The Marquee Volume 33 Issue 1

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the MARQUEE

VOLUME 33. ISSUE 1. SEPT. 28, 2018

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Campaign created to spread kindness throughout district

A plastic school: Is recycling our responsibility?

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Looking for Flo Mo’s top taco restaurants

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Legacy player becomes varsity quarterback

Edward S. Marcus High School • 5707 Morriss Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028

The Marquee Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Chloe White MANAGING EDITOR Jolie Mullings COPY/SPORTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kendall Cooper

Defensive coordinator Ty Pattrick critiques and motivates the varsity football team during the Sept. 7 home game which resulted in a 41-28 win against McKinney Boyd. Photo Tara Connick

CONTENTS

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NEWS MARCUS HISTORY

Principal Skelton brings back traditions for his first year on campus

ENTERTAINMENT TEACHERS’ FAVORITE MUSIC

Find out which of your favorite teachers listen to Beyonce, Nirvana or the Backstreet Boys

SPORTS PASSION FOR VOLLEYBALL

Senior’s path to success in volleyball rooted from her mom’s career

FEATURE LOCAL INDIAN FESTIVAL

Junior’s family hosts annual celebration in honor of Hindu god

cover emily lundell

DESIGN EDITOR Aeralyn Stinson PHOTO EDITOR Emily Lundell DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR/ OPINION EDITOR Skyler Middleton ONLINE MANAGER Shayla Sistrunk NEWS/FEATURE EDITOR Alex Anderson REPORTERS Samantha Thornfelt, Nikhila Bulusu, Ava Bush, Madi Olivier, Reya Mosby DESIGNERS Khailyn Agis, Alina Baqar PHOTOGRAPHERS Tara Connick, Maya Hernandez ADVISER LaJuana 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.

Lip sync for the win

FMPD wins USA Today national bracket story Samantha Thornfelt After weeks of voting, the Flower Mound Police Department’s viral lip-sync video won USA Today’s national bracket.

With a total number of 38,209 votes, the FMPD won by nearly 4000 votes.

“It was awesome,” SRO Mike Anderson

“

Especially in today’s day and age, it’s very important to show the public that we’re not just robots in a uniform.

Anderson says that the town’s reactions made him realize the competition impacted more than just the FMPD. “The more the community started to get into it, the more I wanted to win,” Anderson said. “I wanted it more for the community than I did for myself.”

Anderson says that the FMPD is very fortunate to have such a strong community backing.

“When we do something like that and get support from the community it’s an important reminder because sometimes we lose sight of how much support we have in the community,” Anderson said.

As the lead dancer, Sgt. Jason Rachal helped choreograph most of the video throughout the two day filming process.

Rachal says that the video is a true picture of how life is inside the department.

“We’re all very vibrant personalities and we interact with each other like that all the time,” Rachal said. “There’s a lot of laughter and poking fun.”

Rachal says that the video’s impact is important to the department’s identity, as it shows officers in a less serious light.

By seeing police enjoy themselves while in uniform, others are able to relate law enforcement to more than just negative situations.

Junior Dana Paponette said that because officers are usually seen as serious, seeing them dance is a reminder that they’re real people when they do something fun.

“They’re not just drones that only do what they have to,” Paponette said.

Rachal agrees and sees a lot of value in the summer police lip sync videos.

“Especially in today’s day and age, it’s very important to show the public that we’re not just robots in a uniform,” Rachal said. “We’re all real people.”

Watch the FMPD lip sync video at: https://tinyurl.com/fmpdvideo

- FMPD Sgt. Jason Rachal said. “I didn’t really expect it, but as we kept advancing through the bracket, it became a lot of fun to keep up with.”

An internet trend, the “#lipsyncchallenge”, went viral last summer when police officers across the country posted videos of themselves singing along to popular songs. In response, USA Today created a bracket made up of their favorite 16 videos. One of the videos featured was FMPD’s performance to Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too”.

The win was a shock to many members of the FMPD, who did not expect such a large amount of local enthusiasm.

Design Staff

SRO Mike Anderson, Sgt. Jason Rachal and Flower Mound SRO Justin LoBello (left to right) were prominent dancers in the FMPD lip sync video. After competing with 16 other police department videos, Flower Mound won the USA Today top spot against Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Sept. 28, 2018

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School celebrates over 35 years of history Story staff

Before the school year began, the new principal, Will Skelton hosted a Heritage Celebration featuring teachers, faculty, and others who were integral to the founding of the school.

“The goal was to establish more of a closer knit Marcus family and to highlight everyone who made this school possible,” Skelton said. “It was also a way to learn more about the school.”

The campus construction at the beginning of this year brought comparisons to the school’s first year, when construction was still ongoing when it opened. In 1981, Morriss was

a two-lane road surrounded by green pastures.

Former English teacher Nancy Jones spoke at the Heritage Celebration about what it was like when the school started.

Since the construction wasn’t finished, students were given sack lunches and went home after half days because there was no air conditioning. There wasn’t much concrete around the school, so it would flood when it rained.

“Just to see where we came from with our simple beginnings to how far Flower Mound has grown since 1981 gives you a sense of pride in your roots,” Jones said.

Only freshman attended the first

Above is the first English Department. Cheryl Crawford and Nancy Jones attended the Heritage Celebration and talked about what the school was like in the beginnings.

1981 The school opens

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1986 First Battle of The Axe

year, with the school adding another grade each year. After becoming the second high school in the district, staff and students were on a mission to build new traditions to differentiate themselves from Lewisville. It began with choosing the mascot and the colors of red, silver and white.

Even though the school had been built, it still needed more to make it feel like a second home. The alma mater was created by former English department chair Cheryl Crawford, who also spoke at the celebration.

“The school song created an identity for us,” Crawford said. “We wanted everyone to know that we are Marcus.”

It didn’t take long for Crawford to jot down words. In 45 minutes, a melody was put with the words and the alma mater was complete. Crawford said every word has a meaning and the tune was made to calm yet excite. Eventually the song would be played at every football game and is now sung at pep rallies.

Crawford vividly remembers the first prom because the electricity went out.

“That was fun because the band left and the hotel staff had to carry the food upstairs,” Crawford said.

Crawford also talked about how far the school has come in the past 35 years.

When the school opened, there wasn’t an S hall, W hall, auditorium, stadium and the library was unfinished.

“All the new editions to the campus represent great success,” Crawford said.

“To see how much this school has changed just makes me smile.”

1994-96 Named a Blue Ribbon School, the highest award for a public high school mhsmarquee.com

1995 The Marauders win football state championship

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Back in the day There’s only been four principals since the school opened. During the Heritage Celebration, all living principals spoke, and Larry Sigler’s son wrote a statement, which was read by Basketball Head Coach Shane Rogers, son of former principal and current LISD superintendent Dr. Kevin Rogers.

The first principal, Larry Sigler set the tone for school spirit. The “boom bah hey” chant used in pep rallies was created by him.

“Mr. Sigler was just an awesome principal,” Jones said. “He was so concerned about the students and everything he did was for the students. He was just a wonderful man to work for.”

The first principal, Larry Sigler, was integral to starting a tradition of school spirit. After retiring, Sigler had season football tickets.

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Since the school started with freshman, during the first few years, the football team struggled to win.

“The first few years of having a football team were really rough,” Crawford said. “Our junior varsity team was playing a higher level schedule and were getting crushed every game.”

The Marauders have come a long way since then. One of the most memorable moments was the state championship in 1995. From the first playoff game to the finals, the stands were packed.

“That moment brought the city so close,” Crawford said.

Jones’ husband started the Battle of the Axe tradition in 1986.

“Tradition, I think, is extremely important in a high school,” Jones said. “Just to know how things like the Battle of the Axe came about is important,”

Silver Circle Sunrise brings back tradition Story Savannah Miller & Kendall Cooper

The tradition of the Senior Silver Circle is returning. It started the same year as the campus’ doors opened but has been revamped this fall as an early-morning breakfast for seniors. The original Silver Circle Ceremony will be held in the spring as well.

“We will work with our students to make it something that will be meaningful to them and something they will enjoy,” Skelton said.

Each senior who attended the morning of Friday, Sept. 21 wore white and signed their name on a silver bracelet. These bracelets were then linked to make a chain, symbolizing the unification of the senior class. It is up for debate where the chain will be placed, but it will be somewhere visible on campus.

“The chain links symbolize the uniting of the class of 2019 as a Marcus family,” senior class sponsor Nema House said.

