since 1969

INSIDE

Lincoln Avenged(page 2)

Student lawyers questioned Abraham Lincoln’s accused as-sassin, John Wilkes Booth, last month when STJ eighth grad-ers took over a Montgomery District Courtroom. Lawyers, witnesses, and jury members from the 1860’s came “back to life” for the procedings.

SparkNotes v. Academic Integrity

(page 5)

With so many after school extra-curricular activities, it’s easy to see how an assignment to read a three hundred page novel in a month can cause more than a few headaches. But some students don’t even make the effort, read-ing SparkNotes instead. Now, teachers are taking a stand against SparkNotes, by asking that they be removed from STJ computers.

Cutest Couples Tell All!(pages 6-7)

The votes are in! See who your grade chose as “The Cutest Cou-ple.” Find out about how these couples met, their first date, and what their best qualities are.

STJ continues Youth in City dominance

Montgomery’s fu-ture leaders gath-ered Feb. 2 for the

annual Youth in City Confer-ence. The program, sponsored by the YMCA and Optimist’s Club, is held for local and state Government Club and Tri-Hi-Y Club members. Held during the groups’ Youth Appreciation Week, attendees “take over city government” for a day, debating city improvement ordinances that the students have written.

“Youth in City is a great way to expose young people to the hard work and dedication of Montgomery’s city lead-ers,” Government Club spon-sor Cindy Somerville said. “The Saint James Government Club has been participating in Youth in City for many years.”

Nine students from the Saint James Government Club took part in Youth in City. Se-nior Elizabeth Green, who was elected at last year’s confer-ence, served as Youth May-or. Green is the sixth Saint James student in the last seven years elected to the position.

“Being elected Youth Mayor last year was exciting and actu-ally serving in that capacity this year was fulfilling,” Green said.

Not unlike the real debates and discussions that go on in the Montgomery’s City Council chambers, the Youth Mayor ad-mitted it was sometimes difficult to control the flow of discussion.

“I really enjoyed being Mayor, but sometimes I found it difficult to keep order in the Chamber,” Green said.

Senior Taylor Arabian and sophomore Bo Ingram served as City Council members. Fresh-men Mary Rabon and Devan Snider served as reading clerks.

“Serving on the City Council in my sophomore year was a big accomplishment. I plan on as-cending to a higher position in the next few years,” Ingram said.

Seniors Audrianna Archibald and Hanly Funderburk proposed an ordinance that required juve-nile delinquents with felony re-cords to do community service hours to beautify the city. Their proposal was awarded “Best Or-dinance.” Junior Greg Gilbert and sophomore Katie Morris developed an ordinance requir-ing mandatory recycling in the city. Mayor Bobby Bright, who spoke at the Youth in City lun-cheon, mentioned the recycling ordinance as an idea he would present to the real City Council.

“I think the ordinances writ-ten this year are the most de-batable and well-written that I’ve seen,” Green, a four-year Youth in City veteran, said.

At the conclusion of the con-ference, Gilbert was elected to be the Youth Mayor in 2008. Gilbert says he plans to dedicate much of his time in prepara-tion for next year’s conference.

“I am looking forward to Youth in City next year. Being elected by my peers was a huge honor; I hope to serve as Youth Mayor in the best way possible,” Gilbert said.

Saint James participants agree that a vital part of Youth in City is developing lasting friendships.

“Youth in City has afforded me a number of lasting friendships. Having the opportunity to work in such close relation with other students my age and interests was

very valuable,” Funderburk said. The Government Club will

conclude its year of events and activities with the annual Youth Legislature, held later this spring.

By Will FullerStaff Writer

(top) 2007 Youth Mayor Elizabeth Green and City Councilman Taylor Arabian con-sider proposed ordinances during the annual meeting where students take over city government. (above) Green congratulates newly-elected Youth Mayor, Greg Gilbert, who will take office in 2008. Saint James students have been elected to the Mayor’s position in six out of the last seven years. Courtesy of Mrs. Cindy Somerville

Cabaret spices up the

night!(page 9)

Green presides before handing over gavel to next year’s Mayor, Greg Gilbert

The Odyssey

2 News The Odyssey February 14, 2007

Students who have wist-fully yearned for the slow-paced sched-

ule of kindergarten days are in for some wonderful news.

Next year, an extra thirty-min-ute period will be incorporated into the student schedule between second and third periods. While nap time isn’t part of the plan, the extra period will provide a break from the morning grind, serving as a meeting time for advisories, clubs, and tutoring sessions. The plan offers an extra bonus in the elimination of PA announce-ments, as information will be conveyed through advisory lead-ers. Best of all, the new advisory period will not add to the length of the school day, taking, instead, a few minutes away from each period of the day. Administrators and faculty expect the new plan to benefit students far more than just providing shorter class periods.

One benefit of the program will be the unstructured oppor-tunity it provides for teachers and students to get to know each other. During this new period, advisors can talk with students and help them with personal or academic questions they may not have had an opportunity to dis-

cuss. Between eight and ten stu-dents will be assigned to a group supervised by a teacher, and each group will remain unchanged throughout high school. Groups

will be co-ed but otherwise ran-domly picked from their respec-tive grades. Through the advisory system, teachers will serve as an additional counselor throughout students’ high school careers.

“The peer leadership program is a way to help freshmen have role models they can look up to,” said Mr. Murray, high school principal.

