Panther pride 01 13 14

Midlothian High School Midlothian, TX January 13, 2014 Volume 29 Issue 2

The auditorium will be hosting a meeting for parents tomorrow as counslers give out test results to PLAN, PSAT, and EXPLORE test takers.

PLAN, PSAT, EXPLORE

2page Movie Showdown

Anchorman 2 was a movie full of shock value, randomness, and jaw-dropping moments. No doubt, this is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen.

4pageSo you think college isn’t

for you? With every day, each student gets closer to the finish line – graduation. For some, it has been pounded into our head that we are going to college.

8page

Suessical Suessical will take the stage this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The cast and crew have been hard at work to prepare for their performance.

PANTHERPRIDE

MLK day is a federal holiday, meaning school will be out, allowing students to celebrate the life and achievements of MLK.

No school Jan. 20

Soccer tournmentsThere will be a Varsity boys and girls soccer tournment Thursday through Saturday. The girls will be playing at Vernon Newsom. The boys will be playing at the Old Panther Feild.

JV, Varsity BasketballVarsity and JV boys and girls will play Mansfield Timberview at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Mansfield.

TipTxt to fight bullying

Moving up to 6A UIL division

Blackboard has created TipTxt, a program that will help combat bullying in schools.

“TipTxt is another tool MHS is implementing to help keep our students safe,” associate principal Zac Oldham said. “We feel that any avenue that increases safety at MHS is a worth while cause.”

The Texas University Interscholastic League has added a new 6A division to its schooling classification. With 2,327 enrolled students, MHS meets the 2,100 student requirement to be classified as a 6A school. It was announced in July by UIL director Charles Breithaupt that Texas would, for the first time, have a 6A classification.

This year, MISD has adopted the program with an aim to improve school safety and lower bullying rates. “At MHS, we feel that student safety is priority number one. TipTxt has helped to

Eboni EllingerEditor-In-Chief

Kaylee EversStaff Member

It had been rumored for years that the 6A category was going to contain all the larger school in the state, putting them all in the same district. Instead of creating this “super division,” the 6A division was created so that schools playing six-man football will all be in the 1A division together. With the creation of the 6A category, there was some shifting between the divisions. Division 5A previously requiring an enrollment of 2090 and up, the requirement is now

1060 to 2099. 4A’s previous enrollment requirement was 1005 to 2089 and now has changed to 465-1059. 3A division required 450 to 1004 and now has changed to 220 to 464. Devision 2A previously required 200 to 449 students enrolled and is now requiring 105 to 219. 1A school’s had required 199 and below and now they are at 104.9 and below. Realignments of each division will be announced in February, but until that time MHS will be competing against our normal district competitors:

encourage more students to come to us with information that make it easier to do our job.” TipTxt allows complete anonyminity that was not offered in previous years. Students are allowed to send in a text message that describes the situation. They are not required to send in their name and their cell phone number is not logged. “In the past, many students have issues they’d like to report every day but were nervous about being labeled a ‘tattle-tale’ or fearing retaliation,” Oldham said. “This solves that issue by embracing a new technology.” The TipTxt program has not received approval of all that will be involved. “Usually the principals are around if a fight happens.” Junior Ariana Masole said. “Also, if someone sees bullying they would stop it themselves.” Despite it’s perceived downsides, TipTxt has proven to be successful. “It’s already helped improve safety in the few weeks we’ve had the program,” Oldham said. “Students are becoming self-advocates by taking a bigger part in school safety without having to fear retaliation.

Cedar Hill, Cedar Hill Collegiate, De Soto, Duncanville, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Mansfield Frontier, Mansfield Timberview, and South Grand Prairie. As for now MHS will not be experiencing any changes, but changes will be in place by next school year.

photographed by Celina Robinson

Visit us online now atmidlothianmessenger.com

2 ENTERTAINMENT

Jan. 17

Jan. 17Lead Actors: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart Lead Actress: Tika Sumpter Genre: Action, Comedy Rating: PG-13Run Time: 100 min.

Lead Actor: Chris Pine Lead Actress: Keira Knightley Genre: Action Rating: PG-13Run Time: 105 min.

Lead Actor: Aaron EckhartLead Actress: Miranda Otto Genre: Action, FantasyRating: PG-13Run Time: 93 min.