The senior student council members originally thought about starting the tradition again. Skelton said he was “inspired” when he found out about the idea.

“I have been so impressed with our student body,” Skelton said. “The fact that they would like to add a tradition that is uniquely their own, like the Senior Circle Sunrise, is inspiring and shows how proud they are of Marcus High School.”

1997 The Marauders win football state championship again

2000 First Mound showdown

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The morning of Friday, Sept. 21 during the Senior Sunrise, students signed their names on a paper chain while eating breakfast, playing games, and socializing on the football field. Photo Emily Lundell

2010 New stadium opens

Sept. 28, 2018

2011-12 2014 Varsity basketball MHS 9 opens wins back to back state championships news

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Academic Decathlon members sophomore Udit Tallam and senior Sai Ramesh hand out candy in the morning by the front doors.

Photo Maya Hernandez

#LISDbekind

Advisory group sparks district Kindness Campaign STORY Skyler Middleton CONTRIBUTER Nikhila Bulusu

The district wide Kindness Campaign started with the school’s student advisory group last year, that was originally formed to promote an understanding of diversity.

After attending one of the meetings, LISD Assistant Chief of Schools Andy Plunkett, realized this program could be beneficial to the district after attending a student advisory meeting.

The district worked over the summer to implement this by putting together the LISD Inaugural Kindness Convocation on Aug. 7. Students from all five high schools attended the meeting and each school now has 200 Kindness Ambassadors. These students are the Kindness Campaign leaders within their schools.

“I think [the end goal is] making LISD a kinder community where everyone is involved and accepted,” Kindness Ambassador senior Chloe Agis said.

Agis started as a member of the school’s original advisory group. Her Academic Decathlon teacher suggested her for the position of Kindness Ambassador, and Agis believes this is a great way to build community within the school.

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“Kindness ambassadors just really tried to make every kid feel welcome at school and like they weren’t being bullied, judged or singled out,” Plunkett said.

The Ambassadors used the summer meeting to plan for a year focused on kindness. While this campaign began with the high schools, it will reach the middle schools by the end of September.

“I believe it can bring people closer together and create new friendships,” Agis said.

The Kindness Ambassadors met to discuss ways to promote kindness throughout their schools. Agis said the event opened her mind to things she hadn’t really thought about before.

“School shouldn’t be a place where people are scared to go to,” Agis said.

“Everyone should feel welcome and accepted, not ostracized.”

LISD is pairing with Character Strong to provide training for students to learn how to build their character and social emotional skills.

These lessons will be taught during Marauder Time.

Assistant Principal Jennifer Hawes thinks collaborating with Character Strong has been good for the campus.

She has noticed the students are more willing to talk to one another and thinks the change has increased their happiness while at school.

“The purpose was to build connections amongst students and build relationships

“

School shouldn’t be a place where people are scared to go to. Everyone should feel welcome and accepted, not ostracized.

- Chloe Agis, 12

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Design Staff

Students attend the LISD Kindness Convocation on Aug. 7 while sporting thier orange kindness shirts. Houston Kraft spoke to the crowd concerning the upcoming program. Photo submitted

that don’t happen naturally with students who are more reserved,” Hawes said.

Student Council officers attended the convocation to prepare for the school year ahead, but they are just meant to oversee the results of the kindness campaign from this point on. Student Council and Gina Karbs, Student Council Advisor, met with the five other high school officers in May to brainstorm and decide the kindness spirit days.

“I am so proud of the school,” Karbs said. “People are talking about kindness and I think that people definitely recognize it.”

To bring kindness to the mornings, a different group holds open the doors for students each week. The majority of organizations and clubs within the school have a week assigned to them to promote kindness their own way.

“It is so nice and inviting to see the kids at the door in the morning holding them open,” Karbs said.

Senior Sonali Patel is a part of Academic Decathlon, which was assigned the mornings of Sept. 17 to 20. They passed out candy while saying nice things and holding positive signs. Patel is glad to see the school making an active effort

to bring positivity to campus. She thinks this is a great way for students to start their mornings.

“It’s going to give everyone really positive energy and encourage everybody to be kind to everyone and include everyone,” Patel said.

The groups aren’t limited to just holding open doors. Activities like displaying positive sticky notes around school, hosting community service projects and making sure everyone has someone to sit with during lunch are examples of the Kindness Campaign.

“It’s really nice to see people care, and they are making an effort to say good morning to you, be kind and make sure you’re okay,” Patel said. “It makes you feel good that you know there is someone paying attention to you.”

The Marquettes followed one of the suggestions by covering the custodians doors with thank you notes written on post its. Marcus Softball handed out positive sticky notes to students on Sept.

10 while holding open the doors. The notes had messages like “You’re beautiful” and “Spread kindness” written on them.

“It can make our school a kinder and nicer place to go to and not so isolated where everyone is in their own clique, but more of a united front,” Agis said.

Marauder dads give out fruit, candy, smiles

STORY Kendall Cooper & Piper Hull

The Marauder Dads is a program for local dads to be positive role models. The want to be active in school events and take on a fatherly role they believe is missing from some students’ lives.

They joined in on #LISDbekind’s campaign by greeting students on Frdays before school. They hand out candy and fruit to give a morning boost.

“A lot of us dads were just buying the candy out of our pockets, and we actually have some steady donors now,” Marauder Dad Mike Daigle said.

Assistant Principal Kyle Smith feels that the program puts a smile on everyone’s face. He thinks the more community members get involved, the more beneficial it is for the school.

“We just greet the kids as they come in trying to just make the school day better for everybody,” Smith said.

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Marauder Dads, John Mayers and Michael McCarthy greet students coming to school every Friday to spread kindness. Photo Emily Lundell

Sept. 28, 2018

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From politics to passions, students share diverse summer adventures

Riding the road to change story alex anderson

Inside the gym the bleachers were full of people, all there for the same reason. Senior Lalita Kunamneni sat among them, patiently waiting for the event to start— waiting to see the heros

Senior Lalita Kunamneni met activist Emma Gonzalez during the event. Gonzalez did not participate in the panel but was available to meet after the event.

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that had only existed on her TV and phone screen.

Kunamneni attended the Road to Change event in Fort Worth, a national tour started by March for Our Lives and the survivors of the Parkland shooting on July 7. The survivors went to 68 cities and spoke to hundreds of people to educate them and get them registered to vote.

“Security was super tight,” Kunamneni said. “Obviously, these kids have been getting death threats, so I get why.”

Kunamneni felt that threat due to the group of protesters across the street who brought their guns to the venue. She said the protesters were yelling while holding their guns, making the threat feel more personal to her.

Among the list of panelists and guests were Delaney Tarr, David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez who have been the face of the March For Our Lives movement.

“I was kind of in shock,” Kunamneni said. “They’re people and that kind of

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got it into me that I could really do something.”

Kunamneni attended the March For Our Lives protest on March 24 earlier this year as well. The Fort Worth march had over 7,000 attendees, and Kunamneni also spoke at the event.

Kunamneni and fellow senior Jenna Chang are starting a new school club, Students Demand Action. They are planning for their first meeting to be in September and are actively seeking new members.

“We’re really wanting to get more of people our age involved in issues that they care about and voting,” Kunamneni said. “Keep persisting and change will come.”

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Fighting for representation introduced himself, a small action that touched Chang and set him apart from As senior Jenna Chang’s other politicians to her. walked into Rep. Beto While she’s been a supporter of O’Rourke’s office, he shook her O’Rourke for a while, this meeting hand, as he did with everyone reaffirmed his niceness to her. O’Rourke else in their small group. He was the only one she saw ask for people’s asked for everyone’s name and emails if he wanted to know more about their opinion.

This face-to-face meeting with O’Rourke happened over the summer when Chang attended the three day Korean American Grassroots Conference in Washington D.C. where Chang and other Korean Americans spoke and met with politicians to discuss issues relevant to them.

On the second day, Chang met with Pete Sessions, Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz, who all answered questions related to the Korean American community such as North and South Korea relations and the Korean adoptee issue.

“It always felt like we were in the back, or we got lost in the Senior Jenna Chang met with other Korecrowd and nobody was really an-Americans from the Dallas Fort Worth hearing about our issues,” Chang story chloe white

area during her trip to Washington D.C.

said. “I thought it was really cool to hear them say, ‘we hear you and we want to know what you have to say’.”

At the event, a panel including Rep. Sam Park and Delegate Mark Keam talked about their experiences as Korean-American political and the limited representation AsianAmericans have in government.

“It inspired me a lot because whenever I look at politician figures there isn’t a lot of Asian representatives,” Chang said.

