Warrior Post - February 2017

the warrior post

Martin High School - 4501 W Pleasant Ridge Rd., Arlington, TX 76016 - Volume 35 Issue 3 February 13, 2017

During Martin Idol on Feb. 2, senior Thomas Otness performs slam poetry with a self-written poem. Photo by Destiny Jaime

the race issue

what’s inside Making A whole new World without Seeing Martin Idol world racism in color

2 12 19 21 Photo by Zane Stewart

Photo by Haley Riley

Martin Idol is a school-wide talent contest put on every year by the staff of the Literary Magazine. These students put in a lot of time and effort to keep this Martin tradition alive. Here are a few details about what goes into making the performance a reality.

Kendall Hendrix • Design Editor

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Preparations for the show began two months before auditions.

The auditions were on Dec. 7 and 8.

52 unique acts auditioned.

10 acts were chosen, with a total of 15 performers.

The average audition lasted about 1.5 minutes.

The week before the audition, contestants practiced up to three hours each day.

Normal seating tickets cost $5, preferred seating tickets cost $8, and tickets at the door cost $10.

The contestants had five after-school rehearsals, that lasted around one to two hours each.

Three microphones were used during any given performance.

The contestants were evaluated by three teacher judges.

200 posters were printed to advertise the audition, and more than 250 were printed to advertise the show.

The show cost $494 to pay for sound equipment, programs, posters and other expenses.

Approximately 500 tickets were sold.

The show raised $3500 for the literary magazine’s printing and operating costs.

429 votes were cast by the audience, with 174 votes going to the winners, Robert Kim, Timothy Gan, David Rein, and Frederik Winguth of the string quartet.

1. Senior Josie King was the first musical act to perform on stage for Martin Idol.

Photo by Destiny Jaime 2. After the second round of the show, seniors Robert Kim, Timothy Gan, David Rein and Frederik Winguth react to being announced winners of Martin Idol.

Photo by Savannah Fouts

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Discipline for one, discipline for all Michael Sandoval•Reporter Sophomore Keric Cunning- me out, but nothing changed.”

While in 2011 the number ham feels misunderstood.

Some of his teachers, he said, of students who were expelled have mistaken his energy for from AISD went all the way disrespect, and that has landed down to zero, the number of minority students put in OCS him in OCS several times.

As an African-American didn’t start to drop until three student, Cunningham is part of years ago. the large number of minority “There’s no getting around the fact that for a long time students who make up OCS. But since the Texas Educa- the numbers showed that we tion Agency sent AISD a letter had an uncomfortable number in 2011 pointing out the in- of minority students in OCS,” principal Robin creasing numbers in minority Assistant Griffith-Yates said. “But over students taking up the spaces in OCS, the district has made the last six years we’ve made efforts to decrease that number. drastic changes in the way we “Having been in and out of approach our students and how OCS since elementary school, we deal with students acting I’ve always believed that teachers out.” just don’t understand me,” Administrators said that data Cunningham said. “Teachers pointing at minorities filling have never had the patience to the On Campus Suspension deal with me or my actions, rooms doesn’t necessarily mean and I get that I haven’t always that we have a race problem deserved to be listened to, but in Arlington ISD, but they do at times I’ve attempted my best show we need to build better just to have a teacher not give relationships.

“Being an assistant principal, me a second chance or to hear

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Martin administration makes effort to be sure consequences are fair and equal

I do see the numbers and I also know what most people think when they see them,” assistant principal Mychl Buckley said.

“But in my opinion, the statistics are the way they are because of lack of communication or relationships between students and teachers who come from different backgrounds.”

Communication between teachers and students is important, especially in taking into account a student’s actions, according to security officer Jay Jenkins.

“Coming from a rough environment, I’ve seen the socalled bad kids all my life and have gotten the opportunity to get to know some of them,” Jenkins said. “Except in reality, those kids are screaming out for help because something’s bothering them and don’t know how to deal with it.”

Over the last six years, administration has taken on the task of building better

art by Binh Le

relationships with students of

all backgrounds. Teachers have the option to attend tutorials or workshops on how to be more patient with students who don’t always voice their worries or troubles.

“We now have a system we ask teachers to use before they decide students need to be taken out of a learning environment,” Griffith-Yates said. “Teachers are asked to converse with the student, find out their reasoning for acting out, and attempt to connect with the student to a point in which they don’t feel as if they are disliked.”

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Junior moves fromNikkVirginia to the MHS stage Hernandez • Sports Editor Moving schools is not an uncommon thing, but for junior Will Grindstaff, transferring schools is practically a routine.

“This is my third high school,” Grindstaff said. “I went to two different schools in Virginia, and now I am here in Arlington going to Martin.”

Grindstaff has lived in Arlington once before. He attended Mary Moore Elementary before he and his family moved to Virginia. Although Will spent most of his life in Virginia, his father said it was time to move back for his career.

“Most of our moves have had to do with me changing careers or jobs within the company,” Mr. Grindstaff said.

When Grindstaff first began his school year at Martin, he

had no idea what to expect.

But now Grindstaff has been granted an opportunity to participate in a huge event here at Martin – Mr. MHS. “It’s really humbling and cool,” Grindstaff said. “Even though I don’t know much about it or how I even got nominated, I’m excited for it because I’ve heard it’s a big thing here at Martin.”

With the help of Mr. MHS sponsor, Michelle Fratto, Grindstaff has been learning the process of Mr. MHS. “He is always goofy, so this fits him perfectly,” Fratto said.

Many first participants don’t know what to expect, so one could only imagine how a brand new student to the school would feel about doing Mr. MHS with little to no knowledge about it.

“Will doesn’t know what to expect of it,” Fratto said. “But I think that’s why he agreed to do it in the first place. He is going into this with an open mind, and I believe that Mr. MHS will live up to his expectations.”

Being new to a school does not phase Grindstaff as much as it might a student who has never transferred schools. Rather than dreading the move, he said he has learned to embrace it as a new chapter in his life.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I am a little nervous, but it’s more exciting than anything, and I think it will help me in the future with meeting new people,” Grindstaff said.

Moving from school to school can be very different each time.

Schools often vary in culture, just like Martin would vary

from a school in Virginia.

Grindstaff has encountered a variety of different students and school cultures.

“I’ve experienced everything; the straight country schools, the preppy schools, you name it,” Grindstaff said.

Will’s parents said they are excited for him to be taking part in a school tradition like Mr. MHS. “He has kind of embraced it, and taken it as a challenge and new opportunity,” Mr. Grindstaff said.

With Mr. MHS coming March 2, Grindstaff has a lot of work to do to get ready.

“I just hope to meet some new people and get some new friends, but I’m also looking to have a good time,” Grindstaff said.

You can choose what to wear to school tomorrow, you can choose how you’re going to fix your hair, you can choose to do your makeup or not to do your makeup. There are many things we’re able to choose in life; however, the color of our skin is not one of them.

Sophomore Trevor Evinger and his grandparents sat in the living room discussing his deep interest in someone of another race. Evinger, one-fourth Vietnamese, three-fourths white, dated his girlfriend, half black, half white, without much backlash. However, his grandparents on the maternal side had a slight problem.

“Our parents didn’t care much about it, but my grandparents felt hesitant about the situation,” he said. “They reminded me every time I was with them that it was only appropriate for me to date/marry someone of my race. I was upset and didn’t understand why they would

Ashley Byrd & Marleigh Richey • Reporters care so much about the skin grandmother and me because color of who I was interested in my opinion, his race has in because to me, we are all the nothing to do with who he is as same on the inside.” a person.”

Besides his grandparents, Besides Lunn’s grandmother, Evinger and his girlfriend nev- both of their friend groups er received any negative com- never brought up an issue with ments from friends or other their relationship. family members.

“It’s kind of a normal thing Senior Maddi Lunn was in at Martin,” Lunn said. “Most an interracial relationship for students are used to all sorts of a few months. With her being interracial couples.” white and him being black, this The issue in both Evinger and caused some tension for them Lunn’s relationship came from throughout their relationship. a generational view of the ideal “My mom was okay with it relationship. Most of the older and it didn’t bother her at all,” generation of today’s society Lunn said. “My grandmother were taught to fall for someone however, was in denial because of the same race. Mixed couples he was black. She always called were not seen as appropriate. to check up on me and see One of the main conflicts that how things were going, but arises in interracial relationships my boyfriend’s race was always today is based on the views of brought up in the conversation, what our society was taught and that angered me because years ago. she refused to accept the Sophomore Benjamin Frazier fact that my boyfriend was a was in a same-sex and mixed different race. This definitely relationship for about a week caused tension between my before it was called off due to

his boyfriend’s parent’s decision.

