FBLA Dominates State Competition

Congratulations go out to the Creekview Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) for a job well done at this year’s State Competition. Out of the 18 students who qualified for the State Competition, seven of those students received recognition and two are National Qualifiers.

Individual awards ranged from 3rd place to 10th place in a variety of subjects including Digital Design and Promotion, Hospitality Management, Help Desk, Marketing, and Network Design Team. The placements include 10th place to Tommy A. in Digital Design and Promotion, 9th place to Jonathan R. in Digital Design and Promotion, 10th place to Amanda F. in Hospitality Management, 7th place to Kelly A. in Help Desk, and 4th place to Jonathan R. and Tommy A. in Network Design Team.

In addition to these awards, 3rd place went to Sam G. in Hospitality Management and 3rd place also went to Haley H. in Marketing; these two students are National Qualifiers for FBLA.

These “outstanding” students provided “great representation of Creekview High School” at the State Competition stated FBLA adviser Chris Jeffreys.

Not only did the students exceed expectations, Jeffreys was also named the New Adviser of the Year out of all FBLA advisers. Jeffreys has been the adviser of Creekview High School FBLA since 2008 and has continued to improve the organization over time.

The club itself also received four Chapter awards including the 100 Member Club, Membership Achievement Award, 1st place for the March of Dimes Fundraising Award, and the Silver Chapter of the Year.

Jeffreys also added that he was “extremely proud of these students for representing FBLA and Creekview” in such a great way.

The FBLA is a student organization that encourages students to enter the business field. The purpose is to lead students on the business path by participating in service and educational activities to increase leadership abilities. Written by: Brooke Gunsauley

DECA brings home the bacon

DECA, an association of marketing students, recently hosted the DECA Region 1 competition on January 27th at Kennesaw State University. The competitions focused on skills such as marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service. The DECA competition hosted a variety of competitions. Among the competitions, Creekview students were able to stand out and finish well, allowing them to advance on to the state level.

Among the winners were: 1st Place-Logan P (Business Administration), Brett T (Buying and Merchandising), Samantha G (Food Marketing), and Derek T (Entrepreneurship). 2nd place-Amanda F (Quick Service Restaurant Management) and Mary M (Accounting Applications). 3rd place-Meghan G. (Marketing Management), Danielle H (Principles of Hospitality and Tourism), and Zachary D (Hospitality Services). 4th place-Kamela K (Principles of Business Administration and Management), Landon E (Principles of Finance), Zachary P (Retail Merchandising), Tyra M (Hospitality Services), and Rebecca M (Apparel and Accessories Marketing).

During the competition, students took a test or role played or performed a scenario in front of judges and how well they did in those competitions determined their rank. Shelley Gravitt, DECA advisor and marketing instructor, brings DECA to Creekview as she teaches her students to learn the structure of business and marketing by integrating skills from a business into the school store. The school store teaches students the how-to’s of finance, hospitality, and marketing. She states that most of her students are interested in marketing and going into the business world. The DECA competitions are a great example to teach students what it is like to run a business. Mrs. Gravitt states, “The [competitions] are much more competitive and students have to study for that. I’m impressed with our students.”

The winners will qualify to compete at the state competition on February 25-27th in downtown Atlanta at the Marriott Marquis. The top six winners from each state will then have an opportunity to compete at the national level in Orlando, Florida. We wish the winners best of luck as they compete at the state level in February.
Written by: Beatrice Torralba

Future Business Leaders of America Region Competition

The Creekview Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a strong student organization in the school encouraging students to enter the business field. The club’s purpose is to transition business-minded students into the business path by participating in the yearly region competitions, topics range from technology, business, and public speaking.

During the region competition, Creekview FBLA competed in 54 events placed in the top 10 out of 36 range. In addition, among the 54 events, 18 events qualified Creekview students for the state competition which will be held in March.

