News

21-22 Band Drum Majors and Color Guard

Addie Beall

May 10, 2021

For the Forsan 21-22’ marching season the Mighty Marching Buffalo Band will have 3 drum majors, 3 Color Guard captains, and 11 Color Guard members. A huge congratulations goes to the following students for this accomplishment.

• Ella Hoff (senior) - Head Drum Major

• Nick Bacigalupo (senior) - Assistant Drum Major

• Morgan Miller (sophomore) - Assistant Drum Major

• Genesis Ellis (senior) - Color Guard Captain

• Gabby Gonzalez (senior) - Color Guard Captain

• Enjolina Hawks (senior) - Color Guard Captain

• Emily Allen (junior) - Color Guard

• Addie Beall (sophomore) - Color Guard

• Gracie Gonzalez (junior) - Color Guard

• Hayley Green (junior) - Color Guard

• Shylee Gulley (junior) - Color Guard

• Neveah Hernandez (sophomore) - Color Guard

• Cristi Moore (freshman) - Color Guard

• Emily Rice (sophomore) - Color Guard

• Kaylie Rosenbaum (freshman) - Color Guard

• Kristen Shafer (junior) - Color Guard

• Patty Yabes (freshman - Color Guard

Prom To Take Place Saturday

Blake Barclay

April 29, 2021

When the school year comes to an end, it often comes with many special events and important dates. This includes an annual senior graduation, semester finals and state tests and others. But one of the most exciting and thrilling events that happens around this time of year is prom.

“Prom is a school dance,” said Ella Hoff, the junior class president. This year’s prom will have many activities, such as “a DJ, dancing, and a photo booth.” According to Ella, prom had been planned by the junior class officers. “The class officers are Hailey Beall, Reagan Phillips, and me,” she said. The theme of the prom is Music of the Night, a song from the musical The Phantom of the Opera. “There will be lots of reds and blacks,” said Ella. It is loosely based off of Phantom of the Opera, so somewhat dark, but elegant.”

Prom will take place this Saturday at the local country club, which will also be the place for other prom related events throughout the day. “A picture party will take place at 4pm outside the club,” she said. “Prom will begin at 8pm and will go on until midnight. Immediately following, most students attend after prom at the high school.”

Last year, Forsan was not able to have any spring or end-of-year events due to the pandemic. “All in all, I’m just grateful we get to have a prom this year,” said Ella. “It’s just supposed to be a fun time for students. For our school, it’s the only dance we have all year, so we try to make it as much fun as possible.”

If you have any questions about prom, you can contact a junior class officer. Hope you have a happy prom!

Forsan Volleyball Powderpuff

Caylee Myers and Toby Isbell

April 29, 2021

The Forsan Sophomore Class is hosting a Powderpuff Volleyball Tournament for all grades. The tournament will take place May 19. The last day to sign up is April 30, 2021. Anyone in volleyball this year can sign up to be a coach for their grade. Anyone not in volleyball can sign up to be a player on their grade’s team. Students who want to participate in the tournament but don’t want to play or coach can help out by signing up to be a line caller or scorekeeper. The tournament is a fundraiser for the sophomore class, so students will need to pay to participate. Players pay $5, Coaches pay $3, and Helpers/Line Judges pay $2.

Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Jeremiah Rivera

April 29, 2021

Everyday, as students, parents and staff, we appreciate our bus drivers. They are always there and are the ones that make sure our students get to and from school on time, and safely. Parents are assured that when their kids get on a school bus, they are in good hands with the bus driver. All because of the hard work by school bus drivers around the world, people have come up with the School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which is a holiday all about appreciating and showing love to all the school bus drivers all over the world; especially the ones in our school. The bus drivers here at Forsan are; Keith Bagnall, Steve Cimino, Angie East, Stephen East, Robert Hillger, Shaun McVicars, Joe Miranda, Travis Peters, Marisela Saucedo, Phillip Schumpert, Roxie Thomas, Tommy Thompson, Darren Weaver, Juan Rios, Frank Vidal, Shelly Jones, Mikaela Madrid and Veronica Tagle. All of our students and staff are very appreciative of our bus drivers. A big thank you goes to all of our bus drivers!

Top of the Class

Ayannia Anchondo

April 26, 2021

As of this week, Forsan is proud to announce Mason Hillger as Valedictorian of the senior class. With a GPA score of 5.27, he was able to be crowned the title of being the smartest student. “It’s a great feeling, knowing I’ve reached the reward at the end of a lot of hard work.” said Hillger. “I feel really grateful to everyone who’s helped me over the past four years.” His plans for the future are going to West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, CA, to get a degree in missions and become a foreign missionary. But when it comes to the hard work behind getting this reward, he mentioned his father, Robert Hillger, helping him. “In school and at home, he’s always been there for me, supporting me in everything I do and pushing me to get better.” Through hardships and good days, Mason has never given up, and he will continue to do many more great things in the future.

