The library was completely emptied and closed down in preparation for construction on the front entrance. Construction is scheduled to be finished around the middle of July.
“The main entrance is oftentimes difficult to find,” principal Wes Solomon said. “We’re going to take that front entrance and kind of protrude it outwards where it’s going to become very visible.”
Construction on the school started last summer, with the plan of building a courtroom, culinary class, architecture class for Tiny Homes and a third gym.
The third gym will provide an additional practice area during inclement weather days. Overall, disruptions have been minimal.
“[A challenge from the construction is] noises all the time,” tennis coach John Macapaz said. “With it being right across from the tennis courts, we always hear stuff going on. So when we’re in drills and I’m
talking to kids, a lot of times they hear it and their minds tend to wander.”
More issues have arisen with the construction at the front of the school. The entire front circle is shut down, which has moved bus drop off, the attendance office and the front reception area to the lobby of the auditorium on the south entrance of the building.
The library is completely closed off for the final nine weeks of school.
“All of [the books needed] to be packed because they’re going to take the wall down and they’re turning off the air in here, and the humidity will affect the books,” librarian Jessica Castille said. “[The humidity would] cause them to mold and mildew.”
While inconvenient, the school is doing what it can to make adjustments for the next few weeks.
“[The biggest problem is] just losing the access to the resources and the books, and the research things that everybody takes advantage of – teachers and students,” Solomon said.
Construction continues on the third gym near the athletic wing of the building. Photo by Shelby Townsend. Inside, the front doors are blocked off as students catch glimpses of the work.For weeks the cast of “Diviners” prepared for their UIL one-act play competition. Plays are required to be under 40 minutes and judges watch, with only the top performances advancing to the next level.
“The most challenging thing is being consistent in character and having the energy to do all rehearsals and the clinics and competitions,” said senior Sara Snyder.
All-star cast
Cameron Williams
“It is a competition. It is the one show that you have to be at every rehearsal, you have to be at every competition and you have to give 110% every single time you go on that stage.”
Senior Adam Wolf wasn’t shocked when he received the news that he was a National Merit finalist this week. He had known his PSAT/NMSQT score was likely high enough and that his hard work had paid off.
The PSAT/NMSQT is administered to the entire junior class each fall. Wolf prepared for the test with practice problems and tests, taking time out of the summer to study.
leaves school after lunch each day to intern at CDI Energy Products.
“It’s interesting, because it entails a lot of smaller things with the amount of projects they’re working on,” Wolf said. “I would say it’s a pretty low workload, but also the office space aura is something you just have to get used to.”
National Merit Finalist
Adam Wolf
National Merit Commended
Sean Brown
Katherine Eckerty
Many rules surround each show. In UIL one act, the entire cast has to have 20 people or fewer. The entire set has to be put up in seven minutes and taken down in seven minutes. Each member has to have the script memorized word for word.
Honorable mention
Abigail Hunt
AJ Smith
Best technician
Cece Gonzales
Everyone in the show – from behind the stage to the front – supports one another right up to the day of the competitions.
“That was the biggest obstacle – just taking away your own free time to do something that will eventually give you a better result,” Wolf said.
Ryan Eckerty
Iman El Attar
Elissa Geiger
Cece Gonzalez
The hardworking senior is ranked No. 5 in the senior class and has been on the UIL Academic Team since his sophomore year. He is also in all AP classes this year, including AP Literature, AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Government and AP Economics.
“I put my focus into each one on its own, and I feel pretty confident about them,” Wolf said.
“The hardest part is the commitment,” senior Abigail Hunt said.
“To prepare for UIL I kinda shut down as a person,” Snyder said. “I get in the zone. I have a playlist curated for my character so that I’m mentally ready for things like competitions.”
Wolf plans to attend the University of Alabama after earning a National Merit finalist scholarship, which will pay for five years of his education. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Wolf is in STEM Practicum, and
He was glad he also focused on the PSAT/NMSQT. He encourages current sophomores to also get a head start by preparing over the summer.
“Commit to it,” he said. “Because it’s one of those things where you have one opportunity to do it.”
This March, students had the opportunity to take the SAT and the ACT on campus. In a departure from recent tradition, the school district opted to automatically provide the ACT suite of assessments, including the ACT for 11th graders, the pACT for 10th graders, and the pACT 8/9 for 9th graders. Students took the tests on March 7, while seniors were given late arrival.
“(This change) is probably because the ACT has
a little different subject areas,” campus testing coordinator Sarah Olesen said. “That is going to allow for students that tend to be more math and science driven to showcase that.”
The SAT was made available on campus for 11th graders who chose to register. Those students tested during school hours on March 1.
Although some colleges have recently turned away from standardized testing, the tests are still an instrumental part of admissions and scholarships for many. Students appreciate the
opportunities, recognizing the impact that tests such as the SAT and ACT can have on their future.
“It’s a chance to prove what you’ve learned throughout high school,” junior Brooks Laughlin said. “Because maybe your grade didn’t reflect how much you actually knew, you can prove it on these tests.”
Over the years, many of the students who have taken the SAT and the ACT have developed strategies and study plans. Those plans are often bolstered by resources provided by the
school, such as free practice test booklets and access to the online test preparation website “Shmoop.”
In-test strategies are also an important consideration.
“I try not to get stuck on one question for too long,” Laughlin said. “I move on and try to answer other questions.”
Most have accepted the changes to the testing schedule with positivity.
“Everybody is good with choice,” Olesen said. “Choices are always better for kids.”
EOC Exams
April 18 - English I
April 20 - English II
April 25 - Biology
April 27 - US History
May 2 - Algebra 1
AP Exams
May 1 - Government, Spanish Literature & Culture
May 2 - Psychology
May 3 - English Literature
May 4 - Human Geography, Economics
May 5 - US History
May 9 - English Language
May 10 - Spanish Language, Biology
May 11 - World History, French
UIL District Awards Senior Cameron Williams helps move set pieces for their UIL show “The Diviners.”The Texas Art Education Association has held a Visual Arts Scholastic Event for 25 years. Students have months to create original pieces, and submit them to the board.
More than 30 art students submitted pieces into the competition and three students advanced to state: Valentina Garibay-Arroyo, Raven Mitchell, and Lorelei Spears.
The competition offers many opportunities and help for the participating artists.
“The significance of VASE is that it’s the largest Texas art competition for high schoolers, there are scholarship opportunities and bragging rights sometimes,” art teacher Emily Herrin said.
Herrin’s student Valentina Garibay-Arroyo submitted two pieces she named “My Father’s Memory” and “Life is Better with a Partner.” For months GaribayArroyo worked hard to create the two diverse paintings.
Herrin loved the detail in “Life is Better with a Partner.”
“It’s a story of love, togetherness, and all that other stuff; it’s really put across in her piece,” Herrin said. “I also loved the decision to do the angle that she did for that, the viewpoint is amazing, it makes it more interesting. It grabbed your attention more.”
Herrin had high hopes for her artists, and wanted the best for their submissions. She pushed for them to produce something different and impactful; a piece that meant something to them.
”I expected them to at least score a three but mostly I’m looking for fours. I have a high expectation for them to create an interesting and unique piece that they have spent a lot of time on,” Herrin said.
The art teachers take a lot of time and effort to prepare and motivate their students for state competitions. They help with ideas, placement, and everything their artists might struggle on. Their hard work and help sent many of their students to the VASE competition.
