The
“Everything that Concerns You”
Eagle’s Eye
W. Charles Akins High School Austin, Texas Volume 17 Issue 1 October 4, 2017
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Students walk through the halls of Akins, which was designed for 2,300 students but now has 2,800.
Upcoming vote decides AISD funding If approved, campus repairs across district could be paid for Bethany bissell
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At the relatively young age of 18, the Akins High School campus is beginning to show signs of aging. Broken toilets, mildewed ceiling tiles and occasional air conditioning breakdowns are just a few signs that the regular wear and tear is taking a toll on the campus. The section of 20 portable classrooms housing the Social Services Academy is another sign that the original campus has outgrown its original capacity. To address the needed repairs and improvements to Austin ISD campuses, voters will be asked to approve a $1.05 billion bond issue proposal that would allocate $13 million to Akins and $106 million in total for Akins and the campuses that feed into it. If the bond is approved, the majority of Akins’ improvements would be centered around optimizing educational capabilities. “Physically, our building is great because we’re one of the newer ones,” Principal Brandi Hosack said. “Educationally, it needs some help because we have more students than we have capacity.” Before the bond proposal came about, each campus was assessed based on facility quality and educational capabilities through a Facility Condition Assessment and Educational Suitability Assessment. Then, schools were given scores in both areas based on the findings to determine what schools were in the most need. The Akins facility was scored 68 out of a possible 100 in facility condition and 60 out of a possible 100 in educational suitability, which is slightly above the district average in both categories. If the bond were approved, the district would roll out utilizing a “Worst First” method, ensuring that schools with the highest need renovation-wise were serviced first, fast tracking items such as relief for Manchaca and Blazier Elementary School. This would reduce the need for repeated repairs of those facilities and cut costs in the long run. After the fast track projects are completed, work begins on less urgent projects in phases categorized by nature. The major categories are “Renovation,” “Full Modernization” and “Sys-
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tems Upgrade.” “It’s what we want in 20 years, not what we want tomorrow because then you make snap judgments and it really isn’t what you wanted,” Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz said. As part of the proposal, each campus produced a facility project sheet that stated priority projects for the school. All campus sheets include an item for “Campus Master Planning,” which allocates money for each school’s individual visions for their students. Akins is currently at 119% capacity, so a major proposal for Akins’ is an additional building primarily intended to house Social Services classes, which are mostly held in the portables. “Our building is only supposed to hold about 2,300 students and we’re at 2,800 right now,” Hosack said. “So another building is our big ticket item.” In addition to increased capacity, a component of Akins’ campus master planning is additional gym space or repaired bleachers. The bleachers are stuck, so both sides of the gym cannot be used at once. Other items on the Akins facility project sheet are an improved security system, better WiFi, and air conditioning and roof work. Junior Arianna Farner said that she has quite a few repairs and campus changes she’d like to see. She said she hopes improvements to the restrooms are also included. “The bathrooms are really gross,” Farner said. “I try not to go in them because they’re so messed up.” The bond will be voted on November 7. According district officials, the bond will not increase tax rates because the district will be “layering” its debt, or borrowing a little at a time and paying back as they go. Bond money will also be supported with past bond money, facility and land sales and campus mergers. Cruz said he hopes that the bond will enrich learning experiences in district schools. “We want to make sure that students have a full range of experience in schools,” Cruz said. “Our offerings have to be very diverse because our needs have to be very diverse in our communities.”
Opportunity
A+ Federal Credit Union gives students jobs Jennifer Espinoza
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When Mitzy Martinez and Monique Rottman finish their sixth period class they don’t go to an ordinary classroom; they go to work at the new on-campus branch of the A+ Federal Credit Union. The bank branch, which opened its doors for the first time in August, is giving three students the opportunity to work as interns this year. It’s a job they had to apply for just like any other job, but senior Mitzy Martinez said it has certain advantages that they would not
have had before the branch at Akins opened. “In all honestly I absolutely love my job because they are super flexible and understanding,” Martinez said. “I get out at a very reasonable time which I am super thankful for and I have time for myself and I still have time to be on track with school which is something I am very strict with myself about.” Akins is the first high school in Austin ISD to have a bank branch located on campus, giving students here a unique learning experience in a working job environment.
“... I have learned so many things working here” -mitzy Martinez
See CONT. story on pg. 5
INSIDE: Opinions - page 2, 3 In-Depth - page 4 News - page 5 Entertainment - page 6, 7 life and style- 8,9 SPORTS - page 10 PHOTO ESSAY- page 11 Community - 12
Opinions
page 2
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday - october 4, 2017
Distrust in students causes drastic changes to FIT system Flexiblity is traded for a forced schedule, causing inconviences and students’ grades to suffer Annie
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lexible Instructional Time. That’s what FIT is supposed to stand for. Akins recently got a massive change in how FIT functions and the actual title behind the acronym simply doesn’t apply anymore. Students now have to go to specific FIT classes everyday with few exceptions. So it’s more like Forced Instructional Time. Last year, FIT was for catching up on whatever you needed to. Teachers would create classes in the FIT portal for students to sign up and go to if they needed to. Each student was responsible for signing up for the appropriate FIT class and showing up and doing whatever work they needed to. Teachers even had the ability to force assign specific students to their FIT classes if they were desperately behind on work. If someone is assigned to FIT by a teacher when they looked in the FIT portal it showed what room they were supposed to go to and have no option for the student to change where they would go. Most students did what they were supposed to and went wherever they needed help. They used that time to catch up on work they might have missed if they were absent, or finish a test. Students could also use that time in areas that weren’t their normal classes like going to talk to their counselor and/ or go to the C.C.C. and use FIT time in places they needed to go but were unable to before or after school. To be fair, some students didn’t always use FIT appropriately. Some didn’t sign up for a FIT class at all and still others never logged into the FIT portal to see if they had been assigned and thus would never go to required FIT sessions. Others, hid in the bathrooms or just went to their favorite teacher without even looking at the FIT portal. These examples don’t apply to everyone but they were enough to make the administration completely reevaluate FIT. This year instead of having free will and taking responsibility for our own actions we as students must follow an alternating weekly schedule, which forces students to go to each of their various eight teachers at least once over a twoweek period.
For example, if you are required to go to 3rd Period FIT, but you missed a major test in 7th period that your teacher can’t let you take during your next class time, you have to go sit in the gym for FIT and wait until next Thursday to take a test. By then it might be too late. Oh well, according to this new system. It’s your problem. For students with classes like gym or dance in certain periods there is not enough time in FIT to dress out, do exercise, and get dressed again. So spending an entire FIT in those classes simply does not make sense, but there’s nothing we can do about it. However, many people don’t know that attendance isn’t taken during FIT anymore. Without the FIT portal there is no way to hold students accountable for where they are. So a student can now hide in the bathrooms, stay in their favorite classes, or go off campus with no penalty at all. The main problems that caused the change in FIT have not only not actually addressed, but in fact made even worse. Teachers and administration do not have a simple way to reliably track were a student is during school hours is a legitimate concern. All this new system has done is worsen the problems from before and taken away students’ ability to make decisions for themselves. With the constant announcements and forced schedule, students have been relegated to being treated like children, again. The old system for FIT was flawed for sure and some students didn’t respect it. However, at least there was some way to keep up with where students were and students could make decisions — good or bad — for themselves. There will never be full cooperation in a student body as large as ours. The bad decisions of a few are not a just cause to treat the whole student body with the same amount of trust you would give a group of preschoolers on Hold-A-Ring walking leashes. We at the Eagle’s Eye respect the administration’s attempt to get students to be more respectful of teachers time, but the current Forced Instruction Time system feels like a step in the wrong direction. We believe it is better to fix the Flexible Instruction Time system instead of throwing it out altogether.