UIL Academic State Qualifiers

Blake Barclay

April 26, 2021

Forsan has always had a good reputation when it comes to competing in UIL Academics each year, and this year was no different. Due to the hard work and dedication of the students and coaches, many participants will be advancing to the state-level competition. Some of the events students will be advancing in are Number Sense and Spelling.

At the regional-level competition, Cameron Allen placed 3rd in Number Sense, making him eligible for the state meet. “I’ve competed in Number Sense for as long as I can remember, and it’s always been something I was good at,” said Cameron. “I placed third at district with not the best chance of qualifying, but at regionals, I was able to beat out my district. I was shocked at first, but I had left that test knowing I went in there and did the best I could.”

However, this year is quite different than years past. “It was honestly disappointing to hear that state would be virtually held in Big Spring, but nonetheless, I made it to state,” he said. “I am very happy with my results, because all I’ve ever wanted to do was make state in something. I worked on the basics to get this far, but if I want to win state, I honestly have to study and spend more time.”

There is one team that is notorious for qualifying for state every year. That team is the spelling team. “I was the individual regional champion, and we were the team champions,” said Mason Hillger, a member of the spelling team. “Since elementary UIL, I've always done spelling, and early success made it really fun for me.” Although he really enjoys the event, it’s not an easy task. “Spelling takes a lot of studying if you want to be successful. There are 1500 spelling words, and 350 vocabulary words, and if you want to know all of them, you have to study quite a bit,” he said. “My team has done a great job of preparing, and I'm really proud of them.”

Mason is also very excited for this year’s state competition. “My team and I have worked really hard, and I feel that we've fully earned a trip to state,” he said. “We've acquired quite the collection of medals and plaques over the past four years, and this year, we have a real chance to be Forsan's first academic team state champions.”

The coach of the Spelling team is Coach Hillger. As the coach of this team, he has very high expectations for his team. “I expected them to be district and regional champs. So, I was relieved and pleased with the results,” he said. The spelling team, along with Cameron, will compete at Big Spring High School May 1st due to COVID.

It has taken a lot of work for these students to reach this level of success. “They achieve at such a high level because they have been self motivated to win the state meet all school year,” said Coach Hillger. “They have spent countless hours studying and taking practice spelling tests. I couldn't be more proud of this team.”

For more information, you can contact Mr. Rhodes, the UIL Academic director at Forsan, or Coach Hillger.

Regional U.I.L. 4/16/21

Caylee Myers

April 19, 2021

Forsan High School is proud to say that students have made it to the Regional U.I.L. meet in Canyon, Texas on April 16, 2021. The students advanced in several events ranging from computer science to informative speaking. The list of people advancing to state are…

• William Cole - 1st in Copy Editing

• Cameron Allen - 3rd in Number Sense

• Mason Hillger - 1st in Spelling

• Oscar Lin - 2nd in Spelling

• Joanna Gato - 5th in Spelling

• Caylor Averette - 6th in spelling

Forsan is incredibly proud of these students and their academic achievements. The Forsan Spelling team placed 1st and will be advancing to state together.

Student Achieves Amazing Honor

Ayannia Anchondo

April 19, 2021

As you may know, our very own Freshman student Connor Byerly from Forsan High School has set the Microsoft expectancy pretty high. Byerly is the only student to successfully earn 17 Microsoft Badges. Now that was a shock to everyone. Both students and staff members could not believe the number of badges Connor had received. “I was confident that I was going to get the badges,” said the student himself. The badges being:

1. Microsoft Word (Office 2016)

2. Microsoft Excel (Office 2016)

3. Microsoft Powerpoint (Office 2016)

4. Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

5. Microsoft Excel Expert (Office 2016)

6. Microsoft Word Expert (Office 2016)

7. Microsoft Outlook (Office 2016)

8. Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

9. Microsoft Powerpoint (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

10. Microsoft Access (Office 2016)

11. Microsoft Office Specialist: Master (Office 2016)

12. Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

13. Microsoft Excel Expert (MIcrosoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

14. Microsoft Word Expert (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

15. Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

16. Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

17. Microsoft Access Expert (MIcrosoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)

OAP Honored During Meeting

Emily Rice

April 15, 2021

Earlier this week, on Monday, Apr. 12th, the School Board honored 2021’s cast, crew, and coaches involved in One Act Play. “The Terezin Promise,” (this year’s play), was about life inside of a Nazi concentration camp and saving the bundles of art that would’ve been lost in the fires.

“The school board recognizing One Act is definitely a compliment to the hard work that was put in to make "The Terezin Promise" a success,” said Co-One Act Coach Allen.

The One-Act crew, cast and alternates all received a certificate and a handshake from the School Board President: Lewis Boeker. This “mini-ceremony” concluded with a group picture and the continuation of the School Board meeting.

“It was very nice of the school board to recognize the hard work that One Act put in this year, and share in celebrating our success,” Allen stated, and surely the rest of One Act agrees.

