What's the deal?

By Courtney Smith
What’s the deal with …
Changing the graduation order: The minor change from “distinguished” to the Latin “cum laude” system is really not that major of an issue. What does spark concern, though, is the actual graduation order. Hearsay can only be considered a reliable source to a certain degree, of course, but from what I have heard, most seniors do not agree with graduating “as a class.” Most students who actually worked for their grades believe some valid recognition is in “order” – and not just a subtle title mentioned before their names are called. Come on now, seniors already accept the fact that different colored sashes are out of the question, but really, I believe those people who actually care and worked for their grades should at least be acknowledged to the highest degree simply by going before those with a lower GPA. Since when was academic achievement frowned upon?

Anonymity: Being anonymous has it perks. For example, Ben Franklin wrote to the local newspaper as a woman to promote the Constitution. Then again, if you have something to say directly to someone, whether kind or harsh, it should obviously be said to the person directly and not hidden behind a false name. If you have something to say, say it. Don’t be a coward but then again, why not bury the hatchet?

Stupid end-of-the-year decisions: Just because there are fewer than 30 days left of school, does not mean you can do whatever, whenever, wherever. Rules don’t go out the window the last month of school regardless of what YOU might think. Seniors: don’t be stupid and ruin your life. Everyone else: be realistic because you do still have a few more years to go.

Summer skin: Summer is an ideal time to show off that “beach body” you’ve been working on all winter, but showing too much skin, especially in school and anywhere beyond the beach or pool, is just not attractive or what most of you consider “sexy.” Be classy and leave some things to others’ imagination.

Job-hunting Debbie downers: In today’s society, jobs are difficult to come by and not being able to find one is understandable and frustrating. Then again, no one will consider giving anybody a second glance if he or she comes in with a pessimistic or raw attitude. Be proactive about summer jobs, and stay positive. There are plenty out there.

The decline in face-to-face interaction: Seems to me like most people these days feel much more comfortable and witty when behind a computer or cell phone screen. If you can’t say or do something in front of whomever and feel comfortable, you probably shouldn’t do it through a keyboard. It’ll be more than beneficial in the long run.

Wesboro Baptist Church: For all of those small-minded, overly conscientious, and dramatic human beings that lurk this school, stop. WBC is, in fact, coming to St. James and several other high schools in the district. Why? Basically to preach about what their so-called “beliefs” are just to get a riot out of all of you. The group of picketers is not even here yet, and people are already planning to bring paintball guns, “fight” whomever, throw eggs, and so on. Those are “clever” ideas and whatnot, but that is exactly what the WBC wants you to do. Several members of the group are actual lawyers and once you overstep a legal boundary, you will be funding the group you “hate” through a lawsuit you are sure to lose because , as crazy as they are, they have a right to free speech. My advice: ignore the media deprived cult and don’t even bother giving it any attention.

Tattoo “trend:” Several people believe getting tattoos is a trend right now. Sorry to break it to you, but tattoos have been around for hundreds of years all around the world. Getting lame tribal tattoos didn’t originate in Myrtle Beach two years ago. Maybe it’s just that all of your friends are now turning 18, which is now the legal age in South Carolina to get a tattoo without mommy and daddy knowing. Weird, I know. With that said, if not following a trend is the only concern stopping you from getting a tattoo, you probably shouldn’t in the first place. Get real, people.

Sexting: I see the commercials all the time for it now on MTV, and it’s even used as a normal occurrence in some television shows I have personally seen. I don’t get it. It’s trashy and will always come back to haunt you. A relationship (or whatever you kids call it these days) is not between you, another person, and an electronic device. Stop and at least attempt to maintain a decent reputation.

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Annoyances from dating to sunburns

By Haley Vinson
On YouTube there is a kid who made a video about things that annoy him. After watching this video, I found it quite hilarious and agreed with much of what he had to say. So I added onto his this cleaner version of my own.

When people date for three days and post everywhere, “I love you so much baby you’re my entire world!” Have a little self control; you’re going to regret this when you break up in a week.

Don’t say you’re dating someone when neither of you have a car. That’s cool, so your mom drops you off at Chuck E. Cheese’s?

Teenage pregnancy: is that the new cool thing to do now? Grab your new accessories – your sunglasses and your baby.

Relax, you’re not dying of global warming. It is the biggest lie the government is telling you. It’s snowing in April, but you’re right, the earth is the hottest it has ever been. Even if it was, there is nothing you can do about it. The earth will still be here in hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Just like 2012, maybe the Mayans got tired of all these calendars and stopped? Or maybe the guy died.

Peeling, sunburn sucks and then the next 3 weeks of your life you are peeling off your dead skin, which is absolutely disgusting.

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Anime: misunderstood form of entertainment

By Michael McCormick
We all like to watch movies and TV shows; well, most of us do anyway. It is always fun to find a show you like and to watch an episode. then spend the next week anticipating the next installment. A form of entertainment very similar to regular TV shows and movies is anime. But far too many people look down upon this form of entertainment.