Chang is no stranger to political involvement. She’s attended March For Our Lives events, has been involved in Students Demand Action and has attended a Cruz campaign event.

“Recently I’ve been getting interested in politics, and the government’s role in our lives, and I thought this was a really great opportunity because I got to meet people all over the country,” Chang said. “I got to meet politicians you only hear about in the news. I got to sit down and say ‘this is my opinion, what about you?’”

Roadtrip to remember story alex anderson

As a group of middle and high schoolers filed into the building, they were met by young, energetic refugee children. Smiles erupted on their faces. This was the reason they had come. This was what made the long bus ride and lack of sleep worth it.

Last July, senior Callie Bailey went on a week long mission trip to Kansas and Arkansas.

The group consisted of middle and high school students from Trietsch Memorial United Methodist design jolie mullings

church in Flower Mound. They stopped at multiple locations, including homes for the elderly, other churches and refugee centers to performed a program of religious songs. The groups played a variety of instruments like the keyboard and guitar, and Bailey plays the cello.

“It’s really cool, for me at least, to see how music impacts people,” Bailey said.

“It does a lot more than just words or just talking to somebody. Music really speaks to people.”

Bailey’s group was nonstop traveling for the whole week. They would stay in various churches throughout the trip on air mattresses, while traveling from city to city on one bus.

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Senior Callie Bailey sits with her cello ready to perform. Bailey has been playing the cello for seven years.

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(Continued from page 9) Working off of only about six hours of sleep, the group of around 40 teenagers would perform at two to three venues a day. Junior Kaeli Alpha, a friend of Bailey, describes the trip as being a great bonding experience for the group.

“Going on the trip, you get to be more personal with them,” Alpha said.

“You’re spending every single day with them. You get to learn way more than you knew before. It just helps you grow

close relationships with them.”

Visiting locations like the refugee center left a lasting impact on Bailey and the other kids. The center housed children from ages 10 and 11, many of whom had lived their whole lives in various refugee camps in Africa and the Middle East.

The majority of refugee children didn’t understand how to use common electrical appliances that most Americans use on a regular basis. Bailey describes one experience with a child not knowing what her cello was as very eye-opening.

“It’s really humbling,” Bailey said.

“The fact that somebody else never had the opportunity that I did.”

Bailey and Alpha both said that these kinds of trips were enlightening and helped bring them closer to God. The trips gave them a new perspective on the world and other people.

“It serves as a reminder that there are people who have a lot less than you do,” Bailey said. “It’s important that you devote at least some part of your life to helping other people.”

A trip for the ages story alex anderson

“By going and actually visiting these places, I could learn more in depth about the brief stuff that we covered.”

Hegde dreamt of this trip for years, and as she walked around the island of Santorini, Greece, her dream had become reality. Blue roofed houses painted the landscape of Santorini, and the oceanline stretched past the horizon with other small islands dotting the perimeter.

Hegde said the trip helped widen her knowledge of foreign countries and allow herself to dive into other cultures. This had been Hegde’s biggest trip, and she hopes to continue to travel internationally in the future.

“I would love to study abroad in college,” Hegde said. “I don’t even really

care where. I just want to go somewhere [because] no matter where you go I feel like it’s an enriching experience.”

Walking into the plaza, senior Anusha Hegde watched as groups of tourists and locals gathered in front of a fountain. The arcs of the fountain were illuminated against the night sky in time to the music playing overhead.

It was called “Font Mágica”, the Magic Fountain of Montjïc. The fountain captured the beauty of Barcelona, Spain.

“It just felt super magical,” Hegde said. “After a super hectic and stressful day, going here and there, that was so relaxing and amazing.”

Over the summer, Hegde and her parents went on a two week tour of Europe, visiting Spain, Italy, Greece and Scotland.

After spending a day in Barcelona, she and her family traveled to Venice and Rome, as well as Santorini and Northern Scotland.

One of the main highlights of the trip for Hegde was the immersion into the culture that she had already studied in school.

“It’s all stuff that we’ve already learned about whether in World Senior Anusha Hegde looks over a balcony in Santorini, Greece. Hegde described Santorini as her History or Human favorite stop on her vacation as it had been a lifelong goal of hers to go.

Geography,” Hedge said.

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Spain

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Under the sea

Sophomore choreographs musicals for local church story madi olivier photos submitted

Sophomore Liv Hendrick sat in her room as the song “Part of This World” played on repeat. She wrote down ideas for dance steps as they came to her, paying special attention to what dances would match the traits of each character. The next day she would teach the choreography to the dancers, a process that takes about 30 minutes for one minute of dance.

Hendrick has been choreographing dances since she was a little girl, starting out teaching the steps to her stuffed animals in her bedroom. Now, at the age of 15, Hendrick choreographed dance elements of “The Little Mermaid,” “Fiddler on the Roof ” and “Esther the Musical” for Stage Right Ministry, a part of Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church. She is currently working on “Cotton Patch Gospel.”

“It’s really awesome to see something you’ve worked on all summer come to life on stage and see people enjoying it,” Hendrick said.

Taryn Cain is the director and creator of Stage Right Ministry, which she started three years ago. She has known Hendrick for about 10 years. They first met when they were both in a production of “The Sound of Music.” Cain was the one to ask Hendrick to choreograph her first musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Hendrick wasn’t planning on choreographing when she started working on the production. She was originally the dance captain when the choreographer moved to a different state. The directing board asked Hendrick if she would be comfortable choreographing the musical.

“I asked her to choreograph the musical because I didn’t really know any choreographers and I wanted it to be as student-led as possible,” Cain said.

Hendrick accepted the offer without hesitation. She has looked up to Cain ever design jolie mullings

since they first met, and was excited to be given the opportunity.

Cain was impressed with Hendrick’s first show and thought she was a joy to work with, leading her to ask Hendrick to choreograph all of the musicals put on by Stage Right Ministry.

“She’s got the patience that I don’t have and she’s got the skills that are far beyond her years,” Cain said.

Hendrick spent over 80 hours during the summer coming up with the choreography and teaching it to the dancers. Hendrick is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, so she worries that the dancers won’t like what she comes up with, and that she won’t be able to fully convey her ideas to them.

Hendrick has taught dances to young kids, who often don’t want to work or tend to give up if they have trouble with the choreography. “[It] is so frustrating because I know they can do it, and I can adjust it to where they can do it, but if they just don’t care, and don’t try, then it’s just not going to happen, and watching it fall apart is absolutely devastating,” Hendrick said.

When choreographing, Hendrick has to assign dances to about 50 people. The dancers all have giant costumes on, some of which are 3D printed. The outfits are all extremely fragile, so Hendrick gives each person enough space to dance on a small stage.

“You want to highlight everyone and give everyone a chance to shine, but you can’t really fit everyone on the stage, so you’re smushing everyone to give them room to dance, and it’s just really chaotic,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick puts in hours of hard work to choreograph the musicals. Despite this, Hendrick considers seeing the final product worth the struggle.

“It’s so fun and rewarding to see everything come together at the end, or even in the rehearsals, if something clicks with the actors,” Hendrick said.

Over the past few years, Cain has enjoyed watching Hendrick find her passion for choreography in her productions.

“She figures it out and makes it come to life even more than I thought it could,” Cain said. “She did an incredible job.”

Sophomore Liv Hendrick smiles at the audience in a production of “The Little Mermaid”. She choreographed the dances and took on six diferent roles in the musical.

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Teacher Tunes Story reya mosby Photos tara connick

We have all wondered about what teachers do in their free time. When we were little, we used to think teachers lived in their classroom. Even though we now know that isn’t true, we still don’t know much about our teachers. Do they go fishing or bowling, play video games, or even sing? As strange as it may seem, many teachers enjoy participating in a lot of the same things as students do.

Some teachers play their music in class, but usually it’s music

their students want to hear, so students don’t know what teachers listen to outside of school. It could range from tribal chants to Bollywood to chart topping pop or hip-hop songs.

They might enjoy a good power ballad or a head banging rock song just as much as we do. We’ve all wondered what songs make teachers jump in their room and sing in their car. Let’s see if you know your teachers as well as you think you do.

Ms. Dack Marquette coach Alice Dack loves to spend her time with family and eating all kinds of foods. She considers herself a foodie. Dack considers being chosen as the director of the Marquettes an honor and is proud of her time as a Rangerette. She also helps out with the musicals.

