The Marquee Volume 34 Issue 6

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Vol. 34 issue 6 april 27, 2020

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Edward S. Marcus High School

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5707 Moriss Road Flower Mound, TX 75028

THE MARQUEE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Madi Olivier managing Editor Tara Connick Design editor Emily Seiler feature/opinion editor/business manager Reya Mosby news/entertainment editor Shriya Mukkavilli photo editor Maya Hernandez graphics editor Amber Luther reporters Samantha Thornfelt McKenna Cowley Adriana Pueskens Alyssa Cheatham Michael Minton Nikhita Ragam Ayra Charania Renee Gomez designers Esmeralda Arellano Ryan Baker photographers Kaitlyn Hughes ADVISER LaJuana Hale Associate Adviser Corey Hale PRINCIPAL Will Skelton The Marquee newsmagazine is a student-generated publication of Marcus High School. It is produced, edited and maintained through the efforts of the school’s advanced journalism class. The Marquee is designed to serve the school and community as a forum for open discussion and student expression.

The Marquee encourages letters to the editor as part of its mission to educate, inform and provide an open forum for debate. All submissions must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit all material. Editorials reflect the opinion of the staff, not necessarily that of the administration. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author. Advertising rates are $70 per 1/8 of a page, with discounts available. Patron ads are available for $100. Online advertisements are also available. For more information call 469-713-5196. The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.

cover Emily Seiler

One can of soup remains on the shelf at the Flower Mound Target on March 21. The store has struggled to meet the high demand for items like toilet paper and canned foods since local residents began stocking up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. photo madi olivier

CONTENTS

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ConstructING COMMUNITY City rebuilds Kids Kastle playground to increase accessibility

Life of love Coach shares experience of coming out as LGBTQ+

Staying on track Senior breaks school record for highest scoring track athlete

Channeling the 2000’s Find out which 2000’s TV show best matches your personality

What’s in a number?

Junior finds special meaning in jersey STORY Samantha Thornfelt DESIGN Amber Luther Junior Matie Wolkow lives in sets of 12. It’s the number on the calculator she uses in Algebra II. It’s what she catches herself counting out when she counts out things in groups. It’s the seat she sits in on the bus to her softball games. But most importantly, it’s the two gray digits that lay on the back of her red jersey.

Wolkow started playing softball when she was 6 years old.

When told she had to pick a jersey number, she immediately thought of the number two. For years, Wolkow had idolized her older sister, Whitney, who she had watched wear the number two on her own softball jersey. Whitney inspired Wolkow to

join the sport, so Wolkow wanted to feel like her sister was on the field with her. Instead of copying Whitney entirely, Wolkow decided to incorporate her sister into her jersey by choosing the number 12. One to represent herself, and 2 to stand for Whitney.

“

Jersey numbers allow you to have something that’s individualized and personal to you... If there were no numbers, everyone would just be the same.

-Matie Wolkow, 11

“Everything I do, I want some sort of deeper meaning behind it,” Wolkow said. “It motivates me more than just a random number.”

From her first practice in elementary school to her high school games now, Wolkow has always kept the number 12. She believes that having the number for so long is a sign that it was meant to be hers, as it’s rare for many young athletes to do so. Wolkow considers herself to be superstitious and said that the number 12 has become a good luck charm for her on the field.

“If I wasn’t number 12, I wouldn’t be the same,” Wolkow said.

“I don’t think I’d have the same energy about me if I didn’t have it.”

Wolkow is committed to play softball at McLennan Community College after she graduates in spring 2021. She hopes to continue to wear 12 once she joins, as she believes it will help keep her grounded in college and show how she’ll always be the same person regardless of major changes in her life.

“I don’t want to change who I am just because I’m in a different environment,” Wolkow said. “By staying number 12, I’m not going to change for other people.”

When she realized the significance of her jersey number, Wolkow said it made her appreciate the value 12 holds for her.

Wolkow said that she believes that many athletes have similar feelings about their numbers and feels that they’re a vital part to making an athlete feel unique.

“Jersey numbers allow you to have something that’s individualized and personal to you,” Wolkow said. “If there were no numbers, everyone would just be the same.”

Junior Matie Wolkow plays outfield at a home softball game. She has had the jersey number 12 since she started playing at the age of 6. PHOTO Submitted by Matie Wolkow

sports April 27, 2020

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Building memories New Kids Kastle increases accessibility, builds community STORY Madi Olivier DESIGN Ryan Baker Photo Maya Hernandez The reconstruction of Kids Kastle is one of the many events cancelled by the city of Highland Village, which recently issued an emergency declaration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancelling all events, programs and activities through May 13.

Highland Village Parks and Recreation Director Phillip Lozano is hoping that the build days will be rescheduled for May but cannot confirm a date at this time. They were originally set for late March and early April.

“Our plan is to build this for the community and it was very much heading that way until the coronavirus came into the picture... ” Lozano said. “We want to

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Construction continues on the playground. Kids Kastle Designer and Project Manager Laura Sehn made sure to keep the original playground’s castle theme while including new structures.

make sure that we’re ensuring the safety and well being of our community.”

Although the project is rescheduled, community members that are 14 or older can still sign up to volunteer to help rebuild the playground on the Speak Up Highland Village website.

“They’ll actively participate in the build process, and that process not only includes the physical ability to erect and build things, but also to see people, to make sure that folks have the equipment and the tools that they need,” Lozano said. “So it’s an inclusive build process that requires many different tasks.”

Before construction was postponed, residents had planned to donate 2,200 meals for the build days and 70 percent of the volunteer slots had already been filled.

They also raised about $300,000 for the project, which has a $600,000 bond. Some organizations, including National Honor Society, were also planning on offering service hours to students that work on the project.

“A lot of folks who grew up on Kids Kastle and remember it wanted to be a part of the new Kids Kastle build, so a lot of positive energy in the city and a lot of love for the whole process moving forward,”

Lozano said.

Kids Kastle was constructed in 1994 as the first community-built playground in Denton County. However, it failed to meet the accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so Highland Village started rebuilding efforts in 2017. The city worked with the company Play by Design.

“Kids Kastle has outlived its useful life,” Lozano said. “It is in great need of replacement.”

Designer and Project Manager Laura Sehn visited local elementary schools on Sept. 6 to discuss ideas for Kids Kastle with students. The kids drew pictures of their dream playgrounds, which she used as inspiration to create the first draft of the design.

“The best part is going in and talking to all the kids, finding out what they want to play on,” Sehn said. “It’s kind of fun when you see so many of them that think about what other kids want to play on too.… A lot of them think about accessibility and making it so that kids in wheelchairs can also play.”

The next day, Sehn took the hundreds of drawings and hung them along the walls of the Briarhill Middle School gym and residents gathered to give their opinions

on the playground design, which was then edited.

