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Twitter.com/AkinsJournalism
YouTube.com/AkinsJournalism
The
Eagle's Eye
W. Charles Akins High School
“Everything That Concerns You”
Austin, Texas
Vol. 13 No. 2
November 18, 2013
Seniors make a turnaround After a slow start in the college application process, more than 100 seniors have applied to four-year universities this semester and at least 300 have applied to two-year universities. “The momentum is shifting. Kids are realizing they need to get things done as soon as possible,” college adviser Sarah Simmons said. “I just hope everybody It does make me feel better though that things are getting done.” Some students were ahead of the curve and applied to colleges early on in the year. Senior Savanah Baliff has already received acceptance letters from the University of Texas and Texas A&M. “It took me a month or less to apply,” Baliff said. “There is so much more that goes into it than I thought. Not having
Disaster takes its toll
key to applying in a timely manner. “Your essays really need to be perfect because it gives you a better chance of getting in but the essays are the hardest part of the application,” Baliff said. “The sending stuff in.” Baliff plans to major in public relations at either UT or A&M. serve so students might not get the major they want,” she said. “I don’t really have to stress about coming close to the deadlines now.” Senior Fred Blackman has been accepted to Texas Lutheran University and the University of Alabama in the beginning of the school year. my Alabama application in one day,” Blackman said. “The longest part was waiting for my transcripts.” Blackman also applied to Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, and Baylor University. He plans to major in business and administration. “Seniors should be applying as soon as they can,” Blackman said. “Order your transcripts now. You don’t want to be ambushed with a bunch of applications at the last minute.”
T-STEM
Mark Vallejo
Citizens seek refuge, left homeless after heavy rainfall News Editor Instead of ghosts and goblins frightening Akins students, a very real threat invaded Austin neighborhoods on Halloween in the homes. On Oct. 31, the day after heavy rainfall hit Austin, the neighborhoods of Onion Creek, Bluff Springs, as well as many other neighborhoods were torn apart as the heavy Flooding that caused students and their families to lose their belongings, cars, and even their homes. This natural disaster affected many students on campus.
“We heard the roaring of water and we looked outside and saw water rushing towards our house,” senior Christian Martinez said. “We just grabbed what we could in the short amount of time that we had.” Martinez was just one of the 74 students in the Austin school district. Throughout the night before Halloween, nonstop rain dumped about 15 inches of water, causing schools to shutdown and left many families calling for aid as the monstrous downpour created a wave of disaster. “I never thought something like this would happen to me,” Martinez said. “I didn’t even know it was going to rain the
night before.” The devastating event left many students in need of school supplies, clothes, and even places to stay. “Me and my family had to evacuate in anything except for a few electronics and my dog,” senior Karen Tello said. “The water entered our house so quickly we barely made it out with our vehicle unlike most people,” Tello said. Although Tello has experienced something like this event in the previous years, nerve-wracking experience. “This has happened to us in 2001 but it See “FLOOD” pg. 4
Engineering
Robotics team competes at international competition Students design, build miniature racecars for Formula 1 contest Staff Reporter The Akins T-STEM robotics students have made it to the World Final international stage of F1 in Schools racing. Juniors Erwin Neira, Hannah Holder, and sophomore James Garcia were selected to represent the Akins robotic team in the F1 In Schools international contest at Circuit of the Americas. The team has taken part in the competition throughout the year racing in district, region, and national competitions. The team has made a huge accomplishment for themselves, working hard on their car and presentation skills, winning awards such as the Texas Wild Card, Best Pit Display, and Fastest Car. “I felt pride on my team making it past pretty good,” Neira said. The original Akins Talon Racing team merged with the Grandbury, Texas based team Axium, to form Lone Star Racing.
inside
Opinions...pg 2-3
Marissa Sosa
Team members present their F1 plan and student-built saloon to future sponsors. The Lone Star Racing team was the only student group from Texas who competed at the latest race.
The merger happened after the Akins team placed third at the national competition last school year. “The team has done very well working with counterparts of Grandury ISD, collaborating to have the best display they can and News...pg 4-5
Student Life...pg 6-7
fastest car they can come up with,” assistant principal of T-STEM Juan Gonzalez said. The team has spent $35,000 on preparation for this competition, along with long nights behind saws and hammers in the workshop. Entertainment...pg 8-9
“We had to put in a lot of work in this competition spending long nights in the workshop not going home until 2 a.m.,” Neira said. The competition took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from Nov. 8-13. It consisted of 38 teams, in a highly competitive competition, working to present their best work in front of a judging panel. The team made a miniature Formula 1 car made out of balsa wood with a carbon dioxide cartridge used to propel them forward. Each team is judged on the race as well as a verbal presentation, and a pit display of the car with the engineering used to build it. “I believe we have a good shot at winning best pit display and creativity,” Chloe Scroggins from Grandbury said. F1 in Schools provides a fun experience for students to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, mathematics, science, marketing and technology. “I believe it is going to help me in the long run with recommendations, skills, and experience to go to college and get to where I want to be in the future,” Neira said.
Sports...pg 10-11
Photo Essay...pg 12