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FEATURES | daydriana rankin

“TELLING THE TRUTH”


New Year’s
Resolution
Student Daydriana Rankin
stands up for Hattiesburg High

D TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VALERIE WELLS

Daydriana Rankin, 16, decided 2010 will be


the year she challenges stereotypes about
Hattiesburg High School. She’s a busy junior
with a bright future, but she will make time.
“Get to know my Hattiesburg High School.
We are not what everybody thinks we are,” she
said.
Rankin is tired of going to her little brother’s
soccer matches and people asking her about
“It’s ridiculous.”
It’s more than just idle talk on the soccer field
that riles Daydriana Rankin. It’s the local media
that she believes creates negative impressions of
Hattiesburg High. Last year, when a gun was
found on campus, several news reports focused
on crime at HHS while promoting positive activ-
ities at surrounding schools. She said it was a
misunderstanding that took on sinister implica-
gangs at Hattiesburg High. tions.
“There are cliques at every school,” Rankin “The situation was taken too far and got
said. But she doesn’t see any gang activity at blown out of proportion, making the front page
Hattiesburg High. of newspapers and being the talk of the local
“Our discipline is very strict. People think we news media,” Rankin said.
are running around here, that doesn’t happen,” “I’m sure that negative things happen at all
she said as a class of quiet teenagers filed by on schools, but I have never seen those stories in
their way to lunch on the quiet HHS campus. the news. It was then when I began to realize

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that we rarely get news cover- trig, Spanish II, AP English and pening at Hattiesburg High.
age about all of the positive orchestra. She has to practice He’s proud of her graphic art.
things that happen at HHS.” her violin for the upcoming Her daddy calls her “DayDay.”
Instead of digging up dirt on Christmas concert that includes She listens to all kinds of
Oak Grove High or Petal High, a five-act piece of music. She’s music from classical to country,
Rankin prefers to take the high in BETA Club, the National but her favorite is pop. She
road and accentuate positive Honor Society, Student Council, loves to eat strawberries. She
achievements at Hattiesburg Future Business Leaders of shops for clothes at Forever21
High that don’t get much press. America, Poetry in Motion Club, and Charlotte Russe. Her
“I wish that people could see Hattiesburg Del-Teen, Southern favorite books include “Things
all of the success produced at Mississippi Youth Orchestra, Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
our school. We have so many Spanish Club and Forrest and “Anthem” by Ayn Rand.
successful and talented students General Spirit Girls. She’s con- She writes poetry.
who are only striving to do bet- templating a run for student Before she attended HHS,
ter,” she said. “For example, did body president this spring. Rankin heard plenty of nega-
you know how great our foren- She’s also competing in the tive comments about the
sics team is? Or have you ever Forrest County Junior Miss pro- school.
heard our chamber and concert gram and trying to get her room “Later when I actually
orchestra? Or have you visited painted the right shade of pur- entered ninth grade and com-
some of our great vocational ple. pared the talk of outside
classes?” “After school I always have observers to the actual every-
She admits she has seen a some kind of meeting, practice, day actions of the school, I
small shift in the media cover- or something to do and after began to realize that a lot of the
age of HHS this year, but wants finally arriving home I have a outside talk was over-exagger-
to see more positive stories and long list of homework to do all ated or untrue,” Rankin said.
more consistency. She’s working before getting ready for bed to She is comparing colleges,
with HHS Principal Robert do it all over again,” Rankin looking for the best fit among
Sanders to create a group of said. the University of Southern
HHS students who will question “It’s tough, but I have to pri- Mississippi, University of
negative reports and promote oritize and maybe after I get it Mississippi, University of
positive news. One possibility is all done, I get to work a little Maryland, University of Texas
a Web site updated by students. fun into my schedule. I like to at Austin and University of
Rankin has more ideas. It adds go to parks, game rooms, Alabama at Birmingham She
to her commitments. movie theaters and play sports plans to major in journalism
“She’s a good student,” with close friends or family and communications or busi-
Sanders said. He pointed at her from time to time just to have ness and entrepreneurship.
sitting in one of her favorite fun and put the busy things “Or who knows? Maybe
spots on campus, the gazebo. aside for a while.” both.”
“We are very happy to have She has a close family. David Rankin intends to be a
her.” and Yolanda Rankin support reporter and a writer, then start
She gets up at 6 a.m. on their daughter’s pursuits her own magazine. She wants
weekdays. She goes to history wholeheartedly. David Rankin to tell untold stories.
class, then physics, then psy- said his daughter can enlighten “I would be one of the good
chology. After lunch, she has others about what is really hap- journalists,” she said.

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