tigertimes February 2017 ∙ Vol. 56, Issue 4 texas high school
SILENCE OF SUICIDE There is no closure in suicide. It is not an infectious disease; it is not a criminal. There is nothing to hate when everything is over. There is no way to get revenge. There is only the face of a loved one who dealt with pain to such a degree that there is no way to put it into words. It is a pain so profound that it seems like it will last forever. But life is a collection of temporary things; we are always growing, always adapting, always moving forward in the lives we create for ourselves. There is always hope of a better tomorrow.
>> page 14 Texas High School • 4001 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, TX 75503 • tigertimesonline.com photo by k. moreland
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WHAT TO
AROUND the
CORNER
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UNDERGOING INTENSIVE LEARNING
FEB. 25 The Sadie Hawkins dance will take place in the cafeteria from 7-10 p.m. Tickets will be sold during all lunches next week. FEB. 26 Dinner Theater will be held in the PAC at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be bought from a leadership student or in Room 23. MAR. 1 The American Shakespeare Company will be performing “Our Town” in the PAC at 7 p.m. with pre-show music 30 minutes before. Tickets are $5.
FOR
Students display academic skills and learn about different subjects in a variety of competitive events.
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SWIMMING STATE OF MIND Swim team prepares for state after success at regionals.
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
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Student shares experience overcoming bullying and substance abuse.
STAY CONNECTED
A DIFFERENT NORMAL
Satire conceptualizes and points out hypocrisies in modern-day prejudices regarding homosexual stereotypes.
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FAMILY MATTERS
Local Texarkana businesses compete against franchises to provide great shopping.
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SPRAY PAINTING A FUTURE Chance encounter with artist leads to new hobby and moneymaking venture for student.
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The best in the business
Talent show offers opportunity for students to showcase their abilities outside the classroom photo by a. kift
BY JOSEPH RODGERS staff writer
Finalists eagerly await results from the final round of Tigers Got Talent, which took place on Feb. 11 with seven finalists. “We had a really good group of competitors tonight,” judge Erin Buchanan said. “I love to be a judge because it allows me to see the kids outside of the normal classroom each year.” The competitors first go through an audition process in early January and then face off in the preliminary rounds. The judges’ scores and the student votes count as 50 percent of the contestant’s total score. “You get a number and then you sing 16 measures of a song to three judges,” sophomore Mikenzie Blase said. “The results
are usually given the next day, and there is a lot of talent so it will be a close competition.” The Tigers Got Talent Show has been hosted by the Tiger Theater Company for several years. This year, they switched things up by adding two student hosts. “I have been obsessed with being a host for the talent show,” junior Brennon Cope said. “I love to make people laugh and to make them and their talent feel welcome.” The finalists are Richard Hunter, Heather Jaynes, London Edwards, Tray Taylor, Shatrina Jones, Joshua Sneed and Shamajay Woods. Their talents range from singing to roller skating routines. Voting will take place on Knomi through Thursday, and winners will be announced on TigerVision Friday. josephrodgers@tigertimesonline.com
SING YOUR HEART OUT Junior Colin Runnels sings at the audition round of Tigers Got Talent. Voting will take place this week with the winner announced on Friday.
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February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
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Spin it up Color guard introduces winter competitions BY MADISON BROWN staff writer The Winter Guard competed in their first North Texas Color Guard Association competition on Feb. 4, placing second in their division. This is the first year to have a winter guard and participate in the NTCA circuit. “At the competition, we had a limited time we could do everything, so last Saturday we had a dress rehearsal to prepare,” junior Gracie Morehead said. “We ran through everything a few times and did multiple seven-minute warm ups, like we would at our competition.” Color guard, which ends with football season, has gained a new opportunity to showcase its talents. Although the concept is the same, its competition season is set up differently than football season. “We don’t have instruments or need to wait on the band to rearrange sets,” sophomore Harmony Mothershed said. “At this point, winter guard is separate from the band so that we can do things exactly how we like.” This is the first time that the school has taken on the challenge of competing in winter guard, so they competed in the
novice division. Nevertheless, the team’s inexperience didn’t hinder its talent. “It was our first time to participate in the Novice division and we had to score an 80 to advance to the next division,” winter guard director Kara Compton said. “We scored an 82 so we received second place in our division, which we were very excited about, and will be advancing to the next division in our upcoming competition.” The guard’s “Libertango” flamencoinspired show had put a twist on traditional and dramatic performances. Each movement was purposefully choreographed to showcase the proficiency in each category. “Our show was very fast paced and exciting,” senior winter guard captain Cody Hambly said. “Each time our show writer came we worked to improve every aspect of our routine. ” Members of the winter guard are Madison Browning, Braley Butler, Chloe Griffin, Cody Hambly, Anna Loanzon, Misty Lopez, Gracie Morehead, Harmony Mothershed, Cameron Murry, Cymone Thomas, Alliyah Vayson, Kayla Wathall and Lauryn Young. madisonbrown@tigertimesonline.com
photo by e. meinzer
SWEEPING THE COMPETITION Color Guard member Cameron Murry performs at a football game this year. The guard will compete in competitions this winter for the first time.
Cooks receives US Senate Youth award photo by k. moreland
LEADING THE WAY Student body president Ricky Cooks heads a Student Council meeting. Cooks earned a Senate award and will travel to D.C. to attend the program.
BY ASHLYN SANDERS business manager Since 1962, two students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity are selected for the United States Senate Youth Program. These students receive a $10,000 scholarship and have the opportunity to witness our government in action. This year senior Ricky Cooks was one of two high school students selected in the state of Texas to take part in the program. “I applied in October, and I got the phone call about two months later telling me I was selected as a delegate,” Cooks said. “I applied my junior year and I didn’t get it, so I was surprised that I was one of two Texans chosen to participate.” The students selected will travel to Washington D.C. to hear policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Department of State and Defense and directors of federal
agencies. They will also have a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. “At the beginning of March, we’ll head to D.C. and participate in a week of events,” Cooks said. “We will meet government officials, maybe even President Trump.” This convention gives students a look into how the government works on a day-to-day basis. “I want the opportunity to have honest conversations with our nation’s leaders, and see what it truly takes to run a country,” Cooks said. “I’m excited to have a little more of an understanding of what [government officials’] do everyday and that might give me a little more sympathy for them.” The program targets students who want to pursue a degree in political science or history in order to help them with their future endeavours. “I honestly believe that I’ll be with some of our nation’s future leaders, so, later on when I’m working, it will be good to have those connections,” Cooks
said. “It’s great to learn from kids that have such a passion for public service and our country.” Selected delegates must hold student body office or another elected or appointed position in their communities and show academic interest and aptitude in government, history and politics. “I am excited for Ricky and the opportunities that being part of the program will afford him,” principal Brad Bailey said. “He is a wonderful young man and has been a school leader since he came to us in the ninth grade. I have no doubt that Ricky can accomplish all that he sets out to do.” This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to make an impact on the future of the country. “There’s so much to learn, and I can’t wait to do it,” Cooks said. “I think it’s important for teens today, living in today’s America, to stay as involved as possible in order to make positive changes as soon as possible.” ashlynsander@tigertimesonline.com
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meet the
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February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
BACHELORS Male students participate in humorous auction for charity
BY VICTORIA VAN staff writer Gleaming lights encase the school’s most refined gentlemen as they parade onstage aiming to be auctioned off for a price. One by one, they are introduced with confident and unwavering smiles. The Bachelor Auction will be held in the cafeteria on Feb. 20. The event is hosted by the senior class in order to raise funds for Thirst Project, an organization that helps provide clean
water for those living in Swaziland, Africa, by building wells. A handful of the school’s boys are prepared to persuade the audience to bid on them. “We first dress up nice and find a way to get the girls to bid on us based on our interests and qualities,” senior Connor Anderson said. “I feel like the event is going to really help get the word out about being a part of a cause meant to help others.” Bachelors attending the event are looking forward to the outcome.
“I’m expecting the girls to bid on me and for the auction to be really fun and enjoyable for everyone,” freshman Jebin Justin said. “I’m really glad that my sister influenced me to sign up for the auction because it’s beneficial to people other than me and that’s rewarding.” The end goal is to raise funds and encourage students to be engaged in an entertaining event. Ultimately, the highest bidders get to attend a pizza party with the bachelors during enrichment the
following week. The event holds a special place in the hearts of seniors, and has received plenty of time and consideration. “We hopefully will raise money for our fundraiser and the idea was really cool,” senior Slyder Welch said. “We want to make an impact on the Thirst Project so by collaborating we were able to come up with an idea for a good cause. We hope to come together and experience a possible new tradition at Texas High.” victoriavan@tigertimesonline.com
ALEX GOODEN, 12 CONNOR ANDERSON, 12 RYAN HALL, 12 “I think it’d be something fun to do. It was really for the Thirst Project–it’s something good and a lot of seniors have put a lot of effort into it. I thought it’d be a good thing to be a part of since I’m a senior.” Hobbies: Watching CNN Student news and doing calculus homework
“I know mostly everyone involved in [the auction]– they’re either friends or younger than me. Now that I’m a senior something like this doesn’t seem as intimidating as it would have.” What he looks for in a girl: An open mind about breakfast sandwiches
“People in my classes wanted me to do [the bachelor auction]. I’m a good looking man, I guess. Hopefully I get the best bids. I’m not looking forward to dressing up, though.” Idea of a perfect date: 2K and chill
MICHAEL SIKORSKI, 9 KEVIN JACOB, 10 “I excited to get up there– I’m really doing it as a dare. I want to see how much I’m worth, I guess. I’m worried about someone bidding like 99 cents on me, even though I’d probably bid that much on myself. Best Qualities: His majestic nose
“Raga told me it’d be fun. I’m looking forward to looking nice on the floor. I’m not worried about it too much.” What he looks for in a girl: Freckles and at least 6 feet 10 inches tall. Best qualities: Cooks minute rice in 58 seconds
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February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
Model Citizens
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New club seeks to improve student success photo by m. bonner
BY JOHN DEBENPORT staff writer Recently, a new club has been added to the already vast expanse of extracurricular activities: Model United Nations. The club is based on the collection of countries that make up the United Nations, the main goal of which is to solve the problems of the world through a unified governing body. The Model United Nations’ goal is to get students to solve these same problems with realworld solutions. Sophomore Joseph Rodgers is the founder of the club and has been working on gaining members for the new organization. “I decided to start Model UN because it requires skills that I believe our school needs improvement in,” Rodgers said. “Public speaking, knowledge of current events and historical events are essential to Model UN.” Rodgers also had to recruit a sponsor, and chose history teacher Lance Kyles. “When I approached Mr. Kyles, as soon as I told him what I wanted to do,
MODEL MOMENTS Junior club members Cameron Murray and Lindsey Egger take notes during a meeting. Meetings for the Model UN club take place in Room 43 during A-day enrichment.
he was on board,” Rodgers said. “I’m very appreciative because he already has other clubs and other responsibilities, and it means a lot that he is willing to help me with this journey.” Kyles is already the sponsor of
History Club, Risk Club and Teenage Republicans, as well as a teacher for AP Human Geography, World Civilizations DC, United States History and United States History DC. However, he was still eager to take on this new role.
