1. Art and Diseño

Being the 4th largest agricultural lender in Texas is a good thing for all the communities we serve. It means
we’v
we’ve got money to loan and the experience to help you make it work. But we’re not too big: we’ll still
look y
you in the eye and call you by name, because we’re from this part of Texas, after all.
106 Main | 546-2541
www.FirstUnited.net
Member FDIC
BOXHOLDER
PO BOX
SEAGRAVES, TX 79359
The Talon
FREE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEAGRAVES, TX
PERMIT No. 577
ZIP CODE 79359
Serving Our Community, Parents, Students and Staff
Working together...Lifting up…Creating hope…one Student at a time.
email: [email protected]
Vol. 5
January 30, 2015
WHAT’S UP DOC?
See SPILLER on page 6
No Pain
No Gain
By Vivianna Barrera
The Powerlifting season has officially begun! All the hard work and
dedication put into the sport paid off at the first meet in Plainview, Tx
on the 17th of January. The students involved are Seniors Ethan Chavez, Vivianna Barrera, and Issac Harpe; Juniors
Vicky Minjarez, Israel Rosalez, Matthew Negrete, Kayla Flores and Dillon Hibbits; Sophomores Raymond Aranda,
and Bryanna Minjarez; freshmen’s Abeni Garcia, and Jerry Semintal.
Senior Vivianna Barrera placed 2nd in the 220.5lb weight class with a total of 675lbs. Barrera squats 295lbs, bench
presses 115lbs, and deadlifts 265lbs. Barrera’s goals for this season is to, “be able to make it to the state meet and being able to squat 350lbs.”
Senior Isaac Harper is in the 148.5lb weight class with a total of 660lbs. Harper squats 235, bench presses 135lbs,
and deadlifts 290lbs.
This will be Isaac’s first and last high school powerlifting season. “The experience is all new to me but I have to
say I really did like it,” said Harper.
See POWERLIFTERS on page 5
All Region
Band
By Gabriela Valles
On Thursday, January 15, 2015, the Seagraves High
School band students went to Abernathy, Texas, along
with many other schools, and they tried out to be a part of
the All Region band.
A total of 38 students from Seagraves went to tryouts
this year. Due to the Stockshow that day about seven students recorded their tryout for the judges rather than actually
attending.
“We have been working on this music for a little while now, mostly in class. I think as a whole everyone will do
fine,” said Head Band Director Michael Powers.
The results of who makes the Region Bands usually takes within about an hour of each section finishing their audition. It all depends on how many students who are trying out in each section.
When the results of each section were posted, there were four students who made the Regions Bands. Michael Lara
made 2nd chair Tuba in the Symphonic Band. Jonah Garcia made 2nd chair Baritone, Matthew Negrete made 6th
chair Clarinet, and Santana Trevino made 8th chair Baritone in the Concert Band.
See ALL REGION on page 6
Haiti Earthquake 5 Year Anniversary
By Taylor Spiller
On January 3-10, I was blessed enough to be able to travel to Haiti on a mission trip
with my dad. It was an experience that I will never forget. I saw some things that were
hard to see, and others that were amazing.
On January 12, 2010 the country of Haiti experienced a tragedy that they are still recovering from today. At around 5:00 pm Tuesday morning, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake began. It produced around 300,000 fatalities.
Most of these fatalities were the product of buildings crumbling on top of the people. In
Haiti, the government has set in place certain criteria that the buildings have to meet,
but no one checks to make sure that the builders are meeting them. For example, when
building the houses, they are supposed to have four cinder block corners and rebar supports throughout, and the rebar that is needed is expensive. Many Haitians don’t have
enough money to buy them and because no one checks the houses anyway, they just
went without. Because of this, when the earthquake hit, the buildings had nothing holding them up. This, coupled with the fact that many roofs were made out of concrete, is
a major reason for most of the fatalities.
After the earthquake, people had nowhere to go. Their houses had been destroyed, and there was rubble covering
the street. One documentary said that the local golf course and country club was one of the only places that wasn’t
covered with rubble. The owner of the golf course opened his doors to those people who had nowhere to go.
One organization that gave the citizens of Haiti a temporary home was Samaritans Purse. They are an organization
See HAITI on page 4
CMYK
I was recently blessed with
the opportunity to travel to
Haiti with my remarkable
16 year old daughter Taylor. From an early age, Taylor knew her calling was
to be a missionary. After
sponsoring a young child in
Haiti for the past six years,
she felt God was calling her
to Haiti. As a result, she decided she needed to go visit Haiti and meet her sponDr. Kevin Spiller,
sored child and wanted to
Superintendent SISD
do so earlier than later. I
agreed on the condition that
I would go along this first time and in my own way “look
after her.”
After extensive travel arrangements, vaccinations, and
other tedious preparations, the time came to actually leave
for Haiti. While in the country, we were well taken care
of by the Mission of Hope. The Mission of Hope is a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 that houses an onsite
orphanage, medical facility, school, and church. Through
partnerships, the Mission feeds over 90,000 children in
Haiti on a daily basis.
On our visit, Taylor and I painted two houses in the village of Titanyen. Paint is
like “liquid gold” in Haiti and to have your house
painted gives the residence a sense of pride.
The money to buy the
paint was provided by
our local Rotary Club as
well as our church, Pathway to the Cross.
We also traveled
through the villages and
prayed for families, retrieved water from the
local well, and played
with children in the resident orphanage. Carrying water
back up the hill from the well over a half a mile was the
hardest thing I did that week and the locals do that several
times a day. The most rewarding was playing with the orphan children and seeing the pretty smiles on their faces.
As I reflect on my Haiti experience, I am left with the
following conclusions. We are truly blessed to live in the
greatest country on earth, the United States of America.
To have running water, toilets, electricity, and real homes
with a solid roof and
floor are luxuries for
which I will forever be
thankful and cherish.
To have healthy children who never go to
sleep hungry is a privilege I will no longer
take for granted.
As a career educator, I now see the educational opportunities
that are provided for
ALL of our students
in the United States if
they will simply apply themselves. In Haiti, education is not free
for anyone. Most kids in Haiti want to go to school, but
Issue 7
Opinion
Page 2
January 30, 2015
I’m Just
Sayin’...
