M
the MARQUEE VOLUME 33. ISSUE 3. DEC 7, 2018
faces faces of of immigration immigration 3
Proposed curriculum changes gain national attention
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Senior wrestler’s life changed by nearly fatal injury
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Theatre star shares her path to success
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 DESIGN EDITOR Aeralyn Stinson Junior Serina Patel performs as part of the Color Guard during halftime at the football game against MacArthur. This year’s Color Guard theme was Renaissance. Photo Maya Hernandez
CONTENTS
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NEWS
PHOTO EDITOR Emily Lundell DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR/ OPINION EDITOR Skyler Middleton NEWS/FEATURE EDITOR Alex Anderson ONLINE MANAGER Shayla Sistrunk
SCHOOL SECURITY LISD improves security due to rising safety concerns
REPORTERS Samantha Thornfelt, Nikhila Bulusu, Ava Bush, Madi Olivier, Reya Mosby, Michael Minton
FEATURE
DESIGNERS Khailyn Agis, Alina Baqar
STUDENTS WITH BUSINESSES Students share how they express their entreprenurial spirits
PHOTOGRAPHERS Tara Connick, Maya Hernandez
SPORTS DOUBLE TROUBLE Two sets of twins describe their relationship with their sibling
ENTERTAINMENT MATCH THE COOKIE Who decorated the Christmas cookies?
COVER JOLIE MULLINGS
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.
Altering history education
Texas gains national attention for curriculum changes Story Kendall Cooper The Texas Board of Education drew
national attention in September when they released a list of historical figures to be potentially cut from the state’s curriculum. Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller’s proposed removal caused the most controversy. The Board reversed their decision to cut several of the figures, including Clinton and Keller, in a final vote on Nov. 16 after hearing from the public and openly debating the issue for nearly three days.
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It shouldn’t be based on someone’s bias, it should be based on what effect [they] had on history.
- Julia Schneider, 11 “I got a ton of calls and emails about the removal of Hillary Clinton,” Democrat and Board member Erika Beltran said in a Dallas Morning News interview. “She was the first female presidential nominee from a major U.S. political party. So regardless of our party affiliations, I think she is an important figure to keep.” The final vote to keep Clinton in the curriculum was 12-2. One Board member did not vote. Five Democrats and 10 Republicans sit on the Board. One of the two members who voted for Clinton’s removal was Republican Board member Pat Hardy. Design Alina Baqar
“I just do not respect the woman,” Hardy told the Dallas Morning News. “As far as I’m concerned, she’s done a lot of detrimental things to our country.” Some, including U.S. history teacher Chris Porter and junior Julia Schneider, viewed the initial decision to cut Clinton and Keller as politically skewed. “It shouldn’t be based on someone’s bias,” Julia Schneider said. “It should be based on what effect [they] had on history.” Although the removal of certain figures and topics is a change to the required material, they can still be taught if the teacher decides they’re important enough. “If they add something in, I’ll be teaching it,” Porter said. “And if they delete something out, I will determine whether I want to delete it out.” The Board decided to shrink the requirments for students because they were concerned that the information is memorized instead of meaningfully learned. Their solution was to try and eliminate the issue of having too much material. Both Schneider and Porter said that there is a lot to go over, but it’s the amount of time, or lack thereof, to learn it that creates a problem. There are only about 14 weeks out of each class until the students take the STAAR, however, each class is 18 weeks long. “Maybe it’ll save us a little bit of time, but I think it’ll still feel like we have a lot to cover,” Porter said. “It’s just kind of the nature of it.” Before the preliminary vote in September, board-nominated volunteer teachers met to rank historical figures on a 20 point scale. Those with low scores were suggested for removal. “I think it’s good that teachers are included, but I think students should too because I feel like we’re the ones actually learning,” Schneider said. The changes will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2019 for middle and high school students. No immediate change will be made to textbooks because they’re not up for revision this year.
Dec. 7, 2018
Additional changes made to K-12 history classes •The author of the National Anthem, Francis Scott Key, was removed from the first grade curriculum. •Phillis Wheatley, the first black female published poet was taken out of the third grade curriculum. •Confederate leaders John Reagan, Francis Lubbock and John Bell Hood were removed from the seventh grade curriculum. •In high school World History, references to “radical Islamic fundamentalism” will be changed to “radical Islamic terrorism.” •Barry Goldwater was cut from a list of “significant political and social leaders in the United States” in the high school U.S. History post 1877 course. •In high school U.S. History post 1877, Oprah Winfrey was removed from a list of women who contribute to our national identity. •Being able to “explain how Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan created obstacles to civil rights for minorities such as the suppression of voting” was added to the class discussion of the Civil Rights Movement in high school U.S. History.
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Under lock and key Security guard Kaylnn Redmon checks ID’s at the cafeteria entrance as a safety precaution.
LISD improves security following safety concerns Story samantHa thornfelt photo maya hernandez
Due to recent concerns about campus safety, LISD has taken steps to improve its security. In May 2017, a $700 million bond was approved, granting $28 million to fund district wide security changes. Projects include security camera upgrades, the expansion of tip lines to all middle school campuses and updated phone systems across the district. The campus is preparing for other security changes as well. The installation of bullet resistant glass in the front office and new locks on classroom doors are planned for this school year. New security measures are also being implemented. Assistant Principal Jason Mullin has closely worked on many of these new measures. He says one of the largest changes has been the decrease in the amount of campus doors open during the day. This year, the number of entrances that open in the morning for students and staff has been reduced from ten to four. Mullin
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said that while this may be seen as an inconvenience by many students, it helps the staff regulate who enters the building, as well as make frequent ID checks easier.
“A big thing with any type of safety or security is sometimes we have to give up a little bit of convenience in order to be safe.” -Jason Mullin, Assistant Principal mhsmarquee.com
“It seems like everybody worries about how it changes their routine,” Mullin said. “A big thing with any type of safety or security is sometimes we have to give up a little bit of convenience in order to be safe.” LISD has also introduced the Character Strong program to provide preventative measures against student violence. This program promote communication between both students and teachers on topics such as bullying, emotional stress and drug abuse. Mullin said that the Character Strong lessons taught in Marauder Time can help teachers build connections and bridge gaps with their students to stop problems before they develop. “Security is the last line of defense on a lot of those things,” Mullin said. “The first line of defense is building good relationships with our students so that we know them and can get them to be a part of something to be connected.” Algebra teacher Dustin Wagner does not expect to see results this early in the program’s history, yet he feels that people Design AERALYN STINSON
will start to exhibit the Character Strong ideals within the next few years. In addition to helping faculty, Wagner believes that the program also provides a way for students to learn how to improve relationships with their peers, as well as themselves. “Even though I teach them math, I haven’t taught them how to be a whole person,” Wagner said. “The Character Strong program teaches them not only how to be a better student, but how to be a better person by being able to communicate with others.” Another change is that this year, English teacher Michelle Schwolert became the Student Assistant Counselor on the main campus. This new position differs from other counselors, as Schwolert assists students with their personal issues, both at school and at home. Mullin said she provides students a place where they can get help and guidance that may not be accessible to them. He said that these small steps may prevent students from choosing to hurt themselves or others. “It’s a way to identify problem situations so that we can stop them and take care of them the right way so that they don’t feel like they have to do something drastic,” Mullin said. “Sometimes that’s all somebody needs to get out of a stressful situation.” The recent prevalence of school shootings has led students to become more aware of classroom security. Junior Pidge Cheatham believes that students feel better seeing campus security measures, such as the SROs and student outreach programs, but not necessarily safer. However, he still believes that an incident could happen at school. “I feel like the more incidents that happen, the more people become aware of what’s happening and what needs to be done to stop it,” Cheatham said. “I think now, there will have to be more precautions taken.” Mullin said that these continuous problems are what cause frequent security changes. He believes that corrections can only be made once a problem occurs, as it is hard to find flaws in the system before something happens. This creates a constant need to monitor and edit all aspects of security. “Safety and security is going right when nothing is happening,” Mullin said. “When it’s not, the focus is making sure that it is taken care of as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Design AERALYN STINSON
Dec. 7, 2018
Major LISD security changes this school year: •The district adopted Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to respond to situations on campus •Tip lines have expanded from high schools to all middle schools
•More Student Resource Officers (SRO) were added across district campuses •The district formed a Safety Task Force to discuss potential safety improvements with parents, staff, students and community members
•The district added 15 new staff positions that focus on the emotional and mental health of students in order to help identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness
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Story Michael Minton
Photo Tara Connick
Photo Tara Connick
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During high school, students will have many important moments like getting their first car, going to prom and attending football games with friends. However, all of these events have one important commonality — their price tag. Being a teen is expensive, and
students often have to get jobs. Out of employed students, only a few choose to avoid working in the service industry and make their money by creating their own businesses. These are some of the students who have paved their own way down the entrepreneurial path.
Websites like eBay and Etsy give small businesses a platform to sell their items to a massive audience. Sophomore Ila Hillegas has used this platform to sell her own handmade scrunchies. Starting out by making a few scrunchies to sell to her friends, she soon realized that she could sell them online to a much wider audience. “I talked to my parents and they were like ‘That’s a good idea, especially if people are willing to pay’,” Hillegas said.
