Kingwood Park Times - May 2022

Kingwood Park

TIMES May 2022 Volume 8, Issue 6 Kingwood Park High School Kingwood, Texas 77339

DIARY of a

Kingwood Park Kid E L L E U R R U S R R S O I O I N SSEEN

Tiedtke, Hargrave earn top spots

By Belen Diaz

W

hen the school announced its top 10 graduates for the class of 2022, Kate Tiedtke was named valedictorian and Kate Hargrave was named salutatorian.

The rest of the top 10 included: Emily Bernal, Andrea Cardona Sanchez, Michael Kell, Evan Hebert, Kathleen Ortiz, Skylar Patton, Rachel Morris and Reece Cavallo.

Tiedtke will attend the University of Texas in Austin to major in biology with the intention of taking the medical prerequisites. Her goal is to help others like those who have helped her.

“I want to go to med school and be a cardiologist because I have always known I wanted to have an impact on others and give back to the community that has done so much for me,” Tiedtke said. “I think that by going into cardiology it’ll be really cool that I can help others with what I have been through because I know how it’s truly been.”

Tiedtke went into cardiac arrest her sophomore year. Recovery was challenging and she missed weeks of school.

“I was just very set back because I had to make (up finals and homework) on top of learning new curricula. It was very stressful,” said Tiedtke, who was involved in soccer, STUCO and five honor societies. “Then I went virtual my junior year, because of my health concerns; and when I was in virtual, there was just a lot of mental stuff I had to deal with.”

Trying to balance classes and keep up with the work from home was challenging. At one point, Tiedtke even dropped AP U.S. History.

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In April, Kingwood Park announced its top 10 graduates. They include valedictorian Kate Tiedtke, salutatorian Kate Hargrave, Emily Bernal, Andrea Cardona Sanchez, Michael Kell, Evan Hebert, Kathleen Ortiz, Rachel Morris and Reece Cavallo. Not pictured: Skylar Patton. Photo by Rhian Davis.

WHERE ARE THEY HEADED? 1. KATE TIEDTKE - University of Texas at Austin - Studying Biology, on the Pre-Med track

4. ANDREA CARDONA-SANCHEZ - University of Massachusetts Amherst - Studying Animal Science

8. SKYLAR PATTON - Berry College - Studying Chemistry and Environmental Science

2. KATE HARGRAVE - University of Texas at Austin - Studying Environmental Engineering

5. MICHAEL KELL - University of Texas at Austin - Studying Nutrition

9. RACHEL MORRIS - University of Texas at Austin - Studying Biology

6. EVAN HEBERT - University of Alabama - Studying Biochemistry and business

10. REECE CAVALLO - Texas State University - Studying Mechanical Engineering

3. EMILY BERNAL - University of Texas at Austin ​​- Studying Neuroscience

“That honestly made me feel so much better, and it wasn’t about being at the top of my class but about being happy and doing the things that I enjoy,” Tiedtke said. “It really helped a ton. It helped me get back into a positive mindset and be able to work hard and continue on with what I was doing.”

Tiedtke’s motivation and inspiration came from friends who helped her get caught up in school, her mother who helped her in making decisions, and ultimately her grandmother.

“My grandma has taught me the importance of finding a balance between working hard and having fun throughout life,” Tiedtke said.

SENIOR NEWS | May 2022 | KPTIMES.COM

7. KATHLEEN ORTIZ - Rice University - Studying Political Science “There isn’t a day that goes by without a smile on her face, but as soon as help is needed, she is the first one present to give her full time and energy to others.”

Hargrave will also attend the University of Texas in Austin to major in environmental engineering with the hopes of helping revive the environment.

She was shocked when she was announced as the No. 2 student in the class. She spent most of her high school career at No. 3.

“It meant a lot to me that I made a lot of sacrifices and took all the hardest classes and I almost lost hope that I wouldn’t be able to get this position, but in the end I made it,” said Hargrave, who is in

four honor societies.

To avoid adding stress about being in the top 10, Hargrave never mentioned to anyone about her rank as she wanted to remain focused.

Counselors Tim Hurlburt and Gina Sanchez have helped her through the stressful times.

“I would say the counselors were a very big help because they knew the amount of baggage and stress I carried,” Hargrave said. “They were just there for me the entirety of the time because they just knew how much stress I was under.”

A STATE DIVIDED Students and staff reflect on the rivalry between the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, as seniors commit to which college they will be attending next year.

