Vo l u m e 5 3 , I s s u e 5 · M a r c h 2 7 , 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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riderchronicle
Freezin’ For A Reason
Faculty, students take Polar Plunge for Special Olympics by kobielunsford
The freezing water sends a sharp shock down the spine as the body is propelled into the water. Animalistic instincts force the body to swim as quickly as possible towards its exit from this icy escapade. As Elsa (from Frozen) and a teacher dressed as a football player exit the pool they hurriedly seek shelter and warmth in the form of a hot tub, rapidly returning the heat to their bodies. The next group lines up to take the “Polar Plunge.”
Rider’s group for the 2015 Polar Plunge leaps into the pool at the Holiday Inn with temperatures reaching down into the 40s. Participants (from left to right) include Mr. Nielsen, Coach Bobbitt, Karla Alvarado, Karla Gonzalez, Coach Francis and Mrs .Wood. “Get to the end as fast as you can,” Mrs Wood told herself as she jumped into the freezing waters. “ The plunge serves a good purpose,” Wood said. “It shows just what people are willing to do to raise money and help others.” Photo by Dalton Roberts
Stories of the Issue
Worth The Weight p.11
Record Season p.10
Helping Good People Be Great Parents p.6-7
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For the whole story see page 9
staffeditorial
As students grudgingly drag themselves back from spring break, complaints seem to be the only thing people care to talk about when mentioning school. Who would want to come back from a colorful vacation to see crowded hallways that are dimly lit, or eat cafeteria food that acts as a substitute for real food? Yet, all of these issues have something in common. They are always being complained about. And that is the only thing that has been done about those issues. Therefore no action to change it has been taken by students to make these issues better. Doing nothing but complaining gets you nowhere. In fact, it lets things get worse. Yes, students, school is boring, but that is because we haven’t voiced our ideas to make it more interesting. Yes, students, school lunches aren’t as tasty as Chick-Fil-A, but that is because we haven’t signed a petition to try and change the menu. The courtyard, also known as the memory garden, hardly sees any life in a day because people don’t know what else to use it for except as a place to have an occasional luncheon or to take yearbook pictures. If only was a little more vibrant with flowers and maybe had a cute swing. Feel free to complain all you want, but don’t expect things to get better unless you have a drive to change something. Don’t complain to the complainers because they won’t help. If you have an idea, offer solutions and bring your ideas to the newspaper. Let us help you because we are the student body’s voice. What do you have to lose?
Taking Life One Step At A Time
3/27/15
by stevengarcia
I’m not depressed or anxious, well maybe just a bit. In actuality I’m just worried. How am I going to support a family in the future? How am I going to live comfortably if I can’t get into the college that I want because I can’t afford the tuition? How can I follow my dreams if I’m too worried and stressed about debt? In life, there are many roads that lead in all different directions. No matter what road you take you will end up in the same Point B, but it’s either a good or bad Point B. And I don’t want the crappy Point B. At the moment, I have two options: Work my tuckus off in two years of community college, collect grants and scholarships, hope that my community college GPA is acceptable for Illinois Wesleyan University, and pray for the slight chance that my dream school will accept me. Then there’s plan B. I can join the military, be completely miserable for six years because I lost all of my individuality, and then have them pay for most of my college tuition and be guaranteed the chance to travel the world with a wonderful pay. But here’s the thing, when it comes to the military they’re building an army. First, they will shave your head, then after that,
your individuality. You’re not going to be the same human being you were before the military. Honestly, I used to feel so alone when it came to the subject, “What am I going to do after high school?” To put it lightly, I felt like a complete imbecile, for not knowing what the heck I’m going to do after high school. My life and my mind have been a total living Hell as I asked myself that question over and over. But then I had a coming to God moment. I’m not the only one. I am not the only person who doesn’t have their plans set in concrete. Most people don’t even have a clue of what they’re going to do. Guys, I have a plan, I know what I want to do. I’m not completely out of luck. So I shouldn’t beat myself up. I should look at the positive: I have a plan. Life is just completely crazy at the moment, and some may say that this is the hardest point in life. But I have to get a grip. These problems are not going to last forever. If I’ve learned anything from these past few months it’s been this: Rome wasn’t built in a day. This journey may seem lonely, as if you’re the only person who has ever gone through this. But always remember, you’re not alone.