“My parents were okay with it, but my boyfriend’s parents were super Christian and only believed in heterosexual, samerace relationships, so we only ended up dating for about a week before he ended things,” Frazier said. “Our friends never said anything about it though, everyone at school was really cool, I think it’s just how you’re brought up and how you’re taught to view things.”

Unlike the other relationships mentioned, sophomore Maddie West’s problems came from her generation. The parents of both her and her boyfriend were supportive of their relationship.

Their friends, however, were not.

“My boyfriend and I dated for a month and our friends would call me insulting names like snowflake and snowbunny, referring to the difference in our skin color and would mess with us all the time,” West said.

Navigating interracial relationships in high school

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Diversity in friendships are a variety of things that can and will affect who people will interact with and befriend.

“Sometimes, yes, I feel like it’s difficult to have friends of art by different races,” junior Hudda Binh Le Ahmed said. “We all grow up with different backgrounds and cultures, so that might be a reason why it’s hard to be friends Lauryn Warren • Reporter with people who aren’t within Sometimes, people can your circle.” struggle with who they want In some ways, interracial to be friends with. Whether friendships can show the it’s trying to venture outside of character of a person. Some your social group or even being people see it as daunting, while influenced by others on who others see it as something you can be friends with, it can insightful. However, something be tough. However, you never is never truly understood unless really know how many great it is experienced. Cultivated people you can meet. All we interracial friendships are like have to do is take that one step palettes waiting to be discovered and mixed with many colors. out of our comfort zone.

Many things are always left “When I see people with untouched and sometimes it diverse friendships, it inspires can become difficult for people me to do the same,” junior to explore friendships outside Bailee Bradford said. “It of their social group. There shows just how open and

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Warriors tell us how they feel about diverse friendships

understanding a person can be when being friends with anyone despite their differences.”

Interracial friendships can open eyes to many things that were once left unseen.

“Something I realized about friendships with different races is that you’re exposed to different cultures and lifestyles,” senior Nathan Henneman said.

“It’s honestly really exciting because people are everywhere and to feel like you are a part of a different culture is a really good feeling.”

As you learn to expand your horizon with people you would think you would never have the chance to interact with, you can learn something new about them and their culture everyday.

“I would say that diversity in friendship is very important to creating a well-rounded individual,” chemistry teacher Andrea Ryan said. “I have

not ever had problems with making friends with people of all walks of life, including different races, religious beliefs, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, and many other differences. I don’t think that being different from someone else hinders a relationship. In my experience, differences can make a friendship stronger. I haven’t ever been discouraged from a particular relationship by others in my life, though I know this exists so I feel blessed that I haven’t ever had this experience. I have noticed that as I have gotten older, and my group of friends has become more diverse. I have been able to see things from many different perspectives which has made me a better and more compassionate person. I think that exclusion based on difference leads to small mindedness and increased prejudice and bigotry.”

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Mixing it up

Families adopt children of different diversities There are so many different kinds of blended families today, but adoption brings a whole new definition to blended, especially when the adopted child is another race or from another country.

Junior Josh Miller’s, junior Bekah Alverson’s and senior Avery Jack’s families encompass this newfound definition. Miller has two adopted sisters, one of whom was born in Ethiopia.

Alverson has an adopted brother from Uganda. Jack’s brother is from Ethiopia. Interracial families are the new blended.

Miller’s sister Sarah is nine and has been living with his family since she was eight months old.

Alverson’s brother Bennett is four and has been in Texas since he was two years old. Jack’s brother Samuel is seven years old and has been with his family since he was four months.

While all three kids are living comfortably in their new homes, things were not always this simple. The international adoption process is often long, difficult and expensive. It can also be very emotional.

“The whole process took about three years,” Alverson said. “It was definitely a roller coaster.

There’s a lot to go through, it’s super expensive and there’s tons and tons of paperwork.”

Jack’s family had a similar experience.

“It definitely tested our faith and our patience,” she said. “It was a two-year process of waiting for a referral of who our baby was going to be. It was hard to watch other people get their referrals faster than us.”

Miller’s family had an even more difficult time adopting.

“We were actually going to get a different sister, but she died

Sofia Viscuso • reporter and my parents were devastated,” Miller said. “It took even longer, but when we got Sarah and went over to Ethiopia, it was just amazing to see.”

The combining of two races and cultures into one family poses new challenges for everyone involved. Many families choose to be very open and talk about the adopted child’s country of origin and how he or she became part of their new family.

In Alverson’s case, they are required by Ugandan law to bring Bennett to Uganda every five years to keep him aware of where he came from and to learn about his culture.

“We for sure try and remind him of where he’s from as much as we can,” Alverson said. “We will show him pictures from when my parents were there getting him and tell stories and just talk about life there so he doesn’t forget.”

The Millers have discussed making a return trip to Ethiopia but have not made any specific plans yet.

“We all went to Africa,” Josh’s mother Kerry Miller said.

“We wanted Josh and Grace to be aware of Sarah’s heritage.

Hopefully, we will be able to go back with Sarah now that she is older.”

Although today mixed families are relatively common, the Millers, Jacks and Alversons are still met with the usual confused looks of an interracial family.

“Whenever I’m walking with Sarah, people are always super confused because they never think we are siblings,” Josh Miller said. “When I say we are brother and sister, I have to

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explain to them that we are adopted. It’s different.”

Having a sibling of a different race, Miller, Jack and Alverson are more familiar with the comments and stares that follow them even in routine situations.

“He is just our brother, he’s part of our family, but we are a lot more aware racially because you wouldn’t believe how many people have prejudice about having a child of a different color in the family,” Jack said.

The majority of those who ask questions are genuinely curious or interested in the family’s story. Others judge.

“You can definitely tell when it’s someone looking out of ugliness,” Alverson said. “When it’s like that, it’s hard for me to just brush off sometimes.”

Despite a few twists and turns, adoption truly seems to

be a beneficial process to not only the child but the family.

“He knows that God created him for this family and he knows that he wasn’t given up, he wasn’t abandoned, his mother was just unable to care for him,” Jack said. “He knows that he is loved and valued.”

Miller, Alverson, and Jack said they realize that it may be hard for their siblings in the future, being black in a white family, but all agree they wouldn’t have their blended family any other way.

“Being adopted can help Bennett be so much more compassionate towards people,” Alverson said. “Going through what he went through, being in a mixed family, he’ll experience all these things and be able to connect with people on so many levels.”

Left: Junior Bekah Alverson, sister Baleigh and brother Bennett posing for a family photo shoot. Photo courtesy of Bekah Alverson

Below: Senior Avery Jack and brother Samuel in Colorado.

Photo courtesy of Avery Jack

Above: Junior Josh Miller’s family christmas card photo. Photo courtesy of Josh Miller

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Facing stereotypes Students open up about their experiences with discrimination When you walk through the halls of Martin, it doesn’t occur to you how many different faces, races and ethnicities you see. This is likely due to the fact that you take and compile these faces into one big student body, not groups of individuals defined by their race.

But with heightened tensions in America and the media surrounding race, many people claim to not see color. And others only see the color of your skin and judge. These are the stories from those who believe that skin color should not define them, but inspire us all to do better and to be better.

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Adayln Arce • Reporter & Carson Johnson • Staff Artist one stood up to say the pledge, I stood up but didn’t say it, and the teacher said, ‘Why won’t you say the pledge?’ I told her I had a really bad headache, but she was like, ‘No, give me your pink sheet you stupid a-- n---.’ It became a huge argument between her and my mom, and I think that’s why I ended up Senior Zainab Ghanem: “Some people always think, switching out of her class.”

