March 2016 The Rider Chronicle by Rider Chronicle

S.H. Rider High School 4611 Cypress Ave Wichita Falls, Texas 76310 • Volume 54 Issue 6 • Friday, March 11, 2016

Pg. 15

Chronicle The Rider

Pg. 3

Pg. 6

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Speak Now

Is there something that needs to change?

By Cortney Wood The students around him constantly commented on how he was slightly overweight, and their words rang in his head. “Fat.” “Chubby.” “Overweight.” Each word stung him, and eventually, he found a way to solve that problem. He stopped eating. When he was in junior high, *Drake Carson said his peers teased him about his weight, and body image become an issue he faced. Among high school students, 44 percent of girls and 15 percent of guys are attempting to lose weight according to DoSomething.org and the topic of body image has students talking about its universal affects. “Society is becoming more aware that there isn’t one perfect body type and that many different ones are beautiful in their own way,” Carson said. “It’s not revolutionizing anything, but more like pulling back a veil.” Carson said gender bias “somewhat changes” how society handles body image. “Guys get just as self conscious as women, and that gets covered up sometimes,” Carson said. “Guys have to deal with it a little differently because society pressures girls more to be thin, but it happens to guys too.”

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@riderchronicle Rm. 247

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: IT’S DEBATABLE Spring Forward or Fall Back?

55% say Fall Back “Listen, I like my sleep, I don’t like getting up early, so gaining the hour is what I need.” Linda Graves, English teacher

45% say Spring Forward “There is more time to do fun activities in the evening.” Shannon Pyle, 12

Story on Page 8.

Art by Lily Landours.

Inside The Issue

Rated “R” For A Reason

Raider of The Month

Story on Page 5.

Story on Page 7.

The Rider Chronicle

Cortney Wood Co-Editor-In-Chief Shannon Pyle Co-Editor-In-Chief Miranda Darné Managing Editor Kobie Lunsford Copy Editor Anaya Williams Reporter Juan Casas Reporter Chris Greenwood Reporter Sierra Hodges Reporter Jared Bruner Reporter Myla Johnston Reporter Lydia Angel Reporter Sara Barrera Reporter Victoria Hitchcock Reporter Jaidyn Lehman Reporter Lilia Ruiz Reporter Caden Veitenheimer Reporter Shelby Walter Reporter R’yn Miller Artist Amy Nguyen Photographer Dalton Roberts Photographer

March Madness

Art by R’yn Miller.

The Staff Editorial

Spring Back Into Class After Break Spring break starts soon, and every student, teacher and staff member will book it out of this building with their sights set on relaxation. But, although Netflix will run for the next nine days straight, after everyone returns from the well-deserved break, don’t fall into the trap of just skirting by in your classes for the rest of the year. There are two and a half months until the end of the school year, and though it’s extremely easy to give in to slacking, all of the work done up until this point is jeopardized by doing so. Push past the wall everyone feels getting back in the swing of things. Furthermore, merely going through the motions wastes everyone’s time. Students waste the teachers’ time by neglecting their tasks and the teachers take longer to return work which only takes more time. Not doing the work assigned makes a cycle for both teacher and student where no one is happy with the end.

The dreaded “senioritis” has stricken the population, but once students get out of the habit of working on schedule, it is so hard to get back in the routine to get things done on time. But really, juniors feel this struggle too. “Senioritis” hits them just has hard, and even the sophomores and freshmen feel the same funk too. The entire student body is in the same boat, and that’s not even including the teachers. They deal with hours on end of grading while juggling their home lives and that’s easy to forget. Everyone knows the feeling that comes from having to come back to school after spring break, but life will continue to move on despite our denial. End the year off by powering through. When all the AP tests are done, the yearbook finally comes out and people have hardly anything left to do, nothing feels more rewarding than knowing every day was spent working with the end in sight.

