TigerTimes - February 2018

TIGER TIMES February 22, 2017 • Vol. 57, Issue 4 texas high school

THE PRICE OF A LIFE She sits in the shadows, an understood label plastered across her back. For sale. Not just her body, but her life — her soul. She is reduced to being nothing more than a commodity, to stay in the shadows and remain silent. This is the only life she knows. continued on page 14

Texas High School • 4001 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, TX 75503 • tigertimesonline.com

illustration by a. valle & c. johnson

2 NEWS

MARCH

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All REACH students will travel to the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University for college visits.

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TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

WHAT’S ON OUR

WHAT’S

radar

inside

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EXHUME THEIR STORIES Senior learns to look past judgments and stereotypes

Rosebud members will attend a Rosebud dinner at the Texarkana Country Club at 6 p.m.

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Cheer will have tryouts for the 2018-19 school year in the Multipurpose building from 4-10 p.m.

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The TISD District will be closed for Spring Break. through March 17.

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Participants in the Miss THS pageant will have a rehearsal 4-6 p.m.

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Highstepper Officer and tryouts will take place in the cafeteria from 4-8 p.m.

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The annual Miss THS pageant will take place in the PAC at 7 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED

TURNT UP Students dance to the music at the Sadie Hawkins Dance in the cafeteria last year.

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Sadie Hawkins to be held on Feb. 24

BY EMILY MCMASTER COPY EDITOR Time to slip on those boots, find some matching shirts and make a mum because the annual Sadie Hawkins Dance will be held Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Dan Haskins Student Center from 7-10 p.m. Tickets will be available at lunch the week prior for $8. Make sure to bring a Student ID to the ticket table and to the dance.

“I think that the Sadie Hawkins

dance is the best school dance because it is more casual, so you do not have to worry as much about impressing people with a nice dress,” senior Sophie Lower said.

“You only get four Sadies and they go by fast, so you do not want to miss any of them.”

Traditionally, the girl provides a mum for their date. A stuffed animal of choice is chosen to be the base of it. The Floral Design class will make mums with stacking bows for students who

would like one made.

“Students would need to bring the animal and ribbon to us.

The only charge would be $5 to $10,” Floral Design teacher Kim Spaulding said. “It would be a bow-making experience for them and an opportunity to provide a service to their classmates. Taking orders, figuring cost and customer satisfaction would showcase the business industry experience for students.” emilymcmaster@tigertimesonline.com

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A DECISION WORTH A LIFETIME Adoption creates a successful family

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DISTRICT REALIGNMENT Football games become farther away, sets stage for future drawbacks

@Babecap

“Signing day was great... Fort Hays state university here I come”

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@KatieBiggar “Kindness never goes out of style”

@TevailanceHunt9

“That feeling when you know God has your back #EyesUpKeepClimbing” compiled by s.stark

FAVORITES TO WATCH OUT FOR Diverse media stars sweep Hollywood

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

NEWS

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER submitted photo

NINE STUDENTS, TEN HANDS The students enrolled in the Holocaust and Human Rights class traveled in spring 2017 to the Little Rock Nine Monument to relive the infamous day when 1,200 members of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, escorted nine African-American students into Central High School in Little Rock, AR, on Sept. 24, 1957.

Teachers spread word about historical studies electives

BY JOSEPH RODGERS NEWS EDITOR Lay your foot on Little Rock Central High School, where American soldiers escorted nine African-American students into an all-white high school as a test of Brown v. Board of Education in 1957. Meet one of the survivors of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews and millions more “undesirables” were killed.

These are some of the many activities Angela Spence and Michele Rigdon would have hosted in their AfricanAmerican Studies and the Holocaust and Civil Rights classes this year. However, they are not teaching these important details of history. The classes did not make this year. “[It] is an injustice to our students since they do not know the contributions [African-

Americans] made [for this country],” said Spence, who teaches African-American Studies. “The entire foundation of the United States was built on the backs of [AfricanAmericans], and there is so much knowledge that students do not know.”

Now that students are deciding what courses to take for the 2018-19 school year, Spence is visiting students in history classes to promote the course.

“This class wouldn’t be significant if the textbooks were written like they were supposed to be in the first place,” Spence said. “But since they are not, this class is extremely important because [African-Americans] are a part of that tapestry, that American fabric, that quilt of American history, [which] is missing significant and intricate parts of African-American

contributions. We are all a part of that tapestry that made America what it is today. And because of that, I have to teach it. It is something I have to do.”

Spence hopes that students will take the class to learn more about the melting pot that is America and the history of African-Americans. “[I hope the students will gain lots of ] knowledge,” Spence said. “Lots of ‘Wow! I did not know that.’ It’s about them coming in here and learning something they should already know, but they don’t.”

This knowledge will allow students to understand different perspectives other than their own, respect opposing viewpoints and have a broader understanding of American history. With this understanding, Spence hopes that students will come together.

“We are so afraid of the

unknown. We do not want to get out of our comfort zone,” Spence said. “It is what we know. And if we reach out to somebody we don’t know, we are afraid to do so because of the unknown. Racism will never be eliminated because it is just human nature. However, I feel that it can shrink if we would just step out of our comfort zone and get to know someone we don’t [know].”

Similarly, the Holocaust and Civil Rights class did not make for the current school year. Rigdon is taking strides to persuade students to enroll in this class.

“The class is an elective class that is offered to juniors and seniors. The first semester we focus on the Holocaust, and so we read a variety of novels, pamphlets, poems and we look at works of art and see how it contributes to lessons that we can learn today about how to be aware of things that happen historically so we can avoid circumstances that may be threatening in our own world,” Rigdon said. “In the second semester, we focus on civil rights and so that semester pairs very well with Mrs. Spence’s African-American Studies class.”

The two teachers hope to co-teach the second semester together and unite the classes with a unique culminating experience.

“We want to take a spring trip to Central High School in Little

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Rock and then to Memphis to the Civil Rights Museum where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated,” Rigdon said.

“It would be a great culminating experience outside of the classroom, and the museum is a great historical place.”

Both teachers feel a responsibility to teach these classes due to the vital knowledge each class holds.

“As educators, we believe that we need to expose students to the truth of these historical circumstances and not necessarily the textbook rendition of things that happened,” Rigdon said. “We want to focus on the people that were there and told the story most truthfully. There are many lessons that we can learn from those to move us to a better world. I believe every student who takes the class will come out of it differently because they will have time to delve into the issues that these classes cover.”

Students are encouraged to sign up for these classes if they will be a junior or a senior in the 2018-19 school year.

To sign up for these classes, see the academic advisers or Bettie Lynn Stark, associate principal for college and career readiness, in the Academic Advisement Center or Stark’s office, respectively, either before or after school or during lunch.

Schedule changes are allowed through June 29. josephrodgers@tigertimesonline. com

Download the HP Reveal (formerly Aurasma) app from the App Store or Google Play to hear what students have to say about this issue.

Search for the thsstudentmedia channel.

4 NEWS

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

THIRTY MINUTES THAT LAST A LIFETIME

New enrichment allows student body to interact with special education classes photo by a. higgins

BY SAVANNAH DOWNS STAFF WRITER As the students walk in, every smile lights up. Although the special education students are welcomed with a peaceful attitude, some students don’t realize that the students in Room 49 are more than a disability. They are kind, funny, generous and open to anyone who wants to be friends with them.

The Peer Enrichment gives general education students an opportunity to make friends and spend time with students who have disabilities.

“What I envisioned when I created this enrichment was [mainstreamed] students — or even students that have a disability that’s not quite as severe — would go into our severe [disability] classrooms and just interact with them,” Assistant Principal for Special Populations Debbie Davis said.

General education students involved get to include themselves in a variety of activities with the other students.

“In Room 49, we do a variety of things,” sophomore Lillian Davis said. “We can play Bingo, UNO, and when I was in there earlier, we painted nails and did nail care.”

This contact gives the students with disabilities lifelong skills that will help in the future.

“For the students with disabilities themselves, it gives them a chance to feel a part of the campus because they’re getting to interact with other kids that are not in their classroom every single day,”

GIVING AND GAINING Sophomore Lillian Davis helps a fellow student type during enrichment. Students can sign up to spend this time volunteering in special education classrooms.

Debbie Davis said. “I think it will build self confidence and help with things like vocabulary and language development.

They get the chance to practice skills that they might not get to practice otherwise,

and they get to make friends with other kids.”

Those involved benefit from the program by obtaining certain skills that will help them in places outside of school.

“I think the vocabulary development affects [the special education students] the most because they are going to get that chance to practice speaking with somebody in a nonacademic setting to talk and visit,” Debbie Davis said. “That’s going to give them the chance to blossom, and it helps them learn how to make friends with other people.”

The general education students who participate in the enrichment give up time that could be used for studying, and instead spend those 30 minutes talking to the students in Room 49. “[This enrichment] lets the [general education students] see the school differently,” Lillian Davis said. “[Our school] is not just those kids out in general ed. There’s also special ed, and they’re looking up to these students coming in.”

Debbie Davis created this enrichment to show that differences shouldn’t divide people and she encourgages students to build each other up.

“I think it’s very important for students to want to join this enrichment because we all know people who have a disability of some sort,” Debbie Davis said. “Though they might be in a wheelchair or they might talk or communicate in a different way, it’s important for people to know that a student with a disability is just like [any other student].” savannahdowns@tigertimesonline.com

AP Capstone provides research opportunites working together. The second year, you are working on your own, really creating a product, a paper, something that you’re proud of that you feel like you have done Starting in the fall of 2018, the AP some investigative work into a topic that Capstone program will be offered to really interests you,” Zach said. current sophomores and freshmen as There were some concerns that this well as incoming students. This two program would replace the Independent year program consists of two parts, AP Research program that awards AP weight Seminar and AP Research, that will to a regular class. However, Bailey said develop students’ research, teamwork and that isn’t the case at this time, though investigation on your own, but with me communication skills. there are similar components. guiding you.”

The first course, AP Seminar, will “Independent Reseach will still be in Zach will attend a week-long training be completed mainly in groups while place,” Principal Brad Bailey said. “We in June.

AP Research is primarily independent will continue to evaluate if there is any “I have a lot of ideas, but right now I work. Teacher Chuck Zach will be the correlation created between the two have to make sure that what I think fits instructor of these courses.

“I’m really excited about [teaching this the AP folks’ model for this,” Zach said. programs.”

To receive AP credit, students must Through this training, Zach will gain a class],” Zach said. “It’s different, very clear idea of what students will experience pass the Seminar exam the first year. hands-on and lots of discussion for the Credit for the Research course will be kids. It’s not going to be a lot of lecturing, during the program. more product-based.

“You start the first year as a group but rather a lot of small group work and

BY HOLLAN BOROWITZ STAFF WRITER

“It’s the product you create,” Zach said.

“It’s the thing that has to pass the muster for the AP college board to be able to get credit.”

The AP credit, combined with the set of leadership skills it gives, creates a foundation for college education and application.

