Kingwood Park Times, Sept. 2022

Trailer becomes key addition

By Jacob Valcarce

The band was reaching the end of their rehearsal on Sept. 13 when a giant truck with the words “Kingwood Park Panther Band” written on the side came out of nowhere. The band broke their form and instantly started cheer ing and shouting.

“I didn’t even know we were getting [the trailer] until after I got hired and literally got a phone call -- like ‘Oh, by the way, like this is coming in,’” band director Bre Osbourn said.

The $60,400 trailer includes two floors for the props and instruments as well as LED lights inside.

Around competition season last year, the band boosters saw a need for a trailer when people were hurrying to get their instruments and props unloaded. They started planning for it after that. Humble ISD athletic director Troy Kite worked with the district to help finance the new addition.

“It’s just a very effective way to transport equipment,” Osbourn said. “It saves money because then you’re not having to have multiple trucks, multiple drivers, multiple tanks of gas for things. So that ul timately it saves you money there. It’s a very nice, big, pretty face for the program.”

As well as being a face for the band, it also makes transporting everything a lot quicker and more efficient for the students.

In the past the load crew had to put all of the equipment on a bus for everything. Now everyone puts their own stuff on it in a quicker, more efficient way.

“My favorite part is how easy people can just go in, go out and there can be no traffic,” load crew captain Jace Rodriguez said, “and how everything is designed for everyone to just go through it quickly. There’s been no one ever having trouble putting up their instruments.”

The band debuted the trailer at the homecoming game on Sept.

16. They also carried the arch that was featured during halftime in the trailer.

According to Osbourn, the band works just as hard as athletics, but still has more to do.

“We work hard and put in the same hours as athletics and all the other programs, but we have to drag around the most stuff,” Os bourn said. “You have electronics and you have our instruments and you have props and you have flags and just all the other stuff. We have water coolers, ponchos, uni forms, everything. So that needs to be carried places and it needs to be done safely and efficiently.”

With so many changes since their new director took over, Os bourn said she is proud of all the band has accomplished with her little time here. They learned new technique and kept an open mind through it.

“I know a lot of it’s new and it’s different; but the students so far are very open minded and they’ll try to grab a hold of all the new stuff, even if it’s something uncomfortable because [they’ve] d never done it before,” Osbourn said. “And that’s really cool. That’s not the case in a lot of places.”

The new $60,400 trailer is parked near in the fine arts parking lot during the week. It has made traveling to games much easier. Photo by Jacob Valcarce.

Band students load up their in struments prior to a football game at Turner Stadium. The multiple levels and built-in shelves help expediate the packing pro cess. Photo by Jacob Valcarce.

Editors earn all-state status, look to more success this year

By Shelby Townsend

The school’s journalism depart ment received the news that not one, but three of their stu dents were awarded the All-State Journalist status for 2022.

“I was really excited because my sister had won twice before,” junior Maya Ortiz said.

This was the first time both Ortiz and senior Katie Gerbasich had won this, and they were ecstatic. The criteria to earn AllState is based on a point system. Each state and national journal ism contest they win throughout the year has a certain amount of points associated with them.

“I thought it was just another award,” said Gerbasich, “but then I

realized how big of a deal it is.”

Ortiz’s older sister, Kathleen Ortiz also was named All-State Journalist for the third-consecu tive year. She graduated in May and attends Rice University.

Ortiz and Gerbasich collected so many points by winning national and state awards for their writing, photography and design.

Gerbasich even attended the selective Scripps Howard Emerg ing Journalist Workshop at the University of North Texas over the summer. She then spent 10 weeks in a paid internship.

“Everyone in the program works so hard, ” Maya Ortiz said, “so getting recognized for it was really cool and helped me realize just how special our program is.”

Illnesses prompt many absences early in year

By Taylor Nethery

The school year has started off with a busy nurse’s office. The flu season got a head start this year with many students getting sick and missing school. COVID-19 cases have also remained an issue.

“We’ve seen more flu earlier than we normal ly would see it,” school nurse Ju lie L’Italien said. “And then COVID we’ve seen since the first day of school.”

L’Italien and fellow nurse Mary Fischer have had a busy start to the school year. With kids stopping by for issues ranging from being sick to just needing a band-aid, the nurse’s office stays crowded throughout the day.

Changes have been made to alleviate some of the crowding. If students need band-aids, feminine products, safety pins, contact solution and deodorant, they’re available at all house offices and the front office.

“Kids that come in here for things that maybe could have waited are sitting here longer,” L’Italien said. “Maybe they just needed to come in and they just want to get a pad or a tampon and they end up sitting here for

fifteen minutes before we can get to them.”

The nurses will not see students during passing periods. To visit the nurse, students do need a pass from a teacher to stop by – except during Flex Hour. Anyone can stop in during Flex.

Flu season has started earlier than expected this year with many students being out within the first nine weeks.

Flu season is expected to come around October, but it got quite the head start. The nurses don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.

“I would recommend if they haven’t talked to their parents about getting the flu shot to definitely look at that,” Fisher said.

“We’re seeing higher incidents earlier in the year, and we’re see ing where it’s a longer recovery.”

Students can stay safe during this flu and cold season by wash ing their hands, staying home when they’re sick, and coughing and sneezing into tissues instead of their hands.

“If you’re not feeling good you probably should really stay home,” L’Italien said. “I think social dis tance is still a fair thing to say as opposed to students laying all over each other at lunch.”

Yearbook editor Katie Gerbasich and newspaper editor Maya Ortiz try to decide how which photo to add to a page during first period. Both qualified for the first time as All-State Journalists because of their state and national award-winning writing and photography. Photo by Fallon Head.

“We’ve seen more flu earlier than we normally would see it. And then COVID we’ve seen since the first day of school.”

- Julie L’Italien, nurse

Wildlife class adds bees

By Camille Blair

As part of a way to expand their agricultural program, FFA has added bees to their wildlife class.

“I think that we have a better understanding and a deeper ap preciation for the benefits [bees] have in agriculture, such as cross pollination as well as the benefits of selling the honey,” Kevin Mc Carty, FFA advisor and teacher, said.

The bees are going to be a hands-on project for the class; however, they don’t require much. It’s not as if bees need to be fed and constantly taken care of like the program’s past projects, which involved quail and trout.

“We’re basically just providing them with a home,” McCarty said. “They go out and hunt for their food and their water and bring it back to the hive to make the nectar.”

The bees aren’t just another project. As part of the class they

will work with an organization, Hives for Heroes, that helps veterans transfer back into civilian life when they return from the military.

“They use the bees to teach them independence as far as being able to have a source of income,” Mc Carty said. “They use the bees to build confidence and a work ethic as well as a sense of accomplish ment.”

The bees will be a year-round project so students can hopefully collect and sell honey. Through this, McCarty hopes that FFA members and wildlife students will learn a little bit about manag ing different wildlife species.

“[I hope they will gain] a better sense of wildlife conservation and ecology and the need for us to take care of nature resources,” McCarty said.

Sophia Donovan, a student in the wildlife class, keeps bees outside of school and is excited to help the class with the project.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the growth and progress our hives make,” Donovan said.

