Vo l u m e 5 3 , I s s u e 6 · A p r i l 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 · S . H . R i d e r H i g h S c h o o l · 4 6 1 1 Cy p r e s s · Wi c h i t a Fa l l s, T X 7 6 3 1 0
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Behind Electronica VI
BEHIND
Percussion section rehearses with original music for Electronica’s 6th anniversary show by annaau
The squeaking of rolling equipment and shuffling of feet fill the vacant room. The tuning of instruments create a melodic tone. Suddenly, all is silent as the director makes his cue. With more lights and greater pieces, Electronica is going to be “better than last year” senior percussionist Ricardo Forester said. “This year’s theme has a kind of jungly feel,” Forester said. “It’s gonna be bigger and better. There’s a greater group of freshman and seniors, so we have a lot of talent.” For the whole story see page 4
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Photo by Cody Stiles.
Stories of the Issue
Bases Loaded p.10
Cupcake Confidence p.6
Throwing Shade At 50 Shades of Grey p.3
Photo by Deliese Nusser.
Calender Crisis: A Simple Solution There is a need for organization within the school that allows students to know what is happening and when. Without a calendar, a schedule, or online source to find out, there is no way to inform both staff and students about school events. Without anything to tell students what’s going on, conflicting events become the norm. This was seen most recently with UIL Academic Regionals and NHS Pennies for Pets being scheduled on the same day. Events are not organized to avoid one another and students have to find a way to do both, further increasing the stress that’s already there because of classes, extracurricular activities, jobs, etc. Yes, there are announcements, but it’s less than likely that all students listen to the announcements. The remind 101 texts have little to no effect because less than 50 percent of students are signed up to actually receive them. This simply stresses the point that there is a need for something to tell students as well as teachers what is going on and when. This lack of organization creates schedule conflicts that could easily be avoided by one simple thing: a calendar.
A benefit of having a calendar shared with students and faculty would be that students could become more involved with their school. By knowing more, students will be able to adjust their schedules if given the time of the event in advance. Not only that, but it benefits students because they can get involved. Data shows that students participating in extracurricular activities have a higher GPA (0.98 percent), fewer suspensions (13.9 percent), and better attendance (15.8 percent) than non-participants. If a publicized calendar were created; students would have more of a chance to be involved as opposed to not joining because the timing is just too unpredictable or just not knowing about the events at all. Obviously there is a need for a calender to say what’s going on around school. Next year, online at the Rider Chronicle, we plan to have a calendar. Although the staff is willing to put the information online, faculty and students will need to send in their information about events so the staff can put them online at a reasonable time. That’s a start. There is a need for organization within the school, and it needs to be addressed.
Climate Change: There, We Said It.
4/30/15
by aleksastankovic
Climate change is knocking on our door and all we do is argue whether or not we hear the sound. Changes that happened since humans became “main characters” are so tremendous that every argument about our impact on wildlife and the planet should lead us to have just one, clear conclusion - we must change ourselves if we want to have more millenias of our history written. Even though things are not perfect, there is still a lot of hope that we can make our environment better. But if we want to do that, we must start taking action soon. Scientific facts show that people are changing their environment like never before: average global temperature rose 1.4 degrees since 1880, nine out of 10 warmest years since we began measuring the temperature have happened since 2000, the global sea level has risen 7” (178mm) over the past 100 years, global forest loss from 2000 would cover an area two times bigger than Texas. The world our grandkids will live in can either be a self-sufficient one or a complete disaster. OUR and our children’s children are the ones that will decide what is going to be true. The story about climate change is a story about all of us. If we
all fail in solving this problem, everything we’ve achieved so far will be worthless. Just imagine the world with no fresh air, no fresh water, no wildlife, and no resources to sustain ourselves. We should recognize, instead of neglecting, that we have a real problem that won’t just go away if we don’t solve it. If 97 percent of the world’s top scientists’ opinions are not enough to convince someone that climate change is real and caused by humans, there are also grandparents who can explain how nature changed just during their lifetime. Climate change is not a new problem. We have been facing it for a long time, but there can be no improvements if we make false statements that climate change does not exist. Arguing about whether or not climate change is there has little purpose while animal species are becoming extinct and changes in climate all over the world are hard not to notice. Only after we recognize climate change as a civilization-threatening problem can we start solving it and hopefully start making a community that can be both eco-friendly and prosperous.
