The Occurrence, Vol. 1, Issue 1

the occurrence Bryant Junior High|Oct. 2, 2019|Vol. 1, Issue 1

Traffic solutions For Reynolds Road See story on 7 Table of contents > NEWS 2 Entertainment 3 feature 4-5 New School 6-7 Opinion 8-9 Sports 10-11

NEWS|page 2

Creating The Legacy

Standing on a step ladder, Brylane Holloway, 9, is just seconds away from starting the drum opening. The band was about to start a song called “A Land of a Thousand Dances”.

“It’s awesome. I like controlling the band. I get to determine how fast or slow they go.” Holloway said. photo: Emily Whittaker, Staff Photographer

-Lydia Payne, Editor-in-Chief rylane Holloway and Lindsey Medina, freshman, will set the standard for future drum majors at Bryant Junior High as they are the first to be chosen.

Ten individuals tried out for the position. The position was announced Sept.

16.

After being a quiet kid and wanting

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to fully break out of her shell, Medina decided to sign up to attend the drum major clinic, knowing that it would not be easy to conduct a band.

“I would say[the hardest part of conducting is] maybe trying to keep up the correct beat because sometimes what you’re listening to isn’t the same as the metronome and how fast you’re going,” Medina said. Holloway, however, was in

Band chooses first Pair of Drum Majors

shock when he found out his new leadership position.

“When I found out I was chosen for Drum Major, I felt as if my heart stopped.

I thought to myself, ‘Why did he choose me?’ I had wanted this role since the sixth grade when I saw them on a Friday night game. And when I found out I made it, I felt as if my dream had finally come true,” Holloway said.

Stewart Wright, band director, chose Holloway and Medina because they had the qualities that makes a good drum major. “[A good drum major has] confidence, a good rhythm, and they are not afraid to make mistakes in front of a lot of people.”

Wright said.

As well as becoming drum major, Holloway helped create the schools first brass quintet. Including Holloway, who plays trombone, there are five other freshmen who include Eli Matthews, trumpet, Skyler Cook, trumpet, Patricio Canchola, trumpet, and Chelsea Nwankwo, tuba.

These are just the first steps of Holloway’s band career as he plans to continue this path for many years to follow.

“Drum Major is important to me because it helps me practice for where I plan to become a band director,” Holloway said.

Both Holloway and Medina finished their first official week as drum majors and are preparing for their game next thursday. Although both nervous, Holloway and Medina said they have high hopes for their first game.

Entertainment|page 3 online all the time: Entertainment opinion -Patricio Canchola, Staff Writer Various studies have shown that According to the New York Times, 90 percent of teens use social media every anxiety is very bad for your physical health. Despite the health risks, teenday. Students here are agers take a liking to social no exception to the stamedia because of the allure of tistics. online interactions.

Recent studies Cade Queen, freshman, show that teens are said, “Social media is epic bespending more than 9 cause it connects people.” hours daily on social Though many people think media. that social media is either a Sam Peck, freshnegative or positive thing, the man, said, “Social mething that determines that is dia can cause things like anxiety and more Aidan Fisher and Bailey Gould, the way you use it. worrying about things 8, make a Tik Tok to the song like how many followers “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey. photo: Kathryn Smith, or likes they get.”

Staff Photographer

Media, Made Fashion, Memes:

Takes on Trends

-Chelsei Williams, Sports Editor Netflix is great for certain shows but not if you want to watch a full series. There is only ever the first season of the show or that last. Netflix also takes a long time uploading new content. They also constantly take off good shows and replace them with poor quality originals. Although some Netflix Originals are good, most of them are terrible and cliche’. More people would like the platform if it didn’t have so many downfalls.

outstanding decor at bjhs -Patricio Canchola, Staff Writer The appearance of a classroom could seem of minimal importance, but many studies have shown that the way that classrooms look can affect both focus and grades. The Occurrence staff polled students on which classrooms have the best overall feel.

The winners of the best looking class room are Richard Wrightner, Libby Atkinson and Tammy Lambert.

Kellen Robinson, 8th, said, “It feels comfortable because you can see the weather outside. It’s just very comfortable.”

Studies have shown that this feeling of home affects the students in that classroom greatly. Lambert’s room is

-Olivia Osborn, Staff Writer VSCO girls are taking over the Internet and so are their bracelets. Their beaded bracelets are a very unique, fun and trendy way to express yourself.

