Ponder High School Roar

March 25, Ponder High School participated in the annual UIL academic district tournament. With over fifty students competing, this year has had the greatest number of participants in recent years! the following is a list of those who were able to place for our school: INDIVIDUALS: Mathematics: 5th place, Evan McWhorter Accounting: 4th place, Elizabeth Richardson Number Sense: 5th place, Elizabeth Branin 2nd place, Evan McWhorter 5th place, Jared Shelton Calculator Applications: 4th place, Mitch Fruth News Writing: 1st place, Shanon McGill Computer Applications: 4th place, Bailey Lewis Ready Writing: 3rd place, Melanie Baker Computer Science: 1st place, Evan McWhorter Science: 2nd place, Nathaniel Hill 5th place, Luke Sparkman 4th place, Luke Sparkman Physics: Headline Writing: 1st place, Luke Sparkman 5th place, Andrew Anderson 6th place, Ben Montgomery Spelling and Vocabulary: 6th place, Jennifer Eppler Informative Speaking: 2nd place, Hannah Davis TEAMS: 6th place, Aaron Williams Accounting: 2nd place Lincoln Douglas Debate: Computer Science: 1st place, Eric Dearmin 1st place 2nd place, Hannah Davis Number Sense: 2nd place Congratulations to all placeholders! And thank you to all participants! Pomskies By Teryana Sledge Pomskies are a relatively new breed of ‘designer dog’ that is gaining rapid popularity across North America and Europe. Pomsky puppies are still quite rare and you can expect to dish out more than $1000 dollars for one. The little Pomeranian-Husky mix stays relatively small for their entire life span, which makes them very easy to maintain. You will notice right away that the puppy has genetic findings of both breed types, but the interesting thing with the Pomera- nian Husky is that depending on the dog, each one will have stronger or less strong characteristics of their mother or father. In other words, you may see more Husky in one dog, and a different dog might show more characteristics of the Pomeranian par- ent. I think this is what makes the Pomeranian Husky one of the most unique pets in the world. Pomskies are a relatively new breed of ‘designer dog’ that is gaining rapid popularity across North America and Europe. Pomsky puppies are still quite rare and you can expect to dish out more than $1000 dollars for one. A Pomsky puppy is without a doubt one of the most dangerous sights a dog lover could ever lay eyes upon. Simply because of the fact they are so darn cute. It is one of the more recent additions to the designer dog arena. As with most hybrid breeds, the physical appearance of a Pomsky puppy can be somewhat unpredict- able, and as a fairly new breed, Pomsky breeders are still tweaking the ‘perfect’ look for the breed. How- ever, most enthusiasts seem to gravitate towards a look that is similar to a Husky but smaller in size. The Pomsky’s temperament too can be varied depending on each parent’s genetic contribution, but they are generally considered to be highly intelligent, loving and playful dogs. The most common feature of the Pomeranian Husky is without a doubt its curved tail, which are also noticeable in both breeds. Unlike most small dogs, the Pomsky isn’t as affected by freezing temperatures; this is due to the double fun-coat. It’s also worth noting that both breeds originated from the Arctic, so the cold is not a problem for this small breed. Pomeranian Huskies offer a lot of enjoyment, companionship and are relatively very easy to main- tain. You will want to make sure that if you have kids, you train them to be around them at a very young age. This will help them feel more comfortable around children as they get older. Easter by Diego Gonzalez The name Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for April, Eostermunath. It means the month of beginnings. In the early years of Christianity there was a dispute over the date of Easter. In 325 the Nicean Council decided it should be on the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox. That is why the date of Easter changes each year. Friday is the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. It is called Good Friday because good meant holy. On that day we eat hot cross buns. The origins of hot cross buns are obscure but in pagan times peo- ple baked buns and offered them to the gods. Cross buns with the cross representing the cross of Jesus were first mentioned in the 18th century. The Easter bunny was originally a hare because hares were fertility symbols in the pagan religion and they continued to be associated with Easter after people were converted to Christianity. Because people in the USA were unfamiliar with hares the Easter hare became a rabbit. In the Middle Ages Christians were forbidden to eat eggs during Lent (the forty days before Easter). Not surprisingly people were keen to eat eggs when Easter arrived! Some people also said that the egg repre- sented the tomb of Jesus (Although long before Christianity eggs were a pagan symbol of fertility). In the Middle Ages people painted Easter eggs red but by the 18th centu- ry people bought artificial eggs made of various materials to give as gifts at Easter. (Sometimes the artificial eggs contained gifts). Chocolate Easter eggs were first made in the 19th century. Senior

