tigertimes texas high school
Feb. 12, 2016 • Vol. 55 Issue 4
closing the
GAP
Numbers never lie. There is a divide in performance. Schools struggle with making sure each student is prepared to pass their exams. But it’s not enough. Something must be done to close the separation between haves and have nots in education.
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Texas High School • 4001 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, TX 75503 • tigertimesonline.com illustration by t. snell
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OUR socialNETWORK testing
With EOCs near, here’s some advice for success
#mybig
tips
MOMENT
@kiaraldouglas
Eat something healthy, preferably fruit, because you’re going to need something that will leave you with energy throughout the whole test.
photo by E. Meinzer
Chow Down
@mc_paddock
compiled by JAY WILLIAMSON
Brylee Bender, 10
Keep it Comfy
Mark it Up
by LAUREN POTTER design editor Patientially waiting for the reveal, sophomore Brylee Bender put together her sadie proposal with long-time friend, Sadie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. Bender traveled to Monroe, La., with junior Cade Thompson planning to pop the question. “I got my friend Sadie and
@dirty_yota99
Dress in a way that won’t be distracting to you. Being distracted can hurt your testing abilty.
Post your favorite moments on Instagram with #mybigmoment and tag @thsstudentmedia for a chance to be featured in the newspaper and be in a drawing for a $20 gift card.
we went down to Louisiana where I asked him with my sign that had Sadie in the middle,” Bender said. Bender and Robertson have been close friends since childhood. “I’ve been friends with her all my life,” Bender said. “Our parents were both in each others’ weddings, and I used to live there. We went to school together and every summer I go stay with them.”
our favorite moment Bender and Robertson prepared to ask Thompson after church. “He was really surprised,” Bender said. “He had an idea on how I was going to ask him but he was actually really surprised when he saw everything put together.”
Testing Dates
As you go through the test, underline key words so you don’t miss a phrase that could change the dynamic of a question.
Feb. 29-March 3 March 29-31 May 2-6 May 9-12 June 21-22
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Triggered Controversy
ACT/SAT
Use Time Wisely Wasting time on questions you might not know will hurt your ability to work on other questions. Always make sure every question is answered.
illustration by j. williams & l. potter
ACT dates: Feb. 6 April 9 June 11
SAT dates: March 5 May 7 June 4
STAY CONNECTED
in this issue
New open carry law sparks debate in Texas
9
A Try-Hard who doesn’t Try
Junior divulges the life of a perfectionist
17
21
Freshmen overcome early challenges to form unique bond
shows senior how to persevere, strive for college
Twin Struggles, Take a Knee Twin Triumphs ACL injury
snapchat: thspublications instagram: thsstudentmedia twitter: @thsstudentmedia facebook: THS Publications
WHAT’S T NEW in the RED, WHITE & BLUE
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news
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
he 2016 presidential race has received a significant amount of attention, as Americans nationwide are curious about who will take the reigns of the country after the past eight years under the Obama administration. Very few of the candidates have stepped up big in the debates, a fact that has severely hurt the campaigns
of several front-runners. After the Iowa caucus, several candidates dropped out after a disappointing result in the polls, resulting in a large disparity between Republican and Democratic candidates. The candidates still involved in the race on the Republican side are: Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ben
meet the
REPUBLICANS Neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital turned politician
Ben Carson
Marco Rubio
illustration by a. o’gorman
Began his career with a seat on the Miami City Commission and became a Florida senator
John Kasich
Former governor of Florida, comes from a lineage immersed in politics
Senator from Texas and former solicitor general of Texas
It has been a controversial last three months in the world of politics. Potential front-runner drop outs, Twitter wars and screaming matches during debates are only some of the highlights. Whoever said politics couldn’t be fun?
Carson, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, and John Kasich. The Democratic side consists of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Confirmed independents are Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, with Michael Bloomberg set to make a decision by March. Here’s the breakdown of the major party candidates still in the running.
Ted Cruz
Jeb Bush Known business mogul turned politician and graduate of Wharton Business School
Donald Trump
Carly Fiorina
Chris Christie Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, a software company with a net worth of $59.7 billion
Served nine terms in the US House of representatives and became the governor of Ohio Spent six years in the U.S. Attorney General’s office and is now the governor of New Jersey Former Army intelligence specialist and governor of Virginia
Jim Gilmore
meet the
DEMOCRATS
Hillary Clinton
Former Secretary of State, New York senator, and First Lady of the United States
Bernie Sanders
Had a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and now is a senator from Vermont
compiled by Jay Williamson and Ali Richter, staff writers
Political clubs sponsor mock primary by JAY WILLIAMSON staff writer During the last week of February for a few minutes every social studies class will transform into a polling location where every student’s vote will be counted, which will determine who the candidate is for Texas High. The Teenage Republicans and Young Democrats clubs will be the sponsors of the primaries, making the ballots and distribute them to each class. Everyone’s vote will count, and people will be allowed to vote for both Democrats and Republicans.
“With our declining voting rates it is important to establish how necessary it is for young people to vote no matter your political party,” Teenage Republicans sponsor Lance Kyles said. “The goal of this simulation is to show what it’s actually like to vote. We are going to have them fill out voting ballots similar to what would been done if you voted here in Texarkana.” Teachers involved in the mock primary recognize the need for a local, student-friendly political forum. Media coverage of Republican Donald Trump has been exhaustive and constant, often overshadowing other
presidential possibilities and limiting student exposure to the other options out there. “Everyone has been smothered by all the press Donald Trump has received,” World History teacher Chad Evans said. “It’s going to be very beneficial to the students to see other [candidates’] names and be able to hear about them.” This event has also generated interest and approval from several students themselves, as they appreciate the significance of an opportunity to practice being a part of the country’s voting system, something upperclassmen will be doing for real this upcoming fall.
“A lot of kids our age don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to politics,” junior Matthew Wells said. “So now we can actually research a little bit and learn stuff for ourselves instead of listening to what their parents say or what everyone around them says.” Students are ready to get their first taste of the political world through the voting process. “This election has been very entertaining to watch,” sophomore Matt Prieskorn said. “I’m anxious to participate in this political process because it is something that is very important and it’ll be interesting to see how fellow students vote.”
COMING UP FEB. 20, 2016:
Nevada Democratic Presidential Caucuses South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary
FEB. 23, 2016:
Nevada Republican Presidential Caucuses
FEB. 27, 2016: South Carolina
Democratic Presidential Primary
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news
feb. 12, 2015 • tigertimesonline.com
All the world’s a stage Dinner Theater prepares to perform, impress
photo by k. mccasland
by EMILY MCMASTER staff writer Student Council is putting together its annual dinner theater featuring performances by members of the club. This year on Feb. 28, StuCo will put on a show, to the theme of “The Stars at Night.” Dinner will also be provided during the pre-show in the new location, the Performing Arts Center. “The theme this year has a twofold meaning,” StuCo sponsor Susan Waldrep said. “It goes along with the ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ theme along with the ‘stars’ the students will be portraying during the acts.” This will be the first year dinner
theater is held in the Performing Arts Center, or the PAC. A larger stage along with a larger audience area will allow StuCo members to have a new experience. “With moving to the PAC this year everyone should have a good seat,” Waldrep said. “A committee is coming up with a meal to be served in the front.” Any Student Council member will say dinner theater is a time of fun along with hard work and multiple practices. For freshmen, dinner theater is a new experience full of unexpected outcomes and stories. “I’m looking forward to dinner theater because I will get to perform with all of my friends and just get to have fun spending time with everyone,” freshman Sarah Grace Boudreaux said. “We’ll get to perfect all of our dances, so it will look really good.” Other grade levels also look forward to dinner theater throughout the year. It’s a time for stepping out of their comfort zone, sharing a talent, or just making new memories with friends. “Performing dances in front of everyone made me step out of my comfort zone because I’m kind of shy,”
sophomore Will Harrell said. “When I realized my friends were up there on stage dancing too it was not that bad.” Senior members of Student Council can share multiple laughs over years in the past. As their high school experience comes to an end, dinner theater can be viewed by seniors as one of many final memories. “To make sure my last dinner theater is one to remember I’m going to enjoy it,” senior Trevor Danley said. “In the past years I have seen it as something I had to do and not something I would have fun doing. This year I’m going to smile, laugh and have a good time, whether I’m at practice or during the actual night.” Leadership students will be selling tickets for $15, which includes dinner. Tickets for only the performances will be sold to students at the door for $5. The money raised will fund StuCo activities. “This year is going to be great because we have the singers, dancers, and a few skits whose practices have gone well,” Waldrep said. “We have lots of students performing, so everyone should come see them.”
JUNIOR RICKY COOKS
Theater competes in district, hopes for state title by LEAH CRENSHAW co-viewpoint editor
costume set by senior Emily Dowden, a “Medieval England” costume set by senior Logan Smith and a “Macbeth, Texas” group entry by seniors Sarah Hickerson and Cooper Zverina as well as juniors Madison Sutton and Austin Crane. The students mailed their submissions last Friday. After two weeks of judging at the district level, they will find out who, if any, will get to make the trip to Austin for the state competition. Regardless of the results, the students do not regret all the work that went into the projects. “It felt really good to get everything done,” Lohse said. “It was a very liberating experience. I know it will pay off because we all put so much work into it. Our effort will show. We all did really good, and I’m proud of us.” JUNIOR MADISON SUTTON
photo by s. vaughn
A quick look around the B4 technical theater class seems strange at first. Instead of the usual construction of previous years, the students sit, hunched over scattered sheets of paper. Deeper perusal of the projects reveals an array of images: a detailed sketch of a Janus-like Native American, an intricately rendered paper doll of three ballet dancers contorted together, a delicately cut scale model of Coney Island. These students are devoting their time to the UIL Theatrical Design competition. “For years they’ve had the UIL acting competition, but now this is a chance to recognize the work that goes in behind the scenes in a state level,” technical director Trent Hanna said. “Students take a well known piece of theater and recreate it in a different time period and a different setting.” The competition is extensive. This is the school’s second year to compete, and hopes are high after taking fourth in group design. “We are very privileged to have one of the returning state champions in our class this year so that’s very exciting,” Hanna said. “Hopes are high; we understand a little better what we’re getting into, but each year the competition gets tougher and tougher.”
