500! Coach Plaiscia Gets it Done!

Volume II Issue 3
October 30, 2009
500! Coach Plaiscia Gets it Done!
The CHS Post
CHALMETTE HIGH SCHOOL
By Lyndey St. Philip CHS ‘10
“We’re going to
win for maroon and white.
We’re going to make our
motto victory.” A major
victory was made at Chalmette High School that
everyone should know
about. The CHs Post asked
Coach Plaiscia some questions about winning her
500th win. She said, “It
was a very exciting experience. It’s nothing that a
coach looks into when they
first start coaching.” Coach
Plaiscia is well known
around Chalmette High not
only for her coaching, but
for her friendliness and
kindness. She also told us,
“My 500th win is more of a
victory for Chalmette High
School and my past teams
because without them, I
wouldn’t be where I am
today.” As you can see,
Coach Plaiscia dedicates a
lot of her time into her
school acquaintances and
her team members. She
works and coaches at Chalmette High because she
loves it, not because she has
to. It will be heartbreaking
for her team members and
Chalmette High School
when Coach Plaiscia decides
that it’s her time to retire.
She told us she wants to
coach for at least 23 to 30
more years, but there’s no
definite ending time for her.
But no worries, it’s no time
soon. Coach Plaiscia will
surely make it to her 600th
win, no doubt about it.
Coach Plaiscia not
only coached volleyball but
also basketball and track in
the past years. Volleyball
has always been her favorite
though and she’s preferred
to coach volleyball her years
here at Chalmette High. Her
love of sports and seeing the
kids grow is what inspired
her to become the coach she
is today. Coach Plaiscia told
The CHS Post, “Coaching
CHS Goes Green
It’s time for Chalmette
High School to give back to
Mother Earth and “Go
Green!” The main campus of
CHS now features a working
greenhouse. In the greenhouse, Coach McInnis’ landscaping class, which includes
eight students, works to
decorate the school and give
by Caroline Hall CHS ‘10
back to the community.
This greenhouse plans to
not only house many plants
used around the CHS campus for landscaping gardens and open areas, but
also the students are growing marsh grasses to assist
in bringing back the eroding marshlands of St. Ber-
Inside this issue:
Halloween Student Survey
Entertainment
CHS Sports
isn’t just volleyball or about
the skills that I teach the
girls. It’s also the important
things like learning life skills
and watching the girls not
only grow as volleyball players, but as ladies.” She
started out her coaching career at P.G.T. Beauregard in
December of 1986. She
taught there for a year and a
half. She then got asked to
(continued on page 2)
3
4-7
8-18
nard Parish. The students are
not only working with full
grown plants, but they are
also learning how to plant the
seeds and uproot a plant from
a pot to put it safely into the
ground.
(cont. on page 2)
October Issue Highlights:
• Boys’ Basketball Season Schedule
• Girls’ Basketball Season Schedule
• Football Team Eyes Playoffs
Owl Week
19-22
Pep Rally
23-24
• Owl Week Photos and Stories
Owl Wall Pictorial
25-26
• CHS Live Back Onstage
Editorial– The Choices You Make
27
• CHS Greenhouse Helping Rebuild Marsh
Greenhouse
Before Hurricane Katrina, there
was a greenhouse on the Chalmette High
campus, but it was not professionally
built. Instead, it was built by students.
This new professional, fully energy-free
greenhouse, complete with an unbreakable, rustproof metal roof, cost $58,000
to build. Mr. Cassar and Mr. Warner led
the effort to have the greenhouse built
and placed into use. The ground is covered with crushed limestone so that the
water used to maintain the plants can
drain into the ground without creating a
mud bath in the greenhouse. Heat is
pushed out the open vents and under the
counter tops so that the temperature inside is the same as the temperature outside. The shape of the greenhouse—long
and skinny like a rectangle--assists the air
flow in keeping the plants at a normal
temperature.
(cont. from p. 1)
A tropical paradise awaits the visitor in the greenhouse on CHS campus. Located in the
central courtyard, the greenhouse is the classroom where Coach McInnis’ landscaping
students raise ornamental shrubs and plan to grow marsh grass for conserving wetlands.
Congratulations, Coach!
Coaches, staff send congratulations wishes!
From Coach McInnis:
From Coach Boomer:
From Coach Licciardi:
Congrats and thanks for all you do.
Congrats! 500 wins is truly a remarkable
accomplishment.
You deserve it! All of your hard work
and dedication to your girls shows.
From Coach Anderson:
Mr. Cowan:
What an unbelievable accomplishment.
You’ve got 500 victories and all with the
same school. How long before the next
500? Ha-ha.
Congratulations on an incredible accomplishment!
From Coach Buuck:
Congratulations on your 500th win. I hope
I’m still around for your 1,000th.
From Coach Tucker:
Congratulations on your 500th win; now
get to practice.
From Coach Roberts:
Congrats coach, you deserve it. Keep
working hard.
From Coach Stockton:
Congratulations and keep up the great
work. Your 600th is next!
Ms. Mundt:
Phenomenal! She sets high goals and
meets them and the players that play for
her are better because of it.
Way to go, Coach!
500 Wins for Coach! (cont. from page 1)
coach at our very own Chalmette High
School, which was co-ed through 1988
through 1989 when she started teaching
there. Coach Plaiscia is a very experienced
coach who has been coaching for 21 seasons, not counting the season that Hurricane Katrina hit. Coach Plaiscia also told
us, “My favorite part about my job is being
around athletics and kids; it keeps you
young at heart.” She also added, “My number one reason why I love coaching is be-
The CHS Post
cause I’m able to wear shorts to work and
always be comfortable.” If you ask anyone
who knows Coach Plaiscia, they’ll tell you
she’s a very committed coach and never
takes the easy way out. Those are the reasons why Coach Plaiscia won her 500th win
and is still going strong.
years. The CHS Post interviewed a few of
the coaches that work here to see what
they thought about Coach Plaiscia. Coach
Anderson has only been working at Chalmette High for a few months now. She
said,” I’ve only known Coach Plaiscia the
few months I’ve been here. In that short
amount of time she’s made me feel right
Coach Plaiscia has been working at
at home.” Coach Boomer, Roberts, and
Chalmette High for a quite a while now, and
has made some life long friends over the
(continued on page 6)
Volume II, Issue 3
page 2
Student Survey: Trick or Treat?
For some people, Halloween is a holiday to eat loads of candy and watch the
most gruesome, scary movies. For others,
it’s a time to dress up in a variety of costumes and attend the most exciting Halloween parties of the night. Students of
The CHS Post surveyed ten students from
each grade level, five boys and five girls,
to see what their favorite part about Halloween is. Although everyone has a different perspective on Halloween, it’s a
night for friends and family to spend.
After surveying grades 10-12, The
CHS Post came to the conclusion that our
students would prefer to spend their Halloween having fun at parties. We surveyed the sophomores and established
that 20% of the sophomore boys favor the
candy, 20% would rather dress up for
Halloween, 20% choose to stay in and
By Lyndey St. Philip and Ashley Vidrine CHS ‘10
watch scary movies, and 40% like to attend
the parties. With sophomore girls, the competition between the four wasn’t very hard.
Only 20% choose to dress up and 80%
would rather go to the parties. Eating
candy and watching scary movies aren’t
popular among these girls, for there was a
total of 0% for both categories. When surveying the junior boys, dressing up came in
second with 20%. Halloween parties and
watching scary movies took the lead with
40% each, whereas munching on the candy
had 0%. With the junior girls, Halloween
parties were still in favor with 60%. Dressing up and looking at scary movies was tied
with 20%. As expected, trick-or-treating for
candy had 0%. Of course, 60% of the senior boys would much rather celebrate Halloween having fun at a party. Only 40% of
them enjoy dressing up. Candy and scary
movies came in last, again, with 0%. Dress-
So what is your favorite part of
Halloween? The CHS Post
knows!
