Cougar Call
volume 2 Issue 7
2016 NHS Inductees
top row left to right- Kevin Davis (2018), Chris Coogler (2016), Mack Brady (2017), Wyatt Galloway (2017), Jackson Waddleton (2018), Ian Boyd (2018)
bottom row left to right- Ivy English (2018), Alicia Peek (2016), Kylie Garner (2018), Morgan Spivey (2018), Grayson Bradley (2018), Mikayla Rigsby (2018), Anne Marie Hildebrant (2018)
National Honor Society New Inducties
On January 7, 2016, the 9th induction of the National Honor Society was held in the Piedmont Academy Gymnasium. The requirements for admission into the chapter are based on the national standards, but, as allowed by the NHS Constitution, PAC is allowed to set chapter standards higher than the minimum set by the national group. Based on both the students’ applications and on the interviews before the Faculty Council, students are then admitted if they meet the other national standards of character, leadership, and service. Once students are identified with the GPA necessary to get in, they fill out an application and do a live interview with the Faculty Council. This year’s Faculty Council members were Mr. Ralph Hickman, Mr. Daniel Funt, Mr. Alvin Hawkes, Mrs. Leslie White, and Ms. Kirstie Lewis. The Faculty Council then deliberated and selected new inductees based on the four criteria of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. This year’s NHS class is distinguished as the largest group of students ever inducted into the Piedmont chapter, and it includes the largest number of students from any particular Piedmont class as nine members of the Class of 2018 were inducted.
Also honored at the ceremony were members of the Class of 2016 NHS members. These members included Haley Tyler, Chris Coogler, Summer Collins, Summer Conley, Amelia Dodson, Alicia Peek, Chris Cain, Steve Martin, Matti Smith, Becca Hopper, Taylor Swart, and Morgan Leach. These seniors received their NHS pins. Special thanks to Mrs. Judy Nelson, Mrs. Wendy Wood, and Mrs. Alison Hildebrant for helping to prepare the stage and refreshments for the ceremony. Also, a very special thanks to Mrs. Angie Marks who is this year’s faculty sponsor.
By: Mikayla Rigsby
Senior Steve Martin speaks during ceremony.
Inductees and Faculty Council
Celebratory Cake
Who Are You?
Happy 2016 everyone! I hope you have had an amazing and joy-filled holiday season. I’m expecting great things to happen in this new year! To start off January, I wanted to talk about you. That’s right, you; do you know who you are? Most people don’t know how to respond to that question. If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, God has many facts about you in His Word.
1. You are a child of God (John 1:12).
2. You are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus (Isaiah 61:10).
3. You are free (Galatians 5:1).
4. You are not condemned (Romans 8:1).
5. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
6. You are loved (Ephesians 5:2).
*List from SRT Bible Study “Open Your Bible”
These facts struck me to the core. We spend most of our life searching for the gifts we already have in Jesus. Nothing you do or don’t do can change these truths. Because of Jesus’s love and mercy, we can always be confident in who we are. My goal this year is to truly believe and remember what God says about me. I hope that you can fully dwell in how much God loves you.
By: Mikayla Rigsby
What is SO Super About the Super Bowl???
The Super Bowl is the game that determines the NFL Championship. Super Bowl Sunday has almost become a “holiday” in the United States. It's a day when families and friends gather to watch the game, the over-the-top commercials and big-name musical acts at halftime. The Super Bowl has attracted hundreds of millions of viewers. In addition, the Super Bowl has frequently been the most-watched American television broadcast of the year; as a matter of fact, the four most-watched broadcasts in U.S. television history are Super Bowls. In 2015, Super Bowl XLIX became the most-watched American television program in history with an average audience of 114.4 million viewers, the fifth time in six years the game had set a record. “Super Bowl Sunday” is the second largest day for food consumption, after Thanksgiving. On another note, the commercials have become a part of the game. Over the years, the commercials have included talking animals and babies, supermodels and Clydesdales, as well as many comical moments. Student Savannah Mote says “I watch the Super Bowl because of the commercials because they are very funny and entertaining.”
BY: Lauren Bernard, Savannah Mote, and Joseph Anderson
How Old are Your New Year's Resolutions?
Is the saying “New Year, New Me” really accurate? I don’t know about you, but I have never magically become a new person at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st. The only difference between December 31st and January 1st is my energy level and the fact that I have to remember to put a “16” as the year on my papers. So, where does this tradition of making promises to do “better” come from?
The earliest known resolution-makers were the Babylonians from over four-thousand years ago. Their New Year, in March, was filled with festivals and king-crowning. The celebrations lasted for twelve days, and the Babylonians would be sure to gain the gods’ favor for the coming year.
The Romans continued this tradition a few hundred years later again celebrating in March. The Roman Senate would make sure the city magistrates were doing their lawful duties, and the new magistrates would be sworn into office. With the rising power of the Roman Empire, city leaders and soldiers had to swear their loyalty to the Emperor.
