Panther Prints | Issue 4 | May 2020

P A N T H E R

PRINTS

MAY 18, 2020 ISSUE 4

CORONAVIRUS.

CULTURE.

.pg. 10.

editors

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Saifiyah Zaki

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Gracie Warhurst

Copy & Online Editor

Makayla Herron

Copy Editor

Juliette Roberts

Video Editor

Elena Hamlin

Advertising &

PR Manager

Andrew Cox

Sports Editor

Jad Baajour

reporters

Alexa Dezelan

Sevval Erenkol

Riya George

Bree Johnson

Ethan Johnson

Akie Kasai

Fatima Malik

Isis Martin

Sonali Menon

Carrieona Moncure

Myh Seyoum

Joelle Tindal

Cover and centerspread

illustration by Saifiyah Zaki

To submit letters to the editors of

the Panther Prints:

Plano East Senior High School

Journalism Department

3000 Los Rios Blvd., Plano, TX 75074

Building 4, Room 201

(469) 752- 9000

bit.ly/LetterToEditors

Use this QR code to access more

content on our website!

Letters from the

Co-Editors-in-Chief

y three years on this staff certainly ended with a bang as we were

Mlaunched into an uncertain and unprecedented situation created by

the ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, I am proud of how our incredible

staff members rose to meet the challenge, putting together insightful,

current and relevant articles while adapting to virtual tools and a new

workflow. This issue presents topics ranging from online schooling burnout

to the inevitable social changes that will follow as we recover from

COVID-19. We do not know what our near future will look like, but as for

the future of this publication, I know that it is in the good hands of next

year’s editors and staff, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Saifiyah Zaki

lthough the progress toward this issue certainly looked much differ-

than it did previously, I am incredibly proud of the staff’s ability to

Aent

write unique articles from many different perspectives under the stress

of a pandemic. I believe we’ve encaptured every aspect of the effects of

living through this time, both emotionally and physically. This being our

last issue, and most of us seniors, it’s hard knowing we will never create

another Panther Prints issue. But, we couldn’t have finished any stronger,

even with all the obstacles in front of us.

Gracie Warhurst

Letter to the Editors

T

his [issue was] informative as ever be and quite intriguing to mine seeing

orbs. The speak of the future was genuinely very detailed and the angle

of sight near full circle. The news of our time, well timed, and again truly

informative, relevant, and unique. The opinions, well spoken out and clearly

opinions, and relevant as the news. I greatly resonated with this issue, but

as a senior; perhaps an overtly senior-focused issue? Sevval Erenkol’s article

on the “Do Not Hire” registry was well written, well rounded, and well intentioned,

I enjoyed it quite thoroughly, as I felt such a topic was of a grand

importance. The feature article was incredibly relevant, perhaps though

more to seniors. I must provide a minor criticism: perhaps more opinion and

entertainment articles, the sections are much smaller. Within “Fresh Eats,” I

did not see a review of the new Treat Yo Self establishment, which has not

opened beyond much a block away! Though it was quite recent, and thus

I truly understand, but a thorough investigation of such a new and close

place would have been of great interest to me. I thank you all again, great

writers of the latest issue, for another great and informative read, with a

well drawn cover as well.

-senior John Lin, March 6

Mission Statement

t Panther Prints, our mission is to serve as a connection between

Athe Plano East student body and surrounding communities. Through

inspiration and high-quality content, Panther Prints offers diverse coverage,

passionate writing, relatable stories and a unique point of view.

Our credible sources allow an in-depth experience that appeals to both

the public and the individual. Our publication offers an informative and

distinctive outlook on current interests.

Digital Media Policy

e the Panther Prints commit to responsibly utilize all of our media

Wplatforms to unite and inform the student body. We strive to create

original content and attribute credit to all sources. We require our staff

to uphold these values and to accurately report the news to the student

body and community.

All student polls were conducted through Google Forms and shared

through social media.

.

Icons by Icons8

Contents

Local businesses

adapt to

pandemic

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

5

10

Photo courtesy of Corinne Bitar

Coronavirus

Students work on

changes

personal cultural norms

projects8

15 19

Cartoon by Sevval Erenkol

Temporary

economic

sacrifice needed

20

Sports

season

ends Last day wishes

early from students

Photo courtesy of Bhavesh Bhakla

Illustration by Saifiyah Zaki

Photo by Gracie Warhurst

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

SNAPCHAT

@peshprints

4 • News PESHPRINTS.COM

Puzzled

Panthers

by Cece Moncure


.For this school year, how will

finals exams be graded?

ue to the district board’s decision,

Dthis year’s fourth nine weeks will

fall under a new grading system. Students

will either receive a 100 or 69

in their online course on the new Edgenuity

platform or the platform their

teachers have been using for online

instruction. The grade reports will

show Meets Standards (MS) or Does

Not Meet Standards (NM). Since the

change to this grading scale, final

exams won’t be held for this last semester

of the school year. Any other

specific information regarding exams

can be found on the PISD website.

Photo courtesy of Golden Girl parents

How will tryouts and auditions

be held for next year?.

he district is currently exploring

Tavailable options for student activities

that involve a tryout or audition

component for the upcoming

school year. Options being considered

for these auditions include the

traditional, in-person processes once

schools reopen, as well as virtual options.

Examples of activities that may

use these options include, but are not

limited to, musical ensembles, cheerleading,

drum majors, drill team officers,

show choirs and color guard.


How will students return

school-owned materials?

tudents will be required to sign up

Sfor a designated time slot to drop

off their books, chromebooks, calculators

and library books. This drop-off

will take place May 20 through May 26.

Pickup for other materials, such as fine

arts uniforms and instruments, athletic

materials, e.t.c will be arranged by the

specific teachers of that course.

Send us questions at

bit.ly/puzzledpanthers

Test turmoil

COVID-19’s effect on exams

by Joelle Tindal

COVID-19 pandemic has affected

Tthe educational paths of students

across the world. Schools and certain

academic organizations have modified

or canceled exams, which require

supervising groups of students in the

same room. While College Board is still

holding AP exams, school districts and

the International Baccalaureate Organization

(IBO) canceled IB and school

semester exams. AP students will take

their exams online in their homes and

the exams will be open note with a

free-response only format.

“I’m worried about how [College

Board] will be able to assess our knowledge

on a subject based on just a few

questions,” senior Sanaa Ali said. “If the

question is something a lot of people

know then everyone will do better, but

if it’s something challenging or obscure

then people will do worse.”

Whether these changes will benefit

or harm students’ performances on

tests is unclear, which could then affect

college credit — but as of now,

colleges haven’t changed the system

of awarding credit for high AP exam

scores. As for the complete cancellation

of IB exams, whether IB students

will earn college credit is now

in question.

“It’s probably the best IB can do in

this situation,” senior Robert Szot said.

“It may not be the most fair, since [IB

seniors] have been deprived of one

of the most, if not the most important

chance to do well for our diploma, but

with all the health concerns holding

any sort of exam session is ill-advised

at best.”

The IBO will now calculate the results

of IB students using “significant

data analysis” from previous exam

sessions along with school and subject

data. The absence of exam scores

to factor into IB results is worrying to

some; however, there are other IB students

who are fine with the change.

“Even though some may feel worried

that they won’t receive a fair score

because of the new scoring system, it

may be a better reflection of whether

you deserve the diploma or not,” senior

Luke Stipanovic said. “Teachers

and administrators will compensate

and help [students] achieve [their] diplomas

as long as we put in a decent

amount of work into their class.”

Although the modifications made

to AP and IB exams affect many students,

canceled semester exams affect

all of them — and some students find

the lack of semester exams damaging

to motivation. For non-AP and IB students,

semester exams were the only

major end-of-year tests they needed

to study for. As a result, some have

mixed feelings on this cancellation.

EXAM UPDATES

at a glance

SEMESTER EXAMS

• Canceled

• Final grades to be calculated

using an average of third

and fourth semester averages

AP EXAMS

• Administered online for

students to take at home

• Exam date choices available

for each exam, one in May

and one in June

• All exams composed of a

few free-response questions

• No multiple choice sections

• Scores still calculated on

one to five scale

IB EXAMS

• Canceled worldwide

• IB scores to be calculated

using new guidelines

STUDENT OPINIONS

64%

26%

of students

said they support

the changes made to

AP exams this year

of students

said changes made

to AP and/or IB

exams negatively

affected them

out of 710 students polled

“At the moment my classes are giving

me way more homework than I’ve

had all year and it’s overwhelming,” Ali

said. “[But] I’m honestly glad that finals

are canceled, since that’s one less

thing to worry about.”