“Joseph was interested and very enthusiastic and I believed it was something I could do, so I told him yes,” Kyles said. “I believe it can have a really positive impact on the school.” Both Rodgers and Kyles believe that the club has potential to be a real success in the future. “Model UN is based on competitions at various different conferences. Once we establish ourselves, we will get better at competing with these other schools,” Kyles said. “I would love to be able to take a team to a major national competition eventually, which are usually held in the northeast at schools such as Harvard and Yale.” The program has been successful at other schools across the United States and has produced prominent citizens such as Chelsea Clinton, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. “My hope for the club is that we are able to not only make participants better students but to also prepare them to be better global citizens,” Kyles said. johndebenport@tigertimesonline.com
DECA heads to state championship BY MADISON BROWN & THALIA HAWKINS staff writers DECA students received first place awards at their District 6 Career Development Conference on Jan. 11. Twelve students participated, each earning first place in their division. They will move on to compete at the state level Feb. 22-25 in San Antonio. “DECA is a marketing organization where students all across Texas come to compete in business competitions,” senior Odin Contreras said. “We can compete on district, state and international levels.” Award recipients are seniors Marisol Aguilar, Ravon Cornelius and Isaiah Germany in Entrepreneurship Promotion; Contreras and senior Michael Murphy in Entrepreneurship Business Plan; seniors Cody Hambly and Alexia Smith in Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making; sophomore Carl Oliver and junior Mason Sholamire in Buy and Merchandising Team Decision Making; senior Daylan O’Neal in Financial Consulting; senior Eduardo Naranjo in Principals of Finance; and senior Secret Smith in Professional Selling. Participants, whether single or paired, are given scenarios where they have to come up with the best possible solution to a problem.
“My partner and I were given 30 minutes to come up with a solution to our scenario,” Smith said. “The judges asked us questions as we gave our presentation.” The entire team advanced to the state level, excelling in their group projects. By using their learned entrepreneurial skills, they presented to the judges a winning demonstration of how they can be the new business professionals. DECA has taken advantage of the school’s new enrichment system. Instead of meeting before or after school, the students now take this time to study and perfect their presentations. “We study online material from the DECA website and quizlets during enrichment,” Oliver said. “We practice role plays, which are one-on-one conversations with the judges.” Being in DECA has given these students a chance to grow from their experiences and ready them for the real world. This opens up earlier opportunities to obtain future goals. “The main objective is to grow as a person and get you ready for the real world, like when you go to college or for work,” Contreras said. “It gives you skills that you would never have imagined you had.” While at the state level, each member will compete against 3,500 other students.
submitted photo
BUSINESS AS USUAL DECA students who will be competing at the state level Feb. 22-15 in San Antonio are (front row) Odin Contreras, Isaiah Germany, Alexia Smith, Secret Smith, Marisol Aguilar, Ravon Cornelius, sponsor Pam Hamilton, (back row) Eduardo Naranjo, Michael Murphy, Mason Shoalmire, Carl Oliver, Cody Hambly and Daylon O’Neal.
“Their hard work and effort paid off,” DECA sponsor Pat Hamilton said. “I’m so proud of them and excited that they all qualified for state.” thaliahawkins@tigertimesonline.com madisonbrown@tigertimesonline.com
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Feb. 9, 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
G N I N R A E L e hools v c s i r e S h t o N h t i E w T N mpete I o c o t G s t n N e d I u t O llow s G a s R n io t E i t e D p m o UN L academic c UI
“In ready writing, we write an expository essay based on one of the two quotes that are given to us. It is a little scary but a lot of fun because we type our essay on the computer.” -Molly Kyles, 9 “There are three sections on the UIL science test which are biology, chemistry and physics with about 20 questions each. It’s very interesting and fun because I want to be a scientist.” -Guillermo Pass, 10 “I wake up early in the morning and stay at a small school for several hours to take a 10-minute number sense test. It is very challenging because I have to work hard math problems in my head.” -Bronson Dierksen, 10 “I am in persuasive extemporaneous, which is speaking about current events, and I read a lot of articles for it. I also participate in Lincoln-Douglas debate which is more philosophical.” -Thomas Strutton, 10 “UIL computer science is an event that has students that take computer programming as a hobby. We use the Java program to compete against other schools and to win.” -Lauren Braswell, 10 “In UIL current events, we have a 40 multiple choice questions and we write an essay on events that are happening in the world today. We also watch CNN 10 everyday to learn about the news.” -Jenna Williamson, 9 “UIL spelling is a critical assessment that uses words that are used less than 10 percent in the English language. The test has three sections: proofreading, vocabulary and the oral exam.” -Craig Crawford, 10 “I write editorial sometimes, but my main event is feature writing. I mainly have to decide what I am going to write for my lead, but the rest I get from the sheet that gives me all of the quotes.” -Anna Cannon, 12
BY JOSEPH RODGERS staff writer Pencils are sharpened. Rough drafts are written and then wadded up into a ball. Packets upon packets of study materials are flipped through and read. The clock ticks and time shortens for the next event. Students participating in UIL Academics will compete against other schools in the district meet on March 25. Since last December, UIL competitors have been attending practice sessions at other schools. “UIL stands for the University Scholastic League, and UIL Academics consists of several events to test students’ academic skills,” UIL Director Chuck Zach said. “UIL is a very nice extracurricular activity because it looks good on college resumés.” UIL Academics consists of more than 21 events that are strictly related to academics. “If you’re a kid that likes math, for instance, being involved in UIL mathematics gives you an opportunity to express that appreciation and skill,” Zach said. “If you are competitive, this gives you an opportunity to exercise that competitiveness.” To many, UIL Academics gives students a unique opportunity to compete based on academics, rather than athletics or band. “We have so many things for students that like to act, make music, or play a sport, but we don’t have much for those who enjoy academics,” Zach said. “This gives us a chance to provide for those who like an extension in academics, as well as to be competitive.” Many benefits from being a part of UIL Academics spill over into competitors’ classes, including better study skills, better work ethic and increased self-confidence. “Specifically concerning the UIL One Act Play, it truly is an honor to be a part of such a great competition,” junior Brennon Cope said. “It takes true dedication to do UIL, and you will not find a single slacker in any event. Everyone has to put in the work and the time in order to achieve the best performance that we can and we all have to work together as a team.” UIL also has some benefits attached to it, including several scholarships and awards. “We have several different rewards based on how far you
LAST MINUTE PREP Sophomores Guillermo Pass, Nabil Kalam and John Morgan work with number sense coach Nicole Ayers before they compete at a UIL practice meeting in Mt. Pleasant Jan. 28. submitted photo
go,” Zach said. “To start, you have to move past district. If you get to state and you are a top finisher, you can qualify for a $500 scholarship. For regionals, there is a $200 scholarship. There are multiple state scholarships on top of these local ones as well.” For others, UIL is a way to enjoy academics without the pressure of grades and with friends by their side. “The people in UIL are usually the kinds of kids I would get along with since we share interests,” senior Chase Watkins said. “The competitions are relaxing because I can participate in the subjects I love and I do not have to worry about the number I get at the end or class rank. I would highly recommend UIL and what it has to offer.” josephrodgers@tigertimesonline.com
UIL EVENTS LIST
“UIL Calculator Applications is solving many complex math equations by using only a calculator. I have to figure out the fastest way to type the equation while still achieving accuracy.” -Abbott Lawrence, 10
SOCIAL STUDIES Chuck Zach, Room 47
JOURNALISM Rebecca Potter, Room 50
SPELLING Hunter Davis, Room 41
CURRENT EVENTS Chad Evans, Room 35
CALCULATOR APPLICATIONS Nicole Ayers, Room 228
SPEECH AND DEBATE Amy Kemp, PAC 2
“UIL One Act Play is self-explanatory. We perform and compete against other schools, and we are judged based on memorization of our parts and the devlopment of our characters.” -Brennon Cope, 11
SCIENCE Bob Harris, Room 212
MATHEMATICS Nicole Ayers, Room 228
COMPUTER SCIENCE Mark Ahrens, Room 3
READY WRITING Holly Mooneyham, Room 34
NUMBER SENSE Nicole Ayers, Room 228
ONE ACT PLAY Lisa Newton, PAC 1
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
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editorial
THE URGE to END IT
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
tiger times Texas High School 4001 Summerhill Rd. Texarkana, TX (903) 794-3891 Fax (903) 792-8971
It’s time to open up about seriousness of suicide According to the Center for Disease Control, someone in the United States commits suicide every 15 minutes, adding up to a staggering 35,040 victims annually. For every completed act, there is an estimated 100-200 attempts. Simultaneously, this topic is the second leading cause of death for teens. Yet this idea of complete hopelessness is steadily avoided in today’s conversations. Instead, it is pushed down into the wells of the human conscience and teens are left to decide for themselves how to handle even the most basic daily obstacles. Through this intentional isolation the worst actions occur, and when the aftermath comes to the surface, all that remains is one simple word. Why? There never seems to be an answer to the question everyone asks the most. In a whirlwind of emotions, the living are unable to assign blame or feel closure. There is no justice when suicide is the culprit, and that remains the most unnerving aspect. So as a society, we attempt to push it under the rug. Our
eyes divert to any place other than the face who brought up the subject, and our mind tries its best to ignore it. It is easy to understand why we as teens and other adults refrain from confronting this horrifying reality. Some would like to hide behind the idea of “suicide contagion” or claim that teens aren’t old enough to have these conversations. However, pretending something isn’t real doesn’t solve the problem, nor is it a proactive approach. All that does is give the resulting fear more power, and ultimately extends the range of threatening thoughts and actions. Whether or not the instructors hold assemblies for prevention, or blare the loss of our students through the intercoms, students are still going to whisper. The ideas, the implications and the influences all remain. That’s why the majority of people feel so cheated. Our school boasts of interconnectedness and a personal level of trust every Friday game night, but when Monday rolls around, it’s back to silence. Complete and total
cartoon by C. Johnson
unsupportive silence. Last October, the school held an afterschool suicide prevention workshop, which is fantastic, except for the fact that not many people were available to attend. Not to mention, there are few individuals who are willing to clear their schedules, so that desperately needed attention can be directed toward more critical matters. Our school holds drills for every unlikely situation possible, like fires, shootings or extreme weather. But massacres and tornadoes don’t occur every 15 minutes, so why do we hesitate to acknowledge this
truth? The school should hold assemblies to alert students of this issue during school hours. Although time could be taken away from class, the question of life is an increasingly more demanding issue than polynomials and balancing chemical equations. There should be a memorial for the lost students. People who have never felt a tragedy this resonating and shocking need to be aware and cautious that these things do happen. They are real, and without knowledge of these painful occurrences, they have the ability to progress faster. Acknowledging this affliction not only
reassures students that the faculty are attentive, but that they also care. The fact that most individuals feel ashamed of their emotions and affiliations is baffling. Don’t be reluctant in thinking that help or recovery is too far out of reach. There are people who will wholeheartedly listen; they will connect and relate in ways that originally seemed impossible. Every moment spent on this earth is precious and it means something. Don’t give up hope because of one bad day, or multiple bad days. Keep the faith, so that in the future, you can look back and honestly smile.
