The Eagle's Eye; Issue 6; 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 6 May 23, 2018 Keep up with our stories, photos, and more at akinseagleseye.com

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Opinions Page 2: problems with tardy policies In-Depth Page 3: Online Video Game Harassment News Page 4: Nursing major receives grant Entertainment Page 9: student dancer and teacher Life & Style Page 10: avid program assists students Sports Page 11: Softball and baseball success Photo Essay Page 12: prom is night of enchantment

Alex Castro

▲ Seeing Them Off

Principal Brandi Hosack (center), watches the Senior Breakfast with Academy Coordinators Misty Lindsey and Ychacka Sells. Hosack has worked at Akins for 14 years and has announced that she is leaving at the end of the school year.

Principal announces departure from Akins

Hosack takes principal job in Forney ISD east of Dallas, close to family Bethany BIssell Editor-in-Chief

Principal Brandi Hosack surprised the campus in late April when she announced her departure from Akins after the end of the school year. Hosack has worked at Akins for 14 years, beginning as a student teacher. She said she is leaving to become the principal of North Forney High School to be closer to family. She was a teacher and coach, an assistant principal and an academy director before becoming principal. She said that because of this, it feels as if the Akins community has raised her and helped to shape her career. “The Akins campus has been the biggest transformational experience I’ve ever had,” Hosack said. “I’ve got memories from each part of that that really stick with me, and there have been people that have been along the ride for the entire time.”

Social Services Academy coordinator Misty Lindsey said that she met Hosack when she began as a student teacher. At the time, Lindsey was a second year teacher. She said that they quickly became friends and that they’ve been close their entire careers at Akins. “I think that one of the things that people don’t know about her is how funny she is,” Lindsey said. “It’s one of the things that made us fast friends and sustains our friendship. This is a really hard job and it’s nice to have somebody who can laugh and joke around.” Junior Ernest Kemawor-Borges said that he will miss Hosack. He said he is sad that Hosack will not see him graduate next year. He tries his best to be kind to her because he knows that her job is difficult and stressful, he said. “When I see her, I try to give her some love and appreciation,” he said. Freshman Andrea Burguette said that she is upset that Hosack is leaving. She said that she appreciated that Hosack is caring and firm.

“When the lockdown happened, she handled it really well and made me feel very safe and I appreciate that,” Burguette said. “I hope that our next principal is a lot like Ms. Hosack.” It is uncommon for an individual who began as a student teacher on a campus to become principal. Lindsey said that she liked watching Hosack’s career grow on campus and that she will miss having a principal with that connection to the campus. “I think that her love for Akins is obvious,” Lindsey said. “I think that she always does what’s best for kids.” Hosack said that she would like the Akins campus to know that she is grateful for the time she has spent here. She said that she learned a lot from her 14 years on campus and that she would like to thank the Akins community for hat. “I owe my entire career to this place and to the people in it — adults and students,” Hosack said. “I wouldn’t be who or where I am without Akins High School and the people that make up this place.

District initiates processes for selection of new principal

Austin ISD begins search for replacement administrator, formation of principal selection team Bethany BIssell Editor-in-Chief

Although Associate Superintendent Craig Shapiro said that finding someone to replace Principal Brandi Hosack would not be possible, the district must now work to find her predecessor. The process to find a replacement for Hosack began on May 2, when the Akins Campus Advisory Committee (CAC) met with Shapiro to discuss the process going forward. At the meeting, he explained the process involved in a principal search. “Soon, (Superintendent Paul Cruz) will dictate to me what the end date will be; when he wants a permanent position to be voted on by the board,” Shapiro said. “We’ll work backwards from that date to make it happen.” Before the end of the school year, Cruz will select an individual to serve as the interim principal while the selection process happens. A committee of faculty, students and parents will create a “principal profile,” or a list of qualities the Akins community believes the incoming principal should have in various different fields. To develop this profile, Shapiro will hold separate meetings with the CAC chairs, campus staff and parents and community members. At the community meeting, Shapiro will invite students to a chargecharacteristics. “I really hope that the next principal is empathetic and understanding,” freshman Andrea Burguete said. “I also want them to be firm with the rules, but not too strict.”

As the profile is being created, the CAC will work with Shapiro to formulate a selection committee made up of the CAC co-chairs, who are one parent or community members and one teacher, and two additional teachers and two additional parents. This committee and Shapiro will participate in the first round of interviews for the selected candidates. Social Services Academy Coordinator Misty Lindsey said that she thinks it’s key for the next principal to understand the Akins community. “(We need someone who) understands what kind of teachers we have and what kind of kids we have and carries on doing what’s best for kids at all times,” Lindsey said. “I think that we need someone who’s heart is Akins.” Hosack said that it will be important for her predecessor to be grounded in relationships. She said that the next principal should build strong relationships with students and staff based in honesty. “(They shouldn’t) pretend to be something that (they’re) not, because our kids are really good at seeing that,” Hosack said. After the first round of interviews, three finalists are selected and then a second round of interviews will occur. These interviews will be conducted with Shapiro, Superintendent Paul Cruz, and Chief Officer for Teaching and Learning Edmund Oropez. After these interviews, Cruz will select a finalist, which will be presented to the school board for its approval. “My role now is to honor (Hosack) by having a good process to find leaders with great skills to move the school forward,” Shapiro said

PRincipal Selection Process 1. Develop principal profile 2.