rules
AISD dress code disallows wearing hats in schools, upsets students Wearing headwear indoors isn’t disrespectful, a safety issue, or detrimental to the classroom Eliana Gutierrez In-Depth Editor
Let us establish one vital piece of information right off the bat, I love hats, they’re my safety blanket. So of course I’m an advocate for wearing hats whenever you want, wherever you want. The entire backseat of my car is littered with caps so I can rotate whenever I feel the need. All summer I felt this freedom and it was pure bliss. Then by a rather unfortunate turn of events, school began and hats were not allowed. Everyday the hallways are filled by the icy voices that disrupt my inner peace, “TAKE OFF YOUR HAT.” So why can’t we wear hats in school? Aside from the fact the we are property of the school not human beings who make their own choices about what they wear, there are a few arguments by anti-hat activists/administration. First, hats are a distraction to the learning environment paid for by my parent’s taxes. Now personally, and to emphasize a personal example, a hat is just a baseball cap. Not a pirate hat though I don’t think Patchy would find it a nuisance either. If anything I feel I can focus more and isolate my line of vision while wearing a cap. For other students who are not wearing a hat, I don’t believe they feel it’s a distraction seeing as it’s an accessory, just like a headband. If you asked most other students they would
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
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
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Bee Barto* Annie Ricotta* Bethany Bissell*
Alejandra Arguello*
Jared Cordero Eliana Gutierrez*
Alex Castro* Ashley Sanchez* Marcelo Cruz* Ulysses Luna*
Kelly Polacheck Annie Ricotta*
Basil Montemayor
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.
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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.
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school officials.
* The members of the Editorial Board who contributed to the Staff Editorial are marked in asterisks.
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Annie Ricotta
say the same thing. Second, some may argue that hats make it harder to identify people who enter the school, creating a potential danger of strangers on campus. To a certain and rather small degree, I concur. There are SROs and administrators at every entrance of the school, true or false. True? Great. So were this to be a concern, I have no problem keeping my student ID in my pocket while I’m in the hallway so I can easily flash it if need be. That’s what they are essentially correct? Identification cards. In addition, most teachers are standing at attention beside their classroom, thus, they offer more security. So safety isn’t as big of a problem as it’s made out to be when it comes to hats. Lastly, the idea of wearing a hat indoors is deemed disrespectful by some people. During a pledge to our country or in a religious institution (unless required) I agree it’s against general etiquette. However, aside from that, the idea that a baseball cap inside a building is disrespectful is outdated by a century. If you see me indoors wearing a hat feel free to express your right to voice your opinion. I respect however you feel, but expect me to do so as well. People don’t intend to be disrespectful by wearing a hat, they do it in other ways. In support of wearing hats, they offer many different comforts to each person. Maybe you’re having a bad hair day, want to accessorize your outfit, or like me, it’s just your thing. Either way the joy of wearing a hat inspires confidence.
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Vol. 17, issue #1 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
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All-American - 2013 Nominated for Pacemaker - 2013
2011 - Silver Medal 2012 - Gold Medal 2015 - Gold Medal
Opinions dreamers
Wednesday october 4, 2017
The Eagle’s Eye page 3
laws
President Trump declares possible end to DACA program Contradictions in previous, current statements cause panic; another political grab for support dee carreon Staff Writer
If you haven’t heard President Trump plans on ending DACA, (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), this program allowed undocumented children to remain in the U.S., enroll in a college, and legally have jobs for a 2-year period and is renewable through good behavior, this only affects children who arrived before the age of 16. My initial thoughts when I first heard this was ‘what was he thinking?!’, though I am a documented citizen, I was still horrified at thought that this program has now become, what Vox suggests as, a ‘ticking time bomb for 800,000 immigrants’. Before DACA existed the DREAM act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors act), floated in congress for several years until former President Obama signed the DACA program in the failure of the DREAM act in 2012. “Let’s be clear: this is not amnesty, this is not immunity, this is not a path to citizenship, this is not a permanent fix.”, Obama stated. “This is a temporary stopgap measure” Does this make Trump’s decision justified? In my view, no, if he was planning for something bigger and better for all the DREAMers, this was the worst way he could have possibly done it, by making people under this program and the people that personally know them worry for their livelihood.
skateboards
The ending of DACA was, of course, met with severe backlash from almost everyone including several news outlets and Trump’s own party. Trump was heavily affected by this and on the morning of Thursday September 14 he met with the Democrats to discuss turning DACA into a law. It surprised me at first that he would do such a thing seemingly out of peer pressure, but you have to remember that before Trump became president he was a businessman and T.V. personality, he relies on his supporters and charisma for a sort of moral support from what I can see. “Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!.....” - Donald J. Trump tweeted on Sep. 14 This statement seems to completely contradict what he said when they announced his decision to end DACA, saying that the program “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs.” Now I am no anti Trump or Trump supporter and I try to have a clear understanding on things, but this is ridiculous, he’s trying to desperately gain more support. He could not have made this worse for himself, crushing even a sliver of hope for the people. DACA and was a temporary measure for the young immigrants who were born here not knowing that they were undocumented, even if Trump had planned all along that he was going to get rid of DACA for a more permanent solution, I cannot rub off this feeling of utter disappointment for the way he did it, pissing off and scaring the people under the program.
Jorkaed Rodriguez
buses
Skateboards banned on buses, causes debates about safety policy Student advocates for their usage on campus for transportation and self expression purposes Andy clay
Staff Writer
Junior Phillip Gines not only skates for fun but it’s one of his only modes of transportation. Since last year school administrators have banned students from bringing skateboards on school buses, preventing them from having access to a speedy means of transportation. The past few years Akins has seen an increase of students with skateboards on campus. These skateboards have caused controversy on should they be allowed or not, what restrictions should be put in place, and where can students actually skate. Some people think they are a distraction others think they are just entertainment. There is also the issue of having skateboards on the bus. Injury and other risks are also a factor with the skateboards including the skaters themselves and other bystanders getting hurt. Students who skate don’t only do it for fun, but because it has become a part of their everyday life. Some skate because that is their only way of transportation others
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do it to pass time during lunch. Skating for them helps relieve stress and allows them to be in their own world. Skateboarders should have the right to do what they love on campus just like girls who bring makeup and nail polish and who show LGBTQ pride. Even some Annie
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teachers enjoy the skateboarders. “I always enjoy seeing the skateboard dance party,’’ geography teacher Greg Izor said. Some administrators are not against it but put strict rules on where they can and cannot skate such as outside of the New Tech
building but not in the courtyard. New Tech Assistant Principal Susan Thames said she doesn’t mind the skateboarders unless they are skating in crowded areas like the courtyard or next to the cafeteria. She is also concerned with skateboarders hurting themselves or others. “I don’t have a problem with it as long they stay in the designated area, keep it clean, and show respect to everyone,” Thames said. “I think they should get to do what they love at school along with all the other students.” I myself believe that skateboards should be allowed. I think that they should have the privilege to skate on campus. It seems fair because everyone else have privileges to do what they would like on campus. I do agree that they should have restrictions on what they can and cannot do though. I enjoy seeing them skate and do tricks along with a number of people. I also believe that they can be a distraction as well. For example during class or passing periods. It can also be dangerous for people who are just walking by because they could get hit by a skateboard. There is also the issue with the buses with students who want to skate but can only take the bus to get to school. In the end however I think that the bus drivers should allow students to have skateboards on the bus so they can do what they enjoy.
improvements
Student provides possible alternatives to otherwise empty lockers Removal of unused area could be used for vending machines, trophy cases, tardy checkpoints Eli gutierrez Staff Writer
Annie Ricotta
What are we supposed to do with lockers? Does it bug people? Are they a waste of space? Personally, I see potential. We could use the lockers in a different way or even take them out and add something different, like vending machines, trophy cases, or some kind of tardy sweep checkpoints. Vending machines This idea could go downhill very fast if not executed right, but really if they sold the same snacks as the cafeteria I think the machines would do well. Pros: The school would profit off of the machines and kids probably wouldn’t be so hungry all the time. Cons: Students might just leave the trash around campus. And students are not supposed to eat in class because it’s a “distraction.” Maybe it’d be easier for the students to focus if they weren’t so hungry, but, moving on. Trophy cases This idea is pretty simple, the content of the trophy cases would vary depending on location but would all have the same basic content. Pros: The basics would display student work, teacher schedules for information on tutorial times, and other things that the teacher would like to add. The walls behind it could be painted by students and teachers to let a lost student know where they are. For example: “welcome to the green hall” or “STEM welcomes you!”