By Rhian Davis and Kathleen Ortiz

UT > A&M

Traditions

“I think they’re both great. I think the bad blood is gone. But let’s be real, Austin is greater. The city of Austin makes it a little cooler.”

- World History and AP Psychology teacher Amy Balke

Family Ties

“Both my mom and dad and grandpa went to A&M, so they were really counting on me to accept my admission or my acceptance, but I did not. My parents are proud of me for getting into UT, they are not like ‘I hate you’ or like kicking me out.”

- Senior Lexi Guillen

New Places

“I realized it’s good to get out there and push myself because even though the actual environment makes me a little bit uncomfortable, that’s good for me. We talk about the ‘Kingwood bubble’ a lot and it’s going to be good to pop that bubble. I just feel like UT is going to expose me to more things and more viewpoints that will help me grow as a person.”

- Senior Carey Beal

Better Program

“The main reason I chose UT over A&M was their Portuguese language flagship program. UT is the only school in Texas that has it. I love languages and I want to be a part of that program. That’s really the only deciding factor.”

- Senior Ariel Zolton

“I really love Muster every year, which is where we honor the Aggies that we’ve lost that year. They happen all over the world, so like they have them in Spain and all the Aggies in Spain will get together and celebrate Muster together and it’s neat to just see Aggies coming together anywhere.”

- English teacher Allyson Pitcel

Gig ‘em

“I think that they have a very unique way of treating their students and talking to each other. There’s like a culture surrounding the whole thing, like ‘Gig ‘em Aggies.’ You walk around, you say ‘Howdy’ to each other and the football games are like massive, massive deals.”

- Senior Suzanne Durand

Helpful Culture

“I don’t think you’ll have another place ever to experience a culture where everyone wants to help out everyone else.

I toured UT and I’ve talked to people and I just saw there was a disconnect and kind of a rivalry in competition even amongst students — and I don’t really want that because life is already a competition in itself.”

- AP US History teacher Eric Coovert

Aggie Born

“I have an alumni family. My dad went there and I’ve always gone to football games with them so I just loved it there. I’ve grown up going there. It’s a very welcoming ‘cult.’”

- Senior Cameron Tipton

COLLEGE COURSE GUIDE Kingwood Park will continue to offer the option to earn college credit in high school. The classes include: AP English 3 AP English 4 English 4 Dual College Algebra Dual OnRamps PreCalculus Dual OnRamps AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC Statistics Dual OnRamps Physics 1 Dual OnRamps AP Biology Chemistry Dual OnRamps AP Human Geo AP World History US History Dual AP US History AP European History AP US Government AP Economics AP Psychology AP French 4 AP Spanish 4 AP Spanish 5 AP Music Theory AP Art

Students will also have the option to take virtual college credit classes with Lone Star College this summer. These classes include: Art Appreciation Theater Appreciation Appreciating Music Macroeconomics Federal Government General Psychology Principles of Sociology Later Global Cultures Environmental Science I College Algebra Statistics Public Speaking Composition and Rhetoric I and II

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Lone Star attracts seniors Record number of seniors opt to stay close to home and attend Lone Star.

By Rhian Davis

T

he class of 2022 has the largest number of seniors that have decided to continue their education at Lone Star Community College. Lone Star has seven different locations, one of which is in Kingwood.

Community colleges are exactly what they sound like – institutions that offer higher education targeted toward students in the surrounding communities. Different from four-year universities, degrees at community colleges usually take two years to complete.

“Some people won’t take it seriously because it’s just community college,” counseling office manager Celia Herbst said. “But I have nothing but good things to say about it.”

Senior Emily Murski, who plans to become either an agriculture teacher or marine biologist, chose to go to Lone Star because she wanted to be able to finish her basics before transferring to a four-year university. She has already taken three dual classes

that earned her credits, which transfer to Lone Star.

“I feel like [those courses] help me understand how college loads are going to be,” Murski said.

She also liked the schedule flexibility and how close Lone Star is to home.

“It helps you integrate into college life because you can be at home and take college classes instead of going straight to a four year,” Murski said.

“You can still learn how to adult, I guess.”

Lone Star offers hundreds of programs, some of which aren’t offered at four year universities. The programs of study range from accounting to cosmetology to political science.

“They offer lots of programs that are real jobs if you want to get into the workplace quickly,” Herbst said.

Lone Star recently announced LSConline, an eighth campus that will be independently run online. It will include over 30 programs, as well as student support and tutoring.