Thunderstruck- AC/DC Stitches- Shawn Mendes Just the Way You Are- Bruno Mars

Mr. Hood AP World History teacher Jesse Hood is the proud father of three red headed girls. He was formerly a member of the United States Navy.

In his time serving he has traveled to many countries and even continents. Hood loves to camp and anything that gets him outside.

Tom Sawyer- Rush Jump- Van Halen Master of Puppets- Metallica

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Mr. Skelton Principal Will Skelton grew up in Terrell. Growing up, his parents were teachers. Skelton used to be a band director, so he has a passion and appreciation for music. He’s also a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

Skelton also loves spending time with his wife and kids.

Carolina In my Mind- James Taylor The Joker- Steve Miller Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash

Mrs. Bragg Marcus alumna and English teacher Katie Bragg loves to read. Some of her favorite books are “Kindred” by Octavia Butler, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J. K. Rowling and “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. She also runs MHS9 student council, and never misses a spirit day. Bragg is the mother of two little boys.

Black Smoke Rising- Greta Van Fleet Smells like Teen Spirit- Nirvana Africa- Weezer Hit Me Baby One More Time- Britney Spears

Dr. Shahzad Assistant MHS9 Principal Erum Shahzad went to Texas Tech. In her free time, she enjoys shopping.

One of her greatest passions is traveling the world.

Her favorite place to visit is Dubai. A life goal of hers is to see all of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Crazy in love- Beyoncé Rock your body- Backstreet Boys Hips don’t lie- Shakira Design alina baqar

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60 Seconds If you could time travel, what time period would you travel to and why?

I would travel to the later generations, like the later 2000s.

Maybe there will be really cool cars.

In and Out or Whataburger?

I would have to say In and Out. Overall, everything is freshly made there.

What color would you be and why?

I would be red because it just lights [everything] up.

Ben Hur

JUNIOR

Compiled Nikhila Bulusu

What would you name the autobiography of your life?

Legend. I think I’m a legend.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

I would say my dad’s grandparents. They fought in the Korean War, so I never met them.

Wasted potential A recent poll and investigation found that recycling resources on campus often go unused and little recycling is occuring. However, some student groups are making a difference by collecting trash in the area.

Photo emily lundell

Investigation shows almost no recycling taking place on campus Story ava bush Photo Emily lundell

Students don’t recycle The vast majority of students on campus recycle at home. However, far fewer, 29 percent, recycle at school according to The Marquee’s recent poll of 300 students.

“I think that when people want to throw something away, they just throw it in the trash to get rid of it instead of recycling,” sophomore Zoe Cotton said.

However, according to the poll, 73 percent of students use plastic water bottles at least some of the time. Just a handful of plastic bottles actually make it into the recycling bins, despite the amount of students using them.

Though 29 percent said they recycle at school, by the end of the day on Sept. 13, out of all the students who ate or passed through the commons, only five plastic water bottles were placed in the recycling bin. However, a cup of orange soda was also thrown in, causing the only recycling for the day to be thrown out. Meanwhile, multiple trash cans overflowed with water bottles, aluminum cans and paper bags that were mostly recyclable.

Head custodian Kim Tran believes students could do a much better job recycling. Senior Clayton Hackler agrees that students need to improve.

“It doesn’t matter how good the recycling system is,” Hackler said.

“The students have to recycle in order for it to work.”

The city picks up the recycling twice a week, but the school is responsible for collecting recycling, providing bins and using them correctly. Currently, there are recycling bins in every classroom, however there are only two bins in the cafeteria, the area of the school

that produces the most waste.

“I’d love to see more recycling done and show kids just how much recycled materials we could actually create,” AP Environmental Science teacher Adam Hovde said.

Currently there are three large recycling bins no longer in use in a custodial closet. Tran says that she was told to store the bins in there for the Earth Club to use when they collected recycling. However, that is not being done anymore.

“We could probably figure out some ways to improve on that,” Mullin said. “That’s something we could probably look at. Try to find other locations to add more recycling containers in [the cafeteria].”

Students don’t trust school recycling Almost half of students believe the school recycling never makes it to the recycling trucks because they have seen custodians dropping bags of recycling into the normal trash. Junior Andrea Toth doesn’t recycle at school because she is skeptical about the recycling system.

“I think they throw it away with the regular trash, so why would I go through the effort if it’s all going to go to the same place?” Toth said.

However, Tran does instruct the custodian crew to recycle, but the students and staff are using the recycling bins and trash cans interchangeably. She says her staff often goes as far as sorting recyclable objects out of the trash cans, but that isn’t part of their job, and they often don’t have the time to sort through every bin. Therefore, many bags of recycling have to be thrown away with the trash.

Why recycling works

This is all of the after two lunches on Sept. 14. The bag on the right was unable to be recycled because someone had dumped in a full orange drink and a pink smoothie.

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in-depth

Skeptics often call the integrity of recycling into question by claiming the energy — manpower, electricity, gasoline-fueled trucks — used to recycle outweighs the resources that are actually saved. However, Hovde says the recycling process is not about energy, it’s about raw materials.

Resources such as aluminum are becoming more scarce, and the only way to keep up with the rising demand for these products is to reuse them. By reusing the materials that have already been refined, raw resources such as trees, oil and aluminum can be saved.

Hovde stresses the importance of recycling for resource recovery.

“It’s not about the energy, it’s about the resource,” Hovde said. “We’re really good at recycling aluminum now, because we have to be.”

mhsmarquee.com

Design aeralyn stinson

15% 39%

Yes

Not sure

46% No

24%

29%

No

Yes

Do you think recycling makes it to the recycling dumpster?

Most of tim the e Occasionally

29%

18% Do you recycle at school?

10% 12%

Occasion

No

ally Most of the time

16%

11%

62%

No

Yes

89% Yes

Do you recycle at home?

Would you like the campus to be more environment friendly?

Recycling on campus

Design aeralyn stinson

Sept. 28, 2018

in-depth

17

Cleanups for a cause Student groups collect trash Story kENDALL COOPER

SHS hosts Trash Bash Senior Shruti Mavuri walked through the campus parking lot, large trash bag in hand. The air smelled of fresh rain. Trash was strewn all over the lot, most of which was fast food from the sports event earlier in the day. Mavuri and a friend filled up an entire large trash bag. The norm is for each group to fill their bag halfway or more during Science Honor Society’s monthly Trash Bash. This particular trash bash affected Mavuri the most because there was just such an abundance of trash.

“It really made me think, ‘How much effort would it have taken for someone to go and put it in a trash can or keep it in their car until they got home?’” Mavuri said.

With the the parking lot cleared, she noticed the green was no longer overshadowed by trash.

“Once we cleaned it up, it literally brightened the atmosphere of the entire school,” Mavuri said.

Mavuri has been a member of Science Honor Society for two years. This year, she was elected as the public relations officer for the organization. Last year, the Earth Club and Science Honor Society merged.

“With the merging of these two clubs, you’re getting the best and the brightest in science mixed with people who are passionate about the environment to come together and create an environment where we can save what’s being lost,” Mavuri said.

After each Trash Bash, students bring their findings to AP Environmental Science teacher Adam Hovde and AP Biology teacher Scott Hinsley. They sort through each bag and determine what can be thrown away and what can be recycled. There’s almost always more volunteers that come to each cleanup than those who signed up.

“Being able to make an impact is just very rewarding,” Mavuri said. “It makes me feel like though I am still consuming a lot of resources from the earth, there’s still something that I’m doing to give back.”

Mavuri says that being a part of Science Honor Society has made her more aware of how much she wasted and consumed. She has since made a conscious effort to be more environmentally friendly and has stopped bringing plastic water bottles to school. As a whole, Mavuri believes it’s important for students to participate in activities like the Trash Bashes so they can be more aware of the environment and their impact on the Earth.

“If students could do that, then, every person could make an impact,” Mavuri said.

What CAN be recycled

What CAN’T be recycled

•Aluminum cans

• Anything with food on it

•Paper/ cardboard

• Plastic grocery bags

•Glass

• Styrofoam

•Plastic

• Chip bags • Batteries and electronics

18

in-depth

mhsmarquee.com

Design aeralyn stinson

Orchestra stadium cleanups

Trash was carelessly strewn across the metal bleachers of Marauder Stadium. Large styrofoam cups with plastic straws read “Chicken Express”. Plastic water bottles and an assortment of uneaten foods littered the ground. When senior Danam Randhawa saw this, she was disappointed.

“When you go there and you just see how much trash is left behind, you get exhausted in a way,” Randhawa said.