“I don’t believe that white ‘Oh my gosh, you act so white’, people should have to act su- but how can I act a color? Evper high class, or that Asians erybody thinks I’m supposed are supposed to act smart. I to be rich because I’m Arab, don’t like those boundaries. I but it’s not like I just have oil don’t like how black people are in Saudi Arabia. I work, I have supposed to stay at the bottom, a job. If I was rich, I wouldn’t stay poor, stay loud. I don’t like need one.” that at all, and I try to break “After the election, I feel like that boundary without causing I have to act quiet. I can’t look too much tension in people.

Your skin doesn’t define you, your characteristics do.”

••• Insults reveal double

at anybody wrong. Now we’re more pressured, like everybody’s gonna keep an eye on us. It feels like we can’t even have a simple party without people calling the cops or something, like we have to be hidden now, but I can’t do anything about it.”

“If you have anything against anyone, you should talk to them first. Don’t just judge them based on how you think they are. Just because somebody’s black doesn’t mean they’re gonna try to hit you. And just because I’m Arab doesn’t mean I’m gonna try to bomb you, and just because somebody’s white doesn’t mean they’re gonna try to shoot up the school. Get to know the person.”

Racial misconceptions standards

Senior Jonathan Wong: “I’m kind of nerdy. I play a lot of ping pong, I get good grades and I think it’s kind of a given that people would say, ‘Wow, you’re so Asian’ and things like that. But you can’t really describe a person as a race or ethnicity, y’know? Every person’s different.”

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Junior Damar Ousley: “I experienced racism in the sixth grade. I was having a really bad migraine, and when every-

Counselor Jana Lewis: “People get stereotyped at first glance based on things like the way we look. It’s not just racial, but it’s our size, how we dress, things like that. A lot of people form an opinion before you really sit down and get to know them, and I see that just in my office. Someone comes in and they look different than someone else, but when you get to know that person you go, ‘So big deal if they have four piercings. Big deal if they have tattoos.’ That doesn’t determine who you are as a person.”

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Faith Smith & Caitlin Harwell • Reporters “You’re the whitest black per- made me feel horrible.” son I know.”

Stereotypes play a huge role “Are you going to bomb the in double standard insults. school?”

Sometimes the insult is made “You’re a knockoff Mexican.” unintentionally because it’s an “Shouldn’t you be in the overlooked or neglected issue kitchen?” in our society.

These are some of the insults “My old employer told me I teens and adults hear and say don’t work hard enough as a daily, from race to gender.

Mexican,” junior Jose Guzman “I hear the insults in the said. “I don’t take things that hallway and it turns my head personally but I was kind of but i can never pinpoint where mad.” it’s coming from,” counselor Gender is also a big factor in Edwina Thompson said. “Peo- these double standard insults, ple should think before they senior Rosie Cook said. speak because not everyone “It’s always been that my hears it the way you intended.” brothers can do one thing but Students and staff hear I can’t because I am a girl,” these head-turning comments Cook said. “My parents always everyday. taught me to not do things to “I used to be fat so people get hurt by men, but I never used to make comments about once heard them teach my that, and I’m Arab so I hear brothers not to do things to the word ‘terrorist’ a lot,” hurt women. I would never senior Azmi Elqutob said. “It use gender as an insult.”

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The old switcheroo

Students code-switch to fit into two different crowds Lauren Worth & Ashley Odom • Reporters Not everyone has to worry about the difficulties of codeswitching (alternating between languages), existing in two different cultures, or fitting in with separate groups, but different races and cultures blend more now than they used to, so it’s more common than you would think. Most people don’t think about it because it doesn’t apply to them, but don’t you wonder what language you would think in if you were bilingual?

Junior Gabriel Collazo speaks Spanish and English, but said he primarily thinks in English.

Bilingual students face a change when coming to school versus being at home.

Transitioning from speaking one language at home to a different one at school creates a unique experience.

“I know it seems different or like it would be hard to other people, but it doesn’t feel that different to me,” Collazo said. “I’ve known Spanish my whole life, and then I had to go through the emotional experience of learning the full English language. When I first came to America from Puerto Rico, at age six, I would cry when I heard people in public speak English because I could not understand and did not want to learn to speak it. I started learning English when I was six years old and could fluently speak and hold a conversation by the age of eight.”

Collazo said that it’s more natural for him to speak Spanish since it’s his first learned language, but now that he’s able to speak English, the

transition isn’t hard for him.

“When I am with my friends I always speak in English, and I always speak Spanish with my family at home,” Collazo said.

Often times when I have friends over I will reply to my parents in English just so they don’t feel uncomfortable and can try to follow the conversation a little.”

Along with changing the language you speak in, some people are able to switch between two different cultures when they associate with different races.

“It’s most definitely a different vibe with different races and cultures, being at school is a lot different than home,” junior Isaiah Pittman said, describing his experience with being biracial.

Pittman said that although there are differences between the cultures of different races, they aren’t as distinct as people may think.

“If you get to know somebody, they will be your friend pretty much the same way as anyone else and y’all just create a bond and that’s what happens,” he said.

Even though people tend to stick to groups they’re more comfortable with, the gap isn’t as big and people are naturally able to blend with more diverse groups.

“What I can see is that people feel more comfortable going from group to group now,” science teacher Kirsten SessionBrown said. “I go to a group of people here at school that I can talk to about music that I like, and they tend to look like me. But I think groups are

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more fluent and you can move amongst groups with a higher comfort level than before.”

Most people have friends that are into the same things as they are, but some people are into two completely unrelated things.

Junior Grace Wright is passionate about theater and music, along with academics, so she naturally fits into both crowds.

“I think it’s just a different style, and it’s different in the passions you have, so with my theater friends we talk more about the arts, and around my other friends we talk about school and other things we’re interested in as a whole because a lot of them aren’t involved in

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theater,” Wright said.

It may be different for Wright because even though the groups don’t cross over, she doesn’t pretend to be two different people for each set of friends.

“I’m not closed off to my school friends about theater, but they definitely don’t wanna hear about the newest play,” she said. “We get along just as well, and even though it’s different, it’s just as inclusive.”

Most of these transitions, whether they deal with personality, race, or language, aren’t things that the majority of people have experienced; however, it’s becoming more and more common as different cultures become more intertwined.

New leaders, new faces

Martin Theatre has new leadres in the department this year, facing surprises and challenges

Cameron Hayes • Reporter For the first time since the school opened, two new faces have taken the lead of the Martin Theatre department, following the retirement of directors Larry Cure and Sharon Miller.

These new directors had never met the department and were not sure what to expect. However, this year has apparently been a great first year for the both of them.

“It’s been a great year,” new theatre director Kelly Groves said. “It’s been busy, but I love it.”

Usually a transition like this is a very hard process for a teacher and director, but the two seem to have been able to keep it cool for their first year.

“It has been a very easy transition,” co-director Jordan Chambers said. “The faculty and administration, as well as our students, are very helpful and answer any questions we have.”

These directors have been innovating many of the processes that the department does, such as adding live music to the shows.

“I think music is hard to describe in words, but it is connected to our hearts and souls as humans,” Groves said.

“It has an emotional impact on people, that they might not put into words, but it still hits them. We also have students who are so musical, and that it is another way to connect to the audience.”

However, there can also be many surprises for two new directors.

“I didn’t expect to cancel a performance for Macbeth’s

Friday performance on Oct. 14 with all of our technical difficulties,” Groves said.

“Something that I have also been pleasantly surprised with has been my students taking initiative to be leaders and cocreator roles in the department.

That is a lot of help to a director because as a director, I shouldn’t be doing everything.”

However, something special about these directors is that they are perfectly compatible with each other, especially given the fact that the first time they met was after the two were hired.

“We got used to each other incredibly quickly,” Chambers said. “We talked over the summer about productions and who we are, and it progressed to when we started critiquing students and gave the same notes.”

“We clicked right away,” Groves said. “We have a lot of fun together and we have a lot of the same ideas. It’s been a dream.”

The biggest job for a high school director is directing the UIL One-Act Play for the state competition. It is a very long process of selecting a full length script, cutting it down to one act, and keeping it in an allotted time frame. The One-Act for this year is Sam Shepard’s A Lie Of the Mind.

“We had thrown around a lot of possibilities, and A Lie of The Mind was one of them,” Chambers said. “We read the choices and chose it because we loved the small cast and all of the technical aspects we could do with it. In total, it took about four weeks.”

