The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

14
Friday Saturday Sunday 40°/13° 43°/17° 39°/13° Visit the Blazing Sun Online at: www.tinyurl.com/thstbs Or find us on Facebook: The Blazing Sun Torrington High School Thursday, December 8, 2011 Volume 17, Issue 6 Marissa Servantez: Miss Merry Christmas! Torrington plays host to FBLA LEADS. Activities Features FFA members round up awards at Laramie’s Cowboy Classic Mackenzy P. Columnist FFAers hit the home of the Wyoming CowboysLaramie, Wyo- ming, to participate in the Cowboy Classic. FFA members evaluated live- stock, meat and technology, and also agriculture and technology. Sixteen students were involved in this trip from THS, including juniors Austin M., Jose Martinez,, Mikayla M., and Nick V.; sophomore Tyler P.,; and freshman Trey F., Jordan S., and Matt R. partici- pated in the livestock evaluation. Freshmen Justin P., Matt Richardson, Kady C., Shalon B., and Tracy G. participated in meat and technology. Junior Garrett D., sophomore Brett S., and freshman Kayce L. were the agriculture mechanics team. Awards were earned by fresh- man, sophomore, and juniors who went to the Cowboy Classic competition. Matt and Tracy were the cham- pions for the Meat Evaluating and Technology, Nick, Mikayla, Tyler, and Jose won the Livestock Evaluation championship. Nick won high individual over- all, high individual in swine, second high in sheep and fifth high in reasons. Mikayla won high overall in reasons and beef cattle, and reserve champion overall. Tyler won third in reasons and fifth individual overall. Participants judge classes of cattle, sheep, or hogs and then justify- ing (or give reasons for) those choices for each species. Trey enjoyed doing this because he ―just likes doing it.‖ Brett said that in agriculture mechanics they did horri- bly, since there is a lot more to learn in this group then the livestock, and meat and technology. Brooks placed fourth in meat judging , and plans to go again since it was fun. Mikayla who won may awards had a few thoughts when it come to the Cowboy Classic. ―We judged well as a team. We were consistent which was good and will benefit us at convention because they are now counting all four scores. I was high individual in reason, won hogs, second high individual over- all. I need work on judging lambs (because I have personal preference).‖ All members felt that the Tor- rington FFA did well in the Cowboy Classic,, and they look forward to con- tinuing success throughout the school year. Avery M. Columnist ―The difference between perse- verance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.‖ ~Henry Ward Beecher. A number of THS athletes demonstrated perseverance throughout their fall sports seasons and were rewarded by being named to All-State and All-Conference teams. Between football, volleyball, cross country, golf, and tennis, THS had twelve ath- letes who received at least one of these awards. ―I am very proud of our players who were recognized for post season awards. Had we won more games, we would have gotten more recognition, so that should be motivation for our guys next year,‖ said head football coach, Mark Lenhardt. Seniors Zach L. and Frank S. were both recognized for All- Conference football along with junior Nick P. Zach was also an All-State football recipient. ―I‘m proud to be part of the team that backed me to be an All-Stater, because in Nebraska it never would have hap- pened,‖ commented Zach. Frank added, ―I was very surprised to get All-Conference, but very happy. I wish I could've done better. I think we had a good year, even though our record did- n't show it. I wish the best of luck to the team next year.‖ ―I was actually surprised to get All-Conference to be honest. My goal for next year is to get All-State if I can,‖ Nick said. The 2011 volley- ball team was host to two All -Conference players, as well. Sopho- more Avery M. and Junior Shai S. both received All- Conference honors, with Schaefer receiving All-State for the second year in a row. ―I wasn‘t expecting it because it‘s so political,‖ said Shai. ―I was happy but I wish there would've been more people on our team to get it. Next year I want to learn to jump serve harder than Kassidy S. [Douglas],‖ she added. ―I was really happy about get- ting All-Conference this year, although I was disappointed that I was so close to getting All-State and didn‘t get it. I‘m hoping to re- ceive All-State next year,‖ said Madden. ―I‘m really looking forward to volleyball season next year.‖ Head Coach Lori Byrd had nothing but positive things to say about her recipi- ents. ―Receiving a post sea- son award like All-Conference and All-State is not only an honor for that individual, but an honor for their teammates. I am very proud of Shai S., Avery M., and our All-Conference Honorable Men- tions Chris- tian B. and Matty J.‖ Ten- nis was no different, as three ath- letes were named All- Conference along with one All- S t a t e award. Sen- ior siblings Nick B. and Mikayla B. and junior Cameron K. captured All- Conference honors along with Mikayla B. receiving All-State for the first year. ―To get All-Conference in Ten- nis is pretty prestigious,‖ head coach Mary Perkins said. ―Anyone who can pull off All-Conference and All-State in Tennis is great because they‘re going against 4A schools. They all worked hard this summer. ―I never expect any- thing, but I hope their hard work pays off. You can never disrespect your oppo- nent because you never know what they‘re going to throw at you. I‘m really go- ing to miss the Nick and Mikayla‘s work ethic and leadership at practices. Now I want to know, who‘s going to step up next year? The good thing is, somebody always does. We‘ve always been pretty lucky,‖ Coach Perkins added. Nick B. was very pleased with his performance this year. ―It‘s a good way to end the year…‖ Continued on Page 13 THS “sports” some of the best athletes of the state Sixteen participants compete in several areas of agriculture 2 Opinion 3-4 Activity 5-7 Sports 8-13 Christmas Features 12 Senior Spotlight All-Conference Honorable Mentions Football: Blake Wisroth Ryan Lewandowski Evan Ponce Manny Martinez James Ottman Volleyball Matty Jolovich Christian Bila

description

Miss Merry Christmas, the abscence of cheerleaders and FBLA Community Service week!

Transcript of The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page 1: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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Visit the Blazing Sun Online at: www.tinyurl.com/thstbs Or find us on Facebook: The Blazing Sun

Torrington High School Thursday, December 8, 2011 Volume 17, Issue 6

Marissa Servantez: Miss

Merry Christmas!

Torrington plays host

to FBLA LEADS.

Activities

Features

FFA members round up awards at Laramie’s Cowboy Classic

Mackenzy P. Columnist

FFAers hit the home of the

Wyoming Cowboys—Laramie, Wyo-

ming, to participate in the Cowboy

Classic.

FFA members evaluated live-

stock, meat and technology, and also

agriculture and technology. Sixteen

students were involved in this trip from

THS, including juniors Austin M., Jose

Martinez,, Mikayla M., and Nick V.;

sophomore Tyler P.,; and freshman

Trey F., Jordan S., and Matt R. partici-

pated in the livestock evaluation.

Freshmen Justin P., Matt

Richardson, Kady C., Shalon B., and

Tracy G. participated in meat and

technology.

Junior Garrett D., sophomore

Brett S., and freshman Kayce L. were

the agriculture mechanics team.

Awards were earned by fresh-

man, sophomore, and juniors who went

to the Cowboy Classic competition.

Matt and Tracy were the cham-

pions for the Meat Evaluating and

Technology, Nick, Mikayla, Tyler, and

Jose won the Livestock Evaluation

championship.

Nick won high individual over-

all, high individual in swine, second

high in sheep and fifth high in reasons.

Mikayla won high overall in reasons

and beef cattle, and reserve champion

overall. Tyler won third in reasons and

fifth individual overall.

Participants judge classes of

cattle, sheep, or hogs and then justify-

ing (or give reasons for) those choices

for each species.

Trey enjoyed doing this because

he ―just likes doing it.‖ Brett said that

in agriculture mechanics they did horri-

bly, since there is a lot more to learn in

this group then the livestock, and meat

and technology. Brooks placed fourth in

meat judging , and plans to go again

since it was fun.

Mikayla who won may awards

had a few thoughts when it come to the

Cowboy Classic. ―We judged well as a

team.

We were consistent which was

good and will benefit us at convention

because they are now counting all four

scores. I was high individual in reason,

won hogs, second high individual over-

all. I need work on judging lambs

(because I have personal preference).‖

All members felt that the Tor-

rington FFA did well in the Cowboy

Classic,, and they look forward to con-

tinuing success throughout the school

year.

Avery M. Columnist

―The difference between perse-

verance and obstinacy is that one

comes from a strong will, and the other

from a strong won't.‖

~Henry Ward Beecher.

A number of THS

athletes demonstrated

perseverance throughout

their fall sports seasons

and were rewarded by

being named to All-State

and Al l -Conference

teams. Between football,

volleyball, cross country,

golf, and tennis, THS had twelve ath-

letes who received at least one of these

awards.

―I am very proud of our players

who were recognized for post season

awards. Had we won more games, we

would have gotten more recognition, so

that should be motivation for our guys

next year,‖ said head football coach,

Mark Lenhardt.

Seniors Zach L. and Frank S.

were both recognized for All -

Conference football along with junior

Nick P. Zach was also an All-State

football recipient.

―I‘m proud to be part of the

team that backed me

to be an All-Stater,

because in Nebraska it

never would have hap-

pened,‖ commented

Zach.

Frank added,

―I was very surprised

to get All-Conference,

but very happy. I

wish I could've done

better. I think we had

a good year, even

though our record did-

n't show it. I wish the best of luck to

the team next year.‖

―I was actually surprised to get

All-Conference to be honest. My goal

for next year is to get All-State if I

can,‖ Nick said.

T h e

2011 volley-

ball team was

host to two All

-Con fe rence

players, as

well. Sopho-

more Avery

M. and Junior

Shai S. both

received All-

Conference honors,

with Schaefer receiving All-State for

the second year in a row.

―I wasn‘t expecting it because

it‘s so political,‖ said Shai. ―I was

happy but I wish there would've been

more people on our team to get it.

Next year I want to learn to jump serve

harder than Kassidy S. [Douglas],‖ she

added.

―I was really happy about get-

ting All-Conference

this year, although I

was disappointed that

I was so close to getting

All-State and didn‘t get

it. I‘m hoping to re-

ceive All-State

next year,‖ said

Madden. ―I‘m really looking

forward to volleyball season

next year.‖

Head Coach Lori Byrd

had nothing but positive

things to say about her recipi-

ents.