With more encouragement from her friends she started to sell her handmade scrunchies on Etsy for $3.99 to $5.75. Along with the money she makes, Hillegas enjoys the relaxing nature of her work. “It’s really calming to just sit there and sew and watch TV or listen to music,” Hillegas said. Hillegas hopes to be able to save enough money to help to go to Spain next year as an exchange student.
Senior Topher Tarantino is an artist who’s willing to do it all, whether it be commissioned paintings, graphic design or even tie dyed shirts. “If its a visual creative thing I’ll do it.” Tarantino said Although his business is broad, a majority involves either commissioned painting or selling his premade works. Tarantino gets his artistic inspiration from the world around him and his personal feeling. Tarantino says that his life is often chaotic and that is reflected in his art. “I really hope that someday I’ll be able
to paint a pretty smiley face and be done with it. That’ll mean everything’s fine and I have nothing left to say,” Tarantino said while painting skeletons playing instruments along a river. Tarantino has seen poverty close up and one of the major driving forces behind his art is his desire to get a head start on life. Growing his base of buyers, improving his skills and always looking for his next inspiration, Topher Tarantino is working to ensure his future children will have economic stability.
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Design Tara Connick
Photo Maya Hernandez
Many people forgo cooking and baking at home for convenience food, but for sophomore Brianna Clary baking
is not only a good way to unwind after a long day, but a way to help people in need. Clary has always enjoyed baking small batches of sweets and giving them to her friends and family. During her middle school years she would sell the excess cupcakes to her friends and donate the profits towards a charity of her choice. “I ended up doing it for a project in Humanities,” Clary said. “After that service project I realized just how big scale it could become.” During the project she had a kitchen full of her classmates in an assembly line helping her bake massive batches of cupcakes. After the project, Clary realized how much money her baking could do raise to do good. While selling
her baking, Clary feels good about her positive impact but she’s encountered her share of troubles. Clary has had people accuse her of keeping the money instead of donating it and even of spitting in the cupcakes before selling them. “That absolutely disgusted me. That thought never crossed my mind till they mentioned it,” Clary said. Knowing when and how to sell her sweets has also helped her succeed. She knows that during the holiday season many people are starting to save up their money so they are more likely to have cash for cupcakes and are much more willing to donate money to her cause. While her charity baking isn’t a business, Clarys strategies and business skill has earned her the title of a young entrepreneur.
Starting with relaxed shoots with her friends, Hughes soon realized the intensity of her passion. After several shoots she realized people would pay for her photography. The shoots require her to think of creative ways to take the photos. Hughes views her work as demanding but rewarding. She does shoots every other weekend and then spends one to
two hours a day editing, her favorite part of photography. While Hughes’ portraits tend to be more artsy, she was flattered when she was asked to take someone’s senior portraits. “That made me feel really good that someone would want me for something I don’t even do,” Hughes said. Hughes is open to doing more senior portraits in the future. She plans on studying photography in college.
Photo Chloe White
For most people, the idea of laying in the grass or getting kicked out of a Nebraska Furniture Mart parking garage doesn’t seem like a good time, but for junior Kaitlyn Hughes it’s all worth it for the perfect camera angle. Hughes’ passion was ignited by her father’s own love for photography. “He had a camera and he always took pictures,” Hughes said. “So for Christmas for freshman year I asked for a camera.”
(Top) Junior Logan Collins holds mirrors to capture new angles for the photographer, junior Kaitlyn Hughes. (Left) Junior Aryel Jacques poses in a sunflower field near a church for the photographer, junior Kaitlyn Hughes.
To read about more students with businesses visit
mhsmarquee.com Design Tara Connick
dec 7, 2018
feature
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Best of both worlds
Diving into differences between twins
Senior Taylor Collier cheers on the varisty football team against MacArthur High School on Nov. 1. Photo Maya Hernandez Story Alex Anderson
In the world of siblings, identical twins are often seen as one in the same, and they literally are. They are copies of the same strands of DNA and share the same features, such as hair, eye and skin color. As children, they are often dressed the same, participate in the same activities and like the same things. This phenomenon is reflected in twins like juniors Jalyn and Jared Richardson. Both brothers play varsity basketball and hang out with the same friend group. Friends of the twins describe them as unusually similar. “The only thing that’s different about us is the way we dress and our hair, everything else is the exact same,” Jalyn said. “No one can even tell our voices apart except our parents.” However, sometimes identical twins develop separate, or sometimes even polar opposite, personalities. Scientists are fascinated with how this happens. Previously, it was believed that twins grew up to have distinct personalities because of the environment in which they were raised. Now, research is suggesting that the differences between the twins may be caused by chance events or a slight genetic change. Seniors Taylor and Tiffany Collier are also
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identical twins, but they couldn’t be more different. Taylor is on varsity cheer and has been cheerleading for almost four years. Tiffany is on the varsity basketball team and has been playing competitively since she was in middle school. When they were growing up, Taylor was a girly-girl that preferred to dress up as princesses, while Tiffany preferred to stick to sports and less stereotypically feminine things. “I was just more [of a] tomboy,” Tiffany said. “I liked more contact sports. I played football with the guys outside. I always played basketball.” Her interest in the sport began with her uncle, who influenced her to start playing at a young age. She’s been playing for the school since her freshman year and is now a guard for the girls varsity team. “I love cheering at her games,” Taylor said. “I know what she’s capable of, and I know when she could better.” Taylor has been a part of the cheer program since her freshman year. In middle school, she participated in track and cross country, but upon entering high school she decided to pursue a new path. After joining their respective sports, both Tiffany and Taylor developed separate friend groups and their opposite personalities soon followed. “We don’t work together, don’t have the same group, different sports, different attitudes, different walks, different talks,” Taylor said. “It’s totally different.” After making it onto the cheer team, Taylor says the coaches and other girls taught her how to do all of the stunting and tumbling involved in cheer, so it bonded the group closer together. Soon, Taylor had a whole new group of friends. Around this time, Tiffany was trying out for the girls basketball team. The introduction to so many new people allowed Tiffany to meet new people as well. Senior Tiffany Collier sits on the football Influences from new field after the Senior Sunrise breakfast. friend groups can cause Tiffany is on the varsity basketball team the twins to take on and has competitively played since she was in middle school. Photo Emily new personality traits, Lundell
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Design Aeralyn STINSON
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We don’t work together, don’t have the same group, different sports, different walks, different talks. It’s totally different. - taylor collier, 12
making them more separate from each other. These rifts can even grow over time, causing the twins to become more different as they grow up. “Now we’re kind of more independent between each other,” Tiffany said. “We don’t have to do everything together.” On the contrary, Jalyn and Jared often spend most of their time together. When they go out to eat, they accidentally order the same things, and they unknowingly watch the same TV shows at the same time. However, Tiffany says that one of the many struggles of having a twin is the constant
Junior Jalyn Richardson is a guard on the varsity basketball team. Photo Maya Hernandez
expectations to be connected at the hip. She said that people often expect her and Taylor to like the same things, think the same way and always know everything about each other. However, she says they are separate people with separate interests and lives. Despite their variations, they still value each other’s differences. Taylor recalls in elementary school that she often relied on Tiffany to protect her when she was being picked on or teased. “Tiffany has always just been strong,” Taylor said. “We’re both very outgoing but she’s always been the strong one. I try to be more like that — to strengthen myself up.” Researchers are finding that even twins that operate in a similar circle will still develop personality differences over time. However, these changes do not necessarily mean the twins grow so apart that they become strangers to one another. “One of the pros of having a twin is that you always have someone...you’re never alone,” Taylor said. “You always have someone to fall back on.” Tiffany and Taylor cite their busy schedules and vastly different social lives as reasons for them growing apart. However, despite how the dynamic in their relationship has changed from when they were kids, they still support one another. “If I need something or if I need to talk to someone, I know she’s there for me,” Taylor said.
