The Warrior Post - October 2013

the

Warrior Post

Martin High School 4501 W. Pleasant Ridge Dr. Arlington, TX 76016 Volume 32, Issue 1 October 24, 2013

‘Life is fragile’

Senior William Walters discovers peace in working at a funeral home

Photos by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

What’s Inside?

Musicians

Students launch a musical career while juggling classwork

Life beyond Cancer Warriors stay strong after their battles

Sports injuries Students struggle with the increase of injuries

Mandi Woods • Features Editor

I

t’s one of those things in life that is inevitable. We fear it, hate it and curse at it when it happens to those around us.

Death.

Senior William Walters has worked at The Wade Family Funeral Home for almost two years. His job ranges from keeping the prep-room clean to doing waxwork, make-up and hair on the deceased in order to make those with obvious injuries more presentable. As a young boy in grade school he discovered his fascination with hearses, the car in which the deceased are picked up in and taken to their funeral. Little did he know, this would be the first step towards what he is doing these days.

Walters and his mother, Tracy Bargy, took care of his grandmother, Jerry Bargy because she had heart problems at the age of 70. Walters got his hardship license in order to take her places. When he was in eighth grade, his grandmother

asked him to go get On the Border to get her some tortilla soup. When he returned, she was in the chair where he left her and had passed away. This was the first funeral Walters worked. He knew everything she would want to get ready, “She wore Ralph Lauren Romance Perfume and I knew how she would want her hair and make-up done,” Walters said. “A funeral is there to give you closure. It’s not for the deceased because they’re already gone. It helps start the grieving process.”

His sophomore year, Walters was looking for a job that not only rewarded him by learning something new everyday, but that he could do to help others. He visited four different funeral homes that were all owned by the same corporation before being advised to look for a familyowned funeral home. Finally he got an interview with Michael Wade from the Wade Family Funeral Home.

Wade told Walters upfront that he wasn’t looking to hire, but he was interested in what he had to say and why he was interested in the job. Immediately

Walters was discouraged, but after talking some with Wade, he began to show him around the funeral home and introduced him to the other employees.

When they passed the piano, he asked if Walters could play.

“I swear he only hired me because I could play the piano,” Walters said.

Being the only employee still in high school can be tough, but he gets to do quite a bit and everyone is really nice.

During the summer, his work hours vary because the time of death varies, but when school is in he works on B days after school and Saturdays. Because it is family owned, he has more flexibility.

“In the death business, dress clothes become an everyday thing. Ties don’t mean anything anymore,” Walters said.

Day to day he works with deceased people, getting them cleaned up and fixed for their funeral. On average, he works about 15 to 20 hours a week. Walters said he views the deceased as individuals and treats them as if they were still alive. Before he pulls the cloth covering them,

Continued on page 9

#THROWBACK

Students, faculty remember Andrea Winfrey Abby Bishop • Editor-In-Chief

A look back at some of the events and happenings here at MHS

Beloved Martin teaching assistant Andrea Winfrey passed away suddenly at her home Oct. 15.

Winfrey worked as a teaching assistant in the Social, Emotional and Academic Success (SEAS) program. She worked directly with several kids, helping them in many different ways.

“Winfrey was definitely a believer in education,” SEAS teacher Diana Urwiller said.

Winfrey had obstacles of her own growing up. After years of work and study, she was slated to receive her teaching certificate this December.

Winfrey used her past obstacles to help current students face and conquer challenges put in their way. She helped students deal with issues that were keeping them from being successful.

She was involved with the SEAS program, but she helped other students that she met as well.

“She told us stories of people she would find in the restroom, in the hallway, who were upset about something, and she would counsel and encourage them, and then check up on them later to see how they were doing,” teacher Valerie Prange said. “That was just completely outside what she did here.”

Friends and colleagues said that Winfrey set boundaries, she kept her word, and she did what she said she was going to do. She really cared about how the students were doing.

“She told me, ‘I know you don’t think I like you, but I love you kids just like you’re my own,’” sophomore Mason

Junior James Shelby sculpts in Ceramics II class. “I enjoy art and working with my hands,” Shelby said.

Photo by Jake Justice Senior Brenda Chavez-Mayo participates in a trust fall at a Journalism ropes course at Lamar Oct. 4.

Editors of Newspaper, Yearbook and Literary Magazine do team-building exercises each fall. “I like the feeling of free falling because of the adrenaline rush,” Chavez-Mayo said.

Photo by Kaitlyn Whetstine

Varsity Volleyball celebrates a victory over Paschal Oct. 18. The next game will be against North Crowley Friday, Oct. 25. Photo by Dan Regalado

Life beyond cancer

...continued from page 10 Nagim has been in remission for 17 years after having a lumpectomy a month after her diagnosis.

“When I first found out I had stage 1 cancer, I wanted to cry,” Nagim said.

Soon Nagim learned that her cancer wasn’t as severe as several other patients in the cancer center who had critical lung cancer and a higher risk of fatality.

“I’ve become sensitive to cigarette smokers,” Nagim said. “Seeing the lung

cancer patients still smoking after being in that condition horrified me. Now I talk to my students about being healthy and not smoking.”

Cancer didn’t slow Nagim down. Her son was a senior the year she was diagnosed, which helped her push through that school year.

“My teacher friends were so supportive,” Nagim said. “If something happens, you know there are people to help you.”

Nagim has started taking yoga classes and lifting weights throughout the years to continue being healthy.

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Bailey Lewis • Reporter

Rowlend said.

Her students said Winfrey was a mother figure to most of the students she worked with. She was honest, gave lots of advice, and stressed that education was the most important thing.

Winfrey was very involved with her kids and would reward them for their work.

“She was the closest thing, besides my babysitter, to a mother I’ve ever had,” freshman Jennifer Kaker said.

Winfrey had two children of her own and a grandson. Her daughter Brina Newton was in the class of 2013. Winfrey was always concerned with her children’s education.

“She loved Martin High School, and she loved the fact that her daughter graduated from here,” Prange said.

She had expectations of herself and of others, and even though education was important, she had a high standard for manners and respect.

“She was one of those teachers you looked forward to coming to school to see,” Rowlend said.

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The Warrior Marching Band is starting out the competitive season strong, but the competition isn’t only with other bands. Members of the band also compete with each other. The Warrior’s 2013 show is entitled “Elegy,” which is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, but the show is only designed for a specific number of people, which presented a challenge to the successful band program.

“Usually we take the numbers of the returning band members and add a certain percentage of freshman,” Head Band Director David Carbone said. “After students are evaluated, they may be designated as a primary cast member, an alternate, or a shadow.”

Over a period of the summer students were watched to determine their strength of marching. Students who are ready will receive their permanent spot.

If two students are equal in talent they

will become alternates with each other, switching back and forth during rehearsals and alternate performances. Shadows learn the drill and all the formations behind a primary cast member.

“Shadows are a part of the varsity marching band just like everyone else,” Carbone said. “They’re like understudies for theater. They still go to every rehearsal, learn all the lines, and in the event the primary cast member can’t perform, the understudy will step in.”

The purpose of shadows is to make the individual a strong marcher before they perform with the full band. Learning a show helps them do this.

“Being a shadow was fine with me because I wanted the band to have the best people,” sophomore and former shadow Lauren Gamble said. “It made me want to work harder, though.”

Shadows are not treated any differently.

They are held to the same high standard as the rest of the band and are expected to be just as disciplined.

Warrior Band members act as “shadows,” marching in place and playing along in the sidelines in after-school rehearsals. The program was designed to strengthen all band members’ skills and achieve 100 percent participation. Photo by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

“They have the same requirements,” Carbone said. “They’re expected to learn music. They’re expected to get better fundamentally on their marching and learn the spot.”

“Being a shadow was interesting,” Gamble said. “You learn a lot from watching people.”

The goal is to get as many kids as possible in primary spots, and Carbone said he wants maximum participation.

“You go to shows and see some of these bands with 30 to 40 kids on the sideline,”

Carbone said. “I don’t necessarily subscribe to that. I don’t think you should have 30 to 40 kids not participating.”

The goal of the system of shadowing is to make everyone successful and to have the strongest band on the field.

So far, the Warrior band has placed third at Mansfield’s Preview of Champions, fifth at Birdville Marching Festival and eighth at the Band of America Regional Championship Finals. They also earned a Grand Champion title at the Wylie Marching Invitational Oct. 20.

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Raising

Warriors and community get new workout equipment

the bar

Elephants, snacks and studying make the UIL science team a success Michaelann Durden • Reporter

F

New tardy policy considered a success

Jaycee Allen • Reporter Sprinting through the hallways, students know they could lose exemptions if they’re not in class on time.

The school year started off with a new rule. The new adjustment to the tardy policy only allows students three tardies for all their classes combined on one semester as opposed to having three tardies per class each semester.

“The rule was decided by a collaboration, not just one person,” assistant principal Scott Johnston said. “It was time to make a change. Last year in one six weeks, there were over 4,000 tardies.”

With such a new and dramatic change, the students are still adjusting to the rule.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” senior Katie Hughes said. “Kids who live farther away can’t make it on time and the tardy rule makes it more stressful.”

Under the new policy, instead of a student walking into class late, the teacher will lock her or his door once the tardy bell has rung. Then the student must go down to their assistant principal’s office, explain why they are late, and receive a pass to get into class.

“Now people have to go to the office and miss a lot of class time rather than just missing a little time out of class,” senior Megan Grimes said.

Administrators seem to be hopeful that the policy will continue to be effective.

“The tardy rule has been successful so far,” Johnston said. “It’s brought the tardies down and has increased time in class.

Mad scientists

Junior Noah Bondurant works out in the new Warrior Performance Facility during football class third period. The $150,000 project was paid for with fundraisers and donations. Photo by Kaitlyn Whetstine

Desy Thompson • Reporter There are 20 percent fewer tardies than there were last year at this time.”