Clare Young BY Sterling Stinson Fun, friendly and fashionable Clare Young has made quite an im- pression in her 9 years in Ponder as an amazingly well-rounded person. From sports to volunteer work to academic, she not only participates in it all, she excels in it. To begin with, Clare spent her first two years in high school on the Lady Lions Team, playing her heart out. “I remember how good her hits were...and how she ran like a princess,” former teammate Rachel Swaf- ford said with a fond (if somewhat teasing) smile. She also participated in triple jump, long jump, 400 meter and mile relay in track and Fellowship of Christian Athletes both years. Sadly, that chapter of her life had to come to an end her Junior year when she had to have surgery for her hip dysplasia. Off the court and the track, Clare enjoys giving back to the community in a number of ways. First, she likes to do her duty to her class, having served 3 years as a class officer. Then it’s to the whole high school, serving on NHS for two years with a pledge to keep her grades high, her character good, and do what she can to help the other members of the PHS community. Then, she takes it even further with a desire to help the whole district by participating in PALs and giving her time to the students in our school district who need her help. And, as if all that weren’t enough, she’s smart, too. Of course, you have to be to be in NHS but she’s even smarter than that shows her to be. In fact, she is smart enough to have been awarded the full ride Presidential Scholarship from Tyler Junior College, where she will be going in the fall. Clare will go to Tyler in the fall to get her associates to become a Diagnostic Sonographer. As men- tioned before, she has achieved a full ride to do this school. In ten years, she can see herself as a wife and mother working in an OB/GYN. We wish her the best as she goes on to college and we know she’ll be the best Sonographer has ever seen.

Cole Hudson BY Shane Scott Cole Hudson has attended Ponder for 5 years now. One thing he doesn’t know how to do but wishes he could do is make millions easily. His fa- vorite actor/actress is Tom Cruise, and his favorite TV show is Chicago Fire. Another fun fact is his favorite movie is Ladder 49. Cole’s favorite sport is even though he was apart of last years state cham- pion team. His favorite color is red, and his favorite animal is a monkey. His favorite teacher is Mr. Lankford. His favorite singer is George Strait, and he likes to eat at Chuy’s. He also wouldn’t change his name if he could. He would take a trip to Cuba if he could, and describes himself as a content person. He would want to be on a deserted island with Jennifer Aniston. On this deserted island, three things he would have is a gun, unlimited ammo, and drinking water. His most prized possession is his shotgun. He still wants to be a firefighter. Spotlights

Justin Rippentropp BY Noelia Sandoval Justin Rippentrop (a.k.a JayTeeRip) has been a student at Ponder for 13 years. He was in PAL’s his sophomore year and has been in drama his sophomore, junior and senior year. Justin says his high school experience has been exciting, getting to work with PAL’s and drama (OAP) was great and he’s glad he got to meet such amazing students. If you were to ask someone what words would they use to describe Justin they would be funny, charismatic and devilishly handsome, but in all he’s an all- around nice guy who cares for his friends, and is very generous. Justin’s lived in Ponder since 1999, favorite colors purple, Germany’s #1 fan, loves animals, especially his puppy Reagan, favorite subject is history and would like to live in Austin in his later years. Also on the 20th of March Justin was sworn into the Air Force as an official member, way to go Justin!

Ally Gordon BY Shelby Cormier Allison Gordon, or Alley as many call her, has been going to Ponder High School for 4 ½ years. She has participated in volleyball and been a member in the school choir, led by Mr. Carnley, her favorite teacher. Her favorite movie is Disturbia, which stars her favorite actor, Shia Labeouf. Her favorite sport is MMA and her favorite color is grey. Snakes are her favorite animals and she loves Metal- lica. She also loves Olive Garden. Alley describes herself as “accepting.” Her role model is her mother. When she was younger, she wanted to be a paleontologist. Now, she dreams of being a chef cooking in a very successful restaurant. All in all, Alley is a very well rounded person and a great friend. Varsity Boys basketball By Elizabeth Richardson

After their UIL state championship win, the Ponder Lions boys’ basketball team was facing the daunting task of having to produce another winning team and having another strong season for the 2014-2015 season. One of the challenges faced by the team was the fact that the team is so young and had never worked as a team before. When asked to give a quote describing the season, senior basketball player Jared Davenport said “At the start of the year we were a little in the dark but as the year progressed things started to fall in line, the team began to build chemistry and though we fell short of our goal it was still a great season.” Though it took a while the team came together to finish the season with an impressive record of 28-10 and a dis- trict record of 14-1. The Lions went undefeated in district and made it all the way to the regional semifi- nal playoff game where they lost to Van Alstyne 60-62 on March 6. The regional game started off rough and left the Lions down by 15 at the half, but the boys persevered and worked hard to finish the game down by only two points. Overall the Lions basketball team had a great season and though they did not make their goal of making state again, they did prove they were a force to be reckoned. For the six graduating seniors on the team, it was a good season to end their high school career on. Senior Dustin Fergus says “this year started out rough but with great teammates my senior year was a blast and things started looking up but overall it was a great senior year.” junior Brady Anderson said “I’ll miss everyone that’s leaving, but I’m looking forward to coming back next year and trying for our sixth state title.” The boys’ basketball team pushed through their early hard- ships and worked hard, and though they did not make their goal of state they made their school and town proud.

