Mansfield Legacy High School 1263 North Main Street Mansfield, TX 76063 817-299-1100
The Rider Rezoned
Book Drive
Art Club and Book Club seek assistance helping a community outreach book drive program for Tarver-Rendon Elementary School. Last year, members of the Art Club and Book Club collected and donated more than 300 children’s books (easy reader to chapter books), mostly from Legacy High School students, teachers and staff. A red donation box is located at the receptionist desk beginning and will run through the end of March 2012. All age appropriate books in all languages are acceptable.
300 Legacy Students South of Broad Street Set to Attend Lake Ridge High School BY JULIANNA DI NAPOLI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“With your help in this program, our goal is to surpass the 300 books we collected last year and give the students at Tarver-Rendon Elementary the gift of reading that will continue for years to come,” Arts Department Chair David Mason said.
Yearbooks
Sales end Jan. 8, 2012. Order online with a credit card at therideronline.com. This year’s book is bigger, bolder and better. No extras will be ordered.
Mid-Term Schedule
Freshman Hannah Middleton delved into high school life at Legacy. She is in theater, journalism and on the improv troupe. However, because of her address, next year she will be zoned to attend Lake Ridge High School. A committee of parents and community members worked with a demographer to draw up a proposal for new high school attendance zones. Three hundred Legacy students south of Broad Street will attend Lake Ridge next year. “I love it here I don’t want to leave because of journalism and theater,” Middleton said. “I’m comfortable, and I like it.” Freshmen and sophomores in the affected area must attend Lake Ridge. Next year’s juniors and seniors, and their siblings who attend the same high school in the new Lake Ridge attendance zone, have the option of stay-
ing at their current school until they graduate after submitting an application located on the district’s webpage. “I’m totally against it,” Middleton said. “It really stinks because not only did I get comfortable here, I don’t want to leave. It would just be different there.” Middleton, her parents and other Legacy students and parents who were upset about the change had the option to attend two public hearings held by the district. According to the parents, the biggest issue is the distance between their house and Lake Ridge. The Lake Ridge zone stretches from south of Broad Street to Joe Pool Lake. After hearing concern about the distance between Lake Ridge and the zones farthest barrier, County Road 526, the Zone Review Committee decided to send a survey
to the residents. This survey will be the deciding factor on if those students so far out will be attending Lake Ridge or continue at Legacy. Because moving the least amount of students the least amount of times seems to be the most efficient way, that small portion of students formerly zoned for Legacy is necessary to avoid an entire population shift. “We are planning for the future,” Superintendent Dr. Bob Morrison said. “Legacy’s area is growing as well as all of the other areas; somebody has got to move.” The Lake Ridge High School zoning process began Nov. 10. The committee decides border lines by facilities, future growth, transportation and the fewest possible number of transfers. “People fall in love with the school they go to, so the kids that get zoned for
Jan. 10
BY JESSICA JONES STAFF WRITER
Jan. 11
A-Day Review Seniors Bernardo Cervantes and Steven Stroop work with Habitat for Humanity to assist in landscaping for a house. Cervantes enjoys helping out, “It felt food to help out the community a little bit.”
Occupy Everywhere Legacy students join the Occupy Movement NEWS
PAGE 2
COURTESY PHOTO
B-Day Final Exam
A-Day Final
“We are planning for the future. Legacy’s area is growing as well as all of the other areas; Somebody has got to move.” -Superintendent Dr. Morrison
Lake Ridge will get used to the idea of moving and like it,” Dr. Morrison said. There will also be open enrollment for Lake Ridge. Any incoming high school student may transfer to Lake Ridge. Applications for the Lake Ridge Option are due in the Director of Campus Support office by Jan. 23, 2012. (Principal David Wright will take over the Director of Campus Support position in February.) The District will not provide transportation for students using the Lake Ridge Option. “Change is difficult and I appreciate that,” Dr. Morrison said. “I appreciate when parents express concern about things like this.” Lake Ridge will open at
a 4A level and all sports will have varsity teams. Timberview, MHS and Summit are projected to be 5A and Legacy 4A. “You may be disappointed,” Dr. Morrison said. “However at the first football game when the Eagles run out on the field at their first win, there will be pride in that school.” Middleton’s parents and others have completed the survey, however no decision has been made public on what the committee has decided to do. “Literally no more than two weeks after being at Legacy made me just love it here; I feel safe,” Middleton said. “I feel like everyone gets along for the most part; I feel very accepted and I really like it.”
JROTC Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity
B-Day Review
Jan 12
December 16, 2011 Vol. 5 Issue 1
The Student Newspaper of Legacy High School: Covering Bronco Nation
News Briefs
Jan. 9
therideronline.com
JROTC students gathered around the Habitat for Humanity home in the cool air dressed in jeans and boots. Some students worked on laying grass others, like senior Bernado Cervantes, also helped plant the tree. “It felt good to help out
the community a little bit,” Cervantes said. The week before Thanksgiving break, JROTC set up a table during lunches accepting donations to offset the cost of the house they were assisting in building for Habitat for Humanity. They raised about $100 and continue to accept donations. “I liked that we knew
we were helping someone out. It felt good,” senior Brittany Sutton said. On Nov. 13 JROTC students arrived at the work site in Forest Hill with an already completed layout. They, along with MHS and Timberview’s JROTC organization, worked on the landscaping laying grass, planting a tree and putting in a whole flower bed.
Amous Runs Ahead New Economics How teenagers should save money in a worsening economy CENTER PAGES 6-7
of Competition
continued on pg. 2
Sophomore takes position on varsity SPORTS
PAGE 5
Page 2
News
December 16, 2011
Occupy Everywhere BY MADISON DAVIS ANDY HEUER
Driving toward Dallas, senior Dustin Red Eagle went to join fellow demonstrators at the Occupy Dallas protest at the City Hall Park. “I just wanted to see what the hype was about,” Red Eagle said. “To see it from [the protesters’] perspective.” The Occupy or the 99 percent Movement began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as an attempt to redefine democratic participation beyond representative democracy and imagine a new political culture beyond race, ideology and political affiliation. Since its inception, Occupy has migrated overseas and manifested itself into more well-known versions such as Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Dallas and Occupy Oakland. However, Occupy’s current protesters have economic goals in mind as opposed to the political goals of their Malaysian predecessors. The current Occupy Movement seeks to remove all forms of governmental influence by corporations and the wealthy,
also known as the one percent. “[It’s] basically everyday people wanting to see less influence of money on Capitol Hill,” Red Eagle explained. “Most people see it as hippies sitting outside of city halls, but it’s really people from all walks of life. There are the nine percent of unemployed and the 90 percent afraid of losing their jobs.” The lack of organization and uniformity between separate sects of Occupy may present a problem for demonstrators. The protests and marches vary in intensity and vigor which may or may not, depending on the state or country and the type of demonstration, be illegal. For example, Occupy Dallas started Oct. 6, 2011 as a protest group, Local Dallas residents participate in the Occupy Dallas Movement. working in solidarity with the other 99 percent and litter around the campsite. tion giants accept and support movements, and The Occupiers have since agreed increased taxes for the wealthy have since been to clean up around the camp. one percent and a reapportionplagued with le“It’s a good exercise,” Gov- ment of wealth between the comgal troubles in- ernment teacher Craig Rabalais mon people. cluding a near- said. “I believe in people using Occupy as a whole wishes to eviction. the first amendment but their have money’s corruption and Mary Suhm, Dallas City Man- goals are too unclear for them to influence removed from politics ager, sent the participants of Oc- succeed.” as well as the politicians who cupy Dallas a letter, claiming A few large corporations, endorse policies favoring the the protesters have continuously such as McDonald’s and Ben & wealthy to be removed from ofbreached the agreements in their Jerry’s, are surprisingly support- fice. settlement with the city, includ- ing Occupy, viewing their cause “It could only be successful if ing the use of city hall rest rooms as noble and just. These corpora- we flush out the current politi-
“It’s a good exercise. I believe in people using the first amendment but their goals are too unclear for them to succeed.” -Craig Rabalais
State Testing Moves From TAKS to STAAR BY AMANDA GRANATO ASSISTANT EDITOR
End of Course (EOC) exams, along with State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) will replace the once standard Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Freshmen entering during the 2011-2012 school year taking courses with EOC exams tied to them will take the exams as their exit-level tests. “Its a good thing we are phasing [EOC and STAAR testing] in, because now we’re really only worried about the ninth grade students and the tests they’re going to take,” Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, the MISD Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability said. EOC exam scores tie into the student’s overall course grade by 15 percent, meaning hypothetically a student who passed both semesters can fail the course if they fail the EOC. However, the
district has created a system in an attempt to make EOC scores have a positive effect. “What we want to do as a district is be student friendly,” Dr. Vaszauskas said. “We didn’t want students who worked hard with their teachers to pass the course to fail because of the EOC. So we made it so even if the student failed the EOC its still possible for them to pass the course.” Along with the 15 percent attachment to the overall course grade, EOC and STAAR tests have a cumulative score that will follow the student through all subsequent testing in that subject. In other words, for each test taken in a course, the score for each will be added together and the final score must be at or above a certain number. Students who do not reach the minimum cumulative score set by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) may retake any assessment within the content area until they meet the score.
