March 2013 Warrior Post

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Warrior Post

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Chamber Singers shine at national ACDA convention

Inside?

Cho r lympics

Issue No. 4 25 March 2013 Martin High School

Cinderella Martin Girls volunteer with the Boys and Girls Clubs

TheSkinny Truth How body image led a senior to an eating disorder

Mr. MHS Recap

Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

Chamber Singers performed at a public concert March 5 at Trinity United Methodist Church. Martin choir received a standing ovation at the ACDA conference and were praised by members and attendees for their talent and showmanship. Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

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Emma Bruce • Designer

can’t think of another way to describe it besides calling it the Olympics of choir,” choir director Kay Owens said. “This is a huge deal for us.”

March 13 and 14, the Chamber Singers, a select group of 36 choir students, sang at the national ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) convention in Dallas. Approximately 5,000 choral directors attended the convention from across the globe. With such a knowledgeable audience, the pressure was on to put on an unforgettable performance, and that takes a lot of practice.

“On top of double blocking, we had 90-minute rehearsals every Thursday night,” assistant choir director Betsy Clark said. “Sometimes we had clinicians come to these rehearsals to give us some feedback.”

While getting ready for the performance takes months of preparation and practice, being chosen to perform at the convention takes just as much hard work.

“To be chosen to perform, you have to send in recordings from three consecutive years of choirs,” Owens said. “The recordings are sent to a committee and then the groups are chosen. Martin was one of the seven high school choirs in the entire country asked to perform.”

A high school choir being asked to perform at the ACDA convention is rare. Not only is it rare that the Chamber Singers were selected, but also that the Arlington High School Men’s choir was selected to perform as well. This puts a spotlight on the school district.

“Two choirs coming from the same district really says something about the music departments in that district,” Owens said.

“Our music departments are severely lacking in funding. I’m hoping that because of us the school board sees the talent in the music programs of our district and understands the importance of our funding.”

Both the Chamber Singers and the Arlington High School Men’s choir sang at the school board meeting March 7. Al-

though the Chamber Singers are in the minority as one of the few high school choirs performing, the directors want the choir to stand out in their performance even more.

“I’ve selected the music not only based on what I know the choir will do well, but also by what I know will stand out,” Owens said. “I want our program to take the audience on a journey.”

The choir’s performance ranges from an Indian raga to a comedic version of Old McDonald in Latin. While the choir has been hard at work, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Chamber Singers received a standing ovation on both performances. The applause rang out long after the choir had left the stage.

“It’s a great feeling having months of hard work pay off,” senior Michael Bailey.

“Words can’t describe the feeling of getting such a fantastic response.

“This performance is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and is such an honor,” senior Nikki Weaver said.

What you may have missed...

Keep current with these events and happenings from around the school On Feb. 6, National Signing Day, 17 Warrior athletes went to the Arlington Professional Development Center to sign with colleges. Each went into a room with their high school coach and signed their letters of intent. Photo courtesy of Jamie Gisburne

After raising $15,000 through Martin’s Lip Dub and donations, Video Production students presented the check to M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Feb. 21. Photo by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

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Seniors Reid Runion and Parker Gerro are among the Martin fans who supported the boys varsity basketball team during their fourth round of playoffs. The team earned the title of Regional Finalists. Photo by Jarred Osterman

u pThe Harlem shake took the world

by storm this month. With thousands of videos uploaded on YouTube some Martin students joined in on the new craze Feb. 18. and uploaded an unofficial Martin High School Harlem Shake video. Photo by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

uTuskegee Airman Claude Platte

spoke to history teacher Theresa Jarrett’s classes in honor of Black History Month. Tuskgee Airmen were African American pilots during WWII. They played a significant role during the war. Photo by Britney Henneman

pBlack History Month was celebrated on Feb. 26

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in the Martin auditorium. The step team and other students gathered and performed along with guest speakers to celebrate the month. Photo by Brenda Chavez-Mayo For video of the celebration, scan this QR code:

Conceptions s s i M Candidates of the Cinderella Charity Ball talk about what it’s really about

Lizzie Kirkham & Emily Zerr • Staffers

“To inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” -Mission statement of the Boys and Girls Club Out of 20 girls total, six have the opportunity to represent Martin at the Cinderella Charity Ball March 30. The Cinderella Ball is a charity event that raises money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Arlington. The Boys and Girls Clubs offer after-school care for underprivileged children, and is all volunteer based.

The girls involved raise money by sending letters to different companies, family and friends asking for donations. The candidates have three months to raise all of their money.

“The first thing you do after you get your acceptance letter is get your dress,” junior Haley Boylan said. “Then you start working on your letters and asking for donations.”

Another part that people don’t often hear about as much is the actual Boys and Girls Club aspect of the charity. There are four branches and 13 school site locations in

Arlington and volunteering is highly recommended in Cinderella. They don’t get any extra points or bonuses for volunteering. They do it to make a difference.

“When I walked in the main room, there was this little boy who seemed really shy but had this big grin on his face,” Boylan said. “He gave us a tour and took us to the snack room where all the other kids looked up and smiled at us. It was so heartwarming.”

When the Cinderella candidates volunteer, they mostly play with kids and help them with homework.

Mondays through Thursdays, they have a set time where the kids learn different things like the states or important dates, and they do their homework. Fridays are game days and they play and have sports.

“One day there was the sentence, ‘I ain’t got no money’ written on the board, and the teacher asked the kids, ‘What’s wrong with this sentence?’” junior Emily Eichenauer said. “And this one little boy raised his hand and said, ‘I ain’t HAVE no money.’”

The kids go to the Club after school and stay there until their parents are home. In

Who’s Morpheus?

some cases, if the kids didn’t eat dinner at the Club they probably wouldn’t eat dinner at all. The Boys and Girls Clubs are giving children the opportunity to grow up with a stable childhood.

“The kids struggle with things that I could never imagine,” junior Sydney Cerza said. “But they’re so inspiring by how happy they are.”

The Cinderella Charity Martin Cinderella candidates: juniors Emily Ball started 53 years ago, Eichenhauer, Erin Hibbs, Hannah Baumgartner, and they’ve raised over Susannah Metzger, Haley Boylan and Sydney $7,300,000 total over the Cerza. Photo by Lizzie Kirkham years. Last year was record work.” breaking in money raised, The Cinderella Ball is March 30 at the with over $461,800 going to the Boys Arlington Convention Center. Money will and Girls Clubs. Among other things, the be raised, dinner will be served, and a winmoney raised contributes to the snacks and ner will be crowned Miss Cinderella. dinners that the kids eat at the club. Last If you want to donate, contact one of year with all the extra money, every branch these six Warriors or online at: cinderelwas able to buy a pool table. lacharityball.com/donate.htm “They’re the best little kids in the world,” “Volunteering is definitely something Eichenauer said. “Boys and Girls Clubs I want to keep doing,” Cerza said. “It’s gives them that push they need, because helped change my perspective on what some of the kids don’t have parents who Cinderella is really about.” will encourage them to do their home-

Student tells about his mission to be unique Jennifer Forsberg • Entertainment Editor “Sometimes people think I’m a stalker or a creeper because I always wear my trench coat, but I just like hanging with my friends and making jokes like everyone else,” junior Akin-Kamal Gibbs said.

When Gibbs walks around school with his boombox and roller skates, all the students and teachers see is the huge trench coat he often wears. They can’t see that he is just trying to make everyone’s day a little brighter.

“He is always really cheery and jokes around,” senior Cody Harden said. “He tries to keep everyone positive.”

“Sometimes people don’t take the time to talk to him, but if they did they could see that he is really a nice guy.”

Gibbs said he doesn’t mind being different, in fact he hope he is seen as “original” instead of just “crazy.” He often just wakes up with a crazy idea in his head, then he just goes with it for the rest of the day.

“I would say I’m strange, very strange,” Gibbs said. “I don’t do the normal thing, I do what other people don’t think to do.”

After high school Gibbs plans to go to ITT Technical Institute and get a mechanical engineering degree.

Photo by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

Gibbs met some friends in junior high who showed him that it is okay to be different.

“There are not a lot of people who do what they want to do,” Gibbs said. “I would tell someone who follows the crowd to be themselves instead of trying to be someone else’s shadow.”

Gibbs said he strives to be different everyday. He does things from walking on stilts to bringing a radio to school. Because of his trench coat, his peers associate him with the movie The Matrix, and call him Morpheus. Even when people push him

down and judge him, he just gets back up again and continues to be himself.

“Last year on Valentines Day I lined my trench coat with teddy bears for people to buy,” Gibbs said. “It worked until someone jacked my teddy bears.”

“I think sometimes he’s misunderstood,” English Teacher Jennifer Rothwell said.

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Bei Martin... Deutsch Macht

German class has an uncertain future at Martin Justin Reichardt • Staffer

To combat declining enrollment, the German department teacher and students have come up with ideas to promote German enrollment this year from the posters around the halls, communicating with the junior high schools, and students wearing German club t-shirts covered in QR codes.