Anime is a form of animated show, usually imported from Japan, that is usually based on a series of comic books called manga. These productions share a lot of characteristics, such as abstract hair designs, large glistening eyes and a wild range of emotions that the characters go through on a normal basis.

But you might be thinking, “What is it about anime that makes people turn away from it?” Well the answer varies, but many people find it “uncool” or “childish” to watch anime nowadays.

When people say it is “uncool” to watch anime, they sometimes believe that only “dorks” or “nerds” watch it. Thinking such thoughts makes stereotypes rule your actions, and you don’t try things you yourself might like.

When people also call anime “childish,” they aren’t looking at the whole picture. Yes, there are some anime shows that are created for kids such as Pokémon, Naruto & Yu-Gi-Oh. These shows are ones that we all remember for being really fun to watch when we were kids, but some people assume that all anime is just like these shows.

In reality, there are a lot of different shows that some people have never heard of that can be a lot more mature and fun to watch for older audiences, such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Clannad, Bleach, & Hellsing. The situations in these animes are a lot more serious and can have such touching storylines that they can bring some people to tears.

If anime is something that you never gave a try, you should definitely give it a chance. Anime shouldn’t be something to look down upon due to status symbols and preconceptions. You never know, you could find a great series that could get you hooked. Good places to go to watch some of these programs and [adult swim] are on various websites across the Internet.

If reading is your thing, you could head down to the library or your local bookstore, such as Books-A-Million or Barnes and Noble, and pick up a manga or two. Any way you approach it, there is bound to be a series out there that you will be glad you found.

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Mother’s Day gift guide

By Laiken Howard
One burning question in the month of May is always, “What could I get my mom for Mother’s Day?” My opinion is that people get too wrapped up in the thought of a present and forget the real reason we celebrate Mother’s Day to begin with.

You could always get her the usual candle that will just sit on her dresser for years. Or maybe, this year, you could actually put some more thought into it.

Here are some things your mom doesn’t want …

Chocolate: It will only ruin her strict diet.

Candles: Does scented wax really say “I love you”?

Random material things: Your mom isn’t that shallow.

Here are some things your mom would actually enjoy this year …

Hobby basket: Consider your mom’s interests, such as scrapbooking, planting, or even working out. Then after you have decided what to base your basket on, put little small items in it that involve that particular hobby.

Hang out time: Take your mom to a movie and pay for it or maybe even take her out for dinner.

Memories: Talk to her about your favorite memories you share. Maybe even make her a little scrapbook holding a few photos, tickets and some notes of a time you were with each other.

These are just some simple suggestions that could make your mother feel very appreciated, which is the whole purpose of Mother’s Day.

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Sharks baseball crowned district champs

By John DelBianco
On Wednesday night, the St. James varsity baseball team set out to win the first part of its post season. The Sharks were only one victory away from being Class AAA District VII Champions for two years in a row. Wednesday, St. James had to get through archrival Socastee Braves again.

The energy was rocking at Shark Park as fans from both schools surrounded the fences and filled up the bleachers. The Sharks were pumped up early and knew that this was one of the biggest games in the history of the school. Right before they took the field they huddled up right outside their dugout and jumped around to get themselves focused and ready to play.

They took the field lead by senior pitcher Colby Crooks who had dominated the Braves earlier in the season with a no-hitter. Colby got three outs quickly and the Sharks got ready to bat. With one out, senior Nick Hotzelt ripped a double down the left field foul line. That hit was then followed by another double in the same spot by junior Klye Heidt. St. James led 1-0 after the 1st inning.

In the 2nd, the Sharks scored another run with and RBI infield single by junior Anthony Cossentino. The Braves then scored one run in the top of the 3rd. In the bottom of the inning, the Sharks got the run back by an error made by Socastee’s third basemen. After three innings the score was 3-1 St. James.

The Sharks went on to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth and then another four runs in the bottom of the fifth. After the 5th inning the Sharks were leading 10-1. The Braves tried to rally by scoring one run in the top of the 6th, but that’s all they would get.

Going into the top of the 7th inning the Sharks led 10-2 and were only three outs away from closing out the District VII playoff series. Crooks was still in the game and kept on going. The team got a quick three outs and celebrated with each other at the mound with Crooks in the middle of the mob.

A huge game note is that the Sharks completed the season sweep of Socastee, going 5-0 against the team. The Sharks are now headed to the Lower States were they will face South Aiken on Saturday night at 6 p.m.

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From the editor’s desk

By Tonya Holtzscheiter
As a teenager, I run a lot. I’m never at home, and when I am I try to find somewhere else to be. It’s just what teenagers do. But recently I have been noticing that I have a great deal of time on my hands and nothing to do with it.

Lost time is never found again. When we find a task that takes quite a bit of work, time is very important, and we don’t have enough of it. But with nothing to do … we have way too much time on our hands.

I would personally love to know why we make such a big deal out of time. It’s important to be on time to places, but we did not always have clocks. People used to use the sun to tell time; now we have fancy clocks and watches that do everything for us. The world is not only advancing in technology, but humans are becoming more lazy and depending completely on this technology.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But, it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,” said Winston Churchill.

