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Monday, September 30, 2013

Another Gold for Jordan Burroughs

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In Budapest, Hungary, Jordan Burroughs won his second consecutive world title. What is the only difference between Jordan Burroughs winning his first world title and his second? Burroughs won his second world title with a broken ankle. Jordan Burroughs broke his ankle while he was at a practice in Colorado Springs. The world championships were only 27 days away and he had just broken his ankle. A broken ankle was not going to stop Burroughs from winning. The next day he had surgery on his ankle. The surgery required a plate and five screws. Did it phase Burroughs? No- within a week he was back in the gym lifting weights. A day before world championships, Burroughs was back on the mat. He outscored his opponents 34-3 while at the World Championships. He won his finals match 4-0. Jordan Burroughs is truly an inspiration, and IS the best athlete in the world.

-Jacob Wynn

More Than a Football Player: Tim Tebow

You have probably heard all the articles, “Tim Tebow is no NFL quarterback; he probably needs to switch positions.”  Tim Tebow was just recently “cut” by the New England Patriots. On Facebook and Twitter, Tebow thanked the Patriots for giving him the opportunity to play for such a great organization. I feel that Tim Tebow just needs to be given a chance. In high school, Tim Tebow was the number one recruit in the country. In college, he won two national championships and a Heisman trophy. In the NFL he has beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. His accomplishments don't end there. He is currently building a hospital in the Philippines; Tim Tebow is such a great role model. Tebow is a godly man, and everything he does, he does it for God. The newly formed Arena Football Team the LA KISS, have offered Tim Tebow a contract. But Tim Tebow has said that he is an NFL quarterback, and he will remain in relentless pursuit of his dream to be an NFL quarterback.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Faculty and Staff Celebrate Retro Day

Mrs. Patrick, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Wilkerson, Ms. Wohlford, and Ms. Gravley

Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Pugh, and Mrs. Harrison

Meet Jordan Burroughs

For those of you that do not know who Jordan Burroughs is, you are about to find out.  Jordan Burroughs is a wrestler.  A two-time NCAA National Champion, he is also an Olympic gold medalist and a world champion. He is undefeated in international wrestling. Burroughs is known for his signature take-down, the "blast double."  Jordan Burroughs is the favorite to win the World Champions, which are September the 16th- 21st. They will be in Budapest, Hungary. Jordan Burroughs' influence and commitment are one of the reasons why we still have wrestling in the Olympics.

-Jacob Wynn

How Home Crowds React

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     I went to see the Tennessee Volunteers play last Saturday, and it amazes me that when the home crowd plays a team like this, there is still a huge crowd. The thought occurred to me because there was almost a sold-out crowd to see them play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The place was rocking when a third down came upon the Hilltoppers, and this usually made them mess up. When Tennessee would force a turnover or score, the crowd would erupt and push Tennessee to make another big play. The Volunteers ended up winning, 52-20. When it ended, the crowd screamed with joy as the Vols ran off the field. 

     This game proved to me that when their team plays a team like this, a lot of people go because it should be a game that their team will win. I have realized that every game is popular in the sense of the fans, popular team or not, because people will always go to see their favorite team play. Western Kentucky had as many people as they would if Oregon or Alabama came to town, and that really shocked me. 
      Neyland Stadium is the third-biggest stadium in the country, seating about 104,000 people, and the crowd vs. Western Kentucky had just about every seat filled. Neyland Stadium was rocking, and that is really all that matters for the Volunteers, and Smokey.

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- Blake Holmes

Army Gear in Airsoft?

     Military gear is bound to explore the Airsoft market. It may seem like just a game, but it's actually how the US Army trains. Airsoft gets the job done, working on accuracy and awareness, yet without the lethal impact of a real gun.

     With a rare opportunity awaiting, an Airsoft team of locals known as the "Blood Corps" (including newspaper staff member Isaiah Addair) went down to Bristol, TN, to play around on the 14th of September. Soon after arrival, a man named Robert Bonin, working for Potomac Fields in Abingdon, VA, showed up needing a group of people to test an army-used jacket with mesh padding for the game of Airsoft.

     In the typical army scenario, the jacket would go under a bullet-proof vest to help absorb impact. In Airsoft, the jacket takes the impact, while the person wearing it feels as little as a poke from close range. This experiment could potentially expand the market for protective gear, while also leaving room for other forms of gear such as pants.

-Isaiah Addair

Voyager Gon' Voyaging

     The Voyager 1 Probe has escaped the solar system's limits and has gone into interstellar space. Yet, this is only one of the many “firsts” that the probe has marked down in its book. Other accomplishments include: discovering that Jupiter’s moon Io had active volcanoes, that Jupiter had rings, the basic “nature” of Saturn’s rings, and that the Gas Giants had more moons than previously thought… the Voyager has a lot of titles under its belt!      It was launched alongside sister probe Voyager 2 in 1977. But, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Voyager 1 location was disputed until earlier this week. You see, they knew the location of the probe so far out into space because of the amount of plasma data the probe was sending back. Once the tests showed that the amount of plasma had sufficiently dropped, they knew that the probe had entered interstellar space. But the probe won’t technically leave the solar system until it passes through the Oort Cloud, where most comets originate. Good luck to the Voyager 1 probe, and we hope it doesn't get hit by a comet!

Brain-Eating Amoebas Found in New Orleans Water Supply

Credit: CDC


     The people of New Orleans are frantically buying bottled water for use with everyday functions because of their contaminated water supply, says the LA Times. Recently discovered in the everyday water supply of a New Orleans suburb, Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that not only makes humans sick, but eats away brain cells.      The amoeba was found when a little boy died on a Slip-n-Slide in August. Testing traced the death of the 4-year-old to a rare brain-eating amoeba. The discovery marks the first time the amoeba has entered a treated water supply in the US, according to Jonathan Yoder, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He states that when the amoeba enters the nose, it travels along the nerves and crosses into the brain through tiny openings in the bone at the base of the forehead.
     Health officials traced the amoeba to the St. Bernard Parish water system that fed the slide. Parish officials flushed the water source with chlorine as a precaution and will continue to do so for weeks to come.
     There have been three deaths since 2011 from the brain-eating amoeba and health officials hope that no one else gets sick. The people of New Orleans are continuing to use bottled water for everything, including showering.

