The Marquee Volume 33 Issue 4

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American dream: out of reach

the MARQUEE VOLUME 33. ISSUE 1. FEB 1, 2019

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FFA students enter and win contests

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Alumnus forms successful gaming business

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Senior girl ranks first in nation for pole vaulting

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 EDITOR Kendall Cooper DESIGN EDITOR Aeralyn Stinson PHOTO EDITOR Emily Lundell Thirty-six members of the Junior ROTC program went on an orientation flight in a Chinook military helicopter. Each of the three flights were about 30 minutes long, which allowed students to get familiar with equipment and safety protocol. Photo Emily Lundell

CONTENTS

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR/ OPINION EDITOR Skyler Middleton NEWS EDITOR Samantha Thornfelt Feature Editor Nikhila Bulusu SPORTS EDITOR Ava Bush

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NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Alex Anderson

SHE SUPPLY DECA member raises money for local nonprofit helping women

ONLINE EDITOR Madi Olivier

FEATURE THE ROSE QUARTET Orchestra students form group and perform at wedding

SPORTS NEW TEAM ADDED ON CAMPUS Junior pushes for creation of new girls’ wrestling team

ENTERTAINMENT NETFLIX QUIZ Find out what show you should binge next

COVER JOLIE MULLINGS

REPORTERS Shayla Sistrunk, Reya Mosby, Michael Minton DESIGNERS Khailyn Agis, Emily Seiler PHOTOGRAPHERS Tara Connick, Maya Hernandez ADVISER LaJuana Hale PRINCIPAL Will Skelton The Marquee newsmagazine is a student-generated publication of Marcus High School. It is produced, edited and maintained through the efforts of the school’s advanced journalism class. The Marquee is designed to serve the school and community as a forum for open discussion and student expression. The Marquee encourages letters to the editor as part of its mission to educate, inform and provide an open forum for debate. All submissions must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit all material. Editorials reflect the opinion of the staff, not necessarily that of the administration. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author. Advertising rates are $70 per 1/8 of a page, with discounts available. Patron ads are available for $100. Online advertisements are also available. For more information call 469-713-5196. The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA, NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.

FMFD firefighters travel to California to fight wildfires STORY MADI OLIVIER When they arrived at the Woolsey wildfire, the Flower Mound Fire Department firefighters were greeted by aggressive flames and piles of rubble. The smell of smoke filled the air as the fire destroyed everything in its path, demolishing buildings, light poles and guard rails.

The firefighters worked tirelessly from Nov. 12 to Nov. 21 to contain the flames, which killed two people in the time it tore through the rocky California terrain.

Lewisville Fire Captain Brandon Woodward worked with the FMFD firefighters in California.

“You would see a wall of flame that’s probably 50 feet high, like a big tidal wave, just moving very fast across the hills. It’s scary and makes you very careful about what you do,” Woodward said.

California reached out to Texas for help containing the disaster as a part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, or TIFMAS. FMFD sent five personnel: Captain Curt Odneal, Captain Aaron Moore, Engineer Ben Jackson, Firefighter Dalton Blum and Firefighter Mark Kubena.

The department also saw the trip as a chance to help Californians, who had helped Texans in the past. The firefighters worked to reinforce containment lines and extinguish the hot spots, which are particularly active parts of a fire.

According to FMFD Spokesperson Brandon Barth, the responders were excited for the trip.

“When they were finally given the go

ahead they were ready to go and get there as quickly as they could to be of aid,” Barth said.

Before the fire, the mountains of California were filled with brush, but the fire destroyed all the vegetation in its path.

According to Barth, the Flower Mound firefighters described the terrain as a moonscape.

“When we got there, this fire had

“

Most firefighters would agree that the sense of accomplishment that we get from this is being able to help others when they really need help.

- Brandon Woodward, Lewisville Fire Captain

burned through this mountainous area with all these homes, so all this brush would normally be there and you’d see this green hillside, is just smooth and

The FMFD firefighters showed their state pride with other Texan fire departments in front of the steep California terrain. The landscape of California is extremely different than that of the relatively flat state of Texas, giving the firefighters a unique training opportunity. Photo Submitted

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FMFD firefighters use a fire hose to extinguish the Woolsey wildfire. The firefighters’ main goal as TIFMAS responders was to support the California firefighters and help where needed. Photo Submitted

black because it’s burned,” Woodward said. “It’s almost a little surreal sometimes to see that kind of thing.”

The firefighters’ typical day in California started early when they went to a daily meeting. After, they went out to the fire and worked all day to contain it before going to bed late at night to repeat the process the next day.

“Sometimes it can get a little mundane, but other times it’s very exciting. The work is dirty and difficult because you have to climb hills,” Woodward said.

Woodward said the citizens of California were very grateful for the assistance and made donations to the firefighters.

“They were very engaged and concerned about our welfare as firefighters,” said Woodward.

Some citizens of California lost everything they owned except for what they could put in their cars, which was tough for the firefighters to see according to Woodward.

“It makes me feel sad and makes me think of myself, my family, the things we have and how difficult that would be,” Woodward said.

Although they were able to learn from the experiences, especially leadership skills for any future disasters, the firefighters said they were mainly glad to be of assistance to those in need.

“Doing this job makes me feel very good,” Woodward said. “I think most firefighters would agree that the sense of accomplishment that we get from this is being able to help others when they really need help.”

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Challenging Taboos Junior fundraises for local nonprofit story kendall cooper Food and shelter are usually the top priorities for those in poverty. While both are critical needs, people with low incomes don’t have access to other things often taken for granted, including feminine hygiene products. With the desire to make a change, junior DECA member Nikhita Ragam began raising money for She Supply, a nonprofit organization helping distribute feminine hygiene products.

“I’ve always wanted to do something that has a social impact,” Ragam said. “I think this plays into that because I’m at doing something for [an issue] I’ve always been passionate about and helping them on a greater level.”

DECA is an international organization for students interested in the business career path.

Students involved create projects and compete in events that showcase their entrepreneurial skills. Ragam has been a part of DECA since the beginning of her sophomore year. This year, her project focused on fundraising for She Supply.

Ragam said her involvement with the organization means so much more to her than a school project.

“It’s a good source of inspiration for me to continue to do more for my community,” Ragam said.

During the Marcus DECA for She Supply Bite Night at Chipotle, Ragam raised over $250 through a portion of the restaurant’s proceeds from the evening. Ragam also partnered with Mu Alpha Theta to organize a gift card drive where she collected Target and Walmart gift cards worth $700.

When Ragam saw how much money she raised, she knew she was doing something truly valuable.

“It just makes me happy to think about there’s so many women that their needs will be met finally,” Ragam said.

•••

Kathy Meyer, She Supply founder and chairman, identified how desperately women in poverty need access to feminine hygiene products while on a

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church choir trip during the summer of 2016. A friend showed her a video about women with low incomes that were not able to get these products and they both agreed that something needed to be done.

“I don’t think you have to have a fancy title or an Ivy League education to go make a difference,” Meyer said.

There are 161,000 female-headed households in North Texas alone that live in poverty. Many of these women use their feminine hygiene products for much longer than suggested or even go without them altogether.

“The more research we did, we were horrified,”

In addition to raising money for She Supply, junior DECA member Nikhita Ragam works with and fundraises for the UNICEF club. She also partners with the Dallas Holocaust Museum to raise awareness about anti-semitism and hate crimes. Photo Maya Hernandez

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“

Meyer said. “We had no idea until we did the against women,” Ragam said. work.”

Meyer said that having sales tax on period products Meyer met Ragam during a packaging party at and being unable to buy them with food stamps Trietsch Church last October. At this event “makes no sense.” To solve the problem, she volunteers package feminine hygiene said that momentum in Austin needs products in quantities of 10 to build for laws to change. per bag. They also include a “It shouldn’t be that hard kindness card with words to get products. I mean, I don’t think you of encouragement in somebody that’s been English and Spanish. vetted through the state have to have a fancy She Supply gives the and is on welfare and is title or an Ivy League bags to local shelters living in poverty, you education to go make for distribution. shouldn’t make it hard Ragam initially for them,” Meyer said. a difference. gravitated towards “It’s a horrible situation She Supply because she as is.”

- Kathy Meyer, She says activism and “period However, creating poverty” have always been awareness and ending Supply founder important to her. As the taboos are quite different from daughter of Indian immigrants, raising money. When it comes to Ragam has experienced the stigma of social media, Meyer said that “a like is periods being perceived as unclean and not talked not equivalent to a donation.” about in her culture, a challenge both Ragam and “Social media is good for creating awareness, but Meyer have encountered is addressing the stigma they’ve got to move from awareness to consideration,” around poverty.

Meyer said.

“It’s uncomfortable and it’s taboo. People don’t

Typically, donations to She Supply are talk about that,” Meyer said. “You want to talk products brought to packaging parties instead of cash. about your granite counters and your perfect The next packaging party is after school on Thursday kids.”

Feb. 7 in the DECA room.

Both agreed that the stigma runs deeper in older people. They said that younger people tend to care much less and just want to help. Meyer said older women will often not invite their husbands to packaging parties, however, they sometimes show up anyways.

“Some men rally around it because they have sisters and mothers and they’re not embarrassed by it,” Meyer said.

•••

However, there is much less discussion about the topic in government settings. Texas is one of 40 states that tax feminine hygiene products as regular sales, gross receipts or luxury tax. Products and services seen as unnecessary qualify for the luxury tax. In Texas, contact solution and soap are sold tax free — tampons are not. In addition, feminine hygiene products are not able to be purchased with food stamps.

“It’s impacted me a lot to see the prejudices

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Senior Lily Prince and junior Alexander Kang ate at Chipotle during the She Supply Bite Night. A portion of Chipotle’s proceeds from the event were donated to She Supply. Photo submitted.

Feb. 1, 2019

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FFA students prepare cows for livestock judging Story Nikhila Bulusu photos Maya Hernandez

Grace Carver

Beams of the early morning sunlight streamed into the barn as senior Grace Carver worked for hours to make her Charolais heifer, or female cow that has never had a calf, look flawless for her judging competition. From scrubbing whitening shampoo all over her to blow drying her white hair to perfection, getting ready for this type of competition was hard work. For Carver and many other members of the National FFA Organization, previously known as Future Farmers of America, this has become a part of their daily life.

