By: Keily Morales

We all have some good friends or people, no matter where it is, there will be someone that would be fun to talk to. There are also some goals everyone has, maybe with their friends. I got one of my good friends in this interview, Cristian Gavina, a junior and an amazing friend to me. Cristian has lived here in Poteau for most of his life, but he was in Heavener for a bit when he was younger. He has shared some thoughts on how school is going for him, “I feel like I could do better in school but I like this year so far,” Cristian says. Like some students, Cristian has a plan after school. He says, “I plan on joining the army out of high school and I hope to be an infantryman in the future, I think I can achieve that.” Cristian has some hobbies he shared, “I like to play many different instruments and listen to music,” he also likes going on nature walks with his girlfriend, which is his favorite person. He says, “I think my favorite person would be my girlfriend, my favorite thing to do with her is going out on nature walks.” He has some long-term plans, after Cristian serves in the Army he plans to settle down and pursue a career in law enforcement.

By Brookie Balido

There are a lot of movies that are either remade or have a sequel. However, this movie has made many people rage from left to right. “He’s All That” was released on August 5th, 2021, and was a remake of the original movie “She’s All That”, released on January 29, 1999. This movie is about a social media influencer named, Padgett Sawyer, who specializes in makeover bets that she can transform an unpopular classmate into a prom king. Padgett Sawyer is played by the famous Tik Toker Addison Rae and her love interest Cameron Kweller is played by Tanner Buchanan, who is renowned for his role in “Cobra Kai.”. I personally didn’t care for this movie at all. If I’m being honest, Addison Rae can not act at all. She put no effort into her character and her acting seemed dry. Why did the producers decide to have her as the main character? Is it because she could catch people’s attention or because her fanbase is primarily young girls? She may be inexperienced, but they could’ve at least hired someone who had better acting skills than her. Some of the reviews I’ve read about this movie are either about Addison’s acting, how the script was not well written, or that they put no effort into this film whatsoever. I think Cameron did better than the rest of the cast; he put effort into his character, and it was almost similar to his character Robby in Cobra Kai. Another thing about this movie, is I don’t really care for genderswap roles, and from the looks of the reviews they didn’t really either. Overall, this movie isn’t worth watching. This movie focuses on social networks, popularity, and self-obsessed personality. For the people who did like the movie, I will never understand. Let’s see what new ideas Netflix has for us this coming year.

By Logan Gray 

Most people have goals after high school but for some, high school is their only goal. We all wanna be successful and sufficient in the future. Some wanna work as soon as they get out of high school or even before they get out of high school, and they'll drop out. Others go to college to go to school for another 4-8 years and earn their degrees. Then there are the few that go to trade schools for jobs that are getting rare these days like electrician, plumber, H/VAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and culinary arts. I asked my good buddy Joseph Marcaurelle, “what are your plans when you get out of high school?” “ I plan on going and working in the oil and gas industry out in the fields.” Joseph plans on following in his dad's footsteps, and going out there and making good money. He would drop out right now to make some hard-earned money if he was eighteen. He may be so interested in the job because his dad has done it since Joseph was little and still in diapers. Where do you plan on living after high school? “I plan on getting out of high school, moving out of this boring state, and going somewhere warm and comfortable.” Joseph’s ready to get out of school and get out into the real world to make some grown-up money. 

By Logan Gray 

Nicholas Garcia, a student at Poteau High School. Nicholas is a senior, he works at the fast food restaurant Mcdonalds in Poteau and is currently going to KTC for Criminal Justice in town as well. Nicholas and I have been good buddies since our sixth-grade year when we would sit at the lunch table and enjoy our pizza sticks with chocolate milk. 

“Nicholas, what’s your plan after you graduate high school and complete criminal justice?” “I plan on pursuing a career at the Poteau police department and rising up in the justice system, hopefully, promoted to Sergeant and staying in a more rural area to enjoy the country life. '' What's your future dream car and why?” “ My dream car is a Ford gt forty 1965 Mark two, pushing three hundred and ninety horsepower, with a top speed of two hundred and five. It beat a Ferrari three thirty  p4 in the Le Mansa significant and viable achievement by Ford. They made a top-selling movie out of the story called  “Ford vs. Ferrari” and that’s what makes it my future dream car and my favorite.