The
LowDown
by Marilyn Low
Digital Photography/
Newspaper Editor
by
Nikki Wilson,
Journalism Advisor/
Newspaper Editor
Years ago, someone came to our school and talked to
us about systems and how they work. It was one of those
teacher workshops, and we all went. If you’re a teacher at
SISD, you may remember it. I don’t remember what year
it was, I don’t remember who was there, but one thing I
learned that day has always stuck with me: dysfunctional
systems do not respect boundaries.
To understand what this means, let’s look at each part
of the premise. For these purposes, a system is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a
unified whole. A system can be a family, a school, a town,
a culture – any group of parts working as a whole. Dysfunctional simply means something is not functional, not
performing as it should or could. Respect means to give
special attention or regard to something. And finally, a
boundary is something that shows where one area begins
and another ends. To sum it up, one of the signs that a
group is not working properly is when that group ignores
guides and rules, the literal and metaphorical “fences”
that group encounters.
I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that as Americans, maybe even as humans, we have never been more
guilty of dysfunctional behavior than we are today. In
ways both big and small, we disregard boundaries. Going
on a simple run for groceries, you’re likely to see someone driving down the road while texting their friend, blaring their music or their muffler, or speeding around you
going 85 mph without a seatbelt. Once in the store, you’re
likely to hear people cursing loudly and proudly, pushing
and shoving to get where they need to go, or exposing underwear and/or body parts that one should never have to
see at the grocery store.
Once you get home with your groceries, all should be
well, right? Not so much. We live in a world where the
outside comes in. It’s not unusual to have one or two social media “friends” or followers who regularly push the
boundaries of those “relationships”. Then try to have dinner. Yes, just try to have dinner – together. We push the
boundaries with our schedules so much that it is hard to
even get a family around a table. When and if you do, try
doing it without phone calls from salespeople. Try doing
it without checking Facebook.
These are all small ways we push the boundaries. Our
biggest issues as a country are about moving the boundaries to places where we can avoid running into those
boundaries – think immigration, marriage, abortion.
Each of these issues revolves around an argument about
boundaries. We don’t like them, but consider this. If disregarding boundaries is dysfunctional, what is it when we
not only disregard boundaries, but we disapprove of and
change them? Where does that leave us? And what should
we do? As individuals? As parents? As children? As citizens of this country? If we want to be functional and perform at our highest potential, respecting boundaries is a
good place to start.
Hot Shots
By Evelin Gonzales
Hot Shots is a program where players work on fundamentals and the ability to play basketball. The program
started in 2012, Melissa Humphries, Stacy Williams,
Kensey and Glen Thompson, and Cade Humphries managed in the program.
High School science teacher Melissa Humphries decided to get involved in the program because she used
to be a basketball coach and knows the importence of
fundamentals in developing good basketball players and
teams.
Theirs 29 kids involved in the program. The age ranges
from kindergarten to 5th grade. They practice on Wednesday’s right after school is out until 5:00. They perform at
the varsity district basketball during halftime.
Melissa Humphries said “I really enjoy working with
these kids and watching how much improvement they
make from beginning to end.”
The Talon
Belcher Insurance Agency
321 Main St
Seagraves, Tx 79359
(806) 387 2585
belcherins.com.
BRICK HOUSE FOR SALE 1404 AVENUE H
3/2/1.5 GARAGE, ϐireplace, front kitchen, living
room, dining room, 16x32 swimming pool,
fenced in backyard, 2 lots, rental property in
rear, 20x30 storage building, as is.
less than 5 years new roof and heating/AC.
Quiet neighborhood and neighbors.
REDUCED $100,000 SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY.
Call or text
806-441-5776
FOR SALE
HFSBO: 1404 Avenue C, 2/2/2 CP on 2 lots, living
room, kitchen/dining, large utility, central heat/air,
covered porches, 3 storages, No Owner Financing.
$59,500 Call 806-546-2337
Junior High
Basketball
by Elizabeth Juarez
The junior high girls and boys basketball teams have
had a great season so far. With two games remaining, the
7th grade boys are currently 5-3, 8th grade boys are 6-2,
the 7th grade girls are 10-2, and the 8th grade girls are 121.
“It has been a great season. The girls have worked very
and it has paid off. I am very proud of them for what they
have accomplished so far,” said Coach Holly Frazier.
“The eighth grade girls have been a great team since
the seventh grade. Antaveya, Sirena, Hannah, Dysis, and
Asjai play really well together and they managed to only
lose one game since the seventh grade,” said Eighth Grade
Coach Billy Wilson.
Junior High Athletics helps seventh and eighth graders
prepare for High School Athletics. Learning to compete
early on can be beneficial when they get into high school.
“The athletes are learning a great deal and improving
their skills. That is what junior high athletics is all about.
It is about getting better at a sport you love and competing against others doing the same in our district,” said 8th
Grade Boy’s Coach, Nate Wheeler.
The junior high boys had it a little tough this year with
having someone new coach them. Considering the varsity
football team made it to the State Semis, Junior High Basketball had to begin no matter what.
“The season was quite interesting because of how long
our varsity football team made it into the playoffs. Josh
Goen stepped up and filled in so that Coach Tittle and I
could remain focused on the football field. We are very
grateful for his help this season,” said Wheeler.
The 7th and 8th grade boys won their last game against
Plains, but came up short when they came head to head
with the Sundown Roughnecks.
“Both teams have worked hard to get better, and it is
paying dividends on the court,” said 7th Grade Coach,
Blake Tittle.
Out of all the games played this entire season, one had
to stand out and be the favorite game of the season.
“My favorite game would probably be the Tahoka game
because we didn’t start out well, but we overcame it and
won!” said 7th grader, J. Kinnaird.
Coming to the end of the season, Frazier said, “I think
the season has gone just as expected. The girls do everything we expect of them and have been very coachable.”
“Next year, I’m looking forward to being better than I
am now and to go undefeated!” said 8th grade point guard,
Branden Longoria.
District Champs
Are you attached to your electronic device? Can you
live without it for just one day? Those are the questions I
posed to my classes this week. How dependent we have
become with the invention of the cell phone. No longer do
we communicate with each other face to face. We communicate by electronic devices like our cellular phone and
IPad using Facebook, SnapChat, Skype and various other
social media. It does make our lives so much more easier
to work and play but it takes away too from our personal
face to face chats. We don’t know anyone anymore how
to approach, talk or enjoy even conversation face to face.
Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great we can FaceTime to
see our loved ones overseas or long distances. I see kids
every day that are so attached to the cell phones that they
are oblivious to the outside world, have trouble spelling
words that should be easy, and paying attention for more
than a minute.
A challenge I have placed on my kids and myself is to
go without your phone just for a few hours, then a day.
See how much attention we pay to it and break the cycle
of dependency. I’m probably the worse offender because I
have no house phone or land line. I use my phone for not
just talking but for social media, e-mail, and entertainment for work and personal use.
The generation that is coming is not really even technologically inclined except in social media. The art of
writing is becoming a thing of the past. Pictures printed
out are right behind them. We save pictures to our social
media programs. We rarely print them out and put in picture albums any more. I personally loved my picture albums that my grandmother made for us.
We all look to the future and to be better than it was
in the past, but everything we do now is not always better just more convenient. Newspapers online is where
most of the big newspapers are going, not evening printing much anymore. The older generations love the newspapers and keep clippings of the information that love to
remember.
If we would only learn to communicate with each other
face to face, control our anger and rages, our drive to let
everyone know what we think and do throughout the day.
I think our socialism skills to reach out to our fellow man
with consideration of feelings and emotions would turn
our worlds around. Feelings and emotions electronically
doesn’t quite cut it. Anybody can a rock star or beautiful
behind a text message but it takes a strong person to be a
rock star or beautiful face to face.
Cooking YouTube Robots?
By Michael Lara
It is now officially 2015 and technology is ever so evolving
at a quick and rapid rate that will pass you by in the blink of an
eye if you’re not watching close enough. It now seems that The
University of Maryland has given a robot the ability to cook.
Whilst this may not seem amazing in any sense, it is amazing
how it learns.
Imagine this, a personal chef at your command 24/7. Ready
to cook everything from omelets in the morning, to steamed
lobster at night. But what if it wasn’t a figment of your imagination but rather an item of the future? Let’s say that the robot didn’t have any idea of a complex dish you wanted, but by
watching YouTube videos the robot could learn how to prepare
and cook it within less than an hour. By listening and reading
text for all the given ingredients within the video and storing it within its memory the robot can learn anything cooking
related. From there the robot then analyzes the video, breaking down many cooking movements into categories like “gripping, twisting, or even turning”. Then by studying the “cook”
and watching his or hers hand movements for grip strength,
and position held, it is possible to understand if eggs are being
whisked or lettuce being chopped and at what angle the cook
is holding his or her hand. Even after all this things are also
taken one step further. It’s said that it can also predict what future movements will happen ahead of time. After watching a
total of 88 YouTube videos the robot was then put to test and
cooked a full course meal (with some assistance) for a group
of 4 with ease and perfection.
David Guerrero a Texas Tech student who is studying culinary arts has some say in this. He believes the robot is very
influential and says this “Rightfully humans are very good at
understanding what is needed in the moment and can multitask and do many things at once but there comes a point where
there’s just too much to handle. At times a restaurant can get
very full and could use all the help it could receive. Instead
of wasting our time doing small simple things such as cutting
vegetables, or filling glasses with drinks we could have a robot do that!” He seemed very optimistic about having a “robotic sidekick”. David plans on graduating in 2016 and hopes
to move to Chicago and start a life there.
Whilst this robot could take some time to complete and
perfect, it is an idea of the future nonetheless. Many could
benefit from an artificial cooking servant. Who knows maybe
the idea could one day extend into actually helping people for
the better. Such as fighting natural disasters or stopping a robbery. Only time can tell what the future holds, but right now
it’s looking very bright!
Page 3
January 30, 2015
Chapters
By Toni Polyak,
Gaines County Library - Seagraves Branch
Chapter 1: WARP… The Winter Adult Reading Program (WARP) is underway at
the Seagraves and Seminole Library. Adult library members may compete for the ‘most
pages read’ through the end of February, and the Grand Prize is a Kindle Fire! There
is still time to join, the contest is over Feb 27.
Chapter 2: February Recognitions…American Heart Month, Bake for Family fun
Month, February is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month, “From Africa to Virginia” Month, International Boost Self-Esteem Month, *Library Lovers’ Month, Marfan
Syndrome Awareness Month, National Bird-Feeding Month, National cherry month,
National Mend a Broken Heart Month, National Parent Leadership Month, National Pet Dental Health Month, *National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, National Time Management Month, Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month,
Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month,
Spunky Old Broads Month, Wise Health Care Consumer Month, Worldwide Renaissance of the Heart Month, Youth Leadership Month. Take the time to look some of
these up! They could pertain to you or someone you know!
Chapter 3: AR Books… The Gaines County Library website @ wtls.tsl.state.tx.us/
seminole, has an AR resource site which provides readers with the information needed
for book levels and reading points. The Library has a large number of books to check
out for AR. Teachers are more than welcomed to contact the Seagraves Library and
visit with me about this. We are here to help our students and teachers any way possible.
Chapter 4: Punxsutawney Phil Rules!...Feb 2 is Groundhog Day. In Punxsutawney,
PA, the widely observed traditional annual Candlemas Day is celebrated with the ‘ruling’ by “Phil, king of the weather prophets”. This tradition is said to have been established by early German settlers. If Phil sees his shadow, then six more weeks of winter
will ensue. If not, Spring is just around the corner! And just where did this tradition
come from? The ancient Roman tradition of Hedgehog Day was celebrated by Romans.
They observed whether a hedgehog emerging from hibernation could see its shadow in
the moonlight – if it could, then six more weeks of winter was expected.
Chapter 5: Snow Moon, Feb 3…So called by Native American tribes of New England
and the Great Lakes because this time of year sees heavy snowfall. It is also called the
Hunger Moon, because of the meager hunting at this time of winter. It is the February
Full Moon.
Chapter 6: Charles Dickens Birth Anniversary…Charles Dickens, novelist, publisher
and social critic, was born Feb 7, 1812, at Portsmouth, England. Among his most successful books are Oliver Twist, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, A Tale
of Two Cities, David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol. Dickens died at Gad’s Hill,
England, June 9, 1870, and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
Chapter 7: Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread Sociable…This Feb 7 marks the 49th
annual event in Pomona, CA, commemorating the birthday, (Feb 7, 1867) of the renowned author of the Little House books. Entertainment includes children’s crafts, music and refreshments.
