TIGER TIMES
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL TEXARKANA, TEXAS VOL. 58, ISSUE 3 DEC. 18, 2018
IN THE Uncertainty surrounding legality of citizenship causes turmoil, fear Presidental executive action threatens the course of immigr ation page 16-17 photo illustration by k. gordon
Pathway and process to obtaining Amer ican citizenship
page 18
Personal stories reveal hardships endur ed from immigration
page 19-20
Bilingual schools bridge the languag e gap page 21
2 NEWS
Eye
THE TIGER’S
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
AURASMA instagram: thsstudentmedia Twitter: thsstudentmedia facebook: THS Publications aurasma: thsstudentmedia snapchat: thspublications mobile app: TigerTimesOnline
the
inside
scoop
LOST ITS FLAVOR photo by h. rainwater
Texas High students reunite before the school year at summer Space Jam. Money raised from the dance was donated to Student Council. The dance was not school sponsored.
Holiday dance to benefit animal shelter BY MADISON BROWN online managing editor A holiday dance will be held Dec. 29 to raise money for the Texarkana Animal Shelter. The theme: Ski Lodge. Associated with their semester project for their leadership class, seniors Hartley Spaulding and Kearstan Williams are hosting this dance to benefit a good cause and plan a fun time for high school students in Texarkana. The dance is not school-sponsored. “We know a lot of people enjoy
the back-to-school dances, so we thought [the Holiday Spinoff] would be a great way to raise money for a good cause,” Williams said. The success of the back-to-school dances generated extra excitement for the holiday version. Tickets are being sold for $10 and details about the dance can be obtained on social media or from the two hostesses. “We often sell [tickets] on Saturday nights at the Richmond Sonic or Target, and our numbers are on the flyers,” Spaulding said. “We also had many people share the
flyer on their Snapchat stories with our usernames. Many people have contacted us that way.” Th s past summer, numerous party goers were sent away during Space Jam when the facility reached maximum occupancy. However, this problem will be resolved leading up to the Holiday Spinoff. “We have made it clear on the flyers that there are only 300 tickets being sold,” Spaulding said. “We won’t sell any at the door, even if we don’t sell out before then.” madisonbrown@tigertimesonline.com
FALL SEMESTER EXAM SCHEDULE Wednesday, Dec. 19:
Thursday, Dec. 20:
8:25 a.m.-9:50 a.m. A1/B1 Exam 9-12 9:57 a.m.-11:03 a.m. B2 11:10 a.m.-1:04 p.m. B3
8:25 a.m.-9:45 a.m. B2 Exam 9-12 9:52 a.m.-11:12 a.m. B3 Exam 11:20 a.m.-12:40 p.m. B4 Exam
1st lunch: 11:10 a.m.-11:40 a.m. 2nd lunch: 11:52 a.m.-12:22 p.m. 3rd lunch: 12:34 p.m.-1:04 p.m. 1:11 p.m.-2:18 p.m. B4 2:25 p.m.-3:50 p.m. A5/B5 Exam
Friday, Dec. 21: 8:25 a.m.-9:45 a.m. A2 Exam 9-12 9:52 a.m.-11:12 a.m. A3 Exam 11:20 a.m.-12:40 p.m. A4 Exam
PAGE 4
FDA bans fruit flavored e-cigarettes in stores
ONE GROUP’S REVOLUTION
PAGE 10
Bold club seeks to empower girls through team building and charity
ON THE BREAK
PAGE 23
Basketball teams look to thrive despite new district competition
BACK TO THE WILD WILD WEST
PAGE 30
Rising popularity of video game catches teenagers’ attention
WHAT ON EARTH
NEWS
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
BY MARGARET DEBENPORT culture editor
America rests upon the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -but how long life will last on earth depends upon the decisions humanity makes today. Both the United Nations and the United States have released reports regarding the state of the climate and the impacts we are likely to face without change. The United States government release of a 1,600 page “Climate Science Special Report,” along with the UN’s Intergovernmental on Climate Change special report “Global Warming of 1.5 Degree Celcius,” released in October, has increased stress on creating environmental policy worldwide. “One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice,” said Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I, Panmao Zhai, in a press release. Since the industrial revolution, human industries have been releasing more carbon dioxide into the air than the natural level, which traps heat, causing a rise in global temperatures. In 2015, global temperature rose one degree celsius above pre industrial temperatures. Although that does not sound like enough change to threaten the stability of life on earth, it
has proved to do so. The report has found that it would take “rapid and far-reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities,” in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By 2030, human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide would need to fall by 45 percent from 2010 levels in order to limit catastrophic changes to the planet. “Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes,” said Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III, Jim Skea, in a press release. When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015, the IPPC began their report. The report was based on more than 6,000 scientific fi dings and will be in consideration during the Katowice Climate Change Conference in December, when governments review the 2015 plan to battle greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the effects of climate change. “The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate,” said Co-Chair of Working Group I, Valerie Masson-Delmotte. The United States’ “Climate Change Special Report,” cites “a likely human
Recent UN reports predict grim future without big change
contribution of 93%–123% of the observed temperature change. It is extremely likely that more than half of the global mean temperature increase since 1951 was caused by human influence on [the] climate.” Even though it may rest upon the government to regulate industrial emissions, it is clear that each person will have to take charge for their impact on the environment as well. “I think climate change will affect us, but I just think that the solution is not cleansing the air of emissions right now. I think the solution is fi ding the actual emitters of said emissions and then focus on cleansing emissions,” junior Remington Cook said. “You don’t clean before you’re about to be dirty again.” According to a survey conducted by the New York Times, only 57% percent of Texans are somewhat worries about climate change. The U.S. reports that Texas ranks number one in spending on weather related disasters, and will face more and more extreme events as the effects of climate change unravel. “I’m not saying global warming’s not an issue, it is, but I think it’s one that is futile to deal with right now,” junior Remington Cook said. “You can focus on cleansing the ozone now and waste billions of dollars doing it, but people still drive cars and carbon emissions are still gonna be a problem, so in a matter of years, you’ll just be back where you started.”
In June 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United State’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The US alone is responsible for 15% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and although the withdrawal from the agreement was said to be caused by the negative impact it had on the economy, there was no mention of the effect less restricted emissions would have on the environment. At the UN’s Katowice Climate Conference, the decision will be made by nations to fully implement the Paris Agreement will allow for the goal to keep the global temperature change under 1.5 degrees Celsius reachable. The decisions Trump and other world leaders make regarding the limiting of climate change will affect whether future generations are able to breath clean air. The decisions they make could displace every person living near the coast. They will decide if wildfi es are allowed to burn greater than they ever have before, they will decide if the loss of human life- even mass extinction- is worth less than an unrestricted economy. “Th s report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people’s need”, said Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group Debra Roberts. “The next few years are probably the most important in our history.” margaretdebenport@tigertimesonline.com
HOW CLIMATE CHANGE WILL AFFECT TEXAS Severe Weather
Spread of Infectious Diseases
Rising Water Levels
The effects of climate change will cause more frequent severe weather extremes such as Hurricane Harvey.
Heat Related Deaths Anywhere from 200-2,000 premature deaths will be caused by an increase in global temperature.
With an increase of tempuratures and annual rainfall, there will be more cases of West Nile disease. Rising sea levels will erode beaches and cause many Texans to move away from the shoreline.
3
Agriculture
Increasing tempuratures will cause crop yield to decrease as well as less success in animal industries.
4
NEWS
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
LOST ITS FLAVOR FDA bans flavored e-cigarettes in stores
portraying an image of vaping favorable to young people. “[Vaping] is really the cool thing to do for certain After a bombshell report showed that the use of groups, and some [teenagers] even associate vaping e-cigarettes among high school students increased 80 with being a little bit of a rebel because it is glamorized percent since 2017, the FDA is implementing a ban in [pop culture],” Dupree said. “Teenagers then on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. One of the most develop addictions because of the nicotine and they popular e-cigarette brands, Juul, stopped accepting form a habit.” Teachers and administration have noticed orders of its mango, fruit, creme and cucumber pods from more than 90,000 retail locations, including similarities between the decline of the smoking industry in the latter half of the 20th tobacco stores, ahead of the century and the vaping industry FDA’s announcement. “I THINK ONE [ASPECT] today. Flavored Juul pods will still THAT MAKES [VAPING] “[In] the 1940s and ‘50s, people be available online, but only to customers 21 or older. Cool ACCEPTABLE TO [THOSE WHO were told that smoking is good for you. There was a complete mint flavored pods, along with VAPE] IS IT DOESN’T SMELL deregulation of the [tobacco] tobacco and menthol, will still be BAD. INSTEAD, YOU SMELL industry and [Americans] were available in convenience stores and gas stations as the FDA DIFFERENT SWEET FLAVORS smoking constantly,” Davis said. argued they are more popular SO PEOPLE WHO VAPE THINK “[The tobacco industry] had a big lobby, so it was difficult to get any with adults. IT IS OK, WHICH IS REALLY regulation. Even when there were Although the long-term health effects of vaping are still mostly MISLEADING. THE COMPANIES some regulations, it was all an effort to somehow make an unhealthy unknown, the FDA is focusing USE THE FLAVORS TO LURE these new industry regulations AND PERSUADE OUR YOUNG habit seem healthy, and I think vaping is trying to achieve the same and its “The Real Cost” youth e-cigarette prevention campaign PEOPLE THAT VAPING IS GOOD [feat].” FOR YOU AND IT’S FUN.” At Texas High, nothing has on nicotine, the most addictive changed in the punishment element of vaping, since a -CARLA DUPREE, PRINCIPAL of vaping or possession of an statistic shows that those who e-cigarette, as it is treated the same vape are four times more likely to as smoking. begin smoking. “[Administration] just [tries] to be vigilant in “It’s a weird thing because the U.S. government has always had to battle with regulating private industry watching for the problem and then catching it. The in a capitalist economy [in order to] look out for consequences are the same as if someone smoked the public’s well-being,” United States government on campus,” Dupree said. “We would confiscate teacher Hunter Davis said. “[The FDA] is trying to the e-cigarette or vape pen, [notify] the [offender’s] minimize the effects on children and children going parents and then send the student to [in school suspension].” to buy e-cigarettes.” TISD administration recognizes that education is Juul, among other e-cigarette brands, has faced scrutiny for using flavored pods in their products. the only factor that will persuade those who vape to The FDA suspects that these flavors encourage drop their e-cigarettes and realize the adverse health teenagers and children to begin vaping, which fuels effects vaping produces. “The problem with vaping is so new that I don’t the $15 billion industry. “I think one [aspect] that makes [vaping] acceptable think there are many studies out there to back up how to [those who vape] is it doesn’t smell bad,” principal harmful [vaping] can be,” Dupree said. “There is also Carla Dupree said. “Instead, you smell different sweet a problem that has been with teenagers since flavors, so people who vape think it is OK, which is the beginning of time that teenagers don’t really misleading. The companies use the flavors to think that something bad will happen lure and persuade our young people that vaping is to them and that they’re invincible, though I feel like education is key in good for you and it’s fun.” ending the vaping epidemic.” The vaping industry can also thank vape josephrodgers@tigertimesonline.com influencers and pop culture for BY JOSEPH RODGERS online editor in chief
HOLY SMOKES One in five students age 12-17 have seen Juul used in school High school students 2017
11.7
2011 1.5 Middle school students 2017 3.3 0.6 2017
Percentage of current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students
Source: 2017 National Youth Tobacco Survey
NICOTINE CONSUMPTION
One Juul contains four pods.