“You work side by side with people that you probably see in the grocery store every week,” Sehn said. “It’s a really nice way to focus on the community and get everyone working together to make something special for the kids.”

While at Briarhill, Sehn and Lozano visited a sensory classroom and discussed how they could ensure that the new playground would be accessible for special needs children as well with one of the special education teachers.

“She just was so happy about what we were doing at Kids Kastle, that now there’s a place outside of her classroom to take her students,” Lozano said.

The developers decided to redo the park’s entrance, allow food trucks in the park and remove sediment from the bottom of the ponds to benefit aquatic life. However, their main goal after meeting with the community members was making Kids Kastle accessible to people of all abilities while keeping the castle theme.

“We’re not only going to have a very beautiful playground where the play value is going to be increased tremendously, but it’s also going to provide an immediate benefit for folks with special needs, whether they’re grandparents, parents, veterans, or kids. It’s going to be all of them,” Lozano said. “So it’s very special, makes me very, very proud not only of what the city has done, but that all of the folks are equal.”

The plans for the new playground include adapted swings, wheelchair ramps, an all-ability rocking boat, anti-static turf, a stainless steel slide and a Cozy Pod Spinner. These will make the park accessible to community members with varying disabilities, including those with wheelchairs, cochlear implants and autism.

Sehn has designed over two dozen playgrounds in her career, but she said that working on Kids Kastle stands out because of its whimsical design.

“This one I think is going to be fun

because there’s a lot of imaginative, fun elements that are put into it and they really, really wanted it to be as inclusive as possible,” Sehn said.

In its 26 year lifespan, Kids Kastle became a cherished part of Highland Village. When it was torn down in November, many community members came back to get the handprint tiles and other mementos they included in the original structure.

“We’re getting folks that were in their 20s and 30s, and now they’re in their 50s and 60s, and they were reminiscing and talking

done on the way of playgrounds for folks with special needs so throughout my career, I’ve really tried to focus on that,” Lozano said. “To see this project and the fact that it’s a community build, to bring it to where it is today and what it was, was very special to me and it just warms my heart tremendously.”

Lozano believes that the community sees the same wonderful opportunity to participate in making memories that he does when looking at Kids Kastle, and hopes that they will act on it by volunteering.

“

To see this project and the fact that it’s a community build, to bring it to where it is today and what it was, was very special to me and it just warms my heart tremendously.

-Phillip Lozano, Highland village parks and recreation director

about what prompted them to be a part of the community build and how it had a direct impact on their children and the positive interaction in their social groups,” Lozano said. “The love and the stories that they expressed and how fulfilling it was for them at the time. They made friendships that have lasted decades now. It was a beautiful thing.”

Lozano describes making the playground more accessible as a “beautiful experience,” as his mom was a special education teacher in Dallas and he used to spend time with her students.

“I saw back in the 80’s there wasn’t much

“We have a 14 year old that may be out there helping and when they’re 40, they’re going to be taking their children to play on it. They’re going to be able to tell them that they were part of this process. It’s going to be tremendous,” Lozano said. “It’s a place where memories are made… we’re getting folks from different various backgrounds and reasons, but it’s all positive. They all see the opportunity here to do something pretty special and unique.”

News April 27, 2020

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live out loud

Coach reflects on being part of LGBTQ+ community STORY RENEE GOMEZ DESIGN TARA CONNICK A couple walked the waxed white floors of the mall as the scent of oversalted pretzels wafted through the air. In the bustle of it all, they held hands without rings as their kids joined the overall commotion, spiraling in and out of the toy stores and ever-distracting kiosks.

“Hey, are you guys sisters?” a man loudly asked, his dark tones cutting through the light-hearted atmosphere of the mall.

“No, we’re partners,” one of the women replied.

“That’s not OK, please leave the mall.”

“What’s wrong?” the oldest child, a girl of barely 11, asked.

“What’s the problem?”

••• Rainbow candies fill the inside of Assistant Athletic Coordinator and geometry teacher Christy Tumilty’s office. A champagne bottle full of M&M’s and a giant candy dispenser take up most of the space on her wooden desk, and a bright red gumball machine sits in the back corner. The fluorescent lights cascade over the array of skittles and jelly beans like a carefully crafted painted glass window.

“When I got my office, I was like, ‘Well, I hope everyone stops by,’ and I knew candy would help,” Tumilty said. “It works, people stop by and get candy.”

Although Tumilty keeps an open door policy for candies, not everything in her life has been so sweet. For more than a decade, she kept her sexual identity a secret from friends and family.

“It’s not like we had a discussion, we just didn’t really say anything about it,” Tumilty said. “I mean, you just keep it

quiet. You just don’t live out loud.”

Tumilty has been in a relationship with her partner, Natalie King, for more than 30 years. They met in college in the late 80’s, when gay relationships were viewed more harshly than now.

“Gay marriage wasn’t even talked about. There were so many things that were not even discussed,” Tumilty said.

“When I was in high school or college, I wasn’t going to say anything.”

King and Tumilty are both teachers, and the impending security of their jobs

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ISD for discrimination based on sexual orientation, she and her attorney were awarded $100,000 in court. Her attorney pledged to donate $10,000 to a non-profit focused on LGBTQ+ student issues.

Tumilty says she still experiences some forms of bigotry, and so do her kids. Her daughter, senior Kamdyn King, has run into some issues in the past regarding her family.

“I’ve heard a couple times that I’m weird because I didn’t grow up in a normal household, or that I will never

I’ve never been ashamed of who I love and I’ve never been ashamed of my family.

-Christy Tumilty, teacher

also kept them from coming out.

“We were living very quietly, and I’ll be honest, a lot of it was because of our profession, we weren’t sure how that was going to go over,” Tumilty said.

Students, parents and even other teachers were factors in their life of secrecy, uncalculated elements in an unpredictable math equation.

“There was still that fear that people might try to be mean to us about it,” Tumilty said.

Just an hour down the road from Tumilty’s office, Charlotte Anderson Elementary School art teacher Stacey Bailey was suspended in 2017 for showing a picture of her wife to her students. After Bailey sued Mansfield

have a full family because I didn’t have a dad,” Kamdyn said.

According to Kamdyn, one of the most difficult times when growing up with two moms was middle school, as most of her classmates automatically saw images of a mother and a father in their minds upon hearing Kamdyn mention her parents.

“Middle school is when you start to realize all the things you hate about yourself and anything that makes you different is scary,” Kamdyn said. “That was a really big thing that made me different and I was scared to tell people.”

However, Tumilty and her family have never found any real problems in the district. “[In] LISD, it’s not an issue,” Tumilty

said. “It was a concern, but I think a lot of our concerns were self-inflicted, just because we had been living very quietly for so long.”

Tumilty, who is the head softball coach, was named the Teacher of the Year last year. Her softball players are confident in her head coaching ability, and don’t think much, if at all, about her sexual orientation, according to junior and varsity softball player Bella Hernandez.

