Meet the May Fete Court

by Andreanna Smith

At many high schools in the United States, the month of May is packed with activities, but at Paris High School there is a special event held each year just for the senior girls. May Fete is a night full of fun and dance to celebrate the seniors. There is even a court for May Fete, which awards one of the senior girls a crown and the right to call themselves May Fete Queen. This year the Paris High School May Fete court is made up of eight girls, including Millie Arp, Alex Bayless, Shelby Evinger, Callie Keys, Jessica Rose, Katrisha Sexton, Serena Wells, and Danielle Newcomer. Recently, the girls took a survey with questions to help tell you a little bit more about their future plans and with some fun trivia questions also, below are their answers…


Question: What are your plans for after high school?

Millie Arp: My plan after high school is to attend college, further my practices in the art field, graduate, find a job, and have a family.

Alex Bayless: [I plan to] attend Lake Land College for one year, then transfer to a Christian University and eventually own a Christian Radio station for teens.

Shelby Evinger: [I plan on] going to college for nursing.

Callie Keys: I plan on going to Parkland for two years and majoring in nursing. After that, I would like to go to a 4-year school, such as SIUE, and getting at least my Bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Jessica Rose: I plan to go to college and get a job.

Katrisha Sexton: After high school, I would like to go to college, have a family, get married and enjoy my life!

Serena Wells: I plan on going to SIUC where I am going to major in pharmacy.


Question: Where are you going to college and what are you planning on majoring in?

Millie Arp: I am planning to attend Millikin University to study art and theatre tec. Design.

Alex Bayless: [I plan to] attend Lake Land College for one year, then transfer to a Christian University and eventually own Christian Radio station for teens.

Shelby Evinger: [I am going to] Eastern then Lakeview school of Nursing. [I plan on majoring in] Nursing.

Callie Keys: [I am going to ] Parkland [and plan on majoring in] nursing.

Jessica Rose: I plan on going to Indiana State University and majoring in social work.

Katrisha Sexton: I plan on attending Lakeland College then transferring to Eastern Illinois University to major in Early Childhood Education.

Serena Wells: [I am going to] Southern Illinois University Carbondale [and plan on majoring in] pharmacy.


Question: Who would win in a fight, Scooby Doo or Reptar?

Millie Arp: Well, I don’t know much about Reptar because I wasn’t allowed to watch Rugrats when I was little! But I’ve always liked Scooby Doo!

Alex Bayless: Uh.. Reptar!! Duh.

Shelby Evinger: Reptar, Duh!

Callie Keys: Reptar – only because the Rugrat’s are amazing! J

Jessica Rose: Reptar for sure!

Katrisha Sexton: Reptar obviously.

Serena Wells: Reptar – fo sho.


Question: What was your favorite class in high school?

Millie Arp: Definitely art class. But I also really enjoyed the new theatre class. I’m glad I was able to take it this year.

Alex Bayless: Homeroom!! Mr. Barnes

Shelby Evinger: [My favorite class was]Chem Two

Callie Keys: [My favorite class was]Health Occ.

Jessica Rose:[My favorite class was] Adult Living.

Katrisha Sexton:[My favorite class was] Child day care.

Serena Wells:[My favorite class was] English sophomore year.


Question: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring one thing to keep you entertained, what would it be? Why?

Millie Arp: If I were stranded on an island and could only bring one thing to keep me entertained, I would bring lots and lots of paint and paint brushes. I would paint all day long, and when I wanted to be rescued, I’d paint “rescue me” on a big rock. An airplane would see it and com save me. J

Alex Bayless: The Bible.

Shelby Evinger: My best friend Rachel, because we could keep each other from going insane and she can cook me yummy food!

Callie Keys: A solar powered iPod with WiFi- so I could stay up to date with everything going on in the world, and still listen to music.

Jessica Rose: I would bring a radio [because] I love listening to music!

Katrisha Sexton: I would have to take my best friend, Tabi Wimsett because as a team, we could accomplish anything, we could keep ourselves entertained, we could hunt, came, make fires, and handle anything that nature would throw our way!

Serena Wells: My best friend Allie. We would most likely find something fun to do.

"Simply Enchanted" at PCHS Prom

by Rachel Kenderdine

The lights are flashing, the music is pounding, and the temperature in the room is beyond hot. Where are you? You’re at PCHS’s recently-held prom.

PCHS Prom 2011, “Simply Enchanted,” took place on Saturday, April 9, at the St. George’s Social Center in Terre Haute, Indiana from 7-11 P.M. However, the evening started around 4:30, when students started arriving at school for pictures taken by Studio E Photography. They then gathered outside to line up for the Grand March procession, which started at 5:30.

“I thought that it [Grand March] was lovely,” said Rio Long, a prom committee member.