YOUR TURN to sound off
What are ways to help with the prevention of suicide?
“I feel like because suicide is so prevalent in today’s society, I think it should be less hush-hush. We shouldn’t shun it because it’s a part of our society and others actually have to deal with that issue.”
“Suicide should be talked about more because people need to know that it’s a permanant solution to a temporary problem. We should have more talks on the issue, just to let people know that.”
“I think people should tell their friends about it when the have a problem and tell other people, just to make sure they can get help before it gets bad.”
Jacob Thomas, 11
Bradley Owens, 9
Carley Taylor, 9
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. editors in chief Anna Cannon Jillian Cheney Raga Justin Alex O’Gorman news editors Celeste Anderson Eleanor Schroeder viewpoint editors Maddie Gerrald Grace Hickey feature editors Colton Johnson Langley Leverett profile editor Cailey Roberson indepth editor Lauren Potter online indepth editor Ricky Cooks sports editors Tye Shelton Laurel Wakefield Jay Williamson entertainment editors Katie Biggar Matt Francis advertising editor Robin Cooper business manager Ashlyn Sander copy editors Grace Hickey Ali Richter design editor Lauren Potter photo editor Emily Meinzer video editor Madeline Parish staff writers Paisley Allen, Connor Brooks, Madison Brown, Craig Crawford, John Debenport, Katie Dusek, Lindsey Egger, Thalia Hawkins, Lois LeFors, Misty Lopez, Omar Matos, Emily McMaster, John Morgan, Jhovany Perez, Matt Prieskorn, Joseph Rodgers, Caleb Snow, Victoria Van photographers Morgan Bonner, Dawson Kelley, Alyssa Kift, Lauren Maynard, Emily Meinzer, Kayleigh Moreland,Madeline Parish, Auryeal Parker, Ashlyn Sander, Rachel Sizemore, Piper Spaulding, Angela Valle videographers Katie Biggar, Ricky Cooks, Kara Jefferies, Raga Justin, Taimoor Malik, Lauren Maynard, Alex O’Gorman, Madeline Parish, Isabelle Robertson, Ashlyn Sander advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Brad Bailey members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
KMS
LOL
BY COLTON JOHNSON
feature editor
9 Popular phrases makes light of serious issue viewpoint
“I know I failed that test. I wanna die lol.” “I got three hours of sleep last night kms lol.” “If we have to run a mile, I am going to kill myself.” “I’m so awkward. Kill me.” Kill myself. Kill myself. Kill myself. I am part of a generation that has steadily worked empty death wishes into everyday conversation. Yes, I am guilty as well, probably more so than others, but I mean, they’re just words right? It’s not like I’m actually going to kill myself. It’s harmless. It’s just a joke. Right? Well, not a joke, but overdramatic. I don’t guess I thought about the words I was saying and the impact they could have. I didn’t understand the effect I could have until I spoke with Shara McRae who lost her sister, Ashlie McRae, last May to suicide. I began to think about the context of the words that are uttered without a second thought. The half-hearted comments from my friends and social media quickly morphed with my dialect such as poisonous gas seeps into a fog–
unnoticed. It became natural. It became a habit. It became my response to anything and everything unfortunate that went on in my daily life at school, in public or on social media. These comments became a form of self-deprecating humor. It became a way to avoid the major issues of mental illness and anxiety that are ever so present in a majority of teenagers today, especially on social media networks such as Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. It’s not about making fun of suicide itself, it’s almost a way to make fun of oneself. If people can laugh at their problems, then maybe they aren’t as messed up as they believe themselves to be. Then I thought about the people like Shara. People who had lost a piece of their world, a piece of their heart because of a suicide. These people who are victims to the aftermath are everywhere. They are behind the cash register and sitting at the restaurant table, and to them, suicide is not a joke. It is real, and it is painful. But how many of these people left in the wake of a suicide are there?
OWN WORST ENEMY
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there are on average, 121 suicides each day. One hundred twenty-one people who did not take these trivial comments as a joke. One hundred twenty-one people each day who could’ve been helped rather than being lead to believe that a multitude of others wanted to die as well. According to DoSomething.org, each suicide affects at least six people. That adds up to 726 people a day who will no longer have the same outlook on life. These people, like Shara, will no longer laugh at a “relatable post” about someone “wishing” for death because the weekend ends tomorrow and the school week begins. To these 726 people, suicide is not, and never will be, a laughing matter. Think before you speak. Take caution in what you project because the impact that it can have is prodigious. I know I do not have much room to talk, but I know I can say I am making an effort to change my ways. Everyone is going through something, and it is important to remember that. coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com illustration by l. maynard and g. hickey
Sophomore not defined by harmful thoughts
BY JHovany Perez
staff writer
3:00 a.m. My palms are sweaty, heart is racing. I have been twisting and turning for hours now. My thoughts start going wild and all of a sudden, they are gone. They made way for the voice. “This will pass,” I repeat over and over. I roll from side to side, trying to keep myself in control. One tear slowly escapes out of my eye, then two. Soon, I am crying in my bed. I cover my mouth so that no one will hear my yelps and my gasps for air. Everyone is sleeping, so why bother them with my problems? “No one will notice,” he says to me. “You’re just another mistake.” “You’re not okay. You’ve never been okay.” “I’m fine,” I argue back. Why am I crying? There’s nothing wrong with me. I slowly chant under my breath through the yelps of pain. Just take a deep breath; it’s fine. This is normal. This is just in your head. The voice can’t control you anymore. My mind slowly settles, heart beat slows and sweat stops pouring.
It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is “fine.” I was seven when these voices first started and growing up with nights like these became “normal.” These thoughts would force themselves into my head and not go away no matter how hard I tried. They lay there dormant when not aggressively active, patiently waiting for the moment when I am weakest, like a lion lurking in the grass of the savanna, waiting for its next victim. And the lion caught me. I had been tossing and turning for over three hours and before I knew it, it was midnight. Soon my life turned into a living nightmare. I swirled into a dark room; no windows, no doors, no nothing. Isolation became my companion and I soon started seeing the worst things, which were mostly my own suicide but from a third person point of view. Cliffs, Bridges and buildings all were plausible places of death. Tears swelled in my eyes, but I made no commotion. I couldn’t make any commotion. A bubble slowly formed around me and my thoughts were running wild, but at the same time they were restricted. I felt dead inside, like I had no purpose. “What’s the point of life if there is
no purpose for me in it?” I whispered. “I’m made out of matter but doesn’t mean I matter,” I said in defeat. I was tired of fighting day after wretched day, so I finally walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I pressed it against my wrist. The cold feeling sent a chill up my spine. A sharp spike of doubt stabbed me. “Do I really want to do this?” “What will my parents do?” “What will happen after I die?” I immediately let go of the blade, frightened by the pain that would come. I stood there wondering what I was thinking. I gradually started shattering the bubble that had formed around me shrinking my perception. As my perception was dilating I sat down in the middle of the kitchen and just let my mind go wild. I sat there taking all the pain. “Just another day” I repeated to myself as tears streamed down my face. I had curled up on the kitchen floor and I dozed off and eventually fell asleep. The next morning I woke up in my bed not knowing how I ended up there. My thoughts continued to run rapidly
in my head but after a while they became more manageable. By seventh grade I had gained control. I still had sleepless nights, but they weren’t as often and not as crippling. I know that the thoughts will never completely be gone. They are weights that I will forever carry, but it has gotten easier. The weights have not grown lighter; I’ve become stronger over time. jhovanyperez@tigertimesonline.com
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viewpoint
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
A DIFFERENT NORMAL
Fictional reality questions discriminatory practices
by Katie dusek staff writer I see their faces looking down on mine. A circle of vultures reviewing a newly killed meal. They had pushed me down, called me a freak, and made my nose bleed. The pain of regret mirrors the pain in my head from hitting the ground. I cannot hear anything but their taunting and name–calling ringing in my ears. I had always been a target for bullying because of my sexuality. But I couldn’t help it–this was the way that I was and all the name calling in the world could not change that. All because I was a girl, and I was holding hands with a boy. I am straight. The weeks had passed and I couldn’t push my feelings down anymore. The kids at school had already circled me earlier to interrogate me as to why I
had never had a girlfriend before. Every day was the same: my fellow peers screamed my name in the cafeteria followed by the word “breeder.” The inside of my head burned with every name they ever called me. I cannot recall a time where it was OK to be straight. It wasn’t until my 13th birthday that I even learned there were straight people. All the movies, TV shows, and educational videos I watched in school depicted the perfect couple– two men or two women in love. That was all I ever knew. The only instance of a heterosexual couple I ever saw was once in a movie, but my mom immediately turned off the TV and started screaming about “the sanctity of marriage being ruined.” People whispered about heterosexuals, or “hets,” behind closed doors. I had always been told by my parents that a heterosexual relationship was doomed from the start; men and women
photo by d. kelley
weren’t supposed to be together. End of story. I never questioned it either– partly to do with lack of conversation, and partly because it was an unspoken rule at my school that “straight” is synonymous with “bruised.” It was to my knowledge that a man and woman could not hold a stable, long term relationship because usually heterosexuals were too “promiscuous” or too emotionally unstable to be committed to one another. Upon entering the sex-ed portion of biology class, I asked my teacher how a man and a woman would be together. The question was shut down instantly by her yelling about how hetrosexuality was “unnatural” and “against the normal
order of things.” So here I lay on the floor of the gym, surrounded by my peers calling me names because some people can’t wrap their minds around the idea that men and women can love each other fully. For someone living in the world today, this scenario seems ridiculous and improbable. However, for young gay people, this can be the harsh reality they face on a daily basis. The bullying and heartache that they face is often hidden under a societal veil of hypocrisy and lack of understanding. This ignorance often transforms itself into hate and a corrupted view of people who are simply human beings trying to live their life and love whom they want. katiedusek@tigertimesonline.com
PACKING UP PREJUDICES Traveling can change perspectives, diminish acceptance of common stereotypes
RAGA JUSTIN editor in chief I’m not a seasoned jetsetter by any means. I’ve been to a few countries here and there, but it’s not like I’ve ever basked in the sun in Bora-Bora. I’ve never dipped my toe in the hot springs of Reykjavik, thrown tomatoes in Valencia, hot-air-ballooned over Turkey, visited the Dome of the Rock. But where I have been has totally changed my outlook on life. Because that’s the purpose of travel, isn’t it? When you escape the town you live in and see how wide an arena the world truly is, you begin to get over the petty squabbles and minor concerns that you previously based your existence on. Small-mindedness is rampant in our
everyday lives, it seems. Through no explicit fault of our own, we are conditioned to care about the inconsequential. Dating concerns, grading concerns (guilty). We stress about Twitter drama and whisper about who told off who. Maybe this stuff is important to some degree at this point in our lives. But does it really matter? Everyone, if asked this question, would say no. Yet it still controls us. I think that travel is one of the most important things you can do. And not local road trips to places where people think and act just like you; you have to truly immerse yourself in cultures radically different from yours to gain a deeper appreciation of where you come from and the way you live. The more foreign and alien to you, the better. We see it on TV and displayed in big, attention-grabbing headlines all across our morning papers, sure. Poverty and misery of the highest order exist everywhere. I firmly believe seeing that firsthand changes a person on some intrinsic level. But it’s not just poverty and misery.