On top of the innovations this year for UIL, the directors are also going to innovate a lot for the musical this year, Pippin.

“We are going to bring in a lot of tech elements that Martin has not seen yet.” Chambers said. “We are renting something called a Kabuki Box that is a really beautiful visual element for the show, and renting moving stage lights to put the set and lighting into the 21st century. We are also putting on a concept of vaudeville that Martin has not seen yet.”

Being their first year, there will

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be a lot of unforgettable and great memories.

“My favorite memory is definitely the opening night of Macbeth.” Groves said.

“That first drum beat was the ‘moment’ for us, seeing our hard work paying off on this sold-out show.”

“My favorite memory so far, has to be the opening night from Macbeth,” Chambers said.

“It was our first show here and holds a very special place in my heart. It was the first show at a school in which I hope to stay at for a very long time.”

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A whole new world Olivia Dague • Reporter

J

unior Rafaela Serrano was born in Quito, Ecuador where she lived for 11 years.

“My life in Ecuador was very normal,” Serrano said. “You know, school, home, that was it.”

However, life in the developing country she called home was much different than life today.

“The poverty there is very high,” she said. “There was even a point where my family and I had to sell fruit in the street to pay rent and just get food on the table. It really taught us how blessed we were to be together as family, and thankful to have God and love in our lives.”

Serrano’s parents focused on bettering their kids’ lives.

“While I was there, we were farmers, but my mom was working on getting her Ph.D. and my dad was going to veterinarian school,” Serrano said.

Upon moving to the U.S.,

Serrano discovered contrasts in her education now, versus in Ecuador and Brazil.

“My experience going to school here was very different than back home,” Serrano said.

“The schools here are so big and separated into different grade levels, while in Ecuador and Brazil, Pre-K, elementary and junior high and high school were all combined with 700 students. School is free here and there are no uniforms. I went to Catholic school all my life, straight up until my freshman year.”

Serrano spent her sixth grade year in Brazil. While there, she picked up a second language, Portuguese, easily, due to its similarities to Spanish.

“In Brazil, I was in an international student exchange, so I lived with my aunt when I wasn’t at school,” Serrano said.

Serrano moved to the U.S. in seventh grade to be with family.

“My mom and I moved when

Rafa Serrano and her family pose for a picture after church in their home town of Quito, Ecuador. Photo courtesy of Rafa Serrano

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my sister got married,” Serrano said. “My sister moved with her husband and my mom considered job and education opportunities and moved with me too.”

During her first days in Texas, Serrano said she was overwhelmed by all the students speaking English at school, and learning a third language was tricky because she had to learn so quickly.

“My experience learning English was a funny one,” Serrano said. “I came here only knowing the basics. I couldn’t fully communicate with someone or have a full conversation because I couldn’t understand them.”

She began to learn more English when she moved to

Texas. “I was in a bilingual school,” Serrano said. “Then I was moved by my mom to a full English school. After that, I just started talking more and more English.”

Serrano said she also found a lot of positives about living in America, even though she left everything she ever knew behind.

“Everyone in the U.S. is accepting of others and you can be whoever you want to be,” Serrano said. “I’m very blessed to be here. We didn’t come here to America to take your jobs or steal your money, or even become a majority. I’m really thankful for what the U.S. has done for me. It brought my family out of poverty and brought us back together.”

The Serrano family snaps a picture at the Serrano house on Thanksgiving 2016. Photo courtesy of Rafa Serrano

Immigrants talk about the transition from their home country to America

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rying, confused and devastated, nine-yearold Grecia de la Puente packed up her belongings and left her family, her friends and her home to start a new life in the United States.

Freshman Grecia de la Puente moved to the U.S. from her hometown of Leon in the Mexican state of Guanajuato at age nine.

“I remember my family and my school and my friends,” de la Puente said. “We were from a lot of different cultures, but we all became one with each other.”

She came to America because most of her immediate family were already natural-born citizens of the United States.

“My mom and my brother and sister were born in the United States, but me and my dad were born in Mexico,” de la Puente said. “My mom wanted to get us papers so she had to go through a long process.”

De la Puente came to the U.S. with her family after they obtained their legal documentation.

“I became an American citizen automatically, but my dad is a resident,” de la Puente said.

“He has to do this big test to get his citizenship.”

De la Puente said she enjoyed the private school she attended in Mexico, where she began her love of learning, along with the friends and teachers in it.

“I learned some of the basics of English, much like the basics of Spanish that are taught here,” de la Puente said. “I never really spoke English until I got to Chicago.”

She cherished her life in Leon, where she spent time with family and friends.

“My hometown was really pretty, but like most cities in

Mexico, it depends what part you go to,” de la Puente said. “I lived in a pretty good area.”

When the de la Puente family began their move, Grecia said she was saddened to leave the comfort of the place she always knew.

“The transition was hard,” de la Puente said. “And I was nine, you know? I had to leave my friends, my family, my house and my things. I remember my parents telling me we were leaving, that we had to sell everything.”

According to de la Puente, being the oldest of the family, she shouldered a lot of responsibility for a nine-yearold.

“I remember my parents telling me I had to be independent, and take care of my brother and sister,” de la Puente said. “So basically, I had to mature very quickly.”

De la Puente said she wonders how her school life would have been different if she had moved to Texas first, where many students knew Spanish. Instead, their first stop was Chicago.

“I remember Chicago being the hardest school I’ve ever been in,” de la Puente said. “You try and communicate, you try to make friends, but you can’t. You don’t have anyone. I had to go to special classes and do things the normal kids didn’t have to do.”

When de la Puente moved to Texas, life improved for her and her family.

“In Texas, people are so accepting to me, and were interested in getting to know things about me and my culture,” de la Puente said.

“Some positives were a better life and better education and safety.”

However, she said she still

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misses Mexico and the food, family and culture that went with it.

“The food is better and family bonds are closer in Mexico,” she said. “In Mexico, you do a lot with your family, from small parties to big festivals.”

According to de la Puente, people have their own misperceptions and stereotypes about immigrants, and are quick to make assumptions about her family.

“Don’t judge by what you hear,” she said. “I hate that when Trump won, people started to have to pity me.

Yeah, I’m Mexican, that’s where I was born, and I’m proud to be Mexican, but I’m an American citizen.”

“They judge but they don’t know how hard it is to move to another country,” de la Puente said. “And they don’t know the obstacles my family faced to come here.”

The de la Puente family snaps a picture on a beach in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Grecia de la Puente

The de la Puente family takes family photos a few years after moving to Texas. Photo courtesy of Grecia de la Puente

features

Life is good

MHS Key Club receives an award for being the biggest Key Club in the world Taylor Barnett & Morgan Lloyd • Reporters Martin’s Key Club, with 548 members, has recently received an award for having the most participants internationally.

“Every year we go to a convention in Dallas,” junior Key Club officer Lauren Kinnear said. “At the convention there is an award for the biggest club in the

Texas-Oklahoma district, so that was our biggest motivator to expand our club. We are all very passionate about what the club has to offer and we wanted the school to see it. We decided to make Key Club more fun and to get our clubbers to meet each other, so we played ice breaker games and we decided

Top: Senior Kathy Pham helps a young girl with a fishing game at the St. Vincent de Paul fall picnic while volunteering for Key Club. Photo courtesy of Key Club Bottom: Martin Key Clubbers help serve water to runners at the Jiggle Butt run at the University of Texas at Arlington on Jan. 7. Photo courtesy of Key Club

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to sell Chick-fil-a for $3. We spread the word as much as we could.”

The members going out of their way to reach out to others and invite them has changed the numbers tremendously.

“Last year we had 433 members, and this year we have 548 members,” Key Club

sponsor Carla Parks said. “I'm so proud of our students.”

Parks said Key Club encourages students to go out of their way, and volunteer to help with things in the community. Officers said they are planning on continuing to increase the size of the club even more next year.