German class has not only taught the students the language, but has immersed them in the culture, from the celebration of national holidays, like German Unity Day, to the learning of German habits, such as eating ice cream in the theater.

“We have Saint Nikolaus Day,” freshman Kyle Desrosiers said. “We put our shoes outside along the wall, because it is a German tradition, and if you are good, Nikolaus puts candy in your shoe, but if you are bad Knecht Ruprecht comes with a switch and swats you.”

German and English are the only two Germanic languages left in the world, giving them similar words and grammar such as milk and Milch, fish and Fisch.

“Enrollment is a question every year, when I first came to Martin,” German teacher Andrea Bonner said. “That was 1998. There were three full- time German teachers and I taught six classes of Level One German students, Mrs. Mills taught six classes of Level Two and Mrs. Ogden taught Level Three and Level Four and enrollment wasn’t a problem. Numbers have now dwindled to where I am the only one left. If they dwindle any more, not only will I teach all five of the levels, but I will have to teach English as well. I would love for German enrollment to increase.”

Bonner and the students of German class believe the “it’s too hard” stereotype against German, to be the main reason behind why classes are shrinking.

“Kids think German is going to be too hard, or they have that whole World War Two background stuck in their heads, or parents keep telling their kids to take Spanish because they live in Texas,” junior Bria Bradford said. “They just don’t understand.

Mrs. Bonner makes German class different from all the other languages because she is

Drumline “Wolfpack” makes music throughout the winter season Ashleigh Jones• Designer

Winter Drumline is an indoor musical production managed by the North Texas Colorguard Association (NTCA) and produced by our own Warrior Drumline. Winter Drumline consists of 28 total members: five bass drums, four quads, 14 “pit” members and six snares.

“I love getting to perform more, and not just during football season,” band president and bass captain senior Conner Beene said.

“We have more body movement to create a theatrical aspect to show the art of percussion,” Director and Administrator Dustin Shulze said.

The last time Winter Drumline was organized was in 2003. Martin has waited this long to perform again because the percussion productions were small and did not have enough competition.

All the members have to pay $200 to provide for the uniforms, tarps and props. They must produce all of the elements a normal football game halftime show would have

Lemin Welding Inc.

but, they do not have the band to perform with.

Each section of drumline has a captain.

Beene is Bass captain and Band President, senior Armando Chapa is Snare Captain and Drumline Co-Captain, senior Lauren Kiddy is “Pit” (front ensemble) Captain Drumline Co-Captain, and junior Nathan Rearick is Quad Captain. They all put their best foot forward and try to make this one of the most successful things they have done as a “drumline family.”

“I love taking on a leadership role and putting on an amazing show,” Chapa said.

They produce four separate shows throughout second semester. In February, Winter Drumline won first place in their division and second over all.

“I love my section,” Rearick said. “I would die for them.”

The group practices every B-day during eighth period and four hours after school once or twice a week.

“At the end of the day we are all one family,” Kiddy said.

“We have more body movement to create a theatrical aspect to show the art of percussion.”

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just amazing, but it also isn’t super easy or super hard. It is somewhere in the middle.”

With there being so few classes, the students you start off with in Level One will be the same ones you will be with German class students disscuss a presentation. from one year to the next. The German department is facing declining “German class is a place enrollment. “I think just the interactive aspect of to come together and talk the class makes it a fun class,” teacher Andrea to people with varying Bonner said. Photo by Lizzie Kirkham interest in German,” senior William Kirton said. “In this class I people refuse to believe that German isn’t made a bunch of friends. I have made more hard. So that’s our number-one problem, friends in that class than any other.” overcoming that stereotype.”

Martin has six Spanish teachers teachTexas has a very Germanic background. ing 32 classes, four American Sign Lan- There are now many German cities guage teachers teaching 24 classes, and two throughout Texas such as Muenster, New French teachers, teaching 12 classes. There Braunfels and Fredericksburg. is one German teacher, with six classes.

“German class doesn’t really relate to “Every year at Future Fish Night, I tell any other class in Martin,” senior William kids English is a Germanic language, we Kirton said “I mean it’s a language class but have more in common with German than it’s just unique. I think it’s the best class in any other language,” Bonner said. “But all of Martin.”

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PO Box 151368 Arlington Texas 76015 DON LEMIN

President/C.O.O

817-504-0453-CELL 817-496-3314-FAX Leminwelding@hotmail.com

“SUCCESS is not through us, It is IN US”

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Freshman

Saleem Abu-Ahmed

to

We found the first and last person in each grade level’s alphabet to find out who they were and what sets them apart from the rest of the alphabet.

Kaitlyn Rosenbaum & Madeline Rusin • Staffers Photos by Chandler Harrell & Karsen Cinquepalmi

Sophomores

Emma Abbott

Favorite food? Doritos Favorite color? Green What are your hobbies? Drawing, debating, and physhcology.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? In Seattle.

If you could have any pet, what would it be? A dog What’s the best part about where your name is?

Being able to sit in the front and stay focused.

Favorite food? Tacos Favorite color? Black If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Mexico, because it is dangerous, more action and more stuff to do.

What do you want to do once you graduate high school? Go to college and be a cop.

What’s the best or worst part about where your name is? There is nothing wrong with where it is.

What are your hobbies? Baseball, Football, ROTC. I play violin, cello, piano and guitar

Armaan Zirakchi

Hope Zuckerbrow

What do you want to do after graduation? I would love to go to Julliard, then Broadway, and be a singer.

Favorite color? Red If you could live anywhere, where would it be? New York City Whats the best part about where your name is alphabetically? The best would be that I will get the loudest applause at graduation.

Z

What is your favorite food? Tamales What are your hobbies? Working on cars What do you want to do after graduation? Get into Engineering If you could have any pet, what would it be? A snake.

part

Seniors

Juniors

Ranking Adame-Greene

Kyle Aaron

Favorite food? Chinese If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Brazil Favorite Color? Red If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?

A cheetah After graduation, what do you want to do? Go to college Hobbies? Playing basketball

What is your favorite food? Pizza If you could live anywhere, where would it be? New York City Favorite color? Blue If you could have any animal, what would it be? A Darwin fox What do you want to do after graduation? Go to college at UTA What’s the worst part about where your name is? I’m always the first person, which makes me most responsible for the people behind me.

Hobbies? Playing the cello.

Emily Zerr

If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Northern California. It’s so beautiful and the weather is great.

Hobbies? I’m involved in my church youth group and the band there. Tumblr too.

Best part about being where you are alphabetically? It’s really great when you have to present a project, so you can see how bad everybody else’s is. And I will be the last one at Graduation.

Favorite Food? I really like guacamole If you could have any pet, what would it be? My cat Peaches. I don’t need anything else.

Song Zhang

Favorite food? Rice If you could live anywhere, where would it be? My hometown, in China. I’ve only lived in the U.S. for about two years.

Favorite color? Blue If you could have any pet, what would you want? A dog What do you want to do after graduation? Go to school and maybe be a doctor Hobbies? I’m still learning, but I like to play the Xbox.

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features

How would you feel if you had to be coached by your older brother or if you had to coach your younger brother?

For the Odom brothers, that’s an everyday thing.

by Oscar Araujo • Online Editor-In-Chief & Photo illustration by Chandler Harrell • Photo Editor What position did you play during your senior year?

My senior year I played mostly quarter back, very little offense, inside receiver and running back.

What university did you play for and why?

I played football at Baylor University because when I stepped on campus, I just knew.

Why did you choose to coach at Martin?

I chose to coach at Martin because I have the utmost respect for Coach Wager and the whole coaching staff. They changed my life during my senior year and created an opportunity for me to play college football.

How is it coaching your brother?

It was very interesting because we weren’t used to each other. We are two different people. I wanted him to be good. Chris thought I was being a mean older brother, but I saw his potential and I wanted to ensure that it came out.

Has your relationship with your brother changed?

We are a lot closer than we were. We had to argue, struggle, and feel each other out but I know he has the utmost respect for me, as I do for him. I was more proud to see Chris sign his letter to play at Arkansas State than I was of my own to play at Baylor because I know how hard he has worked.

All in the family

Football and Track Coach Clifton Odom

Senior Chris Odom

What position do you play?

I’m a defensive end.

Where are you going to play football for and why?

I signed to play football at Arkansas State University because I liked the campus, the players, and the coaching staff. Jonesboro is a great place to be and the players I met were cool. I believe I’ll be in good hands up there.

Do you plan to coach football after college?

I want to be involved in sports in some way after college, but I don’t specifically know how right now.

How is it being coached by your brother?

At first it was hard to get used to because sometimes it was difficult for me to accept the fact that he was my coach. It was hard listening to him and doing what he told me to do. But now I believe it was good that he was around because he went through the process and he knew what it took to be great and pushed me to turn me into a great football player.

How has it changed your relationship with your brother?

Him being my coach has really brought us closer together.

I thought it was going to be a negative thing, but this was good for me and it has built a better, stronger relationship.

Girl members of Fire Academy excel in leadership positions Abby Bishop • News Editor The stereotype of a firefighter is generally a strong, tall male. Two girls at Martin don’t fit that stereotype, and they have proved themselves to be very capable of being in the Fire Academy.