Not only are the amount of tardies decreasing, but now there is more teaching time for the teachers.

“I think that proof is in the pudding,” photography teacher Dan Regalado said.

“There aren’t as many kids in the hallway after the tardy bell rings. We have raised our expectations and kids have met them. It’s professional to be accountable and it’s what will be expected in a professional environment.”

“I feel like it is definitely more of a hassle for the administrators,” Johnston said. “We have to deal with the students now instead of the teachers having to.

The students seem to be cooperating to the rule pretty well. I hope they can keep up the progress.”

C

Art by Rachel Tyler

“The tardy rule has been successful so far.

It’s brought the tardies down and has increased time in class.” news

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onstruction is now finished on a project that will improve the health and fitness of our community. It was a $150,000 project, and thanks to all of the booster clubs and community support, Martin raised the money to complete it. Construction was finalized in July.

The new Warrior Performance Facility consists of a sand pit, monkey bars, hurdle flexibility, parallel bars, and tall stairs designed for plyometrics. Coaches from The New England Patriots and the University of Alabama have seen it and have received the designs to work on similar facilities for their own players.

Every summer for the past eight years Martin has held a summer workout Strength and Conditioning camp. The camp has grown over the years. At the beginning there were only around 30 kids participating, but this past summer there were around 400. The Warrior Performance Facility was completed this summer so the campers could use it. It was a new and successful way for all the people at Strength and Conditioning camp to get a good workout for the day.

“It’s been wonderful,” coach Juli Gage said. “We are able to change up our workouts and not do the same thing everyday.”

Because Martin’s athletic programs have grown, not everyone can be in the weight room at once.

“Not only were the players not getting the workout I wanted them to get, but it was also a safety issue with that many people in the weight room at once,” head football coach Bob Wager said.

“We had to think of different ways the players could get a good workout using the space we had.”

The Warrior Performance Facility is located outside of the weight room for anyone – students as well as community members – to use at any time.

“I think we can definitely make some improvement in all of our work ethic just from having a bigger space and things we didn’t have before,” Gage said.

Wager said he believes the facility has made improvements in our athletes.

“There is an improvement in time and the overall performance,” he said.

The players enjoy the new equipment and the coaches have even tried it out.

“We haven’t made the players do any drill we haven’t tried before,” Wager said.

our years ago, one of the members of Martin’s perennial district champion UIL science team got a stuffed elephant and declared it the mascot. The team carries the blue elephant named Ralph with them to every meet. Ralph was then passed down to a younger team member when the original owner graduated.

“Ralph is subject to being tossed around and violently gripped before meets,” said senior Osman Moneer, who’s been competing since his freshman year. “He raises morale for the team. I’d say he’s pretty lucky. We’re taking him to state this year.”

Head AP Physics teacher Jay Atman said he became the coach of the Science UIL academic team when they needed someone, and in a way he has access to Martin’s top science students.

“All of us have to know about biol-

ogy, chemistry, and physics,” sophomore Hrishita Tiwari said. “But Mr. Atman just has people specialize in the subject they’re studying in school. That way we are the very best we can be.”

Everyone on the team gets exposure to all subjects through after school practices and a summer camp.

“The Science UIL test covers a lot of material in depth,” senior Jack Brown said. The Science UIL camp held in the summer is designed to teach people as much as they can learn about biology, chemistry and physics. The camp reviews material that’s taught during the school year, and also material that isn’t taught during the normal school year.

“There are three instructors from different schools, one specializing in each subject of science,” Brown said. “At the beginning of the week students are split up into three groups of different levels of experience.”

Brown says they do this so that the

teachers can adapt their teaching skills for the amount of experience they’re teaching. At the end of the week, everyone takes a practice UIL test over the material they’ve covered and then they have a party.

“There’s a lot of valuable information to be learned even for students not interested in competing,” Brown said.

During fall and late winter, the team competes in invitational meets. The UIL Academics competition starts with the District Spring meet. The amount of people allowed to compete in the District meet is limited, so Martin takes the top six students on the team.

The Science contest is structured as a 60 question test – 20 for biology, 20 for chemistry and 20 for physics. Individuals can place overall or in a specific subject.

Teams consist of the top three scorers on the overall test.

“Over Spring Break every year, we go to the TMSCA (Texas Math and Sci-

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ence Coaches Association) State meet in San Antonio, which is essentially a UIL State level event where teams all over the state attend,” Moneer said.

“My junior year, I placed fifth at the TMSCA State meet for my grade,” Moneer said. “After I finished my test, I walked out of the room and headed to our team meeting spot to talk about the test with everyone else. During the test, I was jittery because I felt that I knew how to do most everything. I finished the two-hour test in 45 minutes, but because I didn’t want a weak performance due to an overconfident attitude, I took the test a second time to ensure that I did what I knew correctly. We spent the previous night in a hotel nearby and stayed up until 2 a.m. eating a variety of snacks and studying. I managed to get through 200 pages of my biology book, which helped me on a good portion of the biology test.

All in all, it was one of the best school trips I’ve been on.”

What you didn’t know about our new administrators Tupelo Witte • Reporter

Lizzie Kirkham • Photo Editor

Assistant Principal

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Dean of Instruction

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Madeline Maxwell • Sports Editor

Dr. Mychl Buckley Where did you get your do ctorate?

“Pepperd

ine University. It is in Administrative Leadership Policy.”

How did you get your na m

e?

“It is inspired by LA Lakers basketball player , Mychal Thompson.”

How did you come to wor k

at Martin?

“My name was entered int o a pool for administrators and got a call from M rs. Roddy, and here I am.”

Are you married/do you ha

ve kids?

“Yes, I have been married for 16 years and I have a 13-year-old son. My wife is a computer programer.”

Where are you from?

“I am from Las Vegas, and I have lived in Ne w England, Michigan and Texas.”

If you weren’t in education , what would you do?

“I would probably be a basketball coach because I love sports and they kep t me out of trouble when I was a kid.”

Do you have any tattoos?

“No, but I have a brand from my fraternity, Kapp a Alpha Si, on my forearm. ”

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Zandra Marshall name?

How did you get your so my name was

y “I was expected to be a bo were going to name me last-minute. My parents Diedrick.”

Do you have any kids?

est is 27, W hitney. My “I have three kids. My old a. My youngest is 10, middle child is 15, Alian Joshua.”

you have ever What is the bravest thing done?

September during a wo-

t “I ziplined over a lake las ing to get us to overcome try re mens’ retreat. They we our fears. I did.” .

your background Tell us a little bit aboutisc onsin so I own a W “I grew up in Milwaukee, moved here in 2004.”

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t would you like If not working here, wha to be doing as a careerd?to be a teacher, but I

“Well, I have always wante lging on a stage. I love sou would also love to be sin ful music.”

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Do you have any tattoos a Jamaican flag, a Cross, ve “I have three tattoos. I ha s, ‘I sing because I’m say t tha ff sta al and a music happy.’”

Senior mother raises toddler

“I felt like my life was ending. But I wouldn’t change anything because he is my son and I love him.”

Monica Boyles and Megan Wilson • Reporters

P

regnancy. What does that mean to you? For many it’s a death sentence.

To others it’s a blessing.

Senior teen mom Brittany Walker* once saw it as a curse, a hopeless situation but now, almost three years later, she no longer sees it as a such a bad thing.

“The best part about being a mom is being able to hold my child,” Walker said. “He’s my world. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Being pregnant in high school is very hard because of the reaction of classmates and peers. For Walker, who transferred to Martin only after her child was born two years ago, the change was necessary.

“When I would walk down the hall, people would give me dirty looks and openly say mean things to me,” Walker said. “They said things no pregnant person should ever hear.”

Because of the reactions from her previous classmates, she’s told very few people at Martin about her experiences and about the fact that she’s raising a toddler son.

Her situation also caused her to lose a few of her friends but, there has always been one person who has stayed by her side.

“My mom has definitely been my biggest supporter,” Walker said. “I don’t know what I would do with out her.”

Although, Walker said her mom was upset when she first heard the news, she realized there was nothing she could do to change it.

“When I first told my mom I was pregnant, she was brokenhearted,” Walker said. “She didn’t know what to do because my sister had also become pregnant when she was my age.”

When Walker and her boyfriend found out, they had different reactions.

“It felt like my life was ending,” Walker said. “I was a cheerleader and I had planned to play softball, but that all had to end. When I told my boyfriend, he was in denial. He didn’t want to believe

it was his. It took until after the baby was born before he started to accept it. I think he knew it was his when he looked into his eyes.”

Walker said she still stays in contact with her ex-boyfriend.

“My ex pays child support, and we alternate weeks,” she said. “He gets him one week and I get him the next.”

There are a lot of responsibilities that come along with being a teen mom.

“Taking the most responsibility is probably the hardest part about being a teen mom, but it just sort of happens that way, and I tend to be with him the most.”

Even though Walker is going through a tough time, she said she wouldn’t change her past.

“I wouldn’t change anything, because he is my son and I love him,” she said. “I know I made a mistake, but I don’t want to go back and not have him.”

Walker has advice for girls who are going through situations like hers.

“Don’t let people get you down,” she said. “Make sure you have people there to support you and have your back. Also to wait to have sex and if you are going to, know that the person will stay with you.”

The pregnancy counselor here at Martin, Josie Drewett, said that she felt that hardest part about helping the teenage girls is that by the time they come to her, the girls’ options are limited.

“Mainly it’s difficult just watching them deal with the challenges of a possible pregnancy, and then helping as they are trying to figure out what they are going to do and how to tell their parents,” Drewett said. “I wish I could help with more prevention so students don’t get to that point of actually being pregnant.” *Not her real name Note: If you or someone you know needs advice about pregnancy, visit AISD’s Pregnancy Related Services page at aisd. net/aisd/prs

Chemistry and AVID teacher Susan Darr works with her third period freshman AVID class. The program continues to expand at Martin.