―Receiving a post sea-

son award like All-Conference

and All-State is not only an

honor for that individual, but

an honor for their teammates. I am

very proud of Shai S., Avery M., and

our All-Conference Honorable Men-

tions Chris-

tian B. and

Matty J.‖

Ten-

nis was no

different, as

three ath-

letes were

named All-

Conference

along with

one All-

S t a t e

award. Sen-

ior siblings

Nick B. and

Mikayla B.

and junior Cameron K. captured All-

Conference honors along with Mikayla

B. receiving All-State for the first year.

―To get All-Conference in Ten-

nis is pretty prestigious,‖ head coach

Mary Perkins said. ―Anyone who can

pull off All-Conference and All-State in

Tennis is great because they‘re going

against 4A schools. They all worked

hard this summer.

―I never expect any-

thing, but I hope their hard

work pays off. You can

never disrespect your oppo-

nent because you never

know what they‘re going to

throw at you. I‘m really go-

ing to miss the Nick and Mikayla‘s

work ethic and leadership at practices.

Now I want to know, who‘s going to

step up next year? The good thing is,

somebody always does. We‘ve always

been pretty lucky,‖ Coach Perkins

added.

Nick B. was very pleased with

his performance this year. ―It‘s a good

way to end the year…‖

Continued on Page 13

THS “sports” some of the best athletes of the state

Sixteen participants compete in several areas of agriculture

2 Opinion

3-4 Activity

5-7 Sports

8-13 Christmas Features

12 Senior Spotlight

All-Conference

Honorable Mentions

Football:

Blake Wisroth

Ryan Lewandowski

Evan Ponce

Manny Martinez

James Ottman

Volleyball

Matty Jolovich

Christian Bila

Page 2: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Nick P.

Page 2 Thursday December 8, 2011 Torrington High School

Dimitri N. Editor-in-Chief

Everyone keeps saying, year after year,

that the arrival of the holidays is earlier. How hor-

rid it is that we‘re obsessed with a materialistic

holiday. Or that Halloween and Thanksgiving are

getting rushed over. Or my personal favorite,

green and red replacing black and orange.

It‘s really not that bad.

Yes, the holiday season is undoubtedly

here, but how has its early arrival had a negative

impact on someone? Quite the contrary. Several

psychological studies have indicated that the

population, as a whole, is much happier during

the holidays than other parts of the year. Nothing

new.

It‘s obvious that the holidays bring explo-

sion of colors, mountains of food, and magic in the

air. How could one not be joyful with that as the

environment?!

But why? Why is Christmas and company

being advertised so early in the year?

Simple—

it‘s all about money. Huge retailers such as Tar-

get, Macy‘s, and Walmart have put much into ad-

vertising the holiday inventory, and it‘s working.

One Target regional manager said, ―Retail

stores have to stay ahead of the holidays. So in-

stead of losing customers to competitors because

we don‘t have the appropriate seasonal items we

have to put it all out early.‖

Another for Casper‘s Macy‘s Department

Store commented that ―all the lines we carry have

to be up to date. We cannot afford to lose custom-

ers only because Macy‘s is behind on restocking.

The holidays are a season to look

good, and Macy‘s is the best place for

that.‖

Black Friday, the Friday im-

mediately following Thanksgiving,

brought in over fifty billion dollars in

income for the holiday season, and it‘s

only just begun.

In a dismal economy, the holi-

days are a nice distraction. Why is

everyone disgusted with the early

holiday season when it provides joy in

all areas of the world? The financial

industry enjoys beautiful, green num-

bers; the fashion industry sports at-

tractive styles; the food industry

dishes out the holiday favorites. The

entire nation is affected. If it‘s some-

thing positive for everyone, why is it

such a bad thing for the holidays to

arrive?

However, some still argue, the

holidays are being displayed earlier

and earlier this year. Target held a

two day sale on Friday and Saturday.

Macy‘s opened their stores at ten on

Thursday. Best Buy stores varied in

their opening times but a standard

midnight opening was present. Even

the online world was in a buzz. Apple

celebrated their only discount day

online for all their devices.

Perhaps the threatening manner Christ-

mas arrives in is disagreeable to Thanksgiving

lovers. I agree. Black Friday should be the official

start of the holiday season. But I don‘t think the

resentment of Christmas in November should be

entirely discouraged.

It is a time for enjoyment, being alive, and

giving. Why not start that early?

Happy holidays!

Holiday season is here; money and happiness as well

Joy to the

world, holiday

season is here!

Light up the tree! A Christmas tree is lit up at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Wikipedia Commons

Nick P. Opinions Editor

In every sport, the debate

between size and speed is never end-

ing. This is very evident in the game

of football.

Teams, especially from the

northern part of the United States,

tend to be larger in stature. Teams

from the north typically line up in

power formations and run it right at

their opponents, they aren‘t afraid to

hit someone in the teeth and are

tough, gritty, weight room warriors.

Speed defines a large num-

ber of teams from the western and

southern parts of this country. While

they are still strong, they are not

nearly as large as the larger teams.

These types of players are also track

athletes. These teams typically

spread their opponents out with

three, four, and sometimes five wide

receiver formations and get all their

speed all over the field.

But again, the debate: which

one is better?

The answer lies within the

use of the players.

What coaches and game

planners need to do is use their play-

ers to their strengths to get

their team and their play-

ers.

Does it make sense

to put a running back who

is 5‘11 tall and 175 lbs in

an offense that requires

grounding and pounding?

It might work, but it will

not be nearly as effective as

a running back who is

about 6‘0, 235 lbs.

We see different

types of players moved

around and traded until

the perfect fit for playing is

found for them. Former

five-star recruits have gone

to a school with a system

that does not fit their skill

set and completely wasted

their talent. Former All-

Americans have gone from

college to the NFL and

have not had the desired

success due to the systems in

place.

Who knows who Chris John-

son is? Based on the traditional NFL

systems, he was not supposed to suc-

ceed. The typical NFL running back

is bigger and more powerful. John-

son is not exactly big by NFL stan-

dards, but he did have a season

where he rushed for over 2,000

yards, garnering the nickname

CJ2K. Any form of player can be suc-

cessful at any level; they just need

the right fit for their skill set.

Though he hasn‘t matched that suc-

cess, he is definitely more than capa-

ble.

Instead of arguing which is

better between size and speed, the

coaches need to focus on one thing:

building the team around the

strengths of the personnel.

Size vs. speed: the debate is never going to end

Full head of steam! Giants running back Brandon Jacobs in

training camp. Jacobs is one of the largest running backs in the history of the NFL Wikipedia Commons

Slash and Dash! Chris Johnson (ball carrier) is widely known as one of the fastest running backs and

players in the NFL. Wikipedia Commons

Ground and Pound. Head Coach Bret

Bielema of the Wisconsin Badgers is known for his massive players on.

Wikipedia Commons

Page 3: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Torrington High School Thursday, December 8, 2011 Page 3

Page edited by Shai S.

A cowboy is a man with

guts and a good horse.

Cowboys in Vegas for National Finals Shai S.

Columnist

The 2011 National Finals Rodeo is about

to take action. 120 of the best cowboys and cow-

girls will meet at the Thomas and Mac Center in

Las Vegas to duke it out in ten of the toughest

rounds of rodeo to win a World title. Known as the

Super Bowl of rodeo, it is held the first full week of

December. The NFR was established in 1958, and

is still going strong. The past cities that hosted the

rodeo were in Dallas, TX then Los Angeles, CA ,

Oklahoma City, OK then in Las Vegas, NV. The

event takes place on the UNLV basketball court at

the Thomas and Mac Center.

NFR attendee Mr. Afdahl said,‖ There are

lots of people there. It was very fun and was a

good show. It‘s hard to predict who is going to win.

Like trying to chose a team to win the Super Bowl

before the first game. Anything is possible when

the rounds pay as much as they do.‖

Wyoming will be sending 6 cowboys to

compete for the world title in Saddlebroncs, Bare-

back, Calf Roping, Bulldogging, and team roping.

Seth Brockman and Seth Glause is also attending

the Wrangler National Finals for his first time.

Brockman will be competing in the Steer wres-

tling and Glause in the Bull riding. Both are from

Wheatland Wyoming. Tyler Willis– also from

Wheat land –

will be com-

peting in the

Bull riding as

well.

D e a n

Gorsuch-, a

former Alli-

ance Bulldog

is also in the

run for the

world title.

According to

the Las Vegas Gazette ―A

former Lancer

in Torrington,

and majoring

in Pipeline

Welding. Gor-

such tied Billy

Bugenig for

the average crown

with a total of 45.7

seconds over 10

runs and earned more than $93,000 at the NFR

for a season-total of more than $186,000. He

topped the field by nearly $20,000.‖ Gorsuch, is a

cowboy that is no stranger to competing with the

best of the best. A former World Champion Steer

wrestler in 2010.

Gettin‘ down in the dirt! Luke Branquino in the 2010 NFR in the Steer wrestling. Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Getting to know

The Freshman... What do you like about high school?

Lindsey L.—”The

sports programs.”

Ancelmo L.—

“There’s nothing

really to like.”

Reo R.— “Longer

classes and lunch

periods.”

Brandon B.—

“Welding and the

sports.”

Britney K.—

“The cute guys.”

Sydney H. Columnist

Christmas is just

around the corner, meaning a

new Miss Merry Christmas is

in town. Marissa S. was se-

lected as this years Miss

Merry Christmas after a lot

of hard work and dedication.

In order to achieve

this goal of hers, she first had

to go through filling out an

application. After filling that

out she went through many

interview questions, where

her most memorable question

was, ―Why do you want to be

Miss Merry Christmas?‖

Why she wanted to be

Miss Merry Christmas?

―I wanted to do this

to prove to myself and to my

family that I could step out of

my comfort zone. I wanted to

impress my family. And I

did!‖ Marissa said with a

smile on her face.

Being around all of

the different people is Ma-

rissa‘s favorite part, ―I love

meeting all different people

and spending so much time

with little kids.‖

Although Miss Merry

Christmas seems like a lot of

fun, it comes with some chal-

lenges.

―It‘s hard to keep up

on school work and always be

out and about. I have already

attended business after

hours, and Holliday Bizarre,‖

she said. ―I have also done a

puppet show at the Senior

Friendship Center.‖

―It takes up a lot of

my time and I have to be a

lot of different places,‖ Ma-

rissa commented. ―But it is

fun, and I am glad I was cho-

sen.‖

Marissa has one piece of ad-

vice for any young lady out

there wanting to try-out next

year.

