The Marquee Volume 34 Issue 2

Staying AFloat

the marquee

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Vaping illness affects local area

Vol. 34 issue 2 oct. 25, 2019

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Athlete continues swim career despite setbacks

Edward S. Marcus High School

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Quick and easy Halloween costumes to make at home

5707 Moriss Road Flower Mound, TX 75028

THE MARQUEE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Samantha Thornfelt MANAGING EDITOR/PHOTO EDITOR Emily Lundell DESIGN EDITOR Tara Connick NEWS EDITOR/DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Madi Olivier FEATURE EDITOR/OPINION EDITOR Reya Mosby SPORTS EDITOR/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Michael Minton GRAPHICS EDITOR Emily Seiler REPORTERS Adriana Pueskens Shriya Mukkavilli McKenna Cowley Alyssa Cheatham Ayra Charania Nikhita Ragam DESIGNERS Amber Luther Ryan Baker Esmeralda Arellano PHOTOGRAPHERS Maya Hernandez Kaitlyn Hughes ADVISER LaJuana Hale Associate Adviser Corey Hale PRINCIPAL Will Skelton The Marquee newsmagazine is a student-generated publication of Marcus High School. It is produced, edited and maintained through the efforts of the school’s advanced journalism class. The Marquee is designed to serve the school and community as a forum for open discussion and student expression.

The Marquee encourages letters to the editor as part of its mission to educate, inform and provide an open forum for debate. All submissions must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit all material. Editorials reflect the opinion of the staff, not necessarily that of the administration. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author. Advertising rates are $70 per 1/8 of a page, with discounts available. Patron ads are available for $100. Online advertisements are also available. For more information call 469-713-5196. The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA, NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.

cover tara connick

Junior Lieutenant Tristan Finn performs with the Marquette captains at the Oct.18 pep rally. Marcus football played Coppell later that evening and won 15-7. photo emily lundell

CONTENTS

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horsing around FFA students give wild mustangs a second chance

cheerful charity New club on campus visits pediatric cancer patients

serving the competitionY mckSenior’s competitive spirit motivates him in tennis

pick of the patch Local resident runs pumpkin patch for almost three decades

Level up

Students game for a good cause

STORY mckenna cowley DESIGN esmeralda arellano Photo maya Hernandez Over 60 students attended a video game night at the freshman campus to support disadvantaged kids in Africa.

The event raised around $600. The students competed against each other in games such as “Mario Kart”, “Just Dance” and “Rocket League”. Winners were chosen for each game through a bracket-style competition.

All proceeds from the event were donated to Nyaka, a nonprofit charity that provides children orphaned by HIV/ AIDS in Uganda the opportunity to get an education.

Twesigye Jackson Kaguri organized Nyaka out of his confidence in the power of education to help children become successful.

“What I knew for sure was that education opened doors for me,” Kaguri said. “In a way I wanted to be selfish and give children what I got. I couldn’t guess whether this would work or not. That’s why I specifically focused on education.”

Frequently, children in these communities have to walk many miles to school with no food or water along the way. Nyaka works to provide clean water systems,

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This is an opportunity for students here at Marcus and our community to provide a large impact for kids.

-Kerry Gabel, Golf Coach

food, clinics and libraries at schools. Additionally, they are currently supporting 10,000 grandmothers who are housing 60,000 orphaned children.

Kaguri was invited to speak at the school by Golf Coach Kerry Gabel after Gabel was introduced to him over the summer. Gabel was inspired by Kaguri’s cause and wanted

Junior Coy Goodgion plays in “Rocket League” against other competitors during the fundraiser. “Rocket League” is a vechicular soccer video game in which the player controls a car trying to score goals.

to share that with his school’s community.

“Sometimes we forget what’s really going on in the world and this is an opportunity for students here at Marcus and our community to provide a large impact for kids,” Gabel said.

Humanities teachers Nikki Minich and Tracy Jennings were also inspired by Kaguri’s message, and hosted the event in hopes of attracting many students who were willing to donate while also having fun.

“It was so much fun. The kids had a great time and we raised money, which is the most important thing,” Minich said. “When it comes to the winners, I only recognized a few which is great cause it means it was a far reaching fundraiser.”

Kaguri wants to encourage students to believe in their own ability to impact the world. He recalls his childhood, when his parents would split one pencil between him and his four siblings to use at school.

“You don’t realize that the power to change the world is within you,” Kaguri said. “If I can come from a fifth of a pencil and touch 60,000 lives now, imagine what a Marcus student can do.”

news oct. 25, 2019

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Head in the clouds Outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries causes widespread concern

STORY Madi Olivier DESIGN Ryan Baker It was the worst case local pulmonologist Adekunle Adekola had seen. The patient — a woman in her thirties — recently walked into the hospital complaining of shortness of breath, coughing and a fever, but she was breathing on her own. Soon, she required almost 100 percent oxygen.

Her history of vaping made it clear to Adekola — who works in both Flower Mound and Lewisville — that she was suffering from a lung injury caused by her use of e-cigarettes, just like he saw with three other patients. The local

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Flower Mound area isn’t exempt from the national outbreak.

“We were actually close to putting her on a ventilator, but luckily she responded quite quickly to treatment and we were able to avoid that,” Adekola said.

The cause of the “vaping illness” is unknown, but recent research suggests that THC, the illegal chemical that causes most of marijuana’s effects, might be to blame.

The Denton County Sheriff ’s office is seeing an increase in THC products and is seizing more of them. On Sept.

24, deputies arrested a man after they discovered 4,980 THC vape cartridges, 15 pounds of marijuana and 1.2 pounds of THC wax in his car during a traffic stop.

Although no single product has been linked to all of the lung injury cases, all

The fact that at any point, because of this one thing that they do, someone could just die — that’s really scary.

-Tori Rees, 11

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patients diagnosed with the illness said that they had a history of vaping, and 78 percent of them reported using THC products, according to the CDC. “The few cases I’ve encountered, all the patients have been exposed to THC vapes,” Adekola said. “However, that being said, almost all these patients also were exposed to other vaping products.

So is it the THC in the vape, or other flavorings or other additives in the vape device? More stories are needed to clarify that.”

According to the Texas Department of State Health, there were 119 confirmed or probable cases of the lung illnesses in Texas as of Oct. 15. On Oct. 9, the agency verified that a woman in North Texas died after a history of vaping, which was the first vaping-related death in the state.

“It’s kind of scary because some of my acquaintances vape,” junior Tori Rees said. “The fact that at any point, because of this one thing that they do, someone could just die — that’s really scary.”

According to the CDC, 15 percent of cases are seen in people under 18 years old.

“The thing that’s scary about it is that it’s occurred to adults, but also very young teenagers who are vaping,” school nurse Margot Ell said. “Some of these kids are desperately ill. Some are going on ventilators. They’re drawing liters of fluid [out] of their lungs.”

The first signs of the illness started in April. They included ailments such as trouble breathing, chest pain, coughing, nausea and fatigue. The first vapingrelated death was reported on Aug. 23 in Illinois. Since then, the number of reported cases and deaths has continued to climb.

“When you vape, you are inhaling stuff

into your lungs that is not supposed to be there,” Adekola said. “So it just makes common sense that with time, your body will begin to react to it negatively.”

At the end of August, there were almost 200 known cases in 22 states. As of Oct. 15, there have been 33 reported deaths and 1,479 known cases across 49 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands, according to the CDC. The issue has recently caught the attention of government officials, prompting legislation changes involving vaping and e-cigarettes. However, the products aren’t regulated. The industry that revolves around producing them is worldwide and made up of complex relationships involving production and packaging.

Additionally, there are limitless ways that people can modify vaping products, which can be obtained from a wide range of places. This makes it difficult to define a specific product as the culprit.

“If you don’t have as much money and you’re a teenager, you’re going to get what you can at a gas station, a smoke shop, a friend and those things,” Ell said. “Because they’re not regulated, we just don’t know what [is in them.]”

However, if teens get involved in vaping or smoking, stopping can be extremely difficult, according to Ell. Most resources for quitting, such as nicotine patches and gum, are aimed towards adults.

Some students believe that teenagers won’t be likely to try and stop vaping, despite the rise of the lung injuries.

“People who’ve already vaped, they knew that they didn’t know what was going to happen,” Rees said. “Now that there’s something happening, I don’t know of anyone stopping, so I don’t think it will really change.”

On the other hand, some students think that the new risk of vaping will encourage teenagers to find a way to quit.

“It’ll probably make them stop,” senior John Babbidge said. “People want to preserve their body.”

Ell is hoping that the rise in the illness will encourage students to avoid vaping and that more resources will be offered to students that already vape and want to quit.

“Hopefully it’ll scare them into not trying it,” Ell said. “My hope is that we will start helping kids. If kids are scared and really want to stop, that we can try and offer them some kind of a step-down product.”

smoking age raised • • •

Starting on Sept. 1, the legal smoking age was raised to 21 in Texas, which is one of 18 states to do so.

