Kingwood Park Times, February 2026

Orchestra director becomes Teacher of the Year

By Tricia Darcy Editor-in-Chief

Two months ago, orchestra director Evan Farmer stayed after school for hours to organize the orchestra’s Winter Concert. For almost the entire past month, he stayed to help organize and direct the orchestra and band students performing in “Sweeney Todd.” Rarely are his days strictly 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

His hard work was recognized when he was named campus Teacher of the Year.

“He’s always trying to help so many organizations, not just orchestra and not just fine arts,” said his wife Amanda Farmer, who was a counselor at Kingwood Park before switching to Lake Houston Middle School last summer. “He’s always the last one here cleaning up after events and things like that, and I’m glad that everybody else sees all the hard work that we know he puts in all the time.”

Farmer is in his fourth year of teaching at Kingwood Park. He has been a Teacher of the Year finalist three of those four years. This was his first year winning the award.

Finalists each year are chosen after students and staff members submit nominations. This year’s finalists included history teacher and coach Eric Coovert and English teachers Kimberly Villegas, Aimee Graff and Rebecca Sharpe. The ultimate winner comes down to a staff vote.

“It’s crazy,” Farmer said after winning the award. “It’s due to a lot of people that helped me along the way and have taught me how to be better.”

Farmer has also taught at Riverwood Middle School and Summer Creek High School in his 17 years of teaching.

His orchestra students said his lessons have helped them both in and out of his classroom.

“He’s really been the main reason I’ve been able to be motivated

to do my work,” senior orchestra president Ian Ferguson said. “I’m pretty unmotivated to do my classwork. But through orchestra and building the discipline to practice, it has also helped me build the discipline to do my homework – and not just sleep all day in class.”

In addition to putting together orchestra concerts, Farmer has actively organized the music for the theater’s musicals each year. Outside of directing public performances, he has also arranged private concerts for staff members who are going through something in their personal lives.

“I think there’s just so many different groups of people that know who he is,” Amanda Farmer said. “Then he always does a concert for a deserving staff member who’s maybe going through a hard time that is outside of school. I think that people know, like, his heart and what he really means to KPark and its culture.”

When students were writing nominations for Teacher of the

Year two weeks ago, Farmer was given the vote by many fine arts students. Senior Andrea Hernandez, who has been in orchestra for three years, knew Farmer would get her vote.

“There’s this one time that really struck out to me,” Hernandez said. “Mr. Farmer had told us, ‘If you leave my classroom and the one thing that you remember was something I taught you, then I have failed as a teacher.’ He says teachers are supposed to inspire and move hearts.”

While Farmer’s teaching in orchestra has helped make the program successful, he said it is more than just teaching music that matters. And he is grateful he gets to do what he loves at Kingwood Park.

“We say it at every concert, every performance, and just to let everybody know that I love it here,” Farmer said. “I love them. I love working at KPark.”

FFA students find success at livestock show

By Ella Cole Staff Writer

All people in FFA started for different reasons. Some joined because of their siblings and some because they wanted to try something new. No matter why they started, they all get excited for the Humble Livestock Show and Rodeo each February.

FFA students said it is very rewarding because they are able to see the animals grow up and become stronger and more muscular and more show ready. The kids see their hard work and dedication pay off.

Senior Bailey Hornback, who had the reserve champion turkey at the 2025 and 2026 livestock shows, said balancing schoolwork and the animals is a challenge but rewarding.

“It’s hard,” Hornback said. “But, I mean, you just have to do it and feed them. So, it’s just animals first and then I do school.”

Senior Brayan Skero shows steer at the Humble Rodeo earlier this month. He had the Grand Champion steer in 2025. He finished in sixth place at this year’s competition. Photo by LJ Serafini.

HUMBLE LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO RESULTS Reserve Champion Rabbits

Breanna Muller Reserve Champion Turkey Bailey Hornback Reserve Champion Steer Jaxon Zarate

3rd place rabbit - Nadia Inman

3rd place steer - Kallie Hornback

5th place broilers - Mason Staggs

5th place goat - Allison Talley

5th place lamb - Katelyn Keeland

5th place steer - Ashlyn Stadelbacher

6th place steer - Brayan Skero

7th place steer - Everett Munoz

8th place rabbit - Grace Danford

8th place broilers - Cole Johnson

8th place goat - Hadley Heineman

9th place rabbits - Sydney Critzer

9th place broilers - Bella Shotts

9th place goat - Laila Phillips

9th place steer - Jace Johnson

10th place goat - Jeremy Serafini

Commandments appear on classroom walls

By Caleb Kazeem Staff Writer

An addition was made in each classroom at Kingwood Park as Humble ISD works to comply with Texas Senate Bill 10 that requires The Ten Commandments to be visible. Districts are not required to buy the posters, but they are required to hang donated posters. Throughout the school year, posters have quietly gone up in schools around Humble ISD as donations arrived. Kingwood Park received their posters in January. The law required the donated

posters to be visible from all spaces in the classroom from an average eyesight, and must only have The Ten Commandments on them. The posters are also required to be at minimum 16 by 20 inches.

Some districts across Texas are part of a constitutional lawsuit surrounding the bill and have been ordered by judges to not hang the posters. Humble ISD is not part of that lawsuit.

Even though a similar law in Louisiana has been ruled unconstitutional, Kingwood Park principal Wes Solomon said the reception of the posters at Kingwood Park has

been quiet.

“We have not heard anything, positive or negative,” Solomon said.

For students, the new addition to classrooms on Jan. 22 did not go unnoticed.

Junior Darcy Gordon said The Ten Commandments is a good thing to live by, but does not agree it should be in classrooms.

“The law shows the suppressing of other religions,” Gordon said. “It is a very good ideology to have, but if somebody put up the commandments of the Muslim Quran, everybody would be mad.”

For other students, seeing the commandments in class was a great thing.

“I think it’s a good law, especially because I’m Christian,” sophomore Matthew Tedrick said. “A lot of people have talked about how the church and the state need to be

separate, but I think it’s a great thing that God’s word is in the classroom.”

Tedrick said Christianity is not trying to harm students at the school and there is no bad intent to force kids to convert to the religion.

“For the people who are saying it is being forced on them, well you don’t have to read it,” Tedrick said. “A lot of times, especially on social media, inappropriate things get posted for people to see, but nobody says anything about that.”

As students continue to debate the necessity of the law, courts will ultimately decide the future of Texas Senate Bill 10.

“It is a great set of rules to have, but I don’t want it to be pushed on people,” Gordon said.

KHS, KPHS students unite for peaceful protest

By Sydney Ortiz Editor-in-Chief

As cars honked, students celebrated. Every honk was reassurance to the high schoolers that they weren’t alone.

The peaceful protest opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement drew close to 200 Kingwood community members at the busy intersection of West Lake Houston Parkway and Kingwood Drive on Feb. 6. Kingwood and Kingwood Park students organized and led the gathering.

Students stood shoulder to shoulder with friends they’ve known for years and people they had just met. Some had noise machines, many had signs, and all used their voices.

“I think it’s so important that kids are coming to Kingwood and protest because this is such a conservative area,” Kingwood Park junior Darcy Gordon said. “Everyone here thinks everyone believes in Trump, but we show that we

have different opinions and there can be change.”

Due to protests around the nation and state, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a directive on Feb. 3 claiming that he would cut school funding if students participated in a protest during school hours. This led Humble ISD to send emails to parents stating that students who walked out would face disciplinary actions. Some students at both campuses planned to walk out during the school day on Feb. 6, but they switched their plan to after school and arranged a meeting location off campus.

The protest was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. A group of Kingwood Park students met up at Speedy Stop on Northpark at 3:25 p.m. to walk in solidarity to the protest. Kingwood students greeted them after the three and a half mile walk.

“I think the protest was so amazing because it unified the two rival schools,” Gordon said. “Seeing the kids together showed it is about

humanity not division.”

It was a rare unification between the two schools, which are only three miles apart but do not combine for many activities.

Kingwood junior Alexander Pagel stood in front of the students with a megaphone and led some cheers, while other students held portable microphones and used noise machines.

