CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL ISSUE 05 DECEMBER 2014 9450 RAY WHITE RD, FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76244
ILLUMINATOR DECEMBER 2014
STUDENT LIFE
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& ENTERTAINMENT
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& WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: SPORTS
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FINDING YOUR HOME PAGES 9-10
CONTENTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEC 2014
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holidays Gift Wrapping Guide Top Ten Gifts Under Ten Dollars
movies Movies to See Over Break
student life Taedium vitae
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Fairytales or Bust
Dying with Dignity Humans of Central The Line Between Charity and Business No One Dies in Neverland It Only Takes One
sports Where is Central Going Where are They Now
entertainment
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Finding Your Home
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Keeping the Fire Alive
What to Listen to This Holiday Break Holidays Around the World Holidays Away From Home 10 Things You Forgot Happened in 2014 Best Thrift Stores/ Holiday Lights in Keller
On the cover: Austin Kimmel, (12) Photographed by: Leah Kayppayil, (12)
LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rachel Murray
As Christmas carols begin to play, the trees and houses become vibrant with lights, and the weather begins to chill, it is no surprise that the winter holiday season is upon us. In this issue of The Illuminator, we have plenty of articles to help you make the most of your holidays, while we are covering stories on how to give back to the community, but we are also focused on the people who might need more support and joy this Christmas. The presents under the tree, the decorations, the parties, and family,
EMAIL: Rachel.Murray4696@gmail.com
are all things that most people look forward to, but what we don’t realize is that there are many people who won’t be enjoying those typical things this holiday season. The people that are all caught up in the holiday spirit tend to forget the ones that are in need of help or just moral support. There are people who can’t afford to buy gifts, people who are unable to hang up lights, and there are people having a hard time finding joy this Christmas because of lost loved ones or loneliness. The vulnerability of these people is tragic. We live in a society where we
Rachel Murray Editor in Chief
Published by: Greater Dallas Press, 601 Shephard Dr. Garland, TX 75042
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rachel Murray rachel.murray4696@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR: Abby Goodman abbyg619 @gmail.com ONLINE EDITOR: Emily Mitchell emily.mitchell 8 @yahoo.com DESIGN EDITOR: Mary Clark maryclark907@yahoo.com ADVISER: Mrs. Natalie Brown
staff writers Zach Aguayo Steven Colaianni Brady Dunn Joanne Hershon Raygan Janowski Leah Kappayil Alexis Karpenko Connor Kirkwood
because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean the world will suddenly become filled with joy and jingle bells. Maybe rather than focusing on having a white Christmas this year, we should focus on having a peaceful or comforting one. With whatever you have planned for this winter, may your hearts be filled with love and joy this holiday season. We hope you enjoy the first issue of the 2014-15 Illuminator.
illuminator
magazine contacts editorial board
just want more and more, where people rush out to the nearest mall to get black Friday deals, right after giving thanks for what they already have. Everyone wants to hear about the happy side of Christmas, but The Illuminator staff has brought to you a well rounded issue this month. We shouldn’t have to just talk about the joyful and dandy parts of the holidays. We’re here to help you have a well rounded Christmas, but we’re also here to inform you about the many tragedies people in our country are facing this winter. Just
Jonathan Mitchell John Molhoek Felicia Murray Madeena Payenda Samantha Reed Aaron Spivey Ambriehl Turrentine Amy Woods
Not Pictured: Mark Clark, Amy Woods
HOLIDAY
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GIFT WRAPPING FOR DUMMIES By: Mary Clark, Design Editor
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HOLIDAY
TOP 10 CHRISTMAS GIFTS UNDER $10
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By: Raygan Janowski, Staff Writer
The holidays are right around the corner and some people don’t have a lot of money to spend but still want to give. Here is a list of the Top 10 gifts that can be perfect for anyone this holiday season.
#1 Socks These can be a fun and cozy gift for just about anyone. With all the different Christmas patterns, your options are endless.
#2 Lotions, sprays, hand sanitizers. Bath and Body Works has a substantial amount of different scents and variety’s to pick from.
#3 Gift Baskets
These are funny, acceptable and can be Target and Wal-Mart cool too. Items such as have plenty of cheap ugly Christmas sweatyet creative things anyers and giant candy one can put together canes. Remember it’s for you own personalthe thought that counts. ized gift. Make it one they really wont forget.
#6 Candles #7 Picture Frame
#8 Cookie Cutters
You cant go wrong. Calming, warm, and friendly with so many different scents to choose from anyone with love.
Nothing says merry Christmas like ginger bread cookies or Christmas tree sugar cookies. So why not? Helping them bake can make for a lovely Christmas bonding time as well.
While it may seem cliché, often many people don’t think about it. A nice elegant looking frame with your special person is a simple way to give this holiday.
#4 Gag Gifts
#9 Sentimental Ornament
#5 Candy Yummy and cheap. Whether it be chocolate or marshmallows this gift is guaranteed to put a smile on your receivers face.
#10 Time
This one is free. Giving them your time this holiday season can be more important than any physical item on This can be a personal memory they can keep this list. Surround yourself with your loved around every ones, so you don’t Christmas. forget what the holidays are truly about.
ABOUT THE MOVIE...