“I’m also looking forward to our hands-on experience with the bees.”

The new bee hives are located at the new FFA barns in Kingwood. Students in the wildlife classes will care for them. Photo by Camille Blair.

Interest in culinary program expected to increase

By Fallon Head

The culinary program in Humble ISD isn’t a well-known option with students, but that could change with the construction of the new classroom on campus.

“I think (culinary arts) is a different career field that most students have not thought about as a career,” Intro to Culinary Arts teacher Rolanda Wilkins said. “When most students think about cooking, they think of cooking as it relates to being at home. And that’s a different type of cooking than you would do if you were in the culinary arts field.”

The classes will have state-of-the-art equip ment. The expansion to the school will also include offices for district officials, who oversee the career and technical education (CTE) programs.

“(The culinary program) emphasizes the principles of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling the management of a variety of food service operations,” Wilkins said. “Students who go into culinary arts will understand the science behind what they are cooking, how those ingredients mix together to make their product and plating it and present ing.”

The program requires a prerequisite class, which will be a standard one-period elective. After the intro class, all advanced classes will be double blocked – two-hour classes known as practicum classes.

Right now, Kingwood Park only has one intro to culinary course. All students interested in culinary arts past that point have to apply for the program housed at Summer Creek. Appli cations are filled out and only a set number of students in the district are accepted.

Getting a classroom on campus will allow more students to take the course, as well as provide a more convenient experience for anyone who lives in Kingwood.

The new classroom will be situated between the athletic building and the main building, where the courtyard and outdoor lunch tables used to be. The entrance to the classroom will be in a hallway that will connect to the main building at the exit currently blocked by construction.

“This gives students a chance to take courses that are meaningful to them,” assistant princi pal Michelle Wilson said. “Maybe not everyone loves math, or they might not enjoy reading books and writing papers in English class. An elective course can give them an opportunity to still learn different content that might just be more applicable to them.”

Outside the exterior door that leads to the old courtyard between the commons and the athletic building is where the new culinary arts program is being built. Photo by Fallon Head.

Fashion Fit

The fashion in the hallways evolves on a daily basis. Here is a glimpse of a few students and how they pick what they wear. By Khiya Dixon and Ana La Rosa Grillo.

Sophomore Sydnei Sisney shops for quality and sustainability. “Jewelry goes a long way,” Sisney said. “You can have the most basic outfit, and you throw in some jewelry and it’s chic.”

Junior Charly Jolivette keeps things simple fashion wise. She en joys wearing any baggy or sporty clothes, especially from Forever 21.

Grace Cardenas is a junior who said she loves to look pretty and dress in cool clothes. She often switches up her styles and takes a significant amount of inspi ration from the early 2000s.

Junior Casandra Magee loves fashion just as much as she loves music. “Don’t build your style around how your body looks in the clothes,” Magee said. “Wear what makes you happy”.

Junior Chris Frazier started getting into fashion pretty recently and is an avid lover of leather jackets. He tends to spend most of the day listen ing to music and talking to his friends.

Junior Dayanara Madora Olivares is a bona fide fashionista and a passionate accessorizer. “Beauty is pain,” Olivares said. “Sometimes you have to suffer a little to look good.”

Classroom provides chaotic comfort

English teacher

FAVORITE

FIDGETS

By Cara Helton

Various tables, stools and bouncy chairs are situated around the class room. Toys and fidgets are within reach of every student. No matter what is on the agenda in Abby Wyllie’s English classes, students can be spotted building Legos, stretching worms and even pedaling a bicycle.

“I think what we’ve learned from COVID is that the way things have always been done isn’t necessarily the best way,” said Wyllie. “The working world has changed in a lot of ways and people need the ability to move and to be active in some way, shape or form.”

From infinity cubes to yoga balls and an underthe-table bike, Wyllie sup plies her classroom with a variety of fidget toys.

Two small boxes filled with toys are placed at the front of the class where students can grab as they walk in and then return when leaving.

Junior Avery Richards, who has ADHD, said the classroom fidgets help them focus better in class.

“I like how she’ll let us stand up and walk around, and I also like the layout of the classroom,” said Richards.

Wyllie does what she can to keep her class upbeat and give her students a chance to move around. One of the reasons Wyl lie chose to provide this freedom in her class is that

she has ADHD herself and dealt with uncomfortably long days in high school.

“I feel like every class room was just chairs in rows,” Wyllie said. “There wasn’t much interaction. You just had to sit and get talked at all day long.”

Recent studies show that 6.1 million students in the US are diagnosed with ADHD. While most classrooms don’t comply with these

students’ needs, Wyl lie’s classroom does. To make sure everyone is comfortable, Wyllie tries to put herself in a student’s perspective to see if she would be miserable in her own class. She said making adjustments to rooms for students with ADHD is key.

“I think it’s important to realize that not every student is the same, not every student is going to

Junior Callie Maple fidgets with an infinity cube while talking to English teacher Abby Wyllie about an assignment. Photo taken by Cara Helton.

Junior Makenzie Taylor plays with a fidget spinner while working on a worksheet. Photo taken by Cara Helton.

“My favorite fidget is the slimy worm toy cause they’re fun to swing around and wrap around things,” said junior Elaine Smith.

learn the way that you did, and that you have to adjust and adapt based on situation and students that are in your room because they’re not cookie cutters, they’re all individuals,” said Wyllie.

While Wyllie believes teachers have an impor tant role in providing an efficient learning environ ment, students must also keep themselves account able.

“A lot of students are like ‘oh well, I’m ADHD so that’s why I can’t do x, y and z’ and I think at times it becomes an excuse when really, it should be their superpower,” Wyllie said.

“My favorite fidget toy is the blue pop-it because it’s really satisfy ing, and when you flip it over it’s even more satisfying,” said junior Ethan Holloway.

“My favorite fidget toy is the string of blocks because I can just swing it around and it doesn’t hit anybody when I’m swinging it,” said junior Brighton Muller.

“Well, it’s broken right now but [the heart pop-it] is my favorite because out of all the pop-its Mrs. Wyllie has, it’s the most satisfying to pop because it’s the perfect resistance,” said junior Paula Villalobos.

Abby Wyllie has an active classroom to help her students focus.

“I think what we’ve learned from COVID is that the way things have always been isn’t necessarily the best way.”

- Abby Wyllie, English teacher

Dedication

Erin McLain works with her mom to raise kittens for adoption.

By Morgen Dozier

As Jen McLain and her brother walked to school, they passed by a house owned by their neighborhood’s resident “crazy cat lady.” Everyday they saw what seemed like dozens of cats lazily lying around. Jen McLain loved those cats.

But as much as she wanted a pet, her mother wouldn’t let her. So she resorted to secretly caring for injured cats around her neighborhood until they got better.

When she settled down with her husband, swim coach Greg McLain, and their daughter, junior Erin McLain, the family began fostering kittens about eight years ago.

“(I love) getting to see the new kittens,” said Erin, “and always getting to play with them.”

After fostering for so long they have gotten into the groove of receiving kittens and fostering them for about two to five months before taking them to pet stores and shelters to get adopted.

