“I’m always going to want to look better, but I feel good about myself right now.” Logan Sells [12]
Love Yourself
Everyone has their own definition of body positivity. If you look up #bodypositivity on any social media platform, picture after picture, post after post, it’s all about girls learning to love their acne-covered faces, how their bodies look in a swimsuit, and learning to be unaffected when society tells us we look ugly without makeup. This modern wave of body positivity is one of the most wonderful social changes today, and to know that we are paving the way for future generations to love and accept themselves is an incredible feeling. [Continued on page 8] (photo by Makenna Gibbs) FRIDAY 02.09.18
The Official Newspaper of
Gauger WHITE OAK HIGH SCHOOL
Volume 25 Issue 3
Online at www.wogauger.com
200 S. White Oak Rd. White Oak, TX 75693 (903) 291-2029
stay
February 9, 2018
connected
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Jordan Steele prepares for upcoming All-State concert.
Adviser Editor-in-Chief Copy Editor News Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Business Manager Opinion Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer
Karen Cook Mackenzie Brown Sabrina Smith Jesse Gaut Kason Kienzle Luisa Soto Leigha Valandingham Hailey Narvaez Anna Dusek Nate Hearron Elijah Trest Makenna Gibbs Victoria Babineaux Addie Miller Lauren Hinch Ryan Zimmerman Shae Orms
Views expressed in The Gauger are those of the writers and do not represent the views of the school district. Member of: University Interscholastic League Press Conference Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Quill & Scroll Student Population : 407
200 S. White Oak Rd. White Oak, TX 75693 Volume 25* Issue 3 February 9, 2018 Advertising Rates: Bronze Level-$25 Silver Level-$75 Gold Level-$125, $200 Platinum Level-$250, $350, $475, $650
pages 3-4
NEWS
*Denotes that volume numbers were reset at the time the paper converted to newsprint in 1995. The Gauger actually dates back to 1938-39.
ENTERTAINMENT pages 13-14
From their eyes, three girls reveal their confidence levels.
SPORTS
IN DEPTH
pages 8-9
Student Council raises money for ‘Olivia’s Forever Smile.’
DNA Dysfunction
pages 7,10
FEATURE
OPINION
ROUGHNECK
RETWEETS
*uses phone for 26 minutes* *is at 54% at 8:36am* what. the. heck. @andyj2019 I thought we were in high school, not second grade. @coleewhite
pages 11-12
really just want some chocolate covered strawberries for valentine’s day @GreyceRiley
This raven will be the death of me.... #thankspoe @SipesOlivia
Never underestimate the power of passion. It is the driving force in the life of every overachiever... Passion Powers Purpose #MakeAChampion @RoughneckHoops
Lord I promise if you can just help me pass these 4 tests tomorrow i’ll be a good boy for the rest of the week!!!! @ThomsettJohn
COMING UP
NEXT
If you would like to submit a letter to the editor or send us a guest article, e-mail the staff at mbrown1@wostudent.net All high school students receive the Gauger free of charge and copies are also available for community use in each of the campus offices and the administration building. In addition, all businesses that purchase ads receive a complementary copy of the paper.
Breakdown of the BreakUp
Senior Andrew Hood leads the Roughnecks down the stretch as they look forward to the playoffs.
pages 5-6, 15
Feb. 19 School holiday twitter: @wohsjournalism facebook: @wohsjournalism snapchat: @wohsjournalism instagram: @wohsjournalism
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Feb. 28 Half day
March 12-19 Spring Break March 21-22 District UIL
White Oak Swim Update: Congratulations to Layton Anderson for his two 1st place finishes in the 200 Free and 100 Fly, Onward to State Meet. This journey continues and nothing but good things to come. #roughneckstrong and #whataswimmer @9193hawk it’s crazy how quick things can change @kylierpepper
March 30 Good Friday holiday April 3-5 State testing May 5 Prom
February 9, 2018
One Make-up Snow Day
NEWS
Students required to attend in April Lauren Hinch Staff Writer
Due to a two day flu outbreak and two snow days, classes will be in session on April 20, a previously scheduled day off. Students will keep their half day off Feb 28 and full day April 23. Provided there are no other bad weather days, students will only be giving up one of their previously scheduled days off. “Right now we are planning on making up only one of the days,” principal Donna Jennings said. “We are planning on using one of the scheduled days off in April. We will be attending class on April 20. We thought it would be better to take the Friday off instead of the Monday, since there are usually scheduled events on a Friday.” The district is fortunate to have planned extra minutes into the school calendar to allow for days like this. “The concept of ‘bad weather days’ allows a district to plan for the amount of time needed to present all the instructional material for a particular grade level and/or course. With an
allowance increase, backup plan, we are not able to make it to school for a certain period of time,” superintendent Mike Gilbert said. “The bad weather days allow us to meet the instructional needs of our students and have some flexibility to contend with forces outside of our control, like weather and illness.” Because of a change in state law in 2015, the Texas Education Code no longer defines 180 days of instruction as an acceptable school year. Instead, the requirement has been changed to at least 75,600 minutes of instruction, with one day defined as 420 minutes. “White Oak ISD has a District of Innovation Plan in place that states we will have a minimum of 75,600 minutes of school at each campus level,” superintendent Mike Gilbert said. “At WOISD, we made the decision to keep the 75,600 requirement as a foundation for building a good working school calendar. It is up to the district as to how we divide that time between semesters.”