-Jessie Ritz

The New Grand Canyon

    Just as the title of this article states, there is, in fact, a new Grand Canyon. According to NPR, the new Grand Canyon was discovered under Greenland about two weeks ago by Jonathan Bamber from the University of Bristol. He had tried to look and study the bedrock underneath Greenland’s ice by pulling data from research planes. The data he used spanned the course of 40 years, and since the planes were using radar, it wasn't too hard to discover the gigantic chasm underneath Greenland. The chasm itself is almost twice as long as the Grand Canyon, and appears to have been carved out by river waters before Greenland was covered in ice. Yet, it’s been covered up for so long because Greenland has been covered with ice for almost 4 million years.

    This discovery presents many new opportunities for scientists. It’s speculated that we’ll be able to discover many new species only found in the chasm. If you think about it, we may even be able to find out new things about trenches and how they formed. Just give science time, and I’m sure we’ll see the chasm in the news once again.




- Kevin Brown

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Faculty and Staff Honor Mr. Neal for Twin Day

(left to right) Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Newby, Mrs. Wilkerson, Mrs. Patrick, Mr. Neal, Mrs. Johnson, Ms. Wohlford, Mrs. Bradberry, Mrs. Burkentine, Mrs. King, Mrs. Hall, Ms. Gravley

Mrs. Bradberry, Ms. Wohlford, Mrs. Wilkerson, and Mrs. Patrick

Mrs. Pugh and Mr. Neal

Duck Dynasty Appears During Camo Day

Ms. Wohlford, Mrs. Patrick, and Mrs. Wilkerson


College Football Playoffs Changing Format

It’s the time most college football fans have waited for their whole lives. It’s a time when the complaining of unfairness finally ends. IT IS A TIME FOR A NEW ERA!

According to ESPN, college football has announced that starting after the year of 2014, they will be switching from the well-known BCS National Championships to a format called College Football Playoff. The College Football Playoff will have only a six-bowl rotation, on the contrary from the former lot. Now the system is going to a four-team basis that will rotate between former BCS Bowl sites annually to decide a champion. The College Football Playoff, the CFP, is catching a lot of criticism for the lack of ring to the name and lack of “fairness.” (No, complaining about fairness NEVER stops.)

-Isaiah Addair

Rural Retreat's First Newscast

On Friday, September 27th, Rural Retreat will have the school’s first  ever video newscast. Covering the Homecoming game, Jacob Wynn, Isaiah Addair, and Blake Holmes will bring all viewers the best analyses possible. Hoping to bring an “Inside the Locker Room” feature, the crew is working together to brainstorm possibilities of increasing the value of not only the analysts’ experience, but also that of the fans. Don’t forget the dance afterwards, and remember: Whip that Wave!

-Isaiah Addair

Rural Retreat Loses to Marion

     Friday, September 20th, the Rural Retreat Indians went to Marion to face the Scarlet Hurricanes. Rural Retreat won the coin toss, and received the ball in the first quarter. The Indians started the game at their 19 yard line. Rural Retreat made a big run, and came close to the end zone. There was a flag thrown on the play against Rural Retreat, but it was, luckily, ignored. Rural Retreat wasn't able to do anything with the ball, and Marion received the ball. There was a penalty called on the Hurricanes for delay of game; however, Marion scored a touchdown shortly after. They scored the first touchdown about four minutes into the game, but didn't get the extra point. Rural Retreat and Marion both got the ball back and forth without much action. Later, about eight minutes into the first quarter, the Indians scored a touchdown, and tied Marion. For the remainder of the quarter, the Indians and Hurricanes went back and forth, but didn't gain any ground. The score at the end of the first quarter was tied 6 to 6.

     In the second quarter, Rural Retreat got the ball first. They stayed near midfield, and didn't get another first down. Marion got the ball, and with two consecutive plays, ran 96 yards and scored another touchdown. This time, the extra point was good, and the score was then 13 to 6. When Rural Retreat got the ball back, they again stayed toward midfield and made no progress. When the Hurricanes got the ball again, they ran a 74-yard touchdown, but didn't kick the field goal. Rural Retreat got the ball back, and made a final push to score during the last bit of the half. The Indians got near the end zone, but didn't get a touchdown. When Marion got the ball, with only 27 seconds left, they scored another touchdown and also got the field goal. The first half ended with the score 26 Hurricanes, 6 Indians.

     Rural Retreat received the ball in the third quarter, and scored a touchdown. The Indians then got a two-point conversion, and gained eight more points. Later, Marion scored another touchdown. Again, when Rural Retreat got the ball, they tried to move forward, but Marion kept Rural Retreat from making any progress. Marion’s defense prevailed again, and got the ball back. The Hurricanes scored a touchdown with only two minutes left in the quarter. They tried to get a two-point conversion, but lost the ball during the play. The quarter ended with a score of 32 Hurricanes, 14 Indians.
     In the final quarter of the game, each team gave the remainder of their strength to try to change the score. Neither made any large plays, and the time slowly went by. Marion scored a touchdown, and got the extra point. This left the score 39 to 14. There were only three minutes left on the clock, and Rural Retreat made one final effort to change the score. Junior Stone Mullins was hurt during a play, and was carefully helped off the field. The game ended, and the score was 39 Hurricanes, 14 Indians. It was a tough game, but the Indians gave it everything they had. Marion was a tough game, but both teams played well. Hopefully there will be more victories in the future.

