tigertimes Dec. 9, 2016 ∙ Vol. 56, Issue 3 texas high school
We talk incessantly. When we’re furious, ecstatic, overwhelmed, we pour our emotions into our words. And we take for granted that we can make sense of the language floating around us. Yet there are those who try desperately to fight past a massive language barrier, unable to comprehend foreign sounds. For many, the battle proves too hard.
>> page 14 Texas High School • 4001 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, TX 75503 • tigertimesonline.com
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WHAT TO
FOR
AROUND the
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TOMORROW The ACT test will be held in the Math and Science Building at 8 a.m.
ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY
Junior recounts his first taste of theater magic.
MONDAY The THS Christmas concert and bake sale will be held in the PAC starting at 7 p.m.
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STANDING TALL Past filled with abuse, neglect doesn’t hold freshman back.
THURSDAY The Dusty Waldrep Scholarship Dodgeball Tournament will be held in the gym at 1:30.
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DEC. 15 & 16 Thursday and Friday will be half days due to semester exams. There are no exemptions for exams fall semester.
T-BOTS robotics club hopes for a positive change with a new instructor.
STAY CONNECTED
MECHANICAL MENTOR
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WHOSE BODY IS IT ANYWAY?
Students discuss opinions on the controversial topic of abortion in America.
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START FROM THE BOTTOM
Young phenom looks to pursue his passion on the field.
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Pearson’s path to success
Quarterback leaves at semester to join college training program by Jillian Cheney editor in chief A total of 221 completed passes. Over 3,000 yards of passes. A legendary high school football career. Cade Pearson will be leaving Texas High after Christmas to join the training program at the University of North Texas in Denton. “I have four weeks left on campus and I intend to make the best of them,” Pearson said, “but the transition won’t be hard. Not at all.” Following his completion of high school classes, Pearson will be joining the training program and taking on any coursework the university requires. The last Texas High athlete to go through a
similar process was quarterback Ryan Mallett, who left the last semester of his senior year to play for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Since then, he has played for the University of Arkansas, the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots, and the Baltimore Ravens. Pearson hopes to succeed in his football career and become competitive in the NFL. With his ultimate success in a high school career, having most recently led the team to an undefeated district season, this should be no trouble. “By starting as a true freshman it could launch me into the league potentially which is a dream I have had since I was little,” Pearson said. “I am ready and excited for what the future holds.” jilliancheney@tigertimesonline.com
BALLIN’ OUT Senior Cade Pearson has committed to play football for the University of North Texas in Denton. Pearson hopes to achieve his dream of playing in the National Football League.
photo by m. parish
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
photo by A. Valle
New T-BOTS director hopes to find success in competitions BY Thalia hawkins
staff writer
Seconds go by wishing the robot would work right, that it would drive to victory in the championship. Yet when hope of making the winning score in the first match gets extinguished, dread of continuous losses sets in. The journey might have been fun, but the results were disappointing. T-BOTS has been in operation since 2009 but with few victories in the First Robotics Competition. The unfortunate loss in last year’s competition made it apparent they needed a change. In an effort to improve the T-BOTS’ performance, Principal Brad Bailey approached Shannon Kirkland, the former Elementary Instructional Technology Specialist, in hopes of strengthening the district’s robotics program. In the past, the team struggled in aspects of organization and leadership, but the members of the team showed potential through their passion for robotics. “I feel like if you really love what you do it will never be a job,” Kirkland said. “I love teaching robotics; there is a sense of camaraderie and family that one can only find in groups of people who love what they do and do what they love.” Kirkland created focus groups to concentrate on skills in the areas of programming, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. These groups keep structure amongst the club as a whole, as well as making a leadership team comprised of officers and leaders from T-BOTS to implement plans. By forming independent teams, the T-BOTS prepare for the following
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week when they assemble to construct prototypes for possible missions. “I know she’s the type of person to take charge of things and hold herself to a certain standard with her work,” junior Karissa Smith said. “She works really hard to do what she does, so I knew that when she said we were going to do something, it was really going to happen.”
“Problem solving skills and critical thinking skills are the base foundation to any success in life, and that is why strengthening these skills is of the utmost importance to overcoming any obstacles that stand in our way of success.” -Shannon Kirkland, mentor As a result, Kirkland has already started to take charge and benefit the T-BOTS by equipping them for the season ahead. To show his full support, Bailey designated a room in the cafeteria to use as a robotics area. Considering that they had had an unofficial residence in the PAC in previous years, it is seen as an upgrade by most members. Kirkland has also worked with Bailey to focus on the branding aspect of T-BOTS by purchasing team uniforms with the TISD logo to ensure that the group is presentable during competitions. “We do not know who we are, that is our problem,” sophomore Lauren
HARD AT WORK: T-BOTS mentor Shannon Kirkland works with senior team members Austin Crane, Peter Azille and Conor Nichols to assemble a robot. Kirkland is new this year and has already made changes to the group in order to improve performance and morale.
Braswell said. “This one [girl] had on a flannel, this other one had holes in her jeans, and I had dye in my hair. The First Robotics Competition is really big on branding and with the new uniforms she’s getting us, we’ll be better organized.” Being new in the game of FRC hasn’t stopped her for working alongside with previous mentors. Kirkland hopes that if all mentors have the same purpose and goals in mind, T-BOTS will continue to prosper and grow in their skills and get better as a team. T-BOTS have had a wealth of mentors who have participated in the program, and every one has brought a certain gift to share with the team. “Ms. Kirkland has been doing this for a long time, not necessarily with us but
she has experience in the field,” senior Conor Nichols said. “When it comes to mentors, we only have three: Mr. Ahrens, Mrs. Suelzer, and Ms. Kirkland. And when it comes down to it, we’re looking pretty liberal this year.” While being in charge of the team, possible obstacles seem to be of no problem to her as she focuses on the optimistic for this year’s performance. “Life offers many obstacles no matter what season you are facing,” Kirkland said. “Problem solving skills and critical thinking skills are the base foundation to any success in life and that is why strengthening these skills is of the utmost importance to overcoming any obstacles that stand in our way of success.” thaliahawkins@tigertimesonline.com
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Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
IF THE SHOE FITS
Theater prepares for upcoming musical ‘Cinderella’ in January
BY CALEB SNOW staff writer The Tiger Theatre Company has begun working on the musical production, “Cinderella,” which involves 50 to 60 students. Planning and tryouts began in early October with casting and practices starting later that month. With the performances set for Jan. 2023, it will take a rigorous schedule for students to be ready on time. “We rehearse an average of 9-12 hours a week, for about 12 weeks by the time we do the show,” theater director Melissa Newton said. Because “Cinderella” is a classic, it may be hard to picture as a musical. However, it was chosen for its romantic qualities and wellknown story line. “It’s a timeless story of love and romance that has a huge audience appeal,” Newton said.“I just thought that it would be fun to do.” The musical aspect of the show is set to be more classical and traditional than last year’s musical, “Emma.” Students are held to high standards during auditions, and those who are chosen are vocally talented. “I like the fact that when we go to musical practice, most of the kids that are leads, and even the chorus, are pretty good,” said senior Chase Watkins, a four year veteran with the theater company. “Everybody in the show this year is exceptionally talented musically, so it’s fun to go in there [because] people are
confident singing and they’re not afraid to try.” Though it’s a musical, the show still holds true to the classic story line. Though most remember the fairytale ending, few recall the story’s antagonists. “There is a song in ‘Cinderella’ called ‘The Stepsister’s Lament’, which my other stepsister, Kayleigh Moreland and I [get] to sing and it’s been super fun,” sophomore Mikenzie Blase said. Moreland, a newcomer to the theater department, decided to try out on the day of auditions and didn’t expect a prominent role. “I was originally expecting just a part in the singing chorus; however, on my sheet I checked that I would accept any role given,” Moreland said. “I was so shocked that I was even called back and even more surprised that I got cast as one of the step sisters.” The process has made Moreland a little apprehensive about her first production. “I was nervous at first because I’ve never been in a musical before, but that’s all the more reason why I’m going through with it because it’s my last year.” With so much potential, the directors are working toward honing students’ vocal abilities. Choir director Joni Stephenson has been a large part the company’s vocal program. “We want to improve the overall musicality of the program,” Newton said. “Ms. Stephenson is working really hard with the students on their singing.” calebsnow@tigertimesonline.com
photo by k. moreland
STEP IT UP Junior Perin Creek and sophomore Todd Haidet practices a dance routine for the upcoming musical, “Cinderella,” which will take place on Jan. 20-23 in the Sullivan Performing Arts Center.
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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The music of the night
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Band ends marching season on high note BY JOHN MORGAN staff writer Swiftly, they move from set to set. They parade up and down the field almost as if they were one. They continuously captivate audiences and leave everyone, including themselves, speechless. This year, the Tiger Marching Band performed their “Phantom of the Opera” themed show in various competitions across Texas and Arkansas. After three months of practices, the band’s season came to an end as they begin to prepare for their Christmas concert on Monday. The band’s most recent marching success came at War Memorial Stadium, where they placed seventh in the Championship at the Rock competition in Little Rock. This might have been the most daunting endeavor of their season, but the bright lights had little effect on the band as they still managed to shine. “It’s been an amazing season,” senior Rio Reyes said. “It’s sad to think that it’s my last time to march, but I’ve still enjoyed the experience.” Marching competitions came early and often for the band as they were in action almost every weekend in the fall. Each time on the field brought excitement and
hope for another positive result. “I get anxious and a bit nervous before [we] perform,” sophomore Guillermo Pass-Robles said. “But after we finish, I can laugh off the joy that we experience.” For the senior members of the band, this season marks the end of their Tiger Marching Band career. The class has enjoyed much success over their four years on campus and have shared many laughs and tears along the way. “Being [in] band has taught me many lessons, especially this year with me being a senior,” Reyes said. “I’ve become more of a leader this year, and I’ve learned to manage things and show respect to others. Out of my four years on campus, this has been the best one.” On the opposite end, this was the first year for many freshmen to experience the spirit of marching band. New members were surprised by how quickly they were able to merge with others and become true members of the Tiger Band. “This season has not what I had expected it to be,” freshman Oscar Gaona said. “It was cool to see different bands from other schools perform and even better to hear them praise our show.” Those who have watched the Tiger
photo by a. kift
IT’S THEIR FORTE Junior Connor Howell plays the vibraphone during a band competition. The Tiger Marching Band has an upcoming Christmas concert that will take place on Monday.