The FBLA state qualifiers include: Tommy A (Network Design), Kelly A (Help Desk), Andrew B (Introduction to Technology Concepts), Amanda A (Business Calculations), Samuel H (Intro. to Technology Concepts), Morgan H (Business Communication), Haley H (Marketing and Personal Finance), Sarah M (Business Calculations), Andrea N (Personal Finance), Jessica P (Accounting and Intro. to Technology Concepts), Zach P (Into. to Business Communication), Austin R (Intro. to Technology Concepts), Jonathan R (Business Math and Network Design), and Shay S (Intro. to Business Communication).

Chris Jeffreys, the club sponsor, is very proud that Creekview students constantly want to achieve more and are setting themselves on the right path to success, especially in a business-minded world. Congratulations to all the winners at the region competitions and good luck at state.
Written by: Beatrice Torralba

FBLA Fall Leadership Conference

Creekview’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) recently attended the State Fall FBLA Leadership Conference, held annually at the University of Georgia. During the conference, members participated in small group workshops to build business leadership skills and competed in teams to test their skills. Awards from the team competitions at the Fall Motivational Rally were announced and Creekview’s own seniors, Macy D. and Casie W., finished first in Banking and Personal Finance. Other competitive events included: Public Speaking, Entrepreneurship, Business Ethics, Accounting, Job Interview, Web Site Design, and many more events dealing with different aspects of business. FBLA members were also able to listen to motivational guest speakers lecturing about being successful in the business world. The meeting was open to officers and students from across Georgia who are involved in FBLA.

FBLA members usually attend six conferences a year, starting with the Fall Motivational Rally progressing to Regional and State competitions. The Fall Motivational Rally and the Annual Fall Conference are open to any interested FBLA member. These events are previews to the school year's upcoming competitions and offer combined event team testing to allow students to see which competitive events they will be interested in for future conferences.

FBLA’s motto shown over the FBLA crest is “Service, Education, Progress.” The club is very involved in community service activities. Some include the Adopt-a-Child Foundation around Christmastime and the March of Dimes Campaign.

FBLA can benefit members by providing scholarship opportunities to those interested in pursuing a business career and provides hands-on, real-world business experience. Members can compete to win awards which can help when applying for colleges. Students gain a competitive edge for education and career success.

The club is sponsored by Coach Jeffreys. It meets in room 1310 on the first and last Tuesday of each month. FBLA is very active in the community, holding monthly social events such as the end-of-year banquet, Halloween parties, Christmas parades, and member cookouts.

Members are encouraged to earn Business Achievement Awards (BAA). The BAA’s is a self-directed business and leadership program designed to help students work on leadership skills with a heavy emphasis on integrated classroom projects and education. The program has four distinct levels: Future, Business, Leader, and America. Each level has its own set of qualifications. Levels can be reached by completing a certain set of business-related tasks.

Meetings are run just as an actual business meeting would occur. Topics discussed during the meetings include: current events, social events, and the planning of current community service activities. Another big part of the meetings is working on building business and leadership skills and preparing for competitions.

Creekview’s FBLA is a growing student organization always looking for new members. Anyone can join FBLA during any time of the year, but in order to participate in conferences, the student must be enrolled by certain deadlines. Creekview FBLA has 118 members so far this year, a huge growth from just 22 members its first year.
Written by: Gwen Kirby

Cherokee County Graduation Controversy

On January 20th 2011, The Cherokee County Board of Education had a meeting on behalf of legal issues and objections raised by the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State in regard to the graduation venue at First Baptist Church in Woodstock. The argument raised by the Americans United was that Cherokee County graduation should not be held in a church because it violates their rights as Americans. Arguments raised included, “If it is illegal to have a graduation in a church because you see a cross, then it should be illegal to make a church near a road.” Others expressed concerns stating, “We already sent out invitations to our relatives from other states and I don’t want to have to tell them they cannot come because of lack of seats.”

There were many alternatives in regard to where graduation could be held, some included the Cobb Energy Center and the Georgia Dome but they were not as cheap or space accommodating as the First Baptist Woodstock.