The contest is divided into four categories: marketing, hair and makeup, costuming and scenic design. The state allows two entries per category as well as a group entry in which all four students design for the same show. This year there are a total of 11 students working to redesign Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Each student has wildly different takes on the show. This includes junior Gabe Lohse who is working in a group to set “Macbeth” in Imperial Russia. “I am the scenic designer of a group consisting of myself, Leah Crenshaw, Olivia Parks and Grace Hickey,” Lohse said. “I construct the set of the show; I make models and the little tiny pieces and draw things out. In this case we are doing late 1800s Russia. It’s really cool because I get to do all this sweet Russian architecture, and I get to design the really grand insides of Russian palaces.” Each step of the design process has included exhaustive research, brainstorming and planning. Before any ideas even make it to paper, they are sifted, refined or even thrown out in search of a bigger, better concept. “We have spent basically the whole year working on this,” Lohse said. “It’s been a lot of effort. We’ve been brainstorming for months. We’ve come up with ideas, we’ve scrapped ideas, drawn things, realized it doesn’t work and scrapped it. I’ve even built tiny miniature sets and realized that they wouldn’t work. So we’ve had to scrap them. It’s a lot of work, a lot of patience.” Other projects include a “Victorian Historical Fantasy”
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news
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
New open carry law sparks debate in Texas by Anna Graves print editor-in-chief
SHOTS OF STATS
place are enough as long as they are properly enforced. Others however, disagree completely. Littmann’s opinion is that the only additional regulation needed is an exhaustive mental evaluation for all citizens wanting to carry a weapon. “[A mental evaluation] would effectively weed out the borderline lunatics,” Littmann said. With open carry still being a relatively new law, Texas has yet to see what effect it will ultimately have. However, there have already been a few mishaps. On Jan. 20, a man in Sulphur Springs accidentally shot himself in the foot at church. Many wonder if accidents like this are what is to be expected of the law or if the ability to openly carry a firearm will result in favor of citizen protection. “I think open carry is a good thing if it’s handled correctly,” senior Tyler Bewley said. “People should have quite a few qualifications before they are allowed, but I think it’s better for people and makes themselves feel safer when carrying.” photo by s.vaughn
• 300 million guns in the U.S. • 60 percent use it for protection • Nationwide, firearms are used in 68 percent of murders, 41 percent of robberies, 21 percent of aggravated assaults • Studies show, those in possession of a gun during an assault are 4.5 times more likely to be shot • Guns are used defensively 2.5 million times per year in the US
As fireworks boomed and people rang in the new year, Texas was also ringing in a new law. As of Jan. 1, citizens of Texas are now allowed to openly carry a handgun in most public places. Guns must be in a holster on your shoulder or belt, there is no separate license or additional fee required to open carry and the criteria to obtain a license does not change. Despite the fact that Texas is the 45th state to legalize open carry, this enactment has sparked some debate. Will this law improve safety in Texas, or will it only increase threat? “The hope of the open carry law is that it will benefit everyone, both Texas and Texarkana, by allowing licensed firearm owners to protect themselves or others if a situation calls for such action,” biology teacher Lauren Pilgreen said. “My thinking is that it makes it easier to see who is carrying a firearm. If you are open carrying, you are a licensed, law-abiding firearm owner and citizen.” According to politifacts.com, in states that allow open carry, violent crime rates were 23 percent lower, the aggravated assault rates were 23 percent lower, the murder rates were 5 percent lower and robbery rates were 36 percent lower. For some people however, these statistics do not encourage them to support the law. “I think open carry will be a disaster,” government teacher John Littmann said. “Too many Texans have the potential for domestic violence, road rage, and other mental instabilities. Giving them the freedom to carry a gun just widens their area of possible mayhem.” Much of the controversy and disagreement stems from the idea that the legalization of open carry
desensitizes citizens on the topic of firearms. “Guns have become play toys for leisure and aren’t taken seriously enough,” sophomore Karissa Smith said. “I think there’s a place and time for carrying a gun and people just deciding to take one with them on errands isn’t appropriate. Giving people the right to carry a gun wherever they want may make the carrier feel safer but, people around them won’t.” On the opposite side of the debate, many law supporters believe that this in fact will help prevent a lot of crime and work in favor for the protection of citizens. “I hope that it works as a beneficial deterrent to those who commit crimes,” Pilgreen said. “If a criminal can see that a person clearly has a way both physically and legally to defend themselves, hopefully they will think twice about the crime they are about to commit.” This enactment has also heightened the debate about stricter gun control, as many say that the laws currently in
ALWAYS ON HAND A restaurant patron keeps his gun within easy reach. New open carry laws in Texas have sparked debate among legislators and citizens alike.
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news
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Never Forget
English teacher shares passion for uncovering past injustices, genocide by COLTON JOHNSON staff writer
photo by k. mccasland
English teacher Michele Rigdon stands before her small class of students describing her visits to Germany and Poland. “When I was standing in Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Treblinka, the ground spoke,” she said as she prepared her students for the stories of those who survived, and those who did not survive, the injustices of the Holocaust. “It pleaded for us to never forget.” Rigdon has met Holocaust survivors, studied around the world, and is sharing her experiences with students in her class, Holocaust and Human Rights through Literature and Film, offered to juniors and seniors. “[The class] wasn’t really encouraged until this year because we didn’t have the space in our schedule to offer it,” Rigdon said. “ Now that it is an option, the problem we face is that many students don’t know about the course.”
The course includes the study of not only the genocide of the Holocaust, but others similar to it, and why they were allowed to happen. Additionally, they study human rights issues in America and across the globe. “It’s only through the knowledge and lessons we learn through the past that we are able to have the tools necessary to fight similar circumstances that are happening or may happen in the future,” Rigdon said. “Those who have survived any violation of human rights have to be able to know that when they can no longer tell their story, that it won’t die out. They must know that the lessons we learn from their testimony will inspire others to recognize and fight injustice.” Rigdon relies on testimony from survivors to present the struggles they faced in their rawest form, such as that of her friend Phil Gans who survived Auschwitz and lost his whole family to the Holocaust. “He told me that when he tells of his experiences ‘it never gets any easier’,”
PAGES FROM THE PAST Looking through their altered books, senior Nic Shope, junior Seth Jones and seniors Angeles Chavez, Sidney Phillips and Cristian Moya are part of the Holocaust and Human Rights class. “As a teacher, I believe learning is enriched through all mediums: art, literature, film, testimony, and artifacts,” teacher Michele Rigdon said. “I have been fortunate to make many connections with those who experienced first hand, not only the Holocaust, but other genocides and other human rights issues.”
“When I was standing in Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Treblinka, the ground spoke; it pleaded for us to never forget.” -Michele Rigdon
Rigdon said. “I’ve been blessed enough to have met a number of people who not only survived but those who have chosen to do something instead of standing by. They inspired me to teach this subject. We will become the witness to the witness. It is essential for us to learn from their experiences.” That’s a lesson she hopes to instill in all her students. “What impacted me most was our trip to Dallas,” former student Kenzie Vogan said. “We were able to meet two Holocaust survivors, and that experience has stayed with me. It was such an honor to meet two people who had survived such horrors, but never lost the will to live.” Through experiences like these, Rigdon hopes that the stories of these survivors encourage her students to make a change in the world. “We all need to learn how to stand up in the face of intolerance and hatred instead of standing by,” Rigdon said. “We must own the stories they have to tell because once they’re gone it will be essential that someone is left to keep the past alive.” This mission has lead her around the world, meeting new people and listening to many testimonies. In 2009, she traveled to Israel and Poland to study with a group of teachers as part of a Jewish resistance teachers’ program inspired by a Warsaw Ghetto fighter, Vladka Meed. “[Vladka] wanted teachers to learn first hand through witness testimony and the sights themselves what needs to be taught to maintain the truth,” Rigdon said. Rigdon’s goal is to have students meet a survivor or someone who was actively involved. “There are fewer Holocaust survivors
that are able to speak on their accounts which is why it’s important now more than ever for students to listen to their words,” Rigdon said. “I’ve been able to take students to listen to Holocaust survivors, as well as people who stood up for them. All I can say is it’s much different talking to them in person compared to simply reading a memoir.” Rigdon said students can expect an indepth study on all areas of the Holocaust and other issues of human rights. “Besides having a down-to-earth, lifeis-good teacher, my favorite part about this class is the in-depth look at what really happened in the Holocaust,” junior Seth Jones said. “I have really learned so many heroic, horrific and shocking truths about what went on not only during the Holocaust but also slavery.” However, Rigdon is concerned that with the constant academic emphasis on class rank, many students stray from regular classes without giving thought as to what they might actually be interested in. “They also worry that because of the weight of the course being a regular class, they can’t afford it in their schedule,” Rigdon said. “However, the life lessons that are learned through this and the people that the students get to meet are once in a lifetime opportunities.” Rigdon hopes students will look past the class’ weight to the lessons they could learn. “If something is important to you, make it possible no matter what obstacles stand in your way.,” Rigdon said. “Though this class is not high on the scale of class rank, it is rich in lessons that will change your life, and in my opinion, that is worth more than any number a grade in a class can get you.”
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
community
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viewpoint
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com Illustration by A. O’Gorman
tiger times
Texas High School 4001 Summerhill Rd. Texarkana, TX 75503 (903) 794-3891 Fax (903) 792-8971
EDITORIAL
•
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.
The
Write Priorities
print editors-in-chief Anna Graves Tyler Snell online editors-in-chief Jessica Emerson Kristin McCasland news editor Raga Justin viewpoint editors Leah Crenshaw Alex O’Gorman feature editor Anna Cannon indepth editor Caroline May sports editors Alex Heo Anneliese Hounsel entertainment editors Jillian Cheney Naveen Malik advertising editor Hannah Williams business manager Ashlyn Sander
Desks, textbooks should be main concern Knees scrunched together, he attempts to take notes in his lap. Fighting the pen’s desire to scribble out the words quickly, he has to go slow. They all have something he doesn’t–a desk. He goes home to cram for a test. He didn’t understand the lesson. He’s confused. There’s something he wished he had–a textbook. With the school exceeding its maximum capacity, some basic needs are being overlooked. This year’s freshman class consists of about 508 students, and the middle school grade levels are showing similar figures. Classes are expanding to approximately 30 students, and these numbers should be looked at before the semester starts. When a student walks into class for the first time, he should have a place to sit and
book to take home. Desks are the firm foundation of learning. While they’re only four legs and a hard surface, they provide stability and comfort. In many classes, a notebook and binder reside in the small 24-by-14 inch area. A lap, already feeble and soft, rarely exceeds a foot in width. Students cannot be expected to accomplish all of their course goals within the confines of their laps. School is a competitive environment with class rank, AP courses and extracurriculars consuming our thoughts. In such an environment, there are some things that should be equal. The student with the desk finishes tests quicker. The student with the desk can pay attention more easily. The student in the chair is trying to overcome a disadvantage that he or she cannot control.
