The Warrior Post - April 2016

THE WARRIOR POST Martin High School / 4501 W Pleasant Ridge Rd, Arlington, TX 76016 / Volume 34 Issue 4 April 11, 2016

Juniors Haley Ober and Elissa Mentesana get the ball down the field during the playoff game against Abilene on Mar 24. The team won with a score of 4-0. Photo by Bailey Lewis

What’s Inside Party Hard

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Students share their views on the presidential election

Film of the future

Finding my identity

Student film makers pursue dreams in film industry

Who you are is not a product of what you have

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Home is where the heart is

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A look at where class of 2016 athletes plan on going to school

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Choose Joy

Martin alumna Taylor Helland shows grace every day during her five-year battle with cancer

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Taylor Helland was diagnosed with In September of 2012, Helland’s cancolon cancer in 2011, her freshman cer came back for a second time. After year. She was 14. She went through chemo and another surgery, she went chemotherapy and she had surgery into remission again. Taylor was the and went into remission until 2012. honorary Homecoming Princess her junior year.

Throughout Helland’s senior year, she was cancer free. She graduated cum laude and went on to TCU after graduating class of 2014. Helland was involved with band and was part of the National Honor Society.

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In fall of 2014, Helland started college at TCU. She pledged Chi Omega and lived a normal college life despite the return of her cancer.

Helland attended a fund-raiser for child-In July of 2015 the chemo stopped workhood cancer and raised money throughing. Despite uncomfortable treatments, TCU to contribute. She was going throughshe still smiled and made the most of every day. On Feb. 20, 2016 Taylor Helland chemo but still attending her classes . passed away after a five-year battle with cancer.

Please donate to:news • bepositive.org • fabulousfaithsfoundation.org •run4michael.com 2

Sounds of a new generation

Review of the Carnegie Hall concert “Sounds of a New Generation”

Fine arts deptartment travels to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall Cameron Hayes and Brady White • Reporters It is a beautiful day at Martin in late 2015. Not because of the weather, the birds singing or even the fact that nobody has any homework; it is because Martin Choir, Band, and Orchestra have all been accepted to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This news sparks delight in the students as they are so excited to perform on one of the biggest stages in New York.

Flash forward to today, the students have returned from Carnegie and have a new experience to tell everyone.

“It was an awesome experience,” sophomore choir student Alex Fratto said. “We don’t usually get the opportunity to perform on such a stage.”

However, this opportunity was not handed to Martin.

The band, choir and orchestra directors all auditioned their top groups for the chance of this performance.

“When you audition, you have to send in recordings of your choir, orchestra and band,” choir director Kay Owens said.

After hearing that the department was accepted, the directors chose their music that the students would perform.

“We wanted to have a selection of music that

showcased our variety and what this choir could do,” Owens said. “I felt this Choir was an energetic group so I chose energetic music. In order to solidify our choices, It took about a month.”

During the year, the students had a vigorous rehearsal schedule to get prepared for the final trip.

“We had two hour rehearsals every week on Thursdays after school to get our music down,” Fratto said. “We also rehearsed during class.”

Before any major trip, the department schedules a “Pre-Concert” for the students to rehearse the real concert. This PreCarnegie concert was held at Arborlawn United Methodist Church in Ft. Worth.

“Pre-Carnegie gives us a great opporitunity to run from beginning to end, exactly how we are going to do the real concert,” head orchestra director Michael Stringer.

Finally, after the PreCarnegie concert, the students left for New York March 17. It was many students’ first time out of Texas, or even on a plane.

“Coming onto the plane was an experience with the business class getting to watch all of us peasants walk past them,” senior

August Riehle said. “Flying over New York City was really cool because we got to see The Statue of Liberty and all of the city’s iconic landmarks.”

Once there, the students got to have a few days of fun before the real show by being able to go to a shows and different landmarks around the city such as Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, the Broadway show Finding Neverland, the 9/11 memorial and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

“The three things that we did most often were walk, ride the subway, and eat food,” sophomore Jackson Spray said. “Even still,

we were able to enjoy and learn about New York.”

At the end of the week in New York, the students got ready for the event that they had been rehearsing for the entire year.

“When I first got on stage to rehearse,” Stringer said. “My first thought was, ‘Wow. I am standing at the exact place that Tchaikovsky conducted many of his symphonies.”

The concert opened with choir, then moved to band and orchestra. Finally, the concert ended with a combination of all three groups, which received a standing ovation. They returned to Texas the following day.

“Wow. I am standing at the exact place that Tchaikovsky conducted many of his symphonies.”

Martin choir rehearses for their performance at Carnegie Hall. Photo by Adeline Woods

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High school take two Teachers had various childhood goals

Josephine Wei • Reporter What do you want to do when you grow up?

What do you mean grow up? Do I have to grow up?

These questions plagued many teachers at Martin when they were our age.

Despite their questions, they set their minds to what they truly enjoyed.

All through the teenage years, these teachers were very unsure of who they were and what they wanted to be.

“When I was in high school, I actually wanted to become an airforce pilot,” Algebra I teacher Rob Parrott said.

What they chose in high school didn’t define the career they have now. As life flew by, the range of career choices grew.

“I decided to be enlisted instead of going to college first, so when I got out of the Air Force I went to college,” Parrott said.

“After that, I actually got a degree in music.”

Even though their teenage dreams did not come true, influences from adulthood redirected their attention.

“The teachers I had and the professors in college inspired me to become a teacher from a child psychologist because the way they taught and their characters were cool,” English teacher Geneice Mayeaux said.

The desire to become a teacher did not come right after high school

Courtesy of Rob Parrott

Courtesy of Geneice Mayeaux

for some teachers. Influences and experiences inspire people to pursue a new dream.

“Right when I graduated from college, I started subbing, and around the same time I put in my resume to join the FBI and I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Mayeaux said. “Then I received a phone call and an email from the FBI headquarters in New York to come in for an interview at the main building. But then I had my test for my teaching degree around the same time. I had to make it official, so I made a decision.”

For some, the decision to be a teacher was less abrupt.

“I started the first semester at college as a nurse before I realized I wanted to become a teacher,” U.S. History and Psychology teacher Teresa Jarrett said.

“When my kids started

school, I volunteered at their elementary, and the assistant principal wanted a substitute, so I became one and I loved it.”

Although the pursuit of becoming a teacher has

been chased, these teachers are still educated in different fields.

“I like to read books about psychology, the medical field, and terminology,” Mayeaux said.

After pursuing the dream of becoming a teacher, do regrets linger in their minds?

“I’m glad I made the decision because I’ve never had to give a student a shot,” Jarrett said.

“I do think that someday I would like to volunteer at a hospital because you can go around and take things to patients, like deliver flowers to their rooms.”

Through the successes and obstacles of college, these teachers were able to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I love teaching and I wouldn’t do anything else,” Parrott said.

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Making history

Lady Warriors Varsity soccer wins 4-0 against Abeline in Mineral Wells during the first round of playoffs Mar 24.

Photos by Cammi Skanes

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1-2. Senior Holly Hasten surveys the field to pass and gain control of the ball.

3. Junior Kassandra Daniel dribbles the ball down the field towards the goal.

4. Freshman Valerie Solis fights to gain possession of the ball from the Abeline offense.

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Coping during stress

Teens channel stress, anxiety into positive energy Nikkolas Hernandez • Reporter he questions most frequently asked by children of divorce are “why?”, “why now?”, Zane Stewart • Reporter or even “why me?” Di“Stress and anxiety to me vorce impacts your life in ways you wouldn’t even is just feeling very tense and General anxiety notice, and it can change exhausted all the time,” junior disorder and stress are the your future completely.

Erin Jacobs said. “You just feel Going through this most common form of mental so overwhelmed with what rough time at a young illness, affecting around 40 million you have to do that you don’t age, sophomore Dylan people or about 20 percent of the US Wheeler said he has know where to start. I’m on population. changed the way he track and field so whenever is able to interact Anxiety and stress have also been linked I’m feeling stressed I go on a with people. Wheeler’s to panic disorders and varying forms of run to help cool off. I think parents divorced when depression that can lead to needing serithat if you have an outlet to he was eight years old, ous medical help. and it instantly impacted be yourself and just enjoy his life. something that you like then “My attitude, the way I Source: adaa.org stress and anxiety can be act, and feelings towards handled easier.” everything changed because of my parents’ divorce,” Wheeler said.

“I didn’t trust anyone “It broke me down at struck Kimberlin’s heart the classroom. Striving anymore.” first, but I soon had at first, then followed by on the field, and achievHe isn’t the happy, out- to accept what was grief and sadness. ing success in the classgoing type of person he happening,” Wheeler “I couldn’t believe this is room has been Kimberused to be. Wheeler said said. “I decided that I happening to me,” ���� Kim- lin’s way of life ever since he has become a more needed to improve myself berlin said. “It makes the divorce. reserved individual de- so that I can overcome me realize that each re- “It has changed my termined to do whatever this situation.” lationship doesn’t last view of life completely,” it takes to achieve his Wheeler has strived in forever, no matter how Kimberlin said. maximum potential. He football for the past two strong you think it is.”

Each has been impacted said he tries to keep his years and now has imAlong with a lack of by divorce differently, mind focused on making proved in the classroom. trust, Kimberlin fights but ultimately have the best out of things for He said he works harder a mind battle everyday found the best of their his future. everyday to better his with his own thoughts. situation.

“It was hard for me of future, and also to over- Sadness, hatred and They both keep movcourse,” Wheeler said, come the impact the di- even a sense of loneli- ing forward, and strive to “But this to me was my vorce has had on him. ness all channel into his make each day the best wake-up call.”

Even though the mind. one yet.

After the divorce, divorce just recently took But Kimberlin has Regardless of the negaWheeler began to use this place last year, it has found benefits from these tives, both Kimberlin event as an advantage. already begun to impact feelings. He unleashes and Wheeler fight on He uses the divorce to sophomore ���������� Khale Kim- these pent up emotions each day, developing fuel his academic and berlin’s life. into football and uses into the new person each athletic career.

