Kingwood Park Times, March 2019

LIFE LESSONS American Sign Language teacher inspires acceptance.

– pages 4

BREAKING RECORDS The boys soccer team hopes its high scoring continues as playoffs begin.

– page 10

SIBLING RIVALRY

PUPPY LOVE

The Golden siblings hit the track with a competitive spirit and much support.

A puppy is in the process of being trained and will join the campus next fall to comfort students and be used for therapy.

– page 3

– page 12

Kingwood Park Times MARCH 2019 • VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 4 • KINGWOOD, TX 77339

More than 8,286 students have attended Kingwood Park since changing from a ninth grade campus to a high school in 2007. They have spread out across the country. Allie DeBerry still stars in movies. Blake LeDoux plays baseball at West Point. Shawn Barber competed in the pole vault in the 2016 Olympic Games. Many others have entered business or become teachers and coaches. Each has a story as unique as those walking the halls today. We look closer at five stellar students who left their marks as Panthers.

JOSEPH STANTON

BROOKS POWELL AND SHELBY OGLETREE

Thriving business keeps Powells busy

by Crosslin Silcott Staff Writer rooks Powell found success early. He was a three-time state champion swimmer at Kingwood Park, National Honor Society president and homecoming king. He then went on to become the first in his family to attend an Ivy League school.

His success didn’t end there. A little over a year ago, Powell was featured on the popular show Shark Tank for the business he started called Cheers.

Cheers is a substance users can consume while drinking alcohol. Powell said the product reduces alcohol’s negative effects such as hangovers, and increases happiness and next-day productivity.

Brooks was a sophomore at Princeton doing an independent project in a neuroscience class when he came across an article titled “Dihydromyricetin as a Novel Photo contributed by Shelby Powell Anti-Intoxication Medication,” published in The Brooks and Shelby Powell, who both graduated Journal of Neuroscience. from Kingwood Park in 2012, stand outside of their In this article, it was shown new office building that is almost done being built. that Dihydromyricetin (or DHM for short) was Scan here to see an the chemical extract of excerpt from the Shark the Hovenia Dulcis plant Tank episode when Powell and had a number of inappeared to promote his teresting properties. Rats business. given DHM showed reduced signs of hangovers, a decrease in alcohol addiction and reduced liver damage from alcohol. With the help of his professor, he began his research to see if the drug had an equal effect on humans.

“Within about two months of first reading about DHM, I was hooked,” Powell said. “When my grandfather passed away he gave me $20,000.

I used that money to file the legal paperwork and form the company.”

Originally called Thrive+, Cheers became the first company in the United States to begin importing and selling purified DHM. “It definitely hasn’t been a walk in the park all the time, but if owning a business were easy everyone would do it,” said Brooks’ wife, Shelby Powell.

His dedication is what got his business a spot on Shark Tank. Brooks wrote the producers a 12-page paper stating line-by-line what he would say to the sharks, how they would respond to him, and then how he’d reply to them. The producers later told him that in nine seasons of filming Shark Tank, no one had ever done that.

“There’s no rules in life,” Brooks said. “No textbook. Sometimes you have to get over your pride and just do crazy things to try and make things happen.”

B

Photo by Kathleen Ortiz

Terri Stanton leans in close to get her son Joseph’s attention during his 25th birthday party. Stanton suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skateboard accident the summer after his sophomore year of high school. He was a state swimming champion at Kingwood Park and still holds three school swim records, despite only competing his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Nine years since accident,

Stantons showcase strength

by Kathleen Ortiz Staff Writer

S

andwiches, dip and cakes filled the kitchen table at the Stanton household as guests filed in wearing “crazy pants” as requested on the invitation.

Joseph Stanton, the birthday boy, wore a yellow pair of Rugrat pajama pants. Five balloons were attached to his wheelchair.

The wheelchair and Joseph’s condition are constant reminders of the former Kingwood Park swimmer’s accident almost nine years ago. Every birthday and milestone is a celebration for the Stantons.

“I was hoping that Joseph would be one of those huge miracle cases, but his brain injury was so significant,” Joseph’s mom Terri said. “It was very severe and very extensive, so the fact we even still have him is a huge miracle.” *** On the first day of summer in 2010, Stanton’s mom and his sister Audrea were planning a wedding shower. Joseph was the only other family member at home. He was bored of just hanging around. He grabbed his longboard, rolled his eyes when his mom told him to be careful and took off. Twenty minutes later his mom got a call: Joseph was seen lying on the street.

Joseph had only a small abrasion on his back and was in a fetal position with his eyes closed. His mom could

not wake him. Terri had no idea what it meant when a neighbor noticed Stanton’s pupils were dilated and fixed.

In about 40 minutes, they reached Memorial Hermann by ambulance. The 6-foot-1 state champion and All-America swimmer, who was not wearing a helmet while riding his longboard, was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.

“The chief resident didn’t think it was worth his effort to operate on him because he was going to die anyway,” Terri said.

The next few hours were a blur.

About 8 and a half hours after ar- STANTON, 2010 riving at the hospital, a new doctor started his shift and decided something could be done in surgery.

Joseph surpassed expectations by surviving the next 24 hours. Nonetheless, that one slip off of his longboard changed his life.

The 16-year-old spent a year in the hospital. His dreams of playing varsity football his junior year and reaching the Olympics his senior year in swim were replaced with long hours of therapy.

STANTON, Continued on page 8

POWELL, Continued on page 8

2

news

March 2019

CALENDAR

WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO March 25 Project Grad Parent Meeting Lower LGI at 6:30 p.m.

April 9 English 1 EOC testing April 11 No Late Arrival English 2 EOC testing April 13 AP Review Day Upper LGI at 7:30 a.m.

April 18 HOSA Blood Drive Small Gym April 19 Good Friday - No School April 22 Student Holiday/ Teacher Work day April 23 SAT Testing - Both LGI’s April 27 Panther Pals Talent Show Starts at 7 p.m.

April 29 Project Grad Parent Meeting Lower LGI at 6:30 p.m.

Kingwood Park Times

2019-2020 CALENDAR

New calendar creates excitement, concern With community votes, Humble ISD adopted a new calendar that starts early and offers more breaks.

by Sadie Lewis Staff Writer Changes to the Humble ISD calendar each year usually don’t catch people’s attention. That all changed with the 2019-2020 calendar. While students are excited about having more time away from school, teachers and parents have mixed thoughts about the full weeks off.

The new calendar starts school earlier and has week-long vacations in October, November, February and March. The students still also receive two weeks for winter break at the end of December and beginning of January.

Teachers return to school Aug. 1. Students return Aug. 12, and the last day of school is May 29.

The schedule is very similar to a schedule proposed by New Caney ISD, which said the changes are being considered “to more evenly distribute breaks throughout the school year - Natalie Johnson, and provide a English teacher better balance between in- and Student Council sponsor structional time and time away from school for students and staff.”

For Kingwood Park students and staff, there have been mixed reactions.

“They placed the weeks off at times I feel like I’m tired and I need a break,” said Natalie Johnson, English teacher and Student Council sponsor.

“So when I feel like I’m exhausted from February because it’s a difficult month, if I would have had a week off that would have been great.”

There is still uncertainty around the impact it will have on student learning.

Most students are ecstatic for the year to come.

They said the breaks will give them time to process what they’ve learned throughout the week and give them time away from all the overwhelming work.

However, some students also are concerned about whether or not the weeks off will be a true break or what teachers will do with homework during that time.

“Some teachers will give out homework,” sophomore Ylaina Joseph said. “And, yes, most of it isn’t going to get done.”

With all the breaks throughout the year, some teachers will have to rearrange lesson plans and adapt to make sure students understand what they’re teaching even with the breaks. In the English department, Johnson said plans are changed each

"They placed weeks off at times I feel like I need a break. So when I feel like I am exhausted from February because it’s a difficult month, if I would have had a week off that would have been great."

The newest calendar for Humble ISD is a big change from the ones in the past. Week-long breaks are scattered throughout the year, and there is an early start date for teachers and students.

year to best fit the students. She expects it to be easy to adjust next year.

“We are not a department that does the same thing everyday every year,” Johnson said. “We very much mold to our students.”

Stress is a major issue for teachers, students and principals. Early starts, lots of grading and hours of homework can take its toll on everyone. Those who like the breaks hope it will reduce stress and help people not get so overwhelmed.

“Breaks being in the middle of the month would help students with time management,” Joseph said. “Having homework on top of school work can be very stressful if a student is dealing with sports or after school activities.”

Having breaks within almost every month may also give students opportunities to go and get a

job. Most students work in fast food chains, grocery stores or the mall, which only can offer a couple hours after school or really late at night.

“I would like to start working, but I don’t have a ride after school everyday,” Joseph said. “Plus my dad has to pick my sister up after me because she goes to KMS, so I think the breaks will give me better opportunities to get a job where I could work during the day instead of at night.”

Michelle Neel, AP English I and English I teacher suggests a wait and see attitude.

“There’s always things people get excited about, and then they overlook the practical issues that are going to accompany that,” Neel said. “We’ll just see how it plays out for a year and capitalize on the strengths of it and just watch it play out.”

Your book.

Your stories.

Yearbooks will arrive in early May. Only a limited number remain. Buy today for $65 before the price increases to $76.

Kingwood Park Times

News

March 2019

3

Inaccurate STAAR standards frustrate superintendent Questions and passages on state mandated test inaccurately portray students’ knowledge.

by Nick Farace Editor-In-Chief On March 5, Texas lawmakers, superintendents and parents spoke at the state capitol in Austin regarding a recent report that broke in Texas Monthly. The magazine reported that STAAR reading questions were above suggested grade levels and were too high compared to what the level needed to be.

Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen said she has had a hunch about the unfair STAAR questions and passages for some time, but this report proved she was onto something.

“Basically, eighth graders should be expected to read at a seventh to ninth grade reading level, but the STAAR tests students using questions and passages with a 10th to 13th grade reading level,” she said.

Fagen explained that Humble ISD teaches to the TEKS, the state standard curriculum.

According to the TEKS, 8th grade teachers are expected to teach to a 7th-9th grade reading level. What makes the testing unfair, she said, is the fact that the students are taught one thing and tested on another.

“Why as a state would we want to give children tests that set them up for failure?”

Fagen said.

Research recently done by Texas A&M and Baylor suggest that standardized tests are often given at what is called “frustration level.”

“The downward risk of standardized testing is that it gives students feelings that they aren’t good enough,” Fagen said. “The fact that these tests are inflated doesn’t help the student at all. If they fail and are required to have special direction from teachers, they feel like the odd one out, they feel like they are different from everybody else, and that’s not OK.” As an educator, Fagen said the issues with the STAAR magnifies the research done by A&M and Baylor. She compares the situation to Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown in Peanuts.

“We give the students a great education that’s up to par, and then we take their confidence away by giving them unfair tests,” Fagen said.

As a parent, Fagen said she feels for her kids and the kids of the parents around the district.

“I don’t want my children to experience failure that’s not real failure,” Fagen said.

Fagen and other high ranking members of the district as well as those on the school board have been in constant contact with area representative Dan Huberty, discussing their distaste and frustration over the STAAR’s failure to accurately test students in the district. Fagen wants students and parents to stay informed as the hearings continue.

“I want the parents to know to console their kids and tell them that they aren’t bad at reading and math,” she said.

Fagen said that the STAAR test is produced through a partnership between the TEA and testing service ETS. According to the TEA, the test questions are created and written by teachers from districts all around the state. Fagen has her doubts about this.

“We’ve had teachers from Humble ISD and other districts that I’ve worked in who have been chosen to be a part of the STAAR creating process, and they all say that teachers don’t have much say as to what the questions are like,” Fagen said.

The third year superintendent is on the front lines of the battle to get the STAAR corrected and says she is advocating in every way she can for change.