“The benefits of [the AP Capstone program] would be that the colleges recognize this more as they look at transcripts and applications to see if you’re part of an AP course or if you’re part of an AP Capstone program,” Bailey said. “AP Capstone gives you a higher skill level and makes you more prepared for college. Our AP courses individually prepare you, but this is preparing you more in addition to support you in AP classes.” hollanborowitz@tigertimesonline.com

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

NEWS

A COMPETITION A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

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HOSA members reflect on first regional competition with high hopes

BY VICTORIA VAN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

The Health Occupation Students of America embarked on their first competition Feb. 9-10, challenging schools from the Dallas and Irving areas with much larger HOSA members. Although Texas High did not advance to the second round, they landed a spot in the Top 20 contestants, which is a feat since there have not been any previous participants in the event.

“Our students did very well in their competition that they participated in,” sponsor Joe Nolen said. “They did better than expected, and now the team has a better idea of what to do for next year. The team had to abide by strict HOSA guidelines, and their work paid off without a doubt.”

Both students participated in a team event

called Health Career Display, where each team develops a visual presentation of a specific career cluster in the health field and explains their ability to communicate the information.

“We did a lot of in-depth research about pharmacists and everything they are entitled to do,” junior Sarah King said. “We also did some planning and research on what would be needed for our presentation.”

Having firsthand experience in HOSA competitions from her previous school, King has gained more insight as to what next year’s events will have to offer.

“I learned a lot more about my event and that it is not all about quantity, it is also about quality,” King said. “I also was able to meet lots of people, learn about other schools and their HOSA programs.” victoriavan@tigertimesonline.com

submitted photo

A HEALTHY TOPIC Juniors Sarah King and Edith Hernandez pose with their health career display poster, showcasing the variety in the field surrounding pharmacy.

6 COMMUNITY

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

EDITORIAL

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TAKING OUR BODIES BACK

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Today is the day to touch on sexual harassment, assault

he first word is a snowflake.

Seemingly harmless at first, and not cold enough for anyone to say anything about. But when one snowflake falls, hundreds are bound to follow, and soon the cold words pile up into a frozen avalanche, silencing the ones inside.

Sexual assault can, and often does, start with something as simple as a word, something innocent, and snowballs into something that permanently affects the victim.

We need to change our attitude toward sexual assault and start treating it as the serious problem it is. We are the ones who can make change and repercussions for the criminals and save the victims from being left in the cold alone. It is disturbing the ways that sexual inequality is promoted and normalized: Boys will be boys.

It’s just locker talk.

Learn how to take a joke.

But boys grow up. Talk escalates.

And every joke has a root in truth. The perception that words aren’t equal to actions is false, because the two are inseparable. A person’s words predict their actions, and words that degrade women are predictive of sexist behavior and are normally rooted in insecurity. Of course, times used to be different. Women were expected to be submissive and tolerant of any abuse, verbal or physical, that they endured. But times are different, and it is time for tolerance of this behavior to change.

Sexual harassment and assault allegations have littered the news lately, but the difference between the two can seem blurred. Simply put, harassment is unwelcome advances or requests, and assault is forced, threatened, or otherwise nonconsensual sexual contact. While sexual assault is objectively more serious, it’s important not to dismiss anyone’s experiences by comparing them to someone else’s. Every victim deserves a voice.

Since the momentum of movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp seem so recent, many people feel that this issue is being overblown; many of the sexual assault allegations are from almost 20 years ago, which influences some to believe that people are only shedding light on their experiences for attention. Allegations of something as serious as assault should at least be considered. Just because one claim might be false, all claims shouldn’t be dismissed.

Sexual assault is and always will be relevant.

Many movie stars and business moguls have newly tarnished reputations as a result of the powerful sexual assault movements that are sweeping across the world. The fans of franchises with actors and directors who have been exposed as abusers may feel upset by the negative connotations attatched to their favorite movies, but victims experience

illustration by v. van

a much worse reality, and it’s unfair to discredit their claims because of a fondness for an actor. The only way to stop the success of abusers is to completely stop praising them or patroning their work. It needs to be made known that sexual assault is a grave offense that’s exteremely difficult to be redeemed from. Nowhere should it be acceptable for sexual abuse to remain normalized, a rung neccessary to climb in the corporate world.

Sexual assault seems like it permeates every pore of life today. It can be disheartening to see the numerous allegations that emerge each day, but believe it or not, there is a bright side. All of these accusations that come up are proof that society has changed for the better, and women are feeling more and more empowered to speak out. As far as keeping perpetrators of assault from power, it’s important to stop them before they can start. Shut down degrading jokes, talk about your experiences, and make sure people know that what they’re saying hurts you.

The ever-growing threat of sexual assault is most common at college campuses.

Many colleges have enforced new policies that require applicants to take a test that screens their knowledge on sexual assault, what it means, and how to prevent it. These assessments are aimed to reduce statistics of harassment and assaults by making students more aware of their actions and the consequences they might have to face as a result.

The avalanche of silence brought upon the victims of sexual assault can be overcome, but not alone. To be rescued from a situation so dire requires a strong support system based on friends and family who love and understand the victim.

If you’ve ever been a victim, the first step is to reach out (you don’t have to if you’re not ready) and find someone that you trust enough to share your story. If you haven’t experienced anything like this, you have a responsibility: Help those who have. Be understanding, not skeptical, and respect peoples’ boundaries. Educate yourself on what sexual abuse is (sexist jokes, physical conflict, verbal abuse) before they have the chance to become serious.

A snowflake can become an avalanche in the blink of an eye. But, if the snowflakes melt before they can land, they never have the chance to become anything more.

Texas High School 4001 Summerhill Rd. Texarkana, TX (903) 794-3891 Fax (903) 792-8971 The Tiger Times is a student-run publication. The contents and view are produced solely by the staff and do not represent the opinions of the faculty, administration or TISD board of directors.

editors in chief-print Colton Johnson, Eleanor Schroeder editors in chief-online Celeste Anderson, Langley Leverett managing editor Jay Williamson news editors Lois LeFors, Joseph Rodgers viewpoint editors Craig Crawford, Lindsey Egger feature editors Misty Lopez, Jhovany Perez sports editors Connor Brooks, John Morgan, Matt Prieskorn entertainment editors Madison Brown, Victoria Van advertising Maddie Anderson copy editors Paisley Allen, Emily McMaster photo editor Kaitlyn Gordon video editor Katie Biggar staff writers April Alvarado, Emma Anderson, Maddie Anderson, Joseph Asher, Katie Biggar, Hollan Borowitz, Jackson Cheney, Addison Cross, Margaret Debenport, Savannah Downs, Amanda Garmon, Maddie Gerrald, Autumn Golden, Jenny Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Gordon, Audrey Haskins, Alyssa Higgins, Grey Johnson, Anna Grace Jones, Molly Kyles, Andrea Loredo, Matthew Martin, Nick Mitchell, Cameron Murry, Connor Powell, Alexis Runnels, Emilee Slayton, Greylyn Tidwell, TJ Wall, Jenna Williamson photographers Breannan Cranford, Rivers Edwards, Alyssa Higgins, Anna Kate Jordan, Dawson Kelley, Alyssa Kift, Grace McGuire, Auryeal Parker, Holland Rainwater, Rachel Sizemore, Angela Valle, Laurel Wakefield videographers Cameron Alcorn, Kara Jefferies, Taimoor Malik, Karson McDonald, John Morgan, Eleanor Schroeder, Emilee Slayton, Sarah Stark, Joseph Rodgers advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Brad Bailey members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA

T

8 VIEWPOINT

EXHUME T THEIR STORIES

BY COLTON JOHNSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

here are those of us who, no matter how diligently they try to be on time, always seem to be just a few minutes late.

There are those of us who believe in life after death. Those of us who fall in love with someone of the same gender.

There are those of us who are Asian.

Those of us who are Hindu. Those of us who are martial artists. Those of us who aren’t guaranteed a meal when they go home. There are some of us who have been out of the country, and some of us who have never left the state. Those of us who have wisdom from experience, and those of us who are beginning new chapters.

Then, there’s us, who, when we put our hands to our chest, will feel a heartbeat. Us who know that heartache fills your stomach with lead, who have accidently left the towel on the opposite side of the bathroom and tiptoed across the floor in the cold to get it.

There’s us. People who — despite our differences, despite our opinions, despite our workplace or our backgrounds — are more alike than

photo illustration by a. kift

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

Senior learns to look past judgment, stereotypes different.

We categorize people based on their differences, boxing them in glass walls so that they can do no more than look across the great expanse of space separating us from them, whether it be between two countries or a cash register.

It is at this point that we begin to disqualify people over their humanhood. It is rather a matter of us versus them. It is this label of “them,” a distinction of otherness, that allows us to stereotype, to paint the faces of those people, whose lives are as complex and elaborate as our own.

It creates darkness, the list of “ism” words: Racism. Sexism. Heterosexism.

Mentalism. Cissexism. Ableism.

Classism. Lookism.

I think people do not ask because it is easier to look at life through one lens rather than many. We have been learning to annotate poetry through different lenses, and I try to look at people the same way. It is easy to be angry at people who receive welfare or disability checks when you don’t see their life at home.

There was a woman named Ms. Bernice who used to take care of me when I was young. She was a black woman who cooked collard greens,

fried chicken and called us her black “grandbabies.” I loved her, and she loved me. She also didn’t have a working air conditioner in her house.

She has never left her hometown of Tampa, Florida. Ever.

I think she is one of the reasons I have always tried to look past a stereotype. She has more love in her heart than most of the people I have ever met.

According to Princeton psychologists, it only takes a tenth of a second to judge someone based on their appearance, and if not reevaluated, the judgment stands.

It is so easy to forget that the woman behind the cash register with tired eyes and a soft smile may also be a widower, a mother or a cancer patient trying to make ends meet. And yet, no one seems to take the time to connect with them.

Because in that moment, they are not interested in them as people, they are interested in them to get something they want.

I guess I had sort of a realization whenever I was putting money for gas on a card in a Walmart gas station. A woman by the name of Freedom, with a big, toothy smile asked how my day was, and I can’t explain it any other way than to say that she genuinely wanted to know. I had just had an audition for a show, and she seemed so excited for me. She told me to let her know if I got the part.

And so, the next time I went in, I did. I have continued to. We always talk about what has happened in our lives since we last saw each other. It has made me realize the humanity in her. The stories in everyone.

We all have hope. We all feel pain.

We all die. We are all living on the same planet in the same generation, and to me, that is pretty special. In all the time we could’ve been born, we are here, experiencing the same world, and yet, there is so much that people experience differently.

The world is filled to the brim, bursting with stories. With people who dream, some who have not seen those dreams to fruition. With people who have loved and lost. With love.

The common bond. The beat in every heart that urges us to move forward.

It is love that makes us human; it unites us. It is the most important thing. coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

VIEWPOINT

It started with a smile

BY AUDREY HASKINS STAFF WRITER Looking around my room, it seems as though everything is the same. Posters are in the same order, clothes I haven’t put away sit folded in my hamper, and notebooks sit in piles. Nothing unusual, nothing different, but I can’t see anything the way I used to.

