[PROSPECTIVE[ Bryant HigH ScHool • 801 n reynoldS rd. • Bryant, ark. 72022 • Vol. 25, iSSue 2 • oct. 30, 2015
02 [ NEWS ] PROSPECTIVE
6-7 Race for the Cure Refugee Crisis
8-9 In That Moment
what’s
[ INSIDE
4-5 Puzzle Pieces Not Like Fairytales Learning
10-11 Brotherhood More than a Club Scouts Honor
12-13 The Distance The Right Direction
[
14-15 Costume Ideas Through the Ages
What’s the Buzz?
@ us next time
Ashley Groves / 12 @ashdanay
Emma Chaloupka / 11 @emmachaloupka
“Last ACT and time for my last homecoming dance. WHAT?”
“Family sticks together and I think we can all agree that’s something Bryant does best.”
Ansley McDonald / 11 @ansleyshae
Rachel Studdard / 9 @rachelstuddardd
“Hey, @tacobell I need a homecoming date so hmu”
“I can’t be the only one who starts their homework at 11:15 every night.”
Brayan Flores / 10 @whosbrayan “Chinese food sounds so bomb right now”
Caylin Allen / 11 @caylinallen “Be the change you wish to see.”
Gracie Kimbrell / 9 @graciekay_4 “People who smack make me want to get up and walk off the face of the Earth.”
Krishna Gurung / 12 @krishnagurungg “Wouldn’t want to be a part of any other student section”
WANT TO BE FEATURED? Tag @ProspectiveAR in your top tweets for a chance to end up in the next issue.
10.30.15 [ HYPE ] 03
New on
Netf lix
The inside scoop on the newest shows and movies available on Netflix
EMMA GOAD [ONLINE EDITOR]
“AHS” season four features a “freakshow,” a group of odd individuals who describe themselves as a family. They are a traveling circus, but there is more drama in the “family” than what viewers might expect. Unlike most television shows, “AHS” starts fresh with plotlines and characters every season. If viewers have not seen the previous seasons, they can still understand what is happening just by starting on the fourth season.
6 Years A raw and emotion-filled film directed by Hannah Fidell. “6 Years” is about Mel and Dan, two college students who have been in a relationship since early in high school. “American Horror Story” star Taissa Farminga plays Mel. “6 Years” was originally released March 14, 2015, but it came to Netflix Sept. 8.
Moonrise Kingdom
Gotham
Corpse Bride
It is 1995, and twelve-year-olds Sam and Suzy are in love. They run away together, and a group of odd adults, including Bill Murray, host a search party to find them. It was originally released May 25, 2012, and it was new to Netflix Sept. 16, 2015.
A television drama with two seasons so far. The show is about the life of Commissioner James Gordon long before Batman arrives. Gordon is played by Ben McKenzie III, whose most recent show is “The O.C.”
A Tim Burton film about Victor and Victoria, two young 20-somethings and soon-to-be weds. The name “Corpse Bride” comes in when Victor is practicing his wedding vows and he accidentally marries a corpse. This movie was not available on Netflix until Oct. 4, 2015, although the film came out Sept. 16, 2005.
4 [ EDITORIAL ] PROSPECTIVE
PROSPECTIVE Bryant High School 801 N. Reynolds Rd Bryant, AR 72022
Puzzle Pieces “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” Blank faces stare at us as we search for an answer greater than “I don’t know.” As high school students, we are expected to have the rest of our lives figured out by the time we graduate. We are constantly asked what our next step will be. Questions are rarely asked about who we are now, but who we plan to be one day. We create interchangeable scenarios, preparing ourselves for whatever we feel we can control. But sometimes, life has other plans. Some people have an epiphany that changes their lives in the blink of an eye. They realize who they are and what they want to do. They are filled with passion and drive. They have it all figured out while the rest of us are left sitting, waiting for our moment to come. Our society has criminalized the unknown. “I don’t know” has become associated with failure, drowning people in selfcreated riptides of stress and disappointment. But in reality, the unknown is
from
YOUR
full of excitement and opportunity. The unknown is where our lives are made. Life is often defined by the big moments that change us. However, what truly defines us are the little moments in between. Holding the door open for someone, giving a waitress an extra dollar, making plans to finally see that movie. All of these little, seemingly insignificant moments are actually the puzzle pieces that create the picture of our lives. Yes, big moments can change
us forever, but how we react in small moments are what build us into the people we eventually become. Society has told us that we only need those big moments. But that’s wrong. We do not need life-changing moments to become the people we are meant to be. Saying “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer. Living life in the little moments is still living life. And no matter what life throws at us, our pieces will still fall into place.
Adviser Lisa Stine
Print Editors
Julia Nall, Jazzmyn Peterson, Spencer Shreeve
Online Editors
Emma Goad, Araya Pomplun
Photo Editor Madeline Colclasure
News Editor Julia Nall
Feature Editor Spencer Shreeve
A&E Editor Araya Pomplun
Hype Editor Emma Goad
Sports Editor Jazzmyn Peterson
Opinion Editor Natalie Burgess
Fun Editors
Emma Goad, Julia Nall
Artist
Sidney Shipe
Ad Manager Abigail Hall
Circulation Manager Araya Pomplun
Columnists Natalie Burgess, Alyssa Jones, Jazzmyn Peterson
Photographers Sarah Bullington, Natalie Burgess, Madeline Colclasure, Amalia Eddings, Julia Nall, Autumn Pruett
Performing at the homecoming pep rally on Oct. 22, the boys of SWARM pump up the crowd. “[It was a] once in a lifetime experience. It will be one of the things I look back on in ten years,” senior Daniel Zamora said.| Madeline Colclasure photo
Anna Apellido / 09
Michael Buck / 10
“Choice of friends and how you do in school.”
“What you believe in. Such as me, I believe in Jesus Christ and how He died for my sins.”
Hayden Ray / 11
Sharayah Wallace /12
PROSPECTIVE
What determines your fate?
866.707.5600 toll free 501.653.5328 journalism room 501.847.5605 office 501.653.5550 fax prospective.bryantschools.org
“The choices you make in life determine your fate. I think you have the chance to make a choice and those choices determine your fate. And I think we all have the same fate and it always ends with death.”