People already 18 or older and active military members will have an exception.

The goal is to reduce the number of people who start smoking, as nine out of 10 smokers tried it around the age of 18, according to the CDC. Additionally, 21 year olds are less likely to try smoking for the first time than 18 year olds.

Banning flavors • •

On Sept. 11, the government announced a plan to ban flavored e-cigarettes in coming months.

The goal is to reduce the appeal of vaping to teens, who are often more drawn to flavors such as bubblegum and chocolate.

Resources to quit • • • •

2morrow and Quitstart — These apps help people quit smoking by providing tips, inspiration and challenges.

SmokefreeTXT — This text message program sends support to people that are trying to stop smoking.

Livehelp — The National Cancer Institute’s online chat where users are connected to a trained specialist who can answer any questions and provide support.

Quitlines — Call 877-448-7848 to be connected to the National Cancer Institute’s trained counselors. Call 1-877-YES-QUIT to be connected to the Texas quitline.

Novo by Smok is a popular brand for high school students. Many students are also drawn to sweet flavors, like the berry eJuice on the right. photo Tara Sachar

News Oct. 25, 2019

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Tamed and trained STORY Madi olivier DESIGN amber luther PHOTOs emily lundell

and Trussell picked up another mustang on Sept. 13, giving two more horses a second chance in life.

“They can’t live out there,” Wittek said. “They’re going to die and be sick. So we’re just trying to cut populations down.”

They brought Duke and Beau to a training facility in he grass flattened beneath the mustang’s Gainesville to get them used to being around humans. To hooves as he trotted across the pasture. Senior start, Wittek and Trussell sat on the fence, gripping bamboo Maddie Trussell walked beside the brown sticks with pool noodles on the end. They then reached out horse, Beau. She gripped the rough rope of his to their mustangs, stroking them with the soft foam to get halter, leading him across the field. the animals used to being touched.

Looking down, she noticed the rhythm of their steps “When we first bring these horses in, they’re scared,” were in sync. She watched in awe as Beau lifted his hoof Wittek said. “They’re going to react to their natural instincts, and dropped it to the ground with the same timing as her but … once you finally get them to trust you and realize that own foot. you’re not going to hurt them, it’s such an amazing bond.”

Two weeks earlier, she picked up Beau after he had lived The horses quickly began to trust their new trainers. in the wild for his entire life. She was the first person he Trussell was able to get in the pen with Beau the first day. had extended contact with, and now they moved through He let her stroke him and begin putting his halter on, which the grass as if they were connected. would later be used to lead him around and train him.

Duke took a little longer to trust “It was a big milestone for Wittek, but by the second day, his me, to see that happen and whole demeanor switched as he be able to be like, ‘okay, we’re began to realize that she was there Once you finally get one. We’re moving as a whole,” to help him.

Trussell said. them to trust you and “The first day of training was kind Through FFA, Trussell of intimidating to me because I had realize that you’re not and senior Rebecca Wittek only ever rode horses,” Trussell picked up wild mustangs to going to hurt them, said. “I never did groundwork and train on June 1. They planned I never started a horse off from the to compete with their horses it’s such an amazing beginning. It was crazy watching after about 16 weeks. Beau bond. how fast he came along.” was the first horse Trussell After a couple of days, the horses ever trained, while Wittek’s -rebecca wittek, 12 were moved to Argyle, where brown mustang, Duke, was they’re kept for the rest of their her second. training.

Before they left, Wittek and Trussell got to take the “When I saw him, I fell in love with him,” Trussell said.

ID tags off of their mustangs.

“He was such a cute, small horse. I was like, ‘wow, this is “It’s like a connection,” Wittek said. “This horse will my horse.’” trust you enough, this early, to let you touch them and take Wild mustangs like Beau and Duke are being rounded this thing on them off that they’ve had on for months and up due to their overpopulation in the wild, primarily in months, that’s become a part of them.”

Nevada. To combat the lack of food, water and space, From there, Wittek and Trussell began to train their the government puts the wild horses in holding facilities. mustangs, building off what was taught each day. They People can adopt horses to train and either keep them or started with the basics, such as walking and loading into find somebody to adopt them permanently. Both Wittek a trailer, before moving on to more advanced skills like

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moving around obstacles and performing tricks. They spent two to four hours a day with their mustangs, perfecting their skills and strengthening their bond.

“They work really hard,” FFA teacher Melissa Barnett said. “I was very impressed. I’m usually the one that’s like, ‘okay y’all, we have to go home, we’ve done enough. Please go home, go do your homework,’ because they’re out there working all the time.”

••• It was Aug. 24, and Wittek stood next to Duke, waiting for her turn to compete in the Texas TIP Challenge. The competition includes three categories: a pattern class where they follow a pattern with their horse given to them the day before, a trail class where they lead their horse through obstacles and a freestyle class where they get to make up their own performance.

As Wittek waited to enter the arena to compete in the pattern class, Duke stood still next to her, perfectly normal.

But as soon as they entered the arena, Duke began biting and standing on his back legs.

“After the first class, I was very upset because he’s never acted crazy like that before,” Wittek said. “You can train horses for years and years and years, and something still may happen that you can’t predict.”

After her first performance, Wittek calmed Duke down. If she got too stressed, he would sense it and get more anxious.

They still had the trail class later that day and the freestyle class the second day — they still had a chance.

When she walked out into the arena again, the crowd’s eyes were on them, but Wittek focused only on what she and Duke were doing. Duke seemed to relax as he performed what they practiced hundreds of times before. Wittek and Duke earned 4th place in the trail class and 1st place in freestyle, earning them a 4th place overall.

“I felt very accomplished,” Wittek said. “It feels really good to have a win after a loss.”

Trussell placed 10th overall, and the girls were excited to share the experience.

“I did this with my best friend, so it was a really exciting thing for both of us,” Trussell said. “So when awards were happening and stuff, we both might not have placed the best, but we were both happy with how we did.”

Senior Rebecca Wittek brought Duke to the homecoming carnival. She said that nobody could tell that he was wild four months earlier.

Destiny, a horse that senior Rebecca Wittek helped to raise, waits patiently as she gets her tail brushed. After Wittek aged out of the program, she started raising horses to then re-home.

••• Trussell decided to find somebody to adopt Beau permanently because she’ll be going to college soon and wanted him to be with a trainer that will be able to regularly work him.

Two weeks after the competition, the woman adopting Beau picked him up. As she stood watching the woman lead him away, Trussell couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.

Beau calmly walked into the trailer with his new owner. Just months ago, he had never seen humans before. And there he was, getting adopted.

“That was a very prideful moment for me,” Trussell said.

“I successfully trained him and the lady who adopted him was just so happy.”

Wittek found someone to adopt her first mustang, but she knew that she had to keep Duke.

“There’s just something about him,” Wittek said. “He’s my heart horse. He does anything for me and there was just a bond that we had. So I’ll always keep him.”

Senior Maddie Trussell is currently training Bonnie.

She said that the experience brought her back to her “happy place.”

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In perfect harmony

Students connect through music STORY Shriya Mukkavilli DESIGN Emily Seiler PHOTOs Maya Hernandez Before starting, the room buzzed with friendly conversation.

As the bell rang, the orchestra and special needs students formed a half-circle around the podium. Once the lesson started, everyone broke off into their own groups, two or three orchestra students with one special needs student. Each group started to practice rhythms, clapping and matching each beat to a word like “cake.” They then played the same rhythms on an instrument, either a violin, viola or cello. The room soon filled

Seniors Anna Ryan and Hailey Caiado warm up before practicing. Although United Sound is currently limited to string instruments, other instruments may be added to the program in the future.

with the sound of the plucking of strings, the light violin sounds mixing with the heavier viola and the deep cello tones.

When they finished, their mentoring orchestra students gave high fives and told them “good job.” The special needs students smiled at the compliments. At the end of the lesson, the budding musicians left full of excitement for what was to come next week.

United Sound is a nonprofit organization formed to teach

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students with special needs how to play stringed instruments.

The new musicians are chosen for the program by special education teacher Jackie Flanary. They are taught by members of the orchestra who are chosen through applications. They meet every Tuesday after school.

The program was started at the school by Orchestra Director Allison Washler two years ago. Washler says that she was inspired by the chance that United Sound gave for anyone to learn to play an instrument.

“We have the philosophy ‘all means all’, and we say everyone can play a stringed instrument,” Washler said.

For senior Caitlyn Aenis, United Sound is a chance to teach peers a new skill that she loves.

“United Sound is just a combination of all the things I love and that I’m passionate about,” Aenis said, “I get to teach, it involves music, and it was just a really exciting opportunity.”

The program starts with the new musicians choosing what instrument they would like to learn — the violin, viola and cello.

Aenis says that during this time their preferences become clear.