Band perform this year have all been impressed with their precise and stunning drill. Even former alumni have commented on how the band has developed over time. “It’s bittersweet to watch,” alumnus Sean Taylor said. “But it’s cool to see the progress the band has made. I have a lot of friends who I love coming back to
watch perform. I hope to see them every year that I can.” Focus for the band now shifts to their upcoming concert which will feature three different divisions playing variations of many classic carols. A bake sale will accompany the concert in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center. johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com
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Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Bailey named top finalist for state principal award BY CELESTE ANDERSON news editor
Heavy backpacks can result in harmful long term effects BY LOIS LEFORS staff writer She trudged through her front door and threw her backpack aside with tears streaming down her face. Her head was pounding, her legs ached and every nerve in her body pulsated with incapacitating throbs. Unable to unveil the source of her recurring pain, she stumbled to her room and collapsed on her bed. Little did she know that the root of her trauma would soon be equated with a biological abnormality: a 30 degree curve in her spine. About 5 years ago, senior Emily Nixon discovered she suffers from scoliosis, an irregular vertical curvature of the spine. “I found out [I had scoliosis] at the end of my seventh grade year,” Nixon said. “It really explained a lot of pains I was having in my legs and why I would get really bad headaches and pinched nerves every day. I would come home from swim in tears because it was just so much on my body.” Because of her scoliosis, Nixon is incapable of carrying heavy objects, which is problematic due to the heavy backpacks high schoolers are required to carry around. “I can’t lift heavy stuff,” Nixon said. “My backpack is the worst. It puts a lot of pressure on my back. Most of the time if I have an extra book I have to take with me, I will just carry it. I have to be super careful sometimes with what I do.” Backpacks have been known to be as heavy as 40 percent of a student’s total body weight. Jam-packed with textbooks, notebooks, binders and supplies, walking across campus with a backpack with such substantial weight can be a strenuous task. What
submitted photo
BENT BUT NOT BROKEN Senior Emily Nixon shares the X-ray of her back taken when she discovered she had scoliosis, a rare spinal curve.
most students don’t think about, however, is the physical toll it can take on their bodies, especially if they aren’t carrying their backpacks correctly. “If you wear your backpack on one shoulder then the muscles on the other side get weak,” said orthotics and prosthetics specialist David LeFors. “The muscles on the side that are holding it are firing eccentrically to keep you balanced, and so you can get functional scoliosis in the muscles. That compressive force as you’re growing hinders the side of the vertebrae that wants to grow, the other side does grow and then you actually can get a bone-structure scoliosis.” Although experts are still unsure of what exactly causes scoliosis, a lot of times it’s manifestation in
teens is directly linked with growth spurts. According to the Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), adolescent growth spurts for girls reaches it’s end at around 18-19 years of age and can range from 20-22 years of age for boys. “On each of your vertebrae, you have growth plates on both sides,” LeFors said. “When people have a big growth spurt, that’s usually when scoliosis will show up. Girls in particular usually have a really big growth spurt right when they turn 12 or 13 and that’s why the likelihood of contracting scoliosis is 9 to 1 girls over boys. With the backpacks, there’s a heavy weight on one side of your body so there’s an imbalance there that can create a situation where only one side of your spine grows a certain way.” Back braces are the only means of counteracting scoliosis; however, they are only effective while an individual is still growing. “Usually what they’ll do is try to maintain [the scoliosis] with a brace so it doesn’t progress,” LeFors said. “After 20 degrees, your spine becomes exponentially more unstable. There’s a certain point where if the curves in your scoliosis get too large, then it’s more likely to progress and keep getting worse. Scoliosis above 40 to 50 degrees can start interfering with your lung and cardiovascular system.” As the scoliosis progresses over time, it can often yield lethal results. “[My scoliosis] is starting to push in on my stomach and affect my organs. It really affects my legs and balance,” Nixon said. “But I recently got that checked out. Hopefully, it won’t affect me too much as I get older.” loislefors@tigertimesonline.com
file photo
Put your back into it
photo by e. meinzer
After putting in long hours and interacting with students, teachers and parents to ensure the best education for the students at Texas High, Principal Brad Bailey’s was recently named a top three finalist for High School Principal of the Year in Texas. “[When I was nominated] I was very surprised,” Bailey said. “There are so many excellent administrators in the state of Texas and I am very honored to be considered among such an amazing group.” This distinction comes after Bailey was named Region 8 Principal of the Year. The Texas Association of Secondary School BRAD BAILEY Principals will announce the state winner at the summer conference in April. While he remains humble about the experience, Bailey has put in copious amounts of effort and this award was simply a process in the making. “I have received a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Master of Education in educational administration from Texas A&M Texarkana with superintendent and principal certifications. I also hold certifications in composite social studies, health and physical education,” Bailey said. While some contenders for the award have far exceeded the three year minimum requirement, Bailey has 25 years of experience. “I started my career in Gillett, Arkansas, teaching earth/life science, US/Arkansas history, world geography [and] coaching football, baseball and basketball. I have taught world geography, integrated physics and chemistry and adaptive physical education in Texas,” Bailey said. His teaching experience isn’t just limited to Texas High or high schools in general. “I have been at several schools in East Texas including Pleasant Grove, Whitehouse, Winnsboro, and Paul Pewitt where I served as a teacher, coach and administrator. I have worked on all three campuses– elementary, middle and high school.” Bailey will be interviewed on Saturday at 9 a.m. to determine who will be the Principal of the Year for the state of Texas. If he is selected, he will advance to compete to be the National Principal of the Year. “I am very honored and humbled by this experience,” Bailey said. “We have an incredible campus and district. This recognition is a representation of the amazing students, teachers, staff and parents at Texas High. This would not be possible without our Tiger Strong family.” celesteanderson@tigertimesonline.com
Dec. 9, 2015 • tigertimesonline.com
community
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Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Incorrect assumptions about immigration cause unfair bias
CROSSING into
CRITICISM YOUR TURN
illustr
ation
by a
. o’g
orma
n
to sound off
Will immigrants face difficulties now that Donald Trump has been elected? “If you’re here illegally, then you’ll face some issues, but if you came here correctly and you have the correct visas and everything then nothing will happen to you.”
Hunter Burt, 12
“I don’t think anything is going to happen immediately. And the immigrants he did say he was going to affect are the criminals. So I personally don’t think anything is going to happen at all, and if it does, it’ll be very far off.”
Peter Azille, 12
“Depends. If the legal ones are classified as legal, things will more than likely stay the same in my opinion. Immigration is how our country was created. It’s what we’ve depended on.”
Alec Rommel, 10
A group of 10 stands at the river bank. Across the water, they can see the last barrier to freedom: a fence, not quite tall enough to really keep anyone out. On the other side of the fence, coyotes wait to drive them away. The payment, though exorbitant, is worth it. These people, these immigrants, are willing to pay any price for the opportunities available in the United States. Though illegal immigration, as described in the scenario above, is common, it is not nearly as common as people believe. News media and politicians have made it their mission to convince us immigrants are flooding the country and ruining it by taking American jobs and defiling American values. Those gullible enough will believe any moment is an opportunity for Hispanic individuals to rape, steal or destroy. The reality is fortunately a lot different. According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 130,000 Mexican citizens immigrated to the United States in 2014. This includes both legal and illegal immigrants. Although these individuals can and do move to different parts of the country, a majority end up in Texas because it is the closest state to their country. In South Texas especially, Mexican Americans make up large percentages of the population. In present times and throughout history, this has created conflict between immigrants and white Texans. The 2016 election campaign period was notable for inspiring fear of increasing the divide between Mexico and the United States– and though it seems less and less likely that president-elect Trump will follow through on his promises to build a wall, the sentiment is certainly still there. Following the release of election results, Latino
high school students were told they would be missed once Trump deported them. Latino college students came to dorms with divides built by roommates with clothes and textbooks. Attached to the “wall” was a note: “Now that Trump is president, get used to this.” These students weren’t immigrants, let alone illegal ones. It would be illegal and impossible that these students be deported because they’re United States citizens. People assume that strict immigration regulations mean that all Mexican Americans will suddenly disappear from America. This is hardly true. The largest group of immigrants to the United States doesn’t even come from Mexico: it comes from India. Of course, most people in the community aren’t aware of this and/or don’t care because we don’t have a large population of Asian Americans. And that is okay. It’s easier and more practical to focus on the situation closest to you, not focus on a situation a statistic says that you should. However, when addressing the issue of immigration, be sure to know the distinction between different situations. There are many. Not all immigrants are illegal. Not all immigrants are from Mexico. Not all immigrants–illegal or otherwise–are terrorists, drug dealers or rapists. If a person is non-white, it doesn’t mean they crossed the border themselves. Changing the way we view immigration and immigrants in general makes great progress in the name of equality. No matter what you believe about immigration rights, be educated. In the midst of political confusion and strife, education is the key component we need most to really make an impact.