Although it can be argued that students should be able to concentrate and complete their classroom tasks in a chair just as well as a student in a desk, this still presents an unbalance in fairness. All students should be provided with the same materials in order to foster success. Advanced Placement, dual credit and regular classes all need textbooks. Students who are absent are expected to catch up quickly. In order to do so, they often rely on another student for missed information. This shouldn’t be the only option. If students had books for every class, they could make up their more easily and understand concepts more fully. Some people believe a take home set of books isn’t necessary, that teachers cover the material well enough. While a lecture notes
SPEAK OUT Aileen Tran, 10 I think the school actually does a pretty good job with supplies and providing them for us. There isn’t anything I’ve seen where we don’t have enough in the class.
Walker Davis, 9 I think the classroom should have better supplies, because it makes it a lot easier on everybody.
copy editor Molly Crouch
may touch on tested topics, not all students learn at the same rate. Sometimes additional explanations and textbook examples are essential. Desks and textbooks make up the minimum classroom setting. If a student doesn’t have access to both of these things the learning environment becomes compromised. These materials should be first priority at the beginning of each semester, not tucked somewhere in the middle.
Do you think the school should spend more money on classroom supplies?
Alex Hart, 12 Yes, because in economics on the first day, we did not have enough desks. We were sitting in chairs and people were taking notes on books and not everyone could keep up.
design editor Lauren Potter photo editor Brianna O’Shaughnessy assignment editor: Rachel Lewis video editor Sara Vaughn public relations Abby Hill staff writers Celeste Anderson, Katie Biggar, Connor Brooks, Ricky Cooks, Robin Cooper, Bethany Dowd, Katie Dusek, DC Fortenberry, Matt Francis, Zach Friedman, Maddie Gerrald, Alyssa Gilbert, Meghan Harris, Grace Hickey, Colton Johnson, Langley Leverett, Emily McMaster, Ali Richter, Cailey Roberson, Eleanor Schroeder, Tye Shelton, Katherine Stoeckl, Laurel Wakefield, Jay Williamson photographers Morgan Bonner, Megan Brandon, Maria Frohnhofer, Dimitrius James, Lauren Maynard, Mary Miller, Emily Meinzer, Kayleigh Moreland, Misty Morris, Madeline Parish, Rachel Sorenson, Ayla Sozen, Piper Spaulding, Savannah York videographers Odin Contreras, Xavier Davis, Allie Beth Hatfield, Travis Williams advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Brad Bailey members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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viewpoint
A try-hard who doesn’t try
Perfectionist realizes importance of chilling out “I’m a maniacal perfectionist,” Martha Stewart once said. She, of course, ended up in jail, which just goes to show how much of a downfall perfectionism can bring you. I don’t know about everyone else, but when I think of perfectionists I envision an immaculately groomed woman–unsmudged lipstick, a starched collar, hair Pantene-commercial-shiny and pinned to perfection. Her planner is meticulously color-coded and tabbed. Her closet has a catalogue. Everything she does, she does two weeks in advance. Every detail on every undertaking is scrupulously thought-out. The future is no problem; uncertainty is a foreign concept. Even her voice is calm and evenly modulated, and to find her in a state of distress is about as likely as a pig sprouting wings and taking to the heavens. But I don’t think this is an accurate portrayal of a perfectionist. Because my room is about to be named a wildlife refuge for the number of species that have moved in, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t brushed my hair in a week. Yesterday, I dropped my keys on my foot and then stubbed my toe trying to get to the nearest ice pack. I’m an ocean and a couple of continents away from perfect, but I’m a perfectionist. Which really, really, totally sucks, because it’s like those dogs that chase their tails: unparalleled in determination (or stupidity), but destined for perpetual disappointment. The thing is, I can never quite live up to my own standards. And that’s a bitter pill to swallow. Perfectionism is an insufferable thing. It strips away any joy in moments of triumph and piles on the selfrecrimination in moments of failure. Even when I do something right, I can never fully sit back and congratulate myself–there’s always something to pick apart, always something that I needed to have done better, always the involuntary comparison to someone else. And for me, one moment of failure is something to be remembered for months afterward. This is the mental baggage I took with me when I entered junior year. If you’re in high school, you’ve heard the horror stories. Timid little freshmen listen in wide-eyed wonder to
cranky upperclassmen, dreaded AP classes morphing into shadowy spectres that prey on emotional stability and sleep schedules. People cry at the drop of a hat, the drop of a GPA, the drop in the willingness to do anything that isn’t required to stay alive. It’s a tough time to be less-than-perfect. It’s also a tough time to keep that elusive ideal, perfection, alive. Sometimes, I find myself just not caring, which is scary when all your life you’ve cared too much. I have always been propelled by stress. I welcome the sickening feeling in my gut, the adrenaline pumping through my bloodstream, the faster heartbeat and clammy hands when I realize I have a test the next day, or a quiz the next period. That anxiety is my fuel; it forces me to keep going, to alleviate some of the pressure I’m under by actively studying or working, whatever the case may be. Last year, I had a really unhealthy obsession. And it wasn’t with something that could have at least given me some street cred, like marijuana or DJ Khaled (haha). My obsession was with two double-digit numbers- 99 and 100. I had convinced myself that the only two grades worth having were a 99 and a 100, and the pursuit of both made me a crazed creature at some points. And yes, I realize how pathetically first-world-privileged that sounds. I want to both chuckle derisively at my idiocy and punch myself in the noggin when I think about it. But hey, when you have everything you need and more, you obviously just have to find new ways to convince yourself life is hard. But it’s exhausting to worry every minute of every day. This year, I got burned out pretty fast, keeping up with more than I’ve ever had to before. So now, for the first time, I’m not obsessive. It’s finally possible for me to fail a quiz without feeling like I’m going to keel over and perish on the spot. I can’t stop the perfectionism, though. Even if I never get to that far-off plateau, which is highly probable, I like having something in me that pushes me to do better. I think there’s something noble in self-betterment, in working toward a peak. And if I didn’t try at all, where would I be? Probably on my couch, hair unbrushed and homework unfinished, eating a grocery store and crying over “Little Women.” On the other hand, that sounds pretty good too.
photo by K. Moreland
photo by R. Lewis
by RAGA JUSTIN news editor
A successful failure
Grades do not define success by KATIE DUSEK staff writer AP US History: 71. DC Pre-cal: 80. AP Psychology: 75. Most of my peers’ jaws would fall to the floor if they received grades like this. Well, mine does too, but because I am shocked I passed the class. If I am not at swim practice or theater rehearsals, I am studying. I even study while lifting weights and in between sets. I try my hardest in every class, but I still seem to come out with mostly Bs and Cs. It’s simple. Some people, no matter how hard they study, just cannot get straight A’s. I, unfortunately, am one of those people. Now, I force myself to take the highest classes that Texas High has to offer, which means I am usually surrounded by the people in my grade who have a 4.0 GPA. I hear things from them like “Oh my God, I just failed that test!” as they hold a paper proudly bearing an 85. I hide my 72 under my desk. The other kids in my classes are always talking about who is going to be top ten in our class, or who the valedictorian is going to be. They are all so competitive about grades. But I just want to do my best, and hopefully get a B in the class. I am always pushing myself, striving to improve in my classes. I seem to never stop studying. I stay up until midnight reading for history or writing papers for English. The reason I push myself in these AP classes is because I want to leave high school feeling like I learned something, not just cheated my way into a 4.0. I used to feel ashamed for the grades I got because I do put so much time and effort into them. I used to cry over my grades and feel like I was somehow less intelligent than my peers. I had somehow tricked myself into believing that the number on a piece of paper dictated who I am. But I have come to realize that the grades on my tests are not the most important thing about me. I learned that as long as I am trying my absolute hardest and not slacking off, then a C will do just fine on my report card. It won’t be the end of the world. Grades in school don’t reflect how kind you are, or how well you can make someone else smile. They don’t show who you are as a person. I still have big plans for myself in the future. My goals are to do everything to the best of my ability. I have learned that if you are always applying yourself and giving something all of your effort, then what comes of it won’t disappoint you.
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viewpoint
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
THE DIVISION BETWEEN HATE AND HERITAGE It’s time to change pain caused by the past by anna cannon feature editor Recent events have sparked a debate over the ethical dilemma of the Confederate Flag. Federal buildings have lowered it from their flagpoles, Dukes of Hazzard was taken off TV Land for its references to the flag and Amazon has stopped selling products that bear its image. Some say it’s a symbol of racism, while others vehemently deny it. For generations, many Southerners have been clinging to the rebel flag. For the especially avid, this includes its prominent display on virtually any surface where it will fit. It flies from truck beds, gets tacked to walls, is sold on T-shirts in gas stations and is
Slavery is considered an unfortunate blemish in the history of the country because the majority of Americans would never admit to the fact that their country was an active participant in an atrocity of this magnitude. But because of human nature and our inability to take responsibility for wrongdoing, we have decided that even if we uphold the symbol of the people who committed that atrocity, we are in no way connected to them. Another argument cites our First Amendment rights, saying that we have freedom of speech that allows us to display any flag we want. Yes, you’re right– we’re allowed to say whatever we want as long as we don’t threaten someone’s life. And I’m not saying that the Confederate flag should be illegal, I’m just saying that the First Amendment shouldn’t be cited as a reason for you to be mean. Because, after all, racism and its symbols are pretty mean concepts.
Other arguments go back to the origin of the war itself: supporters say that the Civil War was a battle over states rights, not slavery. While some deep, philosophical reasoning can shape this argument into something that makes a little sense, it entirely disregards everything that we are taught in history class. The Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Abolitionist Movement and any other cause of the war revolved around one thing: slavery. And the controversy over states rights was created by the issue of slavery–the Southern states were terrified of prospect of losing their slaves to a government order, so they campaigned for their right to property and for their states’ rights to nullify federal laws. You can talk about tariffs and states rights all you want, but those issues would never have
erupted into full scale war: the South Carolina Nullification Crisis was resolved amicably enough, and we didn’t worry about nullification again until it had to do with slavery. The “states rights” philosophy may hold some truth, but it would never have been an issue if slavery didn’t exist. The remaining argument: “stop being so offended, it’s not a big deal.” But for some, it’s definitely a big deal; while you display your heritage and belief in states rights, you display a symbol of one of the greatest transgressions in American history. Our generation is the one with the ability to change things, and nothing will ever be changed if we stay silent about injustice. It’s our job to create a world that doesn’t determine worth on the basis of skin color; one that decides to own up to its mistakes and develop a zero-tolerance policy toward injustice and hate.
