P o n d e r H i g h R o a r Volume 11, Issue 2 October 2013

Notably Honorable Students By Oksana Bekh onday 14, 2013 may have been just another Monday for the rest of the world, but not for the 42 Ponder High School students preparing Mto be inducted into the National Honor Society. Wear- ing their Sunday best, the excited yet nervous, induct- ees stood in the hall waiting to be introduced to the audience. Finally the co-sponsors of the Ponder High School NHS chapter, Mr. Lankford and Mrs. Wallum, gave the students the signal to proceed. After being welcomed by the audience, the inductees SENIORS took their seats on the stage, and the ceremony pro- JUNIORS Tori Alexander ceeded. Elizabeth Branin Brittany Avelar Leanna Brown Andie Beer Several students who were chosen to speak immedi- Kenneth Clevenger Oksana Bekh ately rose and came to the podium to await their turn. Jared Davenport James Branin The first to speak was Perrin Hughes, who welcomed Kennedy Davis Mary Cage Eric Dearmin Riley Carter the audience to the induction, he was followed by se- Jennifer Eppler Elizabeth Chilson niors Tori Alexander, Andie Beer, and Emily Summer- Alex Fedele Josh Debolt lin. They spoke of the founding of NHS, which was Zach Hooper Nikki Hausner Cole Hudson Billy Howell founded by Edward Rynearson in 1921 because of the Madison Hunsucker Perrin Hughes growing emphasis on athletics and academics, rather Austin Jones Nick Kuhl than leadership and character. Next, senior and presi- Kara Parr Keaton Malcom Craig Reames Josiah Meek dent of NHS, Spencer Waldo, told of the fifteen thou- Elizabeth Richardson Sadie Neilson sand chapters of NHS that are present today, and the Cameron Sallee Jessica Orozco expectations that NHS members are expected to meet. Wesley Vick Ashley Reames Clare Young Macie Simpson Austin Spiker Aly Stone Emily Summerlin continued on pg. 2 Meredith Vedral Spencer Waldo Bring Down Bullies By Katie Dickens hink of something about yourself that you dislike. October is Bullying Aware- Maybe it’s your hair, your clothes, your weight, or your ness Month. This is to draw acne. You know that it’s there, and you hate it. Now attention to those who are imagineT everyone else hating it, shaming you for it, and tormented and give resourc- pointing out how ugly it is or how horrible it makes you look. es on how to lend a helping hand. This month, the focus That hurts, doesn’t it? Now imagine every time someone is to help those who are bullied take a stand. Students are points out that one thing you dislike the most, they shrug provided with helpful resources on how to deal with bullies it off with, “It’s just a joke. Stop overreacting.” It hurts even or how to stop the torment they see happening to others more now, right? That’s what countless teenagers go around them. through each and every day. This month, a great deal of attention is being drawn to pro- “Teenagers will be teenagers,” people will say as they dis- grams such as The BULLY Project. The BULLY Project is a miss the reports or complaints. However, over the past few campaign inspired by the documentary film BULLY. It was years, bullying statistics have been higher than they’ve ever designed to reach out to children and show them that there been. As a matter of fact, over 70 percent of teenagers say are people who care about them. TBP goes from school to they have been bullied in one way or another. Yet it school giving presentations and getting kids involved in isn’t seen as a big problem in many places. It is activities to help stop bullying. a problem. Another program trying to get rid of bullying is “After you hear something for a long time,” STOMP Out Bullying. This was established by says sophomore Kim Corkins, “you’re going Love Our Children USA and focuses on pre- to start to believe it. The point is that even if venting bullying, cyberbullying, and other digital you don’t think it matters, it does make a huge abuse. It educates against some of the causes difference in someone’s life.” of bullying, like homophobia, racism, and general About 30 percent of depression has been hatred. STOMP Out Bullying provides kids ef- caused by bullying. Depression is a much more fective ways to deal with bullying and thoughts of serious condition than people think. Less than 15 per- suicide. cent of depressed teenagers have considered suicide, and Project Anti-Bully is a non-profit organization formed by about half of those teenagers have attempted it. Statistics students across the world. This program has headquarters show that the majority of these kids have thoughts like this in over 20 countries. It’s goal is to empower people to fully because of how rough their school lives have been. embrace who they are and stand up for those that can- A common form of not. PAB is run by students and has grown to be one of bullying is social/ the biggest anti-bullying organizations. It emphasizes the emotional bully- importance of talking to trusted adults, such as parents and ing. It only takes one teachers, about bullying. person in a group to October is coming to a close, but don’t let that stop you say something like, from striving to make a difference. Don’t be afraid to stand “Did you see what he was wearing?” Then, another person up for yourself and others. Remember, one voice is enough will agree or add something, then another, and another. to start a chain reaction. They wouldn’t want to disagree with everyone else. So they keep passing on the hate to others until, finally, that person For more information on bullying or how you can join one hears, and everyone laughs. The fact that it comes in such of the anti-bullying programs visit the following social media large groups is why people think it’s so hard to stop. feeds. #STOMPOutBullying bullymovie #proj_antiBully “NHS”, continued from page 1

