Life and Culture

Save Some Energy

Hope Balog

May 3, 2021

Conserving energy brings many benefits. Limiting the amount of energy you use cuts down the number of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. The less emissions in the atmosphere, the better the air quality is. Conserving energy also saves you money! Using less energy means a smaller energy bill. Here are some tips to remember when trying to conserve energy:

• Utilize natural light

• Turn off all lights when not using them

• Unplug devices when your done using them

• Reduce appliance use

• Use less hot water

• Limit your oven/microwave usage

• Use more LED light bulbs

• Turn off computers when they are not in use

• Only do full loads in dishwasher/washing machine

• Repair all electrical issues

Teacher Appreciation Week

Ayannia Anchondo

April 29, 2021

As you may know, Teacher Appreciation Week is upon us. The week of appreciating and thanking the teachers who go out of their way to ensure our education and our morals. Ever since we were 5 years old, we have always had teachers in our lives to teach us right from wrong. They go through 4 years of college (and sometimes more) and then spend every day planning our assignments. And if you think about it, they don’t get paid a lot but they’re not doing it for the money. Teachers do their job because it is what they love. So don’t forget to give your teacher a big thanks!

Easter Favorites

Emily Rice

March 31, 2021

Easter is a well-known and loved holiday that is annually celebrated on any given Sunday of March or April. While most people celebrate the holiday, not everyone celebrates for the same reason or has the same favorite part of the holiday. According to a survey conducted on twenty-three (23) students across the High School and Junior High campus, students' favorite part of the Easter festivities are as follows:

• Egg Hunt- 12

• Time with Family-4

• Church Service- 3

• Dinner/Lunch-3

• Decorating Eggs-1

The Origin of Easter

Jeremiah Rivera

April 1, 2021

Easter is celebrated around the resurrection of Jesus Christ and other festivities. The name “Easter” travels back to the name of a goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at the beginning of spring. The regard to this goddess comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, a British monk who lived within the late seventh and early eighth century. The egg is a symbol of new life and has been featured at pagan festivals celebrating spring. Most Christians see easter eggs to represent Jesus' exit from his tomb and resurrection.

Old Treasures Dug Up

Hope Balog

March 28, 2021

Multiple fragments of a Dead Sea Scroll were found by archaeologists in the Judean Desert. They were found in a cave called the “Cave of Horror.” This was the cave Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire hid. The last pieces of the Dead Sea Scroll were found over 60 years ago. These pieces of scroll contain some of the oldest versions of the Hebrew bible and other Jewish texts. Some of the fragments show verses from the books of the prophets Zechariah and Nahum. The scrolls were written in Greek. The fragments date back to almost 2,000 years ago. Eleven lines of the text have been reconstructed such as parts of Zechariah 8:16-17 and Nahum 1:5-6. These are the first findings in about 60 years since they have been digging in the Judean Desert. Other artifacts were found during their dig such as a 6,000 year-old skeleton of a child rare coins, and a 10,500 year-old woven basket and it’s lid.

Mindful March

Addie Beall

March 23, 2021

Throughout the whole month of March we are celebrating “Mindful March.” When asked about the event, Mrs. Lefever says "I believe Mrs. Mims is who brought awareness about it and has been announcing it each day but Kyndel Lawdermilk (our Stu Co president) came up with the idea to do some spirit days to lift everyone's morale.” Mindful March means “It's a concept to remind people to be grateful for what they have, appreciate the beauty around them, be thoughtful of others, be conscientious of their actions, etc.” Mrs. Lefever felt that the school would benefit from Mindful March. “I think we all get caught up in the business of life, which is understandable, but sometimes we need to be reminded how blessed we are and that, regardless of hard times that may be going on around us, there is still so much beauty.” The dress up days for Mindful March Madness were Monday: Pj day, Tuesday: Future day, Wednesday: Workout gear, Thursday: Sports gear, and Friday: Buff gear. “The corn hole tournament went so well and everyone enjoyed it. I liked having a reward that encouraged more people to participate. For some reason in the spring, the energy levels around school are pretty low, I think we need more spirit-lifting activities so hopefully we will get the chance to do it again next year” says Mrs. Lefever.

Top 10 Google Tricks

Ayannia Anchondo

March 12, 2021

Usually when you want to be simply entertained while doing something like work or essays, you would go to your phone or search up youtube. But while working on your job or at school you can’t really whip out your phone. Little did you know that Google has some tricks to definitely keep you entertained.