Identify APPLICANTS AND Committee members

first round of interviews

second round of interviews

School board Approval

Announcement of principal

Opinions

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The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - May 23, 2018

Students should be in control of their own FIT shedules thany

nife

James

Dee

jon

gela

Mylo

Alex

Ash

EDITORIAL

f students have learned anything this year, it is that every action has its own reaction. When students were chronically late to class, the administrators called tardy sweeps and sent students to Saturday School. When a student threatened the school with harm, administrators tightened access to the building to have more control over who is coming and going the campus’ many entrances. And when students abused the Flexible Instructional Time period last year, administrators gave students a strict schedule which they were told they had to go to certain classes on certain days. The tardy sweeps and the tightened security — while annoying to some students — have had generally positive results. However, The Eagle’s Eye editorial board believes this year’s change in the FIT schedule has been ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst. Administrators said they changed the rules for FIT because some students last year were not using the online system for selecting FIT sessions or checking to see if they had been assigned by a teacher to attend their FIT session. Some students left campus, hid in the bathrooms or just went to their favorite teacher without even looking at the FIT portal. Also, another issue that sprung up was that teachers would sometimes not create a FIT session for their students which lead to a lot of students getting in trouble for not attending a FIT session on time. This problem was somewhat solved with the mandatory schedule FIT system because teachers didn’t have to make a FIT sessions. However, it still brought more problems such as students not being able to have regular daily acccess to get help from the teacher outside of regular class.

late

Teachers do care if their students pass their classes or not and the old FIT system let students who couldn’t come before or after school to get help, receive assignments that they missed because of an absence or finish a test. However, none of the problems about FIT have been solved with the new mandatory weekly schedule, which forces students to go to each of their eight teachers at least once over a two-week period. We at The Eagle’s Eye appreciate the effort of attempting to solve the problems with FIT to a more structured and organized version, but the fact is that the problems mentioned as the primary reasons for the change are still present today. As students we prefer to have a say in which FIT we should go to because it helps build responsibility. We can’t guarantee that everyone will go to a truly flexible FIT session but if the system came back with an easier way to keep account of attendance and also have the cooperation with teachers who want to help their students pass then that would be a stronger and better choice then forcing students into a FIT classroom that they do not need. We really hope that the new principal will at least Ash Catalan consider this as an option because we know that if we try a flexible FIT system could be beneficial for everyone and make things easier than the new one that restrains students from even possibly passing a six weeks because they can’t go to where they need to go to pass their classes.

Guidelines

Reversal of paperless tardy policy brings back old issues Tardy enforcement proves counterproductive by making students even later to their classes Zeta handy Staff Writer

Changes in how the tardy policies are enforced has caused a great deal of confusion this year for students. The threat of automatic Saturday School for students caught up in randomly called tardy sweeps seemed to be the first sign that things were different this year. And then after the lockdown it seemed things changed, again, when administrators restricted access to the building through a single entrance. It seemed that administrators were taking advantage of the fact that all students were now all in one place and they could keep closer tabs on who was showing up late to their first classes of the day or after lunch. For a time, students were getting mixed messages about what being tardy meant. Was it a lunch detention? Was it an automatic Saturday School assignment or was it just one of three strikes that could lead towards Saturday school? These changes seemed to have catched students off guard who assumed that administrators would use the same practice they had used in previous years. Two years ago Principal Brandi Hosack announced that students would no longer have to seek out tardy passes when they were late to class. Instead, teachers would just count students tardy in the electronic gradebook system and students would be held accountable when they accumulated too many tardies. Students and teachers seemed to like this change at the time because it prevented students from waste time in the halls searching for a hall monitor or waiting in line for them to write tardy passes. I would like the administration to return to that system because all of the tardy sweeps and the new emphasis on recording tardies at the front desk has made students even later to class as they wait in lines that could take 10 to 20 minutes — or even longer — to get through at times. Also no matter how early you leave to get to school in the morning, there is no guarantee you will get there on time. You have to add the outside factors into the equation and not just ignore them and then add them in when you feel like it. There needs to be change because there shouldn’t be a huge crowd of students in the library for Saturday school because they were late. But because of the lockdown the school really enforced so many new rules and safety precautions and things were bound to mess up. They did help but now most of the rules that are having unintended consequences. We shouldn’t relive history with the same operations.

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

Eagle’s Eye Staff Editor-in-Chief

Bethany Bissell*

Opinions Editor

Jennifer Espinoza*

News Editor

Mylo Bissell*

Entertainment Editor Alex Clay*

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

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

In-Depth Editor

Dee Carreon*

Sports Editor

James Mendiola*

Life & Style Co-Editors

Angela Glass & Jon Garza*

Photo Editor

Bethany Bissell*

Graphics Editor

Ash Catalan*

Staff Writers

See full list on website.

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*

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.

electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph.

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

Icon Credit:

Editorial Policy

The Eagle’s Eye

school officials.

Ash Catalan

All icons for kickers are found on: flaticon.com

Vol. 18, issue #6 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

In-Depth

The Eagle’s Eye

Page 3

Wednesday - May 23, 2018

Harassment In Gaming

Ash Catalan

Aggravation and provocation in e-sports often takes form of sexism Dee Carreon

In-Depth Editor The online gaming world is a vast jungle of varying options, ranging from kid friendly cartoonish adventures to bloody shootouts in hellscape environments. But at its core the essence of online gaming is the same — a way to connect with other gamers from the comfort of your own home. The advent of online gaming expanded the opportunities in which players interact with others all over the world, opening up new ways to play, but also new ways to be cruel. Online gaming has opened up new multi-player formats like team play that were impossible before the Internet connected players together. But along with all of the good things that online gaming has brought there are also some less admirable traits have inevitably arisen. Harassment seems to be one of online gaming’s bigger genetic flaws. All online games have their toxic players but e-sports seems to suffer this problem more than others. Games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch, are all infamous for their toxic players. It’s obvious why. All of these games have some ability to communicate, whether it is through voice and/or text. Inevitably when communication channels are created there will be people who abuse it. Secondly, these are highly competitive games and anything competitive can devolve into trash talk. Serious gamers — even those who otherwise seem like nice people — can get ugly when they get frustrated or just want to mess with another player during a game. The companies who create these games are increasingly aware of the toxic behavior that can occur. Riot Games (the creators of League of Legends), for example, have tried confronting this issue with an algorithm they devised. This system acts nearly instantaneously against the accused toxic player after a match is played and will provide a fitting punishment for the crime. This includes a one-to-two week or even a permanent ban. The system then emails the player a reform card, and a transcript of text from the chat box that is used as evidence to dole out the punishment. However, this system isn’t without its flaws. It’s fully automated and anyone can report other players for verbal abuse and hate speech by simply catching someone cussing in chat because the algorithm itself pays no attention to context. As a result trolls can abuse this system by baiting you into saying profanities. Harassment in gaming is not limited to trolling, raging and exclamations of frustration. As with trash talk in sports, online gaming harassment often takes on a sexist tone.

