The Revere | 4th Edition 2021-2022 | Pike Road High School

2021-22 4TH EDITION

A LOOK INSIDE THIS EDITION...

Are we doing enough? Students explore options for those facing discrimination issues

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High school and junior high robotics teams compete at world championship in Texas

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Student opinion: Was Summit a better platform for our school?

27

Ask Paul: Readers ask for advice on student-teacher relations, a potential love triangle, and International Women's Day

42

New superintendent aims for PRS to rank in state’s ‘Top 10’ JACOB BERRY

Dr. Keith Lankford, new PRS leader, is intrigued by the district's progressiveness. Courtesy photo

Incoming Superintendent Keith Lankford, who will fill the shoes of outgoing district leader Dr. Charles Ledbetter, has big plans for Pike Road that includes evolving the district into an “elite” school system.

“I loved that it is a progressive school system, and that's rare,” Dr. Lankford said. “It is growing and is up-and-coming. We need new facilities, and we need a new high school. All of those things really intrigued me.”

One Nation Media and The Revere recently interviewed Dr. Lankford, who said he had an immediate connection with the school board and the students.

As Dr. Lankford noted, our school system is growing at a rapid pace. According to the recent U.S. Census, the Town of Pike Road has gone from a population of 5,400 in 2010 to over 10,000 in 2019. This makes Pike Road one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama.

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The superintendent’s ambitions go beyond just expanding the Georgia Washington campus.

Depending on the community's needs, he is open to establishing an early learning center or community elementary school.

Dr. Lankford recognizes the differences between Pike Road and other school districts.

As a young school system that emphasizes project-based learning, Pike Road differs from more traditional districts, and Dr. Lankford was quick to point that out.

“I think the difference between Alexander City Schools and Pike Road right now is, Alexander City is redefining themselves,” the superintendent said. “Pike Road is on the way up. They’re a new school system, a new city, where Alexander city has been around for quite a while”.

Pike Road is a new progressive school system that opened its doors in August 2015. In these seven years, PRS has been through many changes. For example, many grading systems have come and gone: the school began with Fresh Grade, then Google Classroom, Summit, and is currently using Schoology. The rapid gaining of campuses and the constant construction/additions to these campuses are another example. This presents the incoming superintendent of this school district with a unique challenge.

This is not Dr. Lankford's first time leading a progressive school system, however. Alexander City’s schools contain 3,036 students compared to Pike Road’s 2,228 students, but the two progressive school systems rank similarly in many areas. This includes areas such as academics and college prep. According to Niche.com, both systems have a ‘B’ rating in academics and also have a ‘B’ in college preparation.

Notably, Dr. Lankford sees the potential for the Pike Road School system and does not believe in settling for the status quo.

“Status quo is average. if you ever aim for mediocrity and you hit it, you need to reset your values and your expectations,” he said. “I want us to be an elite school system … We want to be a top 10 school system.”

Pike Road is "growing" and "upcoming"

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PRS designated ‘Purple Star’ district ZOEY BROWN & ANNACLAIRE NOLEN

Purple Star Schools is a public designation for military-friendly schools.

Pike Road Schools has earned “The Purple Star School” designation, a prestigious award which recognizes schools that assist military children transition and develop programs that recognize military service and civic responsibility.

One in 10 Pike Road high students hail from military families, according to estimates.

Alabama is the 13th state to pass legislation establishing a Purple Star Schools Program. To military students, such an outreach is long overdue.

“Since I was only moving up to my middle school years, I don’t remember how much moving affected my education,” Sophomore Sariya Landrum said. “What I do know is that since every school is different and is at different paces, it can be a struggle for military students to be on the same level, whether ahead or behind.”

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The Purple Star program is designed to address such issues as gaps and overlaps in courses being taught, varied graduation requirements, and the social and emotional challenges, according to the state Department of Education.

Three years ago, the Pike Road School Board approved expanding access to its schools for children who live on the Maxwell and Gunter Annex military bases.

Retired military veteran and high school math teacher Veronica Giles- Ball is a co-coordinator for The Purple Star program here. She embraces the concept as she chose PRS for her son, a rising senior.

“When surveying the area, Pike Road stood out sports and education wise,” Ms. Giles-Ball said.

“I decided it was the best for my son.”

Ms. Veronica Giles-Ball

Military kids move all over the world an average of every two to four years. That's a lot of new faces and new school environments to get used to. So how can PRS help them feel more welcome?

Giles-Ball suggested a welcoming committee to efficiently immerse students from military families, because it could be easier for them to be around other military students who are “in the same boat.”

As a military student, Sariya can relate. She believes that the sending and receiving schools need to do a better job of “keeping track” of transcripts.

Ms. Dawn Davis

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“Montgomery schools’ enrollment situation is complicated and can take a long time. Pike Road makes it easier for quick and timely enrollment and that's why military families may choose it.”

One of my military friends got put into all of the wrong classes at the beginning of the year. . .”

Sariya explained. “And another friend didn’t have a GPA in records for most of the year (even though she had around a 4.0) and therefore didn’t qualify for certain things that required a certain GPA.” Ms. Davis, too, has ideas on how Pike Road could improve with the immersion of military students in the district’s schools.

Starting in August, Davis said that she has a goal of placing an indicator – perhaps a purple star – by each military student’s name in PowerSchool enrollment management system “so that I can have a roster of military students and know who their Patriot Time teacher is.”

Added Davis: A peer-to-peer mentoring program would be beneficial, so that when a military student enrolls in PRS, there is a student assigned to help them and show them around.

Since Pike Road is a magnet for military families and their children, Ms. Davis believes that being a Purple Star school is another step toward more military-friendly campuses.

“Montgomery schools’ enrollment situation is complicated and can take a long time,” Ms. Davis said. “Pike Road makes it easier for quick and timely enrollment and that's why military families may choose it.”

Read from the perspective of a PRS student with both parents in the military on page 34.

