The Eagle's Eye; Issue 4; Volume 17; Akins High School by The Eagle's Eye (Akins Early College High School student newspaper)

The

“Everything that Concerns You”

Eagle’s Eye

W. Charles Akins High School Austin, Texas Volume 17 Issue 4 February 14, 2018 Keep up with our stories, photos, and more at akinseagleseye.com

Opinions Pg 2-3: Akins Traffic often dangerous

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Portable Problems

News Pg 4-5: Title I eligibility for funds Life and Styles Pg 6-7: Students helping Animals In-Depth Pg 8-9: Covering: Student Drug Use Entertainment Pg 10-11: Black Panther coming soon Sports Pg 12-13: Karla Dominguez: martial arts Photo Essay Pg 14-15: Graffiti Park soon to be moved In-Depth Pg 16: Signs of Abusive relationships

Photo Credit: Bee Barto

Buildings designed to be temporary are nearing end of lifespan after about 17 years of use Bethany Bissell News Editor Most students at Akins have experienced the mad dash from the main building to the portables before the tardy bell. After the warning bell rings, many students are still making their way to their classes in the portables. Rushing to get to the portables on time is not the only problem, however. Social Services Academy assistant principal Tina Salazar said that she has heard complaints from teachers about rain seeping in through roofs, air conditioning problems and possible mold. “It’s different because it’s like having 28 little houses out there,” Salazar said. “They all require separate maintenance.” Some of the portables on campus are rented and some are owned. Purchasing a portable costs $70,000, and renting one is $9,200 yearly. When maintenance must be done on them, the requests must go through different channels. Salazar said that this can be difficult for the custodial staff. “If a portable is rented, it’s maintained by the company,” said Director of Project Management Zack Pearce. “Portables we own are maintained by our service center. The majority of portables in Austin ISD are owned and maintained by us.” Spanish teacher Audrey Saldaña, who has taught in the portables for 14 years, said that a major limitation of being in the portables is exposure to the elements. She said that when it is hot or cold, the heater or air conditioning has to be turned up high all day to keep it comfortable. She said that rain is

a problem as well. “The kids get wet get in here, we get wet,” Saldaña said, “We have to go run to find a bathroom. You’re tracking in all the mud, you’re constantly getting wet, and you’re exposed to the elements.” Saldaña said that despite the limitations, being in the portables creates a sense of community for the teachers. She said that because all of the Languages Other Than English courses are in the back row of portables, it is easier for them to handle things for one another. “We tend to operate more as a community that way because we’re all together so that helps in that regard,” Saldaña said. “It is a community more ways than one to me as far as our curriculum and our academy affiliation.” Junior Tina Shield said that she doesn’t like getting to her fifth period class in the portables when it rains because she gets very wet. She also said that she has trouble getting to class on time. “I guess the worst thing about the portable classes is the distance from the main building,” Shield said. “With short passing period, large campus and tardy sweeps it isn’t fair for people who have to get to the portables to the main building to get to class on time.” Saldaña said that she is also worried about safety at times. She said that she has to be careful when the ramps to the portables get wet because they can be slick and that she has seen students fall through damaged floor tiles. “It feels like repairs go unnoticed here,” Saldaña said. ►►

“It feels like repairs go unnoticed here,” -Audrey Saldaña

See CONT. story on pg. 4

Opinions

Page 2

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - February 14, 2018

Students avoid danger in chaotic parking lot after school Poorly designed front entrance and impatient parents cause traffic build up, longer wait time Annie

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EDITORIAL

riving down South First Street is already a gamble of whether or not you’re going to get hit, but adding 20 cars parked along side and on the road itself is a recipe for impending disaster. People coming to pick up students who park anywhere and everywhere they want because “it will only be a minute” are making the front of the school dangerous. The driveway up to the school has two lanes, both of which are supposed to be moving lanes — as in you’re not allowed to park there. No one seems to care when it comes to that rule when school is over

because both lanes are full of cars waiting to pick people up only to wait some more while trying to get out of the huge traffic jam. People also park in the Austin city bus pick up zone. These people make life more difficult for the students who ride the bus because the city bus has to wait until the cars move out of the way. Students who are walking out of the school face the danger of parents who don’t pay attention to what’s in front of them because they are to busy looking at their phones or looking for their kid. They just blindly try to speed forward after their kid gets in the car so they can get home, leaving safety in the hand of the people who have no control over the 4,000 pound machines hurtling at them. There’s only so much looking both ways can do when faced with reckless drivers. The most threatening obstacle drivers face is attempting to leave Akins to get onto S. First Street. The row of parked cars in the bike

lane severely obstruct the vision of those needing to head south. When a driver grows tired and desperate of not knowing if their desired lane is available to enter, they take the tremendous risk of venturing into the street. Making this decision without certainty endangers the lives of those in possession of the lane and those leaving Akins. There is only one exit onto S. First St. where an Akins staff member is sometimes stationed to help direct traffic at the peak time when school lets out. Until the city of Austin installs a traffic light in front of the school we need more administrators and/faculty to help protect Akins students and our community. Furthermore, the hazard of parked cars in the street needs to be eliminated. If we have people regulating traffic at the exits, there is no need to disrupt outside traffic by parking in that lane. This will also prevent the volume of pedestrian traffic since students won’t have to cross various lanes to reach the edge of the street.

Annie Ricotta and Bee Barto

Famous

Morality

Celebrities with enormous followings get away with moral wrongs ‘It’s just a joke’ reasoning used to dodge consequences; fame used to get out of punishment

Editorial Policy The Eagle’s Eye is the official student newspaper of Akins High School. It is published once per six weeks, for the students, staff and community. The Eagle’s Eye is an open forum for student expression, not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not

Annie Ricotta

The Eagle’s Eye

school officials.

The Eagle’s Eye will avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will make our content meaningful, timely and interesting. Our articles will reflect our objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality. We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid

electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eagle’s Eye staff or administration as a whole. The Eagle’s Eye welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments

Eagle’s Eye Staff Editor-in-Chief

In-Depth Editor

Web Editor

Opinions Editor

Sports Editor

Graphics Editor

News Editor

Life & Style Editor

Social Media Manager

Entertainment Editor

Photo Editors

Staff Writers

Bee Barto* Annie Ricotta* Bethany Bissell*

Alejandra Arguello*

Eliana Gutierrez*

Alex Castro* Ashley Sanchez* Marcelo Cruz* Ulysses Luna*

Jared Cordero Annie Ricotta*

Basil Montemayor See full list on website.

but as her plane landed she realized that the joke she made caused major hatred. She was then fired from her job, received an ugly conversation from her mother, and struggled to find another job. If a celebrity had done this, they would likely publicly apologize and maybe get a show canceled. However, they would likely have fan support from one way or another and all would be forgiven. These celebrities would then continue with their lives and in some cases would even become more famous for it. There appears to be more tolerance when it comes to famous people because of the fact that they are being watched by millions of people and they would often use it as an excuse to make right of their wrong. They seem to be under pressure of making a wrong move that can insult someone, somewhere but a normal person also have eyes on them and they can’t use that same excuse because people will not except it. At the end of the day when a person does something wrong they should be corrected and receive fair judgment as any other person should. A big example for having a bad attitude but still gets rewarded would be Danielle Bregoli, mostly known as the Cash me outside girl. Since her first appearance in the Dr. Phil’s show she was made as joke because of her famous slogan but what she also known for is her bad attitude towards everyone who despises her. She know has a record deal and is a millionaire due to her using her famous catchphrase as a way to promote herself. Money is a big factor of course, getting the best lawyers money can buy can help reduce the amount of what they lose. Normal people don’t have that kind of luxury. The hard truth is that famous people will always have a pass whenever they do something wrong because they have more resources, money, and even loyal fans that help them get out of any situation.

or corrections to akins.journalism@gmail. com or mail them to 10701 South First Street Austin, Texas 78748 or drop them off in room 223 with advisor David Doerr or an editor. Letters must be signed, and emailed letters will require verification before publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. The Eagle’s Eye does not necessarily endorse the products or services found in advertisements from local businesses.

Editorial board*

Celebrities alway seem to have it better than “normal people.”They drive better cars, they have bigger houses and they wear nicer clothes. Or so it seems. Another aspect of celebrity culture is that famous people seem to have a “get out of trouble, free card” that allows their bad behavior to be forgiven. Normal people who do not have a million followers or a whole house of money can often receive harsher treatment and more brutal consequences than a celebrity for the exact same crime or bad behavior. YouTube star Logan Paul is the latest example of a celebrity who takes advantage of their fame to do horrible things and try to play it off as a joke. He has a history of producing content that sparked controversy, such as posting a picture of a dead man in the Suicide Forest in Japan. The only punishment he has ever received is having his TV shows temporarily on hold or completely shut down. But if a normal person would have done anything remotely close to what Logan Paul, did then the consequences would have been different. A normal person would have received major hate from the Internet, threats from all platforms, fired from their jobs and even receive jail time if someone non famous would have done the same as Logan Paul. Not only do these celebrities receive special treatment when it comes to punishments, they also pass it off as something as a joke or not harmful. Comedians are usually the main culprits for making jokes that either come out as to offensive when they say it wasn’t meant to be hurtful. It seems though that the audience tend to believe that

their favorite star didn’t mean to offend anybody and forgive them easily when they apologize online. Yet when a normal person makes these types of jokes they get fired from their jobs, they receive hate from the real world and in social media, their family and friends get harassed and they find it extremely hard to find work after their public shaming. An example would be Justine Sacco, who back in 2013 was publicly shamed on social media because of her tweet involving her trip to Africa. She had thought her tweet would be considered funny

* The members of the Editorial Board who contributed to the Staff Editorial are marked in asterisks.