“I have to go to the barn every day after school to feed them, walk them and take care of them,” Carver said. “It’s not hard because I love it, and that makes it better.”

As a freshman, Carver, like many of her classmates, wasn’t sure about her high school path. After taking advice from friends, she signed up for an agriculture class and immediately liked it. Over the past four years she has invested the majority of her time in the organization and her animals, which led to becoming the Vice President of FFA. In addition to being FFA vice president, Carver owns three animals—a first-year heifer called Daisy, a cow named Ellie and her calf named May that was born over the summer. Carver said that acquiring an animal is different for everyone. In her case, she built a relationship with a breeder and has worked closely with him to show the same cow two years in a row, the second time with a calf by her side.

Many members of FFA who are raising cattle give up their summers to raise and bond with the

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Senior Grace Carver, Vice President of FFA, shows off one of her cows, Daisy outside of the LISD Agriculture barn in Lewisville. Carver goes to the barn everyday to feed, wash and train her animals.

animals that they are competing with the next year. This past summer, Carver was at the barn every day for the first few weeks after her calf was born. Through spending so much time with her animals, she has developed close relationships with them.

According to Carver, each of her animals has a distinct personality. May is spunky and curious, just like a little kid.

Daisy is more laidback and Ellie is strongwilled. Although it is difficult to put in so much time and effort with these animals, seeing them do well in competitions makes it all worth it to the FFA members.

“The most rewarding part is seeing all of our hard work pay off,” Carver said.

FFA advisor, Melissa Barnett, says she loves seeing her students be competitive and has noticed how much the seniors have grown over the past four years. She was also heavily involved with FFA when she was

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a student at Marcus so she understands the ins and outs of the organization and has worked closely with students to help them succeed.

“I’ve seen the seniors take on so much more responsibility, dedication and leadership,” Barnett said. “All of our kids are so hardworking and passionate about what they do and they really care about the legacy that they leave behind.”

While taking care of animals is a big part of FFA, for Carver, the best part of being involved with the organization is the friendships that she has gained. The group is often at the barn at the same time and travel together for competitions which has given them a sense of community.

“I’ve grown so close with all of my friends in FFA,” Carver said. “We are all there for a common purpose which is to work with these animals and make them the best that they can be.”

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Grant Golden

“FFA was appealing when I reached Marcus because I could practice Panic struck senior Grant Golden as he leadership skills and not just work received a call from his FFA advisor telling ethic,” Golden said.

Unlike most people, when Golden him that he needed to be in Prosper in 30 minutes for an interview to become the started showing his first animal, a goat, next FFA district President. He rushed to there was nothing unusual or shocking get in his dress clothes and sped down the about the experience. He was used to highway as the clock kept ticking. After a seeing his cousins in West Texas take stressful car ride, he arrived on time for care of livestock, so he was prepared to take on the challenge himself. He says the interview, surprisingly calm.

The interview went well and his next that there are only a few key differences task was to prepare a speech. The cards between caring for a domestic pet and were, once again, not in his favor. Golden livestock.

These animals are often scared was out of town all weekend which left him with little time to prepare. He worked of humans because of traumatic closely with his advisor—and his speech experiences they’ve had with them worked. He was elected FFA president for in the past. Golden says that it is the district covering all of Collin and part important to make the animal familiar with you to slowly start gaining their of Denton county.

“I was completely shocked and trust.

“With a puppy, they already trust overjoyed with excitement because throughout my years in FFA, I have you but with these animals, you have always looked up to the district officers, to break down barriers and make them and knowing that I could make an impact familiar with you,” Golden said.

Currently, Golden is showing a on others across our district was a surreal lamb and a steer, which is a male cow Senior Grant Golden, President of FFA, laughs in experience,” Golden said. the field with his steer, Cinch. At his last FFA show, Being involved with FFA has been a that has been castrated. His day starts Golden won Showmanship with Cinch. part of Golden’s roots for as long as he earlier than most at 4:45 a.m., when he goes to the barn to wash of his main goals was to initiate more can remember. and feed his animals, community outreach projects. Over the Both his parents which takes about holidays, FFA worked on a project that and grandparents were members, • FFA is a national organization an hour. Afterwards, focused on providing food, cleaning and they all even that focuses on agriculture he brushes them and supplies, towels, blankets and more for have the same and leadership, formed in puts oils in their hair. local animal shelters.

After school, he “In FFA, we have the motto ‘learning FFA jacket. Once 1928. goes back to feed and to do, doing to learn, earning to live, Golden reached eighth grade, there • The name of the organization wash them again but living to serve’ and a lot of people forget has been updated from this time he works the living to serve part,” Golden said. “As was no question “Future Farmers of on training them. president, I’ve been able to influence a that he wanted America” to the National He’ll walk them with lot of community outreach and service, to continue his FFA Organization because a halter and work which is cool.” family’s legacy by it welcomes members who on building up their FFA advisor Melissa Barnett expresses showing an animal aspire to pursue a variety of muscles by exercising how well the officer team has been for Jr. FFA which is careers. them on an animal working together this year. Barnett said for elementary and middle schoolers. • Most FFA members participate treadmill. All of his it is really easy to get burned out because Golden did in competitive events hard work paid off at FFA is year round, but the leaders are his last show, Winter passionate and that is reflected upon the theatre throughout throughout the year.

Buckle Holiday whole group. middle school and Classic, where he “I love seeing our kids be successful in enjoyed public speaking, which led him to be interested won Grand Champion with his lamb for whatever their passion is through FFA,” in that aspect of FFA. The organization having the best market lamb at the show Barnett said. “Just seeing that progress of them becoming leaders and being able has many leadership events that involve and Showmanship with his steer.

As district and chapter president, to talk about it with other people is really giving speeches and being able to answer Golden has a lot of responsibilities. One rewarding.” questions from judges.

FFA Fun Facts:

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Orchestra students form string quartet STORY REYA MOBSY The crowd watched the aisle, eagerly anticipating the music that would indicate the bride’s arrival. Finally, the moment came.

Everybody stood and glanced to the back. The string quartet looked at each other nervously as they took a collective breath and began to play.

The soft melody of “Perfect”

by Ed Sheeran filled the air as the bride walked towards her groom. The Rose Quartet intricately moved their bows back and forth. It was as if they were playing as one.

The string quartet is comprised of orchestra students. A string quartet is a musical ensemble consisting of two violin players, a viola player and a cellist. Senior Thomas Mowery plays violin, senior Kyndle Westrope plays cello, senior Sebastian Penallio plays violin and

sophomore Shelly Magnotti plays the viola.

They became friends last year when they were in chamber orchestra, the top orchestra on campus. On out of state trips they became closer friends. They first performed together in class as a quartet and decided that they would start rehearsing class music together outside of class and they immediately clicked.

Their first performance together was at a the wedding of Westrope’s family friend. The bride asked Westrope if she could get some friends together and perform. Westrope said yes without hesitation.

“It was really touching emotionally to see the bride and the groom exchanging their vows,” Westrope said. “They were very much in love, so we got to channel that in the music we were playing.”

The members of the quartet already had played together, so they figured this would be no different. When they had rehearsal they worked hard but, they still made time for fun.

“We are friends before we are a quartet,” Westrope said. “We are all genuinely such good friends who genuinely care about each other, so our rehearsals don’t feel so professional that we aren’t enjoying ourselves fully.”

They had never played at a wedding before, so they didn’t know any of the technicalities involving rehearsing and practicing for the actual day.

“When we first got to rehearsal for the wedding, we weren’t sure where we should sit or how loud or quiet we should play,” Penalillo said. “We just weren’t exposed to it, so rehearsals were very experimental. ” During practices at each others’ houses, the four players worked through classic wedding songs, a range of pieces that they picked and special songs that the The Rose Quartet, seniors Sebastian Penalillo, Thomas Mowrey, Kyndle Westrope and sophomore Shelly Magnotti looked at pictures from the wedding recalling the events from the day. bride and groom chose. During the time Photo Submitted consuming process, Mowry, Penalillo,

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Design tara connick

Photo Tara Connick

Photo Tara Connick

Photo Tara Connick

Photo Tara Connick

Senior Sebastian Penalillo plays violin in the string quartet. One of his favorite songs to perform is “Adagio for Strings” by Barber. He felt that it really opened his mind up to the deeper messages of music. He fell in love with violin in fifth grade when he heard his family friend play violin.

In sixth grade he chose to do Orchestra and has been playing violin ever since.

Shelly Magnotti is a sophomore who plays viola. She got into string instruments during her fifth grade, when she saw her middle school’s orchestra perform. She didn’t get too serious about orchestra until she saw her first symphony, which inspired her to want to be a better musician. She made it into the top orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, her freshman year and loves to rehearse with her friends everyday.

Thomas Mowery is a senior violinist. In sixth grade he began orchestra as a violinist. Music is something that can always lift his spirits. His most memorable moment from the wedding they played at was when the bride gave them handwritten thank you notes, Mowery says feeling appreciated for their music made every rehearsal and stressful situation during the wedding worth it.

Senior Kyndle Westrope is a cellist. Westrope joined Orchestra her freshman year.

She comes from a very musical family, so music has always been a big part of her life. Westrope really enjoys being in The Rose Quartet because she loves their dynamic as a group and their mutual love and passion for music, and she has many high hopes for their future.

Westrope and Magnotti grew even closer. forever,” Westrope said.

“It was a really good experience for us because we’ve always Besides the nerves they also had to manage the wind turning been friends but working together more musically gives us a their pages and an oddly large number of bees buzzing around stronger bond,” Magnotti said. them. But when the bride walked down the aisle to “Perfect,” They said that the obstacles they playing in a quartet faced seemed to no is already incredibly longer matter. intimate because “I’m always of how few people nervous at first, there are. There’s but when I got no director, so they into the music, it have to be a unit just felt like home,” that takes cues and Mowery said. cut offs from each The Rose Quartet other. They had to enjoyed playing - Thomas Mowery, 12 completely trust and at the wedding so rely on each other much that they and work as one. hope they can get “I love that all of us are so passionate about music,” Westrope more opportunities to play in the spring. said. “We want to learn new music outside of the wedding and ••• class music because we love learning great music. It’s not work The quartet sat laughing and smiling recalling the wedding. for us.”