A sense of disbelief them as motivation in has came to be.

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Anxiety: It’s not just all in your head

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Worth the fight

Senior Huntir Thompson reflects on the journey of her lifetime with her boyfriend, Hayden Haley Wiley • Reporter

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n March 14, 2012, Denton High School freshman Hayden Smallwood’s life was changed forever. When he was 13, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer.

He has gone through various surgeries and relapses over the past four years, and his girlfriend, Martin senior Huntir Thompson, has been with him on his journey for the past six months.

As a freshman at Denton High School, Smallwood played football. During practice one day, he was walking through the locker room doors, when he broke his right arm in a freak accident. While treating his broken arm, doctors discovered the cancer.

Since his freshman year, he had undergone shoulder reconstruction, chemotherapy, a relapse that came back in his lungs, surgery in both lungs to remove several tumors, more chemotherapy, remission, and relapsed another time in his knee. He then underwent knee reconstruction, and relapsed once again in his lungs.

Smallwood then decided to stop undergoing treatment for cancer.

Thompson and Smallwood met at church camp over the summer, and dated for seven months.

“The first day I met him, I had no idea he had cancer,” Thompson said. “We

went into talking about life, and that’s when I found out about his cancer. He takes every second for what it’s worth, and that’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with him. So many people our age take life for granted, and he doesn’t.”

On Feb. 11 of this year, Hayden’s doctors told him that they expected him to only live another week. He was in hospice until his death March 12, outliving doctor’s expectations by a month.

When Smallwood’s family and Thompson heard the news, they knew they had to make his last moments on Earth special.

“Hayden’s parents graduated him from high school, gave him his class ring, and I threw a prom for him that night,” Thompson said.

“Hayden started crying and said, ‘Please don’t go to prom with another guy if I don’t make it,’ and in my head I was like, ‘I know what I have to do. I have to throw him a prom.’”

Smallwood had no idea the surprise he was in for, thinking he was dressing up for a graduation party, coming downstairs to see Thompson in her prom dress, along with his family and closest friends.

“All of his friends were standing in front of me, and when they all moved, I was standing there in my prom dress,” Thompson said. “He knew right away that I was throwing him a prom.”

Smallwood recently recorded an inspiring video that was posted to Facebook, talking about his long battle with cancer and words of encouragement to people going through the same thing.

“Hayden has left a big impact on thousands of people he doesn’t even know,” Thompson said. “He’s super excited because everyone is seeing the video. It’s a really sweet video.”

Smallwood was ready and accepting of what his future

held for him.

“He said to me things like ‘I’ll save you a place in heaven,’ Thompson said. “He always told me he’s going to miss me when he’s gone.”

After Smallwood’s death, Thompson’s life has changed completely.

“I want people to remember how grateful Hayden was for the life that God gave him, even though he was delt a bad hand of cards. He played them as if they were the best hand of cards,” Thompson said.

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Thompson and Smallwood dancing together at Smallwood’s suprise senior prom while he was in hospice on Feb. 15. Photo courtesy of Huntir Thompson

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Party hard

Most students can at least name their presidential candidate of choice, but other students go above and beyond and support their candidate with more than just words.

Here’s a look at a few of the passionate political advocates at Martin.

Kendall Hendrix • Reporter

Senior Erica JacksonSupporter of Bernie Sanders Senior Kai BruntmyerSupporter of Ted Cruz

Senior Kyle Desrosiers-Supporter of Hillary Clinton Junior Gavin PhippsSupporter of Donald Trump What are your candidate’s major views? He wants to make the world, and especially America, a safer place to be. He plans on building the wall to keep unnecessary people out of the country to make America safer.

How did you find out about your candidate?

I had already been following him on Twitter before he got involved in the election. He announced that he would be running for president, so I decided to follow his campaign and see how things went.

What do you want people with other views to know about your candidate? I want people to know that Trump has some really good thoughts and views. I know not everyone is going to agree with everything that he talks about, but he makes some really good points, and he knows what he’s talking about.

What are your candidate’s major views?

I really agree with her proposed criminal justice reform, which seeks to end racial profiling and help formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society.

She also wants to improve racial justice, crackdown on gun violence, provide more pathways for citizenship and ensure that immigrant families can stay together.

What do you want people with other views to know about your candidate? She stands for equality, justice and progress. I know she has character flaws and her critics like to bring up Benghazi and Bill’s scandal while in office. She’s not solely responsible for the first event, and one cannot hold her responsible for her husband’s transgressions.

Do your friends/family agree with you? I’m a liberal and I live in Texas. I tell people I support Clinton and they scrunch their nose up or cringe, but I’m okay with that. I can respect anyone’s viewpoints.

Why do you agree with your candidate?

I mostly agree with him for his views on Obamacare. I have some friends whose parents are doctors and they are losing money because people under Obamacare aren’t paying for their healthcare. As for immigration, I don’t think it’s fair that some people are coming into America without going through the immigration process and taking jobs from legal citizens who need jobs.

What steps have you taken to help your candidate’s campaign?

I’ve bought a lot of his merchandise, for one thing. I also went to a Ted Cruz rally, and also stood outside of a voting center on Super Tuesday to help encourage people to vote for Cruz.

Do your friends/family agree with you?

My family definitely shares my views. My brother really loves Ted Cruz, and he’s the one that convinced us all to support him. I also have a lot of friends that agree with me and plan to vote for him.

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What steps have you taken to help your candidate’s campaign?

I’m a volunteer for a local campaign group called the Bern Unit. Before Super Tuesday, we went door-todoor to talk to people about the election, but now we assist with phone banking, where we call voters and ask who they plan to support.

What makes you so passionate about the election as a teenager? I’m a feminist, and my beliefs grew into a passion for change and helping others. Sanders has a way of connecting to people and genuinely cares for every American. He is trying to get big money out of politics, because it corrupts the political system and discourages people from voting.

What do you want people with other views to know about your candidate?

Sanders isn’t your average politician. He’s a lifelong activist, a graceful leader and has an impeccable intellect. He inspired a group of people who lost hope in the government, and encourages them to voice their wants and needs.

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Bruising love

Student opens up about her abusive relationship experience Tony and

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Bayan Hammad • Reporter

rusting someone and giving them your full potential isn’t an easy task.

When you’re in a longterm relationship with someone, you expect the best out of them and don’t view them as harmful at all.

However, not all relationships tend to go that way as some come with difficulties and hardships. Junior Violet* has shared her experience of this difficult challenge.

“I was with Tony for almost a year,” Violet said.

“Of course I thought I loved him.”

Violet met Tony at the gym, and when they met, both automatically had a strong connection towards each other.

Violet explained that the long-term relationship wasn’t easy to leave and that it was a very hard situation to be placed in.

“He brainwashed and manipulated me for so long, that I thought it was okay because he was doing it since he loves me,” Violet said.

Tony refused to let Violet end their relationship.

Whenever she tried, he’d show up at Violet’s house and convince her that he loved her and couldn’t imagine life without her.

“There was a time when we were visiting one of Tony’s good friends, and we had gotten into a verbal argument,” Violet said. “I got my things and tried to

leave, but he slammed the door and refused to let me go and ended up slapping and choking me.”

Violet said that it was very difficult to compromise with Tony, and that Tony has been consuming drugs for most of his life and she could never tell whether he was under the influence.

“In a sense, he kind of turned me crazy too,” Violet said. “When you’re with someone everyday, you start picking up on their habits.”

The arguments were very tense on both sides. Even Violet lashed out at him in aggressive ways.

“Whenever Tony was mad at me he would take my phone and check it,” Violet said. “Then if he found something he didn’t like he would throw my phone and grab me aggressively.”

These actions showed the controlling aspects Tony had, and his reaction to anything that didn’t please him.

“They have to be very honest with themselves, like why are they staying in that relationship,” counselor Jana Lewis said. “I would try to empower the student, that they’re in control of their body and they have full potential.”

Lewis said that she wants students to know they can always come and talk to her, and that abusive relationships are very difficult.

“There was a time when

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I weren’t talking, but he was coming over to my friend’s house one night to drop off food,” Violet said.

“Once Tony reached my friend’s house he told me I needed to come outside.”

Violet remembers the night that ended her relationship with Tony for good, and how it all came so suddenly last February.

“I came outside, Tony’s crying and there’s no food and he’s begging me to get inside his truck to talk,” Violet said. “Once I did, I knew Tony was trying to get something out of me and I didn’t want to do anything.”

Crying was one of Tony’s manipulative ways to get Violet to talk or forgive him.

“Since I refused to do anything with Tony, he assumed that I was talking to someone else even though we weren’t even together,” Violet said. “It went downhill from there. It was the worst of what he’s done.”

Violet refused to have any physical contact with Tony, and Tony attacked Violet.

She ended up in the hospital, and had no pity for any more of Tony’s excuses.

Violet had check ups for the following week, and called the police.

The police informed Vio-

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art by Binh Le let that the minimum Tony would end up in jail is nine years. However, Violet didn’t go through with pressing charges.

“I don’t think what he did was okay, but I had a lot of time to think about going through with charges or not,” Violet said. “I ended up not pressing charges, because at some point I did love him or thought I did.”

Violet ended up just getting a restraining order against Tony.

Her parents had previously not been aware of the abuse occurring in Violet’s relationship, and they were close with Tony. However, once they found out they stood by Violet’s side.

“I still have certain problems that came with that relationship, so I do go to counseling,” Violet said. “I hope that my story can affect somebody else because when you start seeing red flags, that’s when you know you need to leave.” *Names have been changed

That awkward moment

Seeing your teachers in the wild

“I always recognize someone’s face, but sometimes I forget their name,” Spanish teacher Deborah Conant said. “If I see a student that I know in public, I will always greet them.”