One Juul pod contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes
TOP THREE FLAVORS
26% fruit medley
16% cool mint
25% mango
The most popular flavors among 12 to 17 year olds Source: Truth Initiative survey of more than 1,000 conducted April 3-9, 2018
photo by a. higgins
graphic by a. golden
NEWS
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
5 photo by c. murry
GOING DIGITAL
End of Course exams to be taken on computer PEYTON SIMS staff writer It’s time for students to drop their pen and paper and replace it with a computer. In 2019, the end of course exams will be taken online in more than 15 states across the U.S., including Texas. “The kids say they like it and they think that it’s easier,” said Charlotte Leon, assistant principal for student advancement. “There’s been a lot of hesitation and the fear of the unknown to start this testing style, but we decided that Texas High was in the right place, so we moved some of those fears and some of those barriers. The test format has tabs to show where and how to access the passages, and it shows the number of the passage and what questions go with what.” There are many mixed emotions about the transfer from paper to technology, especially considering the students did not have the chance to state their opinion on the change. Some students argue that they need to be able to have a written test, even though during the computer
EOC, students are granted a calculator, a pencil, scratch paper, dictionary and thesaurus. “I don’t like taking it online because I won’t be able to have the paper test in front of my face,” sophomore Mikayla Zverina said. “It stresses me out because I like to use physical books rather than online books. It’s easier for me.” The teachers had to overcome the change as well because a new style of testing means they have to alter their everyday way of teaching. Benchmarks are also going to be given to students on a computer to better prepare them. The school already has the technological resources for every student in our school to be equipped with a Chromebook or desktop computer during testing. “At fi st I was not onboard because I didn’t know how my students would react,” English teacher Anita Badgett said. “I started playing with the programming in class, and I think that some of the features that are available for all of the students to access will be helpful. Being able to look at the questions and passages side-by-side on the same
screen will be very benefic al to everyone.” TISD’s Chief Operating Officer rad Bailey and assistant principal for student advancement Charlotte Leon visited TISD director of instructional technology Rusty Ogburn, technology technician Brandon Henderson, system administrator Phillip Watson and technology specialist Ashley Washington to discuss the viability of online testing. They decided that Texas High was ready to commit to this change in testing and continue to
test this way in the future. “A lot of Texas High’s courses are online, so for us to properly prepare you to be ready for upcoming SATs and ACTs and prepare you for college, we thought it was time to move the EOC,” Leon said. “When you go to college, your professors will not give you the choice to take a test on a computer or on paper. We want to be able to prepare our students to be as tech savvy as possible so the next steps aren’t as stressful.” peyton.sims@tigertimesonline.com
ONLINE TESTING Since all end of course exams are now being taken on computer, the Texas Education Agency offers tutorials and practice tests designed to provide opportunities for students and staff to familarize themselves with the online testing environment and embedded tools.
6
COMMUNITY
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
THE PERFECT SPACE FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING 10,000+ sq. ft. Ballroom // Gallery Space // Executive Board Room // On-Site Catering & Food/Beverage Services Beautiful, State-of-the-Art Facilities // Flexible Spaces to Fit Any Group
Texarkana’s Premiere Events Venue arkansascc.com // (870) 216-2000 5200 Convention Plaza Drive // Texarkana, Arkansas
EDITORIAL
SUBJECT
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
TO THE JURISDICTION OF
PREJUDICE
Immigrant children face political obstacles
7
Texas High School 4001 Summerhill Rd. Texarkana, TX (903) 794-3891 Fax (903) 792-8971 The Tiger Times is a student-run publication. The contents and view are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the opinions of the faculty, administration or TISD board of directors.
an
n atio
by
v. v
str
illu
E
very six weeks is like a routine. The newspaper staff oes through our usual process. Sit down. Discuss current events. Decide what issue the students care about. Write and publish a story. And like all issues, forget. But, we can’t forget. How could we when the futures of some of our student body are at risk? “Anchor babies.” Unwanted. Unwelcomed. Un-American. Children of foreign parents, hated by those who don’t know them. Who don’t know their struggles. Who don’t know the brutality, tyranny and persecution their parents escaped when coming to the United States. Anchor babies are defi ed as the children of an illegal immigrant or other noncitizens, who under current legality, become United States citizens at birth. Jus soli, also known as birthright citizenship, ensures that children born in the U.S. are able to participate and contribute as members of society, protected under the 14th amendment. If this, or its interpretation, were to be challenged or revoked, the result would be catastrophic. Alteration to the 14th Amendment would ensure that generations of individuals would be unable to obtain legal status and could become stateless. Following President Donald Trump’s announcement to abolish jus soli through executive order, conservatives have supported this by arguing that the amendment calls for interpretation. The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that
“all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Th s subjugation clause has caused much controversy among politicians and citizens as they argue to whom these babies are subjugated to — the country of the parent or place of birth. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has affirmed that the 14th is applicable to all children born on U.S. soil, regardless of parental status. So if the law is clear and steadfast in its position, why is this an issue? Trump’s announcement concerning birthright citizenship came just around midterm elections. Republicans were using the 14th amendment to bolster their platform to ensure their election into Congress. Similarly, Democrats were appealing to their voters by vehemently advocating for the rights of anchor babies. Both parties, regardless of their position on birthright citizenship, were using the issue to campaign for the support of their party amid election season. Th s begs the question: are children now just a political platform to campaign on? Are the lives of these people secondary to politics? The media and politicians blast the news cycle with the stories of immigrants fl oding into the country, taking American jobs from American people and degrading American values. Are the people here not American? Citizens born in this country and “subject to the jurisdiction” of this country are American
themselves, so such “American” jobs and values apply to them. Th s is not an obscure or inaccessible issue. A neighbor, a best friend, or even your family members may be affected by this change. It is easy for politicians, the media or conservative peers to view immigration as wrong, that anyone who did not come over on the Mayfl wer or share the same light pigment as you is an illegal immigrant. Anchor babies usually evoke the image of Hispanics fl eing Mexico by the mass. The media has portrayed these immigrants as rapists, terrorists, drug dealers, all coming to steal our jobs and hurt our citizens. In a study by Pew Research Center, however, it was revealed that the largest group of immigrants is not from Mexico, but from Asia. The basis of the argument surrounding citizenship under the guise that anchor babies are illegal, or from Mexico, or are criminals is built entirely of Trump’s inaccurate notions of immigration. One cannot seriously form an educated and logical argument to debase the 14th Amendment if the supplied information is fake. Illegal immigration remains a debated issue among politicians and citizens alike. Scapegoating children of foreign parents, however, does not serve a logical argument for their political base or go to serve your re-election efforts. Condemning children of foreign parents for being born to such is not a bullet point in a rally speech, but a discussion over the rights for American children.