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transformed into bumper stickers that will remain until the colors turn pink and baby blue. The main argument in support of the rebel flag is “heritage, not hate.” Yet I fail to see how the flag doesn’t represent a time of racial hatred. Let’s look at the facts. According to The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Africans were kidnapped from their homes, enslaved and transported to America; about 12 percent died in the voyage. Thousands died during the period of adjustment to the unfamiliar American climate. Half of the slave children born in America died during their first year of life. And millions people from later generations died of disease, malnutrition, exhaustion, injury and any other form of mistreatment. We’ll never know how many African Americans actually died while in slavery, because there was no registry for deaths of people considered property.
Ph
Symbol of past doesn’t mean bigotry by tyler snell print editor-in-chief As cars stream through small towns in Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, red, white and blue can be seen flying next to countless homes. As people walk down the crowded streets of the city, a familiar red, white and blue is seen at every corner.
But some of these flags represent a different red, white and blue—one of a Southern past and pride in heritage. The Confederate flag is a symbol of the South, yet people always seem bitter when the Confederacy is mentioned. Contrary to what most people believe, the modern Confederate flag was not actually flown by the Confederacy during the Civil War. The modern flag was flown by General Robert E. Lee’s Northern Virginia Army. This symbol of Southern pride was once flown during the era of slavery, but many miss the keywords, “was once.” The symbol now supports
constitutional freedoms that many Southerners love and fear will be taken away by the government “up north.” Our government seems so distant and far removed from our lives, and any time freedoms are threatened people are reminded of a distant tyranny, only this time an ocean does not separate the divide. Southerners pride themselves in hunting, fishing, owning guns, protecting their families, Southern food and country music. Granted, you do not have to be from or live in the South to experience and enjoy these freedoms. The Confederate flag is
misrepresented. It does not mean Southerners support slavery. It means we pride ourselves in being from the South where Southern hospitality is appreciated, religion is honored and respected and where sweet tea is the drink supremacy. Southerners fly the red, white and blue because we are loyal to our country but we also fly “those other” colors because it is a symbol of heritage and pride of where we were born and raised. High school and college graduates pride themselves on where they attended school much like people who grow up in the South pride themselves in growing up in this region of the United States. So when this stigma of being
a bigot forms just because a simple flag is flown, supporters of the Confederate flag get angry and do not want it to be taken away simply because others don’t understand its true meaning. Flags symbolize heritage, pride and geography the same way a country’s famous landmarks do. A flag does not mean we want the old days back. A flag means I appreciate where I grew up and call home, and I do not want to see this simple symbol of my heritage torn from my life, such as Walmart and Amazon refusing to sell any Confederate flags. That seems a little too much like a tyrant ordering me to not express myself. In a world where expression is applauded, shouldn’t it be okay for me to express my Southern heritage?
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& Q B B L REA D O O F L SOU 13 NORTH PINEWOOD TEXARKANA, TX 75501
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feature
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
leaving it all behind
Junior from India starts new life in America
He knows he doesn’t belong here. He knows this is not where he wants to spend the rest of his life. Then, everything changes when he is told that he is moving to America. He realizes that this is his opportunity to start over, in a new place. A place that he can call home. Junior Arsh Kadiwar has lived in many places around the world, such as London and India. Last year, his family moved to America. “I moved to Tennessee from Nagpur, Maharashtra, India in May 2014,”
Kadiwar said. “My family moved because of my parents’ jobs.” The Kadiwar family moved again shortly after that to Greenville, Texas, then again to Texarkana. Arsh had heard many rumors about America before he moved. “Well, I expected it to be very urban, with skyscrapers everywhere,” Kadiwar said. “I also expected the environment to be very clean and for most people to be overweight. The skyscraper and overweight rumors turned out to just be myths.” Kadiwar’s expectations of Texas were shrouded by
photo by P. Spaulding
by MATT FRANCIS staff writer
SETTLING IN Junior Arsh Kadiwar has lived in America for only two years, but he already knows that he wants to live here for the rest of his life.
rumors and stereotypes. He soon found out that most of the rumors weren’t true. “When I moved to Texas, I expected there to be a cowboy every five steps,” Kadiwar said. “That is just what the outside
world made me think, and it really was not true. Of course you actually have to live in Texas to know Texas.” Kadiwar took notice of the government’s role in education in America and
how different it was from the education system in India. “In India, the government really does not do much, especially in the way of education,” Kadiwar said. “Most middle-class people go to private schools there, while in America, there are public schools, which I found really interesting.” Kadiwar did not have a hard time adjusting to life in America due to the fact that the societies from both countries are similar. “Most people associate Indian society with the caste system, which does not exist anymore,” Kadiwar said. “In reality,
there are not many differences between the two.” Overall, moving to America was a life changing experience for Kadiwar, one that he does not regret in the slightest. “When I moved to London earlier in my life, I fell in love with urban places, places where I could be in a crowd but still be myself,” Kadiwar said. “Then when we went back to India, I felt like I did not belong there. Fortunately, we moved to America shortly after, and I feel like this is where I want to live for the rest of my life. This is where I belong.”
I’M COMIN’ HOME
Family learns to cope with brother’s absence by LAUREN POTTER design editor Sitting at the gate waiting to hear his flight number over the intercom, getting as many laughs in as they can before waving goodbye, junior Piper Spaulding knows the routine. With her big brother Sawyer, Piper counts down the minutes until he boards his flight, taking advantage of every second they have left. Pipers’s brother, Sawyer, began basic military training (BMT) in August 2013 and is currently stationed in Aviano, Italy, at a joint military base. “Sawyer and I are extremely close. We have never really argued much because we are different genders and there’s three and a half years between us,” Spaulding said. “The first few months that he was away at BMT were really hard on me.” Life without Sawyer at home was different for Piper, for he was her go-to for any question she could think to ask. “I was so use to coming home and making jokes with him and talking about school. He was like my personal Google. It sounds weird, but honestly, I asked him everything,” Piper said. “He always answered my questions like about which classes to take, is high school scary, is the driving permit test hard. Everything I had to do, he had already done.”
Although Piper has a sister, sophomore Hartley Spaulding, she considers herself closer to Sawyer. “I’m definitely closer to Sawyer than I am to Hartley,” Spaulding said. “When Sawyer was stationed in Italy, it was like ripping of my security blanket. I could no longer bust through his bedroom door and ask him anything I wanted so I wouldn’t worry about it. He had always done everything first, and then told me what to do when it came to my turn. When he left, I had to do everything on my own.” When Sawyer left for Italy, Piper felt their connection wane. “It almost felt like we weren’t really connected anymore. I rarely could talk to him while he was getting settled in. I think we even drifted apart a little,” Piper said. “It’s hard to keep up with each other when you’re separated by an ocean.” Despite drifting apart, Piper did her best to stay in touch. “Sawyer being stationed in Italy wasn’t near as bad as when he was deployed to Afghanistan. He wasn’t safe on a military base anymore; he was out in the field working,” Piper said. “That’s when we started to talk a lot more and get closer again. I wanted to check on him every single day to make sure he was still okay.” In December, Sawyer and his parents planned a surprise homecoming for Piper
photo by M. Parish
HOMECOMING Junior Piper Spaulding embraces her brother Sawyer after he surprised her at school. Sawyer is currently stationed in Aviano, Italy.
and her sister. “There are no words to describe how it feels when Sawyer gets to come home. The whole family worries about him while he’s gone. We don’t really talk about it, but we all know,” Piper said. “When he gets home, it’s like a split second where everything is right in the world. All the Spauldings in one room, safe.” Piper makes sure to cherish every moment she has with her brother at home. “It sounds silly, but probably the best thing ever is getting to tell the waitress you need a table for five, not four, because we are all back together,” Piper said. “I
can see it in my mom and dad. They’re so much more relaxed when Sawyer is home.” Even though separating with Sawyer is difficult for Piper, she knows what he’s doing is for the best and respects all that he has done. “When he does have to leave, it’s sad, but not like you would think. Like this past month when he left, I didn’t cry like I have in the past. I’ve gotten to the point where I know he has to go, and I don’t want to make it any harder than it has to be,” Piper said. “I’m so proud of him. Sawyer is the bravest and most selfless person I know, and I love him more than everything.”
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community
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
TM
Eagle Open House Saturday, February 20, 2016 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Academic Interest Workshops l Major-Specific Highlights Meet Facutly & Staff l Financial Aid and Scholarship Workshop Student Life, Housing, and Security Workshop First Year Experience, Admissions, and Advising Workshop Free Lunch l Tour the Campus l Apply for Admission and Scholarships TICKETS INCLUDED TO EAGLE BASEBALL DOUBLE-HEADER!
Register at tamut.edu/admissions/eagle-open-house All attendees are registered to win an iPad Mini (Must be present to win)
7101 University Avenue
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Texarkana, TX 75503
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903.223.3000
AP Participation
2.0% 0.6% 0.0%
20.6%
32.4%
DC Completion
7.5% 10.3%
749
996 Current Population
get home in time to do most homework projects.” For some who choose regular classes over advanced ones see it more as a social issue rather than an economic one. “There aren’t a lot of minorities in [advanced classes,]” Gamble said. “There aren’t a lot of black kids in there. I guess it’s because you don’t look cool being in an advanced class.” Social stereotypes include a student’s drive to succeed, and Bailey says that this can only be combated from within each student. “We can put a lot of responsibility on ourselves as administration and as a campus, but our students have to be motivated to accept help and want to get better,” Bailey said. “We’ve got to continue to motivate, continue to encourage, try to make class interesting and try to catch them up as best we can.” Grades are not the only use of motivation for students. Some choose not to participate in advanced, harder, more pressured classes because they want to participate in their favorite clubs or sports. “I felt like I wouldn’t meet the standards to play football,” Alexander said. “I wanted to have a good grade, but [AP classes] are harder and have more pressure.” While students are struggling to pass harder classes, overcome social stigmas, and economic barriers, administration is working to find a clear cut, foolproof program to accomplish the daunting task of closing the achievement gap. “We are not giving up by any means,” Bailey said. “If anyone has any suggestions to make, I am always willing to take them. We are continuously working on that and going to keep trying.”