As the Class of 2023’s senior year comes to an end, there are some key events still ahead: senior picnic, senior sunset, prom and graduation.
The senior picnic is going to be held at Big River Waterpark for the first time. It was originally scheduled for April 12, but was moved up a day to April 11 because of conflicts.
“The date got changed due to track districts being held that day,” senior class officer Kishi Manuel said. “They would basically be gone all day, so they would be missing out. And I
know a lot of our seniors are involved in track, so we don’t want them to miss out on a whole day.”
The seniors are expecting a big turnout at the new picnic location. In recent years it was held at the Kingwood Country Club.
“It’s a day where all the seniors can have fun and enjoy high school before we graduate,” senior Harry O’Clarit said.
Another big event happening in the coming weeks is senior prom. The theme for this year’s prom is “A Night Under the Stars.” The theme was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
“We’re going to have a lot of play
with lights and the dance floor,” Manuel said. “We have a little mirror set up and we have a photo booth that will actually have a digital and physical copy of the prints, so I think it’s going to turn out really nice.”
The prom will be held at the downtown J.W. Marriott downtown, the same location as last year’s prom. Another event happening will be the senior sunset on April 28 at the football field.
“I think it’ll have the same format as we did for Senior Sunrise,” Manuel said. “So just lots of music and games. We have, I think, three different food trucks. We have one for Freddy’s.”
Three of the pieces that advanced to State from VASE included: 1. Valentina GaribayArroyo’s with “Life is Better with a Partner.” 2. Lorelei Spears’s “Vengeance.” 3. Raven Mitchell’s “Life Eternal.”
Kaitlyn Gonzalez endured a grueling tryout process just to see what would happen. As she continued through the rounds she realized she might actually have a chance at making an NBA dance team.
Finally, when the final round came to an end, Gonzalez was brought to tears as she found out she was going to be a Clutch City Dancer for the Houston Rockets.
“I started bawling,” Gonzalez said. “I literally could not believe it.”
Becoming a Clutch City Dancer wasn’t always the plan for Gonzalez, who was a three-year member of the Silver Stars during high school. She originally wanted to try out for the Pom Squad at Texas Tech but nothing seemed to go as planned.
The audition dates at Texas Tech were the same day as her senior prom. In addition, she wasn’t able to apply for as many scholarships as she’d hoped she would.
“I feel like that [was] just a sign that that’s not the route [I was] supposed to take,” Gonzalez said.
As Gonzalez took her senior pictures in May, her photographer asked what she thought about trying out for the Rockets dance team. This question was what changed everything.
“That didn’t even cross my mind,” Gonzalez said.
By August 2022, Gonzalez found herself surrounded by more than 100 other hopeful dancers. On the first day, she made it through two
rounds of learning different styles of choreography. She then endured three days of boot camp where the tryout group worked out for hours, weeding out those who couldn’t handle the pressure.
Gonzalez handled the pressure with ease and ended up being one of the 14 women to make the team.
“It was insane,” Gonzalez said, “it literally feels like a dream.”
Through the audition process, Gonzalez was paired with Melissa Compain, who has been a Clutch City Dancer for five years. When it was announced that Gonzalez made the team, Compain was so excited to see what she’d become.
“I was standing right by her and cried more for her than I cried for myself,” Compain said. “I was so proud of her for making it after seeing her growth throughout the entire audition journey.”
When Gonzalez is not dancing,
she is a full-time student at Lone Star College studying Marketing. As a Clutch City Dancer, you are required to either be a full time student or have a full time profession. Being on the team cannot be your full-time job.
“We literally have like a space engineer on the team, a teacher and literally everyone on my team has a different occupation,” Gonzalez said. The team practices twice a week
and performs at every Rockets home game. On a typical game day, Gonzalez tries to relax in the morning to save her energy for the game that night. Gonzalez then goes to the Toyota Center for court practice to make sure all their dances are game day ready.
“I put in the extra hard work and time and effort because I love it and it fuels my soul,” Gonzalez said. Out of all the exciting things that
“I put in the extra hard work and time and effort because I love it and it fuels my soul.”
Recent graduate Kaitlyn Gonzalez on dancing with the Clutch City DancersFormer Silver Star Kaitlyn Gonzalez (second from right) dances with her teammates at the Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers game earlier this season. Photo submitted by Kaitlyn Gonzalez. Gonzalez struts down the court as she lives out her dreams of being a professional dancer. Photo submitted by Kaitlyn Gonzalez.
happen on game day, Gonzales most enjoys getting ready with her team. She is always excited to hear about how everyone is doing and what is going on in their lives before they step out on the court.
“I feel like those are definitely the moments that bond us together,” Gonzalez said.
When Gonzalez does step out on the court, she often has supporters there just to watch her.
“Watching someone that I looked up to so much dance on the court at an NBA game was so inspiring,” sophomore Silver Star Emma Frazier said. ”She shined so bright and truly brought the spirit to an NBA game.”
Gonzalez said the pressure and spotlight has definitely increased since her high school dance team experiences.
After Gonzalez learned a routine earlier this year, the Clutch City coach saw how good she was doing and placed her in the front. This was nerve wracking for Gonzalez as she started to struggle with the team behind her.
After the practice, her coach pulled her aside to talk. She told Gonzalez how good of a dancer she is and why she got picked for the team. She also told Gonzalez she needed to believe in herself the way she believed in her.
“After that, everything changed.” Gonzalez said, “And from then on, I’ve been a totally different dancer and person. It’s changed my whole perspective on everything.”
Even though Gonzalez has already made a professional dance team, her dreams go beyond the court. She hopes to one day move to Los Angeles and become a professional backup dancer.
“I would want to do it because I love it.” Gonzalez said, “and it’s always been a dream of mine since I was little.”
Even though Gonzalez has been a part of the Clutch City dancers for around six months now, it is still a shock every time she steps onto the court to perform. It seems unreal to Gonzalez that something she has always hoped to become is what she is actually doing now.
“I think even still to this day,” Gonzalez said, “I’ll walk into the Toyota Center like, oh my gosh, this is real.”
Despite the nervewracking experience of stepping up and performing for a judge, 30 band members advanced to the state UIL competition. This year there were some major changes to the band UIL competition. With a new director and new system, performers were nervous when the Regional Solo & Ensemble got underway last month at Humble High School. Some tried to keep it light in the moment and even joked around before facing the judges.
“The room we were staying in had a little bench and some lifting stuff so me and a couple of guys just started working out right before our [performance],” said senior Ethan Ott, a euphonium player.
Ott practiced for two months before the event, and his hard work paid off
when he received his results and learned he advanced.
“Students have lives, academia to keep up with, make sure they’re passing their courses, so they ended up having only 90 minutes of class time a week to practice,” assistant band director Bryan Hess said. “That was the most the band course could offer them in-class.”
This led to students scouting out times to practice with their groups despite conflicting schedules.
“Getting all the guys organized was difficult, because
we’d try during flex a lot but some of them would have tutoring or clubs and stuff,” Ott said.
In the end 36 individuals and groups advanced. State will be held Memorial Day weekend at the University of Texas in Austin.
“UIL is incredibly independent, so they have a lot of liberty with that, but also less guidance,” Hess said.
“They have to rely on each other and despite that, we still had amazing results this year.”
MOVING ON
These students advanced to the State competition.
