The Warrior Post

Photo by Meridith Moore

Big Red Ants

Creativity

Teamwork makes the dream work

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Singing her heart out, junior Elizabeth Evans wins first place at Martin Idol Feb. 1. Photo by Jessica Cude

Everything led to now

Photo courtesy of Ayden Trammell

Photo by Zane Stewart

Martin High School - 4501 W Pleasant Ridge Rd., Arlington, TX 76016 - Volume 36 Issue 3

AcDec takes region

Martin beats out Arlington for first time in six years Elizabeth Prickett • Copy Editor On Jan. 19 and 20, Martin’s Academic Decathlon team beat Arlington High for the first time in six years, taking first place in Region.

The whole team, consisting of nine members, medaled in at least one event, many medaling in more throughout the competition.

The team consists of sophomores Journey Winkle and Jacob Williams and senior Payton Reine on A team; seniors Cole Bruhn, Sydney Terry and Keller Huckabey on B team; and seniors Jagr Clift, Sejal Karki and Vidal Mendo-

za on C team.

This years topic was Africa and the team competed in events like prepared speech,

impromptu speech and interview. The days of competing equaled almost 24 hours of competition.

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Martin’s Academic Decathalon team competed and won the weekend of Jan. 19. Photo courtesy of Marc Blanchard

MARTIN IDOL 2018

1. Senior Gloria Estes wows the crowd with an Amy Winehose rendition of “Valerie.”

2. Senior Cristal Quintero experiences technical difficulties, but overcame with her powerful vocals.

3. Sophomore Marcus Hardaman stuns in a Ne-Yo inspired performance.

4. Junior Jasmine O’Donnell sings an original song, “True Love.”

5. Senior Addyson Nowell awes the audiWith a five-hour recording ence with strong sounds and control. opportunity on the line, 12 6. Men to Boyz (seniors Quang Nguyen, performers sing their souls Paul Lee, Grayson Scott, and Ryan Oktay) brings down the house with a capella out in the 12th annual pieces.

Martin Idol Feb. 1

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A presidential love letter in Swellville Future directors and writers show their talent in Black Box Wendi Rivera & Savannah Thompson • Reporters

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very year, the theater students are able to put on a play that is solely written by themselves.

On Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 and 3 theater students wrote, directed and performed in the Black Box series of productions.

Black Box shows the creativity of the students, and has no input from the faculty directors, besides choosing the plays the theater students submit.

A reading committee, comprised of a group of seniors, goes through about 15 plays that were submitted by students of all grades.

“Students write and submit their plays,” junior Logan Roscoe said. “Then the reading committee, which consists of seniors who want to be directors, read the plays and the three best are picked. After that, each director holds auditions for actors.”

It is up to the students to literally put on the play by themselves, and depend on each other as a team to put on an unforgettable performance.

Each production is given only $60 for a budget, making it the most profitable production throughout the year.

Every performance was sold out and made a profit of over $2,000.

“There are crews, props, costumes, lights, sound and set, who put literally everything together but the actual acting,” Roscoe said.

Instead of the directors making sure that the things get done in order to make a successful play, students who want to become stage managers and crew heads after high school are able to experience

what it would be like.

“We have one stage manager in charge of all the crews, and then crew heads who are in charge of their own specific crew,” Roscoe said. “The crew members do what they need to do to make it a success.”

The plays that were chosen and performed were “A Presidential Outing” by senior Megan Mitchell, “The Last Love Letter of America” by senior May Ho and “Swellville” by sophomore Roe Hale.

“It’s a learning process for students who want to become directors or producers, and younger actors have a chance to get on stage and learn from their peers,” Roscoe said.

“A Presidential Outing” is about a woman who is running for President and is forced to drop out of the election out of fear of being outed as a lesbian after falling in love with a journalist.

“I was inspired to write it because I think theatre was created to talk about society and politics,” Mitchell said.

“And in today’s society, I think it’s more important than ever for people to see themselves represented in stories and as a way to peacefully discuss the problems in society.”

Mitchell and the two other playwrights were able to see their plays in real life.

“It has taught me not to take my writing so seriously and to just have fun,” Mitchell said. “Mistakes happen and I’ve learned how to be a better writer because it’s taught me how to relax and let other people’s interpretations of my story come to life on stage.”

“Swellville” is about high

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schoolers trying to put on a play, but they have some problems. The play ends with the actors deciding to stay in the play “Swellville” and not wanting to come back in reality.

“I was inspired by my time in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’” Hale said.

The Black Box Theater is an annual production. The benefits of Black Box helps give the students give them a chance of a lifetime.

Being able to see their actual

plays in front of them being acted by their friends can help future writers.

“Every person in theater learns something new everyday,” Roscoe said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an actor, technician, or the stage manager. I’ve learned more about life in one hour of doing theatre, than I have anywhere else. We aren’t afraid to tell the truth and perform a play that will change hearts.

That’s the cool thing about theater.”

Junior Ivan Friend directs his students in the production of “Swellville.”

Seniors Kallie Menard and Cameron Hayes rehearse a scene within the play when they decide to stay in “Swellville” the play forever. Photos by Athen Smith

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The best team in the state

Wrestlers pin down the state title Sofia Viscuso • Copy editor On Jan. 13, the boys varsity wrestling team took down the El Paso Franklin wrestlers, taking the Dual State Championship for the first time since 2004.

The Warriors were named the best team in the state after beating Franklin 58-6.

“It felt great that we won and we have another year to improve,” sophomore Zach Carpenter said.

The best teams from each district and region were invited to the tournament to battle headto-head.

When competing against another school, wrestlers from corresponding weight groups

wrestled and won points based off their performance, ultimately advancing Martin to the finals.

“That was our closest dual of the tournament,” head wrestling coach Patrick Dunn said.

“Our kids did really well.”

The Warriors were faced with a few challenges, but not many on the mat.

“We had a few kids that had the flu and a lot of people (nine out of 14) dropped a weight class to help us do well against the other teams,” senior Brett Taylor said.

Although the team has achieved this goal, they are still working toward the individual state championship Feb. 23 and

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The boys varsity wrestling team won the Dual State Championship Jan. 13. The team members will compete in the Individual state competition Feb. 23 and 24. Photo courtesy of Brett Taylor 24 in Houston.

“It’s just kind of a catapult,” Dunn said. “That goal is over and now we just move on to the next thing. Our goal isn’t really

winning, but getting better and better each day, little by little, grooving, having good character, being good people, and then the wins will come.”

Teamwork makes the dream work

Martin’s long-distance track team learns the importance of teamwork after having to train without a coach Meridith Moore•Reporter The final bell rings and the long distance track team walks out of class briskly to off-season practice. The athletes warm up and start running, but there is one thing missing: a coach.

For the first two months of the track season, there was no official long distance track coach.

Because of this, the long-distance track team had to work together more than ever and understand the importance of teamwork.

Shelby Clark is the head cross country coach, assistant basketball and the long distance

sport, all points earned by runners go to the same team, so the importance of teamwork and leadership in track is as vital as any other sport.

What was even more vital was that there was no coach.

“People had to step up and had to become a leader,” sophomore Suvi Birch said. “We had to be responsible and encourage ourselves.”

As the track season continued to get closer to its mid-February start date, the importance of going to every practice and working hard became even more necessary.

“When we didn’t have a coach

track coach. Both of those two seasons overlap which leads to challenges for Clark.

“It’s hard to juggle both basketball and track,” Clark said.

“You want to be there for both teams, but you can’t be two places at once. Luckily I am coaching distance runners.

Distance runners are very disciplined and self-sufficient. They know what they need. They are not like other sports where they cheat when they can. They will do what they are asked to do and they do what is best for themselves.”

While track is an individual

we really had to believe in the team and each other,” senior Payton Moore said. “Now that we have Coach Clark, we just have to look forward to the future.”

Moore is the team captain, so any time Clark needs help, she takes charge.

Every day the seniors had to lead the team by telling them what the workouts are, how long they are supposed to run, and take the lead on inspiring the team.

“We worked well as a team,” freshman Jonathan Burgin said.

“We got out there and did our workout when we were told to.”

“We had to be responsible and encourage ourselves.”

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Top: The long-distance runners cool down after their track workout. They do workouts on the track every Tuesday and Thursday after school.

Bottom: Senior Payton Moore leads the track team in a group chant at the end of practice.

Photos by Meridith Moore

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Beating the clock

How Tatum Henderson’s “Never say die” mentality led to the buzzer beater shot seen around the world “I shoot before school and even into my first period because technically I have an off period, so I just take that time to get myself in the right mentality and to put up shots. Usually it’s every single game day, but it’s even more important to me before district games.”

What’s something people don’t know about you?

“Most people don’t know how hard I am to deal with or how seriously I take basketball. I don’t like losing or being shown up on the court, so after a tough game I usually separate myself from people.”

When did you start coming in to shoot before school every morning?

“My freshman year when I got to Martin and I started to take things more seriously basketball-wise. My coach made the option of coming to school and shooting really early available to me. I want to be great, so I’ve made it a habit of mine to come in even earlier on game days.”

What do you and the team do when you hang out?

“We shoot around during lunch, but after we shoot and practice all of us usually go to one of our houses all together and we watch movies or nap. We spend lots of time together as a team.”