Putting whatever saying or word that you want makes this fad creative and a fun activity to do with friends. Although the VSCO girl trend is a bit of a joke, these bracelets make it ten times better.

full of vacation mementos and loads of diet coke cans.

Bella Brown, 8th, said “I like it because it inspires me because I feel like I can be myself.”

Libby Atkinson’s room holds career-related decorations and lounge furniture. photo: Akira Rankin, Staff Photographer

-Patricio Canchola, Staff Writer The Area 51 raid meme was one of the best of the summer. But honestly, the turnout was disappointing. Though it was unrealistic for more than 1 million people to show up, it should at least have been more than 500 people. Still, at least people showed. And only one person got arrested. Those that showed up just listened to music and made a couple of very good memes. That is something that our entire generation should be proud of.

page 4|features

borne from the cold

wickersham moves from alaska to arkansas

-Olivia Osborn, Staff Writer he journey from Alaska to Arkansas is 3,841 miles, 65 hours by car, and six hours and 49 minutes by plane. Aubrey Wickersham started moving from Alaska to Arkansas on May 28.

Wickersham lived in Alaska her entire life until the end of her 8th grade year, when she decided to move to Arkansas to live with her mom and step dad.

In Alaska, Wickersham played on the volleyball team at her school, something she has continued here.

Wickersham says one of the benefits of moving here was how good the volleyball team is compared to Alaska’s.

In Alaska there were no summer prac- Wicked Cold: Aubrey Wickersham moved to Arkansas from Alaska. tices or class periods for sports during photo Illustration: Peyton Johnson, Photography EDITOR the school day. The reason for this was sas, she loves Alaska and misses her friends. because there was a much smaller group of students.

“My best friend, she actually moved to Washington “At my school in Alaska we had welding and wood when I moved here, so we were both moving at the same shop, but I did band and choir. We also had the basic time and moving wasn’t as bad.” Wickersham said. [classes] like art,” she said.

Wickersham also misses the outdoors in Alaska Although, Wickersham likes the classes and Arkancompared to Arkansas. In Alaska, she would ice fish

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and hunt for moose on the weekends or in her free time. Wickersham thinks that you have to be outdoorsy to live in Alaska.

Alaska in the summer is extremely different from Arkansas and that it’s hard to get used to. It would hardly get up to 60 degrees in Alaska and here everyday is almost 100 degrees or more.

During warmer weather, Wickersham would swim in a river that ran right off a glacier. Every fourth of July since Wickersham was 7, she would go pontooning with her family. It was a tradition that she was sad to miss this year.

In Alaska, there are only two malls, 4 trampoline parks, and a few movie theatres. There is also one Dave and Busters and place similar to it called “Extreme Fun Center”.

“I’m not really sure if I’m ever going to move back to Alaska but I really miss it and I am very excited about going back at summer, winter and spring break,” Wickersham said.

features|page 5 from the heART -Gabi Dawson, Staff Writer For her, art more than just a hobby. For Kyleigh Simmons, freshman, art is a key part of her life.

Simmons started drawing during the summer of 2016 and used it as a mechanism Kylie Simmons, 9th, describes drawing as a stress reliever, and acknowledges that to help her cope with stress. she has an amazing skill but believes that an artists worst critic is themselves.

“Drawing is a way to express yourself without having to talk about your feelings,” Simmons said.

When Simmons started drawing, her art was in black and white, but now Simmons does colored realism pieces. Simmons has her own art account where she sells her work, charging $5 for black and white drawings and $10 for colored. She draws portraits of

simmons draws portraits for Cash people, but she takes requests from students as well.

For Simmons, quiet places help draw out her creativity. She works in places like her room, libraries and coffee shops. Whenever she starts pieces though, it isn’t guaranteed that it will be finished within that sitting.

“Usually my drawing is spaced out. Sometimes I won’t draw for a week then I’ll do a bunch of pieces together the next, ” Simmons said.

Colored pieces of art tend to take around 4 hours for Simmons to create.

“My art can sometimes be seen as colorful and inspiring, solemn and gloomy, confusing and complicated, or whatever I’m feeling at the moment. It kind of switches moods with me,” Simmons said.