Screenwriting with Rick Jaffa BY: Mary Clark, design editor Rick Jaffa, a screenwriter for popular movies such as, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, tells his experiences and gives advice for anyone aspiring to work in the film business. Jaffa says, “It’s important to follow your passion, but also be pragmatic. Be prepared, whether it’s through study or developing contacts.” Jaffa himself started his career in the mail room at the William Morris Agency of Talent and developed his own contacts by calling friends in the business, eventually ending up in contact with Sam Haskell - an agent. Jaffa says, “It took me about a dozen calls before I talked him into giving me five minutes of his time… I started soon thereafter at $200 per week.” “Know going in that a lot of very hard work is required and… be prepared to make failure your friend. If you’re not failing, you’re not really pushing the envelope. Finally, don’t lose faith.” he says. While working on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), with his wife, Amanda Silver, the two have also
worked on projects like Curtis Hanson’s “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.” They’ve also worked with Steven Spielberg and are currently in the process of writing James Cameron’s “Avatar 2.” Being producers on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jaffa and Silver had a lot of opportunity to be on set during production and see their characters come to life. “It’s hard to describe how incredible, exciting and fulfilling it is to see a character you’ve dreamed up in your head and lived with in your imagination suddenly standing before you. The only thing more exciting is seeing the character on the big screen in front of an audience. I have to admit, it’s brought tears of joy and gratitude to my eyes.”
“We wanted the second movie to be Caesar’s and about his burden of leadership.” says DAWN writer, Rick Jaffa. While Caesar trusts the people, there are several dubious others and a vengeful ape that is willing to dismantle all that they have built to seek revenge on the humans.
BY: ALEXIS KARPENKO, Staff Writer
Into the Woods
December 18
December 24
A remake of a classic musical about a little girl taken out of an orphanage by a wealthy politician
A musical/fantasy set in an alternate world of Brother’s Grimm
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies December 16 Bilbo Baggins & co. unwittingly unleash Smaug to rain his wrath upon Laketown
Following up from it’s prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was released in August, 2011 - the 2014 blockbuster “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” creates an interesting update on the 1968 original film. DAWN takes place ten years after the outbreak of the virus that spread throughout the world at the end of the prequel, and centers around Caesar, who is the leader of the apes. The human population has mostly died off, with the exceptions of a few isolated civilizations throughout the world, and the apes have grown in numbers to the dominant species. After encountering a group of humans in San Francisco, California, Caesar decides to trust them and help them fix the hydroelectric dam in the forest where the apes live in order to supply the human’s civilization with power.
MOVIES TO SEE OVER THE WINTER BREAK
Annie
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
The Interview December 24 Two celebrity journalists get an interview with Kim Jong-un and then are instructed by the CIA to assassinate him.
The film is complete with an array of action, thrills, and just enough drama to round out a pretty impressive adaptation of the original story. The film, while significantly different from the original, still manages to grasp the natural authenticity of the Planet of the Apes tale while creating a refreshing new plot to interest the audience.
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MEDIA
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FAIRY TALES OR BUST
BY ABBY GOODMAN, OPINION WRITER We live in a society dominated by far fetched dreams and extreme cynicism. People dream of becoming famous actors, but will turn right around and shout that equality is a fairy tale for femi-Nazis. My friends say I am one of the biggest optimists they have ever seen. They say I am unrealistic in my constant reaching for something that is genuine and kind. They say I’m stupid with a tiny smile on their face, because we both know that they appreciate my ramblings on what could be rather than what will be. But here’s the thing; I am a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I am a liar and one of the best actresses out there. I am by no means optimistic. I’m not an idiot. I understand and believe that equality for everyone is not feasible. World hunger will not end. Every empire is hopelessly doomed to fall. The only thing we know to be true – the only actually true thing – is that death is inevitable and can’t be stopped by magic or vaccines or love. I know I am one of the biggest cynics that peo-
ple never see. I hide it. I don’t keep it hidden away in the darkest corners of my mind for my friends or my mom or my little sister. I keep it back there because if I do not, it will consume me, fully and completely. If I speak those thoughts I do not allow past my lips, I will end up drowning in it all. My friends say they don’t like it whenever I’m tired because I’m such a “downer.” I slouch and stare blankly into space and do not fight back to their sarcastic comments because when I am tired, I do not have the energy to fake every thing I do. I can’t act like I care about anything and I can’t act like those sly little sentences filled to the brim with unintentional catalysts for self-doubt don’t hurt. I can’t act like this gray, depressing, wartorn world is actually made of popsicles and sunsets to match because I know that isn’t true. My inner cynic comes out whenever I’m tired. I’ve heard from multiple people who say that they’re shocked that everything I write seems to be depressing. I can’t argue with that, I do write
some pretty dark stuff. But that’s how it is in my head a lot – dark and confusing and terrifying. Maybe that’s just what depression is. Maybe I’m just depressing. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Nothing really matters. But I can’t afford to think like that, can I? So I don’t say that. No, instead I say that if nothing really matters then doesn’t everything really matter? And we idolize the stars, and we are in awe of the pure number of them; but realistically, there are less people than stars. And the rarer something us, the more valuable it is, right? Using that logic, every single person is more important than the stars. You are more important than the North Star; a f laming light in a sky of darkness that led sailors home and saved fur gatherers from the depths of forest. And yes, doesn’t everyone want a fairy tale? But when you take into account that the original Sleeping Beauty was raped and the Little Mermaid committed suicide to become sea foam, maybe fairy tales are not the best thing to strive for.
Maybe we should strive for something like that old couple at the end of your street that consistently looks enamored with each other. Or maybe we should strive for something like Kate Middleton and Prince William because they’re absolutely adorable. Or maybe just striving for a relationship where no many times you were on a break, it always ends with them getting off the plane is enough. Don’t you see? We live in a society dominated by terror and celebrities who went straight downhill and landed in rehab. People mock them and the dreamers for trying for some impossible but at least they are trying. We live on an Earth where our insignificant little humans are more important than any star could ever hope to be. We live on an Earth were reality can be better than fairy tales. Our potential is incredible and breathtaking and magical – and even if I know that is not true, I will keep on declaring it until I believe it to be.
