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Volume 79 No. 8
Grimsley High School
801 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
Walk like
WHIRLIE
At 9 am on a Saturday
morning, over three hundred
students, faculty, volunteers, and
former Whirlies dusted off their
running, or walking, shoes for a
day of fundraising and fun. This
event marked the first annual
Whirlie Walk, sponsored by the
Grimsley High School Alumni
Association to raise money for
renovations to Jamieson Stadium.
A select few chose to make
their walk a run. Most, however,
decided to take advantage of the
weather and took a stroll through
the park.
After the walk, participants
enjoyed Papa John’s pizza, Krispy
Kreme doughnuts, Starbuck’s
coffee, Yum Yum’s hot dogs, and
other treats. An inflatable obstacle
course and American-Gladiator
style jousting provided
entertainment and, in some cases,
a good workout. The local radio
station 102 Jamz donated prizes
and set the tone for the post-walk
activities.
Each participant received a
free Whirlie mascot tee-shirt, a
Whirlie tattoo, and a coupon for a
free Chick-fil-A sandwich.
More information on page 2
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H
I^wig photo
Terrorism threatens school activities
student field trips have
been hindered due to the
recent terror alert uprise.
By Rachel Rodriguez
StajfWriter
A class plans a field trip.
Suddenly, it’s canceled by the
school board. A few weeks later,
the school board changes its mind
and the trip is back on again, but it
could be canceled again at any
time. Sound crazy? For many
Grimsley students and teachers.
this situation is all too familiar.
With the terrorism threat
continuing to fluctuate around the
United States, the government has
been changing the terrorism state-
of-alert level from Code Yellow
(moderate) to Code Orange (high;
the second-highest level of alert)
and back again. This uncertainty
has created a nightmare for
students and teachers attempting
to plan class trips, such as the
Band, Chorus, and Humanities
classes. On February 14,
superintendent Dr. Terry Grier
issued a statement declaring that
all out-of-state and out-of-country
field trips would not be allowed to
take place due to the Code Orange
terrorism alert. This statement
created problems for many classes
who had been planning trips,
particularly those who had already
paid and would likely be unable to
get their money back. At some
schools, parents even agreed to
organize and chaperone field trips
instead of the teachers so that
students would still be able to go
and would not lose money due to
cancellation.
However, on February 28, plans
changed again. The terrorism alert
was dropped from Code Orange to
Code Yellow, and Dr. Grier decided
that field trips would be allowed to
take place. He did emphasize that,
should the alert go back up to a
Code Orange or a Code Red
(severe; the highest level of alert),
the trips would again be canceled.
Still, students and teachers had a
Continued on page 3
2003-2004
year brings
changes
Guilford County Schools
implemented many new
policies this year and
Intends to make more
changes in the upcoming
school year.
By Sarah Hampton Cheatham
StaffWriter
The 2002-2003 school year has
been subject to several changes in
school policy, and the 2003-2004
year promises even more.
In addition to becoming
acquainted with a new principal,
Mr. Rob Gasparello, Grimsley
students also witnessed changes,
both on a county and school-wide
level. The Guilford County School
System implemented a new
attendance policy, which caused
some students a great deal of
confusion.
“Any time you start something
new, you have to work out the
kinks,” said Gasparello. “Right
now [the school board is] in the
process of simplifying that
downtown, making it easier to
understand.”
As for next year, Gasparello
plans to complement whatever
actions the School Board takes to
improve the attendance policy by
instituting a program of positive
reinforcement. This positive
reinforcement would award
students with fewer than three
absences by allowing them to
attend special programs or events
throughout the year.
On the school campus, many
new opportunities were available
to students this academic year,
such as the frequent sale of Chick-
fil-A sandwiches, the additional
Lunch on the Lawn time, and the
“Whirlie Walk” fundraiser, all of
which are planned to recur next
year.
“I really liked the extra Lunch
on the Lawn with the pie station,”
said junior Julian Kennedy. “I think
it helps students want to learn more
when they’re rewarded sometimes
Continued on page 3
Featured
Inside
CoUege Calls
Making college decisions
proves overwhelming due
to a lack of preparation.
page 4
Spring has Sprung
Cleaning, fashion, and
fun make for another
exciting spring season
pages 9-10
Recipe for Success
Teamwork is the secret
of the men’s and
women’s lacrosse team.
page 15
News 1
Opinion 4
Features 6
Sports 14