Cerreta will lead Brashier's student body in 2010-2011

Congratulations to Tatiana Cerreta who was elected Student Body President for the 2010-2011 school year. In the fall a representative from each Advisory will be elected to serve on Student Council. If you are interested, look for more details in August.

The morning of the 14^th, students everywhere filled the school wearing their “battle colors.” A sea of yellows, greens, blues, and reds crowded the front of the school and numerous battle cries and calls sounded throughout the school. “GREEN SQUAD!!!” yelled members of the green team, and “cooing” like a roster was very popular among red team members. “A whole group of us got together and made some awesome t-shirts for the green squad. We bought spray paint and made stencils. They were hot!” jokes Junior Andres Largacha.

Once all the teachers managed to herd all the hyped up members of the rainbow to class, the students watched candidate speeches for next year’s student body president. While this was going on, Seniors had an award ceremony of their own and watched a very special video of their four years spent at Brashier.

Then, the students made their way from their first period classes to advisories to prepare for the awards ceremony and talk about all the relays they were going to crush the other teams at. “At this time, all classes can make their way to the gym for awards,” announced Mrs. Freeman over the intercom. All the students rushed out of the advisories and hustled to find a seat next to their friends to see if they had been honored with an award from their teachers. As whispers and chatter filled the gymnasium, Mr. Sinclair gave the crowd “the eye” and quickly silenced the students and handed out awards for hard working students. Freshman Kaitlin Edwards got the Most Improved in Algebra I, “I can’t believe I got it, but it was a really easy class.” There were Journalism awards, outstanding improvement and work awards in classes like U.S. History, Chemistry, Geometry, ect.  Amanda Payne won a history award from Mr. Martin and other students won various other awards from their teachers.

On lookers watch their friends comepete in games

After all the awards had been given out and all the students had been recognized for their hard work in different classes, everyone made their way back to their advisories quickly because they knew the new yearbooks were waiting for them. The school had never been as quiet as everyone looked through their yearbooks, but the silence was soon broken once a funny picture or goofy portrait popped up. Jessica Kelley, a Freshman, says, “The yearbooks looked really good, my sister is in yearbook and I know they worked really hard on them, they looked good.” Everyone pointed out snap shots of themselves and friends and cracked up not knowing how the yearbook staff had caught the moment. Mrs. Freeman came over the intercom again, releasing the students class by class to go to the gym, get lunch and go outside to have some fun and see their friends.

students eat lunch and sign yearbooks with friends

Everyone chilled out under the huge white tents and ate burgers and pulled out sharpies to get their friends to sign yearbooks, t-shirts, and other things to write cute notes and forget me nots on. “Time for the first event to start!” yelled Coach Bibb and a stampede of students ran out to a huge field to begin the relays. Some laid out on the hill laughing and hanging out, watching their friends and teams compete for the win.  At one o’clock an announcement told the students to make their way to the gym for indoor relays. Stacking apples, booty shaking ping pong balls out of tissue boxes, stacking huge pyramids out of cups, and a tie breaking shoot off were just a few of the events the students participated in.

Once the clock hit one thirty, and the bell rang, students made their way to locate their belongings and hurry out to the parking lot to wait to get home. But an unexpected blast of water guns and balloons turned into another excuse for the students to have fun. “Yeah, we launched a surprise attack!” says Hannah Kelley. The battle raged until a cease fire, well cease water ended the war. The parking lot cleared and many students went home and got ready for the barbeque later that night. “Field day was so much fun; I can’t wait till next year, our team totally dominated,” said Sophomore Vanessa Steadham. “I didn’t go home at all, I was at the school until 5:30 because I helped set up for the barbeque, I was so tired,” laughed Sophomore LaTosha Hackle.

Brashier students walk the track at Relay for Life

At five thirty, the once sweaty, messy, dirty looking students showed up to the under the tent event looking like cleaned up perfect tens. Girls in adorable bright sundresses and shirts, and boys in crisp     polos and button down shirts arrived to enjoy the huge dinner. “The food was delicious and it was great to have everyone together, it was like a huge family dinner,” said Senior Hannah Kelley.  The dinner was great and everyone was stuffed with Barbeque sandwiches and sweet tea. After many touching speeches from students and staff, a majority of students made plans to go to Relay for Life.

