New walls, new floors, new classrooms, and new voices surrounded sophomore Eric Womack the first day of his fresh start at Legacy. His dark sunglasses shielded his eyes from the glaring looks of students passing by while he strolled through the unfamiliar halls.
Womack grew up blind, but instead of being completely in the dark, he now suffers from an eye condition called Nystagmus where the eyes make fast and uncontrollable movements. With the nystagmus, he can see clearly, but to others, the vision would seem to appear blurry. Womack wears black sunglasses occasionally to hide his eyes even though he is able to see.
“When I look into the mirror, I can see my eyes [stay still], but other people see them move,” Womack said. “It’s like the vampire thing.”
As a transfer student from North Crowley High School, he currently takes a mixture of sophomore and junior classes which include Physics, Algebra II, English II, and AP World History.
“Legacy seems to have more mature people,” Womack said. “[It] seems like everyone is getting their work done.”
Womack is a part of the Debate Team taught by Howard Ritz. After debating for two previous years in Lincoln Douglas, Public Form, Duet Acting, Persuasive Interpretation, Student Congress, he decided to try CX debate. Within a few days, Womack competed in an unplanned argument against sophomore Keith Brothers which showed his outgoing nature and dominance.
“He’s outgoing, personable, friendly, and confident, ” Mr. Ritz said. “He’s a great kid.”
Expressions of the face and body movements benefit those who can see. However, having an eye impairment caused Womack to struggle finding true friends due to the loss of catching those quick reactions. He often puts his time into pushing his mental capabilities than finding new buddies.
“What I can’t do with the eyes,” Womack said, “I do with my mind.”