Driving to the rim, junior Asia Robertson looks to split the defense and score a layup during district competition against Harleton. Robertson is a key scorer for the Ladynecks and is able to create other shots for teammates. The Ladynecks will compete in the first round of the playoffs after a game with Jefferson in New Diana tonight. Tip-off time is 6:30 pm. photo by luisa soto
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Hot shots
3
Girls basketball team looks to playoffs Sabrina Smith Copy Editor
With the district season drawing to a close, the Ladyneck basketball team look to tackle playoffs next week aiming for another win. With Troup, Harmony and Sabine all tied for first in their district, the girls are unsure of who they will face in the first round. Last week the girls faced Waskom and Elysian Fields in two hard-fought games. “Everyone has an off game,” junior Asia Robertson said. “Playing Waskom was that for us, but we still came out with the win, which is all that really matters. We couldn’t let ourselves dwell on it because we had to move on and get ready for the next game.” The girls scraped by with a 40-38 win over the Waskom Wildcats last week, fighting to the very end when the Ladycats surged with points. “The score should’ve been a lot different, but we were lucky that was our off night,” Robertson said. “We can’t afford to have another one of those going forward, but I’m confident that we’ve got this if we focus.” Moving on to focus on Elysian Fields, the girls watched film and practiced hard in the two days leading up to it. “We knew that if we won, we’d for sure take second, and I think that just made us want it more,” senior Desiree Murray. “Plus, they’d beaten us in the first round of district but our first game against them was a lot closer. We wanted to make a point, and beating them would’ve made that point much clearer since they were undefeated in district so far. The Elysian Fields game came close with the girls fighting until the very last second, but ending up taking the loss against them. This was also the Ladynecks’ parents’ night. “It got really emotional for us,” junior
Lamya Nelson said. “We’ve all been together for so long, we act just like sisters. We get on each other’s nerves and argue sometimes, but we’re a family and I’m going to miss these girls next year.” Moving forward, the girls played Ore City to finish district play Tuesday, February 6. This last game is also when Jefferson and Elysian Fields play to determine if Jefferson is still tied with the Ladynecks for second in district. If this occurs, the Ladynecks may have to play Jefferson a third time Friday to determine who takes second in the district. “I think it’ll be a good game if we have to play them again,” senior Kyla Weeks said. “It’ll come down to who wants it more, but I really think that’s us. We’ve worked so hard this season, we want to come out on top. Then we just have to focus on the playoffs.” In preparation for the playoffs, junior Karli Anderson and freshman Payton Palmer have been pulled up to the varsity to join them in practice and in games. “I’m honored to get to be a part of the team,” Palmer said. “These girls are tough and have worked hard all season. I get the best seat in the house during their playoff games and get insight into how a varsity game comes together from behind the scenes.” With Troup, Harmony and Sabine all tied for the top three spots in their district, the girls are unsure of who they will face first. “I hope we play Sabine first,” senior Alyia Hall said. “We played them once in a pre-district tournament and lost, so they probably expect to do the same in the first round. I want to take that win back and advance, but anyone we play will make for a great game.”
February 9, 2018
NEWS
The Three T’s Band members earn All-State Band honors Lauren Hinch Staff Writer
After earning their position in the allstate band, senior tuba players Logan Sells, Juan Resendiz, and sophomore trumpet player Jordan Steele will be traveling to San Antonio Feb. 13 to 18 to attend the TMEA convention, followed by rehearsals and the all-state band concert. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name on the list. I was very excited,” sophomore Jordan Steele said. “I am most excited about being in this band because it will be a great experience.” Preparation for the all-state competition requires many hours of hard work and dedication. “I would sit down and practice over two hours a day in preparation for Area Contest,” senior Juan Resendiz said. “Being in this band is one of my greatest accomplishments. It means that all this hard work has paid off, and that I am able to prove to others what they can accomplish when they work toward it.” Sells and Resendiz, both tuba players, competed in different classifications to earn their position. Resendiz earned second chair in Class 3A and Sells earned first chair in Class 4A.
“The main difference between All Region and All-State is the reward level,” senior Logan Sells said “You have to practice so much more, but you get to miss four days of school and go to San Antonio for TMEA, so it’s worth it.” The all-state experience can be a good way to give students an idea of what to expect for college band. “Band has always been an activity that I have a lot of fun with,” senior Juan Resendiz said. “It is something that I do hope to major in at college and teach others what a great time band can be for them as well.” Overall, achievements like these inspire many students to excel in what they love. “I want to strive to play as perfect as possible, and if awards come along with that, I don’t mind that,” senior Logan Sells said. “Better yet, it’s just a goal to work toward and makes you a better musician.” In addition to the All-State qualifiers, the entire band will attend UIL Solo and Ensemble on Feb. 2 and 9. “Solo and ensemble is a contest where you prepare a piece of music
where a judge will critique your work and give you a division of 1-3 on most cases, 1 being the best score,” senior Angeles Guillen said. “A solo requires you to know your arranged piece and be able to play it with the piano and an ensemble requires three-five players to play an arranged piece together.” In order to advance to the next level of competition the ensemble or solo must make a 1 and will travel to Pflugerville later in May. “If my group got to advance to state we would keep working hard on the music because there is always room for improvement,” freshman Zane Werner said. “It’s important to try and make a 1 to advance because this achievement represents the school and shows the skills that White Oak consists of.” The students get to choose the group members of the ensemble and the band director assigns the music they play. “My group members and I were very excited about forming our group because we have been talking about doing an ensemble together since the beginning of the year,” junior Madison Gilbreath said. “By choosing who is in your group it makes doing solo and ensemble a lot more fun and not as stressful.” Some students choose to do multiple activities like a solo and an ensemble. “I chose to do a solo and an ensemble because I wanted to get better at clarinet, and earn two more chances to make it to state,” sophomore Jasmine
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Webb said. “An ensemble is harder to get together because with a solo you just have to work on getting the notes and rhythms right with the piano, but with an ensemble you have three or four people that have to know their music and if one doesn’t have their stuff together it won’t work.”
Practicing to perfect his sound, All-State student Jordan Steele prepares for his trip to San Antonio later this February. “I am probably most nervous at the fact that I’m only a sophomore,” Steele said. “This is my first experience at something big like this so I want to do well.” photo by jesse gaut
High Hopes, Low Times Senior qualifies for state swim meet Baird McDaniel Contributing Writer
With arms fully extended, senior Layton Anderson pulls away in the final stretch of the 100 yard butterfly at the district swim meet in Texarkana. Anderson won both the 100 butterfly and the 200 yard freestyle at the district competition and then again at regionals. He will compete at the state swim meet next weekend in Austin, Texas. “I feel confident going into the state meet,” Anderson said. “My goal is to get on the platform and I think I have a good chance of doing so.” photo by lisa potichko
Qualifying for his final state swim appearance, senior Layton Anderson will compete in the UIL State Swimming meet Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17. This will be Anderson’s fourth time competing at the highest level and he hopes to get his chance on the medal stand. “I will be swimming the two events that I qualified for at district,” Anderson said. “I will be swimming the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard butterfly.” After a dominating performance at the
Regional swim meet, Anderson still isn’t satisfied. “There’s no way of knowing how well I will do for sure but I feel that my training had prepared me to win gold,” Anderson said. Anderson has his eyes set on a medal at the state meet, proving that he’s ready for the collegiate level. “I feel confident going into the state meet,” Anderson said. “My goal is to get on the platform and I think I have a good chance of doing so.”