1. Do a Barrel Roll: Just simply type that in and the whole screen will start rotating!

2. Atari Breakout: Search this up, click on images and a game will appear!

3. Askew: Type this in and the whole page is SLANTED!

4. Google Gravity: Search this in, click on mr. doob and notice how everything falls!

5. Thanos: Once you click the gauntlet half the tabs start to snap out of existence..

6. Anagram: Google will ask: Did you mean Nag a ram? haha.

7. Zerg Rush: CLICK ALL THE O’s BEFORE THEY DESTROY ALL THE TABS!!

8. Party like it’s 1998: See Google in the 90’s!!

9. Guitar Google trick: Play the Google logo guitar!

10. Google Birthday Surprise Spinner: Click to spin and the wheel will choose a game to play!

The History Behind St. Patrick’s Day

Meagan Garza

March 12, 2021

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? For all we know about it, we go around pinching people who aren’t wearing green. Have you ever wonder what the meaning behind it is? St. Patrick’s day came from the country, Ireland. It’s named after a man named St. Patrick, who came to Ireland and brought Christianity into Ireland. Irish and Irish Americans celebrate on March 17, the day the legendary St. Patrick died. You may be thinking, why do we celebrate it since it’s an Irish holiday? You’d be surprised to know that in many cities in the U.S do in fact celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with parades and even festivals. Some don’t know the entire history behind this holiday but to some people, it is still fun to celebrate.

Spring Break To -Do List

Jeremiah Rivera

March 12, 2021

Spring break is next week! Students get to enjoy the spring time and have a little time off from school and extracurricular activities. Choosing how you spend your time can be tough but there are plenty of things to do including:

• Spring cleaning

• Rearranging your room

• Spending time with friends

• Visiting far family out of town

• Going on a short vacation

• Shopping

• Working out

• Quality time with pets

• Game nights

• Sleep

• Catch up on a good book

• Binge watching Netflix

• Playing video games

• Work on your cooking skills

• Gardening

You decide how to spend your time. Stay safe, wash your hands, and most importantly have fun.

Women's History Month

Ayannia Anchondo

March 9, 2021

This week marks the first week of Women’s History Month. What makes this month important to remember is that it represents all the women who have made a difference in history. This month gives young girls an inspiring outlook on how to change the world one challenge at a time. Now, you might be asking yourself: How do we celebrate Women’s History Month? Well you can start by having the knowledge of the troubles women go through and how you can change those issues. How could you change Sexism? or how could you change Gender-Based Violence? Another way to celebrate this month is to read and share the stories that salute the women that have made a difference in our history. For example, you can read about the Women's Suffrage Movement, and the obstacles they have to face. One last way you can celebrate is to watch movies and shows that were directed by women. For example, Wonder Woman, The Breadwinner and BlackFish. As you can see, Women’s history month is an important monumental month and it should be celebrated and known throughout the world.

Some Fun Facts about Women’s History Month are:

1. The First Women’s History Day was held in 1909.

2. Every Women’s History Month has a theme.

3. Wyoming Territory was the first place to grant women the right to vote.

4. Claudette Clovin refused to give up her bus seat 9 months before Rosa Parks did.

5. Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb was the first woman to pass astronaut testing in 1961.

6. Sally Ride was the first woman in space and was also the first gay astronaut.

7. Women outnumber men as they get older.

8. Women make up 14.4 percent of active duty military members.

Texas Power/ Water Outages + Weather events

Emily Rice

February 25, 2021

February 11th through approximately the 21st, there were severe power and water outages, and immense weather, especially for the Lone Star State. It all began with simple weather alerts, a brief warning of what was yet to come, yet the alerts were dismissed; like so many before them. The recent winter storm was a great tragedy that ended with at least 22 deaths across the state of Texas. There are several small towns, like ours across the large state, that all experienced a very similar event. Many people had to stay the night at a relative’s house or perhaps sleep with a couple extra blankets. There were several generators in use across the state, but many were desperately unprepared. There was a noticeable larger amount of power outages/shortages than there were water outages/shortages (in our location), but the city was still placed under a boil notice. In addition, Texas reached record-breaking time periods below freezing. While the storm wreaked havoc in every corner of the state, Texas held its ground. This recent winter storm was a historic event for the books.

“It is definitely something all of us can say we have never experienced before and hope to never experience again,” Mrs. Suzanne Kirkland stated.

Forsan High School/Elementary, like many other schools across the state, temporarily shut down for six extra days (11 in total) due to the power/water levels fluctuating, and not to mention the hazardous road conditions. “I was VERY happy the school decided to cancel for the week - I do not like to drive in wintry conditions to begin with so I am glad they put everyone's safety first,” Mrs. Kirkland commented.

