Warrior PostIssue No.

39 February

2012

Check us out on ≥≥≥ www.thewarriorpost.com

The

As the contestants’ heart rates in-creased with every breath, they looked up and were pierced with

a spotlight. Elianah Wulfsberg, the only freshman, was not intimidated. She had a wide range of experience on being in front of people and performing, and it was her time to shock the older contestants with her fresh talent. She wowed the crowd and placed second in Martin Idol. Even though this is a new atmosphere of performing for Wulfsberg, she said she felt she could do well. “I participated in talent shows when I was younger, but nothing compared to Martin Idol,” Wulfsberg said. From practicing in the mornings to sing-ing at her church with her youth group, she had prepared. “I am on the youth worship team at The Church on Rush Creek where I regularly perform,” Wulfsberg said. “I believe I have as much as a chance of winning as any other kids. Overall, even if I didn’t make it past the first round, it’s just awesome that I had the opportunity to participate, and I

would have been happy either way.” Like many singers, Wulfsberfg works to make her talent unique and shine above the rest. By puttting her own twists on the songs, it draws her audience in. “I love playing around with the music so that I become more comfortable with the song and putting my own personality into it,” Wulfsberg said. “I taught myself to play the guitar in sixth grade because I wanted to play for my talent show at my school. I also played piano before that, which really helped out when it came to learning guitar.” When Wulfsberg added the element of a guitar, it also added to the uniqueness of her performances at Martin Idol Jan. 26. “I was a mess of nerves and I don’t think I’ve ever been so anxious before perform-ing,” Wulfsberg said. The backstage darkness made Elianah unable to detect how she will perform, but with the support of her best friend she was able to conquer all of her doubts. “The girl I dedicated my song to is my best friend,” she said. “I was having trou-ble picking out a song and she insisted I play ‘The Only Exception’ by Paramore,

so I did.” When Wulfsberg walked onto stage to sing her second song, “The Only Excep-tion” she immediately dedicated it to her best friend in order to show her that she appreciated her support and help through the process. “She’s had to know how thankful I was to have her through the process,” Wulfs-berg said. As Wulfsberg performed, her confidence beamed through to the audience, judges and even the other contestants. When she walked off stage from singing her first song “Jar of Hearts” it was obvious she would make it to the top five contes-tants, and she did. When the judges called her name for second place her face showed excitement and shock with out her even having to utter a word. Junior Dylan Beckerman placed first. “Everyone was so awesome that I honest-ly didn’t think I would even place,” Wulfs-berg said. “I certainly did my best, and I’m happy I placed.” Even though Elianah Wulfsberg was the only freshman in the contest, she showed that age doesn’t matter.

The only freshman in Martin Idol takes the stage

FreshtalentMadeline Maxwell & Meghan Cabra • Staffers

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year commerative edition30

UP2•12•12Regional Wrestling

Tournament

Black History Month Program 7 p.m. • Auditorium

2•13•12

Bahama Bash Meeting6:45 p.m. • room 143

2•14•12Academic Quiz

League5 p.m. • Library

Boys Vasity Soccer7:45 p.m • North

Crowley

Baseball Boosters

2•15•12

2•16•12Spanish NHS

Induction6 p.m. • Little

Theater 2•17•12Show Choir Showcase7 p.m. • Bowie

Coming^^^

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2•24•12State Swim Meet

Austin, Texas

Students interning as advertisers and marketers have always needed their own competition nationwide. For

years, DECA has provided this. It offers a chance for students to gain experience, knowledge and leadership. DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is a student organization for high school and college students, designed for Marketing Education. “In DECA, you work with the top stu-dents,” Advertising Design Internship teacher Donald Adair said. DECA is one of only ten organizations named a Career and Technical Student Organization by the United States De-partment of Education. It has evolved, changed and grown across the nation compared to when it first started over 60 years ago. Today DECA is known nationwide and has held national competitions everywhere around the United States. “I've been a part of national competi-

tions in Anaheim, Orlando, Louisville and many other big cities,” Adair said. “This year, we will be going Salt Lake City, Utah.” DECA has three levels of competition: District, State and International. “There are probably around 4,000 stu-dents participating in different kinds of events at District, 8,000 in State when it comes to Texas, and 16,000 in the Inter-national competition,” Adair said. AISD offers classes within the high schools that participate in different events in DECA. Advertising Design Internship, Marketing Work Experience, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Sports and En-tertainment Internship, Entrepreneurship, and Fashion Merchandising are all offered in either the Parks Mall, Sam Houston, Martin or Lamar High Schools. “For my event, my partner and I are creating an advertisement campaign,” se-nior Advertising intern Andrew Czap said. “We've made a campaign for advertising

local music shows.” While everyone takes the marketing test, not everyone competes in the same competitions. For example, a student in a class involving the advertising field may write and plan an advertising campaign, but another student learning more about marketing will have different competitions and projects to complete. “My internship required us to make a promotion plan,” senior Anshunee Madi-son said. “We set up fashion displays, made events, and advertised. It was fun to learn a lot about what goes into a plan and making a business more successful.” The marketing test, combined with the other events students compete in, are to-taled up and given one final score. Those students with the highest scores move on to the next stage of competition until they arrive at Salt Lake City, Utah for national competition. “I want to go to national for the op-portunity to get big scholarships, to have fun and for personal satisfaction,” Czap said. "I've never been to Salt Lake City, so

it would be cool to go there because I like traveling.” Adair, who has over ten years of experi-ence with DECA, spends at least six weeks with his students preparing for district competition. “My role is to present and show the guidelines for the material, observe how each student is doing and answer any questions,” Adair said. “After the papers are completed, I read over their campaigns and projects to make sure they are ready for competition.” DECA gives students interested in any of the marketing fields a chance to witness real life situations and provides experience as well. “Overall, DECA is a great organization which prepares students in real life situa-tions in the marketing fields,” Adair said. “It's well respected in the business world, and it gives someone a better job oppor-tunity with the experience it comes with. It's nice getting to see my students gaining knowledge and success as well as finding themselves comfortable as individuals.”

MADMENStudents participate in a nation wide marketing competition

Connor Gillaspia • Editor-in-Chief

Students take the saying “I Am Second” to the next level and are joining the movement.

The idea of forming I Am Second groups was originally proposed by se-nior Danny Flores. Seekers decided to support the idea and use it to minister to people and inspire them to live for God. “Someone introduced them to me at my church, and I felt that God was tell-ing me that I should get to know what they are and start them at our school,” Flores said. Norm Miller originally founded I Am

Second three years ago in Plano. The movement helps people realize their purpose in life and that they can’t do ev-erything alone. The organization uses actors, athletes, rockstars and a lot of other people to get the point across. Essentially, I Am Second is about putting God first and letting Him lead. The Martin I Am Second series started Jan. 31 with roughly 140 students. Chris Plekenpol, who has his own I Am Sec-ond video about experiences from Iraq, came and spoke about his testimony. There will be several meetings throughout the year that meet on cer-tain Tuesdays in Gym B. The leaders have

MARTIN IS SECONDStudents put God first and themselves second

Abby Bishop • Staffer not decided how many meetings there will be yet. “I think that Chris being there brought a lot more people in and what he said was so powerful,” Flores said. If all goes as planned, there will be about eight students grouped in each circle and the leaders said they are hop-ing that more groups will be created as the movement grows. “Stuff happens in circles, not rows,” Plekenpol said. The I Am Second groups will first watch one of the videos planned for that week and then read a Bible passage, ask and answer questions, and also plan a time where they will help or talk to someone

they know who is struggling. The idea is for the group members to take what they learned and apply it to their lives. “The kids will be able to answer ques-tions about what they liked, found con-fusing, and what the passage showed them about people and God,” Flores said. The group leaders attended a lot of meetings and a training session Jan. 19. Flores also went to an I Am Second Leadership XP meeting in Plano to pre-pare for these groups. “I hope that through all of this, people come to a better understanding of God and choose to follow Him with their lives,” Flores said.

Photo by Chandler Harrell

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The crowd will roar, the 20 men of MHS will stand on stage, with bright lights beaming on their faces. The Mr. MHS candidates will await the results of who will be crowned Mr. MHS. For years, multimedia teacher Lezlee Williams as junior class sponsor has put on Mr. MHS, a competition to see who has what it takes to be the top dog of Martin high school. Although it is a competi-tion, the men are all very humble, and are in it for the fun. “We have dance practice three days a week,” sophomore Tater Blinn said. “The practices are during all of lunch.” Mr. MHS is a competition consisting of three categories: formal wear, casual wear and swim wear. None of which are actu-ally taken very seriously by the men. It’s a chance for them to show their true colors and act as crazy as they possibly can. Senior Austin Taylor prepares for the three categories by acting as unique as

possible, and thinking of things to do that the other 19 men will not have thought of. He also thinks of things to do to please the crowd. “I really like the fact that we get to see the boys as individuals, and what they think of as humorous, you get to see their talents and what they’re good at,” sopho-more Mikayla Hernandez said.Mr. MHS has always been a time where the students of Martin high school come

together, and enjoy this as a whole. There’s al-ways something for everyone, from the drum line playing in the pitch black, to history teacher Barney Fratto acting out a skit with someone. “I feel like Bran-

don Turner or Myles Johnson will win,” sophomore Patrick Burke said. “They’re great guys and really hilarious, and that’s what the competition is about.” Mr. MHS is about being yourself and showing who you are and what you love, not showing off or harsh competition. It’s always been about a few Martin boys coming together to show the school what they’re made of.

Rainin’ men20 boys prepare to show off on stage at Mr. MHS March 1

Lily Hill • Staffer

“I really like the fact that we get to see the boys as individuals, and what they think of as humorous, you get to see their talents and

what they’re good at.”

