History! A look at the Lady Gators’ historical 2017-2018 season
The Enterprise
Captain Shreve High School, Shreveport, LA Volume 48, No. 3, Spring 2018 • Free
The mark of a resourceful librarian A look at Annette Williford’s library legacy
Social media presence Statistics of student social media usage and stress
Contents 4 - Behind the curtain
Drama teacher Heather Hooper shares her experiences in theatre.
6 - Swimming with the fish Fish need a lot of care, and Chemistry II students are learning through caring for these colorful fish.
8 - Social media presence Delve into the statistics of Shreve students’ social media presence and how it affects their daily lives
10 - Historic season
The Lady Gator basketball team made it to the state semifinals for the first time in Captain Shreve history.
12 - Gators giving back
The Gators for Good Carnival is raising money for two special gators: Demond Hill and Destiny Coleman.
Staff Editor
Rachel Dupree
Reporters
Jaimin Bhagat AntZavier Brown Kelsey Harlow Alexis McClain Jada Wiggins Chase Willis
Faculty Adviser Brandon Winningham
The Enterprise news magazine is published quarterly by students in the journalism class at Captain Shreve High School.
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14 - The mark of a resourceful librarian
Librarians play a large role in school life, and Annette Williford has created a library legacy after 16 years at Shreve.
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Behind the Curtain: Story of Shreve’s Drama Teacher by: Jada Wiggins Heather Hooper
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cting abroad in numerous Shakespearean plays, and traveling with multiple companies for many years, Shreve’s Drama teacher Heather Hooper is here to share her theatre experiences through teaching and directing. “I was six months old when I was in my first play,” Hooper said. Acting all started out as just a hobby for her. She always knew that she wanted to act, and it was never a question about what she wanted to do.
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Hooper had such a passion for theatre that she went to college and double majored in theatre and psychology. “I’ve always wanted to have that rush of being in the moment,” Hooper said. She always knew she wanted to do live theater, Hooper said. She never wanted to do film or television. She just wanted to have that rush that you can only get when you are on stage. Directly after college she went to Los Angeles where her father was
living, Hooper said. While there, she auditioned around for a while, but she was miserable with the way the auditions where conducted. So she moved to Chicago and auditioned for the Shenandoah express, now known as the American Shakespeare center, where she toured with them for three years, which she enjoyed. Eventually, she wanted a more settled life, which caused her to move to Shreveport and occasionally travel to act in plays in Chicago, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. “She’s basically taught me everything I know about acting,” Sophomore Theater Performance Team member Chase Dittman said. Through Hooper, he has learned the importance of remaining professional no matter the situation. Hooper has an amazing work ethic and that she always gets done, even if she has to work till the last minute to get it done. “My experience with Hooper has been great,”TPT member John Bryant said. Bryant said that mostly everything he has learned about acting comes from her. he always gives good advice, and that a lot of what he learned has not only came from TPT, but from drama class too. Most of the things she has taught him has helped him though life in many different ways. “‘All the world’s a stage’ can be taken literally,” Bryant said. Bryant said that Hooper’s passion for theatre is very evident. Even in her drama classes when she’s giving a lecture or a speech she makes wherever she’s at her stage and makes it entertaining. She has taught him a lot of good acting techniques such as the Stanislavsky Method, which he finds to be the most useful.
“We are considered professional actors and she expects professional behavior and performances out of us,” TPT member LaBritney Nelson said Nelson said that working with Hooper outside of school is fun because they are no longer really students to her. Nelson said that is a good thing because it gives that sort of professionalism that sets their productions aside from any other school. Even if it looks like everything is going to be a disaster she still puts her heart into it and makes sure the rest of the cast feels confident in each other, themselves, and their productions. “When she puts her all in it you can tell that it’s a Hooper production,” Nelson said. She said that there no other person or director that she knows would think of making something so simple into a piece of art or a prop.She said that Hooper comes up with props, and stage setups that sometimes doesn’t make sense to the cast at the moment, but once it is completed you get the idea.
