Conversations with Cooper

The seniors in MHS are finally graduating! I interviewed Mrs.Bond to know more details about what will happen. They will graduate on May 20, 2022. The ceremony will be held in the MHS football field. Mrs.Bond recommends that family members arrive an hour early for a good seat.  I asked Mrs.Bond if she knew approximately how many of them would go to college, to which she answered, “I actually will take a survey in May to see where the Seniors want their transcript to be sent, and I’ll get a final number then. That’s normally done at Graduation practice.” The ceremony will last close to an hour, as 106 students are graduating. I also asked her if anything else is happening afterwards, Mrs.Bond said, “Once the ceremony is done, seniors will have to go pick up their diplomas from their homeroom teachers. The staff will break down the ceremony stage, clean up, and then we can all go home! The seniors normally do their own thing after the ceremony, but it’s not school-related. I hope we can all rest for the remainder of the weekend while the seniors live their best celebrating a huge milestone in their lives!” Congratulations to all the seniors!!

Staff writer, Lexis Millan

Do you think phones should be banned from school campuses? There are many mixed emotions as to whether phones should be banned. Well I have interviewed all the teachers at MHS about their thoughts about phones on school campuses. Many had mixed emotions and were really clueless and had to think about it before answering. Most of the teachers here do want them banned for educational reasons.  In my opinion I do not think phones should be banned, but I do see why some teachers are wanting them banned from school.

Most of the teachers at MHS want phones banned and I do see why. The reason is phones are causing a distraction to learning and causing distraction to others that are trying to learn, people cheat on classwork, students also cheat on test with phones, students are bullying each other over social media, students are videoing fights, and, finally, parents are texting and calling their kids during the school day and expecting them to answer. The teachers are not wrong. Students are using their phones way too much on campus and using them inappropriately. But the teachers say that they are  a good educational resource if the students are using them the properway. If the computers are down then phones would be a very useful resource because  they are able to use their phones to research for projects, do classwork, look up words that are unfamiliar to them, etc. Some teachers have said that 9th graders phones should be banned from school because they are immature for a phone. 

The results of the survey showed thatabout 40 percent of the teachers do not think phones should be banned from school. Principal Adam Lindsey states, “ I get where teachers are wanting them banned because of cheating, bullying, etc, but we are grown adults and teenagers that should use our phones responsibly.” Teachers are not wanting them banned because of emergencies. Students need a way to communicate with parents, family, and friends during the school day. But, they should be put out of sight when the teacher is up teaching. Teachers are saying that they should not be banned because cell phones are now part of life, but there should be rules to minimize distraction with the phones. Such as, students should turn their phone off and put it in a basket in the front of the room. 

To conclude, most teachers think that phones should be banned from school. The teachers are also saying if they are banned each student should have their own personal computer provided by the school. All in all 17 teachers say, yes we need to ban them and 15 say no we do not need to ban them.

Staff writer: Rock Cummings

I have asked our school assistant principal what kinds of things are done to the school while we are not present. For example, what projects are done, will the rest of the parking lot be paved, will the K building bathrooms possibly be renovated; Just simple things that may change or improve as we are not present. Mr. Long, our assistant principal, says last summer they just tidied up the school a bit. He says, “Summer is actually our busiest time here at the high school.” Mr. Long adds that last summer they painted teacher rooms, moved some teachers rooms around and got them situated. They also installed new ceiling tiles in the K building last summer. He says if there’s not a big project, it’s just the “same ole same ole” during summer. So from his perspective summer time is just getting everything ready and prepared for our staff and students to be back and comfortable when starting the new year. 

Staff Member, Lexie Miller 

So, it turns out that our MHS faculty and staff have lived some interesting lives and have some unique interests and quirks. To the best of our ability, we have gathered together a collection of said interests and quirks for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

