The Bleeding Orange- Issue 78

Springtime is in the air The students are sporting their UIL T-shirtsandarereadytoperformtheirbest Theysitatthetableanticipatingthestartofthe contest,waitingtoshoweverythingtheyhaveworkedforallyear

The first half oftheUILdistrictmeetwasheldMarch23inTatum,andthesecondhalf,allspeakingevents,willbeheldApril1 Sofar,35Jacketshave claimed individual spots at the regional competition, which will be held on April 22 at Tyler Junior College Six teams are also advancing Thefullnumberof studentsandteamsadvancingwillnotbeavailableuntilthemeetclosesonSaturday

“UIL is a placewhereIcancompeteusingmyheadratherthanmybody,” seniorDrewSimmssaid “ItgivesmeaplacethatIcancallmyownbecause IknowthatifIworkhardenoughIcanbethebest”

UILisacompetitionbetweenstudentsovercertaineducationaltopics Itallowsstudentstobecompetitivewhilecontinuouslylearning

“I love seeing our students work hard to achieve a goal and their excitement and sense of pride when their work is rewarded,” calculator and mathematics UIL coach Lexi Commander said “I have also had students tell me that their UIL classes helped prepare them fortheircollegeclassesmorethan anything else they did in high school Preparing to be successful for UIL academic competition takes work ethic and dedication by both the teachers and the students,butitissorewardingintheend”

UIL provides another option for students that want to be apartofateam UILisverydiverse,andmoststudentscanfindsomethingtheyareinterested intotry

“I think UIL academics provide an area where students can be successful if they are willing to put in time and effort,” Commander said “It also provides an avenue for students who may not enjoy sports or band to be a part of something special andcompetefortheirschoolalongsideotherstudentswho have similar interests tothem UILacademicsprovidesaspaceforstudentstoexploreinterestsalongsidetheirteachersthatmaysparkafuturecareerpath Ialso thinkitprovidesstudentswiththetoolstobesuccessfulinthefuturebylearninghowtopreparediligentlyforafuturegoal”

Many students and coaches believe that competing in UIL opens students’ minds to being good at topics they neverimagined,whilealsomakingfun, beautifulmemorieswiththeirfriends

“UIL is what keeps me excited to go to school every day,” juniorRaineSmithsaid “Itchallengesandmotivatesmetoworkhardandapplymyselffor the sake of theteamandtheschool UILbringsmejoyandhasledmetomeetanddeveloprelationshipswithsomeofthemostwonderfulpeopleI'vebeenlucky enoughtoknow”

In UIL, students compete at district If they place in the top three, they advance to regionalsand,hopefully,tostateshortlyafter Manyeventsarealso scoredasateam,butnoteveryeventcanadvanceasateam,someonlyadvanceindividually

March31,2023

Issue78

“It gives me a chance to apply the skills I have learned throughout my highschool career,” junior Talan Crain said “I would have to say one of my favoritememoriesofUILismakingittostate Ilovethefeelingyougetwhenyouaccomplishsomethingyouhaveworkedhardfor;itistrulyamazing”

“Softball practices, then a game, and going to see family”

-Junior Dakota Martin

“I’m gonna chill at home and hang out with friends ” - Senior Keely Goelden

Spring Break Shenanigans

(Weasked:“Whatareyourplansforthebreak?”)

“I’m going to Alabama ” - Senior Caden Lovell

“I’m just happy we aren’t going to school ” - Sophomore Collin Caudle

“Probably relaxing ” - Sophomore Kendal Trost

“I will be spending time with my grandkids and go shopping ”

-Mrs Canton

“Watching Bella and the Bulldogs and baseball ” - Freshman Nunu Kennedy

“I'm going to Six Flags ” - Freshman KP Klingensmith

Calculator Apps:

1st- Talan Crain *

3rd- Drew Simms *

4th- Jacob McCray

5th- Keely Goelden

1st Place Team*

Mathematics:

2nd- Drew Simms *

3rd- Jacob McCray *

4th- Keely Goelden

5th- Talan Crain

1st Place Team*

Number Sense:

1st- Jax Parker *

2nd- Drew Simms *

5th- Sophia Henderson

6th- Jacob McCray

1st Place Team*

Computer Apps:

1st- Carmen Lawless *

2nd- Kyleigh Griffin *

3rd- Kaylee Kelly *

1st Place Team

Computer Science:

4th- Jacob McCray

5th- Bryanne Beavers

3rd Place Team

Jacket News

UIL 3A District 16 Winners and Regional Qualifiers

*Regional Qualifier

(Speaking events for the district will compete this Saturday, April 1 )

Journalism- 1st Place Team

Copy Editing:

1st- Jaicey Rich *

2nd- Logan Smith *

3rd- Baylee Marcum *

News Writing:

3rd- Nikki Silas *

5th- Katelyn Anderson

6th- Cora Creech

Editorial Writing:

1st- Raine Smith *

3rd- Jaicey Rich *

5th- Yzabella Brown

Feature Writing:

1st- Logan Smith *

2nd- Yzabella Brown *

3rd- Cora Creech *

Headline Writing:

1st- Carmen Lawless *

2nd- Ava Henigan *

3rd- Cora Creech *

Literary Criticism:

1st- Raine Smith *

2nd- Mackenzie Simms *

3rd- Grace Roqemore *

4th- Mackinsay Chauncey First Place Team*

RumoursofUkraine’sLosingBegintoStir

By:A.Walton

Science- 1st Place Team*

Biology:

2nd- Drew Simms *

5th- Jacob McCray

Chemistry:

1st- Drew Simms *

2nd- Jacob McCray *

3rd- Talan Crain *

5th- Keller Robinson

6th- Keely Goelden

Physics:

1st- Drew Simms *

2nd- Jacob McCray *

3rd- Keely Goelden *

5th- Talan Crain

Spelling:

1st- Kamya Turner *

5th- Bryanne Beavers

6th- Morgan Shaw

6th- Kyleigh Griffin

First Place Team*

Social Studies

2nd- Karleigh Robinson *

3rd- Allison O’Brien *

6th- John Hayden Beavers

Ready Writing:

1st- Anna Grace Wallace *

2nd- Logan Smith *

February 24 marks theanniversaryoftheUkraine-Russiawar Despiteayearpassing,thebattlefieldappearsasastalemate WithUkrainereceivingunwavering support from several NATO countries, and supposedly killing over 128,000 Russian troops, one would expect the war to be in Ukraine’s favor to say the least However,therehavebeenrecentrumoursaboutUkrainelosingthedefensivewar AretheserumoursRussianpropaganda?OraretheythesoontobefateofUkraine?

The International Monetary Fund's managing director recently said that Ukraine requires at least $3 billion a month in outside support to keep its economy afloat

“Nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been displaced eight million in Europe and six million internally and up to 18 million people, or 40 percent of Ukraine'spopulation,willsoonrequirehumanitarianassistance,”reporterChrisHedgessaid

According totheUkrainianPresident,ninemillionUkrainiansarewithoutelectricityandwaterinsubzerotemperatures TheUS JointChiefsofStaffestimates that at least 100,000 Ukrainian and 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed orinjuredinthewarasoflastNovember Fromanoutsideview,Ukrainealmostseems like a lost hope of sorts, doomed to remain in an economic and humanitarian disaster, with alowchanceofrecoveryontheirown Thesekindsofwarsareknownto persistforlongperiodsoftime,anditisunclearifUkraineisstuckinthepitofmud,sotospeak

“In a press conference earlier this week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there are no indications that the war willendanytimesoon,”reporter Stavros Atlamazoglou said “Moscow isn’t preparing to negotiate, and Kyiv would not either, since it is winning on the ground The NATO chief added that the Kremlin may mobilize an additional 200,000 men (the Russian military has already created a reserve of150,000troopsforupcomingoffensives),anditcontinuesto buy weapons from IranandNorthKorea Despitealmostayearofwarwithnoconcretesuccesses,RussianPresidentVladimirPutinmaintainshismaximalistgoalsof topplingtheUkrainiangovernmentandabsorbinglargeswathsofthecountryintoRussia”

