we are eSchool Sometime next semester, a lucky class of sophomores will receive their very own Amazon Kindle Fire, conveniently loaded with textbooks and novels (but no wi-fi, darn). It’s part of a trial program that the administration hopes to eventually implement school wide. “The state has started moving to wanting schools to use electronic textbooks,” principal Bill Harp said. “We talked about it a couple of years ago, but the technology was not there yet, other than the iPad which is cost prohibitive, and so we kind of kept this on the backburner until now with the new Kindles.” The first generation Kindle appeared on the market in November 2007, and since then has grown widely popular for it’s sleek look, simple design, and easy use. “This will have to be an incremental and steady process,” Harp said. “We do not have the money to buy every kid a Kindle so we’re starting small with a group that does the most reading. That’s usually sophomores.” That’s created major whining from students in other grades. “I thought junior year was supposed to be the hardest year,” junior Christina Cummings said. “Sophomore year was a piece of cake. It’s not fair.” Like textbooks, if students lose or damage the device, they will be charged for repair or replacements. Harp said that the devices will be made available, but students may opt out and use their textbooks instead. Opt out of carrying a Kindle versus 100 lbs. of textbooks? Really?
Just ask us
The Food and Drug Administration recommended last week that the “morning-after pill,” an aftersex contraceptive, should be sold without a prescription to girls who are under 17, just as it is to those over 17. The Obama administration banned the sales. What do you think?
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43% said yes
With the rates that babies are being born to women who are not ready for a child, it’s almost necessary for them to have this right. It would decrease the need for aborition.” -cartercrain, 12
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57% said no
If they’re young enough to have to ask for parental consent, the parent still has responsibility for the child.” -rebecapuente, 11 30 students surveyed
on the edge
In the running Voting starts the Tuesday, Jan. 3 for Mr. PGHS. Once again, you vote with dollars, and this year the proceeds will go to the Leukemia/ Lymphoma Society (LLS). Another reason to vote/donate: the winner not only gets a crown but also gets to invite one of his classes to a pasta party at Olive Garden, which is a supporter of the LLS. The nominees are: Justin Buchanan Jarrod Myers Jermey Ramos Joshua Smith Bryan Zach Let the campaigning begin.
pleasant grove high school 5406 mcknight road | texarkana, tx | 75503 check us out @ www.pgedgeonline.com December 14, 2011 | vol. 27 #3
edge A Can-Do Attitude -craytorphoto
Art Student Hopes to Build Awareness of Global Problem Kenzie Floyd news editor
When most high school students read the words “canned food drive” or hear someone talking about hunger, they shrug it off. They’ve seen too many commercials asking for donations, heard about too many churches doing famine projects and donated too many cans to homeless shelters during the winter months. Freshman Jarod Bayless thinks differently. When he read online that 25,000 people die of starvation every day, it changed him. It motivated him to make a difference, and now that’s what he’s doing by taking world hunger head on and using it as the theme of his GT art project. “I decided that I wanted to go big,” Jarod said. “I’m going to try and make a difference with the project instead of just doing it to get a grade on my report card.” The project’s requirements are to do something for the community that involves art. Students can choose whatever they want to do as long as it sticks to those guidelines. The day Jarod found out about the project, he started researching topics that he could use to help the community-- or even better, the globe. He considered recycling and poverty, but nothing stood out to him like world hunger. “The first thing that caught my attention was when my youth pastor talked to me about what actually happens when someone dies of hunger,”
Jarod said. “He didn’t try to sugar coat it. He told me that if someone’s body doesn’t have any food in it, they will literally start gasping for air until their organs shut down one by one. When their heart or their lungs stop working, they die.” The statistics seem unreal. Last year there were 925 million people in the world that were considered hungry. In this instance, hungry didn’t mean that they missed their afternoon snack, but it meant that they were dying of starvation. Almost eight million people a year die from going hungry-- that’s one person every four seconds. “I’d heard about people dying of starvation before, but I never thought I could really do anything about it,” Jarod said. “I decided that this project was the perfect opportunity to prove myself wrong.” So Jarod got started. He decided that he is going to do a canned food drive and make a sculpture out of the cans he receives. The sculpture will be a rectangular map of the world, and stand 20 feet tall by 30 feet wide in the back of the student parking lot. The drive has already started, but Jarod won’t be constructing the sculpture until Sat. Jan 7, when people are welcome to come and watch Jarod assemble the sculpture and see the final results. “I want people to come watch so they can see the sculpture when it’s finished,” Jarod said. “Hopefully it will make them realize the meaning of my project and see how big the problem of hunger really is.” This isn’t just Jarod’s project, but the commu-
nity’s as well. First Baptist Church, Harvest Texarkana, Randy Sams, and Twin City Collision are involved, and Jarod is trying to get some of the local supermarkets to help out, too. When the project is finished, half of the cans will be donated to Harvest Texarkana and the rest will go to Randy Sams. “Besides helping the hungry, my main goal is to get people to open their eyes,” Jarod said. “I want people to realize that there’s a lot more then themselves in this world.” The project won’t be easy. It’s going to take a lot of cans to build a 20 x 30 foot sculpture, and Jarod doesn’t have anywhere close to enough yet. If you want to help, you can either give your cans to Jarod or drop them off at Twin City Collision on Summerhill Road. “Since the project is so much work, I have to keep myself motivated,” Jarod said. “Every day, I wear a bracelet that I got from the Buckle that says ‘make a difference.’ It used to not have any meaning, but now it does.” If the project goes well, Jarod is thinking about doing it again next year. Now that he has started the work and realized how big of a movement he can make, he doesn’t want to stop. “I definitely don’t want to get a big head about myself being a ‘good guy’ because that would totally ruin the meaning of the project,” Jarod said. “I’m just a kid in high school trying to make a difference.”
Making The Connection
Texarkana Homeless Shelter Shares Special Tie With School, Former Student
Ashlyn Hurst reporter
Sophomore Peyton Trippe brings a box of canned food every time a school group holds a food drive. She’s delivered food to the local homeless shelter, and her church often asks for volunteers to serve meals on holidays there, but she never thought about the name on the sign out front. In 1996, a homeless shelter was established, but not by the city council or local charities. It was erected in memory of Randy Sams. Coming home from the lake after his senior prom with his date and friends, Randy was killed in a car accident. A student at Pleasant Grove, he often volunteered at local outreach shelters and the soup kitchen at St. James Episcopal Church.
“Randy was in my marketing education program,” Mrs. Gloria Shimanek said. “He was tall, gregarious, and always smiling.” Before Randy’s death, Father Paul Lambert, the former rector of St. James, concluded that not enough was being done in the community to help the homeless. “The story goes that a homeless man set a fire inside of an abandoned home to keep warm, and the house burned down killing the man,” said Father Doug Anderson, chairman of the shelter board and current rector of St. James. When Father Lambert learned of this tragedy, he started a soup kitchen at the church which eventually morphed into the Randy Sams’ shelter. After his death, Randy’s parents left some money and propery to the church.They wanted something
beneficial to be done with the money, and provided the resources to build the shelter. “The shelter is an absolute vital necessity,” explains Jennifer Laurent, executive director of Randy Sams. “It is the only completely free shelter in an 85 mile radius, and serves, not only the Texarkana community, but also other surrounding communities.” Randy Sams’ Shelter strives to meet the immediate and temporary needs of safe lodging and food of the poor and homeless in the community, Laurent said. Working with local agencies, the shelter provides the tools needed to restore members to self-sustaining members of society. With all they are doing to help, Randy Sams’ relies on the service and donation of people and organizations in the community. continued on page 5
How to help • Donate cash. You can mail your donation to the Randy Sams Outreach Shelter, 402 Oak Street, Texarkana 75501, or donate through Paypal. • Donate items. Make a gift of a new or used item from the RSOS wish list. • Donate your used ink jet or laser cartridges, and used cell phones.