There have been many accounts of some sort of discrimination against women in the gaming field. The old cliché of “playing like a girl” extends to video games, implying a negative stereotype to female gamers. Some male gamers don’t think harassment is a problem, failing to recognize that their behavior degrades women. Usually this takes the form of slurs, insulting jokes all the way to genuine misogyny. Some gaming communities have begun to speak out about this problem. Many female players of Overwatch, the popular first person shooter, have made YouTube videos in which they bring to light examples of the harassment they face. There are playlists of videos dedicated to this topic and the stories they tell can be very extreme — even too profane to quote some of them. Some of these female players are so paranoid they don’t even attempt to use voice chat in fear of getting barraged by harassment. Some of this harassment directed toward women can be traced to the fact that gaming is still a male dominated activity. However, the number of female players is growing. Women, as of 2017, account for 42 percent of all gamers in the United States while the other 59 percent is occupied by men. One attempt to explain this disturbing trend in gaming was done by researchers Michael Kasumovic and Jeffrey Kuznekoff in a study titled Insights Into Sexism. They suggest that some of this sexism is related to historical mating behavior related to social status. “We hypothesized that female-initiated disruption of a male hierarchy incites hostile behavior from poor performing males who stand to lose the most status,” write the researchers in the study. This also means that higher performing males will be highly more likely to pass on positive comments to women to possibly attract them as mates. Since women make up the minority in gaming, though, they’re probably more likely to encounter the lower status men. This research, however, is not meant to justify the hostile actions that these certain men have against these women. Freshman Brianna Cozzi, an avid Overwatch player said she had experienced online video game harassment first hand. “I have been sexually harassed before, it’s not so much an issue in the Overwatch community as it is in the gaming community in general. The Overwatch community isn’t as bad as a community like Call of Duty where people message you and are like oh wow you are a girl or you play games and you are a girl. The rabbit hole goes deeper as they target mostly younger female players. If you’re going through something like this, all I can say is utilize whatever tools the creators gave you like muting or even blocking the player.”

League of Legends players punished for online harassment 4%

Messages Inbox

From: Community

To: YOU

Handling Toxic Players 1. Ignore them

95%

2. Utilize The tools the game gives you: -Mute the player

Banned Players Punished Players Not Punished

In the worst Cases: 1.Report the Player 2. Block them

News

Page 4

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - May 23, 2018 Finance

Programs

Social Services Academy receives grant, enriches program Nursing program to offer students path to earn RN certification, college credit in high school Mylo Bissell

to touch,” CNA students Andrea Cuadra said. “It changes you in an emotional way.” The credential has allowed students to take on jobs as CNAs as soon as they graduate from high school. Health science teacher Juanita Soto has wanted to expand Akins nursing preparation programs and next year, that dream will become a reality. After earning a $75,000 grant from the state, Akins will next year begin offering a RN track. The grant will provide access to the latest nursing technologies, career information and innovative practices so students in the nursing track can have a competitive edge when applying to nursing schools. Soto applied for the grant and she hopes that it helps enrich the program. They are updating their current equipment, most notably, two new hospital beds and three simulation manikins. These manikins will be able to simulate human noises and actions and help students prepare for their internship in the nursing home. “We have a lot of consumables so having money to be able to spend on just equip-

News Editor

In 2015, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported a deficit of 14,973 registered nurses (RN) in Texas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the RN field has a growth rate of 15 percent, which is much faster than the average rate of all occupational fields. With the high demand for RNs comes appropriate wages of about $33.65 an hour, according to BLS, which is one of the higher median wages in the United States. There are many different types of nursing certifications, each one enabling a different type of work and providing different levels of salary. For more than 10 years, Akins has offered students in the Social Services Academy the opportunity to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant certification. It’s a rigorous major to Photo courtesy Patrica Rico follow, requiring 200 hours of training and preparation for a difficult certification exam. ▲ Practicing Skills “CNA is a very rewarding program not Senior Noemi Jimenez works with manikin to practice for only because of the work and experience you her hospital rotation practicum class.. get...but also because of all the lives you get

Environment

Departures

clubs

ment is exciting,” Soto said. For Soto, the new RN track is about more than just improving her program, it’s about helping her students get a leg up on other nursing school applicants and drawing connections between core subjects and nursing. “When they have a CNA certification they’re already a little bit ahead of the (rest of ) nursing students,” Soto said. The RN track will be even more rigorous than the CNA program because it will require students to do more college-level work while at Akins, she said. “We’re going to encourage students to take AP and OnRamps courses so when they graduate they’re already into their first year of nursing school,” Soto said The track that Soto has chosen transfers most directly into the University of Texas’ Dell Nursing School but the credits also transfer over to Baylor, Texas State and other nursing schools. “It’s a really great opportunity because a lot of schools don’t even have the complete track and being able to work with UT and have that same classes is really a benefit to our kids,” Soto said.