Searching for teammates to get involved in the waning seconds of the game, Henderson takes the ball inside the key and looks to get her own shot up against Lamar Jan 19. The buzzer-beater shot led to a 56 to 53 overtime victory. Photo by Curt Leland

Who does your game resemble and what kind of player do you strive to be?

“In all honesty, it’s several different players. I try to be confident and shoot like Dirk, but I try to keep Kobe Bryant’s killer mentality, and at the same time I try to be crafty and finish at the rim like Kyrie Irving.”

Michael Sandoval • Reporter

What do you think your life will look like after high school basketball?

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enior Tatum Henderson runs in front of the Lamar High School basketball player as she gets to the rim. The clock winding down, Henderson is presented with two options – fold to the pressure of a district game, or come out swinging and lead her team with a killer mentality. Henderson receives the ball at the opposing team’s side of the court, takes three dribbles, and puts up a shot that would eventually be heard around the world.

Varsity as a freshman, captain of the team, and point guard of a more than three-thousand-student school, Henderson has reliably come out swinging regardless of who or what the battle has been against.

“I have offers to a few schools, but I don’t want to go too far or anything like that. I want to go somewhere close and continue to play the only game I’ve ever known and loved. I also do track and field, so that’s definitely an option I keep in mind when it comes to sports after high school.”

What was it like to make a shot from beyond half court? What about being on SportsCenter for an entire week following your insane buzzer-beater?

“When the clock was running down I just wanted to put up a strong finish and a strong shot. I didn’t think much of it at first, but it was definitely cool to see guys like Scottie Pippen talk about me on ESPN.”

How does a game day start out for you?

“I shoot before school at five in the morning and then I shoot around during lunch with the team. After school and before the game I always take the time to put up shots too and to go over game plans with my teammates.”

How much do you shoot in the mornings?

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What reaction did you get from your teammates?

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“My friends where proud of me and Twitter blew up over night. It became a huge deal, but my teammates treated me the same after the shot as they did before so that’s definitely something I’m very thankful for.”

Being different

senior

“It gives me an opportunity to express who I am. Each one is from a different place of the world and signify my relations with others as well. The coins are from when I went to the US Mint coin factory in Washington DC when I went on a world tour group several years ago with my family.”

Students display their creativity and personality through everyday things • by Curt Leland • Editor-in-chief

Everyone seems to have the same things: the black backpack, the gray laptop, or the keychain filled with bare metal keys, but some people display their personalities through these simple everyday things. Students throughout Martin make the objects that travel the day with them their own. senior

Josephine Wei

Tatum Henderson

“I’ve always loved reading, and since I have giant bookshelves in my room filled with books, I figured a wall covered in book pages would be perfect to match the aesthetic.”

Photo by Curt Leland junior

Kristine Carlton

“I really love Batman, and I didn’t want my car to be boring. I just started putting stuff on it and all of a sudden my whole car is decorated.”

Photo Courtsesy of Tatum Henderson

Jessica Owens

senior “I got it used and it was all scratched up, so I decided to cover it.”

Photos by Curt Leland

Aisha Al-Refai

freshman “I got tired of seeing basic backpacks all the time and I wanted to make my own, make it myself, be more self-expressive and influence others to be that, because not a lot of people do that anymore. Everyone just kinda follows the trends. It took me 18 hours.”

Photo by Zane Stewart

Allena Avery

senior “I hate how heavy my attachments make my keys, but I keep them all on there because they all have a special sentiment and they describe who I am without ever even talking to me.”

Photo by Curt Leland

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Photo by Meridith Moore

How far she's come

The journey of a lifetime: From surviving cancer to traveling in Africa Lauren Worth • Features Editor & Sydney Decanio • Reporter

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lmost two years ago, they found the tumor.

One year ago, she was nearly done with chemo.

Last December, her wish was granted.

The 20-pound cancerous tumor found on senior Peyton Jones’s liver led to five rounds of chemo, resulting in her having to transfer to Northstar school for the remainder of the year.

The impact that it had on her life qualified her for a wish from the Make a Wish foundation.

Make a Wish caters to children ages two through 18 who have a progressive condition that alters their life in a negative way.

Jones’s wish was to go to Cape Town, South Africa.

“For your wish, you can either go somewhere, meet someone, or be something,” she said. “I chose to go. They pay for your travel expenses, but since Make a Wish is non-profit, they have to have sponsors. Facebook and their construction company, DTL, sponsored my trip, so they raised the money and funded it.”

During Jones’s 17-day vacation with her parents, older brother, and grandmother, she visited vineyards, went on a picture safari, and got to hang out with baby cheetahs at the Cheetah Outreach reserve which takes care of endangered animals.

“The cheetah reserve had a bunch of animals in these huge pens that you can interact with and play with,” Jones said.

“They’ve been brought up by trainers, so they can’t release them into the wild because they don’t know how to hunt. The

ones that I played with were three months old.”

Cheetahs weren’t the only animal that they got to see upclose; there was unexpected wildlife everywhere.

“Cape Town was full of surprises,” Jones’s mom, Lesa Jones, said. “Baboons chase your car on some roads, and there was a penguin reserve on one of the beaches.”

The cheetah reserve was one of the days planned by Make a Wish, along with the safari and a few other excursions.

“On some of our free days we just explored, and for some of them we planned other big outings,” Jones said. “Make a Wish planned and paid for a few, but besides those, we could choose to do anything.”

Being exposed to a new country and continent led to a culture shock.

The disparity in social classes was something that stood out to the family.

“The biggest difference between here and South Africa is the space between upper and lower class,” Jones said. “There’s not really a middle class. It’s very segregated. It was so foreign and out of our comfort zone that it was hard to grasp.”

Another new experience was the severe water crisis that’s going on throughout South Africa. Due to the lack of water, showers were limited to two minutes and water was shut off every night. Despite the inconveniences of the lack of water, Cape Town still proved to be an amazing place.

“The weather was super nice,” Jones said. “It was sunny and in

the 60s, but their 60s feels like our 80s. Cape Town itself was also gorgeous. It was completely covered in mountains that went up to the beach.”

Time changes and travel time took up some of her trip, but a few perfectly-placed layovers made up for it.

“It took us around 28 hours to get there,” she said. “We had a four-hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. From there we flew to Munich, Germany and had another four-hour layover.

When we got to Cape Town, it was eight hours ahead.”

After spending almost two weeks in South Africa, Jones finished off her trip in London, where she spent New Years’ Eve. “On the way back, we had a layover in London, so we just stayed there for four days and made a mini trip out of it.

After that we flew straight back home,” Jones said.

Cape Town had some rivals when Jones was choosing her

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wish, like Europe and Bora Bora, but it ended up being the perfect selection.

“I’m so glad I chose Africa,” she said. “I chose it because I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity to go again if it wasn’t funded by someone else.

I also wanted to go somewhere that I knew would be so different and surprising.”

Africa was also the perfect place to get the most out of her newfound outlook on life.

“Cancer taught me to look deeper into people,” Jones said.

“I know that sounds cliché but you really never know what people are going through. It taught me to focus on my surroundings and live the way you want to. That’s why I chose South Africa – it was just something I wanted to do. Our first night getting there, we were looking at the sunset and it was surreal knowing I was in Africa and how far I had come to be able to be in that place.”

Senior Peyton Jones and her family in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo courtesy of Peyton Jones

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close look at a few of Creating a fun place AMartin’s many unique and to learn creative teachers Katie Kohutek • Reporter

Students sit eagerly in room 116 as the bell signals the start of class. They can’t wait to see which historical figures they will be playing today, knowing it could be anyone from Julius Caesar to Joseph Stalin. Every day in class offers a chance to travel back in time.

'Play the character' AP World History teacher Dr. Bruce Foster takes every chance he can get to make sure the students are involved in his lectures. He often asks students to impersonate figures from the past in order to help them understand key historical events.

“My subject is very interesting because it deals with characters, and students get a chance to act out those characters,” Foster said. “When they act out and play the character, it helps them retain the information more.”

Besides asking students to become actors, Foster also asks them to become teachers during his class. After giving a lecture, he will give his students time to reteach the information to their partner sitting across from them.

“I try to get the students to teach each other because you retain 90 percent of what you’re teaching,” Foster said. “So I want to teach them information and then have them reteach it so they’ll retain the information.”

This method of teaching can often throw students off when they first join the class, but it slowly becomes something to look forward to. Junior Amanda Neinast, who took Dr. Foster’s class last year, knows this firsthand.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into class every day,” Neinast said. “I expected

some crazy stuff some days. He made it really interactive.”

Students find themselves benefitting from Dr. Foster’s unique teaching style as it gives them a chance to learn in ways they haven’t been able to before.

“I liked it because it gave me my own opportunity to see what I did or didn’t understand,” Neinast said.

“And then I could have other people explain it to me rather than just one teacher.”

'The natural advantage' AP Psychology teacher Rachael Peterson also aims to teach students in ways that are different than the average teacher. Luckily, the subject she teaches helps her.

“Psychology is fun because it applies to everything we do and it applies to every subject,” Peterson said. “So it’s got the natural advantage there. Plus, it’s got a lot of variety within the topic, so I use a lot of variety in my teaching style too.”

Peterson’s class offers a new hands-on activity every day.

One such activity involves students getting to perform brain surgery on a grapefruit.

Students enrolled in her class are told to expect the unexpected.

