Each year, the Tennessee releases the state report card, which looks at each individual school
system and the overall academic progress. In 2012, Cookeville High School’s composite ACT
scores ranked at 21.3, while the state’s were a lesser 19.2. The attendance rate at CHS was a
pleasing 96.5%, while out graduation rate was 93.9%, with an increase of almost ten percent
from the previous year.
When interviewed, Mr. Ward said, “We administrators at CHS were so excited by the
information we received;...
December 6, 2012

By Sarah Nisbet
Ever wonder if you’re a hipster? Well for a quick self check ask yourself the question, “Do I like Mumford & Sons?” If your answer is yes, you just might be the embodiment of the increasingly vague definition of a hipster. However, the phrase is not mutually exclusive and not all who like the indie rock gods Mumford & Sons have to be a hipster, so don’t freak out. Whether hipster...
“All I want for Christmas is youuu!” But really, I’m dealing with heartbreak this holiday season. How can I take my mind off it?
Egg nog and candy canes.
What are some creative gift ideas?
Anything homemade. Or a giant stuffed giraffe. Your pick.
Thoughts on No Shave November—Are you glad it’s over?
Over? This face full of fur isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
What are you looking forward to most this holiday season?
Sweaters. Especially turtlenecks, although they have to be altered a...
By Abbie King
It’s almost Christmas break. The year is almost halfway over, which means the seniors are that
much closer to graduating. As seniors, I think our Christmas list should be the priority this year…
Dear Santa,
It’s hard to believe this is, technically, our last Christmas as children. We didn’t realize how
quickly this final year was approaching, and we didn’t appreciate the previous Christmases as
we should have. Can we be quite frank, Santa? We’re weary to see this major chapter...
By Justin Pearson
The sounds of shoes squeaking, and basketballs being dribbled on the gym floor are back again. The 2012 CHS boys basketball team has begun its season, and are eager for a big year this year. With six seniors returning for the Cavaliers, the boys are loaded with talent and experience. Mat Case, Trey Henderson, Lucas Ledbetter, Phoenix Roberts, Phillip Roper, and Elijah Scott are all ready to begin their final season at CHS and their hoping they can make this...

By Stone Fagan
Along with the new presence of fall weather and Thanksgiving, came the beloved Macy’s Day Parade. This year was the 86th annual parade and occurred on November 22 in New York at 9 a.m. EST. Boasting more than 3.5 million viewers along the parade route this year, and 50 million watching the televised broadcast, the 10,000 participants in the parade had quite an enormous crowd....
By Bethany Bray
The time of year when our houses smell of pine and cookies is right around the corner. That's right, friends, Christmas is almost here! Soon we will be violently tearing open presents from underneath our tree, and giving out hugs to family members who we are spending the holidays with. We will feel butterflies in the pits of our stomaches when we see our parents walking in the house with hands filled with shopping bags, hoping that the majority of the things in those bags are for...
By Cody Thompson
One of Cookeville High School’s own, Ms. Julie Smith, recently had a well-deserved
vacation to California. Ms. Smith left Nashville on Saturday, November 11th.
Accompanying her on this trip was her best friend of 35 years, Kelley Hudgens, who
resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Upon her arrival in Los Angeles California, the first place Ms. Smith visited was
California’s famous burger stop, In-N-Out Burger. Ms. Smith commented on this
burger stop saying that, “It was delicious…I ate there...
By Matt Billings
The sound of easy listening Christmas music, the smell of gingerbread cookies, the feeling of semi-itchy sweaters, all of these are synonymous with Christmas traditions in America, and lest we forget, good ol’ Santa bringing us some well deserved gifts via the fireplace. What else, though, do people do during this beloved holiday season? Every continent and almost every single country has its own way of celebrating Christmas.
Let’s first take a look at the Christmas traditions...
By Scott Proffitt
In the famous words of Michael Buffer, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” It’s time to strap on
the head gear and roll out the mats because wrestling season is here again! Now that the football
season has reached its conclusion, Coach Cook is geared and ready for the wrestling season.
When asked about the transition from football to wrestling, Coach Cook replied, “Being head
coach of football and of wrestling both entail much of the same things as far as preparation goes.
The only difference...
By Abbie King
It has come to my attention that manners and etiquette as a whole are recently being pushed
to the wayside. More specifically, though, I have observed the etiquette and poise young ladies
once carried themselves with is being continuously disregarded. Although I do understand that
some girls don’t want to appease sexism by falling into the stereotype of a “girl,” I believe there
is a huge difference between a girl and a lady. A girl cares what others think. A girl lets others
influence...

