Chronicle The Rider
S.H. Rider High School 4611 Cypress Ave Wichita Falls, Texas 76310 • Volume 54, Issue 1 • September 25, 2015 theriderchronicle.com @riderchronicle
Senior At The ‘Brink of Greatness’
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• Freshmen Fiesta ■
By Shannon Pyle have a skin disorder.” Senior Sara Hamlin stepped up to the microphone. “So I’m not perfect or anything.” She prayed her voice would stay strong. “You don’t have to be the status quo to be perfect.” She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. “If you have the ambition, you can follow your dreams.” She sang her heart out.
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• Trial by Friends ■
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• Raider of the Month ■ ■ 7
• Teacher Today, DJ
Tomorrow ■ ■ 10
• Karlas’ Story ■
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• Senior Survival Guide ■ ■ 14
Sports
• To Bee or Not to Bee ■ ■ 15
• Last Second Season ■ ■ 16
Looking
Forward
RIDER Vs Old High Tradition Reminders:
• Wearing red is strictly forbidden! • Senior girls: have your “Yote Busters” made and ready to wear all week.
Continued on Page 13.
The Issue
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Feature
Over the summer, Sara Hamlin traveled to Joe Corn Studios in Denton to experience her first time in a recording studio. The four songs, all written by Sara, were then sent to Nashville Tennessee to be mixed and mastered by Wichita native, Gary Forsythe in Collision Point Studios. Her album, produced under the music name Nicole Abeth, is Brink of Greatness. After weeks filled with phone calls and emails, going over the details of every song, the album is now available through over 15 different music platforms.
Inside
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• Gun Violence and the Homefront ■ ■ 4
Art by Lauren Hamlin
New Rules to GPA Race Story on Page 6.
• Come to school Friday with all your talking out of your system! Mum day is here again.
Falls Fest Takes a Bow Story on Pages 8 & 9.
Freshmen Fiesta!
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Eighth graders able to take Spanish I, now as ninth graders are eligible for Spanish II
By Savannah Dickson Due to the rule change allowing eighth graders to take pre-AP Spanish I, freshmen will tag along with sophomores in pre-AP Spanish II, affecting both classes. “The vast majority of them [sophomores] seem to know what they are doing right now and seem very well prepared, and in the overall scheme of things it isn’t going to make that much of a difference to the sophomores with having a lot of freshmen in class,” Spanish II teacher Ethan Shaw said. Several freshmen dropped the class and “there is no shame in it,” Shaw said, but not everyone is struggling. “I think I was prepared really well,” freshman Tyler Caswell said. “I had a good teacher and he did a really good job.” However Shaw would still prefer freshmen to take Spanish I at Rider because he has the ability to “monitor what is going on” and make suggestions. “They are at a disadvantage in my opinion from what I’ve seen so far,” Shaw said. “I think that I am spending enough time in the beginning that any deficiency they have, I should be able to address those appropriately and get them up to speed.” Some sophomores don’t mind the extra time to jog their memory. “I enjoy that Mr. Shaw is going through the basics to make sure we fully understand and can continue to build on that,” sophomore Diane Nguyen said. Although, it doesn’t seem that Shaw will be slowed down for long. “I’m pretty much a slave driver, so I’ll make up time for speed later,” Shaw said. Shaw said that the curriculum hasn’t changed and the expectations are the same, but Tyler doesn’t seem bothered by the large workload. “There is a good amount of work, but that’s what is really required in everything you do, especially a freshmen doing Spanish II, it’s expected,” Tyler said. Caswell said that the pace is “a little bit faster,” but he will not be deterred so easily and suggests other eighth graders take Spanish I in middle school as well. “When
you get it done in eighth grade you get your education finished faster,” Tyler said. “So I would recommend it.” Shaw said the “instructors are better here,” and does not recommend middle school Spanish I and Diane agrees. “I feel like the way junior high teachers teach is on a lower level than high school,” Diane said.
Fast Facts 1
The Language
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The Percentage
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The Celebrations
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The Ranking
The Spanish language originated on the Iberian Peninsula where it was descended from Latin.
34.7% of Texans speak another language at home and 15% of people in Wichita Falls have a different native language other than English.
All Saints Day is a holiday every Spanish speaking country holds (to varying degrees) in honor of the dead.
Spanish ranks as the the second most spoken language in the world below Chinese and above English.
Art by R’yn Miller.
