N
H
S
November 3, 2006
Volume V, Issue 3
Grim Reaper Pays a Visit
Red Ribbon Week Activities
Amber Munday, 12 has
her face painted white by
the grim reapers. Every
20 minutes a student in
grades 7-12 was pulled
from class, their face was
painted white and they
were asked to not talk for
the rest of the day to symbolize their “death”.
The week of October 23 - 27
represents Red Ribbon Week nationwide. Red Ribbon Week began officially
in 1988 when the National Family Partnership organized the first national
campaign.
The roots of Red Ribbon Week
revolve around the memory of Enrique
“Kiki” Camarena who served the United
States Drug Enforcement Agency.
Camarena was working undercover in
Mexico investigating a drug cartel when
he was kidnapped as he left his office to
meet his wife for lunch. One month
later his body was discovered in a shallow grave, he had been tortured to
death. In his memory his friends and
neighbors began to wear red ribbons
and to protest the use and destruction
of illegal drugs. Following this movement, many parent groups who were
fighting against alcohol and drug abuse
adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of
hope and how one person can make a
difference.
During this week, the students
at Novinger High school have participated in many activities to celebrate Red
Ribbon Week and to increase awareness
of the damage that alcohol and drugs
can play in your life.
Several contests were held
throughout the week, including making
door decorations, writing poetry, researching individuals who have died
from drug abuse and creation of 30 second videos. The week was kicked off
on Monday with a balloon launch. Over
300 balloons were released at 9:15 am as
students were asked to make a pledge to
remain drug and alcohol free. The elementary and high school student councils worked together to inflate the balloons and distribute them.
Wednesday, Black Wednesday,
saw the arrival of three grim reapers,
Anna Grgurich, 12; Katie Moore, 11;
and Colby Reynolds, 11. These three
“dead” students represent the people
from this school that will lose their lives
in the next 10 years because of alcohol
or drug use. Throughout the day students were pulled from classes every 20
minutes to symbolize the death of a person due to alcohol/drug use every day.
At the end of the day an assembly was
held to illustrate the loss of life due to
drug and alcohol abuse. Students were
also given the opportunity to partcipate
in small group meetings with Larry
Hubbard and Kami Simonton as they
discussed their experiences with drugs
and alcohol and how negatively it effected
their lives.
Following are the winners of the
contests that were sponsored during Red
Ribbon Week.
Poetry Contest
7th Grade
Kayya Kittle
Matthew Matheney
Chris Smith
8th Grade
Becca White
Chazz White
Jared Sharp
Obituary Contest
Niki Doss
Blake Blackburn
Kelsey Potter
Video Contest
Group A
Cody Atchley
Matt Conley
Jessica Conley
Krystal Hatcher
Landon Hubbard
Daniel Bonnel
Tiffany Clark
Charity Koehnemann
Group B
Kendrea Wilkins
Alex Wernert
Maryanna Patlakis
Tyson Martin
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Why are you
thankful for
Thanksgiving?
SeNiOr SpOtLiGhTs
By: Maryanna Patlakis
By: Alex Wernert
When I went around and asked the students about what they are thankful for at
Thanksgiving a lot of the kids said they are
thankful for their families. Here are some
of the responses that I got back from the
students –
Micheal Westbrook said that he is thankful
for the turkeys, family being together and
having a good family.
Emily Tharp says that she is happy that
she gets to see all of her family that lives
far away and her new baby cousins.
Chris Baker is thankful for his grandma
because she cooks all the good food,
friends and family that he doesn’t get to
see very much and he is also thankful for
his church family.
Tiffany Clark and Whitney Fountain both
said that they are thankful for their friends,
family and food.
Charity Koehnemann is happy to be alive
and with her friends and family on the
holidays after last year’s wreck.
Ashley May is happy to get to see her family. She is also happy that her family is
safe because they are from different states.
Jed Gubalke is happy because we get a day
off from school.
Cameron Partin is glad to get to be with his
family, he loves the food, it is the month of
deer season, and he loves his grandma’s
pie.