Every student who wants to be in the Fire Academy has to fill out an application, write an essay, complete a physical examination and be interviewed their sophomore year.

Needless to say, all of the students in the program are the cream-of-the-crop. Juniors Jessica Pruneda and Destiny JonesStewart are two of the six girls at the Fire Academy (and the only two girls from Martin), and they stand eye-to-eye with the guys in the program.

“We definitely don’t get special treatment,” Jones-Stewart said. “We are expected to be capable of achieving just as

the tools they have been learning in class.

“I decided to take the course because you do different things everyday,” Pruneda said.

“You don’t just sit behind a desk.”

All of the students in the Fire Academy go through confidence courses where they are tested in completely dark and confined spaces.

They learn how to rappel for technical rescue and also use power tools like a bullet-chain saw to cut through concrete. In the summer these juniors start live burns where they are faced with the scorching flames that a firefighter has to become accustomed to.

“My favorite thing we’ve done has been rappelling off the top of the fire training building,” Jones-Stewart said. “I love heights, so when nearly everyone else was terrified, I was yelling, ‘I wanna go first!’”

During the summer, the current juniors

much as the guys can. Honestly, the guys may be stronger than the girls, but we can be a lot smarter, so it’s not like they have room to trash us.”

The girls are on the same team as the guys in the academy and Pruneda is even one of the captains.

There are two captains who are in charge of scheduling, making sure everything is in order, and caring for the whole team.

“If anyone has any problems, they can come to us,” Pruneda said.

Fire Academy isn’t your typical course for high school students. It isn’t all fun and games, though. The students still have to listen to lectures, read and take tests, but they also get to do hands-on stuff. They practice specific skill sets and work with

“The guys may be stronger than the girls, but we can be a lot smarter.”

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will spend 10 to 14 hours with the fire station that chose to work with them.

The students will go on ride outs with the firefighters to learn the Standard Operation Procedures (S.O.P.s), how to properly handle certain tools, and about station life.

“We will learn as much as possible while training with the fire fighters we plan on working with in the future,” Pruneda said.

“This program is a two-year job interview, which means that we all have to be on our best behavior during and outside of class,” Jones-Stewart said.

All of the students in the Fire Academy could be hired by Texas fire departments once they complete the program and get their EMT certification.

In two years, Pruneda and Jones-Stewart could be the ones who ride in the red firetruck and save someone’s life who was in the car accident down the street.

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1 2

Photo courtesy of Lauren Greb Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

Sundancer (2)

Competitive dancing (1) Students participate in various forms of dance in and outside of school Abby Bishop & Rachel Hodnett • News editors Martin offers dance classes and various dance teams, but students participate in many more forms of dance than the school provides. Whether it’s Show Choir, ballet, competitive dance or any other form, dance has become a dominant part of many student’s lives.

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The Sundancers represent Martin as the school’s drill team throughout the year.

They perform at football and basketball games and compete in drill team competitions. They practice before school and during first and fifth period every day. While most Sundancers don’t participate in other forms of dance outside of school, the team practices between 14 and 20 hours a week.

“I make time for my schoolwork,” sophomore Alyssa Rivas said. “I might not be able to be with friends or watch TV, but school is really important to me, too.”

Sundancers are seen during the halftime shows at football games. Their dance routines are a compilation of many different kinds of dance such as jazz, hip hop, lyrical, tap and military.

“Drill team is a very disciplined organization,” Rivas said. “The military dance style is based on precision and sharp lines, like in the military.”

The Sundancers practice every morning before school and then during first and fifth periods. They begin on the first day of school in order to prepare for football season.

“My favorite performance time is during football season,” Rivas said. “That’s when there is high energy and school spirit.”

Competitive dancing encompasses many different types of dances. They practice in various studios throughout the year and then attend and compete in multiple competitions nationwide, over the course of a few months in the spring. Senior Lauren Greb had wanted to dance since she was three. By age five she had begun classes and then had started competing by age six.

“I love it, and it’s what I want to do as a career,” Greb said. “I am working hard to get there.”

Like ballerinas, Greb has to allot many hours a week for dance. She has had to give up time with friends and time to study so that she has time to dance. She used to do many performances besides competitions, such as Mayfest, and small performances at nursing homes.

“Not having free time is the hardest part,” Greb said. Despite being a competitive dancer, she said she still respects other forms of dance.

“Ballerinas have it harder,” Greb said. “I also have a lot of respect for Show Choir because they sing and dance at the same time.”

Photo courtesy of Lori Craig

Show Choir (3)

You may have seen senior Zack Paslay dance and sing at various events throughout the year with Show Choir. Show Choir is a group within the choir program that performs at events like teacher luncheons, concerts, and the annual Holiday Tour.

Paslay is on Varsity Show Choir and is the dance captain for the guys. He is responsible for learning the dances and teaching it to the other members. He puts in hours outside of school and rehearsals to perfect the dance moves.

“It’s more about putting on a show rather than just dancing, because you also have to sing,” Paslay said.

The Show Choir rehearses every Monday night for an hour and a half. They also have some lunch rehearsals, and Paslay works with the girls’ dance captain, senior Hope Patchen, outside of these rehearsals. They have to give up some weekends to perform at various functions. During the holiday season, they miss school to perform at the feeder schools. They make more than 25 appearances during winter. Despite the long hours, Paslay said he enjoys it.

“I want to move to New York and perform as a career,” Paslay said. “So this helps me to build teamwork and stamina.”

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features

My best memory in high schoool is.......

Teachers remember their life lessons in high school and how it can relate to teenagers today Sarah Meo • Staffer

H

igh school is a crazy time for teenagers with the stress, drama and huge amounts of homework teachers give out. But we all had that one moment in high school that made an impact on us and will always remember for the rest of our lives. Most have had that one teacher who made us livid every time we were in their class. But what we don’t know is that the teachers went through the same things we are going through and know what it’s like.

“Motivated me to succeed”

“My favorite memory in high school was when I finally made all state band my senior year when I was 17,” assistant band director Adam Jatho said. “Winning a seat in the all-state band made me feel like one of the elite representatives of the school. It motivated me to succeed not only in my musical studies, but in all of my classes. I was not born a talented trumpet player like many of my friends.”

for their kids: you know they’re not perfect, but you don’t really settle for less than what they are capable of. You keep at it, you keep working, they still make mistakes, and you love them anyway.”

“Every person had to contribute”

“I went to a very small high school in rural Nebraska, so almost everyone in my high school participated in almost every extra curricular activity that was offered,” English teacher Rhonda Dunn said. “If we didn’t, there wouldn’t have been enough people to have a team to compete. My sophomore year a bunch of girls decided they wouldn’t go out for the basketball team because they didn’t like to run, didn’t like our coach, or just didn’t want to put in the time and effort. Our coach for basketball also coached the football team, so he came into the gym after football season and coached us like we were boys and yelled at us in the gym like we were out on the football field.”

“Every single person had to contribute – every single practice and every single game,” Dunn said. “I remember being physically and mentally exhausted. But our coach kept working with us, and working us hard. He was so hard on us, but had a sense of mercy. Kind of like a parents love

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“I owned up to it”

“On our way to Band Camp my junior year, we stopped for lunch at a McDonalds,” assistant band director Brad McCann said. “I was done eating early so my friend and got a football and threw it around the McDonalds parking lot. I threw an errant pass and it found itself going toward a truck. I thought it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Well, the ball ended up shattering the front windshield. When the directors came back to the buses, I owned up to it. Their response was, ‘Wow, I had no idea you had a cannon for an arm!’ It turned out that the truck belonged to a brand new band parent.”

“It’s okay to have to work hard.”

“We knew that Coach Woofter still be-

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lieved in us, even when we lost, and was willing to keep working us hard,” Dunn said. “Many students probably think they have the meanest teacher or coach in the world. I think a lot of students like to think that their teachers or coaches are mean just for the sake of being mean. I hope students will realize that it is more important to do the right thing than be liked by other people. It’s okay to be uncomfortable. It’s okay to have to work hard for something.

In fact, it’s better that way.”

“We can control how we deal with it”

“My father died when I was 15,” American Sign Language teacher Sharon Balthrop said. “Ultimately I learned that I can trust God no matter what happens.

Though it is hard to see and understand at times, He loves me and His plan is for my good. Even though we go through many difficult things in our lives we can deal with these things and get through it. Often we have no control what happens to us, but we can control how we deal with it.”

Morgue than he expected

Physics teacher says, “I can remove all the organs in your body in 20 minutes flat.”

Mandi Woods & Rachel Hanson • Staffers

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hysics teacher Nick Drouet attended UTA and majored in Biology and Forensics. After college he was an autopsy technician for two years for the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“Basically an average day, you show up and pick a folder. There are different colors for different types of cases,” Drouet said.

“My students tend to think I had a cleaver and an ax just chopping bodies up, but it’s much more technical than that.”

Every day Drouet would work six to eight cases with each autopsy taking about an hour. There was so much misfortune with each case, it was difficult to not get attached, he said.

