By: K. Anderson
A new wave of a “disease” has hit high schools all over the nation. However, this isn’t just any regular disease, this is the addiction of nicotine. Students across the map are getting punished left and right for vaping on school grounds, but many don’t understand how much of a health risk it truly is. “Vaping is a serious problem,” English teacher Lauri White said. “It makes me sad to see kids participating in such risky behavior. I don't believe students realize the long-term damage they may be doing to their bodies. They think that because it isn't inhaling smoke, it doesn't hurt them. They don't realize it is full of chemicals that can affect their brains and lungs.” Not only do the kids not understand what they are doing to their body, they don’t understand the negative effects vaping can have on their future. “As someone who just recently got busted, I would definitely say it is not worth it,” an anonymous student said. “They recently changed the laws, so now when you get caught, it is a misdemeanor to your record. This misdemeanor is going to mess up my whole future and will prevent me from doing many things career-wise. I now really wish I understood how serious this was before I messed up my future.” With the school cracking down on kids vaping, they are hoping these newfound misdemeanor charges will make them see that it is not a very smart idea. “I hope that vaping on school grounds will not be an issue much longer,” an anonymous source said. “After the most recent kids got caught and everyone heard about their misdemeanors, I’m hoping it scares everyone else enough to stop. Now we know we can’t stop it at home; however, we can stop it at school.” Now that schools are beginning to take action and the legal consequences being implemented are even tougher, hopefully all this nonsense will go away. The students just have to hold up their end of stopping all the mayhem.
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By: C. Creech
Future. Accomplishments. Achievements. College athlete signing day, the day that signals a student athlete’s future is about to change. Senior Mary Frances Ellis has decided to continue her softball career at ETBU next fall. Her signing day was last week; she is looking forward to playing with her new softball team and the amazing adventures that come with playing college ball. Leaving behind an important place after four years can be difficult. “I’m going to miss the close community at EF and all the people who have made the last four years so great,” Ellis said. “It’s going to be hard leaving all of my classmates and teachers!” Keeping a hobby that you’ve loved forever and having a supportive family is great. “I started playing baseball when I was 4 years old and switched to softball when I was 6 and have played ever since,” Ellis said. “My parents have definitely influenced me the most to continue playing at the next level. I am so thankful for them and the sacrifices they have made for me to play the sport I love!” Starting a new future is exciting, especially when it is focused around something you love. “I’m so excited to attend ETBU,” Ellis said. “I’m eager to meet new people and make new memories! Their softball program is outstanding, and I love how everything is centered around Christ!” EFISD is excited and will be supporting you through all of your new adventures, Mary Frances! By: C. Creech
On Nov. 23, Grant Sims ran at the UIL state meet and placed 26th in the state. Prior to the state race, on Nov. 9th, Grant Sims, Drew Simms, Ruth Galles, and LilyJo Gronwald ran at the UIL 3A Region 2 Cross Country meet. Sims placed 2nd, Simms placed 26th, Galles placed 32nd, and Gronwald placed 86th. Many runners supported Grant at the state meet. “My favorite memory of this season is supporting Grant at the state meet; we all had lots of fun on the trip,” sophomore Jacob McCray said. This season was a big improvement for many runners and showed some just what they need to do for an even stronger season next year. “I enjoyed this season very much because it showed me how much I didn’t take the summer seriously,” Sims said. This season was a very special season for some runners competing in new events. “I don't have just one favorite memory because I love going to all the meets, but I loved going to regionals. It was such a blast,” Gronwald said. The Elysian Fields community is very proud of all of our runners and the way they represented our community this season. By: J. Collins
The whistle blows. The band blares. The fans yell. The cheerleaders cheer. The boys take off running after their win, knowing that they are moving on to the playoffs. The boys won the district championship without any district defeats. They ended the amazing season with 4 gold balls. Sadly, the football season ended at round 4 against our rivals, Waskom, in a tough game. “The kids did a great job and had an amazing season,” coach Scott Ford said. “They were undefeated district champs, which is a huge accomplishment.” The football team and coaches work hard all year, and all that hard work was extremely noticeable. The seniors played a major role in the success of the boys. “The key to the season was our senior leadership; it was outstanding,” Ford said. “I’m very excited about next season and think the team has a chance to be great again.” Many of the seniors are sad that the football season is over, but overall, they are thankful for all the years they got to play together. “It definitely hurts, but I know that every single one of the guys laid it all on the line,” senior Reed Parker said. “I’m proud. We beat the team that went to state (last year). We were undefeated district champs. We had an amazing season.” The seniors are grateful for both their teammates and their coaches. “I want to say thanks to all the coaches and teammates who helped me get where I am and who made my last year so special,” Reed said. “It’s a tough feeling, but it was an amazing ride.” Everyone is proud of the boys and how well they did. By: C. Lawless
Volleyball season has come to an end. It was the coaches’, Keasa Bonds and Crystal Mills, first year at the district. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved. The team ended with the following titles: District 16-3A runner-up, Bi-District Champs, and Area Finalist; they had a fantastic season. Bonds has many words to say about this season ending and how “it truly was a season to remember at EF.” “Yes I am very sad our season is over,” Bonds said. “The commitment and dedication was everything and the key to our success this year. They were truly one of the BEST teams I’ve ever coached! What I will miss most this season are the seven amazing seniors. Their leadership, their work ethic and just the great memories we created!” One of this year’s seven seniors was “extremely proud” of how well the team played and how it ended. “Yes, I am very sad that our season has come to an end, and I'm still working on accepting the fact that it's actually over,” senior Tucker Ellis said. “I am extremely proud of everyone on the team, I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to play with my senior year. What I'm going to miss most is celebrating with the team after a good play and the energy that comes from our shared love of the sport.” Although seven seniors are graduating, leaving only a few players, one of the teammates has kind words to say. “Of course I am sad that the season is over,” sophomore Bryanne Beavers said. “We all played so well together and made the season fun. I am going to miss the seniors the most. They always had the best attitudes and always knew how to make you laugh. They made this season so memorable.” This volleyball season was truly one to remember! By: B. Copeland