Photo Courtesy of Lezlee Williams

Photo Courtesy of Lezlee Williams

What you may have missed

Athletes signed with their colleges on National Signing Day Feb. 1. For the first year, the event was held at the

PDC district-wide. “Signing day was different because we didn’t get to sign at the school,” senior Steven Baggett said. “But it was exciting being able to sign with all my

teammates.” Photo by LezLee Williamsq

◄Senior Ra-mon Sauceda-Medina per-forms at the Martin Step Show Feb. 4. “It was a very good show,” Sauceda-Medi-na said. “Since it’s my senior year, it was very emotional because it was my last show I’ll be preform-ing at Martin. Our perfor-mance got a standing ova-tion.” Photo by Emma Bruce

correction&clarification Two photos in the December 2011 Warrior Post were

incorrectly attributed. The photos of Cameron Villarreal on page 17 and the Outdoor PE class on page

6 were taken by photographer Ashleigh Jones. The Warrior Post staff apologizes for the inconvenience.

▲“Signing day was pretty fun, it’s nice to know that I’m officially a part of the school I wanted to go to,” senior Stphen Amoako said. “And knowing that I get to go to

school and play football for four years with my brother, Eric, is truly a blessing. Ever since I was a sophomore I’ve

wanted to go to Oregon, and as soon as I got off the plane I told my mom, ‘That’s where I want to go.’”

3news

Cooking and sharing dishes that range from meatless snacks to des-serts without dairy, students come

together to join in promoting healthy life-styles. Consciously aware of the foods they eat, much of the Munchies Club consists of not only vegetarians and vegans, but also generally health-conscious students. “When I first started talking about the club, people assumed that it was only for vegans or vegetarians, but this is not true,” club president senior Victoria Chang said. “We welcome all curious eaters and food lovers.” Although members recognize more re-stricted diets as better for you than nor-mal, omnivorous eating habits, there are no dietary requirements for being in the club. “If the Munchies Club was only re-stricted to vegetarians and vegans, the club would not accomplish its goal of spreading the word,” Chang said. “The club does as-

Munchies Club

declares war on

junk food

sume that a plant-based diet is the most wholesome and encourages

such diets, but by no means is this a rule, it is merely a suggestion.”

Such diets aim to improve the health of members and the eco-system, and the Munchies Club

wants people to enjoy the taste o f real food as well as reaping

the benefits from it. The club educates members about the benefits of alternative

diets and is open to all who are interested in eating better for their bodies and the planet. “The goal of the Munchies Club is to show the student body that healthy eating is not only good for the mind, body and planet, but it is also pleasurable,” Chang said. The Munchies Club meetings include a presentation and sharing of food. Mem-bers can earn hours and work their way to-wards earning a t-shirt by volunteering to prepare presentations or prepare food for these meetings. “During the meetings, members eat!” Chang said. “Members will volunteer to either prepare food and/or make presenta-tions. The presentations are educational.” Meetings are held at lunch in sponsor and Chemistry teacher Lydia Berry’s room on the second and fourth Mondays of ev-ery month. “The club focuses on good food, good in every sense of the word,” Chang said. “The food is good for the body, good for the planet and good for the soul.”

Butterflies in your stomach, other de-bate students enter the room. A single judge sits there, staring. You are waiting for the topic to be produced. In your head, you go over everything you know, hoping the topic will be something you are familiar with and have studied. Every year, debate students compete in multiple tournaments, showing off their skills. Martin competes in tournaments around the metroplex. Going into the tournament room causes a range of re-actions, from nervous wrecks to calm and collected. “I am categorized as a relaxed debater, so when I walk into the room, I see an opportunity to succeed, not a chance to fail,” junior Shaheen Rohanni said. “All in all, it’s like walking into any other room, except in this room you know you’re about to throw down.” There are several categories in the tournaments: Lincoln-Douglas, Origi-nal Oratory, Public Forum, Impromptu and Domestic Extemporaneous Speak-ing. Students can compete in multiple categories. How the category is presented varies from with or without a partner and pre-pared or on the spot. No matter what, though, they all require preparation. “In class, the coach gives a lot of time to do research,” junior Ethan Palmer said. “We debate in class, and realize

The greatdebaters

what we need to work on.” Along with in-class practice and discus-sion, there are also ways outside of class to prepare. “Usually I sit down with my partner and we brainstorm about topics that we think are going to be in the tourna-ment,” senior Collin Wilson said. “I read political books, so that helps a lot.” Due to meet experiences, the opinions on how well they will do varies from per-son to person. “I did all right in the last tournament,” sophomore Payton Sanders said. “I went one to two and that tournament is tied with my worst tournament. I expect to do well in the next tournament, but I don’t expect to win because there are 50 different teams. It’s usually a senior who wins. I think I will have a winning record.” The skills learned in debate can be used for being a politician, lawyer, etc. They also can teach valuable skills in day-to-day life. It even can be seen as exercising the brain. “I think of debate as an intellectual sport because it is just as taxing or even more so than something like football or tennis, but taxing on the brain,” Rohanni said. “You can tell a debater from anyone else very easily, because the debater will not hesitate to get their point across in a concise way, and will never back down from any intellectual endeavor.”

Debate students compete at various tournamentsFoodfight

Lauren Florence • Editor

Rowan Sharp & Rachel Storm • Opinions Editor & Staffer

Abby Bishop • Staffer

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Hours slaving over a hot computer, hundreds of cups of coffee and many all-nighters. Students are in school for about seven hours a day, but some teachers have their own classes to attend, after school hours. Many teachers at Martin have their master’s degrees, and the number keeps increasing as teachers return to school to earn a higher degree. “When I first went to school, I was young,” math teacher Linda Somerhalder said. “It was easier because I had just fin-ished my high school math and it was all very fresh in my mind.” Throughout their time in school, the teachers’ lives become more difficult and stressful as they try to balance their home, work, and educational responsibilities. But, after they graduate, the stress sub-sides, as their new degrees have helped them master teaching. “My family was excited and proud at first, but as I became less available to them to do the things that had usually done, they began to resent it,” Chemistry and AVID teacher Kristen Session-Brown said. “In the end, they were proud and happy it was over.” Although many teachers earned their degrees in hopes of reaching higher goals or becoming qualified for a different posi-tion, in most cases, teachers want to in-crease their knowledge to help their stu-

Collaborative learningAs teachers go back to school, they share their experiences and difficulties balancing family, work and their educations

dents. This motivation for the future keeps them going through the difficulties that they face. “I enjoy learning, and I wish that my students would too,” Session-Brown said. “Knowledge is power, and I want to em-power my students with the things that I teach them.” Through returning to school and learn-ing new techniques in class, the teachers have a new perspective on what it’s like to be a student. They say they receive a bet-ter understanding of what is an acceptable amount of homework, how hard it is to balance school between jobs and personal lives and where students’ priorities lie these days. “I can identify with students’ nervous-ness when taking a test, their difficulty in juggling all their responsibilities and classes,” Somerhalder said. “And I can give them guidance in how their work should look and what will be expected of them in college.” As the teachers’ families cope with not seeing them as much, they still offer sup-port and comfort. “My family supported me because they knew I had sacrificed what I wanted so that they could reach their goals,” Somer-halder said. “They were happy for me when I could finally got the chance to go back to school.” Throughout the ups and the downs, the teachers’ new, higher, degrees help them

Rachel Hodnett • Staffer

Very few high school teachers have a doctorate. One of these few is a teacher at Martin that surprisingly few students know of, despite his accomplishments. Dr. David Tripp not only holds a doc-torate in New Testament theology and teaches Art I, Philosophy, Humanities, Art History and AP Art History, but is an accomplished watercolor painter and is held in high esteem by many of his students, even recently being named the National Honor Society’s Teacher of the Month. The only work of his that students may know of is the mural in the cafeteria. But Tripp has received countless awards and recognition for his artwork. The recogni-tion ranges from articles in newspapers to awards and ribbons at art shows. “From eighth grade onwards I have earned recognition,” Tripp said. “We’d be here writing pages if we wanted to list it all.” From the time he was old enough to hold a pencil, Tripp has been drawing. But he didn’t begin painting until tenth grade when he finally had access to the materials required. He realized he was quite good at it when people told him he was talented and then he found real pleasure in painting. Since then, Tripp has explored various media in which he

can express himself. He settled on wa-tercolor in 1988 when he noticed it was the only thing he really wasn’t good at. “I realized I could do everything re-ally well, but stunk at watercolors,” Tripp said. “So I decided to tackle that. I was also tired of going to art shows and seeing oil and acrylic on canvas and no watercolors. I’m still a student too.” Tripp usually paints nostalgic scenes of a bygone American era. The name of his company set up to distribute his art, Recollections 54, explains it all itself. Many of his pieces feature old mom and pop restaurants, aging buildings, gas stations and Route 66. His favorite work of art recently sold for $2,350. “I like to paint things I saw as a kid,” Tripp said. “My head was constantly on a swivel then, taking everything in.” While working on his art, Tripp’s other interests also occupy his mind. He thinks about philosophy, theology, the happen-ings in his life and literature while he paints. If he needs background noise, he plays art films and interviews with artists on a television in his studio. “It would seem vacuous to say I feel con-tentment while painting,” Tripp said. “I get in this state where I don’t notice the passing of time.”