―Be confident and

don't ever be afraid to step

out of your comfort zone!‖

Marissa S. claims title as Miss Merry Christmas

~OPEN 24 HOURS~

~365 DAYS A YEAR~

Open ALL Holidays

Pop•Snacks•Candy•Dairy

Fresh Baked Pasteries•Donuts

Cookies•Breads

Hot and Cold Sandwiches

Need a gift idea?

Give a Maverik card!

We have those last-

minute solutions for

holiday meals!

Page 4: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page 4 Thursday, December 8 2011 Blazing Sun

Page edited by Frank S. & Avery M.

Dimitri N. Editor-in-Chief

Membership Madness. Community ser-

vice. FBLA Week. Is there anything Torrington

FBLA can‘t do?

On November 17) Torrington High

School‘s Future Business Leaders of America

(FBLA) chapter‘s March of Dimes committee trav-

eled to Cheyenne and to Frontier Mall for the

Wyoming March of Dimes event.

For their contributions of over $230 and

participation in March of Dimes Month, THS

FBLA was invited to attend the Prematur-

ity World Day, held in major cities across

the globe.

The day consisted of spreading in-

formation and awareness of about prema-

ture births, and the work of the March of

Dimes, to the shopping public at Frontier

Mall.

Additionally, all participating Wyo-

ming chapters were treated to the personal story

of a young man saved by the charitable work of

the March of Dimes.

Today, the March of Dimes is the most

successful service organization in the world as

well as FBLA‘s signature charity. Collectively,

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. in

Reston, VA, has donated a staggering $15 million

to the March of Dimes in the past year.

Aside from the service aspect of FBLA, the

chapter‘s five officers attended the Local Execu-

tives Achieving Dynamic Success (LEADS) work-

shop, hosted by the district‘s Central Administra-

tion Building.

Torrington was selected to host the third

and final LEADS session after Buffalo and Lan-

der. Here, officers from chapters in attendance

enhanced their professional skills in leadership,

cooperation, and creativity in a variety of discus-

sion groups, games, and developmental activities.

―LEADS was one of the most rewarding

things that we, as an officer team, have done.‖

commented one officer. ―We collaborated with offi-

cer teams from Cheyenne East, Cheyenne South,

Wheatland, Lusk, and Lingle, not to mention

making great new friends.

―LEADS was also a

place where we could learn

about new things to do with the

rest of our chapter, whether

they are social events, more

community service projects, or

recruitment incentives. I think

I can speak for all five of us

that we gained so much more knowledge about

FBLA as a whole and we can‘t wait to present our

ideas to the rest of the membership. We‘re excited

to implement everything we‘ve learned.‖

During the LEADS workshop, Torring-

ton‘s Foods II classes gained valuable experience

in catering and food service, as they provided over

sixty people with a delicious, hearty Italian menu.

―The food was incredible! It was absolutely

perfect for our entire purpose and we can‘t thank

Mrs. Surber and the Foods II classes for feeding

us.‖ said chapter vice-president Caitlyn C.

Some of the new things on Torrington

FBlA‘s agenda include a community service pro-

ject for the holidays.

―We‘re hoping to host a Christmas party

for the students in the Practice After School Pro-

gram, adding our own chapter holiday social after-

wards.‖ Caitlyn said.

Also, the chapter‘s officer team has chris-

tened the theme of 2012‘s FBLA Week: Turn Your Swag On, to be held in the second week of Febru-

ary.

To spread environmental awareness, a

second FBLA Week, dubbed FBLA Green Week,

will also be held in early March.

―One of the goals we have this year is to

win the Outstanding Chapter Award. To do this,

we must accomplish a set of tasks that will pro-

vide us with a full calendar and will give us great

experience in leadership, team work, and, of

course, chapter bonding.

―FBLA is not just another club to join. It is the club to join. We‘re the largest student business

organization in the world and for good reason.

FBLA is one of the best leadership experiences a

student can give themselves. We want all students

to be a part of it.‖ ended Caitlyn.

FBLA, Inc. has been named a Top 10 stu-

dent organization by the Department of Education

and is made up of more than a quarter of a million

members nationally.

More information can be found on the

chapter‘s Facebook page: Torrington High School

FBLA or on the national website at www.fbla-

pbl.org.

Torrington FBLA: Just call them supermen! And women

Getting to know

The Freshman... What do you like about high school?

Shaylee K.—”The

teachers.”

Sebastian M.—

”Hanging out with

friends.”

Fransisco M.—

”Nothing.”

Kayce L.— “Getting to go out of

the main building.”

Bailey L.—

“Shorter days on

Friday.”

Allison M.

Reporter

Cheerleading: a great part of

a high school society. Every high

school has cheerleaders; every

high school needs them. That

is, every school but Torring-

ton…. Why don‘t we have

cheerleaders?

The last time Torring-

ton had a cheerleading team

was the 2009-2010 school year.

The sponsor that year was a

former THS cheerleader and

also had cheer experience at

the University of Wyoming.

Two of those team members

were Chelsae C. and Davin G.

Davin chose to participate in

cheerleading because she‘s ―a

stud,‖ and she would do it

again if the activity were of-

fered.

―I‘d probably change

the uniforms. They were kind

of boring,‖ said Chelsae.

Davin agreed that she

would change the uniforms. ―A differ-

ent composition of the team members

also would‘ve been effective,‖ she

added.

Cheerleaders are seen to be

helpful in boosting school spirit. ―We

need a [cheer] team, very much so. It‘s

one more activity for students to get

involved in. When it comes to school

spirit and cheering at games, our

school is the worst ever. We need

someone to develop school spirit and

cheerleading could do just that,‖ Head

Football Coach Mark Lenhardt said.

Assistant Principal Jim Eng-

lish said that they advertised the

open position for three months, and it

still wasn‘t filled. He also noted that if

someone that is qualified and comes

along, we may start the program

again.

Isaac B. added, ―We need one,

to get the guys pumpin‘!‖

A survey of students and staff

members revealed that five percent of

us believe that cheerleading is not a

worthwhile use of school time and

resources. Fifty percent of us don‘t

really care if THS has cheerleaders or

not, and forty-five percent think that

cheerleaders are a terrific part of the

high school experience and that THS

needs them.

2, 4, 6, 8! Who should we appreciate? Cheerleaders!

We‘ve got spirit, yes we do! We‘ve got spirit,

how ‗bout you? The cheerleaders of 09-10 show some spirit at one of the football games. File Photo

Page 5: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Kylie K.

Torrington High School Thursday December 8, 2011 Page 5

Torrington Gering

64 49

Bo

ys

Ba

ske

tba

ll G

irls

Ba

ske

tba

ll

Torrington Sidney

Torrington

Torrington

Who is your role model? Why? Getting to know the sophomores...

Tony E.— Blake Wis-

roth because he is

like a father to me.

Isaac G.— Von

Miller because he

dominates on the

Bronco defense.

Misti F.— My mom

because I can tell her

anything.

Brendin Garvie—

My Dad because

he works hard.

Angel G.— Hamer

Smith because she

knows a lot of stuff

54 51

41 52

Alliance

Scottsbluff

Kimball Torrington

Alliance Torrington

60 54

58 33

46 50

Mark M. Sports editor

The Blazers tipped off

their season with two wins

and one loss in the Western

Conference Tournament.

Torrington played Alli-

ance in their first game of the

season, and A.J. Gross scored

his first win as a varsity head

coach, winning with author-

ity.

―The first game we

started out a little slow,‖ sen-

ior Frank S. said. ―I need to

work on getting the ball to the

hole.‖

―I started off slow and

nervous, but then the nerves

went away, and I just played

my game,‖ junior Blake W.

said.

―I think this weekend

went really, really well,‖ sen-

ior Devonte M. T. commented.

The second game of the sea-

son, the Blazers played the

Gering Bulldogs, and got the

first loss of Gross‘ career.

―The loss was a ‘wake-

up call‘ to make us a better

team in the future,‖ Blake

added.

―I put the loss on myself

because I didn't play good de-

fense,‖ Devonte said.

―We didn't play very

good and lost when we

should've won,‖ senior Jason

M. said. ―I didn‘t shoot very

well. I need to shoot a lot bet-

ter and keep my teammates

involved so we can keep win-

ning.‖

The Blazers took their

game to the third- and fourth-

place spot, where the secured

a victory over Sidney.

―It felt good to end the

tournament knowing that we

played the best [during] our

last game,‖ Blake

commented.

―On Saturday

we played our game

and played a lot bet-

ter. Our defense was

a lot better, espe-

cially the second half,

and we ran our offense well,‖

Jason added. ―I didn't shoot

very well. I need to shoot a lot

better and keep my team-

mates involved so we can

keep winning.‖

―We pulled our act to-

gether Saturday and ended

up third in the tournament,‖

Frank added.

―I think we made good

progress this weekend. We

learned some things that we

definitely need to work on, in

terms of handling pressure

and playing against zones and

things like that, but I think

we made some progress,‖

Head Coach A.J. Gross said.

―In terms of goals for this sea-

son, we still expect to go for

the state championship

this spring.‖

Blazers take down Nebraska

Allison M. Columnist

The Lady Blazer basketball team

started the season with a 2-1 finish in the

Western Conference Invitational Tournament

last weekend in Scottsbluff.

Their first game they faced the Alli-

ance Lady Bulldogs on Thursday evening. The

score was tied up at 13 at the end of the first

quarter, leaving both teams still in the game.

Eventually the Bulldogs slowly pulled away

with the win, 50-46.

―Alliance was an athletic team that

matched up pretty well with us,‖ Head Coach

Jeff Halley said. ―It was a good game for us to

see who we are and how we can improve.‖

―The games went well and they were

fun. We played well together as a team,‖ sen-

ior Mikayla B. said.

Friday, the Blazers defeated the Kim-

ball Lady Longhorns 58-33.

―We played better and more organ-

ized. The girls were more confident than they

had been. We also got the ‗first game jitters

out.‘‖ said Halley.

After a win against a Nebraska team, the

team‘s confidence rose.

Senior Tarah W. said, ―We got to show

them what we were made of!‖

The game on Saturday morning was

played between the Lady Blazers and

the Scottsbluff Bearcats. It was a closer

game than the previous one, and the

Blazers held a continuous lead through-

out the entire game. Torrington beat

Scottsbluff by six points, 54-60.