tiger times 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 Anna Cannon Jillian Cheney Raga Justin Alex O’Gorman news editors Celeste Anderson Eleanor Schroeder viewpoint editors Maddie Gerrald Grace Hickey feature editors Colton Johnson Langley Leverett profile editor Cailey Roberson indepth editor Lauren Potter online indepth editor Ricky Cooks sports editors Tye Shelton Laurel Wakefield Jay Williamson entertainment editors Katie Biggar Matt Francis advertising editor Robin Cooper business manager Ashlyn Sander copy editors Grace Hickey Ali Richter design editor Lauren Potter photo editor Emily Meinzer video editor Madeline Parish staff writers Paisley Allen, Connor Brooks, Madison Brown, Craig Crawford, Katie Dusek, Lindsey Egger, Thalia Hawkins, Lois LeFors, Misty Lopez, Omar Matos, Emily McMaster, John Morgan, Jhovany Perez, Matt Prieskorn, Joseph Rodgers, Caleb Snow, Victoria Van photographers Morgan Bonner, Dawson Kelley, Alyssa Kift, Lauren Maynard, Emily Meinzer, Kayleigh Moreland,Madeline Parish, Auryeal Parker, Ashlyn Sander, Rachel Sizemore, Piper Spaulding, Angela Valle videographers Katie Biggar, Ricky Cooks, Kara Jefferies, Raga Justin, Taimoor Malik, Lauren Maynard, Madeline Parish, Isabelle Robertson, Ashlyn Sander advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Brad Bailey members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA
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ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
To fulfill high school dream, junior joins theater company BY ColTON JOHNSON
feature editor
Thursday night 1:23 AM My mind is currently fighting a hopeless battle against heavy eyes and incoherent thoughts in a final attempt to write this God-forsaken story. My bedroom floor is a maze meant only for those willing to tip toe with care through so as not to crinkle the papers that I probably need to turn in next week. I have tried eight times to write an introduction for my independent research paper in which I had no success and instead familiarized myself with the backspace key. My AP Calculus spiral is open because I was checking to see if I had worked the problems on the quiz correctly (I hadn’t), and my AP U.S. History book has been turned to the first page of the reading, untouched for the last hour. Yes, time management is an issue of mine. Yes, I am struggling, and I am tired. No, I cannot tell you whether I am okay or not at this point, so yes, when I decided I was going to audition for “Cinderella,” I can understand why people questioned. “You don’t have time for that.” “You’re just going to stress yourself out more.” “You’re just going to end up complaining all the time.” I did not argue these statements when they were made, and I’m not going to argue them now because I am stressed out. However, ever since freshmen year, I had always at least in the back of my mind thought about trying out for a play, but I had time. I could wait.
I had all of high school to audition for a play. Sophomore year my friends asked me to audition for “Dracula,” but I turned it down. I didn’t have the time, are you kidding? I had World History notes to be taking and newspaper stories to write. I would do it when I had more time. Later that year, “Emma” posters were plastered on all the doors. This time I would do it. My friends had convinced me it was a good idea. I picked up a form– even filled it out– but after talking to my mom about it, she was able to convince me that I didn’t have the time for it. I really didn’t, so I could just wait for the next play. I would have more time then. Then came the dreaded junior year, and aside from the stress and the deteriorating mental health, something felt different. The seniors this year were not unapproachable. They were not daunting. They didn’t make me feel inferior. This year they were my friends, and not just the friends I can laugh with, but the ones I can sit in silence with. But this year they were graduating, and this year, graduation meant change. I had fooled myself into believing that high school would be just short of forever. I told myself I would have time at some point, and I was wrong because the older you get, the less time you have. This time when they announced the audition date, I filled out the application form. I printed a headshot. I learned a monologue, and I learned a song. When I walked onto the stage to audition, I felt small. I was not a theater kid. This wasn’t my comfort zone at all. I stuttered on my monologue, and I couldn’t hear the music for my song. However, when I walked out, I walked out knowing I had at least tried. It wasn’t until the next morning when I had messages congratulating me on my call back did I realize how badly I had wanted to be part of this.
photo by a. valle
WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE: Junior Colton Johnson memorizes lines for the upcoming play, “Cinderella.” Practice for the play began the last week of October. “Cinderella” will premier Jan. 20.
When I looked at the cast list and I saw my name, it justified it. I’m not sure what it was, but something inside of me was content. I had done it. After two years of putting it off, my name was on the list along with the people I loved. Yes, rehearsals take up time. Yes, when I get a text saying vocals are from 4-6 p.m. and dance is from 6-7 p.m. I hysterically laugh because I know I am going to be up until 3 a.m. doing homework, but it is the first time I have looked forward to practicing something. So yes, I am stressed, but guess what, I don’t know if I will ever get this opportunity again. You don’t get to redo high school, or any part of your life for that matter. Stop putting things off. Audition for a play. Try out for a sport. Apply to publications. Get involved in a club. Go have fun with your friends because pretty soon you will be graduating, and who knows what opportunities you will or won’t have after high school. coltonjohnson@tigertimesonline.com
We should just skip high school completely High school poses a lot of problems. It’s the weird time in the middle of “grown up” and “still a kid.” It’s a constant struggle between all the things to do and the number of hours in a day. The entire high school experience revolves around building a college application, and rightly so; how can high school be “the best time of your life” if you don’t involve yourself in eight clubs, four AP classes, two varsity sports and forcibly organized goodwill known as ‘community service hours’? Most of the college students I know aren’t nearly as involved as we have been taught is necessary for a fulfilling school experience. In college, you’re considered a grownup, not in that weird stage of, “Can I be an adult yet?” You get to choose
your classes and not be forced to take a bunch of random courses you’ll never need in life. You get to control BY ANNA CANNON your curfew, editor in chief your nutrition and whether or not you carpet your dorm with dirty clothes and chip bags. So, I propose a compromise: since many high school students are already so prepared for college, why don’t we just skip high school altogether and move on to the universities of our dreams? Allow me to explain. Kids in the top percentiles of their classes are taking
multiple college level classes just to keep up their ranks. So why not just send them off now? Because of so many club activities, we’re used to time management and working with diverse groups of people, especially if we’ve been elected to leadership positions (because isn’t being treasurer of a club with no money such a valuable experience?). All of these college level classes must have prepared us for Comp. 1 and college algebra (that is, if you haven’t taken it yet). We already choose a career cluster when we fill out our freshman schedules at the end of the eighth grade; clearly, we already know what we’re going to do for the rest of our lives. So why not start now? For years, encouraging involvement in high school extracurriculars has posed an
ethical dilemma for academic advisers, mentors, teachers and the like. If they don’t encourage students to be involved, these students run the risk of an empty college application and an unfulfilling high school career. Wouldn’t our society be better if we started adding productive members earlier? If we just skip high school altogether, we’d circumvent all of these problems. We could become independent adults earlier and live our lives to the fullest, starting at age 18 instead of 22. Society would benefit from a generation of students who grew up faster than everyone else. Because isn’t that what high school is all about? annacannon@tigertimesonline.com
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Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com photo by m. parish
whose BODY is it
ANYWAY?