Chapter 8: Take Your Child to the Library Day…On Feb 7, parents are encouraged
to visit the public library with their children. See all a library has to offer in the form
of entertainment and education. It’s worthwhile and it’s free!
Chapter 9: Boy Scouts of American Anniversary…The Boy Scouts of America was
founded Feb 8, 1910 at Washington, DC, by William Boyce. Boyce based his ideas on
the work of Sir Robert Baden-Powell with the British Boy Scout Association.
Chapter 10: Jell-O Week, Feb 8-14… Try a different flavor every day!
Chapter 11: Random Acts of Kindness Week, Feb 9-15…This week, annually the
second full week of February, raises awareness about kindness and invites people to
give and receive kindness daily. An individual may celebrate kindness by performing
anonymous kind acts all week long. An educator may lead a discussion about kindness
and involve students in a brief kindness activity. Some celebrations are school wide. For
hundreds of ideas, consult the website: www.randomactsofkindness.org
Chapter 12: Be Electrific Day!...Feb 11 is a day to honor the birth of Thomas Alva
Edison (Feb 11, 1847) and recognize his electrical inventions, including the lightbulb. It
is also the day to discover the electricity in our bodies; when all the electricity is flowing properly in your body and you feel terrific, you are electrific!
Chapter 13: “You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will
be too late.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Talon
OBITUARIES
Alonzo “Al” Belknap
Funeral services for Alonzo “Al” Belknap, age 88 of Lubbock,
Texas and formerly of Seagraves, will be held Saturday January
17, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Seagraves, Texas at 10:00 a.m.
with Pastor Bennie Wright officiating. Burial will follow at Gaines
County Cemetery Seagraves. All services are under the direction
of Boyer Funeral Home of Seminole.
Mr. Belknap was born April 2, 1926 in Seymour, Texas to Fannie
(Gregory) and A. M. Belknap. He married his first wife Doris Elliston in March of 1949; she preceded him death in 1999. He then married his second wife
Robbie Curry. He worked for Southwestern Public Service as a lineman for thirty-eight
years and had been a member of First Baptist Church in Seagraves since 1951 where he
served as a deacon. Mr. Belknap served in the United States Army in World War II; he
was a dedicated family man whom always provided for them and was always involved
in his children’s and grandchildren’s lives.
Al Belknap passed away Tuesday January 13, 2015 at his home in Lubbock, Texas.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Doris, in 1999; two brothers; and
one sister. He is survived by:1 Son, Dennis Belknap and wife Dolly of Lubbock, Texas;
1 Daughter, Donna Ward and husband Max of Seminole, Texas; 1 Sister, Maudie Albert
and husband William of Ft. Worth, Texas, 4 Grandchildren, 12 Great Grandchildren
Leon Edward Morgan
Leon Edward Morgan age 48, of Seagraves passed away on
Tuesday, January 6, 2015 in Lubbock.
A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 10, 2015 at
the First Baptist Church of Wellman at 11:00A.M.with Pastor Eddie McHugh officiating. Personal services have been entrusted to
Mark A Jones Funeral Directors of Seagraves.
Leon was born on December 6, 1966 to Franklin and Dorothy
Crawford in Denver City, TX. He met Cynthia Hoffman and they
moved back to Seagraves and married in Hobbs, NM on November
19, 2004.
His family remembers his ambition to try and do new things - no matter what is was.
He loved Sci-fi and wood-working. Leon loved and cared about his family.
Those left to cherish his memories are his wife: Cynthia of the home; 3 sons: Robert Carden of Pickton, TX, Leon Morgan, Jr and Timothy Morgan both of Seagraves; 3
daughters: Elizabeth Green of Las Vegas, NV, Brittany Carden of Pickton, and Cindy
Morgan of Seagraves; his father: Franklin Crawford of Alvarado; Paternal Grandmother: Susan Dunn of Budda;1 brother: William Treadaway and wife Connie of Winnsboro; 1 sister: Aleisha Harris of Camden, AR.; 1 uncle: Tommy Morgan of Seagraves.
He is also blessed with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his mother; both maternal grandparents: Leon and Geneva Idell Morgan; 1 daughter: Mercedes Morgan in 1997.
Dorothy Virginia (Jackson) Singleton
Dorothy Virginia (Jackson) Singleton, 82, of Las Cruces, NM,
passed away on Jan. 14, 2015, after a short stay at La Posada-Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces.
Dorothy was born in Waco, Texas, to R. C. and Katie Jackson
on Sept. 13, 1932. She attended Seagraves High School and graduated in May of 1951. She married James Russell Singleton on
June 17, 1951.
Born to Dorothy and Jim was their only son, Tony Russell Singleton. Dorothy and Jim lived in Lubbock, Texas, for many years
where Jim was stationed as a Texas Ranger in Company C. They
later moved to Midland, Texas, in 1982, where Dorothy was employed as an Investigator for the Board of Private Investigators.
In 1987, Dorothy became a doting grandmother with the birth of twin grandchildren,
James Wesley and Heather Nicole (Nikki). Dorothy and Jim remained in Midland until 1996, when they moved to their retirement home in Ruidoso, NM. Dorothy and Jim
enjoyed many years in Ruidoso, taking their grandchildren camping and skiing. After
Jim’s passing in 2006, Dorothy moved to Las Cruces, NM, to be closer to her son and
family.
Survivors include her son, Tony Russell Singleton and wife, Beverly; and her pride
and joy - her twin grandchildren, James Wesley Singleton and Heather Nicole (Nikki)
Singleton, all of Las Cruces, NM; and brother-in-law, Eddie Singleton and wife, Nancy Singleton, of Seagraves, Texas. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and
friends. She will be missed by all that knew and loved her. Funeral service were held
at 10 a.m. Jan. 23, 2015, at First Baptist Church, Seagraves, Texas. Burial will follow in
Gaines County Seagraves Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children or the
Shriners
Hospitals for Children, or the ‘charity of your choice.
Poka Lambro is now accepting applications for $2500 scholarships. Area high school
students whose parents are customers of Poka Lambro may apply. Recipients are selected based on the following criteria:
• Academic
achieveNedra Payne Dill stepped into Heaven on Jan. 27, 2015.
ment
Nedra was born to Eugene and Louise Payne in Ball• Involvement in extrainger, Texas, on May 23, 1948. A graduate of Iowa Park
curricular activities
High School in Iowa Park, Texas, she attended Oklahoma
• Educator RecommenChristian College, Midwestern University, and received
dations
her B.A. from West Texas State University in 1979.