“Typically, I try to do a lot of activity-based learning,” Peterson said. “For example, we just did what we call Grapefruit Brain Lab where we learn the structures and functions of the brain, but we do it in a fun way because neuroscience can be challenging.”

Senior Adam Lavelle said he appreciates the variety offered in Peterson’s class and enjoys the way she makes her lessons applicable to life outside of the classroom.

“I always expect for Mrs.

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Ceramics teacher Lauren Kulesz gets her hands dirty as she sculpts alongside junior Ali Elqutob. Photo by Will Maben Peterson to have something new and exciting,” Lavelle said.

“For every class, I’m always expecting to learn something I didn’t know before and be able to apply those things. It’s fun and very informative.”

'Learn to push yourself' Art I and Ceramics teacher Lauren Kulesz said she strives to be a teacher students will remember by pushing them to reach their potential.

“I didn’t always like school, so I try to help everyone find what works for them,” Kulesz said. “And so in art, that means I am pushing you to think more outside the box, be more creative, and learn to push yourself.”

Kulesz strives to create a fun and relaxing environment for students who have stressful course loads. Being an Art I teacher, it is sometimes hard to get through to the students who are only there for the required credit.

“My goal for those students is to make class bearable for them and to make it something that at the end of the year, they

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can look back at,” Kulesz said.

“Hopefully there’s at least a few assignments that they’re like, ‘Hey, I actually liked doing that’ and ‘That wasn’t too bad.’”

Getting to know her students is one of Kulesz’s favorite parts of teaching. She said she appreciates each student as a unique person, and loves getting to know more about them.

“I love anything that tells a story,” Kulesz said. “So any project that allows students to share a little bit about themselves and about their lives with me, instead of just an, ‘Oh we’re going to draw this still life,’” Kulesz said. “It gives me a look into their life. I love those kinds of projects.”

The environment that Kulesz creates in her classroom is very much appreciated by her students. Sophomore Grant Bean is currently enrolled in ceramics and enjoys the escape that is offered in Kulesz’s class.

“It’s something to let off the heat and the stress of other classes,” Bean said. “I can always expect a smile on her face when we walk into class.”

Inked

The life of a tattoo artist Alyssa Deluna & Marleigh Richey • Reporters The tattoo gun begins to hum as it touches skin, then silence envelopes the room. Once again, the humming starts and then, silence.

Some people express themselves with traditional mediums of art, but junior Britain Messenger, an aspiring tattoo artist, is able to transform art into more than pen and paper.

“If I could describe my work to people, I’d say it’s really dark,” Messenger said. “Most of my art is influenced by horror, making my art dark and mysterious. Tattoos are a form of self expression, you can feel like you have a better style and not just with your clothes or the way you do your hair, you can have your thoughts unfold onto your body.”

Messenger has been tattooing people for about six months on and off. Lately he said he’s been focusing more on his artwork than his actual work on people.

“Tattoos have always interested me because it is a way to express yourself and to display

things that make you, you,” Messenger said. “When a couple of my friends told me I should try out tattooing, I ordered a kit off Amazon and began tattooing my brotherin-law and some pieces of fake skin that’s made out of silicone, and I just went from there.”

Despite his young age, Messenger has already gotten experience by tattooing friends and family members.

“I’ve tattooed a couple of people from school,” Messenger said. “I’ve also tattooed my brother-in-law, on which I did an anchor with a banner that has my nephew’s name on it.

That’s the one I’m most proud of. I also did a couple of friends outside of school.”

Open to the idea of tattooing, Messenger’s parents are very supportive of his career choice and hope that everything works out for the best.

“Britain started to show his artistic ability at a very young age,” Messenger’s mother, Kari Hix said. “He has always loved

to draw strange things. He recently took an interest in tattooing after a friend of his saw one of his drawings and wanted to have it tattooed on himself.

Britain has a bright artistic future ahead of him and if he chooses to pursue a career in tattooing, then I will be there to support him. I believe that if you love what you’re doing, it’s considered a career rather than just a job.”

Messenger said he appreciates the support from his parents.

“My parents love me tattooing,” Messenger said. “My stepdad wants me to do a lot of them for him. When it comes to me having tattoos, I did warn my mom and dad that I will most likely be covered in them.

I come from a very Christian family so it’s a little hard for them to take in, but they understand that this is where my heart is.”

It’s not just Messenger’s family that has his back. Many of his friends are supportive of him as well.

“I think he is a really dedicated and developed artist, and he puts a lot of time and effort into his work,” junior Marilyn Land said. “I would definitely get a tattoo from him, probably when he gets more experience and grows more as an artist.”

Behind the ink lies a steady

hand.

“I think that Britain is a very a talented artist,” junior Emily Money said. “He takes a lot of time with each piece he works on. I’ve seen all of his supplies including his tattoo machines, ink, sketch books, and canvases.

I think my favorite thing about his work is that he is original and you can easily tell when something is done by him.”

For Messenger, getting a tattoo is more than a needle and ink, it’s an emotional journey and a reflection of who he is.

“The feeling after a tattoo for me is emotional,” Messenger said. “The feeling is unreal and most people might not agree with me on it because it’s just a tattoo, but all of my tattoos will have some sort of importance to me whether it’s a memory or something that inspires me.”

Some clients get tattoos just to have one, while others have a meaning or a purpose for them.

“I don’t have any regrets about my tattoos that I have or that I’ve done on others,” Messenger said. “It’s all about learning, we all start somewhere. I want to be a tattoo artist to help people express who they are, because that was something that was really hard for me growing up.

In a nutshell I want to achieve happiness whether it be to a client or myself.”

Photos courtesy of Britain Messanger

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features

Prodigy in the halls

Freshman musician faces both sides of the music

Freshman Anthony Washington warms up his voice in choir class. He perfoms and composes choral music. Photo by Aivrey Zaiger Aivrey Zaiger• Reporter

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n the beginning of the school year, we see about 900 new freshman walking the halls.

Many times they are ignored by the upperclassmen and disregarded as fresh meat, but there are always a few fish swimming against the currents.

Freshman and musician Anthony Washington is not a minnow swimming in a sea of sharks.

He recognized his musical abilities early on in his life.

“In the third grade we did a talent show at Wood Elementary,” Washington said.

“From there it was just signing for choir, doing competitions and singing. It was a good experience.”

In the eighth grade, he directed

the middle school choir as they sang music he had composed and arranged. Washington said it was a rewarding experience, but it came with some issues.

“It was stressful and it was awkward,” he said. “When you’re writing, you have to think of a lot of musical terms.

And then I wrote for them, they started practicing, and then I had to conduct them at the Levitt Pavilion concert.

It’s awkward, especially during practicing to be in front of your peers conducting them. It’s tough, but rewarding after.”

To a musician, seeing your song written on paper is one thing, but witnessing the fruits of your work and bringing those notes off the page takes dedication. In the eighth grade, conducting the choir was a new

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skill that Washington had to learn through trial and error.

“In the seventh and eighth grade they kind of expect you to be the best out of everybody, so with conducting, which is something totally new, you have the expectation that all your friends want you to be perfect at it, but you haven’t done it before,” Washington said. “You don’t know how to do it until you do it.”

Although writing and practicing music takes up a lot of his time, Washington said he still finds time for theater and singing at his church.

“I’m not a sports person so I do show choir, All-State, regular choir, I sing at my church and I act,” he said. “Music is really what I focus on.”

Like other students, Washington said he has difficulty finding time to do his homework, but he solves that problem by staying ahead in his classes.

“It’s such a struggle, especially throughout the All-state process,” he said. “Really you try and do your homework at school and then a little bit of it at home, and then you spend hours and hours practicing all your music. It’s hard to balance it. You just have to play it dayby-day because you don’t know how much homework you’ll have and how much work you need to do on your music.”

Washington made the Allstate choir as a freshman which is rare. Some people have to try out two or three times before they make it in.

“Anthony earned a place in the prestigious All-state choir as a ninth grader, which is very difficult to do,” choir director Kay Owens said. “In the history

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of Martin we have only had seven students do that as a ninth grader.”

Washington said that he has goals for his choir career.

“I had a couple of goals going into high school,” Washington said. “One was to make AllState which, by the grace of God, I did. One was to be in Martin’s top choir, but I have to wait until I’m a junior to do that. And also to compose for Chorale or Chamber choirs.

I’ve worked on some pieces that would sound really good.”

“He is a very talented young man,” Owens said. “He gives 100 percent in rehearsal.”

In the future, he sees himself being active in the choir world by composing and/or directing.

“I want to be a college choir director,” Washington said.

“I want to compose and have choirs singing my music.”

“I think he has a great future in the music industry,” Owens said. “He has a combination of talent and work ethic, and that is a win-win combination.”

Washington said he gets a lot of practice handling compliments on his work.

“A lot of people come up and congratulate me, but I think it’s about staying humble through all of that,” Washington said.

“Especially here at Martin where you have a lot of different personalities. If you take a compliment, they think you’re not being humble. So I try to be humble. I just smile and say thank you. If the person really knows what they’re talking about, then you take it and say, ‘Wow, I think I did pretty good.’ If they’re just some random person, just say thank you, but don’t think too much about it.”

Lunch specials that won't break the bank Cameron Mayes • Reporter We all know that feeling when the lunch bell rings and you’re starving, and you look in your wallet only to see no money and a whole lot of cobwebs.

