The Warrior Post - December 2022

Post TheWarrior

the culture issue

Pages 18 & 19 - celebrating martin’s culture

Page 22 - deaf culture

Page 26 - Once upon a quinceNera

Martin High School

Volume 41, Issue 2 december 2022

WP the warrior post

Martin High School

4501 W Pleasant Ridge Road

Arlington, TX 76016

Editors-in-Chief

Trinity Orosco and Laynie Stroup

Copy Editor

Katie Nguyen

News Editors

Katy Dixon and Helena Snegon

Features Editors

Noelle Pond and Sally Rodriguez

We

Opinions Editor

Inde Atwood

Sports Editor

MacKenzie Estes

Entertainment Editors

Zizi Belvin and Molly Maddock

Photo Editor

Lorelai Hofer

Adviser

Tricia Regalado

Principal

Marlene Roddy

Staffers:

Khaylani Bailey, Liv Bell, Olivia Branch, Ellie Camarillo, Kailah Cobbs, Caiden Cole, Addy Davenport, Ava Dunlap, Adam El-Kassih, Mia Gondola, Celest Harbrink, Jordyn Hentz, Sirinity Hubbard, Terry Jackson, Maham Khan, Alyssa Lee, Ashlynn Lee, Ashlyn Long, Chloe MacFoy, Morgan Martin, Jessica Nguyen, Corrina Reyes, Emonje Richardson, Camila Rivas, Dewey Saracay, Jaylia Spotwood, Avery Whipple, Asia Wilkey

TheWarrior Post is the official publication of Martin High School. Opinion columns don’t necessarily represent the opinion of TheWarrior Post or of Martin High School.

belong here

{Staff Editorial}

Of all the losses in Covid times, one of the most damaging was our loss of belonging and being part of groups. Martin is a huge school, but the administration and faculty have prioritized the establishment of groups and clubs so that every student can belong and be part of something. It’s remarkable, and very necessary.

We have an abundance of clubs, many of which you’ve probably never heard of.

There are more than 50 clubs listed on Martin’s “Organization and Clubs” website, and there are even more that aren’t listed on the website, such as the Skateboarding Club and Gaming Club.

Clubs like the VSA and MSA allow anybody interested in Vietnamese or Muslim cultures to experience the culture firsthand and meet people. There’s a very active Bass Fishing Club, and even a Solar Car racing team.

These clubs are an underrated part of our school, as the sheer quantity of them ensures that almost everybody will have at least one club that appeals to them.

Not only does this mean students looking for something to do have a good chance of finding it, but it also improves overall engagement with the school if everybody has something they’re into.

CoverphotobyLorelaiHofer

Having so many clubs is a privilege that many students don’t get to enjoy, even locally. The Arlington and Seguin websites have a very limited list of clubs, while Lamar doesn’t even have an online list.

Let’s say you were really into sneakers. Is there already a sneaker enthusiasts club at school? Not yet.

However, there are lots of teachers at this school, and if you can gather a group of students who are interested, it’s likely that you could find a teacher to sponsor a brand new club. This opportunity is a great reason why going to a big school with such supportive teachers is an advantage.

The final benefit is that these easily accessible clubs help students to stay occupied. Some students have such a fragile relationship with school that clubs can be the only reason they get up and attend every day.

Martin administration seems to know this and provides amazing avenues to keep those students in school.

There will always be some people who choose to walk around the school aimlessly for hours, but clubs make it easy to join by having obvious flyers with Remind links or something similar so that interested students can immediately join. This will take some of the after-school roamers out of the hallway, making the school safer and more productive.

all

Martin excels in offering a multitude of diverse clubs and groups

Martin’s holiday helpers

Groups around the school prepare for the season with volunteering

The leaves begin to fall off the trees, families start to shop for gifts, the Christmas tree is up, and school is finally out. This is a comforting scene that students long for all year. Holidays provide a sense of new beginnings and renewal for many.

However, this is sadly not the holiday experience for every student, as some suffer from domestic abuse and homelessness, especially during this time.

So, how are the groups around Martin bettering the holiday season for those who need support?

“We have kids here who are homeless (in transition) or living with a family member or elderly person,”

AVID Coordinator Perinza Reddic said. “When these students are hungry, we provide them with groceries. We actually have a secret place where we’ll tell them if they need groceries, they can be found in this particular place, and they can pick them up without feeling embarrassed.”

Students themselves tell us more about the projects they are providing over the holidays, and motivate others to help out with whatever they can.

“During this time, what Key Club and our school in general can do to help is reaching out to places where we can donate simple stuff like blankets,” senior Oforitsenere Bodunrin said. “For our Youth Opportunities fund this year, we are starting a quilt proj-

ect to give quilts out to people in need.”

Additionally, some senior citizens in assisted living facilities are lonesome during the holidays due to having no family around.

“Every year we help with assisted living in Bedford by providing basic healthcare needs such as combs, brushes, socks, and new blankets for seniors who are suffering from Alzheimer’s,” Reddic said. “It started with one of our AVID students’ great grandparents who were there as a couple. We sang songs with them, played music, and watched them open gifts. When they’re older, certain items can take them back to a different time, like by holding a baby doll. So we give them items to help during the holidays, because sometimes their families don’t come visit them

or they don’t even get gifts.”

As prices get higher, and rent also rises, many families struggle to provide for their children and tend to their needs. The 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless Count found that on any given night there are 4,410 individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas alone.

“Right now, we are hosting a donation drive for Operation Christmas Child with Revive to give things out such as combs, brushes, toys, and bandaids,” Bodunrin said. “We are also about to start donating PBJs for Mission Arlington, Ringing Bells for Salvation Army, and helping with the Tarrant Area Food Bank held at the CTC.”

Sadly, as students are home more frequently for holiday breaks, it is even more common for these

children to suffer from domestic abuse, so providing comfort for these people is very important.

“One of our students brought it to our attention that a friend of her family is the child of domestic abuse from her parents,” Reddic said. “When there is a domestic situation, we plan to have teddy bears available for children when police officers show up on the scene.”

With Martin’s wide variety of resources and groups to join, there is always availability for those who want to serve those in need, and it is also heavily encouraged.

“Key Club is a really respectful community, and we just have a lot of fun helping the community with service projects,” junior Natalie Plascencia said. “Joining any club that helps the community is a great way to get involved. When I help people, it makes me feel better about myself. It makes you a happier person.”

Students said that community service is one of the most beneficial feats and it is also very enjoyable.

“If you want to help I’d suggest talking to people in your classes, asking your friends what service groups they are in, look at the student news, look for posters around, or maybe even start your own club,” Boundurin said.

Noelle Pond • Reporter

“When I help people, it makes me feel better about myself. It makes you a happier person.”

AVID seniors Hanson Appiah Mensah and Samone Williams help distribute donations to Martin’s Food Pantry. AVID has several holiday service projects planned this year. PhotocourtesyofPerinzaReddic

Enhancing culture at Martin

Muslim Student Union has returned to spread knowledge and community

Jessica Nguyen• Reporter

With the new school year came new associations such as the Black Student Union, Hispanic Student Association, returning clubs like Vietnamese Student Association, and a comeback from the Muslim Student Union.

“There was a growing Muslim population, and no club, and I was already involved in other leadership positions, so I thought it was doable and needed,”

Martin alum and MSU founder Ali Khan said.

After the club was created, a plan was devised in order to get things started.

Khan and his team planned many events and socials to bring the community together.

“The club was originally about 30 members,” Khan said. “We would have meetings every couple of weeks, talking about an Islamic topic, pretty free form, not a really rigid structure. People just went for it. We also used to have Friday prayers.”

The organization returned this year with a new team. After the popularity of the Vietnamese Student Association came to light, many new clubs formed to spread their cultures.

“It was the first six weeks

and I was in the Homework Center and I was bored so I decided, why not start a club,” current MSU President sophomore Ali Alfridawi said.

The restart of the club caught on quickly. New members were added to the new team with their own perspectives and ambitions for the club.

“I wanted to start it because there’s a significant number of Muslims at Martin and also a lack of information and knowledge about the religion,” junior MSU Graphic Designer Maham Khan said. “I knew we could clear misconceptions, foster a fun community, and also be a club that emphasizes and takes advantage of the great diversity at Martin.”

There are many similarities as well as differences from the first edition of the club and the new one, ranging from the people involved to the way things were handled back then.

“I think right now the club is a bit more laidback and more culture based than it was originally way back then,” Maham Khan said. “There’s definitely improvement in interest levels and it’s way easier to spread information now through social media.”

The club came back after Covid prevented connections with other humans.

“I’d say when it first started there were a lot more opportunities to hang out and do things but we’re working on it,” sophomore MSU officer Dahlia Diab said. “I’d

say there were a lot more out of school events than now.”

The team has been hard at work trying to spread the news about the return of the club and trying to entice new members. They want to form a solid community where their culture is appreciated and understood.

“We plan socials from a list I created last year when I was planning and adjusting due to any board members’ opinion,” Maham Khan said.

There are many goals that the team desires to achieve. The officers have strong ambitions and desire to expand the club. This allows for more creativity and determination.

“We´re planning a Bollywood night in December to be decided,” Ali said.

“I hope to provide a space for anyone at Martin to learn more about Islam and just hang out to celebrate culture and enjoy each other’s company,” Maham Khan said.

A very prominent goal of the club is to spread the culture and have fun doing it.

“I’m personally very happy with the turnout and the amount of people interested, but I definitely think some management is needed and also utilization of position,” Maham Khan said. “I believe we’ll get there, though.”

The Five Pillars of Islam represent belief, worship, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.

Colors in culture

A look into different interpretations of color in cultures

Sirinity Hubbard •Reporter

Colors are all around us constantly making an impact on life and how we view things. From the colors we wear to make an impression or to look a certain way, to the colors we don’t wear to avoid controversies, we are constantly making decisions based on the meanings assigned to colors. Not everyone is aware of this, so here are some colors and a few of their many meanings in some places around the world.

