Student Spotlight | Johnathan Lawson Bowling

Editor, Jared Torgerson
Senior, Scotland High School

Out of all the students at Scotland High School not all may know Mr. Jonathan Lawson Bowling. He is one of the most utterly intelligent and funny guys that may have ever staked his claim into Scotland High School territory. He stays “lurking” if you will, but The Bagpipe got a chance to get up with ole Jonny boy and just got to know him a little better not just for the benefit of the school newspaper, but also for the benefit of the Scotland High School student body.

Jonathan was born on May 24, 1996 right here in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He lives in Scotch Meadows with his parents Earl and Beverly Bowling, and his dog Brody. He has an older sister, Lauren who attends East Carolina University. Many of the townspeople here know them because his father is their eye doctor. Dr. Earl Bowling is the owner of Bowling Eye Clinic here in Laurinburg. Johnathan Bowling is a senior who is very involved with extracurricular activities at Scotland High School. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Key Club where this past year he served as President. Jonathan is also an athlete, playing soccer at Scotland for his first three years, and a member of the baseball program all four years. Jonathan was also involved in the Scots student section, which he takes great pride in. He told The Bagpipe, “Going out on Friday nights and cheering for your football team in a packed stadium, there is nothing else like that and will be something that I miss for sure.”

Jonathan impressively is also a genius in the classroom. With a 4.6 GPA he ranks 3rd in the class of 2015 which consists of over 300 students. With taking academics very seriously he got into all the colleges that he was considering going to, and ultimately made the decision to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was stuck for a very long time between UNC and NC State but chose Carolina because, “Everything just felt like home when I went there to tour,” Bowling said. “The atmosphere just made me feel like I’m definately going to enjoy the next four years of my life at UNC. Jonathan is going to major in Biomedical Engineering, and do something professionally in the medical field. Though he doesn’t yet know what he wants to do exactly, he will surely be successful.

Jonathan has been all around the country, including outside the country. The summer after his sophomore year Jonathan participated on Teens Westward Bound where he got to travel America for 23 days, and this past summer he got to join the Oban Exchange where he lived in Oban, Scotland for two weeks. Jonathan’s best friend Stone Phillips was by his side on both of these trips and told The Bagpipe that both of those experiences wouldn’t have been the same without Jonathan there. He said, “They were going to be amazing trips regardless, but having Jon there with me made it so much better. It’s memoires you make like those that keep friendships going forever.” Good luck to Jonathan Bowling, and make Scotland High School proud.

Senior Awards

Editor, Kristin Lanier
Senior, Scotland High School

On Tuesday May 26th, Scotland High School will hold the Senior Awards ceremony in the auditorium. The event begins at 5:30 with a light reception and the ceremony will begin at 6:00. This is event is honors senior students who are being awarded scholarships and grant money.

Numerous seniors having been applying for scholarships since December. After dozens of applications, recommendation letters, and essays, students will finally find out if they are awarded their scholarships. For many students receiving this money is crucial. College is not cheap by any means. From tuition to meal plans, everything costs money. While the big money scholarships are typically awarded from the college any amount of money is accepted. Most of the scholarships Scotland High has information about are local or regional. The monetary amounts ranged anywhere from 100 to 5,000 dollars.

The awards ceremony is organized by College Central here at Scotland. Mrs. Holly Goodwin is the scholarship coordinator in College Central and oversees the event.

Anchor Club Interest Meeting

Editor, Kristin Lanier
Senior, Scotland High School

As the school year comes to an end, clubs have to begin thinking about how they wish to kick off next school year. English teacher Mrs. Cheek is looking to get a head start on getting the 2015-2016 club together.  This Thursday there will be an interest meeting for rising sophomores.

Anchor Club is a service club at Scotland High School that is affiliated with the Scotland County Pilot Club. The purpose of the club is perform services for the school and within the community. The Scotland High Anchor Club was “the thing” to be a part of about ten years ago. Since then the number of members in the club has dwindled, along with the amount of service work, this year Mrs. Cheek was appointed as the club advisor and is hoping to reform the club’s reputation. Within this year, Mrs. Cheek has restarted the club’s scrapbook and annual formal. She has also reestablished the club’s affiliation with the Pilot Club. These were established traditions that were lost throughout the years, but Mrs. Cheek is restoring them.