SPORTS 5 Tradition Never Meet Me at the Bar
February 9, 2018
www.wogauger.com
graduates Young softball team takes field
Powerlifting season underway
Luisa Soto Photo Editor
Elijah Trest Staff Writer
After two weeks of practice and several scrimmages under their belt, the softball team ready to begin their season on Feb. 12 against Canton in a game at home. Graduation took a toll on the team, leaving only two starters returning this season. “I was scared since we lost so much talent; I knew we would have to teach the younger girls a lot,” junior Savannah Wilkinson said. “The younger girls have done a really good job of filling in their spots.” In addition to graduating players, two new faces are coaching from first and third base as well. Head coach Jame Wilson came from Grape Creek while Roughneck alum Klint Blankenship made the 10 mile jump from Kilgore. “It’s definitely a different experience from McFall to Coach Wilson,” sophomore catcher Samantha McGrew said, “but they are handling it well and the season is going well so far.” The team is handling the adjustments well and learning how to play together with all the new faces. “We are learning new personalities and how to get together as a team,” Blankenship said. “We are figuring
out how to play together and the best combinations to make us the best team possible.” A slew of young talent and two passionate coaches are laying the foundation for teams in the years to come. “A lot of the teams in our district have young teams; they graduated several of their players also,” McGrew said. “It will make us scrappy and able to play against other teams as well.” The girls have scrimmaged Gilmer, Van, and Robert E Lee., winning one of the three to Robert E Lee 12-3, and losing to Van and Gilmer. “I think that even though we are young we will shock a lot of people,” sophomore Kaitlyn Barham said. “As a whole we are working harder than ever and as the season progresses we will only get better.” Young talent, work ethic, and team chemistry will hopefully be enough for the Ladynecks to get back on track. “We are really close, and that’s important for any good team,” freshman Bailey Owens said. “We’re young but we are excited to continue a winning tradition set by the girls before us.”
“When I’m stressed about a test or something in class, I just go into the weightroom and lift,” sophomore Patrick Martinez said. “Just the bar and me.”
“I love the intensity of the meet,” sophomore Madison Hamilton said. “Having to rush through flights and being wrapped while everyone is screaming and then finally getting on the platform to do my lift is such a euphoric feeling.”
By the Numbers Sabine Lifter
Total
Longview Lifter
Total
625
Luisa Soto
665
Tori Hill
700
mallory carroll 2nd place 470
710
Kalib Kerns 3rd place
720
Patrick martinez 3rd place 1125
logan sells 1st place
1435
Patrick martinez 3rd place
1210
Luisa Soto Tori Hill
4th place
2nd place
Kalib Kerns zach cobb
4th place 4th place
1st place
1st place
640
750
February 9, 2018
SPORTS
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Moving On Regular season ends, playoffs begin Nate Hearron Staff Writer
top dogs The Philadelphia Eagles, after losing their star quarterback, were considered the underdogs all throughout the playoffs, despite being the number one seed. Two of the Eagles defensive linemen, Beau Allen (left) and Chris Long (right) wore “underdog” masks for each round of the playoffs, and after their Super Bowl win, called themselves the “top dogs.”
Philadelphia wins their first Super Bowl Nate Hearron Staff Member
The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2017. For all of you who didn’t watch this year’s NFL championship game, that was probably pretty misleading. For all of you who DID watch the big game, you probably got pretty triggered. Yes, the New England Patriots won in 2017; the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018. Entering the playoffs with the exact same record and as the number one seed of their conferences, both teams had to work hard throughout the regular season to set themselves up for postseason success. Starting the season 10-1, the Eagles didn’t just look like a Super Bowl teamthey looked like Super Bowl champions. With the best defense in the league, a young, phenomenal quarterback at the helm, a great O-line, a fantastic duo of receivers, and the acquisition of a star running back for virtually nothing, it
seemed that nothing could stop them. Then, week 13 came around, and their star quarterback, Carson Wentz, suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Eagles finished the season 13-3, and entered the playoffs with little hope. The Patriots, on the other hand, had their struggles early, starting the season 2-2. After those two quick losses, quarterback Tom Brady reminded us why he has the “GOAT” status by leading his team to a 13-3 finish, despite a few injuries to his team along the way. By the time the two met in the Super Bowl, they had both proven themselves worthy of being there. In conference championships, the Eagles asserted their dominance over the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, whereas the Patriots overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a back and forth shootout, the winner of this shootout wasn’t truly decided
until the final seconds. Although the Eagles held an 8-point lead with less than a minute to go, the Patriots had the ball; Tom Brady can’t ever be counted out of any game, especially the Super Bowl (google Super Bowl LI for more). The matchup between the Eagles and the Patriots in Super Bowl LII was one for the records. The two teams combined for 1,151 total yards, an NFL record, and combined for the fewest amount of punts in a Super Bowl with only one, as well as many other Super Bowl records as a result of either stellar offense or horrid defense, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide. The most significant result of this Super Bowl wasn’t any of the records broken; it was either the fact that the Eagles finally ended their Super Bowl drought by clinching their first championship in franchise history, or that the number of Eagles fans grew by 6,000 percent.
The Roughneck basketball team (102) is currently second in district, behind only the Jefferson Bulldogs (12-0). Both of the team’s losses have been to district-toppers Jefferson. With only two games left, the Roughnecks will have to battle to maintain their district standing without any more home games. “The fact that we only have two more regular season games shouldn’t, and doesn’t, matter to us,” senior guard Kason Kienzle said. “If anything, this should be the time that we’re working our hardest to get ready for playoffs. When playoffs come around, we should be at our absolute best- our season depends on it.” Both of the team’s losses have been to Jefferson. The first of their two skirmishes was in Jefferson, where the Roughnecks jumped out to a 27-26 lead going into the half. However, the Roughnecks struggled to find their shot in the second half, and ended the game with a small-margin loss, 50-58. The next of their matches took place in White Oak, where the Roughnecks failed to ever clinch the lead, regardless of staying right there with the Bulldogs, and gave up the series sweep, 47-54. “Losing to Jefferson twice essentially meant to district championship, which was a goal of ours this season,” senior forward and captain Cameron Bates said. “It hurt, but it motivated us to work harder in practice to seal our spot for second in district.” A few of the Roughnecks’ wins came down to the final buzzer. In their first game against Wasom, the Roughnecks pulled away with a 1-point victory at home, 53-52. The Roughnecks again came away with a small-margin victory when they travelled to Ore City in their second matchup against each other, walking away with a 3-point lead that came down to the buzzer, 46-43.