“I was very shocked and very pleased with how many people came and were able to make their voices heard,” Pagel said.

Despite their age, students have learned their voices can have power.

“Everybody matters,” Kingwood Park sophomore Evan Greer said. “Everyone has a say in this. If you can speak, you can protest. You can go for what’s right.”

For almost three hours, students held up their homemade signs. The signs made on printer paper, poster board and sides of cardboard boxes read:

“The only ice I love is in

horchata”

“We bleed the same”

“Love thy neighbor doesn’t come with terms and conditions”

Houston police were stationed nearby and visible throughout the entire protest.

“I was very surprised about how safe it was,” Gordon said. “The cops were genuinely looking out for our safety.”

When counter protesters showed up and people started shoving and yelling at one another, the police stepped in. The police separated the two groups by moving the counter protesters across the intersection. The police also made sure cars did not harm any of the protesters.

In the end, the protest brought comfort and optimism to the students who participated.

“The fact that all these kids care means that we will have change in the future,” Gordon said. “This generation can make change.”

Juniors take glimpse into future

By Danielle Nalley Opinion Editor

Sixty colleges, 10 industries and every branch of the military are invited to Kingwood Park in hopes of helping guide high school juniors on a path that will determine the rest of their lives. Juniors rotated between stations on Feb. 2 in the annual College & Career Day.

A college fair was held in the gym where students could see what opportunities were available after high school. The schools ranged from trade schools to four-year universities across the country.

“It gives me a wider range of things that I can do that interest me after school,” junior Cayden Macmath said. “It definitely gave me more ideas and even colleges to think about and go to.”

Military recruiters were stationed throughout the building and especially represented in the Performing Arts Center, where students got insight into how they could gain scholarships for each branch through grades and JROTC.

A rotation also focused on ways to apply for jobs and what employers look for to help students upgrade their resumes as they prepare for college applications.

There was also a rotation with employees from shipping industries, logistics and flight school. They talked about their jobs that are in demand in this area, help-

ing give students ideas of what they could focus on after they earn their college degrees.

“A room I liked was where they talked about maritime trade and they talked about logistics,” junior Marin Tippy said. “As someone who doesn’t really know what they want to do but wants to go into the business kind of realm or world, I thought that was very interesting.”

The fourth-annual event was organized by college and career day coordinator Hazelanne Prescott. She has already started planning

for next year, asking the colleges in attendance to return. In January, however, is where the planning really starts to come together as Prescott seeks out a variety of professionals in a diverse field of careers to speak on panels.

Superintendent Dr. Roger Brown even visited to show his support for the opportunity Prescott organized for the juniors. He said he hoped students took advantage of everything offered.

“The world is open to explore whatever is of interest to you, and there’s jobs in those fields,” Dr.

Brown said. “But you’ve got to prepare yourself. And that’s what I hope you find, and you learn today as the individuals from different careers and universities visit with you. You’ve got to prepare, you’ve got to prepare now.

“You think, ‘Oh, it’s just another day in high school.’ Well, no, what you’re doing today, and tomorrow really is setting that foundation for what you’re gonna do after you leave.”

Transplant gives Mills new life

COVID destroyed the lungs of paraprofessional Brandy Mills. Her mom’s determination and her family’s support led to a life-saving double lung transplant.

BBy Sydney Ortiz, Editor-in-chief

randy Mills was lying in bed and was blue in the face. Her mom was instantly panicked. She didn’t know what was happening in July 2021,

but knew her daughter needed help.

She called for an ambulance and waited. For Linda Prestriedge, waiting was all she could do.

She waited hours to find out where the ambulance took her daughter, who is now a paraprofessional at Kingwood Park. She waited days to hear updates on her condition. And she waited months for a chance to even be in the same room with her again.

Doctors told Prestriedge that if

she had not called “she would be dead before morning,” Prestriedge said. “I know the Lord was telling me to go check on her.”

Brandy, who was 36 at the time, was on summer break when she got sick.

She worked with young children in education. She was Teacher of the Year at Children’s Lighthouse the first year it opened. She loved

country music, attending concerts and going to her daughter’s sporting events.

Her daughter, Heather Mills, always liked playing volleyball and tossing the softball with her mom.

“She’s like the best mom I could ask for,” 12-year-old Heather said.

“She’s really talented and pretty and I’m grateful for her. She’s my hero.”

The day before the 911 call, Brandy and her husband Robert were diagnosed with COVID-19.

They had attended a Clay Walker concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on July 9. At the time, Robert and Brandy, along with their third grade daughter, lived with Prestriedge.

No one was allowed in the ambulance, and the paramedics did not say where they were taking Brandy. After two hours and countless calls, Prestriedge learned Brandy was at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital on breathing machines. COVID severely damaged both of her lungs.

While Robert was also very sick with COVID, Prestriedge did all she could to care for him and her granddaughter, who was COVID-free. Prestriedge was also constantly on the phone with hospitals and trying to keep track of the daughter she was not allowed to see.

Days passed and the only update the family heard was from Brandy’s nurses. Because of the severity of the illness, visitors were not allowed. Prestriedge called every day. The response from the nurses never changed.

“Well, she’s still the same,” the nurse would say. “Her lungs are gone.”

The words were painful to hear.

“I cried, I prayed, I cried, I prayed,” Prestriedge said. “It was so horrible. She is my baby and I couldn’t go see her. I couldn’t even call and speak to her because she was on this gigantic breathing machine.”

The days were hard for Brandy. She suffered hallucinations from the lack of oxygen. She was so confused about her situation she would try to yank the wires off her face.

“They had to restrain me, because apparently I was trying to hit one of the nurses, trying to bite them,” Brandy said. “I am not that way.”

Ninety days after Brandy was taken to the hospital, Prestriedge finally received a call different from the normal one. But it was

not what she had hoped to hear.

“I am sorry but we can’t do anything for her anymore,” the hospital coordinator said.

“What do you mean?” Prestriedge said.

“Well, there is nothing [the doctors] can do,” the coordinator reiterated.

“You dang sure can. I am a smoker, but my lungs are good,” Prestriedge said.

“You can put my lungs in her.”

Prestriedge had not given up hope for her daughter over the course of the past three months, and she refused to let the hospital give up.

The hospital told her they would call her back. ****

When the hospital finally called Prestriedge back, there was news. They had one final hope.

The hospital was sending Brandy downtown to Memorial Hermann on Fannin Street. She would be placed on an ECMO machine and see if she could qualify for a double lung transplant. Within the week, her name was at the top of the list.

On Sept. 30, the birthday of Brandy’s deceased father, Prestriedge and Brandy’s husband Robert were sitting around a table talking at home when Prestriedge received a call.

“She is being prepped for a double lung transplant as we speak,” the hospital representative said.

“Oh my Lord, my heart jumped for joy,” Prestriedge said. It was the third donor doctors had checked out. An 18-year-old Midwestern girl’s lungs were the perfect match.

Her mom raced to the hospital, where she finally saw Brandy and they took a selfie together before the surgery began.

The surgery lasted 18 hours. Robert saw his wife about seven hours after it was complete.

The first sight was terrifying.

“I knew something wasn’t right,” Robert said. “She looked like her eyes were bulging out of her head.”

As fast as he had walked in, he was asked to leave. Doctors found a kink in a tube connected to the breathing machine, which was essentially strangling Brandy. After 45 minutes, Robert was allowed to return.

By the time he saw her again, Brandy had already started becoming more aware and gaining her color back. Soon, Brandy’s daughter was allowed to visit.

“I was really happy that I got to go see my mom,” Heather said. “I was crying these happy tears that I got to go see her finally.”

Brandy started rehab and physical therapy immediately. The grueling process included learning

MILLS, continued on page 8

Support from family, colleagues critical during recovery

MILLS, continued from page 7

how to walk again. Her family kept her going.

“I was in giving up mode,” Brandy said. “I kept telling myself I can’t. I’ve got a kid. She needs her momma, do it for her.”