Hailey Whiteman
Megan Gutierrez
Ally Linares
Courtney
Rutkowski
Andres Arana
Matthew Blier
Mario Cruz
Noah Parker
Maddy Amaya
Colton Anderson
Stalyce Green
Josh Lewton
Emily McKithern
Fox Hall
Hayden Jensen
David Luna
Connor Langdon
Kashikala
Mundemba
Jacob Valcarce
Jace Rodriguez
Blake Stewart
Ethan Ott
Dylan Reynolds
Holden Spears
Joshua Villasana
Richard Beal
Josh Chavez
Ethan Durand
Jake Garza
Victoria Ramos
The Kingwood Park Indoor
Percussion Ensemble, also known as KPIPE, is back after three years. Head band director, Bre Osbourn brought it back, wanting the band to do more than just marching season. They’ve competed in three competitions so far, taking first in two and second in the last one even after jumping up a difficulty level.
“It feels good (winning) because a lot of us have never done this before, because KPIPE stopped my freshman year,” senior Victoria Ramos said. “So it feels like all the hard work we’re putting in is actually paying off.”
Their show for competitions is based off of “Alice in Wonderland” and the Mad Hatter. Percussion director Jeremy Dowell and Osbourn came up with the show for this year together.
“It’s based around manipulation and time, basically having an antibiotic antagonist bunny go around and wreak havoc on our little squad, the Alice squad,” Dowell said. “And the whole time it’s basically going through that and figuring out ways to defeat the bunny and the antagonist.”
Although it’s new to most of the percussionists of the band, they are taking on the challenge and work together well. They practice two times a week for about three hours outside of regular band practice. All their
practices are paying off, and the whole team expects to make it to state.
“The band program in terms aside from like UIL has not been super successful in years past, so to jump into something and be immediately super good at it feels really nice,” senior Codi Crabtree said.
The whole team is ready for the challenges ahead and as they prepare for the rest of the season. They couldn’t be more ready for the rest of the year.
“I think what makes me the most proud of KPIPE is just all the kids work and the parents as well,” Dowell said. “We have so many props and a lot of horse analogies because of the parents and the kids putting in the time and effort for that.”
On Wednesday mornings in the summer, sophomore Olivia Brenner starts baking her baguettes and focaccia bread at 8 a.m. By 3 p.m. the next day, her breads and other baked goods will be lined up to sell at the Kingwood Farmer’s Market.
“The thing that really made me want to start baking was my grandma, she made the focaccia bread and that’s what I started selling,” Brenner said. “She gave me the recipe and I tried it and I just really liked it.
The Kingwood Farmers Market has created a welcoming community for small businesses and vendors of all ages. It originally started as the Humble Farmer’s Market more than 10 years ago before the manager at the time decided to move it to Kingwood.
The market welcomes vendors with no application fees and no long-term commitments. It is held every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. and once a month on a Sunday. With such a flexible schedule, the market attracts a wide variety of booths and vendors.
“Anyone who creates something unique is invited to apply to join our market,” market manager Cheryl Austin said.
Brenner has had her booth,
“Liv’s Baked Goods,” at the Farmer’s Market for several years and loves working there. She became a vendor the summer of 2020 when she was looking for ways to make extra money and cure her boredom. She decided that the Farmer’s Market would be fun and flexible with her schedule.
“You learn about hard work, and that some days just aren’t very good and that’s okay,” Brenner
said. “You really have to do it for the experience.”
School and extracurriculars keep Brenner busy so the main time she runs her booth is in the summer. She visits the market during the school year as often as she can to keep in touch with the community.
“All of the vendors are super nice, very friendly, and the market managers are also very nice,” Brenner said.
Despite Brenner only being able to work during the summer, she has made an impact on the market community.
“Olivia’s booth always feels like a happy place,” said Claudia Washington, who runs the “Beaded Soul” booth. “If you are a bread lover like me, you will stop by her booth every time she is at the market. You can definitely taste the love she puts in her baked goods.”
The Market has brought Brenner a lot of joy and she’s grateful for the experience she’s receiving
from running her own booth.
“The Farmer’s Market has given me a reason to bake a lot of things in a large quantity and to try new things and be able to share that with a lot of other people,” Brenner said.
“Olivia’s booth always feels like a happy place. If you are a bread lover like me, you will stop by her booth every time she is at the market. You can definitely taste the love she puts in her baked goods.”
“BeadedSoul” vendor Claudia Washington, on sophomore Olivia Brenner’s booth. Sophomore Olivia Brenner has been working at the farmer’s market since 2020.
In his fourth year in the auto collision program, senior Taylor Keilman works at Dawson’s Customs, an automotive hot rod shop. He gets paid and earns class credit through a practicum transportation course, which means he leaves school at lunch and goes to work.
“I’m learning a lot more than I would just at school because it’s actually in the field,” Keilman said.
When his boss gets new hot rod cars, he calls Keilman to come in to fix any problems. His work mainly focuses on engine repair, so getting the car running and making it drivable. His training all started in Jeff Wilson’s auto collision class. He said he enjoys the progress he sees “from when the car wasn’t working to getting it up and running and having a sound super good at that level.”
Currently, Keilman is working on some personal projects for his car – an original Shelby Cobra that’s worth $150,000. It took a while, but finally it is in good working condition. He’s also painting and adding parts to it.
Along with his own vehicle, Keilman has worked on other people’s vehicles by painting and fixing them.
He has also done many smaller projects such as refinishing panels, where you take a piece of flat panel metal and custom paint it. Last year, Keilman entered the PiN MASTER challenge and got third place in the country. He won $1,000 total worth of awards, including an airbrush, an air hose and some other cool items. It was the biggest award he has ever won.
“I have brought my airbrushing to do some just little touch up stuff on cars,” Keilman said. “If there’s scratches, I can just use that to touch up some areas and make it look better.”
Keilman said his parents have helped him the most throughout his auto mechanic journey. They have always been the ones
supporting him and helping buy things he needs.
In the future, Taylor Keilman sees himself owning and managing his own auto body and mechanic shop with his own employees. He plans on getting his bachelors in automotive technology at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. He plans to apply for Weber after his two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.
“I just really fell in love with Weber State and it has a really good program,” Keilman said.
Going into college, Keilman already has a head start.
“I’ve always taught myself to be a pretty good painter, it’s just something that I could just catch on to easily and do well at work,”
Keilman said.
Wilson loves watching his students create cool personal projects and work efficiently. His class helps prepare students for future jobs and gain essential life skills. He trains them how to go out into the workforce after they graduate as a certified technician.
“It’s pretty unheard of that 18 year old kids are getting these particular certifications in high school, more or less outside of high school when they graduate,” Wilson said. “That is really, really important because it helps their employability.”
“Say 90 19 year olds go in for a job and they both have the same training. The only problem is one isn’t certified and one is… the one that is certified is most likely to get
that job.”
Taylor’s mentor throughout high school has been Wilson.
“He’s always been the one to just help me and just teach me everything I need to know,” Keilman said. “Whenever I have questions or want to learn something new, he helps me there.”
Wilson said Keilman is an outstanding young man. He is attentive, passes everything with 100% and goes above and beyond when it comes to any hands on task.
“Once he sees how it’s done, once he’s shown how it’s done and explained, he usually can knock it out after like the second or third time,” Wilson said. “He’s a very humble young man and very, very smart and good at what he does. He’s going to be outstanding.”
