Stop Stereotyping!

             On October 20^th students at Lake Hamilton wore purple for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in memory of the six youths, who lived in various locations, that committed suicide. They were bullied and harassed because they were gay or said to be. This is an example of stereotyping, or a general assumption about a person or group of people.

  The color purple was selected because purple symbolizes "spirit" on the rainbow flag, a symbol for Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Gender (LGBT) pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.

            Many students at Lake Hamilton High treat others differently because of how they dress, act, or because of the group of people they hang out with. The youths who were said to be gay may not have actually been gay, just dressed the part or acted a little on the feminine side. Maybe they were stereotyped as homo because of the people they were friends with.  At Lake Hamilton High almost everyone is guilty of stereotyping, this is because students at Lake Hamilton are not experienced with difference. Stereotyping effects the way the student body treats one another and gives a bad reputation to the school. What good is being in a wolf pack if we don’t get along? 

            Why must people assume that someone isn’t cool or good enough to talk to just because they look or act different? That’s who they are and prefer to be. If others would look past all that then they can see that person is just unique. Just because they may not be popular doesn’t mean they are a freak……just anti social, and that might be because of all the stereotyping. If someone dresses in a peculiar way…don’t automatically assume they are gay, emo, wannabe, prep and so on. So what if they are? Just because someone is different don’t make them any less of a person. They are human just like the rest of us.

            I’m not innocent, I admit I have stereotyped, we all have. Why do we label each other? Who really cares what people dress, act, or look like? What really matters is what the body underneath it is like.  If students would look past appearance and get to know one another then the student body could make the school a better place. Students shouldn’t be afraid to walk the halls because of what is being said.

In the end no matter what has been said, we are still together until graduation, so why not get to know each other before the chance is gone.

                                                                                              Amber George

The Exchange Music Venue

 

          Are you looking for a sweet place to go and hear local musicians play? The Exchange is a perfect place to see shows. The Exchange, found at 107 Exchange St, is an experimental or underground rock venue where local and touring bands play shows. Many teens go to the venue and get a better experience on music. They also see bands that are very different in many ways.

           I recently spoke with Bobby Missile, who owns Ballistic Missile Booking. Missile has been living and booking shows at The Exchange for 5 years. He also books shows for Low Key Arts down town, and about 30 other bands and venues all over the world. The Exchange, “Exposes people to things that are different than people going to shows in large cities. It exposes them to things they wouldn’t usually see or the norm,” said Missile. During shows at The Exchange the atmosphere is “Definitely exciting and happy, where people get to see a great band.” I have been to The Exchange for shows many times. The venue always has an energetic group of people, and everyone is very friendly. Each time the shows have been a big deal and everyone, especially the bands, are pumped. “A lot of people don’t appreciate a large show as much, and it’s more intimate because it’s such a small room at The Exchange where a full house is 30 people.” Missile says. Large shows with many people aren’t taken as seriously, or aren’t as big of a deal as the shows at small venues. The crowd is closer to the bands and can actually speak with the members at smaller shows, like at The Exchange.

          When asked what he likes seeing the most at the shows, Missile said “You know, good bands, people performing well, people meeting new people.” I asked Missile if he encourages kids to be in the music scene or play music he said, “Oh yeah, definitely. It’s much better than just sitting at home or watching TV. It’s an artistic culture that needs to be recognized, a culture where people don’t really have enemies, and get along. It is just a friendly lifestyle.” Missile is also helping that artistic culture be known in other ways. He is currently in the bands Attractive and Popular, Church of The Snake, Cold Mold, The Holy Shakes, Mother Hug, Prison School, and Mental Mission. If you or any of your friends are interested in seeing local musicians play, or in expanding your music compilation, The Exchange is a great place to go.  

           Some of the upcoming bands at The Exchange are Future Islands (Baltimore), Cold Mold (Hot Springs), Lonnie Walker (North Carolina) on November 14^th, 9:00pm-11:30 pm. Come down to The Exchange for an awesome all ages venue!