We always say how precious our time is and how other people are wasting it, but sit back and think of all the pointless, stupid things you do to waste your own time. With all of our “free” time, so much could get done, but instead we do things we want to do instead of things we know we will need to do tomorrow.

My most used line when talking to my parents is, “Oh, I’ll do it later,” or “It can wait until tomorrow.” Well once later comes, I wish I had done it earlier. And we all know tomorrow never comes; we procrastinate until the last possible second.

Time is valuable. Take advantage of every possible second. And try to find something worth your time to do when you have time to “waste.”

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No skills, no powers, no problem

By Jake Wentz
Spiderman, Batman, Superman. What do these three people have in common, other than “man” as a suffix to their name? They are freakin’ superheroes!

They fight crime, wear tights and save they day. All of them have some advantage – something that happened at birth, by luck or chance.

Superheroes are iconic, but they only exist in fantasy. In real life, the closest thing to a superhero is the police, and they don’t even get cool names or costumes.

With the recent release of the movie “Kick-Ass,” the question was posed, “What if you or I were to become a superhero? An amazing answer and ideology was presented as well, that superheroes aren’t real but bad guys are.

The film stars the young new actor Aaron Johnson, who plays the main character Dave Lizewski, also known as “Kick-Ass.” He embodies the idea perfectly and shows some great acting skills. Director/co-producer Matthew Vaughn did wonderfully by representing the realism in a picture that could have been like any other teenage drama.

The script that was also written by Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Mark Millar, and it came out great in my opinion. It had many aspects that were deep while still keeping some humor.

At the very least, this is an excellent action movie. Trust that you’ll end up clenching the arms of your chair by the climax of this one. I saw it at the Market Common, and combining the sound with the visuals, it was exhilarating.

I have to admit I did not think it was going to be a good movie; in fact, after seeing the ad campaign, I thought it going to be a flop. I said the name and amount of explosions were cliché, but I was blown away. In fact, I didn’t even like the intro, the stereotypical zooming in on a high-school while pop music played in the background. Like I said I expected cliché, and I was wrong.

Other mentionable names involved with this film include co-producer Brad Pitt, co-star Nicolas Cage and music by Henry Jackson. So kids hit those theaters and get into this one.

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'Blessing of the Inlet' enters 14th year

By Laiken Howard
Belin Memorial United Methodist Church will host the 14th annual “Blessing of the Inlet” on Saturday.

The focus of the Blessing of the Inlet is to have fun, food and fellowship. There will be arts and crafts, local food, all-day entertainment and events designed to bond the community together. It is a great opportunity to meet with locals and have fun with family.

The main event of the day is the Blessing Service on the creekside of Belin Church. Rev. Mike Alexander will perform the ceremony.


Additional Information:

14th ANNUAL
"BLESSING OF THE INLET"

MAY 1, 2010

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Belin Memorial United Methodist Church
WATERFRONT HWY 17 BUSINESS
MURRELLS INLET, SC

843-651-5099
• ARTS/CRAFTS
• LOCAL RESTAURANTS
• CHILDREN'S EVENTS
• ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT
• NO ADMISSION FEE
• RAIN OR SHINE
• BLESSING CEREMONY AT 11:30 a.m.

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What I really learned in high school

By Courtney Smith
Throughout high school, I have learned more than enough useful and useless information. Most “life lessons” I have learned are far beyond a textbook and the monotone harangue each teacher subconsciously gives at least twice a week. The following statements are personal epiphanies I have come across during my time at St. James. Remember, there are always two sides to everything.

If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault. Don't whine about your mistakes; learn from them.

Do not be so naive to trust every person who may be considered a “friend.” It’s easy to rat someone out if there is a motive.

Drama never ends even after high school. Avoiding it never works because it will always find you but ignoring it...now, that’s a progressive decision.

School lunches are not “low-carb” friendly. Don’t allow the district-suggested menus fool you.

Boys will be boys.

Girls are manipulative, conniving, and irrational.

Act your age.

Find who YOU are. Don’t live through other people and learn to have a set of individual views, ideas, or opinions. YOU are YOUR own person.

There is such thing as “socially acceptable.”

Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and whatever other social networks people use are JUST websites. Try not to get too caught up in them.

Don’t go against or “hate” everyone in high school. It’ll just backfire on you.

Bathrooms are not for smoking or whatever else you crazy kids come up with.

Don’t ever take yourself too seriously.

Making fun of people will not help your self esteem.

Be careful when taking AP courses. Some colleges will not allow certain credits to transfer.

Take everything with a grain of salt.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Slacking off and failing a class is not worth summer school.

Mouthing off to a teacher, administrator, or anyone who may have authority over you does not make you look “hard” or “cool.” Shut up and get over what may not cater to YOUR needs.

Be proactive. Not reactive.

Don’t compare yourself to others.

80-90 percent of what you fear will happen never actually come into reality.

There are opportunities in just about every experience.

The only thing that will prepare you for college is college.

Bad things do happen to good people.