Red

In the U.S., red is seen as a color of passion and love, but also of anger, caution, or danger. Much like the U.S., some places in the Middle East view red as a color of caution and danger too. In some African cultures, red symbolizes death and grief. On the other hand, in India, red is viewed as a color of purity, wealth, love, marriage, and beauty. And in China, it symbolizes happiness, luck, and fertility.

Yellow

Yellow is commonly perceived as a symbol of optimism, happiness, and warmth in the U.S. In some African countries, it’s a symbol of money and success. Yellow doesn’t have all positive connotations, though. In Egypt and Latin America, yellow can symbolize death and mourning for some, and in Germany, it means jealousy and envy.

Green

The color green has connections with nature, health and luck in Western culture. In relation to Ireland, it also symbolizes prosperity, luck, renewal, and jealousy. In Indonesia, for some, green is viewed as a forbidden color, but can be worn. It’s just not advised to wear green in natural settings. Green is held as a valuable color in Islamic culture because it symbolizes the prophet Muhammad.

In some Eastern cultures, green can mean luck, wealth, eternity, infidelity, and fertility. In Japan, green symbolizes eternity and vitality. And in Mexico, green is a color that stands for independence and patriotism. On the other hand, green symbolizes death in Latin America.

Blue

In western culture, blue is seen as a color of safety and trust, but can also be viewed as a color of depression and

loneliness. In many cultures, blue has ties with religion and spirituality. In some eastern cultures, blue is tied to immortality, spirituality, and Heaven.

In Hinduism, the color is associated with Krishna, a symbol of love and divinity. In Latin American cultures, blue is associated with religion. And in Ukraine, it symbolizes healing. In some countries like Turkey, Greece, and Albania, blue is believed to repel evil.

So many colors have an array of different meanings and each vary around the world. Learning about the meanings colors hold can introduce you to a world of information and maybe even influence your everyday life.

It’s all for the art

Senior takes over Spotify with his electic experimental music

that I enjoy this. It’s fun making music.”

Two singles. Two albums. 42,123 monthly listeners on Spotify. Tape ball on his head, Martin senior Miles David, going by the stage name of dreamcorp., creates experimental music to share with the world.

“I’ve pretty much always been surrounded by music,” David said. “All types of jazz, hip hop, African music, and metal. So many different things.”

As a child, David’s parents would play music for him during car rides. Around eight years ago, he found electronic music on YouTube and was hooked.

“I was on YouTube, and I found electronic music,” he said. “Monstercat, an indie record label that’s not huge, I found them. Then I found this thing called a launchpad on YouTube, which was like a MIDI controller with 64 pads, and people would play music on it. I was like, ‘Oh that’s cool. I need to be a part of that.’”

David began making his own music after being driven by the question of how electronically making music works. He was inspired by hip hop producers Madlib and J Dilla. He also said he was fascinated by the “weird jazz stuff” of 70s artist Gary Wilson.

“I was perplexed by how sounds were made electronically and how people made electronic music,” David said. “I just wanted to find out at least how it worked. Then I found out

When beginning his music project, David chose to go anonymous. The name dreamcorp. came from wanting to find an “intense yet neutral” name. He felt the word “corp.” was “weird and unique.” “Dreams” was chosen since they can be anywhere.

“I don’t think personality is as important as people think,” David said. “I think the music should speak. When you listen to music, you shouldn’t be thinking about me. You should be finding your own connection to the music. I think that’s how music works best, when you find what’s important to you in it, rather than thinking about the person who made it.”

After creating his stage name, dreamcorp. began experimenting with making his own music and manipulating samples of music.

“It’s a combination of replaying stuff I’ve written or replaying a sample, which is taking a chunk of someone else’s song, recreating it, changing it, and making it kind of your own thing,” David said. “It’s a combination of that stuff plus my own dumb ideas. For example, I like this R&B song. Let’s take a chunk out of it, manipulate it, do a bunch of stuff to it, and then boom, it’s more than new music. Pretty much it’s weird.”

His system of manipulating music draws in his fans, since it’s a lot different than the common music they hear on the radio.

“My favorite song is probably ‘Tapehead’s Theme,’ because it’s super trippy but still melodic and catchy,” sophomore Lilly Da vid said. “I love his music, because it sounds unlike most other music I’ve heard. His music has opened up my mind to some new genres and sounds that I had never re ally considered before.”

Lorelai Hofer•Photo Editor Senior Miles

As for his choice to make his music mainly instrumental, David said he felt he could better ex periment with the music without his voice.

“You do a lot more with instruments than you can do with your voice,” he said. “You can go to different places. There’s only so much you can do with your voice. I feel like you can create different sonic landscapes with instruments rather than a voice. Plus, I just hate singing. So it kind of works both ways for me. And it’s more fun to me.”

Beyond making his own music, David makes his own music videos. For his most recent album, Tapehead, he created videos to correspond with songs on the album while wearing a mask of tape.

“It was a weird experiment, making a big dome of tape,” David said. “There’s going to be a lot more videos, more of like an anthology type thing. Each video is going to correspond to a song on an album, and it’s going to be an audio visual experience than just an al-

David aka dreamcorp. illustrates his single, “Tapehead’s Theme.” dreamcorp. has been making music since childhood.

bum and a music video. It’s going to be linked.”

Even with reaching a growing number of listeners, he still finds his greatest achievement to just be putting out his work into the world.

“It’s like a cycle, the process of creation,” he said. With two albums under his belt, David said he has big plans for the future, as soon as he finishes his college applications.

“I’m going to be releasing another album through the end of the year, most likely, or into the beginning of next year,” he said. “I’m going to be building the live show. I can expand my system out with my computer and MIDI controllers and be able to play a whole set of music. This is going to be more than a music project. It’s going to be everywhere. I’ve got some weird ideas.”

“I think that it’s better than naming a dog Cat and a cat Dog. Name your pets what you want, just give them a proper name.”

junior Kenny Mings

What is your opinion on giving animals human names?

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

“Every year, my family and I go down to Houston to visit my mom’s side of the family. But before we go, we have a smaller Christmas with the pets where we give them gifts. It’s always so fun”

junior Beau Piel

“Jason. Like the horror movie guy from Friday the 13th.”

If someone asked you to name their child, boy or girl, what name would you pick?

Let’s say aliens are real. How do you think we make contact?

“Social media. Some new app. The term ‘reach’ has a double meaning. I believe in aliens, and I think that they look like us, but they aren’t hiding amongst us.”

Library Assistant Chantel Martin

(Song: Those Eyes by New West)

What are your favorite song lyrics of all time?

“‘Cause of all the small things you do are what remind me of why I fell for you.’ I’m obsessed with it because my mom used to sing it to me. It was her and my dad’s song and it’s just sort of stuck.”

junior Kat Grabeel

What was the first recipe you memorized, why that recipe?

If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

“Taylor Swift. She’s really great and just such a cool person.”

for

Random questionsrandom people

Zizi Belvin • Entertainment Editor

Are you more afraid of the ocean or space?

“Space because the ocean is still on Earth. Space is endless. Oceans aren’t, and you always know there’s a bottom. It may be a long way down, but it’s still there.”

“Eggs in the morning because my mom was a single mom, so I had to learn a lot on my own, and it was really simple.”

sophomore Kaylee Nguyen

“My go-to memory is when I won the spelling bee in elementary school.”

What is a core memory of yours?

“I would go back and tell myself,‘You’re okay. You’ve got this. People don’t know what you don’t.’” substitute teacher Beth Crymes

If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would it be, when would it be, and why?

senior Rikki Phan

senior Arianna Dashti

sophomore Darby Bates

freshman Sarah Shone

The right time

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go.

But wait, you forgot about Thanksgiving.

A fiery debate of when to start celebrating Christmas has been relevant for many years. Some believe in joining the holly-jolly mood after Halloween, and others are strict in the “after Thanksgiving” camp.

“Christmas is a season, and Thanksgiving is a day,”

More gifts less

money

Editor

Trees are going up, lights are coming on, temperatures are dropping, wallets are emptying, and it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

As Christmas day gets closer, people all over are rushing to stores and going online to spend big dollars on gifts, but buying gifts doesn’t have to make that number in your bank account drop like the temperatures and you can still get everyone a gift.

Arlington has a lot of stores where you can buy Christmas gifts for your friends and loved ones on a budget.

Whether it’s for a secret santa gift, siblings, or friends, this Christmas you can find great gifts locally, without breaking the bank.

From $5 to $50, this is a list of some gift ideas that you can buy this year without draining your wallets.

senior Leah Guerra said.

Guerra said she believes that the perfect time to begin the Christmas celebration is a week or two before thanksgiving.

“It’s just too late to start celebrating after Thanksgiving,” senior Karoline Pompa said.

Some people have completely opposing views.

“I love Thanksgiving and all of fall, so I don’t like to start Christmas before fall

is really over,” junior Faith Browne said.

Browne said she doesn’t participate in any festive activities like listening to Christmas music or watching holiday movies, until fall is completely over.

“The weekend after Thanksgiving is best, because that’s the way it has always been done in my family,” statistics teacher Thomas Bobbitt said.

Bobbitt’s beliefs align with the strict following of the

Calm and refreshing

Cute and yummy

“after-Thanksgiving” rule.

“Christmas loses its sacredness and gets long in the tooth,” Bobbit said. “In order to keep it special, you need to keep it short.”

No matter what time of the year Christmas is celebrated, most can agree it is the jolly-est season.

“I love Christmas, it gets you out of the boring everyday work mindset,” Bobbitt said. “It makes it feel like it actually has meaning again.”

For the snackers

$1

Miss A’s Parks Mall

Fluffy and soft

$12.99

South Arlington Target

Smell goods

$39.98

Arlington Walmart Supercenter

$5.55

Five Below Parks Mall

Smell Goods

$15.50

Bath & BodyWorks

Parks Mall

Katy Dixon • News

A gift list with prices ranging from below $5 and up to $50 that you can buy this year for friends and family

Students debate whether Christmas celebration should begin before or after Thanksgiving

Alyssa Lee • Reporter

Unhidden in Hollywood

The Farewell

Directed by Lulu Wang, 2019

The Farewell portrays the internal conflict of Billi, the Chinese-American main character, as she struggles between differing stances concerning morals presented by her American and Chinese background. The film depicts clashes between two vastly different cultures, and viewers are invited to question the ethics of withholding information from others.

