Tiger Times Jan. 2020

tiger times STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL

TIGER TIMES

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL TEXARKANA, TEXAS VOL. 59, ISSUE 3 JAN. 9, 2020

The foster care system is a puzzle made of moving pieces, but when it succeeds, children can find their perfect fit. page 12

photo illustration by b. groom

2 news

CONNECTED

@thsstudentmedia

8

the

STAY

rundown

Breaking barriers

Growing up homeless and overcoming adversity allows volleyball coach to break barriers with athletes and other students.

16

21

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

Is new trend of making fund of the baby boomer generation by saying “OK, boomer” offensive?

How to reduce waste

4

Pepper predicament

10

22

Q&A with Bailey Reinsch

Chip Chat Students discuss their favorite fla ors of Taki chips.

After a rough beginning, junior finds n w start by living with a new family.

what’s 14-15 up next...

Jan.

Blood drive

Jan.

27

In conjunction with Lifeshare, there will be a blood drive in Tiger Center.

Those who a e at least 16 can sign up to donate blood.

Jan.

30

While the use of pepper spray on campus may help in keeping a safe environment, it causes some concern.

15

Jan.

Red Lick Tour Eighth grade students from Red Lick will tour the high school in order to learn about the organizations and programs offered to them.

Jan.

30

Eighth grade orientation

AP/DC parent meeting

Sophomore parent meeting

TMS eighth graders and parents will be able to get information about high school classes and clubs at 6 p.m. in the math/science building.

Teachers for Advanced Placement and Dual Credit classes will be available in the student center at 6:30 p.m. to give out information.

Parents of sophomores will be able to discuss PSAT scores in Building the Foundation at 6 p.m. in the performing arts center.

24-26 Jan.

Peter Pan The theater depa tment will present “Peter Pan” in the PAC with performance at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Feb.

1

ACT prep

The e will be an ACT prep class beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Rooms 33 and 34. The CT test will be at 7 a.m.

Feb. 8.

news

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

Acing

3

the test Changes allow future testers to retake sections at a time

BY PEYTON SIMS culture editor

A

B

C

D

In 2018 there was a total of 1.9 million tests given to American students.

A

photo by p. sims

Many students dread the thought of waking up early in the morning after a long night studying for the ACT. Their b ain tries to retain information for the science, math and English portions, but they quickly become overwhelmed.

Beginning in the fall of 2020, students will be able to bump up their test scores, along with their hours of sleep. Th y’ll be able to retake one section at a time, making the retake test shorter and possibly easier to study for.

“After you’ve taken a test, you can do a retest session.

You will be able to choose to take a paper test or an online test. With the online test you could get your scores back in two days,” assistant principal Charlotte Leon said. “I think the ACT is expanding opportunities for our students to help better themselves and better their [future].”

Many students are excited about this upcoming change. Having the opportunity to take one section at a time can allow a student to study for only that specific section. Also, if a student excelled in the English portion but fell short in the math, it would be more logical to retake only the section they didn’t do well in.

“Having to wake up early and take a test when you had a late night before was no fun,” junior Katarina Jordan said. “I think that the ACT change is a pretty good idea because, personally, if I did really good on the reading section, why would I want to retake that when it’s only the math and science that I’m struggling on, but I’d still have to pay for a whole new test? The CT is [very] expensive.”

ACT superscoring is a new final c mposite score that is made up of your best individual section scores across all ACT tests you took. Numerous colleges are beginning to look at the superscore for enrollment and admission into classes.

“ACT is now saying that when you test, we’re going

to take your highest score, and we will send the highest score from each category to colleges,” Leon said. “So they’re kind of forcing universities to superscore.”

On the school’s website,txkisd.net, students can access a program called Naviance. This p ogram provides free ACT prep and practice that assist a student on the test.

“The ACT change would’ve helped me focus on one or two subjects at a time, so I could put all of my energy and time into preparing for each section. I’m disappointed that I didn’t have that advantage, but I’m glad the classes after us will.”

- Autumn Parrott, 12 “Everyone has access to Naviance and it has six full practice tests for both the ACT and SAT,” administrative assistant Laura Fuller said. “This p ogram is beneficial or the new testing changes because Naviance allows you to focus on one section at a time.

B

C

D

There is a 20% chance that the answer you choose is correct.

A

B

C

Student need to be sure they practice, and when they sign up for a test date, they need to be doing some prep.”

Seniors are envious that underclassmen will have this opportunity. If they wanted to retake the ACT for a higher score, they had to take the entire test. Students who have the luxury of taking the test one portion at a time are likely to make a higher score, which can come across as unfair to students who will graduate before this begins.

The p ices are yet to be announced but ACT administrators stated that taking a section at a time will be cheaper than retaking the entire test. As 2020 approaches, ACT is expected to release more information.

“I think that the new ACT changes are fabulous,” ACT prep teacher Regina Lenoir said. “You have the opportunity to average your best score for every section of the test. I think this will really help some kids because if it was math that was bringing them down, they have the opportunity to retake it and get a decent math score. I think that it’s fair for the seniors even though they don’t get this opportunity. It’s not like you’re comparing kids who didn’t have the opportunity to those who did.”

The e’s numerous ACT prep teachers across campus that are also enduring the change, whether they alter their teaching style or not.

“I won’t change how I teach ACT prep in the future because I don’t want kids to only focus on the math portion and nothing else because then they’d be cheating themselves,” Lenoir said. peyton.sims@tigertimesonline.com

D

Cheating on the ACT is a crime and you can be arrested for it.

A

B

C

D

1.4% of test takers make a 34.

4 news

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

Pepper predicament Use of pepper spray receives support, backlash

BY STEPHANIE JUMPER staff writer In recent years, the use of pepper spray on school grounds to solve violence has increased in popularity across the nation, stirring controversy and condemnation with students and faculty members alike.

Critics of this method include freshman Taven Tomlinson who, outside of school, once got up close and personal with the substance in question.

“Me and my brother were fighting and [a] couple of adults didn’t like that, but you don’t want to get in the middle of two kids fightin , so we got pepper sprayed by a police offic ,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson’s more memorable aspects of this encounter include the pain he experienced after coming into contact with the spray.

“It felt like my eyes were burning out of my sockets,” Tomlinson said. “Like I’d been staring at the sun for maybe an hour and a half. I couldn’t see for a good hour or two.”

Despite the immense discomfort he felt during this incident, some encounters with pepper spray have caused more severe damage than in the case of Tomlinson’s. In a few incidents involving pepper spray in schools, students have required medical assistance following their respective encounters.

Along with the discomfort Tomlinson and other students felt as a result of this substance, faculty members also gain their fair share of wounds from attempts to disperse school fights a problem pepper spray can solve almost immediately. Its administration, while debatably threatening at first glanc , can prevent more serious damage.

“I’ve been injured a couple times [breaking up fights] ” assistant principal Richard Stahl said. “I got accidentally hit

in the eye once. Th y were just swinging wildly and I got a black eye for about 10 days. One time I got stabbed by a knife in my hand.”

While administrators are harmed by general school violence, the impact of pepper spray can be dangerous as well.

It may result in health complications, especially in those with histories of severe allergies. Junior Salem Karr, who suffers from what she describes as “allergy-induced asthma,” a condition about 80% of school-age asthmatics experience, has to make sure to avoid areas where pepper spray has been used.

“I’m allergic to different things, mostly artificial sme ls like hand sanitizers, lotions, perfumes, colognes, hairsprays and cleaning supplies,” Karr said. “[Pepper spray] is a propellent, and I think one of my big things are propellants. I have a bigger reaction to sprayed stuff than I do n n-sprayed stuff.”

Although Karr has experienced little contact with the spray, previous allergic reactions suggest it would affect her condition. “[When I encounter allergens], I’ll cough. When I start coughing, I can’t breathe. Eventually I get really dizzy and I can’t walk,” Karr said.

Although on a possible decline in American children, asthma’s prevalence remains signifi ant to its victims.

Approximately one in 12 school-age minors have this condition. Moreover, 47.5% of asthmatics under 19 claim to have experienced at least one attack in the last year.

