The Hawk Eye, Volume 16, Issue 2

from The Hawk Eye, Volume 16, Issue 2

THEHAWKEYE

March 5, 2018 Volume 16, Issue 2

School offering new courses next year

YASMIN HAQ DESIGN EDITOR

New courses will be offered for the 2018-2019 school year due to increasing student interest in different electives. Many electives are being offered for the first time this year as well.

One new class that will be offered in the 2018-2019 school year is Interior Design II. It will be taught by Interior Design I teacher Jacqueline Rans. Rans is piloting Interior Design II with a student who is in Interior Design I for two periods. Rans said the student works on their own projects, independent from the Interior Design I curriculum.

“I’ve worked with the interior design teacher from The Colony High School, and he’s doing the same thing,” Rans said. “He has a couple of Interior Design II students in his Interior Design I course and we kind of worked together over the summer on the curriculum. We’re both piloting it [this] spring to hopefully have a full class in the fall.”

New courses from the course description guide were added to the to course selection sheets this year. These classes include Principles of Education and Training, Human Growth and Development, Interior Design II and Practicum in Fashion Design.

“If there is sufficient student interest, as measured by the number requesting the course, and if the master schedule of classes and staffing all come together, the courses will be offered,” Career and Technology department head Diane Weaver said.

AP U.S. history teacher Travis Fitzgerald is also teaching the World after World War II elective this semester. Last year Fitzgerald agreed to teach the course since enough students wanted to take the class.

He said he hopes the class becomes something he will still teach in the future instead of a one-time class.

“There’s actually no official course or textbook, but there’s a lot of different things put together so I’m hoping it’s not just a one [time thing],” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t want to make all this content [and only use it once].”

Counselor Tracey Shinkle said she gives the department heads the course description guide before students select their courses, so they can choose new classes to put on the course selection sheet. While the course selection sheet is exclusive to Hebron, the course description guide is shared between all high schools and is a catalogue of all classes approved by LISD.

Once a class is put on the course selection sheet, the class will make it to the master schedule if enough students choose it and there is a teacher to teach it.

If a teacher wants to teach a course that is not listed in the description guide, they can write the curriculum for the class and get it approved for the course description guide. History teacher Leah Bouas wrote the curriculum for the African and African American History course. It is actively taught at school and available to all high schools.

“In fall of 2014 the district wanted to start including more social studies nine week electives,” Bouas said. “There were a number of us from different schools that came in and had topics to propose and lots of them got approved.”

Bouas said her class is actively taught at Hebron because of student interest in the topic.

“In our school, there seems to be a want and a drive to learn about African and African American History,” Bouas said. “It seems to be something that students [at Hebron] are interested in.”

Rans said the teachers want to look into offering courses students are interested in. She said if they were to put every course in the description guide on the course selection sheet, it would be interesting, but would probably dilute the amount of students in each class.

“I think that’s what the new superintendent wanted to do, he wants to put everything out there and see what makes,” Rans said. “But what’s scary about it is teachers have been teaching Nutrition for the past 10 years [and] all of a sudden nobody wants that course anymore and they want [another course] well then she/he would have to adjust to what the students want.”I think that’s what the scary part is for teachers.”

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Treble choir to perform tonight before SWACDA convention

YUSRA WARIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SWACDA students go over a Russian song, “Praise the Name of the Lord,” during their Tuesday lunch rehearsal. Forester said she picked diverse songs like this to showcase the diversity of the school.
Photo by Yusra Waris

The treble choir will be performing its six-piece concert at Saint Monica’s Church at 7 p.m. on March 5, before its performance on March 10 in Oklahoma City at the Southwest American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) convention.

To be selected to perform at the convention, choir submitted recordings from three different years. Choir applied for the convention at the end of last school year and was notified of its acceptance this summer.

“I was surprised when I got the call that we’ve been selected,” choir director Rachel Forester said. “It was kind of crazy, that feeling, and then I thought, ‘wow, we are going to have to prepare to be the best and show the rest of the convention that Texas choirs are awesome.’”

The choir is given a 25-minute time slot at the convention and will be singing six multicultural pieces: “Bloom,” “Satamasho,” “Gloria in Excelsis,” The Tree of Peace,” “Tota Pulchra Es,” and “Хвалите Имя Господа (Praise the Name of the Lord).”