“When I did my first autopsy on a baby, I said to myself, ‘I can’t do this,’ but once I dealt with a few more I realized it was just a corpse,” Drouet said. “I used humor to overcome getting attached.”

Not only did he cut people open, he had

to find the reason of death. Sometimes the families would get so involved that they would wait outside and they assumed everyone who walked out the door was an autopsy technician and pounced on them with questions.

Privacy laws prevent autopsy technicians from releasing information about the case, which was difficult for Drouet.

“The hardest thing was not being able to tell the family anything about the autopsy,” he said.

Ultimately after being an autopsy technician he decided to pursue something different. When Drouet was trying to figure out what else to do, a former colleague of his decided to be a teacher and Drouet figured he would give it a shot, too.

He has taught IPC, Chemistry, Environmental Systems and now Physics. Overall, he has been teaching for five years.

“Originally I wanted to be a dentist,”

Drouet said. “Then I realized I didn’t want to dig in people’s mouths for the rest of my life. Then I started studying forensics.”

Drouet didn’t plan to be a teacher, but has adapted quickly.

“My first year I was a nervous wreck,” he said. “I mean, I came from a place with dead bodies and then I’m up in front of a classroom full of freshmen.”

In the beginning, Drouet said he was strict, but over time his students taught him to relax and go more with the flow.

Drouet said he does his best to keep his students motivated, make work understandable and hands-on to realize how the world works.

“What I like about teaching high school is that everyone has a different background,” he said. “You get to see students grow and mature as a person, which is absolutely the most rewarding thing about teaching.”

Photo courtesy of Nick Drouet

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features

60 seconds with...

Students were given 60 seconds to answer random questions about themselves. Try and guess who said what.

Larissa Gonzales • Copy Editor sophomore-Brenna Karwich

freshman-Madeleine Ickes

senior-Brian Lozano

B

A 1.What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

Photos by Chandler Harrell

C

2. If you were an animal what would you be?

____I was in Washington D.C.

____I would be a manatee.

____I’ve gone to El Salvador When I was about four months old and I got really sick with fever. My dad had to dunk me in ice-cold hotel pool water to get my temperature back to normal.

____A lion so I could run the world.

sophomore-Natalie Canales

3. What is your dream job? ____Neurosurgeon. ____I don’t have one yet. ____Cardiovascular surgeon

____I would probably be a sloth or hippo because they are lazy.

____My dream job would be a forensic psychologist analyzing prisoners on death row.

____Octopus

D 4 .What is your favorite childhood memory? ____When I went on a road trip from Connecticut to Texas with my dad and gave him directions ____My favorite memory is having a dolphin bite my hand at Sea World and pull me in the water. ____Any memory from Disney World

____I’ve been to Germany and Paris.

____My favorite memory is when I spent my whole summer in California.

____Hawaii

ANSWERS: 1. B, D, C, A 2. D, A, C, B 3. B, C, A, D 4. D, A, C, B

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How body image led senior to an eating disorder

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W

eight loss is a $9.5 billion a year industry that thrives on Average the insecure. Every day high Female Model 6% school students witness this 5’11” epidemic of poor body imAverage 5% age as we’re told to be thinner, American Woman taller, stronger, yet happier all 4% 5’4” the same.

What causes our young peo3% Binge Eating ple to question their weight, their height, their bones, their 2% eyes, and every aspect of them110lb Bulimia selves, to a point where their 1% 140lb physical and mental health is Anorexia compromised?

Male Female “Young people accepting unrealistic images as baselines Only one third of individuals for health is a likely cause for struggling with anorexia distorted body image,” Dr. nervosa in the United States Dennis Poquez of Lake Ar80% of all 10 year olds are obtain treatment. lington Family medicine said. scared of getting fat.

“Instead, people should focus on a healthy scale, like the Among mental Body Mass Index for your ideal disorders, Anorexweight.” ia has the highest Senior Maggie O’Brian expemortality rate. rienced firsthand the physical and mental effects of anorexia. Suffer from eating disorders daily In early October of last year, O’Brian lost more than 30 pounds in three weeks.

A realistic idea of the healthy body is key to “I didn’t get out of bed for three weeks and I friends, and I definitely didn’t want to be with missed a lot of school,” O’Brian said. “I didn’t think my family,” O’Brian said. “After being diag- changing these shocking statistics.

Not everyone who suffers from poor body image I was sick until the doctor asked me how long I nosed, I realized how it affected my family. will suffer from an eating disorder, but the effects They were all incredibly worried for me.” had been anorexic. I just thought I wasn’t hungry.”

In his book, I’m like so Fat!, author Neumark are lasting – lack of confidence, never being satisRepercussions of such drastic forms of weight loss include yellowing teeth, brittle bones, an in- Sztainer says, “Fifty percent of teenage girls fied with oneself, and dependence on products to ability to concentrate, hair loss, and many others. and 30 percent of teenage boys use unhealthy feel beautiful.

“Don’t stress about your weight,” O’Brian said. weight control behaviors such as skipping O’Brian experienced different results.

“I didn’t like doing my favorite things anymore, meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting “Even the tiniest girls feel insecure. No one has the perfect body.”

I didn’t like music, I didn’t want to be with my and taking laxatives to control their weight.”

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Martin students struggle with effects and conseq

Addiction

Maggie O’Brian • Staffer “It felt amazing, like I could do anything and I could accomplish everything I wanted to do. I loved it,” junior Brian Walters* said about his former addiction to Adderall.

Quickly gaining popularity among high school students, Adderall, a commonlyprescribed pill that helps to control the symptoms of ADHD, similar to Ritalin and Vyvanse, is being abused by unprescribed students who want a little boost in energy on school days.

“Adderall helps me focus on small tasks I have to do,” Walters said. “It makes me talkative, but at the same time, it makes me focused. I feel energized and anxious if I’m not working on something.”

Adderall is closely related to cocaine, and has very similar effects.

“When you snort them, it hits you faster,” senior Melanie Lee* said. “It honestly doesn’t help me accomplish anything, yet when I take it, I get this intense feeling of utter euphoria, and that feeling seems like it’s worth the risk at times.”

Students can often find Adderall being sold by dealers who sneak either their own pills, or family member’s pills out of the house to sell to students. Adderall is usually sold for around $3 a pill.

“I’ve spent so much money on these pills, it’s ridiculous,” Walters said. “Let’s estimate this: four pills, $12 a week, 52 weeks per year, that’s $624 a year, and I’ve been doing this for two years now, so about $1250 total. Wow, I had no idea I’d spent that much.”

Along with euphoria, Adderall brings health risks. Twenty-six percent of the people who take Adderall will suffer from headaches. Seventeen percent will suffer

from Insomnia. Thirty-three percent will suffer from loss of appetite. More than half – 54 percent – admit to receiving it from their friends. Other health risks known to be possible side effects of Adderall abuse include seizure, stroke, heart attack, psychosis, aggressive behavior, and in extreme cases, sudden death.

A study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that approximately 6.5 percent of high school seniors are already addicted to Adderall, and regularly abuse it.

“I’m well aware of the health risks,” sophomore Joseph Garcia* said. “The only dangerous thing about it is the loss of appetite. I can deal with headaches and lack of sleep, but when you start to starve yourself, it’s time to back off.”

Withdrawals from Adderall include paranoia, appetite changes, insomnia, depression, lethargy, increased anger and mood swings.

Professionals recommend a “step down” approach to anyone trying to rehabilitate themselves from Adderall.

They said the easiest way to begin the path to sobriety is to begin taking smaller doses each day until finally you’re off the pill completely.

“It’s hard trying to get off of Adderall. Hard is an understatement,” Lee said.

“It’s close to impossible, and the only way you’re going to accomplish it is if you really want to. Because if there’s still any part of you that wants to continue taking it, you’re never going to stop. You have to want it more than anything in the world, and you can’t give up. It also helps to have a good support system, whether it be friends or family, or maybe just a stranger you meet in rehab. You can’t do it alone.” * Names have been changed

features

photo

by Susie

then

now & Gibson

Ariel Hernandez • Opinions Editor

The last thing he can remember before waking up in a hospital bed is feeling handcuffs around his wrists and sitting in the back of a police car. Everything else is blurry after that. He didn’t even know where he was or why he was there until his parents walked in, sat down, and told him that he had overdosed on Xanax bars.

“I was only a freshman when my brother invited me to go drink with his friends at a college party,” senior Jacob* said. “He had never peer pressured me before. I didn’t even know the taste of beer until that night.”

Jacob said he was curious about alcohol before the party, and had already gotten into smoking marijuana before freshman year. He had always known what alcohol was, since people in the family would have

12

drinks. But little did he know is that he would naturally crave the taste and want to experience the feeling of alcohol.

“They thought it was funny, a little freshman getting messed up with them,” he said.

He could tell that he just wasn’t himself. There’s no other way to explain it other than that he felt drunk. That night he remembers laying in bed getting the spins, which felt like doing somersaults or spinning too fast in a chair. He remembers that, and vomiting everywhere.

