from there. After 

months of practicing your viewed talent, 

we travel around the state and other surrounding 

states to compete.” 

After graduation, Duncan plans to 

attend Murray State University, study 

Agriculture and compete on the rodeo 

team there. For now, Duncan continues 

to represent her hometown, Dexter, but 

will be working to capture the Miss Rodeo 

USA title in college. 



Cross country got off to a 

running start with its first meet 

last month. Varsity runners, senior 

Kelly Norton and junior 

Cameron Cooper, both placed 

second in their events. 

New Head Coach Jonathan 

Grooms said, “It was a good 

rust-buster. The kids ran solid 

races.” 

The meet included local 

schools McCracken, Graves and 

Sports 19 

XC begins with new coach Laker Golf tees off season 

Marshall. CCHS placed third 

overall. 

The cross country team has 

seen a noticeable shift in leadership. 

“Last 

year, the 

team had 

several great 

seniors. We 

lost Josh 

Betts, who 

was a valuable 

asset 

to the team. 

Many of the 

underclassmen 

are 

having to 

step up and 

fill his role,” 

senior Jacob 

F r i e d r i c h 

said. 

Noticeably 

this 

year, the 

cross country 

team 

has been 

reaching out 

to students 

who play 

other sports. 

Friedrich pointed out, “[ Junior] 

Jorge Cambon and I both 

play football, and [senior] Jose 

Villeda plays soccer. I think it’s 

great that the team is picking up 

athletes from other sports.” 

The cross country team’s 

progress can be tracked at 

ky.milesplit.com. Go to “teams” 

and select “Calloway.” 

Kim Cooper 

Sophomore Logan Eastwood, second from left, and junior Cameron 

Cooper, right, lead the way for the Lakers in a recent meet. 


Sports Editor 

School is back in session 

and so is Laker Golf. 

It has been a big change for 

the Lakers as they had many 

seniors graduate, and former 

coach Steve Smith turned over 

the reins to new Head Coach 

T.J. Hargrove. 

The team is young, but they 

still look to finish the season 

strong and perform well at regionals. 

Sophomore Garrison Capps 

said, “It has definitely been a 

learning experience this year, 

for the boys team at least, because 

we lost a lot of senior 

leadership and were still figuring 

some things out which is 

just a part of the game.” 

He said he is proud of the 

way everybody has played and 

kept it together even though 

some days can be tough for 

the team. Capps added that it 

is also important for everyone 

to keep their heads up because 

golf is a sport of confidence 

and patience. 

The girls’ team this year is 

small, but they are talented. 

Senior Earlena Sheets and junior 

Claire Contri make up the 

team. Both said it is different 

having a small team, but they 

still have big expectations for 

the year. They are hopeful to 

make it to state, as they have 

done the past few years, and 

put up a good performance. 

Hargrove is excited about 

the year and is very optimistic 

in his upcoming and improving 

players. 

“I have some big shoes to 

fill after my predecessor Steve 

Smith. He was a great coach, 

and more importantly, an allaround 

great guy for the players 

to look up to. With that 

being said, this year is going 

to be a learning experience for 

the players and me as well. The 

boys are young and still learning, 

but have plenty of potential, 

and the girls’ team is small, 

but I expect to have a great 

year.” 

The Laker Golf Team will 

only get better with each 

match and experience. With 

a new head coach and young 

players, there will be pieces to 

fill in, but there is no doubt 

that the golf team can pull it 

together and make for an exciting 

season. 

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