Applicants for leadership roles

By Wes DavisBusiness Manager

in the program must apply dur-ing their junior year and enroll in a semester long course, which will be taught by Mr. Murray. Aside from the course, leaders

must sign an agreement to retain certain moral stan-dards on and off campus.

“What applicants must do is very demanding, and requires personal in-tegrity,” Mr. Murray said.

Senior leaders will meet on campus with the fresh-men once a week to dis-cuss relevant topics with-out an adult supervisor.

The benefits of this new system do not stop at giving students a better-paced day. The extra period is expect-ed to help not only in the re-establishment of school traditions, but also in the es-tablishment of school spirit. The free time will ease the restraints on students in the morning, allowing students

to spend more time participat-ing in fund-raisers, community service related events, and other extra-curricular activities. The peer leadership program in par-ticular will encourage students to care more about each other and to try to resolve problems.

“School spirit is based upon how much the students care about each other, and about the school,” Mr. Murray said.

Lincoln assassin convicted 142 years after slaying

Mid-morning break to bring welcome relief

After many years of discussion, Saint James has

purchased approximately 19 acres of land adjacent to the student parking lot. The land was acquired for a price of one million dollars. Dr. John Lindsell says he has great expectations for what he hopes to do with the property.

“Eventually, we hope to build a track and add another entrance to the school, to make it easier to come in and out of the campus,” Dr. Lindsell said.

The new plans have many high school students excited, even though it is unlikely that any of these projects will be completed in the near future.

“I am very disappointed that the school didn’t buy the land sooner, because we had to travel to use a differ-ent track every time we want-ed to practice,” track team

Land purchase offers long-range benefits

member Hunter Cronier said.Even though high school stu-

dents may never see the innova-tions, younger students feel they have something to look forward to.

“Hopefully, by the time I am in high school, there will be another entrance to help spread out traffic,” seventh grader Brett Murrey said.

Dr. Lindsell also said that sometime in the future he would like to fence in the entire cam-pus. Though this may not happen anytime soon, it is included in the long-range plan for the school.

“I think a wall around the school would make the entrance look fancier, and it would also protect the school from any-one trying to sneak in at night,” freshman Lee Casals said.

Along with purchasing the new land, the school also sold a piece of land behind the baseball field to a developer.

“Selling this land will help to earn some of the money back that we spent on purchasing the 19 acres,” Dr. Lindsell said.

Nearly 142 years after the deaths of Confederate soldier Henry Wirz and

American actor John Wilkes Booth, controversy still exists on topics concerning the two criminals. Wirz, who was charged with murder at Andersonville Confederate prison camp in Georgia, was the only Confederate soldier in the Civil War to be

executed for war crimes. Booth was the first person to assassinate a president of the United States.

On Jan. 24, after several days of research, Venna Everett’s eighth grade advanced history class held mock trials of the two men in the Montgomery County District Courthouse. The 23 students played the criminals, prosecutors, and witnesses, and tried both Wirz (played by Nathan Gorman) and Booth (played by Jesse Hinton)

before District Judge Lynn Bright. By trying the cases in a courtroom before a real judge, students got the opportunity to experience what a real criminal trial would be like. Wesley Smithart, one of the prosecutors of Booth, thought the trials gave students a chance to discover new career opportunities that otherwise would not have been open to them.

“The mock trial was a great experience because it opened us up to new careers that we may not have explored,” Smithart said.

“I’m really proud of how the students handled themselves, and the amount of preparation they put in is obvious. Seeing their hard work pay off in the courtroom was exciting,” Everett said.

Although the conditions are the same, sometimes the outcomes of the mock trials are different from what happened historically. The trials are unscripted, so the students in the jury decide the final result. This year both of the men were found guilty, but Wirz was given less harsh of a sentence for his actions.

“Captain Wirz was found guilty of two charges and sentenced to execution at the real trial, but was only found guilty of one charge and sentenced to ten years in prison at the mock trials,” Everett said.

By Drew HooverStaff Writer By Daniel DiLaura

News Editor

With the new advisory system, Mr. Murray’s announcements over the PA system will be-come a thing of the past. Photo by Sandra Polizos

The newly-purchased land is behind the student parking lot. Photo by Sara Butts

Booth, who was killed a few days after the assas-

sination of Abraham Lin-coln, never got an actual trial.

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3SportsThe Odyssey February 14, 2007

Quick Hits

Lewis reaches 1,000 point milestone

Kelly Michelle Lewis reached the 1,000 point plateau this season. Lewis has been a key player for the Lady Tro-jans, who finished the ‘06-’07 season with a 22-6 record.

Alter, Hale claim state titles

Seniors Elizabeth Alter and Kevin Hale claimed individual state titles at the State Indoor Track Meet February 3. Hale won the high school boys long jump with a leap of just over 20 feet. Alter won the high school girls long jump with a jump of 15 feet and 8 inches.

Four wrestlers compete in State tourney

Basketball teams accomplish many goals

With a tournament championship and a player’s 1000 point

milestone under their belts, both girls and boys varsity basketball teams accomplished great things during the ‘06-’07 season.

The boys basketball team was named Trojan Thanksgiving Tournament champions and start-ed off the season 5-1. The girls basketball team won seventeen of their last twenty games, and finished the season with a 22-6 record. Each team gave younger players valuable playing time that will be beneficial for next year’s teams. Freshman Brandyn Baker and Lauren Henry, sophomores Chase Eley, Clinton Freeman, Chase Christian, Laura Ostrye all provided steady play throughout the course of the season.