RSOS will send them to a recycling company for cash. • Volunteer your time. Download a volunteer application from the RSOS website. •Work with your organization to host a donation drive for kitchen items or cleaning supplies.
page2
thebottomline
events, activities, and news briefly
dec/jan
19
completed by Kenzie Floyd, Nathan Taylor, Josh Whitt
rate my test
Christmas Break
Two weeks off? Yes, please. Happy holidays. See you back in January.
gimme5
HOBY/RYLA winners selected for program
Juniors Naveed Haque, Ji Wong Choi, Conner Palmore and Sarah Mitchell were four out of 15 Texarkana students selected for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program, sponsored by the Rotary Club for high school juniors. “The videos I’ve watched from RYLA look like a lot of fun,” Naveed said. “I think it will help me with my leadership skills.” HOBY is another youth leadership program but is only for sophomores. Natalie Irwin was selected as the HOBY ambassador, and the alternates are sophomores Tyler Goldsmith and Elena Thompson. The seminar will be held at TCU in May.
Students of the month November: Logan Young December: Hunter Hatfield
Crimestoppers offers reward for acid bomb info Police have still not solved the recent acid bomb incidents in the PG area, according to school resource officer Pete Mann. The bombs are plastic bottles left on doorsteps. They have chemicals inside that cause a reaction, either melting the bottle or exploding, and releasing dangerous vapors. The resulting chemicals are hazordous to people and property and may require a hazordous material cleanup. Charges could range from a misdemeanor to a felony and prison time. Crimestoppers is offering a $100 reward for information. Call 903-798-3116.
Mr. Tony Kirk Test: Government Test: History DC Format: Mostly multiple choice Difficulty: 4 My take on the test: “It’s all about revisting material we’ve gone over.”
Mrs. Shawn Edmonds Test: English Format: Multiple choice, short answer, essay questions Difficulty: 7 My take on the test: “If you study your review, and try your best, you’ll do fine.”
Mrs. Shali Martindale Test: Chemistry Test: Anatomy Format: Multiple choice, diagrams (Anatomy) Difficulty: 6 (Chemistry) Difficulty: 7 (Anatomy) My take on the test: “Study the review and you’ll be okay.”
Cha-Ching: Vending Program A Sell-Out Ice cream? Really? After only a week, the vending machines are already the most popular kids in school. “We’ve been selling out of ice cream, especially the Snickers,” cafeteria worker Dianne Lawrence said. “And the kids seem to like the Switch juices.” The machines, installed last week, provide everything from sandwiches and salads to yogurts and fruit cups, as well as baked chips, water and
juices--all items that fall under federal food guidelines. According to Food Services Director Jeffrey Frank, PG is the first district in Texas to have this type of vending program, which allows students to purchase items using their school ID and cafeteria account. But the purpose isn’t just convenience for students. After state budget cuts, the cafeteria lost staff and one lunch line was closed. However, Lawrence said she re-
ally hasn’t noticed a difference in the number of students going through the regular line. “I think maybe they’re waiting to see how the machines work,” she said. The staff is also trying to work out the bugs. “The salads wouldn’t drop at first, and then one spilled,” Lawrence said. “We’re trying to fix it by putting more tape on the containers. It’s just one of those things where we’re learning.”
Perform! Win money!
Flex your muscles
The winners won’t receive a recording contract or a million dollars, but they will get to perform on stage at the Performing Arts Center and get an award of some kind. Students get two opportunities to compete after Christmas break. What you need to know: What: The Miss PGHS pageant When: Jan. 28 How: Entry forms/fees are due Friday, Jan. 6 by 3:30 to cheerleading sponsor Jennifer Veal, room 306. Rehearsals begin Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. --What: The Follies When: Feb. 4 How: Tryouts are Jan. 10 and 12 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the PAC. Participants must perform a 2 1/2 minute routine. They must also provide performance music on a CD and a copy of lyrics (appropriate).
The promise of a three-day weekend is enough to make senior Kim Spink come to school and study for her exams. “It’s cool,” she said. “Mondays are usually bad days anyway, so it will be nice to have those extra few days.” Those extra days are part of Flex Mondays, which will allow students to miss Feb. 20 and 27 and April 9 and 16 if they meet certain criteria. Students must have scored a certain grade on all sections of the TAKS, be passing all fall classes with a 70 or above, be complete in all classes, and have a 92% or higher attendance rate. Students who do not meet the criteria must attend school on those days. These days are in addition to the regular Flex Week, scheduled for the last week of school. “We started Flex Mondays so the students could get extra help before TAKS instead of after,” principal Bill Harp said. “Flex Week still has its place for attendance make-up and credit recovery, but we felt like if we were going to do this, we needed to use it to give the kids some extra assistance before they took the tests. ”
Pageant, Follies coming up
Spring calendar brings extra days off for TAKS scores, grades
Break Is Over
3
Lip Dub Video
5
Can Sculpture
7
Christmas break ends and it’s back to school to start the second semester. The 100 day countdown to graduation begins.
Everybody out in the hall! Take your Pink Glove moves to a school-wide lip sync and then watch the video on YouTube.
Finally, all those cans you’ve been donating are going to be put to use. Come out to the student parking lot and watch freshman Jarod Bayless make a sculpture out of his cans.
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No School
Flex Day number one. If you scored high enough on your Benchmarks, no school for you.
28
Miss PGHS Pageant
“World peace.” Come out to the PAC and watch the contestants compete for the title of Miss PGHS.
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First Softball Game 4849 Texas Blvd. • Texarkana
Watch the girls kick off the new season in their first game with Redwater.
page3 Faculty members visit the The Great Wall of China, other sites during weeklong trip
Excused Absence
Ashlyn Hurst reporter
Your Pleasant Grove jewelers
Ellen Campbell had the Great Wall of China on her Bucket List. It was right up there, near the top. So when the English teacher heard that the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce was sponsoring a trip to China, she didn’t hesitate. “I have always been fascinated by the Great Wall,” Campbell said. “There are things you decide, one day, that you want to do or visit, and for me, the Great Wall was one of them.” Last December, the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce invited residents and business leaders alike to travel to China to experience the country and to observe new business practices. Campbell, librarian Debbie Herrington and her husband, along with a group of other Texarkana residents, made the 13-hour journey to Beijing before Thanksgiving. “My first impression: wow! It was nothing like I had imagined,” Campbell said. “I thought it would be more crowded, but all of the cities we visited were very clean despite the millions of people that lived there. I was very impressed.”
One More Win Under His Belt Freshman makes a name for himself in Jiu Jitsu competitions, moves closer to Black Belt status Elizabeth Stark
2812 Richmond Road Richmond Park Center Texarkana, TX
Attractions included the Forbidden City, Tinananmen Square, the largest city square in the world, and, of course, the Great Wall of China. “There was a lot more climbing at the Great Wall. There were 800 steps to the summit,” Campbell said. “There were no elevators, escalators, or Former PG student Sarah Campbell and her mom, English teacher Ellen even hand rails. It was Campbell, ride a rickshaw during their trip to China. -submittedphoto was very treacherous history preserved in such great condition was imand definitely worth every step I took.” pressive. Our country is so new, it doesn’t have Famous temples and other sites such as the the same ancient history.” Great Wall, were not the only fascinating eleThe Chamber is sponsoring a trip to Madrid ment of the trip. later this year, and Campbell said she is thinking “Other than the Great Wall, I enjoyed the an- about taking that trip as well. cient Chinese buildings. Of course, the Olympics “I’m always ready to go somewhere else,” were held in Beijing just last year, so there was Campbell said. “My daughter Sarah may be goa lot of restoration done to prepare the city to ing to France by summer, and if she does, then be viewed by the world,” Campbell said. “All of by golly, that’s where I’m going next.” the buildings looked very nice. Seeing such old
reached the most accelerated adult class. “Most people were surprised to see me in reporter the accelerated class, especially the adults that Judging eyes are all focused on freshman hadn’t been bumped up,” Matt said, “but when Matt Hahn as he walks into a room full of they saw I was actually good they backed off adults. and we’ve become friends. I always try to work Some are jealous, others are skeptic, but hard, and I definitely keep up.” not a single person believes Matt is in the right After the first four months of practice stuplace. He tunes them out and starts his warm- dents have the chance to swap out their plain up. Matt is here to show that he doesn’t need white beginner belt. Practices consist of warm age to have talent. ups, work outs, learning new moves, and pracYou won’t see him playing football or basket- ticing them in sparring sessions. Coaches watch ball like the typical student. Instead, he follows throughout these to decide if you deserve to in his dad’s footsteps and takes on the martial move up a level. art of Jiu Jitsu. He attends Texarkana Jiu Jitsu Matt has blown through several belts in only four days a week. two years and is currently a blue belt with a Matt started out in the kids class but was white stripe. The only thing holding him back quickly moved through each level until he from earning a completely blue belt is his age.
