vol XC
510 13th St. Cullman, AL 35055
The Hilight
issue 05
SPRING EDITION
The Newspaper of Cullman High School
April 3, 2025
Go Fish: Interview Better Things to do With Your Time A guide to stop doomscrolling with Mrs. Boyd
CHS’s dedicated fishing team sponsor Elianna Hollis, Staff Writer
How does one go about coaching fishing? There isn’t an actual coach; I hold the sole role of sponsor of both middle and high school fishing teams. We actually have more anglers competing from the middle school than the high school currently. I handle all the logistics, health insurance, boating insurance, etc. How did you become the fishing team sponsor? When the previous coach left, I became sponsor; additionally, my child will be coming into high school next year and wants to be on the fishing team. I couldn’t let the team fade away because they didn’t have a sponsor. What is your role at competitions? I stay on land so that I can be the emergency contact for the anglers and boat captains; I am there to represent the school in case of emergency and for communication purposes. How do you balance being the mom of a competitor and the team sponsor? You can’t cheer on or even watch your child during the competition; similarly to other sports, anglers are granted points, individually and as a team (high school only), the better the individual does, the better it is for the team; there’s nothing I can do to really help my child or give him any kind of unfair advantage. Where do you compete? We compete at tournaments on lakes all over the state of Alabama, sometimes locally at Smith Lake. One of the best things is being able to travel and experience more of our state, especially competing at state parks.
Aubrey Shaddrix, Staff Writer
In the past few months, we’ve somehow survived the potential banning of TikTok. Although the actual crisis was short-lived and literally lasted less than 24 hours, it still scared the entire teenage population an almost over-dramatic amount. Things like this have made me reconsider a lot, especially on how I’m spending my time. This has in turn exposed an important addiction of mine: my phone. I’m not going to write in the paper and appeal to every Gen X parent who thinks their kids are lazy and glued to their phones, but I think we should all have some open-mindedness of the fact we spend too much of our time doom scrolling on whatever platform we dedicate ourselves to. The “banning” of TikTok motivated me to push myself in a different direction and take a break from my phone to spend more time with myself. So, here are some hobbies you can pick up to simply find something better to do with your time.
Journaling Feel like being the next Jo March? Spend some time with yourself and start journaling. It doesn’t have to be anything Kafka level, journaling is a pretty cool way to vent how awful or great your day may have been. You could even write some targeted letters to whoever may be upsetting
Guitar If you feel like being the most pretentious and the coolest person in the room, learn guitar. Nothing feels better than finally knowing how to play one of your favorite songs, and if you learn enough whiny Midwest emo music you may just land a job at a coffee shop and receive the indie sleeze care package, consisting of a beanie, goatee, and glasses you don’t need. On a serious note, guitar has been one of my favorite hobbies I’ve picked up this year and I’ve also noticed the increasing amount of guitar holding dwellers in the hallways, you might as well join them.
Record Collecting & Thrifting If you got the money in your pocket, visit some nearby record stores like Blue Moon Records in Hanceville and The Spinning Groove in Arab. I know we’re in the age of Spotify and Apple Music, but pressing a button isn’t nearly as satisfying as putting a needle on one of your favorite vinyls. Local Thrift stores like Finders Keepers also have crazy record collections, most of which are cheaper than a month of Spotify premium.
Earl Hickey and Blue Collar Culture
One hickey to another
Become a Secret Academic Weapon If you feel like you’ve been spending all your time glued to your phone idolizing the marketing girls and future doctors on the internet, take some initiative and put more time into your own education. There’s a lot of pride that comes with moving that GPA up just a few numbers; because let’s be honest, John Baylor can’t do everything for us. If you need some extra motivation I suggest rewatching Gilmore Girls for the 4th time while struggling through the homework you don’t see a point doing anymore.
A Culture of Corruption
The trouble within the Hanceville Police Department Earl Hickey, the protagonist of “My Mack Rudder, Co-Editor
Dane Mauldin, Staff Writer
Name Is Earl,” embodies the essence of blue-collar America. Played by Jason Lee, Earl is a small-time criminal...
Continued on page 10
The police department of the small town of Hanceville has recently found itself in big trouble after the.... Continued on page 4
Why Do I Have Writer’s Block?
Blah blah blah...
Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer
As someone who is in multiple extracurriculars and AP classes, I can wholeheartedly say that writer’s block is a real thing. Throughout this... Continued on page 20