OPINION
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Taedium Vitae By: Steven Colaianni, Opinion Writer
I remember the time I completely lost interest in my math class. I was a strapping young lad in the 7th grade, and I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been for the upcoming math test. The captain of this hopelessly sinking vessel went by the name of Mrs.. East. She was new to the school, and our class was merely the tadpoles in her petri dish of numerical agony and number crunching, and my lungs were starting to fill with water this time of the year. Her platinum blonde hair twirled and pirouetted her freshly rouged face, a medusa in the east wing. My pruned, salty hands doused in nervous sweat gripped the test results and I f lipped it onto the freshly inked front side like a hot coal. There was a shimmering, glistening stillness to the water before the eye of the storm swept my last ounce of hope away. My ship had just taken a cannonball; I felt the tide pushing in from around me. Tell my parents I love them, I thought. I dreaded the thought of my dad logging into Gradespeed to read my less-than-favora-
ble test grade, and this embarrassing memoir of a pre- adolescent mathematician was crumpled and folded crudely into a bottle, tumbling in a deep blue to never be found. It was a culmination of my prior instructors up to this moment paired with a general distaste for all things involving a calculator that had f lipped a switch in my brain, wiring every synapse away from math, into a downward spiral of apathy and carelessness for the subject, and I was not alone on this journey. I can’t find motivation for a lot of things in my life. Working out, math homework, cleaning my room, coordinating long term plans. But one thing that I notice more than ever this year is a wave of apathy, whether it’s in or out of the classroom. At what point in your life did you lose interest entirely for something, and I mean something that you genuinely love? A person, an idea, a subject, a thought, anything. When you come home from work or school, what is keeping you from starting those pushups and getting into shape or studying for the
test at the end of the week? I don’t blame you, though. There’s always an excuse and I have had my fair share, and to some it is a coping mechanism temporarily taking us away from the severity of something bogging us down in our lives. Nonetheless, the rampant apathy in my peers this year concerns me. The halls of a school, once littered with books and dusty pages are now kept lit by the grouping of pixels on the gadgets we call smart phones. Ironic isn’t it? The pale luminescence of a white board is subordinate and inferior to whatever someone else is up to over the Internet. How many times have you had a kickback with friends to only have them contribute a scraps and bits of incoherent clauses to the conversation because they are preoccupied with something else? I can’t chalk everything up to my former math teacher. At certain times, it’s the thought of her pasty white face and ephemeral crystal eyes under the glow of artificial light that pushing me to
push pen to paper, and I still call the kettle black on bad days. I Can’t help but think why I was so apathetic towards my math class in the first place. At one point I thought that it was engrained into my mind to not do well in math. After all, I had been doing so well in all of my other classes. Perhaps apathy is hereditary, and it is something we won’t be able to avoid, mixed with a new generation of creative control and originality in mainstream media spiking its effects. We aren’t ourselves when we are under the inf luence of apathy; the most potent downer on the market and everyone’s a dealer these days. The doors to rehabilitation are in sight, but we can’t pick up our feet to get to the door. Anyone in a semi-conscious state of being with their eyes open should have something to do, something to read, something to see, places to be. Is there ever an excuse to listlessly commit to irksome passivity, or do we keep hitting snooze?
OPINION
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Dying with Dignity By: Ambriehl Turrentine, Staff Writer How would you react if maintained a blog and you were told that you only founded a non-profit orhave six months to live? ganization that supports What if you knew that you assisted suicide - an act would soon lose all mental only legal in four states. faculties? Would you suffer Because of this, Maynard until death or chose to end became of resident of Oreit all? Brittany Maynard gon in order to go through chose the latter. with the assisted death. Maynard, a 29-yearCamila Tirado, sophoold newlywed, was diag- more, says that she would nosed with terminal brain “do everything I wanted to cancer in January of 2014. and then end it,” which is In April, she was given exactly what Maynard did. only six months to live and She devised a bucket list then made the personal and on October 25, 2014, decision to ended her own she completed the last life by taking medications task on her list - visiting given to her by a doctor. the Grand Canyon. Maynard claimed that she Others, like Kelsey Phillips did not “want to die,” but (11), believed that “there felt as if it is the necessary could be a miracle.” Howoption. She describes it as ever, Maynard’s case dying with dignity. only seemed to be getSince her diagnosis, she ting worse. Her seizures
Right: Brittany Maynard pictured. Photo courtesy Brittany Maynard, People Magazine.
progressively worsened and according to doctors, her condition would soon leave her paralyzed and unable to control common bodily functions. According to junior Brittany Bohr, all people should “enjoy and embrace life while you have it. It could always be worse, no matter what.” When asked whether they would rather die in peace or suffering, all interviewees chose the first. Their answer changed, however, when the term “assisted suicide” came into the conversation. Junior, Nick Sargent, would “rather suffer” with the disease than plan his death on his own terms. Along with all suicide cases, the argument of
whether the act is brave or cowardly arises. Pranil Zaman (12) believes that “assisted suicide is brave because it is, obviously, a life-changing decision which you had to have made yourself. It’s not a decision that you just make, may regret, and move on from. There is no moving on.” On November 2nd in Portland, Oregon, Brittany Maynard took her own life. In a final Facebook post, she wrote, “Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me ... but would have taken so much more.”
Left: Brittany Maynard and Debbie Ziegler, her mother, pictured in Alaska in May. Photo courtesy Brittany Maynard,People Magazine.
HUMANS OF CENTRAL
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HUMANs of CENTRAL BY FELICIA murray, staff writer
A glimpse into the lives of friends and strangers of Central High School...