Top: Junior Britney Vo serves water to the people running in the Jiggle Butt at the University of Texas at Arligton on Jan. 7. Photo Courtesy of Key Cub Bottom: Key Clubbers help face painting at the Arlington Classics Academy Fall Festival. Photo courtesy of Key Club

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THE

WARRIOR POST Martin High School • Arlington, TX Gabby Benavides Editor-In-Chief Emily Hale & Allison Beatty Copy Editors Haleigh Trevino & Curt Leland News Editors Kamryn LeFan & Elizabeth Prickett Features Editors Nikk Hernandez Sports Editor Dean Kelly Entertainment Editor Kayla Mattox Opinions Editor Zane Stewart Photo Editor Serena Corwin & Kendall Hendrix Design Editors Binh Le & Carson Johnson Staff Artists Tricia Regalado Adviser Marlene Roddy Principal Staffers:

Adalyn Arce, Madeline Barnes, Taylor Barnett, Emma Beard, Sara Blain, Jonathan Blinn, Emily Britt, Brooklin Bruno, Ashley Byrd, Chloe Christenson, Breanna Cochran, Olivia Dague, Maria Deloera, Alyssa Deluna, Caitlin Harwell, Cameron Hayes, Morgan Lloyd, Rayn Martin, Cameron Mayes, Madi McLean, Ashley Odom, Elena Regalado, Marleigh Richey, Erin Rosenbaum, Nicole Salas, Michael Sandoval, Faith Smith, Jason Stephenson, Sofia Viscuso, Curtis Warren, Lauryn Warren, Lauren Worth and Josephine Wei

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.

What in TARnation?

Smelly construction provides distracting learning enviornment Many of us are familiar with the extensive construction projects that have been undertaken in recent months. Two new rooms are in the process of being built, the weight rooms are getting new floors, the multi-purpose facility was finished, and that doesn’t even account for half of the projects being done this year. Perhaps the most noticeable and distracting renovation is the recent tarring of the roof.

The effects of the construction have no doubt disrupted the school days of the roughly 4,000

[STAFF editorial]

people who call Martin home from 7:00 to 2:50 each day. Little consideration is being made to accommodate the students and faculty.

Tar fumes are known to cause nausea and headaches, as well as irritate the respiratory tracts of people with lung conditions, such as asthma. The fumes have forced nauseated teachers to move their classes to areas of the school where the stench is less prevalent. In addition, asthmatic students and

faculty have experienced shortness of breath when exposed to the fumes for extended time.

Construction obviously is an extensive process. So, the fact that renovations are being made during school hours is understandable. However, if the process becomes disruptive to the students and faculty, changes should be made. For instance, the tarring should be done after school hours or on weekends and breaks. This would allow for a much healthier and distraction-free learning environment.

Hands up

Gun violence is a threat to teens too Gabby Benavides • Editor-in-Chief I knew something was wrong when he asked me if I was okay. I said that I was, and before I knew it, he had pulled a handgun out of his back pocket and aimed it at me. I froze in fear of being hurt or taken, while the man whispered a quick, “I’m sorry” as he took the purse from my shoulder and ran away.

My parents have always been relatively easy-going, so letting me go to the midnight release party at Barnes & Noble for the newest Harry Potter book wasn’t a huge deal. I left the store at around 12:30 in the morning and made a quick stop for some food before taking my friend home and pulling up in front of my house. I was robbed at gunpoint while walking to my front door, but thankfully walked away unharmed. After the robber ran off, I immediately ran inside my house and called the police but I had little hope that they would catch him.

As teenagers in high school, we often live in a sort of shelter where

we observe problems in society without actually engaging in them.

Recently, many controversial and problematic topics have arisen, and while we can certainly educate and have opinions on these issues, nine times out of ten, we haven’t actually experienced them.

For me, gun usage was always something I saw as a problem and thought should be addressed, but it wasn’t until I had a gun pointed at me outside my own house that I knew how severe this problem was.

My stance on gun violence had not changed after this, but once the issue directly related to me, it became a cause that I have actively voiced my concerns over and made an effort to incite change.

Gun violence in this country has grown at a substantial rate and it’s become rare to even turn on the news without seeing a story related to a shooting. In 2016 alone, 15,035 Americans were reportedly killed in a gun-related incident. Knowing that even as a 17-year old I am in danger of this violence is terrifying and I find it sickening that we live in a time where a shooting is not

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uncommon.

I spend a lot of time wondering if the man who has made me afraid to walk to my car at night even remembers my face, or if I’m just one of the many people that he has threatened. I wonder if what he did to me was an act of desperation that he feels guilty about everyday or an act of amusement that he brags about with his friends. I question whether he has a family or if he’ll one day have a daughter who can walk outside past six o clock without having 911 already dialed on her phone. I wonder if he thinks it was worth committing a felony for a 20 dollar bill and a Chick-fil-a gift card.

That night outside my house, I was lucky. Lucky that I didn’t add to the 3,110 teenagers who were killed or injured last year due to a gun. Lucky that that man didn’t decide he had the right to take away another’s life, like so many have done before. Lucky that I walked away physically unharmed.

But someone else might not be so lucky. Teens need to be aware of the dangers guns pose, so we can work on increasing gun safety.

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First heartbreak

How to properly deal with a high school break up

Jason Stephenson • Reporter While the person you met in middle school or freshman year seemed like the perfect person for you, people change.

Sometimes both of you change for the better but that’s highly uncommon. Fights, disagreements, no compromises, and finally one or both of you decides you’re done.

Breaking up stinks and there’s never a way around it. It’s almost never mutual and one person will always get hurt

more than the other. The one who broke it off is likely to get with somebody new way before the other does, but that only proves that they weren’t right for you.

Constantly needing to date can make you co-dependent over time. Getting hurt is natural and is almost needed to happen for someone to mature.

Heartbreak can really let you figure out who you are over time.

The first week is the hardest.

You want to constantly text them to reconsider and reconcile. But that’s not you missing them, that’s you missing the idea of them. You broke up for a reason and you need to remember that, even if you aren’t the one who wanted to.

Instead of sitting alone and reminiscing over all the good times you two had, start thinking of the bad times, especially the last few weeks or days since they more than likely weren’t happy or fun for either of you. After you begin to start thinking of both the bad and good you need to block their number, Kik, Instagram, etc.

Completely removing yourself over social media will be hard and you’ll want to “just check once” but while it gives instant gratification, all it’ll do in the long run is make it harder for you to move on.

Going through a period of time where you try your best to not talk to them is the smartest thing you can do. This can help you get mentally detatched.

Most importantly, cry. Even

A foot in both worlds

if you think you don’t care or you’re a guy and “boys don’t cry.” Everyone knows it hurts and no one will judge you for the things you feel.

Find a time by yourself or find a friend.

Either way, letting yourself go through your emotions on your own is the healthiest thing you can do because after you get it all out after a few days you’ll feel better about the situation and better about yourself.

And if you’re still sitting at home not doing anything, then do something you couldn’t do because of the time you spent with them.

Pick up a new instrument, book, or hobby. Treating yourself will teach you how to find happiness in yourself rather than in others.

Growing up as a mixed kid can cause a lot of cotraversal remarks

Elena Regalado • Reporter Sweet 16 or a quincenera?

Grandma or Abuelita? English or Spanish? Coming from two different cultures, I’m faced with little decisions each day where I have to choose between two identities.

When I look at myself in the mirror I see a girl who is tired, but happy. I see a girl with somewhat pale skin and rosy, pink cheeks posted above a smile. I see a girl with dark brown eyes and fluffy brown hair.

But when I look past my face

I see someone else. I see a girl who comes from two different races and cultures. I am half white, and half Mexican, and all my life have had one foot in each world.

“You’re too light to be Mexican,” said my classmates.

My coloring may not be the exact definition that people associate with a Mexican girl, but that doesn’t make me any less a part of that culture.

People think that Mexicans are violent, poor, and are seen as people who need help. We are just as smart as any other group of people, and do not seek to be portrayed as a victim.

We have our own mindsets and beliefs and are just as equal as any other racial group.

Although I’ve grown up with Mexican cultural influences, I do not speak Spanish. Not speaking Spanish causes a lot

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of people to question me even more. Spanish is such a beautiful element of the Mexican culture, and I don’t disrespect that aspect. I just choose to speak English because it is my first language, but it raises many questions about how dedicated I am to the culture.

When I am around my dad’s family, they occasionally speak Spanish in front of me. They do not view me as any less a part of their culture because they know the many other ways I have embraced their traditions.