I don’t know how to define what happened. The responce I’ve received has either been a pout and shrug or the conclusion that I’ve experienced sexual assault. Assault.

Can that be what happened if I hardly fought and was afraid to say, “I don’t want this,” because I was raised to be polite?

At the beginnning of last year, I developed an interest in a boy who felt the same for me. We went to see a movie with some friends. Shy, baby me was maybe about to hold hands with a boy. However, his mind convinced his hand to bring his perversions to life in the middle of the dark theater.

I continuously removed his hand.

I shook my head “no” repeatedly.

“Stop” pushed through my teeth and past my shaking lips, but the polite smile I was raised to wear at all times must have mislead him.

The evening was plagued with unwanted touches and red flags warning me that I wasn’t safe. He thought he was having fun, but I felt used and embarrassed, and no one noticed. That night, I used my hand to count the few people I felt I could ever tell and promised that I would never let another boy hold it.

Since then, people have faked interest in me because I’m “easy.”

Derogatory names are thrown around, but they never stood out to me. Now, when people say them, I

notice. I remember every time I’ve been called one of those names, and I want to say it isn’t true, but I’m not sure anymore.

I don’t know what happened to me. I don’t know if I can call it anything. I wonder now if I led him on or if anything would have happened had I been more assertive.

Now my decisions are led by reborn anxiety. When I’m with a boy, inevitable shocks run through my chest. I feel as if I have to walk on eggshells to gain approval from those around me.

People who have been through sexual assault have tales that are too intense to question or deny. They have delt with situations worse than what I went through. They aren’t my stories, so it feels wrong to speak up.

How can I complain when worse has happened?

Ten years ago, Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement.

This movement influenced women around the world to voice their experiences with sexual violence and harassment. Since 1998, 17.7 million women have reported a case.

They went through an ordeal, but regained a part of their lives that their abusers stole. That’s exactly what I’ve decided to do.

I’ve grown more than I thought possible. This taught me not to hate, but to let go and move on from the past. I’ve been through periods of destruction for both myself and others, but I am no longer demolishing the world around me.

It seems like nothing. It looks like nothing. It’s been a year since the first incident, and nothing is unusual. Nothing is different.

Everything is the exact same as it was 365 days prior.

Everything except me. audreyhaskins@tigertimesonline.com

BY MADDIE ANDERSON STAFF WRITER It is no secret, not anymore.

Sexual assault is real and alarmingly common, especially in the workplace. Whether it be allegations or proven accusations, women’s jobs everywhere are in danger. Workplace abuse and insinuations can shut doors to future job opportunities and can put a major, if not fatal, dent in a woman’s career.

Like everyone in the workforce, students are apprehensive about potential jobs. Researchers are finding that getting hired is becoming a much more difficult process for females, as male employers are less likely to hire women in order to prevent scandal and maternity leave expenses.

According to Katherine Coffman, Christine Exley and Muriel Niederle, in “Is Gender Discrimination About Gender,” employers favor men, not because they’re discriminatory against women, but have the perception that men perform better at certain tasks.

“We find ample evidence of discrimination against women, as employers are significantly less likely to hire a woman compared to an equally able man,” they said.

“This discrimination, however, does not appear to be driven by genderspecific stereotypes or animus.”

The researchers describe the divide in the workforce as statistical or taste-based discrimination.

“With statistical discrimination, you have beliefs about men versus women and what they can do, and given those beliefs, you choose the person you think is the best to hire. You are acting in a way

A VOICE FOR WOMEN’S ISSUES

photo illustration by a.kift

Gender equality in the workforce

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that you think will maximize your profits,” they say. “With taste-based discrimination, you know a certain person will be productive, but you’re sacrificing that by not hiring that person. ” Law firm Slater & Gordon shows that 40 percent of 500 managers are hesitant to hire women of childbearing age and mothers for a senior role for fear of maternity leave and the expenses it entails.

A quarter of the managers said that they would rather hire a man to escape this issue, with 44 percent stating that financial costs of maternity leave are a significant factor in their business. Another 33 percent say that women who have returned from maternity leave are not as good at their jobs.

Not only are women affected by allegations and gender bias in the workplace, but men too. Men are taught to become hyper-aware of their actions when around female colleagues. Just as how reporting harassment can end a woman’s career, one misunderstood comment can end a man’s. This raised caution can end up hurting job opportunities for both women and men, as their over mindfulness can deprive them of relationships that lead to potential investments and promotions. “[The role encouraged for men] is actively mentoring and sponsoring women in the workplace,” said Al Harris, a coordinator for workplace equality programs in Chicago.

“There’s apprehension on the part of men that they’re going to be falsely accused of harassment.”

As students prepare to enter the workplace, they must be cautious of the barriers placed by the evolving meaning of gender equality. maddieanderson@tigertimesonline.com

10 VIEWPOINT

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

What’s up with

#TIME’S UP?

Nearly half of the working women in the U.S. say they have experienced harassment in the workplace.

More than one-third of the world’s countries do not have any laws prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace.

BY MARGARET DEBENPORT STAFF WRITER To sum up the movement your favorite stars have been talking about would be this: No more silence. No more waiting. No more discrimination, harassment or abuse.

It’s time for change, and people are acting now.

On Jan. 7, stars attended the Golden Globes wearing black in support of the Time’s Up movement, but the importance of this organization stretches far beyond one night in Hollywood. Created by

women in entertainment for women everywhere, the Time’s Up movement not only brings the issues of the wage gap and sexual harassment to light, but also has many resources for women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace.

The Time’s Up legal defense fund is being housed and administrated by the National Women’s Law Center. The fund was set up to provide legal support to men and women. In one month, individuals have donated over $19 million to the fund.

Following the outpour of allegations against some of the biggest names in the

industry, the Time’s Up movement has been able to stand in solidarity with women who have been harassed. Across many industries, letters of solidarity have been signed by working women in support of the movement.

Powered by women, the Time’s Up movement has created a way for underrepresented groups to reach past systematic injustices in the workplace and find their full potential.

For more information, got to the website www.timesupnow.com margaretdebenport@tigertimesonline.com

Hollywood stars donate salary to Time’s Up fund Timothée Chalamet, star of the highly nominated film “Call Me by Your Name,” publicly announced he would be donating the money earned from the project with director Woody Allen — who was recently accused of sexual misconduct — to the Time’s Up legal defense fund. “I don’t want to profit from my work on the film,” Chalamet said. “I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists.”

Recent blockbuster “All the Money in the World,” was reshot due to sexual misconduct allegations made against Kevin Spacey. Mark Wahlberg was re-cast in Spacey’s role, and made $1.5 million while his female co-star, Michelle Williams, made only $80 a day. When the salaries were made public, Wahlberg donated his earnings from the film to the Time’s Up legal defense fund in Williams’ name.

Timothée Chalamet

Mark Wahlberg photos from Instagram and Creative Commons

Celebrities support #TimesUp at Golden Globes

statistics from timesupnow.com

71% of women do not report harassment in the workplace.

@Oprah

“Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story.”

@Americaferrera

“My gentlewoman of a date, @nportmanofficial came all the way to the door for me.

How ladies do. #TIMESUP #WHYWEWEARBLACK”

@RWitherspoon

“I will forever remember this magical night, surrounded by radiant, strong women... with such purpose, talent, wisdom and mission. #WhyWeWearBlack #TimesUP”

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM AN UNBREAKABLE BOND Mike Asher and teacher Melinda Asher stand with their adopted sons, sophomores Joshua and Joseph Asher.

The Ashers adopted Joshua and Joseph when they were 2 years old, and they have another adopted son.

FEATURE

11

photo by r. edwards

“Kids don’t have to come from you to be a part of you.”

A DECISION WORTH A LIFETIME -Melinda Asher Teacher

Family proves that adoption does not hinder relationships from forming

BY CAMERON MURRY STAFF WRITER Her eyes glisten as she reminisces on the days she was blessed with her three sons. She remembers holding them for the first time and the incredible feeling of starting a family.

Adoption has affected over 100,000 families in the United States. The Ashers are one of those adoptiontouched families. Melinda Asher and her husband, Mike Asher, knew from the start of their family planning that they wanted to adopt children.

“We always knew we wanted to adopt in addition to having children,” Melinda Asher said. “We just didn’t know it was going to be our only option in order to have a family.”

In addition to their predetermined decision to adopt, the couple’s choice was also influenced by their inability to have children on their own. Their

struggle led to adoption being the couple’s only choice.

“We had been married for 10 years and had been trying from the time we got married. [We] took every kind of infertility medicine and tried everything,” Melinda Asher said. “It just wasn’t going to happen.”

Melinda Asher has since been blessed with three sons through the process of adoption.

“We got Jonathan when he was 6 months old in 1997, and we got the twins when they were 2 years old in 2002,” Melinda Asher said. “We wanted a very large family, and we wouldn’t have had any if it weren’t for international adoption.”

Mike and Melinda never saw adoption as an obstacle, though. In fact, they had always wanted to adopt.

“It was something we’d always wanted to do, so we knew we were going to adopt children,” Melinda Asher said.

“Isn’t it weird how that worked out?”

Welcoming children into her heart is something that Melinda Asher is skilled at, and she has never seen how adoption could be something negative like others might.

“A girl I went to high school with was adopted,” Melinda Asher said. “When I was growing up, that was the worst thing you could say to somebody; the most insulting thing was, ‘Well, your family adopted you.’ That’s what her siblings would say to torment her.”

When it comes to adoption, there’s always the topic of telling the child whether or not they’re adopted. For Melinda Asher, the answer was clear.

“There was no way we would not tell them they were adopted,” Melinda Asher said. “With our kids, it’s kind of obvious. They don’t look anything like us because they’re from a different country, a different race. But that’s not anything we would have been able to hide from them. Not that we would have anyway.”

Melinda Asher’s accepting heart and adoption experience has opened her life to not only her boys, but troops of Boy Scouts as well.

“My husband is a tremendous scout leader,” Melinda Asher said. “[Adoption] has opened our life up to all the coyote and wolf patrols. We interact with those kids to this day.”

Adoption has blessed the Asher’s life with children and love.

“It’s something to be very proud of as a parent and the child,” Melinda Asher said. “You were picked.”

Without the process of adoption, Melinda Asher would not be the person she is today. Her choice to adopt has not only changed the lives of her sons, but hers as well.

“I think about how lonely we would be and how much we would have missed in our life had we not had kids,” Melinda Asher said. “Kids don’t have to come from you to be a part of you.” cameronmurry@tigertimesonline.com

12 FEATURE

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

FROM RAGS TO RICHES

Former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader speaks about her journey toward success in fashion industry

BY JOSEPH ASHER STAFF WRITER The light flickers, illuminating the tiny room at night. Sounds of the sewing machine are heard throughout the house as she sews fabrics together.

She carefully places the pieces atop another creating an array of clothes she places on her dolls. A sparkle glimmers off her eye; it’s her dream.

Her one true passion. The reason why she is the person she is today.

Terra Watson is immersed in the fashion industry, designing and producing uniforms for NFL and NBA cheerleaders. She created a business, DallasWear Uniforms, for the sole purpose of designing the uniforms for all major teams. But it wasn’t an easy road for her. Behind all the glamour, there’s a real story.

