Why should you
10.30.20 Volume 28 Issue 2
photos by payton palmer
Gauger
The Official Newspaper of
VOTE?
2020
Read all about...
2
Barrett Williams
3
REGIMENT OF ROUGHNECKS
5
Ladyneck & Roughneck Playoffs
7
Election Coverage
11
Throw Backs
October 30, 2020
Feature
2
Fire and Ice
Student participates on ice hockey team Trinity Noll Staff Writer
Karen West Payton Palmer Ryan Banks Garrett Cook Sam Dusek Sidney Anderson Abby Quesenberry Landon Anderson Lexi Baker Chloe Bates Lizzy Bueno Jenna Crum Jordan Crum Karson Lott Trinity Noll Lexi Palmer Staff Writer Caleb Scott Staff Writer Gracie Shellhorse Staff Writer Kaylee Wilkinson
Adviser Editor-in-Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer
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 : 431
200 S. White Oak Rd. White Oak, TX 75693 Volume 28 Issue 2 October 30, 2020
If you would like to submit a letter to the editor or send us a guest article, e-mail the staff at ppalmer@ 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. *Denotes that volume numbers were reset at the time the paper converted to newsprint in 1995. The Gauger actually dates back to 1938-39.
Most Texas high school boys buckle on their protective gear, strap on their face mask and head out to the football field. But for one student, he buckles on his protective gear, straps on his face mask and heads out to the ice rink. In a school of 431 students, sits one ice hockey player, freshman Barrett Williams. After learning to ice skate in the seventh grade, playing roller hockey for four years and many pucks to the face later, Williams found himself playing ice hockey for the Jr. Mudbugs. “I started playing ice hockey last year,” Williams said. “I grew up watching the sport with my dad and I guess it rubbed off on me. The game just seemed faster paced than any other sport I’ve seen, plus it has a lot more contact.”
Come November, Williams and his family will venture an hour and 13 minutes out on the roads of Louisiana for practices and games three times a week. Every Monday, he will attend a game after school, then practice Thursday after school and Saturday morning. “I’ll usually get back around 9-10 on school nights,” Williams said. “I will try to get my homework done while in school but if not I will do it on the car ride to practice.” With the choice of this unique sport, comes a big dream. William said that he hopes to play ice hockey in college, followed by playing in the NHL. “I just want to play as much and as long as I can,” Williams said. “ETBU has a good team that I’m interested in, but I will play wherever I can. I hope to make it to the NHL one day.”
To achieve this goal, Williams has put in many hours in the rink, but also on his street. Because there is limited access to ice rinks that are close to White Oak, Williams will practice in his neighborhood. “I need to be faster, which would mean lots more hours skating,” Williams said. “I have hockey skates that I put some outdoor wheels on so I can skate the street and practice sharp turns with.” All athletes have or will have a “wow” moment while playing their sport, where they realize how much they really love it. For Williams, this moment took place at his first tournament in Dallas. “We made it to the semifinals,” Williams said, “The atmosphere there was great. It really felt like a dream just to be there. That’s when I realized how much I loved the sport.”
Musick Grabs the Win Volleyball coach celebrates her 600th win at White Oak Kynlee Bright
Contributing Writer
After their home game on Friday, Sept. 25, against Ore City, the varsity volleyball team celebrated with their coach, Carolee Musick, as she received her 600th win at White Oak ISD. Superintendent, Mr. Gray, along with the varsity team gifted Coach Musick with a personalized shirt, card and cake. “My daily life is nothing but stress and issues so I try to do one fun thing a day. I had a shirt that a buddy of mine made for her so I was working on that for three or four days in advance,” Mr. Gray said. “It was like when you give a Christmas present. I was excited to do and happy to do it. The girls also made her a cake, so it was just a fun thing to do.” The varsity players wanted to surprise and reward their coach for such a huge accomplishment. The girls on the team
worked together to make it a very special day for Coach Musick. “In volleyball, I like how she’ll take the time to come to us and tell us what we need to fix, or in the game if she pulls us out she takes us aside individually and tells us what we did wrong,” senior Payton Palmer said. “It kind of helps you know what you need to do to get back on the court and to better yourself.” According to the team, Coach Musick is a hard and strict coach, but they say that they know she does it to make them better players and a better team as a whole. “It was really exciting to be a part of the team because I know that 600 wins is a really important thing and such a big accomplishment for a coach. Just being able to be on the team really gave a feeling of accomplishment for all of us,” sophomore Anna Iske said. “She’s helped me since my freshman year with enhancing my skills and always giving me things to work on
and helping me to continue to improve throughout the season.” Mr. Gray states that even though he has only worked with Coach Musick for a short amount of time, he has known her and known of her because of the her success. He says that she is very good at what she does, she’s intense and she is not afraid to get after it. “You know, I’ve been watching every game that they’ve had, whether it’s a home game or an away game,” Gray said. “I’m certainly not a volleyball expert, but they look pretty good to me. They got beat by Sabine in district and Sabine’s state ranked. I think they can go far.” Surprisingly, the news of her 600th win came as a shock to Coach Musick as she said that she didn’t even realize that it was coming up. “It gave me chill bumps a little bit,” said Musick. “I didn’t realize it was coming and it was kind and very thoughtful of them to do that for me. It made me feel very good.”