Icon Credit:

Jennifer Espinoza Staff Writer

All icons for kickers are found on: flaticon.com

Vol. 17, issue #4 Honors ILPC/UIL

Bronze Star Award 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

TAJE

Superior Coverage 2005 2008 2007 - H.M. Sweepstakes 2010 - 2nd Sweepstakes 2011 - H.M. Sweepstakes 2016 - Best In Show

CSPA

NSPA

All-American - 2013 Nominated for Pacemaker - 2013

2011 - Silver Medal 2012 - Gold Medal 2015 - Gold Medal

Opinions

The Eagle’s Eye Page 3

Wednesday February 14, 2018

Late

Policy

Tardy sweeps do not fix the problem of loss of class time Automatic assignment of Saturday school for being late causes more problems than it solves Ruben Nava Staff Writer “I still see people standing around in the hallways! Get it moving! We are having a tardy sweep!” These are the words people across the campus from their classes dread to hear. Nearly everyone has had that “uh-oh” moment of already speed walking to class and hearing Mr. Garcia coming on the intercom come to announce tardy sweeps. Whether it’s the tired kid from gym, a student barely making it to the bathroom, or the student who is unlucky enough to have to go across campus with the cramped halls, it isn’t always easy to get to class within the five minute passing period. The worst aspect of the tardy sweeps is that the new policy is that students are automatically required to go to Saturday School no matter how sterling or awful your grades or attendance records are.. With Saturday School being from 9 a.m. until noon it can be a major schedule conflict when many juniors and seniors have work , or other students just being unable to go because of other personal business. Now to me that seems absolutely ridiculous as I am someone who was barely able to make it by seconds as I needed to use the bathroom. Also, let me add the fact students can’t use the restroom the first and last 15 minutes of class, leaving that half hour interval of just having to hold. Then you only have 5 minutes to use the bathroom, wash my hands and then run to class. Now for some teachers you can go whenever but a lot others only give you a certain amount of times to go per semester or six weeks so if I run out I have no choice but to wait till passing period and what do you know

Avoiding

it happens to be a tardy sweep. I really think the administrators need to find an alternative, maybe not directly getting rid of tardy sweeps, but at least not right away assigning Saturday school to kids who may have never even been late once beforehand but were unlucky enough to be caught in these random tardy sweeps. This school, as everyone knows, is greatly over capacity so having to go through hundreds of kids either going too slow or the opposite direction isn’t always easy. I think there needs to be an alternative besides giving someone who would have been late to class by 10 seconds an entire 3 hours of just sitting there reading on the weekends. Then there’s the process of getting assigned Saturday school of having to go through a possible line and entire procedure which just further takes from class time. This seems extremely contradictory and just gets people to class much later than they would have originally or not even at all. Teachers already mark that students come in late with three of those tardies adding up to an absence. It just seems extra to have to go through all of these steps and Saturday school for something

Jorkaed Rodriguez

that is already monitored by teachers. The school already has a policy for tardies and I believe we should just follow through with this policy instead of forcing kids to have to sprint to class upon hearing a tardy sweep announcement. Or at least if they are going to continue to do these tardy sweeps they should only give Saturday school to kids who may have low grades and low attendance instead. Like have some kind of requirement to receive a Saturday school instead of someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time for the first offense and getting a Saturday school. We are in high school now and I don’t think we should have to be guided to class like elementary kids.

Testing

Final exam exemptions should be granted based on student merit Students who demonstrate knowledge, skills throughout school year should not have to test Just like employees who can earn cash bonuses for taking on extra work, students also respond to incentives. One incentive that has proven effective at other high schools is a final exam exemption. This is offered at other schools in Texas, including our neighbor Bowie High School. Personally experiencing a school that allowed exam exemptions, they are an exceptional idea and worked in my favor when the time for taking exams came barreling around the corner. As a student who transferred to Akins this year, I was disappointed when I heard there were no final exam exemptions here. I do not see a reason to not provide this opportunity to high achieving students. Final exams and the fact that they account for 25 percent of a student’s semester grade, can induce a large amount of stress, causing students’ anxiety levels to skyrocket. Providing exemptions can release a piece of that stress that students hold on their shoulders. However, there are some teachers that do not share the same view as a student. They believe that it is not a good idea because the current grading system puts so much weight on these exams. If you do not excel on a final it can really sink your grade. That is a reasonable mindset as to why exam exemptions are not the best exception. However, this is why we have solutions to the problem. For instance, not just anyone would be able to get an exam exemption.

Respectful

It would not be fair to those students who work hard in class everyday to allow a student whom slacks off and never does much work the same opportunity. It is not just an equal opportunity hence the restriction. When I say the word restriction it means that you have to pass certain expectations. Exams are a large part of our grade so we should have limitations on how many we can exempt. For instance freshman shall only exempt one, sophomores two, juniors three, and seniors four. Students should have to be passing their classes by a certain grade such as pre-AP/AP classes have to be passing by a 90 and regular classes 85. Attendance matters, so students should not be allowed no more than 2-3 absences. These should all be taken into account when allowing exemptions the limit, grade, and absences. It all depends on how the administration would favor this opportunity and what they would allow. It is understandable that jumping head first into an exam exemption can be a tricky situation due to the unknown outcome of it working or being a complete failure but I believe it would be worth it. Students who have come from schools that allow this opportunity have taken a liking to it. As a student it is not because I’m lazy but the fact that finals can get overbearing with eight classes especially AP/dual credit classes, and after working on project and assignments one after another. Putting in so much time and energy just not having to do one exam is a relief. It is just that little piece that is lifted off our shoulders and give us a little extra time to focus on other exams.

Annie Ricotta

Darcie Papillion Staff Writer

Sharing

Band and color guard take up the majority of space in fine arts hall Anonymous Staff Writer It is clear to those who enter the Fine Arts building that the band dominates almost every hallway and room. Color guard also factors into this annoyance. The color guard kids hang out and even sleep from time to time in the public hallway with a strong sense of entitlement. I’m not trying to put a stigma on all band and color guard students, but a large portion of them violate the unofficial territories that divide the fine arts building. Band and guard students tend to block the hallway to the point where I’ve seen teachers walk into the fine arts hallway and have to weave past the guard section and ask politely to move themselves and their belongings to be able to walk through. It’s even worse for students carrying their instruments. I’ve seen students trying to walk but almost step on a guard kid because their legs are in the middle of the hall. The guard kids that always hang out in “their” hallway need to acknowledge the fact that other’s need to walk through the narrow area and leaving their equipment and bags in the middle of the hallway makes it hard for others passing by. It’s frustrating to witness the double standards regarding disci-

pline between the band and orchestra musicians. One program has to abide by certain boundaries to preserve the progress of another although band is given a lot more leniency in behavior toward their fellow fine arts programs. Some of the most heavily trafficked days for the fine arts building are game days. It’s so hectic that without a doubt you’re going to step on someone or their equipment. When the band is in line to get their food, it just gets worse. The whole fine arts building is a mess and everywhere you look there’s instruments, costumes, and equipment laying around as if no one else in the building exists. Band is the favorite in fine arts, and they act like it. The fine arts building does not always feel like the welcoming place it should be. The dominance of the band, color guard and dance programs can make other fine arts students feel like they don’t belong in the building. Students from all art forms should have equal access to the building with all receiving mutual respect. When I walked in the fine arts building, I walk by the artwork that is located by the dance and art rooms, and I see how talented art students truly are although we hardly hear about them and their accomplishments. I want to hear more about other programs. There needs to be changes in the fine arts building and rules need to be enforced about students picking up after themselves and not leaving things out in the hallway.

“Band is the favorite in fine arts” -Anonymous

Bee Barto

News

Page 4

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - February 14, 2018 CONT. FROM “Portables” pg. 1

Portables on campus are problem for students, teachers “We have to submit several work orders to get things fixed.” The portables on the Akins campus are as old as 17 years old, and the typical life expectancy of a portable is 20 years. Last year, Superintendent Paul Cruz asked that Pearce and his team begin removing portables that are in bad shape from campuses. Pearce said that they were tasked with removing 12 portables a year each year. The district is currently in the process of assessing what portables are in need of removal, and it isn’t known if any of the portables on the Akins campus will be replaced. “We did eight this past year,” Burrow said. “We’re currently in the process of identifying portables to remove this year.” Before the $1.05 billion district bond passed last year, the Akins administration hoped that funding to replace the portables with a permanent building would have been included in the proposal. When the bond was being planned, fund allocation for projects was considered based upon evaluations of the condition of school campuses. Now that the bond was approved, the district plans to allocate the money based on these evaluations. Scheduling for these projects was then determined with a “Worst First” method, meaning the schools with the worst and highest-need aspects of evaluation were given priority. “The building to replace the portables didn’t make it into this bond,” Principal Brandi Hosack said. “Hopefully it will make it onto one in the future.” Every two to three years, the district conducts a Facility Condition Assessment for each campus. This is when consideration for replacement of the portables by a permanent building is considered. The last Akins FCA was in 2016, so a building for the campus might be considered next school year or the one after. “It’s gone on too long,” Saldaña said. “A portable was meant to be temporary.”

Organization

Bee Barto

Leaks on tiles

Ceiling tiles with mildew on them in Spanish teacher Beatriz Valle-Moreno’s room. These spots show up on portable ceilings as a result of leaks.

Activism

Student organization addresses discrimination problems at school No Place For Hate Student Coalition raises awareness for issues of hate in schools and society Bethany bissell News Editor

Briefs

Whether it comes in the form of neo-nazis marching in Charlottesville or talk of deporting thousands of immigrants out of the United States, Akins students are increasingly aware of the polarized times we are living in. To address concerns about discrimination and an inability of people from different backgrounds to get along, there is a new group meeting every Tuesday after school in room 211 to discuss these issues and attempt to make a difference. “The No Place For Hate Student Coalition is a group of students who are tasked with figuring out ways to think about and talk about issues of discrimination, hate, racism, all of the things that are currently plaguing us,” said Jesus Valles-Morales, speech teacher and sponsor of the club Jesus Valles-Morales. The group works on campus to address these issues in ways visible to students. Last year, they made a video about stereotypes. In it, students, teachers and administrators speak on stereotypes that apply to some aspect of their identity. Junior Chan Mondole said that the project was his favorite that they’d done. “It really opened our eyes to the stereotypes that happen at this school,” Mondole said. This year, the coalition has set up an Instagram in which they post Humans of New York-inspired photos of students and teachers with short quotes from them underneath it. The Instagram’s handle is @akinsnoplaceforhate. “We post people’s stories and views on the world,” junior Raul Noriega said. The No Place For Hate Student Coalition has other projects in the works for the year. They want to hold self defense courses for students on campus who might be attacked based on their sexual orientation, race or class. These classes would start in March. “When it comes time to face our problems, it doesn’t always go the way it should,” junior Thien Doan said. “We don’t encourage violence, but when the time comes we want people to know how to defend themselves.” Another project the group hopes to work on is an art installation called “A Gallery of Incendiary Names,” inspired by a similar piece at California State University Long Beach. It would consist of a series of flat pillars painted black, with a slur painted in white lettering on it. The slur would be censored, and when the censor is pulled back, the full word would be revealed. When the full word is revealed, it can be pulled back once more to reveal the story and photo of an individual that has been affected by the slur. “When we think about the word, we usually think ‘oh, it’s just a word,’” Valles said. “But what happens when you connect that word to the story of someone like Matthew Shepard who was murdered and that was the very word that was hurled at him?”