“What I like to do is celebrate the diversity of Hebron in the music that I pick,” Forester said. “Hebron is one of those schools [with] so many nationalities, and I want to bring that to the forefront of what people see.”

The all-woman’s choir consists of 55 students from Acapella and Belle. Junior Shraavya Chitoor said she enjoyed the experience of working on the music as well as the other students from Belle.

“It’s such a unique privilege,” Chittoor said. “The experience so far has been highly rewarding. I have not only had the opportunity to leverage and further my leadership skills in our section practices, but have also built a close bond with the other girls in the group.”

Students began rehearsing for the convention in October. They have spent 30 minutes every day in class, block lunch every Tuesday and every Wednesday morning to prepare.

“I really enjoy the music we’ve been working on, and working with [Acapella] has definitely challenged me more than being in Belle,” junior and technology officer Sonal Verma said. “Not only that, but since there’s only so many rehearsals we could fit in, the rigor and pace has increased. It was different at first to hear different voices behind me and work with a different group than I’m used to, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

The choir is one of two treble choirs representing Texas at the regional conference. Forester said she is looking forward to representing the Texas choirs.

“I just want the girls to have fun and sing out,” Forester said. “I’m looking forward to hearing them do that because if they do that, their minds are going to be blown and the audience’s minds are going to be blown. It’s [important] we please ourselves with the work we’ve done, because when we please ourselves, we get the message across [and] the audience is going to love it.”

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DECA students advance to internationals

Yusra Waris, Editor-In-Chief

Seven Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) students will participate at the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on April 21-24 after placing in the state convention in Dallas on Feb. 20-22.

Of those students, seniors Isaac Ke, Rahul Venna and Anthony Allam advanced in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research. This is Ke’s second year qualifying for ICDC.

“Going to internationals both years makes me feel grateful for the opportunity to compete with other talented, business-minded people,” Ke said. “I feel the experience and the strategies we’ve gained from our past experience at ICDC will help us to be more calm and collected for this year.”

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After Big Event cancellation, Day of Service to be held April 7

ALYSSA ABRAHAM REPORTER

The school will host the HHS Day of Service on April 7 after the removal of LISD’s Big Event.

Due to the dissolution of the three zones in LISD, The East Zone’s Big Event was canceled. However, Hebron will continue giving back to the community by hosting the HHS Day of Service.

“All the [National Honor Society] officers and I decided that we did not want to get rid of the Big Event,” NHS adviser Julie Cummings said. “We wanted to, at least as a Hebron campus, still continue to incorporate that day of service in our yearly events, as a way to still give back to the community.”

Cummings said this year, NHS will offer the Day of Service to multiple organizations of the school. Student Council, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), football teams and volleyball teams were all active school organizations in the Big Event for the past three years.

“For all of NHS, it’s all about service,” Cummings said. “Not everyone in school gets to take part in what we do. This is a way for [various] groups and organizations from [Hebron] to give back to the community. It’s just our way of saying thanks to our community. Each organization is going out and finding their opportunity to serve.”

The Carrollton Giving Garden, Metrocrest, Pass The Hat, Seven Loaves and visiting nursing homes are among the service activities planned by different organizations on the Day of Service.

“It’s a great opportunity to give back to the community and show appreciation to the people who support our school and help fund our organizations,” NHS parliamentarian Bruce Moe said. “Since it’s a Hebron event, it’s a good way to meet new people and hang out with friends while at the same time, [make] a positive impact through volunteer work.”

**Participants of the 2016 Big Event gather outside Career Center East for the kickoff. This year, The Big Event will be replaced by the Day of Service.**
Photo by Maleeha Ahmad

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English teacher Donna Friend wins AcDec Coach of the Year

SYDNEY GRAY SPORTS EDITOR

Academic Decathlon coach Donna Friend received this year’s Coach of the Year award for her work with the team this year. Friend said that without the hard work of her students, she would not have been able to win this award.

“In the beginning, we thought this year in Ac Dec may be a rebuilding year since so many seniors [graduated] last year, especially three 4-year competitors,” Friend said. “However, this year’s team has defied all initial impressions or worries. They are the highest scoring team ever in [the school’s] history, and the three category leaders - [junior] Brendan Glascock, [senior] Amna Yasin, and [senior] Karina Sanchez - are also now the three highest scoring decathletes in their respective categories. So, to say it’s been exciting is an understatement.”