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Students find ‘safe space’ in a few classrooms, advocate equality KEVIN RAMOS

Editor's Note: The Revere attempted to conduct an anonymous survey for research, but were advised by the PRHS administration to take it down due to possible legal concerns. Still, nearly 90 students responded in the brief window that the survey was live. The staff turned over results so the anonymous student responses can be reviewed and administration can take action.

Room 222 on the Pike Road campus is a “safe space” for many students who are questioning their identity.

“In the three years that I have been at Pike Road, I have had roughly forty students approach me for a safe space to talk and disclose to me that they are part of the LGBTQ+ community," said Elana Woodall, one of a few teachers who has an open-door policy.

“I provide a safe talking space for students because I feel that it is important that they have adults in their lives that they can trust, who allow them to speak without fear of any repercussions …,” Ms. Woodall added. “I am not just here to teach. I am here to listen.”

“I am not just here to teach. I am here to listen.”

Undeniably, there is an issue with students who feel they are discriminated against at Pike Road High School (PRHS) due to support systems not in place to address those who target and harass those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community.

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Are support systems in place to address those who target and harass those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community?

Conversations on homophobia and discrimination towards LGBTQ+ individuals are difficult. Some may believe it's better not to intervene or even acknowledge the discrimination against LGBTQ+ students. But discussing and acknowledging this issue is necessary to prevent conflict among peers. If these situations aren't handled, bullying based on LGBTQ+ students' identities will continue.

As such, this isn't ideal, as students must feel safe and secure when they enter schools.

"It is our job as school employees to make sure our students feel safe during their time at school and our responsibility to take these complaints or concerns very seriously," said Tasha Ruppert, mental health services coordinator for Pike Road Schools.

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Students report feelings of uneasiness from the bullying and name-calling. And it hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.

“The administrative team of PRHS and PRJHS supports and are advocates for our students.

We want to ensure that all students feel safe and comfortable in the learning environment,” read a statement from Drs. Brittney Duncan and Jason Hadden. “Discrimination, bullying, and/or harassment will not be tolerated.

Ms. Woodall believes she has made an impact on the students who have contacted her. She believes it is important, as an educator, to welcome all students openly. After viewing statistics about teenagers’ suicide rates, her view on the matter shifted.

“If being that person for students at Pike Road can save even just one life,” Woodall said, “then it will all be worth it.”

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“Should students ever need to share concerns or issues, we are always here,” the school leaders wrote. “We also highly encourage students to share great ideas with us to make our campus more inclusive and welcoming.”

Students agree that new ideas are needed to approach these situations because some feel as though conflict involving LGBTQ+ students and their peers is not handled appropriately.

Although eliminating discrimination against LGBTQ+ students is unrealistic, many feel the school should work on showing these students support.

Forty-two percent of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered committing suicide, according to a recent survey by The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that provides around-the-clock crisis services.

Researchers also state students who face homophobia at school are more likely to suffer from mental health issues than other students.

“The administrative team of PRHS and PRJHS supports and are advocates for our students. We want to ensure that all students feel safe and comfortable in the learning environment.”

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Students can not perform to their best ability when they feel unsafe for being true to themselves. These students’ replies reflect our school's current environment toward LGBTQ+ students. Which is, unfortunately, currently harming students and their mental health.

Ms. Ruppert notes that any student experiencing bullying should find a trusted adult to talk to about it. The mental health services coordinator said that she talks to students in need of sharing their emotions whether they be from bullying or other experiences.

“It is important for students to reach out to mental health resources for many reasons,” she said.

“It is important for students to reach out to mental health resources for many reasons.”

“While immediately it feels great to talk and get out your emotions and troubles.” Added Hannah Bradford, a high school teacher, whose classroom is considered a safe space, “Every student faces struggles and deserves empathy and support, and those struggles are often compounded for students in the LGBTQ+ community. Providing safe talking spaces for students is perhaps the most important way we can create a culture of inclusivity and understanding.

“It is essential for students' mental health to have safe spaces, especially at school,” she added, “and especially in times of such uncertainty and unrest on a global level.”

Recent state laws could elicit more conversation about the students affected.

Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 322 which bans K-12 students from using bathrooms and school facilities that don’t align with their biological sex. Ivey also signed SB 184 which prohibits doctors from providing genderaffirming health care to minors.

The alarming statistics paired with the new bill concerning LGBTQ+ youth in Alabama should alarm adults about the environment these students face.

As it is, many students believe the current happenings involved with LGBTQ+ discrimination are insufficient. These students' opinions matter because they interact with the school and its environment almost every day.

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Many experts have researched the relationship between homophobia and high school students. For example, Vanderbilt University found that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to face discrimination and victimization than their straight and cisgender peers.

Naturally, many solutions have been found for this issue. Through further study, Vanderbilt deduced that high schools with GSA organizations (Gay-Straight Alliance) report fewer instances of bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Vanderbilt concluded that students who attended schools with a GSA were 52% less likely to hear homophobic comments.

“In education, creating relationships is the most important thing that you can do in your classroom. Students can not learn if they do not feel safe and connected to their teachers,” she said. “For LGBTQ+ students, it can be difficult to entrust an adult you barely know with information that is so personal and secretive for so many, which makes it hard for them to form those crucial relationships.”

To contact and schedule a meeting with the Mental Health Services Coordinator, email her at: tasha.ruppert@pikeroadschools.org.

Current protocol for students experiencing bullying is to fill out a form and then turn it into their respective principal. Once this is done, the principal will look over it and follow policies and procedures to ensure the bullying is addressed.

As a teacher, Ms. Woodall promised herself to make her classroom a safe talking space for all students. At first, she wasn’t sure if she was the right person to be talking to students.

However, students constantly talked to her about their issues and began to tell their friends to talk to her, too.

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Dr. “Chuck” Ledbetter leaves a legacy of rising enrollment, program growth and tax hike for schools TOM WALKER

As school days wane towards summer, the Pike Road school district moves ever closer to losing one of its most important leaders: Dr. Charles Ledbetter.