Never let someone borrow something without knowing there is a chance of it getting ruined or never seeing it again.

Lies always resurface.

If you refuse to believe in karma, think five times before you act.

Who really cares what other people think?

To get respect, give it.

There are just some things that should be ignored or embraced but, I mean, it is just high school, right?

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Lady Sharks score win against Seahawks

By John DelBianco
The Lady Sharks varsity soccer team battled against the Myrtle Beach Seahawks at home on Thursday night. Last time the teams played, the Seahawks won 5-1 and took the lead in the region. On Thursday, the Sharks exacted revenge with a 3-1 victory.

Without its seniors, the team got a picture of what it will be like next season. The two seniors, Ana Sigmon and Emily Fultineer, were with the senior class on a trip to Disney World.

The game started off with a goal by Myrtle Beach about 15 minutes into the game. Then with about 10 minutes left in the first half, St. James sophomore Sara Breeden took a corner kick that was kicked into the Seahawks’ goal by sophomore Jessi Campos. It was 1-1 at the end of the first half.

Starting the second half, the Sharks continued to play with heart. About 20 minutes into the second half, the Sharks scored on a goal by freshmen Alexis Sansook. With a 2-1 lead, the momentum stayed with the Lady Sharks throughout the rest of the game. With 16 minutes left, the girls struck again when sophomore Haley Lundquist kicked the ball toward the goalie who deflected the ball, which still went over her head and into the goal for the Sharks’ third score of the game.

The rest of the second half was played with unstoppable defense lead by sophomores Campos, Sarina Way, Julianna Natali and Caitlin Kirby.

When the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game, the girls mobbed each other at midfield in celebration of their memorable win.

“Nearing the end of the season and heading into the playoffs I believe that our team is in a very comfortable position,” said Natali. “We are playing great soccer right now, and we need to have momentum going into the postseason. I believe that if we continue to play the way we have been playing, we can go farther that any other St. James girls’ varsity team has ever gone.”

No St. James girls’ soccer team had beaten Myrtle Beach before Thursday night. The girls could not be more ecstatic as they talked with Coach Lee Cannon about how they played.

“It’s amazing! This was the first game that I feel like we actually played as a team,” said Way. “It made us feel so much better knowing that the varsity soccer team has never beaten Myrtle Beach. It feels great to be in second place in our region! I am so proud of our team.”

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Westboro Baptist Church interview (part 1/3)

Editor’s note: On its website, the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas has listed St. James High School on its picketing schedule for May 21. This controversial organization, which is not affiliated with any known Baptist convention or association, is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The following transcript is the first part of a phone interview conducted by Shark Attack news editor Paul McKinney with Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Westboro Pastor Fred Phelps. The remaining parts of the interview will be posted in the future.

McKinney: I notice on your website that you’re coming to the Myrtle Beach area.

Phelps-Roper: We are. We are. We are.

McKinney: May 21 you will be at St. James High School, right? That’s what it says.

Phelps-Roper: That’s right.

McKinney: Why are you coming to the Myrtle Beach area?

Phelps-Roper: Well because it’s an area we haven’t gotten to a lot. The destruction of this nation is imminent, so we’ve got to get everywhere we can possibly get. So we’re running.

McKinney: OK.

Phelps-Roper: We haven’t been in that area before, actually standing on your soil, looking you in the eye, right outside the place where they teach you – those high schools where they sit you in the chairs, and they enroll you in rebellion 101.

McKinney: Now how do they enroll us in rebellion 101?

Phelps-Roper: By what they teach you.

McKinney: What is it exactly that they teach us, like evolution?

Phelps-Roper: Hey, hey, hey! Just button up buddy until I finish the answer. Then if you have a follow-up question, ask it, OK? This knee-jerk, barfing out words in the middle of my answer isn’t working for me very well.

McKinney: OK, sorry ma’am.

Phelps-Roper: They teach you rebellion 101 when they sit you there and they tell you, they teach you, that God is a liar, that his commandments are on the table for disposal at your will. God says, “Thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not kill, no fornication, thou shall not lie with mankind and with womankind, it is abomination.” Then they teach you to the contrary, “Oh no, it’s OK to change …” You see the Lord Jesus Christ says, “If you divorce and remarry, you’re living in adultery.” So you’re sitting there, looking all around you, and 60 percent of this nation … 60 percent is the divorce and remarriage rate in doomed America. So you’re looking around, and you see, that’s called a “policy of adultery.” And furthermore, you’re taught that you can change your spouses and your sex partners more often than you change your socks. And if you produce a baby in the middle of all that mess, and “it’s an inconvenience for you, or if you just don’t feel like taking care of the baby, you feel free to kill it.” That is how they teach you rebellion against the commandments of God. And they have done that against their interest and against your interest, and against their souls and against your souls. Because the commandments of God are, in fact, not on the table for disposal at your will. And furthermore, this is the nation of “it’s OK to be gay. God is a big fat liar. It’s not abomination; it’s just OK.” So we’re here to tell you, in these last hours of the last days of all, that, in fact, God’s commandments are not available for disposal, and that God doesn’t change. And your choice is to obey your God, or prepare for your own personal godsmack.