Calvin Lemley • News Editor

Renaissance manTeacher David Tripp receives critical acclaim for art talent

establish new ways to teach. Going to school reminds them of why they began teaching. “Now, I try to focus on my expectations for what I want the students to learn, not the activities, when I am planning,” Ses-sion-Brown said. “I want to be an instru-ment in my students’ learning.” As teachers worked towards becoming

Influences on Tripp’s artwork come from Edward Hopper for subject matter, An-drew Wyeth for technique and Winslow Homer because of his tendency to paint on location. Tripp’s favorite artist is Rob-ert Motherwell, an abstract expressionist of the 1940s and 1950s. “If I had to pick my biggest inspira-tion, I would choose Hopper because he was more well-rounded and had the great mind among the three,” Tripp said. “He was more of a Renaissance man. When I think Renaissance man, I think someone

that does a lot of things very well. I’ve always wanted to be one but I’m multi-interested, not multi-talented.” While Tripp may not think of himself as a Renaissance man, he impresses students with his knowledge of the Greek, German and Hebrew languages, philosophy, histo-ry and his knack for connecting the most random tangents together. “Dr. Tripp’s class is fun, interesting and enlightening,” senior Natasha Rico said. “His is definitely my favorite class this year.”

better teachers, they went through many hardships and difficulties, but found out that the experience benefitted the students and was a great learning opportunity. “If you want something badly enough and you are willing to do the work it takes to achieve it, you can do anything you want to do,” Somerhalder said. “It is never too late.”

Photo by Calvin Lemley

From left to right: Haltom’s

Jewelers, The Weary Blues and

Zephyr

features

6fea

tures

For as long as she can remember, senior Kendra Remedios has had the same dream: that one day she is going to be famous.

Now, she is closer than she has ever been. Aug. 26, Remedios groggily headed to American Idol auditions at the Reliant Park complex in Houston at 6 a.m. to join the other 15,000 people hoping for a shot at fame and glory. Reliant Stadium was filled with excite-ment and nerves as people waited to au-dition. “With all the time I had to wait, I made friends,” Remedios said. “We got into huge singing circles to get our minds off of the nervousness.” Remedios was in the very last group to audition. Finally at 8 p.m., after waiting 14 hours, she made it into the judging room. Surrounding her were 30 cameras with the entire production crew stand-ing behind the judges. “There was a huge platform in the cen-ter of the room that I had to stand on,” Remedios said. “It’s exactly like the show and I was right in front of the judges.” With a camera staring her in the face, she talked to the judges for five minutes. They asked her a lot of questions and then told her that she could start singing when she was ready. “I had been praying the whole time that I wouldn’t be nervous,” Remedios said. “When I got in the room I was just being myself.” Remedios sang “Undo It” by Carrie Underwood. As she sang, she took spe-cial note of the positive feedback she was receiving from the judges. “Steven [Tyler] was sprawled out on his chair and getting into the song,” Remedios said. “Then Jennifer [Lopez] heard me hit a high note and she started nodding her head. Randy [Jackson] just tapped his pen to the beat.” When the song ended, Remedios ea-gerly waited to hear what the judges had to say about her performance. Their positive body language led to positive responses. All the judges told Remedios that she would be moving on to Hol-lywood. Overwhelmed with happiness, she remembered what she had been dared her to do if all the judges said yes. “My aunt dared me to kiss Steven if I made it to the next round,” Remedios said. “I asked him if I could kiss him on the cheek and he said, ‘Baby, you come

American dreamSenior makes it to Hollywood on American Idol

over here!’ so I got to give him a little kiss on the cheek.” With a “yes” from a table of star-studded judges and a good feeling to last her for days to come, Remedios was now free to share her news. “When I got out of the room, I started crying and screaming,” Remedios said. “I ran out of the door to my mom, aunt and best friend. We were all hugging and ex-cited.” Even though Remedios conquered her audition, her 14-hour day was not over. She had to be interviewed multiple times and was ushered into a room to have a photo shoot. She was there until mid-night, despite the fact she had school the next day. “I left Houston at 3 a.m. and drove to school and got there on time,” Remedios said. “I was on this high, so it hadn’t hit me that I had been awake for longer than 24 hours.” In the months in between Remedios’s audition and Hollywood, she experienced emotional and vocal stress. She was diagnosed with muscle ten-sion dysphonia and had to attend vocal therapy and had to rest her voice. To com-municate, she had to carry around a white board. “I had been practicing so much that there was too much vocal stress,” Reme-dios said. “It was hard. I couldn’t hang out with my friends because I talk a lot, and when I would talk and lose my voice. Also, I was so busy with therapy or other Ameri-can Idol stuff that I just didn’t have time.” In time, her voice gradually improved, and Hollywood week came Dec. 11. “Out of the 100,000 people who tried out, only 350 people made it to Holly-wood,” Remedios said. “I had to buy ten performance outfits because they told us to prepare as though we were staying the whole time. Between my mom and me, we had five suitcases” Remedios made it all the way to the fourth round, right before group audi-tions. She stood on stage with several other people. It was the same setup at the auditions in Houston – the three judges with the production crew behind them. Each per-son on stage stepped forward and sang. Remedios was the seventh person to sing. Once again she sang “Undo It” by Carrie Underwood. “All the judges had the same positive

reaction to my song,” Remedios said. “I wasn’t nervous at all, and I sang my heart out. I had no regrets and thought I did re-ally well.” The contestants who were not audition-ing sat in the audience. When it was judging time, they cheered on Remedios. After the remaining contestants sang, the judges had made their decisions on who moved on. Despite the positive feedback of both the audience and judges, only three people moved on. Remedios wasn’t one of them. “They called a name, then paused, called another name, then paused and by the time it was over I was about to step for-ward,” Remedios said. “But they didn’t call my name. I was completely in shock.”

Remedios hugged the other contestants and once she got off of the stage, the real-ization that she wasn’t moving on sunk in. “I didn’t walk out of the room with the other people who didn’t make it,” Reme-dios said. “I sat down and started crying. Eventually one of the producers asked me to leave the room.” Despite the fact that she did not advance

to the next round, her friends and fam-ily still remind her how far she got in the competition and that she was still in the top two percent of the nation relative to the number of people who had tried out for the show. “I was proud of myself and it was a great opportunity,” Remedios said. “God is amazing to give me something like this.” Remedios said she believes that this year she didn’t make it because this year wasn’t her time. She said she thinks that the people that are chosen to be on American Idol have to fit certain characteristics. “Last year a young country singer won, and they may not want my look this year,” Remedios said. “They could have already chosen two girls before my round that also sang country and blues.”

Remedios now focuses on thinking of ways to establish herself in the music industry. “I have to market myself,” Remedios said. “I plan to record music and

videos and perform at as many gigs as possible, so that I can get myself and my name out there.” Remedios is already looking to the fu-ture. She holds onto a positive attitude and plans to audition again next season. “I will be 18 next year,” Remedios said. “I’m a little nervous because I will be on my own without my mom.”

Ashley Cunningham and Lauren Peel • Copy Editors

“I was completely in shock. I sat down and started crying. ”

Senior Kendra Remedios sings

at Martin Idol durring the

intermission. Photo by Emma

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7features

Have you ever had that feeling that you left something at home and you can’t re-member what it is? Sophomore Lily Hill has had that feel-ing, only it’s more serious than your av-erage memory lapse. “When I get into an extremely stressful situation everything gets white and my memory slowly starts going away,” Hill said. “I know that it’s happening because at the time my anxiety is unbearable.” In the past two years Hill has had tests done for brain seizures as well as a spinal tap. She will also have neurological psych testing. The doctors aren’t sure whether her memory loss is caused by conversion disorder or just because of stress, but her counselor said she believes it is her brain’s defense mechanism against stress-ful situations. “The first time it happened was the day after a cross country meet in eight grade,” Hill said. “My mom was going through a divorce. She took me to my

Adoption can be a powerful and emo-tional experience for families and can sometimes be too hard to put

into words. 312,835,335 people live in the U.S. today. Four million children are born in America every year. At the same time, 140,000 children are being adopted – about three percent of children under 18. Out of all the seven million Americans who are put up for adoption, senior Troy Stallsworth shares his story. “I’ve know that I was adopted since I was three or four,” Stallsworth said. “They just sort of told me one day.” A large percentage of people who have been adopted try to find their biologi-cal parents. It can be hard to find them because of mixed information and legal things that can get in the way. Stallsworth has been searching for his mom since sev-enth grade. “One day, I found out her current name and Googled her,” Stallsworth said. “I found out where she worked and that she has another son. My dad sent her an email but she didn’t want to be contacted at that

Memory laneStudent who suffers from frequent memory loss shares her story

Senior shares his story and reaches out to find his biological mother

Finding the missing puzzle piece

grandma’s house so she could watch me because I couldn’t stay awake. I was to-tally out of it and they had to feed me. When I stopped responding, they rushed me to the hospital.” Hill has had to unenroll from school twice and be put into out-patient care. She gets really behind on all her school-work and her friends and family are con-stantly worrying about her. “It can be hard sometimes because I never know when it’s going to happen,” Hill’s friend sophomore Mikayla Her-nandez said. “Whenever she’s not at school I feel bad because I can’t be with her or help her.” Hill is now back in school and partici-pates in an hour of therapy every week. Recently the memory loss has been hap-pening a lot less and when it does, it’s not as severe. “I’m doing better now,” Hill said. “I’m learning how to deal with my stress and anxiety in positive ways now instead of shutting down.”

time. I haven’t tried since.” 100 million Americans have adoption in their family. Since Stallsworth has known he was adopted since he was a toddler, he feels like nothing is different between him and his family. “This has just made them more my fam-ily because they picked me,” Stallsworth said. “I was really confused for awhile but later my family and church made me real-ize how special it is to be adopted.” Since he found out he’s adopted, his birth mother sent him a photo album of her family. “When I try to tell my friends that I’m adopted, they never believe me since for some reason people think I resemble my current parents,” Stallsworth said. “I’ve used the photo album to tell people and friends what it’s like being adopted.” Stallsworth has used his experience, and became a contributor to Christian Homes, the agency at which he was ad-opted. “When I think about it, my first thought is how my life would be if I had never been adopted,” Stallsworth said.

