Two construction workers using a hose to spray on the needed roof tar.

In the halls of high school there are usually some pleasing aromas coming from the upstairs cooking class, unfortunately the downstairs halls don’t have the luxury of those smells. However, on Friday, October 14, the downstairs classrooms and hallways had a extremely horrible smell.

The construction workers began to place tar on the roofs on the new building. While doing so, they didn’t notice it was by a nearby ventilation system. When teachers’ A/C systems began to run, it filled the classrooms and hallways with the fumes from the tar. Mainly into the 1200 and 1300 hallways as well as the rest of the building including the outside portables.

One classroom that was affected more than others was room 1207, Mr. Mayson. “The smell was so strong that it made a few students and myself light-headed,” Mr. Mayson said. A few teachers decided to leave their classrooms, some went into the community room and auditorium.

It was too late for Mayson’s third period class, “by the time I told my students to leave the classroom there were only a few minutes of class left, so we waited in the hallway. Where it was more comfortable,” Mr. Mayson said.

The smell lasted throughout Friday, October 14, and a bit of Monday morning. The smell eventually began to air outside, leaving the hallways and classrooms smelling, as they should.

Dance! Mums! Football! Green people? Homecoming week was packed with crazy attire from a Lady GaGa impersonator for Celebrity Day on Tuesday to a hair roller wearing housewife for Career Day on Wednesday. Students got creative for the theme days for our “Lights, Camera, Action!” week including wild costumes and interesting events.

We began the week with a red carpet walking hallway of celebrities like Waka Flocka, Snooki and Amy Winehouse dressed students to kick off the Homecoming days. After all that spotlight, the Juniors and Seniors gathered up for a high school Powder Puff showdown. An aggressive game ended with a junior class of 2013 win but the senior  class of 2012 walked away with pride not caring for the loss because graduation is an even greater victory only seven months away.

Business men, nurses and carhops showed out for Career Day on Wednesday. Everybody dressed as what they will be dressing as for their future and even what they wear to their jobs now. Once everybody changed back to their normal selves, the annual DHS Homecoming Parade went for a walk across De Soto to flash their spirit, ending the day off with a pep rally to prep the Varsity Football team for the big game Friday night against North Mesquite.

Tun Tun Nun Nun! Super Hero Day was a success saved by cape wearing students flying through the halls. We saw Zoro and even Mighty Mouse at our school who tooka break to stop for  ”Lights, Camera Action!” Homecoming week. The real awaiting event for Thursday was the T.A.F.E Talent Show of which everybody gathered to cheer on their own peers performing their hearts out. Marcus Williams and Miracle White put on a comedic show while Boss Squad danced off and finally ended with a Fallen Eagles tribute to Sydney Ukabiala and Jacorey Wilkerson.

To top off the Homecoming week before the football game, Eagle spirit was worn all around DHS for Green and Gold Day. That’s where the green people came into play along with spirit shirts and flashy gold attire. Showing Eagle spirit would be an understatement for this day with the a second pep rally during school to remind the football team, they’ve got a whole school behind them to cheer them on later that night. The boys of fall are to play North Mesquite but this week, everybody in the school got a kick out of not only the big game but the crazy days, wild clothes and fun times. “Lights, Camera, Action!” was Homecoming week to remember for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Like all schools and their few problems, DeSoto High School has its fair share of faults. One of the worst problems is pest control, and no we don’t mean the students, we mean rodents. A number of facutly members say it is due to the on going construction, but there have been reports of rodent infestations at the freshman campus since 2008. Students worry that rodents are seen running about in gym and occasionally class areas, are they getting into the cafeteria?

A random chair in the hallway saved this student from his awe of a rodent.

And more importantly, our food?

DeSoto High School principals seem to only address this problem by a few glue traps located in commonly visited areas. It seems that this problem will continue on throughout the on coming months, and maybe years.

This is meant to be one line. Instead, it's a crowd.

This year the cafeteria is way too crowded and unbearable to be in. The most crowded lunches students are saying is that all of them are just too much handle. Its getting to the point that people don’t eve want to go in the lunch lines to get their food because its already packed with students in the line, and they wont finish eating.

This whole lunch crowdness should be arranged, and the best way to do this is by adding more lunches to the school cafeteria. It would cost us to be more mindful that we got such a privilege to have more time to eat. It would be easier for the students to get around the cafeteria and not try to bump though other students to get a table, seat, or getting their food.

Spending time in the cafeteria should be no less than 45 minutes at a time, that way you have time to socialize more with your friends and eat at your own pace. The reason why I think the lunch periods are super crowded is because of the students mixed up schedules and also the students added on into our school district that may have transferred or moved to the area, but also because some students aren’t where they are supposed to be.

Lunch periods should end after every 45 minutes at a time, if we expand our lunches to A-E periods it should be less congested in every lunch if we add in one more , less stress , less commotion.

I look forward to socializing and exactly enjoying my food versus rushing to eat and running to beat everybody else to the lines.

“ Violence is never the way,” but over time it has become the way to solve problems and it is constantly evolving. This matter is terrifying for both parents and students. It is sad to know that our society has become so dangerous.

“ Violence has escalated with this younger generation, from how it was when I was growing up,” said Desoto parent Taye Woodard.

In today’s world, it’s far more serious than a conflict and the fight that follows it.  Fists have turn into guns. Nails have turn into knives, and blood has replaced tears. Our once pure-hearted, innocent children have grown to be uneducated, unsuccessful, heartless adults. “ [Today’s youth] is not fighting anymore, now they’re shooting each other, killing each other, and jumping each other, and nothing gets resolved,” said Desoto Taye Woodard.

The cause of fighting and drama has changed through the years, but it has taken a change for the worst. “ I think you should only fight if you have to,” said freshman Kala Antwine.

Some students think it’s okay to fight, where as some students have fallen into peer pressure and think its cool to do so. But, who’s there to tell them they’re wrong, nobody. Some of these people have become a victim of their surrounding, “ What they see is what they do.”

Sometimes the wonder that ponders in the minds of the world is, will this madness ever come to an end?

“ It’s a never ending story, if you fight one person, usually someone get mad, and someone else wants to get involved and then it just continues,” Desoto parent Taye Woodard.

The anger of so many people has caused a rage of violence that may be something more than they can bear. Life is too hard and too short for this absurd behavior, and we, as a whole need to bring these people to a realization of this.”

-Champayne Aragon

Fighting these days has turned to the floor

Do you want to relax after TAKS?  Come out and get rid of all the stress at the TAKS Relief Zone.  You will have the opportunity to enjoy and relax on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Gym 3.  You may purchase wristbands starting Wednesday morning and at all lunches for $2.00 per day or $5.00 for all 3 days.  There will be games, concessions, music, and lots of FUN and FELLOWSHIP.  Please see flyers in the common areas for more details.