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Contributing Writers

Maryan Abdikadir
Malaya Allen
Briana Anderson
Autumn Bibb
Janesha Boller
Kariya Edwards
Jayla Evans
Sebastian Francisco
DaeVon Gardner
Spechelle Goodwin
Nadyea Hall
Giovanni Howlett
Hajiya Issa
Jazmin Mack
LeTerra Matthews
Paw Ray Moo
Kaija Pate
Quintez Payton
Dairrean Rose
Sada Tamimou Wane
Duchess Warfield
Jaden Whiting

Advisor
Anne Rodier

Submissions:
Anne.rodier@jefferson.kyschools.us

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Yellow Jacket
Times
Inside this Issue
A New Magnet Comes to CHS
Behind the Scenes
Chemistry and Leadership
Inside Nursing
A New Chance for Baseball
Centrals Civic Duty
Tissue Paper
Begin with the End in Mind
3 Rules to High School
Freshman Year Advice
Everyone Has Skills
Take Advantage of Your Education
Go to Sleep
Is Homework Harmful or Helpful?
Mistakes
Im Back on Track

Represent Yourself in Dance

I Aspire to Be a Giver
Can Change Be Good?
The Doubted Few
There Comes a Time
Not Really So Bad
Thank You Starbucks
Overcome Obstacles with Family
Graduation Anxiety
First Muslim-American in the Olympics
Stereotypes about Islam
On the Day of Eid
Frances Burkini Ban
Domestic Violence Must Stop
Finally Hits the Top 5
Test Your Knowledge

You Can be a Successful Student!

A New Magnet Comes to CHS

LaTerra Mathews

This year, Central High School is full of new

teachers, students, expectations, and magnets.
Mr. Mennen is not new to CHS, but his
magnet, Sports Marketing, is. He explains
more about this new magnet:
LaTerra: What's the purpose of this magnet?
Mennen: The purpose of the sports
marketing magnet is to expose students to
career opportunities in the world of sports and
entertainment.
LaTerra: What does it take to be in this
magnet?
Mennen: Students must be interviewed and be selected by the teacher. Selection is
based on the students grades, attendance, behavior, and recommendations from their
freshman teachers.
LaTerra: What will students do in this magnet?
Mennen: Students will take Principals of Marketing during their sophomore year,
which will cover the basics of marketing. They will take Sports and Event Marketing
during their junior year, which will be marketing specifically geared towards sports
and entertainment. During their senior year, students will participate in Advance
Marketing/Entrepreneurship and have an opportunity to take a dual credit course
through our partnership with the University of Louisville. This partnership will also
give students the opportunity to job shadow and access the student recreation center at
the university.
LaTerra: What type of opportunity will students have after being part of this magnet?
Mennen: Students will have the opportunity to continue their education at the college
level, and pursue a career in professional or amateur sports, franchise management,
college athletics, corporate fitness or health club management, public or media
relations, sports law, promotions, licensing, to list just some of the job possibilities
students can pursue after being in the Sports Marketing magnet.

Behind The Scenes:

More Than a Teacher
Briana Anderson

Last year I got the privilege to have

Coach Scroggins as my civics teacher.
He was really funny; he made class
enjoyable. It was never boring. As a
teacher, he created an environment
which made the class manageable to
pass. I learned a lot about my African
American heritage through his
teaching. Recently, I interviewed him
and got to know him as not only a
teacher, but as a coach.
Briana: Do you enjoy teaching as
much as you enjoy coaching
Scroggins: Coaching is teaching; to be
a good coach you have to be a good
teacher. He also said he would prefer
less teaching duties as a coach.
Briana: In what way does football
have a positive impact on young
mens lives?
Scroggins: Discipline is important to being an athlete or football player. One has to count on the team to
achieve a goal, and overcome obstacles - good or bad - to handle themselves in tough situations. Being an
athlete keeps young men focused in school. If they play sports, they have a better chance of staying out of
trouble. They also get guidance and a mentor to be there for them to influence them to make good choices.
Briana: How does the team look this year?
Scroggins: Not as good as the previous nine teams. They are young. Their inexperience will show on Fridays at
some point this year. If they show that they can take coaching, we will make it back to the state championship.
It seems that Coach Scroggins enjoys teaching and coaching equally. I loved having him as a teacher; now Im
glad I got to know a little more about the coaching side of him.

Chemistry and Leadership

LaTerra Matthews
A new addition to the CHS faculty this year is
Mr. Emmanuel Nacionales. He is the new
Chemistry teacher and uses a Montessori
approach to teaching in his classroom. At first, I
was not sure that I would like learning that way,
but now Im really glad I get to be in his class.
Ive learned so much about Chemistry and Ive
learned so much about how to learn about
Chemistry!

LaTerra: Tell me about yourself.

Nacionales: The world is full of wonder. I like to
travel and experience the wonders around the
world. I prefer to be active and in the game
instead of watching it.
LaTerra: Where are you from?
Nacionales: Southern California and Louisville
Kentucky
LaTerra: What made you want to become a
teacher?
Nacionales: The birth of my son motivated me
to change occupations and go into education.
When my son was born, I wanted to be apart of the system that educated him.
LaTerra: What do you teach hear at Central?
Nacionales: I teach chemistry, however chemistry is only medium to teach skills that great
leaders need: planning and coordinating resources to achieve a goal; communicating data and
ideas; analyzing information; and conducting an investigation to find a solution.
LaTerra: What do you have to offer to this school?
Nacionales: Unwavering optimism in the potential of our student population. All students
cannot be a star NBA forward, a movie star, or the president. However, I believe all our
students can reach their full potential and be effective leaders in the field of their choice, I'm
here to help in that endeavor.

Inside Nursing
Nadyea Hall
The magnets at CHS help prepare you for the
future. They get you ready for college and your career.
We have Business Finance, Business Management, Sports
medicine, STEM, Law & Government, Dental assisting,
Pre-nursing, and Pre-medicine.
Before I came to Central, I thought I would just
pick the Nursing magnet to be in, but that wasnt how it
worked. I had to go through all the magnets before I
could make a choice, but I still chose Nursing. I found out
that Ms. Bomar would be my teacher. Ms. Bomar is an
excellent teacher, she makes sure everybody is on track
and caught up. She doesnt like seeing anyone fail period.
Even though I only had Ms. Bomar for a short period, I really like her. I interviewed
her because I wanted know more about why she became a nurse.
Nadyea: What made you want to become a nurse?
Ms. Bomar: I worked as a clerk at the University hospital, and was impressed with the dayto-day care that the nurses gave the patients. They were very caring and I decided to go to
school and become a nurse myself.
Nadyea: What made you want to teach nursing?
MS. Bomar: I had been asked to teach several years before I did, but didnt want to leave
my patients. Then my grandkids moved in with me, and I needed to find a way to keep my
nursing career and still take care of the kids. The job at Central lets me still be a nurse while
I train young people to become one, too. Everyone wins.
Nadyea: Do you like teaching as much as nursing?
Ms. Bomar: Nursing is teaching. Nurses teach families about whats wrong with their kids,
and how to help them heal. Teachers teach student how to teach their patients.
Im really glad I got to know more about Ms. Bomar. Im looking forward to this year
in her class. I also look forward to learning more about nursing than I already know.

New Baseball Coach

Giovanni Howlett

Duane Berry is the new coach for Central

high school baseball team and he and the
team are working hard to prepare for a great
season. Coach Berry has always loved
baseball since he was a kid, so hes the
perfect choice for CHS. The team is looking
forward to working with him this year.
In high school, Berry played ball all four
years. After graduation, he joined the army
and served our country for fifteen years.
After serving in the army, he wanted to give
back to his community and help kids by coaching the sport he loved. Past coaching jobs include
coaching AAU baseball, and Highlands basketball, football, and baseball teams. He brings a lot
of experience to Centrals baseball team.
Centrals team has been experiencing a slump the last few years, so were all looking forward to
Coach Berrys leadership this year. He says he hopes to accomplish a winning season by starting
off conditioning early. Hes already had the players working on their hitting fielding during the
summer. Last year the team didnt get to condition as early as some of the other schools did;
they just jumped right into the season without the work that bonds a team together. We are
already feeling like a team, ready to show our opponents the new techniques weve learned.
Be sure to come out and support us in the spring!