By the first week of November, Brandy was finally able to return home. The whole family was excited. It had been a long time since there had been any sort of normalcy.

“I was extremely busy,” Robert said. “I was trying to do my job, raise my daughter, take her to all her activities. We had a cheer coach who was never there so I ended up being a cheer coach during the process. I think being so busy helped though, it helped me keep my mind off things.”

Still, Brandy was returning home with some unknowns. Doctors had told her that she would never be able to work again because her immune system was too weak to work with children.

She defied those expectations.

By August 2022, 13 months since the morning she woke up blue and struggling to breathe, she was working as a paraprofessional in Huffman ISD. She started working at Kingwood Park as a

paraprofessional in 2023.

Although her mother had the COVID-19 vaccination in 2021, Brandy and her husband did not. Since her transplant, she has received the vaccination annually. Her health has been so good, she only has a check-up once each year with her doctor.

Brandy has also met the family of her donor and she continues to keep in contact with them. She also connected with the recipient of the

18-year-old’s heart.

“It was very emotional and hit me once we drove in their driveway,” said Brandy, who is now 40 years old. “Everyone was outside. I started shaking and getting nervous and teary eyed.”

The reunion was especially hard because Brandy’s own daughter was just a little younger than the donor. And it made Brandy think of her own mother, who would still do anything to keep her daughter safe and healthy.

“Parents always want to go before their children,” Prestriedge said. “They don’t want their children to go first.”

Her mom, who now lives in Pasadena, still worries daily about her daughter.

Prestriedge made the mistake of getting on the internet and checking life expectancy of a double lung transplant. She can’t get the numbers out of her head.

The worry doesn’t shock Brandy, who remains positive and grateful for each day. And she feels lucky to have her mother – who never gave up and didn’t let anyone else give up either – by her side to keep her going.

Durands share ‘Sweeney’ spotlight

By Shawn Chaney Staff Writer

The Durand family is no stranger to musical theater.

Senior Ethan Durand first became involved with musicals and plays as a sophomore. He played percussion in the pit for The Little Mermaid and Barnum musicals. His older sister and cousin had done the same before him, and he wanted to follow in their footsteps.

His younger sister, sophomore Eleanor Durand, got involved with the fine arts as well in middle and high school. She did technical theater in eighth grade and took an introductory theater class in ninth grade, while also juggling marching band.

The typical behind-the-scenes roles for the Durand family shifted this year, though. With the theater department’s decision to perform “Sweeney Todd” in January, Ethan and Eleanor trained and tried out for lead roles.

“This is one of, in my opinion, the greatest musicals,” Ethan said. “This is something that (is) complex in its characters and its music. There’s not really any boring parts. I think it’s one of those musicals that people need to see.”

When Durand was younger, he became familiar with “Sweeney Todd” through songs his mom played on old vinyl records. He became infatuated with it, however, after theater director Brandi Perkins chose it as the school musical.

“Just from different musicals I’ve seen, this one I’ve fallen in love with the quickest,” Ethan said. “I think all the music is some of the most genius complex stuff ever written. I also just love the character.”

“Sweeney Todd” is also Suzanne Durand’s favorite musical, and it was her dream to see her youngest siblings play important roles in this year’s show. Durand, a 2022 Kingwood Park graduate, attends Texas A&M-Galveston, but the former high school choir standout spent part of her summer and fall working with Ethan and Eleanor on

their singing and audition tapes. When the cast list was revealed, Suzanne cried. Ethan earned the role of Sweeney Todd and Eleanor earned the role of Toby. Earning the roles was quite an accomplishment, since neither Eleanor nor Ethan had any previous acting or singing experience prior to this year.

spiring example of what others can do, as long as they set their mind to it and put in the work.

“It’s never too late to do anything you want,” Ethan said. “You just have to put in the work.”

To prepare for his role, Ethan looked to those close to him. His mom and grandma have acting experience. His grandpa and sister, Suzanne, are singers. His older brother, Anthony Durand, plays percussion. And his vocal teacher has been on Broadway.

The work was hardly over when he earned the title role. Rehearsals started in November. Sometimes Ethan and the cast would be at school for 13 hours between their classes all day and rehearsals at night. Durand didn’t mind.

“I’m already spending the day with my friends in theater, so it’s not like I’m missing a whole bunch,” Ethan said.

Those same varsity theater classmates helped him feel motivated to keep going and made him feel included. He feared they would treat him like some sort of random outcast who stumbled into the wrong classroom. But they were quick to include him in stuff, especially junior castmate Maggie Spara.

“He has a very happy-go-lucky personality,” Spara said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sad or upset.

“(Eleanor) has done other performance arts, and she’s never really enjoyed it as much,” Ethan said. “But seeing her do this, seeing her also put in the same work and enjoying this, it makes me happy seeing her. I love when it’s her time to do her stuff, and she’s singing. As her older brother, seeing her shine, seeing her have her moments, it’s amazing.”

Ethan said his own fears were his biggest obstacle in preparing for the musical. He saw getting the role of Sweeney Todd as more of a fantasy than something he could actually accomplish.

Now, he sees his journey as an in-

“He does phenomenal with everything. He never puts up a fight. If Mrs. Perkins wants him to change something, he changes it. And he’s just very good about adapting, while also staying happy.”

For Ethan, there is nothing to complain about when he is doing what he loves and with people he loves. His sister Eleanor cannot wait to take the stage alongside him when the curtains rise this weekend.

“He is one of the most musically talented people I know,” Eleanor said. “I’m glad he found his calling in theater. And I know he is disappointed it is his last year, but I’m glad he (got) to end it with a big bang – the lead in a really good musical.”

cRashed

Car crashes disrupt students’ routines. cRashed

By Marie Wakefield Staff Writer

Teen drivers are among the top demographic of people involved in accidents.

Students are no stranger to car accidents. Whether it be escaping the school parking lot, navigating the main roads during rush hour traffic or just making a timing mistake, Kingwood provides opportunities for disaster every day.

Harris County, which includes most of Kingwood, leads Texas in the number of traffic related collisions with 21% of all the state’s crashes coming from the area. When combined with the fact that teens only comprise 3.7% of the driving population but contribute to 9-14% of crashes nationwide, the statistics are not in the favor of teens living in Kingwood.

LEAVING THE GAS STATION

Junior McKenna Grindle just wanted a slushie. She was in seventh grade at the time, and her dad was driving her home from lacrosse practice. They decided to stop at the gas station for a refuel and a treat. Afterward, Grindle’s dad started to pull out of the parking lot.

“I just remember looking up at the sun because it was really bright, and then and like a blink of an eye I just remember getting pushed violently,” Grindle said. “I

had a lot of pain in my neck and like something hit my face.”

The “something” was the air bags that deployed after the collision. The pain in her neck was from the seatbelt that held her in place, but it left her with bruises on her neck she would hide under her collar for a month at school.

But in the moment, Grindle didn’t know what was happening. The woman who had hit them collided with so much force their car was pushed off the road.

“If she hit us a little harder we would have flipped,” Grindle said.

Grindle told her dad to call her mom, and then they waited for the paramedics to arrive. Her terror increased when she saw what looked like smoke all around the car.

“I was sitting there a good 10 minutes before they got there,” Grindle said. “And I was just like, oh my gosh, I need to get out of this car. I think it could be on fire.”

When the paramedics finally arrived, they assured her that it was not in fact smoke but dust from the air bags. They told her not to move while they tried to get her out of the vehicle safely, as the impact was on her side. She ended up getting out through the driver’s side.

“I heard tons of voices and tons of people but I was still very out of it, and I just felt like I was in a fever dream,” Grindle said.

DURING THE DRIVER’S TEST

Junior Amerie West thought she was doing pretty well on her driving test at the Humble Department of Public Safety. She had already passed her parallel parking exam with flying colors, even with her notoriously strict instructor who had failed Amerie’s sister a few years prior.

“I was thinking that it was going good,” West said. “I thought I would pass.”

Her instructor directed her to turn out of the parking lot, and West did so without incident. The road looked completely clear. Her instructor told her to make a lane change, and West looked both ways, as was regulation. West changed and then looked up to see

a car that had sped past in front of her as she was looking the other way to make the change.