“It didn’t make sense to us that if a student had a bad day, or was weak in a subject, that their low score would come back to hit them twice,” Dr. Vaszauskas said. Spring testing days will go from the original 13 days for TAKS to 45 days under STAAR and EOC. This year testing will run Mar 5 to May 18, coinciding with several AP testing days. “The testing schedule will be tough on the kids, but we have to be organized,” Assistant Principal Christine Englert said. “I think we’ll do fine, because we’re good at testing. We’re covering all of our bases and hopefully we will be ready when spring comes.” According to Dr. Vaszauskas, one of the main motivations behind implementing the STAAR and EOC exams was that students didn’t take TAKS seriously. “TAKS wasn’t hard, it was all just based on your grade level, and not the class you were in. I always forgot the stuff I did the year before, and I didn’t want to
test over it,” sophomore Dillon Jones said. By factoring EOC scores in with student’s course grades the Texas Education Agency hopes to make students accountable for what they learn. “We took an Algebra EOC last year,” freshman Brayden Its said. “It was harder, definitely, but TAKS seemed too easy. TAKS didn’t count toward your grade either, and I think people will take [the EOC] more seriously since it affects your grade.” Physics teacher John Davis believes the EOC exams will replace TAKS in a positive way by focusing on current subject material. “I think giving end of course exams will be more relevant to what the students are learning,” Mr. Davis said. “Teachers won’t have to stop their curriculum to teach old curriculum, and students don’t have to focus on more than one subject.”
District Cuts Funding for Letterman Jackets BY BRITTANY MUSSER STAFF WRITER With cold weather approaching, many students have begun to break out winter clothes, however, those students who have not earned a letterman will have to find an alternative way to stay warm. As of this year Mansfield Independent School District will no longer pay for student letter jackets because of recent budget cuts. “Well it’s just a matter of finances,” Principal David Wright said. “Tough decisions had to be made that nobody wanted to make. It’s just the reality of the situation.”
The state cut 13 million dollars in funding for MISD this school year. “They worked really hard to try to make sure that campus instructional budgets were not cut,” Mr. Wright said. “They kept everything they absolutely had to and then went from there.” Every department across the district was required to reduce their budget by 10 percent, which equated $150,000 for the fine arts department. “Basically every department’s budget got cut,” Mr. Wright said. “They had to decide what to cut that would impact student in-
L
struction the least. If you think about it it wouldn’t make any sense to keep letter jackets but force football players to pay for their own helmets and band students to pay for their own instruments.” Last year students who purchased letter jackets paid for everything except for the letter and the jacket itself.
This year students will pay for the entire jacket including patches and any embroidering. “I wish we could have continued to pay for letter jackets because it’s a long kind of standing tradition that goes way back, but it was necessary,” Mr. Wright said.
DUSTIN REDEAGLE PHOTO
Legacy students join the Occupy dallas movement at city hall
Check out the video at www.therideronline.com cians and put independent politicians in,” Red Eagle said. However, because of the lack of appropriate resources and gross misinterpretation of their cause, the Occupiers still have many trials to face before seeing the fruits of their labor.
JROTC Builds With Habitat For Humanity continued from page 1
“I learned a lot about landscaping because I never did that before,” Sutton said. Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit Christian organization promoting ministry, believes everyone should have a home. Habitat for Humanity builds houses all over the world and accepts volunteers without discrimination. According to Cervantes working with other schools was also a good experience. “They’re [other JROTC] very friendly, and I was honored to be working with them for a greater cause,” Cervantes said. Not until after the Habitat for Humanity homes are built and ready is the family that will live in the house are able to see their future home. “I wish I could have seen the faces of the people who are going to live in the house.” Cervantes said. According to Cervantes the work took about three hours and about an hour just to dig the hole for the tree in the fresh clay, which in his opinion was the hardest and best part. “In such a little time we made a barren piece of earth into a green and beautiful patch of heaven,” Cervantes said. Though this is the first year Legacy’s JROTC participated with Habitat for Humanity, Sutton and Cervantes say that they would volunteer again and JROTC will be volunteering with Habitat for Humanity again in the spring. “I found that the hard work was really worth it,” Cervantes said.
News
Cutting Classes:
December 16, 2011
Page 3
District proposes switch to eight-period day
Club Briefs
BY BRITTANY MUSSER, KYMBER CULLUM
Book Club BY DINI WYATT
Flute player Katrina Huynh (right), 10, plays in the band March-A-Thon. Beginning next year, practice time during class will be cut by half due to the upcoming schedule change.
teachers, the district saves money by shifting existing teachers to Lake Ridge. “After a budget cut, either you cut the personnel or you rearrange the system,” Mr. Wright said. Among other changes in the schedule, a proposition to change the start and end of the school day was also made. On the eightperiod schedule draft, high school begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 4:15 p.m. The length of passing periods will shorten to five minutes. If the board approves the time changes, instructional time will extend by 40 minutes. Though the budget affects the students’ time in class, it could affect the time they spend outside of school as well. “I like the A/B day schedule we have this year because I like
not having to do homework and papers the day I get them,” junior Connor Johns said. Along with the amount of time spent on homework, the proposed schedule changes times and ways athletic teams and extracurricular groups practice during and after school. “We won’t be able to practice our music as in-depth as we used to,” band sophomore Katrina Huynh said, “but it does allow us more flexibility to pick up other electives.” Johns worries about the reduction of instruction time, as classes shorten to 45 minutes.
RACHAEL SLAVIK PHOTO
In order to save money, the district proposed changing to an eight-period-day schedule at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Switching from the current block schedule will save the district $4 million of the $13 million cut by Texas Legislature. The district modified the eight-period schedule to an earlier start time (7:30) and shortened class time (45 minute classes). “Everybody heard about how the state cut funding for education,” Principal David Wright said. “The district has to be able to operate in a budget.” Because teachers have one less conference period, for every seven teachers one can be redistributed to a different school in the district. “With the opening of Lake Ridge, students are having to shift,” Mr. Wright said. “Students are moving to the new school, so teachers have to move to the new school also.” The current block schedule allows a teacher to have class for six periods and have two periods for conference. Having the eightperiod schedule allows teachers to teach an extra class and have one period for conference. “I will have to pick up another class, but it will most likely be another history class. So I won’t be teaching anything new,” AP Coordinator Mandy Gent said. According to Mr. Wright, over 85 percent of the money running through a district pays personnel salaries. Rather than hiring new
“Having shorter classes seems like things won’t be as personal,” Johns said. “Teachers will have to rush through things, and there won’t be time for any one-onone explanation.” As the alternative to the A/B day schedule, the eight class periods day will create many differences in a regular school day, not only for high school but for all other schools as well. “The district has to put together a schedule which fits the high schools, Frontier, Ben Barber, middle schools, intermediate schools and elementary schools,” Mr. Wright said.
“After a budget cut, either you cut the personnel or you rearrange the system.” -Mr. Wright
Des Stewart Replaces David Wright as New Principal
Book Club meets every other Wednesday in Ms. Villarreal’s room, A-J 105. During Book Club members discuss a book, eat, play games and watch movies that go along with the book. “We’ve been really busy. They [the students] have been wanting to help out.” Ms. Villarreal said. They are reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and are helping the Art Club with a book drive for TarverRendon Elementary School. “We’re a rather small group, so we have to look at reasonable fundraisers and activities,” Ms. Villarreal said.
Stewart Facts Sports:
Avid golfer, former college basketball player
Favorite basketball team:
San Antonio Spurs
Football:
Dallas Cowboys MIA ORTEGA PHOTO
Baseball:
Editor-In-Chief Julianna Di Napoli, 12, sits down with new principal Des Stewart to discuss his goals for Legacy in the upcoming school years.