Four brave Creekview students: Lauren P, Torey T, Jessica I, and Danielle T all stood up to speak on the behalf of Creekview’s senior class. The four of the students had great convincing arguments that eventually turned out on their favor. The Board unanimously voted in favor of having graduation in the First Baptist Church in Woodstock

Written by: Trey Ayres

The Snowpocalypse of Georgia, is it over?

It is not often that Georgians get to see some serious snow but just last week, January 10th through the 14th that is just what they saw. The first snowfall came Sunday night and left an average of seven inches on some very anxious Georgian’s lawns. The roads were hidden from view and were for the most part indistinguishable from the regular ground. However, the snow did not come as a surprise, students and teachers alike were already expecting for school to be cancelled at least till Wednesday. Everywhere, people rushed to the stores to stock up on necessities such as bread, milk, eggs, and even barrels of cheese puffs in preparation for the unsafe conditions of the roads. With their barren shelves, Cherokee County’s grocery stores resembled wastelands. To the multitude of Georgians, it appeared they were going to be trapped at home for days.

It turned out that Georgians were right. School ended up being cancelled due to the heavy snowfall, giving students and unexpected break. The snow began to melt away on Thursday, but it was not until Friday that the roads became safe to drive on. Still, it was not quite safe enough for buses to be put back in use yet, so a whole week of school was missed.

The Cherokee County school board was then faced with the task of rescheduling the days missed. The first idea that went around was that students would attend school on Saturdays for awhile, but that was quickly ruled out. Next, the board considered cancelling February break but that seemed unfair and was also dismissed. Then a fair decision was reached: students would attend school on March 17th and 18th which were originally furlough days.

Yet the peril of the roads did not deter those who were determined to get out of their homes (after all four days stuck inside is a long time indeed). Many of the automobiles on the road were SUVs and trucks with four-wheel drive. But Cherokee County officials did make sure to clear the main roads, such as hospital roads, quickly and efficiently.

A snowfall ranging around 7 inches last occurred in the Blizzard of 1993. This snow storm was definitely more pleasant than the Blizzard of 1993, which stretched from Canada to Central America and left 300 dead in the United States. Thankfully this time around the snowfall was not nearly as devastating. The fact that school has been cancelled various times due to snow is astonishing as snow is usually rare in Georgia, even during the winter season.

Written by: Taylor Gates

Save the Ta-Tas

About one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their life time. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this year is the 25th anniversary to awareness, education, and early detection.

Breast cancer is the fifth deadliest form of cancer worldwide, and the second most common cancer among woman. In 2006, almost 200,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 41,000 women died from it.

Every year, mothers, sister, aunts, etc, are diagnosed with breast cancer; some survive, but not everyone is lucky enough to fight off this terrible disease. This is why we have Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to find ways to save more lives.

Creekview contributed towards the Breast Cancer cause by holding fundraisers through selling cookies at the school store. A portion of the proceeds and donations go towards breast cancer research. The cookies sold raised about $200, and some of the proceeds went to funding the Georgia Cancer Foundation. Also, during the third week of October, many people wore pink to raise awareness.

Carley C, a junior, said, “I know quite a few families that have people in their families that have breast cancer, so I think it’s great that our school is doing something to help.”

All throughout the nation, people and organizations are showing their support for the “ta-tas”. The NFL (National Football League) had all the teams alter their uniforms so that they had pink on their jerseys and helmets.

With the help of our school and foundations around the world, we can help suppress the number of Breast Cancer victims. So thanks to those who participated in the schools attempt to cure Breast Cancer.
Written by: Sammi Urban

Rifle team

Creekview’s JROTC officers have created our school’s first ever Rifle Team. Although the team is JROTC related, it is not just limited to JROTC students. In fact, any student that follows Creekview’s sports eligibility rules can qualify to be on the team. The team’s practices will be held at least two times a week in the mornings and afternoons to prepare the team members for their competitions. The season starts in January and ends in April.

