By Brittany Wilson
Staff Writer

Every day, I wake up and wonder: How could this be me?

On Sept. 19, I found out I am pregnant. That’s when my life changed. When I say changed, I mean everything: the way I sleep, the way I wake up, the way I eat, the way I walk, and even the way I talk — my attitude.

Everything in my life has changed — even the way people think about me.

When I told my mom that I might be pregnant, all I could do was cry and lie in her lap.

She seemed mad at me at first. She didn’t sleep for days and hardly talked to me.

A week later, when we found out for sure that I was pregnant, my mom finally loosened up. She said, “Now all I can do is be happy about having a grandbaby on the way.”

She wanted it to be a girl. On the first ultrasound, my baby wouldn’t open its legs, so we couldn’t tell what it was. On Jan. 4, it was my mom’s birthday, and she says she got the best birthday gift: We found out that my baby is a girl.

I am very thankful for my mom, and to tell the truth, she is the only one I cared about judging me for being pregnant.

Luckily, instead of judging me, my mom is proud of me because I’m 17 years old and in the eleventh grade, and I didn’t drop out like most teens do when they become pregnant.

I also worked at a fast-food restaurant every night after school for the first four months of my pregnancy to help my mom out.

I just want to let other teens know it isn’t easy being a pregnant teen and isn’t cool at all.

It comes with a lot of responsibilities. There’s no more fun, parties or excitement. And I know it wasn’t easy for my mom to get past being hurt, so please don’t put your parents through what I did my mom. They don’t deserve it.

I am now five months pregnant. Zahrya La’Shae Walton is due May 22; I will update monthly to let readers know how my pregnancy is going. Thank you for reading and understanding

Photography students at Daniel Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet High School practiced their skills during class recently. Here, Kim Segovia composes her still-life art before capturing it with the camera. PHOTO BY ALEX DAVIS

Robert Stegeman positions lights while Carlos Ramirez models for the camera during a recent photography class. PHOTO BY ALEX DAVIS

Students returned to classes at Daniel Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet High School last Wednesday with a fresh new start to their semester.

While teachers enter final grades, students begin their new schedules.

Many people begin their new semesters in different manners.

Junior Nevin Swarthout said he doesn’t really prepare in any particular manner.

“There’s not much you have to prepare for,” he said.

Teacher Linda Bingaman prepares by reviewing things already online.

“I mainly introduce the new online system to the students,” she said.

Many students felt refreshed by their break, but some said the extra hours of sleep that they experienced during their winter break made little difference.

“I’m always tired during school anyways,” Swarthout said while he put his head down on the cafeteria table.

Ricky Bowlin, a teaching assistant, said he didn’t really get to relax.

“I’ve been going to the basketball games the past week. The boys’ teams didn’t get home until midnight on Tuesday,” Bowlin said.

Senior Cassie Hale said the next semester will be quite tiring.

“Because we had so many breaks last semester, we don’t really get enough the second semester,” she explained.

When asked what she was looking forward to during the next semester, Bingaman laughed and exclaimed, “The end!”

“I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the testing standards for the seniors,” she explained.

Hale, like many other seniors, is anticipating all the senior activities — “the picnic and getting ready for the graduation especially,” she said.

Webster College and Career Readiness teacher Lora Reynolds is working to advance her own career.

Reynolds is working to get her master’s degree in educational leadership through Arkansas State University’s online program.

Reynolds says that her online program “is like a second job.”

Reynolds

“The online program allows me to complete my coursework around my hectic work and family schedule,” she said.

Reynolds takes only one five-week class at a time.

The program takes two years to complete.

Reynolds says she does 25 to 30 hours of homework a week for her courses.

Saundra Ford, assistant principal at Webster, is Reynolds’ adviser or mentor for the program.

Ford gives Reynolds different administrative jobs, from helping with scheduling to helping out with the WISE Plan, which is a school improvement plan that guides Webster.

“I think she could probably step in and do my job,” Ford said.

Dale Edwards, special assistant to the principal, said Reynolds “has a good and positive attitude.”

Reynolds plans to graduate from the program this spring, but she will have to take certification tests to qualify to become an assistant principal.

With more holidays coming up and the year coming to an end, students and teachers at Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet are thinking about New Year’s resolutions.

Tera Hering, math teacher and cheerleading and dance coach, plans to take better care of herself.

“I need to work out more, truthfully,” Hering said. She said she needs to eat healthier also.

“I think a lot of times I put my health second before other things,” she said.

Hering said one of her past resolutions was to read for fun.

