Vo l u m e 5 3 , I s s u e 1 · O c t 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 · 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
the
riderchronicle
Team of Seniors Works ‘Relentlessely’ Volleyball beats Granbury for first time at tournament in Euless
After a year with one senior on the team, this year’s 8-senior volleyball team has a wealth of leadership. Rider’s head Volleyball Coach Alysha Humpert trained the team every day this summer and is excited about the results that they have achieved since the beginning of the year. “We finished the double tee tournament in Euless Trinity where we actually beat Granbury who is ranked number 6,” Humpert said. “We could never win against Granbury before. This is a pretty exciting moment for us.” For the Whole Story See Page 12 Senior Kendall Chamberlain celebrates a victory at the Old High game. by Garrett Gregg
People of the Issue
Dakota Robbins p.12
Kari Tolleson p.4
Bailey Montes p.6
contributed by Kari Tolleson
Coach Robbins shows proper form during 8th period practice. by Garrett Gregg
thestaff | 2
staffeditorial
October stresses putting on the pressure Have you finished your term theme? Have you taken your SAT/ACT for college
yet? Have you gone to the Rider/Old High game? Are you going to help decorate for that pep rally? Are you going to Round Up? Have you truly been free to do anything this month that hasn’t been school related? As any beginning of the year goes, it is always hectic. That’s just natural. The September chaos, the October stress, all of this when the two months we long to see are just around the corner. There is a lot of pressure that comes with the high school work load. At times we are going to want to just put up that math homework that we’ve been staring at for two hours and go to bed. But we have to remember to keep pushing. Find ways to get through classes we don’t understand, tutors are always available. It is only the beginning of the year and it’s already time to start applying for colleges. In fact some students have already been accepted into the schools of their choice. And most importantly: Through all of the stress of trying to keep our grades up and our heads on straight, we sometimes get caught up in it all and forget to have fun. We are still teenagers living at home with a whole lot of responsibilty that won’t be heaped onto our load till we graduate. Enjoy the time you have! Go to a game on a friday, sleep in on a saturday, take a deep breath every now and then. Its not a crime.
thestaff
co-editors in chief: emilycarroll & kierstenscott web editor: deweycooper business manager: deweycooper feature editor: shannonpyle news editor: cortneywood news staff: abbyhood, abbylove, aleksastankovic, alyssamatthews, collinpartridge, courtneylee, kobielunsford, lanemaddox, madelinehill, maddiebox, mirandadarne, raymondmcnally, samanthaharbottle, stevengarcia, sydneymayo
letter from the editors
Online newspaper due to lack of funding
10/23/14
We would like to welcome readers to the first issue of The Rider Chronicle. This issue will be featured online for several reasons that I will explain here: First and foremost we are online due to lack of funding. Our newsroom recieves no funding from the WFISD school district. This is key in the decision to print or not to print. Considering that printing the print edition cost our program roughly 400 dollars a month, begs the question “How does the paper get printed?” The response to this is our policy of ad sales. We have several options for local business to purchase space in our publication. The sale of these spaces determines weather or not this publication is printed. In years past the sale of ads in the yearbook, another branch of media, has been able to cover the expenses of newspaper. However, due to the lack of ad sales and our perpetual state of limited resources we have been trapped with debt. We will try our hardest to be back into print in the coming months. A big thanks go out to all who donate and buy ads, we couldnt do it without you.