“And then as I was looking left to put on my turn signal, it cut me off without me knowing. And I turned to look back at the road and they had slammed on the brakes,” West said. “I slammed on my brakes immediately. My car made a horrible noise, [a] really big screeching noise.”

But that wasn’t enough to stop the collision, and West felt the impact of the front car’s bumper. She burst into tears as soon as she registered what happened.

“It was really scary because it was my driving test and I wanted to do well on it,” West said. “And then the first time I get into a crash, all of a sudden the driving instructor is with me in the car.”

But West’s fears of the driving instructor were unfounded. She was calm and reassured her that everything would be fine. West was told to pull into the nearest parking lot after the other car.

“At first she seemed very strict and I was kind of scared of her,” West said. “It was at the beginning of the test. But then as soon as the crash happened, she was very nice about it.”

Though West was able to call her dad and get him to take care of the insurance details with the other car in the crash, she was crying too hard to finish the driving test and ended up having to reschedule. She didn’t drive again until the day of her second test, which she passed successfully.

“I hadn’t driven in so long for my second test,” West said. “I was, like, nervous about that. But driving was muscle memory for me.”

BIKING TO SCHOOL

In seventh grade, junior Kevin Strickler rode his bike to school every day. He’d never had an issue until one humid May morning. He reached the crosswalk at Woodland Hills Drive and Northpark

and noticed that the timer had five seconds left. Strickler was confident he could make it.

“I cross the first lane, which is the turning, I get past that, and then the second lane, the car comes out,” Strickler said. “I get hit by it, I go under the car and then it all was a big blur,”

His bike lodged between the back wheels of the car. Strickler came out just barely at the back from underneath the car. As soon as he got his bearing, he picked himself up and ran to the corner of the sidewalk across from the Exxon Gas Station.

“And I kind of just laid there and I was like trying to control my breathing, trying to process what was going on,” Strickler said. “And my vision was fuzzy. I’m just like slowly breathing and I’m blinking, I’m blinking. And then all these people around me, I’m just, I’m out of it.”

Strickler went to the emergency room after that, where they discovered, among other problems, that his lungs were bruised. Bruised lungs, also called pulmonary contusions cause fluid and blood to gather around the lung

tissue, which can lead to lifethreatening complications. The medical staff decided to refer him to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston as the emergency room did not have the resources necessary to treat him.

“I was put on a respiratory system to get, I believe it was carbon dioxide that was just roaming around, out of my body,” Strickler said. “And if that didn’t work, they were going to stick a tube in my back to drain it out. But I got it all out just with the respiratory system. So that was like the big-

gest scare or whatever. Because if I didn’t (get the carbon dioxide out), I would die.”

Strickler was in the hospital for two days. Besides his lungs, he had staples in his forehead, gashes all over his face, permanent road burn and a broken elbow that required surgery, a titanium plate, seven screws and physical therapy to fix.

“I did go to physical therapy after because I was as weak as we can get,” Strickler said. “I was as weak as a toddler. I could barely pick up a 5 pound dumbbell, just because it hurt.”

Four years later, Strickler still has things he does differently. He rides the bus to school as an extra precaution. He’s careful about road safety and watches over his younger siblings when they’re near any streets.

“I’m going to be very wary of cars in general, just like crossing, like I might sound annoying or like overprotective, but it’s just, it was scary going through that,” Strickler said.

But the biggest change in Strickler has been his outlook on life.

“In the sense of just being more appreciative of what you have, your body, your life,” Strickler said. “Everything could be gone in an instant. That was definitely a realization for me and a kind of awakening for me to be like, life goes by quick.”

Struggles of Driving Struggles

Kingwood area cause challenges for young drivers.

By Tricia Darcy Editor-in-Chief

When the dismissal bell rings at 2:55 p.m. every day, students race to their cars in the parking lot. With limited roads to leave the school and major roads under construction, traffic fills Kingwood. Accidents and enraged drivers are commonplace.

With Houston and surrounding areas being consistently ranked among the worst U.S. cities to drive in, Kingwood has been a major traffic center for all drivers. In response, many high school students have been faced with the challenges of learning to drive in the Houston area.

“I feel like (the traffic) always builds by the end of the day,” said senior Izzy Sikora, who lives in Humble. “Obviously I drive all the way home, so if I have to come back, I have to drive through either Kingwood or North Park. It gets so unbelievably worse and I have to leave 45 minutes early just to get (anywhere) on time.”

TRAFFIC STRUGGLES

Recently, leaving the school has been an issue for Sikora, whose drive home can now take up to 35 minutes. Like many other students and staff members, Sikora takes Northpark Drive after school. Since 2023, Northpark Drive has dealt with ongoing construction as the project to build an overpass over Loop 494 continues. As a

result, some students will take shortcuts through neighborhoods, Hamblen Road and even Kingwood Drive.

Even though Kingwood Drive is not under construction, it hardly ever has light traffic. Kingwood’s population sits at around 65,000 people and traffic is always happening, especially at rush hour and school dismissals.

There are seven Humble ISD schools within a two-mile radius of Kingwood Park. With all the dismissal times being close together, pick-up lines cause backups that affect all traffic.

“Going down Kingwood Drive at the end of the school day, if I need to go near Town Center, is obviously always going to be an issue, because of Kingwood High School and Creekwood and Riverwood,” junior Emily Reid said. “All of them being located so close to each other, it makes a lot of traffic.”

HIGHWAY STRUGGLES

While traffic has caused issues for residents inside Kingwood, going on highways to leave the community has prompted even more struggles.

Although Sikora found a sense of freedom with driving, her own experience on highways in Houston have proven to be yet another challenge.

“I drive on the highway every single day of my life no matter where I want to go,” Sikora said. “I would say crazy people or like insanely slow people drive me nuts. Slow people always cause traffic and it takes me so long to get (to Kingwood).”

Recently, when driving home on the highway Sikora watched a Dodge Charger attempt to slip in between lanes to go through two

cars, almost causing an accident. The near-accident isn’t unfamiliar to Houstonians who make the commute.

The Houston area alone has four out of seven of the deadliest stretches of road in Texas and I-45 has been ranked the most deadly road to drive on.

Major roads are already dangerous, but the constant construction brings distractions and difficulties.

“(Texas highways) are so big,” Reid said. “And there’s so much construction right now. I feel like that’s definitely a kind of distraction every time I’m driving.”

FINANCIAL STRUGGLES

“

Despite distractions, the financial burden of having a car can often be the biggest struggle for many students. As gas prices fluctuate and with insurance costs, many high school students have been forced to find jobs to pay the expenses.

Camrys, they’re really good on gas. I spend $25 and it’s 400 miles. It lasts me like $50 a week probably, but that’s still expensive.”

While many students have experienced the burden of the changing gas prices, others have learnt the long-term responsibility of dealing with car insurance.

Senior Anthony Henry started paying his own car insurance and learned the importance of dealing with his finances soon after getting his first car.

“ I feel like nobody really knows how to drive in Kingwood and it makes me so annoyed especially because I don’t live here. The traffic in and out of Kingwood is always terrible.

senior Izzy Sikora

“I pay for my own gas,” Reid said. “I paid for the entire car myself. I pay for my own insurance. Like everything for my car I pay myself. So, managing my money, especially as a high schooler (is difficult). I’m in a bunch of hard classes and I play soccer, so it’s a little hard to manage sometimes.”

Reid is among many students who pay for all or at least some part of their car maintenance.

Most students pay for their own gas. Even though Texas has some of the lowest gas prices on average, the expenses still add up.

“I drive a Toyota Camry,” said senior Samire Vasquez, who makes the daily commute from Conroe. “So, you know, shout out to Toyota

“It’s easier to start while you’re young before it gets too late and overwhelming,” Henry said. “That was my whole thought process behind, ‘will I be able to pay this bill in high school and what-not.’”

Although many students have found benefits to driving, challenges with driving in the Kingwood area have increased as traffic and congestion continues. While learning to drive in Kingwood has not been easy for a lot of students, many have still gotten their licenses to gain more freedom.