The varsity boys season was full of ups and downs, which included winning the Trojan Thanksgiving Tournament and

opening the season 5-1 followed by a 2-12 run in mid-January.

“Even though we hit a rough patch in the middle of the sea-son where we did not win many games,” junior guard Clark Han-kins said. “We never gave it less than 100%.”

The varsity girls team put to-gether a magnificent season, fin-ishing with a record of 22-6. Led by seniors Katie Bright, Kelly Mi-chelle Lewis, and Taylor Gunter, the Lady Trojans put together one of the more productive seasons in recent years.

One of the many individual accomplishments for the Lady Trojans included player Kelly Michelle Lewis’s 1,000-point pla-teau, considered the benchmark for prolific high school basketball players.

Other STJ individual accom-plishments include Chase Chris-tian being named the Trojan Thanksgiving Tournament Most Valuable Player, John Enslen be-ing named to the Trojan Thanks-giving Tournament All-Tourna-ment Team, Nate Conoly and

Katie Bright being named to the Capitol City Conference All Tour-nament Team, and Kelly Michelle and Morgan Mullen being named co-Most Valuable Players of the Capitol City Conference Holiday Tournament.

Both teams lose only eight seniors combined and only four starters. Freshmen Brandyn Bak-er and Lauren Henry, and sopho-mores Chase Eley, Clinton Free-man, Chase Christian, and Laura

Ostrye will all continue to con-tribute to the ‘07-’08 season.

Both teams are destined for a good showing in post-season play. The Trojan boys do not have to play Southside Selma or Trin-ity to advance to Sub-State due to a change in areas, and the Lady Trojans are hosting the Area 4 Tournament.

Area 4 Tournament games, scheduled for February 8-12, had not been played at press time.

Photo by Sara ButtsSenior Frazier Hull wrestles an opponent in the State Wrestling Tournament held on February 2-3. Hull finished fifth overall and third in the consolation bracket.

Photo by Sara ButtsSenior Norman Westervelt prepares to defend Catholic point guard Roman Tubner. The Trojans lost to Catholic 73-55 on “Senior Night” for the Trojans.

By Drew HooverStaff Writer

By Coleman McDowellSports Editor

Boys and girls basket-ball teams celebrate

“Senior Night”

Senior Nate Conoly is es-corted onto the court by his parents before he plays his last home game.

The Saint James Trojan wrestling team ended the season on a high

note, sending four wrestlers to the State Championship meet in Pel-ham on February 2-3. Freshman Matt Kwan won the consolation championship and finished third overall. Kwan defeated David Alexander 9-4, Aaron Martin of Fultondale 7-6, Hunter Edwards of Dora 11-1, but was pinned by David Alexander of Oak Grove.

Overall the team fin-i s h e d f o u r t e e n t h .

Sophomore Chris Henry finished second in the consola-tion bracket and fourth place overall. Henry defeated Phillip McEvoy of Susan Moore and Brett Davis of American Chris-tian, but was pinned by Kyle Streuker of St. Clair County and Jamison Wilks of Oak Grove.

Senior Frazier Hull tied for third in the consolation bracket and finished fifth overall. Hull defeated Vernaar Hughes of Oneonta 4-3, but was defeated by Alex Jerome of Walter Wel-bourn 6-2 and Alan Doucet of American Christian 8-7.

Sophomore Michael Bird fin-ished third in the consolation bracket and placed fifth overall. Bird defeated Kyle Lundy of Deshler 8-3 and Steffon Middleton of ASB 14-7, but was pinned by Jeffery Bush of Walter Welbourn.

Prior to the state meet, the Trojans were very success-ful at the Sectionals Tourna-ment. Bringing eleven to the competition, four qualified for the State Tournament, and nine advanced at least one round.

Over the course of the sea-son, the Trojans experienced tremendous growth as a team, placing in the Lee Duals Tour-

nament for the first time in the program’s history by defeating Smith Station 35-33, Lanier 57 - 24, Elmore County 36-33, and finishing with an overall team re-cord of 6-11-1. At Sectionals, the Trojans finished seventh overall.

Coaches Craig Duncan, Pat

Freed, and Stephen Payne hope the team will continue to prog-ress and mature as wrestlers. The team loses seniors Josh Flem-ing, Frazier Hull, and John Neu-bauer, but has many promising underclassmen that wrestled on the junior varsity team this year.

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4 Sports The Odyssey February 14, 2007

STJ softball champs return with experience

Loss of hot bats not dampening spirits of STJ baseball champs

Fresh off of two state championships the Trojans varsity soft-

ball team is preparing for the 2007 season. The Trojans have eight returning starters and five seniors, having lost just two seniors. Returning seniors include Shelly Scott, Joanna Reynolds, Taylor Gunter, Jama Hanna, and Kelly Michelle

Lewis.Last year the Trojans de-

feated Gulf Shores 2-0 and 3-1 in the final series of the 4A State Tournament. They only lost one game throughout the state playoffs and finished the season with a record of 33-9-0.

“The team is very excit-ed about the season,” junior

Robyn Harmon said. “We’ll just have to play hard, see where the season takes us, and hope we fin-ish strong.”

Coach Karl Smeltzer is hoping for another good season this year. Smeltzer has won three state championships at Saint James since he began coaching in 2001.