News
October 30, 2020
Back the Blue Student Council adopts local heroes Karlyn Jones
Contributing Writer
Student Council is participating in an organization that the Longview Chamber of Commerce created called “Adopt-a-Police,” where they send monthly gift packages to Longview police officers to show their support and appreciation for all that they do for the community. “With everything going on, we’re trying to find new ways to do community service,” STUCO sponsor Kim Taylor said. “Adopt-a-Police seemed like a great way to get involved in the community.” STUCO is going to send small gifts to the five policemen they adopted every month. For the month of October, they sent the officers beef jerky, gift cards, packs of gum and pens.
“I hope that we show these officers that we are thankful for all that they do for us and show them that we care for them,” STUCO president Payton Palmer said. “I’d imagine it’s hard to be a policeman right now with all the craziness happening in the country. ” The first gift was delivered by Reagan Reeves and Kadee Y’Barbo Oct. 13. In the future, they plan on gifting notes of encouragement, goodies and snacks to show the officers just how much their community supports them. “Honestly, it always feels good to know that we might be making these officers’ long hard days of work a little better,” Palmer said. “Every day these officers leave their families and there is never a guarantee that they will be back. We wanted to show these heroes that we appreciate their hard work.”
Banded Together
3
Harvest Festival Results
AG MECHANICS 5th Place - Fire Pits - exhibited by John Langley & Dylan Walsh 3rd Place - Trailers - exhibited by Nereo Deleon 2nd Place - Yard Conveniences - exhibited by Jacee Pinson & Casen Borden RESERVE CHAMPION SALE PROJECT: Jacee Pinson & Casen Borden RABBITS Sale Qualifiers: Kaylee Sipes - 23rd Adam Caldwell - 18th Emma Richeson - 12th GOATS Colton Fears - 7th place, Class 5, 2nd sale alternate Mattie Simpson - 1st place, Class 8, 1st sale alternate
Regiment of Roughnecks to compete next week Ryan Banks Copy Editor
Through school closure and COVID-19 procedures, the Regiment of Roughnecks will attend the Region 4 district marching contest next Tuesday at Sulphur Springs to be judged on this season’s marching drill. “I’m nervous, but everyone is in the same boat with struggling and being behind,” band director Jason Steele said. “I personally disagree with the contest happening, but it’s something we have to do.” Due to recent complications, the band missed many practices it would have normally held. For example, the band missed two summer band practices especially for new marchers, and a week’s worth of class. “It’s scary, but I feel like if we have enough time, focus, and come together, it will be fine,” freshman Karley Owens
said. “If everything was like it should be, things would be smooth and Mr. Steele would be more relaxed, but with him being stressed it’s making me worry about it too.” A number of students have been moved to different spots in the drill where they must relearn specific parts of the march due to the quarantine procedure. There have also been “holes,” empty spots where a person should be, due to the frequency of the absences. “It has been nice to see kids that normally wouldn’t step up, be leaders and fill gaps that need to be filled,” Steele said. “ Since the band’s first practice, the class has been split apart between two band halls. woodwinds practice in the middle school band hall, and brass practice in the high school band hall.
“The only time we can all play together is when we are outside marching,” senior drum major Katelyn Eason said. “I think the main reason most people haven’t been motivated is because we don’t have a set routine unlike every other year.” This year’s march includes a crowdpleaser maneuver called the starburst, and the band will play “Precision Fanfare, “Chicago World’s Fair Centennial Celebration 1933,” the “Drum Major” and “Honey Boys on Parade.” “Because of this predicament, people are more understanding toward each other,” Eason said. “I haven’t noticed as much arguing as a normal year and I think that’s because we are all in the same boat trying to get through this together.” The “Drum Major” includes a
baritone feature consisting of junior Cason Wells, junior Garrett Cook and sophomore Jacob Nope. To stay up to tempo, they will have to play eight notes each second. “It’s a lot easier than it sounds,” Wells said. “Garrett, Jacob and I had a lot of fun practicing it together. It’s a neat part to play.” If the band performs well at regionals, they will qualify for area, which is taking place Dec. 12. However, Steele has decided not to attend because of the late date. “I have been wanting to be drum major since my freshman year but I looked at it with a different perspective once the season started,” Eason said, “I realized that I was put in this position for a reason, and I look at it as my chance to help the band and lead them to success during these difficult times.”
October 30, 2020
Through the Hoop Preview on the boys, girls upcoming seasons Landon Anderson Staff Writer
The varsity basketball teams look to have much success this year with many players returning for both teams. They guys and girls had first round exits last year, and are looking for revenge this basketball season. Because of Covid-19, the boys team has been cut short from activities they normally do to prepare for the season. In a normal year, they go to Texas A&M team camp in the summer, and tournaments in the fall. “A&M camp is where we are able to come together as a team,” varsity Coach Brett Cloud said. “Luckily we have mostly returners so it’s not that big of a deal that A&M camp got cancelled team chemistry wise.” With summer activities being canceled because of Covid-19, senior Payton Palmer saw it as a time to really work hard with the team, and look forward to a successful season. “Once we realized every other school was in the same situation, we had to decide to use this to our advantage by working harder in the off time,” Palmer said. “We have a lot of returners, so I think we have a good chance to win district again.” Senior Carson Bower will lead the boys team as the only senior on the team. The team has gained much experience this year with most of the team being upperclassmen. “I think we will definitely be more successful this year,” Bower said. “The younger players have improved a lot since last season, and I think we have a good chance to go deeper into the playoffs this year.” Sophomore Anna Iske was a freshman on last year’s varsity team, and wants to improve from last year, and have success with the team. “I’m really hoping to improve on my shooting this year. I’ve been working on it throughout the entire quarantine and throughout the summer too,” Iske said. “I’m hoping this year we can do good in district and make it far into the playoffs.”