Farewell

Green Teens plan campus-wide recycling efforts for next year ELi Gutierrez

Briefs

Science teacher Matt Stricklen, who sponsors the Green Teens club, said the group plans Staff Writer to introduce a new recycling program starting For years now, classroom recycling at Akins next school year. has been almost non-existent. “Our Green Teens came up with the idea Seeing the blue recycling bins in classrooms for a pilot program in which Green Tech either sitting empty or that they are filled with (Academy) would kind of take the lead on non recyclable items on a daily basis has frus- that and we would have stations posted in the trated many on campus. hallway that have landfill trash, compost, and “A lot of people just throw stuff in the recycling available,” Stricklen said. trash and it doesn’t get handled The project would start in the properly,” said junior Kaitlyn cafeteria using the three bins: reMedeiros. cycling, compost, and landfill. Medeiros, a member of Stricklen said they hope that “ A lot of people throw the Akins Green Teens by starting in the cafeteria stuff in the trash and club, said that she is frusthey can introduce students it doesn’t get handled trated with the way recyand staff to the system gradcling is handled because it properly” ually. After a few months the seems like it is not treated Green Teens hope to expand -Kaitlyn medeiros as a priority. However, it has the new bins into the hallways caused her and other conof the school. cerned faculty and students to The Green Teens hope this take matters into their own hands to initiative will help Akins contribute change it for the better. to the city’s goal of being considered a “Zero The Green Teens believe that a lack of edu- Waste” city by the year 2040. In 2010, the Auscational efforts on what can be recycled, what tin school board passed a resolution in support can’t, and the general belief around campus of this goal, and in 2011 it passed an environthat items placed in the tubs will never actu- mental sustainability policy to help make this ally be recycled has led to a breakdown in the become a reality. system. Which mainly revolves around education The blue tubs meant for single-stream re- of waste management and implementing new cycling were introduced to classrooms in 2010, policies and regulations to the public. and students and teachers still are confused on English teacher Jamie Livenick, who is a how to use them and who is responsible for first-year teacher at Akins, said she was suremptying them in the recycling dumpsters. prised when she found out that recycling Some believe that custodians should be re- wasn’t happening on a regular basis. However, sponsible for taking out the recycling. Others she said she has an optimistic look on this issay that the custodians are too understaffed sue. and busy to have to worry about making sure “I think we have a lot of potential. There is the materials in the recycle bins are actually a lot to be recycled so I think we should do it,” recyclable. Livenick said.

Chromebook returns On May 24, freshman, sophomores and juniors will be required to take their Chromebooks with the charger, case and strap into the library after finals to prove that they still have all the parts the school gave out. If students do not have one of the components, they will be expected to pay for it. An unrecovered Chromebook is $315, a charger is $35, and a case is $15. Regarding damaged laptops, bring them in to the library after school during Homework Haven. Students will not be able to bring Chromebooks during the school day due to AP testing. If teachers know students with damaged, lost or stolen computers, they are asked to email the student’s name and student ID to Ms.Walker-Leon or Ms.Dunlap, so they can assess and replace the laptop. If students have lost laptops or have had their laptops stolen, they are asked to report the loss to the library the next day so replacement can happen in a fast manner. If students do not report within a day they become financially responsible for their laptops.

▲ Moving On

Catherine Ballard, Hailey Unger, Erica Vallejo,and Paul Crockett among the many teachers set to leave Akins at the end of the school year.

More than 10 teachers set to leave Mylo Bissell

a major factor in her decision to leave. “It boils down to pay,” she said. “Austin is a very expensive city and I don’t make enough.” Choir director Catherine Ballard is leaving to be with her family. “It’s definitely a bittersweet move,” Ballard said. “Even though I will enjoy spending more time with my family, I’m really going to miss all the students here at Akins.” Ballard has one small child at home and another on the way. She said that she is “looking forward to baby snuggles.” Unger said that she is leaving because she’s “grown less and less satisfied with public education.” She said that she has become frustrated because of standardized testing and the outlook it gives students on education. “Standardized testing makes people winners and losers early

News Editor

Along with the graduates who will be saying goodbye to the Akins community, a number of teachers will be departing to new adventures away from the home of the eagles. So far more than 10 teachers have announced that they would be leaving at the end of the school year. English teacher Hailey Unger, orchestra director Paul Crockett, and theater tech teacher Erica Vallejo are a few of the educators who have all announced their departures. “As much as I love Akins, it’s kind of exciting to start a new adventure where everything is unknown,” Vallejo said. Vallejo did her internship and student teaching at Akins before she started working here. She said that cost of living was

Upcoming Events S M

May

24. 5th and 6th Finals 25.1st and 2nd Finals

23 24 25 26

29. 7th and 8th Finals

27 28 29 30 31 3

May

T W T

on,” she said. Unger said that she hopes that the education system can change, but until it does, she wants to remind students that a test doesn’t define them. “They are winners and the test does not determine their success or failure,” Unger said. Ballard said that she wants d her students to be persistent as they pursue their dreams. “Keep trying. Do your best. Don’t give up. You are worth it,” she said. Erica Vallejo had a similar messages for her current students. She said that they should always try their best. Freshman Zach Coleman said that this aligns with what he will remember of her. “I’ll miss how she pushed us to always try our hardest and how she always wanted us to make good choices,” Coleman said. “It’s something I will always remember about her.”

30. 3rd and 4th Finals

June

10 11 12 13

31. Akins Graduation Ceremony

June 5. Diploma pickup

Wednesday May 23, 2018

Senior farewell

A letter to the graduates of 2018 Time to say goodbye to four years of high school Henry Dominguez

Graduating Staff Writer Dear fellow Seniors, We the Class of 2018 have had a lot to experience over the years, along with with some major events in just these past few months. As we walk onto the stage preparing ourselves to embark into the rest of our lives, memories of everything that we’ve all been through will flash before our eyes. The connections that we made, the goals that we’ve accomplished. For some, high school is only the beginning and for others it’s been everything from the very start. The Class of 2018 at Akins High school isn’t special simply because it’s a part of the next generation, it’s special because it is next generation. Everything that we have done, and will do will change society and how it views diversity. Akins represents both equity and unity in its welcoming, fully inviting atmosphere. Many came insecure, expecting to feel judged but instead many were given the freedom to be who they knew themselves to be and that’s a lot more than what other schools could have even hoped to achieve. Another strength of the school would be how much the faculty cares about helping its students thrive. Many of the teachers are passionate about what they do and it shows. They have brought out the best in many of us and hopefully we’ve done the same for them. The student-teacher relationship is a symbiotic one in that we’re meant to teach and inspire each other. Akins High School offers all kinds of opportunities with its academies and variety of classes. The academy system helped guide many of us to better understand our interests and help us decide what it is that we might want to do with the rest of our lives. While some say they hate high school, it truly is what you make of it, and it will be as stressful as you want it to be. Put in the work and effort and you’ll reap exactly what you sow.