Luckily, I’m here to give you some fast food restaurants that have cheap student specials that you definitely need to take advantage of.

Chicken Express

Personally my favorite.

Imagine only paying $5 and getting a large drink, a roll, a bountiful amount of french fries and a whopping five chicken fingers along with gravy.

You get five items and you

only pay $5.

If this offer interests you, just go to your local Chicken Express and request the student meal. You may have to show your student ID.

Joe's Pizza

Joe’s is obviously known for its mouth-watering pizza, and for $6.25 you can get two pizza slices along with a salad and a drink.

Or maybe if you’re more of a pasta guy, you could always get the pasta, salad and a drink for $7.25. Whatever you end up ordering, at least it won’t break the bank.

Wingstop

Anyone love some chicken

wings? Well if you do, you’re in luck.

Wingstop has a Monday/ Tuesday special where you can get boneless wings for only 55 cents. You’re not dreaming!

(There’s a minimum order of five boneless wings) so go take advantage of that, Warriors.

The Dollar Craving Menu is something that is incredibly affordable and delicious.

Furthermore, Taco Bell introduced a new thing called “Cravings Deal” that offers a pile of food for just $5.

The combo includes a soft taco, a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, a Burrito Supreme, chips and cheese and a medium soda.

McDonald's

Now I know people joke around about the McDonald’s Dollar Menu but in the end, you’re the one who is saving money.

For only $1 you can order a cheeseburger and any size soft drink, no shame in ordering something off the dollar menu.

Chipotle

Five bucks can’t buy you a burrito, but it does buy a tasty kids meal.

It consists of two soft tacos, carnitas, white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, chips and a box of apple juice (since the last time you probably had a juice box was preschool).

Taco Bell

Affordable art

Art supplies are really expensive, but here are some affordable supplies for you artists Rayn Martin • Reporter For students who want to become artists, or those who already are, one of the many struggles is affording art supplies.

From Copics to Polychromos, these supplies are expensive and help professionals and anyone make amazing art.

Most of these supplies are easily found at a Hobby Lobby or online using Amazon, but what are some cheaper alternatives that are just as good as these top brands?

A common brand of color pencils are Prismacolors. But when compared to Polychromos, a more expensive professional brand, do they do just as

well while saving some money in your wallet?

When you look at the colors of these two, it’s no doubt that Prismas are not only more vibrant, but their wax is much more rich and soft. Polychromos have duller colors and their wax takes much longer to get down on the paper.

The con of this, though, is that Prismacolors often need more sharpening and break easily, and Polychromos are tougher.

When it comes to blending and using them for coloring, Polychromos do a better job.

They blend cleanly and Prismacolors are known to often have a milky wax effect, and blend-

ing takes more work.

Even though Prismacolors are inferior in some categories, they definitely are good for being a cheaper brand.

Polychromos cost around $50 for a pack of 36, while Prismacolors cost around $20 to a $30 for a pack of 48. As an artist starting out or if you just want a better pencil aside from the basic Crayola, Prismacolors are a good choice.

Another popular brand are Copic markers. Copic markers are used by many artists, and they do an amazing job at blending and coloring. But their price is expensive, many being nearly $3 per marker.

On the other hand, Ohuhu markers area a lot cheaper, at

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roughly 50 cents per marker.

Though they are more streaky and they don’t blend as well as Copics, they do just as well of a job if you compare the two, considering that it is a a whole lot cheaper.

A pack of 72 Copics can be nearly $350, but a pack of 80 Ohuhu markers can be $40. In the end, Ohuhu markers are a better deal.

A lot of art supplies can be hard to purchase, and most of the cheaper brands make it a bit tricky to find ones that work just as well without breaking your wallet.

These alternatives are a great way to save your money, but unleashing your creativity is priceless.

features

fANTastic rock

Alternative rock band Big Red Ants takes the underground music sphere to their anthill Annika Reeves • Reporter From Soundcloud rappers to world-class violinists, every musician has a different claim to fame, but arguably the most rare breed of high school musician could be the rock band member.

Junior by day, guitarist by night, Ayden Trammell balances his responsibility well.

“I’ve always really, really loved music and I know the other guys have too,” Trammell said.

“I know it sounds cliche, but it’s really not for the money. It’s really fun to be able to go out and play these shows and show these people what we love to do every single day.”

After meeting fellow band member Nathan Walters freshman year, Trammell has been involved in the band ever since.

Last year three members of the band (Walters, Aaron Peyton

and Ian Brothers) graduated, but that didn’t split them apart for good.

The group plays one or two shows each weekend in venues ranging from smoky blues bars to family setting shows open to all ages.

The usual audience reflects that as well, from kids to the elderly – anyone is welcome to listen.

Although it’s not about the money to the members, the shows are able to earn cash as well as notoriety.

“We actually just played a benefit show for a Fort Worth tattoo artist,” Trammell said.

“He ended up having breast cancer, and all the money we earned that night went towards his funeral.”

Big Red Ants’ next show will be at Division Brewing Feb. 17, open to all ages.

The Big Red Ants band poses in front of “easy street” for their album cover. Photo courtesy of Big Red Ants

The band performs at a benefit show in Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Big Red Ants

Junior Ayden Trammell and Nathan Walters jam out on their guitars.

Photo courtesy of Big Red Ants

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The episode is finished in one class period and looked over by Powell after class to assure that it is ready to be uploaded on YouTube and sent out to the teachers.

Teachers submit different announcements and commercials that they need in upcoming episodes through a Google Doc form.

AV teacher Adam Powell preps what needs to be done and writes the scripts for what will be filmed that day so it is ready when they come to AV Production 4th and 10th periods.

A film crew of three people from AV Production goes and shoots. Theater students or any other AV Production students make any new commercials that teachers have requested.

Step in student news An inside look at the Martin Student News Ashley Odom & Emma Beard • Reporters

The new commercials are placed into Adobe Premiere to be edited for the news.

A behind the scenes look at how much work goes into making the Student News.

Mr. Powell, juniors Olivia Davis, Brandon Chrabsz and the AV Production class students make the Student News possible.

One or two students work on editing the news for the next day.

They start with the previous day’s episode and replace old commercials with new ones.

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opinions

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Muse-ic Students share how music inspires their creative works Sofia Viscuso • Copy Editor Elena Regalado • News Editor Hands are the instrument of creativity. From plucking the strings of a harp to molding clay, hands have the ability to create and express an artistic identity. Music can shape the vibrant energy that is reflected in a work of art. These musically and artistically talented students use music as a way to influence and inspire their own work.

S

ince fifth grade, senior Gloria Estes has been exciting the musical world by singing and playing the harp and violin. Estes’ inspiration to become a better musician has come from appreciating others’ pieces.

“When I listen to classical music, it inspires me to be better because they sound so good,” Estes said.

When Estes performs with orchestra, her mind has to transfer all of the artistic dynamics she’s heard into her fingers so she can play.

“I like ‘Scheherazade,’” she said. “I really like how smooth and beautiful it is. Also ‘Don Juan,’ because it’s crazy, bright and flashy.”

Singing takes a different type of skill, and Estes switches music that influences her art vocally.

“Amy Winehouse is my number one,” Estes said. “Her voice is so beautiful. I love anything she does.”

Whatever type of music Estes is listening to, it has inspired and influenced her work.

“I want to sound like that,” she said. “Then I’m like, ‘Pow’ and I practice more.”

Ev Photo by Trevor Evinger

Seni

iln whirling and paint brushes designing, senior Lauren Martin uses music to help influence her Nikk He artwork.

“I do drawing, painting and ceramics,” Martin said. “I’ve been taking classes since junior year, but I’ve always been creating since elementary school.”

With artwork, there’s no boundary for what you have to exclude. Martin’s music influences her work’s personality and message.

“I’ve actually put song lyrics before in my art, so music does influence me,” Martin said.

Since Martin’s work has no limit on creativity, it’s no surprise the music she listens to reflects that.

“I listen to alternative music,” she said. “I like how it’s different peoples’ stories through music. It’s really fun to listen to. Paramore is my favorite band.

I also like The Cranberries and Bon Iver because they’re rock music mixed with the culture that we have now.”

K Photo by Will Maben

M

ore than just music inspired junior Michael Washington to kick off his artistic career about three years ago.

“I am a Christian hip-hop artist,” Washington said. “I do rap and sometimes I sing R&B.” Washington said he strives to push his music further, so he listens to other artists who sing the same genre to inspire him to grow as an artist.

“I listen to Christian rap,” he said. “When I’m at church we listen to Hillsong and Bethel. I like a song called ‘Lightwork, Praying Hands’ by Tye Brazel and a song called ‘All Good’ by Holland. The track sounds really good and that really inspires me to go home and write tracks to change it up into something our generation can understand.”

Washington said that the music he listens to doesn’t inspire him to make music for himself, but for God. “They’re genuine,” he said. “Of course they care what people think, but at the end of the day they are doing it for God and I think that’s really nice.”

H

Photo by Annabel Hernandez

“List some Bu the m imag “Sy in a n they Bu He li while genre “R of co each

Photo by Jessica Cude

er hand flows smoothly over the crisp paper, paying close attention to detail. Whether painting or drawing, senior Tatum Tran’s art skills are impressive.

“I’ve taken art classes for three years, but I’ve been making art for fun ever since I was a kid,” Tran said.