Teachers are real people too who need to go to the grocery store, but when you see them in line at Target it’s a whole lot different than seeing a friend at the store.

“The most common place I run into someone I know is the grocery store,” Conant said. “And the weirdest place I ran into a student was at the gym. I stopped

art by Binh Le Kamryn LeFan • Features Editor You’re out to eat with that we parked right next to some friends, and you do each other.” a quick scan of the room to Never knowing how to see if there is anyone you politely end a conversation know there. When you’re when you’re in a rush can being seated at your table, be an awkward situation, you see your math teacher especially when you’re in a from freshman year and hurry and you weren’t lookyou do a double take. Your ing to have a detailed conhead floods with an abun- versation about their life, dance of questions. Are like their dog’s last visit to they going to come say hi? the vet.

Should I go say hi? What if “I constantly run into my I go say hi and she doesn’t eighth grade teacher at the remember me? store,” junior Whitney Ger���� Everyone is guilty of doing ro said. “It’s really awkward the quick search around because she wasn’t the nicthe room to see if you know est teacher, so I have to preanyone, so you know exactly tend I’m excited to see her.” which walkways to avoid so The most awkward you don’t make awkward moment is when you’re eye contact with someone having a conversation with and feel compelled to have someone and you can’t rea conversation. call how you know them.

“One time I ran into my It’s like the moment when choir director Betsy Clark your parents’ friends, who at Kroger, ” junior Bailey haven’t seen you since you Woodard said. “We ended were a baby, ask if you reup walking out to find out member them.

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going there after that.”

When you’re ������������ rushing out of your house with your hair a mess, in sweatpants and a t-shirt, you hope that you don’t see anyone you know during your quick trip to the store. It’s inevitable that when you look your worst, or when you’re in a rush, you run into someone you know.

“When I see teachers in public I just want to have a quick hello,” Gerro said.

“Usually seeing teachers, especially ones you’re not close with in public is awkward, so I try to keep it short.”

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Immediate family

The stories behind adopted children and adoptive families at Martin Haleigh Trevino•Reporter

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magine coming to a new world, on a complete different hemisphere, with a different language, culture, and family.

For junior Aleona Butson this was a reality. On June 11, 2003, when Aleona was four, she was adopted from Smolensk, Russia, a small town outside of the Ukraine.

Butson describes Russia as a gorgeous country, but also extremely cold, very different from Arlington, Texas.

Butson had to adapt to a different life, but through it all, she found a family that loved her and made her feel welcome from the beginning.

Her journey started when her adoptive parents decided they wanted another child, but didn’t want to go through the pregnancy process again. They wanted to adopt from a different country due to the birthparents’ rights in the United States that gives the parents the right to take back the baby within six months.

“Although we’re not biologically related, my parents make me really feel like their daughter,” Butson said. “They’re my real mom and dad no matter what anyone says.”

Butson left a best friend, biological brother, and birthparents in Smolensk.

She looks forward to meeting her parents as a graduation gift, but will never be able to see her

best friend who made the orphanage home, or her biological brother again.

“I don’t know him, have never seen him, nor have talked to my biological brother in my life,” Butson said.

Moving to the United States was a dream many of the children in the orphanage had. America was the land where dreams came true. Butson grew seven inches in her first year, and finally gained enough weight to become a healthy size after being underfed at the orphanage.

“I wasn’t scared,” she said.

“I knew I was going to be in a better situation and my life would change for the better.”

Butson eventually caught on to the language, and different culture and now has a house to call home, and a family that loves her.

Now 13 years after being adopted, Butson is a varsity cheerleader, and is involved in AVID and ASL. As for needing to adopt a child, and what it’s like to yearn for someone you don’t know, Martin parent Michele Alverson tells what it’s like to adopt a child and the process as an adoptive parent.

Alverson and her husband Mitchell already have two daughters, sophomore Bekah and 2015 graduate Baleigh, but felt that God was leading them to provide a home for a child without a family.

“We prayed about it for many months then

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Butson family on summer vacation. Photo courtesy of Aleona Butson

Alverson family photo. Photo courtesy of Bekah Alverson made the decision to move forward,” Michelle Alverson said.

After making the final decision to adopt, the Alversons went on the three-year journey of gaining a new family member.

Eventually in Entebbe, Uganda they found a beautiful boy who would become family one day.

After finding Bennett, the missing piece to their family, they received legal guardianship in Uganda in December 2014, and finalized the adoption in the United States in May 2015.

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“God knows what’s best for us it was the addition of the sweetest little boy,” Alverson said.

Now it has been 15 months since they have adopted Bennett and their lives have changed having a new family member.

“I think he has been a greater blessing to us than we have been or will ever be to him,” Alverson said.

As for the future and seeing Bennett grow into a man and develop a character of his own, Alverson said, “I look forward to just watching him grow up and becoming the man God created him to be.”

Mission possible

First Baptist Church Arlington spends spring break on a mission trip to Costa Rica Kai Bruntmyer • Reporter

As the sun sets over the Costa Rican mountains, and the natives climb into their wooden shacks, seven students from First Baptist Church Arlington youth group zip up their tents and prepare for a night’s sleep.

They’ve made this trip many times, but for some students, this trip is the first of many.

Each year during Spring Break, the team flies from DFW into Talamanca, Costa Rica, to spread the gospel among the native Cabecar people in the jungle.

“We do this trip every year, but each year we do something different,” First Baptist Arlington youth pastor Kurt Krodle said. “Last year was a medical trip, so we were able to reach people

who needed physical help as well as spiritual help.

This year is a construction trip, so we’ll be helping to build a church.”

For Martin senior Ryan Hart, his experience in was time to put aside distractions and turn to God. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Hart said.

“In the jungle, there are no distractions, it’s just God. It was hard adjusting to their pace of life, but I was able to hear God clearly.”

During the 2015 trip, Martin senior Avery Law celebrated his birthday.

“I liked spending my birthday in Costa Rica,” Law said. “We ate rice and beans for every meal, so I brought some freeze-dried ice cream to celebrate.”

The trip is only open to

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current juniors and seniors.

It costs a little over $2,000, plane ticket and supplies included. Many people who have gone on the trip in the past but don’t plan to go back donate their supplies to the youth group.

“Last year I used (Martin alum) Karon Chapa’s supplies,” Pantego senior

Michaela Knapp said. “It saved money and during the trip all I could think was, ‘If Karon can do it, so can I.’ I had the opportunity to assist the doctors that came with us. I’m planning on becoming a surgeon, so it was great experience. I met people there that I pray for every day.”

Senior Ryan Hart and Martin alum Victoria Malone play with children on a jungle reservation in Costa Rica during their church’s Spring Break mission trip. Photo courtesy of Ryan Hart

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From Egypt to Arlington A 7,234 mile journey of a lifetime bridges two cultures Curt Leland • Reporter

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hen she was a baby, sophomore Silvana Hany would look up at the sky, shield her eyes from the sun and imagine flying to the US on one of the planes.

Hany is a part of a foreign exchange program with Egypt.

“My dad is educated even though not all of the people in Egypt are, and he loves studying,” Hany said.

“When I was seven, he saw this scholarship for students ages 15 to 17. Every year he would try to apply

me, but I was too young.

Later, when I was 16, he tried again and asked me if I wanted to travel to the US on the scholarship. It was my dream, so then I applied.”

After a year of many interviews and laborious meetings, she was chosen.

She was going to suddenly be in an English-speaking country.

Luckily, Hany has been studying English for 12 years, but even with 12 years under her belt, the change still had its difficult hurdles.

features

Sophomore Silvana Hany and her American family.

Photo courtesy of Silvana Hany “The hardest part of learning English is that my school in Egypt was British English,” Hany said.

“They taught grammar, but here grammar is not heavily taught. When I was in Egypt, the only thing we studied was the English rules. Sometimes, we studied things such as idioms, but not that much.”

She may know the rules behind the English language, but one main issue remains.

“My problem was talking,” Hany said. “Y’all have so many words that are weird to me and I can’t understand it. If I’m saying I’m hungry, there is only, ‘I’m hungry.’ In Arabic there is no, ‘I’m starving’ because there are no exaggerations.”

Adjusting to English wasn’t the only struggle Hany had to overcome. She also had to get used to the Texas accent, which can be difficult to understand sometimes.

“Even though my English is British, I don’t have a British accent,” she said.

“I don’t have an American one either, though. It’s

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not a weird accent here or anything, it’s just the As and Ls. Y’all have different As and Ls, so I say Ole but y’all say lllll.”

Another interesting language barrier is that some idioms from Egypt make no sense to Americans.

“When it is raining we would say that the world is raining,” Hany said. “It means the sky, but we say the world, and I realized how it makes sense for us there, but not here. Also, when you are far away and I want to call you, I will say ‘give’ instead of ‘come.’ As in, I would give you words, but not actually give an item.”

Some idioms or grammatical concepts she was used to, but others concepts exist in Egypt but have no American counterpart.

“After we finish eating we will say a word that means, ‘God will keep you safe’ or ‘this food will keep you safe.’ The word in Arabic is ‘bel hanaa w el shifa,’” Hany said. “It is kind of sweet. Here y’all don’t say anything.”

Abroad perspective

Students share their cultural experiences from traveling overseas

T

Kyle DesRosiers • Copy Editor

here is nothing quite like spending time abroad. It is an experience difficult to return from unchanged.

Several Martin student have the shared, yet unique experiences of spending time in different countries where they have family.

Senior Ali Mohamedi has been to Karachi, Pakistan several times to visit extended family. Karachi is a city in south Pakistan, one of the most modern and largest in the country.

“There are cultural differences,” Mohamedi said. “It is not a first-world country so they have to live life differently. People make do with what little they have.”

According to Mohamedi, Pakistan is far different than western media’s depiction of it.

“You’d think life there was so different, but they honestly go about it the same way,” Mohamedi said.

“Due to religion, women dress a bit more conservatively, but most women in Karachi do not wear the hijab. It is less conservative and people are much more free with what they wear.