“As long as we continue to work and don’t become compla-cent, I believe we can be very successful this year,” Smeltzer

said.This year, home games will

be played on what used to be the junior varsity’s game field. Dur-ing the off-season, new concrete dugouts, bleachers and lights were added in preparation for the upcoming season.

Tryouts for the 2007 season were held Feb. 6-8, with returning players starting practice Feb. 6.

After losing eight se-niors, the varsity baseball team looks

to regroup and put together an-other championship team. This year’s roster will be made up of Chad Crews, Michael Bird, Will Martin, Clark Gray, Daniel Hub-bard, Mitch Lawrence, Chase Eley, Blaine Joyner, Matt Burn-side, David Johnson, Matt Dean, Derek Bradley, Rollins Brock, Trent Green and Pete Williams.

Many players returned from last year, but seven members of the team are new.

“In my first year playing base-ball, I am very excited and I hope we can win state again,” junior Chad Crews said.

The baseball team lost some key offensive and defensive start-ers from last year’s championship team.

Three of the top four leaders in batting averages last year were seniors. Losing Bruce Alter, Tyler Henry and Montgomery Adver-tiser 1A-4A All-Metro Player of

the Year, Taylor Thompson, will leave holes in the field that need to be filled by new players com-ing up.

“We will definitely miss Tay-lor’s speed,” coach Keith Lucky said, “but Mitch and Blaine are looking to carry the load of the team.”

Joyner is the returning state tournament MVP and is looking to lead the team to another state championship.

“I am looking forward to this season and I hope we can enjoy the same success as last year,” ju-nior Blaine Joyner said.

The team will face some dif-ferent opponents this year, prom-ising a very challenging sched-ule for the Trojans. These new teams include Trinity, Robert E. Lee, Bullock County and Russell County.

“I think Trinity will be a lot better this year than they have been in the past because they have many returning seniors,” Lucky said.

Returning seniors Rollins Brock and Mitch Lawrence hope to lead the team back to the state championship as well. Many un-derclassmen will be counted on to

By Matt Dean

By Daniel DiLauraNews Editor

Photo by Sara Butts Sophomore Matt Dean gets set to swing at a pitch during a game in the 2006 season. The Trojans won the state championship last year and hope to build on the momentum of that season.

Photo by Stacy RutterThe Lady Trojans softball team celebrates their 2006 softball State Champion-ship. The team hopes to continue their success in 2007.

replace some seniors at key positions. Overall, the baseball team is

hoping to continue their success from last season. Sometimes a team with a state title under their belt becomes complacent, but the Trojans say they remain hungry for another state title.

8157 Vaughn RoadMontgomery AL, 36116

Phone: 334-277-2840

5OpinionsThe Odyssey February 14, 2007

The Odyssey Staff Editor-in-Chief Jordan Chambless

Business Manager Wes Davis

Section EditorsNews Daniel DiLauraSports Coleman McDowell Opinions Coleman McDowellFeatures Jordan ChamblessEntertainment Sam Susock

General Reporters Sara Butts Matt Dean Will Fuller Drew Hoover Richard Labovitz

Photographer Sara Butts

Advisor Sandra Polizos

Member Alabama Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) and Journalism Education Association.

Recipient of the ASPA All Alabama Award 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002Recipient of the Troy School of Journalism Hallmark Award 2000, 2001, 2003

The Odyssey is published six times a year. The opinions in the Odyssey are the view expressed by

individual staff members. This is not necessarily representative of the opinions of the faculty,

administration, parents, students, or advisor.

The Odyssey welcomes letters to the editor. The letters must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit the letter before publication for length.

Saint James School 6010 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36116 (334) 277-8033 ext. 116spolizos@stjweb.org

Do SparkNotes hurt students’ academic credibility?Most Saint James stu-

dents have all expe-rienced the feeling

of complete and utter panic when they realize a book has to be read by this Wednesday, not the next. So what should a student do when they have but a few days to complete a 300-page book? Try bargaining with a teacher? Try to speed-read as fast as pos-sible? But what about all the other homework, tests, quizzes, and extracurricular activities stu-dents have? Do they try to read the book or resort to SparkNotes?

SparkNotes contain all the information necessary to get the overall gist of a book. But what is missing from simply reading SparkNotes is the style of writing, the eloquence of the carefully-chosen words, the imagery, and most importantly, the develop-ment of students’ imaginations as they watch a story unfold before their very eyes. With honor being a major emphasis for the 2006-07 school year, it’s easy to see how teachers are offended when their students use SparkNotes.

It’s also easy to see how teach-ers believe using SparkNotes is a form of academic dishonesty. Books assigned to STJ students are considered great pieces of litera-

ture, and worthy of the student’s time. Colleges even assign some of the books STJ students read in high school. That is what makes it such a big deal to disregard the book, simply to try and find a quicker way of making a good grade. That’s why English teach-

ers have decided to take a stand against the use of all SparkNotes. In an attempt to show students that SparkNotes are not condoned at Saint James, the teachers would even like to have the website blocked from school computers.

For sophomore English teach-er Linda McIntyre, the removal of SparkNotes shows that Saint James is taking a stand. She

feels that allowing SparkNotes on com-puters is the same as promoting their use.

Ninth grade Eng-lish teacher Kay Mc-Gaughey goes even further saying that students are hurt-ing themselves when they use SparkNotes. She believes it hurts them because all the thinking and analyzing is al-ready done for them.