Centrals Civic Duty

Duchess Warfield

Civic Duty: the responsibilities of a citizen; duty, obligations, responsibility;

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force.
Every year, whether upper classman like it or not, there are freshmen - lost, confused freshmen who can
be easily influenced. As vets of the school, we should be there to guide them through their freshman
year.
All of us have been there. Whether it was 2013 or 2015,
we have all been that lost freshmen on our first and
second day of school, and if it wasnt for the help of an
older family member at one time or another, we would
have been lost. It doesnt stop with giving directions to
finding a class. We need to set examples of the positive
behavior we expect from them.
Some upper classmen show animosity towards
freshmen; they feel like Central is their school and they
dont want anyone to invade it. But obviously, new
people will come each year to keep the legacy going. And
sooner or later, each class will graduate and the new kids
will be the one to help the new new kids.
The Magnet program is one area where freshmen
are often left in the dark. They spend so little time in each
magnet during freshmen rotation, they need help from
upper classmen to get a feel for the expectations of each
magnet. It will help them make a wise magnet choice so
they arent miserable for the next three years.
As we all know freshmen can be pretty immature;
need someone older, and hopefully more mature, to be
there to guide them. They dont need another parent or
authority telling them what to do; they need someone wise
but also someone who can relate to them in a way that
adults cant. As proud students of Central, we should be the first to try to help the freshmen.
We should mentor the freshmen to teach them leadership skills to make sure the future of the
school stays a positive one. Our time is limited here, and we should be making sure that the ones who
come after us are well prepared for high school, and continue to set examples for the ones to come after
them.

Tissue Paper
Jazmin Mack

Tissue paper around the toilet seat, locked in a stall, as tears fell
down my face. This is not where I expected to be on the first day of
school. I had dreamed about this day for as long as I could remember,
and there I was feeling like the under dogs I watched on television. High
school was defiantly not as I expected. Very early on, I discovered being
a freshman came with zero perks. Wasnt it bad enough being in a brand
new atmosphere, knowing not one person?
The week leading up to the first day was very nerve racking. I went to
orientation and noticed that I didnt see any familiar faces. This meant I
was in it alone, so from that point on I knew I had to come out of my
comfort zone. I didnt really take that much of an interest in exploring
the long hallways that I would be very unfamiliar with later on. I would
soon learn this was the worst decision I couldve possibly made.
As the week progressed, I talked and talked and talked about it. I planned out different scenarios in my
head and dreamed of all new friendships that would last me a lifetime. My friends and I from middle
school called each other to compare what our new schools had to offer and how nervous we were.
Looking back, I realize that was kind of a bad idea, but at the time, it was just conversation. The day
slowly crept up on me.
That morning, I walked to my bus stop very excited. I rode a compound bus; this was actually my first
time even riding a bus - period. I was one of the first people to get on, so I sat alone. When we arrived
at the compound, things started happening so fast. Kids were running to their buses to reserve their
seats, and there I was, looking around in shock. When I found my bus, it was so packed that I had to
stand. I had no idea how long the ride would be, but with every corner we turned, I stumbled to keep
my balance. After thirty minutes of stumbling, my knees began to give up on me. Finally, in the
distance, I could see the school building.
When we pulled up, I got off the bus so fast and darted to the door, looking for the closest seat I could
find. To the right of the entrance, I saw the gym, and when I walked in, there were students sitting in
the bleachers. I quickly exited. I leaned against the gym door and quietly exhaled. This was already too
much for me to handle and it wasnt even 7:40 am. When the first bell rang, the hallways filled as
students departed from the gym and lunch room. Everyone began making their way to their lockers and
first period class. After looking around for the next 10 minutes, I found my homeroom class. I then sat
in my assigned seat and put my head down. The day progressed until my third period class was half
over. When the lunch bell rang, everybody ran out of the classroom; I slowly walked down to the

cafeteria, and thats when everything went left. I started getting foul looks as I walked to the lunch line.
Everyone looked older than me, but I ignored that detail.
I sat at an empty table by myself, and could hear the upper classmen whisper about me. Who is that?
Is that an underclass man? She must be lost. My face began to turn red, and they started laughing
as I ran into the bathroom. I went into the first available stall I saw, and locked the door. I placed toilet
paper around the seat and sat down.
This was this first time Id ever felt this alone. I was embarrassed, and my eyes began to tear up. I was
not only being laughed at, but I started
questioning my choice of this school. I
couldnt wait to get home. I was silent
for the rest of the day, and the ride
home was even longer then the ride
there. From that point on, I realized
that creating new relationships with
people is a necessary skill. Creating
new friendships can open career and
personal doors. Being socially accepted
boosts your confidence and makes you
a happier person in this cruel venture
through high school. Ones high school
experience is all that one makes it to
be.
Weve all experienced the new world
of high school. The trials and
tribulations everyone encounters are
somewhat similar, but the way you go
about dealing with them is what
differentiates you. My high school
career helped me transition into the
young adult I am today, and even
though I was embarrassed, I am
thankful for this experience. As a result, I am much more capable of creating work, school, and social
relationships that can open many doors.

Begin with the End in Mind

Spechelle Goodwin
Begin with the end in mind. This is the most important advice I would give to a
student who is beginning their high school career. So many students enter high
school with the idea that they can just have fun and not work hard, only to find
out, senior year, that they should have paid attention in class, gotten involved in
extracurricular activities, volunteered and taken high school a little more
seriously.
During my freshmen year, I had the privilege of learning, "The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective Teenagers," one of which is, "Begin with the end in mind." This
particular habit has allowed me to go into almost any situation thinking ahead to
what could happen next or what a situation could lead to. This habit has helped
me in so many ways, that I feel as though it will help incoming freshmen, as well.
If a student begins high school already thinking and working towards college and
a career, they will take better steps towards their goals.
In order to, "Begin with the End in Mind," one must be capable of thinking
beyond the present, beyond a single second. When I say this, I mean students
must be able to analyze a situation to the extent that they don't react based just
on their feelings or mood at the time, but they take a step back and think about
their future and what they want for their lives. This habit is helpful in all
situations, for example, if someone is behind on school work and has to make a
decision between going to a party or doing homework, or someone who has
diabetes is craving something they are not supposed to be eating has to make a
decision about whether they want to risk raising their blood sugar or being
healthy.
To conclude, if I could give any student who is beginning their high school
career any advice, it definitely be to begin with the end in mind when they go
through any situation. This will allow them to think beyond the present and
towards the future. This will also help them make good decisions. To those
students I would say, "Begin with the end in mind so you want have any regrets."

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

Be Proactive
Being proactive is the key to unlocking the other habits. Help your teen take control and responsibility
for her life. Proactive people understand that they are responsible for their own happiness or
unhappiness. They don't blame others for their own actions or feelings.

Begin With the End in Mind

If teens aren't clear about where they want to end up in life, about their values, goals, and what they
stand for, they will wander, waste time, and be tossed to and fro by the opinions of others. Help your
teen create a personal mission statement which will act as a road map and direct and guide his
decision-making process.

Put First Things First

This habit helps teens prioritize and manage their time so that they focus on and complete the most
important things in their lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being
strong during difficult times. It's living life according to what matters most.

Think Win-Win
Teens can learn to foster the belief that it is possible to create an atmosphere of win-win in every
relationship. This habit encourages the idea that in any given discussion or situation both parties can
arrive at a mutually beneficial solution. Your teen will learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others
instead of being threatened by them.

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Because most people don't listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don't feel
understood.This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is:
active listening.

Synergize
Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create something better than either
could alone. Through this habit, teens learn it doesn't have to be "your way" or "my way" but rather a
better way, a higher way. Synergy allows teens to value differences and better appreciate others.

Sharpen the Saw

Teens should never get too busy living to take time to renew themselves. When a teen "sharpens the
saw" she is keeping her personal self-sharp so that she can better deal with life. It means regularly
renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of life body, brain, heart, and soul.