Victoria Powers • Features Editor

Jennfier Forsberg • Staffer

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9features

This year is Martin’s 30th birthday and it means this is a special year for stu-dents, teachers and administration. It’s a reflection on the past and a look toward the future. “This has been a special year for me because I moved to Arlington when they were first building Martin and I always knew that my kids would go to Martin,” counselor Barbara Moller said. Martin has changed a lot since they began including ninth grade on campus in 1997. “I’ve seen a lot of changes and some physical updates over the years,” prin-cipal Marlene Roddy said. “The lockers are different colors and we’ve added new wings since we put ninth grade on cam-pus.” But how do administration and teach-ers think that Martin will look like 30 years from now? “A lot of more virtual schools are in the future,” assistant principal Luann Kennedy said. “School will be more of a place where kids come to be away with no books and everything will be online.” With the technology growing and up-dating since our parents were in school, how will Martin adapt in the future han-dle all of this? “Students will have their own laptops for sure,” volleyball coach Tracy Perez-Petersen said. “Flat screens in the class-rooms. Facetime into class when absent. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like.” “I think we’ll be going to school more days,” Roddy said. “Since we’re compet-ing against other countries in education and they go to school more days then we’ll have fewer holidays.” Do our current teachers and faculty see themselves at Martin in 30 years? “Maybe at the reunion, but I wouldn’t be sure that I’ll be an employee at Mar-tin,” Roddy said. Some new teachers starting their career may still be here in 30 years to witness the changes. Currently we have no uniform policy, but we do have to follow the dress code. How will fashion trends change policy? “I think we will be wearing uniforms,” theater teacher Sharon Miller said. “Re-ally nice looking uniforms. My costume designers can draw those up.” “School will look like work and it will train students for a certain job and ev-erything will be better – including our sports, fine arts, and our academics will be even better,” assistant principal Kelly Hastings said.

What will Martin look like 30 years from now?

Here we go again

Wouldn’t it be weird to call your teachers by their first names? Or walk the halls

as a teacher 10 to 15 years from now?

Did you know some of your fellow teachers were just like you, and went to Martin? English teacher Bennett Mitch-ell was a jock. Choir director Betsy Clark was a fine arts student. English teacher Tonji Lewis was a people person. And these are just some of our faculty mem-bers who are Martin grads. Martin has changed over the years, from the different styles of music to dif-ferent goals of the school, uniting the students by a variety of clubs, sports, and school spirit. “I had a good experience at Martin,” Mitchell said. “I wanted to come back to teach and give students the same ex-perience I had, and get them to enjoy literature.” “I wanted to come back to Martin be-cause it was like I was coming home,” Lewis said. “I wanted to give the students the same effect that choir had on me,” Clark said. “I really enjoyed choir as a student and

now I can enjoy it being a teacher.” Over the years Martin has become a well -known school for its academic success. For example, there are a variety of clubs to bring the school together, and classes pre-pare students more than they have before. Martin is has grown by offering more AP classes, Dual Credit college classes and Pre-AP classes. Martin has more advanced classes than other high schools in the area. The number of clubs and extracurricular activities has grown as well. “The students get along a lot better,” Mitchell said. “There aren’t as many cliques anymore. I think Rachel’s Chal-lenge really had an effect on the students.” “There weren’t as many sports as there are now,” Lewis said. “There was only vol-leyball, track, football and basketball.” “I really don’t think Martin has changed a whole lot, but the education has im-proved over the years,” Clark said. For returning teachers, the newer en-vironment takes some getting used than when they were in school. In high school, of course, teachers call you by your first name, and most of the time you don’t call your teachers by their first names, nor are the teachers your col-leagues. That all changes when they be-

come teachers here. “It’s so weird calling (English teacher) Marilyn Clanton by her first name,” Lewis said. “She was a teacher at Young Junior High when I went there, and now she is like my best friend.” “The only teacher that I feel weird call-ing by their first name is (assistant princi-pal) Tommy Scott,” Mitchell said. “I can’t call him Tommy. He is still Mr. Scott to me.” “I had many of the teachers who are still here,” Clark said. “Many of them are still Mr. and Mrs. to me.” Coming back to a environment that you grew up in then coming back to it years later is different. You see things from a different perspective. “Martin is much more professional now,” Mitchell said. “It’s like a univer-sity.” “Coming back as a teacher, I learned that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that a student wouldn’t want to know,” Lewis said. “I learned so much more coming back as a teacher than a student in choir,” Clark said. “I didn’t realize how much work went into being a teacher, more specifically a choir instructor.”

Teachers compare their experiences at Martin to ours.

Kaylyn LeFan • Staffer

Sarah Meo • Staffer

For 30 years, thousands of students and faculty have come and gone, and things have changed drastically over the years. To remember the 30th anniversary, students and teachers tell what

they would put in a time capsule that people 30 years from now would open. Katy Fitzgerald • Staffer &

Paige Patterson • News Editor

“A mixed CD with Katy Per-ry, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars

and Justin Bieber.”• junior Victoria Hill“My iPhone to show how technol-

ogy changes.” • senior Courtney Dean

“A course description booklet to show how things changed.” • counselor Susan Kingen

“A note about procedures and technology to compare.” • attendance clerk Evelina Fink

“The warrior head.” • U.S. History teacher Dan Gravelle

“Our baseball yearbook.” • junior Jonny Levitt

“A picture of our graduat-ing class.”• senior Adam Gottschalk

“A mixed CD with Tyga, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, and Eminem.” • junior Brieana Smith

“A staff walkie-talkie.” • Attendance clerk Alpha Plemons

“Martin spirit clothes.” • junior Tanner Davenport

“A yearbook.” • freshman Lauren Spahr

“Something musical or a picture of a saxophone that

lets people see how our band program was and maybe how

music has changed.” • senior Garrett Breaux

“A picture that symbolizes this year’s accomplishments: Pentatonix or us beating Trinity. Trends and the

typical student, senior panoramic, a staff panoramic, athletic T-shirts, awards, pictures of student life and

a yearbook.” • principal Marlene Roddy

“I wanted to come back to Martin because it was like I was coming home.”

A wrinkle in time

Stories have evolved along with Martin for 30 years. From new additions to the building to adding ninth grade students and teachers to the school, Martin has grown and improved along the way.

The Warrior Post goes back in time to recap some of the important events

Construction builds

curiosity (1993)In the Sept. 13, 1993

Warrior Post, a story was written by Jessica Lund

about construction on the school. The construction

would cost $1,007,800 and would include three sci-

ence rooms, two computer labs and two offices for overflow administration

personnel. It was approved in 1991 and was set to be

completed in 1994.

James W. Martin (1997)After he passed away in 1997, this story shows and por-trays everything James W. Martin did for the high school that was named after him. He is remembered as a great

man, who was very helpful to our school even after retirement.

Time Capsule Presented

(1983)In November 1983 the

first graduating class decided to make a time

capsule. This capsule was filled with mementos,

scrapbooks, video tapes and club shirts. It was

opened at the Homecoming Pep Rally

in 2000.

Cristiani Fernandez & Tyler VanSkiver • Staffers

Black, white & all over

First class to graduate (1984)In the May 11, 1984 issue, Sarita Sharma wrote a story on the first senior class to graduate from Martin High School. The ceremony was held on May 25, 1984 at UTA, where James W. Martin would speak. Many se-niors would speak at the event and each graduate received six tickets for family and friends.

10ne

ws

Stories have evolved along with Martin for 30 years. From new additions to the building to adding ninth grade students and teachers to the school, Martin has grown and improved along the way.

The Warrior Post goes back in time to recap some of the important events

Park it (2001)This story showed the first year that seniors were

able to paint and decorate their own parking spots. Originally, the idea came from Arlington and Lamar High Schools and has been the new thing to look up to as a senior. Back then, half of the money went to Student Council and the other half went

to the Leukemia Society. Now it funds and helps Student Council work for

the school and community.

Every 15 Minutes (2004)

Written by Kellee Cobb and Brigitte Diaz, this article explains and shows the pro-gram Fatal Choices, a mock

disaster which showed students the dangers and consequences of drinking

and driving.

James W. Martin (1997)After he passed away in 1997, this story shows and por-trays everything James W. Martin did for the high school that was named after him. He is remembered as a great

man, who was very helpful to our school even after retirement.

Search for Superstar (2007)In February 2007, a story was written about the first Martin Idol, where freshman Scott Hoying was crowned champion. As many of us know, Hoying went on five years later to

win the Sing-Off with two former Martin stu-dents. Finalists in Martin Idol received prizes

including iPods, gift cards and perfumes.

Cristiani Fernandez & Tyler VanSkiver • Staffers

Black, white & all over

We Are The World (2006)This article, written by Ben Collado, is about Martin host-ing the World Affairs Council. Martin was actually the first high-school based WAC. The Council is a group of students who ex-plore issues outside of Arlington and expand their knowledge of the world.