Cotillion to Take Place

Jeremiah Rivera

April 15, 2021

Forsan Junior High School students grades fifth through eighth have been given a chance to attend Cotillion and work on their table etiquette and dance skills. The event, run by Shelby Cervantes, will take place on Sunday May 16t, from 4pm to 9pm. The cost is $120, and must be paid by Apirl 20.

Several students go through practice dinners and dances to get ready for this special event. At the event, the students show off their newly learned skills and parents get to watch. At the dinner, participants will be served a garden salad, tomato bisque, chicken parmesan with penne pasta, and a brownie al a mode. Not only will these kids learn lots of things, but they will also have an excellent meal to pair with it.

School to be in Session April 30

Blake Barclay

April 15, 2021

Forsan will be having a regular school day on April 30th, despite the date falling on a Friday. Students and most staff have had Fridays off since spring break because of unused flex-days, but due to the ice storm that hit our area, TEA is requiring schools to make up missed days. While students and staff do have to attend on Friday, April 30, the off Fridays will resume the following week.

Students have Fundraiser Success

Jeremiah Rivera

April 8, 2021

The Forsan journalism class hosted a fundraiser on April 6th for the mother and daughter in Post who lost their daughters/sisters, home and personal items. The class raised over $1,000 for the family of the girls who lost their lives. “We did the fundraiser because Post is a small school like us, and we know that our community would be wrecked if something so tragic happened to us. We wanted to raise some money and hopefully alleviate a small part of the massive burden that they are dealing with,” said journalism adviser Mrs. Harrison. The journalism class would like to thank everyone for their kindness and donating for such a great cause.

Drum Major and Color Guard Tryouts

Blake Barclay

April 8, 2021

This week, Forsan High School’s band is having sign-ups for drum majors and color guard. Students who will be a sophomore, junior, or senior next year will be eligible for the role of drum major, while any student who will be a high schooler next year will be eligible for a role in color guard. Drum majors direct the band during marching season- on the field and in the stands. They also must complete a salute before the marching band performance. Last year, the band only had two drum majors. On the other hand, color guard has many members. Color guard is a group of students who perform with flags and other things during marching season. They help give the performance more emotion and vibrance; this often correlates to the theme of the music. These groups are necessary for the band’s marching season. For additional information or questions, you can contact any of the band’s directors.

Fashion Field Trip

Hope Balog

April 15, 2021

On March 30, The Fashion Design class took a field trip. The group 17 girls went to Odessa to go fabric shopping. “We went to Joann’s fabric store,“ said student Makayla Estrella. “I got 3 different fabrics for a duffel bag I will begin making in fashion design.” Makayla said that she enjoyed the trip and was glad the class got to do this. “It was very fun! Being able to go out of the school and getting the fabric was cooler than just ordering it online.”

Earth Day

Emily Rice

April 8, 2021

Earth Day is an international holiday that has been annually celebrated for fifty-one (51) years. Earth Day was created by Gaylord Nelson to surface the issue of environmental damage to politicians. There are several things you can do to participate in Earth Day.

Things you can do Include:

• Recycling more often

• Reducing plastic and paper waste

• Using reusable bags at the store

• Donating to ‘The Conservation Fund,’ ‘Earthjustice,’ or ‘Earth Day Network’

• Taking quicker showers

• Composting

• Buying local and fresh

Although Earth Day is celebrated widely, many people don’t know the purpose it serves.

For instance, many people believe that Earth Day was created in celebration of the Earth rather than to bring awareness to the dreadful state of our beloved planet.

“In honor of Earth Day, I would like to plant a tree in the park,” said Freshman Fayth Meyer.

“For Earth Day, I’m planning on planting flowers in my front yard,” answered Freshman Madry Bagwell.

Earth Day is an under-appreciated holiday that’s message is becoming increasingly relevant.

Fundraiser to Help a Family from Post

Meagan Garza

April1, 2021

On Tuesday, March 30, at 5:45 p.m., the JV Post softball team found out the tragic news about their two fellow classmates. While on our campus, these girls heard the devastating news that two classmates sadly died in a tragic fire. A mother and daughter survived, but unfortunately a 12-year-old and 15-year-old did not live. This mother and sister have now lost their family, their home and all of their belongings.

After witnessing the heartache that the softball players experiences, some of the Journalism staff decided to help. The Forsan Journalism team has set up a fundraiser so that our campus can show their support for the family. Students may wear pajamas and hats on April 6. We are asking for a donation of $2 if a student wishes to wear pajamas and $1 to wear a hat.