The media overgeneralizes Muslim countries.”

His time in Pakistan has left Mohamedi multilingual with fluency in Urdu, and he has gained an insight on how people there live. He remarked on how different the modern city of Karachi was from the western stereotypes of the Middle East.

Sophomore Caitlin Leong has traveled to Honolulu,

Hawaii multiple times to visit her 90-year-old grandparents and their families.

“We don’t see them often, so every family meal, especially dinner is very big,” Leong said. “During Japanese internment, my grandmother’s entire family was separated and only allowed to see each other at dinner, so family is very important to my grandparents.”

Traveling to Hawaii is only possible once or twice a year for the Leong family, and it provides a time for Leong to connect with relatives and experience their culture.

“Last year we went to a bone dance,” Leong said.

“I’m part Japanese, and that’s a tradition where we go and dance for our ancestors. I go with my entire family.”

Leong has one set of relatives in Hawaii and the other in Ireland, so each year her family has to decide which side to visit.

She has been to Ireland to visit her dad’s family multiple times, but has gone to Hawaii more.

Senior Hrishita Tiwari was born in India, and moved to America at age five. She has traveled to India three times to visit family members since then.

She has recently spent time in Indore and Bhopal.

“During a typical day I won’t go to bed until two or three in the morning, and I’ll wake up at nine a.m. and breakfast is just being cooked,” Tiwari said,

“I spend a lot more time outdoors playing soccer, football and cricket with relatives. I go with my older cousin and others cousins and we walk around the neighborhood and go shopping. I spend a large amount of time with family, as I have only seen them a few times ever.”

According to Tiwari, life in India is not too different, although some of the values held differ.

“Most of the time in America everyone thinks that living with your parents taboo, but in India it is considered a really honorable thing for an older son to take care of his parents in their retirement,” Tiwari said.

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“There aren’t as many retirement homes, because as a son, you are expected to care for your parents.” ������������������������ Mohamedi, Leong, and Tiwari all said that traveling overseas has allowed them to connect both with their families and cultures.

Martin Photography teacher Ian McVea was born in India, and lived in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Ireland, Ethiopia and Algeria as a young person due to his father’s occupation in the jute business.

“In a lot of ways, living in many different places helps you adapt quickly and understand people who are different in greater depth,” McVea said, “It makes it easier to relate to others.”

Senior Hrishita Tiwari celebrates her birthday with family members in Lahore, India.

Photo courtesy of Hrishita Tiwari

A view from the home of senior Ali Mohamedi’s extended family in Karachi, Pakistan.

Photo courtesy of Ali Mohamedi

features

Let’s get physical “You’ve got to teach like your hair is on fire. That’s why I have none.”

Gavin McGowan • Entertainment Editor

P

hysics can be a hard subject to begin to comprehend. Learning how the universe works is no easy task, and that also applies to teaching it.

You have to be able to keep the attention of an entire class of students, while explaining complicated ideas that most have never even thought of before.

Physics teacher Doug Sharkey manages to accomplish this while also inspiring his students to want to learn why cannon balls and car crashes have so much force or why football tackles are so brutal.

“I think it has to be relatable to your world,” Sharkey said. “That’s why I bring in stuff from the world. Sports, cars, planes, roller-coasters, and you have to make it fun. So I try to be as engaging as I can. That’s my philosophy: be fun, be engaging and try to keep people from falling asleep.”

Sharkey teaches AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2 and Regulars Physics. He said he loves teaching all of these classes, but it wasn’t his first career choice.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be,” Sharkey said. “I thought I wanted to be in the military, but that was short lived. It turned out that I liked teaching. I went to school for a year.

I had already gotten my bachelor’s and I decided I wanted to teach, so I went back. I took a year to do

some classes and then I did student teaching. Although, to be honest, it takes years of actually teaching to be good at it, I feel. I would love to go back in time and apologize to anyone I taught for the first couple of years.”

Students would agree that he certainly doesn’t need to apologize for his teaching now, however.

“I think he’s an excellent Physics teacher,” junior Patrick Grady said. “He is really good at working out the problems and showing us each individual part of it.”

Grady is currently enrolled in Mr. Sharkey’s Physics class, and compliments his ability to make physics seem approachable.

“I wouldn’t say I’m interested in science necessarily, but I think I definitely understand it better and respect it more,” Grady said.

Junior Christian Curtis said he believes that Sharkey is the reason for his newfound interest in science.

“I enjoy coming to class every day,” Curtis said.

“It’s a simpler topic and I understand it better now that I’ve taken his class. It’s something that I’ll probably want to pursue more in college.”

Entertaining and teaching several classes full of kids every day is no simple task. Sharkey has a lot on his plate when it comes to teaching physics.

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“I try to imagine what’s going on in students’ heads,” Sharkey said. “If something doesn’t make sense to me then it’s not going to make sense to my students. So I try to break down the stuff that you can understand into a format that makes sense. A lot of teachers skip stuff���������� , just assume that you know the material. I don’t do that, I don’t assume anything. If something is not going to come across, I do my best to explain it. That’s part of the job and that’s one of things that’s hardest to do.”

Sharkey explained why he thinks Physics is the best to teach and why he chose to do it, despite its level of difficulty.

“It’s how the whole world works,” Sharkey said. “It’s how everything works.

It’s hard, but it’s constant.

Also, it’s challenging. I like to be challenged. I think it’s because Physics is very real, you can see it happening.

That doesn’t happen with stuff like Pre Cal. Same thing with Chemistry.

You’re dealing with these things that are so tiny, atoms and molecules and such, that you can’t put your hands in and mess around with.”

This is one of the things Sharkey believes is the reason that students have trouble learning in school.

But he believes the big reason is something much simpler, however.

“I think people love to learn,” Sharkey said. “The big problem right now is a lot of people don’t want to struggle, they want it to be easy. Learning is hard.

When I was in school I would stay up late at night

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Mr. Sharkey explains Electrostatics to his class. Photo by Adeline Woods working on stuff, and when I didn’t understand something I would go and ask my teachers why I didn’t understand it. That’s missing now, and I don’t know why.”

Alongside that, Sharkey said, is another problem rooted deeper in our school system.

“I sometimes have doubts as to whether or not we’re teaching what we actually should be teaching,” he said. “I think everyone would benefit from a class like Physics, because it’s all about problem solving.

People need to know how to solve problems. But I don’t know if we need to teach what we’ve been teaching.”

Sharkey agrees, like most of his students, that his method of teaching seems to hit home with more people more often.

“I think that you’ve got to teach like your hair is on fire. That’s why I have none,” Sharkey said. “I love teaching. I love the theatricality of it. It’s fun.

And also, that moment where kids go, ‘I got it’ and you see the little light bulb appear above their heads. It really is cool.”

Stronger than ever Sophomore describes his risky heart surgery and how Orchestra has helped him Emily Hale•News Editor

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overed in tubes, he woke up in a daze on a hospital table.

“When I woke up, I was covered in my own blood because they hadn’t cleaned me up yet,” sophomore Nicholas Epperson said.

“I was strapped down to the table with tubes everywhere. I couldn’t move so I just stared at the wall across from me for the next 35 hours.”

Epperson suffers from a left coronary abnormality, meaning that 60 percent of his blood flow from his heart was cut off.

“I would pass out a lot,” Epperson said. “I thought it was some weird thing about being tall or maybe it was puberty.”

But as this happened more and more frequently, Epperson said he figured it was time to see a doctor.

“I remember we were going to Wendy’s, and Nick seemed kinda out of it,” Epperson’s girlfriend, junior Kodee Foster said. “I asked him what was wrong and he showed me the wires and heart monitor and he told me that the doctor said he needed heart surgery.”

With less than two months before the surgery, Epperson said he didn’t have time to comprehend what was going to happen.

“I knew that there was a 15 percent chance that I would die in surgery,” Epperson said. “But it didn’t really sink in until after.”

Epperson went to a medical facility in Austin

on Nov. 2, the day before his surgery.

“The day of his surgery, I didn’t talk to anyone,” Foster said. “It was hard for me and I wasn’t the one having surgery, and I’m not part of his family so I can’t imagine how they felt.”

Foster waited anxiously for a text from Epperson’s mom to tell her how the surgery went.

“Finally, she texted me, ‘They finished the surgery and they’re going to remove the breathing tube and he seems to be doing fine,’” Foster said. “And that was one of the best things I had heard in a long time.”

But even after this, Epperson’s work and pain was far from over.

“I could barely even breathe,” Epperson said.

“They tell us not to take things for granted, but we can’t appreciate things until we don’t have them, things like having enough oxygen.

It really makes me appreciate it more now.”

For the first few days, Epperson had to hold a pillow to his chest to keep it from cracking open. Even now, five months later, he can still feel it almost crack when he sneezes.

“I can’t even begin to explain how much pain I was in,” Epperson said. “I could barely move. Even when I got home, I would just sit on the couch and even working up the energy to say something like ‘water’ was exhausting.”

Epperson’s brother flew in from college to visit him

1. Nick Epperson recovers after his open heart surgery. “Even working up the energy to say something like ‘water’ was exhausting,” Epperson said. 2. Epperson sits in orchestra rehersal.

“Orchestra was really supportive through it all,” he said.

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during his recovery.

“I just had to sit there and all I could do was just think, because talking was really hard,” Epperson said.

“But Kodee would call me on the phone and talk to me and keep me company after all my family members left and that really meant a lot.”

Upon returning after two months of recovery, Epperson was greeted with mounds of makeup work.

“I had almost 142 hours of work to make up,” Epperson said. “And I’m still immensely behind, but it doesn’t do any good to think about how much work I need to do. Fortunately, my teachers have been really understanding and helpful with it.”

Among other things, Epperson has found Orchestra to be a really helpful family.

“When we heard, we tried to comfort him about what was going to happen,” Orchestra director Michael Stringer said. “We tried

to let him know that even though he wasn’t here, he’d be missed.”

