October 2015 Warrior Post by Tricia Regalado

THE WARRIOR POST Martin High School / 4501 W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX 76016 / Volume 34 Issue 1 October 30, 2015

Varsity football breaks through the Homecoming banner Oct. 9. Martin trounced Weatherford with a score of 53-20. Photo by Bailey Lewis

What’s Inside Warrior Strong

Your life isn’t a film, why end it?

23-26

Warrior Homecoming raises $1,866 Martin raises awareness about to help fight childhood cancer. suicide

Me,myself, and my genders

Shooting for success

A student’s journey to discover who he is

AISD Archery Club hits the bullseye

38-40

What you’ve missed

A look back at what you’ve missed the past month at MHS 1. Senior Andrew Campbell measures wood to cut for the set of The Odd Couple. The male-only cast begins showing Nov. 12, and the femaleonly cast begins Nov. 13.

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1. Photo by Cammi Skanes • Photo Editor 2. Photo by Haley Riley • Photographer 3. Photo by Jean Floyd • Photographer 4. Photo by Cammi Skanes • Photo Editor

2. Junior Whitney Gerro shakes principal Marlene Roddy’s hand during the National Honor Society induction Sep. 29. 3. Student council juniors design banners for Homecoming week to be hung up around the school for a spirit banner class competition Sept 24. 4. Junior Jessica Owens takes creative pictures at the Fort Worth Stockyards Oct. 16 to practice for her Photojournalism class. 5. Band members load up the semitruck before the football game vs. Skyline Sept. 5.

Remembering Hannah Wood Haley Wiley•Reporter

Freshman Hannah Wood passed away from suicide Aug. 31. Wood played violin in the orchestra and enjoyed reading, swimming and spending time with her close friends. She was involved in Girl Scouts and friends said she loved to help others. Those who knew Wood will remember her as a funny and kind person who always made people feel better when they were upset. “Her presence was calming,” freshman Erin Rosenbaum said. “Sometimes I would be feeling down and she would just say something funny to make me laugh.” Wood’s friends said she had a very open mind and

was accepting and nice to everyone around her. “Hannah was so friendly, and she seemed like a really happy person and she made me happy, and that’s why I loved being friends with her,” freshman Suzanne Haynes said. “We were in orchestra together and she made it better for me. She was just so nice.” Psychology teacher Rachael Peterson was Wood’s Girl Scout leader for eight years. Wood went on every Girl Scout campout and sold cookies every year. “She was kind of my ‘go-to’ person if I needed something or help with anything,” Peterson said. “Hannah was a hard worker and she had such a good attitude about

150 friends, family, previous troop members, students, and teachers came together to pray, mourn, and celebrate her life. “The vigil was amazing,” Peterson said. “To see the Martin community come together, even if they didn’t know Hannah, it didn’t matter. It was very healing for Hannah’s parents and gave them a sense of peace to see how many people were there.”

everything. She would work for the group, not just for herself, and she always made us laugh.” During Wood’s years in Girl Scouts, she made close friends and her quirky personality made her well liked by everyone. “Everyone in the Girl Scout troop felt comfortable around Hannah,” Peterson said. “A lot of the girls in the troop were involved with other activities, whether it was orchestra, choir, or athletics, but once we were off at Girl Scout camp, they were the best of friends. It was awesome.” A candlelight vigil was held in Hannah’s honor Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Martin where more than

1&2. Students gather at the candle light vigil Sept. 2 at Martin to celebrate and honor the life of freshman, Hannah Wood. 3&4. Candles are lit and held in the night sky in Hannah’s honor. 5. Senior Tupelo Witte sings at Hannah Wood’s vigil. Photos by Tiyanna Hill

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In loving memory Students remember the life of Rose Victory Dean Kelly • Reporter Rose Victory, who was about to enter her sophomore year at Martin, passed away Aug. 11 from suicide. “Rose was someone who could always make you smile,” sophomore Sydney

Johnson said. “No matter how angry you were.” “She was always there for me,” sophomore Jessica Franco said. “She was nice and caring. We would talk about everything and joke around a lot.” Victory’s friends said she was someone who was always smiling, and always had something to talk about. “She would always tell the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear,” Johnson said. “She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind about you, right in front of your face. She would talk to you about whatever she was thinking, sometimes even just talking about the clothes

you were wearing that day, and if she liked them.” This quality also stuck out to her friend, sophomore Persephone Dahlman, when they first met. “I came into the school randomly and didn’t really know anyone,” Dahlman said. “But despite not even knowing anything about me, she waved me over and started talking to me and became my friend.” Up until her tragic death, Victory was staying at a close friend’s house. “She slept a lot,” Johnson said. “But I remember one day while she was sleeping, she was talking about her dream in her sleep. When she woke up, we talked about

it forever. It ended up being one of my fondest memories of her.” Even to teachers, Victory was irreplaceable, respectful, and a diligent student whose positivity could light up any room. “She was a very likeable person,” World Geography teacher Gerri Brown said. “Everyone liked her. She really opened up in my class. Towards the end of the year, she would even cheer with me during class. She was also very studious, and would always get her work done. She often talked about the fact she was Persian. it really livened up the class, and I still think about her quite a bit.”

Coaches and students remember Chase Sayles Emma Beard & Madi McLean • Reporters Incoming freshman Chase Sayles died July 15, after collapsing during basketball practice. Sayles was born with a rare heart defect called transposition of the arteries. His club basketball team was at his bedside when he passed away. Despite his condition, Sayles’ teammates said he never let his heart defect get in the way of the one sport he loved most: basketball. “Chase never had a bad game,” freshman Curtis Warren said. “He always put 110 percent into the game.” Sayles’ coaches said they admired his talent, leadership and effort. “Chase was without a

doubt the most complete player on my team,” Boles Junior High basketball coach Cory Singer said. “From doing the little things to big things. I could count on Chase to give it his all and to lead the team,” Friends said that Sayles hoped to play in the NBA one day with his close friend freshman Keric Cunningham. “Chase had a very bright future in basketball,” Singer said. “His knowledge of the game was as high as any player I have ever coached. I would constantly tell the other coaches, ‘This kid knows the game.’” In addition to his skill on the court, coaches and teammates also pointed to

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Sayles’ ability to be a team player. “He was always looking to get his teammates involved and make the right play,” Singer said “I had to get him to be a little more selfish at times to take advantage of mismatches.”

Sayles’ friends and teammates will miss him, both on and off the court. “On the court he played like every game was his last,” Warren said. “He would always come in cracking jokes and making people laugh.”

Photo courtesy of Sayles family

‘Safe haven’

GSA club is growing to reach and and impact LGBT students, spread understanding

Junior Laura Keefe, and seniors Sam Bourland, Leslie Nunez and Marcelo Carrejo lead a GSA meeting. Officers discussed increasing membership and plans for the year. Photo by Adeline Woods Spencer Brewer • Reporter cerning issues in the LBGT community, and just be able They tried rainbow col- to say whatever that feel they ored posters. It didn’t work. want or need to, and also to They would return to find feel safe expressing their them either in tatters or opinion,” junior Andrew with enough obscenities Granger said. “We’re tryscribbled on them to make ing to provide a safe outlet Quentin Tarantino blush, where everyone has a voice, defaced, defiled, deformed, where everyone is able to and left in a neat little pile of be an equal member of the confetti for the custodians to community, no matter how they identify themselves.” clean up. The club is only two years The signs, shortly before they were torn down and old. According to Mayeaux, smeared with slurs, read their membership has gone up since last year, but they Gay-Straight Alliance. GSA meets every other are smaller than they’d like Thursday, in English teacher to be. “I think the greatest chalGeneice Mayeaux’s room. The fluorescent bulbs are lenge we face is being able to dimmed, with Christmas tell the school we’re here,” lights overhead. It feels safe, Granger said. “We would or as close as one can get like to expand, but I think within the confines of a high we have a hard time going around telling people, ‘Hey, school. They’re gathered, they I’m in the club that supports said, to make a place where gay students at Martin,’ espeople can be themselves, pecially because this is Texwhether that be gay, straight as. We all struggle with the social barrier that prevents or somewhere in between. “Our goal is to provide a us from putting ourselves safe place for anyone con- out there.”

They’ve tried hanging signs again, toning down the design to make them less of a target to those who tear them down. They’ve broadcasted over the morning announcements, and according to Mayeaux they have the support of the faculty. “I believe the majority of the faculty does support the GSA,” Mayeaux said. “I’ve spoken to quite a few teachers and I haven’t heard anything negative. Most of the teachers I’ve heard from are in support of what we’re trying to do here.” But still the club remains small. Their official membership is 18 and those who do show up, do so inconsistently. For some, it’s a matter of how much courage they can muster on a biweekly basis. The club isn’t exclusive to members of the LBGT community, but that seems to be the reputation it’s garnered. During meetings they lock their doors to prevent people from nosing their way in to see if they recognize anyone. Some members haven’t come out, either to their friends or their family, and take an active risk by even associating with the club. “It can be difficult because I know that most people in Texas don’t approve of my orientation,” senior club officer Marcelo Carrejo said. “I try to convey that I’m not just defined by a label, I’m a human being with my own thoughts and beliefs.” “It is difficult for me at times to reconcile my identity with the view I hear a lot of people around me expressing,” Granger said. “I personally have decided that once I’m able to, I’m going to leave

Texas, because I don’t feel that, at this time, this area is the most welcoming. I’m not going to be able to find the best relationship opportunities here. I do feel that as the national movement continues, all areas will be not so much forced as led to be less conservative. So while this area may be more aggressive toward the LBGT community at this time, it will eventually become less.” The other issue the club faces is that the topic of sexuality has caused so much national controversy. The Supreme Court legalized gay marriage over the summer, and while this was a huge victory for the national LBGT community, it’s drawn some negative attention to LBGT individuals. “I think that a lot of people maintain the same opinions,” GSA co-president Sam Bourland said. “People were either really happy or upset, but I don’t think it really changed anyone’s mind. If anything, it just aggravated a lot of people.” The year has so far been promising for the GSA. They’re still small, but they’ve found their voice. It has become more than just a club for LBGT. It’s become a place for people can be themselves. “The best thing about being open is, I really can be myself and I don’t have to worry about, ‘Well, does that person know, and what are they thinking about me?’ because they already know,” Carrejo said. “I’ll tell anyone, if they ask. It really is liberating. It is one of most freeing things, because you have no secrets and you can live your life as an open book.”

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Fish are family

Seniors show their school spirit at pep rallies. Administrators, teachers and students are trying to unite the student body. Photo by Daryn Taylor

Teachers and students fight the booing tradition at pep rallies Kamryn LeFan•Features Editor Over the years, Martin has developed a tradition that has influenced our school spirit. The tradition that has been upheld for many years, which is now being stopped, is the booing towards other grade levels at pep rallies, specifically the freshman. “No matter who you are or what culture you come from, the best way to build up someone’s self esteem is by support, praise, and goodwill,” principal Marlene Roddy said. “When we take part of our student body and boo them, that is demoralizing. That is not a way to make people want to strive for the best.” Many people are aware of this tradition, but administrators noticed how discouraging it is to the students and said they felt this could affect their way of learning and interacting with people. “I stress to teachers on how to make kids not only academically successful, but feel good about who they are as people,” Roddy said. “I also want to see students supporting one another because you’re not being the best you can be when you’re booing at other people.” Traditions are commonly known as positive things that many people participate in, but as students come and go through Martin, traditions can be changed and develop an underlying negative meaning.

“The booing started as a game,” Roddy said. “I think the adults had some influence on the booing by having the grade level competitions. It started out as just holding up newspapers, but every year it progressed and eventually people were throwing things at each other and it has come to a point where we really have to stop this because this is not what Martin is all about.” Trying to stop a bad habit is tough for many people, so removing this tradition that many people take part in takes the dedication of many people willing to encourage others. “Just because something has always been that way, doesn’t make it right, so that’s why we have to end the poor tradition of putting down people in our own school,” Roddy said. Many teachers are getting involved in terminating the tradition by taking different actions to change the subject at the pep rallies to be more revolved around encouraging positive school spirit to one another. “I discourage the booing,” Leadership teacher and Student Council sponsor Carolyn Powers said. “I told the Student Council students that being a part of the Leadership program means that they need to take part in eliminating it also.” The majority of students who boo freshman are the seniors, but other grade

levels take part in it also. Usually, the seniors start it and carry it on throughout the pep rally, while other classes join in. “I like the booing at pep rallies,” senior Sarah �� Hodnett said. “I don’t think it divides the school at all. I don’t think the booing should be stopped because it’s a rite of passage. It happened to my grade and every other one until now, and the booing had no affect on us.” Many students gain a sense of superiority when they become seniors since they’re

at the top of the school and also because they are given privileges that other grade levels can’t acquire. “Taking away the booing has made the pep rallies less fun for us,” Hodnett said. Many students said they don’t see anything wrong with booing; they see it as a fun and harmless game. “I don’t think the booing hurts the school spirit,” freshman Hunter Trammell said. “I think everyone does it as a joke. When I’m an upperclassman I will want to boo at the freshman also.”

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For what it’s worth AP classes challenge students

Morgan Evans • Reporter Late nights. Week long projects. Study groups. Less sleep. This is all normal for students enrolled in advanced placement (AP) classes. Counselors and teachers encourage students to enroll and stay in AP classes. “Every situation is different,” counselor Edwina Thompson said. “We want students in AP because they learn to advocate for themselves and when to ask for help. It prepares them for the routines they’ll see in college.”

Within the first 12 weeks of

AP students can receive college credit for classes by passing a test hosted by College Board in the spring of each year. However, the college-level class requires college-level studying. “You already have a lot of work for each class, so you’re likely to be up all night doing it,” senior Julia Barnes said. Some students said they appreciate the opportunity of AP classes. “Classes get challenging at times, but you have to understand that they’re college-level classes,” junior Ishan Pinto said. “We’re all involved in different extracurriculars so it comes down to time management.”

the year, students have the option of dropping an AP class and switching into the regular class. “The first 12 weeks is kind of like a probation period,” counselor Jana Lewis said. “Pre-AP and AP are very time consuming. Students need to be able to devote the time and energy.” AISD policy requires students to first approach the teacher and ask for tutoring or extra help. Then, if the student is still considering changing into the regular level of the class, the student must obtain a drop form from their teacher. It is the student’s

responsibility to get the form signed by both the teacher and the student’s parents. After, the form is sent to Zandra Webb, the Dean of Instruction, for approval. “It’s good that students have to go through parents, teachers and the administration because then everyone is on the same page,” Thompson said. “This way, the students are getting the support they need.” Before signing up for AP classes, students need to be aware of what they’re looking for. “I see a lot of value in AP classes, as well as regular and dual-credit classes,” English teacher Rynthia Clements said. “I think the competition in AP classes, however, is sometimes contrary to learning.”