Sincerely, Emily Carroll & Kiersten Scott
Mission Statement: 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. Letters to the Editor: Given its free forum status, The Rider Chronicle accepts all letters, guest work, artwork, and feedback from its readers. The author’s name must be submitted alongside the work and items containing profanity will not be published. Letter to the editor form available on theriderchronicle.com Audience: Material may not reflect the intended views of the staff, school, or community, but the views of the author and its interest of our audience. Contact Us: Co-Editors: Emily Carroll & Kiersten Scott. Adviser: Mary Beth Lee. Principal: Dee Palmore. Newsroom direct phoneline: 235-1077 ext. 31061. All guest submissions must be brought by room 247 or e-mailed to emilycarroll@theriderchronicle.com or kierstenscott@theriderchronicle.om www.theriderchronicle.com
Teachers work with students to ensure their graduation at the end of the year by alyssamatthews You sit nervously in a school desk at exactly 7:45 a.m. For the next four hours you will take an exam that will determine your fate in high school. It’s not whether you know it, it’s whether you can apply it. You’ve heard it a thousand times. It’s a state exam, how hard can it be? 4:00:00. The countdown begins. You read, answer questions, reread, and repeat. 1:59:00. Halfway there. Now you write two 26-line essays. As soon as you finish, your hand shoots in the air. It’s finally over. “Come see me after class,” your teacher says as he hands you a thick overturned packet. You turn it over. Unsatisfactory. You can’t graduate unless you pass this test. You retake it during the summer. Unsatisfactory. You retake it next winter thinking certainly I can correct a few mistakes. Unsatisfactory. It’s hopeless. You’re a senior now. You still haven’t passed that Sophomore EOC English test. As of right now, your future depends on that test. “If I don’t pass the EOC and they don’t let me graduate, I will drop out of high school,” one senior said. This is a situation that many Texas seniors are facing. Alone. Until now. Over the 2014 summer break the English department decided to change EOC classes for all Juniors and Seniors who scored below satisfactory on the freshman and sophomore English EOC exams. “Most of these students have taken the test 6-9 times,” said English Department Head Sandra Scheller. “They’ve given up hope. So we took it upon ourselves to see everyone graduate.” At the beginning of the year, approximately 21 seniors and 81 juniors were enrolled in the EOC classes. “We thought that small classes would be best for the students,” Scheller said. “Every English teacher added an EOC class to their regular schedules in order to make that happen.”
English
There are about 10 students in each EOC class, enough to allow the teacher to work personally with the students if needed. “At first I felt really embarrassed about this being in a class setting, but now I see why they chose it,” another senior said. “We help each other out. My strongest part may be the short answer, when that could be someone’s worst.” Many of the students in the EOC classes aren’t interested in careers in English, however they know that this has affected their future goals in some way. “I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist,” a senior said. “But I can’t even pass a standardized test.” With all their credits complete, the only thing stopping the students from graduating and moving on is the EOC test. Even athletes are put on hold from colleges. “I’ve always wanted to play college basketball,” a senior said. “I’ve been getting lots of mail from college recruiters wanting me to play for them. I really do want to go to college and play. I just have this test blocking me.” For other students the graduating high school isn’t necessary for their career path. “I want to be a marine,” Luke said. “It’s not like passing this test or graduating high school would really help me anyways.” Even though some students have already lost all hope in passing their tests, Scheller has made it her goal to see all of them succeed. “Nobody has ever not graduated in my classes before,” Scheller said. “And it’s certainly not going to happen now.” The next opportunity for the students to retest is December. Principal Dee Palmore is currently looking for tools to help the group of students pass the EOC and make it across the stage on June 6, 2015.
Each EOC tests the student over the information LEARNED THAT CURRENT YEAR. If you fail the STAAR test, you WILL NOT graduate.
www.theriderchronicle.com
67% failed the Summer English II EOC 59% failed the Summer English I EOC 38% failed the Spring English EOC
Math
69% failed the Summer Algebra I EOC 83% failed the Summer Algebra I L EOC 19% failed the Spring Algebra I EOC 61% failed the Spring Algebra I L EOC
Science
56% failed the Summer Biology EOC 74% failed the Summer Biology L EOC 9% failed the Spring Biology EOC 62% failed the Spring Biology L EOC
History
67% failed the Summer U.S. History EOC 82% failed the Summer U.S. History L EOC 63% failed the Spring U.S. History EOC 63% failed the Spring U.S. History EOC According to Dallas Morning News, nearly ONE-FOURTH of seniors STATEWIDE are in danger of not graduating because of failed STAAR test results.