Just witnessing a different set of customs, values, beliefs is vital to develop a sense of the world and your place in it. Staying too long in one place makes your mind stagnant, especially in a small town; when you are steeped in the same traditions and rules and even prejudices that rule your life for months and years on end, those same traditions and rules and prejudices begin to define you and narrow your vision. Even now, especially now, fear and hostility to outsiders and the unknown exist. When we don’t understand something, it automatically becomes something to target. But that’s not right. People have different ways of doing things and living their lives. They have different ideas about what constitutes morality and how to properly educate the next generation. They place a different emphasis on love and money and faith in the unknown. See it all and you see not only what in your life could merit some adjustment, but also just what you’re impossibly, improbably lucky to live with. ragajustin@tigertimesonline.com
Feb. 9, 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
community
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feature
Spray painting a
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
FUTURE
Expression through art brings new entrepreneurial opportunities BY EMILY MCMASTER staff writer As he walked the streets of London, he noticed a small crowd gathered around a hunched figure, all eagerly watching something. As instant curiosity sparked, he strolled over to the group, only to find a street artist using spray paint to create original pieces. Enthralled by the creativity, he stared on in complete amazement. Thoughts of the art continued to capture his attention long after stumbling across the artist. The colorful array of spray paint gliding over the canvas and the chaotic way the various hues generated one united image was permanently imprinted in his mind. In the spring of 2016, junior Gracson Byrd took a family vacation to London, England, where he found a new interest in spray paint art. After returning home, he decided to give the activity a shot. “When I got home, I decided to give [spray paint art] a try because it looked super cool and easy,” Byrd said. “I found out later that it was not easy at all, so I kept practicing and eventually got the
Byrd Art Creations on Etsy.com
SPACING OUT Holding one of his own spray paintings, junior Gracson Byrd has no regrets concerning his newfound passion. He is selling custom painted Yeti tumblers for $30 on Etsy. photo by a. parker
hang of it.” As summer came along, Byrd was able to invest more time into practicing his new skill. Watching only a few videos of other street artists performing, it was up to him to pick up different techniques. “By summer I felt comfortable enough with my progress to show a couple of my friends, and the response was positive,”
Byrd said. “It definitely helped my confidence because I never considered myself to be good at art.” As Byrd’s passion for the art grew, he spent more time creating different works. He soon realized he could not only create images, but could also place designs and decals on other objects. “What I enjoy the most is discovering
techniques,” Byrd said. “For example, if I am creating a picture with water, I have to come up with techniques to make it more reflective or have more waves.” Originally, Byrd used his own money to buy more supplies. Although an idea from his brother soon inspired Byrd to open an online Etsy shop, titled “Byrd Art Creations.” “I started selling paintings and phone cases in the middle of summer after my brother jokingly suggested starting a business, but I liked the idea,” Byrd said. “My most popular items are phone cases and Yeti cups. I am hoping to really promote [my items] in the future and let others know I can do this.” Taking interest in the London street artist led to a new pursuits and unprecedented discoveries for Byrd. Some may have passed the artist by without a single glance back, but Byrd took a chance. “If you are sitting around day with nothing to do, give [spray paint art] a shot,” Byrd said. “Just do not give up because it will take a lot to finally get good at it.” emilymcmaster@tigertimesonline.com
BREAKING FREE Leaving the nest provides newfound independence
photo by a. parker
BY JHOVANEY PEREZ staff writer
PACKING UP Senior Rio Reyes faces the unknown as he supports himself and two other people. Although anxious at first, he feels confident knowing how to survive the real world without his parents.
Pacing his room, he feels like a trapped bird in a cage. He wishes to be independent–to see what lies beyond his home, beyond the four walls that desperately try to contain him. He desires to be free from his parents’ clutches, and his sibling’s shadows. At that precise moment, he decides to break free and soars out into the world. After moving out of his home almost a year ago, senior Rio Reyes has been content living alone. Now Reyes not only supports himself, but his girlfriend and her child, whom he claims as his adopted son. Although he was initially frightened by the idea, he’s grown confident in his abilities to support himself and two others. “When I left the house, I was kind of worried because I didn’t know if I would be able to make it or not by myself,” Reyes said. “My parents thought it was an amazing idea, despite them being afraid of me living on my own. They thought I might learn [about the
real world] earlier than the rest.” Reyes’ parents are supportive, but the family is not close. In his childhood, he often felt detached. Although, he still feels like he needs his parents as moral support. “My parents and I never had a parent-to-child relationship like my brother had with them. They always seemed to be more attracted to my brother than to me,” Reyes said. “Despite the fact that I don’t like needing people, I do still feel like I need them. When you need someone for so many years, it becomes this root within you and it’s hard to get rid of that.” Although he no longer lives with his parents, Reyes still visits them occasionally. “I spoke to my parents pretty recently and they ask about how I’ve been and all that,” Reyes said. “I like that feeling of someone always wanting to know how you are and how your kid is doing. It’s a pleasing sensation.” With a newfound life, Reyes has found himself in a parental relationship with his girlfriend’s child, and values his parents’
teachings in certain instances. “His name is Eli, and he is 2 years old. Although I am not his biological, I like to say that I am his father because that’s what my girlfriend wants,” Reyes said. “Raising a kid with the mindset of being a father is completely different from having baby cousins and siblings. It’s hard knowing that someone is looking at you like a role model, and it comes with a great deal of pressure, but he’s a great kid. I appreciate everything my parents have taught me because it helps me help Eli. From respect to kindness, it all truly helps.” Although he feels life will never be perfect, Reyes is not worried about what the future has in store. “I am completely satisfied where I am right now. I feel completely content,” Reyes said. “I have a job, kid, home, girlfriend, I can support myself and my family, I am doing well in school and everything is just the way I want it to be. Of course, I don’t disregard the fact that there will be problems, but I feel like I am ready to face it all.” jhovaneyperez@tigertimesonline.com
community
Feb. 9, 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
FEBRUARY 18, 2017 | 9:30AM - 3:00PM UNIVERSITY CENTER | EAGLE HALL •
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14 A MILLION REASONS TO LIVE
photo by k. moreland
Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Community Healthcore CRISIS LINE
Twins discuss struggles with depression BY COLTON JOHNSON
feature editor
Our society tries to convince fretting minds to live in the moment. We idolize the future, sure. We try to plan our entire lives, but we always try to bring ourselves back to the present out of fear of watching it all go by. Well, people do that for the good times–the moments that they feel happy. But for Samantha Walker, there were no more of these good times to come back to. There were no ways of escape. There were no promises of hope or of better things to come. There was just the present–a world that was folding up on her. She made the decision Oct. 23, 2016, that it wasn’t worth it anymore. The suffering outweighed any good memory or any light her future held. She was stuck, and at the time the only way out seemed to be through the pills in the little orange bottle. It was easier that way. “In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about anything but the pain I was feeling,” Samantha said. “The thought hadn’t occurred to me that I might actually be hurting
A PERMANENT REMINDER Shara McRae, Ashlie McRae’s older sister, holds Ashlie’s picture and necklace while showing a tattoo inspired by one of Ashlie’s drawings. Ashlie passed away on May 28, 2016.
someone.” Samantha did not intend on surviving. She would come to find out that her decision left a far greater effect than she believed it would; especially for her twin sister, senior Savannah Walker. “When I got in the car Samantha was out of it. The pills were already in her system. She couldn’t even look at me,” Savannah said. “She’s my twin sister. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen something flash before your eyes, but my heart just broke. It was probably the saddest moment of my life.”
24 hours / 7 days a week 1-800-832-1009
Crisis Text Line Text “HELLO” to 741741
“Always talk to someone about it. Not everyone is going to ask for help though, and to those people, there’s a light that never goes out. There’s always something better around the corner. It’s always going to be better. It’s never going to be as bad as you think it will.” -Shara McRae
See MILLION on page 17
PAINTHAT Seniors Samantha and Savannah Walker have overcome their struggles with depression.