After everyone returned to their seats, Mrs. Wallum asked the members to stand up, and keep standing, as their names were called and the audience applauded. After everyone was seated, the ceremony continued. The ethics that all NHS members should attempt to uphold, scholarship, character, service and leadership, were pre- sented by senior Meredith Vedral. Seniors Keaton Malcom and Riley Carter and junior Alexandria Fedele continued by noting the importance of NHS members upholding these values,which is the reason that the NHS is what it is today. The first quality that was reviewed was knowledge, read by senior Elizabeth Chilson and the center candle was lit by junior John Vick. The center candle was lit first because the other four qualities stem from knowledge. Scholarship, read by junior Craig Reames and candle lit by junior Madison Hunsucker, was introduced next. It is the commitment to learning. Service, read by senior Sadie Nielson and the candle lit by senior James Branin, is helping others when it is of no benefit to you. Leadership, read by Austin Jones and candle lit by Ashley Reames, is the sacrifice of personal interests to step up and lead a group to achieve an objective. Character, read by Leanna Brown and candle lit by Cameron Sallee, is moral integrity. After the five qualities were reviewed, and the five candles lit, Mr. Lankford led the inductees in the pledge. At the end, all the inductees were asked to sign the NHS book,receive their NHS pins and shake the principal’s hand. The names were called in alphabetical order, and the ceremony came to a close. This years induction ceremony was a suc- cessful one; no one tripped, no serious mistakes were made, and everyone was inducted. However, it was different as well. This year is the first time in the history of the Ponder NHS Chapter that juniors were allowed to apply to be members of NHS. Ponder High Roar - page 2 Ponder Now that the new members have been inducted they will have a chance to start on the lengthy list of volunteer projects that they hope to accomplish this year. Fall Festival “FUN”raiser