Sports
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JV Football Slow start to season doesn’t discourage team Keller Lott
Contributing Writer
This past Thursday, White Oak’s JV football team played the Gladewater Bears; this game resulted in a 4014 loss for the Roughnecks. Despite the loss, the Roughnecks had many positive aspects such as sophomore Gavyn Jones’ two touchdown receptions. “I think we fought hard considering all the players we are missing,” Jones said. “One thing we still need to improve on is continuing to battle no matter what the score is.” This Roughneck football team has started with a 1-5 record. However, both coaches and players will tell you
Takes a Hit
despite all the problems coming from this team there is definitely some upside. “I think we have improved on both sides of the ball,” coach Klint Blankenship said. “Our guys have also done a great job of being coachable, putting the team first and having good team chemistry, but we have to continue to improve and learn from our mistakes.“ Although this team might be a little rough around the edges, players are still thinking of ways to improve for and win their upcoming games. “Last week we learned that if we don’t discipline each other then we will not perform nearly as well as we can,”
COVID Cuts it Short
sophomore Casen-Scott Cooper said. “I think our physicality and aggression will improve as a result of this selfdiscipline moving forward.” Any player will tell you this team was lacking their usual aggression this past Thursday; however, with mindsets like this they look as if they will improve on this in the next few games. “Even though we’ve started off the way that we have, I believe that the coaches see our potential and will continue pushing us harder and harder,” Jones said. “Going into the next few games we will look to improve our physicality and start coming out on top.”
JV volleyball season comes to early end
Lexi Palmer Staff Writer
The junior varsity volleyball team’s season has come to an early end complements of COVID causing a forfeit from the final opposing team, Ore City. The team started their season by going to practices weekly from the start of summer and finished their season Tuesday, October 13. After a surprising short season, these girls said their goodbyes as they transitioned into the next season of the school year. “This season was super strange due to the virus,” sophomore Chloe Bates said. “We had to wear our masks often and during our season, we had to quarantine for two weeks which shortened our season greatly. We also didn’t get to play our last game so it was cut down even more. I am looking forward to my junior season and I can’t wait to see how my teammates play next year.” lots of difficulties and setbacks along the way but were able to push through
and overcome them. “I had one concussion this season With this being a rough and interesting season from beginning to end, the girls will be prepared and ready to come back next year with high hopes of next season being somewhat normal. “My favorite thing about this season
was actually being able to have a season,” Addison Clinkscales [9] said. “Since all this covid stuff hit, it was very indecisive whether or not we were going to be able to play. I was not sure and a little concerned about how it was going to work. I enjoyed this year and it was a great year for us to learn.”
Diving for the ball, Mackenzie Goode [10] plays left-back defense. Goode is a defensive specialist and has improved her game by focusing on her footwork. “I think the season has been good,” Goode said. “I have improved on moving my feet to the ball. My favorite part of the game is serving and just passing in general.” photos by mike peery
the NBA Bubble Ratings at all-time record low
Sports
Landon Anderson Staff Writer
On March 11, the NBA was the first major sport to shut down its season after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for Covid-19. All players and staff members went into quarantine and 34 total players and staff members came down with the disease. The league then took the next few months thinking of a plan to safely finish the season and determine a champion. In June, they came up with a plan that brought 22 teams to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to play in a controlled environment with no fans. There were many measures taken before returning to play such as daily Covid-19 testing, social distancing, masks, and many other quarantine to make sure it was safe to begin. The season began with eight regular season games to determine the 16 teams that made the playoffs, and then the playoffs began on August 17. Although the NBA came up with a successful plan to play basketball with no positive Covid tests, there were many negative things that came with it. The players went months without seeing their families which caused some players to become depressed. With no fans at the games, there was
no excitement at all during the games causing views to decrease greatly from normal years. Buzzer beaters and big plays that normally would have the crowd going crazy, ended with just the players celebrating in an empty gym. Because of this, NBA broadcasts have decreased 45 percent from 2011. All broadcasts that showed NBA games over the course of the bubble had much lower ratings than last year. During the bubble, many players used the opportunity to play as a platform for Black Lives Matter Movement. Many players had phrases on the back of their jerseys such as “Equality,” “Justice,” “Peace,” and many others. At the beginning of the second round of the playoffs, the teams decided to not play for 3 days as a form of protesting the injustices that were happening at the time. I think this also factors in with the decreasing ratings because many people have different opinions about the movements, causing people to not want to watch. Although the ratings were down in the bubble, I believe that they will be back up to normal next season. Many big name players were hurt this season, and with everyone healthy, next season will be fun to watch.