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Complain For Change
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, justinhasty, kayleedavenport, kobielunsford, lanemaddox, makaylaschnaufer, maddiebox, mirandadarne, raymondmcnally, shawnkirkland, stevengarcia, sydneymayo, teresadhein All letters to the editor, art work, guest work and feedback from 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
by emilycarroll "Chivalry is dead because feminism killed it." As I scroll through twitter, I see this tweet that puts me a little on edge. How does feminism kill a man's decision to be chivalrous? Unfortunately, it is because people claim to be feminists but instead mistake equal rights for power over and emasculation of men. For any belief you have, it is your responsibility to not only claim, but practice and understand those beliefs. Feminism has been stripped of its strong points of equality and brought down to another popular trend on twitter for opinionated people to hop on just to start an argument. Feminism has become a joke for some people because of how silly so-called feminists have made it seem. Feminism is not a subject to easily understand and profess to the world. Today it seems as though a 12-year-old girl could be called cute by a boy, take it as an insult, and say “Oh, I’m a feminist,” and think she knows what she’s talking about. Most 12 year olds are still learning about Hot Topics. Do they really understand feminism? If they take a compliment and turn it into an insult, obviously they don’t understand it at all. Those 12 year olds are not to be blamed though.
Crossing The Line
by maddiebox
editorial| 3
‘Chivalry Is Dead Because Feminism Killed It’...But It Shouldn’t Be
They’ve been influenced by adults with anti-man agendas. There is nothing wrong with having a sense of empowerment when trying to take a stand. But if you’re going to do so, your motive should not be to make a man feel bad about himself. Feminism is not an excuse to bash an entire gender just for existing. If you want to be a true feminist, go back to where it all started in the 18th century and look up to true feminist icons like Mary Wallstonecraft and Abigial Adams. If that doesn’t help, look to a true feminist icon of today, Emma Watson, who started the “HeForShe” movement. These driven women have taken a stand for gender equality without having to hate on men to do it. Women can be just as strong as men without having to shame them for being men. Look at Rosie the Riveter. She was a popular feminist icon during World War 2 and broadened the work force for women. Not one man was shamed in this process and women were finally considered strong and independent. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights and gender equality. It is not a woman’s right to emasculate a man and call it feminism. Chivalry shouldn’t be dead because feminism killed it.
SNL takes ISIS satire too far with Dakota Johnson skit end this. This skit is so disrespectful to all servicemen and women and their families. It makes what they fight for, and what we have the privilege of enjoying, a joke. Americans just don’t get it. We live in the safest nation in the world. Although any form of government will have some corruption, we have a government that cares for everyone- the rich and the poor. Although we may not always agree with the laws in our country, at least we aren’t beheaded in the middle of the street for having a different religious view than the next person. We exercise free will in every aspect of our lives and we don’t have a right to take this freedom for granted. This skit does us a disservice by desensitizing us to the real problems in our world. Although we are young, we still have a voice. Instead of worrying about getting our phones taken up or complaining about a speeding ticket, we should focus on what’s going on in our world. Although it seems like there’s nothing we can do to stop horrible things, we can still decide to see the bigger picture. Educate yourself on current events, don’t take your civil liberties for granted, and never, ever make an SNL skit about something you have no idea about.