Sophomore year, Jacob was experimenting with prescription pills, along with marijuana. He would end up spending $200 to $250 a week on three to four grams of marijuana.

He would earn the money by doing things around the house for his mother and grandmother and selling his ADHD medicine. By junior year he got into Xanax bars and K2. Xanax bars are long, skinny,

OO

FAR

Don’t

party

quences of alcohol and substance use

“Kids definitely appear to be going to parties at a younger age. Everyone wants to feel like they fit in, and feel like they are a part of the crowd.

It’s a dangerous trend.”

- Intervention Specialist Deborah Vation Need help?

Contact Mrs. Vation in room 241B or an anonymous hotline 1-800-234-8334

pills for anxiety and depression. K2 is like a synthetic form of marijuana in incense form, which is legal in the United States.

However, that was leading him down the path to a police escort to rehab.

“I was only supposed to be there for four to five days,” Jacob said. “But I was in and out for about two weeks. I thought it was pretty stupid, but I didn’t have the right mindset at the time. I felt like I didn’t belong there. My time there only helped a little. It was all just a bunch of group therapy.”

Even though his time in rehab was courtordered, his mom and brother were the ones who were suffering the most from his history with gateway drugs. They began to notice a change in his behavior.

He would hide beer bottles in his car, and when his mother asked if he had been drinking he’d just deny that he had. Jacob would even find himself thinking about drugs throughout the day, even though he realized that they would stop him from

getting things done.

“I would think, ‘I wish I could be smoking weed right now,’ but I know it’s not going to get me anywhere. I have plans for my life, and drugs only leave me in a child-like state of mind,” Jacob said. “Alcohol is a bad choice too.”

Despite his experiences, Jacob plans on going to community college to study criminal justice. After that he plans on transferring to a university and continuing his studies.

He’d like to join the Coast Guard or be a U.S. Marshal or a CIA agent.

“When you’re young, they tell you the consequences of drugs and alcohol, and you think that you’ll never do those things.

But sometimes things change,” Jacob said.

“It was a hard road and sometimes I wish things were different. But the things I did are what make me the person I am today.

And to become that I needed to experience those things to learn from them.”

* Names have been changed

stop the

Susie Gibson • Editor-in-Chief Kaylyn LeFan • Features Editor “At one party I was at, some guy was passed out on a chair with vomit everywhere,” senior Jarred Smith* said. “Another time it was me who passed out, and the person’s parents came home and found me there.”

We see and hear about teens partying, whether it’s on Twitter or in TV shows, movies, or commercials warning us not to drink and drive.

But has it gotten out of hand? Has the “occasional party” turned into an “every weekend” affair?

School Interventionist Deborah Vation says yes. Vation said she’s seen an increase in destructive behavior and that students are drinking and using drugs earlier than in years past.

“Kids definitely appear to be going to parties at a younger age,” Vation said. “Everyone wants to feel like they fit in, and feel like they are a part of the crowd. It’s a dangerous trend.”

“At first, it was the occasional party that I would go to, but as time went on, I began to meet more and more people, and they all began inviting me to their own parties,” senior Maddie Davis* said. “Before I had even realized what was happening, all of a sudden I got sucked in. So every weekend from Friday to Sunday night, all I did was party. I don’t know how that happened, but it did.”

Why are high school kids choosing to party instead of staying in for the night?

Why are they letting the party scene take over their lives? Why are they feeling pressured to drink?

“My older brother and his friends were a major impact on me,” senior Carrie Sullivan* said. “They would bother me about not going to parties, so eventually, I just started going.”

Although for some it was the pressure

13

features

from siblings or friends, for others it was just the allure of a more fun, energized atmosphere.

“I didn’t feel pressured to join the party scene at all,” Smith said. “My friends and I just decided to go to a party one weekend in the summer.”

Word gets around by the weekend that this party is at this person’s house and that this party is just down the street from the other party.

Seemingly everyone has connections, whether it’s for alcohol, drugs, fake IDs, or not being carded at certain places.

“Most people have fake IDs that I know of,” Smith said.

If they can’t get it themselves, they turn to friends, family, and even co-workers who are more than willing to come through for them.

“I can get my alcohol from people that I work with or at this place next to where I work,” senior Marilyn Young* said. “I’ve also been places, like a casino that didn’t even card me.”

So getting alcohol isn’t the problem. But knowing when to stop drinking it is.

“One night I got way too drunk,” Davis said. “When I got to the party I immediately took two shots of vodka, then had about four or five beers, and then went back to taking shots. I went with a friend and he was supposed to drive us home, but he ended up drinking too. I don’t even know how I got home. Most of that night is a blur.”

Sometimes, though, these experiences help open their eyes to the seriousness of the issue.

“It’s terrifying now to think that we drove while we were that drunk,” Davis said. “I’m so thankful to be alive. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again.”

* Names have been changed

What is your stereotype?

day of

Judgement

High School students are often troubled with misconceptions of judgment, but when put under a situation like in the movie The Breakfast Club, are they able to look past these ideas?

Brenda Chavez-Mayo •Photographer & Jarred Osterman• Staffer

I

n a huge school of almost 3,000 students, many stereotypes are thrown around. But are students capable of looking past these prejudices and positively working among each other?

To answer this question, we decided to conduct a social experiment based off of the movie The Breakfast Club. We took six students and placed them in a room where they were encouraged to interact with each other for about an hour.

“I don’t think that a person really goes by their stereotype, only because a person is a person regardless of what someone labels them,” sophomore Cailynd Barnes said.

The students were questioned on the stereotypes they were often called. Junior Hannah Baumgartner said she was the princess. Freshman Isabella Villeges said she was the smart girl. Junior Rayan Toliver said she was the hipster. Freshman Cailynd Barnes said he was the hyperactive guy. Se-

nior Chris LaVilla said he was the popular guy and junior Kaila Cooper said she was the mean girl.

We also had a student working with us to provoke a reaction out of the others. Senior Melody Asgari was our confederate and she was just flat out odd.

At first, they all seemed quiet and didn’t say much.

“I thought the others were different from me, but not in a bad way,” LaVilla said.

The participants were asked to place their cellphones in a basket and to sit next to each other around a large table. Their first task was to fill out a sheet of likes and dislikes of food, places, music, etc. that all of the students agreed on.

“I didn’t feel so nervous anymore,” Baumgartner said. “I try not to judge people. I don’t like being judged, so I know they wouldn’t like it either.”

The tension was slowly decreasing and the students easily spoke to each other about common things they liked. A sense of unity was created with these agreements, they all found something they could agree on despite Asgari’s attempts to throw out random answers.

Afterwards, they were asked to write down a common issue among teenagers and discuss how it affected their lives. This is where all the walls came down, where everyone was suddenly vulnerable. The students were expressing their opinions and experiences with ease, they mainly had the same opinions despite their personalities.

“I really enjoyed talking about the controversial topics and it was cool to see the different views and what people thought about it,” Cooper said.

“Although we came from different backgrounds, we all go through the same things.”

-Rayan Toliver features

Just like in the movie, we concluded that despite the student’s initial judgments and discomfort to be with people they normally didn’t speak to, they had more in common than they imagined and they were capable of creating the foundation for a relationship.

Regardless of being excessively shy or outgoing, sporty or musically inclined, these students could look past their differences and share ideas with each other.

Our reason for recreating this scenario was in hopes that it would conclude in the same way that The Breakfast Club did, with a sense of unity.

The participants agreed that the lesson they learned is this: no matter what you judge your peers by, it is possible to be friends with them. If you would simply give them five minutes of your day, you could create a vast diversity in your life. What you perceive others to be is not always correct, and if you would make an effort to change that, then there would be a huge impact in the Martin community. Are you willing to make that effort?

Kaila Cooper

Isabella Villegas

Rayan Toliver

Cailynd Barnes

What to see the video of the interview? Scan this with your smartphone and watch it!

14

Chris LaVilla

Hannah Baumgarter

First take

15 students are part of Martin’s first-ever Video Production class

Promon a budget Prom is just around the corner and you haven’t even begun making arrangements for YOUR big day.

You don’t have to stress and spend your five months savings worth of paychecks.

Here are some reasonablypriced places to get you started.

Students of Video Production class brainstorm ideas for their Public Service Announcement projects. The class organized and produced Lip Dub and has made several short films. Photo by Britney Henneman

L

Britney Henneman • Staffer

ip Dub is something that may still be fresh on everyone’s mind, but no one really realizes all of the time, effort and energy that a select few students put into creating it.

The students are part of a new class called Audio/Video Production. Video Production is a class about film and techniques teaching students how to direct videos and inform them about film.

“There’s nothing like it at Martin,” junior Matti Rayburn said. “It gives you a chance to use your imagination through video and be creative.”

This class is team-taught by photography teacher Dan Regalado, and Journalism and Newspaper teacher Tricia Regalado.

“This class is for students interested in making video or film and they get to work with great equipment, learn a lot about video and be involved in a lot of school things such as Lip Dub, stop motion videos, public service films, etc.,” Tricia Regalado said.

Video Production is a class of only 15 students who must work hard to get their projects done.