When I asked a couple of the teachers why
they are thankful for thanksgiving, their
response was.
Mr. Walker said people’s health, living in a
free country, going to church, freedom of
religion, and his grandchild.
Mr. Johnson is thankful for thanksgiving
because he loves to eat and says it is the
greatest meal of the year.
Amber Ann Munday
Amber Ann Munday is the daughter of Doug and Myrna Frink. She was born
on June 5, 1989 in Mercy Hospital in Iowa
City. Amber stated that she admires her
Mom more than anyone else, “My mom is
so strong and intelligent. I want to be like
that when I’m her age.” Amber plans to attend Truman State University for her first
four years after graduation and then to she
plans to finish her degree in Veterinary Medicine at MU.
Some of Amber’s hobbies are writing stories and poems, riding horses, chilling with friends, and her boyfriend. If Amber had one wish she would wish to never
fail in school and life. Amber’s favorite
memory would have to be when she was
hanging out with Maryanna and Andy by
the Mulberry Church. All three of them were
seated on the tailgate of Amber’s Ford
Ranger named Gary while looking up at the
stars and talking. The worst thing that’s happened to Amber was when her Truck Gary
got wrecked.
She loves her dog Abby because
she’s lovable and cuddly. Amber will miss
how much everyone knows each other and
how everyone in Novinger gets along. If
Amber could switch places with one person
it would have to be Mr. Whitacre because
she could see how she acts in psychology
since she asks so many questions. Amber
said that her favorite class is Chorus because
she gets to sing. Her favorite teacher is Mr.
Whitacre because he makes it clear that he
expects a lot from Amber. The one thing
that Amber dislikes about Novinger is that
there’s too much drama. Amber’s advice to
the underclassmen is “Always obey the seniors because, you’ll want respect when
you’re a senior too!”
Matthew Carl
Conley
Matt Conley, A.K.A. Dirt is the son
of Carl and Anna Conley. Matt was born
October 6th, 1988 at Grim Smith Hospital in
Kirksville, Missouri.
Matt looks up to his dad the most
because his dad actually listens to him. After
school Matt is hoping to work as a cattle and
crop farmer. Matt’s many hobbies would
have to be hunting, fishing, riding his four
wheeler, hanging out with friends, farming
and harvesting, and being with his girlfriend
Aubrey.
Matt said if he had one wish he
would like to live forever because death
sucks, and you know what’s going to happen after death. A favorite memory of Matt’s
would have to be fishing with his grandpa.
The worst thing that’s happened
to Matt was when his family got into a car
wreck when he was four, although Matt
wasn’t in the car. Matt’s favorite pet would
have to be his dog Streak who is eleven years
old.
Matt said the thing that he will miss
most about leaving high school is, “My friends
because I won’t have anyone to talk to anymore.” If Matt could trade places with one
person in the world it would have to be Bill
Gates because Bill is rich and Matt knows
what’s it’s like to be in a poor family and not
have a lot of money. Matt’s favorite class
would have to be lunch because the cooks
cook awesome food. When I asked what
teacher inspires you the most, Matt answered
with “Mr. S because he teaches the kids how
to work hard.” The one thing Matt dislikes
about Novinger would have to be how
people throw trash in the hallways. Matt’s
advice to underclassmen is “Work your butts
off in school because if not, your going to
regret it!”
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Little Cats
Struggle
Lady Cats
On A Roll
By: Kendrea Wilkins
By: Kendrea Wilkins
The 2006 JH Girls Basketball team has started off their season with a bang. Their first feat was
capturing the championship title of
the Green City tournament. To date
the girls are riding a wave of victory,
they have yet to be defeated.
Standouts have been Kelsey
Potter, 9 who has contributed a
number of points during all of the
games, especially during the tremendous victory over the Lady Gophers of Green City.
Coach Jennings is proud of
the girls’ efforts and especially the
fact that they were able to win the
tournament. With a record of 7-0,
5-0 in conference it seems the ladies
have a little something to prove.