When Simmons is older, she hopes to become a tattoo artist, and if that doesn’t work out, she would also like to be a video game animator.

go and play on the Xbox and we’ll watch movies,” she said.

Riggs’ entire family is athletic, and going to the gym together is one of their favorite hobbies.

“I’d say [my dad] is the reason we’re all so very athletic, Riggs gets adopted into family because he did all the sports in high school,” she said.

-Deeya Rohant, Staff Writer Riggs has four other siblings, with Riggs the oldest among When Dannielle Riggs, 8th, left her Cross Country meet one them. Whenever Riggs was adopted though, she did not know that there would be a fourth. day, she never expected to become part of a new family. Instead “After we got adopted, our parents told us our mom was of going home with her grandparents, she was picked up by her pregnant,” Riggs said. Although Riggs loves all of her famsoon-to-be dad.

“He picked me up from the cross country meet and brought me back to their house ily members, she shares a special connection with her dad. […] they were talking about how Kimberly and Alvin wanted to adopt us and asking “He was also adopted whenever he was younger,” she said. For Riggs, being adopted has changed her life for the better. us if that was what we would want,” Riggs said, “I felt very excited and nervous.”

Riggs’ adoption is recent, but she wants to spend as much time with her family as “I think I’ve had a new personality and new responsibility,” she said. “Being adoptpossible. ed has made my life ten times better.”

“We wake up late. We like to stay up late at night sometimes, and sometimes we’ll

A place to call home

centerspread|page 7 Fights and Phones: New school rules -Deeya Rohant, Staff Writer In the 2017 school year, 1,529 fights were recorded in schools across Arkansas. To take precautions against any fights and other disciplinary issues, the schools administration put new rules into effect this year.

One of the new rules issued this year states that any student involved in a fight will receive four days of ISS and OSS, and two weeks of lunch detention. Because anyone involved in the fight will be

punished, some students worry that they won’t be able to defend themselves should a fight break out.

“I disagree [with the rule] completely. If you are only defending yourself, you should never get in trouble,” Haley Halbert, 8th, said.

An additional rule states that any student remaining at an after-school event 20 minutes after it has ended will be banned from any future Bryant Schools events.

In regards to cell phones, the admin-

Horns and hornets

-Chelsea Nwankwo, Editor-in-chief t’s the first day of school, but the first sound students hear isn’t the bell ringing-its engines running and honking.

It’s the sound of morning traffic.

Bad traffic during the beginning of school is a constant recurrence, and with the district’s newest member, the junior high, there was no exception.

Some students arrived well into first period because of the traffic, but administration kept from counting tardies the first couple of weeks due to this. With some students taking needed courses during the first period, traffic could’ve

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been a hindrance.

“If traffic was still slow and I was getting here at the same time I was, then it could affect the way I learn,” Destiny Mbuthia, freshman, said.

Students, however weren’t the only people this traffic affected. Anthony Rushing, teacher, is also a bus driver.

istrators implemented a rule stating that phones cannot be seen during school hours, or they will immediately be taken up.

Some claim to see a difference in students’ behavior ever since this rule was implemented. One such person is AnthoSchool Board members vote to approve the new handbook and school rules yearly. Phony Rushing, teacher. to: bryantschools.org “A lot of the drama, bullying, etc. is not taking place at the same levels as be- about the rules, the Bryant Public Schools fore,” he said.

Secondary Handbook is available on the To read the handbook and learn more Bryant Schools website.

“The first day I got there with ten minutes left in the first period. I was one of the last ones [to arrive at the school],” Rushing said.

With the influx of traffic, administration made plans before the school year started on how to counter the traffic.

“We actually used a drone to shoot a video and help [figure out] a traffic pattern that would

come in and out of the new junior high school, which has helped tremendously,” Allbritton said.

Since the school year started, the amount of traffic in the morning and the afternoon has decreased. According to Allbritton, the last few buses have been arriving several minutes earlier compared to the first week.

“The first week especially, even now, we’re still having growing pains. It affects the amount of students we can serve in breakfast. Some of our teachers and coaches drive buses as well so trying to get here on time- it’s been stressful at times. It also, though, brings us together because you know everybody has to help everybody,” Allbritton said.

Page 8|opinion

No Admintance Freshmen not able to participate in HOCO dance

-Staff, Editorial It’s homecoming-the high school dance of the year, but as freshmen aren’t a part of this experience.