A fear that is common amongst stu-

SENIOR FEATURES | May 2022 | KPTIMES.COM

dents is the possibility of missing out on “the college experience” because of attending community colleges. Lone Star offers a variety of programs to ensure that students have ample opportunities to get involved on campus.

Lone Star is home to many intramural and club sports, such as baseball, basketball and soccer.

On top of sports, there are also many clubs that students can join, including the ASL club, chess club as well as a poetry & songwriting club.

“I’m excited just to be in a new environment,” Murski said. “It’s going to be a lot different than here obviously so I’m excited.”

Lone Star allows students to keep local connections, it helps some students prepare for four year universities and it’s not as expensive as most four year colleges and universities.

“Go for it,” Herbst said. “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Next Step Veronica Gonzalez

School: Visible Music College (Memphis, Tenn.)

Career goal: Music Production “I’m most excited to meet some new people because I love meeting new people and getting to hear their story and know what they have to say about music and stuff. I’ve always loved music, ever since I was a little kid and my grandpa is a part of this music group and he has albums and everything and my dad was even a music producer too and he was a DJ and so that really inspired me to do that.”

With ROTC scholarship, Benton heads to Howard

Sawyer Star

School: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott, Arizona) Career goal: NASA “I don’t remember where I heard about it, but it was just one of the schools I applied to and so when I got accepted, out of the other ones I got accepted to, that was the one with the most interesting major to me. I am majoring in space physics, I’m looking forward to it.”

Evan King

School: Full Sail University (Winter Park, Fla.) Career goal: Game Design “I’m most excited about rooming with one of my friends and I’m most nervous about living there because it’s just going to be me and him.”

By Sharna Ngo

L

ion Benton has recently earned a national scholarship from ROTC for $103,000.

He plans on going to Howard University in Washington, D.C. and majoring in architecture.

After college, he has to serve a minimum of four years in the military.

Benton strives to follow in his family’s footsteps and use the military to aid him in his studies.

With his grandpa, uncle, and father all being in the military, he has quite a few people to look up to. One of the most influential people in his life has been his grandpa.

Benton said his grandfather did not have an easy childhood and grew up in segregated schools in Louisiana.

“He was just a really smart,

smart dude,” Benton said. “His grades were good enough, so he applied to the air force academy and got in, which is an insanely difficult thing to do. Then from there, he went to the military for a while, which paid for his law school. From then he became a federal judge, and now he just owns his own firm.”

But his family isn’t his only drive, it’s also his past experiences. Benton has been traveling for most of his life due to his military dad, which led him to many different places around the world. One of those places being in Africa, which left a major impact on his life.

“To see their life and to look at mine made me realize how blessed I am, and how lucky I am to be where I am,” Benton said.

“It’s just that I need to take full advantage of my situation. If any

of these kids have it, they’d be so grateful and they would take care of it, so for me, it’s like I would have all this opportunity and I wouldn’t want it to go to waste.”

He plans on attending Howard for 5 years to get his masters and go directly into the army.

“I’m obligated to do 4 years and I don’t know if I’ll continue after that,” Benton said. “I might get out after 4 years and do basic architecture stuff, or I can stay in for 21 years until I retire and that’s half your paycheck for the rest of your life.”

As Benton continues his studies, he keeps his grandpa in mind to keep him inspired.

“To see him still be so humble, it’s inspiring,” Benton said. “I want to become that person and make him proud.”

Marshall Simmons

School: University of Colorado in Boulder (Boulder, Colo.)

Career goal: Real estate Business “I’m going there because of my family. We are moving there right after graduation, so I wanted to just stay close to them. I’m most excited for the new state and just a new place. I get to start over and meet new people.”

Bryan Rutkowski

School: Universal Technical Institute (Houston) Career goal: NASCAR “I feel like it gives me the best shot for what I want to get into, being NASCAR. They have connections with NASCAR so I’m hoping to get an internship there. I feel like it’s in my grasp and I’m just ready to have that chance to get into NASCAR.”

Jett Endsley

School: Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.) Career goal: Plastic Surgery “I’m probably most excited for adult life.

The thing that I’m most excited about is just living on my own and having to take care of myself and not rely on anyone else. I’m most nervous about that same thing, adult life. It’s going to be different.”

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Seniors shine at Vegas-themed prom Prom was held at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Houston on May 7. About 450 students attended the dance.