The bride walked towards them and placed small envelopes in When the day of the wedding finally came, the musicians their hands. Inside were handwritten thank you notes expressing were both nervous and excited. They rushed as they got their her gratitude for performing. As she left, they thanked her for the music together and into their playing positions. They were notes and realized it was all worth it. The money they received doubtful of themselves and how they would do, but they trusted for playing was great, but the best part was that she gave them each other and wanted to let the music flow out of them. the opportunity to play for her on one of the most memorable “I was nervous because if you mess up it’ll be on video days of her life.

“

I’m always nervous at first, but when I got into the music, it just felt like home.

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Alumnus co-founds video game streaming business story chloe white Every week day from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Game Attack live streams video games — everything ranging from the newest blockbuster game to old classics — on Twitch.

On screen, it seems that live streamers, Craig Skistimas and Shaun Bolen have the dream job — playing video games for 10 to 12 hours a day. However, it’s not all fun and games — it took them many hard worked years to get where they are today.

Skistimas and Bolen run their Twitch and YouTube channel, Game Attack, as a business.

Skistimas graduated from Marcus in 1999 and majored in Journalism at University of North Texas. Now 37 and married with two kids, Skistimas admits that like many, he realized he wasn’t too interested in what he majored in during college.

“I realized I didn’t like to read or write, and it’s not a good thing to have if you have a degree in Journalism,” Skistimas

said.

He decided he either wanted to do sports broadcasting or talk about video games on the internet. In 2006, Skistimas began doing a podcast called SideScrollers with Tom Hanley. After developing an audience, they moved to videos. Skistimas formed ScrewAttack, a gaming website named after one of the most powerful attack moves from the Metroid video game series. YouTube launched in 2005, and in 2006 it was still only a place for short cat videos and funny clips.

“The word ‘vlog’ with a v wasn’t even a concept,” Bolen said.

Eventually ScrewAttack grew a large enough fan base — their content had about a million views per week — to host live events and sell merchandise.

“Our tagline was ‘something original every day,’” Skistimas said. “Back in 2006 the idea of producing something new every single day was mind blowing.”

In 2014, he sold ScrewAttack to Full Screen, a media company that offers consultation to YouTubers and other

Shaun Bolen, left, and Craig Skistimas, right, sat down with The Marquee for an interview.

Skistimas graduated from Marcus in 1999, and founded Screw Attack, a website focused on video games, in 2006. Photo Katie Clarke

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content creators, which then acquired Rooster Teeth, a media and entertainment company based in Austin.

Shortly after Skistimas sold ScrewAttack, Bolen moved to Arlington and emailed Skistimas about an internship.

“I grew up in middle of nowhere East Texas,” Bolen said. “I graduated, I went to college, I waited tables for four years and then I was about to finish my education degree. I was going to be a high school English teacher, and I said, I don’t do that anymore, because you will find out that once you get to college your mind might change a lot.”

While interning at ScrewAttack, Bolen finished his degree, then began to work full time for them.

During their time at Rooster Teeth, Skistimas and Bolen formed Game Attack. On May 1, 2017, they went independent from Rooster Teeth and brought Game Attack with them.

“When I started at ScrewAttack, it was really big,” Bolen said. “When we went independent with Game Attack, it was the first time I felt like creatively I was home. If you get on YouTube comments, people hate on stuff they don’t know.

But if you look at the Game Attack chat, everyone’s really nice, and everyone is excited to be there. It feels like going home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

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Never expect [streaming] to be your first and only job. Just make what you love and if it happens, it’ll happen.

- Shaun Bolen “When we started going live, it just gave us an opportunity to kind of reconnect with them and stream on a day-to-day basis, have this one to one relationship,” Bolen said.

While their following on Game Attack is much smaller than ScrewAttack — 4 million YouTube subscribers compared to 100,000 — that’s why they are passionate.

After 12 years of being online, they have built a community they trust to support them, regardless of platform.

“We wanted to have an opportunity where it wasn’t about having this massive audience,” Skistimas said. “For us, it’s not about the number of followers or number of subscribers, it’s about the quality of the followers or the quality of subscribers, because they care about us and each other.”

While their community has supported them, Skistimas and Bolen have done the same.

“We reinvest in our community.

Everything. Any money we make,” Skistimas said. “We know we need a project done, we look for artists in our

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community.”

Before they merged with Rooster Teeth, ScrewAttack Gaming Convention was held annually in the DFW area and was known as the “largest party in gaming.”

As Game Attack, Skistimas and Bolen are going back to doing conventions, but this time on a much smaller scale. Compared to the 5,000 people that attended the last ScrewAttack gaming convention in 2015, the tickets for their next event, Game Attack One Night Only, will be limited to 100.

“It’s the idea that we already know our community,” Skistimas said. “This is kind of turning it into a family reunion, and that’s the premise behind it.”

Bolen emphasized that unlike other events, where interactions are short, One Night Only will allow people to play video games, go to dinner, and go on late night snack runs with them for 32 hours.

Tickets for One Night Only are $750 and went on sale Jan. 11.

It took Game Attack years of ten hour work days, seven days a week to get to the point where they can host events like this.

Behind the scenes, much of their work is very business oriented — the tedious tasks no one wants to think about.

Creatively, there’s no red tape, but that comes its own set of challenges.

“There’s no one to answer to you. You have to have the answers to everything you need to figure it out,” Skistimas said. “You have to clean the bathrooms and you have to rearrange things. It’s not glamorous, but it has to be done. Every dollar that we make is extremely valuable.”

Since going independent, Game Attack has been able to hire a new member to their team, Greyson Watkins, as a new on-screen personality.

Bolen and Skistimas advise those who want to stream for a living to be authentic, play games that they love, and stream consistently. While other popular streamers may be good at video games, Game Attack is proof that to be a successful streamer, gaming skill isn’t a necessity.

“Never expect it to be your first and only job. That would be the biggest mistake you could make,” Bolen said. “Just make what you love and if it happens, it’ll happen.”

Skistimas encouraged anyone interested in learning about streaming

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to email him at craig@gameattackteam. com, and emphasized that Game Attack is always looking to grow and add new people.

Subscribe to game attack at twitch.tv/ gameattackteam

Twitch: A website that focuses mainly on live streams of video games. Creators on Twitch earn money when fans subscribe to them for a monthly fee, which grants them special perks.

Viewers can also donate directly to streamers. Twitch was bought by Amazon in 2014.

G1s: The name for fans of ScrewAttack and Game Attack, after an old radio term.

Live streaming: The live broadcast of video games. Live streaming allows for my interactivity among viewers and creators, as viewers can comment directly in a live chat during most live streams. This gained popularity in the 2010s.

Rooster Teeth: A media and entertainment company based in Austin, founded in 2003.

Twitch Prime: Introduced in 2016, Twitch Prime allows current Amazon Prime subscribers to receive free games every month and subscribe to one channel for free every month, among other perks.

GAMING TERMS

In Game Attack, they’ve slowly shifted from prerecorded YouTube videos of them playing various video games to doing mostly gaming livestreams on Twitch.

ScrewAttack: A gaming YouTube channel and website founded in 2006, ScrewAttack was acquired by Fullscreen in 2014, and then became part of Rooster Teeth.

Game Attack: A gaming channel, founded by Craig Skistimas, Shaun Bolen, Bryan Barker, and Parker Brohan from ScrewAttack.

In 2017, they went entirely independent from Rooster Teeth and Full Screen.

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Wrestling welcomes a new female team would ask the guys to show her moves they had performed.

The wrestlers were -The girls can choose between wearing a singlet or a compression shirt and shorts. happy to show off, and Schnoor picked up -The girl’s moves are the same taught to the boys. moves like single leg -LISD policy prohibits the girls from practicing wrestling locks. with the boys, so they must learn the boy’s moves by “It’s more about watching. strategy than muscles,” -The girl’s ten weight classes start at 95 and ends at 220, Schnoor said. while the boys fourteen weight classes start at 106 and In the beginning, end at 285. she joked with Peña about competing, -If a wrestlers hair, male or female, when in a pony tail however, he took her extends past their shoulders seriously. On the bus they must wear a hair cap which ride home from the is attached to their headgear.

Rockwall tournament in December, he asked her if she was serious enough to start a girls team. She said the boys commented on how different yes, and the following week Schnoor told it was to have women in the room while Peña she had five girls already they wrestled. However, most of the boy’s interested. concerns were about the fact they would “We were always looking to now be staying longer at tournaments. grow our program and I knew “The guys team being very open about the best way to do that would it and wanting a girls team as well as much be to get a girls team,” Peña as the coaches did, was kind of a breath said. of fresh air,” junior wrestler Justice Douse Schnoor said Peña worked said. quick to get the girls team Peña and the girls feel that the male ready. That week, he scheduled wrestlers have received the new team well, a hydration test, which is encouraging and supporting them as they the first step to competing would any male wrestler. Lewisville and and determines a wrestler’s Flower Mound both have female wrestling optimal weight and eligibility. teams, so the addition wasn’t shocking.

Peña said that he sees “I feel like every other school had wrestling as a way for women one so it wasn’t that big of a deal,” junior to learn how to defend wrestler Aidan Forgay said. themselves and become While most embraced the addition empowered. of the girls team, they’ve still faced some “If this is an outlet for criticism and questions. women to gain confidence and “Guys think we’re out of our minds to channel some aggression, just because they know how tough it is,” then I want to give them that Schnoor said. “Girls think that it’s weird opportunity,” Peña said. we’re doing a ‘guys’ sport.”