“CT is the type of coach who will always push you to be the best you, on and off the field,” Hernandez said. “I enjoy playing for her and having her as a mentor.

She is someone that I deeply respect.”

However, Tumilty admits that she’s had

but when I did, there were people in my family who had a hard time with it. Then there were people in my family who were fine with it, they never questioned it, so it just takes some people some time.”

Kamdyn also realized early on that when it came to her extended family, all her and her moms needed to do was have patience.

“Everybody’s family is different, and as long as your family is loving towards you that’s all that should really matter,” Kamdyn said.

The time spent waiting for her family to accept her seemed like an eternity for Tumilty, and she is aware that it may feel like that for others, too. She said that high schoolers in the midst of their journey may just have to wait out their situations until they live on their own.

“It is hard when you’re a kid, because you’re still under somebody’s supervision,” Tumilty said. “You aren’t a hundred percent

Head Softball Coach Christy Tumilty and her daughter, senior Kamdyn King, at the 2019 Marquette Christmas show. photo submitted by Kamdyn King

her fair share of homophobic enocunters, and so has the rest if her family, but she says she has nothing but forgiveness to offer them.

“Older generations are still trying to wrap their head around it, and I’m not making excuses, that’s just the facts that I see,” Tumilty said. “I don’t want them judging me, so I can’t judge them for not getting it. I just try not to make it that big of a deal.”

••• Tumilty came out to her immediate family in small increments. The first step was talking to her sister, who Tumilty knew would be accepting of her identity.

“You just kind of need that support.

[My sister] was with me when I talked to my family, and then it kind of trickled down from there,” Tumilty said. “It was a long time before I even told my family,

independent, and that makes it difficult.”

Even though the risk seemed high for King and Tumilty, they realized that if they were going to start a family, they needed to be open about their sexuality.

“Neither one of us hides anything, obviously with three kids though you’re not going to hide,” Tumilty said. “What are you teaching your kids if you’re doing that?”

Kamdyn has never thought twice about her parents’ sexuality. As a child, she never understood why people were not always friendly toward the couple, why they didn’t understand the love that was so apparent and normal to her. Though Kamdyn is straight, as a child, she was almost unaware that straight relationships existed.

“I didn’t really know it wasn’t normal until an older age. I don’t think I went

over to a friend’s house until I was 6 or 7,” Kamdyn said. “We went and I was like, ‘Who is this man? Where’s the other mom? Why is there a man in the house?

That’s not normal.’”

Tumilty recognizes the social stresses having two moms can place on kids, but she and King attempt to shine a positive light on their unique parenting situation.

“We’ve always tried to have our kids say it’s not what they don’t have, it’s that they have two parents. They have two moms,” Tumilty said.

Once she came out, Tumilty said she found freedom in her new lifestyle. It was a new and bizarre feeling for the couple, as they were now able to hold hands in public, something they merely dreamed about for over a decade.

“We could just do what any normal couple does, and that’s be together,” Tumilty said.

However, Tumilty thinks that times are changing for the better and is impressed by the courage of the new generation of LBGTQ+ youth.

“I think kids are braver now,” Tumilty said. “There’s a reason that they’re able to come out to their friends. There’s a little bit more acceptance.”

Kamdyn has also noticed a bit of a generational gap when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance.

“Parents have been worse than students, I would say, and just being really rude about it,” Kamdyn said. “Because I think at our age, people are generally tending to be more accepting and generally tending to kind of mind their own business with it.”

Tumilty views equality as not being pointed out for her sexuality, but blending into a crowd with it.

“A person’s sexual identity is just one very small piece of who that person is,” Tumilty said. “I think there’s a lot more to what makes any person favorable, or unfavorable, than their sexual identity. It’s, to me, what kind of a heart do they have, are they kind, are they compassionate.”

For Tumilty, these characteristics are what should be celebrated in any human, regardless of sexual orientation.

“I’ve never been ashamed of who I was,” Tumilty said. “I’ve never been ashamed of who I love and I’ve never been ashamed of my family.”

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Getting it done Senior shares lifelong passion for track STORY Michael Minton DESIGN Ryan Baker

8 Tears streamed down senior Maddie Meiner’s face as she ran. She was 8 years old and all she had to run was a single lap, but the distance left seemed so much longer.

This wasn’t her first track meet, but she hadn’t been competing for long. Her sprint slowed to a run, which slowed to a jog.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Then her legs stopped moving entirely.

As the other kids ran past, they left her standing alone at the halfway point of the race.

Meiner had been running track since she was 6. Her parents, both college level track athletes, encouraged her to compete.

She started competing in meets at 7 with the Texas Ameteur Athletic Federation.

She spent her summers training and her weekends racing on high school tracks.

But at that moment, the distance ahead of her was too much. She would’ve done anything else. She would’ve rather run the 50, 100 or even the 200 meter dash. Just not the 400.

“I liked track, just eight-year-old Maddie did not want to run that whole lap,” Meiner said.

As she scanned the crowd of parents behind the waist-high fence that circled the track, she found her parents, who were cheering for her to start running again.

“I’m never doing this again,” 8-year-old Meiner said.

The pack of kids was already 200 meters ahead of her celebrating their wins, their parents hugging and congratulating them.

She could’ve quit so easily. She could’ve walked off the track, cut across the grass and gave up on the race.

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But that wasn’t Meiner.

She wiped the tears out of her eyes and started to jog, finishing the race dead last.

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Schools had come from all over the district to compete in the 2018-2019 Marauder Invitational, the last regular season meet.

Meiner began competing around 7 a.m. with shot put. After two more events she only had the 100 and 300 meter hurdles left.

As Meiner was running the 100 meter hurdle she felt a stabbing pain in her leg. She had strained her hamstring and collapsed on the track. Thoughts ran through her head as she laid on the track.

What was happening?

Was her season over?

Would she ever compete again?

After gathering her bearings she picked herself up and limped to assistant coach Andrew Reinberg.

Reinberg helped Meiner stand and reassured her that she was going to be fine and that she would be OK by district.

“There wasn’t any ‘We will see what happens,’ it was always ‘You’re going to be fine,’” Meiner said.

She spent the next week cutting back on practice and rehabilitating her leg.

When she finally made it to the district meet, she had started to recover but she was still nervous about her injury.

Twelve hours of competition later and her leg didn’t stop her at all. She ended up qualifying for the area competition for all four of her events.

While running the area 100 meter dash, Meiner felt the stabbing pain in her leg again.

She knew her injury was back.

Meiner kept running despite the pain.

The throbbing pain in her leg didn’t cause her to collapse this time, and she ended up finishing in first. As she crossed the finish line, tears streamed down her face. She went from fearing her season would be over to winning first in area. Combining the pain in her leg with the emotional whiplash, Meiner was exhausted.