Learning to drive in Kingwood and around Houston is not easy. But those who are able to learn to maneuver the streets and highways nearby are often prepared for anywhere else they may want to travel.

“I feel like nobody really knows how to drive in Kingwood and it makes me so annoyed especially because I don’t live here,” Sikora said.

“The traffic in and out of Kingwood is always terrible.”

WHERE DO YOU BELONG? HERE.

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Sign up for Journalism or Photojournalism on Course Selection Day to start the adventures! For returners, apply for the staff you think is the best fit! Contact adviser Megan Ortiz in Room 1504 with questions.

Seniors lead boys team to playoffs

By Caleb Kazeem Staff Writer

With six seniors on the squad, the Panthers celebrated their seniors and capped off the regular season with a 46-42 victory over Pasadena on Feb. 18.

For senior Jesus Valenzuela, senior night was an amazing experience.

“It was definitely emotional,” Valenzuela said. “Being with my family and getting a lot of love, I loved it.”

With the win, the basketball team secured second place in district play and finished with a 9-3 record, leading them to play A&M Consolidated Feb. 24 at Magnolia West High School.

Over the season, the team improved gradually and brought a strong connection and teamwork into the playoffs.

“We had to learn how to come together as a team,” senior Koltan Lopez said. “Everybody is really locked in now.”

The team started off 0-2 in district play, recording 23 point losses to both Crosby and West Fork, who finished first and third in the district.

Following the two district losses, basketball coach Jeff Hamilton had a leadership meeting with the seniors about the games. After the meeting, the team beat Dayton at home 55-41. Dayton is the fourth seed in the district and went 9-1 in district clinching a playoff spot.

“The seniors really stepped up,” Hamilton said. “They came in my office and had a coaches meeting, after that they rallied and really finished strong. The leadership has

been great.”

Hamilton is happy that the team is ready for the playoffs but believes the team needs to be focused in practice to perfect their system.

“It’s all about a change of routines,” Hamilton said. “We just came off of the February Break and senior night so our routine was broken up. I am excited to see our guys get focused for the playoffs.”

The team has six underclassmen, with the majority of them this sea-

son being their first year on varsity with the seniors on the team.

Junior Christian Gonzales, who has slowly gotten a greater role on the team, has loved his time for the seniors and wants to have as many games as possible with them.

“It was pretty emotional because it is one of my last times ever playing with them,” Gonzales said. “I’ve learned a lot from them and built a relationship between each and every one of them.

For Gonzales, the playoffs is definitely a higher competition than district play, and they have to be ready for anything that occurs.

“Definitely no more playing around,” Gonzales said. “We are all taking a step higher because it’s anyone’s game.”

For the seniors, the connection they have built together will not be forgotten and is the fuel for them to play their best every playoff game.

“We struggled at the beginning, so we came together,” Valenzuela said. “We grew together and I think it helped us as a team, so now we have to go out every night fully committed because it could be our last.”

Girls finds positives in challenging season

By Cameron Minatrea and Fabian Smith

After an 0-15 start to the season, the girl’s basketball team made adjustments and grew closer as a team. The team captured two wins against Pasadena and one win against West Fork, ending the season 3-24.

“I’d say it’s a rebuilding year for us,” sophomore Annalyn Herring said. “We’re a younger team with just less experience. I believe the more experience that we have, the better we’ll get.”

A main factor of the team’s struggles has been the addition of younger players. Only three players on the current roster have had

varsity experience.

One of those players, senior Tricia Darcy took a leap in responsibility. Since she was one of the only returning players, she was expected to be one of the leaders of the locker room.

“Going into the season, (senior Kendall Olson) and I knew we both needed to step up,” Darcy said. “I feel like I’ve definitely gotten better about not worrying as much about myself and just helping other people be the best basketball player.”

The players’ development has been one of the most crucial keys for coach Andrew Cross. He understood that there would be growing pains this season.

Although the record doesn’t

reflect it, they have been defensively one of the better teams in the school’s history. Many members of the team feel that it is what keeps the score close in most games, since finding a consistent offense has been more of a struggle.

“They come and play hard every night,” Cross said. “It’s just finding those people that can consistently score every night. That’s been a struggle.”

The atmosphere in the locker room was a positive throughout the season, which helped.

“We get along with each other,” Olson said. “We’re a young team, but the bond is there. As they get older, I know they’ll be a great team.”

Scouts, cheer lead Kee to success

By Jacob Dinh Staff Writer

As a sophomore, Carson Kee was busy. Football, wrestling and Scouts BSA filled his days.

When he was invited to a cheer practice that same year, he had no intention of adding something else to his schedule.

“I went to Bring a Boy to practice, I really wasn’t going there to join cheer,” Kee said. “I was just going there to hang out, but I was trying it and I ended up having a lot of fun.”

Kee felt that he belonged in cheer. He loved it, and he started rethinking his activities.

“Football, I just really didn’t grow with anyone else, I just kind of stayed the same height and I just kind of got outgrown,” Kee said. “So I was splitting my time and I ended up missing a bunch of cheer and a bunch of wrestling, and that just wasn’t fair to either sport. So I picked which was going to take me further.”

Senior Chila Guzman said she is glad Carson Kee continued with cheer.

“He’s very enthusiastic and very dedicated to what he does and he takes corrections very well,” Guzman said. “We have a brother and sister bond, so it’s just very fun to connect with him. And every routine we put on the mat, he gives me a hug because he knows he messed up at least one of the parts, and he knows I won’t get mad.”

Kee decided to do cheerleading full time and set big goals. It paid off. Recently, Kee committed to cheer at Mississippi State University as a walk-on to the program. He will be cheering as a co-ed base and majoring in Ag Business.

“I really liked the atmosphere at Mississippi State,” Kee said. “I heard they won the national championship for cheer, and I was like, you know, that’s a cool place. So

I went to check it out during the summer and I just fell in love with the campus.”

Guzman said she is excited to see what is ahead for Kee in cheerleading, especially in college.

“I can see him winning a NCAA D1 title with Mississippi State,” Guzman said. “I hope he just has a lot of fun at State and possibly joins the USA cheer team.”

While Kee gave up football and wrestling, he also reconsidered his goals in scouting. While he always loved the outdoors, most of his friends quit scouts when high school hit and his troop started getting small.

“My sophomore year, I thought about quitting Scouts,” he said. “I was going through quite a bit of a sophomore slump. And I really went back to the thought, why have I been in scouts for all these years? I still have fun going on these camping trips and these summer camps.”

Kee started his scouting career in third grade. He loved exploring and outdoor adventures when he was younger.

“I joined because I wanted to go camping and they promised me I’d get to go camping as long as I

Senior Carson Kee was sworn in as an Eagle Scout in November after completing his requirements in June. He started scouting when he was in third grade. His final Eagle Scout project was a bench by the lake off Hamblen Road. Photos courtesy of Stacey Kee.

came once a week,” Kee said. Kee decided to continue his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout, which he achieved in June. For his Eagle Scout project, he built a memorial bench in honor of Bill Blaney that is located at the Northshore Park on Hamblen Road.

“He used to own the park where I used their boat ramp when I was scouting,” Kee said. “So I put a memorial bench facing the water. That way it gives a spot for people walking by to sit down and enjoy the water and a great way to honor him.”

This week, Kee enters competition season with the cheer team, which won the 2025 UIL Spirit Coed State Championship. And soon he will start preparing to chase his college goals. He is hardly leaving his scouting in his past though. The lessons it gave Kee go everywhere with him.

“As a Scout, I really learned to be true to myself – follow what I think is right, do the right thing as much as I possibly can, always choose to be nice rather than mean,” Kee said. “I got all these experiences and now I turn those experiences into skills that I still use to this day.”

UIL needs to embrace change

By Tricia Darcy

When thinking of stereotypical American high school sports, 11-man football, baseball and basketball top the lists. Yet, in the past three years new sports have become some of the fastest growing sports across the nation and the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is doing nothing about it.