Even if it means sendinghundredsofthousandsoftroopstofightUkraine,RussiaisstillbentonannexingUkraineintotheir“empire”Withtherecentdecision to deliver several tankstoaidUkraine,thesetankswillnotbeabletobeusedformonthswithoutpropertrainingfirst Itisalsounknownifthesetankswilldomuchto swaythewar

“The other problem with advanced weapons systems such astheM1Abrams,whichhave1,500-horsepowerturbineenginesthatrunonjetfuel,isthattheyare temperamental and require highly skilled and near constant maintenance,” Hedges said “The mostoptimisticscenariofordeployingM1AbramstanksinUkraineis sixtoeightmonths,morelikelylonger IfRussialaunchesamajoroffensiveinthespring,asexpected,theM1AbramswillnotbepartoftheUkrainianarsenal”

Jacket Speak Out

On one side of the argument, people believe these students should be getting paid, andtheothersidebelievestheyshould not Which leads to the controversial question: Should student athletes get paid for participationincollegesports?

ShouldtheSchoolAllowStudents AccesstotheWifi?

By:T Wallace

There have been a lot of concerns and opinions about the wifi The school doesn’t allow students to use the wifi, but the students have been complaining that they needit Many other schools in the area have available wifi There are manyreasonswhystudentsneedwifi as it is necessary and helpful in many situations

Thestudentsshouldhaveaccessto wifi

Students may have emergencies and need to calltheirparentsorneedtocontactsomeone The students can’t do that if they don’t have service Students might need to text an adult about a paper they need to get signed or an event that they need toknowaboutASAP Cell phones in the school have no signal without wifi Allowing students to connect for these calls would keep traffic down in the officeand bemoreconvenientforeveryone

There are some events that the school holds that students may not know about until the day of For example, some students might not know about the blooddriveuntilthedayof or a sporting event schedule maychangeinthe middle of the day Also, there are barcodes all around the school, and they can’t be scanned without wifi If students have their phone, important information and schedules could be accessedthroughouttheday

Cell phones can be usefulintheclassroom setting They are a quick way to research information, and they can also be used for fun apps that would addtoclassroomparticipation Sometimes the Chromebooks load veryslowly, and being able to use the cell phones for a quick search would cut down on wasted class time None of this would be possible without accesstothewifi

Some might say that if we need to useour phones then we can go to the office,butthatis not entirely true because if students try to call their parents from the office, the parents may not answer because it could be an unknown number Also, the office phones don’tworkfor the various barcodes students are expected to scan Access to the wifi would make life more convenient for the students, parents, and teachers; therefore, students should be able to accessthewifi

TheMoreYouKnow:

ShouldCollegeAthletesgetPaid?

By:J.Rich

The topic of college athletes receiving money for participating in college sports has been a widespread topic across America in recentyears [Cont ]

Student athletes should not get paid for participatingincollegesports

Student athletes receive scholarships for playing sports for these colleges This is the college’s way of paying them for their performance School is very expensive and valuable intoday’sworld,andtheseschoolsare providing tuition for these student athletes Many college students also do not have a guaranteed roof over their head due to high living costs, and these colleges are also ensuring that these athletes have aplacetolive while playing sports for them One year of tuition and living at the University of Texas costs roughly $23,916 - $26,856 per school year, so if housing is covered, a studentathlete is basically making this much money within one schoolyearjustforplayingasportfortheir college This isnottomentionthecostsoffood that these athletes are not having to worry about because some student athletes are also guaranteed food while playing for these schools

Paying student athletes would take away from how meaningful it is when professional athletes get paid When a student athlete gets paid, it will take away from the sense of accomplishment theywillreceivewhentheygo pro Going pro is mostathletes’endgoal They want toknowthatthey’re“goodenough”toget paid for something they have been practicing their whole life This is somethingveryspecial to them and when they reach this goal, they will feel a sense of accomplishment Going to college for a sport is a stepping stone to this goal If the student gets paid for their stepping stone, it defeats the whole purpose of their goal Bijan Robinson is a running back for the University of Texas At 21 years old, he has a net worth of nearly $2 million Sam Ehlinger was the previous starting quarterback for the University of Texas and started afewgamesas quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in the most recent season He is currently 25-years-old and has a net worth of $25 million Being farther in his career than Robinson, Ehlinger onlymakesalittlebitmore thanhim Robinsonisararecaseandmakeshis money through NIL deals, but if all college athletes were paid this way, it would make goingproseemlessspecial