Senior Bane Klinefelter smiles after being crowned Prom King on May 7. The Prom King and Queen were voted on by the seniors during classes before prom. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Zoie Bowman looks down at the crowd after being lifted up by her classmates. Bowman is a Kingwood Park cheerleader and gymnast. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Seniors Alana Aristimuno, Lexi Guillen, Gabbi Usher and Cali Burningham pose for a photo at the ring light toward the front of the dance floor at prom on May 7. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Amri Williams checks into the prom venue with her date before entering the dance on May 7. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Cameron Tipton is crowned Prom Queen by Student Council sponsor and English teacher Natalie Johnson on May 7. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

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Senior Makaylee Duhon and sophomore Jayden Henderson pose for a photo with the Las Vegas themed backdrop outside of the dance floor. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Seniors Olivia Roberts and Luis Corona pose in front of the ring light during prom on May 7. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Mia Alvarez enters the prom venue on May 7.

Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Senior Jace Butler and junior Genevieve Le Beouf look at Butler’s phone on a couch outside of the dance floor during prom on May 7. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Seniors Bobby West, Cody Floyd, Isaiah Shelby and assistant principal Mack Malone talk outside of the dance floor at prom on May 7. Photo by Taylor Nethery.

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class of

2022

The FINAL diary ent “So when I was a sophomore Brennan Skero decided it would be funny to walk up to me and spray fart spray on me. At first I didn’t even Drawing by Shelby Townsend notice but then I saw everyone get up and run away yelling. and then the smell hit me. Oh my god, that stuff stunk.”

- Ian Malcolm

“I think one of my most embarrassing moments here is I was going up the stairs with my tray of food, talking to a friend and I tripped and spilled my food everywhere” - Nia Gomez

“M m I M an cr ab lan pi Drawing by Samantha Head at boogers. We told the whole so spread it around and it was f

helping and motivating my lift

Drawing by Shelby Townsend Drawing by Samantha Head

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try...

My favorite memory was when created a rumor.

My friends, Brianna nd Elizabeth, we reated a rumor bout Coach Holnd saying she icked her nose and te it, like ate her occer team to funny.”

- Emmy Segura

“My favorite moment from senior year has to be hitting the weight room during the track period, t partners.”

- Jelani Williams

Drawing by Shelby Townsend

“My favorite moment would be going to all the pep rallies, how exciting it is, how loud they can be with everyone participating in all these mini games and just everyone having fun.”

- Micaela Hinojosa

“In Mr. Dang’s class, to help us remember stuff, he would sing ‘I Saw the Sign.’ In our 6th period, we were pretty close and it was a pretty cool vibe I guess, so I thought ‘Hey we can do a flash mob because that would be nice.’

“I organized a flash mob to ‘I Saw Drawing by Shelby Townsend the Sign’ and got everyone on board.

I got everyone’s number, texted them individually, and sent the plan and the video. People said they studied it and they were ready.

“I passed out signs with pluses and minuses. I had a speaker and I played the song. The song plays, I stand up, I dance. I’m the only one dancing. Mr. Dang is looking at me terrified and very confused. Finally about 45 seconds in, another student stands up and he goes ‘I didn’t study it, but I can try!’ and he just starts busting out all of the random moves out of pity. After that I went and cried in the costume closet. I felt embarrassed and mortified.”

- Carey Beal SENIOR FEATURES | MAY 2022 | KPTIMES.COM 9

Finding the perfect fit

After injury ends senior season, Adrian lands at Blinn Junior College.

By Melie William

S

enior year is arguably one of the most challenging years for high school athletes. Between college scouts, senioritis, and applying for scholarships, many senior athletes find it hard to balance it all. However, for Graycen Adrian, his senior year was far from normal.

After a promising preseason in football, things took a turn for the worse in his first regular game of his senior year.

“It was the second quarter, I was running around right across the middle of the field,” Adrian said. “[I jumped] to get the ball and when I came down my ankle just rolled funny. I broke my talus bone in half and dislocated it.”

Adrian had broken bones in both the back and the front of his foot, requiring surgery and ending his season.

Though it was painful to spend the rest of his senior season in recovery, Adrian still desired a chance to shine at the Division 1 athletic level. He had to rethink many of the college offers he had received due to the injury, but he did find a place he could still succeed with a chance of reaching those goals.

Adrian decided his best shot was Blinn Junior College, the number one college in the last 14 years to get junior college

Senior Graycen Adrian missed most of his senior season with an injury, but he hopes to return to the sport he loves at Blinn College next year.

Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

players back to the Division I level in Texas.