Dr. Ledbetter, who has served as PRS superintendent since June of 2017, recently made his exit. Under his leadership, Pike Road has grown from 1,550 students to over 2,200 students, with even more expected next year.

Dr. Ledbetter described his biggest achievement at Pike Road as “creating a culture focused on helping every learner prepare for their future.”

One way Dr. Ledbetter did this is by expanding the art program. Specifically, Dr. Ledbetter brought in Mrs. Kim, who originally worked as a translator for the school district, to work as an art teacher. Mrs. Kim went on to push her students to participate in different art competitions where students like Nadia Choi won district awards and moved to nationals.

Dr. Charles Ledbetter

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Like with art, one of Dr. Ledbetter’s focuses is expanding opportunities. These opportunities take many forms such as Advanced Placement courses, new electives, dual enrollment opportunities, and extracurricular programs.

Dr. Ledbetter was also involved with purchasing the Performing Arts Center that houses the band, show choir, and theater programs.

Describing this work as “empowering educators to be champions for their programs,” the district’s top leader focuses largely on expanding all of Pike Road’s programs because “there’s no one activity that’s perfect for every kid so we try to provide opportunities across the board.

“When the students find their passion,” Dr. Ledbetter adds, “we’re able to give them skills not just for one area but for their whole life.”

However, many people still don’t understand what exactly a superintendent does in this executive position.

“It’s about seeing the big picture, but not losing sight of the little details,” Mayor Gordon Stone said. “There’s a vision for where you need to be and you need to work with each member of your team to get there.”

Dr. Ledbetter’s team includes the board of education, principals and all of the teachers in Pike Road’s three schools.

“When the students find their passion we’re able to give them skills not just for one area but for their whole life.”

Dr. Ledbetter is heavily involved in building the Pike Road team, starting as early as the hiring process. He uses a specific acronym when hiring teachers: HIP, which stands for Humility, Integrity and Passion.

He said, “We need people who have the humility to put the needs of others above their own, who have the integrity to make sure they don’t cheat their learners, and have a passion about working with their learners and the subject matter.”

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“The push for funding isn't because I want funding. The push for funding is because to create the school system that we want to have here, we have to fund it to where we can do the things we need to be able to do.”

To Dr. Ledbetter, the hiring process is vital because “the people make the culture.” And that culture, he added, is focused on preparation for life and passion in the studies.

“Passion is contagious and when your teacher loves what they're teaching and cares about you, the passion spreads,” he said.

One of the superintendent’s final accomplishments for Pike Road was winning the vote for a property tax increase to support education. With this, Pike Road will finance the $50 million in bonds necessary to build the new high school.

“The push for funding isn't because I want funding,” Dr. Ledbetter told AlabamaNews.net.

“The push for funding is because to create the school system that we want to have here, we have to fund it to where we can do the things we need to be able to do.”

Even in his absence, the outgoing superintendent said the tax increase would “solidify Pike Road Schools’ future.”

Under the leadership of incoming superintendent, Dr. Keith Lankford, Pike Road is expected continued growth.

“We have a unique advantage here. Everyone moved to Pike Road because they care about education, they care about what we’re doing, and they want to make us better,” Dr. Ledbetter said. “That doesn’t mean everything is perfect, but it means everyone is working towards a better future.”

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Have it your way Lunchroom staffers open to menu upgrades BEKAH WILSON & SYDNEY BAKER

With students' help, the cafeteria will literally be the venue for choice meals. Photos: Freddie Brooks

Imagine lining up in the cafeteria and having other lunch options: Meatless Monday. Taco Tuesday. Wing It Wednesday. And so on.

Daron Bell, child nutrition program (CNP) director for Pike Road Schools, is giving students an opportunity to change the lunch menu. He wants to create a more inclusive lunch experience for all students.

Mr. Bell is striving to allow for all students to enjoy lunch at school regardless of dietary needs. As it is, options for students who are vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian are extremely limited to what they can eat in the cafeteria.

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“I want to include the students in the menumaking process. This lunch is for them,” the CNP director says. “We will always take suggestions from students on what they want.”

Other options could be Thai Thursday and Grilled Franks & Burger Friday.

“I would like to see more fruit and vegetables, also more options of chips and foods with more protein in them,” 8th-grader Sarah McQueen says. “I also feel like we should be able to accommodate people with things like eating disorders, people who are picky, and people who can't eat certain things like dairy, gluten, allergies, etc.

“We need healthier options as well,” she adds, “because the options currently aren’t healthy.”

Catina Jones-Jackson, CNP manager on the Georgia Washington Campus, says that she accommodates dietary restrictions the best she can by providing alternative side options such as hummus, vegetables, and fruit.

Although the staff is working on creating a more inclusive lunch menu, they also want to hear student voices on the topic.

So what do students want? The majority of students at PRHS/PRJHS feel that the lunchroom needs more healthy options.

“Having a salad bar would be really cool,” 7thgrader learner Sophie Bradsher says, “The current salads have certain stuff I don’t like. I feel like everyone would enjoy being able to customize their salads.”

Catina Jones-Jackson, lunchroom manager

Along with new menu items, some students say they’d like to see changes to the lunch room. Many students surveyed said they want to see a return of the second lunch line, as they feel it would move the long lines quicker.

“Since they took away the other lunch line, the line has been really long,” junior Bryar Gamble says. “It made lunch go a lot smoother because we could go into two different lines.”

The lunchroom staff says that they would like to put some of these concerns into place within the next year.

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PRHS robotics team engineers reality BEKAH WILSON

High school robotics teams compete in local tournaments. Courtesy photo

In the world today, robots are part of everyday life. Robots made their first appearance all the way in 1942 in Issac Asimov’s science fiction novel, Runaround. Fiction has become reality for Pike Road High's very own Robotics Team.

The Pike Road Robotics team won the recent Patriot Pride and placed in the top 50 in the recent VEX World Championship in Dallas.