Vaccinations Now Available

Ayannia Anchondo

April 1, 2021

As you may know, the vaccines for COVID-19 have been released since December 14th, 2020. Now two of the three vaccines are available at Big Spring Scenic Mountain Hospital. The vaccines are named Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine is for adults 16 and up, while the Moderna is for adults 18 and up. A person takes two doses to complete the vaccine. For the Pfizer vaccine, after your first dose you must wait 3 weeks, or 21 days, before you take your second dose. With the Moderna however, you have to wait 4 weeks, or 28 days, before second dosage. The vaccine’s effectiveness shows up after 7 days. Whether or not you get the vaccination, remember to stay safe and keep your distance so that we can keep down the spread of COVID-19. #nomorecovid

Suez Canal Disaster

Hope Balog

April 1, 2021

On Tuesday, March 23, the Suez Canal was blocked by a container ship that became lodged in between the channel. The ship was stuck for around 6 days, until it was freed on March 29. The block caused huge trade industry losses. Some trade companies lost up to 10 billion a day. During the obstruction, 100 other container ships were stuck on the other side until the ship was freed. While other ships were also stopped on the other side, that as well, caused a huge loss in money and cargo. It took high tides, multiple tug boats, and dredgers to dislodge the ship.

Lamun-Lusk Egg Hunt

Toby Isbell

April 1, 2021

Usually this time of year, kids are getting excited to fight over plastic eggs. But this year is different. The big annual Easter egg hunt at Lamon-Lusk will not be happening this Saturday. The event is canceled due to the CDC regulations and because of the safety of the people that are living in the nursing home. This is the first time in 13 years that Lamon-Lusk will not have the big event. There are a lot of people that are upset about it because tit is an annual tradition for their family on Easter weekend. This is the first year since 2008 that this has not occured.

Quill and Scroll Induction Ceremony

Blake Barclay

March 30, 2021

On Monday, March 29th, Forsan High School held its very first induction ceremony for Quill and Scroll, known as the journalistic honor society for high school students. From 6 to 7pm that night, 14 students were inducted into the organization in the auditorium.

“Quill and Scroll is an honorary society that recognizes students who have done outstanding work in school media,” said Megan Harrison, the overseer for this organization at Forsan. “I was a member of Quill and Scroll during my high school years and I knew what a great thing this society was for me, so I applied for a charter membership for our school.”

During the ceremony, students who were nominated were recognized for their outstanding work and received several awards. “Family and friends were given a brief history of the honorary society. Students were awarded with certificates and pins, and then students were asked to pledge to uphold the values of the journalistic society,” said Harrison. “The students who were inducted were Blake Barclay, Hailey Beall, Cadence Claxton, Gabby Gonzalez, Enjolina Hawkes, Hannah Hillger, Ella Hoff, Charlie Huff, Orion Lin, Elliot Orn, Regan Phillips, Reese Rutledge, Mason Sedberry, and Jayden Tollison.”

As a member of this prestigious organization, each student will be responsible to uphold their values and skills to better help the school and their community. “Students in Quill and Scroll will participate in various activities, such as creating a style sheet that can be used in all media publications and performing philanthropic acts in the community and other things that will be discussed at the first meeting,” said Harrison. “Quill and Scroll will have its first meeting on April 7th during the first part of High School lunch. During that time, members will nominate and vote for chapter officers.”

There are several criteria a student must meet in order to be eligible for this organization. “In order for a student to be selected for Quill and Scroll, they must meet several qualifications,” said Harrison. “They must be at least of sophomore grade level, they must have a certain grade point average, and they must have contributed to journalistic media in some form.”

Yay for Friday

Blake Barclay

March 29, 2021

Forsan ISD will start having Fridays off for students starting this week. Instead Every Friday excluding April 30th will be an off day for students and most staff. Many students are very excited about this new schedule, which will give them more free time, less stress, and three-day weekends. What do you think about this new schedule? Let us know at mharrison@forsan.esc18.net.

Forsan One Act Play

Caylee Myers and Emily Rice

March 29, 2021

Forsan One-Act recently competed in the UIL Bi-District competition. The competition was held on Tuesday, March 22nd in Rankin, joined with a practice in Rankin the day before (March 21). Unfortunately, Forsan did not advance past Bi-District, but tied with Miles for 3rd place, the alternate position. Hannah Hillger and Briana Elliot both received awards for their performance. However, Forsan High School placed 4th in the overall competition; bringing a close to the 2021 One Act Play season.

The cast, crew, and directors all worked tirelessly to advance to this competition and left the awards’ ceremony prideful. ‘The Terezin Promise’ is a play based on true events and inspired by World War II/ The Holocaust.

The cast, crew, alternates, and directors go as follows:

Cast-

Raja- Hannah Hillger

Irena- Briana Elliot

Eva- Hailey Beall

Helga-Caylee Myers

Hanus- Mason Sedberry

Petr- William Cole

Rudi- Andre Wright

Nazi Soldier/Nicolas- Austin Magness

Nazi Guard 1- Hunter Cevallos

Nazi Guard 2- Jake Asmundson

Child 1- Hilary Thompson

Child 2-Emma Buske

Child 3- Chloe Gillian

Child 4- Abby Sutton

Crew-

Stage Manager- Emily Rice

Stage Manager- Emily Allen

Lights- Blake Barclay

Lights- Toby Isbell

Music- Emma Johnson

Music- Caylor Averette

Alternates-

Brean White

David Tidwell

Directors-

Jim Rhodes

Hope Allen

Cheer and Mascot Tryouts 2021-2022

Caylee Myers

March 22, 2021

Forsan hosted cheer and mascot tryouts in the main gym on March 10, 2021. The girls tried out for six Junior Varsity spots and eight Junior High spots along with one High School Mascot and Junior High Mascot. Varsity will not have to try out this year seeing as only six students signed up. The participants had to perform a dance and several cheers in front of three judges. Then they had to perform for the student body who voted for the team and mascot based on how they did. The judges vote counts for 60% and the student body counts for 40% of who gets on the cheer team.

