Barbourville Students Advance to State Governor’s Cup Competition

by Cailin McDonald

Four Barbourville students will be advancing to the 2020 state Governor’s Cup competition at the Galt House in Louisville on March 14th-16th.  At the middle school regional competition, Savannah Hoffman placed second in composition and Samuel Moore placed fourth in arts and humanities and  language arts to earn their spots at the state competition. High school senior Peyton Mills placed fourth in composition and is one of the top five competitors advancing to state in scenario writing. Senior Cailin McDonald will also be advancing after placing fourth in arts and humanities at the regional competition. 

Remembering Kobe Bryant

by Joseph Smith and JT Hall

Kobe Bean Bryant was an inspiration to many. That's why on January 28, 2020, when the news of his death swept the globe, everyone everywhere in some way, shape, or form was affected. Then an hour later the news came out that Gianna Bryant, his 13 year old daughter, was also in the helicopter crash along with 7 others. This tragedy affected many NBA players to the point where they started taking 24 second shot clock violations, 8 second violations (24 and 8 were his jersey numbers), and copying dunks Kobe had done. Teams left open seats in the stands for him and his daughter. Some teams gave out t-shirts that had his name and numbers and his daughters name and number. Teams would also wait for their game against the Lakers and show a tribute video in remembrance of his legacy.

From the moment Kobe entered the NBA he was a global phenomenon. Some of his accolades include winning five NBA championships, 2x scoring leader, 1x season MVP, 2x finals MVP, 15x all NBA team, 12x all defensive team, 18x all star, 4x all star game MVP, 1 NBA dunk champion, 26 50-point games, 6 60-point games, 2x olympic gold medalist, and 1 81-point game.

Kobe Bryant was one of those players that would let his opponents know that he was better than them, and he would go out and prove it. There was a week in March, 2007 where Kobe scored 50 points four times.

Jay Williams, a former NBA player, tells one of our favorite Kobe stories, Before a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, Williams decided to push himself to show up five hours early to get in practice. When he arrived, Bryant was already on the court. Williams proceeded to work out for more than an hour before leaving the court. Bryant was still practicing when he stopped, and Williams decided to watch from the sidelines.

“It’s not like his moves are nonchalant or lazy,” Williams recalled in the interview. “He’s doing like game moves.”

Finally, after an additional 25 minutes, Bryant went to the locker room to prepare for the game. The Lakers star went on to score and assist a total of 40 points during the game, according to Williams.

Williams said he was so impressed he felt compelled to ask Bryant why he worked as hard as he did that day. Williams recalls Bryant telling him, “I saw you come in and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work. I’m willing to work harder than you.” Kobe Bryant was so dominant on the court because of his work ethic and how much he believed in himself. That's why when he passed it shocked the world because he was a so many people's hero for the sole reason of how hard he worked for his accomplishments and didn't have them handed to him.

Recently the Lakers organization had a memorial for Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan gave a speech. He said, "When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. And as I look in this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died, or else you wouldn't be here. Those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from."

Kobe was an amazing father, and an amazing athlete. He was a great role model for future fathers and for athletes. For these reasons Kobe Bryant will never be forgotten and will be forever missed.

Barbourville High School and GEAR UP Determined to Invest in their Seniors

by Peyton Mills and Hunter Bargo

As the latest semester at Barbourville High School kicks into high-gear and classes begin anew, a handful of prospective students are continuing their education in a first for the school: a dual credit class through local Union College taught on campus, in an attempt to make such opportunities available to a wider variety of students. Despite this monumental step forward, however, there was one crucial detail left to examine, and it came in the form of payment. College courses are notoriously expensive, and while this particular class was much more affordable than a typical course, some students were concerned about having the money to pay. Indeed, the cost alone threatened the ability for many students to take the class our school had worked so hard to obtain.

Concerned, Brandon Simpson, the teacher at the helm of this project, set out to find a solution. He contacted Courtney Murphy, our GEAR UP coordinator, who immediately related to the issue and began working tirelessly to procure the funds in order to pay for any student willing to challenge themselves and take the class. “There’s no reason to pay for college when you can get scholarships that pay for it,” Murphy said on her reasoning, and with this year being GEAR UP’s first granting services to high school seniors, it was the perfect time to pitch funding this class to her supervisor.

