Both the orchestra and piano projects were given in three phases. Phase one was to choose a scale and fill out a chord progression chart. The second phase was to write a melody for the right hand using the piano. The melody could be anything the student wished. Phase three was to write notes for the left hand using the chord progression from phase one. Each student will perform the composition on Friday in class.

The orchestra class, however, had a different way of completing their project. Insiya Ahmed, a sophomore orchestra student, said she liked the “creativity involved in composing my own piece of music.” The orchestra students had to write their compositions for two instruments, and the honors class had to write pieces for four instruments. Insiya wrote her piece for violin, her personal instrument, and for cello, who her friend Melissa Jennings plays. The girls learned each others’ songs to play in class. Insiya enjoyed listening to other performances as well as playing her own piece.

Grace Parrish, a freshman piano student, said she “liked the fact that we were given ‘free-reign.’” The students had guidance with choosing the chord progression in the first stage. These progressions helped organize thoughts and ideas for the entire project. Grace said, “The project took a lot longer than I had planned because there are a lot of measures required.”

Thursday, May 20: regular school hours

        0 period Exam Part 1, 8:00-8:50

Friday, May 21: regular school hours

        0 period Exam Part 2, 8:00-8:50

        1st period Exam, 9:00-11:00

        (Remainder of classes will be 40 minutes each)

Monday, May 24: EARLY RELEASE at 1:15

        2nd period Exam: 9:00-11:00

        3rd period Exam: 11:15-1:15

Tuesday, May 25: EARLY RELEASE at 1:15

        4th period Exam: 9:00-11:00

        5th period Exam: 11:15-1:15

Wednesday, May 26: EARLY RELEASE at 1:15

        6th period Exam: 9:00-11:00

        7th period Exam: 11:15-1:15

              A few things to remember:

1. No lunch is served on early release days.
2. Students cannot take tests early.
3. Students cannot check out during exams.
4. If a student misses an exam due to an excused reason, the student must make arrangements to make up the final exam with the teacher.
5. Get plenty of sleep, and eat a good breakfast before each exam day.

Gemini are very optimistic individuals. They like change mixed with their normal routine. Individuals born under this sign are usually affectionate, courteous, kind, and very thoughtful. More than any other Zodiac sign, the Gemini have a desire to make life interesting. Gemini have active minds and are very sensitive at times. They have a quick temper, but they can also calm down easily. As seen in the symbol, Gemini can switch between personalities very quickly. Their dual personality also gives them the ability to multitask. They seem to be surrounded by so much energy that they often talk very quickly yet fluently. It is very difficult to win arguments with Gemini because of their determined nature. Gemini have extremely good communication skills, and they are very flexible and inquisitive.

Gemini in general are not very punctual. They are often late because something caught their attention on the way there. Gemini are easily bored and are often very restless and impatient.  Even though Gemini typically run away from lies, they can be undetected con artist themselves. They can be very selfish and very critical of others.

The Zodiac most qualified to help the Gemini in business is Pices. Gemini can draw tremendous emotional support from Virgo. Libra can help Gemini with creative projects. Taurus and Aquarius could be helpful in spiritual matters.

Lucky numbers for Gemini are 5, 14, 23, 32, 41 and 50. Lucky colors are yellow and orange.  Topaz, Emerald and Agate are lucky stones for the Gemini.

Famous Gemini:

May 24, 1819 – Queen Victoria – British Royalty

May 21, 1904 – Robert Montgomery – Actor

May 24, 1864 – George W. Carver – Botanist

May 24, 1941 – Bob Dylan – Singer

June 12, 1924 – George Bush – American President

June 13, 1926 – Paul Lynde – Actor

Alabama

          Spring Answers

Running to glory: Imagine having the two best running backs in the SEC on the same team. There’s no imagining it for the Crimson Tide, who will seek to ride Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to a second straight BCS national championship next season. Ingram won the Heisman Trophy last season, but there are some in and around the Alabama program who think Richardson is even better.

Hightower’s return: Despite a complete reconstruction of his left knee last year following his injury against Arkansas in the fourth week, linebacker Dont’a Hightower was back on the practice field this spring and even went through some contact the final week. If Hightower is indeed close to 100% next season, he’ll be one of the better defenders in the league.

Loaded at quarterback: Everybody knows what Greg McElroy did in his first full season as the starter. He made the plays he had to, protected the football and, most importantly, didn’t lose a game. He returns as the starter, but also has a ton of talent behind him. Nick Saban said it’s the best the quarterback situation Alabama has looked at since he took over in 2007.