High school is after all a transitional time period with all too many kinds of things happening at once. We’re all growing into adults yet not quite fully matured. Students are expected to be more serious when it comes to planning for the future, while still supposed to try and enjoy the present. It wasn’t easy, but much of the campus environment surely helped. As for underclassmen, from one student to another, we highly suggest getting whatever you can get done finished as soon as possible. Senior year comes fast, and it’s no fun when you’re having to catch up on credits. Experience high school. Become more involved with sports, clubs, electives, and other after school activities. Get out there, make friends, and talk to people, because your only here once, and as I heard many students say, you’ll wish you could have done it all over again. As we’ve reached the end, there are many thoughts that graduating seniors carry. It’s going to feel pretty weird waking up in the morning, not having to be worried about getting ready for school. But it’s definitely going to be something that will be both liberating and refreshing. Thank you to everyone that made our class the absolute best. On a final note, bless those who stood next to us but will not be walking across the graduation stage. They will remain in our hearts and minds to be forever remembered and cherished dearly for years to come.

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The Eagle’s Eye

Senior farewell

page 6

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - May 23, 2018

I love Eliza

LOOSE SPOONS

JANDRA ARGUELL ALE O

2016-2018 Thank you to Boofany, Mylo, Annie, Jennifer and Daveed for making my last year here the best. A good chunk of these two years was pretty rough tbfh, but I now appreciate the experiences and the things I’ve learned from them. Use AP format only. Eat some good gelato. Listen to YG and Ferg. ALEJANDRA ARGUELLO

Alex Castro High school was a great experience and i will never forget the 2 years i spent at akins and the awesome people i was able to meet. I’m guessing this message will be here forever and i will always be able to come see it. So, it’s not a goodbye, it’s a see ya’ll later!

Annie Ricotta

Ashley Sanchez

Life & Style Editor 3 Years on staff You can’t win a point if you can’t start one- Ashley Gahan Concordia University 2022

The Eagle’s Eye

Senior farewell Wednesday - May 23, 2018

I admit, I can’t say I will use even half of what I was taught in the past 13 years as I move forward and begin my life, however I am certain I will use the patience, dedication, and passion that I observed from the educators who inspired me in all my work in the future. Between school and work, it took one year for me to realize what it truly means to work hard and work for what makes you happy. I would like to thank the people who taught me what means everything to me this year. My parents: Tomas Gutierrez and Theresa Cuevas Mr. David Doerr Mrs. Christina Jenschke Ms. Jean Baeslack Monique Guajardo Miguel & Modesty Vidal

ELI AN A G U T I E R RE Z

Johnniece Walker Jorkaed Rodriguez Art designer 1 year on staff

Sometimes you discover what you are supposed to do by doing the things you are not supposed to do, and this happened to me when I started with Akins. I had no idea what to do here and I thanked Mr. Claes for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills, as he always motivated me to design my work and always guided me on how it could be better. I also thank Mr. Doerr for accepting me in his class, since being in this class I described that I could write, because I won a 3rd place medal as News Writing and I did not expect it because I did not think that they would take too much importance in the news that I wrote with a classmate. Thanks for everything Akins and all the staff that helped me so that I am at this moment as a senior, a graduating senior very grateful.

Kelly Polacheck

Life is like a road trip, So many places to go, and things to see. I can’t wait to spend the rest of it ignoring the people I’m carpooling with.

-How I feel about my graduation this year

page 7

Senior farewell

page 8

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - May 23, 2018

Larry Durden My name is Larry Durden. I want to thank Mr. Doerr for supporting me and pushing me to become a better writer. I want to thank the newspaper staff for helping me when I was confused (because I was confused a lot) and thank you to my man Jaden for being my boy all these years. Y’all be easy!

Marcelo Cruz

STEM student, PALs Member, and a newspaper staff!!

Never allow your character to suffer by taking short cuts in the process of achieving academic or professionals goals.

Raidy Zanjeel

Ruben Nava

Spencer Seyfarth When I first came to akins I was a sophomore I knew no one at all, but soon found a great group of guys. Anyways I’m excited to move on with life and start the next chapter of my life. I had a great three years playing for the Akins Basketball team. I’m leaving with my mind full of memories.

Entertainment

The Eagle’s Eye

Page 9

wednesday - May 23, 2018 Annual

Dedication

Student shares passion for dance with Ballet Folklorico

Graduating senior participates in Cinco de Mayo show annually while teaching others salsa Alejandra Arguello Graduating Editor

Having participated in the Cinco De Mayo show every year since her freshman year, Rachel Rivera has done it all. From starting the Folklorico Club at Akins to teaching dance classes outside of school, Rivera has continuously given back to the community through her love of dance. Rivera began dancing since she was only three, having been placed in a class by her mother. “I started when I was very little, and don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t dancing. This year marks her 15th year being involved in dancing. Rivera’s passion for traditional folk continued, leading her to join groups everywhere her family moved. Rivera has had a multitude of teachers along the way, learning more and more from each instructor she had. “When I was eight I joined a dance company here in Austin and that’s when I kind of

fun

really started,” Rivera said. “When I turned 11, my family moved to Arizona and I joined another group and kept dancing.” Rivera learned the most about folklorico during her short stay in Mexico, gaining a true feeling of folk dancing. “For a short time we lived in Mexico,” Rivera said. “I think that’s where I learned the most, was when I was in the group in Mexico and I had a real experience of true traditional folk dance in Mexico and I haven’t stopped ever since then.” “When I got here freshman year and I got into Latinos Unidos I asked (club sponsor Gina) if there was a folklorico group and she said no. There wasn’t and so I decided to start one.” This year Rivera participated in a total of eight dances for the Cinco de Mayo a blend of traditional folklorico, salsa and bachata for her performance. The last two were performed with her longtime dance partner Jose Gonzalez.