Students interested in the program can apply in November. Photo by Cailynd Barnes

Applications for AVID program beginCaiin November lynd Barnes and Roberta Flores • Reporters

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nterviews will begin in November for students interested in being part of the AVID program. AVID is a class period that gives students a support system to help them get to college.

Students who want to be part of the AVID program should see AVID Coordinator RJ Williams in 285A. Applicants must go through a selection which includes filling out an application, three teacher recommendations, and an interview with Williams.

AVID requires that each student in the program is enrolled in at least one PreAP or AP course, but it is recommended that the student takes more than one.

“AVID is an organization, college prep, and most importantly a family at school,” freshman Sommer Eddleman said.

Today AVID, which started in 1980 at one high school with 32 students, now impacts more than 700,000 students in more than 4,900 schools in 46 states.

“I saw the outlooks on the students and that’s what changed my mind about retiring,” AVID teacher Richard Ellis said.

“The class is more than a book. We have a lot of students who care so much about getting into college.”

Ellis, after working at Martin for 10 years, has dedicated so much time and effort into helping the students get ready for college. During the five years he’s taught AVID, he has graduated many of his kids with excellent scholarships.

“Mr. Ellis is one of the best people chosen,” junior Brandon Berens said. “He knows what he’s talking about in class

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and is firm when he needs to be.”

Chemistry teacher Susan Darr teaches the AVID freshmen.

“I misunderstood what AVID was,” Darr said. “I wanted a challenge other than Chemistry and I needed something different. What I love about AVID is you actually have time to connect with the students. I feel like I am there to help them understand teachers are human, and I’m starting to understand that students are human too.”

Psychology teacher Rachael Peterson has been teaching AVID for four years.

Her goal for AVID is to make sure her students know how hard it is for them to get into college.

“AVID has changed my life by, helping me become more aware of all the work that goes into getting into college,” Peterson said.

Perinza Reddic has been teaching English for 18 years. She taught AVID and English at Boles Junior High. Last year she started teaching English I at Martin. While she is not officially teaching an AVID class, she continues to use the strategies that AVID uses in her English classes. She currently serves on the AVID Site Team, which helps with all the decision making for Martin AVID. “As a teacher I’ve always felt like I wanted to do what I could to help students,” Reddic said. “AVID is a great support to help students achieve the goals and wonderful opportunities that are given to help students fulfill the dream of going to college.”

Brakes, bikes and brains

Music in the halls Head custodian has a passion for singing

Photos by Brenda Chavez-Mayo Scan this QR code to hear Head Custodian Diana Johnson sing:

Cameron Skanes• Reporter

H

ave you ever been sitting in class, when all of a sudden, you hear an angelic singing voice filling the hallways?

Maybe you’ve wondered which American Idol contestant is roaming the hallways of Martin High School.

But little did you know that amazing voice belongs to our very own Head Custodian, Diana Johnson.

When did you start singing, and who inspired you to sing?

“I started singing when I was five years old. My grandmother inspired my singing. She used to say, ‘Singing takes all the burdens away.’”

Is music your way of doing ministry?

“Yes, it is. I believe singing is from the heart, it’s not just a sound.”

What do you like the most about working at Martin?

“I’ve been working here for 17 years and it’s always been about the students. I like the way I impact the students, and I love when they come back. They always have positive attitudes.”

Senior Kamber Kirchmeier is all kinds of brilliant Kyle Desrosiers•Reporter Mechanic, motorcross racer and scholar, senior Kamber Kirchmeier, does not think of herself as interesting.

In reality, she is anything but average.

Kirchmeier’s family owns and operates a mechanic shop, ACME Garage.

This past year, she began to learn some of the trade.

“I started out doing clean up, and worked up to harder jobs,” she said.

“My dad would work on fixing something with me, like a spark plug or an oil change. Then the next time he would make me do it myself.”

This method worked, and now Kirchmeier can do anything from changing spark plugs and oil to repairing mechanical parts.

“You just do it,” Kirchmeier said. “It’s like working on a puzzle and finding the right solution.”

In addition to her mechanic work, Kirchmeier races motorcross. Her father operates an off-road and open motorcycle racing business, which hosts 10 races a year.

The business started with motorcycles and then expanded to include ATVs and four-wheelers.

Kirchmeier and her dad work on ATVs, custom building roll cages and doing repairs.

“My dad and grandpa dirt-biked, and taught us to off-road as young kids,” Kirchmeier said.

She has been racing ever since.

“I race a 250cc (horsepower), but most people race a 450cc, even other girls,” Kirchmeier said. “I go slower on open road, but in forested areas, since it’s lighter and narrower than most, I can go faster around trees and people.

If you could change one thing about Martin, what would it be?

“I would have students clean up after themselves more. It’s mostly the freshmen, but by the end of the year they learn.”

How have you impacted the students at Martin?

“I think just being here for them. They know they can come to me with anything because I won’t tell people. When they’re in bad moods or crying, I’m here to uplift them, for boys and girls.”

What motivates you to do this job?

“I only have me to take care of me. I try to help avoid health issues by keeping the school clean.”

Tell me about your second job?

“I work at Hugely Hospital with with sleep apnea titrations, to keep people breathing when they sleep at night.”

What would you do if you weren’t here at Martin?

“I’d work full time at the hospital. In fact, I will become a certified medical assistant in the very near future. Change is good and healthy.”

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It’s more agile. I usually win.”

Recently, having barely started in a long competition, Kirchmeier had an accident and broke her wrist.

“I hit someone 20 minutes into an 80-minute long race, but I kept going,” Kirchmeier said. “During the race, it got all purple and swollen. At the end, the medic said, ‘Yeah … it’s broken.’”

Besides motorcross, working on cars and playing multiple sports, including club volleyball, soccer, and cross country, school and education are very important to Kirchmeier.

She’s in the top two percent of the senior class and devotes great amounts of time and effort to her studies.

“Learning is the best thing to me,” she said. “I never want to stop learning.”

Kirchmeier said she loves reading, writing and being outdoors.

“As a kid, I hung out with my older brother and his guy friends playing paintball with the church and video games,” Kirchmeier said. “I never did the typical girl things.”

Kirchmeier is teaching herself to play ukulele in her free-time.

“Some people have natural talent, but I have to work at it to be good,” she said.

Instead of opting for an off-period senior year, Kirchmeier is taking a full eight classes, including Journalism and Woodshop. As the only girl in her woodshop class, she has built shelves, Lazy Susans, and learned how to use all the various equipment.

After graduation, Kirchmeier said she wants to go to college and major in English and minor in creative writing. She will work for her father’s shop between classes.

‘Life is fragile’ continued from page 1... he addresses them by their last name and apologizes for how exposed they are then asks permission to dress them and does as he needs to. If he accidentally bumps their head, he apologizes.

Being in this profession comes with a lot to handle.

“When older people die, I can understand because they have had their time on Earth,” he said. “When people commit suicide, they chose to. It’s those around them who have to deal with the pain. What really gets to me is when children die because in my mind, they’re innocent.”

When on a call to pick up someone who has just passed, Walter is normally the one to put the body on the gurney.

“When it comes to a child, never put them on a gurney,” he said. “You pick them up and put them in the back of the hearse. That is someone’s child. You hold them as if they were your own. It doesn’t

matter what color or religion, what differences you have or do not have. That is a child.”

After high school, Walters said he wants to major in the pathology field in order to become a medical examiner doing forensic autopsies. He will be in college for around eight years. Then he will work until his 40s or 50s and with the money he saves, Walters will build his own funeral home like they use to have in the olden days. The funeral homes then consisted of three floors and the outside looked much like a house. The basement would be the prep-room, second floor would be a chapel and viewing rooms then his personal house on the third floor. Walters doesn’t agree with some of the business-like atmosphere in some corporation-owned funeral homes today and plans to change it.

With seeing so much death, Walters has learned to look at life in a way that

most people don’t.

“Young people live to live, but really you should live to die,” he said. “Cherish the small things because life is fragile. It doesn’t take much to kill us but it does take a lot from those around us when we are gone.”

People come and go, we forget to give

them a chance.

Walters said he lives by one of his favorite quotes that he once heard at a funeral: “If people would take the time to live simple, love generously, care deeply and speak kindly, the world would be a better place.”

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features

Life beyond cancer

Students and teachers discuss how they’ve overcome cancer

Jennifer Forsberg • Copy Editor Rayan Toliver • Reporter Photos by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

The pain of surviving

A moment is often taken to remember the ‘lost but not forgotten.’ Now we take a look at the ones who do the remembering.

Alec De Lon and Kaitlyn Whetstine • Reporters -Art by Rachel Tyler Stan Mullin “My thought was this can’t be good,” Earth and Space teacher Stan Mullin said when he was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma February 29, 2012.

“I think it kind of stunned my sons a little,” Mullin said. “I’ve always been pretty healthy, so they weren’t used to me getting medical treatment all of the time.”

Not only was his family helpful in coping, but also his work family such as Mary Broker, Linda Allison, Jack and Linda Shawhan and Tricia Regalado.

“My students made me a huge getwell poster when I was getting my first chemo,” Mullin said. “Mary Broker and Tricia Regalado also provided me with a lot of support and insight into what to expect next.”

Mullin struggled with having to answer questions about his condition.

He said that like any other person, he wanted to remain humble when talking to other teachers who had more severe health risks than him.

“I’ve been in their shoes, not knowing what the right thing is to say to someone with severe health problems,” Mullin said. “It didn’t really bother me to talk about it.”

Mullin continued to fight and was always ready for the next step ahead of him and thanks to his wife Carol with him every step to make sure he was healthy, Mullin went into remission Dec. 12 (12/12/12).

“Bizarre dates, huh?” Mullin said. “Carol has really stepped up and helped me fight back, one challenge at a time.”

Sharon Miller

“I try to look at life as each day being an opportunity to be somebody else’s source of happiness,” Theater teacher Sharon Miller said.