Eligibility requirements:
Nedra’s passion for youth led her to become a juvenile
• Applicant must be
probation officer and enjoyed helping her kids in her 32
graduating from an area
years of service. She married the love of her life, Rufus
high school
Lynn Dill, in 1986. She embraced her new role as wife
• The parent or legal Let Poka Lambro help you
and stepmother to four wonderful children. In 1989 they
guardian with whom the
were blessed with another son.
applicant resides must be
She is survived by her husband of 28 years, Lynn; son,
a customer of Poka LamRobert
Dill of Tampa, FL; son, Glynn and Patty Dill;
bro Scholarship Applica- We all love technology & the convenience it brings to our
daughter, Evva Dill; son, Jon and Celina Dill; son, Colby
lives. Discover the easy life in 2015 with exciting,
tions have been mailed to
reliable technologies from Poka Lambro!
and Whitney Dill, of Arlington; and adoptive son, Josh
area schools and may also
Carrillo
of
Amarillo.
She
is
survived
by one brother, Tom and Judy Payne of Lubbock,
High Speed Internet
be picked up from any Poka
Texas; and a sister, Lisa and Mike Hancock of Amarillo, Texas. She was also Mom to
Monitored Security
Video Monitoring
Lambro store or printed
10 foreign exchange students and Nana to 13 grandchildren. She also leaves behind her
Smart Home Automation Smart Solutions
from the Poka Lambro webnumerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her parMedical Emergency Alert
site – www.poka.com . EnLocal & Long Distance Phone
ents.
try deadline is March 2,
Nedra celebrated her retirement by traveling to spend time with her grandchildren,
2015. For additional inforand ministering the word of God, as far away as China and Vietnam. In her travels she
mation, please contact Amy
Innovative Technologies ... Unlimited Possibilities
was able to bring the Gospel to many, many people. In lieu of flowers the family rePreston at 800-422-2387.
WWWPOKACOM
quests that donations be made to the ministry that Nedra and Lynn founded, The Viet-
Poka Lambro Scholarships
Available
Nedra Payne Dill
53(WY
.OF4AHOKA
!VE*
4AHOKA
7-AIN3T
0OST
(ILL!VE
3EAGRAVES
!LLSERVICESMAYNOTBEAVAILABLEINALLAREAS#ONTACTSTOREFORDETAILS
nam Ministry c/o Assembly of God 602 East Broadway, Denver City, TX 79323.
Services were held at 1 p.m on Thursday, January 29 at the First Assembly of God in
Denver City.
Page 4
January 30, 2015
The Talon
HAITI from page 1
that provides disaster relief all around the world. They set
up temporary homes using durable plastic sheets after the
earthquake.
UNICEF is another organization that helped Haiti.
They helped clear all of the rubble and dead bodies from
the streets. While in Haiti, I was privileged enough to
meet an amazing young lady named Vicky Chiem, who
worked with UNICEF a week after the earthquake. She helped
move rubble, remove dead bodies
from the streets, set up blue tents
for temporary homes, and help the
injured into clinics.
“One thing that was hard to see
was the dead bodies. I uncovered
about 100 dead bodies on my own.
I never cried as much as I did seewww.seagravestirepros.com
ing them. And seeing people cry,
and in pain because of the earthquake…I’ll never forget that,” said Chiem.
Convoy of Hope partnered with Mission of Hope-a
non-profit missions organization in Haiti-to provide disaster relief. Mission of Hope (which is where I went on
my mission trip) had a lot of people dropped off at their
clinic for amputations. They now have a prosthetics lab to
help give the amputees hope.
When I went to Haiti on January 3rd, I didn’t know
what to expect. I didn’t expect to still see evidence of the
earthquake. The blue plastic tent houses that Samaritans
purse built for the people in Haiti were only built to last
for about six months. To go into Leveque and see people 5 years later still using those as houses really brought
me crashing to reality. Mission of Hope pledged to build
500 homes in Leveque for earthquake survivors through
a program that they call Blue-to-Block. They have had to
raise the number to 650 because there are still so many
people without homes.
The Haiti earthquake has
not been all bad. It has
brought attention to Haiti, and has made them rethink some things. Instead
of making their roofs concrete, they make them out
of tin. When Mission of
Hope builds the houses,
they make sure that they
are built correctly.
The 2010 earthquake did
not, however, permanently damage the moral of the people. When I went to the
church services they had, I could see them worshiping
God with all that they had. They realize that God has not
By Vivianna Barrera
forsaken them, and they give themselves to him comUpward Bound has been around for nearly 50 years. The program consists of three main programs: Discover, Sepletely.
lect, and Quest. The program is successfully run by Mr. Palomo a former graduate of Texas Tech University. The proChiem said, “There are so many things that gave me
gram coordinators are Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Guerrero, and Mr. Chavez.
hope. One of the biggest things was the kids. Some of
Participants in the Upward Bound Math/Science Discover Program have an interest
these kids just literally lost their families and their homes,
in pursuing careers in Mathematics, Science, and/or Technology. The program serves
and still they sought me out to hold my hand. There were
60 regional high school students attending school districts in Denver City, Seagraves,
numerous times that as I uncovered bodies, moved rubO’Donnell and Lamesa, TX.
ble, etc., many people were crying and singing songs to
Upward Bound Discover provides unique opportunities to explore different career opGod. That is unbelievable faith.”
tions. Participants have the opportunity to work on research projects, presentations, and
exhibits.
This year there are __ students from Seagraves High School attending the Upward Bound Program: Seniors Elizabeth Juarez, Michael Negrete and Vivianna Barrera; Juniors Micheal Lara, Uriel Martinez, Jesus Galavez, Esmeralda
Castro and Matthew Negrete; and Freshman Adriana Barrera and Frolian Beltran.
This past summer the seniors and some juniors were able to travel to the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Central University, and Oklahoma State University. The trip was paid for by the Upward Bound Trio Program.
“I loved the chance I got last summer to leave Texas and head over to Oklahoma. The trip was amazing. I absolutely loved the colleges,” said Junior Esmeralda Castro.