BY JULIANNA DI NAPOLI School to be recognized as a Blue EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ribbon School. DesMontes Stewart will take The National Blue Ribbon over as as Legacy’s new principal Schools Program honors public beginning Feb. 6. and private elementary, middle, Mr. Stewart describes himself and high schools that are either as a very friendly and warm per- high performing or have imson who plans to build relation- proved student achievement to ships, help individuals achieve high levels, especially among distheir academic goals and develop advantaged students. a love for lifelong learning. “Now [Legacy] is one of the “It’s my goal to learn some- stronger schools, but I want it thing new every day. As a princi- to be the strongest school,” Mr. pal I don’t have all the right an- Stewart said. swers, as an adult I don’t have all Mr. Stewart has a masters dethe right answers,” Mr. Stewart gree from Prairie View A&M Unisaid. “I’m always versity and has 12 looking to learn.” years experience Check out the video at Mr. Stewwww.therideronline.com in education. Mr. art hopes that Stewart has been through his life the Principal at experiences he can help the stu- S.H. Crowley Intermediate School dents understand the sky is the in the Crowley ISD. Prior to that limit when it comes to educa- Stewart was an Assistant Princitional opportunities, dedication pal in the Crowley ISD, a teacher and hard work. Mr. Stewart’s and coach in the Fort Worth ISD. long term goal is to take Legacy He moves from T.A. Howard MidHigh School to the next level. His dle School. ultimate goal is for Legacy High In the midst of Mr. Stewart’s
transition to Legacy, things will be changing throughout the district as well. Beginning the 2012-13 school year, eight period days, EOC and STAAR testing will be enacted. “For me personally, it’s good timing because it’s the first year for the TAKS to STAAR transition,” Mr. Stewart said. “It’s a good opportunity for me to get in and learn the nuts and bolts of the standardized testing system.” Mr. Wright’s secretary, Barbara Chambers believes Legacy has a great faculty and staff therefore Mr. Stewart will have a strong foundation to work with. She also says that Mr. Stewart will bring a fresh viewpoint, positive leadership and good change. “It’s hard to see Mr. Wright leave, but it’s exciting to have Mr. Stewart as our new leader,” Mrs. Chambers said. Mr. Stewart looks forward to
the implementation of the college and career readiness standards. He believes these standards are designed to make sure students of today are prepared and ready for college success. “I look forward to being a part of the development of our leaders of tomorrow,” Mr. Stewart said. His favorite thing about Legacy is the amount of respect exhibited from teacher to student and student to teacher. According to Mr. Stewart, in order for any organization to be successful, strong relationships have to be formed as well as high expectations for all. “I want the whole Bronco Nation to understand how excited I am to be a part of such a prestigious high school and I look forward to working with all,” Mr. Stewart said.
“Now [Legacy] is one of the stronger schools, but I want it to be the strongest school.” -Mr.Stewart
Texas Rangers
Music:
Avid jazz listener and owns probably 3500 CDs and about 600 movies
Family:
Wife, 20 year-old-son and 8 year-old-daughter
Background:
From Waco, TX. Currently working on doctorate at Stephen F. Austin University
Height: 6’6”
Favorite Candy:
Candy corn or Whatchamacallit
Favorite Drink: Big Red
Best vacation: Bahamas
Page 4
Sports
December 16, 2011
Talent Search Basketball
College scouts scope out fresh material; Recruiting numerous student athletes
Recent Scores Boy’s Varsity: Nov. 21- (31-41) Nov. 22- (43-30) Nov. 29- (43-30) Dec. 1- (40-52) Dec. 2- (56-48) Dec. 3- (25-63) Dec. 6- (31-59) Dec. 8- (45-48) Dec. 9- (55-30) Dec. 10- (43-46)
Girls’s Varsity: Nov. 11- (37-41) Nov. 12- (45-27) Nov. 15- (72-47) Nov. 22- (50-68) Nov. 29- (44-68) Dec. 1- (65-50) Dec. 2- (46-47) Dec. 3- (25-57) Dec. 6- (67-33)
Upcoming Games Boy’s Varsity:
Several Legacy student athletes from each sport are either being scouted by or have signed with colleges. Baseball: Senior Conner Smith has already devoted himself to Texas Tech University he plays in the outfield, as well as on the mound. Senior Tejay Antone has high velocity on his pitches which helps rate him among the top pitchers in the metroplex. Antone just recently signed to TCU on a baseball scholarship. Senior Ryan Dean plays infield and has what Coach David Walden says a “unique ability to make incredible plays on defense.” Volleyball/Track & Field: Senior Shelbi Vaughan signed to Texas A&M University on a full volleyball scholarship and will also throw discus for their team. Last year, Vaughan advanced to state in Track & Field, receiving first in discus, and second in shot put. Vaughan traveled to Oregan over the summer to qualify for the Pan Am games in Florida. She threw a 172’ to finish first and qualify. Then, she went to South Carolina to qualify for the World Youth Championships in Lille, France. There, she threw a 154’ to finish second, qualifying her to go to France. In the pre-lims she threw a 176’ to rank her second in the world. During the actual championship, she finished third. Softball: Senior Baylee Gray has committed to Northwestern State University. Gray holds numerous softball program records
Baylee Gray, 12, signing a letter of intent to go to Northwestern University in Louisianna.
including: most strikeouts in one season (167), most career strikeouts (347), most wins in one season (26), most career wins (48), and most shutouts in one season (12). Texas A&M, Alabama, North Texas, Tulsa and Baylor are all looking at Junior Briana Walker. Walker holds season records for hits, runs, walks, triples, and a .538 batting average. Senior Kelsey Miller who plays third base and has started on varsity since her freshman year is being scouted my several major universities. Senior Savannah Stech, who has also started on varsity since her freshman year, has won an academic award every year and had a .337 batting average in the 2011 season. Numerous universities are looking to bring
Murdock reflects on season as a whole, as well as future season BY NICK GROSS SPORTS EDITOR
Jan. 3- Grand Prairie Jan. 6- Midlothian High Jan. 10- Mansfield Jan. 13- South Grand Prairie Jan 17- Duncanville
Girl’s Varsity: Dec. 20- Cedar Hill Jan. 3- Grand Prairie Jan. 6-Midlothian
JOSH GARRISON PHOTO
Jan. 10-Mansfield
Jan. 17-Duncanville
Golf: Senior Payden Parrish finished within the top 10 at regionals last year, and was a medalist with scores of 74 and 73. This made him miss a playoff spot by only one shot. This summer, Parrish shot a career high 68 on day one of the Fort Worth City Championship. Ranked at number one this year, he has eight universities scouting him, including Sam Houston State University, Arkansas Tech University and Florida Atlantic University. Senior Payne Nowak has qualified for regionals in two of his three years at Legacy. Nowak shot a career best 72 at Hidden Creek this summer which won him the NTPGA Jr. Tournament. Both of these players are ranked among the top 10 percent of their class academically.
Basketball Team Traveling Far, Wide for Wins
Dec. 20- Cedar Hill
Jan. 13- South Grand Prairie
her in to their softball programs. Senior Canyon Samuel won the Bronco Big Stick Award for 2010, and different universities are sending scouts to look at her this season. Football: The top football recruits this year are Seniors DeCarlos Humphrey, Marcel McDowell, Andy Ritter and Marcus Lattimore. Soccer: Seniors Cody Sherwood, Jacob Acosta and Lane Wright are all being scouted by various colleges. All three of them were on the team that made it to the playoffs last year. Last year during the game versus Midlothian, a big rivalry game, Lane Wright scored twice helping the team win the game. This year, there are only seven returning members to the varsity team.
Marchie Murdock, 11, runs the ball down the court and takes the shot against the Summit Jaguars.
Marchie Murdock, wearing number two, had the ball. The point/shooting guard ran inside the paint and shot the ball, putting the Broncos up by two points against Crowley. Despite how much Murdock helped, the team went on to lose that game., 45-48. “It felt pretty good,” Murdock said. “It always feels good to get even one basket.” Murdock has played basketball since he was about four years old. His father, Coach Marchie Murdock, got him into the sport, and ever since then Murdock has played. “I’ve always loved it,” Murdock said. “I like the competitiveness in the sport, I feel like it was meant for me.” Coach Murdock, coach for the varisty basketball men’s team, has always been there to inspire his son. Coach Murdock has essentially been Murdock’s coach ever since the age of four. When his son feels down about a game, Coach Murdock always cheers him on, picking him up off the ground. “I like having him as a coach,” Marchie said. “It’s a pain sometimes, but in the end I wouldn’t want it any other way. He taught me everything I know about the sport. When I think of the word ‘coach’ he’s the only one that
comes to my mind.” On Dec. 9, the men’s varsity team left for an all weekend tournament at Flowermound High School where teams from all over the state came to compete. The team came out strong, winning their first game on Dec. 9. However, their spirits couldn’t bring them another win that night against Coppell. After Dec. 9, their record for the tournament settled to 1-1. “We played against Coppell, a state ranked team,” Marchie said. “A couple calls could have come our way, but they didn’t. We held them to only 35 points, which is a great achievement.” The team had to wake up early the next morning and play against Flowermound who had homefield advantage. It took awhile for the team to warm up as a whole, and by the time they did, it was almost too late to rally. However, the team did make a come back, losing the game by only two. “They came out hot,” Marchie said. “They had a good shooter who was shooting deep, we could have been better on defense.” As of now, the team record sits at 4-9, and they’re just getting warmed up. The team plays again Dec. 20. “I look forward to finishing this season,” Marchie said. “We have a young group, with ten new players. Once we get consistent we’ll be a better team, we’ll be a force to reckon with.”
Troy Dorsey’s Karate and Fitness Kickboxing 115 N. Main St. • Mansfield, TX 76063 • (817) 477-5523 troydoresykarate@sbcglobal.net
COURTESY PHOTO
BY NICK GROSS SPORTS EDITOR
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To cope with lack Of sports acitivity Throughout The remaining School year
CHASE CALLAWAY PHOTO
Athlete Adjusts To Leg Injury
December 16, 2011
Page 5
Varsity Volleyball Advances to Playoffs Pursley helps the team get past the regular season
HALEIGH CALHOUN PHOTO
Sports Junior struggles
Ashley Pursley, 12, goes to serve the ball, getting an ace with the hit.