And, honest-ly, if students use SparkNotes at school on the day of a test -- for a last min-ute cramming session -- then SparkNotes should be removed from computers. It isn’t fair to others who actually spent their time reading the book. The most annoying thing to happen in an English class is for some-one who just read SparkNotes to make a better grade than the stu-dent who actually read the book.

Teachers cannot control what students do at home. Whether or not they use SparkNotes is, obvi-ously, a personal decision. Hope-fully, it’s a decision that’s taken

seriously, and influenced by the Honor Code and by the assembly speakers who have been at school all this year. They’ve repeatedly reminded students that they’re shaping their own adult character right now, by the decisions they make and actions they take right.

The steps the faculty is taking show how strongly they feel about students rejecting SparkNotes. Teachers’ lesson plans and dis-cussions can be ruined if stu-dents only use SparkNotes. But the biggest loss is that students are cheating themselves out of a

valuable education—an educa-tion that’s come at a high price for someone in every STJ family.

With that in mind, it’s only log-ical to say that SparkNotes should be banned from Saint James com-puters. If students are allowed to use SparkNotes, then why shouldn’t they also have access to old math tests or history quizzes?

High school kids are con-stantly asking that they be al-lowed to think for themselves. If that’s really important, then why read SparkNotes at all?

Over 74% of Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day. Today’s holiday

originally began when a priest, St. Valentine, rebelled against the Roman Emperor Claudius and performed secret marriages for young lovers, despite orders to quit performing the marriages. St. Valentine was caught and sentenced to death. However, while he was in prison he fell in love with a young woman. He wrote her a letter before his execution, which happened to be on Feb. 14, and signed it “from your Valentine.” Since then, Feb. 14 has been known as “St. Valentine’s Day.”

Today, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a “Hallmark” holiday, where people give special gifts like flowers, chocolates, and fancy cards adorned in lace to their precious loved ones. People from around the world participate in this romantic day and each country celebrates it with their own unique customs and traditions.

For example, in Spain and Austria, it is customary for a man to simply present his beloved with a handful of flowers. A unique custom in Britain is for children to sing special songs of love and in return receive money or sweets. Scotland celebrates “V-day” with both parties exchanging simple gifts in the form of a love-token. Other countries such as France and Germany have very subtle traditions in which a simple greeting and message are given out.

America, on the other hand, celebrates this day with much

thought and planning. According to the American Card Company, over one billion cards are sent out on this day, a number that tops cards sales of all of the holidays except Christmas. Stores start piling in special holiday edition, colored-candy right after the Santa and Rudolph decorations are taken down. Men and women plan romantic evenings and buy detailed gifts for one another without any hesitation. It is even

estimated that 15% of the U.S. women send themselves flowers on this day just to “fit in” with the romantic spirit of the day. And, America is the only country to celebrate Valentine’s

Day in the classroom: American children exchange valentines with friends at school and there may even be a classroom party.

By comparing American traditions with those simple customs of Spain and Scotland, is it safe to assume that America celebrates Valentine’s Day to the extreme? The real meaning of Feb. 14 tells the tale of a man who died for love, so how then has it evolved into a day of commercial hoopla for candy and card manufacturers?

Valentine’s Day should be kept simple. It shouldn’t take months and months of advertising to remind people to buy elaborate gifts for their loved ones. Valentine’s Day is not about materialism; it, instead, should be about a kind, simple gesture to tell someone you love them. Remember, it is about sharing the love, not going broke.

Valentine’s Day to the Xtreme

“If students are allowed to use SparkNotes, then why shouldn’t they also have ac-cess to old math tests or history

q u i z z e s ? ”Cartoon by Hunter Cronier

6 Features The Odyssey February 14, 2007Th

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Tenth Grade’s Cutt CoupleJordan Chambl & Matt Dean

One year and six months

Ninth Grade’s Cutt Couple Caroline Mitchell & Jam Wtervelt Three years

He said:How did you meet?- We met on the playground by the swings in the fourth grade. What was your first date?- We went to a movie and had Mellow Mushroom afterwards. What is her best quality?- Her best quality is her sense of humor. She is a funny gal. What is your favorite thing to do together?- Go out to eat, hang out, teach her how to do three-point turns, recite lines from Scrubs, etc.

She said:How did you meet?- We knew of each other in the fourth grade, but we didn’t re-ally meet face to face until fifth grade when he helped me pick up my books after I dropped them when I was changing classes. What was your first date?- We went to a movie and out to eat.What is his best quality?- He’s rather funny, and smart. He’s also quite patient when he helps me with geometry. What is your favorite thing to do together?- Cruise around in the Mazda to vari-ous locations in Montgomery. Or just hang out together.

He said:How did you meet?- We met in second grade. What was your first date?- A movie and dinner.What is her best quality?- She has a great sense of humor.What is your favorite thing to do together?- We enjoy hanging out together and talking on the phone.

She said:How did you meet?- We met when we were in the second grade. What was your first date?- We went out to the movies.What is his best quality?- His best qualities are his eyes and his smile. What is your favorite thing to do together?- We pretty much do everything together.