Two days after his surgery, he got a call from the head coach at Blinn, where he received an offer to play football. But

the best news was that this offer wasn’t about rushing him back onto the field.

“He wanted an actual relationship,” Adrian said about the head coach. “Any other school that I would have [gone] to, they would’ve rushed me back in. And that wouldn’t be the way because it’s mentally tough to get rushed back into football after the injury that I had. So, he understands everything… just knowing that I have a good community [at Blinn], a good system that has my back when I’m up there, that was definitely a big part of my decision.”

Though his true goal is real estate, Graycen plans to spend the next two years studying at Blinn as a kinesiology major. Right now, he just wants to play football in college and is open to the idea that a degree in kinesiology may help him become a coach at the college level.

For any future athletes, his advice is simple.

“If you have any aspirations of playing college football, at any of the levels, but especially at the Division I level, you have to be a dog,” Adrian said. “You have to work to put in the time [because] everything’s not given. You will have bad days and you will have good days, but you gotta get through them. And, listen to your coaches, don’t hold any regrets, [and] grind it out.”

JUCO Journey Riley Sigerson

Plans to play soccer at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. She is studying kinesiology.

“If you’re unsure, or like you don’t know if you want to play for a whole four years somewhere, a junior college is a really good option, especially if you struggle with academics.”

Logan Mahaffey

Plans to play baseball at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. He wants to study business. “[Going to a junior college] gives me two more years of development, which will help me a lot because I’m still trying to figure out my fielding and everything.”

Lessons learned from Coach White will last forever W hen I first met Coach White in the summer of 2015 at Texas A&M Soccer Camp, I had no idea that seven years later he would still be my coach.

However, for that I am incredibly

By Kathleen Ortiz grateful.

Thanks to all his years coaching boys, going to Baylor, playing rugby and working in Chicago, Coach White has endless stories.

While his stories do consistently make practice end late, they have also made Coach White the only

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teacher besides my own mother who I go to for advice.

One day in January during practice, he pulled me aside to show me a video he had seen on Instagram that talked about being kind to yourself. He said it reminded him of me, and that video will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. Coach White’s ability to have so many students and players, but still make such impactful individual connections is much appreciated. He has a million things going on, but he always makes sure to check in with people and take note of the things going on in their lives.

His experience in coaching and willingness to listen to ideas from

SENIOR SPORTS | MAY 2022 | KPTIMES.COM

anyone, helps make practices interesting everyday. He uses a lot of drills from Texas A&M Soccer Camp, which is fun since they’re created by one of the best soccer programs, but also used in camps for elementary and middle school kids. On top of that he’ll stay after practice so someone can show him a new drill idea and then include it in practice that same week.

While I’ve known he was a great soccer coach for a long time, this year I was also able to have him as a teacher. Despite my love for the content of his class, it’s truly enjoyable because of him. Sometimes he’ll pass me notes in the middle of lectures about soccer things which makes me laugh because it

catches me off guard. He’ll be in the middle of a sentence about the Constitution, and then pass me a note about our game at night. His mind is truly going at 100 miles per hour.

Although I roll my eyes everytime he says it, I’m going to miss him yelling “caca!” after every minor inconvenience. I’m also going to miss him taking scrimmages way too seriously and knocking down anyone in his path. And lastly, I’ll miss him hanging out in my mom’s classroom when he has lunch duty in her hallway on Fridays. When I was 11, I never would have guessed the incredibly positive impact he has had on me.

Rock On

School of Rock offers creative outlet for musicians.

By Kennedy Watkins

W

hen junior Cadence Perez walked on the stage of the 3rd Floor Cantina in Bryan, Texas, her smile grew as she saw the crowd cheering with excitement.

Parents, friends, and customers crowded the dance floor to watch as Perez joined her bandmates from School of Rock on stage to play songs and have fun.

“I love performing ‘Long Train Running’ by The Doobie Brothers because of the harmonica solo that one of the girls in our group does and it’s really fun,” Perez said. “I know no one expects it because she just pulls it out of her pocket and starts to play.”

School of Rock is a program that offers lessons and performing opportunities for kids. Multiple instruments are taught and the kids form bands, which perform at all kinds of venues and fundraisers around Kingwood, Humble and even in Bryan.

“It’s really fun being in front of the crowd and performing live,” said freshman Mackenzie Wilkey, who is involved in theater at school and is a drummer at School of Rock. “I had never performed live before, so it was a really nice feeling.”

Both Wilkey and Perez really enjoy performing for everyone and said the band gets along amazing and are very forgiving and nice to each other.