-Dylan Crigger and Anna Brown

Pearson Releases Incorrect Test Scores in Prince William County

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During the 2012-2013 school year, Pearson Company, the largest developer of standardized tests, submitted incorrect test results in some of Virginia’s schools, reports The Bristow Beat. Similar errors took place in New York City. Pearson made the error by determining the students’ performance level on the VAAP (Virginia Alternate Assessment Program) incorrectly. This means that they correctly graded the tests, but there was an error when the scores were converted into the performance levels that students receive. These performance levels are what determine whether a student passes or fails. This means that some students were told they had passed, when in fact they didn't. The incorrect scores affected more than 4,400 students across Virginia. In July, students and their parents received these incorrect SOL scores. Pearson has sent out new test scores, as well as apology letters, to students and parents. Pearson said that they were sorry for the inconvenience for students, parents, schools, and school districts. This was a bad mistake, but hopefully it won’t happen again. Pearson says they understand it is important to have accurate test results, and they will begin working harder to make changes. The Virginia Department of Education has given Pearson a second chance, and they are determined to do things right next time.

-Dylan Crigger

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Rural Retreat Beaten by Grayson County

     Rural Retreat was defeated by a great Grayson County Blue Devils team as the score was 42-13, and this is one of the toughest teams they play all season. The Blue Devils are a great team who put up a lot of points against everybody in their games. I enjoyed this game at first because the Indians did keep up for a while, as the score was tied at the end of the first quarter, 7-7. Then Grayson took off from there, adding a total of 42 points on the Indians to end the game. Rural Retreat did score one more time, but they did not make the PAT. The next game is Rural Retreat @ Marion Senior, this Friday at 7:30.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Homecoming Dress-Up Days

Monday, September 22- CAMO DAY 
Dress in all camo, and maybe even hide from your teachers!

Tuesday, September 23- TWIN/CRAZY DAY 
Dress up like a friend, or just be wacky.

Wednesday, September 24- RETRO DAY 
Take a trip to any past decade you'd like to visit.

Thursday, September 25- FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM DAY 
Support your favorite team, but make sure you dress in something comfy, because the Carnival is Thursday.

Friday, September 26- ORANGE/BLACK DAY 
Deck out in orange and black to support our Indians as we play Narrows for Homecoming Friday night.


- Kellie Bass

Fast Food Strike

According to a new report from Fox News, there may no longer be a dollar menu. Fast food workers are fighting for a $15 minimum wage salary. In Detroit, McDonald's was forced to close its doors when the employees walked out and started striking because they aren't making enough money. The protests are taking place in New York, Boston, and Chicago.

Workers are chanting things like “Hey! hey! Ho! Ho! $7.40's got to go!” outside of their establishments. Lack of awareness about the strikes is proving challenges for the workers. It has been said that the strikes are expected to reach almost 50 cities before this time next week. The biggest effort was over the summer in New York, where almost 2,200 people participated in a seven-city, one-day strike.

Although people aren't planning to stop their regular McDonald's trips, many American citizens support the strike completely.


-Kellie Bass

Friday, September 13, 2013

Teens Save Woman from Kidnapping

Information was just released on Thursday on a kidnapping of an unidentified Texas woman. According to ABC News, Charles Atkins Lewis kidnapped her when she was leaving an office party in downtown Dallas and made it all the way to Highway 175. After Lewis had been driving with the woman in the backseat for about 30 minutes, they were stopped at a red light. Teenagers Aaron Arias and Jamal Harris pulled up next to Lewis's silver Lexus in traffic.  They thought the woman was attractive, and were checking her out when they realized that something was not right about the expression on her face. They saw that she was mouthing the words "help me" to them. They weren't sure what to do, so they called the police. Arias and Harris followed Lewis for approximately five minutes until the police got there. Lewis was pulled over and arrested immediately; the woman was unhurt.

When the woman (who is still unidentified) was rescued, she thanked the two teenage boys. When she hugged them before she left, she said, “It was the best hug I have ever gotten."

Listen to the dramatic 911 call here.

- Jessie Ritz

Cross Country Starts Off Strong

Cross Country is off to a great start this year. The cross country team has a total of ten members, five of which are wrestlers. Six members have never run cross country before, while four others are experienced runners. Team members are Brian Crockett, Matthew Farmer, Jacob Wynn, Ty Boyd, Trey Boyd, Caleb Snider, Dakota Snider, Dylan Crigger, Haley Huffard and Cameron Bear. The Cross Country team has many new runners, and are all doing well for their first year.

The cross country team has been to two meets this year. The first was at Carroll County, and the second in Giles County. Matthew Farmer won them both with very impressive times. Matthew may be fast, but the other members don’t fall too far behind him. Everyone ran three miles in under 25 minutes at the Giles High School meet. 


With so many new additions to the team, yet also plenty of experienced runners, the Cross Country team is destined to do well. They hope to send a good amount of runners to the state meet this year. With such plans, the team can only work harder and get better. The team is off to another great year, with high expectations!


-Dylan Crigger and Jacob Wynn

Mission to the Moon

Recently, NASA launched a space probe to go study the moon. Most people thought that the United States was done with the moon, and was now focusing on Mars, but not just yet. According to CBS News, The probe was launched Friday, September 6, from Wallops Island, Virginia, and is now orbiting the moon. NASA says that its journey should only last a month.

Scientists have studied many samples of moon rocks, but have neglected the dust on the moon. While we may know enough about the rocks, scientists have still never properly studied the moon’s dust. This probe is designed to study lunar dust.  


Other countries, like China, plan to send their own astronauts to the moon. If this were to happen, the United States would like it to seem that the moon still belongs to us. So although we don’t know everything about the moon, this mission is to allow NASA to “keep dibs” on the moon.

In case some of you are worried we won’t be making a trip to Mars anytime soon, then there is no need to fret. NASA still plans to put a man on Mars, but for now, it is best we keep the moon within our grasp. Who knows, there may be another flag to join ours on the moon. We may put our own flag on Mars. These things will all come with time.


-Dylan Crigger

RR Golf Outmatched by Patrick Henry

The Indians were beaten at Greenway Creek Golf Course by the Patrick Henry Rebels. The Indians' scores go as follows: Peyton Brewer (36), Dallas Shumate (47), Josh Penuel (47), Blake Holmes (48), Zack Sprouse (49), and Zack Graffham (53). Peyton Brewer actually had the lowest score out of the two teams, and was one over. Rural Retreat’s next match is at Wytheville Country Club versus Marion. Marion beat the Indians in their last encounter at Holston Hills Golf Course, their home course.