3 Rules to High School

Janesha Boller

As a freshman beginning my high school career, I was given lots of pointers on how
high school operates. The information I received was very much true and helpful. Now
as a senior ending my high school career, I can retell the experiences Ive had and pass
them along to other incoming students.
[Rule # 1] Being a freshman, you need to make new friends. Your middle school/
childhood friends are growing up, and as they grow, they become interested in other
things that you may not be interested in. One way to make new friends is to join clubs.
Being in a club lets you meet different types of people in different grades, and more
people know you just because youre in a club or activity. Its very important to make
other friends, because they say, The friends you start off with, are not the same people
you end with. I started off with a whole squad of people; now as a senior, its just me
and my best friend. So take the advantage and make friends while you can; youll never
know if they will be there for a lifetime.
[Rule # 2] Adapt while you can. You dont want to be that freshman who doesnt know
how to keep up with your grades or how to manage your time. Its very important to do
your absolute best in academics. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP! The hardest test youll
take your freshman year will probably be finals. Finals either make or break your
chances of passing. But as years pass on, you need to be more focused on taking the
ACT, which helps your chances of getting into college, and a good one at that. You
should never slack on any of your work, especially freshman year. Its the easiest year
of high school and usually the best one, as well.
[Rule # 3] Make good impressions with your teachers. You dont have to be a teachers
pet, but be on their good side. You never know what you might need them for in the
long run. Its important to be good friends with your teachers, not only to have someone

for support, but for things like recommendations and references. You have to be willing
to do the work to establish a healthy relationship with them. Teachers may seem mean,
but once youre on their good side, theyll do all types of stuff for you: curving tests,
letting you turn in work late, or even letting you get away with things most students
wouldnt be able to.

Below is the list of all of the classes and the number of credits you will need to graduate
from Central High School:

English

4 credits

English 1, 2, 3 and 4

Math

4 credits

Algebra 1, 2, Geometry
and an approved course in
12th grade

Science

3 credits

Integrated 1A, Integrated

1B or Chemistry, and
Biology

Social Studies

3 credits

Geography, World History,

and U.S History

Health/PE

1 credit

Computer

1 credit

A&H

1 credit

*Electives

7 credits

Elective credits may

include magnet and/or
foreign language

*Magnet

4 credits

Students must pass four

credits in their career
magnet program

*Foreign Language

2 credits

Pre-college curriculum
only

Hard work in High School, pays off BIG TIME in Kentucky!!

KHEAA-Administered Programs
Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES)
The KEES program provides scholarships to students who earn at least a 2.5 GPA each year they attend a certified
Kentucky high school. The better they do in high school, the more they earn toward college. They may also earn
awards for ACT/SAT scores and Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge Advanced
International (CAI) test scores. Home school and GED graduates may earn awards based on their ACT scores.

KEES Base Award Amounts

For each year you earn a 2.5 or better GPA, you can earn the base amount listed below. For instance, a high school
freshman who earns a 3.5 GPA would have a $375 scholarship for each year of college. Amounts may change based
on available funds.

GPA

Amount

2.50

$125

2.60

150

2.70

175

2.75

187

2.80

200

2.90

225

3.00

250

3.10

275

3.20

300

3.25

312

3.30

325

3.40

350

3.50

375

3.60

400

3.70

425

3.75

437

3.80

450

3.90

475

4.00

500

Hard work in High School, pays off BIG TIME in Kentucky!!

ACT Bonus Award Amounts
You can earn a bonus award for an ACT score of 15 or above. For example, a KEES-eligible student who has a score of
25 would earn an additional $393 for each year of college.

ACT Score

Bonus

15

$36

16

71

17

107

18

143

19

179

20

214

21

250

22

286

23

321

24

357

25

393

26

428

27

464

28+

500

AP/IB/CAI Supplement Award Amounts

If you have been eligible for free or reducedprice lunch during any year of high school, you can earn a supplemental
award if you have received a qualifying score on an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or
Cambridge Advanced International (CAI) exam. For example, a KEES eligible student who receives a score of 3 on an
AP exam and is eligible for free or reducedprice lunch would earn an additional $200 for each year of college.

Advanced Placement
Exam Score

Supplemental
Amount

$200

$250

$300

International Baccalaureate
Exam Score

Supplemental
Amount

$200

$250

$300

Cambridge Advanced International

Exam Score

Supplemental
Amount

$200

c, d

$250

a*, a, b

$300

Freshman Year Advice

Dairrean Rose
Freshman year is the year thats going to determine the rest of your high school years. Its when you make your
first impression to your peers, teachers and administrators to show how much respect you have for yourself
and others. Your freshman year can make or break you, so make smart decisions.

To begin with, stay out of drama. Drama is not hard to get into; it can even be based on how you look or
talk. Girls especially like drama; some love to start it. Girls get in drama over petty things, things that
dont even matter to them. Most of the time they do it to get noticed. Its important to realize that if a
group of people try to surround you with drama, theyre not your real friends.

Which brings me to my next point, choose your friends wisely. You need to be very careful who you call a friend,
because that same person can turn on you in two seconds and you wont even realize it. As a matter of fact, dont
even press others to be your friend; just let things casually fall into place. Because friends come and go, you wont
know whos a real friend until you see their true colors. And remember, some of these same people you call friends
are ones who will haunt you for the rest of your high school years.

Getting involved with your school is a great way to start off the year, whether its basketball, football,

track, dance, cheer etc. Athletes get a lot of respect because of what they do for the school. Dont join a
team just for the respect though, do it because you want to. Getting involved will motivate you to get
your grades up and keep them there; it will also help with your college applications.

Lastly, dont be materialistic. Dont stress yourself to look the part, instead be the part. Dont let the
clothes make you, you should make the clothes. It doesnt make a difference what you wear or how you
dress; ignore those who try to make fun of you. Remember that people only pick on others because they
are insecure about who they are. They think talking about others makes them look good, but it actually
makes them look weak. Dont worry about anyone else, make decisions on your own, dont let anybody
else decisions affect how you think.

According to DiverseEducation.com, if you have a high GPA,

its a strong indicator of how well you will do in college.

College and university cumulative GPAs closely track

high school GPAs, despite wide variations in testing.
Students with strong (high school) GPAs generally
performed well in college despite modest or low testing.
http://diverseeducation.com/article/61386/

Everyone Has Skills They Can Use to Give Back to the Community
Malaya Allen

Sweat dripping off my face. Loud vibrations of the beat switching. All the girls in
formation with hair flips and attitude. Those are the things that make dancing a passion for me.
Dancing is not just a sport or a hobby, but dancing is my life. What makes dancing even more
exciting is being able to do what I love while helping out people younger than me.
I always dance. I remember dancing before I can remember walking. I never took dancing
seriously until I was about seven years old. I started out taking tap and ballet at a nearby dance
company, and then I ventured out and did many open dance classes around different studios,
until I came across a hip-hop class. Ever since then, I took hip-hop classes, joined multiple
competition teams and participated in competitions that have won 1 st place trophies. Now I try
to give back to my community center and try to give young girls and boys the opportunity to
express themselves through dance.
I know dancing helped me stay active, out of trouble, and involved with different kind of
people. I never shop lifted, did drugs, or was ever put in handcuffs because I focused on
dancing. I also got the opportunity to meet different dancers with different backgrounds and
that was awe-inspiring. So being able to give back and help kids find a constructive hobby or
direction in life through something I love is a plus for me. I am glad that I have, and hopefully
still can, continue to make a difference in someones life.

While preparing you for the future, high school is

where you learn exactly what it means to be a
good citizen. A major component of being a good
citizen is interaction with your community. One
of the most common ways of involving young
adults in community activities is through
volunteerism. In order to truly complete the
education the public school system promises, high
school students should spend time volunteering in
their community.

