Warrior Post - April 2015

The Warrior Post Martin High School /4501 W. Pleasant Ridge Dr. Arlington, TX 76016 / Volume 33, Issue 4 April 10, 2015

Jumping over the bar during practice, senior Bryce Whitlock practices for Track & Field. Photo by Cammi Skanes

What’s i n si d e Perfect The T

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The do’s and don’ts if your friend comes out as trans

prom

More than a university

Girl in Boy Scouts

Everything you need to know when it comes to prom

Options outside of your typical fouryear university

It’s not just for boys anymore

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Let the games begin

Martin and cluster schools come together to help elementary students with math

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1. Physics Club members wait anxiously as a student tries to figure out how much he weighs on a certain planet.

2. A football player helps a student figure out how to work a problem by counting the football helmets and footballs. 3. Sundancers mentor a student how to do a math worksheet. Photos by Cailynd Barnes

Binh Le • Reporter

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he Gollywhopper Games is a Cluster Service Project managed by English II teacher and Key Club advisor Melissa Mays and Marketing Working Experiences teacher Ami Motsenbocker. The event was held at Martin in Gyms A and B and the cafeteria from 6 to 8 p.m. Mar. 20.

“It’s gotten bigger,” junior Reece Richardson said. “In sixth grade, it was really just an idea. My mom was a teacher at the elementary school, helped spread it to other schools to get more kids involved.”

The games were held at Little Elementary the first year then at Martin for the next five years. This is its sixth year.

“The games are a neat thing.”

Motsenbocker said. “It’s educational, yet fun. It’s a great chance for the kids to practice math skills which is a win-win situation.”

The Gollywhopper Games started because of an educational service project celebrating Global Youth Service Day. This project turned event was

started by then-sixth-graders Hailey Motsenbocker, Lauren Darr, Tupelo Witte, Reece Richardson, Nick Justice, and Wesley Ip, who are all current juniors at Martin.

“Truthfully, I didn’t expect it to blow up as much as it did,” Ip said. “Ever since it started, more people and clubs are involved and there are different clever games that are there.”

The Gollywhopper Games were made in order to help children from Kindergarten to sixth grade with their math skills.

“We were in something called Destination Imagination and the main project we were doing was called Project Lead The Way,” Ip said. “It mainly focused on community service.

We noticed in our elementary school that the younger kids had trouble with their math skills and we thought one of the things that could help and which was also fun would be the Gollywhopper Games.”

Last year roughly 1,000 people came to the event and roughly another 1,000 came this year.

At the games, the students participated in math-related

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games. Each activity included a question and a problem to be solved. Grade level questions were identified by color.

The setup of the booths were lined up around the perimeter of the two gyms. The booths consisted of math games that taught addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, fractions, etc. The booths had prizes such as tattoos, stickers, pencils, notebooks and more.

“The Gollywhopper Games gives a chance for kids to practice math in a nonthreatening environment,” Mays said. “The kids can work on a grade lower if they need a little more help, or a grade higher if they think what they’re learning is too easy for them.”

There were roughly 30 booths set up, each with a different game for the participants. The booths were managed by different clubs and groups from Martin, Boles, Young, Ditto, Little, Mary Moore, Corey, Dunn, and Wood including Key Club, Girls Basketball, Football, Quidditch, AVID, National Honors Society, Student Council, Golf, Science Na-

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tional Honors Society, AVID, Physics club, Geography club, Ready Set Teach, Seekers, Martin SOAR, Sundancers, Yearbook, and Track/Cross country.

During the Gollywhopper Games, the participants said they had a lot of fun playing the games, learning math, and earning prizes. Besides the games, there were also food for purchase, prizes for the participants, and a giant inflatable football helmet that kids got to run through and try to evade the football players..

“I really liked it,” second grade student Andrew Le said.

“The games were a lot of fun!”

Parents, volunteers, and students who came that day to participate also said they’d benefitted from the event.

“It feels really good to volunteer,” sophomore Tiffany Graves said. “It’s a good chance to interact with the kids and for them to see what it’s like here.”

“You get to see the kids smile,” sophomore Justin Adams said. “And it’s a fun experience to volunteer.”

The key to success

Symphonic Orchestra members share their experiences as the 2014-2015 TMEA Honor String Orchestra Julie Vest • Reporter This October the Martin Symphony String Orchestra was chosen as the TMEA (Texas Music Educators’ Association) Honor String Orchestra of the year, a title they have been working toward for years.

TMEA judges listen to recordings from orchestras from all over Texas and choose only one to represent Texas as the TMEA Honor Orchestra.

“Basically the orchestra submits a recording in the fall of a full concert, and it goes through judging panels until we make the finals,” junior Hannah Waterman said. “Then another panel of judges determines who will be the honor orchestra.”

“Every orchestra in the state is invited to send in a CD,” orchestra director Michael Stringer said. “I think this year there were 47 orchestras from the state that entered this contest.”

Stringer said he felt that this year’s orchestra had a better shot of winning TMEA. “They listen to all the CDs blind, and the directors are invited,” Stringer said. “As we were sitting, listening, I kept thinking, ‘Man, we’re up in the top.’ And as the judges came back into the room, I heard them all talking about how amazing letter C was and how they’d all had letter C first. And letter C was Martin.”

Though he said he had a strong feeling about this year’s orchestra, Stringer said he was shocked by the results of the competition.

“I paced around for five minutes waiting for someone to tell me that the results were wrong,” Stringer said. “The seniors have had so many years of making the finals, knowing what they were working for and not achieving it. To be able to tell them that we finally made it was probably the most amazing thing that’s ever happened.”

Symphony String Orchestra members shared Stringer’s shock about winning.

“I started crying,” senior Tesia Wu said. “All of us thought it was a prank, but Mr. Stringer wouldn’t do that.”

“I screamed so loud that my mom ran from the shower and made sure I wasn’t being murdered,” Waterman said.

The Martin Orchestra works hard to reach their goals, despite any obstacles.

“Most of the other top programs in the state have probably 20, 30 percent of their group that starts before fifth grade, and we have probably about two percent,” Stringer said. “I think this group in particular works like a family. They have respect for each other, each others’ abilities, and they’re not scared to tell each other, ‘Hey, you need to make that better.’ But they do it in such a way that they don’t offend anyone.”

“I’d definitely say, to get there, you have to have the dedication and be able to put that time aside to practice,” Tutt said.

“Every day counts and it’ll help you in the long run.”

Stringer said he set unusually high standards for this year’s orchestra, but they rose to the

occasion.

“Mr. Stringer gave us music that was a lot harder than anything that we had done before,” senior Russell Cannon said. “He picked the hardest program that any orchestra at Martin has ever done, and it was like, ‘Well, we’re either going to win, or you’re not going to make the finals.’ And we hate sounding bad, so everybody actually practiced.”

One of the reasons the Martin Orchestra is so special is because of strong feeder programs.

“A lot of other districts have some great high school directors and maybe some great middle school and elementary teachers,” Cannon said. “But for us, all the high school directors and teachers from Boles, Young, and the elementary schools are great.

We lucked out with all our teachers.”

“Stringer motivated us a lot,” Wu said. “He helped show us how we could like connect with the music.”