Fall questions

Inexperience in the secondary: With the exception of junior safety Mark Barron, who led the SEC in interceptions, the Crimson Tide lost everybody in the secondary who made a play for them last season. That means a lot of new (and inexperienced) faces will be on the field next season from the outset, which is never the way you want to go into a season. At least the Crimson Tide will be talented in their defensive backfield. Saban will be the first to tell you that inexperience in the secondary can be a killer.

Kicking and punting: The unsung hero for Alabama last season was place-kicker Leigh Tiffin, who was clutch and made 30-of-35 field goal attempts. Punter P.J. Fitzgerald was also solid. Both of those guys are now gone, and chances are a couple of freshmen will be filling their shoes.

Staying the course: Don’t ask Saban about the chances of Alabama defending its national championship. He’ll quickly tell you the Crimson Tide isn’t defending anything. And he’s right. The key in coming back after a championship season and doing it again is keeping your focus straight ahead and not getting caught up in what you’ve just accomplished. That’s easier said than done. Is the leadership on this team good enough to do that? We’re going to find out.

Arkansas

Spring answers

Secondary shuffle: With hopes of shoring up their pass defense – which ranked last in the SEC a year ago – and to get more speed in the secondary, the Hogs moved Rudell Crim from cornerback to safety this spring. Crim played safety in junior college, and it’s a look the Hogs will probably stick with in the fall.Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Cobi Hamilton combined for 22 touchdown catches last season. D.J. Williams is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino envisions using all four running backs.

Pick your playmaker: The hard part for Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett may be picking which of his favorite targets to throw to. He’s surrounded by guys who can change the game in a hurry. Receivers Greg Childs,

Keeping the faith: Confidence doesn’t figure to be a problem next season. This is a team that has supreme belief in itself, believes it will find a way to win those close games in 2010 and fully expects to be right there in the middle of the SEC championship race.

Fall questions

Proving it on defense: Petrino thinks the defense will be better. The players on that side of the ball insist that they will be better, and the talent and experience certainly suggest that they’ll be better. But now the Hogs have to go out and prove it after some embarrassing outings a year ago.

Linebacker shortage: One of the trouble spots on defense again figures to be linebacker. There’s not a lot of depth, and some new faces are going to have to come through. Terrell Williams and Jermaine Love battled it out at middle linebacker this spring. This is a position where Arkansas simply can’t afford to have any injuries next season.

Kicking it straight: It wasn’t the best spring for senior place-kicker Alex Tejada, who was inconsistent in scrimmages as well as end-of-practice situations. Two freshman kickers arrive this summer, so it could get interesting when practice resumes in August.

Auburn

Spring answers

Newton named No. 1: Auburn went out and got Cameron Newton from the junior college ranks to be its quarterback, and Newton didn’t disappoint this spring. He’s a 6′ 6”, 242-pound specimen who can both run and throw and quickly earned the confidence and trust of his teammates with the way he performed and diligently went about his business.
Picking up the pace: If you think the Tigers played fast on offense last season, wait until you see them in 2010. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn wants to play even faster, keeping defenses off balance, and thinks he has the personnel in place to do that next season. It helps that it will be the second time through Malzahn’s system for most of these guys.

Bates moving up: Even though he didn’t practice this spring because of a bum shoulder, Daren Bates made a little news. The Tigers plan on moving him to a hybrid linebacker role after he earned Freshman All-SEC honors last season at safety. The idea is to get faster on defense, and Bates was one of the Tigers’ most aggressive tacklers last season.

Fall questions

In a rush: Chizik says the Tigers have to be a better power running team next season. Senior Mario Fannin will get the first crack at running back, considering he is a senior. Onterio McCalebb is healthy again and more of a change-of-pace guy. And, oh yeah, coveted freshman signee Michael Dyer arrives this summer. The best news is that Auburn returns four of five starters in the offensive line.

Defensive depth: the Tigers simply didn’t have the numbers or the depth a year ago to play consistent defense for 12 games. They should be a little deeper next season, especially when everybody from the 2010 signing class gets on campus. Still, there are concerns. It’s never ideal to count on true freshmen.

Walking wounded: The Tigers have three veteran safeties returning from serious injuries: Mike McNeil, Aairon Savage and Zac Etheridge. There’s a chance all three could come back and make major contributions, and there’s also a chance that they won’t ever be able to get back to where they once were.

LSU

Spring answers

Shepard on the move: It looks like the Tigers are finally serious about getting the ball into Russell Shepard’s hands. He’s washed his hands of wanting to be an every-down quarterback and moved to receiver full time this spring.