OPINION
February 9, 2018
dna
Reasons Why I Save My Hair, Prints, Nails
dysfunction
I save every piece of my hair possible. I don’t do this because I plan on knitting a sweater or saving it all as a life souvenir, I do it because I am very aware that the FBI, CIA, and SSA most likely plan to clone my body and kill my original, or I will be blamed for a crime I did not commit due to my DNA being in the place of the crime. For as long as I can remember, I have had a fear of leaving myself places, whether it’s my hair or my fingerprints. As I am sitting in class leaning over my desk, I can usually key in on the stray twenty-seven inch air gleaming in the light on my sleeve. Quickly, I grab the hair, wrap it around my finger, and shove it into the depths of my backpack. I clean out my backpack weekly, and then I vacuum up the hair that sat safely in the bottom of my bag. I only feel comfortable leaving my hair in places that I feel safe in like my home, or at The Farm (Jacob’s home). By nature, I am a very anxious person. I am afraid of scenarios that I completely made up in my head. I walk through the grocery store, aware of my surroundings, occasionally stopping to look at something that I might want. I pick up the glass jar and then decide I don’t want it. I have an overwhelming urge to pick it back up with my hand pulled through my sleeves and wipe the glass clear of my fingerprints. This most likely stems from my love of crime TV shows since my young childhood. It has placed a fear in my mind that I can’t leave my DNA places unless I want to be cloned or arrested. Some people donate their hair, and some people send their DNA to Ancestry.com, but the thought of doing that gives me heart palpitations and causes me great worry. I have absolutely no idea where my saliva would go after they tested it to see
Leigha Valandingham Business Manager
where it originated from. Thoughts of terror fill my head as I imagine what I would do if I donated my hair, and then the recipient of my hair commited a crime, but I got arrested because it’s technically still MY hair. This is not an illegitimate fear. It is very justified. Saving my DNA from dissemination used to be my biggest secret of all, but then my mom started catching on, then my boyfriend, and then the recognition of my fear spiraled into a whirlwind that catches everybody’s eye, and soon it wasn’t a secret anymore. When I’m in public, my mom will save my hair from falling off the back of my shirt and put it in her purse. Jacob is also very patient with me as I ask him to please place my hair into his jean pocket, when I have no available pockets to place it myself. If that’s not true love, I totally don’t know what is. Sometimes, I feel completely out of place as I sneakily attempt to put my hair in my bag or my pockets, but my phobia just makes me different than other people, and I am sure that out there, somewhere in the big world, someone shares this fear with me. Sometimes, I have a small panic attack thinking about where my hair goes after I vacuum it up and throw it away, but I try to remain calm knowing that dumpster diving is not at an all time high right now. At least I know that if someone wanted to frame me for a crime, they would have to go to extremely great lengths, such as digging through my garbage, in order to do so. Stepping back and looking at my trepidations, I feel they are justified because every single one of these scenarios could happen in real life and I would hate to fall victim to a tragic cloning disaster or an epic crime scene with nobody to blame.
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Shortcuts don’t lead to success
7
Is Cheating Getting Worse? Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief
With instant internet availability Cheating is about getting ahead for and constant contact to friends, it’s most people, which makes success becoming easier and easier to cheat much harder for those who choose to in school. For some students it may remain honest. While some students actually feel like cheating is the only accept that failure is a part of growing way to keep up with fellow classmates and is a part of learning, others refuse who are cheating, and for others it’s a to allow failure into their lives. Those way to prosper. who learn the right way may fall Despite how often as students are behind in school while those who take warned not to cheat, the problem is shortcuts manage to get ahead. still widespread Plagiarism is and students don’t punishable but seem to see the tolerated with “While some consequences. rookie students in students accept that Cheating is high school, but normalized so in college it could failure is a part of much that kids are mean losing usually quicker to growing and learning, your scholarship ask their friends others refuse to allow or even getting for answers than kicked out. failure into their for help. Usually Some claim that students don’t students are still lives.” even cheat to pass unclear about but to thrive since what plagiarism it’s human nature to desire greatness. is, but at this point there’s just no It’s also natural for us to find shortcuts, excuse for it. If you’re using copy as sometimes it feels that the end and paste to write your essay, that’s justifies the means, but there are plagiarism. It isn’t a complicated consequences to academic shortcuts. concept. Cheating is about short term goals, There are better ways to get but success is a long-term thing that ahead than to cheat. Failure is the key requires hard work and determination. to success and it’s time that students While cheating may seem like a time- start to realize that it takes mistakes to saving solution in school, it’s going to get to the top. take more than mooching off of hard workers to be successful in a career.
IN DEPTH
February 9, 2018
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Flipping the Scale Not just women impacted by society’s standards Makenna Gibbs Staff Writer
Everyone faces body shaming. It does not just mean ‘bigger’ individuals being made fun of for the size pants they wear. It also includes the people that are ‘too skinny,’ boys who don’t have a six-pack, and everything in between. So while we are celebrating the female body in all its glory, promoting body positivity, and standing up for women who are objectified. It’s disgusting that we ignore the fact that men face the same kind of judgment from society. Isn’t the body positivity movement meant
for everyone? I think it’s time to shine a light on the side of things people tend to forget. According to research, men worry more about body image than women. Almost 90% of men are found to talk in ways that promote anxiety about their bodily imperfections as compared to 75% of women. Men, like women, resort to extreme exercises, diets, laxatives, and even making themselves sick in hopes of getting away from body shaming. Some think if you think you’re too fat or too skinny, go to the gym, but out of 394 men, 23% said they
avoided the gym because of their appearance. Also, three in five men say that body talk has affected them negatively. Hollywood, the industry that is trying to show awareness to women being objectified, do the exact thing to men, and what happens? They make money off of it. This is not acceptable. If girls want respect for their thoughts, actions, and bodies, the same respect needs to be extended to the boys. There are men in the world who are stepping outside the societal norm and have
Bodypositivity 6. playlist 3. Kyla Weeks Contributing Writer
1. “Beautiful” 2. “My Lumps”
Christina Aguilera
The Black Eyed Peas
photo by makenna gibbs
“Hips Don’t Lie” Shakira
had a positive impact on the crowd they reach. Boys need to know that they aren’t the only one’s facing criticism today and that it’s okay to acknowledge if you have problems with body positivity. This movement is for all of us, girls and boys alike. For anyone reading this; you are loved, you are beautiful, and you don’t have to change who you are to please anyone else. Embrace the life and body you were given, flaws and all.