Friend was nominated secretly by her students and coach Travis Zuber. Friend said she was surprised to find out she had been nominated, and even more surprised she won.

“I was absolutely shocked,” Friend said. “This particular award means so much to me because my Ac Dec family wrote beautiful words to nominate me. It wasn’t a competition I entered and won; it was an honor that others bestowed on me, and I am so moved by their kind words and huge hearts.”

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New coach, stronger team

Football coach helps lead girls’ soccer team to success in second season

TATIANA CALZADO OPINION/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

**Head girls’ soccer coach Bobby Vaughn stands in front of the players instructing them while in the weight room. Vaughn became the head coach of the team a little over one year ago.**
Photo by Tatiana Calzado

A year ago, the girls varsity soccer team was without a coach, and someone needed to step up and take the position. Coach Bobby Vaughn took the job, with 20 yearsof experience coaching football, a completely different field than girls soccer.

After the sudden departure of the team’s head coach, there was a rushed decision to have Vaughn take over. With Vaughn as the new head coach, last year’s girls varsity soccer team went further in the playoffs than the previous year, and his impact the team has helped lead them to a successful start this season. As of Feb. 27, the girls soccer team was ranked No. 11 in the state by Max Preps.

“[Taking the head coaching job] felt like it was the right decision for myself and the team,” Vaughn said. “I really wanted to make the season memorable for all the players and the seniors. I felt like they [would appreciate] someone who cared about the team and their success stepping into the coaching position.”

Vaughn said he expected the first seasonto be difficult, because the team did not make the playoffs in 2016, even with several Division-1 commits.

“We experienced some bumps in the road that first season,” Vaughn said. “I had to get to know the girls and had to get to know me and my coaching style. We had some key injuries that could have changed the course of the season. After losing Gabby Duca (Alabama commit) the girls were worried and [hopes for playoffs] were gone. We came together, other players stepped up and we made the playoffs.”

Senior and midfielder Brooke Weatherford said the team had mixed emotions at first and a few concerns about having a new coach.

“We were all a little worried about getting a football coach as the new girls varsity head soccer coach,” Weatherford said. “But we also ... hoped that he would at least be better than our previous coach. We all held our breaths leading up to meeting our new head coach, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.”

While the team’s expectations may have started low, Weatherford said Vaughn exceeded hers and many others’ expectations.

“Many believed that after the [departure of our last coach] our soccer program was doomed for failure,” Weatherford said. “Coach Vaughn was the one who stepped into an impossible role and ignited hope and desire into a bunch of lost high school girls. Many believed after the seniors of the previous year had graduated, our program would die.”

Vaughn and the team were able to make it three rounds into the playoffs, better than the previous year.

“After a great season, I knew I wanted to continue to be the head coach,” Vaughn said. “I learned that girls are tough and strong and they listen. I feel like this team is closer group. The seniors are leaders. The seniors are in charge and they took pride in leading the team.”

While Vaughn’s coaching style is different, Weatherford said his style and hope are what brought the team success.

“Vaughn is a very strong believer in the underdog,” Weatherford said. “His belief is what has brought a bunch of average players into becoming a great team. This season, coach Vaughn has really pushed all of us to give 100 percent all the time. Coach Vaughn has really pushed all of us to be the best athletes we can be, which is a big factor in our current and future success.”

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Softball to play LD Bell tomorrow

SYDNEY GRAY SPORTS EDITOR

**The softball team huddles around the pitcher’s mound. They were discussing a strategy prior to the start of the inning.**
Provided by Audrey Faulks

The softball team will play against LD Bell at home tomorrow evening .

Head coach Jason Gwyn said LD Bell is a good team and the game will be difficult.

“Our district is very tough from top to bottom, and there aren’t any automatic [wins] out there,” Gwyn said. “Last season, it came down to the last game of the season for us to make the playoffs, and we could’ve finished anywhere from second, where we did, to out of contention altogether. LD Bell was another team that was right there at the end, and they gave us two very tough games during the district season.”

Last season, a majority of the team consisted of seniors, so Gwyn said this year he expects the juniors and seniors to step up and be leaders.

“This year’s team is very athletic and very skilled,” Gwyn said. “Most of the players have a club background and are used to competing at a high level, so that mixed with the experience they gained last year by competing at the varsity level has really helped establish a baseline for skill level and allowed them to focus on certain smaller skills that will just make them better overall. The team is very well-rounded and each of the athletes bring something unique to the team that helps them establish what their role is and how they can help us win.”