Since 2023, the UIL Texas Legislative Council has proposed the idea to add boys volleyball and girls flag football as a UIL sanctioned sports. All proposals have been denied three years in a row.

When the Legislative Council members next meet in June, a pilot program for the two sports should be started, so more young athletes can find their platform before the opportunity is too late.

Nationally, both sports have been listed among the fastest growing youth and collegiate sports but have seen the most growth at the high school level. So, why isn’t UIL considering adding the sports to the 14 other sanctioned sports?

The recent growth of high school students playing is due to efforts at the collegiate level and increased promotion nationwide on TV and social media.

Boys volleyball has reached an all-time high with over 95,000 participants and 28 state associations adding it as a sanctioned sport. But Texas is one of the state associations that will not accept change and steers away from thinking it is a girls-only game.

Traditionally, volleyball has been popular among girls and flag football has been popular among boys. However, if this decade has shown anyone anything, breaking stereotypes has been a pivotal change, especially in athletics.

The numbers support the need

for Texas to change with the times.

Recently, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) unveiled their annual High School Participation Survey for the 2024-25 school year. The NFHS recorded that boys volleyball has been one of the only sports with more than a 15% increase in participation since 2019.

Without the approval from UIL to sanction the sport, other associations were forced to make their own league if athletes wanted to continue to grow the sport. The Texas Boys High School Volleyball League started their own state championship tournament for participating schools in 2019. Now, there are over 120 Texas high schools that participate in the league.

In addition to boys volleyball, girls flag football has seen a groundbreaking increase in participation, with 500,000 youth girls participating in the sport during 2023. In the past three years, new programs have been created to work towards sanctioning the sport.

In 2023, the Houston Texans launched a program to help grow girls flag football in the surrounding area. In 2025, the Dallas Cowboys did the same. In addition, the Texans

Senior Madi Staggs races to the end zone as part of the juniors’ powder puff team last May. Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports across the country, but UIL does not recognize it as a sport for high schoolers. Photo by Jacob Dinh.

launched a ‘She’s Next’ campaign to help grow the game in hopes of having the sport sanctioned.

Additionally, both men’s and women’s flag football has been added to the sport list for the first time at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The announcement made in 2023 has already made an impact in participation internationally and further coverage will lead to another breakthrough year for sports.

With the sport being offered at the youth and professional level, it doesn’t seem logical for UIL to pass up the opportunity to add the sport to state competitions.

Although lack of funding at the state level can be an issue for the ad-

dition of any sports, most schools already have 11-man football and girls volleyball teams. This means these schools are in the perfect situation to add boys volleyball and girls flag football because practice and playing areas would already be made. With record-breaking increases across all sports in recent years, UIL has created more opportunities for those participating in the already sanctioned sports. Yet with two new sports on the rise, UIL has two more opportunities it needs to take and they need to take it soon. A new generation of sports and a new generation of athletes is coming, and right now UIL has its chance to be part of the change.

Accident leads to career-ending injury for Monroe

By Cameron Minatrea Sports Editor

It was the first Monday of summer 2025, and senior Vaughn Monroe felt like he was on top of the world. He had wanted to go on a rope swing over a lake since school ended, and now he and his friend were finally there. He didn’t know that this small event would keep him out of the thing he loves for the rest of his life.

Vaughn had been wrestling and playing football ever since he got into high school, and they quickly became some of his passions. Although he played both, wrestling was where his heart was. Being able to show off his individual skills helped him feel satisfaction for his hard work.

”You can win a football game and celebrate with your team, but when you win a match, only you won,” Monroe said. “If you lose, it’s all on you. Can’t blame anybody else.”

After finishing his junior season with a 23-22 record, he had high hopes for his senior year.

But then he went on the rope swing. For a while, it was great. Then it all went wrong. A couple swings in, and he missed the jump and fell on a tree stump, degloving his leg.

Degloving is when skin or tissue separates from muscles in the body. This causes the degloved area to fill up with fluid due to there being a pocket created. It causes a large bruise to form.

“At first, it was just kind of a scratch, super red, bleeding a little bit,” Monroe said. “My first initial thought was that it was going to suck, because we had to swim back across the river and there was no way I was gonna be able to do it. Thank God someone had a

boat and was able to take me.”

At first, he believed that he suffered a simple bone bruise. He and his mom applied ice every day hoping that it would heal. Although it looked like it had healed, him pushing himself again aggravated the injury.

“It started to get better over the summer and I started to try and work out again,” Monroe said.

“I thought [working out again] was fun. But when I got back into 100% wrestling and football practices, [the injury] got much worse.”

Although he applied ice as his mother insisted, the bruise swelled up to the point it was the size of a football sticking out of his leg. He would have to remove the fluid from his leg. 5 weeks after the initial injury, he went to the hospital and got it extracted.

“A few days later, I couldn’t

walk much,” Monroe said. “I went to a beach house for my friend’s birthday, and I couldn’t swim with them. I couldn’t do much at all.”

Going into football season, he was constantly visiting the physical therapist to undergo heat therapy. He was told that even with treatment, he would be out for the year.

Although upset, he set his sights on getting prepared for wrestling. He double wrapped his leg with bandages attempting to prevent the bruise from filling back up. It wasn’t enough.

“I would really tie it to my leg during practice. After two weeks, I couldn’t do it anymore,” Monroe said. “It started getting worse, and I didn’t want to have an injury for the rest of my life.”

His friends and coaches were upset once they heard about the news. They knew it was devastat-

ing for him, knowing this would have been his last year to do what he loved most.

One of Monroe’s good friends, senior Elijah Lester, was angry when he found out about the injury . Monroe had always been his hype man, so losing him was a huge disappointment.

“When he told me he was done for the season, I was like ‘Dangit bro’,” Lester said. “He always pushes me to do my best, wins or losses. I was disappointed he wasn’t able to compete this year because that’s my dog.”

Nonetheless, Monroe still has big plans for what he wants to do in the future. He plans to attend Lone Star in the summer to hopefully become an EMT.

Many believe that his personality will help him be successful in whatever he pursues.

“I think he will be successful in whatever field he chooses because he works hard and he’s dependable,” wrestling coach Jeff Knight said. “He’s always been one of the most popular kids on the team, mainly because he gets along with everyone.”

So much has changed in Monroe’s life since that rope swing adventure just eight months ago. During that time, he has accepted the fact that he just isn’t the same kid anymore.

“If I could be back, I would tell myself not to do it. I don’t think my past self would have listened though,” Monroe said. “It’s one of those learning experiences everyone has to go through in life. I don’t mean that everyone swings into a tree, but everyone has done something that they will regret forever. I look at it as a consequence that saved me from doing something else later in my life.”

Record Breakers Swimmers collect medals at State

By Sydney Ortiz Editor-in-Chief

The girls and boys swim teams spent the last weekend of the season at a state-of-the-art natatorium and faced their biggest races of the year. The 5A State Swimming and Diving Championships were held at the University of Texas’s natatorium Feb. 20-21.

“You’re swimming in the same pool where great things and worldclass times have been achieved,” junior Marie Wakefield said.

The girls broke three team records and medaled in three events. They finished fourth overall in the team competition.

“To see all your hard work and all your scarifices you made in the year kind of come to a head, you start to actually see some result and your like ‘Oh my, my struggle did have meaning,’” said Wakefield, who broke the school record in the 100 butterfly and finished sixth. “That’s just really special.”

The boys reached the finals in two events with their highest finish being 1oth place in the 200 yard

freestyle relay. The relay consisted of senior Brody Burns, sophomore Dylan Black, junior Christian Norris and junior Grayson LonghoferHunt.

Relays were a big key for the girls swim team with the 200 yard Medley Relay team finishing third while setting a new school record. The swimmers in the relay were junior Courtney Scott, sophomore Marien Martinez, Wakefield and senior

Marisa Stone.

In the last race of day, the girls came through with another big performance when senior Elena Amos, junior Melanie Fixmer, junior Amerie West and Wakefield raced to a second place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay setting another school record.

On top of the two school record relays, the 200 yard freestyle relay with Stone, Wakefield, West and

Amos got another silver medal.