The Saturday after every home football game, Orchestra leads stadium cleanups.

Most participants are orchestra members and their friends. Four years ago, Orchestra was approached about the opportunity by those in charge of concessions.

Concessions gives Orchestra $450 of funding for each stadium cleanup.

Those not in Orchestra can aquire volunteer - dANAM hours since they don’t benefit monetarily.

RANDHAWA, 12 Funding isn’t the only reason for Randhawa’s participation in the cleanups. She was raised in a household that made her conscious of how her actions impact the earth. Randhawa tries to do what she calls the “basic little things” like turning off the lights when she leaves a room, conserving water and wasting as little gas as possible.

“I was taught at a young age to respect the earth,” Randhawa said. “I think that’s a very important thing, especially the way our future is heading.”

To maximize their environmental efforts, students make sure to separate recyclables from conventional trash when they clean the stadium. The most common recyclable item is, by far, plastic water bottles. As for students, Randhawa believes they should be more conscious and clean up after themselves.

“You can’t just expect everyone to clean up your messes in life,” Randhawa said.

After the stadium is cleaned, the atmosphere shifts from feeling like what she describes a “giant trash can” to a “place you would want to go”. While Randhawa admires the school spirit at football games, she doesn’t think it’s an excuse for leaving a mess.

“Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate and admire the whole school spirit thing,” Randhawa said. “But I feel like you should also use that spirit to help clean up trash.”

“

You can’t just expect everyone to clean up your messes in life.

Design aeralyn stinson

Janitors take out trash after every lunch, often disposing of recyclable materials because food was dumped in the wrong bin.

Photo Emily Lundell

The breakdown of plastic water bottles •

It takes between 400 and 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to break down (Earthday.org)

•

The school generates roughly 1,000 plastic water bottles a day (Marquee poll)

•

The amount of bottled water purchased every week in the U.S. could circle the earth five times (Earthday.org)

•

Plastic waste flows into oceans and kills 1.1 million marine animals per year (Earthday.org)

•

If one student swapped one plastic water bottle a day for a reusable one, they could save 180 plastic bottles in the school year — enough to fill three trash bags (Marquee Poll)

Sept. 28, 2018

In-depth

19

Lets taco-bout the best places for taco Tuesday review kendall cooper

Torchy’s is located in the Shops at Highland Village next to Sushi Fugu.

When you go to order at the quick service counter, you’ll notice that all of the tacos are named unconventionally. For example, the taco I ordered was named “the Democrat” and one I find particularly funny is “the Tipsy Chick”. The only problem I had with it was that there were some chunks of fat, but that is to be expected since it was made with barbacoa meat.

Torchy’s salsa is my favorite of all time. The chips are very thin and the salsa isn’t too chunky or watery. The queso

is amazing as well. It comes with some ingredients like extra cheese and guacamole on top as a garnish to be mixed into the queso. Although, if you don’t like cilantro Torchy’s might not be for you because it’s in practically every item on the menu. However, the tacos are available without cilantro, but it’s already mixed in items like the queso and salsa.

As for the atmosphere, it’s well lit and upbeat. A mix of pop and 80’s throwbacks play over the speakers.

Torchy’s is, by far, my favorite overall.

PHOTO kendall cooper

PHOTO maya hernandez

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The closest Fuzzy’s to campus is the location on Long Prairie Rd. across from Starbucks and Salata.

The tacos are always superb no matter which one I get because they’re seasoned really well. I usually go for the shredded brisket taco without tomatoes and lettuce in addition to an order of chips and salsa.

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The chips and salsa isn’t my all time favorite, but it is still extremely good.

It’s a little on the thick side, but it’s not chunky. Fuzzy’s makes their chips even better by sprinkling “fuzzy dust” on them which adds more seasoning and flavor to the mix. Fuzzy dust tastes very similar to some cajun seasonings.

The atmosphere at Fuzzy’s is funky as a mix of upbeat music plays at all times.

Design tara connick

One of the newest quick service taco places on the scene, Taco Cielo, is located next to Freddy’s and Walmart in Highland Village. Overall, I was impressed with the seasoned flavor of my chicken taco. I ordered it without onions, but there were still quite a few onions in my taco. If you’re not a picky eater like myself, I wouldn’t worry though.

Unfortunately, the salsa was disappointing. It was extremely watery and its taste was reminiscent of Chili’s salsa but much chunkier. The chips that accompanied the salsa were thick and tasted like those that come in the nacho Lunchables.

However, I did appreciate the atmosphere. The rectangular bar stretches the

whole right side of the building.The entire front of the bar is made of fish tanks.

A black light shines into the tanks, illuminating the neon glow in the dark fish. I was mesmerized by the tanks throughout my entire meal.

PHOTO maya hernanDEZ

Taco Ocho is located in the same parking lot as Market Street. It’s a relatively small venue, but it didn’t disappoint. I ordered the smoked chicken taco with chips and salsa. The taco blew my mind.

I could tell the chicken had been cooked and seasoned for awhile which caused the extraordinary flavor.

The salsa didn’t disappoint either. It tasted like a hybrid of Chili’s and Torchy’s salsas in that it had a Southwestern taste of lime. My only complaint is that the salsa portions were just a little too small for Design tara connick

me. It’s a perfect size for one person, but get multiple if you want to share with other people.

The atmosphere wasn’t as lively as the other three restaurants. It wasn’t so much dull as it was just low-key.

The lighting was somewhat darker and seemed more like a quick dinner type of place. When you order you go up to the front of the bar, so PHOTO maya hernanDEZ there was no physical separation of where food and drinks are ordered like there is at the other restaurants.

Sept. 28, 2018

entertainment

21

Set for the future

Senior shares passion for volleyball with mom story Nikhila Bulusu

photos Maya Hernandez

Girls wearing white shirts and high ponytails were dispersed across the gym, running drills and serving balls. Final pre-game jitters escaped as the girls spotted smiling, familiar faces in the stands. Finally reaching the last set of the game, they ignored their sore arms and sweaty hair. They won by 10 points against Lewisville High School on Friday, September 14. This was one of senior Zeni Castillo’s last home games as the setter for the varsity volleyball team.

“With us 10 seniors, it’s kind of weird because we have one last season of high school volleyball where we are in it together,”

“

her passion. Castillo’s love for volleyball stemmed from her mom, Samantha Montaño, who has coached and played for over half her life.

Once Castillo reached fourth grade, she decided to follow in her mom’s footsteps and play on her first volleyball team. She played many other sports throughout elementary and middle

There’s nothing like it, that feeling of the adrenaline, of the excitement, and everything so mixed together. It feels like you’re playing for more than just yourself.

- Zeni Castillo, 12

Castillo said.

As Castillo looks back on her time playing volleyball, she reminisces on nearly a decade of memories. The sport has led her to meeting her best friends and strengthening her bond with her mom, who played a large role in her involvement with volleyball.

From making the varsity team to winning games, Castillo has had many of proud moments over the years. Holding on to the exhilarating feeling of going head to head with rival schools, she is trying to soak in her last few games of high school volleyball.

While Castillo was growing up, tennis balls, ballet shoes and goggles were always scattered across her house as she gazed at her brother going off to practice for the sports he was in. Being a part of a sports minded family gave her a headstart on finding

22

sports

Senior Zeni Castillo poses with her mom and coach, Samantha Montaño for volleyball pictures at Lamar Middle School.

Photo Submitted

mhsmarquee.com

Design KHailyn Agis

school including cheerleading, lacrosse, basketball and track. As the seventh grade volleyball tryouts quickly approached, Castillo and Montaño were given the opportunity to explore a new aspect of their relationship.

They went from being mom and daughter at home to coach and player on the court.

“It’s like having a coach that is your best friend,” Castillo said. “I felt like I was always able to play my best because I was playing for her.”

•••

Beads of sweat trickled down 13-year-old Zeni Castillo’s face as her eyes focused on the ball. Her feet were bent, ready to leap into the air when it came her way. As a setter, she is responsible for running offense on the court. The adrenaline kicked in as the Lamar Middle School Division 1 team made their final play, leading them to become the undefeated district champions.

Cheers echoed across the gym and the girls gathered into a group hug as the buzzer went off.

“There’s nothing like it,” Castillo said. “That feeling of the adrenaline, of the excitement, and everything so mixed together. It feels like you’re playing for more than just yourself.”

•••

Junior Riley Vaughn, Senior Zeni Castillo and Senior Payson Kelley eagerly cheer on their teammates from the sidelines during the game against Lewisville on Sept. 14.