Miller was diagnosed with stage 3B colon cancer in April 2010.

“It broke my heart to leave my students at the end of that year,” Miller said. “I wanted my doctor to just cut the cancer out so I could get back to work.”

Right before Miller was diagnosed, her students did a play about cancer called Shadowbox.

“I remember telling my cast, ‘The statistics say 1 in every 10 will have cancer in a lifetime,’” Miller said. “‘That means someone in this room is going to get cancer.’ Then a few weeks later, I was diagnosed.”

Instead of giving up after the diagnosis, Miller decided to make positive changes in her life and was even able to make some new friends at the chemo lab.

“I would love to write a play someday on how patients face terminal illness,” Miller said. “They never give up. They keep coming to the chemo lab while laughing and making jokes.”

Though Miller’s cancer is not yet in remission, she continues to fight. The effects of the cancer and treatment aren’t bothering her so she keeps teaching and directing plays.

“I love teaching,” Miller said. “That’s what’s pushing me to overcome cancer. I could not imagine myself not being here.

Ever.”

Payden Taylor

“Everything in that moment was surreal as if watching it happen to someone else,” senior Payden Taylor said.

During his freshamn year, Taylor was diagnosed with stage 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which is a cancer in the lymph tissue in different parts of the body.

“I knew that I could wither and give up or set an example to others to do okay in high school,” Taylor said.

features

Reaching this point took a while for Taylor. His grades were damaged from being absent due to doctor’s appointments. Even though Taylor tried to maintain a positive attitude, his family was very concerned.

“It was a really shocking and confusing time,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he didn’t know how to tell his family and friends it was going to be okay except to reassure them that the cancer only had a two-to-five percent chance of truly being fatal.

“My friends and teachers were amazingly helpful,” Taylor said. “My church set up a campaign called ‘Purple for Payden’ which helped support my family by selling t-shirts to other churches in the Metroplex.”

During this time Taylor came out of his shell and found out who he was.

“It was good help having friends and loving teachers and family through it all,” Taylor said.

Taylor Helland “My faith has grown tremendously,” senior Taylor Helland, said. “It’s been such a blessing to get closer to God.” Helland was diagnosed with Signet Ring Cell Adinocarcinoma in April 2011.

Although Helland was forced to miss a lot of school, she refused to let her cancer get in the way of her education. Whenever she had the opportunity to attend school, she went regardless of how she was feeling.

“My biggest pet peeve is when people would say, ‘You’re so lucky you don’t have to go to school today,’” Helland said.

Helland’s biggest support came from her friends and family.

“My boyfriend, Chris Messer, came to every single one of my 27 rounds of chemo,” Helland said. “He’s such an amaz-

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ing man.”

During this tough time Helland found refuge in prayer. She prayed when she was sad and struggling, but mostly when she was happy and thankful. This positive outlook on life helped Helland to keep her head up and not fall apart.

“People think prayer is just for asking God for help,” Helland said. “It’s not for me. I thank Him every day for keeping me alive and blessing me in so many ways.”

Helland went into remission in March and now her family focuses on raising money for awareness and research.

“We encourage people to donate to MD Anderson and the clinical trial that Lip Dub helped fund,” Helland said.

Recently Helland was also invited to participate in an event called “Night of Superstars”, which raised money for Ragan’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that encourages and supports families with sick children. Helland and 19 other kids were deemed “Superstars” because of their achievements in areas such as academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, despite having disabling conditions. The Superstars were paired up with a celebrity and together they walked down the red carpet.

“My celebrity was John Patterson, former MLB pitcher,” Helland said. “He was so amazing and nice to me. It was an amazing night and I plan on going back next year as an alumni.”

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ll of life is potential death, a fact that is not a secret to any of us. Death is the train that all of us attempt to outrun, but one that we can never avoid. The irony, of course, is that though we all are conquered by the locomotive behemoth, the true victims are the loved ones of the newly departed. For students who know the true meaning of loss, coping is a near impossible task, yet it is one that is a necessity in survival in our society.

•••

Junior Trevor Mansell persevered after experiencing the death of his brother, Tyler Mansell, two years ago in June.

“I lost my best friend and am now an only child,” Mansell said.

The death of his brother affected him vastly, leaving him isolated together with his family. However, as with most tragedies, the survival of this experience has led to a stronger bond with his parents.

“Whenever I need my parents, they un-

derstand,” he said.

Mansell also said that his brother’s death inadvertently saved him from a world of temptation.

“His death was a wakeup call for me,” he said.

The silver linings in Tyler’s death have eased Mansell’s coping process, but Mansell said he knows that he will always face adversity after losing a loved one.

•••

Senior Haley Jenkins has faced the reaper in a different way than most of us have. Jenkins was five years old when her father died, and although she never felt she lost him because she never got to know him, growing up without a father has come with a different challenge.

One of the earliest memories Jenkins has of her father was at his funeral when she sat on her uncle’s lap. She saw an abyss of tears and a crowded coffin, but was unable to fully process his death for years.

“I saw everyone crying and I didn’t understand why, so I just gave them hugs and kisses and asked them to stop,” Jenkins said.

Growing up without a father for Jenkins meant that there was nobody to support her mother at her sporting events, nobody to bring her boyfriend home to

meet, and nobody to one day walk her down the aisle.

Jenkins said she has never felt loss, but she has had to cope with emptiness and isolation since she was five years old kissing her tear-burdened mother. Today Jenkins finds comfort in her boyfriend, fitness and her strong mother whom she respects more and more every day.

•••

Freshman Cesar Altamirano is a young boy forced to become a young man after the tremendous loss of his brother, senior Leo Avila in May. Altamirano faced traumatic loss that put him into a reclusive state wherein most teens already suffer in a state of confusion, isolation and metamorphosis. Altamirano remembers Leo as a man of morals, a person of dignity, and as a reliable friend.

“He would always talk to me when I got in trouble,” Altamirano said. “He told me to respect my teachers, and to stay in school. He wanted better for me.”

For Altamirano, the phone call that changed his life struck him and still brings him to tears. To wear the cloak of normalcy while suffering day-in and dayout is a heavy invisible burden, one that will bring the strongest to their knees, and the weakest to a hole so deep they don’t know which way is up. The bravery and courage it takes to live a seemingly-normal life is one that demands great personal fortitude and strength - a strength that would make Avila proud.

•••

Junior Alec De Lon faced the tragic loss of his older sister Jordan his freshman year. It was an unexpected loss that, even though it was two years ago, still affects him to this day.

“Losing Jordan makes waking up in the morning a chore,” De Lon said. “I have had recurring nightmares for years about her death and I can’t seem to shake them.

There is a place in my heart where she used to reside. Now it is just a void, an emptiness that I have tried to fill since.”

De Lon regularly attends therapy and said his parents are his main inspiration he has for moving on.

When questioned about whether he is sinking or swimming in the pool of recovery, he said that he’s simply floating, or just barely getting by. Every day seems to be a struggle, but friends and family help him to cope.

•••

For the students burdened by the loss of loved ones, the cloak of normality is a heavy one that can sometimes incapacitate the strongest of us.

When the body of water stops streaming and the river becomes toxic, all that we can do is hope that the ocean can reverberate us back to purity.

The ocean can be friends, teachers, family and superiors. Some days we are the river and others we are the ocean, so long as there is always love for those who are lovelorned, then survival after death is a conquerable abyss.

DF Painting

Paiting interior and Exterior

Ann Nagim

Sheetrock

“I try to make sure everyone is healthy,” art teacher Ann Nagim said.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 completely changed Nagim’s outlook on life.

Power washing Textures

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Daniel Flores (817) 793-8385 danieldfpainting@yahoo.com features

Questions you’re afraid to ask...

Top three news issues in the world that you should know Do you really know what conflicts we are living through? We have wars that you might have heard of but know nothing about, laws being passed that might not be in everyone’s best interest, government shutdowns, and political power plays.

Wow. That’s a lot. But no worries. We’ll break it down for you.

1. What on earth is going on with Syria?

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Concerned that your child is not on schedule to be prepared for college?

Estefany Mendoza • Staffer

Syria is a country in the middle east near Turkey, Iraq and Israel. It is a dictatorship that has been in conflict for many years, but the recent conflict is due to activists and rebels rising against President Bashar-al-Assad’s rule. Since his introduction as president in 2000, thousands of Syrians have been killed by the military, including children because they have stood up against alAssad or have fled to neighboring countries.

Recently the use of Chemical Weapons in the capital city of Damascus on Aug. 21 made worldwide news and it was reported that 1,500 civilians and at least 426 children were killed. The United Nations stepped in to investigate, and discovered the use of the chemical Sarin in M-14 rocket form.

Assad has denied all accusations that his military committed this crime. Syria and Russia have close ties because of business they have with each other. Russia holds a strong position in the United Nations, so they could easily veto any action from the UN to attack Syria.

The UN did not move on Syria because they did not find the culprit behind this crime, but the United States did decide to step in. The US has helped Syrian activists with non-violent issues and Obama has even stated that Assad should leave power, so this attack stirred up things even more. The US wanted to take action against Syria and wanted to provide for rebels, but since there is not just one leader for the rebels, guns couldn’t be distributed because of problems it could cause later on.

Obama was seeking approval from Congress to attack through airstrikes, but in the end, Russia and the United States came up with an agreement to get rid of all chemical weapons in Syria by the middle of 2014, so US attacks have been postponed.

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2. Who is Wendy Davis and why is she running for governor?

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Wendy Davis is a democrat in the Texas Senate. She went to Tarrant County College and then transferred

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to Texas Christian University on a full scholarship. She graduated first in her class and went to Harvard Law School. She worked as a lawyer in Fort Worth and is now in politics.

On June 25 Davis held an 11-hour filibuster until the midnight deadline for the end of the legislative session.

Davis was trying to prevent Senate Bill 5, a bill that massively restricted abortion clinics. This would mean most abortion clinics in Texas would be closed.