Trends Spring Break Furry Nails Facebook Emoticons

Donald Trump

Editorial 2

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March 11, 2016

Coloring Complex

Fad takes adults and teens back to childhood, proven to relieve stress By Shelby Walter Sophomore Isabelle Ruth spends her time putting away the stress by taking in the art of adult coloring books. “My mom and I went to Hastings one day to get a movie. We walked in and there were these coloring books and we ended up looking at them,” Ruth said. “I saw a cute one, so I said ‘why not,’ and then picked it up.” With the constant stress of school, Ruth has found an outlet. She is often found in the classroom coloring, turning unadorned pages of black and white into colorful masterpieces. “When I’m in a classroom and there’s so much going on, I color,” Ruth said. “One page that I colored took me a week, and that was just time I had in class to work on it.” With these coloring books gaining popularity, there has been over 1.4 million copies sold of “The Secret Garden,” a well known adult coloring book. These books have not only grown in poularity because of the fun past-time, but also due to a science experiment. According to MedicalDaily.com and Dr. Stan Rodski, a neuropsychologist who also happens to be the author of his own line of adult coloring books, coloring elicits a relaxing mindset similar to what people achieve through meditation. Rodski said like mediation, coloring allows brains from other thoughts and focus on the moment. Tasks with predictable results, such as coloring or knitting, can often be calming. Rodski was even able to see the physical effects they had on bodies by using advanced technology. Often coloring is associated with children, but with the adult coloring books becoming a huge hit, it’s turned into an activity meant for all ages. “I find it therapeutic because I can use my imagination,” junior Brianna Reyes said. “I can express creativity while doing something consistent which can help keep me relaxed.”

Art by Heaven Hernandez.

When was the last time you sat down and colored something? “I did it on Tuesday. I just finished a test and felt really stressed so I decided to color and it helped me feel relieved.” Hannah Taylor, 10

“It was about a month ago. I was bored and started coloring in a Disney coloring book.” Matthew Maldonado, 12

“I like to color in the enclosed parts of letters during meetings.” Dee Palmore, Principal

Feature March 11, 2016

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Something Old Into Something New

Teen shoppers increase the overall popularity of thrift stores, causing new trend The Average Cost of

Thrift Shopping Hat x 1

0.99

Blouse x 1

3.99

Handbag x 1

4.99

Slacks/ x 1 Jeans

3.99

By Miranda Darné Value Village employee senior Aspen Lamb adds a new load of clothes to racks. She sifts through the recent donations, looking for anything that catches her eye because after work, she’s just another customer. Thrift shopping popularity has increased almost seven percent within the past two years according to the National Association of Resale Professionals, mostly due to the recent spread of teen thrift shoppers. “It’s so much cheaper to thrift shop,” Lamb said. “Every time I buy something I feel satisfied because I’m always getting a great deal. People think that thrift stores are just used clothes, but Value Village has a lot of new stuff that’s really cheap.” Lamb said working at Value Village heavily encourages shopping after she gets off of her shift. “Now it’s to the point to where I ask myself if I really need it because I shop so often,” Lamb said. “When I first started working here though, I thought it was the best decision I’ve ever made because of all of the great deals.” Despite the popular belief that thrift shops only have outdated clothes, Lamb said that they frequently get a lot of new name brand clothing in. “I find awesome clothes here all of the

time,” Lamb said. “People donate Miss Me’s and American Eagle, so we get a lot of really nice name brands. You just have to really look for them.” Although shoppers can find name brand clothes that are fairly new, senior Sydney Mayo said she enjoys searching for older clothes so that she can transform them into something new. “After a successful purchase I get excited thinking about how I can turn something that looks pretty weird into something awesome,” Mayo said. “I really enjoy sewing so anytime I get to use my sewing machine is always fun.” One major advantage to thrift shopping is the amount of clothing that can be purchased for a cheap price. “I like to shop, but I don’t like to spend a lot of money,” Mayo said. “I go to Value Village where I can spend $20 and get 15 shirts as opposed to somewhere like Target where I can get two shirts for $20.” Besides the cheaper prices, senior Emily Frerich thinks it’s the uniqueness of the items purchased that attracts people. “It’s really special finding something that no one has, like a treasure,” Frerich said. “I think thrift shopping is unique because you find all kinds of things from different time periods and you never know what you’re going to get.”

Best

Thrift shop Finds

Shoes x 1

Total:

4.99 “I found a vintage leather bag from the 40’s and its beautiful, it’s my baby. Evi Economo, 12

18.95

*Information from Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont

“I have an army green jacket that I wear all of the time.” Kaylee Olds, 12

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March 11, 2016

Rated ‘R’ For A Reason

Movie sparks discussion amongst students, teachers, parents By Caden Veitenheimer With the new release of the comic book series Deadpool on Feb. 12, conversations of the appropriateness of the movie have come into question. The movie contains strong violence, vulgar language, sexual content and graphic nudity. With the continuous releases of more risque movies, senior Arianna Garza said that young teens have a desire to watch vulgar movies. “I honestly think teenagers feel the need to be rebellious and I think it will make them feel like more of an adult if they are witnessing adult acts and hearing adult language,” Garza said. “During your whole life you’re told ‘you can’t listen to this, you can’t hear that.’ As a teenager you think, ‘I’m finally becoming an adult, let me do these things, watch these things and hear these things that I wasn’t allowed to before hand.’” Along with that, Garza said teens want to “break away from the innocent standards” they held as children. Despite the overwhelming support for this movie, negative reactions have also risen over the graphic content. “These type of movies can make kids do these type of things in real life and it can end very badly,” sophomore Tony Montana said. “They could end up in jail or having children of their own