20.4 18.2 22.4 17.6 18.9
32.5%
In a school that is classified as a low-income school, 55.9 percent of the students were classified as economically disadvantaged for the 2013-2014 school year. The free and reduced lunch program is also used as a way to lower the cost of AP tests, bringing the cost from $90 to $7 along with two free tests. However, some students won’t encounter the economic problem at school but will meet it at home. “I wouldn’t be able to get internet connection at home,” junior Marques Alexander said. “The timing would also be different because I wouldn’t
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Economically Disadvantaged
710
White
32.4%
Black Hispanic
Economic/Social
17.0%
Peering inside the classroom, an outsider sees a class with a high level of white students and no or low amount of minorities. Recently, the AP Ambassadors program was started to reverse this trend and is directed by Coordinator for Academic Advancement Charlotte Leon. “We are trying to help promote and encourage [the] subpopulations to be involved in AP and DC classes to help them reflect closer to our demographics,” Leon said. “They can prove it to their parents or get that step ahead. That is what we are trying to do.” AP Ambassadors include high achieving minority students that Leon hopes will connect to other students better than she can. Leon is bringing Ambassadors into classes that are making their choice sheet selections for next year. “[Students] perked up when [an ambassador]
45.9%
Campus
Advanced Placement/Dual Credit Classes
went in the class. They listened. They asked her questions,” Leon said. “You could kind of see in their faces ‘I can do that too.’ It just registered.” Some students however choose not to be in advanced classes because of a dislike of the teaching styles. “The teachers seemed to try to make it hard that way once you get to college it will seem easier, but it wasn’t really [them] teaching,” junior Keyondra Gamble said. “It was just [them] giving a bunch of work and not really giving a lesson, so it made it difficult for me, and I had to get out of the class.” In order to solve the teacher problem, Bailey says they are attending instructional training sessions and offering training to the teachers over how to solve the gap in performance. “We’ve been attending training over instructional strategies that will target those areas of improvement that we need to look at,” Bailey said. “We are working on better instructional strategies to help target the needs of our students.”
19.3% 23.3%
The alarm clock rings. He lazily climbs out of the bed, puts on some clothes and trudges to school. The bell rings, and it’s test day. But he didn’t study. He doesn’t care. He just wants to take the test and go back to bed. The alarm clock rings. She pulls herself out of the bed, puts on some clothes and rehearses strategies for the test as she makes her way to school. The bell rings, and it’s test day. She did study. She does care. She is ready to make an A. One student failed. The other passed with flying colors. One student repeats this for other classes. The other is active, alert and ready to pass each exam. This difference between students passing their exams is commonly referred to as the performance or achievement gap. The only area that Texas High School did not receive a distinction was in closing the achievement gap in a report produced by the Texas Education Agency each year. The school finished 23 out of 41 schools. In order to receive distinction, schools must place in the top 10 in the state. “It’s the toughest one that we have had to face, and there are different factors involved in why we haven’t done it,” principal Brad Bailey said. “It’s been a little bit slower, but it could be due to gaps in learning from earlier years. [Students] get so ahead as [they] advance in grades that it overwhelms [them.]” A peer mentoring program has been instituted by the school in order to help students who are struggling to understand class material. This was previously attempted with outside teachers and
experts in the field, but did not receive the results administration was looking for. Instead, administration turned to staff located on the campus and had students come in for tutorials during the teacher’s conference period. The REACH program is also a small group of students that work together to understand concepts they originally did not comprehend to help close the achievement gap. “It’s not necessarily the same thing [students] get in the classroom,” Bailey said. “It’s more handson, very targeted instruction where it is one on one.”
1,781
by Tyler Snell print editor-in-chief
Performance gap is biggest challenge for school
Thoughts on being a minority in the majority photo by K. Moreland
The Great DIVIDE DIVIDE
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in-depth
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
3.2% 3.0%
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It’s not all black & white
by Ricky Cooks staff writer Go to school. Work rolls from other black hard. Make good grades. Be kids across the hallway. I felt competitive. insecure and almost like a traitor to Those four things have been my main my own race, but being so young, it’s goals since the third grade when I didn’t feel hard to branch out and meet new people like the smartest kid anymore. I started school who aren’t in the same classes. at Martha and Josh Morriss Elementary School Now that I’m in high school, I am a lot in the third grade – a school full of the district’s more comfortable with who I am. However, in brightest kids. It was when I went to Morriss that I my advanced courses, I am one of the few (if not realized: I had to work hard to succeed. Other people the only) black people. Regardless, I’m a successful were going to work harder. I was one of five minorities student because of the person that I am, not who my out of my class of 60 kids. friends are or the color of their skin. Being less than 10 years old, I never truly understood Sure, it kind of hurts that I hear about black kids what it meant to be someone who wasn’t in the majority. who don’t want to take AP courses because they’re “white In elementary school, I was never approached with any people classes.” It’s alarming to me that two years ago, stigmas or negativity about the color of my skin. However, only 7.5 percent of black students at Texas High School deep down, I felt as if I had to prove that I was better, if not were in AP classes, while 32.5 percent of white students took equal, to the white kids all around me. AP courses. Black students could be less competitive for jobs I’m comfortable with the way I live, and I am so in the future against white students that took AP courses in thankful that I was able to grow up with parents who got high school. me everything I needed, and almost everything I wanted. As senior year approaches, it’s no easier to identify with Surrounded by kids who acted like me for three years, I didn’t the majority of black students, but I’m content with the realize a major difference between any students until I went to black person that I am. The past year has been phenomenal: middle school. I was elected class president, vice president of the Texas In the sixth grade, I realized that there are significantly Association of Student Councils and have managed to keep different types of people who attend school. Texas Middle my grades up in the midst of it all. I’m an involved student, School was a melting pot of different personalities, and race isn’t a factor anymore – not to me at least. backgrounds and races. TMS also had a much larger I’ve realized that my insecurities and self-doubt came number of minorities. I finally felt as though I could along with comparison and envy for white and black prosper as someone who didn’t have to prove students everywhere. Now, I try to be a role model; himself. not only for African-Americans all over, but for What I didn’t expect in middle school was everyone that I encounter. I’ve accomplished so to feel apart from nearly every other black many things as myself— not as the “white kid in person at the school. Growing up with a black body,” or the “black kid with white primarily white children, I dressed friends.” I’m happy with who I am, where differently, spoke differently and took I come from, the color of my skin and different classes than the majority of the people I’m friends with. other black kids. Life goes on after high Because of this, I saw school, and you can bet the pointed looks and I’ll keep going, eye too.
Average ACT Score Dropped Out (4 Years) statistics taken from 2013-2014 school year
design by Caroline May/in-depth editor
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feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
feature
Meet the teacher
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
HISTORICAL OPINIONS by CAILEY ROBERSON staff writer Wars. Empires. Alliances. World history is the transition from geography to true history. From pages upon pages of notes to essays that’ll make your hand cramp, world history is an unforgettable class to anyone who has taken it. Known to many as “the history teacher from the middle school,” this year is world history teacher Hunter Davis’s first here, after teaching social studies at Texas Middle School. Davis, a Texarkana native, has been teaching for six years.
Q: Why do you
teach? A: I enjoy history. I always thought it would be interesting to be able to take topics that I was knowledgeable about and
impress it upon the youth. I want to help people by spreading knowledge. I decided to teach and get involved with students. Hopefully, I can make an impact on them positively instead of just doing a regular nine to five job everyday.
Q: Why did you leave TMS? A: I like world history, and so when a job opened up to teach [it], I wanted [it]. I think that you can go a lot deeper into topics and talk about certain things that you can’t talk about in middle school in terms of history interpretations and politics and current events. I wanted an opportunity to work with older students and a different setting, also.
Q: What is your teaching style? A: I like making the kids think. Presenting ideas but not as simply one interpretation of an idea. History is a story written by people. People have their biases. It’s all about perspective. Teaching the kids that they should take it, formulate an opinion on a matter, even if [it] is, say, 500 years old, is actually thinking critically and not just taking something for face value out of a book.
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Q: Being one out of the handful of male
teachers here, do you ever feel left out? A: No, I don’t. I enjoy working with my colleagues regardless of gender. Being in education as a male, you’re going to be a minority almost everywhere you go. To me, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. I enjoy working with people who are interested in the same goals as I am and have the same aspirations. That matters more than your gender.
Q: As a teacher, what’s a bad mistake
you’ve made? A: Assuming my students knew something they didn’t.
Q: What is your philosophy towards work? A: I think effort should be reflected in work, and the payoff should be equal to the amount of work you put into it. If a student really wants to do their best, that’s all anybody can ever expect from them. If you're working and putting everything you have into it and don’t get the desired outcome, that’s not a reason to quit. You should give everything you have when you do anything, otherwise it’s not worth doing.
photo by B. O’Shaugnessy
Twin struggles, twin triumphs
Freshmen overcome early challenges to form unique bond by ANNA CANNON feature editor Fifteen years ago, they were identical babies in identical incubators, with identical instruments monitoring identical heartbeats. Years later, they were identical faces peering over a grave. Now, they wear identical taekwondo uniforms and share a unique bond that has been cultivated through the shared challenges they have overcome. Freshmen Megan and McKenzie Brown were born prematurely and have been together through every twist and turn of their lives. “We had heart and lung problems because we were born so early,” Megan said. “I was in the hospital for seven weeks and McKenzie was in there for five. Our mom was in the hospital for 17 days before she had us. Since we were twins, she knew that it was going to be hard.”
Unfortunately, their challenges didn’t stop when they left the hospital; when the girls were seven, their father passed away after a heart attack. “We would always go over to his house, whenever he didn’t live with us,” McKenzie said. “We would always eat Cheerios.” Later the girls found a mutual passion for taekwondo. They train every day of the week for up to two hours a day at East Texas Martial Arts. “My brother started taekwondo because he needed to find something that he was good at, something he wanted to do,” Megan said. “He came home and he was like, ‘Mr. Jones is so mean, you don’t want to do that!’ and we were like, ‘Okay we wanna do it.’ He quit, and we’re still there.” The girls participate in five competitions a year. Last summer, they went to an international championship in Rome. “The championship in Rome was really fun,” McKenzie said.
“We got to see people and skill levels from all over the world. It was a big culture shock.” Even though they keep a rigorous schedule, the girls find that taekwondo helps keep them on track with their schoolwork. “It helps me keep my schoolwork balanced,” McKenzie said. “My instructor tells me that if I don’t have my grades up, I can’t go to tournaments, and there are a lot of consequences for not having good grades. That helps.” In the past, the twins have dealt with misconceptions about their sport. Some people see taekwondo as violent, although there is much more to it than that. “I’ve heard people who think that taekwondo isn’t a good sport because you’re teaching people to fight each other, and that’s not how it is,” Megan said. “There are tenets we follow, and it’s teaching respect and courtesy and integrity. You’re not just fighting someone,
photo by M. Morris
IN MEMORY Freshmen Megan and McKenzie Brown hold a picture of their father, who died when they were 7 years old.
it’s about building people up.” Science and experience have proven that identical twins share a special bond. Megan and McKenzie have always shared this bond, but have grown even closer through the trials they have
conquered together. “We’ve been through all this stuff together, so we always have something to talk about,” Megan said. “We know exactly what we’ve been through, and we’re always there for each other.”