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1940 FM 407 # 112 Highland Village, TX 75077
Junior Jared Richardson is a wing on the varisty basketball team. Photo Maya Hernandez
Design AERALYN STINSON
Dec. 7, 2018
(972) 317-0589
sports
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new plan for life
Senior recovers after serious injury alters his dreams A few hours earlier, Nick stood overlooking the grounds of the Fort Travis Inside an ambulance, Eric Epperson’s Military Bunker in Galveston with his body tensed as he stood looking over his close friend Hayden Grant. On a previous son. Senior Nick Epperson lay on the trip, his dad visited the abandoned bunker small bed, his body seizing uncontrollably. and wanted to share the experience His father watched, helpless. As a retired with his son. A love for the military was Marine, this was not his first time in the something they shared, and since he was back of an ambulance, however, this time 5, Nick had been planning on following it was his son. his dad’s footsteps and becoming a “I’ve seen people die. I know what Marine. The day of the accident, he was it looks like,” Eric said. “I felt like I was only three days away from going to the watching Nick die.” Military Entrance Process Station. Once they arrived at the hospital, While exploring the bunker, Nick the doctors took Nick to the ER, and his and Grant couldn’t help venturing to family stood in a nearby waiting area for the roof. When Nick took a moment what seemed like an eternity. to tie his shoe, his feet slipped out from “I was terrified they were going to under him causing him to fall 30 feet. He come back and say that he’s dead and landed on his side and his head hit the there is nothing they can do,” Eric said. concrete. Grant was on the other side of ••• a fence, his friend lying unconscious and unreachable. As a couple was passing by, Grant threw his phone to them. When he was scaling the fence, he instructed the couple to dial 911 and call Nick’s dad. Eric almost didn’t answer the call, but something told him to pick up. “Eric.. your son fell off of one of the bunkers… he’s hurt… you need to come back now.” When the ambulance arrived at the bunker, Eric wasn’t far behind. The paramedics had to cut through the same fence that Grant climbed to reach Nick. The walls of senior Nick Epperson’s room at the rehabil••• itation hospital were covered in get well signs from peoNick’s fall left him with ple in his life. When he was cleared to go brought them bruised lungs, a broken back home. Photo Submitted and a brain injury so serious story skyler middleton
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he was in a coma. Days after his fall, visitors started piling in. His grandparents came to see him and help take care of his younger siblings. A couple of friends made the drive, as well as wrestling coach Justin Peña. All Peña could think when he heard about the accident was, “Why is this happening to him?” Peña quickly asked the booster club to put together a gift basket for Nick and his family and drove to visit him in Galveston. When Peña visited, Nick was beginning to come out of the coma. He was still not speaking, but he was able to open his eyes. When Peña walked into Nick’s hospital room he saw him hooked up to many machines and wrapped in bandages. But as soon as Nick’s eyes landed on Peña, his face lit up. Realizing that Nick recognized him meant a lot to Peña. “I had an impact on this kid’s life and that’s what I try and do,” Pena said. “I was like ‘Wow I bring a positive light into his life,’ that’s important to me.” ••• Eric was by Nick’s side talking to his son. While Nick wasn’t able to say anything back quite yet, he was awake. Nick’s hand began reaching towards his dad. Eric’s eyes widened and a smile grew on his face as he leaned into his son’s arms, hugging him for the first time after the accident. After a week of uncertainty, Nick finally reached out for his dad. Upon waking up completly, Nick found his muscles were weak and he had lost weight. Gaining back his strength was going to be a process. Nick’s time on the wrestling team made it difficult to take things slow. He wanted to get stronger quickly. The exercises they started him off with were simple, such as using his arms to sit up. Design jolie mullings
After the neurologist met with Nick to determine his plan for the next year, he was given big news. The Marines don’t take cadets that have suffered brain injuries, so Nick’s lifelong dreams were altered in that moment. ••• While watching “Supernatural” on his dad’s phone, Nick sat in the back of an ambulance on his way to the iCare Rehabilitation Hospital in Flower Mound where Nick would begin his recovery. But he had no idea there was a crowd waiting for him. People surrounded the back of the ambulance holding balloons and welcome home signs. “There was so many people. It was crazy,” Nick said. “It made me feel so loved.” Despite the rainy forecast, upon Nick’s arrival his dad saw the clouds clear and a rainbow emerge. Not only did the community welcome him home, but multiple fundraisers have supported the Epperson family. The wrestling team sold bracelets and t-shirts around school with the phrases “fight Nick fight” with “team Nick.” and held a Pack the House donation night at Chick-fil-a. Peña thinks that the more people who show their support, the more Nick will thrive. In his room at the rehabilitation
center, the walls were covered in different signs from people in his life, including some of the wrestlers. “They all come to see me, it’s been awesome,” Nick said. “They’ve been supportive in every way.” When Nick heard the recovery could take as long as a year, he was determined to prove Senior Nick Epperson wrestled the majority of his life, and has them wrong. Even been on the team his whole high school career. Photo Submitted during the beginning stages of recovery, that his dog missed him very much and he was ready to be independent. the feeling was mutual. Nick was meant to been in a wheelchair “It was amazing. I was just so ready to for a week and then use a walker for an go home and get back to my normal life,” additional week, however after only three Nick said. “It was a relief. This is the start, days he insisted on walking on his own. I get to come home, and now I got to get
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I was terrified they were going to come back and say that he’s dead and there is nothing they can do.
Before the accident, Nick Epperson made plans to take senior Erica Atkinson to Reunion Tower to ask her to be his girlfriend. Despite his injuries, he made it out of the rehabilitation hospital in time to carry out his orginal plan. Photo Submitted
Design jolie mullings
- Eric Epperson, Nick’s dad While in the rehabilitation hospital Nick was missing an important member of his family. His dog, Phineas, was not able to visit, so Nick aited impatiently for their reunion. On Oct. 12, Nick was able to go home. He was beyond excited to get out of the “prison” as he calls it. Even though he was fond of his physical therapist he was eager to sleep in his bed for the first time in months. He said
Dec. 7, 2018
back on track. Where things were before.” Nick is eager to get back to school. His teachers are sending him coursework, so he can continue his senior year. He has high hopes of returning early in the spring semester, but that is up to the doctor. “I believe in reason, and this happened for a reason. He’ll find that out later on,” Peña said. “Maybe he’ll be able to help someone else through a hard time. This will make him stronger.” After graduation Nick plans to attend college. He’s not quite sure which one or what for, but he knows that he isn’t going to mull over his losses. He lost his dream of following in his dad’s footsteps, but he believes that this was God’s plan for him. His goal of helping others was not taken from him, the accident just redirected him. He now is an aspiring firefighter. Nick looks towards the future and doesn’t think that it is worth worrying about the past. “It was a lot to take in. I still want to help people,” Nick said.
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Broadway Baby
Junior pursues her path to musical theatre career from young age
During theatre’s 24-Hour PlayFest, junior Savannah Decrow plays a teen activist during the Kent State Shooting. Photo Tara Connick
Story Nikhila Bulusu The quiet chatter of people as they entered the auditorium and the rustling of Playbills were amplified in freshman Savannah DeCrow’s ears as she waited inside the small house set on the stage. Her heart was pounding. The lights dimmed, and the overture that she had heard countless times before began to play. A little ding cued her to step out.
a dream come true, junior Savannah’s singing career dates back many years. Her parents are both musical themselves. In fact, they grew up singing in barbershop quartets and were raised by musical parents. Her dad, Steve DeCrow, is the head choir director at Lewisville High School, and her mom, Wendy DeCrow, sells music textbooks. When Savannah was a baby, her parents sang to her like many do with their children, and they
I can’t see myself doing anything other than theatre because it’s such a magical thing for me. My life without it is just bland.
- SAVANNAH DECROW, 11 As she walked onto the stage, dressed in princess Belle’s classic blue dress and white apron, the bright lights hit her face and she stood in awe, taking in the electric feeling of looking at a sold-out crowd. “I wanted to pinch myself,” Savannah said. “I couldn’t believe this thing that I had wanted and worked towards for years was finally culminating.” Although playing Belle in the school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” was
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quickly noticed that she had a musical talent. Around Christmas, 16 years ago, Wendy was relaxing by the fireplace with a young Savannah laying on her lap as Kenny G’s rendition of “O Christmas Tree” played in the background. Wendy noticed that Savannah’s chubby fingers were moving to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” in a distinct pattern. As she began to observe her fingers movements, mhsmarquee.com
it dawned upon her that the melody of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” was the same as “Oh Christmas Tree.” Her 1-year-old daughter had noticed that the first few notes of both songs were the same. “That was one of the more memorable moments when I could tell that she had a musical gift,” Wendy said. “I never took it as something special until that moment.” Soon, Savannah reached elementary school and starred in her first show, “The Princess and The Pea.” She began dancing and taking piano lessons around the same time. Savannah describes her childhood self as crazy and over the top. The term “drama-queen” was quite literal for Savannah, which was often reflected in the roles that she received, from playing the genie in “Aladdin” to the evil stepsister in “Cinderella.” Although Savannah has always loved being involved in the arts, her passion was ignited when she watched her first Broadway show. After seeing “The Lion King,” an 8-year-old Savannah turned to her parents and said, “I so could do that.” Wendy and Steve, both baffled by her unapologetic confidence decided to let her follow her dreams of becoming a professional performer. “With theatre I felt something different,” Savannah said. “I felt this spark and I knew that I wanted to do this forever.” When she was in fifth grade, Lewisville High School was looking for a child to play the narrator in their production of “Into the Woods.” Savannah auditioned, along with many other kids, and ended Design Alina Baqar
Junior Savannah DeCrow performs the opening number, “Belle” in “Beauty and The Beast” as a freshman. She was nominated for Best Actress by Dallas Summer Musicals for her portrayal. Photo Submitted
up getting the role. In an unexpected turn of events, the junior who played the part of Little Red Riding Hood injured herself, and the production was left without one of their major roles. They asked Savannah if she could play Little Red and without hesitation, she said yes. She learned all of the blocking, dances and memorized the entire script all within one day. Her mom admits that at first she discouraged Savannah from pursuing a career path that is so competitive, but after witnessing her determination, she let her do whatever it took to make her dream come true. Savannah started taking more dance and voice lessons while continuing to take piano despite not liking it. Soon enough, she started improving. “She works hard, she cares and she’s driven,” Wendy said. “ I don’t know a person on the planet that is more determined to get better and do this than her.” By the time Savannah was a freshman, she was a seasoned performer. From being nominated for the Best Actress Award by Dallas Summer Musicals to being one of the only people in the school to make the All-State Choir, Savannah entered high school with a bang. Head Choir Director Wesley Davis explains that he knew about her even before she stepped foot in his class. He immediately noticed that she was passionate about performing and was also able to demonstrate empathy and leadership, which set her apart from other students. “She has dedication, she has drive Design Alina Baqar
and she has been gifted with a naturally beautiful voice that she has trained over many years,” Davis said. “She has a combination of things that are necessary to be exceptional.” The big question that lays ahead for Savannah is her future. Her mom explained that musical theatre is a profession that depends on luck and timing, and those will be the deciding factors for whether she ends up on Broadway or pursuing
her passions elsewhere. Both Savannah and her parents are practical about the likelihood of her making it but they are doing everything in their power to make sure that she has the tools to succeed. While the future is still uncertain, Savannah knows one thing for sure— performing will always be a part of her life. “I can’t see myself doing anything other than theatre because it’s such a magical thing for me,” Savannah said. “My life without it is just bland.”