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Our mission is to be the voice of the student body, and to be aware of the everyday activities that go on at school and to cover those stories without bias, writing the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
thestaff co-editors in chief emilycarroll & kierstenscott feature editor shannonpyle news editor cortneywood reporters abbylove, annaau, aleksastankovic, alyssamatthews, collinpartridge, cintiavickery, justinhasty, kayleedavenport, kobielunsford, lanemaddox, makaylaschnaufer, maddiebox, mirandadarne, raymondmcnally, shawnkirkland, stevengarcia, sydneymayo, theresadhein All letters to the editor, art work, guest work and feedback from its readers can be brought by room 247 or e-mailed to emilycarroll@theriderchronicle.com or kierstenscott@theriderchronicle.om Contact the newsroom at 940-235-1077 ext. 31061 Adviser: Mary Beth Lee Principal: Dee Palmore
Graduate exposes misguided nature of Fifty Shades of Grey, adult-film industry by sydneymayo Surrounded by prostitutes at a strip club in the Red Light District of Bangkok, Thailand, psychology major and Rider alumni Alyssa Eakin has witnessed the devastation produced by prostitution and human trafficking first hand. She saw how love has been distorted to become a Fifty Shades of Grey love. “Hearing the stories of these women and their stories about some of the men who buy out the prostitutes, they live that horrible life every night,” Eakin said. These men and women have a completely warped sense of love and they “lose all of their self worth” in the sex industry, especially if they’re treated the way
they are in Fifty Shades of Grey, she said. “Love isn’t abuse,” Eakin said. “Love isn’t control. Love is real and love is powerful: real love; not this Hollywood love,” Eakin said. Eakin said this Hollywood love has turned something that was meant to be beautiful into something that is hurtful in every way possible. People are believing this is what love is and yet it’s just breaking them. “When I heard Fifty Shades of Grey was coming out as a movie, it just really hit home even more because I did live with people who are hurt by this every day,” Eakin said.
80 percent of victims of human trafficking are being sexually exploited
What’s even more hurtful to Eakin is that the movie was a product of America, her home. “To think that I was with people who are hurt by this kind of stuff and that it was my country that did it to them,” Eakin said. “It kills me.” The sexual relationship shown in Fifty Shades of Grey is eventually going to destroy people she said. “This way of loving somebody and the things that they do are so restraining physically that it can end up really hurting someone not just emotionally, but physically as well,” Eakin said. What stuck out to Eakin most on her trip to Thailand was how much people wanted to feel loved.
“They’re just looking to fulfill a void and they think this is love and yet it just brings them pain mentally, physically, and emotionally,” Eakin said. This desire for love stems from past experiences and past abuse she said. “Statistics will tell you that it usually comes from past abuse,” Eakin said. “If you don’t find a sense of hope or a way to deal with it I feel like they may become that.” Love, something intended to be “given selflessly and out of love” Eakin said has turned in to a money maker.
the porn industry generates $13 billion each year alone
Over the past few years the adult-film industry has risen in popularity along with the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey. “If somebody has a phone, they can post whatever they want,” Eakin said. “It’s usually not caught or that person can’t do anything about it.” On her trip to Thailand, Eakin worked with women who were directly hurt in this way. “These ladies were hurt and feel they have been exploited, which they have,” she said. “The porn industry says it’s okay and that it’s acceptable.” In the porn industry, you can rarely tell if the person was being filmed voluntarily or not, she said.
“The sex-trafficking industry and the porn industry go hand in hand,” she said. “You never know if you’re watching an actress or someone who was bought,” Eakin said. Eakin said people can’t say they don’t accept human trafficking if you watch porn. “How do you know if they’re not being exploited or abused?” Eakin said. “You don’t.” Porn shouldn’t be normalized she said. “People are worth so much more than the books they read or the porn they watch,” she said. “Love isn’t selfish.”
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Throwing Shade at 50 Shades of Grey
2.4 million people are sold into human trafficking each year
Fifty Shades of Grey has sold a total of 100 million copies
a new adult-film is produced every 39 minutes
an estimated 1 million prostitutes live in the United States alone
4/30/15
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there are an estimated 42 million prostitutes in the world
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BEHIND
Percussion section rehearses with original music for Electronica’s 6th anniversary show
4/30/15
by annaau
The squeaking of rolling equipment and shuffling of feet fill the vacant room. The tuning of instruments create a melodic tone. Suddenly, all is silent as the director makes his cue. With more lights and greater pieces, Electronica is going to be “better than last year,” senior percussionist Ricardo Forester said. “This year’s theme has a kind of jungle feel,” Forester said. “It’s gonna be bigger and better. There’s a greater group of freshman and seniors, so we have a lot of talent.” Unleashed incorporates “a vast number of environments” in one show, percussion director Geoffrey Martin said. “The intent behind the title was to convey a sense of being an animal in the wilderness,” Martin said. “The production will take the audience through different wilderness environments, from the savannah, to the underwater wilderness and marine life, concluding with a trip through the jungle.” Receiving their first piece around November, the percussion section has had the opportunity of making this year’s show an unbelievable experience. “We started preparing earlier than we did last year,” Forester said, “and for the most part, everyone’s cooperative. I don’t want to give away any secrets, but it’s gonna be awesome!” Though everyone has been working hard as a group, the entire show relies solely on individuals. “Practice hours affect the show in a way that if so much as one person doesn’t know their part then that piece would be cut from the show,” freshman Robert Borgman said.
Others also take part in the making of Electronica. “The majority of performers are percussion,” Martin said. “However, students and directors in the entire Rider Band and Orchestra have a part in putting this massive production together.” With much of the music being written by percussion teacher Adam Lynskey and himself, Martin said Unleashed is going to be an outstanding, original production. This year’s Electronica is going to shock audience members through the show’s unique design and “astonishing and breath taking” performance, Borgman said. Filled with “heart and soul,” Unleashed will be a performance you won’t want to miss,” Martin said. “As always, there will be a lot of drumming and electronics to draw the audience member in,” Martin said. “This year’s production, will be packed with energy and excitement from start to finish. It begins with an ‘in your face’ opener and doesn’t back down from there.”