Turning Red

Directed by Domee Shi, 2022

It is important to feel seen, and many people in the Asian community often feel a lack of representation, especially in the film industry. When Asians first stepped onto the Hollywood scene, they were often represented poorly and subjected to roles reinforcing offensive stereotypes.

Recently, American media has become more inclusive towards the Asian community, and Asian representation has become more prevalent in media.

Asian American stories are important, and they should be celebrated. Here are some great films that showcase these stories and the Asian American experience.

In The Farewell, Billi is presented with a moral dilemma. Nai Nai, Billi’s grandmother, is diagnosed with cancer, leaving her with only a few months to live. As a family, Nai Nai’s relatives collectively decide to withhold this diagnosis from her, as they believe telling her would do no good. Billi struggles to withhold the truth from her grandmother, because it goes against her American view of ethics. Instead of informing the matriarch of her illness, Nai Nai’s family hastily organizes a wedding as a way to reunite all members of the Wang family before her passing.

The Farewell is a bittersweet film that depicts familial bond and deals with grief and morality.

Pixar’s animated film Turning Red tackles the coming-of-age genre with an interesting twist. Meilin “Mei” Lee, the 13-year-old main character, faces adolescence and the changes that follow it. A generational curse on the women in the Lee family takes effect on Mei as she is beginning to mature, and it causes her to “poof” and take the form of a giant, red panda when she is overwhelmed with her emotions.

Mei’s experiences and feelings depicted in the movie can resonate with viewers, as she is a lovable character that people can relate to. Similarly to Everything Everywhere All At Once, this film also portrays a complicated mother-daughter relationship. Ming, Mei’s mother, shows her daughter tough love and is overprotective of her.

Although the premise of Turning Red is silly, the story itself is an emotional journey that features many characters that people can connect with. It discusses important topics and allows for discussion among younger audiences with their parents.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, 2022

The rollercoaster that is Everything Everywhere All At Once frames itself as a science fiction film about multiverses and the infinity of “What ifs” in life, but it takes a deep dive into family relationships, immigration, and generational divide.

The movie centers Evelyn, the main character, her husband Waymond, and her daughter Joy.

Everything Everywhere features a cast filled with esteemed actors, such as Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who are known for their iconic roles and credited for their help in widening the doors for Asian representation in film.

In the movie, Evelyn and Waymond struggle to keep their failing laundromat business running, often encountering many troubles.

Throughout the film, Waymond actively tries to stay happy despite their situation, but Evelyn is clearly stressed and discontent with her life.

During a trip to the IRS, Evelyn is sent on an adventure that spans multiple different universes. She explores the different realities she could have led, and ultimately learns more about herself, Waymond, and Joy along the way.

Increased representation in media and movies highlight the Asian community’s experiences

Katie Nguyen • Copy Editor

Money doesn’t grow on trees

Students struggle to work long hours during the school year

Camila Rivas • Reporter

It is typical for high school students to work one part-time job throughout the four years. However, there is a small percentage of students who go above and beyond to work multiple jobs or side hustles.

Balancing work, school, and extracurriculars is not as easy as you may think.

“It requires balance and determination for this kind of lifestyle as a high school student,” senior Kylie Hitt said.

Starting in the workforce at a very young age of seventh grade, Hitt balances several jobs on top of her busy extracurriculars. She works roughly 20 hours a week, switching between Texas FITT, bartending events on the weekends, working for her Aunt’s flooring company, and DoorDashing.

Although Hitt works many busy hours in a week, she said her jobs allow her to create her own schedule.

“I have to stay organized,” Hitt said. “If not, I get very overwhelmed.”

Hitt has to depend on herself to buy her personal needs and wants.

“It is stressful because it is my senior year and I want

to have fun, but I have to think of the long term effects,” she said. “It will all workout in the end. Time management is key towards being successful.”

Hitt said she tries to accomplish all her school work during school time, so she can have the rest of her day to work and focus on her self-care. A tip that she gives is to set a screen time on your phone on certain apps.

“I find myself spending too much time scrolling on TikTok,” Hitt said. “However, setting a screen time helps me stay on track.”

For students, time is money.

“Mental health plays a huge toll on being successful,” junior Emonje Richardson said.

He works 30 hours a week, which includes midnight shifts from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends. He also manages a candle business. Richardson said he wants to pursue entrepreneurship in his future.

“It is my lifetime goal, working on my own schedule and having no one to rely on for my paychecks,”

Richardson said.

Working multiple long hours a day comes at a price.

“Most of the time, I am so exhausted from working late and going to sleep at an unreasonable time to finish homework, that I find myself falling asleep in class,” Richardson said.

Lacking sleep affects his work ethic.

“School is important, but so is my mental health,” Richardson said.

Sometimes, teachers and parents forget to appreciate the amount of hard-work and time that students put into managing sports, AP classes, work, extracurriculars, and enjoying their high school social life. This type of ignorance plays a big part in a student’s mental health.

“It feels good to be acknowledged for my hard

work,” Hitt said. “It encourages me to stay focused and to keep on going forward.”

Money Matters teacher

Bill Thorburn encourages students to work during their high school years.

“Students who have shown to be well-rounded such as having work experience and have extracurriculars outside of school will enhance college applications and employers after college,” Thorburn said.

Working multiple jobs won’t only just look good on college applications, but it teaches students how to save money at a young age, preparing for the future.

Thorburn advises that organization is critical, keeping a good calendar to stay on top of due dates and work shifts. Responsibility, time management, and organization are major learning steps that every student should learn in regards to building their future.

“Having work experience will develop crucial skills on time management and socializing skills,” Thorburn said.

“It feels good to be acknwledged for all my hard work.”

Arlington woman recalls the battle of her escape from Eritrea

Samantha’s life was simple – school on weekday mornings, working at the hair salon Monday through Saturday, and Sundays spending time with her mom drinking their traditional Eritrean coffee and talking. Until one day in the fall of 2011.

Samantha*, a current Arlington resident and community member and an immigrant from Eritrea, left her country to begin her new life here. Eritrea is a country in Africa that has struggled with women’s rights and basic resources.

In her quest for a better life, she was imprisoned, kidnapped, threatened, and did it all with a string of hope to someday get to the United States.

How it started

“My friend Shanon* and I were talking during break time like we usually did,” Samantha said. “We were talking about places we would like to visit one day. The police arrived and arrested Shanon and me.”

The police arrested them for talking about wanting to go to places out of Eritrea, but during the time of the arrest, they were confused about how someone over-

heard them.

“It turns out some of the kids near us during break overheard us and told the police,” Samantha said.

After they were put in cuffs by the Eritrean police, they were then taken to a prison far from home.

“Early the next morning, they put us on a military bus and transported us to a jail in the desert 16 hours away,” Samantha said.

There is no independent civil society, human rights organization, or freedom of speech within the country of Eritrea. Therefore, after Shanon and Samantha were imprisoned for a year and a half, they decided they needed to leave.

“Shanon and I decided that we needed to escape and try to get to Sudan because there was no equality at all in Eritrea,” Samantha said.

Their plan was to escape with a guard who was already unhappy with his job and a couple of his other friends in jail.

“The guard agreed to help us,” Samantha said. “He told us to meet him at the front gate. We met three boys who were going to escape with us. The guard led

us outside the prison gate, and we began our journey to Sudan.”

They successfully escaped the prison and were one step closer to escaping Eritrea. But as soon as they escaped, they were faced with a whole other problem.

From Eritrea to Panama

“After we walked through the desert for eight days, we arrived at the border between Eritrea and Sudan,” Samantha said. “As soon as we got to the border, we were all kidnapped by a group of masked men.”

Not only were they kidnapped, but they also had to walk three weeks in the scorching desert and were tormented and threatened.

“They forced us to call our families and tell them they had to pay a ransom,” Samantha said. “My mom didn’t have that amount of money at that time, but she told her father that I had been kidnapped. He helped her pay the ransom. She had a week to pay.”

Shortly after they paid the ransom, they were set free.

“After she paid the money, the kidnappers let me go free,” she said.

Even after all this, it didn’t

end for Samantha. With her heart still bent towards America, she and Shanon split ways.

“Shanon had family in Germany, and she decided to join them there,” Samantha said. “I decided to go to America. My neighbor in Sudan introduced me to other people who also wanted to travel to America.”

After finding a group of people also wishing to journey to America, she set out on an adventure towards her ultimate goal.

“It was day four of our hike through the jungles of Panama on our way to Costa Rica. We stopped once a day to make food and sleep a couple hours.”

The group hiked tirelessly, only stopping at necessity. But were slowed down by a river blocking the path to their destination. There was no bridge so they had to figure out how to get across.

From Panama to Costa Rica

“We were a group of 28 so we divided into two groups of 14,” Samantha said. “The first group held hands and started crossing the river.”

Unfortunately, one of the

Continued on page 16

Celest Harbrink & Corrina Reyes • Reporters

“There was no equality at all in Eritrea.”

“I was crying and screaming. shaking, and I couldn’t move.”

My body was

Just do it

Five Christmas activities that everyone should try Trinity Orosco • Editor-In-Chief

The sleigh bells are approaching. As we begin to trade jack-o-lanterns for artificial trees, it can be safe to say that Christmas time evokes a joy like no other. So, here is a list of festivities to slowly reintroduce that holiday spirit.

Bake It-

Whether chocolate chip cookies or nut-filed fruitcakes, baking is a Christmas requirement.

Growing up, the one baking tradition that remained a constant was the Pillsbury peppermint cookies. These gooey candy-chunked cookies could transport me to Dec. 25 in an instant. Five simple steps and only 30 minutes, what else could you ask for?

annual movies. I found that some good ones are Noelle The Knight Before Christ mas, Love Hard, and Fall ing for Christmas. With so many options, there’s something for ev eryone.