Junior Savannah DeCrow embodies the peppy character Amber Von Tussle from “Hairspray” this past February. Amber is known for being spoiled and attention-seeking. Photo Submitted
Dec. 7, 2018
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Mr. Marcus
Mr. Marcus contestant #12, TJ Short, shocked the audience as he and his bros spit water into each others mouths. This performance, the Human Water Fountain was based off of an act from America’s Got Talent. With his friends as his backup dancers, John Linch lip synced to the Backstreet Boys' "Everybody" for his talent performance in the Mr. Marcus competition.
Junior Olivia Stefani wowed the crowd as she sang "Ashes" by Celine Dion in between Mr. Marcus performances.
Winner of Mr. Marcus 2018-2019, Regan Rogers, performed a rhythmic gymnastics routine as his talent.
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Photos emily lundell
Seeking Refuge
Texas becomes immigration battleground story REYA MOSBY AND MADI OLIVIER photo Tara Connick While running for president in 2016, Donald Trump put his main focus on immigration reform. Since being voted in, he has fulfilled his promise, enforcing new immigration laws and altering previous ones. Since Texas is a border state, many Central and Latin American immigrants settle here. The 4.5 million Texan immigrants are an influential part of the state’s economy and culture. Consequently, students often have strong opinions on immigration issues like the Zero Tolerance Act and tent cities. Trump supporters believe that the U.S. can’t accept the thousands of immigrants seeking to come or else there will be few jobs available. Some conservatives want to keep out illegal immigrants and deport those already here. “If they are seeking asylum because the economy is just bad where they are, I wouldn’t allow them to come in,” senior Daniel
Asdel said. “Their economy won’t improve by having the young leaving the nation because that’s the only way for the nation to improve.” Liberals typically oppose Trump’s policies, and believe that immigrants strengthen the United States. They support paving a pathway for undocumented immigrants to become citizens rather than deporting them. “I do not like the [immigration policies] at all. I feel like there could be better ways that they could discourage immigration,” senior Margaret Kane said. “When I see [how the government treats immigrants] on the news it just breaks my heart.” They also believe in allowing families to stay together at the border rather than separating them. “I feel sad for them,” senior Margaret Kane said. “I feel like we should do a little bit more. If I were in that situation, I would want someone to help me out.” Both conservatives and liberals typically can agree on one thing — something needs to be done.
New immigration policies timeline Story Madi Olivier and Reya Mosby
June 2015
June 2018
The Wall
tent city in texas
Candidate Trump first announced his idea of building a wall, funded by Mexico, at the border.
January 2017 first Travel Ban
It prevented immigration from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya for 90 days. It also stopped refugee resettlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely. It was later blocked by federal courts.
march 2017
This ban prevented immigration from Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya. It boosted cooperation with the United States and ended the ban on Syrian refugees. Although the second travel ban was repealed, the Supreme Court allowed it to take partial effect against immigrants without proof of a relationship with somebody already in the United States.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the government was terminating DACA, a program to give illegal children a work permit and a social security number. The decision was extremely controversial. Multiple lawsuits were filed, and the rulings of state courts in the upcoming months will determine the program’s future.
June 17, 2018
september 2017 travel ban
October 2018 The Caravan
During the midterm elections Trump used the caravan to of Central American immigrants to rally his supporters behind promises for further immigration reform.
Nov. 25, 2018
Caravan arrival
Protest erupted across the country against this policy that stated that anyone caught attempting to enter the country illegally would be prosecuted and their children would be forcibly taken away. Some of the children were as young as infants. After the country expressed their rage towards the policy, the Trump administration announced that it would be terminated and mentioned possibly bringing the policy back at a later date. In five weeks, 2,300 children were removed from parents and housed in detention facilities along the Mexican border.
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Trump announced an end to Obama’s Catch and Release program, which allowed immigrants to be released while they wait for their court date. Despite this announcement, about 100,000 immigrants caught at the border were released.
Trump issued a third version of the travel ban to not allow visas to people in Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
september 2017
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catch and release of immigrants ended
Second Travel Ban
zero tolerance
Immigrant youths seeking asylum from South America were detained in tent cities, near the border. Formerly the policy was that unaccompanied minor immigrants could be released to U.S. relatives, or put into the foster care system. One center near the border that gained attention was Ursula. Immigrants reportedly called it La Perrera — dog kennel in Spanish. Pictures were published showing as many as 20 children being held in cages.
The caravan threw rocks at the border in Tijuana, and the United States retaliated with tear gas.
Nov. 27, 2018
possible government shutdown
Trump told POLITICO that if Congress doesn’t send him the bill approving $5 billion for the wall along the border, he would be “totally willing” to orchestrate a government shutdown.
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Consequences
Trump’s changes in policies have limited immigration. -The number of approved visas for Muslim-majority countries is expected to drop by 81 percent due to Trump’s travel ban. -The number of African immigrants is expected to fall by 15 percent by the end of 2018. -The number of immigrants from Central and South America is decreasing as a result of Trump wanting merit based immigration.
42% of accepted immigrants are from Asia.
20% are from Latin America. 11% are from Europe. 8% are from Central America.
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What do students care about POLITICALLY? *from a poll of 280 students by The Marquee
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tax cuts - 11%
LGBTQ+ RIGHTS - 12%
ABORTION - 17%
COLLEGE FUNDING - 19%
gun legislation - 20%
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immigration - 21%
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The process of legally immigrating can take up to 10 years, costs over $3,000 and does not guarantee entrance into the country, so many attempt to enter illegally.