The Prom King and Queen were also crowned at Grand March. From the Prom Court of Millie Arp, Kati Johnson, Callie Keys, Drew Harper, Ethan Mason, and Cory Cunningham, Kati and Ethan were chosen as King and Queen.

After Grand March, students headed to St. George’s, where they ate a meal catered by the Saratoga Restaurant of Terre Haute. Prom was DJ’ed by Art Star Entertainment, according to prom coordinator Mrs. Phegley.

Rio also commented on the food. “I thought it was very good,” she said, “but some dessert would have been nice.” She enjoyed the music, too.

Prom ended at 11, and After-Prom began at midnight. Various prizes were given away, ranging from Wal-Mart gift cards to flat screen TV’s. Additionally, there was food and bowling, all for an admission charge of $5. The party lasted until 4 am.

The impression left with students seemed to be good, and Rio shared that feeling. “I had tons of fun,” she said, “because there was good music and fun people.”

We can’t wait to see what they come up with next year!

Tanning Beds: Friend or Foe?

by Madison Gates

A tanning bed is a device you lay down on with bulbs which emit ultraviolet radiation, to make you tan. Sun beds, solariums, whatever you want to call it, it seems as if a lot of people are tanning now a days. Close to 30 million people use indoor tanning in the U.S every year. 2.3 million Of those people happen to be teens.

With prom getting closer, lots of teens, mostly girls, start hitting the beds more than ever. Most generally people start tanning around the beginning of January and stop or slow down by June. They tan then to get ready for warmer weather. It’s so that they can jump start their tan for summer.

“Jersey Shore,” a reality show on MTV seems to have a big influence on teens and young adults about tanning. All of the cast on the show are very tan. Teens may think they need to be tan like them when that shouldn’t be the case.

Illinois lawmakers have been trying to pass a law banning minors from tanning beds. If that law passes it means that you won’t be able to tan unless you’re 18 or older, even with a parents’ permission.

“I believe that tanning is what people do to feel pretty, and if you do it you’re just putting yourself out there even more to get cancer,” said Sara Powers a freshman at PCHS.

While the main reason for most people to use a tanning bed is cosmetic, there are many other reasons why people use them. Some people tan simply because it makes them feel good. However, most tanning beds generate a large amount of heat, including infrared, which has deep penetrating action that can relieve minor muscle aches.

“I like to go tanning,” stated Kaytlyn Elledge a freshman here at PCHS. “It relieves your stress,” she also said.

8.7% of teens ages 14-17 use indoor tanning beds, tanning however has lots of negatives. When you use a tanning bed your risk of melanoma increases by 75%. Tanning beds can be addictive, and for some people the UV radiation can have a drug like effect. They can feel dependent on it, and can feel withdrawal symptoms.

Parkour: Anything You Can Do, We Can Do Better!

by Meredith Penczek

It’s normal to see girls in gymnastics. Doesn’t every little girl want to be a cheerleader or a ballerina when she’s little? Well, more and more guys are starting to be seen in gymnastics. Even some of the guys in Paris have started meeting at Talents Unlimited for their own sessions, and they say that anything a girl can do they can do better!

There is a difference in the way many guys practice though. They don’t call it “gymnastics.” They call it Parkour. Parkour is a little different than regular gymnastics. Parkour is less restricted and is more of a freestyle sport. It is made up of a lot of running, jumping, balancing, climbing, and vaulting; and being able to do some flips does not mean it’s Parkour. Guys in Parkour have disciplined themselves enough so they can accomplish things common gymnasts would never think of or attempt.

“It’s like the freedom of it. You can basically do whatever you want,” sophomore Drake Wisemen said when asked why he did Parkour, and Jayce Cunningham said, “It’s something for all of our extra energy to go into or to just blow off steam.”

Parkour participants always look for ways of intensifying their sport via new tricks and styles; however, they don’t go so far as to show off, use reckless behavior, or attempt overly dangerous stunts. This is because none of them want to be hurt and out of it from injury or otherwise. They also demonstrate respect for all people, places, and spaces used in the sport.

Parkour has become so popular in America, there are now shows based upon it and whole websites about it. Jump City: Seattle is a show about professional teams of Parkour participates going head to head in the streets and rooftops of Seattle. Americanparkour.com is a website filled with information about recent activity in the Parkour community and has stuff to help kids starting out. For Drake Wisemen, it’s something more than just a hobby. “It’s like the art of movement, and I just love it.”

May Fete: Honoring Our Senior Girls

by Meredith Penczek

It’s been a tradition for many years. May Fete is something every girl looks forward to. It’s something that brings people together. May Fete is the underclassmen girls’ way of showing our appreciation for the graduating girls.

Every girl who attends PCHS not only looks forward to being in May Fete, but they often think about how their own night will play through. Many of the freshmen girls are already thinking about who they’ll walk out with. Sophomores are thinking of their Father/Daughter Dance. The juniors are eyeing dresses. But there’s nothing like being a senior girl and knowing that your night is approaching.