“We had an awesome group of girls this year,” Wakefield said. “I think it was really special to be a part of that because, in years past sometimes we’ve like formed in cliques and not all interacted, but I think this year everybody kind of like pushed aside those barriers and we were really like one connected team and it was great. It was a lot of fun.”

Rodriguez wraps up career at State Meet

By Tricia Darcy Editor-in-Chief

Four years, four weight classes and four District Championships later, senior Tristan Rodriguez finally accomplished his end goal – making it to the State Championship.

With tough competition from across the state, Rodriguez’s high school career came to a close at the Berry Center on Feb. 13. Rodriguez finished 10th place in the 157-pound weight class and was eliminated in the consolation bracket after going 1-2.

“It’s a blessing,” Rodriguez said. “God has given me a gift and hopefully I can prosper and use it wisely. Hopefully I’ll go to college

and wrestle my butt off. It means the world.”

Before making it to the State

Championship, Rodriguez earned a place in the record books as the only boy in the Kingwood Park program to win four District Championships. He won in the 126-pound weight class his freshman year, 132-pound weight class his sophomore year, 144-pound weight class his junior year and in the 157-pound weight class his senior year.

He also placed third at the Region Meet this year, which was his second time placing. Last year, he was a State alternate after finishing 5th at Regionals.

“He leaves a lasting impact as one of the top wrestlers in the history of our program,” coach Jeff Knight said. “He led by example of putting in the work as far as technique and increasing his strength each year.”

Rodriguez’s work throughout this past year paid off during the first round of the State Championships. Rodriguez won his first match by major decision against Weslaco East senior Giancarlo Diaz. During his second match, he lost by a fall to Argyle junior Collin Gates. He also lost 12-3 his third match to Grapevine junior Ryan Pauken.

“In my opinion he actually outwrestled his opponent but his two takedowns were called out of bounds by inches,” Knight said. “His round three match was very similar, very close and he had two takedowns not called by the official that were very close, one because the guy hit the scorer’s table. So very close matches that could have gone either way against top wrestlers.”

Six-seven dies at 67

By Marie Wakefield

In 2025, 67 was word of the year. In 2026, everyone says it’s dead.

When it once was trendy and culturally applauded to scream those two sequential numbers with a specific inflection and shake your hands like a scale of an unknown quantity, now the brave soul who meekly presents a reference is given a cold rejection and the dreaded eye roll of disdain from six or seven of their peers.

Six-seven died from natural causes. Natural causes, of course, being the adult population, who in their eternal quest to remain “hip” and “young,” adopted the slang of the youth with disastrous conse-

quences. Teachers brought it up in classes, and your mom probably tried to use it.

But what was exemplary about 67 was its life, and, though short, it touched the hearts of almost every chronically online person and at least six or seven of the people around them. Culture truly embraced it. It was featured in South Park. In December, Google added a search engine Easter egg about it. It was covered by national and global news sites like CNN. It even infiltrated the ivory halls of democracy through the efforts of Congressmen Bill Buckbee and Blake Moore.

And then there were the memes. So widespread that if you put them side to side they could span the globe six or seven times.

Six-seven truly fell like Rome, a great and mighty empire so widespread that it could no longer carry its own weight.

Part of 67’s strength was its

universal availability for everyone. It wasn’t a status symbol, it wasn’t a political statement, it wasn’t expensive, for all it cost was a touch of irony. And in this way the adolescents of the world could unite.

Six-seven is survived by its father, Skrilla, who originally sang the song 67 came from, 67 Kid Maverick Trevillian, its successor 41, and fellow brainrottie Ballerina Cappuchina.

Six-seven will always be in our hearts and minds whenever we count to ten, see a player’s jersey, or pass by a street name. Because even when the young have become the old, and their minds have allegedly flushed brainrot from their consciousnesses, whenever they see a six, or a seven, there’s a 67% chance that they’ll think of 67 and with it the infinitely meaningful meaning of meaninglessness.

WHAT’S HOT?

Warm weather. We can start to feel summer break rolling in.

March Madness. The madness coming keeps me on my toes.

Baseball season. Can’t wait to be back at Daikin Park.

Cozy slippers. Comfortable and warm? Sign me up.

Flowers. Get them for someone special.

Lunch performances. Food and a show? Very entertaining!

Houston Rodeo. So many popular artists are coming to Houston.

Senioritis. Can March break come any sooner?

2016. Everyone wants a blast from the past.

Late arrival. Who doesn’t want an extra hour of sleep?

Legos. Spending my money for hours of entertainment? Yes, please!

Bedazzling. A new hobby and all of my stuff is glittery.

Harry Styles. Always down for a new album!

WHAT’S NOT?

Cold Weather. ESPECIALLY when it comes to taking out the garbage!

Seniors graduating. We’re going to be lonely once they leave.

Sequels/reboots. Should’ve kept it to just one.

Missing work. 1 assignment turns into 20.

Blind box’s. Why pay for something you can’t see?

Crocs no socks. That HAS to be uncomfortable…

Stanley Cups. Sorry but Owala’s are the thing now.

STAAR testing. Time to start studying, but I always forget about it until it’s too late…

Theater offers safe space, purpose after move

By Jack Coffey

Sitting in the sunlit dining room of our old, cramped, and entirely too dusty rental, my mother briefly showed me some photos of the new town I would be living in.

“It’s got bike trails, Jack,” she said. “Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah,” I responded, thinking of the Mongoose I hadn’t ridden in two years. “Very cool.”

My dad had just gotten hired at a new job, meaning we would be hitting the western trail and moving to Texas, of which all my knowledge stemmed from reruns of “King Of The Hill” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” not exactly great omens.

The town, a suburb of Houston, was called Kingwood and contained two high schools. After uprooting my life, my parents graciously offered me the chance to choose the school I’d be graduating from in three years.

“We need to get a place in the right zone,” my mother said, walking off to call the movers. “So, move with a purpose please.”

Reluctantly, I turned my gaze to my phone – two schools, two paths, one kid and zero ideas. I found myself getting angry.

“Why does it even matter?” I thought.

The schools looked the same to me, and probably wouldn’t have any of the extracurriculars I enjoyed, so why even bother? I was about to yell across the room to my mother that she should do whatever she wants when I got a text from a family friend who lived in the area.

The text read, “Hey do you know where you’re going?”

I responded with an intentionally dry, “no” (all lowercase for added aloofness).

“Well, do you still do acting or whatever? Kingwood Park has a good theatre program if you’re interested.”

“Yeah I’ll think about it,” I said,

lying through the screen.

I had quit acting recently on account of my horrible memory and (being the angsty and pretentious 14-year-old I was) disinterest at the “showiness” of the whole affair. Either way, the one-sided conversation solved the indecision issue and I told my mother that K-Park was where I wanted to go.

I spent a particularly boring summer here in Texas, languishing in a pool of sweat and self pity before starting school that August. It was in my second period of the first day where I met theater director Brandi Perkins, who like me, was starting her first year at Kingwood Park. I chose theater class much in the same way I had also chosen track and field. I needed the credits to graduate. In the recesses of my mind, there was no intention of ever taking part in a production – a combination of my fear of the (mostly true) stereotype of theater kid cliqueyness as well-lingering bitterness toward the arts for my past failures. However, throughout the first half of my time in class, I found myself having a lot more fun than I expected. Perkins was a lot different

than directors I’d had in the past, so when she asked if anyone wanted to be in that year’s musical production, I considered it.

People who know me know I am not a Disney fan, and acting in “The Little Mermaid” is a situation I would not be caught dead in. So being a crewmember is the role I resigned myself to. I had little experience in the production field shooting short films and skate videos with my friends in middle school, but as for the skills of running tech in a show I was a complete novice.

When technical director Courtney Neuwirth asked me about my experience, I called upon my years of lying on stage to effectively convince her I wasn’t a complete liability to myself and others and should be allowed to operate power tools. The next week I got an email saying I was in charge of props. Wonderful, “That should be easy,” I thought, not even knowing what that sort of job entailed.