‘It’s more like a blessing than a burden’ Sophomore Cassidy Moore copes with only one functional hand

Photo by Mikayla Williams

Daisy Vasquez • Reporter In the halls of Martin High School there are all kinds of students. Sophomore Cassidy Moore happens to be a rare student walking the halls everyday. Moore was born with a rare condition that caused her not be able to move her

right side of her body. Moore has had to adjust to only using her left side for daily activities. While Moore accomplishes many things on her own, she still has a few difficulties that require her to get help like washing or styling her hair. “It is difficult for me to do certain things,” Moore said. “Learning to do things differently has changed me.” Because of how she’s had to adapt to this life-changing event, Moore decided she wants to be a special education teacher. “I understand the special needs students and I want to be that light that tells them it’s going to get better,” Moore said. She said her medical condition has allowed her to understand students with

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special needs because she has gone through a similar situation. “I feel self-conscious sometimes, my condition impacted me for the longest time,” Moore said. “I would rarely hang out with my friends because I felt like a burden.” Moore said she hasn’t received any mean comments, but she says that people stare at her. They’re quick to judge and they just look at her from the outside but they don’t see what’s in the inside. Even her friends reacted differently towards her when they saw her for the first time. “She looked weird at first,” sophomore Regan Schenck said. “But as I got to know her, I noticed she was just another student.”

At first, Moore said she was intimidated by others, but as she got more comfortable around people, she gained confidence and participated in more social events. “She couldn’t hold the PE equipment the correct way and she would get frustrated,” Schenck said. “She thinks she isn’t fast enough like the other students on taking notes.” Moore’s teachers recognize her as an exceptional student despite her disability. She decided to take the challenge of a more strenuous core class by taking AP World History. “She’s very organized,” AP World History teacher Scott Davis said. “She always has her work done, she’s on time and her work is very thorough and complete.”

Mad props A rare look inside fine arts storage 1. Inside the prop closet attached to the Little Theatre, various wigs sit idle on mannequin heads. 2. Scattered on the sandy floor of the so-called “dungeon,” props wait to be used again. 3. A prop from last year’s one-act play, The Farnsworth Invention gathers dust on a table. 4. A sign from past musical Sweeney Todd rests amongst a pile of old furniture. Photos by Daryn Taylor

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Warrior strong

Warrior Homecoming raises $1,866 to help fight childhood cancer Photos by Bailey Lewis â&#x20AC;˘ Editor-In-Chief1

1. Senior wide reciever Jason Huntley runs in for a touchdown at the Homecoming game vs. Weatherford. 2. Senior Homecoming queen and king Lyndi Walters and Jay Schmidt are crowned. 3. Senior football players wait to escort Micah Ahern onto the pep rally court. 4. Senior Fundancers perform a stunt at the Homecoming pep rally. 5. Head football coach Bob Wager is presented with the Whataburger Coach of the Week award.

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Work towards your dreams Martin students jump start careers with Workforce Dual Credit Program

3 Binh Le • Reporter

hether it’s the sound of clacking on the keyboard and clicking of the mouse or the hum of car engines, all of these sounds can be heard in the many buildings of the TCC south campus. “I heard about the class freshman year during the end of the year orientation and during last year when I was a sophomore,” junior Gus Matsler said. “I thought about it and it sounded interesting because I wanted to be a video game programmer ever since I started high school.” Workforce Dual Credit is a program that offers students the opportunity to prepare for a challenging career field while in high school. This program usually lasts for a student’s junior and senior years. “I’ve wanted to make a game for years now,” junior Dante Askren said. “The program gives me the experience that I need to get into my field.” Most of these programs

lead to a college certificate of completion. Additionally, college hours earned during high school can be applied to a related two-year Associate of Applied Science degree at either TCC or four-year degree at UTA. This reduces the overall cost of college tuition and fees after high school and helps students to transition smoothly into college. “In addition to the marketable skills a student receives, our programs give students the chance to experience classes taught on college campuses while earning high school and college credit,” Career and Technical Education Specialist Becky McElroy said. “Tuition is discounted or completely paid, textbooks and tools are provided, as is transportation for daytime classes. Because students choose to enroll in programs they are interested in, most achieve a very high level of success and are surrounded by other students with similar interests.” The programs offered include Architectural CAD

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Operator, Computer-Aided Drafting & Design, HVAC, Computer Illustration and Graphic Design, Business Administration, Accounting, Culinary Arts, Cisco, Computer Maintenance, Game and Simulation, Welding, Automotive Engine Analysis, Health Information Technology and Criminal Justice. “The first year of gaming and simulation taught us all types of software, how to make models in 2D and 3D, basic gaming code, audio, and level design,” senior Amy LaPosa said. “They teach you a lot, I didn’t know any of that when I first started.” The program is a long-term commitment over several semesters of junior and senior year. Since these classes are typically held fourth and eighth period, there are certain classes these students can’t take during at their home campuses during their high school days. Many students need to adjust their schedules and clubs due to the class times. Even with all the pros, there

1. Computer Maintenance students juniors Ma’an and Azmi Elqutob save their projects. 2. Seniors Brandon King and Larry Almendarez fix a car during Automotive Engine Analysis. 3. The Game Simulation and Programming class works on their final projects. Photos by Haley Riley are cons to being in the program. Classes may run later than the normal school days, sometimes as late as 5:30 p.m., and may require summer courses. “It’s inconvenient getting home at six even though we get out of class at 4:15,” junior Bryan Ortiz said. “I have other classes’ homework and projects that I need to work on.” The benefits of the class upon graduation including the “mini-diploma,” newly-learned skill sets, and a more in-depth appreciation for their careers are worth the extra trouble. “I am very, very grateful there are options available for all and that AISD has made workforce dual credit an affordable option,” McElroy said. “I am also very happy that the negative stigma of not being collegebound is gradually going away. We still have a way to go, but I believe workforce dual credit has helped.”

Playing with

fire A former student’s tale of drug use, abuse, and recovery

art by Carson Johnson

Spencer Brewer • Reporter

lot of things can be said about 2015 graduate Caitlin*, but no one could claim she’s not exceptional. She’s a former Martin student currently attending a local college on the holy grail of high school achievements, the full ride scholarship. Her GPA at the end of last school year was 3.7, and she received 32.5 high school credits, equivalent to almost a full extra year of high school. She was a member of choir, and was noted for her singing ability. On the surface, Caitlin was everything a high school student could want to be – an AP student, popular, and one of the best at her extracurricular activity of choice. Despite this, Caitlin never graduated from Martin. She left for the last six months of her senior year, during which time she was in rehab for severe drug abuse treatment.

••• Caitlin’s house is nestled into a quiet neighborhood in Southwest Arlington. We agreed to conduct the interview on her porch, overlooking the little jungle that comprises her back yard. Thin trees reach almost up to the roof and chimes hang from every corner of the ceiling overhead. When the wind cared to whisper, fauna shuffled and the chimes vibrated like a thousand undersized gongs. The clouds were overcast that day and it was muggy, but the sky retained its moisture as if it couldn’t decide whether to choke on its tears or let it all down at once. It was ambient, calm, almost lazy. We began by discussing Caitlin ’s first experience with drugs. “I first got into drugs when I was 12,” she said. “I found weed

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in the glove box of my brother’s car, and I took it because I didn’t want him to smoke it. I put it in my backpack and took it to school with me, because back then I didn’t know that drug dogs existed. I was lucky I didn’t get caught. So I took it to school and my best friend told me to throw it away, but I didn’t, because I realized I wanted to try it. That night I went behind my shed, around the corner of my house and I tried to smoke it. It made me cough so much that I thought I was going to throw up. Later that week I tried again and successfully smoked it, on my trampoline. I was super paranoid, but at the same time it was the best feeling in the world. That experience opened my mind to the concept of other drugs. At the age of 12, I didn’t really have access to other drugs, so I started abusing over-the-counter medicines like Benadryl and cough syrup. I started stealing my parents’ wine, and that escalated into something dangerous.” “Something dangerous” meant amphetamines. Caitlin was taking all AP classes from freshman year on up, and she turned to drugs like Adderall and Vyvanse to cope with the work load. “It was mainly because of school, because school stressed me out,” she said. “I felt like I was never good enough, like I could never measure up to what my parents expected of me, and I didn’t measure up to what I envisioned myself to be. The main problem I had with a drug was Adderall, because Adderall made me feel like I could be the person I envisioned myself to be, and I could do anything and everything I wanted to because I had so much focus and drive. But it made me super sick, like physically ill, and it got to the point where I couldn’t continue anymore.” Adderall is used to treat ADHD, but in recent years,

abusing it has become common for studying as it simulates mental energy and focus. The effects of Adderall abuse range from paranoia to insomnia, loss of appetite to heart attack in severe cases. Caitlin was using frequently, and to cope with the effects of that addiction she started taking Xanax, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines to even out the adverse effects of her amphetamine use. That, in turn, created a new addiction. This cycle played out during Caitlin’s sophomore year, and it was during that time that she said her use escalated to abuse.

“A nd t hen everyth in g started fa l l i n g ap a rt.” “It escalated at the age of 15,” Caitlin said. “I actually tried cocaine at the age of 15, and I think that that’s the point where it turned from experimentation to steady use, and finally to addiction. I bought it just to try it, and I ended up buying $200 worth of coke, and using it all in a matter of three days.” The chemical composition of cocaine is similar to the ADHD drug Ritalin, and Adderall is almost identical to methamphetamine. It isn`t normally thought of as a gateway drug, but it has been linked to later abuse of heavy amphetamines. Caitlin ’s drug use escalated from there. “Adderall made me feel uncomfortable and jumpy, really on edge,” she said. “Xanax dulled the edges and it calmed me down. I could sleep, especially if hadn’t slept in a couple days. I was also having panic attacks because of school and I was really anxious. It’s an anti-anxiety medication, and it really helped with that. But then I started taking copious amounts of it and it just made me a numb person. I had no light in my eyes, they were completely dull and empty. Other downers, like opioids, I took because my body ached from all of the Adderall I was taking. Adderall actually dehydrates you and it made my joints really stiff and sore. I was never eating because the Adderall made me lose my appetite. I took opioids like Oxycodone to lessen the pain from that addiction. I took a lot of Ecstasy because it makes you feel good. It makes you forget about who you are and where you are. I forgot all of my problems. It made me dissociate myself. I tried meth, once, and that was, I guess, my lowest low.”

••• Caitlin’s father said that Caitlin was good at keeping her drug use hidden from her family. “Looking back, I can say that we first noticed her downward slide during the spring of her junior year,” Caitlin’s father, David* said. “Prior to that, we attributed any moodiness, irritability, lack of sleep, and fighting with us or her siblings to general adolescent angst. The fact that she had been dabbling in illegal drugs for years prior to that is shocking to me even now. Even after the spring semester ended and her life continued to deteriorate, it wasn’t until after her senior year started that we learned she was abusing drugs. For five months, we thought it was a physical or mental health issue.

We took her to allergists, gastroenterologists, internists, counselors, and psychiatrists in an attempt to determine what was wrong, never guessing that she was becoming addicted to drugs.” By the second semester of Caitlin’s junior year rolled around, she was hooked, she said. It became increasingly hard for her to keep her abuse a secret. It began affecting her school, her work, and finally her loved ones. “The fall of 2014, I think, is when I began my ultimate downward turn with my addiction,” Caitlin said. “I started buying 100 hydrocodone and oxycodone on a weekly or biweekly basis and taking all of them in a week. I would sleep through all of my classes, and I started failing classes, and going to teachers and having one-on-one talks about my grades and how I was doing mentally.” One of her lowest points came that winter. “And then everything started falling apart,” she said. “I visited some relatives in December to get MRIs done. They had a drawer in their kitchen that I stole a large sum of money from. I spent most of it, and then my parents found the rest in my pocket while I was asleep because I had passed out from taking so much Xanax. That was really when I had a falling out with my family, when it began affecting my relationships with them. I would make them cry and I really began to emotionally abuse my family, manipulate them, steal money from them, and take advantage of them. I had quit a job at this point because I had stolen money from a coworker. I returned it when she confronted me and told me she had a kid. I was so messed up on all the drugs I was on that I didn’t even see humans as people anymore.”

••• At this point, we had to pause the interview for her to regain her composure. The sun had made its final lilt away from the horizon, and with it had gone my feeling of any worthiness to conduct this interview. I had known Caitlin for about two years, and I had known she had struggled with abuse. But I had no idea she had struggled this much, no way of knowing the journey she had been on to get clean. I always knew her as a beautiful soul, and my experience with her has always been that she’s a kind, caring person. It’s hard to picture her as anything but that, hard to match my image of her with the words coming out of her mouth. It made me wonder how much control anyone has when drugs are thrown in the mix. Most get away clean and continue with their lives. But what about the ones who don’t get away clean? What about the ones who get sucked into the disease known as addiction? If someone has the right brain chemistry and they are susceptible to addiction, even moderate use can lead to abuse. Something specific happens to the addiction-prone brain upon consumption of drugs: the frontal cortex can no longer override messages sent from the limbic system. In other words, the part of the brain responsible for choice and morality has less control than the portion of the brain devoted to instinct and survival. The choice part of the brain knows that excessive drugs are bad for it, and in normal

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operations can let the rest of the brain know it, too. But in addiction, the instinct and survival portion of the brain decides that drugs aren’t half bad, and overrides the choice portion. The end result is a person who, physiologically, no longer has the free will to choose whether or not they use drugs. There’s no way to determine whether or not a person is prone to this disorder until they’ve already tried the thing that triggers it. “I could not see her behavior as anything other than a deliberate choice to throw her life away and spit on everything her parents had tried to teach her,” David said. “I was so angry. It wasn’t until we got her into treatment and I learned what drugs were doing to her ability to think and choose rationally that I was able to get past that. I still have to remind myself regularly that Caitlin did not deliberately choose to become addicted to drugs.”