Before the girls first Despite the comments, the girls Sophomore Maggie Moore prepares to face off against practice, Peña emphasized continue to practice daily, learning new her Ryan High School opponent in the girls’ first meet. that the male wrestlers needed moves with Peña. According to Douse, Photo submitted to respect the girls. Some of the girls are comfortable around Peña and

STORY MICHEAL MINTON The newly formed girls wrestling team competed in their first meet Jan. 18 and started off with a victory in a duel against Richlandz High School. Wrestling Coach Justin Peña said that the newbie team impressed him by not only winning one of their duels but also by how aggressive they were throughout the meet.

“They surpassed my expectations,” Peña said. “I think they even surpassed some of their own expectations.”

The push for creating a female team was led by junior Samantha Schnoor, the athletic trainer for the boys wrestling team. After watching the wrestlers practice and compete, Schnoor developed an interest in the sport. “[It’s] just you and one other person,” Schnoor said. “It’s all up to you and your abilities.”

Between wrestling matches, Schnoor

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his coaching is easy for them to understand.

“I remind our team that we’re not going to be good overnight, this is a process,” Peña said. “It’s going to take time.”

The girls practice almost every day after school with Peña, who teaches them the basics like takedowns, breakdowns to bring down their opponent fast and pins to get both of the opponent’s shoulder blades against the ground.

These basics are helping them get ready to compete.

“I like being pushed to my limits, mainly being able to have an opponent who almost matches me perfectly, and us growing better as athletes and as people,” Douse said.

The girls team has increased its numbers in the last few weeks from six to 11 members. If the team continues to grow, they could even have their own coach. The team is still small, compared to the boys team of 65, mostly because it’s only been around for a semester.

However, Douse is hopeful that more girls will join the team soon.

“I feel like it’s just another barrier that needs to be broken,” Douse said. “I feel like there’s multiple girls here who could do a full contact sport and be great at it, but because of the stigma that already exists in our society, they won’t.”

The girls’ lack of team members can cause challenges during meets because a match can be cancelled if there is not an opponent from the same weight class. However, it doesn’t discourage the girls from practicing and competing anyways.

“That’s what wrestling teaches you, not to go around but go through the hardships you face in life,” Peña said.

Both Peña and the team members emphasized that if girls are interested in joining, they should come and watch a practice to see what it’s all about.

“Come to a practice, watch it, see what you think about it,” Douse said. “The next practice join in, get a feel for it, then make your decision about it.”

Design tara connick

Discipline is found not only on the wrestling mat, but in the wrestlers daily nutritional choices. Wrestlers are divided into different weight classes to determine who they wrestle against. To make sure they stay within the lowest possible class, which increases their chance of winning, wrestlers are careful with what they eat and drink.

“Wrestling is a true lifestyle sport. I say that because there is an immense amount of discipline,” wrestling coach Justin Peña said.

To begin competing, the wrestlers travel to Lewisville High School for a hydration test to determine whether or not they are eligible. They also measure body fat percentages which they use to determine their optimal weight to the ounce, which is the lowest weight they can drop to while still remaining healthy.

If a wrestler goes below this weight, Peña replaces them temporarily and makes them raise their weight before they compete to ensure their safety.

Wrestlers practice daily by drilling and repeating scenarios they are going to encounter on the mat.

Wrestlers do a lot of lifting and long distance running, but they mainly drill technique and practice scenarios they are likely to face on the mat which makes them better equipped to handle them.

To maintain their optimal weight, wrestlers have to constantly watch what they eat and drink, sometimes even sweating it out in saunas to reach their two pounds per week weight loss limit. This sets wrestling apart from other sports because athletes won’t be disqualified for weighing too little in tennis or football.

The day of the meet, the wrestlers are weighed to confirm their weight classes. Varsity is measured in the morning, so many wrestlers skip breakfast to ensure that they make the cut, while junior varsity is measured in the evening, so they have to be disciplined the entire day. Wrestlers are reweighed every day for multi day tournaments.

All this hard work culminates in the meets where the wrestlers can prove their skill. The wrestlers have 22 meets throughout their season. These meets can either be solo meets where each wrestler is competing for themselves to win or team meets where they try to earn points for their school. The matches consist of three one minute rounds, where wrestlers earn points by performing certain moves. For example a takedown is worth 2 points, so throughout the rounds they are trying to earn as many points as possible. At the end of the match, their points are calculated and depending on the spread between their points and their opponents they can win up to 5 points for their teams total. If during a match a wrestler is pinned they automatically lose and the winner gets 6 points for their team total.

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60 Seconds Do you like pineapple on pizza?

Not really.

What is your spirit animal?

A monkey because I’m crazy and in no shape, way, or form normal.

If you could time travel to any decade, what would it be?

The 70’s because that’s the [decade] my parents were born, and I want to see their culture.

What movie could you watch over and over again and never get tired of?

“A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

Alanna Baxter Senior

Compiled Reya Mosby Photo tara connick

If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Avi Kaplan from Pentatonix.

If you were any cartoon character who would you be?

Jerry from Tom and Jerry just because he always wins.

What would you consider your theme song?

The “Friends” theme song.

If you could be in any movie, what movie would you be in?

Well probably “Despicable Me.”

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cover jolie mullings

Student debt stunts Millennial, Gen Z success Story Alex anderson income, his family will not receive enough aid to be able to pay Upon Gen Z’s parents’ graduation, they were able for college without loans and scholarships. to buy a house and go to college without much, if

“I think the financial aid requirements are a any, debt. However, recent generations have not little extreme for this time,” senior Sean Watson been able to do so. With rising inflation rates said. “They think I can pay for it but [I can’t].” and living costs, current college graduates are Money Matters teacher Brenda Timmons said struggling to succeed as their once parents that the reason so many students graduate with did. overwhelming amounts of debt is that many of college Due to rising tuition costs, 71 percent students don’t look past the inital satisfaction students of college students graduate with student that loans provide. loan debt — preventing this generation “It’s easy to get the loan,” Timmons said. “But graduate with from achieving the same financial and career [students are] not thinking about in the future student loan achievements their parents did. Additionally, as when [they] have to pay it back.” debt home prices have risen, many students to struggle

Loans has aided many middle-class families to afford houses even years after college graduation. who are not wealthy enough to pay for their children’s Senior Sean Watson will be attending Texas A&M University college but who do not qualify for financial aid. However, many in the Fall. With three other siblings already attending A&M, he students take out more loans than they are realistically able has expressed concerns surrounding the price of college. Watson to pay back. This has has caused many financial struggles for said that since many colleges decide financial aid on a family’s Millenials and has begun to affect Gen Z.

71%

american dreams on campus From a poll of 300 students by the Marquee

Independence

Follow Passion

9-5 Job

College Degree

56%

74%

24%

69%

Homeownership 73%

Travel

Nice Car 52%

64%

Power 24%

Children

Wealth 68%

69%

Marriage 81%

Compiled ava bush

The average household has The average tuition of a four-year degree at a public university

213

has increased percent since 1987.

about $23,000 in student loan debt. With increased interest rates over ten years, people will end up owing an additional

$18,000 in interest.

Downsized Expectations

traditional American dream takes gen z longer to achieve of the expectation, there are so many things out there that you Story skyler middleton Most define the American Dream as home ownership, a could do with just a junior college first,” Timmons said. “I don’t think they’re aware of everything successful family, following a passion, that’s out there.” wealth and a college degree this includes Only 11 percent of students said the majority of 300 students polled by they plan on attending a community Around of baby the Marquee. Despite Millennials and college after high school and only Gen Z striving towards the same goals boomers owned a home two percent want to go straight into their parents once achieved, most aren’t the workforce.

While some students achieving what they wish to or what they by 30, but only excelled in school and will do so in expected, college, others know that school isn’t percent of Millenials do at Admissions Representative at UNT something they wish to continue Spencer Wolf believes the current the same age. after high school graduation.

American Dream is not to start from Timmons wants students of all nothing and achieve everything, but trades to know they have options to rather everyone can pursue their further their careers, some without goals, live comfortably and contribute obtaining a degree. something meaningful to the world.

While it’s more difficult to “Nothing is given for free, and nothing obtain a degree or purchase a house of worth comes without great effort,” Wolf without going into debt, Wolf said. “It all begins in high school.” thinks that young adults today have Students have shown that they want more options available to them what their parents have, but most than previous generations, and can Millennials haven’t been able to do so. achieve their dreams as long as they Junior exchange student Kathinka Kresse are willing to work hard.

He believes agrees that while the dream is achievable that the American dream isn’t a it is a lot harder for Millennials and Gen fixed idea. He noted that the goals Z. our nation has adapted themselves “I think the American Dream is over time and reflect the individuals possible, but it’s very rare. And you have that make up the country. to work really, really, really hard,” Kresse “I think nowadays the idea of said. pursuing a degree is discussed at Because of the raising average debt younger and younger ages, students levels and the lowering home ownership are aware of the multitude of choices rates, Millennials and Gen Z are going to out there earlier and earlier,” Wolf have a harder time achieving what their said.

“This leads to them beginning parents were able to. Around half of baby to prepare to follow their dreams a boomers owned a home by 30, but only lot sooner than before. ” 35.8 percent of Millenials do at the same About 80 percent of students on age. campus are preparing to attend a “Many students have already four year college after graduation, experienced that equality of opportunity which is 15 percent above the is not always a guarantee,” Wolf said. national average.

He thinks that “Some have to work harder and overcome LISD students are very focused on more challenges than others.” preparing themselves for the next Money Matters teacher Brenda steps after high school, since the Timmons thinks that students nowadays district is so focused on encouraging have many options to help them succeed students to further their education. in their future. She believes there are “For the most part, I believe different paths that young adults have that young adults are pursuing available for them, and many don’t the American Dream, and the include a college degree. thought that with enough passion, “I think [students] feel the pressure perseverance, and opportunity, young adults can achieve [to attend college] because of their friends. Even though it’s kind anything is still prevalent,” Wolf said.

half

35

THEN

NOW

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students, Teachers DISCUSS COLLEGE FINANCING “The minimum of what is required for a job today is a Bachelor’s, when a Bachelor’s used to just be a plus. So now people are dropping way too much on college just to get a standard job.”