Senior percussionist Ricardo Forester plays the marimba during Electronica’s rehearsal on Apil 16. Photo by Jaycee Walden.
2014-15 percussion section stand ready for yearbook photos. Photo by Jaycee Walden. Freshman percussionist Matt Spears plays the drums during Electronica’s rehersal on April 16. Photo by Jaycee Walden.
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UIL Academic Team dominates during trip to District competition, claiming 31 awards
District Champions
The Social Studies team won first place at district UIL. Tiara Golden, Patrick Klingler, Mr. Pearson, Gage Grace, Garrett Gregg. Photo contributed by Heather Preston.
The Literary Criticism UIL team placed first and won a plaque. Dane Case, Alexis Morrison, Carolyn Messer, Bonnie Lambert. Photo contributed by Heather Preston.
by makaylaschnaufer
The bus stops at the curb and students and chaperons quickly climb out, taking everything from pillows and blankets to textbooks and pencils into the school with them. While some of the students start studying for their events, others chat with their friends and a few even start up some games trying to de-stress and have a bit of fun before they begin their events. Each of them has one goal in mind: place in one of the top three positions of their event and move forward to regionals. Both the school’s academic UIL teams as well as the UIL one-act play traveled to Saginaw to compete in the district competition. Academic students participated in events ranging from debate to number sense. “It was a great experience,” junior Miranda Darne said. “We all got to room together and we went to the mall and played games on the bus and at the school.” Darne competed in News Writing and took fifth place over all. “I was hoping I would do better, and I just found out that if I had fixed one mis-fact that I would have placed better, so that was kind of disappointing.” Darne was one of many students to place in the competition, including senior Garrett Gregg who won first place in Current Events and helped the team to earn the title of district champions, meaning each member of the team got to move forward to Regionals. “I watch the news a lot,” Gregg said. “At the gym while I am running, I watch Fox News, I listen to NPR in my car, and I get CNN updates on my phone.” Gregg also competed in Headline Writing and took
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third place, meaning he went to Regionals in both of the events he competed in. “Headline Writing was spur of the moment,” Gregg said. “I was asked to try it at another meet, and I liked it. I practiced for about a week before.” Gregg competed alongside fellow senior Kiersten Scott in Headline Writing. Kiersten also competed in Feature Writing and took third place. She represented the school at Regionals as well. “Moving on to regionals is exciting but it’s also pretty stressful because it is the end of my senior year, so I have a lot going on,” Scott said. Despite the stress of regionals, Scott said the district competition itself was not too stressful. “We had a lot of fun so I don’t think I was thinking much about my events at all because we were playing a bunch of games,” Scott said. The students passed time at the all-day competition by playing games like ‘Ninja’ and ‘Cards Against Humanity’. Senior Alyssa Matthews said the whole trip “helped us to bond.” “I liked the fact that we all got to come down the day before and spend some time together before we actually went to compete,” Matthews said. “I feel like I bonded with the team.” The UIL One-Act play also competed and won a District title thanks to their teamwork. “Some days it is really off and the energy is low and nobody is clicking,” sophomore and lead actress Madelynn Castro said. “And then some days it is like everything just meshes and those shows come together so perfectly, and at District it was one of those shows.”
4/30/15
The UIL Current Events Team won a gold metal. Tiara Golden, Garrett Gregg, Patrick Klingler, Gage Grace. Photo contributed by Heather Preston.
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A Weekend Away
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Cupcake Confidence For the first time in WFISD history, a Culinary Arts student competes at State bakeoff battle; while senior Jessica Bivona didn’t win, she did learn. Her lessons leave a lasting impact on the culinary program and the students who will follow. Senior Jessica Bivona participated at the State Cupcake Battle. “She has definitely become a leader,” Nusser said. Photos by Deliese Nusser.
4/30/15
by kobielunsford
Anh Tran, Kelise Cunningham, Kirsten Morath, Cy Coomer, and Ni’Osha Brown rushed to set up the table and get the gear ready for Jessica Bivona. After they finished, they stood by to encourage and silently cheer her on. Everything necessary for a kitchen except for an oven was made ready for use. Jessica poured the cupcake batter and prepared the oven. As the cupcakes baked, Jessica set up the decorations for the cupcakes: a picture frame, several candlesticks, rose petals, and several coasterlike items inset with rhinestones. Three hours later, Jessica was ready to present her entry of almond cupcakes covered in salted caramel buttercream. Jessica earned the chance to compete in the State Cupcake Battle after placing second at Regionals. Five students and her instructor Deliese Nusser accompanied her to Porter, Texas for the competition, the first attended by a WFISD student. Jessica’s road to state began before she arrived at Rider. “I’ve been baking since I was little,” Jessica said. “I
started by helping my dad bake cookies.” Jessica began baking when she was 9. She has made cakes and other treats for her youth group, her church, engagement parties, preschool bake sales, and various other parties and events. Culinary arts has developed Jessica from a once shy girl to an outgoing and confident leader, Nusser said. “[Baking] kind of helps to clear my head or calm me down,” Jessica said. Jessica enjoys baking because it gives her time to just be herself, she said. She can dance and sing while she cooks and there is nobody there to tell her she can’t. While she is creating delicious delicacies, she has the freedom to do whatever she wants and with few boundaries. “Some people play sports,” Jessica said. “I cook.” For competitions leading to state, the bakers make the cupcakes before the competition. Those same cupcake recipes were made for state as well. Competitors bring decorations for their presentation and their own table. They can walk around examining other competitor’s creations while waiting for the results of the contest.
