With a nervous, but yet encouraging act of faith shown by the Plano East Senior High football team, the players put their hands together at the end of a short, but yet successful pep rally which left everyone feeling optimistic about the upcoming season.

After posting a 7-4 record last season and becoming the Div. 1 Area Finalist, expectations were high coming into the 2010 season with the season opener against Arlington Heights. Despite playing just as well as last season, Plano East dropped their season opener with a nail-biting 48-49 loss. While losing their first game of the season, players and students alike seem optimistic about the quality the team portrayed.

“I feel like we have a really good team and a lot of experience,” Quarterback Aaron Stelly said. “We have a lot of seniors and leaders on the team working hard because we have a tougher district this year.”

With UIL’s new district alignment, Plano East plays against teams such as: Lewisville, Lewisville Flower Mound, Lewisville Hebron and Lewisville Marcus. Even though these schools may pose a tougher challenge than those last year, students still feel confident in their Panther football team. The pep rally was designed to promote school spirit, support, enthusiasm and encouragement, and just like any good pep rally, the one at Plano East created the desired result in both seniors and juniors.

“I’m excited,” junior Marquetta Gray said. “The football team should do well.”

The team has been preparing for this season the whole summer. The players have worked hard in the gym for weeks, the coaches have planned for the upcoming games and everyone is looking forward to gear up for what will be an electrifying season.

“We have been pumped for the whole week,” Stelly said. “Every day it gets closer to the game we get ready and fired up.”

By: Lauren Nash

Commonly watched games of the modern era include tennis, baseball, golf, hockey and football. There is always debate as to which sport is on top but one sport always rises above the rest, the all American game of football. Many people believe tackling each other in order to attain possession of the football is entertaining. The game is fairly simple, which is part of the reason why so many people like it. Both teams are trying to get into the in-zone to score a six point touchdown. One team is on defense while the other team runs toward the goals. Now as many of the Plano East Senior High School fans know, there was a game on August 27, 2010. Plano East Panthers faced off against the Arlington Colts on Friday night. It was the first game of the season and the fans turned out for the big event.At six o’clock outside of Kimbrough Stadium a tailgate party was in progress. All choir students within the East cluster were tailgating in the Murphy Middle School parking lot. Some of the choir students were getting their faces painted or playing football during the tailgate. Most of the students came to see their friends though.

“I wanted to see my color guard friends,” said Haileigh Todd, a Plano East student.

Some students came to sing for the hyped up crowd too.

“I came to sing the national anthem and show my support for the team.” Megan Jones, a Plano East junior said.

A group of nearly three-hundred choir students from Middle School thru Senior High lined the field to sing the National Anthem. Some fans are merely there to support the team. “Going to the game was so much fun! Being with friends and watching the team play was a great way to spend my Friday night.” Most of the students at Plano East love the football team. They go to every game and win or lose, they always come back.

Not every student comes to enjoy the game though. Many of the kids come to see their friends in the halftime show. Band, color guard, drill team and cheerleaders are required to attend the games, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy it. “The best part of the game is, without a doubt, the moment when the band takes the field to start their show.” Nick Swanson, a Plano East band member, said. Nearly each and every person goes to a football game for a different reason. Some people go to the games to see friends. Some people go to the games to support the team. Some people go just to get out of the house one night. The reasons vary but they all end up at the game having tons of fun. The team was pumped up before the game. They cheered and chanted as they ran onto the field for the first quarter.

“We have worked hard since spring. Summer workouts and two days. We deserve this.” Shawn Boyd, a senior defensive lineman said. The team was prepared and ready to go. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the team emerged.

The game looked like an easy win for the Panthers of Plano East Senior High after they scored the first touchdown within the first ten minutes of the game to bring the score to 7-0. Not long after the game began to get interesting when the Arlington Colts responded with a touchdown of their own bringing the score to 7-7. East scored yet again with no field goal with nineteen seconds left in the first quarter to push them back into the lead, 13-0. Things began to heat up as the Arlington Colts countered with a touchdown and extra point of their own to bring them to 13-14.