So what were the pink tennis shoes for? While doing her debating, Davis wore pink tennis shoes for her 11- hour filibuster. With the help of other democrats, the bill was not passed despite all the opposition from the Republicans. Because of this, Davis received countless support and admiration from around the country, including President Obama.

The bill was still passed and signed by Gov. Rick Perry, who called a special session and signed it July 18.

Davis announced Oct. 3 that she would run for governor against Republican Greg Abbott to fill Rick Perry’s vacant seat.

3. What’s Obamacare?

And why did the government shut down?

Oct. 1, the government shut down because Republicans and Democrats could not pass the next spending plan. It all started because the House and Senate can’t agree over The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Senate is majority Democrat and the House is majority Republican and includes several Tea Party members (which are hardcore Republicans).

Obamacare is the eye of the storm. Obamacare requires all citizens to have health insurance. If insurance is not offered through their employers, individuals can buy low-priced policies.

Republicans refused to fund the budget as long as the Affordable Care Act was included. Due to the disagreement, all government agencies and businesses are closed, from NASA to National Parks to even IRS. The shutdown costs approximately $300 million a day, and the government was reopened Oct. 16 when Congress finally passed a temporary budget which will carry Congress until Jan. 15.

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Earth, wind and Wicca

Student Wiccans share about their unorthodox religion Keely May • Reporter

When you picture a witch, you probably picture someone with a broom stirring spells in a cauldron. Wiccans aren’t the stereotypical witch you would see on Halloween. They are a sacred society of people who believe in Gods, Goddesses and nature warriors.

“People think we go around riding broom sticks, when actually we use them as objects of power,” Wiccan Susie Lynne* said.

Sophomore Brian Herbstritt is a priest in Lynne’s Wiccan coven.

“My grandparents and uncle Roy introduced me to Wicca and I fell in love with it,” Herbstritt said. “It just fit me.”

His dad is a Christian and his mom is Catholic. They both strongly disapprove of his religion. His parents even burned his books about Wicca.

“As long as my dad doesn’t see it, he

doesn’t mind,” Lynne said. “He walks into my room and knows instantly to walk out.”

Getting accepted in society is tough when you’re a bit different.

“People are quick to judge Wicca because of the fact that there is no belief in a Christian God,” Lynne said.

“I used to go to church,” Lynne said.

“When I was there, they accused me of worshiping the devil and wanted me to convert back to Christianity. People have even tried to convert me to Buddhism.”

Wiccans don’t believe in the devil, or any devil in that case, but believe that there is “hell on earth.” Wicca is a lifestyle based on nature.

“It enlightens anyone who wishes to be enlightened,” Lynne said. “It brings us closer.”

In the Wicca religion there is a lot of

Cosplay all day

Junior gets an adrenaline rush working at haunted house Ashleigh Jones • Managing Editor

Seniors Charley Davis and Kimberly Yee bring fiction to life

Natalie Buongiorno • Features Editor Art by Charley Davis

To cosplay is to dress up as a character from a book, movie, video game or anime. Each year, conventions such as ComicCon and A-Kon are held around the country for passionate cosplayers to join together and attend events such as dances, gaming tournamnets, scavenger hunts, artists and voice actor panels. Quotes are from seniors Charley Davis and Kimberly Yee.

praying and blessing of objects and spirits.

“Just like how people pray to their god, we pray to our gods and goddesses,” Lynne said. “We pray for our family and friends. It allows me to express myself.”

Herbstritt said he deals with the rough, everyday struggle of bullying because of his misunderstood religion.

“A lot of people have cussed us out,” Herbstritt said. “I’ve been beaten up, my books have been burned, I’ve been stabbed, and people have tagged my house. People have come up to me and told me that I should just kill myself and that I should be burned on a stake.”

“Anyone can talk about their religion with us. We never try to convert.” Herbstritt said. “People should see the real us. Sophomore Brian Herbstritt demonstrates his beliefs in the Wiccan We’re people too.” religion. Photo by Kaitlyn *Not her real name Whetstine

Halloween double trouble

Our favorite Halloween adventures, crafts and sweets coming your way

Maddy Cope • Entertainment Editor and Morgan McKsymick • Reporter With Halloween just around the corner, we’ve decided to share with you our most favorite ways to celebrate this spooky season.

“Sweet tooth fix”

“Spicing up your home”

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Favorite Halloween Starbucks drinks Pumpkin Spice latte Salted Caramel Mocha Green Tea Frappuccino Cinnamon Dolce Latte Iced Vanilla Spice latte

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Favorite scents for your home and bath Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Pumpkin Cupcake Pumpkin Caramel Latte Marsh mellow Fireside Leaves

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“Grab your cuddle buddy”

“Getting crafty”

Treats with a deadly twist

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Favorite classic Halloween movies Hocus Pocus Halloween Town The Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride Monster House

Cutest Halloween crafts for Halloween parties Ghostly Mason jars Monster door wreath Toilet monster Diva pumpkin Bottle of Boo’s

Junior Kathleen Standifer spends hours after school during October at Hangman’s House of Horrors in Fort Worth, risking her grades and social life to scare people who are out to have a good time.

Standifer started working at Hangman’s two years ago when some of her friends encouraged her to join them one night.

Standifer said she has fallen in love with the adrenaline that she gets while scaring people and watching them run.

“It gives you such a rush, I do not even know how to explain it,” she said. “Seeing the person’s fear just gets me excited.”

She rarely gets scared going through haunted houses with her friends anymore because she knows what is going to happen.

When Standifer first started her interest in haunted houses she thought there was a lot of experience needed, but in reality there was not.

“The only type of experience you need is acting, but other than that no experience is needed,” Standifer said.

Standifer does not have a job other than Hangman’s.

“It’s too hard to stay on top of school because some nights you could be out past midnight cleaning up,” she said.

One night at Hangman’s is pretty tiring especially getting ready. First you have to be there around eight or nine. Then you head over to a table and pick the room you would like to be in for the night and off to costume and makeup, which takes a good 45 minutes.

“I am not a normal girly girl,” she said.

“People say I am different, and I really am.”

“Call us Purple People Eaters”

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Vampire themed Cupcakes Monster Pudding Frankenstein vegetable sandwich Candy filled pumpkin cookies Bloody Mary float

features

When in doubt,

It’ s a crit life rock it out Junior Adreyon Morris pursues his dreams in the rap game

Senior Tristan Lester and Martin graduate Hunter Avant join a band Tyler Forde • Reporter

Jamming out in the sandbox with his grandmother’s pots and pans at age six, senior Tristan Lester began to develop his musical dream.

“My grandma would always get mad when I broke or dented her utensils,” Lester said.

Lester searched online in order to pursue his goal, but nobody seemed to want to give a high school senior a chance.

Through all of the struggle, relief was found when he had came into contact with Vita Versus, a Killeen-based band last summer.

“It all started from a message on Facebook,” Lester said. “Next thing I know, I’m in Killeen getting recorded.”

Vita Versus, once a complete band, was broken up due to struggles between band members. Without a drummer and vocalist, guitarist Brett Wasson and Neil Clauser continued to write music.

Now having the drummer they needed, Vita Versus still has some hardship.

With all of the members being in school there isn’t a great amount of time to practice and produce music, on top of these things the members live in different cities.

With plans for all members to attend UTA in the spring semester, things will hopefully get rolling.

Still in the need of a vocalist, the hunt was on. Soon they stumbled upon Martin graduate Hunter Avant, a TCU vocal major, who recently left a band and seemed to be perfect.

“I’ve seen him preform live before, so I know the talent he has,” Lester said. “He will be a the final piece we need to come together.”

After getting everyone tracked and mixed, Vita Versus is now working on producing an EP, an early premier of what is to come

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on their album. Hours of work writing, making and producing the music all shows.

Vita Versus preforms post hardcore music, a genre of music that is derived from and has origins of the hardcore punk music genre, and is an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement.

With many people not knowing what the genre even is, it is difficult for Vita Versus to get people to listen to their unique sounds.

“We are going to try and promote it to high school and college students at our campuses,” Lester said. “We’ve also had Tyler Carter, a world famous vocalist, feature in one of our songs.”

With big dreams and great talent, Vita Versus is talking about playing at the Vans Warped Tour has arisen. Warped Tour is a summer music festival where hundreds of bands travel all across the United Stated to play shows.

With all members except Lester being in college, the decision has come up as to whether or not members still finish school or go on the Tour.

“The hardest part of everything is going to be deciding if we are all going to finish college now or in the future,” Lester said.

Caleb Smith • Reporter

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Free-styling through the halls, this 16-year-old is thinking about the next lyric to his new song. Junior Adreyon Morris is the name, rap is the game.

Morris was introduced to the rap game by his older brother in his early teen years and also by self-pursuit.

Morris began to find a love and passion for rapping and became hooked.

Through hours of writing lyrics and trial and error, he soon began to develop a unique rapping style that set him apart from current rap artists.

“I like to describe my style as a fluent 90s flow with some aggressiveness at times,” Morris said.

Morris’s purpose for rapping is to promote the idea for people to be themselves and do what they love doing. His headline lingo he created is called Crit Life.

Crit stands for Create-Reveal-Inspire-Today and Life stands for LiveIntelligent-For-Eternity. This national and global movement encourages young people to do what they love and not let anything or anyone get in the

features

way of achieving their goals.

“I don’t judge people on what they love to do,” Morris said. “If that’s what they love and they have a passion for it, let them pursue that.”

Beginning at the age of 14, Morris took his rap career to the next level as he began dropping songs left and right. Some of his songs include “Diamonds,” “Grimy,” “Unjustified Terror,” “Backstreet Freestyle Part 1 and 2,” and “Therapy.” Having a laid-back, write-as-you-go style has allowed Morris to produce many unique songs, but he hasn’t published an album yet.