In light of recent events, we as a town, state, and country have learned quite the lesson: we need to be prepared and not dismiss the warnings we are given.

When prompted if there was anything else she would like to add, Mrs. Kirkland said, “Surely our state realizes the impact made by mother nature and will be more prepared for various events in the future. It is easy to point fingers afterward however it doesn't change the fact that people died because of the dropping temps, and that is very sad.”

Valentine's Day

Jeremiah Rivera

February 10, 2021

Year round we celebrate Valentine’s Day but where did this holiday of love, flowers, and candy come from? The very first Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the year 496, coming from a Roman festival called Lupercalia celebrated in February. As part of the festival celebrations, boys would randomly pick the names of girls from a box and they would date and even sometimes get married during the festival. What about today? We questioned three different groups: single, in a relationship, and a long time married couple. Mr. and Mrs. Park started dating in high school and now their relationship has stayed strong for 52 years. Instead of getting each other something for Valentine’s Day they spread their love to their grandkids. These next two love birds have been together for almost 2 years. For these young lovers, Valentine's Day is just like any other day with a little extra love. “Valentine’s day chocolate is meant to be bought on sale.” The couple feels that it is necessary to show love but not particularly on Valentine’s Day. Lastly there are just some people who choose to be single on Valentine’s Day. She chooses to spend Valentine’s Day with friends and family and focus on self love. She believes that a relationship is not a priority right now. So in conclusion, no matter how you spend Valentine’s Day it's about love all around.

47 Things to do This Weekend

Ayannia Anchondo

February 10, 2021

When you think about the weekend, you think about all the things that you want to do. But a lot of the time you can’t do it because it’s too expensive. So just in case you have an unplanned weekend here are some things you can do that are cheap and easy.

1. Go to the Library: You can go to the library for the benefits of studying, retaining knowledge that’s new to you and you can read some fictional books you’ve never read before.

2. Host a Movie Marathon: You can invite your friends to a movie marathon of your choice. Whether it is Marvel, Star Wars or Classics.

3. Go to the Park: At the park you can invite family or friends to go running, hiking, or take pictures.

4. Play Board Games: Stay home, invite your friends over for a game night. Suggested board games are: Monopoly, Sorry, Taboo, or Life the game

5. Play Card Games: Incase the board game suggestion does not work, play card games instead. The suggested card games for you and you friends are: Crazy Eights, Uno, Phase Ten, or Skip Bo

6. Go Out Driving during Night Hours: You can go during night hours and take a long drive while listening to music. It helps to be relaxing and stress relieving. You can also go explore through different streets of the town.

7. Watch the Sunset: You can sit on your driveway and watch the sunset go down. You can do this with friends, family or just by yourself.

8. Write out a Bucket list: Write out a bucket list for all the goals you want to accomplish through your high school or adult life.

9. Make a Scrapbook: Print pictures of you and your friends, find old family pictures and stick them in a notebook to document your journey through life.

10. Bake a Pie: Pick out fresh fruits and vegetables, look up recipes and figure out how to bake a pie. Examples: Apple pie, Cherry pie, Sweet potato pie or Pumpkin pie.

11. Put together a Jigsaw Puzzle: Ever think about doing a puzzle? Make a snack, put something on and start a jigsaw puzzle.

12. Volunteer to Babysit for Hard Working Parents: Like kids on the weekends, parents deserve a break too. Sometimes they need a chance to go out, relax and unwind.

13. Clean and Donate: Clean out your closet, find any kinds of old clothes or clutter that you feel can be donated to your local goodwill.

14. Watch for Shooting Stars: Lay down, watch the sky, make a wish.

15. Go Bowling: Go bowling at the Bowl-A-Rama here at town, have a blast with your friends in the lanes and eat food.

16. Plant a Garden: Plant some cute little flowers and maybe some fresh fruits and/or vegetables.

17. Go Dancing: Play some music, go dance.

18. Start an Art Project: Go get some paints, glue, paper and get to work.

19. Write a Letter to a “Long Time No See” Family Member: Writing does sound weird but think about it. Writing a letter to a family member you haven’t talked to in a long time can mean a lot to that relative.

20. Rearrange Your Room: Sometimes changes are good. Rearranging can also help you stay organized better and more responsible.