-Blake Holmes

JV Volleyball: Chilhowie @ Rural Retreat

Round 1:

The Indians started off hot for the first time this season, but failed to keep the momentum. Staying in striking distance thanks to mistakes by Chilhowie, the Indians fell behind 6-9. The Indians couldn't keep control of the volleyball. As RR struggled with the same problem throughout, it took no time at all for Chilhowie to take the 8-17 lead. Sophomore Ana Caudill went down with a knee injury; hopefully, it isn't serious. With the Warriors taking it to a 23-11 lead, RR looked to have put aside the struggles, kind of. Chilhowie took Round 1, 12-25.

Round 2:

The second round started off badly for the home team, but they got it together soon, 3-4 Chilhowie. Some good serves later, the score went to RR's favor, 8-4 Indians. It happened quickly, but the Warriors went up 8-10 in just minutes. Like tug-of-war, the round went back and forth, 12-17 Warriors. By the next timeout the score was 13-19, so the round seemed out of reach. How I love contact sports. Oh, volleyball isn't one? These girls didn't know that! 16-21, Chilhowie had only four more to score before taking the win. 20-24, yikes! Tight game, 23-24. Tied 24-24, the Indians had a chance. RR took round 2 in a thriller: 26-24.

Round 3:
RR got it together in Round 2, so the team looked better this time around to start. Score: 4-6.  Well, looking like usual, the Indians fall 4-13. In the end, Chilhowie took the game, 4-15.

-Isaiah Addair

FL man on trial for the murder of his unborn child

     A tragic event happened in May in Tampa, Florida.  According to CNN, 26 year-old Remee Lee told her boyfriend, John Andrew Welden, that she was pregnant.  Lee was reportedly overjoyed about becoming a mom.  
     On Monday, Lee's former boyfriend pleaded guilty to killing their unborn child in May of this year. Welden gave her the drug Cytotec, an abortion pill. Lee took it, thinking it was her antibiotic. 
     Welden was given a plea deal that could send him to prison for 13 years. His lawyer, Todd Foster, said "The possibility of mandatory life sentence, no discretion to the judge, obviously is a big factor." Welden is set to be sentenced on December 5. 
     Follow The Arrowhead for updates as the case progresses.

- Anna Brown

Holston and GW Outmatch Rural Retreat in Golf

     The Rural Retreat Indians golf team fell short in a tough battle with the Holston Cavaliers and the George Wythe Maroons at Deer Field Golf Course in Holston. The scores for the Indians were Peyton Brewer (41), Dallas Shumate (50), Blake Holmes (51), Zack Sprouse (52), Josh Penuel (55), and Zack Graffham (61). Deer Field is a very tough golf course with hazards just about everywhere on the course, no matter what hole, and with greens that are famous for bouncing the ball.  
     Even though this is only a 9-hole course, it is one of the hardest courses to play in the Hogoheegee district. The only course that is harder is Holston Hills in Marion. The Cavaliers and Maroons were just too much of a challenge, and the Indians lost the match. Their next match is against Patrick Henry at Greenway Golf Course, one of the easiest golf courses in the district. 

- Blake Holmes

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Varsity Volleyball: George Wythe @ Rural Retreat

Round 1:

Starting off on the right foot, RR tied with GW 3-3. That didn't last long! The score was 6-11 GW in mere minutes. In search of a comeback, RR scored four straight. Now only down by one, the players of both teams were ready. After tying the game at 11-11, the ladies wasted no time before going up 17-12. GW followed RR's comeback with one of their own, with the score becoming 20-19 RR, after what seemed to be the final timeout. GW came back to win 22-25. RR stalled after a good go for the win.

Round 2:

Go Indians! After scoring first, GW was tied with RR 3-3. The score stayed pretty even throughout the first part of this one. 10-10 tie. Not lasting long, GW clung onto a 21-13 lead, gradually building up the lead and hoping tonight's game only lasted the three mandatory rounds. Ouch! A painful loss to give George Wythe the second match win, 14-25.

Round 3:

A slow start for the Indians put them behind early. Not sure what would happen, while looking great at times and terrible at others, the away team soon took a 10-5 lead. The lead stayed fairly the same, with RR down 5 again. Going into the next timeout, GW had bumped their lead up to 9 points. After a bad call followed by a loud "Boo!" from the crowd, the score stood at 14-23 GW. Game ends: 14-25 GW.

JV Volleyball: George Wythe @ Rural Retreat

Round 1:

With both teams coming off of wins, Rural Retreat struggled early, going down 0-4. Putting together a couple of great plays, they cut the lead to 4-5. The score kept going up, with RR commonly tying but not taking the lead. Miscommunication, miscommunication, miscommunication. It's odd . . . the Indians weren't talking! Down 11-17 pretty quickly, these girls weren't even in the same book, much less the same page. Rural Retreat loses by a huge deficit of easily 10+ points.

Round 2:

Once again, nothing went right for the home team. After hardly any game had been played, GW was leading 1-7. Our Indians were pressing too much for a big play. Pressure isn't fun. 1-16 Maroons. A questionable call by Indians' Coach Midkiff, benching his best player . . . does he know what he's doing? The game was almost over at 3-21. GW started making mistakes, but it still wasn't enough to help RR. The game ended at a score of 7-25.


-Isaiah Addair

Olympic Wrestling is Back!

     After seven months of being dropped out of the Olympic games, wrestling is back in the 2020-2024 Olympic games! The final decision was made on Sunday, September 8th. The vote was between squash (a form of racketball), a softball-baseball combination, and wrestling. Each sport was given the opportunity to make their case as to why their sport should be in the Olympics. Wrestling received 49 votes; squash received 22 votes, while baseball-softball received 24 votes. It was a great day for all wrestlers and wrestling fans. It is great to see an original Olympic sport back in the games!