Students also learn new things such as vocabulary, angles, how to edit, how to film, how to edit audio and video and how to create an amazing video.

“When I first started this class I didn’t know anything about how to make a video, but in just one semester in this class

I’ve learned so much,” Rayburn said. “This class has helped me decide that I want to get a job in media and video production.”

Students interested in the Video Production class must first fill out an application to be in this class.

“This class is a lot of fun but it’s also a lot of work,” senior Adam Elansari said. “We learn a lot of vocab, but Mr. and Mrs. Regalado teach it in a way that makes learning less challenging. It’s really important to make friends with everyone in this class because they will help you with things you may not know how to do.”

The students are selected to represent a cross-section of Martin’s population.

“When school first started, class was so awkward because none of us knew each other,” Rayburn said. “But now we’re like one big family, I don’t know what I would do without these people in my life.”

“This class is for students who aren’t afraid to go outside of their comfort zone in order to create something,” Tricia Regalado said. “We’re here as teachers to help these students bring an idea to life, and make something great.”

“This class is fun and inspiring,” Elansari said. “I recommend it to anyone who’s willing to work hard to make a great video.

It’s the best class, with two of the best teachers.”

Interested in being in next year’s Video Production class? See the MHS website for an application.

Sharee Rodgers • Staffer Dress/Tuxedo:

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features

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Kicking out the stress Sophomore Brenna White offers tips to conquer high school stress Morgan McKsymick • Staffer

S

ophomore Brenna White ends every single day by lying in bed after a three-hour volleyball practice and thinking about the things on her schedule for the next day ahead of her. White has been fighting with stress all year long because of all the things she has to do on a daily routine. The three main factors of her stress always result from grades, volleyball and track. White explains the feeling of stress overwhelms her, and she starts to freak out because she feels like she can’t do anything anymore.

Young people experience stress at a high rate, and females more than males, an Associated Press/MTV survey shows.

Stress varies from grades and homework, to problems in their personal life, to sports and extra curricular activities.

“My biggest problem is feeling rushed after school because I always have so much to do in so little time,” White said.

Many people in high school don’t only have to focus on their grades and keep their grades up to please their families and coaches, but they also play either one or multiple sports, which takes up their time after school because of practices or games.

Some, like White, even have tournaments on the weekend that take up their free time.

Most students agree they didn’t have stress until high school started, and then it all picked up. People who battle with stress don’t know how to deal with it because the feeling is so overwhelming and it makes them feel like they can’t do anything anymore. Some people even get sick because they’re so stressed.

“The good thing about sports is when I’m playing, my mind is taken off all of the other things I have to do, and for a while, my stress is relieved,” White said.

So how can you cope with the stress? Any

of the small things you can get rid of (like homework) will always be some help.

“We have 90-minute class periods and homework takes up the time I need to relax,” White said.

“If we didn’t have homework I wouldn’t have to worry about it, and having homework only makes it worse for me.”

White showcases a good way to resolve stress by making herself a schedule so she has something to follow everyday instead of all the Photo by Chandler Harrell clutter and being rushed all the time. trolled. If you’re battling with keeping your “For my junior year I’m not going to do track anymore because it’s just some- grades up and that makes your stress level thing extra I’ve been doing, and all of my high, an option would be a tutor.

“I’m probably going to get a tutor my focus needs to go on grades and volleyball,” junior year so I can keep up with all of my she said. grades better,” White said. “Even though I If you’re doing something extra and battle with stress every day, I can still keeps you’re already stressed out, even though you my head up and spike the volleyball with might not want to, it might be easiest to pride.” let go of that until your stress is more con-

Timeline of Brenna White’s busy day Plyo

School

7:10

7:30

Wake up

3:00

5:00

Arrives home 7:00

Track practice

7:30

8:15

10:15

10:45

12:00

Bed

Volleyball

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features

16

The Warrior Post

Martin High School • Arlington, Texas

Susie Gibson Editor-in-Chief

It gets better

Hang in there and be true to yourself

Oscar Araujo Online Editor-in-Chief Larissa Gonzales Copy Editor Abby Bishop • Rachel Hodnett News Editors Kimberly Clower • Jamie Gisburne Sports Editors Karsen Cinquepalmi • Chandler Harrell Photo Editors

Jennifer Forsberg Entertainment Editor Ariel Hernandez Opinions Editor Erin Hibbs • Kayln LeFan Features Editors Emma Bruce • Ashleigh Jones Designers Sara Mancha Staff Artist Tricia Regalado • Marlene Roddy Adviser • Principal

Staffers:

Natalie Buongiorno, Meghan Cabra, Rosa Castaneda, Morganne Clay, Madeline Cope, Michaelann Durden, Katy Fitzgerald, Hannah-Beth Floyd, Tyler Forde, Rachel Hanson, Britney Henneman, Caitlyn Hopkins, Lauren House, Lizzie Kirkham, Madeline Maxwell, Brenda Mayo, Morgan McKsymick, Sarah Meo, Sherilyn Morales, Maggie O’Brian, Jarred Osterman, Dale Rives, Sharee Rodgers, Bri Roney, Kaitlyn Rosenbaum, Thomas Rowe, Madeline Rusin, Amanda Woods, Emily Zerr The Warrior Post is the official monthly publication of Martin High School. Opinion columns don’t represent the opinion of The Warrior Post or of Martin High School. The Warrior Post will not accept advertisements for products or services not legally available to students.

staffeditorial

Oscar Araujo • Online Editor My sister once told me, “It will be okay.

I promise.”

The thing is, you want to believe those who tell you that. Once you ask yourself, “How would they know?” you realize that you can’t believe them.

They don’t know the struggle, they don’t understand the pain, they just don’t understand what you’re going through. They expect you to be okay with the comments and for you to keep smiling. Some bully you, others tell you to ignore the rest. I can’t promise you the comments will ever stop. I can, however, promise that it will get better.

I didn’t want to accept it. My family is Catholic and my parents aren’t very accepting of homosexuality. I knew for a long time, though. All I knew that it was killing me. I felt like I was lying to everyone and I was never really happy.

Three years ago, my best friend told me, “Just be you.” And in tenth grade I took her advice. I told my friends first. Those closest to me already loved me anyways, so it was easy telling them. My church found out a month later. I expected them to kick me out. The funny thing is, they held their arms open for me.

Everything was okay for several months until I came out to my parents. That’s when everything went downhill. I was mommy’s little boy up until that point. I was proud of it, too. I was her pride and soul.

After I told her, she told me not to call her mom anymore, and that broke my heart. I fought, shouted and cried with my mom for four hours. She asked me how I could do such a thing to her. I told her I loved her. She told me not to bother. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me that day, as if she had no idea who I was.

That night was the first time I saw my dad cry. He told me how it breaks his heart, me being “that.” He cried for three hours.

I cried the next day at school when someone called me a faggot. It never bothered me before. That time it hurt, a lot.

Shortly after that, one of my friends told me they couldn’t be my friends anymore because we had different views on life and God. One of my best friends said the same thing. I started to receive messages on Facebook. Some were just insults, some told me that I don’t deserve to be alive.

People think they’re just comments. They treat them like they’re no big deal. But everything that I was going through at home and school made me become suicidal. I had a huge urge to just end it all. I felt like it was the only way out.

My church friends told me to stay strong, and for the next year and a half I was. I went to school, work, and back home. I felt awful half of the time.

This year, I moved out of my house. My sister cried and apologized for not being a better sister. My dad told me he believed in me. I didn’t, I couldn’t, say goodbye to my mom.

Don’t get me wrong, part of me was happy that I moved out. I could finally be happy.

But part of me knew very well that I was too immature and naive to be by myself. I still had a heart of a kid and I chose not to believe that the world could be bad.

I grew up. I felt alone for the most part as well. No parents, no sister and just one best friend. I often felt unworthy and low.

I really just wanted to end it all. I had a lot of suicidal thoughts that wouldn’t go away.

Now I can smile at everything that happened. I know that I held on, I know that I managed, and I know everything I have and everything I am today is because of me.

Nothing is easy in life. There will always be that one thing that will make you want to give up. Don’t.

Let them make comments, let them judge you. If they don’t want to be your friend because of you’re different, that’s their problem. I learned that if someone really loves you then they’ll look past all of that and still be there for you.

You can search on YouTube the “It Gets Better” project. People will tell you that they love you. Some will even tell you their story. But nothing gets better until you can accept who you are. You have to believe that you’re worth it.

No, my story may not save a life. It may not be very inspiring. I’m just another person who will tell you, “It gets better.” But hopefully it will inspire someone to keep going. Because you know what? It really does get better.

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opinions

Waste of time

Attendance during testing days isn’t necessary

O

ver half of the students at Martin on Monday, March 4 had to be babysat while the other half was testing on TAKS. And what is the reason behind this?

Yes, we realize it’s because students must be present at school for a certain number of days. But those days are to ensure that we learn.

During the testing days, teachers obviously don’t plan on teaching these groups of kids they’ve been assigned. Most kids were on their phones, sleeping, reading or watching movies. Those are things we can do at home.