“Whenever we didn’t feel like performing our best at practices, Stringer kept reminding us of where we wanted to be, and gave us little goals that would add up to the big goal in the end,” Tutt said.

The orchestra members shared great experiences at TMEA, enjoying the rewards of their hard work and dedication.

“I liked spending time with everyone,” Wu said. “And of course the performance.

I remember, before the performance, we just felt like

a huge family and we were just there to perform and to show everyone that we deserve it.”

“I think (the performance) got our self-esteem up because we’d just been practicing in an empty hall for so long,” Tutt said. “It really got us empowered to do even better than we’d practiced.”

Stringer said he felt rewarded by his experience at TMEA. “When they called the directors out on stage, the audience stood up and applauded and congratulated the orchestra before we ever even played a note,” Stringer said. “I’ve been to a lot of these concerts and I’ve never seen the audience give the orchestra a standing ovation before they ever played. Just the feeling of walking around the convention and being stopped by every other orchestra director I knew to tell me congratulations was pretty awesome.”

Stringer said he continues to set goals for the orchestra, not letting them become complacent.

“This year, we’re making a big push for the Full Honor Orchestra competition,” Stringer said. “We were second in that competition last year, so I’m hoping we can take first place in that one.”

Despite graduating this year, Wu said she has high hopes for next year’s orchestra.

“Martin Orchestra isn’t really that well known,” Wu said.

“We always talk about band and football and all that, so I hope that orchestra can be the main thing you hear about Martin.”

“I screamed so loud that my mom ran from the shower and made sure I wasn’t being murdered.”

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Poetry club provides eclectic environment their existing differences.”

Members come every week to share their own emotions or to comfort those who wish to share theirs.

“It’s a safe place where people are acknowledged and encouraged,” senior and club president Alec De Lon said.

“At the end of it, they have learned how to put their soul on the paper in creative ways.

It’s as much learning as it is nurturing.”

Each meeting is different, as different groups of students attend, different poetry is read and many emotions fill the atmosphere.

“The poetry ranges from humorous to emotional,” junior Erica Jackson said. “But everyone in the room has a good time.”

Besides meetings, the club puts on other events throughout the year, especially in the spring semester.

poetry.

This year, the club’s membership has reached an all-time high.

On average, about 35 to 40 people attend each meeting, an incredible increase from last Dajee Smith reads his poetry in the year.

Unleashed Poetry Club meeting The club is open March 25. The club meets Wednesto many people days at lunch in room 296. Photo by with different Cammi Skanes backgrounds and interests.

Sherilyn Morales • Reporter “Everyone’s welcome, so Haikus, sonnets and odes we have an eclectic group of are only miniscule facets of people,” English teacher and Martin’s Unleashed Poetry club sponsor Stacy Campbell Club. Every Wednesday, a said. “It makes it a very diverse group of students – nurturing environment. All more than the classroom has kinds of things come out. But seats to hold – meet up to share no one in there is ever negative their work, passions and inter- toward one another because ests expressed in the form of everyone is so accepting of

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“We have an event called Coffee House,” Campbell said.

“People come in, buy coffee, eat cookies and hang out while people get to showcase their best poems of the year.”

In addition, the club also works with the school library to put on a competition.

“This spring, our librarian Mrs. Severns and the club will come together to put on a poetry slam,” Campbell said. “It is a spoken-word contest. All kinds of kids throughout the school get to come in to the competition. The more you memorize it and the better you perform it, the better you do and the more points you get from the judges.”

Campbell said she enjoys her involvement and interaction with the students.

“I love teaching kids that anyone can be a poet,” Campbell said.

“There’s something so liberating about freeing yourself.”

A time to remember Students reflect on the past at Black History celebration Feb. 24

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1.Senior Jireh Davis, state representative Bill Zedler, business owner Anthony Grissett, principal Marlene Roddy, coach Bob Wager, and senior Josh Lewis are thanked by parent and organizer Bridgett Davis for their help with the program.

2. Sundancers perform at the Black History Month Program.

3. Head football coach Bob Wager gives his speech remembering and honoring student Carl Wilson, who passed away in January.

4. Bill Zedler, Bob Wager, Marlene Roddy, and Anthony Grissett greet Carl Wilson’s godmother.

5. Anthony Grissett speaks to seniors during the Black History Month Program.

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Photos by Bailey Lewis 5

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Pumped

up

Mr. MHS raises funds and fun

1. The 20 contestants perform their first dance together at the Mr. MHS pageant Feb. 26.

2. Senior Alfredo Tamayo and freshman Nick Hight perform a ventriloquist act.

3. The contestants practice in the auditorium in the days before the competition.

Photos by Cammi Skanes

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Roberta Flores & Caleb Smith • Reporters

wenty handsome, strong and very comical young men competed Feb. 26 for the honor of being the 2015 Mr. MHS. Junior Brandon Rivera was crowned Mr. MHS. “I was happy to win because I definitely wasn’t expecting it,” Rivera, said. “That was the

most fun I’ve ever had at Martin. I developed good friendships with the guys.”

For casual wear, Brandon walked out as Guy Fieri from the Food Network and showed off his muscles during the swimwear competition. He said he has a slight obsession with

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Guy and thought to go out and show off his idol.

“It was a last-second decision for the swimwear,” he said. “I realized how unhealthy I was and noticed all the guys I was going after were ripped.”

For years the event has been a fundraiser for the Senior Breakfast and Senior Sendoff, both of which occur in late May. Altogether, the event raised about $4,500.

Mr. MHS participants had about two months of practice

including the outside practices at each others’ houses. The guys started practice in early January practiced every day at lunch for about 45 minutes.

Along the way, the MHS contestants said they created close friendships because of how they worked with each other almost every day. Some contestants had advice for future Mr. MHS contestants.

“It’s a great memory so don’t take it for granted,” senior Esteban Ruiz said.

Whitlock, White, Michell, and Watson as seniors.

Photo by Michaelann Durden

Whitlock, Watson, Michell, and White in fifth grade.

Photo courtesy of Teri White and Brad Watson

Best friends forever and ever Two groups of friends who have grown from grade school to senior year share stories and test how well they know each other Michaelann Durden • Entertainment Editor & Gavin McGowan • Reporter

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veryone has best friends, but some people have something closer. Some students have been friends with each other for their whole lives.

Seniors Mason Michell, Josh Watson, Trip White and Bryce Whitlock are among those people.

They became a friend group in the third and fourth grades through flag football at Mary Moore Elementary School, and have remained best friends since.

“The crazy thing was that I

came to Mary Moore in the third grade,” Michell said.

“First day of school I didn’t really know any people. I saw Bryce and Trip out there on the soccer fields doing their thing, being captains and leaders. By the second day they had me under their arms. They took me in and it meant a lot.”

Watson later joined the friend group and, among other things, memorized Michell and White’s phone numbers, which he can still recite on command.

Despite the sheer length of the

time they have been friends, the group has really never been in any big fights. Little arguments are the only thing that ever befall the group.

“We always have to be right,” Watson said.

Seniors Kayle MacDowell and Alyson Toth, who have also been friends since the third grade, have much the same dynamic.

“We honestly don’t really fight that much,” Toth said. “We’ll get angry at each other.”