10. “Most Girls”
Hailee Steinfeld
7. “Confident” 11. “Bringin’ Sexy Back” “Thunder Thighs” “All About That Bass” 8. “Who Says” 12. 4. 5. “Born This Way” 9.“Stronger” 13. “Sexy and I Know It” “Try”
Colbie Caillat
Meghan Trainor
Lady Gaga
Demi Lavato
Selena Gomez
Kelly Clarkson
Justin Timberlake
Miss Eaves
LMFAO
IN DEPTH
February 9, 2018
Swole the
Sabrina Smith Copy Editor
for
soul
From Her Eyes Addie Miller Staff Writer
Senior finds happiness in gym
With a job at Total Nutrition Longview, a steady diet of grilled turkey and daily workouts, he’s worked to get into his body, quitting cross country after a year and lifting more. Not every day is a good day, but he pushes the limits of his body to grow stronger and more capable. With his growing strength and love for lifting, senior Logan Sells is stepping up to the rack in powerlifting with confidence in not only his strength, but his body as well. Sells anticipates competing at the state powerlifting meet. “I used to be self-conscious, like in my freshman and sophomore year,” he said. “I didn’t want to take my shirt off on vacation, but now I feel good about myself. I’m not afraid to put on a little fluff right since I’m in powerlifting season. If you weigh more, you lift more.” He pays close attention to his diet and sticks to a daily routine. “I pay special attention to my diet, but I don’t feel deprived,” he said. “If I know I’m going out for a birthday party, I just plan accordingly. I will go ahead and enter into myfitnesspal. I’ll allow myself extra calories for the day. I consume about 2,800 calories a day. I try to hit all my macros each day.” Meal prep is essential to his weekly routine. “I meal prep several times a week,” Sells said. “That’s probably the worst part; going to the grocery store, cooking all my food, then cleaning all my dishes. I get two of the three pound ground turkey rolls. I eat a lot of turkey because chicken hurts my teeth.” Sells focuses on band and lifting to improve himself instead of burning calories doing cardio. “The reasons you should want to make a change, should be for yourself,”
he said. “A lot of women come into the shop and say, ‘I want to be skinny, what can I get?’ That’s not how it works. If you’re doing it to impress some guy, then it’s not the right reason. If it’s for your own health, that’s different. Girls are so much more self-conscious and harder on themselves.” Working at Total Nutrition has allowed him to see a different side of the workout world beyond the pump in the gym, helping people of all backgrounds in their pursuit of getting fit. “I work out because it makes me feel better,” he said. “I like the way I look now. I’m always going to want to look better, but I feel good about myself right now.” Sells has seen his progress since he began his workouts, and encourages others to do the same. “Take the progress pictures,” Sells said. “It’s so awesome to see how much your body can really change in even 3 months. To see the hard work you have put in, in your pictures, is really amazing.” With this intense workout regimen, Sells is considering entering a body competition, at least eventually. “I don’t plan on being a personal trainer, but I might enter a local body competition,” he said. “Just one here in Longview to see how well I could do.” Sells knows he is in the position to lead young people and others looking to get in shape in the right direction, finding inspiration in others as he continues on his fitness journey. “Advice I would give to someone younger is if you don’t like what you see, work to achieve the body you are proud of in a healthy way,” he said. “A quote by Socrates that really speaks to me is ‘what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.’”
Senior Emma Rolland [] “The only thing I don’t really like about myself without makeup is that my eyebrows are kinda thin and I have bags under my eyes cause I don’t get enough sleep.” My confidence level stays about the same, with or without makeup. I’m honestly too confident for my own good. Like if I dress up and wear loud shoes to school, you better know something’s about to happen. I’m definitely more confident with make up on but it’s not a big difference. I still love myself both ways.”
freshman skyla O'brien
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“Without makeup, I don’t really like how my eyes look. I feel like they’re too small and just don’t fit my face right. With mascara and eyeshadow, it’s almost as if they grow in size and it’s actually magic. With makeup, I’d say that my confidence level is pretty up there. Not necessarily a 10/10, because in my opinion no one can reach that, but definitely an 8/10. Without makeup, that score shoots down to about a 4/10. When I’m at school, I don’t really worry about it much because I am around the same people every day, but as soon as I leave these walls something just happens. Makeup is almost like a shield that boost up my confidence and it’s nice to have around. I would say that I am confident. In many cases I am expected to be confident because I am an actress and that’s just the label society puts on us. Once you really chisel down all of that, and really look at me without all the labels, that’s when you see the real confidence. Especially for someone my size, there is a certain amount of oomph that is needed to be confident, and ooo I got it all. I am who I am, and once you learn to accept that, that’s when the true confidence shines through.”
junior reagan smith “Without makeup, I like my eyes and my eyebrows because my eyebrows look good without a bunch of makeup on them. With makeup, I don’t really like my lips because they’re huge. I think makeup makes me look prettier, and looking good on the outside makes me feel better on the inside. I am still confident, but sometimes I like being bare-faced just because it’s easier and more refreshing. I’m comfortable in my own skin and I know my value to myself and other people. I think it’s most important to love yourself because you have to love yourself before you can love others.”
OPINION
February 9, 2018
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The latest shooting in 2018 took place at middle school in Los Angeles. A gun in a girl’s backpack went off, injuring 5 people.
1 month,
11 shootings It’s time to look at gun control issues Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief
One month into 2018 and there have already been 11 school shootings and three of these shootings took place in Texas. In most of these there were no injuries. Overall there were at least five were killed and over 20 have been injured. The federal government should focus on the restrictions of buying and selling guns by tightening up on loopholes. The controversial issue of
gun control doesn’t threaten individual gun ownership. It covers everything from restrictions to background checks. Currently, federal law prohibits many people from owning guns. This includes people with criminal records or serious mental illnesses, illegal immigrants, and dishonorably charged veterans, as well as certain people under other circumstances. Gun dealers are supposed to run background checks before
selling, but some small-scale sellers (think gun show sellers) aren’t required to do this. Gun control is often controlled at the state level, but the laws that exist between states is often inconsistent. Some states require that background checks are run even for private sales while others do not. Some states require a license or permit to own a gun, but most do not. For instance, in Texas, a license is only required for handguns. While support for
more gun control restrictions is declining, the number of shootings is increasing. Individuals should have the right to own their own weapons if they choose to do so. However, at some point soon the federal government needs to enact some restrictions across all states such as the banning of high-capacity magazines, stricter background checks (especially for assault rifles), and the elimination of the gun show loophole.
