By Jessie Madden and Shayla Jones
Indulging at Harvest
The sweet aroma of savory foods and delightful candles fill the streets. People crowd around to view all the unique booths and of course, taste all the food.
Junior Marisa Tolbert shares a few things she’s looking forward to doing over fall break, like going to Harvest Homecoming.
“I have a lot of things on my bucket list for fall break,” Tolbert said. “A few things I want to do are go shopping, watch all the classic scary movies, go to haunted houses, but my main thing I want to do is go to Harvest Homecoming.”
For Tolbert, one of the best things about Harvest is trying various types of food. There are so many different options to choose from. Her favorite food is chicken and dumplings, but she’s up to try anything new.
“I’ll probably gain like 10 pounds from the foods I try, but it only comes once a year, so it’s worth it,” Tolbert said.
Aside from the food, the booths and rides are another staple in the Harvest tradition. From homemade crafts to speedy rides, there’s plenty for all to find something to enjoy.
“I love the booths, my favorite ones are the ones that have cute accessories that are one of a kind,” Tolbert said. “I bought two really cute bracelets with skeletons on them.”
Up, down, and all around the Harvest rides go.
“I like the ferris wheel because it’s slow and I can’t handle rides that go too fast,” Tolbert said.
Walking for Awareness
When a mother gives birth to her child, she awaits that precious moment when she finally gets to cradle her bundle of joy, their tiny eyes slowly peeping open and their little hands gently grasping their mother’s oversized finger. These mere moments are captured by photos and videos in hope of always remembering the way they felt at that exact moment.
However for senior Jennifer Sloan, this year’s March of Dimes walk bears an important message.
“My cousin gave birth about a little over a month ago to her first child,” Sloan said. “He was six weeks early and had multiple problems during and after birth. Due to these complications, Storm passed away two days later. I am walking with my mom, aunt, and cousin in memory of him.”
March of Dimes is an organization that helps improve the health of babies by raising money to fund research for preventing birth defects, premature births, and infant mortality. The money not only funds research but also helps pregnant mothers in communities in an attempt to have healthier babies. The March of Dimes walk first began in 1970 and has been going ever since. Over the years March of Dimes has raised over two billion benefiting babies around the world.
“When people think of babies, they think of cute, little, sleeping bundles of joy,” Sloan said. “You never hear the other side of the story for those who are different. Many babies every year are born with complications that will alter them from living a normal life. More research needs to be done to help these innocent babies.”
By participating in this walk Sloan hopes to not only raise money for other babies but also raise awareness for this special organization. This walk will also be a way for Sloan and her family to gain some closure and share their story with others.
“The only way these great organizations can exist is through the help of others,” Sloan said.
Motivation through Music
The speakers bump sending vibrations through the whole car shaking the mirrors and blaring out the sound of all other oncoming traffic as the words begin to speak through your radio like a poem.
While many other students will be relaxing their days away on fall break senior Shemar Shackelford will be in the studio recording his next song in hopes of producing a great hit.
“For me music is an escape,” Shackelford said. “It helps ease my mind.”
Shackelford records at a local studio in Louisville, Head First Studio.
“What many people don’t realize though is that there are many steps in producing a song, Shackleford said. First we listen to a bunch of different beats. When we find a good one we pick it out and use it. Then I hop in the booth and start spitting my lyrics. After we get done recording the producer starts mixing the songs and then downloads them onto a CD for me. After we finish all of that we purchase more tracks for the next recording session. Then I bump to my songs on the way home.”
“If I could collaborate with any rapper possible, I would definitely choose Meek Mill,” Shackelford said.
Unlike many other kids Shackelford spend his fall break recording in the studio. For a lot of kids today, music helps them express themselves in positive ways.
“I don’t want to be a rapper, it’s just a hobby,” Shackelford said.
For him rapping is just how he tells his story.