Roughnecks Rebound Sam Dusek
Sports Editor
Football team looks forward to playoffs
The Roughneck football team has defied expectations with their 4-1 start to the season, even after the cancellation of the first three games due to COVID. With games against Tatum and New Boston remaining, White Oak will either finish second or third in the district and make their first playoff appearance since 2017. “I one hundred percent expected this because I think we are one of the most talented and the most hardworking team in our whole district,” senior Jackson Frazier said. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, then we will make a
run in the playoffs.” After blowing past New Diana, the Roughnecks opened up district play by pulling off last second victories over Atlanta and Jefferson. “When Jefferson missed the game-tying PAT in the last few minutes of the game, I had so many emotions, especially relief,” senior Colton Cobb said. “It’s always great to start the season off strong, and it’s even better coming off of last season.” White Oak kept their momentum rolling as they destroyed Sabine 30-11 in controlling fashion.
All Out, All Season Payton Palmer Editor-in-Chief
With a successful district season, the Ladynecks will be entering playoffs as the second place seed with a 10-2 district record. The girls will match up in round one of the playoffs against the Waskom Ladycats tomorrow in Hallsville at 3:00. “I think we’ve improved on our communication throughout this season,” sophomore Anna Iske said. “In the beginning, we didn’t really communicate well with each other, whether that was calling a ball or telling our teammates how they can help us. We’ve been working on it all season and it shows in the games.” The girls almost swept district with their only upset being from stateranked Sabine. Both times the Ladynecks faced the Cardinals, they took the game to four close sets. “When we played Sabine at home, we all had lots of energy,” sophomore Emma Nix said. “We all knew the game was going to be hard, but we never let up and continued fighting. It showed us we are able to hang with “One of the biggest keys to our success is that we are always the most physical team on the field,” junior Rylie Redden said. “Our coaches are always preaching phsicality, so we go out and practice that every day so that we can play like that in games.” The Roughnecks suffered their first loss of the season in their last game against Gladewater, but they still held the Bears to their lowest point total of the season. “We have had the ultimate motivation going into this year after hearing all the talk about 0-10,” Frazier said. “We used that motivation, and now we are so much closer than we have been in the past, and we are ready to win.”
Ladynecks look to make run in postseason play
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outstanding teams, and if we work on the little things we can possibly beat them in the future.” Over the season, the girls have had both mental and physical challenges that they’ve had to overcome. “Our biggest challenge this year has definitely been COVID,” junior Kaylee Wilkinson said. “It’s caused so many changes, such as wearing masks and social distancing throughout practices. We’ve had to bounce back from several of us testing positive for corona and from a two week quarantine right before district started.” Senior Alysa Hall, a key player for the team, underwent gallbladder surgery Tuesday and may not get to compete in tomorrow’s game against Waskom. “Not having Alysa on the court can be detrimental because she always helps keep us calm and scores several of our points through her hits and serves,” senior Payton Palmer said. “With COVID and then Alysa having emergency surgery, it’s eye opening to the fact that we really don’t know when our last practice or when our last game will be.”
photo by mike peery
October 30, 2020
Scrambling away from his defender, junior Cayson Siegley gains extra yardage in a crucial victory over rival Sabine. Siegley left the game early after a nasty face mask that resulted in an ejection for the other player. “I have been using a heating pad every day before practice and taking ice baths,” Siegley said. “I still expect our team to be great like they have been. They work hard every snap to beat the guy in front of them. Hopefully we will be 5-1 going into week 10.
In Depth
October 30, 2020
Mock
ELECTION 2020
voluntary survey conduced by wohs journalism staff
Biden
34
Trump
Past
203
6
MEET “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
PRESIDENTIAL
Predicaments
Garrett Cook Copy Editor
A malicious, dramatized public squabble is nothing unusual to U.S. elections. Every four years - for the past 200 years - there have been scandals, frauds, name-calling, outrage and devoted, die-hard supporters, but the questions are: Why does this election seem so intimidating? How is this election different from that of George Washington’s or the controversial election of 2000? Elections seem so unpredictable and scary for many Americans. Do I trust my beliefs? Or do I trust the media? Do I vote for whoever my grandpa threatens me to vote for? Or do I decide my vote by whichever candidate has the most political yard signs on my street? So many questions. Welcome to the stress of U.S. elections. As shown by nearly every nationwide poll, Biden is expected to win the election. As shown by Trump, he’s expected to win, but the polls were against him back in 2016, too. Yet, he still took the victory. Did he get the popular vote? No, he lost by nearly 3 million votes, and he’s not the only president ever to lose the popular vote and still win the presidency. Four other presidents have also been short of the popular vote: John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison and George W. Bush. (Fun fact: John Quincy Adams didn’t win the majority of the popular votes or the electoral votes. His opponent Andrew Jackson won the popular vote and no candidate won the majority electoral votes since there were several other candidates taking in votes as well. Hopefully, we won’t have this dilemma in 2020, but maybe Kanye will pull through and steal some votes. We’ll be back to square one, the nightmarish 1824 election.) Now, let’s take a look at our dear friend, Teddy (the last president with no middle name) Roosevelt. He was shot while campaigning for his rd term under his selfmade Bull Moose Party. The mighty Theodore declared, “You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose.” Teddy finished his nearly 90 minute speech
Joe Biden