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feature
Sole proprietorship feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
by MOLLY CROUCH copy editor
Senior customizes shoes at affordable price
A lone light bulb illuminates a fog of colors ranging from deep red to powder pink to cobalt blue that cloud a masked face. An almost completely immobile body hunches over a modest wooden desk. Dozens of acrylic shoe paint are neatly lined up on the surface. Hands contort to an airbrush after hours of painting a pair of Nike Huaraches. Eyes strain to create the perfect color combination. Senior RJ Reid has embraced the entrepreneurial lifestyle by customizing shoes and designing his own brand called Blacksole. His business began when he was overcharged for a pair of custom Vans. “I’ve loved shoes all my life,” Reid said. “I wanted a pair of custom made and a girl really tried to tax me for it. She charged me $200 for a pair of Vans. I thought to myself, ‘I could probably do that on my own.’ So I started researching, and I really got into it. That’s why I’m doing it now.” Before he can use his creativity, Reid must strip the shoe back down to its base. This means he uses acetone to take off any paint previously on the shoe, then lets it dry for a few days. After that, he sprays a thin coat of paint, producing a seemingly brand new pair of shoes. “There’s a lot that goes into [making customs],” Reid said. “Most people think that it’s just getting a pair of shoes and painting over the top of it, which it’s not at all. When I’m finished with the paint, I still have to put a cover on it so the paint won’t just scrape off because you wear them.” From Nike’s Huaraches to Jordans to old school Adidas, Reid can restore and improve a range of brands and styles. He spends about a week on each pair of shoes. “Most people bring me their Jordans,” Reid said. “Mesh is sometimes kind of hard to fool with, but I can still do it. Just anything with leather I can put my craft into because that’s what the paint is for.” The major advantage for customers is Reid’s affordable prices. His costs range from $40-50 for every pair of shoes and are returned after a week or two. “I’m not really trying to kill anybody because I know we’re still high schoolers, so we’re on a budget,” Reid said. “Most of the customers love it. There’s not anybody in Texarkana that’s doing this, so it’s unique for them to own [a pair of ] shoes that nobody has.” Social media is the epicenter of Reid’s marketing. When he isn’t working, Reid posts pictures and tweets about his latest merchandise to increase his client base. “[Twitter and Instagram] are probably my main sources of getting my word and stuff out,” Reid said. “I really just put myself out there. I posted a picture one time, and somebody was like ‘Ah, those are good, man. Do you do them for other people?’ I was like ‘Yeah, I can do that, just hit me up sometime.’” Reid’s accounts are not only for gaining new customers, but also to converge ideas with other shoe enthusiasts. “I follow a couple of [artists] on Instagram and Twitter,” Reid said. “I bounce ideas off them and they bounce ideas off me. We communicate like that, and that’s where I get my color schemes from.” Even though Reid is still in the early stages of his business, his work hasn’t gone unnoticed. He plans to pursure his passion after high school. “I think I can go far in this,” Reid said. “I’ve been up to places, and they ask me ‘Where do you get your shoes from?’ I tell them I did them myself, and they really seem to like it.”
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S ’ T
K C I T K I E L
They stand with heads held high in line. They walk out when their names and numbers are called. They put their hands to their hearts when the melody they know so well begins to play. They huddle together as the crowd cheers. “1, 2, 3, Family!” and the game is on. After a hard fought battle against their crosstown rival, Pleasant Grove, the varsity Lady Tigers lost 0-1 in a scrimmage. This loss has driven the team to work harder during practice and their other scrimmages. “Our loss against PG has served as motivation to work hard in every practice,” senior Shaleigh Chandler said. “It was a tough loss because we fought every second, but unfortunately, we were just unlucky.” After recuperating and improving on the issues that came about during their first game, the Lady Tigers travelled to Sherman and came home victorious with a score of 1-0. “Our first win really helped us play together as a team and connect,” sophomore Summer Stussy said. “We used our speed to beat a really physical team.” The first week back from Christmas break, the team competed in the Whataburger Terrell Winterblast Tournament in Terrell, Texas. They came home from the tournament with a record of
by Connor Brooks staff writer
After having a rough start on their record, the boys soccer team is ready to prove themselves once the district season starts. After going to a tournament near Dallas, they came back with three losses but also benefited from this. “I feel like the competition is more difficult than what we are used to,” junior “I’ve had to step Alex Hernandez said. “On and off of the up for my team and field, I feel like we grew closer as a team and this will help us in future games.” be someone they can The boys first district game was a cat count on. If we keep working fight as they played the Mount Pleasant together we will become Tigers. They have always been tough d n la s cca stronger.” m competition for both junior varsity . yk to b -Rachael Shewmaker and varsity. Both teams suffered pho losses, but they still improved on their teamwork. Varsity is confident they can have many wins this season. “I want to be able to win more games than we did last year, and with the game we played tonight, I feel 2-0-2. photo by r. lewis like we will be able to,” senior Roger “The competition in this tournament will help Moreno said. “Even though we lost us later on when we get into our district where tonight [against Mount Pleasant], I every game will be a battle,” Coach Dustin Holly “We are going to felt like we got better as a team with said. “The best part about us getting away for a be working hard as a our touches and passes.” tournament was the bonding our team goes through. team and improving our The junior varsity team I think the girls really got to know each other, and game, and hopefully, we’ll be suffered a more detrimental loss we came back more of a family than we were.” but are still confident to be able better than last year.” The Lady Tigers travelled to Carthage and won to achieve success throughout the with a score of 8-0. -Alex Hernandez rest of the season. In a rematch of last year’s bi-district playoff “I expect that we will win a lot match, the Lady Tigers beat John Tyler again 3-0 at of games while developing more as home. The Tigers then went on to outshot the John a team and how we operate together,” Tyler Lions 18-2. freshman John Powell said. “We need to “Our game against John Tyler was a great first work on passing and keeping our space, but home game,” freshman Sarah Rogers said. “It was a we have definitely improved on it.” really physical game in which a red card was given to Head coach Clint Toon has been one of the girls on the other team.” working vigorously with the team at In their last scrimmage before district, the team practices to get them prepared and to tied Nacogdoches 0-0. With a goal for the Lady hopefully help them make it to playoffs. Tigers that was called offsides, Holly was proud of “As long as the team plays together as a their performance against the most athletic team unit, rather than individuals, we should do they have played this season. pretty good,” senior Braden Sellers said. “I “I am looking forward to this season because think by talking, it’ll [get] us closer as more I think if we play as a team we will do well,” than just a team, but as a family which will sophomore Chloe Coake said. “We have become a then help our passing.” family, and now everyone is going to do their best The boys will be playing a home game because we do not want to let each other down.” today with junior varsity at 5:30 p.m. and The Lady Tigers travel to Sulphur Springs tonight varsity at 7 p.m. against Sulphur Springs. to compete in their fifth district game.
Girls team aims to continue improving by Eleanor Schroeder staff writer
Boys team hopes to prove themselves
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feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
A FATHER’S ASSIST by jessica emerson online editor-in-chief “Go left,” my dad chimes out over the crisp hollow sound of the basketball colliding with the pavement. With beads of sweat rounding the defined curves that shape my eight-year-old cheeks and my hair clinging intensely to the moisture harbored on my neck, I dribble two steps to my left, cock my wrist, and listen to the sound of the ball sliding smoothly through the soft white laces. I’m learning. “Pick up your knees a little more when you run,” my dad lectured after a long fought game within the confinements of his heated Ford F-150. My 12-year-old ears listen to him intently, absorbing every correction. I’m improving. “Shoot the ball a little faster,” my dad yells over the roar of the crowd. My 16-yearold hands run through my hair in frustration. I need to hit a shot. I’m performing. “I’m so proud of my little girl,” my dad whispers quietly in my ear, hugging my 17-year-old shoulders tightly after my last game as a Lady
Tiger. With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, I’m saying goodbye. Since I was four years old, I could hold a basketball. My dad would take me outside to the driveway and let me throw up pathetic shots. I’d gather all the might my four year old toothpick arms could muster and I’d throw the ball up, watch it soar a grand total of 12 inches, and with hands ready and eyes wide, I’d gaze as the ball made its hasty descent. I “practiced” for hours. Until eventually a foot became two feet, two feet became six, and by the time I could play real basketball on a 10-foot goal, my shot was spot on. The years progressed. Old hole-ridden high tops piled up in my closet and my outdoor Spalding basketball grew a little worn. Little Dribblers gave way to Upward, Upward faded into Boys and Girls Club, and then it hit. I was a 7th grader at Texas Middle School. I could finally wear a school name on my jersey and play for something that mattered. Basketball was something I shared with my father. Long
photo by b. o’shaughnesssy
Senior’s journey with basketball fosters growth
rides back from tournaments or games were spent analyzing things I could improve and things I did well. He was a sports fanatic. I grew to be a sports fanatic. We meshed. Not many little girls grew up immersed in SportsCenter or sitting court side at a Baylor Lady Bears Basketball game. He let me dream. He let me believe I could go as far as I wanted to with my game. The world was my oyster. With kind words and faith in my ability, he fed me encouragement and fostered my confidence. My Dad helped me shape mental disciplines through basketball that have molded me as a
person. As I traded my basketball shorts in for jeans, my ponytail for a fishtail braid and my KD’s for birkenstocks, my love for basketball evolved as well. Basketball used to consume me. In my mind, my intensity toward basketball was a representation of my worth. With age comes maturity, and I realized my strengths and passions for other things. Basketball gave me an intangible bond with my father that I wouldn’t trade for all worth in the world. I loved basketball like you love an old stuffed animal. You keep it. You care for it. But you don’t need it anymore.
Nine athletes sign letters of intent by tye shelton staff writer Signing day proved to be a kink in the daily routine of senior athletes. Instead of preparing for a day of workouts and hard work, some athletes slipped on gear from the college of their choice and prepared to ink their National Letter of Intent. Nine athletes signed to play collegiate athletics Feb. 3. Six football players signed including Dee Jones to Henderson State University, Chaz Davis to Midwestern State University, Kip Williams to Southern Arkansas University, Jerry Wrightner to Fort Hays State University and J’Kardi Witcher and Matt Davis to Southeastern Oklahoma University. Three other athletes were Grayson Jones for golf at Oral Roberts University, along with Zack Phillips and Kyrian Williams signing for baseball at Seminole State College and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. “It is amazing signing on signing day from where I am from,” Witcher said. “It is a gift to me coming from troubling times, and I am going to make sure I use it how I am supposed to.” Dreams came true on signing day as all of the days of hard work, sweat, and doubt proved worthwhile as ink to paper proved them as collegiate athletes. These athletes determination has turned into opportunity. “This is like nothing else,” Wrightner said. “It is truly a blessing. We have to take this opportunity and run with it. Small town Texarkana football players going to make it big now.”
