Final Preparation

Burris students will soon begin their finals, which means a lot of studying! Finals at Burris start on Thursday, May 12th. Finals are on Thursday, May 12th, Friday, May 13th and Monday, May 16th. Students are beginning to prepare for finals and doing their last assignments and projects. Students feel like most teachers cram a lot of information into the last few weeks before finals.

When asked if their teachers crammed the last few weeks, Michelle Jones said, "Yes, my teachers cram a lot of stuff into the few weeks before finals!"

Paige Chambers said, "I don't like the terrible fast pace up until finals!"

Biology Dissection

The end of the year brings a special type of lab in the biology classes, dissections! In both Mr. Dodrill's and Mrs. Miller's biology classes, students have begun to dissect frogs, rats, and sharks. Students break off into groups and use a guide to dissect the animals and identify body parts. Participating in dissections is important to the biology classes so that students can see an up close and personal example of the things that they have learned throughout the year. After going through the process of dissecting, students are tested on the body parts to reinforce what they have learned. "I don't like dissections at all, but I feel like it's a good for us to do because I've learned a lot through this hands on experience," junior Michelle jones said. The dissections, while important, are not always liked. "I hate it because I think it's disgusting and I want nothing to do with it!" junior Chantelle Jones exclaimed. Others seem to enjoy the dissection labs. "I think dissecting the animals is interesting. It's fascinating to see the insides and see how everything works," junior Emily Spears said.

Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!

Osama Bin Laden

Crowd cheering in front of the White House

President Obama giving speech on Bin Laden's death.

By: Paige Chambers

After the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001, the man responsible for it all is dead. President Obama released this information on Sunday, May 1st at 10:35 P.M. The president gave a speech in the East room of the White House. He first stated that Osama Bin Laden had been shot down by American Troops in the place of which he was hiding, for nearly ten years.

"It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction," said President Obama during his speech to America.

The troops flew over Bin Laden's condo area, not planning on landing their vehicles, but that was changed when one malfunctioned. Troops then ran in, finding Bin Laden armed with a rifle, who then began to shoot. The troops shot him down, along with one of his many wives, sons, and others. No American troops were injured.

Troops then took his body on the helicopter and brought it back to the base. Although there are said DNA tests, many American's are skeptical on whether the news is true. Apparently no one has seen the body, and they claim his body is now somewhere in the ocean. Also, many think this is just a political gain for Obama as he will be running once again in the 2012 election.

Bin Laden's was put in the ocean because no country was willing to take it. America does not want to leave it in Bin Laden's home country in fear of a shrine being created for the mass terrorist.

Overall, the American people, along with the rest of the world cheered in happiness with the news of Osama Bin Laden's death. Crowds of people ran out to the streets, waving the American flag.

Music Review: Mumford and Sons

By: Allison Norton

Winner of the ARIA Most Popular International Artist in 2010, Best British Album for Brit Awards in 2011, and Grammy Award Nominee for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song (Little Lion Man) in 2011, Mumford and Sons is rising to the top of the charts and to the hearts of British and American audiences alike.

Bonding over their love for county, bluegrass an folk music, the band formed in December of 2007, in Britain, as a four man group with Clive “Marcus” Mumford as the front man; other members include Ben Lovett, Country Winston, Ted Dwane. They combined a sound like no other, with deep lyrics, a harmony sung by each member, and a variety of instruments played in one given song including: the mandolin, cello, guitar, piano, accordion, drums, banjo, dobro and string bass.

After releasing their EP called Love Your Ground in December of 2008, the fans grew in number. In the coming May of 2009 they released a second EP called The Cave and the Open Sea which then allowed them to produce their first real album. In Britain, their album Sigh No More released in October of 2009 and released in the United States in February 2010. They had their first T.V. performance, on the Late Show with David Letterman on the 17th of February, performing Little Lion Man live.

If you love music as much as I do, you should check out either, White Blank Page or The Cave. Both songs are on the album Sigh No More, as well as the single Little Lion Man. This band will really grow on you, with there genuine sound and beautiful lyrics.

And the winner is...

The results are in! Academites voted, and at the Academy Awards, certificates were presented! Here are this year’s top students, SLC’s, and faculty members:

STUDENTS

Most Athletic

Þ Eric Lechner

Þ Chelsea Toth

Þ Ivan Keene & Marshall Hopkins

Þ Sarah Reason

Best Dressed

Þ Grant Callen

Þ Kylie Bowen

Þ Brennan Murphy

Þ Caroline Strange & Susan John

Biggest Insomniac

Þ Ajay Panicker

Þ Grace Saylor

Þ YeChan Lim

Þ Brianna Weis-DeBragga

Most Likely to Return as Faculty

Þ Sasha Chemey

Þ Grace Casimer

Þ Oliver Thornton

Þ Sarah Reason

Class Clown

Þ Sean Conley

Þ Jamie Trost

Þ Corey Dixon

Þ Sarah Collenbaugh

Biggest Procrastinator

Þ Grant Montgomery

Þ Gwen Murphy

Þ YeChan Lim

Þ Shavongh Evans

First to make $1,000,000

Þ Strahinja Ciric

Þ Emily Zhang

Þ Anish Karlapudi

Þ Mallory VanMeeter

Biggest Gammer

Þ Fahad Ahmed

Þ Erika Walsh

Þ Wade Rogers

Þ Ashley Krineski

Best Personality

Þ Aaron Whiteman & Evan Kalember

Þ Alex Dansby

Þ Marshall Hopkins

Þ Sarah Reason

Biggest Flirt

Þ Wes Stanfill

Þ Jiwu Lee

Þ Keifer Taylor

Þ Kay Wise

Best Nickname

Þ Andrew Becker

Þ Erin Woehlke & Kat Boots

Þ Stu Hilsmeir & Will Prusinski

Þ Kay Wise

Most Likely to Flee the Country

Þ Fahad Ahmed

Þ Candice Burke & Kalah Gallapo

Þ Ivan Keene

Þ Susan John

Most Likely to Get Lost in a Revolving Door

Þ Ajay Panicker

Þ Leeah Worley

Þ Nick Tokarcik

Þ Abigail Fisher

Most Likely to be Late for Graduation

Þ Sean Conley

Þ Gwen Murphy

Þ Nick Wilczewski

Þ Monica Schultz

Best Musician

Þ Sam Drews

Þ Alex Poindexter

Þ Matt White

Þ Madeleine Achgill

Best Artist

Þ Caleb Polston

Þ Becca Thomas

Þ Ryan Snyder

Þ Mallory VanMeeter

Best Dancer

Þ TK

Þ Alex Dansby

Þ Jin Yoon

Þ Abigail Fisher

Cutest Couples

Þ Alex Solivais & Haley Adams

Þ Jon Hilsmier & Grace Casimer

Þ Jon Staff & Chloe Mounayar

SLCs

Most Likely to Ground You

Þ Kurt

Þ Claudia

Most Likely to be an SLC Forever

Þ Paul

Þ Claudia

Most Memorable

Þ Scott

Þ Erika

Most Likely to Leave and Never be Seen Again

Þ Ryne

Þ LJ

Most Likely to Walk in on an Awkward Conversation

Þ Matt

Þ Erika, Laura & Shanise

Most Likely to Make You Laugh

Þ Scott

Þ Erika

TEACHERS

Most Likely to Have Class During the Apocalypse

Þ Pentecost

Best Catch Phrase

Þ East

Most Likely to be a Secret Agent

Þ Watson

Most Likely to Take Over the World

Þ Schuh

Most Likely to State the Obvious

Þ Mayfield & Hartwell

Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Class

Þ Haynes

Messiest Office

Þ Rajca

Best Sense of Humor

Þ Schuh

Most Likely to Win a Nobel Prize

Þ M. Smith

Most Time Spent at the Academy

Þ Shobe

Best Dressed

Þ Nagelkirk

Most Dedicated to the Academy

Þ Stuart

Special thanks to this years MCs and presenters, who made the Awards hilarious and enjoyable; and to those who helped to create the Academy Annual Slideshow. :)

Envirothon strikes again!

Congratulations to the Indiana Academy's Envirothon Team:

The Indiana Academy's Environmental Warriors competed last week in the State Envirothon contest in Vincennes, IN ( home of all things Harrison) and finished in the top 5. Following the requirement to present on a topic concerning renewable energy in Indiana, the team gave a presentation on the history & future of the Trenton Gas Fields (located right around the corner from Muncie!). The actual test, and hour and a half long written, multiple choice exam, concerned itself with 5 major categories: Forestry, Aquatics, Wildlife, Soil, and Current Issues. In each category, the team placed well. When not presenting or answering questions on natural resources, the team was inundated with the history of the Northwest Territories. Jamie Trost highlights her time at the competition: “We got to see a giant peach. What’s more to love?”

Congratulations go to Haley Waldkoetter, Barbara DeLarm, Grace Casimer, Kayla Gurganus, Jon Hilsmier and Jamie Trost.

Vive La France!

As in the past years, this year again French students at the Academy have participated in "Le Grand Concours," known in English as the French National Contest. The hour long test is very intense and includes listening comprehension, grammar, reading comprehension, and syntax. We compete on the National level against thousands of students from all 50 states. So, Bravos should go to all French students! In addition, I am very proud to announce the superb performance of the following students who placed in the top 15 in the Nation!

Level 1
Kayla Gurganus
Nikki Wilkes
Kaleb Morris

Level 2
Lauren Gibbons
Crayle Vanest

Level 3
Emily Atkinson
Brennan Murphy
Mallory VanMeeter
(Brennan will receive a medal as he has placed 5th in the state and 8th in the nation!)

If you see any of these students, please don't hesitate to congratulate them on their hard work and perseverance!