By Sterling Stinson

All this semester, Ponder’s classes and clubs have been anxiously preparing for one of the school’s biggest fundraisers, the Fall Festival. Groups brought in candy, soda, and any other prizes necessary for their booths to their sponsors in the days leading up to the festival and arranged who would be working which booths when. When the day of the fundraiser came around, people brought baked goods to the school for the dinner, cake walk, and bake sale, set up their booths, and got ready for a night of fall fun. Around six o’clock, when the booths officially opened, hun- dreds of Ponderians flooded the north side of the football field to participate in fun games and win awesome prizes. The senior dinner, which took place in the elementary cafeteria, was a hit as usual, as everyone stopped by to support Project Graduation and grab a nice BBQ dinner. The cafeteria was full of friends and neighbors chattering and laughing together the entire night. The elementary gym held another fun Project Graduation fundraiser-the silent auction. Seniors and their parents have spent the past few weeks gathering fun items and talking to local businesses about donating items to their class, and then auctioned them off. The senior class had a raffle item as well-a Ponder T-shirt Quilt, which was won by Rebecca Lavender. The last Project Graduation fundraiser, the Cake Walk, was just outside the cafeteria doors and helped to raise money to make this year’s Project Graduation awesome. The junior class, which is raising funds for the 2013-2014 Junior-Senior Prom, also ran three booths. Their Ring- A-Coke was a popular booth last Saturday. In the football parking lot, customers lined up to try and ring them- selves a two-liter soda or drink. Right next to the Ring-A-Coke was Hole-in-One, where people all gathered to try and putt the ball into the hole to win prizes and outdo their friends. Across from these two was the Shoot. This booth, particularly popular among the athletes of our school district, was very simple and straightforward: try to shoot the basketball into the basket. The juniors also had a raffle for Mav- ericks tickets, which was won by Tony Leone. All of the students, parents, and other customers who visited these booths helped sup- port this year’s prom. The sophomore class ran the Money Machine, located in the football parking lot, which was where the customer stood in a booth that blew around fake and real money, and they tried to catch the real money. Whatever they caught by the end of the time they could keep. The other booths the sophomores sponsored were Velocity, where you throw a as hard as you can and they tell you the speed you threw it at, and Football Toss, in which you try to toss a football into a goal to win candy and soda. They also auctioned off a bench, made by the Ag students, in the live auction. Finally, the freshman class ran a bounce house, which was quite popular with the elemen- tary students, Tic-Tac-Toss, in which the ob- jective was to toss the bean bags to get three in a row on the board, and Festival Bags, where children could decorate their own bags to carry their candy in. They also