Traditionally, you have to be at least 16. “My overall goal for jiu jitsu is to become a black belt-- but I’m not stopping there,” Matt said. “I will then move on to master other martial arts.” As he works to reach this goal, Matt assistant coaches the kids class he was a part of only two years ago. He works alongside his coach two days a week teaching classes and helping around the gym. “Jiu Jitsu can be very similar to other sports and I love showing that to the kids I teach. It focusses on your core and quick movement but it also builds strength,” Matt said. “I take it as seriously as anyone else takes their favorite sport, and it’s awesome to make money with it.”
Making Life EZR 4 U!
Proudly supporting Hawk Nation
Five Pleasant Grove Locations 2802 Richmond Road 670 N. Kings Hwy. 6424 Richmond Road 5602 Summerhill Road 5121 Summerhill Road
Happy Holidays from the Band Boosters
Check us out on FACEBOOK: PG Band Boosters -sponsored by the Band Boosters
edge
page2
Visions Of Sugarplums–It Run In My Veins ‘The Nutcracker’ is more then just a Christmas show for staffer
elizabethstark,reporter
From the outside it’s candy canes and sugar plums; finally a Christmas with snow. It’s Prima Donna tutus and pink satin shoes; everything is perfectly embellished, never too little never too much. For those involved it’s nervous stomachs and slicked back hair; going through bottles of hairspray. It’s being early to practice and quiet in the wings; it’s nutcracker. To me, the most wonderful time of the year. It seems like all the practices will never pay off, but when I’m under the stage lights and frozen by applause and I wonder why I ever complained. I remember driving to Beech Street Church for the first time when I was ten. I knew the audition was a big deal, but the nervousness wasn’t there. After competing for two years and going to dance three days a week, I just saw it as another practice with more dancers. What could be nerve wracking about that? Teachers would stand us in line and try to keep us quiet as the troublemakers snuck off to the bathroom. If only it was still like that. It’s senior auditions and some dancers treat it like a life or death ordeal. Picking out the right leotard, the perfect headband, and holding that last develop a little longer to catch the auditioner’s eye-- everyone has their own tricks by now. You might smile at a friend but no one really talks or lets their focus stray until the last number is called to end the auditions. It’s like the ice has broken and you can let loose again. When you do something for seven years with the same people, you make friends. Though I only see them once a year, it’s not hard to reconnect because in a sense I feel like
staff editorial
-submittedphoto
I’ve grown up with them. We don’t go to the same schools pleasant grove high school mcknight rd . texarkana, tx . 75503 or involve ourselves in the same activities, but we’re danc- 5406 phone: (903) 832-8005 . fax (903) 832-5381 ers and for the time being that’s enough. It’s important not Naveed Haque to get on anyone’s bad side because you never know when you’ll have to share a six by six foot dressing room with Kenzie Floyd them. Nathan Taylor A year ago I had to take a break from nutcracker Josh Whitt because I had mono and I had to choose between that and drill team. I didn’t know I would miss it as much as I Editors did. It was one of the worst feelings as a dancer to see a performance and feel like I belonged on stage-- smiling, Avery Borrell dancing, performing. Collin Craytor The extra time from not having practice on Sundays wasn’t worth it anymore. That’s when I realized how much Natalie Thigpen
Peyton Trippe Landon Young Photographers Hayley Allen Kyle Green Ashlyn Hurst Mark Northam Joel Webb Curtis Zachry Reporters -craytorphoto
it meant to me. “The Nutcracker Ballet” will always be a huge part of my life. What can I say, dancing runs through my veins.
Community Service Should Be a Requirement For The Heart You hear about it all the time. Mission trips, canned food drives, Angel Tree. Community service is a big deal in high school. But really it’s a lot more then just canned food drives or helping community organizations. During the holidays, community service projects hit an all-time high.Gift wrapping at the mall to raise money for Domestic Violence Prevention, coat drives, buying gifts for the kids at Watersprings Ranch–opportunities are everywhere. However, maybe it’s time for some hard-core community service. Maybe it’s time for a service requirement, similar to the graduation plan that the state requires--you know, so many hours of community service before you graduate? There are other schools in the state that have implemented such a requirement. Their students find the time, outside the school day and outside of
extracurricular volunteer efforts, to help others. And it makes a difference, not only in their community, but in those students. A more compassionate heart. A more observant member of society. Not anything wrong with that. Some students will say that they volunteer anyway, that there’s no need for a requirement. And others will say that it’s not the school’s responsibility to teach compassion and helping others. If that’s the case, there are plenty of other things that aren’t necessarily the school’s responsibility either, like teaching us not to text and drive. And while some people only volunteer so they’ll have something on their resume for college, well, this will give them plenty of something to put there. And in the process, maybe those people will come to see community service not as a requirement but as something they do with their heart.
Head to Head
-alexpond, 9
Do you believe Governer Perry represents his home state well? “No. If he can’t remember the departments he wanted to cut at a debate, need I say more?”
Team Jacob or Team Edward?
If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be?
What do you suppose is really in our cafeteria’s “chicken” ?
“Jacob. He is just so tan. That’s funny because Canadians really don’t like Native Americans.”
“Something sentimental. I don’t want my pain to be pointless.”
“Mystery meat. Nobody will ever know. The cafeteria ladies keep it a secret.”
“I would be Team Edward, but Jacob’s abs are just too much!”
“I probably won’t get a tattoo but if I did, it would more than likely be a cross.”
“Goat meat. Goats really aren’t used for much of anything else so...”
“Yes and no. Some things I like some things I don’t.”
“A bear. Probably Winnie The Pooh!”
“Turkey. I eat a lunchable everyday though so I don’t have firsthand knowledge.”
“I don’t think he has been a good friend to education.”
-jacksonpayne, 12
“Team Jacob. I dont like that bleached guy’s face, and Jacob is hot.”
- vickimenefee *requested photo
Natalie Irwin Michaela James Kendall Lindsey Erika Rodriguez Elizabeth Stark Contributors Charla Harris Adviser William Harp Principal Editorial policy Edge is produced by the newspaper students in the publications department of Pleasant Grove High School and are responsible for its production and content. The newspaper serves as an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to students. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the student staffers and do not necessarily reflect those of the administration. Signed columns and reviews reflect the opinion of the author only. Edge encourages and accepts letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and will be edited to eliminate obscenity and inappropriate content. Letters may be submitted to the editor in room 603. Edge is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
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Veterans Day
A Soldier’s
Being a veteran, to me, means I did my part in the defense of my country. Veterans Day is a time where I just reflect on everyone who has been in the service. Friends and relatives I know that have died to defend this country.”
