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Flying High in Branson
There is always something new in Branson, and an HTV crew found out for themselves when they spent a few hours zipping through the trees just north of the city. The story is one of nine segments shot in and around highway 76 in Branson by the incoming staff of "HTV Magazine." Students shot the entire show in five hours. The "Branson Zipline and Canopy Tours" opened in early May. Visitors pay anywhere from 40 to 100 dollars to zip along a variety of high wires running through the picturesque setting of Ozarks hills and trees. The day begins with orientation, where safety is discussed and equipment is	checked thoroughly. Then visitors ride about ten minutes to the first platform from where thy are "launched." The zipline staff went through over 40 hours of intense training just before opening day, and customers said they felt very safe during the tour. The longest zipline is about 1,000 feet in length, well over three football fields long. HTV reporter Levi Harrell and photographer Jodie Putman got to do all seven tours, with Putman actually shooting point-of-view video as she rode along the wire. Just getting to the platform can be a bit harrowing if you do not like walking across a suspension bridge. "Then you have to	watch your speed, because you can come in too fast, and actually bounce back to the middle of the zipline," said Harrell, who watched on customer in his group do just that. If you get stuck, a member of the zipline staff has to rescue you by sliding to your position, then slowly pulling you up to the platform. Another way to "get high" at this location is by taking the "free fall," dropping straight down from over 100 feet in the air. Top|Home

HTV, TFS Celebrate at Banquet
Over 140 students and parents attended the annual HHS Media Awards Banquet in late May as members of the "HTV Magazine" and "The Friday Show" staffs were honored for their work during the past school year. There were 18 categories, and senior Lindsey Hale was the night's top winner with four awards including Photographer of the Year. The hosts were Josh Barratt, Bart Lairmore and Taylor Sade, members of the TFS staff. They introduced student presenters and kept the program moving. The evening began with dinner in the Hillcrest cafeteria. An hour later, the crowd moved across the street to the CBC recital hall for the awards program. Six new members of the HTV Hall of Fame were inducted: Fran Olive, Sarah Skinner, Mehleena Edmonds, Alex Tabor, Rob Lyons and Curtis Thomas. Highlights of their careers on HTV were featured in four-minute video tributes that touched on the serious, and not-so-serious moments from their years on the staff. The banquet closed with Lori Reed Collier, director of the HTV Alumni Association, announcing the winner of the annual HTV alumni scholarship. This year senior Chelsea Peebles received a new MacBook computer after a panel of former HTVers selected her based on her video portfolio and essay. She beat out six other appllicants, all of whom Reed said had "outstanding submissions." The 21st HHS Media Awards Banquet was one of the three largest, according to long-time adviser Dave Davis. The 1995 and 2002 affairs also drew over 140 attendees, according to Davis.	"We had a great night, and it's tough to see some very talented kids go home empty-handed. But the night was really about looking back a the year, and having a lot of fun," said Davis. Part of the "fun" was a 15-minute compilation of the best moments from TFS, which drew loud laughs from the crowd numerous times. TFS Best Humorous Feature Keith Reynolds Nate Kittleman Best Music Video Brad Thomas Levi Skinner Morgan Wilson Best Performance in a Feature Taylor Sade Best Edit, TFS Segment Keith Reynolds Best Promo Bart Lairmore Josh Barratt Taylor Sade	HTV Best News Story Olivia Tinkler, Caleb Hames Best News Feature, Short Form Kendra Edmonds, Chelsy Rea Best News Feature, Long Form Chelsea Peebles, Lindsey Hale Kelsi Moos Best Commentary Keith Reynolds Best Chatroom Caleb Hames, Kelton Russell Outstanding Photography Single Segment Lindsey Hale, Kelsi Moos Best Broadcast I Story Kalynn Kelley, Sarah Thomas Outstanding Writing, Single Segment Ali Randolph Best HTV Blog (tie) Kaitlynn Keller, Chelsey Choate Photographer of the Year Lindsey Hale Best Edit, Single Segment Lindsey Hale, Chelsea Peebles Kelsi Moos Reporter of the Year, HTV Chelsea Peebles Best Anchor, HTV Kendra Edmonds Top|Home