MacDowell and Toth claim

their only big fight was in the fifth grade, when they didn’t talk to each other for a couple of days.

MacDowell and Toth both play on the varsity soccer team, on which they both have bonded over throughout the years.

Throughout the years, these two friend groups have accumulated many interesting facts about each other.

Check out the QR code below to watch the full video and hear what they have to say about each other.

Left photo: MacDowell(left) and Toth(right) in fifth grade. Courtesy of MacDowell and Toth Right photo: Toth (left) and MacDowell (right) as seniors. Photo by Michaelann Durden

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sister has been my role model,” Taylor said. “She was the first person I came out to and I was really nervous about it.

When I told her, she was really accepting, which was a comfort to me.”

However, where others may fall, many have found refuge in the arms of the online LGBT community.

“I didn’t really understand the word ‘transgender,’ until I researched it for myself,” Casper said. “I talked to people online who are transgender, and they explained how they felt during their transitioning when they were younger. It has really given me a self confidence boost knowing that there are people out there in their 30s who are living their lives who still know who they are.”

During the toils and the triumphs, media has played a large role in society’s views of transgender people. From the highly-publicized suicides of transgender teens Leelah Alcorn and Zander Mahaffey to acceptance of teenagers with small blogs, Tumblr in particular has played an influential role through it all.

“When I realized that I was transgender, I just changed little things on my Tumblr profile and made a post,” Casper said.

“People took it really well. In fact, they defended me often whenever other people have

Students speak out about their transgender experience

Emily Hale & Parker Poulos• Reporters

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magine being trapped in the opposite gender’s body, being uncomfortable in your own skin. Imagine having people refer to you by the wrong pronoun, and feeling complete frustration at tasks as mundane as going to the restroom.

Imagine knowing as you walk through the wrong door that everyone is seeing a hollow projection of you and not who you are.

Now stop imagining. This is real life. Thousands of teenaged transgender students roam the hallways everyday, caught in the balance. Somewhere between wanting to fit in and wanting to be themselves, they walk the emotional tightrope.

“In any case where I have to dress femininely or put on makeup, it freaks me out and makes me really upset because I know that people are seeing me as a girl rather than as a guy,” sophomore Casper* said.

Casper, born female, has never been what people would call “girly,” but throughout

his life, particularly with time, he has found that he identifies as a male. However, this lifechanging revelation did not occur overnight.

“It was kind of gradual because I do my best to make sure that this is how I feel and make sure I don’t feel that way due to an external cause,” Casper said. “It’s actually how I feel in my heart.”

Casper, though part of a seemingly small portion of the student body, is not alone.

Fellow classmates also face the scarcely marked path of gender identity. Junior Taylor* (female to male), said he realized his gender identity at age 14.

“When I realized that I was transgender, I started to look back,” Taylor said. “It had seemed insignificant at the time, but whenever I dream, I’ve always been male rather than female.”

Fortunately, trekking through gender identity is not a passage most embark on alone.

“Through everything, my

tried to say little lies. That’s really helped and has really affected who I am today.”

Over time, legality has mirrored society’s views of the transgender population.

“There are so many obstacles to become transsexual,” Taylor said. “You can’t just tell someone, ‘This is who I am.’

With therapy and paperwork, you have to ‘prove it.’ So it’s really discouraging when my dad tells me I’m just a kid and I don’t know what I want.”

Support systems within the home vary from student to student, but almost unanimously, they seem to find courage regardless of intolerance that surrounds them and the obstacles they are met with.

“I haven’t actually told my parents that I’m transgender, because they aren’t entirely supportive,” Casper said.

“When I’m older and I have a safe space, I’m planning on laying down the ground rules and saying something along the lines of, ‘Whether you like it or not, this is how it is. This is what’s going to happen and if I have to do it on my own, that’s fine.’”

Both communities within the school hallways, and environments spanning across the globe have provided support and allowed for thought beyond

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Do’s and Don’ts about how to react if your friend comes out as transgender 1. DO listen to what they have to say.

DON’T interrupt them or try to fill in the blanks.

2. DO be honest if you don’t understand.

DON’T ask about their parts.

3. DO ask about confidentiality.

DON’T freak out.

4. DO remember the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity.

DON’T assume anything. A person can be transgender and straight, gay, or any other sexuality. Being transgender has no effect on a person’s sexuality.

5. DO ask which pronouns they prefer.

DON’T misgender them or use their birth name.

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Art by Audrey Dao

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Custodial kindness

Head Custodian Diana Johnson said her goal in life is to help others, including students and teachers at Martin.

Photo By Haley Wiley

Head Custodian Diana Johnson makes a difference in lives of students

Haley Wiley • Reporter and their lifestyles. It’s very in When head custodian Diana

Johnson walks into the doors of Martin, she has no idea what events the day will bring.

She, along with several other custodians, keep the school going in the smallest of ways.

She is truly a part of the Martin family and is making a huge difference in ways that often go unnoticed.

The daily demands of being a custodian in a large school can sometimes be very overwhelming for Johnson.

“At Martin High school, it’s very busy, with the events that we have, as many restrooms as we have,” Johnson said. “Our time is demanded for every situation, and there are not as many custodians as there used to be. An overrunning toilet here, someone has vomited over here, there’s a spill here, somebody’s breaker went off in the office to where they have no power, an event needs setting up for. There are many different things to do.”

Head custodian Diana Johnson has been working at Martin since the fall of 1997.

As years went by, she became more acquainted with students and teachers and started connecting with them on her job on more than just a custodial level.

“I’m a people person,” Johnson said. “I love talking to people, finding out about people, and praying for people. Year after year, you walk around this school and you never get to meet everyone. There’s always someone new to meet, and find out about them, their stories,

teresting.”

Johnson said she tries to spread positivity and hope through her religious beliefs.

“Someone could walk by me in tears, and God will give me a word for them at that time,” Johnson said. “Maybe it’s just a simple word, or a hug, or encouragement, or something uplifting. It could be anyone, student or teacher, who just needs some words of encouragement.”

After years of custodial work, last year the job took a toll on Johnson’s health.

“My back problems began with just simple wear and tear over the years and then one day, I got the flu,” Johnson said. “And after the flu, the doctor said that my bones were frail and my body was just weak. I was experiencing a lot of pain on my left side and it just went numb, and I couldn’t understand why. Eventually, they performed a left Hemilaminectomy.”

A hemilaminectomy helps relieve the symptoms of an impinged or irritated nerve root in the spine. Surgeons remove part of a vertebra.

Johnson’s recovery from back surgery was long and slow, and being out of work for seven months was very hard for her.

“Initially, when I first came back to work, I ignored doctors’ orders to stay home,” Johnson said. “My life made no more sense to me – staying at home every day, not seeing anybody, not talking to or helping anybody. It was hard for me.”

But despite the setbacks, Johnson said she remains

positive.

“Recovery has been slow,” she said. “Sometimes when I wake up, I’m in a lot of pain and it’s hard to get out of bed.

But I keep pushing, and coming to Martin where people really care motivate me and help me.

It helps me heal. It really does.”

Johnson was a resource for students after the January death of senior Carl Wilson, including his girlfriend, senior Dashia Collins.

“When Carl first died, she talked to me a lot,” Collins said.