Jose Jacinto

▲ Getting Down

Rachel Rivera dances with Jose Gonzalez during the Cinco de Mayo Show in the Akins theater. Rivera has performed at the Cinco de Mayo show every year of her high school career.

exciting

Short drive south to EVO Entertainment provides affordable fun 3-in-1 movie theater features bowling alleys, arcade games, snacks and multiple film screens mArcelo cruz

Graduating Senior There’s nothing to do. This is a common feeling experienced by teenagers on a lazy weekend or blasé summer break. Sometimes the search for entertainment ends at the city limits of Austin. However, with just a short drive south of Austin, bored teens can find an assortment of ways to have fun at EVO Entertainment in Kyle. EVO represents an example of a new trend in entertainment providers that brings together some of the most popular diversions all under the same roof. This 70,000-square-foot complex offers movie theaters, bowling lanes, a restaurant and bar, a full arcade, as well as private event space. The restaurant HardiHoods includes a variety of foods like burgers, chicken wings, pizza, pulled pork, and a variety of salads. The main appetizers are fried mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and fried dill pickle chips. With special deals almost every day, it is very affordable to spend a whole day playing games, or bowling. This hot spot is the perfect place to hangout with friends, or you could even go on a date to EVO and have fun all day. After watching a movie, friends and family can enjoy some friendly competition at the 14-lane bowling alley. Each lane can accommodate up to six people. Every Monday, EVO offers “Monday

beware

BOWLING Monday specials: Lanes are Half-off and shoe rental is $1

MOVIES Tuesday specials: Movie tickets are only 5$

ARCADE Wednesday specials: All arcade games are half off

Night Mania” in which the bowling lanes are half off, and the shoe rental is only $1. EVO screens a good variety of the latest movies on its 11 screens. Regular showtime prices are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, military personnel, students and children. Tickets for a showing in the EVX theater, with the immersive audio system, range from $6.50$8.50. Every Tuesday all movie tickets are only $5 with tax. On Wednesdays and Sundays EVO hosts “FlashBack Cinema” which features classic movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The arcade has plenty of games for all ages although it can be a little pricey. However, every Wednesday all the games are half off for a cheap way to have fun for hours. The arcade includes some brand new games such as Grand Piano Keys, which is the piano version of Guitar Hero. It also has the modern-day classic Jurassic Park, which is an interactive shooter where players sit in a booth and use toy guns to defend against the dangerous dinosaurs. EVO also has a patio with a stage to hosts special events on Saturdays with live music performed by DJ’s or Austin locals such as Sara Louise, or Nate Guthrie. EVO can also be a great place to host a birthday party with private party rooms available.Senior Jordan Henson said EVO Entertainment is a better option than many other entertainment centers in the Austin area. “It’s a great experience for everybody and it’s affordable unlike other places like Dave and Busters,” he said.

Spoilers

Marvel leaves audience wondering about future of MCU franchises Viewers now speculate on what is going to happen next with the highly enjoyed movie series nathan mArtinez Staff Writer

Avengers Infinity War is not a feel good superhero movie. Many people have left the theatre with their heads down, mourning the apparent loss of their favorite superheros. SPOILER ALERT: Fans of Black Panther and Spider-Man will likely not be happy with the ending. So the question remains: why make a movie that appears to kill off some new heroes that have barely been introduced into the MCU. One possible explanation is the hype and ticket sales generated by creating a movie that brought together every major character in the Marvel pantheon of heroes. Knowing that all of the new characters would be added to a new Avengers movie increases the anticipation because knowing that are new characters makes it even more exciting. As sad as the ending seemed it had people asking what’s next and how they are going to make it right and hopefully bring back the fallen heroes? What is the next thing that’s going to give the remaining heroes an edge against Thanos knowing how powerful he is? Will the remaining heroes be able to come together and

set aside their differences to focus on defeating Thanos? While they try and defeat Thanos, who else will die along the way. With so many unanswered questions hanging out there, it will give Marvel a chance to try and either fix things and bring them back or give the MCU a new fresh look with a lot of new heroes. With the fact that half of everyone is dead leaves out the question of how they are going to tie this story in with other Marvel movies that are scheduled to be released in the next few years. One of the only clues Infinity War provided happened during the post credit scenes in which Nick Fury sees the heroes disintegrating in front him. Right before he also fades away, he uses a tricked out pager to send out a symbol that resembles the logo for Captain Marvel. This clue gives fans an indication that the Captain Marvel character will somehow be used to counter Thanos’ power. The fate of the Avengers appears to be falling to this female superhero, who has Superman like abilities. It will be quite a challenge for her considering half the galaxy has been turned to dust. Captain Marvel has her own movie coming out in March of 2019 so it will help set up her character for future adventures. Fans can also assume that she is going to be a key role in Avengers 4 releasing May 2019.

Life & style

page 10

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - may 23, 2018 Summer

activity

Students pursue budget saving alternatives for summer

Various activities available around the city of Austin that are cheap and fun to do with friends Angela Glass

Jon Garza

Life & Style Co-editor

Trails

Being young and broke during the summer is difficult. While you may have free time, you may not have the funds to make the best of it. With that being said, Austin has many opportunities for having fun even for those who don’t have all the money in the world.

-Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park -May Field Park

FREE

A new attraction for free fun is the new Austin Central Library, which opened last October downtown off of Cesar Chavez. There is so much to do like playing on gaming computers, taking cool pictures on the roof garden, or using with 3D printers, as long as you have a library card. Visitors can also check out MacBooks and iPads to use. Zilker Park is located downtown and has areas where you can play volleyball, soccer and football with friends. Park goers can also bring along your furry best friends too, because it is an off-leash dog zone. If you want to get into shape then go hiking and biking. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is wrapped around Lady Bird Lake taking you close to the water, which is perfect for beginners. The Green Belt offers a more challenging experience where biking is harder because of the narrow trails. There are different entry points depending if you looking to hike, rock climb, or swim.