By Jordan ChamblessEditor

Photo by Sara Butts

Photo by Sara Butts

The Odyssey’s Love Connection Sets Up Two Fun Dates The fourth annual

Odyssey “Love Connection” took place

on the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27. The Odyssey sent out forms asking the willing participants to answer questions about their innermost feelings. Some of the questions included what trait they thought was most attractive about a person, what feature they found most attractive in a person, what kind of extracurricular activities they liked, and whether they were an introvert or an extrovert.

The Odyssey received over twenty applications, which

were narrowed down to two couples.

The first couple chosen was senior Shelly Scott and junior

Chris Johnson. The second couple chosen was Laura Ostrye and Brian Haven, both sophomores. The Odyssey paid for the couples to go out, so each pair picked an envelope containing money for their date. One envelope contained fifty dollars while the other one only had twenty-five. Chris Johnson picked the envelope

Photo by Jordan ChamblessShelly Scott and Chris Johnson prepare to enjoy a meal at East Chase’s Cheeburger, Cheeburger. The two were the recipients of the $25 date.

The Odyssey’s Love Connection Sets Up Two Fun Dates

The Odyssey’s Love Connection Sets Up Two Fun Dates

7FeaturesThe Odyssey February 14, 2007

Eleventh Grade’s Cutt CoupleLinzlee Brazeal & Coleman McDowellOne year and two months

He said:How did you meet?- We met in Spanish 2 in Sr. Saavedra’s class. We were sitting on opposite sides of the room until Sr. Saavedra made a seating chart and we were basically beside each other. The seating chart was random, according to Sr. Saave-dra, so I guess it was destiny but we owe it all to Sr. Saavedra. What was your first date?- Our first date was Assembly 2005. We went to Maca-roni Grill and Assembly. It was a perfect first date. What is her best quality?- Linzlee’s best quality is the way she can always make me smile. I can’t think of anything I would change about her. What is your favorite thing to do together?- I would have to say our favorite thing to do would be to go to Street Cafe and to a movie.

She said:How did you meet?- We met in Spanish 2 last year.What was your first date?- Our first date was Macaroni Grill.What is his best quality?- His thoughtfulness. What is your favorite thing to do together?- We like to go to dinner and movies.

The Saint Jam

Odyey is proud to prent the Cutt Coupl of ‘07.

Kelsey Welch & George Mardre Ten Months Twelfth Grade’s Cutt Couple

He said:How did you meet?- We met on a ski trip.What was your first date?- For our first date, we went fishing.What is her best quality?- Kelsey’s best quality is her person-ality. What is your favorite thing to do together?- We like to eat foreign foods.

She said:How did you meet?- We met on a ski trip for Younglife. What was your first date?- We went on a fishing trip. What is his best quality?- His best quality is his sense of humor. What is your favorite thing to do together?- We like to watch movies.

Photo by Sara Butts

Photo by Sara Butts

The Odyssey’s Love Connection Sets Up Two Fun Dates containing twenty-five

dollars.Shelly and Chris’

date was a casual lunch at popular East Chase restaurant Cheeburger, Cheeburger on Saturday afternoon.

“It was nice to randomly get the chance to know a female student at school, that otherwise I normally wouldn’t get to know,” Johnson said.

Saturday night, after the girl’s basketball team won a close 67-62 match-up against rival Montgomery

Academy, Laura Ostrye

raced the clock to meet her date, Brian, by their 7:00 appointed time.

“We had calzones at Mellow Mushroom and they were delicious,” Haven said.

Following their meal, the couple went next-door to Rave Motion Pictures to see Matthew McConaughey in the movie “We Are Marshall,” a sad, but true story of a West Virginia football team killed in a freak plane crash.

“The movie and food were both good. He was a great date because he was such a gentleman. Overall, we had a great time,” Ostrye said.

This year’s “Love Connection,” although perhaps not successful in finding lifelong love, was definitely a winner in matching two couples for two fun dates.

Photo by Jordan ChamblessBrian Haven and Laura Ostrye take time out of their meal to take a picture at Mellow Mushroom, near Rave Motion Pictures where they later saw a movie.

8 Features The Odyssey February 14 2007

What are your Spring Break plans?

Beach 51%Skiing 13.5% Cruise 2%Out of Country 4%Fun with Family 4.5%Staying Home 12% Other 13%

Compiled by Sara Butts, Photographer. 227 students polled.

Steps to Staying Healthy It’s winter again and with

the season come brisk winds, dreary rains, and,

of course, coughing and sneezing. Many students are absent or must check out because they are sick. As the weather becomes colder, the chance of catching a cold or the flu greatly increases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold

According to some estimates, in the course of a year, people in the United States suffer one billion colds. The symptoms of the common cold - stuffy nose, sore throat, hoarseness, and cough - are very well known. Many viruses can cause colds, with the rhinovirus being the most common. The virus can enter through the mouth, nose, or eyes. But it can also be spread through hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold or by using shared objects, such as utensils, telephones, or other objects. Touching one’s eyes, nose, or mouth after such contact is likely to give the person a cold.

High School Principal’s Assistant Cindy Timmerman says that she sees more student absences and checkouts because of sickness this time of year than any other.

“There are probably six to eight more students that check out [during the winter] per day because of feeling bad,” Timmerman said.

Many doctors claim that keeping hands clean, getting the right amount of sleep, staying hydrated, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth can help to prevent catching the cold or flu virus.

“I make sure I always get my flu shot when I need it and keep my hands clean,” STJ junior Brett Lankford said.