Three years after COVID, the threat of the pandemic has gone down, but fear, stress and anxiety remain.
While the lockdown caused stress for most people, teens were not immune even as the country has returned to its new normal. Recent studies show 47 percent of teens reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year.
Studies have been conducted over the past few years comparing the brains of people before and after COVID. A study conducted by Stanford showed teens’ brains aged faster than is common during this time, which has caused an increase in anxiety and depression in youth.
“I feel like there’s a lot more people that have become uncomfortable in this group situation,” at-risk counselor Gina Sanchez said. “So you have students who’d rather stay virtual or not come to school because of that ease of not having to make connections in interactions.”
During the time, students and staff members also lost loved ones to COVID or dealt with the illness themselves. Some students have remained virtual students since March of 2020. Others returned to school for the first time this year. And a few still wear masks daily.
Sophomore Harper Toth still wears a mask to school every day for the safety of her mother and grandparents who have a high risk of having severe health complications if they were to catch the virus.
“I had to be very careful about, like, how much I went out because of the high risk people in my life,” Toth said. “And I’ve gotten it twice now, so it’s made me aware of the people I come in contact with because I saw risk to them and also the people who come in contact with me because they were at risk to me.”
Toth’s awareness and emphasis on safety has caused her more problems when returning to school after lock-
Dec. 12, 2019 - Patients in China experience the symptoms of a pneumonia-like illness that does not respond well to normal medications.
Jan. 20, 2020 - The CDC reports the first laboratory-confirmed case of the Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. in Washington state.
Feb. 11, 2020 - The World Health Organization announces the official name for the disease: “COVID-19,” which is an abbreviation of “Coronavirus Disease 2019.”
March 3, 2020 - CDC reports 60 cases of COVID-19 across Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.
March 11, 2020 - After more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic.
March 16, 2020 - Humble ISD announces it is closing schools until at least April 10 to participate in a national need to “flatten the curve.”
Sept. 21, 2020 - Students, whose parents opted for in-person learning, return to Humble ISD schools for the first time with a mask mandate in place.
Sept. 28, 2020 - The reported death toll from COVID-19 reaches more than 1 million worldwide — in just 10 months. More than 200,000 deaths happened in the U.S.
May 12, 2022 - The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. reaches 1 million.
* National and international dates and statistics from CDC.gov.
down. She notices people are different around her in rare moments she takes her mask off to eat during flex or in dance class sometimes.
“A lot of people are shocked when they see me without a mask, and it makes me feel uncomfortable,” Toth said. “It kind of becomes a social barrier because people seem more hesitant to talk to me [when I’m not wearing it.]” The social lives of teens also shifted drastically after the pandemic. The loss of socializing in teens’ lives caused large gaps in their social skills and connections.
“It was harmful,” Sanchez said. “I
think that some families put a lot of fear in COVID, which was real. But I think that after about a year, the people who didn’t come out and do things again became more fearful of going out.”
That has in turn caused shifts in how students react to situations in school and outside of it.
“It’s like most people will stay in their small group and not venture out because they’re not comfortable,” Sanchez said. “So I feel like we lost those two years. So like a freshman right now, I would say they’re still kind of in the seventh grade mentality.”
“Explored my talents and found passion.”
Sam Dellandre, 9
“The how changed. The why didn’t.”
Michelle Neel, teacher
“Fake friends, intrusive thoughts, real fear.”
Rachael Ortega, 9
”You showed me people’s true colors.”
Adriana Gonzalez, 12
“The same people, very different world.”
Cooper Robinson, 9
“Mask to cover. Vaccines to discover.”
Nathalie Rangel, 10
“Many jigsaw puzzles, not much socialization.”
Katie Tims, 9
“Self discovery through stress and shutdowns.”
Fallon Head, 10
“Has changed me for the better.”
Mark Johanson, 11
“A door closed. A window opened.”
Mackenzie Wilkey, 10
“New challenges lead to new growth.”
Wells Kenny, 10
“Animal Crossing is now my life.”
Sara Orth, 9
“Dying inside, can not infect mom.”
Leah Torres, 11
“I never felt lonely until COVID.”
Parker Wardlow, 11
“Blew birthday candles through a mask.”
Derriq Young, 12
“Watched the entire Netflix streaming platform.”
Grace Cantu,12
Students and teachers share 6-word stories summarizing the past three years.
“Wake up, eat, shower, sleep, repeat.”
Khamille Jones 11
“A time of nothing but leisure”
Norma Matute 11
“No smile available: mask or not.”
Maya Ortiz, 11
“Learned how to cook for family.”
Brooke O’Brien, 11
“You made me focus on myself.”
Peyton Cote, 12
“Though lonely, my true self shines.”
Krista Edwards, 11
“Stressful going online, distractions at home.”
Sarah Faries, 9
“The world is falling apart. I’m tired.”
Ana La Rosa Grillo, 11
“Got emotional support gecko. We chill.”
Jamie Savage, 11
“Bank account broke, too many books.”
Katie Gerbasich, 12
“School and distractions, but no socialization.”
Marisa Chinen, 9
“It’s nice until loneliness sinks in.” Samantha Montelongo, 9
“Hospital visiting hours and 11:59 deadlines.”
Yusra Hasan, 12
“It was really stressful and draining.”
Viola Graziani, 11
“Depression hit hard, anxiety even worse.”
Bailey Hall, 11
“I tried, but it was hard.”
Evelyn Vela-West, 10
“I want to leave my house.”
Ray Hughes, 12
“Very awkwardly social in public settings.”
Martha Vasquez, 9
“Spontaneous and stressful two year vacation.”
Sadie Brown, 11
“COVID turned the world all sick.”
Daniel Acuña, 9
“She tested positive, I tested negative.”
Dannika Melendez Mateo, 10
“Everything changes, but life goes on.”
Luke Cavallo, 11
“It was devastating to us all.”
Jayla Canizales, 11
“A repeating cycle of mental stress.”
Emerson Harris, 9
“I have never felt so different.”
Brianna Buckley, 9
“Hello bad health, goodbye healthy body.”
Mia Pruneda, 12
“You took everything. I lost time.”
Ty Bayley, 11 “Locked up. Freedom was a memory.”
Adriano Rendon, 11
“School during COVID was not hot.”
Makenna Broderick, 10
“Putting myself first, never been happier.”
Allie Jorgensen, 12
“Craving sunshine as much as rest.”
Cadence Whiteside, 12
“There will never be enough time.”
Camille Blair, 12
“Required school supplies: screens and screens.”
Ryan Johnson, 11
“The longest spring break vacation ever.”
Skylar Lyons, 9
“Was constantly grieving over my life.”
Alyssa Pizana, 11
There is so much to say to you, but also not as much as I needed to before. I’ve said you’ve ruined my life, but you didn’t. If it weren’t for you I would’ve be here today.
Three years ago, I would have never imagined being in the spot I am today. Three years ago, I would have never thought that I would be writing this essay. Three years ago, I was sitting at my 6th grade math table with my best friend trying to solve an equation. That is when we got an announcement over the loud speakers saying we will not be in school for the next two weeks. I was awakened and filled with delight. Even knowing there were two known COVID cases in the hospital down the street from us, I was still very excited.