“She told me to pray a lot, and every day she sees me, she asks how I’m doing. When I moved to this school my freshman year

from Louisiana and I didn’t know anybody, she helped me feel welcome.”

Over the years, Johnson has made an impact on many students, and several of them have come back to Martin to thank her after they graduated.

“There have been several years where I’ve seen students come back to see me and thank me for motivating them,” Johnson said. “It’s so amazing to me to see that I am making a difference in people’s lives.

That is our purpose on this earth – to uplift and to encourage one another. And that is my goal every day in everything that I do.”

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No “prom”blems

Students give advice on previous prom experiences Gabby Benavides & Bayan Hammad & • Reporters When it comes to prom, there are variety of things people worry about such as who you’ll take, if someone will have the same dress as you, or how you’re going to get asked. With all of this in mind, the last thing you want to worry about is where you’re going to buy all your stuff or how much it will cost. Students who have previously been to prom share their experience and advice to future prom-goers.

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it looked good,” senior Sydney Marvin said.

Spray Tan “I went to Tan Spa and got it air brushed so it was pretty cheap. Make sure you get it a few days in advance, though, so you won’t look orange,” Marvin said.

Dress “My dress last year was from BCBG. I didn’t want to spend a whole lot because it was my junior year and I have another year to go to prom,” senior Andie Zang said.

Tux

Hair/make-up

Corsage

“I got my hair and makeup done at Avante Salon in Mansfield. I went a couple of weeks before to test it out and went back to make sure

“I bought a tux at Men’s Wearhouse so I could wear it later on,” senior Josh Watson said.

“My mom ordered my corsage at Kroger. They have a flower section where they can make it for you and they’re pretty cheap,” junior James Ryan said.

Transportation: “I would say definitely get a party bus,” Zang said. “It’s a lot more fun! There is more room than in a limo so you can stand up and dance.”

Pro tips: Public Speaking teacher Michelle Fratto also provided advice on the do’s and don’t’s for prom.

“You don’t want to be heading out to prom any later than 6:30 p.m. because there is traffic and all kinds of crazy things going on,” Fratto said.

It’s important to be smart and plan ahead because you never know what’s going to happen on the way.

“You should have your hair done around noon because usually people are meeting around five to take their

pictures.” Fratto said.

Budget your money wisely and talk to your date about what things you both would like to do and what you could pass on.

“Save money by getting a bouquet of flowers for your date instead of a corsage and boutonniere,” Fratto said.

“Most girls would rather have flowers because you only need the corsage for pictures and then you take it off.”

Bahama Bash is a fun way to end your night, with lots of fun costumes, food, games, and prizes. The way to receive prizes is by earning Bahama Bucks and to do that you have to play a variety of games.

“When getting Bahama Bucks, the best way to get them is to take a junior because they have to give you all their bucks since seniors are the only ones who can spend them,” Fratto said.

Martin senior students come up with creative promposal ideas Lauren West • Reporter Prom is something students everywhere look forward to all throughout their high school career, and for this year’s seniors, it’s coming up May 2. However, the next hurdle seniors have to jump before reaching prom are the promposals.

There are countless ways to ask your ideal date and senior Brandon Bell went the more public route.

“I painted a huge poster that said, ‘Good Morning Kailee,

will you go to prom with...’ and then I held a huge sign that said, ‘ME!’” Bell said. “I just kinda came up with it. I knew I wanted to ask in front of a bunch of people and make it super public.”

Of course they are many other ways to guarantee yourself a date for prom as seniors Kathleen Standifer and Christian Thomas are well aware.

“She asked me via text message,” Thomas said. “She

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said that she thinks we would have a better time if we went together.”

Public Speaking teacher Michelle Fratto, self-appointed Promposal Guru, said she has seen interesting and extravagant promposals.

“One kid in my class asked us to go outside and he dressed like Biblical times and had the Ten Commandments with him,” Fratto said. “He was in the back of a truck and there was someone else playing this horn and there was a huge

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crowd that came. They made sure she came, and then he parted the sea.”

Some seniors ask their significant others without all the extravagance and without all the hubbub and nerves that go along with it. Seniors Kaitlyn Buss and her boyfriend Alan Castolenia, were able to keep it cute and simple.

“He wrote it on a soccer ball and it said, ‘Will you kick it with me at prom?’” Buss said.

“He gave it to me before his soccer game.”

Wannabe in the 90s?

The difference in fashion between now and then isn’t really so different. 80s and 90s fashions are making a comeback, and if you don’t believe it, just look at your fellow students. For example, scrunchies, high socks, and leggings were common then and are back in fashion now.

•Oversized sweater •High waisted jeans (light wash) •Plaid flannel •Keds •White sneakers •High socks •Scrunchie •Long Bangs •Big glasses •Graphic Tees

Geometry teacher Magan Durand (in plaid)

•Oversized sweaters •Scrunchies •High socks •Leggings

•Flannel (wrapped around waist) •Leggings •Combat boots •Graphic Tees

Junior Tupelo Witte

•Flannel •White wash jeans •Converse •Big glasses •Shirt wrapped around waist •Bangs •Oversized shirt

Junior Peretta Wright

Former photography teacher Daniel Regalado and Journalism teacher Tricia Regalado 11

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Classes best for you: -Art History -Photography Audio/Video production

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Careers for you: -Film critics -Music Therapist -Food critic

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How you wo best

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own adventure

ick your future classes based on your interests

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you:

Kamryn LeFan • Reporter

Do you like interacting with people?

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Classes best for you: -Audio and video production -Photography Classes best for you: -Theater -Choir -Band -Orchestra -Graphic design 13

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features

No college?

Seniors talk about their less conventional plans after graduation Kaitlyn Rosenbaum • Reporter After they graduate, most students are expected to continue their educations by going straight to college.

But college is not for everyone, and depending on what you want to do, it is not needed to become a successful member of society.

Seniors Emma Raney, Gabby Sandidge and Bailey Graham all have less conventional plans for success after they graduate in June.

trade school Trade school, or vocational school, is a higher-level institution that provides a student with knowledge in order to do specific job tasks.

There are a variety of trade schools for multiple subjects, programs that can be completed anywhere from six months to two years.

Senior Emma Raney is going to a cosmetology trade school after she graduates from Martin.

“I am going to the Paul Mitchell School in the Highlands for cosmetology to get my license in all of the aspects, but probably work just with hair,” Raney said. “Then maybe I’d like to open my own shop one day.”

Cosmetology is the profession that deals with beautifying of the face, hair and skin.

Raney’s program requires 1,500 hours to satisfy state requirements, which amounts to about nine months of class time.

“I became interested in cosmetology after talking with my aunt, because she is a cosmetologist who does hair,”

Raney said.

Cosmetologists annually earn $16,000 to $42,000.

“I have been thinking about not going to college for about a year now,” Raney said. “The thought of me going to college caused me too much stress and anxiety, so I think not going to college is better for myself.”

College is the next step in higher education that allows people to become certified in a profession that they cannot do with only a high school diploma.

But it is not a smooth path for every person, since everyone reacts differently to education and stress levels.

“I think it’s important to continue your education,” Raney said. “If not, you are just going to get dumber. I think it’s necessary to keep learning, but it can be found in many places, not just school.”