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Swimming with the Fish
Story by Jaimin Bhagat Photos by Rachel Dupree Chemistry II Fish Tank Project Hands-On Experience with Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, and Fish
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very year, Terrie Platt’s AP Chemistry II class has the option to do a fish tank project. Students are able to choose their tanks, fish, and plants based on the type of environment they choose. The project is a process where students are able to learn the chemistry and interactions of fish and their environments. Students also learn about responsibility and teamwork, because keeping the fish alive takes effort. At the beginning of the year, students decide if they want to do the project as a class, or opt out and do something else. The majority rules and decides if the class will do the project or not. If the students decide that they want to do the project, they split in groups, and the 1st semester is mainly spent on research. Students research on what kind of fish they will buy and what kind of process they need to take in order to cycle their tank. The students have to spend money on the fish. When beginning to work with the tanks, the students have to perform a step called “fishless cycling.” This step is crucial because it helps create a non-toxic environment for the fish. Students test levels of pH, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite and decide when the tank is ready for fish based on their knowledge. Terri 6
Platt, the Chemistry teacher overseeing the project, said there is not an exact time for this process, but it can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. “Once the cycling is done, the students go and buy fish,” Platt said. “The goal is to maintain a suitable environment in the tank to keep the fish alive.” If the students don’t research the cycles, many problems can occur, since the students wouldn’t know what any of the tests mean. The students are required to present information on plants, fish, cycles, and provide data from everyday experiments. Students are also required to find homes for their fish, because the end of the project does not determine the end of responsibility. Students are able to learn a lot from the project because there’s chemistry involved everywhere inside the tank. “The ammonia from fish waste can kill [the fish], so if you correctly cycle ammonia through the tank, the fish’s waste won’t kill them,” Chemistry II student Javin Bowman said. “I also learned that certain fish need certain size tanks simply because they can produce so much waste. I never knew exactly how much work went into keeping up with fish
and their tanks.” Students are also able to make special memories by working with others in groups. “My special memory from this project is when Ashlyn killed all our snails,”Bowman said. “She didn’t know that they floated to the top for water and she knocked them all down, and we haven’t seen them move since.” Caroline Brakeville, a student who previously worked on the fish tank project, has advice to offer in order for students to be successful. “I would tell the Chem II kids to research a lot about the chemicals and how the fish can affect each other in the tank,” Brakeville said. “Teamwork and communication is one of the most important aspect of this project. Everyone in the group needs to know what is going on.”
Miller Gllen adds fish food to the fish tank.
Chemistry II students prepare to put fish in the tank. Chemistry chart and equipment used to determine the correct tank environment for fish.
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Social Media, School, and Stress By Alexis McClain and Rachel Dupree
Social media has become a worldwide phenomenon, and this is nothing new to those who have been paying attention for the last decade. There have been studies conducted by academic institutes and medical professionals concerning the effect that social media has on teens. Many of these studies have led to descriptions of worry, stress, and sleeplessness. Surveys have been administered that have gathered data on the positive and negative effects of social media on people’s health. Health issues that were called to attention included anxiety, stress and sleep quantity. The effect of social media on people has not been directly lead to extreme usage. There are many social situations promoted on social media that can cause these issues on students, increasing awareness of social maladies and other stressers. 8
However, the opposite can also be found in other studies, and social media can also be used to promote students’ interests. Additionally, social media can be experienced in a multitude of ways. Social media may not necessarily directly affect students’ health and mental state. Many other factors of a student’s life have to be considered. A survey was conducted around the school concerning social media presence, stress, and other factors that could affect students’ stress levels. The survey was given to 10 English teachers for them to give to students in each of their classes. The goal was to find a possible relationship between stress and social media within a wide range of students across the school. 585 students answered the survey, which is roughly ⅓ of the student population.
The three graphs above are based on the data collected from the survey. The survey showed that the average student spends 2-3 hours a day on social media, gets 6-8 hours of sleep each night, and has a stress level of 3. The graph on the top left shows the association between the amount of time a student spends on social media (vertical axis) and their level of stress (horizontal axis). We looked at the group of students who spend the most time on social media (+5 hours per day) and found it is associated with a 6.5% increase in the likelihood of choosing stress level 5. Though there is still a portion of students who have high stress levels and are on social media for excessive amounts of time, but it isn’t taken into consideration that those students who spend that much time on social media most likely have a lot of spare time and therefore are not as stressed with
or without the presence of social media. The graph on the top right shows the association between the amount of sleep a student gets (horizontal axis) each night and their level of stress (vertical axis). The survey showed that the typical student gets 6-8 hours of sleep each night and of the 585 students 21% of them chose that they got 6-8 hours of sleep and ranked themselves on stress level 3. The survey also showed that those students who got 6-8 plus hours had the majority of those students who ranked themselves with a stress level one. The graph on the bottom shows the results of the stress levels of all the 585 students that filled out the survey. As you can see the majority (31.8%) of students fall in the stress level 3 category and the graph forms a bell curve that has a normal distribution.