Around 300 BC, New Year’s Day shifted to January 1st because March came too late in order for the new officials to be sworn in for the battles over the summer. January was too cold to go to war, but it was perfect for preparations.
Soon, New Year's was associated with the god of home and hearth, Janus. January 1st was taken up by ceremonies, sacrifices, and oath- taking. Presents, such as honey or pears would be exchanged.
Since the Romans, the history of New Year’s Resolutions gets a little fuzzy. Somehow, the tradition continued to show itself throughout Western civilization. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, created the Covenant Renewal Services as a way to celebrate the holidays. Worshipers took this time to renew their relationship with God and to reflect on the previous year.
This new tradition shifted the focus of New Year’s to self- improvement. Today, the practice of making resolutions is so popular, the government keeps a website that helps people achieve their most lofty goals. The site contains tips on losing weight, saving money, eating better, and more.
So, what are your New Year’s Resolutions, if any? I bet it has nothing to do with Janus. Good luck, and Happy New Year!
By: Sarah Holland
Senior Diary
Monday-
Yay!!!! It’s FINALLY Monday!!! (says no one ever). The first day back from Christmas break is one of the worst days of the entire school year, and, after four years, we Seniors are done. No more sleeping in, no more eating 24/7, no more hanging out with friends, and now back to reality. The struggle is literally real. To quote John Green, “What is this life…!?” Well, to answer his question… I wouldn’t know, quite frankly, because I don’t have one! Eighty school days left, not that anyone is counting, though!
Tuesday-
Who decided that high schoolers can’t have nap time? Maybe they thought that, since we are older, we don’t need it. Wrong. We get just as grumpy as a four year old when we don’t have that precious hour of shut-eye. Making it to the end of the day is like trying not to eat all the Pringles in one sitting. All day, we learn and take tests only to come home to more learning and test-like things. When is there time for sleep? We must make time for sleep, preferably in the middle of the day and right after lunch.
Wednesday-
So, this year, I decided to join the nationwide bandwagon and make a New Year’s Resolution. My determination lasted until January 2nd around 1 am. I wish I could be a part of those few who make promises to themselves and then actually keep them, that small group of people that go to the gym every day because they want to have a better year than the last. Some might call my lack of motivation laziness. I call it selective participation.
Thursday-
Georgia weather is the bane of my entire existence. Last week, I would get all bundled up in the morning, prepared for the worst. Then, the sky decides to be clear and sunny. So there I was, in two sweaters, a jacket, and a coat, and it is 75 degrees. I can get rid of as many layers as I want, but I will still have that original sweater, slowly suffocating me. This week, it is just cold. All day. The wind figured it could just blow its way across Georgia, without caring about how difficult it is to keep my toes from getting frostbite.
Friday-
School is almost over! On to the weekend! I wonder what my weekends will be like next year..? Lazy days on the couch, hanging out with my friends, or going home to spend weekends with my parents… Who knows!? Hopefully it'll be anything BUT school work!!! With sports every weekend, sleep will ALWAYS be my answer to my free time in the future! But as of now, it's not really an option… so until next year sleep will have to wait. “It will be worth it they said…” “It will be fun they said…” Oh, but little did I ACTUALLY know.
By: Sarah Holland and Haley Tyler
Do You Want it to Snow?
Jokes!
Q: What does a nosey pepper do?
A: Gets jalapeno business!
Q: What do you call a fake noodle?
A: An Impasta
Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest?
A: An Investigator
Q: What do you call a gangsta snowman?
A: Froze-T
Q: What do you get when you cross fish and an elephant?
A: Swimming trunks
Q: What do you get if you cross a cat with a dark horse?
A: Kitty Perry
Q: What do you call a laughing jar of mayonnaise?
A: LMAYO
Q: What do you call a dinosaur with a extensive vocabulary?
A: a thesaurus.
Q: "How do you shoot a killer bee?"
A: "With a bee bee gun."
Q: How do you drown a Hipster?
A: In the mainstream.
Paws at a Glance
1/21-
wrestling @ Windsor
1/22-
varsity basketball VS. Mon Don- home- @6
1/23-
varsity basketball VS. Covenant- home- @1
1/26-
varsity basketball VS. Windsor -home @6
Middle school VS. George Walton -home- @3:30
1/28-
Shot Gun Team banquet @ Macedonia @6:30
1/29-
varsity basketball VS. New Creations- home- @6
Middle school basketball VS. New Creations-home- @4
Wrestling region tournement
1/30-
varsity basketball @ Covenant
Wrestling region tournament
2/2-
varsity basketball @ Mon Don- @6
2/4
Mid-quarter
2/5
varsity basketball VS. Briarwood- home- @6
Middle school basketball VS. Briarwood-home- @3:30
Wrestling state tournament @ Georgia Southwestern
2/6
Varsity basketball @ Gatewood- @2:30
Middle school basketball @ Gatewood- @11
JV girls basketball @ Gatewood- @1
Wrestling state tournament @ Georgia Southwestern
Region reading bowl
BY: Haley Tyler