―In the Scottsbluff game, we

played very well at times, and like it

was the beginning of the season at oth-

ers.‖ said Halley. ―By beating this

team, we made a statement which is

good since we will see them later in the

season.‖

Jenny R. thought that the

weekend games went really well. ―We

beat Nebraska teams that we weren‘t

expected too. We‘re a little Wyoming

town, and we showed them!‖

―We got better from the first

game and I think we improved a lot,‖

said junior Kaylie H.

Coach Halley said, ―This week-

end should be a good boost heading

over to 4A Riverton.‖

Lady Blazers Look Forward to a Promising Season

Blazers take the floor. The girls line up during introductions . Courtesy photo

Page 6: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Allison M.

Page 6 Thursday, December 8, 2011 Blazing Sun

1. Reagen R. and M.S. convinced Dan and I to try it out. I found that it was something I liked doing.

2. Coaches Rob Flock and Mark Sims, my teammates, and my family. They all supported me throughout the entire season.

3. My first race, freshman year, in Gering. During the race I stopped six times to rest in J.V. and still got 6th place.

4. Running in Cheyenne while it snowed. I froze and placed in the last ten.

5. I’ll continue to run on my own and try to compete in college. 1. Dan “The Man” A. 2. Take school seriously 3. To always have my lucky soccer ball. 4. Don’t have one.

Patrick S. Columnist

Gatorade and Powerade: Which is superior?

Both drinks share many of the same fla-

vors, and they taste very similar. Over the years,

people have said that Powerade is less nutritious

for you because there is more sugar then Gatorade

(Gatorade has 6/ gms to Powerade 8/ gms). This is

true, to a point, because Powerade uses a different

type of sugar. Gatorade uses normal sugar while

Powerade uses polymers. Polymers are absorbed

into the body faster. Gatorade is six percent sugar,

where as Powerade is eight percent sugar. Since

both fall within the generally recommended four

to eight percent range, either drink is

acceptable according to this criterion.

Sodium is also a concern Ga-

torade has about 450 mg/l of sodium

compared to Powerade‘s 425 mg/l, so

scientifically there is little difference

the two. Many experts not that it is

more important to replenish your

sugar levels, then look at replacing

sodium.

So, it boils down to taste. At Torrington

High School three out of four students choose Ga-

torade over Powerade in a blind taste test.

Gatorade is owned by Pepsi and Powerade

is owned by Coca-Cola.

Blake W. Columnist

Tim Tebow‘s life is one of the

most inspirational stories in Ameri-

can sports. He surprises the country

with his heart as he succeeds on the

field and with his passion for others.

His memoir reveals how this

remarkable young man constantly

strives to be the best, he has always

overcome the odds and how he has

managed to do so, while remaining

true to his faith and family values.

Tebow‘s parents were Chris-

tian missionaries, and he was home-

schooled prior to entering college. He

became one of the greatest players in

Florida Gator history. His football

career was capped with a first-round

selection by the Denver Broncos.

―I am extremely excited

about the opportunity to share my

story of faith, family and football,‖

Tebow wrote on his foundation‘s web

site, '‖and look forward to taking

readers inside my life, both on and

off the field. As a kid, you always

dream of becoming something great.

Whether that dream is to become an

astronaut, a famous musician, the

CEO of a large company, the Presi-

dent, an NFL Quarterback or any-

thing else, you will undoubtedly face

all kinds of adversity on your jour-

ney. I hope you can read my story.

Through My Eyes is a story that

could show how I was able to fulfill

my dream and I hope it can inspire

people of all ages that are aspiring to

fulfill their dreams.‖

THS Athletic Director Jim

English said , ― Tim Tebow is a fierce

competitor and a winner. This is a

guy who has proven everyone wrong

since they said he could not do it. As

a Bronco fan I wish the Broncos had

Aaron Rodgers instead , but he has

been successful for the team. I can‘t

argue with his success this year.

―Most organizations would

rather have a pocket quarterback

then a running one. He will make

more money this year then I will in

my life.‖

Basketball Coach Adrian

Gross said, ― I think Tim is a strong

leader and a hard worker. I like him

because he has been told that he

could not do which he is doing. Te-

bow will be successful in the NFL ,

but he will not be a Payton Manning

or Tom Brady. I don‘t think [the

Broncos] need to draft a new quar-

terback but need to draft more re-

ceivers.‖

Football Coach Mark Len-

hardt said, ― From a coach‘s pro-

spective, he is a breath of fresh air

because finally a player exemplifies

team more then any player that I

can remember.

― People have doubted him

his whole career and he continues

to prove everyone wrong. There is

no denying that he makes everyone

around him better.

―He deserves to be in pro-

fessional sports because the NFL

needs high-quality people with good

morals who can be good role models

for kids. I think he has plenty of

stuff to work on, but it is not like he

has a all-star cast around him.

―Denver does not need to

draft a new quarterback because

the team has more issues to ad-

dress then a quarterback . He de-

serves a couple more years to see if

he can approve first. Denver should

draft else where.‖

In the next issue, we will

look further at Tebow‘s strengths,

weaknesses, and fan support.

Broncos’ Tim Tebow shocks the NFL (Part 1)

Gatorade vs. Powerade: Battle of the beverages

It‘s Tebow time!! Tim Tebow runs off the field during one of his games this season Photo from Wikipedia.com

Page 7: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Nick P.

Torrington High School Thursday December 8, 2010 Page 7

Nick P. Opinions Editor

Bowl season is upon us.

While everyone seems to enjoy

Christmas and New Year‘s Day

around this time of year, I am more

excited about the postseason match-

ups rather than enjoy holiday fes-

tivities.

With thirty-five bowl games

in total, there is much to watch and

plenty of surprises are sure to hap-

pen. Here is a preview of every

bowl game, as well as a predic-

tion.

Gildan New Mexico

Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming.

(Fitting the first game of the

season is from the local team.)

Many Pokes fans are unhappy

with the bowl selection, as they

wanted a more prestigious

bowl. Wyoming will have to be

ready to stop an Owls‘ offense

that features two very talented

running backs in Matt Brown

and Bernard Pierce. Wyoming

thrives on creating turnovers. They

are among the top three in take-

aways, allowing more possessions for

the men of brown and gold. Winner:

Wyoming.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:

Ohio vs. Utah State. I can still re-

member watching the Aggies of USU

nearly beating the Auburn Tigers on

opening weekend. That game was

highly entertaining and I was im-

pressed by USU‘s freshman quarter-

back Chuckie Keeton. I have not

seen Ohio this year, but any team

from the MAC this year can score,

and score, and score. Winner: Utah

State.

R+L Carriers New Orleans

Bowl: San Diego State vs. Louisiana

Laffayette. I have not seen the

Ragin‘ Cajuns from ULL this year,

though they were one of the top

teams in the Sun Belt, a poor man‘s

SEC. However, the combination of

Ronnie Hillman and Ryan Lindley is

as dynamic as anyone in the country,

SDSU can‘t be slept on. Winner:

SDSU.

Beef O‘Brady‘s St. Peters-

burg Bowl: Florida International vs.

Marshall. I will be honest, I do not

know much at all about these two. I

only am aware of the wide receiver

from FIU, T.Y. Hilton, who is a very

talented player and a game changer.

This result is a wild guess. Winner:

FIU

San Diego Credit Card Union

Poinsettia Bowl: Texas Christian vs.

Louisiana Tech. Under Coach Gary

Patterson, it will be hard to ever pick

against the Horned Frogs of TCU.

Louisiana Tech I believe, will be

completely overwhelmed by the te-

nacity and speed of the TCU defense;

there is an obvious gap between

these two teams. Winner: TCU.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl:

Boise State vs. Arizona State. The

old BCS busters couldn‘t do it this

year. Boise State will have to settle

for a lesser bowl with an Arizona

State team who has been dubbed

―undisciplined.‖ ASU is at the top of

the PAC-12 in penalties, but the de-

fense will make this game closer

than most think. Google Vontaze

Burfict pointing at Matt Barkley,

and you‘ll know that this team has

swagger. Despite this, I still expect

the Broncos, led by Kellen Moore, to

win. Winner: Boise State.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Ne-

vada vs. Southern Mississippi. USM

ended Houston‘s chance at a BCS

bowl. The Golden Eagles are a team

to be reckoned with and have crept

into the top twenty-five of the BCS

rankings late this year. Nevada is in

a rebuilding year with the loss of

legendary quarterback Colin Kaeper-

nick and excellent running back Vai

Taua. Brett Favre‘s alma mater

takes this game. Winner: Southern

Mississippi.

AdvoCare V100 Independ-

ence Bowl: Missouri vs. North Caro-

lina. Missouri can put up points,

that‘s no surprise. North Carolina,

on the other hand, is stacked on de-

fense. Led by Donte Paige-Moss and

Quinton Coples on the defensive line,

this Tar Heels‘ defense is overlooked.

The Tigers will be up against a ball

control offense in UNC, and they

have struggled with that type of of-

fense in bowl games. Winner: North

Carolina.

Little Caeser‘s Pizza Bowl:

Western Michigan vs. Purdue. Pur-

due is bowl eligible? I honestly was

kind of surprised by this. This is an-

other game where I am taking a

completely random guess. Winner:

Purdue.

Belk Bowl: Louisville vs.

North Carolina State. Louisville was

close to being in the Orange Bowl as

they are co-champions of the Big

East. The loss of Russell Wilson hurt

the Wolfpack from NC State. The

emergence of true freshman Teddy

Bridgewater gives the Cardinals the

edge in this one. Winner: Louisville.

Military Bowl presented by

Northrop Grumman: Toledo vs. Air

Force. Toledo can score, along

with basically every team from

the MAC. The Air Force Acad-

emy runs a classic, triple-option

offense that is hard to prepare

for in a week, but remember,

Toledo has more than a week to

prepare for this. At first I was

picking the Falcons, but now

I‘m favoring the Rockets. Win-

ner: Toledo

Bridgeport Education

Holiday Bowl: California vs.

Texas. The ole men of burnt

orange are making strides to-

ward regaining their promi-

nence of college football. True fresh-

men running backs Malcolm Brown

and Joe Bergeron are leading the

charge for the Longhorns. They are

fast on the outside as well and until

the Baylor game, were the top team

in the Big 12 in total defense. Cali-

fornia‘s offense is clicking now.