Jan. 24

ARTISTAFI

Corey Smith

Whiskey Myers

Charlie Wilson

Falling in Reverse

CONCERTSUPCOMING

VENUEHouse of Blues Dallas

House of Blues Dallas

Billy Bobs

Verizon Theatre at Grand Prarie

House of Blues Dallas

DATEJan. 14th

Jan. 17th

Jan. 18th

Jan. 19th

Jan. 20th

MOVIESUPCOMING

The anticipated release of the Xbox One has finally happened and it is time to review this gaming giant. At first glance it is already different from its predecessor: the Xbox 360. It has lost its curves to take on a more boxy look and must remain horizontal without the option of sitting vertical. Aside from the cosmetic looks it remains similar in size, somewhat larger than the 360. Xbox One has plenty of ventilation and is so quiet, you might forget that it’s there. It also comes with the added blue ray feature, but cannot support external storage, at least not yet. The controller has also changed. It now has better casing lacking the screw holes and the bothersome seam lines on the side of the device. The D-pad is also improved and more responsive, thumb sticks are smaller and offer a better grip and triggers now possess rumble motors for better feedback. The controller takes two AA batteries, but the battery pack has moved and does not poke outward anymore. It possesses a longer battery life and when putting the controller down to watch a movie, the kinect senses this and enters the new low-power state to conserve energy. By default the device is always powered on listening for you to say” Xbox on. But the Xbox One goes far beyond a new look and a few updates. Microsoft seems to be trying to transform the Xbox from simply a gaming system to much more. Unlike the 360, the

Kinect is no longer an option and comes with the device. This may prove to be a downfall as not everyone enjoys Kinect and may have hoped to get it at a lower price without it. But the Kinect adds a lot to the experience. Gesture control, where you put your palm flat up towards the system and are then able to use your hand as a mouse,has been updated and advanced. Although it can still be difficult at times. The user interface has been redesigned and looks and works like Windows 8, yet again another slight downfall for those who dislike or are not familiar with it. But it is to be the expected inclusion since the Xbox is a Microsoft product. The Xbox aims to become a complete home entertainment device, and includes many features aiding that goal. The Xbox allows connection to TV, apps, internet and you can also record gaming, edit your clips and view others. TV was a big thing with this new system and works well. You can go from playing a game to watch TV, then right back to the game quick and easy with a simple voice command. You can even pull up the TV guide and browse channels. It does have a few fall backs. The Xbox serves well as a remote substitute, but if you want to watch a recording from your TV you are going to have to pick up a real one, as you cant access recordings from the Xbox. Now you can run two of apps at the same time by simply command - Xbox snap ____. For example while you are watching TV you can also be surfing the web right alongside your show.Things do not always coexist nicely together when they are both pulled up, as you cannot

control the volume of the two from over lapping. This brings us to the Xbox One’s voice command system. As with any voice command systems you are going to be forced to repeat yourself sometimes. The Xbox One also has very specific commands that you have to learn in order for it to do what you want. This interferes with things like one guide and makes it more difficult then it should be. Now lets move onto gaming. Xbox One came with some impressive launch titles such as: Ryse: Son of Rome, Co-Op, Forza 5, Dead Rising 3 and Zoo Tycoon, each with its own strengths. Sadly, there is no backward compatibility, except for a few games that you have to pay ten dollars to upgrade: Battlefield 4, Madden NFL 25, Need for Speed Rivals, Call of Duty: Ghosts, NBA 2K14, FIFA 14 and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. As for gameplay, Xbox One falls slightly behind PS4 in graphic, but just a hair behind and it is hard to catch. Also due to all those lovely features mentioned above, sometimes the game will freeze while multi-tasking, and at times can seem almost like you’re testing a beta, but this are rare. Overall the Xbox One is on its way to becoming an all in one home entertainment system, but it’s not quite there yet. A few kinks are holding it back, but only so slightly. Who knows, in a few months time many of these small, but distracting, issues may be taken care of. Either way, the Xbox One with all its good and bad is an awesome addition to the next generation of consoles and is setting a new standard for all in one entertainment consoles.

Celina RobinsonPhotography Editor

Xbox OneThe console to change

them all

OPINION 3

FOOD

Caroline’s Country Cafe is located in a seemingly located in a little shopping center tucked in between a workout center and a t-shirt design shop. Though not seemingly a stand-out venue, it doesn’t need to be. Walking in to Caroline’s you can

find friendly service and a good ol’ down-home vibe of the establishment. Pictures of past and present Midlothian students hang on the walls. The waitresses make you feel welcomed almost as if your own mom was asking you what you want for breakfast. The menu at the cafe is 24-hour so flapjacks, hamburgers and chicken are a-go at anytime. Since I went at breakfast time its kind of in my DNA to eat breakfast food in the morning so I got the weekly special. Two pancakes, two saucages, and eggs. The meal was excellent and was almost like my mother cooked it.Almost, nobody beats my mom.

Desmond SmithSports Editor

MUSICMia Love

Staff Member

TECH

The Powershell is essentially a game controller that’s compatible with your iPhone 5, 5s or fifth generation

iPod touch. When making controllers, there are few standards that must be met, one being that all the buttons must feel comfortable to use, but Logitech has failed to make the D-Pad on the Powershell meet that standard. Also, the headphone adapter is cheaply made and awkward. The amount of games compatible with the Powershell is very limited, and that doesn’t help with its hefty price tag. Now, it does come with internal batteries, to help extend the battery life of an iPhone. I am well on my way to going out and buying a brand new PS Vita or 3DS for how much this one controller costs, and that’s where the main problem lies, the price tag.