Gerrymil Garcia (11) “I got held back in second grade because in the Philippines, their school starts around summer, so when I got here I had to repeat the second grade.”
Holly Torman (10) “A couple years back, I had really kind of bad depression because I wasn’t really being myself, and I was trying to make other people happy, and I was always miserable and crying. Once I got to high school, things started to change, and I stopped caring about what other people thought and I found myself a lot happier for that, and I made good friends that liked me for who I was and that helped a lot.”
HUMANS OF CENTRAL
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Denise Fragoso (12) “My biggest fear would be not being successful in the career that I want to be in, and not being accepted into the job I want. My biggest dream is to be able to travel the world; it sounds cliché but I want to go explore different places.”
Damon Metzter (9) “Since I came from ISMS, not many people come from that school to here, so I don’t know that many people. I would try to make as many friends as possible. Be active, get into clubs, be social in your classrooms and try to get to know everybody.”
Adam Caldwell (11) “9/11 effected my family, especially my dad. My dad worked across the street from the twin towers. It was one of those things that changed him and changed my family.”
HumansofCentral
COVER STORY
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“The police showed up at my grandparent’s house later that night to check on me, but that was the last time I saw my dad.” Austin Kimmel (12)
COVER STORY
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Finding Your Home By: Steven Colaianni, Staff Writer There are so many things about home that we take for granted. The inviting scent of home cooking when you come back from a long day of work and school, the sugary dough of cookies laid out on the counter, your mother’s voice echoing through your room to finish your homework. Or maybe your youngest sibling is tugging at your shirt because he wants to play with you. Throughout our lives, we integrate into a routine at home, but for some, that routine is taken off its course in a heartbeat. “I had left him a note saying that I was moving out, but I didn’t expect him to show up at school. My first instinct was to run away. That’s exactly what I did.” He ran from the front office and down the hall where he couldn’t see his dad anymore. “There was no way I wanted to see him or go home with him. The police showed up at my grandparent’s house later that night to check on me, but that was the last time I saw my dad.” Austin Kimmel (12) is, amongst several other students are facing domestic disturbances or coping with the setbacks of living in and out of a broken home. According to the United States Census Bureau, nearly 55 % of all teens live in a broken home, where a family is split apart by means of divorce, death, substance
abuse, and other aff lictions. “My entire life, I was raised by my mother who was addicted to drugs and abused alcohol. When I was eight years old, she lost my custody battle and the last time me and my brother Alex saw her was around the time she passed away from a hydrocodone overdose in June.” Austin and Alex, for the time being, have found safety and shelter in their grandparent’s house in Argyle. Through all of the commotion and turmoil, their grandparents have shown tremendous support. “At first I was hesitant, but I understood where they were coming from and we wanted to be there to help them out and nurture them,” said Donnellyn Dominguez, Austin and Alex’s grandmother and current caretaker. Austin and Alex still make the commute from Argyle to Central every morning all while balancing choir, soccer, and other extracurricular responsibilities. “Moving away was weird to me,” says Alex. “ At first I was really uncomfortable with it because I consider my friends to be as close as family, and I didn’t know how I felt about being so far away from everyone. Now I couldn’t be happier and I know that my brother and I made the right decision to move away.” Several studies indi-
cate that students undergoing experiences similar to the Kimmel’s have reduced scores or have a hard time focusing on schoolwork. “I do believe that what has been happening in my life has affected my studies, but it has also motivated me to be a better person despite the distraction mentally,” says Austin. “My grades are not where they should be, I think.” Though it is not always entirely the parents or guardians at fault, the emotional stress and tension surrounding a student creates a significant divergence amongst those out of a broken home. “When I was younger, I lived with all of my siblings and we would joke around and play all day together, and we didn’t have to worry about anything between my mom and my dad. Everything was simpler. I wish I could go back to that time.” Austin is an active participant in the choir program and Voices of Central, while Alex plays soccer after school. The additional stress from school activities can build up, and many students are facing the same issues. Several issues tend to statistically correlate to broken homes, such as poverty and teenage pregnancy rates. The importance of a stable home life is taken for granted and can never be overstated. The Daily Signal reports that being raised
by parents in a successful marriage can reduce the likelihood of childhood poverty by nearly 82 percent. Despite the disadvantageous cloud looming over the subject matter, aff liction can inspire drive and hard work from individuals. Counselors and principals, as well as other professionals can provide guidance to help kids through traumatic experiences in their lives. Austin and Alex explain that life “is a lot easier” now that they are moved out of their father’s home and in with his grandparents. “I’ve actually become a much happier person now. I still miss living close to all of my friends, but I am getting by. Mr. Goodwin and the counselors have made this transition in my life a lot less traumatic and I owe them the world,” says Austin. Although there are several children living in single-parent/guardian situations, the emotional distress affects teen’s lives in and out of school and the numbers are increasing rapidly. “To anyone out there with a good family life, hold on to it and spend as much time as possible with them,” says Austin. “Many things in life aren’t constant, but family is forever. Sometimes you forget about what you have, and only realize this when it is taken away from you.”