no uterus
NO OPINION
Women’s rights to controlling their bodies have improved tremendously since the 1920s. From Margaret Sanger founding the American Birth Control League, which eventually evolved into Planned Parenthood, to the Roe v. Wade case, where the Supreme Court established a woman’s right to safe and legal abortions, female reproductive rights have made large steps in the name of progress. No woman should be forced to have a child. It’s her body, and if we make abortion illegal, we will be denying them of their right to a happy and free life. Abortion should be accepted by everyone when they consider the well-being of the woman. These instances include if the woman was raped, has physical and mental health issues and financial issues. If it was illegal then these women would be forced to have a baby they couldn’t pay for or
that would cause them to harm themselves physically and mentally. If a woman’s body couldn’t support a baby and the only way she could survive was to terminate the abortion, then it would still be considered illegal. LINDSEY EGGER “In the ninth month you can staff writer take the baby and rip the baby right out of the womb, just prior to the birth of the baby,” Trump said. This is our president-elect who ignores the fact that most abortions take place during the first trimester. Before people go around saying abortion is an absolutely awful thing that shouldn’t be allowed, they need to be educated on the process. Our society needs to stop judging things like abortion and start teaching us. Most unsafe abortions occur where abortion is illegal. If we end up making abortion illegal then women will just go back to the unsanitary and painful way of getting them in alleys and with non-professionals performing the
UNBORN rights are HUMAN rights The year is 1971, and Norma McCorvey, otherwise known as “Jane Roe” files a lawsuit against the state of Texas for its “unconstitutional abortion laws,” which simply indited abortion as illegal, except if the mother’s life was in danger. Fast forward two years, and the supreme court case, Roe v. Wade, is in full swing. It is 1973, and the court rules in favor of Roe. Consequently, abortion becomes legal nationwide, making it possible for any woman to end her pregnancy, regardless of the baby’s state. However, what most of the public doesn’t know about Roe v. Wade, is the underlying aftermath of the story. No, the history textbooks don’t mention that McCorvey, indeed never got an abortion. Instead, she had three daughters. On the contrary, McCorvey has dedicated the rest of her life to undoing the nation’s ruling in permitting abortion. She had the overwhelming epiphany that her actions were wrongly justified, and currently is a pro-life activist. Moreover, most individuals would sympathize with a woman who wanted
to get an abortion because she wasn’t prepared, mentally or financially. LANGLEY LEVEReTT Some would argue that feature editor women who are against abortion must be blatantly against women’s rights and support a misogynist point of view. Planned Parenthood even goes as far to say “the ability to make this personal health care decision has also enabled women to pursue educational and employment opportunities.” I wholeheartedly refuse this inclination. We live in the United States of America, where women can vote. Women can actively seek an education and even have the ability to go to college and compete with every other qualified person, without being persecuted. All of these possibilities could have, and can be achieved without the ability
surgery. Men will not being the ones getting the infection and going through this pain. It’s better to have the option of doing it legally when a woman really knows deep down they can’t have a baby and they can’t put themselves through those nine months. It’s better to have the option of abortion when a girl gets raped and is pregnant with that rapist’s baby. Every single day of those nine months she would be reminded of the day she got raped. Imagine all the dirty looks she would get for being pregnant at such a young age. Even in cases where there is an unplanned pregnancy, it is not because the girl is irresponsible and she should not be blamed or forced to proceed with the pregnancy. What should be a beautiful experience for an expectant mother does not need to be forced upon women as a punishment. Being coerced into an unwanted pregnancy eventually affects the child as well, leading them to feel unwanted and see themselves as a burden. Society has made significant leaps in the past 100 years in women’s rights, and the right to our bodies is just another one we are fighting for. lindseyegger@tigertimesonline.com
to get an abortion. This is not an issue of privacy, or a even woman’s right to control her “reproductive life;” it’s simply a matter of morals. The basic principle of equality says justice for all individuals, including the unborn. I would think that by gaining equality, with notions such as the 19th Amendment (suffrage for women), and the 14th Amendment (guarantee to privacy), one would continue to pursue freedom, so that it encompasses everyone. I didn’t think that gaining independence gave someone else the right of taking it away. If you want to be strong, and be known as such, then take up for your actions. Furthermore, adoption is always an option. Yes, we live in a world where rape happens, and a woman can get pregnant as a horrifying result. But getting an abortion doesn’t always solve that problem, nor does it take away the emotional trauma or the painful memories. That only punishes the baby for a crime he or she didn’t commit, which isn’t justified at all. I’ll be brutally honest, this topic becomes confusingly grey and blindingly heartbreaking in this area of discussion, and I simply can’t explain every ugly human travesty that occurs within our world. I’d be foolish to even hint that I knew every possible solution. But I do know that every child deserves a chance to live, to reverse the wrongful acts, to be
an active testimony against the atrocities of mankind. Lastly, the opinion that only women should be the ones to decide whether abortion is legal or not because it is their bodies, or that men aren’t competent enough to recognize the impact of pregnancy, is simply asinine. The public of the United States has never voted on any decree concerning abortion, it has only been through cases such as Roe v. Wade that these decisions have been made, and even then it was decided by the Supreme Court justices, which at that time were all male. Additionally, limiting voting takes away all meaning of democracy, which men and women have willingly sacrificed and given everything, including their lives for that title. Not only is this notion unpatriotic, it’s also sexist. Don’t belittle that courageous fight for the sake of being pious. A baby has a detected heartbeat at three weeks of development, and can feel pain by the eighth week of the first trimester. By the second, the gender is determined and the baby begins to move and respond to the mother’s voice, and by the third, it is almost to the point of viability. If you took all the facts and statistics and left out the age factor, everyone would undoubtedly unanimously agree that it is infanticide. langleyleverett@tigertimesonline.com
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY Tips and advice to be penny-wise Saving money is tough to think about or focus on at times. However, the benefits of being cautious come at little cost and can actually turn into neat habits to follow. Just because you’re not wasting money doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun. Here are some helpful tips on ways to easily and efficiently save your cash.
Daily Life
Spending Habits
Earning Money
Times with friends are some of the best memories from high school, but having a good time doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank.
Keeping up with the latest trends can be an expensive endeavor. Before you head to the mall, follow these tips to keep your bank account happy.
Jobs are really important, but sometimes, they’re just not possible to keep. If you don’t have a steady income, there are still ways to earn money.
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Make sure you know exactly how much money you have before you go to a store. You might think you have more on your debit card than you actually do, and blindly spending can take a real toll on your finances. Plus, it’s pretty awkward when your card gets declined at the register.
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Raid your closet for the old clothes you don’t wear anymore and take them to a local secondhand shop. Places like Plato’s Closet and Sassy Seconds are a great way to earn some lastminute cash.
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Keep the impulse buys to a minimum. Instead of going out and spending your whole paycheck right after you get it, save it and set a specific amount for new luxury items.
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Hold an online garage sale. Sell some things you no longer need on eBay or advertise clothes on the app Poshmart, which allows users to view items from sellers’ ‘closets’ of clothes for sale.
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Think before you buy. Imagine someone you don’t know giving you the cash value of the object or the object to you, then decide what you’d choose. That new makeup palette or those fancy new shoes might not look so appealing when you imagine how much you could buy with that money instead.
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Use your talents. If you’re artistic, check out Redbubble for opportunities to sell your designs. If you can write, local papers and magazines often hire freelance writers for an article or two. If you’re a tech whiz, you can help people set up their computers or help with projects for a fee.
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Don’t be afraid to check out secondhand stores. You can get some pretty cool stuff for more than half off retail, and no one will know unless you tell them.
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Restaurants are nice, but even those on the cheap end can still cost a pretty penny. Most restaurant servings could feed a small village, so when you and your friends go out to eat, split a meal and halve the cost. And stick with water–paying $2 for a soft drink is a little absurd when water is free. Try doing more at home–instead of going out and spending cash with friends, why not host a movie or game night at home? A homecooked meal and a Just Dance competition can be a great alternative to dinner and a movie, especially since you’ll get videos of your friends trying to do some pretty funny dance moves. Be honest with yourself. If you can’t afford to go out with your friends, it won’t be such a good time if you’re worried about how you’ll pay. It’s okay to back out and let them know that you’re not able to participate; maybe next time, they can do something that doesn’t require cash.
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Compiled by John Morgan, Langley Leverett and Colton Johnson
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of Difference A DEGREE
community
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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in-depth
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LOST in Language barrier divides, TRANSLATION ultimately can be surmounted BY RAGA JUSTIN
Eliud Cruz
sophomore
“I am from Tamaulipas, and there were many tourist spots. I often went to the beach, and I liked it a lot. I lived there for 15 years and had many beautiful memories that I miss.”
Catalina Resendez
senior
“I lived in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and I remember many beautiful moments. My dad took me to a river called La Cresa a few days before he passed away, and the place is still there. Where I lived there were lagoons, rivers and waterfalls. Mexico is always going to be gorgeous for me.”
Eduardo Sanchez
sophomore
“I lived on a ranch that is called Calderón close to Guanajuato. The ranch is big with a lot of good people, very quiet and with many celebrations. In Mexico there are many memories that will never be forgotten.”
Alondra Torres
sophomore
“I lived in Mexico City, Mexico. There were days when my family and I would walk the streets of downtown. We also lived the life of the ranch, and rode horses. I will never forget when my grandfather bought a ranch called Mexico Querétaro. My grandfather passed away, and I could not say goodbye to him because I was in the United States. I will never forget.”