The students were able to tour the campus of the closest colleges, attend the National Memorial and Museum of
There is Hope in Haiti. The people there want to learn. Oklahoma City, shop at the Mall, and dine at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.
They want to worship. They are truly thankful for every“I was excited about leaving Texas and exploring part of Oklahoma City,” said Senior Elizabeth Juarez. “I liked the
thing that they have, even if it’s not a lot. They have truly Memorial Museum because I was able to learn about the history of the city.”
inspired me to live all in for God and to appreciate what I
The Upward Bound Program is engaged in taking the students’ education to another level. They want the student
have, no matter how little it may be.
to do the best they can and be able to attend any college of their preference.
“Our goal at Upward bound is to educate the students and help them get extra help in the subjects they need.
Whether it’s from a regular course such as History or a more advanced one like Dual Credit English, we want out
students to advance and not let their reasoning of ‘good enough’ be enough,” said Mr. Palomo.
“I honestly got involved in the program because I needed help in school,” said Junior Esmeralda Castro. “The
teachers actually help you understand the subject better, and it’s just better than the tutoring we get at the high school,
but I’m, grateful for the tutoring the schools provide for us.”
Call Anytime for Service Calls
806-387-3807
Front End Alignments
Brakes
Oil Changes
State Inspections
Tires
Pick Up Truck Accessories
After Market Wheels
Lift Kits
Installations On All Accessories
Service On All Farm Tires
Proud Supporters of Seagraves ISD
Upward Bound
Soaring Students
High School
Baylee
Ritchey
By Daniela Escobar
Baylee Ritchey is a senior at Seagraves High
School. Ritchey was born
on April 4th, 1997 at Big
Spring, Texas. Although
Ritchey attends Seagraves
High School, she lives
in Seminole, TX. Before
Ritchey attended Seagraves
High School, she was a student at Loop ISD, where
her dad, Brian Ritchey, was
the principal. Ritchey’s dad
is now the current assistant
principal at the Seminole
Junior High and her mom.
Laura Ritchey, is the Seminole Junior High secretary.
Ritchey’s younger brother,
Landry Ritchey, 13, attends
Seminole ISD.
Ritchey is involved in
various activities including
One-Act Play, Softball &
UIL.
“One Act Play has to be
my favorite thing that I am
involved in because I get
to express myself, and I
get to broaden my personality. It helps me be myself and I’ve made a lot of
friendships there that I am
excited about, so it is great
going to practice and being around people I really
like. It makes it that much
more fun and exciting,”
said Ritchey. After school,
Ritchey is an employee at
the Seagraves Dixie Dog.
During her free time,
Ritchey enjoys listening to
music, painting, traveling
with her family in the summer (last summer they vacationed in the Bahamas &
Florida), watching movies,
and hanging out with her
friends
In school, Ritchey said
her favorite class is College
Algebra with Mrs. Thompson.
“I feel like I am learning
a lot more than I have before and mathematics is my
all-time favorite subject, so
I really enjoy the class,’”
said Ritchey.
After
graduation,
Ritchey plans on attending
West Texas A&M, where
she plans to major in early
childhood education.
“I want to be a kindergarten teacher. I really like
kids, and my kindergarten
teacher had such a huge impact on me. I would love to
do the same to other children,” said Ritchey.
“One thing I like about
Seagraves is how nice everyone is and how everyone is like a big family. Although I came from
a smaller town than Seagraves, Seagraves has a lot
less drama,’” said Ritchey.
“My most helpful teacher is Ms. Wilson. She was
very helpful and nice when
I moved here, and she is
my one-act play director so
I’m looking forward to having her be my director and
teacher,” said Ritchey.
“My dad, Bryan, is the
person I look up to the
most. He works hard for our
family, and he has always
taught me that hard work
pays off,” said Ritchey.
“What then shall we say
to these things? If God is
for us, who is against us?”
from Romans 8:31 inspires
Baylee to be her best.
Page 5
January 30, 2015
2015 EAGLE Baseball
2015
Seagraves Softball Schedule
Varsity/JV Baseball Schedule
Date
Day
Opponent
Site
19-Fe b
Thursday
Lame sa Scrimmage
Lame sa
21-Fe b
Saturday
Le ve lland Scrimmage
Time V/JV
24-Fe b
Tue sday
McCame y
28-Fe b
Saturday
Crane
28-Fe b
Saturday
Crane
3-Mar
Tue sday
Ralls
6-Mar : 7-Mar
Fri./Sat.
Ralls Tourname nt
Ralls
TBA
V
10-Mar
Tue sday
McCame y
McCame y
4:00 PM
V/JV
14-Mar
Saturday
Coahoma
Se agrave s 11:00 AM
V/JV
5:00 PM Combine d
Se agrave s 12:00 PM Combine d
Feb. 14th
Brownfield (scrimmage)
There, 12:00
Se agrave s 4:00 PM
Feb 16th
Crosbyton
Here, 5:00
Crane
1:00 PM
Crane
3:30 PM
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
JV/V
V
V
V/JV
District ><><> District ><><> District ><><> District
15-Mar : 21-Mar
21-Mar
Spring Break <><><> Spring Break <><><> Spring Break
Saturday
Morton
23-Mar
Monday
**Crane JV (Non-District)
24-Mar
Tue sday
Odonne l
27-Mar
Friday
Smye r
31-Mar
Tue sday
Sundown
4-Apr
Saturday
Tahoka
7-Apr
Tue sday
Plains
Morton
12:00 PM
Se agrave s 6:00 PM
Odonne l
5:00 PM
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
Tue sday
Smye r
24-Apr
Friday
Sundown
28-Apr
Tue sday
Tahoka
4-May
Monday
Plains
Head Coach: Blake TiƩle
Contact:
Asst. Coach: Art OnƟveros
Supt: Dr. Kevin Spiller
There, 5:00
March 5th-7th
Seminole Maiden Classic
There, TBA
March 10th
McCamey
There, 5:00
March
13th
Denver City
Here, 5:00
March 17th
Dimmit
Here, 5:00
There, 5:00
*Westbrook
Here, 12:00
*Forsan
There, 5:00
*Ira
There, 12:00
*Sundown
Here, 5:00
*Tahoka
Here, 12:00
*Westbrook
There, 5:00
*Forsan
Here, 5:00
5:00 PM
Tue sday
21-Apr
There, TBA
Crosbyton
March 28th
14-Apr
Odonne l
Post Caprock
March 2nd
*Tahoka
**Se minole JV (Non-District) Se agrave s
Lubbock Home School
Feb 26th-28th
March 24th
Monday
Friday
V/JV
There, 5:00
V/JV
Saturday **Mule shoe JV (Non-District) Se agrave s 12:00 PM
Tue sday
V
Here, 12:00
Roosevelt
V/JV
11-Apr
17-Apr
JV
Floydada
Feb 24th
Feb
Se agrave s 12:00 PM
13-Apr
14-Apr
V
21st
5:00 PM
Sundown
Plains
Morton
The Talon
V
V/JV
7:00 PM
JV
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
V
March
30th
April 3rd
7:00 PM
V
April
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
V
April 11th
Se agrave s
Smye r
7th
4:00 PM
V/JV
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
V/JV
April
V/JV
April 17th
Tahoka
5:00 PM
Se agrave s 5:00 PM
(ϦϥϤ) ϪϦϩ-ϫϫϪϪ
V
blake.ƟƩ[email protected]
AthleƟc Dir: Steve Heryford
HS Principal: Art OnƟveros
Main Street
Pizza
301 Main Street
Seagraves, Texas 79359
April
14th
*Ira
21st
April 25th
From 1977 to 2014
Here, 5:00
There, 12:00
Head Coach: Holly Frazier
Superintendent: Dr. Kevin Spiller
HS Principal: Art Ontiveros
Athletic Director: Steve Heryford
Seagraves ISD (806) 387-3667
DIXIE DOG
Servin’ it hot and fresh for Seagraves, and the region, since 1954!