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3/27/15
Recently, I saw an SNL sketch in which guest host Dakota Johnson, star of the the controversial new movie “50 Shades of Grey”, reenacted the popular Toyota commercial. In the original, a proud father drops his daughter off at an airport to start the long journey of serving as an American soldier. In the SNL sketch, Johnson acts as the daughter of Taran Killam. Everything seems to be similar to the original until Johnson flippantly says to Killam, “Don’t worry dad, it’s just ISIS.” She then climbs onto the back of a truck as a man says, “Death to America”. This not only stunned me, it infuriated me. As an avid SNL watcher, I have seen my fair share of satires. The show is notorious for poking fun at politics and celebrities, but this skit goes way beyond that. The blatant insensitivity of the skit was mind blowing. “Just ISIS”?! There are millions of innocent people suffering from this oppressive terrorist group. Under Sharia law, which is what ISIS rules under, being anything but Muslim is illegal and is punishable by death. It is also illegal for women to drive, normal to cut off a hand for stealing, and men are allowed to marry infant babies. If that isn’t reason enough, just think about how the families who have lost a loved one to these monsters feel after seeing the skit. There are families all over the country grieving the loss of a son or daughter who went overseas to
feature|4
College Can Start Now Earn college hours, new dual credit classes offered by universities coming for the 2015-2016 school year by mirandadarne Preparations are already being made for next year. Students shuffle in and out of the counselors’ offices as scheduling begins. Future juniors and seniors begin mapping out their classes by meeting with their counselors and seeing what best suits them. All around the counselors’ office you can hear words like AP and dual credit courses being thrown around as students decide between maintaining a certain GPA and getting an early start on college hours. The pressure of college planning is a constant struggle as students crowd Julie Johnson’s, the career and college counselor, office and patiently wait for their turn to ask for advice. Dual credit classes for next year’s juniors and seniors have recently been a topic of interest for students. The school district will be adding Earth, Wind and Fire, Computer Science, and College Algebra, which was on a trial basis this school year, taught by Mrs. Neale. “The District decides what dual credit courses to offer based on need, availability and interest,” Ward Roberts, Director of Secondary Curriculum at the school district said. “ For example, we offer dual credit English, History, and Algebra because
college-bound students need these courses for almost every degree plan.” Although the school district usually decides on which classes are going to be offered, a rare occurrence happened when the University of Texas contacted the school district about offering a new class, Earth, Wind and Fire. It is going to be offered completely free with a possible fee for a textbook, and the student will receive three college hours that transfer to almost any Texas public college because it’s being offered by the University of Texas. “It’s offered through UT and it’s going to be for juniors and seniors next year,” Johnson, said. “Next year it will be free because it’s a pilot program, they’ve never done it before, and after that, there will probably be a cost to it.” The University of Texas contacted the district in order to offer the class at both Rider and Wichita Falls High School. “This initiative from UT for the Earth, Wind and Fire geoscience course is pretty unusual,” Roberts said. “As I understand it, they received some grant funding to train teachers and offer this course free to students for a year, so this course is being created under some special circumstances.”
Not only are there going to be new classes offered by UT but there will also be a Computer Science class offered by Midwestern for students. “The problem with it is that kids who take it next year as seniors have to have taken the ACT/SAT,” Mrs. Johnson said. “I don’t have many juniors that are doing that yet.” For this course “MSU is going to require that they meet regular admission standards,” Johnson said. Although it is required that you take the written portion depending on which quartile of grades you are in. The Earth, Wind and Fire course only requires that you fill out an application available in Mrs. Johnson’s office. With all dual credit courses, Roberts said students get the chance to receive opportunities. “The main benefits are time and money,” Roberts said. “With dual credit classes, a student can shorten the time it takes to get a diploma by an entire year. Also, because of discounts from the colleges and tuition assistance from the district, it is much cheaper to take courses through dual credit than waiting to take them in college.”
3/27/15
Dual Credit Class Requirements
8
Earth, Wind and Fire
Computer Science
• Fill out an application available in Mrs. Johnson’s office.
• Student must be a junior or senior
• Maintain an average of 75 or higher during the first semester to stay in the class and receive college credit.
• Must meet MSU admission requirements which include scoring the appropriate SAT/ACT score (a minimum SAT score of 990 and an ACT score of 21 without writing scores included).
• Possible fee for text book if needed.
• Must pay a fee of $225 for the class and a separate fee for a text book.