By Sarah Foy
Kony 2012. You watched the video, you saw the facebook statuses. If
you’re like me, your heart broke to see a man, Joseph Kony, abduct hundreds of
children and force them to kill their parents and fight in the Lord’s Resistance
Army in this war waging across Africa. And, if you’re like me, you wanted to know
what was being done to help these children. Exile International is a program...
By Rachel Fox
The girl’s basketball team looks promising this year. The CHS senior girls are Hannah Goolsby (#24), Sydney Robinson (#11), and Libby Ligon (#5). The junior girls are Alison Odom (#21) and Sydney Marek (#25). Sophomore girls are Haylie Kieth (#1), Syvannah Mayberry (#30), Merriel Craighead (#32), and Kylie Oliphant (#22). Freshman girls are Karagan Turner (#10) and Toiya Gwynn (#20). With the fantastic leadership of coach Mindy Odom and assistant coaches Janie Brock and Michelle Snow,...

By Rogerr Festerr Nolan
Cookeville High School is home to many interesting, if not peculiar, inhabitants. Among
the coolest of these kids, though, is Joshua Thomas Groves, a Junior. Just what makes Josh
cool you may ask? I set
out to find out myself and boy was I surprised at what I found.
Well for one thing, he is quite good at kayaking. “I’m actually training to be on the Junior
Olympic kayak...

By Josh Huddleston
The CHS Interact Club held its 15th annual Blood Drive on Thursday, November 15th. Set up began at 7:15 in the Mezzanine, and the Blood
Drive started at 8:00 and ran until 1:00. Students that signed up were
assigned a time to come give blood. On average, between 75 to 90 units of blood are
donated each year, this year's donation coming in at 86- enough to save 258...

By Beth Kelly
Swim season here at CHS is in full swing, beginning in November and
closing near the end of January. The swim team practices five days
a week, either before or after school. Practice includes: running,
swimming; distance (testing to see how far you can swim in a certain
amount of time), pulls, and kicks (different types of strength exercises
for their arms and legs) in order to succeed...

By Sarah Nisbet
“Just hear those sleigh bells ringing and jing ting tingaling too. Come on its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.” I can almost hear the content sighs as the spirit of Christmas transforms the world into a winter wonderland for a few short months. However, I’m sure I’m not the only one to have heard those songs even before Halloween, and we all know the Christmas fanatics...

By Destiny Rector
Every year, CHS takes an afternoon to display the talent it offers in the annual Talent Show. The Talent Show was put together by the Choral Department and the Student Congress and was held on November 20th in the gymnasium. The cost to attend was $3, and it was held following a shortened fourth block. There were many amazing acts this year with students from all different walks...
December 3, 2012

By Kayla Hardin
Every year here at CHS we elect Senior Superlatives. This is where we spotlight some of our seniors for achieving high and representing the very best our school has to offer.
Mr and Miss Cavalier
Mr. and Miss Cavalier : Coleman Hawkins and Shelby Enochs
Mr and Miss Senior Class: John Gleason and Bailey Rose
Most Likely to Succeed: Coleman Hawkins and Colleen...

By Jenna Lee Stevens
On September 12, 2012, scientists announced the discovery of a new monkey species, the Lesula, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The unfamiliar, brightly colored primate has a naked face with a think blond mane, red patch on its lower back, and aquamarine buttocks. Lesula monkeys typically weigh 12 pounds and measure around 20 inches. While new insect...
November 7, 2012

By Erica Dial
Halloween has just passed us, and the Charger staff thought it appropriate to take a look at the origins of Halloween, or All Hallows' Eve, as it was originally called. The word Halloween was first used in the sixteenth century and represents a Scottish variant of All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Hallows' Day. Despite pagan roots, the etymology of the word is strictly Christian.
Scholars...
November 2, 2012

By Matt Billings and Cody Thompson
America. Many people regard this great land as the home of freedom, also home of guns, baseball, and perhaps most important of all, the hot chicken wing. Of the many great restaurants parceled throughout this great land, one of the most prominent to serve the mystical hot chicken wing is the treasure that is Buffalo Wild Wings. Founded in 1981, in...
October 15, 2012
By Ryan Eberle
Last Friday the Cavaliers had much to be excited about, except for the final outcome of the game. The Cavaliers came into the game as a huge underdog, predicted by some people to lost by as many as 40 points to 6A No.7 ranked Mt. Juliet. Mt. Juliet (6-1) had only one loss coming into the game, which came against Beech who had previously beaten the Cavaliers 56-0.
However, despite everyone’s expectations, Cookeville was the team that came out firing on all cylinders. ...