editors in chief-print Lindsey Egger, Jhovany Perez editors in chief-online Joseph Rodgers, Victoria Van managing editors Madison Brown, Craig Crawford news editors Addison Cross, Autumn Golden opinion editors April Alvarado, Maddie Anderson feature editors Audrey Haskins, Molly Kyles sports editors John Morgan, TJ Wall entertainment editors Margaret Debenport, Grey Johnson spotlight editors Craig Crawford, Anna Grace Jones, Misty Lopez advertising Jenna Williamson business manager Madison Bowers copy editors Paisley Allen, Greylyn Tidwell photo editor Kaitlyn Gordon video editor Taimoor Malik staff writers Raelyn Albert, Joseph Asher, Logan Diggs, Montevnah Glasgow, Kaitlyn Gordon, Charli Hueter, Zane Johnston, Salem Karr, Maryam Kulaib, Andrea Loredo, Kate Morgan, Nathan Morriss, Cameron Murry, Jonathan Naples, Connor Powell, Caden Rainwater, Peyton Sims, Sophie Spakes, Ashlyn Winters photographers Margaret Debenport, Rivers Edwards, Kaitlyn Gordon, Alyssa Higgins, Grace McGuire, Cameron Murry, Holland Rainwater, Kaitlyn Rodgers, Alexis Runnels, Merideth Stanfill, Jasmine Stark, Oren Smith videographers Cameron Alcorn, Logan Diggs, Kara Jefferies, Misty Lopez, Assad Malik, Oren Smith, Abagail Deleon advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Carla Dupree members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA
8 OPINION
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
FOR
RIGHTS AT BIRTH Birthright citizenship is protected by 14th Amendment
BY JHOVANY PEREZ print editor in chief
T
he stroke of a pen. In his view, that’s
What is so ironic is that the main supporters of the removal of birthright citizenship are conservatives, who typically uphold a strict interpretation of the constitution. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States.” And in the philosophy of the average conservative, this is the part that guarantees birthright citizenship regardless of their parents. All in all, Trump’s insistence on removing the birthright citizenship will end up getting lost in the Supreme Court or Congress — that is, if it even makes it there. jhovanyperez@tigertimesonline.com
illustration by v. van
all it takes to end the wave of anchor babies. To end the fl w of immigrants into this country, as if a stroke of a pen would erect bigger walls to keep them out. As if that stroke would destroy the hope these parents have for their children. On Oct. 31 President Trump tweeted his sentiments about birthright and his willingness to get rid of it. Trump has been notorious when it comes to his ideas on immigration, but this might be the most farfetched idea he has publicized since his whole “build-a-wall campaign.” Eliminating birthright citizenship would do little to solve our immigration problem. Actually, it would have the opposite effect and increase the number of undocumented citizens within the country. The Migration Policy Institute study found that if citizenship were denied to every child with at least one unauthorized parent, the unauthorized population in the U.S. would reach 24 million by 2050. Ultimately, this idea does nothing to advance real immigration reform. In my case, if my citizenship were denied, I would have been a stateless baby, since Mexico wouldn’t guarantee me citizenship either. I would have had to apply for citizenship, and my parents would have also had to prove that they were citizens, which is not only hard to do, but also expensive. Since Mexico is a developing country, many people within the country have little to nothing to prove that they are, in fact, citizens. In order to get the necessary documentation for proof of citizenship, it requires time and money — time and money that is not available in the Mexican economy. Aside from that, removal of birthright citizenship would go completely against Section One of the 14th Amendment, and in order to overwrite it, there would need to be another amendment ratifi d, and not an executive order — like Trump wants to do. The problem then arises with the fact that there has not been an amendment ratifi d since the 27th Amendment in 1992. In order for an amendment to be ratifi d, it must fi st be proposed and approved by two-thirds of the House and the Senate and
then sent to the states for a vote. Then, threefourths of the states must affirm the proposed amendment. The fact that we need not only Congress to agree by a two-thirds majority but also the states to agree by a threefourths majority makes such a controversial amendment practically impossible to ratify. Arguably, we are in the most polarized time period this country has experienced, and if this amendment were proposed, it would polarize the country even more, leaving us at a standstill. Most supporters of the removal of the birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment point out the context the amendment was written in. The 14th Amendment was ratifi d in 1868; it was one of main Reconstruction era amendments aimed at giving rights to slaves. Thus, they argue that birthright citizenship was meant only to be applied to slaves within the U.S. and not foreigners entering the country.
OPINION
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
AGAINST
BY TJ WALL sports editor
T
he 14th Amendment has been cited most recently as a response to President Trump’s claims that he can end “birthright citizenship” with an executive order. The 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” The leading argument that tends to resonate most among Trump’s critics is that the 14th Amendment essentially says that any person born in the United States is automatically granted citizenship. However, this would ignore the text and legislative history of the 14th Amendment, which goes to show just how questionable the applicability of this amendment is to children of illegal foreign nationals that are not under the United States’ jurisdiction. In the infamous Slaughter-House cases of 1872, the Supreme Court ruled that the second segment of the 14th Amendment was intended to exclude “children of ministers, consuls and citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the United States.” In 1884, Elk vs. Wilkins confi med the previous ruling when citizenship was denied to an American Indian because he “owed immediate allegiance to” his tribe and not the United States. Years later in 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act granted citizenship to Native Americans. If the 14th Amendment truly applied to any person born in the U.S. regardless of whatever circumstances there may be, there would have been no need to pass such legislation. Th s birthright citizenship interpretation of the amendment would be correct if only the fi st segment existed, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States … are citizens of the United States.” Instead, the second segment serves a vital role in directing the way in which this amendment should be interpreted. By
9
adding “ ... and subject to the jurisdiction thereof…”, the original author, Senator Jacob Howard, added a key detail that is overlooked by a vast majority of Americans. According to Senator Howard, these words were intended to have the same meaning as the wording of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which stated “all persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign power…” are citizens of the United States. By including this one segment, the overall message of this amendment drastically changes. Many people cite the 14th Amendment as the birthright citizenship amendment and believe that this protects the
citizenship status of children who are born on U.S. soil to illegal immigrants. However, a child is only subject to the jurisdiction of the same government as his or her parents and if the child’s parents are illegally in the United States, this must mean that they are citizens elsewhere, thus they hold allegiance or are subject to some other country. Therefore, the child would not be considered a U.S. citizen according to the 14th Amendment. After careful consideration of the information presented, one could only conclude that the 14th Amendment has been mistakenly interpreted and enforced for many years. tjwall@tigertimesonline.com
SUBJECT TO
illustration by v. van
INTERPRETATION 14th Amendment does not guarantee citizenship at birth
10 OPINION
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
NE GROUP’S
REVOLUTION
Bold club seeks to empower girls through team building and charity BY MONTEUNAH GLASGOW staff writer Be who you want to be. Give back to the community. Express yourself. These were the things I was thinking when I started Bold, an organization to empower young girls to become women. I wanted to create a place where everyone has a voice, including those who don’t want to speak up. Bold is a sisterhood. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor or what color you are. Everyone is accepted. Every girl should feel like she has someone to talk to, even when she thinks she doesn’t. In Bold you can be who you want to be, uplift each other and show that you care. Bold empowers girls. I created it just for girls because it feels they are
often bringing each other down — whether it’s arguing on social media, fi hting at school because of boys or a he-said-shesaid situation. Whenever we do this to one another, it tears us all down. We’re like a torn piece of paper. Once the paper is torn into pieces, it’s hard to glue back together. Bold gives back. It fi st started as a place for everyone to come together and have people to rely on. Now, Bold is a place where we give back to the community by helping others. During Homecoming, we knew there were girls who couldn’t afford to go. That’s why we gathered dresses to donate to other girls. It’s also why we had a bake sale to raise money to sponsor
monteunah.glasgow@tigertimesonline.com
photo illustration by a. runnels, m. anderson
a girl around Christmas time. Partnering with AP Ambassadors, we held a canned food drive to feed those less fortunate. We want to encourage girls to become women who contribute to society. Bold has impacted my life in so many ways. I think about others, and I am thankful for those around me. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls because everyone wants to give back to people and uplift ach other no matter how life is going at the moment. We’re like siblings. We are there for one another, and Bold has made me realize things about myself and others. You can’t always be selfish, and we all need to come together. We all need to be bold.
COMMUNITY
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-TEXARKANA
TM
7101 UNIVERSITY AVE.
|
TEXARKANA, TX
|
WWW.TAMUT.EDU
|
903.223.3000
DO YOURSELF A
FAFSA TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
Apply now before all free money is gone! Deadline to apply is January 15, 2019!
11
12 FEATURE
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
It all started with a movie. Eleven years later, senior Hayden Fant owns an impressive Transformer collection with an estimated value of $10,000. These are more than objects. They are testaments to a series that has brought tears and joy.
photos by h. rainwater
the fave
estimated cost: $150
Optimus Prime Movie Masterpiece
“He came out just last year because it’s been 10 years since the first movie came out, and they started the movie masterpiece salon, which was going for recreating the movie look.”
the first estimated cost: $50
“It’s Optimus Prime. He’s the leader. He is noble. He’s heroic. He’s everything that a leader should be. Also he has an epic voice. The same guy has been doing [his voice] for 32 years.”
Optimus Prime Leader Class
the most
estimated cost: $300
Devastator (San Diego Comic Con Exclusive)
“
“It’s six Transformers in one. He was the first combiner ever in the Transformers mythology. So that was always really cool to me. And he’s like, cohesive and everything.”
I honestly feel like I’d be so bland and so boring if I was just cookie cutter. Why would you not want to be different? - Hayden Fant
”
Collected in Action PAGE BY MOLLY KYLES, FEATURE EDITOR
FEATURE
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
HERSHELL
CALDWELL BY CONNOR POWELL staff writer
IN A NUTSHELL Junior Hershell Caldwell chooses to surround himself with his passion:
music. “I love music, and I really enjoy making it,” Caldwell said. “I’m in band, so I play a lot of music all the time. I just love doing it.” While he is a lover of all music, he is partial to one instrument above all others. “I play the tuba,” Caldwell said. “It’s the best instrument by far. Don’t need anything else.” Along with music, Caldwell is also connected to his family, often times seeing aspects of his parents’ personality reflected in his own. “[My dad] is pretty great. He’s a big fella, and he has a lot of jokes to tell you. He’s really friendly and he’s a really social person, actually,” Caldwell said. “It’s kind of weird because my mom isn’t very social at all. She has a few friends, but she doesn’t really like social situations. I think I get that from her. I’m kind of introverted in the same way she is.”
Q&A
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS HUMOROUS. LAZY. DREAMER.
Q: What have you done during your time here that you are most proud of? A: “Being a part of band. I really enjoy it, and I think it is helping me reach my dream to become a musician.”
Q: Who inspires you? A: “My dad. He’s a great guy. When there’s a job to be
done, he gets it done, and I want to be like that. I’m kind of lazy, so I’m still working on getting there.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about high school? A: “My favorite thing about high school is my
A: “Last year’s All Region. I’ll never forget it. The way
All Region works is they separate each instrument into a different room and you play the required piece you’ve been practicing for months. We were all in our rooms and got up to the designated chair, and some of the students got really upset. There were these two guys I remember specifically. They got upset, stood up and ripped up their papers.”
Q: What do you plan on doing after graduation? A: “I’m not too sure yet, but most likely, I’ll go to college and study music. I don’t know where I want to go.”
Q: What is your least favorite thing about high school?
Q: What do you want to be remembered for after you leave Texas High?
A: “That’s easy. Homework. I don’t like going home and
A: “I just want to be remembered. Period. I just want my
doing work I could’ve done at school.”
LOOKING AHEAD
legacy to go on.”
Though Caldwell isn’t entirely sure about what the future holds, he chooses to remain optimistic and open to any opportunities that may come his way. “I really want to play a musical show,” Caldwell said. “I also want to voice act, like just a small part on a cartoon or something like that. I’ve always wanted to voice act because it seems really fun. I think I’d be pretty good at it.” connorpowell@tigertimesonline.com
photo by k. rogers
extracurriculars, like band and stuff like that. I really enjoy what I do in band.”