2009 CHS Post Halloween Survey Results
The CHS Post wants to know what Chalmette High students like most about Halloween this year.
The Candy
Dressing Up
The Scary Movies
Halloween Parties
Sophomore Boys
20%
20%
20%
40%
Sophomore Girls
0%
20%
0%
80%
Junior Boys
0%
20%
40%
40%
Junior Girls
0%
20%
20%
60%
Senior Boys
0%
40%
0%
60%
Senior Girls
0%
60%
0%
40%
The Candy
Dressing Up
The Scary Movies
Halloween Parties
All Boys
7%
27%
20%
46%
All Girls
0%
33%
7%
60%
Total
10%
20%
10%
60%
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 3
CHS Live! Looking for Laughter
This fall, there will be a lot of laughing
in the upstairs theater at Chalmette High
School. This semester’s fall school play is
going to be a comedy; Mr. Dugger and
Miss Lord have selected the play “Is There
a Comic In The House?” for the show.
They chose this one because it is a funny
play, worth doing, and they have a good
cast to portray the characters. Before they
found this play, they had read over 50 other
plays, but this one fit best with the CHS
Live! cast.
Although this play is going to be a challenge because of all the dialogues that have
difficult timing, it’s not going to be very
difficult for the cast. “We have such a great
cast,” says Miss Lord. “It’s just hard work
along the way.”
Rehearsals for the school play are everyday after school except Friday, from 4:30
until 6:30. That is a long day in school, but
the cast wants to give a great show, and
that requires lots of practice.
Two cast members have been in the
CHS Live! club for three years now.
They’ve got some useful experience with
entertaining audiences. The CHS Post
asked some questions to two of these
actors, Kimmy Hirstius and Alan Rocha.
Do you like the idea of doing this particular play here at CHS?
Alan: I do; I love it. It is a really funny
ensemble. I think it’s good that there is
no competition between students about
the parts.
Kimmy: I do too; it is very funny, and
we have a good cast.
Do you want to keep on acting in the
future?
by Jonna Voorendt CHS ‘10
But if I could I would.
Kimmy: No, I just do this as a school
thing.
What do you think is most important
about acting?
Alan: Having the ability to become someone else. And, of course, SHOWTIME! I
really love being on stage and performing
for an audience.
Kimmy: Getting into character and making
sure you put on a good show for the audience. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself
while performing.
Be sure to come to see the fall play on November 18, 19, 20 or 21. Tickets will cost
about $7 for adults, and student tickets will
cost $5. Also, some teachers will give students extra credit if they come and watch.
Alan: I would love to, but I heard it is
really hard to find a job in that industry.
Alan Rocha and Kimmie Hirstius (bottom left) will appear in “Is There a Comic in the House?” as CHS Live kicks off the 2009-2010
dramatic season under the direction of Miss Lord (bottom middle) and Mr. Dugger (bottom right).
Halloween Customs
Halloween decorations bring back memories of old
Halloween traditions for the older inhabitants of the
CHS campus. Here are a few that the teachers can recall:
Bobbing for Apples– This was a must for any Halloween party. Kids tried to catch an apple floating in a
washtub full of water with their teeth.
Pumpkin Carving– This tradition was usually performed on Halloween afternoon, and a candle inside the
jack-o-lantern provided the eerie glow.
The CHS Post
Trick or Treat– Free candy. Yes.
Costume Parties– These had games like Pin the
Tail on the Black Cat, contests, candied apples,
and popcorn balls.
Haunted Houses– These were put on at schools,
churches, and even in family garages, and they
were usually either free or cost ten cents.
Happy Halloween
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds– After the pumpkin was from The CHS Post!
carved, its seeds were salted, sprayed with olive
oil, and toasted. Talk about good!
Volume II, Issue 3
page 4
New Music: Whitney Houston Comes Back!
It’s been seven years since R&B
singer Whitney Houston has released
an album, but her vacation is officially over. Her 2009 album I Look
to You was released recently and of
course, her music is nothing less
than extraordinary. Her album is
clearly a declaration of her return to
music industry with intentions on
ascending to the top of the charts.
With singles like Million Dollar
Bill, I Look to You and I Didn’t
Know My Own Strength she shows
that she can still compete with the
best of them. Her album proves that
she still has that warm, soothing,
angelic vocal ability to blow her fans
away. Having dealt with her demons
and personal dilemmas, she makes it
plain to see that she plans to focus on
her career and keep the hits coming.
Whitney’s album redefines her as a
soulful artist with more than a lifetime
of talent to give back to the world. In
the past, she had multiple successful
albums and singles and tours. Her music has come a long way from simple
Rhythm and Blues, yet Whitney still
shows her dominance in the game. Being able to keep up with the latest
trends and styles of music should be a
piece of cake for the Singer/Actress/
Mother. The world waits for her to
bless us with her beautiful, keep-it-real
style. Show us what you’ve got, Whitney!
Whitney Houston (right) shows
that she has won the battle with
her demons on her new CD.
At the Movies: Sorority Row
Are you ready to see a movie
that has you wondering what will happen next or sitting on the edge of your
seat the whole time? Well the new
horror film “Sorority Row” is a remake
of “The House on Sorority Row.” Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung,
Rumor Willis, Audrina Patridge, Carrie
Fisher, Matt O’Leary, and Julian Morris were the main characters in the suspenseful movie.
The movie begins in a sorority house at the party of the year, one
of the last parties for some of the
By Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
by Caroline Hall and Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
guests. A sorority sister Megan (Patridge)
pulls a trick on her boyfriend Garrett
(O’Leary) who cheated on her, as a way to
get revenge she pretends to die in his room.
Her sorority sisters, who were in on the
prank, would drive to a cliff and pretend to
get rid of the body. Garrett thought the only
way for his life to go back to normal would
be to finish her off, so before anyone can
stop him; he hits Megan with a tire tool in
her chest to get all of the air out of her
lungs which then really kills her. Months
pass by and it is time for everyone to
graduate and someone sends them a picture
message of that accident taken from
Megan’s phone. They all become frightened and desperately try to find the killer,
but before they can stop the killer, people
they know start to die one by one. The
sorority sister who wanted to tell the cops
about the accident is running away from
the killer with her sorority sisters when
he unmasks himself and the killer is the
last person everyone expects. You have
to go see the movie to find out who the
killer is, but be warned that the movie is a
bone chilling, suspenseful thriller that
will leave you guessing what comes next.
“Sorority
Row is a
remake of
the 1983
classic horror film
“The House
on Sorority
Row.”
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 5
At the Movies: Remember My Name: FAME!
Well, forget that name again.
The new remake of Fame is not
worth remembering at all. Fame
(2009) is a movie people should
watch if they like to see people
dance and sing without a good
storyline. It is a nice movie to
watch, but they don’t let the characters develop enough. The viewers
didn’t get a chance to get to know
these characters.
In the movie are a bunch of teenagers who audition for a place in
P.A. (School of Performing Arts)
Fame follows the kids who got in.
A pretty neat storyline one would
say, but they didn’t do anything
with it. They switched from year to
year, (they even left out junior year
without a good reason), and from
time to time one of the characters
would have a personal problem
which consisted of choosing for
career or love. How unique.
Nevertheless, it was a nice
movie to see and can make one’s
mood better, but if you want to see
a good movie, don’t go to Fame.
For a feel good movie with dancing,
singing and lack of characteristic
development, go for it!
CHS Live member Jonna Voorendt says
that Fame (right) had some good dance
scenes, but it lacked character and plot
development.