By paying student athletes,otherprograms in colleges will eventually get erased It is no secret that football and basketball make more money than other sports in America Because of this, they bring in much more money than the smaller sports such as softball, track,water polo, soccer and more Sports that make more money will be able to pay their athletes more than smaller sports do This will cause a multitude of problems for colleges, too, because they will lose money from the programsthatwillbeerased [Cont ]

This will also erase many womens’ sports because they typically are not the ‘money-making’ sports This will cause students to want to play these money-making sports more than the sport they actually like just because they will be guaranteed more money Students will be worried about how much they make instead of playing the game for enjoyment, and this could result in the loss ofcertainsports

If student athletes having money is an issue, these athletes could be taught how to save and manage the money that they do have or utilize the assets offered to them through theirscholarship Theschoolcouldalsoprovide jobs on campus for these athletes that work around their schedules for them to have a little extra spending money In conclusion, students shouldnotbepaidtoplaycollegesports

OuterBanksReturnsforSeason3

By:A.Henigan

Director Jonas Pate’s Netflix original series Outer Banks has returned for its third season After two years, viewers finally get to see their favorite summer characters again Season two ended on a big cliffhanger,leaving its fans excited to see what Pate has to offer theminthenewseason

Seasonthreeisthebestseasonyet

“I thinkitwillbebecauseJJandKiarawill finally have their moment,” sophomore Ava Henigan said “This seasonlooksmoreintense, andI’mreadytoseewhat'sinstore”

Fans are really excited to see which couples stay (or get) together through the season

“I’m mostly excited to see if John B and Sarah stay together on screen since they broke up in reallife,andtoseeifwefinallygettosee JJandKiaratogether,”juniorSailorPainesaid Maybeseasonthreewillbethelast

“I don’t think it will be the last season because there is too much tocover,anditcan’t all be covered in one season,” sophomore Tatum Wallace said, “Also, it better not be becauseIwanttoseemoreofJJ”

Outer Banks is now streaming on Netflix, sogowatchit!

MarchSOTM

By:C.Creech

Jacket Spotlight

OAPShinesatDistrict

By:E.Gonzalez

Memorizing your lines, bonding withyour classmates, getting to be another person on stage, and taking the audience on a journey Practicing every day after school and even duringschooltoperfecttheperformance

Elysian Fields’ one act play, or OAP, did very well this year They competed at district and overall got second place, sotheyadvanced to Bi-District At district, they racked up several individual awards, including the coveted “Best Actress,” which was awarded to Mackenzie Simms LeBron Simmons was named All Star Cast, Jayden Anderson was awarded Honorable Mention Cast, and Kyndal YoungbloodwasnamedAllStarCrewmember

On March 21, the cast competed at Bi-District They did not advance out of bi-district, but still received several awards including Best Performer once again for Simms, All Star Cast for Simmons and Cline, Honorable Mention Cast for Dave Entrekin, andAllStarCrewforKloeGolladay

The March students of the month are YzabellaBrownandKellerRobinson

Yzabella Brown isthedaughterofJennifer and Wes Brown Yzabella participates in cross country, basketball, softball, track, newspaper, OAP, student ambassador, health ambassador andsheisaclassofficerofherclass Yzabella's favorite class is art since it allows her to be creative and create beautiful art In her free time, she likes to stay busyoutside,playmusic gigs, and spend time with thepeoplesheloves After high school, she plans to become an ER nurseorseewhereherfuturetakesher

KellerRobinsonisthesonofRondaand ChrisRobinson KellerisactiveinFFA,UIL scienceandshotgun Keller’sfavoriteclassis eitherEnglishIIIorpre-cal Inhisfreetime,he likestoworkwithhissteersandshoot After highschool,heplanstoattendA&Mtogeta degreeinengineering