She had to give up competing in the 300 meter race because she and the coaches both knew it wouldn’t help her strained hamstring.

“I think I was more mentally tired. When I went down at the Marcus Invitational, I thought my season was over,” Meiner said.

The next week, Meiner competed at the regional meet in high jump. Her mind and body were exhausted. All she had to do was make the same jump she had made at every

Senior Maddie Meiner high jumps 5 feet 8 inches at a meet her junior year, tying the school record. Photo submitted by Maddie Meiner

Senior Maddie Meiner throws shot put a distance of 37 feet and 7 inches at her junior year area meet.

Meiner plans on competing in track at OSU in the future. Photo submitted by Maddie Meiner

single meet that year. Five feet, six inches.

No problem.

She ran horizontally to the mat, lifted herself and hit the pole. As her back connected with the landing pad she knew she had lost. She wouldn’t be going to state.

She rolled off the pad and Reinberg held her as she cried.

“He had seen how hard I had worked all season, how much I wanted it,” Meiner said.

“I felt like he understood how I was feeling.”

Her sights had been set on state all year and that dream was gone.

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After joining the varsity team her freshman year and breaking numerous records, Meiner began this year’s season 20 points away from being the highest scoring track athlete in school history.

This record didn’t matter to her as much as her main goal — state.

Meiner had her sights set on state this year while helping her team as much as possible. She wanted to go as far as possible in all five of her events — shot put, high jump, long jump and 100 and 300 meter hurdles.

“It’s about scoring points for your team,” Meiner said. “If I can score points for my team in all five events, I’m going to do it.”

At the second meet of the season on Feb. 29 at Coppell High School, Meiner became the highest scoring track athlete in school history. Winning first place in high jump pushed her over with ten points.

It was only when the coaches told her that she realized what had happened, because it wasn’t her goal for this year. Her goal was state. At midnight when the busses brought them back to school they were all exhausted. They waved goodbye as they got in their cars saying they see each other at school tomorrow.

Two weeks later, the Hebron Hawk meet

Freshman year

• Regional qualifier for high jump

Sophomore year

• Regional qualifier for high jump, shot put and 100 meter hurdles

Junior year

• District champion in 100 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, shot put and high jump • Area champion in high jump and 100 meter hurdles • Regional qualifier for shot put, high jump and 100 meter hurdles

Senior year

• Broke the school record for points scored by a track athlete • First in district for 300 meter hurdles, shot put and long jump.

Second for 100 meter hurdles • First in area for 300 meter hurdles and second for long jump • Finished the indoor season as the top high jumper in Texas

was rained out so they sat in the cafeteria for their track period, but something else was on everyone’s mind. Coronavirus. Head coach Steve Telaneus stood on the stage telling the athletes about how things were up in the air and how they should keep practicing.

After he spoke the seniors sat down together at a lunch table.

Sharing stories, shedding tears and telling each other how much they would miss track with each other.

Weeks later when Meiner found out track was suspended she was hurt. She had been running track since she was 6 and on the school’s track team all four years of high school. When she didn’t make it to the state level she made that her goal for her senior year. Now because of things out of her control this opportunity was taken away from her.

“The first thought was why did this have to happen during my senior year but at the end of the day there’s other people being affected way worse than a track season coming to an end,” Meiner said.

Although Meiner grew up on the track and now her time is cut short, she is grateful for her and her family’s health in these uncertain times. Despite losing her chance to go to state she still remains positive and is grateful for her time in track.

“I think that everything happens for a reason. I learned valuable lessons in my track career and I want to keep those lessons going forward,” Meiner said.

“

I think that everything happens for a reason. I learned valuable lessons in my track career and I want to keep those lessons going forward.

-Maddie Meiner, 12

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seconds COMPILED nikhita ragam DESIGN emily seiler PHOTO submitted by grant choi

jet’s pizza is a proud patron of the marquee

Grant Choi, 11

(972) 221 5387

Who is your favorite person and why?

2001 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028

“Probably Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson because he is Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson.”

What is your go-to dance move?

“Probably the moonwalk but I can’t moonwalk.”

If you could switch lives with a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“Scarlett Johansson. You know why.”

What’s your favorite song and why?

“‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen. It’s just a good song. I like Freddy Mercury.”

What’s your favorite vegetable?

“Celery because it’s delicious. I eat it once a week. It tastes like water but crunchy.”

All entrees come with plain fried rice 1940 FM 407 # 112 Highland Village, TX 75077 (972) 317-0589

Who’s your secret crush?

“My friend’s dog, Caveman. He’s on the spectrum and he’s really cute. He’s an Australian Shepherd and really fluffy. It’s Will Teeter’s dog.”

What’s your best dad joke?

“I like trying to get people to say ‘underwear.’ So if you were to ask me where something is, I would say “it’s under there” and then you would wonder where it is and ask ‘under where.’”

What’s something you would like other people to know about you?

“I got a 67 on my unit four physics test. I regret signing up for the AP physics exam.”

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Life on pause

Students find new normal during COVID-19 pandemic STORY Ayra Charania design emily seiler PHOTO submitted by maddie felan Texas coronavirus cases peaked on April 22 — April 26, with zero shortages in hospital beds, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Additionally, the state is projected to have 957 COVID-19 deaths by Aug. 4.

In consideration of these projections, Gov. Greg Abbott plans to slowly reopen businesses. Abbott allowed retail businesses to offer pickup and delivery services for customers starting April 24. This plan has been met with mixed feelings by students.

Freshman Emma Wildwing considers reopening retail businesses to be both good and bad.

“On one side of things, the nonessential businesses will be able to receive the money that they haven’t in the past

month. On the other side, these businesses are nonessential,” Wildwing said.

However, senior Sanskriti Dwivedi finds the plan concerning.

“If businesses reopen, it will signal to people that it is ok to go out again. If that happens, coronavirus cases will increase even more and everything we’ve done so far will be for nothing,” Dwivedi said.

Abbott plans to announce what other types of businesses can reopen and under what conditions on April 27.

Denton County currently has a stay-at-home order issued until April 30. The county is currently seventh in the state for coronavirus cases.

Dwivedi believes this was caused by residents not properly following social distancing guidelines.

“Nothing is really enforced and people seem to still be going out and meeting friends or partying,” Dwivedi said.

“People, especially at our age, are not really taking it as a serious threat.”

Timeline of LISD’s response to COVID-19 April 5:

STORY Ayra Charania design emily seiler

March 17: LISD sent out an update stating that schools would be closed until April 3 and the district would develop plans for online learning

by March 24. Individual schools in the district also moved back prom dates.

There were two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Denton County on this date.

March 26: LISD extended school closures through April 17. The total number of cases in Denton County increased to 70 with one death overall.

LISD announced that April 10 would be a holiday as listed on the academic calendar.

