Front Page: Lead Story
Since the 1960's, the old brick high school has stood along Elm Street in Racine. It is a school filled with memories and history, and it's hallways have been walked by countless alumni. It's gymnasium has been played upon by many different teams, and it has seen two state tournament Final Four teams cross it's path. Many suicides and sprints have been ran on the old floor, many three points shots have gone through the hoops. The classrooms have provided a place of learning and study for numerous different students who have gone on to a multitude of different professions. And although classes have graduated, teachers have retired, and the school has been renovated, the history is still there.
But in the fall of 2013, a new history will begin, as a new high school is scheduled to open. In August 2010, voters of Southern Local passed a bond issue for 2.7 million to construct a much-needed new high school. The collection of new taxes for the project will start in January of 2013. The project, funded 75% by the state and 25% locally, will see the current school be demolished, and a new one combining the current elementary and a new high school together. The Vocational Agriculture and Band building, side by side, will remain and be converted into the new Community Fitness Center and locker rooms for outdoor sports. The district has finished the Schematic Design for the new school, and are currently in the Developmental Design phase of the new building. A bus loop around the back of the elementary will first be completed, and the actual construction of the high school is set to be started afterwards. The roof and gutters in the elementary will be replaced, along with the celing tiles. The new school will also feature a renovated art room and kitchen in the existing elementary, a computer lab and media area, a special education classroom with a conference area, two science lab classrooms, a vocational agricultural lab and classroom, a life science lab with a classroom, a new band room and music practice room, wireless technology to include Smart Boards, and a brand new competition gymnasium with equal bleachers on both sides. The big addition of the gymnasium will also have a stage and band room at the end of it, with varsity locker rooms and physical education locker rooms.
With the time frame set, the Class of 2013 is set to be the last to graduate from the old high school. As a member of this class, I feel that it is an honor to be able to say I was the last to graduate from such a historic and great high school. It is something I can tell people years from now, and to also be able to say that I played the last season in the old gymnasium, which is filled with so much history itself, is something I will be proud of. And although it will be sad to say goodbye to the old school, it is a needed upgrade, and I feel it will bring something great to the district and the community.
-Joe Smith
Local News
Drug Testing is now being enforced at Southern Local. All students in both the high school and junior high school levels that are participating in athletics or driving to school can be selected for random drug testing. The test will be performed, overseen, and selected by an outside company, in order to avoid corruption and biased tests.
All tests will be urine tests, and observed by a classified official. The official will be gender flexible. A girl will be observed by a female official, and a boy will have a male official to observe. Any selected student must take the test, a rejected test will be treated the same as a rejected test and the same consequences will be upheld.
If a drug test is declared positive, the student's parents will be contacted before any school official is told. Once contacted, the parent must attend a conference with the student, the principal, and the student's coach, if the student is an athlete. From there, the student's punishment will be determined and performed. Any positive testing driver will have his or her driving privileges revoked for 50 days on the first offense, and after that for a school year. A positive athlete will be suspended for 25% of the season in which they are participating in or the next season they will participate in. Further punishment can still be performed by discretion of the coach.
-Andrew Ginther
World News
The tragic world news in Italy, a cruise ship capsizes off the coast with reported deaths. The ship, which reportedly cost more than $680 million, was three-quarters under water and sinking fast, a Giglio hotel clerk told NBC News on Saturday January 14th. The Telegraph of London said some passengers jumped from the steeply listing ship and swam a short distance to the island. A photo showed the brightly lit ship teetering just outside a harbor wall. The cruise liner's captain, Paolillo said, then tried to steer his ship toward shallow waters, near Giglio's small port, to make evacuation by lifeboat easier. But after the ship started listing badly onto its right side, lifeboat evacuation was no longer feasible, Paolillo said. A clerk at the Bahamas hotel told NBC News that 1,000 people were sheltering there. A crew member at the hotel told the clerk he heard two loud noises and the ship started leaning to one side almost immediately. ''The captain immediately came on the tannoy and said that there had been an electrical fault but it seemed very strange as the ship almost immediately began to list to one side. The glasses just slid off the table." Even one passenger said it felt like a scene from the famous movie Titanic.