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Forced to flee
Venezuelan immigrant starts new life in US STORY REYA MOSBY photo emily lundell Apr. 27, 2016 On the way out of their home country, the Venezuelan family was on high alert. Though they had work visas to legally enter the United States, they had heard the horror stories of the corrupt Venezuelan police not letting people leave if they knew they were immigrating. At the airport they hoped nobody would notice their multiple large suitcases because that was a key sign they were immigrating. While her parents were occupied, a police officer approached 13-year-old Diana Iampieri. He asked with a smooth voice where she was going and how long she was staying. Knowing what could happen, she began to nervously rack her brain for an excuse. Something. Anything. She began to spew out one crazy answer after the next. Her eyes averted from his, looking to her parents and silently pleading for help. When the Venezuelan officer walked towards her parents, they were filled with dread. Would he prevent them from leaving? Throw them in jail? Rob them? Instead the officer cut them a deal. The family would pay the officer a large amount of money to let them cross the border. They left the officer, still shaken up about what had just happened. They took a deep breath and boarded the plane that would lead them to the start of their new life. ••• Now a sophomore, Diana Iampieri remembers President Hugo Chávez who she says took almost everything from her family and her country. When he died, Diana said the streets were filled with endless celebration. The Venezuelan people once again had food on their tables
and money in their pockets, but Diana said President Elect Nicolás Maduro took advantage of their celebration. As a result, the people suffered once again. “People can’t leave. Children are starving,” Diana said. “They cannot hospitalize people. They just have to stay at home and die because they don’t have medicine to treat them.” When Maduro took office there was a mass amount of violence. Amnesty International said the number of killings
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People can’t leave. Children are starving. - Diana Lampieri, 10 in the South American country in recent years was “greater than those in many countries at war,” and there were 8,292 executions without trial carried out between 2015 and 2017. According to the Council on Foreign Relations the government races involving Maduro were condemned as “neither free nor fair” by the U.S. State Department. The government banned all protests, and security forces have attacked, detained or expelled journalists. That year, Venezuela
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became one of two countries in the Western Hemisphere, along with Cuba, to be rated as “not free” by Freedom House. Because of the constant fear of starvation, government corruption, violence and ultimately death, Diana and her family knew their country was no longer safe, and they had to leave quickly. “People started to leave because food wasn’t being provided and prices were going up,” Diana said. “No milk, no bread, only cheese that tastes like sand. People are eating from the trash. That’s when everybody started leaving. That was the drop that overflowed the cup of water.” Diana expected to leave, but when her parents told her the first few times, she assumed they were joking and brushed it off. It became a reality when her stepdad got a job in Denton, and suddenly her world and everything she knew came crashing down. “I don’t remember when everything went so dark,” said Diana. “I just remember being happy and then escaping from all of it.” It deeply hurt Diana to tell her grandmother that she would be leaving. When she finally found the words, her recently widowed grandmother begged and pleaded her not to leave. “When I told her, she just started
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crying,” Diana said. “I realized that it was actually real that it was going to happen, that I would leave and I wouldn’t come back.” Diana and her mom, Aura Lauro Cuervo, said they missed their family the most, and Aura feels leaving their loved ones was the biggest sacrifice. Aura feels that she sacrificed her children’s possible relationships with their family. “My dad… he’s in Venezuela right now... lonely...lonely,” Aura said as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut furiously trying to wipe them away. Diana grasped her mother’s hand and pulled her into an embrace. ••• July 30, 2017 It was Election Day in Venezuela. People were voting to change the constitution. The people lined outside the capitol building because they wanted the rights they felt they deserved. Holding up protest banners, they wanted to combat the corruption. The protesters climbed up trash trucks and dumped the contents on the empty
streets. They yelled until their throats were raw, but nothing was working. Diana sat safely with her parents in the United States watching the whole scene unfold on her TV. The protest was on every news channel and Diana was glued to the screen watching the mayhem unfold in her home country. The protesters set the trash ablaze. Large fires lined the streets engulfing almost everything in sight. The police came armed with large hoses and pointed them directly at the protesters. Water began to flood out with immense force, causing the people to fly across the streets. It was chaos. People’s bones cracked as the water hit them. Gunshots and screams filled
the air. Blood, bodies and trash were all that was left in the streets. In the center was a teenage girl. Her eyes were red and swollen from sobbing. She screamed and begged hysterically for the chaos to stop. Her wails were muffled under the screams of others and gunshots. Suddenly, there was another shot stopping her cries as she lay lifelessly in the street. Diana sat frozen as she saw the young girl’s body go limp. That could’ve been her, she thought. She blinked trying to make it go away and pretend she didn’t just see it. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her heart dropped to her stomach as she’s realized the country that she once knew and loved would never be the same. ••• Although it broke her heart to leave her friends and family in Venezuela, Diana was truly excited to come to the United States. She was thrilled to come to the land her favorite movies like “Mean Girls” are from. She wanted to experience things like locker rooms and meeting a boy and falling in love in this new land. “I saw things that were so pretty — all the hotels that seemed to never sleep,” Diana said. “The United States is where all the dreams come true.” Sadly, the dream hasn’t been as perfect as she hoped. Several times she has come face to face with racism. People have harassed her for speaking Spanish, telling her to go back to her country. Diana feels like one of the reasons people treat her and other immigrants the way they do is because most don’t understand how difficult it was to leave their home country. “We are not invading,” Diana said. “We are trying to get a better life in a better place, and the United States offers everything that we could ever hope and wish for.” One of the hardest things for her to accept is that she won’t be able to go back to Venezuela. She can’t go back because she wouldn’t be guaranteed a chance to return to the United States. “What do they want us to do?” Diana said. “They want us to go back and maybe get killed. They say all this hurtful stuff and don’t realize that our situation in the country [was] so bad that our only option was to leave so we could have a better life.” After leaving Venezuela, Diana and her mother decided to do everything in their
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Dec. 7, 2018
Gunshots and then screams filled the air. Blood, bodies and trash were all that was left in the streets.
ability to make their family proud so that the journey and its sacrifices would all be worth it. “I realized I had to make the most of it,” Diana said. “I had to do everything in my power to make my grandmother proud of me— to let her know that she let me go so I can have a better future.” Diana takes advantage of every opportunity that comes up to help — helping people is how she expresses her gratitude. She often participates in service opportunities and loves to compliment
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What do they want us to do? They want us to go back and maybe get killed. - Diana Lampieri, 10
random people throughout the day. “[My mom] taught me that you have to be as strong as you can no matter the circumstances,” Diana said. “Even if the circumstances mean leaving your home, everything you know, for a better place to be— for a better education. I see things now as an opportunity to be better. ” Diana and her family are waiting for their residency so they can start the pathway to becoming citizens. Once she was in the United States she realized just how troubled her country was. It was hard for her knowing that she was safe in the United States, while so many people were in danger in Venezuela. Diana wants to make her country proud of her. Her goal is to live out the dreams the people in Venezuela don’t get to. Working hard to accomplish this has become her ultimate goal. “I want to make my whole country proud of me,” Diana said. “I want to make them believe that there is always a better day coming. Maybe next week, maybe next year, maybe in twenty years, but there is always going to be a better day.”
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Hidden culture
Junior endures negativity because of Mexican heritage story Skyler middleton photo emily lundell “They don’t belong here… we need to deport them… they are all rapists... thieves...criminals.” Bits and pieces of her classmate’s comments were lost as junior Carla Ritter sat in her desk, clenching her jaw as a boy argued about immigration. He talked especially poorly of those who immigrated from Mexico. Her face was hot and her vision blurry. He turned to her with squinted eyes. “Wait…what are you?” he asked. The heat radiating off Carla turned into irritation as she spit back, “half Hispanic.” Her classmates’ shoulders tensed but the boy’s attitude didn’t change. Her memory is a blur now. She doesn’t remember her response, but the feeling of disrespect made an imprint. As the daughter of an immigrant, Carla was never one to stand back and allow those around her to make disrespectful comments about her heritage. “When people are talking about their views on immigration they will just say whatever they want because they don’t know about me,” Carla said. “I’ve heard things like ‘keep them out’, ‘they are useless’, ‘all they do is rape people’, ‘they’re thieves and steal our money’. It makes me so upset and I always speak up. I feel like a lot of it is misconception.” ••• When her mother decided to leave Mexico, it was not an easy choice. Angelica Urrutaa-Ritter was 18 when her mother passed away so she had to move in with her aunt. She became an engineer and met Carla’s dad, Carl Ritter, at the company in Mexico. He was from the United States, so as their relationship progressed Angelica decided to leave her home to start a new life in his homeland when she was 29. When Angelica immigrated, she
would no longer be surrounded by the family oriented culture of Mexico City. Despite being fluent in Spanish, many of Carla’s peers don’t think twice about her ethnicity. Since her father is white, her skin is lighter and she is considered to be white passing. “It’s sad, because they don’t know [Carla] is half Hispanic so she has seen a different reality from what I first saw,” Angelica said. “For her to hear something that is insulting our culture is really bad, but, unfortunately, it is a misconception.” ••• The string lights in the trees lit up the courtyard as people gathered in celebration. It was the Christmas of ‘08 and Carla was 6 — the first Christmas she remembers in Mexico. Smiling faces were all around, greeting her and her mother as they walked around. Speaking Spanish at home made these trips easier, as Carla was able to talk with those around her. The people of Mexico hold a special place in Carla’s memories. Between the sweet small talk with locals and the authentic food, she felt surrounded by family regardless of bloodline. Carla is beyond grateful that her mother has kept their culture alive at home. From speaking Spanish to cooking traditional foods to celebrating Hispanic holidays, it was important to Angelica for her daughter to grow up knowing about her country. “I love how she has kept her culture and tradition and I like how she has brought that on to me. It helps me feel different,” Carla said. “I’m very grateful. She is my role model, everything she has gone through. She is very inspirational person.” Angelica taught her daughter more than the language, she taught her the
mindset. Hearing negative comments about her heritage was frustrating, yet Carla learned from her mom to be patient with those who don’t understand the intentions of many immigrants. “I get mad but then I realize they don’t have the experience I have or they don’t physically see what the culture is actually like in Mexico,” Carla said. She see these people that some of her peers label as criminals, instead as people that leave their homes and families for better opportunities. She wishes they were able to see the truth of the people that were born behind the border. “In a way you can’t blame them because they don’t have personal experience like I do, but then again you can’t just label these people as rapists or thiefs. Most of them are coming here to better their lives,” Carla said.
Junior Carla Ritter and her mom enjoy celebrating Christmas in Mexico. Photo Submitted
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In-DEPTH
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Design Jolie Mullings
Q & A: Indians’ perspective on immigration As the children of Indian immigrants, sophomore Ria Chacko, sophomore Namitha Madireddi and senior Nikhita Ragam are strongly connected to recent immigrant
cutbacks. If their parents had stayed in India, they might have had success in a career. Around 6.5 percent of students on campus are Asian, and Asians ar the largest group of immigrants.
Tell me about how Indian immigrants are treated in America.
Nikhita Ragam: It depends on the area. There are certain places in Texas where we’re commonly associated with terrorists because we appear similar color-wise. I have a little church group for the Hindu religion ... in Corsicana, and over there when we went to go buy milk people would stare at us really weird, but in a larger city people don’t really care about it. How hard do you think it is to come into America?
Nikhita Ragam: It’s definitely hard. I’ve had family members who struggled to get visas. Many people criticize about how the American immigration system is easy, but it’s hard to get in here, especially now. Do you feel like Indian immigrants are treated worse than other immigrants?
Ria Chacko: There are stereotypes on black people and Hispanic people that are horrible, such negative things, but with Indians, it’s just being smart … so I don’t think that people care as much about Indian immigrants because there isn’t as much of a bad name.