Texas Educators Vote On March 6, voters will decide which candidates will be the nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties in the general election in November. The races for political office range from local elections in Travis County to statewide offices like governor and members of Congress in Washington, D.C. This year, Austin ISD is participating in the Texas Educators Vote campaign. Texas Educators Vote is an organization focused on voter turnout for educators in the state. The district has signed the Culture of Voting Resolution, which promises that Austin ISD will emphasize the importance of voting and provide resources concerning how to do so for its employees. Texas Educators Vote also has an oath that educators can take on its website to promise that they will vote in upcoming primaries and elections. The registration deadline for the primary election was Feb. 5, and early voting begins Feb. 20. Registration for any possible runoff elections is April 23. The deadline to register for the November 6 general election will be on Oct. 9.

Bethany Bissell

Fighting hate

Juniors Chan Mondole and Timothy Maraj listen as club sponsor Jesus Valles-Morales speaks in a meeting. The group meets Tuesdays afterschool in room 211.

Last year, Holocaust survivor Max Glauben spoke about his experiences at the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art. Because of the quality of the Akins chapter’s No Place for Hate application, No Place for Hate Regional Board asked them to introduce Glauben. Mondole and junior Timothy Maraj gave a speech before he spoke about the work the No Place for Hate Student Coalition has done and Glauben’s life. “It was inspiring to listen to the firsthand story of a guy who had been through a terrible time but he’s using that terrible experience to help people understand,” Mondole said. The No Place for Hate Student Coalition is currently accepting new members. To join, attend one of their Tuesday afternoon meetings. “Anyone can walk onto the group,” Valles said. “We’re trying to grow the group and make sure that students know about it. We want to get the kind of students that are interested in thinking about these issues and challenging our current political climate.”

Upcoming Events S M 4

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19. Parent Conference Day(No School)

20. Author Visit: Susan Dennard

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

22. African American History Program 24. Choir Solo & Ensemble 27. UIL One Act Play Open House

news

Wednesday February 14, 2018

The Eagle’s Eye page 5

eagles Explained Questions and answers from Akins’ staff

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Why doesn’t Akins get Title I money from Austin ISD for late buses? raidy Zanjeel Staff Writer

Ulysses Luna

▲ Out front

Jump Start late buses wait for students to load. These buses are only for students who attend Jump Start classes.

Regular participation in afterschool programs has been proven to help narrow the achievement gap between high- and low-income students, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Federal funding — called Title I — exists for afterschool programs at campuses with high numbers of economically disadvantaged campuses. More than 62 percent of students at Akins are considered economically disadvantaged based on their parents income levels. Teachers concerned about Akins lack of afterschool programs asked The Eagle’s Eye to investigate why the campus does not have federally supported after school programs when it appears to be eligible for Title 1 funding. The Eagle’s Eye interviewed Principal Brandi Hosack about the confusion about Title I funding and afterschool funding at Akins. Our interview follows: Eagle’s Eye: Many people assume because of Akins demographics that we are considered a “Title 1 School.” However, we have heard that Akins does not accept the Title 1 funding. Is that true and if it is, why is that? Brandi Hosack: So let me tell you how Title I works. It’s a big misconception. Any time that anybody would say “Here’s some money to be able to benefit your kids,” I would take the money, but that’s not how it works. Title I money is federal money that comes from the federal government and it’s given to Austin Independent School District. So it’s given to the whole district in a bucket. The district gets to choose how they divvy that money up. As long as your campus has at least 35 percent of its students qualifying (for free or reduced lunch), you could be deemed a Title I

campus. We absolutely qualify because we’re (about) 68 percent low socioeconomic. EE: Why do we not get any of that funding? BH: We qualify for Title I funding, but the way that the district chooses to give money is that they give money first to all of the qualifying elementary schools. Any elementary school that is 35 percent and above low socioeconomic they get their money first and then they give it to middle schools, and then they choose high schools last. By the time they get to us there’s nothing left. Although we qualify, we’re just that high school where there’s nothing left in that bucket to give. The district’s philosophy is that it’ll benefit kids at a younger age with extra support at a younger age first. By the time they get to high school they’re mostly self-managing, and so we can make do with less. High schools (and) have had some other pockets of money that we get to dip into that elementary and middle schools don’t get to dip into. It’s certainly not true that I don’t accept money. I would absolutely accept it. There’s just nothing left by the time it would get to us. Based on our population, Akins would get a lot of money if we did get allocated those funds and it would take away from other campuses. There’s just nothing left. EE: What about funding for afterschool programs and late buses that could come from Title I funding? BH: Again, I would accept the Title I money if I could. That’s been a big rumor, that we don’t accept the money. It’s absolutely not true. Yes, there are certain programs that can go with Title I money you are given. But we do have after school buses. That gets paid for out of ( Jump Start) money and stuff like that from the district so we do actually have after school buses that run at 6:15 at night.

What is the status of DACA? What will happen if the program ends? Raidy Zanjeel Staff Writer

In recent months, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been one of the most controversial topics among politicians in Washington, D.C. Members of Congress and President briefly shutdown the government in January when they could not develop a compromise that would protect the young people the program was meant to address. While politicians continue to argue about the passage of a clean DREAM act, students at Akins who are part of the DACA program are worried about their status as the new deadline for the program’s expiration approaches on March 5. The Eagle’s Eye interviewed College and Career Counselor Sarah Simmons to ask her some of the common questions students have about the DACA program. Our interview follows: The Eagle’s Eye: How are you dealing with the

kids that need the DACA program? Sarah Simmons: I am working as if nothing has changed. For the moment, technically until March, nothing has. I tell my DACA students that they must get an education. It is the single most valuable thing that no one can ever take away from you. The world will not always be as crazy as it is today. You must work for that day and not focus on the winds blowing around us right now. EE: How are you feeling about it? SS: Honestly, above my many concerns with the state of our country and its political climate, I feel this one issue will impact our future more than most others. That is because this issue deals specifically with children. Yes, some of DACA recipients have grown

into their 20s now, but most are still in their teens or younger. These people are the most vulnerable in our world. They were brought to our country on the power of hope for a better future. This is what our country represents to the world. We are not a perfect nation, but if we send these innocent people away from us, we are sending a very awful message to not only these children, but the world: America no longer wants to be the model for the world on caring about your fellow human beings. Sending DACA recipients away from the United States (and I carefully do not say “back to their country” because the U.S. is their country (and) they are Americans). If we do not protect these children who contribute to our so-

“I am working as if nothing has changed” -Sarah Simmons

ciety, our schools, our culture, to the fabric of our society, then what will DACA children think of us? What will the world think of us? Who will be next? EE: What is the plan if DACA protection is lost? SS: We will protest. We will vote in politicians who will fight for the rights of vulnerable individuals. We will not remain quiet. We will use the courts in any way possible. There are already lawsuits prepared to submit should this not happen by March. This will not be the end of this issue; people do not just just fade away. If DACA recipients were to (be) removed from this country people could not believe the deficit that would be felt. If students have concerns about their DACA status, they can send questions to local public service legal organizations such as the Equal Justice Center. The teacher’s union Education Austin hosts Know Your Rights seminars around town, and resources concerning activism can be found at the United We Dream website, unitedwedream. org.

Why are students not allowed to wear hats on campus and in class? Kelly Polachek Staff Writer

The rule that bans the wearing of hats in Austin ISD schools is a constant source of controversy between students and staff. Many students on campus wear hats in spite of the rule, and get told to remove them as they walk through the halls or sit in class. Students often do not understand the ratio-

nale behind this rule and are left questioning and challenging this rule almost everyday. Students get different answers every time they question these rules. Some teachers say it is a matter of respect. Some administrators say it is a security issue. Junior Chance Burrow said that while he acknowledges the concerns of the administration, he doesn’t think that they are entirely sound. He said that not all hats hide people’s faces and some of the reasoning is too old-fashioned.

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“Normal snapback, 5 panel, or baseball hats don’t cause security issues because they don’t hide the identity of any person,” Burrow said. So what is the real reason for the no hats policy? To try to find out the real answer, The Eagle’s Eye interviewed Principal Brandi Hosack to ask her what her take is on this controversial rule. Our interview follows: The Eagle’s Eye: Some say that it’s about respecting the school. Some say that it’s about security it being something that obscures identifying traits. Now some students just have a hard time understanding why, and it doesn’t seem to have one fixed answer. How would you respond to this? Brandi Hosack: Because it’s all of those things. First it’s a district policy for there not to be hats on campus. It is deemed as disrespectful to be inside any sort of building that exhibits professionalism, and hats are not allowed. Our teachers don’t wear hats unless it’s part of a uniform and so like you know when you see police officers in hats or when you see ROTC in their hats, that’s part of their uniform. But it is deemed disrespectful, and if anyone knows anything about me I’m very much old school in that way to where we’re going to be respectful of our teachers and

of ourselves. I want teachers to have your full attention. EE: Some students and teachers say that wearing a hat on campus makes it hard for security cameras to find identifying features on students. Is that true? BH: But in addition to that, it is easy for students to hide behind a hat. It is easy for students to let’s say, God forbid, I have a fight occur out here: hats are on, I’m not able to to identify a perpetrator. You know I’m not able to identify who is on camera if they unfortunately do something that they shouldn’t be doing. So it is a safety issue. It’s hard to tell a student that goes here and somebody from off the street that could just walk in and had a brawl in a hat. And so it is absolutely a safety concern. EE: A lot of students feel a lack of mutual respect when they feel that a rule is arbitrary. What would you say to students that feel as though their questions aren’t taken seriously? BH: I want you to know that there is not a single rule on this campus that I don’t have a reason for doing it. And I’m happy to discuss those rationals and not just to put rules out there to make your life harder. There’s always going to be a reason for the things we do and feel free to ask why. It is a completely legitimate question to ask why.