Source

Take Advantage of Your Education

Paw Ray Moo
In Thailand where I lived, they take education very seriously. It was easier for me there than it is here
because I knew the language. I had to learn English to understand the things they taught me in school
here. They are much stricter in Thailand than in the United States, because they take education very
seriously there.
Students in Thailand are more likely stay focused because the teacher will hit you with a stick if
you dont listen, do your work, or if you fail tests. Parents let the teacher do that because they
want their kids to be educated. In my experience, hitting students actually makes kids learn
better. For example, if you are late to class, you will get hit three times on your hand, butt, or
leg. It is painful, but it is not abuse; it is a wakeup call to be a good student. School in the
United States is so much different than Thailand, because here the teacher cannot hit students
or theyll go to jail.
Teachers in Thailand also visit parents at their home and talk to them about your grade.
Almost every school in Thailand requires uniforms. The girls in some schools even all have to
get the same hair cut as the boys, as you can see in the picture below.
Many students here dont really care about
their school work. Cheating in school is very
easy here and you dont get expelled or
anything, but in Thailand if youre caught
cheating you either get expelled or they fail you
for the whole school year. That may be harsh,
but it a lesson everyone should learn. If you
cheat, you are denying yourself a good
education.
A very good thing about going to school in the
United States is that after high school, you can
actually go to college close to home. In
Thailand, if you want to continue your education, you will have to move to Bangkok where
they have all the colleges and universities. In the US, there are universities in every city.
All students take and end of course test in every grade every year. Those who scores are in the
top three get a prize.
IN the US, students can apply for scholarships to pay for college, but in Thailand, there are no
scholarships. Many who graduate with good grade cant go to college because they dont have
money.
Students in the US should take their education seriously and realize how lucky they are to be offered
so many educational opportunities.
Picture credit: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2013/01/thailand-whats-hair-got-to-do-with-childrens-rights/

Go To Sleep

Duchess Warfield

Picture this, its 11-12 oclock at night during the school week
and what are you doing? We are supposed to be asleep,
reaching the daily requirement of getting 7-8 hours of sleep a
night so we can have a productive day. Instead, were on our
phones, texting, tweeting and typing away to all of our
friends about the latest daily drama. It sounds fun, until youre face down in the middle
of class because youre so tired you cant get your work done.
Students may say goodnight to their parents, but once they get into that bedroom, its
right onto their phones and thats a problem. Students need to come to school alert and
ready to learn, but how can you do that when youre half asleep because you decided to
stay up till 2am? When it comes to sleep, everyone can miss out on their full 8 hours
every once in a while - whether it was because of your annoying younger sibling staying
up to finish homework or working extra hours at the job - we have all done it. But it
becomes an issue when people come to school with an attitude, sleeping in class and
not doing any work; its a waste of everyones time.
Without a solution, theres no point of stating the
problem, but I do have some suggestions. Studies have shown
that you should be off all electronics two hours before going
to bed. For some people, that seems relatively impossible, but
there are other solutions, as well.

According to google, to go to bed faster, you can place the

tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your
upper front teeth. Exhale completely through your mouth,
making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly
through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your
breath for a count of seven. This seems pretty east; I hope its
affective. At the rate that students fall asleep in class, anything will help.

Is Homework Harmful or Helpful?

By: Jaden Whiting
Its been debated for years whether or not we should get rid of homework. The real
question is whether homework is harmful or helpful. Even though homework is both harmful
and helpful, I believe its mostly harmful to students.
Ive been doing homework for as long as Ive been in school. Each year it gets harder
and harder, causing more me stress. I have homework for 6 plus classes. According to
guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association, A student should be assigned no
more than 10 minutes of work per grade. That means, as a senior, I shouldnt have more than
2 hours of homework a night. In many cases, Ive gone beyond this. With all of my other
obligations, I often dont finish my homework until very late at night, and then I dont get
enough sleep. Sometimes, I have to decide not to finish it all because there is so much and I can
only hope I have time before school to get the rest of it done. This stresses me out A LOT!
Most students rush through homework because theres so much, making it pointless to
do. In many cases, homework causes you to miss extracurricular activities, free time, and more.
Even though homework is supposed to provide further help for a specific topic a class is
learning, if a student doesnt understand how to do the work, it doesnt help them learn
anything. This has the same effect as not doing it STRESS. Not doing homework also leads to a
zero, and that leads to a lower grade. A lower grade causes even more STRESS.
Homework causes stress for teachers, too. When they have to grade 150 plus papers on
top of everything else they have to do, they STRESS. They are forced to take papers home to do
their grading there instead of spending time with their families. They stay up late and dont get
enough sleep, hoping to finish in the morning before class. That causes STRESS. Sometimes they
dont finish their grading and students bug them until they are way STRESSED!
Overall, homework has more negatives than positives. Whether you actually do your
homework or not, whether you are a teacher or a student, its well known that homework
always leads to STRESS!

Centrals SBDM homework goals:

Be assigned as necessary for effective

learning
Include all grade levels
Cross all content areas
Reflect extensions of classroom learning
Increase in the amount of time required
as the student progresses through HS

Centrals SBDM teacher responsibilties:

Regularly provide students with feedback

on homework
Provide instructional support to students as
needed
Communicate clear and concise
expectations to students regarding
homework
Make assignments relevant to classroom
learning and allow for independent practice
Use homework as instructional
reinforcement, not punishment

Sebastian Francisco

In life we fail; we fall down all the time. Whether its at a relationship or a job or
athletics, we will all fail at some time, but the true test of character is what you can do after
falling down. There are many paths to take once you fail. Option one is to cry and just give up
on it completely, or in option two, you can cry, then dust yourself off and get up off of the
ground and then proceed to try again. In my life, I have decided that when I fail, I will get back
up and work to be successful; I refuse to fall and stay there, wallowing in all my failures.
There is also another component to failure; once you fall and get back up there is one more test.
The test is self-reflection, did you learn from your mistake and how can you better yourself because of
the mistake? Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again
expecting the same results. This means you have to change a little a bit as you grow. I have failed at
multiple things, most recently on the football field when I was entrusted to kick the game winning field
goal. I missed and we lost the game. It was all my fault, but instead of crying about it, I decided to get up
and work harder and havent missed since then.
I learned a valuable lesson that I can carry into college and in life, that when the going gets
tough, the tough get going. I didnt give up, and thats the determination and drive you need to be
successful post high school. I took the extra step and learned from my mistake to make sure it didnt
happen again, and thats what will determine success in life and college.

Im Back on the Track!

Autumn Bibb

As I was running, my legs literally ripped open, but I kept going. I ran across
the finish line; I walked onto the field; I even walked to the car to get home. I did
this while my legs were bleeding, and, believe it or not, I didnt go to the hospital
until a month later. I was always told, pain is temporary, push through the
pain, so thats what I did, until one day I couldnt stand up. What was the
problem? Compartment syndrome. Howd I get it? Being a stubborn athlete and
never knowing when to stop running. Did I heal? Partially. This story isnt about
how hard headed I am, its about how I had to accept failure.
Ive been running my whole life, so when I was told I couldnt, I didnt
believe it. I kept going until my breaking point, surgery point. Fast forward postsurgery, post wheelchair, post crutches when I had to learn to run again. Me being
me, I expected to be the best, so when I was told I had to learn how to run again, I
was confused. I live, breathe, and sleep track; what do you mean learn? To my
surprise, jogging on a treadmill for thirty seconds wore me out as much as a twohour practice. My first thought was they broke me. I wont ever be able to run
again. After my dramatic spell, the physical therapist explained to me that it was
normal with my condition, that I had to rebuild muscles, that I still had time to get
strong. They said all the things theyre supposed to say to make me feel like it was
really okay, but I knew it wasnt. So I began training as soon as my therapy
sessions ended. I mean intense training, box jumps, bar squats, calf raises, the
whole nine yards. When the therapist told me I could run again, I would be ready. I
was just two months post-surgery and I was training like Id never had surgery.
This is where I messed up. When it was time to run again, I began to reexperience the pain. You guessed right; I pushed through it and ignored it. After
about a month, I had shin splints once again from overtraining this time. I really
thought it was over; I had ruined my legs. I had to accept my failure. I had to sit
out another season. I had to reevaluate my life and learn how
to slow down. Everyone says life comes at you fast, and it
does. But that doesnt mean go faster. Pace yourself. You
would think I would know how to pace myself since Im a
runner, but this failure taught me better. Its three years later
and Im back on the track. Granted, it took way longer than I
planned, but Im here!

Representing Yourself in Dance!