“I believe in Jesus Christ and how He died for my sins. It makes me trust Him even more where He wants me to go and do with my life.””
Page Designers Madeline Colclasure, Emma Goad, Abbie Hall, Julia Nall, Jazzmyn Peterson, Araya Pomplun, Spencer Shreeve
Staff Writers Brad Brewer, Natalie Burgess, Alexis Burch, Edith Garcia, Emma Goad, Sarah Graham, Abigail Hagner, Abigail Hall, Alyssa Jones, Amber McFadden, Julia Nall, Jazzmyn Peterson, Araya Pomplun, Blair Rolston, Spencer Shreeve, Lauren Wilson
The Prospective is a monthly publication produced, edited and maintained by Newspaper Journalism ii, iii, and iv students at Bryant High School. The Prospective is a member of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association. Ad space may be purchased for $3 a column inch. The Prospective does not accept advertising that is illegal for minors. The editorial board accepts letters; however, letters must be addressed to student interests and may not violate the student publication policy. Letters can be submitted by delivery to Room 319, Building 10.
not like fairy tales
10.30.15 [ OPINION ] 5
ALYSSA JONES [COLUMNIST]
Rapunzel yearned to detach herself from the walls that always kept her an inch away from freedom. Her prince rode in on his mighty horse, waving his sword and singing the melodic chant, persuading her to experience a wild side of life. She swooned at his magical ways and wandered after him into happily ever after. Young girls’ eyes stay glued to the television screen, soaking in passionate stories of love at first sight. Their hands itch to be wrapped in a protective man’s, who will dance with them and sing to them, promising his eternal love. Young girls’ eyes play their own scenes of their knight slaying the infamous dragon. They fall in love with the idea of the damsel in distress. Disney, in particular, has produced characters whom little girls strive to be. In several of their films, they display women who have the ideal princess life with princes
who swoop in and fall helplessly in love with them in just a single glance. Young girls are raised to become hopeless romantics through watching these movies. These girls constantly await the moment someone will sweep them off their feet rather than building their own solid foundation. They long to hear their own prince calling from the bottom of the tower. They wish for someone to become their sole source of happiness: to lend them their rays and shine on their cloudy minds. However, the sun has to set every once in a while, and one person cannot always be a light source. Some girls are looking for a savior. They want to loan someone their emotions and thoughts and they crave someone who will immediately fall in love with them. In this case, they are not being their own power source for happiness, but rather a boat waiting for someone to take the wheel and steer.
People cannot build themselves on other people. Relationships are about still being you while building something with someone else. Prince Charming has his own battles, and he will not always be able to beckon you to let your hair down. If people only sucked the life out of other people to fuel their own happiness, there would be no passionate love, only constant dependence. While there is nothing wrong with completely adoring someone, they cannot be all there is to you. Disney loves to take the damsel and have her solely rely on the prince for rescue; he is always the one slaying the dragon. Young girls grow up, waiting in their towers. Rapunzel relied on the prince to call for her to let her hair down. Never once did she attempt to travel out on her own. She never experienced crafting her path without a man guiding her around. Rapunzel, like many other girls, never took the reins to direct her own horse.
learning the language JAZZMYN PETERSON [EDITOR]
My grandmother, whom we call Ghami (pronounced “Gah-mee”), peels the skin off pears for me. She knows that is how I like them. She knows how to fix torn jeans and shirts, how to create a dress from a needle and thread. She is a cancer survivor and an optimist. She eats way too much McDonalds and she takes her coffee black. She is the mother of five and a Jehovah’s Witness. And she is an immigrant. My grandmother never really talked about her journey to America from the Philippines. Over the course of my life I have caught small details. She met my grandfather, an American navy man, sometime in the 1960s, and they got married. She was around 18-years-old at the time, and he was in his twenties. He brought her to America, and not long after, she gave birth to my mother. These small details have laid dormant in my thoughts, instilling the illusion of a love story: a Filipino woman and an American falling in love, then moving the “greatest country in the world,” then living happily ever after. It is easier to believe this than to accept the harsher reality of the tale. When my Ghami came here, she left behind everything she had ever known. Her home, her siblings and her friends. Her life. She left behind the smell and taste of ocean air, the omnipresent sand that lived between her toes. The laughter shared at inside jokes. When she came to America, she began to call Arkansas her new home. Her new American life with her new American husband started here. It was easy for me to fabricate that coming to America was a pleasant experience for her, because
all I have ever heard is how millions of people are always trying to get into America. How America is a “promised land;” the “land of opportunity.” And from what I have come to understand, it is, in a way. I have heard and read countless stories from immigrants about making their way to America and the struggles they suffered along the way. How they came here for a better life, or brought their children here to have a better life. How all their hopes and dreams lie in America, and how grateful they are to be in this country. I have seen the smiling faces among those who have gained citizenship and are proud to be considered Americans. For them, America is home now too. But I have also heard countless arguments from political leaders who question the validity of those who have gained American citizenship. These arguments have attempted to strictly define what it means to be an American. My friends who have immigrant parents suffered prejudice long before political leaders decided to make immigration their focus. They have shared stories of how they have been bombarded with the offensive labels like the term “anchor baby.” How their younger siblings are afraid that they will be deported because some agree that the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to children born of undocumented immigrants, even if that child is born on American soil. How their family has been ridiculed and intimidated simply because they speak their native tongue in public. Ghami suffered when she came to America. She was
an Asian female who came to this country in 1973 and resided in the South. Her English was not the best, her accent was thick (to this day she still pronounces “cover” as “coh-ver”) and her husband was a dark-skinned veteran of the Vietnam War. My mother shared that Ghami had her children teach her how to pronounce English words, and she would become embarrassed when she said a word wrong. How she must have felt like dirt when her American company snickered at her mistakes. How she must have felt judgmental eyes following her every move, waiting for her to mess up. Yet even still, she holds a love for this country that could rival that of any patriot. She learned the language, learned the culture and learned to survive. She adopted American ideals and raised her children to be Americans. She worked to be the best citizen she could possibly be, and though I am positive she misses the familiarity of her country, she has never complained to me about it. She has never shown a longing to be back in the Philippines in my presence. Though I notice the sadness in her eyes and voice every time she opens up a bit about a childhood memory, she never once has said anything to make me doubt that she loves America. So if every once in a while she feels the desire to speak her native tongue, Tagalog, when her family calls from across the ocean, it is not an act of rebellion against America. She has already assimilated into American culture. She at least deserves brief moments to immerse herself in the memory of a home she left so long ago.