However, the orchestra’s involvement didn’t end with Nick’s surgery.

“They definitely made him feel welcome when he came back,” senior John Wilke said. “We made him a poster and got him flowers and stuff and I think that really made him feel welcome and loved.”

Throughout these last two months, Foster describes the changes Epperson has undergone, not only physically but emotionally.

“Mentally he’s so much stronger and more confident and even when there were days where he thought he couldn’t do something, I’d remind him, ‘You survived open heart surgery, you can do whatever this is,’” Foster said. “And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I did have heart surgery and yeah, I can do this,’ and it’s just been really great to see how it’s built him as a person.”

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Film of the future Student film makers work to pursue dreams Kayla Mattox • Reporter “Even Spielberg had to start somewhere.” That’s the motto for Muledog Productions. Muledog Productions is comprised of juniors Jonas Hayes, Josh Goodman, and Rajiv Awasthi, a team of three passionate young filmmakers.

This summer, the trio plans to team up with fellow young filmmaker seniors Adam Carlson and Andrew Campbell.

“We are a close circle of collaborators that take each other’s creative ideas and interests pretty seriously,” Goodman said. “I’m an actor, but if I have any ideas they will respect it and listen to it.”

They are in the beginning stages of making a short film entitled, “As We Look at the Stars.” They intend to enter the film into festivals this summer. “As We Look at The Stars” will mark the first legitimate film project for Muledog Productions.

“It’s a quirky love story,” Hayes said. “If you’ve seen Grand Budapest Hotel, think Agatha and Zero kind of quirk.”

Though this is the trio’s first legitimate film project, their collaborator Campbell is already an accomplished short filmmaker. He has made multiple short films and was recognized by National Geographic for one of his films that he entered into a competition.

This recognition earned him a trip to Iceland last

year and New Zealand this year. He hopes to get an internship with them during college.

Over winter break, the group made two short films together for a UIL competition. Both films made it into the top 32 out of 700 submissions.

This experience further fed Goodman’s, Hayes’ and Awasthi’s love for film and the filmmaking process, and thus Muledog Productions was born.

The script for “As We Look at The Stars” is based on a play written by Hayes. The team has been ���������� crowdfunding via Indiegogo to raise money for the project. They are currently very close to their goal of a thousand dollars to spend on equipment they need.

Shooting for “As We Look at the Stars” is scheduled to begin this summer.

“We plan to shoot 14 to 18 days in June,” Hayes said.

“Then we’ll edit throughout July. It’ll probably take a month to get it just right.”

A lot goes into making a film. It’s much more than just having a camera and a couple of people willing to read some lines; it requires intense planning and preparations.

“Pre-production is the writing, production is the directing and acting, and postproduction is the editing,” Goodman said.

“That’s a pretty simplified explanation of what it’s like. It just takes a lot of preparation.”

The group has learned

entertainment

photo courtesy of Andrew Campbell a lot about filmmaking by emulating styles of directors they look up to.

“Our film ‘All Along the Watchtower’ was based on Quentin Tarantino’s movies,” Campbell said.

Other directors they look up to include Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Thomas Anderson.

“I’m really inspired by Paul Thomas Anderson,” Goodman said. “I really love his style. He does these long takes that I would love to do.”

Making it work is something that these students had to do often over winter break, since professional-grade filming equipment will run thousands and thousands of dollars. For instance, they use multiple massive flood lights to illuminate scenes

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sometimes having to stand on chairs or a couch or even a table to get the light just right. They learned how to get an awesome dolly shot by putting the camera on a scooter or skateboard. They also recently figured out how to make a steadycam using metal pipes which they plan to build this summer.

“Everything we do is basically just us winging it and hoping it turns out good,” Goodman said.

The team hopes to pursue some aspect of filmmaking in the future.

“The best quote I have read throughout this process, and I can’t remember who said it, but it’s just the idea that any work is good work as long as you are creating and making something then you are doing good work,” Hayes said.

The side you don’t see Don’t overlook the struggle of male sexual harrassment

Michael White • Reporter

Walking

into work, someone from the kitchen yells a slur about my sexuality as I clock in.

Then after taking three more orders, another cook calls me his b****. I just keep my mouth shut because I don’t know what else I can do. No one seems to care.

The sexual harassment of men can range from snide comments about the male anatomy all the way to people pressuring men into sex, or even just a date.

Other instances are jokes that are offensive, mocking, and even violent threats that can cause a guy to think less of himself.

Cases involving male sexual harassment often start in places such as the locker room and spread from there.

Some cases have been as little as a slap on a butt when asked not to, but some consist of taking pictures of the males in the shower and sending them to people without the males’ permission.

Even the mocking of a male’s body has been reported.

So why is the sexual harassment of men perceived this way? There are more studies on the reduction of sexual harassment for women than men. Men are less likely than women to speak up about such cases of harassment for fear of being mocked.

There is a YouTube video called “Sexual Harassment in Public, Guys vs Girls” that compares the sexual harassment of women to men in a real life situation.

When the man was being harassed by the women, he wasn’t helped at all. He was even encouraged to pursue the women.

No matter how much he begged for people’s help, he received none.

However, when the woman was harassed, she had help instantly. The man was attacked by a crowd of people while the woman was taken away to make sure she was okay, and she didn’t even have to ask for help.

This was the same result multiple times.

People treat the sexual harassment of men as being less important than the sexual harassment of women.

But why is that? Being a victim of constant sexual harassment is damaging anyway.

Imagine waking up, and looking yourself in the mirror, but instead of seeing yourself as the confident

human you are, you see yourself as less than that.

You see the fact that you’re a male who isn’t masculine.

A person who gets treated differently because of my priorities, or how I express myself.

I get asked if I’m gay on a regular basis because I’m more feminine, and people find it acceptable to harass me because of my feminine side. When I tell people I trust, they expect me to stand up to them, regardless of how embarrassing an issue can be.

Just imagine walking up to your parents and saying, “Mom, people can’t stop talking about how flat my butt is,” or “Dad, everyone is pressuring me to have sex with Beth, but I don’t want to.” If the sex talk wasn’t already awkward, you bet that would be even more uncomfortable.

However, sexual harassment doesn’t stop at school for me. It follows me to work, and sometimes home.

My coworkers often talk about how about how skinny I am, and that I’ll never be masculine. They make fun of my body.

No matter how many times you tell people to stop, they won’t listen. When my older brothers tease me, I don’t think they mean to be hurtful. They just don’t know that it hurts.

Not everyone can see that I’m uncomfortable with my body, and their words don’t

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help.

The hardest part for me is trying to tell people that I’m not okay with it, because it seems that people don’t understand why.

I even feel like I should be happy. I’m skinny, and I can eat whatever I want so why wouldn’t I be?

One reason is I feel vulnerable in society. It is almost as if I’m the easiest target because I’m a skinny.

I know this seems arbitrary, but it is a reality.

Another reason is the fact that I don’t have much muscle at all. I’ve worked out for months, and eaten protein bars and shakes, yet still nothing. I can barely hold a barre chord when I’m playing my acoustic guitar.

Though everyday I become more accepting of myself, people use their words like axes, and murder this slow process.

Luckily my closest friends and family are there to support me.

In no way am I trying to minimize the problem of women being sexually harassed, as they are the leading victims in sexual harassment cases globally.

However, we as a society can’t ignore the problem that is the sexual harassment of men becoming more frequent.

If we all showed respect to one another, and respect people’s boundaries, the world could be a better place.

opinions

THE WARRIOR POST

Martin High School • Arlington, TX Bailey Lewis Editor-In-Chief

Kyle Desrosiers & Tupelo Witte Copy Editors Emily Hale News Editor Gabby Benavides & Kamryn LeFan Features Editors Garrett Elliott Sports Editor Gavin McGowan Entertainment Editor Allison Beatty Opinions Editor Cammi Skanes Photo Chief Cailynd Barnes Design Editor Binh Le Staff Artist Tricia Regalado Adviser

We can’t be everywhere during STAAR testing Every spring, all roughly students. Some extra[STAFF editorial] AP 3,500 Martin students file curricular activities tend into a random classroom to either undergo a lengthy end-of-course exam or sit around for five solid hours, unless, of course, you’re an AP student, at which point, your fate is thrust into the hands of someone else.

Many AP teachers focus on preparing students for their respective AP tests in May. Besides the actual curriculum, oftentimes this is manifested in the power to pull students out of so-called “babysitting” rooms to take a practice AP test for their course. While this seems a great idea in theory, and an effective use of time, its execution is woefully lacking.

Staffers:

The Warrior Post is the official publication of Martin High School. Opinion columns don’t necessarily represent the opinion of The Warrior Post or of Martin High School. The Warrior Post will not accept advertisements for products not legally available to students.

to pull their kids as well.

Fine arts such as choir and orchestra take advantage of this time as extra practice time, and require their students to show up.

For a student who may potentially be in extracurriculars such as these along with AP classes, their teachers appear to have double- or triplebooked their time.

In all actuality, this is a flawed system. While it is nice to have time to practice for AP tests, students should be able to choose – or at the very least, not be penalized for – where they go on nontesting days.

Purity is a choice and a way of life

Marlene Roddy Principal Ezra Averill, Emma Beard, Spencer Brewer, Kai Bruntmyer, Rosie Cook, Serena Corwin, Morgan Evans, Darci Fulcher, Megan Garland, Kare Gray, Bayan Hammad, Cameron Hayes, Kendall Hendrix, Nikkolas Hernandez, Dean Kelly, Curt Leland, Kayla Mattox, Cameron Mayes, Madi McLean, Morgan McPeek, Kareema Nadurath, Elizabeth Prickett, Faith Smith, Zane Stewart, Daryn Taylor, Haleigh Trevino, Daisy Vasquez, Emily Wadley, Josephine Wei, Brady White, Michael White, Haley Wiley, Hope Zuckerbrow

It’s not uncommon for more than one of a student’s AP teachers to be providing that same practice opportunity; however, the student cannot physically be in more than one place at once, so it comes down to whichever teacher fought for them hardest, not whichever class the student wants or needs to practice most.