During the practices and competitions, the team will shoot against other school’s Rifle Teams in competitive air rifles. Their stances include laying on the stomach, kneeling, and standing.

LTC Holly is dedicated to the team and believes “ this is a sport that requires you to be more precise and calm than other sport.”

The conception of the club arose from the use of it at other schools. Before being able to start the team, Creekview had to wait for permission due to safety measures. The rifles were retrieved from the United States Army. The team is now ready to start their season’s first practices.
Written by: Katelyn Presnell

Academic Team: High Q

Creekview High School’s Academic Team was on WSB-TV’s hit television show, High Q. High Q is a captivating question-and-answer game show that appears weekly on WSB-TV Channel 2. Each week, the unique program features scholastic competition between high school students across north Georgia. This program is hosted by famous Channel 2 Action News anchor John Bachman.

In their debut on the game show, Creekview High School’s Academic Team, consisting of Kyle Stancil (captain), Caleb Cochran, Alex O’ Connor, Beatrice Torralba, and Willie Burke (alternative), played against Alexander High School in Douglasville on November 17, but the show aired on November 28. The team answered dozens of challenging questions on a wide array of subjects including literature, math, history, science, and the arts. Questions also comprised of modern news of the day dealing with the current events making headlines each week. As the team went through multiple rounds, they never lost focus throughout the entire competition, and as a result, they beat Alexander High School! Creekview ended up with a score of 730 and Alexander with a score of 515. Therefore, they have advanced to the next round!

“Our team worked very hard with researching and actually competing against the internet by watching the High Q competition online. It made us more comfortable when we got on set since we had done this before, just in room 2205, instead of WSB studios,” stated Mr. Martin, the coach of Creekview’s Academic Team.

It was a close match throughout the entire game, with the scores seesawing back and forth, but in the end, Creekview was able to stand out and lead in scores. The Creekview team was supported by its fans; among them was Dr. Eddy, who was extremely proud of Creekview High School’s outstanding Academic Team. Because the team is moving on in the competition, their next round will be played on January 30, and will be aired later on. The winning team who goes all the way to the championship round will receive a $1000 scholarship and a trophy for each member. The second place team will receive a $500 scholarship for each member as well. Catch the show, featuring our Academic team by clicking on this link! (http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25838195/index.html)
Written by: Maida Ahmad

Creekview students become lawyers

Creekview students took on the role of lawyers at the Georgia Youth Assembly Program at the State Capitol. Creekview seniors, Alex O., Nathan K., Josh P., and Ashton C., were participants of the Judiciary program. In the program, the students defended and prosecuted a case in front of mock judges, who were professional lawyers. Alex and Josh were a team of co-counsels while Ashton and Nathan were another team.

These students argued in a Mock Supreme Court format in a mock Appellant case. The case was about personal rights of students. The summary of the case was whether or not the use of dogs to search for drugs was invasive because the dogs were physically touching the students during a search and sniff procedure at a school. This mock case dealt with the personal privacy and rights of children at school. The teams had to analyze their case and review it to make the best arguments possible. They spent their time working together on the correct diction and helped build up their public speaking skills.

Coming back for a second year, Alex O. (senior) stated, “As a ‘veteran’ I felt slightly more confident when I went down to Atlanta to present the case to the judges. However, since the case is different every year, it is still a new experience learning case-law and organizing an argument. Also, I had to guide my new co-counsel in the way to present the argument and write a brief. I encourage the underclassmen to take the initiative to get involved in this program and enjoy this amazing experience.”

The 3-day mock legislature gave students from around Georgia a chance to learn firsthand the practical operation of state government. Students have the choice of attending the conference as a senator/representative, judicial participant, lobbyist, or media representative. It is open to students of all grades and is a beneficial learning experience for one who is interested in law, politics, or journalism.