McKinney: OK, thank you for that answer.

Phelps-Roper: You’re welcome.

McKinney: What groups do you support? Who do you agree with? Are there any groups in America you agree with at all?

Phelps-Roper: I got the question. I got the question.

McKinney: OK.

Phelps-Roper: We are servants of the living God; we believe the words that are written in the book, the book is called the Bible. In this country there are no groups … who would you think that might be? Like oh, perhaps the Catholics? Hey, priests lie on God and therefore God has caused priests to rape children and anyone else they can get their hands on, apparently. If you’ve been looking at all at the national and international hideousy, you know there is a so-called crisis in the Catholic Church. Priests rape children. So we don’t agree with any of these false religious systems – not one.

McKinney: Now pastors don’t rape children? I’ve heard news stories of pastors and other church leaders raping children, not just Catholics.

Phelps-Roper: Not, not the pastor at the Westboro Baptist Church! But as for the rest of these false religious systems, I rest my case. All you did was just help me articulate why, no! We don’t support any of these false religious systems. You’re exactly right! Rabbis rape children. Baptists rape children. The whole stinkin’ world has gone crazy because God hates this generation, and your destruction is imminent.

McKinney: OK.

Phelps-Roper: It’s beautiful.

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St. James back in the day...

By Wayne Huggins
In November 2001, the land that would become St. James High was cleared, and Hay construction workers arrived ready to work. Nearly two years later, in August of 2003, the new school officially its doors, and the learning began.

A few teachers who got to see the school open are still here today.

Mrs. Jeanna Johnson said, “The school seemed so much bigger back then. All of the hallways looked the same, so no one knew where they were going.”

When the school opened, it received all new equipment for science and physical education classes.

“Everything at the school was brand new,” said Mr. Billy Hurston. “It was hard trying to build up all the sports programs since there wasn’t a lot of spirit for St. James.”

The students who came to the school originally were either from another high school or the middle school, so there was no established pride for our school.

“For the first two years of our school opening, we had a problem with students cutting class,” said Mr. Al Wendler. “Everybody was full of excitement over the new school, but there was a lack of order and control.”

According to the first yearbook, on the first day of school, the entire school had to squeeze into the cafeteria since there was only one lunch period. The very next day, a new lunch period was added and the problem was resolved.

“When Saint James first opened lunch was very easy access,” said Mr. Monte Carr. “There were a lot fewer students, so there was less of a wait for food.”

Mrs. Wright, another of the original teachers, said, “I think the school is progressing just fine. We offer a larger selection of classes than we did back then, and the staff is a lot more involved with each student’s academic life.”

There are several other random facts about Saint James in the past. The first principal, Mr. Ronnie Burgess, used to call the school the “St. James Family.” The cafeteria has been remodeled twice. The hallways used to have only one door at the end rather than the double doors that are there now. The first year of St. James, there weren’t any seniors. Seventeen of the original staff members are still working at the school today. When the school first opened, there were problems with the electricity, and the lights wouldn’t stay on.

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From the editor's desk

By Tonya Holtzscheiter
A whole world gone mad? Imagine a world where everything and everyone is completely mad. It is not hard to do…

As this year treads on, it dawns on me how crazy life really is. High school is its own little insane world. I now realize how insane this place has made me, but it has also taught me lessons I would have never expected to learn so fast. The people you look at as your best friends turn out to be enemies, the nerd you swore you would never talk to ends up being your boyfriend/girlfriend, or the popular one ends up being the one that needs the most help.

Everything is really what it is not. We hide ourselves behind what people tell us we are. If we hear it enough, we believe it must be true.

So as much as I did not want this to be related to “Alice in Wonderland,” I feel I have no choice but to relate it. The world is what we view it as. Why do we call the sky the sky, and why is it blue? How can we really prove anything in this crazy messed up world? Do we really know everyone is sane?

In my mind, I see the entire world gone mad. We waste our precious years in high school attempting to find our way. We throw time away on friends and relationships and dreams that will probably never come true.

“There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter.” –The Mad Hatter

This place that is like no place on Earth is indeed Earth itself. Our world has changed so much over time. Not only by the way it appears, but generations are learning things faster than previously. I recall hearing my parents always saying this world is going to hell. In other words, it has gone completely insane, or mad, if you will.

Time changes everything, and things are only going to get worse. What is wrong with doing things your own way or seeing things differently? When looking at an object, you may see just the object, but I see so much more. I see what other things it could make. Why does it have to be the object we say it is?
I can honestly say I probably confused everyone that attempted to read this, and if it did not confuse you then you did not read it the way I wanted you to. So I must ask, “Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?”

I must say it’s completely mad …

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I’m addicted (to my cell phone)

By Jake Wentz
The cell phone is an amazing achievement in the history of technology, an iconic part of American culture, and an addiction. I have seen both the good and bad sides of cell phones.
Yet I’m not going to tell you the same speech about cell phones being evil, and how we as a society can benefit from mobile phones.