BY NICK GROSS SPORTS EDITOR
“I’m just used to doing sports, I mean that’s basically my whole life. Now that I can’t run or play, I hate it.” -Hyman
Junior Ja’ron Hyman took one more step and couldn’t take another. Despite an already existing injury to his leg he competed and practiced with the rest of the cross country team like nothing was wrong. However, this time something was wrong, he fell to the ground in pain. “I’m not sure what really happened to my leg,” Hyman said. “Hopefully I won’t be out too long.” After visiting the doctor on Mon., Oct. 31, Hyman went home and was told to take things easy. The doctor told him he had a peristalisis in his left leg and something wrong with his left ankle. The next time Hyman visits the doctor he will have to get a bone scan to see if he has a stress fracture or not. He cannot participate in marching band, soccer, or more Cross Country until his leg entirely heals. “It stinks,” Hyman said. “I’m just used to doing sports. I mean that’s basically my whole life. Now that I can’t run or play, I hate it.” Eventually, he reached the point where his pain was too much. Hyman’s fastest mile was 4:46, and his fastest 5K (3.1 miles) was 17:48. “I wanted to finish my season out,” Hyman said. “I kept running on it up until district last week. But at least we made it to regionals.” He will sit out from both marching band and Cross Country for at least three weeks. “I’m not going to be able to be ready for soccer tryouts” Hyman said. “I want to still play though.” He still works out what he can just so he can maintain his physical shape while his leg heals up. He rides the bike in the training room for a non-impact workout, as well as doing upper body weight lifting. “[It helps] because it keeps me off my leg but also helps keep me in shape at the same time.” Hyman said. On Sat., Nov. 5, the cross country team competed in regionals, their last meet of the season without Hyman. “I really wanted to compete in this race,” Hyman said. “It’s a bummer that it’s the last race.”
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BY NICK FAILOR BUSINESS MANAGER Going into the first round of playoffs against Richland, senior Ashley Pursley and her team prepared themselves for a good game. After three close games, Richland rose as the victor, stopping the team in their tracks for advancement. “One thing about postseason is that it’s one [loss] and you’re done,” Pursley said. “We could’ve beat them, we just had an off game.” During offseason, senior teammates earn late arrival during class, while the underclass-
men receive a couple weeks of reprieve, and then begin practicing for next year’s season. The season was cut shorter than the team wanted, but all realize the way they ended the season was well. “We all wanted to know that as a team, we ended this season on a good note,” Pursley said. Coach Jennifer Chandler understands the hard work the players, and especially the seniors put into this season. They walked into practice everyday knowing they wanted to work hard. The coaches and players all knew what it meant to be a team. “I’ve never had a team that
truly, unselfishly supported each other,” Chandler said. “They [seniors] were determined to leave behind a foundation on what’s expected in the volleyball program.” When the team played schools like Midlothian, one full of tradition and fan base, they knew they could beat them and had to work as one team to do it. Coach Chandler and the players both knew this school could be conquered, and Legacy came out victorious. “[They had] a lot of obstacles and they always hit them with grace, respect and determination,” Chandler said.
Amous Runs Ahead of Competition
Sophomore takes position on varsity; helps move the ball BY JOHN HOANG STAFF WRITER Squatting into position, KJ Amous prepares himself for the next play. Being one of the few sophomores on varsity, Amous has to work to stay on the team. “We’re good, we won’t be beat, we will work hard, ” Amous said. Even though varsity had lost their first three games, they still strove to improve for their next games. Amous’s work ethic has been noticed by the coaches and fellow athletes. “Amous works extremely hard in practice,” Coach Melson said. “He has a chance to become really good [as an athlete] because he works so hard.” As one of the younger athletes, he looks for ways to improve, so he can keep up with the competition. After many hours of practicing in the heat
and dirt, he has enough experience to play as the running back on varsity for the Legacy. “I think I did well, but I could have done a whole lot better,” Amous said. Staying committed to his team, Amous spends many hours with his fellow athletes in the heat everyday after school. Amous feels that playing football would be an easier way for an education and that motivates him to keep playing. “I encourage them [my teammates] even if they make mistakes,” Amous said. On the field and in the locker rooms, he maintains a positive attitude toward his teammates. Amous feels it isn’t just his skill that put him on varsity, but also the way he acts in certain situations. Being one of the younger athletes on varsity, he still has another two years to play. With most athletes on varsity be-
Training for Perfection BY MADISON DAVIS STAFF WRITER Beginning her fourth year as a sports trainer, senior Tionna Days stands on the sideline waiting for her fellow team to come off the field for halftime. “I wanted to join something when I first got to high school” Days said. “Afterwards I stayed because I really liked it.”
Amous ran for a touchdown versus Summit, one of four touchdowns for the night.
JOSH GARRISON PHOTO
Ja’ron Hyman, 11, icing his leg after suffering his shin splint injury.
ing upperclassmen, finding a sophomore with such a position would be more uncommon. “I feel good [being one of the sophomores] because there aren’t many sophomores on the team, it isn’t an easy thing to do,” Amous said.
Trainer’s point of view From the sidelines
Days along with the other seven varsity trainers always arrive at every game two hours early and leave 30 minutes after it has ended, making them the first students to arrive at every game as well as the last to leave. “My favorite sport is football because you get to see a little bit of everything,” With a varying work schedule depending on the day and sports
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season, Days, along with the other trainers devote a lot of their time to Legacy’s Athletic Department. “It takes a lot [of time] out of your day, so if you aren’t dedicated there is no point in you being there,” Days said. However, the trainers are not just all work. According to firstyear trainer and senior Karlee Hall, activities on the sideline can be far more comical. “Hannah [Ford] and I unscrew bottle caps, so the water pours out when the players take a drink,” Hall said. “We also make giant tape balls for fun.” The trainers cannot sit down at games, and some of the players refer to them as “watergirls [and boys].” “We [trainers] just wish we were more appreciated by everyone,” Hall said.
New Econ
Page 6
In Depth
December 16, 2011
How Teenagers Should Learn to Manage Money in a
With many worried about the economy, more students begin to learn how to manage their money, but not many know of personal finance. Not knowing enough about how to manage money can easily send students to poor choices, later leading to debt and financial instability. Junior Melissa Tansey feels she doesn’t rely very much on her parents for money or to make her financial decisions and feels ready for the
financial independence she’ll face upon graduation. “I know I’ll have to pay for a lot of things, but when I’m old enough I’ll be ready,” Tansey said. “I know what I want from what I need. I think I’ll be just fine.” According to the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, high school seniors’ financial literacy - or their understanding of money and finances - dropped from 2006 to 2008. Survey participants answered 48 percent of financerelated questions correctly. But if high school students wish to be successful, they’ll need a more apparent grasp of money. Freshman Meredith Cherry, who hasn’t begun preparing financially and has only just started high school, worries she needs to know more about money. “I don’t know a lot about money,” Cherry said. “I want to know enough to make sure I have enough to provide for myself and my family some day. It would be great to know more.” Having money can get
students things they want, but m completely on their parents, unprepared for the financial ind as an adult, or even as a colleg children manage money, parents children to have more financial f by opening a checking account debit card moderated by the pa account and depo to help with future car or paying for co child begin investin funds. Gradually, children learn en money to prepare t “Parents need t money doesn’t gro paying for everythi take responsibility said. “I think that w Before anything to manage their money and p the future have to budget thei Professionals say students should of money received or given, n
“If they learn proper money management now, it will bless them in the future.” -Dr. Stephan Shardy Calculus teacher
How do
you
manage
your money?
13
Easy Ways To Save Money This Holiday Season
1. Tur
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Stretch Your Dollar Around the world, $1 is the equivalent to approximately:
Canada
1.01 Canadian Dollar
Australia:
.99 Australian dollar
Hong Kong:
7.77 Hong Ko
nomic$ In Depth
a Worsening Economy
most students rely almost leaving many students dependence they will face ge student. To help their s can begin allowing their freedom in several ways: and giving their child a arent; opening a savings ositing money regularly e expenses like buying a ollege; and helping their ng in stocks, bonds, and parents can help their nough of the basics of them for independence. to teach [their kids] that ow on trees and to stop ing for them and let them y themselves,” Tansey will fix the problem.” ng else, students seeking prepare themselves for ir money and expenses. d write down any amount no matter how small. In
December 16, 2011
Page 7
Banking Terms Bank Statement:
A periodic record of the customer’s account that is issued at regular intervals, showing all transactions.
Blank Check:
A signed check, but the amount is left blank. It’s not smart to carry one around.
