Advice From a Quitter- Kirstyn Dvorak

 

After deliberating for a while over what my April blog should be, I was unable to come up with anything. I’m fresh out of book reviews, funny stories and things to complain about. Instead, I’m going to provide my readers with a bit of friendly advice, mainly directed to people trying to find somewhere to fit in. In my life I have participated in swim team, golf, softball, volleyball, basketball, cross country, track, pole vault, dance, journalism, Future City, band, choir, the musical production of Annie, Spanish club and scholars bowl. I have quit almost every one of these things. Over the years I even quit and rejoined band not once, not twice, but three times. Whenever I joined a group and realized I didn’t excel at something I decided to move on to something else. Now I’m about to start my senior year and I’m out of clubs, teams and groups to join. My point is STICK WITH SOMETHING. After seventeen years of dabbling in a little bit of everything, I have no real skill in anything. If I could go back and do it over, I would find something I like and work to get better. If you are about to start high school, pick your place and stick with it. If you are about to start something new in life, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out at first and good luck.

Never Surrender- Marcel Rimrodt

Basketball is a difficult sport that requires not only physical but also mental strength. It is a sport where both team make runs and the score can totally change within a few minutes. You must never surrender because one minute on the clock can last a very long time. On the 27^th of February our CHS basketball team went to Abilene for the third time this season. It was an amazing game with much battling between the two teams.

The 4^th quarter was a fight because we were trailing but kept catching up. With about 22 seconds on the clock we were down by 6 when Cooper Holmes drove to the basket and put the ball in for two points. We were still trailing by 4 points when Ethan Bechard caused a foul, but Abilene missed the 2 free-throws. Jace Coppoc brought up the ball and gave it to Cooper Holmes who drove and kicked it out to Ethan for a three. He made it a one-point game with 7 seconds on the clock. Bechard fouled again to stop the clock and Abilene made one of the two free-throws. Grant Holmes grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball up to the three-point line. He pulled up for the shot and was fouled by Abilene’s guard which caused three free-throws. He made two of them and our Panthers ended up winning the game in overtime, 82-75.

I am sure nobody in the gym expected such a game at the beginning. Wins like that bring teams closer together and show that you should never give up when you are playing a sport. Whether it is basketball or football or any other sport, it is always worth to try as hard as you can!

The Texas Tradition- Julie Gross

 

Every high school student knows at every family gathering this question will come up, “So what do you want to do after you graduate?” Literally every one of my relatives has asked me that question and continues to ask that question. After I say “I don’t know,” they reply, “Well you have plenty of time to decide.” However, my college choice is made way harder by one simple joke. Both of my siblings chose colleges in Texas so everyone including friends, family, and random people says the phrase I have come to hate. “Haha, well I bet you are going to Texas just like your siblings.” This just makes me angry. Everyone assumes I want to be just like my siblings because I am the youngest child in the family. Well, actually no, I am a different person. I love my siblings, but I want to do my own thing and do not want to be a little carbon copy.  I don’t want to attend another school where I am called by my sister’s name. This makes me determined NOT to go to Texas and this sways my college decision. So even if a college in Texas has an amazing program for whatever I want to go into (yes I still don’t know what I want to do) I might not go there just to prove that I’m independent and I do not have to follow in my siblings’ footsteps. Maybe one day everyone will just realize I’m not my siblings.

Five Things All Lifeguard’s Wish Patrons Knew- Olivia Leif

 

After working at the local swimming pool for four summers, I have learned and observed more than many people would guess. In the spirit of it almost being summer, I have compiled a list of 5 things that I wish all people coming to the pool would know.

1.     Lifeguards are not glorified babysitters! More times than not, parents drop their young children (sometimes even under age 6) off at the pool at 1:00 when the pool opens and don’t come back until 7:00 when the pool closes. These kids are usually sunburned redder than a lobster and hungrier than a teenage boy after a football game by the 3:00 break. Parents,  take care of your kids. I don’t get paid enough to do your job for you!

2.     Don’t run! Before working at the pool I thought this was an obvious one. However, more kids get into trouble with the lifeguards as a result of running than anything else. We are not kidding when we say, “DON’T RUN!” It is dangerous and can cause slipping and potential injury. I would rather not have to backboard someone because of carelessness and a lack of discipline. Slow down boys and girls!