Design JOLIE MULLINGS
Nikhita Ragam: I feel like in some aspects we are treated better. Hispanic immigrants are really hated in American society, especially in Texas, all of that rhetoric does play in to it. But I do know people who have been made fun of for our culture. Should more Indian immigrants come to America?
Ria Chacko: Yeah, one hundred percent. The people that aren’t given as many opportunities as they are wanting, the people that want a better life than what they’re given in a certain country, why shouldn’t they move? Do you think race plays a role in how accepted an immigrant is?
Ria Chacko: I’d like to think it doesn’t but I’m pretty sure it does. Why does it matter where they’re coming from? It’s just people wanting a better life. Nikhita Ragam: Yes it does because I feel that if you aren’t Eastern European and you fit it into the white construct you’re treated better. We have cut back accepting immigrants from most countries into
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Photo Emily Lundell
Nikhita Ragam, 12
Photo Tara Connick
Namitha Madireddi, 10
Photo Emily Lundell
Ria Chacko, 10
compiled madi olivier
this country. How do you feel about this?
Namitha Madireddi: I understand why but at the same time I feel like we should expand because we have so many resources, and our country is so great compared to some of the other ones. How do you feel about illegal immigrants? Legal immigrants? Should they be allowed into the country?
Ria Chacko: Why is it that wanting a better life is a bad thing? We always tend to look at one side of it, because we think that’s right, but we need to look at both sides. Namitha Madireddi: I don’t necessarily think they’re bad, I think that they’re coming in for a specific reason and … we need to change something governmentwise so that people don’t feel the need to illegally immigrate. Nikhita Ragam: I don’t think illegal immigration should be encouraged, but I feel that the ones we do have currently, especially the dreamers and the people that are a part of the DACA program, should be provided a path to citizenship. I’m a huge believer in the theory of the global citizen.
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Family endures frightful departure from homeland, senior relocates to Texas alone to finish high school story ava bush photo emily lundell graphic khailyn agis In 2016, senior Metin Akkose sat in his room in Ankara, Turkey, typing an equation into his calculator, when he heard the sudden chiming of the doorbell. His hand shook as he set his calculator down, wondering if this would be the day that the authorities came for his father. Metin could hear his family running towards the door. A dead silence fell over the house. Metin saw his mother hugging his two younger sisters close. Her face was bloodless, and her eyes darted around nervously. When Metin reached her, she planted a kiss on his forehead, and his father, who stood between his family and the door, embraced his son. Metin felt a numbness creep into his limbs, as his father reached for the doorknob. His heart pounded in his chest. The door opened to reveal a pile of letters. “It’s the mail,” his father said. They let out a collective sigh of relief. Earlier that day, this same panic was caused by a neighbor, before that, one of his sister’s friends. Each time the doorbell rang, his family answered the door together, expecting to see men in
uniform. Each time, he thought it would be the last time he saw his father, just because he didn’t agree with the government. ∙∙∙ A few months prior, Turkish President Recep Erdogan used a coup attempt to make a power-grab to consolidate all executive power and imprison his critics. He then revised the constitution, allowing
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himself to stay in office for life. He has also been accused of fixing elections and replacing elected officials who challenged him. Metin’s father, a colonel in the Turkish Army, spoke out against Erdogan after the power-grab. He soon lost his job as a result, and Metin’s family knew he would most likely be imprisoned. “He didn’t agree with what the government was doing, and I guess some people just ratted him out. We didn’t know,” Metin said. “I was just hoping my dad didn’t get hurt or arrested.” After seven months passed, the time came for the family to flee their homeland. “We didn’t feel safe,” Metin said. “We knew what was eventually coming, so we decided to leave.” To avoid suspicion, Metin could only bring a single suitcase with him. He stared at his overflowing suitcase defeated and realized that it would be impossible to bring all of his valuables. Metin sifted through his belongings, picking out his most treasured items from among his stamp collection, clothes and photo albums. Metin embraced his father one last time before he, his mother and sisters flew to Belgium. The government had confiscated his father’s passport, so he would have to travel by other means. “My heart was beating really fast. I didn’t know if we were going to get caught or anything,” Metin said. “We really tried not to imagine the worst-case scenario.” Metin, his mother and his sisters made it to Belgium. His father fled over the Turkish border on foot and was rarely able to contact his family. It was a month before Metin saw him again. “Sometimes he would write a message telling us he was all right,” Metin said. “It was really nerve-wracking because at any moment he could get caught, and we wouldn’t know because he wouldn’t have
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been able to write to us.” Before fleeing his home, Metin never had to wonder about where his next meal was coming from, or if his family could afford necessities. Since their money was held in a Turkish bank, their lifetime’s savings was seized by the Turkish government after they fled. They fled Turkey hoping to survive on the cash in their pockets. “Fleeing was our last resort,” Metin
His family answered the door together... he thought it would be the last time he saw his father. said. “We waited for months, until we knew for sure that it was our only choice.” In Belgium, Metin was forced to reflect on his own opinions about refugees. His parents were essentially jobless and homeless, relying on the goodwill of others. Turkey’s history of accepting Syrian refugees had always irritated Metin, mainly because he felt the refugees blindly supported Erdogan and refused to assimilate into Turkish culture. “I didn’t hold them in high regard,” Metin said. “Until my family and I suddenly became refugees.” Just a week after his family was reunited, Metin was sent to Texas to finish high school. He was born in California and has dual citizenship in Turkey and the United States. The family originally wanted to come to the United States together. Since his father was fluent in English and had a masters in information technology, they believed he could find a good job here. However, because his family are not citizens, and his father’s passport was suspended, they couldn’t join him. “Just being without my family was Design Jolie Mullings
myself Turkish.” Right now, Metin is focusing on attending an ivy league school. He plans to major in Computer Science and International Relations. He is currently excelling in all AP classes, and enjoys the school’s debate team. Experiencing different environments and new cultures has inspired Metin to work for the U.N. or NATO in the future, focusing on cybersecurity. “The international environment gives me joy,” Metin said. “They’re just accepting and open towards everyone and I really like that.”
the hardest part,” Metin said. “We were a really close-knit family, and it was just hard for me to get used to.” His family was able to seek asylum in Belgium, living in a refugee camp. Metin avoided the refugee camp when he left for the United States, however his family lived there for over eight months. The entire camp had to share one
communal bathroom, and his family had to live in a single small room. “My mother put on a brave face,” Metin said. “It was hard for her because the place was disgusting, but she didn’t want to show my sisters that she was struggling.” Despite the hardships of the camp, Metin and his family were grateful for their safety. There has been debate recently among countries in the European Union,
such as Germany, about turning refugees away. Had Belgium not allowed his family to seek asylum, Metin believes that his father would have been imprisoned, and his mother fired from her government job, leaving the family with no income. After coming to the United States, Metin had to face which country he identified with. He fell in love with the diverse international community in Belgium, and to confuse his loyalties even more, Metin developed American patriotism after time spent in the United States. “I constantly go back and forth as to whether I’m American or Belgian,” Metin said. “Both of my parents are Turkish. That’s a big part of my identity, but the past three or four years I have gone through so much because of the Turkish government and the people, that it makes me draw away.” While Metin has respect for his country’s history and culture, he can’t dismiss the political corruption that uprooted his family, despite expectations for him to remain loyal. “I went through so much,” Metin said. “I just can’t forget it all. Even though it’s kind of wrong, I don’t want to consider
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Dec. 7, 2018
They fled Turkey hoping to survive on the cash in their pockets.
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I went through so much...I can’t just forget it all. - Metin Akkose, 12
This past summer, Metin was able to visit his family in Belgium. Even though they’re always in contact with each other, his parents will never truly understand his life here. “I have this whole life that they have no idea about,” Metin said. “I work hard because I want to make them proud.” Metin is grateful for being able to live in the United States and finish his schooling, as well as the security he has here. He wants people to know that many refugees, like himself, often want to return the generosity of the country that takes them in. “When people are given help, they want to return the favor,” Metin said. “Like now, I want to be a computer scientist or politician and serve this country. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t have the opportunity to come here.”
in-depth
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Q&A
Get to know this season’s players story Shayla Sistrunk photo Maya Hernandez
Madison Dowd, Junior Position: Shooting Guard
Ava Strange, Junior Position: forward Favorite Show:
Favorite Movie:
favorite clothing brand:
Favorite Drink:
Friends.
Toy Story 3
Any type of flavored lemonade but preferably strawberry.
Brandy Melville.
Lesson learned:
A lesson I’ve learned from sharing the same passion as my brother Hayden is that it takes hard work to be successful because I constantly see him putting in work and never giving up.
Do you have a nickname that your teammates/ coaches call you? And Why?
I’ve always been called by my last name. It’s just funny cause it’s one syllable.
What is your favorite basketball moment?
What is the most difficult part about basketball?
Hitting the game winning shot in the championship over the summer.
Honestly the most difficult part is playing both sides of the ball unlike many other sports. You have to learn how to use your left and right hand.
What does playing basketball for Marcus mean to you?
What makes playing basketball with friends fun?
It’s a family and we work hard every morning for each other.