The results are as follows:

Varsity:

• Gabby Gonzalez

• Gracie Gonzalez

• Enjolina Hawkes

• Emma Johnson

• Jaylee Lyndsey

• Jayden Tollison

Junior Varsity:

• Carsyn Brown

• Lilly Hoff

• Abigail Olson

• Torah Smith

• Scout Stockton

• Mia Weber

High School Mascot:

• Kyleigh Heckler

Junior High:

• Makayla Garza

• Harleigh Greer

• Addison Hart

• Marin Howell

• K'Dynce Speck

• Taylor Tarbet

• Zoee Teston

• Kaitlin Vidal

Junior High Mascot:

• Jovi Ward

FHS One Act Play Advances to Bi-District Competition

Blake Barclay

March 11, 2021

According to the UIL website regarding One Act, “The UIL One-Act Play contest is a competition where similarly sized Texas schools present an 18-40 minute play and may be adjudicated by a panel of three judges or a single judge.” There are many levels of competition for each school. They include Zone, District, Bi-District, Area, Regional, and State. For many years, Forsan High School and Junior High has participated in this competition. And most recently, Forsan High School’s production has gained eligibility to compete in the Bi-District competition.

The name of this year’s play is The Terezin Promise. Set in the ending of World War II, the play tells the tale of a young girl’s challenge to save drawings and poems that were made when she was in a concentration camp. Along with her many friends, the young girl, known as Raja, overcomes many obstacles that stand in her way and escapes the camp while also saving the drawings and poems. The play mainly portrays the suffering and pain that the Jews had to experience while they were persecuted. The directors for this year’s play are Jim Rhodes and Hope Allen.

On February 3rd, the Forsan High School One Act Play cast and crew traveled to Colorado City to perform at their District meet. They had to overcome many difficulties, such as not being able to practice for almost a week due to the winter storm and transporting parts of their set. But despite their roadblocks, the production was successful and placed 3rd out of the 5 plays that were performed. In addition, Hannah Hillger, who plays Raja, and Brianna Elliot, who play Irena, won an All-Star Cast Award for their amazing performance and portrayal of their characters. Emma Johnson also won an award for Outstanding Technical.

Because the play was able to earn 3rd place, it qualifies to participate in the Bi-District Meet, which will take place on February 23rd at Rankin High School. The cast and crew members of this show meet almost two times every week in order to practice and improve their play. You can contact either Jim Rhodes or Hope Allen if you would like to know more about Forsan’s One Act Play Program.

Texas History Month

Hope Balog

March 11, 2021

Monday March 1, was the start of Texas History Month. It is a month to celebrate the unique history of Texas. June 20, 2003 the Legislature declared March 1-31 of every year, Texas History Month. In 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico was signed. From March 2 to April 21 In 1836, General Sam Houston led 1,400 people to triumph from the Mexican Dictator Santa Anna who overpowered Texas to put down the revolution. In 1915, Texas Flag day was passed by the Legislature and in 1933 the pledge to the Texas flag was instituted. Some other important dates in Texas history are, 1870: The United States Congress admitted Texas into the Union, 1918: Texas women are able to vote in primary elections, and 1962: NASA opens the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. “March is Texas History Month in honor of those Texans who helped shape the history of the State of Texas and in recognition of events throughout Texas’ history...Texas History Month shall be regularly observed by appropriate celebrations and activities in public schools and other places to promote interest in and knowledge of Texas history,” states the Government code Section 662.102.

COVID-Versary

Emily Rice

March 11, 2021

A long, strenuous year ago, life had a different definition of normal. The word normal now holds a different meaning. Last March, normal began to be associated with social distancing, masks, and the fear of losing a loved one to the dreaded virus. People have grown accustomed to the warmth of their breath under their mask; making the absence of it offputting. A vast majority of people have even become anxious when closely surrounded by people or caught in public without a mask. However, life seems to be gradually returning to the simple day-to-day that we once had. Schools have opened up; several with restrictions and caution. As well as several individual states opening up their borders, operating at full capacity, and lifting their previous mask mandates. COVID cases have lowered in numbers, but the statistics are still a bit worrying. In relation, Forsan ISD has lifted the rule that masks have to be worn on school grounds and at school-related activities. While this news was a breath of fresh air, almost quite literally, perhaps it was premature.