“ I t w as rea lly ro b b in g me o f m y life.” I asked Caitlin the one question that had determined the course of her life: why she had decided to get clean. “I realized how my addiction was affecting all of my relationships,” she said. “And it was really robbing me of my life. I didn’t even realize that I had the option to quit, that I wasn’t a slave to my addiction anymore. I went to drug treatment therapy, AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings every day. I got the tools I needed to build a new life in sobriety and recovery. I finally felt like I had the power to change my life instead of feeling like helpless in my addiction. I’m now enrolled in school. I’m clean. I have a relationship with my parents, which I had never had before. I love my parents, I love my siblings, and I know that they have my back no matter what. I know I’m capable of being forgiven for almost anything I could ever do. Something that you do in recovery, something that’s recommended by AA, is making amends, righting all the wrongs you have done in your addiction. So what I do is try to do the next right thing at all times. I avoid all warning signs that would indicate that I’m about to be in addiction again. I don’t steal, lie, manipulate. I shifted from thinking, ‘What can I get out of this person?’ to, ‘What can I do for this person? What can I do to better myself?’” Caitlin made decisions that led her to addiction. She played with fire and fell into the flames, hurting her loved ones all the way down. But she also made decisions that led her out of addiction. She rose up, even while burning, and took control of her life. She has faced what she had done, what she had become, and has made steps to move past it. The burn marks are there, just beneath the surface of her skin; they will be there for the rest of her life. But still she is able to look herself in the mirror, burn marks and all. We began winding up the interview. Night had fallen at this point, and the damp blues of late evening were all but gone.

We lit candles to drive away insects, and as they flickered, they gave life to the shadows around us. The battery of my recorder was shot even before we began the interview, and in hindsight it’s a minor miracle that it didn’t fizzle out halfway through. It was getting around time to hit the stop button, wind it up and live with the words that had passed in a 45-minute lifetime.

“ It i s r e a l l y e a s y to l o s e c ont rol . ” But before I could leave, I had one more question for Caitlin. What message did she have for people using drugs in high school? “The passage from experimentation to steady use to being a full-blown drug addict happens in a matter in what feels like a millisecond,” she said. “Like in a matter of a week. It is really easy to lose control. There’s a huge difference between experimentation on the weekends and addiction. However often you drink or smoke weed, if you’re still capable of being in control of your life, having control of your grades, control over the relationships in your family, that’s one thing. But once those things go beyond your control, that’s when you know you’re in trouble, that’s when it’s time to change. Nobody can save you but yourself, and you have to make the conscious decision to change. Your drug use can’t come before school, or before your family. And if you’re hanging out with friends who just get high all the time, that’s not something that anyone needs to be doing. If your friendship is based off of drug use, it’s not a real friendship. School is very stressful, and I know people who abused Adderall and Vyvanse all throughout high school because it just made schoolwork easier. But when it comes down to it, your grades aren’t nearly as important as your mental health. And it’s something you need to realize, or else you’ll get caught up in it. You need to be extremely aware your mind, and where your mind is at. Something that helped me immensely was a relationship with God, or a relationship with a higher power. I can’t really give advice, because everybody’s situation is different, and not everyone who experiments with drugs is a drug addict.” Life is the memories of the past, the thoughts of the present, and the hopes of the future. Life is what you make of it, but drugs can distract you from making it what you want it to be. Drugs are fire, and if you decide to play with them, watch that you don’t get burned. It only takes a little trip to get swallowed in the flames. For Caitlin, it was a little bag of pot that she stole from her brother’s glove box when she was 12 years old. After the interview, Caitlin and I sat still where we were, as if moving would break something intricate. She stood up, then I did, and she walked me to the door. It was quiet outside, as if the earth was holding its breath. I started my car and began the short drive of back to my house. Above, the night sky released the tears it had been holding in and it began to rain. * denotes name has been changed

“ N o b o dy can save y o u b u t y o u r s e lf, a n d y o u hav e t o m ake t he cons c io u s d e c is io n to c h a n g e .” features

Once a Warrior, always a Warrior Graduate returns to help train football players Kareema Nadurath•Reporter Many athletes who play sports throughout their four years of high school feel a certain attachment to their alma mater. Whether they go down a different path and stop playing sports or continue to play at a college level, ask almost anyone and they’ll say they owe their high school programs for helping shape the people they are today. Former Martin football player, Julien Martinez is a prime example. Though he is not currently playing football, the 2015 graduate returned to Martin to volunteer as a mentor for this year’s varsity kicker, junior Patrick Grady. “I talked to Coach Wager over the summer,” Martinez

said. “He told me that the kickers didn’t have a coach and that they really needed help.” Since then, Martinez was given the opportunity to assist the coaches in training the varsity, JV and freshman kickers. “While he’s attending college, this is a great place for him to observe and learn how the profession works,” head football coach Bob Wager said. Martinez said he plans to coach high school football after he finishes college. Grady said he enjoys working with his former teammate and feels that he has improved since he’s started working with Martinez.

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“It’s really fun, because my freshman year I played and we were really close,” Grady said. “Then he graduated and I didn’t really think I would see him much, but he came back to Martin one day just to help me out, and now he’s training me.” Both Martinez and Grady have been making steady progress since practices started, and it shows. Leading up to the game against South Grand Prairie, Martinez and Grady had been working on field goals all week. Martinez admitted that he was anxious to see if their hard work paid off, and it did when Grady scored a 50yard field goal. “As a mentor, the feeling you get after a player does

During an afternoon football practice Julien Martinez helps train the varsity kicker Patrcik Grady. Photo by Jean Floyd well...there’s no better feeling,” Martinez said. “I felt like I was about to go into cardiac arrest!” “I think any time you have former players come back and stay close with the program it’s great,” Wager said. “It’s also great for the current players to see a former player working toward a goal.”

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Tuesdays during lunch in Gym B features

The pioneers

2 teachers from Martin’s first year in 1982 describe changes Cameron Hayes • Reporter

ugust, 1982. This is the year that James Martin High School opened its doors for the first time. The staff of teachers gets prepared for the first day of school, including Theatre Arts teacher and author of the Martin Alma Mater Larry Cure and science teacher Stan Mullin. After 33 years of teaching here, there have been a lot of changes that these two have seen. As the first bell rang, tensions rose and the teachers got prepared for the incoming students. “It was pretty exciting,” Mullin said. “I was a teacher at Gunn for six years beforehand, and I was a Geology major, so it was exciting to teach what I majored in.” Years later, much has changed. From the changes in fashion, music, and different fads, there has been one thing that has been the biggest change to Cure. “I think because of the size of the school, the number of teachers has really increased,” Cure said. “The first year we only had around 60 teachers, so we were a tight family. Now there are teachers who have been here for six years and I don’t know their names.” In addition, to the staff changes, there has also been curriculum change.

Above: Stan Mullin teaches Earth and Space science classes. Right: Larry Cure directs Theater productions Photos by Adeline Woods

“I think there are more AP and advanced classes, and senior-level classes, just mainly focusing on advanced courses,” Mullin said. There are also many things and people that the teachers remember teaching and directing. “I have a bunch of students all over the place, from New York to California,” Cure said. “I even have a student who is doing an acting workshop in Norway. But not just theatre, I have people who are dentists, lawyers and doctors who got their start in Theatre. I even have a past student who is the city planner for Nacogdoches.” In addition to students,

Cure also remembers some productions. “Definitely the best show we have done was Sweeny Todd in 2011,” he said. “No offense to other productions, but everything lined up great. However, I also love doing our Little Theatre shows. They just seem a lot more intimate.” There has been a lot of change over these years, but there has also been one major thing that has stayed constant. “Martin teachers always try to bring the best out of their students and the Martin students have always tried to be their best,” Mullin said. “The thing that has stayed

constant is that from the very beginning, this school was more of an achievest school,” Cure said. “We have worked to make this school the best of the best, and it will always be that way. Going here is like going to a college-bound school, and we have always had a high standard of excellence.” These teachers, along with other charter faculty members like CTE teacher Willie Evans plan to stay at Martin for the rest of their careers. “I haven’t given retirement much thought,” Cure said, “As long as I am healthy, I will stay here, but I’ll be gone sooner rather than later.”

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Behind the uniform

Security guards open up about their lives outside the job Zane Stewart • Reporter

wo students tear into each other with flying punches. Swing after swing, the students continue to brawl and a crowd forms around them. A tall figure then rushes to the fighters, separating them from each other before a winner is decided. He then takes both of the students to the office so they can await their fate. The man who separated those students is first-year guard Jose Salazar, and he, like many other security guards and officers, has faced his fair share of teenage hormones working the job. Some came from an even less peaceful work environment. “I lived in California and was in the army and police force for over 25 years,” security guard Mark Miller said. “I was working SWAT, Special Weapons, and Tactics force. I was on the entry team, the first person in on all entries with my team for six years. I went into the military first, then my sister joined after I did. My brother, who’s 11 years younger than me, joined and went into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms,” Miller said. Miller had been doing dangerous jobs since he was in his early 20s, stationed in Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and coming back to a different world every few years. However, he says this work was built for him, teaching him how to follow orders and learn discipline, something that he wants students here to learn.

Security Guards Jose Salazar and Ed Black work at their station at the front entrance of the school. They met up after their last shift to discuss any conflicts that happened that day. Photo by Zane Stewart “I was a school resource officer back in Roseville, California, and the students got to see me in a different light,” Miller said. “You know everybody kinda views security and police as the enemy, but we don’t have to be. If you guys mess up, we’re gonna be there and if you don’t, it makes our job easier. We all have our good and bad days and it’s just how it is sometimes.” Guards and officers have to tackle different jobs based on the schedule they’re given for that week. During that week, the guard or officer is responsible for anything that goes down in their area of the school. The guards switch their position every two weeks so that the guards get used to the whole school, not just one part. Since trouble happens pretty much everywhere at Martin, the guards are ready for whatever comes their way, including sudden fights. Since most fights often occur in the mornings or at lunch, the guards are ready for wherever happens. “I don’t know what exactly went down, but all I saw

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were kids starting to swing and I broke it up before they could do something they’d regret,” Salazar said. “I went and pulled them apart before things could get too rowdy. I was really nervous too because it was the first real thing I’ve had to do as security guard so far.” Before Salazar came to Martin he worked as a shipping clerk in a warehouse in Mansfield working a different form of a 9 to 5 job. “A few years ago I was interested in joining the military,” he said. “I wish that was something I did. I really just wanted to do it for the experience. There’s nothing quite like it and I just wish I had the opportunity.” When growing up, you wouldn’t think your job would lead you back home. However, that’s exactly what happened to Officer Mark Kamphues. Starting out in the military, he’s a retired Army staff sergeant with over 21 years of service, 4 years active, 17 reserve. Kamphues has seen his fair share of life, and becoming a security guard seemed like the perfect fit.

“I was in the helicopter outfit, training students like you guys to do what Army soldiers do in the field,” Kamphues said. “I taught them how to fly, do maintenance, and teach them how to be a gunner on the chopper. Eventually I retired and came back to Arlington and was looking for a job. I found AISD and originally worked at Bowie as a night guard for a couple years before I came to Martin.” Kamphues’ years in the military have given him plenty of experience with dangerous situations. His years of training students and being an active soldier has taught him what he says is one of the most important lessons he’s had to learn. “I would have to say that discipline is what kept me alive when I was a soldier,” Kamphues said. “It’s also one of the important things I stressed to my students back when I was a teacher. I really want students here to understand that and by being a guard here I know I can do something to bring something that students can take with them for life.”

Martin Players Presents The most award winning play from Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite comedic playwright

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mARTin

Kayla Mattox•Reporter

arson Johnson opens Instagram and begins scrolling. To the average person, Instagram is a fun way to catch up with our friends, celebrities, and adorable animals; but for Johnson, a junior, Instagram supplies her with inspiration. “If I see something cool, I’ll screenshot it and save it as inspiration for later,” she said. Johnson is a talented visual artist who has won awards worth boasting about. Her most recent accomplishment was being named Grand Prize Winner of the “Imagine No Violence” contest. The theme for the contest was “It’s not okay.” The work she submitted was entitled “The anti-troll” which addressed the topic of cyber bullying. Her artwork was ranked

Sophomore artist pursues her dreams first out of 55,000 entries. Her prizes included an allexpense paid trip for four to Disney World and $1,000 in spending money. “It was cool,” Johnson said. “There were cookies and it was a good time.” Johnson comes from a family of art lovers and was thrown into the world of art and creativity at an early age. “When I was a kid my parents were always like, ‘Oh, Draw something!’ so I would do something in crayon,” Johnson said. One of her fondest memories is painting in her grandparent’s garage while her grandpa worked on projects. “He’d work on something and I’d paint a block of wood

or something,” Johnson said. Since then, Johnson’s artistic abilities have grown immensely. Johnson’s art teacher Debra Allison said her skills were remarkable. “She is a really hard worker and she is extremely creative as far as her thought process and everything,” Allison said. “She tries to think of things on a higher level and she has a really sweet personality. She’s just really a good artist, a very, very good artist.” For Johnson, art has always been a means of expression when words could not do her feelings justice. “I used to be really shy

art by Carson Johnson and it was hard to express myself,” she said. “So if I was really emotional at a point in time or I didn’t really know how to express myself, just drawing or doing something with art would really help me a lot.” Johnson said she plans to pursue her passion for art in the future. She hopes to become an animator at Disney or DreamWorks.

Sophmore spends summer in Shanghai cultural camp Elizabeth Prickett • Reporter Imagine a summer �� consisting of eating goat ankles, an amusement park radio tower and riding out a super typhoon. For two months out of his summer vacation, sophomore Ted Zhou braved the elements and enjoyed the all-enveloping culture of Shanghai, China. “At first I didn’t want to go, but my parents kind of made me,” Zhao said. From Jun. 30 to Jul. 15, Zhao spent sunup to sundown learning about the Chinese culture, modern and classical. All of the teaching was in Chinese. “I learned about a lot of the modern social norms,” Zhao said. “One of our field trips was to their sights in

Shanghai and following high school kids around the city, showing us what their life was like.” Hundreds of other kids from around the world joined him in this culturally enriching experience. However, only 20 were from the US. “It wasn’t as restrictive as I thought it would be,” Zhao said. “Each student brought a little bit of his or her culture with them, so it was really cool.” Because most of his family still lives in China, his mom thought it would be the best use of his summer to immerse him in a different culture. “I wanted to open his eyes to the world,” Zhao’s mother, Amy Zhao, said.