@PESHPRINTS News • 5

New normal

Local businesses adapt

to reality of pandemic

by Andrew Cox

rom prom to public health, COVID-

F19’s implications are wide — and local

businesses are no exception. Without the

reserves of cash that larger companies

have to fall upon, many business

owners had to rely on one another

for mutual assistance while the

state’s shelter-in-place policy was

in effect.

“All small businesses are vital

to keeping our economy thriving,”

business owner Carol Davis said.

“We will get through this together,

but it is so important for us [as a]

community to come together [to]

keep these businesses [running].”

Davis’ business, Crave Popcorn Co.,

typically caters to bulk orders for the

hotel industry and an in-store experience

for individual consumers, neither

of which are compatible with voluntary

or ordered social distancing measures.

As such, it has moved toward online orders

and social media advertising via

Facebook. Assisting such adaptations

like Davis’ is the Plano Chamber of Commerce,

a network of businesspeople

and companies that promote economic

“All small businesses are vital to keeping our

economy thriving. We will get through this together,

but it is so important for us [as a] community

to come together [to] keep these businesses open.”“

-business owner Carol Davis

development through social events and

connecting resources to its membership

— who now look to it for community

and guidance.

“One of the main things that our chamber

offers is that in-person connection

with people,” chamber communications

director Katie Gimenez said. “But we’ve

known also for a long time that as technology

changes, it’s time for us to change

as well and offer more opportunities for

people to connect without leaving their

offices [or] their homes. So this has been

a really good push for us in some ways.”

While the chamber ordinarily focuses

on growing its members’ businesses,

the priority has shifted to mitigating

COVID-19’s economic repercussions

— connecting people to relief efforts

such as the small business disaster loan

and providing opportunities to the newly

unemployed. In the meantime, video

calls are used to keep up morale and

gather feedback.

“It’s been such a great way to keep connected

throughout this and to see each

other and to build that sense of community

[to] make sure that everyone knows

Economy begins reopening

by Saifiyah Zaki

that we’re here for [them],” Gimenez said.

“How can we help you? What are you doing?

What are your challenges, what are

your successes?”

The chamber is adapting their dayto-day

communications to the crisis beyond

just migrating meetings online. New

activities catering specifically to their

members’ needs during the pandemic are

in development.

“We’ve also looked at this as an opportunity

to listen to our members and

say, ‘What [do] you need from us right

now?’ [because] it might not be what

[they] need when it’s business as usual,”

Gimenez said. “So we really have

been trying to reach out to them,

hear what they’re saying and then

adapt accordingly.”

In the meantime, business owners

seek out ways to help the

community in the crisis — among

them, Davis, who was in discussion

with the Friend & Foe board

game cafe at the time of writing

to provide meals to first responders. The

Plano Chamber of Commerce has additionally

opened up some of its events

to non-members in an effort to reach as

many people as possible.

“We really feel that it’s important right

now to come together as a community

and [realize] that the membership aspect

is not the most important thing right now,”

Gimenez said. “The most important thing

is that we support the businesses here

locally and be a resource for them and be

a community.”

elect businesses including retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls reopened at 25% capacity May 1, marking

Sthe first part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order outlining a phased plan to balance prevention measures and economic

well-being. Phase II launched May 8 and Phase III launches today, May 18, allowing a wider range of businesses to reopen.

PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III

May 1 May 8 May 18

Businesses opening at 25% capacity:

• Retail stores

• Restaurants (occupancy limits

do not apply to outdoor seating)

• Movie theaters

• Malls (excludes food court

dining areas, play areas and

interactive displays)

• Libraries and museums (excludes

interactive displays/installations)

• Wedding venues and reception

services (occupancy limits do

not apply to outdoor areas)

Other businesses reopening:

• Golf courses

• Local government operations

• Some municipal government

operations

• Services provided by an individual

working alone in an office

Businesses allowed to open ensuring

at least six feet of social distancing

between operating work stations:

• Cosmetology salons

• Hair salons

• Barber shops

• Nail salons/shops

• Other establishments where

licensed cosmetologists or barbers

practice their trade

• Tanning salons

Swimming pools may also open

given that both indoor and outdoor

pools operate at 25% listed capacity.

The following businesses and services

may reopen:

• Services provided by office workers

in offices that operate at up to

either 25% of the total office workforce

or five individuals, whichever

is greater. Individuals must maintain

appropriate social distancing.

• Manufacturing services at 25%

occupancy of the facility.

• Gyms, exercise facilities and

classes operating at 25% occupancy

of the facility. Locker rooms

and shower facilities must remain

closed, but restrooms may open.

T

he executive order does not prohibit citizens from accessing essential services

or engaging in essential daily activities such as going to a grocery store or gas

station; visiting parks, beaches, rivers or lakes; hunting or fishing; or engaging in

physical activity like jogging, bicycling or other outdoor sports, so long as the necessary

precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and to

minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household.

6 • News PESHPRINTS.COM

District offers family

graduation ceremonies

by Sonali Menon

s social distancing guidelines raised

Aquestions about the health risks of a

traditional graduation ceremony, the district

announced a smaller, family graduation

option on June 9 and 10. Graduates

may bring up to four guests and will be

invited to arrive on their school campus

through an appointment. During these

appointments, students will be able to

walk across the stage and be recorded

and photographed while receiving

their diploma. This plan allows families

and students to still receive their graduation

experience while maintaining

social distance.

“I think the family graduation ceremony

is a really good alternative,” senior

Serena Niyogi said. “It would allow

me to get some sort of graduation experience,

and I think the more intimate

arrangement with just my family being

there will make it feel more special.”

The district is still planning the ceremony

with CDC-enforced orders of social

distancing taken into consideration.

The district has postponed the date

for the regular graduation ceremony to

62%

of students

think speeches given

by students during

graduation offer

valuable advice


Aug. 1 — it was originally planned to be

on June 7 — and they have also begun

to evaluate whether or not the ceremony

should proceed due to health concerns.

No further plans have been made

thus far.

“It is not possible to try to guess what

might happen between here and [then],”

Associate Principal Robert Eppler said.

“Our central administration will be making

decisions on if it is safe to have

our graduation.”

However, before the imposition of social-distancing

precautions on the general

public, there were discussions on

whether an additional student speaker

would be added to the ceremony’s

traditional line-up.

“A student contacted me about the

idea in January, stating that the current

alignment of speakers prevented any

student outside of senate, class officers

and the salutatorian and valedictorian

from ever having the opportunity to

speak,” Principal George King said. “This

seems like a valid concern and worthy

of exploring.”

Further plans on how the student

would be chosen were not fully discussed

since graduation plans are under

consideration. Additionally, due to the

COVID-19 outbreak, IB testing has been

canceled. This will not affect a student’s

ability to obtain the Texas diploma, but

the IB programme has made changes

on how they will be determining whether

or not a student should receive their

IB diploma.

“IB has assured us that they have

every confidence that the IB diploma

scores will be accurate and commensurate

with what we’ve seen in the past,”

IB Coordinator Karen Stanton said.

Further announcements and plans

on how parents can book appointments

and other graduation updates are expected

to be made. Still, the district and

staff advise students to remain calm

and take both their physical and mental

health into consideration during an

unforeseen time.

“We need to keep busy, follow CDC

guidelines and be kind to ourselves

as well as our family and friends,”

theory of knowledge teacher Donna

Sewell said.

@PESHPRINTS News • 7

Modern pandemics

by Gracie Warhurst

pidemiologists use experience from past pandemics, including the 1918 influenza (flu) and Swine flu, as resources to more effec-

combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommended steps for individuals worldwide include coordination among leadership,

Etively

monitoring and reducing spread, continuity of health care, efficient communication of information, facilitating the goal of managing the

outbreak, and developing a vaccine to prevent further outbreaks.

H1N1 “SPANISH FLU” (1918-1920)

Origin: Disputed

Cause: Avian influenza A.

Death Toll: 50 million worldwide, 675,000 in the U.S.

Age group most affected: 20 to 40 years

The magnitude of the H1N1 virus increased due to unhygienic

conditions of World War I soldiers at the time,

prompting the CDC to consider the pandemic the worst in

recent history. Researchers did not understand the cause

of the virus at the time but used knowledge of previous

diseases to develop a vaccine. Without a vaccine, worldwide

control measures included non-pharmaceutical

methods such as isolation efforts similar to the response

against COVID-19.

1900

1910

1920

1930

H3N2 FLU (1968)

Origin: Hong Kong

Cause: Influenza A virus

Death Toll: 1 million worldwide, 100,000 in the U.S.