Kariya Edwards

Do you like watching good dance

routines? How about dancing to great
music? What about dancing in several
different types of ways? Gets you
thinking doesnt it? If so, the
famous Stingettes Dance Team
of Central High School has
provided the perfect
opportunity for all
students attending
Central to express their
feelings, express their way
of life, and to express
themselves as a person.
Stingettes have tryouts the
summer before the school year begins. By
the time classes start, theyve been through
band camp, their first game, and other major events.
The
Stingettes is like a majorette team that works hard
throughout the year; they have major dedication. This year,
there have
been some changes from last year. Last year, as a freshman, I
only got to try
out for the one team. This year, there are wasnt a second tryout to be a part of the
hip hop competition team. If you think youre more of a bop type of dancer,
then hopefully you tried out. If you didnt, the tryouts were mid-September so they
could add people to their hip-hop competition teamBrilliant idea! Be sure to
tryout the first time, in the summer, for next year.
I dont know if this is going to be a good thing for the team, but I do think
its a good strategyMaybe itll work, maybe it wont. What you feel is best for
you, do it! If its dance thats your best way to express yourself, then dance! Join
the talented dancers of Central High School. Great job Stingettes, keep up the good
work!

I Aspire to be a Giver
Sada Tamimou Wane
I was born in a country where
people dont have much, but still are very
grateful. A country where students are
willing to walk kilometers to get an
education without complaining. A country
where people are really smart and
optimistic, but they are not given the
opportunity to succeed. A country where
everyone is welcomed, no matter your
race, religion or social status. I am from
Senegal, West Africa. Le pays de la
teranga.
When I lived in Senegal, all I did
was play Football (soccer). I loved
playing football. During the weekends, I
went to football practice at seven in the
morning. After practice, I went to play
football with my friends and in the
afternoon, I used to go to the beach to
play football again. I couldve stayed all
day without eating, just playing football.
Only Anopheles mosquitoes can
transmit malaria and they must have
When I played football, I did not care
been infected through a previous blood
about anything but scoring goals.
One day my brother got really sick, meal taken from an infected person.
so my parents took him to the local
hospital where he was diagnosed with
malaria. The doctor prescribed him medications that were supposed to cure the disease. But when
my brother took the medications, it worsened. My parents took him to another hospital, where the
doctor did some tests and figured out it wasnt malaria but some other infection which I cant recall the
name of. This experiment motivated me to become a doctor, because I dont want what happened to
my brother to happen to anyone else. The wrong drugs couldve killed him. Those kind of mistakes
happen every day in my country. I want to better the healthcare system of Senegal.
In 2013, I came to the United States for better opportunities. I only knew one word in English,
Hello. I was really confused when I first got here. The lifestyle was so different. It seemed fake to
me. I stayed home all day. I only played soccer during practice and games. I started to lose interest in
the game and became more focused about my education because I learned that to be a doctor in the
US, youll have to work really, really hard.
Now, I am a senior and still want to be a doctor. When I graduate from high school, Im
planning to go to college, major in biology (as a pre-med), then apply for medical school. When I
become a doctor, I want to go back to my home county, Senegal, to better the healthcare system. As
the inspirational quote says, I aspire to be a giver. A giver of love, a giver of good vibes, and a giver
of strength.

Can Change Be Good?

Kaija Pate

All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.-Tinkerbell.
Of course I dont believe that anymore. I now know its not that simple. Looking back, I
was a happy-go-lucky little girl. I had everything I needed, my family, my best friend, a
plan for my future. Heck I even got free doughnuts from the shop down the street
occasionally. But all that changed when my dad decided to uproot the family and move
from Sandusky, Ohio, to Kentucky for his job.
I was a small town girl about to transition to a big city. I knew the move would
bring a lot of changes. But I didn't know it'd be so hard to get used to all of them. Since I
only moved one state down, the changes werent all that dramatic. But it's the minute
things that agitate me the most. For example, the people down here talk - a lot. Strangers
love to start conversations with each other. You can run into a store for two things, and
before you know it, you're deep in a conversation. Youll be standing there talking to a
stranger like you're a pair of old buddies. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Talking to
people is fine, until youre standing there for fifteen minutes, and you're now running
late. That's not how it was back home. We weren't rude, we just didn't have all day to sit
and chat with each other. Up North we'd get in and get out. It's that simple.
Another thing I can't stand is the fact that everything is so spread apart. You have
to get on a highway for everything. My closest friend lives 20 minutes away from me.
Back home, I could be in the next town in 20 minutes. I'm used to having the option of
walking. I like having the option to walk simply because if anything pops up you can walk
and not have to worry about being late or missing an appointment. You never know when
your car might break down, so you always need a plan B. You can't do that down here
because you'd never make it on time. Or I guess you could get creative like some of my
former neighbors and ride a horse to wherever you have to go.
I say all of that to say I'm not the same girl I was when I moved here. I was so
closed minded and ignorant to the world outside of Sandusky. In Sandusky, we all knew
each other because we had grown up together. That made me closed to the idea of making
new friends. That's why I didn't have any friends the first seven months I lived here. In
my head, I didnt need new friends because I already had enough back home. I'm really
glad I let that idea go. If I still thought like, that I wouldnt be nearly as happy as I am
today. I've met some of my favorite people here in Louisville. I now consider some of them
family.
At first, I hated living here and the whole process of adapting to this new life.
Today, I'm so happy and thankful to have been able to move down here. I've been
presented with so many opportunities that I wouldn't have had, had I stayed in Ohio. I've
been able to network and meet people who are doing great things with their lives. I now
have mentors to help guide and teach me. Before I moved here, I didn't have anything like
that, a mentor, a role model, nothing. I'd say, overall, I'm happy with the way that this
move has affected me. I've learned so much, not only about myself but about life in
general. Maybe in life all you really need is faith, trust and pixie dust. But it's up to you to
decide what your pixie dust is and where to find it.

The Doubted Few

DaeVon Gardner

On stage, dressed in uniform,

sitting in good form and posture, eyes
reading from left to right. I began to feel relaxed, glancing at the conductor so I know how fast or
slow the tempo is going, I notice a twenty-five measure rest, taking a deep breath while I can.
Looking up at the conductor as I see his baton go from left to right, all I could do is shake my
head as the trumpets go in full throttle blasting everyones eardrums in the process, dont even
mention the percussion. My clarinet doesnt even stand a chance. Trumpets are loud, but they
have beauty just like every other instrument; the clarinet may not be loud, but it can still be
heard. I dont have a rebellion against trumpets or anything of that nature. Maybe its silly, but I
envy the trumpets. I wanted to switch instruments from clarinet to trumpet in the beginning of
4th grade. You know what my band director had told me? He said, I dont think youre capable
of performing on that particular instrument. As good as you are, its best to stay with your
current instrument. That was kind of intimidating.
Have you ever had someone tell you that you wasnt capable of doing something? Most
people can say that they have, others may not. Through my life experiences, Ive found that there
are some people out there who will say that youre not capable of doing something you want to
do. For me, thats a form of motivation; it makes me want to push myself into completing the
goal that the person said I was incapable of doing. Back in fourth grade, when my band director
said that I was incapable of playing the trumpet, I ended up switching instruments. I knew that he
wasnt going to approve, but I did it anyway. It was a tough challenge, but I never gave up. Of
course, I wasnt any good when I started, but the more I performed and practiced, the better I got.
Ive been playing trumpet ever since then; Im glad I took the risk and challenged myself.
Looking back, would I have made the same decision? Yes, I would have. I gained selfconfidence, self-respect, and I was relieved at what I could accomplish if I put my effort into it. I
still enjoy myself. If I knew where my fourth grade band director was right now, I would ask for
an apology. I might even perform a couple pieces for him, to show him that I am capable.
I wish that people wouldnt doubt others in given situations, while some might be like me and
take those doubts as a challenge to meet, others might lose hope and never go about
accomplishing his or her goal. Instead, be supportive, because even though nobodys perfect, we
need encouragement to be the best that we can be.