The district also stated that it was working to finalize its plans on grading. The number of county-wide cases increased to 304 with seven deaths.

Abbott announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of the 2019 — 2020 school year. LISD has messaged families to say that graduation will still occur, but other senior activities may be cancelled. Potential dates for graduation are June 26 or July 24.

The number of cases in Denton County increased to 585, and 16 people were reported to have died.

April 9:

March 22: LISD started preparing optional at-home learning plans and announced high school students would receive learning plans from their campus by March 30. There were 30 positive coronavirus cases in Denton County on this date.

April 17:

March 31: Gov. Greg Abbott closed schools until May 4 and at-home learning began.

The number of cases in Denton County increased to 206 with four deaths.

LISD announced its decision to alter grading guidelines for the rest of the year, stating that all classes for the fourth nine weeks would be pass/fail and not affect GPA or class rank. Students will receive a progress report on April 29 if they are not passing.

The number of cases increased to 309 in Denton County, and nine people were reported to have died.

Crafts for a cause Junior starts non-profit to sew masks STORY Adriana Pueskins DESIGN Emily Seiler Similar to many students in quarantine, junior Maddie Felan has been keeping herself busy with new projects. However, instead of spending her free time finding new hobbies, she’s decided to create a non-profit organization called All in for Children to help make masks for kids in hospitals.

While Maddie was at home quarantining with her brother, Nick Felan, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Garcia Creighton, the three brainstormed how to help children and first responders dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19. Nick and Elizabeth were both volunteering at the Children’s Hospitals in Minnesota and Dallas and had been thinking of starting an organization to help hospitals for a while, and when the virus broke out, they had the time and a cause to finally make it happen.

“I feel like we’ve talked about creating an organization like this for a while, but with us all being at home, it definitely helped us really get to sit down, figure out a name, figure out what we wanted to do and then start,” Maddie said.

They created All in for Children and began ordering elastics and fabric for the masks. Before the stay at home order was issued, they bought around 60 yards of fabric.

“We thought it would be the best way to try to make a difference in their lives while we can’t actually be there in person to do anything,” Nick said.

Due to a shortage of protective equipment, doctors have been putting cloth masks over N95 masks as an extra layer of protection that can be washed, allowing them to be able to reuse N95 masks. The group hopes to achieve their goal of creating a safer environment in hospitals by sewing masks for hospital workers in addition to children.

“The kids aren’t really allowed to leave their rooms at this time at all, so they’re pretty much just quarantined in their little rooms,” Elizabeth said. “There are so many people in a hospital that a lot of people don’t realize… There are PA’s and then there are therapists, so there are so many adults that are going to need masks.”

All in for Children is not accepting donations at this time but you can sign up to sew masks through Instagram @ maddiefelan or @allinforchildren or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/AllinforChildren/

photo submitted by maddie felan

Junior Maddie Felan (left) recently started the nonprofit organization All in for Children with her brother, Nick Felan (center), and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Garcia Creighton (right). The group sews masks for children in hospitals. photo submitted by maddie felan

The difficulties doctors are facing as they work on the front lines against the virus are personal to both Nick, a former Marcus student, and Elizabeth, as they are both medical students at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. They came to Texas to study for their Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, earlier this year. The MCAT was cancelled on March 27, five days before the test. This was a big disappointment to Nick and Elizabeth because they had been studying for six months, but they are now focused on helping others in need in other ways.

“We all just love working with kids, and I think the doctors that we’ve worked with, pediatricians were what we liked the most,” Nick said. “It’s just where our passions have directed us.”

Although All in for Children has plenty of materials, they do not have enough people to sew the masks. However, they have seen a great response from the community with their non-profit.

“We reached out to the community to get people to help us sew because that’s the limiting factor in all of this,” Nick said.

“We can only sew so many a day, but we have enough materials to sew hundreds and hundreds.”

The group has made around 200 masks, and their goal is to make another 300 to bring to the drop-off location. The masks will be donated to Children’s Hospital in Dallas.

Maddie has been spreading the word about All in for Children through social media in hopes of getting more people to sew masks and reach their goal. She is grateful for people who have reposted or offered to donate.

“I’ve been getting a lot of people reaching out… like people that are from Marcus and their parents,” Maddie said.

in-depth april 27, 2020

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Beyond the location Coronavirus impacts junior's family ••• Maggie was eating dinner with her mother and stepdad when she Junior Maggie Ku sat in her classroom, listening to her expressed her disappointment friends’ conversation while working on her assignment. They that president Donald Trump were discussing how the Corona beer stock dropped when the used the phrase “Chinese v i r u s” topic of coronavirus came up. in a tweet on March 16. Her While filling in her answers, Maggie family argued for ten faintly heard one of her friends whisper minutes about whether to the other, “I noticed Maggie has the phrase was racist. coronavirus.”

Maggie insisted that the Maggie’s face fell. She phrase was meant to be abruptly dropped her pencil offensive, while her and glared at her friend. mother and stepfather “Did she hear it?” her said it’s OK because friend whispered to the the virus technically person next to them. originated in China.

Maggie confrontHer parents A lot of people in China ed them. justified Trump’s “What did you use of the words have been losing their jobs say?” she asked. by saying that and losing their livelihoods “Oh it’s nothing,” the Chinese were her friend said. trying to pin the because of the virus. I feel a They stopped blame on the U.S. lot of concern for my dad’s talking and resumed as well, but Maggie their assignments. The would not hear it. health and general wellbeing. table was silent for the She rushed from the rest of the period, but dinner table, furious Maggie was disappointed. at how they didn’t She knew they made the understand what other remark because she was Asians around the country Chinese. It was not the first time were going through. she had seen someone make a racist “This virus isn't associated joke about the coronavirus. Outside of with any nation or race,” Maggie said. the classroom, she saw it on social media.

“They shouldn’t blame it on the Chinese “On Twitter, … I see people saying, ‘The Chinese people.” are disgusting. They eat everything that moves,’” Maggie said.

Maggie leaned on her close friend junior Neha Yawalkar as “The fact that so many people liked or retweeted those tweets is she continued to feel the impact of the virus. Yawalkar agreed disheartening.” with her that a group of people can’t be blamed for a virus.

“Yes, everyone could have done a better job of containing the virus, but China didn’t invent it. This whole idea of ‘This is the in-depth Chinese’s fault’ is causing a lot of problems for Chinese people

STORY Ayra Charania DESIGN Emily Seiler

“

- Maggie Ku, 11

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mhsmarquee.com

all over the world, which is really sad,” Yawalkar said.

Historically, it is not unusual for a virus to be named after its location of origin, such as the Ebola virus, Zika virus or Spanish flu. However, there has recently been pushback towards this practice because naming a virus after a location can lead to stigma being placed on groups of people from the location.