On particularly severe occasions, Karr’s reactions require hospitalization. “[My coughing] might go away, it might not,” Karr said. “If the coughing doesn’t stop within about 30 to 40 minutes, I definite y will probably have to go [to a night clinic]. Then I et a

steroid shot and those hurt really bad.”

Despite Karr’s pain during her episodes, local officials laim the spray does not induce asthmatic reactions.

As far as administrators are aware, there is no substantial evidence that the substance compromises the health of asthmatics.

“I don’t have asthma and I’m not a medical person, so I can’t really attest to [if it causes asthma],” principal Carla Dupree said. “I can just say that from what I have seen[there has been] coughing afterwards. Personally, I have not witnessed [an asthma attack].”

Despite the possibility of pepper spray’s benignness, it can reportedly cause asthma attacks if administered in closed spaces. These eactions are often associated with high stress levels, which in turn increase chances of, according to indiatimes.com, “anxiety-related diseases like hypertension or a heart ailment.”

The s mptoms of the spray do not stop with those of insignifi ant medical histories. Although the effects of the substance on the sickly is up for debate, it harms healthy people in a minor manner.

“I can only speak from my first-hand experience, which is, of course, if you inhale pepper spray it’s gonna make you cough,” Dupree said. “I’ve not seen anything beyond that in any of the situations that I’ve witnessed.”

Pepper spray’s impact reveals itself in casual incidents like the case of sophomore Ryan Hampton.

“The e was one particularty large fight that required pepper spray and I was walking past all of it, and I literally could not breathe,” Hampton said. “It took me a while ‘cause I was so choked up from the spray. My throat was sore and my eyes were watering, and I had nothing to do with [the fight] ” These sensati ns, while described as

anything but enjoyable, do not last for long.

“It serves a purpose and that purpose is to stop fights in s hools. Pepper spray isn’t really harmful. It doesn’t permanently damage your eye. It’s a temporary thing,” sophomore Logan Huddleston said.

Although reportedly excruciating at the time of the event, pepper spray is almost certainly not lethal. It is also ensures the protection of the student body, which remains the administration’s number one priority.

“Your safety’s first We’ve got 1,800 kiddos. Everyone’s safety is first ” Dupree said. “While there are uncomfortable situations, our police force and administrators do what they can do to provide a safe environment.”

Despite the US education system’s perceived leniency with using chemical means to sedate students, faculty members explain this practice is a last resort and they take no pleasure from using aggression with others.

“I don’t just jump to pepper spraying folks,” patrolman Kelly Ryan said. “I’ll normally try and give them commands to break it up, and if they don’t break it up, depending on the circumstances I may try and separate them. After that, if they don’t break it up, I may use pepper spray.

It just depends on the circumstances.”

Faculty members claim these circumstances, which entail countless controversies when in the context of underage students, are avoidable if problems are solved by non-aggressive solutions.

“Nobody wins in a fight The e’s no trophies. The e’s no rewards,” Stahl said.

“Th y can always come to us if they feel upset [and] want to fight The e’s always better ways [and] different ways to resolve differences.” stephanie.jumper@tigertimesonline.com

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

community

5

6 editorial

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

Ill-fated impeachment

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

editors in chief Addison Cross Anna Grace Jones Molly Kyles news editors Logan Diggs Sophie Spakes opinion editor Margaret Debenport feature editors Audrey Haskins Kate Morgan sports editors Caden Rainwater TJ Wall entertainment editors Cate Rounds Peyton Sims advertising Jenna Williamson business manager Madison Bowers copy editors Connor Powell photo & social media editors Margaret Debenport & Kaitlyn Rogers assignments editor Bailey Groom video editor Assad Malik staff writers Raelyn Albert, Joseph Asher, Aislyn Echols, Bailey Hawkins, Ruth Heinemann, Makenzie Hofert, Stephanie Jumper, Doug Kyles, Emma LeFors, Andrea Loredo, Phoebe Neff, Sydney Rowe, Brooklyn Watson, Mikayla Zverina photographers Abigail Bunch, Cayli Clack, Abigail Elliott, Jonathan Naples, Caden Rainwater, Hollan Reed, Sydney Rowe, Peyton Sims, Allyson Smith, Oren Smith, Sophie Spakes, Merideth Stanfill Jasmine Stark videographers Cameron Alcorn, Elizabeth Debenport, Logan Diggs, Kara Jefferies, Brooke Knight advisers Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith principal Carla Dupree members ILPC, CSPA, NSPA

graphic by k. rogers

Outcome of removing Trump from office would threaten America From the moment in Trump Tower when a campaign announcement transformed a real estate mogul into a politician, the news cycle as we know it has ceased to exist.

Instead of the mainstream media finding ne topic relevant, then replacing it the next day as attention shifts from issue to issue, our country has became enamored with all things Trump. Currently, there is seldom a headline unrelated to the impeachment inquiries the Trump Administration faces. This makes the idea of removing our President from offi , hopefully uniting the country once more, seem enticing for many seeking a return to pre-2016 normalcy.

Before our stance is explained, the complex vocabulary of the impeachment deserves some explanation. Often the term impeachment is used synonymously to mean removal from offi . However, there is an important distinction to make here. Impeachment doesn’t directly lead to removal to offi , especially when a president is acquitted by the senate.

Moreover, successful impeachment has occurred two separate times in the terms of Presidents Johnson and Clinton, but neither of these led to removal from offi . The stance of the staff concerns removal from offi , not impeachment,

as takes on impeachment are often complicated considering the web of testimonies and evidence.

However, Donald Trump should not be removed from offi , since doing so would bring a whole host of negative effects. The e odus of Trump wouldn’t solve the problems he already created, and it’s debatable whether his actions make him impeachable in the first pl ce. And for many, the idea of a possible “President Pence” is enough to dissuade the idea of impeachment altogether.

First, removing Trump from office is painstaking process, no doubt, but even with its success, little would be solved. Issues surrounding legislation Trump passed won’t disappear with him; the president’s legislation and policy will leave a footprint on our country, one sure to stay until years of opposition administration can begin the process of reversing his decisions. Decisions like the transgender military ban and the reduction of environmental regulations are some of Trump’s most controversial, but it is unlikely these will be reversed just by changing who is in the White House, especially if the successor is also Republican.

Another important point to consider is that

Trump’s actions are not universally seen as impeachable, rather as morally ambiguous. In all the evidence presented against Trump, from impeachment inquiries or the Mueller report, has not amounted enough to threaten Trump legally. This is an o vious hurdle to removing Trump. If none of his actions are explicitly illegal, it is impossible to justify removing him from offi . Until more evidence is presented, Donald Trump isn’t deserving of removal from offi .

Finally, in the event of Trump’s removal, the natural order of things would leave Pence with the presidency. To many, this is a clear negative. To left leaning voters, Pence is an establishment Republican more radical than Trump in many ways; to those on the right, Pence is unimpressive and bland. Either side of the political aisle, a Pence White House would have a lot to prove and little support.

The situati n surrounding impeachment is complex, but if the underlying goal by casting out Trump is to reunite all those his presidency divided, there are other means to that end.

Removing Trump for some sense of revenge would only harm the country and play in to emotions like anger instead of acting as an effective way to improve the country.

opinion

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

sound on

7

Should the president be removed from office Lies “Yeah, because he has a lied about a lot of stuff.”

Emily Richey, 9

Intentions “No, I do not [think he should be removed from office] because he’s done a lot of good things for America.”

Tarren Engle, 12

Immigration Social Media

Racism

“I think he should be removed from office because of how he is on Twitter and social media. I don’t think our president should do that.”

Keyshadrean McCoy, 12

“Yes, because he’s racist.”

Aiden Chapman, 10

Freedom “I believe he should be removed from office because America’s obviously the land of the free and he’s not [open to immigration.] There’s reasons he doesn’t want them here, but everybody deserves a chance.’

Avery Morril, 12

Uncomfortable “Yes, because it makes me uncomfortable that he has had secret foreign affairs.”