The lockdown that began last March seemed exciting and fun, yet it became the exact opposite. The quarantine had immense impacts on mental health. Depression rates and anxiety rates alike went through the roof. We as a town, nation, and world were/are living in historical times; wading our way through unprecedented circumstances. Throughout the past year, we, as a whole, were taught several severely important lessons; most definitely including the power our words hold. 2020 has gained quite the reputation of being “the worst year of the 21st century,” while that may seem extreme, it is universally understood.

There have been over 118 million COVID cases across the globe, accompanied by 2.6 million COVID deaths, luckily tens of millions had an easy recovery.

Last year, everything changed, for everyone. “The virus was not bad for us. For some people, it is devastating. For us, it was inconvenient, and the worst part was being right back in quarantine again. Once over it, I began to see the futility of all the safety measures. If everyone does not adhere to them, it does little good,” Mr. Darren Weaver stated.

Hopefully, the year of 2021 will be filled with recovery and the gradual, safe return to normalcy.

One-Act Play

Caylee Myers and Toby Isbell

March 9, 2021

This Wednesday the Forsan one-Act play is going to the district meet in C-city. Their show is called “The Terezin Promise”. The main character Raja played by Hannah Hillger leads her friends through the dangerous camp of Nazis to find drawings and pictures they did with their teacher Irena. The play pulls at the heartstrings of anyone who watches it. It is a wonderful representation of the little hope Jews had in the concentration camps. The One Act Play group advanced and will be performing their play once again on March 23. Hannah Hilger (Raja) and Brianna Elliot (Irena) both received All-Star-Cast. “I am very excited we advanced. I can’t wait to show everyone what we have worked so hard on.” The school is exceptionally proud of them.

Concert Band Competition

Addie Beall

March 9, 2021

The Forsan High School Band went and competed on March 2nd in Andrews. It was a great day overall. For the concert portion of the day the Forsan High School Band received a division 1A, which is the highest mark you can receive. The Band first played “St. PetersBurg March” by Johnnie Vinson, next they played “As Twilight Falls” by Robert Sheldon, and finally they played “Moscow” by Brian Balmages. For the sight reading part of the day Forsan also received a division 1A.The Forsan High School Band has won a sweepstakes trophy for 22 years in a row, being under the direction of Mr. Rhodes but now under direction of Mrs. Tagle. Winning a sweepstakes trophy means that you got a division 1A in all three categories, concert, sight reading, and the marching category from the marching season at the beginning of the year. Mrs. Tagle says “I was extremely excited when I found out that we won a Sweepstakes trophy this year! It's nice to see all of our hard work pay off. It's an honor to help the Forsan Band win their 22nd consecutive sweepstakes.This is my 4th Sweepstakes in my teaching career. The judges' comments were very complimentary and one of them even said that we had a "beautiful and wonderful performance" and another one said that we were a “great looking band that had an outstanding performance.”

CX Debate 2/27/21

Caylee Myers

March 8, 2021

Saturday February 27, 2021 David Tidwell and Caylee Myers competed once again in a CX tournament. They competed in three rounds of debate throughout the day. The team set up in the Forsan High School Library to participate in the virtual debate. The pairs first debate ended in a loss despite Myers getting first speaker and Tidwell getting fourth. Combined they had a total of 52.5 speaker points out of 60. However, the team went on to win their second debate of the day with Myers scoring 28 out of 30 speaker points and Tidwell receiving 27 out of 30 speaker points. This resulted in Myers getting second speaker and Tidwell getting third speaker in this round. The third and last round was less than fortunate for the team resulting in their second loss of the day. Combined the team scored 50 out 60 speaker points. Myers received third speaker and Tidwell received fourth speaker in their final round. “All in all, I think we did a good job. We are both fairly new to this and there is always something better we could have done. But, this is a learning experience.” Myers stated after the last debate of the day. We can only hope the team continues to improve throughout the year before participating in state this coming spring break.

Celebration of Women During Month of March

Hope Balog

February 25, 2021

Monday, March 1st, marks the first day of Women's History Month, a month dedicated to commemorating the important role women have played in history. Women's History Month became a national celebration in 1981. It originally started as just Women’s History Week, until Congress passed the law 100-9 which dedicated the whole month to women's history. Each year a theme is picked for the month. This year's theme is “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.” This month's theme is a remembrance of the fight and achievement of women getting the right to vote. The first day of Women's History Month is a day to celebrate all the women in STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We can thank and honor a few women who were the stepping stones in women making their mark in STEM careers. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in America to receive a doctor of medicine degree. Lise Meiter teamed up with Otto Hahn, a chemist, to help him discover nuclear fission. Cecilia Payne who was the first man or woman to receive a doctorate in astronomy. She was also the first woman to head a department as the Chair of the Department of Astronomy. “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well” -Jimmy Carter

Cheer Tryouts to be Held

Jayden Tollison

February 23, 2021

Cheer tryouts for the 2021-2022 cheer season will take place on March 9, 2021. The upcoming freshman and sophomores will be able to try out for the JV cheer team. The upcoming juniors and seniors will be trying out for the Varsity cheer team. 6 people will make it onto the JV team and 6 people will make it for the Varsity team. Tryouts will consist of a dance, a chant, a cheer, a jump, and the Forsan fight song. The girls will first try out for the judges and then again in front of the school. The school will be able to vote for who they want to be their 2021-2022 cheerleaders. The judges’ votes count as 70 percent of the total score, and the student body will count as 30 percent of the total score for each person who auditions. The girls will find out if they made the team on Friday March 12, 2021. In addition to cheerleading, there are also tryouts to become mascot. The girls will have two morning practices before tryouts to go over their dances and cheers before they actually tryout for the judges. To try out, you must wear black shorts, a white shirt and some sneakers. Good luck to all the ladies!