OPINION/EDITORIAL
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The Line Between
Charity and Business By: Samantha Reed, Opinion Writer For years we have nation was the same. seen various items “pink Ellen Waschka, freshwashed” to generate rev- man, also questions enue off of “charity”, but where the money itself will buying these items ac- goes to she says, “sometually help any breast can- times when you go to docer patients, or survivors? nate some of the money From KFC Chicken Buckets goes to places like aborto Mike’s Hard Lemonade, tion centers, which is a the pink ribbon is seem- thing that you can be free ingly ubiquitous. Howev- to do if you want, but it cirer, the reality of this situ- cles around to people beation is that breast cancer ing uncomfortable with it” is about women’s lives, not which is true, according to marketing opportunities. lifenews.com, Komen for Whenever you see the cure gives $700k to items with a pink rib- Planned Parenthood, the bon stamped on them, nation’s largest abortion do you ever stop to think clinic. about how much cash ut that’s only the tip they actually donate to of the iceberg; many comcancer research? Vivi- panies that we assume doane Nguyen, sophomore, nate money don’t actually said “people buy items give anything at all. The and donate money now Keep a Breast Foundawithout actually thinking tion (responsible for the about what the money is “I Heart Boobies” bracegoing towards.” In 2010, lets) has made millions Dansko Shoe Company off of their ten-dollar rubmade a pair of pink ribbon ber bracelets, along with clogs available for pur- other items, but most of chase. Hundreds of peo- their profit goes towards ple bought these shoes awareness and company thinking that they were in employees, instead of some way, shape or form treatments and financial helping people in need, support for patients. Hahowever what they didn’t ley Stroud, sophomore, know was that the com- thinks, “The company pany already had made a should start actually uspreset donation of $25,000 ing the money for research to Susan G Komen. It didn’t and towards things that are matter whether or not you going to help the patients.” bought the clogs, the do- She also says that “people
should also do more research about a company instead of buying products and assuming that they’re helping a good cause.” On their website they do not claim to be a nonprofit organization either, this organization may seem to have good intentions, but it is actually only powered by greed and exploiting women. We need to focus less on awareness and more on research and providing support to diagnosed women and survivors. What we don’t hear about in the media is how expensive medical bills can be to somebody with cancer. According to giveforward. com, the average breast cancer patient spends $712 out of pocket a month for medical expenses. Regular bills and fines already seem overbearing to many of us, even those of us healthy enough to work. Imagine paying all of your bills (house, car, insurance, phone, internet, cable, plumbing, electricity, groceries, etc) and an extra $712 on top of that, without a job, every single month. Another thing that many cancer patients need is emotional sup-
port. One of the many side effects of cancer is depression. Like any person with depression, the patient may act as if nothing is wrong and become very skilled at hiding their emotions as to protect their loved ones from painful feelings. Another side affect is anxiety. Junior Claire Bell struggles with anxiety and says “when you have anxiety, you worry about things that you should really worry about, so when you have something that is worth concern, that is never-ending pain.” Here are some reputable organizations that will put your money to good use. American Cancer Society – www.cancer.org Susan G. Komen for the Cure - ww5.komen. org National Breast Cancer Coalition - www. breastcancerdeadline2020. org The National Breast Cancer Foundation – www.nationalbreastcancer.org Breastcancer.org – www.breastcancer.org
OPINION/EDITORIAL
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No one dies in
Neverland
By: Rachel Murray, Abby Goodman, Emily Mitchell, and Mary Clark; Editorial Board
We have never envied Peter Pan more than we do now. Staying young and ignorant of all things, where your only big conf lict is a ticking crocodile that leaves you alone and a mildly obsessive pirate who’s horrible at the whole pirating thing. In our world, crocodiles don’t tick and they certainly can kill you. We don’t think they have cancer in Neverland. We don’t think they have that one thing that doesn’t discriminate race or gender or sexuality or wealth. That one thing that can kill. That one thing that rips holes in communities because they didn’t deserve to die, but they did, and now you’re just standing here feeling hopeless and empty because they made you happy in this jaded world
where thieves only deserve murder if they’re black, and if you say “I can’t breathe,” eleven times, you’re resisting arrest. In America, we are free, we are civilized, and we are grateful. Most of the time, the tragedies that occur are not comparable to other countries. However, an example of America’s most recent tragedy is the Ferguson verdict. Something tells us that Peter Pan didn’t have to deal with racial inequality – and not just because he’s a white boy. We wish people would just realize that the only real race there is, is the human race. That is, of course, unless there are aliens but even if there were, they’d probably just get here and see a government that saves murderers, a society that ignores
the massacre of 43 Mexican student teachers or the murder of 70-80 people in North Korea to keep their public submissive, and a world where the biggest killers are a disease that we can’t stop and they’d see all this and say “nah man, screw this,” and get back in their spaceship and leave. Tragic things, like the death of Michael Brown, happen every day and the lesson that should be learned is that our police should be here to protect us, not to discriminate and not to be prejudice towards us. While we agree that change needs to be made, we feel like it should be made in an intelligent, and long-lasting way. While logically we know that injustices occur everyday, it doesn’t make it hurt any
Editorial Board: Rachel Murray, Emily Mitchell, Abby Goodman Not Pictured: Mary Clark
less. It’s not fair that we can’t walk down the street without the fear of getting grabbed and raped or murdered. It’s not fair that black people can’t do anything without the fear of being harassed, or maybe shot and killed. It’s not fair that grandfathers and brothers and friends get taken away without any reasoning other than “it was their time,” when clearly it wasn’t because they should’ve gotten years of love and dumb puns and mornings where the sun slips past your blinds and the light just bends in a different way. It’s not fair. No one dies in Neverland.