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DRIVING
feature| 5
DISCUSSING DISTRACTED
Students worry about safety behind the wheel with distractions that cause a higher risk of accident and injury in Wichita Falls by alyssamatthews
64% of Rider students believe that distracted driving should be punishable by law
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42%
of Rider students say they have been distracted while driving
38%
of Rider students are aware that distracted driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving
3/27/15
Dubstep..no. Rap...no, not right now. His mind races through his playlist when suddenly he remembers what he’s doing. His head whips up and doesn’t see the road ahead of him. His feet slam on the breaks simultaneously while his body jerks forward, stopping inches before the rear bumper of the car ahead of him. “It scared me really badly,” senior Drew Davis said. “It felt like everything was in slow motion.” This is not an isolated incident, Crash Investigator Officer Sandy Lamb said that the number of distracted driving crashes have definitely skyrocketed in Wichita Falls. “A lot of people don’t realize that texting and driving is just as hazardous as drinking and driving,” Officer Lamb said. “With the cases we see only 4 out of 10 people actually admit that they were on their phone while driving because they are embarrassed.” Before cell phones became prevalent, a common cause for driving accidents were when parents would change their focus from the road to their children. “Distracted driving doesn’t just have to be with your phone,” Lamb said. “We once had a case where a baby was crying in the backseat and the driver turned around to comfort the baby and ran into a guardrail, killing the driver and almost the child.” While distracted driving is the number one cause of major and minor car accidents in the United States, Davis admits that he has a bad habit of being on his phone while driving. “I don’t think being on your phone while you drive is okay,” Davis said. “I’m normally on my phone because it controls my music, and I am very picky about my music.” Like any other senior Davis enjoys hanging out with his friends. Davis’s best friend of seven years senior Christian Casto is a common passenger in his car. “Drew is always distracted while he drives and it freaks me out,” Casto said. “He is basically telling me through his actions that he doesn’t care that he is putting not only his life in serious danger, but mine too.” Davis said that it wasn’t that he didn’t care about Casto’s life, in fact he knew distracted driving wasn’t a good thing to do and trying to stop. To do that davis said it will “just take self determination and practice.” Even though Casto does not agree with Davis’s current style of driving, he believes that distractions are just something you have to overcome to be a good driver. “Distractions are part of driving,” Casto said. “I may be focusing on my driving while I notice that the person next to me is not paying complete attention, and then that distracts me.” It’s not only other drivers that can be distracting, nearly 71% of males and 47% of females say passengers are also distracting. “It’s not just a individual commitment,” Casto said. “I can do my job and pay attention to the road, but if the person beside or behind me isn’t, then we are both screwed.”
news|6
Government Funded Community Program Offers Assistance For First Time Moms by cortneywood
What is Nurse Family Partnership? Backed by a 37 year study, Nurse Family Partnership is a program that is funded by a federal grant in order to teach and work with first time mothers. Based in the Community Healthcare Center, the program is funded through the United Way. “Our program model goes off of a mother’s heart’s desire, so we look at where she is at and where she wants to go, and we model the program on what she wants to learn about,” NFP supervisor Leslie Gresham, R.N. said. While it is new to Wichita Falls, NFP is not a new program. With the program in 43 states, the US Virgin Islands, and five other countries, the North Texas Area United Way home visiting director Rose Partridge said they are all connected under the same criteria, “to serve clients.” “We have three program objectives in our model, and the first one is to improve pregnancy outcomes,” she said. “The nurse visitors and nurse supervisors are registered nurses that walk you through the journey. When you are a new mom, you sometimes need that extra help offered here.”
Who is the program directed towards? Nurse Family Partnership assists any first time mother that is less than seven months pregnant. “We have the cut off at seven months because it is important to have the
relationship between the home visitor and the mother before the birth,” Partridge said. “They stay with the mom two months before that baby is born all the way to two years after because that is the end of the NFP program.” With no parental age limit in the program, they impact a variety of families.
How do you get signed up for the program? By calling the North Texas Area United Way or the Community Healthcare Center, a person can get signed up for any of the programs offered by the United Way.
What happens at each visit? The nurse visitor brings materials based off what the mother wishes to learn about that week while also assessing the mother and the child. Lessons include healthy feeding habits, hygiene development from birth to toddler, and the discussion of motor skills that the baby should acquire. “We are looking for [the mother] to have a healthy pregnancy, so we coordinate care with their OBGYN, and we also want to make sure she goes full term and has a baby that is the correct weight,” Gresham said. “Once the babies are born, we follow them to make sure they are growing and developing, so we do health screenings on them while coordinating with a pediatrician.” At visits, nurse visitors will teach the mother different skills with things at their own home. “You might use socks, you might learn with shoes, maybe grouping silverware,” Partridge said. The program is available to parents at no cost, so at home visitors will bring instructional materials, director of marketing and communications Alicia Christoff said.
Why is the program necessary?