“I’ve participated in Relay for Life for years, it’s a great experience,” says Junior Aaron Harris. Bright lights and loud music filled J.L. Mann’s track. Hundreds of people participated in a great cause. Brashier’s team, led by Bill Smith, Brashier’s Biology Teacher, had a great group come out and support the cause. “I loved it, I got to hang out with my friends and participate in a good cause, it was a win-win situation!” says Junior Brittany Douglas. “It was so much fun, but I couldn’t stay the whole night because I was exhausted. But it is such a wonderful cause; it’s not my first time participating in Relay for Life.” The whole day was wonderful, a little busy but the teachers and students pulled it off. Friday the 14^th, a day Brashier will not soon forget.

“I don’t really want to work, however, I’ll probably work a normal day, five days a week,” says Sophomore Vanessa Steadham. “I have to start paying for my car!” Steadham will be working for her parents all summer with their company FotoZoomer.

Getting summer jobs is not always easy. Summer jobs are hard to find, and students need to get applications in soon if they expect to work this summer. Another student working for their parents this summer is Sophomore Zach Singleton. “I’ll be working with my dad doing sheetrock,” says Singleton. “It’s the only job I can get right now.”

Although fun work is even harder to find, Sophomore Kyle Stephens got a fun filled summer job. “I’ll be working at Camp Old Indian for boy scouts. I’ll be a counselor and teach younger scouts…scout skills,” says Stephens. “I enjoy working there,” Stephens adds.

For some students, their summer job will be a learning experience. “I need money, and I’ve never had a job before so it will be a good reference for whenever I try to get another job,” says Sophomore Ben Jennings who works at Zaxby’s.

Even though summer jobs are hard work, they do keep students busy and keep their brains working. As Principal Mike Sinclair says, “Hard work pays off!”

Zaxby worker Ben Jennings smiling because he found a summer job.

Michelle Wolfe is going to Virginia Beach and Jamaica

Jake Torres is going to the Bahamas this summer

She is going through stacks of paper studying for her exams. Piece by piece she is deciding what she will need to keep and get rid of. However, all  of this studying will become a memory soon. That’s because Sophomore Danielle Greskcamp is going on a summer mission trip to Ecuador.  “We are going to get to do Vacation Bible School, door to door evangelism, and hand out supplies. We will also get a better understanding of what is important in life, and what it is like to be dirt poor. It will be a good experience for me. I’ll get to help out people and be out of the country for the first time. I can’t wait,” said Greskcamp.

Many Brashier students are going on intresting caccations this summer. “I get to go on a cruise leaving Charleston for the Bahamas. I hope that I can go on the waterslides, and to the pool so that I can get some kind of tan this summer,” said Sophomore Timothy Goodbar with a smile. “This trip is going to be great.”

Jake Torres is also going on a cruise to the Bahamas. “We will be leaving the second week of June. All I want to do is hang out, chill, and eat some ice cream on the cruise. It’s too bad that I won’t be able to go to the casino,” laughed Torres. “Anyways I’m still pretty happy to go and get away from here for awhile.”

“I’m going to Disney World this summer and working in the mountains at Camp Old Indian with Kyle Stevens,” said Sophomore Trey Sanders. “My great grandma lives down there[in Florida]. She just got diagnosed with cancer, so we are just going to show her a good time and have fun.”

Michelle Wolfe is going somewhere she has never been before. “I’m going to Jamaica and [later to] Virginia Beach for a Jason Aldean concert. My sister and I are going to get to go snorkeling, zip lining, and visit the clear water rivers. I hope to go and see the beaches at Jamaica. I’m just ready for a break. I am really looking forward for this trip. It’s going to be amazing,” said Michelle Wolfe.

Where are you going? Leave your comments below.

One of the hundreds of chalk drawings - part of Senior prank

This has been a big year for Brashier; our first year of graduating Seniors, our first year in a new building, and our first prom. For most, these changes have been a positive experience. The most memorable moments might not be in the biggest events of the year, but rather in the more personal moments.

Teachers/Classes- Students in Social Studies Teacher Eugene Kennedy’s classes shared some of their memories. “I remember all of the hilarious moments that Corrie, Nathan, and I had in Law Ed. They got me through that class,” said Junior Jacob Mabry. Mr. Kennedy smiled as he explained a funny class experience, “My third period class thought I needed a mascot, so they brought in a stuffed platypus…” Sophomore Zac Lype said that he would definitely remember Holocaust class because they had to laugh a lot to lighten the sobering mood.

Junior Jerry Taylor said that he will remember Spanish Teacher Javier Yudice the most because he sprayed his students with Febreze. “Some crazy things happened in his class!” Senior Cherith Blaha remembers the time that Yudice’s 5^th period class helped him find a cabin online to rent for spring break, “He wanted the one with the biggest hot tub!”