FEATURE
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STEVEN COLAIANNI AND DEVIN THIBODEAUX HONOR KAREEM’S MEMORY AT THE COMMUNITY CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
KEEPING THE FIRE ALIVE By: Steven Colaianni, Staff Writer On a damp and misty evening in the courtyard, students, teachers, friends and family alike gathered to share stories and give remembrance to the contagious smile that had lit up the halls of Central. Candles were passed around and one by one; friends and family of Kareem Gibbs, who passed away the morning of November 19 at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, shared thoughtful and poignant stories of his exciting and adventurous life while fighting a courageous battle with a rare form of childhood cancer. Kareem left his mark
by passing on a tale of fiery passion, love, and perspective that will continue to echo in the halls of Central indefinitely. Through several trips to Atlanta for a myriad of treatments, tests, chemotherapy, and the trials and tribulations of school and the work that it encompasses, Kareem tackled every obstacle with a smile on his face and spread a message of positivity. Not only are people drawn to Kareem’s story, but also people were drawn to his warm and kindred positivity. “I remember all of the fun times I had with Ka-
reem,” said senior Devin Thibodeaux. “He really taught me a lot and I’ll never forget the time we spent together. He was hilarious and was always a positive guy to be around.” Kareem was very close with the students and the faculty alike. Everyone had a story to share about his warm personality during the night. For some, it was hard to determine if Gibbs was the student who had the cancer from his attitude alone. “I had heard about the kid graduating early, but I had absolutely no idea that it was Kareem,” says Kareem’s former math teach-
er, Mrs. Julia Reneau. “He used to come in for tutorials and tell me that everything was going to be alright even though I kept pushing him to improve. I always admired that about him. He was so relaxed.” Gibbs’ upbeat disposition, and his story of perseverance through what he faced will carry on and mold the minds of teens from all over. His family says that he loved his life, was given many opportunities to cherish life and that he passed with a gentle smile on his face.
FEATURE
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IT JUST TAKES ONE
BY ANT GAUT, contrubuting writer
Cancer. The silent killer. Awareness keeps getting bigger. Yet we know less than before. I know to wear pink for our breasts. White for the air sacs in our chests but what does it mean? You teach me the colors of cancer, but that’s all I know. Not the facts, the odds of getting cancer, or even what to look for. Every Day. Every day, cancer takes another life. EVERY DAY, a mourning father has to fumble around and try to explain why mommy has to stay in the hospital. Why mommy’s hair is falling out. Why mommy goes to radiation every day but every day her smile ceases to radiate. I lied to you earlier. Cancer is not silent, quite frankly it’s the exact opposite. It’s constantly banging on our door, constantly crashing down letting you know it’s mighty power like waves crashing on the shore, yet it’s still ignored ; see, we all know it’s there lingering in the back of our minds. But we don’t take the time to expand our minds, until the beast is upon us and we’ve run out of time. I know you’re skeptical, what do these things have to do with cancer. These little things like cancer, are what we ignore daily. There are signs, symptoms.. it’s no secret. People almost forgot cigarettes were dangerous until some teen heart throb comes along sticks them in his mouth and calls them a metaphor. That is why I’m upset. The label on that package metaphor tells you that they cause cancer, and MAY bring you death. But there is no cure for lung cancer, so these companies might as well take the MAY out of that statement, because by next May you could easily be the one who’s out of it. It’s a scary thought, to pay the ultimate price to something like cancer. But it gets worse when you bring in the numbers. In 2014 there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed. Of those cases, 585,720 patients will die. There is a 44% chance of being diagnosed, so we must become aware and lower that risk so we can live, not just survive. 3 out of every 4 American families will have at least 1 family member diagnosed with cancer. 2 out of every 5 people will be diagnosed at some point in their lives. And 1 out of every 4 deaths in America is caused by cancer. Have I caught your attention yet? I know you’re tired with the numbers, I too am done. But these numbers are to show it all starts with one. Educate yourself. Educate others. Go hug your sisters and brothers. Cherish them. Cherish your family. Cause cancer is at our door 24/7. He hasn’t been cured yet but who knows, maybe you could be the one.
SPORTS/STUDENT LIFE
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Where is central going? “I want to go into the military after graduation or to play college baseball wherever I can.” Daniel Viedal (10)
“I want to go to UNT to study education so I can become a kindergarten teacher.” Marleigh Carlson (11)
“I plan on going to either Rutgers or Arizona State to study finance.” Jack Manna (11)
Senior Signings
Taylor Robinson: University of North Texas
By: Brady Dunn, Staff Writer Senior defensive back Taylor Robinson (12) has already got his next four years covered. He has signed to go to the University of North Texas to play cornerback for the mean green. In his final season as a charger, Taylor had 4 interceptions,1 fumble recovery, and 47 total tackles. Robinson definitely will be missed next season on the defensive side of the ball. Taylor won player of the game with the win vs Denton Ryan on Friday, September 26th. ‘’You just have to work hard on and off the field. I just always would work on the things I knew I needed to work on and get better at my skill,’’ Robinson said. “Being a senior in high school can be a sad and happy thing at the same time because you are going to miss playing with your boys but then your ready for a new chapter in your life to start. ‘’ Watching a lot of film and studying my opponent, and getting another chance to play with my family in TJ Tauaalo. He graduated back in 2014 and is at UNT playing defensive end.”
Kayla Epting: University of Houston By: Zach Aguayo, Staff Writer Senior swimmer, Kayla Epting (12), has now dedicated the next four years of her life to swimming at the University of Houston. She is currently training for her final season as a high school swimmer while also preparing for her college athlete life starting next fall. Kayla has been a 4-year letter winner at central for swimming and has been a vital part of the team’s success these past few years. Kayla swims the 50 and 100-meter freestyle and also the relays. “Knowing my future is relieving and exciting at the same time. I’m glad my college search is over, and I can not wait to start the next chapter of my swimming career,” Kayla said. “Years of early morning practices and two-a-days got me to this point. It isn’t an easy schedule but it is worth it knowing that I get to continue my career,” said Epting. Photo Courtesy: Matt Epting
SPORTS/STUDENT LIFE
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Where are they now? Kristina Schulz: University of Houston
Photo courtesy: @chachaschulz22 via Twitter
Zack Sanchez: Oklahoma University By: Aaron Spivey, Staff Writer Since graduating in 2012, Zack Sanchez, has shined at Oklahoma University. As a high school senior Sanchez, received strong interest from Baylor and Oklahoma University when he finished with nine defensive interceptions and 13 total touchdowns on the offensive side. Sanchez led Central to their first ever playoff appearance before he graduated and decided to join OU and Big 12 football. After being redshirted in 2012, he started all 13 games as a freshman and shined in their Sugar Bowl appearance when he intercepted a pass against the seventh ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to lead the Sooners to a 45 to 31 upset victory. Sanchez carried his success over to this current college football season. He currently has five interceptions, one of them being brought back for a touchdown when he returned to Texas to take on the Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry on October 11. He also has been named a semifinalist for the 2014-2015 Jim Thorpe Award, an award that goes to the top defensive back in the country.