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For state, the cupcakes are baked at the competition’s location. That changed things for Jessica and led to a cupcake collapse. The school hosting the competition had convection ovens which Jessica had little practice with, and they did not turn on the air conditioning, which caused everyone’s icing to melt. Jessica was disappointed in her performance at state because it made her feel inexperienced. She knew she could make the cupcakes, and make them well, but she was unable to do so. Still, Jessica should be proud, Nusser said. “She was our first culinary arts student, first Rider student, first WFISD student, to go to state,” Nusser said. And while Jessica didn’t win at state, she does have some sweet advice for the future culinary arts students who will hopefully follow in her footsteps. “You can think you have as much practice or experience as you need, but you have to roll with the punches sometimes,” Jessica said.
The Ultimate RETURN Long awaited club makes a comeback after lengthy hiatus by stevengarcia It’s Tuesday. The last bell of the day has rung its sweet tune. Everyone is rushing to their cars to go home or to their jobs. But some students are speeding to a field to forget about their problems. On this field, you’re not a football player or a band kid. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing sweatpants or track shorts. Just grab your cleats and a bottle of water, then get ready for some Ultimate Frisbee fun. As president of the club, senior Tyler Fleetwood’s goal is to have a great time with the school community within the sport of Ultimate. “The mission of the club is to promote fitness, community, and social activity,” Tyler said. He said another goal of the club is to not be competitive and to just have a great time. “Ultimate isn’t about going and beating your opponent,” Tyler said. “It’s just about having fun and beating your personal goals.” Earth and Space, and AP Physics 1 teacher Bryce Henderson, who serves as the club’s sponsor, says the club has recently re-formed. And he’s bringing college experience with him since he was captain of the MSU Ultimate team, The Cavalry.
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Rider Ultimate:
“The previous Ultimate Frisbee club was made up of a bunch of guys who just liked to get together and play Ultimate and disc golf,” Henderson said. ”With the new Ultimate Frisbee club, I’m improving on what we had before by making it more well known among the school.” In addition to his own experience, Henderson has contacts that currently play on the team at MSU. They will sometimes come out to play and help teach members of the club about Ultimate. Henderson enjoys the members of the the new club and feels that Ultimate is a sport for anybody. “I think the members of the club are awesome,” Henderson said. “The great thing about Ultimate is it’s really easy for a person to learn to play, and the members of the club are very welcoming of new people. The members of the club are really great about teaching each other and being patient as people learn by playing.” It’s not ”why would you want to join UFC“ but “why wouldn’t you want to” Fleetwood said. “Everyone is having a great time with a smile on their face and laughing,” Fleetwood said. “Since there’s no judgment, you’re going to have a great time. It’s completely come as you are.”
“The mission of the club is to promote fitness, community, and social activity.” - Tyler Fleetwood
Senior Tyler Fleetwood passes the disc to a teammate across the field. Photo by Daniel Woodward.
Senior Peter Vu jumps for a two hand rim catch. Photo by Daniel Woodward.
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4/30/15
A line of players prepares for the first pull of the game. Photo by Daniel Woodward.
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Cody Blair, Assistant Principal
Students and staff share their travel experiences as the break draws near by shannonpyle & cortneywood
As the end of the semester closes in, plans for summer break become reality. Memories that will stick with a person forever will happen this summer. When someone goes to a new place, their view of the world is broadened and that is an important part of life. Take it from these students and staff who have experienced it for themselves.
Ireland Mary Beth Lee & Sandra Scheller, media adviser and English teacher Everywhere Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Scheller have traveled since 2008, they have traveled together. Scheller said she always manages to get lost - always. “I depend on Mary Beth to remember how to get back to our group,” Scheller said. “Between us we have a whole brain.” Lee says that this year going without her will be different. “The whole time I’m there I’ll be thinking, ‘oh Sandra will like this’ or ‘oh my gosh Sandra would have so much fun with this.’ It’ll be okay though, because I’m going to take a lot of pictures to give to her.”
Mexico Kacie Campagna & Macie Miller, 12 Kacie Campagna and Macie Miller traveled to Puerto Vallarta over Spring Break this year. “The whole trip was my favorite memory,” Kacie said. “I was able to escape from the world and I didn’t have to do anything but sit on the beach and relax.” “I’ve never been to Mexico before so it was really cool that I got to go with her family,” Macie said. “I got to spend a week in paradise with my best friend.”
Canada
Erin & Emily Sledge, 12
Although Erin and Emily’s traveling was for different reason than most people’s, their experiences still show the benefits of traveling, even if it is to visit family. “We went to visit my cousin Kate in the hospital, she was diagnosed Lukemia when she was 11,” Erin said. “She was in the childrens hospital.”