Courtney Murphy (above) works through GEAR UP to help seniors
 with various post-graduation concerns. (Photo by Pamela Williams.)

GEAR UP has three major goals: to increase academic performance and preparation for postsecondary education; to increase rate of high school graduation and participation in postsecondary education; and to increase student educational aspirations and student and family knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation, and financing. Murphy stresses the importance of these goals not only for college, but also for careers outside of or instead of college. But ultimately, it is about supporting students no matter their choice to better themselves, and Murphy, Simpson, and GEAR UP alike showed this willingness in the most sincere and important of ways.

BIS Has "Club Day"

by Joshua Crawford

On February 11, Barbourville Independent had their first Club Day. Students were able to join a club of their choice. The clubs included basketball, board games, coffee, card games, dodgeball, creative writing, movie enthusiasts, music, school spirit, stress management, photography, weightlifting, trivia, video gaming, yoga, Spanish, games and more, and student technology leadership.

One purpose of club day was to give the option for students to be able to socialize with other classmates about a particular interest they shared. It was a good way for students to forget about the stresses of school and have fun. A full hour of the school day was dedicated to the clubs.

My fellow students have said that they really enjoyed club day and can’t wait to have it again. As for me in particular, I am a part of the movie enthusiasts club, and I really enjoyed it! We were provided popcorn as we watched the movie, and all around had a pretty fun time. I believe that club day is a very fun program we have at our school, and I can’t wait to have it again.

Creative Corner #2: Art & Poetry

This edition of creative corner features a watercolor called A Trek Through the Woods by Chante Brown, a junior at BIS. The picture is based on a scene from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. We also feature an untitled poem by Chante, who is one of the most talented artists and writers we have at BHS. The poem's content will ring true to anyone who plays video games.

A Trek Through the Woods by Chante Brown:

"Untitled" by Chante Brown

I think I've eaten my weight in Doritos
And drank my tears in Gatorade.
I collapse in this chair
Only three times a day.

That may not seem like much
But count the hours in between
And you'll be met with the gross, techno reality
Of your modern joystick king.

This self-deprecating attitude
Is the only way that I
Retain a bit of dignity
Despite this wasted time.

I've outlived most children
In my hour stats alone
And my kill streak is bigger
than anyone else's I know.

Despite my ear muff crown
I don't respect myself
Because this high cholesterol diet
Is detrimental to my health.

I eat and I eat
I game and I sleep
I'll win and I'll win
Until it's my turn to be reaped.

Students & Staff Dress to Support Mr. Hibbard

by Bville Buzz Staff

Several students and staff members took part in today's Superhero Day to support faculty member Stephen Hibbard. Here are just a few pictures:

 

Abbagail Smith Signs with Union College

by Bville Buzz Staff

2/13/20 -- Today, Barbourville Lady Tigers' point guard Abbagail Smith signed to play basketball at Union College.

Smith has been an integral part of the girls' program for the past six years. She has been a varsity starter since her arrival in seventh grade, and she has racked up 1457 points and 680 rebounds over that period. Several colleges have recruited Smith, but she decided to stay home and become a Bulldog.

Smith has an impressive list of accolades in her Barbourville Career, including the following:

• All "A" Classic All Tournament Team -- 2 years in middle school and all 4 years of high school.
• Joined the 1000 point club as a junior, becoming just the 8th Lady Tiger to have accomplished this feat.
• Named to the 51st District All Tournament Team and the All-13th Region Third Team in 2019.
• Chosen for multiple Kentucky All-Star teams and played on successful AAU teams in Kentucky and Tennessee.
• Received the All "A" Classic Scholarship and the WYMT Mountain Classic Scholarship.

In addition to her basketball achievements, Smith is also in the top 5% of her senior class with a 4.34 GPA. Teachers and coaches at Barbourville have often commented on her work ethic both on the court and in the classroom.