She said she is usually really good at sticking to her resolutions every year and can keep them going until November or December.

Kimberly Kiss, English and French teacher at Webster, said she plans to learn how to use the technology at the end of her hand.

She said what she means by that is that she has a lot of technology at her disposal, but she hasn’t yet learned how to take full advantage of it.

Kiss said she chose this resolution because she wants to be able to enjoy the benefits and conveniences that come with technology.

“I’m scared to try it because I’m afraid I’ll mess something up,” she said.

She plans to spend a little time every day to help achieve her goal.

Katie Conard, a sophomore at Webster, said she hadn’t thought of a resolution yet.

“No, I haven’t really had time,” Conard said.

She said the first one that came to mind was to make good grades.

Conard said she’s always trying to keep good grades.

Damon Morris, another Webster sophomore, wants “to have better grades and start to drive” this upcoming year.

He said he will try to spend as much time as possible on his two resolutions. Morris said he has had past resolutions, but he doesn’t usually stick to them very well.

“I will try my best and make it a reality,” he said.

Webster counselor Jacarriah Johnson texts from her desk at work. She said there is a reason texting while driving is against the law. PHOTO BY BRIANN PIGUET

By Stasha Lopez
Staff Writer

Texting while driving is dangerous to both the driver and to other people.

According to the Web site www.textkills.com, talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25 percent of accidents.

The Web site also stated that texting while driving is about six times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.

Clifford Criddle, a teacher and athletic director at Webster, said that texting while driving is “a capital N, capital O, capital N, capital O!”

Criddle also said texting and driving should be treated like a DUI.

He said texting-related accidents cause “eternal lockdown” for the people who get killed.

Carlos Garcia, an 18-year-old senior at Webster, said texting while driving is dangerous.

“It’s a big risk because people are putting themselves and other people’s lives at risk,” Garcia said.

Garcia also said he does not think the law on texting while driving has an effect, because the police are not cracking down hard like they are supposed to.

“If it wasn’t an issue, then there wouldn’t be a law, and the concern wouldn’t have come up,” said Jacarriah Johnson, a Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet High School counselor.

Some members of the Webster football team — shown above in a Sept. 30 game against Poteau — are skeptical about whether girls could contribute to the team’s success. PHOTO BY KEAUCHA WILSON

By Keaucha Wilson
Staff Writer

There has always been a debate over girls playing football. Some boys think it’s a man’s sport, that the girls will get hurt, and that they are too soft to play.

Anastasia White, a sophomore at Daniel Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media High School, thinks she has what it takes.

“There should be more girls playing — more variety,” she said.

White would like to be a linebacker.

Dale Edwards, an assistant principal at Webster, said he’s not against girls playing, but if it’s competitive, he has a hard time believing in it.

“They have a right to do it, but I think there is a time and place for it,” he said.

Daryl Jackson, a junior running back and linebacker at Webster, thinks other teams would look down on the Warriors if girls played.

Jackson feels the sport involves too much contact for a girl.

Robert Stegeman, a senior football player at Webster, disagreed.

“If Daryl can run some people over, I’m pretty sure a girl can, too,” he said.

Stegeman thinks other teams probably wouldn’t want to hit a girl, because they would feel bad.

“If a girl’s going to play football, she must be one ugly girl,” he joked.

Don Gibson, head football coach at Webster, declined to comment on the issue.

Due to the earthquakes in Oklahoma last month, Webster’s auditorium has been damaged.

“The worst damages are on the east side of the auditorium,” said teacher assistant Ricky Bowlin.

The damage was pointed out by George Griffin, JROTC  teacher.

The sidewalks outside of Webster are also uneven due to earthquakes, Bowlin said.

Mike Crase, assistant principal, said the district has insurance to cover the damage.

He also said the district will be assessing the damage, and just the balcony in the auditorium is being closed until repairs are completed. The closure won’t affect day-to-day usage of the auditorium.

“We feel very confident that this matter will be taken care of as soon as possible,” Crase said.

Dale Edwards, special assistant to the principal, said the school will turn the situation over to the building and planning company, who in turn will contact engineers and find out what they need to repair the damages.

Edwards said school officials noticed the damage three days after the earthquakes occured.

“The damages will be repaired as soon as possible when we come up with the money,” Edwards said.

With the holidays arriving and the semester coming to a close, everyone at Daniel Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet High School is preparing for winter exams, blistering cold weather and Old St. Nick — that is, if anyone still believes in him.

Over the last few days, the Webster faculty members have debated over the spirit of Santa Claus and its effect on young children.