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When asked whether he would like to live in China, Ted Zhao quickly responded with a resounding ”No.” “I like American culture better and I went during a super typhoon,” he said. “It was extremely cold and a little miserable.” But his whole stay wasn’t centered on school and rainy weather. He also enjoyed a music festival with Korean pop singers and local high school bands as well as some very interesting foods. “The most interesting foods I ate there would have to be the donkey egg rolls, goat ankles and Tibetan bison yogurt,” Zhou said. All in all, Zhou said that he thought spending the summer at a camp across the world was the best way

to maximize his summer. “It helped me become more fluent in Mandarin,” he said. “I definitely enjoyed it.”

During one Shanghai summer night, the radio Pearl tower shines with hundreds of lights. Photo courtesy of Ted Zhao

Then Vs. Now Tupelo Witte • Copy Editor

Note to the reader: Suicide is not just something you hear on the news or in movies. It is real life, with real illnesses, and real pain. If you know of someone feeling this kind of pain and having thoughts, do not hesitate to tell a trusting adult.

ou wake up, take a big yawn, and roll out of bed. You stumble along to the bathroom and take care of your hygiene needs. You look in the mirror at yourself, and you stare right back. “Just another day…” Grabbing your backpack, you take one last glance in the mirror, sigh, and walk to the kitchen where your parents are making breakfast. “Good morning! Have a great day!” You reach down to pet your dog, and smile. You grab a granola bar for breakfast and walk out the front door, into the car. The ignition turns on, you shift the gears into drive, and head towards Martin. You park and take a deep breath. The girl in the spot next to you waves with a big smile, and the two of you walk to the Upper Gym Lobby together. You grin to hide the darkness you’re feeling. Bing. Bing. Bing. All of your friends have first period in the opposite direction, so you walk alone. Your teacher is standing outside the door and greets you with a high five and a laugh. You sit down at your desk and the guy who sits in front of you turns around and asks if there was homework, like he does everyday. You nod and set it on your desk, and he turns around to do it quickly. You make it through first period, onto second, then third. The clock ticks slower than usual, and all you want is for the lunch bell to ring. Bing. Bing. Bing. You walk quickly to the bathroom, and look in the mirror. A tear forms, but you make it stop before anyone sees. You gulp, and splash some water on your face, catching yourself before your legs fully lose the strength to hold you up. You question how you’re going to get through fourth period. The clock ticks faster than it’s ever seemed, and lunch is over. Bing. Bing. Bing. You take two deep breaths, and start to walk across the school. A girl mumbles something about you under her breath, and your heart breaks even more than it already was. Fourth period is full of silence. The final bell rings, and you say bye to your teacher. They say, “See you next class!” and your face turns red. You get home, walk through your front door, drop your backpack on the floor, and go straight to your room. You look in the mirror yet again, and lose control. The pain that has eaten you alive has completely taken over, and your heart feels as if it’s rotting, while your body weakens and it takes every ounce of strength left to hold yourself up. You look around your room with blurred vision. Your heart burns, and it’s getting harder to breathe. You collapse on your bed, and close your eyes. ***

our mom comes in to make sure you’re awake, but you aren’t there anymore. She stumbles to the kitchen, waiting for you to walk in, so she can say “Good morning!” You don’t. Your dog sits under the chair you usually go to, and waits for your hand to softly run down its tummy, but it doesn’t. The girl who parks next to you waits until 7:25 for you to pull up, but you don’t. She frowns, and walks in alone. Your friends in the Upper Gym Lobby question where you are. Your teacher greets everyone at the door with puffy eyes; she already knows. The guy who sits in front of you has to ask someone else if there was homework, and they don’t know. He wonders where you are. Bing. Bing. Bing. Your teacher locks the door and walks in, looking down, fearful of what she can’t say to the class. She glances at your desk, and grabs a tissue before breaking down. The day goes by slowly, and your mom sits at home with mascara stains across her face, on the phone crying with your grandmother, discussing flowers, a ceremony, all while your dad works with salty tears flowing down his face. His eyes are bloodshot, and he is drinking coffee with a triple shot of espresso, trying to get through the day. Your friends continue to ask about you and wonder where you are. Bing. Bing. Bing. Fourth period is over. Martin is a solemn place, full of tears and memories, as the news has gotten out.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1 (800) 273-8255 For more information, go to afsp.com 23

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‘The sun’s gonna Student overcomes mental illnesses with a new outlook Emily Hale • News Editor The bathroom door shut behind her. Alex* was alone. With a shaking hand, she pulled the steak knife from her pants lining and looked in the mirror, before pressing the blade to her thigh. Nothing happened. The knife was dull. She used the tip of it instead to scratch away skin until blood began to trickle out. The drops hit the ground in some cruel rhythm. Ugly. Stupid. Fat. Ugly. Stupid. Fat. Ugly. Stupid. Fat. The rhythm sped up, up, up, up. Then suddenly, she stopped. “I couldn’t see a way out of it,” Alex said. “But I just didn’t want my little brother to find me bled out on the bathroom floor.” Throughout her life, Alex has fought depression. Depression for Alex has manifested itself in many facets, far from the least of these being anorexia. “When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t even see my face,” Alex said. “My eyes went straight to my stomach, and I just stared.” Eating fewer than 400 calories a day, Alex weighed nearly 60 pounds under the ideal weight for her height and age, suffering from the third most common illness in the United States. “Looking back at my pictures, I’m disgusted,” Alex said. “I can see my spine protruding out. It reached a point where I couldn’t walk and it hurt to sit. But at the time, I thought I still needed to lose weight.” What Alex couldn’t see until later

was that all of this, and more, was a product of depression. “We are often sad for a class period,” guidance counselor, Jana Lewis said. “But with depression, that hour turns into a day, into a week, and that wheel is depression.” During the worst of it, Alex had little motivation. Her grades slipped and she became frustrated because, like most who suffer from depression, she did not have the ability at the time to see what was happening. “The simple tasks, like getting out of bed, felt like moving an elephant,” Alex said. “I would get mad at myself because I didn’t know why I was depressed, and I thought, ‘Other people have it so much worse. What’s wrong with me?’” This resulted in Alex feeling like she had nowhere to turn. One in 12 teenagers self harm and Alex became one of them. “When people are hurting on the inside, and they don’t know how to express that, then they want to feel it on the outside,” Alex said. “They want to feel something.” Alex now has scars on her thighs, wrists and shoulders. “When I see my scars, I think that it’s something that I need to remember,” Alex said. “It reminds me how far I’ve come and not to do it again. My only worry is what’s going to happen when my kids see them. I’ve already had a glimpse of that when my brother asks me what’s on my arm, and I don’t know what to say.”

In a survey consisting of 100 Martin students from freshmen to seniors, these results show surprising results about depression and suicide.

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There were points where Alex’s depression reached a lifethreatening point. “I was going to slit my wrists or hang myself,” Alex said. “But every time I planned it out, something got in my way. My parents were taking us to dinner, or something happened and my family was coming home early, and I honestly think it was just by God’s grace that I’m here.” Alex reached a turning point that summer, when she met a church mentor who had suffered the same trials. “I talked to a counselor at the first camp I had attended since sixth grade and she told me about her story, how she had struggled with depression, and that she understood what I was going through,” Alex said. “She told me that all the bad things that I felt about myself weren’t from me, and she cried for me. I’d never had someone do that.” Alex is learning how to fight her thoughts. “It’s never really over,” Alex said. “This is a journey I will be on for a long time, but it’s getting better.” * denotes name has been changed

69% have felt alone at Martin.

art b

69% have considered themselves to have depression.

shine tomorrow’

by Binh Le

Martin faculty opens up about recent deaths, and how to prevent it from happening again Tupelo Witte • Copy Editor

Scattered whispers filled the hallways, with people confused, concerned, and upset. After an announcement made of a Martin student’s death, the school fell quiet out of respect and shock. With the recent tragedies of two fallen Warriors, Martin students came together with support and compassion. “We need to help in any way we can to prevent it f r o m happening again,” principal Marlene Roddy said. Roddy said that Martin counselors are always willing to help and be there for students who are feeling or showing signs or symptoms of depression, mental illnesses, suicidal thoughts, or any other personal struggles. “We typically react before the student is released from school, and we always contact a parent, no matter what,” Roddy said. “The role of the teacher is to go to the counseling staff and let them know

21% have been clinically diagnosed with a mental illness.

there’s a warning sign of a student.” During the week of inservice this summer, faculty members had training on the warning signs and precautions when reacting to a student with suicidal thoughts, and training on how to prevent it in the best way possible. “With suicide, you don’t want to glorify it, but you don’t want to put your head in the sand either,” Roddy said. Psychology teacher Rachael Peterson has seen grief in her own life, and has gained a better grasp. “You don’t always want to talk about the bad,” Peterson said. “But in terms of grief, you don’t realize all of the people it affects.” Peterson said she understands the one universal need: hope. “We all have ups and downs,” Peterson said. “At some point, it’s going to come up, even though in that moment it feels like the weight of the world is on you. It gets better.” Feelings of isolation and being bullied tend to be big factors in the thoughts

43% have contemplated suicide.

of high school students. “We hope that there’s someone here on campus that our students know they can go to,” Roddy said. “Our school psychologist is Mrs. Atkins, and our counselors understand how to handle these situations.” If you know of someone showing symptoms or signs of suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to tell someone. In a high school atmosphere, pain is seen all around, in many different ways, and can be very much unseen and covered. “If you have a friend struggling, don’t leave them alone,” Roddy said. “I would tell you to tell an adult that you trust, or even a different friend.” Suicide is sometimes said to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and the faculty wants to prevent and be there for students in their times of need, with any struggles they are going through. “You’re going to get through this,” Roddy said. “It’s going to be a rough patch, but you’ll get through it. My dad used to tell me, ‘The sun’s gonna shine tomorrow.’”

29% feel comfortable talking to their counselor about personal struggles.

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Dear friend...

A look into the perspective of someone who has guided a friend through depression and suicidal thoughts Cameron Mayes • Reporter

Sophomore Joseph Avendano helped a friend who struggled with suicidal thoughts. Why do you think people commit suicide?

“I believe they commit suicide because they think there’s a lack of love, or due to hopelessness and there is no other way out.”

What is it like knowing you’re trying to help them, but they refuse? “It’s pretty sad and frustrating knowing that you’re only trying to help them.”

What did you say/do to help encourage them?

“I said, You may not feel loved, but someone truly does love you, and you have an amazing God who does. And He gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. God has a plan for your life.”

What warning signs or red flags did you notice?

“Honestly, I think that the person you least expect is struggling and enduring hard times.”

Does the pressure of helping your friends ever get to you?

“No, not at all. It lets me know that I’m helping someone and their struggles. It’s truly a blessing to help them out.”

If your friend has told you they are thinking of committing suicide and they tell you to keep quiet, do you respect their wish? “No, you absolutely need to let an adult know what’s going on with that person.”

When is it enough to know when you get an adult to help out?

“When they start to distance themselves from contact with other people. That’s when you need to warn an adult about what’s going on.”

What would you tell a lost one?

Teachers share what they wish they could tell a loved one lost to suicide “I would tell him now that he had an infectious smile and laugh.The impact that he had on other people’s lives is deeper and more far reaching than he’d ever realize.” - English teacher Molly Haney (lost a friend)

“When it came time for graduation I couldn’t help but think there should have been one more chair. The question that lingers is what contributes could he have made that will remain undone?” -Sharon Balthrop (lost a student)

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“I wish I’d have been a better friend to him by asking questions and really getting a sense of what was on his mind instead of relying on him to provide me with support. I wish I’d showed up for him like he always showed up for me.” -Erin Adwell (lost a friend)

“I’m sorry your pain stole your hope for the future. I wish I could hold you again. I am left with a gnawing sense of hunger for your company that will be with me forever.” -Olivia Basham (lost four family members)

AnyTHinG GOES

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Top of the class Sophomore Peyton Reine tells what it takes to be Top 5 in the Class of 2018 Haleigh Trevino • Reporter

ompetition. It fuels all of us, some more than others. But for sophomore Peyton Reine, her competitive trait led her to achieve greatness. For Reine, the start of her academic success began when “the division” came into place. Her elementary school classmates were divided into leveled classes in first grade. Reine was placed in one of the higher classes. Once she was placed in this category, Reine said she wanted to not only be one of the best, but the best. In order to accomplish, this Reine excelled, winning Bluebonnet reading competitions and excelling in reading, writing and math. Along with her ambition, Reine credits her family for supporting her in everything

Study tips from Peyton Reine: o Do

homework the day it’s assigned. o Color

code important info. o Do

big projects a little bit at a time. Sophomore Peyton Reine works dillegently in order to prepare for her upcoming Academic Decathlon Competition. Reine hopes to attend Texas A&M University and study medicine. Photo by Zane Stewart she does, and most of all credits her brother, senior Seth Reine for being her biggest competition. “Peyton is a very wellrounded student,” Academic Decathlon coach Marilyn Broyles said. As well as excelling in school, Reine is also a member of Academic Decathlon, Key Club, Young Life and Choir. Being involved in activities it’s essential for Reine to stay focused. In order to fulfill her committments, Reine said she does homework three to four hours on a daily basis. Although she said she enjoys all of her extracurriculars, one of her main passions is singing. With her love for singing starting in Elementary School, Reine continued her passion by continuing her choir career at Boles. Reine said her Wood Elementary choir teacher Judy Ray

o Use

textbooks.

o Have

a quiet study

area. sparked her passion for singing early in her life. Reine said she believes there is a lesson to learn in everything, and through volunteering she gained a feeling she’d never forget. “Key Club taught me that helping others doesn’t always benefit me, but helping just makes me happy and whole,” Reine said. Reine said she is motivated not only by competition to be the best, but also to reach her goal of going to Texas A&M University, where she hopes to go into medicine and become a pediatrician. Two words Reine’s Academic Decathlon teacher used to describe her personality are “enlightened” and “humble.” Choir director Kay Owens describes Reine as a focused, energetic girl who’s always ready to take on a challenge. “The other kids play on their phones, but not Peyton,” Owens said. “She

o Use

a planner.

o Take

neat notes.

o Ask

for help.

o Take

advantage of tutorials. gets down to her work.” Everyone has their weaknesses and Reine revealed hers to be her PAP English 1 class last year. “It was one of the most challenging courses I’ve ever had to take,” Reine said. Owens said she believes the key to Reine’s success is her time management. “Peyton has always been very good at what she does,” Owens said. “She just wants to do everything well.”