Age group most affected: Infants, elderly and otherwise susceptible

Because the virus contained the same N2 subtype from

the H2N2 virus, those who became infected with H2N2

built up an immunity to H3N3. Scientists developed a

vaccine against the virus after its peak in many countries.

This flu continues to infect humans seasonally and

is most fatal to those over 65 years old.

H1N1pdm09 “SWINE” FLU (2009-2010)

Origin: Pigs in the U.S.

Cause: Flu gene combination

Death Toll: 151,700 to 575,400 worldwide; 12,469 in the U.S.

Age group most affected: Children and middle-aged adults

Most adults over the age of 60 had already built up antibody

resistance from exposure to previous H1N1 viruses,

so the swine flu affected children and middle-aged

adults disproportionally. A vaccine for this strain of the

flu became available by September 2009.

Virus illustrations by Gracie Warhurst

1940

1950

1990

2020

H2N2 FLU (1957-1958)

Origin: East Asia

Cause: Avian influenza A

Death Toll: 1.1 million worldwide, 116,000 in the U.S.

Age group most affected: Infants, elderly and otherwise

susceptible

This is the least severe of the flu pandemics in the 20th

century and no longer exists after mutating into the H3N2

virus. Scientists developed a vaccine quickly, first distributing

it in the U.S. August 1957, six months after the

virus was first detected. In combination with an availability

of antibiotics to treat secondary infections, countries

could contain the spread and mortality of the pandemic.

HIV/AIDS (PEAK IN 2005)

Origin: African chimpanzees

Cause: Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)

Death Toll: 3 million worldwide at its peak

Age group most affected: 20 to 24 year olds

HIV arrived in the United States in the 1970s, though did not

gain prevalence until the 1980s. In 2018, 37.9 million people

were living with HIV, which spreads through transfer of

bodily fluids. Scientists are working to create a preventative

vaccine for the disease; however, antiretroviral therapy — a

combination of antiretroviral drugs — can slow the disease,

reduce further complications and prolong life expectancy

when taken consistently.

SARS-CoV-2 (CORONAVIRUS) (2019–present)

Origin: Wuhan, China

Cause: Animal strain of coronavirus

Death Toll: 297,000 worldwide, 84,763 in the U.S. (at time of publication)

Age group most affected: elderly and those otherwise susceptible

Some reports trace the earliest cases back to a Chinese seafood

market in December. The virus first reached the U.S. in

January, affecting Texans by early March. The CDC recommends

everyone practice social distancing including staying

at least 6 feet away from others and remaining home as much

as possible.

8 • Feature PESHPRINTS.COM

Time flies

Students devote time to personal projects in digital learning environment

by Juliette Roberts

Junior Corinne Bitar displays her amigurumis April 22.

Photo courtesy of Corinne Bitar

Hooked on crochet

Junior Corinne Bitar spent the beginning

of the extended spring break

lying in her bed and de-stressing from

the third nine weeks until the unwinding

turned into boredom. When her

mom suggested she start crocheting

to pass the time, Bitar picked up the

guide to make crocheted food items

she received for Christmas and started

working. Now she has crafted over

20 foods including a peanut butter and

jelly jar, a musubi sushi roll and an ice

cream cone.

“I was hurting my mental health because

I was just isolating myself in my

room and doing nothing,” Bitar said. “I

turned to [crocheting] just as something

I know and am familiar with, but also as

something to take me away into my own

world.”

Bitar’s current project is crafting

amigurumis, a Japanese style of knitting

small stuffed creatures. Each

one takes around an hour, depending

on the complexity of the stitch, although

online schooling has taken up

some of the time she previously used

to crochet.

“The repetitiveness of it is very calming,”

Bitar said. “Whenever you’re counting

for crocheting you’re consumed in

the world of creating that thing and that

thing is all that you are focusing on.”

One of her biggest projects to date

was making around 80 small, stuffed

owls over the summer before her sophomore

year and selling them to classmates

of her friend at the Academy High

School. Bitar expects she will probably

either give her amigurumis away to her

friends or sell them, which is one of her

favorite parts of the creative process.

“[The owls] all sold out really quickly,

which made me really happy,” Bitar said.

“I’m definitely one of the people that

shows their love through acts of service

and gift-giving.”

Full bead ahead

Isabella Escobedo started

Senior learning beadwork a year ago, but

didn’t have much time to work on it while

school and homework took up most of

her day. However,

when digital learning

began mid-March

she found that she

could spend much

more time using

beading to connect

with her indigenous

heritage.

“I think that being

in quarantine

has everybody more

stressed out than

they might usually

be because of

school and because

of life,” Escobedo

said. “For me, when I

really need an emotional

break, I turn

to beading.”

Escobedo’s family

had always assumed

their ancestors

came from Mexico,

but were unsure of

their lineage until

they signed up

for Ancestry.com

and found it to be

about half Native

American. Escobedo

uses beading — a

traditional artform in many indigenous

cultures — as a way to connect with

her roots.

Most of Escobedo’s projects are earrings,

though online schooling has given

her time to experiment with patchwork

as well. A pair of dangling earrings takes

her two to three hours while embroidery-heavy

patterns can take eight or

nine hours.

“It has given me an outlet to really

just sit down for a couple of hours and

feel accomplished,”

Escobedo said.

“That’s something

that a lot of people

feel like they’re

lacking. There’s this

idea that we have

to be productive

and I definitely feel

that too.”

Escobedo intends

on continuing

her beadwork

through college to

balance out her science

courses, and

Photos courtesy of Isabella Escobedo

Senior Isabella Escobedo presents two pairs

of handmade earrings April 24.

encourages other

students to find a

similar passion project

they can use to

relieve stress. She

believes starting is

the most difficult

part but that the end

result is worth the

challenge.

“It took me

a long time to sit

down and get

started, [but] once

you do make the

up-front payment

of time and money to get started on

such a big project, it is really rewarding,”

Escobedo said. “I would recommend

everyone find something like that

for themselves.”

@PESHPRINTS Feature • 9

PANTHER PROFILE

Lights, camera, graphics

Senior pursues career in film, television editing

by Myh Seyoum

he lights go up in the theater as the cred-

roll and everyone stares forward in

Tits

awe. More impressive than the writing and

acting was the editing of the film. The visual

and sound effects captured the audience’s

fascination throughout the entire movie.

Unless they’re film buffs, they probably

won’t stop to search up the editor’s name

or watch for their Oscar nomination, but the

editor’s reward comes in making a successful

film. Senior Mercedes Rose hopes to be

one of these editors and one day it might

just be her name up on the screen.

Rose plans to major in Film and Media

this fall at the State University of New

York at Plattsburgh. Exposure to this field

came to her at a young age, since her dad

is a freelance stage manager. She says she

knew she wanted to pursue a career in film

at age 12.

“I just really like the work,” Rose said. “It’s

never stressful or a lot of work for me. In

a way, it’s just enjoying being able to make

my own work and being able to share it

with people.”

Rose says that part of her inspiration

came from a class she took her junior year,

Audio-Visual Productions 1 with Octavio

Oropeza. The class went over basics such

as learning to use editing software and

Passion for academia

Student’s book donations create opportunities for children in developing nations

writing scripts correctly. She was surprised

to receive such positive feedback on her

music video project, which was voted best

in the class.

“It was really fun to hear that everybody

liked what I did,” Rose said. “Since they

liked it, then I really knew, ‘Okay, I do want

to do this, for a fact.’”

Rose also met one of her closest friends,

senior Katherine Creevy, in this class. Rose

and Creevy became close toward the end

of the first semester and found they shared

the same ambition to become filmmakers.

“[The class] was actually a big part in my

decision [to pursue film] because I wasn’t

even thinking of taking the class sophomore

year,” Creevy said. “Then when I decided

to and actually went through it I was

like, ‘Oh, I can see myself doing this for a living.’

Especially junior year is where you kind

of figure out everything so having that class

really pushed me toward my decision.”

Horror and action movies draw the most

interest from Rose. She says that different

aspects of each give her motivation to pursue

them in her career.

“I really like the score of horror movies,

but I would say that I think I’m more interested

in action movies,” Rose said. “Superhero

movies I [emulate] when I edit because I

by Isis Martin

nternational Baccalaureate senior

IZawge Daniel uses his passion for

education to help children in underdeveloped

nations access education

through books.

“I chose to take on this volunteer

work because I wanted to demolish

the education barriers that the children

in Blantyre, Malawi had experienced,”

Daniel said.

