The Pony Express The student newspaper of Center Hill High School
October 2018
Center Hill High School
Volume 2, Issue 2
#RaiseTheBar
Center Hill, district maintain ‘A’ rankings By Emily Merz Editor-in-Chief Desoto County Schools has once again been named an “A” school district by the Mississippi Department of Education. Under the current accountability model, DCS is one of nine Mississippi school districts to earn the highest ranking for three years in a row. Center Hill High School has also been rated an “A” school multiple times. The MDE released school and
district performance grades for the 2017-2018 school year on Oct. 11. “I am very excited to announce that DeSoto County Schools has received an ‘A’ rating based on test scores from the 2017-2018 school year, and we were one of only 9 school districts in the state to receive this ranking for the last three school years, 201516, 2016-17, and 2017-18,” Superintendent Cory Uselton tweeted the day the accountability results were announced.
“This is a testament to the commitment and dedication of everyone in our school district, and I want you to feel proud about playing a role in this accomplishment.” In an email to employees the same day, Uselton said the district’s success is due to teamwork. “Thank you for all that you do to help our students to succeed at such a high level, and I look forward to seeing how you #RaiseTheBar this school year,” Uselton wrote. “It is definitely a team effort, and I
appreciate all of your hard work!” Staff and administration at CHHS also said the “A” ranking is the result of a combined effort. “This ranking means that we are a top-rated school in our state,” Assistant Principal Brenda Case said, adding that CHHS has been a top-ranked school since the 2009-2010 school year. “It is a great accomplishment that we have reached due to the hard work of our great staff and students. We are proud of Center Hill, and this ranking is one of the reasons it is
great to be a Mustang.” English teacher Trudy White said the continued “A” rating is important to everyone involved. “I’m really proud of the students and teachers who worked hard to maintain that ranking,” she said. “It says that we work hard and shows how hard the teachers and administrators work, and how much the students care about their own future.” Staff writer Kymoria Mottley contributed to this story.
Students encouraged to just say no to bullying By Paige Brick Staff Writer Although National Bullying Prevention Month is October, that doesn’t mean the topic should be ignored for the rest of the year. According to the website stopbullyingnowfoundation.org, “Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly tries to harm someone who is weaker or who they think is weaker. Sometimes it involves direct attacks such as hitting, name calling, teasing or taunting. Sometimes it is indirect, such as spreading rumors or trying to make others reject someone.” A healthcare website, findapsychologist.org, states that 70 percent of students report that bullying is a problem at their school. Bullying can also affect a child’s mental state. According to findapsychologist. org, “Bullying can contribute to students feeling socially isolated, worthless or depressed. In addition, the psychological effects of bullying can last well into adulthood and increase a person’s chance of experiencing things like anxiety disorders.” Some victims of bullying feel that they can’t tell anyone about their situation, which could lead to depression and even suicide. “Suicide is one avenue students select when faced with a bullying situation,” Center Hill High School counselor Danielle Brown said. “When a person comes to that point, where they don’t feel they have another option, it is important for them to seek help.”
Photo illustration by Ana Le Bullying can affect a child’s mental state and can contribute to students feeling socially isolated, worthless or depressed.
If you are experiencing bullying or thoughts of suicide, talk to someone that you trust. This can be a friend, a parent, a teacher or administrator. “Find someone to talk to,” Brown said. “It doesn’t have to be your parents. You can talk to any adult in this building and they will point you in the right direction to get the help you need. In my experience, students benefit from having someone to talk to or to be able to say ‘I’m sad/angry/frustrated’ without the person judging them.” If you don’t think that you can talk to anyone else, call 1-800273-TALK (8255) for 24-hour assistance. You’re not alone.
Photo by Brooke Neal On Oct. 24, students in Jayme Nobles’ first-block class signed an anti-bullying pledge. Pictured, from left, are Aaron Brackeen, Dean Wardlow, Cameron Jackson, Makayla Hale and Keanna Coburn.
New year, new teachers Fresh faces join the Mustang family this year By Nadia Sumlar Staff Writer New teachers are always welcome at the home of the Mustangs. Sean Barker, Jensen Jacquet and Victoria Moore are among more than a dozen new teachers who have recently joined the Mustang family. “I chose to teach at CHHS because of the high expectations set for both faculty and students,” said Moore, an English teacher. “I loved the family atmosphere when I visited, and I felt completely at home.” Barker, a science teacher and football coach, has a similar stance. “I chose Center Hill because it is a great school and it is a lot closer to home than my last position,” he said. Jacquet, an English and drama teacher, said that the school has a very homey and welcoming environment. “Center Hill is a great school,” she said. “It has an environment like a family. It’s almost like a home away from home, and the students and staff are incredible.” The new teachers have different backgrounds in education. This is Barker’s first year as a teacher. Jacquet is also fairly new to the game. She said she has been teaching for two years and actually came to Center Hill from Byhalia High School. Moore said that she has only been teaching high school students for five years, but she has been in the educational field for eight. Moore said she has felt the love of the Mustang family from the start. “Students and faculty alike have
Photo by Candice Buford Thomas Rider, who teaches World History, is one of 15 new teachers at Center Hill High School this year.
welcomed me with open arms and have made my transition from my previous school seamless,” she said. Barker also appreciates the welcoming environment. “Both the students and the staff are great people to be around,” he said.
Photo by Candice Buford Photo by Candice Buford Holly Bills, who teaches freshman English, is new to the Center Hill faculty this year.
The Pony Express Emily Merz Editor-in-Chief
William Wright Sports Editor
Ginny Shikle and Michelle Jones Advisers Doug Payne Principal
Victoria Moore joined the English Department at Center Hill this year. “I chose to teach at CHHS because of the high expectations set for both faculty and students,” Moore said. “I loved the family atmosphere when I visited, and I felt completely at home.”
The purpose of The Pony Express is to inform the students and faculty of Center Hill High School of events and issues that affect them. The Pony Express is an after-school club that is supplemented by students in the Foundations of Journalism class. As student writers, we try to reflect the thoughts of our most important readers – the students of Center Hill. Because of this, we attempt to approach many issues, some more controversial than others. The newspaper staff hopes to inform, to educate, to entertain and to question for the betterment of Center Hill, its students and faculty.
All opinion pieces are the views of the individual writer, with the exception of staff editorials, which are unsigned and reflect the consensus of The Pony Express staff. The Pony Express is a member of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, which named our publication Most Improved High School Newspaper for 2017-2018, and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. To advertise, contact Ginny Shikle at ginny. shikle@dcsms.org. Submit questions, comments and letters to the editor to ponyexpresschhs@gmail.com.
Mustang Spotlight
Beyond the steps: An interview with a student ballerina
Photo courtesy of Laurel Larsen Laurel Larsen juggles her schoolwork and social life with a demanding training schedule at Ballet Memphis.
By Shelby Parsons Staff Writer For Laurel Larsen, a freshman at Center Hill High School, it’s no rarity to arrive home from Ballet Memphis after hours of difficult and, at times, exhausting routines and classes. She has to juggle her everyday schoolwork and social life with an already demanding schedule. And yet, she continues to turn in each homework assignment on time and stays considerably involved in school functions without fail. When asked how she’s able to accomplish such a feat, her first words were, understandably, “lack of sleep.” She explained how as a dancer, you develop a high tendency to perform well analytically and mentally within school, due to the situations you’re put into during ballet. “Teachers will give you a new combination and you’re able to perform it perfectly on the first try because your mind has been trained to think that quickly,” Larsen said. That’s just one of the many ways ballet has molded Larsen’s mind and character over the course of
her life. “[Ballet] has helped to shape my growth as a person, along with my own personal acceptance, social awareness, and to see my own selfworth,” she said. Of course, this means that her life as a dancer must have come with challenges to allow this growth as an individual. “It’s hard to be a dancer and look in the mirror every day and compare yourself to these other girls,” Larsen said. “You can’t get so caught up in being the best, as everywhere you go someone will probably be better. It’s about learning to accept what makes you different and strong.” There have been times she’s wanted to quit, especially around the beginning of middle school. “The stress started to pour in and I didn’t know how to deal with it yet,” she said. “I knew I loved ballet but I was questioning if I really wanted to keep it up.” It wasn’t until her 2016 summer intensive at The Rock School for Dance Education that Larsen knew for certain she wanted to continue. “It had exposed me to the reality of the dance world that I hadn’t seen
Photo by Ana Le For freshman Laurel Larsen, dance is emotional. “It’s not just about the steps and impressing people,” she said. “It’s about changing people’s perspectives and reaching their souls.”
before then,” she said. Every day since, Larsen has had so much inspiration to fuel her drive. Part of this is nostalgia, as her sisters, Holly and Lise, have grown up dancing at Ballet Memphis too. “It’s who I am,” she said. “Because I grew up at [Ballet Memphis], dance is my way of holding on to my childhood and all of my memories.” Ballet also helped her in her religious life, which is very significant to her. “Emotionally, dance has helped
me grow with my relationship with God,” she said. “In my family, we’re very religious and ballet helps to extend my faith.” Larsen has had many moments of inspiration in ballet, but one stands out to her. She recalls watching a scene from the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” in which a professional ballerina, who had recently lost her husband, performed as Juliet. “I remember seeing the tears stream down the woman’s face as she danced with all her heart into
the piece,” Larsen said. “She was dancing beyond the steps and portrayed the embodiment of passion, making it so much more beautiful.” Larsen said that is entirely what ballet, and all dance, is truly about. “It’s super emotional,” she said. “It’s not just about the steps and impressing people. It’s about changing people’s perspectives and reaching their souls.”
Swim Team Members of the swim team include, from left, Christina White, Abigail Hoffman, Spencer Shannon, Taniya Purnell, Taylor Williams, Mabrie Woods, Micah Logan, Kaitlyn Hadley and Grant McNeer. The swim team competed at State on Oct. 27 in Tupelo. “I’m proud of the team,” coach Josh Barnett said. At the state meet, Williams won the 100 breastroke with a time of 57.24 and the 200 IM with a record-setting time of 1:53.06. “I got a state record and placed first,” the junior said. “I was happy that I dropped time. I’m looking forward to nationals, Olympic trials and college swimming.”
Photo by Emily Merz
Homecoming at The Hill
Mustangs trample Patriots 27-17 in Homecoming win By Candice Buford Staff Writer The long-standing athletic rivalry between Center Hill and Lewisburg high schools continued Oct. 12, with the Mustangs pummeling the Patriots 27-17 during the annual Battle of the Branch. The game was also Homecoming at The Hill. “I hate Lewisburg with my whole heart,” said Eli Haberstroh, a member of Insane Stangs. “The rivalry will always be there. It’s like a family tradition.” Haberstroh, a junior, was among the loyal fans who filled the student section and stormed the field after the win. “I was very impressed with how many people came out,” he said. “The whole school comes together when we play them. It’s the biggest game we play all year.” The hype is a boost to the players and coaches, head football coach Alan Peacock said. “I think it’s a huge deal,” he said. “I want our student section to be the best in the county and the biggest in the county. We want people not just in football but all events from volleyball to basketball to baseball games. I think basketball and football are kind of the ones most come to, but I want to see a great crowd at the soccer games and things like that as well.” As for the football game, Peacock said he was pleased with the win. “I thought we played well,” he said. “The main thing is our kids went out and executed, especially on the offensive side. Early we had a couple of turnovers and that’s never good, but our kids kept fighting and kept after it, and defense made plays at the end when they had to, so I thought overall we played a pretty good game.” Peacock said there were many players of note during the Lewisburg game. “Some guys on offense made big plays,” he said. “Greg Thomas had a huge catch. Daverick Hardin had a huge run. Dylan Riley did a great
Photo by Jackson Smith The Mustangs take the field for the Homecoming game against Lewisburg on Oct. 12. Center Hill won the Battle of the Branch 27-17.
job blocking all night, and Justin Buckingham had a huge block on Daverick’s long run.” On defense, linebacker Derryen Hobbs was among the players who performed well, Peacock said, adding that defensive back Jaquez Hardin led the team in tackles. “He’s been a really great addition to our defense,” Peacock said about Hardin, who also plays basketball at CHHS. During halftime of the Lewisburg game, the Homecoming Court was presented and senior Holland Watson was crowned Homecoming Queen. “I am very honored and very happy to represent the school,” Watson said. “I’m thankful for those who voted for me.”
Photo by Jackson Smith Center Hill won the annual Battle of the Branch against Lewisburg 27-17.
Photo by Jackson Smith During halftime of the Lewisburg game, senior Holland Watson was crowned Homecoming Queen. “I am very honored and very happy to represent the school,” Watson said. “I’m thankful for those who voted for me.”
Photo by Jackson Smith Members of the student section cheer on the Mustangs during the Homecoming game.
Homecoming at The Hill
Photo by Candice Buford Freshman Alyssa Spencer, left, and science teacher Kerry Matthews dressed up for Decades Day.
Photo by Nadia Sumlar Principal Doug Payne got into the Homecoming spirit on Tourist Day.
Photo by Nancy Toche At far right, FCCLA members Ternisha Sample, senior, and Taniya Purnell, sophomore, share a laugh during the Homecoming parade. The club’s float featured animals from the CHHS Farm including Pumpkin the pig and Dixie, an adopted hen.
Photo by Nancy Toche Representing the freshman class on the Homecoming Court and in the parade were Abby Le, left, and Anissa Veyo.
Photo by Annie Shelly Students wore their red, white and black on Spirit Day during Homecoming Week.
Photo by Trinity Johnson Photo by Candice Buford Many students sported tropical gear on Tourist Day during Homecoming Week.
Seniors Faith Williams, Courtney Craine and Jada Young wore their touristy best for Homecoming.
On display
Trophy cases to feature The Hill’s growing achievements By Abigail Penfield Staff Writer Center Hill High School has only been open for 12 years, but it already has 32 team and individual state championship titles. Every year, Center Hill gains more and more trophies, and the school has reached the point where trophies have to be put in boxes because there is no more room in the trophy cases. Because of this, “We can come Assistant Prinback in 20 cipal Zack Sims years and tell decided that the our kids, ‘Hey, school needed I painted that new, bigger when I was in trophy cases. high school.’” Center Hill’s - Hailey Ellis, Class of 2018 senior chose to fund the construction of these trophy cases as its senior gift to the school. “The kids here need to see the success the school, former students and current students have,” Sims said. He quickly realized, however, that trophy cases “were extremely expensive” at around $15,000 to $20,000. “I used to own a small business, back in the day, where I used to do construction,” Sims said. “I just said, if the Lord is giving me the ability to do something, why not see if I can volunteer to try to help?” Center Hill’s Student Council purchased the materials at a reduced cost from Lowe’s, and Sims took the materials home and built the trophy cases. The cases were installed in the gym hall. “The sad thing is that we put [up] almost 50 feet of trophy case, and I feel like [they] are going to be full almost immediately,” he said with a laugh. In order to properly acknowledge the school’s numerous state championship teams, Sims worked with teachers, coaches, sponsors and the athletic director to find pictures of the winning athletes and members of choir, band, winterguard, colorguard and Indoor Winds. Their photos are featured on 32 plaques now hanging on a wall in the gym hallway. Gifted Art teacher Whitney Lantrip’s first- and second-block classes
Photo by Emily Merz Hailey Ellis and other students in Whitney Lantrip’s Gifted Art classes paint the school’s new trophy cases.
painted the trophy cases. “I am glad my students had the opportunity to help and paint something for the school,” Lantrip said. “They all worked very hard and did a great job painting them.” This experience has allowed the art classes to bond and leave their mark on the school. “We can come back in 20 years and tell our kids, ‘Hey, I painted that when I was in high school,’” senior Hailey Ellis said. “It’s a good thing to have a focal point of the school be something that students from our school did.” Sims said he has noticed the reactions of students as they walk by the new cases. “I’ve already seen several kids walk by and look up and see...greatness,” Sims said. “It makes your chest poke out a little bit to...know that there are other schools that have been around for the same amount of time but we’re probably triple the success and accolades.”
Photo by Emily Merz Keegan Hendrix helps paint the new trophy cases installed in the gym hall. The trophy cases are a gift from the Class of 2018 and were built by Assistant Principal Zack Sims.
Science Club
Sophomore Katie Whitaker, left, and senior Ashton Fisher collect recycling with other members of the Science Club. Under the direction of James Whitaker, the Science Club collects paper recyclables after school on Wednesdays. Whitaker said the paper they collect is taken to Olive Branch to be recycled. There are about 50 members in the Science Club.
Photo by Nancy Toche
#ChampionshipMentality
Basketball coaches, players prepare for new season By Brooke Neal Staff Writer With basketball season right around the corner, coaches and players have been working overtime to prepare. Teams were introduced at Meet the Mustangs on Oct. 23 and participated in a jamboree Oct. 27 at Itawamba Community College. The teams’ first games are scheduled for Nov. 3 in Tupelo at the Hound Dog Classic. The Pony Express sat down with boys basketball coach Newton Mealer and girls basketball coach Emily Owens to get their thoughts on the upcoming season. Q: What are you looking forward to the most this season? A: “Probably the most important thing I am looking forward to is to take the floor Mealer again with our team. We have the opportunity to be a very successful team.” Q: How have you and the team been preparing for the season? A:“We started preparing back in May for the upcoming season. We put in a lot of practice time. Since we’ve been back to school we have been lifting weights, running, and doing some mental toughness drills to prepare us for this upcoming season.”
Photo by Jackson Smith Lauryn Leasure, guarded by Kaylen Johnson, goes in for a layup during a scrimmage at Meet the Mustangs on Oct. 23.
regular season, and the tournament championship. Our second goal is we want to definitely make sure we beat Olive Branch, and our third goal is we want to make sure that we have an opportunity to get to Jackson, The Big House.”
Q: To you as a coach, which is more important, winning or growing as a team? A:“Oh, that’s easy, growing as a team. The reason is because each year we try to set a championship mentality standard. What that means is, championship mentality is not only just winning basketball games, but that is teaching young guys how to become men and also to be successful in the classroom.” Q: Who are some of the key players for us to be on the lookout for? A:“We have two guys that are returning that are Division I college prospects. The first one is senior Calvin Temple. He’s a point guard. He’s committed to IUPUI, which is a Division I school. He will lead our team throughout the season. The second player is sophomore Kaeden Laws. He is 6 foot 4 inches, and he has already been offered by Ole Miss. He can shoot the basketball, is very physical, can score going downhill, so he will be an excellent part to our basketball team. We probably want to talk about Kevin Henry. He’s a senior. I call him ‘The Glue to Our Team.’ Without him on the floor, we don’t really have chances to win basketball games. He brings so much to the table, not only scoring but rebounding assists, and he guards the best player on the other team every single night. Kevin is a big attribute to our basketball team. The fourth guy I want to talk about is Cameron Goodwin. Cameron is a four-year player for
Q: What are you looking forward to the most this season? A: “Probably just spending time with the girls, getting to know Owens them better, seeing how much they are going to improve over the course of the year. I just love basketball so I am looking forward to that getting started.”
Photo by Nancy Toche Kaeden Laws, a small forward for the Mustangs, shoots a layup during basketball practice.
us. He has worked extremely hard in order to be in the position he’s in. Cameron is what I call ‘The Mr. Hustle’ for our basketball team. He puts all the pieces together for us. Another guy is Decorian Payton. He brings a lot of energy, plays top of our press and can score the ball. We did get a transfer in late from Lake Cormorant. His name is Kenneth Lewis, and Kenneth will be a very,
very important part to our team.” Q: What are some of your goals for the team? A: “Last year we got beat in what’s called the sub-state game, the game that gets you to the state tournament, so some simple outlines for this year is we want to have the opportunity to win our district championship, which is the
Q: How have you and the team been preparing for the season? A:“We’ve been putting in a lot of work since summer, when I first got hired. I am making a lot of changes, and so everyone learning the way I do things is where we’ve had to spend most of our time. Just learning different offenses and things like that.” Q: How well do you plan on doing this season? A:“That’s tough, since I am new and I am changing a lot. We have a whole lot of talent for sure, but I’ve been more focused on seeing what we have and not really paying attention to everyone else. I want to get good at us and then see how we compare, so it’s hard for me to say since I don’t really know the competition. But the girls are super talented, so as long as they continue to work hard, I think we could be
very successful.” Q: Who are some of your key players? A:“All of our seniors I think are going to do great this year. Kaylan Morris is our point guard. She’s extremely talented, works really hard. We’ve got a lot of good athletes in the senior class, and they are leading by example and working really hard, and so I am excited to see what they will do this year.” Q: What are some of the goals that you set this year? A:“One of the biggest things is working on team chemistry, and just everyone getting closer as a group. That has been a big goal in the preseason, and I think for us is going to be confidence. We have a lot of preconceived notions about other teams, and so we’ve got to realize what we’re capable of and quit being so concerned with everyone else, and so I think that’s a goal of mine that we have the confidence to do what we do.” Q: To you as a coach, which is more important, winning or growing as a team? A:“This year, being new, I’d say growing as a team. Winning is definitely important to me, but I feel like if we don’t play as a team, especially of a group of women or girls, we won’t play well together, which will then mean we won’t win. So I think the most important thing when coaching girls sports is learning to play together as a team and get along and all be on the same page.” Foundations of Journalism student Tessa Bolton contributed to this story.
Book Review: ‘The Hate U Give’
Angie Thomas delivers powerful first novel By Nadia Sumlar Staff Writer Author Angie Thomas delivers a powerful book called “The Hate U Give.” The book is about a black teenage girl named Starr Carter who lives in a poor neighborhood but goes to a suburban prep school. Starr is torn between her two worlds and does not know where she belongs after seeing her childhood best friend, a black teenager named Khalil, get shot three times by a white police officer. I really enjoyed reading this book. I am well familiar with the Black Lives Matter movement and the many opinions it brings about. When a black man or woman becomes a hashtag, the opinions formed are in two basic groups. One group believes it is racism and/or hatred toward the AfricanAmerican community. Another group believes the stereotypes about black people and if they are
shot, it is for a valid reason. Thomas shows Starr’s viewpoint of things. The teenager’s neighborhood turns into a war zone involving Khalil’s death, while kids at Starr’s school believe that Khalil deserved it. Reading this book really opened my eyes on the whole Black Lives Matter situation. It has real insights on what could go through the mind of someone in Starr’s position. This novel was written to wake up not only the younger generation, but the older ones as well. This particular book showcases the Black Lives Matter movement. However, it is not Thomas’s full point. Starr believes she would not be a good friend if she did not speak out for her friend. If she did not tell how Khalil really was, she would be letting him down. Another one of Thomas’s points could be that it only takes one person to speak up and make a difference. Starr’s mother has taught her to respect authority and to stay out
Photo by Candice Buford Adriana Love, sophomore, said she is enjoying reading “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. “I like how it focuses on what’s been happening lately with police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement,” she said. “I definitely plan on going to see the movie when it comes out.”
of trouble. Starr’s father taught her those things as well, but also to remember where she comes from and who she is. Starr eventually
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stands up for what she believes is right, not only for her friend but also for herself. “The Hate U Give” is a phenomenal book with an even
more phenomenal message. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the movie, which came out Oct. 5. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
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