The World Health Organization changed its guidelines for naming new human infectious diseases in May 2015. The guidelines encourage scientists, authorities and the media to avoid naming diseases after people’s names, geographic locations, animals, food, cultural groups or occupational groups.

The first case of coronavirus occured on Dec. 1, 2019 in Wuhan. As it spread through the Hubei province, Maggie became worried for her biological father, who lives in the area.

“A lot of people in China have been losing their jobs and losing their livelihoods because of the virus,” Maggie said. “I feel a lot of concern for my dad’s health and general wellbeing.”

Maggie discovered her dad was at risk the moment she exchanged texts with her sister, Grace Ku. “Hey, Dad’s asking for us to send face masks to him,” Grace texted.

Maggie paused for a second, sitting down and rereading Grace’s message.

“Why? Are the masks out of stock?” Maggie responded. She did not think the coronavirus would be that big of a deal or that it would spread so much beyond Wuhan.

“Dad only has around 20 left. He travels a lot for work, so he might need more,” Grace said.

Maggie turned off her phone and tried to process what Grace had told her.

“How is this happening?” she thought to herself. “It wasn’t even close to Dad’s area a few days ago.”

Soon, the sisters were hunting for N95 masks for their father.

Grace had searched through four stores before she finally found

“

The virus is a global crisis.

Pinning the blame on a country is the last thing you should think about at the moment.

- Maggie Ku, 11

Junior Maggie Ku's father, who also experienced the SARS outbreak, says the lockdown caused by COVID-19 has been significantly more strict relative to regulations during the SARS outbreak. He has been unable to leave his house except to grab essential items like food and water and has had to have his temperature checked at every building he enters. photo submitted by maggie ku

the masks she needed.

“It wasn’t unexpected. Most of them are sold out online as well, but it was frustrating,” Maggie said.

Her father’s location had been heavily regulated for the past month. Monitors with thermometers lined every corner of the province. No citizen could move around Hubei without being met by one and explaining to them where they were going and why. Some of her father’s friends also lost their jobs due to the coronavirus.

“The effort the Chinese government took to prevent the spread of the virus was effective and the condition there is better now. However, the issue of xenophobia towards Asian Americans caused by the virus is still there,” Maggie said.

She hopes that people can move past blaming the virus on China.

“The virus is a global crisis. Pinning the blame on a country is the last thing you should think about at the moment,” Maggie said.

in-depth april 27, 2020

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Surviving quarantine boredom

Students find entertainment at home STORY Ayra Charania DESIGN amber luther “Through the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading and writing more, doing puzzles, working out and just taking time to reflect. I’ve also had a lot more time with my family and more time to practice my cello, which has been amazing. It’s really hard not being able to see my friends and some extended family, but I’m trying to remain positive. The better we do at flattening the curve, the sooner this will all be over.”

Freshman Lora Swindle plays the cello to pass time. She is a member of orchestra. photo Submitted by lora swindle

“I made a list of things I can do when it’s sunny and things I can do when it’s raining. I try my best to be active when it’s sunny but otherwise I like to FaceTime friends and play Animal Crossing or Minecraft.”

Junior Shelly Magnotti takes a walk to stay active. She keeps a list of separate indoor and outdoor activities. photo Submitted by shelly magnotti

“Quarantine’s been really interesting for me because I’m a huge extrovert and I really like to stay busy, so it’s been difficult being alone at home. So I have decided to do a multitude of anything and everything to keep me busy. I’ve been playing pool. I’ve been messing around with Legos I haven’t touched in years. I’ve been scrapbooking. I’ve been baking cookies. Lots of cookies. I’ve been taking my dog on walks.

I’ve been drawing. I’ve been coloring. Pretty much anything to keep my mind off of [the coronavirus].”

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entertainment mhsmarquee.com

Senior Reagan Starin bakes to pass time. She also enjoys drawing and coloring to keep herself busy. photo Submitted by reagan starin

“I’ve been rereading the entire Harry Potter series the past five weeks and baking so much cake. I even made avocado muffins. I’ve also been going on a lot of drives with my sister and going on walks around the neighborhood, but I mostly spend my time sitting in my backyard reading and sipping on iced coffee.”

Junior Abira Kaur goes on walks with her family to pass time. She also enjoys baking. photo Submitted by abira kaur

Overheard quarantine edition “Bob Ross said to paint a happy tree but I can only paint sad trees.”

- Olivier household

“My sanity is holding on by a thread, and that thread is Glee and Pizza Rolls.”

- Mosby Household “So how long has the gum-pile been under your bed?”

- Gomez Household “Don’t put that in your ear! It’ll get stuck!”

- Hale household “This smiley face has a threatening vibe.”

- olivier household

“Why am I lukewarm orange juice?!”

- Cheatham household “She’s not a girl, she’s a bird!”

- Pueskens household entertainment April 27, 2020

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what 2000's show are you?

STORy michael minton DESIGn esmeralda arellano

1. When you're upset, who do you turn to? a) My closest friend because they know me better than anyone b) The funny people in my life because their jokes take my mind off of it c) Myself because quiet reflection always helps me calm down d) My family because they’re always a voice of reason

2. What do people say is your biggest flaw? a) You're too reliant on others b) You never take things seriously c) You struggle to unwind and relax d) You’re often too sentimental

3. What is your ideal summer vacation? a) Traveling to the beach with your best friend b) Staying up late and exploring abandoned places c) Going on a long road trip with a few friends d) Going on a cruise with my family

4. What is your ideal work environment? a) Working closely with a single partner b) Doing a job that makes you excited to get out of bed c) Managing and leading a big business d) Working in a group that feels like family

5. What is the best way to listen to music? a) Screaming along to the lyrics in your car with your friends b) Wearing big headphones in bed under a mountain of blankets c) Through your earbuds as you workout d) Dancing around the kitchen with your mom as you sing along

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entertainment mhsmarquee.com

Mostly A’s: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody PART OF A WHOLE

You and your best friend are two parts of a whole. Your lives may be on entirely different paths, but you always know your best friend is there for you. You two can go weeks without talking, but when you’re back together, it’s like nothing has changed. You two may fight every now and then, but at the end of the day, after everything you've been through together, you always come back to each other.

Mostly B’s: Adventure Time FUN AND CAREFREE

You lead a relaxed life. You're always the voice of reason, and while others freak out people look to you for a peaceful perspective. Whether it's school, work or relationships, you rarely panic and aren't likely to make rushed decisions. Sometimes your relaxed demeanor can cause you to have problems with procrastination, but you always pull through with a cool head.

Mostly C’s: iCarly MATURE AND MOTIVATED

People always tell you that you're mature for your age. You are driven to accomplish your goals.

Life is a series of goals and milestones to you, so if you feel stuck in place you’re unhappy. While relaxing has never been your strong suit, you always produce fantastic work that earns high praise.