Although completely prevent-ing the flu and colds is unreason-able, there are many ways people can avoid these ailments by tak-ing more care to remain germ- free during their daily routine.

By Matt DeanStaff Writer

Doctors suggest this method to assure a germ-free hand-washing experience:

-Turn on fauc.-Take paper towel from paper towel dispenser.-Lather hands with soap for at least 20 sonds (or long enough for you to sing one verse of Old McDonald.)-Rinse.-Repeat if nary.-Dry hands off with paper towel.-With paper towel still in hand, turn door handle, open door, turn, and toss towel in wastebask.

Don’t touch that doorknob!

9FeaturesThe Odyssey February 14, 2007

Latin beat heats up Cabaret

The Saint James Perform-ing Arts Guild (PAG) has been producing an an-

nual Cabaret since 2000, but this year’s production may have been the spiciest show yet. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (living the crazy life), a song and dance revue that celebrated the Latin influ-ence in popular music, played to sell-out crowds on Feb. 1-3.

Featuring popular Latin songs such as “La Bamba” and “Copa Cabana,” drama teacher Lon-nie Harrison and Choral Direc-tor Lis Donaldson produced the live Latin-themed show.

Preparing for the show took several weeks of practice ev-eryday after school from 3:30-6:00 PM and sometimes on the weekends. Practices began af-ter holiday break and contin-ued all the way until show time.

Roughly 120 students in grades 6-12 participated in this year’s Cabaret program. Unlike the fall play and spring musi-cal, there are no auditions and anyone from Saint James has the opportunity to participate.

“Cabaret is great way for anyone interested in singing and dancing to simply come and participate. There are no

auditions for Cabaret. All we ask is for them to dedicate their time in practices and be will-ing to have a good time,” drama teacher Lonnie Harrison said.

Along with the many rehearsals for the singers and dancers of Cabaret, Saint James technical theater also put in a significant amount of hard work and long hours. “Tech” Theater is responsible for the sets, sounds, lights, tickets, and publicity. All of these essential elements contributed to the show’s outcome and success.

Costumes and food for Cabaret were designed and prepared by the PAG. Desserts were served on Thursday and Friday night, along with “tapas” (Spanish snacks). These tasty treats included salsa and bean dip, empanadas, smoked almonds, espresso brownies, and sangria. On Saturday night, a Latin dinner

menu was featured, provided by Silver Spoon caterers. The dinner included Cuban bread salad, roasted chicken with lime salsa, and espresso tres leches cake.

Cabaret not only provided an entertaining show of singing and dancing for Saint James students, staff, and parents, but also offered a chance to raise capital for the PAG. The Guild helps to support many of the activities in the Performing Arts Department throughout the year.

Year after year, Cabaret offers an entertaining evening of live music and dancing performances. Cast members continue to come back and perform because of the good experiences and memories they always make while preparing for the show.

At the conclusion of each night’s performance, the President of the Saint James Performing

Arts Guild, Heidi Gillespie, came on stage to talk about the importance of Cabaret in helping students learn life lessons by working together as a team while getting to know each other better. Gillespie also recognized all of the volunteers that contributed to this year’s Cabaret, including Cheryl Missildine, chairperson for the event, and Rosa Zimmerman, who helped choreograph intricate Latin

dance moves used for the Cabaret. “I have been doing Cabaret ev-

ery year since the 8th grade and I love it so much. What makes it so fun is being able to sing and dance, not to mention Ms. Donaldson and Mr. Harrison’s great amount of enthusiasm and support,” sophomore Anne Elisabeth Poe said. “ Cabaret is just a wonderful experience and by doing it I have meet so many wonderful people.”

By Sam SusockEntertainment Editor

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10 Features The Odyssey February 14, 2007

Faculty Spotlight

By Richard LabovitzStaff Writer After weeks of preparation,

Saint James first graders intrigued audiences with

their storybook imaginations in the performance of “Magic Carpet Ride,” a play in which students come into contact with storybook characters such as the Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, and Clifford. This is the second year that the play, presented on Jan. 24-26, has been produced at Saint James.

George Kent, who played the storybook character, Clifford, said he really enjoyed being in the play.

“My favorite part was dancing to ‘Who Let the Dogs Out,’ ” Kent said. “I wasn’t nervous at all because we practiced a lot.”

To prepare for the play, teachers assigned parts to children who really fit the characters.

Students participated by reading the stories they performed, helping Mrs. Terry with scenery, and reciting their lines. Parents of the first graders also played a key role in the play by helping make costumes and assisting their children with their lines.

Mary Emily Taylor, who played Alice in Wonderland, said, “I really enjoyed being in the play, and my favorite part was the Three Billy Goats Gruff.”

First grade teacher, Mrs. Nancy Martin, wrote the majority of the play. Although the play has been performed at Saint James before, teachers changed the production by adding and removing song selections from the previous year.

“I definitely feel that the performance went well. All of the children knew their lines, and everyone was on cue,” first grade teacher Mrs. Vicky Christie said.

Teachers say they feel that the play is important because it helps overcome shyness in quiet children. Mrs. Vicky Christie said that with a group, the shyer children are more active, and they want to be the ones to shine.

“In some cases, it brings out their hidden talents,” Christie said.