Having teachers in rooms to babysit these students takes away from the teachers available to give the test. This can lead to testing errors and even more burned-out teachers.

Last year, students were not expected to show up during the days their grade was not testing.

And we were all satisfied with that.

Now we don’t see any point to come to school just so we can watch movies in our classrooms for four hours.

Even given the consequences, attendance may decrease because we don’t want to waste our time just sitting in a room. These classrooms should be optional to attend for tutoring help.

If the student feels the need to get extra practice for preparation on their tests, they should attend.

But for the students who are comfortable with their studying, they should be allowed to stay home. We don’t understand the “outcry” that the district says it saw from parents of students who objected to the large number of late-arrival days.

This is especially annoying for juniors since most of them can drive.

If parents don’t trust their kids to stay home alone all day, then they should just take them to school to get tutoring help.

But for the students who just don’t want to have their time wasted they should just be able to stay home.

True beauty

Twitter personalities

Inner beauty should be more important than the things posted on social media Maddy Cope•Staffer

As I log on to the internet, it’s the same thing I see everyday.

It’s the world we’ve come to know as normal. I see your actions.

I read your words. I think about what has gone wrong to make you feel like this behavior is beautiful.

Every woman was created beautiful inside and out. Your imperfections are what make you perfect. The world that we live in today gives us the illusion that having no self respect, no morals and no values make you beautiful and more appealing to the eye. What we as women still growing fonder of the world everyday don’t understand is that this is just an illusion.

Provocative pictures, tweets and behavior are just common in the high school world. Some girls post pictures when they are illegally intoxicated and think in their minds it is okay to do. They intake toxic drugs that they have decided are okay to take because everyone does them. They post it all online for the world to see.

Most of us act like this to heal some sort of hole we feel in our heart. We feel as if something’s missing so we act out and post it to receive the satisfaction for even just a couple of minutes. This is the illusion life creates.

Whenever you feel something is missing in you – whether it’s feeling unbeautiful, feeling alone, or losing something that was once so precious to you – it becomes hard to manage with and makes us unable to think clearly. This is where the illusion takes part in our lives and becomes an action.

You are viewed every day by everyone, whether it’s the new girl in school who followed you on Instagram, just your English teacher, the hostess at the restaurant you attended last night, or just the new cute boy that followed you on Twit-

ter. People view you every day of your life.

Nowadays people meet us on some sort of social networking site. This has brought me and many others to wonder, Why would you want someone to get to meet you, and receive a first impression on a social networking site that is filled with repulsive words and pictures that rip away your inner beauty? Is this truly how you want people to view you as? They see your vulgar hateful tweets. They see how much you spend your time focusing your life on jealousy because that’s all your tweets contain. They see the pictures of you intoxicated and passed out with vomit all down your shirt. They see the attention seeking from the girl who feels that posting a provocative picture of herself will make her more beautiful. They see how your beauty has withered away.

What we haven’t understood is “ratchet” behavior is not the way to make yourself beautiful. Girls gossip everyday about that one “girl” because that one “girl” has lost her inner beauty and her self respect. When you reveal yourself in person and on social media sites as “the party girl” or the girl who post provocative pictures of herself, you feed the fire of gossip and give people a reason to keep their hurtful words flowing.

I wish every woman would see that they’re beautiful without the pounded on makeup. You’re beautiful conserving your body and having self morals. You’re beautiful without the beer in your hand. You’re beautiful without taking harmful drugs.

You’re beautiful without the duck face and just putting on a real smile. You’re beautiful without cursing. You become more beautiful when talking about others isn’t filling your Twitter page. You are beautiful and every day you should be showing it.

Women are strong, confident individuals and our world has just led us off track of who we really are.

Your inner beauty shows through your outer actions. Having self-respect, morals, values and all-around confidence help a woman see that her beauty is shown through her actions.

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.”

•poet Kahlil Gibran

opinions

Listed here are some of the many different Twitter personalities. And you’re probably one of them.

Meghan Cabra•Staffer Twitter has become a big part of over 500 million lives within the past several years.

Through the tweets, you can keep up with your friends and families’ lives, faster than most social networks. Through 140 characters, you can share with your followers what your plans are for the weekend, how you’re feeling at the moment, who your favorite Kardashian is, pictures, links and videos.

You can even follow their favorite celebrities and keep up with all of the gossip. Who is Taylor Swift dating now? How many weeks will they last? How long will it take for her chart topping single following up their inevitable break up going to be released?

Everyone with a Twitter account has their own personality type to go along with the social fad. Whether you’re an aspiring artist

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Twitter types:

1. The person who hates life, always complaining.

2. The person who only quotes songs or famous people.

3. The person who always complains about their relationship.

4. The person who only talks about how in love they are.

5. The forever alone person.

6. The one who is fishing for compliments.

7. The one who is only looking to promote themselves (#f4f #followback) 8. The aspiring whatever – singer, rapper, actor

just trying to get your voice heard, promoting yourself through the millions of hashtag possibilities or just a regular teen who likes to vent out all their problems through the power of the tweet. There are even different quizzes out on the web that you can take to find out which personality you are.

Just think about it, how often do you get on Twitter? Are you an unfortunate “Debbie Downer” or maybe even a natural “Sarcastic Sally”? Do you use more hashtags than actual words? Do you have the mindset that you’re some kind of deep, philosophical person because sometimes you would quote a Justin Bieber song here and there? Ask yourself these questions, and ponder, “Who am I really?” Or just take one of those ten question online quizzes.

What everyone thinks:

1. Save that drama for Facebook, no one wants that blowing up their newsfeed.

2. “Emotions are like snowflakes, except they can’t be mistaken for dandruff.” What does that even mean? Stop it, you’re not Gandhi.

3. Yeah we get it, he lied to you. Move on.

4. Please stop reminding me of how single I am.

5. Always sobbing about how no one wants them.

Oh, the irony.

6. “omg I ate like, 3 mints today, I’m so fat lol #singlefolyfe” Seriously?

7. What’s the point of having fake “ghost” followers?

8. Keep on keeping on.

Something to look forward to

Your favorite series is over? Check out these great substitutes.

Dale Rives & Rosa Castaneda • Staffers If you like the Hunger Games, check out: Unwind by Neil Shusterman If you loved the futuristic themes mixed with the kid-on-kid violence of the Hunger Games, you should try reading Unwind.

In a futuristic world, teenagers are once again on edge as parents can send their kids to be ‘UnWound,” a process in which every one of the teen’s organs are donated, but they are technically considered alive because all of them live.

Anyone between 13-18 whose parents tire of them are eligible for this and there is nothing the kids can do to stop it.

The book centers around three teenagers from different backgrounds who come together when they agree that the process is wrong.

If you like Twilight, check out: Beautiful Creatures

If you liked Monsters Inc., check out: If you like superhero action, check Monsters University out: Man of Steel

Now that Twilight is officially over, we need to move on to a new paranormal romance. While Beautiful Creatures is a whole new field of paranormal, its inner romance between the two main characters, Lena and Ethan is worth reading all by itself.

This book comes with tons of recommendations and awards that let it speak for itself. Also look out for the movie that premiered on Feb. 14. Beautiful Creatures begins as the first of four novels.

What’s more wonderful than the prequel to a childhood classic? Get ready for the university days of our favorite monsters.

The new movie features the story of how , although they originally couldn’t stand each other, they overcame their differences to become best friends.

Set 10 years earlier, and coming into theaters 12 years after Monsters Inc., we get a look at Sully and Mike all over again. Look for M.U. coming out June 21.

Iron Man 3: May 3

Grown Ups 2: July 12

Look out. Is it a bird? A plane? A new Superman movie? This year Superman is back in Man of Steel.

Henry Cavill stars as Superman in the reboot of the film series. This new reboot has promises to distinguish itself as different, and will be worth checking out. It brags of differing from the usual by not featuring the iconic superman theme song. You might have to wait until June 14, but save the date for this awesome looking reboot.

More movies with great promise coming out this year:

The Host: March 29

The Wolverine: July 26

Despicable Me II: July 3

The Lone Ranger: July 3

The Great Gatsby: May 10 Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Aug. 16

The Mortal Instruments: Aug. 23

St. Barnabas United Methodist Church Join us for Holy Week!

March 28 Maundy Thursday service 7 p.m.

Good Friday service 7 p.m on March 31st!

Sunrise service 7 a.m. 8:15, 9:30 and 11a.m.

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entertainment

Touchdowns, baskets, and dashes

The deeper details of Myles Garrett you may have missed Tyler Forde & Lauren House • Staffers

Photo by Jarred Osterman

“I always wanted to prove to myself that anything my brother could do I could do better,” junior Myles Garrett said. “Everybody always praised him because he was the best and payed no attention to me. I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t worthless and I could be something some day too.

Over the last two years in high school, Garrett has worked his way up to being one of the most talked about high school athletes in the nation. Playing football, basketball and running track, Garrett contributes to Martin in many ways.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was 13, and I didn’t play any other sports until freshman year,” Garrett said. “I have always been a basketball kid, but I’d love to play in the NFL one day.”