$15 & UNDER

EVO Entertainment is everything someone could want under a single roof. There are movie theaters, an arcade, bowling lanes, and a food court. Movie tickets are $6.50, but for those who want to experience watching a movie in luxury seats and a 4K digital picture, then EVX is for you. Those tickets are $8. Krause Springs is a beautiful place in Spicewood, Texas. It’s great for taking nature photos and making memories. Vistitors can camp and swim there for $8 per adult. Also the campsites cost $15 per adult. Garage sales can be a fun way to spend a Saturday morning, but they can be hit or miss. But, at the City Wide Garage Sale, located at the Palmer Events Center, locals from Austin go to sell their unwanted items. Instead of driving around Austin Saturday morning looking for sales, this garage sale is all in one place. Admission cost $7 or if you are 12 and under it’s free. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For hardcore shoppers early bird admission starts at 8:30 a.m. and costs $12.

inspirational

-Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge -St. Edwards Park

▲ Summer Swim

$30 & UNDER

Hamilton Pool Preserve, which is just a short drive west of Austin, offers a scenic place for swimming. It’s just $15 per vehicle so you and a group of friends can go together for the same price. If mind games and solving puzzles is more your styles, try one of the many escape rooms across town. Prices are around $25-$30 for a group of friends to race against the clock in an adrenaline rush. One of the best ways to enjoy the city is to spend it on the water paddling on Lady Bird Lake. There are many different watercraft rental services that offer kayaks, canoes and paddle boards at varying prices.

Richard Hopkins via Flickr, Creative Commons

The Hamilton Pool Preserve is a scenic swimming hole west of Austin. It is $15 per vehicle to enter the Travis County park.

Kayaking - Congress Avenue Kayaks offers $12 hourly -Rowing Docks ATX offers $15 hourly (Fri-Sun) -Austin Kayak Tour offers $20 hourly (Weekends)

▲ Study Downtown

Austin Public Library via Flickr, Creative Commons

The new Austin Central Library opened in October. The library offers shared learning rooms, 3D printers, MacBooks and a roof garden.

Preparation

AVID creates opportunities for first-generation university students

Senior Noemi Jimenez receives $20,000 Dell scholarship with help of a college prep program Ashley Sanchez Graduating Senior

How can students make it into college when their parents and no one else in their families have ever gone? That’s the question that the Advancement Via Individual Determination program at Akins seeks to answer. The AVID program at Akins has grown over the years to include 340 students this year alone. The focus of the program is to help first-generation college students graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful. AVID also helps students with financial aid, helping them apply for scholarships. This year, senior Noemi Jimenez had a huge success when she earned the he Dell Scholarship, which will provide her with $20,000, a Dell computer and a mentor for all the years she is in college. “Getting the Dell Scholarship was very surreal,” Jimenez said. Jimenez will be continuing her studies at Texas State University majoring in biology to later go on to advance to medical school. Beyond earning financial aid, AVID also helps students learn real world skills they need for college like time management skills, communication skills, and collaboration. AVID teacher Christina Garcia-Mata said that the program also helps to motivate students to think about college early. They do this by planning field trips to universities, speaking to Akins alumni and college fairs.

“It goes back to the thing about college get them outside of their shell to meet people who are like you but not like you,” Garcia-Mata said. Along with all the skills AVID provides for students it also gives students different events and opportunities for which they can volunteer at different city events or local schools events. Every year graduates of the AVID program are honored at a cording ceremony that AISD puts on for every senior in the district. It’s a proud moment for these students who are prepared to make the leap to higher education. This year Akins senior Estrella Martinez was chosen to give the speech at the district-wide ceremony to the entire audience of AVID graduates. “I initially applied for the nationwide contest so having the speech prepared helped motivate myself for the district contest,” Martinez said. Besides all the events and the honors,the most important way AVID students benefit is by developing the confidence that they can be successful in college no matter the obstacle. Senior Jessenia Rico said that AVID’s requirement to take college entrance exams a year early helped her feel more prepared when the time came to apply for college. “Being the youngest of six, I’m the one that had a greater chance of attending college thanks to the AVID program,” Rico said. “It made it easier to get ready for college preparing me by taking my ACT and SAT early and on time.

▲ Scholarship Hunt

Senior Oralia Sarianna applies for scholarships and completes other assignments in Christina Garcia-Mata’s AVID class. Students were required to apply for five scholarships as part of a major grade assignment.

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Sports

The Eagle’s Eye

page 11

Wednesday - may 23, 2018 Team

Success

Varsity softball makes playoffs for first time in school history Lady Eagles have historic season, become district champion, defeats school rival, Bowie High Jaden Garrion Staff Writer

For the very first time in school history the varsity softball team made it to the district playoffs in April. Not only that, but they were also the district champions with a 8-2 record. Team captain Sabrina Lopez said this year’s team was very different than her previous years on the varsity team. She said new leadership among the players and coaches has helped improve the team’s performance. “There was a lot of problems with the team and the coaching, a lot of bad situations happened where we gave up.” It was head coach Andrea Galvan’s first year leading the varsity team, but she brought 21 years of experience to the softball program. Galvan said they faced multiple challenges. “I think it was just a mindset because they haven’t been there. They kind of let one little mistake blow the whole game wide open. They kind of showed on the field that they never been there before. Hopefully in the future they’ll look like they been there before.”

challenges

Even though the Lady Eagles suffered a rough playoff loss against Round Rock high school. Junior Alejandra Rendon said that they lost their focus during the playoff game. “It was a lot of errors that we made and at times we weren’t as discipline as our coach teaches us to be,” she said. Senior Valerie Martinez agreed. “I think we faced a couple (challenges) with just keeping our head in the game, realizing that this is a good game and we can have competition. And I guess we didn’t think that we were good enough.” Junior Julissa Moreno said despite the playoff loss, she was happy to see the change in the team’s mindset this year. “It was our team growth because last year everybody was about themselves and this year we really grew as one team,” she said. “We played a lot better, hit a lot of better, everybody started contributing to the team.” “Making school history was a cool journey to go through and I was very excited. This gave me more experience for college and has me pumped,” Senior Ivelisse Moreno said.

Ulysses Luna

▲ On the Mound

Senior Ivelisse Moreno throws a pitch for the opposing team’s batter. The varsity softball team was the district champion this season, with a 8-2 record for the year.