Junior first baseman Madison Butler has been playing softball since she was four, and she has been on varsity since her freshman year. Butler said she knows LD Bell is a good team, but she believes her team will come out with a win.

“I think the LD Bell game is just another game we have to show up and show out for,” Butler said. “District games are really hard because we play teams that are really good. I think as long as we’re working hard then we will be prepared for the games that really matter.”

Gwyn said the team has been practicing to become a stronger team in general, but since the LD Bell game and district games are coming up, the girls will begin to prepare specifically for their opponents.

“We will look at the rosters and see who is returning and how they performed against us last year, as well as how we did against them,” Gwyn said. “The coaching staff keeps taking notes and keeps charts during our games and we will prepare a game plan for LD Bell and spend some time going over that with the athletes as we prepare.”

The team will continue to practice every weekday until 5:30 p.m. in order to prepare for the competition they will face this season. Gwyn said he is proud of the team’s work ethic as they show up to practice every day ready to learn new skills and to become a better team.

“Because this is the second year with me for most of them, they know what the expectations are and they’ve been able to meet and even exceed those expectations regularly,” Gwyn said. “These athletes have done an amazing job at being consistent every day and becoming very efficient and diligent with their workouts and practices. If they get credit for nothing else, they absolutely deserve credit for their incredible work ethic.”

Junior pitcher Audrey Faulks has been on varsity for three years, and said she is proud of her team and her coach’s hard work in preparing for the game and for the rest of the season.

“Coach Gwyn has helped us to become mentally and physically prepared for any obstacles that may try to block our path to success,” Faulks said. “He has talked to us about keeping our negative thoughts out of the game, and he has greatly shaped the energy and direction of the team this year. Practice can be very long, but very little time is wasted, and our practices prepare us to endure the long district games.”

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How 45 minutes changed his life

Senior opens up about how home burglary impacted his life

TATIANA CALZADO OPINION/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

His hands were tied behind his back. He could hear the groans of his father as he was getting beat by two people. He saw his mother walking around with a gun pointed behind her head, trying to find any money or valuable items to give.

On Dec. 9, 2016, senior Rahil Baharia’s home was invaded by five men at around 3:30 a.m. The five men were wearing black shoes, black jackets, black pants and black ski masks covering their faces. The invaders broke into the house through the backyard door.

“The first thing I heard was a crash,” Rahil said. “I didn’t know what it was at first, but within about 10 seconds there were three people in my room. Before I knew it, there was a flashlight and gun pointed at my head.”

The intruders came upstairs to Rahil’s room first. His parents were downstairs, and even they did not have enough time to see what the crash was. The intruders immediately asked Rahil where the money was kept.

“I told them, ‘I don’t know, I’m only 16, I don’t know where my parents keep the money,’” Rahil said. “They just kept asking, and then they covered my face with a blanket and kept a flashlight on me; just in case I wouldn’t be able to see so I couldn’t see their faces. Two(of the intruders) went downstairs to talk to my parents and one of them just stayed in my room.”

Rahil’s mother, Rozina Baharia, would eventually ask to see her son. Once the intruders permitted her to see Rahil, she told him not to worry and that everything would be all right. They then proceeded to take off some laces of shoes in Rahil’s closet and tied Rozina’s hands and feet.

“What would I do if they hurt or killed my husband, son, or both?” Rozina said. “I had fear that something bad would happen to my family.”

The intruders led Rozina downstairs. Rahil, left alone, could hear his father, Malik Baharia, getting beaten up downstairs.

“That was probably the hardest part because I couldn’t do anything at that moment,” Rahil said. “I was alone in my room just tied up. Eventually, I kept asking if I could go see my parents. They picked me up and put me by the top of the staircase and turned me around so I couldn’t see anything, but I could see my dad getting beat. I could just hear him groaning. Then I see my mom walking around with a gun held behind her; she was just leading the way to where the money was.”

The intruders were in the house for a little over an hour. Rahil is not sure why his house was targeted, but said the intruders were convinced there was a safe in the house.

“One guy picked me up and put me over his shoulder,” Rahil said. “At that moment I thought I was going to get taken; I didn’t know what was happening. They put me in my parents’ room. My dad was on the bed with a pillow over his head and my mom was tied up in the corner. They put me down in the bathroom. Once I saw the pillow over my dad, I thought, ‘they’re going to shoot him.’ That was probably the scariest thing; I almost witnessed the death of my parents.”