                                                         By Ashley Hill

Behind the Scenes: Coach Leatherwood

By: Madie Blancaflor

          When you hear the name “Coach Leatherwood,” you automatically think of his loud voice and…let’s say unique style. While everyone knows how loud his voice is, not many truly know how loud his actions are. Coach Leatherwood is adored by not only his dedicated football players, but also by the students privileged enough to know the real Coach. From high school to college and even now in his carrer, his love of sports and his unique personality have inspired many.

            Born in Alabama, Howard Leatherwood fell in love with sports at a young age. Throughout high school, he played football and track. I never would have guessed he ran track, but he was good enough to win all-state in both sports. After high school, he was offered a football scholarship to OBU in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and seized the opportunity. Enter a young woman named Joy (now known as Mrs. Leatherwood). “He was such a sweetheart. I remember that short hair and those sideburns,” she laughed. “We were set up on a blind date, and the rest was history.”

            Coach Leatherwood has been a coach at Lake Hamilton since before 1979. Throughout his years here at LH, he’s been a Drivers Ed instructor and an assistant football coach. He’s assisted the wolves in winning two state championships (in 1998 and 2008) and at least 4 conference titles.

            In the years since 1978, he has gained the respect and admiration from many. Cameron Anderson, a junior on the football team, adores Coach Leatherwood. “He’s not like other coaches. He doesn’t have favorites… he pretty much hates us all,” he jokes. “Seriously, though, he’s like a second dad to the majority of us [the football team], very protective. We all adore and look up to him.” Not only do his players admire him, but students do too. Candace Boehm, a sophomore at LH, emphasizes that people just love Coach Leatherwood. “I love how he’s a giant teddy bear under the hard exterior, but at the same time, he doesn’t take crap from anyone.” I think it’s safe to say that Coach Leatherwood has a huge impact on the student body from his loud, sonic boom of a voice to his thunderous personality.

Throughout high school, college, and now his career, Coach has sparked imaginations with his somewhat strange way of talking and dressing. If you are a student at Lake Hamilton, you can’t go a day without hearing “Come here to me, boy!” or “Get away from me!” (I think he might have bipolar personal space issues). As a football player or manager, you’ll hear “Get up! You’re killing my grass” and “You done died on me!” at least 20 times a day. As for his choice of clothing, Coach typically wears maroon pants, a gold or white LH shirt, an old towel on his head, and a hat that he keeps half way up instead of pushing it all the way down. His players think he’s superstitious about his hat and towel because he refuses to get a new towel (even though it’s currently tinted yellow with sweat) or sport the new hat he has hanging up in his office. Cameron Anderson and Ashley Kendal both suggest he wears these hard-to-miss accessories to block out the sun (no one wants a hat tan line!) and to absorb sweat, but neither one is sure…maybe Coach just likes the look. Mrs. Leatherwood apparently does.

            With his own personal style, his own way of talking, and his loud personality, there is no way to describe Coach Leatherwood as anything other than Coach Leatherwood. He is looked up to as a coach, a leader, and a role model. There is no question that he has definitely had a major impact on the student body, from his Drivers Ed students to his football players. Whether it’s because of this sonic boom voice, original phrases, or overall personality, Coach Leatherwood is definitely someone you can never forget, and we are lucky to have him here at Lake Hamilton.

Remembering an American Hero

Remembering an American Hero

                    By: Cameron Anderson

        Lake Hamilton lost one of its finest alumni. On March 17^th, 2010.  Chief Petty Officer Adam Lee Brown was a 1992 graduate and played football, was a member of Student Council, Beta Club, Spanish Club, and FCA.  Brown a US Navy SEAL, was killed in action in Komar Province, Afghanistan.

          Along with being a fearless warrior, Adam was also a loving husband to his wife Kelly and a loving father to his two children Nathan and Savannah.  He was son to Larry and Janice Brown.  Larry Brown is also a former school board member for the Lake Hamilton School District.  Adam was a Razorback fanatic and loved his state of Arkansas.  Before going into battle Adam would put the Arkansas state flag inside of his body armor.  A true testament to how much he loved his state and cared so much about it.  Adam was laid to rest in a small cemetery just outside of town.  A very peaceful resting place that captures Arkansas’s beauty at it’s best. 