Find more content at prospective.bryantschools.org “Getting to Know BHS Homecoming Maids” A feature story on Homecoming Royalty by Blair Rolston
“iPhone 6s Review: By the Students” Student reviews of the latest iPhone by Brad Brewer
“Kroger Marketplace” Information on the new grocery store by Spencer Shreeve
“If Teens Took Over the District” A feature story on student-suggested changes by Alexis Burch
06 [ NEWS ] PROSPECTIVE
RACE FOR THE CURE
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL RUN AMBER MCFADDEN [STAFF WRITER]
On Oct. 10, breast cancer survivors and their supporters gathered in downtown Little Rock for Race for the Cure, the annual event designed to raise support to cure the No. 2 leading cause of death in women. Arkansas’ 22nd Race for the Cure began at 7:30 a.m., with the race accumulating $145,476.09 of the $250,000 fundraising goal. Statistics conclude that every 74 seconds, a woman passes from breast cancer, and more than 100 women pass from breast cancer each day in the U.S. Race for the Cure, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen foundation, helps people cope and gives them an opportunity to give back. Senior Jordan Sawyer ran her ninth race in support of her late aunt. “My aunt passed away from breast cancer,” Sawyer said. “It was before I was born, but she was my mom’s sister, so it’s really close to the family.” The race helps the Sawyer family cope with the loss. Although Sawyer did not know her aunt, there is a fear that breast cancer could affect someone else in her family, including herself. “My mom has been getting scans since she was 25, and I will have to get scans early too,” Sawyer said. The race raises awareness among women of all ages so that they can watch for the illness and catch it early. The risk of breast cancer is higher in aged 3070, though it is never too soon to become informed. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Arkansas as well as the United States. In 2008, approximately 14,840 Arkansans were diagnosed with cancer. UAMS in Little Rock has a breast cancer clinic that offers evaluation of breast pain,
“
breast lumps and abnormal mammograms. Doctors can give a breast biopsy and preliminary results in the same day. A reconstructive surgeon is also available in the same building at the clinic. Test and procedures can be costly, and so can research for a cure. Runners in the race have the opportunity to donate to the foundation to help with these costs. “[The race] helps us give back to the foundation to help people, because my aunt was diagnosed so early they didn’t know what to do with her,” Sawyer said. “It really helps us find closure.” The race is also a way to honor survivors and current patients who continue to fight. Senior Maddie Belew has not run lately, but ran when she was younger for her stepmom, who is currently in remission. Belew was young when her stepmom was at her worst, so the race put the ordeal into perspective for her. “The race helps give you hope that people are trying to make an effort to understand how this disease works. It helps me understand that it’s a big deal, because I was little at the time and I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was,” Belew said. It is important to monitor for breast cancer, but finding a lump does not necessarily indicate breast cancer.
[The race] helps us give back to the foundation to help people.
The website Nationalbreastcancer. org explains cancer myths, such as the myth that finding a lump on your breast means you have breast cancer. According to National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., the owners of nationalbreastcancer.org, only a small percentage of breast lumps are actually breast cancer. The foundation hopes to inform men and women in the U.S. about breast cancer. The race is a way to cope with loss and also support those who are living with breast cancer as they continue to fight the illness. “The race is full of supportive people, and it’s a fun environment to be a part of,” Sawyer said.
BHS Food Pantry
Needs:
Non-perishable food Hygiene products
Contact kffletcher@bryantschools.org with any questions
[no junk food please]
“
10.30.15 [ NEWS ] 07
REFUGEES TURN TO EUROPE, FACE DISCRIMINATION AMERICA PREPARES TO TAKE APPLICANTS JULIA NALL [EDITOR]
As American presidential candidates debate immigration, over 300,000 refugees pour out of the Middle East and North Africa with their eyes set on Europe. It is the worst refugee crisis since World War II. According to NPR, more than 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since the start of their civil war in 2011. The recent refugee flood is largely because of the Islamic State and their reign of terror, which has heightened activity in Syria. Neighboring countries facing their own conflicts absorbed massive numbers of displaced Syrians. An estimated 220,000 refugees live in Iraq (UNHCR). According to a PLOS Medicine journal survey, since the United States invasion in 2003 an estimated 400,000 or so Iraqi civilians have died in war or occupation-related circumstances. It is unclear how many more have died because of internal problems and extremism. Sophomore Ibraheem Abbood moved to America from Iraq in 2009. “There was war over there, and all that kind of stuff. My uncle sent for us here,” Abbood said. Abbood’s family is from Baghdad. In 2009, the year he left, Baghdad experienced multiple car and suicide bombings, including one day in August that left 100 dead and over 200 injured. Iraq has nearly a quarter of a million registered Syrian refugees and virtually no capacity to accept any more, as is the case for most of Syria’s neighbors. With the Middle East unable to carry the burden, refugees’ eyes turn to Europe. The voyage to Europe involves crossing the Mediterranean Sea. From there, refugees might trek the Balkan Peninsula. Many are hoping for entrance into Germany, one of the few European nations that has decided to accept refugees and process applications of asylum (a form of protection granted to displaced civilians). Junior John Sohn moved to America
from Germany when he was four. “When I was born, Germany was in a decline of population, so the government would pay people to have kids. So it could be a good thing to increase population,” Sohn said. The family he still has in Germany lives in Bavaria, a region bordering Austria and the entry point for Syrian refugees. Bavaria has recently reported that it is “overwhelmed,” and Germany’s willingness to accept refugees has greatly slowed. Many have criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her handling of the crisis. Germany seems to be one of the last European Union nations to admit struggles. Italy is one of the many entry points for refugees into the EU. Tiny plastic boats overflowing with soaked and tired refugees have landed on Italy’s beaches en masse. While Italy launched a program in 2014 to rescue refugees, many of whom die at sea, Italy’s acceptance rates of asylum applications is relatively low. Because of this, Italy, along with other coastal nations, is letting refugees pass through rather than follow the regulation that asylumseekers must file a claim in the first nation they arrive in. Senior Letizia Arrigoni is from northern Italy. “In Italy, there isn’t a lot of work,” Arrigoni said. “Italian people don’t have jobs. Italian people aren’t happy [with the refugees].” The crisis is not as apparent in northern Italy. Regardless, all of Europe has felt the effects of the problem. “There are more [nationalities] in America. There are more black people, Hispanic people. In Italy, no. It’s like, Italian people. Europe sometimes can be racist. Italy, not a lot, because now there are a lot of migrants, but it is a new thing,” Arrigoni said. Some countries have denied access to refugees. Those who do make it into a nation still may face prejudice and brutality. Horror stories of