“The bottom line is that the test needs to be fair for students and teachers, and as educators, we must all offer to be part of the solution,” Fagen said.

As the state moves forward, Fagen said it is important to look at students not just for their STAAR scores but to take into account more data points that more accurately portray the student’s success.

Questions about the STAAR’s credibility continue to pop up, but it seems there is no plan to move away from the test in coming years, according to Fagen.

“During just about every legislation session, the idea of moving away from standardized testing is brought up, but nothing is ever done to change what’s already in place,” she said.

Photo contributed by Jamie Deborde

Charlie, and English Terrier, was adopted 6 months ago by Jamie Deborde and her family. She will turn three in May and will begin serving our school in August.

Puppy begins training to become therapy dog

by Nick Farace Editor-In-Chief

Kingwood Park will be adding a new, furry member to our school community next year.

Charlie, an English Shepherd, will be prowling around the campus as a therapy dog, starting in August. Special Education Alt Jamie Deborde adopted Charlie six months ago.

“My husband is a volunteer firefighter, and he went to visit children at hospitals and saw the dogs with the kids, and he had the idea to get Charlie trained to be a therapy dog,” Deborde said.

Charlie, who will turn 3 years old in May, will have to go through plenty of training in order to receive certifications to be a therapy dog.

The training will take 2-3 years to complete and will cost approximately $2,800.

“When our family decided we wanted to serve the community through her, I began searching for a grant to help cover the training, and luckily I found one,” Deborde said.

LyondellBasell’s Baytown Complex granted the Debordes $2,800 to get Charlie trained.

The Deborde’s were very lucky to get the grant because the company usually gives the grant

to someone in the Baytown area.

“For us to get the grant, I had to promise to bring Charlie down to LaPorte ISD schools and assisted living communities supported by Lyondell in order to help people there sometimes,” Deborde said.

Counselor Caren Barnes is very excited to have Charlie on campus and has been planning for her arrival for quite some time.

“We have been to workshops where other schools talk about how helpful and soothing their therapy dogs are; so when the Debordes offered to allow Charlie to serve, we immediately said yes,” Barnes said.

Charlie will be used for many purposes, including comforting and soothing students in times of stress or crisis.

“She will also spend time with the special sd students as an incentive for good behavior,” Barnes said.

Deborde hopes that Charlie’s presence will be an immediate relief for students and staff in times of distress.

“Her job here is to be an additional piece to the puzzle to help everyone on campus,” Deborde said.

YOUR SCHOOL. YOUR FRIENDS. YOUR STORY

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Stay updated on a daily basis.

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feature

March 2019

Kingwood Park Times

COMMON SIGNS IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE THANK YOU

Maddie Engelhardt, 12

MORE

Rebekah Vega, 12 Photo by Daniela Lugo Castro

American Sign Language teacher Darnell Woods communicates with students in his fifth period class on March 22. Woods’ mom first noticed he was hard of hearing when he was 5 years old. He has worn hearing aids since third grade, but his hearing has progressively worsened over time.

KPARK

Woods’ many lessons include acceptance Woods learned sign language in college, and has found his passion in teaching it at the high school level.

Anthony Durand, 10

by Kathleen Ortiz Staff Reporter Darnell Woods was only 5 years old when he began turning the television up as loud as he could. As soon as his mother noticed, she knew he was hard of hearing. She was not surprised.

She was deaf and so was her mother. Three of Woods’ uncles were also deaf.

By third grade, he was wearing hearing aids and attending speech classes.

His mom never allowed him to use his hearing loss as a hindrance. Woods was in all regular classes in school. Other than having to sit in front of the class, he was taught just like evPhoto by Kathleen Ortiz eryone else.

“My mom is probably the hardest working ASL teacher explains a concept to students in his ASL I class. Woods did not learn sign language until he person I’ve ever met,” Woods said. “She has started college at Gallaudet University. He majored in English and then received his master’s from Lamar an eighth grade education; but with me and my University in deaf studies. siblings, she pushed us to go get our education at the highest level.”

Woods did just that. He got his Bachelor’s ing continued to deteriorate. we do everything a hearing family does.” degree from Gallaudet University in English “I’m resigned to the fact that one day I will lose There are everyday challenges, though. Woods and his Masters degree from Lamar Universi- what residual hearing I have left,” Woods said. must be constantly aware of what is happening ty in deaf studies. He also played football and “My mother just lost hers not too long ago, and so he does not miss emergency situations, like basketball at Gallaudet, a she just had surgery for a fire alarms. Sign language interpreters and private university for the cochlear implant. For her closed captioning are utilized during some faceducation of the deaf and I understand the decision ulty meetings. hard of hearing in Washto do it. Her primary lanOn a day-to-day basis, he is on his own ington, D.C. guage is spoken English. though, which is one reason he hopes his stuNow, the father of six As for me, I have the sign dents can continue on to help deaf people who teaches American Sign abilities and am able to may need it.

Language, hoping to live without it.

“It’s a language that can be used even later spread the language and “On the other hand, in life,” Woods said. “I always tell my students inspire acceptance of othI’d miss listening to music that at some point they will run into or meet a ers at Kingwood Park. and dancing in the car dai- deaf person. Anywhere. It could be at the store, “ASL is such a unique ly as I drive.” a restaurant, something. They may be at a point language people of all Of Woods’ six kids, only where they need to sign. What little skills they ages can learn and utilize the two oldest are hard of may have from taking ASL in high school, it in their everyday lives,” hearing. Woods’ wife Ash- may be an opportunity to use it.”

Woods said. “It’s a lanley Greene is also deaf.

His main lesson is acceptance. He is autoguage that can capture - American Sign Language She is a deaf education matically thought of as different, especially in a the imagination if you teacher Darnell Woods teacher at Atascocita High hearing environment. He wants his students to take advantage of all it School. She lost her hear- be prepared to meet a deaf person and be achas to offer.” ing at age 3 after contract- cepting of all people.

Woods wasn’t exposed to American Sign ing bacterial meningitis.

“I want you to be accepting of me; and, then Language until his freshman year at Gallaudet.

“We’re louder,” Greene said. “Other than vice versa, I’m going to be accepting of you His family relied entirely on hearing aids while that, nothing’s different. Just like hearing par- too,” Woods said. he grew up in Washington, D.C. Learning sign ents, we get on the kids to do their homework language proved to be very helpful as his hear- and get off their phones. We go on vacations,

"I’m resigned to the fact that one day I will lose what residual hearing I have left. ... I have the sign abilities and am able to live without it. On the other hand, I’d miss listening to music and dancing in the car.”

PLEASE Place your right hand flat on your chest and move it in a circular motion.

Stephen Wilson, 11

SORRY Sign ‘a’ by forming a fist with your thumb on the outside on your right hand and move it around your chest clockwise

Jenna Leith, 10

I LOVE YOU

Lauren Ives, 11

feature

Kingwood Park Times

March 2019

5

HUMANS OF KPARK

Everyone has a story. This is the fourth installment of an ongoing series.

See more Humans of KPARK stories at kptimes.com.

Photo by Katey Searcy

Stewart finds purpose in future

Photo by Taylor Rankin

Bujnoch focuses on military career ahead Around 35 students join ROTC their freshman year, but only about 10 percent of students choose to go to the military. Senior Ryan Bujnoch is in that 10 percent.

College will come first, however. On March 15, Bujnoch said he received a full ride scholarship for ROTC at the University of Houston.

“I hope to major in chemistry (at UH),” he said. “Afterward, I’ll be an officer in the Air Force, which is like a leader role and I hope to make military my career.”

Ryan joined ROTC his freshman year and never regretted it. He said ROTC prepares students for life in and out of the military.

“You can learn things like balancing checks and taking out loans, also learn about the history and planes,” Bujnoch said. “Ever since I was a little kid I always liked the military stuff.”

He has found much success in the system.

He is currently a Vice Core Commander in the program. Last year, Bujnoch and his friend Kyle Paulson entered two contests and won.

“We were doing a two-man routine with the

rifle - spinning and doing more advanced stuff than usual,” Bujnoch said. “ We competed and won first place both times.”

While in the Air Force, Bujnoch hopes to fly and travel new places.

“If I’m a pilot, I’d be looking forward to flying the most,” he said. “It would be cool to see the world and to be stationed in Germany or South Korea.”

Being in the military does not run in the family but they still have been very supportive of his decision.

“My family likes my choice,” Bujnoch said.

“They think that the military is a great thing and a good option to go into.”

Major crises can happen being in the military, but Bujnoch said he is ready.

“You could be in South Korea and your base gets invaded, but I’ve always had this respect for those who served and I look up to them,” Bujnoch said. “After joining ROTC it helped me realize that is what I want to do.”

- Taylor Rankin

Mexico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Columbia, Zimbabwe and more - senior Lane Stewart has seen it all.

Stewart has been going on mission trips for seven years. His passion for the job was sparked by his first trip in sixth grade when his father took him on a mission trip to Colombia. The conditions they lived in, adults and children alike, is what truly got to him. He has since been on 17 trips to 15 different countries.

“It really hit me hard,” Stewart said, “seeing people who truly have nothing, instead of the people in the U.S. who basically have anything they could want in their lives.”

Ever since then, he’s been going around the world helping those in need with the help of his father and Albert Allen, the head of the International Cooperating Ministries. The things he does vary from place to place. For example, he built homes in Guatemala, cultivated relationships with those in communities in South America and comforted the fearful in Africa.

With these missions come dangers.

There are places in which Americans are disliked, which has sometimes made things worrisome for Stewart. Simply taking public transportation and walking down the road can cause stress in certain situations. Despite the challenges, Stewart is not deterred.

He plans on becoming a missionary after high school. He has his eyes set on Baylor, which offers the Baylor 2 program.

This means that as long as he majors or minors in religion, he will automatically get into a seminary program at Baylor. In six years, he’ll have his masters in divinity and his MBA. His goal is to double major in both religion and finance so that he can get his degree and obtain his dream job.

Stewart hopes to start a community center located in south Central America.

There, he wants to set up after-school programs to help the children.

“It gives me an actual thing that I would like to do in the future, something that I would like to strive to do,” he said. “It’s giving me a purpose in life.”

- Rafael Boecher

Traveling in junior’s DNA At only 17 years old, junior David Sarmiento has lived in eight countries: Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Peru, USA, Brazil, Canada and Argentina. He said his mom doesn’t like to stay in one place very long. She likes to travel just like her son.

“I been living here for six months; and, from my experience, I can tell that the people around here are really nice. I like it here,” Sarmiento said.

He said the only challenge he has to go through every time he moves is getting a new house. In the U.S., he has also had to learn English.

“I have always liked to play soccer,” Sarmiento said. “In all the countries I have been to, this is the place where I enjoy playing soccer the most because in other countries they play soccer just for passion, but here it is more professional. I like taking stuff serious.”

Even though moving so frequently has so many disadvantages, Sarmiento, his mom and brother keep doing what they like to do.

“Every time we move it’s like I’m born again because we have to restart our lives: new house, new neighborhood, new place, new

Photo by Maria Landy Garcia

Harris creates happiness with art Photo by Maria Landy Garcia

everything,” he said. “There is a positive side; and that positive side is that you learn about the world, people and their traditions. You gain a lot of knowledge, and I like learning. It makes me a better person, and it also makes me stronger because every time we move I have to adapt to that new place. I think I’m gonna keep traveling the world until I die.”

- By Maria Landy Garcia

Lisette Harris’ passion for art is just like any aspiring artist who has plans for the future; however, the senior’s career choice is not what many would guess Her commitment and love for art is unmatched by many. She spends two to three hours on art everyday, depending on her job and weekends. She also takes three art classes: drawing, painting and AP art, acting as a sort of relief from the world and a place she can unwind, relax and feel at ease.

“It just makes me really happy,” Harris said.