The second quarter started with a bang as Plano East junior, Nate Meadors delivered a touchdown and a two point conversion to bring the score to 21-14. Only six minutes later the ball would once again be in Plano East possession where a three point field goal was scored. The Arlington Colts were not going to let this go unanswered and pushed down the field for a touchdown and extra point. Gabe Dunlap, a Plano East senior, quickly responded with a touchdown to extend the lead to 31-21.

The beginning to the third quarter got off to a rocky start as both teams fumbled the ball only to ultimately be recovered by the Panthers for a touchdown. Junior Nate Meadors had once again come through for the Panthers bringing the score to 38-21. The Colts manage a touchdown then fumble the ball a few minutes later. An interception is thrown shortly after to grant the Colts possession. The Colts manage another touchdown with an East touchdown in response to bring the score to a mighty 41- 34. With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter the Colts slowly make their way down the field. A very conflicted touchdown follows to bring the score to 41-40, giving the opportunity to Arlington to win with a two point conversion. The Colts gain an extra point to send the game into overtime.

Plano East begins to make their way down the field seeking a touchdown. Soon #4 Gabe Dunlap delivers and Plano East is ahead once again. The Arlington Colts have one shot to win. They have to make a touchdown and an extra point to tie and a two point conversion to win. Arlington lines up as the crowd holds their breath. The ball flies through the air into the Quarterback’s faithful hands and is passed to the hands of a fellow team member to take it to the in-zone. The Arlington Colts had scored yet another touchdown to put them in reaching distance of a victory. The teams line up to attempt a two point conversion. If this attempt fails then Plano East wins! If it succeeds the Arlington Colts will walk away with their first victory of the season. The football reaches an Arlington Colts hands as he hits the ground just inside the in-zone. The Colts had won the game. Both teams took the outcome with humility and high-fived before going their separate ways.

“It was all my fault.” One disappointed football player said.

This was just the first game in a season full of games for Plano East and hopefully the outcome will be different next time but until then the team will continue practicing for the next game.

From the early morning into the late night, on August 27, the students of Plano East Senior High buzzed with school pride as their team, the Panthers, took on the Arlington Colts in the first game of the season. Students turned out in record numbers to support their teams and did not hide their East-Side pride. Throughout the game East remained on top of their game with the packed home crowd cheering for them without refrain.

Cheers from the stands overwhelmed the surrounding area with touchdown after touchdown from the Panthers. A football mom danced with joy supporting her team to the fullest.

“I love the panthers because they are always willing to give,” Barbara Arnolds said. “The team has worked very hard and it is not just time to go play a game it is time to come win it. That’s the ultimate goal. I love all the support from everyone for the team, it takes a village and a supportive atmosphere to win.”

Students supporting the players held high hopes for the Panthers as the score stayed in their favor through most of the game.

“The pep rally was amazing this year and we all got really pumped for tonight’s game,” senior Daidrian Cooper said, ” I see a lot of kids from Plano East here tonight and all the support should help the team win. We have a real strong team this year.”

By half time the Panthers held victory in their hands, but the Arlington Colts were pushing harder than ever. The end of the fourth quarter pulled into overtime and the Colts came out on top. Although the loss hit hard amongst the raving East-side students they still held their heads up high for the next game.

“It was a real depressing loss,” senior Jordan Johnson said, “heartbreaking even, but we will get them next time.”

“To the Golden Girls, the first game is very important because it is the first time we get to showcase what we have worked so hard on throughout the summer,” senior Lieutenant Martheya Nygard said.

For the Plano East Golden Girls, the first football game is about more than just football. The Golden Girls, who began practicing and preparing their football season routines in mid August, placed great emphasis on perfection and quality. Game day is much more than just football to these girls, who were up at the school preparing for the pep rally by 8:15 am. The team performed two routines that left the crowd on their feet, a hip hop routine to “Baby” by Justin Bieber as well as a contemporary jazz routine to “Fresh I Stay” by Flo Rida, performed by the elite Gold Dust team.

“Sitting in the stands there is so much energy it just gets you wound up for the  game,” senior officer assistant Ali Geisler said.

