The Warrior Post » Features

Sophomore suffers from memory loss

lflorence — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:03 +0000

Have you ever had that feeling that you left something at home and you can’t remember what it is? Sophomore Lily Hill has had that feeling, only more seriously than your average memory lapse.
“When I get into an extremely stressful situation, everything gets white and my memory slowly starts going away,” Hill said. “I know that it’s happening because, at the time, my anxiety is unbearable.”
In the past two years, Hill has had tests done for brain seizures as well as a spinal tap. She will also have neurological psych testing. The doctors aren’t sure whether her memory loss is caused by conversion disorder or just because of stress, but her counselor said she believes it is her brain’s defense mechanism against the stress.
“The first time it happened was the day after a cross country meet in eight grade,” Hill said. “My mom was going through a divorce. She took me to my grandma’s house so she could watch me because I couldn’t stay awake. I was totally out of it and they had to feed me. When I stopped responding they rushed me to the hospital.”
Hill has had to resign from school twice and be put into outpatient care. She gets really behind on all her schoolwork and her friends and family are constantly worrying about her.
“It can be hard sometimes, because I never know when it’s going to happen,” Hill’s friend Mikayla Hernandez said. “Whenever she’s not at school I feel bad because I can’t be with her.”
Hill is now back in school and participates in an hour of therapy every week. Recently, the memory loss has been happening a lot less and when it does, it’s not as severe.
“I’m doing better now,” Hill said. “I’m learning how to deal with my stress and anxiety in positive ways now instead of shutting down.”

Senior from Africa

lflorence — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:46:29 +0000

It’s been eighteen hours. Eighteen hours of sitting in one spot and it’s almost unbearable. Finally, after an exhausting day of travel, the airplane lands and the door opens to a new world: Texas. For most of us, this ‘new world’ is nothing new at all, just home sweet home. For senior Matthew Wohlkinger, Texas is far away from home.
“I’m from Johannesburg, South Africa” Wohlkinger said. “I’ve lived there my entire life and moved here my sophomore year.”
Wohlkinger says that when his mother received a Green Card, which granted her permission to live and work in the United States, she decided to move.
“We went to L.A. and to a couple other places, but we didn’t like them,” Wohlkinger said, “so we came here.”
With such a big difference between cultures, it was difficult for him and his family to adapt.
“There were huge adjustments.” Wohlkinger said. “The main thing was the food. We’ve never had Mexican food, and when we tried it and it was a lot spicier than food we’re used to.”
It’s not just food that Wohlkinger has had trouble adapting to, but also his new family and social life.
“We speak a language that nobody here really speaks,” Wohlkinger said. “We speak Afrikaans, and we kind of do more traditional African meals at home.”
Even some of the things that we take for granted, Wohlkinger and his family have had trouble getting used to.
“We aren’t used to dishwashers and dryers,” Wohlkinger said. “So that was a big treat, and we’ve been using those to the best of our abilities. I remember all of us looking at the dishwasher and thinking ‘How do we use this?’”
It’s hard to adapt to a different country, and Wohlkinger misses a lot of things about his life in Africa.
“I miss my friends,” Wohlkinger said. “My sister came here in her sophomore year with me and she moved back because she missed her friends too much. I had this huge family and now it’s just me, my mom and my dad. Plus, I miss the culture.”
After adapting to the different lifestyle, Wohlkinger has found many things that he really enjoys about Texas.
“I love how the art industry here is huge,” Wohlkinger said. “Also, here there’s a lot more job opportunities. Back home we only have a couple things, and that’s about it.”
Wohlkinger plans on staying in Texas and attending college in Dallas after he graduates from high school.
“I want to go to Cordon Bleu, the culinary school,” Wohlkinger said. “I would also like to open my own bakery.”