refugees have spread. Photographs and individual stories fill international news. Photojournalist and blogger Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the popular “Humans of New York” blog, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, spent time interviewing refugees in Europe. His work has brought attention to the crisis, especially American attention. One of his posts is a photograph of a man and his young daughter from Sept. 28. The caption is a quote from an interview: “I wish I could have done more for her. Her life has been nothing but struggle. She hasn’t known many happy moments. She never had a chance to taste childhood. When we were getting on the plastic boat, I heard her say something that broke my heart. She saw her mother being crushed by the crowd, and she screamed: ‘Please don’t kill my mother! Kill me instead!’” Another photograph taken by Turkish photographer Nilufer Demir has spread across the world. It is a picture of a Syrian toddler whose family attempted to cross the Mediterranean. The boy’s body was found washed up on a beach in Turkey. Such stories have inspired action. Multiple organizations have made efforts, from paying for refugee transit to feeding camps. The United States now aims to accept 100,000 refugees a year by 2017. The US will soon feel the effects of the crisis more deeply than before. Refugees will no longer be a mere social media presence, and America will face the reality of the problem. The world will see how America handles the refugee influx in comparison to Europe. “It’s not a racism issue, it’s just that [Americans] don’t know about [Middle Eastern] culture,” sophomore Mina Akhnoukh said. “If they don’t know about them, how are they not going to like them? If they really got to know certain groups of people, they’d know what to expect and how to treat certain people. [It’s about] knowledge of cultures, not really treatment.”
STAY
UPDATED Four online sources for information on the crisis
GRIFF WITTE
@griffwitte Griff Witte is the London bureau chief for the Washington Post and has spent time traveling with refugees and tweeting photos and videos. photo | Witte’s Twitter avatar
BRANDON STANTON
@humansofny
Brandon Stanton is an awardwinning New York-based photojournalist. Recently, he traveled to Europe to photograph and interview refugees. photo |Stanton’s Twitter avatar
UNHCR
@Refugees
UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is an international refugee agency.The organization raised over $1.75 million for refugees through Kickstarter. photo |UNHCR logo
OXFAM AMERICA
@oxfamamerica
Oxfam America fights hunger, poverty and injustice. Though their primary focus is hunger, coverage on their Instagram includes refugees. photo |Oxfam America logo
It was Labor Day when I got [the] call. [I was] told that my family had been in a I wasn’t really sure when to tell my mom that I didn’t want to be her little boy anymore, so I wanted to do something that was really clever. I wrote down a long note about how I felt, and I put it in this folder on her desk. One day, I came home from school, and she was like, “Come on, come sit down.” My mom was the only person that could make me burst into tears. I sat down there in the office chair and she said, “Okay, so I read your letter.” And I was like, “Oh God, please help me.” And she said, “We might have to wait to [transition]. I’m not saying I don’t accept you, but the society we live in is very harsh.” She said we should wait until after high school. But, there were days I’d come in from school and just lock myself in my room and just cry, because I hated going to school. And one day my mom walks in, and she sees me bawling my eyes out, and she said, “Okay, we’ve got to start somewhere, or else we’re not going to get anywhere, and you’re going to keep crying and being depressed.” So we went to therapy, and [the therapist] said “Okay, you are deep into this. You’re like, not even stage one of wanting to be transgender, you’re like all the way over here. You’re ready to start doing deep things.” Oh God, it was the weirdest feeling ever. You’re so curious about how people are going to react when you’re walking into a room, walking into a situation, that’s how I felt. I thought, [my mom] could ask me to go out and dance in traffic and die or she could cuddle me in her arms because she thinks I’m so precious and feels so sorry for me or something. I’m just so glad things have worked out the way that they worked out. My mom went up to the school and sat down [with] Dr. Pickering and said, “This is the situation, and this is what we need from you out of it,” and he was so accepting. It was such a coincidence that the counselor I was assigned to was Mr. Jones, and he’s so accepting of the LGBT community. Everything was just clicking. [The first day of school] I was holding my best friend’s hand, I was like “Do not leave me.” Basically, the whole first day was scarier than ever because I wasn’t sure what anyone thought when the teacher called [my name]. The teachers were not allowed to call me “Noah.” I was called Khloe.
KHLOE STANAGE 10
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major car accident and that I needed to get there right away. Hearing that made me realize that I could lose my entire family. When I got to the hospital, my mom wasn’t awake yet, and my little sisters were screaming. My 13-year-old sister’s shin was cut open about six inches to the bone. I did as much as I could to comfort her while they stitched her up. My other little sister, she’s five, broke her hand. My little sister’s dad was in ICU. Both his legs were broken, and he had various other injuries. He was there for three weeks. When my mom did wake up, she was telling me what happened. They were on Highway 70, going to Magic Springs, and the woman in the other car crossed lanes and hit them head on. The last thing she remembered w turning around and looking at my sisters, and then she saw the car coming towards them. My little sist dad was driving, and he thought if he sped up, he could pass the woman in the other car, but it just ma them hit her car harder. My mom was in and out of things after the crash, and she said she looked up and saw that the lady hit them [had died from her injuries]. My five-year-old sister saw everything. She wakes up with nightmares all the time now the accident, I’ve been working to pay the bills because my mom is [currently] out of work. I have worked [at Altitude] ever day, and I work doubles on weekends. I also set up a GoFundMe account, and people donated to that. It’s helped a lot. I h of] people supporting me. The whole experience has made me realize that life is really short, and that you have to take adv precious time you have with the people you love.