MADE IN MEXICO
Students describe their home country Photo by e. meinzer
editor in chief It never used to be like this. Where did it go? His wit, his readiness with words? Back then- no, back there- he was a storyteller. A practiced manipulator of sentences. A sorcerer whose prose silkily wound its way into hearts and lingered. Language was an old pal, something that doggedly stayed by his side, loyal and unwavering to the bitter end. And now? Now it’s the staunchest of enemies, he thinks, staring down uncomprehendingly at the blank paper in front of him. Back then, back there, his mind would have been spouting ideas, words appearing on the page as fast as his pen could scrawl them. He would have been called to the front and praised, the teacher holding his paper up and lauding it for its superior organization, its remarkable clarity. Back then, back there, he wouldn’t have struggled with the most basic of sentences. He wouldn’t have asked, in painfully halting English, how to say words he learned in kindergarten- embarrassing, really, what’s he’s been reduced to. He wouldn’t feel so isolated, so alone in a world populated with gibbering aliens and their volleys of harsh sound. Back then, back there, he wouldn’t be lost in translation. In a country recently turned on its head by the election of Donald Trump, uncertainty is rife. The topic of immigration, a contentious issue even back in 2008, claimed a frontand-center spot this year, most notably with Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall to keep Hispanics from crossing the Mexico-U.S. border. In addition, he’s promised to expand deportation efforts, hoping to exceed the
48%
of K-12 students are Hispanic
record rates reached under President Obama’s administration–2.5 million since 2009. For any immigrant, legal or otherwise, tensions are high. Here at Texas High, Hispanic students are an integral part of our student body. We have 235 Hispanic students, 12.9 percent out of the entire student population. Forty-five of those are in a class called English as a Second Language (ESL), which serves as an aid in the transition from any foreign language to English. “We kind of run it like a normal English class,” ESL teacher Tessa Ray said. “But it’s really broken down and paced a lot slower. Most people in the United States think this is like Spanish I or II, but that’s not the case. You can take three years of Spanish and never speak it. Within a few weeks here they know survival English; within a few months, they can say things that would take someone in a Spanish class years to learn.” While Hispanic does not necessarily equate to immigrant, many students in ESL are foreign-born, coming to the United States at young ages for a multitude of reasons. “They have a bad concept of Mexicans here, when we are not so bad,” sophomore Alondra Torres said. “Some come to study, others come to work and leave their family far away. It’s a sacrifice they make for a better life.” But while the American dream is something many hold on to tenaciously, research suggests otherwise. Dropout rates for Hispanic students are high enough to sound alarms in education agencies nationwide. And a large portion of the blame, research suggests, can be placed squarely at the feet of a language barrier impenetrable enough to account for the loss of one out of every three Hispanic American students- a staggering statistic, considering that in Texas
Speaks a language other than only English at home
76%
alone there are 2.5 million enrolled in K-12, according to the Pew Research Center for Hispanic Trends. The language barrier poses a multitude of problems, but none as isolating as the complete lack of communication it affords. “When I first got here...I didn’t want to talk to anyone and I wanted to be alone because no one talked in Spanish,” said sophomore Eluid Cruz, who moved to the U.S. only four months ago. “In class I would only pay attention to the teachers and I would ignore everyone else. At lunch I would sit by myself because I didn’t have anyone to talk to, and it was very frustrating.” Eluid’s grandmother, Juanita Puente, watched her grandson flounder and yet was helpless, bound by her own inability to understand English. “I always tell him to give it his all because we don’t know English and he always tell me not to worry, that when he learns English he will teach it to me,” Puente said. “The only thing I do is give him encouragement and tell him to ask questions if he needs help. But it is difficult seeing him struggle. I just cheer for him.” Among Hispanic immigrant households, only 4 percent use English as the primary at-home language, compared with 39 percent for U.S.-born Hispanics, according to the American Council on Education. Consequently, most recent immigrants enter American high schools with little to no prior knowledge of English. “I did not know how to speak English until I moved to Texarkana a year ago,” senior Catalina Resendez said. “I lived with my mom and my brother... so we started learning English at the same time. We were trying to communicate in English to develop the language. A lot of
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people were trying to help me, but there were a lot of people who made fun of me too.” Before and after moving, sophomore Eduardo Sanchez was warned by friends and family about the transition to America. “People would tell me that my first days at school were going to be the worst days of my life because I did not know English,” Sanchez said. “They told me that the teachers and the other students would mock me.” Besides one ESL class and one Spanish class, ESL students are in all English-taught classes, without the aid of any translation devices or bilingual teachers. If they don’t understand the course material, they must ask the teacher or get help elsewhere, which can be frustrating. Compounding the problem, their Englishfluent classmates often misunderstand them because of thicker accents. “I have seen that when a few Hispanics come from Mexico, the Americans want to speak to them in English and because they do not understand, then Hispanics feel a little bad because they can not speak English well,” Resendez said. “Sometimes when they are reading English in class, they’ll make fun of them because they can not pronounce the words well. That gives me a lot of anger, but I have seen that there is a division between English speakers and Spanish speakers.” But Resendez is focused on her future, inspired by her experience in the classroom. “I want to go to college and then be a teacher because when I was going through a bad time, I wanted to open up to someone and tell them what I was living through. I wanted to open up and talk to my teacher at the time. And I would like to be an English teacher or Spanish teacher to help students overcome those divisions in languages.” ragajustin@tigertimesonline.com
Hispanics as percent of state population: Median age of those born in the U.S.
39% Statistics from the Pew Research Center for Hispanic Trends
tigertimes Dec. 9, 2016 ∙ Vol. 56, Issue 3 texas high school special section
Hablamos sin cesar. Cuando estamos furiosos, estáticos y abrumados, exponemos nuestras emociones en palabras. Y tomamos come un regalo el poder dar sentido al idioma que nos rodea. Aún asi, hay algunos que tratan desesperadamente y luchan por pasar esa gigantesca barrera del idioma, sin poder entender los sonidos extraños. Para muchos esta barrera es muy dura.
>> página 14 Texas High School • 4001 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, TX 75503 • tigertimesonline.com
special section
Dec. 9, 2016
PERDIDO en la
TRADUCCIÓN
BY RAGA JUSTIN
Eliud Cruz
10
“Yo soy de Tamaulipas, y había muchos lugares turísticos. Muchas veces iba a la playa, y me gustaba demasiado. Allí viví 15 años y tuve muchos recuerdos hermosos que extraño.”
Catalina Resendez
12
“Yo vivía en San Luis Potosí, México, y en mi memoria tengo muchos recuerdos lindos. Mi papá me llevaba a un río que se llamaba La Media Luna y era antes de unos días que se fallecería y el lugar todavía está allí. Donde vivía había lagunas, ríos, y cascadas. México siempre va ser bonito para mí.”
Eduardo Sanchez
10
“Yo vivía en un rancho que se llama Calderón cercas de Guanajuato de y pues allí el rancho es grande con mucha buena gente, bien tranquilo, y había muchas celebraciones. Por ejemplo, la tradición de celebrar Los Santos era muy popular. Allí en México hay muchos recuerdos que nunca se van a olvidar. Lo que te pase allí se queda.”
Alondra Torres
10
“Yo vivía en La Ciudad de México, México. Había días cuando salía a caminar con mi familia y caminábamos las calles del centro. También vivíamos la vida del rancho, y montábamos caballos. Nunca se me va olvidar cuando mi abuelo compró un rancho que se llamaba México Querétaro. Como se fallecio mi abuelo y no me pude despedir de él porque estaba en Los Estados Unidos, yo pienso que nunca se me va olvidar.”
HECHO EN MÉXICO
Los estudiantes describen su condado de origen Photo by e. meinzer
editor in chief Nunca fue asi. Donde se fue? Su ingenio, su prontitud con las palabras? En aquel entonces no, allá atrás, él era un narrador. Un manipulador practicado de frases. El hechicero cuya prosa se abrió paso entre los corazones y se quedó. El lenguaje era un viejo amigo, algo que permanecía obstinadamente a su lado, leal y inquebrantable hasta el final amargo. ¿Y ahora? Ahora es el más acérrimo de los enemigos, piensa él, mirando fijamente sin comprender el papel en blanco enfrente de él. En aquel entonces, allí atrás, su mente había estado chorreando ideas, las palabras apareciendo en la página tan rápido como su pluma podría garabatear las. Habría sido llamado al frente y elogiado, el maestro sosteniendo su papel y elogiando por su organización superior, su notable claridad. En aquel entonces, allá atrás, no habría luchado con las oraciones más básicas. No habría preguntado, en inglés dolorosamente detenido, cómo decir las palabras que aprendió en el jardín de infantes, vergonzoso, en realidad, a lo que se ha reducido. No se sentiría tan aislado, tan solo en un mundo poblado de extraños alienígenas y sus voleas de sonido áspero. En aquel entonces, allá atrás, no se perdería en la traducción. En un país recientemente dio vuelta a su cabeza por la elección de Donald Trump, la incertidumbre es abundante. El tema de la inmigración, una cuestión contenciosa incluso en 2008, reclamó un lugar central este año, sobre todo con la promesa de la campaña de Trump de construir un muro para evitar que los hispanos crucen la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos. Frontera. Además, prometió expandir los esfuerzos de deportación, con la esperanza de superar las tasas récord alcanzadas por la administración del presidente Obama-2,5 millones desde 2009. De acuerdo con la política de Obama, el 91 por ciento de ellos fueron
48%
previamente condenados por un crimen, según NPR. Para cualquier inmigrante, legal o no, las tensiones son altas. Aquí en Texas High, los estudiantes hispanos son una parte integral de nuestro cuerpo estudiantil. Tenemos blank blank estudiantes hispanos, blank porcentaje de toda la población estudiantil. 45 de ellos están en una clase llamada Inglés como Segundo Idioma (ESL), que sirve como una ayuda en la transición de cualquier idioma extranjero al inglés. “Lo hacemos como una clase normal de inglés”, dijo la maestra de ESL, Tessa Ray. “Pero está realmente descompuesto y ritmo mucho más lento. La mayoría de la gente en los Estados Unidos piensa que es como el español I o II, pero ése no es el caso. Usted puede tomar tres años de español y nunca hablarlo. En esta clase estás adquiriendo inglés. Dentro de unas semanas aquí saben inglés de la supervivencia; Dentro de unos meses, pueden decir cosas que tomarían a alguien en una clase de español años para aprender.” Mientras que el hispano no necesariamente equivale a un inmigrante, muchos estudiantes en ESL son nacidos en el extranjero, llegando a los Estados Unidos a edades tempranas por una multitud de razones, más común, la oportunidad de una vida mejor. “Tienen mal concepto de los Mexicanos aquí, cuando no somos tan mal. Algunos vienen a estudiar, otros vienen a trabajar y dejan sus familia lejos. Es un sacrificio que hacen para una vida mejor,” Alondra Torres dijo. “Mi papá siempre me dice que le eche ganas y que recuerde que es un sacrificio que están haciendo para mi. Extraño a mi familia y mi vida allá en México, pero se que estoy mejor aquí. Tengo un meta ahorita, y la quiero cumplir. Quiero Graduarme de Texas High school y ir al colegio.” Pero mientras que el sueño americano es algo que muchos se aferran tenazmente, la investigación dice lo contrario. Las tasas de deserción escolar para los estudiantes hispanos son suficientemente altas como para
De estudiantes K-12 son Hispanos
Habla un idioma que no sea el Ingles en casa
76%
tigertimesonline.com
Barrera de idioma se divide, en última instancia puede ser superado
sonar las alarmas de las agencias educativas de todo el país. Y una gran parte de la culpa, sugiere la investigación, se puede colocar directamente a los pies de una barrera del lenguaje impenetrable suficiente para dar cuenta de la pérdida de uno de cada tres estudiantes hispanoamericanos, una cifra asombrosa, teniendo en cuenta que sólo en Texas hay 2.5 millones de estudiantes hispanos matriculados en K-12, según el Centro de Investigación Pew para Tendencias Hispanas. La barrera del lenguaje plantea una multitud de problemas, pero ninguno tan aislante como la completa falta de comunicación que ofrece. “Al Principio que llegue aquí se sentía así pero ya que llevo tiempo ya no se siente así. No quería comunicarme con nadie quería estar solo porque nadie más hablaba español,” dijo eliud cruz, Quien se mudó a los Estados Unidos hace sólo cuatro meses. “En la clase pegaba atención a los maestros y ignoraba a todos los otros alumnos. En lonche me sentaba solo porque no tenía nadie con quien hablar y era bien desesperante no tener a alguien.” La abuela de Eluid, Juanita Puente, observaba a su nieto hundirse y sin embargo estaba indefensa, atada por su propia incapacidad para entender el inglés. “Siempre a lo digo echale ganas mi hijo porque nosotros no sabemos inglés y siempre me dice no abuelita cuando yo aprendo ingles yo te voy ensenar ingles,” Puente dijo. “Yo lo único que hago es decirle echale ganas pregunta si necesitas ayuda. Pero si difficile mirar lo batallar. De hecho yo le compre un traductor. Y yo nomas lo echo porras.” Entre los hogares de inmigrantes hispanos, sólo el 4 por ciento utiliza el inglés como lengua primaria en el hogar, en comparación con el 39 por ciento de los hispanos nacidos en Estados Unidos, según el Consejo de Educación. En consecuencia, la mayoría de los inmigrantes recientes entran en las escuelas secundarias americanas con poco o ningún conocimiento previo del inglés. “No sabia hablar Ingles hasta que me moví a Texarkana hace un año cuando tenia 14.”