          Fellow classmates, teachers, and coaches remember Adam as being a hardworking and caring student.  Classmates said that he would always stand up for the little guy.  Football coaches say that while Adam wasn’t always the biggest guy on the field he would never back down.  Steve Anderson who was one of Adam’s football coaches in high school remembers times where Adam would line up in one on one drills against the biggest guy on the team.  “Adam always went 110% no matter what.” Anderson said.  After graduating high school he attended college at Arkansas Tech University.  Aside from being a student at Arkansas Tech, he was also a member of the football team.  With the type of work ethic Adam had it shouldn’t be a surprise that he would want to challenge himself with collegiate football.

          After attending college, he decided to join the Navy in 1998.  In Adam’s 12 year career in the Navy he accomplished many great things.  Getting the rank of Chief Special Warfare Operator was certainly a prestigious rank.  Adam earned many medals while serving his country.  He received the Bronze Star which is given for heroic actions.  He also received two joint service medals which are awarded for outstanding achievement.   Those are just a small number of what all he achieved.  Adam had a multitude of personal, unit, and campaign decorations.  While on tour in Afghanistan, Adam suffered injuries that resulted in him losing most movement in his fingers.  Due to his bravery and commitment Adam received a Purple Heart for his injuries.  Adam also had to have an eye removed, Adam overcame the adversity and continued to do what he loved to do.  Sadly, Adam was killed serving the country he loved.  He died a true hero placing himself in the line of fire to save the lives of his unit members.  That was just the type of guy Adam was, putting his life in harms way for the safety and livelihood for other people.   

If you are in the Lake Hamilton community, you are sure to see a tribute to Adam’s sacrifice.  The road that leads to Lake Hamilton School District was recently renamed

Adam Brown Road

.  Inside of the administration building hangs a shadow box that Adam was working on to give to his high school football coaches once he came back to the United States.  Adam’s parents presented the shadow box before the Maroon and Gold football game this year.  In my football locker is a picture of Adam.  Before every game, I always make sure to touch it before I go out on the field.  It reminds me to go as hard as I can and to never quit.  On the new turf, there is a section in Adam’s memory.  It is placed where the football team will run by as they make their grand entrance out of the wolf head.  Adam Brown will always be apart of the Lake Hamilton football team and the Lake Hamilton School District.  This school and community will forever cherish the life of Adam Brown and his sacrifice for this great country.

         

Making a Difference by:Ashley House

    

          When I look around the Lake Hamilton High School, I can see quite a few lonesome people and that some people are not treated equal, but the other day I saw a popular cheerleader talking to someone who didn’t really have friends. She was really listening too. Not only that, she also showed that she was really interested in what they were talking about. I thought that all of the Lake Hamilton students really have a lot to learn from her. Although she is popular and they were not, she still stopped what she was doing and listened and talked to them. She didn’t just walk away and ignore them and she didn’t laugh and say mean things either.  She was very kind and considerate. People like her are the kind of people we need a lot more of at LHHS.

          However, I am very surprised that in a school like Lake Hamilton High School, that people are still being teased about their differences. I know my friend is teased a lot about her religion. We are both the same but we don’t go by the same religion. We always wear skirts and we don’t ever cut our hair, but she’s Pentecostal and I’m not.  I haven’t been teased, but people do ask about my religion sometimes, and that’s okay. It doesn’t bother me at all, but you shouldn’t tease and make fun of someone because they are different and especially about religion. The people around here should be much better than that. We were raised in these religious ways and we will always follow our beliefs. You should be able to respect that, because that’s all we are asking for. It’s not that hard to respect someone and their different beliefs or at least to try. I wouldn’t judge anybody about anything about them ever, so why would you judge our ways of following our religions? You shouldn't be like that.  