THE WARNING SIGNS BEHAVIOR • Increased use of alcohol or drugs • Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online for materials or means • Acting recklessly • Withdrawing from activities • Isolating from family and friends • Sleeping too much or too little • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye • Giving away prized possessions • Aggression Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
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in-depth
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
TALK
• Being a burden to others • Feeling trapped • Experiencing unbearable pain • Having no reason to live • Killing themselves
MOOD
• Depression • Loss of interest • Rage
BY COLTON JOHNSON
feature editor
S
hara, it’s your sister.” Her throat clenched up on itself, and her stomach dropped. “He either beat her or she’s dead,” she thought as she started the car. But she couldn’t be dead. It was impossible. It was impossible for the flashing blue and red lights to be there, in her own front yard, illuminating the solemn faces. It was impossible for her sister, who she had just seen hours earlier, full of life, to be reduced to silence. It was impossible. It was impossible. But it wasn’t impossible. It was her new reality, and it altered every photo that would someday be taken. Every memory that she would make. Every day, she would remember that there was something missing. Ashlie McRae took her own life on May 28, 2016. For her sister, 24-year-old Shara McRae, this was the day when the world stopped spinning. Suicide is the second leading cause of
death among teens, leaving many families like Shara’s to deal with the aftermath. “It’s been horrible,” McRae said. “It’s not like a car accident. It’s not something that you can ever have closure about.” For McRae, life turned into a perpetual state of anger–of wondering why. It consumed her, and she was left with nowhere to project the inconsolable storm of confusion. “You would think that death would be so easy, but it’s so complicated,” McRae said. “It comes with so much grief and so many different emotions, and I don’t feel like there’s any justice in it.” According to Shara, Ashlie had found herself in a bad relationship that made her feel worthless. She turned into someone she wasn’t. After Ashlie took her life, McRae found herself frozen, trying to find closure in a world that never seems to take a break from everyday life. While her axis may have stopped spinning, the world around her did not. “I think the hardest part about it was going back to my everyday life. Driving home, I
LASTS
FOREVER was looking around, and it’s so weird because everyone is going on in the world. They move on without you whether you can move on or not, whether you’re ready to or not,” McRae said. “They are fine, and you’re dying on the inside. I literally feel like part of myself died with her.” McRae’s confusion for Ashlie’s decision forced her take a step back to reevaluate–to overthink. Before, when the idea of suicide affecting someone she loved was impossible, she didn’t give it a second thought. Now, she could lose anyone. “I never would’ve thought this could happen in a million years, and after this, it could be anybody, so I’m worried about everybody. Me and my sister were just starting to really get close,” McRae said. “She was very alive. She was
such a warrior to me. She had that fire in her.” In the wake of the tragedy, McRae was soon confronted with the question of: What now? She was left trying to figure out how to begin a new chapter without her sister, and so she separated herself from the situation. She left it in the back of her mind, for a later date that she always seemed to push farther back on her calendar. “I went to therapy for a bit and so did my mom, and they put me on medicine, but I didn’t like it. I know it’s not healthy, but I’m scared to deal with it, so I ignore it. I’m scared to go through that because I know you have stages,” McRae said. “There’s a lot of things you have to think about. Like she’s not gonna be there for See Pain on page 17
HELP IS WITHIN REACH BY ANNA CANNON
editor-in-chief
In 2003, suicide was the third leading cause of death of teenagers ages 10-24. As of now, it is the second leading cause of death. There isn’t an exact reason for the increase in suicide, but there has been an increase in efforts to stop it. Still, the subject remains taboo, and as a result, a lot of misunderstanding surrounds it. There is no definite cause of suicide. Unlike a physical illness, there’s no specific virus or germ that can be blamed, but common denominators can help us understand better. Most suicide victims suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, better known as depression. Many victims also had biological differences in their brains. According to a study by researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, many have an excess of serotonin receptors. An excess of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) can lead to impulsive behavior, faulty decision making and an increased risk of depression. Because we are born with all the serotonin receptors we’ll ever have, this is evidence that some people may be born with a biological predisposition toward suicide, and accounts for the fact that suicide often runs in families. Depression is the leading cause of teen suicide, but there are other risk factors to watch for. Traumatic life events, such as the death of a friend or family member, a serious breakup, or mental, physical or emotional abuse can be the catalyst for suicidal thoughts or actions. Substance abuse, anxiety disorders or other mental health problems–such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or eating disorders–greatly increase a teen’s risk of suicide. If you’re suicidal, the first step toward getting help is telling others. Talking to your best friend may be helpful, but unless they’re a trained mental health professional, you’re going to need more. The school counseling center, located near the south exit of the math and science building, is available to anyone who might be struggling with thoughts of suicide. From there, the counselors can put you in touch with trained psychiatrists and therapists. Helping a suicidal person is a team effort. There are several online resources that can be used to help diagnose or cope with mental illness. Just searching “depression test” or “anxiety test” will provide a range of See HELP on page 17
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Feb. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
MILLION continued from page 14 When Savannah saw her sister sitting there in the car, she saw her past self as a freshman–her broken self who had tried to overdose the same way as her sister now was. Feelings of feeling unwanted and unloved had plagued Savannah years before just as it had taken control of Samantha. “I was mad because she did it, but at the same time I understood. It made it worse because she knew how she felt when I tried it. She knew how bad it was,” Savannah said. “I know in those moments that you don’t think about what anyone else really thinks, but I felt like we weren’t enough. I felt like I wasn’t enough.” Samantha was in admitted into a hospital and stayed in a medically induced coma for three days. “I remember when we were sitting in the waiting room and they were getting ready to airlift her to Little Rock,” Savannah said. “My mom just burst into tears and kept saying, ‘I can’t lose her.’” Once she woke up from her coma, she was sent to Riverview Behavioral Center, where she stayed for a week, and while help was offered, it didn’t seem to be the help she was in need of. “I had to go to group therapy everyday and speak with different doctors about what I did and why I did it,” Samantha said. “I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and they put me on medication to help with it–but it didn’t really help.”
PAIN continued from page 15
The silence did not build her up either. The flood gates of support did not seem to open for Samantha as they had for others. “The topic of suicide comes up and everyone gets quiet. You’re not supposed to talk about it. You’re not supposed to acknowledge it,” Savannah said. “She wasn’t a popular kid. It was upsetting because whenever Mayten’s injury happened, people rallied around him and everyone wore yellow, and that is great for him, but no one really thought to do anything for her. I had a couple of friends try to make a t-shirt for suicide awareness, but it didn’t go anywhere. No one really did anything extraordinary.” Suicide is not a comfortable topic to discus for many people. It rests in a grey area with so many unanswered questions. There is the argument of morals and speculation questioning the “real” reasons that people do it. “People think it’s for attention,” Savannah said. “My sister was in a bed for three days asleep. She was on a ventilator. She couldn’t breathe on her own. I don’t think that was for attention.” So, how do we break this stereotype that suicide is simply a selfish act for people seeking attention? We talk about it. We open our arms to people who are hurting. “The school has a bullying and suicide prevention workshop at the beginning of the year, and it’s like you hear about it but you don’t have
to go,” Savannah said. “I think they could hold an assembly that we are required to go to that just talks about it–at least once. They need to do it for everyone so people know they aren’t alone and they have somewhere to go.” Suicide is not a topic that this school is unfamiliar with, and yet it is something that is brushed under the rug when it happens. It cannot be ignored anymore, and it is time to talk about it now. We cannot put it off, and we cannot just talk about it when it happens. We must talk about it in order to prevent it from happening. “We’ve had so many people at this school attempt or actually done it,” Savannah said. “When you have so many people at this school who have attempted to do it, it’s a topic that needs to be talked about.” Pain of this magnitude may seem like it will never end, but nearly everything in life is temporary. Anyone who is or has considered suicide must remember that things will eventually pass. You will look back someday and say that you made it just as Savannah and Samantha have. “Things get better,” Samantha said. “A couple months ago I didn’t see a reason for living. Now I have a million reasons to [live]. I live with my cousin and his wife in New Mexico now. They have twin 1-yearolds, and they are one of my reasons for living. I want to be able to see them grow up.” coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com
be more complex as well. There’s no magic pill that will make all of your problems go away, nor is there a quick counseling session that will make you feel like new. Recovery takes time and effort, and mental health professionals can only help their patients as much as they want to be helped. There’s no formula for suicide; there’s no rule for what can make a person take his own life. Everyone responds to situations differently, and everyone’s mind works in its own unique way. Some people have the mental strength and external support system to navigate traumatic life events without ever considering suicide. Others may not have the strength or support to survive the same circumstances. Just because you believe that you would have been okay in someone else’s situation doesn’t mean that they
were weak, or that their struggle wasn’t valid. If someone you know is struggling with suicide, don’t keep quiet. Tell an adult, call a helpline or talk to a counselor if one is available. If the situation is bad enough, take them to an emergency room. Don’t leave them alone, and don’t try to keep it secret. Suicide isn’t something that we can keep quiet about. The second leading cause of death among young people can’t be brushed under the rug. No one should have to suffer in silence because they are afraid of being judged or not taken seriously. Don’t accept for an instant that someone is just doing it, “for attention.” Suicide deserves our attention, as do the people who suffer under its grip. annacannon@tigertimesonline.com
HELP continued from page 15 options for self diagnosis. There are online helplines for practically every mental illness, and resources for helping to manage grief, stress and other factors that could contribute to suicidal thoughts or actions. Self diagnosis and treatment can be helpful in the short run, but the best way to get help is to be diagnosed by a professional. Your general practitioner can recommend psychiatrists, therapists and counselors in your area. Healthcare databases can do this as well. If you want faith-based treatment, talk to your religious leader; they can often recommend a faith-based counselor. But don’t be fooled into thinking that mental illness can be “cured;” many people with a mental illness will struggle with it their whole lives. Our minds are so much more complex than any other part of our bodies, so treating the mind must
17
your wedding. She’s not gonna be there for a graduation. I’m not gonna remember her smell. If I could see her again, I wouldn’t say anything. I would just hold her. There’s nothing I could say. I would just have to hold her. To feel her and smell her again.” Suicide, it seems, has a tendency to run in families. Years ago, Shara tried to kill herself in the same way that Ashlie did. Shara was lucky enough to have someone there to show her how much she was worth. “I don’t even remember the reason why.,” McRae said. “But I didn’t do it. When I was going through that, my cousin, Katie, busted down the bathroom door and grabbed me by the ponytail and dragged me down the hall and beat the dog crap out of me. She was just telling me how much I’m needed. I had someone bring me back to my senses, and I don’t even know why I was in that thought. I have a lot of regret that I tried doing that.” After this incident, Shara began to notice that everyone goes through trials everyday, and that suicidal tendencies aren’t confined to trying to take your own life. “It changed my mindset on a lot of things like how I approach people with their daily struggles because everybody is going through struggles,” McRae said. “Maybe not everyone wants to kill themselves, but some people self harm, some people drink or some people overeat. There’s all kinds of different ways people deal with their own problems.” After her own suicide attempt and after seeing the reaction to Ashlie’s death, McRae soon came to realize that suicide is not something people are openly willing to discuss. It is a conversation kept in quiet murmurs. “A lot of people are very hush hush about it,” McRae said. “I know a lot of people can’t talk about it because they’ve never been through it or they don’t understand it.” With lack of understanding comes ignorance. This culture has made the idea of suicide out to be a joke, and Shara has witnessed it first hand. “I have friends who come up to me and say things like ‘Oh I could just hang myself,’ and I just think, ‘How could you say that?’” McRae said. “They aren’t thinking about other people’s feelings and emotions and what they’ve been through, but you can’t get upset with people because no one is going to know everything that you’ve been through. I would rather people watch what they say and how they say it.” Ultimately, suicide is a conversation that needs to be talked about respectfully, for all of the people like Shara who are left in the wake of the tragedy. It cannot be a topic that is pushed under the rug, and for those who are in a dark place in their life, it is important to know that there are indeed better things to come. “Always talk to someone about it. Not everyone is going to ask for help though, and to those people, there’s a light that never goes out. There’s always something better around the corner. It’s always going to be better. It’s never going to be as bad as you think it will,” McRae said. “I wish everyone could go through the loss of someone that is close to them without going through that loss. I wish they could feel actually having to deal with that.” coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com
18
ON THE EDGE
feature
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
Through rehab, student finds refuge BY MISTY LOPEZ staff writer Her room is jet black and solitary. She’s on the edge. On the edge of her bed. On the edge of her life. At 10 years old, former student Rebekka Stout became involved with drugs. She began with a few smokes here and there, but eventually the small things led her down a path of hardcore drugs and addiction. She found herself falling harder and deeper each day until it soon took over her life. “My father left me as a child due to pill addictions. I soon fell into the path myself with any substance from cannabis to harder drugs,” Stout said. “For four years, I was in an abusive relationship that had introduced me to some negative choices. I can say that these things played a huge factor into my suicide attempt.” After a while, Stout could no longer bare her pain and
SPEAK
OUT
“People have lots of stress in life going on right now, so they really can’t handle it or have no one to talk to right now so they try to kill themselves slowly. To me I think it relieves the pain so they won’t have to feel so sad.” -Sorena Walter, 10
“I don’t think its an actual problem. I know it happens in some places but it’s not like a problem. People do it because of stress from school to get away from the world, I guess.” -Stas Nantze, 12 “If you look at the poverty level and you look at the correlation of that with substance abuse, a lot of kids are raised in that. A lot of times when people grow up with that and it’s all you know. It’s obviously what they’re going to do.”