By Sarah Foy
While you were reading the political arguments on Facebook (or joining in on them yourself), you might have missed a new candidate gracing the world of YouTube: Kid President.
He’s the self appointed voice for his generation, and he always tells it like it is. With a few hundred views on his YouTube channel, Kid President had a humble beginning, but soon the world took...
September 24, 2012

By Caleb King
The Expendables 2
The expendable 2 is the sequels to the 2010 film the expendables.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck
Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van
Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger one would think that
the expendables would be high adrenalin action from beginning to end with
a thread bare...
By Gray Forrester
We’ve all done it. You’re walking down the hall when you hear
something that makes you stop and just go, “Huh? Did I really
just hear that?”. After some intense research, and more than
couple phrases and words I wish I hadn’t heard, here is a list of
some of the more memorable hallway phrases from this school
year.
Dude. You should’ve seen my dog dance last night!
Why are you only wearing one shoe?
Oh, here’s some incoming traffic *beep beep*
Dangit! I could’ve sworn today...
A new school year, a new start. And a new Charger editor, Colleen Ryan, bringing many prodigious changes to our CHS Charger paper and staff. Perhaps most remarkable of all is the setup of the online edition of the Charger- a first for the newspaper. Miss Ryan proudly states, “It's just the beginning for the Charger. You can expect many more important changes to come.”
So what is so important about the online edition of the Charger? Just about everything! Not only...

By Abbie King
When describing their dream man, most ladies list the typical qualities they look for, such as handsome, funny, and compassionate. A quality many women search for but do not admit to, however, is well dressed. It is almost embarrassing to admit to liking a well dressed fellow because it appears silly and shallow. I, on the other hand, am not ashamed to admit that how a guy dresses...
By Cody Thompson
HOSA, meaning Health Occupations Students of America, is a nationwide club for students interested in having an occupation in the medical field. HOSA’s mission is to “enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing
opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health science technology education students, therefore, helping students to meet the needs of the health care community.” HOSA will be doing a fundraiser...

By Alana Farley
Is your outfit complete? There are many ways that you can make your outfit complete using
accessories. Fashion accessories can be held or worn. Worn accessories are
accessories such as jewelry, jackets, ties, belts, sunglasses, etc. Carried accessories include
handbags and clutches.
Earrings come in various shapes and sizes. Even though mostly females wear earrings,
males...

I always procrastinate and fail to give 100% towards my school work. Any advice?
-Those who settle for the low hanging branches miss out on the bountiful leaves high up above.
I want to be creative when asking the girl/boy I like to the dance. How?!
-You can never go wrong with an oversized stuffed animal!
I’m a Senior who is struggling with college decisions and I can’t choose. Help!
-Go for...
September 21, 2012
By Sarah Nisbet
You’ve heard his voice every day, but who is he? Surprisingly, few students at CHS know that the Student Body President, John Gleason, is on the announcements every day at 8:00 and at the beginning of lunch. He is also in charge of the entire Student Congress, one of the busiest student organizations at Cookeville High School. With 44 members, the group is responsible for the Homecoming Week schedule and organizing activities throughout the year...
By Bethany Bray
Our generation is at a coming of age where we will never know an Internet- free existence. We will never know what it's like to phone a friend at 10:00 p.m. and politely ask if it's too late to call. We will never know what it's like to ride our bike over to our neighbor's house to ask for a cup of sugar for the cookies that our mother is baking. We won't understand the humor that our parents will talk about in the scene of “Clueless” where Cher and Dionne find each...

By Jenna Lee Stevens
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, rated PG-13, is based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, hits select movie theatres on September 21st. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a must-see film.
The plot involves a teenager under the alias of “Charlie,” who narrates his coming-of-age experiences through a...

By Beth Kelly
As you may know, there are many different kinds of people in this world whether it be your average Joe or even a set of twins or triplets. At Cookeville High School there are three boys, Seth, Noah, and Zack Crum, who are triplets! Seth, Noah, and Zack were born on July 11 1996, in Lafayette, Indiana. They shortly after moved to Cookeville. This past July, they...

By Aaron Phillips
In the spotlight this issue is that of Mrs. Kim Pack, a favorite of students in the science department we have here at CHS and winner of teacher of the year for 2010. I sat down to interview Mrs. Pack on her career in education and her opinions on famous science educators.
Q: When did you know that you wanted to go into the field of education?
A: In my sophomore year...

By Alex Camuti
There are many Cavaliers whose parents also spend their days at CHS.
I discussed with Bethany Bray, junior, what she thought about having parents that work in the same school she attends. She told me that it is pretty convienent because she can always find them when she needs help on something or wants to ask them a question. Bethany also told me that she might have mixed feelings...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)