raffled off a garden bench which was won by Mrs. Beer. The High School’s STEP class raffled off Dr. Dre Beats head- Ponder High Roar - page 3 phones, which were won by Gary David. Also participating in the fun were high school organizations. The Drama Clubbrought back the old tradi- tion of the Haunted House, which was under the visitors bleachers on the football field. Students came up around 10 in the morning to set up the initial rooms, and then returned again at 3 o’clock to fill the rooms with props and set pieces and get into costume and makeup. They worked very hard and made the most of what they had. The Span- ish club raffled off a Spanish Basket, containing lots of little Spanish ‘good- ies’, a $50 gift card to Migulitos, and a Lion Piñata hand- made by the Spanish club, and was won by the Miller family. They also had three horseshoe racks, made by Cole Delcambre, sold in the live auction. The Blinky Lights booth was run by the 4-H organization. They sold small toys that lit up, much to the amusement of the smaller children (and some of the big ones too). The band had a Toy Walk, which was similar to the cake walk, except instead of cake, children could choose a toy. High School STUCO raffled off a $100 Visa Gift Card, won by Robin M. The PTO ran the concession stand, selling nachos, pretzels, and drinks. Overall, the Fall Festival was a large suc- cess, as it always is. The senior class reports that they almost doubled the amount of money they’d had in their savings! Way to go Ponder! Thank you all for coming out and supporting us! Ponder High Roar - page 4 Haunted History Halloween wasscarcelycelebrated intheirportionof strict rulesregardinganythingevenremotelysatanic, eventually shortenedtoHalloween. it) wasgiventhenameAllHallows’Eve,which name, AllHallows’Day,andSamhain(thenightbefore a while,theAllSaint’sDaycelebrationtookonnew lives ofthedead,butnowalsoincludesparades.After still includedbonfires,dressingupandcelebrating the Soul’s DaywascelebratedsimilarlytoSamhain,which tian soulsacrosstheworldandthroughages.All Soul’s DaytocelebratethelivesofalldepartedChris All Saint’sDay.In1000A.D.,November2became All May 13thtoNovember1standchangeditsname Church. Later,PopeGregorymovedthisholidayfrom Martyr’s Day,madeanofficialholidayoftheWestern Roman PantheontoChristianmartyrswasthedayAll tion forthetraditionof‘bobbing’apples. trees. Pomona’ssymbol,anapple,isthebestexplana honor thegoddessPomona,offruitand of thepassingdead.Thesecondwasadayto called Feralia,whichwastheRomancommemoration the Romanfestivalstobecombinedwasacelebration tivals joinedwiththeSamhaincelebration.Thefirstof the RomansreignedoverCelts.Twooftheirfes over bytheRomanEmpire.Overnext400years, coming winter. fireplaces fromthebonfiretoprotectthemduring At theendofnight,peoplewouldrelighttheir off evilspirits,andtrytopredicteachother’sfortunes. in costumesmadeofanimalfursandheadstoscare Celtics wouldspendtherestofnightcelebrating Celtic priests,tomakepredictionsaboutthefuture.The the dead,andthatitwasbesttimeforDruidsor veil wasthinnestbetweentheworldsoflivingand the newyearbeganwasthoughttobetimethat sacrificial offeringsofcropsandmeat.Thisnightbefore a large,communalbonfireinwhichtheywouldburn the peopleextinguishingtheirhearthfiresandlighting began thenightbeforeSamhain,October31,withallof and celebratedthispartofthelifecycle.Thefestivities the beginningoftheirwinteriswhentheyrecognized Celtics wasassociatedwithhumandeaththerefore ning ofthetroublesometimeswinter.Winter,for the endofsummer,fallharvest,andbegin 1. Theycelebrateditonthisdaybecausemarked (pronounced “Sow-in”),wascelebratedonNovember over 2,000yearsago.TheirNewYears,Samhain H By Sterling Stinson Because ofthePuritansNewEnglandandtheir May 13,609A.D.markedthededicationof By 43A.D.,mostCelticterritoryhadbeentaken ited Ireland,theUnitedKingdom,andFrance ancient civilizationcalledtheCeltics,whoinhab alloween isthoughttohavebegunwiththe more freely. True to the holidaymuch colonies embraced and thesouthern such asMaryland However, places colonial America. - - - - - trick-or-treating. Beggarswouldgofromdoortodoor, was anIrish/Englishcustomthattheoldestformof brought withthematraditioncalled“souling”.Souling a morepopularholidayinAmerica.Theseimmigrants traditions andcelebrations,AllHallows’Evebecame famine. AstheseimmigrantsbroughttheirHalloween influx ofimmigrants,mainlyIrish,duetothePotato celebrated holiday. were ontherise,butHalloweenwasstillnotawidely fortunes. Bythemid-19thcentury,harvestcelebrations of thedead,dance,sing,andtrytotelleachother’s people wouldgatheraroundbonfirestosharestories ebrate thefallharvest,called“playparties”,where American celebrationsincludedpubliceventstocel brand ofHalloweenthatisdistinctlyourown.Thefirst Celtic andRomancustomsalreadytheretomakea tions ofEuropeanandNativeAmericanideaswiththe the Halloweentradi America combined its mixingpotways, the futuregenerations tocome. today. Andwhoknowshow muchwewillchangeitfor colonists allhelpedtomake ourHalloweenhowitis The Celtics,Romans,English, NativeAmericansand ebrations oftheancientCeltics andourownHalloween. major similaritiesbetween theoriginalSamhaincel celebrated holidayinAmerica. Tothisday,wecansee it, allowingthechildrentohavetheirfun. sive, mostofthecommunitymemberswentalong with neighborhood children.Asthiswasrelativelyinexpen avoid beingtrickedbygivingoutsmalltreatstothe repopularized. Now,theoretically,thecommunitycould rooms. Betweenthe20sand50s,trick-or-treating was be movedfromcommunitycenterstohomesorclass 1950s babyboomcausedHalloweencelebrations to ized intoacommunitybased,kid-friendlyholiday.The frightening EuropeanholidayhadbeenAmerican very commonduringtheearly1900s.Theoriginally of the20thcentury. lost itssuperstitiousanddeath-relatedoriginsformost up incostumes.Duetothesemovements,Halloween would befoodsandgamesoftheseasondressing for adultsandchildren.Attheseparties,themainfocus common formofHalloweencelebrationswereparties ing inanythingdark.Intheearly20thcentury,most Halloween, andtodiscouragechildrenfromparticipat urged adultstotakeanythingscaryormacabreoutof gathering thanaboutghostsandghouls.Newspapers make Halloweengatheringsmoreaboutcommunity land andIreland. longer popularinEngland,itisstillpracticedScot heaven. WhileSoulCakeDay,asitwascalled,isno ensure thatthesoulofadepartedpersoncouldgetinto or oatcakes.Theseprayersweresupposedtohelp offering prayersinexchangeforfood,normallybarley During thelate1800s,Americareceivedalarge Today, Halloweenisaverypopularandwidely Halloween paradesandcity-widefestivalswere During thelate19thcentury,Americansmovedto ------Cute Comes in Couples