Establishing the run: LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers worked overtime on running the football this spring, and he’s confident that they will be a better running team in 2010. That part of the offense let them down in most of the games a year ago.

Speed in the secondary: By moving Jai Eugene to safety, the Tigers essentially have four cornerbacks in the secondary. And most importantly, they all have outstanding top-end speed. Junior cornerback Patrick Peterson is one of the best shut-down corners in college football.

Fall questions

Next step for Jefferson: Even though his numbers last season as a first-time starter were solid, Jordan Jefferson was hesitant at times in the pocket, and the Tigers’ passing game tended to go belly-up in key situations. Jefferson didn’t have his best spring, either, which caused some concern in the LSU camp.

Making more plays: The Tigers lacked a lot of explosive plays down the field last season, and having to go the distance all the time against SEC defenses is like beating your head into the wall. Shepard certainly fits that playmaker mold and will get more chances next season.

Playing better up front: There’s no other way to say it other than just to say it: The Tigers played poorly on the offensive line a year ago, as evidenced by the fact that their top guy, senior tackle Ciron Black, didn’t even get drafted.

Ole Miss

Spring answers

Front seven dominance: The Rebels return six of their seven players in a front seven that should be as good and as experienced as any in the league. Senior end Kentrell Lockett and senior tackle Jerrell Powe are All-SEC caliber players, and if junior college newcomer Wayne Dorsey continues on the pace he set this spring at the other end, the Rebels again should rank right up there near the top nationally in tackles for loss.

Sophomores to the rescue: The Rebels’ sophomore class looked poised this spring to really break out. Nathan Stanley takes over as quarterback. Receiver Patrick Patterson will be a key in the passing game, assuming he returns from suspension, while Rodney Scott is Houston Nutt’s kind of running back.

A Davis sighting: The Rebels don’t have anybody that can do what McCluster did for them at running back last season, but one of the more encouraging parts of spring practice was the way junior Enrique Davis ran the ball. He’s elusive with his has breakaway speed and can make people miss.

Fall questions

Stanley’s time to shine: Nathan Stanley came out of spring practice as the Rebels’ starter at quarterback. He threw the ball well, made good decisions, and was effective in moving the team. Can he hold onto the job? A lot of that will depend on redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton’s shoulder issues.

Protecting the passer: Nobody struggled more last season for the Rebels up front than left tackle Bradley Sowell. His nightmarish outing against South Carolina’s Eric Norwood just seemed to set an ominous tone. The biggest quandary now for the Rebels in their offensive line is solidifying their inside positions.

Help in the secondary: The Rebels lost three of their four starters in the secondary, including both cornerbacks. Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix liked what he saw in the spring in some of the new faces, but it’s never ideal to go into a season with so much inexperience in the secondary.

Mississippi State

Spring answers

Relf’s improvement: He was more of a specialty player last season, sort of a designated runner from the quarterback position. But junior Chris Relf was one of the Bulldogs’ most improved players this spring, particularly with regard to his passing.

Muscle in the defensive line: The Bulldogs struggled to stop people when they really needed to last season, which made defensive line play a priority this spring. Tackles Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd are both bigger and stronger after playing as undersized freshmen a year ago, and junior college newcomer James Carmon is massive at 345 pounds.

Second time around: Now that Dan Mullen has laid the groundwork, he feels like the second season will go much smoother. There shouldn’t be any questions about expectations or how Mullen wants it done. He does have a few new staff members, notably defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.

Fall questions

Finding Dixon’s replacement: Anthony Dixon was the heart and soul of Mississippi State’s offense last season. The Bulldogs leaned on him all year, and he delivered. They won’t be able to replace him with one guy. It’s probably going to take three.

Development at receiver: Chad Bumphis had a nice freshman season, but Mullen still wants to see him become a more complete receiver. He was good once he got the ball in his hands. Mullen thinks the Bulldogs are thin right now across the board at receiver, especially when you consider they’re running a spread offense.

Winning the close ones: The Bulldogs took LSU, Houston, and Florida to the fourth quarter last season but couldn’t close the deal. Learning how to win those games is what separates teams in the SEC.

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab is a 22-year-old Pakistani who was recently sentenced to 86 counts of murder, conspiracy, and waging war on India. He is the tenth and final shooter from the 2008 Mumbai attack and was sentenced to death by hanging on May 6^th. In 2008, Pakistani terrorists attacked the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels, the city’s historic Victoria Terminus train station and a Jewish cultural center, Chabad House. These coordinated attacks had a death toll of about 166 and lasted over sixty hours. The police stopped the attack after shooting nine of the ten assassins. The execution date has yet to be announced.