Mr. Cassar: A Man for all Seasons
No matter what school you have been
to, how many you have been enrolled in,
or where they are located, there is always
one staff member, including a teacher,
disciplinary, principal, or even a lunch
lady who you can look up to as a perfect
role model, someone who is involved in
and/or coordinates most of the events
held at your school and even around your
community. This person teaches you that
hard work and perseverance can lead you
to an endless road of opportunities and
possibilities. Well here at CHS, Mr. Cassar is recognized as that someone. For
500 Wins!
Tucker said what makes Coach
Plaiscia such a brilliant coach is that
she’s consistent, has good discipline, and
very hard working. There are also a few
close friends of Coach Plaiscia that work
at Chalmette High. There are Coach
Buuck, Stockton, Licciardi, and McInnis.
Coach Buuck said, “She’s inspired me as
a coach by the enthusiasm she brings to
practice and games” Coach Stockton told
us that Coach Plaiscia is so successful
because she’s very dedicated and hard
The CHS Post
By Jonna Voorendt CHS ‘10
by Cierra Thompson CHS ‘11
those of you who are just joining us this
year and are unfamiliar with this name,
Mr. Cassar is an honest, straight-forward
man. He works through the central office
of the school board as the events coordinator for every school located in St. Bernard Parish. If the name doesn’t bring a
face into clear view, you may recognize
him from the morning announcements
every time he calls a meeting for his leadership group. Yes, that is Mr. Cassar.
You may not hear him pronounce your
name the first time he meets you, but he
(cont. from page 2)
working and knows about teaching fundamentals. When we asked Coach Licciardi id Coach Plaiscia taught her anything
over their years of coaching together she
said, “She taught me if you put 100% in
your team, they’ll give you 100% back.
You can also then have a positive impact
on their life.” Coach Plaiscia and Coach
McInnis are childhood friends. He says
the reason he loves working with Coach
Plaiscia is because she’s very enjoyable
and always tough on him. He gave a little
Volume II, Issue 3
Mr. Charles Cassar’s trademark smile
always precedes a cheery greeting.
extra by saying, “She’s extremely tough
on me, and always has been. She has to
tell me to pull up my pants, take out my
earrings, and all this other stuff. She’ll
always inspire me in everyway.” Coach
Plaiscia inspires everyone she coaches,
teaches, or works with in everyway possible. She is truly a victorious coach in so
many ways.
page 6
New Moon from Twilight
The newest installation of the
Twilight series is now in theaters. The
first film Twilight got a lot of good responses. They won five golden popcorn
prizes at the MTV Movie Awards. That
shows that this movie series is very
appreciated by the fans. Will the next
movie be as successful or even better?
Find it out for yourself right now.
New Moon is going to be
the second film in the Twilight saga
written by Stephenie Meyer. In New
Moon, after Bella (Kristen Stewart)
recovers from the vampire attack that
almost claimed her life, she looks to
celebrate her birthday with Edward
(Robert Pattinson) and his family. However, a minor accident during the festivities results in Bella's blood being
shed, a sight that proves too intense for
the Cullens, who decide to leave the
by Jonna Voorendt
town of Forks, Washington, for Bella and
Edward's sake. Initially heartbroken,
Bella finds a form of comfort in reckless
living, as well as an even-closer friendship with Jacob Black. Danger in different forms awaits.
Have you seen New Moon and read
the book? Tell us what you think about it.
Did the producers do a good job filming
this saga? Or are there things that could
be better? We will print your observations and reviews in the next edition of
The CHS Post.
Contact us with your review at: [email protected]
Dutch Halloween a New Concept
In the last few years Holland is getting
to know Halloween better and better.
When it’s Halloween there are scary
movies on TV, but the real trick or treating and decorating the houses is not so
common yet. Nevertheless, there is an
increasing interest in celebrating Halloween in Holland.
If kids want to go trick or treating in
Holland, they can’t just go to any house.
They are given a map which says how
they have to walk and which houses had
signed up for the trick or treating. Maybe
later on it will not be necessary to sign up
as a house who gives candy, but that it
will just be normal to decorate your
house and participate in Halloween.
Wouldn’t that be great?
However, the amusement parks in
Holland are decorated for Halloween and
they really do it big. Like the amusement
park ‘Hellendoorn’. When it’s October,
this amusement park turns into its alter
ego: ‘Heksendoorn’. (heks means witch
in Dutch). There are several other amusement parks that join in for Halloween.
The Fabulous Mr. Cassar
will never forget your face. Some of you
may wonder what Mr. Cassar’s job emcompasses. Well basically, he plans the
events that take place at every school in
the parish. The Katrina breakfast that was
held next month was all him. Let’s not
forget the Drug-Free rallies that are given
every year at our school. Well those rallies are his work in action. Having been
here since the mid-70’s, Mr. Cassar has
made a huge impact on not only CHS, but
The CHS Post
CHS ‘10
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star in
New Moon, the second film in the popular
Twilight series. Stewart’s character, Bella,
takes a bad turn after her vampire bite.
by Jonna Voorendt CHS ‘10
There is another holiday in The Netherlands that looks a lot like the trick or
treating from Halloween. It’s called ‘Sint
Maarten’. This holiday is celebrated on
the November 11, and it is to honor ‘Sint
Maarten’. One night he helped a poor
man by giving him his cloak. That generous act is celebrated in Holland by going
to the houses to sing songs; begging to
get some treats. The children also carry
these lanterns that (continued on page15)
(continued from page 6)
also the other schools in this parish, over
the years. In the words of Ms. Mundt,
he’s a very talented man who focuses on
and believes in the success of the kids
who surround him everyday. So if you
haven’t yet held a conversation with him,
you should, because you will instantly
see why everyone truly adores him.
(The new school theater under construction on the Freshman Academy Campus
is a pet project of Mr. Cassar.
Volume II, Issue 3
page 7
Owls Beat Reed 26-12
by Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
Can you say, “Sweet Victory?” Our
boys have one under their belt. On Friday, September 25th, The Chalmette Owls
beat the Sarah Reed Olympians, 26-12.
yard pass from Craig Sylvera for a touchdown; with a little over 2 minutes left in
the quarter, the Olympians seemed to
give in to an inevitable defeat.
The Owls started off slow, but by the
second quarter they were well into their
comeback. The first touchdown was
scored by running back James “Pookie”
Banks, making the score 7-12. Less than
3 minutes later, the Owls’ starting quarterback, Craig Sylvera, scored for the
boys in maroon. Following a successful
extra point by kicker, Hector Fernandez,
the score was 14-12 in the second quarter.
In the 4th quarter, James Banks topped
off the beautiful competition with one
final touchdown, making the score 28-12
with 5 minutes to spare. Hector Fernandez shined brightly that night with two
extra points and consistently good kickoffs, and the defense continued to keep its
head high regardless of winning or losing. The lead tackler was Rhett Pritchard
with 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and
getting first contact on 4 plays. David
Smith added 10 tackles and 4 assists.
Jermaine “The Man” Brisco had 7 tackles
and 1 fumble recovery. Ruston Pritchard
logged 6 tackles, getting first contact on 3
plays, and 1 fumble recovery, and Sean
Esponge had 5 tackles, 3 assists, and a
fumble recovery. This game was outstanding in every way possible; great play The Owls defense hold tough against the
calling by the coaches, excellent execuSarah Reed Olympians. The Owls defeated Reed 26-12.
The Chalmette Owls have been working constantly, and now it’s finally starting to show. The Owls went into halftime
not only with the lead, but also with the
momentum of the game, and we had no
intentions of giving it back to the opposing team. The rest of the game was simply a shutout. Offensively and defensively, the team spread their wings. In the
3rd quarter, Rhett Pritchard caught a 16
tion by the team, and persistent, constant,
confidence equals victory for the Owls.
The long awaited win has finally
come, and now that the Owls have tasted
victory, there is no going back to the
mundane flavor of defeat. Keep up the
great work, boys. GO OWLS!
(Left) CHS diehard fans
Jordan Maiaro, Ashleigh
Chiek, and Devin
Baldridge root for the
Owls.
Head Coach Jason
Tucker (right) calls the
defensive formations for
the Owls while pushing
to get the most out of his
players.
