He stood at the front of his grade level, trying to get his peers to stand up and participate in the many school chants. He dressed up every spirit day. He yelled his heart out at every football game.

Houston Hart was “The Kid Who Gave Texarkana Life.” He put life in a seemingly lifeless town just by being himself and getting involved in each school event. It would take fifty kids to do what he did with ease.

“I remember him screaming all the chants as loud as he could to show his spirit at one of the  games last year,” Sophomore Sydney Smith said. “I think that Houston really brought life to Texas High and everywhere he went.”

In order to help Houston’s memory live on, students needs to get involved in pep rallies, student sections at games and different service projects. No one will ever be “too cool” to get involved.

One thing I had to learn in order to get over myself is that, I won’t look stupid for wearing an orange tutu to school for orange out day. I won’t be laughed at for painting my face on camo day, or even for wearing a onesie and carrying around a pacifier and a bottle all day for Halloween.

Spirit days, football games and community service help Texas High students come together no matter what grade you’re in or who you associate with. If you have ever been to a Texas vs. Arkansas game then you know how much participating brings students together. The whole city of Texarkana, from Pleasant Grove and Liberty Eylau to Fouke and Genoa, comes together to represent their side.

“When we were at the Texas vs. Arkansas game, he got a big group of us together,” Junior Elaina Robertson said. “Then he started screaming the ‘I hate a hog a hog hates me’ chant and he got everybody hyped up, throwing streamers back and forth and shaking the rattle bottles. We just started laughing afterwards and he started singing ‘I’m so glad I go to THS.’”

I may not have been his best friend, but I, like everyone else at Texas High, have at least one memory of him. He sat behind me in math and I remember every time I would turn around and look at him, he would either be asleep or rolling his eyes at me because of the next assignment we had to do. I remember him making fun of me for trying to dance in the car ride line. His sense of humor and his supreme hugs will be missed forever by everyone who had the blessing of knowing him. Without him I probably wouldn’t have gotten into Student Council and I still would’ve thought dressing up was dumb. He helped me, as I’m sure he helped many others, get involved and because of him, I will bleed Tiger orange forever.