Q: What is your favorite memory from high school so far?
13
14 COMMUNITY
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
FEATURE
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
pain
Rare medical abnormality challenges dancer BYJOSEPH ASHER staff writer No one listened to her. They all said she had cramps, but she knew something was wrong. She just wasn’t exactly sure what it was. Born with a medical abnormality — uterus didelphys — sophomore Mary Jane Bray discovered she was born with not one, but two uteruses, and only one kidney. For 14 years, this defect went undetected. She was a normal child; a healthy, active kid with no issues or medical scares who enjoyed cooking and dancing. On the outside, she looked like everyone else, but internally, she was different. The cramps she suffered should have been a sign, but they were dismissed as menstrual cramps. Unbelievably, a car wreck turned out to be a miracle in disguise. “I got in a car wreck last August, and I fractured my foot,” Bray said. “The doctors did a full body CT scan and discovered a mass on my ovaries. At fi st, they just thought it was a cyst and everyone gets those. I went to the [gynecologist] at Christus St. Michael’s Hospital, and the day after homecoming, I went and they removed my ovary and fallopian tube. Th ee days after the surgery, they released me to go home and everything was okay.” However, her recovery was shortlived. The removal of the fi st ovary ended up causing Bray’s condition to worsen. An X-ray was overlooked by a doctor, which triggered events that led to a more traumatic incident. “I started feeling pains again. I didn’t think too much about it, so I went back to school. In biology one day, I felt like I was going to pass out,” Bray said. “Later that night, I woke up and felt this horrible pain. My mom took me to the [emergency room], and then they drove me two hours to Dallas Children’s [hospital].They had to perform an emergency surgery. Apparently taking out the one ovary caused the second uterus to open — the one they didn’t know about.” The tearing of the connection between the newly-found uterus and the fi st one caused Bray to become septic, a life-threatening condition in which an infection spreads through the bloodstream. “I became septic because it was letting out toxins into my body, which wasn’t good because my body
photo by h. rainwater
I N VI SI B L E
15
was shutting down,” Bray said. “I could’ve died if they never found it.” The surgery took more than just the second uterus and damaged ovary. It left ray with the inability to ever experience pregnancy, something that leaves her heartbroken. “They took out my left vary and my extra uterus,” Bray said. “I still have the option to have kids, but I can’t have kids by myself. I’m really sad about not being able to get pregnant. I can have a surrogate, but they’re expensive.” Although Bray can’t give birth naturally, with the help from modern technology she is provided with the ability to have biological children in her future. “I am gonna freeze my eggs relatively soon, so I do have that chance [for biological children] when the time comes,” Bray said. “I’ll have to have a surrogate. It’s still my kid, but I won’t be able to carry it myself or go through pregnancy. That’s the worst part.” Th ough this traumatic ordeal, it would have been easy for Bray to give in to hopelessness. But, she wasn’t alone. In times of need, the people she needed the most, her family, stepped up and guided her through the process. “My mom feels bad for not believing me, but whenever we found out, she was right on board and was there for me,” Bray said. “Most of my family is in Broken Bow, besides me and my mom and brother, so they came to see me in Dallas when they could.” The one thing she loved the most came to an immediate stop — dance. Spending two weeks in the hospital affected her flex bility. “I’ve danced my whole life and after the two surgeries, it affected my flex bility due to the 6-inch [cesarean] section,” Bray said. “The pain from my stomach was brutal. I couldn’t dance like I did [before], it just wasn’t the same.” Th ough rigorous physical therapy and numerous dance practices, Bray returned to dance in time for high stepper auditions. She didn’t allow this threat to her dancing to stop her, and was determined to persevere. “It’s been eight weeks, and now I am all better. I have a numbness in my leg, but I can still use it,” Bray said. “I’ve worked really hard on my core. I tried out for HighSteppers, making the team.” An experience like this doesn’t leave one’s mind easily. Though her surgeries were troubling, Bray was left ith a new perception of the world; one that shapes how she lives her day-to-day and her view of those around her. “It’s made me think about people different,” Bray said. “You would’ve never known I went through all of that just by looking at me. Although my experience wasn’t as traumatic as others, some people go through much more, so just be nice to people.” josephasher@tigertimesonline.com
16
IN-DEPTH
PROPOSALS & POLICIES
Presidential announcement causes fear for BY ANNA GRACE JONES in-depth editor A threat. Not a plan. Not a block. Not a wall. A threat that sends millions of families into dismay. The idea of deportation, loss of citizenship, or separation of family are implications that would shake any person to the core, but for so many who reside on United States land, this is the reality, this is the fear. Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2015, immigration has become a top grossing political topic and increasingly controversial as it climbs. He aimed to restrict illegal immigration through executive orders and the proposed wall along the southern border, and has kept this as a key topic during his term. Th s sparks tension between opposing parties and has opened the door for a new conversation regarding immigration. “An executive order is a way the president can get around Congress and be able to say, ‘I have the authority to do this thing. I don’t need congressional approval to do it. So I’m putting the order in place,’” AP United States History teacher Chuck Zach said. “When somebody is unhappy with the order and wants to challenge it, they can take it to court and say he doesn’t have the authority to do that, or his order in some way, violates the Constitution.” In October, Trump announced his proposal of an executive order to
graphic by v. van
essentially deny birthright citizenship to people born in the United States but of illegal parents. Some view this as undermining the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Section One of this amendment ensures citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” “Well, migrants or immigrants have certain push and pull factors that either force them to leave their homeland or attract them to a new place,” United States History teacher Lance Kyles said. “Being a citizen with all the rights included in United States citizenship is a pull factor that would attract people to come and try to have a child here. [Trump] wants to remove that reward [by passing the executive order].” The argument for this order is that the children of illegal immigrants should not be granted citizenship because they are not born of parents legally under the jurisdiction of the United States. Due to the fact there is no law that specifi ally entitled anchor babies to citizenship, it is feasible for Trump to pass the executive order. “The 14th Amendment goes under the premise of somebody that’s born in the United States or naturalized as a citizen automatically,” Zach said. “The president is looking at it and saying, ‘Well, [immigrant parents] came into the country illegally, so if the parents came in illegally, and the
[children] were then born in the United States to parents of illegal immigrants, that doesn’t give them legal citizenship.’ That’s the way he’s looking at it.” If Trump’s executive order is passed, it is safe to assume that it will be challenged in Supreme Court on the grounds that it goes against the Constitution. The judicial branch has jurisdiction over constitutional interpretation, so the proposition of this order taking power from the Supreme Court will likely spark tensions. “The Supreme Court is the law of the land. Those are the nine most powerful people in the United States of America because when people ask, ‘What does this law mean?’ It means what they say it means,” AP Government teacher Hunter Davis said. “There are a lot of court cases that have built precedents long after the constitution that incorporated that concept of citizenship into the 14th Amendment [by the Supreme Court].” Th s is not the fi st instance where Trump has threatened to pass an executive order to discourage illegal immigration. In Jan. 2017, he issued one to block funding of sanctuary cities. His denying of these cities’ federal funding was the result of their refusal to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offic s. Th s order was challenged by District Judge William H. Orrick of San Francisco, California, in February of that year. It was later permanently blocked. “A law takes huge acts of legislation
to be overturned, and with an executive order, all a judge has to do is say, ‘No, that’s not constitutional,’” Davis said. “They’re so volatile. [Trump] has absolutely no power whatsoever to really, truly make them stand.” Th s is also not the fi st instance in which birthright citizenship has been questioned. In the late 1800s after the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act which barred Chinese laborers from emigrating to the U.S., immigrants from Asia used the courts system to protect themselves. The Supreme Court ruled that those born within the boundaries of the United States had rights to citizenship that could not be dismissed. Th s decision validated birthright citizenship in a scenario that mirrors that of this nation. “Th s is not the fi st time this has been challenged,” Zach said. “During another time of mass immigration into the United States, there was a discussion about making sure the 14th Amendment didn’t protect people who were having children illegally in this country.” Technically, an executive order is not a law, meaning it is weakened in its degree of enforcement. The order cannot receive federal funding. In most cases, executive orders are used to urge Congress into making decisions on laws/issues that have yet to be decided on. “The president usually issues an executive order in place of legislation that they feel is not getting passed by Congress,
“We failed to implement policies or create policies that would fix his problem long before. With 30-plus million undocumented im of legality, but they keep putting Band-Aids over the issue. Then you have these knee-jerk reactions, like you’re having now,
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
IMMIGRATION BY THE NUMBERS The U.S. has more immigrants than any other country.
40 million
people living in the U.S. were born in another country.
76%
of immigrants are in the country legally.
immigrants and it’s kind of a bully move to try to push Congress into passing it,” Davis said. “It’s like a last ditch effort by a president to try to push Congress into creating some piece of legislation they think should be immediately addressed, but it’s not as dictatorial as people make it sound. Executive orders have very little power of enforcement.” The proposal of this executive order can be viewed as a claim with more bark than bite. In any circumstance, it has spurred fear and concern for illegal immigrants and their anchor babies. The topic of immigration, legal and illegal, is one that has been discussed and argued for generations without an enduring solution. Whether Trump’s executive order comes to pass or is just another fl eting comment by the president, it has once again highlighted the pressing issue that is immigration. “We failed to implement policies or create policies that would fix his problem long before. With 30-plus million undocumented immigrants in the United States of America, those people are in limbo for two reasons,” Davis said. “By now, they should have created a system of legality, but they keep putting Band-Aids over the issue. Then you have these kneejerk reactions, like you’re having now, where people think of these simplistic policies to solve gigantic complex problems.” annagracejones@tigertimesonline.com
11.6 million
immigrants came from Mexico in 2016, followed by China with 2.7 million and India with 2.4 million. Source: Pew Research Center & U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Immigrants are 4 times more likely than children of native-born parents to have less than a high school degree, but are almost twice as likely to have a doctorate. Immigrants to the United States are considerably less likely than natives to commit crimes or to be incarcerated. About three-quarters of the foreign-born population are naturalized citizens or authorized residents.