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HISTORIC SEASON BY ANTZAVIER BROWN PHOTOS BY KEVIN PICKENS
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his year’s girls basketball season has been a record-setting one, with the team finishing with a regular season record of 24-5 and 11-1 in district play. The leader of the Lady Gators is head coach Keith Greene, who coached the Lady Gators to a playoff appearance the previous season. The players for the Lady Gators are Madison Myers (1), NeNe Johnson (3), Jalia Redd (5), Nahja Scott (10), Kennedi Heard (14), Dezyre Black (15), Jordan McLemore (20), Kyra Pamplin (21), Aaliyah Stevenson (23), Laercia Carter (25), Kiayra Ellis (30), and Shunshavia Evans (33). The team was given a sixth seed in the LHSAA District 1 5-A division where their first opponent was against Pineville High School. The team won enough games this year to qualify for the playoffs and have their first playoff game played at home in the Captain Shreve gymnasium. The first playoff game they played in was against twenty-seventh seed Pineville High School, who they defeated 70-32. The girls were given another home playoff game after defeating the Pineville Rebels. Next, they played against Ruston at Shreve. The Lady Gators defeated Ruston 66-59 in their second playoff game, and boasted g a 2-0 record in the state playoffs. After beating Ruston, the girls received their third straight home game against Sam Houston High School. The team won their third playoff game in a close game with a score of 71-70 against Sam Houston. The Lady Gators team this year is filled with a lot of young and talented girls. “There were no coaching changes, just the standards we set on and off the court, me and the other coaches want the girls to be better people off the court, especially since this season we have had a lot of injuries. A lot of younger girls had to grow up fast.” coach Keith Greene said. The team has made playoffs for two straight years for the first time ever in Lady Gators history. “I’m very proud of the girls, because we did have eight new varsity players as well as our girls being student athletes, which is hard having to put in extra work in their class work as well in their craft.”, Greene said. This is considered the best season in Lady Gators history because it is the farthest the girls have made it through the playoffs. “Talent-wise this is one of the best because we have a lot of talent but not the best team yet, because we are still young and a lot still needs to be learned.” Greene said. 10
The team also set a record with having a district title this season. “It shows how the goals we set for the goals since I been coaching worked this is the first District Champions for the girls and back to back playoffs and winning first playoff game last year and winning all our playoff games this year.” Greene said. The team is one game away from making it to the state championship “I don’t feel like it will be a failure if we don’t win state. It will be sad because who does not want to win state? And this year we have accomplished a lot.”, Greene Said. The Lady Gators’ success is partially because of good leadership around the whole team. “The team’s success starts with hardwork constantly from teamwork, practice, and the team goals set by Coach Greene and our other coaches.” Guard Jalia Redd said. The girls’ standards were increased from last year for making it to playoffs for first time in history. “It feels great you always want to make the playoffs and have a chance to contend for state. Winning our first playoff game last year and now winning all our playoffs games this year is great.” Redd said. The team dealt with many injuries to key players, and other players were forced to step up. “We were all asked to step up this year by coach Greene, especially with having a lot of injuries this year to our teammates,” Forward Kennedi Heard said. The pressure put on the other girls helped the team mature faster to get them into the playoffs. “Having pressure can be good and bad, because expectations are higher, but I’m always going to work hard and do my best for the team,” Heard said. The game was a close one, but the Lady Gators fell short of making it to the State Championship game in heartbreaking defeat of 41-49 against Natchitoches Central. The girls’ historic season came to a halt against Natchitoches, but the girls still had an amazing season that no one predicted will happen. The girls gave Lady Gator fans optimism for next season as they continue to make history and try to win the State Championship.
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Gators Give Back
his year, the Captain Shreve Z Club has picked two very special gators in the swamp to receive the profit earned at the Gators for Good carnival: Seniors Demond Hill and Destiny Coleman. Demond Hill Hill started to notice he was having breathing difficulties that made it hard to take part in basketball practice and other activities. Sometimes Hill started to feel other symptoms just from walking and sitting down. “It had always been a struggle because of my asthma,” said Hill. “I didn’t know it was going to get worse, I couldn’t go as much as I use to. After one exercise I’d get tired and winded.” Even though he struggled throughout the workouts, Hill’s teammates and coaches were supportive. “They knew when it was time for 12
By Kelsey Harlow
me to stop and when I couldn’t go anymore,” Said Hill. It broke Hill’s heart when it was time to rest, he didn’t like to see his teammates working hard while he was sitting out. “We should all rest at the same time and work at the same time,” said Hill. If Hill’s teammates were to describe him they would say he is hard-working, determined, and kind hearted. “When you get Demond as a friend, he’s ten toes with you,” said teammate James Ivory. Hill was definitely surprised when he found out that he is receiving some of the profit from the carnival. “I am excited and thankful,” said Hill. “I never thought the Gators loved me.”
spreading rapidly. Coleman has been caring for her mother for almost 4 years while going to school and working several jobs. Coleman would even take her mother to her doctor appointments. Sadly, Coleman’s mother lost her battle with cancer January 31, 2018. “She was all my life consisted of,” said Coleman. “I changed her, fed her, picked her up, and carried her around.” The goal is to raise $20,000 for Hill and Coleman. Monetary donations are welcomed along with auction items and any other contributions that are possible. The carnival will be held on Shreve’s campus and draws hundreds of people from the area.