I will say that cell phones are more involved in our lives than they should be and that some teenagers spend their lives on their phones. That is an unstable place to center one’s self, especially considering that people get new phones all the time because the old one breaks or another new model comes out.

A lot of what we hear about phones is that either they are unreliable or we are irresponsible with them. I am not exempt from my words, and I’ve only come about these revelations through losing my old phone. I had the same phone for years, the original LG Chocolate from Verizon, the one that came out three years ago. I lived on my phone, texting all hours of the day, and having four-hour conversations. I never thought much of it, but last December over winter break I was spending the holidays at my mountain house in North Carolina when I lost my phone. I just don’t know where it ended up. I searched for hours and hours, and I never came up with anything.

After break I planned to replace my phone, but I never did. For a while I felt weird; it’s just a phone, but I got lonely not hearing from someone constantly. I had to adjust and adapt to only hearing from certain people at school and rarely talking to others at home. This annoyed not only myself, but others whom I texted and talked to. Some people began to think I was ignoring them, even though I couldn’t help it. I didn’t remember any of my numbers, so I couldn’t even do anything about it. I had tons of pictures, amazing videos, notes, and information that I’ll never get back.

Looking back at all this and of other news articles I’ve read, I think about what a idiot I was. Really, I had a phone for only three years of my life and became dependent on its messages and games. If I’d had the choice to ever have those moments back, I wouldn’t. I felt detached from the world and like if I didn’t get a text all day I was hated. It is stupid and insane to think of much a technological device can actually affect a person’s emotion. I would like to believe that my will is greater than that, and I feel better today.

The other day when my English teacher brought up an issue about HSAP and the rule of our cell phones being taken for the period of the test, almost all the students in the class said they couldn’t go a day without their phones. Hearing their complaints made me think about dependence.

I feel better without a phone because I have a sense of renewed freedom, in that I’m not always waiting for another message. I feel like my friendships have become less shallow. In the wrong hands, cell phones are weapons of emotional mass destruction, and I would like to see people living without constant conversation. It makes thinking easier and appreciating things more commonplace.

In these examples, from facts to anecdotes and from my opinion to my give and take, I acknowledge the importance of a phone-on-the-go, and I’ll also acknowledge that cell phones are much more than phones. However, leaving your cell phone behind is a great opportunity to feel a little less stress. Through my experience with phones and without, I’ve realized how we are addicted to our cell phones.

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Softball wins fifth straight region title

By Laiken Howard
Once again, the St. James varsity softball team claimed the title of region champs.

In their title-clinching victory Thursday night, the Lady Sharks started the game off by getting out the first three Socastee batters. This first inning of defense lifted the Lady Sharks’ confidence, and they carried it throughout the game.

The defense was really on its game considering there weren’t any defensive errors. Cyra Cottrell woke up Socastee with her out-of-the-park homerun early in the game. Eighth-grader Rebecca Prosser pitched a shutout game to top it all off.

To liven up the game, Cottrell played a big part in a double play at short. Overall, the defense was outstanding, and the base hits were what were needed to win this important game.

Erin Brown was covering home plate very aggressively which helped obtain the shutout game. The final score ended up being 10-0 with the Lady Sharks coming on top again.

The girls were ecstatic to claim the region title for the fifth time in a row. They proved it by capping off the victory by dog piling Adam Jones.

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Baseball gets region title against Braves

By John DelBianco
The last time the Sharks faced the Socastee Braves it was an unforgettable one for the team. It was the night that Colby Crooks pitched a no-hitter. An even bigger prize was to be achieved Thursday night. If they were to win, they would be crowned regular season region champs, and what better way to do it than against their archrivals?

The Sharks were pumped up early and didn’t wait to score. They put up a huge seven runs in their half of the second inning. Due to errors and bad fielding from the Braves, the Sharks got three runs and then had the bases loaded when junior Tanner English came to the plate. Tanner took a mighty hack and hit a grand slam to left field, and the Sharks took the 7-0 lead.

With a lead like that, it was more than enough for pitcher Anthony Cossentino to handle. The Braves tried to come back, scoring two in the fourth, but then St. James put another two runs on the board in its half of the fourth.

After scoring another two runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Sharks had an 11-2 lead. Going to the top of the seventh, the team was only three outs away from achieving one of its goals.

The Braves scored two runs in the seventh but were still a long way from pulling off a comeback victory. The Sharks won the game 11-4 and celebrated at the pitcher’s mound before they went to shake the Braves’ hands.

Just because the Sharks are now region champs doesn’t mean that their season is over. They still have more baseball and must beat a lot more teams to reach the real goal they set out to get. That goal is the first state championship in school history.

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What's the deal?

By Courtney Smith
Silly Bandz: Everyone knows exactly what I am talking about. These bracelets are not only “fashionable” but once some one takes one off his or her wrist, a nifty shape appears. The concept is cool … for 5-year-olds.

Overly involved friends: I understand “backing up” and standing up for your friends is apart of being the oh-so-good pal you consider yourself, but then again, if this person doesn’t like that person, there is no need for a third party. What goes on between two individuals does not involve this girl and that guy as well. Friends are there for support and guidance, not to build an army.