- Jacob Wynn

Source: ESPN

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

RRHS Alum Darby Dunnagan Makes It Big

Meet Darby Dunnagan. If you don’t know who she is, you will want to know. A graduate of Rural Retreat High School, Dunnagan played football as a student at RRHS. Watch out, boys! She now records football games for Northwestern University. She loves her job and has become so successful that she won an award: the 2013 Bob Matey National Video Coordinator of the Year.



An Interview with Darby Dunnagan

What kind of job do you have at Northwestern?

I am a director at Northwestern University. I record videos of football games and practices and put them together.

Do you like your job?

I love my job. I don’t like sitting in an office so this is an opportunity to get out. I also love how students are interested in being a director for a football team.

Why did you decide this would be a career for you?

I liked playing football but I liked recording it a lot better so this was the career for me.

Do you think your job is challenging?

Yes, there are a lot of challenges. You have to keep up on technology and put in a lot of hours but it’s a lot of fun.

What are some of the steps or processes you have to do before you get to a job like this?

Working with the team and playing for RRHS when I was in high school helped a lot, but there are really no classes I took to help me for this job.

What is most stressful about your job at Northwestern?

Working on the videos and trying to put them together.  Also, building relationships and working with others.  That’s what is kind of stressful.

How long have you been working at Northwestern?

I have worked with the football team for 13 seasons and I did 2 years in college.

I heard you are the 2013 Bob Matey National Video Coordinator of the Year.  How do you feel about that?

I was so excited when I got the award and it wasn’t easy it takes a lot of time and effort to get this award and I am happy that I am 2013 Bob Matey National Video Coordinator of the year.

What other kind of sports or activities did you participate in at RRHS?

I played volleyball and I took a governor's school class.

How was playing football at RRHS?

It was a lot of fun! I played in 6 and 7th grade. I love the sport and wish I could play again.

So, who were some of your favorite teachers at RRHS?

Mr. Neal, Mr. Hensley, my Spanish teacher, and my science teacher. I love science and they made learning science really exciting for me. I also love all the teachers at RRHS and it’s a great school.

Thank you, Ms. Dunnagan, for your time.  Everyone here at RRHS says "hi" and we can wait to hear from you again.

-David Pierce

Correction: We originally stated that Ms. Dunnagan works with Memphis University.  We have since updated the information to correct our error.

90's Kids Ready for Another Run?

     If you are a child of the 1990’s, then you remember the original hit series, featuring six teenagers fighting the evil Lord Zedd and Empress Rita to save the world. If you don’t seem to recall, they were referred to as the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Though the show still runs, it has lost the spark that caused so many children to fall in love with the show in the first place. Now it seems to be about “magic” rather than the martial arts that the show had at one point in time.

     The original cast members from 1993 were people who grew up learning about karate; it was people who spent their lives doing just that. The original Green Dragon Ranger Jason David Frank (professional MMA fighter), sees how the show has changed, and is asking Saban, the franchise owner, to consider making a movie of just the Green Dragon Ranger. This movie becoming a reality would capture the hearts of people across the nation, and possibly people across the whole world.

     Children would watch it just like they watch the new episodes, and their 40-year-old parents will potentially watch and feel like a kid again. Because it will appeal to an extremely wide variety of age groups, many people can see such a movie taking America by storm.

     "The Green Ranger is kind of like the Wolverine of Power Rangers," says Jason David Frank. Frank joked about wearing the Green Ranger costume again: "It was interesting; spandex don't lie." Frank also said, “So many people tell me about how they always looked up to the Green Ranger. It’s cool when a big tough guy walks up to you to tell you that.”

-Isaiah Addair

NFL Season Begins

The NFL season was in full bloom as the Denver Broncos took on the Baltimore Ravens at Denver. This was the first time in decades that the Super Bowl-winning team was not at home. With the tradition gone, Denver took over the game, and beat Baltimore, 49-27. Peyton Manning was phenomenal in this game, with 462 yards and seven touchdowns. None of the running backs did well, as the running back with the most yards was Ray Rice, with 36 yards off of 12 carries. Baltimore’s season has started off on a bad road, but with the Cleveland Browns coming up next, Baltimore should win. Denver has the New York Giants coming up next, and this one will be a thriller.

NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE


- Blake Holmes

Monday, September 9, 2013

Rural Retreat Pulls Out a Season-First Victory in Game Against Bland

     On September 6, the Rural Retreat Indians bagged their first win of the season at Bland County High School against the Bears. The Indians won the coin toss, and received the ball in the first quarter. In the first play of the game, the Indians fumbled the ball and turned the ball over to the Bears. The Indian defense was able to prevent the Bears from scoring, and the Indians got the ball back. However, the Bears later intercepted a pass, and the Indians turned the ball over again. The Bears then proceeded to score the first touchdown. Later in the quarter, the Indians scored a touchdown and tied Bland. Rural Retreat later intercepted the ball, and scored yet another touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, the score was fourteen to seven, with Rural Retreat in the lead.



     In the second quarter, both teams pushed to score another point, but they were evenly matched. Neither team made any progress in the second quarter. However, in the third quarter, Bland ran a seventy-yard touchdown in the kickoff. The Bears kicked successfully and tied the game. The Indians pushed to break the tie, and slowly pushed to the end zone. Rural Retreat pulled ahead with another touchdown, yet Bland scored seven more points with more than half the quarter to go. Toward the end of the third quarter, the Bears scored six more points and finished the quarter with a score of 21 Rural Retreat, 27 Bland.

     In the fourth quarter, Rural Retreat received the ball. About five minutes into the fourth quarter, the Indians scored a touchdown, but missed the extra point. The two teams were tied again. Later, Rural Retreat carelessly dropped the ball, but luckily recovered it before Bland. There was another close call when the Indians threw an interception near the end zone, but the Bears were unable to score. The score was tied 27 to 27, and the game went into overtime.

     Shortly into overtime, the Indians scored a touchdown and a field goal. The Bears were given one final chance to tie the game and score a touchdown, but needed the extra point to tie the game back up. The Bears' kick was no good, and the Indians had their first victory of the season, with the score of 33 Bears, 34 Indians.