Cons: The average trophy case is around $300, and if you multiply that number by the number of spaces there would be without the lockers, it would add up fast. Tardy sweep checkpoints How many innocent students have been caught in tardy sweeps and then the consequences add up to major things like losing credits? And for what? You couldn’t walk fast enough, you wanted water, you were kept after class and then you were told it’s your problem to make it on time. Little things like that can turn you into a senior with not enough credits to graduate. Or we could have checkpoints, here’s how it would work. If you are in the designated checkpoint area during a tardy sweep then you might be able to get through. And if your class is within three rooms in any direction, you pass. And for the students that just roam or walk slow for no reason, it actually is on them because if they don’t want to get swept then they should hustle to class or the checkpoint if they know that they cannot make it on time. Pros: Student credits wouldn’t be damaged over insignificant things, there wouldn’t be as many students in Saturday school, students that had the intention of wandering would be caught or would have to go to class if they were close enough. And looking at it from a human perspective instead of a student perspective, some students wouldn’t have to face home consequences from receiving the Saturday schools. Cons: Students that actually want to go to class would have the chance to make it, the students that don’t would be caught and assigned to Saturday school or be in the checkpoint and forced to go to class.
In-Depth
page 4
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday - October 4, 2017
Behind the Scenes: Putting together AUSTIN CITY LIMITS
Provided by C3
▲ Go Time
With over 400,000 attendees each year, an event like the Austin City Limits Festival takes an army of workers to put on. Festival coordinators must focus on every detail possible to execute a successful event.
Eliana Gutierrez In-Depth Editor
For the first two weekends of October, Zilker Park will welcome close to half a million music lovers attending the annual Austin City Limits Festival, featuring more than 140 artists. With such a large influx of people, an event like this must be coordinated precisely down to the second. ACL Festival is produced by Austin-based C3 Presents, an event management company founded in 2007. Besides the ACL fest, it also promotes and produces events all over the country, including Lollapalooza in Chicago. “C3 Presents creates live experiences for millions of fans across the globe, setting the new standard each year for events that are as memorable as they are spectacular,” C3 Presents marketing manager Brooke Leal said. C3 Presents employs about 200 people, but hires on many more temporary workers and volunteers to put on a giant festival like ACL.
Provided by C3
▲ Crowd at Capacity
Due to the scale of Austin City Limits, the festival is organized and run by hundreds of people.
Tips to avoid Festival Traffic CLOSED: Barton Springs Road GRID LOCK: N. Mopac @ Barton Skyway
Leal highlights some extensive work done by ACL’s marketing department to prepare for the festival. “At the end of each festival, we send around a fan feedback survey to festival-goers to get their feedback on their experience. This feedback serves as a starting point for planning changes or improvements for next year’s festival,” Leal said. Leal and her colleagues then start brainstorming ways to attract people from all over the country. The team’s focus when executing advertisements begin and end with their audience, she said. Often times, this is where she faces an obstacle. “ACL Fest brings music fans from all over the country to Austin, so it can be challenging to find ways to market to fans in other cities who might not be as familiar with the festival,” Leal said. In the end, the satisfaction of happy guests is what makes Leal feel accomplished. “Our goal is to get people excited about the ACL Fest experience, and ultimately want to join us at the festival,” Leal said. ACL begins its first weekend Friday, Oct. 6. The park opens at 11 a.m. for the festival everyday and headliners begin performing at 8 p.m.
▲ Musician Mania
Provided by C3
C3 Presents booked over 140 artists this year in hopes to attract people from all over the country.
New ACL Fest Stage Arrangement aclfestival.com
Mopac is typically the route of choice for those headed to ACL. Consider IH-35.
All outskirts of Mopac and South Lamar are expected to be clear.
Eliana Gutierrez
News
The Eagle’s Eye
Page 5
Wednesday - October 4, 2017 CONT. FROM “A+FCu” pg. 1 ►►
Student interns work at credit union branch on campus
ABLLE students develop business skills through A+ Federal Credit Union internship program Positions to work in the bank are restricted to students in the ABLLE Academy who are required to take classes that are business and leadership related. The process to get the job is the same as applying anywhere else. Students apply on the A+ website and search for available positions. The bank encourages students interested in working for the bank to submit a résumé and even if students don’t have any work skills, knowledge of working in a bank. Students involved in clubs or organizations can instead include those so the credit union can determine if they are a good fit. “Given this amazing opportunity to be able to work here at my own school and for my first job to be working at a credit union is a true blessing,” Martinez said. “It will open many doors for me in the future and being 17 I have learned so many things working here.” The credit union was designed to be a learn-
One To One
ing experience for the ABLLE Academy student interns so that they can learn to balance having a job with other responsibilities. Just like any other job, it may cause some conflict with their schedules and affect how they handle other priorities. At times it may be hard for them to have a job along with having assignments, deadlines that they need to meet, or personal engagements that they want to attend. But that is the point of this experience that will aid at giving them perspective that their classes already mean to offer them. “While balancing both work and school is difficult in any regard, I know I am managing well,” junior Monique Rottman said “It gets overbearing at times, however I know it’s the best I can do for my future.” Junior Monique Rottman said she has been able to network with bank supervisors and administrators and learn valuable lessons that have made her more interested in studying business.
Akins High School A+ Branch Supervisor Marla Carter said the students working the bank have exceeded her expectations. “They have very quickly adapted to the environment and working in a fast pace environment,” Carter said. “They are doing awesome, picked up very quickly.” The credit union is opening up accounts for students and teachers. Account holders and the school receive 10 cents whenever the A+ debit cards are used. A+ also plans to give presentations to students to educate them in the benefits of having a bank account and how to effectively manage their money. “Our main goal is to provide financial education right here in Akins (and to) the surrounding feeder schools,” Carter said. “We would love to be able to provide those in-classroom presentations for all the schools that lead up to a high school.”
▲ Hard at work
Jennifer Espinoza
Branch manager Marla Carter and senior Mitzy Martinez work at the bank desk. Interns work after sixth period.
Technology
District initiative provides students personal computers Raidy Zanjeel Staff Writer
As part of the district’s “Everyone:1” initiative rollout, Akins and four other high schools were provided with personal Chromebooks early this school year in August. Administrators and teachers are hoping that the new laptops will have a transformative effect on the lives of students and improve on their college and career readiness skills. Principal Brandi Hosack said she was proud that the district was able to provide each Akins student with laptops this year. “When I look out across our campus I’m seeing kids that didn’t normally carry their stuff to school, taking care of this laptop like it’s a baby. And I love that,” she said. “It makes me very happy. Our students are very proud to own this device and to be able to have access to their schoolwork.” In addition to receiving laptops, students also
Fine Arts
have the ability access to a new learning management system called BLEND that students can use to work on and turn in assignments with. Campus innovation coach Allen Hubbard said that he has seen a numerous amount of problems with BLEND such as grades and learning to use the program. Hubbard said he is hopeful that these technical problems will be solved over time. “I think that it’s just a learning curve,” he said. “Students have to learn and the teachers have to learn. I think those problems will end up solving themselves.” Hosack said her job depends on the use of a laptop and that she thinks students should also have access to laptops because they have mul-
tiple uses in all kinds of careers. “This is how life is,” she said. “This is what the job feels like. For us to pretend that you guys don’t need technology to do your jobs as students is crazy.” Forensics teacher Rebecca Fuller said that she thinks her students are enjoying and benefitting from the use of the laptops. She said that having the assignments be more accessible to the kids at home and at school is really useful for the student. “I think my kids are benefiting from it,” Fuller said. “They’re just getting used to using the technology [that] they’re going to have to use once they get out into the workforce.” Senior Abigail Peterson said that she prefered using hard copy assignments because it can
“Our students are very proud to own this device and to be able to have access to their schoolwork.” -Brandi Hosack
be easy to not remember to login into the laptop or BLEND and do their assignments. Peterson said that she thinks that the laptops are a good resource but is having a hard time adjusting to the new system. Senior Lucas Montgomery, however, said he thinks the laptops are a good addition to the learning environment as a helpful tool. “It’s an extra responsibility that I have to deal with but it’s nice having that extra resource that can help me instead of having to look elsewhere.” Montgomery said. Fuller said that she’s hoping the new technology will get students ready in life for the real world. She said that since a large portion of modern society is turning to technology, learning to use technology at an early age is both an important and excellent opportunity that not every school has. “I hope the students are able to get just a fill for using the technology,” Fuller said. “So when they go out there they’re used to using a laptop.”