“Well can’t you just pick one race to be a part of?” No, of course not. I am not only mixed.

I am an equal combination of both cultures, where I find my identity.

I’m “too white” when other Mexican girls see me, and I get skeptical looks when I tell people who are white that I am

Mexican. I want to be embraced and a part of both cultures as an equal. I want to belong to a group that accepts me as me, and doesn’t question my voice.

I have grown up in a household where two races merged, combining different cultural backgrounds, beliefs, heredity, and ideas. I have embraced both cultures by celebrating my mom’s Cajun family traditions on Christmas Eve, and ringing in Christmas Day with my dad’s Mexican rituals. I have equally loved and incorporated both cultures into my daily life since I was a baby.

I have been fortunate enough to have grown up with parents who have shared with me all sides of both of my cultures. I love being a part of two very different worlds, but maybe one day I will be accepted in both of them.

Risking it all for ‘the American dream’

Lessons I learned after my mom was deported

Nicole Salas • Reporter

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lmost nine years ago, when I was eight years old, my mom stood in front of a woman who would ultimately change my family’s life for the next two years. This woman, an immigration agent, had the power to let my family continue living in Texas. Instead, the woman decided that although my mom had two children and a husband in the States, she would be banned from the U.S. Ironically my mom had gone to the Immigration Consulate to claim herself as an illegal immigrant to the United States, by choice, because she wanted become a documented citizen the “right way.” Little did my mom know, that interview that would carve the path towards citizenship would be less than a minute and end with deportation.

Sharing hugs that were far too short That summer when we left Texas, I was under the impression that we went to take care of my sick grandpa in Mexico.

My mom lied to me because she didn’t want to include me in the legal drama that is the U.S immigration system. After spending the summer in the bliss of numerous Cancun beaches, my mom decided I was mature enough to decide my own future.

I could either stay with her and continue school in Mexico, or I could go back to Texas with my stepdad to continue it

there. I knew I had to go back to school in Texas, but the decision to leave my mom was so hard, especially because I didn’t understand why she couldn’t come with me. It was the first of many times that I was forced to say goodbye to her and my little brother in an airport, sharing hugs that were far too short, and crying in her arms, knowing that it would be months before I saw her face again.

The next two years consisted of impromptu visit to Mexico, numerous long-distance phone calls, and a fridge with a single pickle jar in it because my stepdad thought pizza was appropriate to eat every single day.

As hard as those years were, in my mom’s absence, I was forced to mature much faster than an average eight-year-old. I knew things about the government that would shock an adult. I had seen both of my parents cry over each other’s absences. I lived a life in two countries. And I learned that doing the right thing doesn’t always pay back positively.

No place to raise a child The thing about my mom is that she has always been a strong woman who wasn’t ever afraid to make sacrifices. She was 17 and pregnant with me when she made the sacrifice of leaving her life in Mexico to make the controversial border-cross and have me in the States. Life where she was from consisted of murder, corruption and drugs. Iguala, Mexico was not the place to raise a child.

She put all of her faith into a stranger’s hands to get her over the border, but when she arrived at border checkpoint in California, things got complicated.

Since my mom was a minor at the time, the immigration patrol only asked the adults of the car if

they were U.S citizens. My mom had never been asked of her citizenship status, so she never claimed false citizenship.

No one had ever won a case like hers After she was deported, my stepdad fought for my mom everyday. He called the immigration consulate so many times that he had his own file. He spent endless hours at meetings with his lawyer, thousands of dollars on the case, not to mention the money he sent to my mom and little brother.

Every time my dad made the trip to the immigration consulate in Mexico, he was told she would never be allowed back.

Ultimately, his stubbornness convinced the consulate to give my mom another interview, giving her a second chance of citizenship. However, it would be months before we would hear anything of it.

The years that my mom was gone seemed to run together.

Each day was a waiting game as my stepdad’s court case was considered. But the day my stepdad told me my mom was allowed back home, I remember like it was yesterday. In 27 years, no one had ever won a case like my Mom’s. Lawyers had passed up our case because of the impossibilities, but we did it.

For the past two years we had hyped up the moment my mom

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would come home. We made signs for her and had a welcome-back party. We had hoped for some kind of Eureka moment when she crossed the border from Mexico into El Paso, but the reality of it was that no one else cared except for our family.

Doing it “the right way”?

It’s easy to reflect and say how lucky we are to be living comfortably as a complete family, but there are people out there who are afraid of being sent back to their country.

The old ways of getting married to a citizen or having an “anchor baby” as an immunity from deportation is no longer applicable (my mom checked both of those boxes but it clearly didn’t matter). You either have to have a lot of money or time to do it the “right way.”

But the “right way” includes power-hungry bullies who will deny you a chance of freedom before looking at you twice while rooting for you to fail. Those bullies don’t realize that the people they deport have families and a life in the States, and if they get deported their kids could potentially be left parentless.

They don’t realize that the fact that people from other countries who are still willing to risk everything to get a chance of the “American Dream” is what makes America so great.

My mom Miriam (who is now an official U.S. citizen), my brother Evan and me before she was deported to Mexico.

Her legal battles taught me many lessons on immigration and life.

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Reverse racism It isn’t what society has made it out to mean Elizabeth Prickett • Features Editor The phrase “reverse racism” is something that I have seen thrown around in the recent years on social media and other platforms. “Reverse racism,”as a direct definition, describes acts of discrimination and prejudice by racial minorities or historically oppressed ethnic groups against individuals belonging to the racial majority or historically-dominant ethnic groups.

This definition is one that I feel is being misrepresented.

The racial majority of the world is Asian, but this term is used colloquially as one to explain racist comments of those in ethnic groups to Caucasians.

Is it just another form of racism by saying ethnic groups, who are generally in a “lower standing” than Caucasians are now turning the tables and pointing the finger at the “prestigious whites”? By using this phrase, we are further promoting the ideology that whites are supreme and the default race for all ethnic

groups. This particular way of thinking should have been resolved centuries ago. This is 2017 people. Terminology is all about connotations. And these connotations speak volumes.

The term validates a false narrative that those of color are at a lesser standing than the whites, which is more than obviously not the case. We are all human beings who should be given the same opportunities of everyone else. However, we are not made equal.

All of us are different and unique. We are not equal to each other. We have different

weaknesses and strengths, and to say we are equal is saying that the parts of us that make us special and separate from everyone else doesn’t matter because we are all the same.

This is not the case. However, we are all human beings and deserve the respect of every single one of us.

Please think about what you post on social media and say to your friends. As long as this phrase keeps spreading, the more unintentional distance you create between all the beautiful ethnic groups out there.

Avoiding the messiah complex

Can teens talk about racism without being condescending?

Jonathan Blinn • Reporter I have never experienced discrimination. Most of my friends are cut from the same cloth. We don’t have to worry about mistreatment based on our skin color. But even if I don’t see racism on a dayto-day basis, I’m aware that it’s a problem. The issue isn’t whether it exists, it’s that I’m not sure what I can do about it.

Racism is a lot bigger than Martin High School.

Discrimination is a problem on an international scale. Stories about white police officers

shooting black kids filled the news this year. Our president has suggested we build a wall between our southern border and Mexico, and proposed a ban on Muslims entering our nation.

It’s a systemic problem, and like it or not, white people are on top of the financial and social pyramid. The vast majority of our current congress is white. The impetus is on us to act against unjust prejudice, and to punish it when it rears its head. But there isn’t a clearcut way to even out the playing field, especially not for me, a high schooler.

Right now, the only way I combat racism is by being fair-minded. I call out racial bias when I see it. But that only treats a symptom, not

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the disease itself, and that isn’t enough.

Even if there were an obvious solution, I’m not sure I could carry it out.

White people have a history of believing in the “White Man’s Burden” – seeing themselves as “civilizing” people from other cultures. It’s the excuse settlers used for the destruction of Native American culture, and it’s an undertone in the USA’s more recent role as international policeman in the Middle East.

We’re the holier-than-thou jerks with a messiah complex offering to “save” the poor, unAmerican, non-white folks. I’m afraid that, by offering my help, it would seem like I’m turning into that guy. Even this article might be interpreted that way.