Homecoming is one of the most looked-forward-to dance of the year at Bryant High School. Students dress in flashy, expensive dresses and tuxes to attend and dance through one saturday night. Joe Allbritton, assistant principal, believes the homecoming is very important for students.

“Our homecoming dance at Bryant is probably unlike any other homecoming in the state of Arkansas. It doesn’t occur traditionally on the night of the homecoming game. Ours in on saturday night. It’s the thing at Bryant School district.

In fact, I’d almost say it’s bigger than the prom,” Allbritton said.

With the dance being as huge as it is, freshman students are annoyed about not being able to go.

“It [homecoming] means a lot to me because my mom always talks about her homecoming and how amazing it was and how many memories she made all four years, but now we get that one year taken away, and we have no say in it whatsoever,” Olivia Sharp, freshman, said.

What most students are unaware of is that the previous year freshmen were not permitted to attend the dance either.

Administrators decided that freshmen were not ready to attend. Allbritton was on of the administrators of Bryant High School last year.

“Having 15 year olds at the same event as an 18 year old. That was kinda the thing. Our 9th graders were somewhat out of place at homecoming. Because you got a group of kids that are getting dropped off by their parents and a group of kids that are all driving themselves to homecoming,” Allbritton said.

Last year, a fall dance was put on at Hill Farm Elementary for the freshmen to enjoy instead of the homecoming. The possibilities of this happening again are unknown at the time being, seeing as the administrators have only discussed the issue a few times.

With all this controversy, homecoming is just a formal dance with a fancy name attached. Students want an event to mingle and socialize with their grade and dress in dresses/tuxes. Our student council can take this opportunity to plan an event for the students and can use the proceeds made for a fundraiser oppor-

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The Occurrence is a student-run publication at Bryant Junior High, serving grades 8-9..

Letters to the Editor Policy: Signed Letters to the editor which are free from profanity, offensive language, and libel will be published when space permits.

Corrections: If a correction is warrarented it will be made through one or all of the social Media platforms as soon as possible and in the next issue of the newspaper.

Comments, Suggestions, and Questions can be made to mabo@bryantschools.org.

Best Way to Learn: Online vs. In the Classroom -Deeya Rohant, Staff Writer With technology on the rise, teachers are leaving behind pencil and paper and opting for online geared work. However, some teachers take this to an extreme, and leave the teaching to the computers. With so many readily available resources, some teachers are getting lazy, simply assigning videos for students to watch and worksheets for students to finish.

I’ve had a teacher last year who loved getting materials off the Internet. Everything we did was online, making it easy for students to cheat. We never learned anything from this class, because no person actually taught us. That was an entire year wasted where I could’ve learned important skills and information.

In some situations, online lessons work.

They let students go at their own pace, and go back for information they may have missed. However, some lessons are complicated, and you can’t really ask a comput-

er if you need help.

Technology isn’t going away any time soon, so we need to find a balance between online and inclass work.

A mix of both is better than one or the other, because teachers can interact with students, but they can go at their own pace instead of hurrying to catch up.

Teachers are essential in schools, and although technology may make things easier, it shouldn’t replace teachers. Computers can’t assist students with classwork, let alone situations outside of the classroom. Teachers have helped many a student work through hard times inside and outside of school, and computers simply don’t have that ability.

Technology has greatly influenced education in the past few years, and has overall benefited it. However, people have to be careful not to let technology have too much influence in classrooms, because they can’t provide empathy and support like a teacher does.

opinion|page 9

My sims addiction

Dangers of Custom Content to computer not enough to deter hardcore player from Downloads

-Kenzie Robertson, Staff Writer Neither sleep nor viruses matter when it comes to my games. Playing the Sims is something I do all the time, and in order to maximize my game, I have to do virus sweeps on my computer often.

The Sims, for those that don’t know, is a life simulator. You build your characters, houses and town, and then you direct the lives of all you’ve created.

Custom content adds clothing,

accessories and hair into the game.

It makes it more realistic and adds to the immersion.

All of this glory, though, does not come without pain. It slows down my computer, and takes up a lot of storage.