Drink It-

Often, when someone says “Holiday drink,” the first thing that comes to mind is the notorious Starbucks styrofoam cup. However, I think a new Christmas drink is long overdue.

The Dutch Bros peppermint hot chocolate is by far one of the best seasonal drinks I’ve had. The first sip is infused with a variety of flavors, yet still perfectly balanced.

This drink is the literal definition of Christmas in a cup. Starbucks has officially

Watch It-

There are approximately 200 Christmas movies made each year.

Personally, I like to start off with the classics: Home Alone, Elf, A Christmas Story, The Polar Express, etc. However, it’s also good to branch out to those new

Read It-

I’m a big reader. So, of course, I have to read a Christmas book every year. This year I reread one of my favorites, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, by W. Bruce Cameron. This is a beautifully written story about what happens when a family decides to open their hearts to new possibilities.

Cameron’s book is funny, heart-warming, and tearful all in one. Sipping hot chocolate and opening up a novel is a perfect way to end a night.

Listen To It-

There was no way I could’ve chosen just one Christmas song. From Mariah Carey to The Jackson 5, there are so many holiday gems to love.

Fortunately, I did find

a playlist on Spotify that somehow packed almost all of my favorites. “Christmas Songs” by Cosmic Vibes has five hours worth of festive feel-goods.

If you love Christmas music, then I guarantee you’ll love this list.

This isn’t just an article, it’s a Christmas lifestyle. So, challenge yourself this season. Don’t just read it, but just do it.

Continued from page 14

people from her group tried

to do it by themselves. Samantha watched as the water rose higher and felt the currents getting stronger.

“Suddenly, the fast moving water swept away my friend who was crossing by himself,” Samantha said. “The water was so powerful that we couldn’t see him at all after a few seconds.”

She was heartbroken and aching terribly at the sight of her friend now gone.

“All the men in our group started swimming to where they last saw him,” Samantha said. “I was crying and screaming. My body was shaking, and I couldn’t move.”

As she grieved the loss of her friend, the group continued across rivers, over mountains, and through the jungles of Panama. Two days later, they were in Costa Rica where they were placed in refugee camps and went through all sorts of tests. After the group passed, they were bussed to a city and then journeyed to Nicaragua where shortly, they would have to find a hotel to stay in.

From Costa Rica to Mexico

“When we got to Costa Rica two days later, they sent us to a refugee camp,” Samantha said. “After we gave them all of our background information and passed the health checks, they sent us to the city on a government bus.”

As they were figuring out where to stay, they were also puzzled on how they were going to get to their next destination: Hondu-

ras. They asked the hotel receptionist, and the lady told them she knew some guides. Two hours into their eight hour trip through the jungle, they were hit with a surprise.

“All of a sudden, we were surrounded by six men pointing guns at us,” Samantha said. “One of the criminals shot his pistol into the air and yelled at us to get on the ground. As l was lying on the ground, I was so terrified that my body was trembling.”

Although her and her group were in immense fear, these criminals took all their belongings and left as quickly as they came.

“After they left, we stayed on the ground for a long time to make sure they were far away from us,” Samantha said.

In the morning, the group made it to Honduras and were welcomed by farmers who were not only very sweet and caring but gave Samantha and the group faith.

“They let us rest in front of their houses and they gave us food and water. In addition to their kindness, they also gave us hope,” Samantha said.

After they rested, they continued on to immigration where they had to confirm where they were from and get their travel passes. After, the people from the group asked a receptionist if they could use the phone and immediately dialed their families. They explained their whole fiasco with the criminals, and many families sent them the money they needed.

After they had gotten their essentials, the receptionist introduced the group to a man who would take them

to Guatemala. They took a taxi to the man and hopped right out of the taxi into the man’s car and drove off right away.

“At that time in Honduras, there were people who transported refugees across the border who worked in certain hotels, like ours.” Samantha said.

From Mexico to the United States

This was it, the last car ride before she made it to her final destination before America. Samantha and the group reached the parting time between with the driver and walked another three hours until they were finally on a mountain in Tapachula, Mexico.

“We drove the whole day and night until we arrived at the end of the road, at the base of a mountain, where

the driver had to drop us off,” Samantha said. “It took us about three hours to walk over the mountain and reach Tapachula, Mexico.”

They made their way towards the immigration center and got everything cleared. They had been told they needed to stay in Mexico for 40 days. In order to kill time, they went to a hotel and rested for a week. This was finally it.

“I knew this was my last country before I got to the United States,” Samantha said. “I felt so much relief that I had made it this far. I had been through a lot in the last two and a half years. I was so happy that l had almost reached my destination, and I was excited about my new life. The next day, I flew to the United States of America.”

* Names were changed to

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 33:59)

In Muslim cultures, it is common practice for women to wear some type of head covering.

Most commonly referred to as “hijab,” these coverings can range anywhere from a Shayla, which is a scarf that is wrapped and pinned, to a Burka, a complete garment covering the whole body, leaving mesh over the eyes to see.

The purpose of the hijab is to maintain modesty and show that there is more to beauty than looks.

“It’s for modesty reasons in our religion,” senior Noor Malik said. “You’re supposed to cover your beauty mostly from the male gaze, and to stay away from it because there’s more to beauty than your hair. It’s so people can see that my beauty is more on the inside and not on the outside.”

Wearing a hijab is about more than just maintaining modesty. Simply wearing it does not make one a good Muslim. The wearer must hold themselves to a higher standard and represent their culture well.

“One main rule is if you wear the hijab, you need

to have a pure heart and a pure soul,” senior Soondos Abou-karr said. “Be kind to everybody – your family, your friends, because you’re representing Islam, you’re representing your religion. You want to have that good picture of yourself that you’re a good person and you want people to look at you like, ‘She’s a good muslim. She’s a sweet Muslim.’”

Wearing a hijab is a commitment, not only with a Muslim woman’s religion, but to her God, Allah. It comes with time and while it is not a back and forth choice, a woman may choose to take it off if she feels she is not representing her culture well.

“Right now I choose not to wear one because I think it’s best for me to wait,” Aboukarr said. “Some women, at a young age, will start wearing it and then they’ll take it off in the future. The meaning of hijab is not wearing it and taking it off. It’s wearing it and committing to it.”

The typical age to start wearing a hijab is after puberty. Despite possible outside influences which may push a young girl to wear one, not every Muslim girl is ready to start wearing at this time.

“My mom was actually

forced to wear it,” Aboukarr said. “When she was younger she lived in a Muslim country, so it wasn’t really her decision. As she grew up, she decided that she’s not doing it for herself and her religion, she’s wearing it to please others so she doesn’t wear it anymore. So when I wanted to start wearing the hijab, she sat down with me and talked to me about how it takes commitment and it takes time. She said once you start wearing it there’s really no going back. You can’t wear it and then take it off, so we decided I should wait.”

As personal as the decision to wear a hijab is, the opinions of others still find their way to prospective hijabis.

“If you don’t dress how men want you to dress, some will judge you for it whereas they’re out committing many other sins, but you do one thing and they come for you,” senior Dania Khatib said. “I think because of misogyny, some men think that women are supposed to be perfect, the most religious, wear a hijab, and cover up. Just because you don’t cover up much, that doesn’t mean you’re a sinful, terrible Muslim. Some guys even judge hi-

jabis for not fully covering their hair. Some guys will attack them telling them they’re going to Hell.”

While the women who choose not to wear a hijab may face ridicule from their own community, the women who do wear one may face disrespect from outside communities. General curiosity is a normal thing, but sometimes the line between inquiry and insolence is blurred.

“There are always people that are like, ‘You’d look so much better without that’ and they always ask questions,” Malik said. “A lot of the time, when they ask questions I think they are just curious, but it comes off as really disrespectful.”

The Muslim community in the DFW area is large and strong. Though these women choose to start wearing a hijab at different times in their lives, it does not take away from the community they have built.

“I think that Hijabis are amazing and strong and despite all the repercussions they face for wearing hijabs and the racism and profiling they get, I think they do it in a good way,” Khatib said. “I just think they are very strong people and they represent Islam well.”

Muslim women talk about the signifiance of hijabs and what it means to wear one

Dewey Saracay • Reporter

‘Represent Islam well.’

Burka

Chador Khimar Niqab Hijab

Celebrating Martin’s culture

Maham Khan, junior

Tell us about what you’re wearing?

I’m wearing a lehenga. It’s usually worn at weddings or any formal occasion. It’s a fitted shirt paired with a matching flowy skirt, and a dupatta scarf is worn. What traditions do you participate in?

There are two Eids: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day long feast that comes after Ramadan. It’s where you dress up and pray at the mosque. Eid al-Adha is based on sacrifices. It’s when you eat goat, but I usually skip that part. The dates always change because the islamic calendar goes off of the moon.

Kwamena Jordan Smith-Acquah, senior

Tell us about what you’re wearing?

I’m wearing a Kente. In Ghana, where I’m from, they come in different patterns for tribes of families. My necklace is a family crest that I’ve worn since birth that means “Accept God.”

What food did you bring?

I brought jollof rice. It’s orange, mildly spicy rice that’s usu ally eaten with meat or eggs.

What traditions do you participate in?

Everyone has the same name based off of the day you were born, so there are only 14 names in the country.

Briana Esquivel, senior

Tell us about what you’re wearing?

It’s a traditional mexican embroidered blouse. What food did you bring?

I brought tamales rojos, which is beef tamales with red sauce. Basically dough, usually filled with meat or beans, wrapped in corn husk.

What traditions do you participate in?

We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. I don’t know why, it’s just something that’s always been a thing.

Featured on our cover are a sample of students who bring with them their own unique culture. Find out more about them and their traditions.

Lorelai Hofer • Photo Editor

Harshdeep Singh, senior

What are you wearing?

A black Kurta pajama, a Paag (turban), traditional shoes, and a Lohi. You traditionally wear the Lohi during the winter because it’s cold outside.