21. Make a Picnic: Set up a little picnic at your local park. Eat some food and have a laugh.

22. Visit Friends: Go and see your friends. Hang out and talk.

23. Make Homemade Pizza: An easy fun activity that can involve your whole family.

24. Creative Writing: Grab a piece of paper, pen or pencil and start writing. Write the first thing or things that pop into your head, you don’t have to be shakespeare.

25. Build a Fort: Build you a comfy and warm fort and binge watch shows from Netflix.

26. Take a Nap: Have a 30 minute or 1 hour nap. Naps help restore energy to keep going throughout the day.

27. Learn to Juggle: Turn to youtube, learn something new.

28. Learn Origami: Make a swan, a cat or a ship!

29. Make a Time Capsule: Gather your friends or family and make a time capsule. Each person puts one thing that means a lot to them, put it in the time capsule and then bury it.

30. Feed Ducks: You can go to the local Big Spring park and feed the duckies some bread.

31. Reading: When is the last time you have picked up a book? Now is the time to make a quick snack, a cozy spot and find a good book to read.

32. Bicycling: Riding a bike around the street or park is great exercise and great for the environment.

33. Dog Walking: Go on a walk with your own dog or walk other people’s dog to make some cash on the side.

34. Roller Skating:Take roller skating to another level beyond Skateland. Purchase a pair and go skating around the block or at a skatepark.

35. Homemade Snow Cones:Spring is almost upon us, invite some friends, shave some ice and make some homemade snow cones!

36. Shadow Puppets: Learn how to make shadow puppets. Grab a flashlight, turn off the lights and create a story.

37. Candle Making: Make some candles, try something new and ancient at the same time. Candles are useful.

38. Homemade Juices: Pick out some fresh fruit and make some healthy juices. Maybe even open up a Lemonade stand with some fresh homemade Lemonade. Try making different types.

39. Tie Dying: If you’re tired of plain white t-shirts, try tie dying. It’s fun, simple and easy.

40. Knitting: Bond with someone over knitting. Sounds boring but it’s actually pretty productive and useful.

41. Sewing: Sewing is useful and resourceful especially for when some needs a hole patched.

42. Pet Fashion Show: Get some outfits and costumes for your pet. Have a fashion show and take some pictures.

43. Revisit Old Childhood Games: Invite some friends over and relive the childhood memories from your childhood games. Like Tag or Hide and Seek, maybe even add some twists or new rules.

44. Skin Care: Try doing some face masks or wax. Try pampering yourself by taking care of your skin.

45. Tea Party: Have a little tea party with actual tea. Have friends over and talk about whatever comes to mind.

46. Volunteer: Volunteer at your local nursing homes. You can learn new things and it will also look good on your resume for colleges.

47. Online Gaming: Do some gaming! Unwind all the stress and anger you might have hidden. Pump up some adrenaline.

Opinions on Biden Wanting to Raise the Minimum Wage

Maegan Garza

Biden has had certain plans in mind once he was elected. Some agree with his plans for the country and others don’t. One of his plans that he recently announced was possibly raising minimum wages for people with jobs. He is planning to raise it to $15 from the original $7.25 wage. Most people are on Biden’s side with this plan. People think that if it was raised to $15 then it would be easier to make more money. Many people believe that with the raise, they can pay for things easier and pay for things that they really need like food. A disadvantage of this raise is that in grocery stores management will raise their prices. People who don’t have jobs will find it more difficult to pay for things considering they might not have the money. Coach Thompson stated “This will particularly be devastating to restaurants as they have to raise their prices. Which will cause customers to not come in as often. Also, the additional labor cost will drive up the delivery costs of food. Which will additionally cause prices to rise and fewer customers for businesses.” We need to take into consideration that not everything benefits everyone. One thing is for sure, this will not be the last time that Americans discuss wages.

Ice Cream for Dogs

Jeremiah Rivera

January 22, 2021

Ben and Jerry’s beloved ice cream company has come out with two more amazing flavors, but they’re for dogs! “Frozen Dog Treat with Peanut Butter & Pretzel Swirl” and “Frozen Dog Treat with Pumpkin & Mini Cookies” are the two flavors you can choose for your pup. The ingredients in the “Pumpkin & Mini Cookies'' are water, sugar, coconut oil, corn syrup, wheat flour, pumpkin puree, sunflower seed paste, pea protein, lecithin, spice, cane molasses, salt, guar gum, locust bean gum, cream, tapioca starch, natural flavor, sodium bicarbonate, lemon juice concentrate, milk solids, citric acid (promote color retention), annatto extract (color), carrageenan, and vanilla extract. All these ingredients make the delicious ice cream which is safe for dogs. You can get your special pup either a mini cup or there is a 4-pack of mini cups. Unfortunately the ice cream for your favorite pet will not be available until late January. Will you be purchasing some for your pet? Mackenzie Tollison says she loves buying things for her dogs and can't wait for the ice cream for dogs to come out so her dog can try it.