Mostly D’s: Wizards of Waverly Place CURIOUS AND FAMILY ORIENTED

Your life revolves around your loved ones. Whether that is your parents and siblings or your closest group of friends, family means the world to you. Family to you isn't just about the people you're related to, it can be loyal and compassionate friends who always stand with you. When times get tough, having that tight-knit group behind you keeps you going.

entertainment april 27, 2020

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BOOM BAHS things we like Free meals

In uncertain situations, students don’t always know where their meals are coming from. The district is making great efforts to accomodate students, and it is greatly appreciated that LISD has put together locations for meals pickups for children 18 and younger.

Tug of War Column REYA MOSBY The first thing I hear on Sunday morning is gospel music blaring in the kitchen. My sister and I are greeted with our parents singing and dancing and the smell of eggs, biscuits, rice, potatoes and bacon cooking. I spend the morning getting ready: fixing my hair, doing my makeup and finding an outfit. I then race downstairs to grab breakfast before running into the car, plate in one hand, shoes in the other.

My dad and mom are singing along with gospel music as my sister and I pretend to know the words and sing in the backseat. When I walk into church, I look around, picking out my favorite church hats and outfits, giggling at the women jumping and singing their hearts out with the huge choir.

As the pastor delivers his sermon, my sister and I fight over Trident Juicy Fruit gum, which we only get on Sundays. Our parents give us “the look” as we quickly pay attention to our pastor. After service is over, we sit in the car and talk about what we took from the sermon.

••• Church and my faith has always been a huge part of my life. My grandfather was a pastor, and my dad grew up in the church and benefited from it greatly, so he wanted us to have a Christian upbringing.

I never hid my faith from anybody, and this led to me being questioned time and time again about it.

I’m a strongly opinionated liberal, and everybody who is around me knows this.

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Opinion mhsmarquee.com

Drive-through orders

WebEx High School

Jostens organized a drive-through for seniors to pick up caps and gowns.

Seniors were sent directions to make the pick-up run smoothly, and no interaction was required between students and staff as the materials were placed in the backseats of cars through open windows. Even though seniors are missing out on a lot of traditions, it’s nice that they were still able to receive their caps and gowns.

With face-to-face learning cancelled, LISD was very quick to create online lesson plans. The district held live board meetings for students and parents to keep up with decisions being made and informed people of new adaptations to the stay at home order.

I don’t hesitate to give my opinions on social justice issues. I wear bright tie dye shirts that say things like “Pizza rolls not gender roles” and proudly wear my Beto and Obama shirts. Politics have always fascinated me and I’m proud of having

always going to be bad people, but we can’t make judgements based on them.

People that use their faith to spout hate and judgement aren’t really following Christianity.

Remembering this gave me peace of mind; however, I still struggled with the comments about me being a liberal and a Christian. The platform for liberals is presented as a party for the people. They are supposed to help everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender, sexuality, age or socioeconomic status. This is similar to the message of Christians — to love and help all. These go hand in hand, yet many liberals treat it like the exact opposite.

There is a tremendous amount of hypocrisy within the liberal platform.

They look down on Christians, claiming they are judgemental, but in reality they are the ones judging.

Society tends to focus on the worst, but that’s just human nature. If someone sees a perfectly straight line of crayons and one is bent, they will only look at the bent one.

Of course, the worst people are typically the loudest and most prominent, but fair judgements can’t be made without seeing all sides. There are about 100 different sides to everything, making overarching decisions after only looking at one side is ridiculous and ignorant.

Within every group of people, there are extremists. If we view them as the representatives for their groups, we will have a society where people constantly attack each other. Focusing on extremists will cloud our judgement and lead society down a future path of war. In order to prevent such events, we need to look past extremists and stereotypes and stop making judgments about one another.

strong views. It’s a part of my identity.

However, people always asked me how I could be liberal and a Christian or if I was “one of those judgemental Christians.”

I’ve always known there are Christians who believe in and do bad things. Some people use their faith to justify their judgemental and hateful attitudes and opinions which is against what the liberal platform stands for. Unfortunately, that became the new model for Christianity.

This caused me to question my faith. It felt like two parts of my identity were playing a game of tug of war within me.

However, my doubts subsided after a conversation with my mother. She reminded me of what I always knew. The core of Christianity is love. There are

HEYS

C’s get degrees

Because all classes are online, some work can be difficult without personal instruction. It is a relief to many students that course loads have been lightened and grading systems have been changed to a pass/ fail system, where all cumulative grades over a 65 will go on transcripts as a P instead of worrying about a numerical grading system.

THINGS WE DON’T LIKE No Zoom Students enjoy Zoom sessions where they are able to see their peers.

However, because the district is working with Webex, students can only see one classmate at a time. Additionally, many students find Zoom more user friendly and easier to use.

An angel’s smile Column MICHAEL MINTON My Aunt Mimi lives in a recliner in a small house fenced in by 60 foot pine trees outside Cabot, Arkansas. Pulling into her driveway, my dad would wake up me and my sisters, saying we’ve arrived.

My Uncle Ronnie was always sitting on his stool in the garage with a cigarette burning nearby, solving a crossword at lighting speed. He’d let out a deep chuckle and greet me with a hug.

Ronnie’s booming laugh let Aunt Mimi know we were there.

Her chihuahuas’ shrill barks carried through the thin wooden door to the garage, followed by a loud and Southern drawl heavy “hush” from Mimi.

I walked into their living room, to see my aunt sitting in her recliner with an angel’s smile.

Through the years, things haven’t changed much around her house. She’s gotten new furniture and changed the fridge, but every time I walked through that door, Aunt Mimi was almost always in her brown leather recliner.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me, making me feel like the most important person in the universe. She’d sit up in her chair, ignoring the barking chihuahuas in her lap. She hugged me and told me how much she missed her sweet angel baby boy.

That hug always felt like home. I felt safe and at peace.

But as years passed, that hug changed.

My aunt has struggled with her weight for a long time, so as movement became harder, she found herself spending more time in the chair. Her eyes wouldn’t light up as much. Her smile seemed forced,

hiding the pain in her legs. She couldn’t sit up as much for that first hug. She seemed trapped in her chair.

My aunt made a point to travel to Texas to see my two older sister’s graduations.

The trip was difficult but she refused to miss it. As the years passed and her health

worsened, she went from walking herself to being pushed in a wheelchair.

At my oldest sister’s graduation from A&M, as I helped Aunt Mimi into her wheelchair, I realized she might not be able to come to my graduation. If her health got worse, the trip might be too much for her to handle. Even if my graduation is postponed I couldn’t imagine it without her.

My aunt has always tried to be positive, but I couldn’t deny what I saw. And I knew if this is what I saw on the outside, she must be hiding so much pain and hurt behind her perfect smile.

Everytime we went to visit her my

Stay at home people!