     Overall, it was a messy game that was hard fought by both teams, but the Indians came out with the victory in the end. We are looking forward to more Indian victories; go Indians!


-Anna Brown and Dylan Crigger

Element 115: No, There Aren't Any Zombies

     This week in science has been one of many breakthroughs. One prominent breakthrough is the recent confirmation of Element 115. According to National Geographic, The new element was successfully recreated by chemists from Sweden at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Germany. Now, I do say recreated, considering that it was first created by Russian scientists in Dubna ten years ago. You see, in order to confirm the existence of a new element, it must be able to be recreated in the same type of procedure. 

     It has to be called something other than Element 115- right? That’s true; so far it’s been called ununpentium; since it couldn't be an official element when it was discovered, they gave it a placeholder name until the element was recreated. The Russian scientists who first discovered it were contacted soon after the element was recreated, so they will have the rights to name it.

     How do you create an element? Well, you shoot two beams of atoms from two different elements at each other, of course! But you just don’t shoot them once and call it quits; the Swedish chemists shot a beam of calcium atoms at a beam of americium atoms for weeks, up to months, at a time.

     Another question then springs up: Why even create new elements in the first place?  It gives us insight about the forces that hold atoms (and everything!) together. It also nurtures the human nature for curiosity and quest for understanding. And don’t worry, Call of Duty fans, Element 115/ununpentium can’t bring back the dead (although that would be pretty cool).

-Kevin Brown

Big Indian Marching Band Continues to Grow

     The Rural Retreat Marching Band is doing many things differently this year. While some important band members graduated last year, this year there are plenty of new leaders and marchers alike. A major step up from last year’s Harry Potter field show, the new Pirates of the Caribbean field show music is much harder. Also, the marching and visuals are more difficult. August 30, at Rural Retreat’s first football game, the marching band made their debut by marching and playing their first two songs. The third song was still in the works, and they should be prepared to play it soon.



     The color guard has a couple of new additions this year. Cassidy Bear, Zach Sheckles, and Zoe Chandler are all new to color guard, but they have learned quickly and have become part of the guard family. Zach is the only male on the color guard, and he has been a great addition. Zach has made the team even better, simply by being a guy. He shows that anybody, even males, can come and try out for color guard next year. They would love to have you!

Color guard has worked really hard so far this season. They plan to be even better this year than last year. They have had great summer practices and fundraisers.

     This year, the drum line and pit have changed a lot. Both drum line and pit have custom-written music. For the past couple of years, the pit has been extremely small. This year, seventh grade band members make up the majority of the pit. The drum line has also started doing many new things. They have begun to do more challenging warm-ups that help technique and sound. They have put forth more practice hours than last year, and have overall become more disciplined.

     In addition, the entire band got new uniforms this year. You may have seen the new color guard uniforms at last Friday’s game. The band is getting new uniforms this year, but they have not come in yet. All band members are very excited to get new uniforms. The whole band will look brand new!

- Anna Brown and Dylan Crigger

Cyrus's Shocking Performance on the VMAs

For those who have no idea about today’s singers, Miley Cyrus is a former Disney star who took a dramatic post-Disney turn to innuendos with foam fingers and butt-shaking everywhere you look. And no surprise- at the MTV VMAs, there were controversial acts thrown around like candy.

Over the last year or so, Miley Cyrus has chopped off her brown locks for a blonde spike cut, as more controversy arises among parents, celebrities, and the general public. Then again, most, if not all, pop stars do kooky acts for fame. Think about Lady Gaga’s over the top outfits and Justin Bieber's almost spitting on a fangirl.

At this year's VMAs, Miley Cyrus took the show by a landslide with her nearly NSFW act, which involved her summer hit "We Can’t Stop" and Robin Thicke’s  "Blurred Lines," before stripping into a barely-there nude-tone swimsuit and using a foam finger very inappropriately. Other antics displayed background dancers wearing bear fur suits resembling characters seen in Eastern animation and leaving barely anything to the viewer’s imagination.


Lisa Rinna, an actress, has compared Cyrus’s performance to Japanese smut (inappropriate images and/or videos). The Parents’ Television Council highly disapproves of Miley’s act and MTV these days, which has little music and lots of twerking and near-nudity.

-Catherine C. Cober

Junior Varsity Volleyball Home Opener

ROUND ONE:

Both teams began the first game suffering from messed-up serves and miscommunication with the coach, until the score stood at 2-2 and Alisha Belcher scored on two serves to up the score to 5-2 RR. After that, both teams seemed to have forgotten about the former mishaps before they were plagued by them again, causing RR to quickly lose a multi-point lead and trail 8-10. After reigniting that fire, both teams continued to battle back and forth; the score was soon 17-17. With all the Lady Indians making never-say-die plays, Rural Retreat scored seven straight under the serves of Umberger, with a missed serve by the away team to give RR the first win.


ROUND TWO:

Not much happened in the second JV game, aside from the Indians playing the whole game the way they started out the first, plagued by miscommunication. The Mustangs, however, repeatedly found ways to make things happen. After a long game, RR somehow found their groove and fought to 15-22, searching for a comeback. Comeback denied: 19-25.


ROUND THREE:

With many, many lucky breaks already, Rural Retreat was tied 5-5 before the first timeout was called. Soon thereafter, RR found their niche and themselves at 10-7. One very controversial call later, RR led 13-11. Holding off in a nail-biter, RR got its first win of the season.

-Isaiah Addair

Varsity Volleyball Home Opener against East Mont

ROUND ONE: 

Despite starting out hot, Rural Retreat soon lost a four-point lead. Down 8-11 just minutes later, the home players were looking to make some kind of play. Halfway through the first round, the Indians were losing to Eastern Montgomery by a score of 12-16. RR, still looking mistake-prone, got a break with a couple of bad serves by the opposing team, yet gained little ground. The score was then 17-22.  Could this be a possible comeback in the making?  
No way! RR suffered a failed serve by #10, and East Mont took Round 1: 25-22.


