By Kathryn Schiliro |  Photos by Angelina Bellebuono

the mchs marching band knows how to bring the funk …
and after more than a decade of sweaty halftime shows, their uniforms do too.

Needs more cowbell! The MCHS marching band is raising funds for new uniforms. The current uniforms are 12 years old and made of a wool-polyester blend that is stifling in warmer weather.

Compiled by Kathryn Schiliro

By Kathryn Schiliro  |  Photos by Angelina Bellebuono

Upon her entrance, the classroom seems a bit daunting to Laura Rodriguez.
She gathers her courage, moves to the front of the crowd seated on the floor, takes a seat among the colored tiles and, quietly at first, shyly, begins reading—in Spanish.
But "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is a familiar tale, the Kindergarteners are learning Spanish and teacher Shelly Ewing is helping the class follow along with Miss Laura by using an English version of the same story.
"Caliente!" Kindergarteners reply when asked about Goldilocks' porridge.
"This is the part where she tries out all the chairs," Ewing tells the class. "How do we say 'bear' in Espanol?"
"Oso!" the class replies. They also know "Muy bien!" and "Gracias!" and "Adios!"
"These words are in English in this book, and these words are in Spanish in this book, but our books are the same story," Ewing says.
Then, asked if anyone wanted to address Miss Laura in Spanish, one boy simply yells out, "Azul!"
Laura looks at him questioningly, then at the teacher.
"He just wanted to say 'blue,'" Ewing replies.
Laura smiles and nods, then she laughs.

Morgan County’s own Bulldog Competition Cheerleaders played host last Saturday for the Bulldog Invitational, a competitive cheering event held annually. The event took place in the new gym at the high school and drew about 30 middle and high school cheerleading squads from the area. Some of their pre-show rituals and show stunts are pictured here.

Printed in the September 22, 2011 edition

Printed in the September 1, 2011 edition.

story by kathryn schiliro - file photos

Family of Caleb Sorohan reflects on a year of lobbying and education

It's been a little more than a year since state Senate Bill 360 – the "Caleb Sorohan Act for Saving Lives by Preventing Texting While Driving" – went into effect on July 1, 2010.

A Morgan County native, Caleb lost his life in December 2009 in an accident that involved his texting while he was driving through Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge.

Not intending Caleb's death to be in vain, by the end of the following legislative session there was a bill, Caleb's Law, that made it illegal for drivers in the state of Georgia to text while behind the wheel. Largely due to the lobbying efforts of Caleb's family and friends – students from Morgan County High School – it passed through both the state Senate and House of Representatives, was signed into law by then-Governor Sonny Perdue and went into effect within six months of Caleb's death.
Difficult as the passage of Caleb's Law was, family and friends knew the hardest part wasn't over.

"I think when we left the capitol...I remember Ms. Saylor saying the hard part came when we had to educate," Alex Sorohan, Caleb's sister, said.

Since the passage of the bill, Alex and nine other MCHS students were part of an anti-texting while driving presentation. They created it themselves.

"We all spoke to all these students on different points of view about it, about texting while driving and how it can affect you in different ways," Alex said. "Jonina Frische (another MCHS student), her mother was in the car Caleb hit, so she talks too. We use our stories to try and have an impact on teens."
The presentation uses pictures, statistics and videos to help drive the point home.