Raney said she has a strong support system and her family is now open to the idea, after some convincing.

“My stepdad was upset at first because I told him I was going to take a year off after graduating,” she said. “But after I told him I was considering cosmetology school, he was relieved.”

Not only is parent support important, but so is teacher and counselor support, because some suggestions can be gained from it.

“My counselor was amazing and very supportive of me,” Raney said. “She told me about considering going to TCC to get an associates degree in business, so I could open my own shop one day.”

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military Military programs are designed to train and prepare a person for service in the military, and make them ready to go overseas if a war breaks out. But the military is not only for wars; they also have programs within them that help out students with college.

Senior Gabby Sandidge will enlist in the Marine Corps after graduation, and not just for the fighting.

“I am going into the Marine Corps, and doing active duty for a four-year enlistment,” Sandidge said.

Added bonuses include health insurance, housing on a Marine Corps base and additional schooling.

“I was interested in the Marine’s Active Duty because they will pay for classes both while and after my enlistment, which will really help me out financially,” Sandidge said.

“Especially because I plan on going to med school.”

The military is an option for people after high school who not only want to serve their country, but want to find a career or job that will benefit them after their service.

Sandidge said she chose to join the military because she was interested in the program but also because they will help her reach her life goal: becoming a neurosurgeon.

“I want to go to Texas A&M University Corpus Christi after my enlistment is over and go into their biomedical science department, which is very competitive,” Sandidge said.

“Then I’ll apply and go into medical school to become a neurosurgeon.

Since the Marines will help pay for college while I’m both enlisted and after, this will greatly help because that is 12 years of schooling.”

Although Sandidge said she did not start out with all the support from her family, she

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gained it once they realized how badly she wanted to enlist in the Marines.

Like Raney, Sandidge said she feels slight pressure and judgment from her teachers when mentioning what her after high school plans are.

“I get lots of judgment from my friends and teachers because they don’t support my decision to do this,” Sandidge said. “I think it’s most likely because I used to be so school-oriented and wanted to go into college right away, but this is such a big change that they might be scared for me.”

no college The after-graduation plan that is most frowned upon by adults is when they hear of a student not going to college at all, but launching straight into their intended career pathway.

Senior Bailey Graham said he is not planning on going to any after-high school schooling, and that he’ll move across the country and work to pursue a career in making and performing music instead.

“I plan on moving to either New York City or California, depending on which job my father takes, and pursuing a career in music performance from there,” Graham said.

For careers in the fine arts, music performance especially, a formal education isn’t always necessary for being successful.

Some superstars in the music industry such as Eminem, Jimi Hendrix or Christina Aguilera, dropped out of high school but have still been able to thrive in their careers without formal education, let alone a college degree.

“I have nothing against people who go to college and get degrees, but it’s not needed for me,” Graham said. “I have seen too many people with music degrees who don’t do

continued on page 15

College? ... continued from page 14 anything with them. I have to be entertaining, sound good and hopefully success will come.”

College music programs are typically focused on classical styles, which isn’t what is being headlined or seen touring around the world too often.

“I would describe my style as alternative-electronic with heavy influences from jazz and hip hop beats,” he said. “And colleges don’t offer degrees in things even close to that, so I think I have a better chance at doing it on my own.”

Getting noticed in the music industry is all about the people you know, the music you create, and being marketable to an audience. This could take anywhere from two weeks to ten years, but Graham said he is ready for whatever his future has in store for him.

“I just want to create music that I enjoy, and hopefully other people will too,” he said. “Even

The t-word ... continued from page 8

if I’m just doing small tours and not world known, I will be happy because I’ll still get to meet and connect with other people along the way.”

Support in this career path is very necessary and Graham said he is surrounded by it from family, friends, and even people from the internet.

People posting and talking about someone’s new song or video is a large part of how musicians get noticed or known, and having a strong support/fan base is needed for that.

“I have a lot of support from my family, and they will do what they can to help me reach my goals, even if that means listening to me practice for six hours straight,” Graham said.

“They support my decision to not go to college and my friends are a big help in sharing my songs and getting people to look at my music.”

myself and ask, ‘Do I ever try to convince somebody that they’re something they aren’t, or do I stereotype someone off of something I believe I already know? Finding a support system has helped me both in personality and also finding confidence in myself.”

Through the increasing knowledge of sexual identity, however, there have been many skewed conclusions.

“If I could correct one common misconception, I would clarify that transgender people don’t have to do specific things to be who they are,” Taylor said. “For example, I’m mostly content with my body.

I want bilateral mastectomy (commonly referred to as ‘top surgery’), but that’s it, and I know that that doesn’t fit into one neat category.”

As acceptance grows in teens, the pain is reduced as well.

“I have definitely seen an

increase in the number of students who have come out as transgender during my years at Martin,” GSA club (Gay Straight Alliance) sponsor, Genice Mayeaux said. “It really eliminates the unnecessary pain of acceptance in high school.”

Abolishing titles and eliminating social protocol, these individuals have pushed themselves past what they believed possible, and are hopeful not only for their futures, but also for the youth of the transgender community.

“You are not broken,” Casper said. “You are not crazy. You are not stupid. There isn’t something wrong with you and it’s just going to take some time for you to realize who you are.

You’ll calm down and see that it’s not the end of the world.

You’ll have people who care about you for who you are and not who you pretend to be.” * name has been changed

Monogramming Mammas Senior Coveralls and Junior Overall s 817-296-1954

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features

‘I made a decision I could live with’ Bailey Lewis • Features Editor Editor’s note: This is the story of one student’s individual situation, thought process, decision, and consequences. Neither the Warrior Post nor Martin High School endorses or condemns decisions related to reproduction or reproductive health.

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ccording to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eight percent of teen pregnancies end in abortion.

Maddie*, a senior, shares her experiences of being a teen who has had an abortion.

“I had been with my boyfriend for a year and a half,” Maddie said. “He had taken my virginity. I was young and stupid and bad at saying no.”

At 14 Maddie got pregnant.

“I vividly remember the first time I realized I missed my period,” Maddie said. “I was sitting in the first stall in the bathroom across from the Plato room praying to God that I would get my period.”

Maddie and her boyfriend had broken up before she knew she was pregnant. She ended up having to tell him over Skype because he wouldn’t agree to see her.

“He told me we couldn’t be parents and that I knew what I had to do,” Maddie said.“He said he couldn’t sleep that night and that he stayed up crying.”

After that night, Maddie’s exboyfriend wouldn’t answer her calls or text, but Maddie said she was very maternal while she was pregnant.

“I could feel my baby kicking and that was really weird and terrifying,” Maddie said. “I would wake up with my hand on my stomach and I was extremely protective.”

Maddie was able to hide her pregnancy from her mom for several weeks since the pregnancy didn’t show at first.

“I kept trying to hide it,” Maddie said. “One day my

mom just asked me if I was pregnant and she went and got a test. Then my mom asked me what we were going to do.”

Before her mom found out, Maddie spent several months researching her options and deciding how she was going to handle the situation.

Maddie thought about keeping the child at first but decided that would not be fair to the child.

“I couldn’t bring a child into the world where her mother is 15 and her father didn’t care about her or want anything to do with her,” Maddie said. “I know at one point in my life I would have hated myself. I hate myself now for what happened and for what I put my mom through.”