The State YMCA of Georgia, the coordinator of the program, made sure the procedures done at Youth Assembly was as close to possible to those followed by our actual state legislators and lawyers. Their purpose of the program is the hope to produce citizens for the future by letting students learn through action. Former Secretary of State, Cathy Cox stated, “I fell in love with legislative politics because of my participation in Youth Assembly as a teenager. I believe there is no better program for young people to get involved in government than the State Y’s Youth Assembly program.”

This is Creekview’s second year at program and hopes for the program to build. Sponsors Mr. Ard and Mr. Hunsucker encourage students to take part in an experience to see firsthand the process of the government and law in action.

Written by: Beatrice Torralba

The Great Halloween Fundraiser

It is October 31 and you know what that means. After a long wait, it is finally Halloween! People of all ages are getting into their costumes; some are going trick-or-treating while others are attending Halloween parties.

As for Creekview’s Habitat for Humanity Club and Cultural Diversity Club, members had a completely different mission than getting bags of candy. On this important day, these dedicated students tried to raise money for those in need. Money was raised for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Habitat for Humanity.

“Raising money for UNICEF was a great time. Not only do you get to spend time with your friends making the truffles and selling them, you know you are doing it for a great cause, which made it feel even better,” stated Manoucheca L. (sophomore), Vice President of the Cultural Diversity Club.

The Habitat for Humanity Club went out in their easily recognizable shirts, flyers, and empty milk jugs on Halloween. They rang each doorbell confidently and waited as a homeowner approached the door with a basket of candy. These students then explained that they were not there for candy. In fact, they were planning to build a house in spring but in order to do that, they needed to raise money. Many generous neighbors dropped spare change and wrinkled bills into the jug. As the jug got heavier and heavier, spirits were lifted. Mr. Sinco, the club’s advisor, concluded the club had raised over $2,000! Additionally, a silent donor from the school promised to match the amount of money raised up to $1,000!

The Cultural Diversity Club, on the other hand, raised money through the school. Thus, they made delicious Oreo Truffles and sold them during the lunches. The money raised will help improve the lives of impoverished children around the world. In fact, the hard-raised money assisted in buying immunization, clean water, necessary food, and educational supplies for many deprived children. Students were able to savor the taste of the Oreo Truffles knowing that they had improved a child’s life.

All in all, Creekview High School’s Habitat for Humanity Club and Cultural Diversity Club both benefitted the world in some way. Both clubs dedicated some time in their life to helping people that were in need of a helping hand.

Written by: Maida Ahmad

The Librarian’s on a Roll!

She has done it again! After just receiving awards such as the National School Boards Association Technology Leadership Network "20 to Watch" 2010, the http://www.techlearning.com/article/32466, the 2010 Georgia Exemplary High School Media Program, and the 2010 GLMA North Central Georgia District Media Specialist of the Year Ms. Buffy Hamilton picks up yet another prestigious award. All her hard work, such as the introduction of Kindles, Nooks and iPads into the library, garnered recognition, and resulted in her winning the GLMA/GAIT Georgia School Library Media Specialist Award. This award is a key step towards the technological innovation and incorporation of school libraries in the 21st century’s education.

Ms. Hamilton was ecstatic at her being chosen as the recipient of such a prestigious award. Her family and colleagues, however, were not so surprised; everyone knew how hard she had been working and could not imagine the award going to anyone else.

The goal of the library, according to Ms. Hamilton is, “To improve our collaboration with classroom teachers and supporting the integration of digital, information, and new media literacy into content area instruction.” Ms. Hamilton also hopes to continue to find new ways to invite students to actively participate in the library’s program. That is why she is so eager to introduce new technology such as Kindles, Nooks, and iPads; students probably will not be able to resist checking out such popular gadgets. Additionally, these new tools will allow students to get books without waiting for the printed copies to arrive on the shelves. However, before the library purchases the e-readers on a large-scale, the library is waiting for feedback from the students so they can buy the most popular one.