JV orchestra and choir winter concert

lflorence — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:28:21 +0000

You’ve been practicing for weeks; you practically have the notes memorized and the string marks imprinted your fingers. But no matter how dedicated you’ve been in rehearsing, there’ s nothing like walking out onto the stage and seeing the sea of people who are anxious to hear the sweet music you have to offer. The lights cover your face as a constant reminder of the position you’re in. All of these thoughts rush through the mind of an orchestra player.

On Dec. 12, the auditorium filled with anxious parents who were there to see orchestra students play and choir students sing.

“I am so excited to see my daughter play tonight,” parent Blanca Mayo said. “I love Christmas music and I know that she’s been working really hard for this concert.”

Once the curtains opened the playing began and the whole auditorium was swept with music, the players looked like an ocean moving back and forth in rhythm. After each of the four orchestras played, a silence hung in the air, but within ten seconds the whole room roared with applause.

“I felt accomplished tonight,” sophomore Chandler New said. “There’s nothing like looking up at your director after you’ve played and seeing his face satisfied and relaxed.”

JV orchestra winter concert

lflorence — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:42:14 +0000

Featuring pieces they had been preparing since October, the Junior Varsity orchestras and choirs performed together Dec. 12 for the annual JV winter concert. The winter program is the lengthiest concert and has the highest audience attendance of the year.

“I think the JV winter concert is amazing because we run about 700 kids through the halls and onto the stage,” orchestra director Michael Stringer said.

The Philharmonic orchestra plays as a full orchestra for this concert with band members who volunteer their time and get no incentive in return other than the joy in performing. They only get four or five after-school rehearsals to pull the pieces together before they showcase them in front of an audience.

The orchestra program is one of the few in the state that’s fortunate enough to have two full orchestras, a Junior Varsity and a Varsity. The band, choir and orchestra directors plan their winter concert programs involving one another in the choosing, rehearsing and directing processes

“It’s awesome that the teachers work together so well,” Stringer said. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that the audience doesn’t even know about.”

All-State status

lflorence — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:14:20 +0000

The second hand ticks faster as the swarm of bodies thins out in the room. Then it’s your turn to enter the dead silent recital hall. Take a deep breath and pierce the air as your fingers mechanically crawl across your instrument, playing the same notes you’ve recited hundreds of times before.
Trying out for All-State is no simple process, and there isn’t a cookie-cutter way to guarantee a spot for yourself other than to prepare the music as much and as fervently as possible.
“This year, I only got about an hour every day or so on the music because of college auditions,” senior violinist Catherine Beck said. “The week before the auditions, I practiced two or three hours a day, but that was it.”
Beck, who has been playing violin for 13 years, has made All-State before and is no stranger to the audition process. Students tape the cuts from the selections the judges pick and must record themselves in one sitting without restarting.
“The worst part is probably the actual audition,” Beck said. “It’s just scary to get in front of the actual microphones and think that whatever goes on the CD, stays on the CD.”
Even after intensely practicing the music for months and memorizing practically all but the copyright information, predicting the final results is still next to impossible. Released in mid-November, the judges decisions are mostly left to chance and luck of the draw.
“At this point, it’s a 50/50 chance,” Beck said. “I had a few mistakes in the tape, such as intonation and, at times, cleanliness, but compared to another CD, I could sound amazing or terrible. It all depends on where I was placed in the listening process.”
The most elite, prodigy-esque musicians are generally those who make All-State, as it takes a trained understanding of how to practice as well as a skilled and refined knowledge of music-reading.
“We practice the music every day and we eventually learn the techniques in the music and it makes us better musicians,” Beck said.
Unable to see a future without it, Beck plans to continue her dedication to music for the rest of her life in some way or another.
“After high school I plan to major in music performance and minor in music,” Beck said. “I want to be a violin performer and then settle down with playing in a large symphony. I may even just play in a symphony right after college if performing doesn’t work out for me.”
Official results were released on Nov. 15 stating that Beck had made 3rd chair in the All-State Symphony orchestra. A total of 9 orchestra students made the All-State cut.