There Comes a Time

Sebastian Francisco
There comes a time when you enter in to adulthood; this is usually brought about by a
life changing event showing you are an adult and are no longer of an adolescent mind. For my
grandfather his entrance into adult hood was the Vietnam War; it tested everything he knew as
a kid. For my mother, it was having me at a very young age, and for my father, he may never
ever cross over into adult hood, maintaining his eternal inner child. There are many paths,
many events.
For me, it is not child birth at a young age or joining my grandfathers beloved Marine
Corps; for me it was much simpler than that, but still monumental in its entirety. I recently took
a trip to the communist island of Cuba on an educational endeavor, and did I get an education!
The trip tested my religious, social and humanitarian beliefs, and changed my life in many ways.
My biggest accomplishment was being independent enough to keep my elf alive without
parental guidance in a foreign country. It was good training for next year, because in college I
do not have my mom to run behind me and solve my problems when the going gets tough.
I was raised catholic and strayed away from the church as I grew older; for years, I only
saw church as a bother and something I had to do instead of play with friends. In Cuba, the only
thing they have to keep them proud is their faith. Religious faith provides a sense of community
for these impoverished people. This sense of community is what I had been missing all of the
years that I skipped going to church. My visit to Cuba was life changing; it brought me back to
my church with a renewed appreciation for the power of faith.
I am an ultra-liberal and supported Bernie Sanders socialistic values. I thought that
sharing the wealth was a good thing until I went to an actual country where I saw that sharing is
really a tool of oppression. In Cuba, everyone shares poverty equally. After seeing the cramped,
run down living quarters that too many people share, and learning of strict rationing that barely
prevents hunger in
socialist Cuba, I have
moved more to the
middle, politically.
Visiting Cuba was
definitely my life changing
event. I am now better
equipped to enter
adulthood as a result of
having made such a trip.

Not Really So Bad

Sada Wane
It was a really nice and sunny day in Senegal, like always, and I was coming
from a soccer game with my friends, when my mom announced to me that I
was going to the U.S in less than a week. I was so excited and happy! Finally, I
was going to get out of that hot country, and I would be reunited with my
brother and sister.
In the days before the trip, my mother and I went shopping, to my uncles
houses and aunties houses for a good bye. I told my friends that I was going
to the U.S, but they didnt believe me. They responded, Stop lying, you know
that you arent going nowhere. Others who believed me were concerned about
how to win the soccer tournaments without me. I announced to anybody that I
saw that I was going to the U.S, even people I didnt know.
The days before we left to travel to the U.S felt like a month; the days were so
slow. My last days in Senegal were so good. In those days, people treated me
like a boss, my mom gave me anything I wanted; I went anywhere I wanted and
I was played soccer until 8 pm. My mother never allowed me stay out so late
before because she said that it caused bad luck and all good people were at
home at that time. I visited Goree Island where the first slaves were bought,
and I also went to the pink lake, Lake Retba, situated in Dakar, the capital of
Senegal. The night before going to the U.S, I couldnt sleep because of my
excitement. I spent all night Googling about the U.S.

On August 2nd, six days before my birthday, and more importantly, the day I
was going to the U.S, I was so tired; I had only slept for two hours the night
before. I woke with a headache and my whole body was hurting, but I was still
excited. We finally arrived in the US and got our bags; I was so excited to get
out of the airport. When we got out of the airport, my mom stopped suddenly
and said, What?!
I asked my mom, Whats wrong?
Oh mon Dieu, I think that we are still in Africa; its too hot! she moaned.
Before coming to the US, I thought it is always cold here, but when we arrived
it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit; thats much hotter than Senegal, which is
usually only 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Being in the US was really nice, and I visited many places. When I started
school, I joined Centrals soccer team, but I am always busy. Living in here
made me realize that Senegal is a wonderful country, because the liberty you
have in Senegal is different to the liberty you have in the United States. In

Senegal, you never get bored, you can play soccer anytime you want, or go to
the beach. However, there are not many opportunities like the U.S has. Senegal
may have great students who graduate from college with a doctorate, but they
cant even find a job. The US is one of the most diverse countries in the world.
People from all over have immigrated to the United States because of the
opportunities here.
Living in the U.S made me realize that Senegal is not really so bad, its just
different. Senegalese culture is very different than Americas. There are so
many things that Americans get to do that are not acceptable in Senegal. I
really admire most Americans because they are really hard workers. It is no
wonder why the US is one of the most developed countries in the world. Finally,
I was out of that hot country, Senegal, but learned that you will never realize
how wonderful somewhere is, until you leave that place.

Thank You Starbucks

Malaya Allen
All I could mutter under my breath was, Thank you
Starbucks, as I walked through the front doors of high school.
My mind was like an alarm clock, set at 7:40 am. I walked to the
third floor for first period, and heard the familiar sirens of
conversations from my peers. Then the caffeine from my
delicious coffee started to kick in and released some of the
exhaustion, helping me get through the day.
I was so glad that I had my coffee, because I was sitting in first period having to write a
college essay; it made my head hurt. I wasnt quite sure where to start, what to say, or what my
topic should be. These essay things really stress me out because Im such an indecisive person. I
always make sure I think everything out carefully before I make a decision. There were so many
things I could write about in such a short essay, that having to decide made me want to rip my
hair out.
There are a lot of questions we have to ask ourselves as a high school seniors. Questions
like, What college do I want to attend? What do I want to study or major in? Or what career do
I see myself pursuing in the future? These are the questions that make attending college
difficult. That morning, I had to think, what will my next step be after graduating from high
school? I knew I had to come to the conclusion that college would be the next stepping stone in
my life.
Imagining spending the next years of my life in college is scary, but its the only decision
that makes sense if I want to accomplish my goals. Not going to college to get a degree wont
increase my knowledge, wont teach me any independence, or give me any responsibilities to
move into adulthood. College may be the stepping stone to secure my future, but without my
morning mocha coffee, I would never have gotten the essay done I will need to get into college.
It will definitely be a daily ritual to get me through the next four years!

Overcome Obstacles with Family

DaeVon Gardner
I cant remember a time I didnt want to be a Marine Biologist. The thought of viewing the open waters,
seas and oceans, visiting deserted islands, or collecting data from marine wildlife, all seems interesting to
me. I dont talk much, but being on the open waters is my place to be. Im not saying I dont belong in
society, as intimidating as it can be. All Im saying is that Id rather dive and explore a different world,
without rules and traffic lights. My mind is endless; people say I think too much, but there is nothing
wrong with curiosity.
Its funny, because when I mention I want to pursue a career in Marine Biology, I hear things like, Arent
you afraid of the depths of the ocean? Or, Youre going to die by a shark bite. There are many other
idiotic statements that people say, but my point is that, no matter what you do in life, there will always be
consequences; there are risks, some more dangerous than others. In order to apply yourself, you have to
try, because if you dont try, then youll never know what you could or would have accomplished.
Ever let fear stop you from achieving a goal? Well I have, but in my situation, I obviously didnt have much
choice; I had to face my fear. When I was eight or nine years old, my family used to go to the YMCA to
swim; it was fun for all of us. I always stayed in the shallow end, but Id always wanted to learn how to
swim like my dad. Being as young as I was, I was terrified of the deep end. My dad asked me if I wanted
to learn how to swim, and I said, Yes. That was the biggest mistake of my life, because without any
hesitation, my dad threw me into twelve feet of water. I hadnt even reached the height of five feet yet,
and on top of that, I couldnt swim. I struggled to keep my head above water until my dad jumped in and
saved me. When I got out of the water, I was mad. I turned away and had my moment of despair. But
realizing what he was trying to accomplish, I turned around and raised my hands, saying, again! After a
few days, I was swimming in twelve feet of water like it was the easiest thing in the world.
I love my family; without family, Im not exactly sure if I would of made it this far in life, accomplished what
I have in at this point. Im the oldest of my siblings. I have three step sisters, and a twin brother. Yes, an
identical twin. We are actually fraternal, but we look so much alike, we are frequently mistaken for
identical. My twin brother, TraeVon, rhymes with
my name, DaeVon. Hes 59 and Im 58. We look identical. Growing up with a twin seems pretty
exciting, yet at some point, its not. TraeVon and I
always liked the same stuff as kids, but as we got
older, our personalities differed. Even though we
have different personalities, they are still familiar,
like the personalities of the other members of my
family. During the times when I was nervous or
too afraid to try or apply to something, they gave
me the confidence and self-respect to push myself
Charles Kuralt
to succeed. I will always cherish my family; they
believe in me even when I dont. They help me to
be the best I can be. They are my family.