STORY
Veteran of Vietnam War shares military experience
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The ‘Enemy’
Mark Northam reporter
W
ayland Lacy was on his way to class at Texarkana College when a friend asked him a question that would change his life. “He stopped me and said, ‘What are you doing?’” Lacy said. “I said ‘Going to class,’ and he said ‘Lets go join the Army.’” The year was 1968, the Vietnam war was in full swing and public opinion for the war was low. “People in the United States were not for the war,” Lacy said, “and because of that they had a negative attitude towards soldiers.” Despite the negative public opinion, he decided to continue his family’s military history that goes back to the Revolutionary War. “I was tired of college, I had lost my track scholarship to Stephen F. Austin and was just looking for something to do,” he said. Lacy, who is a karate instructor and owner of Lacy’s Shotokan Karate, speaks to city and school groups about his military experience, especially around Veterans’ Day. Veterans’ Day serves as a time for Lacy, and many other veterans, to reflect on their time spent in the service and friends they met during those times. “Being a veteran, to me, means I did my part in the defense of my country. Veterans Day is a time where I just reflect on everyone who has been in the service. Friends and relatives I know that have died to defend this country,” he said. “I just remember them, I lost a lot of people in Vietnam. It is a time to remember.” Lacy remembers thinking he would almost surely sign up with the Marines because his father had been a Marine during World We never found any of our targets, War II and the but the idea of hunting elephants Korean War. It with rocket launchers still makes me didn’t exactly laugh.” turn out that way. “I grew up playing Marine while other kids would play Army because of my father,” Lacy said. “I asked my dad about which branch I should join and was shocked when he said, ‘Join the Army, the Marines are getting torn up over in Vietnam.’ I figured he knew what he was talking about because of his involvement during the Pacific during WWII and his time in Korea.” So Lacy and his friend went to join the Army, inspired by a John Wayne movie they had seen not long before. “We joined after watching the movie ‘The Green Beret’ and planned to go through buddy training together,” he said. Buddy training didn’t end up working out for him, however. While Lacy was going through jump training and ranger school, his friend was deployed as an army grunt. “After I finished all of my training I got my deployment orders,” he said. “I talked to my dad before I left and af-
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Wayland Lacy, Vietnam, 1970.
ter wishing me the best he said, ‘If I’d known you would go through all of that, I would’ve told you to be a Marine.’” With his deployment into Vietnam, Lacy began a military career that would last for almost 20 years. “I started out commanding 30 men in Vietnam, that number dropped to five or six when I switched to special forces,” he said. “I was wounded three times and ultimately served in Vietnam, Cambodia, Honduras as a special forces advisor, and in Panama.” During his time in Vietnam, Lacy had plenty of time to hear about, and experience, encounters with native animals. “Up north they had reports of tigers coming into camps and causing problems,” he said. “I never saw any tigers but I did have encounters with one cobra, several bamboo vipers, and rock apes that threw rocks at me.” While many encounters with animals were unintentional, one mission the army sent Lacy on was meant to hunt down those that aided the North Vietnamese. “At the start of the war the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) was reported to use elephants to transport supplies,” he said. “So the Army gave us LAWs (Light Anti-tank Weapon) to hunt down these elephants. We never found any of our targets, but the idea of hunting elephants with rocket launchers still makes me laugh.” Their most memorable encounter happened at night along a trail. Lacy and his squad heard the sound of footsteps on the trail and set up an ambush position. They counted six figures in the night, a squad of soldiers. As the figures entered their kill zone, Lacy and his troops opened fire and filled the night with the sound of gunshots. “When morning came we went and inspected the bodies to look for documents, orders, maps, anything that could be useful for the Army,” he said. “As we approached the site of the ambush, we realized that we had ambushed a group of orangutans that had been walking down the trail like people.” But it wasn’t just the animals that presented a danger. During his service in Vietnam, he was shot three times. “When I was shot in the back, it felt like someone ran up and kicked me,” Lacy said. “It probably knocked me from this wall to that wall [15 feet] flat on my face.” The second wound he received was similar to the first, but in the shoulder. The last wound literally knocked him off his feet. “We were in a swamp, knee deep in water, and it was like someone took my foot and just pulled it up,” he said. “I landed straight on my back with a 100 pound backpack and a M60 machine gun weighing me down.” After being wounded, he struggled to pull himself up and for a time thought he had stepped on a mine.
Up north they had reports of tigers coming into camps and causing problems,” he said. “I never saw any tigers but I did have encounters with one cobra, several bamboo vipers, and rock apes that threw rocks at me.”
“I finally managed to get myself into a sitting position and saw a pool of blood around my legs,” he said. “After that the Army decided I had enough and let me go home. I had been in country for 11 months, 22 days.” The end of his tour in Vietnam wasn’t the end of his military career, but by the time Lacy left the service he was multilingual and well qualified for a wide range of jobs. He worked as a school administrator for 25 years before opening his karate center. “Being a special forces soldier prepared me for life outside the military,” he said. “I had gone through many military language schools and once I became a school principal I wasn’t afraid to solve conflicts.” He says the military today has evolved to better prepare soldiers for regular life. “The benefits now are very abundant, the GI bill, all the incentives,” he said. “I wish I had gone to nursing school or a computer school to learn a craft.” With all of the changes from the technological age, the military offers added benefits to soldiers still serving that were unheard of 20 years ago. “If a person doesn’t know what they want to do, the military is definitely a good place to go,” he said. “When I was in the service it could be really lonely, especially around the holidays, but now soldiers have computers and phones that allow them to talk to loved ones from almost anywhere.” Apart from the many benefits a soldier now receives, military personnel face much less public criticism than those of the Vietnam era. “When I went in 68’, Vietnam was such an unpopular war,” he said. “Now, people may be against the war, but I think they realized they made a mistake with the Vietnam veterans by not welcoming them back and treating them with some type of dignity. The guys now get a lot of respect.” A not-so-successful buddy training was just the beginning of a long and successful military career for Lacy, but it was a short one for his friend. “He went to Vietnam before I did. He was there a short time before he shot himself in the foot so he could go home,” Lacy said. “That’s such a weenee way out, when you have guys that stay and complete their tour and end up losing their lives.” After his friend’s early exit from Vietnam, Lacy didn’t see him again for almost 30 years. “He called me one day and I told him, ‘what’s done is done,’” Lacy said. “All this time had gone by, I had a good life, I was a school administrator for 25 years and that changed my perspective on a lot of things. I did what I had to do, and I was proud to do it.”
Shelter has local connection continued from page 1 “The shelter is like a giant household. Our utility bills go up just as any other household during the winter. It takes a lot to heat this building,” Laurent said. “Numbers go up every winter, of course, because of the cold weather. With more clients, there is a bigger need for towels, toiletries, and blankets.” The building itself isn’t the only connection with Pleasant Grove. Several years after Randy’s death, Morgan Lane, another PG student died in a car accident. Her mother, former English teacher Sandy Whitson, was close to the Sams’ family, and Morgan’s Place, a playground for the children staying at the shelter, was created in Morgan’s memory. The shelter provides many opportunities for students to give back to their community. One of the most popular ways of helping out is preparing and serving meals. Other ways to serve include painting, building maintenance, organization, filling, and participating in community outreach events. “A front desk job is the best for high-school students because it offers a flexible schedule,” Laurent said. “Volunteering offers you a better view of what’s in the world. When you volunteer, you have the opportunity to meet wonderful people and experience something extraordinary.”
Serving among the homeless may make some students uneasy, but the benefits of serving greatly outweigh the nervous feelings of a first-time humanitarian. “People are often afraid of homelessness, but because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they are a bad person. They just need a little help to get back on their feet,” Laurent said. “Many first-time volunteers tell me, they never knew it [the shelter] was like this.” Whether for religious reasons or to get those much needed service hours for a college application or resume, there are many reasons to serve. “People might serve because sometime in their life they needed help, so in turn they give back,” Laurent said. “Someday, you might need help, and if it were me and my family, I would want them to be taken care of.” So for those “on the fence”about serving in their community, Lauren says they shouldn’t be afraid to start because the benefits greatly outweigh any downside. “My advice for people who aren’t sure if they want to serve is find a cause you care about,” Laurent said. “At your age, time is vital. Spend it serving and working towards something you are passionate about.”