Hannah SplawnStaff Member

BOOK

Set in late 1930’s Nazi Germany “The Book Thief ” follows the young and brave Liesel Meminger as her and her foster parents experience the hard ships that poverty-stricken, German families faced in the years of WWII. From trying to fight constant hunger and impoverishment to

losing the people that matter most in her life, readers are heartbroken by the misfortune that seems to follow Liesel everywhere she goes. Through everything that is thrown at her Liesel is able to finds comfort and stability in books. “The Book Thief ” contains powerful meaning and messages reminding us that no matter how bad life gets you have to find light in every situation. This book makes readers reevaluate what life is truly about and what really holds importance. I recommend “The Book Thief ” to anyone looking for a book that will make them stop and think. This book has both valuable life lessons and accurate historical depiction.

Kaylee EversStaff Member

Switchfoot’s album Fading West was alright. I certainly did not hate it, but I definitely did not love it. In all honesty, how good the lyrics are tend to

make or break a song for me--I am not a fan of repetitive things, the very issue I have with Switchfoot. The lyrics are not exactly diverse, with the chorus seeming to make up the majority of the song... okay, so that is not entirely true, it’s more like a single line being obsessively repeated after a brief introduction line. The music itself was not bad at all, I enjoyed the beat and it did not strike me in any annoying way. It felt sort of like background music, if I am honest. It’s nice to listen too, and not bothersome, but not something I would feel inclined to bob my head too or sing along. As someone more concerned with the lyrics of a song as opposed to the actual band or overall sound, Fading West did not do it for me.

Desmond SmithSports Editor

Movie Showdown

Kaylee EversStaff Member

Elli KeenerStaff Member

Anchorman 2 was a movie full of shock value, randomness, and jaw dropping moments. No doubt, this is one of the funniest movies I’ve probably ever seen in life. Will Ferrell puts on another vintage performance as Ron Burgundy. The movie begins with Ron being fired and his life is spiraling out of control.

However, he soon gets back to the top of his game with the help of his old friends, a new job at a first of its kind 24-hour news network, and a new style of reporting. In the midst of all the new fame Ron’s relationships with family and friends start to dwindle as the fame starts to get to his head. Through a

series of misfortunate events Ron learns what is most important in his life and pulls his life back together for the sake of his family and friends. I can’t imagine anyone nodding off on this movie because either you’re going to be laughing so hard you pop a blood vessel or your mouth is going to be dropped to the floor.

The surprising story behind the gaining of the rights for the Disney classic “Mary Poppins” is revealed in the heartwarming film “Saving Mr. Banks.” The movie starts with an offbeat tone introducing P.L. Travers, played by Emma Thompson, as the disgruntled creator of Mary Poppins

who refuses to let her beloved character be taken away by the Hollywood monster. Being strapped for cash, she decides to accept the offer of Walt Disney, played by Tom Hanks, to fly to the California and see the plans for the film. Hanks shines as a nicely understated Disney who wants to fulfill his promise to his

little girls of making Mary Poppins come to the big screen. With Thompson and Hanks playing well off each other and the Farewell and Buckley depicting a devastating back-story, “Saving Mr. Banks” moves the audience through a heart-wrenching plot, skillfully woven with comedy, and it is a must see Disney masterpiece.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, based of James Thurber’s 1939 short story, is the best movie I’ve seen all year. Through the movie viewers follow Walter Mitty, a safe and boring middle aged man with an imagination more vivid than real life, as he embarks on a journey of a life time. From escaping

volcanoes in Iceland to trekking through the mountain tops of Afghanistan Walter Mitty travels to the ends of the earth in search of a photograph that will save his career. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty inspires viewers to escape the mundane routine of life and do what they’ve always dreamed of. Personally,

I don’t think I’ve ever been more inspired by a movie. After seeing this movie I wanted to dodge volcanoes and go long boarding down the mountains of Iceland. This movie does what very few can, it inspires and motivates audiences.

Anchorman 2

Saving Mr. Banks

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

4 SENIORS

With everyday, eachstudent gets closer to the finishline--graduation.Forsome,ithasbeenpoundedintoourheadthatwearegoingtocollege,noifandsorbutsaboutit. But college is just onerouteoutofmanypossibleroutestotakeaftergraduation. Gettingadegreedoesn’tguarantee you’ll be successful inlife, and, if you haven’t figuredit all out yet, that doesn’t meanyou’re out of options. No needtorushintosomethingyoudon’treallywanttodo. While the price of ahigher education soars, a degreein a requirement for most jobsnowadays,evenifyoujustwanttobetheguycontrollingthecameraforTVshows,whichonlymakesabout$45,490ayearandrequiresabachelor’sdegree. With the degree shift,the associates is the new highschooldiploma,thebachelorshasbecome the new associates, andsoonandsoforth. “Everything has shiftedup a level,” Lemmon said, “insome fields because there aresome things you don’t need adegreefor. If you are going to bean auto mechanic, you don’tnecessarilyneedacollegedegree,but you do need post-secondaryeducation, training through oneof the career technology schoolsoracertificateprogram. It used to be you could