Strong Hearts
Gary Wilson was in Germany, making his way home from a mission trip to India in early February when at the age of 45, he had a near-fatal heart attack. His family was thousands of miles away when they got the news. "At first I just kind of stood there, not able to breath or really respond, because Gary's always the one charge, he's always got it all together. He's not overweight, he's healthy, he eats good," said wife Lisa Wilson. The Wilsons' two daughters, senior Ashley and sophomore Morgan, both attend Hillcrest. Reporter Kendra Edmonds talked to them about almost losing their father, and being so far away, unable to help. "He kept saying, it's going to be okay, I'm going to be fine. Just promise me,	no matter what, that you're going to take care of your mom and your sister for me," said Ashley, recalling a tearful conversation over the phone with her father, who was in the hospital awaiting a procedure. "I promised him I would." Wilson said, "I talked to Ashley again, and she said, 'Dad, don't worry about us, just worry about getting well.' And that was great because I was more worried about them than I was myself." For Morgan, it was simple. "I wanted my dad home, and then everything was going to be fine," she said. There was a cardiology hospital treating Wilson, and he said he felt all along that he was going to be okay. But he didn't know how close of a call his attack had	actually been. That information came when he returned to home and visited doctors in Springfield. "The artery that was blocked is called your 'widow maker,' because nobody lives through it," said Ashley. "The doctor said his heart was 95 percent blocked, and they don't know how he lived." Now Wilson exercises more, and takes several medications to keep him on the road to a full recovery. This Director of Missions for High Street Baptist Church won't be down for long, according to his wife. "I couldn't keep him back if I wanted to, but he'll be out of the country again in six months, probably," said Lisa. Top|Home

Formally Yours
An effort to take the financial sting out of prom season has given hundreds of girls a chance to go to prom in style. "Formally Yours" is a project of United Way of the Ozarks, but it was actually R-12 Superintendent Dr. Norm Ridder's idea. He made local volunteers aware of the many teenagers who could not afford to purchase the kind of formal wear expected at prom. United Way jumped in to help, starting in the spring of 2009. "Our goal is to meet their needs. We want to have any color and size to choose from," said Raylene Appleby, the Formally Yours Director. "We have beautiful dresses	that are donated by the bridal shops and formal wear. Some is slightly used, and comes from some lovely shops here in town." In addition to the dresses, Formally Yours provided shows, accessories, and on-the-spot alterations. "I knew it would be a really good opportunity for me to find a dress. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have one," said Parkview student Kaci Shelton. She said the experience was that much better thanks to the enthusiasm of the volunteers. "They are just so eager to make you look	beautiful on this special day, this last high school moment," said Shelton. This year's event was for girls from Parkview, Central and Hillcrest. Donations are accepted throughout the year for the project, which will be back in 2011. Appleby summed it up. "We just want it to be a fun experience, and help a lot of young ladies get to go to prom." Top|Home

Sparks Says "Goodbye" to HHS
She's been a fixture at Hillcrest since the mid-80s, but now, history teacher Beth Sparks is retiring and moving into another phase of her life. After growing up as an "army brat," and finding it difficult to make friends due to frequent moves, Sparks stayed in one place long enough to graduate from high school in Kennett, MO. From there she traveled to Springfield to attend Southwest Missouri State University, and eventually landed a full-time teaching job at Hillcrest after subbing at the school for an extended period in 1984. Her early students at HHS will remember her as an English teacher, but she eventually moved to the history department where she taught various classes, including AP Psychology, which was more or less her specialty. She says she never really wanted to leave HHS, so she didn't.	"I just think there is a real sense here that we're a family, and we're going to take care of each other," Sparks told HTV reporter Olivia Tinkler. "I've been very, very lucky over the years. I've met some of my very best friends at Hillcrest." Sparks and French teacher Nancy Galbraith became best friends through the years as they took numerous student groups overseas during spring break. They have seen a lot of the world, and made if possible for many HHS students to do the same. But Sparks said she will remember the things her students gave her during the last 25 years. "I've gotten a lot more back from the students than I've ever given to them. They've taught me so much about patience, kindness, the compassion I've seen them use with other students," said Sparks.	Sparks showed Tinkler a box of old photos and notes from students that she has accumulated over the course of the last 25 years. They reveal a change in hairstyles and fashions, but most of all, they remind her of a career well-spent with students she cared about. Now she will move onto to some other "kids," including her own children and grandchildren. There are still classrooms in her future. Sparks says she will teach some history classes in the fall at OTC. But right now, her full-time teaching days at HHS are drawing to a close. "I'm just getting tired," she said with a smile. Top|Home