Advancing to the second week of no school, we got the confirmation that we would finish off the school year virtually. This is the time I started to get uneasy with everything, especially myself. As the school year finished off our governor, Phil Murphy (NJ), said our following school year would also be virtual. I started to not eat and got more and more anxious everyday. Worried I might get COVID and die, I would lock myself in my bedroom that I shared with my two younger sisters. Every time my dad got home from work, I would be too edgy and tense to say “hi” and give him a hug. My mother also worked from home as she was a teacher at that time.
I was ready to go back to school toward the end of the seventh grade school year, but it never reopened. However, I was back to playing sports - with masks on, of course.
Over the course of the summer, I found out I was moving to Texas. Yes! The great state of Texas. I was overwhelmed yet joyful, leaving all my friends behind but ready for a new start. In the beginning of August we left my small threebedroom apartment and took a ride for Texas. It took us about 2-3 days to get here from New Jersey. From then on, my life changed. Everything here is much better for me. We still take trips to New Jersey for friend and family visits. I am happy here and appreciative of all the opportunities I have gained.
So thank you, COVID. Thank you for the life you have given me. I would never want to relive those two years in my bedroom not eating, but I am definitely grateful for it. Dear COVID, what a heck of three years!
Myriam Molina, 9
Dear COVID,
You taught me more than I could possibly have learned in the school - time that you caused my peers and I to miss. In a way, an unchanging routine and the assumption that the routine will continue in some form until the end of life masks the reality of existence. Nothing is assured, and everything can change in a moment.
During my newfound free hours, I realized that it is foolish to wait for things to happen and that if I desire to do something meaningful, I must make it happen myself. A world without school, without sports, without human contact would seem to be a world without responsibility. In reality, the personal freedom and isolation only intensifies personal responsibility. Lacking clearly defined structure, it was left to me to make the best of the altered circumstances. I learned new things. I read books, I played guitar, and I spent numerous hours practicing soccer. Although you took normalcy from the world, you replaced it with something novel and just as important.
Luke Cavallo, 11
They expect us to forget you and move on with our lives. This generation will not forget what you did to us, who and what you took from us. We are the ones who lost our high school years and plans due to quarantine and cancellations. My sophomore year was stolen from me, but I stayed healthy. Then, the month I came back to school, I had COVID. And when I became a person with that history, as many of us have in this unique generation, it never left me.
Dear COVID,
I remember in 6th grade a few other kids and I were sitting together. “Why doesn’t someone just take one for the team and get that new virus so we don’t have to be in school?” Three days later we left for spring break and never came back.
I remember how excited I was to sit at home and do nothing. It was great for the first month or two. Then after I hadn’t talked to anyone in four months, I started to feel so lonely. It completely derailed my life, and I had to deal with new things I’d never experienced like social anxiety and feeling isolated from the world. On top of that, I struggled with the pressure to make A’s when even getting out of bed felt so difficult most days. Sometimes I still deal with those feelings. But I like to think about all the amazing things that happened too. I learned how to deal with the anxiety of life, got out of bad relationships with people. And I met people I never would have known if it hadn’t been for COVID. And even though it may have totally sucked, I’m so grateful for the opportunities it gave me.
Katie Tims, 9
You divided a nation, between those who cared and didn’t. Political affiliation was determined by a simple mask. And nobody wears masks anymore, while you still take lives daily. Many still live with your threat, with immunocompromised family members, long COVID, and remembrance of those lost. But the population at large has forgotten. I have not.
With Disdain, Cece Gonzalez
You came out of nowhere in the middle of school when I was in 8th grade and everything changed so fast. I was in classrooms with my friends and enjoying the company around me, then I blinked and everything changed. Before I knew it I was waking up and logging into my laptop to attend my online classes. Those virtual classes were something else. Everyday activities were changed too. Normal Saturday grocery shopping was more of a hassle than it already was. The days felt depressing and sad too. Not being able to go outside of your home for hours and hours makes your home your own jail cell. I missed having the sun beaming onto my skin and seeing nature change around me. I missed going to hangouts after school with my friends. I missed going to San Antonio every summer to swim in the river. And I missed my everyday life.
James Pham, 11
The way that you single-handedly managed to stop billions of people’s lives at once is terrible. Because of you millions died, even more were infected and the world went into a frenzy. You’re the reason I didn’t get to leave middle school properly and spend my last moments with my favorite band director as I should have. And you’re also the reason why I didn’t get the chance to be able to enjoy and experience the fruitfulness of my first year of high school. Your appearance not only brought grief and turmoil, but it also created political and social unrest. Not to mention it brought violent acts of racism against innocent people of Asian ethnicities. Because of you, I was forced to stay inside for almost a full year with no escape. Being in my room all those days by myself felt like heaven at first; but it quickly turned into a hell of selfwallowing, binge eating and an extreme lack of motivation.
However, I will say that your appearance also helped me to create. And it opened my eyes to the importance of human interaction and going outside every once in a while. After your reckoning I was taught about the importance of self-care and also the relationships between people.
Ty Bayley, 11
Dear Covid,
Because of you, I care more. I am thankful for all the things life has given me. You showed I can’t take things for granted. COVID, you changed the way everyone else and me thought about the world. You brought social implications and heartache. I would never want you to happen again, but you changed my life in a significant way, and I can’t change that. Instead, I appreciate every day that passes, every memory I can make. I value my relationships and the opportunity to live my life, not just survive it. I cherish every moment I have now, and it’s because you happened, COVID.
Stephen Borch, 10
While many sports fans have tuned into March Madness, boys basketball coach Jeffrey Hamilton especially has felt nostalgic.
Hamilton spent four years at Florida Atlantic University, where he was a shooting guard from 2000-2004. In the beginning of Hamilton’s college career, he and nine fellow freshmen struggled. But after bringing in six transfers to the program and learning how to play as one, Hamilton and his team won their conference tournament and qualified to play in the 2002 NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
As a 15-seed, Hamilton and his team took on No. 2 seed Alabama. FAU led at halftime, but ultimately lost, 86-78.
This year’s trip to the NCAA Tournament was the team’s first appearance since 2002. The 9th
seeded Owls defeated 8th seeded Memphis, 66-65, and Hamilton was ecstatic to see the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory. The Owls went on to defeat 16th seeded Fairleigh Dickinson and 4th seeded Tennessee on their way to the Elite Eight.
“I was elated and happy for them,” Hamilton said. “It just brought a lot of pride back to the things that I was able to do in my college days. It’s been really fun to watch. I’m getting text messages from old friends, new friends, recent friends and current friends just trying to be a part of it. So it’s been really neat.”
Hamilton didn’t keep up as much with his former school until the COVID pandemic in 2020. His teammates met on Zoom and started group chats and have been communicating ever since. After 21 years since they played, Hamilton and his old teammates couldn’t be prouder of their alma mater.
“There’s no better tournament,”
Hamilton said. “I’ve watched as many games as my wife will allow. It’s been a really good tournament. A lot of upsets, that’s my kind of tournament. I love it when the underdog comes through.”
Hamilton said his experiences at every level he played developed him into the coach he has become.
“I’ve been a part of basketball for almost 37 years,” Hamilton said.” My kids are playing it pretty much
year round. It’s just part of who I am. I live and breathe it.”
Because Hamilton had one of the most memorable experiences playing in March Madness, he hopes current FAU players savored every moment.
“It’s fleeting so just enjoy it,” Hamilton said. “There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever get this experience again. So just take it all in, enjoy it, have some fun.”