Tran’s “Muse-ic” (the name of her playlist) that she listens to while she draws or paints, is a mix of R&B and pop music.

“It’s music that’s easy to listen to and it just has those vibes that help me create art,” Tran said. “It’s just an eclectic mix of styles.”

The unique mix of music that Tran listens to helps to inspire her work, as well as get her in the zone.

“I listen to songs that are my personal favorites and help me tune out any distractions or bad feelings I have,” Tran said. “Music creates a positive environment that makes me happy, it inspires me to make art for myself and not to worry about pleasing anyone else.”

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or the past four years, senior Troy Burke has been capturing the outside world through a lens.

“I usually go with friends when we go out on photography adventures,” Burke said.

“Listening to music while taking pictures is anti-social. On the ride to our destination, it’s usually some sort of indie or alternative music. I listen to chillhop whenever I edit my pictures.”

Burke’s work reflects his mood based off of the music he listens to. The more upbeat the music, the more intense the contrast may be in Burke’s photos. When he listens to a calmer song, Burke’s images typically have a softer sense.

“Synths are an amazing technologic wave of sound that throws you into things you’d never hear in a natural world, and often carefully made by the artist looking for a particular sound that only they can produce,” Burke said. “This gives them an extra dimension of creativity.”

Burke said he finds most of his music through his friends or the Discover playlist on Spotify.

He listens to his music through his original Beats Studio by Dr. Dre, or on his desktop speakers while he edits his pictures. No matter how good he claims the quality of these are, there is one genre that doesn’t flow.

“Rap is hard for me to get behind because it seems as if the genre has become less about the art of complex rhythms and handpicked word choice,” Burke said. “Nowadays it’s about how much each artist can lift themselves up or ‘burn’ others.”

Photo by Brea Flores

continued on page 23

Everything led to now Senior helps artists create a name for themselves

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Senior Ezra Averill decided to take on the music industry and now is the manager for music artist Tay-K. “Managing someone’s career is a feeling that is very special,” Averill said. “You hold the ability to make them provide for their family, and that is what makes my job so special.”

When it comes to booking an event, advertising their songs, or Senior Ezra Averill manages artist,‘Tay-K’, and is the youngest A&R to gain a platinum record.

Photo By Zane Stewart

getting them studio time to record their music, that’s where Averill steps in as manager.

“I run daily operations and connect the dots,” Averill said. “A lot of it consists of networking and building a strong infrastructure around your artist to help build an audience for them.”

Make no mistake, becoming a successful 17-year-old manager does not just happen overnight.

The process was long, but in the end it paid off when TayK’s single “The Race” became a platinum record on Jan. 12.

“After a few years of doing small shows and getting a few thousand plays, we finally hit our stride about mid 2017 and really took off,” Averill said.

With all the success rolling in and the name Tay-K becoming well-known within the music industry, Averill got a phone call that people in the industry sometimes only dream of.

The call was an invite to the VMA’s to meet with professional rappers such as Young Thug, Kodak Black, and other artists.

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“There have been a lot of crazy moments in this,” Ezra’s mother, Kelleigh Averill said.

“Kodak Black calling him, Young Thug taking him to the MTV awards, Kanye’s manager wanting to meet him, and of course being the youngest rap A&R to go platinum.”

With so much already accomplished, Averill is on pace to becoming a popular name amongst the music community.

As a senior in high school, Averill has already established a full career for himself, visited Los Angeles to attend the VMA’s, met several celebrity artists, and has now successfully managed an artist so well that they already have a platinum record.

“Starting at three years old when he demanded to only wear Jordans, he has forged his way with a strong focus, determination, and intelligence,” Kelleigh Averill said. “Looking back, I can see how everything has led to where he is now, and he still has so far to go.”

features

Sexual abuse victim overcomes the decade of violence she went through

No longer a victim

Haleigh Trevino• Opinions Editor

National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline

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is hands run down your spine. Your fists clench, you cry out in pain, but he tells you it will be okay.

He must be right because this abuser is your family/boyfriend/ coach/friend/neighbor and not a stranger. He knows you too well and would never hurt you.

You trusted him.

Now you’re left here questioning not only your close relationships, but also yourself – all because this person couldn’t ignore their animalistic instincts and raped you. You have to go on living your life as if nothing happened even though you feel empty inside.

According to endsexualviolence.org, sexual abuse affects one in four women in their lifetime, and one in six men in their lifetime.

It is happening more frequently mostly to those who are under 18.

Sophomore Marie Tate* was molested by her adult brotherin-law John* for ten years until she came out with her story for help when she was 15.

It all started when Marie was five years old. The abuse began with John slowly touching Marie, and eventually led up to full-on rape over the years. As he would drug Marie, she was still conscious to her surroundings, but not strong enough to stop what was happening.

On occasion, Marie and John would get into physical altercations, where she would be left with bruises and scars to hide.

The abuse would happen all the time, regardless of the time or place. If John was around and he could get his hands on Marie, the abuse would take place, even in her house.

“I couldn’t take it anymore, I just broke down and told my mom everything,” she said. “It would happen anywhere – his house, my house, at family functions. When I was at his house and it would happen, he

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Art by Shelby Barnett

would drug me, and force me to drink and smoke.”

For Marie, there were multiple reasons she stayed in the shadows for so long. While some may not know they were molested or even realize it, others become secluded in their own thoughts and fears.

“They don’t realize how in shock you actually are,” she said. “You actually become paralyzed. This person you cared for betrayed your trust.”

In most sexual violence cases, the abuser is someone the victim knows closely and trusts.

This makes it that much harder to get help from someone else.

The close relationship built with this person and the normality of everyday life is at risk the moment the victim decides to come out. From there, life is filled with police reports, trials, court cases, and lots of therapy.

“He used my love for his kids (my niece and nephew) against me,” Marie said. “He knew I didn’t want them to grow up without a dad. Part of me will always despise him for what he did to me, but I forgive him.”

Although Marie said she has forgiven John for the acts he committed against her, she has yet to forgive her older sister who fled with her children when her husband was taken into custody.

“I knew she had an idea of what was going on, and for her not to protect me when I

was so vulnerable as a child is something I cannot forgive,” she said.

Sexual violence can take a toll on its victims in many different ways. Some turn to drugs or alcohol as an outlet, while others act out in school. Marie said she had cried for help in all of these ways but soon realized that was not going to solve anything.

After revealing to her family and authorities what had been going on for a decade of her life, she decided to be bigger than her abuse.

“My mom wanted to kill him,” Marie said. “I really thought he was gonna die that day.”

Immediately authorities were notified, John was taken into custody, and questions were asked of both parties. First, Marie was required to go to a meeting in which she talked to psychologist as detectives listened in. Along with this, she was set to the task of drawing a timeline out with different occurrences of abuse by John.

Then Marie and her family had to wait for months until the court case for sentencing took place, during which time John was held in a county jail.

Eventually on Aug. 28, 2017 John pleaded guilty to two different charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In court, Marie had the opportunity to give her victim state-

ment to John and the rest of those in the courtroom.

“Everything was just so hard,” she said. “I had to remind myself to be patient during everything because it seemed like my world was falling apart, but I knew it had to get worse until it would get better.”

Now Marie said she lives a happy life, plans on graduating high school early, enlisting in the military, and overcoming her tragedy. In spite of the tragic circumstances, it has made her family come together in a way she would have never imagined.

“I would do anything to protect them, and now they have proven and shown they would do the same for me,” she said.

Looking back at it, Marie said she is glad she came to her mother and brought an end to the abuse she had gone through for so long, and that she can now fulfill her dreams and make this something she will never forget, but something she

“

went through and that she is growing from.

“My legacy will be that I am strong, courageous and a survivor,” Tate said in her victim statement. “I will move through my life accomplishing all my goals despite what you did.”

Because of the media coverage coming out and the frequent injustice we see, it can be hard for victims to come out with their stories in fear of what their abusers will do.

“Teenagers often won’t come out with their stories,” counselor Jana Lewis said. “Especially with what is going on in society right now, we are told, ‘Just be quiet.’”

94 percent of attempted or completed rape cases are not reported. Some include: not realizing it was sexual abuse, thinking nothing would be done, fear of the police response, and thinking it wasn’t important enough to report.

“Sometimes some of these

girls don’t even realize that it’s sexual abuse happening,” Lewis said. “It’s not that they are not educated, but they think it’s normal.”

Sexual violence takes many different forms, and isn’t always as easy as black and white. Sex is a taboo topic, and is often avoided due to the discomfort it causes. Lewis said that young girls and boys must know about consensual sex.

“Just because it happened once, it’s okay to say, ‘No, that’s not what I want to do,’” Lewis said.

When looking for help with sexual abuse there is certain protocol the counselors and adult authority figures must go through. This includes notifying legal guardians and calling CPS (Child Protection Services) to come evaluate the case. This is another reason some girls or boys hesitate to speak out on their story and get the necessary help.

“I think you have to do what

you feel is right, even if that means going against a family member/coach or whoever it is,” Lewis said. “If you feel it isn’t right, you need to speak out about it.”

High school is a place of many different characters.

Marie moved through years of schooling carrying herself normally and hid her deepest secret to where no one could see it. Just like her, there are many other girls and boys who have been victims or are still victims of sexual abuse who have yet to come out and tell their stories. These victims are cheerleaders, football players, band members, misfits, and everything in between, all disguised as normal kids.