(right) Declan Fitzpatrick, a Dr. Seuss character, and (below) other first graders dressed as storybook characters for the an-nual class play. Photos by Sara Butts

First grade puts new spin on old storiesBy Sara ButtsStaff Writer

Photo by Sara Butts

Q: Where are you from?Mrs. McBrayer: Long Island, New York

Q: Do you have previous teaching experience?Mrs. McBrayer: I worked in an inter-city school with children who were impover-ished. The school was plagued with violence, a lot of young criminals, kids with criminal records already.

Q: Are you married? Children?Mrs. McBrayer: Yes and yes. I have one three-year-old son, Grady.

Q: What are your plans and goals while teaching at Saint James?Mrs. McBrayer: My goal is to establish an excellent middle school program, for my stu-dents to participate in competi-tions and have outside expo-sure to the art community.

Q: Did you expect STJ stu-dents to be different than they are?Mrs. McBrayer: Not differ-ent, just very pleased with stu-dents. They are all very kind and considerate. Above all, the kids here make me laugh all day long. I love this job be-cause I go home smiling.

Q: What is your favorite food?Mrs.McBrayer: Thai food and sushi.

Q: What type of music do you listen to?Mrs. McBrayer: Reggae, al-ternative rock

Q: What is your favorite movie?Mrs. McBrayer: I like for-eign films, but some others are Wedding Crashers, Napoleon Dynamite, and Old School.

Q: Who is your favorite actor?Mrs. McBrayer: MatthewMc-Conaughey.

Q: What is your favorite sport?Mrs. McBrayer: Hockey and soccer, but I also do karate, scuba diving, and horseback riding.

Q: What artists inspired your love of art? Why?Mrs. McBrayer: Len Matisse inspired me bacause of his fresh use of color.

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11EntertainmentThe Odyssey February 14, 2007

Directed by Neil Burg-er (Interview with the Assassin), The

Illusionist was released on DVD Jan. 9. The Illusionist is about a magician (Edward Norton – Fight Club, The Italian Job) who tries to use his powers to make a woman (Jessica Biel – 7th Heav-en, I’ll Be Home for Christmas), whom of a higher social class than he, fall in love with him. The catchphrase, “nothing is what it seems,” is used throughout the movie and perfectly describes the mood. The movie takes place in Vienna, Austria in 1900.

Eisenheim (Norton) pulls tricks that are so bizarre many people in the audience believe he is working with the supernatural. Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti – Saving Private Ryan, Cinderella Man) and Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell – A Knight’s Tale, The Legend of Zorro) believe that Eisenheim is a fraud and try to expose him. Crown Prince Leo-pold is the heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. During one of Eisenheim’s performances, Crown Prince Leopold sends his fiancé, soon-to-be Princess So-phie (Biel), on stage as a volun-teer. Eisenheim immediately rec-ognizes Sophie because he had

Love story, magic make The Illusionist engaging

been madly in love with her in his earlier years. When she recog-nizes him later in the movie, she remembers loving him. The two immediately fall in love again, angering Crown Prince Leopold. He orders Inspector Uhl to shut down Eisenheim’s performances.

The acting throughout the movie is fantastic. Edward Nor-ton, who has already shown he can play any role assigned in films like The Score and Rounders, de-livers a masterful performance as the main character in The Illu-sionist. Jessica Biel, whose good looks have guaranteed acting

By Richardd LabovitzStaff Writer

jobs, shows in The Illusionist that she indeed can act. Paul Giamatti, struggling through his film career to prove himself as an actor, de-livers a wonderful performance as one of the two major antagonists. Rufus Sewell convincingly plays the major antagonist, a role he has played previously many times.

If you enjoy magic, love stories, or historical fiction dramas, The Illusionist is the movie for you. The Illusionist is from the produc-ers of Crash and James Bond 007 Casino Royale and is rated PG for violence and sexual content.

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12 Photo Gallery The Odyssey February 14, 2007

(above) Students in Mrs. McIntyre’s sophomore Advanced English class and K5 students in Mrs. Dedee Echol’s kindergarten class worked on a joint project to provide stuffed animals to ChildProtect, an agency working with children who are victims of child abuse. Pictured: Matt Dean, Jordan Chambless, and Michael Bird, along with Mrs. Echol’s students, prepare to donate the stuffed animals purchased with money raised by the two classes. (Photo by Sandra Polizos)(right) Taylor Arabian proudly displays his “Numbers Don’t Lie” essay written for Investwrite, the Foundation for Investor Educa-tion. Arabian placed first in the state and ninth in the nation in an essay competition. His paper compared the two discount compa-nies, Walmart and Target. Arabian won $100 for his effort, which was a part of the overall stock market simulation game played by Mrs. Lathem’s Economics class. (Photo by Sandra Polizos)

Saint James High School prinicipal John Murray talks with outgoing Chief Justice Drayton Nabers before a January assembly that focused on character education. (Photo by Sandra Polizos)

(above) 1st grade teacher Mrs. Vicky Christie plays with prospective kindergarten students attending pre-K4 and K5 Open House on Jan. 16. (Photo by Sandra Polizos)(right) Sophomore Michael Bird wrestles with an opponent during the State Championship meet. Four STJ wrestlers competed at the event, which took place in Pelham on Feb. 2- 3. (Photo by Kelsi Caraway)

GIDDY UP! Junior Victoria Champion hoists her trophy after being named the 2006 American Saddlebred Horse Association of Alabama’s Oustanding Youth. Champion chose from a $1500 scholarship or a Shively competition saddle. (Courtesy of B. Champion)