Sophomores Landon Faulkner and Charles Payton read sheet music together. Peer mentors take a leadership role teaching them the fundementals of this skill.

“Our first week we have a few instruments and we play on the instruments for them so they hear how they sound,” Aenis says, “They get really excited, or if they don’t like the instrument, they don’t like it.”

The students learn the basics of their instrument from their peer mentors, starting with scales. They eventually learn difficult new pieces that they perform in the spring and fall orchestra concerts. During their concerts, the Chamber orchestra performed the well-known song “Remember Me” from Disney’s “Coco” along with the new musicians.

Juniors Edward Andrews and Brian Banner practice rhythm by bowing. All peer mentors are able to help beginner musicians despite some mentors playing a different instrument from the one they’re teaching.

The peer mentors have been proud to see the growth that the new musicians have shown in seven months.

“Through all of the concerts, we got to play with the United Sound orchestra, and it was really amazing watching how much they had improved from our first fall concert to the final spring concert and just how excited they were to play and to join in the program,” sophomore Luke Dodson said.

The new musicians also react with excitement for the program. They have a lot of anticipation for the music they will learn, according to Dodson.

“They almost always react positively,” Dodson said, “Sometimes it can be frustrating when they can’t get something, but they’re always super resilient and always wanting to learn.”

For the orchestra musicians, Washler says that she is impressed to see the reach of the program beyond the orchestra room.

“They have an instant new friend, which is beyond just playing an instrument. It’s somebody they can connect with and say ‘hi’ to in the halls,” Washler says, “So I’ve seen really cool friendships form.”

United Sound is a program that speaks towards the idea that music is a language that connects everyone. It can connect people despite their background or the challenges they face in life, according to Aenis.

“I think what United Sound is teaching is that music is something for everyone. Music doesn’t need to be limited by who you are, how old you are or what you can do,” Aenis said.

feature oct. 25, 2019

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Helping halos

Senior founds club inspired by mom’s cancer STORY Adriana Pueskens DESIGN tara connick graphic emily seiler Danay Navinsky had been feeling a pain in her stomach for a couple of weeks, so her family, including daughter senior Alexa Navinksy, decided it was time to go to the hospital. They waited in the room for a diagnosis. After several tests, the doctor announced that it was very likely that Alexa’s mom had cancer.

Her dad began to silently cry. Her dad

never cried, and it hit Alexa that she could really lose her mom.

Alexa’s mom grabbed her husband’s hand and assured him it would be okay.

“We’re going to be together forever.

That’s what we promised when we got married,” she said through teary eyes.

It was too much for Alexa.

She watched her parents grapple with the word cancer as she separated herself from the scene.

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As Alexa watched her mom battle the

disease for the majority of her junior year, it felt too real and like a dream at the same time.

“It was just a very fast process,” Alexa said. “Just two days after she had been in the hospital, she got surgery…. By the time she woke up from the haze, everything had changed. And seeing her go through that was a struggle.”

Alexa didn’t know how to deal with all

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I want them to have as much happiness as possible because it’s going to be a hard road.

-Alexa Navinsky, 12

the pain her family was going through, so she detached herself and stayed away.

If anyone asked her how her mother was, she would half-heartedly reply that “it’s fine, she’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t until after her mom was in remission that she realized she hadn’t been completely involved in supporting her family during the treatments. But her mom’s battle with the disease didn’t stop after chemo.

Since last October, so much has changed for Alexa’s mom and her family.

“She’ll never be able to taste again…. I was talking to some parents of kids with cancer, and they were saying that their kids lost all their teeth and might never get them again,” Alexa said.

She knew that she wanted to help families going through the same thing

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Senior Alexa Navinsky’s mom was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in the fall of her junior year. After her mom finished chemo, Alexa focused her attention on bringing joy to children who have faced situations similar to her mom’s. Photo Kaitlyn Hughes

Today, senior Alexa Navinsky’s mom has been in remission for seven months and she is very proud of Alexa’s idea for the club.

Photo submitted by Alexa Navinsky

she was, watching their loved ones battle and recover from a scary diagnoses.

Her thoughts turned to children, and she realized that the pain her mother faced is normal to many cancer patients.

Thinking that a kid could have cancer so young was difficult for Alexa.

Children miss out on sports and other activities a lot of their friends do to go to their doctor visits. She knew that she wanted to help distract kids from their treatments.

Alexa is now passionate about spreading happiness to children, especially at hospitals where the journeys the patients are on can seem bleak. Her focus is on the kids, but she also wants to bring awareness to the after-effects of cancer. Because she can’t change the consequences, Alexa wants to help improve the attitude surrounding the treatments.

“I want them to have as much happiness as possible because it’s going to be a hard road,” Alexa said.

Alexa began to develop an idea for

a club that visits children’s hospitals monthly to cheer up the patients and do crafts with them. They want to do simple yet fun activities, like making butterflies from pipe cleaners and spoons. After her mom was cleared of cancer in March, Alexa started putting the pieces together and contacting hospitals.

Starting an organization seemed out of reach at first. Most children’s hospitals don’t allow volunteers under 18. She decided that if she could finish the paperwork and find enough hospitals willing to welcome students to volunteers, she would go through with the club. Over the summer, several hospitals agreed to work with them. After finding a teacher sponsor and a board of students to help organize the group, all that was left was the name.

“We wanted it to be related to sickness, but not so much cancer,” Alexa said. She thought halos was such a perfect way to represent the innocence in children’s lives.

They named the organization Helping Halos and have since been meeting and

creating plans for their activities.

The club had a booth at the homecoming carnival where they interacted with kids, and multiple hospital visits have been scheduled. However, Helping Halos needs money to fund the cost of crafts for groups of 30 to 100 patients and transportation of up to 30 students.

To offset the cost of visiting the children, they have set up a GoFundMe. Club secretary Tara Sachar says that Helping Halos wants to give children the chance to get involved with crafts around the holidays. While some of their friends are trick or treating, patients may be stuck at the hospital for Halloween.

“They need someone to guide them or… make them think they aren’t only cancer,” Tara said.

Alexa’s goal is to give the kids the skills to deal with their diagnoses and teach the members of Helping Halos that cancer is so much more than a battle with chemo.

Even though she can’t help the kids for a lifetime, she wants to impact them in the short amount of time she has at the hospitals, if only for one or two hours.

“The journey starts here, but I don’t want it to end there. I want everyone to go further and really see what these people are going through,” Alexa said.

If you would like to donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-halos The money will go towards • • •

School bus rental to and from children’s hospitals in the DFW area for 30 students Monthly craft supplies for up to 100 patients Craft supplies include glue, pipe cleaners, construction paper, glitter, etc.

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Senior pushes through despite health condition

STORY Samantha thornfelt DESIGN Amber Luther

This is bad. I don’t know what to do. I am in so much pain.

I want this to go away.

She opened her eyes to see concerned teammates hunched over her. They cautiously helped her to her feet and told her it would be all right, eventually calming her down.

Senior Emma Vega felt good as she dove into the pool at the ••• start of the race. She was confident. Emma had swam this race Months later Emma found out this episode was caused by a hundreds of times and knew exactly how to pace herself. case of untreated pneumonia that for six months had weakened As she kicked off the side of the pool in between laps, the muscles surrounding her Emma noticed something was lungs. This made it harder to off. The weight on her chest breathe and caused her ribs grew heavier as she swam. to suddenly slip out of place.

Within seconds, the pressure The diagnosis was surprising, turned into pain. It felt as if but the pain wasn’t. Over the she was stabbed in the center years, pain had become a of her chest. close companion to Emma.

She couldn’t breathe.

Since she was 11, Emma Emma quickly turned her has suffered a series of injuries head to gasp for air, swallowing that have complicated her chlorinated water. The pain ability to swim. She first increased as she continued to broke her left arm in the panic. Emma’s thoughts raced seventh grade. Since then, as she tried to calm down. she has had four corrective Slow down. Take more surgeries that have caused breaths. Do whatever you her to be out for an entire need to do. Just finish the season at a time. Later, it was race. found that her weakened Suddenly, the pool floor chest muscles had also caused disappeared and everything slipping rib syndrome, in went dark. which her lower ribs will She couldn’t see. suddenly move, causing Emma continued to swim sharp pain in her chest and blindly until her vision slowly abdomen. This resulted in returned. All she thought fibromyalgia, which means about was finishing. that the nerves in her chest After her final lap, Emma had more receptors, making surfaced and looked around. that area extremely sensitive Everything was blurry and her to pain. head felt light and dizzy. She Senior Emma Vega (right) smiles with her teammate, senior However, looking at climbed onto the pool deck Corey McGrath (left), at her swim banquet junior year. Emma Emma, no one would and lay flat, eyes shut and arms had surgery on her left arm the week before the dinner and straight at her side. Her chest had to wear an arm sling to the event. Photo submitted by Emma Vega never know about her daily struggles. In the halls, rose and fell quickly while Emma’s classmates usually she hyperventilated. She finally allowed herself to listen to her find her laughing and making jokes with her friends. But anxious thoughts. behind her bright smile, Emma regularly hides the severe, sudden, sharp pains she constantly experiences. sports “Something as small as cracking my back in class can cause mhsmarquee.com a rib to move and set it off,” Emma said. “But all I can do is just

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sit and keep taking my notes until it eventually gets better.”