Biden served as the vice president to Obama (2008-2011), and he is a far left liberal. Biden’s stance on issues 2020: • • • • • • •
Believes in holding power in the federal government Against the second amendment Opposes Trump’s plan for reopening the economy Allow open borders Supports late term abortion Raise tax rates Supports the Affordable Care Act
In Depth
Payton Palmer Editor-in-Chief
THE
7
CANDIDATES
October 30, 2020
“Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Donald Trump
continued from page 6
with blood rushing out of his chest. Some might say, our election is intense, but it could be worse. Let’s now look at the very first election - the election of 1788-1789. The beloved George Washington took home the sweepstakes with 100% of the electoral votes. Moving on to the election of 1792, Washington, again, won the election with 100% of the votes. A true, God-sent man like this will probably never exist in our history again. Now, our election will definitely not be as lanslidish as that, but who knows what’s in store? Televisions, radios, the internet and social media have definitely impacted our elections. Let’s take, for example, the first televised debate of 1960. People listening to the debate on the radio thought Richard Nixon clearly won while people watching the debate on TV thought John F. Kennedy won because he looked less nervous and was coated with makeup to boost his appearance. Television altered the outcome of the debate. Kennedy ended up winning the election, and television has played a major role in every election since. Just like now, the media plays a MAJOR role in the presidency. Make sure to gather accurate news. Another issue that may occur during this election is the mail-in ballot debacle. Results for this election may not be known on November 3. Similar to the BushGore election of 2000, there may be major controversy and a recounting involved in this election. In 2000, the votes were so close that the supreme court got involved, Al Gore demanded a hand recount and it left a legacy of potentially the closest U.S. election in history. Don’t be surprised if the 2020 results aren’t known on election day. Propaganda, controversy and fiery emotions have engulfed our nation since the beginning of its elections. This is nothing new. Yes, it is a very important election and should be treated very seriously, but the chaos shouldn’t intimidate you. Learn about our history, our candidates and your values. Stay informed and you will be fine. I’m gonna finish with one more fun fact. Whoever wins this election will be the oldest president in U.S. history. We the grandpas of the United States as some might say.
Senator Kennedy VS Vice-President Nixon
• • • • • • •
Believes in giving the states more power Supports the second amendment Keep the economy open through COVID Ban illegal immigration Against late term abortion Lower tax rates Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act
The first nationally televised Presidential debate took place in 1960 and painted John F. Kennedy in a more favorable light. This brought a new age to politics as audiences were able to see and compare the candidates.
photo from nixon presidential libray archives
Trump is our current president (2016-2020), and he is a far right conservative. Trump’s stance on issues 2020:
October 30, 2020
Entertainment
It’s Fall Y’all
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Awaited sweater weather has finally arrived
Lexi Palmer Staff Writer
When you find yourself not able to dip more than your big toe in the pool, dressing a little more modestly, running back in for a jacket, swerving on the road to avoid a squirrel, or rat, no its a leaf flitting by, you realize that there’s something different in the air. A crisp, clear difference. I know what it is. It’s fall y’all. When everywhere you look there are pumpkins. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin spice, pumpkin pies, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin lotions and pumpkin shampoos. Orange, yellow, gray and white pumpkins and now some with warts on them too. Are all these pumpkins a crazy new diet, or perhaps a cure for the Covid virus? No, none of those. It’s fall y’all. At football games, the cheerleaders are dressed a little warmer, where
gloves and hats are a must. The quarterback wears a jacket on the sidelines to keep his arm warm before going back into the game. People are a bit more hurried as they arrive at the stadium, all wrapped up in their scarves and hats, their cheeks and noses pink as they scurry to their seats. But when through the clear night sky, my favorite teacher’s voice rips through the air, “Dude, your legs are too short to make calls like that, c’mon you idiot…” You know what season it is. It’s fall y’all. Sweaters, spice lattes and the season where the holidays begin is riding our tails as the days quickly go by. People are progressively moving into the fall state of mind. No longer do we search out the summer sun, but we look for the glow of the evening fire as we cuddle in with our warm cup of steaming,
hot cocoa and colorful, fuzzy socks, maybe to watch the latest Hallmark movie with our sister. Will the young single girl find true love? Will she end up with the man she’s slowly falling in love with or will she take the job of her dreams that pops up at the last minute that will cause her to move halfway across the world? She’ll take true love silly, every time. Even though her true love married a different girl in a show last week and an even different girl the week before that. Why do they fall in love every single time? It’s fall y’all. It’s a time when children roam the streets, knocking on doors demanding payoffs in candy from their neighbors. When moms go crazy and dress up their children in complementary outfits. Been there done that. From PacMan and the ghost, to Star Wars characters,
and finally all the main characters in the movie Up,(luckily Payton had to be the big floating house), and all descend on the residents of Woodbine so that they can provide candy for the whole community. Why must they do that? Because it’s fall y’all. And you really know what season it is after our big thanksgiving meal, when all the different families are gathered around the TV. People are piled on couches and sprawled across the floor. Brothers are screaming at cousins who are screaming at the TV because their favorite football team is losing. Arguments rise, tempers flare and bets are paid. And it’s when Alabama is losing to Louisiana when you realize this one great truth… even the best will fall y’all.