“It’s definitely something that helps me relieve stress. If I’m feeling a certain way and I draw for awhile, then I’ll feel better afterwards.”

Even with her dedication to art she doesn’t

plan on continuing it as her future career. Her ultimate goal is to be a national park ranger, which she’s also very passionate about.

“I would go into a career in art but it’s kind of a scary and risky thing to go into,” Harris said.

She’ll still continue art and maybe sell drawings but only as a freelancer.

“Ideally, if I could I would have a job with art,” Harris said. “I would if I made enough money and I knew I was going to be successful in it, but that’s not something that I can be completely sure of so I haven’t really decided to go into that kind of thing. But I might change my mind in the future.”

- By Natalie Mount

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feature

March 2019

Kingwood Park Times

How well do you know Kingwood Park?

ACROSS 5. Who is the record holder for most wins in a wrestling season with 47?

8. News website that allows students to see the school newspaper online.

10. Who teaches in room 1105?

12. What class does Ben Fahnders teach?

16. Who was the first principal of Kingwood Park High School?

17. What teacher is also a real estate agent?

20. Website Kingwood Park uses to put assignments/quizzes online.

22. Who is the superintendent?

DOWN 1. The Panther Pals promote friendship and _________ at Kingwood Park.

2. Who is this year’s mascot?

3. Ronnie and Sheila _______ contributed to the Panther in the commons.

4. How many house offices are there?

6. What’s the name of the Spanish teacher who only teaches pre-AP and AP classes?

7. Where is the black panther located?

9. What is the name of our school’s mascot?

11. The announcements end with a _____ of the day.

13. What is the theme of band this year?

14. Who is the only teacher to be awarded Teacher of the Year twice?

15. What month is prom held in?

18. What is required to be worn at all times during school hours?

19. Who is the principal at Kingwood Park?

21. What is Glenn Taylor’s fifth period class?

GAME REVIEWS While many of the online games students like to play have been blocked by the district, there are still some available for when free time hits during Flex Hour. Here is just a glimpse at a few.

WATERGIRL AND FIREBOY

TIC TAC TOE

Watergirl and Fireboy is a game intended for two players but works just fine with one, considering you only use one keyboard. You get through the levels by controlling the characters, Watergirl and Fireboy, and using their respective abilities to solve certain puzzles.

This game has been a student favorite, and it’s likely that if you went to a public elementary school, you’ve seen others play (or even played it yourself) after finishing their work in computer labs. It can be a little confusing to control both characters at once, but it’s a breeze once you get used to it.

- Rafael Boecher

FLAPPY BIRD Flappy bird is an addictive game that you can find on google. You should play this game because it passes time and makes you want to keep playing every time you set a high score. This game can be very competitive if you race with your other friends on different computers. Even though this game is lots of fun, it can be known for being very rage inducing. Over time, playing flappy bird will help you become better at the game in general.

- Brendan Lane

RUN 2 Run 2 is a platformer game with complex levels that requires a lot of concentration and good memory. Each level is unique and progressively more difficult as you continue on. Your goal is to run from platform to platform, avoid falling, get the bonus point and finish the level.

If you’re looking for a game that requires some skill and quick thinking, definitely check this one out.

- Rafael Boecher

THE WORLD’S HARDEST GAME The title itself should give you a broad idea of the difficulty of such work.

It’s perhaps the best example of what AP Chemistry would look like if it was meant to be entertaining. The game follows a simple mechanic, you move the cursor with the arrows and try to stay alive while moving across 30 EXTREMELY difficult levels.

Adrenaline can pump from 0-100 in seconds, nevertheless It synchronizes both cognitive functions as well as motor skills, as you need to come up with a strategy and be skilled enough to implement it. The difficulty is rewarded with a high satisfaction followed by countless failed attempts.

- Gerald Merino Aguilar

Feature

Kingwood Park Times

March 2019

Bullying hits home

What is your advice to someone being Some students find relief from bullying at KPHS bullied?

by Sara Geiger

Staff Writer

"I’ve been bullied before. You need to develop a backbone; and if it’s too hard, there’s people you can go to.”

-Abbrianna Reed, 12

"Find someone that you trust to talk to, so you don’t feel alone. If you don’t have anyone, you can go talk to your consular.”

-Dane Eastman, 12

"Always tell an adult.

Never hide it.”

- Katia Futter, 10

One in 3 students have been bullied; however, only 20 percent of students in grades 9-12 have reported it, according to StopBullying.gov.

Kingwood Park is home to a variety of students from different backgrounds.

Many students have been victims of bullying at some point in their lives, like senior Elizabeth Jinks and junior Ashley Christoph.

Jinks said she believes her experience with bullying has made her stronger.

Since coming to Kingwood Park, Jinks said she has not been bullied and her grades have improved drastically.

She’s more outgoing and open to making new friends. Jinks said the choir played a key role in her success. “[The choir] is like a big family,” Jinks said.

Christoph said she is not bullied at Kingwood Park either. The students and teachers are kind to her and embrace her talents.

Christoph was able to take part in the Best Buddies talent show last semester.

“I got a lot of people telling me that my music is really good,” Christoph -Ashley Christoph, 11 said. “I thought, ‘I am pretty neat.’”

Jinks and Christoph said they were victims of bullying at previous schools and both students say they have found relief at Kingwood Park.

Before receiving a life-changing surgery, Christoph was visually impaired.

She also suffers from Stickler’s Syndrome, which is a condition involving a lack of the collagen that keeps her joints together. According to StopBullying. gov, “Young people who are perceived

“Shout until you’re heard. Seek support and have someone to fall back on when you need it.”

Survey Says Results from a survey done of 266 students in grades 9-12 at Kingwood Park.

44%

of Kingwood Park students say they have been bullied or someone they know has been a victim of bullying.

1 in 4

students admit to bullying others either.

girls

Photo by Carissa Haengsen

Students put their arms around each other at a February pep rally as they sing the school song. Many students have found their niche at Kingwood Park. as different from their peers are often at risk for being bullied.”

“If they can see the disability, you’re an easy target,” Christoph said.

Gina Sanchez is a support services counselor who aids students who are struggling with different issues. She said that Kingwood Park has a variety of resources for students who need them, such as the other counselors and the nurse. Sanchez meets one-on-one with students to talk about what they may have experienced. Bringing down anxiety while rebuilding social skills is key, she said.

“I know that the emotional and social part is super important for students to be successful,” Sanchez said.

Christoph wants more people to be aware of the resources available in the school to combat bullying. She said the counselors are a good place to start when looking for help. Her best advice to victims of bullying would be to speak up as soon as possible. Christoph said the worst mistake she’s made was keeping silent when she was hurting.

“Shout until you’re heard,” Christoph said. “Seek support and have someone to fall back on when you need it.”

More fall victim to bullying than boys in high school.

Bullying occurs more in the

gym, cafeteria and classroom

than any other place.

How would you rank the student body in the following areas?

Results from a survey done of 266 students in grades 9-12 at Kingwood Park.

Anti-sexist Anti-racist LGBTQ Friendly Politically unbiased "Go to any of our counselors or principals because they will stop anything.”

-Michael Greco, 11

7

Disability-accommodating Accepting of religious beliefs Respectful Friendly

Hostile

Not Good

Could Be Better

Good

Very Good

Best I’ve Seen

8

feat

March 2019

SHELBY PAYNE

Memories help lift Stantons durin STANTON, Continued from page 1

Photo contributed by Julie Payne

Shelby Payne graduated from medical school with a Doctorate of Medicine from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in June.

No shortcuts in journey to practice medicine

by Vallery King Staff Writer Dr. Shelby Payne graduated from med school last June and is now working as a resident physician at Family Medicine Clinic Island West, which is part of the The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

“I really enjoy all the history of the island, festivals and fishing opportunities,” said Dr. Payne, a 2010 graduate of Kingwood Park and the first alum to become a doctor. “Galveston also has some of the best birdwatching in the country.”

Payne was a state finalist on the UIL Academic Team and a violinist in orchestra while in high school. She said she really enjoyed the teachers and being in the competitions and challenging herself to go farther.

“Overall, I just remember a time of much more social interaction,” said Dr. Payne, whose mom Julie Payne still teaches math at Kingwood Park. “Cell Phones were banned and confiscated, and most people didn’t own them anyway. Instead, we passed notes with handwritten words and drawings and spent time together in real life.”

Payne is always up to try new things and likes a challenge. In her free time she does anything to have fun and get her mind off of work. It can be hard sometimes to mingle with others because she is most often surrounded by other doctors who are busy as well.

“One of my favorite things in life is learning new skills, so I have lots of hobbies,” she said. “Even if I don’t have much time to do them, I find something of new interest then watch everything I can on YouTube.”

Mathematics and science have always been an interest to Payne.

Payne’s interest in biology and medicine started in Kristen Lynam’s freshman biology. She wanted to use her knowledge to empower people and improve lives, and she knew she didn’t want to sit at a computer all day; even though she thoroughly enjoyed computer programming and mathematics.

“I still spend most of my time in front of a computer writing notes, but at least there is a patient in the room to talk to,” Dr. Payne said.

Since graduating from Kingwood Park in 2010, Payne received her Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Stephen F. Austin University and a Doctorate of Medicine from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Payne is now currently in the middle of residency training.

“She’s very serious about what she does, but she’s also aware that she doesn’t know it all yet,” said her mom Julie Payne.

Payne said her parents were and still are her biggest supporters as she deals with the everyday challenges of a stressful career.

“I think about quitting daily,” she said. “Too honest? My job is 80 percent staring at a screen and documenting, and I usually take work home with me. It’s so much administrative paperwork: documenting to get insurance to pay, documenting to keep the lawyers away. Sometimes you help people or save lives, but you mostly do what everyone else in the world does: stare at a screen and type.”

Becoming a doctor often means four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school and then three to 10 years of residency training. By the end of training, doctors are often in their 30s and Payne said the medical school debt often tops $250,000.

Payne is still adjusting to the long hours and fitting in time for fun and all of her hobbies. Her mom tries to remind her it will all work out.

“I want her not to worry about her future as far as she wants to meet someone and have that family. I believe it’s just going to happen in its own time,” Mrs. Payne said.

His family converted their Kingwood home into a mini hospital with specialized equipment and staff. With a tracheostomy, daily respiratory therapy and a PEG tube for feeding, Joseph’s schedule and medical needs are intricate.

For two years after the accident, the Stantons still received mail from Ivy League universities and other schools recruiting Joseph.

Terri saved them all in her desk.

She does what she can now to continue to stimulate Joseph’s mind, getting him out of the home as often as they can. He attended his younger sister’s basketball games at Rice University as well as weddings and field trips to ships and beaches. Activities are also organized at home to keep him busy.

“We don’t know another brain injury survivor that has even half as much brain damage as Joseph has but is still living,” Terri said.

“The longest one we’ve ever heard of was seven years.”

Joseph’s favorite caregiver arguably was also his most unlikely.

When they were younger, Joseph and his older sister Audrea rarely got along. They butted heads often as the two middle children.

Audrea was visiting from Belmont University the night of Joseph’s accident. He invited her to go longboarding with him, but she passed. As soon as she arrived at Memorial Hermann that night, however, she became Joseph’s fiercest advocate.

“I remember just like spending all day looking up what normal numbers were for heart rate, intracranial pressures, and figuring out what all the machines were attached to him,” Audrea said. “I had seen some nurses who didn’t give Joseph the best care, and I had to stand up and be his voice for him. It took a few years to get there, but Joseph is the only reason I left the music industry to pursue nursing.”

Two months before graduating from Belmont University in - Audrea Stanton on her music business, Audrea called younger brother Joseph her mom and told her that she was meant to be a nurse. The impact of Joseph’s accident had changed her entire perspective on her own life.