Senior Zeni Castillo keeps her eye on the ball, ready to jump as the varsity volleyball team plays against Lewisville High School. Marcus won the game with a score of 25-15.

Design khailyn agis

Having a volleyball coach as a mom has proven to be beneficial for Castillo long after her middle school days. After every game, the mom and daughter duo break down the technical elements.

Montaño, always mindful of whether her daughter wants to talk to “mom-mom” or “coach-mom,” helps Castillo learn from her mistakes and commends her for good plays.

“I’m just so proud of her. It’s so great to follow her journey and to help her get where she is,” Montaño said. “Being her mom and her coach, it’s been very special.”

Although Castillo grew up hearing about the wins and losses of her mom’s teams and even was coached by her, she didn’t decide that volleyball was the sport that she loved and wanted to specialize in until eighth grade. By the time she reached high school, she realized that she had to pick one sport to focus on.

“There was just something about volleyball that I couldn’t let go,” Castillo said.

Now, in her final year on the varsity volleyball team, Castillo has found a sisterhood within her teammates. She still maintains a friendship with girls she met five years ago because of their common passion. The best part of the game to Castillo is the girls that she plays with. No matter their relationship outside the sport, they are best friends when they step foot on the court.

For Castillo, this is the closing to her volleyball chapter.

Although her mom continued to play throughout college, Castillo has decided that it is time for her to move on. She is still continuing to follow in her mom’s footsteps by attending Texas Tech University where she plans on studying broadcasting or business. “[My mom] has been my biggest role model and I wouldn’t say that it’s because of volleyball, but that’s just the relationship that we had,” Castillo said. “Our close relationship has grown because of the sport.”

sept. 28, 2018

sports

23

Indian family throws annual festival story reya mosby photos Tara Connick

The smell of Indian spices filled the air. Streamers, garlands and flower decorations of all colors hung from the ceiling. In the center was the Hindu God Ganesh, perched on a shrine-like altar with steps covered in soft fabric.

Yellow and white garlands accompanied silver and gold beaded necklaces around around the neck of Ganesh. There were smaller statues of the god as well. Behind him were bright colored lights.

Children ran, giggling and yelling.

Teens gathered and talked over one another. The adults sat in a circle near the altar and clapped while singing a song of prayer.

This occurred Sept. 15, during a Hindu festival that junior Mahima Mahavadi and her family host annually called Ganesh Chaturthi. During the festival, their friends, family and neighbors get together, eat, dance and catch up. It celebrates the birth of Ganesh Chaturthi.

“It’s great because at least once a year we can all get together,” Mahima’s cousin Srikaran Mahavadi said. “Everybody enjoys the event, and everybody comes to help out.”

Growing up in India, Mahima’s parents,

Junior Riya Buta socializes with her friends from school who also attend the festival each year.

24

feature

Junior Mahima Mahavdi stands in a line with her family greeting people as she passes out various homemade Indian sweets to the guests after they all participate in a religious ritual.

Aparna and Sirish Mahavadi, celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi every year. The festival takes place in the streets of India for nine days.

“Everybody celebrates in every house,” Mahima’s mom Aparna said. “The minute you step out you are in the festival.”

People parade down crowded streets singing, dancing and praying around a large statue of Ganesh. Mahima’s parents loved this festival, so they decided to recreate it in the United States.

“I used to wait all year for [Ganesh Chaturthi] to happen,” Aparna said.

“The streets were closed, and no work happened in India for nine days.”

The Mahavdi family holds the festival in their backyard. It has gotten so large that they had to expand their patio, so they could fit a bigger stage for performances.

Mahima said this is the largest event that happens in their Indian neighborhood.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a very inclusive holiday, so all Indians can attend.

Ganesh Chaturthi is considered a unifying holiday because Ganesh is important to all of India. India is divided

mhsmarquee.com

into states, many speaking different languages, so their celebrations are usually regional.

“We wanted a festival that didn’t create boundaries. Anybody can come and relate to it. They all have stories from [Ganesh Chaturthi], and that’s what we wanted,” Mahima’s father Sirish Mahavadi said.

Ganesh is known as the Remover of Obstacles. He also is known for wisdom and learning. The Mahavadi family prays to him when beginning anything, so that he can give them luck and remove their obstacles.

To honor Ganesh they make figurines of him out of clay before the festival. At the end of the festival they submerge the small figurine into water to symbolize him going back up to the heavens.

Her parents grew up in India, so they are connected to their culture and religion because they were so exposed to it growing up. Despite the efforts of Mahima’s parents to integrate Hinduism and Indian culture into her life, she had to experience extraordinary moments herself to fully understand her parents’ spirituality.

Design khailyn agis

Junior Mahima Mahavadi twirled as a part of her performance of a traditional Indian dance in front of her friends and family at the festival. She took to the colorful stage as her dress faned out creating an enticing effect that caught the eye of all the guests.

What is Ganesh Chaturthi?

People worship Ganesh during Aarthi, a ritual where each family holds a plate full of candles in hopes of receiving divine blessings.

Design Khailyn agis

•Ganesh Chaturthi is an important Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh, the elephant headed son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. He is known as the remover of obstacles and god of luck. sept. 28, 2018

It was the afternoon on the day of the festival. The day started off with cooking and food preparation, but at noon the Along with religion, food is important to the Mahavadi family. Food was lined up as far as the eye could see. For many of the people attending the festival, food was their favorite part of the whole celebration “Indian festivals are all about food,” what do we eat? What do we make?”

Another significant part of the festival is clothes. The women had bright clothing that ranged from blue to pale pink.

Mahima and her mom love all the jewelry Sirish said. “The first thing we [think] is in particular. They admire all the detailed necklaces and earrings.

“I love dressing up,” junior Risha Bhuta said. “It just makes me happy to be a part my culture. It is like prom for us.”

Many of the performances at the festivals include singing and dancing.

Mahima choreographs and participates in these bollywood dances. She has been dancing since first grade and started choreographing two years ago.

The night ended in a dance when people of all ages get together for the Dandiya, a dance where people dance while carrying two sticks in hand.

Everybody moved in synchronization to the complex beat. They all glided together and clinked their colorful dandiya sticks in unison. Everybody got off their feet and moved to the song. Everybody was smiling and laughter and joyous singing filled the air.

“I like when towards the end we all come together and do dandiya because we all get to dance in different groups and make new friends,” sophomore Namitha Madireddi said. “It is a great way to end the night.”

•During this celebration, a large wax statue of Ganesh is brought into the devotee’s home and worshipped.

•To invoke Ganesh’s blessings when his stay is finished, the statue is ceremoniously submerged in water through a process called visarjan.

•It is celebrated on a sacred day in late August or September based on the Indian Lunar Calendar. feature

25

From legacy to leader Sophomore quarterback leads varsity team to victory STORY AVA BUSH PHOTOS Tara Connick After a 90-minute rain delay, sophomore Garrett Nussmeier stood on the slippery turf of the football field, ready for the snap. He could see rain falling in the glow of the stadium lights. The water droplets clung to his helmet. The sound of the cheering crowd seemed like background noise as his focus narrowed.

Nussmeier called the play. The center’s snap was caught. His eyes scanned the field for his options. With his arm cocked to throw, Nussmeier saw a wide receiver downfield. With a swift motion, the ball spiraled into the hands of his teammate.

The crowd erupted as the receiver reached

26

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the end zone for one of six touchdowns.

When the game ended, Nussmeier walked away with his first win as the starting varsity quarterback.

“The hardest part about playing football is being able to go 100 percent every single play and every single snap,” Nussmeier said. “That’s also one of the most beautiful things about football is that you have to give that effort on every play.”

To Nussmeier, football isn’t just a sport, it’s a legacy. His dad, Doug Nussmeier, the current tight end coach for the Dallas Cowboys, has been coaching since Nussmeier can remember. Before that he played in the NFL as a quarterback for the Saints and the Colts. mhsmarquee.com

However, his dad’s football career isn’t the only reason Nussmeier wanted to play the sport. Since he was 5, Nussmeier was inspired by those his dad coached.

“Football was the center of our lives,” Nussmeier said. “I’d look up to my dad’s players, and I just wanted to be like them.”

His dad’s career has caused the Nussmeier family to move nine times.

With each move, Nussmeier joined a new team. Though he admits that the constant change was difficult, he recognizes that the experiences made him a stronger player.

“I’ve been around so many different teams that it’s taught me what the winning edge is, and what it takes to win.”