BY JESSE WRIGHT, MEGAN HENRY AND CARSON RAHRIG
doing so, they can know exactly how much they make each month, how much they spend each month and what they spend it on. From there they can trim their expenses by no longer fulfilling unnecessary desires. Perhaps more importantly students can determine how much money they can afford to save or invest with. “[Budgeting your money is] very important because you need to have a balance of money for things you want and things you can’t survive without,” Tansey said. In 2008 the Jump$tart Coalition found more than one third high school seniors reported having credit cards and over half had debit cards. Credit cards can help mature students build credit necessary for financing future expenses, such as a house, car or loan. However, they can also lead to mass debt. Nellie Mae, a student loan lender, found college freshmen had an average of $1,585 in credit card debt, which can take years to pay off. When searching for a credit card, students and parents should look for one with a maximum balance to suit the student’s needs and as low an APR rate as they can find. However, students may want to consider using debit cards, which make
Commission:
for a more secure option, as they allow individuals to only withdraw what they have in their account. Either way students should keep track of what they have in their account and not spend money they don’t have. AP Calculus teacher Dr. Stephan Shardy co-signed on credit cards for his daughters to help them learn the basics of credit. “The point was they were going to be responsible for their money, so they learned how to manage their money and manage their credit and that built into a magnificent thing,” Dr. Shardy said. “They made some mistakes, but I got them started and that was important.” According to the National High School Center, having a steady source of income and spending money wisely leads to good habits, which can pay off later in life. “If they learn proper money management now, it will bless them in the future,” Dr. Shardy said. “They’ll feel better about themselves, they’ll be able to have their needs met, and they’ll be content. But I’ve never known a happy person living in debt. No one sleeps well knowing they can’t pay their bills.”
“I know I’ll have to pay for a lot of things, but when I’m old enough I’ll be ready. I know what I want from what I need.” -Melissa Tansey, 11
“I don’t have any money Christopher Waggoner, 9 if I every do have any money I spend it on cookies.”
“I save my money. I use it for Victor Wilde, 9 lunch and to go to the store and get soda.”
Credit:
An agreement between a buyer and a lender where the borrowers receives money and agrees to pay back the lender at a later date, sometimes with interest.
Deposit:
A fund transferred to a client’s account at a bank or other financial establishment
Loan:
An amount of money is given to the customer, which is then to be repaid by that customer.
Withdrawal:
The act of taking money out of an account.
Credit Card Tips “I save half of the money so Zaria Vick, that way if there 10 is an emergency I have that money left over in case I need it. ”
Only use a card on occasional small purchases:
Responsible card use and on time payments lead to good credit scores. To keep a good score, only purchase merchandise when needed.
Pay off your balance each month:
rn off the television. We all know that gers love to watch TV, but to be nice elp your parents keep a little extra cash r wallets, turn the TV off every once in e. Make a gingerbread house, decorate ee, or participate in any other holiday y instead.
Write a list before you go shopping.
as the next big name for Hallmark holiday cards.
5. Invite friends over instead of going out. Rather than
paying for a movie ticket and concession stand food, save money by renting a movie and microwaving your own popcorn. A movie night that originally cost about $15 drops down to nearly $3
9. Avoid the vending machines. Snacks are good
every once in a while, but to avoid being hungry later, it’s important to eat a healthy meal that will fill you up. Unfortunately Cheeze-Its and a soft drink won’t cut it, and you will be hungry in no time, and spending your money on more food.
10. Catch the early-bird movie.
g a checklist before leaving ouse could help prevent the o fill your cart with all sorts ecessary things. With a list an go to the store and find hing you need in a quick, easy manner, le saving money.
clothes to any thrift store and make some extra cash by doing so. Or, if you’re feeling extra generous, donate you clothes to Goodwill and help those in need have warm clothes this winter.
Almost all movie theaters offer a lower price for tickets to the first showing of the day. Not only are these show times less crowded, where you have a higher chance of getting the seat you want, but it also save you money.
Master the thirty day rule. Whenever you think
7. Master the ten second rule. While at the grocery
11. Don’t speed. Nobody wants to pay for
ally want a particular item and wonder worth the cost, wait 30 days. If you ant it after a month, then go ahead urchase the item, if not, then use your y toward something else, like buying nts for your friends and family.
. Make your own gift instead of buying from the store.
annel your inner creativity and create me-made gifts for your friends this liday season. Save money by making esents out of everyday household , and stay clear of the over priced gifts es. You never know, you could end up
ong dollar
A service fee based on a percentage of an amount received or collected and agreed to be paid
China:
6.36 China Yuan
6. Clean out your closet. Bring your outgrown
store the temptation to grab all sorts of sweets and put them in your cart can be hard to ignore. When in this predicament, before you place this item into your cart, stop and think to yourself “Why am I buying this”, if you have a good reason, buy it, if you don’t put it back on the shelf.
8. Never go shopping when you’re hungry.
Most likely if you’re hungry and shopping, you will cave in and buy food. Instead, eat at home before you leave the house and help prevent the cravings.
New Zealand:
1.29 New Zealand dollar
United Kingdom:
0.64 UK Pound
a speeding ticket, and with the dangerous conditions on the roads during the holiday break, being a safe driver not only save you a hefty fine, buy also prevents accidents.
12. Shop on money saving websites. Shopping on
sites such as Craigslist, Amazon, Ebay and other online sites helps you get merchandise at lower prices, compared to the marked up prices at the store.
13. Carpool. Whether you’re going through
neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, or spending a night out on the town, carpool.
Mexico:
13.51 Mexican Peso
Japan:
77.67 Japanese Yen
When using your card, only purchase items you can afford. If you are unable to pay back the amount at the end of the month, resist the urge to make the purchase.
Do not co-sign with your friends:
No matter how much you trust your best friend, avoid sharing accounts. Your friend could easily turn into your biggest enemy if any financial troubles occur on their part.
Do not apply for multiple cards at one time:
It is hard enough keeping track of one card, adding mutiple cards could cause debt problems and put you in a very stressful situation.
Only purchase big ticket items in case of emergency: Keeping debt
levels low ensures that there will be money on your card in times of desperate measures. Spending big bucks on expensive items lowers the money in your account which could cause a problem when a real emergency arises.
Europe:
0.75 Euro
Page 8
Our Views
December 16, 2011
Past Issues Provoke Censorship on Sensitive Subjects BY AMANDA GRANATO ASSISTANT EDITOR
I arrived at what I thought would be my final draft of this page in high spirits. Despite lagging behind the curve a little, I managed to create a somewhat decently designed editorial spread. The stories I was running were well thought out and intelligent, my frantic search for a cartoonist proved fruitful and overall I felt that proofing and correcting the page would be a matter of maybe thirty minutes. But the page as I saw it was very different from what you’re reading now. One of the beautifully made cartoons that senior Taylor Toone created, along with the politically charged and well written editorial it complemented, are now unfortunately missing from the spread, having been hastily replaced by this blogish type story and whatever else we could slap on the page at the last minute. All this last-minute change because we realized the possibility of an article inflaming racial tensions between students who would take the piece solely on first impression, ignorantly forming opinions without ever
pausing to actually consider what our writer was trying to say. We simply wanted to take a current issue and cause students to think: Ask questions. Second guess their views. And analyze a way to change the issue. The article originally running here was a well-researched, well-thought-out piece about illegal immigration by an intelligent and fair writer. It was saturated in research and caused people on both sides of the fence to think. It discussed how the government has failed everyone involved. Illegal immigration, as it turns out, happens to be one of the more controversial subjects at our campus. Our campus has had several instances in which racial prejudices have broken out into harsh words and escalated into violence. In the opinion of the teacher who pointed out the issues the article might cause, she would have preferred us to take a stance against death penalty, gay marriage and even abortion before she would choose to run an article about illegal immigration in our publication. The editorial that was supposed to run in the place of this blog was nothing if not controversial, and opinionated. I, per-
We simply wanted to take a current issue and cause students to think: Ask questions. Second guess their views. And analyze a way to change the issue.
CONTENT REMOVED TO PREVENT IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR USA
sonally, disagreed with much of what our staffer wrote, and nevertheless I was able to respect what he wrote as his personal opinion, based in well researched facts. Immigration and racism are two very different subjects. Undoubtedly many of our readers would disagree with what he had to say. However, it was an opinion piece, running in the ‘Our Views’ section of our paper under his byline. And that’s what it represented– the completely valid, and entirely subjective, viewpoint of
a writer. The piece was balanced. The piece was honest. The piece was mature. But the piece had the possibility for causing a disruption to Legacy’s learning environment. This article did not print because of the irrational tendencies of some to act upon the racial prejudices proven to exist at this school. As an editor of this publication, I strive to achieve excellence. It strikes me as a tragedy that we have been forced to cen-
We as high-school-age students should be able to respect each other despite our differences.
sor ourselves and compromise the standards which we hold for this paper for concern that some of the students we produce this paper for will take our words and use them to validate their own illogical viewpoints and actions. I look forward to the day when we can challenge our student readers with controversial pieces and incite intelligent thought, conversation and debate based on reason, instead of discrimination and unnecessary violence based on the color of someones’ skin. We as highschool-age students should be able to respect each other despite our differences.