Reushawnda Conway, 12

“I think he should because he’s doing a lot like busing Mexicans back to their home country and he’s splitting up innocent families.’

Charity Gellington, 10

Childish “I think he should [be removed from office] because he is really petty and childish. What kind of President has a Twitter account and is on it 24-7?”

Rafael Mendoza, 12

Woman President “Yes, because throughout all the years we have never had a woman president. We should let a woman takeover office.”

Kelsey Gillis, 9

Compiled & photographed by m.hofert and s.rowe

Phone Call “I don’t think Trump should be removed from office...because in that phone call, he didn’t mention anything about [Hunter Biden.]”

Spencer Smith, 12

8 opinion

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020 b. wright

With the rise of politically correct culture, has this meme been taken too far?

BY SYDNEY ROWE staff writer Whether it’s the cliche “When I was a kid...” speech or an argument about political views, most people have had an unpleasant encounter with a boomer.

“Okay Boomer” is an internet phrase typically used to dismiss the stereotypical ways of thinking characteristic of Baby Boomers (the generation born between 1944-1964). The hrase got its start from a video of an elderly man on Tik Tok accusing millennials and Generation Z of having “Peter Pan Syndrome,” meaning that they never wanted to grow up. Now the phrase is being used as a figu ative eye roll to outdated comments.

Reactions to the recently popularized phrase have been mixed. Some people agree that it is justified and elatable while others say that it is offensive to a generation that can’t help the conditions they grew up in that fostered their beliefs.

Bob Lonsberry, from NewsRadio WHAM 1180, even called “Okay Boomer” the “n-word of ageism” in a tweet. He goes on to say that “being hip and flip does not make bi otry okay, nor is a derisive epithet acceptable because it is new.”

Although Lonsberry’s opinion may be valid, many people believe that relating “Okay Boomer” to the n-word is crossing a line. In response to the tweet by Lonsberry, Stephen Colbert said “clearly this fella needs to play the hot new game: Is ThisThe ew N-Word? No, it’s not, thank you for playing.”

“Okay Boomer is nowhere near as offensive at the n-word,” sophomore Margaret Mutoke said. “The n- ord has been used in such a derogatory way and shouldn’t be compared to a joke.”

One point that has been made repeatedly is that for years boomers have called millenials, Gen Z and many young people in general things such as “snowflakes ” “lazy,” “soft” or even “selfish ” so why should young people be crucified or retaliating as a whole once?

Historically, boomers have a reputation of calling young people out as “lazy” or uninterested in politics and real world issues. However, when a millennial voices their opinion on something of substance, they often get shut down or told they don’t know what they are talking about because of their age.

For example, in the ongoing climate change awareness petitions, young people around the world have come together to march. Whether climate

change is affecting us as much as people believe it is, the generation that created the circumstances of today’s world are chastising the opinions of the people the world will be left to. These kinds of comments lead to an even bigger divide

“‘Boomer’ is the N-WORD of ageism. Being hip and flip does not make bigotry okay, nor is a derisive epithet acceptable because it is new.”

-Bob Lonsberry, News Radio between the two different age groups.

Something boomers fail to realize while commenting on younger generations is that today’s economy is much different than the one they grew

up in. Jobs were almost guaranteed to boomers when they were younger, but now job opportunities are lower than ever. Things like bu ing a home that was considered a given to boomers is not as simple today. The cost of living is higher and the debt as a country and individuals is only increasing each day and when boomers are gone, the younger generations will be left to pay it. College tuition has increased from an average of $3,200 in 1987 and 1988 to $10,000 in 2017 and 2018, and it’s still increasing.

The opini ns of both sides of the debate are justified in their wn ways.

Although Okay Boomer shouldn’t be taken personally, it also shouldn’t be made to feel like a personal attack.

At the end of the day, both groups of people have to share this world. Instead of tearing each other down in hopes of making themselves appear faultless of today’s problems, they should be coming together to better the world.

“I think it’s kind of funny. I think it’s a little bit of a way for younger people to kind of keep people who may think that they know everything and think that their judgement is better than people who are younger in check,” Chuck Zach said. sydney.rowe@tigertimesonline.com

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

feature

9

10 feature

5 QUESTIONS FOR...

Bailey

Reinsch

2

BY MIKAYLA ZVERINA staff writer

Who helped you cope with all the changes after being bounced around between homes?

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020 IN A NUTSHELL Junior Bailey Reinsch wasn’t born into an easy life. With her young parents involved in drugs and alcohol, she had to face certain challenges.

“I remember it pretty clearly,” Reinsch said. “My mom had overdosed and my dad just started screaming at us telling my sister to go get ice and pour it on her face.”

She and her two sisters were bounced around between families’ homes all over the nation. She first met her legal gua dians, Jessica and Dan Snow, in 2009 but was given back to her biological parents shortly after. In 2016, she was reunited with the Snows and has been living with them ever since. Although she has conquered many tribulations, Bailey has managed to stay optimistic about her future.

3

What did you do to remain positive?

I really did have a positive outlook on life.

Whenever we were poor, the little things, like going to McDonald’s and getting a dollar burger or getting a toy from the dollar store, would make us so happy.

4

With my family now, I found who God was. It started by just going to church. Then on one of our beach trips, I got saved. I can just feel when he is around me, guiding me through life. I could just feel a difference when I became a Christian.

One moment of asking for forgiveness takes away all the sin and makes you new. No matter what you have done or how many times you mess up, by asking for forgiveness, he just forgives it all.

5

No matter where we went, there were always three of us, me and my sisters, so we all stuck together and held each other up. Whenever we got sad, we would go to each other’s room to talk about it and play cards to relieve the pressure.

1

How did you manage to find God in your life and remain a Christian?

How did you feel about your birth parents when you were growing up?

How have the obstacles in your life changed you?

Whenever I lived with my parents, I really did love them. I didn’t think anything was wrong.

Because they were my parents, I always saw the good in them.

When [my sisters and I] would see them drunk or doing hard drugs, we just didn’t think anything of it.

I feel like what I went through has given me the ability to reach out to people going through similar things. It’s made me a stronger person. I feel like I have the ability to tell people that they are blessed even if it doesn’t seem like it right now and that you have a good heavenly Father even if you don’t have a good earthly father.

mikayla.zverina@tigertimesonline.com p. sims

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

community

11

12 in-depth

of the puzzle

Growing demand strains foster strive to give children a place to

BY MOLLY KYLES AND ANNA GRACE JONES editors-in-chief It starts with a child. Somewhere, some place, a child has to be removed from their family, like a puzzle piece pulled away from the whole. Th y are sent to a new home with the hope of security and love, but the pieces don’t quite match up. Th y’ll join the thousands of other lonely puzzle pieces seeking the perfect fit that ma y will never find.

But even when cycling through temporary homes, kind and forgiving arms can show a child they deserve love and a future.

It takes a village, from foster parents to case workers to therapists to nonprofits to give displaced children a reliable support system, and even then, the results are often far from perfect.

According to the Children’s Bureau, 687,000 children were in the public foster care system in 2018. In a constant state of change and distrust, the system can offer children a place, and show them they are the missing piece to the puzzle.

“Every child is different, so every child needs something different,” therapeutic foster care therapist Maya Mason said. “Nothing in foster care is black and white. [The e are] multiple levels and multiple people trying to work together to get this going right. The e’s a lot of people that are trying to make this system better and make this system work, and no one person can do that.”