My life is Martin

lflorence — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:09:17 +0000

The website “My Life is Average” is an open blog to let people post about the weird things that happen in their lives anonymously. Some of those stories actually look average compared to the things that happen on a day to day basis at Martin. These are the first-hand accounts of student lives at Martin.
WARNING: If you are guilty of any of these acts, it’s not my fault, you put yourself in that situation.

“Today, I walked into the bathroom to find a girl throwing up deuces in front of the mirror while taking pictures of herself. MLIM”

“Everyday, I see kids in electric wheelchairs literally racing through the hallways. MLIM”

“Today, I saw a kid with handcuffs hanging off of his britches. MLIM”

“Today, one of the security guards fist-bumped me. MLIM”

“Today, the varsity football coach came into the pep rally on a motorcycle with his kid riding on the back. MLIM”

“Today, I was reading about the most haunted places in Texas and our catwalk in the auditorium was listed. MLIM”

“Today, my substitute told us about how she put her dead cat in the freezer. MLIM”

“Today, a freshman came up to me and asked me where the third floor was. MLIM”

“Today, I got lost in the hallways. I’m a senior. MLIM”

“Today, two girls walked out of the bathroom communicating with each other by grunting. MLIM”

“Today, Tuesday (not a spirit day), when I walked through the hallways I saw two guys dressed up like a panda and a cat…tail and all. MLIM”

“Today, I realized our school is more fratty than most colleges. MLIM”

“Today, I walked into the bathroom stall and saw sign that let me know if I was pregnant that I will always have a counselor to talk to. I’m a dude. MLIM”

“Today, I found out that my criminal justice teacher is a very accomplished accordion player. MLIM”

“Today, I saw a life-size Pac Man game going through the parking lot. MLIM”

“Today, there was a Stormtrooper wandering around school. He asked me where his Ewok was. MLIM”

“Today, I walked through the photography room and saw a life-size Edward Cullen cutout peering at me through the closet door. MLIM”

“Today, one of my fellow students was on the news for being taken to prison. MLIM”

Martin modifications

lflorence — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:47:03 +0000

If you had the power to change one thing about Martin what would it be? Would you want to be able to skate around the hallways like in movies, totally omit the idea of tests, or maybe to not be so forced to wear IDs? We all have our ideas. There are some students and even some teachers who think so as well.

Q: If you could change one thing about Martin High School, what would it be?

“Shorter classes. I would want to go home and sleep. It’s bad enough we have to wake up so early.”
• sophomore Angel Nguyen

“I would get my conference period back.”
• PAP English II teacher, Molly Haney

“I wish we could have nap time. We’re so stressed in high school and kindergarteners don’t really even need naps. What do they have to worry about?”
• senior Veronica Dyke

“We should all be able to burst into song, like in High School Musical.”
• sophomore Shelby Ruggeberg

“Student population. The hallways are so crowded and the bigger class sizes now cause the teachers to give less attention to each individual student. Fewer students equals fewer problems.”
• junior Maryam Khan

“Bigger places for lunch. The cafeteria is always so crowded during lunch. I think they should either build a different building for lunch that is bigger or have a separate area for the freshmen.”
• Art I and II teacher Anne Nagim

Our students and faculty have spoken. And who knows? Maybe our voices will be heard and we just might get to dance to class next time the bell rings or be found head down and snoring in our fifteen-minute nap class.

Allergic to life

lflorence — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:46:02 +0000

Having seasonal allergies is a nightmare. An even worse scenario is when you’re an animal fanatic but you are allergic to your own pet. Can you imagine not being able to lie in the grass with your friends due to the possibility of getting an allergic reaction? When you are asked to play a sport or just hang out with your friends outdoors, do you worry about your allergies to the sun’s rays? In some rare cases, these are the precautions some people take when their allergies are a bit abnormal.