Watson told her story to a fashion design class.

“The truth was, I had this talent, and I could be whatever I wanted.”

-Terra Watson, fashion designer

photo by a. higgins

FROM SPLITS TO STITCHES Former Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader Terra Watson shares her success as a designer with a fashion design class.

“My parents split when I was really young, leaving my mom to raise me while juggling two jobs,” Watson said.

Growing up, she experienced several obstacles, from the splitting of her parents to the troubles of being raised by a single mom.

“I got my first sewing machine when I was 9 years old. That was what I wanted for Christmas,” Watson said.

“I saw my grandma and my mom sew, and I think it’s just something you don’t see in families anymore.

It’s making the stuff that I find so special.”

The only thing that brought her joy was her sewing machine. At 9 years old, she knew she had a talent for fashion. Making clothes for friends

and designing outfits for her dolls was what fueled her. Envisioning a life of luxury was all that filled Terra’s mind.

A life that wouldn’t come easy.

“As I grew older, I started to not think about the truth. The truth was, I had this talent, and I could be whatever I wanted,” Watson said. “I remember letting fears and stories that weren’t true take over my life.”

As Watson grew, so did her fears.

These fears were the stories that kept her down. The stories that prevented her from living her life and took her away from reaching her dreams.

“There were all the rich kids in high school, kids who went to camp and dance lessons and who wore name brand clothes,” Watson said. “Then there was me, living in an apartment with my mom on reduced lunch. I didn’t fit in.”

These fears were stories that Terra dreamt up in her mind that ate away at her, keeping her from enjoying her teenage life and pursuing her dreams.

“I would change myself to hang around the certain groups of kids, the church kids, the cheer kids. Just being ‘Terra’ wasn’t good enough,” Watson said. “As a result, I never developed finding the authentic me. In my mind, I wasn’t good enough. I robbed myself of the joys of having real fun. I was so busy trying to fit in and be accepted that I didn’t focus on what I had.”

Eventually, Watson became a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, another proud accomplishment of her life.

Though she didn’t succeed in making the team at first.

“The first time I tried out for the team, I was cut after the second try outs,” Watson said. “I had felt defeated at first but then I took what they said and worked hard to become better and tried out the next year.

I made it it on the team and loved every part of it, especially the travel.”

Junior Ashley Walker found inspiration during Watson's visit.

“It inspired me to try harder to reach my goals in life,” Walker said. “ Not let people drag me down from reaching these goals, because she was dragged down a lot in her life.” josephasher@tigertimesonline.com

N FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

A MOTHER’S

SACRIFICE

BY COLTON JOHNSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

N

o one understands sacrifice like a mother. It wasn’t something she understood herself until she received the impossible news. Pregnant. She sat there taking it in, unknowing of the sacrifices she would someday make for her daughter, of the stagnant state she would stand in for years in order to ensure her prosperity.

LaSanja King is a former custodian for the school, but while she was here, no one seemed to looked past her uniform. Behind her quiet demeanor and soft smile was a mother and wife who had hopes and dreams, one that faced heartache and gave up the time in her life for others. The news of her pregnancy changed the course of her life and molded her into the person she is.

“I got pregnant when I was 17 in 2005, and I graduated in 2006. It was a must for me that I finish school. I had to. I was 18 when I had my daughter. It was scary having my first child that young,” King said.

“You think everything’s going to be OK, and that the father is going to be there, but it’s nothing like that. Her father was never there. He’s been gone since she was about 1. You dream of starting your family, but it’s all a dream if you ask me.”

There was no warning, no handbook to help her along the way, and there was no partner to stand by her side.

Nothing she had learned in school would prepare her for the journey that was ahead of her. She was alone, forced to hand over the freedom she once had.

“It’s easier now since I got married last year, but if it was still just me, it would be very difficult trying to work to take care of a child. It was hard budgeting, managing, trying to pay bills and provide for [my] child. It was extremely difficult,” King said. “I feel like God was the only way I made it. Sometimes I would have to go to my mom and dad, but I didn’t want to do that all the time. I was an adult, and it was my responsibility.”

King had one goal in mind, to provide for herself and her daughter, and she, just like everyone else, had dreams that would allow her to accomplish that goal.

Dreams of something better.

“I started summer classes in the summer of 2015,” King said. “I was trying to pursue LPN, which is a Licensed Practical Nurse. I like helping people. I’m caring and giving.”

However, she soon learned that the reality of the situation would not fit into her schedule.

Former custodian shares trials, motivations to continue education

“I was in school for two months. Leaving was a hard decision to make because everyone wants to go back to school and everyone wants to be their own boss at some point,” King said. “It really wasn’t a choice. I had to go to work to provide for myself and my child, and I couldn’t go to work and school, so I had to choose. It’s hard when you’re a single mother trying to take care of yourself and your child on your own.”

There are sacrifices King made for her daughter. She came back to work as a custodian and chose to put her life on hold. She found herself grounded in hardened cement, an endless routine.

“I feel stuck, and if I could go somewhere better I would, but I can’t do that right now. I am not financially stable enough to just get up and leave. I think going to school is the best decision anyone can make. Every child should go to school,” King said. “Living here in Texarkana, it’s just, there’s more to life than being stuck here. Better yourself. It’s OK if you finish high school, but I think you should go further. I would’ve rather finished [college] than coming back here to work.”

It is no doubt that college opens up other windows of opportunity — higher wages, more time off and a higher social status — but for King, those windows were just not able to be opened yet.

“I worked 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. I worked cafeteria in the morning, and after 4 p.m., I worked classrooms,” King said. “We don’t get off all the time everyone else does.

We got off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then we were back up here working.”

Not only do the custodians work over the break, but they are at the school in the heat working through the summer to prepare for the next year and keep everything clean and operating.

“Working in the summer is hectic. We didn’t get to work in the air conditioner, so whatever the temperature was outside, that’s what we work in,” King said. “Whenever [the students] leave school, it starts getting cold in [the school]. We don’t work in the air conditioning or the heat.”

These are conditions that many would refuse to work in, yet people like King are still grateful.

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved the job. It’s probably the best job I’ve had so far,” King said. “I don’t regret it. If I have to come back, I hope I will be able to.”

After recent traumatic events, King felt motivated and called to go back to school. She is currently in the process of working and trying to enroll for classes for the upcoming year. However, this time she will not be

FEATURE

13

submitted photo

FAMILY LaSanja King gears her everyday life toward providing for her family.

She hopes to live a life that sets a good example for her daughter.

going for LPN to help people, she is going to college in order to help one person who is close to her heart.

“I had a nephew who went to school here, and after he graduated, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got shot five times in August of 2017. His name is Michael Clark,” King said. “We were close. I saw and talked to him everyday. I was devastated, not knowing if he was going to make it or not. I couldn’t imagine life without him. Now he is paralyzed, so I want to go back to get a degree in physical therapy to help him try to learn to walk all over again. He is getting therapy right now, but you only get so many days of therapy, and if they don’t see any progress, they have to let you go.”

Both she and her nephew are stuck, and while it may be figurative for her and physical for him, she hopes to gain the knowledge to teach the both of them how to support themselves — in learning how to walk and gaining a better financial situation.

“I know I wouldn’t be able to balance the two,” King said. “If all goes well, I’ll be going back to school as a full time student.”

Ultimately though, while it’s a choice she’s making for herself, it’s also a choice she’s making for her daughter.

She’s trying to break the cycle for both of them by taking the initiative to lead her daughter by example.

“Most black parents push their kids out to get a job when they’re 16, but I am not going to be that parent.

My parents didn’t actually push me to do anything. They were both there in the home, but they let me make that decision on my own. I didn’t go straight to school. I had other plans to do other things, but they never pushed me. Whatever you did was what you did,” King said.

“My plan is to pay for her to make it through college. I don’t want her working until she has finished college. I want to provide for her and everything she needs, first car, first everything. I want my daughter to be way better than her mother was.” coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com

14 HEALTH

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

Jergen’s Ultra Healing Lotion

For severely damaged skin that is not on your face, this lotion brings intensive repair. Applying a thin coat of this product onto dry body skin will heal cracking, dehydrated skin with sweetly-scented moisture.

Virgin Coconut Oil

Available at Target for $5

Available at Walmart for $5

Though oil is thought to cause acne breakouts, coconut oil can actually be beneficial. The skin surrounding your eyes lacks oil glands, so it gets dry easily. If you take a small amount of oil and spread a thin layer over your eyelids and under eyes, it moisturizes and rejuvenates the dry skin.

Elta MD Tinted Moisturizing Facial Sunscreen This tinted moisturizer is great for winter skin.

It is affective on all skin types, whether it is dry, oily or combination.

The tint makes pale skin from the winter months darker and creates a lively, smooth, moisturized face. Use a quarter-sized pump, and rub a thin layer to your face and neck.

Available at dermstore.com for $29 page by h. borowitz photos by d. kelley

Smith’s Rosebud Salve Available at Ulta for $6

DON’T BE

Rose salve is a sweet, flower scented moisturizer that can be used almost anywhere.

This deep moisturizer is great for dry, cracking lips, but can also be used on knees, elbows and hands.

Dry winters can be hard on skin.

With proper care and moisturization, however, skin can be glowing and hydrated through the season. Here are a few products to keep your face and body in ship shape.

Aveeno Hydrocortisone Cream Dry skin can be very itchy, so hydrocortisone is a great remedy. Rub a small amount of the cream over the dry, flaky or itchy skin for moisturizing, soothing itch relief.

Available at Target for $5

In order to prevent breakouts and further drying out of the skin, a soft facial cleanser is essential. This face wash clears oil and dirt out of pores gently, leaving skin clear and healthy.

Available at Target for $7

Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

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15

Human trafficking is prevalent in today’s society

BY COLTON JOHNSON & EMILY MCMASTER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & COPY EDITOR Selling a human is an idea that people believe died when slavery ended, and yet, there are still people with price tags under the radar, circulating in a system of human trafficking.

But it’s not just a problem happening in foreign countries far from here, it is prevalent in the city of Texarkana.

“Texarkana is a hotspot for human trafficking because Interstate 30, Interstate 35 and Highway 59 run through this area. These large interstates are easy for traffickers to drive through when covering a large area range,” said Kim Bateman-Neff, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate.

“These areas are also in high demand of construction workers. Many workers are forced into labor so that a trafficker can receive the money.”

According to Texarkana Today, Kenneth Nelson was arrested in October 2017 after an eight-month investigation in the trafficking of five people in Texarkana, which could mean life in prison for him.

“This particular case involved some local 15-16 year old girls whom Nelson is alleged to have coerced into having sex with him in exchange for drugs,” Public Information Officer Shawn Vaughn said. “The trafficking charges were based upon the fact that he transported them to his house. Those allegations came to light after the children told an adult of the abuse.”

People do not take into consideration how close to home the issue is and how easily it is to get wrapped up in one of these toxic situations.