10/23/14
FAST Facts
The STAAR tests CAN be looked at by prospective colleges’ admission agencies. The EOC tests are designed to be MORE RIGOROUS than the TAKS.
Statewide STAAR Results 2014
news| 3
Unsatisfactory
column | 4
Don’t Suffer in Silence If you’re struggling talk to someone
Get Help:
ss
ro a d.
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Rose Street: www.rosestreet.org Red River Hospital: (940) 322-3171 Guidance Counselors: Risner Lauck Spurgers Schelter
pr
n o i s es
De
10/23/14
is
like
an
en
dl
e
by deweycooper I sit there alone in my room, the clock reads 3:29 a.m. Even though I know I have to be at school in the slowly approaching morning, I sit there. Wide awake, feeling hopeless, feeling emotionally drained, feeling like everyone and everything in the world is against me. This is not the first time. As I sit there for the next four hours, I wait minute by minute for my mom to wake me up from my pretend-sleep, my mind slipping into another plane and turning against itself. Finally, she comes and I grudgingly get up. On the ride to school, she asks me, “how did you sleep?” “Fine.” “How are you feeling?” “Fine.” She doesn’t know that I’m lying through my teeth. As I walk into school, I take a deep breath and put on my happy-go-lucky persona. It’s what I use to trap the pain that I’m suffering for reasons I don’t know. Any time I would start to open up and ask for help from friends, I received the same cliché statements. “It gets better...” and “if you kill yourself, it’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” They only made me feel worthless. The thought of suicide was always on my mind. Not that I wanted to do it, I just had this unhealthy obsession with it. I thought about it 24/7. I thought about the people that went through with it, how they were not suffering anymore while I still was. I asked myself, why haven’t I done it? After six months of suffering in silence I had had enough. I needed help. I sought refuge from a friend who didn’t make me feel worthless, who didn’t give me cliché answers to a serious problem. They helped me realize that no, life doesn’t get better, but you can make it fun to fight. This is the first time I have told my story in depth. Following the events that unfolded earlier this school year, I feel every single one of my readers needs to know that they are not alone in this battle. Now, a year after I sought help with my own struggle, I try to help people step out with their problems and receive the help they need, whether it’s professional or not. Even with the slightest glimmer of hope you can change someone’s whole outlook. Don’t suffer in silence.
Eight seniors earn National Merit status, talk about stress
by abbylove Out of the 1.5 million students who take the PSAT every year, only about 34,000 students receive the National Merit commended status. This year out of the 10 WFISD students who received this honor, eight were from Rider. These eight include, Gage Grace, Bonnie Lambert, Carolyn Messer, Dakota Tolleson, Sara Sorge, Bailey Guitierrez, Elleana Majdinisab, and Georgia Dubose.