graduatefromhighschoolandgoto be an auto mechanic, but youcan’tanymore.” Students should exploreother options such as vocationalandtechnicalschools. When applying forcertain jobs, you may not needa full fouryeardegree,butpost-secondary training will suffice.For instance, if you were goingtobecomeacosmetologist,flightattendantorguidancecounselor,somethingalongthose lines,youwouldneed toearnsomesortofcertificate before qualifying forthejob. While college isn’tmandatory, most places will nothire you with just a high schooldiploma.Youwillneedsomekindof certificate to qualify for mostwell-payingjobs. You can go repair andinstall elevators with just yourhigh school diploma and makea little under $20,000 more eachyear than the camera guy whowenttocollegeforfouryears,butyou still require post-secondaryeducation. For this, you wouldneed to look into vocational ortechnicalschools. Vocational or technicaleducation is education basedon occupation, which preparespeople for certain careers, justlike taking culinary, typing, andaccountingclasses. Unlike in othercountries, in the United States,vocational and technicaleducationvariesdependingonthestate, themajorityof thesebeing

privatelyownedinstitutions. “Vocationalor technicalschools are a good way to learna career path in an acceleratedenvironment. The studentwill usually have a job linedup or currently are employed,”transition and VAC coordinatorSherryBreaudsaid. The vocational ortech school will work with thee m p l o y e rto teachs p e c i f i cjob skillsto help thes t u d e n treach thegoal ofa c q u i r i n ga licensedcertificate,c o l l e g edegree and/orattaintheknowledgeto jumpinto theworkforceand beproductive.”In theDallas area,f a c i l i t i e ssuch asThe ArtInstitute of Dallas, Texas Schoolof Bartenders - Dallas, andLe Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts in Dallas offerspecializedclassesforspecializedoccupations. “What students needto do, if they’re looking at

those vocational and technicalprograms, and some are verygood,andsomearenotsogood,is that theyneed to lookat theirjob placement,” Counselor CarolLemmon said. “What kind ofservices to do they have? Who’shiringthosepeople?Youneedtodoyourhomework.” Since vocational andtechnical schools are meant

to trainyou for aspecific job,youneedtobe cut outforsaidjob. “Whatp e o p l eneed tounderstand,fordifferentcareers andd i f f e r e n tp at hw ay s ,you’regoingto needa post-secondar yeducationsbut notnecessarilya four-yeard e g r e e ,”L e m m o nsaid. “It alldepends on

whatyoudecidetodo.” MIT has posted theircurriculum online for years. Allyouwouldhavetodoisputforththe time and commitment to sitinyour local libraryandpickupabook.Youdon’talwaysneedtohave someone standing in front

ofyoutolearnwhatyouwanttolearn. Though, the classesMITpostsuparecalledMOOCs,Massive Online Open Courses,andarenotMITcurriculum.ItisnotoftherigoryouwouldfindinanMITcourse,anddoesnotadduptoacollegedegree. “But self-education isimportant and I don’t mean tobelittle that,” counselor CarolLemmon said. “But MOOCs aredesignedmoreforanaccountantwho wants to know more aboutRenaissance Art to impress awoman.That’swhatthosecourseswere designed for. Not for adegree.” However,evenifyouareself-educated, that doesn’t meanthat doesn’t mean you’ll be thenext Mark Zuckerberg or SteveJobs. Whiletheydroppedoutof collegeandbecame incrediblysuccessful, they’re outliershere. Zuckerberg droppedout of Harvard, but he was aprogramming prodigy. Thatdoesn’t happen to everyone, justtoberealistichere. “Ifyouwanttotakethatrisk, that you’re going to be thenext Steve Jobs, okay, good foryou,”Lemmonsaid,“ButI’mnotwilling to take that risk. If youhavethosegeniusskills,thenthat’sa different story. But there aren’tmany of those people around.Mostofusaremeremortals.” It is better to earncertification for certainprofessionsthantorelyonaself-education course you discovered

”

“For those who like direction and may need discipline or

those who want to do a little give-

back, a little finding of themselves

maybe; [the military] could be

a great alternative opposed to just

college.- David Moore

So you think college isn’t for you?Hannah Splawn and Kaylee Ever

Staff Members

Alternatives to College

Military

Vocational School

Technical School

?

SENIORS 5

online. However,vocationalandtechnicalschoolingisn’tyouronlyoptioneither. For those taking themilitaryroute,themilitaryofferscollege while on active duty andafterwards, so itdoesn’t have tobeeitheror. “ T h emilitary is agreat alternativeto students justgraduating fromhigh school,”Breaud said.“Many studentsare not surewhat they wanttodoforacareerby the end ofhighschool.Themilitary offersthem a chance to explore manydifferentjobchoices,andpossiblecareers,thatwouldallowthemtoretirein20years.” Serving for a certainamount of time in the militarymay result in your collegeeducationbeingpaidfor,asthereare many programs available forpaying for college, ROTC beingoneofthem. Reverse Officers’Training Corp (ROTC) isessentially a program wherestudents receive basicmilitary training, fortheir chosen branch ofservice, alongsideu n d e r g r a d u a t eeducation.