What are some traditions that you participate in?

There aren’t that many traditions in December, but in January there’s Lohri, and people have Lohri parties for newlywed couples, or a kid who turned one. The parties are usual ly around a bonfire and people will throw nuts, peanuts, almonds, into the bonfire and come together in the winter. This year it’s going to be on Jan. 13, 2023.

Chelsea Pham, senior

What are you wearing?

Ao Dai, a traditional vietnamese dress, worn to ceremonies and parties. What traditions do you participate in?

During Tet, we get money in red envelopes, and when we get older, we’re gonna give money to little kids. Lunar New Years is a dinner at night where we light up incense to welcome out ancestors to come dine with us.

Aryana Louys, junior

What are you wearing?

A Salvar Kameez, worn for celebrations, holidays, and weddings. What food did you bring?

A milk cake. It’s a bar that has the consistency of a soft cookie, made with milk, sugar, ghee, and cardamon on top.

What traditions do you participate in?

Diwali is the festival of lights. We clean and decorate the house. A Diya, a candle holder, are placed all over the house and lights go up. The idea is to clean and light up the house to show the good way.

Holy is a celebration of good over evil. We throw colored powder at each other in the streets. My family calls it the “Indian Christmas.” We have Puja, a prayer, and kids eat sweets and get gifts. We don’t eat meat during this holiday.

Tiffany Ngo, junior

Tell us about what you are wearing?

Qi Pao, a traditional Chinese dress that is worn for special occasions like Lunar New Years and weddings. What traditions do you participate in?

Lunar new year. It begins in February to start the new year. 2022 was the year of the rat, and 2023 is the year of the rabbit. Each animal repeats every 12 years. We have traditional food like egg rolls. They look like gold bars to signify wealth. Noodles signify a long life. The red envelope has various amounts of money. You give it to people to hope they get rich in life.

My favorite tradition is gambling. We don’t gamble lots of money, just a few dollars. We do Asian Roulette. We visit the Buddhist Temple and visit Monks. We watch lion dances and fire crackers.

Easy holiday treats

Try making these super festive, easy-to-make holiday desserts

Asia Wilkey • Reporter

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispies Treats

Ingredients include:

Rice Krispies Treats

Melted dark chocolate

Melted white chocolate

Crushed candy canes

Dip one side of Rice Krispies treats in dark chocolate. Place in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes or until chocolate has hardened.

Crush your candy canes as you wait.

Dip your cold treats into the white chocolate and then immediately dip into the crushed candy canes. Slide them back into the fridge until the white chocolate hardens.

Christmas Tree Brownie recipe

Special Equipment: Piping bag

Follow the instructions on the box when making the brownie batter. I recommend using a circle pan so it will be easier to cut the brownies into triangles.

Decorating the brownies: Grab a container of store bought icing and tint it with as much or as little green food coloring as you want. Transfer it into a piping bag and after cutting your brownies into triangles, squeeze the bag to pipe frosting over the brownie. You can sprinkle with any decor you like, and put M&M’s on it to resemble ornaments.

Reindeer Pretzels

Basic Ingredients include:

Mini Pretzel rods

Melted semi sweet chocolate

Candy Eyes

Red M&M’s

Dip Pretzels in semisweet chocolate. Tap off the excess. Place two dipped pretzels side by side.

Place the candy eyes and red M&M on to make a face. Store in the fridge until chocolate hardens.

Supporting our local musicians

An inside look at the young artists’ stories near you

Hours and hours of practice. Late nights looking too long at the same words and playing the same chords and hearing the same tunes until it feels perfect. Scrambling together a set list for a dive bar gig, getting ready to play on stage or to release a long-anticipated first new song, our young artists are hard at work.

Nate Strayhorn talks music

“My music is a lot different now than it was in middle school,” senior Nate Strayhorn said. Strayhorn goes by the name of Sun Gloves (@sunglovesmusic). “I’m more serious as a writer now. It's cool going from repetitive instrumental beats to real songs with lyrics, and I can release my stuff to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.”

Strayhorn shared his musical journey.

“I just grew up with music always in my house,” Strayhorn said. “My dad loved music and playing, so I used to watch him play guitar and drums. I started off with small riffs and early demos. Now, it switches around, and I play with

whoever wants to play with me. I’m willing to play with anyone. I play with different drummers all the time.”

Strayhorn said something as simple as reposting or streaming a song can help new artists.

“Just streaming and following is greatly appreciated,” Strayhorn said.

Mallory Gomez talks singing

In another field of music style, junior Mallory Gomez (@mrosesingz) is a bright singer and songwriter who spends many of her nights writing and singing different tunes.

Give

“I am writing songs constantly,” Gomez said. “I try to write something every night, whether it’s a chorus or a full blown song.”

Gomez has not released any songs officially, but she said she hopes to soon. She has spent much time on the stage performing gigs while recently getting passionately into songwriting. She shares some of where her inspiration comes from.

“Taylor Swift is a big inspiration of mine,” Gomez said. “I always see videos of

her performing her songs that she probably wrote on her guitar in her room, and the crowds are singing every word. I dream I will be able to experience something like that.”

Gomez said she hopes to perform at more open mics soon, and will have updates on her social media as well.

“It’s always great to support local artists so they can feel one step closer to their dreams,” she said.

Dylan Dalton talks performing

Eight year musician and singer Dylan Dalton (@ Dylan_Dalt0n) is yet another talented young artist who plays locally, writes his own music, and does

covers. He can be found at various gigs whenever the opportunity arises, but you can often find him at J Gillian’s bar performing live.

“My dad would set up gigs for me when I was younger, and I’d play covers, but now I organize my own gigs, which is important because I want to continue as an independent artist,” Dalton said.

Dalton said that his favorite song he has written is called “For Brynn,” a song written for his girlfriend. He said he plans on continuing to play live and write as much as he can.

“The best way people can support me is just by showing up,” Dalton said. “Bringing friends would be great. And following on social media always helps.”

Avery Whipple • Reporter

Senior Nate Strayhorn with Sun Gloves plays live original music for the Pink Out pep rally Oct. 28. Sungloves music is available on Spotify and Apple Music. PhotobySarahBurns

A Spotlight into the Lives of Martin’s Deaf Community

Liv Bell & Addy Davenport• Reporters

Deaf culture is the connection between hard of hearing individuals who bond over their similarities and shared experiences. After interviewing several members of Martin’s Deaf program, they shared insight into their community.

What kinds of things does Martin do well or could do better to make you feel included?

Senior Shakaya Lightfoot: “The lights. They can put them in all of the rooms just in case there was a Deaf kid in the room during a serious lockdown drill. We wouldn’t know, because we wouldn’t hear the announcement.”

Sophomore Selena Ruffin: “If you have a hearing teacher and Deaf students in the same classroom, in a hearing class the teacher can help improve inclusion by having notes already written, so the Deaf student can focus on the lecture instead of having to look back and forth between notes.”

Tips for interacting with hearing impaired people?

Lightfoot: “If you’re a hearing person talking to a Deaf person, don’t wear a mask. You can either write on a piece of paper, or you can sign if you know sign language. What you should do is try to meet and talk with Deaf people. If you don’t know sign language, there’s different ways to communicate like writing back and forth, gesturing, and using your phone to text back. I know it’s hard to come up and meet Deaf people. It’s intimidating. Hearing people can be kind of shy coming up and talking, but don’t be shy. Come up and start a conversation. We can be patient.” Deaf program teacher Jennifer Cobble: “Do look right at them. Even if you are going through an interpreter, if you’re looking at the interpreter instead of looking at the deaf person, it’s pretty rude. Look at them like you’re having a normal conversation. Don’t try and exaggerate your speech, because if they’re trying to read your lips that’ll mess it up. If you’re trying to talk loudly, and they’re wearing hearing aids, it amplifies everything that comes in. It just makes you that much louder. Do try and communicate. I have a lot of people who say, ‘Oh I only know the alphabet.’ Go ahead and fingerspell. Go ahead and try,

because they appreciate the fact that people try to communicate with them. They’ll be patient. They’ll teach you signs if you want to learn. So do go ahead and try even if you feel like you don’t know a lot.”

How do you feel about having an interpreter constantly with you?

Lightfoot: “It’s better because in my middle school I had an interpreter but not for all of my classes which was lowkey difficult, but now this year is better.”

Ruffin: “It allows me to have communication and it’s their job. Sometimes I like when I have the interpreter with me, because it makes it easier to have a chat with and have a good connection with the interpreter.”

What do you wish other people understood about your experience?

Lightfoot: “What I can and what I can’t hear. Some people are like, ‘You can hear this, you can hear that,’ but they don’t understand what hard of hearing means. Some people say I can hear stuff that I really can’t hear, and they tell me I’m either faking or I’m lying. They don’t understand the struggles.”

Ruffin: “Deaf people typically feel left out when hearing people are in a room all talking to each other and socializing with each other. It’s fine to have friends and stuff. But if it’s in a place without sign or if they’re not willing to sign, then it’s a little bit of a struggle.”

Interpreter Santino Lesage: “What I do is simply interpret. So the teacher speaks and I just put it into sign

Continued on page 24

Martin’s Deaf Education program produces a yearbook each year for the students in the Deaf community. PhotobyLivBell

Aussie in America

Australian exchange student experiences differences in the U.S. Mackenzie Estes • Sports Editor

Our new Australian exchange student, Will Harcourt, has made it to the U.S. Harcourt said he has made so many new life-long friends and has even gotten some new family members.

“I got here in August, so around four months ago,” Harcourt said. “Unfortunately I will only be here in the U.S. until Christmas break, then I will fly home to see my family in time for Christmas and summer break.”

Harcourt’s host family that he is staying with for the semester, the Richter family, has loved getting to experience having an Australian student live with them.

“My family and I have loved getting to have Will stay with us,” junior Ryan Richter said. “It’s been a fun experience having an Australian student at school and around the house. Will has taught me about all of the similarities and differences between Australia and the U.S. It has been so interesting to hear about all of the things that are different here compared to Australia.”

