SMS Tribune
February/March 2014
Mrs. Conway’s 5th period class
About the Class
Welcome to our school
newspaper presented by Mrs.
Conway’s 5th period class. In
this newspaper the people
writing and coming up with the
ideas are Carter Bradley, Aerin
Burritt, Simon Castillo, Isaac
Hernandez, Alizabeth Little,
Jami Marinelarena, Mercedes
Mata, Abby Nichols, Kaleb
Padilla, Ryan Paiz, Connor
Sales, Chandler Shillig, Bryce
Spencer, Michaela Vargas, and
Brittan Webb. These students
have put their time and effort
into this newspaper for you, and
they really take pride in what
they have accomplished. We’d
really appreciate if you take time
out of your day to read the
stories we have written. Thank
you for taking the time to read
our newspaper.
Guest Speaker Eric Cupp
By: Kaleb Padilla and Bryce Spencer
Dr. Eric Cupp came to Sundown School on Monday,
February 17. He talked to us about bullying and how
to stop it from happening. He told us some stories
about bullying and how bad it can be. He showed us a
clip of the movie Facing the Giants and told us that
we need to encourage each other and never put each
other down no matter what. The last thing he said
was to never lower your standards or try to change
anyone else into something they’re not.
Mrs. Conway’sDolor
5th period
class
Sit Amet
February
2014
Issue #: [Date]
New Students
By: Isaac Hernandez and Simon Castillo
Lani
Chris
Yasmine was not available for a picture.
New Students
By: Isaac Hernandez and Simon Castillo
Welcome to Sundown Middle
School, Chris Sanchez. Chris comes to
us from Levelland Middle School. He
came to SMS to have a fresh start. Chris
is very funny. His favorite movie is Next
Friday. Chris’s favorite color is blue, and
he also likes tamales. His favorite type of
music is rap. Football is Chris’s favorite
sport in which we look forward to him
playing with us next year. His role model
is Chris Rock because he is funny.
Chris’s most prized possession is life
because he likes to be free.
Yaztlana Martinez moved to
Sundown junior high in 2014, and she
goes by the name Lani. Lani is in the 6th
grade. Lani has her birthday on May
27th, and her hobbies are hanging out
with friends. Lani’s former school was
Levelland TX. Lani came to Sundown
because her parents have a house here.
Lani’s favorite things are: The Song (a
movie), lime green, Mexican Food, and
Rap or Air One. Lani’s Role model is her
mom because her mom gets her out of
difficult situations, and her mom cares
about her and her actions. Also, her
other role model is her sister Yasmine
because they stick together and help
each other out. Lani’s most prized
possession is her computer because she
likes to check her social media apps
daily. Lani is a very good person she has
made a lot of new friends this year, and
she is making good grades in school.
Welcome Yasmine Martinez to
SMS. Yasmine’s birthday is on March 10,
1999. Yasmine’s hobbies are running,
playing volleyball, and texting her friends.
Yasmine came from Levelland Middle
School. She came to Sundown because
her mother’s boyfriend lives here.
Yasmine’s favorite movie is That’s My
Boy. Her favorite color is purple; her
favorite food is spaghetti, and her favorite
music is Hip Hop, and Spanish.
Yasmine’s role model is her mom
because she is a loving, caring person.
Her most prized possession is her phone
because she loves to text her friends.
Something nobody knows about her is
when people talk a lot she gets mad.
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February
2014
Issue #: [Date]
Mrs. Conway’sDolor
5th period
class
Sit Amet
Joe Don Elam
AKA Coach Elam
By: Abby Nichols
Men’s Sports
By: Connor Sales and Ryan Paiz
Let’s start with the most disappointing
topic of this paper, the Super Bowl. The Seattle
Seahawks demolished the Denver Broncos (438).
The Sundown Roughnecks eight grade
basketball team won their last game with a score
of 41-29 against Tahoka. All other Sundown
basketball teams won their games as well.
Track season has officially begun. The new
season began on the fifth of February, and our
first track meet is on the 18th in Plains.