In October 2019, Daniel discovered

a scholarship opportunity that would

grant him $2,500 in proceeds for the

completion of a community service

project. After learning about the opportunity,

Daniel’s book donation project

began to form itself into a passion

project for students without access to

quality education.

“My cousins and teachers were

a big support during this process by

helping me publicize my book drive,”

Daniel said.

With the assistance of his friends

and family, Daniel came up with a total

of 100 books through familial and personal

donations within the first month,

but he still wanted to collect at least

a few hundred books. Within the following

months, Daniel received over

800 book donations from classmates

and peers. Aside from his family’s support,

his Ethiopian culture also played

a major role in his success winning the

scholarship later on.

“My parents’ generosity of sending

clothing and money to alleviate underserved

areas in Addis Ababa further

inspired me to take on this volunteer

work,” Daniel said. “As I grew older, I

became more determined to make a

positive influence in underdeveloped

nations, particularly because my goal

for the future is to become a doctor

and establish clinics in underserved

areas.”

Growing up with immigrant parents

from Ethiopia prompted Daniel

to explore the scholarship opportunity

beyond his original project. The

privatization of Ethiopia’s economy

left power unequally distributed in the

Scan this QR code to

watch Rose’s music video

like seeing the effects and everything and

I actually want to learn how to do that.”

Rose wants to change the stereotype of

what it takes to be successful in the film industry.

She avoids being overly competitive

or “cutthroat” because it could hurt her by

burning bridges.

“I want to just prove that you don’t have

to be mean or you don’t have to be a certain

way to get what you want in life,” Rose

said. “You can just work hard and still be really

nice to people. Also, I hope to change

the image of editors because I’ve never

seen a lot of black female editors. I want to

prove that I can do it too, just the same as

anyone else.”

African nation. As a result, accessing

education and educational resources

is difficult for children. The country

of Malawi, where Daniel chose

to donate his books, experiences

similar circumstances. Librarian Steven

Lewis helped Daniel decrease the

cost of sending his books to Malawi

by helping him package the books into

boxes.

“I was enthusiastic about his charity

drive endeavor, though I was worried

about the cost of him shipping books

internationally,” Lewis said.

Without support from his fellow

classmates, Daniel had no club to attach

to his charity donation scholarship;

however, Lewis sponsored the

project under the book club, which allowed

Daniel to continue his project in

school.

“My hope is that by doing this

book drive, it creates a positive,

long-lasting impact on the community

[at school and in Malawi] for years,”

Daniel Said.


Coronavirus culture

COVID-19 leaves social impact, challenges cultural norms

by Makayla Herron

n a typical day during social isolation,

Oa student plays a board game with

their family. Another goes on a walk. Another

refines their baking skills. Another

tunes in to a religious service via Zoom.

Another picks up a paint brush for the

first time. Another binge-watches their

favorite TV show.

With a significant spike in cases of

COVID-19 in the U.S. mid-March and

The Center for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC)’s warning to stay at

home March 17, the district turned to

remote learning plans, causing students

to adapt to new norms. In the

past, infectious diseases have impacted

cultures socially, such as how the

1918 flu resulted in difficulties coping

at work, sleep disturbances and higher

rates of depression, according to Psychiatric

Times. Likewise, COVID-19 will

affect students through a variety of

social outlets.

Shifts in spirituality

istorically, traumatic events spur

Hchanges in the way people view religion;

according to the Pew Research

Center, the Glorious Revolution of 1688

led to the Great Awakening and 9/11

made the American public increasingly

religious. According to the Mayo Clinic,

spirituality can help individuals relinquish

control and feel more connected

to the world. Many students believe the

current pandemic will increase overall

religiosity throughout the country.

“I think that people, because of [the

pandemic], are going to become more

spiritual,” senior Lauren Morris said.

“Other people who aren’t necessarily religious

might turn to other practices like

meditating or just being thoughtful and

aware of the present.”

Nadim Bashir, Imam at East Plano

Islamic Center, says the mosque

has seen an exponential increase

in video views

from thousands

to over a

million. Bashir utilizes the growth to emphasize

the importance of being optimistic

in Islam.

“[People have] become more religiously

conscious,” Bashir said. “That’s

why I always try to preach to my community

to always keep their chin up —

[because] we’re all in this together.”

A 2019 Vox survey identified religion

and spirituality as the second biggest

source of community. Without being

able to attend their place of worship,

some students feel they’ve lost a sense

of community.

“I feel like going to the mosque is a

good way to get out of the house, see

new faces and interact with people you

don’t interact with on a daily basis,” senior

Fatima Sayyed said. “I haven’t been

able to do that and I wish I could. I think

after coming out of this I’ll make more of

an effort to be a positive contribution to

the mosque community.”

Yvette Burlew, life group leader at

Lake Pointe Church, says COVID-19 has

given its members an opportunity to

serve their neighbors, making the church

community more connected.

“I think of it more like we’re physically

distancing but socially, in some ways,

we’re coming together better,” Burlew

said. “It’s really hard when you’re going

through something that’s tragic, [but] in

the midst of [that] we’re seeing little bits

of good break through in the way people

serve each other.”

Changes in communication

andshakes originated in

Hthe ninth century

B.C. to show the

sealing of an

alliance

and a display of trust between rulers, according

to Daily Break. People of ancient

Greek and Roman cultures also used the

gesture to show an eternal bond. Now,

handshakes are a common greeting in

both casual and formal instances. The

CDC, however, advises against being in

close contact of others, which includes

shaking hands or high-fiving.

“I feel like it’s more of a western thing

to shake hands,” Sayyed said. “With

Americans, it’s seen as very rude [to not

shake hands], like [when someone] says

hi to you or gives you your diploma.”

Director of the Masters of Public

Health in Epidemiology at the University

of North Texas Health Science Center

Services Diana Cervantes hopes people

will be more conscious of spreading

germs through touching others’ hands.

“I think in general people don’t wash

their hands, [but] I think people are going

to think about it a little bit more,” Cervantes

said. “I would hope they’ll have a

little more awareness of how diseases

are transmitted.”

According to Greater Good, human

touch is a fundamental part of communication

and spreading compassion, and

an absence of it can lead to

loneliness. With social

distancing measures

limiting


human touch, some students anticipate

relying more on concrete methods to

connect with others.

“Your first instinct is to hug [a friend]

or shake their hand,” Morris said. “I

might be more hesitant to do that right

now, [but] in the future I might do it

more. I miss having physical contact

with people.”

Social psychology professor at the

University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Paul Paulus believes younger generations

will value face-to-face interactions

over texting, calling or social media because

those interactions are an integral

part of their development.

“There are no substitutes for face-toface

gatherings with family, meetings or

classroom settings,” Paulus said. “Many

of the formative things that help young

people develop their self esteem, self

image [and] who they are are being inhibited

by this process. When they become

free of [social distancing], they’re

going to go back quickly to [getting] the

experience that’s so critical in forming

[their] identity.”

While social distancing, junior Jacob

Roy says he realized the importance of

face-to-face communication and looks

forward to continuing that.

“I feel like as good as texting [friends]

and talking to them on the phone is,

[communicating virtually] doesn’t capture

all the emotion,” Roy said. “Even

though COVID-19 has disrupted the way

we’ve communicated, I think as soon as

we’re able to, we’re going to resume like

it was before. I think most of us

prefer seeing each other

in person.”

Alterations in attitudes

ith Spectrum offering free access

Wto the internet for student households,

school districts providing free

meals to students in need, and individuals

rallying to support small businesses,

this pandemic has shown the

lengths people will go to to help others.

Paulus identifies this behavior as

a way for people to stay close while

social distancing.

“I think [helping others] is a very positive

thing both for you and for the other

people involved,” Paulus

said. “Altruism

comes out

more [in situations

like this]

53%

when we see

the needs in

others. [Helping

others] is a

way of coping

[and] it creates of students

this common said they will be more

bond.”

hesitant to shake

According people’s hands, high five

to Cervantes, others, etc. in the future

the increased


role of social

media since

the last pandemic — the swine flu in

2009 — is why she believes this pandemic

has seen an increase in compassion.

“We just didn’t have this level of connectivity

as far as being able to use

Facebook and Twitter,” Cervantes said. “I

think we’re definitely at a benefit during

this pandemic that we are so connected,

at least virtually, because we get an understanding

of how this impacts us all. It

does make us a little bit more empathetic

to others’ situation[s].”

Paulus hopes people will continue to

practice selflessness and consideration

for others after social distancing

measures lift.

“I think we’ve learned

just how dependent we

are [on each other],”

Paulus said.

“In the past, terrible events have made

culture better and [help people] better

together. That’s my hope.”