Owls Hit the Road for Win, 3-2 Record
Chalmette High was invited to be Live
Oak’s homecoming opponents on Friday,
October 3 in Denham Springs. Looking
for an easy win against the Owls, Live
Oak’s dreams of a homecoming victory
were shattered piece by piece throughout
this well-played game.
The Owls played very well on their
first road trip game. The boys in maroon
fought hard and brought home a charac-
The CHS Post
by Yurg’godsur Belcher, CHS ‘10
ter-building win. Live Oak struck gold
before the Owls could with a touchdown
at the very end of the quarter; but Chalmette didn’t take too well to that, scoring
a touchdown early in the second quarter
on a 37 yard run by James “Pookie”
Banks for 6 points and Hector Fernandez
with the extra point. The Owls were first
to score in the second half, with yet another run by James Banks for 6 yards and
another successful kick for the extra point
Volume II, Issue 3
by Fernandez. Live Oak fought hard to
keep up, following closely behind Chalmette and tying the score in the third
quarter with a run. Fortunately, the Owls
had more fight in them, scoring again in
the fourth quarter with a run by quarterback Craig Sylvera, making the score 2114 with 9 minutes left in the game.
Live Oaks would score again, only to
(continued on page 9)
page 8
Owls Soar Past Eagles
fail in their last desperate attempt to take
the lead. Our boys defeated Live Oak by
shutting down their two-point conversion,
leaving the score at 21-20 and Chalmette
taking home the win.
The offense was on fire. James Banks
ran for an impressive 201 rushing yards,
the eleventh best all-time for a single
game at Chalmette, and 2 touchdowns.
B.J. Jeansonne added 40 rushing yards
from his fullback position. Quarterback,
Craig Sylvera had a total of 21 rushing
yards. It looks like this quarterback can
sneak better than we thought. Sylvera
scored a touchdown, helping add the
point to the Owls’ side of the scoreboard.
Cody Williams had 3 kick off returns for
75 yards, including an onside kick recovery.
(continued from p. 8)
The Owls’ defense lived up to its
reputation of hard hitting and being
stingy on points. The leading tackler was
the Hard Hitter himself, Rhett Pritchard,
who had 10 tackles and got first contact
on 4 plays. Jermaine “The Man” Brisco
had 6 tackles and got first contact on 2
plays. Cody Williams made 5 tackles and
Johnquel Jones also had 5 tackles and got
first contact on 3 plays.
Chalmette seems to be making its way
over the mountain of losses and into the
Valley of Victory. So, I say this for all of
us, it’s about “Hootin” time!
Keep up the great work boys.
GO OWLS!!
Ehret, Rain Stop Owls
It was lights out for the Owls as defeat
rained down hard on Friday, October 9th
at Bobby Nuss Field. Mother Nature
seemed to be against the boys in maroon
as she blew the strong winds and heavy
waves of rain against Chalmette’s football team. To make things worse, John
Ehret seemed to notice and quickly took
advantage of this natural distraction.
Three Owl fumbles in the first quarter
put the team in a hole early. John Ehret
scored first with an 18 yard pass for 6
points by quarterback Anthony Garrison
to Curtis Ashford. They failed to get the
Sophomore Cody Williams has been a
consistent performer for the Owls this
season at wide receiver, and his exciting
runs get the crowd cheering.
by Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
extra point, but successfully broke
through into the end zone yet again
thanks to a 17 yard run by Anthony Garrison. Again, they came up short on the
extra point.
Charles, who made a nice comeback
move for the catch and for the touchdown. Hector Fernandez was successful
again in the extra point, making the score
14-12.
But it was Chalmette who would step
foot in the end zone this time. Running
back James “Pookie” Banks ran the ball
82 yards for the first home team touchdown. Hector Fernandez kicked the
extra point, making the score 7-12 early
in the second quarter. Chalmette would
score again soon afterwards. Craig Sylvera threw a 21 yard pass to Devon
But Chalmette’s comeback would
sadly be short-lived. John Ehret stole the
lead right before the end of the second
quarter with a 5 yard run by Anthony
Garrison that followed a 40 yard run by
the mobile Patriot quarterback, Jermal
Cleveland. The Patriots were successful
in the extra point, with a pass by Cleveland to Curtis Ashford, making the score
Owls Crush Bruins 35-0
by Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
Football weather returned to New Orleans for the
third weekend in October, and the Chalmette Owls flew past
the Bonnabel Bruins on a cold and windy night at Bobby Nuss
Stadium Friday October 16. The win left Bonnabel scoreless
and thoroughly defeated in front of a fired-up crowd. After
stopping Bonnabel at the Chalmette 22 yard line on a fourth
down conversion attempt after an 18 play drive, the Owls
opened the scoring with a little bit of trickery when David
Smith ran a double reverse 78 yards for a touchdown, a play
which put Smith in the Chalmette record books with the seventh longest run in Owl history. Kicker Hector Fernandez
The CHS Post
added a field goal to make the score 10-0 at halftime.
After Fernandez kicked a third quarter field goal to extend the
Owl lead to 13 points, James “Pookie” Banks scored on a 6 yard
run. Alex Crowson’s successful two-point conversion run made the
score 21-0 at the end of the third quarter. The Owls added two
insurance touchdowns in the fourth quarter with Johnquel Jones’
two yard power run and Jeffrey Joseph’s 29 yard scamper to the
end zone. Joseph’s breakaway run brought the crowd to its feet to
salute the Owls on their best team effort this season. After
(continued on page 10)
Volume II, Issue 3
page 9
Chalmette Rips Bruins 35-0
Joseph’s score, Coach Tucker replaced
the Owl starters with backup players.
David Smith led the Owls rushers with
78 yards and a touchdown on one carry
for a 78 yard per carry average. Joseph
ran 4 times for 45 yards and scored once;
James Banks ran the ball 12 times for 39
yards and scored a touchdown. Johnquel
Jones had 2 carries for 12 yards and a
touchdown. Cody Williams had 3 receptions for 66 yards, Joseph Jamison had 2
receptions for 28 yards, and James Banks
returned a kick 24 yards. Quarterback
Craig Sylvera was 7 for 10 and 108 yards
for an average of 15.4 yards a pass. Hector Fernandez led the Owls scorers with 9
points on two field goals and three extra
point conversions.
(c0ntinued from page 9)
mistakes and a lot of scoring. Good luck to
the Owls next week against the Grace King
Fighting Irish at Joe Yenni Stadium in Metairie.
Joe Jamison (6), Cody Williams (25), and
fullback B.J. Jeansonne (38) line up for a
play against Bonnabel on October 16 at
Bobby Nuss Field in Chalmette.
Defensively, Rhett Pritchard had 12
tackles, Sean Esponge had 11 tackles
with 1 sack for 12 yards, and Ruston
Pritchard had 8 tackles. The Owls played
a great game against the Bruins with few
The Owls offense huddles (bottom left). Zack Starks(50) blocks for Craig Sylvera (7) on a rollout against Bonnabel (bottom right)
Jesuit Tops Freshmen Owls 8-6
Another failed attempt to
come out on top for the Freshman
Owls; taking an 8-6 loss to Jesuit.
Although our boys were defeated,
they still managed to give their opponents a great game. Cosie, with 6
rushes for 28 yards. Richenel Camel
recovered a fumble carried by Ryan
Dinot for a touchdown. Another
fumble caused by defensive end,
Ricky Fayard, was apparently recov-
The CHS Post
ered for an Owl touchdown in the end
zone, but the ball was whistled dead at
the 2 yard line.. Jesuit had 6 runs of
negative yards, 20 yards total and gave
up 2 sacks. The Jesuit touchdown was
on a tipped pass deflected by Dondre
Johnson to Jesuit who took it 50 yards
for the 6 points. Overall, the Owl Defense performed great, keeping their
opponents in their place. GO OWLS!!