You play how you practice; being second guessed is something no one wants. Being the best is the top priorities for almost everyone. But nothing can be achieved on your own; teamwork is needed.

“My teammates always drive me to do my best, they push me beyond my limits to try to achieve greatness, so we can all become better,” Garrett said. “They see something in me and they push me to bring it out

everyday. Coaches drive me to be a leader everywhere – in the classroom, at home, as well as in football.”

His teammates look up to him and support him through everything he does.

“He is the greatest athlete I have ever seen in my whole entire life,” teammate junior Carter Butson said. “He’s super strong.

He’s basically a superhero. He’s strong, fast and can jump really high. If he puts his mind to it, he can go as far as he wants.”

When Garrett gets a spare minute in his busy schedule, which isn’t very often, you can find him still interacting with sports.

“I watch sports and try to learn about the game in my free time,” Garrett said. “I like to play video games, draw, or write things when I have some time.”

Though Garrett hasn’t decided where he wants to attend college, he wants to major in Archeology and later move on to play in the NFL. His teammates and all his coaches believe in him, and know if he puts his mind to it he can do whatever he wants in life.

“He works hard and doesn’t slack off,” sophomore Ukoh Essang said. “He looks out for younger players like me. When we get down he tell us it’s going to be okay and to keep going. I think he’s leaning towards A&M because his sister runs track there and I think she wants him to be with her.”

Garrett’s top college offers Louisiana State University Texas A&M University of Alabama Texas Christian University University of Oklahoma University of Missouri University of Tulsa

“I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t worthless and I could be something some day.”

Kimberlee Hodnett Independent Beauty Consultant

We’re so much cooler online

sports

Check daily for updates, videos and extra photos and stories. Leave comments. Take a survey.

Watch a lip dub. Whatever.

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[thewarriorpost.com]

Sports of all sorts

Having trouble choosing what sport to get involved in? Here’s a comparison of all Martin’s athletic programs to help you find what suits you best.

Sherilyn Morales • Staffer

How much practice time is required outside of school?

3 hours

Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Golf, Tennis, Wrestling

How much prior experience is needed to make a team?

Cross Country/Track, Swimming

2 ½ hours

Cross Country/Track Tennis Wrestling

Gymnastics

2 hours

None

What is your uniform like?

Football

Wrestling

Swimming

Football Volleyball Soccer Cross Country Track Wrestling Swimming

Volleyball Baseball

Football Basketball Soccer Baseball Softball

A little/Some

Basketball Baseball Softball Golf Tennis Gymnastics

Softball

Golf Soccer Tennis

A lot

Where’s the worst place to get a blister while playing?

Basketball Track

Volleyball Golf Swimming Gymnastics

Photos by Sherilyn Morales 21

sports

Not just for kicks

Sophomore Caleb Smith leaves everything for Pre Olympic training in soccer

Junior Anni Eger exceeds at swimming, but not for her own glory

Jamie Gisburne • Sports Editor When the opportunity of a lifetime comes around, could you pack up your bags and leave all of your friends and family to pursue your dream? Sophomore Caleb Smith had to do just that when he found out that he could go to Florida this past December for Pre-Olympic training for soccer.

“I’ve been scouted over the past few years and they scouted me over the times I played club soccer,” Smith said.

Since he was scouted, he recently moved to Florida to train on an academy select soccer team.

“They pick the top 20 players in the nation to play in a game,” Smith said. “I played well enough to go on trial with the national team for a week and then they called in to the residency to live.”

Competition has been a huge part of Smith’s life as he is constantly competing with other kids to keep moving towards their dreams.

“Playing with kids who are better than me always drives me to be a better player and it brings out the competitiveness in me,” he said. “They make me a better player.”

Dedication is another key part of Smith’s experience as he strives to be the best and set himself apart from the other players competing against him.

“I think my hard work and passion for the game sets me apart. I have always been a kid who thinks, ‘I have to go get something, nothing is going to be handed to you,’” Smith said. “I have always loved the game of soccer, so working hard just came along with it.”

Each player in Florida wants to play high level soccer, and spend their life doing what they love.

“My immediate goal is to make the World Cup team and hopefully represent my country in the U17 World Cup in October,” Smith said. “My other goals are to get a college scholarship and hopefully

Erin Hibbs • Features Editor

have the opportunity to play professional soccer at a high level.”

Although Smith is far away from his family and friends, the opportunity of a lifetime has given him the ability to look Photo courtesy of past the pain. Caleb Smith “I sometimes think about my friends and family at home, but I am presented with a great opportunity to live away from home and play soccer everyday and hopefully travel to different countries,” Smith said.

This opportunity that he was given to play soccer has been one he feels he has been blessed with.

“This is my greatest achievement in my lifetime,” Smith said. “I always heard people say dreams can come true for me. I thank God everyday because I know he has blessed me with a talent which I’m using towards something that I love.”

Inspiration is key to success and gives a drive for your dream.

“My inspiration is my brother senior Stanley,” Smith said.

“He was the one who introduced me to the game at a young age and I looked up to him as a soccer player, he has helped me in ways unimaginable.”

Smith is working hard to make his family and friends proud as he pursues his dream.

“It’s an honor and a blessing and I thank God for that opportunity everyday,” Smith said.

“I thank God everyday because I know he has blessed me with a talent which I’m using towards something that I love.”

sports

“When I’m having a really good race, there’s not another feeling like it in the world. All the thoughts leave my head and I just feel on top of the world,” junior Anni Eger said.

Between 4:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Eger is in full swimming mode. Her skill may go unnoticed due to her humility, but she is a record-setting swimmer at Martin and has exceeded all expectations of her.

Eger has stood out clearly since her freshman year when she set the school record in the 100 backstroke with only 59.14 seconds. Her incredibly high skill level has put her in lanes next to Olympic swimmers like Missy Franklin and in the same meets as Ryan Lochte. Although extremely talented, she gives all the glory to her Lord.

“I want people to see that I’m not successful because I’m so great or awesome or anything, but because I serve a God who redeems and has amazing, amazing power,” Eger said.

Swimming is not as relaxing as many may see it to be.

Paddling through practices every morning and night Monday through Saturday is just routine for swimmers like Eger.

She has been swimming since she was six, when her mom forced her into the YMCA league, and she instantly fell in love with it. Last year she suffered from a serious back injury that put her out for most of the season. Despite the time off, Eger hopped right back into the pool and began training again.

“It really wears you down, so it’s easy to become discouraged,” she said. “I get through that by setting goals and reminding myself of why I’m swimming and why the pain will be worth it, and also through prayer. When I’m really discouraged I just talk to God and remember His promises and just knowing that I can do it because my strength is not my own.”

Recently she competed in Regionals and

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Photo by Lizzie Kirkham didn’t do as well as she wanted to, but still placed in several events. Not only does her determination and motivated spirit help her, but her other teammates benefit from it also.

“Her skill level that has already come to my level which continues to keep me motivated,” senior Taylour Benett said.

“She doesn’t quit.”

Although swimming is time-consuming and sometimes keeps her from spending time with friends, Eger has become very close to a lot of her fellow swimmers at Martin.

She said she genuinely loves to support her teammates, but also compete against them.

Even for someone extremely talented, the waves get rough and she begins to wear out, and sometimes thoughts about quitting flood her mind.

“When it gets hard and my practices seem impossible, I think about quitting, but then I think of how far I’ve come and how much I love it and I could never actually quit,” Eger said.

She continues to stick it out and keeps on racing in hopes to swim in college. No matter what happens, Eger plans on giving all the attention and praise to God, her strength.

“I want people to see that I’m not successful because I’m so great or awesome, but because I serve a God who has amazing, amazing power.”

Dream team Mr. MHS men of 2013 describe their experiences.

Kimberly Clower • Sports Editor

“The practices are so fun. It’s a little tough to teach a 10-minute dance to a group of guys when most of them are terrible dancers to begin with. Once we figured out all the moves, it all jammed together.”

• senior Zeke Blinn Photo by Chandler Harrell

“I had bought the suit a long time ago and when it came to Mr. MHS I quickly realized I needed to use it and be funny, but with our skit, Blake and Pearson came up with the whole idea and told me about it and we all liked the idea.” • senior Mason Hicks.

Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

“We worked on it quite a bit – probably about 12 hours of work. It was hard remembering the choreography and singing at the same time.”

• senior John Ganss. Photo by Chandler Harrell

“I was really surprised because it’s usually always a senior.” • freshman Jay Schmidt Photos by Karsen Cinquepalmi

“We’re best friends and we wanted to do something that symbolized it. We wanted to do something that would make us stand out.” •freshman Kyle Lewis Photo by Chandler Harrell

“I was shocked.

There were a lot of good guys that could’ve won so I was surprised they picked me to win.”

• sophomore Ukoh Essang Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

news

“I was shocked that I was voted into the top five, but I felt like I kind of messed up on my question so I didn’t expect to get a runner up or win the contest.

But luckily enough, I got second runner up. I really was surprised but happy at the same time.

•junior Cedric Fernandes Photo by Karsen Cinquepalmi

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