can’t find an option you like enough, you can take a sharpie and draw whatever you want. If you’re like me and can never make a decision on the spot, you should probably start looking up options and planning at least a few days in advance. This may seem a bit extravagant, but this is important. These pumpkins will be on your porch for approximately three days before they rot, and when I say rot, I mean ROT. There will be bugs of every kind surrounding your pumpkins and they will slowly, but surely completely morph into something much scarier than you could’ve ever carved. Pumpkin juice will flood out and run through the streets, and just when you think it can’t get any worse, you smell it. There is no effective way to describe that horrendous smell, so I’ll just say be thankful for your mask. 5. Don’t use the biggest knife for all of it. Remember all the different sized
knives I mentioned earlier? This is why they’re so very important. When you’re cutting open the top to pull all the guts out, you’ll probably want to use your biggest knife. On the other hand, once you get to all your intricate designs and more difficult carving techniques, you’ll need to move on to your smaller knives to make sure you don’t accidentally cut an eye off your jack-o-lantern. 6. Put in lights and take pictures. After all of the hours slaving over the pumpkin with seeds flying everywhere, you need to make your pumpkin the brightest on the block, so you can at least get some form of appreciation for all your hard work. Like I said before, the pumpkins don’t last long before the flies start swarming, so you need to have some instagram worthy pictures, or facebook worthy in case your mom gets a hold of them. Let’s be honest if it doesn’t at least make your Snapchat story, what’s the point of carving pumpkins in the first place?
A Professional’s Guide to Carving Pumpkins Step-by-step instructions for novice carvers Karson Lott Staff Writer
Pick the best pumpkin. 1. My personal favorite place to get pumpkins is Ellis Pottery because not only do you get a great pumpkin, you also get to look at all the cute little pumpkin designs they made that I know I couldn’t have done even if they gave me a year. Another good and much more convenient choice is Brookshire’s. No matter where you get your pumpkin from though, you still have to follow two main rules. Don’t pick a lumpy pumpkin, and don’t pick a pumpkin with warts and scratches everywhere. I’m not trying to say that their battle scars don’t make these pumpkins beautiful, it just makes them so much harder to carve. 2. Get a carving kit. Apparently there is a conspiracy going around that the carving kits don’t do anything. I don’t want to completely shut down this theory, but I’ve never heard something so incorrect in my
life. The carving kits have some of the most helpful tools I’ve come across thus far in my life. There is a pumpkin gut scraper so you don’t have to get your hands all messy. There’s a whole set of knives in sizes which are all designed especially for pumpkin cutting. All this being said we need to stop disregarding the carving kits. You can usually find them at the same place you find your pumpkins. 3. Put on Halloween music. This is a pivotal part of the overall carving experience. Without music, the whole vibe is completely thrown off. If you want to effectively carve a monster in your pumpkin, you have to listen to the Monster Mash. You might not want to admit it, but it’s just the truth. 4. Decide what you want to draw on your pumpkin. This is, by far, the most important part, and it’s pretty clear why. If you’re not one of the conspirators, you can use a stencil from your carving kit, or if you
October 30, 2020
Entertainment
That One Time... Looking back on quarantine things Lexi Palmer Staff Writer
It was the last weekend of spring break and we were all crammed in our SUV heading home from our vacation. We were going to stop off at six flags for one last exciting event before school. Most people think SUV’s provide large amounts of room but when you come from a family of seven, being stuffed in a car with easy listening on the radio, things quickly deteriorate to the ‘you stink, you have bad breath, you need to shave your legs’ level. Luckily my oldest brother was still at college but that still left six of us to experience ‘family bonding’ together. My dorky 6’5” brother Stone, sat sprawled in the middle, the sole reason being so that he could spread out the length of his 5’ foot legs which put his wonderful smelling feet directly in front of the AC vents recirculating the wonderful stench all about the vehicle. Suddenly, my sister Payton looked up from a text exclaiming that her state debate meet was being canceled due to the corona virus. We were shocked because we really didn’t think that we would
ever be personally affected by this faraway disease. The next moment a news broadcast came on the radio announcing that there were going to be school and business closings and that all travel except for essential travel was going to be restricted. Suddenly things got serious. “There’s going to be a run on the stores,” my mom said. My dad quickly turned the car away from Six Flags and towards home where we could be one of those crazy people running to the stores to stock up. Like out of a movie, my brother Cade, who was still at college called. He was coming home for spring break the next week and the college informed them to pack up all their belongings, they may not be coming back. So, what started out as the last few days of spring break despairing that I didn’t want to go back to school, ended up with the thought, ‘Am I ever going back to school?’ And then the drudgery began. No school, no restaurants, no church, no friends, no nothing. The only excitement we had was to see who
could go to the most stores and bring back the most toilet paper and those able to find any with more than singleply were given special praises. At first my mom was so happy we were all trapped home together and we couldn’t leave. But as the months went by and we asked, ‘What’s for breakfast, mom?’ ‘What’s for lunch, mom? What’s for dinner, mom?’ She soon became acting erratically that she was trapped with us all together and couldn’t leave. These were the simple days. I could sleep in if I wanted to, I could brush my hair if I wanted to, I could build a toilet paper fort if I wanted to. Having to begin life again was a whole different story. Halfway through quarantine, the athletes were told that workouts were going to start back up again. Instantly after hearing this news, I knew the good life was about to be over. Who would have thought that trying to stay in shape would have been a good idea? Just the thought of running gave me that nauseated feeling. The most exercise I had done for two months
straight was the high knees I would do from my room to the kitchen to grab that ‘one’ last snack. Workouts began and that’s when reality hit me, I’d been eating too many of those ‘one’ last snacks. But it was nice to finally see everyone again, even if it was only half of their faces. But I soon realized there were some adjustments that I needed to make. I had to start brushing my hair again. I couldn’t wear the same clothes day after day. I had to get used to waking up before lunch. I had to stop watching the movie marathons and start the summer reading. I had to get over my fear of running out of toilet paper. Life is slowly returning to normal, but it still seems very strange when we’re sitting in a restaurant and we see families going by, all wearing masks. My parents often say that someday our own children will never believe what we went through. I’m sure when they head to the cupboard to grab that roll of toilet paper they’ll turn to me and say, “I know, mom. I know.” as they run off to do their business.