By Teryana Sledge

t’s finally Halloween! And when it comes to the funny, silly, hilarious, creative, or crazy va- riety of things you can wear, Halloween comes close to being everybody’s favorite holiday. IOne thing we know for sure it that everything we do is better when we have someone to do it with. Now finding the perfect Halloween costume is hard enough, but when there are two of you, things get even trickier and also treatier. So whether it’s your significant other or your best friend, couple costumes will never leave you disappointed. Actually, being the best dressed pair in the room, they’ll probably leave you feeling absolutely amazingly. The idea of celebrating the holiday as a couple or group has become extremely popular, and many are finding all new, creative ways to dress up. There are the humorous get-ups for cou- ples that are always a good idea like Superman and Wonder Woman, ketchup and mustard, cops and robbers, and so many more. Couples costumes are often a hit at any type of party, as they range from nerdy and funny, to scary or romantic and everything in between. With all the fun, silly, and quirky couple costume ideas available, the possibilities are endless with the wide variety of famous and not-so-famous twosomes and groups from the past and the present. You can choose to dress historically by becoming Cleopatra and Mark Antony, or Romeo and Juliet; or step into the hilarious characters of Popeye and Olive Oyl or Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. During the Halloween season you can pretend to be from any movie or television show, rock stars, a Hollywood “it” couple, or even a cartoon character couple. There’s simply no end to the possibilities. If it has been said that no one can sandwich a word between you two, then a peanut butter and jelly costume is the best way to go! In this costume, you and your companion will be sure to turn heads and serve up numerous laughs. No one can deny that this costume is cute and unique. A couple of pieces of cushion foam and colored felt make this sandwich a hit, without the mess. If that isn’t enough, you can color your next costume party a success when you and your group of friends wear Crayola Crayon costumes. Either loose or in a pack, the crayon Ponder High Roar - page 5 costumes are ready to trick or treat, enter a costume contest, or be the hit of the next Halloween party! Trust me, you won’t find it hard to stay in the lines with this fun and adorable look. Better yet, try yabba-dabba-doing it, and instead of just meeting the Flinstones, you and your significant other could be the Flinstones! After seeing you, no one would deny that you two are straight out of Bedrock. These costumes are a perfect way to make any party go down in prehistory. Also, you could try to complete the family by grabbing friends to go as Pebbles and Dino too. So if you’re looking to add a little more humor and fun into Halloween this year, try grabbing somebody and wearing a couples costume. You could even contact a few of your close friends and go in group costumes. Either way, you’ll enjoy it and have the best Halloween you’ll ever have. aking friendships that last a lifetime and creating unbreakable bonds are just a few of the things senior Brandon Dodson has done throughout his years at Ponder. Brandon moved Mhere six years ago from Louisiana. Throughout the past six years he has been involved in many things, including football which he has played for five years as a fullback and linebacker. Most of Brandon’s best memories have been made hanging out with his friends on the football field and in the locker room, where he spends the majority of his time. Other than football Brandon also participates in track, powerlifting, and PALs. When it comes to school, Brandon definitely has his priorities figured out. He plans to work for a year after graduation to save up money in order to attend college. While football takes up an immense amount of Brandon’s time, math homework manages to consume the rest. Although, this does not bother Brandon, because he surprisingly enjoys the subject especially Pre-Cal, as he shared very bluntly, “I like math.” Brandon “It is surprising that my class is his favorite because it’s a very challenging course, but he is do- ing his very best and I am very proud of him,” said Pre-Cal teacher, Mrs. Bieler. Dodson Outside of school, Brandon spends the remainder of his time hanging out with his friends and by Haley Chasteen working. “My favorite thing about being friends with Brandon is that he’s very reliable and I can confide in him about almost anything!” said senior and close friend Brittany velar.A As he goes through the motions of his senior year, Brandon looks forward to what will come next, but knows there is so much he will miss. With everything that will change after graduation, Brandon expressed how much he will miss how close he and all of his friends have grown to be over the years. Along with the sad goodbyes that will happen after graduation, there will be memo- ries of every one left behind. Brandon has one that he hopes will be attributed to him. “I want to be remembered as a student who always did what was right,” said Brandon. Whether or not he is remembered for his good judgment, he will definitely be remembered in a positive way by all of his friends that he has made throughout his years at Ponder. Senior Class of 2014