Seperate from regular foster care is the division therapeutic foster care, or TFC. The apists like Mason provide children with emotional support “It kinda catches [other people] off gua d to hear that I’m adopted. I’ve kind of always known. I gathered it because I’m brown and my parents are white. All around my house they had pictures of us as little kids dressed up in the traditional Vietnamese clothes. Th y kinda kept the culture and I kinda put pieces together. I’m so glad I got adopted. I was always the first ne to be like ‘Yes, I’m Joseph Asher adopted.’ Because I always thought that was cool, coming from another country and then coming here.” photo illustration by b. groom

and healing “All of ou in regular fo reasons: abu emotional n going to sch Usually ther family unit they’re brou if they begin emotional is regular outp foster paren to therapeut If the sup is multilevel Master Soci program dir trained foste “The oste they do a lo to become t said. “Th y a monitored b is 24 hour o there’s an is from us. [TF to handle th emotional is As a resul is not perfec of children i parents givin

s t b t A d t a T f e i p b e c i

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

How you can help Becoming a foster home isn’t right for every family, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to help

1

care while support systems o fit i

g necessary for a successful future. ur kids in therapeutic foster care start oster care. Th y’re taken for multiple use, medical neglect, nutritional neglect, neglect, drugs, or because they aren’t hool or they’re out on the streets. re’s something going on within the that is the initial reason for why ught in,” Mason said. “At that point, n to have behavioral issues or severe ssues that can’t be dealt with in a patient therapeutic setting, regular nts can’t handle them. Then they come tic foster care.” pport system for regular foster children led, then TFC is a fortress. Licensed ial Workers like Mason work with rectors, case managers and highly er parents. er parents are trained annually, and ot of front end training to even be able therapeutic foster care parents,” Mason attend therapy, their medications are by our agency and our doctor. The e on call crisis [care] for these kids. If ssue, the parents have extra support FC has] bigger and better trained staff hose kids with severe behavioral and ssues.” lt of all these moving pieces, the puzzle ct. The st ain of a continuous fl w into the cycle results in many foster ng up on the system entirely. This

13

overwhelming reality is complemented by the 3060% of 200,000 licensed foster homes that cede their position each year.

“It’s a very overworked and underpaid occupation,” Mason said. “The efore, you get people who don’t always care, and there’s a huge turnover. Turnover is a problem because then the kids have not only have changed homes and lost their families, but now they’re losing other supports continuously. Tha ’s very hard for the kids, but unfortunately, because we’re overworked and underpaid, that’s just kind of one of the things that happens.”

The orkload, when looked at from afar, seems to be a big picture issue that requires big picture solutions. As a result the state creates laws to apply to its entirety, but they fail to acknowledge the individuals behind it.

“General laws and rules that are for the entire system that aren’t looking at the child individually are a problem,” Mason said. “[The state] c ntinues to put laws in place, like that all siblings should be together or other laws like that, which are great in some cases, but every child should be looked at individually, and it causes problems for those kids that maybe shouldn’t be placed with their siblings.”

With only the big picture in mind, the individual pieces of the puzzle are overlooked, and therapists like Mason feel children can be pushed into spaces and homes in which they do not fit

2

For the Sake of One asks volunteers to commit to pray for, send messages to, and take goodies to a case worker in Arkansas or Texas in order to encourage them. Volunteers are required to spend about 3 hours a month and make at least a yearlong commitment to being an encourager.

Donate money or supplies

Organizations like CASA and For the Sake of One focus efforts on supporting case workers, foster children and parents, and one way to support their mission in doing so is to donate directly to these organizations via their websites: casatexarkana.org and forthesakeofone.com

3

4

Encourage a Case Worker

Parent’s Night Out

$$

To take some stress off of foster parents, For the Sake of one offers free childcare once a month and watches foster children on a Friday night.

Volunteers are responsible for caring for children, feeding them, cleaning the room after them and treating their parents with respect.

Work the Blessing Boutique

Volunteers can sort clothing donations and organize them in For the Sake of One’s charity shop. The Blessing Boutique is open every third Tuesday from 3-7 pm and every Friday from 9 am-1 pm. Every 3-4 months, the Blessing Boutique is open on a Saturday to allow foster families additional shopping time.

See PUZZLE on page 14

“My sister is also adopted, so we were able to talk over that when we were little. We’d be able to talk about certain things like Asian skin and Asian hair and how we look different. [My church] went to SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology), and it’s like a Thi d World country simulator for two days, so you go in and experience what it’s like to live in a third world country. It’s pretty eye opening. I did go back to China when I was in Kaili Schroepfer eighth grade, and I visited an orphanage where I was. It’s crazy because even though their economy has advanced, it’s not America.”

“I grew up being abused by my uncle for four years, and I knew nothing about my parents.

I had to go through that abuse to stand where I am today.

Adoption sealed the security of what I needed when I was growing up because the adults in my life were so irresponsible.

I was given a new name, place to stay and a family, and this meant everything to me. As I grew up, my parents made an important decision not to hide this story.

Th y wanted me to remember Allie Graves that I am adopted, and, although I wasn’t born [with my adoptive parents], [my adoptive mom] always used to say that I was born in her heart.”

“My husband and I tried for several years to have a child, and we were not able to. We thought about all the different options out there: fertility treatments, surrogacy and everything. Our choice was to adopt. We’ve always been completely 100% honest with [our son about his adoption]. [If I had any advice for adoptive parents, it would be to] take each moment and write down things that you’re thinking and things that you’re feeling. The e’s a lot of stuff that Megan Martin happened in the craziness that our life was in those first eight eeks or so that I didn’t write down, and I wish I would have.”

14 feature

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

PUZZLE from page 12 “I’ve had [an experience with a child] who had been taken from our care who was striving and thriving and doing well then and moved to a sibling,” Mason said. “In my therapeutic opinion, I didn’t feel like that was right for this child in particular. He was trying to individuate, and he wasn’t able to as long as he was placed with his siblings. The state ent against my recommendation and moved him anyways. I’ve checked on him, and he has not done too well.”

Where the state fails, third parties step in. Nonprofits like Texarkana’s For the Sake of One seek to provide support to not just foster children, but every piece of the puzzle involved. The organization provides school supplies, Christmas presents and clothes as well as offers monthly parents night out and support groups to try and mend a system they see many faults in.

“The oster care system is broken,” Angela Coston, Executive Director of For the Sake of One, said. “Th y are trying to help families the best they can, but the problem is too large for the state to solve. The ase workers are overworked, underpaid and have highly traumatic and stressful jobs.

Our mission is to assist with the reunifi ation of families, encourage case workers, support biological families who are struggling and recruit [and] support foster families.”

For the Sake of One’s size as a small local nonprofit a lows them to focus

their efforts on Texarkana and the unique challenges of foster care in the Twin Cities.

“We want these kids to be their own, and we want them to treat them as their own. That’s how these kids will be able to be successful.”

- Maya Mason “Foster care in Texarkana is a beast because of the state line,” Coston said.

“We have nowhere near enough foster homes in our area, but we have more in Texas than in Arkansas. Due to the state line, a child may be removed from Texarkana, Arkansas, and instead of being placed 5 miles away in Texarkana, Texas, they are placed 120 miles away in Little Rock because that’s where the closest home is in Arkansas.”

Despite the complexity of the system and the faults that nonprofits ddress, those involved in foster care are also aware of its strengths. TFC The apists like Mason feel that foster parents are

one of the strongest parts of the system.

“It takes someone dedicated, and it takes someone who wants to be a lifelong parent,” Mason said. “Someone who wants to devote their time and energy and life to these kids. We want these kids to be their own, and we want them to treat them as their own.

Tha ’s how these kids will be able to be successful.”

Texas High employee Matt Turner was licensed as a foster parent in 2012, and since then has hosted 11 children and adopted 3.

“As Christians, it is [my family’s] privilege and honor to care for others in their time of need, and all children have the right to safety, security and respect. It was most assuredly a call of God on our lives. The ewards outweigh the challenges,” Turner said. “Helping children and families that are in need of help will always be one of the most important callings one could answer.”

However, some foster parents feel hostility and distrust from the very system they are attempting to help.

“The amount of dis espect from those in power within the foster care system was and is extremely eye opening and completely unanticipated,” Turner said.

“Foster parents are quite often treated as part of the problem and not the solution. Training is long, painstaking in some cases and sometimes very redundant. The p ocess of readying a home that will pass a CPS or placement agency inspection can be gruelling and

Licensing requirements for foster or adoption

FOR THE SAKE OF ONE

Must be at least 21 years of age, financially stable and responsibl , and a mature adult.

Complete an application (staff will assist you, if you prefer).

Share information regarding their background and lifestyle.

Provide relative and non-relative references.