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Lost and Found
By the numbers 11,058 children were adopted in 2010
Adoptees reveal personal stories during National Adoption month
puts adopted children in a better situation than they would be in,” said adoption consultant Charles Haddock, who worked with a local family. feature editor The adoption process starts with initial contact, an Senior Stephen Cockerell has heard the story so many adoptive family researching the subject, then applying times it doesn’t shock him any more. to be placed with a child. Once the adoption applicaA party. Teenagers. A single mother with a crying tion is received, the family will be sent a mass of materibaby, wanting a way out. als from an adoption agency, including questionnaires, After an emergency phone call from Child Protective surveys, and manuals. Services, asking if they could look after a baby who had “Applying to be an adoptive parent, seems a lot like been abandoned, Lila and Phillip Cockrell made a late applying for a job,” Haddock said, “We can’t tell people night trip to pick up that baby. how to be a parent, but we can try to give them some Seventeen years ago, they planned to just be foster basic instructions and help them along the way.” parents until they could find a suitThe next step, after completing able home for Stephen, but later paperwork is a home study. During “We help as many children a home study, an employee of the they legally adopted him into their as we can, but there’s adoption agency you’re using will family of three daughters. “It felt like he was already ours,” always more in need.” come to your house and inspect it. Lila said, tearing up. “He was two The adoption agency does this to -shavalisharma, TYLA and he had been with us since he confirm that your house is a safe was six months old. When they place to raise a child. This step of called us to ask if we wanted to adopt him, of course the process can cost up to $200 total. we said yes.” “Home studies are a crucial part of the adoption proAlthough adoption today is more difficult than it was cess. The last thing an adoption agency wants to do is 17 years ago, there are almost 107,000 children and take a child out of one bad situation and put them into youth waiting for permanent homes in the U.S. foster another,” Haddock said. care system. After a successful home study, adoptive families com“It put me in a better situation than I would have been plete their “activation” in which they sign a contract in,” Stephen said. with their adoption agency, which outlines a set of Like many adopted children, Stephen started asking guidelines the family is required to follow. After the questions about his parents when he was as young as contract is completed and notarized, the family is confive. His parents were always willing to talk about his sidered a “active waiting family.” adoption, and were happy to answer his questions. “The waiting can be the worst part for some families. Stephen learned enough about his birth parents to There’s a lot of families waiting for a child, and only know that it was better this way. so many mothers,” Haddock said, “There’s multiple “We decided to not wait until he was an adult to tell families all being interviewed by one mother. Only one him he was adopted, it was an open subject,” Lila said, family is chosen, so unless you’re chosen right away the “We told him what we could about his birth parents, his waiting process can take a while.” mother couldn’t provide much and After an adopting family is didn’t marry, so Foster Care Servicmatched with a birth mother they “They raised me as their es had to get involved.” are considered an “inactive family,” Stephen was part of a closed son, and I treat them like I and no longer considered by potenadoption, in which neither he nor would treat my birth parents, tial mothers because other families his adoptive parents had any conare still waiting to be matched with tact with his birth parents, any in- there’s no difference. I’m other expecting mothers. formation exchanged with his birth thankful that they adopted “From here adopting parents parents would have to be done would work with an adoption conme.” through an adoption agency. sultant, Adoptive Family Specialist Commonly, adopted children as well as the Birth Parent Special-stephencockrell, 12 search for their birth parents for a ist until the baby is born.” Haddock reunion after they turn eighteen, said. “After the baby is born the new Stephen doesn’t have any plans to go looking any time parents work with a lawyer to finalize the adoption, the soon, but isn’t against the idea of a reunion. agency will also make post-placement visits.” “Maybe someday, I’m not really sure. I wonder what November is National Adoption Month, an effort to kind of situation they’re in, and how well off they are,” promote awareness of the need for adoptive families. Stephen said. “But for now I have a great relationship During the month, states, communities, public and priwith my adoptive parents. They raised me as their son, vate organizations, businesses, families, and individuals and I treat them like I would treat my birth parents, celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families. there’s no difference. I’m thankful that they adopted The first major effort to promote awareness of the me.” need for adoptive families for children in the foster care Stephen’s adoption worked out pretty easily, but not system occurred in Massachusetts. all adoptions go so well. In 1976, then-Governor Mike Dukakis proclaimed “Adoption isn’t a bad thing, in almost every case it Adoption Week and the idea grew in popularity and
Nathan Taylor
face to face Over the years, adoption has received its fair share of praise and criticism. What do you think about adoption?Does it help keep children safe?
“Adoption is completley fine. If a mother isn’t able to take care of her child, then she should have the choice to give it up to someone who can.”
-saraledesma, 11 “I think it’s good. My cousin was adopted, and his mother was on drugs so she gave him away for the better.”
-marcusmclilly, 11
spread throughout the nation. President Gerald Ford made the first National Adoption Week proclamation, and in 1990, the week was expanded to a month due to the number of states participating and the number of events. The idea of adoption today doesn’t hold the stigma it used to, but thousands of children are still waiting to be placed in safe permanent homes. Many organizations work toward helping place children in safe environments, and agencies work hard every day to match birth mothers with adoptive families. The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) provides resources for prospective adoptive parents and often Shivali Sharma, a staff attorney for the 6th Court of Appeals, works with adopting families to help them through the adoption process. According to Sharma the adoption process is made to be simple, but many families run into problems along the way. One of the most common involves altercations with the birth parents. In some cases, the birth parents biological right to the child has to be terminated in court before the child can be adopted. “The adoption process is designed to be easy, but in most cases problems come up and a lawyer has to get involved.” Sharma said. Commonly, children are moved from neglectful homes and placed in foster care by the CPS (Child Protective Services), in cases like that, a lawyer has to get involved to terminate the rights of the biological parents. “Some children are in really bad situations,” Sharma said, “We help as many children as we can, but there’s always, more in need.” For high school student Jacob (name has been changed to protect privacy.), the adoption process didn’t go as simply. “I don’t mind people knowing I’m adopted, but when it comes to the family drama that took place, I really don’t like to open up about it,” Jacob said. Jacob was born to a single mother who couldn’t provide, and didn’t have much support from her family to raise him. “My mom struggled to raise me, she wanted to keep me, but wasn’t quite ready to give up the life she had before I was born,” he said. “I was bouncing around from house to house inside an extremely dysfunctional family.” Jacob didn’t have a per-
“I don’t like it. Parents may want their children back when they’re in a better situation later on.”
-katelynnteel, 11 “I want to adopt kids myself, so I’m completely for adoption. It’s a good idea too give up your child if you can’t care for it.”
-sydneyjacobsen, 12
California, New York, and Texas have had the highest adoption rates for the last three years.
manent home until he was five years old, when he was legally adopted into the same family by a distant relative. “It’s really weird when I try to explain it to people, I’ve just learned to not bring it up at all,” Jacob said, “My adoptive mother is actually a distant cousin o f
mine who couldn’t have children of her own so she and her husband adopted me.” Like Stephen, Jacob was adopted at a young enough age to not remember his birth parents or the situation he was in before being adopted, and treats his adoptive parents like his birth parents. “When I was about seven, my parents told me I was adopted, I didn’t really react negatively or positively. I actually pictured them just walking into a room of kids and saying ‘I want that one.’ All I really cared about at the time was my birth mother’s name. Other then that I just accepted my adoption as a fact and went on with my life,” Jacob said. When he was about 13, he started asking more serious questions, like why his birth mother put him up for adoption and what sort of situation she was in. His parents told him most of what he wanted to know. He was part of a semi-closed adop-
The number of U.S. adoptions peaked in 2004 with almost 23,000 but has dropped by thousands each year since.
tion, so his mother received a letter once a year on his birthday. Her name was Ana, she was seventeen when he was born, and she had been addicted to multiple drugs over the course of her life. “As soon as they told me, I wished I had never asked,” Jacob said. “In my mind I imagined that she was in a better situation. But it was clear that I was wrong.” According to his parents, they were never completely sure where his mother was or what she was doing, just that she was alive. As soon as he heard about the situation his mother had been in, he hoped maybe his father was a little better off. Not exactly, when he was fourteen, he found out that his biological father had recently been released from prison. “It came as a shock, I knew they probably weren’t living great lives, but I didn’t expect anything like this.” Jacob said, “It took a
while t o come to terms with. I knew I was better off in my adoptive family, but I still felt horrible about where my parents were.” Jacob never saw his adoption as a bad thing, on the contrary, many of his family members who were closely related to his mother said that he probably wouldn’t be alive right now When I was about seven, my parents told me I was adopted, I didn’t really react negatively or positively... All I really cared about was my birth mother’s name.”
-jacob
if he hadn’t been adopted. “I found out later that the day my parents went to court to officially adopt me, my father showed up and vowed to find me someday, that’s why my adoptive mother has always been so protective of me.” As a precaution, Jacob’s name was also changed as soon as he was adopted in order to keep him away from his father.
