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NEWS
Stratfords Awesome Literary Sweeps State Competition!!!
Rachel Schlesinger STAFFWRITER We all know that Stratford has some pretty amazing teams: football, soccerbut heres another team you probably dont hear much aboutLiterary. This group of students excels in the fine arts. Activities include Extemporaneous Speaking, Argumentative Essay, vocal ensemblesthe list goes on and on. March 8th, the literary team went to the GISA Regional Literary Competition at Macon State College. Junior Soren Young got second place in Boys Extemporaneous Speaking and senior Dena Yago got first place in Girls Extemporaneous Speaking. Soren also competed in Oral Interpretation along with Senior Marianna Faircloth. Soren got second place and Marianna received first. The Boys Quartet, comprised of Soren, junior Blake Allen, senior Aidan Stallworth and sophomore Nathan Carter received third place with the songs Aura Lee and I Wish To Be Single Again. Girls Trio earned second place with Johnny Said, No! and Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter. The trio includesMarianna, freshman Megan Johnson and senior Anna Logan and . Also included in the vocal competition were Aidan and senior Jennifer Spradley with Boys and Girls Solos. Aidan placed second and Jennifer placed first. Marianna got first place in Girls Argumentative Essay and junior Stephan Jackson also got first in Personal Essay. Lastly, competing with the songs Fantasy Impromptu and 1st Prelude, junior Mallory Page received first place in the Piano competition. Overall, Stratfords literary team won the meet with 70 points beating Mount De Sales by approximately 20 points. Combining that total with the points from One Act and Debate, Stratford holds the title for first place in the Region. All of the contestants that received first or second place qualified for State Literary competition on March 15th in Valdosta. Dena received third place in Girls Extemporaneous Speaking and Soren received fourth in Boys Extemporaneous Speaking. Stephen received first place in the state for Personal Essay. Soren also received second place for Boys Oral Interpretation. Fourth place for Piano went to Mallory, and Aidan snagged first for Boys Solo. Jennifer got third place for Girls Solo. Stratfords literary team placed second for individual events but first overall in the state meet. Add in the points from Debate and One Act, and Stratford holds the title of state literary champions! Congratulations to the entire team for this awesome accomplishment.

We Will Always Remember...

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tain: the illness did not solely afflict Tommy. The illness affected everybody. The Stratford community had to react to the loss of precious Tommy Robinson. The middle school decorated their hallways with a yellow Our Tommy Rocks theme, boasting everything from ribbons to photographs and get-well cards. I often wonder how Tommy would have reacted if he had awakened to see his hospital room decorated in balloons, get well cards, with stuffed frogs and bears. Freshman Cater Thompson hand knit a bear at the beginning of his care in Egleston. One remarkable story lies in the lower school. One fourth grade class pulled their hard earned Accelerated Reader points to buy Tommy a stuffed Spongebob Squarepants. I dont think a simple thank you from Tommy would have expressed his tremendous gratitude of the many prayers, best wishes and concerns that he received. Speaking on behalf of his family, I know that nothing can express our gratitude on how the Stratford Community pulled together to support us. In the spirit of Tommys optimistic attitude towards life, Stratford parents, students, fac- invented a special Tommy Temple a difference in someone elses life. But the generosity did not stop ulty, and staff generously donated drink in his honor. The results of the blood drive there. A second drive was held on their time, energy and blood to the American Red Cross in Tommys honor. While Tommy was in Egleston in Atlanta, he received mass amounts of blood that allowed the doctors more time to treat him. After using the Red Crosss supply, the Robinsons advocated a blood drive to Taken in Morocco, Africa, Tommy rides a camel which replenish the became symbolic for his journey. depleted supply. With the help of Stratford mom were astonishing. According to March 21 that resulted in 57 donaMary Jo Cole, the idea became re- the Red Cross, on February 23, tors contributing 26 units of blood. ality. Mrs. Mary Jo set up several Stratford donated 66 units of Mary Jo said I was so amazed by blood drives and posted flyers blood, breaking their previous the number of people who came throughout the school announc- record of 24. More than 87 donors by at the second drive wanting to ing the dates. She also provided donated, including several first donate again even though it had refreshments at the drive and even time students who wanted to make not been [the required] 56 day [recovering period]. Other blood drives were held at the Medical Center of Central Georgia and two were held at the Vineville United Methodist Church. In all five of the blood drives, the American Red Cross raised an unprecedented 184 usable units and 60 new donors. Mrs. Mary Jo commented, I am so proud of the Stratford family for pulling resources and energy together to make a tragedy into a very positive event at least for someone else. Although he never graduated from high school, and never saw the day when he would have become a college freshman, Tommy still graduated from life magna cum laude. His outlook on life inspired everyone to value the joy that each new day brings and to remember that a tomorrow is not guaranteed for everyone. Even though he never got the chance to drive a car, his personality and the characteristics he possessed will forever be the vehicles for success in life. And while Tommy may have never been married, his memory will permanently be joined with that of laughter and sincerity and goodwill. From July 27, 1991 to March 10, 2006, Macon was blessed with a magnificent young man who will always be remembered by everyone.

Whats in Store for Next Year?

Sean Cirillo STAFFWRITER New classes are always a cause for discussion when figuring out ones curriculum for the following year. With more classes to choose from, it is easier to find a class that suits ones interest. Next year will certainly yield many such possibilities. Middle school Latin teacher Steve Turner will teach two new high school classes next year. Introduction to Classical Archaeology will examine not only the techniques used in the field of archaeology but also the history and implications of archaeology. The main focus of the course will be on the excavations and history of the Classic civilizations of Greece and Rome, including the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The class will also study ancient documents, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and other important history lessons. Mr. Stallworth will offer 20th Century American Dramatic Literature, a non-performance study of plays and other dramas. Other literature from this time period will also be discussed and analyzed. This class is for the students interested in playwriting and for those who like to watch plays. Science has the largest influx of new classes next year. Mr. Harty will be teaching two new elective classes, Ecology and Sustainability and Pre-engineering and Design. Ecology and Sustainability will focus on how humans affect the environment and how everyone can live with greater awareness while seeking balance and sustainability. Pre-engineering and Design examines the human-made field of mechanics, studying the basic tenants of the subject and working hands-on with design principles. Mr. Harrington will lead Advanced Topics in Science which is open to juniors and seniors who are highly interested in the general science field. This class will emphasize a conglomeration of many scientific subjects. With so many choices for new classes it becomes hard for many to decide what to take and what not to. However, these elective classes make Stratford a more diverse and collegelike school. Stratford is ever changing and evolving, as are the students who benefit the most from these new offerings.