Michael Goode, staff development teacher, said he started believing in Santa Claus “as early as I can remember.”

“I still believe in Santa Claus,” he said. “I still believe in the hope he brings to children.”

Social studies teacher Craig Kelley was “itty bitty — probably about 3 years old” when he began believing in Santa Claus.

As a child, Kelley described himself as “fun loving and not overly serious.” He said he still believes in Santa Claus as well.

Math teacher Ben Phillips, however, “never believed in Santa Claus.”

“My parents decided they didn’t want to lie to me, and that’s why I never believed,” he said. “They told me there never was (a Santa).”

Webster’s parent involvement facilitator, Debbie Little, stopped believing in Santa Claus after being told by some kids during lunch in the first grade that Santa didn’t exist.

“I told my mom, and she said, ‘Don’t say anything. It’ll ruin it for your brother and sister,’” Little said.

Goode, Kelley and Phillips all find no harm in allowing children to believe in Santa Claus.

“If they are told the truth about what he represents then it can be helpful,” Goode said.
If parents use Santa to blame things on, its not good.”

Phillips sees no harm “as long as it doesn’t make the kids’ expectations grow past what the parents can afford to get them.”

Mitchell Woodward’s sister, Becca, left, and mother, Paula, share a quiet moment during the vigil. PHOTO BY JASIE JAMES

Webster Weekly staff

Despite freezing temperatures, more than 100 people gathered Friday night at Reed Park for a candlelight vigil honoring the lives of two former Webster students.

Mitchell Woodward, 17, and Jeff Daugherty, 21, were killed Dec. 9 in a traffic accident on Interstate 244. Another former Webster student, Josh Lee Turpin, 16, was seriously injured in the crash, the Tulsa World reported.

Woodward

Daugherty

Webster junior Kylie Bass was among the vigil’s organizers.

“It went extremely well. We had a great turnout,” Bass said. “I knew there were going to be a lot of people, but I didn’t know there were going to be that many people.”

The vigil was organized by a group of students that included juniors Bass and Gabbie Wright; seniors Amanda Lett, Joey Lorona, and Jazzmine Wells; and former Webster student Danielle McLane, among others.

Webster junior Gabbie Wright hands out balloons during the vigil. PHOTO BY SKYLAR COFFMAN

Participants held up candles; sang Woodward’s favorite song, “Lean on Me”; and prayed before releasing balloons in honor of the victims.

“It went great. A lot of people showed up, and I know Mitchell would have loved it,” Wright said.

Daugherty’s stepbrother, Sky Robinson, a senior at Daniel Webster Broadcasting and Digital Media Magnet, described the vigil as “very inspiring.”

“It makes me happier to be a West Sider when I see us all pulling together when we need love,” Robinson said. “The families sure did need the extra support and comfort.”

Friends and family members released balloons in honor of Daugherty and Woodward during the vigil. PHOTO BY SKYLAR COFFMAN

Robinson said Daugherty knew how to make people smile.

“Jeff was really great at two things: Making you smile when you needed it and making you feel loved when you didn’t think there was love,” he said. “There was one thing Jeff loved more than anything in this world, and that was family. With his mother passing when he was a teen, he held onto every family relationship he had.

“His daughter, Trinity, was his inspiration for trying to succeed. He wanted nothing more than to get away from his troubles and make a great life for her. Jeff taught me more about life and how to endure it than my own blood brother.”

Students used tealights to spell out the first initials of the three crash victims -- Jeff, Mitchell and Josh. PHOTO BY KYLIE BASS

Bass remembered Woodward standing up for her when an older student threatened to hit her during an argument her sophomore year.

“Mitchell said, ‘You’re not gonna punch her; she’s a girl! You want to start stuff with her, you can start stuff with me!’” Bass said.

“It showed how big his heart really is and how much he really cares for his friends.”

Webster librarian Linda Emerson, who did not attend the vigil, described Woodward as a quiet, sometimes mischievous student who took care of his family, including his younger sister, Becca, a sophomore at Webster.

Participants held candles aloft during the vigil. PHOTO BY JASIE JAMES

“He was not the boy that complained about things in life,” Emerson said. “He was not a loner or withdrawn. He was a little ornery. … He was a good brother. He was proud to pay Becca’s library fees.”

Library assistant Linda Murray remembered Woodward’s personality.

“When you met him, you could see a sparkle in his eyes. He was very friendly, memorable, just the kind of kid you want to be around,” Murray said. “He was a very unforgettable young man.”

— MiKayla Massey contributed some information for this article.