feature| 5
Students commended on National Scale
Some of the commended students say the test caused them stress. “I get stressed because I always try to over achieve and spread myself too thin,” PSAT commended student Sara Sorge said. “Sometimes I have to take a break and hang out with my friends instead of stressing about school 24/7.” How students study for the PSAT varies. Sorge said she spent the summer before her junior year “taking multiple practice PSAT tests at home,” so she could get used to the questions and timed sections. Elleana spent the summer “reading classical literature” to build her vocabulary and also took practice tests to improve her math skills Other students are different, like Bonnie Lambert who said she didn’t study at all. Lambert did however attend the 5-day Rider PSAT summer camp that is designed to cover everything a student needs to know about taking the test. It is taught by English teachers Polly Birkhead and Heather Preston and math teacher Lydia Coyle. “It helped me with my math, which is definitely my weakness,” Lambert said. Sorge said the camp helped her with her math and also the grammar rules on the test thanks to a list she was given at the camp. “I think it helps give kids the feeling that they are more prepared, “ Birkhead said. “They’re not as nervous because they know that they have some strategies they can use.” College and career counselor Julie Johnson said studying isn’t the only thing that helps achieve such high scores. Students should “Take as many pre-AP and AP classes as possible and read, read, read,” Johnson said. Majdinisab said preparing for the test is essential. “The people, teachers, and curriculum emulate what one will experience in a college class,” Majdinisab said. “It’s important to know what college is actually like so you wont be unprepared.” All the AP classes that these students take require time management skills. Some of the National Merit commended students participate in more than seven extra-curricular activities, like Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, band, and student council. Sorge is the Student council president, NHS vice president of service, crime stoppers president, key club vice president, Spanish club president, Mu Alpha Theta secretary and she also volunteers at P.E.T.S low cost spay and neuter, and Texas Blood Institute . That means they don’t always have time for family or friends. “Home has become a pit stop because I’m often gone for 12 hours at a time,” Lambert said. “I can’t enjoy my leisure time because I know there’s something more productive I could be doing.”
10/23/14
Top- Bottorm, L-R. Bonnie Lambert, Sara Sorge, Georgia Dubose, Carolyn Messer, Elleana Majdinisab, Bailey Gutierrez, Dakota Tolleson, Gage Grace.
www.theriderchronicle.com
5
column | 6
Bailey Montes
How his life affected his friends, family, and coaches by shannonpyle Loss is never easy. It is painful and messy. We grieve and cry and rage. It’s hard. But what comes later, after a time, is the memories. They flood back in and we’re able to remember those we lost. The good times when you laughed and cheered. The bad ones with yelling and fall-outs that both apologized prefusely for later. We can remember them with their faults and imperfections right next to their achievements and accomplishments. All the things that made them the person you loved. No one can take those memories from you. They’re yours. “I’ve coached Bailey since he was eleven years old,” Coach William Bobbitt said. “He played for me in tournament baseball.” “Bailey and I were lazy together,” Junior Alycia Shifflett said. “We watched Netflix, played Xbox, took naps.” “Bailey was like my little brother,” senior Aaron Saldana said. “We hung out every day, ever since we were little.” “We were always at his house,” senior Dylan Hutcheson said. “Never sitting inside, playing video games, we were always outside doing something.” “He was just a hapy-go-lucky kid,” senior Will darland said. “The cockiest guy on the field,” senior Hayden Proctor said.
“
said. We can remember the things that made them light up with joy, the things they were dedicated to. “Baseball was his love and passion,” Bobbitt said. “He knew he had to get classes out of the way to do the fun, the baseball.” “He was the most motivated person I’ve ever known,” Alycia said. “So dedicated to his sport.” Every moment held on to. Every memory precious. Every recollection to a time when they made us smile, or to a time when they made us furious, is close to our hearts. “Bailey was the type of friend to always be there,” Alycia said. “Whether he was mad at you, or even if you weren’t really his friend at all. If you showed that you were down and needed help, he would do it all to make things better.” “He was very well liked,” Bobbitt said. “Everybody that’s been a part of Rider baseball liked Bailey. He was very out going, fun, and good natured.” “He was like a brother,” Dylan said.
We love and miss him.
We can remember the moments that make us laugh and shake our heads. “Sometimes we wouldn’t hit it to him and he’d throw a hissy fit and sit down,” Hayden said. “Criss cross applesauce, right there on second base.” “He would make me laugh,” Alycia said. “Whether it was playing Spanish music and dancing like a dork, tickling me, or my personal favorite, mooning.” “Talented, cockey, and happy,” Dylan said. “But it wasn’t a bad cockey, he was a baseball player, competitive.” “He’d talk back to Crouch, always mess with Bobbitt,” Will said. “Bailey was always happy-go-lucky, he would crack a joke or two,” Bobbitt said. “Always had a smile on his face.”