-Nathan Roberts
No Really's?
Thou shall not steal, thou shall not...be homeless?
As of December 1, 2011, it is illegal to be homeless in the European country of Hungary. A new law, effective on this day, makes it punishable by law to be homeless. People found breaking this law will first be issued a warning for sleeping on the streets. Violators may also face a fine of US$600, which equates to £382 or €445, or time in jail.
Dumplings Can Kill
A Ukraine eating contest to find the person who could eat 10 dumplings in the shortest amount of time went horribly wrong when the 77-year-old champion passes out and died. The winner, Ivan Mendel, had just won his prize, a one-litre jar of sour cream, when he began to fall ill.
"The old man got sick and fell to the ground," a witness told interviewers. "The ambulance arrived when he was already dead. The doctor said that he probably choked on vomit."
Organizers fought accusers who insisted that the contest had killed the man, saying Mendel had eaten just 10 dumplings in all. He ate them, reportedly, in half a minute.
Money for Nothing
Heidemarie Schwermer, a 69-year-old woman from Germany, gave up using money 15 years ago and says she’s been much happier ever since. A swap shop, in Dortmund, Germany. It was opened to be a place where homeless, unemployed, or other people needing help could swap their services, goods, or talents for things they needed. Soon, through this venture, she started to realize that she owned many things she could easily live without. After slowly giving up more and more, in 1996, she made the ultimate decision: she was going to live without money.
Her children had moved out so she sold her apartment in Dortmund and decided to live nomadically, trading things and services for everything she needed. It was supposed to be a 12-month experiment, but found herself unable give it up. 15 years later, she is still going. Schwermer has written two books about her experience and asked her publisher to give the money to charity so it can make many people happy instead of just one. She’s just happy being healthier and better off than ever before. All of her belongings fit into a single-back suitcase and a rucksack, she has emergency savings of €200 and any other money she comes across, she gives away. She doesn't even own health insurance: she says she relies on "self-healing" when she falls ill.
– Joe Smith
School Board
The Southern Local Board of Education meets every
fourth Monday of each month at 8:00 p.m. at the
Southern High School Media Center. The Board of five
elected, non-partisan positions. Each member
is elected to a four year term. Members
elected in alternating odd-year elections, with two
members elected during one election and three
members elected during the other. The members of the
School Board inculdes Gary D. Evans, Peggy S. Gibbs,
Dennie E. Hill, Paul B. Harris and John B. Hoback.
Any parent or member of the community can take place
in these meets, and propose their ideas.
-Andrew Ginther
Southern Local Website
Contact Us Here
Phone: 740.949.2611
About Our Staff
Copyyright © 2011 • The Echo
Soapbox
Abbie Williams tells us about the Valentine's Day.
February 14th, every year, across the
world, chocolates and flowers and traded between loved
ones to celebrate Valentine's Day....
Read
more »
Other Stories on the Soapbox
Page
News You Can Use:
Abbie Williams informs us how to show your affection or not.What's In and What's Out: Natalie Marler decides what's cool and what is not.
Student Opinion: Natalie Marler tells her opinion whether cheerleading is a sport.
Southern Life
Other Southern Life Stories
Junior Interview: Angie
EynonSophomore Interview: Tyler Barton
Freshman Interview: Bradley McCoy
Birthdays: The birthdays of the students that were born in Febuary.
Band: Abbie Williams talks about the 2012 concert band season.
FFA: Olivia Searls discusses the Southern FFA.
Sports
Other Recent Sports Stories
Boy's Basketball: Andrew Ginther gives us a review on the boy's basketball season.Girl's Basketball: Joe Smith gives us a review of the girl's basketball season.
Cheerleading: Joe Smith tells us about this year's basketball cheer squad.
Reviews
Ethan Martin reviews the movie The Devil Inside Me.
I was so excited to see this movie when it came out.... Read more »More Reviews
Video Game: Ethan Martin reviews the game, NBA2K12.TV: Jesse Lamar gives us insights to the TV series NCIS.
Cafe Poetica
Try our puzzle for Febuary. Read more »
Other Recent Headlines
Horoscopes: Find your sign and get some advice for the month of Febuary.