At times, these conditions caused Emma so much pain that she’d have to leave practice early, only to go home and sleep to avoid the pain. Throughout her freshman and sophomore years, she constantly found herself comparing her swim times to others. She became increasingly frustrated and insecure about her swimming abilities.

“I didn’t understand that I had conditions that limited my swimming,” Emma said. “I just didn’t get why I wasn’t doing as well as my friends.”

Emma wasn’t ready to accept her limitations. She refused to let her pain stop her from doing what she loved. So she kept swimming.

Surgeries and doctor appointments would force Emma to miss school and fall behind. The more she practiced and competed, the more pain she had. She decided to stop club swim and then considered stopping the sport completely.

“I thought for a while that quitting club wasn’t going to be enough,” Emma said. “I didn’t think I would be able to keep swimming.”

Even though quitting would make things easier, Emma realized that swimming was a part of her identity. Even if she wasn’t going to be the best and even if she had to practice for hours while dealing with intense, constant pain, quitting was not an option. She had to keep swimming.

“It was something that I felt made up a big part of who I was, so I didn’t want to stop,” Emma said. “I decided I was going to keep going, even if my times weren’t as good as I wanted them to be.”

Emma said having teammates who she could confide in and trust helped her not worry about others judging her.

“It was nice to know that they understood what I’m actually

“

You have to keep going if you actually want to see a difference... you’re not going to get what you want from doing nothing.

-Emma vega, 12

going through and dealing with,” Emma said. “And that even though it’s really painful, that I want to be here and still show up every day and do what I have to do.”

She also said that her coaches greatly impacted her decision to stay. They helped keep her on track in practices and pushed her to be the best athlete she could be.

Swim Coach Brandon Dion said that where other high school

X-rays of senior Emma Vega’s left arm show a fracture in her radius after she fell off a skateboard. Over the next few years, Emma had five surgeries on her arm, as her radius’ growth plate had been damaged, creating a hole in her left wrist. Photo submitted by Emma Vega

swimmers would be afraid to get back in the water, Emma doesn’t say no to anything and always keeps a positive attitude.

“Emma’s been a complete 180 from that,” Dion said. “She’s ready to go and do whatever it takes to get back to where she was.”

Despite her health issues, Emma has gotten multiple offers from several colleges to swim on their school’s team.

“It was cool to see that even though I might not be as good as all of my friends that I compare myself to doesn’t mean that I’m not good at all,” Emma said.

Overall, Emma said that she is glad to have gone through her medical journey, as it has changed her perspective on others and herself. She has learned to not judge others based on appearances, because you never know what they might be going through. Through this experience, she also learned that even though giving up may seem a lot easier, it’s working through the pain that ends up being the most rewarding.

“You have to keep going if you actually want to see a difference,” Emma said. “You can either keep going and push yourself, or you can quit. It’s one or the other, but you’re not going to get what you want from doing nothing.”

sports oct. 25, 2019

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seconds Compiled McKenna Cowley DESIGN tara connick PHOTo maya hernandez

jet’s pizza is a proud patron of the marquee

Josh Clark, 11 What would a world populated by clones of you be like?

(972) 221 5387

“Horribly chaotic and nothing would get done except maybe umm…. Oh! You know, the thing is, there’s a lot of people out there who do jobs I know nothing about.

There’s people who run other countries, I know nothing about that. There’s people that do infrastructure things that I have no clue about, there’s people that work in factories and stuff and I couldn’t do that because I have very weak little arms.”

2001 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028

What was the last photo you took?

“It was a selfie with my boy Kaleb Moberg and he didn’t have enough time to pose or anything so he looked very plain and I was pulling up a peace sign so it was very nice.”

What is your best piece of useless trivia?

“The song ‘She Blinded Me with Science’ it’s a classic, a little 80’s bop. It was a one hit wonder and the guy that performed it used to play with Foreigner, which is another 80’s band. So yeah, he did keys for one or two of their albums. His name is Thomas Dolby. And he used to just go by ‘Dolby,’ but then the company Dolby sued him for going by ‘Dolby.’”

What word is a lot of fun to say?

“Spaghettification. It’s what happens when a black hole is ripping you to shreds. But don’t think about it like that, think about it like the word being fun to say.”

What is your favorite class that you’ve ever taken and why?

“You know, I really like PSAT team but I don’t want to say that’s my favorite, especially if it’s ‘ever.’

Maybe like grade school art. Finger painting is like, pretty lit and you do a lot of that in grade school art.”

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(972) 537 5006

350 Parker Square, Flower Mound, TX 75028

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All entrees come with plain fried rice 1940 FM 407 # 112 Highland Village, TX 75077 (972) 317-0589

t n e m t i m om

c r e v o

Friends

family

8-9 16%

>9 2% <6 27% 6-7 55%

How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

Never 14% Very often Sometimes 50% 36%

How often do you compare yourself to others?

h g i h t s o p l plans o o h c s

social

Work 5%

Other 14%

media

Home 21%

Schoool 61% Where does most of your stress come from? *from a poll of 300 students by The Marquee

Primary causes of student stress: STORY

DESIGN

samantha thornfelt & madi olivier tara connick

Family and peers

Social media

Many students face pressure in their homes, whether it be from the expectations of parents or comparing themselves to siblings. 39 percent* of students on campus report feeling pressure from their family very often.

Junior Neha Yawalkar said that her parents are supportive and want her to do well in school.

However, she sees parental expectations cause stress in her friends.

As access to technology has increased, students have become more involved online, especially with social media. Platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, have created a compulsion to compare lives’. 58 percent* of students report comparing themselves to others very often.

“I can see that for people who value their social media platforms a lot, there’s a lot of

39%

of students report feeling pressure from their family often.

“I know a lot of my other friends, they have parents who have very strict expectations for them and if they don’t get an A or something like that, that’s a really harmful thing,” Yawalkar said.

Yawalkar compares herself to her successful cousin, who went to Cornell University. Although she’s learned how to have balance in her life, Yawalkar said that this can induce stress.

“There’s a lot of parallels between me and her, and so I’ve always just been thinking ‘if she can do that, I should be able to, too,’” Yawalkar said.

“I know it’s not always the healthiest thing to do, but it’s just something that has been pushing me to work hard.”

58%

of students report comparing themselves to others very often.

stress behind what to caption it, what pictures to put, how good you look,” Yawalkar said.

“There’s a lot of thought that goes into every post and that can definitely be stressful.”

Most of the time, students only post the good side of their life and try to look perfect.

“Your main Instagram is always going to be the best version of yourself and it’s very easy to compare,” Cherry said. “Obviously, sitting on your couch scrolling through your feed, that’s not going to be a fair comparison but you can’t help but draw to it.”

Stress Stress S tress Stress ress Stress Stress Stress StressStressStre

St Stress for succ Stress

Healthy coping techniques: 16

in-depth mhsmarquee.com

Get plenty of sleep

Eat healthy, balanced meals

One of the most common symptoms of stress is sleep problems. A full night’s sleep helps better prepare you for the day ahead, and setting up a healthy sleep schedule has been proven to decrease stress. Teenagers need at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night to function properly the next day, but it has also been shown that one 30 minute nap during the day can quickly help your body recharge after a long day.

Food can help tame stress in several ways. Fruits and vegetables containing high amounts of magnesium and potassium help combat headaches, fatigue and high blood pressure, which are common effects of stress. However, when eaten in limited quantities, less healthy comfort foods, such as carbs or sugars, can also boost levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates mood.

Overcommitment

Post-high school plans

Having too much to do and not enough time is a common problem for students. Whether it’s participating in extracurriculars or volunteering for clubs, students often can’t equally dedicate themselves to all of their interests. Many students also work towards getting good grades to qualify for certain organizations and some students try to be a part of as many clubs and organizations as possible so they can add it to their college applications.

“I’m trying to do that to offset whatever bad academic decisions I’ve made,” Cherry said. “That kind of stinks that I feel the need to do that.”

College pressure begins early for students. 56 percent* of students report feeling pressure over getting into college very often.

“It’s getting harder and harder to not feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders,” senior Madeline Cherry said.

Throughout elementary and middle school, students often complete projects about career paths and college interests.

61%

of students on campus reported losing sleep due to stress in the last week.

To be involved in all of these activities, many students have said they have had to make sacrifices. 27 percent* of students said that they average at less than six hours of sleep per night, while 54 percent* get six to seven hours of sleep. 61 percent* of students reported losing sleep due to stress in the last week.