”
10/23/14
We can remember their shining moments, the ones when they had their arm thrust straight up in the air in victory. “He had a great attitude towards the games,” Aaron said. “Baseball was his heart, he was a competitor.” “He was a special kid, very good athlete and a very, very good pitcher,” Bobbitt
And even when we had to say goodbye, we still think fondly of them almost 24 hours a day. We still feel like they’re right there making us laugh once again. “Bailey has brought me all the happiness in the world in the two years I was given with him,” Alycia said. “And I am truly blessed to have been given the chance to love him with all of my heart and him to love me the exact same way.” “We’re sure going to miss him,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to try to do everything we can to play hard for him. And remember him.” “We love and miss him,” Will said. The loss is always hard. But they didn’t live their whole life just to be a scar on our hearts. They lived to give us smiles and frowns, to make us laugh and cry. They lived to leave unforgettable moments behind that linger with us. We can remember them, and it’s okay. They may have been ripped from our arms pre-maturely. Way too soon. Way too hard. But those memories are ours. Forever.
Former vice principal of rival school comes home acting as interim principal by stevengarcia
Palmore moniters the halls during school. Photo by Sierra Hodges.
feature| 7
Old A S c h oL o l , NM e w OO pporR t u n i tE y P “We have issues here and there, but our kids are doing well. We have some new rules and guidelines, and now students have academics on their mind”
From the time he arrived at 6:15 a.m., interim principal Dee Palmore worked to make sure the school functions correctly. From meetings to keeping students in line, Palmore got the job done. This was nothing new for the new principal. Palmore felt that the teaching staff and students were accepting of him as principal and they started the year working hard. “We have issues here and there, but our kids are doing well,” Palmore said. “We have some new rules and guidelines, and now students have academics on their mind.” Before becoming the principal, Palmore had other duties. He was at Rider from 19892001. Then he changed campuses as an administrator. ”I took a trip across the district,” Palmore said. “I guess you could say I’m back home.” Palmore was a principal at Kirby Jr. High and Harrell Accelerated Learning Center. Then he led with the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Placement (JJAEP). Before he made his return he was the vice principal of Old High. “Ms. McDonald retired and I think the timing wasn’t so great to have an application processes. I was at Wichita Falls High School at the time and I got a phone call from the superintendent,” Palmore said. Palmore said that he was asked to come to Rider on an interim basis. Palmore wasn’t the official principal at the beginning of the year, but he served in the same manner. He hoped to stay at Rider. Even though Mr. Palmore has worked at multiple schools in his time he has the same mindset for all of them. “There’s not a huge difference in schools,” he said. “They have great students and we do too. It’s just a different campus and home a student body is a student body.”
Palmore’s Particulars Palmore feels that the only person who holds you from your goals is you.
In his free time Palmore raises okra and tomato plants.
www.theriderchronicle.com
Palmore once taught math at Rider.
10/23/14
When Palmore was in college he played basketball for Midwestern State University.
7
feature|8
Water Wars
Wichita County faces record-setting drought after 5 years of below average rainfall, result it restrictions for community by madiehill
The drought. The dilemma everyone has heard of. The one thing that has impacted the lives of people in the Wichita Falls area, and in the Rider community. Comedian Jimmy Fallon even briefly mentioned it on his nightly television program. If you don’t know about it, you must not live in Texas. Senior Kelise Cunningham’s family has been affected by the drought. Her family had to sell half of their cattle, and move it to a different area. The lack of water made hay hard to come by, which is necessary for feeding. Her family has used remaining water in old water bottles and placed buckets inside their shower to dump on shrubs and other plants, to make sure that these plants get proper care. Senior Breanna Cotner moved from Arkansas, where the area was definitely not in a drought. “There was water on the ground. There was water in the air. It was so humid all the time,” Cotner said. After moving to Texas, Cotner’s family bought a home with a pool. With water restrictions in place, Cotner says they have had to pay extreme amounts of money to import water from other towns. Paying this amount has influenced the income that her family is able to take in. “It’s so strange to come from a place where you can feel the moisture on your skin all the time, to a place where you have to limit the amount of time you spend running the water in your home,” Cotner said. Although she lived in Texas a years ago, we were not under the authority of the water restriction. It has also impacted Rider History Teacher John Pearson. Pearson said his yard contains one pecan tree and several bushes that are struggling to live due to water restrictions.