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Catalina Resendez dijo. “Vivia con mi mama y con mi hermano, y el era más chico que yo entonces empezamos aprender Ingles al mismo tiempo. Tratábamos de comunicarnos en Inglés para desarrollar el lenguaje. Mucha gente me trataba de ayudar, pero también había mucha gente que se burlaba de mi.” Antes y después de mudarse, Sánchez fue advertido por amigos y familiares sobre la transición a América. “Me decían la gente que iban a ser los peores días de mi vida aquí en la escuela porque no sabía el Inglés.” Sanchez dijo. “Me decían que me iban a ser burla las maestras y los otros estudiantes.” Además de una clase ESL y una clase de español, los estudiantes de ESL están en todas las clases impartidas en inglés, sin la ayuda de ningún dispositivo de traducción o maestros bilingües. Si no entienden el material del curso, ellos mismos deben preguntar al profesor o obtener ayuda en otro lugar, lo cual puede ser frustrante tanto para el estudiante como para el maestro. Agravando el problema, sus compañeros de clase de habla inglesa a menudo no los entienden debido a los acentos más gruesos. “Yo he visto que cuando recién llega unos hispanos de México, los Americanos quieren hablarles en Ingles y pues ellos no se entienden entonces los Hispanos se sienten un poco mal porque no pueden hablar el Ingles. A unas veces cuando están leyendo el Ingles en la clase, se burlan de ellos porque no pueden pronunciar las palabras bien. Eso me da mucho coraje, pero si, yo he visto que hay una división en los que hablan Inglés y en los que hablan Español.” Pero Resendez se centra en su futuro, inspirado en su experiencia en el aulo. “Me gustaría ir al colegio y agarrar un carrera de maestra. Quiero ensenar a los ninos Español porque yo sé Español y hay tantos mexicanos que no saben Español porque sus padres les habla en Inglés. Yo siento que ellos tienen que saber los dos lenguajes porque estamos perdiendo nuestros raíces.” ragajustin@tigertimesonline.com
Los Hispanos como porcentaje de la población de los Estados:
Edad media de los nacidos en Estados
39%
Statistics from the Pew Research Center for Hispanic Trends
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community
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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One for the books
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photo by d. kelley
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP Sophomore Lauren Braswell works to complete last minute edits on her upcoming book, which provides personal insight to the hardships she faced during middle school.
Sophomore overcomes bullying, shares insight by publishing a book BY MISTY LOPEZ staff writer She is beaming with joy. Her home life is perfect. The blue eyeshadow glints off her eyelids as she innocently prances around in her Taylor Swift phase. She is new to her sixth grade peers and hopes to find someone who she might have something in common with, someone with whom she could call friend. Her new school, Red Lick, seemed perfect at first, but the changes in the school began her change for the worse. She is now taunted, belittled and bullied by the people she wished to have a friendship with. As she grew, her understanding changed, and her esteem was crushed by seventh graders. The red slits in her wrists forced her to believe that she was making the right decision in feeling pain, and the weight loss made her wonder if that was enough to make her tormentors go away. In eighth grade, the obsession with trying to please others eventually became too much to keep up with, and their words began to lose their power over her. When she was given a blank page, she realized that she had found her cope–her passion. As her fingers sprinted across the keyboard, she spilled her past, problems and hope into her writing. Inspired at a young age, sophomore Lauren Braswell began to write in her sixth grade year, only thinking of her writing as a diary for her personal thoughts, feelings and experiences. It was a therapeutic place for her to vent.
“You need to be your biggest influence. Every opinion that is thrown at you, let that turn into motivation to help you grow as a successful individual.” -Lauren Braswell, 10 Close to her eighth grade year, she reread over everything she had written and realized it was a book that could possibly go somewhere. “I was inspired with all the negative experiences I had to put up with that I felt I didn’t deserve, and I feel like a lot of the things I went through are not discussed enough. Everyone talks about drugs and sex, but not many people talk about self-harm, body image or even when teachers bully students,” Braswell said. “I was so fed up with no one noticing what I and others go through that I ended up writing a book about it titled, ‘From the Mind of the Girl They Thought Would Never Make it.’” Throughout the process of writing her book, she faced challenges. Those of which included a shortage of 2,000 words, and her family’s hesitance about what she exposed to the world through her writing. Her parents feel that some things in their daughter’s book are explicit, but they will still support her and want to help her accomplish her dreams of being an aspiring writer. “That summer after eighth grade I realized I needed to have about 50,000
words in order to have a novel, and I only had 13,000. I asked myself how this would ever work, but I continued to add words each day until I reached my goal. My mother had asked me questions about foul language, names of people, and just raw information that my grandma didn’t know about me, like how I cut or my eating disorder being in the book. Censoring it was an option, but I bluntly refused,” Braswell said. ”My family is pretty supportive, but they don’t like some of the things in my book that describe my hurt.” Braswell eventually met up with a group of publishers who were interested in her book. During the gathering, she met Brandi Burrow, an English teacher at James Bowie, who invited her to read to her students. Braswell was astonished at how well her book had impacted young teenage girls and was thankful for an amazing opportunity. “When I went to go read to these children, I thought that they would just be lazy, on their phones, or just happy that they weren’t doing work,” Braswell said. “But honestly, I wanted to cry by the time I got out of there. So many
girls came up to me and told me that I had really influenced their decision on whether or not they should cut themselves and made them realize that they are not alone in anything that they do.” Finally, Braswell feels that her life is amounting to something great. She had wanted a life where she could be her own person. Finally, it is her time to prove the negative people wrong in her life. “I had always harped on myself about when my life was going to get started, and this book finally made me feel like I was going somewhere,” Braswell said. “This book was aimed at young teens going through the same things that went through. I’m ready for this book to come out, and I’m especially ready for the people that left me out and never gave me a place to sit at lunch to read it. Those people who never gave me a friend to play with at recess or snickered as I walked to the front of the class will finally know that here I am, and feeling better than ever.” Braswell wishes to open the eyes of the youth and spread a message to let them know that no matter how hard a situation is, you can always pull positivity out of it and pursue whatever dream it is that you may want to succeed in. “You need to be your biggest influence. Every opinion that is thrown at you, let that turn into motivation to help you grow as a successful individual,” Braswell said. “One day you will inspire others and feel empowered.” mistylopez@tigertimesonline.com
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feature
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO NOW?