“I remember one day I had trouble getting home from school and I was out of contact with my mom. Apparently, it was right around the time my biological father was released from prison, so when I finally made it home she made a huge deal about it.” Jacob said, “It didn’t make much sense to me at the time, but looking back now, I completely understand.” When he was sixteen, Jacob found out that he had developed a minor social disorder, common with adopted children called Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), which can have a range of symptoms including withdrawal, aggression, and lack of interest in everyday things. “When I found out I wasn’t really all that surprised, I mean knowing what I went through for the first five years of my life it could almost be expected,” Jacob said. “It was actually a little comforting to know why I’ve made some of the choices I have and why I think the way I do. I have a lot of the symptoms but they’re so minor that they don’t really have a big affect on my life.” Jacob says he’s yet to see any type of doctor because the disorder doesn’t pose much of an issue to him or the people around him. “Everyone has issues, there’s just a name for mine, that’s how I look at it,” Jacob said.“It won’t be going away any time soon. I’m just taking everything one day at a time.”
page8
Carrying the Tune
1.
Theater students take stage in a big way in ‘Budget Friendly Musical’ Theater teacher Debby Sutton thought it sounded like a great idea. Take all 185 students in the theater program and put them all in a giant musical. And since the theater budget had been slashed by state budget cuts, write an original script. Putting in action was another story. “It became an enormous amount of work, much more than a regular purchased musical,” Sutton said. “Each class had their own set of costumes, their own music, their own set of problems. It was like doing nine different shows.” The show included selections from “Hair,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Footloose” and “Rent.” Every student in theater, from Theater I to Advance Theater either had a part on stage or worked behind the scenes in tech. “It was an absolutely mind-boggling phenomenon,” Sutton said. “To stand in the back and watch all those kids do that finale, it just put chills down my back. If you didn’t leave here with a smile on your face, something was wrong.” Sutton said that over 1,800 people attended the show over the weekend run.
3.
1. With peace signs high in the air, the Bravo theatre company 2. dances to “Aquarius.” 2. Dancing during the ‘60s, sophomore Renee Walker and junior Landon Young dance to a musical number from Hair. “It was the second time for me to be a hippie this year,” Landon said. “I guess I’m just destined to be from the 60s.”3. Mid-dance, sophomore Hayley Harp takes center stage during her performance during “Time Warp”. “By the time I started Time Warp, I was wearing three different layers,” Hayley said. “Mrs. Sutton told us to make our costumes outrageous as possible, so I wore a gold jumpsuit with angel wings and bright colored tuile.” 4. Taken back to ‘50s date night, junior Carissa Blokker dances in her poodle skirt along side sophomore Adam Northam.5. Pointing to the audience, junior Conner Palmore belts out his solo during Transylvania Mania. “This was my first solo in a musical,” Conner said. “I was really nervous opening night but by closing night, I felt relieved.” (photos by natalie thigpen)
Showstoppers, Curtain Call, featured in Texarkana Symphony Christmas Show Elizabeth Stark reporter
Pleasant Grove Theater and Drill Team departments will start off their Christmas break in spirit as they pair their talents with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. The performance has been long awaited for and long practiced for because it’s not only a school wide event but it will entertain all of Texarkana. “The theater students will be dramatizing,” theater director Debbie Sutton said. “That’s what we do. The advanced students will be acting out ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’. I’m excited the students are getting the opportunity. It’s fantastic.” The Showstoppers will be dancing to Christmas selections. “The costumes are really elaborate,” junior Sarah Hughes said. “In one of the numbers, we are dress as toy soldiers, and in the other we are reindeers. We usually don’t do anything around Christmas time so this is really fun and will get people into the Christmas spirit.” The performance will be this Sunday, Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at the Perot Theater. Tickets are available at the Perot Box Office.
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21
with
questions Allison Kirk
Senior Allison Kirk grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During her childhood, she lived in the country and wasn’t very fond of moving. Little did she know she would have a great impact on Pleasant Grove High School, and it would have equally as big of an impact on her. She’s done volunteer work for her church, is involved in Keyettes, HOSA, and she was the 2011 Homecoming Queen. She has worked at On The Border full time for the past two years, while balancing an academic school life. She plans to get her Occupational Therapy degree at UCA.
13
What does E=mc2 mean? The energy formula I think.
14
Do you think you could become entrepreneur? Not really. I’m creative, but not that creative.
15 16
This would be a proud moment for Einstein.
Do you have any pets? No, but I used to. I used to have a shih tzu, but it got cancer and died. We had a poodle but it got eaten by a coyote, and our last one ran away, at least that’s what my parents told me. What are your views on Santa? I wish he was real so when I have kids one day I won’t have to buy toys... Santa can!
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What’s your favorite food? Loaded baked potato with lots of ranch.
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Do you hunt? I used to when I lived in Alabama as a child.
-nthigpenphoto
02
Define Loquacious. Ghetto term for big and fat.
10
lo•qua•cious [loh-kwey-shuhs] adjective “talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.”
03
What’s your favorite subject? Math I guess... That’s the subject that I try the hardest in.
04
What’s your favorite movie? I don’t really have a favorite, but if I had to choose it would be “Fast Five”
05
What is the thread count in your sheets? I’ve never counted that, that’s weird, but if I had to guess... 1,000,566.3
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Do you like snow? I hate snow, because it’s too cold, and my little sister always wants to build a snowman.
07
Where do you spend the majority of your free time? I spend all of my time working or sleeping in my bed.
08 09
Have you ever been to Candy Mountain? Yeah... with my imaginary friend Charlie, but we didn’t go in the cave. Do you think the groundhog is going to see his shadow this year? Groundhog?
What extra curricular activities are you involved in? Keyettes and HOSA. I chose them because I needed to be doing something and I thought they would be fun. It also gave me a chance to be involved in the community.
Do A Good Turn Daily
Allison Kirk got her start in community service sophomore year with the Keyettes. “Keyettes is an all girls group, and we come up with different ideas,” Allison said. “Anyone who has an idea does research and tells Mrs. Campbell or Mrs. Edmonds.” This year Kirk has kick-started her community service, getting involved in HOSA and other service projects. “It’s my first year in HOSA and I’m really excited.” Kirk said. “This year we’re gift wrapping at the mall for domestic violence.” She is also a volunteer at multiple churches, reading Bible
stories to children, and teaching morning lessons. “I love working with the kids.” Kirk said. She has really gotten involved during her high school career in countless activities. “I’m really glad I got into these extracurricular activities.” Allison said, “I enjoy helping others and the community, and making the world a better place to live in.” She has made a pretty impressive dent on the community and those around her. “I really enjoy seeing that what I’ve done has made a difference in other peoples lives.”
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Do you do anything special for new years? Yes, we pop fireworks and eat hot dogs. We get the big pretty ones.
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Do you have the Force? I have the Star Trek Force.
Read the title very carefully: “Star Wars”. It’s okay, it happens all the time. Well, not really.
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What’s your favorite quote? “You win some, you lose some, but you live to fight another day.”
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If God gave you one wish, what would you ask for? I would skip all the college stuff, and invent a car that flies and be rich.
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Is tomato a fruit or vegetable? Fruit. I remember learning that a while back.
next issue:
21questions
Michael Dumas
with
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What are your plans after high school? I plan to go to UCA to become an occupational therapist.
page10
Locked up/out As the temperature outside dropped, the NBA finally came to an agreement on the basketball lockout. After 149 days, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the basketball season will start up on Dec. 25. This will be big news for the players and fans. But for our school . . .
Want to see PGTV’s package over the two-aday’s restrictions? Well, just tag this and it will lead you to our website.
Did you care about the basketball lockout? Yes- 82% No- 18%
Do you know what a sports lockout is? Yes- 43% No- 57% 50 students surveyed
-nthigpenphoto Junior Quentin Miller returns the ball on a kickoff in one of the many hot football practices of the year.
Safety Concerns Limit Football Two-A-Days After UIL placed new restrictions on August two-a-days after one of the hottest summers on record, the football team will now have to figure out how to manage a new practice schedule.
Josh Whitt
sports editor
Q&A with
Dustin Thomas
The sun beamed brightly on the team as they went though their drills. The sound of whistles and yelling filled the air. Sweat fell on the turf as the boys ran all over the field in hopes of not getting yelled at. Their legs were burning and their lungs were straining. And this was only the first of two practices. Two-a-days has long been a staple of high school football practices since most people can remember. But after the hottest summer on record, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is getting closer and closer to completely removing the time old football tradition. “I think two-a-days are extremely vital to a football season,” junior Jose Rangel said. “They form the basis of the team so we can build and get better throughout the season.”