rom afar, you could conclude that Sadie Nielson fits into the girl-who-does-everything stereotype, but there is much more to this outgoing senior. It’s true; she does practically Feverything, from cheerleading to multiple church organizations and NHS. Sadie is also genuinely interested in helping and inspiring others, especially children. Even though she loves cheerleading, Captain Sadie Nielson wasn’t always a cheerleader. She spent her freshman year playing and golf and participating in track. She re- turned to the track her sophomore year, earning the title of District Champ in discus for the second time in a row in the JV girls division. It wasn’t until her junior year that she returned to cheerleading, something she hadn’t been a part of since junior high. After a successful year, Sadie is now the squad captain and has been enjoying every moment of her cheerleading career. If she could go back in time, Sadie says she would never have quit cheering, and that her favorite moments from Ponder are the times that she was cheering for the Lions in her uniform or just in a “B Team” T-shirt and jeans. One of the most important things in Sadie’s life is her commitment to helping others. She has been a part of Acteens, a program devoted to helping teenage girls “grow their relation- ship with God,” for four years and Praise Band for two years. She is more than happy to be a role model to younger girls in such groups, and says that it is inspiring to have someone look up to you. Her devotion to making her community a better place has not gone unnoticed, as Sadie has been a homecoming nominee seven times and was elected homecoming princess in 2012. FFA has had a spot in Sadie’s heart since her freshman year. She has advanced to Area Sadie every season and hopes to continue and surpass that streak this year. Sadie also received a Leadership Salute. Neilson Making good grades is also important to Sadie, who hopes to attend Texas A&M to major By Oksana Bekh in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Her grades and many leadership roles have helped her to secure a spot in NHS and should earn her a place at A&M as well. f there’s anyone who is an expert at juggling many different things at the same time, it is senior Emily Summerlin. Not only does she participate in many sports and extra-curricular activities, but she also Imanages to hold a position as a hostess at Cracker Barrel and maintain excellent grades earning her a spot on the National Honor Society. It didn’t take Emily long to get involved after moving to Ponder in the fifth grade. She joined the volleyball team in seventh grade and is currently a hitter, blocker, and substitute setter for the varsity volleyball team. With everything Emily takes part in, she rarely has free time, but volleyball has been the most consum- ing with its endless leagues. As Emily expressed, “It never ends.” Along with volleyball, she participates in golf, student council, yearbook, and is a class officer. Out of all these she says golf is by far her favorite because they always have a great time. Her best memory is from district and regionals last year with the team. “Emily is a wonderful friend who has always been there for me. She brings joy to the team that no one else could,” says golf team member and senior, Macie Simpson. With everything she juggles on a daily basis, it’s hard to believe that Emily can keep it all together, but somehow she pulls it off. Emily When it comes to academics Emily is very smart and says her favorite subject is math because, as said in one of her favorite movies, Mean Girls, “it’s the same in every language.” Outside of school and the Summerlin multiple extra-curricular activities she participates in, Emily doesn’t have time to do much else other than by Haley Chasteen work. The list of things Emily has been involved in throughout her high school career surely has devel- oped an impeccable application when it comes to college admissions. As graduation approaches she hopes her excelling academics will earn her an acceptance letter into her first college of choice, Baylor University. If this is not possible, she says she will join her sister, Erin, at MSU. Either way I’m sure Emily will con- tinue with her busy-bee ways at whichever university she chooses. As she finishes out her senior year, the experience, I’m sure, will be very bitter-sweet. Emily conveyed that she will especially miss her “support system with her family and friends” after graduating and moving to university. Although she will be leaving, along with the rest of the senior class, she will not be forgotten. Emily, who hopes to be remembered as “the girl who did it all”, will definitely get her wish. No one could forget her accomplishments and constant contributions to the many things she was involved in. “I’m not entirely sure what I would do without her,” expressed friend, Macie Simpson. Senior Class of 2014