February 9, 2018
Debate Debacle Jesse Gaut News Editor
Solvency, Harms, Inherency, Topicality, Significance. A week ago this acronym for stock issues would have never passed through her mind; now, it’s all she can think about. An abrupt need for partners called for senior, Morgan-Taylor Thomas to make a switch to CX after debating LincolnDouglas style throughout high school. After three years of debating LD style, Morgan-Taylor took the opportunity to debate at CX district with her partner, senior Logan Goodwin. The duo placed second and will debate at the state tournament on March 12-13. “We were very fortunate and everything pretty much went our way at district,” senior Logan Goodwin said. “We debated well in the prelim rounds and got the pairings in finals that we hoped for.” Although she has debated before, the two styles are very different. “I was super nervous to debate CX because of the adjustments that I had to make,” Thomas said. “CX is very evidence driven while LD is more analytical and morality based.” The seniors worked quickly and came together as a team, just in time for the big day.
FEATURE RUN FAST
First-year CX debater advances to state after only two meets
“The main struggle was trying to explain all of the technicalities in CX debate,” Goodwin said. “I had to teach her in four weeks what our opponents learned over four years.” With LD debate experience already under her belt, MT was able to use that to her advantage. “I’m proud of how M.T. performed,” Goodwin said. “Because of her background in debate, she was able to stand toe-to-toe against people who have been doing CX debate for three or four years.” They both had great support throughout the entire process. “I didn’t think twice about letting her debate at district when [Logan and M.T.] asked me if they could,” debate coach Mrs. Noble said. “M.T. is a good speaker, she’s clear headed, and had a good partner so I wasn’t worried at all about her handling the transition.” The duo will continue preparations and improve their partnership as debaters. “I’m very lucky to have had the opportunity to debate with Logan and to be going to state,” Thomas said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without him.”
Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief
She doesn’t plan on leaving anything unfinished. None of her goals unattained. Forgoing a year of high school only drives her to compete that much harder. Competing in her senior season, track star Kinsey Smith looks forward to the state track meet for the third consecutive year by putting in hard work early in the season and staying focused on the bigger picture. “I went to four indoor meets in January and competed in the 400m, 60m hurdles, and long jump,” Kinsey said. “I PR'd in the hurdles with a 9.2 which got me first at the Pitt State High School Invitational, and ran a 59 second 400 at Arkansas which is really exciting for the beginning of the year.
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Senior prepares for track season
With the outdoor season coming up, Kinsey is preparing to compete in the 300 and 100 hurdles, mile relay, long jump and high jump. “As far as training goes, I lift weights with Coach Burks on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and by myself on the weekends,” Kinsey said. “Cryslan and I do strength and conditioning work during 8th period every day and then do our running workouts after school.” Kinsey also does hurdle drills and works on jumping after her workouts in order to prepare for the upcoming track season. “I plan on being a heptathlete in college, I'm not sure what college yet,” Kinsey said. “My goals for this season are to beat my own hurdle records and for our mile relay to beat the school record and go to state.”
ON Sale Now through February 23 Logan Goodwin, Morgan-Taylor Thomas, Sam Reynolds, Jesse Gaut, Kason Kienzle, Wyatt Smith, Cameron Bates and Mason Hill swept the cross-examination district meet. Goodwin, Thomas, Reynolds and Gaut will advance to the state meet to be held in Austin, Texas on Mar. 12 and 13. courtesy photo
FEATURE
February 9, 2018
Having a cow Junior raises heifer Alex Meaux Contributing Writer
smile
Surgery
Standing before the high school, Olivia Hale is presented a large check by Principal Donna Jennings at a ceremony in the gym to help pay for her smile surgery on January 30. The student council hosted several events throughout the year, raising a total of $1,720. “We have done several events for ‘Olivia’s Forever Smile’ including teachers wearing jeans in one fundraiser in the late spring, Wear Purple for Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day, and Brain Break for Olivia,” student council sponsor Kim Taylor said. photo by hailey narvaez
Freshman with Moebius Syndrome prepares for operation
Anna Dusek Staff Writer
A smile is one of the most common facial expressions a person uses. Most of the time we don’t even realize that we are smiling, it just comes naturally. One simple movement can display so much expression, however, sometimes we take expressions for granted. Moebius Syndrome, which keeps a person from being able to display facial expressions and smile, is a rare disorder that freshman Olivia Hale has dealt with since she was born. However, she still finds a way to display her bright, positive personality which will show on her face for the first time after her surgery last week. “These school fundraisers “I have had to have a lot of patience bewill help tremendously to cause we started planning this in seventh offset many expenses, but grade,” Hale said. “But my family and the emotional support, community have been so supportive by doing so many fundraisers and donating encouragement, and prayer and have been really helpful.” efforts are priceless.” The high school student council held Jack Hale a fundraising event on Jan. 25 allowing students to take a 30 minute break during seventh period to enjoy two pieces of pizza and a soda. The price to participate was five dollars and all proceeds went to Olivia’s surgery. “The fundraiser that the school did means so much to me,” Hale said. “Last year in middle school, they raised $3,500 which has helped so much getting our travels ready and paying hospital fees and this year is going to be even greater with the high school involved.” The surgery took place in St. Louis, Missouri and lasted 8-12 hours. After the operation, a week in the hospital to recover is required. However, being able to smile for the first time will make everything Olivia has waited for worth it. “Babies can smile at six months old and here I am being 14 almost 15 and haven’t been able to smile ever,” Hale said. “But after this surgery I might actually be able to, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Everyone has their own passion in life and they vary greatly whether it is in sports, school, or in junior Ryan Denton’s case, raising and showing his heifer, Annabelle. Ryan is a showman for FFA and shows a female Beefmaster, a breed of cow developed through the crossbreeding of Shorthorns, Herefords, and Brahmans. “I have shown my heifer for about a year now and it all started with my passion for cows,” Ryan said. “I told Mrs. Meyers about my interests in them and she was the one who gave me the idea to buy and take care of Annabelle.” At the types of shows Ryan competes at, the cattle are judged based on specific standards like how they look, if they are too thin or too fat, and if they have drank too much water or not enough. “People may not think it is that competitive, but when you are with that animal longer than you are with your family sometimes, that animal becomes
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your family,” Ryan said. Ryan has competed at local competitions, placing 4th in his class at the Gregg county show, also known as Harvest Fest, and has participated in major competitions at Denison and Fort Worth, placing 8th in his class in Fort Worth. “Ryan works really hard with his animal, and for him to do as good as he did in his class at Fort Worth is really something,” animal science teacher Mr. Freeman said. For the past year, Ryan has been with his cow every day, sometimes waking up at 5 in the morning to take care of her. “I have to feed her, walk her, clean her stalls, wash her, and comb her hair,” Ryan said. “I’ve devoted more time to Annabelle than I am to school work. I spend at least 4 hours with her every day to take care of her.” Despite the early mornings, all the time and effort has been an invaluable experience for Ryan. “I am the first person in my family to show and I have kind of been on my own,” Ryan said. “It’s been difficult, but the bond I’ve built with Annabelle has made all of my hard work worth it.”