“They’re all very constructive,” Wilkey said. “They never make you feel bad even if you mess up.”

Perez is the lead singer of the Kingwood School of Rock band and is also involved in choir at school. She has been singing since she was little. Her schedule now includes band practice on Mondays, vocal lessons on

Junior Caydence Perez performs for School of Rock event at 3rd Floor Cantina. Perez is the lead singer for School of Rock’s hallmark music program. Photo by Kennedy Watkins.

Thursdays, and lessons for Arena Rock, a small group that is a part of School Of Rock on Fridays.

“Choir focuses more on vocals and School of Rock focuses more on instruments and vocals, and also we get to perform in so many different places,” Perez said.

Wilkey and her family have always enjoyed listening to rock music together and she said she has always loved it. She has also been going to concerts since she was little. Some of her favorite concerts have been Cage The Elephant, Green Day and Foo Fighters.

“We just had a drum kit that my

dad had bought a long time ago that no one was using,” Wilkey said. “So I decided to put it to use and we chose School of Rock to learn because they are truly the best.”

Perez hopes to pick up guitar soon and start learning more about it. At School of Rock they teach kids how to perform for others and grow as individuals and learn guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard and vocals.

“I want to get better and better in music, and I practice not only with the group but also at home,” Perez said. “It takes a while just to make sure everyones comfort-

able with their songs.”

Perez and Wilkey hope to progress in and find a future with music. The environment and the teaching of School Of Rock helped them both grow in music and friendships. They said they have had experiences they will never forget.

“I have a really good relationship with the people at School of Rock,” Perez said. “And I have had a lot of fun performing for everyone.”

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History in the Making Photos by Alicyn Logue

T

he softball team advanced to the Regional Semifinals for the first time in school history. The young team with a new coach and just one senior defeated A&M Consolidated, Bastrop and Brenham in the first three rounds of the playoffs. They played Santa Fe in a one-game playoff series against Santa Fe on May 19.

Senior Taysia Constantino and sophomores Bailey Kee and Courtney Petrosino sprint toward the dugout to get the Gatorade jug to dump on coach Kelsie McEachern after their win in the third round.

Freshman Abbey Papadimitiriou talks with assistant coach Connor Grant during the 11-0 victory over Bastrop.

Freshman Maria Borges hugs junior pitcher Hannah Leierer before the team’s first playoff game against A&M Consolidated at home.

Freshman Lizzy Quinn collides with a runner at second while trying to make an out in the firstround playoff game.

Junior Peyton Cote hits the ball against Bastrop in an 11-0 victory.

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The team erupts in pure joy after defeating Brenham on May 14 in the regional quarterfinals. The Panthers defeated Brenham in two games to advance to the fourth round.

Sophomore Andrew Hennings throws a pitch against Summer Creek in an early game this season. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Andrew Hennings watches the pitcher during little league baseball. His dad coached him until he was 10. Photo submitted by Debbie Hennings.

Family support lifts Hennings during sophomore season

By Maya Ortiz

B

aseball was not love at first sight for sophomore Andrew Hennings. Hennings actually tried soccer for a bit after deciding YMCA baseball wasn’t for him. It wasn’t until he was about seven and started playing baseball with his brother and dad in the backyard that he returned to the sport.

Now baseball is one of the biggest things in his life. His older brother, Nicholas Hennings, is one of his motivations for the sport.

“Nicholas has been a big part of every team, from a fan base standpoint, of all the teams Andrew has been on,” the boys’ dad Brent Hennings said.

Nicholas, who graduated from Kingwood Park in 2021, couldn’t play high school baseball due to cerebral palsy, so he found other ways to get involved. He plays in a challenger league for people with disabilities, and he attends all of Andrew’s games. Before Andrew could drive, Nicholas would go along to his practices too.

“Nicholas’ positive attitude and unrelentless support is infectious,” varsity baseball assistant and pitch-

ing coach Christopher Buechner “[My dad] is always willing to said. “He loves being a part of the help me get better, whether that’s baseball program, and we enjoy driving me to practice or taking me having him around.” to games,” Andrew said. “My famAndrew spends most of his ily’s just been really supportive.” time with his Andrew’s brother – talktime playing ing, watching ball in the yard movies and evolved into playing basetwo hours a ball and video day working games. When out outside Andrew was of practice about 5, he and playing and Nicholas summer ball. ignored their In January, parents’ advice he earned a and played starting spot wiffle ball in pitching on their house. varsity as just Andrew hit a a sophomore. ball that put He was one of Andrew and Nicholas hang out in Andrew’s preschool classroom in matching baseball a hole in the the team’s prishirts when Andrew was about 5 and Nicholas mary pitchers. wall. was 8. Photo submitted by Andrew Hennings.