Be single, married, widowed, or divorced. Please show proof of marriage if you are married and/ or proof of divorce if you are/were divorced and proof of spouse’s death if widowed.

• Agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members and inspection of all parts of the home, grounds, and outbuildings.

• Allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household.

• Attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CASA TEXARKANA

• • • • •

unrealistic.”

Being a foster parent is a serious commitment of time, energy, and love.

Those who decide to oster are required to understand that they are merely a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children in the system are predisposed to physical, emotional and developmental issues, but a foster family has the opportunity to aid and guide the child through this trying period.

“A good foster home is a home that understands that the goal is reunifi ation with the biological family and that the children did nothing to deserve the abuse they experienced,” Coston said. “Th y need to understand that they are not going to ‘rescue’ the children, but they are being a bandaid to help a family heal.”

While the complexities of being a foster parent can be menacing to many, this is not the only way people can take action. Nonprofits like For the Sake of One and Court Appointed Special Advocates, offer a plethora of volunteering opportunities.

“People can volunteer, donate money or supplies — we are always in need of new socks, underwear and diapers — pray for those involved or become a foster parent. Not everyone is going to be a foster parent, but everyone can do something to help.” mollykyles@tigertimesonline.com addisoncross@tigertimesonline.com

feature

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

Former foster child recounts experiences

BY MOLLY KYLES editor in chief She was a stack of papers labelled with “an attitude problem.”

Home to home, facility to group home, her case file passed th ough fi e sets of hands; and her only possessions were contained in an unmarked garbage bag.

With each new bed, she wondered if she dare to believe the promises this time; that this could become home. And time after time, her hopes were dashed.

But on Oct. 25, everything changed.

That d y, she gained a new last name and offici ly became part of what was already her family. McKenzie Atkinson was adopted.

“It was a good day,” Kenzie said. “I woke up early that morning. I don’t listen to country music, but ‘Temporary Home’

by Carrie Underwood came on, and I just started crying.”

Oct. 25, Carrie Atkinson gained a daughter.

“We felt that Kenzie needed the permanency of a place to call home,” Carrie Atkinson said. “She just needed to feel like she belonged somewhere. And she belongs with us, and so we wanted to take that question away from her.”

Oct. 25, Emma Daniel gained a sister.

“I remember when I was 7 years old, I was laying in my front yard,” Emma said. “I was laying on the grass and I was looking up, I was like, I hate my brother so much. I was like, God, please give me a sister. She was that sister that God gave me, and I really appreciate her existing.”

Kenzie’s story begins not with the Atkinson family, but in a small, homey trailer, where Kenzie, her biological mother and her brother lived. She recalls running around with underwear on her head without a care in the world; she looks back fondly.

“When I was younger, my mom was full of life. As I got older, my mom and I moved into our own house, and that’s when things started to go downhill with her health,” Kenzie said. “She had [a stroke] when I was 10 and then another one when I was 12, and that’s when I went into foster care.”

In a single instant, what was full of life became zombified and what was once a little girl became a full-time caretaker.

“One day, all the recovery disappeared, and she was worse than the first time it happened,” Kenzie said. “She could hardly get out of bed. I started missing school around the second semester of my sixth grade year, to the point where we were getting letters in the mail saying you need to come or you’ll have to go to court.”

With the progression of her mother’s vascular dementia, Kenzie’s grandmother entered the picture. The ddition of more change into an already chaotic situation kept tensions high in the house, until one day they exploded.

“We just clashed on everything. I was very disobedient and argumentative,” Kenzie said. “One day we argued back and forth for like two hours at one in the morning and she said she was calling the cops. Th y came and I spilled everything that was happening.”

She was removed from her home and placed in a facility, oblivious that her whole world was changing around her.

“I didn’t know I was going into foster care,” Kenzie said. “I was telling everybody that when I got out I was going home. And then on the last day, [they told me] they wanted me to meet somebody. And that is when I met my old foster mom.”

Kenzie’s life became a stack of papers, and it was passed to the first ecipient of

many. She found herself in a temporary state of peace in a temporary home.

“It was great for the first ew months,” Kenzie said. “I just wanted to be a help and I wanted her to like me.”

Soon that temporary home escalated into an intolerable environment. Kenzie took the mental torment silently out of fear of more change. She knew her situation, knew her case fil , and new that the chances of her finding a better placement were slim.

“I was never physically or sexually abused, but there was definite y a lot of mental abuse,” Kenzie said. “The oster mom would yell and scream and cuss at us, and I took a lot of that. I was so scared to tell people because I knew [they wouldn’t let me] stay here in Texarkana.

The e are no homes that want teenagers, especially teenagers with a history, and I had one.”

Pent-up frustration burst into teenage rebellion, and Kenzie was removed from the home; she was sent with trash bag in tow to a group home, where things reached an all time low.

“It was bad,” Kenzie said. “The e were older girls who would say things and the workers were mean. I was very defensive.

Now I’ve learned to control myself, but back then I would pop off n anyone.”

To make matters worse, all of the experiences and instability Kenzie faced was faced in private. Her pain became a secret badge of shame.

“I had two lives, my home life and my school life, so when I got into foster care I just didn’t tell anybody. It was embarrassing almost, because people don’t understand what foster care was,” Kenzie said. “I didn’t know what it was either. I thought it was where bad kids go to live with people. I was ashamed of it for a long time.”

Then her ase file passed th ough the

right pair of hands. The tkninson family served as her emergency placement, and there Kenzie found what she had been lacking for so long — respect. “[Living here] was just supposed to be a week-long emergency placement,” Kenzie said. “When they first ot me, my file was thi k and said I had an attitude problem. I didn’t have that with them because they respected me, so I respected them back.”

The tkinsons’ were no stranger to the system. Th y were approved as a therapeutic foster home four years ago, and had experienced its ups and downs.

“We do therapeutic foster care, what the system calls the ‘worst kids,’” Daniel said. “For the first d y they pretend everything’s great. But the longer they’re there, you start to see their habits.”

Children have a fight or flight instinct and the first oster kid the Atkinsons hosted had a particularly strong fighting instinct. Though their first p cement showed them the worst of the system, the family persevered. And they have a permanent addition to the family to show for it.

“We [never] really thought we would adopt anybody, Kenzie just fit ” Carrie Atkinson said. “It was easy; she was just part of us.”

Once the case files bec me people, and once those stories are heard, it is hard to walk away. Though not very case may have a happy ending like Kenzie’s, families like the Atkinsons believe every effort at showing love is worth it.

“I think once you see it, you can not see it,” Carrie Atkinson said. “You can’t do anything about it you can’t just ignore this problem, this humongous problem.

We had to do something. I want them to know that they’re special and that they have a purpose.” mollykyles@tigerimesonline.com

submitted photo by Seth Duncan

case file more than a

15

16 sports

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

BIGGEST TAKEAWAY As a new coach and teacher, Javier Ordonez uses his past experiences as a motivation to guide his students to seize opportunities they are given. Ordonez grew up around gang violence, alcoholic and neglectful parents, and these struggles led to him becoming homeless and dropping out of school.

bearing the

burden

breaking the

barrier

BY ADDISON CROSS editor in chief

Volleyball coach uses past to encourage students Silver volleyball poles propped against a dull brick wall. Cement columns hold an overpass above him. A roof over his head. A bridge for an umbrella. A whistle around his neck. A tattered blanket around his body.

A teenaged Javier Ordonez was familiar with searching for a home to sleep in and food to eat, but as an adult that life is growing closer to a distant memory. Ordonez has set that world far behind him, and now finds success as the JV volleyball coach and a freshman biology teacher, but he still uses his harrowing story to enrich his students’ lives.

Ordonez grew up around gang violence, neglectful and alcoholic parents and a world where the burden of survival was placed solely on him. This do or die w y of living led him to drop out of school multiple times, as staying alive was far more important. It was every man for himself, though Ordonez did try to take care of his siblings along the way.