Students participate indrills throughouttheschoolyearandtrainingactivitiesduringthesummer. “I’m a big advocate forcollege first,” counselor DavidMoore,“but ifyou lackacertain

vision, them i l i t a r yk e e p syou busyenough thatyou don’tget boggeddown inthe search;y o u ’ r er e c e i v i n gsome kindof training,and youdon’t havea choicereally in

doingwell.” The U.S. Coast GuarddoesnothaveaROTCprogram,but something similar thatgoes by College Student Pre-commissioningInitiative(CSPI.) “Forthosewholike direction ordon’t quitek n o w

what they want to major in andmay need discipline,” Mooresaid., “Those who want to do alittlegive-back,a littlefindingofthemselves maybe; [the military]could be a great alternativeopposedtojustcollege.” While many schoolshave a Junior ROTC program,which can be beneficial to thoseinterested in taking the militarypathway, because of our school’sbudget and facility concerns, wedo not have a program availabletostudents. Scholarships areavailable, however, if certainrequirements are met. Graduatesof a ROTC scholarship programare obligated to serve four yearsof active duty and eight years ofmilitary service if they acceptcommissionasaregularofficer. “ROTCscholarshipscanbe a pathway to pay for college,withmilitaryrequirementswhilein school, and then a fulfillingof time served after graduation,”M o o r e said. “These are

”“Don’t enter

into a decision cavalierly... Fully

investigate it before signing on

the dotted line.- David Moore

very competitive scholarships,andtheyrequirestrongacademicsand testing success, in additionto the physical and characterrequirements.” There are three typesof ROTC programs. The firstbeing military school, whichgrants baccalaureate degrees andorganize students into groups ofcadets under military discipline.Thesecadetsmustattendat leasttwoyearsofROTCeducation. The second is programsatcollegesthatgrantbaccalaureateandgraduatedegreesbutarenotoperatedonamilitarybasis.Forthesecondoption,enrollment inROTCisvoluntary. The third is militaryjunior college, where studentsareprovidedwithajuniorcollegeeducationbutnotabaccalaureatedegree, however they mustmeet all other requirements ofa military college, includingmeetingmilitarystandardssetbytheArmyCadetCommand. “They will be earning

college credits along theway,iftheychoose

to leave the

military after their enlistment isup,”Breaudsaid. Manyofthestudentswilllearnlifelessonssuchasstructure,learning to lead and work withothers, and learn great workethics. The military experienceis one that brings honor andself-worth to previously unsurestudents.” However,beforelookinginto ROTC, to those interestedin serving in the military,the ASVAB, Armed ServicesVocational Aptitude Battery, isjustasimportantasitdetermineswhetherornotoneisqualifiedtoenlistinthemilitary. “Don’t enter into adecisioncavalierlybecause it isacommitment,” Moore said. “Youdohavetosurvivebootcamp.Youdohavetopushyourselfmentallyand physically for a period oftime,andit’snotathingyoucanchangeyourmindononceyou’rein it. Fully investigate it beforesigningonthedottedline.” The time for choosingyourpathafterhighschoolcanbeextremelystressful,butrememberthatitisyourlifeandyouhavetodowhatmakesyouhappy. Whether you go to

vocational, technical school,orintothemilitary,youhave

to be cut out for whereever you go. Follow a

paththatinterestsyouand you know in

the long run willmakeyouhappy.

Of the 100, 12% said that they would be attending vocational or technical schools, for things such

as cosmetology and mas-sage therapy.

After polling 100 of our 2014 seniors about

what they plan on do-ing after finishing high school, these were the

results.

73% of those polled said they would be attending either a four year univer-

sity or community college.

7% said that they would be doing some-thing else other than attending vocational/technical schools, col-lege or serving in the

military.

8% said they would be joining the military, a few polled said they

were already enlisted in one branch or an-

other.

6 SPORTS

Powerlifting season isapproaching, and both the girls’andboys’teamsplanonsteppingit up in training and continuingrecords of success in theupcomingcompetitionseason. Head girls’ powerliftingcoach Craig Carpenter is readytoseemoregreateffort fromthegirlsandevenbetteroutcomesatcompetition. “The last several years,this program has turned into aprettystrongprogram,”Carpentersaid. “Last year we won fourinvitational meets, we won theregional meet and we placed inthetoptenatthestatemeet.” Despite the long breakbetween competition seasons,powerlifters continue to trainalmostyear-round,workingtheirarms,legsandcore. “Most of the guys thatare powerlifters are footballplayers,andtheyprettymuchliftweights year round,” head boys’powerliftingcoachJohnBroom. While some of the girlsdo not have the same liftingopportunities, they also tookon the challenge of maintainingcontinuity in their workoutprogram. “To the girls at the endof last year, our challenge wasto prepare yourself for the startof the season,” Carpenter said.“Mostofthereturnershavebeenlifting on their own, preparing