By Eli Solomon

Kayden Lewing is a student at PHS that has lived in Poteau all of his life and has seen many changes through the years.”Well, the school got the new building in 9th grade and the internet really took a hit from it. The new AG building was built and they are building something for the football field right now. But in town, we lost the bowling alley, the movie theater, and Taco Mayo which I'm still not over and never will be.” So far, his year has been going well in his opinion “ I feel like I've gotten closer with my friends and it's gotten easier to keep up with grades and schoolwork now. Wasn't doing the best before but once I got to junior year it got better.” He has been working hard to keep his grades up.

 [My Goal is] “End the year with at the very least A’s and B’s. I have worked hard to keep those up and there's no way I'm letting it dip down.” This year he joined Intro to Media and plans on doing Pirate News next year. “My favorite thing about school is the video classes here. I really like filming and talking into a mic even though I'm still not fully ok with my voice, but I'm getting there.” Being a proud Pirate Kayden has a message to share to any punks that plan on making high school life harder than it needs to be ‘Sucks walking into the bathroom and there are NO paper towels because some kids wanted to shove them down the toilets or throw them at the mirror. You know who you are.”

By: Keily Morales

Don’t answer your phone, Ghostface could be near. “Scream” is back for more. “Scream VI” came out on March 10, 2023. This movie was a bit different from the others, which I personally think was amazing. It was the most gory out of all the movies. I am not a big fan of gore, but “Scream” made me love these types of movies. “Scream” movies were the first ever movies that made me want to watch scary movies. “Scream VI” was a great movie overall. The opening scene was pretty good, but “Scream” will always have the best opening scene to me. It was the first movie where Ghostface would show their face in the first few minutes. This movie was different. Just like Ghostface says “I’m something different.” The plot twists in this movie got my head spinning. I was so shocked by who the Ghostfaces were. The reveals were pretty good, but to me it was easy to tell who the killer was. There were a lot of scene parallels in this movie. It was so iconic, and I’m happy they did those scenes. I was so upset that the characters I was loving since the beginning died. I was going to cry myself to sleep. The movie was really good overall. It always starts with the phone calls, and the first characters answer the phone and end up dying. It’s always a good start for this movie, but “Scream IV” was a bit different. It was a good and different opening scene from the rest. Overall 10/10 it was a great movie, but the original will forever stay in my heart.

    By: Keily Morales

   Do you have a favorite type of fashion? I have some favorite types of fashion from people in PHS. Take a look and see if you are interested. First favorite type of fashion is by Mahala Latta. The first is the mod-era from the 60s-70s. Continuing with her other favorite which is funky patterns, could be on any type of clothing like button downs which is an all time favorite of hers, fun patterned button downs from back far of the early 50s. It is her favorite because “it’s so versatile, it can be styled professionally or casual. It is also very unisex,” says Mahala. She has a wide collection of fun button-downs, some with fun seventies patterns, or with cowboys all over them, even one with big cats and zebras all over. A memory she had was “buying many different button downs on multiple occasions, and having my grandma think they are ugly,” says Mahala. When she hears of the 2000s she thinks of Paris Hilton, low waisted pants, and butterfly clips.

       Second favorite type of fashion is by Desirae Collins. Her favorite type of fashion is 90s grunge. She doesn’t dress like that, but she would want to, but she would have to change her whole wardrobe. She likes 90s grunge because “I just really like that era of fashion, music, films, etc,” says Desirae. When she hears the 2000s she thinks of Brittney Spears.

       Third favorite type of fashion is by Carlos Acevedo, also known as Carly. Her fashion favorite is street wear. She has been trying to dress up a bit more like street wear. She likes street wear because “it looks so nice with the colors and designs, all so vibrant, it looks like there’s cartoons drawn on,” says Carly. According to her, this is her first time staying with one certain aesthetic. When she hears of the 2000s it reminds her of Disney Channel, Camp Rock, like fried hair, a lot of leopard print, and some really hard makeup.

By Bradley Jager

Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantmania is the latest film to come oozing out of the Disney-Marvel sewage pipe that just keeps flowing. Ant-man 3 is just the movie equivalent of a school lunch. It counts as a movie, you can technically enjoy it, but was it really worth watching it? Did it really ever make you happy? The only upside of the film was the beautifully abominable, CGI trainwreck of a secondary villain, the Great Value Mr. Electric, MODOC. Bringing some part of an embarrassed grin to my face during the two dimmest and most underwhelming hours of my life this movie took up. 