“I just like to go off the top of my head and rap about what I feel and tend to mess around with words and then I go back and make them into lyrics,” Morris said.

Morris has opened up for well-known current rappers such as Chief Keef, Travis Scott and SchoolboyQ. Those events really skyrocketed his rap career. Morris began to gain fans nationwide and famous rappers started to applaud his work.

“My best performance is when I opened for Travis Scott,” Morris said.

“We were behind the curtains and then we heard the crowd start to chant in unison, ‘Crit Life!, Crit Life!’ And as soon as the beat dropped, the curtains opened and my brother and friends came on stage with me. The crowd showed an exuberant amount of energy, which I fed off of.”

The Warrior Post Martin High School ∙ Arlington. Texas Abby Bishop Editor-In-Chief Ashleigh Jones Managing Editor Jennifer Forsberg Copy Editor Erin Hibbs News Editor Natalie Buongiorno & Mandi Woods Features Editors Ariel Hernandez Opinions Editor Madeline Maxwell Sports Editor Maddy Cope Entertainment Editor Brenda Chavez-Mayo & Lizzie Kirkham Photo Editors Tucker Coble Video Editor

Rethink how senior parking spots are assigned Senior parking spots have always been for example, have to stay late hours, and a long-awaited perk, and getting the best they didn’t get a first draw at the parking spot is a matter of life and death for us. spaces.

Some seniors, though, get to choose their Why not group the members of the spots before anyone else does. clubs together in the senior lots? Each While that’s a little bit understandable, club could have its own block of spots. a new senior parking spot system needs And while we’re making extreme changto be established. This year, the cheer- es, let’s put the band kids in the band leaders, football players, student council, grid so we don’t have to constantly hear and band leaders got first pick for their announcements asking us to please move parking spaces. our cars.

Members of these clubs stay late staffeditorial In the spring, we need at night at school and for security to have each club submit a reasons, need to park near each number of senior parking other. spaces they’d need to have set aside. Then In the past, parking spaces have been do a random drawing of the clubs to dedistributed through raffle tickets, as in termine which club got first pick of the numbers are handed out to the students block of spots. So, if football was drawn in no particular order. However, that first, they would get to choose a block of plan ended on a sour note due to the stu- spots that would be most convenient and dents selling their tickets to each other safe for them. Kids who aren’t involved for a profit. in clubs that stay late should get last pick The problem is that these clubs aren’t after all the clubs have drawn. No one the only organizations that have to stay would have to camp out, and with all the late. Theater, yearbook and other sports, clubs together, it’d be safer.

#FirstWorldProblems Martin students are taking advantage of their privileges

Jarred Osterman & Hannah-Beth Floyd Designers Rachel Tyler Staff Artist

Staffers: Jaycee Allen, Cailynd Barnes, Monica Boyles, Rosa Castaneda, Jazmyn Davis, Alec Delon, Kyle Desrosiers, Michealann Durden, Garrett Elliott, Roberta Flores, Tyler Forde, Bekah Gordon, Emily Gray, Lauren House, Jake Justice, Bailey Lewis, Keely May, Morgan McKsymick, Estefany Mendoza, Aysha Moneer, Sherilyn Morales, Kaitlyn Rosenbaum, Jenna Rowe, Madeline Rusin, Cameron Skanes, Caleb Smith, Desy Thompson, Rayan Toliver, Olivia Viscuso, Kaitlyn Whetstine, Megan Wilson, Tupelo Witte

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 for to students.

Jenna Rowe • Reporter

While in English class, a lot of my classmates started to complain about how we had to write an entire paragraph.

It’s not reasonable that we can complain about silly things like that while kids in other countries don’t have the opportunity to even attend school because their countries are too poor.

Kids in other countries cannot afford to go to school, or worse, they don’t have a school to go to. In a lot of cases, leaders or superiors of the area do not let girls attend school. That in itself is sexism, ridiculing someone based on their gender.

Girls in Yemen are sold everyday by

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their parents to be wives to older men.

They aren’t allowed to go back to the village that they once lived in because they are now property of that older man.

Most of them get sold between the ages of seven and 16. The young girls are just another mouth to feed or a type of slave.

Another struggle that everyone complains about is when the internet runs slow. Think about how some places are in such poverty they don’t even have access to computers. Some are even so isolated from the modern world that they don’t know what the internet is. They have no idea what Facebook, Instagram, iPhones, laptops, etc. are. We are so privileged to have all these things.

Appreciation: something we are lacking. We have clothes on our bodies. Does it really matter if it’s Gucci or Wal-Mart?

We still have clothes to wear everyday.

We have phones in our hands. It doesn’t matter if it’s an iPhone 5 or a Razr Flip Phone. We just need to be happy that we have things to appreciate.

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Ideas to get students to wear their I.D.’s

‘Everyone is crazy’

Senior tells the story of her ultimate fight to find her personality and face her fears

Hannah-Beth Floyd • Designer Try getting into Mrs. Bonner’s class without your ID. Try Mr. Gravelle’s class. We’re supposed to wear our IDs everyday, but it’s so hard keeping up with the thing. It’s unflattering, uncomfortable and overall seems pointless. So how can we get kids to wear their IDs without the complaining that comes with checking them at the door?

What if we could turn our IDs into a type of payment system for on campus? We already use PAMs to pay for lunches online, why not combine that with a barcode on our IDs that links to our account? Save us time by not typing in our ID at the lunch line, or trying to shove coins into a broken slot. A simple barcode is all you need. Losing your ID becomes losing money on your account and we’d be much more likely to keep up with it Ever try getting into the library at lunch? You’ve gotta print that English paper, but there’s a line and you’ve got a meeting to get to. Scan your ID to get through a turnstile, avoid the line and drop off your stuff and go back to lunch.

Left your ID? Enjoy that line.

Tons of clubs and organizations sell those promo cards for discounts around town. Get students discounts at restaurants during lunch hours with their student ID and maybe put those towards fund raisers. Try convincing Jack-inthe-Box to give students ID discounts.

Doing so would get businesses out around town relying on the Martin rush as a sure way to hit sales goals, it would also build relationships around town.

There are ways to get students to wear IDs, and it doesn’t have to be checking them at the door. Make IDs beneficial to us instead of a hassle.

Bekah Gordon • Reporter

M

y dad has a theory that says, “Everyone in their own way is crazy.”

I used to blame my parents. I’d say to myself that they were selfish for having me. My mom signed up for a perfect child, and all she got was a “screw up.”

All the doctor appointments, all the medicine we have to get takes a big toll on our budget. Sometimes I feel that if I were never born, my parents would be so much happier. They don’t deserve to go through all this, to deal with me, this “crazy child of theirs.”

How could they love me when I am such a burden? How can they stand to

have to push myself just to get out of bed to face a world that I fear. I have to push away the terror of facing people, watching them interact with each other, normal and carefree.

I look at things differently than other people. I know this even though I’ve never been in anybody else’s head; I can tell I think differently. I have to monitor every thought that comes out of my mouth. If I fail to do this, people will Photo by Kaitlyn Whetstine look at me like I have just spoken a foreign language that nobody else speaks. be in my presence, when I can’t stand to Sometimes I do convince myself that I be in my own presence? And yet they am completely alone, trapped in my own do. They put up with all the doctor’s head, my own world. appointments that they have to take me Every minute of every day, I am to. And believe me, there are a lot. They exhausted mentally, physically and put up with all my violent mood swings. emotionally.

My mind is constantly I have been diagnosed with ADD, spinning with thoughts, never stopping Depression, Anxiety, OCD, OCD to take a breather.

Imagine that I’m thoughts and BiPolar disorder. To have physically reaching inside my head, all these makes me feel insane. I’ve been reaching for a thought that is constantly in a mental hospital and two outpatient out of my grasp.

They are thought and programs. I went to a mental hospital then immediately lost to the mess of because I expressed suicidal thoughts. confusion inside my head.

I can’t grasp That was a horrible time for me. There a thought for more than two seconds, I was diagnosed with depression. The barely enough time to process and filter longer I stayed there, the worse my before I make a fool out of myself. depression became.

My bipolar disorder makes me Every day is a struggle. Every day, I

have extremes. Two main ones show themselves often. Most prominent is anger. It’s not the normal kind that you can sometimes shrug off, hold down, swallow or control. It’s the kind that takes over; it controls me. It’s the kind that builds up. It builds and builds until finally, it just explodes.

I’ve been taking medicine since the first grade. Before that, I don’t really remember how I did it. I know that I was happy, but that’s about it. All these years, I’ve been “doped up on drugs.”

My family and I have been to so many doctors through the years, and yet not one has been able to figure me out. I’m a walking, talking experiment.

My medications are constantly changing, never quite finding the right combination. Some of my medicines through the years have left me with lasting side effects including short-term memory loss and tremors in my hands.

Every time I start a new medication, adding on to the long list of others, I cry, mourning the loss of my sanity. Yet I have no idea who I am without these.

My medicine is my personality. It’s who I am. I am terrified of who I would be without my medication. I could be a total stuck-up jerk or I could be your best friend.

Every year it gets more and more difficult. Every year I get closer to the future I’ve been dreaming of, and yet every year I get farther away.

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School spirit: M.I.A. Martin has misinterpreted the idea of school spirit

Sherilyn Morales • Reporter Where did all the spirit go? School spirit is having pride in your school. It means being involved, supportive and enthusiastic about the success of your school. At Martin we have excellent academics, exceptional sports programs and a wide variety of clubs and organizations.

Obviously we have a lot to be proud of.

But unfortunately, other schools set us apart because they view Martin as a school with attitude, poor sportsmanship, and school spirit that has been taken “too far.”

Competitions and sporting events are great opportunities to demonstrate our support and come together as a student body. But sometimes our “spirit” comes across as arrogance. We Warriors sometimes take it beyond just having pride in our school.

Instead of being enthusiastic about going to a great school, we often build our pride off of tearing other schools down.