id you know that the number-one fear in America is the fear of public speaking? The second is the fear of death. Subsequently, this means that most Americans would rather die than Dspeak before others, but Thomas Adcox is not the average American; public speaking is an everyday event for him. But on days when he isn’t sporting a snazzy suit, Thomas is either on a stage pretending to be some French dude or at Braum’s serving the public with creamy deliciousness. Thomas’ speaking achievements are numerous. His freshman year, he lettered in both UIL Aca- demics and Policy Debate. Sophomore year, he placed fourth in UIL Policy Debate with his partner, Liz Branin, making the pair alternates for the UIL state meet. Last year, the two stepped up their game, placed second at the UIL policy district meet, and took a trip to the State. Thomas also placed fourth in Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking at the UIL academic district meet. There is no doubt that Thomas’ speaking career will only progress to great heights from here. Thomas has taken many advanced classes over the past three years, including Pre-AP World History and Dual Credit US History. Thomas is listed on the “AB” Honor Roll and has had perfect attendance for three years and running. This year is his second year to play and his third to act on the PHS stage. His sophomore year, he was cast for supporting roles in “Moon Over Buffalo” and “The Good Person of Setzuan.” Last year, he was the leading male in the fall play, “The Liar.” This semester, Thomas is cast as the leading male and namesake of the play “Tartuffe.” In his free time, Thomas enjoys earning money at his job and traveling to Alexandria, Louisiana and Oklahoma to visit friends. His perfect day includes waking up at two o’ clock in the afternoon Thomas and staying in bed for the remainder of the day. After high school, Thomas plans to take his basic classes at NCTC, and then transfer to UNT to earn a degree involving chemistry and/or engineering. Adcox He says he wants to keep his range of career options “both broad and narrow.” by Liz Branin Thomas’ one word of advice to his younger peers is, “Go with the flow and carpe diem.” Good luck out there, Thomas! We know you’ll do amazingly well! The MANE Scoop

The Band made a combined rating of two Excellents (2) and one Superior (1) in their UIL Marching Compete- tion at C. H. Collins Stadium in Den- ton.

JV Red Volleyball keeps the winning streak going.

JV White Volleyball digs deep during the game vs. Brock

Gabe Gomez rushes past Bowie defense for a second down.