Her mom insisted she finish her original plan, but Audrea quickly went back and graduated from Belmont again. Finally, she was a nurse. For her internship, she took care of her brother. For five months, she learned his routine and worked with him daily.

She learned how much Joseph still understands despite his inability to express himself.

“While he can’t communicate with us, he is still there and understands everything,” Audrea said. “He reacts and feels emotion just like you and I. He is no empty shell.”

Audrea said emotion overcame Joseph when he was told the family’s Great Dane puppy was being put to sleep after developing aggressive cancer in her face. Immediately after hearing the news, tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Joseph has a special ability to feel our pain and suffering with us,” Audrea said.

Joseph has spoken only one true word since the incident: Au-

"While he can’t communicate with us, he is still there and understands everything. He reacts and feels emotions just like you and I. He is no empty shell."

Terri Stanton laughs with close family friend Danielle Luhrs and Joesph a loved theme days and dressing up. Joseph, who just turned 25, was not ex after falling from his longboard in June of 2010. drea. She said that hearing him say her name made her feel as if he was communicating to her that he trusted her. Although Joseph was not able to walk or talk at her wedding, the family is praying he will be do so by his younger sister Gabrielle’s wedding in November. The family is constantly looking at various treatments that could help Joseph. They also look at trials done abroad.

For now, they enjoy the little moments with Joseph. It has been almost a year since he had to be hospitalized. He communicates with his eyes. He lets his family know when he’s bored by shutting his eyes while they’re speaking. He has a red button on the side of his wheelchair that says catch phrases like, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Joseph blinks his eyes once for “yes” and multiple times for “no.”

On good days, he answers the questions his family poses. Terri Stanton said the communication is sporadic, however. Sometimes weeks can go by with no definite responses from Joseph.

During those rougher weeks, his family gets by with funny memories from when he was young.

They remember the time he went to a swim meet in Florida and used all his spending money on gifts for his parents and three sisters.

His mom still remembers him getting in trouble in elementary school for using a safety pin to try to pierce a classmate’s ear. Joseph told his mom the kid had asked him to do it. She also laughs about the time he shaved his head before the state swim meet without telling her.

On good days, like his 25th birthday party, his family is able to make new memories. His eyes were wide open when his mom and a family friend showed him a photo of him dressed up at camp as a little kid. They fed him some icing off the cake. They took new

Entire Powell family contributes to Cheers POWELL, Continued from page 1 Most people apply for Shark Tank three or four times before they even get considered for a spot on the show. Cheers was accepted on its first try. About 30,000-50,000 companies apply each year and less than 200 actually make it onto the TV show.

“If you do the math, it’s about 25 times harder to get onto Shark Tank than it is to get into Princeton,” Brooks Powell said.

Both of Brooks’ parents, Beth and Gene Powell, and his wife, Shelby Powell, all now work for Cheers. Beth and Gene Powell manage fulfillment for the company while Shelby Powell manages the company’s advertising and design.

“We are both so lucky to be able to work together everyday and build/grow a company together,” said Shelby, whose maiden name is Ogletree. “Not many couples have the ability to do that!”

Shelby and Brooks first connected in their fourth period freshman English class at Kingwood Park. They were crowned Homecoming king and queen their senior year and finally got married after seven years of dating.

“We just recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary and our 10-year anniversary from when we became a couple,” said Brooks Powell. “So yes... sometimes high school sweethearts do blossom into marriage!”

Brooks’ father said his son has become a great businessperson since high school. Brooks is very appreciative of the support of his wife and parents throughout his business journey. He credits much of his success to his former teachers and coaches at Kingwood Park.

“Teachers should really be seen like soldiers,” Brooks said.

“They’re volunteering their life to the betterment of the nation and the next generation. They’re critical to the future of the nation.”

Not only did Brooks win the 50 free state swimming title three years in a row while at Kingwood Park, he also finished ranked No. 11 in his class of 425. He said he would have been valedictorian if his freshman year could have been dropped from his GPA. His grades helped him get into Princeton, and he said his swimming skills were the “icing on the cake.” He credits Kingwood Park swim coach Greg McLain for much of that success and said McLain is one of the most successful people he has ever met.

“My sophomore year we actually won the state championship by so much that we could have left the meet halfway through and still won,” Brooks said. “We had sealed the championship before even half the events were finished.”

Brooks went on to swim for two years on Princeton’s varsity swim team. In a relay his freshman year, he broke the elusive 20 second mark in the 50-yard freestyle.

Considering Brooks’ devout passion for swimming, most would now be surprised to hear that he has found a new love for golf.

“Other than the company, Brooks lives and breathes golf,” Shelby said. “So if he isn’t thinking about the company and the next big steps to take… he is probably thinking about how he can improve his golf swing.”

Whether in the classroom, in the pool, at the office or even at the golf club, Brooks Powell has always been extremely passionate and driven about the things he takes on. For the future, he plans to continue growing and building his business. Specifically, he’d love to be a $100 million-plus revenue business within the next few years.

That’s an achievement less than 1 out of about 1,000 companies ever achieve, Brooks said. ‘“I wouldn’t say that I’m ‘successful’ yet,” Brooks Powell said. “To use a golf analogy... I’d say I’ve hit a few great shots, but I haven’t sunk the putt yet. I’m still a long ways off.”

ture

Kingwood Park Times

9

ng rough weeks

BARRETT JOHANSEN Photo by Kathleen Ortiz

as they look at an old picture of Joseph dressed up at summer camp. He xpected to make it through the night after suffering a traumatic brain injury

Helmet safety important for Stantons When Kingwood Park receptionist Criss Daspit, a close friend of the Stanton family, sees students drop off their bikes or skateboards in the front office in the mornings for safe keeping, she looks to be sure they have helmets. She notices if they don’t and uses it to teach them a lesson about former student Joseph Stanton.

“Have you guys heard of Joseph Stanton?” Daspit says. “Go over there on that wall and see what he used to be.”

After that, Daspit scans her phone for a recent photo to show them.

When students say they can’t afford a helmet, Daspit calls the Stantons.

Terri Stanton, Joseph’s mom, always offers to help.

Stanton wasn’t wearing a helmet when he fell in 2010 and suffered a traumatic brain injury while on his longboard.

His family and their friends have worked since the accident to help raise more awareness about helmet safety.

“The most upsetting part for us is when we see a family out riding their bikes together and at least the kids have helmets on, but then the parents won’t have helmets on,” Terri Stanton said. “It’s like, what do you think?

Only the kids fall off their bikes?” photos and captured memories of a birthday many thought he’d never see.

“There’s that memory of living a great life,” Terri Stanton said.

“Your life is wonderful, everybody’s happy, you don’t really have many challenges out of your normal day to day. And in the blink of an eye, your entire life and world can change forever.”

Photo by Sara Geiger

Former graduate Barrett Johansen visits the natatorium at Kingwood Park in the fall. Johansen was a state champion swimmer during high school and his name remains on the record board three times, including the 200 individual medley with a record time of 1:56.38.

Johansen finds home in Coast Guard

by Trinity Curl Staff Writer

Photo from 2011-2012 yearbook

Brooks Powell and Shelby Ogletree were crowned homecoming king and queen in 2012. Now, they are married and run a business together.

The deep blue water shines bright as the sun sits in the afternoon sky. The wind carries the salty breeze. The waves crash against the boat as it sways back and forth. A boat full of hardworking people maintain their positions.

“I have the lives of 12 people in my hands and I have to answer for everything,” said Barrett Johansen, a commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Stingray.

Johansen, a 2010 graduate, was a state champion swimmer for the Panthers. During Johansen’s sophomore year at the 5A State Meet, a scout for the Naval Academy was there.

“I got a letter after that, one from the Naval Academy, saying, ‘Hey, we are interested in you and your times look pretty good. If you approve, we’ll look at accepting you,’’’ Johansen said.

For the first time, Johansen started looking into the Naval Academy and doing Navy ROTC in college. One day in physics class, Johansen’s teacher James Brown asked the class where they wanted to go to college. When Brown heard Johansen wanted to go to the Naval Academy, Brown suggested he also look into the United States Coast Guard.

“The only thing I knew about the Coast Guard was Ashton Kutcher (from the 2006 movie The Guardian) and helicopters and saving lives and guarding,” Johansen said.

Johansen proceeded to research the Coast Guard and their mission. He became very interested. With just a 16-percent acceptance

rate and one of only five federal service academies in the United States, Johansen enrolled at the Coast Guard Academy after graduating high school.

“That whole year was kind of very military bearing,” Johansen said. “It’s pretty intense.”

After graduating from the Coast Guard Academy, Johansen was assigned to a new boat. Soon after Johansen and his crew members were assigned to a missing person case. A fisherman and his nephew got lost while fishing. Johansen found the nephew and returned him to his parents. They were unable to find the fisherman, but the crew did return their boat to the fisherman’s wife.

“You’re the last hope for their loved one to come back to them,” Johansen said. “It’s tough [to not find someone]. I did get to bring the boat back and see her light up -- just that little glimmer.”

Looking for missing people isn’t all the Coast Guard does. They do homeland security, a lot of law enforcement, counter drugs, prevention, clean ducks, respond to hurricanes and more.

“It’s pretty cool seeing Colombian bam-bam -- you know, cocaine in its purest form,” Johansen said. “I’m talking like thousands of kilograms or thousands of pounds of just bales [of cocaine].”

Working in the Coast Guard takes a lot of responsibility and leadership to maintain a boat crew, especially as a commanding officer.

“I have to answer for everything on my boat.” Johansen said. “If something happens, it’s my fault. I have to take that responsibility.

That’s in the back of my head.”

10

Sports

March 2019

Kingwood Park Times

High-scoring squad looks to stay alive in postseason The return of senior Luke Tiedtke helped lift the Panthers to 18 wins in the regular season.

by Ava Lee Staff Writer With more than 90 goals scored in district play this season, the boys soccer team is breaking records and hoping to make history. Head coach Ryan Searle has high hopes for the team. With Luke Tiedtke, Kaden Banning and Jace Banning leading the offense, the boys are optimistic heading into the playoffs.

“The players have gotten better every game,” said Searle, whose team finished the regular season 18-2-2.

Tiedtke’s addition changed the team.

With 43 goals, his leadership skills and work ethic in practice have led the team to where they wanted to be. As a senior, he likes to help his teammates with the game plan and tries his best to stay positive. He said having good communication is key in the game. He wants to leave with a good mark for his last year at Kingwood Park, especially since it’s his last year playing soccer.

“I don’t want to do the whole sports in college thing,” Tiedtke said. “It’s too much. I want to study biology at UT, which is where I’m going.”

The team has started strong despite having only five seniors, two of whom start. They spent most of the season sharing first place in district with Caney Creek. The first matchup ended with a 2-2 tie. The second matchup ended in a 3-3 tie.

The Panthers are ranked at No. 32 in 5A, according to MaxPreps.

“We are a young team,” Searle said.

“We have only five seniors this year out of 22 players.”

Photo by Dakota Mercer

Junior Jakob Rios slide tackles a Willis defender to give Kingwood Park back control of the ball. The boys scored more goals than anyone in the district this season. With more than 90 goals, no other district opponent scored more than 70.

Photo by Dakota Mercer

Kaden Banning and senior Luke Tiedtke celebrate after Banning scores his first goal against Willis in the second half. Banning said he feels accomplished after scoring because he worked so hard to put the ball in the corner of the net.

It took awhile for players to get used to new teammates and to learn how to play together. They graduated a number of seniors last year and Tiedtke returned.

“This will be my third year playing varsity, because last year I played for DA, which is a development academy,

and I wasn’t allowed to play in high school as well,” Tiedtke said.

With facing challenging teams like Caney Creek and Willis, the competition was tough. Practicing three days a week, with games on the other two days, the stress of the games was high.

Keeping the players on their toes and

remaining in a good mindset were key components to their success.