at a really young age.” While Montana said the negative effects of the movie outweigh the positives, the influence the movies have on people rely heavily on the viewer’s own discretion. AP Environmental Science teacher Joshua Nielsen offered to take his 13-year-old son to see the movie with him. “As it is, he likes superhero movies just as much as I do,” Nielson said. “We’ve raised him so he shouldn’t be embarrassed about words or language and stuff like that. I am not really keen on images yet now, but he is in eighth grade, so we want to make sure that he is comfortable around a variety of situations.” The first weekend of Deadpool brought in over $132 million dollars, the biggest opening ever for an R-rated movie on a 3-day basis. “I think that honestly it depends on the person, because I have friends who are 17 or 18 going to see it and they have a different outlook on people and society,” Garza said. “If they are going because they read the comics, it’s not going to affect them, because they are just going for fun. But someone going with friends who is not really that into Deadpool and seeing it because of the hype, I think it’s really going to show them the reflection of society in the movie.”

Batman released May of 1939

1938 The Man of Steel released June of 1938

1939

A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

1962

1963 Iron Man released March 1963

Wonder Woman released December of 1941

“I think it is really bad on parents, they shouldn’t be letting their kids watch rated R movies because they don’t need to see that type of stuff at a young age.”

Mateus Deliberato, 10

"I think it’s no bueno. I don’t think that kids should go to watch R-rated movies if they are under the age of 15. It really depends on what the movie is, too. Usually if a movie is rated R, then it would be too awful."

Eric Carnley, 10

"I think that if parents let their children watch those type of movies, that is perfectly fine. It’s really up to the parents to decide what their kids should or should not watch."

Erik Zahl, 10

Deadpool released February 1991

Spiderman released August of 1962

1941

beyond the previews:

1991

1993 HellBoy released March of 1993

Feature March 11, 2016

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Stronger Than Her Stereotype

AP English teacher working on PhD understands struggles because she’s been there By Kobie Lunsford Darkness crowded the room, but the girl couldn’t sleep. She was far too excited. She would get to attend a new school tomorrow, the Harrell Accelerated Learning Center. She planned for it to be her gateway into more education. About six years later, English teacher Heather Preston thought back on her education. A bachelor’s in Psychology won’t be enough now, so she chooses books instead, or rather, English. She also decides that she will pursue her doctorate, going to Harrell won’t change that. “I was behind on credits,” Preston said. “I think the single most contributing factor is school always came easy to me. As I started getting older, I started getting bored.” Preston said she then shut down and stopped caring. She knew that she would learn better in a non-traditional environment. Harrell was her answer. “I was fortunate that my parents wanted to support me,” Preston said. “My parents bought me a house so I could go to school [at Harrell].” At Harrell, Preston said she could learn at her own pace and test out of subjects she already knew or understood. She even became interested in some of the school’s extra-curricular activities. “I was passionate about JROTC and became the battalion commander,” Preston said. “I found my interest in learning again, which I had lost previously. But it’s not the same experience as high school.” After graduation, Preston headed to Vernon College with every intention of majoring in psychology. She was not prepared for college and dropped out two years later. “I got married and had two kids,” Preston said. “I had a family to support.” That family led her back to college. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s in English from MSU. Now she’s pursuing her Doctorate of Educational

Leadership through a UNT-MSU cohort program. “I would say that I use [the Harrell] story sometimes on purpose to get people to think beyond stereotypes,” Preston said. “I’m very open about it with my students.” After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Preston went on to become a teacher at Rider. “I love knowledge,” Preston said. “I feel that education is one of the most important aspects of our society.” Preston has not forgotten what made her go to Harrell, though, and does her best to keep her students involved. “Because of my experience, I’m trying to make sure nobody gets lost,” Preston said. “I think it’s important to find something you enjoy. I think we all have to find our passion and purpose in life. I think if students are struggling they should seek help.” Preston has devoted her life to school. She understands what resulted in her detour, and hopes to help students figure out both what they want to do and how to stay invested. “Life is funny,” Preston said. “I honestly find myself surprised at being here because I didn’t look back on my years of high school with fondness. But, at this point, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.”

“She gives examples that I am able to understand, and I really like that.”

Karla Gonzalez, 12

In May of 2013, Heather Preston graduated from MSU with her master’s degree in English. Photo contributed by Heather Preston.

“She has a master’s and almost has a PhD, so I think she’s more than qualified to teach a high school class.”