“Social media is a huge pathway to becoming a victim. A common

method of trafficking is ‘boyfriending’ a victim which is when someone on social media poses as an innocent person and starts flirting with people,” Bateman-Neff said. “Usually the victim begins to open up more to them. The next time the victim is feeling insecure they run to social media or meet up with the guy. This leads to sexual abuse and trafficking.”

Traffickers target those who may feel misunderstood by others. The victims find themselves cornered, feeling as if they have no other place to turn to once they are trapped in the situation.

“These predators go to great extremes to convince the young person that their friends and family do not understand them and that only they can provide the love and respect that they crave,” Vaughn said. “Unfortunately, when the teen does take the step of leaving home, that is not the reality they find.

They are thrown into a life where they are dependent upon the adult for everything and forced to become involved in prostitution and drug abuse just to survive.”

If someone is sucked into the cycle of trafficking and sexual abuse, it is rare that they can escape it, but even if they do make it out of this labyrinth of horrors, the psychological impact cannot be erased.

“The main effects from human trafficking are post-traumatic stress disorder, sexually transmitted diseases and disassociation of events,” BatemanNeff said. “Victims escape to their ‘happy place’ while being abused instead of facing the reality of the situation.

This causes them to give in to the abuse and eventually stop seeking help.”

There are some instances of trafficking where the victim is simply not given the option to leave such as those who find themselves drowning in

NOT FO R SAL E

page by c. johnson

a debt that cannot be paid off.

“In regards to immigrants, most of the time, U.S. citizens will promise them a place to stay, citizenship and a job,” Bateman-Neff said. “However, the trafficker overprices rent so they never become free of individual labor. This is common in nail salons and Chinese restaurants. If there is a rotation in workers or they know little English, they may be suspect of being trafficked.”

Despite the fact that many of these systems are run under the radar, organizations are taking strides to try to rescue these victims.

“We now have female officers talk to these women away from the scene to try give them an opportunity to ask for help out of the situation without having to fear retribution from a nearby handler or pimp,” Vaughn said. “If they do indicate that they want out, we then can refer them to social services to help make that happen.”

It starts with speaking out, with standing up. It starts with believing that there are better things to come. This is the only way that people can find peace, to break the cycle and realize that they are more than a commodity for sale.

“One client we had was sold by a distant family member in Florida, and she found help after reaching a truck stop in Texarkana,” Bateman-Neff said.

“We brought her in and offered a place to stay until she could reunite with her parents in Florida. We were able to find her home; however, her family’s Haitian values would not allow her to be a part of their family again due to the sexual assault she had been through.

Our organization worked with a shelter in Florida near her home where she is placed today.” coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com emilymcmaster@tigertimesonline.com

illustration by v. van

BREAKING THE CYCLE

photo by h. rainwater

16 INDEPTH

contact: lillyanna1122@gmail.com

BY EMILY MCMASTER & COLTON JOHNSON COPY EDITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Silence, when left uninterrupted, is a dangerous thing. It allows for an abandoned trailer in the middle of the woods to become a prison for a little girl. She is left untouched, except by the men who stumble in with promise of exchange.

A promise made without consent by the mother, for her daughter. A promise that would scar her mind forever.

This was the childhood reality for Mandy Mills, now a mother of four. She was a victim of human trafficking and is one of the few who have survived it to tell the story.

“My mom had a coke addiction. When you’re on that stuff, it talks louder than the person. When I was 4, my mother was put in jail for selling me and my sisters for drugs. I don’t remember the interaction with men, but it was all documented,” Mills said. “I was put in foster care, but when I was 9, I went to go live with my father. We didn’t know until years later, but my father was involved in [trafficking as well]. For a year, I was molested by my dad. I had never learned what a normal father-daughter relationship was. I thought what he was doing to me was normal.”

Mills had never known what a real family looked like.

The only family she had ever known had used her body for their own benefit, for drug money and personal pleasure.

“On my birthday, I would always wonder if [my mom] thought of me. I had no foundation, no history. I had no family to take me to prom. I was afraid of my dad. He threatened to kill me if I said anything,” Mills said. “For the longest time, I thought what had happened to me was prekarma. I felt like I was being punished.”

Mills was later adopted by her Department of Homeland

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

Mother overcomes low self worth inflicted by human trafficking and sexual abuse Security worker, and while the physical abuse may have been over, the emotional turmoil was not.

“It’s hard for me to this day to build relationships.

Everyone who was supposed to love me in my family had hurt me. It’s hard to open doors for people. It’s always in the back of my mind,” Mills said. “I felt dirty because I would never be able to offer my husband virginity, and as a Christian, that’s important. It was taken from me. I felt like I had been cheated; they took innocence away from me.”

Mills soon learned, however, that the world stops for no one. She had the option to continue living behind closed doors in fear, but she chose to attempt living a life of normalcy. However, her past experiences of being trafficked and sexually abused inhibited her from doing so freely.

“I was taught to be warned that history repeats itself, and that is the worst thing you can say to someone. I was afraid that someday I’d be like my parents,” Mills said. “That put a barrier between me and my first son. I was afraid for him to touch me, to hug me and children need that nurturing.”

Mills struggled with trying to find peace with herself and urges people to understand that human trafficking is more than the stereotype people imagine.

“People think that it’s just some warehouse full of women, but sex trafficking is trading sex for something whether it’s for drugs, for money, for power, ” Mills said.

“It’s not always just a warehouse full of women. It could be your neighbor doing it for a bump of drugs. People don’t realize that that is how those warehouses were built — one person agreeing with another person to trade a human being.”

This mentality to use another person to fulfill one’s own desires creates trust issues and corrupts relationships.

“It’s not always just a creepy guy in the corner. It was my father and my mother. My dad was seen as the guy that everyone loved. He was great on the outside, but on the inside, he was the monster I had to face,” Mills said. “That’s what people misunderstand. They think, ‘Oh, that’ll never happen, to my kid.’”

However, it is happening and will continue to happen if there is no one who cares enough to stand up. It’s not just in foreign countries. It’s right here, in America.

“You never know if someone is going through it. They’re afraid of what tomorrow will bring. It’s a comfort zone.

They know what to expect. They know what they’re coming home to,” Mills said. “If they say something, where [are they] going to go? Who is going to take care of [them]?

Who is going to love [them]?”

It is important, above all other things, to remember that the millions of victims currently being trafficked are people.

People who had lives. People who are scared to speak out.

Mills survived and is turning her dark situation into light for others to break the cycle. To escape. Only through knowledge and understanding can this worldwide problem end.

“Educate. Educate. Educate. That’s how you fix the problem. If we get the word out, that’s how we fix this,” Mills said. “If it is broadcasted, it’s going to get smaller.

You never know who might be there who needs someone to tell them they don’t have to live that life, to stand up for themselves. People don’t want to admit that it happened to them. They feel weak. Instead of letting it break them, let it build them.” emilymcmaster@tigertimesonline.com coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com

17

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

REAL

RELEVANT

Sex trafficking is the third largest organized worldwide crime, with Texas being one of the heaviest centers of slave movement in North America.

RESOLVABLE

There are roughly 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. Girls and women make up the majority, adding up to 55 percent of total forced labor.

UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was the first legislation to acknowledge the plight of the abused by under-the-radar activity. It’s introduction defined human trafficking clearly, and created more protections for the victims.

ACTION

MEANS

PURPOSE

RECRUIT HARBOR TRANSPORT INDUCE

FORCE FRAUD COERCION ABUSE

FORCED LABOR SERVICES COMMERCIAL SEX

Human trafficking is reported to generate an estimate of $32 billion annually, with $15.5 billion from industrialized countries. design by l. leverett, content by j. williamson

18 INDEPTH

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

One State, One Heart TASC state project focuses on human trafficking awareness

TASC

DEEPEN YOUR HEART,

BY JOHN MORGAN SPORTS EDITOR Currently in the state of Texas, there are approximately 313,000 people that have fallen victim to human trafficking. Over 79,000 of those are minors and youth. These frightening statistics only scrape the surface of a sensitive issue that has been commonly overlooked.

This has prompted the Texas Association of Student Councils to attack this issue by focusing their state project on bringing awareness to human trafficking and its current presence, both locally and nationally.

Adopting the slogan, “Deepen Your Heart, Reach Out Your Hand,” student councils across the state have taken a stand and have begun to join the battle to end modern-day slavery.

TASC has set their sights on reaching out to over 100,000 people statewide. They look to invest over 5,000 combined service hours into their mission to support victims and shed light on the subject.

“This has been an ongoing issue that’s been pushed aside and overlooked,” student council adviser Susan Waldrep said. “It is important for the students of today to say that they’re not going to put up with this.”

The project focuses on four “chambers of the heart,” or ways for students to fight the issue. These include educating council members about human trafficking, collaborating with established organizations in their efforts, activating projects within home councils and evaluating the progress of awareness across the state.

“Student voice drives the selection of any state service project,” TASC director Terry Hamm said.

“The response [to the project] has been eye-opening for both students and advisers and has also been welcomed by administrators.”

The initiative to fight this issue arose in last year’s TASC state parliamentarian campaign by Southlake Carroll Senior High School. Their platform on human trafficking was presented to TASC at the state convention which acts as the largest student leadership gathering in the nation.

“When choosing a platform, we wanted to do something that we were passionate about,” state parliamentarian representative Jack Tucker said.

“Throughout the year, my council grew to have an extreme passion for this issue and found ourselves wanting to advocate more and more to fight it.”

The platform picked up steam when it was proposed by student officers at the State Steering Committee

Retreat in the summer. The TASC Board of Directors then accepted the recommendation and adopted the theme for the project.

“This issue is important to talk about because it is real and relevant, but most of all, it’s resolvable,” Tucker said. “If the leaders of the future don’t stand up and speak out against the hard and sensitive issues facing our nation, then who will?”

TASC has observed the fact that schools have approached this project in many different ways. They have promoted many opportunities on their website and through social media in which councils across the state can bring awareness to human trafficking.

“We have seen a very positive response to this state service project,” Tucker said. “Students are recognizing the magnitude of the issue and going out and being advocates to fight it.”

Locally, Texas High student council has been advising students to check the labels on their clothing and other common items to make sure that they are from companies who ensure free trade practices. They also promoted wearing blue in support of Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11.

“We have been selling district T-shirts that have the state project slogan on them,” Waldrep said. “We also got a speaker to come to the Advanced Leadership Workshop at Lakeview who runs a house that helps women escape human trafficking.”

As the conference coordinator school of this year’s state convention, the student council has taken the state project into account in their planning efforts by choosing to put their money where their mouth is.

“The shirts that we will wear and bags that we are ordering for the convention will come from companies that have pledged against breaking labor laws,” Waldrep said. “We are willing to spend more in order

to guarantee solid labor practices.”

Despite its sensitive nature and perception, human trafficking is an issue that is relevant right in the backyard of Texas. Student councils across the state have accepted this with open arms and have made it clear that they are taking an active stance against the horrors and realities of this issue.

“People don’t need to be afraid of this project,” Hamm said. “There are a multitude of avenues and levels for involvement from educating your school and community to reaching out to help groups to stop the pipeline.”