“I was really fortunate that I only came out with $7,000 in debt, and paid it off in three years. A lot of my friends and peers are still paying off college loans after being out of school for ten years.”

- Elizabeth Lambert, Theater Tech, TWU

- Wes Davis, Choir, OKCU

“In Germany our college is free, because one of our constitutional amendments is that school and education is free for everybody.”

“I’m not taking out loans, because I want to do nursing, and it doesn’t make sense to go into debt for something that doesn’t pay that much.”

- Kathinka Kresse, Junior, exchange student

- Haley Herzig, Senior

What’s next for students Do you expect to take out student loans?

UNSURE

41%

What are your plans after high school?

YES

30%

11%

NO

4 YR

29%

How much do you plan to spend on college/ job training per year?

<$10,000 11% $50,000

From a poll of 300 students by the Marquee

$20,000

26%

3% 1% 3%

2 YR

MILITARY TRADE SCHOOL WORK

82%

Is your idea of the “American Dream” different than your parents’?

SLIGHTLY

YES

32%

43%

8%

>$60,000

7%

$40,000 19% Design jolie mullings

NO 24%

$30,000

29% feb 1, 2019

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teacher struggles with ‘frightening’ student debt Story Ava bush

graduated and got a teaching job. But, like many college students, Marauder alumnus Katie Richmond, 29, unlocked her phone she was shocked by the amount of interest that accumulated and opened her LISD while she was at school. That interest email. Richmond’s heart made paying back the loans extremely skipped a beat — four more “For the experience, it was an amazing decision difficult. parent emails had flooded to spend all four years at college. Financially, “Looking back now, it was a terrible into her inbox within ten it was the most irresponsible thing ever.” decision,” Richmond said. “I get paid minutes. That meant four on the 20th of each month, and it’s all - Katie Richmond, Durham middle school teacher gone by the 28th.” more students to tutor after school. She felt the After college, Richmond moved blood rush to her face as home for a year because of the loan she tried to remember debt. She assumed that since it was an whether she had enough installment debt, or a debt to invest food left in her classroom into one’s future, it was an okay debt to feed the students. to have. As Richmond found out after “These kids need to college, even installment debt isn’t eat,” she told herself, good in large amounts. rummaging through her cabinet, finally stumbling upon a box of fruit snacks. She counted them. They would last for today — she could make it. She turned to greet her students.

“Hi, sweethearts,” she said, as they filed into her classroom.

She smiled, as she did the math, subtracting her student loan payments, wondering how long she could make it without going to the grocery store.

Richmond has been teaching seventh and eighth grade math at Durham Middle School for over eight years. She graduated from University of North Texas with her bachelor’s, and earned her master’s from Dallas Baptist University. Richmond has $73,000 in student loan debt, and she said that it won’t be paid it off until after she’s retired.

“For the experience, it was an amazing decision to spend all four years at college,” Richmond said. “Financially, it was the most irresponsible thing ever.”

For Richmond, it wasn’t a question of if she would need Marcus alumnus Katie Richmond works at Durham Middle School and to take out student loans, but how much. After talking with was recently named DMS 2018 Teacher of the Year. Photo Emily her parents, she planned to begin paying them off when she Lundell

guide to college financing Story skyler middleton

Scholarships

College sponsored scholarships

AP courses give college credit for a fraction of the price. Even though certain colleges will not accept those credits, they look good on college applications.

If attending an in state college, there are general scholarships offered to students who qualify. While not every student stays in their home state, after attending an out-of-state school for a certain amount of time they can qualify for in state tuition.

Websites like College Board and Scholarships.com provide an easy way to search for scholarships. These are usually harder to win and the process of finding the ones you qualify for can be overwhelming, however they can be worth it.

Financial aid

Military based funding

Most colleges and universities offer students merit and other competitive scholarships.

Take AP classes

Schools offer their own program that gives out financial aid based on the estimated family contribution, similar to FAFSA but separate. This is likely students’ main source of aid.

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There is an abundance of programs in every branch of the military that offers college funding. Many have never considered the military as a college aid source, but the programs are too good to

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“Moving home for that year was really hard,” Richmond wouldn’t be going out to dinner so much. said. “I graduated college, I should be on my own, I should be “I can’t afford to go out and pay $20 to get into a club, and another $20 for a drink,” Richmond said. “I’m constantly stressed able to do all these things.”

After the year at home, Richmond was able to save and about money, but I love these kids too much to leave them.” move into an apartment. But it wasn’t cheap.The rising With her master’s degree, it is possible for Richmond to go into housing market in DFW has caused many people to commute school administration, or another higher-paying, competitive job, to work from other areas. Richmond said that if she moved but she doesn’t have plans to leave the classroom anytime soon. If home for a few years, she would be able to pay off the majority she had to do it all again, Richmond said she would have worked more during high school and college, and she would have of her debts, but at 29, she isn’t willing to give up her earned her basics at community college for a quarter independence. of the price. She urges college and high school “People living at home are people living kids to do their research on the cost of college, within their means,” Richmond said. “We’re community college and other options to avoid just trying to survive. It is obscene what I snowballing debt. pay for an apartment.”

“Unless high Every month, “Unless high school students go out of their way to learn school students $300 is taken out of about student loans, they unfortunately won’t be informed go out of their Richmond’s paycheck, way to learn about and after rent, very about them.” little is left. After years - Katie Richmond, Durham middle school teacher student loans, they unfortunately won’t of paying towards this be informed about debt, Richmond said them,” Richmond said.“They don’t realize that that only a couple thousand dollars has it’s an okay debt to have, in moderation.” been taken off, with most of the money she Regardless of her debt, Richmond is constantly, pays going towards interest. like many Millenials, caught between the traditional “It’s frightening, because you don’t truly realize and modern American Dream. Richmond considers her how much it is over time,” Richmond said. “It never dream to be more modern, but characterizes it by loving what she seems to go away.”

Richmond dreams of owning a house, and even being does. She is often at her school helping students from 6:45 a.m. to able to buy a box of animal crackers for her students without 6:00 p.m., and answers student and parent emails all evening. This stressing out about how much they cost. Like her parents, year, Richmond was voted teacher of the year at her school by her Richmond feels pressured to pursue the traditional American students and fellow teachers.

“Do something to better yourself so that you can have a better life Dream, but her loans have made that nearly impossible.

“I’m 29 years old, I should be married with one or two regardless of what is considered the norm,” Richmond said. “The kids and a dalmation at home,” Richmond said. “I live in an dream is what you make of it.”

While the rate of student debt and the price of college continue apartment, I’m single and have two cats. And it’s not even to climb, Richmond wants to reassure people that despite the about the credit, it’s about the debt you’re in.” economic hardship, it’s still possible to follow your passion and Richmond also feels pressure to live the stereotypical life of a modern 20-year-old, but even that has become difficult. achieve your personal American Dream.

Although she was heartbroken when her best friend recently “A lot of it is just being happy with the life that you have,” moved to Philadelphia, Richmond was relieved that she Richmond said. “I wake up every day excited to go to work.”

not look over. The offers of each program vary, but some offer complete tuition.

Employer tuition reimbursement

of grants, loans and scholarships. Based on parents’ last tax return, they create an estimate of how much families can afford and then base the amount of aid a student can obtain.

Certain companies offer their employees tuition reimbursement. At Starbucks, they offer a program through Arizona State University Online, that pays for bachelor degrees tuition costs.

Grants

Get a part time job early and start saving early

Student loans

Part time jobs may be intimidating at first, but getting into the habit of saving money early on gives important and life skills.

FAFSA

FAFSA gives students a personalized offer which can consist Design jolie mullings

Grants come from federal programs and colleges, and are free money based on students finances. Students can receive grants through multiple sources.

Today many students rely on loans to pay for college. The amount adds interest up to eight percent. Students end up paying more than the initial amount of the loan they took out. While this option can cost more in the future, it can be useful for students starting out.

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Senior pole vaulter ranks first in the nation It all seemed to happen in an instant.

Senior Mackenzie Hayward stood at The moment she hit the the end of the runway at her eighth grade mat below, she became district meet, gripping the pole between the champion of the her hands. The crowd was silent, and meet, setting a Hayward could feel every eye on her. The national record officials had stopped the entire meet so for the tallest ever that athletes and spectators could watch height her. Closing her eyes, she imagined the vaulted by a vault, feeling her muscle memory kick in. 14 year old.

Hayward’s mind went blank. She sprinted Hayward heard her down the runway, counting her strides, teammates cheer, and placing each foot, not too long, not too her parents shouting short, into each step. Hayward planted her name.

“I won and I was like the pole into the ground and flew over the - mackenzie hayward, 12 bar, every muscle in her body engaged as ‘this is it, this is what I want to do’. It was like she suspended herself in the air.

“I was used to crowds from gymnastics, nothing I had ever risk injury. but I had never had everybody watching done before,” Hayward “I was traumatized. I [had] done this said. me all at once,” Hayward said.

When she set a all my life, I [didn’t] know anything else,” national record, Hayward said. “I finally quit — best Hayward had only decision ever.”

Despite being worried about losing her been vaulting for about a year, and strength and muscle mass, Hayward quit had more experience gymnastics. At a loss for what to pursue in gymnastics next, her friend and former gymnast than pole vaulting, invited her to a pole vaulting practice the having competed as summer before eighth grade. Hayward a gymnast since she picked it up instantly, sparking a love for was three. Standing at the sport.

“A lot of gymnasts transfer to pole 5’10’’, Hayward came to find gymnastics vaulting, so I went to practice with her, increasingly difficult, and I just fell in love with it,” Hayward especially the tight said.

Even the coaches noticed her natural flips and twists ideally designed for talent. Her first coach, Hal Theodore, gymnasts 5’1’’ or recommended Hayward practice with shorter.

Although the high school vaulters even though she she was skilled was a middle schooler. Hayward is still in gymnastics, coached by Theodore, who works at Keller, Hayward was told and she’s also been coached by Andrew Senior Mackenzie Hayward’s entire family is athletic and competitive, by her parents she Reinberg after joining the Marauder track and have supported her pole vaulting since day one. Photo Emily would have to quit or team her freshman year.