For 18 years, Ms. Hamilton has been in the media field and she would not have it any other way. She has always been interested in working in the library, showing interests in: participatory librarianship, social media, connectivism, transliteracy, social scholarship, and library 2.0 applications. Even though Ms. Hamilton plans on remaining a school librarian for her K12 career she wishes to go back to school and get her PH.D in Library and Information Science and teach on a college level or work as an academic librarian. Ms. Hamilton is always pushing herself for success and striving for innovation and collaboration in the library. It is no wonder that she won the District award. It is her efforts that give the library such a good shot at winning the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy’s nomination for “libraries using cutting edge technology,” an award that would be a huge achievement for Ms. Hamilton, her co-workers, and Creekview. With all the hard work the librarians are putting in to the advancement of the library, their chance of victory is looking promising.

Written by: Taylor Gates

Adopt-a-Teacher

In order to promote Creekview’s 2010 wrestling team, the coaches have put together the first ever “adopt-a-teacher” program. Each wrestler and manager picked a teacher who they felt would encourage their class to be “the most involved in supporting the team” by attending the wrestling meets. The selected teacher chosen has to get their class to attend at least two of the four home meets. If the teacher agrees to do this, then they will receive a free t-shirt and thirty student admission tickets for each home meet. After the attendance totals are tallied, the class with the highest record at the meets will be rewarded with either a breakfast or pizza party, depending on what time of day the class is held. The rewards are provided by the wrestling team in gratitude for the class’ participation and support.

This program has been used in a couple of high schools in Cherokee County by assistant wrestling Coach Judkins and has become a success.

“Being the first year, there is obviously some trepidation as to how the program works from both staff and wrestlers but in past years, there has been tremendous feedback from everyone involved.”

Coaches and wrestlers are both excited to start the new tradition at Creekview and hope to see more people attending the wrestling meets in turn.

The dates of the home wrestling meets are 12/8, 1/5, 1/19, and 2/2. Tickets for the students in the chosen class are free, which is even more of an incentive to go out and cheer on the wrestlers.
Written By: Katelyn Presnell

Creekview takes over Georgia Tech!

Creekview was present at this year’s Georgia Tech Model United Nations Conference (GTMUN) for the third year in a row. Representing the countries of France and Egypt, our student ambassadors to the UN made speeches, prepared draft resolutions, negotiated bills through debate caucuses, and attempted to solve worldly issues such as international terrorism, rights of children, nuclear arms disarmament, world healthcare issues, and much more.

Today’s world never ceases to produce problems such as war, famine, and people’s rights. As citizens of the world, it is our duty to resolve these issues and cooperate to empower and provide for nations to create world peace. The United Nations has accomplished goals for economic development, social progression, and human rights of countries around the world. This peace-keeping organization has benefited the world nation.

To bring the United Nations to high school students, the Model United Nations is a simulation of the bodies of the UN. Students assume the role of a diplomat and take on the global perspective of world events. Creekview’s strong Model United Nations team presented their delegations by closely researching their designated country’s impact to the issue addressed before them and thinking of possible solutions to improve conditions around the world.

As advisor since the team’s conception, Mr. Hunsucker was pleased with the conference and observed, “The experience members increased their knowledge of the process. Meanwhile, the new members learned how to interact with the other delegates through debates. The conferences are great to network with new friends.”

Creekview’s Model United Nations Team is comprised of students from all grade levels. Their upcoming conferences for the year include the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University. Anyone is welcome to join. Model UN strives to provide students with an opportunity to put into action the principles of international politics that they are taught in the classroom and see occur in the world everyday. For more information, please see Mr. Hunsucker.

Written by: Beatrice Torralba

Winterguard: the sport of the arts

As the fall season comes to a close, winter sports like basketball and wrestling are starting up. One winter sport that always seems unnoticed is Winterguard. Winterguard is referred to “The Sport of the Arts.” It is not an aggressive sport but winterguard possess the techniques of flag spinning along with dancing to variations of ballet.

Creekview’s very own award-winning Winterguard is just starting their season. The guard has competed in area competitions and has graced the dance floor with their sabre, rifle, and flag routines.