            When I look around Lake Hamilton High School, I know I’m different and I do a lot of times feel that I don’t belong here or anywhere at all, but nobody should feel like that. Everyone at Lake Hamilton should at least try to make others feel welcome here no matter what the differences are.  What people don’t stop and take the time to realize is that, when you tease someone, it really hurts them. They may not show it, but they are affected by it. By the time you say “You know I was just kidding”, they are already scarred from it. Whether it’s about their looks or religious backgrounds or anything at all, it is still painful. Don’t be so judgmental to others. Treat them the way you would like to be treated and if you don’t have anything nice to say then just don’t say anything. Being afraid of how they would be treated is why people around LH are so afraid to try to make friends.

             Even when nobody else does, you can still stand out. Accept them, because they are no different from you or anybody else. It doesn’t matter what they do or don’t have or how popular they may or may not be. It matters by who is inside of them. Nobody should ever have to feel the way they feel right now. A lot of times we don’t stop to think about how lucky we really are. We should be very thankful for our friends that really care about us. They may not have friends like you do, but you could stand up for them and show them what it’s like to have a friend like you. Show how much you care. That’s a big enough difference for everyone.   



                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Styles, does it all really matter?

          We have many varieties of styles in Lake Hamilton High School, such as: The typical Country style, The Not so Understood style, and of course just the Normal/Casual style. There are more than just those styles, of course. Like Preppy, Semi-Dressy, Jock, Skaters ect. But why does it all matter? Everyday people walk through the halls and judge what others are wearing, yet in reality they are more alike than they think. Everyone around the school has their own styles and own way to express themselves. Usually people of the same style tend to hang out but not in all cases.

The casual style is usually just jeans and a tee-shirt, really no defined style at all.  But different people in this group still have their own definition of cute. This means they want to dress comfortable yet look fashionable at the same time.

  Heather Young said “I would classify myself as more casual than anything because I’m not trying to impress anyone. I like to dress up sometimes but not all the time. It matters to me if my outfit matches and it shows who I am more than anything. I can express myself in many ways threw my clothing. Peoples outfits may seem similar to mine but to me no one dresses the way I do.” Peoples clothing determine their favorite stores, things they are interested in, what type of clothing they think are nice and others don’t, and just in general their personality. This style has more of an uplifting personality behind it. They like to try new things, but still be themselves. And on the other hand, Nikki Haak said that her style was just laid back, normal, casual, and cute. This is more of a laid back kind of style.  Most people wear just jeans and a shirt out places or to school. I found that just because their not the same person, they pretty much dress the same even if it doesn’t seen like it.

          The not so understood style doesn’t just mean that they’re “Dark” it means a lot more than what it seems. Normally people in this group wear Skinny’s, Band T-Shirts, and cartoon tees all put together in a random mess. These band tees that they talk about consist of bands such as Asking Alexandria, White Chapel, Local bands, Slipknot, Beatles, and My chemical Romance. There’s a deeper meaning to just there clothing. It just means they like to express themselves in different ways than others. Just because they don’t dress the same way as others doesn’t mean they aren’t all like us. They’re also laid back because they don’t take time to get all dressed up just to go to school.  Sean Esquibel said “My style is just random crap that I put together. As in, the style of how I want to look that day. It shows what kind of person I like to be, it shows who I am. I would classify myself as more of a Skater/ Rocker style honestly. Jasmine Winter said that she likes to wear oversized hoodies, jeans and corduroys, just things she throws together all in one day. So all the styles in this group might not be the same, but it just means they are more outgoing and don’t really care what people think. This style might not be the most put together one, or the most understood one, but it’s a style all their own. They are all basically the same but different according to their own views. This group enjoys showing off their support for all the things that they wear.

          The Country style is a style that many people think of as just boots and messy clothes, but it’s more. It represents where they’re from, to what they like to do, most of the country people enjoy Hunting, Mud Riding, and getting down a dirty doing what they love. Therefore, they don’t really need to be all dressed up just to get dirty again.  Zach Davis said that “At school I try to act more civilized of course so I wear jeans and shirts such as ones of Afflictions, and shoes such as Jordan’s. At home I tend to let loose and wear wrangler jeans, boots, and cut off tees, and to top it off a hat with a wife beater underneath my shirt. And Kristen Howell said “Tee-shirt, wranglers, boots, carhart jackets, that’s usually my everyday style. Never do anything special with my hair but wear it down. Just a casual country outfit I guess.”  Just because it’s a “country style” doesn’t mean its not casual too.  All of the styles tend to come together in their own little way. They may dress a little different but they are all laid back and enjoy what they like.

