Their show is titled “Break,” and the group is led by James Sparling.

The actual State Orchestra Contest for Fairmont’s Orchestras will be held the following week on Feb. 24. Times for this event have not been decided yet. For more information, contact Richard Wright in the Music Office or at richard.wright@ketteringschools.org.

Fairmont juniors Kylie Kaylor and Morgan Goetz both had their artwork featured in the calendar and they each won $250. Kaylor’s art is featured on the cover and for the month of June, and Goetz’s art is featured for January. Freshman Joe Carroll won $25 and an Honorable Mention.

Gentile will be heading to Ohio University in Athens to run cross country. VonderBrink and White will take their field hockey experience to the next level, too. VonderBrink will play for  The Ohio State University in Columbus, and White will compete for Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Some folks may be ready for football season to end, but die-hard fans like me are a bit sad. I have an idea that would make the NFL season longer, and that would be to have the Super Bowl be a best of 7 series like all of the other championships. And with the best of 7 series, the Pro Bowl would be worth something to win. The Pro Bowl-winning conference would earn “home field” advantage for its Super Bowl contender. OK, it’ll never happen, but hey … a guy can dream, can’t he?

AFC wins Pro Bowl, 59-41

I thought the NFC was going to walk away with the game by going up 14 points in a span of 9 seconds (both touchdowns thrown to Larry Fitzgerald). But the AFC came roaring back, scoring 28 unanswered points to tie the game at the break, 28 all. And when the third quarter hit, the AFC just couldn’t be stopped. The AFC scored 10 points in the third quarter compared to the NFC’s 7 to take a 38-35 lead heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter was a blowout. The AFC tacked on three more touchdowns, including one that was intercepted by Kansas City Chiefs inside-linebacker Derrick Johnson and returned for 60 yards. With the AFC’s win, they tied the record with the NFC for 21 wins in the Pro Bowl (both teams are 21-21).

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and rookie wide receiver AJ Green both played well in the game, with Dalton going 7 of 9 for 99 total passing yards and two touchdowns (both to game MVP Brandon Marshall, who caught six balls for 174 yards and a total of four touchdowns in the game). Dalton also had the best quarterback rating of all six quarterbacks who played in the game with a 152.1. AJ Green caught two balls for 42 yards, one being a wide-open 34-yard touchdown.

A Super Bowl Trivia Quiz

Here is some Super Bowl trivia that I dug up, and believe me, I dug it up. Some of the questions may come easy and some may be really brain-teasing, but give it a try. The answers appear at the end of the column.

1.  Who is going to win the 46^th Super Bowl?  

     A) New England Patriots; B) New York Giants

2.  Which player has won the most Super Bowls?

     A) Peyton Manning; B) Chuck Haley; C) Tom Brady; D) Jerry Rice

3.  Which of the following teams has never been to the Super Bowl?

     A) Tennessee Titans; B) Carolina Panthers; C) Cleveland Browns; D) San Diego Chargers

4. Which team has appeared in the most Super Bowls?

     A) Dallas Cowboys; B) Pittsburgh Steelers; C) San Francisco 49ers; D) New England Patriots

5. Which legendary coach has coached in the most Super Bowls?

     A) Tom Landry; B) Chuck Noll; C) Joe Gibbs; D) Don Shula

6. Which coach has won the most Super Bowls?

     A) Don Shula; B) Chuck Noll; C) Bill Belichick; D) Tom Landry

7. True or False: A player from the losing team was named Super Bowl MVP.

8. What venue has hosted the most Super Bowls?

     A) the Miami area; B) New Orleans; C) Tampa; D) Dallas

9.  Which team has won the most Super Bowls?

     A) Pittsburgh Steelers; B) New England Patriots; C) Dallas Cowboys; D) Miami Dolphins

10. Which team has the most Super Bowl MVP Award winners?

     A) Pittsburgh Steelers; B) Dallas Cowboys; C) New England Patriots; D) San Francisco 49ers

11. Which position been awarded the most Super Bowl MVPs?

     A) running back; B) wide receiver; C) quarterback; D) linebacker

Anticipation for the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLVI will take place this Sunday just a couple of hours west of Dayton at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kelly Clarkson will begin the singing with the National Anthem, and Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will perform American the Beautiful. Most fans hope Clarkson actually knows the words to the National Anthem, unlike Christina Aguilera, who missed a couple of lines and then still tried to finish the song last year. At least this year they have a good singer.

The Super Bowl halftime show will feature Madonna, Cirque du Soleil, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., LMFAO and Cee Lo Green. Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show, which featured The Black Eyed Peas, Usher and Slash, was probably one of the worst Super Bowl shows in recent years. It was so bad, it even made the halftime shows by The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers look good by comparison.

But besides the entertainment, the game will feature its fair share of exciting performances, too. But like any other Super Bowl, it’s likely to be a close game until about the fourth quarter. That’s when the New York Giants will start to turn on the gas, but it will be too little too late. That’s why the Patriots need to build up a big enough lead so when the fourth quarter hits and Eli Manning comes to life, they won’t have to worry that much.

My Super Bowl pick

New York Giants 28 @ New England Patriots 38

Trivia Answers

Here are the answers to the Super Bowl Trivia from above.

1)  OK, we don’t know the answer to this one yet. But you know who I think will win.

2)  B. Chuck Haley has won five Super Bowls, two with the Dallas Cowboys and three with the San Francisco 49ers. 

3)  C. Cleveland Browns

4)  A and B. The Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers have both appeared in eight Super Bowls.

5)  D. Don Shula has coached in six Super Bowls, but he went 2-4.

6)  B. Chuck Noll went 4-0 in his Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

7)  True. Chuck Haley won the MVP when his Dallas Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V.