Vietnam is different from America. Life is just a lot simpler. We don’t have cars everywhere, food is jus
VIET TRAN 12
of your house. We didn’t have much. We were just trying to survive. When I was young, my mom left fo thought she just went to America for a trip, but she ended up being there for two years. I didn’t know coming back, so I was sad. When she did come back, she said I was apparently going back with her. W airport, I thought I was just leaving for a little while and then I would come right back [to Vietnam]. I w she had met a man in Vietnam and had a relationship with him. I never knew him until I was in Americ was my stepdad. A few weeks later, my mom took me to school. I was confused, so I asked her when w She just said, “Not for a little while.” I had no friends and I could barely speak English. I was only 10. comfortable was meeting my best friend. He is half-Vietnamese and half-American, so he speaks both somebody who could communicate with me made everything easier. It’s been six years since I left Viet got, I realized how lucky I am. It is everybody’s dream over there to come over here. When I went back the struggles my family left and how fun life is here. I am lucky. I am so thankful.
It was freshman year when I learned that I had to have back surgery. By the time my family and I figure
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scoliosis, it was already too late. One day in ROTC, I turned my back wrong, and I ended up dislocatin Around the same time, I was told that I wasn’t going to be able to enlist in the Army and become the s to be because of my back. I went to the Navy to figure out if I could still enlist with the rods in my back it was a no-go. I hate to admit it, but I cried. My only choices were that I could either continue to live w possibly have a very fragile back or get the surgery [and] the metal rods. Eventually I broke down and I surgery] was something I would have to do. It was freezing the day of the surgery. I was just ready to ge When the surgery was over and I came out, the pain was excruciating. I went home after four days, and was the weekend before the school year started, I was bedridden for the first month and a half of my s went from 150-pounds to almost 100-pounds. When I was finally able to move around on my own, I w went back to exercising my back muscles and just strengthening my body. I got back into contact with explained my situation. I learned that I still had a chance to enlist, and hearing that was like a light at the end of the tunnel. medical records and doctor’s note approved by a certified [Military Entrance Processing Station] doctor so that I can officia say that they have accepted my doctor’s note, then I’ll be clear to enlist. I used to believe that a person could do anything th but this experience made me realize that there are limits and that there are things that you can’t really do. And sometimes th to be stretched and pushed, and gladly I’ve succeeded in doing that.
I had lived in my house for about eight years. We were just getting it to how we wanted it, putting dryw
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paneling had been and painting it, talking about building a new porch, making it nice. That day, we we on the bathroom. We went to Lowes to do some pricing and then went to McDonald’s before we head We [were] driving down the service road and my dad and I both saw a ginormous smoke cloud. We did to say anything. We just knew. [My dad] threw on his hazards and floored it. The only thought he had w “What if somebody was home?” When we got there, he jumped out of the car and told me to stay with brother. I know how my dad is, so I told my friend to stay with [my brother], and I followed my dad. M dad just sat in the yard, watching [the fire], and broke down. I just kept reminding him we had a cat, w had a turtle, we had a snake all inside the house. When my mom got there, they were bringing my cat out with a breather, so she broke down, too. At the time, I was the only one holding it together to give the firefighters information. It changes you when you go from having pretty much whatever you wanted at the time to nothing. We live paycheck to paycheck, but we always had extra money saved, and it was gone. Practically nothing survived the fire. We are just now to the point that we are starting to get things back. We are trying to live a normal life. I just tell my parents to get Brayden [my little brother] things before me. It’s hard because there are still seven of us living in a single bathroom house. If it weren’t for our different schedules, we would be screwed. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
was ter’s ade y that w. Since ry single have [a lot vantage of the
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10.30.15 [ CENTERSPREAD ] 09
10 [ FEATURE ] PROSPECTIVE
BUILDING A BROTHERHOOD Friends become family ABBIE HALL [AD MANAGER]
The blending of two families into one stepfamily is a concept that is not new to many students. For sophomores Daxton Clatworthy and Cameron Vail, the marriage of their parents not only brought a new brotherhood, but a new friendship. “We just happened to be at Larry’s Pizza at the same day one time. We started hanging out and having a good time, and we said, ‘Can I go to his house?’ so they started talking about the details and ended up hitting it off,” Clatworthy said. The boys quickly began to shift from distant acquaintances to good friends, and after a while ended up wanting to spend the night at each other’s houses. When they proposed this idea to their parents, Vail’s father and Clatworthy’s mother began talking, and by the end of the day, Vail and Clatworthy were not the only two who formed a friendship. At first, becoming brothers was the last thing on the boys’ minds. They were just kids hanging out with each other, but ended up living a life that resembles a plot line for a Disney
Channel show. “It was funny how it worked out. We knew who each other were at first, we had a couple of classes together, so he was one of those kids you say ‘Hey’ to in the hallway and not much more,” Vail said. Through the months, the two boys became closer, and so did their parents. “When my dad first said that he was talking to Dax’s mom, I thought ‘Oh gosh,’ like I did not want him to, but then me and Dax got cooler and by the time they got married I had already accepted it. I didn’t really care. My dad asked me if it was okay if he married Kim, and I said yeah, so I was all good with it,” Vail said. Before Vail and Clatworthy began their first year of middle school, their parents got married on June 25, 2011. “It was a difficult transition, because we both like to argue and be right about everything, and now we still argue, but it’s not as big of a deal because we are friends,” Clatworthy said. As Vail and Clatworthy have grown up, they have continued to grow their
Cameron Vail holds his stepbrother Dax Clatworthy. The two have been brothers for four years. | Sarah Bullington photo.
friendship even though they are siblings. “Our routines did not change too much after we started living together; we were pretty used to each other by then,” Vail said. They like hanging out and have many of the same friends, but they also like to have their own activities and have very distinct personalities. Vail is on the football team, while
Clatworthy spends his time playing basketball. Clatworthy is more extroverted, leading the roller coaster at pep rallies and participating in the student section, while Vail has a more introverted personality, keeping a few very close friends by his side. “We get on each others’ nerves sometimes, but at the end of the day we are and always will be brothers,” Clatworthy said.