Funding
Fine arts department gets grant for tech improvements $10,000 grant will supply orchestra, band and theater students with new visual equipment Ruben nava Staff Writer
Briefs
For the first time since the Akins campus opened in 2000, the Fine Arts department is receiving almost $10,000 in equipment improvements this year. The grant money is coming into the Fine Arts program as the result of theater teacher Brad Distlehorst requesting a grant from a non-profit group called the Austin Ed Fund. Distlehorst said he applied for the grant to improve the visual and audio components of the various Fine Arts department productions. The grant requested is for the entire Fine Arts department to obtain better equipment for the theater, orchestra, and band. The grant will improve the fine arts departments’ visual and audio recording equipment along with improvements to
the theater itself. “I have a tech heavy background in theater and we were really lacking on the equipment to keep our students up to date, so I went and asked for the money for new equipment,” Distlehorst said. The grant will benefit more than just theater. Band and orchestra will experience improvements as well. Orchestra director Paul Crockett said the new equipment will allow his students to record themselves on campus and share their work. “When we do concerts, we can make recordings of those concerts to share them with the public and share them with the students,” he said. Crockett said he is grateful for the opportunity to make these changes. He said they will broaden recording opportunities and quality for all departments to better capture their perfor-
PSAT Testing On October 11, PSAT testing will be held for grades 9th through 11th. Ninth grade students will test in the portables and STEM building. All testing students that arrive after the reading portion will be sent to in-school suspension for holding. Testing for freshmen will end at 12:20 and they will attend lunch until 1:10. 10th and 11th graders will test until 12:40 and go to lunch from 1:20-2:00. Seniors on testing day can take the FitnessGram, sign up for a TSI testing seat on the CCC website, take the ASVAB off campus or spend the day with a recruiter, bring work or reading to study hall, or attend first and second period practicums. Seniors assigned to DELTA must attend and will be marked absent even with a college visit. Following testing, all students should be on campus to attend third and fourth periods.
mances. Senior Katherine Beardsley said she is excited to get to use the new equipment this year. “With the new equipment we have already gotten from the grant we will be able to do things like projections and have a much better soundboard for the concerts and plays,” Distlehorst said. Distlehorst said those who go see the upcoming production of “James and the Giant Peach” will notice an improvement in the visuals with the new equipment. The tech students will use a technology called projection mapping, which will let the tech students be able to project complex or 3D shapes on any surface. “With all the technology and software we are getting, the theater tech students will be able to learn how to use new programs and utilize them in different ways to benefit the performances,” Beardsley said.
Upcoming Events
▲ New equipment
Junior Frankie Spence, freshman Chase Adkins and teacher Brad Distlehorst use new laptops to prepare for the play. It will include projection mapping software.
October
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Ruben Nava
25. Blue and Gold Night 28. Theater Haunted House
Entertainment
page 6
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday - October 4, 2017 October Movie Releases
Oct. 6
Horror
In IT, creepy clowns are back to scare
Pennywise character has new backstory, more violent ways Elijah Calderon
C A L E N D A R
Staff Writer
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Blade Runner 2049
Showing at multiple theaters
Oct. 13
Friday the 13th (1980)
F I L M
No one knows exactly when clowns were first portrayed as evil. However, the 1990 miniseries IT seems to have cemented the image of the creepy clown into the minds of many. It’s strange how painted faces, floppy shoes, and oversized-bright clothing can strike fear in the hearts of people. Even psychologists Francis McAndrew and Sara S. Koehnke have found that clowns were ranked to be the creepiest occupation, according to their survey results published in 2016. And now with a new major motion picture release version of IT, the fear of clowns is likely to only intensify this year as the killer clown character is revived to scare audiences, again. The movie is a huge hit with more than $200 million since the movie came out. The movie will most likely will be Stephen King’s biggest movie yet. Comparisons to the original series are inevitable considering its status as a horror classic. One major difference is that the new film has an R rating while the original miniseries aired on network television, which meant it couldn’t be as violent and gory as an R-rated movie. The original IT series had its share of cheesy moments and
even more humor. But back then when the movie was created it was thought to be very terrifying. Keep in mind the idea of horror was at a different level than today. In this day and age the movie is looked at to be more funny than scary in my opinion. Still the original Pennywise character has afflicted generations with nightmares. The movie will forever be a classic, and the new one has the potential to be one, as well. The new IT movie is a whole different story. There is still some amazing comedy in there, but the scare factor is amped up with the whole mood of the movie being different from the miniseries. This new adaptation is darker and creepier. The new Pennywise has a whole different backstory. His look is more frightening with his creepy smile and twisted eyes. They took his design to a whole new level, the creepy factor is definitely upped. Bill Skarsgård, who plays the new Pennywise, is a dancing clown, who acts very happy while doing horrible things. The new Pennywise doesn’t try to be subtle with his violence. The makeup on Bill Skarsgård take on Pennywise has really improved on Tim Curry’s Pennywise.
sci-fi Courtesy of Paramount
F A L L
film
Showing only at the Mueller Alamo Drafthouse at 10 p.m.
Oct. 20
Now if we’re trying to see which is better that’s a hard topic because both the movie and series had its ups and downs. Both the clowns were terrifying and they both had some great comedy. But over all the new IT is getting all the praise and I understand why.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
The clown is amazing, the actors are just great and it’s overall good movie. People will argue that it doesn’t beat the original, but it doesn’t matter. They are both great in their own way and provide good scares during the Halloween season. Watch out for the red balloons.
sequel
Stranger Things 2 revives Netflix sensation Fans eagerly await continuation of series later this month
Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
Leatherface – Showtimes TBD.
Special Screenings Alamo Drafthouse Ritz – Oct. 17 — Night Of The Demons, 10:15 Slaughter – Oct. 19 — Free screening of Psycho for Victory members, 7:15 Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-in Oct. 29 — The Exorcist, 9:15 Oct. 30 — The Shining, 7:30 & Halloween 10:15
Courtesy of Netflix
Bee barto
Editor-In-Chief Fans of the Netflix sci-fi-horror-80s throwback series Stranger Things, are already geeking out for the chance to return to Hawkins, Indiana as the second season is set to premier at the end of October. The series follows the adventures of a group of middle school friends and their family members who have happened upon some out-of-this world creatures and phenomenon, taking the audience for a wild ride of paranormal activity. I’m one these fans who are excitedly waiting to reconnect with the characters and aesthetic of the series. Since the end of the first season of Stranger Things my heart has been aching and screaming for my sweet Eleven, who appeared to be locked away in the Upside Down. She is my favorite character and ever since she disappeared in the last epi-
sode, I have been so worried about what is happening to her. I was relieved to see her make an appearance in the trailer for the second season. The first season was primarily about Will getting stuck in the Upside Down and his friend’s attempt to rescue him from the evil Demogorgon. So, for the most part we only got to see Will a couple times throughout the season. Now that he has been reunited with all his friends, we get to see more of his personality, and how his experiences from the Upside Down have affected him. The Strangers Things soundtrack has won awards for its main theme and sound design. I personally, listen to the soundtrack very often. It’s composed so well and just adds so much to the show. While fitting so well with the beautiful style of the 80’s aesthetic. With a whole other season coming out we are bound to get more brand new tracks from the Austin duo behind the soundtrack Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.