Lundell story Ava bush

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I won and I was like ‘this is it, this is what I want to do’. It was like nothing I had ever done before.

Design khailyn agis

“Mackenzie is one of the hardest working people I have ever been around,” Reinberg said. “She almost out-works herself, because she has a stress fracture right now. She pushes herself to the limit, to the max sometimes, but that has given her the ability to overcome adversity and tough situations.”

She wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to workout before school, and then goes to track practice after-school during the season where she does sprints and olympic lifts in addition to upper-body strengthening exercises.

Hayward’s friends are supportive. of her goals. Senior Taylor Maddux has known Hayward since she began vaulting and has traveled with her to meets across the country to watch her vault.

“Mackenzie makes pole vaulting seem effortless. There was one time where I was a little scared she was going to hurt herself, but she didn’t,” Maddux said. “It’s scary, because she’s launching herself 13, 14 feet into the air, and that’s a long way At an invitational indoor meet in New York over the summer, senior Mackenzie Hayward, lifts to fall.”

Despite a recent stress fracture in her herself over the bar. Hayward competed and won first place against vaulters from all over the country. Photo Submitted shin, Hayward has never struggled with a fear of injury. As a pole vaulter, it’s not really like Coach Richards, and I’m really so small that everybody knows everybody, uncommon for Hayward to suffer from excited to go to meets with a team that so you go to a meet, and you’re going to cheer each other on,” Hayward said. a stress fracture. But Hayward and her feels like family.”

Hayward says her favorite part of pole “Every time you’re trying to better your coaches are confident that she will be as good as new in about a month, just in vaulting is the friends she’s made, and the own personal best. The competition is time to compete in Texas Relays and State. supportive, yet competitive atmosphere, just there to cheer you on and to do their “I never had a fear of heights, since making it a sport that she would love to best as well. It’s really amazing.”

I had so much air awareness from do for a long time.

“The pole vaulting community is gymnastics,” Hayward said. “Every aspect of your body has to be strong in order to pole vault. And if you don’t have speed, you’re not going to get down the runway with those poles.”

All of her hard work is paying off, as Hayward is currently tied for first place in the nation. She won state her freshman and junior year, and got second at state and third at nationals her sophomore year. Hayward has earned a full-ride scholarship to continue pole vaulting at Baylor, where she plans to pursue a nursing degree.

Hayward has also expressed interest in continuing her pole vaulting career beyond college, including competing in the Olympics one day, and sees working with Coach Richards at Baylor to be an important step in that journey.

“The team there was amazing, the people were so nice,” Hayward said. “I

Design khailyn agis

feb. 1, 2019

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Freshman makes waves on dive team experienced after each jump solidifying the realization that she had fallen in love with diving.

Rice began diving classes soon after.

After a year and a half of lessons, she took the next step — meets. With each year she got better and began competing in harder meets. After nine years of club competition, she became a star athlete on the school diving team as a freshman.

“Diving is difficult because it’s not just physical, it’s mental and a lot of people think that you can just get up there and do the dive,” Rice said. “But they don’t see the behind-the-scenes preparation you have to put in.”

Rice puts in long hours of rigorous training including strength training as well as practicing her dives to be a top athlete. Becoming a successful diver also requires mental discipline in addition to the demanding physical training.

The process of learning dives primarily takes place on dry land, where Rice completes rigorous conditioning exercises, focusing on her core, arms and legs. She also practices flips and twists on a trampoline. According to Rice, 70 percent of diving is workouts. Once she begins diving, Rice practices lead ups. When she and her coach decide that she is ready to fully try the new dive, they use bubbles so if she makes an error she won’t get hurt. Rice said learning new dives is her favorite part of the sport.

“It’s really scary, but once I have it, I’m really happy because I just get to try my hardest on it,” Rice said.

To be a successful diver, Rice altered her schedule to fit frequent practices. Her day starts at 4:45 a.m., when she wakes up for a two hour practice for the school’s dive team before attending classes.

“Since I dive so much outside of school, I don’t really have time for homework, so I do as much homework as I can at school,” Rice said.

After school, she has National Freshman Sydney Rice executes her dive at a 6 a.m. practice. She considers her hardest dive to be the Team training for two hours, where reverse two and a half. Photo Maya Hernandez she practices her harder dives.

STORY MADI OLIVIER The diving board seemed to tower over the lake as freshman Sydney Rice, then 6, peeked over the edge. Fear consumed her as she tried to muster the courage to jump into the water below.

Rice stood on the edge of the board as she imagined everything that could go wrong — she could hit the board, the water could hurt if she accidentally did a belly flop, the distance between the board and the water could make for a terrifying fall.

Rice pushed away the thoughts and made her decision — she was going to jump. She took a shaky breath and hurdled off the board. As she leaped through the air, the scary thoughts disappeared and she hit the lake with a splash.

Joy bubbled up inside of Rice as she came up for air. She scrambled up onto the board again, jumping into the water over and over again, gaining more confidence each time.

Rice was soon diving into the lake with grace, the childlike excitement she

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Rice qualified for a national meet to be on the National Team. She successfully did so by learning new, more difficult dives, such as her reverse two and a half dive, and scoring and placing well at meets.

“It’s amazing. Most of her dives are spot on. There’s not much error,” sophomore diver Maddie Moran said.

Rice is a standout athlete on the

“

She’s really good. Even her hardest dives are amazing.

- Maddie Moran, 10

diving team, according to Coach Sherry McGuire. She and Rice’s teammates have recognized Rice’s determination to be the best diver she can possibly be and her high caliber of skill.

“She’s really good. Even her hardest dives are amazing,” Moran said.

According to McGuire, Rice is always on task and is the first diver out of the locker room and to do whatever was asked.

“She is a very coachable diver.

She is well-liked and gets along with everybody,” McGuire said. “She’s very humble, but she’s determined.”

McGuire believes that Rice’s hard work has paid off. She recently placed first at the Aggieland Invite and second in the three meter event at the TISCA Invitational.

“She turns it on at a meet. She comes and and does her best. She is very focused,” McGuire said. “It’s thrilling for her.”

McGuire’s main goal for Rice is to Design tara connick

help her qualify as an All American.

McGuire has helped produce eight diving All Americans in her time coaching the dive team, and believes Rice is on the path to gaining the title.

“All American divers are the top hundred in the nation, and my goal is for her to be one of those hundred,” McGuire said.

Rice has similar goals for herself, including advancing through the season and competing at meets only the best divers can qualify for.

“My goals for this season are to make it to regions in high school because we are in a really hard district,” Rice said.

McGuire also believes that having Rice on the team helps other divers work hard to improve as well, which benefits the dive team as a whole.

“She’s willing to work really hard and put in the time and not take shortcuts.

She will do the work. She won’t cheat on a workout. She does it all,” McGuire said.

“It’s just great to have her around.”

••• The idea of smacking the water out of her dive was all Rice could think about as she watched the other divers, waiting for her turn to compete in the 2017 Red, White and Blue Nationals, her first year in a more difficult age group. She began climbing the stairs to the board and all she could think about was how many times she had executed the dive poorly in practice, nerves creating a sick feeling in her stomach with each step she took.

“At meets I’m a nervous wreck. Lots of people have to calm me down because I get really nervous and scared that I won’t do my dives well,” Rice said.

However, as soon as she got on the board with the familiar sight of the water below her and the rough feeling of the board beneath her feet, her mind went blank. She didn’t think of anything — not about smacking out of her dive, or hitting the board wrong and injuring herself. It

Design tara connick

Feb. 1, 2019

Photo Maya Hernandez

was just her and the board, and all she had to do was jump.

The judges signaled for her to begin, and she took a deep breath before bouncing on the board and leaping into her hurdle. She hit the board and flew into the air, gracefully flipping before slipping into the water, barely making a splash. The calm water signaled that she had performed a successful dive.

As she came up from the water, the same childlike joy she experienced years before bubbled up within her when she realized how well she executed her dive.

She eyed the scoreboard as she swam to the edge of the pool, anxiously waiting for her score. The board flashed the judges’ decision of a 7.5 out of 10— the best she had ever done. Her score secured her sixth place at the meet.

“I wasn’t really thinking about anything, I was just really excited,” Rice said.

••• After nine years of competitions and practices Rice’s love for diving has remained strong. Along with how to flip and twist into a pool, she said the sport has taught her valuable life lessons.

“I feel like it makes me a better person because I’m not just competing against myself, but other people too,” Rice said.

“So I get to work along others and try to pump them up and it makes me feel better to do that too.”

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Finding your flick

Discover your next Netflix obsession Story Alex anderson

With the rise of Netflixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity, subscribers have been treated to an abundance of original series and movies. In January and February, Netflix added new and old TV shows and movies to add to our to-watch lists. With increased variety of shows, there is one for almost everybody. So, before the binging begins, find out which Netflix original series you are most like.

1

2 Who is your favorite Netflix original character?

Where do you watch Netflix?

A. On your phone while studying B. On the couch eating a midnight snack

C. In the car on a road trip D. Laying in bed under the covers in pajamas

You open Netflix after a long day. What genre are you looking for?

What is your go to movie theater snack?

B. Extra buttered popcorn

C. Hot dog D. Sour patch kids

5

What is your favorite movie series?

A. Star Wars B. The Conjuring Series

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C. Kelly (Black Mirror: San Junipero) D. Kimmy Schmidt (The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

4

3

A. M&Ms

A. Jim Hopper (Stranger Things) B. Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown)

C. Indiana Jones D. Harry Potter

A. Fantasy B. Mystery

C. Action/adventure D. Comedy

6

How long is your usual Netflix binge?

A. One hour B. Two to three hours

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C. 10 hours D. 30 minutes

Design aeralyn stinson

Mostly A’s: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Sabrina is a darker twist on the classic 90s sitcom, and was created by the same team behind Riverdale. You are the embodiment of everything dark and mysterious, but you still manage to have a lightness that makes you easy and entertaining to be around. You are keen on self-preservation but you still value your relationships. When it comes to your friendships, you tend to favor a few close friends over large groups, but those close friends would stand by you through everything.