Volume II, Issue 3
page 10
Ehret soaks Owls
(continued on page 11)
14-20 at the half.
John Ehret would score again in the
third quarter with a 30 yard run by Jared
Burns. Anthony Garrison threw a successful pass to Curtis Ashford for the
extra point. The score was 28-14, and
John Ehret was just letting the good times
roll; scoring again at the end of the third
quarter with a 7 yard run by Mike Alexander and a successful kick for the extra
point by Mike Boudreaux. Two more
Owl fumbles in the second half contributed to the loss. Even though it seemed
like our opponents were taking us to
town, the Owls’ defense descended and
shut down their scoring streak in the last
quarter. Rhett “The Hard Hitter”
Pritchard had 12 tackles and got first
contact on 3 plays. Chris Scallen, added
11 tackles and got first contact on 4
plays. Ruston Pritchard had 9 tackles and
got first contact on 4 plays. Sean Esponge
had 6 tackles, 4 assists and 1 blocked
pass.
(continued from page 10)
The 42-14 loss put the Owl record at 3-3 for the season and 0-1 in district play. The
dark cloud always has a silver lining, but on Friday, October 9, it was nowhere be
found, at least not in Chalmette. But no worries, our boys gave everything they had before the last buzzer sounded. The next game for the Owls after Ehret is a home district
game against the Bruins of Bonnabel High School in Metairie. GO OWLS!!
Johnquel
Jones (34)
puts some
serious pain
on the John
Ehret quarterback as
Ruston
Pritchard
(52) fights
his way
across the
line of
scrimmage
on October
9.
(left) The Owls defense hits the line against Ehret. (right) Ruston Pritchard (52) and Johnquel Jones (34) pursue a runner.
One of Hector
Fernandez’ two
extra point
kicks sails over
the uprights
(left). Hector
credits his success to the hard
work of kicking
coach Aaron
Zagory (right).
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 11
Newcomers Making Football Impact
by Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
The 2009 CHS Owls Football team
has improved to a 5-3 record with hardhitting defense and a high-powered
spread offense. Coach Tucker has said
many times that hard work in the weight
room and the summer conditioning and
camp program has been the biggest factor
in their improvement. The Owls have
also gotten some new faces who are also
pretty good players who arrived at school
this year as transfers or new students.
his first season. The CHS Post interviewed Jeansonne and Brisco about the
Owls’ season.
Jermaine Brisco is a Helen Cox
junior transfer linebacker who led the
Owls in tackles at midseason. Brisco is an
excellent open-field tackler and brings
the pain along with Rhett Pritchard and
Robert “B.J.” Jeansonne. Jeansonne, a
junior fullback, punter and linebacker, is
a new transfer from Picayune High
School and is already starting at two positions. Jeansonne’s hard running and his
hard hitting tackling have made him an
instant crowd favorite. Chris Scallan is a
junior Jesuit transfer who has been a
player of the week on defense already in
Brisco: Yes.
How does it feel leading the Owls in
tackles?
Brisco: Feels great, I guess. (Very modestly)
Is it your first time playing at a Varsity
level?
Jeansonne: No, I played at Picayune
Do you plan on playing football in college?
Jeansonne: Yes, LSU hopefully.
What player has been the most influential player to you?
Jeansonne: Craig. He is the Starting
quarterback, and as a quarterback you
have to be influential and a leader. Craig
is both of those.
How does it feel to be the starting Fullback and Punter and sharing time at
Linebacker?
How do you think the team will do for
the rest of the season?
Brisco: We should do good; we should
go to the playoffs.
Who has been the most influential
player for you?
Brisco: Rhett Pritchard. He has helped
me a lot with learning plays and some of
the techniques at Linebacker.
Jeansonne: Feels good.
These Owls are all underclassmen, so we will be able to see them
showing off their skills next year. Good
luck to these newcomers and all of the
Owls for the rest of the season!
Jesuit transfer student
Chris Scallan (left)
credits his line coach,
Joe Sylve, with improving his rushing
technique.
Helen Cox transfer
Jermaine Brisco and
Picayune transfer B.J.
Jeansonne are a tough
team of linebackers.
Jeansonne starts at
punter and fullback.
Tale of the Tape: CHS Football Statistical Leaders Through Week 8
Rushing:
James Banks
Receiving:
Kickoff Returns:
146 carries
825 yards
Cody Williams
16 catches 220 yards
Donald Harris
6 runs
187 yards
B.J. Jeansonne 24 carries
141 yards
Joe Jamison
11 catches 173 yards
James Banks
4 runs
166 yards
Jeffrey Joseph 19 carries
141 yards
James Banks
David Smith
1 carry
78 yards
Passing:
Craig Sylvera
The CHS Post
43/96
555 yards
6 catches
38 yards
Tackles:
Scoring:
James Banks
60
Rhett Pritchard
76 tackles 26 solo
Hector Fernandez
30
Jermaine Brisco
60 tackles, 36 solo
Craig Sylvera
18
Volume II, Issue 3
page 12
Owls Football Statistical Leaders and Records
Running Back James “Pookie” Banks (left) leads the team in rushing with 825 yards through 8 games, and his 201 yard rushing performance against state 5-A power Live Oak in Denham Springs put Banks is #11 on the all-time Owl single-game rushing list. Banks’
82 yard run from scrimmage against John Ehret is #6 all-time for the Owls. David Smith (center) had a 78-yard touchdown run
against Bonnabel, tying him for the #8 all-time Owl run. Donald Harris (right) had 185 return yards against rival Holy Cross, which
set an all-time Owl one-game return yardage record.
Football Future Bright for Freshman Owls
A number of freshman football
players have made their presences felt
this year at CHS. Quarterback and cornerback Sean Beckwith has been a great
improvement to the Owls depth chart at
quarterback behind Craig Sylvera and
Ryan Abadie, and he has made other
cornerbacks improve, because Beckwith
is a ball hawk and plays his heart out.
Beckwith started freshman football at
quarterback, and worked his way to a
The CHS Post
starting spot as the JV quarterback for the
final game against West Jefferson.
Beckwith eludes tacklers well and throws
a good, hard ball on the run or from the
pocket. Cameron Cosie , a running back
and wide receiver, has shown his skills
leading the freshman team in both rushing yards and scoring. Cosie was moved
from the freshman team to varsity at midseason in order to play on the scout team.
Mike Mercadel is a freshman nickel back
Volume II, Issue 3
by Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
(l to r) QB Sean Beckwith and RB Cameron
Cosie have been consistent performers in
freshman and JV games on offense. LB
Ryan Dinot and Ricky Fayard are two of
the Freshman Owls team’s defensive leaders.
and wide receiver who has made many big
plays in freshman and JV games this season. Safety Tanner White has been a hard
hitter for the defense as well.
page 13
Football Freshmen Beat Jefferson JV
The freshmen are here to stay and
they mean business. The “Rookie Owls”
defeated Thomas Jefferson’s JV team in
bobby Nuss Stadium on October 7 2009.
The game was phenomenal; Cameron
Cosie ran the ball 72 yards in 16 carries
and caught 3 passes for 7 yards. In the
first half, the Owls defense allowed 7
plays, no first downs, and -3 yards. This
was the lowest the freshman owls have
flown this season.
by Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
Smith added a 3-yard run for the two
point conversion to make the score 8-0.
The freshmen have surely made a
name for their school and have definitely
earned some well deserved recognition.
GO OWLS!!
The second half seemed to contain
higher standards. After halftime, The
Boys in Maroon limited Thomas Jefferson to 10 plays with 2 first downs and
gained a whole 53 yards.
(top) CB Jermal Green shows RB Hamond
Morman why they call him “The Rock.”
The Owls’ offense had 201 yards
total for the overall of the game. The final
score was 8-0. Chalmette scored on an
exciting pass from quarterback Sean
Beckwith to Cameron Sims, Jimmie
(left) Twin defensive tackles Richenel
Camel and Furnell McMillan anchor the
inside of the freshman D-line.