The Music Pyramid BY JOSH PERRY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Pop culture today has it’s own view on what music is popular. I, on the other hand, have a different opinion of what music is better and what genres of music society could live without. Here is my hierarchy of music in the form of the food pyramid: The Bread and Pasta Group- On
the food pyramid, the bread and pasta group is the base of the pyramid. This group requires the most servings per day and is one of the most important. In my musical hierarchy, this group correlates to Rock music. Rock music is the base and in my opinion is the best genre of music. Without rock, most genres of music now days would not be the same or even exist. The Vegetable GroupRight above the bread an pasta group is the vegetable group. Vegetables, although not as needed as the bread and pasta group, are still important. I compare the vegetable group to Metal music. Metal has been around for a while and everybody needs a little metal music. Whether it’s 80’s metal, modern metal, metalcore or hard rock, metal should at least be on every iPod. The Fruit Group- Right next to the
Blog: The Frustrations of Applications In the past few months, fellow seniors and I forced ourselves to partake in a yearly event which consumes the lives of anyone so unfortunate to participate. Unlike our contemporary Asher Roth, we do not love college. Well, not the application process. Overly complex and detailed, asking for every single unadulterated detail of your life leading up to the point of submission, college applications drain all saps of life from the poor victims of its torture. I am sick and tired of using the same cookie-cutter patterns with the same
vegetable group is the fruit group. Fruits are just as important as vegetables and require around the same amount of servings. What differentiates the fruit form the vegetables is that fruits are sweet and vegetables tend to be bitter or hard to take in. That’s why I chose Punk/Alternative Music for my fruit group. Punk and alternative can be anywhere from indie music to the grunge rock on 102.1 the Edge. The Meat Group- One level above the fruits and vegetables is the meat group. The meat group has proteins and other important things that help maintain a healthy lifestyle. In the hierarchy, Classical music is the meat group. Classical music is very important for human survival. The soft relaxing sound of stings and wind instruments can help take the stress out of life. It’s not as important as the previous groups though, requiring less servings. The Dairy Group- With even less servings than the meat group, but still on the same level, is the dairy group. Milk, along with other dairy products, are not as crucial as the other groups besides the
fact they supply the body calcium. The dairy group is comparable to rap. Rap is enjoyable, just like milk and cheese, but isn’t good enough to top the rest. I’m not saying it’s bad, I just don’t personally enjoy constantly listening to people talk to a beat. On occasion rap is very enjoyable, but all the time is too much.
The Fats, Oils and Other Group-
Last but not least, at the top of the food pyramid, requiring little to no servings, is the Fats, Oils and Other Group; or as I call it, the FOOG (füg) group. The FOOG group is the least healthy of the groups and should not be eaten regularly. That’s why the FOOG group is Pop music. Pop is, well, bad. Singing to a pre-recorded track is not deserving of it’s own genre. To accurately describe what I consider pop, is a “band” that goes out on stage and just sings. If there are a bunch of instruments on the stage, that’s not quite what I’m refuting. Not all pop is bad, but a majority of it is just really annoying and repetitious. I do like some pop though, just like even people without sweet teeth like candy.
BY MADISON DAVIS STAFF WRITER
questions from university to university. Typical examples include: “Why are you applying?”; “Why our school?”; “For what reasons do you want to be admitted here?”. “Because it’s a nice campus,” or “I like your programs and reputation” would be a simple, factual response for the “Average Joe”. But, oh no, not nearly enough for the admissions review boards at these universities. They are not looking for average; they are looking for exceptional, which in their books, or rubric rather, means someone who can slop down a verbose, mostly cliche paragraph with
not break my laptop in “Overly complex and frustration beforehand. In detailed, asking for every fact, if I receive any other of form for the resingle unadulterated detail type mainder of my life which asks, “Please tell of your life leading up to essentially us about your life and do the point of submission, not leave out any juicy deI may or may not fall college applications drain tails,” off of the deep end. Luckall saps of life from the poor ily, I know how to swim. in the very, victims of its torture.” veryHopefully near future, college
little to no grammatical errors and a few ego boosts for the reader sprinkled in. Which happens to be a grossly inefficient way of judging students. It provides the reader with the same paragraph/essay to read constantly until they have scythed through several thousand applicants. At least with a short, simple answer they could increase their efficiency by over 9000 percent, though the percentage may be a tad less exaggerated. Applications would be less of a torture sentence were it not for the length. I have filled out about four applications and still have more to complete, if I do
applications will be less frustrating and terrible. But, as it stands, I hate college applications.
read more staff blogs at therideronline.com
Our Views
December 16, 2011
Lake Ridge Attendance Zone Could Cause Burdens
Page 9
TheRider Editor-in-Chief Julianna Di Napoli Managing Editor Amanda Granato Features Editor Megan Henry
STAFF EDITORIAL
With Lake Ridge opening next school year, Mansfield ISD has to rezone students in order to populate the new school. Though necessary to fulfill the needs of the new school, the current zoning reapportionment options proposed by the district will unnecessarily take students from Legacy’s zone, causing students to travel the width of the entire district. Current sophomores and juniors who are zoned for Lake Ridge, and their siblings who attend the same high school, have the option to stay at their current school. This option should be extended to current freshmen as well. Moving students who have already completed their first year at a high school to a different location can have a detrimental effect on their academics and extracurriculars. By the end of their freshman year most students have already found their niche and become involved in the activities they will continue with for their remaining three years. Students who are moved may be less likely to partake in the same extracurriculars at the new school because they will be unfamiliar with the coordinator and other students involved. Along with being a detriment to the current freshmen, forcing unwilling students to
move schools could be harmful to those who willingly attend Lake Ridge and to the school itself. Much like when Legacy first opened, students who are forced to move pose a huge discipline problem. Resentment and frustration lead to unrest and rebellion. Not only does this harm their chances at being successful, but it also effects those around them. MISD should leave current students where they are, and have incoming freshmen make the transition along with students who want to attend the new school. For Lake Ridge to start out successful, it must be filled with students and teachers who want to be there or haven’t been integrated into another high school. Mansfield and Timberview are in the immediate areas surrounding the Lake Ridge zone, yet instead of taking more students students from the surrounding area, options presented to the public force Legacy and Mansfield students who are much farther away to attend the new school. These options will cause an unnecessary economic burden to the district and the students. Students who live across
“The current zoning reappotionment options proposed by the district will unnecessarily take students from Legacy’s zone across town to Lake Ridge.”
News Editor Kymber Cullum Entertainment Editor Josh Perry Sports Editor Nick Gross Visual Editor Brenda Moreno Personalities Editor Carson Rahrig TAYLOR TOONE
town from Lake Ridge and rely on the buses for transportation will cost the district more money in gas as opposed to if they were moving students in the immediate areas. For a district that loses $13 million in funding and is attempting to cut the budget in anyway possible, it seems wasteful to bus students from across town when there are other zoning options available. Travel costs could add up– especially for students involved in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, MISD is planning on opening a sixth high school within the next decade located in downtown Mansfield. This means that the Legacy and Mansfield area that is going to be rezoned for Lake Ridge next year will be rezoned again for high school number six. Instead
Business Manager Nick Failor
of disrupting those areas multiple times and causing public outrage, the district should leave them unaltered until high school number six is built. Although rezoning is inevitable, it is the district’s responsibility to go about it in the manner that is least disruptive and financially responsible for families. Future growth and the expectation of new schools must be considered when deciding what sections of students will be moved. The school board should take into greater consideration other options which can take from areas more immediate to the new high school. There are plenty of viable and more cost effective options for the new school zones which will not drastically affect the population of schools farther away in relation to Lake Ridge.
LBTV Director Carson Ingle
There are plenty of viable and more cost effective options for the new school zones which will not drastically affect the population of schools farther away in relation to Lake Ridge.
Staff Writers/Photographers Marilyn Carey Haleigh Calhoun Madison Davis Victoria Harkrider Andy Heuer John Hoang Zach Hutchison Alec Girouard Jessica Jones Joe Kinler Madison Mondon Brittany Musser Mia Ortega Megan Rathbun Bree Rodriguez Rachel Slavik Kayla Stallings Travis St. John Angelica Vasquez Jesse Wright Dini Wyatt Advisers Leland Mallett Rachel Dearinger
End of Course Could Signal the Start of Success BY AMANDA GRANATO ASSISTANT EDITOR
End of Course (EOC) exams, along with State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) will replace the once standard Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for entering freshmen this school year. By replacing the none-toodemanding TAKS tests with tests that will better determine the student’s full understanding of the course, the Texas Education Agency(TEA) will benefit students in the long run. TAKS was flawed because the materials it tested were based on grade level alone. Meaning a freshman student in Geometry,
having taken Algebra I in eighth grade, would have to take a TAKS entirely over algebra and lower level math, rather than over the actual course material they had studied all year — a trend that would continue throughout their high school career. EOC exams test exactly what one would expect them to—the course completed by the students, challenging all students on a more leveled playing field. EOC exams are supposedly significantly more rigorous than their predecessor, leading to the logical concern that students struggling to pass TAKS will have more trouble passing the new tests. However, rather than focusing on covering Texas Teach-
ing Standards, or TEKS, teachers can now go more in-depth on their subject material, helping students gain a better understanding of the subject. Also, the tests are based on course, assisting students by replacing the generalized material of TAKS with things the students have studied all year— not material hastily crammed into the two weeks before the test is given. Another concern regarding the passing rate of the tests involves the new system tying exam grades to the overall course grade by 15 percent. Hypothetically, failing the EOC means potentially failing the class in which the student took the exam. Forseeing this possibility, MISD insti-
tuted a new policy reassessing the grading scale of the exam for the benefit of the student. Basically, if a student is passing the class with a minimum of a 70, MISD’s policy will ensure that, regardless of the EOC score, the student will pass the course. Not only will the new standard tying exam and course grades motivate students to work harder, it also manages to provide a cushion for the students’ overall grade. End of Course exams, though perhaps providing more of a challenge for students and teachers alike, will heighten the standards Texas has set for its education and give a more thorough and accurate determination of students’ knowledge.