On a Facebook post dated almost a year ago, Ryan began his journey with Annabelle. “Today I was blessed to start a new chapter in my life,” Ryan said. “Meet Annabelle, a Beefmaster that I will be showing at stock shows coming up in the next few months.” The bond between the two has only grown since that day. courtesy photo
ENTERTAINMENT
February 9, 2018
sen ior i tis LIFE HACKS
How to stay strong in the spring Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief
You’ve spent the past three and a half years dedicating your time to AP classes, extracurriculars, and UIL meets. All of your time has gone to being a student, and now that you’re so close to graduation, it’s hard to hold onto that motivation. But have hope, because there are a few things you can do to stay strong. Just remember what all your hard work has been for.
4. Look Forward
Plan your senior trip so you have something to look forward to. Whether it’s a staycation or a vacation, put something together with your friends or family that’ll give you a chance to relax and have fun over the summer.
5. Think About College
Start a college dorm Pinterest board or visit your top college choice’s campus. Keep your future in mind so 1. Slow Down you can remind yourself why you’re still If you start to feel burned out, take working so hard. some time to relax. Have some fun with your friends every now and then and you’ll find it easier to focus when you’re 6. Get a Job in class. Go to the movie theater, try on If you’re not already working, think prom dresses, see your favorite artist in about getting a job. It’ll give you the concert, go on a cruise, etc. chance to save money for college and you’ll probably make some new friends. When you’re spending so much time in class, it’s actually nice to work in a new 2. Save Time Make good use of your free time in environment and make money while school. If you get the majority of your doing it. work done during school hours then you’ll have more time to relax when you get home. Take advantage of enrichment and maybe even flex.
3. Sleep
Stop staying up on your phone so late. It’s nearly impossible to set a good sleep schedule as a busy high school student, but if you stop playing games on your phone and checking social media, you’ll fall asleep much sooner. Don’t underestimate the stength of a good power nap, either.
7. Make a Study Group
Schedule time for study groups with your friends. The best way to study is with friends who don’t mind taking a break every now and then to watch Vine compilations.
8. Start a Countdown
Start a countdown to graduation and cross off the days as they go by. Remember to enjoy where you’re at while you can. In a few short months you’ll be in a new town with new people and you’ll have the chance to start over again, so hang in there!
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My Overzealous
FBI man
Student accuses govt. of privacy infringement Hailey Narvaez Staff Writer
Yes, voice technology is incredibly useful -- between Alexa’s news updates and hands-off texting, it seems to be a completely harmless user friendly accessory. And it very well may be. At least if you’re okay with the inevitable privacy breach that comes with being part of the digital community. Which, I guess just about everyone is. It’s no secret that we’re a smartphone, social media obsessed society. Be it loneliness, short attention span, or some other mental illness or something like that lol. But whatever it is has spun the latest unsettling topic into a comical craze, coining the people watching and listening through devices into “my FBI man.” There was a time I cut my eyes and shook my head at the people covering their laptop computers with tape, but now I too have experienced the uncanny impressions of my assigned agent. My first noted experience. I had gone to the video store and picked up Chernobyl Diaries, a decently obscure movie from 2012. After lying in bed and finishing it, I opened my instagram, and the very first photo on my feed (not even explore) was a Chernobyl meme. There was no big news about Chernobyl at the time, seeing as it happened in 1986, and I hadn’t googled or streamed it, yet it was there. I slightly less bizarre happening, but still eyebrow-raising occured after I lazily flipped through a few dance costume magazines my boyfriend’s mom had in her back seat. I am not a dancer. I have the grace and poise of a baby horse first learning to walk, and so I sure as heaven hadn’t looked up any dance
costumes for sale, but when I opened my Facebook, multiple ads for just that showed up in my recommended. While discussing the pros and cons of eyelash extensions, I opened my marketplace to scroll through as I usually did when I was bored. Low and behold, not one but two ads show up, one based in Chicago (I expect better from you at this point, FBI man). Having talked about these weird happenings before, I mentioned the eyelash extensions to Ms. Cook, and not five minutes later she got a call from Chicago. My Date with the President’s Daughter is (sadly) one of the most irrelevant movies there is. I tried every streaming network there was and nada. It’s only available on VHS if that tells you anything. Now, I know what you’re thinking well obviously if you looked it up, it would show up “cross-personal remarketing blah blah blah”. This didn’t show up in an ad form, however. While looking at Twitter, I saw some random guy comment on a tweet, thought it was funny so I followed him. I thought, this is a funny guy, and went to look at his ‘media’ tab. The third photo down was a photo from the movie from the same scene that I had screenshotted just 2 hours before. Harmless suggestions from a subpar “security Santa” or a unconstitutional breach of privacy — you be the judge. And even if you don’t care to believe this, at least the man staring through my laptop watching me type this can at least get a little better at covering up his tracks, so he doesn’t get fired. I’m looking for for you.
February 9, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
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Breakdown of the Break-up Chronicles of the worst (and best) ways to end a relationship Sabrina Smith Copy Editor
Breaking up sucks; there’s no other way to describe it. No one is happy right after a break-up and one party normally ends up watching an increasingly sad movie with a pint of fudgy ice cream under a mound of fuzzy blankets and tissues. There’s always damage, but there are ways to minimize that pain. Here’s my two cents on the art of breaking up and the stories behind them. Haha my life’s messy.
Dumping someone Don’t ghost someone. I’m as guilty of this as just about everyone else so don’t act like I’m the only person who’s ever done this. I feel a little bad about it now, but other people have done this to me so I’ve been on both sides of the situation. It sucks, but it was easy and non-confrontational. Social media and cellular devices have made it so easy to just cut contact and pretend a person doesn’t exist just because they caught feelings and you didn’t. End it in person. Texting ruins lives and allows for people to be cowards when they want to end things. Every time I’ve been dumped over text, I’ve questioned how much I was worth in the relationship because it seemed like the person didn’t care about me enough to actually have a mature conversation. For those of you that aren’t confrontational, this is difficult, but remember it’s the mature thing to do. Do it in a public place… on the most insignificant day possible. Alright, so I got dumped on the same night I had an awards banquet last yearOVER TEXT- and he was supposed to be my escort, so I was beyond livid. He said he’d meet me at Taco Bell afterwards so we could discuss it, and then he didn’t show up because he fell asleep. He ruined the entire night because I ended up crying with a steak quesadilla in my hand on a night when I could’ve won a huge award, so it’s fine. Needless to say, avoid breakups near major holidays, important events, and birthdays please. Don’t put it off. Take control of your own happiness. If you aren’t satisfied with the relationship and don’t see hope for a change, end it right away. The longer it’s put off, the more attached that person becomes, making it worse for both parties involved. Don’t use a cliche excuse. I’ve been the worst about this, but I know every else is, too, because these excuses are supposed to dampen the blow, but that ONLY works when you actually make a convincing argument. Okay, dumpers, you know what I’m talking about. Don’t tell your person “it’s not you, it’s me” or “I hope we can still be friends” or “it was bad timing.” Time to stop being a pansy and be honest about why you’re not happy enough to stay in the relationship. The honesty will be more appreciated in the long run because there’s actually closure.