         

          People’s styles are important to them because they like to express who they are and what they like to do. It can determine who they are, and how other people see them. Most people see just their clothing and don’t look past all of it to really see what kind of person they are. People shouldn’t be judged by just their clothes because some people can’t afford to go out and buy all the fashion worthy clothes at the time. Not just in Lake Hamilton, or other schools, but all around the world people obsess about their style, because they don’t want people thinking bad about who they are or what they are, everybody obsesses differently about their style. Different styles come and go, but the simple fact is that no matter what the style is everyone is still the same but they express themselves in different ways. It shouldn’t matter what kind of clothes you wear, but rather how you act in the long run.

                                                                   Amanda Poole

                                                                             &

                                                                   Ashley Barzare

Apresentando-me: A student from Brazil.

by Paulina Valamiel Lopes

Oi! I am an exchange student from Brazil that arrived in America on August 6, to spend the school year at Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy, AR. As any person that comes from a different culture to another, many things impressed me. Before I came to America, I already had a small impression about the things that are at Americans school, in families and the people, but knowing about a culture and then live this culture, are really different things. I would never imagine that I would be so confused by changing classrooms, using a locker, using a password to buy a lunch, and a lot of other things.

As I already said, I am an exchange student from Brazil, and I will let you know a little bit about my country: Our language is Portuguese, and although many people don’t know about the existence of this language, Portuguese is the official language in seven countries and the eighth most spoken language in the world. Brazil also has the third largest capital, Sao Paulo, which has 11,037,593 inhabitants and the worst traffic in the world (haha, trust me). We also have really beautiful beaches, and one of the new wonders of the world: The Corcovado, with the huge statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Our houses are kind of different.  All of our houses are made out of concrete, where as in America many houses are made of brick or siding.  Also, our floors are made of wood or tile, never carpet like American houses. On the topic of food, we also have McDonald’s, Subway, but they are not as common as they are here. Our principal meal is lunch, and we eat lots of fruit, salads, and rice and beans almost everyday. One curiosity that I had when I arrived here, my first lunch was pizza, and we never ate things like that for lunch, just dinner; but anyway, when we eat pizza, we use forks, not hands, so it was a little bit weird to use my hands to eat this, but now it doesn’t sound so strange anymore. It is not common for me to eat fast food almost everyday.

Brazil also has the major tropical forest of the world: Amazonia, at the North of the country. At the south (the coldest part), the population is more composed of Germans and Italians. It is good to remember that Brazil is a tropical country, and our coldest winter is around 35F, so it doesn’t seem so cold for Americans.

            Many things in America didn’t reach my expectations. For instance, the state of Arkansas with nothing to do and places so far one another and a very small mall.  But, Lake Hamilton School really surprised me! I never imagined a school so big, with many different classes from which to choose, or the people and their styles. My school in Brazil is not this big, it’s almost the size of this cafeteria, and just that. There are some big schools in Brazil, but only the private ones, and even being private, it doesn’t have the infrastructure that Lake Hamilton has. For me, English is kind of hard, but before I got here, I already had a notion of this language, because since the first grade, we have studied English in Brazil. I would never imagine classes like Journalism, German, Drama, Psychology, and Economics; because these are classes that we Brazilians just have in college. For me, Math here is very easy, because we have the help of calculators, and at schools in Brazil, we have to learn to calculate everything ourselves. At Brazilian schools, we just have four hours of school per day, but it seems more tiring because we never get out of the classroom, the teachers move, not us. But over all, we study more about the world, countries, cultural movements, and social groups; and I miss that here, because most of the things here are just about America, and some people don’t have open minds to know about other cultures.

            I already have some friends that I am sure I will miss when I go back to Brazil, but I would love to have people here visit my country. It will be great to see some of you all at the World Cup and/or Olympics, or even for a visit. Brazil is a really beautiful country and I am sure that you all would love it.