Watching them completely move the

ball on Arizona State‘s defense the

week of Thanksgiving makes me be-

lieve in the Bears. Keenan Allen and

Marvin Jones are incredibly tal-

ented and should have a great

game against the weak point of

the Longhorns, their secondary.

Winner: California.

Champs Sports Bowl:

Florida State vs. Notre Dame.

What happened to the Semi-

noles? Before the season they

were getting national champion-

ship hype with the talent re-

turning and the top recruiting

class. The Seminoles, for the

most part are young, but still

have talent to go around. The Fight-

ing Irish, either love them or hate

them, there is no in-between. Brian

Kelly has his team playing well this

year, and the future looks bright for

both of these programs. This one is a

toss up. Winner: Notre Dame.

Valero Alamo Bowl: Wash-

ington vs. Baylor. My Heisman Tro-

phy vote goes to Baylor quarterback

Robert Griffin, III. RG3 has carried

his team this far, and without him,

who does Baylor turn to? The Hus-

kies from Seattle have fallen off the

map, in my opinion. They have a de-

cent defense led by Alamada Ta‘amu,

a prototypical run-stuffer at 330

pounds. Baylor is not very strong on

defense, and the ball control and

steady running of the Huskies' run-

ning back Chris Polk will keep RG3

off the field for a good portion of the

game. This is a minor upset. Winner:

Washington.

Bell Helicpoter Armed Forces

Bowl: BYU vs. Tulsa. BYU‘s first

year of independence resulted in a

match-up with the Golden Hurricane

of Tulsa. Tulsa is led by former

Texas transfer G.J. Kinne. People

seemed to have forgotten that last

year, Tulsa was quite an offense to

defend. I predict a pretty high-

scoring game from these two. Win-

ner: Tulsa.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl:

Rutgers vs. Iowa State. ISU proved

that they are capable of anything

after knocking off Oklahoma State

on a Thursday night game. Iowa

State is dangerous; Rutgers has a

chance, though. Greg Schiano has

his Scarlet Knights in good hands.

They are young, but still talented.

Winner: Iowa State.

Franklin American Mort-

gage Music City Bowl: Mississippi

State vs. Wake Forest. Wake Forest

sneaked up on some people this

year, including me. Before this sea-

son, I thought MSU was going to be

much better than this. The Bulldogs

feature three players in their back-

field to keep an eye on. Chris Relf

and Tyler Russell are the quarter-

backs. Relf is like a slow version of

Cam Newton, and Russell is a more

traditional throwing quarterback.

Running back Vick Ballard is no

joke either. Wake Forest surprised

me this year, so why not pick them?

Winner: Wake Forest.

Insight Bowl: Iowa vs. Okla-

homa. The Sooners are another team

I have been disappointed in. Before

the season, they were the number-

one team. They beat Florida State on

the road during prime time, they had

Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles,

they had a stout defense; they had

almost everything. It all fell apart

after the Texas Tech game. Losing to

Oklahoma State 44-10 does not help

either. Iowa is by no means flashy,

and I don‘t think that wide receiver

Marvin McNutt and running back

Marcus Coker can make enough

plays to keep up with the Sooners.

Winner: Oklahoma.

Meineke Car Care Texas

Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Northwestern.

A&M is another team that has

dropped off the map. They could

have easily been 11-1, but they find

themselves 6-6 at the end of the

regular season. Head Coach Mike

Sherman has been fired, and the

story has been the second half melt-

downs for the Aggies. They have

blown leads in multiple games, in-

cluding Oklahoma State and Texas.

Northwestern is led by Kain Colter

and Dan Persa, and the Wildcats

surprised me once when I took a trip

to Lincoln, so I just have a gut feel-

ing about this one. Winner: North-

western.

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia

Tech vs. Utah. Georgia Tech can up-

set anyone they want to, in my opin-

ion, but they can also be upset by

anyone (Kansas, last year espe-

cially.) The only time I have never

felt confident in Utah in a bowl game

was last year vs. Boise State, but

then again, who wasn‘t? Utah will be

able to prepare for Georgia Tech‘s

offense, which like Air Force, is the

triple-option. Winner: Utah.

Autozone Liberty Bowl: Cin-

cinnati vs. Vanderbilt. Yes, Vander-

bilt is in a bowl game. The Commo-

dores have done surprisingly well in

the SEC and were highly dangerous

the whole year to SEC teams that

they played. Enjoy this win, Vander-

bilt. Winner: Vanderbilt.

Bowl Games are set: How will each team fare this year?

Page 8: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Nick P.

Page 8 Thursday December 8, 2010 Torrington High School

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl:

Illinois vs. UCLA. Illinois was hotter

than anyone at the beginning of the

year, but really cooled off after a hot

start. UCLA has already fired Head

Coach Rick Neuheisel, and when a

team fires their coach, they usually

end up winning. Despite a 6-7 re-

cord, UCLA was able to maintain

eligibility for a bowl game. Winner:

UCLA.

Chik-fil-A Bowl: Virginia vs.

Auburn. Who would have thought

that Virginia was one game away

from being in the ACC champion-

ship? The Cavaliers made great

strides toward improvement this

year. This will be a challenging game

for the Cavs; they get the ever-so

exciting Auburn Tigers. The Tigers

are a run-first team, and the

strength of the Cavaliers is the pass-

ing defense. Auburn is very young,

but never sleep on these kids, they

are exciting. Winner: Auburn.

TicketCity Bowl: Penn State

vs. Houston. Houston was one win

away from being in one of the BCS

bowls, but lost their conference

championship game to Southern

Mississippi. Penn State is known for

great defense, and Houston is known

for a prolific offense. The ball control

of Penn State will keep Case

Keenum and the electrifying Cougar

offense off the field. Winner: Penn

State.

Outback Bowl: Michigan

State vs. Georgia. Both teams lost

their conference championship

games. Georgia brings a young of-

fense led by their massive offensive

line, which averages over 330 pounds

per person and raw skill position.

They are also led by a tremendous

run defense. Michigan State has

their hands full with this. Last year

they got blown out of the stadium by

Alabama. Led by a great defense and

a passing game headlined by quar-

terback Kirk Cousins, the Spartans

have a chance, but I still don‘t think

they can pull this off. Winner: Geor-

gia.

Capital One Bowl: South

Carolina vs. Nebraska. Without Mar-

cus Lattimore, the Gamecocks may

have fallen apart, but they didn‘t.

They pulled off a 10-2 season, and

they are led by a standout defensive

line headlined by Melvin Ingram.

Nebraska is like a crazy, stalker ex-

girlfriend/boyfriend: they never go

away and they are pests. Headlined

by ―T-Rex,‖ as Husker fans call

them, Taylor Martinez and Rex

Burkhead will always be a factor in

an opposing team‘s game plans. I‘m

going to be accused of being biased

here,

I

know

I am,

b u t

sorry, Nebraska, better luck next

year. Winner: South Carolina (leave

me alone Husker fans.)

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl:

Ohio State vs. Florida. Both teams

are down at the moment. We might

as well call this one the Urban

Meyer Bowl. Urban Meyer will be

taking over the reigns of the Buck-

eyes, and his former Florida team

led by Head Coach Will Muschamp,

will be taking on Meyer‘s soon-to-be

team. The last time Florida and Ohio

State met, it was not pretty. It will

be closer, but the Buckeyes are gator

bait again. Winner: Florida.

Rose Bowl Game presented

by Vizio. Oregon vs. Wisconsin. ―The

Granddaddy of Them All‖ will fea-

ture complete opposites. Wisconsin is

a traditional ―line it up and run it

right at you‖ team led by a massive

offensive line, as well as massive

players. Running back Montee Ball

is a monster, accumulating thirty

eight touchdowns this year all by

himself. If teams want to load up the

box, they will find that quarterback

Russell Wilson is incredibly danger-

ous with his legs as well as his arms.

Oregon will spread the field and use

speed and quickness to try to move

the ball around the entire field. They

average well over 200 yards rushing

per game, led by the nation‘s leading

rusher (based on yards per game)

Lamichael James. Backups Kenjon

Barner and DeAnthony Thomas

could start for many other teams if

they were on them. So much speed is

present on the field when Oregon

plays, even the back-ups are poten-

tial stars. Size vs. speed is the match

-up, and it is sure to light up the

scoreboard. Winner: Oregon

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Okla-

homa State vs. Stanford. Again, we

have contrasting styles of play. Stan-

ford is very physical. They will hit

their opponents right in the teeth.

They ground and pound with Step-

fan Taylor, but I haven‘t gotten to

their best player yet, Andrew Luck.

Everyone knows who this guy is, he

needs no introduction or analysis.

Oklahoma State will score on any-

body they want. Everyone knows

about Brandon Weeden and Justin

Blackmon, but the X-Factor is by far

running back Joseph Randle. The

Cowboy offense is prolific, and Stan-

ford will keep control of the ball

away, but the Cowboys will still

score. I honestly am rooting for Stan-

ford, but I believe this game belongs

to the Cowboys. Winner: Oklahoma

State.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Vir-

ginia Tech vs. Michigan. Denard

Robinson is one of the most exciting

and fastest players to watch for the

Wolverines, as first year Head Coach

Brady Hoke seems to have led Michi-

gan back to national prominence.

Virginia Tech lost in their conference

championship game, and I‘m sur-

prised they are still in a BCS bowl. A

win here over a beaten down Vir-

ginia Tech team signals that Michi-

gan is back and here to stay. Winner:

Michigan.

Discover Orange Bowl: Clem-

son vs. West Virginia. West Virginia

is not a BCS team, no team from the

Big East is. Even though the Big

East has performed decently in the

past, I believe it‘s time to strip the

Big East of its ―Automatic Qualify-

ing‖ status. They are up against

ACC champion Clemson, who will

always put up a fireworks display

when they take the field, led by sen-

sational freshman wide receiver

Sammy Watkins. This bowl game

will once again prove that the Big

East isn‘t the caliber it once was.

Winner: Clemson.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Arkan-

sas vs. Kansas State. At first, this

seems like a BCS bowl based on the

rankings. The Razorbacks from Ar-

kansas bring in a heart-stopping

passing attack. The receivers can fly,

and they have moves better than

professional dancers. Their only two

losses were to LSU and Alabama;

they are more than just dangerous.

Tied with Clemson for the surprise

team of the year is Kansas State.