themselves and preparing theirbodies.” All thispreparationandhardworkhasbeenrewardedbyhigh levels of success for manyathletesinvolved. SeniorLilibethEscamillawon state last year thanks to the“support from [her] coach, hardworkanddedication.” “IwanttowinstateagainandIwanttobreakthestatesquatrecord which is 350 pounds,”Escamilla said. “I’m going for380.” Senior Raegan McGuireplaced first at every meet shecompetedat,includingregionals,and took home fourth place inher weight class at state. Shecreditshersuccesstoherfather’scoaching outside of school andtheMidlothiancoachesthatpushhertoaccomplishherbest. “Thecoachesarealwaysthereforusandalwayspushustheright way and always make surewe’re doing our best,” McGuiresaid.“Also,it’sagoodwayIgettobondwithmydadbecausehegetstocoachme,too,sothat’scool.” Another successfulpowerlifter, junior ThomasMartinez, appreciates thesimplicityofthesportandhowitdiffers from many sports aroundit. “It’s a simple sport: welift,”Martinezsaid. “It’scool thatyou’recompetingwithpeoplethatareyour size,making itdifferentfrom other sports where otherpeoplewouldbealotbiggerthanyou.”

The powerliftingcompetitionisindividuallyscoredbytheperformanceofeachteammember, and thenawards are given atboth an individuallevelandateamlevel. “Youdothreelifts: a bench, a squatandadeadlift,”Broomsaid. “They take yourtotal number andthat’showyouplaceinyourweightclass. Despite thedifferences, Carpenterfeels that powerliftingalso maintains manysimilarities to othersports. “ W h e t h e ryou play golf,volleyball, tennis… itdoesn’t matter whatyou play, if you’re nottraining your body,you’renotgoingtobethe very best in anysport,”Carpentersaid.“If you’re trainingfor powerlifting atMidlothian High School, you’regoingtobeabetterathleteatanysportyouplay.” Junior Savannah Mapescompeted last year and saw thebenefitsofallherhardworkwhenshe qualified and competed atstatecompetition. “I pushed really hardandtriedreallyhardtogettostateanditjustfeltamazingtogetthechancetobethere,”Mapessaid. The powerlifting

program has gained successthanks to dedicated coaches andathletes who set high goals and

takethestepstoachievethem. “We have the sameexpectationforthisyearaswedidlast,”Carpentersaid.“Wewanttowineveryinvitationalmeetwegoto, we want to win the regionalmeet and we want to step it upthisyearandcompeteforthestatechampionship.” Every season thepowerliftingprogramgainsmoreathletes with this same mindsetonsuccess.

“I think I just hope togetbetter.IjustwanttobeabletosayIdidmybestandIgotbetter.

Asthis ismysenioryear,I just wanna’ say I wentout with a bang and dideverything I could to trytowinit,”McGuiresaid. Despite the challengeswith incoming athleteswho have no clue whatis in store for them,Carpenter said he isoptimistic because hebelievesinthemandtheirworkethic. “The great thing isthey’re athletes. They’recompetitors,” Carpentersaid. “I really enjoyworking with the girlsbecause they’ve gothigh goals and highexpectations, and anytime you get thosequalities together, goodthingshappen.” Thepowerliftingcoachesexpect a winning seasonto come from the hardwork the lifters will be

puttingintoprepare. “Our goal is we wantto win,” Carpenter said. “Wewant to go compete for the statechampionship.”

Elli KeenerStaff Member

Freshman Preston Smith encourages freshman Gus Wewer as he lifts during afternoon powerlifting practice. “I think our team is going to do well this year because we’re together as a team, lifting as a team and sweating as a team,” Smith said.

photographed by Elli Keener

MHS wrestling seasonstartedwiththeirfirsttournamentatArlingtonMartinwiththeteamtakingsixthplaceoutof20. “To prepare for thisseason our team has been doingvigorous workouts during theperiod and busting our tailsafter school on the mats so thatwe can dominate in meets andbring home another districtchampionship at the end ofJanuary,” junior Lane Stanushsaid. The team challengesthemselveseachpracticetomakesurethisseasonwillbetheirbestoneyet.

“The usual workoutfor the teamis learningacouplenewmovesanddrillingoldones.Then we wrestle in small groupsfor a while, followed by a toughconditioning workout usuallyincluding lotsof sprints and lotsof push ups,” junior wrestlerAndrewHeralwdsaid. Both Stanush andHeralwd give credit to theircoaches forhelping the teamgettothepointitisnow. “Coach Traver andCoach Carpenter are greatcoaches that really know howto motivate the team. They’realways teaching us new thingsand making us better wrestlers,”Heralwdsaid. “You can tell [thecoaches] love tobehereand the

team loves to have them here,”Stanush said. “As to our team,we’relikeabigstupidfamily.Wejokearoundandhaveourfun,butwe’rethereforeachotherandwehave a connection other teamsdon’t have, with both girls andguys.” The wrestling lost someof graduating seniors last yearmakingthisyearachallengetheyarepreparedtoface. “This year will bedifferent from last year becausewe are a pretty young team thisyear,welostalotofseniors.Withonly one varsity senior on theteam this year we have a lot ofnew guys, but are still expectingbigsuccess,”Heralwdsaid. With this young teamthere is plenty of new potential