At first she looked into adoption, but Maddie said she was worried that she wouldn’t actually be able to go through with giving up the child once it was born.

“I made a decision I could live with,” Maddie said. “I would have wondered every time I saw a child with blonde hair and blue or green eyes if it was mine. I didn’t have the emotional strength to do that, and I didn’t want to put my family through that.”

Even before Maddie got the procedure done, she said people were targeting her for her choice.

“Old men were yelling at me

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outside the clinic and calling me a whore,” Maddie said. “They had posters of mutilated babies and that’s not what happens. It’s incredibly humane.”

Maddie said her choice still impacts her to this day and she struggled with her mental health after the

procedure. She was suicidal and self-destructive.

“I self harmed for some time after it,” Maddie said. “I would wake up with scratch marks across my stomach. I dabbled in alcohol and I smoked.”

“No one’s okay after that,” she said. “There have been a lot of times, even recently, where I needed to talk to my family but they weren’t there.”

Only Maddie’s parents know in her family.

“At my house it’s super taboo and we don’t talk about it,” Maddie said.

“It put a strain on our relation-

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ship.”

Not only does it affect her now, but it will for the rest of her life.

“This will be a conversation I’ll have to have with my future husband,” Maddie said. “I might not be able to have children because of the scarring.”

Through her experiences, she said she has learned several life lessons.

“I promise that talking to your mom about birth control and going to the doctor isn’t as bad as having to talk to your mom about whether or not you’re going to get an abortion,” Maddie said. “It’s just not worth it.”

Maddie has also had to deal with criticism from others.

“I want people to know, that, yes you’re entitled to your opinion, but you never know when you could push people over the edge with how you present it,” Maddie said. “Think about something you’re ashamed of, something that keeps you up at night. And imagine you see someone running through your neighborhood telling you you’re awful for it, that you’re going to hell for it. You may not know who has done the thing you’re criticizing. How would that make you feel?”

The Warrior Post

Martin High School • Arlington, TX

Jarred Osterman Editor-In-Chief Kyle Desrosiers News Editor Bailey Lewis & Tupelo Witte Features Editors Sherilyn Morales Opinions Editor Garrett Elliott Sports Editor Michaelann Durden Entertainment Editor Cameron Skanes Photo Editor

Senior attendance during STAAR testing is unnecessary The STAAR test is making its annual way back into classrooms. These end-ofcourse tests are mainly for freshmen and sophomores; juniors are only required to take one, and seniors aren’t required to take any. But testing or not, every student is impacted by the STAAR tests in some way.

In previous years, non-testers were assigned to a teachersupervised room according to their last name, where they remained for the duration of the four-hour test. Seniors had no requirement to be at school during testing, but now they are required to attend senioronly meetings. According to assistant principal Shari Price, senior attendence is required on all future test days, so this prevents them from simply sitting around in a classroom.

Using this time as a study

Tricia Regalado Adviser

Staffers: Cailynd Barnes, Allison Beatty, Gabby Benavides, Luke Bishop, Rosa Castaneda, Jireh Davis, Alec Delon, Roberta Flores, Madison Grisham, Emily Hale, Bayan Hammad, PJ Inthanousay, Aisha Iqbal, Binh Le, Kamryn Lefan, Emma Marshall, Kayla Mattox, Gavin McGowan, Josh Parker, Parker Poulos, Kaitlyn Rosenbaum, Jenna Rowe, Caleb Smith, Desy Thompson, Julie Vest, Lexy Walters, Lauren West, Haley Wiley, Christina Williams, Kenzie Woodruff The Warrior Post is the official publication of Matin High School. Opinion coumns don’t 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.

[staff editorial] than a group of 30 talkative students without much to do.

These rooms of non-testing students create noise traveling through the hallways and walls, distracting testers who need silence to focus.

Many Pre-AP and AP classes choose to use this free time to allow students to visit AP teachers to review and practice AP tests. However, a senior being required to attend

meetings conflicts with some of these beneficial study sessions.

In addition, TCC Dual Credit classes take priority over the school testing schedule, senior meetings and these AP test sessions. Dual Credit students are required to attend these classes at their regular time.

Because of this, a senior may not even be able to attend these senior meetings, in which case they should not be punished with an unexcused absence nor be held accountable for missed information from the meeting.

Requiring students to be at a certain place at a specific time during these days causes an extreme amount of scheduling conflicts. The school should allow non-testers the freedom to choose the most efficient way to use these four hours in a way that will individually benefit them the most.

Social media is not the place for big issues

Tucker Coble Video Editor

Marlene Roddy Principal

hall and assembly opportunity seems productive, but it also can have its downsides.

These rooms full of non-testers require teacher supervision, which pulls them away from testing rooms. Teachers would be much more beneficial keeping order and organization in a room of testers rather

Jarred Osterman • Editor-in-Chief and Jireh Davis • Reporter In this day and age, social media is our life. Our generation is the rulebook writer when it comes to anything that is posted, tweeted, or uploaded. We get to decide what is and isn’t meant for social media.

When it comes to Twitter, we are huge fans. We think it is a perfect place to give a short blurb about our day in under 140 characters. But it has given our generation the reputation that we can’t do anything without letting the world know. We agree with this on some aspects and disagree with it on others.

However, there is a thing

called oversharing, and we often read our timelines and think, “Why do you feel the need to let everyone know that?”

With the advancements that Twitter has made, we are able to get real-time updates when it comes to things, all the way from court hearings on FOX 4, to AISD, letting us know when school is cancelled.

Topics as serious as racism or gay marriage do not belong on social media. There is no way that one can develop a pointdriven, well-articulated argument in under 140 characters.

These tweets can come off as ignorant, rude or snarky, which we will admit, we are guilty of being all three. You have to have facts to back up your opinions, and it is extremely hard to do that with a character limit.

With all the controversy that we have received as a staff over multiple articles, our readers may forget that we had the opportunity to express our point

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on an entire page, as opposed to readers with 140 characters.

With a full page, you have room for facts, quotes, and an eloquently-written argument.

When you have less than 140 characters in a tweet, you don’t always have room for a full thought, much less a well-written argument. Since things like race and gay marriage rights are so controversial, they deserve well-formed arguments, especially since everyone has their opinion about such relevant world issues as these.

Oftentimes when we decide to bring such topics onto Twitter, they result in fights and arguments because text and written words can so easily be misinterpreted. Emotions, personal biases, and past issues can also get in the way of a logical, cordial argument. If there is an issue that you are truly passionate about, maybe there is better platform to talk about it other than Twitter.

opinions

On my honor

Being a female in the Boy Scouts is a unique experience

Allison Beatty • Reporter “So you’re a Girl Scout, right?” Wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, the Girl Scouts of America is a wonderful organization. I was a part of it myself for years. But when our troop dwindled to just four girls by the seventh grade, those of us left decided it was time to call it quits.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have grown up surrounded

by Boy Scouts. My very best friends are and always have been loyal members of the Boy Scouts of America, so Eagle Scout projects and Courts of

Honor were far from unfamiliar to me. I was intrigued by the camaraderie among the guys, and the way they made me feel included around them.

