The TMI Times, January 2023

New Year, Fresh Start

By TMI Journalism Club

As 2023 begins, new sports and events are taking place. From the beginning of the year pep rally, to the upcoming Founder’s Day, excitement is building all over TMI as the new year begins.

Semester Recap

Before we look at the things to come, let’s first look back for a moment. Last semester, everyone had a Knight to Remember at Homecoming. We had many home football games, a winter formal, and the Journalism Club produced three great articles. Theater competed for the first time. We also had 3 seniors give their chapel talks in an alternate format, the Big Tent.  

Winter Sports

This season, winter sports have been kicking it off at full speed. We interviewed members of multiple winter sports to get their input on their teams.  

Swim:

The TMI swim team has had a very successful season! Beginning in October, the team has welcomed many new members whose determination and dedication to improve have been greatly noticeable throughout the season. The team won first place at regionals and is on the way to state on February 7th. Make sure to wish them luck! We interviewed swim team senior captain, Meredith Holcomb ’23, who says, “I’m so proud of the team this year. We’ve put a lot of effort into practice through early morning and late night practices. We are ready to take on state and hopefully bring home another state title.”

Basketball:

The varsity girls basketball team is a group filled with energetic, hard-working girls. Although they have faced challenges this season due to a lack of numbers, the team still finds a way to work together. Anacia Scogin ’23, one of the team’s captains and a starting guard, says “[the team] is more like a sisterhood than anything. What we will remember is the bond we will have.”

The varsity and JV boys basketball team has been experiencing a quite successful season, with a team of talented and driven players. Wish good luck to the boys as they continue with their season and hopefully head on to state!

Soccer:

Girls soccer has experienced a successful season, with hopes of winning state this year. The team has been through ups and downs, but even as their season comes to an end, they still have new goals to reach. 

Lastly, boys varsity soccer has beat Saint Mary’s Hall and San Antonio Christian Schools, with an almost undefeated record. Iker Zamudio ’24 says that “we have a great environment.  Everyone supports each other which translates to the wins we have had this season.” One of the captains, Cristobal Parra ’23, says “the soccer team’s playing great. We are getting closer to winning every day.”

Pep Rally

Friday the 13th was an eventful day for the whole TMI community. We all gathered in the amphitheater to congratulate all the winter sports teams’ accomplishments. After the middle and high school cheer team’s performance, they ended with not just any dance, but a dance led by the varsity cheerleaders and a staff member that they chose as their dance partner. It is safe to say that the TMI community enjoyed this part of the performance. When it was time to vote for the best performance it was clear who was going to win.  

National Honor Society

This year, TMI inducted 41 new members into the National Honor Society. For those of our readers who don’t know, the NHS commemorates scholarship, service, leadership, and character.  The Journalism Club’s very own Bernice Gitiche ’24 has represented these qualities well, allowing her to take up the title of NHS president. When asked about her new role at TMI, she stated, “I am excited to work with a group of smart and dedicated students. I hope that we can work together to influence not only our school’s student body but also our San Antonio community as a whole. This year is about selfless service, commitment, and leadership.”

Panther Pals

The new year brings a return of the Panther Pals mentoring program to TMI in February. In the mentoring system, upper school students are paired with middle school students to engage in a plentiful amount of fun games and activities. Each of the students bonds with each other through these activities and also creates their own special handshake with each other to show these new friendships. With the events lined up in the program this semester, it should be a fun year for those involved.  

Looking Ahead: Founder’s Day

On the 27th of February, our school will be hosting a day of fun in the sun and friendly competition! Many teams led by our wonderful seniors will be competing for the place of the best founders day team of 2023. May the best team win!

PANTHER VOICES:

Student Spotlight: Check out our Instagram page for more details! 

@tmijournalismclub

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Fletcher

This month, we interviewed the one and only TMI Dean of Students, Dr. Fletcher. Click the link below to watch the interview created by freshman, Russell Duncan. 

Dr. Fletcher Interview

Mini Muse:

Celebrating student creativity.

Kaleb Yu ’24: “The Eiffel Tower”

Advice Column:

Q: What can I use my student IDs for?

A: Discounts, discounts, and more discounts.

Q: How do you get a guy’s attention when you barely know him?

A: The first step is to get to know him. Don’t be awkward or insecure, just be yourself and approach him like he’s just another one of your friends. Then, as you continue to talk to him, instead of wondering if HE likes you, ask yourself this: do YOU even like him? Always put yourself first and never change yourself for a boy. Be a girlboss.  

Q: How do I convince my teacher to let me sit somewhere else during chapel?

A: If you want to sit somewhere else, you have to talk to your advisor. Write up an alternative seating chart for your advisor so they have options and provide your advisor a list of compelling reasons why they should let you sit elsewhere. – Brother John

Q: How do I politely ask for a girl’s Snapchat?

A: The key is to approach the situation with confidence. Don’t put her on a pedestal, just see her as a friend. Go up to her and say, “Hi, you seem like a nice person, can I get your snap?” Then, if she says yes, great. If not, who cares? There are plenty of fish in the sea.  

Q: How do I break up with my boyfriend?

A: The key to ending a relationship starts with standing up for yourself.  If your partner is not treating you correctly, you need to just confront them.  It may be a hard thing to do, but it will be worth it in the end.  

Q: Should I try to be friends with someone who doesn’t like me?

A: Trying to be friends with everyone you know can be one of the biggest mistakes you can make. If someone doesn’t like you, you shouldn’t try to be friends with them. That will only push them away more. Leave them alone and after a while, they might want to be your friend. – Brother James

Q: How should I go about a fresh start?

A: Giving yourself a fresh start can be a very gratifying experience. What you should do is reset your opinions. Give everyone else a chance. Be kind and don’t let others define you. Also, don’t be afraid to be alone. The key to going about a fresh start is to get to know yourself, and the only way you can do that is by vibing alone for a little while. – Brother Jacob

Q: How to make friends?

A: The easiest way to make friends is to be yourself and to be nice to everyone. If you aren’t being rude constantly, people will like you more. To make authentic friends, you must be an authentic friend. – Brother Jorgen

Q: How do I become famous on TikTok?

A: The key to becoming famous is to find your niche, something you can do that no one else can.  If that is not possible, the next best thing is to put out as many videos as possible. Eventually one of them will go viral. – Brother Joseph

Q: Why doesn’t she love me?

A: More importantly, do YOU love yourself?

Q: How do I make time to hang out with my siblings?

A: Making time to hang out with your siblings can be as easy as communicating a time when y’all are both available. Write down the agreed-upon time and make sure you follow through with it and talk to each other if said plan isn’t going to work out beforehand. Have fun and create some good memories!

Q: Best way to study?

A: First, you should start studying for what you know is going to take you the longest. So for example start studying for that long history test. Then if you feel like you have been spending too much time on that, move on to an easier subject and spend a little bit of time on that. It is always good to take breaks when you are studying, but DO NOT start scrolling on your phone, because we all know how that is going to end. Instead, go get a snack or take a short walk to distract yourself. Study hard! – Sister Clementine 

Q: How do you start a business? 

A: I think if you want a business you should start small. Get your name out there and make sure you have support from friends and family. Then you should also have enough money to start and make sure you plan out the details before you start. After you’ve done all of that, start the business online so it is easier to manage. Good Luck. – Sister Clementine 

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The TMI Times is a student publication by the TMI Journalism Club.

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