First class to graduate (1984)In the May 11, 1984 issue, Sarita Sharma wrote a story on the first senior class to graduate from Martin High School. The ceremony was held on May 25, 1984 at UTA, where James W. Martin would speak. Many se-niors would speak at the event and each graduate received six tickets for family and friends.

features11

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added that they were both “superior athletes.” “He was very respectful of me being in a relation-ship, and didn’t try to pull any slick moves,” Baresh said. “I was surprised. I didn’t think freshmen had manners.” Enterline showed his humorous side by whip-ping out his mom’s money and joking to Baresh about how he still has to depend on his parents’ money be-cause he’s just a “little” freshman. Using humor and wit, Enterline wooed Baresh as best as he could. Enterline said he wanted to stay himself in hopes that Baresh would recom-mend him to all her girl friends. Baresh eagerly agreed on account of his well-mannered behavior and fun personality. “She is the prettiest girl in the school,” Enterline said. “That’s why I asked her. I

Everyone imagines what their first date will be like: the perfect car, the best restaurant in town, the coolest

clothes and of course, that special some-one. So this year we revived the old tra-dition of The Warrior Post “Dream Date,” where a freshman boy takes out a senior of his dreams on a date. Freshman Rhett En-terline’s first date was more than he could have ever dreamed it would be – he took senior Ivy Baresh out for a “super fun and awesome” dinner at Abuelo’s. On Wednesday, Jan. 11 Baresh picked Enterline up from his house and they headed off to Abuelo’s for dinner. The friends both walked in the restaurant gleaming with smiles from ear to ear. Enterline showed his charming side by remembering to open every door for his dream date. “The night has been running through my mind all day,” Enterline said. “I was just so nervous.” The two both mentioned that the date never had a dull or awkward moment and that it was very relaxed. They chatted and laughed about all the juicy gossip, music, sports and YoungLife, and said they had more fun than they anticipated. Enterline

Everyone knows that the way some-one is asked out makes all the dif-ference. Here are a few of the cut-

est – and the weirdest – ways students have been asked.

✓ Cute Ways “He told me he needed help getting something out of the bed of his truck and I couldn’t lift the cover so I turned to ask him to help me and he was standing there holding a rose and when I finally got the cover lifted, there was a poster asking me to be his girlfriend,” •senior Libby Croager

“Last year for baseball banquet, my boy-friend put a fish bowl with a live fish in it and on the outside it said, ‘Of all the fish in the sea, will you go to baseball banquet with me?’” •junior Lauren Grossman “I was at a birthday party that was at a lake house and the guy I was talking towas there. At about 12:30 he asked if we could go down to the lake and take a walk. We were just talking and he stopped me, grabbed my hands, and said he had something to ask me. Then he asked me if I would be his girlfriend. I said yes and then he kissed me on the forehead,” •sophomore Morgan Watson

Weird Ways “One time, this girl I barely knew came up to my work and asked me out by putting a note on my car. I never even told her where I worked,” •senior Riley Morgan

“I was at the gym one time and this creepy old man came up and asked if I would like to go to dinner. When I said I was 16, he still wanted me to go.” •junior Hayley Kionka

“I was on Facebook and this guy I had never met before who apparently goes to Martin, messaged me and said that he thought I was beautiful and that we needed to get to know each other. Now when I see him at school, it is awkward.” •senior Britton George

“Once a girl got five of her friends to come up to me and she tried to hide behind this corner, but I saw her peeking out at me. I had never talked to her. It was really creepy,” •junior Tate Alford

“In seventh grade, my best friend Colton asked me out for a girl and he got on his knee to do it,” •senior Asher Kolodny

“One time this guy dropped a teddy bear off on my porch and texted me and asked me out. I turned him down so he got mad and re-gifted the ted-dy bear.” •senior Maddison Ballard

Freshman takes his senior dream girl on a dateErin Hibbs & Emily Zerr • Staffers

Taryn Jacobson & Faith Lewis • Staffers

“My now ex-boyfriend and I went to go see a movie for our first date. Every time I would try to look at him to entice that ‘I really want you to kiss me,’ moment, he would become intently focused on the screen, He later admitted that he was

just shy.”• junior Sarah Putirskis

dateIt’s

night

photo by Lizzie Kirkham

“My boyfriend and I were going to see Harry Potter and we walked around the mall first. I noticed this lady kept following us. It turned out to be his mom, who

decided to stalk us into the movie and sit between us so we couldn’t hold hands. Every time some-

thing cool happened, she would clap and high five us.”

• junior Samantha Turner

Failed first dates that fizzledSusie Gibson • Staffer

Everyone has been on that one date with

the awkward silences and un-comfortable mo-ments. But some are worse than

others. Way worse.

The sweetest and strangest ways of asking

would definitely be interested in taking her on another date.”

“I was on a blind date and we went to No Frills Grill with my entire family.

My sister wanted to impress him, so she started eating a ton of jalapenos. She started

to get sick, though, be-cause she’s allergic to them. The boy went and got her

milk to help, but she’s lactose intolerant as well, so she

threw up all over him.” • senior Coral Davis

“I went out with twins once and we went to the Skatium, but I spent the entire time playing a Star Wars vid-eo game while they

went out and skated.” • senior Matt Holland

It was February and senior Nate Haw-thorne had no one to ask to prom. The date was soon approaching yet there was still a vacant spot by his side. At about the same time, in 2004, the True Love survey sponsored by Student Council promised to match students up with their peers through common inter-ests. Suveys were distributed in English classes and results were sold for $1. However, it never occurred to most stu-dents to take the quiz seriously. “I was sitting in the cafeteria with my results and Christien Perry was at the top of my list,” Hawthorne said. Perry approached him and they were, according to the survey, each other’s true love. Neither person knew the other very well, but Hawthorne had made his decision. Without hesitation, he asked her to be his prom date. Eight years later, Hawthorne works with students in Choices and he is still in love

with Perry. The survey has also continued as a fund-raiser for Student Council. “I really lucked out,” Hawthorne said. “If it weren’t for the survey, we probably wouldn’t be together.” The True Love survey had lived up to its name. But Hawthorne’s advice is not to expect it to work out all the time. “If a man is alone in the woods without a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?” Hawthorne said. “Yes, we’re still wrong. Men are always wrong. And be honest. Don’t be a cheater. Being a one-woman man makes your life a lot easier.” Hawthorne also has bright plans for the future, though he was coy when asked about marriage. “Once I get enough money together...,” Hawthorne said.

Can you find true love with a stranger?

Christien Perry and Choices teacher Nate Hawthorne

during their high school years and today.

Amber Lim • Staffer

A Fantasy wedding was up for grabs sev-en years ago on a 103.7 KVIL radio con-test. Having too much time on her hands, Chemistry teacher Susan Darr entered the contest as a joke, thinking it would be fun-

An unexpected win landed two teachers a radio fantasy wedding

Paige Patterson • Staffer

Chemistry teacher Susan Darr and Art teacher Dan Darr will celebrate their seventh anniversary Feb. 14. They have three children: Esther, Ava and Journey.

ny since she wasn’t even engaged. She submitted the required essay, and all of the next day joked with her boyfriend art teacher Dan Darr about how funny it would be if they won. Later that day, the radio station called them with the news: they were among the five finalists.

Delightful datesThe ABC’s of places to be with your sweetieTaryn Jacobson & Faith

Lewis • Staffers

Arlington Highlands, Arlington

BJ’s Arlington

Cheesecake Factory, Arlington

Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas

EatZi’s, Dallas

Fossil Rim, Glen Rose

Galaxy Drive In Theater, Ennis

Hurricane Harbor, Arlington

Ice at the Parks, Arlington

Joe T’s Garcia, Fort Worth

Kimbell Art Museum, Forth Worth

Lincoln Square Shopping Center, Arlington

Magic Time Machine, Dallas

Nagoya Japanese Restaurant, Arlington

Omni Theater, Fort Worth

Palace of Wax and Ripley’s, Grand Prairie

Qdoba Mexican Grill, Arlington

River Legacy Park, Arlington

Spare Time Lanes, Arlington

Texas de Brazil, Fort Worth

Urban Air Trampoline Park, Southlake

Verizon Theater, Grand Prairie

Water Gardens, Fort Worth

Xdrenalin Zone, Grapevine

Yummilicious, Arlington

Zios Italian Kitchen, Arlington

MatchesMartin

Teachers find a Warrior love connection

“I entered as a joke,” Susan Darr said. “I thought it would be funny if we won. We joked all day and did not expect to be picked at all.” The listeners of the radio station went online in early 2005 and voted for the winners. Martin students and teachers voted in full force and the Darrs emerged as the winners. Voters also chose every-thing from the ring to the honeymoon location. “The listeners voted on everything.” Susan Darr said. “Day one, they picked which dress they wanted me to wear. Day two, the rings they wanted us to wear. Day three, where we should go for our honey-moon. We didn’t choose anything.” The essays for the contest had to be sub-mitted by noon, and Darr submitted hers on the day of the deadlie at 11:48 a.m. She said she thinks she knows what made her essay stand out from the rest. “The thing that probably made me stand out in my essay was that I said, ‘A lifetime would never be long enough with Dan Darr,’” she said. “He didn’t have to say yes and he didn’t have to be my ‘Dream Date Husband.’ Ultimately, I wanted to marry him, and here we are seven years later still loving each other and still caring.”

“A lifetime would never be long enough”

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made at

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The Warrior Post is the official monthly pub-lication of Martin High School. As a public forum, we will publish letters to the editor as space allows. Letters must be signed, but names may be withheld. Opinion columns don’t represent the opinion of The Warrior Post or of Martin High School. The Warrior Post will not accept advertisments for pro-dusts or services not legally available to stu-dents. The Warrior Post is a member of ILPC, TAJE and Quill and Scroll and a recipient of both the Silver and Bronze Star Awards.