Some teachers offer motivation such as extra credit for being present during an AP practice test on these days. This is unfair, as not every student has the same availability during those days.

This doesn’t apply to just

Cameron Mayes • Reporter In this generation, we’re fed a number of different things from our culture.

One thing in particular is that it’s cool to make love before marriage.

Stay abstinent until marriage…you’ve probably heard this from your parents or grandparents, and maybe you’ve wondered why being pure until marriage is important.

Everyone makes mistakes, everyone’s going to fall at some point in their life and it doesn’t make you a bad person whatsoever, or staying abstinent doesn’t make

opinions

that person better than anyone else. I have made mistakes in this area of my life so I think we’re all in the same boat.

Being “pure” isn’t just not having sex until marriage, it’s being pure in every other aspect of your life as well. Another thing that will help you remain abstinent is being careful what you think about or what you watch.

When you look away from a tempting source like a Victoria’s Secret commercial, you’re respecting your future wife and you’re guarding your mind from any images that will call to you later on.

One day you’re on your phone scrolling through your feed when a picture of a beautiful girl is on your screen. Captivated by her beauty, you want to see more of this girl. That’s

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where you can stumble and fall, right there in that moment. A click could lead to another photo and another photo. There is nothing wrong with appreciating a woman’s beauty, but it’s treacherous when you lust over a girl, having a sexual desire toward someone outside of marriage.

When you get married, you should only have eyes for your wife meaning that she’s the only one you become intimate with. Telling her that you’ve waited your whole life for her will make your wedding night that much sweeter.

It is an emotional connection, physical glue, and the gift will be given in due time. Don’t rush or give yourself away just because it’s cool. Imagine your husband/wife’s face when you tell them that you loved them enough to wait.

Comparing two schools Spending a day at SHHS is eye-opening Gabby Benavides • Features Editor

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onfining our education to the walls of Martin can sometimes limit our perspective on other schools and the people who attend them. Because of athletic and academic rivalries, students with school pride often favor their own school and construct poor opinions on others. However, I think students should be able to broaden their horizon on others in the AISD community.

So I spent a day at Sam Houston to see what the real differences are between Martin and other AISD schools.

Immediately when you walk into Sam Houston, administrators look to make sure you are wearing an ID. If you don’t have one on, then you will be handed a temporary one right at the door, but no punishment is inflicted unlike the fee that must be paid at Martin. Once you’ve been checked for your ID, almost everyone heads to the cafeteria. About 85 percent of Sam Houston’s student population gets free or reduced meals so many people spend their morning eating breakfast with their friends and chatting before classes begin.

But as soon as the bell rings, Sam is just like any other high school. People are running to be on time for class, kids are learning

about Algebra, and teachers are lecturing about U.S. History. The classes run relatively the same way as they do at Martin and the kids act just like any other teenagers. People sometimes view schools like Sam Houston as “ghetto” and “underprivileged” but in all honesty, the Sam Houston kid’s high school experience is not all that different of those at Martin.

The classes are at the same academic level, the teachers are just as good, and school spirit is evident in every hallway.

My classes at Sam were just like the ones at Martin; however, navigating through Sam Houston’s hallways was very confusing. All of the even numbered classrooms were parallel to the front of the building and the perpendicular halls contained all of the odd numbered rooms, so finding each of my classes was a little challenging.

Luckily, I had a buddy with me for the day, and without her I definitely would have gotten lost.

Another difference between Sam and Martin is lunch. There are A, B, C, and D lunches that happen at various times during third period.

I had B lunch in the middle of the period, which was kind of weird, because I had to take half of the class, go to lunch, and then take the other half of class. Lunch is only 30 minutes, so not very many people are able to go off campus. Most students eat lunch in either the

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cafeteria or the courtyard because classes are still going on; therefore, Sam Houston’s courtyard and cafeteria are much bigger than Martin’s because they have to accommodate for more people.

The rest of the day carries on as usual.

One more class until the final bell rings and then everyone heads home to do homework or goes to their after-school jobs just like the kids at Martin. Sam Houston really isn’t all that different from Martin.

Both serve their purpose to educate high school students and prepare them for their futures.

Stereotype labels for Martin include rich, primarily white and spoiled. Obviously we know that these accusations are not true to our school as a whole, but nevertheless, we still put stereotypes on others.

It’s our job, as students of Martin High, to show school spirit and cheer on all of our teams but we need to be sure to do all of this in a respectable manner.

After we graduate and start pursuing a career and a family, who knows where our acquaintances will come from, so it’s very important to have a open mind on our peers.

What does love mean to you?

Faith Smith • Reporter

Our generation tends to throw around “I love you” like it’s nothing. Right now people treat love like it’s a trend to act like it means nothing and it’s not a serious topic, when in reality it’s something that everyone needs to live a happy life.

Being a teenager can be really hard sometimes, and it just makes everything harder when you don’t know if you can trust people.

To me, love means that you’d do anything for them and be there for

them through whatever they need, or when you call someone just to check on them and make sure they’re doing okay, or when someone lets you vent to them when they can tell you’re having a bad day.

When someone tells me that that they love me, I take it more seriously than they intended it to be, and when I need someone to talk to, they aren’t always there. Nowadays, it’s every man for himself ��������������� and everyone tries to hide their feelings. It’s almost that they’re scared of being open with people, because you never know if people mean what they’re saying. Love is a really strong word and many people treat it as a joke.

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#NoFilter

We need to clean up our act and language in the hallways

Kare Gray • Reporter Four years ago I was just a freshman who felt lost.

I felt so much like I didn’t belong that I left Martin for two years. However, things have changed and I feel a part of the Warrior family.

This year I’m able to connect with the school and my peers and have become way more mature.

When you assume a new level of maturity,

everything starts to change. You take on new responsibilities, your crowd may change, and you begin to mentally prepare yourself for adulthood. You have assumed the position of a young adult.

Now that I have this sense of maturity, I’m more in tune to the things I hear every day.

As of late, I’ve realized that the things I would usually dismiss or laugh at have really gotten under my skin. It seems our student body needs a good sit down about our mouths.

Why is it that we no longer know what’s appropriate and not appropriate to say at school? Has this generation

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become so self-expressive that we’ve just decided to drop every moral we’ve ever been taught? These are the questions that we should be asking ourselves.

As students of Martin, it is our responsibility to represent our school in the best way, shape and form possible. That being said, we need to speak to each other better and choose our words carefully. I am a student who is worried of how visitors perceive us as a student body.

In all of the six months that we’ve been in school, I have heard the most repulsive things come out of people’s mouths. I hear people using racial slurs on

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a daily basis and have even been called a racial slur myself. I’ve seen students completely disrespect teachers to their faces with no consequences.

What really infuriates me is the fact that we feel so comfortable talking like this in front of adults. If you don’t speak that way in front of your parents, why is it okay to speak that way in front of your teachers?

We seriously need to clean up our act. We are the generation that is constantly being put down and being misconstrued as disrespectful. We have far more important issues this year. Let’s not add profanity to the list.

Finding my identity I

Perfection is not necessary

t is human nature to enjoy the things we are given on Earth, but when we spend all of our time enjoying worldly things, we lose sight of who we are and what we are becoming. I, for one, have become someone I was not in the past years, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Change is natural, and it can be good. My change hasn’t been bad or good, just...different.

I have placed my full heart into multiple things.

I spend my weeks filled with volleyball practice, choir rehearsals, newspaper editing, being active in my church, writing music and more daily routines.

I have had to take a break from overworking myself, as these things have become my identity. I get angry when I can’t get a note right, or shank a serve receive pass.

I sit in bed after practice, over-thinking how I could have done better and to be honest, end up in tears a decent amount of the time.

The stress fills up my body and floods out through my eyes.

My mind has begun to believe that I must be perfect in these things to live a good life, in order to be happy. Well, news flash.

Life isn’t about being perfect. It’s okay to skip a key on the piano or take a breath in the wrong place during “This Still Room.”

I have set myself up to a

standard I can’t physically, emotionally or mentally reach.

There are bars I have put above me, and they are hard goals to attain. It has reached a point where even if I do reach up to these bars, I continue to make more. I’m living on a never-ending staircase where I continually reach up higher, only to get knocked down by my own negativity.

I lost sight of what really matters in my life. I placed my identity in worldly things. Life is more than the things we can accomplish. It is the memories – good and bad. It is family, and how we interact with them. It is friends, and who is always there to make you laugh or be a shoulder to cry on.

I was created differently than anyone else on this Earth in order to have a different mind and do what I am meant to do during my short time here. Am I pursuing everything I’m meant to when I’m setting my gaze on perfection? Probably not.

This whole realization of where my identity is kept has changed my whole view on college and what I want to do. Focusing on a life of grace rather than a life of perfection has changed the way I act on a daily basis. I have gone from wanting to go to big schools all my life to searching for small liberal arts schools in Califor-

Tupelo Witte • Reporter nia, where I can possibly do both volleyball and choir. I have chosen joy, and chosen to refind my identity and place it in my beliefs.

When life takes over, humans are found getting trapped under the waters of stress and flaws. We are searching for the little bit of air that we can see under the pain, yet a single bar is keeping us under. Gravity fails to help us up. The only one who can save us from deep waters is ourselves.

With that being said, the only human being that

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can tell us who we are is ourselves. Be aware of the people who are speaking of only insults.

Negativity is like cancer.

It comes quickly, spreads, and is hard to cure once it is out in the world. We work everyday to get rid of it, yet there are always going to be the ones out there who work hard for it to continue to spread across the world.

Be the light that stands out. Be yourself, because your identity doesn’t belong to what others say about you.

opinions

Made in Vietnam

Walking through life with one foot in each culture

Binh Le • Staff Artist I was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Oct. 9, 1998.