Senior Taylor Geier can’t be touched by Bermuda and Saint Augustine grass. Bermuda grass is one of the most common grass allergies people can have. If either type of grass touches her she gets extremely itchy, urticaria (a kind of skin rash), and/or atopic dermatitis, a type of skin disease. Her symptoms can kick in after direct skin contact with the grasses, sitting in the grass with jeans, or even mowing the lawn. In the situation of direct contact she can take a bath and/or change clothes and she’ll be back to normal, and if that doesn’t work then she can always try oral antihistamines.

“The hardest thing is probably having to keep remembering not to sit on grass,” Geier said.”I can’t just play with my dogs outdoors, I can’t sit or lay in the grass with, and sports are difficult due to the grass.”

Whether it’s minus 5 or 105 degrees, junior Rosa Valdez worries about her allergy, Polymorphic Light Eruption. PLU is a sunlight allergy that is active 24/7, including during the winter. Direct sunlight can cause red patches and bumps on affected skin. Since there is not a real treatment, besides anti-itching lotions and creams, the only self-treatment is to get the exposed skin area cold or wet. If itching does occur, it is best not to scratch. The itching will spread throughout the body part that it started with.

“I can’t go on many vacations anymore,” Valdez said. “Even during summer I have to wear a sweater or jacket, especially when it’s 105 degrees. I’d rather pass out than be that itchy.”

One of the worst nightmares for animals lovers is to be allergic to their pets. Senior Kaitlyn Brangers has two dogs and she’s allergic to them. She is also allergic to cats, but that’s just her animal allergies, the rest involve almost everything you can find outdoors: Kentucky Bluegrass, mountain cedar, cedar, oak, pine, mold, pollen, dust, and dust mites. Her symptoms can be anything from itchy, watery eyes to her asthma. The good news is that she has a lot of possible treatments for her allergies, such as Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl, and allergy shots that she gets every other day to help her become immune.

“I never really know what’s going to set it off,” Brangers said. “It’s different in every place and it’s hard too because it affects my health in other ways, like my asthma.”

Being allergic to pet that you adore so much can be problematic, wearing a sweater during a Texas summer makes summer dreadful, and being allergic to the grass makes living life a little impossible, but these three students just have to keep living their lives. Could you handle their allergies?

Martin grads offer college advice to seniors

Tricia Regalado — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:03:20 +0000

Elizabeth Rice, freshman at UNT

What’s one thing that you wished you had brought with you? Why?
“I definitely wish I had brought more blankets. My dorm has centralized heating and A/C, so I have no control over the temperature, meaning that when I get too cold I’m always trying to find another blanket or socks or something. This was especially problematic during the week of snow, where the heaters were unable to keep up with the temperature, and I had to walk a mile to get to the closest open cafeteria.”

“And on that same note: bring plenty of extra food! Even though a lot of schools now require all incoming freshmen to buy a meal plan, it is extra important to bring quick and easy food with you. Some days cafeterias will not be open, or if they are, the meals are unappetizing. Do yourself a favor and invest in some mac and cheese cups or good Ramen.”

Where do you live (home, dorm, etc.)? Do you like it, regret it? Why?
“I live in the dorm, and utterly love it. It’s wonderful to be able to go straight from my classes to my room without having to actually drive anywhere. There are always people around, and often times there are programs at night where you can pick up extra skills such as clothing alterations or dorm room cooking.”

General advice you want to give?
“Okay, the one question I had before going to college was about the bathrooms. My dorm is one of the oldest on campus and therefore has community bathrooms, which really freaked me out. The good news is: they’re not as bad as they sound. It’s actually quite pleasant, since you’re not responsible for restocking it or keeping it clean. I’ve never had to wait to get a shower stall, either. And there’s never really been a lack of privacy.”

“The freedom of college is great, but don’t forget the minor stuff like going to classes. Several of my roommate’s friends GPAs dropped lower than a 2, or C for you non GPA folk, and a few were even pulled out of college by their families. Classes aren’t that hard. You just have to attend and make an effort. Always make yourself aware of deadlines, because most teachers do not give you a second chance on a assignment and not showing up doesn’t work either. Most of my project class will reject your work if you’re not actually there to turn it in on the due date.”