getting dumped Don’t let them do it over text. I’m going to say this one more time because it is so important. Someone tried to dump me over text and I refused to let it happen because at this point I knew how crappy it was. I made them meet me and have an actual break-up conversation, only the first meet-up was unsuccessful (see Do it in a public place & Don’t string them along) and the second conversation didn’t provide any closure. Don’t burn their stuff. I’ve only done this for one person’s stuff, and I only slightly regret it, but still, don’t do it. One day, you may not hate them and you’ll look through old notes and at old bears with a fondness instead of the hatred you feel in that moment. It’s only satisfying for a moment. Change something. The best way to get over a rough break-up, in my opinion, is to change something. Cut your hair, buy some new jeans, heck change your glasses prescription. I’ve painted my walls, cut my hair and taken on new hobbies as my own form of cleansing from the relationship. It sounds kooky, but I swear on everything it works. You’re starting fresh with just that one thing that can’t be tied to them.
Okay, y’all, listen. I need you to read what I’m about to say, and then read it again. People will walk in and out of your life for a reason, especially in these weird teenage years when we don’t know exactly who we are. Every person serves a purpose in your life, no matter how small; when they’ve done what they were meant to do, they will leave. Of course, there are the exceptions, the people who’ve been there since kindergarten that will still be there ten years from now when you’ve graduated college and settled down, but most people teach you something and then leave. And that’s okay. If they were meant to stay longer, they would’ve. Don’t beat yourself up because someone left even though you think they weren’t supposed to. They were. Whatever happens, you’re growing as a person and everything will work out as it’s meant to work out, I swear to you that much. Trust in the process, babes.
SPORTS
February 9, 2018
Moving On continued from page 6 “Neither one of those games should have been close at all,” senior post Stone Palmer said. “However, it was nice to come out with wins. As Coach Cloud always says, ‘an ugly win is better than a pretty loss.’” The Roughnecks have two more games remaining in the regular season, but these two games are just as important as any other. The Roughnecks are currently second in district, but a loss to upcoming Beckville or Harleton could lead to a tie for second place with Beckville (9-3). “Beckville is currently 9-3, so they’re definitely contenders for second in district,” junior guard Nate Hearron said. “A few games going their way and a few games not going our way could even send us to third, which would give us a tough first round in the playoffs.” With playoff berth arriving, the Roughnecks have to find themselves
and perform their absolute best when playoff time comes around. Since the beginning of the season, the Roughnecks have made major strides, not just as a team, but as individuals as well. “This is my first year on varsity, so I had to step up my game,” senior guard Seth Garcie said. “I’ve had to work hard to improve my defense, handle varsity pressure, and most importantly, I’ve amped up my intensity during the games by diving for loose balls and fighting for rebounds.” When playoff time comes around, it’s all or nothing. A loss in the playoffs means the end of the season, and the end of the high school basketball careers of the 7 seniors on the team. “The postseason is win or go home,” senior guard and captain Andrew Hood said. “It is extremely important to bring 110 percent intensity, focus, and poise to every playoff game.”
BACK IN THE SWING Kason Kienzle Sports Editor
F THINGS
Baseball team out for redemption
There’s no doubt the end of last season left a terrible taste in the returning varsity baseball player’s mouths. Losing in the first round to a team that they had beaten earlier in the year wasn’t in the plan, and the season ended way too short. “I hate losing. I’d even go as far to say that I hate losing more than I love winning. Losing in the first round is unacceptable,” senior pitcher Elijah Trest said. “I want revenge on everyone. I don’t wanna stop until we have a state championship.” This season looks to be like a redemption year. A successful one at that, with the team having all the necessary tools to make a run. Their next contest will be on Tuesday, February 12 against Gladewater at home. The 2018 season began on Monday when the varsity and sub-varsity teams traveled to Whitehouse for the first scrimmage of the year, which is where former head coach Derek Jenkins now coaches. The varsity left as clear
“winners” of the scrimmage with a score of roughly 20-8 at the conclusion of the meeting between the two teams. “It was a great first scrimmage for everyone, while winning, it showed what we need to work on to get better going into the season,” senior shortstop Heath Hood said. Leadership and experience will definitely be on this year’s team’s side. The team has 9 returning starters from last year and will also feature 10 total seniors. Look for upperclassmen to take charge and lead some of the young, new talent in the program. Last season the Roughnecks finished 3rd in district play and will once again have tough district opponents this year. New Diana and number 3 state ranked Beckville once again are headlined as the toughest district contests for this year’s squad. Other district opponents such as Harleton, Elysian Fields, and Ore City won’t be pushovers either. The district is known for having some of the best pitching in all of 3A.
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Cutting off his defender, senior point guard Andrew Hood pushes the ball up the court on a fast break. Hood helps the team with both his scoring and passing ability. The Roughnecks play tonight in Beckville to secure a second place seeding for the playoffs. photo by jesse gaut
the IT list
February 9, 2018
www.wogauger.com
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Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief
listen to it
FINESSE (REMIX) [FEAT CARDI B] BY BRUNO MARS The duo performed the 90s’sounding song at the Grammy’s after its immediate success.
watch it
BLACK PANTHER Black Panther comes out on February 16. It follows the story of Prince T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, after his place in Captain America: Civil War.
try it
GO TO A BASKETBALL GAME Support your friends at their games. Take advantage of your time at high school while you can!
wear it
PASTEL VANS Available online or at Zumiez in the mall, these sneakers are cute and versatile.
binge it
COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE Jerry Seinfeld’s “anti-talk show” was moved to Netflix after its tenth successful season. There are now 4 ‘collections’ (seasons) on Netflix.
eat it buy it
IPHONE X If you’re looking to splurge, start here. It’s got a new look and a great camera,.
JUCY’S HAMBURGERS While we’ve always had Jucy’s nearby, the new restaurant on Gilmer Road makes it a lot closer to White Oak.