Lake Wichita has dried up into nothing more than a puddle. It has been declared a dead lake. Photo by Kylie Dougherty
“Authors have been talking for decades now, and water is a dwindling source,” Pearson said. On the topic of well water, Pearson believes that it is only a temporary solution for the problem. He also sees that the water purification system that the city has adopted creates cleaner water than what we were drinking before. “Eventually we will need to find ways to use less water,and much of that will come from the industrial side of it, as well as the agricultural side of it,” Pearson said.
4 3 2 1
10/23/14
0
8
Jan
Feb
Mar Apr
May Average Rainfall
Jun
Jul
2013 Rainfall
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2014 Rainfall
With an average annual rainfall of 35.65 inches, the state of Texas gets 3.5 less inches of rain than the national average (39.17 inches inches). Wichita Falls has an average rainfall of 28.92 inches over the last 30 years, which is 26% less than the average nationwide, and 6.73 inches less than the average in Texas.
www.theriderchronicle.com
M otherhood: Par t of Ever y Day Life for One Student Athlete
feature | 9
“The Journey Is Often The Reward” by cortneywood Breathe. Her arms swing back and her pitch is released. A curve ball straight past the plate. Strike one. Kari Toalson, a junior at the time, determined to get three strikes, focuses on the batter. Off to the side, her littlest fan cheers her on. She doesn’t hear him at first, but the familiar voice demands to be heard. “Hey! Hey! Go Mom, go Mom! That’s my mom. Hey!” He fuels her to push harder in softball games.
photo by Kari Toalson
Talking with Mom
Her son was born the summer before freshman year, and she said she had to mature and become more responsible than she already was, and it was complicated at times. “It was a big challenge being 14 and a mom,” she said. “You don’t hear it that often, and usually it is juniors and seniors that get pregnant.” Now, as a senior, Kari gains responsibility and maturity as she goes on with life. “But it wasn’t easy, the administrators at McNiel wanted me to go to Harrell,” she said. “I told them no, that I wanted to have the high school experiences, and I did not want to give everything up because I had a kid. And I am glad I got the experience while still being a mom.” Breathe.
www.theriderchronicle.com
10/23/14
She was in a state of shock. Her daughter was only in eighth grade. And she was pregnant. Dana Toalson, mother of senior Kari Toalson, talks about Kari’s eighth grade year, her reaction to finding out about her daughter’s pregnancy, and her how their life has been affected from that point on. “I took the situation from the beginning that it was going to turn out okay,” she said. “And it has.” While transitioning from adolescence to motherhood, Kari relied on her mom for strength and support. “My mom helps me out whenever I need it,” Kari said. “She watched him for me when I need to get something done.” If Kari is busy with her studies or work, Dana will step up and “just be a grandma,” to Kie. “Sometimes I have to baby him, put him to bed and get him to sleep, feed him, or whatever Kari needs to be done.” And through this, the family has gotten closer together, Dana said. They have worked around each others schedule and together make ends meet. “We would work plans out and get her to her softball games while taking care of the baby,” she said. “We would handle whatever she wanted to do, it was her choice, and I wanted her to be happy.” But even through the challenges, Dana focused on her family rather than those surrounding. “I didn’t really think about what other people were going to say because I felt that it was our lives that were going to be affected.”