Jeffrey Hamilton goes in for a lay up during his college career while playing for the Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team. He was a part of the 2002 squad that led FAU to the NCAA Tournament. Photo submitted by Jeffrey Hamilton
As the dojo doors swing open, the crisp inhale of the familiar air and overwhelming sense of family surround freshman Rachael Ortega as the worries and stresses of the day melt away.
Ortega fell in love with martial arts at a very young age, but she didn’t always love it as much as she does today.
She started practicing karate at only 4 years old after she saw her cousins and uncle participating in the sport. When she first joined, she couldn’t wait to get back home. Her first belt at 5 years old changed everything.
“I just remember that feeling inside of me whenever I got my belt,” Ortega said “I was like, ‘I’m not going to quit, I’m going to keep on doing this.’”
In the middle of first grade, 6-yearold Ortega was asked by her coach Johnny Peavey to join the competition team that traveled and competed locally. That added five more hours of training a week on top of her regular practice schedule.
She soon discovered a traditional Chinese martial art in the form of Wushu. After observing Wushu being performed, Ortega begged her parents to let her try it. After a few months, her parents finally agreed.
“That’s when she really just wanted to be there every day,” Rachael’s mom Shannon Ortega said. “She was living at the karate school, six days a week. She didn’t really want to do anything else.”
After seeing her love for the sport, Peavey gave Ortega the opportunity to train with the World’s team. This elite group competes not only locally but internationally, representing the U.S.
By the second grade, Ortega saw success at the national and international level.
Once Ortega tasted victory, she wanted more. For the next two years Ortega went on to win more competitions at every level. However, the long training hours caused burn out.
“I quit the World team and I quit competing in sixth grade,” Ortega said. “I just wanted to take a year off and see how it would be because I wasn’t doing it for myself.”
After taking a year off, a feeling of unfulfillment started impacting Ortega’s mental and physical health. In 2019, she returned to karate, determined to work harder and get better than
she was before. When she stepped on the mat, she said she instantly regretted quitting.
“I missed out on so many opportunities,” Ortega said. “I just saw my karate get worse and worse.”
But that didn’t stop Ortega. She worked harder than she ever had before to earn her spot back on the Worlds team.
“I have trained over 1,000 students and she just has that pure talent,” Peavey said. “Watch ing her get amazing and mentally focused and mature, it’s quite remarkable.”
Leading up to the 2020 national championship, Ortega trained inside and outside the dojo.
“She’ll wake up early in the morn ing, do a workout at 4:35 a.m. or she goes run on the treadmill then takes another run in the afternoon,” Rachael’s dad Josh Ortega said. “She just constantly trains. When she’s focused, she doesn’t let anything get in her way of what she wants to accomplish.”
Although Ortega dedicated her year to training for the championships, her plan was cut short when COVID-19 Her dojo shut down and tournaments were canceled for two years.
After three years of waiting and training, Orte ga competed in the 2022 national championships and qualified for the World Championships in Wales, where she competed for Team USA.
At the 2022 Worlds, Ortega gained two gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze med als. When she returned home to her dojo, she began preparing for next the World Champion ships in 2023.
Between now and then, she’s striving to find a balance with her life outside the dojo.
“It’s hard because my friends are all experienc ing the real high school experience,” Ortega said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, well, I’m not getting that because I’m always at practice.’ It’s really hard, but the second that we’re all (at a competition) together, celebrating and respecting and compet ing against each other, it was just amazing. It was all worth it.”
See more photos and read more about Rachael Ortega’s journey at KPTimes.com
Emma Yeager immediately turned to her mom when she saw a cake sitting on the kitchen table. It was Valentine’s Day, but the bright green soccer field decoration left little doubt what they planned to celebrate.
“It’s going to be real awkward if I don’t score tonight,” Emma told her mom, Kim Yeager. “What are we doing with it?”
Her mom had a ready answer although it was clear she had confidence in Emma’s ability to break a tie atop the girls soccer team’s all-time scoring list.
“I guess we freeze it,” Kim responded with a laugh.
Emma validated her mom’s confidence.
A few hours later, Emma was cutting the chocolate cake with the white letters “G.O.A.T.” after breaking the team’s career scoring record.
She scored two goals in a 5-0 win over Lufkin on Feb. 14 to
finish the night with 108 career goals. Heading into the playoffs last week, Yeager had 116 career goals.
The previous record was held by Vanessa Valadez, who scored 106 goals in her career from 20112014.
Breaking a school record was not on Emma’s mind entering her first season as a freshman. She was more concerned about making
the varsity team in any capacity, considering the Panthers had won the previous two Region 3 titles to make the program’s first two trips to the state semifinals.
“I was so nervous,” she said. She shouldn’t have worried. Emma started on the varsity team and scored 36 goals in her freshman season, which ended early due to COVID-19.
Then as a sophomore she broke
the Kingwood Park girls’ singleseason scoring record with 44 goals. Unfortunately for her and the Panthers, she hyperextended her knee and dislocated it seconds after scoring a goal during round one of the playoffs that season.
“She’s overcome some adversity,” girls soccer head coach Jess White said. “Elite athletes like herself have to have a phenomenal work ethic, desire – a lot of intangibles.”
Emma continued to battle her injury as a junior. She underwent surgery and rehab to help the Panthers reach the Region 3 semifinals.
“I’m so much more confident than I was last season,” said Emma, who signed to play at Missouri State next year. “I’ve stopped wearing my brace, and I did a lot of training over the summer to get there. I started focusing more on my confidence and my love for the game and working myself back up where I was sophomore year before I got injured.”
Senior Emma Yeager got past a defender and the goalkeeper to score in the second half of a 5-0 victory against Lufkin on Feb. 14. The goal was the 108th of her career and her second one in the game. She surpassed the all-time scoring record, which was previously 106. Photo by Maya Ortiz.Senior shortstop Marshall Burke makes a throw during the Kingwood Park baseball tournament.
Senior Hayden Bender kickstarted his football career at the age of 7 when he first joined the Kingwood Football League and became a quarterback.
Bender’s parents were hesitant at first, concerned about the physical demands of the sport and the potential for injury. But he remained persistent and eventually convinced them with promises of making them proud.
“He was a complete natural,” said David Bender, Hayden’s father. “He stepped in right when the coaches needed a quarterback and he just excelled from there. He was meant to play this sport.”
Bender’s passion for football in his early years set him up for success. Eleven years since he first wore a helmet, he is preparing to continue his playing career at Davidson College, where he was awarded a full-ride ROTC scholarship.
“I’m excited to see him take that form of being a hard working guy who’s gonna show up for his team and put it into a good environment doing what he loves most at the next level,” football coach Clayton Maple said.
Starting high school for Bender meant facing a new set of challenges when he was pulled up to play wide receiver on the varsity team his freshman year. Though he had to adjust to the new position, he embraced the change. He worked hard at practice and during games to develop his skills and make an impact on the field
Bender quickly became a key player on the team. By the end of his junior year season, he ranked as the second-leading receiver in the district.
“It was a huge difference, physically, of course,” Hayden Bender said. “But the mental aspects from
being a quarterback and just using my athleticism helped me a lot with my success as a receiver.”
It was about a year ago when Bender first received a phone call from the football coaches at Davidson offering him a spot on the team. Soon after, a military recruiter from the school visited with an ROTC pamphlet and scholarship options that immediately caught Bender’s attention.
“I was really ecstatic about the Division I offer,” Bender said. “I also felt stumped because the college doesn’t offer any football scholarships and I knew I couldn’t afford the [$55,000/year] tuition costs.”