This could be a fruitful year for all of you. Don’t leave any stone unturned to find your joy and passion or you will regret not taking chances this year. Besides, how awful could this really be? Everyone is in it together. The school will sink or swim depending on how the seniors react to the pandemic. If there are smiles and happiness around every curve; we will thrive. If darkness and tears come pouring down upon us, we will surely sink. Don’t look at the terrible knuckleballs we have been thrown, look at this opening as another chance to live out your last year together in fashion. Memories are the most important part of your senior year. Do not search for these moments. They will come, but when they do come remember to enjoy it, live in it and thrive. To the
class of 2021: we are in this together, no matter the outcome. We will always have the memories of each other from the first day of kindergarten to the last day of senior year. We have become a family over the last 11 years with an unbreakable bond. Keep your heads high, smiles wide and spirits up. This class will not be broken by the virus of 2020.
Early in the morning, the class of 2021 gathered together at the track for senior sunrise. Through these trying times, the administration along with Mrs. Taylor, have worked hard to bring some normalcy to the school. “Having to wear masks, social distance, and become besties with handsanatizer, this school year has been extremely different and weird,” senior Payton Palmer said. “I’m appreciative for all the teachers and staff that have worked to make everything as normal as they can through this pandemic. I hope by May covid is no longer a threat, so I can be reminded of what my classmates faces look like before we go our seperate ways.”
Staff Writer
You could say this is an odd year for the senior Roughnecks or for any Roughneck student. Particularly due to the fact they must wear a mask, walk on the right side of the hall and walk by a temperature scanner every time they enter the school. Most of all, the ‘unknown’ is the scariest part of the whole situation. For the seniors, the unknown is probably the most intimidating. You don’t whether you will play sports, attend games, have a senior prom, or even finish in-school instead of at home. To all these seniors, it’s the last year, live in the moments now, not the moments to come, explore every turn, be passionate in everything you do and be outgoing toward new people.
photo by kim taylor
Senior Special Student’s perspective on final year Graham Young
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October 30, 2020
Opinion
Disappointment in America’s Team Sam Dusek
Sports Editor
The Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 season is officially hopeless. Although the team received lots of hype from players, coaches, fans, and league experts coming into the season, they have somehow managed to begin their season with a wimpy 2-5 record. The team is such a failure because of poor roster management, awful coaching, and being a league leader in injuries. If Dallas had not suffered any injuries up to this point in the season, their record would most likely be one of the better ones in the league. Instead, they have key injuries at almost every position through seven weeks of play, and the backups have not filled the shoes of the injured stars very well. In their week five match up against the division-rival New York Giants, Dak Prescott endured a gruesome ankle injury, which was later discovered to be
a dislocation and compound fracture, and was carted off the field in dramatic fashion. Backup Andy Dalton was then given his chance, only to be hurt two weeks later by an illegal hit to the head by a Washington Redskin defender, leaving the quarterbacking duties to seventh-round rookie Ben DiNucci. Pro Bowl offensive linemen Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, along with the two next-best linemen, La’el Collins and Joe Looney, have all sustained injuries that have forced them to miss time. Starting tight end Blake Jarwin, a great blocker, had his season cut short too, tearing his ACL in the first game of the year. With a new offensive line constructed of rookies and lifelong backups, no quarterback could lead this offense to success. The defense has had its fair share of injuries as well, starting with newly signed defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who ruptured his right quad tendon
in preseason practice. Cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and Reggie Robinson have all missed games with their respective injuries, and Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has only played in two and a half games due to a broken collarbone. Team owner Jerry Jones has acted as the general manager for years, and even with many questionable moves made, he has yet to give up control of the roster and hire an actual general manager, which is what most teams do. Jerry is a great businessman, which makes him a great owner, but he should not be the one making big decisions when it comes to player personnel. First-year head coach Mike McCarthy was handpicked by Jerry, and with anonymous players publicly voicing their frustrations about the coaching staff, the hire is already proving to be his newest mistake.
Halloween Stereotypes What type do you fall under?
