Matters of the heart
February 13, 2020
It can hit anytime. It can hit in the first minute of practice. It can hit at the first play of the game. It can hit going into the locker room. It can hit away from the school, away from the field or court when there’s nobody there to respond. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is an electrical malfunct...
Her heart still beats
Story by Addison Cross, editor in chief
February 12, 2020
He is everywhere. He is embroidered on the quilt draped across the sofa, memorialized in the gallery of photos hung on the wall and, most strikingly, the subject of the massive portrait on the wall. A painting of him in his cap and gown. A senior who never lived to wear his. DeQuavion “Dee” Lewis died at age 17 ...
Slow and steady wins the race
Story by Addison Cross and Raelyn Albert
February 11, 2020
Stepping into the ring, discus thrower Alyssa Higgins practiced the art of a powerful, high speed throw, but one place she did not anticipate high speeds was her heart rate. A high speed heart beat can be normal for an athlete like Higgins, but when she quit track her junior year and her heart continu...
Her baby boy
Story by Addison Cross and Molly Kyles
February 11, 2020
Leonard Parks had big feet. In fact, his mother claims that he went up one shoe size every year. When he was 9, he wore a size nine, at 10 he wore a size 10, and so on. At 17 years old, he wore size 16 and a half shoes, on his way to a size 17. When his mother finally found a pair of Air Jordans bi...
The answer changed everything
Story by Misty Lopez, in-depth editor
March 5, 2019
She was only a child, yet she knew what the empty bottles would cause. She knew what was happening was wrong, but she had no way of making them stop. It was their job to nurture her, but that did not seem to be their main priority. Her best option was to make sure that no one could tell something was...
Adverse childhood experiences
Story by Lindsey Egger, editor in chief
March 5, 2019
Adverse Childhood Experiences are traumatic or stressful events that occur before the age of 18. ACEs include abuse, neglect or household dysfunction. An ACE could be identified as a multitude of events, such as divorce, domestic violence, emotional neglect or sexual abuse. ACEs trigger toxic stress, which act...
It starts at home
Story by Misty Lopez, in-depth editor
March 5, 2019
The earliest stages of development occur during one’s childhood, so any experiences during that time can have a substantial impact on lifelong physical and mental health, especially if they are negative. Harmful effects on the foundation of brain structure can occur, which can result in unhealthy ...
The cards you’re dealt
March 5, 2019
Childhood traumas, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences, have been tied to heart disease, diabetes, alcoholism, cancer and other medical conditions. These are the cards we're often dealt, but how we choose to play our hand is entirely up to us.
A major question
Story by Joseph Rodgers, editor in chief
February 20, 2019
There it is. The dreaded blank. You click on the dropdown menu and select from hundreds of options. You gaze at the screen and log off due to your uncertainty. This is the fear for so many graduating seniors looking to further their education in college and decide on a major. They question if the...
Talk of the town
Story by Joseph Rodgers and Molly Kyles
January 30, 2019
Charming thrift shops backended by rundown alleys. Historic storefronts coated with peeling paint. Colorful artwork colliding with graffiti. Downtown Texarkana is a hotbed of contradictions and community perceptions of the historic area vary widely. Many observe downtown as an area beyond repair while ...
Trailing behind
Story by Cate Rounds and Joseph Rodgers
January 14, 2019
Texas Governor Greg Abbott touts that the State of Texas has the 10th largest economy in the world due to having unparalleled job creation and strong growth of metropolitan areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin-San Antonio and the Houston area. Even smaller cities such as New Braunfels, Bryan-Colleg...