This Thursday, November 18, Winterguard will be having tryouts for their 2010 season. It is open to everyone, boys and girls alike. This is an opportunity to letter in a sport, while at the same time being a part of a team and cultural arts. Tryouts will start at 5:00 pm in the Band Room. No formal training is necessary. For any questions, please see guard captains, Ashley H and Damarys W.

There is no substitute for blood: Creekview vs. Sequoyah

Every minute of each day there is a person in need of blood. The only way that this blood supply can be obtained is from courageous donors. Creekview High School offers the chance for students age sixteen and older to give blood to LifeSouth and in turn, the gift of life to those who are in need.

Creekview and Sequoyah competed in the Blood Donor Challenge. Sequoyah had LifeSouth come to their school on October 15th and the company was at Creekview on November 3rd. Sequoyah ended up winning the competition because they had the most donors sign up for the blood drive out of eligible donors (sixteen or older and of a certain weight). Their school received a trophy recognizing them as the winner of the Fall 2010 Blood Drive Battle. The winning school’s individual donors were also entered into a drawing to win a Blu- Ray player. There were other rewards LifeSouth offered to its individual donors. With every donation, a fun t-shirt is given along with a recognition program.

Mr. Peacock, Creekview’s Healthcare teacher, is the coordinator of the drive at Creekview. He encouraged all his students to participate.

Most donators “want to help people and feel good when they donate because they feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves.”

On the other hand, senior Ansleigh G., saw another benefit in giving blood and said, “I did it because I got a free t-shirt.”

Whatever their reasons for giving, these people are heroes to at least three people each time they donate blood.

Written by: Katelyn Presnell

Senior fall field trip highlights

After three long years of work in high school, the seniors were rewarded with a fall field trip to Stone Mountain Park while the underclassmen took the PSAT. There were plenty of exciting activities reserved exclusively for the Creekview students.

Entering the park, many of our students took on the challenge of the Sky Hike ropes course in the Crossroads section of the park. The ability to balance was tested on three levels of difficulty of tight ropes, swinging ropes, planks, and rope bridges. Other entertainment on the trip included a mini golf tournament, touring the antebellum plantation, taking a hike to the top of the mountain, or playing Frisbee on the spacious memorial field.

Senior field trip coordinator Mrs. Dicks said, “We chose Stone Mountain Park for the field trip because the park provided a variety of activities for the seniors to participate in. I also felt like the trip was a huge success because the weather was gorgeous and everyone had a great time.”
The teens also had the chance to enjoy a cookout in the park’s pavilion. After eating, they had a chance to have fun by dancing to the D.J.’s music, participating in limbo, hula hooping, sack racing, or tossing water balloons in various contests.

“I had a great time participating in the limbo, cupid shuffle, and sack race at the pavilion. The games helped to contribute to a fun, care-free day. It was a pleasant escape from the overwhelming stress that our final year of high school withholds,” said student Jill T.

Over all, the trip seemed to be a success and gave everyone a nice day off.
By: Katelyn Presnell

Creekview's adopt a tree project

On October 24, 2010, the Creekview Parent Teacher Association (PTA) sponsored the “Adopt a Tree Project” on the Creekview campus early Saturday morning. Volunteers showed up to help plant the new trees as part of Creekview’s “beautification project.”

Equipped with shovels and gloves ready to work, the volunteers helped to plant the trees. The only problem: the ACT. The clash in testing schedules and tree planting was quite an issue, but the project continued.

As it stands, all of the trees for the project were planted but, to do so, the PTA spent around $2,300. The rest of the trees were donated by Buck Jones Nursery. These trees can be adopted in honor of someone special, or represent businesses, schools, or civic or church grounds; the possibilities for adoption are endless.

The trees vary in size and in price, ranging from $65 to $95, the trees available for adoption are: October Glory Maples, Crepe Myrtles, Bosque Elms, Pin Oaks, and Green Vase Zelkovas. To adopt a tree contact Creekview PTA.