DACA
17
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals What is DACA? DACA, Deferred Action for Children Arrivals, is an immigration policy in which illegal immigrant children can apply to work and study in the U.S. under a “deferred action” status, which means they do not have to fear deportation by government entities. The children who apply for DACA are normally the students who missed out at birthright citizenship. The majority of the children who apply for DACA have lived in the United States their entire lives as aliens. These recipients are known as Dreamers. There are approximately 800,000 DACA recipients in the US, residing in every state.
What does DACA do? The permit a child attains through DACA lasts for only two years and must be renewed before its expiration. Congress, under direction by Trump, effectively began to phase out the DACA program last March. The program stopped taking new requests for DACA status this October. The program will now begin to phase out 32,000 recipients per month.
What’s next for DACA? Even though the federal administration has begun to wind the program down, both conservatives and liberals agree that ending the program will have a negative impact on the economy. According to the Cato Institute, the loss of DACA recipients will result in a loss of $280 billion over the next decade.
BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP 14th Amendment What is birthright citizenship? Children born to American citizens are granted citizenship by the virtue of birthright. This citizenship clause is found in the 14th Amendment. The clause was added to protect the status of slaves after the Civil War. Though since its creation, the United States and Canada are the two advanced economies that grant birthright citizenship to children born in their respective countries to temporary or illegal residents. In fact, no European country grants birthright citizenship to the temporary or illegal residents.
Recent news about birthright citizenship In recent news, birthright citizenship to temporary or illegal residents has been contested due to the large number of undocumented immigrants in the United States. In 2012, that number accounted for 11.2 million people. President Donald Trump made news recently by threatening to repeal the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment through executive order, which politicians from both side of the aisle have agreed is the wrong thing to do. However, a growing number of scholars and jurists have decided that it is in Congress’s powers to define the citizenship clause through legislation. Source: Center for Immigration Studies
mmigrants in the United States of America, those people are in limbo for two reasons. By now, they should have created a system , where people think of these simplistic policies to solve gigantic complex problems.” -Hunter Davis, AP Goverment Teacher
18 IN-DEPTH
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
2
3
CAN YOU PASS THE TEST? Citizenship Test Questions
During the naturalization interview, a USCIS officer will ask applicants up to 10 civics questions. Six questions must be answered correctly. Answers are said aloud, and the official test is not multiple choice.
1. How many Amendments does the Constitution have? A. 25 B. 26 C. 27 D. 28 2. Who is in charge of the executive branch? A. The President B. The Speaker of the House C. Chief Justice D. Majority Whip
6
• Submit form and necessary paperwork to USCIS. • Receive receipt with tracking instructions for interview and biometrics appointments letters.
Complete interview & test
• Demonstration knowledge of U.S. history and government • Applicants have two chances to pass the test
• Take Oath of Allegiance at naturalization ceremony • Member of the USCIS reviews form N-445 • Turn in green card
Source: USCIS
• Being at least 18 years or older • Be a green card holder for at least five years, • costs $750-$1225 with a processing time of 14-26 months in Texas • Ability to read, write and speak English • Be of good moral character
5
Submitting the N-400 form
8 Take the Oath
Determine eligibility
4
Form N-400 is the actual process of applying to become a U.S. citizen and requires • A test, costs $640 • 20-page application with 18 pages of instructions
4. Who vetoes bills? A. Congress B. The President C. The Vice President D. Senators
6. During the Cold War, what was them main concern of the United States? A. Slavery B. Terrorism C. Communism D. State’s rights
Maintain a physical presence in the U.S. for 30 months of a five year period
Prepare form N-400
3. How many U.S. Senators are there? A. 50 B. 100 C. 200 D. 435
5. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? A. The Speaker of the House B. The Chief of Justice C. Secretary of the Treasury D. Postmaster General
1
7
• A background check • Cost $85
Receive a decision Person receives one of three responses: • Granted • Continued • Denied
9 Receive Certificate of Naturalization
Contains information such as: • Complete name • Place of residence • Date of issuance
Biometrics appointment
752,800 people were naturalized in fiscal year 2016
Compiled by a. loredo
Answers: 1. C, 2. A, 3. B, 4. B, 5. A, 6. C
IN-DEPTH
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
THROUGH HER EYES Illegal immigrant remains intent on succeeding in America
“I wish that people wouldn’t judge others for not having a piece of paper because deep down we’re all the same. We want to give something back.”
BY MISTY LOPEZ in-depth editor She didn’t ask for this, to be a target in the only country she’s ever come to know, to be hidden away, detained by the fears surrounding her. She was only a child, unaware of what was in store for her future. Yet she grew up blaming herself for what she wasn’t able to control or able to change. It was her fault and this country didn’t want her, a statement she believed in for many years. Each day families are immigrating to the United States, whether by transportation or by crossing the Mexican-American border to escape poverty, violence and other difficult situations in their countries. Many see it as a new beginning, a fresh start to accomplish their dreams and aspirations. Yet few understand the harsh reality of how difficult the transition from an illegal immigrant to an American citizen can be. “I was born in Mexico, and I really didn’t have a choice or [awareness] of what was going on because I was three at the time,” Maria* said. “I was under false identifi ation papers from another child, and my mom came the hard way through the river and the safehouses. I really have no memory of what I went through, but it was hard because I didn’t know any English. I didn’t have anybody to talk to, and my mom was my only companion.” Maria didn’t understand the impact of being an illegal immigrant until she reached high school. However, she was determined to never let her secret deteriorate her ambitions, no matter how complex the situation got. “Nothing had gotten complicated while in middle school,” Maria said. “I used to think, ‘Oh well, it hasn’t affected me yet.’ It hadn’t hit me until I got to high school. I was like, ‘wait, I need a social security number, I need my driver’s license. How am I going to go to college? How am I going to get a job? How am I going to get there to be someone?” While in high school, Maria began to formulate her goals for the future.
19
illustration by v.van
“It has made me desire to be someone,” Maria said. “It upsets me whenever I meet people that are citizens and have all of these opportunities, but they don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to say that things will be easy just because I think we all have to work our way up and work for the things we want. [Citizenship is] not going to be given in our hands.” The obstacles she’s had to endure has left er with mixed emotions, as well as the struggles she’s had to watch her mother surpass. Yet even though they started from nothing, they’re slowly making their way up. “It’s hard because I see my mom struggling with the fi ancial state we’re in,” Maria said. “I wish that people wouldn’t judge others for not having a piece of paper because deep down we’re all the same. We want to give something back. My mother has done nothing but give pieces of herself to us. It’s not fair because she’s had to clean houses for other people, and I’m not saying that is not a decent job. It is because it’s honorable, but she could have done much more. We had to start from the bottom.” The process of looking for people and applying for citizenship has not been simple and few options have been offered to her in order for her to accomplish the next steps. New issues have arisen because her parents aren’t citizens as well, which only makes the process more difficult. “The process starts with trying to fi d the right people and who to trust,” Maria said. “If information of not being a citizen gets into the wrong hands, it can defin tely go wrong in many different ways. Fortunately, my mother and I have come across people who accept it.” While Maria does have options for seeking citizenship, they are costly and none are easy. “It’s complicated because we need to gather up money because the processes aren’t just going to be free,” Maria said. “The options that my mother has given [are] that I can either wait until I’m old enough and get married to a citizen or get adopted into my aunt’s family that actually has papers. My mom is so selfle s.
She has thought of giving me up for adoption to a completely different person just so that I can have a better life.” Circumstances involving her age and name have also proven to be signifi ant elements in the process, but her family is doing everything possible to acheive the overall goal. “I’ve started the process, but since my dad has never been in my life, I’ve never used his last name. I stuck with my mom’s,” Maria said. “If I tried filling out any papers they’d ask for [proof] that I’ve been here long enough. Since all of my school records are just my fi st name, my last name, and not exactly as it says on my birth certifi ate, they’re not going to think it’s the same person.” One of the main points she can’t emphasize enough is that not all immigrants come here to ruin the nation but to excel alongside it. Despite all systematic inconveniences, her family and herself have prevailed through, strengthening their resilience. “It just frustrates me because that’s not the intention that most of these Hispanics have as they’re crossing the border. They only want something better because they’re running away from violence and from no opportunities. They’re just trying to have a better life, literally, the typical line of the American dream, but it’s more than just that.” Maria said it’s about more than having money or a better job. “It’s about becoming a better person and getting away from the bad influences that are around them,” Maria said. “We all don’t have the same opportunities but that doesn’t mean we can’t all reach the fin sh line. Some of us have advantages while others have to work harder to get there.” Despite all the obstacles, Maria remains determined to fi d success. “I’m not going to let my status stop me from being someone or from trying to go to school. I have dreams, and I intend to fulfill them. I’m not going to let a piece of paper stop me.” mistylopez@tigertimesonline.com *name has been changed
20 IN-DEPTH
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
VENEZUELA’S EXODUS
submitted photos
Family seeks refuge from war-torn country BY MISTY LOPEZ in-depth editor
O
ne family in the midst of a failing nation. Owners of the English Academy, Centro ISI, yet they’re as equally impoverished as everyone else. Starvation is a word known too well by many. Limiting rations of food is normal for their family, and hunger is something they face each day. Outside their home, outbursts of chaos and havoc keep them alert throughout the day. At any given moment, they can be robbed, kidnapped, even murdered. They have to do something to save their family. Venezuela has been plagued by hyperinflation, lack of food, power cuts and lack of medicine. Th s has led many to fl e the country, and seniors Santiago and Samuel Silva are no exception. After Nicolas Maduro won the special election of 2013, riots and military intervention created a violent environment for Venezuelan citizens. The truth is that Venezuela is one of many nations under these conditions. Resilient individuals and families everywhere search for ways to escape hardships for a better future. “They came into the government saying that they were ‘socialist,’ and then they turned into a communist
government. In a socialist government, the goal is to make everyone equal right? They accomplished that, but everyone should have enough money,” Samuel said. “Instead, they made us all poor. The government is basically a dictatorship because all the powers converge into the president, which is Nicolas Maduro.” Under the leadership of Maduro and a corrupt government, it has been difficult for residents of the country to obtain the basic necessities. Venezuelans are suffering great costs and are barely managing. The average Venezuelan lost 19 pounds, and 50 percent of Venezuelans lived in poverty. “We are an oil rich country, but all the money that the country makes is taken by the government, and we’re left without money. We do not earn enough in order to buy food, and everything is expensive due to the inflation,” Samuel said. “Getting food is difficult for everyone, from the richest to the poorest. It’s a struggle to get medicine as well. We were doing what was necessary in order to survive.” Venezuela’s economic crisis began under the leadership of President Hugo Chavez in 2010 and has continued to worsen and collapse over time. With the exchange of the Venezuelan monetary
system, buying something as simple as a chicken could take a whole month with the average Venezuelan pay. “They changed the currency in Venezuela; now it is Sovereign Bolivar. For example, 5 million Bolivars would equal $1 in the United States, so people could work for a whole month and gain 300,000 Bolivars which wouldn’t even equal half the amount of a full dollar,” Santiago said. “People would travel to Columbia, which is right beside Venezuela, to buy Colombian money because Venezuelan money doesn’t work.” Money is not the only problem. Food markets and stores are usually completely empty, containing only a scarce number of items. Even if families somehow obtain enough money to purchase a meal, there is no guarantee that they will come across one. “There’s nothing in the supermarkets, absolutely nothing. Sometimes you’ll fi d pasta, rice, and very rarely, will you fi d meat. There’s no variety. It’s always the same. There’s water, but no refreshments,” Samuel said. “There were foods that were expired, so it was really difficult fi ding food that wouldn’t make us sick. It was very dangerous to get sick in Venezuela because there is very little medical help.” The lack of food, medicine
People in the streets protest for peace and liberty from an oppressive government in Venezuela. The country has faced an economic crisis and rampant inflation, leaving many of its citizens in poverty.