The senior girls get to pick their best friends to walk out with. They will walk out while being announced under the spotlights while cameras of their friends and family flash. On occasion, you can even hear crowd members shout their names. After all the senior girls have walked out, the May Fete Court is announced. May Fete Court is made up of five senior girls who were voted in by their fellow classmates. The May Fete Court girls are picked not because they’re popular or flashy, but because they are genuinely nice girls who are friendly towards everyone. Each year, a ballot of the five girls is sent through the school to vote for the May Fete Queen. Like Homecoming Queen and Winter Carnival Queen, it’s always a big honor to win the title of May Fete Queen.

Every class (besides senior) makes their own dance to honor the graduating girls. There are more than just three dances though. There are the Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Teacher, Tumbling, May Pole, and Flashlight dances, and a few other surprise dances. Most of the surprise dances are concocted by the senior boys with the help of the other underclassmen girls. There have even been dedication songs in more recent years sang to the senior girls. Ever year, it’s tradition to keep the theme of that year’s May Fete a secret to everyone but the participates until the night of May Fete.

Every Sunday the underclassmen girls meet to practice their dances. They have designated choreographers who are given the song and focus on making the dance. “Most of the choreography is made up at practice because our dance has to work our space,” said freshman choreographer Randi Hays when asked about making up the dance. May Fete has a history of causing a lot of drama throughout the classes, but if you asked, most of them would just smile and shake their heads.

Nothing is better than May Fete night, whether you’re in the stands watching, on the floor performing, or sitting on the senior chairs.

Teens and Stress

by Rachel Kenderdine

Every day after school, junior Nikki McMullen goes to work at her job at McDonald’s. After working any number of hours, she comes home to a day’s worth of homework, household chores, and a variety of other parts of life to juggle. Nikki is one of millions of teens dealing with the issue of stress in their lives.

According to lifespan.org, teen stress is caused by many factors, including school, peer pressure, body issues, family and friend problems, and extracurricular activities. Guidance counselor Mrs. Garzolini-Skelton agrees.

“I think peer pressure is a lot of it, I think parents, I think schoolwork, and a lot of time it’s just their family situations or family life,” she said.

Nikki McMullen, a junior at PCHS, says that stress in her life is caused by, “School, but not just school, the classes I take. Extracurricular activities can be stressful on top of school, and work for me is extracurricular.”

Stress can be bad for both the person affected and the people around them. On top of physical symptoms of stress, such as headache, stomachache, and loss of appetite, mental symptoms can also appear.

“Some turn to self-injuring, or a lot of time when people are stressed it causes them to act out, like getting into an argument or acting out in class, and they act out towards an innocent person who gets the brunt of it when really they’re stressed about other things,” Mrs. Garzolini-Skelton said.

Mrs. Garzolini-Skelton also said that teens under stress need to realize that they can find ways to relieve stress. “The most important thing that I feel like anyone can do is realize that sometimes things are out of their control. You can’t stress about other things that are out of your control. And to have someone to talk to. It’s important to know you have that option,” she said.

Nikki said that when stress gets to be too much, she finds a way to relieve it. “I definitely just remind myself to have fun, and do things I enjoy doing,” she said.

If stress does get to be too much in your life, find someone to talk to.

212: Now We're Boiling!

by Meredith Penczek

What difference can one degree make? How can one degree be the deference between just hot water and the ability to power a steam engine? That’s all the deference between 211° and 212°. So it’s only natural that FFA names a leadership conference about taking things to the next degree. Freshmen & sophomores of the Paris FFA went to the 212 conference in Chicago , IL over the 28th and 29th of January. Only nine of the members were able to attend due to the illness going through the school. The attending members were Bailey Lawson, Sami Lawson, Holden Gates, Dalton Hall, Blake Webster, Jared Ryes, Alyssa Kispert, and myself. Ms. Hewitt and Mr. Steve Cox were the accompanying chaperones

The conference was created to help members work on their leadership skills. We worked in four main sessions, Passions, Virtues, Decisions, and Character. We learned about doing thing that made us happy by turning our passions into our virtues that will effect our decisions and then our character. We also were given skills to help make good decisions. We were involved in many activities that got us active with other attending members by everything from making a miniature Eiffel Tower to making little towers out of note cards and masking tape to just hanging out and enjoying ourselves.

At one point, three of the members (including me) were asked to volunteer for something without any details. We were taken out into the hall and told that our job was simply to tell a story to the group. We each chose our stories. The boy that went first Alex’s story was about getting lost in Chicago , mine was about getting my stitches, and the last girl Monica’s story was about her getting her dog. The people inside the room were instructed to have certain reactions to each story no matter the story. Poor Alex wasn’t even aloud to tell his they were so rowdy, I entered and left a completely silent room, and Monica had her room exploding with applause and cheers. This was a learning experience for all of about not only ignoring people’s negative reactions, but respecting other people.