What position do you play? I play power forward and also center.
Why did you start playing basketball? I got real serious about basketball when my sister died when I was 11. Ever since that I started practicing everyday so I could do something with my life and make my family proud of me.
Face time
southern United States. This has been the third deadliest summer in high school sports on record. UIL is now trying to push coaches to understand the health of their students just a little bit more. “I think we had maybe one death in Texas,” athletic director Kevin Davis said, “but one is just too many for something of that nature.” Davis added that he thinks UIL is placing these restrictions because of what happened over the summer. Football is already a dangerous sport and the UIL is just trying to protect the kids from anything else bad happening. The football coaches will be monitoring a little more closely and will have to adjust to what they call for. “I don’t have a problem with the new rules and I don’t think our kids will either,” Davis said, “It won’t be a huge adjustment for us.”
‘It’s A Sister Thing’
How do you think the team will do this year? I think we can win district and make it to the playoffs, where we will hopefully have a long run and make it to state. What are your goals for you and the team? For us to go undefeated in district, and lose fewer then 5 games the whole season. Also, my biggest goal is to win state.
UIL’s restrictions are that the team can not have two-a-days from Aug. 1 to Aug. 5. Teams have to have at least two hours of rest between each practice in one day. And the biggest restriction is that if a team has two practices on one day then they can only have one practice on the next day. These restrictions will strain the coaches even more to find enough time to make their team better. 4A and 5A schools are the only schools in Texas that are allowed to have spring practices. This rule makes two-a-days very important for smaller schools. “This just means we will have to get after it more,” Rangel said. “We will just have to work and focus that much more.” This past summer six students and one assistant coach died due to the extreme heat of the
Junior Claire Rikel dribbles at point guard against Pine Tree.
Juniors Claire and Paige Rikel may be sisters, but they don’t have many things in common. However, they do share their love for the sport of basketball.
Junior Paige Rikel takes a shot against Pine Tree.
Do you watch professional basketball? Why or why not?
Curtis Zachry
reporter They share a bathroom, a car, a family and now a team. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was a little kid, and my sister has always been there playing with me,” junior Paige Rikel said. “We have been on every team together, except for sophomore year, since we started playing so I have gotten used to always seeing her.” Basketball is one of the few things Paige and Claire Rikel have in common. Paige plays volleyball and is in PGTV while Claire runs cross country and is in art. “Because we play different sports and are involved in so many different things basketball season is the one time of the school year we get to hang out,” Paige said. “We have always had basketball to bond over and it has brought us closer over the years.” And while these two may not seem tough,
you better not mess with one of the sisters. “We have always really protective of each other, especially on the basketball court,” junior Claire Rikel said. “It’s like we can be mean to each other but no one else can mess with us. It’s a sister thing.” The season has started off somewhat shaky for the Rikel sisters and the Lady Hawks, but they aren’t giving up on their season quite yet. “We have been very consistent in some games, and then the next game we really struggle on offense,” Claire said. “We have been working really hard though in practice and we are getting better everyday. We are a lot closer as a team and it’s just a matter of time before we figure it all out.” The Lady Hawks play in the Ouachita Tournament Dec. 28-30 before starting district play after the holidays so the Rikel sisters will have some good family time before the tournament.
Varsity Hawks Aim For The Top Basketball team still undefeated, and they aren’t expecting anything less as district looms
Kyle Green
“
on the edge
Yes I do. I like to watch the Mavericks play and not just because they are the champions. I also like to watch Dirk.” - gustavovenegas, sophomore
“
I don’t watch basketball. I really don’t understand what’s going on. I just see people running around in circles.” - kristencrawford, sophomore
reporter
As Hawk basketball coach Kendrick Smith watched the varsity team this summer, he knew they would be good. With eight returning players, good depth and two transfers, a trip to the postseason was definitely possible. However, Smith didn’t know just how good the team would really be. “I figured on all levels we had a chance to be good. And with Dustin Thomas transferring here and Reggie Myrks coming back, my confidence in the team grew,” Smith said. “We also got a lot of really good depth in the team with Nick Reed and Trey Hart. They give us really good minutes when the starters aren’t in.” Myrks’ return to PG after playing at Texas High last season was a big boost for the team when it came time to start the season. And although he is still adjusting to the new team, he has seen too many signs of success to think about anything other than a stellar season. “I think we can be district champions no
doubt. I know this because of the heart that the team has,” Myrks said. “During the Liberty Eylau game, the team had some adversity at the half, but we ended up winning by 15 points. That’s the moment I knew, this team was great.” Smith agrees with Myrks. But as a coach, he tends to view a great team differently. Although he likes to see his team strive through adversity, he also enjoys seeing games where his team shows no mercy. “Coaches all around the board fully expect their teams to destroy lesser opponents. When we told the kids during some of the games to beat the other team by 50 points, they went out and did it,” Smith said. “I knew when the guys started beating teams by 50, things were going to be very good.” But it’s not just the varsity. Smith is confident that both the JV and freshmen teams will not only continue to dominate this season, but will be great varsity players in the years to come. “The freshman team has only played one game and they won it. And JV is 4-2, one win and two losses coming from varsity opponents,”
Smith said. “It speaks volumes about how well they are playing when the JV is playing varsity teams this well.” While success for the basketball team is not always common, it has happened in the past couple of years. Two years ago the Hawks went 8-3 in district, but they lost unexpectedly in the first round of the playoffs to Lucas Lovejoy. The year before they lost in the regional final, just one game away from a berth in the state final, after going 10-0 in district. This year is starting to look like the 2009 team, or even better, Smith says. The players are committed and are willing to work hard. And the undefeated record makes the rare occasion even more enjoyable. “Being undefeated makes me feel untouchable,” Myrks said. “There is no feeling like it.” Although the team is undefeated, the players and coaches know that they can’t let it get to their heads. Myrks advice? “Stay hungry,” Myrks said. “Let’s eat.”
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Too Cool For School
Senior Matt Howell prepares himself to get in the water.
Junior Hunter Swanson gets some air while wakeboarding.
Seniors Laura Atkins and Matt Howell and junior Hunter Swanson don’t just participate in school activities, they also take part in sports that not everyone would know about. Kyle Green reporter
It all started out in the eighth grade for Laura Atkins. As she held the 7mm rifle, her heart began to pound. She shot and the gun kicked hard. All she knew at the time was that she had shot her first doe. But what she didn’t know was that she had begun a part of her life that she would follow religiously, hunting. “I shot the doe and the gun kicked, but my adrenaline was pumping so much that I didn’t feel the pain. At least until the next morning,” Laura said. “But it was still very exciting.” For Laura and others like her, afternoons and weekends are spent doing something other than homework and school sports. But she manages to find time for her other hobbies, which is what people at PG know her for. Laura isn’t your average girl. And even though hunting is a “boy’s sport” she continues to excel and show people anything boys can do, girls can too. “A lot of girls aren’t like me,” Laura said. “I’m really not bothered by blood and guts, and I can actually shoot and gun and hit something.”