I am ready to have a whole new set of jams. Maybe my favorite thing about what we’ve seen from the trailer is the timing of when this season takes place. I am so down for all of the Halloween vibes, the voiceover of the trailer is from Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and it’s just so good. There’s a shot where they’re wearing the Ghostbusters outfits and — oh my god — it’s so perfect. The season is timed to be released on Halloween. Every shot of the entire first season is just so beautiful. The retro 80’s look is so pretty, and the people who make the show do such a good job on the sets, the effects, and all the little thing to help establish the time period of the show. So here we are coming into the second season and already, every single part of the trailer feels so perfect. If you haven’t seen the first season already, you still have time to treat yourself. Do yourself a favor and go watch it before Halloween.
Entertainment Virtual
Wednesday October 4, 2017
The Eagle’s Eye Page 7
following
GTA V maintains popularity after 4 years
Open world experience, downloadable content keeps fans intrigued Bee barto
Editor -In- Chief
Oct. 6 ACL Fest — Headliners include The XX, Solange and Foster the People. Oct. 7 ACL Fest — Headlienrs include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube and Chance the Rapper Oct. 8 ACL Fest —Headliners include Gorillaz, The Killers and Run The Jewels
Week of Oct. 9 – 15
which costs $100 and will give you 8 million in game dollars. Frustration with the multiplayer functions lead to a large number of hackers, which Rockstar has also had trouble policing and punishing the people who do hack the game. Near the release of the game, glitch abusers were very common, and often took advantage of glitches to get money and give it to other players. However this has since been patched, and is now all but a memory for most players. Perhaps the greatest achievement of GTA V is that its base mechanics are built so well that its playability has lasted so long. So while, there may be flaws in the multiplayer, there is something that
Gameplay screenshot from Bee Barto
keeps players coming back. While GTA V has a reputation for being just a way to commit illicit crimes virtually, it’s way more than that. Because the game is based on the open world concept where players can fully customize their experience and can virtually experience a luxurious, yet realistic lifestyle, it keeps players coming back. (But still have the ability to participate in various organized crimes.) There is something for everyone in the world of GTA. And with every release of downloadable content, the world only continues to grow, giving any kind of player opportunity to live their own little lives in the city of Los Santos, Blaine County, Paleto Bay and all of San Andreas.
Oct. 13 ACL Fest — Headliners include Crystal Castles, Eagles of Death Metal and Jay-Z Oct. 14 ACL Fest — Headliners include Spoon, Tove Lo, A$AP Ferg Oct. 15 ACL Fest —Headliners include The Head and the Heart, Broods
Week of Oct. 16 – 22 Oct. 17 The Mohawk — Alvvays Oct. 19 Emo’s — Macklemore
promotion
Students use SoundCloud to share music creations Popular music streaming service allows easy music promotion
Oct. 20 Buck’s Backyard — Suede The Mohawk — Tricky Oct. 21 Antone’s — Atlas Genius Oct. 22 ACL Live — Primus
Staff Writer
In the past, young musicians might have recorded their own original music on cassette tapes or CDs they burned on their home computers. These days, the easiest way to quickly share music with friends and the entire Internet is by sharing it on SoundCloud. SoundCloud is one of the most popular music apps out right now because
it is free and features a mix of professional artists and up and comers that post their work in hopes of growing an online audience. The platform also makes it easy to discover new artists based on your preferred style of music. Sheyenne Riojas, Javier Arellano, and Eli Gutierrez are just a few Akins students who have posted their work on SoundCloud. We interviewed these students to find out why they use Soundcloud for their musical needs.
Eli Gutierrez. @ElixGtz Vanish Eagle’s Eye: How long have you been making music? EG: “I started to make music when I was about 11.” EE: What inspired you to do so? EG: “I’ve always wanted to start making music and when I wrote songs, I heard it as a rap in my head.” EE: How hard is it to do what you do? EG: “The way I’m doing it right now is pretty hard because I don’t have certain equipment.” EE: How many songs have you written? EG: “I’ve written around 40 but I actually made two songs with lyrics.” EE: Could you explain your process? EG: “ Well my songs before Vanish I would play something on my keyboard then upload to my phone, but with my newer stuff I went to a website and play with all the sounds until I like the beat then added the lyrics to it.”
Week of Oct. 23 – 29 Oct. 25 Emo’s — Joyce Manor and Wavves Oct. 27 Frank Erwin Center — Halsey, Party, Charli XCX
Week of Oct. 29 Nov 5 Nov. 2 Emo’s — Aminé Nov. 4 Stubb’s — Poppy
Javier Arellano. @Lil Vierre
Week of Nov. 6 – 12
Heartbreak
Nov. 9 The Mohawk — Bad Suns, Hunny, Qty
Eagle’s Eye: How long have you been making music? JA:“I honestly started during summer. It was halfway through the summer and I started to write stuff with my friend Achilles and we kind of went from there.” EE: What inspired you to do so? JA: “I guess listening to all of these people’s music and relating to them and they made me want to start writing some of my own.” EE: What bands or artists influence your sound the most? JA: “There’s a lot of people who definitely influence me, I guess the main one is Kanye West because he was the artist that got me into the hip-hop scene.” EE: How hard is it to do what you do? JA: “It’s not really hard, I just start writing stuff down from my head and I find instrumentals I can use.”
Sheyenne Estelle. @LilShey Reckless Eagle’s Eye: How long have you been making music? SE: “I have been making music for about 2 years.” EE: What is your biggest goal for your career? SE: “My biggest goal for my career is to take it to the big leagues and make a career out of it and be successful.” EE: Where did the name come from? SE: “Well ever since I was little my family would call my “Shey” and recently I met some friends who pronounce it in a different way so I put that together and added lil in the front.” EE:Could you explain your process? SE: “So normally I would go and listen to songs or different beats that I can just vibe with and I’ll start to get the feel of the song and eventually the lyrics will just pop up.”
