By Adriana Ortiz 

While interviewing some of the 8th graders about their next year at Hagerman High as freshman, most of them said they were scared, and nervous. As Taylor Shot With Two Arrows quotes, “I’m excited, nervous, but ready”. These 8th graders are going to have to work hard to pass their freshman year.

Most students joining Hagerman High are excited that they finally get off school campus for lunch. Quoting Marissa Morales, “I’m excited to go off campus for lunch, I’m also really happy I get to hang out with Patti, Llysha, and Maleka”.

Most students are excited but scared to be joining High School. Leslie quoted “I’m scared, nervous, but ready for High School.

Well we will see what next year has to hold for these coming up freshman. Good Luck!

"In the arms of the angel, fly away from here, from this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear. You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie. You're in the arms of an angel, may you find some comfort here." Hagerman High and Middle School students heard this song on Thursday, April 19, in the auditorium. On Wednesday, April 18, the students witnessed the "deaths" of their friends as each student was pulled from class. The parents of these sixteen students wrote their children's obituaries. The students were then involved in a fake alcohol related accident. Everyone heard what these students went through at the Juvenile Detention Center, morgue, and hospital in the auditorium on Thursday. This was a very moving ceremony that made almost every student, teacher, and parent cry. The Hagerman students claim they were very touched by the Every Fifteen Minutes program. They all say they never want to witness, cause, or be involved in a real accident like the one demonstrated because they now understand the pain that it causes more people than they would have ever thought.

I love reading, I read in my house and at school. When? When I am going to sleep, during class, or simply just when I am bored. During this year I have observed at my old school and here that not many people read while they have some free time.

I use to not like reading at all I thought it was a waste of time. I thought I couldn’t fit reading into my day, but I started reading a few minutes when I had nothing to do. I liked it and I started to do my work quicker so I could finish fast to start reading!

Karlie Nicole Escandon. A recent study shows that four out of five people have plans to move away from home after senior graduation. A freshman at Hagerman High, Seren, says that her goals for the rest of this school year is “to just pass.” Seren's greatest accomplishment so far in her high school career is getting an ‘A’ in her Geometry math class. When asked do you plan on graduating? She answered, “Uhhh, yeah I plan to graduate; but, it doesn’t mean I’m going to.” She says if she does graduate she’ll graduate from Hagerman High School if of course, if she doesn’t move away from the small town first. She also states, “I’m not sure where I’m going to college yet. I’m only a freshman,but I’m sure it’ll be somewhere special.” But she does plan on going. She says she doesn’t plan far enough ahead to comment on where she plans on living aftercollege. She has plans for marriage and one kid, but later down the line. Maleka says her goal for the rest of the semester is “to get good grades!” she plans to get out of Hagerman after high school. She plans on graduating high school from Hagerman high. Her dream college is Texas Tech. She has no plans for marriage but, says, “I want two kids; one boy and one girl.” As plans for after college she says, “I plan to move to Arizona with Kirsten after college.” The majority of kids at HHS plan to move away from Hagerman.

Monika Smith. Every year the Dexter National Fish Hatchery hires two Hagerman students (one boy and one girl) and two Dexter students (one boy and one girl) plus one returning student worker from the previous year. The student from the previous year becomes the Youth Leader. Last summer tevin Vaughn and Shaunee McCaul were the fish hatchery's workers from Hagerman. Both students claim to have liked the job, even though it was a lot of hard work. Shaunee McCaul loved the job so much and had such a positive attitude about the job that she was asked to come back this summer (2012) and work as the Youth Leader. This year's applications were filled out by several boys and girls and turned in yesterday (April 4, 2012). Those applications will be put in a drawing to determine who will be the lucky winner of this summer's fish hatchery job. Good luck to all who applied!

Karlie N. Escandon. The Golden Age of Hip hop is characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. The main steam of Hip Hop was is the 1980’s to the 1990’s. The Golden Age is “when it seemed that every new single reinvented the genre” according to Rolling Stone. Spin (Magazine) editor-in-chief Sia Michel says, “There were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time.” It seems clear that the golden age of hip hop is over. The reason this time was the golden age was that new music was all around and there was always something new to be found and sung. Seren Lilly says “Hip-hop today is all violence and stuff. It just sends out a bad message and influences kids in a bad way.” Kids ages fourteen to eighteen on average say rap is there favorite genre or their favorite song is rap. Young Wild & Free by Wiz Khalifa ft. Snoop Dog is an example. In popular songs chorus is “So what we get drunk so what we smoke weed? We’re just having fun we don’t care who sees so what we go out? That’s how it's supposed to be living young and wild and free.” Although the song is a well-known song; its also a good example of what Seren Lilly said. The genre is as Rolling Stone puts it “reinvented with every single.” From Ice Cube and Bone thugs-n-Harmony to Drake and Lil’ Wayne; rap and hip hop genres will never be what they once were.

Maleka Villa. The freshman class of 2012-2013 of Hagerman High is our eighth grade class today. As Ms. McNamee said, “I view each freshman class as full of potential and struggle as they get use to the high school environment.” Many teachers and students view the same thing; they view that the freshman class will be a little bit of trouble at the beginning of the year.

As Mr. Wright stated, “All freshman are difficult because they are getting use to high school, but as the year goes on they get better attitude-wise.” Most people think that they are quite a struggle because of how much drama goes on now. They want to make themselves popular so everyone will talk to them.

According to Patricia Arebalos, “I don’t really know, they may start off bad because they are trying to get use to the high school world, but other than that they may be a pretty good group of kids.” Others say they may be a better group than this year’s group of freshman, if they don’t have drama. As Llysha Barbee says, “I believe they will be good, but most freshman are not all there; like me. I also believe that if there aren’t any problems like this year they just might live through the first stage of the high school life.”

All freshman classes aren’t the same, but they are just beginning life.

Seren Lily. After waiting 18 years to become legal, teens finally have the freedom to make decisions, regardless of their parents’ approval. Many of these young-adults get tattoos, which have become one of America’s fastest growing businesses. However, this decision is threatening to one’s job, image, and life. “I hate impulsive tattoos, they're generally pretty tacky. I waited more than 10 years to decide on the tattoo I wanted to get. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to that tell me about a tattoo they got one night, and wish they had held off and gotten something else,” Simone G states. Aside from the fact that tattoos can cost as much as a new computer or television, some jobs do not hire people who have tattoos, regardless of their skill in a certain field. Some employers fear that a representative of their company who has a tattoo can mislead customers or co-workers. This can damage a lot of people’s future. Do people really think about what they’re doing when they get a tattoo? Do they understand that it is permanent and it’s not coming off?