Keys to the computer click away beneath her fingers with a little laughter floating in the air. Kari turns her attention to finishing her dual credit English essay while her mom plays with Kie behind her in another room. Balancing school, motherhood, and extra-curricular activities is nothing new to Kari. Multitasking, it’s something she’s become accustomed to. Something her daily life revolves around. But she focuses on one task at a time. “I am proud of myself for not giving up on my school or anything else people normally do,” she said.
sports | 10 10/23/14
6
A Look Behind the Laces Cross country team starts year off with determination to endure brutal practices that drive their competition by mirandadarne It’s before the race. The teammates gather around to do their stretches and group prayer, their routine before every run. The anticipation grips senior Kylee Garcia as she chants stretches and helps prepare the group for the meet, one of her many responsibilities as captain of the girl’s cross-country team. Looking around, she sees multiple nervous faces. Only 20 minutes until the race begins. Kylee mentally prepares herself for what is to come. “I like to empty my mind,” Kylie said. “I try to rid myself of all of the negative thoughts. I just take away all of the anxiety that I have.” She cautiously walks to the starting line. She finds her position, impatiently waiting for the race to begin. Breathing in and out, she calms herself. Seconds pass slowly. BANG! And she’s off. When running, there are certain characteristics all cross-country members seem to have when competing in meets. “We practice for an hour after school and I also run on my own sometimes,” said Garcia. “I have training on the sidelines that I do. So sometimes I end up running two times a day.” Focus and determination define these runners as they endure brutal practices, and meets almost weekly when competing. “We all have to get mentally prepared to die,” sophomore Sarah Tempelmeyer said about their rigorous training. “But we still keep on running because that’s why we’re here.” Competition certainly tends to encourage the girls to run as Kylee Garcia, Lauren Tisdale, and Trisha Nicolas have recently medaled at the Lubbock Invitational. “As a runner you want to just pick the person ahead of you and catch up to them,” Tempelmeyer said. “My teammates also motivate me.” As for the boys’ cross-country team, the feelings regarding running are mutual. “It’s very fun,” junior cross-country runner Zachary Payne said. “The guys on the team are great to be around and to hang out with.” Not only is running a major part in cross-country, but the runners say their teammates tend to have an impact on them.
“The guys on the team are amazing to be around, and great at running,” said Payne. After all the practice and camaraderie, the race is an individual fight for the finish. Tired, Kylee sees the finish line within her reach. Pacing herself she nears closer and closer. A sudden rush of exhilaration is what gets her through this long, seemingly never ending meet. And finally, she’s finished. Exhaustion exudes from Kylee as she has finally finished the meet. “I feel, well, at first, I feel like I’m dead,” Garcia said. ”Then once I recover I feel good about myself. I feel really accomplished.”
Cross Country Fast Facts
• There will be a total of 12 meets this year, beginning from August 12th and ending November 8th (including district and state meet). • Cross-country runners practice in the Tanglewood neighborhood because of the hilly terrains. • Taylor Mendez hadn’t practiced for 2 weeks prior to the Reunion run meet and was 1st to finish.
For practice, the runners run in a pattern that is equivilant to a mile which circles around the high school.
Cross country runners also practice near the Tanglewood neighborhood after school.
A map of the most recent meet, The Reunion run, where Larry Filer and Taylor Mendez placed 1st.