Rummel Freshmen Rout Owls, 36-6
Chalmette High’s Freshman Owls
played the Rummel Raiders, who are the
top ranked 5-A team in the state of Louisiana. Chalmette’s team played a pretty
good game considering that the Raiders’
running back was phenomenal. He was
extremely fast and had great cutting ability; he had a great game in the first half,
where he scored four touchdowns.
The score at the halftime was 28-0,
with Chalmette trailing. After halftime,
Chalmette came out and held Rummel to
8 points and scored 6 of their own. In-
spired by a fiery speech by Coach Joe
“The Panther” St. Philip, the freshmen
rose to the challenges St. Philip threw
down and played much better in the second half. Cameron Cosie had a great
game with 2 receptions for 12 yards, and
he carried the ball 11 times for 76 yards
and a touchdown. Cosie had a 26 yard
run on a draw play and 3 other runs for
all over 10 yards, and he scored the
Owls’ only touchdown of the game.
CHS’s offense as well as defense stepped
it up after the half, and they were playing
West Jeff Ends JV Season 14-0
Chalmette High’s JV Team
played the West Jefferson JV to end
the JV season on Saturday, October
17. The final score was 14-0, with
West Jeff pulling away with the
victory.
The game was played on a
muddy, mucky, and sloppy practice
field at West Jefferson High.
The CHS Post
Sean Beckwith started at
quarterback; he had several completions, including 2 for 20 yards each
to Stephen Cruise. Jordan Barthelmey caught a 48 yard pass from
Beckwith at the end of the first half
of the game, but was stopped at the
2 yard line with 9 seconds left. Un-
Volume II, Issue 3
by Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
like a totally different team than before
the half. On the final drive of the game,
the owls scored, and they ate up most of
the 4th quarter. The entire freshman team
is doing great this year and making a
great transaction from Middle School
football to High School football, and it
looks as though we will be a school to be
reckoned once again in the near future.
Yurg’godsur Belcher CHS ‘10
fortunately, the attempt for the
touchdown failed.
West Jeff got really good
pressure on Beckwith, and he was
still able to complete the passes he
threw. Another problem for the
Owls was that the the Bucs’ receivers got open for several long gains.
page 14
Basketball Owls Ready to Rumble
Basketball season is about to be underway, and the Owls look like they have
something to hoot about. Chalmette will
be playing teams from Grace King all the
way to Brother Martin. The Owls are
looking to be all in tip-top shape, though,
and they all have a look of determination
in their eyes and will not back off from
any opponent. Although the team is
slightly younger and some are a little
smaller than the other teams, they are all
fast with the ball and look to score on
every offensive go-round. The CHS Post
interviewed Coach Butch Stockton to see
what he had to say about the team, his
career as a coach, and the players that
play for him.
What is your happiest memory as a
coach?
What players are you counting on this
season?
We are in a new district this year, and the
teams are really good. I would have to
say that all the teams we will go up
against are going to be tough.
Cody Williams, David Bienemy, John
Ginart, and Rome.
I coached a team that went to the state
championship when I was the age of 23,
and back then I was the youngest coach
to ever do so. Another memory I have
was going to the state championship and
losing. And a great memory I have was
last year, I was nominated to the top 28
coaches to be inducted into the High
School Hall of Fame.
What teams do you think are going to
be tough opponents this season?
Girls’ Basketball Poised for Season
As basketball season is nearing,
the Chalmette Owls girls’ basketball team
has been getting in shape and getting
ready to face off with their biggest opponents. With Guy McInnis as their coach,
they should know the meaning of hard
work and perseverance.
Coach McInnis has been coaching at Chalmette High School since 1999.
In those 10 years, he has coached both
football and girls basketball, and still
does both. This year, as head coach of the
girls’ basketball team, he is molding them
into a stronger team than last year.
Speaking of last year, the returning players are Hailey Smith, Victoria
Smith, Destiny DeLos Reyes, Jordan
Hartney, Alvinisha Sims, and Ashley
Carlisle. When interviewed, Coach McInnis said that he sees junior Hailey Smith,
leading the team. He also stated that Jordan is making much improvement from
last season.
The girls’ competitive season
starts on November 18th, but to show off
Halloween in Holland
they mostly make on their own.
So this kind of trick or treating has
nothing to do with scary things. It’s about
remembering ‘Sint Maarten’ for his good
deeds. This holiday is mostly celebrated
in the provinces Limburg, NoordHolland, Friesland, Drenthe and Groningen, and more in villages then the big
cities.
The CHS Post
by Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
What are your goals for the year?
Every year is the same, try and make it
far in the state playoffs, and hopefully do
good enough to go to the State Championship.
The Owls will be playing their first
game at Salmen on November 17 and
their last game will be played against
Bonnabel at Bonnabel on February 19.
District play tips off in February, and the
final eight teams will play on March 8-13
in Lafayette. The Owls have lost some
good players from last year, but they still
should do great with a Head Coach Butch
Stockton and assistant coaches Englert,
Frey, and Gauthier. Good luck to the
Owls on the upcoming season!
by Cierra Thompson CHS ‘10
their hard work that they have been
through over the summer, a jamboree will
be held on November 14.
“
The district teams we will be
playing are John Ehret, Bonnabel, Grace
King, West Jefferson, and Higgins. Our
biggest opponent this year, though, is
John Ehret,” said Coach Guy. He says
that he knows the girls will be very competitive this season. With strong players
like Hailey and Jordan, the team should
really progress this year. So in saying
that, good luck this season girls!
(continued from page 7)
In short, there already is a holiday in
Holland that looks like Halloween, but
the Dutch also celebrate Halloween on
October 31. There is an increasing number of people celebrating Halloween
and hopefully one day it will be a big
event there like it is in The U.S.
Children in Holland have a different
take on trick or treat. (right)
Volume II, Issue 3
page 15
2009 Chalmette Owls Boys’ Basketball Schedule
Nov. 14
CHS Jamboree
TBA
Chalmette
Nov. 17
Salmen *
7:15
Salmen
Nov, 19
Destrehan *
7:15
Chalmette
Nov. 23-25
St. Paul's Tourn
TBA
St. Paul's
Dec. 1
Central Lafourche *
7:15
Chalmette
Dec. 3-5
St. Amant Tourn.
TBA
St. Amant
Dec. 8
Northshore *
7:15
Northshore
Dec. 10-12
Dec. 15
DeLaSalle Tourn
Rummel *
TBA
7:15
DeLaSalle
Rummel
Dec, 18
Slidell *
7:15
Chalmette
Dec. 21-23
Murphy Christmas Classic
TBA
Chalmette
Dec. 28-30
Jan. 5
TBA
Brother Martin *
TBA
7:15
TBA
Chalmette
Jan. 8
Lafayette *
7:15
Chaimette
Jan. 12
E.D. White *
7:15
Chalmette
Jan. 15
Shaw*
7:15
Chalmette
Jan. 19
Higgins *
7:15
Chalmette
Jan. 22
John Ehret *
7:15
John Ehret
Jan. 26
West Jeff *
7:15
West Jeff
Jan. 29
Grace King *
7:15
Chalmette
Feb. 2
Bonnabel *
7:15
Chalmette
Feb. 5
Higgins *
7:15
Higgins
Feb. 9
John Ehret *
7:15
Chalmette
Feb. 12
West Jeff *
7:15
Chalmette
Feb. 15
Grace King *
7:15
Grace King
Feb. 19
Bonnabel *
7:15
Bonnabel
Feb. 23
District Championship
TBA
TBA
Feb. 26
Bi-District
Mar. 2
Regionals
Mar. 5
Mar. 8-13
The CHS Post
Quarter-Finals Top
Twenty Eight
Volume II, Issue 3
page 16
2009 Lady Owls Basketball Schedule Through 12/17
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
11/14
Northshore Jamboree
Away
TBA
11/18-21
Central Tournament
Away
TBA
11/23
Mount Carmel
Away
5 P.M.
11/27
Xavier
Away
5 P.M.
11/30
O Perry Walker
Home
5 P.M.
12/2-5
Country Day Tournament
Away
TBA
12/07
Chapelle
Away
5 P.M.
12/9-12
Grace King Tournament
Away
TBA
12/14
East Jefferson
Away
5 P.M.
12/17
Helen Cox
Home
5 P.M.
(top left) Coach Butch Stockton huddles with his players.