Mostly B’s: The Haunting of Hill House The Haunting of Hill House is a horror series that follows the Crain family and the demons that they carry with them after living in the Hill House. The show plays out as an interactive puzzle, constantly giving clues to the mystery you have to solve as the viewer. You’re very curious about seemingly everything, and you love finding solutions to problems. The Haunting of Hill House is the perfect show for you to binge and solve the mysteries of the Crain family and the infamous Hill House.

Mostly C’s: Maniac Maniac follows two people—played by Emma Stone and Jonah Hill—who become patients in a pharmaceutical trial. The effects of the drug take them on wild adventures that change with each episode. You are very adventurous and outgoing. You love exploring new ideas and possibilities, even if they aren’t always the best decision. People flock to your outgoing nature, and you’re constantly planning your next activity. This miniseries is the perfect way to live out your daring adventure fantasies from the safety of your own home.

Mostly D’s: Queer Eye Queer Eye is a reboot of a popular makeover show from the 2000s where five gay men makeover the lives of various groups of people. The show has become a pop culture sensation, with the Fab Five becoming instant stars.

You’re just a bundle of joy that everyone loves to be around. You’re easy for people to open up to, so many see you as their own personal therapist.

You tend to put people’s needs before your own because you pour your heart and soul into your relationships with others. So gather your own “Fab Five” and marathon the whole series.

Design Aeralyn stinson

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e d i u G ’s e n Valenti Story skyler Middleton

Regardless of relationship status, everyone should enjoy their Valentine’s Day. Whether you prefer to celebrate with a significant other or with your friends, it should be celebrated for what it really is — a chance to spend a day treating yourself and the ones you love. From the night before to the actual holiday, here is a guide to Valentine’s Day for everyone. Being prepared can make or break the next 24 hours.

The music The holiday falls on a Thursday, so a large chunk of the day will be spent at school. The music that is blasting through your headphones usually reflects your mood for the day, so having a playlist dedicated to Valentine’s Day

will prevent slipping into a sad negative mindset. Here are playlists created for all scenarios to ensure that regardless of your relationship status, you will be in a great mood all day long.

Playlists

“Forever mine” for those wanting to jam out to love songs.

“Thank u, next” for anyone ready to move on.

“Love myself ” the playlist for when you need a confidence boost

playlists avaliable at spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee

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Design Aeralyn stinson

The food The menu for the holiday is just as important, if not more important, than those you spend it with. Running to the grocery store the night before with your friends is a fun activity within itself and gets you excited for the day to come. Regardless of who

you are spending your Valentine’s Day with, having the perfect combination of sweet snacks and greasy food completes the experience.

Staying in

Going out

Those who really don’t want to get out of the house unless absolutely necessary have many options for takeout or delivery, but nothing beats the go to, ordering Dominos. Not only is it easy and affordable, but it pairs perfectly with a night in. To add an iconic Valentines Day dessert to your dinner, make your own chocolate covered strawberries. This snack is quick, delicious and a lot of fun to make. Making a pit stop on your way home at Tom Thumb is worth it when this treat is promised at the end.

Not everyone prefers to stay in on Valentines Day, and the best way to spend a night out is an amazing Hibachi dinner at Mt. Fuji in the shops. While this isn’t the cheapest option, many people enjoy splurging when given an excuse like Valentines Day. The Shops is the go to spot for a night out for good reason. If your friend group isn’t a fan of Hibachi, then Blue Goose is across the sidewalk.

After dinner you can swing by Ben and Jerry’s for a scoop (or three) of ice cream, or head over to Nestles Toll House for a couple of cookies. No matter what you’re in the mood for that night, the shops have you covered.

And finally the movies Netflix is every student’s best friend and deserves an invite to your Valentine’s celebration. Regardless if you squeeze in a movie as you get home from a night out or

if a marathon of your favorites is already queued for when you get out of school, here are a couple of suggestions for the holiday.

For the ones who just want to have a laugh:

For the hopeless romantic :

If none of the above is your cup of tea and you just prefer to have a good laugh no matter who you are with the possibilities for comedies are endless.

No matter your sense of humor, here are a few recommendations for the perfect Valentine’s day comedies.

- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Set It Up

Nothing beats spending a night in watching cheesy romantic movies with the ones you love. Regardless of if you unapologetically love romance movies, have a guilty pleasure for them or love to make fun of them, here are two movies that are perfect for all of the above.

- To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - Across the Universe

Design Aeralyn stinson

For the single empowered :

and

If you just aren’t that into romance movies, but still wanna chill out and watch something Netflix is filled with so many categories for whatever you are in the mood for. But if you and your friends want to feel empowered here are two movies that do the trick.

- Dumplin’ - Nappily Ever After feb 1, 2019

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than meets the eye vingMore legacy Samantha Thornfelt

@samthornfelt

“You’re joking right. There’s no way you’re Hispanic. I mean, look at you.”

My classmate began to lecture me on what defines a “real Hispanic” and the many reasons, including my fair skin and inability to speak fluent Spanish, that I did not fit his definition.

I made several attempts to correct him by explaining that my mother was Mexican American and my father was white, but he continued to tell me that I was wrong.

I wasn’t shocked by any of this. It wasn’t the first time that it had happened.

For most of my childhood, whenever I would mention that I was of Hispanic descent, there was at least one kid who would argue that I must be lying because I “didn’t look like one.”

My fair skin, blue eyes and light hair made me look more similar to my father than my mother and her Hispanic family.

It was easy to understand how people mistook me for white more often than my mother and sister, who both had dark hair, brown eyes and tan skin. Others

were often confused when I would show pictures of my mother’s father. They were shocked to see his dark complexion in comparison to my pale features.

Over the years, these accusations over my race began to change how I viewed myself.

I started avoiding telling others about my mixed ethnicity out of fear that I would once again be called a liar. I began to believe in what others considered to be Hispanic rather than my own heritage. I no longer trusted myself to define who I was.

With my family, I never had to think twice about who I was. Every year, my family and I would visit my mother’s family in her hometown, El Paso. I always felt a sense of pride when we visited the city.

I felt more immersed in my own culture than I ever was in North Texas.

While doing something as simple as spending time with my mother’s family and eating the local food, I never secondguessed myself.

During our trips, my sister and I would often find ourselves in the back of our grandfather’s car, driving around the city.

We’d pass older parts of the town as he’d point out the places he held close to his heart — the old Catholic church his grandmother used to visit, the houses he lived in and popular, locally owned Mexican bakeries and taquerias. On those drives, he would discuss the importance of remembering our roots.

Occasionally, I would mention my

classmates arguing about my ethnicity or the stereotypes I had heard them say about latin cultures.

“Mija,” he would say, “this is your culture. It’s something you should be proud of. That’s important for you girls to know.”

Despite my grandfather’s advice, it became much harder once I got back home. I would once again become insecure. I felt I didn’t fit well into either community. I felt isolated in both the white and Hispanic communities because I wasn’t entirely one or the other.

My culture was never something I deeply thought about. It was the homemade fideo, a tomato noodle soup, that my mom would make. It was the crucifixes and pieces of Mexican folk art that hung across our house. It was the routine remedies — VapoRub and Sprite — that were used when we were sick. It was the smell of roasted green chiles that wafted through our kitchen during the fall. It was the small, everyday aspects of my life that I had never thought to closely look at.

Now it has become possible to live by my grandfather’s words. Despite what others say, their words no longer affect me. My newfound confidence allows me to see that my ethnicity is not something to question or hide. It’s a part of me.

We all have things about ourselves that define who we are. These may make us insecure at times, but we must learn to embrace it. There is no reason to mask your true self, regardless of what others may tell you.

Boom Bahs — Things we like Breakfast carts

Cafe Barista Caren Ruppert

Career center classes

This year the students in the special education department have come door to door upstairs with a breakfast cart. This is a win for everybody because as students we love food, and the Special Education department gets money that goes back into their program. Make sure to keep an eye out for the cart full of treats in the morning.

We love the coffee and snacks in the cafe, but we also love the bright and smiling face on the woman giving them to us. Caren Ruppert is the Cafe’s barista, and she brightens students’ days by being exceptionally kind. Whenever students are having a bad day, her cheerful positive attitude can bring light to their day.

The career center offers classes to prepare for future careers.

Classes like animation and law enforcement which are not available on campus, and they recently added a class for future firefighters. Students say they appreciate getting to start training for the careers they want to pursue.

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Design aeralyn stinson

Moving through pain Shayla Sistrunk

@shaylaa_kaye

The mindset that I’d had for my entire life was altered in one day. My mind wasn’t even focused on the possibility of something bad happening. That August morning, I was sharing a hotel with my Nana in downtown Arlington. For two days we went to a Christian convention. We spent quality time together and praised God with different types of people. I smiled often in those two days.

I was excited to spend time with my 77-year-old grandmother, the woman that I’ve shared so many laughs with my entire life. She’s lived in the same house since I was born and every time I visit it smells like collard greens and soul food. I’d always walk in the back door to see her playing sudoku in her bed or messing with her laptop. I love seeing the smile on her face when me and my brother visit.

Those smiles turned into tears as the second day came to a close. I had never had something so catastrophic happen to me.

You see and hear about car crashes everyday but never prepare yourself when it happens

to you. It all happened so quick.

Once we finished the last session of the night, Nana and I headed to the car. We spent several minutes trying to look up local restaurants. The plan was to go to two different places. I put our destination in my phone and we were on our way.

As we drove down the highway, Nana decided to look at the map on the dashboard.

She tried to fix the map as we continued to ride down the busy road but couldn’t. Her eyes widened as she made the decision to pull over on the side of the freeway. I immediately had a bad feeling due to all the cars zooming past us shaking the vehicle.

