ATTTENTION ALL 11th GRADE STUDENTS:

The 11th grade writing assessment will be given on February 2nd, 2010. Until then we will be spending our time writing essays in preparation. It is important you take this seriously and use your time wisely. Putting these assignments off will do you no good, so prepare to write everyday you come to class.

FAVORITES OF 2009

Time for those year-end lists. I’m ony doing two this year. Let me be clear: these are not “Best Of 2009″; they are my favorites. So like ‘em or not here are some top fives in alphabetical order.

Albums
I didn’t buy much music in 2009 that was released in 2009. However, I did find a few.

The Elms “The Great American Midrange”
These guys never disappoint. It’s good, solid midwestern rock n’ roll.

Ida Maria “Fortress ’round My Heart”
A chick from Norway made a great rock album.

Needtobreathe “The Outsiders”
Absolutely fantastic. Spiritual, meaningful rock that still manages to be enjoyable and not overbearing.

Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
If you told me I’d love an album from a French elecronic pop band I would have beaten you with a stale baguette. But you try to get “Listzomania” out of your head.

Tinted Window “Tinted Windows”
I will not try to explain nor apologize for my enjoynment of this. You either get it or you don’t.

Note: I haven’t yet bought Switchfoot’s new album or it might have made the list.

Movies
We sci-fi fans had a great year at the movies. My list reeks of geekdom.

District 9
A bit gorier than I normally like, but completely original and refreshingly void of any “stars”.

Moon
If you are an old-school sci-fi fan (I’m talking Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke) this film is required viewing. Brilliant.

Star Trek
Thank you JJ Abrams for making this as cool as possible (…and my wife thinks Spock is a hot mess).

Sherlock Holmes
Fantastic fun. The spirit is there and the relationship between Holmes and Watson is perfect.

Watchmen
For years they said it was unfilmable. It wasn’t perfect, but it was darn good.

Note: Two of my favorite directors, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, released movies this year but I’ve seen neither yet. Also, I haven’t seen The Road. This list might be different if I had seen those films.

Elizabethton Star on UHS.

UHS students commend dual enrollment program

By Steve Burwick

Star Staff

sburwick@starhq.com

Students at Unaka High School are excited to be part of the “Jump Start” Dual Enrollment Program at Northeast State Community College, through which they may obtain college credit before they complete their high school diplomas.

Nearly 500 students in the region served by Northeast State are enrolled in the program, and 10 UHS students are enrolled this year. Elizabethton High and Happy Valley High also participate, and Cloudland High has shown interest in the program.

“This is the first year we’ve been able to have the Dual Enrollment class here on campus,” said UHS Counselor Jon Minton. “We’ve had students take advantage of the program for the last four years, but they had to leave campus in order to take the classes.”

“I’m taking English in the dual enrollment,” said Natalie Johnson, who is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS) and president of the Health Occupations Students of America Club. “Somebody from Northeast comes every day, and we’ve been writing a lot of papers. It’s basically to get us ready for the college experience. He gave us a syllabus and a calendar and we just go by that. It’s not as supervised as in high school; it’s more independent.

“We’re currently trying to raise money for our HOSA club,” said Johnson, who is active in other school endeavors as well.

“This is our first year doing the Powderpuff (Football), so we’re busy trying to put that together,” she noted. “This summer I attended Girls State in Murfreesboro, and I played varsity basketball for the last three years.”

Johnson said she intends to study medicine as a career.

“I would really like to stay here and attend East Tennessee State University, and then go to the Quillen College of Medicine and become a doctor and work in this community,” she said. “My mom is a registered nurse and my sister is going to graduate in May as an RN, so my family has always been involved in the medical field and it’s always interested me. I think it would be rewarding too.”

Matthew Wood, who is also in the National Honor Society and serves as vice president of HOSA, plans to take pre-pharmacy classes.

“I’m taking English Composition I,” said Wood. “I like it, and I think Mr. (Jason) Ward, who teaches Junior and Sophomore Honors Classes, really prepares us for the class. It’s a great program. It’s a challenge, but I think it’s a challenge that we can all meet.”

Wood said he hopes to enroll in a pre-pharmacy program and become a pharmacist. “That’s my goal,” he said.

Drew Peters is a member of NHS, the Clean Team and co-president of the Future Business Leaders of America Club (FBLA).

“I’m taking English Comp I, Comp II and British Literature,” said Peters. “Mr. (Richard) Kennedy is the instructor. He’s very helpful. I’m also taking a probability and statistics class. It’s not part of the dual enrollment, but I’m taking it at Northeast.”

Peters plans to major in graphic design at ETSU and pursue a career in video game design or cinema.

Alyson Houghton enjoys the Dual Enrollment Program, describing the instructor, Richard Kennedy, as “amazing.”

“Currently I am a full-time student at Northeast,” said Alyson, who is president of NHS and co-president of the FBLA at UHS. She has also been class president the past three years.

“I’m taking three other classes at Northeast along with the dual enrollment,” Houghton said. “I’m only taking Spanish I and II here at the high school. When I graduate high school, I should have 31 hours toward college. I plan to attend Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, and major in secondary education with a concentration in English and a minor in Spanish.”

Houghton expressed a wish to study abroad. “I’d like to go to Spain,” she said.

She also works part-time at Barker’s Restaurant, is active in her church youth group and enjoys volunteering.

“I’m taking English in the Dual Enrollment program, and I’m also taking Probs & Stats at the Elizabethton campus (of Northeast State),” said Lynae Peters, who is NHS vice-president and has served as yearbook editor the last two years. She is also a member of the Carter County Clean Team, a student anti-litter group. “The English class is wonderful, and I like the other class, too,” she said. “My boyfriend is in college, and he says that all these things will help so much.”

She said she intends to study nursing, probably at ETSU or King College.

“With the Dual Enrollment Grant through the Lottery Scholarship, there is assistance,” said Minton. “It still involves out-of-pocket expenses, but it’s a discounted rate. It’s a win-win situation for whoever qualifies. It’s an attractive program.”