Bender made the decision to apply for major ROTC grants. He initially received a three-year scholarship, but just as it was time to finalize the paperwork, officials at Davidson said to wait until one more scholarship from the
reserves was announced.
The wait was worth it. Bender ended up receiving a medallion from the Secretary of Army and a 4-Year Minuteman ROTC scholarship worth $305,800.
“It was a rollercoaster of a ride but we got there and by the end of it we were just jumping for joy with tears and smiles on our faces,” David Bender said.
While balancing football and majoring in economics, Bender will participate in monthly drills and a 14-day annual training with the National Guard’s unit as part of the Minuteman scholarship requirements. The program also ensures guaranteed enlistment in the Army National Guard to recipients after graduation.
“I never really wanted to get involved in the military before but it was an opportunity that I couldn’t give up,” Bender said. “To serve is always a great thing and I’d be the
first in my family to do so, so I’m grateful for it.”
Bender credits a lot of his success to his coaches in helping him get to this point.
“A factor of this program that will stay with me is coach [Clayton] Maple’s style of discipline,” Bender said. “I think it’s really important the way coach [Kyle] Grimes and coach [Bruce] Cox helped me understand in depth a more mental aspect of the game.”
Even as early on as elementary school, Bender was known as an athlete with a tough exterior. He prefers to stay focused on football and work as hard as he can, drowning out any pre-game nerves or stress with a good selection of country music.
“He’s always been a very tough on the nose kind of kid,” David said. “He stays away from distractions and tends to think logically before he gets caught up in anything.”
He emerged as a leader on the football team, serving on the team’s leadership council. Maple and his teammates also saw his selflessness on display when a he was called into play quarterback at times this past season. He went wherever he was needed.
“He’s going to be successful no matter what position he plays because his mindset right there makes him a team player,” Maple said. “I think he’s going to continue to grow and I hope he brings to Davidson what he’s learned along the way with us.”
“It was a rollercoaster of a ride, but we got there. By the end of it, we were just jumping for joy with tears and smiles on our faces.”David Bender, father of senior Hayden Bender Senior Hayden Bender rushes toward the end zone while pulling defenders in a regular season game this fall. Photo by Arleigh Doehring. Senior Hayden Bender, who started playing football at age 7, signed with Davidson. Photos submitted by David Bender.
Overnight trips have positively impacted teams by creating lasting bonds and memories.
Golf coach Angela Chancellor has gone on about 40 overnight trips with her teams in the past 20 years.
“It’s all about the experiences,” she said. “It really brings them closer as a family.”
In addition to golf, softball, volleyball and girls soccer also went on overnight trips to compete and play in tournaments. The athletic trips are usually three days and two nights.
Chancellor said overnight trips can positively affect how teams do later in playoffs and other important events in the seasons.
“It brings them closer, they know they can depend on each other, which helps in playoffs,” Chancellor said.
Aside from improving chemistry on teams, players often have to miss school. Even if they do homework during the trip, sophomore Bailey Fovargue said missing can be overwhelming at times.
“I had lots of school work from the classes I missed,” said Fovar-
gue, who went to Georgetown with the girls soccer team in January.
“But I (loved) playing laser tag at Main Event. It gave us something to do as a team.”
Junior Grace Miller, who was with the volleyball team at a threeday tournament in Lufkin, said trying not to get behind in classes was challenging.
“I just needed to separate myself and get it done,” Miller said.
Miller
The fun outweighed the stress for most, however. Spending so much time away from home with teammates created memorable moments.
During the volleyball trip, a hotel guest complained to the cops about some of the girls. Another night, water leaked through the ceiling during a storm.
“The cops were called on us for something we didn’t even do, and then the water came out of the ceiling,” Miller said. “The ceiling broke open. That was scary.”
Chancellor’s trip to Concan provided memories as well and helped with team bonding.
“My favorite memory this year was watching Courtney Daniel collect like 200 golf balls from Concan at the golf course, and
By Derriq Young
then all of the sudden everyone was collecting golf balls,” Chancellor said.
The bonding time worked well. The girls won the district championship as a team on March 23. Junior Leah Torres was the individual district champ and sophomore Courtney Daniel was third.
Through everything that happens, coaches and players agree that really matters most on the trip are the memories made.
“You become closer as a team and I think that really affects performance in a good way,” Miller said. “I think every team should go on an overnight trip.”
By Aidan Oakes
“You become closer as a team, and I think that really affects performance in a good way. I think every team should go on an overnight trip.”
More photos, stories and videosjunior Grace
Gates surround the front of the school, blocking off all entrances to that part of the building. Construction sounds are heard throughout the building as the work takes place on the east and west side.
The library is empty and sealed off for students and staff alike. The only thing remaining of the library is a small cart for returning books, along with a small selection of books to check out near the old library entrance.
The loss of the library in the weeks prior to EOC and AP testing is detrimental to students. The timing couldn’t be worse. A makeshift area should have been created during Flex Hour for students who rely on the library for a quiet place to study or for the resources it provides.
Throughout the year, the library provides students with a quiet space to work on homework and study. It also has become a safe place for students to hang out during lunch. Sometimes students work and other times they join friends for a game of chess. The library is also critical for materials, like printers and office spaces. Construction up to this point has been annoying, but it hasn’t caused huge changes in the dayto-day lives of students and staff.
The new construction on the front entrance during the last nine weeks of this year, however, is already causing issues for students and teachers alike.
In addition, the renovations are being done solely to improve the facade of the building. For a simple exterior makeover, the district should have timed the renovations to take place over the summer and
not during one of the most critical nine weeks for students.
The movement of the attendance office to the Performing Arts Center is an inconvenience for late-arriving students or visitors. But the loss of the library is much more than just an annoyance.
Prior to shutting down the library, a plan should have been developed to aid students who
utilize the resources regularly. At least during Flex Hour, a room should be set aside with a printer, available books and a designated quiet area for those studying.
Creating an area for students displaced by the untimely construction in the library would help as testing season begins.
October and February breaks are great for students and teachers. It gives students time to take a break from all the stress of test assignments and grades. Around these breaks are when school really starts to get stressful for students, so having the breaks is very nice. People need breaks just from work and school. Not having to really worry about
school for a week is pretty nice. I know I enjoy having a week to myself to reorganize my life and just my mind in general.
Before we had these breaks, it just seemed like school went on forever and that school was my whole life. With this small break, it makes school seem a little less long.
When the breaks first started a few years ago, people thought it was going to be weird. I mean, so did I. We had never had these breaks before and it seemed weird to just have these random weeks off in addition to all the normal holiday breaks.
Honestly, the new October and February breaks have become my favorite breaks.
Breaks during Thanksgiving, December and spring break, are usually packed with things to do. My family might come to town or we have to travel to different states to see family. But during October and February breaks, I have nothing to do. I literally have nothing to do and I think that’s what makes them so great. Having so much leisure time is amazing.
Although the breaks do make our summer shorter in the long run, I think it makes school more bearable.
August 9
First day of school
October 2-6
Fall Break
Nov. 20-24
Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 18-Jan. 4
Winter Break
Feb. 5-9
February Break
March 11-15
Spring Break
May 30
Last Day of School.