Life & style

page 6

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - February 14, 2018 furry

Friends

Passion for animals inspires students to give their time Green Tech Academy provides career programs for members wanting to work with wild life Staff Writer Senior Gabrial Kyttle’s love of helping animals is apparent in her everyday actions. One time that stands out in particular is when she searched for her neighbor’s German Shepard after it jumped through a closed glass window because it was spooked during a thunderstorm. “He was running up and down his street covered in blood,” she said. Kyttle said the dog ran toward her when it saw her getting out of a car. “He had cut his paws and right above his eyebrow. I ran inside to get a leash and by the time I had come back outside he was spooked by the thunder so I went searching for him in the rain.” Kyttle’s love of animals is not uncommon at Akins. Many students in the Green Tech Academy were attracted to the elective classes it offers because they involve working with animals. Senior Gabrial Kyttle is passionate about

good

helping animals. She said she lives by the saying “Animals don’t have a voice so you won’t stop hearing mine.” Students in Green Tech do all kinds of work. Some are in FFA or Horticulture or the veterinary tech program. Sophomore Julia Clay volunteers every other Saturday at the Capitol of Texas Zoo. “I work at the Capitol of Texas Zoo in Bastrop and I decided to do this work because I love animals and want to pursue a career working w i t h

animals. This provides me with an opportunity to work closely and safely while enjoying myself. One animal I remember helping was a group of baby Coatimundis. They had just been born and removed from the mother. So I was in a group of people that had shifts feeding the six babies. We would feed them every 2 hours.” Some veterinary clinics seek out volunteers to help with some of the labor of caring for animals. The time, money, and physical work they do helps animals and gives the volunteer a sense of pride in knowing they helped an animal in need.

▲

Andy Clay

For some Green Tech students, this kind of volunteer work also gives them a chance to practice for a real job in this field of education. “I decided to help animals and people through Austin Lost and Found Pets because I feel animals don’t have a voice to speak up for themselves,” Kyttle said. “It’s our duty to speak up for those in need which include animals.” Some students do work outside of school as well. For some students its community service hours for a class. Others volunteer because they just plain love animals. Freshman Lilli Casas said she volunteers because she has always wanted to help animals since she was little. Handy Helper “I remember helping raise a Black Leopard Sophomore Julia cub from when it was born until it was about 3 Clay a volunteer at months,” Casas said. “I played with her, bottle fed Capitol of Texas her and made her super friendly.” zoo in Bastrop Some places where volunteers are accepted are holding a small Austin Lost and Found Pets, Emancipet, Austin Coatimundi. Animal Center.

chow down

Yoshi Ramen delivers a delicious comfort food noodle experience New restaurant is a tribute to owner’s mother who once had a ramen shop in Osaka, Japan Alejandra Arguello Entertainment Editor

Yoshi Ramen, the latest spot to enjoy authentic gourmet ramen noodles, opened in January in downtown Austin. Founded in January 2018 by Veggie Heaven’s Chef Stacy Chen, who has operated Veggie Heaven since 1998, opened Yoshi Ramen as her second restaurant. The restaurant itself is a tribute to her own mother, who once had a ramen shop in Osaka, Japan. Walking into Yoshi, the first thing you see is all the Maneki-neko figurines, which are cats said to bring good luck. From small figurines of the cats to art on the walls they are everywhere. The space looks very modern due to the big windows, open floor plan and wooden furniture. Spanning across the windows is an enormous curtain made out of paper cranes, adding to the clean, bright look of the restaurant. Star Wars decorations are also peppered throughout the building on the walls and tables. The menus are not the typical laminated booklet. Yoshi has its menus on single sheets of paper on a colorful clipboard. The sheets

Unique

▲ Sip, Slurp, Repeat

Alejandra Arguello

Yoshi Ramen offers this classic dish which includes chicken broth, chashu, ajitama, menma, negi, roasted tomatoes and nori.

are covered in cute pictures representing some of the dishes they serve. The menu ranges from edamame appetizers and to bao sliders to hearty classic ramen soup and to ramen burgers. Drinks include regular Coca Cola products , buble tea and mimosas. On my first visit, I ordered the edamame and pork gyozas as appetizers, which I received pretty fast. Both were very good. I followed it with the “Old Classic,” a very traditional ramen dish. It consists of chicken broth, chashu, ajitama, menma, negi, roasted tomatoes and nori.In English, that means barbecue pork belly, soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, green onion and dried seaweed. The dish was served very fast and the server was patient when I wasn’t sure what to order. He took the time to explain the menu as well, giving recommendations of his own favorites. Everything at Yoshi was actually incredibly delicious. The pork belly was perfectly tender, the broth was flavorful and the noodles were just the right amount of chewy. My overall experience at Yoshi was a 10 out 10 stars. I didn’t feel rushed when ordering. The service was great and the food was even better. If you’re looking for a comforting bowl of ramen, I highly recommend Yoshi Ramen.

groups

Clubs and organizations offer variety of opportunities for students Diverse range of possible career paths created by multiple after school extracurricular groups

Courtesy of Latinos Unidos

E4 Youth Get Creative Club

Latinos Unidos Club

Code 2 College Club

Just Keep Livin’ Club

Creative students interested in an opportunity to develop their skills and portfolios should check out the Get Creative Club at Akins High School. The club is organized by E4 Youth, a non-profit Austin-based organization that works to help young people obtain employment in creative industries. Students learn “employability skills” and develop a portfolio of their work while earning rewards for the creative work they are already doing in and out of school. Students meet weekly with a college-age mentor and representatives from E4 Youth. Students can also work toward being selected for a summer job shadowing opportunity at Austin advertising agencies, music production and public relations companies. The club caters to students interested in graphic design, video production, social media, music production, photography, journalism and other creative activities. E4 Youth meetings are held on Mondays after school until 6PM. If you would like to learn more, see Mr. Doerr in room 233 if you have any questions.

Latinos Unidos is an organization whose sole purpose is to bring all diverse Latin cultures together. It is an ethnic orientated club that brings students together with Hispanic backgrounds. That also host one of the biggest show on campus the Cinco de Mayo show. “What truly makes Latinos Unidos unique is the people in the club. They are all from Hispanic origin but all from different countries with different customs, which is amazing because we all learn from each other,” senior Bryan Sanchez said. Students have said that their overall experience in the club has been a positive one. It truly gives them a place to gather and express pride in their heritage. “The reason I joined Latinos Unidos was to somewhat feel comfortable at school and to be involved in school to help the community in any way I could contribute,” Sanchez said. Latinos Unidos meetings are on Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 – 6:30 p.m. after school. If you would like to learn more, see Ms.Garcia in portable 308 if you have any questions.

Code2College is an organization that aims to prepare students in the tech world, providing them with tools and knowledge to enter into technical careers. It is a multi-year, career prep and college access program that leverages local technical talent to teach coding and web development skills to traditionally underrepresented students in order to push them to and through college, and into STEM career. Many students learn many skills that will hopefully benefit them for a future in coding. The program has been at Akins for only a year and has already made the future of an eagle brighter. “I have interest in computer science, and so I was interested in getting involved with coding. I’ve enjoyed learning new skills and I’ve also enjoyed my internship that I got to do over the summer.” Said Senior Kaci Childers Five more students are to be getting an internship this year just as Childers did. Sessions are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30pm after school in the library. If you would like to learn more, you can email Code2College directly at code2college.org

Just Keep Livin’ is a club that makes health and fitness a priority. They do weekly workouts, offers healthy snacks, have field trips and also offers community services. The club has already begun making great changes to Akins after just being here for 2 years. “We’ve got the hydration station which will be installed very soon, we will be helping park rangers install a school garden, a composting program, and 15 new bikes that we’re going to start doing weekly rides on,” said Matt Stricklen, science teacher and Just Keep Livin’ sponsor. The club gives many skills to the students to be more active and healthier and that they can do those things in a fun way. “I was excited for the club because I want to make it better with new things, and have enjoyed the trips that the club has offered,” senior Torii Turney, a member of the club, said. Just Keep Livin’ meets on Mondays and Wednesdays after school to 6:45 PM. If you would like to learn more, see Mr. Stricklen in Room 220 if you have any questions.

— Henry Dominguez

— Jennifer Espinoza

life & style couple

Wednesday February 14, 2018

The Eagle’s Eye page 7

goals

Eagle Vogue: A couple shows off their date night outfits Modern look provides comfort and style for a romantic day out with your Valentines partner

Bee Barto

▲ Love Birds

Saul Sevilla and Cayli Moreno show off their affection for each other getting ready valentine’s day.

Ashley Sanchez Life & Style Editor

Bee Barto

▲ Very Chic

Senior Cayli Moreno shows off her modern yet relaxed date look ready for anything.

Clothing Items: -Shirt: Cotton on -cardigan: old navy -Jeans: forever 21 -shoes: Shoe carnival

cute

If you’ve ever been on a date, you know that choosing an outfit maybe hard — especially on Valentine’s Day. We asked seniors Cayli Moreno and Saul Sevilla to share what they plan to wear on their Valentine’s date. The couple chose outfits that are casual yet attractive without breaking the bank. It’s important to be photo-ready so you can capture those special moments. Moreno is wearing a Cotton On shirt with an Old Navy cardigan, Forever 21 jeans and Shoe Carnival boots. She describes this outfit as cute and casual; however, it’s still practical enough for a stroll down South Congress Avenue to . eat Home Slice and Hey Cupcake. Sevilla is wearing a Cotton On shirt with an Abercrombie jacket, Cotton On jeans and Finish Line shoes. Both of this outfits are inexpensive. Moreno’s whole outfit was about $80.85. Sevilla’s outfit was more expensive, but you can replace the shoes for just plane white Converse, bringing the outfit to about $109.95. He describes this outfit as casual, but appealing so you and a date could go and ride bikes downtown.

Bee Barto

▲ Modern Trendy

Saul Sevilla shows of his casual date night look ready for any type of occasion

Clothing Items: -Shirt: Cotton on -jacket: abercrombie -Jeans: Cotton on -shoes: finish line

destinations

Valentine’s Day date suggestions Possible locations for a romantic rendezvous Bee barto

Editor-in-Chief As Valentine’s Day approaches, many couples are faced with the decision on where to go for the big date day. Everyone wants to find the right place to take their significant other, and The Eagle’s Eye can help you do just that. Everyone’s tastes are different so we picked out a few different options to make the night an enjoyable one for you and your partner. For an evening of dinner and a movie, you just can’t beat the Alamo Drafthouse, which will bring your food to you in the middle of the show. However, if you want to go to a fancy dinner place, Uchiko is a great choice, it may expensive but it is high quality Japanese Cuisine.

Courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse website

▲ The place to go

The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location is one of the best, it’s in the center of town and it’s close to many other possible date locations.

valentines Date Night ideas: - alamo drafthouse

Highlights: enjoy a nice movie and dinner at the same time, every location has it own unique theme. For example the Mueller’s theme is Carnival

BBQ CUTTERS $13 CASHIERS $12 KITCHEN/BUSSERS $11

styled.

- Uchiko Highlights: Japanese farmhouse dining fancy, cute and delicious. Worth the expensive price.