806.546.2731
Go Eagles!!
806-546-3136
Go! Fight! Win!
(Senior Night)
*Sundown
POWERLIFTERS from page 1
Junior Israel Rosalez placed 2nd in the 275.5lb weight
class with a total of 1,235lbs. Rosalez squats 505lbs,
bench presses 320lbs, and deadlifts 410 lbs. “I appreciate
everything Coach Humphries does for the program,” said
Rosalez.
“I’m glad that we have the powerlifting program because it’s a way to help you get stronger and push you to
the limits. I want to be able to improve on all three of my
lifts.”
Junior Vicky Minjarez placed 1st in the 105.5lb weight
class with a total of 690lbs. She was also recognized as
Outstanding Lifter on the Light Weight Platform. Minjarez squats 305lbs, bench presses 135lbs, and deadlifts
250lbs.
One of the many things Vicky wants to improve on
would be her “three lifts, my form and hopefully squat
more than 320lbs.”
Sophomore Raymon Aranda placed 1st in the 132.5
weight class with a total of 970lbs. Aranda squats 360lbs,
bench presses 215lbs and deadlifts 395lbs.
Sophomore Bryannah Minjarez placed 2nd in the
114.5lbs weight class with a total of 575lbs. Minjarez
squats 230lbs, bench presses 115lbs, and deadlifts 230lbs.
“My main goal is to make it to sate again,’ said Minjarez. “I’m also going to try to get a lot stronger in every
practice.”
Freshman Abeni Garcia is in the 165.5lb weight class
with a total of 545lbs. Garcia squats 215lbs, bench presses
100lbs, and deadlifts 230lbs.
1977 State Finalist Team
By Taylor Spiller
This year, the Seagraves Eagle High School football
team had an amazing season. Their success was not unlike the success of the 1977
team. Head Coach Jim Eddins and Assistant Coach
Draper, were the coaches for
the 1977 State finalist team.
Coach Jim Eddins passed
away in 2013 leaving Coach
Draper as the last ones left.
Jim Draper now lives in
Lubbock with his wife, Linda. They had two children
Darlene and Kyle.
Draper is not in good
health, but one thing he reminisces about is, “when we were down or let up, the cheerleaders with Bill Woods, band director at the time, and Band
started playing “Fight Song”
and the whole stadium would rise, start clapping, and it was LOUD. Our players perked up and played harder. Our
school, community, families, and Businesses closed down and supported the Eagles.”
The team of 1977 was not
unlike the team of 2014 in their football strategy. “We ran the ball more than passing. We liked to BLOCK them out,
then RUN at them, and cram it down their throats”, said Draper. This is similar to what this year’s team would do, with Cory Kyle running through the defense with a total of
3,127 yds and 48 touchdowns this season. That’s not to say senior quarterback Tanner Rodriguez lacks any skill in throwing with 31 complete passes for 657 yds.
Draper has plenty of good memories from that season. One is, “The girls got the boys in history class to ask about the next game or tell about high points from week before.
It got the boys talking and of course I did too. That was our class for the day.”
When asked, Draper couldn’t pick one outstanding player. “It took all of them. We were a close bunch of players.” This is not unlike this year’s team and coaches who will all
tell you that they think of each other as family.
SEAGRAVES EAGLES
Jan 17
Plainview
Boys/ Girls
Jan 31
Snyder
Boys/ Girls
Feb 14
Levelland
Boys/Girls
Feb 21
March 6
March 14
March 21
March 28
Seagraves
Boys/Girls
Regional (MERTZON) Girls
Regional (Sundown) Boys
State (Corpus Christi)
State (Abilene)
Girls
Boys
POWERLIFTING 2015
SEAGRAVES
Track And Field 2015
February 27
Plains
JH
March 5
Sundown
JH
March 6
Sundown
HS
March 12
Plains
JH
March 13
Plains
HS
March 23
Smyer
JH
March 26
Smyer
HS
April 2
Sudan
HS
April 6
District (Plains)
JH
April 10
Seagraves
HS
April 18
Area (Seagraves)
HS
May 1-2
Regional (Odessa)
HS
May 8-9
State (Austin)
HS
Page 6
January 30, 2015
SPILLER from page 1
a majority cannot afford it.
Even though the cost seems
minimal,
approximately
$600 per year, most Haitians make less than $400
per year. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere and the 3rd
poorest in the world. As a
result, only 1% of Haitians
will graduate from high
school, and the literacy
rate is 45% as compared to
95.5% in the U.S.
Finally, the biggest take
away from our visit occurred as a result of a Tuesday night worship service
at the local church. I was
awestruck by the magnitude in which the local Haitians worshiped our God.