Mr. Blair visited the Ukraine twice during college and said the trips helped him broaden his global perspective. “I saw how people in other parts of the world live and how blessed we are in the United States,” Blair said. “Also I got to see some of the beautiful places there. We got to be down in the Crimean Peninsula and see the Black Sea and the mountains that went straight out to the Black Sea. It was beautiful.”
Vietnam
Trang Mai, 12
Yasi Sharif, 12
Anne McMullen, 10
Colombia Makayla Schnaufer, 11
“My favorite memory while I was down there is of my friend chasing and trying to catch a chicken,” Mr. Henderson said. “We were in one of the villages and he was never able to catch it. Some of the little village kids finally caught it and gave it to him to take a picture with.” Henderson said this was one of the best moments of his mission trip to Ecuador.
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On her mission trip to Zambia, sophomore Anne McMullen said her favorite part was working with the children in the orphanage located in the capital, Lusaka. “When the kids would sing with us, all the voices just made it so beautiful,” Anne said.
Tanzania Shawn Kirkland, 10
“Over there I’m surrounded by my family everyday,” Yasi said. She has visited Iran around eight times and says it is always so fun. “I love their food,” Yasi said. “There’s that certain flavor from the herbs and it’s so good. It’s funny because here they’re always like ‘hey say something in Farsi to me,’ but there they’re like ‘say something in English to me.’ It’s really weird.”
“One of my favorite memories from Africa was getting to do something for the kids to make them smile,” sophomore Shawn Kirkland said about his mission trip to Tanzania. “There were these two brothers about 8 years old at the construction site we were working at, and I went to a store and bought them a soccer ball. They loved it. I think it was really awesome giving back.”
China Maria Cruz, Spanish Teacher Profe Cruz has traveled to countries all over the world. On her recent trip to China during this year’s Chinese New Year, she said one of her favorite memories was an extensive park. “It was a sacred park,” Cruz said. “A lot of people were walking to a shrine that was on a mountain. We stopped and I heard a bird. Well, I was looking everywhere for the bird and it ended up being a person who was selling whistles, I thought it was funny. I bought two whistles, but I gave them to my grand children.”
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Australia
Pam Brown, Math teacher Mrs. Brown said she loved all of Australia. and PAL coordinator
She spent her days at the Sydney Opera, Zoo, and Aquarium. Her adventures included holding a baby Wallaroo and learning how to throw a boomerang. “We flew up to Cairns and went out to the Great Barrier Reef,” Brown said. “We had a glass bottom boat so we got to video all the giant clams. It’s an amazing place. From the ocean to all the sights you can see its just incredible. If it wasn’t so far away I’d go back.”
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After living in Colombia for two years, Makayla Schnaufer came back with unforgettable experiences. “My favorite part was visiting the Amazon Jungle,” Schnaufer said. “We got to canoe down the river and go to this place called monkey island. It had little monkeys that were 6 or 7 inches tall. We got to feed them and they would climb all over us. It was a lot of fun.”
Ecuador
Senior Trang Mai visited Vietnam with her family and said that her favorite part was the amusement park called Vin Pearl in the city, Nha Trang. “You go on this trolley zip line thing over the ocean,” Trang said. “There’s this massive hill and that’s Vin Pearl. Everything is free once you pay to be in Vin Pearl, so you don’t have to pay to go to any separate part of the park. You can go to the water park and then straight to the roller coasters, and then to the move theater. That was a lot of fun because there was about forty of us.”
Iran
Zambia
Bryce Henderson, Science teacher
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Summer In Sight
Ukraine
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Bases Loaded Softball completes home stretch by alyssamatthews
by alyssamatthews
With a strong team and close relationship, the softball team concluded their season with a 2-11 record. “Our team this year is the most bonded group I’ve ever had,” head softball coach Alisha Crouch said. “There is no drama, gossip or anything. It’s like we are all family.” With only 15 girls on the varsity team, Crouch chose Jamie Herrell, Desiree Lopez, and Kari Toalson to be the team captains. “It’s an honor to be captain,” Herrell said. “I get to represent an amazing team and people I love. We may still be losing and our record isn’t great, but I am proud of the progress we have made.” While the team didn’t make playoffs, Crouch says she was never worried about the statistics but about the girls. “I get nervous for the girls because I want them to play their best and get noticed by college teams,” Crouch said. “I want them to have fun doing what they love.” Alli Kee said despite the record, the team is better than what the statistics say. “No matter if we win or lose, we work hard as a team in practices and on the field,” Kee said. “It’s been a very positive and enjoyable team to be a part of and I couldn’t be happier to spend my senior year with any other team.”
4/30/15
Photo by Cody Stiles.
Photo by Angel Quevy.