Breanna McCarley, 12
struggle. She felt unloved, and the thought of suicide became implanted in her head. She felt trapped in a world she no longer wanted to be a part “I thought suicide was the only way out of this hole I had dug myself in. I felt like there was no hope, no future, and no reason to live. My depression was killing me,” Stout said. “I didn’t think anyone cared, and to be honest, I didn’t even care myself.” When her suicide incident occurred, she did not go to the hospital immediately. She waited a week but finally came to the conclusion that she needed help. “I stayed in the hospital for nine hours, and they diagnosed me with severe depression and anxiety. When I was diagnosed, I was on Prozac. But they soon changed my medication to something that would help more,” Stout said. “As soon as I left, I went straight to a mental health and rehabilitation hospital. The entire stay there was terrible. I got very little help from my counselor, but the girls in my unit helped more than I could ever express.” Rebekka eventually left school, hoping to get better, but all she did was smoke and consume drugs as much as possible. She soon realized that she had to go back because her future and her well-being depended on it. “I took a break from school when my life was going down hill,” Stout said. “Now that I am back in school, I don’t have the time on my hands to fall back into my old habits.” Therapy soon became tough on Rebekka, but she knew it helped her tremendously on overcoming her issues and past. “I go to therapy once a week, and I believe it helps drastically,” Stout said. “Talking about what’s going on in my life has really allowed me to let all my negative feelings out so I could turn them into positive feelings. I am now taking Quetiapine, Citalopram and Buspirone to help me get better.” Stout is now 15 years old and on a road to recovery. She hopes to make the best of her future. Her perspective on suicide has changed, and she feels stronger than ever. “I now think suicide is the easy way out. Recovery is hard, but not at all impossible. You have to be strong minded even if you have to push yourself to get there. Now I am doing the best I can. I take one day at a time and look at the best instead of the worse.” Stout feels as though suicide is an immense problem in today’s society, and hopes that for anyone who is thinking about it, to take a step back and reflect on how it would affect not only them, but their loved ones.
Facts from NCADD and Health Day
$190 billion
is the estimated cost for drug abuse in America.
8%
of the population aged 12 years old or older will illegally take drugs without a prescription.
90%
of people with substance problems began smoking, drinking or using other drugs before age 18.
“I’m not in the best position to tell anyone anything, but I can tell you one thing. It’s not the last resort, and it’s okay to ask for help,” Stout said. “It will always get better.” mistylopez@tigertimesonline.com
feature
Feb. 9, 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
Bullying leads to life revelations BY LANGLEY LEVERETT feature editor She remembers the walls, the grey walls that trapped her determined conscience inside. The steel barricades placed by her own hands were toxic to her core, but she had to protect what was left. She had to keep fighting, keep persistently building that putrid cage, if only to shield her mind from the horrors that she had already endured. In the midst of her childhood and early teen years, junior Mariah Jones experienced extreme bullying and multiple resonating hardships that has shaped who she is today. After everything she had endured, Jones pursued her dreams and auditioned for “The Voice” in Chicago on Jan. 21. “To start off, it all started when I was 9 years old. I was going to Pleasant Grove, and I had a bunch of friends that I had grown up with basically. Then I moved from Pleasant Grove because my mom had passed away,” Jones said. “When I moved to Fouke, the summer before, I had gotten head lice, like forreal. Like four times in a row, it was not a good deal. So I showed up to a new school with one parent, and no hair. I got bullied for not having a mom, and I remember there were days where I would come home and ask my dad what was wrong with me, and I would be horribly upset.” As she was thrust into a new environment, Jones struggled with adjusting to her new school. Her life was plagued with uncertainties, and it quickly took its toll on her. “I ended up feeling really overweight
photo by D. Kelley
MOVING ON Looking back at her experiences, junior Mariah Jones recognizes the improvements she’s made.
“If you romanticize a true problem, it’ll make it not a problem when it really is. You can’t expect to do the same thing and get a different outcome, that’s literally the definition of insanity. And I feel like trying to romanticize suicide is something that they’re trying to use to completely off the subject and not bring it up.” and I turned to everything possible,” Jones said. “My self harm wasn’t where you cut yourself, mine was where I started to believe people, and say the same things about myself. It might not seem like much, but when you’re sitting there, and can’t even look at yourself in the mirror because you’re thinking ‘my forehead is too big, my lips are too small, I’m too fat, I’m ugly, I’m a horrible person’... it starts to weigh on you.” It was through these flooding insecurities that changed her outlook on emotions and life itself. She decided to block herself from everything and everyone, which has ultimately impacted her stances today. “I tried to put a wall up, that has affected a lot of the relationships I have today. I put up walls to where I didn’t let myself get hurt. I just wouldn’t let people in, I wouldn’t trust them,” Jones said. “It is very hard for me to hug, kiss, anything because I feel like I’m too sensitive, I’m being too clingy. Even the same way with friends, I feel like if I let them in on too much, that they’ll leave, which it’s a really
bad flaw that I probably should work on. But it’s something that to this day that still affects my relationships because I just wouldn’t stand up for myself.” Although she was reluctant at first, simply talking about what was going on inside helped her cope with depression. “Honestly, the best thing that helped me get through my anger and depression, and this is going to sound crazy, but just talking about it in general helps a lot more than anybody realizes,” Jones said. “I had to go to therapy for days upon days, and it really helped me a lot. I didn’t want to do it. I literally walked in there and decided that I was just going to wait her out. I wasn’t going to do anything, or say anything to her. And the last word she said, at the last hour, was ‘your mom would be proud that you came here.’” Shocked at the sincerity and overwhelmed with the implications of her words, Jones continued to attend therapy. Although she was still hurting, she felt she owed her mom that much. “Losing my mom, everything I do is to make her proud. And I remember that those words just hit me so hard, and I was like ‘I’m gonna go back.’ And that was what made me go back, was the motivation of that it made someone happy that I was trying to help myself,” Jones said. “Sometimes if you can just sit there and feel that someone is sitting beside you silently supporting you, and giving you your time to open up, it makes it a lot easier.” Looking back at the lowest points in her life, she remembers how hard it was to overcome suicidal thoughts. “I can think back to a night, and my dad was really scared because he didn’t know how to handle bullying. I was 12 years old, and I think that is what breaks me down the most; at 12 years old, I had so much more life to give. And yet I was so ready to end it,” Jones said. “I had got
19 bullied to where I ran into the bathroom, and I literally told my dad I didn’t feel good. I went home and sat in my room for the rest of the night. He was worried, but I kept telling him that I just wasn’t feeling good. I remember I took the laptop in there that night and I looked up how many pills you had to take to overdose. I remember I just sat there and looked at the bottle and I couldn’t. I don’t know what was stopping me, I really don’t.” She concludes that her rescue came only from a divine force and cannot be explained through anything else. “I know what stopped me, God stopped me; that’s the only thing because I literally remember looking at that bottle and for every pill I could literally go back and think of an insult. I just sat there and I bawled, and I looked at that bottle and I couldn’t do it. And that’s God,” Jones said. “It was only God that got me to Texas High and into a better situation. I’m not even very religious but I can tell you straight up that God was the only thing that got me out of that.” After experiencing this revelation, Jones soon threw all her energy into coming out of that dark place by doing the thing she loves most: singing. “I was in my old school’s choir for five and a half years, and I was even subject to bullying from my teacher. So I was terrified to try choir when I came to Texas High. I actually wasn’t going to, until my first day of school my dad was like ‘Mariah, I really think you need to do choir. I think you need to do it,’ and so I did,” Jones said. “My first day of school there, I fell in love with it. A video of me singing ‘House of the Rising Sun’ ended up being sent to the ‘The Voice.’ Made it past first round, and I went to the second one on Jan. 21 in Chicago.” Eventually her motivation morphed into something positively energetic, and she ultimately wants to spread awareness of how life–the good and bad–is worth living. “That’s something that people have to realize, bullying starts somewhere, but it also ends somewhere. And when one story ends, another one begins. I feel like if I didn’t have the bullying and the complete determination and drive to prove people wrong, I wouldn’t have sent the video,” Jones said. “Even if you feel like right now that you are completely lost and you feel like you can barely breathe, you just have to wait. Even if it’s ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ If you have to push off your suicide one day every day, start there. Start where you can and push yourself to be the best you can.” langleyleverett@tigertimesonline.com
20
SWIMMING
sports
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
photo by r. sizemore
‘STATE’ OF MIND
TIGERSHARKS WIN REGIONALS, QUALIFY TO ADVANCE TO NEXT LEVEL BY LAUREN POTTER in-depth editor After a successful win for the Tigershark swim and dive teams at regionals Feb. 3-4 in Lewisville, 21 of the swimmers and divers will be traveling to the state meet in Austin Friday-Saturday. “Regionals went really well,” head coach Eric Vogan said. “The kids performed exceptionally this year. They’ve been working hard, and it showed at the regional meet.” The Tigersharks will compete in 18 out of 24 events. “We had a lot more winners [in individual events] this year than we have had in the past five or six years,” Vogan said. “We had kids step up that we didn’t even think would be in the top two to win events.” Advancing in the boys’ individual events are freshmen Owen Likins and Max Young, sophomore Dylan Rosser and junior Nick Radomski. “I was really nervous, but I just thought it through, did all my underwaters correctly and it turned out better than I thought it would,” Rosser said. “The training definitely paid off. I worked hard all year and dropped 10 seconds in almost all my events.” On the girls side, junior Kristin Clayton and seniors Cathryn Payne and Ohemaa Barnes will compete in their individual events. “I was ready for [the 100 breaststroke] since I have been swimming it the past couple of years,” Clayton said. “I’m just ready to prove myself. I didn’t think I had my best time but I was just happy to be moving on.” There will be 24 in each event instead of the usual 16. “State should be an interesting event this year with 24 going in each event instead with only 16 moving on the next day,” Vogan said. “We have got a lot of kids going to state, but state is going to be really fast.” The team’s 400 and 200 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay also advanced to state. “I think [the relays] went really well, and I felt that the girls team is really strong,” Payne said. “I’m a little nervous going into state because I know the competition will be intense.” In diving, seniors Hunter Burt and Lauren Potter, juniors Courtney Lourens and Jacob Mitchmore and sophomore Robert Bland will compete at the state level. “All of us divers didn’t do as great as we could’ve, but we all placed well,” Burt said. “There is going to be a lot more competition [at state], so we are going to have to work harder.” The Tigersharks will have their annual send–off breakfast Thursday at 7:30 a.m. in the Tiger Center. “I’m excited about our opportunities at state because we have so many people who have qualified,” senior Linley Murdock said. “Because our region is slower, we definitely have some competition ahead of us. This is my last chance to prove myself, so everything is becoming more serious, and I’m trying to enjoy every moment.”
SHAVING TRADITION
WINNER WINNER Sophomore Dylan Rosser kneels down to let his coach, Eric Vogan, put the gold medal around his neck after winning his individual event. He will be adcancing to the state competition in Austin on Feb. 17-18.
Jacob Mitchmore, 11 “First we bleach our hair and then shave it right before photo by m. parish we leave for regionals. Shaving our heads is a team team tradition, so we all go to Park Salon to shave our heads as a team. The seniors shave all the underclassmen’s heads. I also shaved my eyebrows with some of the other guys; it’s just a fun thing to do with the team.”
HIGH FIVE Freshmen Max Young and Owen Likins celebrate their victory in the 500 yard freestyle at the Regional meet, held in Lewisville, Texas. Both of the underclassmen boys qualified for state in this event. photo by r. sizemore
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AT STATE OHEMAA BARNES,12
“I’m excited. Last year I didn’t quite make it in any of my individual events, which is really upsetting, photo by p. spaulding but considering I made it to state in these events my sophomore and freshman year I’m just excited that I had the chance to make it to state again in the same events.”