The intruders took any cash, jewelry and watches given by Rozina and Malik. Soon after Rahil and his parents were placed in that room, the intruders left and told them not to move.

“One of the guys came back two minutes later, to check if we had moved and none of us did,” Rahil said. “We still waited another 10 minutes just to confirm they had left. Then, my dad got up from the bed and cut himself loose, he came over to me and cut me loose and then we called the police.”

Once the police arrived, Rahil and his family were questioned. The police also searched the perimeter for any evidence the intruders left behind. CSI was also called, but no evidence was found.

“It was frustrating,” Rahil said. “After it happened, a lot of families came over to our house. We had to tell the story over and over again every time someone would ask. It was annoying; we didn’t want to share what we had just been through. We didn’t want to keep reliving it.”

At first, Rahil said he had not processed what he had been through. It wasn’t until a few weeks after the incident when Rahil realized how traumatizing it all was.

“I started going to therapy,” Rahil said. “I was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression. Then I stopped going to therapy, just because I convinced myself I was fine, even though I wasn’t.”

Rahil said he tried to stay out of his home as much as he could because it reminded him of what had happened. He would sleep in his parents room for a few months because he was scared to sleep alone.

“I thought I was going to die that day,” Rahil said. “I just think that it’s crazy that in one day, your whole life could change.”

The case was closed a couple months after the incident. The five intruders were never caught because little to no evidence was found.

“It doesn’t make me feel any more safe,” Rahil said. “Five guys got away with assault [and] armed robbery. They’re still out in the world; they could easily do that to someone else. It’s crazy that [authorities] would close the case so quick.”

Rahil and his family moved out of their house at the end of last school year, and right before the new school year. Rahil decided to start going to therapy again; he was prescribed medications for his anxiety along with antidepressants, and was also given sleeping medicine.

“I would have bad dreams, and any little sound would keep me up,” Rahil said. “Even now, with my sleeping medicine, I still wake up at that same time around 3:30 - 4 a.m. When I wake up at that time, it’s really hard for me to go back to sleep.”

It has been difficult for Rahil to find people who can relate and help him.

“I had a few people I could talk to but no one really understands what I’ve been through,” Rahil said. “Even my therapist kind of gave up on me. She said my situation was so unique that she didn’t know how to help me. Most people who suffer PTSD are usually war veterans. Someone being robbed at gunpoint in their house, it’s not something that happens everyday.”

Rahil said he is worried he will never be the same again. Still, he hopes that he will not suffer as much as he does.

“I’m always going to hope I’ll get back to normal,” Rahil said. “Sometimes I get worse, sometimes I feel perfectly fine. I’ve never gotten close to being my normal self again. I guess I’m living in fear and that is no way to live. I can pretend all I want, but inside I know I’ll never be the same person.”

One thing Rahil has learned through his experience is to appreciate every good thing that comes his way.

“My point of view [on] life completely changed,” Rahil said. “You never really know when its your last day; your days are numbered. Something that went through my head [during the attack] were all the regrets I had. I was given a second chance. I regretted that I didn’t take an opportunity to do some things, I regret not saying ‘I love you’ to my parents enough. I’m not going to live with regrets. Every day, I tell people how much I appreciate them, because I really don’t know when my last day could be.”

**Rahil (right) stands with his mother, Rozina (middle right), father, Malik (left) and sister, Rida (middle left). All were present during the burglary except Rida.**
Photo provided by Rahil Baharia

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Editorial: Students’ voices should be heard on gun violence

**School resource officer Kevin Stiles stores his gun in his duty belt while at the school on Feb. 26.**
Photo by Aparnna Manoj

This year, there have already been several all-too-familiar examples of incidents with guns in schools, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fl. being the most recent. Since then, families and students have come forward to protest against the rise in gun violence. Students are being directly affected by the gun violence, so their voice should have a louder say in government actions regarding gun control, rather than politicians and lawmakers shutting their voices down.

There have been 25 fatal school shootings since the mass shooting at Columbine, according to USA Today. The majority of them have been followed by attempts to amend the gun control policies in place, in order to ensure safety. The mass shootings have affected students and families, so their protests to amend a right that is taking away their lives should be taken more into consideration. In the present day situation, students are most impacted by the lack of gun laws to ensure the safety they deserve, especially in schools.