Kaylee EversStaff Member

Wrestling tackles upcoming season

Powerlifting program trains for success

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thatcomeswithit.Stanushshareswho he thinks will be the newmembertowatch. “We have quite a fewnew members to the team, butthe most excited seems to besophomore Garrett Hopgood,”Stanushsaid. Wrestling has madethese athletes stronger, taughtthemdiscipline,andthevalueofhardwork.Itisnotaboutwinningor loosing it is about the valuesthesporthastaughtthem. “Wrestling has changedme in so many positive waysincluding discipline, maturityandintegrity.Ican’tsayI’veevergotten anything negative fromwrestling,”Stanushsaid. The 2013-2014 seasonholds obstacles for the team.

Facing plenty of other talentedschools in the district, the teamhas worked hard and is ready tofacetheirupcomingopponents. “Our toughestcompetitors thisyearwillbeourdistrict competitor Tascosa,”Stanushsaid.“Theyhaveatoughteamwithanexperiencedcoach,but with our hard work, greatcoaching, and heart we expectto overcome them once againat thedistrictmeetat theendofJanuary.”

SPORTS 7

At what point doesperformingonthefieldoutweighadegreeincollegeandgraduatingjust because he or she decidesto be a professional athlete? Even if a person doesmake it to be a professionalathlete what do they do when acareer ending injury happens orwhenit’sjusttimetoretire.Whatdo athletes fall back on with nocollegedegree? Student athletes havea responsibility with keepingup with their studies in schoolwhile also performing well for

their team on the court or field. “It’s all about gettingan education,” head footballcoach, Lee Wiginton said. “Thepercentageofathletesturningprois literally almost non-existent.Student-athletesarewellawareofthislikelihood,butthelifelessonslearned through participationand competition of high schoolsportsisahugepartofgettinganeducation.” During his tenure,Coach Wiginton has seen manyplayerscomeandgo.SomeasD-1recruitstolargeruniversitiesandother formerhighschoolplayerswho fail to become a walk-on atother universities. Where evertheseformerhighschoolathletes

go Coach Wiginton reminds hisplayersthateducationiskey. “Education never stopsthroughout an individual’s life.The classes a student takes inschool, the lessons one learnsfromobservingothers,thebooksweread, the relationshipsweareinareallpartofthenever-endingeducation we experience in thisgreatlife,”Wigintonsaid. According to the SportsIllustratedarticleHow(andWhy)ProAthletesGoBroke,78percentof formerNFLplayerswhohavebeenretiredforatleasttwoyearsare bankrupt or under financialstressbecauseofjoblessness.Also,withinfiveyearsofretirement,anestimated 60% of former NBAplayers are broke. In the article,lack of education is one of thereasons why athletes strugglefinancially after their career isover. “I wish money camewithaninstructionmanual.Manypeoplethinktheobjectistospendthemoneyasquicklyas theygetit. Manytimesthisisbymakingterriblechoicesandothertimesitmay be an investment that wentbad.Howeverithappens,it’ssadtosee,”Wigintonsaid. Senior guard for thevarsity girls basketball teamMeghan Turner will soon be anexample of a college student-athleteassheacceptedabasketballscholarshipfromUniversityMaryHardin-Baylor last semester.Turnermade sureeducationwasat the forefront of her decisionwhenchoosingdifferentcolleges.Meghan will be attending theschoolinfallof2014. “It has always been agoalofmine tousebasketballasawayofgettingabettereducationafter high school. My entirelife and going to college to get a

degreeinsomethingthatIwouldlike todo fora livinghasalwaysbeenthatnextstepthatI takeinmy life. Education is importantfor me to be successful in mycareer. I turned down a lot ofgoodschoolsbecause theydidn’thave the degree plan that I waslookingfor,”Turnersaid. Lately, student athletesare graduating at higher ratesthanever.AsofOctoberof2011the NCAA hit an all-time highofan80percentgraduationrate.Eighty-two percent of freshmenthat enrolled the 2006-2007school year graduated in a four-yearspan.NCAApresidentMarkEmmert said in a statement that[the NCAA has even higherexpectations for the future buttheyaregladattheprogressthathas been made over the years].The chances for a college athleteplayingprofessionalsportsisoneout of every 25, basically a fourpercentchance. “EvenifIhadachoiceofplayingprofessionalbasketballasajuniorincollegeIwouldratherfinishmyeducationand staymysenior year,” Turner said “I havebeentaughttoalwaysfinishwhatIhave started. Inmyopinion it’snot the smartest choice becausecollege teachesyoumaturityandyou never know how long yourcareerintheproswilllast.” Chances are most highschool athletes who aspire to beaprofessionalathletehaveazeropercent chance of being one.Mentors like Coach Wigintonknow this and try to teachtheir student athletes about theimportanceofeducation.