According to Becca White, 8, “We
just take one game at a time and in
the end we hope to win the Atlanta
tournament as well as capture the
conference title.”
Us
Them
LaPlata
Bulldogs
19
16
Brashear
Tigers
20
18
Bucklin
Bulldogs
37
13
Bevier
Wildcats
44
21
Green City
Gophers
42
LaPlata
Bulldogs
Brashear
Tigers
By: Tyson Martin
With the changing of the color
of the leaves comes a time of year that
many FFA members look forward to. It’s
time for the annual FFA National Convention. This year marked the 79th convention, which was held in Indianapolis, Indiana for the first time.
The National FFA Organizations is dedicated to making a positive
difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
The National Convention is a place where
over 40,000 FFA members gather to end
another successful year of the FFA experience.
The Novinger FFA sent 13
people to this years’ convention. Those
attending were Adam Doss, Brett Briggs,
Emily Wayman and Tyson Martin, all
Seniors; Wes Totsch and Travis Gunnels, Juniors; Denton Miller, Cory Smith
and Sydney White, Sophomores; Trevor
Munday, Kelsey Potter and KaCei
Lindquist, Freshmen. Along with attending various sessions of the convention the group also visited the Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis Speedway
500, and finally to the National FFA
Megaconcert with Carrie Underwood,
Keith Anderson and Jason Aldeen.
During the sessions of the convention the members heard many different people speak about leadership,
motivation and success. Terry Bradshaw,
former NFL player, speaking to the convention attendees, highlighted the first
session on the second day of the convention.
The Junior High Cats have
struggled in the front end of their 2006
basketball season. Starting off the year
at Green City in the tournament was not
a positive beginning for this team as they
were defeated in both games, falling to
both LaPlata and Brashear.
With only one way to go, the
team traveled into Bulldog territory in
Bucklin and were able to come home with
their first and only win of the season, so
far. Falling to Bevier, Green City, LaPlata
and Brashear brings the teams record to
just 1-6.
The team is headed up by new
coach Brian Witt. Witt said that he
thought the team has improved with each
game and looks forward to seeing them
in the future. Trevor Munday, 9 has
been a standout on the offensive side of
the ball as he has been able to average 10
points per game. Fellow freshmen, Nick
Billington has also brought alot to the
table offensively. Billington’s greatest
highlight would be hitting three 3-point
shots in the game against Green City.
Coach Witt also felt that the 7th graders
are going to offer a lot to this team in the
future.
Us
Them
LaPlata
Bulldogs
19
42
Brashear
Tigers
14
26
Bucklin
Bulldogs
25
23
Bevier
Wildcats
26
47
14
Green City
Tigers
26
31
41
22
LaPlata
Bulldogs
10
65
33
27
Brashear
Tigers
30
37
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What’s On Tap?
November
1
14
Dismiss @ 12:45
Professional Development
2
JH BB @ Macon Co.
6:00
District FFA Speaking
3
Dismiss @ 12:45
Thanksgiving Break
22
JH BB vs. Atlanta
6:00
23-24
JH BB vs. Linn Co.
6:00
Thanksgiving Break
Atlanta BB Tourney
Novinger BB Tourney
6-11
27-Dec. 2
9
Picture Retake Day
Area III FFA Speaking
Congratulations to Evan Sthole for
correctly identifying the two mystery
students in last month’s issue. The
students were Caleb Yardley and
Kelsey Potter. Thank you all of
your guesses. Evan won a sucker
for his efforts.
Happy
Birthday!
November
1
Identify the Object
Can you identify which room these fall decorations came from?