The meeting held this Thursday is to spread the word to female students. Any girls that are interested in joining the club or thinking of joining the club are encouraged to come. Current members will talk about their experience in the club and what they enjoy. Mrs. Cheek will review the club guidelines and explain the member expectations. The girls attending will be able to ask questions about the club and what they can expect in the coming school year.

With the reboot of the Anchor Club the current members are excited for next year. This school year was a building time for the club but next year will be more organized.  Sophomore Brooke Bathie said “I think the meeting will give a more secure feeling of who is representing the club next year. We will be able to see how many people are interested and be able to plan better.”

“Becoming A College Graduate” Night with GEAR UP

Editor, Kristin Lanier
Senior, Scotland High School

Thursday May 21st will be Gear Up’s “Becoming a College Graduate” dinner and student program. The program will begin at six with dinner and continue until eight. Students and parents are encouraged to attend the event to hear important tips and information from Scotland High alumni.

Between four and six Scotland High graduates will be on the panel along with their parents. Students from Pembroke, Davidson, and Central will attend and participate in the discussion. They will discuss financial aid and the steps that are necessary to complete before the summer is over in order to finish the financial aid application. They will give a mini testimony of what they have learned during their first year of college and what they feel is important to know. After the students have spoken, their parents will talk about their experience of sending their child to college. Once that is complete the panel will be open for questions from the audience.

“I think it is good to have the night because if you have questions that your parents cannot answer you can hear from actual students,” said senior Ashleigh Bailey

Ms. Katja Wallin told The Bagpipe “It is going to be great night. Seniors will be able to hear from real graduates and ask questions. Parents are encouraged to come too, so they can listen to parents who sent their kids off to college.”

Senior Brandon Hyatt said, “It is a good opportunity to hear tips from students who have already made it through their first year since that will be us next year.”

Junior Will Floyd told The Bagpipe, “The event will be good chance to get information straight from students. Even though I’m not going to college next year it is never too early to prepare.”

After the event has finished dinner will be served in the cafeteria. The dinner will be catered and set up nicely. GEAR UP will also be raffling off donated items from the community; college dorm items like sheets, pillows, school supplies, and more. Buying supplies for dorm rooms can get rather pricey, but the raffle is free for all who come.

Scotland 4×100 Wins Silver

Contributor, Ben Utter
Senior, Scotland High School

At the end of this years track season, the team members reminisce on their favorite moments of the season, including winning the silver in State Competition.  The four runners were Robert McKoy, Quadrin Williams, Cedric Terry, Zamir White, and Brandon Mcmillon as an alternate.

Mallard Creek achieved the gold medal with a finishing time of 41.44 and the Scots finished closely behind with a finishing time of 42.03.  Finishing in third and for the bronze medal was South Central with a time of 42.42.  Conference rivals Richmond and Hoke County High Schools also participated in the event and finished in 9th and 12th place, well behind our fighting Scots runners.  The overall track team finished 32nd out of the 65 teams that competed.  The 4×100 team was the biggest help towards the team’s score of 9 total points.

Coach Keith Wood had this to say on the season, “Thought they did an outstanding job and accomplished many goals including a school and conference record.”  Coach Wood was very proud of his boys and hopes to return to states again next year with a new team.  Senior, Quadrin Williams says, “It was fun to run with my boys for the last time.”  Freshman, Zamir White had this to say, “It was a great season for my first time running track here and it was an honor running in state.”

They were very close to gold, Senior, Brandon McMillon said, “We ran together like we were family.”