By: Brady Dunn, Staff Writer Since graduating from Central High School in 2014, Kristina Schulz, went on to play Division 1 soccer at the University of Houston. She is a midfielder for the Cougars, and started 7 out of 16 games for them. She had her first career college goal against the Mercer Bears on September 7. ‘’ It has been so incredible playing soccer for a huge school like Houston, and I’m so blessed to have been given this opportunity,’ said Schulz. She was a three-year letterman for the Chargers, and was selected to the first team all-district in 2013. She notched 14 goals, and 15 assists in 2013. ‘’ The transition from high school to college is a bit hectic. Especially travelling for games and having to miss school, but it has been awesome.’’
Photo courtesy: @ZSanchez15 via Twitter
Jacob Moreland: University of Texas at Arlington
By: Zach Aguayo, Staff Writer Jacob Moreland, a 2012 graduate, has gone on to play college baseball at University of Texas at Arlington as a relief pitcher for the Mavericks. In his tenure at Central he was a 3 year letter winner playing Third base and as a starting pitcher under Coach David Ziegler. While here, Moreland had a 1.09 ERA and a 9-1 record as a starting pitcher while also hitting .469 as the Third baseman. Since starting his career at UTA, he has appeared as a relief pitcher against many big teams like Baylor, Utah, Oklahoma and many more. In the Mavericks 2014 campaign, Jacob led the team in appearances with 30 games appeared in, had 25 strikeouts and a 4.54 ERA. Photo courtesy: @jacob_moreland via Twitter
ENTERTAINMENT
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What is Central CENTRAL’S TOP listening to? HOLIDAY TRACKS Cold December Night, by Michael Buble “It gets me hype.” Michael Davis (12) All I Want For Christmas is You, by Mariah Carey “It’s a good song and I really like her.” Nathan Cullis (11)
Let it Snow “I like the beat to it.” Chastity Jackson (11)
Let it Snow, by Frank Sinatra “I love anything by Frank Sinatra.” Kayla Epting (12)
ENTERTAINMENT
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What to listen to over break... HOLIDAY ALBUMS By Ambriehl Turrentine, Staff Writer
#1 Holiday Wishes Idina Menzel (or should I say Adele Dazeem?) is keeping things “frozen” with her new album, “Holiday Wishes.” The star is tackling classics such as “Silent Night” and “White Christmas.” The album is available in stores and online now.
#2 Holiday for Swing
#3 Motown Christmas
#4 One ChristmasChapter One
“Holiday for Swing” is the second full-length studio album released by Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane. The comedy star delivers his versions of holiday show tunes with features of Norah Jones and Sarah Bareilles. This is out now.
Motown Christmas is setting to be an epic release. It features solos and collaborations from R&B/Soul stars including Ne-Yo, India Arie, Smokey Robinson, and Tasha Cobbs. They join forces to cover classic holiday tunes. Buy it now!
Grammy Award-winning country and pop sweetheart, LeAnn Rimes has released an EP of Christmas classics. As you may be able to tell from the title, it is the first of many festive records set to be released by Rimes – out now.
CONCERTS OVER BREAK: Kiss Army @ Gas Monkey 12/19 Casey Donahew @ Billy Bobs 12/20
#5 Christmas at Downton Abbey If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, then you may want to check out this 45-track LP. The album features carols, hymns, and other seasonal tunes performed by cast members. Available now.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
@ American Airlines Center
12/21
Lights All Night
@ Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center
12/26
Randy Rogers Band @ Billy Bobs 12/26 Mannheim Steamrollers
@ Music Park at Fair Hall
12/28
Spoon @ House of Blues 12/31 Symphony Orchestra
@ Bass Performance Hall
1/3
Josh Abbott Band @ Billy Bobs 1/3 Guns N’ Roses Tribute
@ House of Blues
1/3
NEWS
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Holidays Around the World By: Abby Goodman, Managing Editor As the holidays approach and we ready ourselves for a lack of school and an abundance of unhealthy foods, it is important to recognize that a lot of the world is celebrating their holidays in different ways. So, here are a few of the foreign traditions used around this time of the year.
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#1 On December 13th in Sweden, you might be woken up to the sound of little girls singing, giv-
ing you coffee and a special bun made out of Saffron. Know as St. Lucia’s Day, little girls dress up as “Lucia brides” and wear long white gowns and red sashes in order to honor the 3rd-century saint.
#2 On January 26th in Ireland, you may see children caroling and holding a stick that is topped with a holly bush and a wren. They ask for money for the “starving wren”, which inevitably goes into their pockets rather than the actual ‘Save the Wren’ foundation. This tradition, known as Wren Boys Procession, used to have a real wren killed and fastened to the stick but now only fake ones are used.
