Bryant High School
801 N. Reynolds Rd. Bryant, Ark. 72022
Oct. 27, 2017
Vol. 25, Issue 2
More Than Just
BLACK and WHITE There are two sides to every story: the perception and what actually happens. Students with seemingly “perfect” lives have experienced more than meets the eye. page 3
DAHLIA BRAY | ONLINE EDITOR
LEANING LOCAL
Local businesses bring character to Bryant
B
ryant has a booming economy--driving down Reynolds Road makes this clear. There are three convenience stores, a plethora of fast food chains, and a couple of car washes; however, Reynolds
Road lacks many locally-owned businesses. But further down Reynolds Road, this is changing. Kim Simmons, owner of Pookie’s Popcorn, is one of the few people bringing local business back to Bryant.
“I’ve been in small business for five years now, but we just opened [Pookie’s Popcorn] Aug. 12,” Simmons said. “I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and work for myself.” Though the business is fresh to Bryant, Simmons has been in control of this business and other at-home food services for five years. Pookie’s is her first storefront. “We decided to make something unique that the community didn’t have, something that would attract people from surrounding areas,” Simmons said. “After doing a lot of research, we decided that this is what the community needed.” Upon walking through the butter-scented aisles, popcorn is not the only thing that catches the eye. Pookie’s also has a variety of candy and soda, like Jones soda,
Pimple Popper soda and licorice. “I wanted [Pookie’s] to have more than just popcorn,” Simmons said. “I wanted to have candies and sodas that you can’t get everywhere in Arkansas. These are sodas you can’t find in the area, [and] this makes me feel like [customers are] going to come to my store for this experience.” Not all local businesses have storefronts. Sophomore Serenity Clark used to own a bow business that is now closed due to her overwhelming schedule. “I love bows so much,” Clark said. “I started making bows when I was in sixth grade. I loved having something different than the bows I could find in stores.” The local business boom cannot be completely credited to the owners and staff--the community is responsible,
too. Throughout the past year, more teens have welcomed small businesses into their lives. Senior Michael Durgach is a passionate supporter of small businesses. “I definitely eat more in Bryant than in Little Rock,” Durgach said. “The 501 Nutrition Spot is a place I visit often. I know people like the Nutrition Hub in Little Rock, but I would rather stay and support my hometown.” Durgach is not just a supporter of local business, but he works at Bryant’s own Luigi’s Pizza and Pasta. “We have our special, and it changes every week,” Durgach said. “Chain restaurants don’t do it like that. By staying in Bryant, local businesses continue to flourish and grow, and I would love to keep seeing this.”
ABBY HAGNER | COLUMN EDITOR
PRESSING PARANOIA Students confess their weirdest fears
“My biggest fear is bridges. They are the worst. This fear all started when I watched the movie “Spiderman,” because in one scene, the bridge collapsed, and all the cars fell off the bridge.
Ever since then, I have been afraid. To conquer this fear, I concentrate on the road ahead of me to make sure the bridge is still there.”
Paige Fuhrman | 10
“I have a fear of peeing in the bathroom while other people are in the bathroom with me. I have had this fear for a long time, and everytime I try to pee and someone walks in, I can’t do it anymore. If we
are being honest, sometimes I tell myself, ‘Come on, you can do this, just pee man.’ One time, I remember putting in my earphones while it played classical music, and that helped a lot.”
Madison Treat | 12
“Mascots aren’t my ‘greatest fear,’ but I’m not very fond of them. I haven’t really conquered this fear; I just keep myself away from them. I believe this started when I had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese years ago.”
Precious McGinister | 12
INSIDE News Special Coverage Arts & Entertainment Feature Opinion Photo Essay Sports
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MEDICAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE page 2
TRUMP EXPANDS TRAVEL BAN
STRANGER THINGS SEASON 2 PREVIEW
HORNETS MAINTAIN WINNING STREAK
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