The love of family and

the admiration of
friends is much more
important than wealth
and privilege.

Graduation Anxiety (To the tune of Breathe Me by Sia)

Jayla Evans

I am a gladiator with a shaking sword

I am the twitchy, sweaty hand, wet tear duct, soiled arm pits, chewing of the
cheek,
Clanking of the knees, ticking, uncontrollable winking and stuttering tongue
I make you want to wrap yourself up tightly in your own arms
Cause the thought of someone touching you is unbearable
I am the nail biting, tooth chipping agony you get when you are around others
I am the princess of panic
The queen of overreaction
The magnifier of all your flaws
Ambassador of anguish
I am Anxiety
I take you by the hand and lead you to him that I call insomnia; he takes you to
the moon
The moon who keeps you company at night
You know that sleep deprivation is used as torture?
And I do this to you who are myself
I am the what if in you
What if I fail at life?
What if this truck hits me?
What if I cant stop what if-ing?
I am anxiety
It is so exhausting to want to live this much
Fighting through every day like Im in an action movie
This isnt fun
Fighting demons worse than you can ever imagine
The ones you didnt think were rea are my reality
T want so badly to live
To hold on to love
Because you cant be this afraid of losing everything if you dont love everything
first
You have to have a soul crushing hope to get better
The thought of losing something you were so close to
Can cause you to lose your mind
Lose track of time
Life, Life is all I want, to live it
Please let me live
The chills come back, the knees
I am drowning in your sweat
Sinking in your ocean of fear
Youll lose it
Just lose it
I am your anxiety
And this is anxiety class 101.

First Muslim-American in the Olympics

By, Maryan Abdikadir

Its been really tough for Muslims in the United states

since the 9/11 incident, and it has gotten even worse as the
so-called Muslim terrorist groups have made more attacks.
Anyone who wears a Hajib or kamis is given deadly eyes and
called names and sometimes jumped or beaten or even killed.
Recently, a young boy named Ahmed Mohamed, who is on his
schools robotic team, was arrested because his teacher
mistook the robot that he built for as a bomb. Its become a
stereotype that if youre a Muslim, youre either a murderer or
a violent person. This is not true. Islam is a religion of peace;
terrorists are obviously not true Muslims.

Source

Despite the strong hatred towards Muslims in the United States, Ibtinaj Muhammed, who was born in
Maplewood, New Jersey, became the first Muslim-American to represent team USA at the Olympics games,
the worlds biggest sporting spectacle, wearing a hajib. She wanted to play many sports when she was young,
but that was impossible since its very important to be covered from head to toe according to her religion. She
said in an interview with The Daily Mail, I wanted a sport where I could be fully covered and I didnt have to
look different. When she was 13 years old, she decided to join her schools fencing team, and she won the
state championships. She is now a five time Senior World medalist, including being the 2014 World Champion
in the team event. As the first female MuslimAmerican athlete to earn a medal at the Olympics, she
got to meet president Obama and his wife. She said,
Source
He seemed really interested in my journey as an
athlete and was really excited for me to compete this
summer in the Olympic Games. I love that he was
supportive of me.
This sends out a great message that Muslims
and Muslim-Americans can excel in sports, and that
Muslim women are not oppressed and can do what
most American women can do without showing skin.
She is an inspiration to many Muslim girls or women
that they can do anything as long as they believe they
can.

Stereotypes about Islam

Hajiya Issa
People all around the world view Islam as a violent religion because of the
few who make bad decisions over and over again. Islam is actually a peaceful
religion. Throughout history, every religion has had violent periods. Terrorists are
not really following the religion of Islam. This makes people think that Muslims
who do follow Islam are bad, too.
On July 22, my and mom I were standing outside of our house and a man
drove by and flicked us off, saying, Go back to your country. We did not say
anything about it; we just went on with our day, but it hurt me. I still think about
it till this day. Why would you do something to somebody who didnt do anything
to you when you dont even know them?
ISIS is one of the biggest reasons that people hate Muslims. The members
of ISIS claim to be Muslims, but I dont think they are. They attacked one of the
holiest Islamic places, a Mosque in Medina, this summer during Ramadan, the
holiest Islamic month. If they were really Muslims, they would not do this to a
place that has religious.
I have noticed that when ISIS attacked non-Muslims in the West, like in
Paris or Brussels, it was all over the news. But when they attack Muslims, in the
Middle East, like in Baghdad or Pakistan or the attacks on the Mosque in Medina,
it doesnt get the same coverage.
There are people from all religions who
are violent, but Muslims dont judge those whole
religions by the few; why does everyone believe
all Muslims to be violent? We should condemn
all violence, not just Muslim violence. Most
Muslims are not violent people, especially those
who follow the Koran. Islam means peace.

On the day of Eid

By: Hajiya Issa
Eid is an Islamic holiday that is celebrated twice a year. There is Eid al-Fitr
and Eid al-adha. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated after Ramadan. Eid al-adha is celebrated
around fall. Eid al-Adha is the holier of the two. It honors Ibrahim (Abraham).
These are the only religious holidays Muslims celebrate. Ramadan is an Islamic
month. During this month, Muslims fast; to fast you cannot eat or drink anything
from sun rise to sun set. So after Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr to eat
and have fun.
On the day of Eid, Muslims wake up early to go to Eid prayer. In my house,
we wake up at 5:30 or 6:00. The reason is because Eid prayer starts at 7:00.
Everybody dresses in their best clothes. After prayer, people come back home and
cook. You cook as soon as you come back because you will want to go over to
other peoples houses or people will come to yours. In my house, the girls help
the mom cook and the boys leave to visit other boys. When they come back, the
whole family leaves and goes to cousins houses or they come to our house.
People talk, laugh and eat food. After that, kids go from door to door of other
Muslims and say Eid Mubarak and get candy and money. Later on in the day,
everybody goes home and
has a good rest of the day.
This is what my
family and I do; most
Muslims do this. Eid goes
on for three days, but most
people just celebrate the
first day which is the most
important. The reason is
because prayer happens on
the first day. That does not
mean you cant celebrate
all three, but kids have school and they cant miss all three days.

Frances Burkini
Ban
By; Maryan Abdikadir
In the religion of Islam, women are to cover up and only
show their faces. Thats why many Muslim women wear
the hijab. Since most of the people in the West wear
clothes that leave skin showing, it pressures many of these Muslim girls to want to dress
western style so they can fit in and not feel like an outcast with their peers. For instance, when
you go to a beach, many of the women there are wearing a bikini which shows a whole lot of
skin. Its basically accepted that you should wear that kind of clothing when you visit a beach
and want to enter the water; wearing full clothing looks weird. Finally, recently, a type of of
swimsuit for women, called a Burkini, was designed in Australia by Aheda Zanetti. It covers the
arms, legs and hair, but its still comfortable enough for swimming. Burkinis arent just for
Muslims, but for anyone who wants to protect their skin from the sun.
In France, the Burkini became a trend in the Muslim community; many Muslims wear them at
the beach, but some towns have banned women from wearing the burkini. The government
has threatened to fine anyone seen wearing one. All symbols of religion are banned in France,
and the burkini is viewed as that. If abortion is legal in France, why cant a burkini be legal?
People say that its a womens body and she can do whatever she wants with her body to
defend abortion. If a women can do anything she wants with her body, why is she being told
what to wear and what not to wear? Like Muslim women in headscarves have been prohibited
from working as nurses. Mothers in headscarves have been banned from school outings.
Women in face veils are prohibited from walking the streets, using hospitals or public
transport. Students in long skirts are sent home for wearing "religious clothing." Non-pork
alternatives have been removed from school menus. Even recently, on a France beach in Nice,
a women was forced to take off her burkini by a police officer and allow herself to be seen in
just leggings and a tank top, leaving her a little naked. In the Islam religion, thats not allowed.
Saying that a women who just wants to stay true to her religion and be covered is carrying a
bomb under what shes wearing, is going too far.
The terrorist attacks make Muslim a target for discrimination. People have actually started
believing the stereotypes that all Muslims are terrorists. They think their country will be safe

by making these rules, they are hurting good

Muslims who just want to live there and peacefully
practice their religion. France should not treat all
Muslims so harshly because of what a few Muslims
did. High security is okay, but taking away rights of
someone just because of their religion is just a bit
too much.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/37182988
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/opinions/burkini-ban-france-myriam-francois-opinion/

Various styles of head scarves worn in Muslim countries are pictured below:

Source

Domestic Violence Must Stop

Briana Anderson

When he stops
treating you like
a princess, it
becomes Happily
Never After

I would never allow myself to become a victim of

domestic violence, because I would never compromise
my safety. Sometimes it is hard to see that you are being
abused because the abuser will make you feel like its
your own fault that you are being abused. If you respect
yourself enough, you will never believe such lies.
Physical abuse might be obvious, but emotional abuse is
harder to detect, and not always taken seriously but
both the victim and his or her family and friends. We
need to take all abuse seriously, whether its happening
to ourselves or to others.

