Butterflies, by Alexis Pantermakis

hen you look at me I get butterflies. When you look away I feel like crying. One of the hardest things to do is watch you, the one I love, love someone else. And when you say “Hi” or even smile at me, I know for just one second I’ve crossed your mind.
Sometimes the nearness of you takes my breath away and I don’t know what to say I wish you could read my mind to see how I really feel.
I want to fall for you…… but will you catch me?!?!
**<3<3**

My Opinion of the Term “Redneck,” by Kat

Many people have this idea that if you’re redneck you’re automatically racist. Well, that’s not true at all!! Just because we wear the rebel flag doesn’t mean we’re racist, and yes I say we because I will say, myself, I am a redneck and I am proud of it!! But that doesn’t mean I dislike any other race. Our flag is heritage not hate. And redneck just means you’re “country.”

When I think of redneck, I think of jacked up 4x4s with mud all over them, shotguns, huntin’, and boots, not being racist. I have a lot of friends that are not white, so obviously I ain’t racist. Saying automatically that rednecks are racist is like saying all people from Islam are terrorists and going to blow us up. Not all of them are and not all rednecks are racist!

I’m livin' proof of that: My best friend since I was little is Kris Watkins, and he is black. He’s like my brother because I don’t judge by color. Just because some rednecks are racist doesn’t mean we all should be labeled as so.

If Only in My Dreams, by Kat

Dreams, more powerful than reality.
So close your eyes and fly away to a place where reality drifts away.

Dreams, my happy place where everything comes true.
Where I get to be with you.

Dreams, to where your arms hold me in a loving embrace.
Your voice whispers into my ear "baby I love you" as you hold me near.

Dreams, when your lips touch mine.
And we walk, facing the world, hand in hand.

I wish my life was like my dreams, my happy place of love.
It would be you and me.

But I hold you in my dreams as we meet in my sleep.
You are my prince and I am your princess.......
If only in my dreams.

♥ Te Amo♥

The Love of Sports, by Jarnetta

If you love sports like I love softball, then you will keep at it, never stop, and never let anyone tell you that you can do it. You will try hard, practicing every day even if it’s not the season for it. So for all you sports lovers, play what you love and never give up!

My Greatest Dream, by Wes

My greatest dream that I’ve ever had, that I’ve wanted more than anything is to play professional baseball.  It’s the only dream that I’ve ever had my entire life.  I love to play baseball.  It is my favorite sport ever.  If I got to play in the major leagues, I would play for any team that picked me.  It wouldn’t matter to me what team I played for as long as I got to play baseball as my career.  But, if I had a choice to play for any team I wanted, I would play for the Yankees.  They have been my favorite team ever since I started playing baseball.  I watch as many of their games as I can.  I just recently watched them win their 27^th World Series.  It was amazing, they were leading 3 games to 2 and they won the final game 8 to 3.  It was so exciting.  I hope that one day I will get to experience playing in the major leagues.

Halfway to the Creek, byJosh

“Whappppppaaaaapapapapapappapapa,” as we ride down the road towards the horse pasture to turn the coon dogs out. You could hear the flowmaster exhaust poppin’ and the mud tires roarin’ on the pavement. Gettin-r-dun southern style, that’s what I always says, yes sir. It was snowing outside on this cold December morning as we pulled off the road and cut the truck off. I got out of my jacked up Chevrolet 4x4 and grabbed my walker coonhound, Southern Belle. Blake Mathes let out his black and tan coonhound, Old Pete, and off we went towards the creek bottom.

Before we even got halfway to the creek, Belle let off a “bawl” to curl your toes. So we stopped and let the dogs off the leash. We stood in the pasture as we listened to the dogs sing their song. For what seemed like hours, we stood there waiting on the dogs, trees were freezing and we watched our breath float away in gusts. Then I heard it: that squeal Belle always lets out before she “trees.” I knew there would be meat on the wood.

I picked up my .22 caliber rifle and off we went towards Belle and Pete. When we got to the tree we started looking for the coon in this monstrous pen oak tree. We searched and searched. Then, a movement right in the fork of two tree limbs. It was a boar coon, a male. I raised my .22 and you could hear the .22 crack then the pop of the bullet hitting the coon. As the coon hit the ground, Belle and Pete leaped onto the coon and they fought and fought and fought. The coon ripped off Belle’s tongue and tore off Pete’s ear. Then it was all over. I could hear bones cracking as Belle bit the coon harder and harder and as the coon squalled for his life, his ribs cracked and his heart stopped beating.

We petted Pete and Belle up, and went back to the truck after another successful night of coon hunting. As soon as we got in the truck we turned on the heat, cranked up some Hank Jr. and off we went towards the house. On the way home, we talked about what we would do with the coon. We agreed that we would skin it and along with the four skins from the previous week we would make two coonskin hats. TO BE CONTINUED…………………!!!!!!!!!

What a Career Day, by Tim

I think that Carl Kenney is an inspiration to all North Carolina natives who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism. On career day, our guest speaker Carl Kenny came and expressed a unique reason why he chose to pursue his bachelor’s degree in journalism. Carl Kenny came and expressed to our class his hardships and the struggles over his lost sister at a young age. Kenny said that journalism and a teacher from the University of Missouri changed his whole life around. I think that what Carl Kenny did for all of our classes was truly amazing; he inspired a lot of people. I for one appreciate him taking time out of his busy schedule to come see us.

Carl Kenney's Blog: REV-elution