I came away thinking that
those who seemingly have
the least worshipped the
most. While we are sometimes distracted by things
of this world that the Haitian people do not have,
they are simply focused on
the one thing that we all
have which is the love of
Jesus. In the end, that is all
that really matters.
The Talon
ALL REGION from page 1
These four students attended the Region Band Clinic on Friday, January 23rd at the
Lubbock Civic Center. They rehearsed most of the day with about 200 or so other students who also made the Region Band. On Saturday morning the 24th, they rehearsed
again. All the band performances begin at 1:30pm.
“This is a very big honor for the students as there were close to 1,000 students that
auditioned for a seat in the bands. Only a very select few actually made it.” Said Powers.
Quest Williams, a trumpet player, said “I liked going to tryouts. It was a good experience. I made a lot of new friends from everywhere. I still have contact with Haicha
Hood who is from Springlake-Earth,” said Williams.
“When I entered the room to tryout, I was nervous. I couldn’t even remember what
to do. I am going to tryout out next year and try harder to make the Region Bands,” said
Williams.
“It’s a fun experience,” said baritone player Santana Trevino. “It helps you boost your
confidence playing wise and overall. When you’re in a room filled with people who
play the same instrument as you for the whole day, it’s bound to happen to make new
friends.”
“It’s nerve racking every time I enter the room to tryout because of how bad you
don’t want to mess up,” said Trevino.
Santana is going to try out again next year. He has tried out every year since the 6th
grade. He has made the band every time except once or twice. He has done Solos and
Ensembles and received an honor award as well as others. Santana even tried out for the
All-State band in which he placed 10th out of the top six.
“Trying out helps you boost your sense of proud for your school and band, as it did
mine,” said Trevino.
“This is one of the best All-Region band concerts I have ever seen. It was great,” said
assistant Band Director Reenie Martinez. “I am extremely proud of our four guys who
participated. They worked very hard to achieve this honor. And I hope they had a wonderful time.”
Upcoming
Events
By Baylee Ritchey
Feb 5th
January 31st
Power Lifting: Boys and
Girls @ Snyder
February 3rd
Varsity VS *Sudan @ Sudan - 5:00pm, 6:30pm
Varsity and JV Boys VS
*Sudan @ Sudan 5:00pm, 8:00pm
February 6th
Varsity VS
*Tahoka @ Home 5:00pm, 6:30pm
Varsity and JV Boys
VS *Tahoka @ Home 5:00pm, 8:00pm
District Basketball Takes Off
By Anthony Ontiveros
Seagraves Eagle Basketball is back in action. Finishing their short pre-season, they
are already heading into the fifth week of district action with a district record of 2-2 and
a total record of 3-5. If the Eagles continue to work hard in
district, their chances at the playoffs will increase.
The teams that are in the way of the 2014 basketball playoffs include Morton, Smyer, Plains, Tahoka, Sudan, and
Sundown. These conclude the six district opponents.
The Eagles Basketball Team had a very short preseason.
Due to football season running into basketball season and
bad weather, the team only had four preseason games to
practice and get ready for district.
“The long season in football hurt us in basketball because
we missed so many games and we missed all of our tournaments except one,” said Assistant Coach/Temporary
Head Coach Bo Bryant.
Bryant said, “Any time you get game experience, it’s
good for the players in better basketball shape.”
Even though the Eagles didn’t have much time to get where they need to be before district, they are still being held to high standards. The short preseason does not mean
they will not compete.
“Our goal this year is to compete in district and make the playoffs. That’s what every
team is striving for,” said Bryant. In order to achieve their goal of making the playoffs,
the Eagles must place at least third place out of the seven teams in district.
Another key factor in winning more games and a shot at the playoffs is the player’s
eligibility to continue playing with their starting five. Just like every sport at Seagraves
High School, players must pass all classes with a 70% or above if they expect to play.
Failing top players could result in having junior varsity players playing for varsity,
which may lead to losses against more experienced teams. The Eagles cannot afford to
lose any players this season.
More than Math:
Seagraves College Algebra
By Kiera Kinnaird
Seagraves Independent School District is focused on success, success for all of their
students of all ages. Though SISD has many ways of making its students successful,
one of their strategies is focusing on and preparing for the future. This is done through
extracurricular activities, athletics and especially academics.
Though dual credit courses have been offered to high school students online through
South Plains College (SPC) and the University of Texas: Permian Basin (UTPB) before,
it has never been offered like this. Thanks to the return of Seagraves Alumni, Kensey
Thompson, a select group of SHS juniors and seniors are able to gain college hours in
an actual classroom setting. In addition to gaining College Algebra I credits, Thompson
enjoys helping her students prepare for real life and see the algebra applications that everyday situations call for, especially the everyday situations they will face in college.
“She is preparing us for college, and preparing us for life,” said senior Evelin Gonzales.
Senior Chelsie Harper said, “It is going to help me be better prepared for financial
situations in my life. I will be able to work out my own financial situations rather than
have to pay somebody to do it, or get ripped off.”
As well as teaching College Algebra and helping to prepare the upperclassmen for
“real life,” Thompson is the head of the math department for SISD. She will be connecting all of the math departments of all ages not only academically, but by giving elementary students examples as well. Once a week, the
College Algebra class makes their way to the elementary school to assist in teaching math classes
for Kindergarten, First, and Second grade. This
is a time for the high school students to connect
with the elementary students, teach, and even
learn from the young students.
“I want to be a teacher, and so getting to
teach elementary once a week helps prepare me.
Plus, the students are just so nice, they are always a highlight of my week,” said Senior Baylee
Ritchey.
Senior Anthony Ontiveros said, “It’s so
fun. It is really nice because I know the kids are
looking up to me, not only in football or baseball…but in academics as well. My favorite part
is just getting to interact with them, and be a
friend to the young ones.”
School is much more than tests, quizzes, and
homework…it is about making connections,
and preparing for the future. The future starts
now, and through academics, students can begin preparing for the days following graduation. Through tests, quizzes, homework, and 3
hours of college credits, Thompson’s class is
ready to take on the world, and are able to help
young students believe in themselves, not only
in academics, but in life.
Senior, Eli Rodriguez said, “Yes, it is fun to
go and teach and be surrounded by little ones,
but what is really cool is knowing that you are
helping them achieve their goals. To be able to teach and see the look of accomplishment on their faces when they get to a solution…to encourage them, and to help them
believe in themselves…that’s the best part.”