- blue starlite drive-in Highlights: a relaxing casual date with old school vibes.

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IN-DEPTH

page 8

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - february 14, 2018

THE UNSPOKEN: STUDENT DRUG US THE UNSPOKEN: STUDENT DRUG US

36%

acid

marijuana

37% All numbers generated from an online survey conducted by The Eagle’s Eye between Jan. 26 to Feb. 7.

students surveyed who have used an illegal drug

prescription stim

11%

cocaine

over the counter

Page Layout and Design: Eliana Gutierrez

IS DRUG USE A PROBLEM ON CAMPUS?

why do you use drugs? 20

0% addiction

11% to experiment

1% to “fit in”

53% Yes

18% To relax

47% no

17% To treat depression/anxiety

IN-DEPTH

Wednesday FEBRUARY 14, 2018

The Eagle’s Eye page 9

SAGE SAGE

mulants

Annie

Eliana Gutierrez In-Depth Editor

It’s an unspoken truth that a portion of the student body at Akins High School has abused some kind of drug. The same is true for every other high school across the country and likely the world. For all of the typical reasons, some Akins students have chosen to try a drug at some point in their life. Based on an online survey conducted by The Eagle’s Eye between Jan. 26 and Feb. 7, 37 percent of the 100 students who responded said they have used an illegal drug. At the same time, 62 percent of students responded that they know someone who has abused an illegal or prescription drug. That could include people who do not attend Akins, including family members. The Eagle’s Eye survey results were not scientifically collected, but 53 percent of the respondents said they believe student drug use is a problem at Akins. According to the survey results, the most common drug used by Akins students is marijuana with 36 percent of drug users saying they have tried it. “Smoking [marijuana] allows me to be myself and not be stressed out all the time about basically everything — also to help me with my anxiety and depression,” said senior Alex White, which is an alias to protect his identity. “It helps me stay calm and not succumb to the bad thoughts that both anxiety and depression make me think.” In The Eagle’s Eye survey 18 percent responded that the primary reason they use illegal substances is to provide a relaxing and stress relieving experience. Another 17 percent said they use drugs to treat depression and anxiety. Forensics teacher Christina Jenschke explains that drugs affect the human body in adverse ways. “(Drugs) are highly effective on the human body especially a growing kid, an adolescent body…” Jenschke said. “There are some studies that show that certain brain development is affected with recreational users of marijuana especially at a young age.” Carl Lupica, who studies drug addiction at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in an article published by the Society of Neuroscience that marijuana use can have long lasting effects on adolescents. “This study suggests that even light to moderate recreational marijuana use can cause changes in brain anatomy,” he said. Jenschke said that some information about marijuana use is misterpreted by young users. “You have the passage of legalization of marijuana in 20 states now and Texas even has medicinal usage,” she said. “But I think the kids see that as an OK still

tta

Rico

to use it. Little do they know it’s still illegal (in Texas). And it still has effects on their brain development.” The Eagle’s Eye survey accepted anonymous responses from participants about the impact of drugs in their lives. The open responses show that their drug use experiences don’t always have positive outcomes. One commentator said “I came really close to dying when I was doing coke.” Another said drugs “ literally ruined so much of my life. (It’s) time I can’t get back, people I can’t get back. It destroyed a big part of me in the sense that it took over my life for a while.” The survey revealed that many students are exposed to drug culture through their own family members. “My dad OD’d on cocaine when I was five and almost caused my mom to divorce him,” one student said in the survey. It’s not uncommon for students to be exposed to drugs at home rather than being peer pressured at school. Freshman Jessica Guzman, which is an alias, knows the culture of using and selling drugs. “I’ve sold acid, weed, and shrooms … I smoke weed and take shrooms sometimes,” Guzman said. Guzman disclosed that she currently sells acid to provide a source of income for herself. Guzman’s initial encounter with drugs was two years ago. “[My mother] kept weed in her bedroom and I asked about it and she explained what it was. Eventually, I took some … and I’ve been smoking ever since,” Guzman said. When Akins is compared nationally, the volume of use is similar. A database from “Monitoring the Future,” which surveys students scientifically every year, shows that the lower percentage of illicit drug use holds steady for more hardcore drugs such as cocaine and crack, among others. Further, Akins continues to follow commonalities with a significant number of marijuana users. Although students often learn about drug use outside of school, many did report receiving information about drugs from Akins faculty and staff. Of the students who responded to The Eagle’s Eye survey, 37 percent reported receiving information about drugs in their health classes, 15 percent from science classes and 14 percent from physical education classes. These findings suggest that schools have a large role to play in teaching students about the dangers and consequences of drug use.

“[DRUGS] LITERALLY RUINED SO MUCH OF MY LIFE, TIME I CAN’T GET BACK PEOPLE I CAN’T GET BACK. IT DESTROYED A BIG PART OF ME IN THE SENSE THAT IT TOOK OVER MY LIFE FOR A WHILE.” —QUOTE FROM ANONYMOUS SURVEY

how the nation compares: • 9.4% of 10th graders have used drugs • 13.3% of 12th graders have used drugs (Statistics from 2017) www.drugabuse.gov

where have you received information on drugs?

Have you ever used a drug on campus?

8% special school event about drugs

85% no

15% yes

37% health class 15% science class 14% another class 14% coach or p.e. teacher 2% Guidance counselor 5% student support group 4% school nurse 5% Afterschool Program 42% Other school source

Entertainment

Page 10

The Eagle’s Eye

wednesday - February 14, 2018

Staff Picks King’s Dead be

Cultural significance in Black Panther

Racial stereotypes broken by inclusion of primarily black roles Staff Writer

thany

Courtesy of Interscope Records.

A song from the Black Panther soundtrack that has been tiding me over until the movie’s release. It showcases the best of each artist involved.

R E P E A T

improvement

Nathan Martinez

News Editor

Synthesizer eli

Staff Writer

When it comes to portrayal of black people as heroes, things have been historically lacking. There is the occasional sidekick, typically with similar sets of powers to one another and not much development. But this month promises the release of a film that intends to change this lack of represenios ud tation: Black Panther. l St rve a Most everything about this movie is unprecedented: y of M s an almost entirely black main cast, portrayal of a Courte highly advanced African nation, and essentially guaranteed financial success. All of these things have generated an enormous amount of anticipation for a film that guarantees to be the cultural landmark of a lifetime. There has never been anything like it. Black Panther is one of the most hyped up movies of 2018. Fans of the Marvel character and those who advocate for more diversity in Hollywood films have said this movie is long overdue. Black Panther, also known as T’Challa, returns home to Wakanda after his father’s death to take his rightful place as king. But as he returns home a powerful enemy

rip off Courtesy of LaFace/Arista/RCA.

Andres flow is amazing throughout the whole song and the melodies just combine in a really cool way. I also love the way the word “synthesizer” is sung.

comes to light and Black Panther has to get his allies and defeat this new enemy and protect his home. With this being the plot for the movie there is so much more than just hype for this movie. Black Panther’s costume designer Ruth E. Carter said her inspiration for the fiction land Wakanda is stemmed from her real African American experiences. This movie has an afro-futurist fashion for the costumes. She had to design the outfits in a way that’s apart of Africa but also distinctive to the isolated kingdom of Wakanda. There is also a lot of excitement surrounding the fact that the original cut of the film was said to be four hours long. The film was cut back to two hours, but there is a lot of interest in finding out was cut out and what made it in. Black Panther has been so hyped that fans have started fundraisers for young people without money to pay for tickets to see it in a theater. Frederick Joseph in New York raised over $40,000 so kids can go and see Black Panther in theatres there. And in the Austin area an organization called the Black Film Collective has started doing the same with a GoFundMe campaign. There goal was $4,000 and they already have reached their goal. Now 200 kids of color in the Austin area will get a free ticket to Black Panther when it comes out in theatres.

purchases

Downloadable content ruining fun of gaming Greedy companies use microtransactions to squeeze consumers Bee Barto

Editor-in-Chief

O N

ES bee

Editor-In-Chief Courtesy of Crying.

I really like this band, they are so many things at once. Their songs are chill but also energetic pick-me-ups. The lyrics almost have no meaning but still convey feeling. I honestly suggest the whole album.

Medicine NNIeC

S T U C K

diversity

Staff Writer Courtesy of Queen Naija.

The song on repeat for me is Medicine by Queen. I like this song because as girls we go through heartbreaks and take it to the heart.

Miss You henry

While video games ordinarily bring great joy to players, the system of paying for game development can be a source of huge frustration. In the last few years, the business models of the gaming industry has shifted in huge ways. Increasingly, companies are resorting to squeezing more money out of consumers by offering “downloadable content,” known as DLC and in-game micro-transactions. One of the worst cases of this phenomenon is the case of Destiny. Destiny was an enormously promising game, made by some of the two biggest developer names: Bungie and Activision. These companies are famous for making Halo and Call of Duty, respectively. Destiny had it all: astonishing artstyle, interesting concepts, great marketing and two master puppeteers behind it all. Throughout its lifetime, Destiny had four different “Expansion Packs” released over the course of about two years. And for every single time one was released, the player was forced to get the new one, or else they would have an incomplete game, with many areas and missions blocked off. If you paid for the base price of everything as it came out, you would have spent $185 on Destiny. However, Destiny also came out in the middle of the switch of console generations, leading many people to buy the game twice to stay updated. Alongside of all of this, Destiny introduced microtransactions in late 2015. This meant

futuristic

Graphics by Bee Barto

players could pay for in-game items with real money. Very similarly, Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), developed by EA, does the same thing. However, surprisingly they actually got publicly called out on this. Players found out that to unlock Darth Vader as a playable character it would take about 40 hours of gameplay, 60,000 credits, or paying real life money to get a “premium currency” called crystals. One crystal equals 20 credits so a player would need 3,000 crystals, which would cost you $36. Even what some consider the best game of 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild suffers from the DLC fever. However, it is very different for Breath of the Wild, because it was very much a complete game when it was originally released, and it was a

thriller

Altered Carbon shows new Netflix ambition Sci-fi series shows future where rich are immortal, exploitive Elijah Calderon Staff Writer

Staff Writer Courtesy of Loudr/Maltine Records.