Fact or Fiction
FICTION: The eight-period day schedule will not take place.
FACT: Mr. Stewart will take over as our principal, beginning Feb. 6.
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Yay! Winter Break: Despite following Thanksgiving break by only three weeks, winter break provides us with another much needed rest from school and homework, as well as giving us a break before exams.
Nay! Mid-Season Finales: While finale episodes are usually best shows of a season, mid-season finales serve no purpose other than to lead us to a cliff hanger and make us wait two months to see theoften disappointingconclusion.
Nay! Cold Weather: Winter has decided to show itself, as the mercury dips ever lower, and frost has to be scraped off of windshields. And noses start to run. And faces are frozen.
Yay! Cold Weather: Of course, in the interest of fairness, we must acknowledge those who enjoy the frosty weather. It does bring us the potential for snow, definitely due cause for a Yay!
Yay! NBA Season: The NBA lockout, which led to the cancellation of all pre-season games as well as the first six weeks of games, has finally come to an end, with the new 66 game season to start Dec. 25.
Principal David Wright
The Rider is a student publication of the Legacy Student Media Department and is free to all students. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the administration of the Mansfield Independent School District. The Rider is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) and governed by all UIL guidelines. The Rider is also a member of TAJE, NSPA, CSPA and Quill & Scroll. Any complaints, comments or letters to the editor may be submitted to the below address. Ads are sold for $20 per column inch and are under the direction of the business manager. For advertising information, see our web page: www. legacystudentmedia.com The Rider is printed by the production staff of the Greater Dallas Press in Garland, Texas. Letters to the Editor We welcome your letters about our publication and/or Legacy High School. To print your letter to the editor, email a copy to info@ therideronline.com. We reserve the right to alter the letter for space purposes and grammar issues. NSPA 2009, 2010, 2011: “All American Publication” Online Edition: 2010, 2011 CSPA Gold Crown
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Page 10
Joe Kinler’s
How To: Be A Hipster For most people, there has always been some ambiguity to what exactly a hipster is. However, if one thing is true about the hipster culture, it’s that they are almost universally hated by everyone. The further I read into the culture of hipsters, the more it confuses me. Some see hipsters as those who enjoy outdated fashions and retro trends. They love indie music, and wearing thick-rim glasses with cardigans and scarves. If there is a way for them to act alternatively, they try their best to do so. The list of stereotypes for hipsters are endless. However, a hipster does not have to be all of these things. There are a few core aspects of hipsters that one must have in order to be hipster and a person can be just one of these or a combination of them.
Toys of the Past, Present, Future A list of the top five BY ANDY HEUER Best toys ever made STAFF WRITER
Legos
Quite possibly the greatest toy brand. Until you step on one, that is. Created by a Danish carpenter in 1949, the plastic construction toys have since taken many different forms from standard buildings to dinosaurs and Harry Potter to outer space. Legos appeal to boys and girls in the 5 to 16 age range. The fact that these little plastic bricks of wonderment have survived, nay, thrived for more than 60 years just adds to the awesome. Not to mention you can make a sweet dino-space-car.
Dolls
Dolls have been around forever, and they are not going anywhere soon. Originally made from wood and other miscellaneous objects, dolls are traditionally a “girly” toy. Since the days of old, these toys have gotten increasingly lifelike. One could say they resemble real babies a little too much.Wood blocks and corn husks have since been traded out for creepy, flesh like abominations. Barbies are easily the most popular and/ or recognizable doll brands of all time. Barbies can be almost anything, including a rock star or a doctor.
As I see it, these aspects are as follows:
1. Hipsters love to be different from everyone else. Whether it is the music they listen to, the way they dress, what they read, what they watch, or what they study (or studied) in college, hipsters revel in their ability to set themselves apart from mainstream culture. If they have the new CD of some obscure indie band, you will be the first to know. That is of course, right before they fill you in on how you have probably never heard of them before.
Action Figures
2.thatHipsters are always better than you. They don’t just think their music and artistic influences are better than yours,
Action figures are basically dolls (FOR MEN) coined by Hasbro to help sell their renowned G.I. Joe toy line, which happens to be a war-based action figure. The feature members of the U.S. Military combating evil the American way. Action figures are not restricted to war only, they can also be based on other manly things such as movies, comic books and robots. Seriously though, do not call them dolls. They are action figures. Dolls cannot hold a little plastic gun.
they KNOW, and they don’t have any problem telling you to your face. Playing into the theme of being different, hipsters like to think of themselves as better than mainstream society. Who cares if they don’t have a job and therefore must submit themselves to lower quality of living? At least they are above people who lead productive lives, because everyone knows they are just tools in the corruption of greedy companies and corporations.
3.plays Hipsters will find a way to be ironic about everything. This also into the theme of being different from others. Hipsters
Video Games
often dress the way they do, wearing scarves, beanies, cardigans and the like, just for the sake of being ironic. So what if they are uncomfortable and sweating in the dead of summer just to be ironic? They are making a statement to the unbearable mainstream society in which they are forced to live.
These “toys,” while not toys in the traditional sense, have risen to prominence in the past 15 years. The video game industry has come leaps and bounds since the days of Pong and the Atari 2600. When 3D graphics were introduced into games in the 90s, the popularity of home consoles skyrocketed. Video games can create an interesting world of fantastic things. With the introduction of the music game genre, players can even think they’re good at something real.
4.question Hipsterswhy musttheyalwdoayswhat insistthey thatdo,theythey justmay don’shrug. t care. When When you you point out the obvious inconveniences of their lifestyles, they do not address them and just do not care. The irony behind this fact is that hipsters spend so much time and effort into being different from or better than you and the rest of society, that it starts to bring into question if they care or not. They love to suggest that they don’t care, but that is an awful lot of trouble to go through just to be different. Then again, maybe they just think its ironic to act like they don’t care when they really do.
Easy Bake Oven
I consider this more of a utility than a toy. It is an actual enough oven, just small enough for little baby hands. Not that you cook baby hands in it, just that people with small hands are generally the target audience. Created in 1963, the Easy Bake Oven allowed a way to bake as a child without the parent feeling bad about letting their small child bake in a real person oven. What kid doesn’t want to make some cake when he or she could be doing something like, oh, I don’t know, playing video games?
I know a lot of people who have a hard time expressing themselves because they don’t want to be considered hipster. While I may not agree with the exact way that hipsters are treated by society, there is a lesson we can learn from them. You don’t have to be a pretentious, irony-loving jerk to be different. You can enjoy cardigans, scarves, beards or anything you want. You don’t have to act like you don’t care about anything or anyone. Just keep that in mind.
The St. John Shuffle
Travis talks about his hit web show
A still of Travis St. John filming an episode of the St. John Shuffle.
Entertainment
December 16, 2011
The St. John Shuffle started with Mr. Mallett showing me a video of a guy doing his weird video news blog. He told me I should do something like that and I said I would do something better. Then, poof, I filmed the first St. John shuffle. I do not write anything for this show. That’s a major thing that people don’t know. I improv the entire thing. I get topics that were big in the news at that current time, and I pick which one I want to talk about first. Granted, I do a lot of retakes since things will go wrong. Usually the culprit that messes me up is Madison Davis. During one of the shows I did about 12 takes of one topic, because Madison would not stop messing with me.
The name was created by Legacy graduate Dallas Reid. During the summer Dallas and I started a blog together and I needed a title for mine. He then proceeded to not use any of my ideas and just picked the first thing that popped in his head. When Mallett said I was getting my own show, I instantly knew what I wanted the title to be. The St. John Shuffle is my pride and joy in journalism. It is one of the most viewed videos on LBTV and people seem to like it which makes me love to do it more than anything else. I don’t do this so that people will know who I am. I do the St. John Shuffle to make people laugh and to just put a smile on people’s faces.
The St. John Shuffle
Watch episode eight of the St. John Shuffle featuring D.J. Herrera, 12, and a bunch of newspaper staffers by using a smart phone and scanning the QR code above.