At the football game the Golden Girls were hard to miss, filling a whole section of bleachers with seventy-six sparkling, black and gold uniforms. The Golden Girls connected to the team as more than just spectators but an actual part of the game as they watched every play with intrigue and anticipation. The Panthers started out strong with a touchdown by senior Gabe Dunlap and an extra point by kicker James Saulnier . By the end of the first quarter Arlington was up 14 to 13 and the Golden Girls headed to the corral to stretch and warm-up. With two minutes left in the first half Plano East quarterback Corey Wesley made a pass to Dunlap for a touchdown, putting Plano East in the lead 31 to 21 as the Golden Girls prepare to take the field.  Halftime was “golden” as Golden Girls and 50 additional Williams CheyAnnes and Clark Cougarettes who were special guests to the night’s east cluster game dominated the field.  At the beginning of the fourth quarter with 10 minutes left on the clock the Golden Girls performed stand routines with the band as the game hits a turning point. With less than a minute left Arlington quarter back number 17 ran the ball for a touchdown leaving the score 41-40 and with 10 seconds on the clock made the extra point tying the game and putting it into overtime. Once in overtime Wesley passed to Dunlap for a touchdown and Saulnier scored an extra point. Arlington ran for a touchdown then went for a two point conversion and scored, leaving Arlington in the win 49 to 48. As the school sang the alma matter the disappointment showed on the faces of the football  players as well as the Golden Girls, but at least  they can leave with the thought of a perfect performance under their gold sequined belts.

“Our team may have lost but the Golden girls won,” senior sergeant Cynthia Heisch said.

On Jan. 11, Lebanese Minister of Information Tarek Mitri requested that the U.S. provide Lebanese citizens with a reason for the suspicion and remove Lebanon from the list after stating that Lebanon does not sponsor terrorism. Syria reacted similarly to the information, noting that the list acts as a form of discrimination and emphasizing that no terrorism attack ever involved a Syrian citizen.

“I think one of the main problems with airport security is that all we are basing our searches on is race and citizenship,” senior Paul Nguyen said. “I’ve never felt personally discriminated against because of my race in security situations, but I would be offended if I was an automatic suspect because of it.”

After receiving word of a potential terrorist attack on Friday, Jan. 22, India increased security in its domestic airport terminals, which dominoed when neighboring Nepal put its only international airport on high alert.

“It sounds a lot like every country is trying to one-up the others with its airport security,” junior Rachael Olson said. “But I don’t think it’s going to cause anything but trouble. Basically what happened on Christmas is going to keep happening because terrorists keep finding new ways to reach their goals. Our increased security just won’t stop anything long term.”

During his address, Obama spoke of world-class education as a high priority of his administration and sought to offer relief to college students who graduate with substantial student loans. The president mentioned a $10,000 tax credit to families paying for four years of college and plans to limit a graduate’s federal loan payments to 10 percent of his or her income. This contrasts to the present yearly payments capped at 15 percent of discretionary income. Additionally, Obama states that the government will forgive any outstanding balances after 20 years or after 10 years if the individual is a government employee.

“These plans are headed in the right direction,” junior David Ansari said. “One of my biggest fears towards college is not being able to afford my dream schools. I’m glad that students will have more options and not be suffocated by all this debt they may find themselves in.”

Other students remained skeptical of the future implications.

“I’m psyched to see that the issue of over-burdening student loans is being addressed, but in actuality how will this happen without several problems?” senior Brittany Hamby said. “First of all, won’t loan companies just make more restrictions on payment plans? Secondly, making the federal government responsible for a larger share of student debt is likely to worsen high college costs.”

The State of the Union Address also touched on Michelle Obama’s efforts to tackle child obesity, first-time clear plans to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military and goals to double exports over the next five years to increase jobs.

Furthermore, Obama admitted he shared blame for setbacks suffered during his first year in the White House. In wake of last month’s defeat to the Republicans in the Massachusetts seat of late Democrat Senator Kennedy, he did not attempt to gloss over criticisms of his healthcare reform and heavy-spending on the banking bail-out.