“In general, I just don’t have time to do everything in my life and sleep for eight hours,” Yawalkar said. “But, I think when things are stressful and they’re becoming overwhelming, the fact that I’m also not getting sleep, that can make everything seem a lot worse.”

A lot of students struggle to find a balance between having fun and taking part in activities.

“Do I bend over backwards trying to do all of the things that I should do in order to get in somewhere or get money for somewhere, or do I cut back on it and enjoy my four years, and then maybe regret it later when I don’t have as many opportunities?” Cherry said.

56%

of students report feeling pressure over getting into college very often.

“I think that it’s kind of interesting to think about what college you want to go to when you’re in middle school, but I don’t think that it should be as stressful as it was,” Cherry said. “Taking Algebra 1 in eighth grade, and being like, ‘this is going to go on my transcript.’ That’s iffy.”

Others feel that by including these lesson plans, students are able to consider their options years in advance to better prepare for their futures.

“I understand that it’s important to think about college when you’re in high school, but I feel like if, from the get go, all of the options were equally promoted to kids, it wouldn’t feel so overbearing,” Yawalkar said. *From a poll of 300 students conducted by The Marquee

Stress St Stress tress Stres cess ess StressStressStressStress Stress

be active

take a break

talk to others

Physical activity can reduce fatigue and improve alertness and cognitive function, which can be beneficial after stress has exhausted your body’s energy. Running, biking and playing a sport can all help combat stress. A daily walk or a five minute aerobic exercise can also help repair your body’s physical and mental state.

If certain class work, social media or news events are causing you stress, step back for a bit and focus on other things. Whether it’s listening to music, watching your favorite movie with friends or curling up with a good book, finding an activity that helps you decompress will calm your thoughts and ease your mind.

Sharing your problems with others is a great way to release bottled up emotions. Having a conversation with a parent, friend, doctor or counselor not only helps you be able to come to terms with your own feelings, but also allows for discussions on how to manage your stress and recognize if you need help.

in-depth oct. 25, 2019

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Stress ess Stress Stress Stress tress S tress Stress Stress essBattling for Stress Stress Stress Stress Stress Stress Stress ress Stress Stress better days StressStressStress STORY reya mosby DESIGN tara connick

Senior struggles to meet high expectations STORY McKenna Cowley &

Madi Olivier DESIGN tara connick photo kaitlyn hughes Senior Carleigh Brand, then a sophomore, lay buried in blankets with tears streaming down her face. The soft melody of “Lost in You” by Kye Dreams echoed through her room. She closed her eyes tight as thoughts of the future

does most of your stress come from internal or external forces?

external 33% internal 67%

*from a poll of 300 students by The Marquee

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flooded her mind.

Homework. College.

Band. These topics spiraled around in her head. She knew she needed to calm herself down. She pulled out a pencil and paper and started to draw.

It didn’t matter what she sketched, she just needed to get her mind off of her worries.

Her pencil glided across the paper. As leaves and flowers began to form on the page, the thoughts of school and band started to fade. The final lyrics of the song were the only sound in the room as Carleigh felt her shoulders relax and finally began to drift into sleep.

••• When Carleigh got home after a two hour band practice, it was already 7 p.m.

She silently walked past her parents and trudged to her room, weighed down by the amount of homework she knew she had to deal with for her AP classes.

She sat down on her bed, pulling out notebooks, pens, folders, worksheets.

It seemed endless, but she made a commitment. She never considered

leveling down to easier classes as an option.

“I knew that I could tough it out,” Carleigh said. “I really believed in myself.”

Her eyes stung as she blinked at the essay in front of her, but all Carleigh could think about was her older brother, John.

He could handle this.

John did it all. He was a star football player. He nearly got a perfect score on

s s s

the ACT and the PSAT. “He was always seen as the golden boy by everybody, so I just kind of thought the same,” Carleigh said. “He was almost perfect. When he was taking these harder classes, I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

She knew that if she wanted to be like her brother, her grades needed to be perfect. Better than perfect. Carleigh needed to be better than John. Anytime her grades were lower than his, she pushed herself to do better. A 95 on a test wasn’t good enough for Carleigh. John got a 96.

“I would undermine my accomplishments,” Carleigh said. “In my mind, I was

“

I would undermine my accomplishments, In my mind, I was still not as smart as my brother was.

still not as smart as my brother was.”

It was already 9:30 p.m. when she looked up from her essay. Her phone buzzed with a text from senior Emma Eidmann.

Everything ok?

When Emma saw her earlier that day at school, Carleigh’s tone of voice was different. Whenever she spoke, she constantly used hand motions and looked around the room as if she was waiting for something.

“You could tell something was bugging her,” Eidmann said. “I wanted to make sure she was okay.”

Carleigh picked up her phone and opened the message. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. No. She wasn’t ok.

She was physically exhausted and she finally noticed the excruciating headache that she had been ignoring for the past two hours. But she couldn’t tell that to anybody. Not her friends. Not her family.

Carleigh typed out her reply and hit send.

Yeah.

•••

She had been overwhelmed for what felt like forever. When one thing ended, another began.

“There wasn’t ever a break where there wasn’t something to stress about,” Carleigh said. “Grand nationals, now that’s over. But I still have my classes to worry about. World History is over, but I still have to worry about it because the AP test is in the spring.”

Two months later, the bell rang, releasing all students for winter break.

Carleigh felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. No reviews, no responsibilities.

“I felt like I could go hang out has stress caused you to ______ within the last week? with everybody and have fun,” (students could check all that applied) Carleigh said. “I 200 started meeting up with different people and they 150 managed to put a smile on my face.”

Winter break 100 was her first chance to relax 50 in what felt like forever, and she began to notice 0 cry lose lose fall behind people around 138: 45% sleep appetite in school her with the same 182: 61% 105: 35% 131: 44% exhausted eyes.

“A lot of people *from a poll of 300 students by The Marquee that I know are

-Carleigh Brand, 12

How often do you feel pressure to succeed from family?

Never 12% Very Often 40% Sometimes 48%

*from a poll of 300 students by The Marquee

willing to talk about it and be like, ‘yes I am stressed,’” Carleigh said. “Recognizing it helps the most.”

She reconnected with friends and family and talked to them about what she was going through, including Emma, who could tell something was bothering her friend. So when Carleigh looked like she was trying to reach out, Emma was there for her.

“When they have someone to talk about their stress it relieves them a little bit more because they have someone that can relate to their problem,” Emma said.

“So her talking about her stress alleviates that.”

Carleigh felt herself getting better. She was finally managing her time and getting more sleep. She was surrounded by supportive friends and family. But most importantly, when bad days came around again, she knew how to handle them.

“I would say that there are better days because it’s 100 percent true,” Carleigh said. “A lot of people, when they’re in a deep place like that, think that there’s no way out of it. This isn’t going to be permanent. It’s just a little bit of time and everyone has survived their worst days.”

contributor reya mosby

in-depth oct. 25, 2019

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s Stress StressStress Stress Stress ess Stress Stress Talking about stress Stress Stress Stress Stress Stress sssStressStressStress compiled michael minton & ayra Charania DESIGN tara connick photos kaitlyn hughes

From the academic stress of AP classes to comparing themselves a group of students from different backgrounds, from band to others on social media, the modern teen can find themselves to dance to basketball, to discuss what stresses each of them overwhelmed by stress on a daily basis. The Marquee sat down with out the most.

how do you cope with stress?

Muna: “This is from my own beliefs but I’d say prayer really helps because if you’re just trying to curb your own stress by things that you do like reading or sleeping a lot, it’s not really going to last, but if you pray about it then it’s going to last.”

Suhani: “I think just doing something that you really like doing. In my life

it’s dance, so I guess that’s just a stress reliever.”

Boris: “I agree with that. For me it’s basketball. Just getting around the court and playing can really just take my mind off things. So when I come back, [I] come back fresh and with a new mind. ”

Munachiso Nnamani, 9

Do your parents have expectations for you?

Boris: “I’d say my parents definitely have really high expectations of me. I feel like some people do get stressed out from that… but I just try not to read into it too much. I set my own expectations and then I live up to that and doing so I live up to their own expectations.”

Boris Fosso, 11

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Suhani: “Their expectations are the expectations that I’ve set for myself too so it’s not really affecting me that much because I know that I have to live up to that. It’s my goals not just what they want.”

Javier: “My parents have high expectations but for the most part I Ronan: “For me, when I was younger, just try to live up to it. But I don’t let parent expectation was a huge stress it bother me too much. I just try to for me but as I’ve gotten older, their ignore that part.” expectations have become mine.”

s

What aspects of school worsen your stress?

Javier: “The tests. [In] some classes, 70 percent of the grade is the test so if you don’t pass that test or don’t get a high enough grade it doesn’t matter how good you do on everything else, the daily grades the quizzes or the homework.”