TAKE A KNEE
photo by e. meinzer
February Fanatics
ACL injury shows senior how to persevere, strive for college
The BASEBALL team is comprised mostly of experienced seniors and college-committed athletes. After being one and done for the past two years, the team is setting its sights on target for a deep run in the playoffs. The boys have particularly worked on consistent hitting due to losing multiple close games in previous years. SENIOR ZACKARIE PHILLIPS
by TYE SHELTON staff writer Laces and spikes are two components of life that were major keys to senior Trevor Danley’s athletic career. A two-year starter on varsity football and a four-year letterman in baseball, his high school career is quite successful. Unfortunately, his junior season of spring baseball was cut short by a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the final game of the 2014 football season. A six month period of withdrawal from his craft only drove the already motivated Danley even more, prompting a vigorous and trying installment of rehabilitation. With the goal of reaching the next level of collegiate athletics, the journey to recovery began. “Injuries within sports take tolls, but the hardest part of this injury mentally was the day I was fully released,” Danley said. “Accepting and coping with the uncertainty of not knowing my limits was hard to deal with, especially with the thought of percentages behind a retear.” With mental duress and rehabilitation in his past, Danley sought after an opportunity to perform at an elite level last summer. He joined a summer travel baseball team based out of Longview and coached by former collegiate baseball player Nico Moran. “Trevor has taken everything he has been told by coaches and by people who are trying to help him,” Moran said. “He may not play where he once dreamed of, but he has dominated what was put in front of him, and that is enough for someone to make a dream come true for Trevor.” As the end of summer approached, Trevor could see his goal of playing at the collegiate level within his grasp. Schools such as Stephen F. Austin, Seminole State Junior College, University of Texas at Arlington, and University of
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strapping up Senior Trevor Danley watches his teammates as he puts on his knee brace. Ever since his injury, Danley must take extra precautions when it comes to safety during sports.
Central Arkansas showed interest in Danley. After numerous performances in front of big-time names, such as University of Arkansas head coach Dave van Horn, Texas Christian University’s Jim Schlossnagle, and a plethora of professional scouts, his upside promised great talent. His only setback to some is the “what if?” of a possible retear, or the chance his knee cannot promise him results needed to consistently perform at an elite level. This mindset has caused a change in perspective regarding Danley’s potential. “Some things I do not understand,” Danley said. “I do not understand the fact that I cannot change I tore my ACL, yet I am stronger, faster and better than pre-injury. It provides a sense of hopelessness telling a kid he has a future in a program, only to break that trust built by a factor I cannot change.” Through these trials and tests, his grit and will are two things that have remained prevalent within his road to success. Danely has sought out and found strength through strong, divine faith, along with a massive support group. Athletic trainer Daniel Byrd, who spent eight months working with Danley, knows first-hand of Danley’s determination. Early morning sessions of treatment and rigorous stretching accompanied by strength training in the afternoon. What started as a simple rehab stint formulated a strong friendship building upon day-long sessions of continual progress. Day in and day out, Danely made it back to his realm of comfort within the white lines of the diamond. “[Danley] would beat me to the training room most mornings. He
is the kind of kid that makes my job easier, coming ready to work everyday,” Byrd said. “Seeing him for the first time in nine months in gear was rewarding. I hope he goes far and does well because he has put in the time and work to succeed.” With the wavering uncertainty as to what lies in the future, Danley’s work ethic is one that does not follow suit of his predecessors. He finds motivation to prove to those who do not believe in his talent that past injuries do not dictate the performance level of an individual. The last fall semester of Danley’s career flew by quickly,and his final high school season approaches. However the lack of college interest has not deterred Danley from hope, but has given him the will to succeed more than ever. As his fourth and final year of high school baseball commences, his role as captain has taken a new meaning. “Trevor has always been a great leader,” assistant baseball coach Scott Mennie said. “I have no doubt he will succeed in anything he does in life.” Hopefully, an offer will come. Hopefully, somebody will be calling. In regards to recruitment hampered by his knee, Danley is in a “do or die” situation. Fully aware, he is heading into this season head first, prepared for anything thrown his way. “Hearing the words, ‘you are done,’ inflicted pain on me, but I knew that I wouldn’t let myself give up,” Danley said. “All the times crying in the training room, or falling five times the first time I tried to sprint, I knew that it would all be worth it someday, and I think that day will come - the day I step across the white lines of a collegiate baseball field ready to play the game I love.”
The SOFTBALL team is looking forward to a successful season with the prospect of a deep run in the playoffs. The team only lost three seniors and will replace them with talented freshmen. With most of the starters returning, the team’s chemistry is still intact. JUNIOR KENZIE DICKSON The GIRLS BASKETBALL team has been experiencing a rebuilding season after losing two Division I level athletes last year. The team has only one senior and the rest of the team composes of underclassmen. Despite the inexperience, the team boasted strong perimeter play this year as they are among the top teams in Texas in three pointers made. FRESHMAN MIA WILSON After being a competitive team in district play this season, the BOYS BASKETBALL team will be competing in the playoffs. One of the highlights of their season has been their recent rout of Longview at home. The team has attributed their confidence as the reason for their success. As they enter playoffs, they plan on working on communication on defense. SENIOR JANIRO LANE The boys and girls SWIM TEAM both won regionals. This is the 18th and 7th consecutive win for the boys and girls respectively. Senior Dylan Gray won the 100 yard breaststroke, and sophomore Kristen Clayton won the girls 100 yard breaststroke. Both 200 yard medley relay teams won. The boys 200 freestyle relay and the girls 400 freestyle relay made call-ups for state which will be held at the University of Texas at Austin on Feb. 19-20. SENIOR DYLAN GRAY Coming off a win at the Lobo Invitational this past Monday, the BOYS GOLF TEAM team’s confidence is trending up. Their next tournament is their regional preview on Feb. 26-27. GIRLS GOLF are competing today and tomorrow at their own Regional Preview in Rockwall, Texas. Both teams are preparing for their upcoming district tournament on April 4-5 at the Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club. SENIOR NATALIE PORTWOOD compiled by Jay Williamson and Alex Heo photos by M. Brandon, M. Frohnhoefer, D. James, P. Spaulding, file photos
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Adding It Up
Everyone knows that it’s free to go to public school. If you live in the district, you get in for free. But how does that translate into our sports? Financial exemptions can be made for things like lunches and AP tests, but is the same true for our sports? Are they all really accessible to our students from every socioeconomic background? Well, only sometimes.
Compiled by Leah Crenshaw
•
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $0 Senior Chaz Davis
VOLLEYBALL
14
Shoes: $120
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $120
10 TRACK • •
All equipment is provided by the school.
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $0
Junior Jonathan Rowland
Shoes: $0-$120 Some provided; some purchased.
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $0-$120
13POWER LIFTING Senior Jessica Bilimek
All equipment is provided by the school.
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $0 Sophomore Mason Shoalmire
12 BAND
Senior Kaylyn Coleman
BASKETBALL • Basketball Shoes: $60-$150 • Socks: $20
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $60-$150
9 8SOCCER
Senior RJ Reid
• •
Band Shirt: $15 Marching Shoes: $35 Marching Gloves: $5
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $55
• • • •
COUNTRY
All equipment is provided by the school.
• • •
7 TENNIS
11 CROSS
15 FOOTBALL
Cleats: $50-$300 Shin Guards: $25
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $75-$375 Senior Brandon Head
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Sophomore Celeste Anderson
CHEER
• • • • • • • • • •
Racket: $175 Restringing: $20 a week Bag: $100 Tennis Shoes: $100
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $395 • • •
Senior Carson Rommel
6
Cleats: $50-$100 Glove: $75-$150 Bat: $150-$300 (although they can provide ones if needed)
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $750 Senior Chelsea Villanueva
DRILL TEAM • • • • • • •
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $200-$550
SOFTBALL Junior Raegan Erskine
5 BASEBALL • • •
Gloves: $250 Bats: $150-$300 Batting Gloves: $15$25
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: Sophomore Cole Christen $415-$575
4 SWIM
• Competition Suits: $300-$500 • Drag Suit: $40 • Swim Caps: $40 for 2 • Goggles: $20 • Shammies (for diving): $20
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $720
Senior Luke Calhoun
3
Six Shirts Four Shorts Spandex Two Pairs of Shoes Two Sports Bras Two Bows Duffle Bag Back Pack Cheer Camp All combined onto one price sheet
2
3 Practice Tops 2 Practice Leggings Practice Wrap Uniform: optional Jazz Shoes New Tights (1 per week) Pep Rally T-shirts
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $850-$1070
Freshman Isabelle Robertson
1 • • • •
Sophomore Matt Prieskorn
Clubs: $800$1,000 Shoes: $75-$150 Tees: $15 per package of 200 Golf Balls: $54.97 per package of 12
TOTAL FOR FIRST SEASON: $950-$1,220
GOLF
photos by R. Lewis, E. Meinzer, K. Moreland, M. Morris and A. Sozen
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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NBC Inc.
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health
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
Facing the FEVER quick sick fixes Before you snatch up the entire pharmaceutical counter, try these old wives’ tales remedy your ache and pains.
Chicken Soup
They say warm chicken soup is good for the soul, but it also helps keep your blood circulating, fighting off those pesky pathogens.
Honey
When coughing your brains out, soothe your scratchy throat with a spoonful of thick, sugary honey, honey.
Peppermint Oil
Stuffy nose? Rub some peppermint essential oil directly under your nostrils. Breathing in the fumes helps open up sinuses and stops the sniffles.
Top tips to fight flu season
S 1
by GRACE HICKEY staff writer
ick season has come sweeping in, infecting the halls with its symphony of hacks, wheezes and sneezes. As malady and Motrin battle it out during these germ-infested times, students are increasingly finding themselves being put on house arrest due to a vigorous case of the sniffles and a raging 103 degree temperature. While it may seem that no one is safe from the common cold’s wrath, there are a few ways to keep from falling into feverish conditions.
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Wash your hands This might appear to be an obvious solution after the hygiene lectures that have been hurled at students since elementary school, but the fact remains that people often find themselves too rushed or distracted to deal with the menial task of washing their hands. Germs take full advantage of this opportunity to attack, so lather on the soap and keep your mitts squeaky clean.
Sleep
Drink up
Drinking eight glasses of water a day is recommended to keep the body sufficiently hydrated. Replenishing yourself with water regulates your body, flushes toxins– which contribute to overall achiness– out, and maintains a healthy immune system. Dehydration can lead to weakness and further susceptibility to illness, so start chugging.
Vitamin C
Fairly well-known, vitamin C aids in building up the immune system and is found in a plethora of fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. To keep your body in tip-top shape. guzzle some orange juice in the mornings or sneak in some lemon every now and then.