“My experience in high school was pretty tough. I dropped out as many times as I could, really because I had to help. I had to find a job really early,” Ordonez said. “I had to try to find food and money and resources for my sister and my brother. And you know, when I showed up to

school and a teacher would tell me, ‘Hey, this is so important, you don’t know what you’re doing,’ it would kind of be a slap in the face, because I knew what I was doing. I was trying to take care of the people I cared about.”

Lacking food and a place to call his own, Ordonez soon began to see himself as a wanderer, a burden on society.

“To me, getting moved around so much and having my well being shown to me as a burden most of my life was super, super difficul That was probably worse than having to sleep in a tree or having to sleep under a bridge or something like that,” Ordonez said. “Because, that bridge isn’t going to judge me. But having that judgment thrown on you, and it really makes you question your self worth.”

In Ordonez’s experience, homelessness has manifested many forms, from trees and bridges to home hopping.

“I have slept under bridges, but, for most of my [experience], it’s where you don’t have a place to call your own, where you’re kind of getting shipped off to who ver is going to take you. You know, maybe this friend will keep us this week, maybe these cousins will take us in this month,” Ordonez said.

His life, however, wasn’t all trees and bridges.

Stability came and went, but, according to Ordonez, losing stability was worse than never having it.

“The e were there would be a year to where we were kind of stable. It wouldn’t last long, though,” Ordonez said. “And I think that made it worse, that we would kind of get a taste of what normal is like, and then you take it from us. And we get in that cycle. We’re not good enough, we don’t deserve it.”

Eventually, he ended the cycle. Ordonez moved in with his dad, living in New Boston at the time and created a new life for himself.

“He was working at the army depot, and I called him and I said, ‘Hey, I need a change, can I come stay with you?’ He was living with his brother in a little RV, and I’m sleeping on the couch,” Ordonez said. “And we both laid in the living room, but I knew I had to do something, I had to go somewhere.”

Moving in with his father dramatically altered the course of not only his life, but his father’s.

Seeing his son push himself forward inspired Ordonez’s father to push himself as well.

See COACH on page 16

sports

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com COACH from page 15

“One of the reasons it took me so long to become a teacher is because I really didn’t think I was good enough to be in these shoes. I didn’t think with my past and with my history that it was OK for someone like me to be a teacher, I never thought I was good enough.”

-Javier Ordonez

“That was my sta t. That was his sta t. We have happy endings now. Me going to high school, and then me going to college motivated him,” Ordonez said. “And now he has his bachelor’s degree too, he just got it like a year ago, and he was so excited about it. And I was so proud of him. Tha ’s that thing, that pursuit of education gave me the opportunity to change the lives of the people I cared about.”

Ordonez grew he came to understand the other side of the argument. He saw a new meaning to the nagging of teachers he heard while still without a stable home life. Seeing lives around him destroyed because of a lack of education, he decided to turn around. At the age of 17 he was a freshman in high school, but he stayed focused and graduated on time.

“In one semester I tested out of my freshman through my senior year, then I went back into my last semester of high school so I could walk [at graduation] because my mother wanted to see me.”

Despite rising from his circumstances, Ordonez must still shoulder the burden of his past every day.

“Moving house to house gave you that vague impression that you were a burden on society, not just the people you cared about, but that you made the world worse,” Ordonez said. “Unfortunately, as a kid, that’s how you feel. You feel that everybody looks down on you. If you go asking for help you see judgment, you see burden. Tha ’s really tough as a kid who’s not getting love. And then every time you look out, you get lashed at for it.”

Around every corner is a new criticism, a new judgement to be cast upon him.

“When you’ve been targeted your whole life, when you’ve been taught that every time I need something, the world’s gonna hate me, naturally that makes you very defensive,” Ordonez said. “And then other people feel like you’re defensive and they feel like you’re arrogant. Th y feel like you don’t want to be with them, you don’t talk to them.”

17

However, this is far from the truth in his case.

Ordonez has craved acceptance since childhood, but is slowly building the belief that he is good enough.

“Reality is you’re scared, you’re scared of not being good enough,” Ordonez said. “One of the reasons it took me so long to become a teacher is because I really didn’t think I was good enough to be in these shoes. I didn’t think with my past and with my history that it was OK for someone like me to be a teacher, I never thought I was good enough.”

Later on than many, Ordonez realized that he needed to get his education in order to go farther than where he came from. Now, after going back to school and pursuing higher education of his own, he encourages his students to do the same.

“Where I come from, if you don’t have an education, you’re not really going to get far in life,” Ordonez said. “One of the biggest things that I learned growing up is that the more educated I got, the more opportunities I got to make a change in my life. And It’s one of the biggest takeaways I try to give to my students. I truly hope they realize the opportunity to have a life where they can choose not just what they want, but what they want for the people that care about and the things that are important to them.”

Ordonez was not defined y his circumstances, and he strove to find his identi y outside of what scenario he was in that day.

“Every day, we all deal with the struggle, what we do, what we do is something that’s probably my new to someone else,” Ordonez said. “But every time I face a struggle, every time I have obstacles, they seem so little. When I think about the fact that my dreams have come true, that miracles are work through me and for me, and the fact that I had that as a past, it makes me appreciate everything I have now so much more.” addisoncross@tigertimesonline.com

18 sports

BY TJ WALL sports editor How did you get started playing basketball?

I started playing football at first and then I changed my mind and decided to play basketball when I was eight. I played for an AAU team with Matt [Arnold], Caleb [Arnold] and everybody else. I wasn’t good at first. I actually started getting better around middle school.

What motivates you to keep playing?

My mom. She pushes me everyday to get better and better. My dad does too, but it’s mainly my mom because I stay with her. If I don’t want to go outside and shoot, my mom will force me to go outside and get better. It gives me a way to help my family. It’s fun, and it’s something I’d like to get paid to do.

What does this year’s team look like compared to last year’s?

We’ve got a young team—way younger team. Last year we only had like two sophomores; this year we have maybe four or fi e [sophomores], four seniors

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

CJ KELLEY Senior basketball standout discusses his basketball origins, views on this year’s team

and a couple of juniors coming from football, so we’re going to have a young team—but we should be good though.

How will everyone mesh together and play as a team?

This is my first time p ying with everybody on the team because all the seniors from last year are gone. I actually get to play with my friends for the first time since freshman year. I’ll also get to play with Jay [Goodwin], Mike [Th mas] and all of the sophomores to see how they play and get used to playing with them. I don’t have Kyle [Wright], Cole [Drumm], key players from last year, but I’ve got some seniors that are ready to step up and play.

How do you think the team will do with the loss of last year’s seniors, such as Kyle Wright and Cole Drumm?

I think we still have a good chance, but like I said, it’s still going to be a young team. Th y’ve got to have a good mindset because they’re still young and they’ve still got some growing to do. Since Cole and Kyle are gone we’re going to have some people step up and be the lead scorers, but I think we should go far— maybe even to state. AJ [Meeks] can

step up for Cole. Mike, he can play so he can step up for Kyle, but he’s the only sophomore. He’s got some growing to do, but still, he can step up for Kyle.

team?

My favorite team is wherever [Kevin Durant] is, so right now that’s the [Brooklyn] Nets.

As the only senior, how will you motivate your teammates?

[I can] keep them motivated and make them take in more assists.

Talk about the colleges that have recruited you so far.

I’ve got offers from Samford, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech. The only one I’ve visited so far is Louisiana Tech, and I like it there, but I’m going to have to get to Samford and New Mexico State to see what it’s like.

What’s your advice to the younger kids on the team?

Always take assists and don’t wait until the last minute or your senior year to try.

Stay dedicated. Never wait until your junior or senior year to start practicing, because you want to get as good as you think you can be, then you’ll be better off How do you feel about the return of coach Skinner?

I like him. He’s less strict than Coach Jones. He lets us play more freely, and he’s just a good coach overall. We really don’t have many plays this year; we just go with the fl w, but last year we had a lot of plays, so it’s more free ball than last year.

What’s your favorite NBA

How are you going to work to further your future in basketball?

I’m going to work out and get stronger and bigger. I just have to get better at the game, keep my head on straight, and stay on track.

Is there any specific player in the NBA that you try to model your game after?