Muna: “I feel like it’s people in my classes.

I just started doing AP classes… I thought I was pretty smart before but now it matters how well you’re doing in relation to your other classmates and that influences what college you get into and your entire life so that’s overwhelming.”

Suhani: “I definitely think that the people you’re surrounded by can really affect your stress.”

Boris: “Tests have a major part of what your overall grade is and that has a part with your rank and how you measure up to your classmates. When you get a test back and you’re comparing grades I feel like there can be a lot of stress in how you react and look at each other.”

Suhani Gajera, 10

How often do you compare yourself to those around you? How does this affect you?

Javier Buendia, 11

Javier: “My friends are all pretty competitive grade-wise, so I always try to do better than them.

It’s constant competition.”

harder. If I don’t work too hard or don’t do too well on this they’re going to get ahead of me so I should push myself.”

Boris: “I feel like it helps me in a way because sometimes I just don’t feel like working. It gives a level of competition.”

Ronan: “I feel like it increases my stress because if you’re holding yourself to a standard, what was once a goal becomes an expectation when you’re comparing yourself to friends.”

Suhani: “It motivates me to work

Do you feel the need to hide your stress?

Muna: “Not really because my family works in a way where the more stressed you are the more slack you get. Before when I was in middle school, I had to do more chores and they didn’t really take me seriously, but now I’m in the ninth grade and they’re like oh big transition. Now they’re easier on me when it comes to the sharing of chores because they know I have stuff to do.”

Javier: “I just don’t really like to let my parents see it because if I’m stressing, that makes my parents stressed and if they’re stressed, it’s not very good.”

Ronan: “For me, I think it’s easy to communicate that you’re stressed. You might not really show how stressed you are but if you have supportive family or friends, it’s really easy to tell them ‘Hey I’m really stressed.’”

Ronan Benford, 12

in-depth oct. 25, 2019

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Game, Set, Match

Senior’s ambitions drive his tennis goals STORY Ayra Charania DESIGN Ryan Baker Photo Emily Lundell While Senior Ryan Mouakket cannot point to one specific source for his competitive nature, it has always been a part of him.

During an elementary school field trip to the Perot Museum, Ryan came across the Sports Run exhibit. The exhibit had simulations of animals like cheetahs and professional athletes. Immediately, Ryan felt the need to defeat a simulation of world record holder Usain Bolt. This desire to win led Ryan to continue to try the game and race against the other simulations.

“I wanted to actually beat them so bad that I went four times,” Ryan said.

At this age, he also began developing his talents in a wide variety of sports. Ryan was such a strong player that he often had to be the referee during recess.

“If you had him on one team, you would win and beat everybody,” Andrew Herrmann said, a teammate and classmate of Ryan since the third grade.

Ryan’s athletic ambitions proved to be useful in helping him progress in tennis.

He started his high school tennis career as a freshman on varsity. Sophomore year, he was able to qualify for regionals.

Throughout his tennis journey, Ryan’s coach Kelly Langdon, a US Professional Tennis Association certified coach, has recognized Ryan’s determination.

“He is one of the most hardworking students that I’ve had in my 19 years at Marcus,” Langdon said. “He has a tendency to be a grinder from the baseline and makes very few mistakes.”

Langdon credits Ryan’s work ethic in tennis to his strong passion for the sport.

“If he’s not practicing here, he is practicing outside of school, doing some athletic training to better prepare himself for the court,” Langdon said. “That’s someone that really really loves tennis.”

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Teammates like Herrmann also notes athletic drive return.

Ryan’s strong work ethic, combined with He said he was convinced he needed his natural athletic ability. to go “all the way” during the match.

“He has his goals and he always follows Dominating his opponent was the only them up,” Herrmann said. goal in his mind.

Despite his athletic history, Ryan “Nobody goes into a tournament found tennis to be challenging at first. thinking let’s just get into the semifinals,” “It’s not like football or basketball Ryan said. “That’s just telling yourself where it’s easier to start playing,” Ryan you’re going to lose.” said. “With tennis, you have to know the Ryan knew his chances were not high right techniques, how to hit the ball, for it during the state quarterfinals. Though he to actually start working and to be fun.” tried his best, he lost by a point margin of With practice, Ryan developed the 4-6. He was angry because this meant he strengths of mental toughness and pa- was out of the state competition, but one tience. He particularly practiced these strengths during a lengthy match at a mid-summer San Antonio tournament.

In the blistering heat, Ryan played for three and a half hours against a difficult opponent.

From making sure each ball counted, Ryan was able to finally win. While he loves to destroy his opponents with his skill, Ryan pre- Senior Ryan Mouakket was inspired to give tennis a shot in sixth grade while watching it on TV with his dad. He now fers to play against aspires to earn a state title. someone who challenges him.

“In matches, the most fun for me are thing provided him some relief. the ones where I’m playing someone equal “I beat the guy that got to the finals that to me and I’m just hitting the ball good,” lost,” Ryan said. “I beat him previously.”

Ryan said. “It’s a better feeling knowing Even when losing, Ryan has always carried a competitive attitude. This has that you beat some of the top players.”

Through Ryan’s attitude and strengths, allowed him to continue to improve and he made Marauder history last tennis craft goals for his future in tennis, whether season in May; he was the first male it be entering state again his senior year or Marauder tennis player to qualify for the continuing through college. singles category for the May 2019 6A UIL Ryan still has the chance to return to state this semester under the team state championship.

During the match, Ryan was nervous. category. Currently, varsity tennis is He won the first set but he lost the second. the area champion and qualified for Doubt filled him as he was about to enter regionals. He will also get another shot as the third match. However, after hearing an individual in the singles competition his coach’s advice to regroup, Ryan felt his in April.

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STORY Michael minton DESIGN Esmeralda arellano PHOTOS maya hernandez Most Flower Mound natives know about the annual Pumpkin Patch. Every year they come to explore the cartoon character cutouts, hayrides and pick out a pumpkin for the family.

“It’s a tradition of Flower Mound,” receptionist Laurie Perez said. “People all over the Metroplex know Flower Mound because of The Pumpkin Patch.”

Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch owner, Jan Belakian has lived on the corner of 1171 and Flower Mound road for 44 years. As she sat looking over orange glasses frames at the stacks of time cards on her desk in her office, she says it’s just a fraction of the work she had to get done to keep the business running.

The Pumpkin Patch began one summer when Belakian grounded her daughter and made her work out in the garden, growing vegetables for the stall they kept by the road.

It ran on the honor system, so whenever someone took something they just left their money in the register.

When Belakian told her daughter she could keep whatever money she made that summer, they decided to go to the farmers market together. They came home with a few pumpkins to scatter around the stand as decoration, but they ended up selling faster than the vegetables.

“From there it snowballed,” Belakian said.

“I never dreamed I’d be doing this for 28 years.”

She started by selling a pickup truckload of pumpkins in her driveway, but today, the event takes an 18 wheeler full of pumpkins

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The Pumpkin House is a popular spot for families taking photos. Like those in the field, these pumpkins are also available to buy.

welcome Pumpkin Patch

and almost all 25 acres of her property to run.

Belakian is proud of their progress and feels like its is successful because of the limited options nearby for family activities.

“You want kids to experience a bit of [the] country life,” Jan said.

“There’s so little activities for kids and families at a nominal price.”

Junior Logan Petervay-Lott loves coming to the pumpkin patch every year because he gets to see his younger brother experience the same happiness that he did when he was his age.

“He’s still got that playful innocence so he’s jumping all over everything and having a good time,” Logan said. “It’s cool to watch him have fun.”

Every year he likes to pull his brother around in a little red wagon and watch him pick out a pumpkin to take home.

Belakian wants to be able to give people a fun place to come with the family, without having to spend money every step of the way.

Getting into the fair costs $5 on weekdays and $10 on weekends but once inside, everything - from the hayrides to the bouncy houses to the hay maze - is free.

“You can go to Walmart or Kroger and buy a pumpkin for $5 but what you’re getting here is an experience for the family,” Belakian said.

Every year Belakian tries to improve the fair by buying new activities, new equipment and finding more vendors. This year the Pumpkin Patch partnered with Texas Roadhouse and Belakain was able to purchase two new bounce houses, as well as a small train for the kids to ride.

Senior Jessie Jimenez loves going to the patch because of its family friendly atmosphere. “[Every year] we would just go and stand in the pumpkins and pick one out to carve Jack-o-Lanterns,” Jessie said.

Belakain is pleased this fair has developed as well as it has.

“I have a family that will come here every year with their 17 and 18 year old kids so they can get their picture made next to the measuring scarecrow,” Belakian said. “Now they probably tower over the 6-foot [mark], but it’s a tradition.”

Belakian is thrilled so many families have made her business a part of their annual fall activities. She feels like she has a God-given talent to work with children and hopes to do this into the foreseeable future.