3/27/15
The United Way used the federal funding to establish the program in Wichita Falls because of the need in the area for first time moms. “It’s hard enough to be a parent when you’re an adult, but to be 14, 15, 16, or 17 and thinking what you hold in your hands is another person, another life, can put a lot of pressure on a person,” Partridge said. “You have someone, the home visitor, that is able to watch and be the support between the mom who may not know how to access community services and get the services to the child.”
For More Information: 940.322.8638 200 Martin Luther King Junior Blvd
.
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. ntauw.org
DEVELOPED
for children of different ages Nurse Family Partnership assists from pregnancy through two years old.
The Hippie program transitions families from NFP to the next stage in the program. Offered to children aged three to five, families can utilize this organization.
Within the program, nurse visitors have about eight baby dolls to bring along to visits to practice bottle feeding, burping, and bathing. “We will bring them on visits so when the baby comes, the mother can work with her child while we work with our baby dolls ,” nurse visitor Teressa Stephenson, R.N., B.S.N said. “This is my doll, Hannah. We have our own and some that we share, like Peanut, that we dress up and take care of like little babies.” Several baby dolls are used for specific demonstrations that show the affects of smoking while pregnant and how easily shaking baby syndrome can occur. photos by angel quevy
partnership
“ Mrs. Wood, PAP English II
did you know At 12 weeks, babies can fit in the palm of a hand. “Most people find out they are pregnant around 8 weeks, and this is close to the sonogram size,” Stephenson said.
Babies at 16 weeks grow more than twice in size from week 12. “They grow so much and that is why we educate mothers as best as we can on their health,” Stephenson said.
By 22 weeks, babies weigh about a pound and their eyebrows, eyelids, and teeth buds beneath the gums have become more distict. “It’s crazy to think that they are so little bitty,” senior Angel Quevy said. photos by angel quevy
on your own
I think [the program] should be mandatory. You have to go through certain things to drive and now you have a life to take care of for the rest of your life. You’re raising children and teaching people to become more responsible citizens, because when you bring kids into the world, it affects everyone and I think it would be good for the community.
Out of my friends, I was pretty much one of the first to get pregnant and I didn’t have anyone to ask questions to. When I was a first time parent there are some of the things that doctors don’t tell you. When I was going to have my baby, I didn’t expect that I was going to be up every single hour and not getting any sleep. Educating them about all of that is important and I think it’s a great idea.
Mrs. Bailey, AP Biology & PAP Biology
3/27/15
“
vs.
little
The final program avalible for first time parents is Parents As Teachers where families with a child aged birth to five can develop school readiness skills.
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programs
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feature | 9
Freezin’ for a Reason
Faculty and students take Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics by kobielunsford The freezing water sends a sharp shock down the spine as the body is propelled into the water. Animalistic instincts force the body to swim as quickly as possible towards its exit from this icy escapade. As Elsa (from Frozen) and a teacher dressed as a football player exit the pool they hurriedly seek shelter and warmth in the form of a hot tub, rapidly returning the heat to their bodies. The next group lines up to take the “Polar Plunge.” The Polar Plunge is a nationwide event that was set up to raise money for charitable organizations. Wichita Falls raises the money for the Special Olympics. The event occurs in this fashion: Money is collected for various faculty on the campus, the top three who did not raise enough money to get out of jumping are calculated, and then they, and any student participants, jump into cold waters. It is a simple and effective way to raise money
and is supported by the staff. “I don’t know if it’s for their love or hate for me, but I am glad it’s for a good cause,” English teacher Falesha Wood said. The English department, notably department head Sandra Scheller, began raising money for Wood so that she would have to jump. Scheller used trickery to go into Wood’s classes and begin the fundraising. Students such as sophomores Luke Ward and Clayton Martin-Miller even donated $20 each. Soon after Scheller’s campaign Wood was winning by $100. But that was before another teacher started a campaign of her own. Softball coach Alisha Crouch began raising money for baseball coach Josh Bobbitt. She even sent her students out to hunt for donations. She started raising money because Coach Francis promised the Softball girls Oreo cupcakes if
Bobbitt made it to the top three, and she wanted a cupcake. Her students told classes Coach Bobbitt made her husband work on Valentine’s Day, and that was all it took to move him into the lead in donations. Bobbitt has made the plunge for 5 years now. He is prepared to jump every year because he knows the donations will bring him in, but he does it for the cause. “(The Special Olympics) is a great event that allows children with a certain handicap to compete and feel the spirit of competition,” baseball coach Josh Bobbitt said. Bobbitt supports the Special Olympics and those that can participate. “I can’t think of a better cause than the Special Olympics to freeze,” Bobbitt said. Bobbitt would only do the plunge for a worthy cause, and the Special Olympics is most definitely one of them.