Sound On Sound Fest Nov 10 – 12 Nov. 10 – Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Taking Back Sunday, Cannibal Corpse, Pusha T, Washed Out Nov. 11 — Iggy Pop, Cherry Glazerr, Vince Staples, The Story So Far, The Frights Nov. 12 — Blood Orange, Twin Peaks, Girl Pool, Kehlani, Hoops, Snow Tha Product
C A L E N D A R
Nathan Martinez
C O N C E R T
self
Week of Oct. 2 – 8
F a l l
Four years ago, Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto V, and it was a huge hit. Four years later, GTA V still enjoys an enormous following. With a consistent average player count of 55,099 player in the last 30 days and a new DLC called “Smuggler’s Run” that came out August 29. According to the article “How much money did the world spend on GTA V so far?” by Jessie Peterson: players have spent at least $2,079,480,000 on Grand Theft Auto V since its release. Rockstar reported 52 million individual copy sales as of 2015, which is the most recent data available. Take-Two Interactive Studios, the company that owns Rockstar Games, posts news releases reports of how much money they make each year. For 2017 they reported “a strong fiscal year.” In the management comments of the report the Chairman and CEO of Take-Two said “During fiscal 2017, we delivered Bookings and cash provided by operating activities that significantly exceeded our original expectations, along with revenue growth and margin expansion. These results were driven by the continued extraordinary performance of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.” However, they give no actual count of how many copies of Grand Theft Auto V were sold in the year of 2017. Any game that has survived four years in the modern age of gaming, is clearly doing something right. Grand Theft Auto — at the very least — deserves praise for it’s longevity. However, many current players complain that the system for how to level-up in multiplayer is too grindy. They also dislike how the game basically requires players to spend real money to buy big ticket items like the Megalodon Shark Card,
Concerts to Catch
Life & style
Page 8
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday - October 4, 2017 Culture
Controversy
Students learn about cultures in new ethnic studies class Hot topics such as immigration laws, slavery and racial profiling are central to curriculum Henry Dominguez Staff Writer
Immigration, slavery, and the contributions that ethnic groups have made to the United States are only a few among the many topics that students should expect to learn in ethnic studies class. Ethnic studies is a new social studies elective class at Akins High School and AISD. The purpose of the class is to teach students about culture and history about themselves and others. It provides them insight of the world around them. While ethnic studies is intended to help students understand more about others, the class has stirred much controversy in other states such as Arizona, California, and Oregon where they have tried to create these kinds of classes. Many educators and policymakers argue that the class is nothing but beneficial, improving student attendance, reducing dropout rates, and influencing Mexican Americans to enroll into college. However, opponents object that the class is racist, putting negative “anti-American” perspectives into their minds. Ethnic studies teacher Chad Timmons said the class does cover some controversial topics, but it’s not intended to demonize any ethnic group, instead it’s meant to cover a range of topics over deeper aspects of our society, and communities. “I think my biggest goal is to try and inspire as many folks in my class to become passionate about something and become advocates or activists for whatever it is that they find important and special,” Timmons said. “A lot of us are just too apathetic about issues. We don’t know how to call our congressman, we don’t know how to call senators, we don’t know how to advocate for change. We all want things to be a certain way but we don’t always know how to steer the ship to get them so I’m hoping that’s where we’ll get.” So far the class has received positive feedback from numerous students. Senior Liliana Hernandez said she has enjoyed the class thoroughly “It’s not just a history class. It’s a political class. It’s a diversity class. If you find yourself (feeling) like you don’t really know much about the world taking Ethnics Studies Class would really help with that and help you become more aware.” Annie Ricotta
Summer
travel
Student travels to Ecuador to experience daily life with host family Amigos de las Américas program provides cultural immersion in Latin American countries Henry Dominguez Staff Writer
Imagine waking up to a gorgeous scene every morning on the top of a mountain. This is how Akins junior Stephany Calzado experienced everyday this summer as she traveled around Quito, Ecuador as a member of a program called Amigos de las Américas. It was Calzado’s first trip with the program, although she has had a mentor with Amigos for about a year. The experience is not a typical hotel stay vacation. She lived with a host family throughout the summer, and got to experience the Ecuadorian culture first hand. Calzado said she really got to know the people in the community that she stayed in. She appreciated how much the people
barrier
could openly communicate with each other and how embracive the people would be in the community. “They were like you know, they cared,” she said. “They weren’t like (people in) America like ‘oh hide your feelings.’ In Ecuador they would be like, ‘it’s okay to show your feelings, it’s alright.’” Amigos de las Américas is a nonprofit organization that is available across various locations in the United States. The organization offers cultural immersion, Spanish language experience, and leadership training to students interested in visiting countries in Latin America. Through their website people can find information on sessions nearest to them so that anyone can join Amigos de las Américas from anywhere. Information sessions are a great way for people to learn about
their volunteer programs, health and safety requirements, and for when and where their upcoming projects will be. In Ecuador, Stephanie stayed with a native family for the summer and had the opportunity to experience all sorts of things, participating in agricultural activities such as gathering crops and tending to animals. Calzado said she treasured the different life style she experienced in Ecuador. “It was great fun. The lifestyle was really different. I adjusted really well. “My experience in Ecuador was surreal. It’s so beautiful, it’s just so gorgeous. Every time I would wake up from bed I would think like “oh my god I’m home,” but I wasn’t and it was just so crazy,” Calzado said. “What I loved about the trip was picking potatoes, milking a cow, and having fun with kids.”
▲ Mountain Walk
Stephany Calzado
Junior Stephany Calzado walks through the country side of Ecuador were she spent the summer.
breaker
Cheerleader, dancer, model proves he can compete with the girls Ortega works to maintain a healthy balance between multiple physical activities, school life Zeta Handy Staff Writer
Junior Michael Ortega is a busy student, dividing his time between gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, cosmetology and modeling. Michael has a very hectic schedule having to go from cheer practice to gymnastics in one night, eating a meal during car rides while on his way to the Star Center where he trains for gymnastics. “I used to be in gymnastics when I was younger. I never competed but I really did like the sport but around freshmen year I wanted to go back to it and I’ve been in it since then,”Ortega said. When it come to extracurricular activities, he’s tried other sports like football, basketball, soccer, etc. But he didn’t feel as committed as he does with gymnastics, dance, and modeling. On an average week he has dance on B days cheer practice twice a week along with gymnastics practice four days a week.
While Ortega is involved in various activities that are typically associated with girls, Ortega is not afraid of breaking down barriers. He said being a male cheerleader challenges him to work to prove that it’s not just a sport for women. “I do get little more attention because I’m the only male but I do have to work a little harder because the crowed looks at me because I don’t have pom poms and also because I’m a male,” Ortega said. During his freshmen year he wanted to be a cheerleader but he never tried out. He tried out to be the school mascot Akie the Eagle. He did like it but he decided that he wanted to be a part of the cheer squad instead. When he is not busy competing, Ortega said he enjoys doing cosmetology because it helps him relax. “I used to watch my mom put on her makeup when I was younger and that’s
how I learned,” Ortega said. He’s been on the cover of Teen Influential, which is a magazine publication that features teen life interest He has also done photoshoots along with casting auditions. Something about the camera makes him feel comfortable, he said. As all this is happening how many hours does he put into all these curriculares a week “to many hours” he likes to say. Just recently overcame a big injury “were a piece of my knee bone broke off with a piece of a ligament but it’s going to reattach to my scar tissue” from one of his extracurriculars one of his teacher Georgiana Morel who teaches creative writing says “ how are you still walking” because all that he does he doesn’t have time to let his body properly rest. “There were times when I felt I couldn’t handle it but I love it all to give up on it I found a way handle it all.”Ortega said.
▲ Warming Up
Zeta Handy
Junior Michael Ortega stretches before a workout in the dance room at Akins before rehearsing a routine. Ortega stays busy with his involvement on the cheerleading team, taking private gymnastics lessons.
life & style Unique
Wednesday october 4, 2017
The Eagle’s Eye page 9
Fashion
Eagle Vogue: Students show their easy everyday outfits Beatrix barto
Henry Dominguez Ashley Sanchez Life & Style
Eagle’s Eye: What do you love most about your style? Bee Barto: Honestly, I have a lot of trouble loving my style. It takes a lot of effort for me to feel very confident. But, with this one in particular, I just love how cute and fem it is. Outfits like this make me feel good. EE: How does it make you unique? BB: To be honest I actually feel like I’m really basic. I literally shop at like, Target and Forever 21. I can’t be that unique? EE: What is your favorite clothing item to buy and why? BB: I don’t really have a favorite. There’s nothing in particular really, dresses maybe? But also leggings or any type of bottoms? EE: How would you describe your style as? BB: I honestly just go into my closet and find whatever clean clothes I have. There’s a bit of process but honestly my style is just whatever was washed and I think looks cute together? Bee Barto
▲ Simple & Affordable
Eagle’s Eye: What do you love most about your style? Henry Dominguez: I don’t have any specific style per-say, so there isn’t one thing that I love the most. I just enjoy matching and mismatching clothes that I have and having something work out. EE: How does it make you unique? HD: I think the thing that makes my style distinctive is that it changes and that there isn’t one kind look that I’m always trying to go for. EE: What is your favorite clothing item to buy? And why? HD: My favorite clothing item that I like to buy are sweaters. I just really like the way that they feel depending on the size or the materials that can be used to make them. EE: How would you describe your style as? HD: It ranges. It depends on how my mood is, or what I’m thinking looks nice. I’d like to say it’s something along the lines of a diverse kind of style. Henry Dominguez
Alejandro Castro
Senior Henry Dominguez shows off his mix of casual and preppy with his polo shirt, light sweater and bright red sneakers.
Senior Bee Barto is modeling off her everyday cute and casual look. Balancing simplicity with low cost brands.