They were completely under my ra-

dar, at least. Head Coach Bill Snyder

has done a magnificent job with the

Wildcats. Their best player is by far

Colin Klien. He does it all for the

Wildcats, scoring five RUSHING

touchdowns in a game vs. Oklahoma

State this year. Despite all the good

from this year, the Razorbacks are

way too fast for me to pick against.

Kansas State had a great year; hope-

fully, they can build on this. Winner:

Arkansas.

BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU

vs. Pitt. It‘s nice to see that SMU

seems to have recovered from the

―death penalty‖ (no football program

at all for two years.) For a long time,

the Mustangs were the punch line of

college football. Pitt is in a transition

year. Last year, they were a tradi-

tional pro-style team, while this

year, they have become more of a

spread offense. It‘s especially tough

on quarterbacks in the transition, as

they are completely different of-

fenses. It‘s tough for me to pick

against SMU. June Jones has re-

vived that program, and the Mus-

tangs are quite a team to watch in

the coming years. Winner: SMU.

Godaddy.com Bowl: Arkan-

s a s

S t a t e

v s .

North-

e r n

I l l i -

n o i s .

NIU is

led by

a great

r u s h -

i n g

attack

a n d

MAC player of the year in quarter-

back Chandler Harrish. I have not

seen the Red Wolves of Arkansas

State this year, but finished unde-

feated in conference play and

achieved an overall record of 10-

2.This is the marquee bowl game of

the smaller schools. I expect this one

to be a toss up and a closely fought

contest. Winner: Arkansas State.

BCS National Championship

Game: LSU vs. Alabama. Armaged-

don II, the re-match of this year‘s

game of the year has been officially

set. A 9-6 victory for the Tigers of

LSU was the outcome of the first

game, but many argue Alabama was

the better team in that game. The

kickers of the Crimson Tide missed

four field goals in all, and they failed

to capitalize on their opportunities.

Well here you go, Alabama: redemp-

tion time. Here‘s the second chance

at beating those Tigers, the biggest

of all rivals not named Auburn.

The Tigers are confident,

maybe cocky in the minds of some.

It‘s evident the Tigers have some

major swagger, as their punter

seems to get into more tussles than

all the players combined on some

teams. Many fans are outraged at

this game, as Alabama did not win

their conference. They thought it

that a team needs to win their con-

ference in order to play for a national

championship. Many believe Okla-

homa State or Stanford deserved

this game more because Alabama

already had their chance at the un-

beaten Tigers. I can guarantee this

game will be much different.

This game is on a neutral

field, in SEC country, I bet tickets

are already sold out by now. The

first game was at Alabama, and this

atmosphere will seem more bal-

anced. Both teams now know each

other‘s tendencies, and I‘m pretty

sure Alabama‘s kickers are practic-

ing even harder now that they have

a chance at redemption.

Will LSU pull it off again

and promote themselves as the

unanimous national champions? Or

will Alabama capitalize on this sec-

ond chance and cause major debates

to pop up all over the place? LSU

and Alabama fans will go nuts if the

Tide were to take the crystal football

from the Tigers. The BCS arguments

will intensify, playoffs will be pro-

posed in masses, the list goes on and

on and on.

We better get ready for it; we

have a wild offseason ahead of us. I

had a gut feeling LSU was going to

win the first game, and I have a gut

feeling that is no longer screaming

―Geaux Tigers (yes, LSU fans spell

‗go‘ that way,—I‘m not being an id-

iot). It now is screaming ―Roll Tide!‖

Winner: Alabama.

The rest of the bowl games, including the big one

Page 9: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Ryan L.

Torrington High School Thursday, December 8, 2011 Page 9

Sydney H. Columnist

Kik Messenger, changing the world,

millions of smart phones at a time!

It all started when Ted

Livingston looked around his cozy

University of Waterloo dorm room —

which packed with all of his closest

friends all having a great time —

and asked himself, ―How can I take

this feeling with me everywhere?‖

Obviously he didn't jump

into it right away and come up with

Kik (rhymes with peek) that very

night. It took Ted nearly four more

years to make it an actual app for

phones.

Some people say, ―It‘s the

same as texting and e-mailing.‖ But

no, it is not. Kik is a lot faster than e

-mailing or texting. The instant you

click the send button, it is on the

other person‘s phone.

Livingston knew that mak-

ing an app for his smart phone to

communicate with all of

his friends at once was the best idea.

After all, everyone always has their

smart phones on and with them.

Now, some of you may be

saying, ―What the heck is Kik?‖ Kik

is the fastest mobile messenger for the

smart phone. It can be downloaded for

iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7,

and the BlackBerry.

Surprisingly, Kik has been

available for over two years.

―I just started using Kik on a

couple weeks ago,‖ one THS Kiker

said. ―I thought it just recently came

out. I guess not!‖

Kik has been growing astro-

nomically. In the first ten days that it

was live, it got over 450,000

downloads. Just fifteen hours later,

there were 150,000 new users.

While many THS students

have been using Kik for quite some

time, there are many things a lot of

them do not know.

―What do the Kik message

symbols, S, D, and R stand for?‖ seems

to be a com-

monly asked

q u e s t i o n .

The S

stands for sent, the D stands for deliv-

ered, and the R stands for received.

Another commonly asked question is

does Kik cost anything?

In fact, Kik doesn't technically

cost anything. It is a free app and all

users need is an internet connection.

So if you already pay for internet con-

nection on your phone, or you are

around wireless internet, you can ac-

cess Kik. ―Frank S. created my Kik ac-

count a few weeks ago,‖ senior Hayley

A. said. ―I feel as if it is just like tex-

ting. It is really funny when there is

multiple people in a conversation talk-

ing.‖

―I like Kik because I can talk

to people about random things all day

long,‖ junior Cameron K. said.

Although it seems like only

students are using Kik, some teachers

are as well. Math teacher Tamara

McAnelly uses Kik because English

teacher and friend Katherine Patrick

made her get one.

―I don't use it that often,‖

McAnelly said. ―Only when I am talk-

ing to Mrs. Patrick. It is a lot faster

than texting and I like it if I just want

to chat with someone.‖

Although Kik seems like fun

and games, some THS students do not

like it all.

―It is annoying,‖ one user said.

―People are on it all day in school.

They add you to a conversation, and

once you leave, they add you again and

blow up your phone. Most of the time,

everyone is just talking about stupid

things anyway. I do use it, though,

when I need to talk to multiple people

about homework or something.‖

Kik: the future of texting

Jeremey D. Reporter

Everyone dreams about their

perfect Christmas. Their perfect Christ-

mas could be getting together with fam-

ily, watching Christmas movies, or get-

ting lots of presents. The perfect Christ-

mas is different depending upon which

person you ask and sometimes it can

change from one year to the next.

Christmas was different thirty or

forty years ago with people wanting more

beds and furniture, while kids wanted

toys about their favorite super heroes,

Barbies, or toy cars. Today for Christ-

mas, most if not all, people want the

newest iPhone, video games, and other

technology wrapped under their Christ-

mas tree. The only thing that hasn't

changed is the delicious egg nog and

stockings filled with candy and goodies

Christmas dinner is a good exam-

ple of tradition in family, and it‘s a great

way to get the family together. Usually

Christmas dinners happen on Christmas

Eve or Christmas Day. Some families

have ham or turkey (even though

Thanksgiving was about a month before),

and there‘s fruit cake! What better Christ-

mas food is there than fruit cake?

Christmas decorations are one of

the best things about Christmas. Christmas

lights are fun to look at and fun to put up (as

long as home owners don't fall off while put-

ting them

up!). Some

C h r i s t m a s

lights flash

and some

people like

have the gi-

ant Santa

Claus light

put up in

their lawn.

C h r i s t m a s

trees are

also fun to

d e c o r a t e

with lights

and other

things.

Let‘s

face it ,

Chr is tmas

is the best

time of the

year. With

p r e s e n t s ,

m o v i e s ,

songs, and

family, there

is no other

holiday like it

that brings people happiness.

Christmas brings happiness

Maybe your Christmas will look like

this… A tree like this would make any Christmas great.

Wikipedia Commons

Sydney H.– Sucks to

suck

Shelby H.– Gut up or

shut up

Jacob H.–

Winning...Duh

Getting to know the Juniors... What is your favorite quote?

Jessica H.– Talk to

the hand

Kaylie H.– Keep on

keeping on

10) Snow Angel: Try it face down, it’s better

7) Extreme sledding: Helmets, hills, and a sled.

6) Make a snowman: Be original, a button

5) Snowmobile: It’s just like a jetski, but on

4) Learn to snowboard: Skiing’s overrated.

3) Write in the snow: Use whatever you can.

2) Tackle people: Snow’s cold, use it to your

1) Start a snowball fight: A classic that never

8) Make a snow castle or fort: Enough said.

9) Eat snow: Make sure it’s white.

What will you put

on your wish list?

Page 10: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page edited by Mark M.

Page 9 Thursday, December 8, 2011 Blazing Sun

Mark M. Sports Reporter

From just having

fun and making people

laugh, to getting kicked out

and possibly getting atten-

tion from police officers;

―Supermart‖ antics have

been around since it was

created.

1) A look to the sky.

All right, let‘s start out sim-

ple. You are in a crowd.

Look up and point to the

ceiling. Tap someone on the

shoulder and make them

look with you. See how

many people you can get to

look up and see all of the

confused looks you get.

2) Surprise in a cart.

This one is a little more

risky. This involves a group

of people. The first person

takes a small item off a shelf

and drops it in a random

cart. The next person grabs

a bigger item and sneaks it

into another random cart.

This continues until some-

one gets caught, and then s/

he gets kicked out of the

group. The person who puts

the last item in a cart with-

out getting caught is de-

clared the winner.

3) Yard sale.

This one may or may not get

you kicked out. Take a cart

and fill it with items from

throughout the store. Make

sure you pick up a marker

and a notebook. Walk back

to the lawn care section of

the store and set up a fold-

up table. Place all of your

items on the table and put

price tags on each item. Try

to make some cash.

4)―The‖ Bark.

Follow a group of people

around. Every time someone

says the word ―the,‖ bark

like a dog.

5) Sleeping disorder.

Walk in the back of a group

of friends. Collapse. Make

sure you tell your friends

beforehand to keep on walk-

ing. See what other people

in the store do to help. When

they finally do help, wake

up, and say you have a

sleeping disorder.

6) Help out.

Dress up like you work at

―Supermart.‖ Walk around

and provide very unhelpful

tips. An example would be,

―Looking for body wash?