Their dad “Anytime you coached have a 15 or Andrew’s baseball teams until he 16-year-old up against 18-year-olds, was about 10 but now watches the physically you are at a disadvangames from the sidelines. Brent tage,” Buechner said. “Andrew’s Hennings only played Little League work ethic in the weight room and and can no longer keep up with his on the field narrowed that physicalsons’ conversations about Major ity gap and helped him be successLeague Baseball. ful throughout the season.”

The only camp Andrew has ever attended for baseball was the Kingwood Park summer camp. He never had formal pitching lessons until this fall, though he has practiced with his coaches in the past.

Brent Hennings said Andrew’s biggest asset baseball-wise is the mental side.

“He plays smart, and he doesn’t get frustrated,” his dad said. “He always seems to be even keel and doesn’t let much bother him on the baseball side.”

Brent has always told his kids “if you’re going to do something, do it right.” It applies to everything: school and baseball. Andrew had a good year in his first season on varsity. He also successfully balanced a class schedule that included all advanced core classes.

Andrew credits family for his success, and Buechner isn’t surprised.

“We preach ‘family’ throughout our program, and it does not stop with the players and coaches. We truly value getting to know our players’ families,” Buechner said. “[The Hennings] are supportive and are always there to help in any way they can. We cannot say enough good things about them.”

SPORTS | MAY 2022 | KPTIMES.COM 13

State dreams become reality for Burningham

By Gabby Norman Junior Trent Burningham went into the state competition as a wild card, seeded sixth. His goal was to make the top five, but exceeded his own expectations, placing third.

“It’s just a feeling of accomplishment after working hard every day,” Burningham said. “When you’re in the middle of practice and you’re hurting and your coach tells you to get back on the line it’s hard. When you see results at the meets it just feels really good and beating other people is always fun.”

Burningham was seeded first at regionals, but soon realized that that wasn’t going to be the case.

“Two people didn’t try at district and regionals,” Burningham said.

“I studied and saw what they actually ran was a 1:54. We were all next to each other during the last 200m, I was able to come out and get the same time as the second place dude.”

The top competitors from each region were taken to the state competition. Usually, a track is eight lanes, but the University of Texas at Austin has nine lanes, so what they do is take the top two from all four regions, and then they take the best third-place time, known as the “wild card.” Burningham was invited to the state meet as the wild card.

“I was sitting underneath the stands, just waiting to hear what region four got,” Burningham said.

“Then Jose came over and told me that I qualified, but I wanted to make sure. I ran all the way to Coach Elliott and he told me that I beat everyone from region four, so I qualified.”

Burningham is proof that athleticism runs in the family. The varsity track and basketball star has made an immense impact, whether it be on the court or the track, just like his Silver Star sister, senior Cali Burningham. Even

14

Junior Trent Burningham receives his bronze medal at the UIL 5A State Track and Field Championships on May 13.

Photo by Chris Elliott.

his parents were athletes in high school.

“My parents are my biggest supporters,” Burningham said.

“They’re always at my meets, screaming and cheering me on.

They’re driving all the way to Austin to come watch me run.”

Burningham is one of the nine athletes who qualified for the regional track meet, and the sole qualifier for the state meet.

This is his first year competing in the 800m, so he has no reference point in regards to improvement, but he has noticed an extreme improvement from past years in the 400m and 4x400m.

His ultimate goal for the season was to make it to regionals, but now that he has achieved state, he just hopes to improve and place.

Burningham was on the varsity basketball team and making his transition back to track proved to be one of his biggest challenges.

“I was just really out of shape,” Burningham said. “I didn’t start off the season too well and I just had to work really hard to get back in shape.”

Through hard work and deter-

SPORTS | MAY 2022 | KPTIMES.COM

Trent Burningham runs in the 400m during a regular meet this season. He was the track team’s lone qualifier for the state championships. He took third place in the 800m run.

Photo by Arleigh Doehring.

mination, Burningham has been able to earn his third place medal at state. Over the summer he ran, and when he started the track season, he asked his coaches to let him run the 800m race.