Henry’s favorite Clothing Brands
Bee’s Favorite Clothing Brands • • • • • •
Forever 21 Target Savers Goodwill JcPenney H&M
Delicious
Alejandro Castro
▲ Preppy & Cool
Alejandro Castro
▲ Cute & Casual
Bee Barto and Henry Dominguez relax during a photo shoot, casually lounging in their comfortable clothes.
• • • • • •
Old Navy Aeropostel Hollister Arizona Levi’s AirWalk
Food
Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ is the new destination on Manchaca Road Food truck menu provides a unique blend of traditional Texan barbecue, Mexican cuisine Darcie Papillion Staff Writer
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, located on Manchaca Road, has become a popular food truck. It attracts large crowds daily and often sells out of its meat before noon. Many critics, including the respected Texas Monthly magazine, have given praise to the owner and operator Miguel Vidal. Before opening Valentina’s, Vidal grew up in San Antonio, spending 17 years in the service industry and applying his family values to his work environment. Vidal grew up working in restaurants since he was 15, and once he moved to Austin he wanted to share the Tex Mex recipes he had grown up eating. It’s not the common type of Tex-Mex seen all over town. It inspired him to open up his own food truck, which attracts large crowds. “The goal was to always become a restaurant, it was the least expensive way to get a business going,” Vidal said. “Food and family go hand in hand.” Looking at the menu you notice there are two sides to the menu: Tex and Mex“What we do is cook our barbecue the same,” Vidal said. “For Tex we cook the brisket and add condiments such as pickles to it. The Mex version is taking the same meat but adding condiments such as salsa.” Vidal recommends people trying the brisket tacos. “It’s not on the menu, but if they (customers) want a different texture they should try that,” Vidal said. Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ used to be located on Brodie Lane so Vidal could be closer to his family and serve his neighborhood. “We [eventually] grew out of that area and got a piece of property there [Manchaca Lane].” Vidal said he likes to think that his business has been a success because they pay attention to detail try to do the best with their food and treat clients
the best they can. “It comes from our attitude and effort we put in,” Vidal said. “I’m on site everyday and it’s the hard work and dedication and trying to treat everyone like family.” Vidal has a saying that he and his workers to live by. “Hecho con amor,” Vidal said. “It means made with love.”
Popular menu items: Tex Sandwiches • Sliced Brisket • Chopped Brisket
Valentina’s Tex-Mex food BBQ has built up a huge popularity since it opened in 2013. It offers both traditional Texas and Mexican barbecue recipes.
• Pulled Pork
1807 W Slaughter
512-282-2255
• Pulled Chicken
SUBS SOUPS SALADS SMOOTHIES
Mex Tacos • Smoked Brisket
Team discounts on BOX LUNCHES & PARTY TRAYS
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
• Cerveza Beef Fajita
ThunderCloud Subs is proud to support
Akins HS.
• Smoked Carnitas • Pulled Pollo
Darcie Papillion
▲ Lets Eat
BUY ONE--GET ONE FREE! Akins HS News
Buy any SUB and REDEEM THIS COUPON for a FREE sub of equal or lesser value. Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. Expires 11/15/17
Sports
Page 10
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday - October 4, 2017 RUNNING
Cross Country
Cassius Serff-Roberts breaks Akins running record in the 5K Cross Country program logs 600 miles in practice runs over summer, preparing for season E.J. Hernandez Staff Writer
While most students are still in bed sleeping before the sun has even risen, senior Cassius Serff-Roberts is outside running at 5 a.m. It’ just part of his routine now as a leader of Akins Cross Country Team. His personal goal is to run 10 miles a day. While some of his classmates don’t understand why he likes to run so much, he said it’s just something he “loves to do.” “It’s going to help pay for college,” Serff-Roberts said. “Also, it helped developed my character as a hard worker and keeps me on the grind.” Setting ambitious goals like this is what has helped propel him to break a number of records since starting on the cross country team as a freshman. On Sept. 8, Serff-Roberts broke an Akins record when he ran the 5K and finished with a time of 16:40, when the old record was 17:08. Then he beat his own record by 10 seconds a week later. Serff-Roberts said he likes running because he’s good at it. “It gets me focused and takes my mind off things,” he said. Sophomore Matthew Quiroz is another strong runner who is following Serff-Roberts example. His coaches and teammates have high expectations
for him. However, currently he is still trying to catch up to Serff-Roberts, setting a personal goal of running a 5K in 16:45. Quiroz, who also runs track, also has his own personal goals he hopes to reach this year. “For the mile I want to get a 4:30 and in the 2 mile, I want to hit 9:50,” he said. Quiroz said he hopes to attend Notre Dame to run track and cross country in the future. Coach Juan Rodriguez, who has worked to improve the cross country program for the last few of years, has focused on conditioning and setting ambitious running goals over the summer. “We ran all summer, and conditioned all summer. We in all had about 10 kids that ran all summer,” he said. Overall, runners like Serff-Roberts and Quiroz are setting a strong foundation for the cross country team, having run 600 miles in training this summer to prep for this season. Coach Misty Lindsey said the coaches’ goal is for the team to make district and for the runners to make team and individual qualifiers for regionals and state. “As coaches we are all really proud of the commitment and dedication these cross country runners have shown. This is a sport that trains yearround and these kids are putting in the work to accomplish their goals,” she said.
Alex Castro
▲ Record Breaking
Senior Cassius Serff-Roberts shows off one of his many medals that he has won as a Cross Country runner. He beat an Akins record by running a 5K in less than 15 minutes. Later that month beating his own record with 10 seconds less than the first time.
Brothers
FOOTBALL
Teammates feel a sense of brotherhood throughout the fall season
Varsity players push each other to excel on and off the field, promote dynamic sense of unity Johnniece Walker Staff Writer
Darcie Papillion
▲ Coming Together
Senior Santana Castillo (11) and Senior Andy Zamora (4) celebrate a touchdown pass against McCallum on Sept. 21 at House Park. Despite the loss to the Knights, the Eagles found reasons to celebrate.
Volleyball
“One team with one dream” is a cliché phrase said in football frequently. However, the Akins Eagles football team have overcome many challenges to get where they are today, making it ring true. It’s not easy for 48 different personalities to come together in a cohesive unit to be successful. Senior Isaiah Davila said the team has “had to overcome individuality and play as a team.” Without every single player making this choice, the bond between the Akins Eagles Football would not exist. This type of bond does not form overnight: it takes time. A bond like the one the Akins Eagles Football team has, comes from pushing each other on the field and in their daily lives as students to do their very best. Their coaches have drilled them to give just as much in the class-
room as they do on the field. However, it is a challenge to not only balance football and school, but also the drama of teenage life. Quarterback Nicholas Cagle said he and his teammates spend long hours outside of school to practice. He said it is a challenge for them to practice their craft, excel in school, maintain a job and still enjoy their social lives. Being on the football team has forced the players to get better at managing their time, Cagle said. “I try to manage my time well and get things done early” to avoid disrupting this balance, he said. There is a lot of pressure on the team to uphold the team’s reputation. The whole school is counting on the team for a win, along with their friends and family included. Although the pressure is a challenge, it also has its benefits, senior Malcolm Rogers said.
“I feel like the pressure is a blessing in disguise,” Rogers said. “I use it as my drive for the game, and it keeps me going.” In addition to the pressures of football, school, and teenage life: Football players also are worried about the injuries of their teammates, or themselves. Players have been seen tearing up on the sidelines when they see their fellow Eagles hurt on the field. “It feels as almost a family member is hurt and needs us by their side. We’re only as strong as strong as our weakest link,” senior Rowan Sterling said. Being a part of the football team is a brotherhood forged in sweat, blood and tears. Several players said they couldn’t see themselves without being a part of the football team. “Without football, there wouldn’t be a purpose for me. I believe in my team and I believe in our dream,” senior Jeremiah Brown.