September 25, 2015
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Gun Violence and the Homefront Weapons take blame, but it’s not that simple By Chris Greenwood enior Madi Davis understands firsthand why congress has struggled with the gun debate for years. “I just showed up and the shifts usually run from 10 to 4, and between 4 to 6, so I was by myself,” Madi said. “Then these two men just held the door open for all these other people and one of them gets yogurt.” Robbery is one of the most common crimes that involves a firearm in the U.S. Madi had no idea she was about to become a robbery victim. “He gives me exact change and he asks me ‘can you break this?’ and he’s putting stuff then removing it and it turns into a huge mess,” Madi said. “I tell him to let me call my manager. I turned around and he firmly said ‘no’.” Madi personally didn’t know if the man had a gun or not, but if she turned around “he would have used it” she said. “If I made a scene, it wouldn’t only be my life in danger, but the lives of all the women and children,” she said. “I was in a position where I not only had to think about my life, but the lives of the other 13 people in the store.” Still Madi has no problem with legal gun ownership. “I completely agree with right to bear arms,” Madi said. “Guns aren’t the problem; it’s the people.” The United States is the world’s domestic gun capital, with the majority of the world’s gun supply. “Guns have been around for centuries,” sophomore Pedro Deleon said. “I believe that guns have changed the history of the world for the worse. They have caused effortless killings and destruction.” Pedro said that guns should be increasingly regulated by the government except pistols for self defense. “People might become more rebellious because of the government violating their rights, but people might get hurt because of poor background checks,” Pedro said. “People might be joking around in a game, but one negative comment and they’re at your door with a automatic rifle.” Associate Principal Cody Blair said that most guns that are carried by teens are for what they believe is
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“protection.” “People experience a lot of drama in our world, our society today,” Blair said. “Unfortunately in that drama, in that dysfunction, sometimes they weigh on that way to solve the problem, the wrong way.”
“If I made a scene, it wouldn’t only be my life in danger, but the lives of all the women and children.”
Madi Davis, 12
what to do from Sgt. Charlie Eipper 1. In a hostile situation, what is the first thing someone should do? “The best thing to do is to find shelter or cover, fleeing is great.”
2. Should they try to communicate with the gunman? “Probably not, unless you are a trained professional at negotiating.”
3.If a person is held at gun point, what should they do? “Do whatever the person with the gun says. Do whatever it takes to pacify them.”
4.When a robber or burglar is searching for you, generally where is the safest place to hide? “Typically, burglars aren’t going to go into the attic, find somewhere that’s dirty or nasty.”
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September 25, 2015
TRIAL BY FRIENDS
New Truancy Law Results in School Based Teen Court By Kobie Lunsford eginning shortly after school on Sept. 23 in room 113, a schoolbased Teen Court is scheduled to start functioning in each of the WFISD high schools. Teen Court functions as District Court does for the most part, but with peers evaluating the cases of peers before those cases are sent to the District Court. The purpose of Teen Court is to prevent an excess of students from going to court for truancy or other offence that may have extraneous conditions, and to stop those offence before they reach critical levels. It will also result in fewer students getting sent to ISS and suffering other punishments that are administered by the school staff when there is something going on to cause the problem leading to trouble for the teen. “The students will be the facilitators,” Teen Court Coordinator Myra Weeks said. Students should have a reasonable amount of integrity before they consider applying for Teen Court because students without integrity may lead to biased decisions which may be unfair or overly generous to the student in question. Teen Court will be managed primarily by the students who take part. Aside from a minor amount of contact with Weeks and Phillips, the students will perform court operations without any outside assistance. The student court will determine whether or not students’ offenses are to be sent to the District Court immediately or if the student will be given a grace period time in which they are not to commit any offenses. “Here the students can be heard,” Weeks said. In a Teen Court session, Weeks will receive a case and call the students about it. During that call they will set up a trial and notify the offender. On trial day the offender will meet with their advocate and discuss the situation. The advocate will translate the gathered information to a jury of 5, who will then make a decision. Should the student be cleared, there will be no court file. Otherwise, there will be a short, generally two to three weeks, period in which the student is advised not to
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September 25, 2015
Photo Illustration by Dalton Roberts.
engage in any other offenses. Should this period clear without issue, the case will remain unfilled, but a failure to clear the period will result in the filing of a court case. Teen Court’s primary intention is to prevent students from suffering the consequences of truancy court. “Truancy court is a pipeline to prison,” Weeks said. Being truant was previously considered a criminal offense, and as such, students could be charged as criminals would be, getting fined or even jailed. On Sept. 1, the laws on truancy changed so that students could no longer face criminal sanctions for being truant. Instead they now face mentoring and counseling, and if those fail, they are sent to truancy court. At truancy court, students can be fined, lose their privilege to drive, and be referred to juvenile court. A student’s loss of driving privileges can result in fines against their parent(s) or guardian(s) if they fail to transport their student to school and the student is therefore truant.