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sports
Meeting new people and forming new relationship. I get to spend so much time with them since I’m always at school.
mhsmarquee.com
Design khailyn agis
Zach Meyer, Senior Position: Forward Ideal Walk up song:
Drip to Hard- Lil Baby ft Gunna
Favorite thing about basketball season:
I like our team this year. We get along really well and we have become so close.
What are some things your teammates tease you about: They’ll always teases me about dunking. I don’t usually dunk all the time but they think I should because I’m so tall.
What is your favorite basketball moment?
I loved senior night last season. I was good friends with a lot of the boys that graduated last year. Playing with them in their last game was really fun.
Lesson learned while playing basketball:
Get closer to your teammates and make them your brothers. Our coach says it’s like a brotherhood and it’s true. When you get know them your chemistry builds up and you win a lot more games.
Favorite Meal:
Chicken Alfredo
Ideal Walk Up Song:
Drip Too Hard- Lil Baby ft Gunna
How has last season prepared you for this year?
Braydon Barber, Senior Position: Forward
Last year we had a much older team and I got to learn from many of the seniors. This year we are way younger and I’m in more of a leadership role.
What are your personal goals for the season?
Make it to the playoffs and represent our district
What do you plan to do after high school?
I have an offer right now and many more on the way. I definitely plan to play basketball in college. Design khailyn agis
Dec. 7, 2018
sports
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Story Nikhila Bulusu Photos Maya Hernandez
What says Christmas better than cookies? From gingerbread men to ornaments, you can decorate them however you want. In spirit of the holiday season, a few teachers and students put their festive skills to the test by decorating Christmas cookies. See if you can match the person to the cookie they decorated.
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1. Subha Cherukupalli 2. Mr. Osborne 3. Tony Wen 4. Mrs. Hazlewood
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entertainment
mhsmarquee.com
Design Alina Baqar
Mr. Osborne, AP Calculus teacher
Subha Cherukupalli,12 Best Christmas present you’ve ever received?
Favorite Christmas movie?
iPod Nano when I was 8.
Any fun holiday traditions?
“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
Favorite holiday snack/candy?
Rudolf because my nose gets red when I’m cold
Favorite Christmas song?
“Christmas Vacation”
If you were a holiday character, which one would you be?
Skiing every Christmas in Taos, New Mexico Fudge
Tony Wen, 12 Do you like hot chocolate with milk or water? Milk
What is one place that you like to go to during the holidays? I like to go look at Christmas lights with my friends
Favorite Starbucks holiday drink? Peppermint mocha
Design Alina Baqar
Mrs. Hazlewood, AP Stats/ Pre-Cal teacher Favorite holiday drink?
Eggnog because it’s only around during the holiday season
Who’s your favorite holiday character? Buddy the Elf
What’s the best part of holiday season to you? Spending time with family Dec. 7, 2018
entertainment
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silent minority vingThe legacy Ava Bush
@ava_bush1
Every time I would visit my grandmother as a child, she would tell me stories about my Choctaw lineage. My great uncle would also take my cousins and I to the Red River to collect shark teeth, arrowheads and flint rocks we would use to create our own arrowheads. I remember holding the arrowheads in my hands, their edges still sharp after hundreds of years buried in the earth. I felt so powerful holding them — they were weapons after all. Only now do I understand the fear my ancestors must have felt holding these weapons, when they realized that they wouldn’t be enough to protect against the European invaders. European explorers destroyed the native tribes, almost to the point of extinction. With dwindling populations and broken spirits, my ancestors fled to the outskirts of their territories, hoping to live as they had before. This ended in massacres by the U.S. government, such as those at Sand Creek and Bear River. These atrocities forced my ancestors,
Choctaw chiefs, to assimilate into European culture. It was the only way for them to avoid life-threatening abuse and discrimination. My family wore European clothing, bought a plantation and were even gifted slaves by the government. My ancestors thought that masquerading as white would protect them, but in the end, the government stripped them of everything and sent them on a 2,200 mile trek to Oklahoma in the dead of winter. The Choctaw had to watch their children be taken away by the government to “boarding schools,” where they were indoctrinated into white culture. Now, as a registered member of the Choctaw Nation, I qualify for government money to help with medical expenses and college tuition. It took me years to realize this was blood money flowing through our tribe, the U.S. government’s effort to apologize or repay us for those past atrocities. In 2009, the government issued an apology for the “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” that they instigated hundreds of years ago. Being native, while important, is only half of my identity. My mom is Choctaw and my dad is white. I didn’t grow up actively noticing the implications of skin color. When a woman asked my mom if she was Middle Eastern, I didn’t read into it very much, until I began to notice how my mom was treated at airport security. While I wish race would be a celebrated aspect of individuality and community, it historically has been used as an excuse to mistreat groups of people.
My people were killed because they were here first, then black people were brought here against their wills, and now people are being attacked for seeking a better life here — exactly what the Europeans did. The U.S. has a history of mistreating people who don’t look and act like the white majority, and this is what’s happening right now with immigrants. I have never encountered any hatred towards Scandinavian immigrants; I have only witnessed hatred towards non-white immigrants. It is time to stop disguising racism as concern for protecting America from “dangerous illegals.” After all, the most dangerous immigrants, who orchestrated a continental genocide and established a worldwide slave trading network, were white. A family friend, a middle school principal, told me that the middle school he works at in New Braunfels had to hire grief counselors to console the children of immigrants, who are experiencing panic attacks about their parents being deported. Now, families are being teargassed, separated for months at a time and facing harsh discrimination. I don’t want future generations looking back and wondering how we let history repeat itself. If we’ve learned anything from the natives, it should be that just because people aren’t like us, doesn’t mean that we have to be afraid of them. And being different doesn’t warrant someone to be treated as less-than human. I hope the government won’t have to release anymore apologies.
Boom Bahs — Things we like New iPads
Student section
New semester schedule
Students now have faster, updated iPads. These offer a more updated form of technology that is simpler for students to use. The new cases are also sleeker and include attached keyboard stands to make typing easier, leading to students using their iPads in class more often.
The student section is a loud, energetic part of the bleachers. Their funny signs and chants hype up the crowd and motivate the team. The student section helps make games feel lively and inclusive. Without them, the only fans we’d have would be parents. Games wouldn’t be the same without our spirited students and their loyalty to our teams.
This year, LISD altered its school schedule so that final exams would be taken before the winter break. Students and staff have rejoiced over this change, as it relieves the stress of studying and grading during their time off. Now, holiday spirits will no longer be ruined by the impending doom of finals.
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opinion
mhsmarquee.com
Design aeralyn stinson
Living legacy Tara Connick
@connicktara
I always dreaded entering my grandparents’ house. It smellled like mothballs and the bland tea my grandmother obsessed over. Always scared of breaking one of the blue and white antiques that had been sent from a distant relative, I was uncomfortable exploring all of the rooms. I spent the entire car ride to the house complaining about wanting to play in my backyard or continuing crafts in my kitchen. I never wanted to visit, but the second I would walk through the front door, I felt content. The small house was my safe haven, and it was obvious that my grandparents wanted to keep it that way. They made sure to keep our artwork where we could see it and organized our toys. My sisters would watch TV with my grandma or wait for her to make them a snack in the kitchen, but I always gravitated towards my grandpa. Sitting on the floor while playing with shiny toy cars was my favorite thing to do with Grandpa. My favorite memory
of our time together will always be him singing songs he learned in the military to make me smile. He had a never ending desire to spend time with family and make his grandkids smile. He made everyone around him feel loved no matter the situation. Whether he was making up a tale about spooky monsters that turned out to be friendly or experiences of his own with his family in New York or his visits to other countries, he had the ability to grab the attention of everybody in the room. He was my favorite storyteller. He created an environment where it felt like anything could be real. I would try to mimic his stories and create ones even better than he told, and he would always act like it was the most amazing tale he had ever heard. Every moment that I got to spend time with my grandpa, my imagination grew stronger. From him, I learned the ability to find a happy ending. Our family was connected by his love for all of us. Conflicts on how to raise three young girls, tension over our odd personalities and day-to-day struggles seemed so minuscule compared to all of the kindness he showed us. When my dad worked a night shift and my mom was exhausted from work and kids, my grandpa would come sit with me and my sisters until we all fell asleep. He would talk to us and watch golf on TV until our eyes began to shut and we were fast asleep. He would always help around the
house and spend holidays lending a hand to whoever needed one. He was my best friend. When I was in third grade, he died. It wasn’t a surprise — he had been sick for quite some time. Dealing with the loss wasn’t easy. I became closed off and stopped doing all the things that he taught me to love so much. Sometimes my mom would drive by my grandparent’s house as a way to remember them, but it never seemed to fill the hole in our hearts. He taught us so many life lessons. I found my creativity, improved my storytelling and sometimes I still catch myself humming the songs he used to sing. I am, and my family is, his legacy. We are the lasting proof of the amazing person he was and of the impact he had on everyone around him. I’d like to think he would be very proud of who I am today. ∙∙∙ Losing one of the most important people in my life was hard, but it was easier when I considered the parts of him that I would always carry with me. Having such a meaningful bond with such an influential person has shaped my personality and continues to help me grow as an individual. I didn’t have much time with my grandpa, but when I look back at it, every second was precious. I learned about myself and where I come from. I still learn from my time with him even if he’s no longer here to teach me.