“Our team strengths are the depth and talent we have this year,” Searle said. “We do need to work on our focus and mental game. We can compete against anyone in this state.”

Following Tiedtke’s lead, Jace and Kaden Banning also helped carry the team with their brotherly bond. At the start of the season, they lacked the effort and mindset to score, Searle said. They picked it up quickly as the season progressed, though. With Jace’s goal total at 10 and Kaden’s at 14, the Bannings have helped the team out dramatically.

“I wasn’t starting at first, so I was

working on getting up there,” Jace Banning said. “Now I’m starting and I’ve been improving on scoring.”

The Panthers have outscored opponents 94-29. Only three other teams ranked in the top 30 of 5A have scored more goals than the Panthers’ 94. As the playoffs near, the boys hope to keep adding goals and wins to their totals.

“We have hit a few bumps along the way, which is always expected with such a long season,” Searle said.

“Overall though, the season has gone exceptionally well.”

Toughness lifts girls to district champions

by Jayme Wilkey Staff Writer With a district title already secure, the girls soccer team hopes last year’s state semifinal appearance was just the beginning. A strong group of upperclassmen have set the tone throughout the year with their toughness and tenacity. The underclassmen have followed their lead.

“There are definitely certain players that like to be more physical than others,” junior midfielder Leah Hoyt said. “We just want the ball; and if that means having to shove a little ...

I don’t know how to say it. We don’t like fouling other teams because we obviously try not to foul, but … if a girl needs to go on the ground then it will happen.”

They use toughness and aggressiveness as advantages against other teams. The seniors set the tone early with that attitude, especially co-captain Taylor DeBrosky. She works hard to push her teammates to play well on the field, which also forces her to constantly push herself.

“I think it is important to know that we are physical,” DeBrosky said. “We know when to be physical. We are never erratic with our moves. Every play, and every hit is very thought out.

Being physical allows you to keep the ball, and keeping the ball helps you score.”

Photo by Jayme Wilkey

Senior Bella Salazar wins a ball against Willis on Senior Night on March 20.

Salazar has signed to play soccer in college at the University of the Ozarks.

They will need that aggressiveness when the playoffs start March 29.

The Panthers will play Brenham at Montgomery High School at 7 p.m.

Kingwood Park ranked No. 12 in 5A going into the playoffs, according MaxPreps. Last year, the team reached the state tournament. Coach Jess White said this year’s team is a more complete team offensively and defensively.

“Their ability and desire to work together and for each other makes it a lot easier for them to have success,” White said. “Some teams are just not as aggressive as we are. It is something we encourage. Some girls it comes by naturally. Others kind of grow into that

Photo by Jayme Wilkey

Junior Leah Hoyt works to get around a defender so she can cross the ball against Willis. The Panthers won the game 8-1. They finished the season undefeated in district play. expectation. They are very physical, and it is very fun to watch.”

Returning to state will be no easy task. Leading scorer Allie Byrd, who has 25 goals this season, will be leaned on in the postseason. DeBrosky leads the team with 18 assists.

The team’s only loss this season was in a tournament on Jan. 12 against Pflugerville. After an 8-1 victory over

Willis on March 20, the team had tallied 92 goals and allowed only 13.

“We’re always the better team with our feet,” senior Bella Salazar said.

On top of all of that, they are also a close-knit squad. They have team dinners every Thursday night and do different activities throughout the year.

The seniors hope all of the team-bonding activities help as the competition

gets tougher in the upcoming weeks.

“I think not only are we very skilled, but we are also all friends,” senior Makenna Florez said. “When we are put in positions where we are behind or not winning at the moment, we don’t turn against each other. We like to raise each other up so we can be the very best we can be.”

Kingwood Park Times

sports

March 2019

11

Macapaz tries to keep winning tradition After taking over for coach Wade Bartels, coach John Macapaz wants to continue team’s winning ways.

by Nick Farace Editor-In-Chief

Photo by Daniela Lugo Castro

During fifth period tennis, new coach John Macapaz works to set up a drill he wants to work on. Macapaz took over for long-time coach Wade Bartels when he retired in January.

Coach John Macapaz works on the grip with Kate Pena during fifth period class.

Tennis coach John Macapaz had never stepped foot on a tennis court until he was 23. While working at MacArthur High School, Macapaz became involved with the school’s tennis team, and immediately found an interest in the sport.

A few years later, Macapaz, or Mac, was offered a job at Kingwood Park as a tennis coach. He immediately jumped on the offer.

“The opportunity fell into my lap, it just happened,” Macapaz said.

Former tennis coach Wade Bartels brought Macapaz in to be his successor, and Macapaz was thrilled.

“Bartels is my mentor and my idol, he’s the one who brought me here,” Macapaz said.

Macapaz’s history with Bartels began a few years ago when Macapaz coached for rival New Caney. The coaches talked and got to know each other well.

“When he found out I was looking for an opportunity, he brought me in here in hopes of taking over the program,” Macapaz said.

Bartels’ retirement meant a new era in a tennis program that had not know another head coach other than Bartels.

“Coach Bartels gave me a chance to play tennis despite never having played tennis before,” senior Huzaifa Faizan said.

Macapaz enjoyed his time working with Bartels and took every opportunity to pick at the storied coach’s brain. Having won 11 district titles,

Bartels had created a championship winning program.

“I loved every minute of it and I hate that it had to end,” Macapaz said. “It was the best semester of my career.”

Last summer, Macapaz was introduced to the team during tennis’ summer camp. He said the first day of school was an exciting time for him and the team.

“I had seen and scouted all the [Kingwood Park] kids before and knew them from summer camp,” he said. “It took time to adjust to the KP way, but I loved the process of getting to know the school and team.”

As spring gets into full swing, the tennis looks to make a splash in an all new district.

“The principles of coaching and the expectations are the same, my main goal is to get the kids to love the sport,” Macapaz said.

Macapaz faces a few new challenges this semester, including a completely new district and a very young team.

Freshman Reece Cavallo is one of the tennis players that Bartels added to the team shortly before he retired.

Cavallo says Macapaz is the reason he loves the game so much “Coach Mac is great because he is super positive and is a really nice guy,” Cavallo said.

Macapaz said his number one goal is to create chemistry as the season progresses toward district and region. He wants the kids to be more confident in their play as well.

Bartels’ strong foundation has set up Macapaz and the tennis program for long tenure of success. Macapaz is thankful for the lessons learned from Bartels, but is excited to call the program his own and add his own twists to his it.

“I am taking what Bartels built, and adding my own flavor and spice to it,” Macapaz said.

Photo by Daniela Lugo Castro

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12

sports

March 2019

Kingwood Park Times

Golden trio surrounded by rivalry, love The Golden siblings show a little sibling rivalry never hurt anyone, as long as it is accompanied with support.

by Gabby Norman

Staff Writer

If there’s one thing the Golden siblings can’t agree on, it’s who would win in a race. They all know that John, a junior and the oldest of the three at Kingwood Park, would come in first, but the potential 2nd and 3rd places cause quite a disagreement between sophomore Victoria and freshman Grant.

“A lot of people say my sister is the fastest one, but that’s not true,” John said. “I’ve got a decent lead on her, but she’s getting faster. Grant or Victoria? Oh my God, that would be so close.

If I had to bet money, I’d probably say Victoria.

She trains more and harder than Grant does, but I definitely think there should be a race. It has to happen.”

Despite their differing views, the Golden trio is extremely close not only with each other but with their older brother, Andrew, who is a freshman at San Jacinto College. The four have a dynamic and loving relationship.

“It’s crazy, we love each other; but we also fight a lot,” Victoria said. “That’s just because they’re boys and they’re crazy, but I love them all and we support each other all the time.”

All three of the Goldens are in track, and all three run the 100 relay, the 200 relay, and open 100. Grant also throws shot put and discus, Victoria does long and triple jump, and all three will occasionally run the open 200. For Grant and John, however, track is just a way to get faster for football. For Victoria, it’s much more.

When she was in 6th grade, her social studies teacher, who also happened to coach track, saw Victoria run at field day. The coach immediately asked Victoria to join track.

“She thought I was fast,” Victoria said. “She convinced me to do it, and I’ve loved it ever since.

It’s something I believe I can do in college, so I train out of school, and I really work hard for it, I try as much as I can.”

Victoria is a Silver Star; and, as much as she loves dance, track is her passion. For the boys, their passion is evident - football. Grant and John provide each other with constant motivation to keep getting better.

“We are always competing, me and him,” Grant said. “I do everything I can to get stronger.

John squatted 285? Ok, I gotta do more than that. I’ll do 295. John power cleaned 215, I didn’t get that this time, I did 205. Him being stronger than me kinda pushes me to be better,

Photo by Gabby Norman

John, Grant and Victoria Golden compete in track and have already won a few medals. The three are extremely competitive in everything from sports to academics. They all have high hopes for track season. because I don’t care about beating freshmen, I care about beating my older brother. It’s kind of a huge deal to me.”

The siblings are constantly there for each other, whether it be providing advice or hyping each other up before a meet.

“We are [each other’s] biggest supporters there,” Victoria said. “We are screaming, we tell them to run as fast as they can. I’ve always tried to help them, too. I bring them Biofreeze if they are in pain, have a roller for them to use when they are sore. I always try to just give them advice if they need it and keep them calm before their race.”

No matter how close the siblings may be, Victoria is the one that both John and Grant feel that they can always talk to because she’s more agreeable and less stubborn than her brothers.

“Me and my brothers, it’s kinda like we’re competing for the manlihood in the family, trying to be the most dominant, and I don’t have to do that with my sister,” Grant said. “Victoria is the one that keeps us calm, she keeps us in check.”

The Goldens value spending time with each

other above all else. When they were younger, they fought all the time, but with increasing age comes increasing maturity. According to Grant, Andrew is the parental figure when their parents aren’t around, Victoria is the one that keeps everyone in line, and John is just a normal high school guy.

“My role… I’ll just say I’m the rule-breaker,” Grant said. “I’m the one who doesn’t follow the rules and tries to do what I want.”

Throughout competing for grades and sports, one thing is guaranteed to bring the Golden trio together - their faith.

“I know (my faith) helps me,” Victoria said.

“Before I race, you’ll see me on the side with my hands on my face because I’m always praying before I race or dance or anything. We go to church as much as we can, every Sunday. It helps me daily, helps me stay calm, helps me get through my day.”

Just as the siblings rely on God to protect them, they rely on one another as well. The boys are especially protective of Victoria, occasionally

controlling her romantic life because they don’t like seeing her hurt or sad.

“I’m really overprotective of my sister,” Grant said. “If we don’t like him, she’s not dating him.

If he’s a piece of crap guy, he doesn’t deserve her. The way he acts around his friends and the way he acts around his girlfriend are going to be totally different. I wanna know the real side of him because it will eventually come out and make her sad.”

Though the siblings excel at their respective sports, they remain insecure and have their own personal struggles.

“My biggest struggle could probably be working on myself, and being nicer to some people,” Grant said. “They gave us the number of students that kill themselves every year, and I went, ‘Well, I’m kinda mean to some people, and I don’t want to be that person that causes somebody to be one of those numbers.’ It’s kind of just a mental thing I have to work on, not to be so mean to some people.

“People say that when they see me in the hallway, they think of me as a mean guy, they don’t want to talk to me. If you get to know me, I can be nice, I’m not a jerk all the time. Just because you see me and I’ve got a stern face, if you actually talk to me and get to know me, I’m a really nice person. I think it’s the same for my brother. We both have that kinda face. He does [smile more]. I don’t even smile, I have a bad smile, so I don’t do it.”

Because the siblings are so close, the idea of one of them leaving can seem like a blessing and a curse. There is no doubt that the boys will miss each other, but they can’t wait for one of them to leave because they all share a room. The boys leaving will be hard, but perhaps the hardest person to let go will be Victoria.