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New Rules to Race School district changes system to determine class rank
Photo illustration by Cortney Wood.
Score Range Letter Grade A+ 100-95 A94-90 B+ 89-85 B84-80 C+ 79-77 C76-75 D+ 74-72 D71-70 F ≤ 69
Advanced 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 0
Dual Credit 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0
Regular 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 1 0
“This has given me the chance to take the classes I didn’t think I was going to be able to take when I was a freshman.”
Alyssa Polk, 10
“I think it’s a fantastic idea. I like the fact that we have more opportunity to take the classes we enjoy.”
By Anaya Williams To avoid the GPA race, a redesign of the configuration of GPA will affect students graduating in 2018 and after. “Students in the past have what we call ‘played the GPA game’,” college and career counselor Julie Johnson said. “They will do anything they can to be number one or number two, at least through number 10.” Johnson said students stress over being in the top 10 and compete against each other. “It’s gotten ugly,” she said. “We’ve had angry parents up here, we’ve had angry students, we’ve had threats.” Many students in the past have been so involved in AP classes, that they never get to take the classes they enjoy, senior Kaleb Welch said. Their transcripts aren’t as diverse as a student who took the electives they enjoy. Johnson said the new GPA system has taken out classes that pad the GPA. Band kids typically had a higher GPA than kids “It’s gotten ugly. We’ve who took athletics because they get a grade had angry parents up here, for zero hour and first period. we’ve had angry students, “Band puts in as much time as football, but they got an extra grade for it, so it we’ve had threats.” padded their GPA a little bit,” Johnson said. Julie Johnson, Counselor Counselors hope the change leads to less stress for top students. “I think it will be a good change for the freshmen,” counselor Brittany Bailey said. “A lot of them are interested in getting in the top 10 and they’re putting a lot of effort into doing that and they’re not getting to take the classes that they wanted to take.” Bailey said with the change students will be able to enjoy classes more. The sophomores and freshmen this year will be affected while the juniors and seniors will continue with the previous GPA system. Senior Kaleb Welch takes eight AP courses and has experienced the stress firsthand. He feels the new GPA shift is a good idea. “People like me try to boost their GPA just by taking a bunch of random classes even if we don’t feel like they’re relevant,” he said. That led Kaleb to a school life centered solely on academics. “I was working four or five days a week, on top of eight AP courses,” he said. Kaleb said that workload restricted him and other students in the GPA race from extracurricular involvement, which is another thing colleges are looking for. Johnson said that she wants freshmen to take more electives and enjoy their high school experience. “Over the years watching kids get so stressed and anxious over what their class rank was gonna be, I think it’s good that we set a limit.”
Amber Villalobos, 10
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September 25, 2015
Raider of the Month Junior Willie Cherry showcases the importance of team
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By Sierra Hodges e didn’t think about it. There was 1.2 seconds left in the final quarter. He just reacted. It was instinct. Junior Willie Cherry made the winning touchdown in the game against Amarillo on Sept. 4. Rider was down by three points when Willie took the the last play of the game. Shocked, Willie ran into the end zone in that last second. “I was just thinking man, we did it,” he said. “I was hyped up, along with the rest of the team. I couldn’t believe that it really happened. I was just thinking we did it for my mom.” Willie’s mother, Tieshia Youngberg, passed away the morning before the game after a battle with cancer. “She was working hard trying to stay alive for three weeks and that just influenced me to keep playing even if I was hurt, no matter what,” he said. Willie said he also has had the support of Coach Bindel. “He’s been really close, almost like a second dad to some of us,” he said. “If we need anything we always know we can go to him and trust him. He’s like our personal go to.” The team has been there for Willie as well. “They impact me every day,” he said. “They’re like my brothers. It’s more than just a football team.” It wasn’t easy to find the strength to play Willie said, but with the help of the team and the reminder from his mom to never give up, he found a way to play that Friday night. “The team especially motivated me,” he said. “They said that I didn’t have to play, but I knew I needed to because my mom wanted me to play,” Willie said. “I just had to find that strength I knew I had. I made this decision because I knew I needed to play. Once I made up my mind I just knew it was gonna happen.”
September 25, 2015
Feature
Junior Willie Cherry avoids an Abilene Cooper tackle. Cherry rushed 188 yards and ran for one touchdown in the game and passed for 63 yards. The Abilene Cooper Cougars beat the Raiders 38-32. Photo by Amy Nguyen.