“I didn’t expect to go to state this year at all,” Burningham said. “I asked my coach to run the 800m for school, and they put me in for districts, and I got first at districts, and I did really good. Then, I went to area for the 800, I ran a 1:57 which was the same time as district, except that time it was easy for me to do. At region, I ran a 1:54, so it has progressively gotten better.”

Burningham’s goal for next year is to run a 1:50 and win the state championship. Some of his favorite traditions are getting a good

stretch in the night before a race, eating solely French bread the day of, and then reading his bible.

Burningham loves his sports because he loves to win. Basketball provides him with a community of brothers to support, but track gives him all the glory.

He hopes to continue his career past high school, with his dream school being Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It’s really just been showing up to practice and giving it my all every day,” Burningham said. “It sucks at practice, but you just got to push through the pain and don’t ever take it easy.”

STAFF EDITORIAL

Context missing when fights go viral B

At the end of April, fights during lunch resulted in temporary changes to bell schedules and an increase in security. Scan the QR code to read more.

y now the majority of students have watched one of the videos of the recent outbreaks of violence at Kingwood Park. The first question anyone asks when a fight is brought up is whether or not there’s a video.

For some reason we love to watch. And people love to record.

Every time one student wallops another, we have video evidence. Nothing is sacred. We see blood, broken bones, bruised egos. Any joe with a phone can witness highly sensitive moments and mistakes. Thanks to all these amateur cameramen, an incident that should be done and over within a couple of days can be dragged on and can potentially lead to more conflict. There are a few solid reasons why one shouldn’t just record a fight.

Firstly (and most obviously), a student should go seek help when they stumble into a physical confrontation; they shouldn’t just stand idle and film it. It’s a student’s responsibility to contact an adult on campus that can

2 a.m. Texting Madness by Samantha Head

call in security and prevent a serious injury. Bystanders don’t have to go Rambo-mode and disable an altercation themselves, but they should do something to help. Taping the fight doesn’t accomplish much of anything for anyone.

Some may argue that these videos can shed insight on what really occurred during the incident, and admittedly in some cases this is true. But in most cases the footage does more harm than good. A clip from a fight is not a full picture of what actually went down; it’s a reality distorted by a lack of context. Most fight videos show only a few seconds of physical violence. The audience doesn’t get to see what happened beforehand and after the fact.

These parts are very important to the understanding of a fight as a whole.

A select few seconds from a situation that can span multiple days really only damages our comprehension of the fight, and this misunderstanding can cause more anger… and more violence.

We all want attention, but we should strive to get it in a more positive way than by being taped pummeling some kid. The dissemination of violent footage on campus is an example of rewarding harmful behaviors with attention on a large scale. The high school fame that one can get from being in a fight – especially one backed by video proof – is an incentive for many teenagers to get aggressive. It’s a chance for kids to get noticed and talked about – something that many students crave, even if the talk is negative. When a fight is taped and dispensed throughout a school, school violence is glorified and indirectly condoned by the student population.

In an age of social media it can be tempting to try and capture something that is sure to go viral, but there’s a trade off. Having a hot video isn’t worth the hurt and confusion that could be caused by it.

How To Guide... by Shelby Townsend

OPINION | MAY 2022 | KPTIMES.COM 15

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Kingwood Park

TIMES May 2022 Volume 8, Issue 6 Kingwood Park High School Kingwood, Texas 77339

Cover designed by Kathleen Ortiz. Artwork by Maya Ortiz and Samantha Head.

Adviser: Megan Ortiz Principal: Wes Solomon

EDITORS

Kathleen Ortiz, Editor-in-Chief Gabby Norman, Managing Editor Arleigh Doehring, Photo Editor Maya Ortiz, Design Editor

STAFF WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Camille Blair Reece Cavallo Rhian Davis Lexi Guillen Samantha Head Taylor Nethery

Sharna Ngo Daniel Spear Shelby Townsend Jacob Valcarce Kennedy Watkins MelieAn William Derriq Young

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Katie Gerbasich Alicyn Logue Belen Diaz

Editorial Policy* The Kingwood Park Times is the official student newspaper of Kingwood Park HS. There are 2,000 copies printed and distributed for free six times a year, generally once per six weeks.

The Kingwood Park Times is a public forum for Kingwood Park HS. The Times is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the adviser will not act as a censor.

Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials.

The editorial board, which consists of the staff’s student editors, will determine the content, including all unsigned editorials. The views stated in editorials represent that of a majority of the editorial board. Signed columns only represent the view of the author. *The full editorial policy can be viewed in full at KPTimes.com.