Perseverance

Varsity baseball team faces tragedy in the middle of playoffs Team makes it to playoffs for third time with the help of good chemistry, support from fans Spencer Seyfarth Graduating Senior

▲ Winding Up

Courtesy photo by Bob Morton

Junior David Wilson awaits for the ball to come his way as Junior Connor Archer pulls back to release a fast one.

university

It has been a roller coaster year for the varsity baseball team. They made it to the playoffs for the third time since the school has opened in 2000. The other years they made the playoffs was 2008 and 2017. They faced a 27-7 Round Rock team and the first game was close but they lost 3-0. Unfortunately, the team was informed before the 2nd game that their former teammate Chad Taylor had died. The players entered the game with heavy hearts and were defeated 12-2, ending their playoff run. Salazar said Taylor’s death at the end of the season hit the team hard. “It is always tough when you lose someone, but especially when you lose a teammate, friend, brother. Chad will be missed,” he said. The team finished with a 13-13-2 record in district play. Head Coach Eugene Salazar said he is proud of how the team chemistry became stronger as the year went on. “Team chemistry is very important in a team sport. Everyone has to be heading in the same direction and working to achieve the same goals,” Salazar said. Salazar attributed the team’s success this year to their commit-

signing

Athletes sign letters of intent to advance to college level sports Larry Durden

Graduating Senior Next year there are eight Akins athletes who will be advancing to the next level as they play sports at colleges and universities. Girls varsity basketball player Shae Routt signed to play for the University of Texas in Austin on April 27. It was a special moment for Shae who will be following in the footsteps of her mother Erica Routt, who also played for UT when she went to college. Signing with UT is definitely one of my top favorite moments,” Routt said. “I’ve worked out and did different drills with my mom just to get to this point. Now it’s time to go to the next level.” Senior Isaiah Davilla received an offer from Hiram College in Ohio. He signed his letter of intent on April 17. “I was so ready to sign because I felt like it was one step closer to living my dream of playing college football and hopefully take it further,” Davilla said Other graduating seniors who signed to compete in college sports are Cassius Serff-Roberts for cross-country, Rudy Reyna for baseball, Brittney Roberts for volleyball, Rebecca Duran and Ivelisse Moreno for softball, and Denae Lofton for basketball.

ment to each other, their love of the game and the support players receive from the campus community. Senior Rudy Reyna said he was happy how the season went and how they made playoffs, again. I’m happy that we made playoffs and we were able to come together as a team and show how good we actually are,” Rudy said. Another highlight of the year was beating their rivals, the Bowie Bulldogs, during the regular season. “The rivalry is always intense. They had beat us in the first game but the second game was for who would set the tone and we feel like we achieved that,’’ said junior outfielder Julian Smith. Salazar said he was proud of how the players overcame challenges during the season, including balancing their love of the game with success in the classroom. “First, players must balance academics with athletics, which can be time consuming,” he said. “Second, we have several student athletes that participate in other organizations on campus, which is challenging.” Reyna said he will miss how he made a tight bond with all his teammates. “Honestly I’m going to miss how tight knit we are the relationships that I’ve made with everybody,” he said.

Earn cash back all summer long.

Denae Lofton — Collin College Shae Routt — University of Texas Rebecca Duran — Odessa College Ivelisse Moreno — Temple College Isaiah Davilla — Hiram College

You and Akins HS both earn up to 10¢ on every purchase when you use your custom A+FCU Akins debit card.

Rudy Reyna — St. Edwards University

Visit your campus branch to find out how.

Cassius Serff-Roberts — Texas Lutheran Univ. Brittney Roberts — Abilene Christian

aplusfcu.org | 512.302.6800 | Federally insured by NCUA Membership required. Conditions and restrictions apply. Program subject to change without notice.

Photo Essay

page 12

The Eagle’s Eye

Wednesday - may 23, 2018

Students taken to a “kingdom of enchantment” at prom

Maria Rodriguez

▲ Prom Royalty

Seniors Jessica Soto and Bryan Garcia stand together to be received as prom king and queen. They were crowned by English teacher Brian Lancaster and History teacher Katie Delmore.

▲ Dressed Up

Maria Rodriguez

Senior Tu Quach and her date pose for a picture. The theme for the night was kingdom of enchantment.

annie ricotta

Graduating Editor

Maria Rodriguez

▲ Lasting Memories

Seniors Noah Murillo and Brook Wallace model their prom looks. The prom was held at the Austin Marriott South location

It’s Saturday evening and everyone is dressed to the nines to walk into a hotel that was transformed into a “Kingdom of Enchantment.” Music, glittering lights, and chocolate treats were ready and waiting on entry. There was even a photo booth set up with props and professional lighting near the entrance just so people could take pictures with their friends and dates. The main lobby was converted into the dance floor in front of the DJ, with plenty of tables for group seating. Song after song, people danced and mingled with their friends without judgment on their dance moves. Midway through the night, Bryan Garcia and Jessica Soto were announced prom king and queen. Garcia and Soto were given sashes and crowns during the coronation to show off as they danced. Although the dance floor was small and occasionally felt cramped, the attendees never seemed to mind; they continued to dance for the duration of the event. The photo booth was a little hectic because they were printing any photos students wanted right then and there, but everyone got at least one free photo to commemorate the night. Even though lines were long and the venue felt packed at times, every student that attended left with new high school memories to look back on.

Maria Rodriguez

▲ Group Hug

Seniors *Brittnay Gonzalez, Jacquelin Maldonado and Adrienne Trejo and junior Analysia Huerta take a photo in front of the dance floor. The main lobby of the venue was converted into the dance floor for the event.

▲ Good Friends

Maria Rodriguez

Seniors Sara Salas and Kalysta Renteria hug and smile for the camera. There was a photo booth set up so that students could take home free photos.

▲ Big Smiles

Maria Rodriguez

Julian Smith and Adrienne Trejo cheese together as they have their picture taken. Chocolate treats were provided at the event.

Prom Throwbacks: Teachers share their prom pictures

▲ The REAL Prom Queen

Brandi Hosack

Principal Brandi Hosack poses for her prom picture in 1997.

▲ Nice Haircut

Derek Hamm

Math teacher Derek Hamm smiles with his date to his 2010 prom.

▲ Party Like 1996

Tate Fincher

Band director Tate Fincher takes his prom photo from 1996.

▲ Classic Pose

Melinda Van Horn

ABLLE Counselor Melinda Van Horn holds hands with her 2002 prom date.