I don’t know how life is

different for people who have a heritage different from mine.

But it is despicable that people are disadvantaged based on their skin color and cultural background. Right now, I feel powerless to fight racism. I don’t know what to do. I want to help and to fight the good fight, but I don’t think I have the financial or social standing to do anything meaningful.

I need to know what, if anything, is expected of me.

If you have any sincere suggestions about what white teens can do to help fight racism, contact me. My email is jonathanwarriorpost@ gmail.com. If enough students respond, I will write a followup article in the next issue of the newspaper outlining your suggestions.

World without racism:

An insight on how society would appear without discrimination

Emily Britt • Reporter

Political There would be a culturally-diverse political system. Voting for candidates would depend strictly on the candidates’ views and opinions instead of whether or not they are the same color of your skin. City, state and national governments would include people of every race, gender and age. For example, the inauguration of Trump as president would not consist of majority white supporters but the number of advocates would be spread throughout the ethnicities.

Education Schools would not have 60 percent white to 10 percent African-American students enrolled. There would be a decrease in school fights, cliques and punishments. Clubs and lunch spaces would be reflective of the demographics of the student body. There would be a diverse student body working together to promote the rights and freedoms of every minority including women, LGBT and people of every color.

Law There would be no issues regarding lawmen being biased towards certain people of color. The law would be distributed fairly and without prejudice. This would reduce deaths on both sides of the law. There would not be Black Lives Matter protests, there would not be Blue Lives Matter protests. There would be harmony on both sides of the law.

Art by Binh Le

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Relationships There would be no emotional damage due to the color of a person’s skin.

Friend groups would be diverse and without a divide.There would not be generational racism being passed down, but each generation would have its own additions to the current times.

We wouldn’t have statements such as, “I’m not racist but…” We would live throughout the world gathering ideas from each culture and what they have to offer.

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Decide to be

The struggles of breaking away from parental influence and becoming the person you want to be Alyssa Deluna & Brooklin Bruno • Reporters From the moment we all came out of our mothers kicking and screaming, we have been influenced by the people around us.

The old “nature versus nurture” argument has been around for ages, and it makes some valid points.

Although living situations have significant impacts on our lives, parental influence has the potential to shape us as human beings.

Starting at a young age we absorb information like sponges, and we repeat. The opinions and preferences we

hear stay with us, and now, in our teenage years, it’s time to let go and form some of our own opinions.

No one was ever born racist, or sexist, or homophobic. These biased opinions stem from older generations – our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

History has a way of repeating itself, but it’s not insuppressible and we can only hope patterns don’t always repeat.

America is far from forgetting racism and prejudice as a whole, let alone our single high school, but we truly believe that people can make a difference.

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Our generation of teenagers is really starting to break the ties of the family and develop their own opinions. Everything from politics to who we date are still affected by people around us whether we like it or not, and sometimes that’s hard to see. It can be scary going against your parents’ beliefs, but it is more than necessary.

The entire women’s rights movement was full of girls demanding respect and opportunities even when the majority of their world was against them, and we can now see just how arbitrary it was.

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Hopefully that is a pattern that will repeat.

So yes, it is not always easy rooting for the issue that has the least amount of people rooting for it, but here in this case it is needed.

Regardless of what your parents’ opinions are, don’t be afraid to consider other options and form your own opinions.

Even if they line up with your parents, at least you came to them on your own, because in the end we aren’t our parents, and we all choose our own paths and decide one day who we are and who we want to be.

Seeing no color “We look for talent, not race” Chloe Christenson • Reporter

Do stereotypes and racial Most of the teams within

diversity play a role in sports?

Some teams are less racially diverse than others, but Martin coaches said their main focus is not establishing racial quotas, but being unified as a team.

“Every single one of us wears black, red and silver,” head football coach Bob Wager said.

“We are Warriors defined by our passion, commitment and our loyalty, not by race.”

Many people question why some are put on a team over others, whether race is a factor or if the decision is purely based on talent.

“People are on a team because they are good enough to be there,” soccer player sophomore Bella Whitmore said. “Teams shouldn’t be picked in order to be diverse, they should be picked in order to win. Good athletes are good athletes, no matter the color.”

Martin are particularly diverse, but there are some exceptions in sports like baseball and cheerleading where their teams are predominantly white.

“According to what I have seen, the coaches have not enforced a racial bias, but it may be difficult for someone whose race is not the majority in their sport to feel different from their fellow teammates,” sophomore tennis player Megan Bishop said.

With cultural differences between some players it makes it difficult to understand your teammate, coming from different backgrounds can sometimes put a barrier between the teams. This can lead to a hesitancy for some when deciding to try out in the first place.

“I do believe that certain races are drawn more to certain sports

The new guy

Shortstop slides into Martin’s homeplate Curtis Warren • Reporter Senior Kurt Wilson is a shortstop who transferred to Martin in 2016 from Livingston, Texas and is a Texas Tech baseball signee. He sat out all of his junior season at Martin due to a shoulder injury that required Tommy John surgery, so nobody really knows how he’ll fare in the 2017 baseball season as a Warrior.

“I think being injured has made me miss baseball more

than ever and I’m ready to give it my all this year,” Wilson said.

As a freshman and sophomore varsity shortstop for the Livingston Lions in the 20132014 and 2014-2015 seasons, he had a career .333 batting average with 27 RBIs, and 4 home runs. As a pitcher, Wilson had a record of 8-12 with a 3.10 ERA, 140 strikeouts, and one complete game shutout.

Teammates and fans are looking forward to seeing how

Photo by Bella Whitmore than others,” Bishop said. “But our team would become more I do not believe that is due to diverse. If kids all got the same racism expressed by coaches.” level of training from a young During tryouts the coaches age, a much wider race span say they place skill above team would be showing up to try diversity. Race is not a factor outs freshman year.” they put into if you make the With the multiple things cut or not. going on in their minds, their The bottom line in some cases priority is to be a successful is that the minority is better team so they can reach their than the all-American boy and main goal. That being said, vice versa. they do what it takes in order “We try out the kid, not the to succeed. color,” head baseball coach Curt “Color of skin, religious beliefs, Culbertson said. “I would like and financial status isn’t a topic to see our kid leagues become of discussion,” Wager said. “The more economical so that only thing that matters is preeveryone can play high-level paring to be successful, that baseball. If that was to happen, takes people of all color.” this new Warrior performs.

“He will have one his best years of his life here,” senior Spencer Sackett said. “I see it in the way he works. I think he is one of the key pieces to help the team, but we need all the pieces for the puzzle.”

The stats show that Wilson has the talent to fulfill the expectations that surround him. The 2017 class has big expectations to make a deep run in this year’s playoffs, and Wilson can be a solid addition to fulfill the expectations.

“He is gonna have some rust to shake off but I think he will gradually work back to helping us win games this year,” head coach Curt Culbertson said.

“He is one of the hardest work-

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Senior shortstop Kurt Wilson steps out onto the field to show off his Texas Tech -bound skills. Photo

by Athen Smith ers, and he’s always running his hardest. He is a great player to coach.”

sports

Do dates

Spice up your valentines with 14 hot dates!