and constant violence within the nation and abundance of impoverished individuals led many Venezuelans to take to the streets and protest. “The last time that there were protests was in 2017. It started because we could not take it anymore. People were slowly getting fed up with it until the country exploded. Everyone came out to protest. Of course when the people start protesting, the government gets scared because they can overthrow them, so they sent the military to kill us,” Samuel said. “The protests were practically a war between the military and the protesters — them with guns and us with whatever we can fi d.” Violence does not only take place in the streets, but within the homes and workspaces of average Venezuelans. For the Silva family, many instances of danger and violence occurred on a daily basis. “The government and the protestors would always shoot in front of our house and release gas bombs. There was a lot of robbery and burglary,” Santiago said. “I remember one time I was at my dad’s institution doing homework, and when I looked up, these men had come in with guns taking everything that we owned.” Because of these recurring events, the Silva family decided to take action to save their
family. Not everyone has the same ease immigrating to the United States and consider themselves blessed. “My dad came to the United States last year to get a job. When he came back [to Venezuela], he had told us that he got a job in Texarkana at Nash Elementary. They had told him that he needed a visa, so when he came back, he got it. Once he got his visa, he returned to the United States on Nov. 16,” Samuel said. “We were without him for about three months, but eventually on Feb. 20, 2018, we headed for the United States.” The Silva family is now prospering in America, living free, safe and better lives. Although they left ehind their country and family, they still hope and pray for the recovery of Venezuela and its people. “It’s a huge relief to be here. Just recently, three states in Venezuela lost power for 10 hours and my friend wrote to me about it. He said there wasn’t any electricity, that everything was a disaster, and he wanted to leave,” Santiago said. “I feel blessed that my parents were able to save us. Although I do miss a lot of things, I have to see the brighter side. The friends and family that one leaves is very difficult, but I have faith that things will get better and that we can go back someday.” mistylopez@tigertimesonline.com
“In a socialist government, the goal is to make everyone equal right? They accomplished that, but everyone should have enough money. Instead, they made us all poor.” -Samuel Silva, 12
IN-DEPTH
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
21
BILINGUAL SCHOOLS
Elementary school programs give students advantage of biliterate education
BYJHOVANY PEREZ editor in chief
W
ords fumble around the mouths of children as they try to string them together into a sentence. Their tongues twist and turn as they try to pronounce sounds foreign to them. Their thought processes are hindered by their vocabulary and ability to build sentences, and communicating is nearly impossible. That’s the issue that bilingual programs are aimed to fix: o bridge the gap between the native language and English. School districts from across the nation have begun a push for dual language school systems for elementary students due to the increase of nonEnglish-speaking children, including our own school district. Nash Elementary and Highland Park Elementary have bilingual classes in which students are taught in both English and Spanish. “The bilingual program in TISD began in 2008-2009. At that time, TISD was responding to a growing population, after having 119 district-wide English learners the year before,” Coordinator of Multilingual Education Mindy Basurto said. “Our English learner students were largely Spanish-speaking as they largely are now; therefore, we offered a Spanish bilingual program.” In terms of teaching this new generation of bilingual students, both elementary schools follow what is known as the Gomez and Gomez Dual Language Enrichment Model. “It’s designed to where Monday, Wednesday, Friday are Spanish days, and Tuesday and Thursday are English days,” Nash assistant principal Liliana Luna said. “But as far as instruction goes, when you’re in pre-K, kindergarten and fi st grade, you’re reading and writing is always in Spanish because we want to develop that native language. And then starting in second grade, you get both in English and in Spanish. The kids transition from all Spanish to English
really well.” Along with the teaching method comes the difficulty of attracting qualifi d teachers to the area. “It’s been difficult,” Luna said. “Because we’re in less of an urban area, we don’t attract a lot of bilingual professionals. So when we do have an opening, we are required to look outside of our school.” Luna said they have traveled to the international job fair in Houston seeking applicants. “Sometimes it is difficult to convince people to come work in small Texarkana,” Luna said. “We have people that will come, but then they realize this is not the type of town that they really were thinking and end up moving.” Ultimately, they hope that, as the program grows, they will be able to encourage high school students to pursue teaching degrees and return to the district to work. Although the two elementary schools seem all-encompassing when it comes to the bilingual students, it was not long ago when TISD didn’t have a bilingual program. “We didn’t start pre-K through fi h [grade]. We just started with pre-K through kindergarten, and then we added second and fi st grade and so on,” Highland Park principal Jennifer Cross said. “As those kids moved up, we kind of just increased at one year at a time.” Bilingual education hasn’t escaped controversy. Critics state that since English is the most widely spoken language in the world, there is no need for young students to be burdened with a second language in their education. However, Cross holds a different view. “I think [being bilingual] is important, and I’m almost envious that I am not bilingual,” Cross said. “And just because they speak a native language doesn’t make them more or less entitled to learn English. So if they can become biliterate, which is having that academic language in Spanish as well as English, they will be three steps ahead of everybody else. It’s
awesome.” Even though many would expect criticism from outside the bilingual community, both school districts face difficulties with educating the parents of the bilingual students as well. “There’s a little bit of a struggle with the parents in that the parents want that English acquisition quicker than [at the rate] they’re getting it,” Cross said. “But we constantly try to reiterate to parents that it’s important to get that knowledge in your fi st language, and then it’s going to translate very easily into English.” Aside from outside criticism, the district faces a bigger problem: class sizes. Forty-two percent of Nash students don’t live in that attendance zone. “When I fi st started here eight years ago, we were at 400 and something. Now we’re close to 700,” Luna said. “[There’s a] large population of transfer students who do not live in the area [who] are choosing to come here, and a lot of the transfers are within [the bilingual] program.” These exceedingly large class sizes have led to many bilingual students from the Highland Park area to be bused to Nash in order to go to school. If it is determined that the bilingual program is the best placement for a student, the district bears the responsibility of transporting the student to the nearest bilingual campus. “However, if the student lives across town and there is no space at the closest bilingual campus, we will transport students to the campus that does have space available,” Basurto said. Bilingual programs have been shown to be effective in creating students who are bilingual, bicultural and biliterate, which is a district goal, Basurto said. “Reading scores for students who are placed in dual-language bilingual programs far surpass those of students who are in ESL programs, so we strongly encourage families to consider the duallanguage bilingual program we provide to our English learners who are Spanish
speaking,” Basurto said. “Once a student learns to read in the fi st language, all of the literacy skills transfer to their second language. A student’s successful literacy acquisition in both their fi st and second language is directly related to phonological awareness in the native language. Th s is why we are bound by law and by ethical obligations to provide our students with the best opportunity to help each individual student succeed.” Due to the large class sizes and the increased need for transportation, the district spends more money on these students, although federal and state funds cover these extra costs. “Our district receives federal and state funds to help us educate English learners,” Basurto said. “Our state bilingual allotment is a little over $240,000, and our federal Title III funds are a little over $46,000. These funds must be used for specific hings that English learners need in order to attain English proficie cy and to access the curriculum.” Despite any difficulties faced by both schools, they still hold fi m beliefs that they are helping these children and giving them an advantage. Students who are in the bilingual program should graduate not only speaking the language but being able to read it and write it. “Depending on what career fi ld they go into, being biliterate is defin tely going to give them an advantage,” Luna said. “It has been an advantage for me. I feel like it has helped me advance within my career because I am bilingual, or biliterate, and TISD offers what they call a bilingual stipend, that’s additional money for employees who are biliterate.” When it comes to getting a job, being bilingual may put one applicant over another. “If you have the same level of education, same level of experience, but one [applicant] is bilingual and one isn’t, it’s defin tely going to be an advantage,” Basurto said. “So that, I believe, is a huge benefit.” jhovanyperez@tigertimesonline.com
“If you have the same level of education, same level of experience, but one [applicant] is bilingual and one isn’t, it’s definitely going to be a advantage. So that, I believe, is a huge benefit.” -Mindy Basurto, TISD coordinator of multilingual education
22 COMMUNITY
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
Collom & Carney Clinic Serving Tigers since 1947
Dr. John E. Hueter, Jr. Collom & Carney Clinic, Neurology 903-614-3005
SPORTS
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
ON THE
23
photos by k. gor don, m. debenp
ort, a. higgins
BREAK Basketball teams look to thrive despite new district opponents BY JOHN MORGAN sports editor Last season, they surpassed expectations and defi d the odds. Th s season, the prospect of success will push them as they hope to take advantage of this opportunity. As the Tigers returned to the court this season, expectations have weighed on their shoulders as both the boys’ and girls’ teams look to capture district championships and push for deep playoff uns. Both return impressive senior classes that have beaten adversity and hope to write another chapter in the history of Texas High basketball. The hype surrounding Tiger basketball season is real and looks to be having positive effects on the players as both teams aim to soar to new heights among the rest. “We’re going to learn from our mistakes,” senior Cole Drumm
said. “Over the summer, we all fi ed a lot of our problems at open gym and got stronger together.” The boys’ team is coming off a hird place district fin sh and returns a lot of talent. Drumm and Junior Cedric Kelley lead an athletic frontcourt while senior Kyle Wright anchors the backcourt. The team prides itself by keeping a fast tempo and fin shing with style and swagger. “In district play, you can expect to see a lot of fast breaks, dunks, and a lot of deep threes,” Drumm said. “It’ll be really fun to see the team play.” The Lady Tigers reign victorious as current district champions but have already set their sights on repeating this feat. Senior Antonia Porter looks to return to form with a solid supporting cast around her that hopes to regain regional supremacy. “We have a better coach this year and we actually play together,” Porter said. “We’ll most likely be district champions again.”