Tyson Martin, 12
Elisha Frost, 8
6
Krystal Hatcher, 11
11
Brandon Baird, 8
15
Katie Moore, 11
19
Shelton Johnson, 8
Rhett Mullins, 8
1
2
21
Alex May, 9
22
Kasi Younger, 10
Austin Martin, 8
24
Caleb Dodson, 11
25
Callie Farrell, 8
3
4
29
Ashley Williams, 11
Cory Pinkston, 10
Shawn Lewis, 10
4
The First
Thanksgiving
By: Alex Wernert
Front
Row:
Maryanna Patlakis,
Amber Munday,
Nicki Adams, Kasi
Younger. Back
Row:
Ashlynn
Raine,
Teale
Hocker,
Kim
Harden, and Rani
Gray
All-Conference Choir Performs
By: Maryanna Patlakis
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Maryanna Patlakis, Amber Munday,
Kim Harden, Nicki Adams, Rani
Gray, Teale Hocker, Ashlynn
Raine, and Kasi Younger traveled
to New Cambria to practice for AllConference Choir.
After a full day of practice
the All-Conference Choir performed at Macon Co., Bucklin and
Linn Co. schools on Monday, Oc-
tober 23, 2006. The songs that the
Choir sang where Jubilate Deo by
Mary Lynn Lightfoot, Let My
People Go (Go Down, Moses) by
Roger Emerson, Sugar Time by
Mac Huff, Seasons Of Love From
Rent by Jonathan Larson, and
America, My Country by Brad
Printz.
Novinger
Spook-A-Thon
By: Tyson Martin
On October 31, 2006 the
Novinger High School Student
Council sponsored the second annual costume contest. This contest
allows high school students the opportunity to celebrate Halloween
by coming to school dressed in costume. The Student Council has the
student body vote on various categories to choose a winner. Pepsi
in Kirksville helped sponsor the
event by donating t-shirts to be
given away for prizes.
The winners were scariest
Adam Greathouse, 11 who’s cos-
tume was a prom queen; funniest
Rick Robinson, 12 who’s costume
was a woman; most original was
Charity Koehnemann, 12 her costume was a cowgirl; best two
couples were Jared Sharp, 8 &
Brandon Baird, 8 they were
dressed up as Novinger cheerleaders and Anna Grgurich, 12 & Mrs.
Danita Gordon, faculty they were
dressed as scarecrows; and best
staff for the costume contest was
Jona Gunnels, high school secretary, she was dressed as a Jona in
the Box like the toy Jack in the Box.
Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims
seem to go together, just like Christmas and
Santa Clause – but the truth is, the pilgrims
never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast.
Before you cancel the turkey, take a look at
the origin of that particular myth. In some
ways, the truth is even more intriguing.
The Pilgrims did have a feast in
1621, after their first harvest, and it is this
feast which people often refer to as the “The
First Thanksgiving.” This feast was never repeated, though, so it can’t be called the beginning of a tradition, nor was it termed by
the colonists or “Pilgrims” a Thanksgiving
Feast. In fact, to these devoutly religious
people, a day thanksgiving was a day of prayer
and fasting. It would have been held any time
that they felt an extra day of thanks was called
for. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become
a model that we think of for our own Thanksgiving celebration and we do know something
of the truth about it.
We can assume, for example, that
the harvest feast was eaten outside on the
fact that the Colonists didn’t have a building
large enough to accommodate all the people
who came. Native People were definitely
among the invited guests, and it’s possible,
even probable, that turkey (roasted but not
stuffed) and pumpkin in some form, found
their way to the table. And it gets better. This
is the way the feast was described in a firsthand account presumably by a leader of the
colony, Edward Winslow, as it appears in
Mount Relation:
“Our harvest being gotten in, our
governor sent four men on fowling, that so
we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our
labors. They four in one day killed as much
fowl as, with a little help beside, served the
company almost a week. At which time,
amongst other recreations, we exercised our
arms. Many of the Indians coming amongst
us, and among the rest their greatest King
Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for
three days we entertained and feasted, and
they went out and killed five deer, which they
brought to the plantation and bestowed on
our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful
as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we
often wish you partakers of our plenty.”
From this we know that the feast
went on for three days, included ninety “Indians,” and food was plentiful. In addition, to
the venison provided by the Indians, there
was enough wild fowl to supply the village
for a week. The fowl would have included
ducks, geese, turkeys, and even swans.
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