Finding the content itself is time consuming. I spend hours trying to find things to make my Sims look good, and in return I get self-satisfaction. When it comes to the Sims, there every fault in my gaming system is worth it.

page 10|Sports

Meet the players

Setting Predictions

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Isaac Flores

• freshman • midfielder in soccer • runs cross country • rides his bike as a hobby • loves the competitiveness and team aspcect of soccer

9th Volleyball team does pregame routine. The team’s season started in the fall.

First touchdown

Ava Sanders

• 8th grader • cross-country runner • does calligraphy as a hobby • enjoys how everyone gets to participate and encourages one another in cross-country

-Makenzie Ellis, Staff Writer olleyball season started off with a win. However, many people have different opinions about how the volleyball season will turn out in the end.

Many people think that because this is their first season together since the merge of the two middle schools, that the season will have its ups and its

A Bentonville tiger is tackled by team during the August 19th Ninth grade scrimmage.

-Makenzie Ellis, the Occurrence On August 19, 2019, the freshman football team went against Bentonville Junior High for a scrimmage. The team went all the way to Russellville to play.

As the scrimmage started, and the team entered the field, the crowd roared. The National Anthem played over the speakers. Everyone stood with their hands over their hearts as they looked to the flag.

The first quarter went by with the Hornets making many tackles but no touchdowns. Bentonville had one touchdown on the scoreboard. Meaning,

sports|page 11 people predict Mixed Season for the freshman volleyball downs.

“I feel like we’re going to win some and lose some, but I know Coach Jones is working really hard with them,” Klara Stallmann, freshman, said.

Even though some students have uncertainties, these thoughts aren’t present within all students.

“I think the season is going to be pretty good because of previous games and we’ve been working hard,” Gabby

Eason, a freshman player, said.

The players of the team aren’t limited to people who’ve attended either one of the middle schools. Bianca Euler, freshman, came from Texas.

“I definitely think, if we keep playing the way we have been for the past few games, it’ll be a winning season,” Euler said.

freshman Hornet football team plays in first scrimmage, wins game they were ahead of us at the beginning.

Kenny Horn, coach, said “I think we played hard but there are things to improve on” Halftime started, the football players left the field, and the cheerleaders took their spots. The cheerleaders performed a routine they’d practice on and then it was time to start the next part of the game. 3rd quarter was starting. Defense started to crack down on the other team.

“Brought down by a whole swarm of hornets,” the announcer said over the intercom.

3rd quarter ended with us still behind in points. After the 4th quarter started MarTavion Earl, player, made a touchdown.

The game against Bentonville stood at a tie. Following that Gunner Givens, player, scored a field goal, allowing the team to take the lead. After more defense moves, the 4th quarter ended and the the team won 7-6.

Running to Nationals

Ferguson wins a track award at national level od at school everyday and -Olivia Osborn, then an extra two times per Staff Writer week. During the summer, M.J. Ferguson’s, he practices three to four freshman, love for track times a week as well. allowed to achieving an Also, this coming year, award past a district or Ferguson hopes to go back state award- he reveived to nationals and do even a national award. better.

To achieve the national track award Fer- M.J. Ferguson takes picture at “I really want to go again. meet. The time FerguSince I’m used to the atmoguson ran for the dis- track son submitted at the national sphere, I can have fun and trict and got first place. meet was 2:15.08. not get nervous,” he said From there he went to regionals at Tulsa University where he Although, “The first five minutes placed third. Then, he went nationals of nationals were the hardest and you in Greensboro, North Carolina where feel like you’re going to be sick,” said he got 2.11 minutes on the 800 meter Ferguson. It was all worth it though when he found out that he won the run, winning him the award.

Ferguson hasn’t always known that award right after the race he liked to run. In elementary school, “My nerves really got to me at the he did really good on the pacer tests beginning, but the nervousness gave and in 7th grade, he was already do- me enough adrenaline to race. After, ing football wanted to add a sport to I was joyful and I felt really accomdo in the spring. After Ferguson’s first plished,” Ferguson said year doing track, he realized that he “I really want to go again. Since I’m used to the atmosphere, I can have was better than he thought.

To prepare for races and meets, fun and not get nervous” Ferguson practices in his sports peri-

THe occurrence’s photography collage: Starting school kaitlin phillips, The occurrence

emily whittaker, the occurrence

Lydia payne, the occurrence kaitlin phillips, The occurrence

ethan briones, the occurrence