Hosting an exchange student definitely impacted several things for the Richters.

“When I found out that Will was going to be staying with us for the first semester, I was so excited,” Richter said. “I was eager to see how different we were from each other, like his accent, the way he does certain

things, and stuff like that.”

During his stay, Harcourt has gotten to enjoy all of the things that Australia doesn’t have.

“I have enjoyed many things while being here, but American football is definitely a highlight for me,” Harcourt said. “I love learning and playing a new sport that we don’t have. Playing with a sports team makes me feel at home, because in Australia I’m used to the ‘sports team’ environment.”

“Another thing we also don’t have in Australia is fast food restaurants. We only have McDonald’s so I’ve been eating as much fast food as I possibly can. Friday Night Lights are another thing I don’t have back home that I have very much enjoyed while being in America.”

Since Harcourt has arrived in America, there have been many changes to his usual lifestyle and daily routine.

“In Australia, I’m used to waking up at 8 a.m. for school and wearing a uniform, so school life has been very different for me,” Harcourt said. “We usually walk or catch a tram everywhere because we cannot drive until we are 18, so it’s been very cool having all my friends drive me around instead of figuring out what time the tram comes.”

Australia and America are very different in many ways. There are several social differences that Harcourt has been getting used to.

“I feel like in Australia, society is a lot more chill and relaxed, whereas in America’s society, it’s a little more complicated in regards to what is right and wrong.” Harcourt said. “Also, in the U.S., especially in Texas, it is polite to use ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ to certain people.”

Flying 13 long hours down to the U.S, Harcourt certainly misses some things back in Australia.

“I have definitely missed my family a lot while being in America,” he said. “Since

we can’t physically see each other, we really value and appreciate the time that we get to talk. I love getting to tell my family all of the things I’ve been enjoying like football, school, new friends, etc. I definitely miss the beach as well. My old house used to be on a street with the beach 100 feet away, so I spent most of my summer down there with friends and family to boogie board, surf, paddle board, and just hang out.”

Austrailian exchange student Will Harcourt in the weight room, preparing for football games. Harcourt played JV football this year. PhotobyCamiCortinas

Students share the hidden cultural foods around Martin

Ellie Camarillo & Ashlyn Long • Reporters

Martin has many ways for our students to share their culture, but we wanted to bring light to what can be extensively shared all around: food.

We found many Martin students had very different views on culture and food. We asked students to share one of their favorite restaurants that serves food specific to their culture.

“El Mofongo is the best Hispanic restaurant in Arlington,” Spanish teacher Michelle Carone said. She said she believes food plays a big role in culture and is made to be shared.

“Food is important to every culture, so why not share your cultures,” Carone said.

Unfortunately, many students have no connection with their origins.

“There are no Native American restaurants around here,” sophomore Sammie Scott said.

Although there are stu-

dents who have lost touch with their roots, there are many students who say culture plays a huge role in their lives.

“Culture has an effect on your daily life,” senior Asher Ngyuen said. “Culture is all about where you come from and how you were raised.”

Along with culture also comes restrictions or religion. Sophomore Muslim student Leen Siddiqui explained how in her culture, members aren’t allowed to eat gelatin or pork.

“Being in a large school it can be hard to avoid at times, but has never been a temptation for me,” Siddiqui said.

Cultures have been passed down for many centuries, and many students agree that it’s something to be proud of.

“Be loud and proud about where you come from,” senior Alyssa Santana said. “Don’t lose your origin.”

Deaf culture ... continued from page 22

language. If they are monotone, then I’ll sign in a monotone fashion. If they’re really energetic, then I would be more energetic. As far as the kids go, I try to make myself relatable, because it’s important in developing a rapport and relationship with the student, to allow them to trust me and feel comfortable with me as their interpreter.”

What’s the best thing about Deaf culture?

Lightfoot: “The people, the environment, and the communities and how different people grew up and how they found out they’re Deaf or how they learned sign language or how they couldn’t. Just different stories.”

Ruffin: “I’m very extroverted so a lot of Deaf people tend to really enjoy that culture of talking and telling extended stories. That’s kind of my favorite part of deaf culture.”

Cobble: “They’re very accepting. If a hearing person tries to learn sign language, for the most part they’re very welcoming and want to try and teach you. They don’t care what religion you are, what race you are. None of that matters. It’s just that you’re Deaf or you’re hearing and trying to communicate with them.”

What made you want to work in the Deaf program?

Cobble:“I learned how to sign a song and thought it was pretty. I thought it would be fun to teach and sign at the same time. I wouldn’t change it for anything because I love my students.”

What are some misconceptions about Deaf culture?

Cobble: “That Deaf people can’t speak. The voice box that everybody else has works just fine, it’s just they never learned how to use speech, because they can’t hear it. Most of my profoundly Deaf students vocalize all the time. It’s not that they can’t speak. It’s that they can’t hear the language to know how to produce it.”

Why are you passionate about interpreting?

Lesage:“In high school, I bumped into a girl who was Deaf and knocked her books over. I was saying that I was sorry, and she was just looking at me. I thought she was just being a snob and didn’t care that I was saying sorry to her, so I was kind of a jerk. She wrote me a letter saying, “I’m Deaf, and I’m sorry I didn’t understand what you were saying.” I felt really terrible about being a jerk and went to learn sign language. I hadn’t even considered how Deaf people communicate. She was nice enough to teach me sign language in the beginning, and then I went to college to learn to be an interpreter.”

What can hearing people can do to make hearing impaired people feel more included?

Lesage: “Educate yourself and don’t feel embarrassed to approach a Deaf student. Use the interpreter and ask them, ‘Would you mind interpreting what I’m wanting to say to them?’ Try and start up a conversation. They’ll appreciate you attempting to get to know them.”

reporter - Ashlyn Long and Ellie Camarillo

Evolution of Black hair

Hair has always had an important significance in African American culture. From box braids to Afros to (dread) locs, there is always a mainstream style in the media. Here is a look at Black people’s hair throughout the years…

Into America:

The beginning of Black people’s history in America starts with slavery. Of course, enslaved people didn’t consider their hair to be a top priority, but their hair was usually covered with a head scarf. Cornrows were also a significant style because they were used to escape slavery by using their hair as a map or for hiding food, like rice or seeds. Due to the way braids were being used, they became a symbol of freedom.

1800s:

After slavery, Black people’s hair was still stigmatized. Hair in its natural state was seen as undesirable, and thus the hot comb was born. Francois Marcel Grateau created the hot comb in 1872 to straighten women’s hair. This gave Black women a chance to have more opportunities for personal, social, and economic status, due to straight hair being seen as more professional and attractive.

1900s:

After the hot comb was created, the invention of the relaxer became the next big thing. Invented by Garret A. Morgan in 1909, the relaxer was used to straighten Afro hair permanently. While the hot comb could straighten Afro hair, it would only last a limited time, and hair could go back to being curly if exposed to moisture. Relaxers were a big convenience and were in demand for a while.

Late 1960s:

The 60s were a considerable time for change and reflection. The Civil Rights Movement not only encouraged Black people to fight against racial prejudice but also encouraged them to accept their natural hair texture. Afros began to be seen as a form of activism and rejecting European beauty standards. Popular activists like Angela Davis, Nina Simone, and Nikki Giovanni were known for wearing their hair as a symbol of black pride.

1980s:

The late 70s and 80s brought out a new type of hairstyle called the Jheri Curl, a chemical process similar to a relaxer, but instead of permanently straightening the hair, it creates a looser curl. The Jheri Curl became popular when Micheal Jackson wore it. Another style prominent among black men at the time was shape-ups and fades. Black barbershops began to really pop up in the 80s and showed a creative and expressive side to the styling of Black hair.

1990s:

The 90s is when we see more variety regarding black hair. This is because of the rise of more mainstream Black media. We see shows like Moesha, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Sister Sister adding to Black hair representation. At this time, we would often see hairstyles like cornrows, braids, twists, relaxers, and perms.

2000s:

Relaxers made a big comeback in the early 2000s. Black women were trying to achieve more sleek hairstyles like bleach waves or straight bangs. Hair accessions were big in the 2000s from hair jewels to butterfly clips.

2000s-now:

After the popularity of straight hairstyles settled, natural hairstyles made a comeback in 2010. With that, we start to see more styles like Afro puffs, twists, and braids. More recently we see Black women with lace fronts, braids, locs, or natural hair. With Black men, we see more fades, locs, waves, and short hairstyles.

Chloe MacFoy • Reporter

A timeline into the history of Black hairstyles

Once upon a Quinceañera

Parties mark the right of passage from being a little girl to a woman

Ava Dunlap • Reporter

Martin junior, Pamela Sanchez steps into the limo with the help of a few friends getting her dress inside unscathed. She and ten damas rode together in celebration of all their hard work up until this moment.

Sanchez had a quinceañera on July 21, 2021.

For three months, she and her chosen attendants met once a week to practice and arrange outfits for the big day.

“We’d meet up sometimes, even if it wasn’t to practice just to spend time with each other since most of the damas didn’t even know each other,” Sanchez said.

Their conversations filled with blather ready to start the night of festivities.

When she arrived at the venue, Sanchez immediately started greeting everyone. She said she was overwhelmed with many feelings of happiness. She said she felt like she lit up the room with her presence.

“I was like, ‘Wow, all these people are here for me,’” Sanchez said.

She said she was amazed at how many people could make it since it was a “lifelong preparation.”

Even though not everyone knew if she’d have a quinceanera, Sanchez and her mother were set on the

idea by the time she was six.

“It was honestly the night I’d been wanting since I was little,” Sanchez said.

As she walked throughout the room, a song that was all too familiar was playing – “Te Esperaba” by Alejandra Gusman.

“My mom used to listen to that song when she was pregnant with me,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the song resonates with her not only because it tells a story about a mother already unconditionally loving her baby before she’s born, but because she knew it was time for her mother-daughter dance.

Sachez said she was immediately brought to tears as she swayed side to side embraced by her mother.