The movie has some joy sprinkled into it thanks to the talented acting of Paul Rudd and Johnathan Majors, but poor performances by the younger and newer cast sucked out what little praise that deserved. The greatest cinematic war crime violated by the movie is the clear absence of the fan-favorite character Luis; his beloved and now-iconic rant-style voiceover monologs. The silence leaves the film trapped in a cage of depressingly low-effort humor. 3/10 stars do not recommend. 

By: Bradley Jager and Brookie Balido

On February 10th, Ms. Rachel Hackler's Interpersonal studies class had a remarkably creative food truck business project called a “Food truck face off. The student groups set up their own “food truck” and ran it almost like a business, selling their own foods, budgeting, and competing with other food trucks to earn the most profit. A select group of VIPs was allowed to shop at these student food trucks and simulate a real economy. 

“They’ve picked an item, they're going to sell it, and they have to analyze and calculate how much they spent, and subtract what they made, and figure out their profit,” says Ms.Hackler, “It teaches them to work for themselves” she adds. 

The students each budgeted and prepared the foods they were going to sell ahead of time. Then priced them at what they considered a fair market price, Students also seemed to have a fun time naming their food trucks:

 “Delicious dirt” by junior Halie Key and sophomore Alyah Cooper was selling a very chocolate-heavy pudding-style dessert. 

“Cinn 4 the Win” by seniors Nathan Murray, Brooks Brewster, and Jayden Wooten selling sweet-cinnamon milkshakes. 

 “The Pink Stuff” run by seniors Blake Spearman, Joshua Luke, and Trinnoty Vance, selling “pink stuff” which was described as “A fruit salad but mixed with Shipped creme” by Ms.Hackler.

 “Cinna Bunnies” was run by junior Niomi Saldana and sophomore Abby Duschel who were selling Cinnabuns made from bits of biscuit covered in cinnamon, and lemonade.

 “The Fry Guys” was run by junior Bethanie Rodgers and Junior Jaisy Johnson selling chile-cheese-fries. 

Last but certainly not least we have “Oreo Paradise”, run by seniors Makayla James and, Emily bolding, selling some truly amazing oreo-balls.

With all kinds of foods available some were sure to “take the cake” over the others. 

Vip Brookie Balido had this to say about the food: “All the contestants did well for this contest, but Cinn for the Win milkshakes was the best overall. It had a good flavoring of vanilla-based ice cream with cinnamon toast crunch cereal. They blended very well with each other, so it was a 10/10 from me.”

“Some people sold out so we didn't do as well,” comments “Cinna Bunnies” manager Niomi Saldana. “We were all in the green, but I think the cinnamon milkshakes [Cinn 4 the Win] did the best, they were just selling a drink and that worked well” she adds.

This contest taught students how to work for themselves by budgeting and planning a business, working together by running it together, and taught them to compete in a free market.  This is without a doubt a new favorite tradition of PHS. While it sounds like Cinn 4 the Win performed the best, we all know that the real winners were the VIPs who got the free food. 

By: Keily Morales

Do you love Kpop? If so, I've got you covered. Newjeans debuted in 2022, so they’re pretty recent. If you don’t know who Newjeans are, let me educate you. Newjeans is a group with 5 members who debuted digitally on August 1, 2022 and physically August 8, 2022. Newjeans came out with two new songs a month ago. The two songs being “Ditto” and “Omg”. “Ditto” is a bit slow and smooth. The song is also a good song to dance to. Speaking of dancing, their choreography for “Ditto” is amazing. The dance gives you energy, and could lose some energy. The dance is a bit hard. There is a lot of footwork and technique towards the dance. I love the song and dance overall. Now “Omg” is pretty up-beat and fast. “Omg” is a good song also. The dance also has a lot of footwork and technique. The dance isn’t as hard as the dance for “Ditto”. The one with the hardest moves and more footwork I would say is “Ditto”. There’s a lot of moves I can’t do. A lot of parts of the dance are pretty difficult for people. Both of the dances are fun to do, but also really confusing. Between the 2 songs I like "Omg” more. That song has been stuck in my head for days. They’re both good songs to listen to. They also have great stage presence. They always look amazing on stage when they perform. They’re outfits are always perfect and the best. There are times where their outfits are a bit tacky, but the fit is still fitting. I love all their outfits, vocals, choreography, and their music. They are pretty talented for a rookie. They are off to a great start, hope they end great. Are you interested in this group or kpop? If you are, you're welcome. 