Sara Blain & Emma Beard • Reporters art by Carson Johnson

Bowling Spare Time Lanes Picnic at Ft. Worth Botanic Go bowling with a date Dallas Glass Art Frozen Yogurt P sparetimeentertainment.com Gardens Blow some glass to make cool Instr aintin Yogurt with yo guurrr’ u $10 per person Picnic in garden dat cted g wit things yumilicious.com h e p www.fwbg.org dallasglassart.com Ca for a aint a Tw varies between ounce le is ll g Main Garden- Free $50 for 2 hours per person ( to r es 18 sson t e $3 682 se an wi 5f or -238 rve s d up th 2-h -11 eat Ice skating ou 32) s rp Skate around with boo ain Build a Bear tin Fea Coy iceattheparks.net g tur ote Bulid a bear with your bae-r es Dr $8 per person t i w www.buildabear.com Karaoke Mac’s Tavern and Grill Din Stu coy one o m ve-in d ner io ote scr ovi $10 to $25 for the bear serenade your sweetie M dri een es o $ a s t v $7 for clothes macstavernandgrill.com n 10 ud nd m ovie $6 e-in i . o 7 eac .co 5 p mo ovie Grill Costs varies on what you m h v er per iegril all in order to eat use s o on l.com one H for ed our t D n tic au ith y ow H ket S n dge use w c s G l E . a o e g v o s o “G ad en u o ttin ted h oo o h u n eo ap ge C aun b nted Fort Worth Zoo ad ca p r H au Six Flags ve ch on hu h e Zoo with your boo g nt in p nt d m e n A g o u o g h Roller coaster Park n c s i r ” r t www.fortworthzoo.org lin es fo on er cut rp gto al r e c e sixflags.com p $14 per person, parking $5 n l th free alle $35 ar ro $32 per person d ea u gh th e

Horror through the looking glass

Movie provides a look at dramatized racism in America Dean Kelly • Entertainment Editor Just as radioactive monsters were used as a symbol for America shortly after World War II in Godzilla, and killer robots were used as a symbol for the dangerous pace at which technology grows in The Terminator, crazy white people are used as a symbol for crazy white people in Jordan Peele’s upcoming movie, Get Out. Coming to theaters Feb. 24, the movie revolves around an interracial couple, Chris and Rose (Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams) going to visit Rose’s parents. Upon arriving, Chris hears news that black cit-

izens of the town are disappearing. After investigating, he finds out the horrible truth behind the disappearances.

In the trailer, it’s fairly easy to draw lines from this terrifying thriller/horror to our modern society. The entire movie is steeped in the idea that racism is still wide and rampant.

Racists in power still find ways to oppress minorities in the real world, but it’s usually through social class divisions that the lines of inequality are drawn.

In the trailer, the ideas of hypnosis and brainwashing are common themes, which would

entertainment

serve as the perfect metaphor for the message the movie aims to convey. It goes out of its way to point out the flawed idea that “racism is over and everything is fine,” which lets people turn a blind eye to the social issues staring them right in the face.

The innuendo doesn’t stop there. Featured in trailer are two interesting characters like an African-American maid, who, despite seeming friendly at first, can be seen crying later with the same smile on her face. Another young black man around the same age as Chris is at a party, seen either drinking or serving a drink. Chris tries to take a selfie with the man, and

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the flash causes him to go into a frenzied rage in which he warns Chris to get out and leave the town as fast as he can.

This not only further hints to the idea of hypnotism being a cornerstone of the film’s horror, but also serves as a metaphor for slavery, when AfricanAmericans had no control over their own lives.

All in all, Get Out will be a must-see this season, and no matter your race, it will be sure to shake you down to your core with fear. While watching, be sure to remember to look for signs alluding to the underlying message that Jordan Peele is trying to convey to us.

Level up!

After the hit TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender ended, creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko announced the sequel, The Legend of Korra.

The show follows Korra, the reincarnation of Aang from The Last Airbender, Mako, Bolin and later Asami. At the season finale, Korra and Asami can be seen holding hands and gazing at each other as they are about to walk into the spirit portal. Although this sounds ambiguous, the creators have took it upon themselves to clear up any misconceptions on their personal blogs.

Korra from The Legend of Korra

More diverse couples are appearing in media Binh Le & Carson Johnson • Staff Artists

As years pass, the perception of same sex and interracial couples are changing for the better. Slowly but surely, more and more people are becoming accepting of these distinctive relationships. This includes media. From videogames to animations to TV shows and commercials, the appearance of diversity in the cast is definitely expanding.

Overwatch is an action-packed multiplayer, first-person shooter that is famous worldwide for its intriguing characters. Arguably the most famous character, Tracer, was featured in a comic, Reflections, that was released Dec. 24 of last year. The comic featured Tracer with her girlfriend, Emily, during the holidays along with other characters from the videogame. Tracer’s orientation was confirmed by Michael Chu, lead writer of Overwatch, on Twitter.

Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Multiplayer, and Best Esports Game

by The Game Awards for 2016 DiMartino said, “Our intention with the last scene was to make it as clear as possible that yes, Korra and Asami have romantic feelings for each other. The moment where they enter the spirit portal symbolizes their evolution from being friends to being a couple.”

And Konietzko said, “I think the entire last two-minute sequence with Korra and Asami turned out beautiful, and it is a resolution of which I am very proud. I love how their relationship arc took its time, through kindness and caring. If it seems out of the blue to you, I think a second viewing of the last two seasons would show that perhaps you were looking at it only through a hetero lens.”

Recently, there have also been many couples featured in various kid’s shows and movies. From Warner Animation Group’s Storks, to Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory, and even Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, children are becoming more and more exposed to the more realistic and diverse Tracer from Overwatch world around them. While these inclusions may seem small or insignificant on their own, the fact stands that they pave a very important path for progress towards widespread acceptance of same-sex and interracial couples in younger generations.

The inclusion doesn’t stop at kid’s shows, either. The movement has spread into the mainstream media, with same-sex and interracial couples featured in many popular shows for older audiences as well. Big brand names have even begun to show their support, some notable instances being a mixed family in an adorable Cheerios commercial, and the same for various Old Navy adverts.

While the perception of same-sex and interracial couples has come a long way in these past few years, there are still many more barriers to be broken down. In the future, this task will be in our generation’s hands in Hollywood.

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entertainment

What's love got to do with it?

Teachers open up about how they met their significant others

Young love is hard to explain, so we got teachers to do it.

Match the correct teacher to their about about meeting their significant other.

Claudia Smith Credit Recovery

“This guy came up to me and said, ‘Mike bet me that he’s going to marry you.’ I laughed and said, ‘Marry? I won’t even go on a date with him!’ We’ve been married for 27 years now.”

Nina Glass English 1

“On one of our first dates, my now-husband took me running, and I’m not a runner. So I sat down and said, ‘I feel like I’m going to throw up.’ Then he said, ‘That’s good!’”

B.

Brian Crawford AP Biology

“My bride walked down the aisle to Christmas music. We got married on Christmas Eve because my brothers were in the military in Vietnam, and the only time they could come home on leave was Christmas.”

C.

Timothy Long AP Physics

“KVIL (103.7) had this contest for fantasy wedding. We won, and our wedding was fully paid for including the rings, our honeymoon, the cake, and everything. It was broadcast over the radio. I’m glad I waited. I think it would’ve been a disaster if I had D. married anyone else.”

Jennifer Rothwell English 1

“I was 13 at summer church camp, and this guy – as he’s flirting with another girl – turns to me and says, ‘Hey.’ I thought in that moment, ‘I’m going to marry that guy,’ which is a crazy thought for a 13-year-old to have.”

E.

Vikki Chilton Physics

“This guy’s friends and my girl friends went out dancing. My husband’s really shy friend dared him to pick out any girl to dance, and my husband picked me.”

A.

2.

4.

5.

6.

Dan Darr Art 1

G. 2.

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B

E

3.

G

4.

C

5.

A

6.

F

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1.

7.

“I met her at a bar.”

Answers:

3.

Celebrate the day with friends Rayn Martin•Reporter

Joesphine Wei • Staffer & Emily Hale • Copy Editor

1.

Galentine's Day

It’s Valentine’s Day yet again and the same thought crosses your mind like every year: you are alone.

Your friends are all giggling about their dates, and couples around you are going crazy.

Everywhere you look, all you see are flowers and hearts, but who says Valentine’s Day is just for romance?

Spending Valentine’s day with people you love and care about, including yourself, can be just as fun.

One fun way to spend Valentine’s Day is go on an outing with other singles or lonely friends. Group up and go see a movie, grab some food or maybe even shop at the mall. And if you are feeling a bit more social, you can throw a party for others looking for something to do this Valentine’s Day too.

Make sure it is something you would be happy to do and your friends hopefully will be too.

If your friends are all busy and you have nothing else to do, sitting at home and having a day to treat yourself can still be a simple way to spend the day. Loving yourself is just as important as loving others, so spending a day to yourself isn’t all that bad.

Since you won’t have to blow your money on gifts, treat yourself to chocolates or pizza and watch movies all day if you wanted too or go out to do something fun, it just depends on what you considered selfcare for you.

In the end, you shouldn’t feel obligated to do what everyone around you does. You won’t be judged for being alone or for not doing anything at all. Do something fun for yourself. and others you love.

7.

D