I reported to the first rehearsal and pretended to know what she was talking about while she was instructing us on how to build a set. I held an impact driver as far away from me

as possible and tried to keep myself from flinching every time the saw went off, wanting to make myself indisposable out of an irrational fear of being fired.

Eventually though, like with most things we set our minds to, I got better. I still had no friends aside from the orchestra’s piano player, but I now had a purpose.

Every time I made a mistake or got yelled at or was ignored was just a sign that I needed to be better –to work harder and become truly indispensable. That show became my life and once it was over I knew I needed to be first on the list to sign up for the next one and the next and the next.

Three years later, I am an international thespian and working on my sixth show. I’ve met a lot of people I’d consider to be my closest friends and I’ve had experiences that have changed the way I live my life. Even if I leave the performing arts behind in college, I am so glad with how I’ve spent my time here down south, and it all started with taking a chance.

Speed limits must be respected for safety

In recent years, speeding in Texas has become the norm.

If you aren’t going at least five miles per hour over the speed limit, you’re likely to be honked at by angry drivers breaking the law and blaming you for not doing the same. This carelessness causes anxiety for young drivers. There is an expectation to speed, and this needs to stop

STAFF EDITORIAL

The societal pressure to speed makes the habit even more common. Parents often speed and teens notice. The same parents then scream at teenagers when they speed, even though they do the same. In addition, older friends speed. Classmates speed. And strangers blow by rule-following drivers on Kingwood Drive and Northpark daily. This phenomenon especially affects teenagers, who do not have enough experience to be able to

react quickly on the road when something goes wrong. When new drivers speed and break the law, it makes roads unsafe for everyone. Kingwood has constant traffic issues and many children who walk to middle school and elementary school. No one wants to worry about their child getting home safe because teenagers refuse to slow down. As many times as you tell your child to look both ways, you cannot compensate for reckless, unpredictable drivers.

In 2024, 4,150 people died in vehicle crashes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Speeding is just waiting for an accident to happen and there is a simple way to avoid it. Be considerate and follow road regulations. There is no place that requires you to put others’ lives in danger. If you’re late and the event is that important, you should’ve planned ahead.

The roads are controlled by trust

Kingwood Park Times

February 2026

Volume 12, Issue 4

Kingwood, Texas 77339

EDITORS

Tricia Darcy & Sydney Ortiz, editors-in-chief

Danielle Nalley, online editor Cameron Minatrea, sports editor Paisley Thomas, opinion editor

STAFF WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS & SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Muhammad Adnan, Sophia Artola, Chase Canlas, Shawn Chaney, Peyton Chesney, Jack Coffey, Ella Cole, Charlie Crass, Rayden DeSouza, Jacob Dinh, Eleanor Durand, Kalia Gaeta, Rocco Huerta, Caleb Kazeem, Marien Martinez, Michael McElmurray, Max Nguyen, Leonardo Peña, James Pham, Marco Plascencia Carmona, Alex Pozzi, Amita Ramcharan, Pilar Retamales, Chloe Sales, Nicole Sauceda Padilla, Fabiain Smith, Marie Wakefield, Annabell Wilson.

Adviser: Megan Ortiz

Cover: Photo by Tricia Darcy.

and when you speed, you break that trust. No one can be comfortable to drive safely if there are

others. For the safety of everyone, speeding needs to be stopped and not normalized.

KP MEDIA EDITORIAL POLICY

KP Media is the official student-produced media of news and information published/produced by KP Media students. KP Media has been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisers may – and should – coach and discuss content during the writing process.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of KP Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Kingwood Park High School, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose; this is defined by the media itself.

All writing in the media, other than letters to the editor in the newsmagazine, will be written by students of the journalism program and will not be accepted otherwise.

The media will specialize in and emphasize on informing their readers of school news and unique students of the Kingwood Park High School community.

The media will cover community, state, national, and international news if it is directly relevant to the school community, and includes local angles.

The media will strive to provide coverage to all school organizations and functions.

Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the editorial board, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board.

Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media editorial policy, from being printed.

Letters to editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper or on the website. Letters to editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include writer’s address and phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.

The school newspaper will be distributed free of charge to all students every 6-8 weeks. The paper is completely financed by advertising revenues and fundraising. The money raised is used to pay for the school media printing costs, supplies and other media expenses.

See the entire staff editorial policy at KPTimes.com.

Three years after seizures,

Each day still feels like miracle

MBy Alex Pozzi

id-September of sixth grade is a time most people remember for new notebooks, awkward relationships and the excitement of settling into another school year. For me, it’s the month when everything I understood about being alive was suddenly, sharply rewritten.

I had gone to school that morning thinking only about surviving the day. By lunchtime, I was already home, curled up with a headache so fierce it felt like my skull was shrinking around my brain. I figured it was a migraine, maybe a fever. Nothing more than that. But within minutes of lying down, the world went dark.

The seizure itself is a blank space in my memory, I was unconscious for a couple days. I only know what happened because other people told me.

I woke up days later in the ICU. Wires, tubes, the steady beeping of machines filled the room, all of it. My mom and stepdad were there. Their faces rightfully worried but happy. They told me I had three seizures – one at home, two more while unconscious. I didn’t know how to feel. They said the doctors believed a simple rhinovirus, the kind that usually just gives you a runny nose, had somehow ambushed my system and nearly won.

people,” or “This would never happen to me.” After the ICU, that illusion didn’t return. I became suddenly aware of how fragile the body is—how a microscopic virus, something I couldn’t see or fight or even feel until it was too late, could nearly erase me. But the experience didn’t just make me relieved that I was okay. It woke me up.

I had gone to school that morning thinking only about surviving the day. By lunchtime, I was already home, curled up with a headache so fierce it felt like my skull was shrinking around my brain. I figured it was a migraine, maybe a fever. Nothing more than that. But within minutes of lying down, the world went dark.

I started paying attention in a way I hadn’t before. To my health, yes, but also to my time. I realized how easily days blur together when you assume you’ll get endless chances. Lying in that hospital bed, I kept thinking about things I hadn’t done, conversations I’d avoided, moments I’d wasted. When you’re 12, you don’t usually think about how long you’re going to live for. And maybe I didn’t fully grasp it then, but I felt it. It continues to remind me that life is something you notice or you lose.

Alex Pozzi recovers in a hospital room after three seizures in sixth grade left him unconscious for days. He was in the intensive care unit for five days. After multiple tests and scans, he tested positive for Rhinoviruses/Enterovirus (basically a common cold) which led to Viral Encephalitis that caused his seizures. . After Photo submitted by Alex Pozzi.

What struck me hardest was that I had slept through the danger. While everyone else had been terrified, while doctors worked to stabilize me, while my parents stood helplessly by my bed, I had been getting my beauty sleep. And when I woke up, I was the weight of other people’s fear. The world had kept turning without me, but the version I returned to felt slightly tilted, as if something had

shifted.

Before that week, I thought invincibility was a default of childhood. I had always thought, “Bad things happened to other

In the years since, I’ve tried to live with a little more intention. I try to appreciate the ordinary –the fun days we’d have in school, the sound of my friends laughing, even the hum of a classroom on a regular school day. I’m not always successful but the memory of that hospital room pushes me to try. Because once you’ve almost not been here, being here feels a bit like a miracle.

LAST LOOK

From joining the Marine Corps to earning a black belt in martial arts, Valentin Medina has had a long journey to becoming a teacher.

Shortly after winter break, Medina started his new career as Kingwood Park’s auto collision teacher. The school used multiple substitutes throughout the first semester as they worked to replace the veteran teacher Jeff Wilson, who died in the Central Texas floods over the summer.

After first moving to Texas in 2012, Medina now lives in The Woodlands. He commutes daily to a job he never expected he would have.

“I didn’t think I would ever be a teacher since all of my siblings are teachers,” said Medina, who has studied automotives at Universal Technical Institute and taken classes at Lone Star College in The Woodlands.

He has already had a positive influence on his students. Junior Rafael Hall said Medina has been a fun and cool teacher, and he’s enjoying all of the hands-on projects.