What is the most common misconception of college?
“It’s really hard to pinpoint one misconception about college, because the experience really depends on the school and the major. For example most of my business classes really don’t care if we attend class or not. For all they care we could show up on the last day, take the final, and possibly still pass the class. But if you attempted that in any of my art classes then you would definitely fail. In fact, in one of my classes, if you miss three days you drop a letter grade.”

Is/was college as great as you thought it would be?
“College is actually better than I thought it would be! Getting to choose your class time and days is awesome. For example I have days that are “hard.” To date, my hardest day has had nine and a half hours worth of classes, and days that are entirely off. And there are always events or people around, if your bored.”

What is your least favorite thing about college?
“My least favorite thing about college is the costs. Not only are there room and board payments and tuition, but textbooks and supplies are expensive. My first semester I ended up spending somewhere between $700 and $1,000 on art supplies and text books. It cost a lot of money to park on campus, but if you save the money by leaving your car at home, you end up spending it on the more expensive supplies at the only stores within walking distance.”

Your favorite memory from college?
“Since I’m only a freshman, I really can’t point out a favorite memory. There have been too many good ones to just pick one. So I suppose it would have to be my Design II class. We’ve done so many great projects and the people there were absolutely fabulous.”

Stefanie Cabra, Tyler College, 2 semesters. Currently going to Arlington Medical Institute for Medical Assisting.

What is the most common misconception of college?
“Most people think it is one big party, especially if you live on campus and away from home. It stinks when you learn the hard way and end up having to pay for classes yourself.”

Was college as great as you expected it would be?
“I got lucky and some of my instructors cared like my high school teachers. I have heard that most professors have the mindset of, ‘You are paying for classes. So if you don’t show up or do the work, that’s on you.’”

Whats your least favorite thing about college?
“It was being away from friends and family.”

Whats your favorite college memory?
“Our mascot was the Apaches. During football season on Thursday night, the night before the game, we had a big Apache drum in front of the Admin building. Tradition said if the drum stopped beating at any time in the 24-hour period, up until the game started, we would lose the game.

Where did you live during college?
“On campus, in an all-girls dorm.”

Did you like where you lived?
“Oh yes! I have so many memories with those girls.”

Is there any advice that you would like to give to seniors graduating this year about to leave for college?
“It’s not one big party. Your first couple of years are more of a test to prove to your parents and more important to yourself, how mature you really are.”

Rebecca Royal, Freshman at TCU, majoring in English

Where do you live (home. dorm. etc.)? Do you like it, regret it? Why?
I live in a dorm and I love it. It’s really great to be on campus for events any time of the day and to be close to friends who also live on campus.

General advice you want to give?
Don’t stress out, but work hard. Finding a good balance between your social life and classes and studying is really important.

What is the most common misconception of college?
I know my high school teachers always talked about how stressful the classes were going to be and how hard the professors were going to be and how we’d be too busy to have a social life. That is definitely not true. Most of my professors were really easy going and friendly and the classes were fine with a little studying.

Is/was college as great as you thought it would be?
It was actually a lot better than I was afraid it was going to be. High school teachers made the classes and professors sound so hard and stressful and everyone else made it sound like it was all partying and socializing, so I was really happy to see that neither was really true.

What is your least favorite thing about college?
Having to make my schedule each semester was probably the worst thing for me. Making your own schedule is great, but sometimes it’s hard to choose what you should be taking and when and make it all work, especially if you aren’t really sure what you’re going to major in.

Your favorite memory from college?
Every Thursday night my roommate and I go to the campus improv group and it’s just awesome every time. We get to hang out and have fun and it’s always my favorite part of the week.