“The Polar Plunge exposes the importance of the Special Olympics,” Wood said. Wood dived into the waters in a football jersey because her only other option was a hot dog suit, whilst Bobbitt dived as Elsa from Frozen, a costume which student council sponsor Sally Mroczkowski helped him with. Student council runs the Plunge donations at Rider. According to Wood, “The water wasn’t that bad, waiting was.” They had to wait in line for a long time before they even lined up to jump. Then, after the announcer called them up, the teachers lined up and had to repeat the Polar Plunge Pledge. Afterwards they jumped out of the water and into the hot tub. “I think it’s a fun way to raise a lot of money for a good cause,” Crouch said.
Polar Plunge Fundraising Totals $630.32
2nd Place
1st Place
Josh Bobbitt
Falesha Wood
$179.46
www.theriderchronicle.com
$135.55
3rd Place Josh Nielsen
$95.69
3/27/15
Total $ Raised
sports | 10
Record Season
Junior Josh Peloquin breaks school’s all -time career goals record making history for second time by shawnkirkland
The Goal Heard Around The World Student scores a buzzer beating goal during game against Dention High, reaches worldwide news by emilycarroll
3/27/15
Junior Josh Peloquin congradulates senior Luke Rallis after he scored a goal against Saginaw end score 4-0 ROHO. photo by Cody Stiles
Halfway through his Junior season Josh Peloquin has already broken the Rider High School Career Soccer Goals Record.The record was previously held by Rider alumni Christian Okeke with 72 career goals. Josh surpassed that with currently 79 goals. This isn’t the first big record Josh has broken either. Last year he broke the single season goal record of 42 held by Robby Wilson. Josh broke the record with 43. When Josh was 10-11 years old he first discovered the passion he had for the game of soccer. “When I started playing on traveling teams it opened my eyes to a hidden talent in soccer,” Josh said. “I had honestly thought I was going to end up playing football until I realized I was good at soccer. Ever since then I have had a passion for it.” Josh’s motivation in soccer is the support of his mom and family. They’re the reason he excels the way he does.
“I have been through so much and every goal I score is to make my mom smile and proud of me. My faith in God is another motivation for me. All the glory goes to Him.” Even though Josh has made history twice in three years his perspective doesn’t change. “These broken records are just another achievement I never thought I would reach,” Josh said. “I may have broken records but there is still so much for me to learn to better myself as a player.” Most athletes, or people in general, have a motto they go by every day. Maybe a verse or saying they can look to when times are tough or everything seems impossible. “It’s a usual one but Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I know that anything I can’t do He can and that’s something I live by.”
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Junior Josh Peloquin sees a big neon number counting down from 10 seconds on the scoreboard. The score reads 2-2. Fans watch with anticipation and cheer with encouragement. As senior Russell Catletti passes the ball to senior Larry Filer, he heads it to Peloquin. Without a thought, he knows he has to make this goal. In an instant, he pops up the ball. As soon as the ball reaches contact with his foot again, he kicks it 33 feet towards the goal. “I saw it go in and I was like ‘Oh, my goodness this really just happened’,” Peloquin said. The buzzer sounded ending the game as the number one team in the district was defeated. As he stared at the goal in awe, Peloquin was tackled by 27 screaming soccer players into one triumphant dog pile. “It was kind of like a miracle,” Peloquin said. Fans in the stadium were not the only ones to see the impact of this goal. That night, KFDX news announced it Play Of The Year and Twitter was filled with video clips of the goal. Within 3 days, his goal caught the attention of many popular news sites from ESPN, from Washington Post, to USA Today. With over 300,000 views around the world, Peloquin feels a bit of pressure to make some kind of miracle goal in his next games. “It’s kind of like I have to do this every game,” he said. “Like everyone’s gonna come to the game and be like ‘Oh there he is he’s gonna do it again this game!’.” Despite the pressure and attention of the goal, Peloquin was happy for his teammates and the victory that they shared as a whole. “I was more happy about the win than my own personal goal because as a team, it was just amazing,” Peloquin said.