Junior Augusta Duncan said, “My college professor Mr. O’brianwas so funny and in depth. He was a really good teacher.” Junior Nathan Adamson enjoyed his college classes this year and looks forward to taking even more his senior year. “I liked not having to walk outside between classes in the rain this year, but now the only time we get to go outside is for college classes,” said Junior Lelia Rill.

No one in Greg Grabowski’s chemistry class has had any serious injuries because of a lab thanks to his lab horror stories, but that doesn’t mean that nothing else happened in there. Junior Emmanuel Nino said, “Mr. G flipped on Dante, Jacob, and I because we were playing cards during his test review…oops.” Both Brooke Ingram and Nathan Adamson volunteered as student teachers in his chemistry class. “It was really cool to have Brooke in there helping us see concepts in a different way,” said Junior Tatiana Cerreta.

Seniors-  “This year is going to be important because the Seniors are graduating. I will really remember them because I taught them as freshmen,” said Social Studies Teacher Chantee Cruell. Many of the Seniors now have been at Brashier all 4 years of high school. “They have the most memories here,” said Senior Carolyn Charping. On the last day of school, Tuesday, May 18, many of the Seniors were seen crying after the last bell rang. “It was a bittersweet moment.”

The Seniors left their mark on Brashier their last day of school by writing their names and some inside jokes all over the parking lots and sidewalks with chalk. “I thought it was a clever idea,” said Mrs. Yon the next morning.

Sophomore LaTosha Hackle studies for Biology.

Some students are starting to face the reality of what they will be doing this summer. Their summer will consist of homework and deadlines, all over again.

Some students are being forced to take summer school, while other students are taking classes so they can get a jump start on college.

“I’m taking them because I want to get ahead in my college career,” says Sophomore Tylar Barnes.

The current price for college summer classes is $120.00.

“The cost wasn’t a factor for my parents,” says Barnes.

Some students are required to take summer school because of failing classes.

“I’m taking summer school because I thought it would be more fun to just care about me, play basketball, and chill with my friends rather than care about my grades,” says Sophomore LaTosha Hackle.

Because of choices like that, students will get a second opportunity.

“I will take it more seriously in summer school because since I have a second opportunity, I will take advantage of it,” says Hackle.

Students say they would have taken the school year more seriously if they knew it would end up like this.

“I would have put school before other events. I would have prioritized what I wanted in life,” says Hackle.

There is a difference between credit recovery and taking summer school.

“Credit recovery is when students make between and 70 and a 79 because they just need to recover a credit. Summer school is when students make below a 70 and they have to retake the class over,” says Assistant Principal Trina Freeman.

Credit recovery can be taken through Keystone, and summer school can be retaken through virtual school or Greenville County.

“With credit recovery, you must make an 80 in the class. Even if you make higher than an 80, it will only show up as an 80 on your transcript,” says Freeman.  “When you retake the class, students’ transcripts will show the first grade and the retake grade.”

Students not attending summer school think others should care more.

“I think that the students that are going to summer school should care more about school,” says Sophomore Jasmine Rimmer.

Some students think the teachers should care more about the students’ grades too.

“I think some teachers should have given more extra credit opportunities so students wouldn’t have to go to summer school,” says Rimmer.

There are many advantages and disadvantages with taking summer school.

“Some advantages are that students don’t get behind, and they can review over the summer. Some disadvantages, however, are that the students will spend their summer in school, it costs money, and there is no guarantee that it will recover the student’s credit,” says Freeman. “The virtual school is free, but space is limited, and keystone is around $115.”

Students can only take a maximum of 2 classes in summer school.

student weighs herself in hopes of having lost weight

People in the United States are concerned about their weight. These statistics are not lost on BMC students. Students at BMC are concerned about their weight and healthy eating, and they are taking action.

“I wasn’t happy about my looks because I had been the same weight for years and I was starting to gain weight!” Senior Cherith Blaha exclaimed when talking about her junior year.

This is so true for a lot of teens and sometimes the end result is dieting.

“Last [school] year I decided to skip lunch because I was trying to lose weight and I didn’t have a free lunch card to get lunch, so I just didn’t eat,” Blaha stated.

This school year Blaha has a different approach to dieting.

I’m limiting myself to one sweet a day,” commented Blaha.

But she found out that this has side effects.

“I have been having headaches from the sugar withdraws.” 

On the other hand there are people who think they need to gain weight.