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“We go by the motto ‘one family one team.’ You can’t base one play off the whole game. You have to brush it off and get ready for the next play.”
Cherry, 11
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Falls Fest Takes a Bow
Thirty year annual outdoor event kicks off the last time tonight
By Cortney Wood ucy Park has been fenced off and the posters and billboards have been hung all around town. Through the years, Falls Fest publicity chair Lindsay Greer has never gotten used to the 5 o’clock rush. She has been a part of Falls Fest for the last 12 years and loves when people pour into the park eager for the familiar games, the thick, hot grease smell of deliciously unhealthy foods, and for the music humming the night. The park comes alive at five o’clock today. The event was created to bring attention to the green spaces of Wichita Falls and the Junior League wanted to create an event that put people outdoors and would bring awareness to the parks. After 29 years, Falls Fest will kick
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off for the last time this year. Falls Fest provides nonprofit organizations the opportunity to run games at the event to create revenue and a decline of organizations that are able or willing to attend was a big contributor to the decision for this to be the last year. Along with a declining attendance, the cost of entertainment has skyrocketed. This has been another factor in the decision to end Falls Fest. Greer said the Junior League could easily charge $20-25 a ticket for a popular artist to perform, but that isn’t the point of Falls Fest. “Everyone is a little heartbroken about it,” Greer said. “I think it may be one of the best years ever because people want to be part of the last year of Falls Fest.” While this is the last year, English teacher Jennifer Doughty said the prices for the tickets have always been reasonable since most concert tickets in general range from $30- $50 and the quality of the event is “incredible, but it’s good that they are ending on a high note.” Since the start of the event, Falls Fest has generated $1.5 million for the Wichita Falls community and Greer said there have been several community improvements because of Falls Fest such as funding the construction of the Falls and the Dino Dig at Lucy Park; however it is time for a change. For Doughty, her entire family tags along each year: her mother, her husband and her children. “It’s definitely a multi-generational event, and we know it’s important to the community,” Greer said. “It’s been important to us at the Junior League and we are not brushing it under the rug, but it is time to do something
Art by R’yn Miller.
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different.” While the Junior League has had suggestions on the next event after Falls Fest, they want to put all their efforts into Falls Fest. While the bustle of the event thrives tonight and tomorrow, the volunteers that put it altogether exemplify what makes up a community Greer said. The event includes community competitions that assistant principal TiAda Radtke has attended for 20 years. “I usually go just in the morning and go to the sand volleyball tournament recreationally because that’s what happens when you get old,” she said. “I hate that it’s the last year because I think it’s a good thing. I know a lot of people look forward to it and it brings out a bunch of good people.” Greer said that the Junior League sets out to combine volunteers with the community, but no other event the Junior League coordinates connects like Falls Fest. “Falls Fest is one of the few things that really puts us into the community,” she said. “This event is a true testament of what voluntarism is. It’s not just Junior League members out there doing it. It’s volunteers, it’s city officials, it’s Sheppard Air Force, it’s Vernon. It’s training our volunteers to work with different organizations and how to bring in different people from various parts of life.” And as Falls Fest ends, Greer said there is no better way to finalize the event than connecting it to a hometown success. “We are really excited that Bowling For Soup is coming back to close out our event,” Greer said. “They are a hometown band so for us it’s special. It’s amazing that we are going to have these hometown guys signing off for us.”
WHO WILL YOU SEE?
SATURDAY “If I was to go to Fall Fest, I would be going to see Bowling For Soup because those dudes are awesome.” Joshua Nielsen
FRIDAY “I didn’t think I would get see Clint Black because we always go to Friday night football, but since it’s Thursday this week, we can go!” Alisha Crouch
THE HOT STUFF OF
FALLS FEST
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150 At the Event
The Expert
Assistant Principal TiAda Radtke attends Falls Fest solely for the sand volleyball tournament. She has participated in the event for about 25 years since her college days and knows her way around the court.
The Basics
The Dress
“There are two sand courts next to each other, one for recreation and the other for competition. Becuase the rec league is larger, once the competition is over on one court, they use both courts for rec.” “Most people just come out there in whatever they’ve got on, so it isn’t something set or required.”
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The Prep
“Everyone pays an entry fee and your team has to have four people and it has to be co-ed, but other than that you just show up to play.”
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CONCERT BOOTHS
NEVER BEEN
FOOD/ TU RKEY VOLUNTER LEGS
*Survey based off 296 students
Photos contributed by Wichita Falls Convention & Visitor Bureau.