So look deeper into people, ask questions, and look for signs becauses chances are a victim is your family/boyfriend/ coach/friend/neighbor and not a stranger. *Names have been changed for confidentiality reasons.

Marie’s courtroom Victim’s statement to her abuser:

You know exactly what you did to be sitting in that chair right now. This is on you. Not me. For 10 years you molested me and raped me starting when I was five years old. You took my innocence, you took my power, along with many other things you took from me. But that’s why we are in this courtroom and why you are going to prison for 25 years.

You are a coward, you chose a defenseless child to prey on and abuse, all while acting like you were a part of this family.

You used my love for my nephew and niece against me. And unlike you, I would do anything to protect them.

I remember one time my sister – your wife – said she didn’t like how you always wanted me to sleep in your bed at night. And that tells me she had a gut feeling something was not right. Every night you would be drunk and abusive to me and my older sister and your own kids, because you knew you had control. You knew I wouldn’t say anything because my nephew and niece. You told me if I said anything, you would go to jail and they would grow up without a father, but that was the choice you made, not me.

I am still learning to overcome what you did to me. I used to think I was weak and alone. That is what you wanted me to feel. I used to feel shame and guilt, because that’s what you used to keep power over me. I used to feel afraid and scared because you wanted me to feel that. Well I’m letting you know now that I am not weak, alone, or afraid of you.

You have no power over me anymore, you can’t hurt me

anymore. You know it and I know it.

Your evil actions have torn your family apart. Your kids will now grow up without you. This is the Lord’s way of protecting them from you. Your legacy will be as a rapist and child molestor. Your children will have to endure this all of their lives. Your family will forever live in the shadows and shame of your actions.

And like the coward you are, you chose to plea. It’s so much better for you, so you think, to wrap 10 years of abuse and rape into only two charges. But that’s because you were afraid of me. My legacy will be that I am strong, courageous, and a survivor. My family will love and support me. I will move through my life accomplishing all my goals despite what you did. I will wake up and you will not be on my mind. For the rest of your life you will daily think of the pain you caused, you will be the one at night wondering if someone is lurking in the shadows. Nightmares will fill your sleep wondering if someone is doing to your daughter what you did to me.

You are about to experience the pain and weakness I felt.

You will be the one that feels weak and powerless. You will be the one with nowhere to run. You will be the one being abused. But for you, no one will care. I am on a path of healing. I will live my life with love and laughter, support from my family and friends will always be with me. I am strong, I am courageous, and I am not afraid.

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Ebay boss Entrepreneur senior Mike Valone makes his way into the business Nicole Salas• Reporter A part-time job, for many high school students, is usually at a fast food restaurant or babysitting. However, senior Mike Valone differs from the average student – he makes his own hours, wages, and rules while making an insanely good profit.

Valone has bought his own Porsche from the profits of his eBay business, while still making time to go to school.

“I was so bored with my jobs,” Valone said. “I could never really keep a job. I just kept quitting and quitting. My favorite part of the job was actually the interviews. Then I would be excited about the job and realized it sucked. It happened like seven times. All terrible jobs.”

Like many high school students with jobs, the pay is mediocre and the jobs are usually uneventful. Valone was no different. He tried the part-time job gigs and took it as far as he could, knowing he would eventually move on. Valone had to keep himself busy with constant adventure.

His hunger for entrepreneurship started at a young age.

“I’ve had an eBay account since I was 13 and I used to sell my Lego on there,” Valone said.

“I like antiques and had always liked older, finer things, so I just started buying stuff up at estate sales.”

The young entrepreneur found his calling as an antique collector and seller, where he could make his own hours and have fun finding new collectables while making money.

While he started off by selling Lego, he transitioned into selling antiques for thousands. As a business, he took every chance to sell something for more than what he bought it.

“The markup is crazy on some of these items,” Valone said. “I take advantage of people who don’t know what they’re selling.

Just recently I bought a nice guitar for $24 dollars and sold it for a couple hundred dollars.

That’s crazy.”

His unconventional business has been profitable.

“I make $4,000 on average a month, up to five on a crazy good month, and if it’s a slow month I make $3,000,” Valone said.

While most parents would

A rare Honeywell H2 Heiland Film is bought by Valone for $20 and is resold through eBay for $200.

Photo courtesy of Mike Valone

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by Bree Maurin be concerned about their kid running around and making money transactions with random people, Valone’s parents are completely supportive.

“I don’t think it’s dangerous,” Valone’s mom Sue Valone said.

“I support his choice to work.

He’s very passionate about what he does and I help him by packaging and shipping.”

It’s easy for Valone to be proud of what he’s accomplished, but his friend, senior Garrett Haynes, said he was impressed with Valone’s work ethic.

“I used to help him out with

junk removal and he would sell possessed dolls or anything he could find,” Haynes said.

“We would drive to Irving for things. Now he’s selling antique swords.”

Valone has big plans for his future, which includes a junk removal company and internet revenue. He said his goal is to make his own living and be his own boss.

“I will for sure continue to be my own boss,” Valone said.

“There are downfalls if you don’t love what you do, but I love what I do.”

Future Bitcoin billionaire Sophomore begins investing early Savannah Thompson • Reporter

Buying a house isn’t a thing most sophomores in high school think about. But for Collin Adams, buying his own house is very important.

Bitcoin online currency started in 2009, but didn’t hit a big boom until January of 2017.

It started at $985 per coin and peaked at about $20,000 at the end of 2017.

Sophomore Collin Adams started showing interest in Bitcoin in late 2017 when he and his dad watched Bitcoin videos, just to see what it was.

Adams’ dad allowed him to use all of his saved up money from past birthdays, Christmas, and jobs to buy 1.08 bitcoins.

“I am hoping to see Collin financially stable and able to

live comfortably and provide for his family and live without financial worries,” Adams’ dad Jason Adams said.

Currently one Bitcoin is worth 7303.19 US dollars.

When Adams purchased his, it was a total of 3,000 dollars and he sold them for 20,000 dollars.

“I am hoping to cash out and get a starting real estate, and get myself financially set before I graduate college,” Adams said.

Because of the current boom in Bitcoin, Adams is able to look at houses and afford a down payment. He is currently in the process of putting a down payment on a house in Fort Worth and plans on renting it out to renters.

features

If you like it, then put a ring on it (or a bracelet)

Students share the stories behind the jewelry they can’t live without Faith Smith & Caitlin Harwell • Opinions Editor & Entertainment Editor

Everyone has their own lucky charms or something that they cant go anywhere without. We asked students about the

Photo by Faith Smith

Photo by Caitlin Harwell

Photo by Faith Smith

jewelry they wear that means so much to them. senior Payton Stanton: continued from page 17 A ring that has my grandma’s ashes in the middle of it. She passed away when I was young and we were very close. My aunt got them made for us from a store that makes ashes into jewelry. I only take it off Gloria’s when I shower because I don’t Lauren’s want it to accidentally fall Playlist Playlist down the drain. senior Matthew Flores: A white turtle bracelet.

I got one for my girlfriend and one for myself two Christmases ago, and any time I look at it I think of her. I got them for $1 at Target. I also get fidgety during school so I play with it to distract me.

Tatum’s Playlist

Michael’s Playlist

Troy’s Playlist

junior Madeline Barnes: I have a silver crown ring from James Avery that I wear on my pointer finger. It’s special to me because before my Mimi died from Alzheimer’s it was the last thing she gave me for my 13th birthday. I never take it off because I don’t want to lose it since it has so much sentimental value to me.

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features

Starting is the hard part When trying to start writing a story, sometimes it is difficult to think of some creative things to write about. Here are some interesting writing prompts to Meridith Moore • Reporter get you in the creative mindset.

Take a decision you made in your life and write about how your life would be different if you made a different choice.

Write about what it would be like if your dream became a reality.

Write about a different dimension where everything in the world is opposite.

Take your favorite song and write a parody of it with new lyrics.

Go outside and write a haiku about something interesting you see.

Write about what you thought your life would be like now when you were five years old.

Write down several random words, put the pieces of paper in a bowl, and then draw three words.

Write a story about those three words.

B

2.

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1.

E

3.

G

4.

C

5.

A

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Answers:

Write about the world in the perspective of a inanimate object.

6.

F

7.

D

Made in Martin

Students from Martin expand their wardrobe Sara Blain • Reporter

Senior Cameron Pringle

Senior Micayla Rich “I got the idea to make my own jewelry when I realized my taste in jewelry wasn’t easy to find or was way too expensive for my high school wallet.

I purchased a jewelry making kit and slowly started adding pieces to my collection over the course of a couple weeks.

Most pieces I put into my collection wouldn’t normally be seen in a department store, and these pieces include my own per-

sonal interest.

When people ask me to make pieces for them I don’t have pieces made ready to sell.

Whatever they want, I make for them.

When I see people wearing my pieces, it makes me feel good about my work.

In the future I still see myself making pieces for myself and hopefully seeing a lot more people wearing things I made.”

“I got started back in 2016 when I first got introduced to painting clothes.

I really wanted to represent where I came from, but in a positive way to show people there are other ways to make it in life.

I used to sell my products, but now I’m just doing it for fun.

Eventually I’ll sell everything I make.

I love making my clothes because I get that sense of pride that I’m the only person in the world with this Eastwood shirt on.