Mathew Peters, 12

“I’ve been exposed to lots of stuff I would not have read without her or that class.”

Emily Frerich, 12

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March 11, 2016

Raider of the Month

Senior strengthens bond with dad through racing

By Sierra Hodges

he sits in the front seat and revs the engine. The thrill of racing relaxes her while she forgets everything. School, stress, work, she forgets everything. Except how to race. She knows the competition is tough, but she likes challenges. Senior Kaelen Dohme has been go-kart racing with her dad since her freshman year. While driving is a devoted hobby, Dohme’s main reason for racing is to connect with her father. “My dad used to race big cars,” she said. “He introduced me to go-karts and we’ve been racing together ever since.” The rush of air against her face is reason enough to continue racing, but the memories Dohme has made are the fuel for her desire. “It’s really just fun to race,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to spend time with my dad since that’s the only real time we have to spend together.” Besides spending time with her dad, meeting new people who share the same love for racing revs her passion for gokarts. “I love being in the racing community,” she said. “I love meeting new people and having fun. You don’t really get a lot of

Senior Kaelen Dohme shows off her go-kart. “My dad buys parts from all over the racing community and he has a special guy that builds engines for us,” she said. “My dad puts the whole kart together though and sometimes I help him.” Getting ready to race, Kaelen prepares herself to do her best, she said. “You don’t get a lot of money winning races so I basically just do it for fun in my free time,” she said. Going to the starting line, Kaelen hugs her dog before she races. Photos contributed by Kaelen Dohme.

1 3

Gloves and Gas Cans

money for it, but it’s just fun to race.” Instead of racing in the metroplex area, Dohme said she races locally, at Texoma Speedway in Holliday. During the winter, the races are indoors and are on a different type of track instead of outside. “I really like the winter season,” Dohme said. “A lot of people go to those and it’s awesome getting to spend all day at the track.” The karts Dohme races aren’t picked out of a shop pre-assembled and ready to race. She helps her dad look for parts and then builds it from scratch. Racing a car built by your hands just feels right, she said. “My dad is friends with a lot of people in the racing community and he knows when people have this part of the kart for sale and he has a guy who build motors for him,” she said. “He gets his parts from different people but essentially he builds the cart from scratch.” And no matter who she meets or any awards she might win, the one cause for her racing remains the same. “My favorite thing about racing has to be how close it brought me to my dad,” she said. “Also how much fun I see him having when he’s racing with me.”

Racing Gear

Racing Shoes and Suit

Helmet and Neck Brace

Feature March 11, 2016

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One Size Doesn't Fit All

'Unrealistic' views on weight cause negative body image

Art by Lily Landours.

Feature

By Cortney Wood The students around him constantly commented on how he was slightly overweight, and their words rang in his head. "Fat." "Chubby." "Overweight." Each word stung him, and eventually, he found a way to solve that problem. He stopped eating. When he was in junior high, *Drake Carson said his peers teased him about his weight, and body image become an issue he faced. Among high school students, 44-percent of girls and 15-percent of guys are attempting to lose weight according to DoSomething.org and the topic of body image has students talking about its universal affects. "Society is becoming more aware that there isn't one perfect body type and that many different ones are beautiful in their own way," Carson said. "It's not revolutionizing anything, but more like pulling back a veil." Carson said gender bias "somewhat changes" how society handles body image. "Guys get just as self conscious as women, and that gets covered up sometimes," Carson said. "Guys have to deal with it a little differently because society pressures girls more to be thin, but it happens to guys too." However, students tend to think that being overweight is the only indication of body image issues. Because it's known that media manipulates photos, junior Taylor M. Wilson said that the comparison between readers and models shouldn't continue. "Obviously those people in the magazines are touched up," Wilson said. "When you look in your classroom, people don't look like that. It's unrealistic." Regardless of whether media alters photos, Carson said the images presented cause damage to everyone who sees them, however there has been a shift in the public that counters this idea. "More people want to be thin, so they don't really understand why someone would want to gain weight," Wilson said. "It's the same thing for someone who wants to lose weight, they aren't happy with the way they look either." Personal acceptance begins the change from what is seen in the public, to a healthy life, Wilson said. "If you're not happy with how you look, change it in a healthy way," Wilson said. "But do it for you." *Anonymous

March 11, 2016

What students said

ABOUT DIVERSITY

"There's not just one body type out in the world. When kids see just one type they think that's the role model, so diversity is so important."

Jaydon Gonzales, 9

"Instead of having one model, a 'one size fits all', it has changed the industry to include more people."

Julio Pena, 10

The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas line includes four body types, seven tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles. Photo available online by Mattel, Inc.