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Teacher Today, DJ Tomorrow
Choir Director decides to retire after this school year to pursue another full-time career
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Photos from Mayfield’s events Photos contributed by Jason Mayfield. “I will miss having that musical connection with the students to make music with and seeing them learn a hard piece of music or get something down that they couldn’t before.” Mayfield
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Lights
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Confetti Cannon
By Jared Bruner Lights flashing. Speakers thumping. The room is filled with people... dancing. Dancing to the music chosen by the DJ. This is what Choir Director Jason Mayfield does for a living. Along with being choir director, Mayfield and his wife Laura Mayfield own a DJ/ Events business: Mayfield Events. His business has become a huge success, and because of this, he has decided this will be his last year to teach. “It basically came down to that I have two full time jobs,” Mayfield said. “[I] cannot continue working two full time jobs… my body just won’t let me. I had to pick between one or the other.” His business started out as just Mayfield Audio Productions, where he and his wife only DJ’ed events: Mayfield was the setup and tech designer and Laura was the actual DJ. But because they have had so much success, they branched out and are now doing more than just DJ events Mayfield said. “We started it out as just a
hobby,” Mayfield said. “It got to the point where I wanted more equipment and my wife said ‘all right, we’ll just book more events to buy more equipment.’” This has led to his business adding additional services such as drone services, a photo booth, a confetti cannon and the newly added “Dancing on a Cloud.” This allows a newly wedded couple to have their first dance on a condensed air cloud that remains on the dance floor for approximately four minutes. These are only some of their services, and Mayfield said they’ll keep adding more. Mayfield started at Rider in 2009 as director and has had ACAP and Girls Choir win four sweepstakes throughout his career. Junior Sean Valverde has had Mayfield both in Mens Choir and ACAP. When he first heard about Mayfield leaving, he said he was sad but knew Mayfield was going to be “better off in the DJ business.” “He’s a great director,” Sean said. “He helps me a lot with sight-reading, being in All-Region, and is a big
① For designing
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and making a room look spectacular. Usually set all around the room and fades into different colors.
Remote Controlled Drone
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② For making
entrances look grand. This can be used for multiple things.
reason why I have made it so far the past couple of years. He taught me that music is [a passion] that will stay with you the rest of your life and you can use it wherever you go.” In June, freshman Hazel Anderson first met Mayfield when she auditioned for Show Choir. She heard that Mayfield was leaving on the first day of school while in Girls Choir. “I felt like I had been gypped,” Hazel said. “He seems like a cool teacher, and I really wanted to have him for another year.” In addition to the choirs, Mayfield teaches piano classes and he helps out with the AP Music Theory students whenever he can. “The thing I will miss about being a teacher is making music with students,” Mayfield said. “I will miss having that musical connection with the students to make music with and seeing them learn a hard piece of music or get something down that they couldn’t before. I will miss being a part of the music making process.”
③ For bringing
a unique view to your event. Used for unique pictures or video for weddings, parties, etc.
September 25, 2015
Capturing Carroll Collectively
Administrative assistant keeps campus business and principals’ offices running Mullens said. “She’s good at her job and she makes everybody feel comfortable,” Mullens said. “She’s professional and just a good person.” Carroll has organized events such as the teacher breakfast for when all the staff returned to work in August. “I don’t ever want to be up front,” Carroll said. “I want to be in the shadows, back here, seeing everybody enjoying what we do here. It doesn’t sound like a lot just talking about it, but when you watch it in action it’s pretty crazy.” Although Carroll’s job keeps her busy, she said she sees Rider as her second home. “I don’t mind coming to Rider every day,” she said. “It’s because it’s home. Every day is a different day here, and it’s just awesome.”
f rom the ll o r r a C o t s d Wor Administrative assistant and bookkeeper Montie Carroll takes care of much of the business that keeps the school running. Photo by Haley James.