Baseball continues on to playoff run The baseball team is headed to playoffs in hopes of winning a district championship for former teammate Bailey Montes. “Bailey loved to win more than anything,” senior captain Will Darland said. “So I think he would be extremely proud of how we are playing. Especially since we play in his honor with each game.” And to honor Montes, Darland said that the team has gotten stronger, not just record wise, but also bond wise. “We’re always around each other and we are a family,” Darland said. “At the end of the day we would do anything for each other. We trust each other to do our individual jobs on and off the field.” Led by team captains Dylan Hutcheson, Koby Hott and Will Darland, and coaches Josh Bobbitt, Jeremy Crouch and Tim Radtke, the team has a current record of 14-2 overall and 8-2 in district. “We are on a 6-game winning streak,” Darland said. “We find a way to win whether it’s by defense or offense, but usually it’s a mixture of both.” The team’s motto is, “Team First, Team Last,” which means that they put the team first and not their individual goals, senior Alec Lemmon said. “We have really gelled together as a team,” Lemmon said. “I feel great because I’ve worked hard and so has my team to hopefully accomplish a district championship.”
Photo by Anna Krzewinski.
Photo by Cody Stiles.
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In hopes to achieve another strike, junior Jojo Kelleher pitches the ball in an after school scrimmage. “I focus mainly on the play that is going on at that time,” he said. “The whole team comes together to perform better in stressful situations.” As the second baseman throws the ball to third base, freshman Diane Reid steals third base. Before the game begins, senior Alli Kee puts eyeblack and a little sparkle on senior Jamie Herrell’s face. “She pumps me up every game,” Kee said. “We have a special hand shake that we’ve done for three years now. It helps that we are in the outfield together because we can look over at each other and have an unspoken language. We know exactly what we need to do.” Junior Koby Hott winds up for a pitch at the scrimmage against Old High.
Cintia Vickery earns full
JROTC scholarship
by kayleedavenport
Senior Cintia Vickery works during JROTC practice to enhance her strength. Photo by Angel Quevy.
Cintia’s Steps to Earning the Frederick C. Branch Scholarship
① Talk to recruiters about college ② Take SAT, ACT and ASVAB tests for scholarship and wait ③ Apply for results
④ Choose a college and apply www.theriderchronicle.com
Vickery supports JROTC in front og the flags as a Cadet Lieutenant Colonel . Photo by Regan Bennett. Cintias senior photo. Photo provided by Cintia Vickery.
$
Cost To Attend Spelman College
$43,741 a year Cintia will save roughly $174,964 in college tuition, fees, housing and other expenses with the Frederick C. Branch Scholarship. That’s equivalent to 40,221 of Cintia’s favorite drink, a Venti Strawberry and Creme Frappuccino from Starbucks.
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After an array of tests, senior Cintia Vickery received the Frederick C. Branch Marine Corps Leadership Scholarship for African Americans, a full ride scholarship to her choice of one of 17 colleges and universities. “I was coming out of the Boys and Girls Club when I received a phone call from my sergeant saying I had just received the scholarship,” Vickery said. “I was screaming and jumping around after I hung up.” Although she was excited about the scholarship, Vickery’s mother was not so enthusiastic at first. “My mother was upset,” Vickery said. “When she mentioned to me a long time ago about going to an African American school, I didn’t want that, I wanted to go to a school with more variety. Then when I received the scholarship, she was excited that I had options and that they didn’t have to pay as much for college.” In the process of selection for the scholarship, Vickery had to meet certain standards that were required for her to be eligible for the scholarship. “I had to have above a 1000 for my SAT score in Math and English,” Vickery said. “I also had to take a physical so they could check for any broken bones or anything like that.” With the scholarship came many options and decisions on what college would be best for her in the long run. “Recently I chose to go to Spelman College which is an all female school,” Vickery said. “At first I didn’t want to go to an all girls school, but then I found out that the guys from JROTC are going to be at Morehouse College. We’re going to be combined together, which means I’ll at least have a co-ed JROTC.” The college Vickery chose is in Atlanta, Georgia, a big change from the small city of Wichita Falls, but Vickery said it will be exciting and new. “I don’t have a fear of leaving Wichita Falls,” Vickery said. “It’s more a fear of going to a new school and meeting people that I’ve never talked to before. The fear of being new.”
ride
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Senior
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School Life Around The World Exchange students discuss differences their home countries’ education vs. America’s by aleksastankovic
by theresadhein
T
he teacher steps into the room. The laughter and gossip stop, every student stands up. “Good morning, Professor!” That’s how a usual school day in Germany begins. We sit in the same seats in the same room every day and all that changes are the teachers and the subjects. Only for classes like arts, physics, chemistry or music do we go into rooms with special equipment. Unlike in America, the students don’t choose their subjects; the class you always stay with has an assigned schedule they have to follow. There are no electives and no sports except for PE. If you play a sport, you don’t play for your school, you play for your town. Since there are absolutely no parking spots for students, everybody takes a bus that has enough space to carry about 100 students. Many students also ride their bikes to school. It’s a common thing to ride your bike everywhere you need to go to in Germany. The school day starts at eight in the morning and for the first six years of high school it ends at 1:10 p.m. I will spend a total of nine years in high school where the last three years are the most important, because every grade you make counts for your final graduation grade, which decides whether you can study what you want to study or if you have to find something else. Grades go from one to six. A one is the best grade you can get and a six is like a zero. There are different kinds of high schools in Germany. I go to a grammar school, which is a school only for students who are sure they are going to go to college. You earn a special degree and a grade for your degree there. You have to have high grades to stay in that school. Another kind of school is “Gesamtschule” which is like a high school here, where everybody comes together no matter if they will go to college or not. Then there is a “Hauptschule” where the children who have
major problems in school with teachers and other students go. In my school, we have a 20-minute break after two periods that last 45-minutes each. Students only take a snack to school and eat lunch at home. The schedule in Germany kind of like a block schedule, except that every single day of the week is different from the others. The various days of the week mean that the students have more time to do their homework, but don’t get too excited, because homework in Germany usually means a lot of work and thinking. Also we don’t have multiple-choice tests. The student has to answer every question with a small essay explaining everything. Overall, school in the U.S. is easier for me, but the school days are longer. I think both school systems have their advantages, and disadvantages and it’s very different from what I was used to. I’m very lucky I got to experience being a part of Rider High School.