I have a friend who told me that her ex-boyfriend was

very suspicious of what she did. He wanted to know
where she was at all times of the day; he was very
possessive. She told me that when they play fought, he got rough and really hit her. He got
mad for the stupidest reasons, and when she apologized, he acted as if it was her fault that he
got mad. I couldnt believe that she could be with somebody like him, but she told me time and
time again she loved him and thats why she stayed with him.
Im glad she finally broke up with him, because I didnt want to
see her get hurt even more than she already did.
Does my friend sound like you? Does her relationship sound
like yours? According to the National Domestic Violence
Hotline, Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless
of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Abuse may
begin with behaviours that may easily be dismissed or
downplayed,, such as name-calling, threats, possessiveness, or
distrust. Abusers may apologize profusely for their actions or
try to convince the person they are abusing that they do these
things out of love or care. However, violence and control always intensifies over time with an
abuser, despite the apologies.
Statistics show 1 in 4 women and
1 in 7 men will experience domestic
violence by an intimate partner in
their lifetime. Thats too many; I
dont want any more people I
know to go through this!
Domestic abuse needs to stop, and
needs to be imprisoned for causing
a stop to this, by reaching out and
the victim, tell someone you trust

anyone who is inflicting abuse

distress to the victim. We can put
helping abuse victims. If you are
and get help.

According to LoveisRespect.Org:
Young adult dating violence is a big problem, affecting
youth in every community across the nation. Learn the
facts below.

Too Common

Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a
single year.
One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a
dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or
girlfriend.

Why Focus on Young People?

Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner
violence almost triple the national average.
Among female victims of intimate partner violence, 94% of those age 16-19 and 70% of those age 2024 were victimized by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend.
Violent behavior typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18.
The severity of intimate partner violence is often greater in cases where the pattern of abuse was
established in adolescence.

Dont Forget About College Students

Nearly half (43%) of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors.
College students are not equipped to deal with dating abuse 57% say it is difficult to identify and 58%
say they dont know how to help someone whos experiencing it.
One in three (36%) dating college students has given a dating partner their computer, email or social
network passwords and these students are more likely to experience digital dating abuse.
One in six (16%) college women has been sexually abused in a dating relationship.

Long-lasting Effects

Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher
risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.
Being physically or sexually abused makes teen girls six times more likely to become pregnant and
twice as likely to get a STI.
Half of youth who have been victims of both dating violence and rape attempt suicide, compared to
12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused boys.

Lack of Awareness

Only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
Eighty-one (81) percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they dont know
if its an issue.
Though 82% of parents feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing
dating abuse, a majority of parents (58%) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.

Finally Hits the Top 5 on September 17

Quintez Payton

The University of Louisville football team's 63-20 victory over

Florida State did nothing to hurt to the U of L offense's standing atop
the national statistical rankings. The all-phases domination included big
performances by the defense and the special teams as well. The
Cardinals remained #1 in the football Bowl subdivision in total offense
and scoring offense, and gained a top 25 defense as well. The University
of Louisvilles football team surged six spots to #4 in the new USA
Today coachs poll following the Cardinals 63-20 rout of Florida State.
Firmly positioning the Cardinals for a run at the college football playoff,
trailing only #1 Alabama, #2 Ohio State and #3 Clemson in the coachs
poll. In the new Top 25, U of L was even higher and the top ranked
team in the ACC, checking in at #3 after being #10 that week. That was
the Cardinals highest ranking ever in that poll, and they trailed only
Alabama and Ohio State. U of L received six of the 61 first place votes in
the AP voting, fewer only than the Crimson Tide. In the Coachs poll,
FSU dropped 12 places to #14 in the wake of allowing the most points
in its history to U of l and suffering its third largest margin of defeat.
The Seminoles fell from #2 to #13 in the AP poll. Its U of L second
highest ranking ever in the Coachs poll, behind only the #3 position the
cards held on November 5th, 2006, after a win over then #3 West
Virginia. Septs 17th victory wass seen as perhaps the biggest Cards win
at home since the win over the Mountaineers back in 2006. This was a
proud moment for the Cardinals to enjoy a big win over the Seminoles.

ACT-American College Testing; CCR-College and Career Ready; CEEB-College Entrance Examination; CLEP-College
Level Examination Program; EFC-Expected Family Contribution; FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Aide; GPA-Grade
Point Average; HBC- Historically Black College; KEES-Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship; KHEAA-Kentucky
Higher Education Assistance Planning; KYOTE-Kentucky Online Testing; Merit Aide-Aide based on academic
achievement; NMSQT-National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; Open Admissions-All who apply are accepted;
PELL-Federally sponsored grant program; PSAT-Preliminary SAT qualifies you for NMSQT; R&B-Room and Board (or
Rhythm and Blues when youre out on the town); SAT- Scholastic Aptitude Test; Stafford-Direct loan from banks;
TOFEL-Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Answer Key
ACT
CCR
CEEB
CLEP
EFC
FAFSA
GPA
HBC
KEES
KHEAA
KYOTE
Merit Award
NMSQT
Open Admissions
PELL
PSAT
R&B
SAT
Stafford
TOFEL
Test your knowledge of College Acronyms and Terminology

J E F F E R S O N

C O U N T Y

P U B L I C

S C H O O L S

Equal Opportunity Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity

Employees/Applicants
The Jefferson County Public School District shall not discriminate in recruitment
or employment on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital or parental status,
national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, religion, or political opinion or affiliation. The District shall promote equal opportunities through a vigorous
affirmative action program as an integral part of personnel policy and practice in the
employment, development, advancement, and treatment of employees of the Jefferson
County Public Schools.
In the Event of Questions
Employees or applicants, report to immediate superior, appropriate personnel
administrator, the Compliance and Investigations Office, or the appropriate enforcement agency if you believe you have experienced harassment/discrimination.

Equal Educational Opportunity

Students/Parents or Guardians
No student shall be denied equal educational opportunity for any reason by the
Jefferson County Board of Education because of his or her age, color, disability, parental status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status.
Harassment/Discrimination of any type is not permitted. A student has the right
to attend school free from harassment and should not be subjected to discrimination
for any reason. Schools will strive to ensure that these rights are protected and that
appropriate consequences are provided to offenders.
In the Event of Questions
Students and parents/guardians, report to principal, the Compliance and Investigations Office, or the appropriate government agency if you believe you have experienced harassment/discrimination.
Noncompliance with the above policy and procedures may result in disciplinary
action.

Discrimination Grievance Procedure

The Jefferson County Public Schools Discrimination Grievance Procedure is available at local schools, on the Jefferson County Public Schools Web site at www.jcpsky
.net, or in the Compliance and Investigations Office, C. B. Young Jr. Service Center,
3001 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40209. Contact Cheryl Walker, Compliance and
Investigations director, at 485-3341, or call or write one of the following enforcement
agencies:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Place, Suite 268
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 582-6082
www.eeoc.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
Wanamaker Building, Suite 515
100 Penn Square East
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 656-8541
www.ed.gov
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
The Heyburn Building, Suite 700
332 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 595-4024
http://kchr.ky.gov
Louisville Metro
Human Relations Commission
410 West Chestnut Street, Suite 300A
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-3631
www.louisvilleky.gov/HumanRelations

www.jcpsky.net

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action

Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities