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The Base mustang, along with the new look, now has an optional Brembo brake package and a V-6 Performance package, both of which were only offered in the past if you had a manual V-6. The 305hp, 3.7L V-6 is unchanged from the 2012 model. However, the GT’s 5.0L V-8 receives a boost of 8hp, which now marks it at 420 horsepower.

The Boss 302 package was rethought after a rather unimpressive debut last year. For 2013, the refined 444hp 5.0L remains, but that is about the only thing that got carried over. The interior was redesigned for a truer track-ready car, featuring a new instrument cluster and Recaro racing seats. A Brembo brake system comes standard with the package, along with a new exhaust, adjustable suspension, and upgraded engine cooler and radiator. The Boss trim package was redesigned, and now includes the distinctive hockey stick graphic that was made famous by the 1970 Boss 302.

But of all the new packages offered for 2013, the one that has everyone talking is the new Shelby GT500 option. Nearly one month after Chevrolet had a press release for their new Camaro ZL1, featuring a supercharged Corvette motor making 580hp, Ford introduced its improvements for the Shelby GT500, catching Chevrolet off guard. Chevrolet had designed its LZ1 Camaro to beat the 2012 GT500, knowing nothing of the planned upgrades to come for 2013. The 5.4L V-8 motor was bored, resulting in a new displacement of 5.8L. It was then fitted with a Eaton supercharger, which happens to be the exact one used on the ZL1 and ZR1 Corvette. The new motor has an output of 650hp, 600lb-ft of torque, and is capable of surpassing the 200mph mark. Thus, the new car was fitted with larger cooling fans, faster pumps, and heat dissipaters. But as many know, the problem in years past has not been a lack of power, but a lack of applied power. So for 2013, ford redesigned the transmission; changing everything except for fourth gear. The final drive ratio was dropped to 3.31, helping the mustang reach its 200mph mark. And with the new speed ratings, the braking was beefed up. The car now features a 6-piston brake system in the front, larger pads and rotors all the way around, all by Brembo. All the changes resulted in a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds. So much for that new ZL1 Camaro…..

Spider-Man’s child
Talk about some interesting anatomy.

Big trucks and large mouth bass
Southern Pride

The State Beta Club Convention is coming up February 10-12 in Myrtle Beach. And let me tell you, it is a whirlwind of fun. At the convention, Beta clubs from across the state compete in various scholastic and artistic events and elect the state officers. Winners from each competition are invited to participate in the national convention, and the state officers can choose to run for national office. North Augusta has one of the best-represented Beta Clubs in the state: last year we took 70 and this year we’ll be an all-out powerhouse with 92 attendees.

The focus of the convention is the state officer election. Campaigning plays out over a few meet-and-greet sessions, speeches, and a presentation of the skits. Each candidate develops a theme for his/her campaign, usually a clever pun or allusion using their name. This year, Zack Rogers is running for vice-president, using “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” as his theme. On his expectations for the convention, Zack said “I have pieced together a campaign that will hopefully be successful. As far as the weekend goes, I’m expecting to shake a lot of hands, forget a lot of names, and, if I want to win, do a lot of networking.” As Zack said, networking is important to victory, and schools with candidates running for different offices frequently make alliances. After campaigning is completed, ballots are cast and the state officers are inaugurated during the third and final general assembly.

Another major part of the convention experience is the talent competition. Talent is the marquee event of the competitions, and it is performed in the main conference room in front of all attendees. As the most visible competition, it is usually the most hotly contested, with almost every attending school entering an act. Talent is split into two categories: small groups, which have no more than four participants and four minutes to perform, and large groups, which have at least five participants and seven minutes to perform. Each year brings a new crop of performers. Some are excellent, but none are more enjoyable than the truly terrible. Or maybe that’s just my inner sociopath showing. Anyways, North Augusta has a solid track record in large group, with several top finishes and a state victory in 2009 with “Grease.” Last year’s small group “Free Fallin” fell in the preliminaries, which in the humble opinion of yours truly was a gross injustice. This year, North Augusta will once again take the large group stage with a performance of “Hairspray.”

The other academic and artistic competitions are frequently overshadowed by the election and talent competitions, but they should by no means be overlooked. Last year, North Augusta distinguished itself in several categories. Kristen Barbour won in the spelling competition, and Rebecca Rudisill’s banner bested the field to receive first place honors. The Quiz Bowl team landed a strong second-place finish. We’re all hoping to add a bit more hardware to the Beta Club trophy case  this year. Kristen is hoping for a repeat in spelling this year, saying, “I’m a little bit more nervous than I was last year because now I have the expectation of winning. I’ll probably read the dictionary on the way up.”

For members of the Beta Club, February is looking pretty good. The convention is always a memorable experience, and if you’re a Beta who hasn’t ever considered it, I strongly suggest checking it out for 2013. In the words of our fearless leader, Mrs. Suman Marks-Johnson, “The Beta Club Convention is an excellent opportunity for students to come together in the spirit of devotion to their schools and communities.”  Thanks Mrs. Marks-Johnson, you pretty much wrote my conclusion for me. So, to all you “I can’t wait for summer” folks out there, slow down a minute and take a look around. Maybe February has something up its sleeve for you too.

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So where is the Freshmen Academy going to be located? The good news is North Augusta has already designated an area for the academy inside the high school, so there’s no need for seniors and juniors to fret about whose parking lot will be replaced with a giant circus tent. The designated area will be set for all the classrooms on the cafeteria side of 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd hall.

“The freshmen will also have their own set of teachers”, says Mr. Bornscheuer, “The goal is to give the teachers a chance to connect with the students”. Teachers will be able to work as a team while they focus on each individual student to assist them with problems, weaknesses, and the goals they are striving for.

Mr. Bornscheuer speaks from experience. Before coming to North Augusta High School, he was influential in assisting to create a Freshmen Academy as Principal of Silver Bluff High School. Silver Bluff’s Freshmen Academy was the first within Aiken County Public Schools. At NAHS, some teachers have already volunteered to teach. Mr. Bornscheuer confirms that the academy will still offer the Honors Program, and the freshmen can still have the electives that are placed in other parts of the school. The academy will also have a separate administrator and guidance councilor. There is no doubt that Mr. Bornscheuer has planted high hopes on how this will give freshmen a strong start in high school.

Mrs. Carrick, a guidance councilor at North Augusta, also relays her high hopes to parents stating confidently, “I can’t think of why any parent wouldn’t want this for their children”. It’s one of the most important years for high school students. All most all administrators agree that the freshmen year has a major impact on whether an individual student will graduate.

So are there any negatives to the Freshmen Academy? It’s possible some upcoming freshmen may not be in favor of it, but it will give them a benefit they won’t regret. For upperclassmen, it will only be sad to know that witnessing the humorous scene of a senior giving a freshman direction to the swimming pool on top of them gym will now become less frequent. Until the School Board Meeting on the 24^th, the Freshmen Academy is only a proposed program, but plans have been made to make sure that once the school is given a go, they will be able to have the academy ready for next year.

If upcoming freshmen or their parent guardians would like to learn more about this benefit, they can attend the 2012 Freshman Expo on February 13^th. It will be put on by the NAHS Transition Team and the school’s Guidance Department. Besides the opportunity to learn about the Freshmen Academy, there will also be opportunities to get flyers and learn from students about clubs.

For updates on the results from the school board meeting, check this article after the 24th.

If you applied for Early Decision, then chances are you have already heard back from the school. Also, some colleges, such as USC and Winthrop, have already released their first waves of acceptance letters.  However, the majority of schools have not yet given the verdict on potential students. So now seniors are forced to wait, holding their breaths, until colleges alleviate their anxiety. Then, they will either be excited at the prospects of a new year in a new place or disappointed that things didn’t work out. When asked about her experience of waiting for college admissions decisions, senior Hope Lewis said, “I always wondered if I was going to receive a thick packet that said YES! or if I would receive a rejection letter.” Most all of us have had that fear, the fear that a college will turn us down and all our plans will change. Senior Brad Wilson says, “It’s just like having your entire future in front of you… Did you do enough? Did you do it right, will it be good enough? All those things run through your mind as you wait for the letter to arrive in the mail, with your name on it, finally giving you some relief.” It gets especially nerve racking for many of us as time goes on. Senior Kourtney Chapman states, “For me it was worrying because I saw other students getting acceptance letters and I was left wondering, where was mine?” We worry that we’ll have to rebuild our ideas of the future if our dreams don’t come true. As dismal as that sounds, it is a possibility that we all have to face.

But things always happen for a reason and somehow you’ll end up where you need to be. Hopefully that will happen without the involvement of rejection letters, but if it does involve them just remember: if that school was really the right place for you to be, you would have been accepted. It is at this point in our lives that we need to remind ourselves to keep an open mind. Most seniors probably have a plan for their life, an ideal outcome, maybe even a dream. But don’t let yourself get so caught up in making you future turn out as planned that you miss the opportunity to receive something so much better. Just because you may not end up with exactly what you wanted doesn’t mean that your life will be any less amazing. Don’t ever think that a decision made by any college admissions board can hold you back. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself- don’t let it.

Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time

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The basis of World of Warcraft is to take quests, level, and kill other players. On Wrath of the Lich King, the older expansion (the one I play), the maximum level a player can reach is 80; on Catalysm, the new expansion, a player can get up to 85. From level 1 to level 79 or 84, players have many places to explore and many quests to take. The game doesn’t end when a player maximizes their level. In fact, a whole new world of play opens.

The first thing you do is create a character (after you buy the game, of course). A character can be either a part of the Alliance or of the Horde. In my experience, Alliance players are more serious and tend to focus on soloing. However, Horde players are friendlier and will randomly hand fellow players gold (the highest currency used to buy armour, weapons, food, and mounts). Each faction has different races for play. Alliance races consists of Humans, Gnomes, Dwarfs, Night Elves, Draenei, or, with the Catalysm expansion, Worgen. Horde races are Orcs, Blood Elves, Tauren, Forsaken, Trolls, and Goblins, who are neutral, nonplayable characters in the Lich King.

A wow character leveling up.

Each race consists of classes. A single race cannot be every class and every class isn’t available through every race. A warlock uses shadow and fire, whereas a mage uses frost and arcane. You could also have a hunter, priest, druid, paladin, rogue, shaman, warrior, or a death knight. Every class has pros and cons, and each one has a different role in the world. Some classes cater to melee or spell-casting combat, while others are typically specked for healing. However, each class has individual trees to help fine tune your character further. The create-a-character screen has information on each class as you click through them, so you can best decide.

For the first 79 or 84 levels, you take quests to gain experience and earn money. After you maximize your level, there’s really no limit on what you can do. PvP is the route most players take, which is player vs player combat zones. PvP grants you honor points, which can be used to buy special types of armour or weapons. A high-level character does not have to do PvP in order to continue game play. My goal as a level 80 is to explore the entirety of Azeroth and Outland (where WoW is set). I haven’t yet entered a PvP battle.

World of Warcraft is not the type of game where you make one character and it’s over. Since every class is so different, players must experiment and find out what they want to play as and how to speck it. It’s time consuming, and could become life consuming (just don’t follow South Park’s example). So, whether you’re a serious gamer or don’t know what a game is, World of Warcraft could amaze you if you give it the chance. Your character will not be exactly like the millions of others in the game. Give it a try, and enter the magical world…of warcraft.

As the auction went on, Coach Gilstrap announced a rare item: winning a $26 million dollar lottery. After previously watching teacher cadets create a raucous bidding over a new car, a trip around the world, and getting an A in the course of your choice, I expected this to be a free-for-all. But once again, the class went silent and our hands remained by our side. “Everyone who wins the lottery ends up in debt!” Said someone from the other side of the classroom. Eventually, senior David Thirkell ventured his hand into the air and the lottery was auctioned off for only sixty dollars.

Although in reality, the odds of winning the lottery are 1 in about 14 million (or more depending on where you live and what type of lottery you choose to play), what are the odds that winning it eventually leaves you, or your parents, worse off than you were before?