The money to buy the trees came from the PTA member charge and all proceeds will go to “help Creekview go green and continue the beautification process all across campus,” stated President of PTA Barbara Arthur.

By: Brooke Gunsauley

Congratulations Counselor!

Ellen Ewers is a Success!
Creekview is lucky enough to have talented teachers and counselors. Our teachers are often rewarded for their hard work with awards, but it’s not often that our counselors are awarded. That’s why the zone award that Mrs. Ellen Ewers won is so special; it’s the first of its kind.

She’s the first counselor in the area to receive such an award, and she can’t help but be proud. She believes that, “This award isn’t just about me; it’s a reflection of all the people in Student Services.” All the hard work Student Services has put into Creekview has succeeded in establishing a great counseling program.

Yet even though Mrs. Ewers knew how great the counseling program is, she was still taken aback when she won the award. Her family, however, wasn’t so surprised. “They know that I truly care about our students and take pride in my work ethic,” says Mrs. Ewers. Humble as always, Mrs. Ewers isn’t letting this award get to her head. She’s still working as hard as ever.

Mrs. Ewers has been a counselor for 15 years, so she has gained a lot of experience. But she wasn’t always a counselor. She used to teach Health and Physical Education along with coaching basketball, softball, and volleyball. These may seem like strange careers for a counselor, but when you realize her motive, it all makes sense. Because when asked why she wanted to be a counselor she had no trouble answering, “I’ve always wanted to help young people reach their goals and enjoy observing their path to adulthood.” For Mrs. Ewers, helping kids succeed is what she’s all about.

As a closing statement I asked Mrs. Ewers what her best piece of advice was, she readily answered, “Always know where you want to go and be aware of how to get there. Have a passion for what you do.”

By: Taylor Gates

Tension Rise, Tempers Flare

Tensions Rise, Tempers Flare

“GAME DAY!!!” Students shout and cheer as a few seniors run round and round the cafeteria. The air is thrumming with the excitement and cheers emanating from the students. Loud blasts from vuvuzelas break up the shouts, each blast getting louder in an attempt to beat out one another. Every student is looking forward to the football game against Sequoyah. This year Creekview is going to do it again! This game was going to be huge! In fact, it even got its own webpage on Facebook, Creekview vs. Sequoyah. At the game the schools are separated by a field full of players, but when online students can interact and converse freely with one another, this connection quickly got heated.

The real drama started before the actual game day, on a Facebook page dedicated to Creekview’s football team. At first it was just a few, “GO GRIZZLIES,” or, “GO CHIEFS!” But the conversation quickly escalated. Coaches were kept busy editing the page of overly offensive comments, but they weren’t quick enough to block them all.
Sequoyah seniors and Creekview juniors had the majority of the comments as they retaliated back and forth. And one Creekview senior edited grizzly bears and word bubble that read, “S**T,” into a Sequoyah football picture. Sequoyah fought back mainly by trying to twist Creekview students’ comments and make them seem self-insulting. They did a pretty good job of this but in the end it didn’t really matter. Actions will always speak louder than words, and that Friday night Creekview was the loudest!

It doesn’t seem likely that future football game pages will get as heated as this one, but who knows? After all even the most surprising people can get riled up when a competition is at hand. Based on this year though, next year’s facebook page for Creekview vs. Sequoyah is going to be even more heated. After two years of defeat Sequoyah is going to be dying to win, and messing with Creekview kids will be a way to elevate themselves. Creekview kids living in the Hickory Flat area, Sequoyah’s domain, are still being assaulted and bad mouthed by Sequoyah kids. When a group of Creekview students went to eat at McDonalds everything was fine until they told a few curious kids where they were from. Immediately the restaurant went quiet. Tension will probably always be in the air between these two new rival schools, and the webpage helps it last even longer. Next year it would probably be a good bet to just forego the pages, after all the primary focus should be on the game, not the smack talking.

(Photo: Will Kirby, 10th grade)

By: Taylor Gates