I was first introduced to bo en by a friend sophomore year and instantly fell in love with his music. It’s weird and reminds me of something straight out of an anime toy box. His music’s a roller coaster of emotions, but not in that cringe, edgy, or creepy way.

really good one at that. Players of Breath of the Wild are not required to buy the DLC to continue having the complete game, it only adds more content. My gripe with the Breath of the Wild DLC is that the content that the DLC’s add is not a significant enough expansion to make it worth the purchase. Many people expected a lot more but all they got was a couple more things to explore, rather than new levels with content that adds to the story and develops any of the side characters. DLC can work. For example, Grand Theft Auto 5 has handled it’s expansions wonderfully. Players have not had to pay for any of them. The only microtransactions it uses ingame are optional. They give advantages to players but nothing a smart player can’t compete without. That is how to do DLC right.

Viewers of the trailer for Altered Carbon, can be forgiven if they thought they were seeing a preview of a major blockbuster movie. However, it turns out that it is actually a Netflix series with special effects and production values, showing how ambitious the streaming service is getting with its own original content. This plot of this sci-fi mystery, which takes place 250 years in the future, is based on a novel by Richard Morgan, a London born author who writes science fiction and fantasy novels.

Courtesy of Netflix

It revolves around a man whose consciousness has been placed into a new body for the purposes of finding out who has murdered a powerful man in a dystopian world.

In this future setting, the rich thrive and the poor struggle at the bottom. The rich now live as immortals enabled by technology that allows them to be reborn into a new body when their old ones die. Human bodies are called “sleeves” and are simply discarded as the rich are able to transfer their consciousness as if nothing happened at all. Death has become nothing to them so they do what they want. The protagonist is a man who was killed while in a war who was brought back in a whole new body in this new reality. With the new body comes a brand new skill set of skills, the body comes with muscles with combat memory muscles and enhanced speed.

Entertainment Innovative

wednesday February 14, 2018

The Eagle’s Eye Page 11

music

‘Underground’ rap scene offers alternative for hip-hop

Independent artists benefit from not having major label to limit their creativity, style, content

Bee Barto

▲ Underground

Rappers (from left to right) Pouya, Denzel Curry, Smokepurpp, Ghostemane and Bones represent the cutting edge of underground hip-hop.

Eli Gutierrez Staff Writer

Tracks from the underground – For screaming and insanity listen to: “Nightmare Choir ( I’ve been asleep too long)” by $uicideboy$ “FACEPLANT” by PRXJEK – For impressive lyrics and relaxed vibe: “ULT” by Denzel Curry “Suicidal Thoughts In The Back Of The Cadillac” by Pouya – For wild beats and dark verses: “Death by Dishonor” by Ghostemane “King Of The Dead” by XXXtentacion

performance

Underground hip hop is a genre that bends the ordinary rules of rap. Blending bassy-trap-beats with the same headbanger energy from a metal band, it is perfect for anyone that wants to get a stronger or heavier sound from rap. The genre leaders are the artists who founded and or have perfected the genre and made it what it is today. Some of the biggest and best in the game are $uicideboy$, XXXtentacion, Bones, Ski Mask the Slump God, Pouya, Denzel Curry, SmokePurpp and Xavier Wulf. The melodies and lyrics tend to have a darker style. The artists may scream sometimes and are usually influenced by rock and metal while sporting a much darker look than the typical rapper. The production is usually kept very stripped down and raw. Lyrically, underground hip-hop is more vulnerable genre because the artists talk about their lives with brutal honesty, ranging from drug use to their darkest moments — there’s no holding back. “ It’s a harsh reality of stuff other artists don’t want to talk about,“ said Junior Chance Burrow, who enjoys the genre. The lines in “Kill yourself (part III)” by $ui-

cideboy$, are a strong example of this as rapper Ruby Da Cherry expresses his emptiness: “My ribs are nothing but an empty cage, Black hole in my chest.” Artists, Bones and XXXtentacion are both very versatile because they don’t always rap and they don’t always stay in the genre they’re labeled as. They’re both capable of doing trap, metal, boom bap, and even indie. If you listen to “GladWeHaveAnUnderstanding” and “RotatingBed” by Bones, listeners will see that he is able to go from evil throat-shredding screams to an 80’s style synthesizer love song with no problem. And if you compare the XXXtentacion songs, “Look at me!” and “Willy Wonka Was A Child Murderer”, you can see him go from energetic party type vibes to a heavy metal song. That’s what makes this genre and these artists so amazing. Lyrically and sonically, underground rap is just a much more expansive scene than mainstream rap. It’s a place for everyone to create whatever they want and still be accepted and not be deemed unfit for a specific genre because the underground has everything you can think of. One of the challenges the genre faces is the misconception that it isn’t good enough to be heard on the radio.

For those tired of the same 15 songs replayed on the radio 24/7, but are skeptical about exploring something new, consider this: where do we go to find gold? Underground. When some people hear a scream or a materialistic verse from the artists they automatically assume they aren’t skilled. However this isn’t true because they are all very skilled at what they do. Let’s bring one of the best lyricists of this generation, Denzel Curry into the light for a moment. If we highlight each rhyme in these lines you’ll see that he knows what he’s doing.

Those 4 bars alone contain 32 rhymes, which is a clear indication that Curry is a very skilled lyricist. So what’s to come next for these artists? Staying independent has benefits and downsides. They have 100 percent control of everything they do. Merchandise design, where and when to tour, when to release music. So it’s all up to them how far they want to take it. Being independent means it’s all in the artists’ control.

backstage

Akins theatre puts on Hairspray the musical in newest production

Cast and crew talk about the stress and experience of staging a play with song and dance Elijah Calderon Staff Writer

The Akins Journey Theatre took audiences on a journey to 1960s Baltimore in late January with the musical version of Hairspray. The production’s songs and dances brought smiles and joy to the audience, making it all look easy. Having a production look effortless is key to a good theatre performance, but it also conceals all of the time and effort that went into its making. Musicals are notorious for being stress inducing experiences as directors have to coordinate with not just actors and tech staff, but also musicians, dancers and singers. One of the most stressful steps was the rehearsals and learning the choreography. Senior Melinda Casarez, said learning the dances was very stressful. “It was so stressful having to do rehearsals that took up most of my time after school,” Casarez said. “And even during winter break. We had a dance hall and it took like forever to get all the dance moves together.” Not only was the theater class itself stressful but there were external factors as well. Sophomore Samantha Soliz, who played the lead female role as

student

Tracy Turnbell, said it was challenging to juggle all of her commitments outside of theater. Not only were these students dealing with the stress of a very difficult show they also had school to take care of and worry about. “At one point I was super stressed because I had theater and ROTC to deal with along with tons of other things,” Soliz said. The fear of making a mistake during the performance motivated the students to work hard in rehearsals. Hairspray is the second year that the theater department has used live music performed by students for the accompaniment in a musical. It’s a big responsibility for the various musicians who played as part of the pit orchestra. Sophomore Logan Austin had a particularly stressful role as he played all of the keyboard parts throughout the play. ”First, it was really stressful because like a lot of that music looks really intense and scary. But after I started figuring out it wasn’t that bad,” he said. The students were not the only ones to have a large amount of pressure on them. It’s also challenging for the faculty who help direct the various parts of the play ranging from the acting, the technical work, the dance and the music. Students will start planning their next musical. As of last week, it was announced that they will be staging Chicago next year.

discount

Long Center offers cheap tickets Adriana Galindo Staff Writer

Although some theater performances and concerts at the Long Center of the Arts in downtown Austin can sound “boujie” to students, they might be surprised to find out they can get tickets for as little as $5. Since 2014, Austin ISD and the Long Center has partnered to offer students and their parents with the ability to buy tickets to performances that could ordinarily cost more than $50 in some cases. “eyeGo is important because it offers High School students affordable access to classical and performing arts events that they may otherwise

not be exposed,” said Christopher Boone, Long Center director of the ticketing services. The Long Center offers performances ranging from music to theatre to comedy to lecturers from those like Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Upcoming shows include • Jurassic Park Live • Golden Dragon Acrobats • Exit Wounds • Peter Pan To learn more about the eyeGO program visit www.thelongcenter.org or call the Box Office at 512-474-5664 to find information about the shows this season or about the program itself.

▲ We’re Live

Bee Barto

Performers on the Corny Collins Show pose as if they are on live television.

Sports

Page 12

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - February 14, 2018 fighting

spirit

Student competes in taekwondo state, and national contests Karla Dominguez has won almost 100 awards throughout her 14-year martial arts career Henry Dominguez Staff Writer

Senior Karla Dominguez is serious about Taekwondo. Over the last fourteen years she has been training in all kinds of martial arts, accumulating almost 100 awards in her career. Starting in April, Dominguez will be heading to Washington, D.C. to compete with her martial arts team in the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships. Since she was 3 years old, Dominguez has been training with her father, Victor Dominguez and says that he is one of her prime inspirations. He also trained in martial arts when he was younger, representing a team. He became eligible for the Olympics; however, because of an injury he was unable to compete before he could make it. “He was really good, and I hope I could do the same as he did,” Dominguez said. Dominguez’s training regime requires extensive amounts of workout time. Dominguez trains just about every other day for three to five hours a week. She says that it can be tiring and exhausting but since shes grown up with it, martial arts has become a part of her life. Martial arts is a very demanding sport especially when having to juggle between school, work, and training. “It’s stressful in my opinion,” Dominguez said. “It’s really time consuming. I don’t really have time for friends or family. I’m always outside of my house practicing and I barely have time for homework.” Dominguez puts in dozens of hours training for competitions. “In (April) it’s nationals, after that it’s collegiates,” she said. However, even though so much stress and effort goes into her martial arts, Dominguez says she couldn’t imagine not doing it. “I really enjoy it, it’s a part of me,”

season

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Kickin’ It

Senior Karla Dominguez shows off a kick pose. She is currently training to compete at the collegiate and national level competition in Washington, D.C.

she said. She would rather put the work into being able to compete, than watch from the sidelines, she said. “There’s times that I’ve gotten injured and I couldn’t train for like a month or two and I cried over it,” Dominguez said. When it comes to competitions, the training pays off. Currently, she is considered unbeaten but knows that eventually her streak might end. She’s won against people that had more experience than her. She once defeated a member on the University of Texas team. The win is what gave her entrance to be a member of the UT Taekwondo team. “I’ll be going to the National Collegiate which is all college people and what I will be doing there is fighting people from my weight class,” Dominguez said. However, she is also excited to be able to compete in bigger and more acclaimed competitions. “World nationals can open big tournaments because with those it’s important to be qualified to go to the Olympic trials and things like that,” she said. To be able to travel to more competitions, Dominguez mentioned she needs more sponsors. However, she is getting the chance to work with a team that is visiting from Japan. They are, showcasing their fighting forms, teaching her team how they fight. And in turn, her team will teach them their techniques. She says it’s an exciting experience getting to work with others. “They’re going to teach us whatever they like to do specifically, how they have been getting better,” she said. Beyond competing at high levels, Dominguez and her father plan to start their own business and become personal trainers in martial arts. They plan on focusing on kids and young adults.