Th s marks the fi al season for many players who were crucial to the previous success of this team. They look to go out with a bang and hopefully make a deep postseason run. “The team has been working really hard,” senior Brittany Kyle said. “Th s group has been together four years, so we’re hoping for another great season.” A new district will be a challenge for both teams but will also be one that they gladly welcome. Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs and Greenville remain common opponents while Lindale and Royse City join the mix. “You can expect to see a very good team with good ball movement,” Porter said. “I hope we can win district, go past the second round and hopefully go to state.” The Tigers start district play against Mount Pleasant on Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tiger Center while the Lady Tigers play Greenville on Jan. 4 at 7:15 p.m. johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com FULL COURT PRESS Senior Amiyah Rone looks up court for a teammate against Pleasant Grove. The Lady Tigers won this game, 54-46.
DUNK CONTEST Senior Cole Drumm slams the ball through the hoop against Chapel Hill. The Tigers would win this nondistrict game at home, 100-65.
UP FOR GRABS After a missed shot, junior Cedric Kelley snags a rebound away from an Atlanta defender. The boys’ team has high hopes as they look to begin district play.
PASSING LANE Senior Kiasyia Morrison (2) pushes the ball forward to junior Kerrighan Dunn (21). The girls’ team looks to defend their district title as they return many players from last season.
SPORTS
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018 ALIVE AND KICKIN’ Senior Abigail Deleon (4) shields the ball from a Sulphur Springs defender with support from former senior Jillian Ross and senior Sarah Jane Paddock.
GET THE BALL ROLLING Senior John Powell dribbles through the Pine Tree defense in a district game. The boys’ team looks to overcome adversity and find some success this season.
MORE THAN
BLACK AND WHITE Boys’ soccer team looks to defy expectations with new coach BY JOHN MORGAN sports editor Your reputation speaks for itself. Unfortunately, you’re not always the one who gets to choose it. The boys’ soccer team is looking to shed the past as they embark on a new season. After a winless district record last year, they hope reinvent their identity in a new district and with new leadership. A coaching change might reinvigorate the team as former girls’ coach Jesus DeLeon moves over into the managerial role. With the change, the team has begun to shift ts playing mentality to match its needs. “Our focus has shifted more towards defense this year,” senior John Powell said. “That’s really what killed us last year, so that’s what we have to focus on.” Defense was a weak suit for the team last year as many games saw the Tigers struggle to break into the attacking half of the fi ld. The players have taken note and will look to implement new schemes to better protect their goal. “I think compared to last year, we’re going to be a lot more defensive this year,” Powell said. “We’re going to really stack the back line and the midfi ld of our team.”
Often, a language barrier has hindered the teams’ successes, but this year, DeLeon, a bilingual coach, has looked to unite the team and increase team interactions on the fi ld. “Every team has to have good communication to be a good team and to be successful,” senior Kemper York said. “I think we can expect to see a different team than last year.” Teamwork has been heavily emphasized in practice and is something that many team members believe will be crucial to their success this season. “I think we started out as a team of individuals,” York said. “We’re starting to come together as team, though, and developing into the cohesive unit needed to be successful.” While it seems the team can only go upward from an abysmal season last year, they still have goals they hope to reach that will defi e success for the team. “We just need to stay focused,” Powell said. “Last year, we really weren’t sure what exactly we wanted out of each other in the season, so we just need to keep our minds right.” The Tigers starts their season on New Year’s Day against Chapel Hill at Tiger Stadium at 7:15 p.m. johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com
Girls’ team sets their eyes on playoffs despite new district
BY APRIL ALVARADO opinion editor Two years ago, Coach Holly. Last year, Coach DeLeon. Th s year, Coach Cloud. The Lady Tigers soccer team will start their season on Jan. 14 with new coaches on both varsity and JV. Coach Hillary Cloud has taken over varsity, and Coach Leslie West over JV. Th s is the second time in two years that the girls started their season with a new coach. “I think this season will be different because we have a lot of new girls,” senior Sarah Rogers said. “I think that starting last week when we started to practice, it’s been really good. And I think this is going to be one of the best seasons we’ve had yet.” In previous seasons, the varsity and JV teams have had influential coaches. As they embrace another coaching change, the team is hoping to benefit from the change by adding new ideas and techniques. “I think that it’s going to be nice because now we have two different perspectives that came in, and it’s kind of like everyone starts on a clean slate,” senior Kailie Lyons said. “They know our past, but they’re not basing anything off f it. They’re basing it off f you showing up the fi st day at tryouts.
That’s what they start from instead of how you’ve done previously because they haven’t watched us.” While new bonds were made, the girls have had to endure these adjustments for two years in a row. The team has had to learn how to cope with these modifi ations to the staff nd have become stronger for it. “It’s defin tely hard going from one coach one year, to another coach, to another coach third year. But it’s also nice because it gives you a different perspective because no one has the same opinion, and if they do it’s from a different point of view,” Lyons said. “Personally, I feel like getting a new coach helps us adjust to new coaches, so if you want to play soccer in college, you’ll be adjusted to new coaches and how different they run everything, stuff like that.” The girls have a positive attitude toward the revision of coaches and see this as a new opportunity and fresh start for the team. “We’ve learned different skills and different ways of thinking with both [coaches],” senior Grace McGuire said. “It’s a new opportunity for change and growing as a team. Th s will be a good season as long as we work hard.” april.alvarado@tigertimesonline.com
file photo
file photo
24
SPORTS
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
25
OFF THE PITCH Athlete on thePowell rise gives journey to the top ofnew theircoach sport Senior John givesinsight opinionintoonhisboys’ soccer season,
Q A
How does the team look to focus after a rough season last year? We got a new coach this season, so our focus has shifted more toward defense this year. That’s what really killed us last year, so that’s what we need focus on.
Q
You have grown a lot as a player over the years. What would you say has driven your love for soccer?
A
I’ve played it all my life, starting when I was 4. [I remember] playing in a league for a U5 team out at Grady T. Wallace Park. I’ve enjoyed it since and have done all I can to play wherever I can.
Q A
What will be important to the success of the team this season?
Q A
What should we expect to see from the team when the season starts?
Q A
We just need to stay focused. Last year, we really weren’t sure what exactly we wanted out of each other, so we just need to keep our minds right.
HEADING TO THE TOP Senior John Powell goes up to win a ball against a Marshall defender in a district match. Powell looks to be a leader for the team in his final season at the helm.
I think compared to last year, we’re going to be a lot more defensive this year. We’re going to really stack the back line and the midfield of our team. We’re going to run and defend as hard as we can. What are your personal goals for this season? This season, I really want us to come together as a team and gain more chemistry compared to last year when we really didn’t have any.
For continuous coverage of Tiger Athletics, visit tigertimesonline/category/sports. file photo
26 COMMUNITY
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
CULTURE
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
BEST OF
TEN
Albums
20 18
“beerbongs & bentleys” Post Malone
Malone’s second studio album broke hip-hop/rap records with 47,930,039 streams in its second day in the U.S. alone, and was among the top 10 best-selling albums of the entire year.
“Black Panther” Kendrick Lamar and others Coming out 13 days before the film, this album helps set the tone for the movie as both were highly anticipated. The album contained A-list pop stars and a fast pace that reflected the movie.
Movies “Avengers: Infinity War” Regarded as the most ambitious crossovers in cinema history, “Infinity War” is a tale of heroes who band together to stop Thanos, “The Mad Titan” who seeks to wipe out half the universe. The movie is stunning from all aspects and has you on the edge of your seat throughout the ride.
“Incredibles 2” “Incredibles 2” starts where the first movie left off. Mrs. Incredible gets a much more active role while Mr. Incredible takes care of the children, who also have a greater part in this second half to the movie. It will bring audiences back to their childhood with its familiar look and feel.
“Halloween” “Astroworld” Travis Scott After two years, fans got a taste of Travis Scott’s third album based on a Six Flags park that closed down a decade ago in his hometown of Houston. Although the beats phase in and out, his words tackle real-life issues in a simple way.
Continuing with the story of famed slasher Michael Myers, “Halloween” wipes the slate clean by erasing the storyline of the Halloween franchise after the first movie. This new installment, set 40 years after the first, shows Michael on another killing spree, but this time, Laurie Strode is ready and willing to face him.
“Creed II” “Golden Hour” Kacey Musgraves Named the No. 1 album of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Musgraves wooed fans with a tranquil vibe that spoke to the moment and the heart.