This train is just one of many new additions to the fair this year.

Owner Jan Belakian, estimates that the Pumpkin Patch brings in around 20,000 people during a weekday.

Although the character cutouts that Jan Belakian makes change annually, the Measuring Scarecrow is not remade. Many families take photos over the years as they revisit The Pumpkin Patch.

Children play on the jungle gym equipment while their parents watch nearby.

Photo Kaitlyn Hughes

Entertainment oct. 25, 2019

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Halloween costumes for the last minute trick-or-treater STORY Alyssa Cheatham DESIGN Emily Seiler PHOTOs Kaitlyn Hughes

Finding a good Halloween costume might seem like a time consuming task, but there are several options that you can make at home within minutes and still look at cool as someone wearing a store-bought costume.

1. Arthur Read This costume would be easy to identify because of its popularity stemming from the cartoon and the viral meme.

Materials needed: • A headband • Pink and brown felt • Hot glue Creating the felt ears: 1. Cut out brown half ovals and tear drop shapes out of the pink felt.

2. Glue the pink pieces to the brown ones and then glue it all to the headband so they stick up like Arthur’s ears.

The rest of the outfit you may already have at home, and if not they will be easy to pick up at a local store or thrift shop. All you need to recreate Arthur’s iconic outfit are a pair of glasses frames, jeans, red shoes, a white collared top and a yellow sweater.

All together you have a costume of an easily identifiable character and meme for you to rock on Halloween.

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Entertainment mhsmarquee.com

2. Fly Guy

This costume is known as the wacky inflatable man with flailing arms outside of car dealerships and is great if you want an easy but unique costume.

Materials needed: • Scissors • Two laundry baskets ( or how ever many you need for it to be comfortable for your height) • White, black and whatever color felt your laundry baskets are Creating the body: 1. The laundry hamper will be used to create the body of the fly guy.

2. The first hamper will go over your head.

3. Cut the bottom off of the second hamper and use your choice of adhesive to connect it to the first laundry hamper.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Creating the eyes: Cut ovals out of the white and black felt.

Place and glue the felt on the body.

Cut holes where your eyes can see through the hamper.

Use felt to make sleeves that go far past your hands so you can flail your arms just like your inflatable inspiration.

3. Error 404: Costume not found This costume is great if you only have five minutes to put it together before you have to take your siblings trick-or-treating.

Materials needed: • A white shirt • Black sharpie The rest of the outfit can be whatever you want. The only step for this costume is to write ‘Error 404 costume not found’ on the shirt and enjoy Halloween, even if you don’t technically have a costume on.

Entertainment oct. 25, 2019

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BOOM BAHS things we like Square Root Curves Square root curves have been saving students’ GPAs for years. It can turn a failing grade into a passing one, meaning one failed quiz won’t drop someone 10 ranks. Students are thankful for this because they want to take the harder classes but also do not want their GPA to fall.

Spirited Teachers

Last year it wasn’t uncommon to see teachers in red jumpsuits on Wednesdays to show school spirit.

Although the jumpsuits were continued this year, it has become more common to see teachers dressing up for spirit days. This lessens the awkwardness of dressing for students. This also makes kids more excited to dress up to match their favorite teachers.

Marcus Activism

Many who took Humanities freshman year remember the service project they spent weeks on, but some students have taken that to the next level by starting organizations such as Hoops4Others and Marcus Menstrual Movement. It’s inspiring to see teens making helpful change in our community.

finding the best of both worlds Guest Column Sanskriti Dwivedi “Ewww,” said one of my classmates while poking at the dahi vada I’d brought for class that morning. “It’s so slimy! What even is this stuff?”

We were in Humanities getting ready for our dinner party project, part of which was that we all had to bring in a food item for the entire class. I’d brought a traditional Indian snack, which is made of fried lentil balls submerged in yogurt and covered in spices. My classmates had never seen anything like it and few were willing to step outside their comfort zone and try it.

Unfortunately, this sort of instance is my normal. The community I’ve grown up in is predominantly white, which has been a big factor in everything that has happened to me. Many people are not accepting of anything even vaguely different from them because nonconformity scares them. Incidences like this encourage people like me to create dual personalities — one for school and one for home so that we can be perceived as “normal” by society.

By the time I started high school, I had separated my life into two parts. One was for everything related to India and my culture. This one only appeared at home or with my Indian friends. The other was for my “American” self. This part of me was for school, for interacting with my friends and teachers. I was very careful to never let these two parts mix. Ever.

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One glaringly obvious difference in my life is my accent. I didn’t learn English until I was almost 5, and even then, I spoke it almost exclusively at school. As a result, I had an extremely heavy accent when I was little. I felt very self-conscious at school, because everyone else’s words sounded different from mine, even

@sanski_dwivedi when we were saying the same thing. I gradually taught myself how to speak in an American accent when I was at school so that my American friends wouldn’t think I was different from them.

Unfortunately, I conditioned myself in a way where when I talk to Desi adults, I revert back to my Indian accent, which gets confusing when I’m talking to many people at once.

On the flip side, my relatives are always shocked when they find out I that I am fluent in Hindi, despite it being my first language. Whenever we visit India, they act as though I am not as Indian as they are. My cousins try to mimic an American accent and speak only in English to me and my sister, and my aunts and uncles over explain the little cultural facets that

I’ve grown up with.

Separating the two facets of my life caused me to lose my sense of self.

Who was I really? Was I the quiet and studious Indian kid who made sure to do everything the teachers said to do?

The one who acted like everyone else and never even hinted at the fact that her upbringing was wildly different from that of her peers?

Or was I the kid who was extremely involved at the temple, volunteering and immersing herself in her culture, everything about her screaming that she was 100 percent Indian?

The truth is, I’m neither of those things.

I’m not someone who is a sheep, ignoring my background and upbringing because I want to blend in with everyone else. On the other hand, I was born and brought up in the United States, which means the environment I grew up in is not the same one my cousins’ and relatives in India have grown up in.

While it is important to me to understand the culture of India and have it present in my life, it is just as important to make sure that I include the American aspects of my culture as well. I may be Indian, but that doesn’t make me any less American, and vice versa.

Not many people in my Humanities class ate the dahi vada that day. The smell of the spices in it had scared off all but the most adventurous of my classmates.

However, that day, I realized that I don’t need to apologize for my identity. It is not my responsibility to change who I am because other people want me to conform.

It reminded me that it is okay for me to be who I am, unapologetically.

HEYS

THINGS WE DON’T LIKE Potty not Party

It isn’t uncommon to walk into bathrooms and find a group of students standing around the sinks having a loud conversation. This makes many people feel uncomfortable while trying to go to the bathroom. If people want to have a kickback with their friends, but they should do it in the commons, not the bathroom.

Canvas Integration

Cafeteria Conundrum

The Canvas website is much different than the Canvas mobile app, and many students find it difficult to figure out the navigation for both. Many students use the mobile app, but when it stops working due to the VPN or too many students logging in at once they will go to the website but not know where to go. The Canvas source we use should be streamlined so that everyone is on the same page and knows how to use it.

The new rule stating that students can only eat lunch in the cafeteria and commons. This has caused troubles for some students. Now they don’t have spaces where they can eat and still work efficiently because the cafeteria is often too loud and crowded. Those in band or choir who may have lunch lessons must either bring their food or skip lunch.

Sisters by Chance, Friends by Choice Column Adriana Pueskens “Mom, I want my own room,” I said.

“Why?” she asked, knowing I would have something to complain about.

“I want my own space, but she always wants to be in the room when I am.”

“Adriana, give her a chance. You’re going to miss her when you’re older. ” I didn’t know how right my mom would be. College was the last thing on my mind, and I thought the idea of being friends with my sister was ridiculous.

We’re two years apart, and because we are close in age, everything was a competition. My sister and I fought about everything from sharing the TV remote to who got to sit at the end of a booth at a restaurant. As an older sister, I constantly picked on her and made it impossible for us to be friends. I used my age to justify picking on her.

My sister and I shared a room and had a bunk bed. When we decided to paint our room, of course, we could not agree on a color. I wanted lime green, and she wanted magenta pink. After the constant back-and-forth, my parents split the wall half and half so that I saw the green top color from my bed and she saw the pink from her bunk. We were so unwilling to compromise that we ended up making the room look worse. Since we couldn’t agree on something as simple as a wall paint, our room stayed that ugly mix of colors for another ten years.

Somewhere in the sixth grade, I realized my sister was pretty cool. Honestly, she just became a lot less annoying. I wouldn’t

admit it, but she was funnier than I gave her credit for. I began listening to her opinions, and I started paying attention to her activities.

My attitude towards her changed when I went to her first gymnastics meet. She had jumped ahead a couple of levels in the sport, and I was so proud. I wore an

@adri43_p obnoxious neon yellow shirt with her team name across the front in sequins, and I even kept track of all of her scores.