Incorporative Corporations Changes bring diversity to big company products

By Cortney Wood Recently, social media has been taken by storm by international companies announcing changes implemented to bring more diversity to their products. American toy company Mattel, Inc. announced the 2016 Barbie Fashionistas with four different body types, Lego introduced wheel chair accessories and Sports Illustrated unveiled the newest swimsuit model Ashley Graham. "I think it's important that corporations are now trying to reach the whole society and not just special people," math teacher and PAL sponsor Pam Brown said. "We need to be incorporated and I'm proud to see that happening." The shift in ideals of beauty will help younger

generations deal with body image issues, senior William Rainwater said. "We are becoming a more inclusive society," Rainwater said. "It hasn't been a dramatic shift but more of a gradual transition. We've gone from having models that were extremely underweight to where it was unhealthy, but now we are seeing more healthy models to look at." While the view of beauty has changed throughout time, each generation adapts to what is seen as beautiful regardless of the cost, Brown said. "When I was little, we grew up getting used to this idea of standards of beauty, but that didn't mean we liked it," Brown said. "I think it's about time for this to happen. It's taken this long, but the transition needed to happen for a while, and it's finally happening."

"Different body types now have representation in society. There's not just one type of person in the world."

Rhilley Young, 9

"I think that it's really good because people are discussing differences and that helps people lift their self esteem."

Alex MacCaw, 11

"It really helps girls realize that there is not a standard for beauty. It's just awesome to bring out the diversity."

Zach Hardin, 11

Feature 9

Too Much To Handle

FEELING ANXIOUS? Research shows hours of homework causes depression, anxiety Music •Research shows people who listen to music with an upbeat tempo can relieve depression and anxiety.

Deep breathing •Inhale and exhale slowly.

Talk to Friends/ Family •You may feel alone, but by letting your words out and talking to someone you trust, you can give yourself the relief you need.

24 Hour Crisis Intervention Service

Feeling overwhelmed and need to talk? •1-800-621-8504 24 hours a day

By Lilia Ruiz According to research, some students are doing three hours of homework, and this could really be affecting them by leading them to depression or anxiety. “I really try not to give that much homework,” Spanish teacher Marina King said. “I usually give enough time to get most, if not all, done, but a lot of kids seem to waste time so they end up having a lot of homework. I don't like to give work at home that students might have questions with, so I really try to give more class time and just a little bit of homework.” King said she tries her best to help her students, so no activities have to be given up. “On average, I only give an hour a week if they don't finish or get some homework done in class,” King said. “Students sometimes don't use the tools I give them in class to get an appropriate amount of homework done, and only then does it possibly take longer.” While different classes contain a variety of work schedules, King said students sometimes put themselves in stressful situations by the classes they take. "I've heard, for the pre-AP and AP classes, it is pretty stressful," she said. "But with that, I hear things that contradict it because I have some kids who say this is the only class that they have to do work in. Other kids say that they’re swamped with homework.” Junior Miranda Whaite is a pre-AP student and can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to three hours on homework depending on the day. She has classes in Physics, Spanish III, pre-Cal, and dual credit U.S History. “Sometimes I get anxiety because if you're someone like me, the one who has to be perfect, then you want good grades, you want As," Whaite said. "The stress is there to keep that A up, to keep a good GPA because I have to stay in the top 10 percent." Whaite said trying to stay within the top 10 percent of class is a big contributor to stress because it allows automatic admission into Texas state universities. “If you feel that you're depressed or maybe have anxiety you should talk to somebody,” King said. “Talk to a teacher you trust, your counselor, or a friend. Talk to your parents, maybe there's somebody if you go to church, maybe somebody there that can help, but there are so many outlets to help, its just taking advantage of it.” Sophomore Jazlyn Vaughn said she doesn’t feel like having homework every day is necessary.

“I don't understand how they want us to go to sleep on time, do eight hours of homework for every class that we have and want us to wake up early and be ready to work,” she said. “We need sleep.” Freshman Anna-Marie Daniels said that the course work in classes helps prepare students for life after high school, and because of that, the stress homework brings does have its benefits. Daniels said that though the homework can be stressful on students, it will be useful for their future. “It takes a lot of effort to finish the homework and not get frustrated because you're not understanding it or just because of the amount of homework you have,” Daniels said. “In a way, homework can be both beneficial and useless, but you get more practice on how to do whatever you are learning."

Do you believe too much homework is leading to depression and anxiety? "There is not enough time in the day, and messes up your sleep timing."

Zach Alexander, 12

"No, because you get to have practice to achieve your goals in life."

Annalee Carrasco, 9

"Yes, because if you have work you have no time to do both."