At about the same time our Girl Scout troop disbanded, I became aware of a fabulous thing called a Venturing Crew. Just like a Boy Scout troop, a Venturing Crew is a scouting unit, with some slight differences- the most prominent being that they allow girls.

After some effort, my friends and I finally rallied enough interest to start our own Venturing Crew. I watched as a whole new world of adventure and opportunity began to unfold before my very eyes.

In the summer of 2013, I used my newfound status as a Venturer to go to Twin Arrows, a week-long course on leadership. I loved it, and from that point forward, I became more involved in Scouts.

Sometimes it’s a bit weird being a girl in the Boy Scouts of America. Most male scouts are used to us being there, yet even so, I still tend to get weird looks every now and then.

But all of the downsides, if you can even call them that, are hopelessly outweighed by the amazing benefits. I went into this organization with my best friends, and the longer I stick with it, the more beautiful friendships I make.

This past Spring Break, I spent the week at Twin Arrows, this time as a staffer, and I can’t imagine any other way I’d rather spend my break. The weather wasn’t exactly opportune, but I would relive it all – all the rain, the wet tents and clothes, the sicknesses, the frigid nights of restless exhaustion – just for the unique memories of filling water balloons in 40-degree weather, and trying to hit the 12 on a clock with a laser pointer in

one try, and spilling chocolate drinks every...single...day.

I’m doing what I love, with the people I love, and I’ve never felt more accepted anywhere than I do in Boy Scouts. My friends and I were talking about how weird it can get, as a female, being in Scouting, and one of them told me that the way he saw it, we’re all kind of the same because we follow the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. And he’s absolutely right.

At the end of the day, no matter our gender, Boy Scouts all aspire to follow the same moral codes, such as the Oath and Law. From these comes my favorite mantra, and that’s the first eight words of the Scout Oath: “On my honor, I will do my best.” And we do. Male and female alike, we try, on our honor, to do our best. And that’s just another amazing thing that I’ll keep forever from my experience as a Boy Scout.

Not right or wrong

Respect other’s opinions even if you’re opposed to them

Desy Thompson • Reporter You’re not right, but you’re not wrong. Every living human has an opinion. An opinion is formed based on how you see a situation. Personality and morals play a part on how you see things, and certain experiences affect how you see the world.

We are allowed to openly express how we feel, and we should not have to remain silent due to the fear of others not agreeing. Everyone should

be able to say how he or she feels about something.

People tend to forget that an opinion is not always fact and you do not have to agree. At the same time, no one should demoralize someone because of how they feel. People who have the courage to project their opinion should not be shot down.

There does not always have to be a winner to every argument.

How do you choose who is right when there are no facts that back up the claim?

You should also have knowledge and understanding of each individual situation.

There is a difference between

opinions

stating whether you like chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and discussing abortions. You should be educated enough on the topic to be able to defend your opinion.

More controversial topics like abortion, rape, and politics are based on the morals of the person. It takes not only an understanding of the situation, but also an understanding of the person.

Many times, when two people are arguing about a situation, they disregard the argument and begin taking hits at the person himself. If you think that your viewpoint is morally correct, you should not have to rely

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on hurting those you disagree with. Try finding flaws in the argument, not with them as a person. When people think they’re argument is weakening or they are having trouble getting their point across they lose track of the argument and take jabs at their opponent.

When this happens, the point of the argument has been lost and there will be no resolution.

Still no one is right and no one is wrong. One may have a stronger point but that doesn’t necessarily mean the other is wrong. It’s okay if you’re argument is not the strongest, as long as both people have an understanding of the other.

The phone diet

The seven-day cell phone detox Cammi Skanes • Photo Editor & Cailynd Barnes • Reporter People are constantly on their phones, and while phones can be very helpful, they can also get in the way.

Being consistently attached to your phone prevents you from thoroughly experiencing reality. You’d be surprised how much more you’d get done if you weren’t on your phone all the time.

Each day of the week, try a different way of detoxing the distraction.

1. Out of sight, out of mind.

While you’re at school, try putting your phone in your backpack or purse, so that it’s less tempting to be on.

2. Do not disturb.

Turn on “Do not disturb” mode

or airplane mode, so that you won’t get notifications. This comes in handy during class, because your phone screen won’t light up when you get a message or notification.

3. Bedtime, not play time.

At least one hour before you go to bed, put your phone away and focus on sleeping. Many teenagers have problems falling asleep and turn to their phone to keep them entertained. Most people don’t realize that their phone is the reason they can’t sleep. Try staying off of it an hour before bed.

4. Let somebody hold it while you’re busy.

If you have to get something done, and you find yourself

turning to your phone instead of focusing, try giving up your phone. Have a trustworthy friend hold your phone hostage until you’re done with your task. The more stubborn the friend, the better.

5. Who’s paying for dinner?

When you go out to dinner with a group of friends, have everyone put their phone in the middle of the table. Whoever picks up their phone first pays for everyone’s dinner.

6. Make a daily to-do list.

By making a to-do list, you’ll have things to keep you busy and off of your phone. It doesn’t have to be something major, but even little tasks will help distract you enough to slowly rid

Check out this video of Martin students reacting to time spent on their phones.

Video by Tucker Coble

of your addiction. Also, if you have a habit you would like to adopt you can pair the bad habit with the good one. For example, if you are on Twitter too much, vow to only get on Twitter while you are at the gym.

7. Delete the distractions.

If you have an important event, or maybe even a test in class, delete the apps that distract you the most. You don’t have to delete them forever, but not having them easily accessible on your phone helps you to avoid constantly checking them.

Senior Kendall Scout works towards stardom

Senior Kendall Scout Kindred performs at one of her concerts. Scout recently released her first EP. Photo courtesy of Kendall Scout.

Alec De Lon • Reporter

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lmost everybody has gone through their own musical phase including senior Kendall Scout Kindred, better known for her Alt-Pop stage name Kendall Scout.

“Music has always been the one constant throughout my life,” Scout said. “When I was little I moved around a lot, and music helped with that.”

Scout was eight years old when she got her first glimpse at life as a musician in the form of a Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers concert. That one concert would come to serve as the spark to the flame.

Scout had years to hone her talent, and soon she would begin branding the internet with some of her proudest home projects.

Scout played and recorded covers of her favorite songs and to her surprise, they got a fair amount of recognition from more established artists.

In late 2013, Pop music icon One Direction publicly tweeted a cover of Scout’s.

All Time Low gave recogni-

tion to Scout for her exceptional performance of one of their own songs.

Events like these garnered Scout more than 30,000 YouTube views and more than 80,000 hits on Soundcloud.

“The largest venue I have ever played was around a couple thousand people, but the nerves don’t get to me,” Scout said.

“Not to say I’m over-confident, but it just doesn’t scare me.”

One thing that is instantly notable in the words and sound is the passion in her voice.

“She’s one of the most passionate people I know,” senior Alex Batts said. “She won’t let anyone or anything get in the way of that passion.

She’s decided what she wants to do and she’s going to do it.”

Scout’s public persona began when she was 15, playing one of her first songs, “The One to

19

Blame” at El Arroyo, a local Mexican food restaurant.

“It was super nerve-wracking when I sang my first original song out in public but it was so incredible,” she said. “It’s nice to sing covers, but to sing a song that you wrote and having people hear you is truly indescribable.”