The support became mutual, and she soon came to my swim meets and water polo games to support me. When I get nervous before a race, it calms my nerves to look at the stands and my family and sister are there to cheer me on.

Our relationship has continued to grow. We stay up late binge watching Friends and we’ll send each other memes on Twitter. Seconds later I’ll hear a laugh from across the room as she opens it.

After a bad test or practice, we’ll go to

Sonic and order cherry limeades. The drink makes me feel better, but really it’s having my sister there to cheer me up because no one makes me laugh like her.

Of course, our relationship is far from perfect. When we can’t seem to share shoes or makeup, we’ll turn our backs on each other, but it doesn’t take long for us to find something else to laugh at together.

As we got older, our age difference, which once made us resent each other, made sure we could have separate lives but still be friends.

However, this age gap means that I leave for college two years before she does, and I’m going to miss her last two years of high school. I’ll come back for the big moments, like her dance rperformances, but I won’t be here for the little moments like an A on a hard test or landing a new trick.

What my mom said many years ago is more true than I realized. I never believed my sister and I could be close. I know that we’ll text about the smallest things, and she’ll still send me memes. But leaving her behind will be one of the hardest parts of college.

It sounds kind of cheesy to admit that she’s so important to me, but I know that after the initial excitement of college sets in, I’ll sit down and wish my sister was there with me to watch another episode of Friends. Though I’m excited for the new friends and experiences college brings, I’ll miss having my little sister around for me to tease.

Design tara connick oct. 25, 2019

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“There’s seven of them?”

“Yes that’s why they’re called the seven dwarves.”

“I was today years old when I found out contact lenses weren’t made of glass.”

- w HALL “Bro we big sad.”

- c hall

- newsroom

OVERHEARD

- a Hall

- c hall

A great white lie If I had not developed upside-down in the womb, my mom’s doctor would not have needed to break her tailbone when I was born.

If my mom’s tailbone had not been broken, she would have felt safer doing outdoor activities, which my dad wanted to do.

“If you broke a tailbone you would understand,” she always said.

She would’ve gone fishing more, and my dad wouldn’t have gone alone. If he didn’t leave every weekend, they wouldn’t have filed for divorce. Or at least, that’s how I simplified the break up of my family.

Then, I wouldn’t have needed to please everyone around me who was upset over my mother’s tailbone and the divorce and the fishing trips. It was easier to pretend to be strong than face any pity. So I pretended to be fine.

Nobody would suspect that my family wasn’t perfect. I didn’t want anyone to know that, in our perfect town, I might be the exception.

One time, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Murphy, pulled me aside after class and asked me to sit at her desk. She told me that I was very smart. She paused and said she heard about my parents, and if I needed a hug to let her know.

I was relieved. I thought Mrs. Murphy was going to punish me for drawing a stick figure with female anatomy on a piece of paper for a boy at my table.

He had asked me what a girl ‘looks like under her clothes,’ and being 6, I didn’t

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Opinion mhsmarquee.com

- B HALL “Can someone teach me how to tie a shoe?”

“Can we build a bridge to China?”

Column McKenna Cowley

“Can I drop out of college before I enroll?”

see a problem with it. But once I realized that Mrs. Murphy might see it, I was terrified. I had torn it up, but I was afraid she might’ve rummaged through the recycling bin and pieced the remnants together.

Instead, she wanted to talk about my parents’ divorce. My mom and dad are fairly private people, and I had only told a few of my friends. I could only think

of one person who could’ve told Mrs. Murphy about my parents. Haley Brown*.

Haley was thin and tan with long brown hair. She wore matching bracelets with her friends. She knew how to play kickball at recess, and her yearbook was filled with signatures of the entire first grade class. She lived in a two story house with her parents and her younger brother, who was the same age as mine.

Some of the kids around me ate paper and flipped their eyelids inside out. I did not hang out with those kids. They probably had divorced parents. I wanted to be friends with Haley; she was normal.

Haley once told me that there were live sharks in her basement that she rescued from a flood in our town. I couldn’t seem to remember this flood. I took her word for it. Haley wouldn’t lie to me.

One day I went to her house for a

birthday sleepover. I wanted to see her sharks, but she told me they would scare me. I trusted her and told her I could wait.

Her dad, mom, brothers and friends gathered around the dinner table and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her. Her mom stood at her dad’s side, under his arm.

The next morning we woke up to her parents making pancakes. They were listening to old music and laughing at each others’ jokes. I thought about my parents when they were married. I was jealous. I daydreamed of living Haley’s life.

I continued to ask Haley if I could see her sharks. She eventually told me that their family had to give them to the local zoo. I felt for her. It’s hard to lose a pet.

When I saw Haley I saw my perfect life.

I wanted to be like her.

I was embarrassed of my life, that my parents lived 20 minutes apart and sat in separate sections during my fifth grade and eighth grade graduation. Now that I’m a senior, they will sit apart at my high school graduation.

I pretended to have a life like Haley’s, but it turns out that Haley’s life wasn’t all that it seemed.

A few years later, I learned that there were no sharks in her house, and the man who was holding Haley’s mom while we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ was her stepdad.

It shattered my illusions about Haley and made me realize how similar we were.

This May, when Haley and I walk the graduation stage together, her parents will be sitting in separate sections of the coliseum, and so will mine. I’ve learned to be careful of who I compare myself to because life is full of struggles and defeats.

Because even people who supposedly have pet sharks in their basement can also have divorced parents, just like me. *Name has been changed.

REMARKS What is the biggest stressor for students?

“ “ “ “ Compiled Samantha

Thornfelt PHOTOS Maya Hernandez

I think it can change for every student. For me, it’s extracurriculars, since I’m in band. So the pressure to do well in performances and my leadership position are my main stressors.

-Jared Hoffman, 11

I think it’s maintaining averages, especially in AP classes with the stress of ranking and what kind of colleges you want to attend.

It’s the stress of making sure that you’re on the path that you want yourself to be on, and the path that your parents want you to be on.

It is homework because a lot of it really is unnecessary.

A lot of it feels like they’re giving it to you just for the sake of giving it, which is pretty stressful because it’s stacked on top of a lot of things that students already have to do.

I think that trying to find balance between classes and extracurriculars is a big stressor. It’s hard for people to manage everything because time management is really important, and for me, that’s something that I struggle with.

-Rhea Karamuru, 10

-Vaibhav Sridhar, 9

-Ashleigh Jooste, 12

Perfection doesn’t exist STA FF EDITORI A L Students today are feeling more stressed and overwhelmed than ever. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2018 study, 61 percent of students feel pressure to get good grades. Some students also feel an overwhelming desire to be perfect. They obsess over every B or C. They worry that they may not be accepted by their dream college. Classmates will even glance at their friend’s paper and smirk because they did better. For these kids, school has turned into one big competition.

It feels as if it is part of Flower Mound’s culture to pressure students into showing a perfect life on the outside, but in reality many students deal with academic stress and worries about our futures. This need to pile on additional stress to be perfect and hide it all from others needs to end in our community.

One reason for all our stress is because expectations at home have become higher. We are urged by our parents to take on extra AP classes and clubs so that our college applications make us look perfect. However, no one can do it all.

Some students crack under this pressure.

It is not just parents who are responsible.

Teens feel a greater internal pressure to show only their perfect, positive sides to

their family. Because of this, many teens feel as if the only adults who they can be vulnerable to are their teachers. Though it’s true that teen stress is self-inflicted because teens take on so much, it’s also true that students are hesitant to share their struggles. It is viewed as a weakness to ask for help.

In addition, hesitation comes from a combination of both commitments and expectations. It is also the idea that the most perfect of students all have minimal to no struggle.

Another cause of stress in students is the need to make decisions regarding their future at an early age. Kids as young as 6th or 7th grade are made to fill out surveys and choose options from programs like Choices 360 and Career Cruising. These choices are not at all specific and these types of surveys at such a young age creates unnecessary burden for young children. It does not consider the fact that our goals change over time. Kids should not be spending their early teenage years worrying about what they will do four to five years down the road.

Furthermore, students are often encouraged to follow one path and one path only- college. Pew Research Center’s

study indicated that 59 percent of all teens surveyed said that they planned on attending a four year college, and most of their stress about receiving good grades came from that goal. Parents also say that we should aim for the top colleges.

Ivy Leagues over UNT, Rice over NCTC. While this in itself is not a negative, it ignores the fact that local schools can give people a good education for much less student debt.

Though some of these attitudes cannot be changed quickly, we believe that there are changes that can be made now.

Parents should be more accepting of their childrens’ struggles and also offer comfort and support in times when we need it.

As students, we should not keep everything to ourselves. Talking about our struggles is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. Students need to realize that no student is perfect, and that they are on their own path, and we should only compare ourselves to ourselves. Keeping all our struggles to ourselves will only end up hurting us.

Design tara connick oct. 25, 2019

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