www.theriderchronicle.com
sports | 11 Junior Kelli Barnett and seniors Kendall Chamberlain and Jordan Green at the Denton game on Oct. 17. Photo by Garrett Gregg
Volleyball works ‘Relentlessly’ Varsity beats Granbury for first time at tournament in Euless
Senior Taylor Lindsay along with teamates, cheers after a score against Boswell on Sept. 19. Photo by Dalton Roberts
www.theriderchronicle.com
10/23/14
by aleksastankovic After a year with one senior on the team, this year’s 8-senior volleyball team has a wealth of leadership. Rider’s head Volleyball Coach Alysha Humpert trained the team every day this summer and is excited about the results that they have achieved since the beginning of the year. “We finished the double tee tournament in Euless Trinity where we actually beat Granbury who is ranked number 6,” Humpert said. “We could never win against Granbury before. This is a pretty exciting moment for us.” Team members say that the approach to the games this year is different because the players appreciate each game more. “You never know when it’s going to be your last game,” senior Kiley Beaver said. “I think that the games are a lot more emotional than last year.” As players say, they are all like a family and equality in their team is something that they are proud of. “One thing happens to one person and it happens to everyone,” senior Kendall Chamberlain said. “We are all equal on the team.” Alongside daily practices, players say that the team still has time for some fun activities outside of the sport. “Every year we have a tradition with Coach Humpert where we have a scavenger hunt. This year it was a selfie scavenger hunt where we took pictures with people,” Beaver said. Their coach believes this team can achieve remarkable results. “They truly give a hundred and ten percent in the classroom and in the gym,” Humpert said. “They want to do something that Rider has not done in a long time, and I think they have the potential to do it this year.”
sports | 12
A Fresh Golf Coach Rider graduate takes over golf position as head coach by kobielunsford Rider Alumni Dakota Robbins was on his way to the Cheesecake Factory in Dallas when he received the news that he was to be the new coach for the golf team. Robbins has already begun the team’s training for 20142015. The golf season has started and the 1st tournaments started during the 2nd six weeks. “It was a pretty surreal moment,” Coach Robbins said, “I was really excit-
“Winning the district championship has always been the goal.”
ed to come back to the school [I] graduated from.” Robbins played for 4 years on the Rider Golf team. His past experience was successful and he intends to replicate that success. “Winning the district championship has always been the goal,” Robbins said. Robbins has played golf for quite some time. Training wise, Robbins intends to stick to what the team has been doing in the past, except with some more work on short-game, which is a players ability to hit chips, pitches, and putts with accuracy. Though there is a new coach, the students who had Robbins predecessor, Todd Finkler, will not forget him. The veteran golf players remember the days when Finkler was here and will take what he has taught them and carry it with them, along with their memories of him. “He [Finkler] used to joke around a lot,” senior Kristen Boone said. Finkler coached golf here for 28 years, an endeavor that will have a lasting effect. Finkler’s time here was “a great learning experience,” according to Golf Coach Cleveland Wallerich, and the influence of Finkler will not be lost on him. Finkler’s legacy will be remembered, even if it’s by a student who will “miss hearing his stories,” such as Junior CJ Porta. “[They’re] ready to get some tournaments going,” Robbins said. The first tournaments were Oct. 7 for Boys Varsity, Oct. 14 for Girls Varsity and Boys Junior Varsity. Thus far the team has just started practicing so they will be ready to get some competitive play going.
Robbins (left) conversing with freshman Clark Dunkelberg (middle) and sophomore Justin Galliton (right).
10/23/14
Fall Tournament Schedule Boys Varsity Wichita Falls Invitational October 7, 2014 8:30 Fossil Creek Golf Course Forth Worth Keller High School October 14, 2014 8:00 Iron horse Gold Course Fort Worth Wichita Falls Invitational November 4, 2014 9:00 Canyon West Golf Club Weatherford
Girls Varsity Denton High Invitational October 14, 2014 9:00 Turtle Hill Golf Course Meunster Keller Invitational October 28, 2014 8:00 Willow Spring Golf Club Fort Worth Wichita Falls High Invitational November 4, 2014 9:00 Canyon West Golf Club Weathorford
www.theriderchronicle.com
Boys Junior Varsity Denton High Invitational October 14, 2014 9:00 Turtle Hill Golf Course Keller Invitational October 28, 2014 8:00 Willow Spring Golf Course Wichita Falls High Invitational Novemeber 4, 2014 9:00 Canyon West Golf Course
Meunster Fort Worth Weatherford