By Christina Dimyan |

Friday afternoon the debate team left to the NFL district national qualifier at MacArthur in hopes of making it to nationals.

“I don’t expect us to get eliminated. They are both solid and have demonstrated that this year,” debate coach Chris Mifflin said.

Shamira Shepherd and Summer Mills are both competing in the individual competitions. Today’s results can be a good indicator for them on how to prepare for districts in April 2.

“Most are preparing already. The rest of the kids will prepare next week for districts,” Mifflin Said.

UIL distcits will be held at MacArthur all day on the April 2. Between 6 and 9 students will be going from varsity debate. there are 9 spots; 3 speaking and 3 debate spots. Districts is a very different experience for debaters. Rather than debaters having up to 2 losses, districts is double elimination. With that, about half of the competitors get eliminated after the second round.

“It’s a very stressful and different event, and I expect it to go well,” Mifflin said.

To debate students, all the this hard work is no different than sports. They prepare, practice, and compete in tournaments in hopes to make it to the finals.

“[Debate] gets you included in school and gives them opportunities. Some kinds need to be challenged more and this class is challenging ,” Mifflin said.

By Samantha Sanburn |

Ten students competed in the San Antonio Livestock Show wool judging event on Feb. 12. These students seniors Savina Robles, Ariel Jones, Tasha Womack, Kelly Hazlett, Patricia Ward, Dallas Campbell, Jamee Bell and Brandee Stanzione and sophomores Cody Coln and Casey Lopez.

The competition was open to all 4H and FFA members in the state.

“In a wool judging event, students evaluate wool fleeces for different quality factors.” sponsor Michael Wallace said.

One of the team members, senior Savina Robles, won second highest individual and picked up a $10,000 scholarship to the college of her choice. According to team sponsor, Michael Wallace, she plans to attend San Angelo State University and wants to join the collegiate wool judging team.

By Christina Dimyan | Last week, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competed in the Area 1 Spring Leadership Conference and Competition. Every year it is held at a different school; this year it was at Roosevelt High School.

“It was so much fun,” HOSA sponsor Peggi Loveless said. “It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many intelligent people.”

Food bank, others, benefit from class project. | By Richard Hernandez | When asked if throwing money at an economic problem would solve it, juniors in Anne Ducote’s English III GT class went on a mission to discover the answer.

Story and Photos By Juan Garcia

Black and white clothing and small red hearts covered the Madison campus signifying students in mourning for those that have lost their lives due to drunk driving. Halls were covered with tombstones. Dead Day began with a sad, but meaningful poem read over the intercom about a girl that lost her life because of a drunk driver. Jan. 19 was the annual Dead Day and students are full pledged to help raise awareness about drunk driving.

“Dead day is where we remember teens losing their lives to alcohol-related accidents,” student council vice president Nikki Herrera said. “We also bring awarness to the student body about the consequences of drinking and driving.”

Student council members dressed in either black or white and could not talk for the entire school day. Students wearing white symbolized those that have died from alcohol-related incidents. Students wearing black symbolized those in mourning due to the death of their loved ones. Student council rang a bell every 68 minutes to represent five alcohol related deaths. They also hung up tombstones to reach out to the student body.

“Tombstones are something we do,” Herrera said. “Making tombstones makes people know that [alcohol-related deaths] can happen to one of their friends.”

Raising awareness about drunk driving is a major concern for student council and they want the student body, faculty and staff, and parents to know that alcohol-related accidents can happen to anyone.

“Drunk driving happens,” sophomore Sabrina Seiler said. “We can lose our friends in an instant.”