Seniors discuss future plans By anna cannon editor in chief Growing up in a small town means one thing: by the time you graduate high school, you either love it or hate it. Most graduates have an idea of what they will do and where they will go but everyone’s situations are different. Senior Marisol photo by k. moreland Aguilar is staying in Texarkana. She has applied to Texarkana College and Texas A&M Texarkana, and plans to major in RN. “I pretty much have all my family Marisol Aguilar, 12 here, and I don’t want to move away and have to live by myself,” Aguilar said. “Moving away means getting a new job, paying for my own stuff, paying for gas, paying for all my books, paying for food. It’s starting all over again.” Aguilar already has a job, and has plans to apply for a local job after she graduates. “I’m working right now at On the Border, and during the summer I’ll apply to Wadley as a scribe,” Aguilar said. “Pretty much all you do is sit in a desk and write whatever the doctor does. So I’ll have some experience and know a little of what it’s like to work in a hospital.” Aguilar’s family still lives in Texarkana, and proximity to them is much of her motivation for staying. She plans to
follow the same career path as her sister. “My sister is an RN, and right now she’s at St. Michaels,” Aguilar said. “She inspires me a lot, considering that both of my parents didn’t go to high school or middle school or even finish elementary school. I look up to her, so that’s why I want to be an RN.” Not only will Aguilar be saving money by attending TC, she will also be able to rely on her family if she needs anything. “It really benefits me financially. If I go to TC I get money back, and then I don’t have to go off to a new college and pay for dorms, which is so much more expensive,” Aguilar said. “I already have everything planned out. I already have a job and if I need help with anything I can always call my parents to back me up on something.” Aguilar advises people not to move unless they feel they can handle it, and not to let expectations determine where they go. “Don’t go into what other people say. If it benefits you, stay,” Aguilar said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to go out into the world if you’re not ready. If you’re not ready, don’t go.” *** On the other end of the spectrum are seniors like Linda Sanchez. Sanchez is planning to move to California and study theater. She is in the process of applying to California State Los Angeles and California State Long Beach. “I’m going to California because if you want to do something with acting, that’s where you go. You either go to California
illustration by c. johnson
or New York, and for me California is the best place,” Sanchez said. “Plus I just really love California.” Sanchez’s parents are reluctant for her photo by k. moreland to move so far away, but their wariness hasn’t changed her plans. “My mom kind of sounds like she doesn’t really want me to go so far, but they can’t really say anything because they live so far Linda Sanchez, 12 from their family. They came to the United States, so their family is in Mexico,” Sanchez said. “So they know what it’s like to be far away from their family, but because they’re working towards something else. They want me to do my thing and they’re proud of me, but in a way they don’t want me to go that far.” Sanchez looks forward to living among a more diverse group of people, and hopes to learn about people from all over the country. “I think when you go somewhere else you get to see how people are all over
the place, instead of being stuck in one town,” Sanchez said. “Especially since we live in the South and most people are kind of conservative, it’ll be nice to leave. People stay here their whole lives and they don’t know anything else other than what’s here. So I’ve been going to different places, especially since I’m not conservative at all. I want to be around people who are different. It’s going to help me see what everybody is like.” Sanchez urges people to choose their futures for themselves, and not be swayed by the opinions of their families or peers. “I feel like regardless of how you feel pressured by your family or your peers, at the end of the day, you leaving is something that you’re going to decide for yourself,” Sanchez said. “You’re going to start your own family tree by leaving, and if you stay here, you’re just another person who stayed, again. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you want to leave and you know that’s where your heart is, my only advice is to do it and think of yourself. You don’t think about other people when you’re thinking about your future.” annacannon@tigertimesonline.com
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Standing Abusive past gives freshman reason to spread awareness by katie biggar entertainment editor
feature
TALL
Tiny fingers buried into the interior of a brown stuffed bear. Authoritative eyes that are older and wiser watch her every move. The wooden walls of the courtroom surround her. “I was 7 when I went through a criminal trial,” freshman Allie Graves said. “In this trial, I was forced to face my abuser, my uncle, and tell him all of the things that he did to me.” In a dark courtroom with a number of adults focused on her small figure, she was far more brave than anyone in the room thought capable. “I absorbed everything that I had seen or had been taught,” Graves said. “As a 7-year-old, I told the jury everything that I had felt, seen, done, smelled and experienced, but I did it with confidence.” Graves spoke of the horrors she encountered in her family home in Wake Village. In this house, she lived with her biological aunt, uncle and two cousins because of the irresponsibility of her biological parents. “I was physically abused regularly by the men in my life, those men being my uncle and cousins,” Graves said. “The way I was treated was in a way that no little girl should suffer.” The way in which she lived was a treacherous environment for a toddler, or for any age by that means. The filth and neglect she endured in her home was noticeable to outsiders. “Everyday in pre-kindergarten my teacher would change my clothes when I got to school and put me back in my soiled clothes to return home,” Graves said.
“But not once did she ever think to call the authorities.” On June 28, 2007, a relative walked into the home to a horrific sight. After seeing the abuse the family inflicted on the toddler, he chose to call the police, freeing Graves from abuse forever. She never returned to that home. “Once I was removed from that house I was immediately placed in foster care with a kind woman,” Graves said. “I lived with her for roughly six or seven weeks until the Graves heard I was up for adoption.” Mark and April Graves previously took Allie in a few years earlier when her biological father left her at Mother’s Day Out and never picked her up. They tended to her for 14 months and were the closest things she ever considered as her family. “When [my adoptive mother] contacted the caseworker from Child Protective Services, she was told there was no one who wanted me,” Graves said. “That couldn’t have been more wrong because the Graves’s did absolutely everything to officially call me theirs.” On Sept. 25, 2008, the Graves adopted Allie and moved into a home which was only half a mile from where the abuse took place. The excitement was prominent from friends who welcomed Allie into her new family. “Although life was perfect at the time, living with the Graves family, there was still an abuser walking around and that thought was unsettling,” Graves said. “Thankfully, the same month that I was adopted, my abuser was put into jail and was found guilty.” Her uncle was sentenced to prison for more than 300 years, one of the largest abuse verdicts in Bowie County. Now, Graves competes in pageants using her experience
photo by a. valle
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A MEMORY OF THE PAST Freshman Allie Graves holds the childhood bear she took to court when testifying against her uncle for child abuse.
as her platform to spread awareness of child abuse. “Instead of letting that affect me in a negative way, I spoke out and began telling people publicly,” Graves said. “I can encourage people who have been hurt in this way or are going through it right now to speak up and understand their current situation is not [their] final destination–that’s the way I like to think of it.” Graves has been able to be CASA of Texarkana’s official spokesperson to promote adoption, foster care and to speak out against abuse. “Tell someone you trust, tell me, but don’t keep what you’re going through a secret because we have to put an end to child abuse,” Graves said. “And that’s not possible if no one speaks up.” katiebiggar@tigertimesonline.com
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sports “THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR TEXAS HIGH.” -SENIOR LAVON BROWN
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
TOP PLAYERS
TO WATCH
PRESSING
AHEAD ON THE MOVE Senior guard Lavon Brown takes the ball up the court and begins driving down the paint looking to score on the defense. photo by m. bonner.
By Tye Shelton sports editor
W
ith a shake up regarding the head coach position for boys basketball, this year will be Keith Jones’s first year with full control of the reigns. After Jacob Skinner’s departure last year, coach Jones assumed responsibility of the boy’s team. This year he looks to move forward and progress to the playoffs. The Tigers feature a strong core of seniors with guards Lavon Brown, Quan Hampton, Chris Reid and Anton Coulter along with post players Jordan Ray and Curtis Crump. Junior guards include Tevailance Hunt and sophomore Cole Drumm. “Being a senior on the team means a lot, having all of my younger teammates look up to me is a special feeling,” Hampton said. What the team lacks in size they make up for with their raw athleticism and speed. Hampton is committed to Texas State University to play wide receiver next
Basketball team starts season with slam dunk, looks forward to establishing itself as elite team by dominating opponents
fall. Pregame warm ups are a display of power with their high flying dunking antics. The Tigers have had a few scrimmages, and their first exhibition game was Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the Tiger gym. Beating Prescott, Arkansas, 111-80, the Tigers displayed their usual press defense creating numerous turnovers off the inbound. “I feel that we did really good, but our key to success was running them off the court by pressing them,” Hampton said. “With only seven guys on the team, by the 3rd quarter we had them exhausted.” District season is far off; however it is always in the back of the minds of players. With the team looking forward to a district championship, a lot of hard work and overtime will be put into this season. District 15-5A play begins Dec. 20, against the Marshall Mavericks in Marshall, Texas. Until then the Tigers will participate in the Belton-Williams Classic in Monroe, Louisiana, while also participating
in Pleasant Grove’s tournament. The Tigers will also travel to Ashdown, Arkansas, on Dec. 6, to battle the Ashdown Panthers. Last year these two teams competed; the two teams were well-matched, with Ashdown coming out on top. The team expects big things out of itself as it has been quite some time that not only a basketball team but a major sports team has advanced past the bi-district rounds of playoffs for Texas High. “If we play like we did against Prescott, who knows what can happen with us,” Hampton said. “If we keep pressing and coming up with turnovers I feel as a group we can go a long way.” The intensity and passion is there for the team; it is now just a matter of the pieces coming together. If the guard play and big men down low can work in sync, the team might just have something going for them. “We will prove ourselves this year, it is going to be something special,” Brown said. “Just wait and see.” tyeshelton@tigertimesonline.com
Sophomore forward Cole Drumm brings physicality, rebounding and helps provide defense.
Senior starting shooting guard Lavon Brown looks to continue growing as a player and establish himself as a leader.
Senior starting guard Quan Hampton leads his team through playing uptempo.
Girls’ basketball receives new coach The girls basketball team endured a shake up this season. After serving as head coach at Liberty Eylau, former assistant coach Craig Colvins transitioned to Texas High two years ago to coach JV before securing the position of head coach for the Lady Tigers. “He’s a good coach,” senior Grace Brooks said. “He makes practice enjoyable for us, it’s not always intense and being yelled at. For our group of girls, I think that’s what we need.” MOVING UP Former assistant Craig Colvins has taken over as head coach,hoping to lead the team to another succesful lady Tiger season. file photo
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sports
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
MORE THAN JUST A HOBBY
For many, sports serve as passage into college
photo by l. maynard
NOT JUST A GAME Sports provide scholarships which help being able to pay college tuition.
BY EMILY MCMASTER staff writer Players take their positions on the field or court, their hearts beating faster as the clock runs down to the start of the game. They say a quick prayer that they succeed because college recruiters are watching. Their dreams of playing at a higher level depend on these moments. “I’d like to get an athletic scholarship because I enjoy basketball and I’d like to play at the college level,” junior Blaire Bledsoe said. “It would also be nice to offset my college expense.” Colleges offer full rides to committers and large scholarships to students who express interest in playing for them and show their skills during high school. Many students partake in high school sports as a hobby, but many are also searching for the opportunity to reach
their dreams as professional athletes. “I signed Nov. 5 to play baseball at Semoinle State, a top 10 school in college baseball,” senior Colby Adkins said. College athletic departments hold multiple opportunities to help students who have worked hard athletically. Striving to gain these financial opportunities can lead one to attend a top university. Some students commit early and leave high school to start training, but some complete their high school experience before heading off. “Although I have already been offered a full scholarship to Cottey College I am waiting patiently on the opportunity to attend a larger school such as Oklahoma State University,” sophomore softball player Mabry Smith said. The differentiated levels of teams at school offer
photo by m. bonner
individual improvement working toward a more advanced level. Beyond school, students further expand their training in hopes of rewarding results. “I have been training with my assistant Courtnee Jones during the week,” said Smith. “All of the hard work has definitely paid off from this.” Someone is watching the athletes who could affect their future, one right play could allow their dreams to come true. Through high school they have been pushed by their coaches to reach their highest potential just to give all they have on the playing field. “I want to thank coach McClure for being like my father, teaching me what I know, and pushing me to my highest potential every day,” said Adkins. “I would not be heading to college baseball without these last four years at Texas High School and the opportunities I have been given.” emilymcmaster@tigertimesonline.com
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM Young phenom looks to pursue his passion on field BY JOHN MORGAN staff writer
BALL IS LIFE Sophomore John Powell dribbles the ball down the field while being chased by his opponent.