I kept looking back noticing how hard it would be to merge back onto the road with so much traffic. My palms were sweaty and I felt trapped. I couldn’t stay calm, but Nana was, and she eventually finished messing with the GPS. We waited in for more than five minutes trying to get back on the road. I slumped back into my seat until I heard a loud sound that sounded like tires screeching against the pavement. Out of nowhere, a car hit the back of us and sent the car rolling into a ravine. I immediately started to scream. My mouth was wide open and I immediately began to panic.

My whole body ached and I bit down on my lip when we were hit. The cookies I had on my lap were broken on the floor and my belongings littered the car. I was shaking and my Nana tried her best to calm me down.

I dialed 911 and that phone call quickly became the most emotional phone call I’ve

ever had. I couldn’t think as the operator kept asking me where I was. I didn’t know.

All I could do was panic and look around.

My mind was blank and it was hard to talk because I was crying so hard. Nana took the phone and talked since I was still a mess.

Letting my parents know what happened to me was even more difficult. Calling my dad and hearing his voice made me fall apart. I had no idea what to say, all I could do was cry. He reassured me and told to me remain calm. Most importantly he told me to be strong and not panic for my Nana.

That’s exactly what I did. I held onto her and made sure that she was okay the entire time.

Once the police and ambulance arrived, I relaxed a little. A firefighter came to my door and asked if I was okay as he explained the damage. The car was totaled. We were both fine and had no injuries. I was sore for several days and Nana had to get her back checked but we both came out unharmed.

My whole life I heard the phrase, “you’ll never understand what someone’s going through until you experience it.” It was one of many quotes that I heard but never really listened to. Every time something similar was said to me it went in one ear and out the other. I never took anything seriously and believed that it couldn’t happen to me until that day.

Now I know that life is so fragile and anything can be taken away from you.

Live in the moment and take nothing for granted. I am so grateful that God watched over me. He knew my story and the plan he had for me was far from over.

Heys — Things we don’t like People who walk on the wrong side of the hallway There is an unsaid rule to walk on the right side of the hallway, but students haven’t got the memo. Students who want to quickly get to class are constantly slowed down by people trekking the opposite way on the wrong side. Please people, have some decency and walk on the right side.

Design aeralyn Stinson

Blocked sites

Small speed bumps

The school district has always made a valiant effort to protect students from dangerous and inappropriate websites, but it has gone too far.

They have blocked sites like Cool Math games and even Google search. Students need access to certain websites to be successful in their classes.

The parking lot renovations done in the summer have been helpful, but the recent addition of smaller speed bumps have not been helpful. These speed bumps are easy to speed right over. We already have high schoolers that drive too fast, and bigger speed bumps would make the parking lot safer for everybody.

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29

The enemy of the people Kendall Cooper

@kendall_cooper7

I’ve been a journalist for a relatively short portion of my life, however, it has been a part of some of my most meaningful moments and decisions.

It has shown me how to open up to people. I was painfully shy and, quite frankly, unhappy before I joined the newspaper staff. What I didn’t expect was that interviewing for stories, which I was terrified of, made me much more comfortable talking to people. I started to value the quality of the story over my anxiety. Over time, I became much more confident in my writing as well as myself.

I had always liked to write, but I never considered writing journalistically.

However, through a chain of chance events, something I was good at became a passion. I fell in love with storytelling and informing people of important issues.

I and other journalists are extremely proud of our work, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take constructive criticism. But when that criticism becomes destructive, it’s insulting. I feel disrespected to hear the leaders of the free world calling journalists the “enemy of the people.”

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of the

press’ integrity before I became the press.

But we are not the enemy of the people — I am part of a larger system that keeps the people informed on everything from the latest political issue to the pet adoption at a local animal shelter. Being a journalist is putting the truth above all else. It’s calling out those who need to be called out. It’s an integral part of the system of checks and balances.

There is no free world without a free press.

Unfortunately, some media is still biased. News outlets like Fox and CNN set terrible examples for aspiring journalists and do not accurately represent what we do. However, it is not okay for the country’s leaders to demean us.

Some might be skeptical that’s what the intention is, however, President Trump flat out admitted it. While doing an interview for CBS, the president told reporter Lesley Stahl, “I do it to discredit you all, and demean you all, so that when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you.”

But the blame doesn’t completely fall on the president’s shoulders. Last October, Trump stood before supporters and praised Montana senator Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter shortly before the state’s election. The senator plead guilty to assault.

Against a backdrop of an unfolding crisis over a missing Washington Post reporter who was likely killed by the Saudi Arabian government, President Trump went before a crowd that cheered at the mention of senator Gianforte’s actions. It

deeply saddens me that we live in a world where politicians don’t respect the people keeping it informed.

While I have written few political stories, I told the story of a Vegas shooting survivor, a sexual harassment victim and how a local nonprofit organization helps underprivileged women. High school publications don’t cover much political news, yet I still feel continually dragged into this realm. My passion is under fire and so is this country’s future.

Encouraging a healthy amount of skepticism towards the media is perfectly fine, because journalists are human and make mistakes.

However, publicly humiliating and disrespecting journalists is not okay, it is not professional and it is certainly no way to represent our country.

Some countries where internet access is limited to silence the press include North Korea, China and Cuba — nations that Americans typically think of as highly oppressive. All three countries share one commonality — their lack of freedom and no free press.

Americans typically consider themselves better than these countries and even take pity on them because of how oppressed their people are. Freedom is an ideal Americans deeply pride themselves on, however, I am extremely concerned that the nation is adopting the values of countries governed by dictators.

If the United States doesn’t reverse course soon, this freedom Americans love so much will begin to slowly but surely deteriorate.

“My mom left me on read.”

-Library

“Do you have a Dell?” “I have her album.”

-Upstairs B Hall

“A real man walks up stairs four at a time.”

-W Hall

“I’m not dating you, Alex from Doordash.”

-Newsroom

“I’m like Japan in medieval times.”

-C Hall

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“IS IT CALLED BASEBALL BECAUSE THERE ARE BASES?!”

-Upstairs B Hall Design Aeralyn STINSON

The new American dream Staff Editorial Many millenials are forgoing the traditional staples of the American dream — homeownership, children, and independence from parents — not always due to choice, but to student loan debt.

While the definition of the American dream has changed with each generation, the ideals behind it remain the same — the freedom to achieve your dream, regardless of background.

One reason for the shift to student loans is the cost of college rising disportionately to the rate of inflation.

The cost to attend a public university has doubled in 15 years.

Student loans are an industry that’s ballooned to $1.5 trillion. In the current student loan system, the only ones profiting are the debt collectors being paid $800 million to collect student loan debt.

The situation is so bad that the top federal official in charge of monitoring student loans stepped down after claiming the government was protecting predatory lenders.

In Texas, state funding for college has gone down while enrollment has only been increasing. A college degree has become devalued.

In order to avoid college debt, students are losing sleep so they can get good grades to receive scholarship money. The

the MARQUEE

M

school system has become increasingly competitive — all because of our rising awareness of student debt. Though opportunities for scholarships exist, they won’t be handed to you — you have to search for them yourself.

While the system isn’t as helpful, Gen Z needs to remain realistic. You can’t major in music and expect to find a high paying job right out college. An education is valuable, but it isn’t worth going into deep debt for an unnecessary degree.

If you want to succeed in a competitive field, accept that you will have to work harder than your parents did to achieve the same goals. Have backup dreams, have realistic dreams, and come to terms with the idea that our lives are always changing. Your foolproof plan to your dream job may not work, but that shouldn’t discourage you from trying again. Many people that find success in competitive creative fields such as writing, journalism or art, had a backup career first — and they find ways to incorporate their passions in their current job.

Outside of PreAP and AP classes, and especially outside of Marcus, it’s common to hear students not even considering college. Many don’t realize even with average grades, it’s possible to get into a good school, and even get scholarship

money. However college may not be the best option for everyone — and that’s okay. Our school needs to help students who are not going to college develop life plans and career aspirations. We are only hurting ourselves by viewing college as the only viable option after school.

No matter what path you choose, receiving some form of education after high school is important. We are creating a group of high school graduates who are stuck in a cycle of laziness — either still living in their parent’s home or barely making it by with a starter job and apartment. This generation and Millennials already have the stereotype of being lazy — don’t let it stay that way.

Millennials, the ones most affected by rising tuition rates and high interest rates, always rank last in voter turnout.

If we want any real change to happen to the cost of education, we need to vote, and research candidates that will assist in stopping the rising cost of college.

This generation’s pathway to the American dream is different from our parents. We’ll need to work harder to achieve the dream of our parents, but it’s not impossible. We shouldn’t accept student debt as an inevitable future, or view a four year college college as the only viable option.

Does the original American Dream seem achievable to you? Why or why not?

REMARKS

compiled samantha thornfelt

“Yes—there’s so much value and hard work that most anything can be achieved with some elbow grease. But, I do struggle with the notion that there is an equality of opportunity.”

Nikki Minich, M9 English 1 “The original American Dream was seen as something that could be accomplished through hard work over time. In today’s world, the reality that you can be successful... and not experience substantial hardships along the way is unachievable.”

Swetha Akkineni, 11 “I believe it is still possible.

It’s hard because a lot of people are also trying to achieve the same dream, but if you work for it, it’s definitely still achievable.”

Tori Rees, 10

James Paponette, 12

Design aeralyn stinson

“It is possible, though not right now. I think in the future if we work towards eradicating inequality and discrimination, then we could all achieve the American Dream.”

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Scoring For Scholarships

The students vs. faculty basketball game is held annually to raise money for Marcus Memorial Scholarships, which are given in honor of students who have passed away. The game raised $1,428.75.

Design emily seiler

Senior Marcel Brooks practices with the students as they prepare to play against the staff during the game on Jan. 11. The game resulted in a 33 to 31 staff win. Photo Tara Connick

Junior Stone Raunam and senior Michael Soldner cheer on the student team. Photo Tara Connick

Above, head basketball coach Shane Rogers watches as the student team ties up the game during the second half. The staff then won the game in overtime.

Photo Tara Connick Right, cheer coach Brittanee Brown cheers for faculty members competing in the annual basketball game. While students and faculty competed on the court, they were cheered on by their counterparts. Photo Maya Hernandez