BASHAM,RACHEL	She danced at Mississippi State for four years.
BOND, ANNA	She brushes her teeth in the shower
CARDENAS, APRIL	She started at Danvers when she was 16 and still works their part time
CHANEY, JONATHAN	He was voted Teacher of the Year for Lee County
CLARK,WYNNE	Got hit by an eighteen wheeler head on
CLEMMONS,MELISSA	Beyonce’s and Lady Gaga’s makeup artist gave her swimming lessons when she was a child
COMER,EMILY	She enjoys singing .
CORK,CHERYL	She has been interviewed by the FBI and enjoys playing in couples’ golf tournaments with her husband.
DAVIS,ASHLEY	On April 8th she finished her chemo one year ago .
DOTY,ROMAN	He won 2 state championships racing go-karts and won a state championship playing racquet ball.
ENLOW,LAURA	2008 MHS Football Queen
EPPS,MELISSA	She used to live in Switzerland
FOWLER,AMANDA	She had an odd ghost experience in New Orleans.
GRAY,JENNIFER	She makes quilts and works with stained glass.
GRIGGS,LADONNA	She played college softball and she knows how to operate a backhoe.
GREEN,SAMANTHA	She likes to dance.
HAGOOD,AMY	She was painfully shy as a teenager.
HARRELL,ERIN	She bakes homemade bread.
HAYNES,JEREMY	Drinks a loaded tea every single day.
HILL,ADAM	Twisted his ankle playing kickball at 38 years old.
HOLLADAY,GINGER	She just got a new last name that is long and weird and hard to spell.
HOOD,ADAM	He was all division in baseball and basketball in high school.
JACKSON,LLOYD	This is his second time working here. He retired and came back.
KEITH, JANELLE	Did competitve gymnastics for 7 years and almost went to the 1996 Olympics
KINGSLEY,SHERRY	She has won a hula hoop contest and knows how to roller skate.
KNIGHT,DEBBIE	She was aerospace engineer for 2 years until she changed her careers.
LEWIS, GINGER	She has hitchhiker’s thumbs.
LINDSEY,ADAM	He is ambidextrious
LONG,KEVIN	He loves to play on his acoustic guitar at night.
MARCY,KATHRYN	She can make balloon animals.She also used to be a clown but she is scared of them
MARTIN,SUSAN	She used to process crime scene photos.
MORROW,AMANDA	She has 3 girls with all K names and played basketball at ICC.
NAMIE, WALT	He likes to garden.
NICHOLS,MISSY	She babysat Mrs.Bond when she was a baby.
PENNINGTON,RHONDA	She was Valedictorian of her graduating class.
PERKINS,CARMEN	She enjoys watching people fall and likes cat entertainment.
RAY,LEIGH	She still sleeps with a teddy bear.
SANDERS,JOHNNIE	Got stuck in a tree by her foot.
SMITH.LISA	She likes to sing karaoke.
STALLINGS,TYLER	He’s been to 49 states.
THOMPSON, DEREK	He and Mrs. Thompson were High School sweethearts.
THOMPSON,JONI	She had a scholarship to play baseketball at ICC.
VANLANDINGHAM,AMY	She has dead people body parts inside of her.
WILLIAMS,PATTI	She is a cousin to Elvis and her maiden name is Presley.
WITT,KATEY	She can wiggle her ears and eyebrows.
YOUNG,JIMMY	He used to train horses

Family Trip To Sandusky Ohio 

Cedar Point 1st Day Visit

Reasoning: Cedar point has many different activities you can contribute to no matter the age. They have an entire kids section, as well as the rest of the park for the adults to channel their inner child. Not to mention, they have multiple little places to eat ranging from all food types. 

Ticket Prices: Its $45 per person and children under 2 get in free 

Food: I chose to eat Cedar points hot dogs because that is the food that they are most known for. Depending on what sort of hot dog your ordering the price ranges from 6-9$

Place to sleep: Great Wolf Lodge about $510 for 3 nights

Great Wolf Lodge Water Park 2nd Day Visit

Reasoning: It’s a great time for the kids. It’s also efficient because we’re staying here so we can just enjoy a fun day inside.

Prices: Free since were staying there

Food: I chose Texas Roadhouse because it has many options for kids and adults. The price’s range by watch you order but I’d say we’re spending about $50 here. 

Place to sleep: Great wolf lodge 

Lake Day 3rd Day Visit

Reasoning: Who on earth needs a reason to visit the lake? What kind of person doesn’t love a good 3rd degree burn, including a lot of laughs and satisfied children. 

Where: Lake Erie in Sandusky Ohio

Prices: Free 

Food: PB&J with chips and a drink (packed own food)

Staff Writer, Lexie Miller 

Do you have no idea where to take your family this summer? New Orleans is a great place to go. You can stay at the Wyndham French Quarter, it is $198 a night but it comes with many great things. The rooms have free wifi and flat screen TVs with premium channels and more.

If you would like to try traditional dishes then you could take your family to Olde Nola Cookery. This place has a variety of seafoods. It is affordable and there are many good options. There are also a lot of traditional and local dishes like Gumbo. The price is around $12-15 a plate. You can have breakfast at Curio Nola. A lot of the foods come with sides, and they also have many great breakfast platters for a family to share. The price range is around $16-20 a plate.

You can take your children to the Louisiana Children’s Museum.The Louisiana Children’s museum offers interactive exhibits, themed activity and education centers, large outdoor space, and a number of unique and local touches. There are also exhibits for infants and toddlers under the age of four. In every exhibit there is a variety of activities children can participate in. The price to get in is $14 for kids and adults. You can also visit the Audubon Aquarium. This aquarium has more than 15,000 sea animals from more than 600 species. They even have animals that are rarely seen, like the white alligator. There is a shark touch pool where you can touch baby sharks. They have different exhibits such as the Amazon Rainforest exhibit and the Gulf of Mexico exhibit.  The price to get in is $25 for adults, $12 for children, and it is free for children under 2. There is also a small cafe and a gift shop.