“Peyton has always been very good at what she does. She just wants to do everything well.” features

We are ABLE

Martin is one of the only schools in AISD with program to serve and teach life skills to specialneeds students Kare Gray • Reporter Martin is one of the only two high schools with an�� Academic and Behavior Learning Environment program in the district. The ABLE teachers have devoted their time to working with children of special needs. Students in this program have a range of different learning and behavioral differences that affect their ability to function in school. Within this program the students are taught employment skills, how to do job applications and communication skills, and also do team building activities. The ABLE room also serves as a safe haven for the students whenever they are feeling stressed and the teachers there will work with them to lower their stress levels. Alexander Villanueva, “Mr. V” to some, shared his experience working in the program. “I was given the opportunity and now I’m going into my twelfth year,” Villanueva said. He explains that he tries to make students with special needs have a more positive high school experience. “We provide a place in the room in which they feel comfortable enough to come and talk to us about problems that come up throughout their day,” Villanueva said. “We give them that opportunity to talk to us so that hopefully their stress levels will come

down.” After working with special needs students for the past 12 years, he said that the experience has taught him patience. “Since I started working with ABLE students, people have always said, ‘You must be a patient person’ but I think I’ve always been a patient person,” Villanueva said. “I believe one way it has changed me is being more understanding of what someone is going through and why they are going through it.” America Mathias, another teacher in the program, is in her second year. She, alongside Villanueva, helps prepare her students for their adult lives. “We teach them responsibility and teach them about the consequences of their actions,” Mathias said. “We give them all the help they need and full support.” Although she has been teaching at Martin for only two years now, she says she definitely feels herself changing. “It’s taught me way more patience, being more sensitive, caring, and being more careful with my words,” Mathias said. Not many of the ABLE students are involved in school activities at Martin, but Villanueva and Mathias said that they try to make the students aware of events going on in the school and encourage them to go to pep rallies.

The ABLE teachers and aides, Alexander Villanueva, Sunny Phillips, America Mathias, Emma Harman, and Stephen McCarthy in the ABLE room. “We give them all the help they need and full support,” Mathias said. Photo By Haley Riley “It would be nice if we had more involved,” Villanueva said. “If they are able to deal with the noise of the pep rallies, we encourage them to go, and I tell them about the different clubs at Martin.” “We make them aware of what’s going on, but they don’t have to go if they don’t want to,” Mathias said. Ashante Gray, who graduated in 2013, shared his experience with being in the ABLE program for four years. He shared how the teachers worked with him to build his maturity and prepare him for a future job. “The teachers treated me very well,” Gray said. “They taught me life management skills, and helped me

deal with my problems.” Gray said he did not participate in any clubs, but was heavily involved in his child development class and cooking classes. “I loved learning about kids and making cookie dough cupcakes,” Gray said. Gray said that he enjoyed hanging out during lunch and talking to the teachers about the Dallas Cowboys and the Orlando Magic. After Gray graduated, he was able to accomplish many things. “After I graduated I got my license, I worked at Kroger, and went to a community college,” Gray said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do those things without the help from my teachers.”

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From fear to family Senior discusses the challenges of parenthood Emily Wadley • Reporter & Gabby Benavides • Features Editor

he was shaking and crying. She stared at the test over and over. Positive. When she was 15, senior Deja Marez found out she was pregnant, and her mind was racing. Everything was going to change. She now had to think through what to do next. Could she take care of a human being, and did she even want to? “I had a lot of people tell me I should get an abortion, but I just thought if I’m pregnant, I’m going to go through it and have the baby,” Marez said. Marez’s parents were in shock. It hurt her relationship with her mom and they stopped speaking for a short period of time. Her father was also disappointed, but still supportive. Her two best friends stuck by her side and supported her through everything. Unfortunately, others, who she thought were her friends, abandoned her, talked about her and posted destructive social media messages directed towards her. “Some people are the whisperers and they would say, ‘Oh my gosh did you hear about her?’ Then some people would come to me and ask, ‘Are you Deja? Wow, can I take a picture with you?’ I was like, ‘Have you never seen a teen mom before?’” Marez said. During the pregnancy, Marez spent some of her time at Venture High School. Even though a baby was more than enough to think about, she continued school because she felt it was essen-

tial to both her and her baby. “When I went to Venture, there was a big group of teen moms and we all supported each other,” Marez said. Ezra Asher Marez was born Jan. 11 this year, weighing seven pounds and six ounces. Since then it has been hectic in the Marez household as Deja tries to find time for Ezra and all of her other commitments. “It’s challenging to find time for yourself,” Marez said, “I have to work, go to school and take care of him.” Now, hanging out with friends and normal teenager activities are second priorities to raising her child. “Being a mom is a lot of hard work,” counselor Jana Lewis said. “It is all about self sacrifice.” Lewis has worked with many teen moms and dads throughout her career. She said she always tries to lead them through their pregnancy and help them plan for what’s ahead. “Age doesn’t really have anything to do with being a good mother,” Lewis said. “You can love a child at 16 and you can love a child at 34. I want anyone who has a child just to realize that it’s a lot of work and you have to be willing to give to that child.” Marez certainly takes care of Ezra. She spends all of her free time with him, and her grandfather is there to take care of the baby when she is at school or working to provide for her child. She puts Ezra above her social life.

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Ezra Asher Marez at 8 months old. Photo courtesy of Deja Marez “If people wanna hang was one day when we went out with me, I have to find to the park and he went on a babysitter and if I can’t the swings for the first time,” find someone then I can’t go she said. “He had a blast and I get left out of things,” and then we went on a walk Marez said. where he was looking at all �� Marez has learned that be- the ducks.” ing a mother can be scary Teen moms are challenged and she has to make urgent everyday and the normal decisions for her child. worries and stress of a A baby is completely de- teenager’s life no longer pendent on its mom and seem to matter. They have a even the smallest judge- whole other person to look ments must be carefully after and support. thought out. Deja and Ezra may not have “One day he got really sick the typical life, but as a mom, and I took him to the doctor,” she is sacrificing everything Marez said. “He started for her and her baby’s wellcoughing a lot and couldn’t being. breathe, we had to try to get “If you do get put in a all the congestion from aller- position where you are a teen gies out of his throat. He was mom, you should do your turning purple and it was best to be a mom instead of terrifying.” trying to still be a typical Even with all the challenges teenager,” Marez said. “A and scares along the way, lot of girls are still trying to Marez said she loves being a party and live their lives as if mom for days like this one. nothing happened, you have “My favorite day with Ezra to grow up.”

Best of both worlds

First generation Americans at Martin have grown up in two cultures Kyle Desrosiers • Copy Editor Two languages, two sets of behavioral norms, two different guidelines for values and goals. That’s a hefty load for someone to cram into his or her brain. Many students struggle to find the balance between academics, extracurriculars, and a social life, but what many do not always realize, is that there is a significant second-generation American population at Martin, students and teachers who have the perspectives of two different worlds. Senior Ryan Yao is the president and co-founder of the Math National Honor Society, president of the Physics Club, involved in the Rotary Club and is a self-proclaimed STEM geek. He is also a first-generation American. “My parents came here from Taiwan for graduate school and their professional degrees,” Yao said. “I was born a little while later.” Yao has learned how to differentiate between American and Chinese culture and has discovered how to combine the best sides of both. “Asian culture emphasizes the practical side of things, whereas American culture tells you to shoot for your dreams, and I think there’s a valuable combination in the both of them,” Yao said. “Where they meet is where you can truly succeed.” Yao has visited family in Taiwan numerous times, and has seen the culture his parents grew up in. He can communicate semi-effectively in Mandarin, but has struggled to talk on the street and

share complex ideas. “I’ve been a part of American culture since I was younger, and I’m totally used to it,” Yao said. “In Taiwan, not so much. I grew up here and it’s hard to know all the different specific things about a culture you don’t live in.” Yao is active in the ChineseAmerican community and attends a Chinese church in Fort Worth. “It’s a good Chinese community there. There are a bunch of ‘ABCs,’ Americanborn Chinese, just like me, and it’s good to just come together cohesively and share with our collective experiences and culture,” Yao said. “Especially when most of my family lives overseas.” Yao has had to reconcile his western and eastern values on trips to visit his family. “When I was younger, I’d bring my Bible with me to Taiwan, but then I’d also see a statue of Buddha in a secluded room, which is my grandparents’ religious room,” Yao said. “It’s so weird seeing that statue so close to you, when all your life, you’ve grown up as Christian in America.” Yao has figured out how to meet his parents’ expectations and adjust to American society’s norms and has two perspectives that he can carry with him through life. Martin senior Aysha Moneer is a yearbook editor, active in Debate and Speech UIL, and the vice president of the Junior World Affairs Council. Her parents immigrated to America from Pakistan before she was born.

Senior Ryan Yao, a first generation Chinese-American, holds a scroll reading “Peace for the world” written in Madarin caligraphy. Photo courtesy of Ryan Yao �� “I have never felt uncomfortable with my parents’ background, but rather find it neat that I have different aspects of my life connected to different cultures,” Moneer said. “I really resonate with the hard work immigrants put into making their own and their families’ lives better.” A key part about being the first branch of a family tree in a new country is discovering for yourself the balance between your heritage and the other world around you. Martin chemistry teacher Parvinder Singh’s parents immigrated from India 25 years ago searching better jobs and better education for their children. As an adult, he has been through his formative years living with dual cultures. �� “Having a cultural expectation of one country while you’re living in a different country tends to isolate you,” Singh said. “My parents wanted me to act one way but everyone at school was acting a different way.” Singh had to participate

in one way of life at home and adapt to the norms of American society. “It was a little challenging in school and I did get teased a bit,” Singh said. “That has to do with the fact that sometimes my parents’ cooking didn’t smell the same way as American food and I would come to school smelling like Indian food. My family watched mainly Indian TV shows so I didn’t get to watch the same shows as everyone else growing up and it was hard to relate because of that.” �� In spite of struggles associated with being first-generation, it provides an outlook that a member of only one culture might not have. “It’s great to be able to see everyone from that unique perspective, trying to understand each unique culture,” Yao said. “Growing up as a person of two different cultures, I would say I’m more tolerant of certain things and I’ve learned to become more accepting, and that’s something we can all strive for.”

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‘It doesn’t define me.’

Two students describe their experience losing their fathers art by Binh Le

Rosie Cook • Reporter

magine it’s the most average day of your life. You’re writing out your new vocabulary words, hanging with your best friend. Life’s great. Until it’s not. Until that looming feeling of inevitable pain you’ve had since you woke up presents its reasoning. Until you find out the life of the co-creator of your very existence is slipping out from under you. That is how two students felt when the news of their fathers’ unexpected death intruded upon their day. “I was in Spanish, I think, eighth-grade year,” junior Lauren Hampton said. “I was distracted and thought about how that was probably the worst moment of my life, but I really had no idea.” She received an office note that read “Sister” only. As Hampton reached the front of the school, her older sister Barbara and her

mother came in crying and screaming at her to hurry. “I was so confused,” Hampton said. “I had no clue why they were screaming and crying.” Her dad, Rannie Hampton, passed out at work and the symptoms were pointing toward a heart attack. He was on his way to the hospital, but after 30 minutes of resuscitation and no signs of improvement, things were looking grim. “The entire way to the hospital, my mom, my sister and I just prayed,” Hampton said. “We needed something to hold on to.” When they had arrived, their father was in the E.R. being prepped for emergency surgery. Tubes and machines raced with the clock, fighting alongside him for his life. “Then the doctor came out,” Hampton said. “I could see the look on his face, but I wanted to believe my dad was back there, breathing and smiling. But I knew better.” Rannie Hampton died in surgery, and doctors weren’t able to save him. “We just started crying so loudly,” Hampton said. “People from the church and our family had come and they just surrounded us as we cried and cried for him.” The doctor brought Hampton, her mother, and her sister back to see him. “He was just lying there,” Hampton said. “We took his ring off really gently to not hurt him, but we realized it didn’t matter because he couldn’t feel it.” The Hamptons went home

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and were greeted by pizzas delivered to them, flowers, casseroles, and condolences. “We all slept in his t-shirts that night,” Hampton said. “We slept in my parents’ room. I think it’s what we really needed – each other.” The funeral and viewing proceeded in the following week. “It was hard realizing he wouldn’t be around,” Hampton said. “I didn’t want to deal with it, but it was something I had to do.” Another Warrior to suffer through such a loss was freshman Elena Regalado. “I was going to camp,” Regalado said. “I said a causal goodbye to my dad around three that afternoon and that was it.” Her friend’s mom had been driving home from Camp Thurman but had pulled over to a CVS parking lot after a phone call. “She had told me my dad had a seizure,” Regalado said. “She told us she would drive us to the hospital. I didn’t know how bad he really was.” Her dad, former Martin Photography teacher Daniel Regalado, had a brain aneurysm and was in the ICU. “I went and talked to him,” Regalado said. “He couldn’t hear me, but I talked to him anyway.” After a brain surgery and several tests, Mr. Regalado was unresponsive. “My mom had pulled me aside and told me that Friday would probably be a hard day,” Regalado said. “I don’t think I really understood what she meant by that at

the time.” The following Friday, Regalado got up early in the morning to go with her mother, Martin journalism teacher Tricia Regalado, to the hospital. “I went with my mom at four or five in the morning,” Regalado said. “It was early, but I needed to be there.” Regalado and her mother got up and drove to the hospital to face their day. “We were on our way there and it hit me,” Regalado said. “‘Today is Friday the 13th.’ I thought, ‘Today is going to be a bad day.’” Later in that day, doctors declared Daniel Regalado brain-dead. “My mom told me what they said,” Regalado said. “It took awhile to realize what happened, then I knew what she meant.” They left the hospital and went home after his passing. “Everyone knew about it the next day,” Regalado said. “I don’t really know how, but they just did.” She and her family had received hundreds of condolences and food from people who knew them, or didn’t. “It made me kind of upset,” Regalado said. “All of these people were saying how much they loved my dad and it made me jealous. That was MY dad. They didn’t know him like I did.” Regalado was overwhelmed by her father’s death and how public it became. “It also upset me because people saw it as something that defined me,” Regalado said. “It’s not. People see

continued on pg. 33

North park

‘It doesn’t define me’ continued from pg. 32

Underclassmen face parking changes Curt Leland • Reporter Sophomore Cole Schirm was excited to drive to school but was denied the privilege of driving off campus for lunch. He had to park in the north lot, also known as the sophomore parking lot. AISD supports a policy that underclassman have closed campus for lunch, so they cannot leave. This was the case until Wednesday Sept. 30, when over the intercom, an announcement rang through the halls. The north lot is closed for the rest of the year. The school is having a new athletic facility being built on campus, and construc�� tion workers are using the north lot. Because the sophomores lose their spots, they are going to park in the far corner of the east lot. “When the construction workers start, they will be bringing big trucks and there will be a lot of them going in and out,” principal Marlene Roddy said. “When a project is going on, it’s really good to not have students near massive trucks.” Underclassmen are not permitted to leave during lunch, even though sophomores will be parking in an upperclassman lot. The school will still attempt to monitor the underclassman cars’ whereabouts. “They have a specific area where they intend them to park,” Roddy said. “They will

have someone to keep an eye on them.” In the past, sophomore parking stickers were $25 as opposed to the $45 upperclassman parking price because of the walking distance. “I think that we will keep the price the same this year,” Roddy said. “Right now sophomores pay less for their parking because it is still pretty far out. So, we are going to make sure there is still a difference where they will get to park.” Even though the school is making the sophomore area separate by means of security guards and different colored stickers, sophomores are excited. “I really like how I can get there early and get a good spot,” sophomore Lauren Kinnear said. “It’s really convienent to get to school fast” Before this major change was made, students were not satisfied with AISD’s policy. In many school districts around the United States, student parking is not separated and open campus lunch is open for all grade levels. “This school is different than others I have worked at,” security officer Mark Miller said. “I’ve never had a separation between the