I moved to Texas when I was three years old with my mom, dad and grandpa.

Because I wasn’t that old when I came over here, it was pretty easy for me to adapt to the new culture, whereas it might’ve been harder if I was used to Vietnamese culture.

Because of being primarily raised in an American society, I am more comfortable with English than Vietnamese.

When people ask me to say something in my native language, I get a bit

nervous. I’m not fluent in Vietnamese.

Both English and Vietnamese have common alphabets. However, in Vietnamese, there isn’t a F, J, W and Z. Instead, there are extra letters such as Đ, Ă, Â, Ê, and Ô. Vietnamese also has various tone marks such as the grave accent, hook above, tilde, acute accent and dot below.

English is honestly one of the harder languages to learn. There are so many words that mean the same thing and grammar is just plain weird sometimes.

This might make it really confusing for people just learning English. There are other rules in English, but even those have exceptions such as, “I before e except after c.” The words beige,

deify, eight and many more do not follow that rule.

What’s the point of learning that rule if there are plenty of exceptions?

Even with all the similarities and differences in language, it definitely doesn’t stop there. There are many ways in which the American and Vietnamese cultures are alike, such as eating with everyone at the dinner table. However, there are more differences in the two cultures.

In Vietnamese culture, it is proper to greet adults or most people with a bow, usually greeting the eldest (usually men first then women) to the youngest.

For most Asian countries, instead of celebrating the new year on Jan. 1, they celebrate it according to

the lunar calendar, which is usually around January.

The most obvious difference is preference in utensils. In Asia, most kids learn how to use chopsticks.

In some Asian countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea, many consider a newborn to be a year old and a year gets added every passing new year or “East Asian age reckoning.”

In American culture, shaking hands is more appropriate for a first encounter with someone; most people usually greet the first person they see.

In America, kids are taught how to use forks and spoons.

A newborn starts out as days, weeks, months then eventually a year.

Livin’ la vida bilingual

Torn between living two ways of life narlo. Translation: It’s not as perfect as I would like it to be, but I’m trying to perfect it.

There’s one problem though. I’m slowly losing it.

Daisy Vasquez • Reporter Brriiinnnggg! My alarm Pop! My thoughts slowly goes off and now it’s time to come in my head and burst shift languages. Every time like bubbles. While talking I come to school, see my to my mom, I can’t get the friends or even my siblings, Spanish words out and trip I talk in English. over my own sentences.

My Spanish floats in my My mind goes blank mind, constantly spinning, for a minute, as I try to waiting for me to leave my remember the correct school environment and translations for my words. shift back to my home do Spanish was my first main. language. I can read, write Realizing that I have more and speak it. Puedo leerlo, job opportunities by being escribirlo y hablarlo. No es bilingual and a possibilperfecto como me gustaria, ity of earning more money estoy tratando de perfeccio- than someone that only

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speaks one language, I try my best to speak only Spanish at home since I spent countless hours that day in school.

My sister’s 15th birthday is coming up and I think of all our culture’s traditions: quinceaneras, loteria, pan de dulce and Mexican candies and snacks. Thinking of my culture reminds me of my big family, from cousins to grandparents, and our huge parties that include all types of foods: fajitas, ceviche, frijoles charros, arroz con leche, barbacoa and the best dancing music around.

We aren’t just good cooks. We are generous toward each other and understanding.

Many

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Mexican households are Catholic, but mine is a little mixed. My mom, siblings and myself are Protestant while my dad is Catholic.

Pop! Another thought bursts in my head.

Forgetting Spanish would be the ultimate low for me. Spanish was my first language. I learned English in kindergarten in ESL at Wood Elementary. I usually think in English since I use it so much more than Spanish. The culture behind that language is incredible. For me, my culture has impacted me in a way I can’t explain.

Everyone’s is different but I can truly tell you that I got lucky.

Ride or die

Friendships don’t always last forever

Morgan McPeek • Reporter It is commonly said that true friendships can last a lifetime. In a way, I believe this, but I also believe that not all friendships are meant to be.

High school can be complicated. Everyone wants to be liked by everyone, but as you get older, not only will you change, but your friendships will, too.

As we start our freshman year, everyone is our friend.

You sit in the hallway together every day for lunch and talk about hanging out over the weekend at so-

iStruggle Garrett Elliott • Sports Editor You walk into a high school classroom and ask, “Who’s got a charger? My phone is on two percent because I forgot to charge it last night.”

and-so’s birthday party. I look back on my freshman year and think about how close my class and I were.

There were about 20 of us and I truly believed they were my best friends.

Everyone older than me warned me that these awesome friendships that I grew to love would drastically change in the next couple of years. I didn’t want to believe them.

I persuaded myself that my group was different and we’d be inseparable throughout high school. I was sadly mistaken.

Sophomore year came around. Those 20 people were still my best friends, but we slowly started to mix into smaller groups.

We’d all still hang out over the weekend, but the group I was super close with was only about four girls. Gossip became a part of my routine and I was hit with the cold

hard truth that some people are just mean.

These so-called friends that I had would turn on me the second that I didn’t have something they wanted.

Because of this, I started becoming something I wasn’t just so they’d like me. I talked about people behind their backs, never listened to my parents and started to believe I was better than everyone else.

I didn’t like who I had become. It wasn’t until my junior year when I was humbled with the fact that my friends weren’t all that I thought they were...and neither was I. I go back and think, what would have happened if I never grew closer to those specific people?

It’s now the end of my senior year, and I have officially weeded through those 20 people that I started with just four years ago.

While each of those 20 people are great in their own ways, there are certain people that I just clicked with and could be myself

around. Because it is our senior year, we, as a class, have become close once again, but I have also found those friendships that can last a lifetime.

I don’t regret becoming friends with that group at all. They led me to find myself.

I was someone who didn’t know how to speak up for herself, someone who thought people would only like them if they hung out with a specific group, someone who didn’t actually know what it meant to have a true friend. Not all friendships are meant to be, but I do believe there is a reason they are put into your life.

I’m going off to college content with knowing that I have found people who will drop everything they are doing just to come and help me.

I truly think that I have learned a lot about friendship and what it means to have a true best friend. Not all friendships are meant to be, but certain ones are worth waiting for.

Living as an Android user in an iPhone dominated world If you’re an iPhone user, I guarantee you can find someone with one. Nobody has one? No big deal, just shoot a quick text to the group message and you’ll get one. Oh wait, you can’t, you have to open another messaging app like GroupMe or Kik. You’ve opened the app, and are typing out your dramatic SOS, then bang! It’s dead.

How am I going to know where to meet my friends for lunch? How am I going to get home? The day without your phone

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as it just sits dead in your backpack settles in and you slump down into your seat and accept your fate. It’s going to be a long day.

If you’re like me and have an Android in an iPhone world, you understand the struggle and persecution we face. As an Android user I am left out of group messages simply because there always seems to be problems. Sometimes I don’t even receive messages when I’m put in group messages. I was even left out of the newspaper editors

group message last year simply because I didn’t have an iPhone. I’ve even heard one person say, “Sorry, but I only reply to people with iMessage on.”

Seriously? My dad has worked for Microsoft, and therefore has a true hatred for Apple. Plus, I don’t pay my own phone bill, so I’m definitely not going to be that bratty kid and complain about not having an iPhone.

It’s not just teenagers; it’s

continued on pg 28

opinions

Agree to disagree Everyone should voice their opinions, regardless of skin color

Hope Zuckerbrow • Reporter ’m sitting in my newspaper class, brainstorming with the rest of my fellow reporters.

We go into our normal routine, write down our ideas on a little piece of paper and mix them all up in a large bowl and pull them out one by one to discuss them for the next upcoming issue.

They finally pick my paper from the bowl, unfold it and begin reading.

My stomach begins to churn, and my hands start to sweat.

“What are they going to think of me? I hope they won’t be upset…” Thoughts start to rush through my head.

All of a sudden, the open-minded, liberal, opinionated class full of

I

kids begin to spout off their opinions about my idea.

“It’s a good thing this is anonymous,” I think to myself.

Why is it that having an opinion opposite of the majority’s is so unnerving?

Why is it that a person is immediately attacked for thinking something different from everyone else?

Then I realized, there have to be a ton of kids that have an opinion opposite of the majority, but are too afraid to speak it because of the fear they may have of being labeled ignorant, closeminded or hateful.

A giant problem our society faces is the idea that there can only be one right opinion, which is the farthest thing from the truth.

A very controversial topic is the discussion of race.

Racism exists. That is a fact.

Systematic inequality continues to affect the lives of many people of color in America.

Because racism comes predominantly from white people to non-whites, in the discussion of race, I often feel like I have to walk on eggshells.

What we think about certain topics, how it

makes us feel when we are automatically assumed to be racist because of the color of our skin, the hypocrisy of it all still astounds me.

Because of the color of my skin, if there is a conversation going on about racism, and I don’t say the correct thing, my opinions and I are no longer welcome in the discussion.

In many cases, in the discussion of race, white people are forced to be politically correct rather than speak their own opinions.

Think about it – Chris Rock can tell women to get over sexism in his opening monologue for the Academy Awards, but imagine if a white host tried to do that. He would be the biggest sexist on television.

People of color are allowed to say what they want without hesitation or consequences, because to reprimand them would be racist.

This is what bothers me – the double standard. We can’t move towards equality if we make different rules for people.

It’s not a contest of which race has had it harder. Will it solve anything? No. The

Black Lives Matter movement has become some sort of untouchable situation.

The protests are allowed to become riots because to condemn them would be racist.

White Americans will never truly understand the black struggle. Who am I to pretend I know it all? I don’t.

No, I have never felt what it’s like to be pulled over by a cop solely because of the color of my skin.

No, I have never felt the heartbreak of losing a job opportunity because of the color of my skin.

What I have experienced is what it feels like when people shut down what I have to say because they believe I’m privileged, presumed to be a racist, or ignorant.