“I think everyone did amazing this year; we were faced with so many challenges but were still able to go out and give it our all,” senior Kylie Cline said “ThingsthatIthinkwe could improve on would be for theactorstobe able to really decipher who they are onandoff the stage I hope they will be able to learn the differences between their lives and the characters' livesandalsofindwaysinhowthey connect”[Cont ]

b team,” Anderson said “Each and every person played a huge role for us to become better Also, with all of the things that havehappened recently, we were able to push through it as a team Havinganamazingdirectorandeveryone in OAP practicing and going over lines just helped us perform in a natural way which seemedmorereal”

Many are excited for next year’s competitionseasonandwhatitwillhold

“I’m very excited to be with Mrs Wolfe for another year,” Simmons said “We’ve already been planning plays for next year as well Let’sjustsayOAPforthe2023-24school year is gonna be BIG We plan on upping the theatrical aspects of our sets and characters to reallytellstoriesthattheaudienceswilllove”

The cast and crew pose for a quick photo on the bus ride home from competition

By:K.Stephens

This year's golf team has done extraordinarily well so far With more tournaments coming up this season, thegolfers are prepared and excited to see how they will improve

“I've really enjoyed this season so far, and I'm mostly looking forward to meeting new people and having fun for the rest of the season,” sophomore Maeli Stoute said “I did much better at the last tournament thanIdidat my first, so I have definitely been improving I'm hoping to improve more by practicing on my own and learning more about the rules of golf”

EF SN

(The Elysian Fields Sports Network)

Sophomore Kaylie Davis has found her loveforgolf

“I never loved golf, but this season I have grown love for this sport,” Davis said “Golf has never really been my strong suit, but I am gradually getting better and better The tournaments are amazing, and they are helping meimprovemyskill”

TennisPlayersSetGoals

By:B.Marcum

As they warm up for their match, they are nervous yet excited to go show everyone what they can do The tennis teamhasbeenworking hard, and the players have set some specific goalsforthemselvesthisseason

“My goal for this seasonistowinmatches and hopefully receive a medal at district,” juniorBayleeVickerssaid

“I feel like this powerlifting season has been very successful thus far,” powerlifting coach Justin Hadwin said “Wehaveeightgirls and over a dozen boys that are training regularly I have enjoyed working with this group of athletes, and thankfully the majority of them will be back nextyear Weareayoung team, but I feelveryoptimisticaboutthefuture ofthisprogram Thekidsareworkinghard,and we are determined to build a culture of excellencewithhowweapproacheveryday”

There were many underclassmen competinginpowerliftingthisyear

The athletes have certain aspects of the gametheywouldliketoimprove

“Something I want to improve on is my serves,” sophomore Lebron Simmons said “Theyarethekeytoanexcellentmatch”

The team has many differentstrengthsthis season,evenwithmanynewcomers

“One of the main strengths I have seen is the willingness to work and the want to get better,” coach Mackynna Evers said “Every member gives 100% every time they step on thecourt”

PowerliftingSeason ComestoanEnd

“It has gone really well,” senior Sierra Mathis said “Everyone is performing really well It has been awesome to see the sport grow, and to watch how everyone helps each other out The underclassmen are doing really well Some of the younger girls areevendoing betterthantheolderones”

Likewise, other athletes have enjoyed this year'sgolfseason

“ h h b f d s “ a

The p e a huge appearance at all their meets The girls and boys had meets at Hallsville on Jan 12 and SabineonJan 28

Thegirl’shadtheirlastchancetoqualifyfor regionalsonFeb 16,andtheboyshadtheirlast chance onFeb 23 Theregionalqualifierswere Addison Levendikis, Allyee Cline, Sierra Mathis, and Jaicey Rich It was held on March 11atEustaceISD [Cont ]

The upperclassmen have set really good examples for all underclassmen They helped them with anything theyneededthroughoutthe season