Stephen F. Austin State University, Math Education

What’s one thing that you wished you had brought with you? Why?
“My puppy Freckles because I miss her a lot. Only fish and birds are allowed in the dorms at Stephen F. Austin State University.”

Where do you live (home. dorm. etc.)? Do you like it, regret it? Why?
“I live in the dorms and I love living on campus with everyone else! There’s just one one thing I don’t like about it: You can’t get away from the people who are sick so you’ll most likely catch whatever sickness that’s going around campus.”

General advice you want to give?
Get involved on campus! I promise your college experience will be much more enjoyable. There’s even statistics that say those that are involved have a greater GPA than those that don’t.

What is the most common misconception of college?
I’d have to say Greek Life, I thought it was exactly like the rumors and TV shows like Greek on ABC Family, but they are not all like that. Sure there’s a few that gave the Greeks a bad name, but that doesn’t mean they are all the same. I gave it a shot and I’m glad I did because it’s made my college experience a billion times better than the first few weeks before I went through rush.

Is/was college as great as you thought it would be?
I was really nervous about making new friends and losing the old ones, but I realized if they are your true friends, nothing will have changed the next time you see them. As well as I thought it was going to be ten times harder than high school, but it’s not as hard as I imagined. I think my teachers in high school prepared me very well for it.

What is your least favorite thing about college?
Being homesick. I’ve discovered, though, that if you get involved on campus, it helps because it’ll keep you busy and you’ll enjoy college more when you’re not just sitting around in your dorm room with nothing to do.

Your favorite memory from college?
After Initiation into Delta Zeta my “family” and I played a bunch of games I brought from home all night long it was a blast! After that we decided to make it a tradition to play games after every Initiation and Big Appreciation Week.

Tips for getting a summer job

Tricia Regalado — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:47:45 +0000

Why spend your hot summer days being bored? Making money always sounds pleasant, but making it happen could be a challenge. If you are 16 and older, you have the opportunity to be legally employed, a new level of adulthood to take advantage of.

The first step to making money would be to find references. Most employers ask for three people they can call who are not related to you to learn more about you. The best people to find would be one that you have known for awhile: coaches, sponsors of clubs you’re part of and youth pastors, just to name a few. It is recommended that you find people whom you have a good relationship with and are guaranteed to say good things about you. Some future employers do not call these people, but many do. So before you write these people’s names down, make sure they know they are a part of your job search. It’s not very pleasant to receive a phone call asking what you think about a random person you sort of know.

Secondly, try to have an open mind about your future job. You never know what it’s like and you might enjoy it. Places you might like to try are clothing stores, amusement parks, working as a lifeguard, restaurants and kids’ camps. If the place where you really would like to work and have applied to isn’t interested, but another place is, take advantage. You can always use more work experience.

While going back to an establishment to turn in an application, make sure you look clean cut and presentable. Also make sure to smile when greeting the manager on duty. First impressions are everything in finding a job. You want to look like a presentable, hard-working young adult. Introduce yourself and tell them you’re interested in being part of their team. Once you’re ready to leave, thank them. Politeness is always the key.

Depending on the situation, they might ask you for an interview right then. In most cases, it takes awhile for them to contact you again for a follow-up interview. If they don’t call you back in about a week and a half, be the one to call them. Calling them and asking if they have had the time to look at your application makes you sound interested and responsible.

When it is time for your interview, dress for the occasion. You don’t have to be in slacks and a button down shirt, but it’s not good to go with basketball shorts and a Martin t-shirt either. Dress nicely and look presentable. Answer each question they ask with confidence. Also, make sure your answers are something they would be looking for. Be yourself, but for example, if they ask you why you want the job, you wouldn’t want to answer with just “money.” Practice your interview techniques from speech class.

Afterward, they usually do tell you if you’re hired or not. There are some places that need time to choose their future employers, and some also ask for a follow-up interview. No matter what, be confident. Confidence and standing out happens to be a big part of what they could be looking for.