“Creed II” follows the plight of Adonis Johnson, son of Apollo Johnson, who was killed by Ivan Drago in a boxing match that stunned the world in “Rocky IV.” Adonis “Donnie” accepts a challenge from Ivan’s son, Viktor Drago and winning the fight soon becomes his obsession. This new movie adds to the story of Adonis and continues his father’s leagacy.
“Black Panther” “Sweetner” Ariana Grande Ariana Grande’s album is full of love exemplified through fun pop beats that demonstrate her artistic ability and complexity.
“Black Panther” is the story T’Challa, the king of fictional African nation Wakanda. He is tasked with accepting kingship and defending his nation from a threat that wants to exploit the precious vibranium, a fictional, powerful metal exclusive to Wakanda, for war. The movie attracted millions of fans of Marvel comics worldwide.
27
28 CULTURE
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
INSANE FOR DERANGED
New, innovative restaurant to open in early 2019 BY VICTORIA VAN editor in chief Springing up in Texarkana, an anticipated restaurant, Deranged Donuts/Pizza/Tacos, is garnering attention from social media with its promises of trendy foods that cater to various audiences. The restaurant will be located at 4101 Jefferson Ave. within the parking lot of the Jefferson Market. Depending on city planning, Deranged will open in the spring. Restaurant owner Anthony Jewell is experienced in the business and is aiming to provide a new eating experience for the downtown Texarkana area. “I [also] own an Ecommerce platform that, over the years, has provided me with an ample amount of knowledge in regards to business operation,” Jewell said. “In my travels, I search out these types of restaurants since Texarkana doesn’t really offer any of them specifi ally, so I just decided it would be best for me to open my own.” Jewell aims to appeal to those who are looking for a restaurant that offers a change of pace with an appealing menu and distinctive atmosphere. “Primarily, Deranged will cater to a niche market, separating itself from the traditional food establishments currently offered locally,” Jewell said. “Our donuts will be gourmet,
focusing on unique and unconventional toppings. Pizza, well, you just can’t beat traditional New York style. Now, in addition to our standard street taco variety, we will also offer weekly specials, such as fish, shrimp, pork belly, etc.” Not only is Deranged offering a new spin on foods, but the restaurant is also generating steps to be environmentally friendly, utilizing a repurposed shipping container as the new building. “We aim to raise the bar for a green movement in the Texarkana area. The shipping container itself will set us apart, partially sided with a mix of barnwood and pallet pieces with a rooftop garden that will have herbs and spices for our dishes,” Jewell said. “In addition, we will have rain collection and solar power. We aim to be as green as a restaurant can be within reason.” With this location being Deranged’s fi st, it will start out with a drive-thru only until the the restaurant is considered viable. Along with this, other factors will determine the success of the restaurant. “Our menu will consist of unique options that our market desperately needs,” Jewell said. “We want to change the way locals have essentially been forced to accept chain-type franchise foods, or hometown diners that tend to have more drama than they do great food.” victoriavan@tigertimesonline.com
CULTURE
for d o o
en
Ev
29
Plant based desserts for any holiday party
d
F
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM
As December rolls around and parties commence, it can be difficult to find food for each person to enjoy. Whether your friends are vegan, lactose intolerant, or face other food restrictions, these plant based sweets should have you covered for the holidays.
i r F ery
olate Fud c o g Ch
What you’ll need to do:
e
1. Line a pan with parchment paper 2. Add soy milk and sugar into a saucepan, boiling it for seven minutes 3. After seven minutes, add chocolate, vegan butter and vanilla while stirring 4. Transfer to the pan and smooth with a spoon
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup soy milk 1 & 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup vegan butter 5 & 1/2 oz. vegan chocolate 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. Place pan in the refrigerator to set 6. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy
What you’ll need to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F 2. Add vegan butter and brown sugar to an electric mixing bowl. 3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a separate bowl 4. Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the brown sugar and mix into a batter. 5. Add the vanilla, molasses and flax egg to the mixer and beat together with vegan butter and brown sugar. 6. Add flour as needed to roll the dough into a sheet, then use cookie cutter of shape desired and place on baking sheet 7. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
s kie
1/4 cup vegan butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses 1 flax egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose fl ur 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon
bread Coo r e ng
Gi
What you’ll need:
images by M.Debenport
30 CULTURE
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
Back to the Wild, Wild West BY GREY JOHNSON culture editor Train explosions, bank robberies and shootouts with the authorities fill the lives of the vicious outlaws of the west. Fighting for their lives across the great American wildlands, these criminals experience crazy stories — stories that are told in Rockstar’s newest game, Red Dead Redemption 2. After eight years of waiting, Rockstar fi ally revists the wild, wild west with Red Dead Redemption 2. Set in 1899, the story revolves around Arthur Morgan, an outlaw who is being hunted by the police in a world where outlaws are becoming extinct. “Outlaws are starting to go extinct; police are stopping them,” junior Aaron Akin said. “You’re on the run with your gang trying to survive because … you’ve done something really bad.” Morgan’s gang is more like family. Th s family protects each other as they make their way across the heartland of America. “Some of them are smart, some of them aren’t as much, [like] Shaun. They know what they are doing, such as Dutch, Javier and Charles,” junior Rylan Farrar said. “There are the goofy characters like Lenny. I think the crew is pretty awesome.” The gang is full of notable faces, as each character has their addition to the crew. There are many people in the band of outlaws, and everyone brings something to the table.
“There are some people that accomplish certain missions,” Akin said. “There’s one guy that fishes, another that robs people’s houses, [and] there’s some that take you hunting. Some get into a lot of trouble and love to rob everything.” The game is filled to the brim in order to keep the player engaged at all times. Rockstar delivers an active, open world. “You can search for gold if you want to. You can accomplish any mission you want at any time,” Farrar said. “I think it’s fun that you can go on missions if you want, but if you don’t want to go on missions, you don’t have to. You can just go and explore the land.” The game incorporates many details to make its world seem as realistic as possible. These features range from Arthur growing a beard over time, and being affected depending on how much food he eats as well as by the amount of sleep he gets. “Your guns, they wear down over time,” Akin said. “They’ll tear down, and you have to clean them, and they’ll get jammed in some gunfi hts, so that’s pretty cool.” Overall, the game is a success, earning $725 million in its fi st weekend of release. The game has been given a 10/10 rating by IGN and impressed millions. Red Dead Redemption 2 is another success for Rockstar to put in its trophy case. greyjohnson@tigertimesonline.com Rockstar Games images
PHOTO STORY
DEC. 18, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM photos by r. edwards
LOOKING
AHEAD
MORE LIKE FUN FAIR Junior
Spencer Avery Smith inquires about internship opportunities with a representative from a local business. Much like Smith, many students came looking to see what was available to them at the job fair and have a fun time doing so. “I came looking for internships and other opportunities,” Smith said. “I talked to a representative from McClarty Ford, and he gave me a lot of information.”
BY KAITLYN GORDON, print photo editor
A JOB FAIR MIRACLE Seniors Miracle Greathouse and Ian Perez question a Texarkana College representative about education options. They were given useful information vital to their futures. “The job fair was a huge benefit to me because there was a Texarkana College booth,” Miracle Greathouse said. “They told me about their child psychology class and other classes.”
EARLY PLANNING Even
ALL THE WISER With graduation coming soon, many seniors find they’re without a plan. The job fair showed many of them paths for their future. “The biggest thing I gained was the knowledge of jobs here,” Senior Aeriel Vanderburg said. “I found that in Texarkana there are tons of internships jobs for my career path.”
31
underclass students are preparing for their futures. Though it may seem early, students are encouraged to plan ahead. “I wanted to know my best options,” sophomore Tomiyah Collier said. “This benefited my future by showing me jobs that I didn’t know were an option.”
A roar of energetic conversations fills the crowded lobby of the Performing Arts Center, welcoming students with open doors and promising opportunities. Students were greeted by gleaming faces and hopes of future employment while surveying the array of booths holding what may be their future. On Dec. 6, Texas High hosted the 2018 Job Fair in the lobby of the Sullivan Performing Arts Center for Texas High students, allowing them to network with potential employers and discover post secondary educational and post prospective opportunities. “I wanted to have a variety of great paying, good benefit opportunities that are a career, not just a job, for the students, so that they get up in the morning and are excited to go to work and do something for their future,” said Bettie Stark, Assistant Principal for College and Careers. “Both hospitals are here. Also here is HUMCO and Ledwell, both with unique stories of how they began their business.” Texas High School provided students with multiple career and education opportunities within the Ark-LaTex area helping students fi d their way in life through either further education or preparation for careers awaiting them after graduation. Without this unique opportunity, students may have never known the array of options available for them after high school. “There’s a lot of kids that probably wouldn’t reach out and go learn what jobs they can get if they weren’t brought to them,” junior Zachary Funches said. “I think this is really helpful to the kids.” Students found many available opportunities for them post graduation and ways to prepare for whatever goal they’re intent on reaching someday in the future. They were provided with important information such as internships, career requirements, and much more. “A lot of kids don’t know what they want to do,” X-Ray Technician Karen Wacha said. “When they come to these things, they fi d things that they might really like to do.”
ALL THE INFO Junior
Joshua Somerville asks about Wadley’s inner workings. As well as giving job information, booths also told students more about their businesses.“Wadley was talking to me about my future,” Somerville said. “They also explained the way Wadley works.”
32 COMMUNITY
TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • DEC. 18, 2018
GET AHEAD WITH
EARN COLLEGE CREDIT WHILE YOU’RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL Through Texarkana College’s Dual Credit program, you can take classes that give you high school credit and college credit at the same time—at a fraction of the price of typical college tuition. You can transfer your college credit to most public colleges and universities, saving yourself time and money on a college degree.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE Thanks to a new dual credit scholarship fund, you may qualify for assistance with dual credit tuition. Ask your high school counselor for more information!
READY TO SIGN UP FOR THE SPRING 2019 SEMESTER? SEE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR NOW TO LEARN HOW!
TEXARKANACOLLEGE.EDU • (903) 823-3012 TC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs or activities. The following person is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Human Resources Director, 2500 N. Robison Rd., Texarkana, TX, 75599 or (903) 823-3017 human.resources@texarkanacollege.edu