Learn to be open-minded and respectful of all opinions, even if you do not agree.

Respect is the key factor in any communication.

If we cannot understand and appreciate the experiences of one another then we will never eliminate racism.

Black opinions matter.

White opinions matter. All opinions matter.

iStruggle...continued from page 27 app developers too. For two years I’ve played Madden Mobile on my phone and been a devout (and maybe slightly addicted) user of the game.

In February, they had an update on the game, which I was really psyched for,

but when I went to update it, I saw the words, “This app is not compatible with your device.”

It’s like getting told you can’t drive just because you’re 12 and can’t reach the pedals and it’s “illegal”.

The fight between Apple

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and Microsoft has gone way too far by spilling out into the teenage social world and Android users are being bullied for it. I shouldn’t be discriminated against because I have an Android.

End the discrimination

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and iPhone supremacy in today’s ever-changing technology driven society.

Android users have rights, too. They are people too.

Step aside, Steve Jobs.

Bill Gates is richer anyways.

Feel the rhythm Warriors talk about the ways music affects them

Ezra Averill & Emma Beard •Reporters “Music helps me focus and it makes things a little easier to do,” senior Luke Lowrance said. “I think music helps you associate what you’re doing with pleasure. It makes things a little more tolerable, it’s inspiring.”

“Music makes me feel like I have the power to lead my life and accomplish all my goals,” sophomore Lauren Kinnear said. “It’s the drive that gets me through happy times and trying times whether good or bad.”

“I think the reason why people listen to different music when they’re in different moods is because those melodies and words are of someone else’s emotions, and when you are around someone of one emotion we copycat their feelings and reciprocate,” Kinnear said.

“If you really pay attention to the words that are being said you can really connect with The Avett Brothers and realize that those are real issues that actually occurred,” sophomore Bekah Alverson said.

“One of my favorite songs would have to be the piano version of “This is Gospel”

by Panic! at the Disco,” sophomore Madeline Bethman said. “It’s such a beautiful and touching song, especially when all the instruments are taken away and it’s just the piano. I cry almost everytime I listen to it.”

“It does make me think a little more about what you say and how you come off to other people,” Lowrance said.

“It’s something that’s in you and there is no explanation, music will only affect you personally,” Avila said.

Love...continued from page 23

“Music changes the whole scene,” Spanish teacher Hugo Avila said. “If you put on chill music, it helps you calm down. If you put on party music, it’s going to give you more energy and make you want to go do things.”

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Hearing people talk about how they tell their girlfriend/boyfriend that they love them and they’d do anything for them but they don’t mean any of it is so heartbreaking. Just imagine how that person’s girlfriend/boyfriend feels when they find out that everything they’ve been told is a lie. It’s so hard to trust people because it can be hard to tell if they’re telling the truth, and that’s where the whole being scared to open up comes in because people have been hurt so much before.

Earning someone’s trust is really hard to do when all they’ve heard were lies from the person they thought they could trust.

Love and trust go hand-in-

hand more times than not.

Grown-ups say all the time that teenagers don’t know what real love is, and maybe they’re right, but I do know that lying and not being loyal to someone you claim that you love is not love.

I think that everyone has this mindset that everyone they meet is going to hurt them. Social media has a lot to do with it too. I’ve seen tweets on Twitter that say that cheating is okay because we’re just in high school and it doesn’t matter that much. That really makes you second guess the relationship that they’re in, or make you not even take a chance on dating because people are so hard to trust.

entertainment

Making the music A look at students who write and perform their own music Spencer Brewer • Reporter It’s time. Backstage jitters or not, the moment has come. Butterflies swirl on the inside of junior Brooks Knapton’s stomach, but he wills them down to manageable flutters.

He walks with unreality, the noise of the crowd echoing between his ears as he takes his seat in front of a sweeping grand piano.

He lifts the keyboard cover, and at the sound of it clacking into place a silence blankets the crowd. Knapton begins to play.

His fingers fly, skittering across the piano with a speed that is both frantic and precise.

The butterflies stir again, taking flight from the pit of his stomach to the tips of his fingers, finally resonating from the base of the piano and creating the notes that will wash over the crowd.

He opens his mouth and sings the words he wrote to the notes he pieced together into a song that resounds through the four halls of the auditorium. Knapton was in the ninth grade, and this was his first time performing his own music in front of a crowd.

The ability to write music takes years of practice and dedication, with no guarantee that a career will come from it. But, despite this, some students have dedicated themselves to making their own music, and may be well on their way

to a career in music. Knapton and junior Gabi Turner have worked for years to be as talented as they are, and each had a journey reaching that point.

“Ever since I can remember there’s been a keyboard in my house,” Turner said.

“When I was younger, ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele came out, and that was when I started sitting down and learning songs on the piano by ear. So I taught myself how to play on the keyboard when I was nine or ten years old, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

The journey from practice to performance takes many forms from person to person, but the talent grows with the practice of years.

“I started playing piano when I was five,” Knapton said. “I started singing around fourth or fifth grade because that’s when I joined choir. I started performing in fourth grade” With practice, writing music becomes the natural next step. Each of them started writing their own songs at different times, for different reasons.

“When I was coming into ninth grade, I joined Actors Models and Talent for Christ,” Knapton said. “It’s a cool experience and I got to meet a bunch of people in the music industry while I was there, and it’s good that I learned it then instead of college. I learned that I need to write my own music. So I decided after that

entertainment

that I was going to make it a priority to make my own music and have something ready by college. So that’s what I’m focused on, making my EP by college.”

With the way came the will, the inspirations that led to the songs.

As the years rolled on, these budding musicians found something else in music: expression.

It is the love of this, making art in songs, that has led these students to pursue a

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lifelong career in the music industry.

“I didn’t really get serious about it until around ninth grade,” Turner said. “I took it a whole lot more seriously and it’s something that I’m counting on as a career.

I see myself being a musician for the rest of my life.

Singing gives me a vessel to express myself in a way that I can’t using other things. I see myself in five years being a musician and making a living doing what I love.”

Flippin’ cool

Gymnastics team strives to represent Martin on their way to state Gabby Benavides • Features Editor Martin is very well-known for its successful sports teams. However, some lesser-known teams don’t get the same recognition.

Martin’s gymnastics team is just one of the organizations that feels they do not get enough credit or support.

“When I was walking to my classroom today, someone was putting up ‘Go Martin baseball, softball, and track’ posters, and gymnastics is right in the middle of our season,” gymnastics coach Devin Jenson said.

With only six members, Martin’s gymnastics team strives to do its best and represent Martin in every meet.

“My sister did gymnastics at Martin and when I came to Fish Night, they told me about it and it seemed like fun,” sophomore Kylee McGuire said.

Gymnastics is a very challenging sport that tests gymnasts athletic abilities and can be very dangerous.

“I almost fractured my neck once and I was out for a couple weeks,” sophomore Jacob Kravitz said, “And last year I ended up breaking my finger from a fall.”

Alongside challenges in every meet and practice, the team works hard to keep themselves healthy and fit to continue their training.

“I’m sore all the time and it’s really hard on your body,” McGuire said. “It’s a lot of time and effort and you have to make sure you’re always in shape.”

Jenson said he has

enjoyed coaching at Martin for seven years now.

“The most fulfilling part is the relationships with the athletes that you work with,” Jenson said. “You develop very strong, unique bonds that last for a very long time.”

Our Martin gymnasts say they don’t experience the same amount of support that usually goes towards our athletes.

“My first year here, I took two boys to the state meet and I’m giving them a pep talk where I remind them that they’re representing the program and their school, and they looked at me in all sincerity and they said, ‘Coach, our school doesn’t even know that we’re here,’” Jenson said.

At the last District Championships on March 23 and 24, our gymnastics team had a very successful meet.

Kravitz placed fifth on floor, sixth on pommel horse, fifth on rings, tenth on vault, sixth on bars, fifth on high bar, and fifth in the allaround. Sophomore Dylan Faulkner finished ninth on floor, third on rings, and seventh on vault.

Junior Eli Phillips was an additional Regional Qualifier.

McGuire placed first on vault, third on bars, first on beam, third on floor, and first in the all-around.

Freshman Jordyn Anders finished ninth on bars and ninth in the all-around.

“I’d like to go to state before I graduate,” Kravitz said. “That would be really cool.”

Top: Junior Eli Phillips during his ring routine.

Bottom: Sophomore Kylee McGuire finishes her floor routine. Photos courtesy of Jacob Kravitz.

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sports

Home is where the heart is 13 Class of 2016 student athletes will stay close to home to continue their education and athletic careers Garrett Elliott • Sports Editor University of North Texas (Denton): 1. Nic Smith - Football 2. Tyler Wilson - Football University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington): 1. Sully Billingsley - Men’s Golf 2. Allison Wade - Women’s Golf 3. Claire Schwettman - Volleyball Southwestern Assemblies of God (Waxahachie): Bryce Bailey - Football Abilene Christian (Abilene): Nick Skeffington Baseball Tyler Junior College (Tyler): Daquaylyn Thomas - Football

Howard Payne (Brownwood): Ryan Cook - Soccer Darius Edwards Football

Texas Lutheran (Seguin): 1. Torren Calhoun - Football 2. Mason Perkins - Football 3. Kristian Levy - Football

Class of 2016 out-of-state commits: Hunter Donnelly, Colorado State Jason Huntley, New Mexico State Jimmy Nelson, Tulsa Eric Walker, LSU Luis Mendez, Fort Hays State University Natalee Heiser, Mississippi State University Holly Hasten: Kansas Wesleyan Madeline Wasden, South Alabama

sports

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Ashley Johnson, University of Oklahoma Wyatt Alvis, Fort Hays State University Dylanger Potter, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Tarin Leong, Cal State Monterey Bay Keshun Reed, LSU Autumn Freeman, Palm Beach State College Chandler Hall, Southwestern College (Kansas)