Unfortunately, there will be no field events for
the first meet. There will be only running events
such as relays, sprints, hurdles, and long distance
running. The members running the 4x1 are Rock
Thoms, Etan Posadas, Justin Torrez, and Isaac
Hernandez. Running the 4x2 is Josh Garcia,
Ryan Paiz, Connor Sales, and Isaias Samarron.
The last of the relays is the 4x4, which consists of
everyone in the 4x1. Other sports are coming up
include golf and tennis.
Joe Don Elam was born
on March 21, 1964. He is the
husband of Pamela and father of
Jordan, Mason, and Collin. He
has one granddaughter, Saylor,
two years old. He has been
teaching and coaching for 28
years, and 3 of those were at
Sundown. He graduated from
Whiteface High School. He
graduated from SPC and Texas
Tech where he got a Bachelor’s
Degree in science with a major
in biology. He is very into
sports. He played basketball in
college. As a coach, he led a
basketball team to a state
championship. He is currently
teaching biology and coaching
tennis, basketball, and track.
This year, Coach Elam coached
the middle school girl’s
basketball teams. The eighth
grade was undefeated in district
and district champions. His
favorite quote is “go to work.”
He reminds us of that everyday
as we go to athletics. When he
has time, Coach Elam loves to
play golf. His favorite kind of
music is contemporary. If he
could go anywhere, he’d go to
Civil War sites. As Brittan
Webb and everyone else who
has met him says, “I love Coach
Elam! He’s serious and gets the
job done, but he knows how to
have fun.” We love you, Coach
Elam!
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Mrs. Conway’sDolor
5th period
class
Sit Amet
February
2014
Issue #: [Date]
A Picture Perfect Win By: Brittan Webb and Mercedes Mata Sundown’s own eighth grade girls won the district
championship with an undefeated district title on Monday, February 3,
2014. Coach Joe Don Elam, says, “The season went great! Everyone
improved, but I would like to get better at dribbling, shooting, and
passing.”
The seventh grade girls also had a successful season. With a
loss of three out of 12 games including tournaments, Coach Ricky
King says that they had a very successful season, and they
represented Sundown well. King also says that there is always room
for improvement, and you must strive to improve, but both teams had
a great season.
Track
Since basketball is over, we are now going into track season. Coach Ricky King says that we are ready for
track and are willing to put in the work necessary to be successful. He also says that we have the potential to win
every meet as long as we work hard and don’t make mistakes. Coach Joe Don Elam says, “Yes” and “no” about us
being ready for track-- “yes” because we are very competitive and “no” because we are very out of shape. He also
says that we should not lose a track meet with the talent we have.
First off, we have long distance. The longest of the long. Sundown has seven JH girls in the long distance
category: Abby Nichols, 8th, Brittan Webb, 8th, Michaela Vargas, 8th, Erika Cabrera, 7th, Lauren Nichols, 7th,
Kaity Snyder, 7th, and Selena Covarrubio, 7th. In the 800m race, Brittan Webb, Michaela Vargas, Rebecca
Peralta, Erika Cabrera, Selena Covarrubio, and Kaity Snyder will be running to add points to Sundown’s total. The
1600m, getting a little longer: Abby Nichols, Brittan Webb, Rebecca Peralta, Erika Cabrera, Selena Covarrubio,
and Lauren Nichols. Now, the longest race of JH track is the 2400m run. Running in that race is Abby Nichols,
Lauren Nichols, and Kaity Snyder.
Next, we have the sprint races. With too many girls to name, let’s jump right in! On your mark, get set, GO! On
the 100m sprint, one of the most exciting races in track, we have Emily Sanchez, Donna Lopez, Kalene Moody,
Rebecca Kinley, Abi Acevedo, and Elizabeth Greenhaw. Another sprint is the 200m dash. Competing in that race is
Donna Lopez, Casee Cogdell, April Gomez, Abi Acevedo, Sydney Phelan, and Jasmine Flores. Making things a
little longer, the 400m race. Julia Evans, Casee Cogdell, April Gomez, Abby Terry, Elizabeth Greenhaw, and
Madison Garcia are the ladies competing in that event.