I put a lot of thought and time into my clothes so I am very proud when everything goes well. I want to be better than everybody. I feel like Eastwood can be big in the fashion world.”

Multi-genre playlist Songs that appeal to all different music tastes around Martin Will Jeffrey • Reporter

Music has many uses. It’s used in movies, social events, to pass time, etc. I made a compilation of songs suitable for listeners of many different tastes. The rating goes from 1 as the lowest to 10 as the highest.

“Everytime” by Boy Pablo Reminiscent of Mac Demarco, this song is a perfect summertime jam and has been receiving some decent attention. With a great chorus and a catchy hook, this song is gold, and I give it a 10.

“Compromised” by Tim Atlas While pretty unknown, this song is very smooth and laid-back.

The guitar, keys, and drums really provide an enjoyable sound for all listeners. I give it a 10.

“Resonance” by Home This song has something about it that just makes you feel really nostalgic. With its wavy chords and excellent production, I give it a 9.

“Am I Wrong” by Anderson Paak This 80s dance inspired song is reminiscent of Mac Miller’s 2016 “Dang!” It’s very diverse in sound and just an all around great song.

I give it an 8.

“On the Level” by Mac Demarco This song is an excellent one. The keys and 90s-like video game synths really make it stand out. It’s not a super popular song, but it definitely is a good one. I give it a 7.

“Black Snake Root” by MF Doom This song is a sample from Boz Scaggs’s “Lowdown” and runs throughout the entire song. While very repetitive, something about it makes it enjoyable. I give it a 9.

“Another Life” by D’Angelo This soul-infused song sounds like something out of the 80s or 90s, yet it came out just a few years ago in 2014. It’s very smooth and enjoyable to the listener. I give it a 6.

“In Your Eyes” by BadBadNotGood & Charlotte Day Wilson This smooth summer song is one that is pretty unknown but is very well done. The vocals, keys, orchestra, and guitar all blend together, creating a great listening experience for any occasion. I give it a 9.

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opinions

Dear bullet journal,

Sophomore Megan Harris describes her journaling process “I’ve always been a person who writes

everything down.”

“I have a dozen of journals on my shelf that are half empty with notes, homework assignments, and random doodles.

I started bullet journaling because I wanted a place that I could write everything in, but still keep it organized and helpful. I probably first heard of bullet journaling in a YouTube video on my home page or an Instagram video on my explore

page.

Getting started was really exciting just like any empty journal is for me, but having a bullet journal is different because it’s completely blank, leaving limitless opportunities for whatever I wanted. Starting a bullet journal takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works for you and your schedule/needs.

If I don’t write something down, I will definitely forget it.

Having a journal where I can write down my assignments, extracurricular activities, important dates, keep track of my habits, makes lists, etc. helps me stay organized, but it also became a creative outlet for

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me. I have drawings, watercolor, quotes, and pictures scattered throughout my journal for inspiration or just purely for the aesthetic.

I was kind of bad at organization before I started keeping a bullet journal, but my bullet journal keeps everything in one place instead of crumpled on random papers or across multiple journals. I can write out timelines for assignments and keep track of all of the things I have going on, so that helps with procrastination, too.

Sometimes the perfectionist in me keeps me from staying productive because I’ll spend more time making the journal itself look perfect instead of spending time doing what I need to get done.

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Photo courtesy of Megan Harris

My favorite pages are probably my weekly spreads because I use them the most. I can change them each week depending on how busy I’ll be, what I want to keep track of, and how much time I have to set it up. If something works for me consistently, that will usually become part of my journal routine. I also have some quotes and artwork that breakup the pages that I like a lot because they keep it from looking too busy with so many words and give me some inspiration.”

WP

the warrior post

Curt Leland Editor-In-Chief

Elizabeth Prickett & Sofia Viscuso Copy Editors Elena Regalado News Editor Olivia Dague & Lauren Worth Features Editors Chloe Christenson & Nikk Hernandez Sports Editors Caitlin Harwell Entertainment Editor Faith Smith & Haleigh Trevino Opinions Editors Brooklin Bruno Online/video Editor Ashley Byrd Design Editor

Community college is cool

Stop looking down on students who choose to go local “TCC here I come!” is a phrase most high school students have heard, if not murmured themselves.

The phrase is often used when students fail a test, or are on the edge of failing a class. It implies the student will not make it to a university and instead will resort to community college for a higher education. For some, they are embarrassed to say they are going to TCC, or a different community college after high school, due to the stigma around community colleges.

Community college is a smarter choice for students for a vast amount of reasons. Big Universities can cost upward to $70k a year, depending on whether the student stays in or

Social media impact is more than likes and retweets

Tricia Regalado Adviser

The Warrior Post is the official publication of Martin High School. Opinion columns don’t necessarily represent the opinion of The Warrior Post or of Martin High School.

expensive.

In the end, a degree is a degree; it does not matter in most job positions if the applicant graduated from Tarrant County College or Texas Christian University. What really matters is the applicant’s work ethic.

While some students may dream of going to a Big 12 or SEC school, others are perfectly happy going to their local community college. The stigma surrounding these decisions should stop. Support our peers as they make decisions for furthering their education.

Whatever pathway a student takes is one that is best for their future, not anyone else’s.

We should use our platforms

Zane Stewart Photo Editor

Marlene Roddy Principal Staffers: Emma Beard, Sara Blain, Sydney Decanio, Alyssa Deluna, Rama, Ensor, Madison Everett, William Jeffery, Katie Kohutek, Saber Lamb, Morgan Lloyd, Rayn Martin, Cameron Mayes, Megan Mitchell, Meridith Moore, Ashley Odom, Sydney Pugh, Annika Reeves, Rylee Richardson, Marleigh Richey, Wendi Rivera, Humberto Rodriguez, Nicole Salas, Michael Sandoval, Shelby Simmel, Savannah Thompson, Aivrey Zaiger

university which [STAFF editorial] the are often extremely

out of state.

While some are lucky enough to be able to afford this, others would be in debt the rest of their lives trying to pay off this large sum of money.

Another reason community colleges are a wise choice for some students, is the ability to live at home while going to school and maintain a job.

Community colleges are more flexible with schedules which gives the opportunity for students to maintain a full-time job, or take up other hobbies or interests in their spare time.

Community colleges are often close to home as well, saving students the expense of dorm rooms or apartments near

Elizabeth Prickett • Copy Editor In our modern life, everything we do is becoming more and more connected on a global scale. There are platforms where people can express views and experiences, making us all more educated and interconnected, but only if we take advantage of it.

Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube are giving us insight into lives far from our own. I have seen Palestinians giving advice to Ferguson protestors on Twitter

on how to remedy the effects of tear gas. Executives in Silicon Valley have shown Venezuelans on YouTube how to use BitCoins to bypass government currency manipulation in their crashing infrastructure.

There are people all over the world who are capitalizing on the platforms that have erupted over the years to raise awareness and share knowledge so that we can grow and develop as a global society. I know that I have personally not been able to take full advantage of this outlet we have been given and I feel that should change, even incrementally.

These platforms give people a power that I feel needs to be capitalized more often. It is a fantastic gift that social media has given us, to be able to learn about the identities of others and how they were formed through their culture or

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experience in a region that we may never tread. It gives people in nations where times are rough an outreach, touching hearts and minds of anyone who is willing to scroll and tap.

I wish I saw more of this conversation in the real world.

We can be making greater connections with others that benefit our society as a whole by working on the individuals.

I urge people to use their social media for more than watching cat videos. They are platforms that can be used for change and understanding now and in the future.

We just have to be open and willing to learn more, accepting that the world is bigger than our phones. With these technological advances it becomes easier to be a part of our greater identity as human beings, no matter how far the distance may be.

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Arlington(ISD) exchange What happens when you send a Colt to Martin and a Warrior to Arlington?

Megan Mitchell • Reporter

On paper, Emma Ruby and I could be the same person – we’re both Dallas Stars fans, we only order the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich from Whata, have an undying, inexplicable love for The Great Gatsby, our first real ex-boyfriend is the same person, and we both joined marching band to get our PE credit and quit immediately after sophomore year.

However, due to the boundaries in which our parents purchased houses, Emma attends Arlington High School and I attend

Martin.

Why does an imaginary line running throughout the city make us natural born enemies come football season? What is so fundamentally different about the cultures of the two schools that would cause such a rift between us?

I attended Arlington High for a day, taking Emma’s classes, and she attended Martin, taking my classes for a day to observe the differences in culture between the two that may cause such a difference.

My impressions of Arlington High While I understand that only one day in the life of an AHS student could never fully portray the culture of the school, Arlington High, as a whole, felt more relaxed.

Students who are in the top of their class carried blankets around, I didn’t see a single girl wearing a skirt the entire day, and students were able to talk to their teachers as equals during class discussions. I felt as if I had stepped into a miniature college campus.

They’re allowed to paint their parking spots any color they want, almost every single classroom has at least one window, I only attended Martin for a day, so I can’t claim to have a genuine understanding of the true, nitty gritty workings of the school. However, there was one thought that plagued my mind throughout my entire eight hours spent as a red and black warrior: this school feels like High School Musical.

Walking in the hallways during passing periods, I almost expected the insanely huge student body crowded around me to break into spontaneous song.

It seemed very preppy in the way schools in all movies are.