School funds being wasted: The school has recently made a “smart” and “energy saving” investment in motion detectors on the ceiling of every classroom. If there is no motion detected in the room, the lights will automatically shut off to “save money” and “conserve energy.” Since when was spending thousands on such pointless devices to save a few hundred dollars here and there a logical decision at all?

Overly offensive people: Especially in today’s society, people constantly get offended over literally every possible remark, weird look, or whatever else may be considered distasteful to the corrupt minds of society. No one is out to “get you” and maybe taking a joke or some sarcasm not so seriously every now and again may make your life a tad easier. Stop finding excuses to jump the gun and sue someone or get into an argument. Take a joke, seriously.

Spiteful teachers: Just because a parent e-mails a teacher with questions or concerns about his or her child and a bad grade does not mean the instructor can take out the stress on the kid in class. All parents ask for is the best education their child can get and are not pointing the finger at any individual in particular except their own teen. Taking revenge on the student by grading them harder and coincidentally mentioning “concerned parents” during class is, I don’t know, a little immature and irrational.

Let bygones be bygones: So many people, including me, hold so much negative energy about something that is and was never important in the first place. It is a waste of time to harvest so much hate for nothing. Just let it go.

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No Shoes No Problem

By Jake Wentz and Micheal McCormik
April 8 was national "No Shoe Day," which is designed to raise awareness of poverty and hunger in third-world countries. Some students here at St. James wanted to walk a mile in others' shoes, or non-shoes rather.

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Comedy bands invade Basement

By Paul McKinney
On April 3 at the Basement in Myrtle Beach, two comedy bands took over.

The first band on the bill was thedarkpinkheartsthatloomovermygraveinthesummerofdecembersautumn, or TDPHTLOMGISODA for short, which is a mock hardcore band. The band came on stage and announced to the small crowd of about 15 people that they just got off tour with post-hardcore band Thursday, which was obviously a joke.

They started of their set with a song called “La La, Rawr Rawr” which completely blasted the screamo/hardcore scene. Throughout the set, they would play stereotypical breakdowns after most songs and people would mock hardcore dance. I enjoyed their set and I got a good laugh out of it.
You can check them out on myspace at www.myspace.com/thedarkpinkhearts.

By then, The Basement had close to 35 people in it, and the next band was comedic punk/ska band Treephort from Marietta, Georgia. The band is best known for playing most of the 2003 Vans Warped Tour before getting kicked off for their stage antics.

Lead singer Lee Satterfield came on the stage wearing a Confederate soldier hat and holding a pitchfork while the rest of the band was wearing fishing and NASCAR shirts and hats. Treephort’s set mostly consisted of songs from their 2009 release Pink Tie – Straight Guy. The crowd did not care much for Treephort most likely because they couldn’t believe the crazy stage antics they were doing.

The music is quite simple but the lyrics make up for it. You cannot go through one of their songs without having a good laugh.

The last two bands on the bill were SharkLegs and a reunion of Myrtle Beach punk band Bazooka Joe, I was not able to stick around for the rest of the show, but it was said to be a good show with more people eventually coming down to listen.

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It's National Smile Month!

By Laiken Howard and Brittany Sloan
Since it's officially National Smile Month, we went in search of pictures of students' and teachers' beautiful smiles around St. James.

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Birds start their season

By John DelBianco
Last night the Myrtle Beach Pelicans began their 2010 season. The future stars for the Atlanta Braves played against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. There was a big opening day celebration before the game, including tons of first pitches.

The Pelicans have some returners from last season like center fielder Cole Miles, first basemen Gerry Rodriquez, and shortstop Randy Gress. They are now teammates with a bunch of new players trying to get their way to the majors.

One thing that has not changed for the Pelicans is their management position. Rocker Wheeler is still manning the clubhouse and intends on getting the Pelicans back to the Carolina League championship game and win.

Last season was a disappointing one for the Pelicans, who had a losing record and did not make the playoffs. The way they played last night showed a sparkle of what is to come this year.

The Pelicans won the game over the Blue Rocks 4-1. They won with awesome pitching from starting pitcher Randall Delgado, plus Matthew Crim, Jaye Chapmen, and Benino Pruneda. Clutch hitting was also a key when Rodriquez blasted a two-run home run to left field.

The game was followed by a huge firework show that dazzled the whole crowd. Speaking of the crowd, it was the fourth largest attendance in franchise history. The total number was 6,366.

The Pelicans hope to impress their fans this season, and last night was the right day to do it. BB&T Coastal Field is a great atmosphere for the family with some many things to do and great entertainment to watch.

The Pelicans hit the field again tonight as the battle the Blue Rocks at 7:05.

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Semester flies by, next year on the horizon

By Brittany Sloan
We have just passed our halfway mark in the spring semester, and that means we are a mere 40 days away from summer. But don’t get too excited -- this also means we are that much closer to final exams.

Sophomores have one or two major exams, the HSAP, and maybe the SATs. For juniors, the SATs are on probably your minds. And seniors, well, you are only counting down the days till graduation.