TASC has not let the subject of human trafficking affect its progress in bringing awareness to it. The overwhelmingly positive response that they have received from schools has further emphasized the power that student leaders of the future possess.

“What started as just a conversation in my student council has progressed into a statewide initiative that is making a huge impact in the lives of many,” Tucker said. “This project has shown me that through a collaborative effort of student leaders, change not only can be made, but will be seen.” johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com

NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE Call 1-888-373-7888 Text BeFree (233733)

The hotline serves victims and survivors of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community in the United States. The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

FEATURE

STUDY Smarter NOT HARDER

BY JACKSON CHENEY STAFF WRITER

One of the many struggles for high school students is maintaining good grades. With many students taking Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses, they often find themselves lacking on quizzes and tests. Here are a few tips on how to study to ace those difficult exams.

5

STUDY STRATEGIES FOR

BETTER RESULTS

HAVE A SNACK

TAKE BREAKS

An empty stomach can ruin all focus, so it’s good to have something to eat while you are working.

Caffeine, munching snack foods, and fruits are great for studying.

Studying for hours straight can take a toll on the brain, so taking breaks to give your mind a rest can help maintain focus; just don’t get carried away on your break.

illustrations from Creative Commons

KNOW YOUR STUFF Having a good grasp on a concept helps it stick in your mind. Study deeper, gain background information, and it should help you retain the information.

STAY FOCUSED

QUIZ YOURSELF

It is necessary to maintain focus while studying, so put away anything that is distracting such as cell phones and TV. Snapchat and Netflix arent helping your grades any.

To test your knowledge, quizzing is a way to find out if you know your stuff. It will prepare you for the real thing.

Quizlet is a great tool to use for vocabulary and test questions.

19

20 COMMUNITY

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

SPORTS

21

GOING INTO STATE MEET TIGERSHARKS KNEW THEY’D HAVE TO

SWIM for it

SWIMMING UPSTREAM Junior Jackson Shellogg swims in an individual freestyle event at the 2018 State Swim Meet. Shellogg was the only Tigershark to advance to the finals in an individual event.

DIVING INTO STATE

FOCUSED During the

state competition in Austin, senior Will Norton prepares for the 100-yard fly. Norton also competed in the 200-yard medley relay that made it to the finals. The boys finished 30th overall.

STROKE IT OUT In the

final swim of her high school career, senior Kristen Clayton competes in the 100-yard breast stroke at state. This was Clayton’s fourth trip to state.

TEAMWORK Sophomores

Max Young and Owen Likens and juniors Robert Frost and Jackson Shellogg compete in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The relay made it to the finals of the state competition, a difficult feat. After fighting hard, they finished 16th in the competition.

photos by r. sizemore

DIVE ON Seniors Jacob Mitchmore and

Courtney Lourens compete in the state competition. Both placed 17th in the one meter dive.

By RACHEAL SIZEMORE PHOTOGRAPHER

The Tigersharks traveled to Austin Feb. 16-17 for the 5A Swim and Dive State Championships at University of Texas. The Tigersharks placed 30th in boys and 56th in girls.

The boys 400 yard freestyle team finished 12th out of 24 teams.

“We gave it our all, and we definitely did better than prelims,” junior Robert Frost said. “I improved my times since yesterday. I was hoping to do a bit better, but overall, I’m just really happy that I contributed.”

Junior Jackson Shellogg advanced to finals and placed 15th overall in the individual 100 yard freestyle event.

“I started yelling. I was like ‘yeah I made it’ then I just couldn’t stop yelling,” Shellogg said.

The boys 200 yard freestyle placed 15th, and the 200 yard medley relay placed 16th in the finals.

“I’m definitely not happy with my performance personally,” senior Will Norton said. “However, I got my personal event to state, and I got my relay to state with my boys. I’m always going to be proud of that.”

The Tigersharks graduated a lot of talent last year and have spent most of this year rebuilding their relay teams.

The girls 200 yard medley relay placed 16th in the finals.

“This year we got all new people on [the relay teams],” junior Kaylee Norton said. “I’m excited to see how we do next year, preparing harder and training harder so we can get better.”

The divers were also disappointed with their performance during the state meet as well.

Senior Courtney Lourens and Jacob Mitchmore both placed 17th in the one meter dive.

“I was doing really really well until my very last dive of the day, and I don’t know stuff happens,” Lourens said.

“All our scores were so close. I definitely could’ve done better, but it is what it is.”

The Tigersharks did advance four relay teams to the finals. Head swim coach Eric Vogan believes that the team performance at the state swim meet will provide a foundation to build upon for next year.

“Right after spring break we’re going to start amping it up again,” Vogan said. “We’re going to do a lot of speed work and a lot of underwater work to prepare for next year.” rachealsizemore@tigertimesonline.com

22 SPORTS

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

GO THE DISTANCE Recent UIL realignment poses travel issues, instructional dilemmas for district

Sherman

2.55 hours McKinney 2.53 North hours

Wylie East

BY JOHN MORGAN SPORTS EDITOR Speculation had been looming for months. Rumors had been going all around. That didn’t make the announcement any more surprising.

The University Interscholastic League recently announced the new district realignments for every school in the state. This news resulted in many schools changing classifications and shifting districts for at least the next two years. For football, several schools saw their travel mandates increase significantly, some doubling or even tripling the distance they would have to travel. Things are no different for Texas High.

The Tigers have been roped into District 7-5A Division 1 with some new and familiar faces. John Tyler, McKinney North, Mesquite Poteet, Sherman, West Mesquite and Wylie East will all be relatively new opponents as no district opponent from the last four years stayed in the same division as Texas High.

This was the first year that UIL used a computer software to engineer realignment. This program took into account how changes for one school would affect others and looked at how to compromise every school’s needs.

“Decisions about district placement are based on travel and geographic location,” UIL media director Kate Hector said. “The addition of new schools and schools increasing or decreasing their enrollment numbers create the need for reclassification and realignment every two years.”

The outlook of the district is based on a previous decision from UIL to split the 5A classification into two divisions based on enrollment. This was in an effort to make schools play other schools that are similar in size to them. Texas High is not within two hours of another school its size causing a substantial increase in travel for the next two years.

“I would have hoped that the superintendents across the state would have voted against creating a 5A Division 1 and made it by region

for travel and cost issues,” principal Brad Bailey said. “However, this was the outcome that was presented to us, and we will move forward to prepare for the upcoming season.”

The travel issues presented by this realignment are clear to see when it comes to distance. Not including a possible playoff game, the Tigers will travel a total of 1,405 miles next season with four games at least two and a half hours away.

“While the entire impact is yet to be completely determined, student travel times are always a concern,” TISD transportation director Kaye Oliver said. “While this concern is out of our control with the realignment, we are committed to ensuring that each and every student group travels safely.”

The increase in travel will result in an obvious increase in travel costs.

The two buses for the team alone will cost substantially more for district games this year than they had in the past. Add in a bus for cheer, one for drill team, four for band, one possibly for student council and other travel costs, and the rates form an interesting dilemma for the district to consider.

“Given a number of factors that have yet to be determined, the only certainty is that some games will extend travel times and distances,” Oliver said. “Cost projections could fluctuate contingent upon numerous factors, such as the price of fuel and other expenditures.”

Thursday night away games for the junior varsity and freshman teams are also a concern due the lateness of when players would get back to town. The district is currently looking at solutions to work with the scheduling for away games to solve this issue.

“There would be some concessions to be made for the late arrivals,” Bailey said. “We are working on solutions to this issue, and we hope that we can reduce the time factor of the games to help our students return to Texarkana at a reasonable time.”

This new district does not affect every UIL-related activity at Texas High. Realignment was much

friendlier to other sports with them drawing a group with former district foes Greenville, Mount Pleasant, and Sulphur Springs along with Lindale and Royse City.

“We have consistently been in the same regional district for several years,” Bailey said. “With this alignment, we drive by Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs and Greenville, which were schools in our previous football district, just to play schools in the metroplex due to our enrollment.”

This new district is expected to be a much tougher challenge for Texas High before the season reaches November unlike previous years. John Tyler, a 6A dropdown, was a common playoff nemesis in 2014 and 2015, and West Mesquite defeated the Tigers when they were last district champions in 2016.

Many other schools in this new district have had their fair share of recent success as well.

“Good competition should hopefully make us better in the regular season,” athletic director Gerry Stanford said. “Results could vary, but this should help us out to gain familiarity before we reach the playoffs.”

While the district alignment does not favor Texas High, school officials have accepted the changes and are looking to find solutions to the issues presented rather than dwell on the negative aspects.

“The realignment is not good for TISD,” Bailey said, “but we will be very competitive against the schools in our new district and prepare for another successful season regardless of who or where we play.”

Texas High might have gotten the short end of the straw but is looking on the bright side nonetheless.

“We don’t have any say in the matter, so there is only one real way to react,” Stanford said. “We take what UIL gives us and go with it into the new season.” johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com

2.55 hours 2.5 hours

West Mesquite

3.15 hours

2.47 hours

2.17 hours John Tyler

Poteet Pflugerville Hendrickson at Waxahachie*

2018 Football Schedule 8/30 - Pflugerville Hendrickson =@ Waxahachie*

(410 miles roundtrip) 9/7 - Arkansas High* 9/14 - @ Liberty-Eylau* (15 miles) 9/21 - Kilgore* 9/28 - John Tyler 10/5 - @ McKinney North (322 miles) 10/12 - Mesquite Poteet 10/19 - @ Sherman (310 miles) 10/26 - Open 11/2 - Wylie East 11/9 - @ West Mesquite (341 miles) * nondistrict game

FEB. 23, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

23

A PROBLEM WORTH ENTERTAINING ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SETTLES FOR QUANTITY OVER QUALTIY

BY JOHN MORGAN SPORTS EDITOR It’s May 1977. As the summer is set to begin, everyone seems to be raving about this new science fiction film that is unlike anything they have seen before. Millions of people flock to the theaters to watch a story from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away” followed by the popularly acclaimed music of John Williams and the vision of George Lucas.

How about this? It’s now September 1979, and a new type of record has hit the airwaves. With a funky beat and smooth lyrics, this song has begun to invent an innovative form of music that seems destined to grow in the future. Not only did this song become the first top 40 hit for hip hop music, but “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang gained more respect for the genre itself.

It was this type of constant innovation that used to drive the entertainment business. New genres and creative minds produced many memorable works that have had a profound impact. However, as time has progressed, these trends have started to die down while the use of originality and ingenuity by content creators has faded alongside it.

In this day and age, artists and producers are giving audiences more of the same rather than trying to establish original content. The public has seemingly been deprived of originality in favor of profit when it was the opposite that made the entertainment business what it was.

Everywhere in Hollywood, people have seemingly run out of good ideas. Take Disney as an example. This family-friendly company used to produce timeless tales on the big screen. Now, the majority of their upcoming releases are just live action reboots of their former animated films. Disney, a pioneer of monumental innovation in movie lore, is developing into a money-

seeking leech, rather than coming out with original content, which was what established their positive reputation.