Director of the Graduate Program for

Public Health at UTA Erin Carlson draws

parallels between the 1918 flu and

COVID-19. Because of the similar governmental

action between these diseases,

Carlson believes this pandemic will

yield a similar response.

“As far as lasting change, [the pandemic]

is going to humble us,” Carlson

said. “[With the 1918 flu], they learned

what they could figure out on their own

in their own homes and w e ’ r e

38%

of students

said they are more

likely to be religious or

spiritual because of the

COVID-19 pandemic

doing the same thing, so it’s going to

make us more self-sufficient.”

Some students plan to find more time

to spend with friends and family.

“I definitely think I’m not going to

take seeing my friends and going out

with them for granted anymore,” Morris

said. “I definitely am going to appreciate

[having] more time with my family and

friends.”

Cervantes believes older generations

are already accustomed to their way of

life whereas younger generations are

more likely to make changes in regards

to their attitude toward maintaining

proper health, helping others, and finding

a balance between technology and

time spent with family and friends.

“This will affect the way [younger

generations] do business and the way

[they] see the world much more,” Cervantes

said. “[Young people] are going to

be the leaders of our future, so [they] are

probably going to be able to institute

those changes.”


Coping at home

Students deal with mental health amid pandemic

by Gracie Warhust

ollowing Gov. Greg Abbott’s order for

FTexans to stay at home except for essential

activities from March 31 to April

30, teenagers and adults alike faced a

period of isolation. People started staying

home before this order, according to

FiveThirtyEight, lengthening this confinement

further. Combined with business

closures and other COVID-19 safety measures,

those with and without previous

mental health difficulties had to find new

resources to cope with their struggles.

“I believe that people have been affected

in lots of different ways, however,

specifically people that are used to

having certain types of distractions or

[compensating] for any of their anxiety

or depression symptoms with things outside

of their home,” licensed professional

counselor (LPC) Pare Underwood said.

Underwood believes the most important

thing for teenagers to develop

is a peer group and friendships, and in

times like these when physical get-togethers

are limited, the lack of contact

can be harmful.

“It’s not like I’m 100 percent completely

fine because then again you can’t really

see anybody during this time, so you just

get lonely every now and then,” senior

Jacob Oliver said. “Extroverts or people

that want to go out to see people, they

try to fill that void with something to do

so that they’re not just stuck at home not

doing anything, [but] as soon as you get

off the game or hang up the call you kind

of just look around and realize that nobody’s

around you and you’re alone.”

Psychology Today reports that faceto-face

social interaction decreases

the likelihood of depressive symptoms.

For students, this could include attending

school, extracurricular activities and

sports practices.

“I’ve been a lot more under the weather

not only because I miss my friends but

also because school was my distraction

from my thoughts and stress,” junior

Charles Igbo said. “Also I’m missing my

activities and getting to perform with my

friends, so overall it’s just made me a little

more upset about things.”

Senior Isabella Escobedo dealt with

personal struggles before the pandemic

and saw a therapist to cope with

them. After her therapist’s office closed,

there were limited options to proceed

with counseling, such as phone or

Zoom sessions.

“I think that really took a toll on me

because then I felt like I wasn’t talking as

much and I wasn’t sharing how I was feeling

as much with the people around me,”

Escobedo said.

For teenagers living at home, attending

a therapy session online may not hold

the same efficacy as in-person sessions.

While there may be upsides, such as convenience

and being in a familiar place,

there are also serious cons such as a lack

of response to crisis situations and confidentiality

issues, according to Very Well

Mind. Escobedo attributed some issues

to technology use and being uncomfortable

that an outside party would overhear

the conversation.

“It was helpful finally talking to her

again and kind of picking up where we

left off,” Escobedo said. “[But] I see how

some people may feel like they can’t

say everything they want to say [over

the phone].”

According to Psychology Today, time

away from work and school, at least for

Senior Jacob Oliver plays a video game in his room

May 15. Oliver found activities to do at home in accordance

to Gov. Greg Abbot’s stay-at-home order.

Photo by Gracie Warhurst

a short amount of time, may help relieve

some stress for certain people. In addition,

Psych Central reports that a lack

of distractions can help one focus on

positive feelings.

“It’s kind of both like a weight off because

now we have online classes and I

can just not care about school [as much]

anymore,” Oliver said. “It’s not like you

have something to do every single day.

You can kind of put it off.”

Underwood believes those who have

had fewer issues with mental health

during this time have healthy relationships

at home with their family and are

naturally lower on the stress spectrum,

experiencing less big life changes or feelings

of anxiety.

“A lot of the people that are stressed

with finances or jobs or are in the middle

of a divorce or adoption or any of those

types of family things, it has affected

them a lot more,” Underwood said. “I think

[parental stress] kind of trickles down to

the teens and the teens don’t have as

[many] resources.”

For those continuing to struggle with

feelings of loneliness or decreased mental

health during this time of social distancing,

Very Well Mind recommends sticking

to a daily schedule, thinking of ways

to meaningfully connect with loved ones

from a distance and finding safe sources

of comfort.

“I think that you kind of miss the aspect

of people asking how you’re doing at

school,” Escobedo said. “You know, you

miss that aspect of your teachers noticing

that something’s a little off or a place

where sometimes you talk about how

you’re feeling or what’s going on, and I

feel like you’re missing that.”


Online resources, at-home strategies

for keeping up with mental health

by Saifiyah Zaki

ith therapist offices closed and social distancing guidelines in place, many people must go without their usual resources

Wfor coping with mental health. However, here are a few new and old online resources available to use as well as tips from

professionals on improving mental health at home:

“ “

“[Stay] in the present and [find] as much to ground

out as you can — so, getting outside, getting in the

sunshine, getting grass on your feet [or] taking deep

breaths. Exercise, exercise, exercise, just for that endorphin

boost. People who are not as active, I think

[it’s important to be] responsible for what you’re exposing

yourself to, so, not exposing yourself to too

much TV or social media if you feel like it’s taking a

toll on your stress or even mood. So, lots of self care,

journaling, getting in a good sleep habit, those types

of things.”

-Licensed Professional Counselor Pare Underwood

NAMI HELPLINE

(800) 950-6264

“

he National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Help-

TLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing

information, resource referrals and support to

people living with a mental health conditions, their family

members and caregivers, as well as mental health

providers and the public. The helpline is open Monday

through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they also respond

to emails at info@nami.org.

“One of the big tips is to talk about [mental health]

and if you’re having symptoms or issues with depression

— being, ‘I’m feeling overwhelmed [and]

helpless,’ feeling like I’m having thoughts of maybe

even, ‘My life’s not worth it,’ or ‘I don’t see a way

out of all this mess,’ kind of pre-suicidal thoughts

— that’s not uncommon. My suggestion would be

talk to your parents about it, but if parents aren’t

receptive also to be able to know ‘so who do I call?’

Call the hotline and say ‘Hey, I may need some help.’

Some people may think, ‘I’ve talked to my friends

about it and it didn’t help.’ But friends aren’t really

always the most appropriate [people to talk to].

I would suggest if someone feels like, ‘I’m feeling

unsettled, I’m not feeling okay, I’m not feeling like

myself, I’m overwhelmed, I’m tearful, I’m afraid, I’m

having anxiety, I’m feeling hopeless,’ there is the

mental health hotline. Another place they can talk

to is their primary care [doctor]. There is no stigma

[around] this, it would be very common.”

“

-Licensed clinical social worker Sonya Owens

PSYCH CENTRAL

his website, run by mental health professionals, of-

online mental health resources, quizzes, news

Tfers

and an “Ask the Therapist” function. Psych Central also

runs more than 250 support groups through online forum

chats that users can join.

TALKSPACE APP

alkspace is a paid service that allows users to commu-

with licensed therapists via text, audio or video

Tnicate

messaging. It works through the Talkspace mobile app but

can also be accessed from a computer. Talkspace provides

treatment for a variety of issues including: anxiety,

addiction, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, LGBTQ+

issues and relationship issues. The company also offers

treatment for teens between the ages of 13 and 17. However,

parents must give permission via video message for

minors to receive treatment. After that, teens can have

private communication with a therapist. Unless the counselor

thinks a teen’s mental or physical health is in immediate

danger, therapy issues are kept confidential.

14 • Sports PESHPRINTS.COM

Healthy at home

Students find ways to excersize while at home

by Jad Baajour

hile everyone is social distancing

Wat home, people find themselves

with a lot of spare time on their hands.

Working out and staying in shape are

productive ways to spend free time

while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Many people who work out use certain

lifting schedules in order to efficiently

work out all parts of the body.