50 FREESTYLE & 100 BACKSTROKE
HUNTER BURT, 12
“It’s a bittersweet moment. I’m happy for it to end but sad I won’t be able to compete at photo by p. spaulding anymore meets with my friends. My goal for this meet is to get a better score and to get higher than ninth place. With extra competiton this year, I’m not sure what to expect. I think I’ll do pretty good with more people because I will work harder for it.”
1 METER DIVING
MAX YOUNG, 9
“I’m excited [to go to state as a freshman]. I have been working hard all year to break the 500 record, and I photo by p. spaulding think this meet is my shot. After this meet, I want to start doing to 100 freestyle and more sprint events rather than distance. If I get the record this year, the next couple of years I want to change over and do some sprint events.”
200 & 500 FREESTYLE
21
sports
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
Throwing her way to state
Discus player shares experiences
BY RAGA JUSTIN editor in chief
SHOT AT STATE Senior Hannah Higgins has been to the discus state championships twice before, placing fourth as a sophomore and second as a junior. submitted photo
The saucer rests smooth and heavy in her hands. She takes a deep breath to compose herself–in, out–and then settles her weight into the proper starting position, her mind running over hundreds of practices, hundreds of hours invested. Senior Hannah Higgins has thrown discus since the seventh grade. “In seventh grade, when we could first start playing sports, I played volleyball,” Higgins said. “When track came around I thought ‘I guess I’ll throw.’ And that’s how it started. I was bad at discus, I really wanted to quit until my mom was like, ‘No, you just started, give it a chance.’ So I did, and look at me now.” It’s a sport that doesn’t receive all that much attention here, with about six year-round participants. That has led to problems with inadequate resources.
“I don’t feel like track is a big part of [the school],” Higgins said. “Mostly it’s just football. I don’t feel like the school puts a lot of focus on it, but I’m not concerned with attention being on me. We have a good program, we have good coaches, but our track is old, our buses are old. The discus ring has a crack down the middle and is at least 50 years old.” But that hasn’t deterred Higgins from putting as much time and effort into the sport as possible. “I practice often,” Higgins said. “We go at least five days a week after school. I’ll do drills for throwing with my father. Then we’ll practice before and after school.” Discus is an old and established sport, having originated in ancient Greece. It has been a part of every modern Olympics, with women first allowed to compete in 1928. “I enjoy it because it’s a challenge,” Higgins said. “It’s a discipline sport, so
you have to work to become to good at it over a long period of time. If you do one part right, a piece of the technique after that might be wrong. You have to work a long time at it.” And work hard she does. “Most of the drills are fundamental movements,” Higgins said. “The technique is so complicated, you’re trying to work on different parts of it. It takes a while to be good.” Higgins has been touted as a favorite for state this year. “I feel good that I have a good chance at winning,” Higgins said. “But I know we can be better. There’s people out there in my grade that are at 180 [feet] almost and I’m down here at 135.” Higgins has high hopes for her future. “I want to see how far this goes,” Higgins said. “I want to throw in college. I’ll see how this track season goes; I expect myself to improve as much as I can. I’ll see what happens.” ragajustin@tigertimesonline.com
More than just a list of numbers
photo used with permission of MCT Campus
Fans explain love for pro athletes BY RICKY COOKS indepth editor It’s hard for several people to look at an athlete and see anything more than their stats–the points scored, yards run, goals made and everything in-between. For others, however, there is something special about an athlete that raises them to a higher level–an inspirational level, even. Kids are constantly looking for someone to look up to, someone to believe in and the remaining question is what makes these players who they are. The moral character of America’s athletes, whether professional or not, is a huge factor for what makes them great. “One of my favorite sports players would have to be Pat Tillman of the Arizona Cardinals,” senior Carson Jones. “In 2001 after being in the climax of his professional career, Pat decided to join the Army and give up his chance at wealth and fame. Not only was he a symbol of patriotism in America for a time when we most needed it, but he is
a symbol of a man who gave his all in everything he did.” Watching your favorite player in action is a special moment for any fan, but those fortunate enough to meet their inspiration have even more to take from the experience. “My favorite is Hunter Henry; he played for [The University of Arkansas] and now for the Chargers,” sophomore Nick Graves said. “He’s a tight-end like me, so I look up to him a lot, and he’s even coached me at some camps.” A strong work ethic, positivity and overall tenacity is what makes athletes special, what makes watching them perform worthwhile. “Breanna Stewart won the NCAA tournament Most Valuable Player award four times along with winning the National Championship each year she was there,” junior Blaire Bledsoe said. “She always dedicates herself to being the best and has the drive and determination that many young players, including myself, admire.”
TAKING IT ALL IN Luis Rodriguez gets high fives from Illinois State players and coaches as he takes the field with his buddy, Illinois State wide receiver Brannon Barry, before a Miracle League flag football game on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, in Frisco, Texas.
In many instances, athletes are swept away in a frenzy of drugs, alcohol and other bad behavior. The ability to resist temptation and stay true to one’s character is honorable in not only athletes, but with all people. “Athletes are looked high upon in our society, especially by younger kids, and should be held to a higher standard in public with their money and morals,” Jones said. “They should be the ones to lead by example, like Pat. [Players like him] won’t be forgotten after a few years
of throwing balls, like so many athletes today.” Regardless of how an athlete performs physically, the internal reasons behind what they do shine just as bright. “Through dedication, hard-work and perseverance Breanna has reached the pinnacle of success,” Bledsoe said. “Merely wishing won’t make it happen; a person has to be willing to make sacrifices and put in the extra time it takes to succeed.” rickycooks@tigertimesonline.com
22
sports GOLF
Sports highlights from the fourth grading period
FEBRUARY FANATICS
The girls have started off strong with a lot of potential for the rest of the season. They have tied two games so far and won the others along with first place and third place finishes in two
tournaments. Freshmen have come in to replace the graduated seniors from last year. With a strong junior class, the girls team is looking to continue a long streak of being a district powerhouse.
GIRLS SOCCER Quentin Green, 12
BOYS BASKETBALL The team had a lot on their shoulders before the season started, which led to a couple nervous players. They have come a long way, and are placed fourth in district. This is where they need to stay if they hope to move on to the playoffs.
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com The golf team will have their first tournament in February. With a mix of grade levels, the team is looking for a run at state this year. There are new additions to the varsity team and hopefully this will be the change that leads to more success in the future as district approaches. frvr5fqawsdefr5t6y7
BOYS SOCCER
Tevailance Hunt, 11
Antonia Porter, 10
TENNIS Tennis had their first tournament of the season in Frisco, which meant tougher competition against 6A schools. This was a challenging tournament because two of the seniors were gone. However, this gave the underclassmen an opportunity to get more experience. The team did extremely well in the past tournament in Rockwall with many top finishes.
The soccer team got off to rough start; however, a few freshmen have shown real promise and the Tigers are hoping to pick it up as they start their district run. GIRLS BASKETBALL
Sarah Rogers, 10
Quinn Sanders, 9 photos by d. kelley, a. kift, a. parker, a. jordan, a. valle
Grace Brooks, 12
This year has been a learning experience for this team full of young members guided by a new coach. It was difficult in the beginning, but the girls have found their rhythm. They have been improving every game.
23
entertainment
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
Valentine’s, shmalentine’s Tips for having fun on Feb. 14 all by yourself BY GRACE HICKEY viewpoint editor It’s that time again. Red and pink balloons pop mercilessly in the minds of those without a significant others to exchange boxes of overpriced chocolate with. On-screen pay-per-view of sob-provoking romances skyrockets for a night. The lonely are reminded of their pathetic situations. But Valentine’s Day is not necessarily required to be a day of mourning, and you definitely aren’t required to be in a romantic relationship to take part in it. In fact, there are a plethora of ways to celebrate all the love you have in your life that don’t necessitate chalky candy hearts from Bo or Suzie. I give you: Palentine’s Day. Make it open to everyone or “no couples allowed,” but taking the opportunity to show your friends that you care can make the day that so many dread just a little bit bearable and, dare I say it, even fun. illustrations by g. hickey and a. o’gorman
Have a movie watching night. No, I’m not talking about some Nicholas
Sparks sap fest. Watch something with action, adventure, or jokes that you know will make your pals pee their pants. Pick a movie where you can throw popcorn at each other and laugh instead of something that will leave you all silently weeping under your respective blankets. Try to bake. Locate your most daring partners in crime and do the impossible. Find the most complicated dessert recipe you can find and tackle the mission. This leaves glowing opportunity for flour fights, licking batter bowls clean and an immense feeling of accomplishment. And if that doesn’t work out, you can always have some Nestle Toll House cookie dough on reserve, just in case. Make your own palentines. Write down the first positive thing that comes to mind when you think of your friends. Scribble an inside joke, or just let them know that you’re glad to have them in your life, at least in a certain capacity. Get all sappy or be humorously blunt. Either way, you all leave feeling more spirited and a little less afraid of Cupid’s holiday than you were before. gracehickey@tigertimesonline.com
COME JOIN US
FIND YOUR PLACE TO BELONG IN A PUBLICATIONS CLASS. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON & YOU MEET NEW PEOPLE. IT’S LIKE BEING PART OF A FAMILY. ALL POSITIONS NEEDED: STAFF WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHER, DESIGNERS, BUSINESS, SALES, AD DESIGN APPLY TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NEWSPAPER, PHOTOGRAPHY OR YEARBOOK STAFFS. SEE MRS. POTTER IN ROOM 50 OR MR. SMITH IN ROOM 61
24
entertainment
Family Matters BY Matt Francis & John Debenport entertainment editor/staff writer Family businesses have long been the symbol of the American dream. This dream has promised that anyone can own and operate a business, making a living while providing a specialized service. Texarkana has many popular small businesses, some of which have been operating for several years. However, in
recent times, the local economy has shifted, and new challenges have pressed small businesses to adapt. Texarkana has seen an influx of corporations and chain businesses into the area. This has forced competition between companies looking to make money and families just looking to survive. The more resilient businesses have adapted to this challenge instead of letting it overtake them. mattfrancis@tigertimesonline.com johndebenport@tigertimesonline.com
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
LOCAL BUSINESSES TRYING TO SURVIVE IN A WORLD OF FRANCHISES photos by m. francis
dixie diner
The tardy bell
Abby Gayle’s
A classic American diner, started in 1985 by Mike Morris, has been a staple in Texarkana ever since. The original diner was opened on State Line, but was closed due to a decrease in business. Even with the opening of a second location in Nash, and the reopening of the State Line location, Dixie Diner has still faced competition from restaurant chains like Applebee’s and Chili’s. “The bigger companies do affect our business a noticeable amount,” said Dan Debenport, owner of the Nash location and sonin-law to Morris. “They have more money and resources to advertise better than us.” However, corporations are not the only thing that affect the restaurant. The government also places some pressure on the local restaurant. “Much like any other business, government regulations affect us some,” Debenport said. “That and keeping the diner constantly employed, so really it is no different than any other businesses’ problems.”