Staffers:Oscar Araujo, Abigail Bishop, Emma Bruce, Natalie Buongiorno, Katy Burley, Meghan Cabra, Brenda Chavez-Mayo, Karsen Cinquepalmi, Morganne Clay, Kim Clower, Maddy Cope, Brittany Daniels, Cristiani Fer-nandez, Katy Fitzgerald, Tyler Forde, Jennifer Forsberg, Samone Franklin, Susie Gibson, Jamie Gisburne, Larissa Gonzales, Chandler Harrell, Lathan Henderson, Ariel Hernandez, Erin Hibbs, Lily Hill, Rachel Hodnett, Trevor Ingram, Taryn Jacobson, Ashleigh Jones, Lizzie Kirkham, Nida Laheji, Kaylyn Lefan, Faith Lewis, Amber Lim, Sara Mancha, Madeline Maxwell, Sarah Meo, Jordan Pasayan, Madison Smith, Rachel Storm, Madi-son Terry, Tyler Vanskiver, Emily Zerr

Connor GillaspiaEditor-in-chief

Lauren FlorenceOnline Editor-in-Chief

Ashley CunninghamLauren PeelCopy Editors

Calvin LemleyPaige Patterson

News Editors

Sara SyedRowan Sharp

Opinions Editors

Lauren AguirreEntertainment Editor

Taylor GillumVictoria PowersFeatures Editors

Kendra BrownSports Editor

Laurel GregoryStaff Artist

Emma CuppettPhoto Editor

Jacie Lewis Designer

Jordan PasayanVideo Editor

Tricia RegladoAdviser

Marlene RoddyPrincipal

The

Warrior PostJames Martin High School 4501 W. Pleasant Ridge Dr.

Arlington, TX 76016

1. Matching clothingAlthough cute on twins, it’s not meant for couples.

2. Kissing while walkingIt’s not very fun to walk to class with a moving makeout show in front of you.

3. Staring into each others eyes without talkingAwkward much? You may have the most gorgeous boyfriend/girlfriend in the world, but you can still exchange words while admiring their looks.

4. Being affectionate and an obstacleIt may be hard to find a “private” spot in school to exchange hugs and kisses, but the doorway to a class isn’t the best possible choice.

5. Seemingly painful holdingsWith both parties of the couple holding around the shoulders, you would think that it hurts or gets tiring for their arms. Obviously not.

6. Stopping in the middleWhile others are rushing to get to class, you seem to be in no hurry. Stopping in the middle of the hallway isn’t just frus-trating, it’s ridiculous.

7. Relationship drama No one wants to hear, “I hate you!” or “We’re done!” You pretty much embar-rass yourself when you stomp off crying your eyes out. Look around and realize, you’re in school, not in a private place to discuss a private matter.

The whole thing appears so flawless in your eyes. You witness the windows that stretch from top to bottom. They compliment and frame the four double doors stretching across the front placed evenly apart to create an irresistible entrance leading to a place that seems so perfect. The last thing to catch your eye before you walk through those doors are five words that have been hanging on this building for decades: James W. Martin High School. Yet, when you look inside the walls, you are exposed to the things that a majority of its population prefers not to acknowledge. The problems that are causing cracks to form. It lies beneath the surface of this school. After sweeping away its appearance you’ll find the reality of Martin, which is that it’s an imperfect school consumed with the idea of appearing perfect. Eight hours a day, 40 hours a week and 160 hours a month is about the time spent behind these walls. We go to class to have work shoved down our throats, whether

we are ready or not. Is this called getting an education or just the AISD expectation? Throughout my three years in this high school, I have only had a couple of teachers teach me something worth remembering – not something to help me pass a quiz or TAKS, but something to help me pass the real test: life. Yet in this system I see the teachers who really reach students get unnoticed. And I’ve seen the teachers who talk down to the students get recognized as great educators. Year after year they fail to educate the thousands of kids who have sat in front of them in dire need of something more than just the curriculum. Just as unsuccessful is Martin’s attempt to find the teachers who just get by. Randomly, the principal or assistant principals stop by classrooms to view teachers and to see if they are doing what is needed, which I find completely illogical. Expecting a bad teacher to keep teaching badly when they know their boss is watching is like expecting a thief to keep stealing when they know a cop is watching. The students are the ones who witness the teachers who do nothing. We watch them hop out of their desks to put on a show for the people who hold their job in the palm of their hands. Wouldn’t we be the ones to know what is best to help us learn? There is more to Martin students than just class and homework. Since 1982, the students at Martin have managed to build some type of pyramid separating multiple levels of students from others, leaving some people at the bottom without a voice, going through the school day being lost in the shadows of Martin High School. When’s the last time you took your time to show interest in someone else? Put aside your problems and show a slight interest in someone elses’. Look deeper.

Martin couples are spotlighted into the top most awkward moments

“No PDA!” or public displays of af-fection, is something we have all heard since the beginning of time, so why do we walk through school and still see it? Whether you are walking in the crowded hallways to class or just roam-ing the halls, you always seem to see that awkward couple. If you and your boyfriend or girlfriend holding each other around the shoulders, kissing when walking, or wearing matching jackets, you are that couple. There are limits, and some things just seem to go overboard.

That’sawkward

Katy Fitzgerald • Staffer

Kendra Brown • Sports Editor

All eyes are on you. You can hear your name among the chattering. You know everyone is talking about

the nasty tweets about you. You can’t even confront the person who said these things. Twitter is the new craze. Students indulge every detail of their life from what they ate for breakfast to how much they hate their math class, t h r o u g h “t w e e t s .” With this constant updating, the issue of cyber-bullying is inevitable. Cyber-bullying has been a problem since the invention of the Internet. Everyone is braver with the anonymnity of the Internet on their side. Even laws have been passed to control this technologi-cal assault. Cyber-bullying on Twitter is growing rapidly. Students often feel safe to tweet harsh comments they would never say in person. This trend has become exceedingly popular at Martin through anonymous and personal accounts. Accounts that “represent” Martin often post offensive tweets that exaggerate the faults of the school and its students. These accounts directly call out other students in an effort to embarrass and humiliate them. The accounts that use Martin’s name represent all 3,500 of us. What these ac-counts tweet tarnishes the reputation of

Martin. The school’s reputation is your reputation until you graduate and beyond. It is every Warrior’s job to be a positive representation of Martin.

What is the point? To make Martin

look bad, to make yourself feel better or to call out people who get on your nerves? Students don’t understand the impact of their actions. According to the I-SAFE Foundation, over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online. On the other hand, about the same number of adolescents and teens have engaged in cyber bullying. This whopping statistic is a sign that a change is necessary. This problem isn’t going to disappear on its own. If we want to fix this problem, we must ignore the attention-seeking accounts. The fact that the accounts targeting students get retweeted and fol-lowed so much encourage the bad behav-ior. Cyber-bullying is an epidemic that won’t stop spreading unless we do something about it. Stop following and stop encour-aging these accounts that target our school and fellow Warriors.

A little birdy told me...Don’t follow anonymous accounts

staff editorial

Lookbeneaththe surfaceEducating students about Martin

Dang, I sure do like this.

Be SURE the iPad and facebook and twitter images are saved cor-rectly and in the correct folder.

Wrong body font. Should be ADO-BE Garamond pro.

I take it y’all are still messing with spacing, etc. Can we get the sides of the iPad in? You can create your own columns. You don’t need to feel bound by the InDesign col-umns.

Im not sure how Kendra wanted to do the columns and Ariel cut her story down a little bit.

Teens behind the screen aren’t always what they seemdeception

Facebook has been completely dominated by Twitter. Many say, “No one is on Facebook

anymore. I need to get a Twitter.” It’s understood that some go on these social networks to vent their feelings, bad or good. It’s not a di-ary. All of your friends and in some cases, the entire world can see it. One good thing about Facebook is that you are able to rekindle rela-tionships. It’s a big world and trying to find old friends manually takes time and money. These networks were made for people to connect and be social, but the way this generation is treating it, the advances are being abused. If you wouldn’t say it to their face,

don’t say it through a computer screen. Cyberbullying is a big problem with this generation. Using a fake name or even your own to bully an-other is happening way too often. Some use twitter or facebook as a tool to attack and some just to it to their face, but letting the whole world able to see you abuse and cri-tize someone else, isn’t giving you a good impression. Colleges, jobs and other things that you may be planning for your-self look at your social network. Even though you think it is set on private, they have ways and they will see it. If bullying is what you do on these networks, it will not stay hidden.

Twitter is a social network that isn’t always G rated. You come across individuals who hide

their name to judge and downplay others. Some of these are school-related names that attack students who they don’t like or respect. Many want to know who the people behind the name are, but if they haven’t stepped up yet, will they ever? When you follow a person on Twit-ter, it means you are interested in what they are doing and what they have to say. There are so many interesting peo-ple you can follow and they won’t at-tack. For example, Kim Kardashian, Justin Beiber or Beyonce. Some get behind technology and

embody traits that in reality, they don’t have. It completely chang-es who they are and who others think they are. You say whatever you want and you don’t care, but when you get in public, here comes the conser-vative one. You are a completely different person, quiet and shy. What hap-pened? You obviously think that people like you better as the rude, obnoxious person on Twitter so why change to someone else? Twitter isn’t all bad. Good things can come of it also. Many teachers, programs and activities information are located and are most likely to be viewed on social networks.