By: Keily Morales

      Do you think you’re seeing double? Well you are! There are a lot of twins around the world. There are fraternal and identical twins. Twins may look the same, but wait until you see how different they act. In fact, twins can also have similar features, but mostly they are completely different. Most of the time people can get twins mixed up, whether it’s their first time meeting them or by accident. Twins also have times where they do the same thing or share the same thoughts. They could just have a thought and say it at the same time or they are in sync which is called twin telepathy. Twin telepathy happens more often than you think, it’s crazy and scary. Some twins can share the same emotions with each other. 

      There are also twins here in PHS. Walyn and Rylan Waddell. Walyn and Rylan are fraternal twins; they have both similar and different features. They did have some times where they thought or said the same thing at the same time. As usual, when first meeting a twin you could mix them up, it happens to Wayln and Rylan. There are times where people mix the two up. They see their relationship as ‘best friends’. While they may look similar, there are often instances where they are easy to tell apart. “When we were trying to take a picture when we were way younger, one of us would smile and one of us wouldn’t,” says Walyn.

       Brady and Burke Perry. Brady and Burke are identical twins, they’re personalities are different, but they do have the same interests. They have times where they say or think the same thing also, and they would say it out loud. People tend to get the two mixed up when first meeting them, but hanging out with them and getting to know them, it doesn't happen. “My mom told me one time when we were babies, my aunt was watching us and got us mixed up and didn’t know who was who for the whole day, and my mom came home and then she could tell us apart,” says Brady.

By; Eli Solomon

A Christmas Story is one the most beloved Christmas movies of all time. It would be impossible to recapture that magic for a squeal right? Well, this November A Christmas Story Christmas (Yes that’s the name they went with) was released on HBO Max, it’s the newest in a recent trend of “legacy” sequels that seek to continue the stories of the original years later, other examples include this summer’s smash hit Top Gun: Maverick and last year's Ghostbusters Afterlife. The movie takes place thirty-three years after the original with Ralphie having a family of his and now instead of chasing a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and that thing that tells time all he wants for Christmas is to get his novel published. But when the tragic passing of his old man brings him back to Holman it becomes his mission to give his family a perfect Christmas much like his now iconic one all those years ago. Ralphie has a lot on his plate this time around. However, he has still kept his vivid imagination as shown through his daydreams of being recognized as a famous author, or as the film progresses all of the worst-case scenarios that run through his head as the holidays become more and more hectic for him and his family. Peter Billingsley is still able to capture that youthful energy as an adult that made him so fun to watch as a kid. Fans who grew up watching the original and related to Ralphie’s desire to get the perfect Christmas gift will now be able to relate to him going Christmas shopping, dealing with a car that's on its last legs, and trying to give his kids the best Christmas on a budget. One of my favorite sequences in the movie is when Ralph goes gift shopping at Higgbee’s while his kids are waiting to see Santa, the score and editing capture the hectic but fun nature of shopping for your loved ones. Another one of my favorite aspects of the movie is seeing the still-lasting rivalry between Flick and Schwartz, it’s a joy to see them bicker over flagpoles and bar tabs but still treat each other like brothers in the next scene. Speaking of Flick and Schwartz they're played by their original actors Randy, Dil, and Scut are all accounted for too and it’s fun to see them all grown up. One of my favorite lines in this movie is when Ralphie laments about being harassed by the infamous Bumpus hounds he says something along the lines of “they also expect me to live up to my Old Man’s legacy”, in a weird way that line perfectly sums up this movie it’s trying to live up to and honor the original and in my opinion, it does a pretty good job. 

By Brookie Balido

Every time someone remembers a good memory, moment, or thing from their past, they always say “remember…”. One of the most popular topics that people like to remember is their childhood shows. Animation has evolved over time with style, graphics, and transition. The first ever cartoon ever made was “Fantasmagorie”, it was released on August 17, 1908, but it doesn’t say much about what it’s about. The animation is literally a stick figure that looks like it is drawn by chalk on a chalkboard. The creator of Fantasmagorie was none other than Emile Chol. According to Google, the oldest cartoon character to ever exist is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. 