(top right) David Bienemy
fights for position against
Salmen.
(left) Bryant Griffin defends
during Salmen scrimmage.
(right) Coach Guy McInnis
with player Victoria Smith.
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 17
Volleyball Team Dominating
by Jonna Voorendt CHS ’10
The CHS volleyball team is doing
a great job in the district matches. Led by
Coach Kelly Plaiscia, the state’s newest
500-win coach, they are right on track to
a district title and trip to state.While they
are currently 23-6 overall, they haven’t
lost a district game yet and remain a perfect 8-0. The Fighting Owls have even
swept all the games in the matches. The
volleyball team is often said to be the
most athletic team at the school. They get
this far almost every year, because they
practice every day from 1:15 until 5:30 or
6:00. They don’t practice on game days.
sion.
Our volleyball team is competing
in Division II and is in district 7 together
with East Jefferson, Warren Easton,
McDonough 35, Pearl River and Salmen.
This Friday, October 30, the volleyball
team has their Pinkgame at Ben Franklin.
There are special pink shirts for this occa-
Good luck to our volleyball team.
Make us proud!
On November 4 or 5 they have a
BYE. They play Newman here at CHS
and the money goes to a charity.
The Regionals are on November 9.
The state playoff game will be here at
CHS. If we make it through the Regionals, we can go to the LHSAA State Tournaments in Kenner at the Ponchartrain
Center. These tournaments are from November 12th until November 14th.
Volleyball 1st Round District Matches
Warren Easton 25-4, 25-10, 25-6
Salmen
25-9, 25-11, 25-6
Pearl River
25-3, 25-9, 25-6
McDonough 35
25-7, 25-9, 25-7
East Jefferson
25-12, 25-10, 25-3
Volleyball 2nd Round District Matches
Warren Easton
25-2, 25-5, 25-6
Salmen
25-9, 25-7, 25-11
Pearl River
25-19, 25-15, 25-9
McDonough 35
25-6, 25-8, 25-5
East Jefferson
Postponed
.
The Chalmette High volleyball team is a perennial winner Led by
Coach Kelli Plaiscia, the team is 25-6 overall with a 8-0 mark in district
play. Good luck to the Fighting Owls in state!
Owls Swim Through District
Chalmette’s Swim team had their
District Swim Meet on Thursday, September 22 at the University of New Orleans. The district teams that competed in
the meet were Chalmette, Lusher, Destrehan, .Cabrini, Grace King, De La
Salle, and Newman.
The Chalmette Owls came in sixth
overall; the boys placed third; the girls
placed ninth. Some of the highlights
The CHS Post
by Dylan Miller CHS ‘10
from the boys were Jesus Perez winning
1st place in the 100 yard breaststroke; Jon
Bethancourt helped out the Owls by winning second in the 100 yard backstroke;
B.J. Crovetta and Josh Bethancourt took
third and fourth in the 100 yard freestyle;
in the 400 yard freestyle relay, the CHS
boys finished first and second place. The
boys who swam in those events were
Travis Thurman, Austin Holland, Troy
Wagner, and Brandon Melerine, who
Volume II, Issue 3
came in first; Dylan Garrett, Roland Mahoney, Todd Franklin, and Carlos Rocha
came in second.
Adding points for the boys were
also Derek Willis with freestyle and Dylan Miller with the butterfly stroke in the
200 Medley Relay.
page 18
Owl Week Begins! Monday: Camo Day!
The first day of Owl Week
was camo day. The students
dressed up from head to toe in
camouflage clothing. They could
wear anything camo as long as it
wasn’t shorts, hats, or face paint.
The senior and junior classes designed their own camo shirts for
this day. On the front of the senior
shirts in orange it said, “Owl
Week. October 5, 2009.” “The
seniors are going junior hunting”
was on the back. On the front of
the junior shirts in yellow it said,
“The New Era.” On the back of
them was a target, and within each
circle, was each grade level with
seniors in the middle. Below the
target it said, “We’re targeting the
seniors.” There were many students present at school, but only
the ones in uniforms could be
seen.
by Lyndey St. Philip and Ashely Vidrine CHS ‘10
James Wheat ,
Brandon
Abadie, Jake
Costanza, Rusty
Robichaux,
Brandon Ruiz,
and Chris Kidd
are ready for a
duck hunt or
Owl Week on
Camo Day.
Camo Day
kicked off a
week of costuming that ended
with the Pep
Rally.
(Above left) CHS Post staffers Lyndey St.
Philip, Ashely Vidrine, Jonna Voorendt, Caroline Hall, Cierra Thompson, and Mr. Turgeon
go camo for Owl Week.
(Above right) Katelin Gadel, and Lester Hutchinson sport fall camo patterns.
(Left) Donny Smith, Dominique St. Philip, Mr.
Goggans, Kelsi Dixon, Brianne Assavedo, and
Holly Ladner all sport Owl Week camo.
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 19
Tuesday: Character Day
by Lyndey St. Philip and Ashley Vidrine CHS ‘10
The purpose of character day was to allow the students to show their individuality
by dressing up as any recognizable character they chose to be. There were characters
such as Ninja Turtles, Snow White and her seven dwarfs, the cast of Scooby Doo, and
many more. It was very interesting to see some of the characters our students came up
with. One of the best costumes that The CHS Post came across was Cat in the Hat with
Thing One and Thing Two. There was also another incredible character walking among
our halls. This student was dressed as Edward Scissorhands; he looked almost identical
to the character. Among the five days of Owl Week, this had to be the most thrilling of
them all.
Miss Granberry
(left) and Miss
Karn (rt) take a
break from fighting crime as the
Teenage M utant
Ninja Turtles to
supervise the
freshmen during
the Owl Week
wall painting
sessions after
shcol on Tuesday.
(l to r) Melanie Fink, Courtney Stephens,
and Alex Smaltz dress up as the Cat in the
Hat and Things 1 and 2 for Owl Week.
(left) Members of the junior class
appear as their favorite characters on Tuesday.
(right) Coach Koontz does his
best Flavor Flav.
(Below left) Ninja turtles Dominique and Lyndey St. Philip,
Ashley Vidrine, and Mollie Martinez strike a pose.
(below middle) Senior Class
President Kimmy Hirstius as
Snow White.
(below right) Jamie Saddie, Katy
Swafford, and Jenna Canino are
the Sailor Moon girls.
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 20
Wednesday: Sports Day
by Lyndey St. Philip and Ashley Vidrine CHS ‘10
(left) Eric DeSalvo, Johnny Ginart, Carly McInnis, Jessica Plaia,
Kashlee Farmer, and Candace Caesar all show team colors.
(top) Mr. Jessie and his class on Sports Day.
(Below left) The Juniors are in uniform for Wednesday in Owl Week.
(Below right) Seniors Corey Hume, Aubrey Traina, Maggie Roussel,
Katelyn Loupe, and Nicole Nicolage show a diverse set of sports
loyalties.
“When you put on that
jersey, the name on the front is
more important then the name on
the back.” On the third day of
Owl Week all grade levels put
on their jerseys and other sportswear and headed to school. The
sports players varied from football to baseball, basketball to
soccer, and there was even a golf
player. The most common teams
The CHS Post
around our campus were the
New Orleans Saints and LSU
Tigers. To show school spirit,
some of our students wore their
own Chalmette High athletic
uniform. With the number of
people that dressed up, we
could have started our own
league!