Sophomore Valentines Fundraiser

Addie Beall

February 10, 2021

The Sophomore class is having a photo booth and a bearagram fundraiser throughout the week. The fundraiser will be going on from February 8th to February 10th, and the bearagram deliveries will be made on February 11th during lunch. The bearagram costs $5, whereas the candy grams will be only $1. Photos will be taken for only $2 per print. You can purchase these items from 12:00 to 12:30 on any of the previous days. Hannah Hillger, Sophomore class Vice President, is helping to spearhead the fundraiser. You may also go to Mrs. Stone for more information about the fundraiser, or if you have any other questions about the fundraiser.

CX Debate 2/6/21

Caylee Myers

February 4, 2021

A CX debate tournament took place virtually in the Forsan High School Library on Saturday the 6th of February. David Tidwell and Caylee Myers will be participating in three rounds of CX debate throughout the day. The team has already qualified for the state tournament which will take place virtually March 15-16. Their first round was at 8:00 in the morning. Myers and Tidwell won their first debate of the day. Tidwell scored 27 out of 30 and Myers scored 29 out of 30. Their second debate started at 10:30 am. Both Tidwell and Myers did a great job defending their side and earned another victory for their team. This time around Tidwell scored 25.5 out of 30 and Myers scored a perfect 30 out of 30. The third and final round of debate started at 1:00 pm shortly after lunch. This debate however did not follow the path of victory the pair had been experiencing throughout the morning. Tidwell and Myers ended up losing their third debate of the day. The results show Tidwell only had 20 out of 30 speaker points and Myers received 22 out of 30. The team had previously advanced to state at district this year and was glad to get in some extra practice before competing again in a much more competitive environment.

New Cookbook in the Works

February 10, 2021

Mrs. Adams, the GRIT teacher for Forsan ISD, has issued a new project to her gifted and talented students. These elementary and junior/senior high students will be publishing a cookbook. Mrs. Lefever, nutrition and health teacher at the high school, is lending a hand to the cookbook. GRIT student Emma Johnson is in charge of gathering recipes from teachers, staff, students, and any one else who would like to contribute. A history of why the recipe is special will be included with each recipe. This is a great way to learn new recipes and also learn a bit about the Forsan family. The last day for the recipes to be submitted will be February 14, so contact Emma Johnson, Mrs. Adams, or Mrs. Lefever if you would like to contribute to this effort.

Junior High UIL Outcomes

Emily Rice

February 10, 2021

Junior High UIL students competed in an all-virtual UIL meet on February 5th. Although the meet included only Forsan students, the competition was strong. Coaches and students alike prepared for this meet for months and were met with a few tough obstacles. COVID, as well as social distancing, brought upon many challenges including not being able to participate in the usual JH UIL district meet. The students achieved noteworthy scores and placements within their chosen event and grade level. The scores have been posted in the JH hallway, available for viewing. Staff, students, and parents are all very proud of the students that competed and their achievements. This event has concluded the UIL season for the Junior High.

Results can be found in the Junior High hallway.

Rodeo Ban

Hope Balog

January 30, 2021

Linda Rosenthal, a Senate Assembly-member, proposed a bill that would ban certain techniques used in rodeo. Techniques such as “sharpened” spurs, hotshots, and tie-down roping. Rosenthal believes, “Rodeos are modern day gladiator games, blood sport masquerading as entertainment…” Rosenthal was shocked when Madison Square Garden in New York held a 3-day event that involved bull riding and calf roping. “It is shocking that MSG would host this brutality…”(Linda Rosenthal). Although, many rodeo fans/contestants had much to say about the statement: “rodeo is abusive.” “Stock contractors understand the value of the animals in their care. They know that if they’re called on to supply bulls, bucking horses, calves and steers, the stock better be healthy. A veterinarian is on site, and most rodeos work in partnerships with the local SPCA” (Greg Knill). Karleen DuMond, the operator of Golden Gate farms also has an opinion on the bill introduced to ban rodeo in New york. “It's not cruel to the animals at all… doing away with rodeos is not going to help anyone and it will hurt some businesses.” Fortunately, the rodeo ban bill was not accepted in New York, but many animal activists are still trying to ban certain rodeo activities.