Heys — Things we don’t like New mural
Bathroom trash
Gossip during announcements
The mural in the middle of the upstairs A hall exhibits past students artistic skills with their depictions of the school and their peers. These paintings make the campus look unique, so how about one for current students? We are just as attractive and talented as those kids on the wall eons ago.
Recently, students have stopped picking up after themselves in the school bathrooms. There’s trash on the floors, various objects left forgotten in the sinks and several unflushed toilets. Students need to realize that the bathrooms are used by the whole school and should start taking responsibility for their own messes. In other words, stop being gross.
After the pledges, announcements are made to inform students and staff about important school events and meetings. Loud interruptions in class can cause confusion about matters like club schedulings and fundraisers. Please save your gossip sessions and lesson plans until after the announcements. A few minutes of silence won’t hurt you.
Design aeralyn Stinson
Dec. 7, 2018
opinion
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Finding the rainbow Alex Anderson
@aalleexx1616
I sat alone in my blue Toyota, the June heat pierced my windshield and toasted my legs. With shaky hands I typed out my message. “I’m tired of hiding this…I’m bi...I’ve been terrified to tell you guys.” After typing my last word, I hit send and immediately locked my phone. I set my phone in my cup holder and stared blankly at my steering wheel for a response. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat — seconds seemed to pass like hours. My phone buzzed. My short breaths became nonexistent as I cautiously picked up my phone and turned the screen to face me. My screen was full of messages from my two best friends telling me how much they loved me. Tears rushed to my eyes. I knew in my heart that they were going to accept me, and the fear and frustration I lived with for months seemed pointless. Sky is queer herself, and Kendall is the most passionate LGBT+ ally I have ever met. I had spent much of my childhood and adolescence hating who I was. In middle school, I desperately tried to fit in with the popular crowd because I was dissatisfied with myself. They seemed so confident, and I craved that level of happiness. I wore
what was on trend. I listened to the Top 40. I became someone I wasn’t. When I entered high school and lost those friends, I found myself in limbo. I hated myself, everything about me. I had no idea who I was outside of my previous group. “Alex Anderson” was a mix-match of other people’s personality traits, nothing of her own. When I began questioning my sexuality, I felt like I was finally seeing all of the puzzle pieces, but they weren’t fitting together yet. ∙∙∙ The thick heel of my black boots sunk into the mud as a man taped a purple bracelet around my wrist. I turned to look at Sky as she finished getting her own bracelet. The booming pop music from the mainstage echoed throughout the park. We both turned to view the festival unfolding before us. It was 2018 Dallas Pride, my first Pride out of the closet. I couldn’t conceal the beaming smile on my face as we passed under a rainbow archway. A young woman walking past us complimented the pink, purple and blue flag tied around my waist. My response was a flustered “thank you.” What was a simple compliment to her was the first time I had a positive response to my sexuality from a stranger. It was the most personal compliment I had ever received, and she probably didn’t think twice about it. I took a deep breath and continued walking with Sky. Still smiling, I turned to her. “This is amazing,” I said. “I just feel-” I struggled to find the words to express how
I was feeling. “Safe,” she replied with a smile — I started tearing up. Even though I knew they would support me unconditionally, I had spent months convincing myself that my friends were going to discredit my coming out by telling me I was wrong about my own sexuality. I emotionally isolated myself from them. I felt like I was living someone else’s life and that my family and friends wouldn’t love the real me. There was no valid reason for me to think they wouldn’t accept me once I came out, but fear still consumed me till the moment I read their messages. Telling my mom, the center of my world, was no easier. After telling Kendall and Sky, I couldn’t keep it from her anymore. I felt like I was lying to the one person I tell everything to. But I was so afraid she would dismiss my sexuality as a phase that I couldn’t even sit her down to tell her. I blurted it out to her during a conversation one night. When she finally heard and understood what I said, she showered me with love and acceptance. The positive response from my family and friends set free the part of me that felt like my sexuality was something to hide. I felt like I finally found who I was and could stop trying to be someone I wasn’t. I love who I am, and this experience has created a new confidence within me. I no longer feel like a lost child, desperate to fit in and find herself. Now, I am my own person. I am beginning the next chapter of my life — a chapter in which I get to unapologetically be myself.
“That’s when the first pair of pants rips off.” -Theatre Room
“I’M ON A JUICE CLEANSE.” -S Hall
“Ahhhhh! My kazoo!” -Downstairs C Hall
“Isn’t Michelle Obama the lady that starred on iCarly?” - D Hall
overheard “It was like how to make your car dealer uncomfortable.” -Commons Bathroom
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“My projector is going to start smelling a bit like fire but everything’s gonna be fine.” -Upstairs W Hall Design Aeralyn STINSON
End the cycle of discrimination Staff Editorial Since the Revolution, America has been a symbol of hope for those who seek freedom and prosperity. However, The United States has become a hypocritical nation. For hopeful immigrants, America, land of the free, is becoming nothing more than a false promise. People claim that immigrants are the problem, but in actuality it’s the hatred that Americans harbor for those who are different than them. Today’s teenagers cannot let hate towards immigrants influence their actions as they mature into adulthood. If today’s teens let hate consume them as it did the adults before them, the U.S. will no longer be a place American natives and immigrants alike are proud to call home. The fear of the unknown affects how people treat and interact with immigrants. Being afraid of the unknown is common. Some people allow the fear of an unfamiliar culture to affect how they perceive those different from them. When put it in the context of immigration this is called xenophobia. It causes them to, at best, be wary of others and, at worst, become violent. Our country’s fear of people not like “Us” has been bolstered by our current president. This has caused xenophobic people to once again become commonplace
the MARQUEE
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instead of condemned. Instead of reminding people that diversity is part of what makes this nation so amazing, the government spews inaccurate claims and hateful rhetoric about immigrants who are not white. For example, the president perpetuates the stereotype of illegal immigrants being criminals. He claims that illegal immigrants pose a threat to the country because they will commit crimes other than entering without documents. However, four academic studies, including one from the University of Wisconsin, have proven that illegal immigration does not have an effect on the prevalence of violent crime or problems related to drugs and alcohol. No matter what opinion people hold about illegal immigration, the assertion that they’re all going to commit crimes when they come the America is false. Throughout the course of American history, the U.S. has chosen different immigrant groups to focus their pinpointed hate. For the first 100 years or so after the nation’s birth, there were no heavy restrictions on immigration. During those years, Irish, German and Chinese immigrants came in large numbers. Many Americans at the time didn’t approve of the Catholicism practiced by Irish and German
immigrants. They were treated poorly as a result. The Chinese were stereotyped as prostitutes, criminals and job competition. Even though all three groups were largely disliked, the U.S.’s first major immigration restriction was placed only on the Chinese in the late 1800s. But that was soon forgotten when attention turned to the floods of Italian and Eastern European immigrants. They were assumed to all be unintelligent, and so the government made all immigrants take a literacy test. The restrictions increased steadily and by 1928 the overall number of immigrants allowed in was decreased and quotas were established based on nationality. The number of immigrants from eastern Europe and Africa decreased dramatically. People from Asia, with the exception of Japan and the Philippines, could no longer legally reside in the U.S. This is where the nation is headed once again. The American adults, past and present, have set a terrible example for its youth. As the future of the country, teenagers can’t fall into the same cycle of hatred for immigrants as their parents. The xenophobia will not cease unless there is a shift in the mentality of the nation’s future, its young adults. That shift must happen, and, for the sake of our country, it must happen now.
How do you feel about immigrants coming into America? Should we allow them in? “It’s a hard topic. I feel like that they should [come] and hopefully whatever process the government has in place can come in a timely manner and do it the right way so that we know who’s here.”
REMARKS
compiled Madi OLIVIER
amanda vara, psychology “I feel like it’s always been a thing that we accepted. We’re immigrants ourselves to the country. [They should be allowed in] if they prove that they can help us out and aren’t just going to freeload.”
Aidan forgay, 11
Design aeralyn stinson
“I support it. They help the diversity and our economy so they should be allowed in.”
pranav sridhar, 10 “It depends if they’re good or bad people and who they are, what their intentions are and where they came from because we want our country to be safe. It just kind of depends on the person.” Olivia Niedhammer, 9
dec. 7, 2018
opinion
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Village Glow
design khailyn agis photo emily lundell
Junior Madeleine George sets up supplies for the cookie decorating booth. Visitors got to decorate cookies with candy and icing before enjoying their creations.
Twinkling lights and Christmas music created a mini winter wonderland at the Village Glow Festival on Nov. 17. The event is held every year at the Shops of Highland Village to celebrate the start of the holiday season with a tree lighting. Festive activities such as the Art Club’s face painting booth and cookie decorating give a little bit of holiday cheer to everybody attending the festival.
Sophomore Emily Seiler paints a young girl’s face at Art club’s face painting booth. Kids could choose between designs such as snowmen, candy canes and Santa.
Junior Emily Engberson signed up to work at the face painting booth at the Village Glow Festival. Kids could pick what design they wanted from a list of festive options for free, although the club accepted donations.
Junior Helen Wu cleans her brushes before painting a child’s face. The face painting booth was one of the most popular activites at the Village Glow festival.