Volume II, Issue 3
page 21
Thursday: Fifties Day
by Lyndey St. Philip and Ashley Vidrine CHS ‘10
(Above left) Gabbie Jessie, Kelsi Dixon, Nicole Alvarez, Tommy Griffin, Donny
Smith, and Blake Lopez, (right) Nicole Henninger, and Edjunique Francios.
Owl Walls
Thursday
saw the
finishing
touches put
on all of the
Owl Walls
after school.
All of the
students did
a great job
with their
artwork, but
it was the
Juniors that
won out.
On this day, we went back 59
years. When looking in every direction, there were students dressed
up in their 50’s day attire. The costumes resembled Marilyn Monroe,
Elvis, and characters from Grease
such as Danny, Sandy, and The
Pink Ladies.
Many students threw on some
rolled up jeans, a button up shirt,
and a pair of flats or high heels.
Several girls even had on various
colors of poodle skirts. Although
we live in the 21st century, this
day gave us a blast from the past.
Not all students were dressed
as characters from old movies.
The CHS Post
Volume II, Issue 3
page 22
Friday: Pep Rally: Seniors Capture the Spirit Stick!
Seniors (l to r) Troy LaFrance, Kevin Nguyen, Ryan Franklin, Jessie Roger, Cody Palazzola, Rene Guzman, and Jesus Quintana
go all the way for the senior class at the Owl Week Pep Rally. The Seniors of 2010 took home the Spirit Stick.
The last day of Owl Week was
Spirit Day. Each student was allowed to
wear his class color shirts and jeans to
show their spirit for their grade. This day
was the biggest of them all; it was the day
of the pep rally.
After our students attended each
class, we were placed in our student sections of the gym for the pep rally to begin. Students made signs, painted their
The CHS Post
bodies, and decorated their area to show
school spirit. To start off the pep rally,
the jazz funeral walked around the gym.
Afterwards, our performers took the floor
and did their routines.
Once they were finished, the cheerleaders started off with the freshman and
began to cheer. They worked their way
around to each grade level. This was a
(continued on page 25)
Volume II, Issue 3
(Above left) Juniors (l to r) Karlie Bernard, Elizabeth Rush, Kayla Bernard,
and Kalyn Traina sing the Owl Fight
Song during the 2009 Pep Rally in the
gym.
(Above right) Juniors Zack Starks and
Alex Crowson wear their colors on their
chests during the 2009 Pep Rally.
page 23
At the Rally
Rally
(continued from p. 24)
(top left) The Owl Band at the Pep Rally.
(center) The CHS Charmers lead a
Jazz Funeral Procession through
the school’s hallways on their way
to the Pep Rally. (above) Senior
Corey Fleetwood as Mario.
test to see who had the most school spirit. Whichever class
was the loudest won the spirit stick. Although each class
participated in screaming, the seniors were victorious. Mr.
Warner said this was our best pep rally since the storm.
Ms. Mundt
(right) shows
Owl spirit during
the Pep Rally.
Mrs. Gonzalez
wears her Freshman Yellow to
the Pep Rally
(left).
Survey
The CHS Post
(continued from p. 3)
Volume II, Issue 3
page 24
The CHS Post The Choices We Make
By Yurg’godsur Belcher
CHALMETTE HIGH SCHOOL
1100 East Judge Perez Drive
Chalmette, Louisiana
(504)301-2600
[email protected]
Yurg’godsur Belcher, Editor October 2009
Caroline Hall
Dylan Miller
Ashley Vidrine
Lyndey St. Philip
Jonna Voorendt
Cierra Thompson
Chris Turgeon, Faculty Advisor
Editorial
CHS ‘10
“The choices you make today will shape your world tomorrow” are wise words from a
more than just decent man. Mr. Wayne Warner began his journey at Chalmette High School
as the school’s very first librarian 43 years ago. 7 years later, he became Principal Warner
and has held that title for the last 36 years.
During his time here, and still today, Mr. Warner touches so many lives in so many
ways. Sometimes it’s the simple things, like stopping to say hello and asking how his students are doing. Sometimes it’s the warm, gentle handshake that he offers as he walks
around the school greeting the students and faculty. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Warner
makes a difference in someone’s day, every day. When asked what his motivation is for
sticking with Chalmette High for such a long time, he replied, “I would like for students to
enjoy high school as much as I did. I would like to see them learn as much as possible and
understand that they will need these skills for the future. I would also like for them to grow
into positive people, so that they can enjoy and appreciate the beautiful things in life.”
After hearing him say these words about his students, all I could do was smile and thank
him for his time. As I shook his hand, I knew that Mr. Warner cares deeply for the students
of Chalmette High School. When I asked Mrs. Seibert if she had anything nice to say about
Mr. Warner, she laughed softly and answered my question with this question, “How much
time do you have?” Enough said. Still curious about the details of the impact Principal Warner has on the people around him besides me, I went around the school and dug deeper into
the story. According to Assistant Principal, Mr. Cowen, it would seem that Mr. Warner’s
mission in life was to be Principal here at Chalmette High. Mr. Cowen feels that Mr. Warner is one of a kind and the most considerate person he has ever known. Mrs. Licciardi calls
what Mr. Warner did during Hurricane Katrina “heroic.” Having stayed behind and rationed food to those that took to Chalmette for shelter, he also refused to leave without Mrs.
Licciardi’s dog. Mr. Cassar said he has never known a man who cares about people, animals
and plants more than Mr. Warner. Mr. Warner is well known for feeding hundreds of birds
every week. He really enjoys gardening
and specializing in blooming flowers.
When asked what he thought of Mr.
Warner, Coach Guy McInnis said, “He’s
the type of guy you want to be like, but
it’s impossible to be as calm and col-
lected as he always is.” One of Chalmette’s current librarians, Mrs.
Schwarz, says Mr. Warner is very supportive of the library, having been the
first librarian for the school ever. Ms.
Karn said that Mr. Warner is an icon.
He’s the perfect example of a leader.
Coach Roberts called Mr. Warner “a
great man, a great principal, and just a
good person all in all. He speaks to
everybody, not just certain people. It
seems like the athletic faculty really
admires our principal.”
Coach David Brossette said, “I’ve
never met anyone so dedicated to his
The CHS Post
job; a person that truly puts others above
himself. I have 11 years left here, and I
hope Mr. Warner is the person to give
my retirement speech.”
As you can see, the faculty at Chalmette
High really loves and respects our principal, but it should come as no surprise that
the students here also admire him. As a
whole class, I asked Mrs. Debbie Babin’s
second period how they feel about Mr.
Warner, and with wide eyes and broad
smiles they replied, “We love Mr. Warner.
He’s really wise and reminds us of the loving, protective father figure, the kind that
sends you off into the world feeling cared
for and adored.” Mrs. Dier’s second period
class also said they loved Mr. Warner. He
has a great eye for fashion (kudos on the
great shirts Mr. Warner). Chalmette High
Junior Melanie Benit said, “He’s so much
rolled into one. He’s more than just an administrator. Even though he walks into a
room, quietly, gently and modest, he still
draws love, admiration and respect from
Volume II, Issue 3
those in his presence.” Senior Kimmy
Hirstius calls Mr. Warner “respected and
wonderful.”
From the moment the doors are opened
every morning until the moment the doors
are locked at night, Mr. Warner can be
found making the school more productive
in some way. He always works toward
making sure Chalmette High School is a
good place for students and just wants
every student to have a good and memorable high school experience. Mr. Warner’s
wisdom flows like a river that never ends,
flooding the students, teacher, staff and the
community with knowledge that will not
only benefit their lives as they know them
today, but will also benefit the lives of their
children and the future student bodies of
Chalmette High.
Mr. Warner is practically a human institution. He is the heart and soul of Chalmette High School. Principal Wayne Warner is Chalmette High. Go Owls!
page 27