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Even with their team-built robot at the competition they used everything they had learned to complete the provided challenges with success.

The PR robotics club is a VEX competitive robotics program. VEX Robotics Competitions are when teams of students are tasked with designing and building robots to play against other teams in a game-based engineering challenge.

Robotics Team coach Catherine Kenny explained the actual challenges team members face in VEX competitions.

“STEM classroom concepts are put to the test as a team of students compete in tournaments held year-round at the regional state, and national levels and culminate at the VEX Robotics World Championship each April.”

Sophomore Andy Tadjuidje says he enjoys the challenge.

“Since I missed out on robotics last year due to being virtual,” he said, “I had to relearn a lot of the basics, like engineering and coding. But that is what I love about it!”

“Because of many aspects involved in robotics, it has the potential to engage diverse groups of learners in complex, yet fun ways, encouraging them to collaborate with each other, while using their personal strengths to solve specific tasks that will be essential throughout their lives.”

“The competitions are the best part, you get new people, see different robotic designs, and compete with others in alliances.”

Andy notes how he loves the atmosphere and that everyone helps one another. “The competitions are the best part. You get to meet new people, see different robotic designs, and compete with others in alliances.”

Andy wants to use his education in Robotics for the future by possibly applying to universities that have engineering-based programs.

Anyone with an interest in Robotics or completely new to the topic, Ms. Kenny reminds you that “Robotics is one of the most valuable academic activities a school can provide learners in preparation for life.”

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Gridiron trauma: A student’s concussed clash with contact sports yields CTE cautionary tale.

TYRON FLOYD

Junior Lineman Kani Coleman came out of halftime tired and lightheaded after his warm ups. But when his team had the ball, it didn’t stop him from diving head first into the game.

It took Kani three plays to realize he should stop, but he pressed on until the 4th play. It was then he took a massive hit that caused him to black out.

“I was feeling dizzy with a headache. I feel like I blacked out before the drive and I just woke up in the hospital,” Kani recalls. “I don’t remember anything at all. I don’t remember the hit, but I felt the impact.”

The athlete underwent two weeks of therapy and he said recovery was a success. “I got better and better everyday,” he says. My head wasn’t hearting anymore. I was starting to feel more and more like myself everyday.”

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Kani Coleman

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Doctors concluded that Kani had experienced a major concussion. And while he’s incredibly fortunate to have completely recovered, he’s even more fortunate to not have been diagnosed with CTE. CTE, also known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is dangerous and can be lifethreatening for young athletes. CTE is a rare disorder that doctors don’t know much about.

All the they know is that it's a severe concussion.

Coach Garrick Pimienta, Pike Road’s director of strength and conditioning, says he makes sure before the games the players are properly equipped before they go out and perform. He said they take good measures with support in the weight room.

Major hits to the head and body can take a toll on your body. Here at PRHS, all precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the athletes.

Coaches advise athletes to always be sure to wear safety equipment when playing contact sports and see a doctor right away if you think you may have a concussion.

Countless professional athletes have displayed erratic behavior that’s connected to CTE. One of the most famous examples is Chris Benoit, a professional wrestler who killed his wife and child before killing himself. During his autopsy, the doctors claimed his head trauma made his brain appear like that of an 80-year-old man.

Recently famous NFL player Antonio Brown is suspected to be suffering from CTE. It started in 2019 when Brown was traded to the Raiders after dealing with a very hard hit to the head.

He complained about the helmet the NFL made him wear because he felt it wasn’t safe enough. Brown believed the helmet he wanted to wear had better vision and he was comfortable and safe wearing it. Many people have thoughts that Browns’ CTE had gotten worse over time.

Coach Pimienta said that lack of mouthpieces and reckless play is one of the issues that cause CTE to happen so frequently.

There is no cure for CTE. It is, however, preventable. The best way to prevent it is to stay safe when you play a contact sport like football or hockey. Always wear protective equipment, especially for your head and neck.

The disorder can take years to appear. A repeated head injury causes the disease, but the diagnosis can take years. Often athletes appear to go insane out of nowhere.

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Duncan boys throw down SPENCER GUY

Wrestlers Myers Duncan, second from left, and his brother, Hinds, beside him, are stars.

“I’m boutta throw down,” Myers Duncan often says while flexing and grinning before a match.

His older brother, Hinds, is less vocal and bounces with intense focus.

When the topic of student-athletes comes up at Pike Road, most will bring up “Coach Duncan’s boys,” the star wrestlers. Myers, a freshman. And Hinds, a sophomore. These siblings are a large part of what makes the PRHS wrestling team so efficient.

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Hinds, who has been wrestling for four years, recently placed second in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 5A-6A tournament this season. He also achieved second place in his 8th-grade season. That’s a total of 134 career wins.

“The reason wrestling is such a great sport to me,” Hinds says, “is that I believe it teaches you more things than any other sport such as discipline, leadership, independence, teamwork, and many more.”

Hinds loves the sport so much that he wishes to continue wrestling in college and elevate to the professional level.

Myers, on the other hand, is in the 9th grade and has been on the mat a little longer, wrestling for five years total with three of those years on varsity.

So far, Myers has qualified for state three times and has 94 career wins.

Like his brother, he shares a deep love for this combat sport. “Wrestling is a great sport because it teaches people how to be disciplined and it is fun to throw people around,” Myers says. “I would tell people to stay with it because you’re going to steadily get better.”

Myers Duncan in action

However, Myers wishes to end his career after high school. “I am most likely not going to do wrestling for college,” Myers says, “and I’m most likely going to focus on school.”

Myers’ and Hinds’ father, Coach Craig Duncan, is a major influence. However, it was never his intention to raise his boys as wrestlers. “I’ve wrestled for 44 years and tried to get the boys to try different sports but always leaned towards wrestling.”

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Esports: PR Gamers Become New Athletes HUDSON SCOTT & TRAVIS HORNE

Esports, which has gained traction worldwide as a new sport form, debuts at PRHS this fall.