When drastic events, like shootings, occur in society, they are often met with protests or riots. Because of the recent school shootings, some schools have decided to conduct the National School Walkout on March 14 and March for Our Lives on March 24. Such demonstrations haven’t been met with serious acknowledgment, and if they have, there have been repercussions for them. Curtis Rhodes, superintendent of Needville high school, has threatened the students with a three-day suspension if they participate in the walk-out. Major protests like these are portraying the students’ opinions, and should be met with the proper acknowledgment from the government with active negotiation.

To have any changes on this matter, the government has the ultimate say. Although, it is not rational to lower the voting age for teens to have a say in this matter, adults, especially 18-yearolds, can choose candidates that have better potential gun control policies. For this to happen, adults and the government should take the students’ protests more seriously. The new adults supporting this issue should register for voting soon to have a voice. This would secure safety by bringing more attention and support to the changing gun control policies.

In order to promote safety in the community, the government should take students’ opinions and protests with the same consideration as they do with legal adults, because it’s the students’ lives at s

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Column: Stuck between two worlds

YUSRA WARIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Although I was born and raised in Texas, I grew up with the ideals my parents brought from their homelands: my dad growing up in Pakistan and my mom in both India and Saudi Arabia. As most immigrants, my parents aimed to preserve the culture they were brought up with. They sought to create a community of like-minded family friends and often took me back to their homelands to be reconnected with family, so I could be more familiar with where my parents came from.

Since I was raised around people like me for a significant portion of my life, I assumed everyone else was like me too: they believed in what I believed in, had a family like mine and understood everything I talked about. Even though I was drastically different from any other student in my class, I thought we were the same. I think my ignorance to this fact allowed me to talk and try to be friends with everyone rather than limit myself to a comfort zone; I didn’t think much about their judgments of me because I bore my Indian/Pakistani culture proudly and didn’t feel the need to change myself.

However, once I started to notice the barriers between my classmates and myself, I began to feel it would be better for me to fit in. One instance that brought me to this conclusion happened during recess, where my friends assigned one day of each week “Girls Day,” where they would all go and play together without me and a couple other girls. I wondered what was different about me that didn’t make me qualified to be a “girl” and hang out with them. Was it my clothes? My hobbies? The only thing that really set us apart was my Asian background. At that moment I realized I didn’t belong, and this difference was the reason why I was excluded from friends I had known for years. After that incident, I watched out for signs that indicated this social barrier; soon enough, everything I initially ignored began to pile up day by day, making the disparity obvious.

Immediately, I was desperate to feel included again and began to reject what made me different in the first place and replace it with what I felt my friends and classmates would approve of. I exchanged my cozy sweaters and T-shirts, some of which my family would gift me with when I would visit them, for the bedazzled, artificial and almost paper thin shirts from Justice, a clothing store that happened to be ‘in’ at the time. I’d listen to less Bollywood songs and more Disney ones. In the years following that incident at recess, I was willing to break with the qualities that made me unique and stand out to blend in with everyone else.

In the end, I achieved nothing. Instead, I lost confidence and a huge part of myself was trying to find a balance between the norms of my homeland and those of America. Since the two cultures differed on multiple matters, I found it frustrating to figure out what ideals I should prioritize over the other, what characteristics I would use to define me. I was choosing between thinking and acting for my self-interests -- American individualism -- and acting for the interests of everyone -- Asian collectivism. I was choosing between voicing my opinions without hesitation and keeping quiet to avoid conflict.

It’s still an ongoing struggle for me: whenever I feel like I have attained an almost perfect balance between my multiple worlds, something will happen and I’ll be sucked back into the cyclone of dismay.However, I have been learning to embrace the diverse aspects of my personality and be more comfortable being different from the people here and back in my homeland. This past year, I finally found a group of friends that understand and appreciate me for what makes me who I am. While I occasionally still find myself astray between the two cultures and while I often have trouble defining who I am, I know whatever path I choose, it will be solely determined by what I want to do, not what others want to do.

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Black History Month Celebration

YASMIN HAQ DESIGN EDITOR

The Black History Month committee held a Black History Month celebration in the auditorium during block lunch on Feb. 16. There were performances including dances, singing and speeches.

“This year’s theme is Sankofa,” English teacher Jason Snipes said. “[It] is a representation of remembering the past and empowering people to know about their history with an eye towards the future.”