Less than three decadesago, select and club sports didnot exist. Lately, the importanceofandparticipationinoff-seasonsportsisontherise.Whenbefore,somestudentswouldplayschoolsports as they came and wentor just their favorite sport forone season, now the option toplayallyear longhasbeenmadeaccessible to any students whocan afford it. While club andselect sports such as volleyball,soccer, baseball, track, and evencheerleadinghavemanypros,theconstobeinginvolvedinoutsideschool sports can outweigh thepositives. S c h o l a r s h i popportunities are a big reasonwhy students sign up to playclub, along with preparingthemselvesfortheschoolseasons.SophomoreCalebBlyplaysselectbaseballfortheArlingtonA’sandfortheschool. “[Club is] definitely agood thing because that’s whereIfeellikeIwillgetthebestlooksfrom colleges,” Bly said. “It alsohelps me play better at schoolball.” There are many clubsto choose from, but sophomoreCorey Khanhkham made hisdecision to play for the Ellis

County Mavericks select soccerteam based on the social aspect.Gettinginvolvedinout-of-schoolactivities gives students a way tomeet new people and developfriendships. “It’s close to home,”Khanhkham said. “Some of myfriendsfromschoolplaythereaswell.” AccordingtosophomoreSage Boteler,who played forthe Matrix in6th grade, ap r e d o m i n a t ereason moststudentschoosetoplay select sportsis because of thecompetitivenessexemplified inmostclubs. “I thinkclub is good,especially if youenjoy pushingyourself andgetting betterand playingwith a lot morec o m p e t i t i o n ,”Botelersaid. W h i l emost don’t knowit, competitivecheerleading isconsidered a club sport as well.Sophomore Ayanna Brown hasbeen cheering competitively for

five years now and is currentlywiththeLibertyCheerclub.“I enjoy it very much. It givesme a chance to have a sense ofcompetitiveness and it keepsme very active,” Brown said. “Ilike the fact that cheerleading issomething I like todoand I canactuallydoitasasport.” Clubsportshaveseveraladvantages over playing for

school. Sophomore TarinMergener says she plays for the

Texas Advantage Volleyball Clubbecause it is much faster andmoreintensethanschool,shegetstotravelaroundthecountry,andrecruiting purposes play a part,too. While there are manyplusses to select sports, thereare also downfalls. Money is abig part of it, with some clubvolleyball teamscostingasmuch

as$3,000foroneseason. “ Is t o p p e dbecause itwas gettingf a i r l ye x p e n s i v eandIwantedto take abreak fromso muchcompetitiona n de v e r y o n eputting somuch stresson winningallthetime,”Botelersaid. Thee m o t i o n a land mentaltoll can betaxing onyoung high

schoolbodies. “Stressaddedontothestressofschool, lossofsleepand

beingabsentalot,”Mergenersaid. Club sports demand alotoftimeandenergy,whichcanhurt performance academicallyandtheabilitytogetinvolvedwithotherextracurricularactivities. “Sometimes it cantake away from being able to beinvolved with activities insideof school because your time andabsencehastobedevotedtothatone activity,” Brown said. “So itdependsonhowdevotedyouaretothatsportandyourteam.” Ultimately, studentshavetodecidewhetherthelackofsleep, stress and pressure of clubsportsoutweighsthefunofit. “Because even thoughitmightseemhardwhileyouaredoingit,winningandcompetingand the opportunities you get isallworthitintheend,”Mergenersaid.

Desmond SmithSports Editor

Amanda PenwardenCo-Editer-in-Chief

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sUpside, downfall of club sports

Photographed by Amanda Penwarden

Senior Guard Meghan Turner dribbles passeed an opposing defender during the Dec. 10th game against Mansfield Timberview. “College can teach you how to make better decisions with your life,” Turner said.

photo illustration by Celina Robinson

Freshman Emily Lowe, volleyball player on the Freshmen A team and Energy Volleyball Club, strives to balance maintaining good grades and enjoy competing in the sport she loves.

8 PHOTO ESSAY

1. Senior Rachel Lueken sings with her castmates at their last practice in the choir room on Nov. 21.

2. Sophomore Corey K h a n h k h h a m , freshman Kegen Van Geem, juniors Jessica Renfro, Colin Toon and Rebecca Anderson pretend to be scared during practice in the Black Box Theatre on Dec. 3. “I really like performing, and I thought it would be fun,” Van Geem said.

3. Sophomores Jeremy Parker and Beck Salas sing thier parts of the play in the choir room.

4. Seniors Marely Koonce and Josiah Holland practice their parts in the Black Box Theatre on Dec. 3.

Suessical

5. Junior Mckenna Woodlan, senior Ashton Smith, junior Calvin Lueken and senior Megan Johnson practice in the choir room for Suessical on Nov. 21. “I like performing because it gives you the opportunity to become someone else on stage,” Lueken said.

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4 5Photo By Celina Robinson

Photo By Celina Robinson

Photo By Celina Robinson

Photo By Eboni Ellinger

Photo By Eboni Ellinger