I like the way Kevin Durant plays. He shoots real well and can definite y handle a ball, and he plays pretty good defense.

He can guard a guard no matter how big and he can rebound. tjwall@tigertimesonline.com

Photo by b.groom, file photo

sports

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

Competition is in their

19

LOCK-DOWN DEFENSE Junior Caleb Arnold defends against an Arkansas High receiver in one of the most competitive games of the season against the rival Arkansas High Razorbacks. The Tigers secured a win in the rivalry game with a score of 28-7.

blood

Brothers driven by competitive spirit excel in high school athletics

BY CADEN RAINWATER sports editor Everything happens during your childhood. Relationships are born, habits take shape, and purpose is found.

The special pa t about childhood is that everything that happens becomes a special part of who a person is later on in life.

Matthew and Caleb Arnold are no exception to having surroundings in their childhood affect who they are now; however, they have the privilege of telling a unique story. A story of a bond between two brothers and their special drive to be the better athletes.

“Growing up we were constantly going at it on the [basketball] court or on the football field ” Caleb Arnold said. “We would take turns lining up as receiver or cornerback, and we would just go at it very competitively.”

Playing key roles on the varsity football, basketball and track teams, both brothers give credit for their success to their bond.

“It was really simple: having another person to play with made us such better athletes,” Matt Arnold said. “Every single day we were able to make good memories which would lead to us being together for

things like playoffs.”

The idea of being an nly child has had its perks forever, seen in the fact that they are normally spoiled and have the closest possible relationship with their parents. However, the Arnold brothers wouldn’t change anything about who they are because of how they are able to see themselves now.

“It was all about preparation for higher levels of athletics,” Caleb Arnold said.

“If I didn’t have Matt, then I would be nowhere near as strong and capable as I am now. He made me work against higher level athletes, and I now credit my ability to those challenges.”

As the football season has come to a close, a highly devoted chapter of older brother and senior Matt Arnold has closed. Matt played cornerback for the varsity football team and now leaves the Arnold legacy among the football team up to his little brother Caleb. However, the end of the football season is far from the end of UIL sports for the brothers.

Th y will now proceed in playing for the basketball team, and next semester participate on the varsity track team.

m. debenport

“Growing up, we always had each other, there was always someone to play against and we took advantage of that.”

- Caleb Arnold, 11

“Ever since we were growing up we were always pushing eachother,” Matt Arnold said. “We could go at it for hours, bettering ourselves for when it really counts.”

It was merely a bond dynamic between two brothers that grew and became a four year legacy of domination in high school sports.

But in the end life isn’t defined y how well you were able to succeed in high school athletics, it’s about skills, accomplishments and most importantly it’s about relationships.

“He’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember, I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t had him throughout my childhood,” Caleb Arnold said. “I don’t even know what I would do. I needed his guidance and he gave me certainty and trust.”

CHASING HIM DOWN Senior Matt Arnold chases down a McKinney North receiver during their third district game of the season.

Playing as corner back, Arnold and the team lost to the Wranglers 62-41 after an extremely high scoring game.

m. stanfil

caden.rainwater@tigertimesonline.com

20 culture

THE CULTURE 10

Memes

HarryStylesVEVO

The upbeat and vi al app TikTok has found itself at the center of a national security threat. User data from U.S. citizens has been collected and sent to China, and TikToks from American creators speaking out against the Chinese government have been removed. TikTok’s Californian headquarters are working to separate themselves from their Chinese owners due to this frightening discovery.

Movies

Harry Styles fans were floo ed by the flood of n w music and music videos the singer released. Fans raved about the cryptic hints and clues Styles gave about the music, especially the “Adore You” and the ficti nal island Styles created around it. Starting with singles “Lights Up” and “Watermelon Sugar,” the pop sensation debuted his second album, Fine Line, on Dec. 13.

Music

Ever since the eighth generation pokemon game, Sword and Shield, was announced, there has been controversy surrounding it. Despite the hot topic surrounding its quality, it has sold over 6 million copies worldwide since its release on Nov. 15. It was received more positively anticipated and has become one of the highest-grossing games in the franchise.

Game Freak

Game Freak

Lucasfilm

TV Series

Celebrities

MCT: j.roti/Chicago Tribune

On Dec. 9, the rapper Juice Wrld reportedly died after having a seizure in Chicago’s Midway International Airport. He passed away just a week after his 21st birthday. Fans and fellow celebrities nationwide are in mourning over the loss of a young artist who was just starting his career.

The sequel to“Children of Blood and Bone,” “Children of Virtue and Vengeance” by Tomi Adeyemi was released Dec 3. It has received praise and admiration for being a powerful continuation of the original story. The saga is inspi ed by West African culture and is known for properly showcasing a culture that is not represented in many pieces of media.

Trends

Video Games

Walt Disney Studios

The l ng-awaited sequel to the instant classic “Frozen” hit the theaters on Nov. 22. It received mixed reviews from critics, but from the audience, it was praised for the visuals, original soundtrack and mature and relatable themes. Since its release, it has pulled in over $750,000,000 at the box offi .

Henry Holt and Co.

Apps

Books

Theinfamous Epstein case has been the groundzero for a new meme popular with the skeptic and conspiracy crowd. Some believe that as long as the meme remains alive, so will the case. It stands as a reminder of the public’s consensus of the case of Jeff ey Epstein’s suicide, and those who strongly believe in the meme’s keystone statement won’t allow the media to simply forget about this major incident.

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

Disney + has many originals, but none quite as well-received and popular as the Star Wars spin-off se ies, The Mandalo ian.

Everyone from critics to fans both casual and hardcore has expressed love for this series, which takes place shortly after Episode VI: The Retu n of the Jedi. It has even given birth to the meme of Baby Yoda, whose adorable face has taken over the Internet.

The sensational meme turned controversial subject of debate turned trend; there are those prof iting of f the OK Boomer meme and selling viral merchandise with the inf amous phrase plastered on it. These shirts and hoodies have become viral in their own right, f urther fueling articles debating whether the phrase is offensive or not.

Food

Chefs Mike Bagale and Simon Davies took the Internet by storm when they unveiled their newest radical creation: a clear pumpkin pie. Davies stated in an interview with “Vogue” that the dessert is a “juxtaposition between modern technique coupled with very classic technique.” Due to its aesthetic and dazzling appeal, many recipes have popped all over the web trying to recreate this stunning clear dish.

culture

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com

how to reduce Stop using plastic shopping bags Even though plastic bags are banned in some countries, such as France and China, experts suspect that approximately one trillion plastic bags are being used and thrown away every year. Most of them are not being recycled and take centuries to decompose.

Paper bags are the more efficien alternative since they decompose faster, but the most sustainable way would be to utilize reusable bags.

When bags are made out of fabric, it is easy to carry them around in a purse or in your car whenever you are going shopping.

WASTE

Little changes make big differences

BY RUTH HEINEMANN staff writer Plastic islands as large as Central Europe are polluting the oceans. Americans are disposing of 500 million plastic straws every day. Meanwhile, only 25% of all of that plastic is being recycled. Even though ecologists have been raising awareness for the dangers of plastic pollution, the world’s plastic consumption is constantly increasing. In 2018, the global plastic production reached a high of 359 million metric tons. It may seem impossible for a single person to have an effect on this number, but if everyone starts making little changes in their daily lives, a big difference could be made.

The e is nothing wrong with a coffee to go as long as you bring your reusable tumbler. Traditional coffee to-go cups may be made out of paper, but their lids are made out of plastic. That is w y they are decomposing slowly. A lot of coffee shops will give you discounts if you bring your own mug. In that way, you are not only helping the environment, but you can even save money.

Microplastic is harmful— for humans and for marine animals. During the decomposition of plastic products, fish an swallow the small pieces. It’s not just dangerous for the fish but also for the people who like to eat fish In fact, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) declared that every human ingests up to fi e grams of microplastic every week. Microplastic is often found in products like shampoo, peeling or makeup. Unfortunately, it is often difficult t see if a product contains microplastics, but a few ingredients to look out for are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), nylon (NA) and carbomer.