“It’s been hard to take them to the pet stores,” said Erin. “Letting go of litters that we’ve had for a while is the hardest.”

When the McLains decided to begin fostering, they knew that they would need a place to put the kittens. Having an extra bedroom, they moved all the kittens’ toys, beds, and litter boxes into the spare room and began using it as a safe space for the cats.

“I wasn’t a huge fan of

it (cat room) at first, but after seeing how good it is for the cats to have that type of space to grow and socialize and play, I became a believer,” Greg McLain said.

After each litter is adopted, the family com pletely disinfects the cat room. They clean the toys, litter boxes and cat towers as they begin preparing for the newest litter of foster kittens. However things sometimes don’t go as planned.

“(Mr. Fuzzy) was the runt of the litter,” Jen said.

“And that was a really large litter. He had like 12 brothers and sisters. And he was the runt, so he probably got the most attention, which is why we got attached to him. And now he’s the biggest cat we own.”

Yet, after more than 100

adoptions there are still some things with which the McLains struggle.

“We had an adult, Jack, who came with us and he passed away. So that was hard,” said Jen. “That’s when you either find them too late to help them or you find them and you just can’t do enough to help them.”

Although Jen and Erin foster kittens together, Jen also works to help control the cat population by trap ping, neutering, and re turning (TNR) community cats around Kingwood.

“If you have outdoor cats that are just in the neigh borhood and you feed them, I will go out and trap them with a live trap and get them spayed and neutered usually at some low cost spay and neuter clinics here in the area,” Jen said. “I’ll take them

there, they do the spay or neuter, they’ll give them a rabies shot and I will hold them for 24 hours to allow them to fully wake up from the anesthesia. Then I will release them back to the area that I trapped them in.

“It’s not bad to have outdoor cats, we just don’t know if they are reproduc ing.”

During COVID, the McLains began a TikTok account (@mclainkitten rescue). Jen McLain turned to her daughter for help and did a little research. The venture paid off. Since the account’s creation it has accumulated over 43,000 followers and 871,500 likes.

“I have more pictures of cats than I do of Erin on my phone,” Jen McLain said. “I have plenty of con tent. I just need to share it

with everybody. I had al ready been doing Facebook lives through Houston Pets Alive (HPA).

“I no longer have to buy cat food because people send me food and toys. I get bags of food randomly, toys randomly that show up from Amazon. I have a wish list in my bio that links back to Houston Pets Alive and to some info about what I do and so they can go check it out.”

Since being on TikTok, the McLains have gained a lot of attention, which in turn has allowed Jen McLain to keep doing what she has always wanted.

“It’s not a part time gig,” Greg McLain said. “When Jen gets home, she’s work ing until she gets ready to go to bed in some form or fashion to take care of these cats. It definitely shows commitment.”

Jen McLain and Erin McLain play with a litter of four kittens in the spare room in their house. The McLains have fostered kittens for eight years. They encourage others to consider adoption by visiting HoustonPetsAlive.org. Photo by Morgen Dozier

MORE PHOTOS

To see more photos from all of the homecoming festivities, scan the QR code or visit KPTimes.com.

Students pack together to dance in the cafeteria at homecoming Sept. 17. Photo by Jacob Valcarce.

Freshmen Ava Salazar and Joy Wiscovitch hug after spotting each other at the dance for the first time. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Ben Lively takes a break from the dance floor during the homecoming dance. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Freshmen Jack Ecker, Jada Cassidy, Nathan Rosales and Zoe Paez take a selfie near the dance floor. Photo by Maya Ortiz. Freshmen Dane Solomon and Carson Waggoner talk during the homecoming dance. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

HOMECOMING

Juniors Drake Stonestreet and Hannah Albritton dance outside of the main office. Photo by James Pham.

Senior Eliza Hoing and Noah Richard sit chatting. Photo by Jacob Valcarce.

Seniors Derrek Herrera and Constance Streitmam dance together at homecoming. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Sophomore Le Ann Borst compliments sophomore Ash Sid diqui. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Junior Andrick Lopez, seniors Connor Langdon, Ben Fehrenbacher and Nate Bravo hype up freshman Michael Cheeseman on the dance floor. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Genevieve Lebeouf drinks water at the homecoming dance. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Humans of KPARK

Everyone has a story. Throughout the year, stories of students and teachers will be told by KP Media staff members. Look for them in each issue and at KPTimes.com.

Mattingly finds her home on stage

By Exa Nix

Ever since she was little, Taylor Mat tingly knew she wanted to perform. She started taking acting classes in kin dergarten and has not slowed down yet. Just this year she auditioned for the The atre Under the Stars academy (TUTS).

“I actually went to their shows,” Mat tingly said. “I did some research and I saw they had auditions. I was excited to have an opportunity to learn more about what I want to go into.”

Theatre Under the Stars is an organiza tion that puts on professional produc tions. The academy Mattingly auditioned for offers acting classes for ages 15-20. They have 1,700 students yearly. The program has trained celebrities including Chandra Wilson, Sadie Sink, and Kevin Cahoon.The academy trains students for Broadway and has a very intensive auditioning process.

“You have to submit five different vid

eos,” said Mattingly, who spent a month preparing her audition material. “[There are] three different dance forms: Jazz, tap and ballet. Then the other two are a 1-minute monologue and 32 bars from a Broadway musical.”

The organization took three weeks to look over applications before sending out their acceptances. Mattingly checked her email everyday to see if she received a reply and for three weeks not a word.

Finally, her mom texted her telling her to check her email. She had made it.

“I was ecstatic,” said Mattingly. “I was in the theater, so I was jumping around.”

The program offers a variety of options for aspiring actors. Mattingly qualified for the highest level of singing class, mid-level ballet and two other beginner classes. She takes two classes weekly and the classes are taught by Theatre Under the Stars actors.

“They have experience in the field you want to go into,” Mattingly said.

Her classes are downtown next to the TUTS theater. Along with her regular school work she has work in her theater classes as well. She takes home mono logues to dissect as a part of learning about embodying a character. For her singing classes, she takes home songs to practice.

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” said Mattingly. “But it doesn’t allow me a lot of time to sit and relax. I’m always doing something. I really have to structure my day to make sure I have time to complete all my work.”

Mattingly has always had a passion for theater. Her favorite part about acting is being able to express emotions that you don’t feel in day-to-day life. She has been in more than 10 productions and does not plan on stopping anytime soon.

“They prepare you for college,” said Mattingly, “for what the lifestyle is like and what you need to succeed.”

Singing keeps Echols smiling

By Maya Ortiz

Junior Chris Echols is no stranger to the perfor mance world. Echols has been in school choir since fifth grade.

After joining choir at Foster Elementary, Echols did a pop show that fueled his love for choir.

Kingwood Middle School choir teacher Kathryn Frost influenced Echols the most in his choir journey.

“She just always believed in me,” Echols said. “She was like, ‘You can do this!’ I can and I did.”

Echols tries to get in at least two hours of choir practice a day, especially now as he participates in regional choir auditions.

