Life outside ‘the bubble’
March 15, 2020
Junior Angela Abraham’s mind was clouded with worries as she sat on the couch. The TV flashed images of her family’s flooded hometown, Kerala. Citizens were trapped, left to either starve in their houses or be bitten by water snakes. Abraham saw that some were able to escape by raft, but she was...
Over hurdles and fences
March 13, 2020
The Bridlewood stables were filled with horses. Senior Ashleigh Jooste, then 10, held on as her horse jumped over a fence in the ring. But she suddenly realized her body wasn’t in the right position, causing her to fall off. Jooste had been riding for a year and was thrown off before. A week earlier,...
Mirror image
March 12, 2020
Staring at the face in the mirror, tears rolled down Ryann Taylor’s cheeks. Her eyes continued to well up as she thought of the cute, button-nosed girls she’d seen in her classes. They were perfect. They’d never have to change. Ryann hated her nose. She had since she was 6. She had never liked...
Finding hope without a home
February 4, 2020
Leah* never thought she would find more safety in her car than her home. She was parked in the middle of the pitch black Walmart parking lot, laying in the back seat of her truck with only a pillow tucked below her dark black waves and a pair of thin clothes. The heat choked her breathing and the ...
Starting a new chapter
January 31, 2020
For the past 18 years, Marcus has been like a second home for English teacher Mindy Sample. In addition to working with students, she watched her daughters graduate and her husband coach the football team to one of the first Battle of the Axe wins. She was there when Marcus Smart dominated the basketball ...
A second chance
January 31, 2020
Editor’s note: this story was named as a superior feature in the TAJE Best in Texas contest. The man he saw in the mirror wasn’t him. He barely recognized himself in the overweight college freshman who stared back. He still felt like the high school senior who played football. Back then, he was 6...
Small blessings
January 31, 2020
Editor’s note: this story was named as a superior news feature in the TAJE Best in Texas contest. Highland Village resident Kristie Baysinger went outside with her kids and called 911 while her husband tried to tame the flames in the attic with a water hose. After the operator told everyone to e...
Pregnant pause
January 31, 2020
Former LISD student Blaklee Briggs felt her throat tighten as her mom parked the car. “You know you don’t have to do this,” LeAnn said. “This is your choice. This secret will stay between us.” Blaklee sat quietly in the car. She held back tears as they walked inside the building....
Branching into Christmas season
December 23, 2019
Flower Mound resident Kim Berg passed one lonely tree every time he commuted to work at the airport during the holiday season. It was off to the side of Highway 121 and had a single garland wrapped around it. “It would just put a smile on my face,” Berg said. “Just imagine how many other people got satisfaction having seen that one...
STEMinism
December 16, 2019
Sophomore Rhea Karumuru was an introvert trying to be an extrovert. She fiddled with the zipper of her leather jacket. Up. Down. Up. Down. She tried to do it discreetly, wanting to appear collected. Karumuru awkwardly stood in the conference room, taking in her surroundings. It was crowded with members of If/Then She Can, an...
More than metal straws
December 16, 2019
As environmental awareness has increased worldwide, millions of teens have united to address the issue of climate change. Junior Katherine Eddleman is one of them and has promoted the cause of climate activism by starting the Environmental Club. While in San Antonio for a volleyball tournament around...
Flying past the competition
December 12, 2019
She could see the blinking lights of instruments in the cockpit and hear the muffled transmissions of the plane through her headphones. As the plane lifted off, senior Emma Eidmann felt the ground fall beneath her as the sky opened up. To her, the earth from above was calming. Climb. Gain altitude to ...
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