I immediately knew that Mar-

and they have to walk from building to building through the courtyard to get to different classes.

Emma is enrolled in the IB program, which is essentially the liberal arts equivalent of STEM Academy. There are around 30 seniors in IB, which means class sizes max out around 15 people. Everyone is extremely comfortable with each other because it’s at least the second year they’ve had all eight of their classes together.

IB English was a nightmare come true for anyone afraid of public speaking. Instead of taking a long, written test at the

end of the school year to get college credit for the course like an AP class, IB students have multiple different tasks they must complete in order to get their diploma. Along with writing multiple analysis essays, students must have a one-on-one interview with their teacher in front of the whole class where they answer questions and analyze poems that they read throughout the year.

Another big difference is that at Arlington they have something called “Plus-period,” a 30-minute study hall period before lunch that no one seems to like (mostly because it took

time off of everyone’s lunch).

Students rotate through each of their classes throughout the week for the study hall period.

Sophomores through seniors have plus period while freshman have their own lunch in the cafeteria. No students are allowed to eat in the hallways or anywhere that isn’t the cafeteria.

Arlington, as a whole, felt more relaxed. It was a place where I could learn and feel completely unjudged from my peers. It felt like a miniature college campus with less pressure and more focus on actually learning what was being taught, not just making a good grade.

Emma’s impressions of Martin tin was going to be different from AHS when Megan told me she shows up to school at 7 a.m. While I usually roll up to school at 7:28 clad in joggers and whatever shirt I slept in before sprinting to my first period class, the student body of Martin seems to bypass this early morning stress by actually showing up to school on time.

Driving up, there were pods of students chatting in the parking lot, and even more in the hallways and various classrooms.

The theater kids sat in the theater room, utterly unrushed in their lounging as school still

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had 15 minutes until the bell.

I also was grateful for my last-minute decision to straighten my hair, as everyone at Martin seems to take more pride in their appearance than the majority of AHS’s student body (circle back to my usual joggers and pajama shirts).

However, when it came to classes, Martin and AHS seemed to be one in the same.

Both schools quickly got down to business when it came to class time, and both sets of teachers that I sat through obviously cared about their students and the subjects they taught.

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It seemed to me that while the cultures of the schools differed in the hallways, a classroom is a classroom.

Martin also has a much longer lunch than AHS. The long, relaxed lunchtime was a much-needed break from class, and something that I hadn’t realized I miss a lot.

All in all, I’m glad I went to Martin for a day. It was an enlightening experience where I realized that there aren’t really that many differences between our schools. At the end of the day, we are all just a bunch of students trying to learn.

Writing vs. the world

How writing helps me cope with my everyday struggles

Ashley Byrd • Designer Inside the locked doors, my heart is pounding, my hands are sweating, my nerves are rattling. I’m at a complete loss of words. I just can’t say it. I don’t know how to say it. My insides are screaming to get out of this place.

My counselor stares at me with a slightly worried smile.

Noticing no words are coming out of my mouth, a blank expression appears on her face as she proceeds to say, “Could you possibly write down a few words that might describe what’s going through your head right now?”

Having gone through many obstacles in life, I’ve always resorted to writing. Writing has been a coping strategy for me over the years and has become a big part of how I express myself.

My family being split apart because of divorce is by far one of the hardest situations I’ve ever been exposed to, and I have faced it four times now in my 17 years of life. Growing up divided among two homes, I’ve always felt like I didn’t belong to a single family – almost like I belonged to two, but never feeling at home at either.

Most of the complications having a split home brings have been with me ever since I was four years old and have not

changed since the day those court papers were signed. It began to have different effects on me at different stages in my life.

A lot of times, I let my thoughts consume my brain and I begin to feel broken in the midst of confusion, loneliness, and guilt.

This often happens when I sit and compare my friends’ families to my own, since mine isn’t necessarily society’s definition of “perfect.” Or I start to blame myself for my parents’ decisions.

Because of how difficult this has been for me, my parents have reached out to help me find coping strategies to deal with all of the emotions and hardships that come along with divorce. I’ve attempted a myriad of solutions to make this work, but there’s only been one strategy that has actually had any lasting effect on my progress of healing from all the overwhelming feelings I experience.

I began taking an interest in writing my seventh grade year in English class.

I was assigned to write a poem about anything I wanted, but it had to follow a specific format.

It came so easily for me and I felt like I grasped the concept of poetry so well compared to everything else I was asked to do in school.

After that, I fell in love with the way poems sounded, how they expressed what I was thinking and what I was feeling. I loved the way the words would escape my brain, flow through my blood, and then come to life on the paper.

At first I wrote because it was fun and I thought it was really cool, but when I started high school, that all changed.

I began going to counseling for some issues in my life regarding divorce, depression, and anxiety. My counselor very quickly picked up on the fact that I struggled to express any of my problems and feelings through my words and began telling me to write down my emotions. Soon she had me writing down basically all of my thoughts.

I have a tendency, just like some teenagers struggling emotionally, to bottle up all my feelings and pretend they don’t exist so I don’t have to deal with them. That worked for me for years but unfortunately, I had reached the point where the bottle was just too full and I knew something about the way I handled my issues needed to change.

The overwhelming feelings would build up and eventually start to distort my views on not only my family, but myself as well. Now, I get out my journal that I attempt to keep all my work in and simply write down what I’m thinking.

As soon as the words hit the paper, it’s almost as if I’m creating an easy getaway for those feelings to exit my head.

I sit, take a deep breath, and let my right hand take off.

My thoughts begin to smoothly roll out onto the paper. I’m finally able to clearly understand my own emotions once they’re molded into some type of text.

I’ve written a few short stories – basically just quick narratives explaining what’s going on in my life at that specific moment, but I mostly write poems because they come more naturally for me. Typically I like to write all of my work in my journal,

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but sometimes I just don’t have it on me when I need it.

Every once in a while I will get so overwhelmed at school that it’s physically impossible for me to focus on anything but the thoughts screaming in my head to get out. When this happens I have to give myself a quick break and just pull out some scratch paper then write it all out.

I find it most effective to do my writing in a quiet and secluded environment so I can focus on truly finding the root of my problem, digging it out, then writing it down.

A lot of people do their best work while outside, experiencing nature and getting inspiration from what’s around them; however, that’s one point where I differ from most. I prefer being alone in my room or somewhere else closed off in my house because it gives me a sense of familiarity and safety.

Some people enjoy talking, venting, and explaining their afflictions and what’s going on in their head to others, which is completely normal. That is something that doesn’t work for me personally.

It’s exceptionally challenging for me to comprehend the idea of directly talking about what I’m struggling with and the thoughts that cloud my brain.

Without learning how to open up and express my emotions through writing, I wouldn’t be able to function on an everyday basis with 17 years worth of feelings and stress built up.

There’s no right or wrong way to express feelings but writing is my own way of communicating and the only way I know how to face the issues in my life and heal from them as well.

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Let them read books

Students should have a say in what they read

Olivia Dague • Features Editor

E

ver since I learned the alphabet, I pretty much read everything I could get my hands on. I remember in kindergarten, my teachers would find different activities for me to participate in because I was achieving reading levels that were much higher than the other kids in my class.

In elementary school, I read all the Bluebonnet books and tore through series like the Magic Tree House and Judy Blume books. Later, I conquered Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

In junior high, I discovered young adult novels and authors like John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Veronica Roth. I loved to read.

Some time in high school though, something shifted. I was still reading, and my nose was still stuck in a book, but a vastly different kind. Textbooks, packets and “classic” literature. Nothing I chose, nothing I wanted to read, and nothing that vaguely piqued my interest.

I remember reading ancient literature like Greek mythology and Shakespeare that weren’t even written in my great-great grandparent’s lifetime.

Now, I understand that we need to read and understand some aspects of early literature, but so much of it is shoved

down our throats that we can’t even grasp its true meaning.

We annotate and dissect words and phrases so much that any enjoyment that the author may have originally intended is lost.

And then are these so-called classics that the teachers make us read. These outdated novels are the same books our parents read, and the stories were old even back then.

Old books shouldn’t have to be classics, and classic books don’t have to be old to be good literature. Most of these classics are written by old white guys, with a few great exceptions of novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Poisonwood Bible.

Great literature tells many perspectives, so there are plenty of books that were written in the last few decades that are great and still contain the literary devices and figurative language that teachers want us to read for educational value.

When I read things that are interesting or relevant to me, I find reading much more enjoyable. But I also understand that not everyone has the same interests.

That’s why I’m proposing that teachers allow students to read books that they can choose for themselves, with the proper guidelines of course. Teachers should encourage students to read books for pleasure and give them time to do so, whether in class or otherwise.

Teachers could also give a reading list of twenty or so books that kids could choose from, including a variety of genres with a common theme or a variety of topics with similar genres, depending on what the lesson would need to revolve around.

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If the array of novels were chosen by teachers, they would most likely contain the right vocabulary, reading level, and literary devices and figures that all good books need, but also give kids a say in what they’re reading.

So let us read poetry, fantasy, and young adult novels. Let us read science fiction and romance. Let us read a book

that was written in this decade, or heck, in this century. Let us read about topics we’re interested in, current events, and the stories that inspire us.

Let us read about the human race and the world we’re living in, how we’re changing the world, and how the world is changing us.

Let us read what we want to read.

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