ROUND TWO:

Parks had the spike to start the second round, giving RR the early lead at 1-0. The Mustangs then got jealous and scored three straight, totally ignoring the hot-and-cold defense of the Lady Indians. Nothing went right for the home side, except the exceptional spike by not only Parks, but also a few of her teammates. Serving has been a killer for this Rural Retreat team, that now faces a deficit of five, losing 8-13. Halfway through the second round, the score was 9-14 East Mont. Is this another possible comeback for our Indians, who are now only down by four points?  
#jk #nothappenin’ #13-20 #coolwescored
Eastern Montgomery ended Round 2, winning by a score of only 17-25.


ROUND THREE:

Again, the Indians started off hot only to lose that small spark quickly. Tied 4-4, Rural Retreat failed to set the ball. It was a tough night for #10; first, she failed on an extremely important serve with a chance to hold off the Mustangs from winning the first round, and continued to make mistakes, both serving and setting the ball, leading to RR losing 6-9. Another kick to the already-down Indians was a call for the ball, or actually lack thereof, piling onto the Eastern Montgomery Mustangs’ point total that was then at a whopping 14.  East Mont won the first three rounds in a best-of-five game. Final Score: 16-25 East Mont.


-Isaiah Addair

Dance Fever

     The Rural Retreat High School dance team (The Sparklers) is coached by Kelly Robinson.  The Sparklers are: Dara Pike, Sara Caldwell, Courtney Miller, Taylor Dunford, Canzas Evans, Ashley Umberger, Kelleigh Hyler, MaKayla Taylor, Kelli Shupe, and Jade Jarvis. 
     At Friday's pep rally, we saw first-hand what they had practiced. The team danced to hip-hop beats that showed off their moves and athleticism. Their moves were well-synchronized and showed no mistakes. Their high excitement really pumped up the crowd. The Sparklers also add excitement to the cheerleaders on game nights. They practice hard and deserve our support!

-Jacob Wynn

Nintendo Releases the 2DS

     In current video game news, Nintendo has announced a new form of 3DS, the 2DS, and no, that is not a typo.  Pokémon, one of Nintendo's most successful franchises, is releasing their sixth-generation games X and Y on October 12 worldwide.  Coincidentally, in North America, the 2DS will be released on the same day as X and Y.

     So far, there are positives to the 2DS.  It has a lower price than the 3DS, so for those who want to play 3DS-exclusive games but are on a budget, the 2DS can help out with that.  Another good thing is that it's made for beginner gamers (8 and under), since the 3D effects can strain young eyes.  If a child wants to play the new Animal Crossing game or Super Mario Bros, but the parent doesn't want the risk of a broken 3DS or eyestrain, then the 2DS is made for that.

     However, there are some downsides to the 2DS.  For an experienced gamer, the 2DS has a smaller build and might feel awkward in the hands.  The major downgrade is the lack of a 3D option, which is why most people want to buy a 3DS.  Again, the 2DS is built for beginners, rather than experienced players.

     The design of the 2DS is reminiscent of a tablet, as it lacks a hinge like the typical DS system (DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS), but still holds the 3DS joystick  button.  Complete with the 2DS is a retractable stylus, special AC charger, AR (augmented reality) cards, and an HD card, just like 3DS.  But there is an added bonus-- a customized carrying case.  Currently, the 2DS has similar colors to the Pokémon X and Y mascots, Xerneas and Yvetal.  Perhaps Nintendo is hoping to boost Pokémon sales with a new DS system.

-Catherine C. Cober

Friday, September 6, 2013

Editorial: To Pay or Not to Pay?- College Sports

            There has been an argument going around about how college players should be paid by the big-name sportscasting companies.  I completely agree with it, because companies like ESPN are using the college players’ stats, teams, and names to make millions of dollars.  When EA Sports comes out with its annual version of XBox NCAA Football, they do not include the player names, but their positions and numbers.  Even with this, people know who plays for what team, thanks to companies like ESPN.  For example, people don’t buy NCAA Football 14 to play with the Texas A&M Aggies; they buy it to play with Johnny Manziel (a.k.a. Johnny Football).  Another example, people don’t want to play with the Clemson Tigers, but they want to play with Taj Boyd.  ESPN exploits these players just as much.  They make money from using stats, names, and teams, and players aren't paid a penny.  I think the companies should pay every college football player a set amount of money: nobody gets more, and nobody gets less.

-Blake Holmes

What's the Porpoise?

     
Photo Credit

     Have you visited the beach lately? Hopefully, you didn't see a poor little bottle-nosed dolphin washed up on shore. Lately, almost 357 dolphins, either dead or dying, have washed up on the Mid-Atlantic shore. Most scientists are leaning towards a disease that killed around 750 of the same species in 1787 and 1788.
186 dolphins alone have washed up in Virginia. There have been many other reports of floating carcasses in the ocean, according to Terri Rowles, Director of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service. She says the number of deaths is certainly higher than just 357.
     The cause of the deaths is said to be cetacean morbillivirus. This has been confirmed in 32 of 33 tested dolphins. Marine officials are looking for other causes, but, so far, have not linked the deaths to anything else.


Thursday, September 5, 2013

Editorial: Another War?

    Will Syria continue with its destruction- using chemical weapons attacks and gassing its people? Are we, as a country, just going to sit here and let Syria kill innocent people?


     America has been discussing going to war for a little over a week now. CNN calls President Obama a “little war weary.” The president has shaken off the British Parliament's vote against war, and has said that we need to act on our own, since our allied countries (Israel, Turkey, and Jordan) could be in risk of chemical weapons attacks. Yesterday, Obama gained the support of the Senate in possible military action. 

     I feel that America should get involved, but not overly involved. I feel that since we are such a powerful country, it is our duty to help others.


- Jacob Wynn

Varsity Football Season Opener

     Friday, August 30, 2013, the Rural Retreat Indians faced off against the Fort Chiswell Pioneers for the regular season football opener. To start the game, the Pioneers kicked off the ball to the Indians. After the first three-and-out of the game, Fort Chiswell scored on a six-yard touchdown rush with around eight minutes left in the first quarter. PAT to boot, and the score is already 7-0, Fort Chiswell. Less than four minutes later, #8 of the Pioneers scored once again, this time for 30 yards (PAT; 14-0). Just minutes later, the away team struck once again, adding a 60 yard rush by the running back (21-0; end 1st quarter).