Parking changes leave sophomores swimming in a sea of people and cars at lunch. Photo by Daryn Taylor classes. �� I guess they are trying to give the upperclassman a little dangling carrot, now you’ve come a little bit further, now you get a little bit more privileges.” Other security officers have different opinions on the existence of this rule. “I guess it’s to keep the sophomores separated from everybody else,” security officer Edward Black said. “I am not particularly sure what the benefit is.” This system may work in smaller schools, but Martin’s vast size makes this a difficult task. “They can’t enforce it,” senior Tabitha Bondurant said. “People are still going to go off and it doesn’t matter what you are going to do.” Some students said they realize that this policy has loopholes, and wish they could run it differently. “Sophomores and freshmen should be able to go off if they want,” Bondurant said. With the new parking arrangements and the old, most students agree that the policy is flawed. “They can’t enforce something they can’t uphold,” Schirm said.

me and think, ‘Oh, she likes choir and drawing.’ I don’t want them to think of me as the girl whose dad died.” Hampton and Regalado said they experienced a desire to be away from the chaos of it all. “People going through a death in the family tend to want to be left alone,” counselor Jarita Galbreath said. “Which is okay, but they shouldn’t be left alone often. They need love and support, just not an overwhelming amount.” At these times, people may have a distaste for the world and everything in it. “I hated seeing people with their parents,” Hampton said. “It wasn’t fair, they needed to appreciate him and his life.” Regalado too felt this way and had experienced a dark time in dealing with her father’s death. “I used to get mad at simple things,” Regalado said. “But I realized it wasn’t fair for me to be mad at them and their happiness.” Both girls said they do their best to keep the memories of their fathers lives deeply embedded into theirs. “I think of lobsters and the smell of pine,” Regalado said. “He’s still very much in my life. When I smell coffee or see a camera, I know it’s my dad still making himself present.” “If you’re going through something like this, don’t be afraid of letting people in,” Hampton said. “Let people love you and help you. It sounds so hard to do, but they want to help and want you to be okay. That’s all anyone wants, is for you to be okay. So let love in and I promise you will be.”

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Straight up truth

art by Carson Johnson

LGBTQ+ members shut down misconceptions about their identities Allison Beatty • Opinions Editor

A ninth grader sits hunched over a computer screen. Her eyes, full of worry and fear, slowly shift down to the keys. “Is there something wrong with me?” she types, slowly, painfully. She hits Enter. “In about the middle of ninth grade, I sort of realized that the sexual attraction they show on TV and in the media, that’s not an exaggeration, that is actually how people feel,” junior Melanie* said. “So then I went online, and I was like, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’” �� Melanie scoured the internet, and finally concluded that what she was feeling had a name: asexuality. Asexuals, commonly referred to as “ace,” may feel romantic attraction towards different groups of people, respectively, but sexual attraction towards none. These two kinds of attractions don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Melanie identifies as panromantic as well as asexual. “For me, it means I don’t feel sexual attraction towards anyone,” she said. “But regardless of gender, I feel romantic attraction towards people.” It’s safe to say Melanie’s sexuality and romantic orientation are slightly outside the norm. However, despite her identity not being entirely understood by society, Melanie stresses her decision every day to be an open book. “I’ve never been nervous

about coming out to anyone,” she said. “I don’t want people to feel nervous around me, or to feel like I’m holding something back from them, because I like to be honest with people. I also don’t like it when people assume that someone’s straight, so I like to be very open about my asexuality and my panromanticism �� because it sort of dashes away those assumptions.” �� Junior Callie*, who identifies as pansexual, sheds light on the fine line between these two concepts. “There’s two binary genders, and as a bisexual, maybe you’re not willing to go beyond that,” she said. “But as a pansexual, you can have a romantic relationship with... those who aren’t exactly on the binary.” Before pinning down her feelings as �� pansexuality, Callie went through junior high with the assumption that she was bisexual. “So in seventh grade, I thought I was bisexual,” she said. “And then, my freshman year, I had a crush on someone who was �� genderqueer, and they don’t fit on the binary. So I was like, well, is there a word for this? And I started doing a little research, and I found out that, yeah, there is, and it’s pansexuality. I was like, ‘Oh, this is what I’m feeling.’” While receiving lots of support from the online LGBTQ community and her close friends, Callie is not without her fair share of prejudice and difficulties due to feelings she can’t control.

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“Most of my family, they don’t know,” she said. “My dad tends to make a lot of generalizations, he says a lot of insensitive stuff, and it really ticks me off. So I try to say something, and he’s like, ‘I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just messing around. I’m not hurting anyone, am I?’ I’m like, I’m here. I’m hurt. But I can’t say that.” Despite being so open about her sexuality to her friends and the online world, Callie said she is not sure why she has such anxiety over coming out to her family. “I’ve thought about coming out to my mom a bunch of times,” she said. “But I don’t, because I am just so scared. And I don’t know why I’m scared, because I know my family loves me and supports me. We’re a really tight knit group. But I just have this fear that it’s going to change things and we won’t be as close.” Fellow LGBTQ community member junior Alex* also experiences struggles like this in dealing with his sexuality, but uses it in a slightly different way. “The kind of backlash I usually get just entices me to want to educate people better,” Alex said. “It’s more motivating than it is debilitating. I just want people to understand. And I don’t think that people are always set in their ways.

I think people can always change, including adults and people in power. So I just take it as motivation to be who I am.” Alex identifies as a pansexual, like Callie, but he also holds a variant romantic orientation, which is �� demiromantic. People who identify as demiromantic need to create a strong emotional bond with another person before being able to develop any kind of romantic feelings for them. “You can only have romantic interest in somebody if you’ve known them for a long time,” Alex said. The complexities of these romantic and sexual attractions that don’t fall on the generic “gay-straight-orbisexual” spectrum lead Alex to stress the importance of a lack of understanding in today’s society for these individuals who are often overlooked, to go out and educate themselves.” “And if they don’t bother to do that, then they should probably just stay out of the conversation,” Alex said. “People who speak on these things who haven’t actually tried to go out and learn and expand their mind, or at least expand their knowledge about it, don’t really deserve a place in the conversation at all.” * denotes names have been changed

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Hope for the homeless

Opening up on the issue of student homelessness

Kendall Hendrix • Reporter

enior Chris* shoveled his clothes into some grocery bags, grabbed an extra pair of shoes, and stormed out of the house. In a burst of rage, his parents had kicked him out of his home. Angry, frustrated, and now with no place to go, he sought help from his friend to cool down and get a place to stay. Now, Chris’ home is on his friend’s couch. This is what homelessness looks like at Martin. Around 337,000 teenagers experience homelessness in Texas alone, according to data from McKinney-Vento Educational Programs. Some are homeless because of financial struggles, and others because of instability in their home life. At the beginning of summer break, senior Rachel* was kicked out of her home by her parents. They didn’t like her boyfriend, and were upset that she continued to speak to him. “I didn’t know where I was going to go,” Rachel said. “I didn’t know if I would end up on the street, in someone else’s home, or anywhere else. I told myself that I needed to get a job and support myself now. I also started worrying about college, since this is my senior year.” First, she went with her boyfriend to stay at one of his friends’ homes. Eventually, she got tired of living in another person’s house, and she wanted to try and move in with her parents again. “I went back to my parents’ house to try and make up with them,” Rachel said. “They ended up just kicking me out again.” After attempting to make

peace, she went to go stay with one of her friends in their home. “Staying at someone else’s house is weird and different,” Rachel said. “My friend’s house is much more clean and organized than mine, for instance. The family is really generous. It’s nice that I have a place to stay, but I’m always wondering when I’m going to have to leave.” Chris faces a similar situation. About a year ago, he, too, was asked by his parents to leave his home. “I moved here with my mother because she was going to get married,” Chris said. “Everything was going fine at first, until my stepdad kept trying to get me to leave. My mom finally told me his plan, so I decided to leave.” He first decided to go to the library to find a new place to stay, and to wait out the day. Eventually, he found someone willing to take him in. “I live there like I’m a member of their family,” Chris said. “They feed me and everything. Since I have a job, I help pay the rent so I can stay there.” An organization has sprung up in our community with the goal of decreasing the number of homeless teens: Communities Raising Awareness of Student Homelessness (CRASH), a group founded by two Martin High School students, seniors Landon Hackley and Tom Overman, and Arlington High School junior Madeleine Stokes. “We raise awareness of and money for student homelessness through selling

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CRASH founders senior Landon Hackley, AHS junior Madeleine Stokes and senior Tom Overman. Photo by Daryn Taylor CRASH t-shirts,” Hackley said. “25 percent of our shirt proceeds go directly to Safe Place, a nationwide shelter for homeless students. The other 75 percent goes toward expanding the organization.” So far, the organization has sold more than 500 t-shirts, and raised over $1000 for Safe Place. “I think that the idea of selling t-shirts and using the proceeds to support a good cause is excellent,” principal Marlene Roddy said. “I know students love buying tshirts, and this way, they can feel good knowing their purchase went towards helping someone else. It’s a great, service-minded project, and I’ll always support that.” In addition to selling shirts, the organization advertises itself at large events, such as Viking Fest, First Event, and Light Up Arlington. “One of our biggest goals is to get as many people off the streets as possible, and

make their lives as easy as possible so they can graduate,” Hackley said. “The likelihood of these students succeeding drastically increases if they’re able to graduate with a high school diploma.” Chris and Rachel said they were grateful to CRASH. “I think they could help homeless kids by finding them a place to stay,” Rachel said. “They could also provide school resources or help with job applications.” Even though Hackley has never been homeless himself, some of his friends have experienced homelessness, and he knows how it can affect people. “It was hard to accept that my friends haven’t had a stable home at some point in their lives,” Hackley said. “I realized how blessed I am to have what I do have, and I want to give back as much as I can.” * denotes name has been changed

‘With computers, there is no limit’ Photo courtesy of Damian Doubrava

Junior Damian Doubrava with a computer he built from scratch. Ezra Averill • Reporter Junior Damian Doubrava started working on computers with his grandfather

when he was around seven years old. Since then, he has repaired around 50 computers, set up Skype classrooms, and helped his family and friends with computers. “With computers there is no limit,” Doubrava said. “They are so vital to education. They make learning fast, simple and allow us to go more in depth. I think of computers as a puzzle. I figure exactly what’s wrong then see if I can save anything in the computer before replacing parts. I learn more from computers than other experiences.” �� His friends said his kindness is his best attribute. “He’s a good person and that’s the best achievement he can ever accomplish,” junior Kayla Berg said. Damian is in Web Design II, which is independent

study on meticulus work. “To be in Web II, you have to be successful in Web I,” Web II teacher, RJ Williams said. “I watch to see if the student is motivated enough to be in Web II.” This year, he bought all the parts and built a computer from scratch. “Paying for and building my own computer has been my most rewarding achievement,” Doubrava said. “For about the same price range as a computer at any store, my computer has increased internet capacity and is made especially for gaming.” Every success comes with learning from failures. “I have many successful computers, but just as many failures,” Doubrava said. “My most memorable failure is when I had just started

working on computers and I switched network connections and completely blew up my power supply.” Doubrava is currently planning a website where his family will be able to market informative, engaging Christian lessons for children. “He has set up an interactive whiteboard so that I can tutor students 200 miles away,” his grandmother Mae Doubrava said. Doubrava said he plans to go to college for Information Technology work, and hopes eventually to own his own business for computer work and repairs. He said he hopes to create new website design and computer component layouts to make things run more efficiently. “I know that any computerrelated job he wants, he’s got,” Berg said.

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Me, myself and my genders

My journey to discover who I am and what to do now that I’m here Gavin McGowan • Entertainment Editor

6 a.m. My alarm clock goes off inches from my head, forcing me out of whatever fantasy was running through my mind seconds before. I click my tongue, irritated, and reach around groggily to press the off button on the alarm. Sliding out of bed in my pajamas, I feel my way to the bathroom in half-darkness. The light flickers on and illuminates the room, revealing a filthy countertop packed with hair products, razors, skin-care items, and an assortment of combs and brushes. “Ugh” I say in mild disgust. I grab the items and attempt to sort them in their proper drawers, before giving up and sliding them softly onto the other end of the counter. Once this is finished, I divert my attention to the mirror and the person I see reflected in its surface. I stare at my face up and down, following the curves and indents of my skin against my skull. I absorb every pimple, every scar, every bizarre angle formed. I take note of the way my lips purse in silent judgement, how my eyes are placed in their sockets framed by my eyebrows and the unattractive shadows under them. After I’m done with my face I move down to my body. I stretch my shoulders out slightly and straighten my neck until I deem it attractive. I notice how broad I am, forcing my shoulders back inwards to make myself appear softer. I am large. Larger than most fully-grown adults. I suck in my gut and puff out my chest, straightening my back until I can nod my head in approval of how “welcoming” I appear. I sigh, letting my posture revert to normal and pivoting to turn on the shower. As the water comes spouting out of the showerhead, I turn around and look at myself one last time. I smile. “I am a woman,” I say confidently.