Tennis By Shanon McGill The Ponder team held its annual Ponder Tennis Tournament on March 11. Where the varsity teams of Gainesville, Slidell, and Era met the lions on the courts in several fierce matches. The boys’ singles domi- nated the competition with freshman Chaise Glenn playing a perfect day, crushing his competitors from all three visiting schools. Girls’ singles’ Jennifer Eppler played just as well, winning her first two games easily, but falling a bit short in the final round against Era. All in all the lions fought hard and played some amaz- ing matches! At the Godley Tournament, on March 24, the lions were declared the Kings of the Consolation Bracket, with girls singles player Elizabeth Richardson and boys singles player Chaise Glenn, and mix doubles partners Maria Gonzales and Jarett Medders all won their consolation brackets and brought home fifth place for Ponder. Finally at their annual District meet, the Ponder Girls Tennis team won second place for District team! Girls singles player Elizabeth Richardson took third place at district. Girls singles player Jennifer Ep- pler placed fourth at district. And finally, girl’s doubles team Shanon McGill and Jackie Castillo also placed fourth in district. “We played our best a district.” said tennis’ Coach Dierker. “Considering the youth on our team we played very well this season.” Congratulations Ponder players on a great season! We look forward to next year. Track By Noelia Sandoval

Track

Softball By Sterling Stinson The Ponder Lady Lions tem is off to a bit of a rough start with a 1-6 district record. They still have time to turn it around, though! The girls will play again on Friday, April 17th at home against Pottsboro. Come out and support our Lady Lions! Shakespearience of A Lifetime! by Sterling Stinson Over spring break, the Shakespearience group got to go on the trip of a lifetime. Eleven current or former Ponder High School students traveled under the care of Mr. Fritz to England to spend the week learn- ing about the life, times and works of the famous bard, William Shake- speare. They arrived at Heathrow airport at almost 8:00 AM local time (which would be 3 AM in Texas) and boarded a bus to go to the city of Oxford. At Oxford, they saw many exciting (though not Shakespear- ian) historical sights such as Christ Church College, where many clas- sic British authors have been educated and come to educate other. One such author, Lewis Carroll, wrote his famous books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass here. The students got to walk around the campus where he worked to see thing the real life things that inspired many of the fantastic things in the book, such as the Cheshire Cat’s Tree and the Old Sheep Shop. From Oxford, the students went back to their home base for that evening, The Lygon Arms, for some local food and a good night’s rest. The next day, it was on to Stratford-Upon-Avon, a charming little market town where Shakespeare was born and spent an early part of his career. The Shakespearience visited Shakespeare’s birthplace, his wife’s cottage and the site of his house, which was tragically demolished in 1759. On Tuesday, the group packed up the bus and drove into London, the city Shakespeare loved, where they would spend the rest of their time in England. The week flew by with the group participating in activities such as touring Westminster Abbey, climbing to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, exploring the British Museum, shopping in Piccadilly Circus, seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, watching Shakespeare in Love at the West End, watching Othello at the Globe The- atre, and riding the London Eye. The trip was an overall success, and will be something that stays with the students who participated for the rest of their lives.

March Madness by Andrew Andersson March Madness Played mostly during March, it is known informally as March Madness or the Big Dance, and has become one of the most famous annual sporting events in the United States. The tourna- ment teams include champions from 32 Division I conferences, and 36 teams which are awarded at- large berths. These “at-large” teams are chosen by an NCAA selection committee in a nationally tele- vised event on the Sunday preceding the First Four play-in games, currently held in Dayton, Ohio. The tournament consists of several rounds. They are currently named • The First Four • The Second Round (also known as “the Round of 64”) • The Third Round (also known as “the Round of 32”) • The Regional Semi-finals (participating teams are known popularly as the “Sweet Sixteen”) • The Regional Finals (participating teams are known commonly as the “Elite Eight”) • The National Semi-finals (participating teams are referred to officially as the “Final Four”) • The National Championship The Tournament is an exciting battle against the best collegiate teams in American and is a “must-see” in my opinion!