Check out the electronics

section,‖ or ―Need a new

Xbox game? Go try phar-

macy.‖ Then walk away

without providing any ac-

tual help.

7) BEEP BEEP BEEP!

This is your chance to annoy

people. Go to the section

with the alarm clocks. Set

each one to go off in ten min-

ute intervals throughout the

day.

8) The RR Sprint.

Run from the furthest spot

from the bathroom, towards

to the information desk, yell-

ing, ―I need a bathroom,

NOW!‖

9) Pitch a tent.

Go to the camping section

and lay in one of the display

tents with a sleeping bag.

Leave the tent open and go

to sleep.

10) Carpet is wet.

This is simple. Grab a

―Caution, Wet floor‖ sign,

and put it up in a carpeted

area. It will get a few con-

fused looks.

11) Bike Race!

This one will probably get

the prankster kicked out.

Get a partner. Find two ex-

tremely small bikes (the lit-

tle pink ones with flowers on

them work the best). Race

around the store as fast as

you can until someone tack-

les you and kicks you out.

12) Marco Polo.

Most people play this game

in the pool. Change it up a

b i t . W a l k a r o u n d

―Supermart‖ with eyes

closed and yell ―Marco!‖ Go

until someone yells at you to

stop yelling.

13) Gon‘ Fishin‘

Take the fishing rods from

the hunting and fishing sec-

tion, and cast out into other

aisles and see what you

―catch.‖

14) Red Rover.

If you see a couple in front of

you walking and holding

hands, sprint through their

hands, yelling ―Red Rover!‖

And run away.

15) The Switch.

Switch the pictures on girls‘

and boys‘ restrooms when no

one is looking.

16) Flirtatious.

Attempt to hit on the

elderly.

17) Meow.

Crawl on your hands and

knees and ―Meow‖ at the

people you crawl by.

18) Converse with yourself.

This isn't hard to under-

stand. Just have a conversa-

tion with yourself for a

while, and ignore people

when they try talking to

you.

Some stores are for more than shopping

Jeremy D. Reporter

The temptations in

life can get in the way of

what people really

want. For example:

you want to eat

healthy, but you

feel like eating

chocolate cake.

Things like that can

get in the way of

people‘s dreams

and what people

want. Sometimes

people give into

temptations, and

they could find out

later that tempta-

tion got in the way

of what they really

wanted. Jordin

Curtis said, ―when I

was little I wanted

to ride my bike but

was too lazy.‖

If everyone

gave into all the

temptations in life,

the world would be

a very insane place.

For example, if the

president got angry at an-

other country and started a

war, that the war would

have started for no apparent

reason at all. Or a new game

comes out, a lot of people go

to the midnight release and

they have a big fight over

who should be first in line.

Although when peo-

ple listen to wants, they

have to turn them into de-

sires. For example, if some

person decides to eat

healthy, now a

new question pops

up: how do they

eat healthier?

Maybe by eating

more fruits and

vegetables and less

chocolate and ice

cream. Or maybe

someone wants to

be more athletic:

how do they get

more athletic? Ex-

ercise, of course.

All these things

contribute to how

successful people

will be in the fu-

ture.

―I was go-

ing to get buff and

lift 50 pounds last

summer.‖ said

Brenden G., ―but I

sat on the couch

instead and got a

job.‖ The real chal-

lenge is to have the

mentality to get

past fear and denial to avoid

temporary temptations and

to have a successful life.

Don’t satisfy your wants and desires

Mrs. McGuire is like a “honey bee” on a mission who will

defend her convictions

Kristi McGuire Teacher

Horse because they are big and fast, and I love horses Ryan J. Freshman

Wolverine because it eats people.

Milford H. Freshman

Shark because of my aggressiveness toward food. Mikayla B. Senior

Jaguar because of my ability to run through grass and capture

my prey (soccer ball).

Caitlyn C.

Falcon because it is majestic. Zak L. Senior

Kangaroo because they can hop far.

Cassandra B.

Sophomore

What is your spirit animal? Why?

Giraffe because the volleyball girls gave me a giraffe pillow pet. Lori Byrd Teacher

Don‘t eat the candy! They may look fun and delicious, but they

aren‘t good for you!. Photo from Wikipedia Commons

Page 11: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Blazing Sun hursday December 8, 2011 Page 11

Christmas Break The time between Christmas

Break and Easter

Deals between Players

Unions and Owners

NBA Lockout

Skyrim M.W.3

Winning Charlie Sheen

Leaving Hub-Caps Alone Breaking them off!

Weight Lifting Never Working Out

Being a Good Coach Hurting kids

iPod

Harley M. Freshman

$1,000,000 Sarah E. Senior

My family

Kady C. Freshman

Subs for my new car Christina R. Freshman

A Pony

Brittney P. Freshman

A car that actually runs John Z. Junior

iPad

Trae T. Junior

If you could get anything for Christmas, what would it be?

An X-Box Brenden G. Sophomore

Thursday, December 8

Friday, December 9 No School

V Wrestling@ Rapid City

Jv/V BBall@ Riverton

Saturday, December 10 V Wrestling@ Rapid City

Jv Wrestling@ Banner Count.

Monday, December 12

Tuesday, December 13 9th BBall@ Home vs Burns

Wednesday, December 14

Thursday, December 15 All County Goshen H.S. Band

Concert 7p.m.

Friday, December 16 V Wrestling@ Cheyenne South

Boys Jv/V East/West Classic@

Douglas

Girls Jv/V East/West Classic@

Lander

Saturday, December 17 V Wrestling@ Cheyenne South

Boys Jv/V East/West Classic@

Douglas

Girls Jv/V East/West Classic@

Lander

Jv Wrestling@ Wright

Monday, December 19 9th BBall@ Home vs Gering

Tuesday, December 20 THS Choir Concert 7p.m.

Wednesday, December 21 Blood Drive

Thursday, December 22 No School

Christmas Break

Page 12: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page 12 Thursday December 8, 2011 Blazing Sun

Cash for speeches; it doesn't get much better than that! For The Blazing Sun

American Legion Post 5 of

Torrington will hold the Oratorical

Scholarship Program on Sunday,

January 8, 2012 starting at 2

PM.

The oratorical program is a

nationwide program and conducted

at Post, District, Department and

National level.

The oratorical program is

open to all students in Torring-

ton grades 9-12 as well as home-

schooled students.

The Oratorical Program is a

speech contest. The subject is based

on an aspect of the Constitution of

the United States with emphasis on

the duties and obligations of a citi-

zen.

The speech will be in two

parts, with the prepared oration to

be between eight minutes and ten

minutes in length. There is also an

assigned topic which must be pre-

sented and must be at least three

minutes, but not more than five min-

utes in length. All speeches will be

delivered in the English language

and without any notes for any refer-

ence.

The assigned topic will be one

of four topics and will be chosen after

all prepared orations are deliv-

ered. The assigned topics this year

are Article 1, section 9, clause

1; Article IV, section 2, clause

1; Amendment 14, section 2, first

sentence; and Amendment 15, sec-

tion 1.

―We have had a number of

students who did very well in this

contest,‖ former speech/debate coach

Katherine Patrick noted. ―One THS

student even advanced to the na-

tional tournament. This contest is

one of a very few that offers cash

prizes to students, which they all

find desirable!‖

Students wishing to enter the

oratorical program must contact the

post oratorical chairman Bill Her-

man for an Oratorical Entry

Form. Form requests can be made

via e-mail sent to toshiyoribill

@embarqmail.com.

Complete rules can be ob-

tained online at www.legion.org un-

der ―Children and Youth.‖

Students entering the Program

must have the Oratorical Entry

Form filled out with personal infor-

mation, school certification, and a

typed copy of their speech ready be-

fore the program begins.

If there are no requests for the

Entry Form or interest shown by

students by the deadline date of Dec.

31, 2011, the program will be can-

celled due to a lack of interest.

Post, District and Department

winners are awarded savings

bonds. The top three winners at Na-

tional received scholarships for

$18,000, $16,000, and $14,000 .

Meat animals or companions? Jason M.

Seniors editor

We all know that cattle are

slaughtered in order to produce beef

for those juicy burgers, but how

many of us are aware that horses are

slaughtered as well? Throughout

our history, horses were slaugh-

tered , butchered, and provided to

consumers (almost entirely overseas)

who eat horse meat.

Many attempts have been

made to create a Federal ban against

any horse slaughter occurring in the

United States, but none have been

successful. The last slaughter plant

in the country, though, closed in

2007.

This may all change soon as

investors are looking at funding new

horse slaughter facilities. Right now,

horses are being sent to Mexico and

Canada to be slaughtered, and there

are no regulations in those countries

which made the abuse on the horses

even worse.

Over the past four years, old

horses, unruly horses, or horses that

weren't in good shape were just be-

ing ―set free‖ or cut off from food and

water to starve to death throughout

the U.S. So, there may be need for

slaughter houses in this nation. A

number of THS students own horses

and have strong opinions about this

situation.

―I think the slaughter of

horses is sick and disgusting, but

they are livestock animals. In that

sense, they‘re the same as cows. I

agree that it should be legal to

slaughter, but there should be strict

regulations. I can see both sides of it,

but if other countries do it, then it

should be legal in the United States,‖

Shai Schaefer said.

―I think horse slaughter is

necessary. If we don't slaughter

them, then we will have too many

horses that are abandoned. It is

more inhumane to leave them out on

the side of the road to starve to

death. Horses are getting abused

more in Mexico when they go to get

slaughter then they are [when

they‘re slaughtered] here,‖ Mikayla

McNamee said.

A report written by the Gov-

ernment Accounting Office (the

GAO) concluded that the slaughter

of American horses didn't stop be-

cause of the ban; it simply shifted to

Mexico and Canada. "From 2006

through 2010, U.S. horse exports for

slaughter in-

creased by

148 and 660

percent to

Canada and

Mexico, re-

spec t ive ly , "

the GAO re-

port stated.

"As a result,

nearly the

same number

of U.S. horses

was trans-

ported to Can-

ada and Mex-

ico for slaughter in 2010 -- nearly

138,000 -- as was slaughtered before

domestic slaughter ceased."

―I agree that it should be

legalized. Without horse slaughter,

the horses get way over populated,

and lots more animal abuse occurs.

It‘s more inhumane to not to slaugh-

ter them and leave them out to

starve to death,‖ horse owner

Michella Lay said.

