The Pony Express March-April 2020 Volume 3, Issue 5
Center Hill High School, 13250 Kirk Road, Olive Branch MS 38654
Coronavirus Pandemic Teachers, students begin distance learning Editor’s note: In keeping with social distancing guidelines, all interviews for this story were conducted via email, phone and FaceTime.
T
By Sarah Claire Miller Staff Writer
eachers and students have begun distance learning now that schools are closed through at least April 17 to help stop the spread of COVID-19. “It’s a big undertaking to switch to distance learning,” said U.S. History teacher David Burgess, who updated his teacher website with student resources in preparation for online instruction to begin March 25. “Teachers across the nation are trying to completely reinvent our educational system on the fly. It should be very interesting to see what we can come up with.” Burgess said he misses school but not waking up at 6 a.m. every day. “I love what I do,” he said. “I love being around young people to learn and joke around with them. Honestly, I feel like a big part of my life is gone, but I guess we all feel like that on some level right now.” Science teacher Amber Smith, who hasn’t had face-to-face instruction with her students since before they left for Spring Break March 9-13, said she feels the same way as Burgess. “I do miss being at school and seeing everyone,” she said. “I like having a routine and being among my coworkers and Mustang family. I’m hoping everyone uses this time to spend with their families and gain a new appreciation of life.” Like all teachers at Center Hill High School and across DeSoto County Schools, Smith has also been busy getting ready for distance learning. “I have posted links to the A&P and Chemistry textbooks on my teacher webpage,” Smith said, explaining that the resources include PowerPoints, practice quizzes and review questions. “The main goal is for all of my students to have access to any and all information that they will need moving further.” Abbey Grisham, a junior, is in Smith’s first block Human A&P class. This week, Grisham has been able to wear her PJs while working on her school assignments remotely. “It’s comfy and I miss everybody, but it’s a lot less stressful,” she said. “You can do everything on your own time and don’t have to worry about teachers and rules and stuff like that.” Grisham has internet at home, but Assistant Principal Brenda
Illustration by Lacey Buckley
Case said DCS is aware that not all students can get online. “The district is preparing grade level and content related paper packets for students that do not have internet access,” she said. “Everyone here at CHHS is first and foremost concerned with all of our students’ and their families’ safety, health and well being during
this time.” A longtime educator, Case said she has never experienced or heard about a situation like this. “It really is unprecedented to my knowledge,” she said. “I am so proud of our school for taking on this challenging situation and working hard to provide the best opportunity for all of our
www.chhsponyexpress.com
students to remain connected, have opportunities to continue learning, and maybe most of all to know that they are being missed on the daily!” Beginning March 31, packets will be available at CHHS on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon for students who do not have internet access at home.
INSIDE
Read Kymoria Mottley’s opinion piece about social distancing on Page 3. A COVID-19 infographic with state and local statistics is on Page 4.
Mustang Profile: David DuVall is more than sports N
By Sarah Claire Miller Staff Writer
obody messes with David DuVall on the offensive line. But the 6-foot-2-inch center for the Mustangs and record-setting powerlifter, who benches 390, is more than sports. The senior made a 30 on the ACT, was in the PSAT class and tutors students after school in math. The 18-yearold is also well liked by his peers and holds the admiration of his teachers, who voted him as Winterfest King in January. Here’s what DuVall said about how he defines himself: Q: What is your opinion about the “dumb jock” stereotype, which clearly doesn’t apply to you? A: “The stereotype ‘dumb jock’ has always kinda been at the back of my mind, but I try my best to not let it define who I am. Someone once told me words do not have power in themselves, you choose to give them power.” Q: How are you more than football and powerlifting? A: “I love sports and it is a major part of my life. That said, it’s not the most important thing. Like all my coaches have said, academics come first, because at the end of the day sports will come and go and leave you with what you’ve got. That’s why I put as much effort into my schoolwork as I do playing.” Q: What’s your ACT score and GPA? A: I don’t mean for this to come off arrogant in any way, but I have a 30 ACT with a 5.0. But these are just a score or a label that most people say ‘Oh, yeah you’re born smart,’ but that can’t be any further from the truth. I’ve struggled terribly with school, especially English back in middle school. I saw I wasn’t doing as well as everyone else and I was like, ‘Dang.’ I guess my competitive nature kicked in and I started studying and working
Photo by Max Lankford His 30 on the ACT and 5.0 GPA prove two-sport athlete David DuVall, pictured here in the weightroom, is more than sports. “The stereotype ‘dumb jock’ has always kinda been at the back of my mind, but I try my best to not let it define who I am,” the senior said.