All the nights spent staying up late playing games. All the times your parents yelled at you for keeping them up or staying inside your room all day can finally pay off. You can now prove those who said “playing games all day won't get you anywhere” wrong.

Esports, also called Electronic Sports, is trending and has been a part of the elective and athletic offerings in the nation’s high schools. It is a video-game based sport that brings together people from all around the world to compete in tournaments either in person or online. Games played in these friendly competitions vary from strategy to sports simulation.

PRHS’s very own Athletic director Joi Washington, organizer of the Esports team, explains the plans, “Esports is competitive video gaming, organized as a high school sport.

Like other high school sports, students will practice and compete in a regular season for the opportunity to advance to playoffs and be crowned champions. Students can participate either at school or at home due to the pandemic. We look forward to providing another opportunity for our students here at PRS, to be involved in organized activity. In partnership with AHSAA and Play v. Play gaming, Pike Road looks to launch our program as a Spring sport option.”

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To many gamers, esports has also been a comfort place to those people who are labeled “outcasts”, simply because they enjoy staying up late immersed in the virtual world. Dillan Johnson, a student at PRHS, is just one example.

When asked if he has ever played an official esports tournament, Dillan said he had not but has played in multiple community tournaments. He plans to start competing in an esports setting through PRHS’s new esports program this upcoming spring season.

Dillan is currently a sophomore who likes to play many online games, one of which is Rocket League, a game where you play soccer with a car that you can fly through the air and drive up walls with, all while trying to score a goal. He is currently one of the highest ranks in the game, placing him in the top 1 percent of players in the game globally.

Dillan was also asked if he planned to turn esports into a profession, use it for a college scholarship, or if it was just for fun. He responded, “Games have always been a part of my life, if I can get somewhere playing them then lucky me. If I don’t, that’s fine as well. I’ll always play video games regardless, because they’re fun.”

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Esports teams compete at 2019 international tournament in Shanghai.

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One more thing was asked towards Dillan, and that was if he thinks PRHS should have a curriculum to help get students into the esports industry professionally, or if an esports team would suffice. Dillan said, “I think either would be amazing! However, it would be hard to teach students with little knowledge about games at a higher level. Just like any sport, esports requires hundreds or even thousands of hours to play at an advanced level, let alone professionally. Despite this, I believe individual teams in PRHS’s program could make a waiting list for students who don’t make the team can come to learn and practice with the players sometimes. Players who make the team will be the best of the best because of how much effort they put in, unlike the average player.

They will be great for teaching a small group of aspiring players who are looking to get into esports.”

“They will be great for teaching a small group of aspiring players who are looking to get into esports.”

In the past four years, some 200 universities have begun offering some kind of varsity esports program and spending nearly $15 million in scholarship programs for top tier video gamers, according to the GlobalSportsMatter website.

While such awards field varsity-level and intercollegiate teams, GSM reports less than a dozen universities have developed a gaming/esports curriculum to prepare students to work in the $160 billion worldwide gaming industry.

An esports program would have many benefits for students and players. Esports is not only just playing video games, there’s also designing the games or analyzing the events that come into play as well.

This program is a great opportunity for students to develop skills for their future in the real world all while creating a future for themselves in a multi billion dollar industry.

Players learn communication skills through “game talk” and problem solving skills from being put through puzzles and tricky situations that players encounter in game. Kids also develop skills that can be helpful in the real world such as discipline, character building, and keeping your calm.

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The interesting part about video games is the amount of different things you could create.

For example, Rocket League is a game where you play soccer with a car that you can fly through the air and drive up walls with, all while trying to score a goal.

In Esports the ideas are endless. Engineers can create games with no limit as to what they can do, through the highest, most recently developed technology at their fingertips. When you combine this with endless imagination you can create whole new worlds, and Esports is where it starts.

Kids with crazy imaginations who dream big can find a very suitable place in this industry that will help build on their skills instead of pushing them away, causing them to think it’s a hopeless pipe dream. Esports is all about emphasizing that creativity and turning it into a lifestyle opportunity. having an Esports program at PRHS is going to be great! This program is a great opportunity for students to find enjoyable after school activities. Instead of wasting valuable time on video games at home, now they can play for their school and through it potentially create a solid future in the gaming industry.

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THE REVERE

Viewpoints Student opinion, because our thoughts matter.

(The views reflected in the following articles do not necessarily represent the views of The Revere or Pike Road High School)

Viewpoints Summit come back!

OSEZELE EBADAN

Columnist embraces Summit's self-paced independent learning and mentoring program.

Beginning this school year, students switched from using the Summit Learning platform fulltime to now using another educational platform: Schoology. Yet, many complain that this new learning system is disorganized and does not hold the same value as Summit.

Summit Learning included many features that benefited students. Students were able to complete a one-on-one mentoring session with their teacher to see if they’re on the right track, and if there was something they could improve on in their path to finishing the school year on time.

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Viewpoints Schoology is a subsidiary of Powerschool, which has replaced iNow as Alabama’s grading network. Using Powerschool, parents and guardians can log in to see exactly what their student is working on and how they’re progressing at any given time.

Students were also able to work ahead in a specific class, as well as completely finish the course if they wanted to. Helpful resources are also included on the platform that relate to time management, test taking strategies, and collegeplanning.

All classes as well as assignments and assessments for each class were all on one page, in addition to students’ current grades.

"Self-directed learning is the emphasis.”

Schoology is considered a “Powerschool Unified Classroom Product”. In simple terms, Powerschool purchased Schoology and it is now ‘linked’ to it. Schoology also includes many features: one-spot classes, student/teacher communication, and grade accessibility.

Although, Schoology does not include helpful resources on its website as opposed to Summit, so it could be kind of tricky if a student needed second-hand guidance.

On the other hand, Summit Learning promotes independent learning and gives students the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. As a Summit Learning student, the speed of learning depends on how quickly a students thinks and understands the concept.