E
very 1st of September my school year starts. It is always nice to see all the people you know and spend every day of every class with. That’s right. Unlike in America where you change your classes and classmates after every period, in Serbia you are with the same group of people for all four high school years. A big change is also that there is a block schedule, so every day of the weekday is different. Our classes start when we sit down after greeting our teachers. Then we begin the lesson, and we usually take down notes in our notebooks but never on a printed sheet of paper that our teacher previously gave us. The only thing they actually give us, except of course knowledge that we need, are tests. It’s a good thing that during the year there are not as many tests as in the US, but tests are usually bigger, harder and if you do bad, you can only hope that there will be a second chance to make it up. Along with tests, there are also oral exams in almost every subject. It’s something that Americans usually don’t have in their high schools, and I’m not sure whether that is good or not. I personally like them because I like to talk and it’s an interesting way to get a good grade for me. Another big difference is that there are different kinds of high schools. For example, there is a school where those who are usually completely sure that they will go to college go. They are called Grammar schools and I go to one. There are also high schools for those who want to have medical, electronic, economical, chemical, or other majors once they go to college, one advantage of those schools is that students can also work in the field they choose if they don’t go to college. Along with all differences that exist, high schools in Serbia and in America have a lot of things in common. There are excellent teachers and ones that are not interested in their jobs both here and there. Worries about what to do after high school are almost the same. One period is 45 minutes long in Serbia too. It is hard to compare two educational systems that are two different planets. The only thing that I can say is a phrase I heard before I came here from exchange students that were on this program before me. “Not better, not worse, just different.”
Germany Serbia
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Texas
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Juniors from Rider and Old High dominate with first place win in auto estimations by cortneywood
That was the first thing out of his mouth, and Tiffany knew one thing: she was going to prove him wrong. She signed up for the class and fell in love with it. Now, she wants to make a career out of it.
She wiped the sleep from her eye as she straightened up from her hunched over seat. She had dozed off during the ceremony. It droned on and on and on. Yawning, she turned to her teammate and waited for their category. “Third place...” The announcer said, and junior Tiffany Clark nodded. They didn’t place, she thought. But she was so sure they had. “Second place is...” Again, her team wasn’t called, and disbelief set in. They hadn’t done it. They had made it to State in Auto Collision Estimation, but she was convinced her team hadn’t won it. “First place, Team C!” She heard their group’s name, and still it didn’t register. She looked over to her partner, Old High junior Breanna Seymour, and a wide smile spread across her face. The Carrigan principal, Synthia Kirby “freaked out screaming” and Tiffany said that was the moment they knew they were SkillsUSA Texas Champions. They had done it.
***
With only three females total in their class and only two others competing with them at state, Tiffany said that the girls showed the male dominated profession they can do everything equally as well. Tiffany and Bree haven’t worked together much this year because the auto collision repair and refinishing instructor David Boller wanted the girls to understand and handle the female minority. Unlike the separation of schools at home campuses, Carrigan unites all WFISD high schools. The Rider/ Old High rivalry doesn’t faze the Carrigan students, and, in fact makes them a family, Bree said. The moment Bree walked into the auto collision department, the paint fumes overwhelmed her, and she said that it was the one thing each student had in common. “When the time of the rivalry comes up, we will all mess around and pretend to butt heads,” Bree said. “Over all, we don’t care to pick fights or anything, we are just here for the experience, knowledge, and friends.”
***
When first exploring the option of Carrigan, Tiffany wasn’t sure what to expect. All of the programs available were interesting in their own way. She wanted to talk with her dad about the options and get his input on them. “You are not gonna like auto body. At all.”
A Dent Dilemma 2
F150
WHAT IS THE MAKE?
Ford
WHAT IS THE YEAR?
2004 Photo Contributed By Tiffany Clark.
www.theriderchronicle.com
4/30/15
“With 11.4 hours of labor and 13 hours for paint, the grand total to fix this car would be about $2,201.75”
3
The first place plaque was received by Tiffany Clark and Breanna Seymour and their instructor the day after the competition. The plaque is at the Carrigan Learning Center where they attend auto body repair. Photo by Cortney Wood.
WHAT IS THE MODEL?