Junior Patrick Matthews explained, “I want to gain weight because I am skinny. I want to gain 5 to 10 pounds.”

Some students don’t realize that a healthy balanced diet is the best thing for teenagers.

Science Teacher Greg Grabowski stated, “A balanced, healthy diet, plenty of water and exercise is the best advice [for teens who think they want to diet]. And this has worked for so many generations.”

The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity points to the need to improve school lunch as a way to help reduce childhood obesity and improve health. They sent the White House Report on Childhood Obesity to the president in May 2010. In it they support The Healthier US School Challenge, created by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. This “challenge,” according to the House report, “establishes rigorous criteria for schools’ food quality, participation in meal programs, physical activity, physical education, and nutrition education.”

Because Brashier does not receive federal money for school lunch, they provide lunch from fast food restaurants

Lunch Volunteer, Lisa Jewell said, “The choices are very limited. All I see students get is junk or candy. They [administration] could add healthier lunch choices; although the cost is not as effective.”

BMC also offers sodas as a drink choice. Unfortunately this is hard on some of the students.

Senior Taneshea Young explained, “I have been trying to limit sodas, but that is hard when the cafeteria offers soda as a choice in the lunch menu…I feel limiting sodas is necessary because too much soda is bad for your health.”

However, all BMC students might not be overly obsessed about healthy eating and weight loss.

Vanessa Steadham said

, “I think that so many people are concerned with healthy eating and weight loss because society thinks people should be stick thin and anorexic. However, I think it’s disgusting when you watch a Victoria Secret model and you can see all of her ribs.”

And finally, according to calorielab.com, naturally skinny people move around a lot, eat more protein, and enjoy smaller portion sizes. They also tend to drink a lot of water and they don’t snack as much. Perhaps most of all they don’t obsess over every pound

Grabowski agrees with calorielab.com and gives his advice to students who want to diet. “A student obsessed with weight loss and dieting usually has an unhealthy view of their appearance and the need to be thin. It is dangerous to try to conform to someonelses unrealistic expectations of how you should look. A person’s value goes way beyond their outward appearance.”

“I was approached by the coach at Greenville Tech Charter High, and I thought it was a great idea.” Says Bibb, the two campuses agreed to raise funds and sell tickets to a very special “pink game” benefitting breast cancer.

The teams from each school collected money that went to the Susan B. Komen foundation, a group for the cure for breast cancer. “I believe we raised somewhere around four thousand dollars for charity.” Says Bibb.

Heath Duncan, a Sophomore on Brashier’s team says, “I was excited about the game, I just recently found out that a friend of a friend was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer.” Coach Bibb was very proud of his team and how they came together for a great cause. “I think they enjoyed it, they really got on board with raising funds, and enjoyed doing something for the community.” The boys went to great lengths to raise money, during and after school, by chasing down cars in the parking lot and other students at lunch.     

The team even sported pink while playing in the game. They suited up in pink wrist bands, and even had special green and pink shirts made for the event. Coach Bibb is very happy about how things went this year and says , “We have set it up to be an annual thing each year.”

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010304220035

I think I should elaborate a little more.

Working hard to please

What you should have at ease

Friends come and go

The ones that stay, try and grow

Because there’s nothing more

Than someone you can depend on forever more.

Keeping a friend shouldn’t be that hard

It’s not a chore like mowing the yard

If your friends aren’t pleased with you

Don’t change for them.

Continue to do you

Making and keeping a friend should be easy

Nothing more

Because being friends with someone shouldn’t be a chore.

By: Te’keisha Adams

Inspired by: Lindsay Gonzales

“I like playing because it helps me to relax,” said Soule. Most of the time when Soule plays he is very relaxed, but when Soule was playing in the State Tournament, he was really nervous. Soule, who shot a 118 at regionals, was one of the lucky few to do that good because the wind caused problems for the players. He then shot a 125 a week later at State on the same course.

The regional and state tournaments were both held at Stoney Point Ridge in Greenwood, South Carolina. The upstate regional tournament was held on Monday April 26, 2010, and the state tournament was held on May 3, 2010. BMC Seniors Weston Cavett, Blake Jones, and BMC Freshmen Chris Soule and Cole Shumaker all played at regionals, but Soule was the only one able to play in State because the seniors had to work on their senior projects.

The BMC boy’s golf team finished the season with no wins, but hope to have two or three next year. The team usually practices at Crosswinds, a par three course, Shank’s, a driving range, and Holly Tree Country Club.