When you work hard and show your teachers that you’re determined, they can also work hard to help get you where you need to be. Selfdirected learning is the emphasis.

In the Summit Learning platform, updates are regular, resources are organized and the display is neat.

One of Summit’s key components is mentoring.

Mentoring acts as a school family that you meet with every day. The idea is that the class and teacher remain the same each year. During mentoring you have a chance to gather your thoughts and plan the rest of your school day.

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Viewpoints There are check-ins with your mentor during which you can discuss anything that is on your mind. This class serves as a mental reset where you can get organized and enjoy a momentary abatement in a familiar setting.

According to a study by Project Tomorrow, an educational non-profit agency, 82% of Summit Learning teachers say that their one-on-one mentoring time with students resulted in positive changes in their students’ academic performance. Also, two-thirds of the teachers surveyed say that they are a stronger and more effective teacher because of Summit Learning.

Many students were caught off guard and feel as if the platform that replaced Summit as the primary educational resource does not meet the standard set by Summit.

“I honestly feel stressed out with this switch … It came out of the blue and everything seems as if it's piling up,” one student said anonymously.

“Summit had all of your grades, assignments etc. in one place. It felt so much more organized and I feel like I had everything I needed on one single website.”

Of course, not everyone shares this student’s sentiment. Another student, who spoke on anonymity, begged to differ. “I think it was necessary for us to do this switch,” the student said. “Summit, in my opinion, started to slow down my learning process and it was affecting me a lot. I’m glad it’s gone.”

Administration has yet to respond to the questions revolving around Summit and its potential comeback.

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Viewpoints What’s the deal with sex education?

SYDNEY RHODES

Columnist researches and makes a case for sex education that goes beyond practicing abstinence.

Teen pregnancy and life-damaging STDs are redirecting the course of teenagers' lives.

The solution? Sex Education (Sex Ed).

High school Health Education students are taught Sex Ed as a small unit, which is heavily focused on practicing abstinence. As is, Sex Ed teaches a wide range of information including sexuality, sexual anatomy, reproduction, intercourse, contraception, consent, and many more elements of sexual behavior. Further information about the course can be found on k.12 Academics.

Initially, the nation’s teenagers were not given access to sexual education. It was deemed wildly inappropriate. As time progressed, though, Sex Ed was introduced in schools and is now mandated in 39 states(Guttmatcher).

Alabama is not a part of the 39, but The Yellowhammer State has a near 30 percent teen birth rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC also reports that the national average is between 14-19 per 1,000.

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Viewpoints Why is this important? Research shows that students who receive minimal or no instruction are 60% more likely to become pregnant or impregnate someone (Science Daily). Pregnant teens and teens with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) find it harder to attend school, achieve better grades, and receive opportunities than other teenagers.

Once a teenage girl becomes a mother, it is already too late. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 40 percent of teen mothers graduate high school.

On top of that, young, single mothers in college are 65 percent less likely to fulfill their degrees than other women who are not mothers. On an intergenerational note, children of young, single mothers are 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade than their peers.

Since Sex Education helps prevent this, why don’t we have it yet?

The mindset that Sex Ed is inappropriate still lingers as many Sex Ed programs are not enforced because parents or faculty are uncomfortable with the topic. Because of this, the most common Sex Ed given is primarily based on abstinence.

However, many studies assert that abstinencebased education only is ineffective.

"However, many studies assert that abstinence-based education only is ineffective."

According to American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU), teens have a lower risk of unplanned pregnancy when taught about contraceptives in sex education compared to teens who receive abstinence-based lessons or no lessons at all.

Though many people assert that sex ed teaches children about contraception and where to terminate a pregnancy – hence encouraging sexual behavior -- it actually enlightens children about the multiple aspects of sex they need to be aware of in a given situation so they can approach the topic with caution rather than with reckless emotion.

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Viewpoints But many still argue that it is the parents' job to educate and primarily promote abstinence. So if abstinence in every family is being taught – and is effective – why are teenagers still contracting infections and pregnancies at significantly high rates?

Pike Road High has the opportunity to change the direction of not just its students' lives, but perhaps the general consensus of Alabama as a whole.

Slightly more than 41 percent of teenagers admitted to having intercourse, according to a 2015 study (Rabbitte, Sage Journal). Of course, this number does not reflect all of the teenagers who are too embarrased to confess. Clearly, stressing abstinence is not enough; teenagers are deciding to have sex regardless but now without the proper tools and knowledge to keep them safe.

School administrators have yet to respond as to whether or not a Sex Ed course is in the works.

However, a small portion of Sex Ed is included in the Edgenuity platform Health course, but this is not enough as it does not provide information on sexual health, in-depth information about STIs or contraception, and it heavily stresses abstinence.

So is Pike Road creating a Sex Ed course?

(Continued on next page) Out of all age groups, 15- to 24-year-olds possess the highest rates of reported STDs (CDC). Many studies have found that medically accurate and comprehensive sex education reduces the risk of transferring diseases. It can also be argued that abstinence-based education can do the same, but professionals agree that sex education should provide students with all aspects of safety (Rabbitte, Sage Journal).

A school’s responsibility is to educate its students in a safe environment. When anything goes wrong, the school or district is the first direction to point fingers. In this case, Pike Road should aim to inform students about infections and life-changing situations that have the potential to intervene with their education.

"A school’s responsibility is to educate its students in a safe environment. "

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Viewpoints

"A school’s responsibility is to educate its students in a safe environment. "

Pike Road’s education should be inclusive of its LGBTQ+ students in this course. More often than not, Sex Ed courses do not provide safety measures or discussions pertaining to same-sex relationships, disproportionately leaving LGBTQ+ students at risk of numerous consequences.

Additionally, STIs can be a mystery to students, so an extensive course should cover all aspects of STIs, including how they are contracted, prevented, treated, and more. Currently, elaborate brochures about STIs are available to anyone who walks into the campus nurse’s office. These go over how it is possible to contract an infection, its symptoms, and its treatment. But many students do not know about this, though, further proving that an extensive course will be more effective.