Slicing through defenders, he dribbles down the pitch. His speed and agility are too much for the opponent to handle. He uncorks a shot that easily breezes into the top corner of the net. Cheers and awe pour out from the astonished crowd. Many would consider this feat phenomenal, but for sophomore John Powell, scoring is more of a habit. He is used to torching the defense with talented footwork. He is used to the fans who are left amazed. The game of soccer is a performance and the field is his stage. Powell, a member of the varsity soccer team, has taken on soccer his entire life as not just a hobby, but a lifestyle. “Soccer to me is much more than a game,” Powell said. “When I get home, the first thoughts I
have aren’t to do homework or do chores. I always look for time to practice and improve my skills whenever I can.” His talent led to wins, and the wins led to strong bonds with his teammates. Soon, however, the level of play began to decline locally. In order to play in more competitive leagues, Powell decided to look elsewhere for ways to further challenge himself. Before his eighth grade year, he found the answer to his predicament. Shreveport United SC now gives him the ability to play teams full of people who have similar talents to him. The challenge was a welcome one for Powell as he is now able to showcase his talent amongst more fierce competitors. “Almost every weekend, I get to play against good talent with good talent. I couldn’t do that before,” Powell said. “I’ve had to
step up my game to stay on the same level as others.” As the fall season settles down for Shreveport United, Powell begins to shift his focus to high school soccer. With a healthy amount of returning talent, the team looks to make some noise in the district. “I’m looking forward to another season of playing and traveling with friends on campus,” Powell said. “With the addition of a new coach, I think we can go far this year.” Powell’s aspirations for soccer are evident in his work ethic on and off the field. The game he thrives in might take him somewhere, but a lot about the future is still to be decided. “I’m not sure whether or not I’ll pursue soccer after I graduate,” Powell said. “But for now, soccer is a lifestyle that I fully devote my time to.” johnmorgan@tigertimesonline.com
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sports
Sports highlights from the third grading period
DECEMBER DISTINCTIONS
Basketball is entering the season with very high expectations, especially after winning big in both of the preseason scrimmages. Despite the fact that the tigers are missing the traditional big guys that most of the other teams in
the district have, they believe that due to their combination of speed and athleticism, they’ll be able to make up for the height deficit by outrunning the other teams and being able to wear them out by the fourth quarter.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com JV Football
BOYS SOCCER Boys soccer looks to improve after a disheartening finish in the previous season. After hiring a new coach, the team is motivated and full of energy to compete against what will be a tough upcoming schedule. They believe with their new preseason training methods they are more prepared.
Alex Hernandez, 12
GIRLS SOCCER
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Girls soccer looks to redeem themselves after a disappointing end to their season last year. With a talented group of juniors and highly skilled sophomores and freshmen, the girls maintain high hopes going into their season.
Sarah Rogers, 10
Antonia Porter, 10
GOLF
SWIM Swim recently won their home swim meet that was packed with strong competition from schools across Texas. The team, fueled with young talent and veteran leadership, looks to maintain their momentum as they hope to win district and regionals yet again and strive for an impressive finish in state.
The girls look to overcome a slow start to the season as they adapt to their new coach and focus on teamwork that will be essential to their success.
Quan Hampton, 12
Will Norton, 11
Ryan Hall, 12 photos by m. parish, e. meinzer, p. spaulding, k. moreland and a. parker
Golf has gone through a difficult fall season as inexperience and youth have weighed down the team. However, the team looks to work hard during the offseason and bounce back in the spring as they look to defend their district title.
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community
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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entertainment
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Five Simple Ways to Practice Self-care BY CAILEY ROBERSON profiles editor
With finals season and winter right around the corner, student stress levels are at an all time high. Oftentimes resulting in crying spurts, feelings of inadequacy or even panic attacks, high amounts of stress can put a severe strain on mental health. However, there are several ways to reduce this stress. Take time to take care of yourself. Take a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed and make time for your needs. Your mental health and rest are important.
stop and smell Go outside. Nature is often overlooked because of the busyness of day-to-day life. Take a walk. Sit near a bird feeder and check out the birds (and squirrels) in your yard that you might not have noticed before.
Take a bath. Best served with a dash of bath salts or a bath bomb, warm baths are great for headaches, stomach aches or any other ache. Aromatherapy essential oils that help to ease your nerves include jasmine, lavender, vanilla and frankincense. These are found in many bath bombs or may be dropped right into the tub. Bubble baths are also highly recommended.
Organize. Invest in a planner or calendar. Plan things out. Make a to-do list. Marking things off of a checklist is always nice. Not only is it satisfying, but also helps you stay on top of things, too. Getting behind or doublebooking yourself is stressful, so being able to divvy up your time is important
Hit the
books
Read for pleasure. Read whatever you like, whether it be a book of Shel Silverstein poems or some romance novel. Frazzled nerves can quickly be whisked away by winding down with a good book.
Take a
dip
get
Embrace your inner Eat some chocolate. (This can easily be done alongside the other tips.) For best results, try truffles. Any kind of chocolate will do, as long as you are mindful of how much you eat. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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entertainment
Wish List Festive favorites for the holiday season
Eat
Watch
It
It
It
“My nanny makes us some candy cane cookies every Christmas and the whole family just loves them. We also sometimes give them to Santa as well.”
Cook
ies
“A Christmas Story is an entertaining movie about a kid who wishes for a ‘special’ gift in his stocking and other mischievous escapades throughout the Christmas season. It’s wacky and adventurous; a Christmas classic.”
Mov
ies
“Santa Baby is one of my Christmas song favorites. It’s very catchy and a song people can sing to jokingly. My friends and I always sing it together so it’s fun.”
Corbin Hamilton. 11
Cameron Tarpley, 11
Try
“Peppermint bark. An underrated holiday snack. It’s really good because it’s chocolate and peppermint mixture. You can make it at home with only 3 ingredients.”
Jacoya Ellis, 12
Tun
es
Lillian Lovett, 9
Wear
It
compiled by k biggar and victoria van photos by a. kift
Play
It
Snac
ks
“People always look comfortable in Christmas sweaters or any cozy clothing. People should give sweaters to their friends, family or a fortunate person because not everyone has the pleasure of being warm during the winter.”
Swea
ters
Mason Jones, 10
Photos by A. Kift
e of g
ds and gether
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Wish List
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entertainment
Watch It
“My nanny makes us some can cane cookies every Christmas a the whole family just loves them We also sometimes give them t Santa as well.”
Eat
It “A Christmas Story is an entertaining movie about a kid who wishes for a ‘special’ gift in his stocking and other mischievous escapades throughout the Christmas season. It’s wacky and adventurous; a Christmas classic.”
Play It
Cameron Tarpley, 11
Cook
ies
Try
Wear
It
It
Snac
ks
Swea
ters
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entertainment
Dec. 9, 2015 • tigertimesonline.com
RAISE THE ROOF
TOP 5 HOLIDAY SONGS
...and put frosting on it
BY GRACE HICKEY viewpoint editor Cinnamon and sugary scents fill the air with an aroma unique to the holiday season. Festive treats like Grandma’s famous fudge make their appearance, but there remains one treat that has been the staple Christmas goody since the beginning of time–or at least kindergarten. The gingerbread house may seem like an easy feat to accomplish, but let’s face it–it is not just a snack. It is a work of holiday art, one that requires a little bit of preparation.
Now, this is not some preschool holiday party in which you can just slap some graham crackers together and call it a day. In order to have what you need to fashion this Christmas miracle, collect the following: gingerbread slabs (or graham crackers), frosting, decorative candies, toothpicks, a plastic bag, a spreading utensil and a board/ plate to set the house on.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Frank Sinatra
How to make the jolliest house on the gingerbread block All I Want for Christmas is You Mariah Carey
In order to avoid the tragic crumbling of your masterpiece, it is imperative to ensure that the actual framework of the house is steady. The simplest way to do this is to start with four walls. Take four slabs of whichever medium you prefer, gingerbread or graham cracker, and coat the edges in frosting before connecting them cornerto-corner in a square formation and “gluing” them down on your plate with more frosting. The roof is simply two more slabs fused together at angle and placed on top of the square structure. This step requires extreme care lest your house come tumbling down. Sad day.
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3
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree Brenda Lee
STEP 2: The festive foundation STEP 1: find your merry materials
1
STEP 3: Dashing Through the decorating And here we come to the most magical part in the process– making your house a home. By that, I, of course, mean that you get to slap on some candy and get a sugar high while doing so. Bonus. Feel free to go as minimal or crazy with it as you want. Let your Christmas creativity shine, and I guarantee that your house will the most spirited on the block. Illustrations by c. johnson
Christmas Eve Trans Siberian Orchestra
5
White Christmas Elvis Presley
4
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
community
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community
Dec. 9, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com