“I have a schedule that consists

of a bro split,” senior Kalleb Solomon

said. “Having a schedule really helps

me keep all my body parts in shape

and keeps me in check throughout

the week.”

Some students have gym equipment

at home and use this to their advantage

when working out without the resources

the gym provides. Pull-up bars,

dumbbells and even backpacks can be

used when trying to stay in shape at

home.

“Having equipment at home has

been really helpful for me in this time,”

senior Blake Lovett said. “I find a pullup

bar to be the best single piece of

equipment one can have at their house

because of the countless amounts of

workouts a person can [do] with just

one bar.”

Solomon decided to use time while

social distancing to build himself a gym

in the garage so he can do similar exercises

as he would at a public gym.

“It’s a fun family project that I decided

to start, and I hope my family and I

use this gym for years to come,” Solomon

said.

One of a gym’s main purposes is to

provide the proper equipment for its

members to use. While using equipment

is helpful when exercising, there

are several workouts that students can

do without any equipment.

“Unfortunately, I rely on the gym

for my equipment so I have no workout

equipment at home,” senior Nizer

Abogn said. “I think the best workout

to do without equipment is just a lot of

pushups because they work out several

parts of the body.”

Senior track runner K’von Hamilton

sets himself apart in his way of getting

in his pushups.

“I set alarms at random timings

throughout the day,” Hamilton said.

“This is a creative way of keeping

myself in shape that I recommend to

all people.”

Cardio is also an essential part of

staying in shape and burning calories.

According to Men’s Journal, running

and cycling are two of the most efficient

forms of cardio.

“Quarantine has been pretty boring

and one of the ways I’ve been having

fun is by running three miles around

the block and bike-riding with some

friends,” senior Mallory Migl said. “It’s

a good way for me to get outside the

house and also burn a few calories

while catching up with my friends.”

Safely dieting is one of the most vital

parts of staying in shape according

to ACTIVE, and eating healthy is necessary

for students who want to lose

weight or build muscle.

“It’s very important to get a high

amount of protein in my diet,” Lovett

said. “Eating fruits and vegetables is

also key so that your body gets the nutrients

that it needs.”

While isolating at home is not the

ideal situation for most people to be in,

there is a silver lining.

“During this time I’ve had at home,

I’ve been able to get in really good

shape,” senior Matthew Hailu said. “I

normally only do workouts with weights

and complex machines, but now that

I’m at home, I’ve been trying out new

exercises and been doing more cardio.”

FITNESS YOUTUBERS OFFERING WORKOUT VIDEOS:

Chloe Ting | 7.21M subscribers

Ting offers a number of free guided YouTube workout

programs she calls “challenges.” The comprehensive

programs range from two-week shreds to

options that work specific body parts like the arms

or thighs for up to a month or so through a series of

different videos.

The Fitness Marshall | 2.56M

Caleb Marshall choreographs dance cardio workout

videos to trending music. Marshall encourages

viewers to create their own personalized workouts

by combining warm-up, workout and cool-down videos

of their choice into a playlist. He also curates a

“sweat set” playlist updated regularly.

blogilates | 5.1M subscribers

This channel releases a new video every Monday

fusing pop music with pilate workouts choreographed

by the founder, Cassey Ho. Blogilates also

provides different monthly workout calendars for

subscribers to follow along with, ranging from beginner

to advanced.

OFFICIALTHENX | 5.7M

This channel, run by trainer Chris Heria, offers free

daily calisthenics workouts as well as paid programs

with different options ranging from beginner to advanced.

Although the channel traditionally combines

both gym and at-home workouts, all recent videos

have been focused on working out at home.

@PESHPRINTS Sports • 15

Sports season comes

to quick end

by Fatima Malik

sports season came to an early end

Twhen activities involving contact with

people outside of their homes shut down.

Sports including tennis, softball and soccer

came to a halt, with last meets for athletes

occurring right before spring break.

“It’s really sad because most of the seniors

don’t get to live out their senior year

how they expected,” junior softball player

Lauren Trinh said. “It’s hard for us underclassmen

because we have really good

relationships with the seniors.”

Athletes were working toward

tournaments and competitions

before they were

officially canceled April 17.

The drill team had practiced

for their Spring Show for two

months before the season’s

abrupt end. The show was

to take place late April.

“It’s very sad to see

how much work you’ve put

into something and it just

all collapses,” senior and

Golden Girl Lauren Dunn

said. “We were working really

hard toward Spring

Show and finalizing all of

our dances.”

The records and rankings

that athletes set out to reach

are no longer attainable,

including UIL placement —

which helps colleges reach

out to athletes for scholarship

offers. Colleges can

also no longer scout for

or recruit underclassmen

during their games. The assistant

softball coach at the

University of Texas at Dallas,

where Trinh is hoping to be

recruited, had planned to attend

district games that are

now canceled.

“I’m kind of disappointed

about how the season

turned out, [being] that it’s

hard to get recruited [for]

2021,” Trinh said. “We had

really good competition this

year, and we were planning on going really

far in playoffs and possibly state.”

Being involved in a sports team meant

a steady routine with before-school or after-school

practice, but developing a new

routine was up to athletes as the season

came to an end.

“[Tennis] added a lot of structure to

my life,” senior Jaden Banze said. “Despite

waking up at 6 a.m. every single

day to get to morning practice — it

was grueling morning practice — it was

really important.”

Senior softball player Jordon Manworren

feels that losing these last few

months has affected many athletes on

the team mentally because the sport was

their way of relieving stress. To check

on everyone, the two seniors on the

team text the underclassmen through

their group chat.

“It’s hard not knowing when your last

game is going to be and it being yanked

out from under you,” Manworren said. “I

think next year [the underclassmen] are

going to realize the game could be taken

away from them at any point and I think

Photo courtesy of Bhavesh Bhatka

Senior Tyler Tamblyn runs as he competes in a hurdle event at the

district invitational meet Feb. 29.

that’ll build the amount of fight they have.”

During this time, athletes learned a new

lesson they had never considered before

their season was temporarily taken away.

Senior track runner Tyler Tamblyn hopes

incoming students, athletes or not, gain a

new consciousness from this time.

“If I were to tell [something to] incoming

students that aren’t seniors yet, I’d

probably say you can’t take any moment

for granted,” Tamblyn said. “You have to

make sure you enjoy and embrace every

moment that’s given to you because you

never know if it could be your last one.”

Silver lining

How to make most

of unprecedented

situation

by Ethan Johnson

Due to COVID-19, the NBA, MLB,

NHL and MLS are all on hiatus and

even UIL canceled all organized

games, meets and competitions.

Seniors had their final seasons

stripped from them and the world

is at a standstill. However, there is

a silver lining amidst all the uncertainty.

With their seasons shortened,

underclassmen have an extended

offseason to recover and

train for next year, and athletes

who have sustained an injury have

more time to heal and come back

even stronger.

Sports Illustrated detailed how

taking time off a sport after playing

for years can help avoid burnout

and make any athlete better at

what they do. Through both mental

and physical rest, athletes allow

their bodies and minds to heal.

The school year is long and challenging,

making the daily routine

of high school athletes even harder.

However, now these athletes

will have nothing but time to focus

on improving their game in any

way they can.

Taking a break is important for

an athlete’s mental health as well,

since the added difficulties of going

to school, a full practice schedule

and a social life take a lot of

mental effort to maintain. Training

Peaks suggests finding a hobby

to distract yourself and focus on

things that will strengthen your

weaknesses, such as running to

build endurance.

Unfortunately, senior spring

athletes have lost their final season,

but that doesn’t mean they

can’t still play or practice their

sport. There will always be memories

to look back on and on and

teammates that have grown into

lifelong friends. Senior athletes

who will continue their careers in

college now have the same opportunity

as underclassmen to become

better and improve their skills before

next season. These are difficult

and uncertain times, but while

stuck at home, we might as well

make the best of it.

Ethan Johnson is a sports reporter

for the Panther Prints.

16 • Sports PESHPRINTS.COM

Fit to commit

Senior athletes share college recruitment experience

by Sevval Erenkol

ith the school year drawing to a close,

Wa select group of athletes await season

kickoffs with their new teams. After

years of keeping their eyes on the ball,

they’ve finally scored by signing onto college

sports and launching their careers as

professional athletes.

Senior football player Dunia Ilundu

earned a full-ride

merit scholarship to

Lamar University, a

Division I school. The

wide receiver played

since elementary

school before realizing

he could turn his

hobby into a profession.

At the start of

freshman year, Ilundu

made it his mission

to advance to college

football.