update

Basketball teams make progress toward improvement quickly

Team improves record with wins against Bowie

Denae Lofton sets school record with 2,000 points

Larry Durden

Johnniece Walker

Staff Writer

With a 6 – 20 preseason record, the boys basketball team is pushing to keep their playoff dreams alive. Beating the Bowie Bulldogs two times this year — once in district play — has given the team confidence going into their last few games. “Beating Bowie is probably our biggest moment of the season for sure. It’s been awhile since we beat Bowie, and knowing that we can go in their house and take over the gym is awesome,” said senior Isaiah Landers, who plays guard.. Senior Nelson Whiting, who plays forward, agreed that beating Bowie at the team’s home gym is one of the biggest moments of the year. But Senior Jason Evans believes the switching up of the coaching staff has been a challenge for the whole team. “We have been so used to playing under Coach Hayes, but Coach Culver coming in to the mix gave us some confidence,” (who said).) The team has proven that they can change the culture but they also know the things they have to do in order to continue it during the end of the season. Head Coach Rashad Culver said, “Guys, we have 4 games left, and believe it or not, we have a chance to make it into the playoffs.” “In order to solidify our spot in the playoffs have to take care of the little things, like boxing

Staff Writer

▲ Going for 3

Larry Durden

Junior Patrick Verastegui shoots a 3-pointer against the Anderson Trojans. out and valuing every possession. If we can do those things, we will be fine.” The team agrees with Culver and believes that the small things can lead them to victory during these last few games. “We have to make sure that we can play hard all four quarters. We have a tendency to come out of halftime flat during a game, but instead, we need to come out with the same aggression.” Senior Guard KJ Robinson said. Sophomore Guard Alfred Ortiz says, “we have a great team, and we know it, if we can value every possession and make sure that we can stay aggressive all four quarters, then we can make it to the playoffs and maybe even win a title.”

Denae Lofton, a fourth year senior on varsity, is known for her consistency as a leader on the court scoring between 20 to 30 points every game. All the points added up to milestone when her coaches recognized her for scoring 2000 points in her high school career during the game vs. Manor High School. This achievement has made Lofton all time scorer leader of Akins girls and boys basketball. Lofton said it was “surreal” to make school Grayson Eveleth history. “It felt pretty good and surreal because all ▲ Offensive Play Denae Lofton goes for a 2 point play after these years I’ve been working towards this goal crossing over a Del Valle player, Jan. 31st and it just feels amazing to have accomplished in the Akins gym. it,” she said. Although Lofton has reached this accomOff the court, Lofton is also a scholar stuplishment, she is known for giving her teammates the same chance to score just as she does. dent in the classroom, making sure she stays Lofton has at least four assists per game and it completely on top of her work. Teammate Gina Sweeney who has Denae in several classes dedoes not just stop there. One of Lofton’s coaches, Mario Howell, said scribed her as, “strong, hardworking, motivated she is a strong leader because she’s humble and and overall just a great student athlete.” Assistant Girls Basketball coach Mario cares about the performance of everyone in the Howell said, “you can’t help but to follow a leadgame than showing off. “She doesn’t too to much talking, she doesn’t er like that.” With the help of Lofton’s success this year, do too much showing flash, she just does what she does and next thing you know it she’s it has helped take the team into the playoffs. dropped 25 - 30 points a game.”

sports

Wednesday February 14, 2018

NFL

The Eagle’s Eye page 13

views

NFL viewership continues to decline for various reasons

43 percent of respondents said they tuned out the NFL more because of political issues Jaden Garrion Staff Writer After a seemingly meteoric rise in popularity over its 96-year history, the National Football League may have hit its peak. In 2016, the average viewership of NFL Sunday Night Football dropped to 20.323 million from 22.522 million in 2015, according to Sports Illustrated. And in 2017, the declines continued to fall to 18.175 million. Sunday Night Football is still the most-watched show in primetime in viewership, but it just doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as it used to. “The NFL’s Red Zone cable channel, which takes viewers to different games whenever there is a scoring opportunity, is drawing about 1 million viewers on Sunday, pulling fans away from their regional games on CBS and Fox,” according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. However, that doesn’t take into account that there are things happening in the NFL that are turning fans off. Player injuries and greater awareness of the damage football does to players long-term health is one factor. Just think about the injuries players had this season. Aaron Rodgers QB,Green Bay Packers suffered a broken collarbone in the early sea-

Soccer

son of this year. When Rodgers went down people didn’t want to even watch the Packers play. JJ Watt, Defensive End of the Houston Texans, suffered a tibial plateau fracture. This had huge effect on his team and the viewership because his star power wasn’t being seen on the field. Odell Beckham, Jr WR,New York Giants,fractured his ankle this season. this also affected his team big because he was a leader. The Giants had a horrible season without Beckham. However, injuries turn out to be only a small part of the reason viewership is down. According to a recent survey conducted by Passions in America and Research America Inc. 22 percent of the 1,003 nationwide respondents reported watching fewer NFL games this year. Only 7 percent said their lack of interest was because of concerns over violence and injuries. Out of the survey results 43 percent of the respondents said they were turning out the NFL was because of political issues such as players kneeling during the National Anthem. Another interesting finding in the survey is that concerns about safety are not enough to make fans want to change the rules to eliminate the use of helmets to make players more careful on the field. Only 15 percent of survey respondents said they favored that kind of change to the rules.

Reasons why people don’t watch nfl

40 30 20 10 0

Source : Survey by Passions In Ameica — Jan. 31, 2018

Other Too many changes to NFL rules The NFL is too violent/injuries/concussions Professional game is boring Political Issues/players kneeling for the national Watched more/prefer college football games Less free time/takes too much time

district

Akins Soccer prepares for district with great preseason results Boys team is lead by large number of juniors who are building strong foundation for future Alejandro Castro Sports Editor

With season kicking off, the Akins Soccer feel optimistic about their upcoming games and want to go deep into playoffs. This year, both girls and boys are showing great improvements and their hopes for a good season are high. The girls team is being lead this year by Le’Veon Griffin, who is new to coaching soccer although he has coached football and basketball at Akins in previous years. With a new coach, there comes new rules and new formations to understand and fine tune. Preseason was focused on bringing the team members together and building trust among the players. “I believe the pre-season games helped us bring the team together and letting us get comfortable with our formations,” said midfielder Yazmin Lopez. Players said they are planning for a good season by communicating on the field and strengthening the bonds between them. “I think we have a lot of potential this season, and I hope it’s gonna be a good season,”left back Summer Shield said. To have a good team, it must start by getting to know each other and getting to know how the other girls play on the field. It comes down to all the girls giving it their all and knowing that they tried their best. Coach Griffin knows that there is improvement being show and feels optimistic about the team when it comes to working as a team. “I’m really proud of the hard work we’re putting in as a team and

golf

I can see improvement with each game.” said Coach Griffin. Akins Boys soccer started preseason winning tournaments and getting back to back wins with only 4 losses in a total of 16 games. The whole team seems to be feeling confident about season starting off and they showed it by winning the first district game 5-1 against San Marcos. “I believe it will be the best season of my four years at Akins… i just really hope we make it far past district” said Jared Beteta. Beteta went on to say how they have a very strong backline and in the middle there is very talented players suck as the twins, Romario and Marcos Lopez. “Our goal keepers Adrian and Andre are always trusted in that net… and we have very agile players who are able to put that ball into the back of the net” said Beteta. There is also kids on the team that believe pre-season doesn’t give the team enough time to prepare for season but it may seem as a way of getting ready for a better team when its time to face challenging teams. “Preseason was really good, not enough challenging teams but a good warm up, its gonna be a good season .. my teammates are really supportive on and off the field and we have trust for eachother.” said Junior, Jose Orozco. The team suffered a loss on Friday, February 2 vs the Anderson Trojans with a score of 3-0 and having some keyplayers out. Monday, February 5th the varsity team tied Del Valle with a score of 1-1, and with an overall record of 12(W)-1(D)- 4(L), the district record is 1-1-1.

district

Golf at Akins gets multi-talented athletes who show improvement EJ hernandez Staff Writer

When sophomore Jaidyn Trevino tells other students she plays golf, she gets some funny reactions. “People don’t believe it when I say I play golf ” Trevino said about their reactions. The Akins golf team is small, numbering only ten boys and six girls, and misunderstood by many Akins students. “Students should consider joining golf because it is a challenge, it’s a personal challenge that the biggest competitor you face every time you step on the course is yourself,” Coach Thomas Norris said Currently, several of the golf team members play other sports including Maya Romero, who plays basketball; Zac Cole, who plays baseball; and Trevino who plays basketball. “Basketball is always in the mornings and golf has fairly good practices days and if they get between basketball days, Coach Norris and I always find a way to work out my schedule,” Trevino said. Trevino said she was inspired to play golf because of her dad, who used to play in high school and went to regionals twice. “I thought maybe I’d get pretty far if I gave it a shot,” she said. “Not everyone likes it but you have to get to know the sport to actually enjoy it.” Norris mentions about if you’re not to sure if

you want to play golf he has a lot of his golf clubs of his own for the students to test out, then says the students and him can discuss about what clubs they can buy. Some might be surprised to find out how competitive the sport can be. “It’s very competitive, people go out there to win and the girls that I’ve played in the past have been playing since 7th and 8th grade and are very experienced,” Trevino said. With golf comes with a lot of practice, technique, and form. “One of the biggest things we work on in practice because if you can’t hit the ball then either your hand gripping is incorrect or your stance,” she said. They practice at Jimmy Clay Golf Course two days out the week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Some of the courses they play at include Jimmy Clay, Onion Creek and Plum Creek. Another thing that she mentioned is they start off practice with a bucket of balls and hit them on the driving range then after they all go chip and putt on the green for about 15 minutes. Norris said there are many benefits to golf. “Golf is one of the greatest networking tools out there. If you spend four hours with strangers and can get along with them you’ll be prepared for other life situations,” Norris said those interested in joining golf, contact him at thomas.norris@austinisd.org.

Alex Castro

▲ Long Shot

Junior Brian Medina kicks a goal after a penalty, scoring vs Corpus Christi Winn.

Over $1,800 given back to AHS since August 2017. Support your school and start earning today! Find out how you and Akins HS can both earn up to 10¢ with every purchase when you use your A+FCU Akins debit card.