“Victoria’s going to be hard,” Grant said. “When she leaves, that’s going to be harder, especially on Mom, because they’re really close. When John leaves, I’m kinda going to have to find someone stronger than me, so I have someone to compete against.”

Grant looks up to his siblings not as role models, but as people that have huge, influential parts in his life. Both Victoria’s and John’s ability to focus on what needs to be done is something he is proud of. “[Victoria] might look like just a Silver Star dancer that’s weak and a girly girl, but she’s probably stronger than half the boys in this school. I can’t even watch [her] dance sometimes, I get so nervous. I have to close my eyes because I don’t want her to screw up,” Grant said. “Watching them win, when they compete and win, it’s awesome.”

Events Explained...

Interviews and photos by Gabby Norman

Hurdles

Dontae Bynes, 10, competes in the 110 meter hurdles and takes Junior Brian Bleier throws the shot put at practice. In competitions, second place. Bynes also runs the 300 meter hurdles. the boys throw the 12 pound shot and the girls throw the 8 pound.

Kai Byrd, 11th Grade WHY I HURDLE: “[Track] just came to me. I love running. I did hurdles in middle school, and I thought it was fun.”

ADVICE: “When you’re running and getting ready to jump, make sure you stay low. Don’t jump too high, because the lower you jump, the more speed.

Just make sure your trail leg comes over the hurdle as fast as you can and that your lead leg snaps down.”

THE WORST THING: “If you jump too low, you clip it, and you land on your hand or something. It hasn’t happened to me: but if it did, I would just have to get right back up and keep going.”

Pole Vault

Discus/Shot Put

Sarah Dalby, 12th grade THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHOT PUT AND DISCUS: “Shot put requires a lot more brute strength, so it’s harder. Discus is more focused on technique, so it’s easier for me to improve in than shot put. It’s just faster to improve in.”

WHAT IT’S LIKE: “It’s very different from running. I feel like it’s more pressure because on the track you’re running with other people; but when you’re throwing shot or discus, everyone is watching you.”

THE HARDEST PART: “The release is the hardest part to get down because so many things can go wrong.”

THE BEST PART: “The throw where everything comes together because all of your hard work has paid off.”

Mason Boyd, 11, works on improving his skills at pole vault during practice.

Rik Hrishka, 11th Grade

WHY I DO POLE VAULT: “I just thought it was unique and different from the other field events, so I was like ‘Why not give it a shot?’ With pole vault, you can get to places, heights, that no one can get to. When you jump, everything slows down around you, and you’re mid air. It just feels amazing.”

ADVICE: “It’s going to be hard, but just have fun. Don’t take it too serious, don’t take it too lightly. Just have fun while you are doing it, and you will get there. The hardest part was getting upside down because I was really scared that if I got upside down and didn’t push through, I would land on my head, but I got over that. The easiest part is running because it’s simple, you just run. It’s amazing.”

THE BEST PART IS: “Right when you jump and you’re going up in the air. It just feels like time slows down and you’re chilling in mid air.”

sports

Kingwood Park Times

Take a closer look...

Hannah Wilburn POSITION: 2nd base

March 2019

With baseball and softball underway, here’s a glimpse of a few players to watch as the season continues.

Jackson Rodriguez POSITION: Pitcher

GRADE: Junior

GRADE: Junior

DESCRIBE YOUR TEAM: Perseverance because we all have one main goal. We all want to win. We all strive to be perfect.

STARTED PLAYING: When I was 2.

EARLIEST MEMORY: Probably playing t-ball

MEMORABLE GAME THIS SEASON; Willis because we had to win to stay in the high rankings of the district and we won 1-0.

MY TEAM IS: Very talented and hard working

FAVORITE MOMENT THIS SEASON: Why? Hitting my first high school homer in because I’d never done it before and I was finally stepping up.

FAVORITE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT: My Ghost bat because it’s the hottest bat out there right now.

13

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I would say beating College Station because they were supposed to be No. 1 in our area.

FAVORITE MEMORY IN A GAME: Pitching in Lake Creek FAVORITE EQUIPMENT: Glove

FAVORITE BALLPARK FOOD: Popcorn.

BEST PART OF SOFTBALL; Just being on the team in general because the game’s a game of failure and so everyone that lifts you and supports you. You know they’re always there for you.

FREE TIME: I normally go out and hit in my backyard.

SUPERSTITION: My hair always has to look the same. I do Dutch braids with bubbles in them.

FAVORITE MUSICIAN: Cardi B

MOST FUN PART: Winning HARDEST PART: I think baseball is a mental sport, you have to perform well mentally and physically for a long time.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Grey’s Anatomy FAVORITE MOVIE: The Greatest Showman

FAVORITE BALLPARK FOOD: Hamburger/Cheeseburger MY FREE TIME IS SPENT: Playing baseball or fishing FAVORITE TV SHOW: Baseball Tonight

Brooke Gainous

FAVORITE MOVIE: Moneyball FAVORITE SINGER/BAND: Cody Johnson

POSITION: Pitcher GRADE: Sophomore STARTED SOFTBALL: 3 years old MY TEAM: Well we have our ups and down but overall we have been getting along really well and understanding everyone and we have been just playing really good ball all around.

THIS MEMORABLE GAME THIS SEASON: (Last week), with runners on second and third, this batter that is on my (club) team was up. It was like a 2-2 count the whole time. She would foul off 10 balls and then I finally struck her out with a change-up and that stopped them from scoring and that kept us in the game.

FAVORITE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT: My glove and my mask. My glove because I have to catch the ball but my mask just in case a hard ball comes out at me and I don’t have time to react, because it will save me if I do get hit.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Grey’s Anatomy BEST PART OF SOFTBALL: Just getting to hangout with my friends and playing the sport I love.

Clay Sowell POSITION: Catcher GRADE: Senior STARTED PLAYING: When I was four at the YMCA HARDEST PART OF THE SPORT: Hitting the pitcher, because we are closer than baseball and we have to have a quicker reaction time. People think that softball is way easier than baseball, but I feel like it might be the same or harder.

FAVORITE BALLPARK FOOD: I always get candy after a game or something but I don’t really have one. It is just whatever I am craving at the time FREE TIME: Probably hangout with my friend and my sister or probably watch TV or YouTube or something.

POSITION: Catcher STARTED SOFTBALL: 5 years old

FAVORITE EQUIPMENT: Definitely my glove just because it’s new, and I named it Big Betty so I take really good care of it.

FREE TIME: I like to go outside and hangout with my friends and just do stuff. I hate sitting around. I always like being active

gang. It’s kind of funny.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Right now it’s Good Girls on Netflix; it’s like suburban moms rob a grocery store and then get involved with a

FAVORITE SINGER/BAND: Travis Scott.

My favorite song is “Yosemite.”

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Harry Potters. I like the second one the best.

POSITION: Shortstop GRADE: Sophomore

EARLIEST SOFTBALL MEMORY: Hitting my first home run in sixth grade because I had worked so hard to do it and then I did it.

STARTED PLAYING: I picked up the ball at 3, but became competitive at 5.

MY TEAM: We have a good team, a good mix of seniors and young people. We could go far.

THIS SEASON’S TEAM: We work well together because we’re very close and good friends and we know what we’re going to do with certain plays because we are so close.

FAVORITE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT: My glove because it fits my hand perfectly and I don’t like it when other people put their hands in it.

FAVORITE MEMORY IN A GAME: One game a few of the people who graduated last year came back and were in the dugout with us so it was kind of cool that they came back and were a part of it with us.

Matt King

GRADE: Junior

FAVORITE MOMENT THIS SEASON: When we went painting in College Station.

We played a game and we won and dominated, and it was fun to be with them and have fun without thinking about softball.

MY TEAM IS: I think we’re confident in each other and in ourselves and just excited for each other to play the game.

MOST FUN PART: Definitely hitting the baseball just because whenever you get a really good hit you can feel it immediately; and it’s fun to see the ball go far.

Abigayle Forrester

MOST MEMORABLE GAME THIS SEASON: Probably Lake Creek because we were so into it, and it was the best game where we all worked together and talked.

EARLIEST MEMORY: I think my first grand slam. Yeah, so the bases [were loaded] and I hit a home run. I was like 7 or 8.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Against Bellaire we were down by 11. I started with a home run and we scored 10-straight runs with two outs in the last inning HARDEST PART OF THE SPORT: It’s a game of failure. You’re not always going to get a hit, so you can’t be negative because it’s a game of failure. You have to pick yourself up.

FAVORITE BALLPARK FOOD: I like Snickers. It just boosts me up.

FREE TIME: Most of the time I’m either doing softball or hanging out with people on the softball team.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Grey’s Anatomy FAVORITE MOVIE: Everything, Everything

FAVORITE EQUIPMENT: My glove because I’m best at fielding so I try to take care of it the best I can.

MOST FUN PART: Just playing with your teammates and going against others.

HARDEST PART: Hitting because there’s a lot of things a pitcher can throw at you.

They can change speed and it takes good hand-eye coordination.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Quick Pitch, has all the baseball highlights, so I try to learn every night.

14

opinion

March 2019

POINT-COUNTERPOINT: NEW CALENDAR VS. OLD CALENDAR

Humble ISD

2018-19 Calendar 175 Instructional Days Students start Monday Aug. 20, and end Friday May 31 Teachers start Wednesday Aug. 8, and end Monday, June 3

July 2018 S

August 8-9, 13-17 October 9 January 7 February 18 (District comp day) April 22 (District comp day) June 3

Holidays

Independence Day ........................................ July 4, 2018 Labor Day ...................................................... September 3 Columbus Day ............................................... October 8 Thanksgiving ................................................. November 19-23 Winter Break .................................................. Dec. 21-Jan. 4 MLK Day ........................................................ January 21 Spring Break .................................................. March 11-15 Good Friday ................................................... April 19 Memorial Day ................................................ May 27 Independence Day ........................................ July 4, 2019

Middle School Exam Early Release Days are the last two days of each semester (Dec 19-20 and May 30-31). Additionally, AMS, CMS, KMS, RMS, TMS, WLMS and WMS have late arrival every Thursday except for Aug. 23, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 15, Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 21, April 11, and May 16. HMS and SMS have early dismissal each Friday except for Aug. 24, Sept. 7, Oct. 12, Nov. 16, Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 22, and May 17.

High School Exam Early Release Days are the last two days of each semester (Dec 19-20 and May 30-31). Additionally, high schools have late arrival every Thursday except for Aug. 23, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 15, Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 21, April 11, May 9, and May 23.

Campuses reserve the right to cancel or modify early release or late arrival schedules to accommodate special school activities.

Inclement Weather Days:

Feb. 18 and April 22 May become student school days if time is lost to bad weather.

Otherwise, will be Student Holiday/Professional Growth Workdays.

Holiday Semester Begins/Ends Professional Growth Day, Student Holiday Summer Closing Days

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Full Day Release/Early Release/Late Arrival Elementary Full-Day Release Days: Oct. 23, Nov. 26, Feb. 19, March 18 Elementary Early Release Days: Dec. 20, May 31

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1st Semester ......August 20 - December 20, 2018 (81 days) 2nd Semester .....January 8 - May 31, 2019 (94 days)

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Is the new Humble ISD calendar good?

Massive changes have been made to the school calendar. At first glance, it’s a relief: all of the week-long breaks you could dream of and more. After thinking a little harder about it, though, the flaws in this schedule are blindingly obvious and incredibly unfortunate.

The introduction of these new breaks is going to throw off grades of students. They will constantly have to get themselves focused back Into their schoolwork upon arriving back, which may get hard- BY RAFAEL BOECHER er and harder as time goes on. A decent attention span is rare in teenagers, and breaking things up like that is really going to test them.