8)  A. The Miami area has hosted 13 Super Bowls. Next comes New Orleans, which will host its 13th Super Bowl in 2013.

9)  A. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls; they are 6-2 all time in the Big Game.

10)  B. Someone from the Dallas Cowboys has won Super Bowl MVP seven times.

11) C. The quarterback position has won the award 24 times.

Junior Chelsea Welch tallied 15 points and 7 rebounds, and freshman Shea Morgan added 11 points in the win.

Along with the carnations, Aerie also will be selling candy for $2, and the candy can be  delivered to the advisory of your choosing on Valentine’s Day.

Fairmont High School reports that 36 members of the Class of 2012 graduated in January. In addition, at least three juniors have declared their intention to graduate at the end of this school year.

The number of students graduating early has been rising over the past 10 years, and Fairmont Guidance Counseling Department Chair David Elliott has an idea to why this is happening.

“A few early grads who are 18 years old tell me that they’re earning money to pay living expenses, and some are moving out of their homes and living independently. Also, many of these students are starting college in January, getting half a year of course work completed by the end of the regular school year,” he said. “Nearly all of them are working part-time or even full-time to earn money for college or living expenses and a few have enlisted in the military and have headed off to basic training.”

Although this decision may sound difficult for some students, the process is actually quite simple. Elliott says there are just a few steps students have to take to begin the process.

“To start the process, students usually come either the end of their junior year if they’re graduating early their senior year, or at the end of their sophomore year if they’re graduating early their junior year. They must get an early graduation form from their counselor’s office,” Elliott said. “But if students feel at the last minute, such as after winter break of their junior year, that they want to graduate early, they’re still welcome to talk to their counselor and discuss graduating early.”

Because these students have to earn the same 21.5 credits required of all other graduates, they must take the time to fill out the form, which must be signed by the early graduates’ parents as well. “We feel that parents should be required to sign the form because it’s important they know what is going on in their child’s educational life and are on the same page with their child’s decisions,” said Elliott.

Elliott said counselors not only help the students through the paperwork and formalities of the process, they try to mentor these students as well. “Mainly, our jobs as counselors are to review our students’ transcripts to ensure eligibility for graduation and to help students make the best decisions about their schedules and plans for higher education and careers,” he said.

Reasons for graduating early

Each student who chooses to get his diploma early has specific reasons for doing so. Tyler Edmondson, who left Fairmont midway through his senior year and began at Sinclair Community College on Jan. 9, simply wants to get a head start in his life. “I’m graduating early so I can start college earlier and be able to work more,” he said.

After it’s all said and done, though, Edmondson knows his decision won’t be so simple. “Since I’m 17, I don’t get financial aid, so I’ll have to balance two jobs with college in order to pay for my classes,” he said. “Also, it’s kind of a bummer that I won’t be able to see all of my friends because I’ll be so busy.”

Edmondson says he knows his life won’t be easy at first, but he’ll always be working to complete his goals. “I plan to go to Sinclair for two years and then transfer to the University of Cincinnati,” he said.

While some students work to get a head start on achieving their goals, others have to take on new and unknown challenges in order to even go to college. Senior Lauren Lee finished early in order to join the military. “The job that I want to do in the Army is only available if I leave in February,” she said.

Since money is a main priority when it comes to going to college, some students have to do extra work to get money for school. Lee has decided that the Army will help her in the end. “I really want to go to college and receive my doctorate, but I don’t have the money to pay for all the schooling,” she said. “I also would love to travel, so I figured joining the Army will help me do everything that I wish to do.”

Weighing the pros and cons

For some students, graduating early during senior year isn’t early enough; they decide to start talking to their counselors during their sophomore year and graduate at the end of their junior year. Junior Shannon Brown was interested by this idea and took action.

“I’ve always been very driven and felt like I’m stuck a few steps behind where I want to be,” said Brown. “Also, I have not enjoyed high school at all. So when I discovered that I had enough credits to graduate without taking any extra classes and still get an honors diploma; it was an easy decision to make.”

Brown also feels her decision allows her to end her high school career on a good note. “I don’t have to write a senior research paper and I have two semesters’ worth of exams I don’t have to take to take,” she said. “A lot of people think that I’m missing out on being a real senior, but you still get all the senior perks and experiences.”

But Fairmont English Department Chair Penni Meyer feels teens who skip their senior year may end up regretting it. “If students are going to college, they’re hurting themselves by not learning the process of how to write a research paper and document sources correctly,” she said. “If students see avoiding the research paper as a ‘perk,’ then they’re not looking at the long-term benefits of a thorough education.”

The fantasy of leaving high school ahead of other students may appeal to some students, but there are still some disadvantages. “When graduating early, you miss out on quite a bit, like senior prom, senior pranks, walking (if you’re not walking) and the rest of your childhood,” said Lee. “In a way, I’m being rushed into my adulthood.”

Edmondson agrees and feels teens who graduate early do grow up faster than other students. “Unfortunately, you face the reality of growing up and actually starting a future immediately after high school,” he said. “Not being able to spend time with all your friends is really tough, too.” He added, however, that he thinks it will all work out once he gets used to his new schedule.

At the end of the day, Elliott feels most students should graduate with their class. “With all the extracurricular activities and experiences Fairmont offers that can really help shape students, I feel students staying in high school for all four years is an excellent idea,” he said.

But Elliott also acknowledges that some students have special circumstances. “I do believe it’s a good thing that Fairmont offers the option of students’ graduating early because of the flexibility it provides and how well it represents our diverse population.”

Fairmont hosts the GWOC Championships on Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4 at Trent Arena. The competition on Friday starts at 5:30 p.m. and starts on Saturday at 10 a.m.