BRANCHING OUT FCCLA strives to benefit community and members BLAIR ROLSTON [STAFF WRITER]
Involvement in clubs is part of the high school experience. The Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) put their personal priorities aside for their members, community and campus. “I joined in ninth grade, because I wanted to be a part of something bigger,” Haley Killgore, a junior FCCLA officer, said. Through clubs students meet people, experience new things and get involved in something more than just their classes. “FCCLA means a lot to me. You know you can call somebody, and they’ll be there for you. I’ve made
a bunch of new friends who I constantly text who I never knew before FCCLA,” senior Aaron Orender said. Family is one of the principles that FCCLA is based upon. Being part of the club exposes students to new people who members will constantly work with. “As an officer, you get closer to all your members, and this part really hits home, because I’m not very close with my family, so they are my family,” Killgore said. FCCLA volunteers at events in the community every year, but this year, they are hosting one of their own
events: a Color Run. It is a fundraiser for their club, and it will also help the Partners Club. “We are hosting the Color Run on Oct. 31 for transportation fundraising to get to meetings, and also to help the Partners Club raise money for Special Olympics,” Killgore said. Covering the halls and stairways on the campus are colorful posters and signs to promote the upcoming Color Run. “We’ve been trying to advertise the Color Run on the announcements every day,” Orender said. “We really want to get the word out about it.” Members appreciate the opportunities laid in front of them.
“The opportunities are great, like traveling and hearing the speakers at conferences. You can learn a lot about life, branch out and even get scholarships,” Killgore said. High school is about getting an education and preparing for the future, though some students rise above the standards and do all they can by getting involved. “When you get involved, you get to see the challenges in the community, meet people who may not have the opportunities you have and help them out. I’ve learned it’s not about me and to spread out in the community, to help others,” Killgore said.
10.30.15 [ FEATURE ] 11
AStudents SCOUT’S HONOR earn Eagle Scout badges SARAH GRAHAM [STAFF WRITER]
% 5
of Boy Scouts are Eagle Scouts
Of the 40 million Boy Scouts currently in the United States, only two million have an Eagle Scout badge alongside the 21 other required badges sewn onto their sashes. Ben Adair, Austin Blacklaw, Clay Caffey and Justin Karp are four of the 2 million, and Joel Freeze, Tristan Susoeff and Logan Snapp are well on their way to holding the title. Senior Austin Blacklaw feels Boy Scouting is not given enough recognition for the commitment of each Scout. “You have no idea. It’s ridiculous. People make fun of us like, ‘Aw, you got a merit badge?’” Blacklaw said. “Like, do you know how long it takes?” Although some may think of Boy Scouts as “foolish,” Blacklaw argues that joining a troop requires skill. “I know very few people in Bryant, for example, that could do a 20-mile hike in two days with a 30-pound pack,” Blacklaw said. “That’s what separates you from the crowd. It shows you have dedication for something.” Scouting is not for the weak. The boys constantly backpack, camp, fish and prepare for the occasional 75-mile canoe trip: a nine-day journey. Scouts not only have to remain “physically strong,” but “mentally awake, and morally straight,” according to the official Scout Oath. “Looking back on it now, it teaches you to keep a positive attitude, a positive outlook on things. Because when it’s wet and cold, you tend to get a little negative,” senior Justin Karp said. Senior Logan Snapp sees Scouting as a way
to walk a mile in another pair of shoes. “[It teaches you] how to look at things from a different perspective,” Snapp said. “We have all these rednecks, then all these city boys. We just have people from different walks of life, and it just helps us realize that people are different. And we work together as a team, no matter how different we are.” Though the Scouts have differing viewpoints, they all agree that every troop has to be a team. “It helps you with teamwork and to get along with everyone,” senior Clay Caffey said. “You’re going to have to do that in the real world, no matter what job you get into. It makes you think [about] what actions will hurt other people, and you’re having to think about what you can do to help people.” Though it challenges the mind and body, Scouting also has rewards. Starting with the Scout badge, the boys earned Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and now Eagle badges. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts, and holds great respect for those who wear the badge. “It puts you ahead of some people,” senior Joel Freeze said. “You could have same credentials as the other person, but that Eagle Scout shows that you have dedication.” The journey of becoming an Eagle Scout made not only memories the boys will treasure, but also a title they will hold for life. “Scouting is looked at like it’s for ‘nerds’ or ‘children,’ when really it molds young boys into young men,” Karp said. “I’ve seen it happen, and I’ve watched it for six-and-a-half-years. And I am a product of it as well.”