ANALYZE 1
Tiffany’s verdict...
feature| 13
Female Students ‘Estimate’ Their Success at State
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news| 15
Unlicensed Speech Supreme Court decides Texas can reject a specialty license plate with the Confederate Flag by abbylove The Supreme Court decided it was okay for Texas to deny making customized license plates that included an image of the Confederate flag for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. One of the reasons the state of Texas said they would not allow the license plate is because the flag is often viewed as a symbol of racism and hate and is offensive to those who see it as such. “I think it represents racism and a time when blacks didn’t have rights,” junior Abreanna Harrison said. “I don’t think it should be on a license plate.” Another argument for those who oppose the license plate is that it is as equally offensive as the swastika, a symbol used to support Hitler and the Nazi party. Abreanna says she agrees that the two are both offensive and should not be displayed. ”It’s like you’re saying, you agree with racism and believe that people should be mistreated or discriminated against because of who they are,” Abreanna said. “People were beaten and starved like they didn’t have rights. So how can you say “Oh it’s okay’?” While some students agree that Texas should not
allow customized license plates to be made with the confederate flag symbol, others believe that the flag is just a symbol of southern pride and is not offensive. “It’s nothing about racism. The confederate flag represents history and what the south used to stand for,” sophomore Parker Poole said. “The 13 stars on the flag represent the 13 original colonies and the X stands for ‘cross us out of your union’ which just means we don’t want to be a part of the North anymore.” The people that see the flag as just a symbol of the south view the decision to not allow these license plates as unconstitutional and in violation of the first amendment. “It’s freedom of speech, it’s freedom of being able to do what you want,” Poole said. “You’re allowed to say what you think and everyone has the right to show what they think.” Rider math teacher Paul Loskot says that as long as the flag is looked upon as part of our country, it represents the history of the south and not racism. “We want to embrace all parts of history and
Students Say:
53% No
47% Yes www.theriderchronicle.com
Of the 50 states, there are 9 that allow license plates with the Confederate Flag including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee
4/30/15
Should the Confederate Flag be allowed on specialty license plates?
growth of our establishment,” Loskot said. “It’s just part of our history, it’s a part of our nation’s struggle to unify itself.” Loskot says that if a person wants to display the confederate flag, then they have every right to do so and there are multiple ways to do so without the state getting involved. “There are people that may associate the rebel battle flag with a negativity towards the country and therefore it is offensive to some people,” Loskot said. “And that means then that the state shouldn’t sponsor it.” Loskot believes that Texas denying the license plates is unconstitutional. “The state needs to separate itself from the 4th amendment,” Loskot said. “That means the state really shouldn’t make any rules that govern whether one person’s rights infringe upon another.” The Supreme Court disagreed. In April they upheld the Texas decision to say no because “a significant portion of the public associates the Confederate flag with organizations that demean or express hatred for minorities.”
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Becoming “Belle of the Ball”
Girls get free dresses from program set up by the Wellington Banquet Center by mirandadarne
making it a high school competition so more teens would find out about it. “We got out a press release which got it on the news,” Ramirez said. “We also made it a competition so each dress donated is worth one point and the school that had the most points gets a free prom.” Junior Karla Gonzalez found her perfect dress by trying them on with her best friend Karla Alvarado’s help. “We chose our dresses and my mom and I fell in love with my dress,” Gonzalez said. “It just reminds me of a princess.” Freshman Isabelle Ruth said the best part of finding her dress was “that moment” when she saw herself in the mirror. “I am very glad that the Wellington decided to do this,” Ruth said. “Kids on a budget for prom or a formal event are able to get a free prom dress, and they’re all really cute.” By the end of the Belle of the Ball, many others found their prom dress as almost 50 out of 445 dresses were taken home. Because this program was so popular, Ramirez won News Channel 6’s community service champion in 2014 for coordinating the Belle of the Ball program. “It means a lot to us because we are making somebody else’s prom dream come true,” Ramirez said. “The look on these girls’ faces kind of makes it all worth it. It makes me feel like I’ve made a small difference in somebody’s life.”
Serena Ramirez sees her months of planning become a reality. Racks and racks of dresses are lined up. Girls are walking in with hope and out with their dresses in hand and smiles on their faces. Ramirez made these girls’ dreams come true. Because there was a need for this program in the community, Serena Ramirez, event coordinator at the Wellington Banquet Center, decided to create the Belle of the Ball, a program where girls can find their perfect formal dresses and get them for free. “We saw a need for it in the community because there wasn’t another program like it,” Ramirez said. “The idea became a business plan, and then it became an event.” The title of the program, Belle of the Ball, was used in order to get more people to notice the event. “We did some research on what it was called in other cities,” Ramirez said. “Belle of the Ball was the one that kind of stuck out to me because we work in an event venue where you can actually have a ball.” Ramirez set up the event by continually advertising it on the news, social media, and by
Into the
Woods
11:00pm
with Karla Gonzalez
3:00-6:00pm
6:30pm
“For a good hour my mom curled my long hair. While my hair was still wet, she had to clip it all up into curls.”
“I put on my dress and heels and Karla A. came by with her parents. We took some pictures and off we went to Olive Garden to eat.”
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“After it was all over, we had to tear everything down and then we went home.”
5:30pm
“We left Olive Garden where we saw a bunch of other prom attendees and went on our way to school.”
“My mom started on my makeup. We had such a hard time and had to start over a few times because I would laugh about her stories she’d be telling me.”
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8:10pm
“We finally made it to prom and we had such a great time.”