As Laura’s shooting got better, so did her commitment. It is almost as if her hunting has become less of a game, and more of a religion. “I hunt two times a week before school and one or two times on the weekend. I hunt in New Boston during the weekdays and in Magnolia on the weekends,” Laura said. “My main goal nowadays is to shoot a really big buck and mount it on my wall.” ––– Senior Matt Howell enjoys his favorite water-based hobby, scuba diving, but he’s not just in it for the fun. “Scuba diving is all about appreciating what God has put in front of us,” Matt said. “It’s amazing to see the beautiful things in the ocean along with the fact that I can actually breathe underwater.” Matt’s love for scuba diving started out as a simple vacation experience. And although at the time he didn’t know much, he has learned more and more as he has continued to participate in his favorite hobby. “The first time I went scuba diving was during my seventh grade summer vacation in the Turks & Caicos. The resort offered us a bunch of different activities, and we chose scuba,” Matt said. “It was such an amazing ex-
perience and I learned how aware you have to be of everything in the ocean.” After Matt’s vacation, he was excited to come back to the states and continue his scuba diving. Since then he has been scuba diving in exotic places like Jamaica and Venezuela, but he’s not satisfied with just that. “I finally got my senior scuba diving certification last summer and I have big plans in the future. But my main dream is to someday go and scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef,” Matt said. “It’s one thing to see scuba diving like this on TV, but it’s another thing to experience it.” All three of these students choose to participate in these unorganized sports not only because they enjoy it, but because it makes up who they really are. “I choose to do unorganized sports because of the experience,” Matt said. “It gives me a chance to tell people that I’ve done something that not a lot of people have done.” ––– Hunter Swanson also has the same kind of commitment as Laura does when it comes to unorganized sports. Except his sport has less to do with shooting, and more to do with the
water. “Right after my family moved to Texarkana, we bought a boat and started going to lake Greeson a lot,” Hunter said “I saw some people wake boarding so I decided to give it a shot. It turned out to be a hobby I love, and now I’ve been doing it for seven years.” Unlike hunting, you can constantly get better and do different tricks while wake boarding. This is exactly what Hunter works towards. “I’m at the point where I’m trying to learn a Tantrum flip,” Hunter said. “I don’t think I’m pushing myself hard enough though. I’m doing wake boarding for fun more than anything.” In fact, Hunter has even gotten to the point where he has begun teaching his friends how to wake board. But that definitely doesn’t mean he has made all of his goals. He is still working to improve every time he goes out on the lake. “So far I have taught about four of my friends from PG how to wake board,” Hunter said. “But I’m still only decent. My goal is to flat out get better and learn more tricks.”
More Changes Underway For Soccer
Soccer coach Matt Wright goes over the roll call before the team’s after school practice. -trippephoto
The boys Curtis Zachry reporter soccer Three different head coaches, and four different assisteam has tant coaches over the past three seasons. The changes coming for the soccer team. faced many keep The Hawk varsity team still has their head coach Matt obstacles over Wright but they will receive assistance for the first half season until the Longview tournament on Jan. 21 the years and ofby the coach Grayson Requarth and then athletic director is now having Kevin Davis will take over for the rest of the season. “I don’t know too much about soccer. I have never to deal with played before but I'm pretty excited, it’s something new,” even more Requarth said. “I am just going to try and pick up on the game as I go and my main goal is to be the best coach I coaching can be and help the team to a winning record.” Since each coach is going to have the team for about changes. half the season, the assistant coaches are debating which one should be held more responsible for the team’s record for the end of the season. “Well, if the JV team has a winning record at the end of the season, then I think we both should share in the
Under
radar
the
JV Girls’ Basketball
Sophomore Renee Walker
Head coach: Jenny Coon Record so far: 9-1. Top Players: “Our top players this year are Erika Rodriguez(sophomore) and Renee Walker(sophomore)” coach Coon said. Best Moment: “We are the Super 6 because our team has only five sophomores and one freshman.” Erika said.
Upcoming games: JV Boys’ Basketball 12/27-29- @ Sherman 12/16- Hooks 1/3- @ Pittsburg 12/20- Avery 1/6- Lindale
credit,” Requarth said. “However, if the team finishes with a losing record then that has to be more on coach Davis because I am just here to get the ball rolling and get the team to play together were Davis is going to take over after the team in stride.” Davis laughed about Requarth playing the blame game. “Well, though we do both contribute to the team it is ultimately up to coach Matt Wright mainly,” Davis said.” Requarth and I are mainly here for moral support.” Last year the varsity Hawks went 8-14-5, making the playoffs but losing in their first game. Coach Wright may have been thrown a curve ball this season, but he’s taking it in stride. “My goals are for the season are going to be the same all season no matter who is the assistant,” Wright said. “To beat Pittsburgh and Mt. Pleasant and compete for distract. Also we are going to try and win the first playoff game in our team’s history this season.” The season starts Jan. 7 here in a tri-match against L.E. and Texas High.
JV Boys’ Basketball
Sophomore Parker Trippe
Head coach: Kendrick Smith Record so far: 6-4. Story of the season: “Whenever we beat Linden-Kildare 76-61, it was great.” Sophomore Parker Trippe said. Top players: “The leaders are Corey Menah(sophomore) and Parker Trippe(sophomore).” Coach Smith said.
JV Girls’ Basketball 1/6- @ Atlanta 12/20- Avery 1/10- North Lamar 1/3- @ Prairiland 1/13- Mt. Vernon
Pink Glove Dance. Outside pep rally. See You at the Pole. Volleyball playoffs. April Madness. Best friends. Snow days. Spring Show. Spring break. Prom.
Why would you want to miss any of this? Buy a yearbook now. Only $42. See a staffer in room 603.
Happy holidays from The Edge! If I were Santa . . .
“I would make a giant North Pole Amusement park for all of the kids in the world to come to. Then after that, the kids could go inside the workshop and make any toys they wanted.” --Adrian Tobey, 12
“I would make the elves make me a factory of shoes just for me. Then I would make my own brand of shoes and give them out to the world on Christmas.” --Cutter Morgan, 11
“I would be the ultimate Santa. I would first make my elves build me a ginourmous sleigh. Then I would capture all of the bad people in the world with booby-trap presents, and bring them back to the North Pole and enslave them. Thus creating world peace.” --Matt Montes, 12
“I would be a really mean Santa. Any kids that were mean to people or disrespectful to their parents would get rotten fish in their stockings. I would also bring Rudolph everywhere with me so if anyone wanted to mess with me, he would protect me.” --Brooke Smith, 10
“I would be like the Grinch. First off I would start by building a giant mansion for myself. Then I would steal everyone’s Christmas tree and not even give them coal, because they don’t even deserve that. Then I would feel bad and give everyone one present.” --Carson Craytor, 9
edge knows best Staff picks. What’s cutting edge for the holidays, in our opinion, of course. website:
movie: Christmas Vacation. This is a movie that you will watch over and over because it’s so funny. It’s Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a big family celebration, but things never run smoothly for the dad Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark’s continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon. After searching the woods for the perfect Christmas tree, spending hours on a light show that fails, kidnapping Clark’s boss and many other hilarious adventures, the Griswolds end up having a great Christmas. Where: On DVD or TV Staffer: Kenzie Floyd
dinner foods: Non-Traditional. Every Christmas grocery stores stock their shelves with the basics for a traditional Christmas dinnerham, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, and, of course, pies. But does eating the same meal every holiday season sometimes get old? This Christmas, put a spin on the traditional, and think creative! Two years ago, my family and I took the “A Christmas Story” approach, and cooked pans of orange chicken and fried rice. While we ate our Asian-inspired dinner, we recalled our favorite lines from the movie and sang “Fa Ra Ra”. Whether you go for a different culture or reinvent a meal from the big screen, don’t forget the reason for the season. And a Christmas pineapple. Staffer: Ashlyn Hurst
Yahoo Bowl Pick’em. As a college football fanatic, I love the fact that the bowls continue through the holidays. And one of the great things about college football is smack talk and bragging rights. If you are into either of those things then you would be interested in the Yahoo Bowl Pick’em. This event is a competition to see who can have the best record in picking the winners of all the bowls in college football, including the BCS bowls and the National Championship. Thousands of people, some of which are on YouTube, participate in the Bowl Pick’em to win prizes or even just shout outs on popular YouTube channels. When entering the contest you can make different games of any size, inviting any of the friends you want to play with. Although the prize might not be big, the Yahoo Bowl Pick’em contest is a great way to enjoy college football and a way to get bragging rights over your friends. Where: On Yahoo.com Cost: Free Staffer: Kyle Green
music: Michael Bublé’s: Christmas. Even though we’re all guilty of humming the tune of Jingle Bells now and then, it does get a bit old to all of us. However; this Christmas many artists have released several Christmas albums, my personal favorite has to be Michael Bublé’s new album, Christmas. The album consists of fifteen songs all of which are remakes of classic Christmas songs such as; Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Silent Night, and Feliz Navidad. Michael Buble’s Christmas ranks right up there with the greatest holiday records of all time by Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. This album is immaculately sung and well produced and is a timeless masterpiece for the ages. Where: On Internet or CD Staffer: Naveed Haque