Source:

Laurinburg Exchange. 2015. Retrieved May 5th, 2015 from http://www.laurinburgexchange.com/news/sports/153425637/Scots-earn-silver-in-4×100

GEAR UP/CTE Summer Camp

Contributor, Niara Chatman
Senior, Scotland High School

GEAR UP/ CTE Summer Camp program will give underclassmen the chance to experience Scotland, explore exciting fields they may want to pursue in college, and create friendships with students from different schools. The instructors will make sure that the upcoming freshman will be safe as they explore their way through Scotland. “I think this program is a great way for incoming freshmen to get a better understanding about Scotland so that they can learn the campus better,” said Mrs. Adkins a teacher from Scotland High School.

GEAR UP offers students an opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise experience. Although many programs assist students towards academic enhancement, the GEAR UP program also offers other benefits such as developing personal and social skills, meeting new peers, becoming self-motivated, and resourceful. These are skills that can boost the students confidence. “My sisters are nervous about coming to Scotland and I told them that they shouldn’t be scared. So I think this will be the perfect place for them to go over the summer and get over their fears,” said Bridget Stevens, a senior at Scotland High School.

The summer program is important for students who care about their academics, but also want to learn in a fun and innovative way. “I think this program is amazing for teachers because it will help them connect with their students more, as they learn more about one another,” said Mr Thoma, a teacher at Scotland High School. For more information about this program, you can contact (910) 544-9743 or kwallin@scotland.k12.nc.us with any questions.

How Queens and Kings Are Crowned

Contributor, Sam Gray
Senior, Scotland High School

Many questions have been asked around Scotland High School about how to vote or win Prom King or Queen.  The Prom Coordinator, Amy Sloop, was able to give The Bagpipe the answer to these questions.

In the previous years, there were ballots at the prom, which had peoples names on them.  Even though students are unsure how these people were voted upon, each person at prom had the chance to vote for one of the people on the ballot for King/Queen.  At the end of the night, around 11 PM, the votes were tallied and the winners were announced.  The previous winners were Adrian Soto Perez (King) and Kaylan Ganus (Queen) two years ago and Afiz Lateef (as King) last year.

This year at prom there will be an open ballot where students can vote for anybody.  There will be a designated area where ballots will be given out.  On these ballots, a vote for both a Prom King and Queen will be placed.  The only requirement to be Prom King or Queen is the student must be a Junior or Senior.  Technically, the Prom King and Queen do not have to be students at Scotland High School, but they will probably not get many votes due to their lack of popularity at the school.  The Prom King and Queen also do not have to come as a couple.  The duo can be from two completely different entourages.

The Prom King and Queen are very desired positions at Scotland High School.  Who will win? We will tell students next week in an article that were not able to attend prom due to their class status or other reasons.

A Day of Pure Joy at Special Olympics

Editor, Kristin Lanier
Senior, Scotland High School

This past Tuesday was Scotland County’s annual Special Olympics. It was a perfect spring day for the event with nothing but sunshine and a light breeze blowing through the air. The event is a day designated to children with special needs from elementary to high school ages. Activities are are designed for the children to have a fun day while being active.

The morning began with volunteer students and adult volunteers setting Pate Stadium up for the day. Balloons and signs decorated the fence surrounding the track and the event tables placed throughout. Once all the decorations and materials were set out the elementary and high school students began to arrive. Richard Massey was the announcer for the day and gave a welcome to all the people who came to volunteer and support the students. Scotland High’s drumline performed and Nygel Graham performed the National Anthem. Superintendent, Doctor Hargrave, and a Scotland High student ran the Special Olympic torch down the track to commence the games.

Dr. Hargrave and a student carrying the Olympic Torch from the Scotland County Schools Facebook page

Student volunteers were each assigned to an activity or school to help students throughout the day. Once the volunteers reported the school they were assigned to they were given a child to guide around to each event. Most of the participants had three or four events where they were awarded a medal. Events included the 50 meter dash, softball toss, and more. To see the smile on each child’s face as they stood on the podium to accept their medal was priceless. When the participant had finished all their events they were welcome to go to the “Olympic Village” for pizza, snacks, and games.

Special Olympics is a time for children with special needs to feel accomplished and happy. It gives them the opportunity to forget their disabilities and just enjoy being active. Volunteers who help these children feel nothing but joy when they see the excitement in the children’s eyes. The clubs here at Scotland High that volunteer anticipate the event every year. It is a day dedicated to helping a child and making their day the best it can possibly be.