DURING THE SQUAT COLLIN PARTRIDGE LIFTS THE EQUIVALENT OF
Worth The Weight
sports| 11
For Instance ...
3.6 PEOPLE Photo by Angel Quevy
Power lifting makes Regionals
by kierstenscott weight training almost as long as I can remember. I had a personal trainer in elementary school and it has just kind of escalated from there.” Collin said he wanted to do something physically impressive and found that weight lifting was something he was good at and it was something that he could be proud of. “There is never a good at power lifting there is always pushing yourself, a better way to phrase it is that I enjoyed it, I could go home happy,” Collin said. “That was whenever I realized that this was the sport for me, whenever I could go home and have a good night’s rest knowing that I did all I could that day.” Power lifting gives lifters an opportunity to challenge themselves and set personal goals. Collin said that going into a week of training he tells himself “alright I am going to get this much weight” and it really gives him drive and a nice stress relief. Collin along with his teammate Guillermo Parham had to push themselves again March 7th for boys power lifting regionals. Collin said to prepare for this he sits and tells himself he can do a lift whether he knows he can or not. While neither boy made state, Guillermo set a new Rider record for bench press at 380 pounds. Collin missed state competition by only 10 pounds. but he increased his dead lift by 45 pounds to 505 pounds. Both boys had their best meet of the year. “It’s a mindset, your muscles are only as strong as you believe they are, as long as you take out the mental factor you can push yourself as far as you want to push yourself,” Collin said. Victoria said power lifting is a surprising and sometimes intimidating sport. “Some of the girls can lift, like Jamie Herrell and Cassendra Brawley more than some of the boys.” What surprised Collin about powerlifting was not only the support he got from his team but also the support he got from his competitors. “Its a very intense sport but it’s also a very respectful sport almost,” Collin said, “ because whenever you see someone out there doing more weight than you that is something that you have to respect.”
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50 CATS DURING THE BENCH PRESS COLLIN PARTRIDGE LIFTS THE EQUIVALENT OF
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Victoria Ross was afraid of the weight falling on her, she still is, and she makes sure to have a spotter for each lift even though Coach Davidson tells her she can do it on her own. She faces that fear each morning in power lifting practice, and like others in the sport conquers it little by little. “The first lift is always the most stressful because if you can’t get that first lift and you can’t get it three times in a row you’re disqualified, you’re done, you’re taken out of the power lifting meet and you’re done for that day,” junior Collin Partridge said. “It’s always kind of scary going into.” The stress that comes with power lifting is worth it Victoria said because the sport is fun and because it challenges lifters to always push themselves and to try to do more. “It’s really fun because I have a couple of friends there and we always try to go past what we lifted last time,”Victoria said. Freshman Andrew Fry said that his experience in power lifting was exciting, self-empowering, and boosted his self-esteem, because everyone is really fun and nice. “Whenever we are doing training and I’m trying to hit a new personal record everyone cheers and encourages me and they tell me ‘you got this Collin’ that is something that we all do for each other,” Collin said. “I am certainly not an exception; everybody supports everybody.” This support was not what Collin said he expected. “I expected it to be a crazy testosterone filled chaos, but really everybody there is there to have fun and lift weights.” That is not to say that the power lifting environment isn’t stressful or competitive. One major worry for power lifters is whether they will make their weight class. “You see some people wrapping themselves up with saran wrap, putting hoodies and sweaters on and start running just so they can sweat out water weight to make their weight class,” Collin said. Fortunately, Victoria and Collin are in the middle of their weight class so they are not in jeopardy of being disqualified before their meet even begins. Weight has always been an issue for Collin who felt social pressure about being a “big kid” ever since he was in elementary school. “I started lifting my sophomore year but I’ve been doing
DURING THE DEAD LIFT COLLIN PARTRIDGE LIFTS THE EQUIVALENT OF
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It’s All In Your Head Coach and student discuss the effects of a concussion by sydneymayo
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CONCUSSION:
Temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely of the after effects as confusion or temporary incapactity. www.theriderchronicle.com