When an emergency takes place, we look to our leaders for answers. Pike Road has pledged to “support our students as learners by fostering a safe and nurturing learning environment” and to be “responsive to students’ needs as learners to enable each student to reach his/her full potential.” Sex Ed provides a safer environment and it is most definitely needed for a student’s potential to be fully achieved. Therefore, Sex Ed is the perfect match for Pike Road.

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Viewpoints Through the eyes of a 'military brat' TAYLOR JEAN-CHARLES

A young Taylor awaits her father's return from deployment. Courtesy photo

My military youth experience has not been as active as other military children, commonly referred to as military brats.

I moved less than most of my peers, only having ever moved four times while most of my peers have moved five or six times. That being said although I did move significantly less, my parents were gone on deployment, temporary duty station, and missions more often than most – my mother, a military dentist, and my father, cybersecurity engineer.

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Viewpoints Deployment is hard to deal with, especially as a young child. Younger children want their parents to be around because that's the person they've known most of their lives. Kids are hardwired to want to be around their parents or parental figure.

My dad deployed more than my mom. But there was one year in particular where they deployed back to back, both being gone for periods of six and a half-month. It was not only stressful for me but for both my parents and my younger sister as we only had one parent almost the whole year and a half.

Both my sister and I had trouble in school academically and with our behavior. With just one parent around during deployments, things like doing homework and finding time to go to extracurriculars was very hard. My mom or dad would often get off work late, leaving less time for homework or the normal extracurricular activities of which my sister and I participated, such as karate and chess club.

If either of my parents were deployed, we would often have to cancel after-school plans so we could be home at a reasonable time, via bus or school-provided transportation.

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Taylor and her family unite after father's return from call of military duty.

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Viewpoints In my lifetime we have moved four times. This summer, we’re moving again after living in Alabama for a year and a half. First, as a 6month-old baby, the impact wasn't much. The only people I cared about came with me.

Though only through pictures are the memories accessible to me. I know it was a long and hard process and me being there did nothing to help.

In military, or Department of Defense, schools, everybody knows their time is limited. You know your friends could leave at any time within a week, a month, or a year, and that could be the last time you see them. The common questions asked in military schools are “What is your PCS date?” or “How much longer do you have at this base?”

The second move was much more significant as I was old enough to understand what was going on. Being 10 and being told you were going halfway across the world is a scary thing. I handled moving well and made friends almost instantly when I got there. I found it easier to fit in with kids who also had Air Force parents because we all shared similar experiences.

Students moving in and out of the school system was commonplace, and the schools were equipped to handle students with classes they didn't have, along with the support they needed when entering a new school.

The third move after nearly five years in Great Britain brought me halfway across the world again … this time all the way here to southern Alabama.

The move to Alabama was undoubtedly the hardest. Not only did we not have family here, but for the first time in my life, I was going to a public school and being surrounded by teachers and students who’ve known each other most of their lives.

Until now, this could not be said for Pike Road, as I had arrived during the second semester .

While the school and staff were nice, this is not a military school and they don’t understand the transient lifestyle of military children. PRHS could not accommodate three classes I had before transferring, such as JROTC. I worried about missing credits that would be on my transcript, having lost three classes in the move.

On the first day, a student gave me a brief tour of the school. From there, I was on my own in unfamiliar surroundings. I spent most of my year alone. While I will acknowledge that I was incredibly closed off in my freshmen year, I think it's important to understand how hard it is to break into new friend groups with people who’ve known each other since preschool.

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Viewpoints Since PRHS is now a Purple Star school, I suggest that the school create a Student Ambassadors group. Most, if not all, DOD schools have ambassadors, or students who shadow and show around new students to get them acclimated to their new school.

Being a military youth is not and will never be easy, but it does have a lot of benefits. In my more direct time in the military youth lifestyle, I've noticed things. All the experience that I've had has made me better at adapting to new situations. Also, I have had the chance to see more of the world than my friends back in Ohio will ever see.

Moving around and traveling so often has improved my people skills and my ability to adapt to different situations. Overall I think this experience will impact me now and later in life as it has given me the skills to deal with constant change, new people, unfamiliar surroundings, and novel experiences.

Taylor's mom greets with 'Welcome Home Daddy' sign.

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Viewpoints A ‘little push’ cost me big time PRHS soccer MVP ruminates on ‘red card’ penalty ZEPH KEY

A 'red card' in athletics will not only lead to match removal, but also out-of-pocket fines.

I got a “red card” and here is why: I reacted to some unsportsmanlike behavior.

For those of you who do not know what a red card is, it is something that, when it is issued, you have to sit out the rest of the game you're playing, sit out the next game, and pay a $150 fine. Not a fun thing to get.

So in Pike Road’s game against Tallassee, we were supposed to go and 10-run, or “mercy,” rule them and come back. In other words, blow them out!

A 10-run rule can end a game after halftime if one team is down by 10 points. It was supposed to be an easy game where we could just have some fun, beat these guys, put in the subs, and then just ride back and go to Waffle House.

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Viewpoints But we showed up and there was a visible change in the Tallassee team. They wanted to beat us more than we wanted to beat them. A few of their players walked by and one of them said something along the lines of “How many people should we injure in this game?”

Red flag number one.

“How long do you think it'll take for us to 10-run rule these guys?” one of our players shot back.

And that shut them up for the time being, so we just left it alone until the game was about to start.

We warmed up, thinking we were going to destroy them. We did not properly warm up, joked around and had some fun. The game starts. Not even three minutes into the game, it became clear that this was not going to be a 10run rule game. They were not as bad as we had previously thought.

Plus, we had our own challenges. For starters, half our team was out. Two players were out with concussions. One had really bad shin splints. Another teammate’s toe was pretty much broke. Flash forward to the second half.

My teammate, Jeremy Collier, broke his nose during the game, trying to make a save.