Scout also has weekly live performances at Gillian’s, Grease Monkey, the 407 Club, and makes an appearance at Potbellies every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.

All of her music and avenues can be found on her website kendallscout.com and on Soundcloud under Kendall Scout.

With the recent release of her first EP “The City,” Scout looks to new heights, and said she has every intention of reaching and conquering them.

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Road to state

Baseball team works hard to fight for their spot at state tournament Tupelo Witte • Features Editor & Josh Parker • Reporter

The Warrior baseball team has been dominant in district play in recent history. The Warriors started district play with a minor setback against Lamar on March 17, losing 2-1, but are bouncing back vigorously with a 5-1-0 season so far.

“This season it’s great to be competing with my close friends,” junior pitcher Eric Walker said.

Going 8-1 in the pre-season prepared the boys to go into district, where they hope to sweep the competition again.

“We have a lot of seniors, which gives us a good sense of experience,” Walker said. “But we also have a good amount of young starters, so it balances

out and gives us a good combination, and we won’t be taking anyone lightly.”

Senior Josh Watson is one of the 18 on varsity, and has been on varsity since he was brought to the team for play-offs his freshman year.

“Our defense is looking great as well as our pitching staff,” Watson said. “Our hitting is a little slow, but I am confident we will figure it out.”

Coach Curt Culbertson is going into his 14th season at Martin. Since 2005, The Warrior Baseball team has won nine straight district titles, with the exception of 2010.

“To have another good season, the pitching is going to have to

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First-year Varsity members Caleb Lankford, Brandon Springer, Austin Rines, Kody Bullard, Alex Bruce, Garryt Bayles and Maddux Miller pose with their freshlyshaved heads. Photo by Michaelann Durden improve,” Culbertson said.

The most difficult opponent in district will most likely be Weatherford, as they have some of the same strengths the Warriors do.

“They have a very good pitcher, and in order to stop that, we must be swinging very well,” Culbertson said.

The state tournament will be approaching soon, and the Warriors said they are going to do whatever they can to reach the goal of a winning title.

Top: Sophomore Tristen Lutz takes a big swing against Lamar High School March 17, falling short to the Vikings 2-1. Left: Junior Eric Walker pitches a close game against Lamar High School.

Photos by Cammi Skanes

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“I’m hoping that this year we will be able to make it to state,” Walker said. “Being pulled up to go to state two years ago was incredible, especially after watching them at state in eighth grade. It was very surreal being a part of something like that as a freshman.”

Watson said pitching was an important aspect when it comes to heading to state, but they need to solidify as a team, too.

“To make it to state, you have to have a team that can hit and play great situational baseball to generate runs,” Watson said.

The varsity head shaving tradition continued this year, and for the first-year players, beanies and hats have been a trending style.

As for some of the players, their baseball career won’t end after high school ball. They will be continuing on in college, and possibly going on to the major leagues someday.

“I’m very excited to be going to LSU in a couple years,” Walker said. “When I went to visit there, it really felt like home, so I’m ready to meet new people and compete to try to win a national championship.”

Watson will continue his passion for baseball at TCU. “I’m looking forward to not only the opportunity to play Division 1 baseball, but to play at such an elite program as TCU,” Watson said.

The Warriors will play at Lamar April 10 at 7p.m.

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Wrestling with success

Garrett Elliott • Sports Editor

W

hen you have a program as prestigious as the Martin Warrior Wrestling program, it’s hard to make a huge impact being in the program for just a year. But that’s exactly what freshman Quincy Monday and junior Kennedy

Monday have done. This February they won state – Quincy in the 106-pound weight class, and Kennedy in the 120-pound weight class, which helped boost Martin to a second place finish overall in the 6A division at state competition.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Kennedy Monday said. “We’ve been working hard all year for this, and to finally win State is amazing.”

Winning a state championship is just the starting block for these talented brothers. They plan to follow in the footsteps of their father, who won a wrestling gold medal at the 1988 Olympics for the U.S. “At first it was a lot of pressure when I was little,” Kennedy Monday said about having a dad who is an Olympic gold medalist. “It’s pressure, but

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Following in their dad’s footsteps, brothers Kennedy and Quincy Monday win State now I like it.”

Having a dad as a former Olympian sets some pretty high expectations for them, but the brothers are embracing the challenge with open arms.

“I just want to follow in his footsteps and be the best as I can,” Quincy Monday said.

Both brothers said they understand that nothing is going to be given to them just because their dad was successful. They continue to work hard in order to reach their goals.

“At the beginning of the year I would get up at 6 a.m. and run,” Kennedy Monday said. “We practiced in the afternoon, and at night we do push-ups and situps up until state.”

These workouts and wrestling in general are nothing new to the Monday brothers, though.

The brothers have been

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working hard at wrestling since they were six years old and said they plan to continue through college and reach the top, just like their dad.

“I want to win gold in the Olympics just like my dad,” Kennedy Monday said. “I want to wrestle in college and the next level.”

The dream is not that far away.

“I have gotten some letters and emails from colleges,” Kennedy Monday said.

Head Wrestling coach Patrick Dunn said he believes the attention is well deserved.

“They are both great kids who work extremely hard,” Dunn said. “They will both be very successful throughout life. I believe Kennedy will be a twotime state champ and Quincy will be Martin’s first four-time state champ.”

Raising the bar

Senior Bryce Whitlock explains his pole vaulting experience Lexy Walters • Reporter Pole vaulting? Running with a pole and swinging your body over a bar? Senior Bryce Whitlock is a pole vaulter and will be the first to say that there’s more to it than that.

“You count your steps which is six lefts and once you have marked your steps, you run with the pole then you are going to plant the pole and you act like you’re long jumping through the back of the pit,” Whitlock said. “Then you swing your feet up so they are pointing vertical and you land on the mat.”

Whitlock has become a successful pole vaulter but it has taken hard work.

“I worked at elite sports and my dad pole vaulted in high school and so he also taught me,” Whitlock said.

Whitlock’s coach thinks he is a very hard worker.

“Bryce is very consistent,” track coach Tim Mays said. “He is there when he is supposed to be there. He works hard when he is supposed to work hard.

Sometimes we’re not able to vault when the weather is bad

and he is still at practice and helping his teammates, still finding a way to contribute to the team whenever he can.”

In order to win in pole vaulting, athletes have to clear the top height out of anyone else.

“You enter at certain heights depending on how high you can pull your body over the pole,” Whitlock said. “I usually enter at 12’6.”

Whitlock said he plans on getting even higher.

His goal is to clear 15 feet.

Whitlock advanced to regional competition his freshman year.

“I have a good work ethic, go

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to practice, and I am serious about it,” Whitlock said.

His leadership on the field has also helped his teammates be successful.

“He is a great leader,” Mays said. “He takes the younger vaulters and helps them with the things that they’re struggling with. He is a good team player. He also helps people who don’t even vault, as far as making sure they work hard at practice and making sure they’re on time.”

Whitlock said he plans on going into the Marine Corps to pursue a career next year.

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Steps of pole vaulting:

1-7 senior Bryce Whitlock clears the bar. He usually clears 12’6.

Photos by Cammi Skanes

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