“The quinceanera meant me taking the right of passage from being a little girl to a woman,” Sanchez said. “The entire process really helped me remind myself of that.”

Sanchez said her quinceanera really assured her of her culture, religion, and heritage behind it. She said it gave her a sense of self.

“My favorite moments weren’t the gifts or luxurious salon, but about seeing everyone have a great time, regardless of it being a Catholic based celebration,” Sanchez said. “It meant so much to me to reveal the parts of myself that make me who I am.”

Junior Pamela Sanchez hosted her Quincenera this summer. The party featured attendants and a custom-made cake. Photos courtesyofPamela Sanchez

Made by Martin

Maham Khan • Reporter

There’s something for everyone on your list from one of these local businesses

Junior Kailah Cobbs has a very cool jewelry business that specializes in bracelets and wristbeads. These are crafted carefully with love and care. You can customize your design and there’s an array of options to choose from, and you’re even able to mix and match. She has business cards, and you can find her business Instagram @beaded.bykai.

Senior Vivian Nguyen is a very talented entrepreneur and is the owner of adorable company Dyenosaur Apparel. They sell handmade, custom tie-dye shirts, bucket hats, tank tops, and socks. You can find their page showcasing all the cool options to choose from at @dyenosaurapparel on Instagram and the website dyenosaurapparel.com

AVID Coordinator Perinza Reddic is a Martin teacher who also leads The SHIFT and Girls Club for Women Empowerment. She uses her love for baking and spreading joy to make cinnamon rolls (a fan favorite), cake pops, brownies, cake slices, and more. To make things even better, and very much in the spirit of the holiday season, most of the proceeds go back into AVID to fund the many opportunities they provide students at Martin. AVID and The SHIFT also had tables at the Fall Festival where they sold Kool-Aid pickles and other baked goods.

Holly Ragsdill’s students and coworkers said she is the sweetest attendance clerk you’ll ever meet, but you know what’s even sweeter? Her cookies. HMR Cookies has been a bustling business for about a year now, and people are already in love. She takes custom orders, and the prices range from $15 to $20 a dozen. You can also make a request for decorated cookies, and they are “as big as Crumbl,” she said.

Junior Emonje Richardson is an entrepreneur in the making who is selling candles and soon to be more aromatic products to fill up any space with wonderful fragrances. It’s been around a year, and he said he’s feeling great about the business. Though there hasn’t been an official launch yet, you can expect to see one soon. Also, for the time being, he is taking small orders. You can find his business Instagram @ERcents_2022.

PhotosbyLanaeTerryandcourtesyofDyenosaurApparel

“A new iPhone 14,” junior Avery Kunze said. Kunze’s answer was shared amongst 19 percent of students asked.

Martin’s mostwanted

We asked Martin Students what their most sought out gift of the season is, and here are the top five most wanted gifts

Ashlynn Lee • Reporter

“Definitely some shoes,” senior Grace Pham said. More than 25 percent of students asked replied similarily, saying shoes were at the top of their lists.

“Some Lululemon or workout clothes,” junior Zoe Showalter-Flowers said.

“Books- just a lot of books,” junior James Conolly said. Only 7 percent of students asked said the same.

“A Macbook because it would make my school work much easier,” junior Addy Clark said.

Honorable mentions:

“A horse. I really want to ride and own a horse,” senior Dutch Jefferson said.

“My two front teeth,” junior Madi Pugh jokingly said.

Dynamic duo

Senior twins take on their last year

Mia Gondola & Jordyn Hentz •Reporters

Senior twins Jeremiah and Josiah Charles plan on going all the way this last season they have together. The two varsity basketball players are ready to take on their last year of basketball.

Each athlete brings different key aspects to the team.

“Jojo [Josiah] is more like a hype man, he is always bringing energy and JJ [Jeremiah] picks up where Jojo left off,” senior Isaiah DeLeon said.

“They bring a lot of athleticism,” varsity basketball coach John Osborn said. “They are really good defenders, rebounders, really good on break. They also bring a toughness and personality to the team that’s invaluable for having a winning team as well.”

While watching the twins play together, Osborn noticed they interact well with each other also.

“You kinda see the brotherly love and competition come out when they’re together,” he said. “They’re both real competitors and hardworking, but you can also just see that sibling dynamic, where they want to outdo each other all the time and they don’t want one to get better than the other and you know it creates some brotherly conflict and some fun conflict too. It’s been fun watching them play together in that.”

The twins’ connection on the court creates something very valuable.

“They have those inner conflicts in practice that

sometimes can get them off track a little bit, but when it comes to a game and being on the same team, they work really well together. They’re both really hard competitors and they’re just trying to win.”

The twins acknowledge they have chemistry on and off the court. They even said they have twin telepathy.

“We will be silent then do or say the same thing,” Jeremiah said.

The basketball team and coaching staff have high hopes of making it to state this year.

“We have a goal of trying to get to the state tournament and I think it’s a realistic goal,” Osborn said.

“We’re going to state,” Jeremiah said. “We’re state bound.”

The twins are both multisport athletes. They participate in football, basketball, and track and are very successful in all. Jeremiah leans more towards basketball whereas Josiah leans more towards football.

“We definitely are going to be a little different early compared to late because we have some guys playing football,” Osborn said. “Not having those guys early is definitely going to make it a little different.”

Jeremiah said his biggest inspiration was watching the All-Star games. Growing up, he also loved NBA player Kevin Durant. Josiah said his biggest inspiration came from growing up around basketball. When Josiah was younger he had big dreams of doing the impossible and playing in the

NFL and NBA at the same time. The twins said their biggest supporters are their mother, sisters, each other and their fans.

“Those are my brothers for real,” senior Marshall Sherman said. “I love both of them. If I need them I call them. If they need me they know they can call me.”

“My favorite thing about JoJo is he is competitive so he makes me work hard,” senior Sergio Snider said. “My favorite thing about JJ is he tries to have fun and live. They’re a good example of brotherhood.”

“I got his back and he’s got my back like Lilo and Stitch,” senior Konye Frazier said about Josiah.

“They’re equally competitive, they both wanna win,” senior William Abadi said. “They are team players and they are gonna play their roles and execute. The twins are like my brothers.

I’ve known them since the sixth grade. Those are my guys and when I need them I can go to them.”

The twins plan to split up as they step into the next chapter of their lives. While both of the twins are undecided about the college they are attending, they have a plan for what they want to do with their futures.

Jeremiah plans to major in cyber security. Josiah plans to major in business. With his degree he wants to get into real estate, stocks, and possibly become the CEO of a business.

As the twins prepare to split up in the coming years they said they are afraid of life without each other.

“That’s my wombmate,” Jeremiah said. “I love my brother.”

“That’s my twin,” Josiah said.

Seniors Josiah and Jeremiah Charles have been playing basketball since childhood. This year they are both on the varsity basketball team. PhotocourtesyofJosiahCharles

Trading in a jersey for a whistle

How basketball coach Bethany Gonzalez feels leading the program that shaped her

Laynie Stroup • Editor-in-Chief

The girl’s basketball program has seen some changes in the past few years. However, the team is hopeful that these changes have been for the best.

Last spring, Bethany Gonzalez was promoted to head coach of the girl’s varsity basketball team.

“When it finally happened it felt like a dream, but I’m very blessed and honored to be given this opportunity,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is a Martin graduate and was in the girl’s basketball program from 2009 to 2012.

“This place is important to me, this program is important to me,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said her time at Martin is why she knew she needed to come back to coach. “I came back to Martin because this was always my home,” Gonzalez said. “The lessons I learned and the experiences I had here really molded me into who I am.”

The athletes have seen many differences in the new team in the last months.

“Basketball has changed in a more positive way,” senior Emily Dolberry said. “People want to be there every day.”

The season started Nov.

4 with non-district play against Euless Trinity.

“What I most like about Coach G is how understanding she is,” senior Makahlia Edwards said. “She has always believed in me on and off the court.”

Gonzalez has changed how the athletes start and end practice.

“We always come together and greet each other before practice and then at the end of practice we come back together and recap,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said it’s important to her that they start every morning by greeting each other and just acknowledging their teammates.

“It’s something we do that may be different than in the past,” Gonzalez said.

Some of the girls on the team can see a difference in how everyone interacts with each other.

“This year everyone is really just comfortable and my team is really open,” sophomore Jessica Szedeli said. “I feel like we all grew together from having team get-togethers and potlucks and now anyone can talk to anyone without being awkward.”

While being the head coach for the last few months Gonzalez has creat-

ed some new traditions for the program.

“On district game days on Fridays, all the athletes are going to eat together which is something new we haven’t done to make more of a family atmosphere,” Gonzalez said.

Dolberry said her favorite tradition is the chant they do right before they play that gets them ready.

“The coach yells and then the players yell and it gets them hyped up,” Gonzalez said.

Edwards said that she thinks basketball should start a new tradition of its own.

“Maybe a first game pep rally for the girls and boys,” Edwards said. “I know

Left: Bethany Gonzalez playing against Weatherford in 2012.

Gonzalez played in the Warriors basketball program from 2009 to 2012.

Above: This year she steps up as head coach.

football and volleyball get most of our pep rallies but it would be cool to see the basketball players down there.”

District play will start Dec. 13 at Arlington high.

“I’m definitely excited for our district games and possibly playoffs,” Szedeli said. “It’s really just because of the energy our team gives us and the whole crowd. It drives us to work harder.”

The team has major hopes and goals for this season and is confident in Gonzalez’s coaching.

“This is something I’ve always dreamed about and I wanted the opportunity to give back to the place that meant so much to me,” Gonzalez said.

Upcoming prodigy

Senior Corbin Thomas makes his mark on and off the field

With Martin’s outstanding programs such as sports, choir, band, and theater, it’s no surprise why it’s one of the most successful schools in its district. Martin has produced a lot of notable alumni such as Pentatonix, Myles Garrett, Jason Huntley, Stacy Oristano, Tay-K, etc.

The Upcoming Prodigy we’re covering this month is a musician, senior Corbin Thomas.