I was mad and this led to me getting my red card. But going into that before me or Jeremy went out, we had around two-thirds of our starting lineup here.

"A few of their players walked by and one of them said something along the lines of 'How many people should we injure in this game?'”

You can tell we were not going to beat them by 10. We had majority possession of the ball, but we could not score a goal. Less than 15 minutes after the game started, they had one shot on goal. Then they scored it. 1-0.

So about 15 minutes go by, and me and this other guy – I don’t know his name -- but I remember that he was number 10. He had been really pushy the whole game and he talked a lot of smack and I wasn’t a fan.

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Viewpoints He cursed me and some of my teammates. I got fed up and pushed him over. It was a “little” push, but the referee saw it and gave me a yellow card, which is a warning.

Ten minutes passed. We had two minutes left in the first half and I scored a goal to tie it up and I was just rippin’ at them. I’m sure that made them a little mad.

By halftime, we had not beat them by 6. Coach Jamaal Jenkins was not happy. At the end of halftime, we got back on the field and started the second half, and you could immediately tell they were going to come out and attack us.

Usually at the beginning of the second half, if you're losing you come on and try to score a goal by brute force.

Red flag number two.

A Tallassee player went up for a “header” – hit the ball with his head – and he didn’t even go near the ball. He went directly for Jeremy’s face, hit his nose, and broke it. And the ref didn’t even call a foul. He just let the game play on until everyone was yelling at him to stop the game.

Naturally, we were mad and pushed back. At this point the ref should have just called a foul, given the Tallassee guy a yellow card, and moved on. But instead he allowed things to get out of hand. People started getting injured. After a while of me getting jabbed in the ribs while the ref wasn’t looking, I decided it would be better to push another guy over.

Red flag number three.

"But instead he allowed things to get out of hand. People started getting injured. ”

This guy was dribbling and I win the ball from him. I dribbled past four guys and I get fouled three times. It was not fun, but I end up losing the ball, so I’m running back to get it and this other guy who is about half a foot taller than me is running with me. He lowers his shoulder to hit me, so naturally, I lowered mine back and I knock him over. The ball rolled out of bounds and he tried to get up, but I didn’t want him to.

So I shoved him back to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle to call a foul and issued me the red card.

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Viewpoints What did I learn from this? I hit two opponents, got yelled at, and had to pay a $150 fine.

Perhaps I should have done something differently to try and calm everyone down. But I didn’t. Instead pushed the competitor and had to suffer the consequences. But I did learn.

In the last few games, we have been trying to secure our title as area champs. But other teams are trying to do the same thing, so the games have gotten even more heated in the last few weeks of the season.

Teams got more heated and determined to win the area championship. I have kept my head relatively cool, not getting any yellow cards since getting that red card.

While we didn’t end the season as state champs, we ranked in the top 10 and I avoided getting another red card.

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Ask

Paul Everyone has questions.

We're here to help answer them.

Ask Paul Q: I think my teacher dislikes me because I cheated on his daughter. What should I do if he starts to take points off my projects just because of my relationship with her?

A: He should never bring his nor your personal life into school because his job is to be your teacher. If it starts to become a bigger issue, talk to your parents or to another adult and explain the situation so your teacher can understand that personal issues should not affect your grades.

Q: I am a dude and I kissed my male friend, but I didn't feel anything emotionally. So my question is does that make me gay?

A: No, it doesn’t make you gay. You could have been curious, but you said you didn’t like it. Check out what research says. “... the core attractions that form the basis for adult sexual orientation typically emerge between middle childhood and early adolescence,” according to the American Psychological Association. “These patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction may arise without any prior sexual experience. People can be celibate and still know their sexual orientation-–be it lesbian, gay, bisexual, or heterosexual. Different lesbian, gay, and bisexual people have very different experiences regarding their sexual orientation.”

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Ask Paul Q: I've been friends with this guy for nearly six years and we're pretty close, but there's just one problem: this guy's girlfriend is crazy about me.

Every day, she Snapchats me about how we should hang out and I'm pretty sure we're not gonna bake cookies.

Essentially, is it worth it to break his trust and cheat with her? She's really attractive, so I don't really know what to do.

A: This is a situation where you have to determine the value of your friendship. To begin with, you need to inform your friend about his girlfriend’s intentions and move on from there. If you value your friendship, do not cheat with the girl no matter how attractive she is.

Q: How do I work with my teacher who has bipolar issues? Some days I come into class and it's great but some days it's a nightmare and it feels like it's never our fault.

What should I do?

A: Since this is your teacher, it is ideal to be patient and rational with them. Don’t take unnecessary comments seriously because the teacher may not mean it.

Remember that our teachers might be having issues in their personal life. If it becomes an actual problem, maybe think about bringing it to higher authorities.

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Ask Paul Q: This year we celebrated women. Why would women receive an entire day of celebration dedicated to their existence? Should women really receive an entire day equal of value to our celebration of Veterans Day? How do I suppress my primal urges to kick women because of this vulgar act on humanity?

A: The reason why women get celebrated on March 8 is not due to their existence, but their accomplishments. Women were traditionally understood to be subordinate to men. We appreciate the women who came before us, the women who fought for equality, and the women who won achievements despite unequal beginnings.

Additionally, a day dedicated to women does not mean that we do not appreciate other groups, or even think that the day is equal to Veteran’s Day. Not to mention International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 every year. Learn more about International Women’s Day at IWD: About International Women's Day

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THE REVERE The Revere is a student-run online newsmagazine that uses the power of journalism to keep Pike Road students, parents, and teachers informed about issues and trends in our school and community.

If you enjoyed this edition, please consider following us on social media, where you can view other content from One Nation Media and stay up to date between editions.

You can also reach us at TheRevere@pikeroadschools.org The Revere staff thanks you for reading and hopes you'll stay tuned for more relevant, recent, and riveting content.

@onenation.prhs @therevere_prhs @OneNationMedia1

Cover photo credit: Joshua Martin

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