This little guy was created by Walt Disney in 1927, but due to a financial falling out with producer Charles Mintz, Disney abandoned the Oswald series alongside Iwerks and a few other loyalists. Together, the remaining team would independently create Mickey Mouse, Oswald's successor. Like Disney cartoons, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network were also other popular platforms where kids watched their favorite shows on. For the little ones, Disney and Nick Jr were created to help the young ones learn problem-solving skills, work together as a team, and to help out in their community. Cartoons on these channels were also educational for their young mindsets. Every kid was different when it came to a cartoon that warmed their souls. 

Sometimes they loved adventures with Dora and Go Diego Go, learning math and shapes with Team Umizoomi, letting their imaginations go beyond like the Backyardigans, learning about animals with the Wonder Pets and Octonauts, saving the day with the Paw Patrol, solving clues with Blue’s Clues, and so much more. One cartoon that has been on the air for the longest time is no other than Spongebob Squarepants. The sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea, hangs out with his pink, starfish best friend Patrick Star, and annoys his neighbor and co-worker Squidward Tentacles. Every Cartoon makes a child’s heart happy. It’s a great thing to remember growing up to tell great stories about how they made us laugh or cry. People are curious about future cartoons, well, who knows what’s going to happen! 

The Pride of Poteau has been hard at work celebrating this Christmas season, with their annual performance in the Poteau Christmas parade “Yuletide celebration” knocking the stockings off the Potonian spectators. “It went pretty good.. There weren't too many people gone and we struggle with that” comments junior and percussion player Eddie Daggs. This was the last show from PHS marching band and a phenomenal way to cap off this year's marching season. 

Band’s Christmas Concert is coming up this monday Dec 12 at the 7/8th grade center, high school performance starts at 6:45 and the younger band starts at 6:00. 

By: Bradley Jager

The Poteau drama community has been having a busy season so far with the high school Thespian troupe hosting a pie in the face fundraiser where the student body raised $300 exactly and voted to pie sophomore John Thompson and Mrs. Mangrum at the November 3rd school pep rally. “I would never do it again… but it was an experience” says lifelong pie-enjoyer John.

 Meanwhile the Speech and Debate class has been hard at work practicing and rehearsing all kinds of dramatic pieces, dramatic readings and persuasive solos. “It’s been really fun and everyones been working really hard” comments Spfhtmore Valarie Sechord of speech and debate. They recently had the chance to go to Jenks Oklahoma for a speech and debate competition, “It was great” comments Speech and debate freshman Hayden Davis, she adds: “There was a lot of people, I enjoyed supporting the people performing and seeing people practicing” Poteau has a fairly notable legacy collecting those trophies at these types of tournaments. This month was no surprise. Niomi Saldana and John Thompson qualified for regional competitions. John in particular is ready to showcase his talent at the next level. “I am excited, [I] did not do that great last time so this is definitely a step up.”

While school activities certainly keep these students busy, many are working hard to split their time between school performances and the Good Times Community Theatre. After a wonderful run of “Matilda: The Musical,” the GTCT is in the thick of rehearsals for “A Christmas Story the Musical.” Presented at Carl Albert’s Hamilton Complex, this show is guaranteed to bring that Christmas spirit. Make sure to check out one of these performances on either December 16th, 17th, or 18th. 

By:Bradley Jager   

Poteau school’s basketball season started Thursday November 17th at the Red and white scrimmage. After a disappointing season last year where they only recorded two wins, they are looking to improve.  “In the past years we’ve not done very great,'' explains junior Jace Hall. The team will see many changes this year, including new head coach, Mr.Sockey. “We got a new coach, hopefully that’ll help us a lot,” says senior Jayden Wooten. 

“We're gonna be a lot better, we're gonna improve, you know our goal is to be our best at the end of the year,” comments the new Coach Sockey. Poteau’s basketball is going to put itself back on the map. 

On the girls side, the Lady Pirates are looking to grab a few more marks in the win column. “This year is honestly going to be a lot better,” states junior Parker Paderson. “We're getting older, and honestly the coaching is getting better.” After a pretty informal scrimmage with the Heavener Wolves, Poteau looks to officially kick off their seasons this Friday at Sallisaw.