Terry Jackson Jr. • Reporter

Would you say it takes a lot of dedication?

It definitely takes a lot of dedication and patience because sometimes we just can’t hit the right sound we are looking for. Is band a lot of work?

Senior Corbin Thomas after Martin scores a a touchdown. PhotobyTodd Dalton

Who do we have here?

I’m Corbin Thomas and I’m a senior here at Martin.

Where are you from?

I was born in Monroe, Louisiana.

What got you into band?

I have always really been interested in the devices that made music and I wanted to know how they worked, so I joined in seventh grade at Boles Junior High and I really liked it.

What is your position?

I’m a drum major.

What is your job as a drum major?

We basically lead the band on to field performances and lead most practices and rehearsals.

I would say it’s a lot of work and time but it’s worth it in the end, especially when it’s time for us to get on the field and do our thing.

What is your favorite thing to do in band?

Mostly the football games. They are a lot of fun, and the cheering is really cool. It also gives you a chance to learn about football, which I didn’t really know a lot about before.

What was your favorite memory in band?

It would have to be this year when we made finals in the Bands of America DFW competition, which no one thought we were going to make and we did, and we shocked everyone. Do you have any other hobbies?

Not really, I pretty much consider band my only hobby because it’s so time consuming, but I don’t mind because it’s some-

thing I’m really passionate about and love. But every once in a while I’ll play a game or two. Do you see yourself doing something that involves band in the future?

Growing up, I practically raised my two younger brothers and I found out I’m pretty good with kids. So I can see myself becoming an elementary music teacher.

What are your future career goals?

I just want to make it through college, and I would love to travel the world and learn the history of the instruments we play in the band because every instrument we play was not made in America. Like one of the instruments I play wasn’t made here, it’s only made in Germany.

What instrument do you play?

In band the two I’m best at would have to be the bassoon and the saxophone. Outside of school I play the flute, trumpet, and piano. My favorite instrument is the trumpet, because it’s so unlike my original instrument which gives me a challenge that I enjoy.

What colleges are you most interested in?

Somewhere local. I really don’t want to go out of

state, so either the University of North Texas because they have a really good music program or the University of Texas at Arlington.

Band Director Brad McCann

Who do we have here today?

My name is Brad McCann, and I’m the band director of James Martin High School Marching Band.

What made you choose this career path?

When I was in fourth grade, I discovered I had a talent for music. Over the course of my school years, I realized that I enjoyed band because of the people who were in it. I wanted to share my gift of music with young adults when I grew up.

What are your thoughts on Corbin Thomas?

I think he’s a good kid. I think he’s had a fascinating path in the band program. Corbin was the kind of freshman who struggled with marching and he could never get his feet on time, and he was on the verge of quitting band. We told him to stick it out because things get better, and he’s proven to us that he has the right kind of leadership qualities. So we made him the drum major of the James Martin High School Band program, which is the highest level of student leadership.

What junior Dylan Bradley thought was a normal swim practice turned into an accident that nearly cost him his life.

On Oct. 5, around 7 a.m. Bradley was swimming a 1000-yard set that was meant to train better breath control and good breathing patterns. After swimming 10 rounds of 75-yard easy swim and 25-yard dolphin kick on his back, he had finally gotten to the last 50yard easy swim that was supposed to be done in only five breaths.

“It wasn’t really physically exerting,” Bradley said. “We’ve done way worse sets.”

However, Bradley had other ideas. He challenged his friend to do the last 25 yards of the 50 without taking a breath, to which his friend furthered the challenge by proposing doing the whole 50 (two lengths of the pool) with no breathing at all. Bradley accepted.

Bradley had already completed the first 25 yards successfully, but as he pushed off the pool wall, something felt off.

“I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m not gonna make it, I’m gonna die,’”

Junior Dylan Bradley dives back in after near drowning experience

Sally Rodriguez • Features Editor

waking up disoriented and not being able to see.

Bradley said. Despite this feeling, Bradley continued to swim the last 25 yards without breathing.

“I’m five seconds away from the wall, 4, 3, and then I don’t remember anything after that,” Bradley said.

While swimming, Bradley had passed out due to lack of air and began to drown until swim coach Alexander Weidemann noticed what had happened.

“My first thought was that he was grabbing something that had fallen to the bottom of the pool,” Weidemann said. “After about five seconds, I quickly realized he was not moving and that it was an emergency. Those five seconds felt like an eternity.”

As Weidemann realized what was happening, one of Bradley’s fellow swimmers, junior Caden Hare had also seen Bradley sinking deeper into the pool. Hare was able to grab Bradley and pull him above the water.

“Caden got Dylan’s arms and hands above the water, and I pulled him out of the pool to begin resuscitation,” Weidemann said.

While Bradley does not recall anything from the drowning, he remembers

“Everything was orange,” Bradley said. “It looked like I had orange sunglasses on.”

Once Bradley was conscious again after having CPR performed on him, he began to throw up water and was coughing profusely. He also recalls having a severe headache. However, after sitting for a couple minutes, he felt completely fine.

“I got up and I was gonna get changed for the weight room,” Bradley said. “I didn’t think it was anything serious.”

Soon after, Bradley was taken to the hospital where he was told his oxygen levels were at 65 instead of the usual 99.

“The doctors said that my lungs were in such bad condition they looked like I had been vaping daily for four years,” Bradley said.

Bradley later was informed that the reason he wasn’t completely fine after receiving CPR was because he was “dry drowning,” or “secondary drowning,” which occurs after the initial drowning incident if water remains in the lungs.

“People think, ‘Oh, I’m fine!’ and then they sit down for a minute and then their lungs start to realize, ‘There’s water in me,’” Bradley said.

After staying in the hospital for two days and taking a week and a half break from school, Bradley had fully recovered and was eager to return back to his extracurriculars of swimming and band.

“I was pretty frustrated about not being able to participate, but it makes sense so I wouldn’t get worse,” Bradley said.

While on his medical break, he could be seen playing Martin’s alma mater on the saxophone at swim meets and sometimes even dressing up at band competitions.

“At one of the competitions that I went to, but didn’t play at, I dressed up as one of the parents and was referred to as the ‘Band Dad,’” Bradley said.

Although Bradley was able to recover to his full potential, this is not the case for many other children who experience secondary drowning, and if he had not received medical attention the outcome could have been fatal.

“Secondary drowning is a very dangerous medical emergency that kills hundreds of kids each year,” Weidemann said. “I believe Dylan is still alive today because he went to the hospital after the incident.”

Junior Dylan Bradley back in the pool weeks after recovering from his drowning accident. “The doctors said that my lungs were in such bad condition they looked like I had been vaping daily for four years,” Bradley said. PhotoByCamiCortinas

“I’m not gonna make it. I’m gonna die.”

Heart of a Warrior

Baseball coach Curt Culbertson knows the game is never over as long as you still have one at-bat

Caiden Cole • Reporter

Pop up to second and Martin is going to state for the third time. It was 2015, at the peak of the baseball program’s success.

That year, Martin had a winning season of 28-6, including the playoffs. The Warriors rallied in the playoffs beating six teams, but fell short to Cypress Ranch in the state finals.

Then, as now, head coach Curt Culbertson was in charge, as he has been for more than two decades until last year when health issues sidelined his season. This year he’s back, both changed and unchaged from his journey with illness.

Culbertson has been coaching for 38 years in total. His career started playing the game he loved at Arlington High and then moving up to college at UTA. While he was playing ball in college, he was majoring in business.

“I took about two semesters of business classes and realized I don’t want to do this,” Culbertson said.

After that, Culbertson was left thinking about what he was going to do, so he went to talk to his coach. They talked through it and thought coaching his own

baseball team would be his future.

His career began at Weatherford High then moved to Bowie for the reopening and was hired by his former high school coach.

A coaching position at Seguin High School opened up in 2002. The coach at Martin got that job at Seguin and took about six Martin coaches with him. In addition, one of Culbertson’s coaches left Bowie for Seguin and took some kids with him. And after that Culbertson thought to himself and said he didn’t want to start over, so he applied for one of the Martin openings. That started his 22 year path at Martin.

“In 2004, I was the assistant until about a little over half way through district and then that coach left and me and Coach Brown took over the role,” Culbertson said.

Culbertson has brought many winning seasons to Martin and helped launch the baseball careers of college and professional athletes.

Last March, Culbertson had found out he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

“The day we found out, we obviously didn’t play good and we lost,” senior Logan Meyers said.

With Culbertson out for

due to illness. Photo by EmersonDavis

treatment, the whole team was affected, along with all of the parents of the players when the news broke. Coach Brandon Bounds had stepped in for him and put the boys to work.

When Bounds first came to Martin, he wasn’t used to coaching high school teams, so when he had Culbertson by his side, he had learned a lot about the culture within a program where people play for each other and not just themselves.

“He is a good mentor and he has been coaching for the high school level for 38 years so he has had a lot of insight on how the high school level was,” Bounds said.

The varsity level was devastated to not have Culbertson on the field, but started to learn from it.

“We made the season about him because we didn’t know if we’re going to get him back as a coach,” Meyers said.

During playoffs, the players put a sticker with Culbertson’s initials on their helmets to help fight can-

cer with him. The Warriors unfortunately lost, but are ready for this upcoming season.

Culbertson is now cancer free and ready to take the Warriors far into the playoffs again. He said the experience has changed his coaching techniques.

“It used to be 100 percent baseball when I talked to anybody,” Culbertson said. “Now when I talk to kids, I talk to them about everything but baseball.”

Culbertson said he wants to get to know everything about the players now and what they are going through because they might not be able to open up at home.

During Culbertson’s journey through cancer, he had only thought about himself and how he is going to get through each day. Once he started feeling better, he then started to think about this upcoming season.

“I’m really excited to get to spend my last year with Coach Culbertson,” Meyers said. “Since he is back from recovering, I want to make this a good year for him.”

Coach Curt Culbertson gives some tips to junior Bode Collins before he hits. Culbertson is back to coaching this year after missing last season