By Brooke Inman She arrives at work at 7:15 a.m. every morning. Immediately, she is taking calls and aligning papers for the principal. Administrative assistant and bookkeeper Montie Carroll works at least eight hours every day. Being an administrative assistant, Carroll is responsible for Rider’s budget and many other activities. From reconciling money turned in by students, teachers and school groups and banking them every day, to ordering supplies for teachers and checking supply inventory, Carroll organizes events for the school daily. “Mrs. Carroll is Mrs. Do-It-All,” Principal Dee Palmore said. “And she does an awesome job of doing it.” Eight years ago, Carroll was searching for a new job in the WFISD. She was hired as administrative assistant and bookkeeper at Rider. The switch was just what Carroll needed, she said. “I was ready for a change in the job that I was doing here in the school district,” Carroll said. “I was just very lucky that this one came open.” Carroll also assists the staff by screening phone calls to the correct administrator and enforcing school policies. Palmore said Carroll keeps him on track. “She is what makes this place run as smoothly as it does,” Palmore said. “That’s just the bottom line.” Since Carroll began working here, teachers have been very appreciative of all the assistance she has provided and is “always pleasant” testing coordinator Stephanie
September 25, 2015
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Students
“Thanks for all you do. The student body truly appreciates you.” Aiden Potter, 9
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thanks for putting up with stressful people.” Marissa Lifland, 9 “Thank you for helping the band with funding.” Josh Poling, 12
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Karlas’ Story
Campus student leaders started lifelong friendship in kindergarten, best friends now
In kindergarten at Sam Houston elementary school Karla and Karla sit down for snack. Photo by Karla Alvarado.
By Shawn Kirkland She walked into the classroom, but she couldn’t speak English. It was 2002 and the first day of kindergarten for Karla Alvarado who had just arrived from Mexico City. She was attending an American school and there wasn’t anyone who could speak Spanish, at least that’s what she thought. All that changed when on the first day of kindergarten, Karla met a new friend. Her name was Karla too. Karla Gonzalez. Karla Gonzalez is fluent in Spanish and English because her family is from Mexico, too. She was raised in America, so she learned English growing up. That year she was able to translate for Karla Alvarado. Now, 13 years later, seniors Karla Alvarado and Karla Gonzalez are still the best of friends, so much so that they’re often called “The Karlas,” and they serve in some of the top leadership positions on campus. Alvarado is president of this year’s senior class and Gonzalez is vice president. Gonzalez is president of Student Council. Alvarado is treasurer.
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On patriotic dress up day Karla and Karla decide to dress up like Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam. Photo by Mary Beth Lee.
Alvarado said she would’ve never even considered running for class president or participated in any of the extracurricular activities she helps lead today if it weren’t for Gonzalez. “I owe a lot to how I’ve done in school to Karla,” Alvarado said. “I would be a loner if I weren’t friends with Karla. Karla pushes me to excel and do things that I would never do. I probably wouldn’t be involved in anything if it wasn’t for Karla.” The leadership roles Alvarado made a part of her life are seen in a new program she started this year with StuCo. “Karla Alvarado recently started a program in Student Council to help raise awareness for childhood cancer,” Student Council advisor Sally Mroczkowski said. “Karla Gonzalez has been helping and supporting her along the way.” Not only have Alvarado and Gonzalez been able effect each other in a positive way, but also everyone around them. “I think the Karlas help bring more of a positive atmosphere to the school and everyone around them,”
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senior Brea Harrison said. “They also help make StuCo so much more fun and every task so much more exciting to do.” Alvarado and Gonzalez have both agreed that they have been affected in a positive way by each other. “I used to be super impulsive and immature,” Gonzalez said. “Karla has helped me become more thoughtful and mature. I guess in some ways I want to be more like her.”
“I like that Karla always takes pictures of everything, so we can look back on them and remember great memories.” Alvarado, 12 “I like that Karla always says sorry even when things aren’t her fault: it shows her heart.” Gonzalez, 12
September 25, 2015
Senior at ‘Brink of Greatness’
Student releases EP with four original songs through professional producer
By Shannon Pyle “I have a skin disorder.” Senior Sara Hamlin stepped up to the microphone. “So I’m not perfect or anything.” She felt the heat of the room pressing in on her. “You don’t have to be the status quo to be perfect.” She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. “If you have the ambition, you can follow your dreams.” She sang her heart out. Over the summer, Sara Hamlin traveled to Joe Corn Studios in Denton to experience her first time in a recording studio. “I’ve written songs since I was a child,” Sara said. “I have always loved music.” The four songs, all written by Sara, were then sent to Nashville Tennessee to be mixed and mastered by Wichita Falls native, Gary Forsythe in Collision Point Studios. “Sara sent me just her vocals and a few chords,” Forsythe said. “It’s my job to listen and hear what can be created out of that.” Her album, produced under the music name Nicole Abeth, is Brink