First off, you have to consider how many people win the lottery every year. According to the TLC television show, “The Lottery Changed My Life,” more than 1600 people win at least a million dollars each year. And with odds at 1 in every 175,223,510 people, only a handful of people win the jackpot each year.  This isn’t a lot considering the millions of people in the world but it’s still not as rare as most people would like to think that winning the lottery is.

Next, you have to consider what kind of people play the lottery: most of them are financially unstable, have low-income jobs, and are looking for an easy way out of debt. This may sound callous and insensitive if not that, “In a 1999 survey by the Consumer Federation of America and financial services firm Primerica, 40% of Americans with incomes between $25,000 and $35,000 — and nearly one-half of respondents with an income of $15,000 to $25,000 — thought winning the lottery would give them their retirement nest egg.”

What’s more is that lottery players typically get addicted to winning and sometimes spend outrageous amounts of money on tickets, figuring that win they’ll play until they gain money or at least break even. What these hopeless romantics don’t consider is that they’re more likely to get struck by lightning or die in a car accident on the way to buy a lottery ticket than win enough money that will leave them financially stable. One man, in an experiment, bought a thousand tickets in hopes to win $970,000. Even though the odds of this lottery were relatively low, he realized that it was still pretty unlikely and expected to win $293.50. He ended up winning $271.50 which was twenty-two dollars short of what he expected and cost him $728.50. It’s not worth it.

Although less glamorous and lacking an immediate huge pay-off, it’s more beneficial to invest or put extra money into a savings account. But even when one of these hopeless romantics does win the $125 million jackpot, they don’t consider investing or saving their money in any way. If they didn’t know how to handle money before, more money won’t likely teach them how to either. Thus, they end up worse off than they were before. It’s fairly easy to find stories of lottery winners who ended up bankrupt, in jail, or living very meagerly. And if it’s not due to being financially irresponsible, it’s due to several other unfortunate stupidities. It’s due to telling everyone you know that you’ve won and then expecting them to treat you like normal like Jack Whittaker. It’s due to being freaking crazy and deciding to kill your girlfriend like Gordon Hieatt. It’s due to being surrounded by freaking crazy people and getting killed like Jeffrey Dampier. It’s due to drugs like Willie Hurt. Or it’s due to money-hungry loved ones that want to suck you dry. Is an example needed for that one?  In these instances, winning the lottery can be a curse that will ruin your life. After being robbed twice, drugged, arrested twice, divorced from, filing for bankruptcy, and losing his granddaughter and daughter all in relation to winning a $319 million lottery, Jack Whittaker easily stated when reached for a comment, “I wish I’d torn that ticket up.”

However, for people that are financially responsible and can handle the fame that fortune brings, winning the lottery is a blessing. Brad Duke, a winner of a $220 million Powerball jackpot in 2005 is still very wealthy after hiring a team of financial advisors and investing his money.  And Steve and Carolyn West, who won a $340 million Powerball jackpot in 2006, are living happily in a ranch home. In stark contrast to Jack Whittaker, Steve told People magazine, “I can’t believe how blessed we’ve been.” Contrary to the cynical belief that winning the lottery leaves you in the poor house, there are happy lottery endings. They’re just harder to find, which makes sense—most people find happy stories about wealthy people uninteresting and dry so the media doesn’t report it. Or most winners want their new fortune to remain a secret so they go into anonymity to keep from getting pestered by the media or their neighbors.

And even if winning the lottery isn’t a miraculously life-changing event, it can still be a small thrill when you have a little cash handy.

“I’ve only played it a couple of times and the feeling that you actually might win some money is exciting,” says senior Nathan Leopard.

Gareth Calk, who started playing when he turned eighteen, says, “I think it’s fun and it’s a cool feeling to win against the odds. I’ve won about twenty dollars.”

Coach Gilstrap auctioned the lottery ticket as a way to measure the morals of his students in Teacher Cadet by determining how much we were willing to pay for fortune. But in reality, it’s not as much as winning the lottery that measures a person’s morals than it is what they do with the money and how responsible they are. It can be a small bit of luck, a blessing for you and your family, or a curse that leads you to your doom. I’d say the odds of that vary person by person.