New Olympic Sports

Hope Balog

January 20, 2021

On December 7, 2020 it was decided and approved that at the 2024 Olympics, 4 new sports will be added. These new sports include breakdancing, surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding. This was decided when the International Olympic Community wanted to make the games more focused on younger generations and achieve better gender equality. With these new sport additions, the games will have 50% female and 50% male competitors. The International Olympic Community hopes that these new additions will inspire millions of kids to take up a sport. There will now be 329 events that are performed which is actually 10 fewer than before. With these reductions, there will now be 500 less competitors. Breakdancing will include 16 girls and 16 boys with 2 medal events. Athletes competing in surfing will not travel to Paris, but to Teahupoo in Tahiti. Sport climbing will allow 20 men and 20 women to compete. When athletes compete in the skateboarding event, they will have the choice of which parts of the course they want to do. Judges will look at the consistency, timing, and “flow” of the competitors performance. To many, this is a huge motivator, encouraging them to join a sport since there are now even more ways to make it to the Olympics.

Biden’s Inauguration Day

Ayannia Anchondo

January 15, 2021

The inauguration day of the President of the United States has great importance. It’s a ceremony in which marks the commencement of a new four year term of the presidency. Even if the one president is doing a second term the inauguration ceremony still takes place. How the ceremony goes Biden has to words from the constitution being:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the the Constitution of the United States”

He will be expected to say the oath at noon on January 20th, 2021.The planners have urged for the people attending to not show up during the pandemic. So most of the celebration will be enjoyed virtually so pandemic problems are handled greatly. During the ceremony the president will be expected to give an oath and swear to give a promise to protect the country. As most people know, a few celebrities will make an entrance during the ball at 8:30 pm. The celebrities being: Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, Ant Clemons, and Jon Bon Jovi. Hosted by Tom Hanks.

So far that is the only information that has been given. Updates will go by each day till the day of. Get ready to meet our new President of the United States of America: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Jeremiah Rivera

January 19, 2021

The Covid-19 vaccination is something we have all been waiting for since the start of coronavirus, but since it is fairly new is it safe for people to get? According to a CDC.org article, the vaccination has been “Shown to be safe and effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials.” As another safety precaution certain people giving the vaccine are monitoring their clients who got the vaccine to ensure that the vaccine is doing its job. But where do you get the vaccine? For people in the Howard County area the Scenic Mountain Medical Center, West Texas VA Healthcare System, and Affordacare are your options for vaccination.

Get ready to stuff the turkey! With gloves and a mask…?

Ashlee Moore

November 9, 2020

Thanksgiving is the day to spend time with your family with a feast typically at your grandparents house. But due to COVID-19, this year will be different. How will families come together while maintaining the practice of social distancing? Remember, it’s important to stay in contact with family members especially during the holidays.

Here are some CDC recommendations to help your family stay safe while having fun!

• Celebrate virtually- While this may seem absurd, celebrating on a zoom call poses the lowest risk for spreading COVID. Family members from different households will not put others at risk by celebrating online.

• Look at COVID infection rates in your area- Knowing how bad COVID has spread in your area will decide if it is safe enough to hold a small gathering.

• Outdoor gatherings- Instead of having indoor gatherings, outdoor gatherings hold a less threat due to more breathing room.

• Hand sanitizer- Place many hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the location making sure guests can frequently sanitize their hands.

• Wear masks at all times- This is pretty much a given. Members should always wear a mask if they are not eating or drinking.

Avoid direct contact- Sadly this means no petting pets, hugging, shaking-hands, or high-fiving family members. It is important to socialize while maintaining a distance.

Halloween "Punnies"

Ayannia Anchondo

October 26 2020

In light of this situation of Covid-19, here are some clever and funny Halloween puns for you to enjoy:

1. Want to hear some Skeleton Puns? . . . . . They’re very humerus!

2. Ghouls just wanna have fun!

3. It’s gonna be a great Halloween this year . . . . . I can feel it in my bones!

4. Halloween is not the same if I can’t be witch you.

5. Squash Goals!!!

6. Go big or gourd home!

7. These Halloween puns are totally eerie-sistible!

8. Bow down to your Hallow-queen.

9. Let’s get this party startled!