Sebastian Espinoza, 10

News 10

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March 11, 2016

Sleep Deprivation Due to Homework Students stay up late causing inattention in classes By Juan Casas Sleep loss can take a toll on the mind and body at any stage of life, from early childhood to adulthood. But for teenagers, who are at a critical stage of development, skipping out on sleep can be particularly dangerous. Recent studies from the American Psychology Association have shown that stress levels in teens are rising and many believe that lack of sleep can be a big part of the problem. Nationwide, there are reports of teens who do not get the recommended hours of sleep and it hinders their ability to focus and learn in the classroom. “On average, I get about 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night,” senior Angel Leaf said. “It’s impossible for me to get enough sleep. I have a job and usually get off around 11 each night, and then I have to go home and do homework.” Many students argue that the reason they don’t get enough sleep is because school starts too early, and that a later starting time would certainly help with their lack of sleep. “A later start would give me more time to sleep and more time to get ready every morning,” senior Ramsey Mata said. “I’m tired every day I come to school, and it makes it hard for me to concentrate on schoolwork.” Mata said that she has to wake up for school every morning around 5:30 in order to get ready for school in time.

elementaries would begin at 7:45. “Research is a major reason why they have proposed this,” Assistant Principal Cody Blair said. “They’ve looked into it and see the academic benefits of flipping the times. Research shows that older kids don’t seem to function as well when school starts that early, but younger kids can handle it.” “I’m tired everyday I come to school, and it makes it hard for me to concentrate on schoolwork.”

Ramsey Mata, 12

Blair said at first it didn’t seem like any action was going to be taken, but now it’s a serious discussion that he thinks will benefit everyone. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an article that recommends that no high school should start before 8:30, stating that teenagers’ brains are not fully functioning until this time, and starting anytime before that can cause an increase in depression, obesity, loss of concentration, mood swings and many other harmful side effects.

Art by R’yn Miller.

What is the average amount of sleep you get?

“It’s Impossible for me to get enough sleep. I have a job and usually get off around 11 each night, and then I have to go home and do homework.”

Angel Leaf, 12

Recently the school board has taken notice of these issues and is looking for a solution. They have proposed a change that would flip the starting time of high schools with the starting time of elementary schools. High schools would begin at 8:30 and

“I get seven hours per night. With school work and other stuff, it makes it hard. School is tiring.” Blake Cook, 12

“Mine is five hours. Most of the time I’m finishing homework. I sometimes take 30 minute naps. Although it puts me behind, it helps me stay up to do homework.” Madeleine Williams, 12

“Four hours. I like to wake up at random hours so I can finish homework. Sometimes midnight sometimes 1 a.m.” Joselyn Huaman, 12

News March 11, 2016

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March 11, 2016

No More Sleepy Kids?

WFISD considers switching secondary, elementary times By Lydia Angel The WFISD school board is considering switching secondary start times with the elementary schools. “The school board members had a retreat sometime in the end of January,” principal Dee Palmore said. “This topic came up and was asked to be pursued.” The consideration for the switch arose after years of research proved that teen bodies need more time to become alert in the mornings. “Research shows that junior high and high school aged students’ minds don’t wake up as early as the elementary school kids do,” Palmore said. “Therefore, it would help us academically.” Palmore said the way WFISD’s bussing schedule works, secondary and elementary schools are unable to start at the same time, so that option is ruled out. “That’s why we have to have two different starting times,” Palmore said. “For the bussing situations to work, the times have to be separate.” Palmore said there are pros and cons to the switch, but the problems that do exist are solvable. Anatomy and Physiology teacher and varsity softball coach Alisha Crouch believes the change

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would benefit teachers, students and parents. “I like it because my husband and I both teach at the high school level, so when our kids go to kindergarten, we’d have to take our conference period to take them to school if the switch doesn’t happen,” Crouch said. “I also think it would cut down on the number of first period tardies. The students would perform better because high school kids need the extra sleep.” However, if the change doesn’t happen, Crouch said there are other viable options. “I think teaching kids time management skills for how to manage your time better would help,” Crouch said. “Going to block schedule would help everybody. That way you only have homework for classes every other night. I think that would solve our problems whether the time flipped or not.” Many people are against the switch due to complications with their everyday schedule. “I don’t want it to happen because it wouldn’t give equal opportunity for sports,” sophomore Maria Lopez said. “Practice could go longer, taking away time for homework.” Palmore said they’re going to get specific information in March and vote on the time switch in April.

Pros &

Cons

You get to sleep in later

Sleeping in later means you get out later. Students would be more awake and aware in the morning. When you get home later, you start homework later, so you get to bed later than normal.