6 a.m. My alarm clock goes off inches from my head, forcing me out of whatever fantasy was running through my mind seconds before. I groan, reaching around groggily and slamming my hand on the off button angrily. Sliding out of bed in my pajamas, I make my way to the bathroom in halfdarkness. The light flickers on and illuminates the room, revealing a messy countertop packed with hair products, razors, skin-care items and an assortment of combs and brushes. I ignore these, brushing them aside to get a good look at my profile in the mirror. I stare at my face up and down, following the curves and indents of my skin against my skull. I absorb every pimple, every scar, every comfortable angle formed. I take note of the way my lips rest in silent judgement, how my eyes lie in their sockets framed by my eyebrows and the gray shadows under my eyes. After I’m done with my face I move down to my body. I stretch my shoulders as far wide as I deem attractive. I notice how broad I am, stretching my arms to my sides until I have achieved a wingspan large enough to force me to reposition myself in front of the mirror. I am large. Larger than most fully-grown adults. I suck in my gut and puff out my chest, nodding my head in approval of how “tough” I appear. I sigh, letting my arms fall to my side and pivoting to turn on the shower. As the water comes spouting out of the showerhead, I turn around and look at myself one last time. I smile. “I am a man,” I say confidently.

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...continued All of my life I have struggled with who I am as a person, and slowly, over time, I have discovered several things about myself. What I believe to be my purpose in life, my moral code, my sexuality, and a slew of other very personal things. But recently, I was forced to tackle the biggest truth about myself that I have had to face yet: What gender am I? After an entire summer of soul searching, hard research, and conversing with friends, I finally came to a conclusion that I’m ready to accept. I am Gender Fluid. Gender Fluidity means that I have a fluctuating gender identity. Or to put it more simply: Sometimes I identify as a man. Sometimes I identify as a woman.

This does not mean that I want to be a woman one day, or a man another. This means that at any point in the day, I just am one or the other. I came to this conclusion when I began to notice that sometimes I was significantly more “effeminate” than other times. Crossing my legs differently, laughing and flirting more, holding my face differently so that I looked more attractive. Even though these are stereotypical feminine traits, I was experiencing them without even thinking about it. In my confusion, I wondered if I was crazy. Stories of people with multiple personality disorder flashed through my mind, and I

pondered if there were two separate people inside of my head. Night after night, eyes tired from staring at the ceiling while lost in thought, I would curl up in a ball and just worry. I would worry about my family and friends, wondering whether they would hate me or just ignore me. I worried about where I would have to go for treatment, because obviously I was crazy … right? But then I did some research. I spent hours incognito browsing Gender Wikis and forums dedicated to the subject, all the while afraid that someone in my family would see my history and get suspicious. This slowly began to ease my mind,

turning crippling anxiety and biting self-loathing into childlike curiosity and a slow understanding of what was going on with me. Since then, I have begun to accept myself and my gender(s), adjusting my lifestyle according to who I am at that point in time. Wearing makeup occasionally, dressing in more feminine clothes, and doing my best to interact with the world in a way that’s comfortable to me. I want to state one last thing before I go into specifics. No matter if I’m male or female, if I’m wearing eyeliner or sporting a bare face, at the end of the day, I’m still Gavin Michael McGowan. And that’s not going to change.

But how does it all apply to me? I want to start this section by stating that I am not the standard for Gender Fluidity. Every person is unique and so are their gender habits. If you wish to know more, I recommend you follow the QR codes I will provide searching for Gender Wiki’s and Forums, as these were incredibly helpful for me. Now, the first thing that everybody asks when they hear that I am Gender Fluid is almost always, “Which one are you today?” This is slightly off-base, considering, for me at least, it doesn’t revolve around a 24-hour cycle. There is no definite time cycle for my genders. I could wake up a man, but by the time lunch rolls around I feel more like a woman. Another problem that aris-

es from this question is that most people assume that it’s either one way or the other completely, like a True/False test. But it isn’t. It’s more of a multiple choice question. For instance, let’s say that you have to solve a problem on a difficult test. After working out all of the math and double checking your answer, you get 95. You take a look at the answer options and see:

Pick the one that’s closest and hope it’s right. That’s exactly what it’s like when I realize what gender I am. Okay, so this whole time I have referred to my “two” genders. I shift between these two of course, however there are several other “settings,” if I may be so crude as to use that term, that some people can shift into. The Gender Fluid flag best illustrates these I think.

Pink for femininity White for all genders Purple for both binary genders Black for no Gender Blue for Masculinity

A: 67.999875 B: 98 C: 89 D: 1,009 You eliminate A and D because they obviously aren’t correct, and you’re left with B and C. Well what’s next?

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Now, I am pansexual. This means that I am attracted to anyone, regardless of gender preference. This is not because of my gender identity, and my gender preferences are not tied into my sexuality. Who you are and whom you like are entirely different matters, connected as loosely as what food you enjoy and whether you like reading or not. They’re simply two entirely separate aspects of you as a person. That being said, I do tend to like the opposite gender more whether I’m male or female. This is not always true for some Gender Fluid people, but in my case it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. I believe this all depends on my emotions and how they shift depending on who I am. Much like my mannerisms and dress preference, my emotions shift when I shift. I am more comfortable around other girls when I am one, and vice versa. I’m less likely to become angry or de-

fensive when confronted as a guy. And I’m more likely to find a boy cute when I’m female than I am when I’m male. At first glance, all of this may seem a little confusing and overwhelming. How could someone not have a gender? And to that I say: The same way that someone can be male one minute and female the next, or a person can be the gender they’re born as. It just kind of is who you are. However, I don’t identify with every option on the flag. For that reason I tend to use a symbol for Gender Fluidity, rather than the flag.

http://gender.wikia.com/wiki/Gender_Wiki A website with most of the basic info about all of the genders and sexualities possible. This is a great place to start if you’re having trouble wrapping your head around the concepts.

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I identify more with this symbol as it shows male and female prominently, and those are the two that I experience. But again, I am not an example of every case for Gender Fluidity. Onto the big one. The thing that is the topic of a lot of debate, reform, and senseless sarcasm. “He” or “she”? The pronouns. Most people prefer to be called by their gender-specific pronoun, as this makes them comfortable. Some even get angry when their request is ignored. I am not one of those people. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting people to respect who you are, it just simply doesn’t bother me. I am fine with being called either, or the gender neutral pronoun “they.” On forms, instead of coming across the blank marked “Gender” and trying to explain this incredibly hard to grasp concept into the tiny blank, I just put a solitary M. I do this because I don’t think I should have to put

people out of their way to accommodate me, just because of my gender. However, if someone does request that you do any of the preceding preferences, it is only polite that you indulge them. Sometimes all that it takes is a few seconds of effort and it can make them feel like they’re accepted in a world that isn’t very accepting. If you have any more questions or want to know more, whether it’s to discover your own identity, another’s, or just to learn more about the subject to better help anyone you come across who isn’t one of the “standard” genders, I strongly recommend visiting the following sites and searching anything else you have questions about on your favorite search engine. There’s a whole World Wide Web out there devoted to helping out people like me. The sites are QR coded below and I have included the link if you cannot scan them. And again, thank you.

http://www.ingender.com/Forum This is a forum for people who are nonbinary genders or have questions about it. This is more personal and focuses more on how to deal with individuals and how to make them comfortable.

Long story Physics teacher Tim Long teaches students ‘how to think’ Bayan Hammad • Reporter AP Physics teacher Timothy Long is more than a human calculator and a joke machine. Long has been teaching at Martin for 13 years and is known for being a remarkable teacher. Long’s students say he has a unique outlook on his teachings, personal experiences and how he copes with everyday life. “I attended the University of Toledo in Ohio,” Long said. “I majored in mathematics. I was good at it in high school and it seemed the thing to do.” Long explained how mathematics played a major role in his education, but after two years, he became much more involved in Physics. In fact, by the time he graduated, Long had more hours in physics than he did in math. “I started out as a math major, but teaching math is frustrating,” Long said. “Physics is much more fun since it’s the applied math, and it’s things you can actually see.” Long has 43 teaching years in total and plans to teach two more years. “After that, I’m going to retire, or go to the nursing

home,” Long said. “My plan is to continue teaching until my sophomore granddaughter graduates.” Long laughed as he explains his post-teaching plans, then explained how he strives to teach his granddaughter, Alyssa Long. Long has seen a lot in all his years of teaching and has many experiences which some are good, and others which were tough. “I was at Duncanville for 9/11, and it was scary,” Long said. “Everyone wanted to go home and didn’t know what to do. I just remember we were sitting there watching T.V., and then the buildings started crashing down.” Long said that the students who were sitting in the classroom during the tragic event still contact him to this day, checking in on him to see how he’s been. “We have a lot of students who come into Physics and don’t think they can do it,” Long said. “Students come in here very frustrated. The first six weeks is a tough time but after that, all of a sudden the light bulb goes off.” Since Long is the head of the department of Physics, he teaches five classes and has about 135 students.

Physics teacher Tim Long explains Newton’s Laws. Long has been teaching for 43 years, 13 of them at Martin. “In the future when students come across rough roadblocks, they’ll be able to say, ‘Well, I’ve done things harder than this,’” Long said. Photo by Jessica Owens Students complimented his teaching and sense of humor. “I love him so much that our picture we took is my lock screen saver,” senior Diana Joulani said. “He’s so funny, sometimes he’ll tell jokes and nobody understands it so he starts laughing at his own joke.” Joulani said Long is an extraordinary teacher, and her favorite. She said she views Long as energetic, helpful and charismatic. “His class is so enjoyable,” Joulani said. “You are truly learning and understanding what you’re doing. He is not one of those teachers who expects you not to ask questions when the lesson is taught. He will elaborate very well and do everything he can to help.”

“While we’re bored in class, he always makes funny jokes or remarks when he’s teaching,” junior Cameron Watson said. “It makes learning actually fun in his class.” Students said they are never bored or distracted because of Long’s great enthusiasm. “Mr. Long is a go-to person and he’s really sweet, kind and patient,” Watson said. Long said he sees his teaching as a mission to make students better people. “It’s really not about learning Physics, it’s more of learning how to think,” Long said. “This will crossover into all the other fields. In the future when students come across rough roadblocks, they’ll be able to say ‘Well, I’ve done things harder than this,’” Long said.

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THE WARRIOR POST

Martin High School • Arlington, TX Bailey Lewis Editor-In-Chief

Too soon

Earlier course selection creates potential issues Starting in October through December, freshmen will be choosing their classes for the 2016-17 school year. This is a process that has been generally done in the spring. This makes for a difficult decision for students. For one thing, high school is a time of discovery. Merely one to two grading periods is not enough time to determine which classes to take next year. On the

Kyle Derosiers & Tupelo Witte Copy Editors Emily Hale News Editor Gabby Benavides & Kamryn LeFan Features Editors Garrett Elliott Sports Editor Gavin McGowan Entertainment Editor Allison Beatty Opinions Editor Cammi Skanes Photo Editor Cailynd Barnes Design Editor Binh Le Staff Artist

[STAFF editorial]

Pride in the tribe We’re responsible for Martin’s unity

Tricia Regalado Adviser Marlene Roddy Principal Staffers:

Ezra Averill, Emma Beard, Spencer Brewer, Kai Bruntmyer, Rosie Cook, Serena Corwin, Morgan Evans, Darci Fulcher, Megan Garland, Kare Gray, Bayan Hammad, Cameron Hayes, Kendall Hendrix, Nikkolas Hernandez, Dean Kelly, Curt Leland, Kayla Mattox, Cameron Mayes, Madi McLean, Morgan McPeek, Kareema Nadurath, Elizabeth Prickett, Faith Smith, Zane Stewart, Daryn Taylor, Haleigh Trevino, Daisy Vasquez, Emily Wadley, Josephine Wei, Brady White, Michael White, Haley Wiley, Hope Zuckerbrow

The Warrior Post is the official publication of Martin High School. Opinion columns don’t necessarily represent the opinion of The Warrior Post or of Martin High School. The Warrior Post will not accept advertisements for products not legally available to students.

other side of the coin, high school students can be indecisive. Even college students switch their majors all the time; pushing up the date for the course selection process opens the door for more students visiting their counselor just to change next year’s schedule. This then poses an issue for counselors. Counselors will

be fielding requests to alter next year’s schedules from the fall all the way through August, when previously, they only dealt with such matters after February. They will become hardly more than our schedulemakers, with less time for other responsibilities. It would be in the best interest of students and counselors for AISD to keep the course selection date where it was previously.

Darci Fulcher • Reporter Most people walk down the hall only knowing the names of the star athletes and their friends, but we could make it to where everyone knows everyone. Because of Martin’s size and capacity, it’s difficult to know every face you pass. Lately, the school seems divided. Although the Tribe tries to mend the gap, it feels like a very forced effort. If we work together during school, then it will make it

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easier to bear the weight of a crisis. In the midst of the new school year along with our fallen Warriors, being disengaged is not an option. We should focus on how we can create an environment that people can feel safe in. Having people you trust close to you is one of the most important things to have in life. Having not only the support of your immediate friends, but the majority of the student body can make a huge impact on someone’s life. Popularity should not be a factor in how many people want to be your friend. Being popular doesn’t mean you have the cutest clothes, richest families or many friends. It means that you have people who have your back through thick and thin. Just because you don’t fit into a clique doesn’t mean you don’t have friends. You may fit into many different friend circles. When school groups get

caught up in stereotypical reputations, they cause the school to divide. Not everyone can be called a “nerd” or a “jock,” but it seems like that label is coming to life. If someone is a major sports junkie, it doesn’t mean they are the typical dumb jock. The main thing teachers are trying to fix is the freshman and upperclassmen conflict. From the booing to the playful criticism, nobody is trying to hurt or undermine the freshmen. Calling ourselves the Warrior Nation needs to come from the heart, and not be a forced social experiment. We all have to work together for this to play out in the best way possible. In order to make a change, you should talk to someone you don’t know. You can give someone a compliment, but the easiest way is to give someone a smile as a friendly reminder that they are taken care of here in the tribe.