One minute into quarter 2, Mr. Running Back kept the ball again, adding six points on ten yards (PAT; 28-0). With just enough time for Rural Retreat to make another mistake, #2 of FC completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to #8 over RR cornerback Dustin Stroupe (PAT; 35-0). #15 got tired of his teammates taking the limelight from him, and he scored on a five-yard touchdown, disregarding the defense (PAT; 42-0).

END OF HALF, 42-0

In the first play of the second half, Rural Retreat looked determined to come back.  Too bad for them, FC scored on an 80-yard kickoff return. This would be the last time the away team reached pay dirt, with a lead of 49-0. Late in the 3rd quarter, RR QB Chase Heldreth threw the ball 20+ yards downfield on a fade route to WR Justin Ball, a transfer student from Pulaski (PAT; 49-7). Stiff defenses in the 4th quarter and FC came out seemingly insurmountable. 


     Is Rural Retreat in for a long season? With injury and inexperience plaguing this small-town team, Bland comes next in the schedule. Good luck Indians, and we’re all hoping for a speedy recovery to #44, Jackie Burton.

-Isaiah Addair

Editorial: Block Scheduling

     As everyone is already aware, Wythe County decided to work like every other district in southwest Virginia and revamp the schedule with a new block schedule. Some advantages for students is that if they have a class they don’t like, and it may be only for one semester. Other pros involve more credit opportunities toward a diploma, and new, previously extracurricular, class offerings.

     For every advantage, there is a disadvantage. One major flaw of the new schedule is that some classes feel comparatively slow (2nd and 4th) due to the length. Another major disadvantage is the short lunch. Before, there were two lunch periods, but now, all high school students are in one brief lunch period. Since some students choose to skip lunch, there’s a new activity period they can go to instead of lunch. Despite that effort, kids are still crowded in the cafeteria each day.
     Another complaint some have is that school is starting a bit earlier, especially for those who have to ride a bus to school and end up late due to starting class earlier. Another disadvantage of that is having the buses pick up middle and high school kids first, rather than getting elementary first.  The new bus schedule caused a some controversy locally.  

     Overall, the block schedule has many ups and downs to it.

-Catherine C. Cober

Marion Apartment Building Burns

     
Credit

     At 10:23 a.m. Tuesday, the Marion police were notified that the second floor of the Country Club Crossing apartments had caught fire. One particular unnamed family experienced great tragedy as a result: while the mother, grandmother, and 3 year-old son, were able to escape from the fire, a 2 year-old girl was unable to escape. All three surviving family members were rushed to the hospital for treatment of serious burns. The daughter’s body is being autopsied for further investigation.
     The spark of the fire still remains to be discovered.

Editor's Note: There is a clothing drive in Marion this weekend to help the 25 people who lost everything in this fire.  If you're able to clean out your closets, please bring donations to Mrs. Patrick's room tomorrow.

- Jessie Ritz

Forensics: It’s not just for scientists anymore!

     This year, RRHS has introduced forensics as a class instead of just an extracurricular. In a recent interview with Ms. Bradberry, she said “I’m so excited about our new forensics class at RRHS! So far, students are “story-telling” and “poetry-reading” in small group settings." Forensics is a Virginia High School League (VHSL) activity in public speaking and dramatic interpretation.
     I interviewed a few of Ms. Bradberry’s students and they all had positive things to say about the class. Ashley Pertee said “I absolutely love this class; I’m very outspoken so this class fits me well.” When Lindsey Henley was asked why she took the class, she replied with “I took this class to develop my public speaking skills.” Lauren McGrady was also asked what she thought of the class; she replied with “It’s a great experience to get to meet new people and break out of your shell. The team is also really fun too!” Beth Refitt replied “It’s a lot of fun! You get to go outside your comfort zone!”
     The forensics team and Ms. Bradberry encourage anyone who has free time during 3A to come by and check them out!

Neo-Nazism Startles North Dakota Town

     According to Alternet.org, 61 year-old Neo-Nazi white supremacist Craig Cobb, a man already wanted in Canada, is starting to buy multiple lots of property in a small agricultural town in North Dakota in an attempt to take it over. Of the lots he has bought, he has been selling them to people with the same political beliefs for as little as $1.00 a lot. Among the people purchasing land from Cobb to move into this town is a former Grand Dragon of the KKK.
     Many Americans believed that both organizations of hate were currently defunct, but this act of hate has shown that the clans still rage on. In the town of 19 people, there is only one black man, the husband of an interracial marriage. It has been said that Cobb is trying to push this man out of the town as well, after purchasing all the land and renaming it “Cobbsville” after himself, along with installing his own set of laws.

- Isaiah Addair

On Top of the SOLs

     Most teens aren't avid newspaper-readers, but we definitely should when it concerns our SOL scores. For RRHS, math scores went up a bit, but not much. On the reading SOL, we had a 91% pass rate, the highest in Wythe County. On the writing test, we had a 88% pass rate-- again, the county's highest. In history and social science we also had the highest pass rate of 94%. In math, we had the county's highest pass rate yet again: 76%. 
     Rural Retreat deserves a pat on the back for earning the highest scores this past year; let's keep it up!  That way we can remain on top.  Everyone needs to study and keep up the good work!

-Anna Brown

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Meet the Staff: David Pierce

Where did this kid come from?

     David Pierce is new to The Arrowhead staff, and he's also fairly new to Rural Retreat.  David is not from Virginia; he is actually from New Jersey.  People call him a city boy, but he really isn't.  He loves country music, mudding, cars, and trucks.  He actually helped his father rebuild a 1992 Ford Mustang.  In fact, David should actually be called "Ford Lover."  
     David also loves it here at RRHS.  Since he moved to Virginia last year, he has made lots of friends and thinks everyone is so nice.  Even though he misses New Jersey, he would rather live in Virginia.