     Poteau’s Esports team is starting its first full year strong, with the monthly Rocket League tournaments going 6-1. “Rocket League is doing very well,” says junior Asher Dunn, one of the team's original members. But- what is “Esports” anyways? “An Esports team is an electric version of a sports team, it's a video game team basically,” adds Asher; Esports has had a monumental rise in popularity over the past few years alone, with national and international competitions seen by millions every year. This year alone Esports as an industry is valued at $1,384 Million dollars, up nearly $400 million from two years ago.

     The team plays games such as Halo, Valeant, Rocket League, Smash Bros, Apex Legends and Overwatch. While Esports may be less physically grueling than most sports Esports still demands a prominent amount of training and skill  “For [esports] it's how you put your mind at it, for soccer you have to have coordination with your hands and feet, with this it's your hands to a controller or to a mouse and keyboard.” added Asher “It's really fun. Not everyone would want to do it, but I would say give it a try if you are into video games!” Esports is still open to join, you can still join right now,. If you are interested in joining or learning more about Esports talk with Mrs.Barnes or Mrs.Humphrie’s, you could also simply stop by room 209 after school from 3:15-5:00.

By Brookie Balido

Parker Patterson is one of Poteau’s best-known students for playing sports. From dance to basketball, to softball, she’s everywhere. There is no chance that you'll never catch her off the field. She made the dance team, also known as the “Pom Squad”, back in her freshman year. Now she’s a junior in high school, this is her third year being associated with dance. Parker has played softball for about 13 years and basketball for 10. She started softball at the age of three and basketball at the age of six. When Parker isn’t playing a sport, she’s normally spending time with her friends and family. She mostly hangs out with her two best friends Adriana Crouch and Gracyn Soehlman, who are also on the Pom Squad. She loves laughing with her team when they’re having an awesome time together. She is never afraid to show her fun, goofy side to others around her. When asked what was her best memory of all her years in Poteau high Parker said, “My favorite memory since I have been in high school has been all of the softball trips in general. It’s a great way for us to bond and share memories as a team. I’ll definitely miss these kinds of moments when I graduate, but it’s worth it.” 

By Eli Solomon

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing PHS Junior Michael Pershing, to look back on some of his favorite memories he has made during his time here at Poteau and just some general questions about his life. Michael moved from Toledo, Ohio: in around 2018 when he was in 5th grade. “It was a little intimidating moving to such a far place where I knew no one, but after a while, I met new friends and go used to Oklahoma and I’m happy I moved.” After the move, he joined the band. “I saw my brother doing it [playing in the band] and always thought it looked fun and interesting. I enjoy being there with my friends while getting yelled at by Marsh” his favorite parts of being in a band are “Going on long trips and enjoying the day with the band while doing Ok at contests.” Michael is also a proud member of Poteau's FCCLA Chapter with his favorite memories being "Going to Texas for a state conference since I was there with my friends." But even a spirit as carefree as Michael's vexed by the problems of the world "Spiders… They’re the bane of my existence and should be eliminated: knowing that they could be anywhere at any time has ruined me."

By Talyn Garner

Brooklyn Garner is a 16-year-old junior attending Poteau High. Staying active is what she loves to do, she stays busy in basketball, track, and dance—spending her free time with family and friends, all of who are truly dear to her heart. I asked what she has recently read and she stated “Everything, Everything” by Jamaican American author Nicola Yoon, the book was very emotional and relatable to me, the book has a great theme, “ you must take risks to be satisfied with your life, and that's what I have done to achieve well in sports” She stated “I wanna graduate with a 4.0 GPA, and score at least a 20 on my ACT, and receive scholarships for either sport I play’’.                        

By Shea Adams

What are your plans after high school? “My plans after high school include going to nursing school to become an LPN (licensed practical nurse) and RN (registered nurse) to become a midwife. My mom works in a women's clinic and she educates me about the reproductive system for females. And ever since then I thought it was the most interesting profession I've found.  And from learning how the human body works during my first year in BioMed at KTC. It's just the only thing I've wanted to expand my education in.”