Get your A+FCU Akins debit card today at your campus A+FCU branch.

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Photo Essay

page 14

The Eagle’s Eye

wednesday - February 14, 2018

Hairspray musical impresses audiences with song, dance Marcelo Cruz Co-Photo Editor

Ulysses Luna

▲ Opening Night

Junior Jonathan Macedo as Link Larkin holds hands with sophomore Samantha Soliz, who plays Tracy Turnblad in the musical version of Hairspray. The characters sang about their love for each other.

▲ Show Leader

Ulysses Luna

Zach Coleman performs as Corny Collins, who hosts a popular dance show set in 1960s Baltimore.

▲ Big Girls Don’t Cry

Greyson Eveleth

Skyler Melder expresses her part as Penny Pingleton as she sings “Momma, I’m a Big Girl Now”.

▲ Glittering Gold

Ulysses Luna

The Dynamites Isabelle Velasquez, Ma’Kayla Gay and Sierra Gomez take a bow at the end of the play.

▲ Smile!

Greyson Eveleth

Senior Mardi Cade, reaches out wide as she moves with other dancers while they dance “The Nicest Kids In Town”.

The Akins Journey Theatre program brought beloved character Tracy Turnblad and a cast of quirky characters to life when their production of Hairspray hit the stage in late January. The story revolves about Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teen living in Baltimore during 1962. She dreams of dancing on the popular “The Corny Collins Show,” which is managed by people who are body-image conscious and only allow black people to dance one day a month on the show. Tracy works throughout the play to break down the barriers of body type and race to make the show an enjoyable experience for all. The musical’s cast and crew was made up of theater, orchestra and dance students was a collaborative endeavor for the entire fine arts department. This the second time that the theater program has included live music into a play. This time orchestra students provided the musical accompaniment to the song and dance numbers. Fans of the 2007 version of the Hairspray movie looked forward to songs like “Good morning Baltimore,” “The nicest kid in town,” and “Big blonde and beautiful.” Paul Crockett, who directs the orchestra students and serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair, said that Hairspray is the best musical, the Akins theatre department has ever staged. “Tate Fincher, Buck Palmer and especially Nick Doshier have raised the level of performance with the musicians in the pit orchestra,” he said. “They sounded as professional as any Broadway group.” Akins Journey Theatre made the show a huge success, filling up all the seats in the theatre for every show they played. Students from all grades did their very best to perform. Many who atttended said they were impressed with the new projection equipment in the theater that added a professionl look to the production. Brad Distelhorst and Erica Vallejo wrote a thank you note for everyone who attended the musical, and for the students who played a major role in putting the whole thing together. “We are so lucky to have such a talented Fine Arts department with these teachers pushing the Jazz Band, Choir and Sapphires to be the best that they can be,” they wrote.

▲ Drama Mama

Greyson Eveleth

Freshman Coral Rolon stars as the antagonist Velma von Tussle in Hairspray, singing her part on stage.

▲ Reaching for the Stars

Bee Barto

Junior Kolby Tate strikes a pose as Seaweed Stubbs, one of Tracy’s friends who wants to dance on the Corny Collins show.

Photo Essay HOPE Outdoor Gallery at Castle Hill forced to new place Wednesday February 14, 2018

The Eagle’s Eye page 15

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Graffiti Hill

Walls of art extend upwards at Castle Hill giving it making a beautiful scene that can be seen from the bottom. The main wall is positioned in the center of the entrance is set aside for more professional artists to show off their major works of art for everybody in Austin to see. However, amateur artists also add their designs, which make the spot blow.

Marcelo Cruz Co-Photo Editor

▲ Creative Characters

Marcelo Cruz

Part of the fun of Graffiti Park is laughing with friends about the crazy characters that are painted all over the concrete walls.

▲ Walls on Walls

▲ Willie and the Joker

Marcelo Cruz

The famous faces on the walls range from the Joker to the famous Willie Nelson.

Marcelo Cruz

There is always magnificent art on display, and the castle on the top of Castle Hill makes the scene even better.

The popular graffiti park at the Hope Outdoor Gallery on Castle Hill in downtown Austin will soon be moved 30 minutes away near the Austin Airport by the end of June. J.B. Cumby Construction will demolish the graffiti park at Castle Hill, and it is unclear yet as to what will take its place; however, the company is known for its multifamily and commercial developments around the Austin area. This concrete playground has been a hotspot for graffiti artists since 2011. The land was deserted and forgotten about until local graffiti artists started tag the area and paint giant pictures on the exposed walls. People would spray paint amazing art, and then soon after someone else would come along and paint something new on the same canvas. With artists expressing themselves and painting what comes from the heart it’s not a big surprise that this spot became famous in downtown Austin. People not only go to paint. Hundreds of people visit everyday to take selfies and group photos next to the art covered walls. “I went to take photos for fun and it was really great, it makes me really mad that they are demolishing it. The spray paint gallery is one of the things that makes Austin, Austin,” junior Chance Burrow said. The new location is located at Carson Creek Ranch by the airport. It is currently under construction and is expected to be finished around the end of 2018. The new location will be a long car ride because of how far it is, which will make it harder for artists to get there. The new space will be approximately 48,570 feet, with plenty of walls for artists to express themselves with their paintings.

▲ Photo Op

Marcelo Cruz

Akins junior Chance Burrow takes pictures of a graffiti artist as he works on a new design.

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Painted Bus

This bus can often be seen at the base of Castle Hill. If it’s not there, it’s driving around Downtown Austin selling printed photos of local artists’ murals that were spray painted on the walls of Castle Hill.

In-Depth

page 16

The Eagle’s Eye

wednesday - february 14, 2018

Teens struggle with unhealthy relationships Dee Carreon Staff Writer

One of the many leading causes of teenage relationship breakups is obsessive controlling behavior. This kind of behavior can develop into something much more malevolent in nature — abuse. Christina Foxhall, a counselor with Expect Respect Austin, said relationships can appear healthy at first, but then turn bad over time. “In unhealthy relationships, one person uses their power to control or intimidate their partner instead of helping them to feel strong and empowered,” Foxhall said. The SAFE Alliance along with Expect Respect Austin aims to provide counseling and support groups for victims of violence and abuse. Abuse is not as simple as an A + B causes C situation. It’s something that builds over time. By its simplest definition, in this context, it is the cruel and violent mistreatment of a person. Violence, in this case, is not necessarily physical. This is where the subject splits. Abuse is usually portrayed in pop culture in physical, financial, or even a sexual forms; However, those aren’t the only kinds. The Eagle’s Eye interviewed a student who shared his story of abuse to help others know that they are not alone. The student asked to remain anonymous so he will be referred to as Brian. “(My mentality) was really just in that ‘puppy love’ phase I guess, where you don’t actually care for the person but you always want to be with them because they give you the attention that you want,” Brian said.“In the beginning it was like ‘Wow! Maybe this person does care about me,’ and then it just slowly transformed into ‘This person’s just using me for something that they don’t get (receive).’ More of like mentally pushing them up. As in, whenever they would be down or something would go their way, they always had me to fall on.” Verbal and emotional abuse are the most common in relationships. In a survey conducted by The Eagle’s Eye, 53 percent of students surveyed experienced this kind of abuse. “A verbally or emotionally abusive partner uses insults, jealousy, anger, intimidation, threats, or isolation in order to have control over their partner. Sometimes relationships can appear healthy at first, but become unhealthy over time,” Foxhall said. The effects of this specific type can stretch far longer psychologically and in time than anything physical. With this psychological and emotional form, it can be hard for victims to even figure out that they are experiencing abuse. “Before when we first started talking, she completely just cut me off randomly and she came right back into my life,” Brian said. “So she would just be like poking me with a stick, in a way.

Every time (she would do that) I would look at myself and think ‘What am I doing wrong?’, ‘Did I do something to cause this?” The subtleness of emotional abuse is the reason why it is so insidious and harmful. One scenario where this happens is when someone in a relationship intentionally start ignoring their partners. Victims will often begin blaming themselves. It might seem like something minor at first but the more it happens, the more degraded victims become. “I thought she was amazing and perfect,” Brian said. “It wasn’t even love at that point, I was just … I didn’t want to lose this person. I was so emotionally invested into this person that I couldn’t lose them and I guess she saw that and kept just pushing me further and further.” Emotional abuse comes in a collection of behaviors over time and the behaviors individually don’t seem like anything abusive and that’s why it’s so hard to spot. “The reason that we stopped talking was because she lied and said that she was scared of me because I didn’t want to talk to her,” Brian said.“So she went to the police and she got a restraining order saying that I was a monster, and she was scared of me. People actually told me that she had gone and done that to multiple people and she’s a constant liar so it’s just a bunch of emotional (stuff ). That wasn’t the first time she’s done something (though), it’s the first time she did something that bad.” A common question that victims have is whether it is possible for an abusive partner to change. Foxhall elaborates that violence (emotionally in this case) is always a choice. There are “no excuses” and no one else to blame for being abusive. “The first step toward becoming a non-abusive partner is to take full responsibility for your actions, without blaming your partner or anyone else,” Foxhall said. “This means that the abuser must be willing to admit that their behavior is wrong, take responsibility for their actions, and get help to end it.” The second step would be for the person to actively seek help from a counselor, support group, or trusted adult so that they can explore beliefs and past experiences that have led to abusive behaviors and learn new skills for healthy relationships. “The abusive partner must make a commitment to themselves to change and respect their partner’s right to be safe and healthy as they work toward change, even if it means ending the relationship,” she said. Having a healthy relationship means to grow and find personal development alongside your partner. Couples should learn to communicate effectively and listen attentively but most importantly, create healthy boundaries. Positive relationships consist of trust, mutual respect, honesty, individuality, and understanding.

warning signs someone is abused: • Depression or loss of confidence • Loss of interest in hobbies • Noticeable changes in eating or sleeping patterns • Worrying about making a dating partner angry or jealous • Excuses the dating partner’s bad behavior • isolation from family and friends • Suspicious bruises or injuries • Alcohol or drug use www.chooserespect.org

22%

Students have been in an abusive relationship Students in an unhealthy relationship told an adult

51%

52%

Students stayed in the relationship with the abuser

Students surveyed were pressured into sexual activity

9% All numbers genrated from online survey conducted by The Eagle’s Eye between January 17 to February 8.

Eagles rank characteristics of a healthy relationship

expectrespectaustin.org

austin safeline: call 512.267.safe (7233) Or text 737.888.7233 the sss is located in room 248

safeaustin.org

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