For some of us, this final quarter is the time to finally pull up our grades, and for others it’s the time to coast through with out to much to worry about, other than some occasional studying. Spring Break has gotten everyone ready for summer. Teachers are counting the days, hours, and minutes until they get the two-month break from us. We all hope this semester ends better than the last.

Looking ahead to next year, we have many changes to endure -- we will have a new principal, new freshmen, and in all likelihood, new teachers. We don’t look forward to waking up for school after an entire summer of sleeping later. But we will be attacking friends we see in the hallways the day we get back. Also we will be thinking about how weird it will be not seeing the current seniors around.

New seniors will be feeling the “move” up in seniority, and new juniors will be thinking “almost there!” And new sophomores will be glad just to not be the “freshies” anymore. I hope everyone’s spring semester ends better than we expect, your summer is one to remember, and the new school year starts off nothing less than amazing.

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Death to ‘Dora’ (and friends)

By Haley Vinson
Teenagers and kids’ cartoons don’t mix.

For instance, take “Max and Ruby.” The show never fails to annoy me. I turn on my television Saturday morning to hear Ruby yelling at her little brother, and he never talks unless it’s a one-word request for either food or toys. The show promotes little kids acting like brats. And not to mention that these two youngsters just hang out around their house, go into the city on the bus, and bake cakes in the oven with absolutely no adult supervision!

Shows that use green screens with one human surrounded by inanimate objects are just a little creepy in my book. In “Blues Clues,” Steve (or I think it’s Joe now because the other guy got arrested) runs around talking to Blue, jumping in and out of pictures and what not, singing about mail. What is the world coming to?

And what about “SpongeBob Squarepants?” Seriously, I hate the show; it is the most worthless piece of trash on Nickelodeon.

Then you have “Dora” and “Diego.” It is the same plot every single show. Lake, bridge, grandmas house! Switch it up, for goodness sake. Or better yet, Swiper do us all a favor and actually take Dora next time.

Have you seen “The Upside Down Show?” It is the creepiest, pedophilish show in the world. Why would have two guys talking to little kids while acting like fools. If you have kids, please keep them away from this trash.

What in the world were the people thinking when they made “Oobi?” I really hope they were on something when they did. That would make it slightly less awful.

What happened to the good shows like “Bear in the Big Blue House,” “Rugrats,” “Rocket Power,” and “Oswald?”

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From the editor's desk

By Tonya Holtzscheiter
What do you do when there is nothing to do? That is always the one question on my mind.

I always have the urge to get out of town and do something crazy or go somewhere where no one knows me. That is hard to do. We live in Myrtle Beach, the “perfect spring break party town.”

I don’t know about other people, but since I live here there really is nothing to do. Movies get boring and repeat themselves. Honestly, boy meets girl, blah blah blah, and they live happily ever after. Really, get a new story line. Going down to the boulevard gets boring after 5 minutes, in my opinion. I just do not find it fun.

So the question I am still trying to find an answer to is, “What the heck is there to do in Myrtle Beach if you live here?” Everything is here for the tourists, and all the prices are high just because of them. Even though Myrtle Beach is the “party spot,” we never really get any good concerts. There may be the few rare concerts I would consider wasting my money on but there are not many. To me, Myrtle Beach is dying. We got rid of the Pavilion, FreeStyle Music Park will probably not re-open, and Market Common is not that exciting.

People complain about teenagers getting in trouble drinking, smoking, or just doing stupid things. If Myrtle Beach would open up more for locals to do, teens would probably stay off the streets more. Teens drink, smoke, or cause trouble mostly because they have nothing better to do with their time. What is the harm of opening up an amusement park, skate park, or anything that could amuse teenagers?

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What’s the deal?

By Courtney Smith
What’s the deal with ...
“Immaculate congestion:” Basically everyone has experienced when traffic is backed up for miles then suddenly, every car returns to the typical high-paced speed without passing an accident, stalled car, or road construction. Can anyone explain why this happens?

Parents on Facebook: Why do you not only need to creep on your kids but also their friends? Get a hobby.

“Nice” voice: You know exactly what I’m talking about. Basically it is the voice that someone uses when talking to people that aren’t his or her friends. The voice is automatically happier, nicer, sweeter, and higher pitched than normal. This is often used when people want something and is usually frowned upon by all of society.

Pajamas: Since when was it OK to just roll out of bed and go to school wearing pajamas? Do you not have clothes?

School dietary substitutions: Are they really saving St. James High School from obesity? I’m sure the fatty foods are absorbed throughout the day and not gained from one chicken biscuit at break. Oh, and the diet drinks aren’t helping either. Maybe take a look at the lunch menu.

Crossing-the-line jokes: Just a few weeks ago, I witnessed a senior laughing and joking about a mentally disabled student at St. James. Really? That is not at all funny, to say the least, and isn’t it about time to get a few priorities straight?

Note: “What’s the deal?” should be noted and ignored, embraced and dismissed, laughed at and revered. Thanks.

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