12 [ SPORTS ] PROSPECTIVE
TRAVELING THE DISTANCE
School groups and bus drivers travel to northwest Arkansas NATALIE BURGESS [STAFF WRITER] LAUREN WILSON [STAFF WRITER] After an eight-hour day of teaching school and mentoring athletes, coaches load up their teams in buses, drive multiple hours to their destinations, compete, then reload to travel back. The following morning, these same coaches wake up for yet another eighthour work day. “[Football coaches] all drive to Greenwood, Alma or Siloam Springs. We really don’t take those longer trips like that, we go to Fayetteville,” girls cross country coach Danny Westbrook said. The price of bus trips went up this year from $1.50 per mile to $3.50 per mile. However, this change did not exponentially impact the cross country team because of the proximity of their competitions, unlike other sports, such as volleyball. “This year our furthest trip was Siloam Springs. Luckily, this year I didn’t have to drive the bus to Siloam. Coach Jefferson drove for us,” volleyball coach Beth Solomon said, “This year, the furthest I had to drive was
160.19 miles
FOOTBALL
GREENWOOD
200.25 miles
CROSS COUNTRY
FAYETTEVILLE
221.67 miles
Greenwood, which is not a whole lot shorter than going to Siloam.” Christy Mead, a band mom as well as a bus driver for four years, recently took the longest trip of her career to Rogers, where she ran into some minor complications. “Because it was such a long trip and so far away, there is a federal law that drivers with commercial licenses can not be on the clock for more than 15 hours and they can not be driving for more than 10 [hours],” Mead said. Thirty-five years ago, Westbrook started his career as a coach, meaning he had to get his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to drive the team bus. “It is a requirement that if you’re coaching you need to have a CDL.” Westbrook said,” I think every coach is supposed to have one.” Coaches driving buses saves the district money. The rate per mile for the school to pay an outside driver is $3.52, which is still low compared to area schools. “We are the lowest paid bus drivers
Girls Cross Country coach Danny Westbrook prepares to drive the team to Hot Springs for the Lake Hamilton Invitational Oct. 17. | Madeline Colclasure photo
ROGERS SILOAM SPRINGS JONESBORO FAYETTEVILLE
RUSSELLVILLE GREENWOOD
SEARCY LITTLE ROCK
BRYANT
BAND ROGERS
228.8 miles VOLLEYBALL SILOAM SPRINGS
MANAGING THE MILEAGE
in the area,” Mead said. “Bauxite drivers make $30 an hour. Benton drivers make $18 an hour. So it’s a sacrifice that we make to drive for Bryant. It’s worth it, I love doing it.” While it is convenient and cheaper for coaches to drive, sometimes they must deal with unexpected situations. While traveling back from the 1993 Cross Country State Championship, an athlete set off the fire extinguisher in the back of the bus. “It was a pretty big extinguisher,” Westbrook said. “I was surprised that it filled the bus with whatever that stuff is. People were hanging outside the windows, because you couldn’t breathe. We had to stop the bus and get everyone off.” Solomon has also had to deal with students not following instructions on out-of-town trips. “It was the state tournament and we were staying over night,” Solomon said. “We were at the mall or something, and I told them I was pulling the bus out at a certain time, and if they
weren’t there, then they were late. I started driving, [and] I wasn’t going to actually leave them, but they started sprinting.” Mead has also had her share of unusual experiences with students. “The band [kids] play this game called ‘Freeze out’ where when it’s cold outside, they roll all the windows down and start stripping down to their shorts,” Mead said. “Whoever lasts the longest wins the game.” Ultimately, Westbrook believes that despite dealing with student misbehavior and the long day that is required, driving the bus for his athletes himself is better than the alternative. “[Driving] is not a big deal to me,” Westbrook said, “I think it may save the district money and really it’s a little less hassle because you don’t have to wait on the driver, you don’t have to worry about the driver showing up. You just go get your bus and go.”
10.30.15 [ SPORTS ] 13
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Volleyball team plays for redemption ALEXIS BURCH [STAFF WRITER] Last year’s volleyball season ended with only six wins and 13 losses. With the start of a new year, it was time to start over. The team currently has 28 wins and seven losses. Senior Britney Sahlmann saw it as her duty to step up and change the way she and the team played the game in the past.
“
“
A lot of us are seniors, so we’ve had to step up.
“A lot of us are seniors, so we’ve had to step up. I feel like last year some of us were not trying to play to our ability,” Sahlmann said. The previous season, players felt they had no one to steer the team in the right direction. Senior Whitney Brown strove to change that. “Our seniors last year didn’t really lead anything.” Brown said. “This year we all know how to be seniors; we’re leading the team more and helping.” Junior Alex Dillard thinks the return of the coaches provided a positive dynamic. “Last year [coach Beth Solomon and coach Cristina Meyer] were both out because they were pregnant, so it was kind of a crazy season, but this year we’re kind of nailing down,” Dillard said. To Brown, the work is not over. “With our team, there’s still some attitudes
here and there that can be fixed, and we need to learn how to push through games,” Brown said. The team has improved drastically, which is obvious to Dillard, who has noticed a different tone. “We’re better this season,” Dillard said. “Last year we joked around more, but this year we’re really serious, because we are very good and we have a very good shot of winning.” Brown believes the team’s performance depends on whom they play. “[Our] motivation definitely depends on who we play,” Brown said. “Big rivalries like Conway, Mount and Russellville are our best games and they’re also our hardest games. When we play [somebody] like Benton, we end up playing down to their level because they’re not as good as others.” Senior Kaci Squires knows the team has to continue improving to win a state championship. “I feel like we need to start thinking about the future, like trying to get to State,” Squires said. “We need to start playing together, step up and take that leadership position.” There is one thing on Dillard’s mind: the state ring. “We all just want to win to get the ring,” Dillard said. “Most of our players are also soccer players, so they’ve won a state championship. They know what that feels like, so they encourage us to be on that level, too.”
Junior Riley Hill serves the ball to Fountain Lake Aug. 25 in the Building 1 gym. The Lady Hornets won their first three sets in the first game of the season.| Jake Deen photo
14 [ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ] PROSPECTIVE
LAST MINUTE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
Cheap and easy Halloween costume ideas for the procrastinator
EDITH GARCIA [STAFF WRITER] CHRIS LEWIS [PHOTOGRAPHER] MADELINE COLCLASURE [PHOTO EDITOR]
01. Black Friday
Just try not to get trampled. What you need:
-Black pair of pants -Black shirt that has “Friday” written on it -Shopping cart (optional)
06. Netflix and Chill
This time, without the movie. What you need:
-Red shirt that has “Netflix” written on it in white letters -Bag of ice
02.When Life Gives You Lemons Seems like you’re in need of some lemon-aid.