“I’ve done choir for way too long to not be pas sionate about it,” said Echols, who is a Tenor 2 –the second-highest voice range for males.

One of Echols’s favorite choir moments is last year’s regional choir concert.

“I like to learn songs with a whole big group of people performing it,” Echols said. “And I got a plaque out of it, so that’s the best part.”

Choir has not always been easy for Echols. He has experienced a lack of confidence and stage fright during his years performing.

“If I don’t believe in myself, I stop enjoying it because of self doubt; and then I think, why keep going?” Echols said. “But I keep doing it [because] it’s fun.”

Echols’s most memorable encounter with stage fright was the summer of sixth grade. He went to a family reunion and wanted to sing a song for everyone but was unable because he felt he would be judged. He still wishes he had sang that day.

“If you crash and burn, who cares? You’ll forget it in like two days,” Echols said. “Do not let that define you. Do not let one bad incident define who you are as a singer or person.”

Junior Taylor Mattingly practices program’s upcoming show.

Junior Chris Echols is cheered by crowd after being recognized in the program. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

N olasco chases dreams in sky

By Katie Gerbasich

Growing up, senior Javier Nolasco al ways wanted to be a pilot. In July, he turned 17, the minimum age to apply for a pilot’s license. He decided to do just that and received his Private Pilot’s License in September.

“I have always loved to fly but I always flew as a passenger,” Nolasco said. “Being able to fly as a pilot is one of the best experiences of my life.”

In order to get a pilot’s license, a person must meet the flying hours requirements set by the FAA, as well as pass three exams – a written test, an oral test and a flying test. Nolasco has passed the writ

ten exam early on and recently passed his other two.

“There is a lot of self discipline, as it will seem like no one is watching,” Nolasco said. “There are no cops hiding in the cloud to make sure you’re following the rules, but you have to make sure you do things right as everything is recorded and will be traced back.”

After Nolasco took his written exam, his father decided to tag along to his training flight. They were planning to just do touch and go but Nolasco’s instructor thought he was ready for the next step: a solo flight.

“Not only did I pass my written and did my solo on the same day, which is very

rare by itself, but I also had my dad be there to see my first solo which all made that day unforgettable,” Nolasco said.

In gaining his Private Pilot’s License in high school, Nolasco said he believes it will help him seek employment faster in the future. He plans on getting more piloting licenses to hopefully become a United Airlines captain.

“The aviation world is one like no other, you don’t have the same view out the window everyday,” Nolasco said. “You go to sleep in a different city, country, or even continent than in the one you woke up in. And best of all, while others pay to get to their vacation destination you get paid to fly there.”

Kayfes finds passion as she works to become an Eagle Scout

By Daniel Spear

Senior Mchaley Kayfes joined Boy Scouts in 2018, after first starting out as a Girl Scout and quickly losing interest.

“People are generally surprised when I tell them I’m in Boy Scouts,” Kayfes said. “They usually assume I’m in Girl Scouts.”

Kayfes found her passion when at tending the National Youth Leadership Training.

“I remember when my little brother was in Cub Scouts, I would tag along with him because of how much fun it was,” Kayfes said. “I would go on camping trips, weekly meetings, and any other events I could go on because of my love for the

organization and program.”

When sophomore Cole Kayfes crossed over from being a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout, Kayfes said that she wasn’t able to participate in the activities she was used to. She was made to hang out with the adults primarily supervising.

As the Boy Scouts organization became more accessible to girls in recent years, Kayfes had an opportunity to join.

Now, she is working to create an Eagle Scout project by painting the United States on the Elm Grove Elementary bas ketball court. The paint required has been expensive; and while Kayfes isn’t finished, it’s her goal to finish this project for her community.

“The purpose of my Eagle Scout project is so when the elementary students learn about the states they can learn outside,” Kayfes said. “We’ve all been in school when COVID hit and younger kids have gotten used to learning on a screen. This is to help them with being more active outside and learning while having fun.”

KAYFES

Senior Javier Nolasco stands by a plane he flew while working toward his Private Pilot’s license. Photo courtesy of Javier Nolasco.

practices for the theater show. Photo by Exa Nix.

recognized for his recent success

Returning Home

By Kaitlyn Sitton

After the last high school performance Silver Star alumni Megan Cox performed, she still didn’t want to leave her team. This year, the former colonel was finally able to return to her alma mater as the new assistant director.

The main reason Cox wanted to become an assistant director was be cause of Silver Star director Cyndi Vaughn, who Cox said inspired her to become who she is now.

“Everything that she taught me – I learned skills that I’ll use for the rest of my life,” Cox said.

She said she still gets emotional at times as she walks the halls of the school. Being back has made her think about so many things she hadn’t reflected on in the past 10 years.

“It feels surreal,” said Cox. “It’s a weird feeling. I’ll walk into the dance room and I just get flooded with memories from my three years on the team.

“Performing for the last time as Colonel, I never thought I would be back here and then I am here. Coming back home has always just been a dream.”

Although dance has been a pas sion for Cox throughout her life, another love of hers was aerosci

ence. She was even able to launch a 12-foot rocket with her aerosci ence club in front of people from NASA. This experience helped her earn an opportunity to become an intern at NASA, but her passion for dance was too strong.

“If I wasn’t a drill team direc

tor, I think I would be working for NASA,” Cox said. “I loved the calculations and the organization and just the teamwork, but I love dance just a little bit more.”

Former Colonel returns to Silver Stars as assistant director

“I’ll walk into the dance room and I’ll just get flooded with memories from my three years on the team.”

- Megan Cox

Silver Star assistant director Megan Cox instructs students during dance class. She was a Silver Star during her time in high school and was inspired by director Cyndi Vaughn to become a dance teacher. Photo by Kaitlyn Sitton.

Cameron Williams, a senior, teaches students how to work lights and sound in the cafeteria booth. He is serving as the treasurer for Drama Club. Photo by Cara Helton.

Big shows selected to showcase talent

By Shelby Townsend

Theater is starting off the school year with big ambitions from the new directors. With all of the upcoming changes, the depart ment looks to make a fresh start.

“It’s all really exciting and a bit overwhelming, but I’m ready for anything that this year throws at us,” sophomore Alexa Grubb said.

With both previous directors leaving for new jobs after last year, the department is now be ing led by tech director Courtney Neuwirth and acting director Christopher Turner.

“Mr. Turner and Ms. Neuwirth are great for this department,” senior Abby Hunt said. “I think it’s going to change things that need to be changed, and that it’s really going to improve and advance what we have built.”

Theater is doing at least four confirmed productions this year. In September, varsity theater is performing “Peter and The Starcatcher,” a Peter Pan variant comedy. The show will be for all ages on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the

Art adds honor society

By Ryder Lowery

With the new year starting to settle, students are explor ing extracurricular activities on campus. Whether it’s a sport, club or other organization, the students have options. Art teacher Sarah Wyatt has shared authority over the Art Club, and together with fellow art teacher Emily Herrin, has started the National Art Honor Society.

Performing Arts Center.

“‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ is about how Peter Pan became Peter Pan and Captain Hook became Captain Hook; and it goes through his journey of (Peter Pan) finding himself,” sophomore Grace Potter said.