You could argue that the additional time will allow for schoolwork catch-up, additional time with family, and things of this nature -- and really, you wouldn’t be wrong. This is a good thing, but the constant switching in and out of school will provide enough struggle that the benefits won’t really be noticed.

One of the most major effects this new calendar will have is the one on disadvantaged families. Many students rely on school to provide them with daily meals that they otherwise wouldn’t get at home. With breaks as often as planned, these students will be dealing with weeks of little to no food. This will have a horrible effect on the children in the district -- especially elementary students unable to deal with hunger as well as older kids.

On the note of affecting disadvantaged families, lots of low-income families have both parents working jobs while their children are at school. The introduction of these breaks will either result in one parent having to quit their job to take care of their kids or possibly leave them home alone; and more often than not, there are multiple young children in these situations.

The health of hundreds of students depends on consistent school schedules, and the newest calendar is putting them at risk. Additional changes need to be made with them in mind, or else there will be a severe drop in the well being of the district’s students.

NO

When I first viewed the calendar for next year, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I often find myself struggling to survive the gaps between winter break, spring break, and summer. The continuous cycle of school, week after week, can be exhausting, overwhelming, and mentally draining for students. Throw in sports practices or a part time job, and that is just too much for students to juggle for months at

BY CROSSLIN a time.

SILCOTT The calendar next year is a blessing. Not only is it roughly a week off every month to catch up on sleep and regroup, but it’s a week full of endless opportunities to the advantage of students.

A survey by the American Psychological Association found that 45 percent, nearly half of all teens, describe feeling “a great deal of stress” from school. Stress can cause anxiety, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system. Additionally, it can contribute to diseases such as depression, obesity and heart disease. I have seen firsthand the effects of stress in my own life, a major factor has been school. It wasn’t until this year, when I started to gain weight and experience anxiety attacks, that I realized I could not balance everything I had on my plate. Trying to juggle school, varsity swim, babysitting five days a week, a social life and getting sleep was nearly impossible for me to do. I ended up quitting swim and began to isolate myself from my friends. The new calendar will allow students like myself more frequent, longer breaks to better balance their school life, social life and work life, while keeping good mental and physical health.

Some parents and teachers are upset about this calendar.

They find it inconvenient that they should have to rearrange their teacher planning schedules or childcare arrangements. At the end of the day, though, this calendar was not made to please teachers and parents, it was made in hopes of improving attendance and education among students.

YES

Kingwood Park Times

Idolizing celebrities not always best idea Nowadays with a readily available media there to tell you all the dirty truths and realities of the world it can seem like it’s impossible to find a celebrity out there you can truly enjoy. When someone becomes the next big thing there is little they can do to keep their private life or personal views out of the public eye. Because of this, the amount of hateful and immature posts toward celebrities has grown exponentially. Then again, so has our tolerance.

Don’t get me wrong. I am the last person to try to defend someone when they have done something truly wrong. I am no little girl trying to keep up fan pages of known abusers or pedophiles. I have been told that I judge harshly and don’t know how to take jokes or forgive.

Perhaps that is now true, but I wasn’t always this way.

I, like most my age, grew up with social media being a huge part of my life. From this I’ve noticed that people are quick to spread the horrible things celebrities have done and will stop at nothing to keep trying to prove their view is the right one. The only issue with this is we forget that our idols and celebrities are

BY BLANCA human, and therefore they make mistakes.

CANTU Now, in saying this, I don’t mean it to excuse the actions of anyone. I mean it to show that perhaps it is time that we stop idolizing everyone. As a child I fell in love with Johnny Depp; I felt like he was an amazing actor, and therefore, an amazing person. Once the news headlines and magazines started to show his true nature I completely ignored them.

The same would happen with Gal Gadot, whose story is too controversial to even dive into, and Scarlett Johansson, who was one of the first female superheroes I fell in love with. Eventually I got tired of running into all the callout posts canceling all these celebrities and all the defending that went with it and decided that I would read all the things they had to say, get angry, and then sometimes join in what they were saying.

Then recently all these new stories came to light and celebrities like Depp ended up being innocent; and I, like many others, were left feeling dumb and immature for believing the allegations. Though this story isn’t about that specific issue, it’s simply about how people are constantly going back and forth with their views on people and it is just exhausting.

I’ve realized that although there are some very problematic issues with people, there is no use in wasting your time with them. Plus, most issues people take up with celebrities are quite ridiculous and tend to set back any real change people try to make.

It’s almost like a certain switch is flipped and all of a sudden everyone is ready to attack certain people. We are so quick to judge others or to turn the other way when the realities of our world become a bit too much to handle. I am not saying to toss away your idols or to monitor their every move in hopes of finding some sort of mistake. People just need to realize that those people we see onscreen aren’t always so great off of it.

Perhaps if we would learn to tone down our high expectations and face reality, our lives would be better off. In the end, we just have to show that we will idolize and support all we can, but simply know how to draw the line when it is needed.

CARTOON CORNER

By Eliza Gonzalez

By Eliza Gonzalez

By Trinity Curl

opinion

Kingwood Park Times

EDITOR'S CORNER

Pressures to ‘make the grade’ cause senioritis afflictions It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it’s not Christmas; and it’s better than spring break. It’s time for Senioritis. Popular internet site UrbanDictionary defines Senioritis as a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors, going on to list symptoms that include laziness, repeated absences, and an over excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts.

Senioritis usually begins the day before school lets out for spring break. Grades lock on that Friday, and seniors no longer have to worry about being competitive in their class BY NICK FARACE rank and GPA. Seniors can now relax and enjoy what’s left of our high school experience. But is it too late? Have we spent so much time studying, cramming, and stressing to have enjoyed the first three years of high school? Have we suffered too many sleep-deprived days wandering these halls not enjoying where we are? A lot of blame comes on us seniors for slacking off in the last nine weeks of the school year.

“Don’t give up now,” they say, “school’s not over yet!”

It’s time we look at this from a different angle.

Society has put people’s value based on numbers and accomplishments. We see people for they money they have, the SAT scores they get, and for the class rank they earn.

As students in high school, this is obvious as we make a push to get “good enough” to be accepted into the college of our choice. Parents, teachers, and our friends pressure us and tell us to do more of this and do more of that; and if we don’t achieve the right SAT score or GPA, we feel as if we’re not good enough. We get so caught up in trying to get the right numbers and scores in our classes that we lose sight of the good times that high school should be.

Senioritis isn’t a problem or a disease. The whole principle of Senioritis is that we are allowed to enjoy the remaining weeks of high school without the stress, the pressure, and the sleepless nights. But what if we began enjoying our high school experience when we walked in as freshman?

What if we hadn’t been pressured and stressed out in prior years?

This intense pressure of the expectations in high school is too stressful for us teens. It has got to go. When we go back to putting people’s value in their character and not their achievements, we will be allowed to enjoy our last few years at home being a teen. High school is not a time for sky high expectations, it’s a time for enjoyment and living.

March 2019

15

What is your most prized possession?

“The promise ring my boyfriend, who is in the military, got me. It is a constant reminder that he is with me even though we are apart.”

-senior Caitlyn Fastnaught

"My family because of how much they have supported me throughout high school.”

- junior Miguel Lomas

"My dog Oscar because he’s very cute.”

-freshman Dylan Lee

"My swim record because I worked hard for it.”

- sophomore Lauren Grey

Bullying is easy to do, but harder to make stop

By Sara Geiger Hostility towards young people by other young people has been and always will be a problem.

StopBullying.gov reports that about 1 in 3 high school students have been bullied. According to the survey done at Kingwood Park, almost half of the students surveyed said they or someone they know had been bullied. One in four students say they have been the bully.

There are more programs in place to stop bullying and help victims… But is it enough? Will there ever be a world in which bullying is a thing of the past?

Many students said yes, more needs to be done in our school to stop bullying; but most of those same students also said we will never be able to get rid of the problem. Bullying will always be there, they wrote, you can’t do anything about it.

In my experience, if you ask any person, “Have you ever been bullied?” the answer is always yes. All of my friends have been bullied at some point in their lives. It has become normal to have a story in which someone called you a name or shoved you in the hallway.

As I looked over the results from the survey, I wondered why there are so many stories like this. Eventually, I came to a simple conclusion: it’s easy. It’s easy to say what unkind thing you think about someone to your friend, it’s easy to snarl at someone you don’t like, it’s easy to give someone a dirty look,

it’s easy to laugh at someone’s failure.

People make excuses like what if they just had a bad day?

Week? Bullying isn’t someone having a bad day. Bullying is not a one-time thing. Bullying is repeated harassment.

It takes a minute to learn to step back and think, “Will this impact me or the person involved in a positive way?” We all were taught to “THINK before you speak” in grade school, but very few of us actually do it.

T: Is it true?

H: Is it helpful?

I: Is it inspiring?

N: Is it necessary?

K: Is it kind?

What many people don’t know is the effects of bullying are long-term.

Statistics from StopBulling.gov say the effects of bullying can last into adulthood. The feelings of inadequacy or inferiority are damaging to young people’s minds. Bullies and the bullied are more likely to have mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, lasting into adulthood.

What can we do to eradicate bullying?

I think it’s up to us, the students, to change how we act toward each other. We only get one chance to live each day.

When we look back on our lives, will we be proud of how we acted?

Kingwood Park Times

“My kids because they "My music because I give me my greatest think it shows who I happiness .” am.”

-faculty -senior Ricardo Mary Fischer Cavazos Jr.

Editor in Chief Nick Farace

News Editor

Autumarie Kellett

Writers/Photographers

Rafael Boecher, Blanca Cantu, Maria Landy Garcia, Crosslin Silcott, Sara Geiger, Eliza Gonzalez, Vallery King, John Lawson, Trinity Curl, Jayme Wilkey, Gabby Norman, Kathleen Ortiz, Ava Lee, Sadie Lewis, Daniela Lugo Castro, Taylor Rankin, Natalie Mount, Richard Rivera, Daniela Lugo Castro, Brendan Lane, Gerald Merino Aguilar and Holly Emms.

Adviser

Megan Ortiz

Kingwood Park High School 4015 Woodland Hills Kingwood, TX 77339 281-641-6696 March 2019 Volume 5, Issue 4 The Kingwood Park Times is a public forum for Kingwood Park High School and is distributed free to all students and staff.

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Back Page

March 2019

Kingwood Park Times

Have you bought your yearbook yet?

The yearbooks are just weeks away from arriving! A few extra books were ordered. Buy now to make sure you get one before they sell out. You can purchase a book online for $65 at jostensyearbooks.com or in Room 1504 with cash or a check made out with Kingwood Park High School. If any books remain, the price will increase to $75 on May 1. Below is a list of those who have already bought their yearbook.