Acting as a sort of general store dedicated to school supplies, The Tardy Bell, opened in 2004, focuses on providing another option to teachers or students when buying supplies. The store sells school supplies, along with anything the teachers need for daily classroom activities or decorations. However, the store must constantly compete with corporations like Walmart and Target, as well as many online retailers, for customers. “My biggest competitor is mostly online retailers,” said Tardy Bell owner Richard Burt, who has owned the business since 2011. “The bigger school districts get most of their supplies from places like Office Depot, who can afford to give better deals.” The workload is also different for the Tardy Bell when compared to larger businesses. “Being a small business means you are going to be stretched,” Burt said. “I do my own marketing and also order all of the products, so those are some challenges.”
Nestled in Summerhill Square sits Abby Gayle’s, a custom clothing boutique that has faithfully served the Texarkana area since 2004. Gayle Hines opened her original store, Gayle’s, over 30 years ago, but decided to open Abby Gayle’s for a younger generation. “I have a granddaughter named Abby, so I wanted the Abby Gayle’s store to be for the younger women,” Hines said. “Many of the older women would ask me when I just owned Gayle’s if I was trying to turn it into a younger store, so I decided I should probably open one.” Since Hines has been in business for so long, her dedicated customer base is not phased by the growing number of corporations in the community. The business is not phased by the new clothing stores that enter Texarkana. “We carry special things in our store that others don’t have around here,” Hines said. “We have women from 16 to 60 that wear Abby Gayle’s clothing.”
Located in a shopping center off of Richmond Road, Park Salon is a beauty salon that has served a dedicated and varied base of customers for over 11 years. While different from many of the small businesses in Texarkana, the salon still faces some of the same problems. One such issue the salon faces is marketing, but the business has taken a newer approach to the problem. “Marketing is still an issue for us,” said Pam Woolery, owner of Park Salon. “However, I’ve taken more of the social media approach instead of the usual phone book listing.” Even though big corporations and chains do not affect the salon, the business still faces other problems. Woolery must keep up with the constantly changing styles of hair that are popular in today’s culture. “A benefit of marketing on social media is being able to keep up with what is trending in hair styling,” Woolery said. “Park Salon caters to a younger clientele, so we have to make sure we keep up with everything new.”
4012 Summerhill Road 903-792-0088
2842 Richmond Road 903-791-8666
4115 North Kings Highway 903-223-0841
3305 Richmond Road 903-832-2914
park salon
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
BOOK
Historical fiction presents love in new light by lois lefors staff writer Once again I have discovered yet another beautifully written Francine Rivers novel called “Redeeming Love.” This masterpiece will induce an abundance of tears and smiles, while inevitably touching your heart in ways you didn’t think possible. In this gorgeous retelling of the book of Hosea, set in California during the 1950s Gold Rush, witness the profound journey of a young girl who unveils redemption in her life when all hope seems lost. The story begins with an unusually beautiful little girl named Sarah who doesn’t quite understand her mother’s heartbreak over her father’s abuse and abandonment. As her mother’s will to live steadily deteriorates and eventually disappears altogether, Sarah unveils a driving truth in her life: all men are self-seeking and wicked. This certainty is only solidified when Sarah is kidnapped, raped, and forced into prostitution at the young age of 8. After 10 long years of abuse, Sarah, now called Angel, finally escapes her
situation only to become the most exclusive, highest-priced prostitute at a brothel in California. Long after she has already accepted her fate with regal solemnity, Angel receives an unlikely visit from an honest and tender-hearted man of God by the name of Michael Hosea. In experiencing genuine, unconditional love from Michael, Angel receives a glimpse into the very heart of God. Set on a journey to reveal purpose in her life, Angel finds herself unraveling the truth behind the Creator of love Himself and on the verge of experiencing an unparalleled redemption that has the power to discredit everything she has been led to believe her whole life. Expertly woven into the pages of this book, you will find a multitude of varieties of love: romantic love, the love of friendship, love as an action rather than a feeling, and most importantly, the incomparable and unsurpassable love of the Lord. This book will radically change your perceptions of every single definition. Don’t hesitate to pick up this exceptional novel. loislefors@tigertimesonline.com
MUSIC British artist achieves breakout stardom by matt francis entertainment editor Born in South London, Sampha Sisay, who goes just by Sampha, has gained some popularity over the course of 2016. He has worked with popular stars such as Kanye West and Drake, trying out new sounds with each collaboration. However, it is with his most recent release and debut album, “Process,” that he has achieved a true sound that manages to distinguish him from mainstream artists. “Plastic 100 C” is the debut track off of the album. In the song, Sampha discusses the pressures of keeping up with his personal life while balancing his newly found fame. This topic has become sort of generic over the past couple of years and could come across as whiney, but the way Sampha depicts it is something different. He uses the metaphor of himself being made of plastic, and the lights of fame make everything around him a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, hence the title of the song. Sampha’s soothing voice, coupled with the background instrumental, make this song one to remember. “Blood On Me,” is probably a tie for my favorite song on the album. Released
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in review
as a single back in 2016, the beat is fresh, borrowing from pop and reggae influences. The vocal tones that Sampha uses are the exact thing that helps him stand out. His wavering, yet soothing voice is just completely different than what I’ve heard out of mainstream singers before. Personally, I think the song is very well done, with the lyrics matching the mood set by the beat. Moving down to the fourth song, and what I consider the most emotional song on the album, we have “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano.” The emotion that Sampha feels throughout this song is shown through the piano melodies he plays, almost like he has known this song all his life. His mother passed away due to cancer, and in her last weeks, he helped take care of her. In the song, he longs for the familiarity of his mother’s home and, more importantly, her piano. His detailed account of the relationship between he and his mother in her last days is hard to listen to, yet it draws you in. It is the most powerful song so far this year, and I respect Sampha for making music his outlet to remember his mother. mattfrancis@tigertimesonline.com
FILM by JILLIAN CHENEY editor in chief If dogs could talk, they’d tell us about climbing on the couch when they weren’t supposed to. They’d tell us why they start barking at trees and dogs on the television. They’d contemplate the meaning of life as well, according to Universal’s new movie “A Dog’s Purpose.” The premise is that dogs– or at least one of them– have a certain number of souls, and reincarnate into other breeds of dogs. The main character, Bailey, receives his first owner, Ethan, and falls in love. Ethan doesn’t pull much of an emotional response from the audience, however. He’s a run-of-the-mill protagonist– nice boy with a father who turns abusive and alcoholic, star athlete until an accident ruins his football scholarship. These choices were obviously because writers were attempting to grow the relationship between boy and dog, but the same result could have come in a number of ways. Instead, the first part of the movie drags through choppy, uninteresting dialogue. Bailey serves as the narrator, but his part is inconsistent. He wonders about the meaning of life when given a treat, but is silent while Ethan struggles with his father. It contributes a great deal to the forced tone of the film. In one of the following lives Bailey has, controversy stemmed. A few weeks before the movie released, TMZ released a video on Twitter from filming. In it, a dog is shown being forced by one of the trainers into turbulent water. Many people, outraged by the mistreatment of animals, chose to boycott the movie.
Dog days are over The scene where this came to life involves a german shepherd police dog who must jump into water to save a drowning girl. The scene is very touching, of course, but the message that dogs save lives could have been conveyed in a plethora of ways; if a team of creators create a movie about how well people should treat dogs, they should be prepared to follow through. And rewriting one scene isn’t too much of an inconvenience to uphold that idea. Apart from that, the rest of the movie is enjoyable– Officer Carlos and college student Maya both have interesting stories that draw the audience in. During these scenes, the true love between dogs and humans begins to develop. Amid the lackluster storytelling, it’s easy to fall in love with every dog on screen. Don’t be surprised by tears once, twice or five times. It happens, and just about everyone else in the movie is sniffling, too. The movie ends with some wise words from Bailey, which apply to more than just lives of dogs. Among them: don’t worry about your past, don’t worry about your future and always have fun. Regardless of its flaws, “A Dog’s Purpose” does indeed achieve its purpose: to remind its viewers just how much dogs care for humans, and how lucky we are to have them. jilliancheney@tigertimesonline. com
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entertainment
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
Check out what’s trending for the month of February in and out of school
DO IT
PLAY IT
HOT YOGA VS. SPIN Since it’s no secret that Texarkana lacks entertainment, finding things to do that isn’t grabbing dinner or running the roads is almost impossible. As another way to exercise and have fun with friends, Hot Yoga and Spin class is an excellent way to do both. PedalJunkies Cycle on Mall Drive offers beginner to advanced classes. Hot yoga is located just around the corner at TXK Yoga for a reasonable price.
“Hot Yoga is a fun and relaxing way to exercise while having fun with friends.” -Mary Claire Paddock, 12 “Spin is fun if you do the club mix class because of the upbeat music so you’re not thinking about how tired you actually are. I go to spin rather than the gym or for a run because it’s a more fun way to stay active.” -Abby Norton, 12
READ IT
Rappers such as Drake and J. Cole take iTunes by storm with each new album release, but this month the latest Migos album has made a huge impact on the charts. With their album, Culture, becoming more well known it was struggle to narrow down the top picks, here’s what we got.
1
T-SHIRT
2
BAD AND BOUJEE
3
GET RIGHT WITCHA
4
WHAT THE PRICE
5
CALL CASTING
“I’ve been listening to it since it came out as a single. It’s really good.” -Nick Graves, 10
“IT is an excellent book that serves as a perfect representation of Stephen King’s writing style and the horror genre as a whole. It’s a great read, if you’re looking for something that could keep to up at night, so I highly recommend it.” -Corbin Hamilton, 11
FIX IT
“This beat is fire, you can’t listen to it without getting hype.” -Khyla Lewis, 11
“‘Get Right Witcha’ is a song that anyone can dance and get lit to.” -Chandler Reese, 10
“It’s a great song to listen to and has a cool beat.” -Seth Willis, 10
“It’s a very lyrical song, it’s my favorite in the album.” -Pago Kelley, 10
With flu season here, it’s becoming too easy for sickness to spread. To maintain mental sanity while cooped up in a small room for days on end, it’s hard to find things to keep you occupied. Luckily there are some sick day remedies that every student needs to try. When sick at home it’s important to stay hydrated with either water or an herbal tea. The tea cleanses and rejuvenates the body leaving you feeling fresh.
SEE IT Bye Bye Man / 2% La La Land / 13% The Ring/ 25% Split / 60%
“I want to see ‘Split’ because it’s an original plot that I’ve never seen before. Instead of banking on pure horror, the movie will be full of tension from an unforeseen plot.” -Austin Broussard, 11 compiled by k.biggar/illustrations by c. johnson
Feb. 9, 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
community
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community
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
FEBRUARY 26 • 2 P.M. LEVI HALL CONFERENCE ROOM BUSINESS & COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY BLDG Learn about our admission process, apply for college, fill out your FAFSA, learn about scholarship opportunities, and more—everything you need to know to get started at Texarkana College!
Reserve your spot today! Register online at www.texarkanacollege.edu/previewday or call 903-823-3200 to register.