What you need:
-White shirt that has “Life” written on it -Two handfuls of lemons -Hand lemons out to people
03. Cereal Killer Just don’t kill my (un)Lucky Charms.
What you need:
-White shirt -Empty cereal boxes -Fake blood -Glue the empty boxes of cereal to the
05. Iron Chef
Who needs Bobby Flay, anyway? What you need:
-Chef hat -Chef apron with periodic
symbol for iron drawn on it
04. Ceiling Fan For when you get tired of watching your favorite team lose. What you need:
-Shirt that has “Go ceilings!” written on it -Foam finger or pom-poms
shirt and put blood all over it
10.30.15 [ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ] 15
MUSIC THROUGH THE AGES Past music stylings inspire modern hits BRAD BREWER [STAFF WRITER]
of popular bands today feature an electric guitar, a bass guitar Music has driven people to dance, run and love and drums. This idea was popularized by The Beatles. The for as long as the human race has existed. It is with lyrics of their songs contained a unique message as well. They the human race that music has changed, from gave a voice to those who thought differently. This new style beating hands on tribal drums and blowing into yielded them critical acclaim. They created 20 No. 1 singles, makeshift woodwinds to using technology to 19 No. 1 albums, and have had 15 records inducted into create sounds that were never thought to the Grammy Hall of Fame. They also received the exist. In fact, the past 75 years have yielded “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2014. WON possibly the largest evolution in music the Sophomore Grayson Smith appreciates The world has ever seen. Beatles’ style. The genesis of modern American “I like how experimental [The music occurred when pop superstar Beatles] are,” Smith said. “They’re Bing Crosby hit the prime of his not afraid to take risks in their career and Frank Sinatra began music and I like that.” his. In 1942, Crosby released the The “King of Pop” was most popular piece of work he ever not born into royalty. created, the single “White Christmas.” The Michael Jackson was song has sold over 100 million times and is born into a family of ten, still widely heard today. Shortly after the and his parents aspired to release of the song, rising star Frank Sinatra be musical artists. Jackson covered “White Christmas,” and in 1946, helped this dream become released his debut album, “The Voice of a reality by becoming the Frank Sinatra.” He went on to release seven HAVE lead vocalist of the family’s band critically-acclaimed albums, such as “Come Fly “Jackson 5.” During the last concert With Me” and “In The Wee Small Hours.” of the band’s “Victory Tour,” Jackson Sinatra also was nominated for 34 RECORDS IN THE announced he was splitting from the Grammy Awards and won 13. band and becoming a solo artist. A decade later, music began to His solo career gave birth to hit change. Instead of slow tunes filled songs such as “Rockin’ Robin” with emotion, songs were released and “Thriller.” Jackson was with faster beats and electric declared the “King of Pop,” guitars with influence from and many still call him that southern Blues artists, who had WON today. Music teacher Julie been singing and playing in AT AGE White recalls listening to the Mississippi and Arkansas Jackson at the prime of his Delta for decades. The career. pioneer of this new style “I love Michael of music called “rock and Jackson,” White said. roll” was Elvis Presley. “He revolutionized the After signing with RCA music industry both Records, Presley released vocally and visually. It his debut self-titled album was always exciting when the world premiere of his new music on March 23, 1956. Hit songs such as “Hound Dog” followed videos would appear on TV. We never knew what to expect but up this album and Presley was quickly dubbed “the King of were never disappointed.” Rock and Roll.” He won three Grammy awards, including the These artists have inspired and molded the way music is “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” at age 36, and has created today. Music is still influenced by Sinatra, the Beatles sold over a billion records worldwide. Band director Stewart and Jackson, but is not restricted to those influences. Genres Wright credits Presley with redefining music. like jazz and hip-hop continue to spark innovation in music “[The largest change was] when rock and roll came in,” today, ensuring that musicians will never run out of ways to Wright said. “During the Elvis Presley time.” express themselves. However, there was another musical revolution brewing “Music is an expressive form of the soul,” junior Sebastian in America. The revolution itself was not even ignited by Diaz said. “Whatever way the person sees fit whether it be Americans, but instead, by four Brits. The Beatles changed guitar, drums or technology it doesn’t matter. They’re all just the way America and the world looked at music. They different colors.” changed the style, and they changed the message. A majority
Frank Sinatra
13 Grammy Awards
Top Four PLACES TO GO This Halloween Motley’s Pumpkin Patch EVENT: Pumpkin Patch DATE: Saturday and Sunday TIME: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (entrance closes at 5 p.m.) WHERE: 13724 Sandy Ann Dr., Little Rock, AR 72206 PRICE: Free for ages 3 years and under or 55 years and over $8 for ages 4 years to 54 years
Mount Holly Cemetery EVENT: Tour
The Beatles15
WHERE: 1200 South Broadway, Little Rock, AR 72225
Grammy Hall of Fame
To set up a tour time, call Sexton Steve Adams at 501-376-1843.
Elvis Presley
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
36
PRICE: $5.00
The Haunted Cathedral EVENT: Haunted House DATE: Through Oct. 31 TIME: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: 1208 Louisiana St., Little Rock, AR 72202 PRICE: $20
Night Terrors 13 EVENT: Haunted House DATE: Friday and Saturday TIME: 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. WHERE: 11200 West Markham, Little Rock, AR 72211 PRICE: $15; $20 on Halloween
16 [ PHOTO ] PROSPECTIVE
Twilight in Tokyo After being announced as the new homecoming queen, senior Blakelee Gray shares the excitement with her parents. Gray’s mother was homecoming queen for Bryant in 1992.| Chris Lewis photo Student Senate officers Jake Price, Ashton Kimbrough, Maddie Belew, Ben Majors, Dylan Davis and Alexis Lorio sing the alma mater. Each officer spoke during the homecoming pep rally.| Madeline Colclasure photo As they try to figure out the tune, seniors Blake and Drew Carnahan show their spirit on animation day by dressing as Mario and Gru. “[I thought], ‘What is the cheapest thing I can do that actually looks good?’ so I just threw that together. I think that’s my mom’s scarf,” Drew Carnahan said.| Sarah Bullington photo
Drenched in cold water, English teacher Shawn Regan takes the ice bucket challenge. Students voted for Regan to take the challenge by donating to the Student Senate winter clothing drive.| Kenzi Brenton photo At the homecoming pep rally, Savonte Turner sings “Lean On Me.” Coach Paul Calley selects a student every year to sing as part of the tradition. “I’ve heard it every single year. Coach asked who could sing a little and I volunteered,” Turner said. | Kenzi Brenton photo