of Greatness and includes the songs, Flames, Tomorrow Will Be Kinder, Coming for You and Little Birdie. “Nicole and Elizabeth are my two middle names,” Sara said. “And when I was thinking of a name to use, I remembered a shortened version of Elizabeth. So I went with Nicole Abeth because it sounded more indie and I liked it better than my name.” Sara said she receives the majority of her support in her musical endeavors from her family. “The thing about Sara’s album is it’s a wide variety of music,” Sara’s father David Hamlin said. “It shows her talent a lot because every song is a little different.” Her mother, Tamra Hamlin, said the first album has been a learning process. “Next time we’ll know better,” Mrs. Hamlin said. “We will know that Sara needs to be there for the mixing and mastering to be more available to make changes if they’re needed.” Because of the long distance, the weeks after recording were filled with phone calls and emails going back and forth between the Hamlins and Gary Forsythe. “I send the rough mix to Sara and figure out what she likes,” Forsythe said. “Then it goes through the
September 25, 2015
mastering process which involves making all of the songs the same volume and the same general sound.” Sara said her original direction for the album changed tune once she got into the studio to record. “Joe had brought his friend in to play “Little Birdie” on the drums while he played it all jazzy on the keyboard,” Sara said. “I realized it needed to have more instruments behind the songs instead of going with just acoustic like I had planned.” The finished products of each song started coming in and Sara was excited about the results. “The first song I heard was Tomorrow Will be Kinder,” Sara said. “It was cool hearing all of it done up and put together. There were a few complications that we had to get fixed, but Gary did it perfectly.” Mr. Hamlin said Forsythe took the time to explain the whole process and walked them through it step by step. “There’s writers, singers and players,” Forsythe said.
“Sara writes for her voice. She has a knack even for a beginner. I’m very impressed with her abilities right out of the gate like that.”
Gary Forsythe, Producer
“Some people write and can’t sing or play at all. Others can’t write and just perform. It takes a lot of talent to write. I’m very impressed with Sara’s abilities.” Forsythe said he was very pleased that Sara was excited about the album and expects great things for her. “Shes going to keep getting experience performing locally,” Mr. Hamlin said. “The next step would be to do a full album next summer.” Mrs. Hamlin said what they are doing for Sara’s music is the same as what parents do for their athletes. “I’m excited to see her grow as an artist,” Mrs. Hamlin said. Sara said sometimes she gets overwhelmed with everything that’s going on and feels like she doesn’t want to do it. “But I just have to get myself motivated again when I feel like that,” Sara said. “I am at the beginning of this journey that could be something great. So I am on the ‘Brink of Greatness’.”
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Photo contributed by Lauren Hamlin
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Rhapsody 13
Senior’s
DECLASSIFIED SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE
By Miranda Darné Meeting standards. That’s what senior Madi Davis has to do to be admitted into MSU. Although Madi has already committed to MSU for soccer and only has to meet the minimum acceptance requirements, preparations for college have still been hard as she sets her own goals. From taking dual credit classes to asking for help in a math class she hasn’t even taken yet, Madi has one goal in mind throughout this process: getting through senior year. “I’ve already taken college classes,” Madi said. “I’m taking Earth, Wind and Fire and I’ve taken my first level of English, and so, preparation wise, I’ve just narrowed down the guidelines and I’m just knocking out some hours so can dedicate myself more to soccer.”
Another requirement is to take the SAT/ACT, which is recommended to be taken your junior year. “Somebody who takes the tests their junior year will already know what to expect and have some practice,” college advisor Carlos Rios said. “They’ll have some exposure to it so they’ll know how to better respond to their second test and there won’t be any surprises they may have felt their first time.” In order to help students, Rios has cram sessions as well as online resources for studying for both the SAT and ACT. “Mrs. Johnson has a lot of workbooks in her office and those have a lot of helpful information from the exams,” Rios said. “Sometimes other students work well with online resources. I give students free accounts for Method Test Prep and that gives a lot of personalized help with SAT and ACT and actually the new SAT.” It is recommended to start the college application process early so that students are able to meet deadlines.
*your results may vary
“Mrs. Johnson and I have to be honest with students and tell them they should’ve started a long time ago, ideally in their junior year,” Rios said. “That’s probably the biggest piece of advice I can give, just to start early on the whole thing so that you can alleviate stress for the rest of the semester.” College and career counselor Julie Johnson suggests looking at college websites to see if that school meets the student’s needs. “College Board has a great website called Big Future,” Johnson said. “Just look at different colleges and do your research and just begin to explore, that’s very important your senior year.” Although preparing for college is important, Johnson also wants seniors to enjoy their last year and not let decisions bog it down. “I just want you guys to dream,” Johnson said. “Think about what it is you really want to do and don’t be afraid to look outside the box.”