―It is necessary. If we don't

slaughter them, all the horses will

get old and the people wont be able

to afford to feed them. The horses

will end up starving to death instead

of getting put down the easy way. If

we just legalize the slaughtering,

then the horses that are too old or

just need to be put down can go

through a humane method of being

put down. Also they can go to a good

use and be used as dog food, make

up, cosmetics and even for the

strings on guitars. The horses should

be treated just like any other animal

that gets slaughter when they get

too old or can‘t function anymore,‖ ag

teacher and FFA adviser Jason Gro-

ene said.

Some THS students care about record breaking and strive for their very best

Kolter Elder Columnist

Mark Sims‘ weights class is a

test of physical strength. The true test

of strength can be found on the record

board for weights, where all the re-

cords that have ever been set are

posted. This board changes occasion-

ally for the students who work to get

their names on it.

However, the board seems to

be less important then it used to, ac-

cording to Sims, ―We seem to have

less desire to break the records. It

really depends on the students. We

still have a few students that go for

the records,‖ Sims said.

One student who is not put

into this category of ―no desire‖ is

Isaac B.. Isaac is the new holder of the

school‘s 40-meter dash record, beating

the old mark by .01 of a second at 4.43

seconds. The record was broken on

Tuesday, November 29th. ―I was

pretty

pumped [when I beat it]. Didn‘t even

know I broke it until Blake announced

it to the class. Hopefully I break it

again, that‘s my goal,‖ Brown said.

A student who is in the run-

ning for a recorder breaker is Blake

W. who is going after the sit-up record

currently posted at 94 in one minute.

Blake said, ―My goal is to tie

the sit-up record because I want my

and Travis Sims names on the board.

If I know that I will go over, I will stop

to tie the record at 94 sit-ups.‖

Blake has already tied the re-

cord but it was not posted because he

failed to touch his back to the mat on

the first few sit-ups.

Emotional horse slaughter

controversy divides community

Torrington

Beverage Inc.

4394 McKenna Rd

A

Phone: 307-532-

5828

Fax: 307-532-7737

Page 13: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

We must eat breakfast to be

healthy—right? That‘s what we‘ve

been told all our lives. Is that true,

though?

"No clear evidence shows that the

skipping of breakfast or lunch (or

both) is unhealthy, and animal data

suggest quite the opposite," wrote

Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at

the National Institute on Aging,

Mattson, possibly the ultimate anti-

breakfast iconoclast, writing last

year in the medical journal The Lan-cet told readers that advice to eat

smaller and more frequent meals "is

given despite the lack of clear scien-

tific evidence to justify it."

Studies done by Mattson

involving twenty normal-weight

adults had ten adults skip both

breakfast and dinner, and the other

ten eat all three meals. Both groups

were allotted the same amount of

calories. After the one month period

those people on the one meal a day

plan, hadn‘t lost or gained any

weight, this would have been differ-

ent if they weren't given a certain

amount of calories a day, since they

struggled to eat the calories allotted

to them. Seth Roberts, a professor of

UC Berkeley, said that when he ate

breakfast, he had a hard time sleep-

ing, though when he stopped eating

breakfast, he slept better. He be-

lieves that, ―People get it exactly

wrong: breakfast is the most impor-

tant meal to avoid.‖

Some people say eating a

healthy breakfast doesn‘t just affect

how well people perform throughout

the day, but also their weight. In

fact, some studies state that without

breakfast people tend to overeat

later on during the day. Other stud-

ies, though, indicate differently, ac-

cording to a Los Angeles Times story.

Researches have seen that breakfast

skippers eat about 150 more calories

at lunch, but no extra calories for the

rest of the day. They actually ate 450

calories less that day, demonstrating

that not eating breakfast doesn‘t af-

fect weight gain. Diet plans are be-

ing developed that involve skipping

breakfast, known as the Warrior

Diet. This is attracting many people

in the U.S and the whole world.

Eating breakfast should

mean that it needs to be a healthy

breakfast. Sugary cereals have very

little nutritional value, and only give

a short energy boost instead of

slowly releasing energy throughout

the day. Vitamins and nutrients are

needed in a breakfast to fuel the

brain throughout the day. The best

type of foods to be eaten at breakfast

are complex carbohydrates such as

whole grains, small amounts of dried

fruits, and freshly squeezed fruit

juices. The 40 students and staff

members who were asked about

what mixture of foods they eat for

breakfast, reported that 35% eat

grains, 32% eat fruit, 24% have dairy

products, and 7% of junk food.

These students and staff

members of Torrington High School

that participated in the survey about

breakfast said that 82% of them

think that breakfast is important.

Foods teacher, Alina Surber, said

―Breakfast is VERY important!‖

Eating a healthy breakfast is

shown to not only jump start the

day, but also help give a mental kick-

start to it! From a survey taken of

Torrington High School it showed

that out of 40 students and staff

members, 75 percent of them re-

ported that they do eat breakfast on

a daily basis. It is shown that many

studies reported that children eating

breakfast and get more nutrients

pay more attention in class. The

other 25 percent do not, which was

shown for adults it could be more

healthy to skip breakfast, as long as

they decide to

Continued from Page 1

I‘m happy I got it and glad

that we were able to accomplish it,‖ he

said.

―I was pumped and excited

because I did not expect to get it,‖ Mi-

kayla B. added. ―I am very happy

about the way the season ended. It

was a fun season.‖

―I wish we could‘ve got All-

State, but I didn‘t play to my poten-

tial. Next year I hope to do as good or

better as I did this year,‖ said junior

Cameron K.

The THS golf team was also

honored with three All-Conference

recipients. Freshman Brett G. and

Seniors Jason M. and Ross B. all re-

ceived this honor, with Ross receiving

All-State honors for the second year in

a row.

―It was a really good season,‖

said Ross. ―I shot a really good round

the second day of state and had a lot

of fun. There were a few things that

could‘ve gone better, but it was a good

golf career. I am looking forward to

continuing with golf at EWC.‖

Jason was also pleased with

the season. ―I‘m pretty happy about

getting All-

Conference.

It wasn‘t

e x p e c t e d ,

but it was

one of my

goals. It‘ll

continue to

play for fun,

but not com-

petitively,‖

J a s o n

added.

― I

really was-

n‘t expect-

ing to get it,

but I was

expecting to play better. Next year I‘m

looking forward to doing better to im-

prove and place better at conference

and state,‖ said Brett.

Head golf coach Juel Afdahl

was excited about the awards his ath-

letes received. ―I was excited about

those three receiving All-Conference

honors, although I was hoping we

would have one more. We got second

in conference and should have won,

but I was definitely excited about

those three.

―Ross won conference and did

an outstanding job. We had a good

state tourney, and Rawlins is a tough

course to play. We were the highest

placing team from the 3A east.‖

Rounding out the fall sports

was a single award in the cross county

category. Junior Garrett D. was the

only cross country runner to receive

an All-Conference award this year.

―I‘m happy about the whole

season up until state,‖ Garrett said.

―I was expecting All-Conference, and

I‘m sad that I didn‘t get All-State.

Next year I want to get All-State.‖

Pancakes for breakfast: are they that important? Celebrated British medical journal The Lancet sheds new light on morning meals despite high remarks

THS “sports” some of the best athletes in the state

Sawyer Warren & Buchanan Edward A. Buchanan &

Nathaniel S. Hibben Attorneys at Law

2210 East A Street P.O. Box 850

Torrington, WY 82240

www.swblegal.com

Phone 307-532-2322 [email protected]

Fax 307-532-7221 [email protected]

Blazing Sun Thursday, December 8, 2011 Page 13

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Seniors Rule!!

Juniors Drool!!

Be over 16 y.o.

Have parental form signed (if 18-)

For more info: see Ms. Ellis

Page 14: The Blazing Sun- Dec. 8th

Page 14 Thursday, December 8, 2011 Torrington High School

Every year, we try to feature a bit of

information about each of our seniors:

here’s the class of 2012’s edition!

THE QUESTIONS:

1) What’s your favorite memory?

2) Most embarrassing moment?

3) If you could change one thing

about THS, what would it be?

4) What high school accomplish-

ments are you proudest of?

5) What will you miss about high

school?

6) What are your plans after high

school?

7) Advice to underclassmen?

Reagan R. 1. Making All-State for choir

multiple times.

2. Getting tackled by my brother

freshman year.

3. I don't know.

4. All-State

5. My favorite teachers.

6. Go to either BYU or Tulsa

university and become a

choir teacher.

1. Live every day to the fullest. It

will fly by before you know it.

Blanca R. 1. All the crazy times in homeroom.

2. I have too many!

3. The rules!!!

4. Making it this far!

5. Probably some of the teachers. Other than

that— nothing.

6. Going to college!

7. Go eat a toe or an egg: your choice!

Ruben R. 1. I don't remember.

2. Falling asleep with my eyes open.

3. The dress code, the lunches.

4. Being able to graduate.

5. Nap time.

6. Working and college.

7. Don‘t take candy from strangers.

Page edited by Jason M.

The Blazing Sun is the official newspaper of Torrington High School (THS). It is published bi-monthly, fifteen

times a year, expressly for the uses of THS students.

The Blazing Sun is a student forum written and composed entirely by student staff members. It is

photocopied by Goshen County School District #1.

Signed editorials represent the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of The Blazing Sun, THS

administrators, faculty, or students. Unsigned editorials

represent the opinion of the staff. We welcome letters from students to the editor; however, they must be

signed to be printed. Letters to the editor should be

addressed to The Blazing Sun, THS, 2400 West C Street, Torrington, WY 82240. Letters will be copy edited upon

request. We reserve the right to refuse to print, to edit

for legal concerns or for space considerations.

As long as there are

tests, there will be

prayer in schools.

*

Barbara S. 1. Being with friends.

2. Falling down the stairs.

3. No hat rule, no cell phone rule, iPod

rule.

4. Making it this far.

5. The drama.

6. Move to Bluffs.

7. Keep your head up high.

Margarita S. 1. Being around my friends and my

cousin.

2. Falling up the stairs and losing my

shoe.

3. The hats, cell phones, and iPods.

4. Making it to my last year.

5. The teachers are there to help you

when you need it.

6. Moving to Pueblo, Colorado, to go to

college.

7. Never give up! Keep trying and you

will get somewhere.

An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. Anatole France

* Blazing Sun