Even in the music industry, where the utmost creativity can be exerted by anyone, innovation has become less and less common. The aforementioned hip hop revolution managed to transcend the turn of the century and now continuously tops the charts.

While this transition has been welcomed by a more diverse group of individuals, all that it’s done is give us countless verses of repetitive vulgarity from voices sounding all too familiar and vague. The good old days when music was focused and oriented around risktaking and inventiveness have dwindled away as we now settle into a state of complacency.

The blame for all of this falls equally on the content creators and the respective audiences. Creators have become slaves for money which supposedly grants them “power,” and society has willingly handed it over for nothing.

As they currently stand, the film and music industries have not completely fallen off the mark. It is, however, concerning that they are beginning to stray from their roots and slowly lose their willingness to try new things. Quantity has started to defeat quality in a number of ways.

The entertainment world needs to not fall victim to this and instead strive to do more than meet the needs of an agitated public audience. Film and music need originality and inspirational content that keeps people engaged. New material is what pushes humanity into the future, one in which innovation will be necessary for us to function.

In a society that constantly seeks change, this issue will always feel out of place. After all, the world around us is always transforming. It might be about time that the entertainment business does the same.

johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com

compiledbyv.vansourcesfromcanva.comandtexas.gov

VICTORIA’S COMICS Satirical comic showcases unorginalityprevalent in industry

BY VICTORIA VAN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ATRAGICTAKEOVERThe“StarWars”franchisehasshiftedfrombeingasourceoforiginalitytoanexcessivelyfranchisedtheme.

24 SPORTS

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

TIGER REPORT file photo

photo by k. gordon

photo by k. gordon

photo by h. rainwater

photo by a. higgins

RYANN WILLIAMS, 12

TREVOR TOPPINGS, 12

DULCE BUSTAMANTE, 10

MACKENZIE PARKER, 9

SOFTBALL

BASEBALL

GIRLS’ SOCCER

BOYS’ SOCCER

The Lady Tigers have started playing scrimmages to get ready for the upcoming season.

The softball team aims to defend last year’s district championship and seem primed to do so as they return a majority of their core from last season. The team starts district play at home against Hallsville on March 6.

The baseball team is also currently in preseason play, preparing for district to start on March 13.

In the next three weeks, they will compete in three tournaments.

The upperclassmen are anticipating a successful run this season as many varsity players return from last year’s playoff team.

MIA WILSON, 11

BASKETBALL

The girls basketball team, consisting of nine juniors and three freshmen, overcame a tough test from Sulphur Springs to win the district title. The Lady Tigers defeated Highland Park in the first round of the playoffs but could not overcome a hot start from Frisco Liberty and were bounced in the next round. Meanwhile, the boys basketball team finished the season strong and clinched a postseason berth with a 7-5 district record.

The Tigers played Highland Park in Longview on Tuesday in the first round of the playoffs.

After a month of scrimmages and two tournaments, the Lady Tigers are beginning district play. The team defeated their crosstown rival, Pleasant Grove, 2-1 in overtime on a penalty kick rebound. A large group of seniors are utilizing this last chance at a distict championship as motivation for the upcoming games

THe boys soccer team has gotten off to a shaky start with tough losses to nondistrict foes, including a hard fought 2-1 loss to the former 4A state champions, Kilgore. The team looks to improve upon last year’s winless district slate as they field a younger team looking to avenge their former teammates.

Compiled by c. brooks, j. morgan and e. schroeder

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

SPORTS

25

5

26 ENTERTAINMENT

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

ANTICIPATED VIDEO GAMES

1

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet

Spawning from the popular anime, this adaptation offers the opportunity for you to become hero of Gan Gale Online. Customize your game play with versatile landscapes and different fighting styles.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Merging Final Fantasy with Disney, this game revolves around the search for the Seven Guardians of Light and the “Key to Return Hearts” to try and prevent a Keyblade War in the world.

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

3

This Western-themed action adventure illustrates the tale of America’s unforgiving land. The game features amazing graphics developed by Rockstar San Diego that earns its place in one of the most anticipated games.

Death Stranding Starring Walking Dead’s Normus Reedus and Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen, the PS4 exclusive game goes beyond action and RPG to bring an ambitious new approach to new games with Kojima Production’s exemplary storyline.

4

Detroit: Become Human

5

In a world where androids are now commonplace, you take on the role as either Kara or Connor where you make choices in the game that determine your fate in life.

KING OF ROYALE Popular battle royale game takes video game world by storm

BY GREY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

T

he best offense is a good defense. New video game, “Fortnite,” not only understands this, it embraces it.

Not only is it centered around your ability to destroy anything in sight, but also your ability to then take the materials you gathered from your destruction and turn it into a base or a fort to protect you.

This concept makes “Fortnite” a unique combo of a shooter game and a sandbox game.

“Fortnite” was developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly and was released as a paid early access game, and the price at the time was $40. However, those who did not pay for the game could still access its Battle Royale mode. The mode is based off of another game, PlayerUnknown’s “Battlegrounds.” Despite its inspiration from PUBG, it manages to be unique and almost an entirely different experience.

Battle Royale mode starts off with you and 99 other people being put on a flying party bus. After landing, players will scavenge nearby towns, farms and other locations to find things like buildings materials, guns and helpful potions.

With your gear and quick wits, your goal is to be the last one remaining. As the match progresses, a storm will form and steadily close in on players. If you are in the storm, you will slowly lose health until your death. This feature pushes players together and increases the intensity.

There never seems to be a dull

moment, except for a minute or two between fighting. Each match is packed with action and suspenseful gameplay.

One moment, you’re sneaking around a prison, the next moment you’re blowing the prison apart with explosives.

“Fortnite” is fun because every match is different. The gear you find will dictate how your match plays out. In one match you might get an assault rifle and a sniper rifle, prompting you to approach scenarios and gunfights from a range. In another match, you might find a grenade launcher, a rocket launcher and a shotgun, encouraging you to play more destructively.

Your gear will also determine your chance at winning a gunfight. If you have a high-tier assault rifle and your enemy has a low-tier pistol, you are more than likely going to come out victorious. This forces players to choose their fights carefully.

Traversing the island can be difficult at times, especially if you run into a mountain while trying to escape the storm. Luckily, you can build a multitude of things such as stairs or walls with materials you collect from around the island. This allows you to build stairways up mountains, given you have the materials to

do so.

Along with being a useful way to get around, the things you build can be used to protect or conceal your location from others. You can even go as far as building a fort out of materials to hide in. Anything is fair game, so using this constructive ability to gain the upper hand is strongly encouraged.

“Fortnite” is overall very fun to play and the wide variety of possible scenarios will make you say, “Just one more match,” after you die. If the game wasn’t already appealing enough, the fact that you can gain access to it for free should definitely pique your interest.

Although you can only play the Battle Royale game mode for free as of now, later, the game is expected to be released as a full package for no charge. It’s a great game, and there’s nothing you can lose by trying it, so grab some loot and build a fort, because there’s a storm coming. greyjohnson@tigertimesonline.com

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

27

A PROBLEM WORTH ENTERTAINING ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SETTLES FOR QUANTITY OVER QUALTIY

BY JOHN MORGAN SPORTS EDITOR It’s May 1977. As the summer is set to begin, everyone seems to be raving about this new science fiction film that is unlike anything they have seen before. Millions of people flock to the theaters to watch a story from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away” followed by the popularly acclaimed music of John Williams and the vision of George Lucas.

How about this? It’s now September 1979, and a new type of record has hit the airwaves. With a funky beat and smooth lyrics, this song has begun to invent an innovative form of music that seems destined to grow in the future. Not only did this song become the first top 40 hit for hip hop music, but “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang gained more respect for the genre itself.

It was this type of constant innovation that used to drive the entertainment business. New genres and creative minds produced many memorable works that have had a profound impact. However, as time has progressed, these trends have started to die down while the use of originality and ingenuity by content creators has faded alongside it.

In this day and age, artists and producers are giving audiences more of the same rather than trying to establish original content. The public has seemingly been deprived of originality in favor of profit when it was the opposite that made the entertainment business what it was.

Everywhere in Hollywood, people have seemingly run out of good ideas. Take Disney as an example. This family-friendly company used to produce timeless tales on the big screen. Now, the majority of their upcoming releases are just live action reboots of their former animated films. Disney, a pioneer of monumental innovation in movie lore, is developing into a money-

seeking leech, rather than coming out with original content, which was what established their positive reputation.

Even in the music industry, where the utmost creativity can be exerted by anyone, innovation has become less and less common. The aforementioned hip hop revolution managed to transcend the turn of the century and now continuously tops the charts.

While this transition has been welcomed by a more diverse group of individuals, all that it’s done is give us countless verses of repetitive vulgarity from voices sounding all too familiar and vague. The good old days when music was focused and oriented around risktaking and inventiveness have dwindled away as we now settle into a state of complacency.

The blame for all of this falls equally on the content creators and the respective audiences. Creators have become slaves for money which supposedly grants them “power,” and society has willingly handed it over for nothing.

As they currently stand, the film and music industries have not completely fallen off the mark. It is, however, concerning that they are beginning to stray from their roots and slowly lose their willingness to try new things. Quantity has started to defeat quality in a number of ways.

The entertainment world needs to not fall victim to this and instead strive to do more than meet the needs of an agitated public audience. Film and music need originality and inspirational content that keeps people engaged. New material is what pushes humanity into the future, one in which innovation will be necessary for us to function.

In a society that constantly seeks change, this issue will always feel out of place. After all, the world around us is always transforming. It might be about time that the entertainment business does the same.

johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com

compiled by v.van sources from canva.com and texas.gov

VICTORIA’S COMICS Satirical comic showcases unorginality prevalent in industry

BY VICTORIA VAN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

A TRAGIC TAKEOVER The “Star Wars” franchise has shifted from being a source of originality to an excessively franchised theme.

28 ENTERTAINMENT

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

THE RETURN OF KANYE Rapper eyes a return to the music industry COMEBACK KING Kanye West performs his last album, “Life of Pablo.” Fans await the release of a new album.

TIMELINE OF WEST’S RECENT EVENTS:

FEBRUARY 14, 2016 West releases seventh studio album “The Life of Pablo”

AUGUST 25, 2016 Saint Pablo Tour begins

Creative Commons photo

BY NICK MITCHELL STAFF WRITER After an abrupt 2016 cancellation, Chicago-native rapper Kanye West is looking to make a return to his Saint Pablo tour in early 2018. West stopped short of his final show to ramble about politics, much to the dismay of concert-goers.

After the incident, he hospitalized himself and canceled the tour, giving stress and exhaustion as the reasons for doing so.

From being seen with Migos in studio to rumors of West heading to his Wyoming retreat where he masterfully crafted his previous albums, there is good reason to believe West is returning to the industry. The timeline highlights West’s activities since his last album, providing hope for new music.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” sophomore Burrus Moss said. “I hope it is like his older content, since my favorite album is ‘Graduation.’” nickmitchell@tigertimesonline.com

Kanye’s Most Popular Albums Life Of Pablo Late Registration Graduation Yeezus College Dropout Dark Twisted Fantasty 808’s & Heartbeats

Out of 26 students

50% 7.7% 19.4% 3.8% 3.8% 3.8% 7.7%

OCTOBER 7, 2016 West arrives an hour and a half late to show in Chicago and barely interacts with the crowd in first performance since the attack.