Staff writer, Lexis Millan

Nashville, Tennessee is a great place to go because they have lots of museums, concerts, music clubs, etc. There are nice places to visit such as, The Johnny Cash Museum and The Bluebird Cafe.  The Johnny Cash Museum and Cafe- This is a museum that honors the man in the blacks life.  It houses the world’s largest collection of Johnny Cash memorabilia and artifacts. The Bluebird cafe is a music club where people come in sings some are artists and some come sings other artists songs. Another good place that would be nice to do is going to Nashville is to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The cost is $27.95 per ticket. The things you will do and see is the tour through legendary hall of famers is a rich mix of history, fancy clothing, amazing cars, guitars, scripts, music and video with plenty of opportunity for interaction. It would also be nice  to go to the Belmont Mansion, the largest house museum in Tennessee and one of only a few whose history revolves around the life of a woman: Adelicia Acklen. The historic house is open to visitors for tours. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. The house is also one of Nashville’s most popular rental venues for weddings and events. Which cost $18 per ticket. We loved it. A great place to stay is The 121 Hotel which is $93 a night.

The Outer Banks

Driving- 13 hrs 30 mins

Airbnb- $160 a night

3 bedrooms, 5 beds

2 bathroom

Activities:

Activity 1- Visit the Elizabethan Gardens: Your whole family can walk around the gardens. There are many florals and plants to enjoy. It’s budget friendly too. Their prices are $9.00 for adults and $6.00 for children. 

Activity 2- Safari Dolphin Tour: When you’re at the beach, dolphin tours are always fun to do. There are many options for dolphin tours in the Outer Banks. At the Safari Dolphin tour each tour is 2 hours long. Adults are $30.00 and children are $20.00. The tour boat has a 360-degree view for your ultimate viewing experience. 

Restaurants: 

Tortugas Lie- This restaurant has Caribbean food but also burgers, sushi, and other seafood. With over 2,600 reviews on Google, Tortugas Lie has 4.6 stars. If you look on their menu it’s about $10 a plate. It is in Nags Head, the same place as the dolphin tour.

PokeBox- If you like sushi, you’ll love poke. Poke is a Hawaiian dish. It’s basically deconstructed sushi. It’s diced (usually raw) fish, mixed with veggies and rice. This restaurant is also located in Nags Head. With 98 Google Reviews, PokeBox has 4.7 stars. They have so many different toppings that you can put on top of your bowl. If you don’t like the seafood they have other things like chicken. On their menu, it’s about $11-$15 a bowl depending on how many toppings you want.

For your summer vacation, Waco Texas would be such a fun option. There is lots to do in Waco. A great recommendation is Hotel Indigo. It is $195 a night and a 7 minute walk from Magnolia.You could stay in Texas for four days. On the first day and second day, you could explore Magnolia Market. They have stores, restaurants, and so much more. Magnolia is free to get in. On day three, a great thing to do is to go to the Cameron Park Zoo. It is $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 3-12. Lastly, you could go to the Dr. Pepper Museum for the fourth day. At this museum, you can make a soda and taste a soda. It is $10 per bottle to make a soda and $12 per person to taste a soda. I also included two restaurants in this project. First is Di Camplis, this is an Italian restaurant that averages about $20 per person. My second restaurant  recommendation is Magnolia Table. Magnolia Table is a few minutes drive from Magnolia Market. There is normally a wait, so you should put your name down ahead of time. Magnolia Table averages about $15 per person.

Staff Writer Ava Taylor

Atlanta is an amazing place to take your fam this summer!

Need an affordable family trip this summer? Atlanta checks all of the boxes. Budget friendly, tons of activities for the kids, good food, and under a five hour drive! After researching, I found a nice hotel in the heart of Downtown Atlanta. SpringHill Suites by Marriott Downtown Atlanta is only $136-180 per night in the summer months. The pros of staying in the Downtown area are all of the places around the hotel. Between the World of Coca Cola, Georgia Aquarium, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park, and Skyview Atlanta, there is something for everyone to enjoy. All of these places range from 14 to 20 dollars a ticket besides Centennial Olympic Park, which is free. For babies 0-2 all of the places offer free tickets. Breakfast options in the Downtown area sound so good! Atlanta Breakfast Club, Metro Diner, and Corner Bakery are all rated 4 stars! For lunch or dinner there are so many good spots around that area! Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, Johnny Rockets, Mellow Mushroom and more. All of those restaurants were rated “$$” on the internet, so they are affordable. Six Flags Over Georgia is a perfect spot for the whole family if you are up for a drive one day. The ticket prices right now start at $35.99 but go up depending on the package you choose and the amount of people joining you. Six Flags offers tons of rides for all ages and great dining options. A few of their restaurants include: Daddy O’s, Dee Jay’s Diner, Macho Nacho, Miner’s Cookhouse, and Primo’s Pizzeria. The park also offers snack shops that serve popcorn, pretzels, ice cream, etc. Overall Atlanta is well worth the drive. There are endless activities and eateries for your whole family. It is a great place to get away and have fun! 

Staff writer, Hannah Harmon