We’ve got We can grow our spirit Michael White • Reporter It seems that everything in this world is growing. Every month there is a new phone out, every week a new house is built, and every second a new web page is online. However, our school spirit isn’t growing. Our school spirit is barely living, if you would even call it that. Last year’s Heckle Squad made school spirit thrive. They created colossal crowds cheering for the football teams with just a few chants and dances. They had a relationship with the crowd that made everything they did flow with a healthy amount of banter. But if no one can live up to them, is that really an excuse

to watch our spirit die? One problem with our school spirit is our crowds at games, and how it isn’t always a crowd (with the exception of football). It’s more like a cluster of families supporting their kids, and friends who love the sport. Attendance at pep rallies, fundraisers, and other school events has also seemed to have dropped as the years go on. Some high schools are making pep rallies mandatory and closed to the public. Others have so much school spirit that more people show up to their pep rallies than actually attend the school. Spirit days at Martin are filled with a handful of kids dressed head to toe, decked out in all sorts of ways. However, not nearly enough people participate in these spirit days. Not

? SPIRIT

to mention we don’t have many spirit days in the second semester. Nor do we have many spirit days for anything other than football, such as our baseball team, which won second place in the state championship this past season, and the rest of Martin’s sports. A school store is another thing Martin could easily adopt. We already have a concession stand in the upper gym lobby that is open during lunch to sell food, why not extend the reaches of that? All we’d have to do is add some more school wear such as jackets, hoodies, shorts, hats, custom backpacks, and have some commonlyneeded school supplies that students are constantly running out of. The clothes could be updated every sports season.

That way these items will always be accessible to the students. A talent show could easily help spread school spirit. Although we have a talent show for teachers, what we are missing is a talent show for the students. Granted, we have Martin Idol, but not everyone’s talent is singing. We need a talent show where anyone can go and have their chance to be a star. Not only would it give the students the chance to show off their talents, but it would also give them the chance to interact with one another. School spirit is something every school needs, and we aren’t getting enough of it. It is up to us as students to take the initiative to take part in school events. We must all come together to help Martin’s spirit thrive.

From textbooks to tech books Why Ebooks shouldn’t be the next big thing Hope Zuckerbrow •Reporter Textbooks are disappearing and the age of the Ebook is emerging. In a world where we’re all connected, putting our textbooks on the web would probably make sense to many people. However, kids all around the school strongly disagree. Martin students have found several different reasons as to why the online

textbooks, known as an “�� Ebook” are a problem. Complications can easily occur when using Ebooks. The power can go out, the internet can be down for lengthy periods of time, and many people claim Ebooks make it harder to focus. Statistics show that online textbooks contribute to eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, increases in excuses for students not doing their homework, requires costly Wi-Fi networks, and become quickly outdated as new technologies emerge. You will even find that

some teachers are strictly pro-textbook. The thought of losing the privilege of tangibly holding a book with real pages in it is a sore spot for some. It looks like there’s a deeper meaning as to why the district is switching to Ebooks rather than keeping textbooks for the students. According to assistant principal Dr. Mychl Buckley, the district is given a budget, and Ebooks are a lot cheaper than textbooks. An average textbook can be anywhere from $75 or higher. That cost is why we are

switching to Ebooks. Ebooks also save a lot of space. In the school we don’t have a lot of space to store the textbooks. Every math, science and history class has its own class set. The problem with that is if a teacher wants to let a student take one home and they don’t return it, then the teacher just lost another textbook. The student body should be given the right to choose the type of book that helps each of them learn more effectively.

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A true miracle Sophomore Miracle Pearson doesn’t let being deaf get in the way of basketball Faith Smith • Reporter Sophomore Miracle Pearson started playing basketball in fourth grade, and ever since she’s excelled at it, regardless of the fact that she’s deaf. “Some things really do affect the way I play because I’m deaf,” Pearson said. “It’s hard to communicate and get my teammates’ attention at times and I have to make sure I know when to stop when the whistle blows.” There can be some frustrating moments when it comes to playing with hearing people, having to try to communicate with her teammates and pay attention to the plays they’re calling. Pearson said she has been

playing for so long that she knows how to cope with the frustration when she doesn’t understand something. “Miracle handles playing with the team well,” basketball coach Brooke Brittain said. “She’s very talented, so it doesn’t hold us up.” Pearson communicates with her teammates without her interpreter often, and she teaches them signs so they can understand her better. She has an interpreter with her at all the games and practices, so if she needs help she also has that option. “She’s also pretty good at reading your lips when you need to talk to her,” sophomore Tiffany Tran said. Playing basketball all

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Sophomore Miracle Pearson prepares to shoot during basketball practice. Pearson has been playing since fourth grade. Photo by Cammi Skanes through high school is something she plans on sticking with, along with possibly playing in college. “I would love to continue my basketball career for as long as I can,” Pearson said. “I’m working on learning sign language,” Brittain said. “I would really like to learn more than the made up signs we use in practice.” Learning and growing with the team on and off the court is very important and

has a lot to do with how the team performs in games and practices. “Hard coaching ahead of time in practice is important, so when game time comes, Miracle and her team know what to expect and what to do so there’s no confusion,” Brittain said. “I do a lot of demonstration during practice with Miracle, showing her exactly what to do is the easiest way to learn and remember what to do.”

AISD is building a new multi-purpose facility to increase space of athletic programs Brady White • Reporter The new indoor athletic facility that will be built on the current football practice fields began construction Oct. 1 and is expected to be completed in July 2016. The multi purpose facility has been under debate and discussion for months by the AISD school board after a bond initiative passed in 2014 provided funding for the facility. The practice area will greatly increase the amount of room Martin will have for athletic programs and will contain a 7,500-square-foot weight room, an 80-yard field, a training room, locker rooms and coaches’ offices. This construction will solve the current problem of athletic programs not having locker room space on campus.

Head football coach Bob Wager said that the athletic department has outgrown the current complex. “We have so many student athletes that oftentimes in the weight room kids have to lift outside and in the hallways because our facilities aren’t large enough to hold the number of our kids,” he said. “When we increase the capacity of that area, it enables more kids to be involved. Not to mention in the winter months when it is too cold to go out and run, it will be very beneficial to the track teams, all of our teams really.” With each football team squeezed into tiny locker rooms serving dozens of varsity players, JV players, and freshman all in one room, the facility will be a sure welcome and relief. “Football coaches offices

in the locker rooms moving onto the practice fields will free up the current locker rooms for other programs on campus such as PE classes that have to share space,” assistant principal Scott Johnston said. The new construction will allow programs such as wrestling and tennis to move into the old football locker rooms and finally have a locker room of their own. While construction is going on, the football team won’t be able to practice on the practice fields, meaning that only the one turf field can be used. “It will be an inconvenience,” Wager said. “Any time there is growth or improvement, there are growing pains that go along with that. More time will be spent on the turf field. We will have to get creative getting 280 football

players all through practice with one practice field, but we will find a way.” Although these drawbacks will be an inconvenience to the Athletic program, the benefits of the facility on campus will be very positive. “The greatest thing for us is that we will never miss a day,” Wager said. “There will never be a reason why we can’t go run. As it is now, not just football teams, but some of our other teams have to run in the hallways during winter months and that’s disruptive to the learning process inside the school. It’s not an ideal situation.” The changes will also likely increase participation in athletics as well. “Doubling the size of the weight room will double the size of how many kids can get better everyday,” Wager said.

Valedictorian Seth Reine talks about what its like to balance school and football Garrett Elliott • Sports Editor In a school of 3,500 students like Martin, being the valedictorian of a school is a huge thing, but so is being a part of a Texas high school football team and winning a division 3-6A district championship. Senior Seth Reine gets to experience both. The average high school student has to deal with the never-ending struggle between school, sports, work, social life and sleep. “You really don’t get a lot of free time,” Reine said. “Your free time is spent trying to juggle all these things and you just have to learn how to be efficient with it.” Reine, a two-year varsity football player and member of the football leadership council is currently on track

to be the valedictorian of the class of 2016. “At times, football actually helps my grades,” Reine said. “Because it takes up so much time, I have to work whenever I have free time to do homework, and therefore it has made me a really hard worker off the field.” Despite being in five AP classes, Reine said he still manages to find time to the get a decent amount of sleep every night. “As an underclassman, I’d usually stay up till 10 or 11, but now it has slowed down some, so it’s more like 9 now, not that bad,” Reine said. Reine said he plans to stay close to home for college and go to Texas A&M and study Biomedical Engineering. “I really like the applications of how it can lead into medical school or research, both of which I would enjoy

doing,” Reine said. “Since I really enjoy doing sciences, I feel this is a great way to use my passion to help other people.” Because football is double blocked and not an AP class, Reine must take the class GPA exempt. Otherwise, it would lower his GPA. But despite the risk he has taken the past four years of staying in football when he could have just as easily taken another AP class, he has embraced it and has become a major influence and strong leader to the team. “Work ethic is a part of it,” Head Football Coach Bob Wager said. “But selfdiscipline, sacrifice, and all the same qualities that have allowed him to succeed academically, allow him to succeed athletically.” Reine attributes what he’s

Senior Seth Reine practices snapping the ball to a punter at the Martin-Lamar game Sep. 25. Photo by Cammi Skanes

been able to accomplish to how he was raised and how that has impacted him. “My parents have made the biggest impact in my life because they’ve been beside me every step of the way,” Reine said. “My parents are really proud of me, and in the beginning they did push me, but it has become a selfmotivated thing now.”

sports

Play makers What you missed in sports

1. Junior varsity wide receiver sophomore Sorell Brown powers through Skyline defenders during the Martin vs. Skyline game Sep. 3. 2. Junior Jackson Hall steps off the boat at a bass fishing competition at Possum Kingdom Lake. 3. Freshman Chloe Tappe anxiously awaits a return volley. 4. Varsity running back senior Nic Smith breaks free on a run against Desoto stepping toward a win at Mansfield-Newsome Stadium. 5. Junior Myles Rice practices his hurdling.

4 Photo 1,2&4 by Daryn Taylor. Photo 3 by Will Maben. Photo 5 by Tiyanna Hill.

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Going strong JV wide receiver Zander Green doesn’t let his health stop him Nikkolas Hernandez • Reporter

very day, sophomore Zander Green stands anxiously waiting to take the field and play football again. Due to the discovery of a tumor in his shoulder this summer, Green has only been able to watch from the sidelines. And that’s not okay with him. “The sideline just isn’t for me,” Green said. During a physical for athletics, Green patiently waited in the room for the doctors to say he was good to go for this season. When the doctor walked in, he did not come bearing the news that he desired. Right then, the doctor told

Green and his family that he had a tumor. The tumor is located on the back of his shoulder, and he said that he is currently taking blood tests and MRI’s to see if it’s benign or malignant. “I was in shock and disbelief,” Green said. He has always had a passion for football, and when he received the news of not being able to play this season, he was devastated. Green’s family has struggled with health for a while. Just recently, his mother, Jeanina Martin, was diagnosed with a tumor and had to have it removed. “I didn’t want to believe

Sophomore Zander Green helps out the football team during practice. Photo by Makayla Williams what I had heard,” Martin said. “My heart sank, almost leaving a wound I was scared might be forever opened.” The tumor has impacted Green in a variety of ways. Already having trouble coping with his situation, he said that people treat him like he can’t do anything the same way as he used to. “I am still the same Zan�� der Green, and I am not disabled,” Green said. “I can still do most things.” He said people are more generous to him, and they always seem to want to help out. He said he doesn’t like the extra attention because it bothers him that he wasn’t treated the same way before his condition was brought to light. “It’s really changed the view they have on me,” Green said. Green’s home life has also been impacted by his new condition. He explained that he does not do as much around the house as he used to. Even

though he helps out when he can, Green is not allowed to do much work around the house. A teammate from the junior varsity team, sophomore Dylan Wheeler, said that the line teammates have to walk when dealing with Green and his tumor has to be carefully navigated. “I try not to treat him differently, but it seems like I hold back on things that I would do if he did not have the tumor,” Wheeler says. The one thing that Green said he enjoys most is being able to ride with the varsity football team to every single game this year. With the help of the football staff, Green can still be involved with his passion of football. “I love being with varsity on Friday nights,” Green said. Not only does he get to be part of the team with varsity on Friday nights, he constantly shows his support of the team on Thursday nights with the junior varsity team as well.

“I am still the same Zander Green, and I am not disabled. I can still do most things.”

sports

Shooting for success New archery program hits the bullseye

Kai Bruntmyer • Reporter Sweat drips off the brow of freshman Garrison Hackley as he picks up his bow and prepares to shoot. He takes a sharp breath, then releases the arrow and stands back to watch as it propels towards its destination. He’s worked hard for this moment, and it finally pays off as he shoots a 10-point bullseye. The archery classes practices during second, fourth and eighth periods and after school until 4:30 in either Gym C or D. The other AISD high schools bus archery students over to Martin where they engage in practice with other Martin students. “We’re in the process of building an archery complex,” sponsor and coach Ricky Albus said. “It should be up and running this Fall.” The archery program has grown from a few Outdoor

Adventures students to kids from every grade, and this year it includes a summer archery camp for elementary school kids. “I originally took archery just to have an athletics credit,” Hackley said. “It’s different than your regular athletics class since it’s more skill-based than cardiobased.” However, other students had different reasons for joining archery. “When I watched the Olympics I was awestruck by the recurve shooting,” Archery Club top shooter senior Madi Torrez said. “So when I heard Martin was beginning an archery club, I jumped at the chance to do something a little different.” The archery complex, which will be located at the old Turning Point Elementary school, will be a new place to house students during daily practices and tournaments.

Senior Olivia Cherkas, junior Isaiah Schluze, and senior Megan Ragsdill prepare to shoot during an afterschool practice. Students practiced after school until 4. Photo by Jessica Owens

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Coach Ricky Albus assists an archery student with his “draw.” A “draw” is pulling the string of the bow backwards when aiming at the target. Photo by Haley Riley In the meantime, tournaments are held at Martin every other Wednesday. Along with a new facility, archery is constantly acquiring new members. “More and more people are showing up to practices every day,” Torrez said. “And we’re always open to new members. People come in every day just to see what we’re about and come out wanting to join.” Although archery is quickly expanding, they come from humble beginnings. “Originally, archery was just a unit in Outdoor Adventures,” Albus said. “More and more students every year expressed to me their interest in archery outside the class, so I met with superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos and showed him where we could go with this. We just had our first booster club meeting earlier this

year and it was so cool to see all the hard work pay off. ” Even though a lot of effort has gone into Archery Club, members still know how to have fun. “I bet Garrison $10 he couldn’t dance and shoot a bulls-eye at the same time,” Torrez said. “He tried hard, but the arrow hit a centimeter away. I felt bad so I gave him a dollar anyway.” Not only has archery given students an athletic credit, but it has also given them a place to meet new people and make even more friends. “I went in not really knowing anyone, but I’ve made so many new friends and met so many different people I wouldn’t necessarily meet if I hadn’t joined.” Hackley said. “Archery is like my second home, and I’m always excited to be at practice and hanging out with my archery friends.”