The second varsity show will be William Shakespeare’s “Tempest” in November. It will be followed by the mainstage show “Seussical the Musical” in January. It will be the theater’s first musical in three years.

“I was in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ my freshman year and we weren’t able to do another musical until

Senior Sara Snyder gives sophomore Ol ivia Brenner a pep talk before her classes start. Brenner serves the Drama Club as the correspond ing secretary. Photo by Cara Helton.

now,” senior Sara Snyder said. “I’m very excited to jump into a whimsical show like ‘Seussical.’”

In the spring, the students will shift their focus to the competitive side of theater with the UIL One Act Play. The actual play hasn’t been named, but Turner con firmed there will be a small cast of four to seven people.

“I’m very excited because of how close you get to your cast mates through a sometimes stressful process,” said junior Taylor Mat tingly, who has been in one One Act Plays. “You become a family. We win and lose together.”

The Art Club is still active, and will work closely with the Art Society. They are currently working on creating an ac tive social media presence, as well as a community outreach project that will be simi lar to geocaching.

Art Club and Art Honor Society meets in Room 2102 on Thursdays during Flex B.

“We will work hand in hand with the Art Club; and any activities the Art Club will be partaking in, the National Art Society will be also doing,” Wyatt said.

The National Art Society, along with the other art organizations, gives students the opportunity to earn a letterman jacket for art. To receive a letter, the student needs to earn at least 30 points. Points are earned through different art events and competitions, issued by either the Art Society, the club or the class.

To join the Art Society, the stu dent must be passing all of their core classes to even be eligible. The student does not have to be in any art classes if they want to join, but if they are they must be passing it. Any student on any level of art will be accepted. A code of ethics and specific rules are also required.

“There are specific requirement. You have to stay out of things like ISS or DAEP or any other disciplin ary issues,” Wyatt said.

OVERMYER OVERCOMES

By Derriq Young

After months of beg ging, Patrick Over myer was finally able to pad up and play football. He was 10 years old and not quite sure what he was doing.

“Go to him, make the tackle,” his two older sisters jokingly yelled as he stood there not knowing to lead the defensive play.

Overmyer’s parents didn’t initially let him play football because he was too young. It wasn’t until he kept asking over and over again that his family budged and signed him up in the fifth grade. Although he was one of the youngest and therefore smallest on the team, the coaches put him in as a safety, which allowed him to tackle play ers on the other team.

“He really didn’t do much,” Patrick’s mom Holly Overmyer said. “He just kind of stood back there and never tackled anyone, never did any thing. I remember joking with my husband, like, we need to put him on the line just so he gets tackled so he knows what this sport feels like, because I don’t think he had the instinct to just go up and tackle somebody.”

They soon recognized that Patrick had a good arm, and he became a quarterback the following year.

“That’s when he seemed more geared to – not initiating the tackle but

initiating the offensive play,” Holly Overmyer said.

“He always did a good job as quarterback, so that’s when we realized he’s more of an offensive player than a defen sive player.”

Ever since the begin ning, the Overmyers have gravi tated toward sports.

Patrick’s dad was a quar terback. His mom played volleyball at Ohio State.

His two older sisters Libby and Hannah played Division I volleyball.

“I definitely think being around that my whole life

has made me want to be an athlete,” he said.

But one thing his parents wanted him to know was that there was no pressure from them. They made sure to sup port him through each decision he made.

“We made sure Patrick didn’t have any pres sure,” Holly Overmyer said. “Just because I did it or the girls played col lege volley ball, there’s no expectation on us that you need to play a sport.”

Although Overmyer

grew up playing multiple sports, football is the one that stuck. When he’s not studying or doing home work, he’s out training –not only because he wants to be the best, but because he simply loves it.

“I feel like I work hard and I always get my work done in school,” Patrick Overmyer said. “And in my off time, sports is what I like to do. So when I train for those, that’s what makes me happy. That’s my life.”

That’s why his shoul der injury last year left his football career at a standstill. While compet ing with Jaxon Sims for the quarterback position, Overmyer got injured.

“We were devastated with his injury last year,”

Holly Overmyer said. “I mean, it was very hard on him because he really thought that junior year, he was going to break out as a quarterback, and then that didn’t happen.”

Because of his surgery, he wasn’t medically released until the end of July. However, that didn’t stop him. He relentlessly worked at building his muscles, getting stronger and eventually getting back on the field.

No one had to tell him to go out and practice. Patrick never complained about working out. His self-motivation pushed him to train as hard as he could to get even more powerful.

“He would go up to the school and do footwork,

“He just kind of stood back there and never tackled anyone, never did anything.”

- Holly Overmyer, on her son Patrick’s first football season as a safety in fifth grade.

Senior Patrick Overmyer has dealt with injuries and position changes to find success.

Senior Patrick Overmyer broke from the Baytown Sterling de fense to score in the homecoming football game on Sept. 16. He led the team to a 44-0 victory. Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

Patrick Overmyer dressed the part of a football player in their backyard in kindergarten. Photo courtesy of Holly Overmyer.

Senior Pierce Richards attended the Texas A&M football camp wtih Patrick Overmyer.

Courtesy of Holly Overmyer.

Courtesy of Holly Overmyer

agility completely on his own,” Holly Overmyer said. “He just never laid around and did nothing and then talked, ‘Oh, I want to play college foot ball.’ Like, he owned it and he just was self-driven.”

When the news came right before school started that Sims would not be returning to play quar terback this year, Over myer and his family were in shock. The coaches turned to Overmyer to take Sims’ place and lead the team as the quarterback, only a week before prac tice began.

“It was hard, be cause I was playing tight end,” Patrick Overmyer said. “That’s what I was supposed to play this year. I was train ing all summer to be a tight end. Right before fall camp, they told me I was going to be quarterback.”

Like every other chal

lenge, Overmyer faced it head on. Although it wasn’t planned, the Overmyers believe it was a blessing in disguise.

“Well, this is the path God laid out for you, so embrace it,” Holly Over myer told Patrick.

After the coaches of fered him the position, Overmyer immediately took on the role and leadership. He worked that much harder for not only himself, but now the rest of the team.

“You just see he leads by the way he carries him self,” football coach Clayton Maple said. “The way he practices and all of those things. So there’s a lot of really positive things to say that go along with Patrick.”

Although Patrick is de termined to lead this team to victory, he also is enjoy ing the last few moments in his high school football career with his teammates,

and the “brotherhood” they have formed.

“I hadn’t played a varsity game as quarterback, so being back there winning that big was really fun,” said Patrick Overmyer, who led the team to a 45-7 season-opening win against MacArthur. “To be out there with all my guys I’ve been playing with since middle school with the crowd and everything, it was really fun.”

As far as Patrick’s future in football, he’s still undecided where he will continue his career. He’s received offers from the University of Pennsylva nia, Princeton University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Lamar University, Jackson State University and Colorado School of Mines. He visited five college campuses this summer to pick the perfect school for his football and academic careers.

Patrick is thinking about studying engineering or something in the finance industry because of his mathematical skills.