Every time I have gone out on Halloween, I encounter five different types of people. They range from pumpkin carvers to trick or treaters to movie watchers. The typical Halloween festivities start with moms dressing up their precious babies to look like their favorite villain or the most beautiful princess. Then, those little kids go to every single door, even the houses that have their porch light off, and sweet talk the candy givers to give them more sugary goodness. By the end of the night, these kids have two candy bags overflowing with every color and flavor imaginable. The teens that walk the streets on Halloween are a rarer group, however they are not impossible to spot. While roaming the neighborhoods, they make jokes and fill the air with laughter. Their costumes might be matching, but more
likely than not they are all in silly, funky costumes. Other, not-so-nice teens might be looking for innocent kids to scare on their way from house to house. But overall, this group is a loud happy bunch just hanging out. Now for, what some might call, the coolest part of Halloween, the haunted houses… and the makers of such houses. When I say “makers” I mean the people that spend days or weeks building a maze on their driveway into their garage just to make some kids scream and laugh. These people tend to be the cool science teachers, Mr. McBride, or just a cool neighbor that knows how to scare a few people. It makes the candy at the end even sweeter, or so I’ve heard… I’ve never actually been brave enough to go into one. The next person requires a different type of bravery, putting your hand into a pumpkin. Now that all of you have imagined the mushy goo that is in the pumpkin, you’re welcome, we can go
on. These people are either on a date, a group of 14-year-old girls hanging out, or the family that sticks to their yearly tradition. Last but not least, there is the family that does ALL of the different Halloween activities. They mix up all the festivities you could imagine doing for Halloween and do them together: pumpkin carving and trick or treating, hayrides and
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Even with the injuries, the coaching staff should be more prepared to adapt to the situation and figure out a game plan that will at least keep them competitive in games. If it weren’t for the Falcons’ inability to field an onside kick and the Giants blowing a late lead, then the Dallas Cowboys would be 0-7 and trending in the direction of an 0-16 season. The good news for Cowboys fans is that the future is still bright. The 2021 team will feature the return of the injured players, a high draft pick as a result of a losing 2020 record, and newly acquired free agents to fill the holes on the roster. The last time the Cowboys had a high draft pick was in 2016, when they were able to snag stars such as Ezekiel Elliot, Dak Prescott, and Jaylon Smith. Hopefully the Cowboys can soon return to their old form and become America’s team again.
Chloe Bates Staff Writer
making smores in the microwave. No matter where you fall on the Halloween spectrum, you are a necessary part of making each spooky night special. And, without the silly little kids in their normal or beast selves or the cool haunted houses, Halloween would definitely be much less diverse and less fun with you.
Join the FCA at the tennis courts every Sunday at 6:15 for games and a lesson !!
11 [12] Haylee Blankenship
0] Zoey Cabral [1
Halloween Throwbacks Entertainment
October 30, 2020
Emma Te ague [10]
Addison Clinksca les [9
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Cobi [11] and Lydia [12] Tribble
Dylan Miller [10]
Noah Fritsche [9]
Caleb Scott [10]
Emma Hill [10
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Ethan Williams [9] ] Deegen Vidreine[11 Pearson Keith [12]
Grace Horn [10]
Anna Iske [9]
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Keatyn Hamilton [1
Kylie Dugger [9] Logan Dugger[10]
Gavin [9] and Graycen [9] Sipes
Branson Scott Gracie Shellhorse [10] Taylor Gage [11] [12]
Makenzie Rankin [10]
Senior Girls
Freshmen
Olivia Hale [12] Beau Tincher [5]
Avery Gallowa y [11]
Masen Riley [9] Tristyn Robinson [9]
Top 10
October 30, 2020
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Top Halloween Karson Lott Staff Writer
scary movies
10Favorites
Halloween decorations
Whether you hate or love them, you have to admit Christmas decorations are that scary movies are a not any better than pivotal part of Halloween. Halloween decorations. We, as a society, need to normalize stalking random people’s houses while drinking hot chocolate and singing seasonal songs during the fall months.
hayrides They’re a little bumpy and really itchy, but we can all admit that hayrides play an important role in Halloween and fall as a whole.
candy I think we can all agree that candy is by far the best part of Halloween. It’s enough reason to keep going trick or treating until I graduate.
campfires
Pumpkin carving can either be the most fun or most aggravating festivity depending on the person. It may be disgust you to pull out all the slimy pumpkin guts just so you can draw a mediocre face that will only last about a week, but for some people, it’s their favorite thing about the season.
When autumn finally comes, campfires quickly become people’s favorite activity. The colder night make roasting marshmallows much more enjoyable and much less sweaty... at least most of the time.
carving pumpkins spooky baskets
It’s like Christmas presents, but better. They have more candy, fuzzy socks, and, thanks to Lizzy Bueno [11], they’re every journalism students new favorite festivity.
black cats If you’re superstitious, I’m sure you know all about black cats crossing. If you aren’t, enjoy your care-free and worriless life.
costumes School spirit dress up days are fun enough, so when we get free-range to dress up as whatever we want, it’s the best time of the year.
haunted houses Covid has brought on the best haunted house experience we’ve seen yet. Drive through haunted houses means no one can jump out at you or make fun of you if you get scared.