Pep-ing it up

By Dre’Quan Gibson

Commentary

Garinger High School is having the first ever pep squad for the 2013-2014 basketball season. Coach Dixon and Coach Coley are the masters behind the whole thing. They plan on having a student section that’s only allowed for students that currently attend Garinger. These students will have to be rowdy and very school spirited; the section will be known as “The Cat Cage.”
Big changes are being made at Garinger,  such as the amazing new gym that was just remodeled, and the pep squad is a great tag-along. In my opinion, this is a good look for the school, a very good way to look past our bad reputation. Every school year comes with a fresh start and this is definitely a fresh one. I believe this is a very swell idea because this supports our basketball team to play their hearts out every game. It will encourage more students and teachers to come out and support our Wildcats, as well as make sure that visitors know that they have just left Garinger and that our students are die-hard fans.

Some people may say that a pep squad is not a good idea because it could cause chaos at the games.  The idea that some students may possibly get in a dispute with another school is not necessarily true because students are expected to be mature and handle themselves appropriately.
So, every Garinger high school student should come to at least one high school and scream their lungs out for the team!

Wildcat named Player of the Year

By Jaden Jones

Garinger student Tresor Mbuyu was named the Charlotte Observer’s Player of the Year in men’s soccer. – Photo by Jaden Jones

From birth he was destined for greatness, one would say.

Charlotte Observer player of the year, Tresor Mbuyu, an all-state junior from Garinger High School, has achieved greatness all his life.

The future seems bright for the gifted young forward from Congo.
Moving from Congo at a young age of 13, Tresor had begun his interest in the sport of soccer. Tresor’s opportunity to play for the Garinger Wildcats has earned him the respect of his teammates and coach. When asked how he feels to have this amazing honor, Tresor simply replied, “I am thankful for having great players and this was the most amazing season I have ever had in my life.”

Tresor’s respect for  his teammates, peers, and his coach is enormous. “They’re proud of me and they were excited to win the conference but we didn’t win it all,” Tresor said.
Tresor was also asked about the other awards he has achieved over the years and how they compare to this award, and he simply answered, “It’s kind of the same, but this is my first time winning Player of the Year.”
Another question was asked about the support of Tresor’s friends, teammates, coaches, and family. He replied, “My coaches train me and I also train myself. My friends and family also help me train.” His motto is “I learn about life with a soccer ball at my feet.”
Tresor’s father also impacts him on and off the field.

“My dad helps me with training and he also helps me with staying in school,” he said.

With the awareness of his future approaching, Tresor has not yet made a choice of the college he would like to attend.  “I want to play for college and go play for the pros.”
Tresor was asked of his final thoughts over young his career. He replied, “Without God I would not be where I am now.”

Need to catch up? Stay afterschool

By Vanessa Robles

When attending school, sometimes Monday through Friday from 7:15 to 2:15 is not enough.

Sometimes the case is that you have failed to attend school regularly. If catching up is what you need, now is the time to start.

After school tutorials, attendance recovery, and credit recovery are now available at Garinger. They will begin as of January 6, 2014. The program will be held Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The sessions will be from 2:15 PM to 5:15 PM in the media center. The subjects you can receive help with are English 2, Math 1, Biology, and SAT/ACT prep.

No transportation for students will be available until January 27, 2014.

This is a plan of action for the whole school because it’s normal that sometimes we have emergencies and that we struggle in a class.

The end of the program will be on May the 19^th.

It is mandated by North Carolina laws that students recover time for more than 10 absences. For example, if you have missed 13 days, you will need to recover a total of 210 minutes (4 ½ hours) for each class.

Other options are Saturday academy sessions which will be from 8:00 AM – 11:00AM. The following dates are when you can attend January 11, February 1, 15, and 22, March 1, April 6, and May 3 and 17.

The last option is for you to attend after school tutoring with your teacher but that requires teacher verification.

Students will then receive an attendance recovery appeal form to document recovery efforts during first period.This form will need to be turned in to the attendance secretary by January 17, 2014.

So students, if you didn’t quite do right the first time, then do it now.