Our attitude doesn’t come across as “we’re proud to be Martin Warriors.” No, we tend to take it too far, to the attitude of “anyone who isn’t a Martin Warrior is

A different kind of bully

Verbal abuse from students to teachers has gotten out of hand

inferior to us.”

There have always been rivalries between Martin and all of the other schools in our district. We have competed against each other in everything from football games to the Harlem Shake fad. But sometimes unsportsmanlike behaviors toward other schools overshadow the competitive enthusiasm we have about our own.

Pranks, cursing and throwing items at members of other teams seem to be more than just friendly competition. The most recent occurrence is a rumor that Martin students painted over junior and senior parking spots in the Arlington High parking lot. About six spots were ruined, with the phrase “Martin :)” painted over them in red.

Is this how we want to demonstrate our “spirit”? It caused a huge outrage between students from Arlington and Martin. People grew angry over Twitter, and accusations were being made on both sides.

Most Arlington students viewed it as senseless vandalism. However, Martin students viewed it with the attitude of, “I didn’t do it, so it’s not my problem.”

It seems we have become indifferent to how our individual actions affect Martin’s reputation and reflect on the school as a whole.

The rivalries and competitions between schools will always exist, but un-classy actions should not. The fix is easy: we just have to learn the difference between unsportsmanlike behavior and school spirit.

All it takes is a little maturity to go along with the competitive and enthusiastic spirit that all of Martin has.

Jazmyn Davis • Reporter When going into a high school, you expect to see the typical things that come with it: drama, jocks, preppy girls and nerds. But the one thing that seems to stick out the most is the bully.

Bullying happens to a lot of students, but the kind of bullying that comes as surprise, is teacher bullying. Many teachers are the victims of bullying in a variety of ways. Disruptive classroom behavior is one way in which students seize power in class and turn against a teacher, but verbal bullying seems to be the top choice of many.

Students are very quick to take advantage of a teacher who does not have a backbone. Unlike a student, when a teacher is being bullied, they aren’t really taken seriously. The main reply to a complaint for in-class bullying is, “You’re the teacher, control the class,” which isn’t as easy as it seems.

While teacher bullying of students passes for school discipline, student

bullying of teachers may pass for free speech.

I try to mind my own business when I notice a class ganging up on a teacher.

I‘ve realized that everyone tends to call you a “teacher’s pet” when you team up with the teacher to get them to calm down. So I resort to staying to myself.

Many other students feel obligated to say something because it’s their friends doing the bullying, but the outcome varies depending on the situation and the teacher. Sometimes this even causes a wedge between some students and their friends.

It is a very uncomfortable situation. People forget that those teachers are someones’ daughter or son. They wouldn’t want anyone treating their family members like that, so I’m always left confused because they act so coldhearted. The funny this is, when the tables are turned, students are quick to run home and complain to their parents about teachers being unfair or rude.

Teachers sometimes feel they are the victims of bullying by other teachers, by the school administration, or by the school board. Workplace bullying can make life quite miserable and difficult for those who experience it. Supervisors are made aware of adult bullies, but should take it just as seriously when teachers have students who will not relent. And the students need to realize that they attend school to learn, and that bullying a teacher just takes away time that they could be learning a wellneeded lesson.

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Just for

kicks

Freshman Nicole Pinkerton kicks an extra point in the Oct. 7 freshman game against Weatherford. Pinkerton is the only girl on the team, and while she admits that it is difficult sometimes, she said she loves the rush of playing football. Photo by Cameron Skanes

For the first time in Martin history, female kickerjoins the team While Pinkerton’s teammates may However, due to her athletic ability, Olivia Viscuso • Reporter not mind her difference in gender, other her situation is not entirely unique from

A

droplet of sweat trickles down freshman Nicole Pinkerton’s face as she stands under the blinding lights of the football field. She is confident amid the roars of the excited crowd and ready to kick a crucial field goal for her team. Her cleat makes perfect contact with the ball in a picture-perfect motion, and the whistle blows, signaling another point for the Warriors, facilitating their victory against Brewer. Pinkerton is the only girl on the freshman football team, but has no problem keeping up with the boys in practice and on the field.

“It’s a lot of pressure and adrenaline being the kicker, but I like it,” Pinkerton said.

Arriving every day at 7 a.m., Pinkerton works out and practices drills with them, and different as she may be, in terms of coaching, she’s just like one of the boys.

“You can tell they go easy on me in certain drills, but discipline is the same,” Pinkerton said.

The team does all its running, weightlifting and other conditioning together, and while she may be different than what they’re used to, the boys are comfortable with her being on the team.

“I’m not treated as differently as you’d expect,” Pinkerton said. “They tease me, but not in a way to bring me down.

They’re really supportive.”

teams often react with surprise.

During the game, every kid is the same, judged only by skill and ability to play football. But afterwards, when they shake hands, other teams are always astonished and amused upon seeing a girl in a football jersey and pads.

“We are all used to her now, and she’s like a sister to us, but other teams definitely see her differently than we do,” freshman football player Josh Stringer said.

Pinkerton prepares for every practice and game alone in the girls’ locker room, using the quiet time to relax and mentally prepare herself.

“It’s kind of weird, but I read before games if I can,” Pinkerton said.

As the kicker, Pinkerton potentially could be hit every time she enters the field to score an extra point, especially if one of her teammates makes a mistake during the play and leaves her vulnerable.

“One time I got hit, but my mom just asked if I was okay,” Pinkerton said. “I don’t get hurt that easily.”

Pinkerton and her family put a lot of thought into her trying out, even arranging a private meeting with head football coach Bob Wager, just to be sure.

“We’ve had several other girls come through the program, but she’s the first female kicker,” Wager said.

the rest of the male players, and Wager said he agrees that while she is treated just like any of the other players, he does have high expectations for her.

“If she continues to dedicate time and effort to the sport, she could definitely continue in the program,” Wager said.

This is only Pinkerton’s second year playing football, but she is already looking to the future, wondering if she should continue playing.

“My life is so packed,” Pinkerton said.

“I’m very involved.”

In addition to football, Pinkerton is committed to soccer, band and several Pre-AP classes.

“I’m just going to take it one step at a time,” she said. “I really want to continue with football, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”

While being a female football player can be difficult and frustrating at times, Pinkerton said she hopes that she will inspire younger girls who love football to keep playing in spite of the naysayers.

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Pinkerton said.

She said she believes that girls are capable of so much more than they are given credit for.

“Eventually, I think there will be a place for women in the NFL, and I think it will start in Texas,” Pinkerton said.

Senior star is kicking his way to a college football career Garrett Elliott • Reporter

W Senior Spencer Evans warms up before the Oct. 11 game against Pashcal. Evans is the third Martin kicker to recieve Division 1 scholarship opportunities in the past two years. Photo

by Brenda Chavez-Mayo

hen senior place-kicker Spencer Evans squares up to kick an extra point or field goal for the Warrior football team, the kick means much more than the points lit up on the scoreboard.

Evans may ride his leg all the way through college, which is quickly becoming another tradition at Martin.

Evans is not the first Martin kicker to get Division 1 scholarship opportunities.

In the past two years, two Martin kickers received football scholarships: 2012 graduate Jaden Oberkrom to TCU and 2013 graduate Ben Grogan to Oklahoma State.

Evans said he is talking with Kansas, Kansas State, Miami, Oklahoma State,

sports

Texas Tech and Texas State.

“We’ve had great players, and none of that happens if it at first you don’t have great players at the position,” head football coach Bob Wager said.

Wager said that he designates a coach specifically for the kickers and has an overall emphasis on special teams.

Living up to Oberkrom’s and Grogan’s legacy is a lot of pressure, but Evans said that he is up for the challenge.

“There’s a lot of talent that has come through in the past and that is kind of a lot to live up to, but I feel like I’m doing a good job,” Evans said. “I’m doing everything I can to fill the void left by Ben and Jaden, and I am even trying harder to surpass them if I can.”

Evans said that being the starting kick-

22

er is stressful enough, but it also takes a lot of mental and physical strength to be ready.

“There are some small things I do, but overall I like to listen to a lot of music, which helps me relax and not think about the things that are coming,” Evans said. “Just visualizing success calms me down and gets me in the mental state to get it done.”

He said he kicks once to twice a week with a personal coach and kicks on his own other days, along with kicking every day during the season.

“Martin’s goal is to get one signed every year, and from top to bottom, that is a definite possibility with Evans and senior Matt Cluck as well as junior Julien Martinez,” Wager said.

Tough breaks Increasingly common injuries sideline athletes Abby Bishop • Editor-in-Chief

High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations per year. -U.S. Centers for Disease Control “I am in constant pain.”

In December, senior Cindy Grajeda dislocated her shoulder while wrestling, but like most athletes, she continued playing with her injury. It burned out the cartilage around her collarbone, and her tendons became stretched out.

Everything from her collarbone to shoulder to rib cage on the right side of her body is now permanently swollen.

Grajeda’s internal organs shifted lower than where they normally are causing an air pocket in her intestine. Oddly enough, the tiny air pocket causes her to have hiccups.

“I have the hiccups every day, every hour,” Grajeda said. “If I’m not physically moving, I have the hiccups. I am in constant pain. I can’t move like I used to, but I’m still wrestling to pull through my senior year.”

A lot of athletes notice something is wrong with their body but will continue to play throughout the season, usually causing more damage.

“The biggest cause of injuries is overuse,” athletic trainer Rachelle WilsonEvans said. “Teenagers use the same muscle groups over and over year-round causing the same types of injuries. That’s why it is very important to play multiple sports.”

“I did everything until I physically couldn’t.”

Junior Lexie Kingen has also suffered from overuse of her back while tumbling for cheer. She has been doing gymnastics

since she was five, and over time it has deteriorated her bones.

Eventually, two bones broke in her lower back. The pain in her back was sharp, but after surgery it turned into a dull pain.

“I noticed the pain last year in the middle of competition season,” Kingen said.