COVID-19 has prevented many major events and social interactions, and we know everyone wants to see their friends again. We get it. But the more people hang out with others, the higher the likelihood is of the virus continuing to spread. Please stay home so we can finally flatten the curve.

heart was heavy because in the back of my mind was this nagging thought that this might be the last time I see her.

However, I soon noticed a change.

Whenever we visited, we wouldn’t order out as much. My aunt began to get smaller portions and asked for water instead of soda.

As months turned into years, her mood improved, she had more energy and she was able to get up and move more.

My aunt says this weight loss wasn’t attributed to hard work. She says it had to do with complications from a surgery, but that’s not what I saw. Yes, that issue kept her from eating as much, but she was the one who chose to drink more water, move around more and keep the weight off.

After losing almost two hundred pounds, Aunt Mimi seemed transformed.

She never gave up. Even when her health had her trapped in that chair for days, she never resigned herself to living that way. Even when it was bad, when a walk from the living room to the kitchen left her breathing heavy, she still tried to move often. It was difficult and the strain on her body was clear, but she did it.

Now going to visit her in Arkansas and seeing her walking around the kitchen with a smile on her face as she makes her homemade cheese dip warms my heart like nothing else.

Through her entire weight loss journey, Aunt Mimi was never anything less than beautiful in my eyes. Now that she’s lost weight, I’ll be able to see her beautiful smile for a lot longer.

Design TARA CONICK APRIL 27, 2020

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For ongoing updates on the impact of COVID-19 in the community visit mhsmarquee.com

Quotes from

quarantine Episode one:

Specific topics of discussion include the symptoms of the coronavirus, potential risk factors, the availability of testing, the spread of the virus and how it compares to the flu.

Episode two:

Specific topics of discussion include how to prevent the spread of the virus, who should be stocking up, what people should do if they are sick and what will likely happen in the future of the pandemic.

covid-19

In this podcast, The Marquee asks Flower Mound family practice physician Dr. Jack Johnson studentsubmitted questions about the coronavirus.

Episode three:

Specific topics of discussion include how he is handling COVID-19 in his office, which events should be canceled, how the virus will effect the economy, how people can help in their community and how the virus started.

Photos Madi Olivier

affects community, businesses

The Flower Mound Target was almost completely out of frozen meat due to people stocking up on March 21. When the store restocks items like meat and toilet paper, they sell out by the end of the day.

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media mhsmarquee.com

A sticker instructing customers where to stand while waiting in line is stuck to the ground at the Flower Mound Target to promote social distancing on March 27.

The store also only allowed a portion of the checkout lanes and self checkout stations to remain open.

There is a nationwide shortage of toilet paper, and local community members have been struggling to find even a few packs.

The Flower Mound Target’s shelves were completely empty within a few hours of them being restocked on March 18.

REMARKS How do you think coronavirus has affected our community?

Compiled SHRIYA mukkavilli

“

Obviously it’s been negative because people are scared and sometimes that brings out bad parts of people. People are being racist towards Asian Americans but also I think it’s been kind of unifying because everyone’s like ‘we’re in this together’ and are staying home to fight this out together.

- Delaney Acosta, 10

“

I think that besides the obvious changes like people spending more time outdoors, keeping space between each other and, of course, facing economic hardship for people who have lost their jobs, it will be very interesting to see what lifestyle changes become habits when restrictions are lifted.

Research shows that it only takes three weeks to develop new habits and we will have been leading very different lives for more than three weeks.

- Janet Hutley, Chemistry

“

Although the coronavirus has changed our way of life this past month, I think it is important that we focus on the things we can control. It has given us the opportunity to focus on family and slow down to enjoy the smaller things in life.

- Gina Karbs, PreCalculus

covid-19 pandemic shouldn’t be blamed on race S TA F F EDI T ORIA L Ever since the coronavirus entered the United States, it has forced widespread closures and caused drastic changes. With the outbreak affecting life as we know it, some have used the place of origin of the virus as a reason to act racist towards Asian Americans, specifically by using phrases such as the “Chinese virus.” This way of naming viruses has been discouraged by the scientific community because of its tendency to promote racism, and as students we should also stay away from this type of racist language.

Stop AAPI Hate is a forum where the public can report instances of anti-Asian racism. Even though it was started on March 18, the site received over 1,135 reports of racially motivated assault and harassment in the span of two weeks. The FBI has said that they expect hate crimes against Asian Americans to surge with the spread of the coronavirus, which was first seen in Wuhan, China in November of 2019. Asian Americans have reported people yelling slurs at them. They’ve also been spat on and called dirty and disgusting. Earlier this month, an Asian American woman in Brooklyn was taking out her trash when someone poured acid on her. Officials are treating the incident as a hate crime. In Midland, Texas, a man is facing an FBI hate crime charge after stabbing three members of an Asian American family of four, two of the victims being children aged 2 and 6, that same

week. Even Asian American students on campus have been at the receiving end of racist comments from their classmates because of the disease.

The idea that Asian Americans, specifically those who originate from East Asia, are to blame for coronavirus has been fueled in part by the media. In early March, the New York Post tweeted about a woman from Manhattan who contracted the virus from Iran. However, the Post used a picture of an Asian man in the tweet.

Furthermore, the picture was taken in Flushing, Queens, a predominantly Asian neighborhood in New York City. The Post faced backlash from Twitter users and New York politicians, and the news organization has since deleted the tweet. Many political figures, including the president, have also used names for the disease that point fingers back to Chinese Americans, such as the “Wuhan virus” and “Chinese virus.” A White House official even referred to COVID-19 as the “Kung-flu.”

These media outlets spread the belief that China and Asian Americans are to blame for the disease, and Americans will be influenced by what these outlets say.

Young people our age, especially, are more impressionable and may see that if public figures use these racist terms freely, it’s acceptable for them to throw at their Asian American peers.

Some people have argued that it’s only fair to name the disease after its origin

because the Spanish flu, Ebola, Zika and West Nile were named the same way.

Naming the diseases after where it was first found has been common practice for decades. However, in recent years the World Health Organization has spoken against naming diseases after geographical locations because of the danger of racist reprisals.

In fact, both the WHO and UNESCO have warned against calling the coronavirus the “Wuhan virus” or “China virus.”

We’re stuck at home and not able to go out in public freely or see our friends.

And with a possibility of prom and graduation being canceled, it’s only natural that we want someone to blame for our situation. However, blaming Asian Americans for this crisis has no logical basis. It also furthers the long-standing stereotype that Asians are “dirty” and “diseased,” sentiments that have existed in this country stretching as far back as the 19th century, when Asian immigration first became more common.

Sowing seeds of discrimination and racism only divide us as a community. In times like these, we encourage students instead to work to rise above these racists taunts that can hurt fellow students and neighbors.

Design TARA CONICK APRIL 27, 2020

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