“I’ve just learned that college is a grind,” he said. “I think if you think high school is hard, college is a whole other level. They train so much and then they have work on top of that and all the traveling. I just know it’s going to be a grind, but that also excites me too.”

As Patrick continues in his last season, he remem bers the lessons and hard ships he experienced over the years. He uses them to push toward his goals for himself, his team and his family.

“I just don’t want to let them down,” Overmyer said. “But it’s like we’re not usually known for football. So I want to be the team to start the culture of us being good.”

SERVING UP WINS

Senior Sean Helton strikes a forehand against Nacogoches. “When we are having a match, I sing ‘Mr Blue Sky’ in my head, and that keeps me focused.”

Jim and Ben Smoot flip the score during a doubles match against Nacogdo ches. “The season is going pretty good,” Ben said. “So far we’re 3-0 in the district right now so we’re do ing pretty good.”

Junior Eva Cockrell stays focused as she goes to hit a backhand against Nacogdoches on Sept. 21. “We’ve been playing a lot of games and drills this season so we’ve been working together and practicing together,” Cockrell said. “It’s not like one-person sport.”

“I feel like I work hard and I always get my work done in school. And in my off time, sports is what I like to do. So when I train for those, that’s what makes me happy. That’s my life.”

Senior Patrick Overmyer

The tennis team prepares for the playoffs after cruising through its early district opponents.

Senior Pippi Timpanaro and junior Brooke O’Brien celebrate after winning a point against Nacogdoches. “This season has been the best of them all,” Timpanaro said. “The team is just really great and our competition has been so nice. Maybe because it’s my last year, but it’s been a lot of fun. Photo by Madlynn Morris.

Photo by James Pham.

Photo by Madlynn Morris.

Patrick Overmyer makes a throw under pressure earlier this season. He has helped lead the team to a 4-1 start. Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

Yeager finds fun on volleyball court

By Taylor Nethery

Senior Emma Yeager joined volleyball this year after a twoyear hiatus. Yeager decided to join the team after committing to Mis souri State University and quitting club soccer with Challenge.

“It was a lot of weight off my back,” Yeager said. “It’s allowed me to just kind of take things slower and have more fun with what I do.”

Yeager committed to Missouri State University in April and is set to play Div. I soccer there next year.

With the recruiting process over, Yeager decided to quit club soccer, where she practiced multiple days a week and traveled across the country for games on weekends.

With more time on her hands, some of her former volleyball teammates encouraged her to try out for volleyball because they needed a middle player in

the front row. She quit volleyball after her freshman year because it overlapped with club soccer and took up a lot of her time.

Now, she likes that volleyball is something she can have fun with and not have to take as seriously as soccer.

“I played freshman year, and the way that high school volleyball overlapped with club soccer made it challenging to keep playing,”

Yeager said. “So after I committed this year, it opened up this mas sive hole in my schedule.”

This year in soccer, Yeager hopes to break the school’s career-record for goals scored. She’s seven goals away from 100 and 12 away from the school record.

“What I’m looking forward to the most my senior season is probably record breaking,” Yeager said. “I’m really looking forward to the chance to show how I’ve grown and improved since last season.”

Yeager is one of many students at Kingwood Park that takes on multiple sports. For a lot of students it can be challenging and time consuming. Yeager takes her main sport, soccer, more seriously than volleyball because she’s com mitted to play soccer, so she can have fun with volleyball and be there for the team and their needs.

“I just love being close with her,” said sophomore Krisslyn Boyles, who plays on varsity soccer and volleyball with Yeager. “She brings 100% effort. She’s very positive and outgoing.”

Yeager played every sport in middle school before ultimately focusing on soccer for most of high school. Looking back, she advises multi-sport athletes to not pick just one.

“If you have one sport you’re su per serious about, don’t just stick with that sport,” Yeager said. “Go play another sport. It’s good to have something that you can just let go and have fun with. And for me, that’s what volleyball is.”

Biggest races still ahead for cross country

By Aidan Oakes

With the cross country season in full swing, the athletes are finally able to showcase the work they put in over the sum mer.

A year ago, sophomore Elina Bailey repre sented the girls team at the 5A State Champi onships. The boys fell just five points short of qualifying as a team for the state meet.

“I hope to build from last year,” boys coach Chris Elliott said. “We missed state but hope to make it this year. We just need to come togeth er as a team and hold each other accountable.”

Coach Cody Cook said his team is working hard and has a familiar routine the athletes are used to following.

“We’re not really having to change a whole lot,” Cook said. “We have a process in our train ing that we follow pretty closely.”

Both the boys and girls share similar ambi tions. Senior Osvaldo Jasso said he is optimistic the boys are headed in the right direction.

“We’re still getting there, we’re still improv ing, but I think we got a real shot this year for state,” Jasso said.

Despite the physical demands of a sport like cross country, Cook said each runner’s mindset is the biggest obstacle for them.

“We’re very talented, but we’re only going to go as far as we can push ourselves mentally,”

Cook said.

There are always positives that come out of the training they put in, and Cook especially noticed that the team has developed great relationships with each other.

“When you work out as much as we do year round, you really end up forming a close bond,” Cook said.

The team’s bond with each other demon strates that at the end of the day, there’s more to it than just cross country.

“In and out of practice, we always just hang out with each other and enjoy ourselves togeth er,” Bailey said.

At the end of the day what matters most to Cook is that the athletes take advantage of these times and enjoy the moment.

“We’ve still got a long way to go, we’re not where we want to be by any means, but with the progress that we’re making I do expect us to be in the mix for a district championship this year,” Cook said.

Senior Emma Yeager goes up for a block against Atascocita High School on Aug. 26. Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

The boys cross country team does a pre-race huddle prior to an early meet at Atascocita High School. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Charter buses give coaches needed break

By Luke Cavallo

On a Tuesday early in the season, tennis coach John Macapaz and his team faced a daunting two-hour bus ride to a match in Lufkin. The coaches and athletes left school during flex hour to arrive at Lufkin around 3 p.m. They left Lufkin High School at 10 p.m.; and including a stop at Whataburger for dinner, the team did not arrive back in King wood until midnight.

“Our match went five hours and the last thing I wanted to do was drive two hours in the middle of the night,” Macapaz said.

Fortunately for the tennis pro gram, the district is chartering buses with hired drivers for the new distant district match-ups.

“That was a blessing,” Macapaz said. “That made a world of a differ ence for me. It took a huge stress off my back.”

Were the tennis program unable to procure a chartered bus for the match, Macapaz would have been forced to drive the bus himself, after a full day of coaching and teaching.

Kingwood Park sports programs had not experienced such distant op position in district play for years.

This development, among others, came as a result of the new district alignment that was dictated by UIL.

In late January, representatives from each school met at the Regional Service Center to receive an enve lope detailing the results of the new district alignment. The information was published to the UIL website on Feb. 3.

Macapaz said he was shocked when he heard who Kingwood Park’s district opponents would be for the next two years.

Sports programs, excluding foot ball, saw the addition of Huntsville, Lufkin and Nacogdoches into District 16-5A.