Even though sometimes late nights are inevitable in order to finish that physics homework or study for a history test, try not to make these midnight study sessions too much of a habit. A lack of rest can leave you exhausted and beat down your immune system immensely, making it a necessity to know when to close the books and hit the hay.
Eat well
Food is the fuel that keeps the body going and protects it from contracting illness. Scarfing down vitamin-rich foods can help strengthen the immune system and fight off infection, but it is also imperative to eat healthy portions as well. Eating too little can leave the body feeling faint with no energy or defence against germs.
5
Hands to yourself Pathogens are lurking around every corner, and no one can be trusted. Avoid touching doorknobs with your bare hands or making too much contact with that sniffy kid in your fifth period class. While it’s impossible to totally create a personal bubble of health, protecting your body from unnecessary germ-collision is a feasible and effective approach to keeping well.
STAY HOME IF • You have a fever • You have thrown up in the last 24 hours • You have pink eye • You are coughing up phlegm or other fluids
During sick season, it’s important to cough or sneeze into your elbow so as to not infect others. photo by r. lewis
entertainment
it
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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Let’s be honest, we’ve all been waiting for this moment for years. In late 2013, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke up and sad rumors swirled. But now good rumors have surfaced, and it’s believed that the two are rekindling their love. Miley is wearing her engagement ring again and life is beautiful. Take a moment to swoon and put the posters back up (if you ever took them down).
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the
Ship it
Wear it
list
1
On top of being cool and every synonym for the word, Adidas Ultra Boosts are great for your feet. They’re worn by participants in the Boston Marathon, and they’re incredibly comfortable. They come in a large variety of colors and are available at Racquet & Jog Texarkana for $150. Grab a pair before they sell out.
3
Following the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” a number of Twitter accounts were created to satirize the characters and events of the movies. Everything is done in good nature, of course, as the creators of the accounts are fans themselves. If you’re looking for endless Star Wars jokes or another way to express your nerdiness, these accounts will not disappoint.
Compiled by Naveen Malik & Jillian Cheney
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5
Listen to it
Long gone are the days of sparkly lip gloss and plain chapstick. If you’re looking for a way to look gorgeous and slightly violent at once, dark lipstick is perfect for you. Go with red to match white and black outfits, and explore your options with a variety of maroons, browns and purples. It fits the theme of wearing dark colors during cold weather, and is guaranteed to scare off all the right people. You’ll look that good.
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2
Stalk it
4
Werk it
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Ex-One Direction member Zayn Malik had his entire fandom (plus a few more) in tears on Jan. 28 when he released his new song “Pillowtalk.” Malik’s new solo style does not disappoint. His first released single mixes R&B and pop, and has catchy lyrics to boot. One Direction fan or not, give this song a listen–especially if you want a great conversation starter with everyone else who’s heard it.
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Visit it
Scottie’s, a small town restaurant, boasts big flavor. The restaurant is located on Seventh Street in Texarkana, headed toward Redwater. A cozy, beachy atmosphere paired with frequent trivia nights makes for a fabulous place to share smiles and seafood.
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entertainment
Top Apps for Organization
TAKE A SPIN
It’s the second semester, and things are becoming complicated with school and life outside of school. Your workload is extreme, and everyone is trying to find ways to keep up. Most of us go to app stores or websites for help, but it always seems like the high quality apps cost a ton or aren’t available on your device. Hopefully these free apps, available for both Apple and Android devices, will help to provide the organization that you will be needing.
WORKFLOWY For students who are familiar with the bullet journal, Workflowy is just like that, but on your phone. For those who aren’t familiar with a bullet journal, it’s basically a way to keep everything organized, like a planner, except you have freedom to plan without the boundaries of lines and columns. Workflowy is an app for students who enjoy control over even the small things in life. Ratings: 4.5/5 stars on Google Play, no rating on iTunes
MINDLY Say goodbye to ridiculous webs of ideas and say hello to Mindly. Mindly takes ideas that the human brain creates on a daily basis and sorts them into a mindmap. Mindmaps are basically brainstorms, but they’re more exciting because they’re digital, fast and an easy way to create a diagram of your thoughts. The cherry on top for this helpful assistant is the fact that mindmaps can be shared, so it’s a must have tool for any group project. Ratings: 4.5/5 stars on Google Play and iTunes MY STUDY LIFE My Study Life is exactly what it sounds likeyour study life. Since you already have your phone on you all the time, why not have a digital planner travel alongside you too? Everyone has made a transition over to the technological side of things anyway, so there’s no excuse to not to have a planner. Ratings: 4/5 stars on Google Play, 4.5/5 stars on iTunes compiled by Meghan Harris
ON THE RADAR
CAT GATHERING
With its simple, hand-drawn style and mellow music, cat simulator Neko Atsume (which roughly translates to English as Cat Gathering) is on the rise. In the midst of a plethora of stressful gaming apps like Crossy Road and Color Switch, Neko Atsume is a tranquil alternative. The whole point of Neko Atsume is to attract as many of the most adorable virtual cats you can to your own customizable yard (and eventually house, if you’re able
to save up enough gold fish to expand). To do so, you must decorate your yard with food and goodies from the store. Placing nice, expensive goodies and foods in your yard aids in attracting a surplus of kitties. Cats pay with gold or silver fish in return for their stay in your yard. With said fish, even more luxurious goodies can be bought for your cats. Gold fish are much more difficult to obtain than silver, and you should most definitely thank the generous cat who sacrifices their gold fish for
Test your knowledge with these popular Trivia Crack questions
GEOGRAPHY
What is the second largest ocean in the world? a. Indian Ocean b. Pacific Ocean c. Atlantic Ocean d. Arctic Ocean
SCIENCE
Who wears a ducky tie in the “How I Met Your Mother” television series? a.Barney Stinson b.Ted Mosby c.Marshall Erikson ENTERTAINMENT d. Ranjit
HISTORY
SPORTS
In Greek mythology, who is the ruler of the underworld? a. Beyonce b. Hercules c. Poseidon d. Hades
Which of the following felines cannot roar? a. Lion b. Puma c. Jaguar d. Leopard
What does UFC stand for? a. Unrated Fighting Challenge b. Unlimited Fighting Conquer c. Ultimate Fighting Championship d. Unlimited Fist Fighting Contest What is a “fedora?” a. a computer b. a car model c. a type of rock d. a type of hat
ART
Geo- c. Atlantic Ocean, Ent- a. Barney Stinson, Hist- d. Hades, Sci- b. Puma, Spo- c. Ultimate Fighting Championship, Art- d. a type of hat
EVERNOTE Evernote is widely known and adored by thousands trying regulate their hectic lives. This witty note taking application consists of notebooks and the notes within them. The downside to Evernote is that there are limitations depending on what package you decide to go with, but overall, the free version of evernote is an amazing tool to have everywhere you go. Ratings: 4.5/5 stars on Google Play, 4/5 stars on iTunes
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
compiled by Celeste Anderson
Current & upcoming entertainment to look out for
your trouble. The more cats you have, the more fish you receive. Rare cats, or themed cats who aren’t typically seen everyday, can be lured to your yard by stocking it with particular goodies. For example, Billy the Kitten requires the Cowboy Hat in order to even think about venturing onto your property. Another, Joe DiMeowgio, loves baseballs. Common cats do not require specific goodies. They are easy to please and are just as adorable, if not cuter. You will find yourself picking a favorite cat and getting excited with its every visit. A truly beautiful thing about Neko Atsume is that it takes place in real time. Cats come and go at
their free will and stay as long as they like. Neko Atsume is a blessing: a gift to the world. Download it now. Meet the cats. (Just watch out for Tubbs. You’ll thank me later.) by Cailey Roberson
COLLOSAL COLLABS This month it is rumored that the long awaited J cole and Kendrick Lamar album is releasing, marking it as one of the most highly anticipated albums in recent years. With rumors of its production lasting over five years, it has left fans in frustration. Release dates have gone up in smoke,
as the two artists, already busy enough with controlling the rap game, failed to meet promised dates. These unfulfilled promises give even the most naive listener a grasp of the groundbreaking material in the works between these two. Two kings of the 21st century coming together could only produce what many would consider perfection. Regardless of whenever these two iconic figures collaborate, it will bring the music industry to a halt. by Tye Shelton
feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
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community
Beauty Outlet Mall All type of Hair
• Fusion Hair • Clip on Hair • Tape on Hair • Weaving Hair Custom Jewelry Wigs Leggings & T-Shirts Open to Public Mon - Sat: 9am - 8pm Sun: 12pm - 6pm
2729 New Boston Rd #30 Texarkana, TX 75501 903-832-4951
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feb. 12, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
EXPERIENCE
TEX ARK ANA COLLEGE MAKE THE SMART CHOICE.
Learn about our admission process, 5 take a campus tour, apply for college, visit with professors and staff, learn about scholarship opportunities, and more at Texarkana College’s
WE’RE AFFORDABLE
At an average annual tuition and fee cost of $2,300 per semester, Texarkana College costs $5,600 LESS per year than the average 4-year university in Texas.
AID IS AVAILABLE
Y A D W E I V E R P
We awarded 200+ SCHOLARSHIPS in Fall 2015, and on average, 43% of TC students receive federal Pell grants to help cover college costs. Learn more at texarkanacollege.edu/paying-for-college
WE GET PERSONAL
With a STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO OF 21:1, you won’t find yourself stuck in a lecture hall with hundreds of other students. At TC, you’ll get valuable feedback and one-on-one time with your instructors.
WE’RE FAST
You can be on your way to a career in TWO YEARS OR LESS. On average, people with an associate degree make $500,000 MORE over their lifetimes than people with just a high school diploma.
OUR CLASSES TRANSFER
TC’s core curriculum will TRANSFER to any public 4-year institution in Texas and many institutions in other states. Why pay university tuition when you can earn the same credits at TC for a fraction of the price?
WE STICK WITH YOU
Finding scholarships when you’re a few years into your degree can be challenging. That’s why TC offers TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS to help top students transfer from TC to a four-year public institution in Texas.
WE HELP YOU GET AHEAD
You can get even lower tuition rates by enrolling in DUAL CREDIT CLASSES while you’re still in high school. Talk to your school counselor or go to texarkanacollege.edu/dualcredit for more information.
YOU CAN START EARLY
After you complete your sophomore year of high school, you can start taking EARLY ADMISSION CLASSES right here on our campus if you meet our admissions requirements. Learn more at texarkanacollege.edu/earlyadmissions
You may qualify to attend TC for two years tuition-free! Check out our
PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP texarkanacollege.edu /scholarships
ACADEMIC PREVIEW DAY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 WORKFORCE OPEN HOUSE
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
Call 903-823-3012 or go to texarkanacollege.edu/previewday to register today!