When signing with a university, a number of athletes desire a school that gives them opportunity to excel in the sport that they play as well as in the academic path they wish to pursue.

“Playing for volleyball for SMU is ideal,” senior Megan Jeanette said. “I’m in IB and so I was looking for a university where I could play volleyball without sacrificing my academics. SMU has the perfect facility for me to do that.”

Many athletes feel that playing a sport throughout college will help them maintain their physical fitness while at the same time become an active member in their school community.

“I definitely think that playing soccer during college will help me keep in shape,” senior Joshua Sealey said. “That’s my main target. I don’t want to be 45 and overweight with a mustache.”

The days spent stalking the mailbox or waiting by the phone definitely took a toll on several students’ stress levels throughout their senior year.

“It was really hard to wait and see what colleges wanted me to play for them,” Sealey said. “Everyone around me knew they were going to UT or Baylor and I was still waiting. I really just wanted to know.”

When choosing a college to attend, students find they do not always get their first pick. It’s similar for student athletes. Fortunately, these competitors keep a positive mindset and continue to hope for the best.

“The school I signed with wasn’t where I was aiming,” senior Brandon Wesley said. “But I feel like I’m fortunate just to be given the chance to play football in college. A lot of people I know aren’t even getting a chance to play for a team in college. I’m glad I’m not one of them.”

For some students, athletics are their life and for others, it’s an enjoyable pastime to pursue in college. Either way, signing with a college or university still holds major importance and significance in determining their futures.

“I can’t imagine not playing sports in college,” Wesley said. “That would just be a tragedy.”

Michael Jackson and Richie originally wrote “We Are the World” and Jones produced it. The original recording raised more than $63 million for African famine.

Over 100 artists will perform in the new single. Pink, Jonas Brothers, LL Cool J, Celine Dion, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Jamie Foxx, Usher and Beyonce make up just a handful of the celebrity singers featured in this star-powered single.

Check out http://wearetheworldfoundation.org/ for more information on “We Are the World” to keep up with the foundation. Donations will go to charities deemed worthwhile, hand-selected by the board of directors. We Are the World Foundation, a non-profit organization, plans to help further the sense of activism that the original song intended.

Text “WORLD” to 50555 to make a $10 donation to WATW to stand and make a difference.

While some argue that Tatum’s acting disappoints in Dear John, the girls in the audience most likely won’t notice due to his rampant popularity. In addition to the extremely attractive male lead, Seyfried portrays a distressed lover perfectly and plays a very relatable character. Although the beginning of the movie starts off a bit cliché, as the plot develops the audience becomes more engrossed in the film and begins to sympathize with both John and Savannah. For those who have read the book some  the movie stays true to the novel for some parts but deviates from the book and has significant differences. Plan to bring some tissues because this movie falls under the tearjerker category. The plot allows viewers of all ages to find something to take from the movie, however it may be slightly inappropriate for children under the age of thirteen.

By surfing the web, you can see the full page in high quality the exact way an average computer shows it. With a touch of a finger, one can read articles, watch you-tube videos, or even log on facebook, check your e-mail, save, delete, or upload your messages and even e-mail back. The screen contains a keyboard sensible to a light touch.  By uploading photos, you can view them in vibrant quality, and browse through a slideshow of different folders of photos.

This new Apple piece of technology runs over 140,000 apps including games, music and business features. Some are even free, including the book app. iBook allows you to buy and download books you can save and read right on your iPad. Costumers of this product can also buy and download their iTunes music and videos to be watched and listened to. If a person doesn’t wish to buy a video, he or she can simply find a video online and watch high-resolution music videos, movies and TV shows.

But the activities and applications don’t stop there. Use the iPad to search Google maps for directions to wherever you’re going with a special satellite GSP. With the touchable keyboard, you can type up easy-to-read notes during the day, place a daily calendar to remain on schedule, or save contacts full of names and numbers.

The iPad can virtually do anything technology-wise. Obtaining a Wi-Fi and 3G network, this thin screen can run for a maximum of 10 hours. With brilliant picture, high quality sound and music speakers, and quick networking, Apple aims for the best.