“I look forward to helping with Special Olympics every year” said senior Brandon Beckwith. “I’m actually really sad that this is my last year volunteering with the Key Club. I know I can volunteer with other clubs after graduation but it will not be the same.”

As the afternoon came to an end and the participants returned to their school, volunteers were served Nic’s Pic chicken (delicious) and other refreshments. Once lunch was over clean up began and supplies were stored away until next year. Nothing compares to the happiness and joy surrounding this event and students and volunteers cannot wait until next year.

Scots On Track For Championship

Contributor, Sam Gray
Senior, Scotland High School

Scotland Baseball is on track to win the Southeastern Conference this year.  The team is in first place at the moment.  They will need to win the rest of their conference games to stay in first place without a tie.

The Scots still have games against Hoke, Lumberton, and Richmond.  The only losses the Scots have had in conference play is Lumberton and Pinecrest.  If they can continue to win in conference they will be able to win the Conference Championship.  Before Friday night, Purnell Swett was tied for first with the Scots.  The Scots defeated the Rams for the second time this year, giving them the advantage of first place.  Pinecrest traveled to McCoy Field on Tuesday, where the Scots redeemed their previous loss with a 11-2 win.

The biggest win of the year for the Scots was played at Richmond when they beat the Raiders 8-4.  Richmond has swept Scotland for the past two seasons.  The final game of the regular season will be Senior Night against Richmond April 30th.

The remaining games for the Scots are Hoke on April 24, at Lumberton April 28, and Senior Night.

“Our destiny is in our own hands, that is the good thing.  We do not need to hope somebody loses for us to be champions.  We need to just play it one game at a time and not look ahead to another game.  All we have to do is win the rest of our games and we will be fine.” Head Coach Jamie Coleman said.

“I want to leave my mark on the program by being able to put a baseball up with 15 on it.  We have had a good year, but we must continue playing well.  It would mean a lot to end my senior season with a championship,” said, Senior, Grant English.

Junior Cross Holfert said, “I want to help these seniors leave this program the right way.  Putting a baseball up for them would be important to me.”

This Conference Championship will add one more baseball to the long line of them on the outfield wall at McCoy Field.  Each year when Scotland Baseball wins the conference championship, a baseball with that year is added to the wall.  The last championship was in 2012, Coach Tommy Britt’s last year as head Coach.  Now head coach, Jamie Coleman, has not won a Conference Championship in his two years as head coach.

Scotland Golf “Hitting More Fairways”

Junior Editor, Bella Whitehead
Sophomore, Scotland High School

This year, the boys golf team at Scotland High School has displayed excellent teamwork, leadership, and determination skills that are evident in each match they play.

The members that compete in tournaments include Tanner Horne, Travis Jackson, Blake Bathie, Will Floyd, Harrison Hartwell, and Emil Priess.

Matches are every Monday and Tuesday, during which every team in the conference plays and compares overall scores. One member of the team stated that their best match so far was on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, which ended with a total team score of 312.

Due to the extra work the team puts in outside of practice, many would agree that this is a team made up of hard working, focused members. However, just like in any other sport, there are some areas the team notices could be improved. These include “draining more putts” and “hitting more fairways.” The “fairway” is the area between the tee box and the green that is well-maintained and an ideal spot to hit from.

Emil Priess, sophomore on the team, who has been playing golf for five years, says practices usually include putting practice and just warming up for the real thing. He also mentioned that there is no team captain or absolute leader, which shows a good display of even leadership on the team.

As some members prepare to graduate and others are getting ready for next years matches, the team looks back on the season they have had so far. When describing the overall attitude of the team, senior Tanner Horne said, “Confident. We feel like we can place well at Regionals and make a run at the State finals.” Senior Blake Bathie agrees, saying, “We still believe we are one of the top 10 high school teams in the state.”

Regionals will take place on Monday, May 4, 2015 in order to determine who advances to State. As school comes to a close, the team looks forward to another productive season next year.