NOVEMBER 19, 2016 West performs three songs in Sacramento then rambles about celebrities and Facebook before walking off stage.

NOVEMBER 22, 2016 West hospitalized for temporary psychosis due to stress and exhaustion.

JUNE 29, 2017 Saint Pablo tour announced to be resumed in 2018.

JANUARY 26, 2018 “Culture II” by Migos is released, with West credited as a producer.

OCTOBER 3, 2016 Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian West robbed at gunpoint in Paris, prompting Kanye to exit the stage at Citi Field and ending the show abruptly.

NOVEMBER 17, 2016 In a show in San Jose, West began to rant about politics, and controversially claims he would’ve voted for Trump, causing the crowd to boo West.

NOVEMBER 21, 2016 The remaining shows on the Saint Pablo tour are cancelled, with West citing stress and lack of sleep as reasons why.

JUNE 5, 2017 Two rough draft songs by West, featuring Migos, Young Thug and A$AP Rocky, leak online.

OCTOBER 27, 2017 Single, Dat Side, released by Cyhi the Prynce featuring Kanye West, becoming the only official piece of music with West in 2017.

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

L

ENTERTAINMENT

STRUCK BY

ights flash.

Jefferson Pierce’s eyes show a spark of light for a brief moment. But then, the moment is over. However, this quiet show of force is the first hint at our protagonist’s past life as hero Black Lightning. After being pulled over and assaulted by police for a crime he did not commit solely because he fit the description of “black male,” Pierce’s incident triggers his long-forgotten powers to manipulate electricity, setting the stage for the CW’s “Black

29

LIGHTNING

Lightning.”

In a world set apart from the colorful cities and wild stories, “Black Lightning” presents a realistic character in real world scenarios. Jefferson Pierce, played by Cress Williams, is a gold medal decathlon athlete from the rough side of his city. Pierce returned to his city and is currently the principal of a local high school. Explored by a series of flashbacks, Pierce is shown to have previously brought peace to his city under the moniker “Black Lightning.” This heavily differs from the CW’s typical hero show, with a young hero being shown obtaining their powers for the first time. It’s a refreshing twist for

The CW premieres new superhero show

viewers.

Thinking of his daughters and now ex-wife, Pierce gave up his role as the hero Black Lightning after a near-death experience where he was shot up by the 100, a criminal gang that rules the community. But as shown in the episode’s opening scene, it may be time for Black Lightning to return to his city.

Incidents revolving around the notorious 100 gang are the last straw for Pierce. Pierce’s daughters are kidnapped by the 100 and his alter ego of Black Lightning comes alive. Calling on his upbringer Peter Gambi, Pierce says that he needs to bring back his hero persona.

Donning a high-tech suit to block bullets so he can’t get shot once again, Black Lightning takes down a dozen grunts and then his daughters’ kidnapper in a climactic fight, showcasing his abilities.

From this moment onward, Pierce decides to take back the mantle of Black Lightning and protect his community.

BY NICK MITCHELL STAFF WRITER

fun and exciting show.

The end of the episode hints at Pierce’s daughter, Anissa, having powers when she accidentally breaks a sink and a reddish glow manifests in her hands. In the comics, Anissa is known as Thunder, whose power is the ability to make her physical body denser, making her bulletproof and superhumanly strong.

This is an interesting possibility for the show to explore. A father-daughter crime fighting duo would be an unseen scenario on the CW. Another hint given in the show is a short cut scene of Tobias Whale, the leader of the 100. By Pierce’s description

“A huge step in diversity in the entertainment industry.”

photo from Warner Bros.

The show is an incredibly enjoyable take on a comic series.

First published in 1977, “Black Lightning” was DC Comics’ first series where the main character was black. Now, in a television show where the hero goes through injustices that normal people also go through, the show gives a relatable hero to viewers.

Also, “Black Lightning” isn’t set in the same world as other shows such as “The Flash” and “Supergirl.” There are no crazy “metahumans,” not every character has super powers, and there’s not a new villain every week. It’s a realistic, gritty yet

of Whale, he is presumed to be his former nemesis. Whoever Whale is, he should be on viewers’ minds.

From its realistic outlook to its relatable characters, “Black Lightning” is a fantastic show thus far and should be on any television enthusiast’s list. With a promising future, a diverse cast of characters, and an exciting plot, look out for “Black Lightning” - making waves not only on television, but also through its connection to real world issues. The show’s portrayal of current issues, such as Anissa’s participation in a protest against police brutality against Jefferson, offers a way for the show to reach audiences across many ages and races. nickmitchell@tigertimesonline.com

30 ENTERTAINMENT

WHAT’S

NOW

Hayley Kiyoko

From Disney star to musician, Kiyoko’s beginnings in movies such as “Lemonade Mouth” led to her career in the music industry. Her messages about the importance of being an honest, unapologetic individual have garnered her success. Kiyoko’s album “Expectations” is set to release March 30.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Nelson is the first and only female to solo direct a major Hollywood animated feature film: “Kung Fu Panda 2.” Her current project is directing the film adaptation of Alexandra Bracken’s young adult novel, “The Darkest Minds,” which is set to release Sept. 18, 2018.

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

WHAT TO KNOW

Harper Watters Watters made his debut as the Nutcracker Prince in the Houston Ballet’s rendition of “The Nutcracker.” Amazingly, Watters was featured on the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine, covering aspects of his viral fame and ballet career.

Golden Globe winner and “Star Wars” actor Oscar Isaac has made enormous strides in expanding representation among Latinos. His upcoming role in “Annihilation” will bring out another smashing performance in his career.

PERCENT of all Tom Ford’s first New York show models were people of color

DID YOU KNOW?

1 in 10

FAVORITES TO WATCH OUT FOR Oscar Isaac

[65]

Gilda Ambrosio

Co-founder of brand Attico, Ambrosio is an Italian designer who was featured in Vogue.

Attico features robe dresses that can be dressed up or down, which, combined with a personal approach, aids in her overnight success.

Millie Bobby Brown 13-year-old Spanishborn British actress Millie Bobby Brown rose to fame starring as “Eleven” in the “Stranger Things” series, which grossed a total of $3 million in their first season. As of Jan. 22, Brown was the youngest celebrity to be added to Forbes 30 under 30 list.

movies had a genderbalanced cast out of 700 films analyzed from 2007 to 2014

Cardi B is the first rapper to have three singles rank top 10 on Billboard simultaneously,

“Bodak Yellow”

FEB. 22, 2018 • TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM

PHOTO ESSAY

31

photos by k. gordon

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Senior Brennon Cope, the Ringmaster, and sophomores Addison Cross and Shelby Steele, the bally girls or showgirls, begin the show by introducing the audience to the circus. The show is based on the 1944 Barnum and Bailey circus fire.

THE JUGGLING ACT Many of the parts

in the show require actors to learn new skills and tricks. One of the new skills is juggling.

"It can be very difficult at times, but it allows me to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new," senior Mason Higginbotham said. "It's one of the most interesting things I've ever done for UIL and for theater."

BY KAITLYN GORDON Photo Editor

WASHED IN RED Sophomores

The Tiger Theatre Company has been pouring their hearts, souls and time into their newest show, "Silenced On Barbour Street," in preparation for the upcoming UIL One-Act Play competition season. They will put on a free public performance March 5 and will compete at district on March 8. If they aren't onstage running through the show, you can probably find them memorizing lines, practicing lighting and more.

In addition to regular practices, the UIL One-Act Play team travels to schools to participate in clinics. At clinics, they set their stage, perform the show in its entirety and strike the stage, all in front of a judge for one-act plays.

The feedback gained from this experience is crucial to the quality of their performance at competitions. "'Clinics are incredibly constructive," junior Paisley Allen said. "UIL wouldn't be the same without them."

For many of them, these will be their last moments of acting beneath the bright stage lights of the Sullivan Performing Arts Center. As they prepare to say goodbye to a group that has filled their high school years with memories of laughter and tears, these seniors work their hardest on this last show, hoping to make it their best yet.

"This show means so much to me," senior Victoria Perez said. "I love the process; I love this show and company. I'm going to miss it and everyone so much next year."

Through all of the late-night and long-hour rehearsals, the cast grows together as one big family.

"UIL is the best three months of my life. The cast and crew become the people you want to spend your time with rather than an obligation," senior Colton Johnson said.

"Last year's felt like a movie, so I videoed throughout our late rehearsals and long bus rides and compiled them into a mini movie. It was something you never think you'll actually have. It's our masterpiece." kaitlyngordon@tigertimesonline.com

Addison Cross and Shelby Steele present senior Kaitlyn McKinley's acrobatic circus act.

TRENDS FROM WAY BACK

Sophomore Alex Cope pins sophomore Audrey Haskin's costume for measurements in the costume room. The play this year is set in the 1940s, and the costumes and makeup must accurately reflect that time period.

TECH'D OUT Lights being used

to create special effects, such as the "burning man," are a key creative choice.

"Silenced On Barbour Street" Cast

Director Melissa Newton, Assistant Director Amy Kemp Technical Director Trent Hanna Brennon Cope - Ringmaster Victoria Perez - Mae Paisley Allen - Mildred Rachel Johnson - Eleanor Colton Johnson - Nathan Addison Cross - Bally Girl Shelby Steele - Bally Girl Mason Higginbotham - Hickey Abby Cannon - Betty Amanda Garmon - Hannah/Estelle Juan Pena-Garcia - Robert Audrey Haskins - Sally Andrew Davis - Stuart Blaire Berry - Althea Kaitlyn McKinley - Dorothy

Nadia Fryer - Stage Manager Dalton Green - Assistant Stage Manager/ Spotlight Steven Geiger - Lights Liz Formby - Sound Lia Graham - Costumer Connor Powell - Alternate Cate Rounds - Alternate London Edwards - Alternate Mason Smallwood - Alternate Alex Cope - Roadie Molly Kyles - Roadie Emma Daniel - Roadie Zane Johnston - Roadie Salem Carr - Roadie

32 COMMUNITY

TIGERTIMESONLINE.COM • FEB. 22, 2018

nursing school

GET ON THE FAST TRACK TO

High school students who take dual credit college classes and earn college credit through early college admission (taking night and summer courses) or college release courses (time off during the school day to attend college classes) can get a jump start on becoming a registered nurse.

If you plan ahead and take your prerequisites now, you may be able to enter nursing school straight out of high school!

Let Texarkana College help you build a personalized plan to get a head start on nursing school!

Schedule a one-on-one session at learn.texarkanacollege.edu/HSnursing or call (903) 823-3351 to get started.

learn.texarkanacollege.edu/HSnursing // (903) 823-3351 TC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs or activities. The following person is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Human Resources Director, 2500 N. Robison Rd., Texarkana, TX, 75599 or (903) 823-3017 human.resources@texarkanacollege.edu