#3 Noel in France replaces our Santa Claus with #4 New Year’s Eve in Ecuador might smell like Pere Noel, the father of Christmas, who also makes ashes because each family will dress up a straw house calls with presents. While many others leave out stockings, French children leave out their shoes to be filled with fruits, nuts, and small toys. Almost every home has a Nativity Scene in it, AKA a scene with figurines showing the birth of Jesus Christ.
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Ta Chiu in Hong Kong is when many pray to the gods and the ghosts of their ancestors for their wishes to come true. Priests read aloud the name of everyone at the celebration and make a list of those names to a paper horse and then set it on fire to send it to the gods. This makes sure that the gods will remember the livings wishes.
man that is supposed to be a metaphor for the old year. The members of the family will make a will for the straw man that lists all it’s faults before burning it up along with all of those mistakes from the past year.
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Celebrated by Jews, Hanukkah is made to commemorate the victory over the Syrian-Greeks and the re-dedication of their holy temple in Jerusalem. For eight days and nights, the menorah burns to remind them of the miracle of the oil lasting eight nights.
OPINION
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Holidays Away From Home By: Alexis Karpenko, Opinion Writer
“Merry Christmas from Baghdad! I love you,” said the small piece of cardboard my dad is holding. Dressed head to toe in camouf lage and a rif le strapped to his back he stood in a bunker in Iraq. As a child, I had grown accustomed to my dad’s frequent deployments with the Air Force that could last any where from 4 to 6 months. I always knew that the military came before anything else and that’s the way it was going to be. I wondered if the military even cared that he had a life outside of the service; especially when he was sent to Iraq during the holiday season
of 2004. Christmas and Thanksgiving are supposed to be the time of year when your family comes together, for better or for worse, and is thankful to at least have each other. We were supposed to have each other… but where was Daddy? “He’s protecting our freedom,” they reassure me. I didn’t see that, all I could see was an empty chair. Most kids were afraid of ghosts or monsters under the bed, but I was afraid of the men in the blue uniforms holding a folded up f lag outside of my door. Blue, blue, all I could see when I closed my eyes were the men in blue. What would they tell me when they showed up? “He was a hero”, “He fought for our country”, “I’m sorry for your loss.” As a 7-year-old, I should have been thinking about Santa leaving presents, not about one
of the most important people in my life being shipped home in a wooden box. He didn’t come home in a wooden box, though He came home in one piece just like he had left. He hadn’t changed, but I had. Six months to a kid feels like two years so when he finally did come home all I saw was a stranger. A stranger that hadn’t been here for my birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I wish he hadn’t missed the holidays that year because I think it could have made all of the difference. I’m not bitter about it anymore; I understand what was happening to the world then. Since that year he has never missed a birthday or Christmas, but every once in a while I can’t help but think of all of the memories that he couldn’t have been a part of.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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10 THINGS YOU FORGOT HAPPENED IN
2014
FEBRUARY 2
SUPERBOWL XLVII
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl for the first time, beating the Denver Broncos 43-8.
FEBRUARY 14
ELLEN PAGE SPEECH
This actress gave a phenomenal speech for the Human Rights Campaign where she publicly came out to the world.
Photo courtesy: @IceBucket4ALS
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FEBRUARY 7-23
SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS The Sochi Winter Olympics had 88 nations, 2,873 athletes where the US recieved nine gold medals, seven silver medals and 12 bronze medals.
MARCH 2
THE OSCAR’S SELFIE How could you forget the most retweeted tweet of all time?
JULY 29TH
ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE Millions of people poured ice cold water over their heads and donated money to the ALS association. Over $115 million was donated.
FEBRUARY 11
FLAPPY BIRD Dong Nyguen removed the hopelessly addictive game from the app store, making iPhones with the game downloaded worth a fortune.
JUNE 30 MAY 24 Photo courtesy: @TheEllenShow
MARCH 8
FLIGHT GONE MISSING
Photo courtesy: @TipsFlappy
239 passengers and crew members on the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 suddenly disappeared and have yet to be found.
KIMYE WEDDING
For those of you asking who is “Kimye,” we are talking about the famous Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. From the high-fashion digs to the A-list guests, this was a very popular and famous wedding day for them.
SHARKNADO 2 Sharknado 2: The Second One realeased on June 30th, where many people were excited to see the sequel to the popular horror film, Sharknado.
AUGUST 25
ASP’S BEARD Coach Asp, an art teacher at Central finally decided to shave his beard, which he had been growing for 2 years.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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THE BEST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN KELLER Marshall Ridge:
Harper Street:
Marshall Ridge is a neighborhood of over 800 houses that include some of the most unique holiday decorations in Keller. Located off of 377 before Ronaoke.
Every year, Harper Street households work together to have one of the most decorated streets in the area. Every house on the street is lit up, and there are even houses that connect their lights together. Located off of Whitley Road.
The Bluffs: The Bluffs never fail to wow crowds of people that come every year to view the extravagant christmas lights and decorations. Located off of Heritage Parkway.
Bourland Street: Bourland Street is filled with many well decorated houses that you could say have “Griswold” style Christmas decorations. Located off of Keller Parkway.
Where to go Thrifting Mary Clark, Opinion Writer
Goodwill @ 7201 Rufe Snow Dr, Fort Worth Second Glance @ 6308 Rufe Snow Dr, Fort Worth
Family Thrift Outlet @ 1950 Ephriham Ave., Suite 220, Fort Worth
Hope’s Closet @ 5601 Basswood Blvd, Fort Worth
Trinity Habitat for Humanity ReStore @ 4433 River Oaks Blvd, Fort Worth
Haltom Thrift @ 3137 Denton Hwy, Haltom City
Thrift Town @ 2444 Jacksboro Hwy, Fort Worth
Thrift Town @ 6601 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills
FRIENDS FAMILY CHS Happy Holidays from The Illuminator