“I still did everything until I physically couldn’t.”

Kingen is on Martin’s Varsity cheerleading squad and also cheers with Spirit of Texas, but she hasn’t been able to tumble or cheer since March due to her back.

She can only sit and watch until her back heals.

Doctors have said that Kingen’s back will never feel completely healed. She has been out for about six months, and it will be another four months until she can start cheering again.

“I’ve never been without cheering or tumbling for this long,” Kingen said.

There are three times as many catastrophic football injuries among high school athletes as college athletes. -Youth Sports Safety Statistics “I can’t play to my full ability.”

Senior Cedric Fernandez tore his ACL the week before school started last year and wasn’t able to play for about 10 months. During a rainy practice, his knee collided with another player’s and the pop followed.

“The pain was excruciating,” Fernandez said. “I was only thinking of getting off the field because of the pain.”

Fernandez was out for the season and has treatment every morning even now.

He wears his brace during practice and still does workouts to gain his strength back.

“I’m more indecisive now, and I have to be more cautious,” Fernandez said. “I

continued on page 26

23

Football broke his bones, but not his spirit

Lauren House • Reporter

I

thought I would be fine,” senior Trevor White said. “I just thought I twisted it up a little bit.”

He thought this seconds after he was tackled to the turf the weekend before the Allen scrimmage Aug. 23.

“I was tackled from behind and my bone broke all the way through my skin, tearing the ligaments connecting to the leg bones, causing me to break my fibula,” he said.

Senior year is the glory year, and Trevor said he still has high hopes for the season. This being his first year on Varsity Football, he runs along side with his cousin Trip White.

“I was the closest person to the play when Trevor got hurt,” Trip said. “It was crushing to see him go down because of all that he had gone through to get to that moment.”

Despite the injury, Trevor said he still has faith and that he believes his team can keep going, though they lost a player.

“I really have high hopes for our team this year,” Trevor said. “I’ll be able to play game eight against Sam Houston, and even though I was sad at first, I know my team will win and get to playoffs which will give me a chance to play a little longer.”

Inspiration and belief are key.

“I went through off season, summer workouts, spring football and much more with him,” Trip said. “He inspired me with his intensity and integrity that he brought every day, and him being an all-in guy, he pushed me to work harder. Seeing all his hard work thrown away in one play was really hard

sports

Senior Trevor White works out with the varsity team despite a broken leg. Photo

by Cameron Skanes for me.”

Trevor fought the pain with the support of all his friends and family.

“My family really helped me with everything and Trip was with me through the whole process,” Trevor said.

Family rivalry? Of course there is, but it’s not always on the field.

“I mostly play offense now, but when we go nickel defense we play together,” Trevor said. “He’s left free safety and I’m right.”

“Being competitive off the field leads back to the football field where we could actually hit each other, which improved both of our skills,” Trip said.

Trevor hops and skips with his crutches and runs with his team on the sidelines, just with a little bit of trouble.

“Everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me, whether or not it involves football,” Trevor said.

Pounding the

The average cross country runner...

pavement “The most rewarding part of Cross Country is the accomplished feeling you get after a run.”

Aysha Moneer • Reporter Feet pummeled the ground, sweat trickled down faces, hope and anticipation rose as the third mile came to an end. Whoosh – past the finish line.

Cheers erupted. It’s yet another win for the Warriors cross country team.

A typical day for the average cross country runner starts off with arriving at school at 5:30 a.m. for practice, followed by a seven-hour school day, and ends with more running after school.

Practices can vary anywhere from four to 15 miles.

On meet days the team travels by bus to locations as far as Keller to compete in 5K runs around custom-built courses.

After the meet is over, tired, sweaty and all, they pile back on the bus and head to school where they attend their remain-

...runs an average of 40 to 70 miles a week.

ing classes.

“Some people think it’s crazy,” sophomore Tran Le said. “We run a 5K and have to go to school after it. No break, no day off. Being a student athlete means having to manage your life on the track and in school.”

Runners use various techniques in order to cope with the natural elements.

“I wear sleeves on my calves to help with compression,” senior Tyler Forde said. “It helps circulate blood to produce lactic acid and prevents soreness.”

For a cross country student, running is more than just an exercise or a sport.

“The most rewarding part of cross country is the accomplished feeling you get after a run,” Forde said. “When you do something, accomplishing it means so much more since you’ve put in a lot of work.”

“This is going to be huge,” Tennis Coach Derek Moore said. “This is what junior high students need.”

Most know of the eighth graders who come to Martin for foreign languages and other select classes. But starting this year, Martin has started adding something else for junior high students: tennis.

55 junior high students, from Boles and Young, come to Martin on A days for first period and take tennis from our coaches and some of the varsity tennis players. They are separated into seven groups, based on their ability. All

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students wanted to do something else rather than the sports that were already offered, so the tennis program was brought about. It was approved by early May of this year.

Not only do the younger students improve their tennis abilities, they are also making friends and finding something they are passionate about.

“It gives them somewhere to belong,” Moore said. “They are a part of a new place where they can find purpose, and really excel in what they do. The kids seem to really enjoy the program. I see a

24

J

azzy ems

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Teenya Blanchard

Women’s Center

Tennis program expands by offering the sport to junior high students throughout the period, they go through different drills and rotations. Each rotation works on a different skill and with a different coach.

“Working on different skills and with different coaches is very beneficial,” seventh grader Quentin Lie said. “It makes the program more fun, and it makes you a better player.”

The junior high tennis program took two years to come together.

The coaches had to talk to the athletic director, organize parents to write letters to the school board, and take surveys to find out that there was a need for more sports in junior high.

It turned out that over 90 percent of

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Tough breaks

...continued from page 23 can’t play to my full ability because I’m scared something will happen. I’m trying to get over that.”

62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practices. -Youth Sports Safety Statistics “We see more injuries from practices than games, which is strange because athletes play harder during games,” Evans said.

Athletic trainers said they see the most injuries in the transition from fall to winter because the majority of the sports overlap from about October to February.

“I just started crying.”

Senior Hannah Bridger was doing suicide drills at the batting cages with softball her sophomore year. When she turned to go the other way, her knee popped. She was on the ground immediately. She later learned that she tore the meniscus in her right knee.

“I just started crying, and everyone thought I was laughing,” Bridger said. “But I couldn’t move and I was freaking out because it was before the season.”

Bridger wasn’t able to play for any of the scrimmages or tournaments that season but is able to play now.

History of injury is often a risk factor for future injury, making prevention critical. -Youth Sports Safety Statistics The easiest ways to prevent injuries are to stay hydrated and to stretch before and after exercising.

Athletes should communicate with their doctor and/or an athletic trainer as soon as something doesn’t feel right.

“A lot of students will go to their own doctor instead of listening to us,” Evans said. “I wish that they would do preventative exercises and come to us when something doesn’t feel right.”

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www.regencycounseling.com

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Warriors for est

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Homecoming dedicated to raising money for West HS prom Photos by Brenda Mayo

Erin Hibbs • News Editor Explosions hit. Hearts broke. Lives started over. Many went to aid the community and houses that were destroyed in the April 17 calamity in West, when a fertilizer plant exploded and left houses and lives in shambles. Martin has gone a step further to reach out specifically to West ISD by donating gym equipment for their athletic program and funds to throw them a prom. Martin Student Council is selling bracelets to collect as much money possible to throw them a senior prom.

“We wanted to supply them with something unique,” Student Body Treasurer senior Raegan Peck said.

This summer Martin donated over $2,000 worth of gym equipment to West’s P.E. department. During the explosion West ISD lost every piece of P.E. equipment they owned and three gyms were destroyed. Martin Student Council officers were given the opportunity to meet with West ISD Coach McLin.The coach complimented them on their creativity and care for meeting a need that could be overlooked.

“The kids felt empowered because they knew of a specific need and had a contact person,” junior class sponsor LezLee Williams said. “It was glorious.”

McLin sugeested that Student Council officers drive through West to grasp the severity of the damage. They learned that everyone in the community was forced into living in portable buildings that were only equipped with only the basics, running water and toilets. This way of living won’t be changed soon; West residents are expected to call these

concrete rooms “home” until 2015. The damage from the explosion is comparable to the destruction from the tornado that hit Arlington in April 2012.

“The drive through town was made in almost silence,” Williams said. “The utter devastation left us speechless,” This destruction and seemingly hopelessness gave Student Council the desire to do more. They wanted to meet a need that would touch the West High’s student’s hearts also.

Prom is something that many seniors see as a staple of senior year, and our officers wanted to make that a possibility for West.

“Prom was going to be looked over because of the trauma,” Peck said. “We decided that every senior deserved to experience it.”

Student Council teacher Carolyn Powers quickly got ahold of the West ISD Student Services Director.

“If y’all want to donate school supplies, don’t even bother,” West ISD Student Services Director Diane Wilson said.

Powers explained Student Council’s idea of providing funds to throw them a prom and offered our gym to host it. The woman began crying with overwhelming thankfulness, shocked that anyone would think to give with an intentional heart, rather than just shipping markers and construction paper.

Martin PTA is taking another step to ensure the West High seniors a perfect night. They are collecting donated prom dresses to offer to girls who are too consumed with rebuilding their lives to worry about finding a gown.

“A catastrophe happens and everyone pays attention,” Peck said. “But, the next one happens and you forget about the previous one. There is still so much that they need.”

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1. Coach Bob Wager commends junior Jared Phipps after a good play.

2. Fundancers Tristan Pennywell and Brandon Simpson strut their stuff for the pep rally.

3. Seniors Colten Hoisager and Taylor Helland walk down the 50- yard line after being crowned Homecoming King and Queen at the Homecoming football game.

4. Homecoming Court nominees Tyler Overton and Rachel Cendrick are introduced at the Homecoming Pep-Rally.

5. Homecoming Court candidates pose after the reveal of Homecoming King and Queen at halftime.

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