“I was naturally

gifted, but I’m not the

biggest guy,” Ilundu

said. “So it was

always either work

or quit — that was

my mentality.”

Not everything

went as expected. In

the summer before

his senior year, Ilundu

sustained a foot and

ankle injury that disrupted

his practice.

Instead of waiting to

fully heal, he returned

to playing because

as a starter, he felt

the need to support

his team. Ilundu expressed

how he was

uneasy that many

players on varsity

were starting seniors

and the quarterback

position wasn’t

fully occupied.

“Everybody thought

we were going to be

terrible because we

had so many great

seniors graduating

and we were all young,” Ilundu said. “I had

expected offers to start rolling in but the

season didn’t go as planned. My recruiting

slowed down because we were playing so

bad[ly]. Everything halted.”

Ilundu and teammate senior Danny Armstead

took matters

into their own hands

and produced video

highlight reels from

their football film.

Photo by Brooke Shaw

Senior Dunia Ilundu plays against Lake Highlands

High School at the Cotton Bowl Stadium Sept. 6.

They sent the videos

along with their resumes

to hundreds

of coaches across the

nation. When some of

the coaches gave them offers, word spread

about the athletes. Although the two hoped

to attend the same university, Armstead

eventually signed to Central Arkansas, also

as a wide receiver.

“It was a hard process, but it worked

out in our favor,”

Armstead said. “We

didn’t want to pay

for college so we just

did what we needed

to do.”

Outside of school,

softball player senior

Carson Armijo’s competitive

travel team,

Impact Gold, helped

her gain recognition

from colleges. The

University of California,

Los Angeles

(UCLA) reached out

to her after seeing her

pitch and play both

the infield and outfield.

The Division I

school invited Armijo

to attend the UCLA

Elite Camp and she

was subsequently

recruited during her

sophomore year.

“I was always looking

at colleges closer

to home [but UCLA]

came out of nowhere,”

Armijo said.

“As soon as I saw

them, I knew I wanted

to go to [there].”

Although the senior

athletes indicated

that they experienced

hardship in the course

of committing to a

college team, all three

feel the process was

worth it.

“It can get really discouraging

sometimes

when you don’t get

the recognition or attention

from colleges that you want,” Armijo

said. “I had to learn to deal with rejection

and [that playing competitive sports] is a

character builder. I believe that even if you

don’t go to a D-I, everyone has an opportunity

to play in college. If you put your heart

and mind to it, you can do it.”

Photo courtesy of Jim Johnson

Senior Carson Armijo pitches against McKinney

Boyd High School at a home game March 20.

@PESHPRINTS Sports • 17

Spring sports spotlight

by Fatima Malik

Photos by Johnathan Gonzalez

Senior Riley Niksich takes his turn batting for

the baseball game against Rockwall Feb. 17. “We

had a bit of rivalry with them as they were a very

talented team like us,” Niksich said. “Both games

where we played them featured a lot of emotion.”

Senior Kai Vuong attends bowling practice Feb. 4.

“If I could get another year to be with those people

doing the thing we love I would, but sadly my high

school bowling career is over and I may never get

another practice session like this again,” Vuong said.

Junior Ashley Waters blocks the ball during the

JV girls’ soccer game against Allen Feb. 25.

“Those hits don’t look like much but when it’s

cold and you are out there in shorts and a shortsleeved

shirt, it’s a stinger,” Waters said.

18 • Opinion PESHPRINTS.COM

No vaccine for climate change

by Akie Kasai

he COVID-19 pandemic is chang-

everything from education to

Ting

the economy — and it’s having a monumental

effect on the environment.

Some changes are positive, such as

the closure of factories and industries

that contribute to greenhouse gas

emissions, but this reduction is most

likely temporary. The increase in medical

waste such as used gloves and

face masks highlights the negative effects

of this situation. With companies

such as Moderna Therapeutics and researchers

currently working on a vaccine,

it should be available within 12-18

months, but there is no vaccine for climate

change. Investing time into solving

climate change is equally important

as studying the coronavirus.

After the global financial crisis in

2008, carbon emissions increased due

to stimulus spending. To prevent history

from repeating itself, governments

should be wary of how they restimulate

industries. Investing in greener

industries like solar panels and other

renewable resources will create jobs

that won’t harm the environment. In

the post-coronavirus world, if everyone

went back to living the way did

originally, the climate crisis would

be irreversible.

Satellite readings from NASA and

the European Space Agency show that

nitrogen dioxide levels over cities and

industrial areas in Asia and Europe

were lower than in the same period

last year. Because of reduced industrial

activity and traffic, air quality has

improved. While the reduced emissions

are positive now, the changes are temporary

since people will travel and factories

will overproduce to compensate

for their losses. Emissions may end

up higher than before the pandemic

hit. To prevent this, governments

and businesses must actively treat

climate change like a pandemic — a

preventable danger.

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention’s social distancing guidelines

recommend staying at least 6 feet

from others, but with the the world

focused on finding a solution to the

current pandemic, the climate is an afterthought.

Though people can’t protest

in person, climate activist Greta

Thunberg urged her followers via Instagram

to move the ongoing “Fridays

for Future” protests to social media to

rally against the lack of action on the

climate crisis. Despite being unable to

gather physically, groups can still gather

digitally. Despite a global pandemic,

Virtual learning: COVID’s necessary evil

by Elena Hamlin

n the midst of a global pandemic, aca-

institutions scramble to make an

Idemic

impromptu transition to online learning.

Teachers have utilized technology in the

modern classroom before, but an entirely

virtual education is unprecedented for

many school districts. Understandably,

no one was prepared to part for spring

break and not return, but the quality of

the new e-education is now suffering the

consequences of this quick turnaround.

The lack of in-person, face-to-face

contact is taking its toll on education

as video lectures become the new

norm. While these tools do allow students

to see others, it in no way compares

to having an educator and other

students nearby. Mark Edmundson, an

English professor from the University

of Virginia, mentioned in The New York

Times that online education is largely

one-size-fits-all. Instead of a dialogue,

it becomes more of a monologue, cutting

out the beneficial personalization

available from an on-scene instructor.

Having the personal support of a

non-digital teacher goes a long way in

the success of a student, as does having

peer interactions.

While there was no other foreseeable

option to transitioning online in order to

complete the school year while keeping

students safe, the fact that this switch

occurred toward the end of the year

threw students off their routines, thereby

impacting their success. There is no

longer a certain time to wake up and get

ready, a bell schedule

to follow or an

appointed time per

class. Time management

has been put

solely in the hand

of the student, and

those who struggled

before are falling

very far behind.

Online learning may

suit students who

are prepared to make

that commitment, but

81%

of students

students uprooted

from their institutions

because of COVID-19

were largely unprepared

and are now playing catch-up in

establishing this routine.

Learning from home means the quality

of education no longer lies in the hands

of the instructor, but in the willpower of

the student. For many, not having the

atmosphere of a traditional institution

activists will continue to protest.

The coronavirus crisis is not just a

public health crisis. It’s a job and income

crisis, a childcare crisis and a

poverty crisis. Being bombarded with

constant news, it’s difficult to see the

end of this situation, but this will end.

The coronavirus changed the world for

all but continuing to help the environment

is still a goal worth striving for.

73%

41%

think the quality of education is being

cut by the new online curriculum


of students

said they went

shopping less frequently

in stores due

to COVID-19

of students

said no one in

their household

travels regularly

due to COVID-19


makes staying motivated a difficult task.

The lack of a physical classroom leaves

room for distractions and disregard. The

self-discipline required to attend an online

school is not for all, but this pandemic

has eliminated that choice.

The transition

to online school is

a necessary fix to

a temporary problem

and is in the

interest of everyone’s

safety. Students

across the

country are dealing

with the imperfections

of virtual

learning, but it is

the best thing in this

hard time, and everyone

is going through

it together. Students

have already begun

to virtually join forces,

assisting their peers across a computer

screen. At the very least, when

this pandemic is over, students will have

a heightened appreciation for the ability

to go to school and interact with their

teachers and peers.

@PESHPRINTS Opinion • 19

Temporary sacrifice, permanent results

Full shelter-in-place policies needed to combat COVID-19

Staff Editorial

ov. Greg Abbott’s executive orders

Gallowed most businesses in the state

to reopen by May 8 at 25% capacity and

in accordance with CDC guidelines. This

came as the second part of a phased

plan to balance prevention measures

and economic well-being. However,

the state should reverse this decision

and return to a full stay-at-home policy

to be able to properly enforce social

distancing measures necessary

to slow the spread of the virus, the

benefits of which outweigh negative

economic effects.