Students would be able to wake up later and get fully rested, so the number of first period tardies would lessen. Fundraiser Results by Salesperson

Column, bar, and pie charts compare values in a PARTICIPANT There’s less time for jobs and single category, such as the number of products sold yes extra-curriculars after school. by each salesperson. Pie charts show each category’s no value as a percentage of the whole. Schedule Change

“The schedule flip may be beneficial for some students, but for the students involved in extra-curricular activities like me, it won’t be. Starting later means ending later; after-school practices will end at unreasonable hours. There will be no extra time for homework and studies. There are no problems with the schedule as it is, so changing it is just useless.” Taylor Bales, 9

UNITS SO 71 29

yes no

29%

71%

150 Students Surveyed

March 11, 2016

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Semester Shuffle

New teachers greet students half-way through the year Chris Greenwood New faces and needed adjustments appear as three new teachers are introduced to the staff at the beginning of the second semester. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in the second grade and saw that my grandma had taught for 30 years,” Spanish teacher Britney Lucus said. “I guess you could say that she had influenced me. I was grading papers for her when I realized I could teach too.” Lucus was a student teacher in Abilene for two years before moving to Wichita Falls. And even then, she had a passion for Spanish. “I lived in Uruguay, and while my entire family spoke Spanish, I never got to learn it because they didn’t teach me,” Lucus said. “When I got to college, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t know what I wanted to teach. I went on a study abroad program to South America and I lived in Uruguay for a couple of months. I really picked up on the language and decided that I wanted to teach it to other people.” Lucus considers herself “a laid-back teacher” as long as the students are on task, paying attention and doing their work. “It’s definitely an adjustment that I’m taking over at the second semester,”Lucus said. “It’s an adjustment for the teacher as well as the students. I think they were showing me that they are adjusting well when I saw that their test grades are getting better and their quiz grades are good.” Lucus thinks the staff “feels like a big family”. “I love my coworkers; I eat lunch with a lot of the other teachers, and I love them to death, I’m so happy to be here,” Lucus said. “I was scared that they would be different from my past coworkers. They are different in a good way. We get along well and have the same sense of humor.” Physics teacher Mr. Baskin returned to teach physics after leaving about 12 years ago.

“Teaching here again is surreal, coming to teach in the same classroom after being out of it,” Baskin said. “Everything is about the same as where I left. It just feels normal.” Baskin said that he saw “better students at Rider than most smaller colleges.” “There are two reasons I became a teacher,” Baskin said. “One is that I felt there was no other place to make a bigger difference than in the classroom. I realized at college that I wanted to teach, and I soon realized that at Rider, I got to work with the best and the brightest.” Baskin’s belief is that students understand the subject when they have to teach the material and when they’re working together and sharing information rather than listening to a lecture. “I teach by giving my students some background information and helping them to understand some abstruse concepts,” Baskin said. “Then they do what I call recitations, where it is them presenting the material to each other.” Bilingual teacher’s aide Laura Nuñez helps teach English to non-native speakers. “I became a teacher’s aide because I enjoy helping the students succeed,” Nuñez said. “I went to Midwestern State University for three years in bilingual education with a focus to help students be able to speak English and I haven’t finished. That’s why I got a job here.” Nuñez doesn’t have a set teaching style, but she said she learns the best way for the student to retain information and uses that method to teach them. “When I first arrived, they would just walk in and look at me,” she said. “Now they are comfortable enough to share their problems with me. My favorite thing about teaching students English is the moment when they learn something new, the look on their face is a reward to me.”

Mr. Baskin watches juniors Ashley Flores and Lily Tran complete a lab in AP Physics 1. Baskin returned to Rider this semester after Mr.Templemeyer became the campus testing coordinator. Photo by Cortney Wood.

A New Perspective "It changed a lot. We do more labs in Mr. Baskin’s." Jose Valadez, 11

"Having Mrs. Lucus hasn’t impacted me much, it just takes time getting used to a new teacher." Ariana Porras, 9 "Mrs. Nuñez is a sweet and amazing person. She definitely helps us learn." Caitlynn Stone, 12

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March 11, 2016

Access To Everyone, Except Some

Age of school leads to accessibility problems in areas

The three areas not handicap accessible are the stairwells leading to the English wing, the math wing and the theatre wing. Photos by Cortney Wood.