To make sure to avoid such products, it is safe to buy natural cosmetics products contain only natural ingredients.

Use biodegradable toothbrushes Simply buying a compostable toothbrush, for example a bamboo toothbrush, instead of buying a conventional plastic toothbrush is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste. The han le of such a toothbrush is made out of bamboo, while a petroleum based plastic called Nylon-4 is being used for the bristles. Bamboo can also prohibit the spread of microbes which can lead to serious oral health issues.

Avoid packaged fruits or vegetables

Bring your own reusable coffee mug

Avoid microplastics

21

photo by a. elliott

Stop using plastic cutlery

More than 100 million pieces of plastic utensils are used by Americans every day. Yes, it can be easier to use plastic forks, knives and plates because one can simply throw them away after they were used instead of having to clean them.

Carrying cutlery made out of steel around can be inconvenient, but there are several other options, for example, forks and knives made out of wood.

If you need a lot of cutlery for a party and you cannot spend too much money, you could also buy compostable forks and knives made out of renewable plant resources.

Many people believed that bagged greens are protected from any bad environmental influences, however, this is not the case. In fact, packaging provides a warm and sealed environment which is ideal for salmonella and listeria.

Plus, the plastic sheets can contain carcinogenic plasticizers that are likely to be found in plastic packaging to make it flex ble.

Buying fruits and vegetables without packaging is benefic al for the environment and for your health.

Recycle electronic devices

In the last decade, electronic waste has become a huge problem. People today are buying more and more electronic products than ever before, resulting from constant upgrades in technology.

Almost everyone has an old cell phone or laptop at home and doesn’t know what to do with them.

The best thing ould be to find an elect onic recycling program. This is impo tant because cellular devices contain toxic substances including mercury, lead and beryllium that could potentially pollute the groundwater. Additionally, recycling saves the raw materials that can be used to build new devices. ruth.heinemann@tigertimesonline.com

22 culture

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

Chip Chat

Fuego

The snack that rules the school c. clack

Fuego, or fi e in English, is known as the “original” fla or because of its popularity. Thisfla or’s purple bag is recognizable from miles away and is considered to be the spiciest of the fla ors. This hip is rated “Extreme” on its packaging and with its hot chili pepper and lime fla or.

Guacamole “More Guacamole please.”

This fl or is for the people who just can’t seem to get enough of that avocado dip.

This fl ors white bag makes it stand amongst the many colors in chip collection. This chip is rated “Mild” because of the kick that it has. Just because it’s guacamole that does not mean that it is not spicy.

BY ANDREA LOREDO-GONZALEZ staff writer Takis. A simple rolled corn tortilla chip covered in different fla ored powered turns into a nationwide phenomenon, and a favorite snack among teenagers. As some teens seem to carry them around like prized possessions, or just simply as lunch, others are willing to pay for just half of the bag.

“I put them on my sandwiches,” senior Jasie Perry said. “I literally put them in anything. I will dip them in hot sauce and eat them.” “I just love the taste. I guess I’m just really into salty foods and they’re super salty.”

To some teens, the chip is like an addiction.

It’s a part of their everyday life that they need in order to survive.

The fl or hits you and stays with you like a never ending party.To others, it is a trip back to the memories of chugging water while trying to get the spiciness out of their mouth.

Takis are owned by Barcel, a Mexican company founded in 1978 in Lerma Municipality, Mexico, and were brought over the US in 2006. Since then, the snack has become a popular chip amongst people, especially teens, in

the US. On the official B cel USA website there are fi e official flavors: Fuego, Guacamole, Nitro, Crunchy Fajita, and Xplosion. The e was even a Halloween special called Zombie. Each bag has a unique color scheme to match the unique fla ors. The color is not nly on the bag, but in the chip as well. Each fla or seems to have its own unique personality when it comes to how they look, smell and taste. The b ight colored bags on the shelves of various different stores makes them easy to spot from across the store.

Th y are colorful and full of spice which only helps understand why these chips are so popular amongst teens.

“I like them because of the lime fla or and [the spiciness],” senior Dallas Finn said. “Th y give you a form of excitement.

Th y also give you a bit of adrenaline along with each crunch.” fl or of the chips - Dallas Finn, 12 is aThe part of why they are so appealing to teens.

The saltiness and spiciness c eates something that draws them in and keeps them hostage in fla or.

“I eat [Takis] everyday,” senior Jasie Perry said.

“Th y are my favorite chip and my favorite food.”

“They give you a form of excitement. They also give you a bit of adrenaline along with each crunch.”

andrealoredo@tigertimesonline.com

Xplosion Rated Very Hot, this chili pepper and cheese fla ored chip fla ored chip is sure to give your taste buds a hit.

The o ange bag to match the cheesy orange chip and just a hint of chili. This fla or is sure to give your mouth an explosion of cheesy goodness.

Crunchy Fajitas With a green bag contrasting the deep burgundy color of the chips these are based on the popular Tex-Mex dish of fajitas. The fl or is rated Hot because of the level of spiciness in the chip.

photo story

Jan. 9, 2020 • tigertimesonline.com c.clack

SANTA CLAUS CAME TO TOWN To start the morning, officers drove their polic cars in a parade in front of Target as Santa greeted participants of the program.

The annual Shop with a Cop event was held at Target Texarkana located on Richmond Road.

m.debenport

ON A BUDGET Officer and volunteers were each assigned to shop with a child and responsible to keep track of their money.

Each child had $180 to spend, tax free.

23

Shop with a Cop

k.rogers

Annual event spreads holiday cheer

BY PEYTON SIMS culture editor Firefighters tu n the block, sounding their sirens. Kids can’t keep from smiling as they anticipate the morning that lies before them. On Dec. 3, Shop with a Cop and Firefighter wa held at Target where police officers and efighters unite with children to make their Christmas wishes come true.

“It just gives us an opportunity to help with kids that may not have as good of a Christmas, and it’s a lot of fun for us too,” Nash fi e chief Stephen Rogers said.

Shop with a cop is an annual event that allows children who lack access to Christmas presents to shop with office and fi efighters “The mai goal of this event is to make Christmas an opportunity for some of these kids that might

not otherwise have that,” Public Information Offic Shawn Vaughn said. “We were able to increase the number of kids and amount the child has to spend.”

From donations and fundraisers, Shop with a Cop wouldn’t be possible without the help of the community.

“Target provides funds, gift bags and different things like that for the children. Anytime you get to help someone that may not be able to help themselves at that particular time makes you feel really great,” Executive of Human Resources Robert Johnson said.

“These kids a e probably not always in favorable situations so seeing smiles on their faces and the gleam in their eyes when they look at the toys is amazing.” peyton.sims@tigertimesonline.com k.rogers

WARM SMILES A participant in the Shop with a Cop program smiles as Christy Alcorn helps her try on a jacket. Alcorn is a member of the city council who volunteered for the program.

CHECK OUT Volunteers help a young shopper add up her gifts to see if she has stayed within the price limit. Target Texarkana gave shoppers a 20% off coupon so children could spend up to $180.

c .clack

SAY CHEESE A young participant poses for a picture with a Texas state trooper as they shop together. Police officers firefighters and communi volunteers gathered to help the children shop.

LAUGH IT OUT An officer and program participant laugh as they pic out a toy. “The volunteers come out here to make everything work and we raise money, which is obviously a big part of it, but having one-on-one interactions with the kids is the heart and soul of this whole endeavor,” Public Information Officer Sh wn Vaughn said. a. elliott

m. stanfil

HIGH FIVE As the shoppers finish up and check out a participant reaches out to high five his voluntee . “We get as much out of it as they do. We look forward to it every year,” Nash fire chie Stephen Rogers said.

24 community

tigertimesonline.com • Jan. 9, 2020

AT TC, YOU’LL FIND...

Academic associate degrees that transfer.

State-of-the-art nursing and health sciences programs. Hands-on career training and certificates. Vibrant campus life and community. Scholarships, grants and financial aid available to help fund your college education.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Schedule your campus tour at texarkanacollege.edu/tour or call (903) 823-3012.

texarkanacollege.edu/start • (903) 823-3012