A lack of effective and enforceable

prevention measures has drastic

consequences — the loss of life

resulting from ineffective policies is

much more detrimental to the economy

than temporary

closure of non-essential

businesses. Based

on White House projections

created April

1, the national death

toll would be between

100,000 to 240,000 if

containment measures

are followed perfectly.

Without effective social

distancing measures,

the model predicted between

1.5 and 2.2 million

deaths. Losing such a

large piece of the population

over the span

of a few months means

businesses lose hundreds

and thousands

of employees faster

than they can replace

them. In addition, the

indiscriminant nature of

COVID-19 means this

loss is not limited to

any particular type of

worker — both skilled

and unskilled workers

are equally likely to be

affected, regardless of

how difficult they may

be to replace.

Shelter-in-place

measures can mitigate

a loss of

workers and

would preserve

the functionality

of businesses

in the

long term, even

if they may

lose profits in

the short term.

This means the

overall time

spent experiencing

the economic

effects of the pandem-

Cartoon by Sevval Erenkol

ic would be much shorter than it would

be if non-essential businesses continue

to function. If workers stay home and

follow social distancing guidelines, they

can help “flatten the curve” or reduce the

peak number of cases and related demands

on hospitals, allowing more people

to recover fully from the virus. As a result,

the minimized effect on any business’s

workforce ensures that it can begin functioning

at the same capacity immediately

after shelter-in-place policies are lifted.

Temporarily halting economic activity

does still have a profound effect on the

financial health of the nation. However,

there are already structures in place to

navigate an economic downturn whereas

there is no vaccine or alternative solution

to combat the pandemic yet. As of now,

the most effective tool against the spread

of the virus is social distancing, which

can only be fully enforced through

shelter-in-place policies. By following

these policies, the nation can recover

from the current economic contraction

as it would through any other, using

means of monetary and fiscal policy

combined with more effective use

of security net programs, increased

government support

for businesses and a

shift in payment schedules,

according to the

Brookings Institution.

Opponents of a full

shelter-in-place policy

argue that widespread

unemployment will

make the policy unsustainable

for individual

workers because they

will not have the funds

to continue to buy essential

products nor any

more products to buy.

However, the way this

policy works in other

states allows essential

businesses and their

workers to remain at

work, meaning the

people necessary to

sustain the essential

needs of everyone

else are still doing

their jobs. In addition,

the federal

government’s

$2 trillion

stimulus

package will

help support

the newly

unemployed

through economic

impact

payments or

stimulus checks.

With the present

magnitude of this pandemic,

there must be

a sacrifice. The current

choices are a temporary

economic sacrifice

leading to a slow but

sure recovery, or the

permanent sacrifice of

millions.

20 • Entertainment PESHPRINTS.COM

Words unspoken

Last day wishes from students, teachers

by Riya George

or many, the last day of school before spring break was just anoth-

day — the cafeteria buzzed with its typical Friday excitement

Fer

while students soaked up the spring sunshine. When students and

teachers left school March 6, they didn’t expect the partial shelter in

place that would follow. The school closure left many with unresolved

feelings and words for their peers.

New perspectives

enior Teena James treated Friday with the same importance as

Sshe always had, eager to begin a busy break. Before leaving that

day, James and her friends visited the pond to watch the turtles

come to the surface. Though the day wasn’t special to her then, she

looks back on the encounter as the most memorable part of her last

day and a shifting point for the rest of the year.

“Before this whole thing, I didn’t really care for high school,”

James said. “I just wanted to be in college and move on. [The break]

gave me a whole new perspective about school and how we actually

keep in contact with a limited amount of people.”

Track trio

Running for life

Jill Patel and Lahar Nadig after running the NHS Color Run Feb. 29.

Nadig went to the event with acquaintances and came out with new

friendships. “It was super fun getting to know people I wasn’t with

before,” Nadig said. “These small moments mean so much to me now.”

Jadyn Truong, Marisa Romero and Madison Kho at a track meet March 6. The runners

missed their last in-person classes to go to their meet and spent the entire day with

fellow competitors. “I’m sad it was my last meet because I didn’t get to say goodbye to

the sport I love,” Romero said. “I feel like the experience of having completed the season

got taken away from me because almost every other high school sport got to fully

complete their season. I didn’t realize how big of an impact track had on my life.”

Routine adjustment

he prolonged break from school left students and teach-

longing for the sense of normalcy that a daily pat-

Ters

tern brought. With the abrupt closure, seniors like Varsha

Narayanan feel they missed the opportunity to thank those

around them.

“I wish I could’ve told [my teachers and peers] how

much they meant to me and how much it meant seeing

them every day,” Narayanan said. “Now, I feel like not

seeing them and just being alone every day is really hard.”

Supporting through remote learning

hough pandemic procedures prevent the

Tin-person classes many teachers prefer,

math teacher Kristie Diefenbaker feels remote

learning will strengthen a bond between

students and teachers that may not have

existed before.

“I believe that with the remote learning environment,

students are realizing the importance

of face-to-face interaction and how much easier

it is to understand a lesson when they receive

it in person,” Diefenbaker said. “It’s difficult to

motivate from a distance, but I’m working hard

to find creative ways to do it remotely.”

Spring semesters traditionally mark the point

where teachers transition from academic instructors

to classroom cheerleaders. AP exams,

finals and college decisions are just some milestones

that teachers help with.

“If I had known the Friday before break may

Team bonding

Student senate at a lunch before spring break on March 6. Senate held lunches once a month to

bond and get to know each other outside of a school environment. “Knowing that this was probably

the last time I would get to spend time with my Senate friends is so sad because I don’t think I’ve

ever been a part of a group that’s more ambitious, fun-loving and compassionate than these people,”

senior Manasi Gummaraju said. “I cherish the moments that we had, like our team lunches.”

have been the last day I get to see my students, I would have definitely shared more words of wisdom and well wishes,” Diefenbaker

said. “To all my students, you are bright shining stars and I can’t wait to see the direction the future will take you.”

@PESHPRINTS Entertainment • 21

Earning money online as quaranTEENS

by Bree Johnson

revious plans concerning summer jobs may no longer be possible, thanks to the prolonging of government-issued so-

distancing. If you were relying on the extra cash during the summer, here are a few ways to make bank even

Pcial

while stuck in quarantine:

Depop is an app that lets you sell clothes and accessories

from the comfort of your own home. It’s a simple and

user-friendly application — all you have to do is take a

picture of the item you want to sell, choose a price and

list it on your page. You can use hashtags to increase

how much traffic you get on your profile. The more viewers

you receive, the more likely you are to sell your item.

Once sold, you can collect payment through Paypal. Pay-

Pal requires users to be 18 so if you’re under age — use a

parent’s! Then, bundle up your clothes, apply your stamps

and ship your clothing off to its new home! Some other

similar apps to check out are ThredUp and Poshmark.

There are multiple websites where you can make money

by taking surveys such as Toluna, Swagbucks and

Survey Junkie. The more surveys completed, the more

money you receive. Depending on the website, you can

receive payment through gift cards or to your Paypal or

Cashapp. The amount of money you get depends on the

length of the survey, who’s distributing the survey and

how many surveys you take. So take as many as you can

and get excited about the influx of cash in your bank

account. Some other similar websites: Opinion Outpost

and Paid Viewpoint.

Music lovers, this one’s for you. You can get paid to listen

to music and leave critiques for 5 to 20 cents per review.

It’s as easy as making an account and grabbing some

headphones. Similar to other methods of making money

while in social isolation, the more reviews you make, the

more money you get. It might take a while, but once you

hit your desired amount of pay, you can click “‘withdrawal”’

and send the money to your PayPal. Another similar

website is Music Xray.

If you often write short stories or just like writing in general,

you can do freelance article writing through Hubpages.

Ads are displayed on the website, so every time

someone reads your article and happens to click on the

ad displayed, you earn a small percentage. This means

you can write an article about anything you desire and

make a small amount of cash on the side. Another similar

website is Helium.

If you often doodle during class or are artistically inclined, check out Redbubble.

Redbubble is a website where you can draw, paint or graphically design anything

and sell it. Redbubble takes your artwork and turns it into stickers, clothing, bedspreads,

tapestries, phone cases, journals and more. You name it and they probably

have it. You can upload your designs, again using hashtags to increase traffic

on your page. If a customer places an order, Redbubble handles the creation, the

shipping and everything else. Base commission is 20% but you can set the price

however you want. On Redbubble, it’s all about popularity — the more you sell, the

more you make. Some other similar websites are Zazzle and Society6.

Panther Prints | Issue 4 | May 2020

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?