out problems. That got me to where I’m at now.” Q: What’s next for you after you graduate from Center Hill? A: “After I finish here, I’ll go on to Northwest to hold on to my dreams of playing football. Also so I can stay close to home.” Q: What are your career goals? A: “I’m still trying to figure that out, which is kind of a bad thing seeing how I’m about to go study for my career in college.” Q: What advice do you have for students? A: “I know a lot of people hate
Select Women’s Chorus performs in Alabama T
By Nadia Sumlar Co-editor
he Select Women’s Chorus is attending the American Choral Directors Association in Mobile, Alabama. The ACDA is a professional organization of over 20,000 choral directors. In even numbered years, they have regional conferences that showcase talented choirs in each region. “We are in the southern region (of 11 states), and we are one of the 20 choirs selected to perform this year,” choir director Catherine Feazell said. Feazell explained that they had to submit recordings of the Select Women’s Chorus from the past three years. The recordings are scored by a panel of judges blindly, meaning the judges do not know who they are listening to. “Over 100 choirs applied, and
2 The Pony Express
we were one of the 20 chosen,” Feazell said. She also said that in the past 50 years, only four other Mississippi high schools have been selected to perform at this conference. The Select Women’s Chorus prepared a 25-minute program to sing for the conference attendees. “Getting ready for this performance is a challenge, because we know 1,000 other choir directors are going to hear us sing, so they obviously have trained ears to tell what we are doing right as well as anything that isn’t right,” Feazell said. “However, that gives us the drive to work hard and do our best.” Senior Alex White said she is excited for the Spring Break trip and performance. “I’m looking forward to spending this once in a lifetime opportunity with my favorite people,” White said. “We’ve worked so hard for this.”
school because it’s boring or doesn’t apply to you, which I totally understand. That’s why you need to find something that gets you motivated to get going or something interesting about that subject that you’ll push through the work for. I know it may seem pointless to try in school, but if you give up now or slack off, you’re setting yourself up to fail later in life, because right now this boring school work is the easy part of your life. What will you do when things get hard? When things don’t go your way, what will you do? You
have to dig your feet down and work.” Q: What’s the most recent book you read? A: “My English teachers are probably going to hate me for saying this, but I honestly can’t remember the last book I read for pleasure. It’s been so long since I’ve read any book. Instead of reading, I like to work out, watch Netflix with the subtitles on – wink wink – or play board games or do puzzles with my spare time.” Q: What’s your favorite subject and why?
A: “My favorite subject is math, and most people don’t really enjoy it. I look at it as kind of a puzzle needing to be solved or a problem needing to be answered. I also get satisfaction out of doing any problem, almost gratifying. I try to find people in class who’ll race with me to see who can finish the fastest. Gosh. Putting that into words makes me sound like a nerd. You know, I think I’m fine with that because I’m proud of the work I’ve put in.”
Review: Patterson’s Confessions series had so much potential
C
onfessions, a book series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, follows the life of a young socialite by the name of Tandy Angel and her family. I’ve enjoyed a rollercoaster By Makiya Lowman Staff Writer of emotions over the past month and half reading these books. The series has a combined four books and 700-plus pages in them, but there are some issues that most readers probably didn’t even notice. Paetro and Patterson fail to completely finish one plot point by quickly rushing into another one, leaving me
confused and lost. They should’ve left the series alone after the first book, “Confessions of a Murder Suspect,” which was well paced and wrapped up nicely. But, books two through four are more about the social and economic struggles of the Angel
family. That’s an important part of the series, but it also shines away from the main probity of those books. This series was a nice one to read but was rushed; it could’ve had so much more potential.
Opinion
The Pony Express
In pandemic, save a life, stay indoors W
ith the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC and other national health organizations have called for increased social distancing. Lately, this term has been tossed around quite frequently, but I am not sure that many people actually understand the significance of social distancing or what it entails. John Hopkins Medicine defines social distancing as “deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness.” The CDC recommends that you stand at least six feet away from other people and stay away from large crowds. This does not just apply to public occurrences; you should avoid unnecessary home gatherings like house parties and sleepovers. Remain indoors as much as possible, and have minimal physical contact with outsiders. This is not a vacation. It is not the time to be going out with friends. Being upset about quarantining is completely valid, but there are several things you can still do. You are still able to go on walks and
drives if you really need to get out of the house. This is not a lockdown, but you should still take precautions to stay healthy. Self-isolation is a crucial factor in minimizing the spread of the virus. Currently, the U.S. has the most cases of COVID-19 in the world. We By Kymoria Mottley Staff Writer have to get this under control. Please stop traveling. Please stop leaving the house when you do not have to. You are not invincible; you can be infected. And if the threat to your own well-being is not enough for you to quarantine, do it for the well-being of others. I have often heard young people toss around the belief that they do not need to worry about COVID-19 since it is only fatal to the elderly and immunocompromised people. This, first of all, is an incredibly
damaging mindset because it suggests that those people are somehow expendable. They are not. They are people just like anyone else, and it is unfair that they should have to live in fear because others refuse to quarantine. COVID-19 has an incubation period of about two weeks. It is very possible to be completely asymptomatic while still carrying the virus. Maybe your immune system is strong enough to fight off coronavirus, but what about everyone else that you are putting at risk? It only takes one person. They spread it to the people they interact with and then those people spread it even further. We have to be smart. We have to prioritize the safety of ourselves and others. By continuing to avoid safe practices, you are only worsening this pandemic. The faster you cooperate, the faster life can go back to normal. So I am once again asking that you please thoroughly wash your hands and practice social distancing. I promise that you will be saving lives.