We also learned about A-Pars. A-Pars are people who you can trust and are much like your partners in everyday life. They are there to help you make decisions and talk to you when you need it. We were given the idea to write a letter to someone we could keep as an A-Par at home.

The conference created a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. We met people who we can never forget and will always stay in touch with (Evan “Lion Boy”, Derek “Sasquach”, Sadie, Monica, Jasmine, etc.) Bailey Lawson said, “My favorite thing about it was meeting new people.” Some of the attending members are also keeping in touch with the conference speakers.

“This is one of the few conferences or events that our chapter tries to pay most of the expense on. It really helps the kids that pay attention and who are active within our chapter.” Said Mr. Steve Cox when explaining the conference to his ag classes.

Theater Arts class puts new spin on classic rock

by Rachel Kenderdine

This spring, Mr. Lynch’s Theater Arts II class is adding a new spin to the traditional musical by writing one based on the music of Queen.

“I was asked by Human Resource Center to do a performance for their annual fundraiser, and they asked what we could come up with,” said Mr. Lynch, Theater Arts II teacher. “Originally, I thought we would write a musical using old songs, and I presented to the class, and they liked it.”

The class took the idea a step further, and, says Lynch, “The next day, Olivia Underwood [a junior in the class,] came in and asked if we could do a musical based around the music of Queen.” The class ran with the idea from there.

Lynch liked the idea and thought the music of Queen would be perfect for their musical because, as he said, “It’s dramatic: the way it’s written, the over-harmony.”

“It’s going to be about high school and high school kids, about parents, and body issues, and sexuality, things that teens deal with,” he said.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Isaac Staub, a junior who is involved in the production. “Queen music is very related to high school life. Plus, who doesn’t like Queen?”

The musical, whose running title is “Under Pressure” (the title of a Queen song,) will be performed May 14th at the Human Resource Center’s annual fundraiser.

A look at PCHS Scholastic Bowl

by Andreanna Smith

If you walk by Mr. Happ’s room at lunch during the months of December through February, you may notice that the classroom is full of students answering the trivia questions that are being read by Mr. Happ. If you look closer you’ll learn those students are a part of an academic team: the PCHS Scholastic Bowl team, that is. Depending on what day you look in, you could be seeing either a majority of juniors and seniors or freshman and sophomores, but most likely a mixture of all. The students in Scholastic Bowl will tell you that they enjoy those practices at lunch.

Mr. Happ is the junior varsity Scholastic Bowl coach, and Mr. Aydt is the varsity coach. The varsity team is made up of seniors Drew Harper, Aaron Alexander, Cara Brooks, Allie Caldwell, and juniors Steven Middleton, Hannah King, Rachel Kenderdine, and Olivia Underwood. The junior varsity is made up of sophomores Tyler Bouslog, Terry Payton, Andreanna Smith, Jasmine Bennett, and freshmen Mike Wells, Sean Thomas, Devyn Chapman, Ryan Coffman, and Sarah Powers. Many students were in Scholastic Bowl in the years prior to high school. Both Ryan Coffman and Sarah Powers stated that they were in Scholastic Bowl at Crestwood.

For those students who are interested in Scholastic Bowl, freshman Sarah Powers states that she would recommend Scholastic Bowl to students who enjoy trivia questions. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Scholastic Bowl team, stop by Mr. Happ's room dring lunch Monday through Thursday with your questions.

PCHS Marching Band makes trip to Florida

by Valerie Lau

While most of us were relaxing and enjoying spending time with our families during Christmas break, our PCHS band traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete and perform at the Champs Sports Bowl.

The idea for this trip was brought up last year, and the band has been working very hard to make this trip possible by doing fundraisers and collecting money throughout the year, not to mention the long and grueling hours it took to perfect the music and learn all the moves and positions. The band practiced long hours during the summer and after school at the auxiliary.

“The trip was a lot of fun we got to do a lot of stuff,” says Katie Korte, freshman.

The band departed Christmas night at 11 p.m. from the high school and made the 14 hour trip to Orlando. The next day when they arrived, they ate dinner and went to their hotel rooms.

The next day they performed in front of 45,000 fans at the Champs Sports Bowl for the North Carolina State vs. West Virginia game. The band had won a previous competition which let them perform during the pregame show by themselves where they performed their Billy Joel songs. The rest of the week as a reward for their excellent performance the band got to go to SeaWorld and Universal Studios to relax and have fun!

“It was a great experience that not many people get to experience in a lifetime, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it,” says Aaron Garver.

The band returned home New Year’s Day exhausted but full of great memories!