Thursday could be last National Day of Prayer

58 years ago President Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer, but Thursday may be one of the last National Days of Prayer. A federal judge declared the law unconstitutional, claiming it violates the ban on government-backed religion. The Justice Department is challenging the case. According to CNN, the lawsuit against the Obama administration was brought on by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The president issued his proclamation for this year’s observance, but he has not announced any plans to take part in any events. There will be National Day of Prayer events across Washington, though. The Obama administration toned down White House participation in the observance last year. Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush also marked the day with a White House observance.

Terrorist attempts to blow up Times Square with car bomb

On April 17^th, Faisal Shahzad was found to have attempted to bomb Times Square. The Pakistani-American parked an SUV carrying a bomb in an attempt to kill the many tourists and New York natives visiting the iconic American plaza. He was identified in videos that showed him walking away from the SUV and was contacted using the information he supplied to customs over four months ago after his recent travels to Pakistan. He is cooperating with investigators and is suspected of working solo; however, he has admitted that he had training in a Pakistani terrorist camp.

Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua dies at age 58

The Nigerian president has died after prolonged sickness including an inflamed heart and kidney issues. Umaru Yar’Adua brought democracy to Nigeria when he was elected in 2007. He succeeded a long string of military dictatorships and revolts that plagued the country for centuries. According to aolnews.com, the president did little to solve Christian and Muslim religious conflicts or the corruption in Nigeria. His election represents the first peaceful transition from one ruler to another. Another election is scheduled for 2011, with the vice president serving as the interim president until then. 

Dome to stop oilrig delivered to the Gulf

A dome built by BP that may be the short term solution to the oil spill was delivered to the site on Thursday. The dome will hopefully be dropped to cap the spout that is releasing over 200,000 gallons of oil into the ocean each day. This large amount of oil is in the process of killing the entire aquatic food chain and damaging national wildlife reserves on the Gulf Coast. The dome is over four stories high and weighs over 100 tons. A dome has never been used to cap an oil spill at the depth of this one — nearly 5,000 feet. The environment poses many problems for the breakthrough solution because of the high pressure, cold temperatures, and unknown chemicals that could cause explosions.

The awards ceremony was an honorable event, and the concert itself had so many “Kodak” moments that it became the most memorable event in a long time. For one, the percussion ensemble and their fantastic, hysterical balloon performance elicited constant laughs from the audience. It was a new type of performance that the percussion ensemble had never attempted before, and it turned out to be a great comical effort. Apart from that, the choice of songs that the ensemble put together could not have been better. The audience couldn’t help but sing with the ensemble. “It adds so much more to a concert when the audience loves it and sings along. It was great,” says Jared Wittmayer.

The band and orchestra also added spunk to the performance. The honors orchestra had an outstanding performance with Esther D. Tonea and Brandon Hou as featured soloists on cello and piano, respectively. The intermediate and concert orchestra, featuring a video-game theme, also had a classy performance that ended with a hysterical, miniature battle play to accompany the song “Battle of the Heroes” from a scene in Star Wars. Band also had a great selection of music, such as “Flight of the Bumblebee,” which featured Shing-Young Park and Kevin Kim as soloists on flute and xylophone, accompanied by the full band. This was truly a concert to remember. In the words of Ivana Stojkic, “Everything from balloons to concertos was played! There was something for everyone’s musical taste.”

The album consists of multiple genres including pop, hip hop, rap, some techno vibes, rock, and instrumentals. From rapping to singing, from the choice of lyrics to the style of composition, each song was a personalized expression of each student’s passion for music. Every modification made to the songs was sometimes challenging and so was perfecting the song. But the consistent effort put into the songs by the students made their final products into unbelievable accomplishments. Sales started early last week, and 60 CDs have already been sold. The proceeds go towards Relay-for-Life in addition to turntables for next year’s music tech class so students can learn tips from DJ’s and top musicians.

What impressed GSMST students the most, apart from the artistic ability of the Music Tech students, were the voices in the songs that they had never heard before. During lunch advertising and sales, a good handful of the songs surprised students when some of the voices were revealed to be close friends. At a math, science, and technology school, people rarely catch each other singing or rapping. But with a chance to express themselves through “Melodic Flux,” students revealed a few hidden talents. In the words of Farida Bana, “’Melodic Flux’ is by far one of GSMST’s best produced CDs. With their original ideas the Music Tech students have taken their production standards to the next level.”