Since surgery, Hill hasn’t felt any of his symptoms come back and will be cleared to play again in 3 months. “This experience has taught me to never give up on yourself and always keep God first,” said Hill. Hill plans on attending Louisiana Tech University for engineering and one day hopes to play in the NBA, just like his role model Dwayne Wade. Destiny Coleman Destiny’s mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung and brain cancer in November 2014. Ever since, she has undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and brain surgery. In 2017 they told her that she was cancer free, but a few months later the cancer came back and was 13
The mark of a resourceful librarian
Story and Photos by Chase Willis
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hile this upcoming May will symbolize a closer approach to summer for faculty, staff and students, Librarian Annette Williford approaches retirement. Williford has served as librarian for 16 years, and during those years she has impacted students and teachers in only a few simple measures - helping them find books, to merely remembering a person’s name. Williford’s hometown is Bossier City, Louisiana and is a high school graduate of Airline High School in Bossier Parish. She is an alumnus of the Louisiana State University of Shreveport and Baton Rouge, holding a bachelor of science degree and masters of library and information sciences. She also holds more than 30 graduate hours 14
from Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana State University. She is married to Richard Williford, and together they have two daughters, Darla and Heather, and one son, Dustin. Williford is the grandmother of two grandsons, Mac and Landon. While away from Shreve, she enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains of Arkansas. She also enjoys reading and shopping, but most of all spending time with her new grandbaby. One of the most significant accomplishments Williford has achieved during her career was becoming one of the first National Board Certified Librarians in Caddo Parish. The National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education that goes beyond state licensures. During Williford’s tenure at Captain Shreve, she has found her role as librarian to be very rewarding due to the daily interaction with the majority of the faculty and all students. Williford said that she had made lifelong friends at Shreve that she plans to remain in contact with after retirement. “For several years, I would take my students to the library every single week. It was like family time in the library,” English teacher Nicole Karamales said. “I can remember Mrs. Williford always being hard at work and willing to help, not only professionally but even whether it was just lending an ear. I use to leave her little notes on her desk, and she’d find them - and pin them up by her desk. Mrs. Williford has such a huge heart and its obvious in everything she does.” After several years of working closely with Williford, Library clerk Pamela Williams has seen enormous impact Williford has had on student’s academic lives. “Mrs. Williford has a very positive impact on the students to help them achieve their academic performance,” Williams said. “She always has the answer to their questions.
Mrs. Williford is always helping the students to make sure they get what they need to be successful.” Seniors Kiersten Vice and David Trombetta have found it remarkable that Williford remembers their names, having little interaction with them thought each school year. “From freshman year through junior year, I went into the library a maximum of once a month to get a book,” said Trombetta. “I go by my middle name, but every time I would go into the library, she remembers to call me by my middle name.” Trombetta finds himself always leaving the library asking himself how she is capable of remembering him after hundreds of students walk through the library between his monthly visits. Williford said her dream job was to become an archivist in a museum. However, she went in another direction. Her inspiration to become a librarian came about through her discovery of an absolute passion she had to read books. “She has read every young adult novel and knows every book in that library,” said English teacher Dorothy Reeser. “There are so many memories I have with Mrs. Williford. She is such an awesome librarian because you can go to her for anything. She’ll help you plan out lessons for research, and she’s consistently there to support us - as teachers.” Reeser believes that Williford has made a considerable impact on the students while serving as librarian, assisting them in finding books to fit their interest. “Mrs. Williford has impacted students and teachers with her professionalism and leadership as an educator,” English teacher Maureen Barclay said. “She has led the writing of grants that total about half a million dollars, and we work together on some of those. I was proud to work with and proud to have her as a mentor. She is knowledgeable of our students, and she knows who they are. She is a professional in
her role and an expert in using information resources and library media services.” Williford lives by a straightforward quote which says, “Sometimes you just have to smile!” After retirement, Williford plans to travel with her husband and work part-time in her family’s business.
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