Noah Abbadangelo Caydn Acker Brandon Acosta Anthony Adams Jillian Adams Jonathan Adams Peyton Adkins Reyna Aguilar Iqra Ahmad Syed Ahsan John Akers Leah Alberto Brandon Aldridge Christian Alexander Valera Allen Laura Allsen Allyson Alvarado Dylan Amaya McKenzie Ambler Alexandria Andrade Juan Antron Cody Apperson Angelica Archuleta Jordan Armstrong Bryn Arntsen Anya Arrington Anna Ashy Cooper Austin Ashton Autenreith Hannah Babin Elara Bailey Miles Bailey Aubrey Baker Nicholas Baker Talon Balcom Ciara Ballengee Kaden Banning Yates Barker Jacob Barkley Caren Barnes Emalee Bates Angela Bauer Jake Bayless Carey Beal Beau Bell Max Bell Abby Bennett Carter Bennett Sammuel Bennett Allison Benson Emily Bernal Emilee Beswick Kimberlynne Blackler Shayla Blackmon Brian Bleier Emily Blizman Allonna Bodkin Skarleth Bolivar Hannah Boss Tyler Boutot Zoie Bowman William Boyles Owen Brain Cramer Branscum Isabell Brantley Brandon Braswell Connor Braswell Taylor Breed Elias Briseno Nolan Britt Russel Brooks-Martin Lindsey Broussard Amelia Brown Olivia Brown Jaime Browning Jacob Bruce Jaclyn Brumfield Bethany Bruton Meagan Buck Caleb Budde Ryan Bujnoch Colby Burke Matthew Burke Kayla Burkett Emelia Burns Jackson Burris

Aliyah Bustamante Jace Butler Kaitlynne Butler Korii Butler Amaya Bynes Kai Byrd Joshua Cadena Marcus Campbell Caitriona Canales John Canavan Benicio Cancino Austin Cantu Blanca Cantu Hannah Cantu Andrea Cantu-Alvarez Anthony Cardenas Evelyn Cardenas Mattie Carr Victoria Carter Laura Cash Anabel Castillo Celine Castillo Hunter Castillo Reece Cavallo Kyle Celaya-Alvarez Joseph Chancellor Hannah Chavers Diego Chavez Jessica Chavez Carsten Cherrington Juan Cintron David Clark Emma Clayton Hunter Cochran James Cochran Lindsey Cochran Ella Cockrell Olivia Cockrell Jacob Colby Madison Comeaux Kyle Connelly Taysia Constantino Colby Cook Kate Cooney Ashton Copeland Christian Corette Leah Cormier Amy Cornejo Madison Cote Alexis Cox Kegan Crawford Marie Credeur Alicen Criner Molly Crockett Allison Crutcher Leonor Francesca Cruz Colby Cucco Trinity Curl Sarah Cutrer Christopher Dailey Sarah Dalby Nicholas Dalpe Kaylyn Daniel Kendall Daniel Justice Darling Jacqueline Daspit Claire Davis Emma De Leon David De Robles Jayla Deatherage Taylor Debrosky McKenzie Denner Raylynn DeSouza Hudson Dezell Caitlyn Dickerson Pierce Dietrich Sean Dietrich Tiger Dietz Cooper Dolmage Kennedy Dolmage Bethany Donoghue Brennen Doss Grayson Doss Bailey Doughtie Gracie Drum Charles Dunlap

Jacob Gabriel Dunque Suzanne Durand Travis Dwight Dane Eastman Laura Eaton Morgan Eckerty Sofia Edmonson Dane Ellett Holly Emms Emma Engelage Emma Engelhardt Eloy Escobedo Marisa Espinoza Andrew Estrada Erin Fagerquist Ethan Fagerquist Bre Fah Cameron Fain Daniel Farace Nicholas Farace Preston Farley Alexa Farmer Austin Farmer Caitlyn Fastnaught Walker Fennell Sydney Ferner Jaslyn Figueroa Josuah Figueroa Camille Fikes Kyle Fischer Megan Fischer Nancy Fishbourne Gabriel Flores Makenna Florez Justin Fox Isabella Frank Kara Frazier Emma Frey Aspen Frost Brianna Fuhre Jack Fulton Amanda Fuss Brenna Gainous Brooke Gainous Christian Gamboa Emma Garcia Sofia Garcia Sean Garvin Andres Garza Samuel Garza Alek Geiger Sara Geiger Paige Gentry Katalena Gerrity Abby Geslison Allen Geslison Emmalee Geslison Dallas Giles Peyton Gilstrap Tristen-Nicholas Glazebrook Alana Glover Cameron Goerner Victoria Golden Chloe Gonzales Allan Gonzalez Isabella Gonzalez Kaitlyn Goulden Paola Goyco-Velez Austin Graham Nathaniel Graham Nicholas Granado Tatiana Gray Michael Greco Lanie Green Claire Greene Braelyn Greer Chloe Gresham Carson Griffing John Gronstal Aaron Guel Andrew Guerra Megan Guerra Julian Guerrero Mark Guerrero Jaslynn Guevara

Taylor Guevara Cecilia Guzman Morgan Haddock Julia Hadley Carissa Haensgen Rachel Halliday Adalen Hammond Ensley Hammond Jana Hamous Charles Hanebuth Makayla Hanks Emma Hanna Lydia Harding Noah Harrison Baylee Hartman Caden Hebert Peyton Hedges James Hedrick John Hedrick Nicholas Hennings Robert Henry Ty Hephner Brianney Herazo Destiny Hernandez Ethan Hernandez Logan Hernandez Steffany Hernandez Sivan Herrington Paige Heyl Jared Hiegel Coleman Hightower Sydney Hile Avery Hill Leeya Hinojosa Mica Hinojosa Adam Hitchcock Shane Hoffart Bryce Hogan Katherine Holder Dustin Holloway James Holloway Jonas Holloway Colton Hopper Rebecca Howard Cassandra Huber Jayson Humble Isaac Humphrey Will Hurley Tristan Hutchinson Robert Hyland James Ieva Leah Inman Lauren Ives Jacob Ivey Thomas Ivey Elena Ivonye Kyra Ivy Trezzie Ivy Tori Jackson Jackson Jamieson Oliver Jamieson Brett Janik Elena Jimenez Modica Jimenez Elizabeth Jinks Samuel Johansen Haley Johnson Jarrett Johnson McCormick Johnson Robbie Johnson Jeremiah Johnston Lance Jolley Jackson Jones Jordan Jones Nickolas Jones Tyler Jones Ylaina Joseph Paige Joslin Aloura Joy Illana Judd Jaylinn Jurica Noah Karash Quinn Keeler Ronan Keeler Jakob Keneipp Barrett Kenny

Colby Kerr Kaleb Kersting Joshua Kiker Evan King Matthew King Vallery King Donald Kirkland Katherine Kirsch Nicole Kirsch Nicole, Katherine Kirsch Hollan Kleeman Anneke Kluft Emily Kluge Camryn Knight Cody Knight Katelyn Knight Kennedy Knight James Knoerdel Jacob Knowles Lauren Kocian David Koehler Sydney Kolar Elexus Kooi Carter Korb Natalie Krippel Jenna Kurtz Samuel Lackey Zachary Lance Hailey Landry Xavier Laroche Jacquelyn Laszacs Troy Lattimer Katarina Lawrence Mary Leake Jenna Leath Dylan Lee Tanna Leeds Luke Leger Rachel Leimer Alishanee Lemon Katherine Lessor Annika Lewis Sadie Lewis Poramin Light Mark Linabury Travis Lipp John Logan Nicholas Logan Eduardo Lopez Sarah Lopez Jeremy Lubel Alexander Lucas Daniela Lugo Castro Joseph Luszcz Logan Mackert Payton Magee Jennah Mahmood Julianna Maldonado Damon Markham Victoria Marquez Alec Marsden Cameron Martin Emily Martinez Jannel Martinez Colton Mauldin Sierra Mauldin Carson May Tyler May Joseph Maynard Phillip McAtee Anna McCrea Mary McCulley Abigail McDaniel Rachel McGhee Sean McKithern Taylor McNair Breanna McQueen Elyse McVey Caitlin Meaux Caden Medlock Megan Meek Brett Mennen Dakota Mercer Dylan Mercer Leslie Mergist Melina Merritt

John Meyer Victoria Mikuta Elizabeth Miles Jeffrey Millan Jace Millard Alexander Miller Lidia Miller Madelinn Miller Alejandro Mojica Kylee Monk Joshua Moore Kylie Moore Ana Morales Alexis Morgan Cora Morgenroth Morgan Morris Rachel Morris Nick Mortier Jude Mowad Coral Moyer Emily Mulloy Charles Munoz Emily Murski Juan Navarro Tristan Neal Michael Nelson Simon Ngo Ryan Niesporek Gabrielle Norman Skylar Nugent Roguen O’Brien Erin O’Shea Mina Oakley Jocelyn Oliva Jose Olmedo Emma Omenson Kathleen Ortiz Susan Osborne Christopher Osterhus Caleb Otte Elizabeth Overmyer Mary Kathryn Overton Joshua Palomarez Sean Parker Bailey Parsels Briana Patton Lacey Payne Citlaly Paz Gabrielle Pearson Kaylee Perilloux Michelle Perri Michelle Perschall Abigail Phillips Karson Pickard Ethan Ponton Emily Porterfield Kathryn Posey Charlee Poulin John Powers Emma Prigmore Ian Prigmore Julia Prokop Jonathan Rader Veronica Ramos Kaitlyn Randle Melissa Rasmussen Morgan Ray Emalynn Redmann Noah Reed Isabella Reeves Kristen Reid Joshua Rennard Zoieana Reyna Jake Rice Cesar Rios Trinidad Christian Ripp Hunter Robbins Parker Roberts Jenna Robichaux Saylor Robinson Jackson Rodriguez Rebecca Rodriguez Dalton Roger Jayson Rogers Shelby Rollo Brandon Rosales

Matthew Roseland Karter Rosner Brandon Ross Anthony Rubino Sylvia Rudny Logan Rushing Catherine Russell Bryan Rutkowski Isabella Salazar Megan Salazar Triston Saldivar Stella Samples Isaak Sanchez Morgan Sanford George Sayre Mathew Scanlon Mariya Schmidt Bailey Schoener Cami Schoettlin Joshua Schreiber Skyler Schultz Tanner Schwan Madison Scott Molly Scott Tyler Scott Bobby Seales Brooke Searcy Armando Selva Cristian Selva Alexis Shannon John Shaw Wyatt Sheppard Hannah Shippey Gabriel Shockley Dylan Shoultz Skyler Shultz Riley Sigerson Crosslin Silcott Macy Simko Corrina Simmons Cal Sims Kandice Sims Brennan Skero Nadia Small Vlad Small Ashton Smith Carlie Smith Coleten Smith Jacey Smith James Smith Lane Smith Reed Smith Sarah Smith Zoe Smith Jillian Smoak William Smoot Max Snelus Sara Snow Elizabeth Sokol Ethan Sopczak Caleb Sowell Clay Sowell Ayden Sowers Alexandria Spradlin Carson Stanley Abigail Stark Anthony Sterner Jack Stevens Christopher Stewart Jaden Stewart Lane Stewart Kevin Stimmel Jonah Stockman Savanna Strickland Angelina Suarez Gabriel Suddeth Skylar Suggitt Kendall Syska Dennis Taylor Annemarie Teagle Mackenzie Tenorio Graham Thibodeaux Daniel Thompson Katherine Tiedtke Luke Tiedtke Kadee Tiner

Cameron Tipton Peyton Tipton Reagan Tipton Addison Tisdel Travis Toth Timothy Tristan Alex Troost Kelsey Trotti William Trulove Joshua Tucker Elizabeth Tudor Zachary Twomey Sean Tyler Andrea Unwin Crystal Vargas Sofia Vasquez Julia Vaughn Scarlett Vaughn Dafne Vazquez Jenna Vela Banky Velasquez Aliah Vick Phedra Vick Joshua Vickers Michael Vickers Nathan Vidaurri Leonardo Villalpando Lucy Vogt Christopher Voss Amelia Wagnon Ashlee Wallace Erika Wallace Matthew Wallace Ethan Waller Cooper Ward Tyler Ward Sam Warr Emma Washburn Kaleigh Waskow Mia Wehby Jade Welby Carlos Welch Madeline Welch Kaitlyn Wells Samantha Wells Brandy West Alyssa White Aryana White Benjamin White Matthew White Casey Whitehouse Blaine Whitfield Jack Wick Sam Wick Hannah Wilburn Austin Wilding Jayme Wilkey Margaux Winandy Willow Wise Cameron Womack Jason Wood Wyatt Wood Judah Woods Isabella Yamawaki Matthew Yanez Kenneth Yarbrough Johan Yeager Thor Yeager Randie York Isabella Yuja Matthew Yuja Lillian Zalewski Jessie Zamarippa Francis Zelasko Britelyn Zeleskey Georgia Zeleskey Ariel Zolton Nicholas Zolton