Trevor Anderson and Robert Pennington lead Jonathan Aguilar to a first down against Pilot Point. Pledge to be Drug Free! Ponder High Roar - page 8 Ponder Ponder High Roar - page 9

“Playing for a Cause...... Praying for a Cure!” Volleyball girls “pink out” and honor survivors. the Jackrabbits. Varsity football battles

Andie Beer was a finalist for North Texas Youth a finalist for North Texas Andie Beer was Leadership Council! representatives were Macie Other Ponder Josh Neilson, Keaton Malcom, Simpson, Sadie Emily Summerlin, Peterson, Meredith Vedral, and Ashley Reames.

Bailey Beer, Naomi Perez and Emma Harbin Bailey Beer, Naomi Perez and Emma Harbin get the spirit going at the camo-themed pep rally.

5th at District Meet in Alvord.

against Pilot Point.

Brady Anderson runs Varsity boys and girls Cross Country teams get Varsity boys and girls the ball for a first down Ponder High Roar - page 10 We Rebecca Lavender #88 JoshPeterson #11 ToriAlexander LOVE #10 ChristianWorthington OurSENIORS! #5 EmilySummerlin #66 ZachTurner #33 Logan McCarty #12 SpencerWaldo #24 AshleyReames #31 NickRivers #5 NateBetterton Ponder High Roar - page 11 Sadie Neilson #2 Jose DeLeon #15 Angelica Hernandez #21 Josiah Meek #73 Junior Rivera #77 Christian Daugherty #2 Meredith Vedral #24 Brandon Dodson #9 James Branin #1 Keaton Malcom Ponder High Roar - page 12 Good luckwitheverything, to her. always givethemtoherthenexttimeyoucantalk now, itmaybebeneficialforyou,andyoucan you wouldn’tbeabletogivethemherright thing youwouldliketotalkherabout.While is towritealettereverytimeyouthinkofsome able totalkheragainsoon.Anothersuggestion seem longer.Waitandbepatientyouwill her; thatwouldonlymakethetimeawayfromher sure youdon’tjustsitaroundandthinkabout The timewillflybyquickerthatway.Justmake you happyandtakeyourmindawayfromher. to anendsoon.Tryfocusonthingsthatmake out. Itmaybeamiserablemonth,butitwillcome Dear Love-Lost, the girlyouloveforamonth? Dear Annie:Whatdoyouifcan’ttalkto The bestthingtodoisjusttrytoughit Do you wantyour own copyofthe Print Roar? See Mrs.Crider inRM221oryour “ROAR” Staff. Annie Annie

- member tobepatientwithyourfriendshemaynot it againinthefuture.Itrulyhopethishelp.Re like toknowsoyoucanmakesuredonot you specificallydidthatoffendedthemwould to intentionallyhurtthem,butifthereissomething plain toyourfriendthatyouhaven’tdoneanything help makeitbetteruntilyouknowthereason.Ex are upsetwithyou,butyoucannotapologizeor with herandletknowyouareawarethatthey may besomethingyoucantry.Ifsitdown there isnoreason,butifthatnotthecase is actuallynotmadatyouallandthatwhy Dear ConcernedFriend, mad atyou,butshewillnottellyouwhy? Dear Annie:Whatdoyouifyourbestfriendis Annie Good luckwitheverything, be readytotalkyet. There is always a possibility that yourfriend There isalwaysapossibility turnips. The firstJackO’Lanternswere actuallymadefrom Samhainophobia isthefearofHalloween. shown everyHalloweensinceitsdebutin1966. It’s TheGreatPumpkin,CharlieBrown 1810 lbs. The heaviestpumpkinevertoberecordedwas een. 89 millionhouseholdsgiveoutcandyonHallow billion, andpets,whospend$370million. costumes, followedbychildren,whospend$1.1 Adults spendabout$1.4billiondollarsayearon Did youknow? has been

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