Entertainment
December 16, 2011
Page 11
Review: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Our Picks
War returns to Tamriel in Bethesda’s most recent addition to the series BY JOSH PERRY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Two hundred years after Martin Septim fought off Mehrunes Dagon and saved all of Tamriel from destruction, trouble returns to the continent. This time it’s in the northern, Nordic province of Skyrim. The issue that has plagued Skyrim: Dragons have returned from the dead and are wrecking havoc across the province. You, being the long foretold Dragonborn with the blood of a dragon, are the only person who has what it takes to stop them. Similar to Skyrim’s predecessors, Oblivion and Morrowind, the game begins with the protagonist imprisoned for a crime he committed before the game opens. Although it seems that Bethesda has overused this opening, it allows the gamer to almost create the character’s past and write the character’s future for purposes of evil or for good. While Oblivion makes you pick your skill set, like major skills and minor skills, Skyrim doesn’t. Some of your skills will start at 15 and some will start at 21 depending on the race of the type of character you choose. Ranking up is also much easier. Since you could only rank up your major skills to increase your overall level, leveling up in Oblivion takes a while. Every skill rank up in Skyrim adds to the overall rank and there is even a meter to show you how close you are to level up. Upon leveling up, you get to choose to increase the Magic, Health, or Stamina of your character and get a perk to add to an individual skill and give it a special power. This could be increasing damage done by one-handed weapons or making enemies flee when inflicted with too much fire damage. One of the cool new features is the ability to dual wield
weapons and magic. Instead t h e of the traditional two-handed player, weapon or sword and shield, like in you can now have two swords, O b l i v i sword and magic, since magic on, all of is now equipped to a hand, the weathor double magic. If the same er stands magic spell is dual wielded, the still. One of spell becomes overcharged and the player’s does a much higher amount thu’ums can acof damage. When magic in tually clear the Oblivion was just a ball or sky of any weather quick burst, Skyrim’s magic currently in progcan be constant streams, the ress and reveal the normal ball of fire, spikes or a bright and shiny day. new spell called a rune. Runes Character customcan be placed on almost any ization has also been upsurface and explode graded. More when enemies walk hairstyles, facial past them and deal a hair styles, hair bunch of damage. colors and presets, A new addition to are in the game as the Elder Scrolls sewell as the addition of ries is the ability for eye colors, war paint, the player’s characscars and a few other ter to use shouts or things. The argonian “Thu’ums.” These species received the allow the player’s biggest change in cuscharacter to use the tomization options Watch the language of the dragas well as a redesign. trailer for ons and amplify their The argonians can The Elder voice into a power. now be different colScrolls V: Some shouts damage ors as well as other Skyrim here enemies, some effect options as to what the by using the world around you character’s facial feaa smart and others can act tures can be. phone and like spells, reducing In Oblivion, enescanning an enemy’s life force, mies leveled up as you the QR making enemies flee did, but mainly only code above. or calling in giant the ones found in the storms. Some thu’ums oblivion plains. Skyrim can be humorous by has enemies are hardblasting enemies off of high er in certain areas, predominateplaces or jumping off moun- ly more colder ones, and they tains and not taking any dam- increase in the frequency they age. will appear. Every enemy in SkyCompared to Oblivion and rim increases in ranks though so Fallout 3, another game that don’t ever assume you’ll be safe Bethesda mothers, the graphics forever. The levels of regular enare phenomenal. Hopefully they emies are mainly just the normal would be since the game has name, like Wolf, and then the been in production for close to harder version has Snow in the four years.Vast amounts of detail name. Bears have a third level, are woven into the game like the cave bears, and trolls go by frost veins, hair, and dirt on the back instead of snow. Dragons have of the player’s hand and scenery four levels; Dragon, Frost Dragon, that looks almost real. Instead of Blood Dragon and Elder Dragon. the snow and rain moving with They increase significantly in
Skryrim Trailer
A Flowing Guide to Changing a Flat Tire Have you ever been driving down the road and had your tire spontaneously burst out from under you? Scan the QR code to the right with a smart phone to find the solution to your problem
I Am The Enemy- The d i f ficulty as you p r og r e s s through the game. For human enemies, the name after what type of enemy will change like Bandits become Bandit Outlaws. For mages, the name changes to show their magic ability i.e. Novice, Adept, Expert. With these new enemies, come new fighting techniques to take them out. One of the new techniques is that you can bash an enemy with your bow or shield. The bash staggers the enemy allowing you to make your next move with out the person being right up in your face. The bashes do take stamina though so don’t bash too many times then expect to be able to do a power attack. The next one is more of an evasion technique. An actual sprint function has made it into the game allowing you to run from enemies, but sprinting takes up a lot of stamina so be warned. Skyrim deserves an award for it’s beautiful gameplay and every gamer needs to at least try to play the game. The rating on the game does say blood and gore, and even though there isn’t a major amount, the game is centered around fighting so there is a reason for its rating. Even if you’re unsure about the game, rent it first, but the game is worth all of the money you pay for it. For all of you parents out there, this game is the perfect gift for any gamer. Read the ESRB label on the back first and make sure it’s okay with you if your child plays it. check out more reviews like this one at therideronline.com
CREATED BY MEGAN RATHBUN STAFF WRITER DESIGNED BY AMANDA GRANATO ASSISTANT EDITOR
third studio album released by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Super 8- From
writer J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Speilberg. Starring Elle Fanning and Amanda Michalka.On DVD and Blu-Ray .
Batman: Arkham City-
The sequel to Arkham Asylum. Reccieved perfect scores from several gaming magazines.
Mylo Xyloto-
The fifth studio album released by Coldplay.
Captain America: The First AvengerThe movie adaptaion of the Marvel character Captain America starring Chris Evans. On DVD and Blu-ray.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations-
The fourth game in the Assassin’s Creed series and the third game to feature Ezio Auditore as the main character.
Upcoming Movies Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows- Star-
ring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. In theatres Dec 16.
Man on a Ledge- Starring
Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks. In theatres Jan 27.
The Woman in Black- Starring Daniel Radcliffe, his first film after Harry Potter, and Janet McTeer. In theatres Feb 13.
Act of Valor-
Starring active duty Navy Seals with real military tactics. In theatres Feb 17.
The Raven- A
fictional account of Edgar Allen Poe starring John Cusack and Alice Eve. In theatres Mar 9.
Page 12
Photo Essay
December 16, 2011
Recap:
A look back at the highlights of the first semester 2
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Cruzin’ for a Cure BY MEGAN HENRY FEATURE EDITOR Leading the walk, Leanne Flores, 11, walks hand-in-hand with her grandmother and linked arms with teammate and friend Mryanda Ozuna, 11. Looking to her right, she sees tears forming in her grandmother’s eyes as she looks out toward the scoreboard counting down from thirteen minutes. Around them, over 270 students, parents and cancer survivors walk laps around the track in silence. “The thirteen minutes of silence showed respect to survivors and people who didn’t make it through,” Flores said. “It hit you that someone really can die so quickly from something she survived and it showed that something so small can make a big impact in someones life.” As a twelve-and-half-year survivor, Flores’ grandmother came from Houston to participate in the cancer walk and other Pink fest activities. Flores’ team, the Cruzers, was named after her grandmother’s love of the Texas Rangers and Nelson
Students walk to support family members
Cruz, which consequently brought about their team slogan ‘cruzing for a cure’. “It was a lot of fun hanging out with my grandma and friends. It was cool knowing all of the students came together for cancer research,” Flores said. “[The walk] was the least I could do. She went through so much pain and walking a few laps is nothing compared to a lifetime of cancer.” For Ozuna, Mrs. Flores blended in with the team as one of the teenagers thanks to her outgoing personality and sense of humor. Watching the clock count down and seeing how many people lost their lives throughout the duration of the night was an eyeopener for Ozuna. “I would tell her that it was tough to
battle but she’s strong for surviving it because not very many people do,” Ozuna said. Flores was very young when her grandmother was first diagnosed. Because of her age she did not grasp what was happening, but knew her grandmother was in the hospital. Flores’ mother would cry often, and since Flores was not enrolled in school at the time she was able to travel to Houston with her family and see her grandmother in the hospital. When her grandmother started losing her hair and started wearing hats, Flores finally caught on something was wrong. “Spend as much time with that person as possible because you don’t know when they could not leave and not come back,” Flores said. “You never know what your last words could be to that person.”
“[The walk] was the least I could do. She went through so much pain and walking a few laps is nothing compared to a lifetime of cancer.” -Leanne Flores, 11
1) Dereck Scott, 12, dances during the drumline performance at the Red Out pep rally. 2) Adam Zrust calls Dena Schimming to the stage at the Pink Fest Improv show. 3) Brittney Chaney, 12, sings the National Anthem at the Legacy vs. Mansfield homecoming game. 4) Adam Zrust starts the student vs. teacher dodgeball game at the homecoming pep rally. 5) Artist Nick McCord performs at the homecoming pep rally to pump up the crowd. 6) Seniors Kaylin Thomas and Marcus Robinson are crowned homecoming king and queen of the 2011-2012 homecoming court. 7) Cheerleaders perform their routine at the Red Out pep rally. 8) Stephanie Schuljak, 11, leads the flash mob organized by the Student Council at the Red Out pep rally. 9) Sarah McDonnell, 11, Christina Cranshaw, 11, and Travis St. John, 12, perform their roles in the theatre’s production of “Running in the Red.” 10) Juniors Leanne Flores and Mryanda Ozuna walk with family members at Pink Fest. 11) Varsity cheerleaders arrange their pom pom’s into a breast cancer ribbon to pose for a photograph.