These new schools join Dayton and Porter, which remained from the previous seasons. Because District 16-5A is now a 6-team district, all but two teams will occupy a top four position and advance to playoffs.

This factor, combined with the uncertainty of facing unfamiliar op position and the trials of hours long

bus rides shook up the competitive status quo, forcing coaches and ath letic directors to make adjustments.

Going into the match against Lufkin in September, Macapaz didn’t know what to expect.

Macapaz was nervous about how the two-hour bus ride might have affected the performance of his team, but the Lufkin coach allowed extra time to warm up and loosen muscles.

“The coach was definitely under standing of it, because he had just had the drive from there to Porter,” Macapaz said.

Boys’ basketball coach Jeffrey Hamilton has already looked closely at his team’s schedule.

The boys’ basketball team travels to Lufkin and Nacodogches in Janu ary, and both games are set to occur on Tuesday nights.

Hamilton is glad to have district

backing for chartered buses, which he estimated cost between $1,500$2,000 each time they use them.

“Being that (coaches) work all day as teachers and then have to be back at school really, really early –from a safety standpoint, we have pretty much decided to charter it,” Hamilton said.

Charters allow every member of the program, including coaches, to relax and do what is necessary to prepare.

With charters taken care of, Hamilton regards unfamiliarity of the new teams as the biggest challenge associated with the new district alignment. His program will have to adjust and learn their new opponents in order to prepare, as opposed to the outgoing teams that Hamilton and the program had years of experience playing against.

Hamilton also predicts an increase in the quality of district competition this season, citing Lufkin as a strong challenger.

After success at the Lufkin match, Macapaz said he feels great about the trajectory of the tennis program and predicts a district championship.

“(I’m) looking forward to getting an idea of what we’re dealing with, and now just making the most of the new opportunity,” Macapaz said.

The volleyball team records a video thanking the district for the charter bus before taking off for their matches against Nacog doches on Sept. 23. Photo by James Pham.

Photo by James Pham.

Outdoor pep rally fun, but needs more students

The weather was perfect and the sunset on the football field provided an amazing backdrop as the homecoming court was announced.

The structure of the homecom ing pep rally remained much the same: band, cheer and Silver Stars all performed. The school con tinued the tradition of beaus and sweethearts and the red wagon parade. All the underclassmen winners on the homecoming court were also crowned.

However, for students used to a packed gym of cheering class mates there was one missing piece at the first community pep rally – more students. Com munity involvement at the pep rally is a great idea, especially for parents who want to attend their children’s events. But for it to be a successful pep rally, more students need to be there.

The homecoming pep rally

occurred at 7 p.m. when many students were busy at jobs, doing homework or were home and unable to get back to campus. This led to low student attendance, especially in comparison to adults in the stands at the pep rally.

While there is no room in the gym to include parents during the school day, a compromise could

be for the homecoming pep rally to be held outdoors at 3 p.m. Stu dents would already be at school, and parents could attend the outdoor pep rally if they wanted to. This could help encourage stu dents not directly involved in the pep rally to show up and support classmates.

With increased attendance both

bleachers would need to be open. For this year’s pep rally, only the home side of the stands was open. In the future, one side of the bleachers could be a specific student side and the other for parents. A portion of the track around the field could also be used for overflow seating.

With a few adjustments, com munity pep rallies seem like the ideal choice. Afternoons would allow more accessibility for stu dents, while also giving those who do not enjoy pep rallies the option to go home. Students can have their friends cheering on their creative floats and parents can get all the photos they need.

The sunset might be missing but the increase in school spirit will make up for it.

Senior Tyrique Riley dances while surrounded by the football team during the homecoming pep rally. Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

Sophomore Hayley Tappan performs with the cheerleaders during the outdoor pep rally on Sept. 14 at the football fields. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Love of languages key to achieving future goals

As a member of the youth program at the zoo, I was stationed near my favorite animal and sharing stories about them with guests who walked up. A family approached speaking in Spanish to each other about the unique animal that stood in front of them. I approached them in hopes of answering their questions, and I watched as smiles spread across the faces of the Hispanic fam ily I was talking to about okapis.

The smiles and interest in the animal was a result of breaking the language barrier. In a city as diverse as Houston, it shouldn’t be a shock for someone to adapt to one’s language. That family forever left an impression on me. While speaking about animal conservation to them in Spanish, I was reminded just how important it is to speak to people in their native languages.

Growing up, English was the primary focus in our home for my sisters and me. I knew some

Spanish words because my dad is also fluent in Spanish, but I didn’t really start learning it until I joined the Spanish Immersion program at Bear Branch Elementary. Starting in first grade, most of my lessons were taught in Spanish. I loved it from Day One.

The first week of school, I went home and told my mom I could speak Spanish. I said my whole bedtime prayer in “Spanish.” Basically, I just added an “a” to the end of every word. But I thought I was really good and fluent.

Over time I would learn that Spanish was so much more than words ending in vowels. It was a tool of communication that created instant connections between people.

I loved the structure of the language. As a kid who had trouble spelling, Spanish was an easy way out because the majority of the words are spelled exactly as they sound.

Going into eighth grade, I chose to continue my Spanish classes and added French to con nect with more people. I have now completed AP Spanish IV. I’m also on track to take AP French IV next year. Ultimately the goal is to be

fluent in both so I can communicate easily with native speakers.

I want to talk with ease and confidence to my relatives who primarily speak Spanish. I want to help people in the community who may not be fluent in English. And in the future, I want to travel to South America and Africa to research endangered wildlife. Spanish and French will be a requirement in those locations to really learn about the relationships between the animals and their surrounding communities. That is what can ultimately lead toward saving wildlife.

Being multilingual in Houston has definite advantages. I can find ways to practice Spanish and French, especially when I am at the zoo. And each time I do, I remember that a conver sation with one person could make a difference.

Everybody has a story. By putting in the ef fort to learn someone else’s language a person can gain invaluable information. Perhaps it can even change the world. Or at least it can perhaps help this one teen from Kingwood eventually help save an endangered animal.

WHAT’S HOT?

HOCO

Who didn’t participate in the most fun week of the year?

Student Section

The coordination at games is impressive.

Football Team Big plays, big fun, big wins.

Fall is coming It’s almost spooky season, and sad girl autumn.

Midnights Oct. 21 can’t come soon enough.

Rihanna

While Taylor Swift may not perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, we couldn’t ask for anyone better.

Be Real

Not everyone’s perfect, and now we have an app for it.

WHAT’S NOT?

Construction Congestion

One entrance to the athletic building is creating issues.

Making out in hallways Keep your lips to yourself.

Tests vs. Projects

Flip a coin to determine which one is more stressful.

Hurricane Season Buy your water early.

School Lunch Potato chip prices increased, and so did the lunch lines.

Trick-or-Treat glares

We like candy way more than the 2-year-old princess.

Pop Quizzes

They are real?? We thought those only happened in high school movies.

By Ryder Lowery

MAYA ORTIZ

love of sports

The rush, the adrenaline, the blood racing to your muscles, as you feel the thud of your heart getting heavier. The feeling of pure joy and the inherited love that brings people together. That exalting feeling of playing or watching sports is something that I know too well.