Upcoming Valentine's day Fundraiser

Blake Barclay

January 22, 2021

The Class of 2023 will be having their first fundraiser in early February this year. The event will be themed and scheduled around Valentine’s Day. Students and faculty will be able to purchase gifts for others, take memorable pictures, and more. According to Mrs. Stone, a Sophomore class sponsor, “To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we are selling bears and pictures and students will be able to take pictures with friends or individually in front of a decorated backdrop. We want to make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one.” In addition to purchasing adorable plushies, students may also have the chance to purchase photos from the upcoming picture booth at the fundraiser. “The photo booth will have cute Valentine’s props and a backdrop for students to take pictures at. Students will enjoy this event because it’s unlike any other Valentine’s fundraiser Forsan has had yet,” stated Ashlee Moore, the Sophomore Class President. “The money will go to future fundraisers and eventually the class of 2023’s prom.” Additional information on this fundraiser will be released as Valentine’s Day grows closer. Any questions regarding the event can be answered by a Sophomore class student officer or sponsor.

Forsan Heads to UIL Meet

Ayannia Anchondo

January 22, 2021

On January 30th, 2021, Forsan will be competing in an Invitational UIL meet at McCamey. As most people know, Forsan is known for being exceptionally well at UIL meets. “I am excited to see our students work so hard to be the best in their particular event,” stated Megan Harrison, a UIL coach and teacher at Forsan. Each and every student puts in their own hard work and dedication to make sure the name is known. For some teachers, UIL is a piece of cake, but for others, UIL was a new thing that came out of nowhere. For example, when Megan Harrison began her teaching career at Forsan, she had never heard of UIL. She had to learn to adapt. “I was sort of thrown into this, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Organization is the key to adapting to so many events.” The benefits of joining UIL, as the students competing know, is that you are given the opportunity of scholarships and a way of learning new things. UIL has many benefits and hopefully throughout the years, more and more students will join UIL and feel the joy and hard work that comes from participating. Don’t forget to show support for the UIL students who will be known throughout the state of making sure Forsan’s name is known.

The Mighty Marching Buffaloes Crush the Competition

Kelcey Zubiate

November 9, 2020

The Buffalo Band had an amazing performance this past Saturday in Ratliff, Texas. The performance was so excellent that the band received a 1 division rating in the 2A district. The Mighty Marching Buffaloes competed against 4 other bands in the regional competition. The musicians received many compliments from the judges. Next week, the band will compete in the area performance at Lubbock Saturday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. In this next competition, the Mighty Buffaloes will go head-to-head against 27 bands. Make plans to support the band and motivate them to win this next competition.

Rumor of Future Forsan Shut Down Due To Covid-19

Ayannia Anchondo

November 5, 2020

There is a rumor going around that Forsan may soon see another forced campus closure, but there is no need for parents or students to worry about his rumor just yet. The main enemy of Forsan is the direct exposure to Covid, but not very many students have tested positive for Covid. Although there is no estimated number, the numbers change everyday. One day a kid is here at school performing their normal routine, then the next day they have to stay home for 2 weeks. The biggest thing that Mrs. Medina and Mrs. Carter are worried about is the upcoming Thanksgiving break. Since students and staff members will be with family and friends, there is a greater chance of coming into contact with people who aren’t wearing a mask or social distancing. There is a possibility that more chances of direct exposure to Covid will break out and the numbers might get higher, leaving the school with no chance but to suspend on-campus learning for that time being. The staff is hopeful though that there won’t be an outbreak over the holidays. “I am very proud of everyone for remembering to keep their masks on and keep doing a good job on social distancing. Remember to also wear your mask and social distance outside of school so we can continue to keep going to school.” said Mrs. Medina. Remember to wear a mask and social distance to keep you, your family, and other students/staff members safe.

Mock Presidential Election

October 30, 2020

What would happen if we as jr high and high schoolers of Forsan were able to vote? The Journalism class decided to find out what would happen if we were in charge of voting for our next president. A mock election survey was sent to students, asking them to pick one of the presidential candidates.

The surveys were tallied, and 90 percent of Forsan students who participated voted for Republican candidates Donald Trump and Mike Pence. 10 percent of students chose Democratic nominees Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. While this may not be an accurate depiction of how the official election will go, it does give some insight as to which side of party lines our students are on. Thank you to everyone for playing a role in this mock election by taking the time to vote.

UIL Marching Band

Kelcey Zubiate

October 16, 2020

The Forsan High Marching Band will be attending a marching competition Saturday at 6:00 in Lubbock, Texas. This will be their first marching competition of the season. This will be the second year for Ms. Veronica Tagle to lead the Mighty Marching Buffalo Band. When asked how she felt about the upcoming competition, Tagle said that she is,” happy that we are going to be able to compete this year, especially with all the other events being cancelled due to COVID. I know that the band can do very well this year as long as they all work hard and keep pushing themselves to be better.” With one of the questions being if she is confident in the band being ready this year, her response was, “ Yes, I think that if they continue to work, they will be ready this year.” Tickets are still available for this weekend’s competition.