Ponder High School Roar
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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 Volleyball 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 Texas 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 baseball even though he was apart of last years state cham- pion basketball 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 United States 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.