By Talyn Garner 

It's a fresh start for FCCLA! Mrs. Hackler is the advisor of the FCCLA program, and a teacher for the high school FACS, culinary and interpersonal studies classes. She introduces the first chapter meeting sometime in September, the date hasn't been set but will be announced and the meeting will be located in Mrs. Hackler's room. FCCLA has achieved some amazing goals in the past couple of years, including; collecting donations for the blessing box, which AG has made, located in front of the BLK center. The group has also sponsored a trunk' or treat to pay back to the community.  FCCLA's goal is to build a stronger relationship with the student body and give them a place to socialize 

 She introduces the first chapter meeting sometime in September, the date hasn't been set but will be announced and the meeting will be located in Mrs. Hackler's room.  The deadline to register is September 9th, all applications are to be due at the end of the deadline day. AG and FCCLA are partnering up to host a trunk or treat sometime in October, which will be announced. There will be a fall hangout on November 10th, and more details will be announced, but things are still getting approved. 

FCCLA members are hosting a fundraiser and selling merch for the program, you can visit the website at FanCloth./shop

By: Keily Morales 

Everybody has had some good memories and bad ones. In the end you always get through it. It may be bad but there are always things that happen that make it amazing. There are always some amazing people or amazing moments in your life. You always have some people in those memories like people you love, you look up to, and you see as a hero. You either love what they do or did, or they inspire you. No matter what happens there is that person there for you. There is at least one person you look up to or used to. I asked my cousin junior Carlos Acevedo, also known as Carly, about her hero. She replied, “for a while my hero was Lyndsey Clark.” Lyndsey was someone I used to look up to and I saw her in a musical and I loved her energy and everything about her. What do you admire most about Lyndsey? “I admire most by how confident they are and how bold they are.” How does Lyndsey impact your life? “They impacted my life by making me want to be just as confident as them. They just gave off amazing energy.” When asked if Lyndsey was still her hero she said: “they are still kind of my hero but not really.” What would you say was the most important moment in your life? “The most important part in my life is when I found out I may not be a man. What is the best advice you have ever given? “The best advice I have given is, don’t let anyone walk all over you, they’re just jealous you're better than them.” What is your life goal? “My life goal is to transition into a person I want to be, to be confident, to be myself, to not care what anyone thinks of me, because I am the better person.

By: Desirae Collins 

In life there are always going to be ups and downs to everything, that's life, that's how things work. There's good, there's bad, there's hard times and there's easy times. Everything goes by so fast, yet for some it just drags along. All adults are always talking about enjoying youth while still in it, and that these are the best times of one's life, but they have probably forgotten just how hard times are for some. Nobody is perfect, nobody has a perfect life no matter how ¨perfect¨ they make it out to be. Freshman Kylor Cooper is no stranger to the struggles of being a teen. ¨One of the hardest things so far in my life was transitioning into high school.¨ she says. ¨As cliche as it sounds, the thought of growing up and becoming an adult is terrifying. Being in high school and not having a certain plan for my future makes me feel physically sick at the thought of it. Being an unsuccessful adult is scary and not something I want. I want to enjoy my time being a kid, but this is all sneaking up on me so quickly I have to worry about the present and my future all at once. It seems as if just yesterday I was in the 7th grade, and now i'm here.¨ Despite things being tough, Kylor finds joy in many different things. ¨Band, music, reading, my brother, and the fact that tomorrow is a new day that holds the chance of something good happening.¨ While trying to balance school and her personal life, Kylor admits, ¨My biggest goal is probably just to make it, to be honest¨

TSA is currently selling chocolate for $1 a piece in all kinds of flavors to be able to go to a leadership conference in Norman during mid November. “At the last conference we swept the table with wins, so we have full confidence that any competition put ahead of us we will come victorious. ”According to sponsor Jami Hackler Recently, TSA has been racking up the honors. When speaking about a contest last month in McAlester, junior Eddie Daggs shared his excitement. “We won almost every contest, we did pretty well, we had a win in almost every competition. It was really fun, a lot of team building.” Some of the contests consisted of essays, derby hat building, and free-drawing. TSA is planning on doing big things this year and they plan on staying busy. “We’re expecting big things this year, we have a very good team and there's a lot of bonding. Me and a few other people are competing  in a board game design contest. At the last conference we swept the floor, we walked away with a win in every category,” says junior Bradley Jager.