Misunderstandings are made 10 times worse when you can’t actually see the person you’re

talking to. Texting has evolved many times over the past years. For example, now we can actually see if the other person has read our text or is simply ignoring us. Or at least we assume they’re ignoring us. We can also see if they are typing back a response or not with Apple’s new release of iMessage. This is very different from the first phones to offer text messaging when each number key had three to four letters on it. These days, we become a little ob-sessed with texting and getting texts back. If someone doesn’t respond within the minute some of us get annoyed or anxious and will double text. Misunderstandings and problems arise when we misread something someone said, which is a very easy thing to do. You almost have to read it in their voice to fully understand their meaning. If someone gets a response that only consists of one word, they’re likely to think that the other person

is annoyed with them. The infamous “K” response is hated by all who recieve it. If you’re going to text back with one word, or one letter, why even text back at all? Before getting upset and blowing up about a “sarcastic” text, looking at a text from a different point of view could diffuse the situation. Another way people misuse texting is through sending or asking for in-appropriate texts, which is illegal if you’re under 18. You may think it’s a good idea to send your boyfriend a “picture” of yourself because you trust him. Don’t. He will show all of his bud-dies and your reputation and the love of your life will be gone. The way people want to be per-ceived through text messaging can be easily skewed. If you act one way in person, but are completely different over text, it gets a little confusing to the person trying to decipher which personality you choose the be. I’m sure everyone would appre-ciate it if we would all be the same person through whichever medium we decided to use to communicate with others.

Women with impossible body shapes in magazines, teens drinking and chart-topping

promiscuous music are all adored by high school students. All the mainstream TV shows we all love are obviously unrealistic. Why do we make celebrities of these people? Seeing someone excessively drinking is interesting to us and we get the impression that it’s fun to be drunk. When you’re drunk it dis-ables your best judgment and you do things you wouldn’t normally do. Just slap on gallons of make up on my face and I’ll look like some celeb-rities. Then I’ll be paid millions be-cause in some situations, indecency is what signs the paycheck when a celebrity has no values, morals, talent or intellect. And yet we savor them. We see violence on our TVs, we see it in our hallways. And we love it. But why? Everything immoral is glamorized. People who aren’t total party animals are considered inferior. So who’s to blame? The people who create the media or the people who feast off it? Maybe it’s us when we let what we see on TV affect our behav-ior and our self-image. Every issue of Seventeen maga-

zine says, “Look pretty NOW!” and “Get the perfect body.” It’s unhealthy. Yes, I read all that stuff. It’s attention-getting. I see all these pictures of gorgeous women and the way I see myself automatically changes into a new standard on how I need to look to be accepted. If you take yourself seriously, you should know that resorting to getting in trouble isn’t going to buy you any respect. The only attention you’re going to get is negative. Personally, I dislike when I hear people talking in class about their unfortunate weekends and flaunting it around like it’s some-thing to be envied. Demonstrate your state of mind in the way you act. Don’t set your priorities on material things. You don’t have to dress this way or look that way to feel good in your own skin. No one should tell you what you believe in. Individualize yourself, and don’t let the things we see on television, movies and music in-fluence your personality.

Larissa Gonzales • Staffer

Kendra Brown • Sports Editor

Ariel Hernandez • Staffer

Perception opinions15

Slam dunkA quick look at basketball’s MVPs

Story by Chandler Harrell • StafferPhotos by Jayme Philp • Phoenix Yearbook

Nickname: A-Dizzle

Grade: Senior

Height: 5’8”

Position: Guard

Claim to fame: Scoring 3-points

Coach says: “He’s our on-the-floor leader

and helps us run things down the court.”

•coach Jeff Plemons

He says: “I’d be the honey badger. I have

lots of hussle.”

Austin Durham

Nickname: Jumpstop Grade: Senior Height: 6’2” Position: Guard/Forward Claim to fame: Leads by example Coach says: “He’s the enforcer. He’s strong and physical.”• coach Jeff Plemons He says: “I’m highly mo-tivated for myself and for others. I love the team.”

R.J. Salter

Nickname: Lil’

Cam Grade: Senior

Height: 5’6”

Position: Guard

Claim to fame:

Scoring 3-points

Coach says:

“Cameron plays with

a lot of heart and

energy.”•coach Jeff Plemons

He says: “I don’t

really have an ego. I

Cameron Ashton

just go out and play.”

16sp

orts Swimming dominates at district

Jamie Gisburne • Staffer

With the persistence to win, the Mar-tin swim team is crushing their compe-tition in their route to state c h a m p i o n -ships. At the dis-trict meet Jan. 28, the girls won their fifth consecutive district championship, scoring 141 points. Sophomore Anni Eger was the District Champ in the 500-yard Freestyle. The boys won their fourth consecutive Championship scoring 172 points.District Champions were junior Tyler Zacharias in the 200 yard Individual Med-ley, as well as three relay teams. With senior Kyle DeBruler as captain and junior Neil Manning as one of the team’s strongest swimmers, swimmers said they believe this is their year. “Making captain, and being involved with the team has been one of my greatest achievements,” DeBruler said. The swimming team practices everyday at TCC from 6 to 8 in the morning. Out-side of school practices many of the swim-mers also participate in clubs to help im-prove their swimming. “I practice four hours a day, every day,” Manning said. “I have good time manage-

ment and balance swimming and classes.” The team swims long hours – and long distances. “We have two-hour workouts and swim 7000 yards, or four miles every day,” coach Jon Ivonen said. “We put as much mileage as we can on swimmers to prepare them.” Manning, along with the other swim-mers, have made many goals to try to reach at district as well as in their practices. “I want to go to state, and break the Mar-tin swimming record in the 500 which is 4.292,” Manning said. Manning also completed a 5k open wa-ter national this past summer in Florida. During this competition, hundreds of swimmers compete against others in the ocean around the shoreline of Florida. “I swam 5000 meters in the open ocean,” Manning said. With such a strong team this year the boys and girls hope to make a splash at re-gional competition Feb 12 and 13.

Wet n’ wild

Fighting may be just a form of enter-tainment to some, but for others it’s con-sidered a serious sport. Senior John West has been doing mixed martial arts (MMA) on and off for two years on the ProPain Combat and Ground King fight team. MMA in-cludes jujitsu, kick boxing, muay thai, judo, cross fighting and other basic styles of fighting. “The only reason I started fighting was because I hated fighting,” West said. “It makes more sense to fight on a mixed martial arts team where I’m allowed to physically express myself than it does to go around getting in trouble for it.” Although West said his parents do not fully support him, he continues to fight. His friends also call him crazy for all the bodily harm and long hours of training he puts himself through. “My parents don’t like when I fight,” West said. “They don’t like me putting my body through so much, but they

Senior shares his experience in mixed martial artsknow I can make my own de-cisions. I train every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for four hours each day.” During these four hours, West trains by sparring and do-ing shin and full body condi-tioning at the Arlington Mixed Martial Arts gym. Sometimes he even has to spar close friends, but there are never any hard feelings taken outside of the octagon. “You’re basically a human punching bag,” West said. “But I like being pushed to my lim-it. It makes me stronger.” West’s coach motivates him at every training session. He at-

tends all of West’s fights and the two even have a good personal relationship away from fighting. “Fighting my coach was the most in-tense fight I’ve ever been in,” West said. “He didn’t go easy on me at all. I lost after just one four-minute round. I thought I was gonna be crippled after.” West’s coach is not the only thing that motivates him. A past issue involving bul-lying also drives him. “I used to get pushed around and bullied when I was younger,” West said. “When-ever I fight, I channel all of that anger into each and every punch and kick I throw.” When it comes to this tough sport, pa-tience is key. “Guys come into the gym all the time and think that because they’ve got muscles and have seen a few UFC fights that they will be good at MMA,” West said. “It’s not like that. People try to rush but you’ve gotta take your time and master every step if you want to be the best fighter you can be.”

Samone Franklin • Staffer

Boys swim team captain senior Kyle DeBruler practices daily at TCC. The boys team placed first at the district meet Jan. 28 for the fourth year in a row and the girls won their fifth consecutive district title. Photo by Emma Cuppett

Senior John West undergoes therapy to strengthen his shins. He fights for the ProPain Combat and Ground Knight teams. Photo courtesy of John West

Caged

Imagine your skull being pressed so hard against the ground, the entire left side of your face is numb. Imagine someone’s entire body pressing down upon your chest so it feels as if your lungs are being squeezed from the inside. For Warrior wrestlers, this is simply a daily routine. “The conditioning is what really prepares us to take on new teams and better our-selves,” freshman Mason Palmer said. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, wrestlers begin the day at 6 a.m. while most stu-dents dread waking up for school. Wres-tlers arrive at the gyms for technique train-ing and then manage to make it through the rest of the day. On top of morning practice, wrestlers also attend practice from fourth period to 4:30 or 5 p.m. with study hall time given in between. This means nearly every day of the week, over half of a wrestler’s time is dedicated to the sport, excluding tournaments both inside and out of school. “It takes a crazy person to want to do wrestling because of the amount of time we spend on the sport,” senior Caleb Fish-er said. For some members of the team, school can seem like an extra burden with all of the effort that is necessary to succeed. It can be difficult to find the energy to tackle mountains of homework when you arrive at home physically exhausted. “Wrestling can be draining, but if the coaches notice our classes are slipping they

will allow us to have more time for study hall and less if we are doing well,” Palmer said. During wrestling season, everything from tournaments to rigorous practices dictate the amount of free time and the possibility of a social life members can have. There is little time members can devote to being a teenager when their primary focus is either cutting weight or getting sleep the night before for a tournament or morning practice. From the beginning of the school year to the end of the season, wrestlers’ lives re-volve around the sport. “For the meet at L.D. Bell, I had to cut 11 pounds,” junior Tarell Tautum said. “It’s something I’ve gotten used to, but don’t always enjoy.” The tournaments can be nerve wrack-ing for some members because all of their effort and training is geared towards fac-ing their opponent. Although there are certain techniques used to win a match, most members have different strategies they use either to calm their nerves before competing or to stay focused facing their opponent. “Just knowing that you are better con-ditioned than other schools is the key to staying focused,” Fisher said. “It’s a major confidence boost knowing how hard we work.” The difficulty of staying in a certain weight class can lead some students to

take extreme risks. It takes a large degree of self-discipline on the wrestler’s part to eat healthy and keep their weight down. “For one of my meets that was on a Tues-day, I hadn’t eaten since the Sunday be-fore,” Palmer said. “At the meet my mom brought me Subway.” For Palmer and other members on the team, the harsh rigor required to win meets can seem like an impossible feat considering the time and effort these boys put into the sport, not to mention keeping up with grades. From wheelbarrow runs up and down the football field to body carries (where members give a teammates piggy back rides up into the bleachers), wrestling is not the sport for the faint of heart. “What motivates me is the fact that I know if I do my best during the exercise, in the next activity my group will have less repetitions to do or I will at least have some time to catch my breath,” junior Joey Figuera said. While wrestling is a physically demand-ing sport, many of the members feel that it increases team bonding and is a rewarding experience. The drills and conditioning wrestlers participate in require team members to push each other. In several of the drills, if one member is slipping behind then the difficulty of the drill may increase with longer time limits or more repetitions. “Some of the drills we do can pull a new person out of you,” Fisher said.