Congratulations to the following students for their amazing new album for the year of 2010: Kari Hosey, Josh Chang, Cody Pham, Yoonji Ahn, Sherhoz Minhaj, Jay Zaesim, Maximillian Moore, Alicia Crewey, Kiki DeSouza, Eduardo Trejo, Farida Bana, Daniel Park, Jimmy Jiang, Andrew Cole, Jimmy Yu, Uday Betarbet, Asma Javed, Jordan Jones, Aaron Gascoigne, and Jacob Ladd.

President Harry Truman signed a joint act of Congress in 1952, setting aside one day a year as a National Day of Prayer. Of course, this was immediately controversial. Who was the government to tell the people when to pray or even to pray at all? The Constitution is clear; the government would not go about dictating religion. Our religious freedom is something that has caused religions to fluorish in America. Contrary to its purpose, government meddling in religion only leads to the stifling of it. Obviously, Truman didn’t get the memo from Jefferson and Madison. Both of them advised against the inclusion of religion whatsoever, knowing that such a things contradicted the very spirit of the Constitution. A national prayer day? The founding fathers are rolling in their graves.

Of course, back to the checks and balances. This year, the Supreme Court ruled that the National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional, for obvious reasons. The Obama administration continued to proclaim the day nevertheless, planning to appeal the decision. It’s an unwise thing to do, whether it’s constitutional or not. Religion is a personal, individual matter. It was never intended to be promoted by government officials or politicians; religious observance is for the religious communities to advocate. Priests, not presidents, are the ones who should be encouraging the American people to express their beliefs and, in this case, to pray. This very separation is the reason that our country’s rich religious community thrives. The government does intrude in our belief systems, and instead leaves them to govern themselves. Intervening in the name of religion does more harm than leaving it be ever would.

The new rookie, 20-year-old Jason Heyward, is making quite a name for the Braves and himself. The Jay-Hey kid is producing astonishing numbers in both RBI’s (runs batted in) and home runs. His very first at bat as a major league player showed his promising athleticism by hitting a home run. Since that date he has put up high numbers with a .301 batting average, a .613 slugging percentage (extra base hits), and a .431 on base percentage. He also is producing strong defensive plays in right field and Bobby Cox, the manager, has recently moved him up to the second batting spot. Jason Heyward is a power to be reckoned with, especially after his rookie season, in the National League with his strong and fast swing and powerful stance. He can run the bases efficiently and makes smart decisions in the field.

Another young man has entered the Brave organization, Jordan Schafer. He appeared in the first game of the previous season and showed promise until an injury in his hand required surgery and put him out for the season. One of the best defensive players that has ever come through the Braves roster, Jordan Schafer has showed his outstanding understanding of the game and his love for both the Braves and baseball. He has done extensive spring training and has started to increase his numbers down in Rome, Georgia. This weekend he is being sent to Gwinnett for a few games before he can head back to Atlanta next month. He should be able to be implemented into the defense as a center fielder. The current center fielder is Nate McLouth who has been in a slump since the end of last season. He was projected to be the leader of this season but has fallen up short. He still has an extensive resume and will easily fall into left field or be traded for more prospects.

The biggest offensive player for the Atlanta Braves would be Martin Prado. Martin Prado is the lead-off batter and producing some of the best numbers in the Major Leagues. Martin played for the Braves last year as a rookie to the majors and was brought up to replace Chipper Jones once he got injured. Martin now has a permanent position with the baseball team. Martin Prado started off the season with a .424 average, which was a top number in the majors. Although now his average has fallen he is still consistent in his approach and aggressive at the plate. His perfected swing has allowed him to crush the ball and for the first time begin to hit HR’s. Prado serves as both a clutch-hitter and inning starter. His sound defense at second and short allow him to move from position to position and be flexible on defense.
It doesn’t matter how good a team is if they don’t have pitching. The Atlanta Braves have some of the best veteran pitchers as well as new prospects. Tim Hudson is better than ever after his arm surgery over the summer and is leading the team with the lowest ERA (earned run average). Other starters include Tommy Hanson, Kris Medlen, Derek Lowe, and Kenshin Kawakami. The Braves pitchers have some of the lowest ERA but also some of the lowest run support in the Major Leagues. The Braves now have a new light with the addition of Craig Kimbrel, a closer for the Gwinnett Braves. Kimbrel has a fastball that reaches up to 90 mph as well as a wicked curveball and changeup. He recently joined the Braves roster and is expected to pitch in the upcoming Mets series.

The Braves started off the season with a great offense and looked promising when they then lost eight games in a row and fell well below .500. Bobby Cox has reorganized the team since then and brought in the new prospects. With the reorganization of the team, the Braves have just swept the Brewers and Miller Park and proved that they can be in the running in the NL East and defeat the former MLB champions the Philadelphia Phillies for the title.