The Seniors cheer in the front row of thestudent section for the first game of the season. From left to right: Airielle Wise, Kelsey Pocowatchit, Morgan Taff, Tommy Chhe, Karla Gonzalez, Nicole Linn, Paige Hollingsworth, Teresa Vu, Brittany Williams and Leah Slade.
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Feature
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Photo Contributed by Wendy Seale.
September 25, 2015
To Bee or Not to Bee
Volleyball moves games from home gym to McNiel after insect infestation forces change By Miranda Darné Something fell from the ceiling. Looking closer, junior Libby Taubert yelled. There was a dead bee on the court. And then more fell from the ceiling, landing in her hair. The bees matched her hair color, making it difficult for her to get them out. Around her teammates stared at the court floor covered in bees that had been zapped by the lights but were slowly starting to move again. Instead of focusing on drills and plays, bees dominated the afternoon of Sept. 8. Eventually the call was made to have after school practices and games to McNiel Junior High. “It was different practicing at McNiel,” senior volleyball captain Kelli Barnett said. “You can tell when everyone is quiet and it’s just a lot smaller than where we usually practice.” In spite of the bee infestation that led to playing a home game in a different school, the Lady Raiders beat Sweetwater three to zero. “We did pretty good and just played the game we love,” junior Sophie Luig said. Because of their hard work and effort put in before and after school, Coach Ciuba thinks they have a strong start to the season. “We just started district play and are 2-0 and are determined to make the playoffs,” Ciuba said. “The girls have been working very hard on and off the court, in and out of the weight room, conditioning and working on their volleyball skills and fundamentals since August 3.” Even though eight members of the Lady Raiders graduated last year, this year’s Varsity team has overcome many obstacles and won “This year’s team is much younger since we graduated eight seniors last year,” Ciuba said. Although most members of the Varsity team graduated last year, this year’s girls have proven themselves with their recent wins. “They do lack some Varsity level experience since, for the majority of the team, it is their first year playing at this level, however, they do not lack skill, hard work, or competitive fire and this makes up for the other.”
Varsity and JV girls practice different drills like blocking the volleyball during eighth period and after school practice. Photos by Jane Coleman.
McNiel
There’s less gym space, it’s just a lot smaller. You’re off the court and into the stands.
vs. Home
Everyone is just sitting on one side of the bleachers at McNiel, and they’re not into it [the game].
There’s more play area in the Rider gym. You have like 15 to 20 feet of play area outside of the court. When things happen in the gym the fans are into it.
With Rachel Richie September 25, 2015
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LAST SECOND SEASON
Outcome of varsity games often characterized by plays in 4th quarter
Coach Robby Wood speaks to the offense during the Denton Guyer game on Sept. 11. Photo by Amy Nguyen.
By Makayla Schnaufer econds remain in the game against Amarillo. The football team is down, but not by much. The coaches make a decision to place junior Willie Cherry in as quarterback. He keeps the ball and runs with it, taking it into the end zone in the last second and making the final touchdown of the game. The varsity football team traveled to Amarillo on Sept. 4 to play the Amarillo High Sandies. The team triumphed with a final score of 27-24. “It was a great win,” senior and football team captain T.J. Vasher said. “I was very happy for us from a team standpoint. We didn’t need to take another loss and have our hopes down, so winning like we did was a good deal.” The first two games of the season
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were decided in the last seconds of the game, resulting in a loss against the Abilene Cooper Cougars and a win against the Amarillo High Sandies. The third game ended in a loss to 6A powerhouse Denton Guyer. The Raiders kept the game close in that one until the last quarter. Despite this, Vasher said that the loss actually helped the team. “It was a tough loss on the team as a whole, but it also made us come closer and realize the bigger goal for the season,” Vasher said. Head Coach Marc Bindel said he doesn’t worry much when it comes down to the last seconds. “We put faith in our kids and believe they will get the job done late in a game,” Bindel said. “We always feel like we can win every game even if we fall behind. A lot of games come down
to one play here or there.” While most people would tense up under the pressure of those last seconds where the game is on the line, Bindel said the team prepares for moments like that in practice. “We put them in similar situations in practice so they feel comfortable during the games,” he said. Bindel also said that the intensity helps the team. “We grow as a team through the adversity.” Bindel and Vasher both say that the close scoring games bring the team closer as a whole. “We would rather blow it out, but when the score is closer it makes you better as a player and as a team,” Cherry said. “The close games matter more.”
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The Season So Far:
Rider Raiders vs. Cooper High Cougars Raiders lose 32-38 Amarillo High Sandies Raiders win 27-24 Guyer High Wildcats Raiders lose 27-44
September 25, 2015