By Sara Barrera Because Rider was built in 1961 and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was enacted in 1990, Handicap kids have to modify and adapt themselves around the school. “When our school was being built back in the day, handicap accessibility was not in the codes,” Principal Dee Palmore said. “We have to reorganize ourselves because sadly, our school was not built that way.” Although the school is old, Palmore said it is handicap accessible everywhere except three places: the English wing, math wing and the theatre wing. “We would have to do major construction and there is not any construction planned in the near future,” Palmore said. “We do have an elevator, but it only goes to the second floor main hallway.” During football, freshman Colton Ward broke his leg and ended up in a wheelchair. Colton had to change his schedule to be able to reach his classes. “I didn’t have to adapt,” Ward said. “I switched some classes, and for one period my English teacher goes downstairs.” Although the school is old and the halls are

March 11, 2016

long, Ward never got frustrated of having to travel them every day. “I had to grow my arm strength, so that it would be easier but I’m lucky my geometry class was on the first floor and not in the math wing,” he said. Ward said that Coach Robbins, on the first floor, had a conference period and so his room was available and empty for Ward’s English class to relocate. “I was asked if I was willing to move,” Ward’s English teacher Mrs. Preston said. “Of course I said yes. This is not the first time I have done this before.” Even though the school is not handicap accessible in all places, Ward said an elevator in the theatre and English wing in addition to a handicap ramp in the math seems necessary for other people in the future to reach their classes. Despite that improbable future, Ward and Palmore both said the staff at the school is reliable and eager to help anyone with a situation like Ward’s. “It’s not an ideal situation,” Preston said. “But I don’t think it is a situation that any teacher at this school would ever refuse to do. A student’s needs always have to come first.”

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WHAT THE STUDENTS SAID: “I think we need more ramps. Maybe even a wheelchair lift and the elevator needs Febreeze.”

Aiden Potter, 9

“We could get a better elevator. I haven’t even seen the elevator here and that seems pretty shady to me.”

Trinity Kronlein, 10

“There needs to be more funding for kids in wheelchairs.”

Nathaniel Moisant, 11

“There should be more handrails. I think handrails would help because I haven’t seen many of those.”

Joshua Poling, 12

Seniors’ Last Season

Team’s chemistry and tight bond with each other to continue after high school By Miranda Darné A knock on the door stops the laughter erupting from the hotel room. After hearing coach, they immediately stop everything and leap to their beds, pretending to be asleep. Awake past curfew, the girls laugh again after getting caught, eventually dozing off with the thought of tomorrow’s game on their mind. With the girls basketball season coming to a close, the seniors are having a tough time saying goodbye to their teammates and the school. “It’s sad knowing that this is my last year playing basketball, I feel like I shouldn’t have taken time and my teammates for granted,” senior Corbri Wingfield said. “I will definitely miss my teammates because most of us have been playing together since the seventh grade. Since we’ve been playing for so long, we’ve grown really close, and I don’t think I’ll find anyone else like them.” Senior Mercedes Leija said she thinks it’ll be difficult adjusting to not being able to look forward to playing another high school game. “It feels different knowing I won’t be playing at Rider anymore.” Leija said. “I feel like teammates are all different and that chemistry we had won’t be the same as with another team. I’m going to have to get used to playing with other people and it won’t be the same.”

With the girls being so close on the court as well as off, Wingfield thinks the girls’ friendship will continue after college. “I really love my teammates,” senior Madison Mays said. “I hope the chemistry we have will stay after we graduate but you never know what’s going to happen after high school. I will try to keep in touch and catch some of their games.” With the experience gained from the four years playing with her teammates, Wingfield said she definitely had to learn to be thoughtful of the team as a whole in order to have the chemistry they’ve had. “I think I’ve become more disciplined from the team,” Wingfield said. “Before I had a really bad attitude, and being with the team has made it a lot better. I realized everything wasn’t all about me and that I need to put my problems aside for the sake of the team.” Although the seniors are moving on to college, Mays said she’ll never find better teammates than the ones she’s been able to play with for so long. “If you don’t know how to do something they don’t yell or get frustrated, they help you,” Mays said. “They’re always there for you even when we’re out of basketball. If you need someone to be there for you, they’re there.”

Tall Stats

Saying Goodbye to their Teammates “I love my teammates and wish them the best of luck in their journey.” Abreanna Harrison, 12 “This season was the best thing I’ve ever experienced. I’m blessed to have supportive teammates.” Airielle Wise, 12 "I got to watch a lot of people grow through it all.” Mercedes Brooks, 12

"It’ll be weird not playing with my teammates, but I’ll definitely try to catch their college games." Nicole Linn, 12

Short People

Height: 5’3

Jersey: #14 Position: Shooting guard Top points earned: 18

Airielle Wise

Height: 5’5

Jersey: #11

Jersey: #5

Position: Shooting guard

Position: Point Guard

Top points earned: 25

Mercedes Leija

Top points earned: 29

Ashley Reid

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March 11, 2016