One of the Student’s of the Month for November is freshman Mackenzie Simms. Her parents are Brad and Dawn Simms. She participates in cross country, track, UIL ready writing, and literary criticism. She plans on attending either UT or Baylor so she can major in psychology. The other student of the month is freshman David Hutson. He participates in UIL spelling, basketball, and baseball. He plans on attending college, and he wants to play college baseball. Eventually, he plans on majoring in law and going to law school. By: A. Walker
On the last Thursday of every November, families and loved ones gather to catch up, hang out, and eat a lot of delicious Thanksgiving foods. “I went to my grandma’s house for Thanksgiving,” Senior Kiki Haigh said. “When I got there, there was so much food, and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Even though I see my grandparents often, it was nice to sit down and have dinner with them, which I don’t usually do.” Many students had plans to travel to meet their family for the holiday, but unfortunately for some, COVID-19 got in the way of their plans. “We [my family and I] had plans to go to Arkansas to meet cousins I’ve never met before,” Kiki said. “We couldn’t go because of COVID; I was really disappointed.” Other students, like Kiki, had plans to meet newly discovered family members. Fortunately for senior Jessica Collins, her thanksgiving went according to plans. “I went to a few different families houses,” Jessica said. “I also got to spend time with my sister and met my little nephew [her sister is 6 months pregnant].” Thanksgiving is and always will be a holiday fortunately devoted to quality family time, with many laughs to share. By: B. Copeland
Fireworks will soon fill the air, as adults and kids alike stay up all night to witness a national holiday. A new year is beginning. New Years is celebrated in many different ways. Some families watch the ball drop on TV or in real life in New York. Others simply buy hundreds of dollars in fireworks and shoot them off once the clock strikes 12:00am. “I celebrate New Years at my house with my friends and loved ones,” freshman Adylie Henigan said. “We usually buy fireworks, too.” Not only is New Years a reason to celebrate, it is also a time where people set goals for themselves for the rest of the year. “One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop letting toxic people hurt me,” junior Jamie Barton said. “I plan on cutting everyone off that doesn’t have my best interest in mind. I’m putting myself first.” Considering a new year is starting, plenty of people are hoping that 2021 will be a much better year than 2020. “I hope that 2021 will be better,” senior Alicia Walker said. “I hope that the vaccine that everyone is promising is something that actually works, and that COVID-19 will just disappear. Hopefully we can all go back to living normal lives.” This New Years will definitely be one for the books. By: C. Creech
Thankful. Honored. Appreciated. November 11, Veterans Day. The day we celebrate all of our troops and soldiers who have or still are fighting for our freedom. Without our military, we wouldn’t be the country we are today. Soldiers are fighting for their lives every day so we can live in a free and safe country. Being in the military has taught retired troops that they can do any and all obstacles that come before them. “It was a positive experience for sure, it taught me a lot about focusing on my purpose and mission despite the obstacles in front of me or craziness going on around me, that as long as I have breath I can succeed,” offensive coach Jason Warren said. “As well as the value of each member of a team or unit being equally important and it's taking everyone to complete the mission. There are times when I do miss certain aspects of it but mainly some people I met versus the service itself because I couldn't imagine possibly being away on deployment right now, getting off the plane knowing that I'd been to Iraq for the last time.” There aren’t many words to describe the experience, but “rewarding” is one way to explain it. “It would be difficult to briefly describe an experience that lasted 24 years, but the best description would be “rewarding,”’ government teacher Jeffrey O’Brien said. “I’m proud to have contributed to the preservation of democracy and served in defense of the constitution. I do not miss the time I spent separated from my family, but I do miss many of the exceptional people that I served with. I have friendships that will last a lifetime and shared experiences that could never be replicated. I think my happiest period in the military career was as I became proficient in my job and was able to make meaningful contributions both in the air and as an officer leading the men and women of the USAF.” We are very thankful for all our troops and retired troops. Thank you all for everything you do! By: S. Gomez
At the beginning of the year, we were all excited to return to school, accepting the fact that we would have to take precautions to stop the spread of Covid-19. Many staff members believe that if we keep abiding by the rules and if students continue to maintain a 6-foot distance from other students as much as possible, then we can remain in school. “Social distancing is most and more effective than anything,” Principal Jack Parker said. “Thank you to all the students. They have really done a great job at following rules, and we haven't had an outbreak.” Most teachers strongly suggest students to wear their masks. That encouragement has decreased the number of possible cases. Through the span of the first semester, we have only had a total of 14 cases of Covid-19 including cases on and off campus and students and employees. “We will continue to wear our masks and follow the rules, and hopefully we can keep our cases to a minimum,” Geometry teacher Morgan Hammontree said. “I love teaching class here, and I would hate to go virtual.” Although it was tough at the beginning of the year, students have become more responsible and proven that we can take precautions in order to have the privilege of going to exciting school functions such as pep-rallies. “I love to cheer at the pep-rallies,” sophomore Kyra Grant said. “Coronavirus is serious, but we know how to wear our masks so nobody gets sick.” |
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October 2022
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