TLC the poster child for reality TV A
dmit it. We have all been bored out of our minds searching for something to watch on TV. At some point or another, we have all been looking for some drama to captivate our minds for at least an hour. I know I have, and time and time again, when there is not anything interesting to watch, I go to my favorite channel: TLC (not the 90’s girl group sensation). By Max Lankford TLC is, in Staff Writer my opinion, the poster child for reality television. A lot of the channel’s programs depict real situations, setting it apart from other reality channels. TLC programs typically do not have any added or imposed drama, allowing for the weight and reality of the situation pictured to be the drama. With that being said, here are my top three favorite TLC shows (in no particular order). If you feel like your room is a mess but don’t have any time to
clean it, watch “Hoarding: Buried Alive.” Trust me, you’ll find time. This show follows hoarders (people who have difficulty parting with their possessions) who have pretty much “buried themselves alive” in all of their possessions. While the show is entertaining, it can also be painful to watch at moments, because the hoarder’s possessions often get in the way of keeping close family relationships. Most of the episodes conclude with the hoarder seeking psychological and organizational help. Quite possibly one of the most popular reality TV programs of all time, TLC’s “My 600 lb. Life” has certainly earned its place in the reality TV hall of fame. “My 600 lb. Life” centers on the one-year weight loss journey of a dangerously overweight person. The show does a very good job of remaining positive throughout the whole experience, and never paints the person losing the weight negatively. This show (similar to “Hoarding: Buried Alive”) does not feel like the typical reality TV show. The situation of having to lose a drastic amount of weight quickly is very real, and very scary at the same time. The show
emphasizes themes of good health and resilience. Almost all of the episodes end with the overweight person having lost an incredible and inspiring amount of weight. Saving money is important in today’s society, but the people filmed in TLC’s “Extreme Cheapskates” take saving money to a whole new level. The show follows the lives of individuals obsessed with saving money at any cost. The show, like most other TLC shows, is filmed like a “reality documentary,” making the actions these people take in order to save money all too real. In one episode, a woman with a six-figure job dumpster dives for all of her meals. This program is equally entertaining and concerning, because most of the actions taken to save money are not illegal, meaning that these people choose to live a cheap and sometimes unhealthy lifestyle. TLC programs are different from other reality TV shows, because TLC drama feels real and not forced. These are my three favorite TLC shows, and I hope this list gave you a few new shows to consider for the next time you browse the TV.
The Pony Express student newspaper is a club that is supplemented by members of the Foundations of Journalism class at Center Hill High School. Co-editors Paige Brick and Nadia Sumlar Features Editor Kaitlin Moore Business Manager Nada Herzallah Contributing Staff for Issue 5 Lacey Buckley, Max Lankford, Makiya Lowman Sarah Claire Miller, Kymoria Mottley Advisers Ginny Shikle and Michelle Jones The mission of The Pony Express is to provide quality, thought-provoking student produced publications focused on the events and issues that affect the Center Hill High School community. 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. Editorial Policy The editorial section of The Pony Express, including editorial cartoons, serves as a forum for well-written, thoughtful, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author. Unsigned editorials reflect the consensus of The Pony Express staff. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the student body, faculty, administration or school district. Letters to the Editor Policy Readers are encouraged to voice their opinions in the Opinion section for the expression of varying viewpoints on relevant topics. The Pony Express will print as many letters as space allows. Letters must include the author’s name, signature, and class or position relative to the letter. Typed or legible, hand-written letters are acceptable, but should not exceed 200 words. The Pony Express will edit all letters for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any letter. Submit questions, comments or letters to the editor to ponyexpresschhs@gmail.com or 13250 Kirk Road, Olive Branch, MS 38654. Advertising Policy The Pony Express will not accept any advertising that deems to be: factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantiated attacks; offering goods and/or services illegal for teenagers to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; creating imminent danger or disruption to school. The Pony Express reserves the right to refuse any advertising, solicited or unsolicited. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of The Pony Express staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. To advertise, contact Ginny Shikle at ginny.shikle@dcsms.org. Member Organizations The Pony Express is a member of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Our publication was named Most Improved High School Newspaper by MSPA for 2017-2018, and in 2018-2019 The Pony Express was a finalist for Mississippi’s High School Newspaper of the Year.
The Pony Express 3
4 The Pony Express