3.     Pregnant women and mothers should not wear bikinis! This may sound harsh, but in my years at the pool, I have seen more soon-to-be mommy’s strutting their stuff in a tiny string bikini. Ladies, have some respect for yourself please. You are pregnant, not looking for a man. On that same note, if you are a woman who is married with children, cover up as well. Even if you are still 25 and back to a size 4, the image you are putting out is that you are more interested in yourself and showing off your body than you are in taking care of your kids.

4.     Follow the rules of the diving boards. I, like all other lifeguards, love to see the coolest tricks off of the diving boards. However, even if you have a super cool trick that was legal at another pool, check to see if it’s legal at our pool. Diving boards can be dangerous if they are abused, and no lifeguard wants to backboard an unconscious person in a pool full of blood.

5.     Chlorine does not mean peeing in the water is okay. Boys and girls. If you think that swimming in your own urine sounds like a fun time; get help. Chlorine does prevent things from growing in the water and does eliminate germs, but seriously people, when I see you swimming around in a yellow haze I feel like throwing up. We have bathrooms for a reason. Use them.

  

Dance Life- Zoe Walsh

Most athletic seasons last between three to five months. As the season proceeds, the bonds between teammates become stronger. Dance lasts about two weeks short of an entire year, and as I begin my fourth and final year as a dancer, I find myself reflecting on the past.

     We started our season during May of the previous year. We prepared for the UDA camp we were going to attend in June. At this point we were just team mates. Some of us barely knew each other, but that quickly changed. The new members were timid and extremely quiet, but that also quickly changed. (Whether that was good or bad, I don’t know.J)

     Camp was just the beginning of our year-long journey together. Through fundraising, endless morning practices, all day Saturday practices, competitions, team bonding trips and scavenger hunts we grew closer. Sisterhood is the best way to describe the bonds I have made with the current dancers, as well as dancers who have graduated.

     If you have ever had a sister, you will know how much of a blessing it is. But I am not going to sugar coat anything…sisters get on each other’s nerves. We spend hundreds of hours together throughout the year. That being said, as the year winds down, we annoy each other, me included.  It is naturally what happens when people spend a lot of time together. Yes, we might get on each other’s nerves but at the end of the day we are there for each other. That’s what makes it a sisterhood.

     The 2013-2014 year has come to an end, and the 2014-2015 year has just started.  It has been nearly three non-stop years of dance for me since my freshman year. I am excited to say that we have 13 CHS Panther Dancers for my last year. That is the largest squad I have ever been a part of. I cannot wait to create a sisterhood with these young ladies and to strengthen my friendships with the returning members.     

 
 

My First Basketball Game- Marcel Rimrodt

My First Basketball Game

Even though basketball is not the most popular thing in Germany I really like the sport and decided to join our CHS basketball team. I knew that I was not that good but that is probably genetic because I am not American. I just tried to understand what the coaches wanted me to do and even though I was quite clumsy at first, the others always tried to help me whenever they could.

                Then our first game came up and I still did not know all the plays of our JV team. I got to play for a few minutes though, and I was very glad that I did not cause too many fouls. I was very nervous and probably not a big help for my teammates. I did not really try to score a bucket; actually I rather tried to give the basketball to somebody else as quickly as possible.

                I would say that my first basketball game was a success for me even though we lost the game. I am one of the better players in my school in Germany but our game is nothing compared to the American way of playing basketball. When I practice with the other players I can see that I am a lot better now than I was on my first day.

I do not play much in the games, but I still enjoy being a part of the team and watching the Varsity game for free.

               

New Kid in Class- Kayla Dvorak

New Kid in Class

By Kayla Dvorak

     Though I am the “noob” in my journalism class, I already know all these people and I love them. As Mrs. Watson said, the journalism class is a sort of exclusive group of students. It just so happens that these students are my favorite kind of people. Sometimes I swear they’re on drugs, but they’re so hilarious that I don’t mind. Journalism is an exciting and useful class and I am thankful I got the opportunity to participate in it. I guess it’s just a bonus that it’s so entertaining. It seems like all the kids have known Mrs. Watson for all their lives, which makes for some interesting conversations. Honestly, my favorite thing about Journalism is my nickname. My sister, Kirstyn, is in the class, which makes me the second person in Journalism with the initials K.D., so I got the nickname K2D2. That’s pretty creative if you ask me, but hey, it was thought up by all the writers of the school after all.

     Writing has always been stressful for me since I’m not as savvy with words as my sister, but I’m hoping that with a lot of Dictionary.com use and tips from other students in Journalism I’ll get more comfortable.