No pain, no gainHard work and dedication make up the Martin wrestler

Laurel Gregory • Staff Artist & Taylor Gillum• Features Editor Warrior Wrestling Stats• • •

•First place at district

•Second place at regionals

•Record score of 7-4 in individual duals

•Five wrestlers qualify for state

•Won two state championships and one

third place prize Jan. 14

•Varsity State duals are coming up Feb. 24 and 25

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••“They have come so

far,” • Wrestling manager

Miranda Sheridan

sports17

St. Barnabas United Medodist ChurchFriday, February 17th - 7:00 pm

Tickets are $5 in advance - $8 at the door

4261 W. Green Oaks Blvd. #518Arlington, TX 76016

817.563.7500And find us on Facebook!

Serving Delicious: Bubble tea • Fried Rice • Smoothies•

Noodles• Sandwiches

Free Wi-Fi

4200 SW Green Oaks Suite #120

Arlington, Texas 76017(972) 948-7079

“Robert Brown is the GREATEST trainer I have ever had. Since the 3rd grade, I have used Robert to gain my strength, power, & endurance on & off the soccer

field.” - Audra Shaw

“Robert Brown has proven to be a dedicated trainer of the ISSA. His thirst for knowledge is only rivaled by his willingness to help others.”

- Patrick Gamboa B.S. MSSEditor-in-Chief of ISSA Pro Trainer Online Magazine

www.rbrownsports.com

19Burger joint jumbleWith new, trendy burger restaurants popping

up around Arlington, which is the best? We ordered a single patty with cheese, let-

tuce, ketchup and if they had a special sauce we got that too. Our winner: Smashburger.

Jacie Lewis & Kimberly Clower • Designer & Staffer

SmashburgerCost: $5.44 for 1/3 lb.The create-your-own burger is best for picky eaters and gives you the option between 1/2 lb and 1/3 lb burger.

Presentation: The smash burger is a more modern, trendy version of a burger and not the greasy basic burger that Five Guys makes. The classic egg bun is toasted and fresh. By far SB wins the “best bunz” award. Their Smash sauce is a mix of mayonnaise, yel-low mustard, pickled relish and lemon juice and adds a tang.

Fries: The Smash fries are definitely something to try. They put a spin on regular fries by tossing them in rosemary, olive oil and garlic. But they are sliced very small.

If you don’t like burgers: SB has salads, sandwiches, hot dogs and veggie burgers.

In-N-OutCost: $2.48 for CheeseburgerHonestly, we didn’t like In-N-Out at all. What was all the hype and hour-long lines for?

Presentation: They have greasy buns, and their patties are desert dry. Their “spread” is made with relish and Thousand Island dressing. Unlike SB and Five Guys, In-N-Out has little to no variety. They have a separate menu that you can look at online called the “Not-So-Secret Menu.”

Fries: In-N-Outs fries are cut straight from real potatoes and made in vegetable oil. They’re sliced very thin and are not so salty. They taste a little like potato sticks and are clumped together. Most people aren’t impressed by In-N-Out’s fries and neither are we.

If you don’t like burgers: Too bad. In-N-Out only has burgers and fries on their standard menu. The only toppings to choose from are lettuce, tomatoes, regular onions and grilled onions. Oh, there’s no mayo either.

Taste-testing the updated classic fast food

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Cost: $4.75 for “Little cheeseburger” (single patty)

Presentation: Simple, Burger wrapped in foil and brown-baggin’ it. Five Guys is very basic from their burgers to their decor, but it works. There are a couple of condiments that are outside the basics that you can add to your burger – like bacon, sauteed mushrooms and jalapeno. The regular size at Five Guys has two patties and the little hamburger has one, which seems backwards, but the single is wimpy in size so you don’t get the taste of the meat. Just judging by eating each burger with the same condiments and veggies is not as satisfying. If you’re going for a perfectly greasy, classic burger Five Guys is the place. While you’re waiting for your burgers and fries to get done, they have boxes of peanuts you can scoop up.

Fries: The fries are huge. The smallest size fry is enough to share with another. If you’re looking for a lot of seasoning, we’d suggest getting the Cajun fry.

If you don’t like burgers: They also have hot dogs, veggie sandwiches and grilled cheese.

entertainment

1827 Southwest Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, 76017

Right by Kroger and Blockbuster

Sushi buffet for every occasion!

20en

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nmen

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1.

4.

Newly single or just can’t find that special someone? Well then you deserve a few laughs on Valentine’s Day. So put aside your teenage angst, kick back, relax and enjoy these funny flicks. Because, trust us ... you’re better than him/her. Rowan Sharp • Opinions Editor & Lauren Aguirre • Entertainment Editor

Oh, the glorious angsty 80’s teen movies. A serious topic meets teen comedy in this classic break-up movie. Lane Meyer (John Cusack) gets dumped by his girlfriend,

Beth, for a guy more popular than him. All we see of the break-up is Lane driving in his parents’ car, looking dejected with Beth’s voice explaining the reasons for the break-up. Lane then decides he can’t live without her and attempts to end his life.

(Note the word “attempts.”) This seems like it would be a down and dark drama, but instead it is this hilarious depiction of a melodramatic teenager. Lane tries to get back his girl, tries and fails to end his life and tries to avoid the dreaded Newspaper Boys Gang. This movie is guaranteed to brighten your day, from any depressing break-ups.

For the break-up they are in a diner and just got their meal of pancakes when Sum-mer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) bluntly ends the relationship with Tom Hansen (Joseph

Gordon-Levitt) and goes to eating her pancake meal. It’s one of the first scenes, then it goes into how they met and started their relationship. Humor and drama are mixed in this movie. It isn’t like the typical break-up movie, and it points that fact out

in the first five minutes. End your break-up movie night with this film.

Yeah, it’s a no-brainier. A movie called “The Break-Up” definitely contains a parting of ways. But, sincerely, this is one of the funniest and greatest romantic comedies that is definitely being missed. Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) break it off and neither wants to leave their lavish condo. Let the war begin. The break-up scene captures the essence of a silly fight between significant others. From washing the dishes to “a private bag of lemons,” it’s filled with hilarious misunderstandings

and outrageous misgivings. The rest of the movie is full of ironic situations and heavy sarcasm. You’ll get more than a few chuckles and plenty of good laughs. Vaughn makes you cry, but crying out of laughter is much better than sobbing over a broken heart.

The heartbr kenIf you’re alone on Valentine’s Day, keep company with these funny break ups

-Better Off Dead [The Voice Over Break Up]

“Listen, Lane, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think it’s in my best interest to go out with a guy that’s more popular, better looking and drives a nicer car.”

-The Break-Up [The Lemon Break Up]

“I wish everyone at the table had their own little private bag of lemons!”

-Forgetting Sarah Marshall [The Naked Break Up]

“Would you like to pick the outfit you break up with me in?”

Any breakup is painful. From the pleas of “I love you” to firm reassurances, it’s emo-tional turmoil. Now, add to that mess the awkwardness of a birthday suit. Yep, that’s right. In this break up scene, Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) takes the news on his couch, completely naked. And he refuses to get dressed during the conversation, despite his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend’s (Kristen Bell) suggestions. If this scene isn’t hilarious, then

the rest of the movie isn’t full rib-cracking, suffocating jokes. Be warned: this movie is rated “R,” but it’s a comedy that will definitely help you through any break up.

-(500) Days of Summer [The Pancake Break Up]

“I love these pancakes... What? Tom, don’t go! You’re still my best friend!”

tAfter being apart and finally reunited Noah (Ryan Gosling) gives us a grand finale kiss with Allie (Ra-chel McAdams). This movie gets a standing ovation. (The Notebook)

Kissing scenes to rememberWith Valentine’s Day coming up, every girl wants her true love’s kiss, just like in the movies. Here are the most memorable kissing scenes that make your heart pound. By Maddy Cope • Staffer

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) hides his love as well as his face

behind the mask of the town su-perhero Spiderman. After he saves his love Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst),

he finally lands the kiss, upside down? (Spiderman) t

t “Lady and the Tramp” brings us the number-one way to landing a kiss with a girl: the spaghetti trick. (Lady and the Tramp)

t Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) is shocked when her secret lover Austin Ames (Chad Micheal Mur-ray) makes the decision to be with her. He runs up through the bleach-ers during his final football game to steal her kiss. (A Cinderella Story)

tWe finally get closure with the final movie Breaking Dawn, as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) finally say, “I do.” We are all struck by the wed-ding kiss. (Breaking Dawn)

Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) falls for the beautiful high-class Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). As

he makes a show of passion, this kiss is the beginning of a heartbreaking

adventure. (Titanic) t t

t