Nussmeier said. “To be a winning team everybody has to be motivated to win and design jolie mullings

Center

End zone

The offensive lineman that snaps the ball to the quarterback

The far end on each side of the field where touchdowns are scored

Snap

QUARTERBACK

The movement of the ball from the center to the quarterback that starts the play

The leader of the offense who calls plays and throws/hands-off the ball

Pocket

Receiver

The area behind the offensive line where the quarterback stands

The offensive player that runs downfield and catches the throws from the quarterback

dedicated to what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Nussmeier moved to Flower Mound last spring from Florida. He anticipated more intensity and support for a Texas football program than in Florida.

“The speed of the game is totally different here,” Nussmeier said. “I think playing 6-A ball here in Texas is like basically playing at a mid-major [college].

It’s really going to help me for the next level.”

Nussmeier often watches game film at home, in addition to practicing before, during and sometimes after school. This routine can be tiring, however, Nussmeier is thankful to have his dad to support him.

“It’s helped my knowledge of the game increase tremendously because I have someone I can ask the questions I have on a nightly basis,” Nussmeier said.

Atkinson is impressed not only with the level of skill, but with the mindset and character that Nussmeier brings to the team. He knew that Nussmeier was right for the starting quarterback position the first time he met him.

“He’s a natural leader,” Atkinson said.

“It’s hard to know what it is, but you just know it when you see it, and he has it.”

Over the summer, Atkinson saw Nussmeier embrace the leadership aspect of his position. It was Nussmeier who got the team together for unscheduled workouts weeks before the season started.

Senior tight end Gus Sralla was at summer training, and has witnessed Nussmeier integrate into the football program.

“At first when Garrett [moved here]I

Design jolie mullings

wasn’t really sure about him, but after I got to know him he’s become my best friend,” Sralla said. “If you know the person next to you, it makes it easier to trust them. It creates a brotherhood.”

Not only has Nussmeier’s work ethic and skill inspired his teammates, but it has also attracted offers from LSU and Mizzou. According to Sralla, it’s a blend of mobility and accuracy that allows Nussmeier to make plays out of the pocket, and throw 51-yard passes directly into the arms of his receivers, “If no one ever told me he was a sophomore I would not think it,” Sralla said. “He gets respect from the team by the way he plays.”

At the moment, Nussmeier’s goal is to make it to the play-offs. However, he ultimately wants to win a college championship and start in the NFL. Although he knows these are big aspirations, Nussmeier is confident that he will make it happen. Nussmeier says it’s his values that drive his ambition, and he can’t wait to see where his hard work and motivation will take him.

“I think everything I’ve done has been a learning experience, and piece-by-piece has slowly made me who I am, and I wouldn’t change anything,” Nussmeier said. “That’s probably the best feeling in the world, is to realize that all the hard work you put in is going to pay off.”

Head Coach Kevin Atkinson reviews the highlights of the victory over McKinney Boyd during a post-game huddle on Sept. 7.

sept. 28, 2018

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27

Picking yourself up Skyler Middleton

@_skylerw23

March 2018. I woke up and my jaw was shaking — my whole body was shaking. I sat up in my bed and stayed there for a couple of minutes trying to wake up. I swung my feet down on the tile floor and tried to lift myself off the bed. I took one step forward and crumpled to the ground.

I stayed there for a while.

My doctor warned me that the side effects would be intense, but I had no idea how awful I would feel. I had to force myself off of the ground to get ready. I hadn’t told anyone because a small part of me was embarrassed that I had to rely on grey and white pills to be happy at 17. It took me a while to admit that I was having issues because I reduced the feeling to just teen angst.

I didn’t realize I was in the minority that was too exhausted to eat food. I unintentionally lost 20 pounds within the span of two months. Only then did I stop

to realize my daily food intake was one bowl of peaches and cream oatmeal.

••• November 2017. Irritability and anxiety was becoming a part of my routine, a constant state of mind.

Simple things were causing intense and consuming panic attacks. I was running late to school the first time a panic attack affected me behind the wheel. I fumbled with my keys, spilt my hot coffee all over the kitchen floor and slipped on the mess.

As I ran out the front door, tears were already forming in my eyes. I slammed on the acceleration. I swerved into the parking lot as my hands painfully gripped the steering wheel. Once I parked I hit the dashboard repeatedly. A sob left my throat as I leaned my head down on the wheel and brought my arms around myself.

Thankfully when I explained, my doctor knew something wasn’t right. He handed me a clipboard with a piece of paper labeled “Adolescent Depression Analysis.”

After seeing my answers he continued to ask questions. I know the questions were meant to help, but they made me feel like a statistic, and the prescription for antidepressants made me feel like a disappointment.

Admitting that I wanted the medication was tough. I was so nervous to tell my friends after I went on the medication. I hate to admit when I need

help and this was not an exception.

Despite my fears everyone took it well. I never truly doubted they would.

The first week was awful. I felt more drained than I ever had, but I was so desperate to get better that I didn’t care about a week or two of pure exhaustion.

The results from the first month shocked me. I was finally able to breathe. I felt as though I wasn’t able to exhale until that medicine.

••• June 2018. I rubbed my eyes as I rolled over to look at my phone. I jolted up when I noticed it was already 7:15 a.m. and I needed to leave in 25 minutes. I walked to the bathroom and washed my face before changing. I began pouring my coffee when I realized I wasn’t jittery and in a panic. I was calm while I was running late. I couldn’t wrap my head around the drastic change, but it gave me butterflies. I was able to rush without getting flustered.

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door with a bright smile. That was the first moment my progress was clear.

Medication is not the only answer, nor does it work for everyone. But the way it helped me saved my mental health in a drastic way. The hardest part about having depression and anxiety is picking yourself up off the floor. Finally being able to ask for help was my first step to healing and I am very grateful that I took it.

Boom Bahs — Things we like Sushi in cafeteria

New band director

New parking lot

Our school became the first in the nation to introduce sushi at the high school level. The chef comes in every morning at 5 a.m. to prepare the ingredients. The sushi has been a massive success while also inspiring students to try new foods.

Jeffery Jones has come from North Mesquite High School to take over as band directer from Amanda Drinkwater. While Drinkwater will be missed, Jones is optimistic about the band’s future. He believes that any organization that cares about the students and the arts has the potential to reach excellence.

Over the summer the parking lot was updated with a larger sidewalk for bus riders to wait, pedestrian crosswalks and new levels of parking.

These renovations make for a better parking experience for students and teachers during the school week.

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opinion

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Design jolie mullings

The life I almost knew Madi Olivier

@madio531

I held my breath as I waited for the familiar sound of the garage door opening to indicate my dad’s arrival home. My eight-year-old mind ran through the plan that my twin sister Abby and I had put together, from the dolls perfectly placed on the trash can by the front door, to Abby waiting upstairs with a recording of my voice.

We had spent hours putting together a foolproof plan to scare our dad. We decided to make him think that our American Girl Dolls were speaking to him.

Abby and I had always been close, but that didn’t stop us from being competitive in everything we did. We grew up seeing who could run the fastest or get our dog to come on command. This prank had become another way for us to compete.

I glanced at the door eagerly— I had to pull off a convincing doll voice so I could

prove myself to Abby.

The sound of the garage door lifting interupted my thoughts and sent a rush of adrenaline through my small body.

I shouted up to my sister to get the recording ready.

As our dad entered, I carefully turned to face him, and Abby started to play the recording of my voice. We made it sound like we were both upstairs, having a conversation. When my dad saw the dolls, he let out a loud sigh, likely annoyed at our inability to put away the creepy toys. I took a deep breath and began speaking in my best scary doll voice, as I glanced towards the ceiling, hoping that I could win the unspoken bet with Abby.

Of course, no matter how perfectly we executed our juvenile plan, we didn’t succeed. Our dad isn’t dumb. When he heard my doll voice and realized what we were trying to do, he laughed. However, when Abby and I bounded down the stairs, still hoping to hear our dad yell out in terror, we couldn’t resist bursting into a fit of giggles.

We often pulled pranks together. In fact, we did almost everything together when we were younger. Playing, eating, schoolwork — she was always there.

However, with constant togetherness comes arguments. Our relationship

comes with its fair share of fights. No matter how annoyed I get with her, I’ll forever be grateful that I have a sister to fight with because it almost didn’t happen.

Abby and I were born ten weeks early because her heart began slowing down to the point of almost stopping. When my mom went into labor, her OBGYN attempted to get to the hospital, but she wasn’t able to make it. When the situation became urgent, my mom had to be rushed into the operating room for an emergency c-section. Another doctor delivered. He prepped my mom and performed the surgery in less than five minutes.