On to the hurdles, or as Kierstyn Ellington calls them, “Hursles.” At the starting line for the 100m hurdles is
Kierstyn Ellington, Reese Randolph, Mercedes Mata, Michelle Fitzgerald, Rebecca Lee, and Yzena Castenada.
For the 300m hurdles is Reese Randolph, Mercedes Mata, Makenzie Elliott, Rebecca Lee, Michelle Fitzgerald, and
Yzena Castenada.
The most exciting part of track is the relays. In the 4x100m relay is Kierstyn Ellington, Donna Lopez, Emily
Sanchez, and Aerin Burritt. Also in the 4x100m relay for 7th is Sydney Phelan, Keelan Smith, Lexi Vigil, and
Rebecca Kenley. For the 4x200m relay is Kierstyn Ellington, Emily Sanchez, Donna Lopez, and Aerin Burritt. In
seventh grade is the same relay team, Sydney Phelan, Keelan Smith, Lexi Vigil, and Rebecca Kenley. Now, the
most exciting race of the season is the 4x400m relay. For our eighth grade team: Julia Evans, Reese Randolph,
Emily Sanchez, and Aerin Burritt. Our seventh grade team at the starting line is Elizabeth Greenhaw, Abby Terry,
Keelan Smith, and Lexi Vigil.
And finally, the events with no gunfire-the field events are the start of the track meet. In long jump Aerin
Burritt, Kierstyn Ellington, Donna Lopez, Abi Acevedo, Rebecca Kenley, and Sydney Phelan are the competitors
for that event. Now for the triple jump event: Aerin Burritt, Kierstyn Ellington, Mercedes Mata, Rebecca Lee,
Sydney Phelan, and Lexi Vigil. In high jump the following girls will be competing: Reese Randolph, Mercedes Mata,
Julia Evans, Rebecca Lee, Lexi Vigil, and Elizabeth Greenhaw. On to the muscular events, shot put and discus:
Bel Padilla, Audree Green, Samantha Lopez, Sierra Samarron, Lyndi Richardson, and Keelan Smith will be
throwing in these events. Next is the scariest track event of all time, pole vault. Brittan Webb, Reese Randolph,
Michelle Fitzgerald, and Erika Cabrera will be flinging themselves in the air for this event.
We’re wishing these ladies luck as they compete for the Sundown Roughettes this track season. We will
also wish the coaches the best as they lead the Sundown Junior High into an undefeated season. Mrs. Conway’sDolor
5th period
class
Sit Amet
February
2014
Issue #: [Date]
Cara Marek AKA Mrs. Marek
Mrs. Marek was born June 16. She is now married to Michael Marek and has
two daughters, Lauren and Emily. She graduated from Coronado High School
and then from Texas Tech with a bachelor of science in multidisciplinary studies.
She has been teaching for 15 years and 5 ½ years have been at SMS! She loves
working with her sixth grade math students, but with that many kids, she is
swarmed with papers that need to be graded.
Mrs. Marek’s favorites include: blue or
green, steak and potatoes, and a variety of
music! She has always wanted to go to Hawaii,
but has only gone as far as Colorado.
Mrs. Marek’s role model growing up was her
sister. She also has a favorite quote by
Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can and
you’re halfway there.”
Her prized possessions are little things
from passed family members. She wants the
students who go through her class to remember
hard work pays off and to never give up!
Samantha Lopez
By: Abby Nichols and Aerin Burritt
Samantha Sierra Lopez is an eighth grader at SMS. She
was born on October 28, 1999. Among her favorite activities are
reading, drawing, and basketball. Her favorite food is pizza, and
her favorite color is purple. Her role model is her mom because
she puts everyone else first. Samantha does a pretty good job of
this herself. Samantha moved from Snyder, Texas to get a better
education at Sundown. She loves any pop song, so of course she
loves the movie Pitch Perfect. Samantha is a great kid in and out
of the classroom. She is as sweet as they come. When asked
about her most prized possession she answered with her iPod
because it keeps her entertained when she is bored. She also
enjoys sitting and drinking Cream Soda!
Abby and Aerin were asked about why they chose
Samantha Lopez as their spotlight student. They said they chose
Samantha because she is just a great student, friend, and athlete.