Growing up with a family full of sports lovers, there was never a time where a sport wasn’t be ing played or watched. Being around such an active family molded me into the sports adoring person I am today.

Because I am the youngest and only girl in my family, my older brothers naturally made me put on my sneak ers and forced me to run to the park with them. Or get out the football, soccer ball or baseball and go to the back yard and play until the sun went down.

The joy I felt when I got a point or made a good play. The thrill of the clock ticking and it being the last play of the night. The laughs we let out when the game ends and the sore losers pout all the way inside - which was always me.

When my dad would take my brothers to any sporting event, they never second guessed inviting their little sister. “Touchdown!” My 1st grade self yelled as the team hit a homerun. Not knowing the differ ence and frankly not caring, the rush of the crowd cheering and chanting in unison with my family alongside them was the moment I realized sports was more than just an activity to me. It was my passion.

If it wasn’t for my family and their enduring passion for not only playing sports but watching sports, I would never have had the passion for sports journalism like I do today.

Music makes days less mundane

Most students are familiar with passing periods, as they are the time given to get from one class to the next. The differ ence for students at this school instead of others is that instead of blaring bells to signify the beginning of the five minutes and the end, we have music. When a song starts, students get up to go to their next class, and when the music ends, there is only one minute left until the passing period is over.

Music is a staple in my life, I have a song playing whenever

Kingwood Park TIMES

Sept. 30, 2022

I’m allowed. The surprise of what song will be played, and the excitement I feel when one of my favorite songs is played, is something I love about this school.

Even silly songs like the “Ma carena” or the “Cupid Shuffle” can bring a smile to people’s faces. One day, the “Macarena” played and all of my first period started doing the dance. All of us were laughing and just having a good time. Sometimes I hear a song I’ve never heard before and I end up really liking it. When I find out the name of the song, it’s a new favorite on my playlist.

The music makes walking away from a test you know you failed somewhat easier, and it helps you get in the right

mindset to go take notes in a hard class. It is a constant in the ever-changing life of students. The different songs and the occasional themed days of songs bring a weird comfort to my day.

The range of song genres selected by administrative as sistant Chelsea Mulligan makes sure the music doesn’t get re petitive, and it also helps ensure that every student should hear a song they like. As someone who likes all kinds of music, I really appreciate that it’s not all coun try or pop or anything else.

The music really can make my day, and I can’t imagine what my high school experience would be without it.

EDITORS

Maya Ortiz, editor-in-chief Fallon Head, web editor

Derriq Young, sports editor Jacob Valcarce, news editor

STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Camille Blair, Luke Cavallo, Khiya Dixon, Arleigh Doeh ring, Krista Edwards, Katie Gerbasich, Bailey Hall, Cara Helton, Ramiro Hernan dez, Ana La Rosa Grillo, Ryder Lowery, Madlynn Morris, Garrison Mortiz, Taylor Nethery, Exa Nix, Aidan Oakes, James Pham, Kaitlyn Sitton, Daniel Spear, Shelby Townsend.

Adviser: Megan Ortiz

Principal: Wes Solomon

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 publica tion or distribution. Advisers may – and should – coach and discuss content during the writing process.

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;

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 opin ion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board;

Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media edito rial policy, from being printed;

Letters to editor will be printed in the opinion sec tion 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 verifica tion. Letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.

*Complete Editorial Policy can be found at KPTimes.com.

Derriq Young

Fallon Head

KP MEDIA EDITORIAL POLICY

“My most watched Disney movie is 110% Tangled and the other one is Prin cess and the Frog.”

- Jae’la Shelby, 12

“The Goofy Movie, be cause it’s a good father/ son story; and Max is a cool character.”

- Riley Costello, 12

As Disney celebrates its 100th birthday,

What Disney movie have you watched the most?

Little steps make each day easier

For the past eight years I have struggled with anxiety and depression, both of which got in creasingly worse before they finally started getting better. This is partly due to my ADHD. The anxiety I have around my relationships and depres sion I get once I’m off my dopamine highs are without a doubt connected to my ADHD. With recent therapy I have been able to cope a lot better, so I’m going to share some of the techniques I’ve learned, in hope that this reaches someone else who needs it.

Ana La Rosa Grillo

“out of sight, out of mind.” However, this doesn’t just apply to material things. This also applies to people and emotions. I have a tendency to close myself off from people and emotionally close myself off from the world. If I can’t see the person and how they are reacting to what I say – or if the way they react is unen thusiastic – I tend to become anxious about our friendship and whether they still like me or not. I’m always convinced people have started to hate me. The closer I am to you, the more anxious I become. I never want to come off as annoying or too much, especially to the people I care about. If I feel that is what is happening, I start to distance myself from them.

“My most watched Disney movie is Star Wars: New Hope, because it’s the old est and the best.”

- Nate Maskow, 10

“[My most watched Disney movie is] probably Lemonade Mouth. I like that movie a lot.”

- Khamille Jones, 11

“Probably Encanto. My second (most-watched) one is Coco. They’re good. Coco is my favorite.”

- coach David Feliciano

“Aladdin, either one -- the original or the live action. I love the live action.”

- English teacher Kimberly Villegas

Most of the time I don’t have the energy to do anything because of my depression. Once I sit down, I feel like I’m stuck there until I decide I need a snack so I tend to forget or just not do my chores. One trick that helps me get things done is my “might as well” mindset. Since I’m already up and in the kitchen, I might as well take the dishes out of the dishwasher. Since the dishwasher is empty, I might as well put the dirty dish in there. This way I tend to get things done quickly so I can get back to doing whatever I want. Though this isn’t a foolproof method, it does help me out a lot. Throughout my life, I’ve always struggled with making or keeping friends. People tend to see me as a very intense and loud person, traits brought on by my ADHD. I come off as rude, blunt and just plain loud to most people, so it’s always been hard for me to make friends without feel ing insecure about these things. One thing I do to help with this is to try and make friends that talk and act like me, or that are very patient and understanding. It’s really about find ing the right people with which to surround yourself. Eventually, I saw that having ADHD isn’t something to feel guilty about.

One saying I resonate a lot with is

This is a big problem that I’m trying to work on. One thing I do to calm this anxiety is to communicate how I feel to people. I ask if I’m be ing annoying or too much, and they often reassure me that I’m not. Once you have this reassurance, it’s easier to fight against those anxieties. I also try to distance myself from the people that say I am annoying, too loud or too excited. I’ve learned that these anxieties stem from having undiagnosed ADHD as a kid and always being degraded because I was different. Once you come to terms with the main cause of your anxiety then it’s a little easier to cope with.

In conclusion, countless people like me have a lot of work to do on ourselves, and that’s OK. The best we can do is try our best to get through life with the least struggle possible. If your mental illness is too much for you to handle by yourself, then try to ask your parents about therapy. I know that it’s helped me a lot in the few months that I’ve been in it.

After a few sessions, your therapist might talk to you about medica tion that may be considered as an option for you. But one thing every therapist will say is that you need to build up healthy coping mechanisms. These are some of the ones that work for me, and maybe they will work for you.