Love your body month

Sam Gordon Managing Editor

“Be comfortable in your genes” is the theme for this years Love Your Body month at Assumption. Theresa Berry, sophomore guidance counselor, along with the help of many students and faculty, work extremely hard to promote living a healthy lifestyle in and out of school. 

The “I Love My Body” buttons were distributed to all the homerooms to support the message of not giving into the media and all the unrealistic expectations of the body. Berry encourages students to “love your body and wear your pins proudly.”

Many things will also be taking place around Assumption in honor of Love Your Body month.  A free yoga class will be held on the Feb. 19 in the media center so students can learn to respect and take care of their body.  Placed along all the mirrors in the bathroom will be the cutouts students made in homeroom stating one good trait about their body.  This is to reassure students that their bodies are a precious gift and not to be taken for granted.

                Teachers will also be embracing the theme by doing projects and prayers based on loving the body.  Berry’s most important message to all students and women is to “not give into stereotypes and that we are all beautiful.”   

 

The Golden Globes

Grace McCall Maestro

On Jan. 17 all eyes will be on Hollywood as the stars kick off award season 2010 and stroll down the red carpet at the 67^th Annual Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

 The Golden Globes, honoring the best in film and TV, are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and will be aired on NBC at 8 p.m.

 For the first time since 1995, the Globes will have a host, Ricky Gervais, the creator of the British version of “The Office.”

The Golden Globes boast a casual atmosphere where, “anything can happen — and most often does,” according to the HFPA. At the Golden Globes, attendees sit at round tables, with no designated seating. Movie stars can mingle with stars from the silver screen and with reporters.

 Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, and Jack Nicholson are tied with holding the most Golden Globe wins, with six each. Meryl Streep also holds the record for most Golden Globe nominations, with 25 nominations as of 2010.

This year, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, and Sandra Bullock are all nominated for two awards, with Meryl Streep competing against herself for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.

The award season traditionally begins with the Golden Globes and includes the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Grammys, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA’s, before ending with the Oscars, also called the Academy Awards.

 At the Grammys, Beyonce has been nominated for 10 awards, Lady Gaga for five, and Taylor Swift for eight. The Black Eyed Peas were nominated for six awards. Competing for the Best New Artist award are The Ting Tings, MGMT, Zac Brown Band, Silversun Pickups, and Keri Hilson.

 2010 brings changes to the Academy Awards, with the addition of five more spaces in the Best Picture category. This year 10 movies will be nominated for Best Motion Picture.

This year, the Golden Globes will be held on Jan. 17, followed by the SAG Awards on Jan. 23, the Producers Guild Awards on Jan. 24, and the Directors Guild Awards on Jan. 30. The Grammy Awards will be held on Jan. 31, the Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 20, the BAFTA Awards on Feb. 21, and the Razzie Awards (honoring the worst in film and television) on March 6. The award season will end with the Academy Awards on March 7.

 

Beshear hopes for state budget improvement

Kathleen Hines Assistant Features Editor

On Jan.4 Gov. Beshear signed an order for the fiscal year to fill a $108 million deficit with $30 to $40 million ear marked for school districts affected by the previous budget cuts. Sources have reported eight budget cuts in Kentucky since 2001. As a result, displaced workers return to school. In spite of a $787 million wind fall from President Obama’s stimulus package, Steve Beshear still faces a budget cut. The higher education board proposed an increase of $2.1 billion to Gov. Beshear for the higher education by the next biennial. Proposals request $75 million for classroom remodeling at UofL and around $61.5 million for their dental research. Beshear has hopes for programs to better focus the availability for those in need of obtaining “need-base aid” for higher education. The deliberating of state financial aid, such as Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship, or KEES, is one recipient of this additional aid. It’s through Support Education Excellence in Kentucky, SEEK that the money will be returning.

 Assumption cancels classes on Thursday

Rachel Aretakis News Editor

On Thursday Jan. 7, panic spread through the air as a winter storm warning was in effect for Louisville and surrounding areas until 7 pm.

 Jefferson County Public Schools as well as the Archdiocese of Louisville decided to remain open though most surrounding schools were closed. This includes Bullit, Meade, Oldham, Shelby, and Trimble counties.

 Assumption students were let down when school was not canceled. Erin Alexander, freshman, said that she really wanted to sleep in. “I just woke up and turned on the news. I had to keep checking because I really thought we’d be off because every other school was closed.”

 Senior Megan Biven also was looking forward to having a day off. “I was very disappointed and I sat in front of the TV waiting for it to come on, but it didn’t,” she stated.

 Meteorologists predicted two to four inches of snowfall in metro Louisville by 7 pm.

 On the drive to school, Assumption students experienced an accumulation of less than one inch, however roads were icy and wet.  Biven drove to school and said it took a little longer than normal to get there. “[The drive] was okay, but Shelbyville Road was impossible because you couldn’t see any concrete at all. I wasn’t sure if I was in the right lane or not so I followed the car in front of me.”

 Around 9 am, the Assumption administration decided to cancel a junior retreat headed to the mount.  At 11:30 am, Becky Henle, principal, announced that students would be dismissed at 1:30 pm.

 Students cheered in the cafeteria after the announcement, as they were allowed to use their cell phones to call home.

 “I love snow. Snow is awesome,” Biven stated.

 

AHS vs Mercy

Stephanie Burry Sports Editor

The Assumption High School basketball team was defeated on their home court by local rivals from Mercy Academy on January 6. The jaguars won the initial tip-off and their momentum continued with a snowball effect throughout the game.  Although Assumption kept a tight defense and, as assistant coach Aaron Thompson stated, they “fought hard, played hard, never gave up, and put themselves in a position to win the game,” the ball did not bounce in the rockets favor this past Wednesday.

Mercy’s initial attack could have caused more damage for the rockets; however, Assumption recovered from the thirteen point difference, a score of 14-1, in the last two minutes of the first quarter. Unfortunately, even after putting hard pressure on the jaguars, Mercy sunk two additional points with less than 5 seconds remaining to end the first period 17-9.

                It seemed as if the momentum was going to stay strong for the rockets at the top of the second. Unfortunately, after three consecutive shots did not fall, Mercy began to pick up their pace and again finished the quarter by adding a shot with three seconds remaining. The score stood at 30-18 as the teams headed into the second half.

                The third quarter came and went and as the rivals headed into the final quarter, the rockets were still down by 12 with a score of 41-29. One difference stood out, this time in favor for Assumption: the rockets made the final two points of the period with eight seconds remaining rather than Mercy.

Assumption raised their intensity and Mercy was feeling the pressure.  After transferring possession several times before making a basket, each team was fighting for a chance at taking a shot. Seniors Sara Minogue and Molly Ernst both scored to decrease the jaguar’s lead to only seven points. Mercy recognized this change in momentum and took two time outs, back-to-back. With only two minutes remaining, Mercy began to run the clock in order to keep possession of the ball and the lead. In order to have a chance at stealing the ball, the rockets had to risk several fouls. Once the time had finally run out, the ball bounced in Mercy’s favor with a final score or 56-45.

                Maureen Minogue, mother of senior Sara Minogue, noticed that “there has really been improvement in every game.” Specifically of Wednesday’s game, Minogue stated, “[Mercy] is always a top team and they are always a big fight.”