“The powerlifting season has been good, we've all been working hard and learning new things,” freshman Landon Lawless said “I've enjoyed it a lot, it's my first year doing it and I've done pretty well I'm going to do it next yeartokeepgettingstronger”

The girl’s golf team poses for a photo with their medals after placing First Team at the Alpine Golf Tournament in February Picture via Facebook

Regional qualifiers Jaicey Rich, Sierra Mathis, Addison Levendikis, and Allyee Cline smile with their coaches at the meet Picture via Facebook

The girls pose for a quick picture at the meet Picture via Facebook

StayGangsta

By:C.Davis

This season was going to be a special season for baseball after going 10-11 last season, but after a tragic loss of junior center fielder Kip Lewis, the boys knew this season would not look like the one they had envisioned Kip wasn’tjustateammate;hewas abrotherandafriend

On Tuesday, March 7, the baseball team held a tribute tohonorLewisintheirfirstgame back against Troup Junior pitcher Blake Merritt and sophomore catcher Lawson Swank brought Lewis’s hat, glasses, glove, jersey,and a picture of him tocenterfieldforthefirstplay ofthenight

“Beforeeverygame,wheneveryoneleaves to go to the field, I sit by Kip’s locker and prepare myself for the game,” Merritt said “After I go out to the field, Lawson and I go out to centerfield and say a prayer before the gamestarts”

This season is very important to everyone thisyear,especiallyhisteammates

“Coach Wolfe said we gotta win this one for our brother, and to prove to everyone that we got this,” sophomore ColeParkersaid “We willwinusastatechampionship”

The boys will be playing Arp tonight at 5:30

EF SN

(The Elysian Fields Sports Network)

“The season is starting off great!” senior CarmenLawlesssaid “Wehaveshownupto practice every day, giving it all we have,andit isstartingtoshow”

The team’s bond is stronger than ever, especially since almost all of them were together last season They have spent many daysworkinghard

“The team is coming together great!” junior Kaylee Kelly said “I feel like I can be myself with the team, and they do not judge me”

As the season progresses, the returning players are taking on leadership responsibilities

The long distance runners have been putting in hard work while training for cross country season and now coming into track With the runners earning the most points for our school over the past years, they have the potentialtomakeitfar

SwingingfortheFences

By:C.Creech

Bases loaded, two outs, three balls, two strikes The pitcher pitches the ball, the batter swings, and the ball travels through theairas itgoesoverthefence GRANDSLAM!

The Lady Jackets softball season is underway, and so far in season they are 4-3 [Cont ]

“We have a lot of returners from last season so the team knows what to expect and has high expectations for the season,” head coach Lexi Commander said “Our underclassmen that are stepping into key roles are doing a great job, and I think the team is starting to find their rhythm We still need to work on communication defensively, but the more we play together, the more that will start takingcareofitself!”

OnYourMark,GetSet,Go!

By:AvaHenigan

The weather slowly starts to heat up, and the days begin to last longer Athletes start practicing on the track to get ready for their first meet Spring sports have arrived, and the beginningoftrackseasonishere

The districtmeetwillbeheldinWestRusk onApril12-13

“I hope to see participation up from last year,” Athletic Director Justin Crow said “We have a lot of kids that are not running track who should be Track is beneficial to every athlete, no matter what sports they play I also do not care nearly as much about where our athletes finish or howmanymedalstheyearn I want to see them competing to thebestoftheir abilities”[Cont ]

“All of these ladies have immense potential to earn points and advance to bidistrict, regionals and hopefully state,”coach Jana Sims said “The distance runners have high hopes and aworkethicthatmakesdreams a lit O titi i fi d

Newcomers to high school track are ready toshoweveryonetheirskillsandwhattheywill bringtotheteam

“I am very excited but I'm nervous since it’s my first high school track season,” freshman Kylee Heath said “My favorite part of track is the adrenaline rush right before a race, then getting to the starting line Ilovethe feelingaftermyracewhenIknowIdidgood”

Athletes and coaches are excited to see wherethisseasontakestheteam

Good luck to everyone competing at the district meet!

The track team waits in the bleachers at the Sabine meet Photo via Facebook

Our Sponsors