Almost every July and October, banners, posters and pictures supporting those with disabilities flood my Instagram feed, small business websites and even libraries. Now and then I find one that says things along the lines of “ADHD is a superpower!” And even though it’s supposed to empower others like myself, it only makes me question if I’m doing something wrong. It doesn’t always feel like a superpower. More often than not, it feels like the disorder that it’s categorized as.
toms. I just couldn’t make my brain quiet, and it was very frustrating.
It was confirmed I had ADHD in the last few months of 7th grade, but I can remember getting in trouble consistently for daydreaming, not having my hands in my lap, looking around during class, and “not paying attention” when I was younger. I would cry a lot because I couldn’t stop what I now know as my symp-
Before they diagnosed me, each year I would fail almost all of my classes. My previous teachers would speak at a pace that I couldn’t understand. When I would get stuck on something, once I finally figured it out, the teachers were already on another question. After searching for answers to what was wrong, I soon found communities dedicated to people with ADHD who experienced the same things as myself. I spoke to my parents about those people, my symptoms and my suspicions. Soon we went to my doctor, who told me I had ADHD. After my doctor diagnosed me, I learned how to manage my symptoms from suggestions made by others with ADHD. I began setting up a personalized 504 plan, changing the way I took notes, listening to people differently, and taking breaks when I’m overwhelmed. After I began trying to help myself, I soon became more successful in my academic work and myself as a person.
It’s been almost three years since my diagnosis and I’ve learned a lot about my ADHD and how to manage it. Regardless, it’s still a disability, and being able to manage it doesn’t mean that I don’t experience symptoms anymore. I still have trouble focusing, finishing tasks, understanding concepts and planning tasks reasonably. In fact, I still struggle with the same things as before, but luckily, I found a way that I can prevent it from disrupting my daily life.
Above all, ADHD isn’t just having more creative thinking skills. I’m not trying to say that it’s the worst thing ever or something that has never benefited me; but, in my opinion, it certainly isn’t amazing or a superpower. If one truly wants to support a disability, one shouldn’t ignore the struggles that come along with having one. Instead, others should embrace the good and the bad of a disability because having one doesn’t make someone less than others, but it certainly doesn’t make someone superior either.
By Shelby Townsend
By Alice Allison
By Kaitlyn Neel
Ifirst got into golf when I was very little, somewhere between 5 and 7 years old. My grandfather would always take me out to the course or the range and just have fun. I would usually beat him but that was never the point. He would always try to help me. He would pick me up from middle school with snacks and drinks and take me to my lessons. He never missed it. In fact, he was always early. He would just sit in the car and read his book until we got out. He made sure that I would always feel like I had a place to go. I knew that when I was feeling sad or I was just having an off day, he would be available to go and play a round of golf. That’s how golf became a
March 2023
Volume 9, Issue 5
Kingwood, Texas 77339
Maya Ortiz, editor-in-chief
Fallon Head, web editor
Derriq Young, sports editor
Jacob Valcarce, news editor
Kaitlyn Sitton, design editor
stress reliever for me. It became my home away from home.
In high school, he would never miss a tournament. If the coach needed anything, he would go get it for her. Once my golf glove tore in the middle of the tournament and he ran up to the clubhouse to buy
me a new one. He would search for golf balls and even go deep into the woods just to get a ball back. Sometimes he would just disappear for a long time. The amount of money that I saved just from the balls he found and brought back is unreal. I never realized how much he meant
to me until it was too late. He passed away on July 3, 2022, due to mesothelioma, which is a cancer that affects the lungs and larynx. This is my senior year of high school and life has been very different. I have not been to the course as much as I used to. I love to play with my dad, but there is always going to be something different about it. My dad likes to help me work out my swing when I am on the course. When I played with my grandfather, we just focused on having fun.
I am still using the lessons he taught me when we were playing together, little techniques that help me with my golf routine. I will never forget what he did on and off of the course. He is the reason I am who I am today.
KP Media is the official student-produced media of news and information published/ produced by KP Media students. KP Media has been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisers may – and should – coach and discuss content during the writing process.
The media will cover community, state, national, and international news if it is directly relevant to the school community, and includes local angles. The media will strive to provide coverage to all school organizations and functions.
Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the editorial board, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/ her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board.
Camille Blair, Khiya Dixon, Krista Edwards, Bailey Hall, Emerson Harris, Yusra Hasan, Cara Helton, Ramiro Hernandez, Ana
La Rosa Grillo, Ryder Lowery, Garrison Moritz, Taylor Nethery, Exa Nix, Aidan Oakes, Elizabeth Piquette, Daniel Spear, Shelby Townsend.
Luke Cavallo, Edgar Meirhofer, Jordan Hutchinson, Krisslyn Boyles, Arleigh Doehring.
Adviser: Megan Ortiz
Cover Photo: Masks can still be seen in the halls. Despite all COVID restrictions being lifted, masks remain a reminder of the 3-year-old pandemic. Photo by Kaitlyn Sitton.
Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of KP Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.
The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Kingwood Park High School, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose; this is defined by the media itself.
All writing in the media, other than letters to the editor in the newsmagazine, will be written by students of the journalism program and will not be accepted otherwise.
The media will specialize in and emphasize on informing their readers of school news and unique students of the Kingwood Park High School community.
Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media editorial policy, from being printed.
Letters to editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper or on the website. Letters to editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include writer’s address and phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.
The school newspaper will be distributed free of charge to all students every 6-8 weeks. The paper is completely financed by advertising revenues and fundraising. The money raised is used to pay for the school media printing costs, supplies and other media expenses.
Scan the QR code to read the complete Editorial Policy online.
President Joe Biden signed legislation prohibiting TikTok on federal government devices last year, and more than half of the United States have placed similar mandates on a state level. Texas A&M and the University of Texas restrict the app on school wifi.
There is continued concern TikTok puts anybody with the app at risk, and legislators have voiced their concerns about it being a national security threat.
This frenzy has been building since the 2020 saga when the Donald Trump administration first threatened to ban the app. In recent days, TikTok has been told its Chinese shareholders must sell their stake in the app or risk a nationwide ban being put into place.
With the app’s future uncertain, students talk about what they will miss most if a TikTok ban is put in place.
Hunger Games
Team Gale or Team Peeta? College admissions decisions
I will finally have an answer when asked about what I am doing after graduation. Eras tour
Taylor Swift is back and she doesn’t hate “Evermore.”
The Rodeo
There is nothing better than dusting off cowboy boots for the rodeo. World Baseball Classic
Meaningful baseball this early in the year? I’m not complaining.
Oscars
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” deserved to dominate the night.
No more breaks
Burnout is about to get bad.
I can’t remember anything from the beginning of the year.
Bieber vs. Gomez
The girls are fighting during Women’s History Month. TikTok attention spans Scrolling is just so easy.
March Madness
Upsets and broken brackets galore. Make-up tests
We really do need to eat lunch.
“I
Emily Hernandez, 12
Sadie Brown, 11
Jude
David Gonzalez, 10
By Shelby Townsend
Olivia
Jayden
would miss the comments on funny videos because that’s what I live for.”
“[I would miss] the Taylor Swift edits that are on TikTok.”
Ramon, 12
“I’m gonna miss all the fun edits. The cool edits of cool people.”
Licona, 10
“My girlfriend sending me funny videos all the time.”
Richard, 9
“I would miss the entertainment it provided and talking to my friends on it, because I am banned from all other social media (by my parents).”
“[I’d miss] the funny videos that make me cackle.”
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