If it wasn’t for that doctor’s quick actions, I would be an only child today.

I wouldn’t have anyone to learn how to walk with, play with or begin driving with.

Today, Abby and I are very close. We both lead separate lives, but at the end of the day we spend time in the room we share. We’ve shared a room our entire lives, despite my mom’s offers to give us seperate ones. I can’t imagine not being in the same room. It’s where we see each other the most.

I don’t think about it often, but every now and then I’m reminded of what could’ve been. I’ve been too stubborn to mention it to Abby, but I’m glad she’s here with me today.

Heys — Things we don’t like Parent drop-off

Your parents shouldn’t be dropping you off in the back parking lot. It’s against the school rules, but every day there are multiple offenders. It’s frustrating to see a minivan park in the crosswalk, then a student spend three minutes unloading their bags and give a heartfelt goodbye to their parents, all while holding up traffic. The front parking lot was built for unloading, so please use it.

Design jolie mullings

Unaware pedestrians Restricted lunches Nothing is more alarming for a driver than having someone walk in front of your car giving you half a second to stop. Most people need a refresher on the basics of being a pedestrian.

Walk on the crosswalks, be aware of the half ton machines that could crush you and most importantly never cross a street while looking at your phone.

As a result of students roaming the halls during lunch and leaving their trash, the school has decided to keep all students in either the cafeteria or the limited eating section of the library during lunch. Many students give up their lunch to do academic work, and it can be difficult to find a workspace. The introduction of other areas would be appreciated.

sEPt. 28, 2018

opinion

29

Power of reading Chloe White

@thechloediaries

The older I’ve gotten, I’ve begun to notice a trend — less and less students are reading for fun.

After every exam or test where phones weren’t allowed, I’d notice either my classmates blankly staring at a wall or taking a nap on their desk.

Even during Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) some of my friends have admitted to pretending to read while they’re scrolling through their Twitter timeline or just staring blankly at an open book.

I’d seen the statistics—currently less than half of Americans are reading even one book for fun every year—but it wasn’t until recently that I began to notice this in myself. I’ve always been an avid reader, but now I read only a few books for fun every year.

With Netflix, YouTube and video games that have hundreds of hours of content, books can be a hard sell. Our phones are a constant distraction, reminding us to check the latest text, tweet or Instagram post, often leading to spending endless

hours scrolling. While we’re reading more short tweets and articles, these don’t compare to the experience when reading a book.

Books open up doors to far away places and minds of people we’ve never met. Because of this, reading books has been linked to having greater empathy — which is a growing problem among Americans.

When reading a good book, the story feels personal. Most everyone had a book or series they liked as a kid — whether it was Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Junie B. Jones, The Magic Treehouse or Goosebumps.

If you remember back, you felt like you’re with these characters. It’s a temporary escape from reality. Books allow you to see different perspectives in a way that’s unlike any movie.

A good book is hard to put down—we all know the feeling of saying “one more chapter” one chapter after another until the early hours of the morning.

However, there is good news. The young adult genre bridges the gap between adult and children books, and has given teenagers endless options.

I never really considered how lucky we are to have this until my mom told me she wished she had young adult books available when she was in high school.

Getting books is easier than ever. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at a bookstore, Amazon and Barnes and

Nobles have millions of books available online. With e-books, it’s possible to get a book instantly from anywhere.

As long as I can remember I wanted to be an author when I grew up. That feeling never wavered — even as I realized that I’d likely need a steadier, easier to acquire job to make a living, being a professional author has always been an end goal for me. It’s what led me to being in newspaper, after I decided Journalism and Creative Writing were the only classes relevant to my career offered at school.

Even as we’re constantly surrounded by other forms of more engaging entertainment, it’s important to remember the value of books.

While I may not read as much as I used to—one year in middle school I read over 100 books—books will always play an important role in my life.

Books were my friends when I had none. Whenever I went through a period of struggle in my life, books were my escape.

When you find a good book, it’s possible to have that have that love of reading again. With AP classes and extracurricular activities it can be hard to find time to devote to reading, but I can guarantee that carving out 20 minutes each night to read a book with value and that you enjoy is well worth it. It may take just take a few pages to recapture the love of reading.

“Congratulations, you’re average.”

- Upstairs D Hall

“Halloween disappeared. It went spooky-bye.”

- Cafeteria

“Squidward calm down.”

- W Hall

“Can we take a moment of silence for Adventure Time?”

- Upstairs D Hall

“If you think about it tractors are basically tanks with less armor.”

- Upstairs A Hall

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overheard

mhsmarquee.com

“Instead of buying me a Gucci belt can you buy me, like, a sandwich Dad?” - W Hall Design jolie mullings

Students need to care about recycling Staff Editorial

A recent Marquee poll revealed that 90 percent of students believe the school should be more environmentally friendly, but only 30 percent of students recycle.

The same poll also showed that 62 percent of students recycle at home in comparison to the 30 percent who say they recycle at school. The lack of contents in the recycling bins throughout the school is evidence that even 30 percent of students recycling is a stretch. Students simply stop caring when they get school.

Instead they throw their garbage in the closest container. Students are abandoning their beliefs for the sake of convenience. The school as a whole, needs to start caring more about recycling their trash because our actions today determine the future health of our planet.

It is important to take the extra 15 seconds to throw their trash away in the correct bin. With five minutes in between lunches and eight minutes in between class periods, there is no rush to get from one place to another, so students have plenty of time to go to the correct container for their trash and recyclables.

Some teachers keep their recycling bins and trash bins far away from each other, resulting in students opting to use whichever bin is closest. However, taking the extra steps to reach the appropriate bin would prevent recyclables from being thrown in the trash.

Many times when the contents of the recycling bins get thrown away, it is because one half-full drink is thrown into the bin ruining the rest of the recyclables.

Don’t be the one person that ruins it for everyone else. Too many people have the mindset that their actions won’t make a difference, so they take the lazy approach

the MARQUEE

“

M

Right now, students are demonstrating selective laziness; they care when it is convenient to care.

and toss their trash wherever is easier. The result is that many of the contents of the school’s recycling bins have to be thrown into the trash. However, the importance of preserving the environment outweighs convenience.

Students also need to take responsibility for the trash they create every day and not put the blame on someone else, like the custodians. It is not their job to rummage through the garbage to find the recyclables or go through the recycling to find the

How important is recycling?

REMARKS

compiled Michael Minton

“It’s pretty important.

Recycling isn’t necessarily that hard but can make a big difference.” calvin nickerson, 9

“It’s very important especially if you know about all the things that are happening to the wildlife and environment. It is very important to saving our planet.”

“Since pretty much everything in this world is made of plastic which is finite, it’s very important to be recycling that.”

Declan Hoch, 12 “Pretty important.

It’s good for the environment. It keeps waste out of landfills that doesn’t need to be there.” austin cork, 11

angela abraham, 10

Design jolie mullings

trash. It is the students’ job to make sure that what we are throwing away is in the right spot.

If students are recycling at home, they should also be recycling at school. There is no excuse for actively recycling in one place and not the other. Do we only recycle because our parents make us, or do we actually care? If so, we need to show it. Right now, students are demonstrating selective laziness; they care when it is convenient to care. High schoolers are often portrayed as lazy and uncaring.

Students need to work to change that stereotype.

Teachers and administrators have work to do as well. Teachers need to encourage students to not spoil the recycling of other students by tossing in food or open drinks. Administration can provide more recycling bins for school lunches.

They can use the three large bins found in the storeroom, but it’s up to students to fill them. The school could even offer a reward between the classes for recycling to bring the topic to student attention and encourage school-wide participation.

To change this, we need to realize the impact that even one person can make. We have to care. It is no one else’s responsibility but our own to fix this issue, and this starts with little things like caring about where we put our trash.

sept. 28, 2018

opinion

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A star-spangled pep rally At the first pep rally of the year, the senior section cheers after singing the Alma Mater, a pre-home game Marcus tradition.

Sophomore Ellie Venosdel cheers with the students after the national anthem is sung. She is preparing the crowd for the varsity game against Arlington Bowie later that day.

The varsity cheer team performs a patriotic routine for the first time that they practiced over the summer.

The mascot gets the crowd excited before starting the pep rally while the football and volleyball players prepare for their entrance.

Senior Marquette Bailey Horton chants the school fight song as the football players enter the MAC.

Sept. 28, 2018

photos tara connick & emily lundell

Design staff