Teamwork
Volleyball girls come together in hopes of improving their record Team faces challenge of mixing old and young players by including two freshmen on team Larry Durden Staff Writer
Starting this season with an 8 and 1 preseason record, the volleyball girls are planning to not only start the season off with a bang, but also beat their showing in the playoffs last year. With only four remaining seniors, the team is going to face the challenge of having to be able to play with younger players on varsity. With that being said they’ll have to adjust and work together as a team. Coach Amanda Thomas preaches about the team working together everyday when the girls practice. “I used the example of a rope, explaining to them that each piece of the rope represents our team, and I encouraged the team not to let go of each other regardless if you
are a newcomer or if you been in the program for a while.” Four-year varsity player Brittney Roberts said that the team has new people and so far the newcomers have been a good change for the team. “We have a lot of new faces on the team, and that brings a good change,” Roberts said. Roberts also said she loves playing with the new people. “They all bring a new style to the game …. none of us are alike and I think that’s what makes playing a team sport so great,” Robert said. “You get to meet people from all walks of life and it’s never a boring day with them.” One of the new faces is freshman Shanti Ramdeen. She said it was a bit nerve wracking to join the varsity team as a freshman. “Simply playing and the thought of
messing up really makes me nervous, so it can be very nerve wracking being a freshman on varsity,” Ramdeen said. Coral Rolon, who is another freshman on varsity. “The thought of competing with some girls who are probably recruiting to colleges …. can be nerve wracking at times,” she said. Senior Aricia Amaro said that the underclassmen are playing on a level to where it doesn’t appear that they are freshman. “We have two freshman, they actually are both really good. It doesn’t seem like they are freshman,” Amaro said. Junior Emily De La Garza said she is confident with the new players. Though the freshman may feel nervous with maintaining that spot, the older players still feel that they are doing a great job working with their teammates.
▲ Head To Head
Alex Castro
Freshman Shanti Ramdeen (12) goes for a spike as two players from the Anderson Trojans try to block it on Sept. 26. The Lady Eagles lost the game 0–3.
The Eagle’s Eye
Photo Essay
page 11
Wednesday - October 4, 2017
Marcelo Cruz
▲ No Place to Go
Many urinals remain unusable because of leaky water pipes which results in water overflowing. Students have to search for working toilets to relieve themselves.
▲ No Space to be Active
Marcelo Cruz
The bleachers in the big gym are broken and will not retract back to the wall, taking up floor space. The estimated cost to repair the bleachers is roughly $18,000.
Marcelo Cruz
▲ Leaky Roofs
Ceiling tiles around the campus show signs of mildew caused by leaky roofs. Besides students complain about the odor, others worry that the mold can be unhealthy.
Campus in need of repairs Marcelo Cruz Co-Photo Editor
Some Akins students who want to do basic things like wash their hands after going to the restrooms are having a hard time these days. Several of the bathrooms have broken soap dispensers, broken toilets or broken stall doors. Some toilets are bagged off or are missing toilet seats, making them unusable and making bathroom lines longer during our short passing periods. Akins High School was originally opened in 2000 and grown to a population of more than 2,8000 students. The school district had not been able to keep up with maintenance over the years, leading to the current condition of the campus.
▲ No Soap for You
It’s not the custodian’s fault. They can’t fix things if there is no money to do the repairs. The school district is asking voters to approve a $1.05 billion bond issue on Nov. 7 to make repairs and renovations to all of the district’s campuses. If the voters approve the bond, the district will have the funds to make the needed repairs. Besides the repairs, the campus is also over capacity in terms of student population. There are 20 portable buildings used for classrooms on campus that were supposed to be temporary. Akins is overpopulated, Principal Brandi Hosack said. “Our building is only supposed to hold about 2,300 students and we’re at 2,800,” Hosack said. “So another building is our big ticket item right now.”
Marcelo Cruz
Soap dispensers in the boys bathrooms are broken, preventing custodians from resupplying them. Students complain that it is unsanitary and a health risk.
▲ No Toilet Seats
Alyssa Clemmons
One of the toilets is missing a seat in the girls restroom upstairs Green Hall, making the toilet unusable.
▲ A Permanent Home
Marcelo Cruz
Principal Brandi Hosack would like to add another building to the campus to replace the 20 portables that house the Social Services Academy.
Community
page 12
This page is advertising provided by the Akins administration.
The Eagle’s Eye
Wednesday – October 4, 2017
Support Services office moves to new location
Principal’s Message Dear Eagle’s Eye Reader: What an amazing beginning to the 2017-18 school year! It has been the absolute best start I’ve ever been a part of, by far - thanks to everyone (admin, teachers, parents & students) for doing their part to make sure we got off to a great start! Students and Teaches are finding their rhythm to make sure the rest of the year goes just as smoothly. We are all here to support our students and make sure they stay focused on their academic career. I ask students for four things every day to ensure their success:
1. Go to every class 2. Be on time 3. Do your best work 4. Be respectful If students are (at a minimum) doing those things, we are sure to see them succeed. Teachers have committed themselves to providing rigorous coursework so that students are prepared for anything/everything beyond graduation. We have high expectations of our Akins’ Eagles and you are ALL fit for the challenge. It is because of YOU that W. Charles Akins High School is the #BestHighSchoolOnThePlanet! I look forward to an amazing year with you all!
Sincerely, Brandi Hosack
Students invited to join BPA club Business Professionals of America is the leading CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other related career fields. BPA prepares students to succeed and assesses real-world business skills and problem solving abilities in finance, management, IT and computer applications. It is BPA’s showcase program and facilitates students demonstrating their career skills at regional, state and national conferences in 72 competitive events. We have a great group of students already involved in BPA at Akins. Some current BPA members have done really well in past competitions. BPA is a great way for students to sharpen skills that will last a lifetime. The list of competitions is
really impressive. BPA holds events ranging from business applications like accounting and finance to competitions in computer programming and law. See bpa.org/compete/eventlist for the entire list of events. BPA gives students an opportunity to meet new people, try new things, and it looks great on college applications! I know we will have a lot of fun this year and I would love for you to become a BPA member! This year’s state competition will be during four school days at a hotel in Corpus Christi and we want to bring as many students as possible! BPA looks great on college applications! We meet every Thursday during A & B lunch in Room 263. You can bring your lunch. See Mr. Hebenstreit in room 263 for more information and meeting schedules.
Blue and GolD night Come enjoy the celebration of all things Akins! Enjoy food, game booths, and various Akins performers, including the Diamond Dazzlers, the Akins band and orchestra.
Oct. 25 (Wednesday) ◆ 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Student Support Services (SSS) program is serves students at Akins who need or want extra support with academic or life experiences. SSS offers a variety of services, including individual sessions and group sessions (groups include: LGBTQ; Pregnancy/Parenting Support; Anger Management; Emotions Management; Girls Empowerment; Grief/Loss; and Healthy Relationships — one for girls and one for guys). In addition, SSS matches students interested with trained peer mentors, these meetings occur during lunch. SSS also supports students in need with resources such as clothing, school supplies, referring outside resources, and working with students and collaboratively with staff to meet any need they may have. All SSS services are completely confidential. All SSS services are free and voluntary, meaning students can seek services as needed. This semester SSS has terrific interns from the University of Texas – Steve Hicks School of Social Work. SSS will has a Baby Stuff Giveaway each semester. The community is encouraged to donate gently used and new clothing, books, toys, unused diapers and baby blankets. SSS will accept donations through the end of November. Students who are interested in SSS should visit the SSS office in Room 248. You can also reach the SSS of office by calling (512) 841-9878.
Support Groups Available 1.
Emotions Management Group • Focusing primarily on coping with feelings of depression and/or anxiety
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Anger Management Group Grief and Loss Group Pregnancy and Parenting Groups Healthy Relationships Group LGBTQ Support Group Girls Empowerment Group
8.
Sober Living Support Group
• Girls-only group
Outside agencies will also provide groups in the following areas: 1. 2.
Con Mi Madre Expect Respect • separate groups for boys and girls (Safe Place)
The SSS is located in RM 248. Contact colleen arnold if you have questions.
Peer tutoring program to help students with assignments A new Literacy Center program is seeking students to serve as peer tutors to help other students. Read more to find out details if you want to join and help your classmates. What is it? The Literacy Center is a peer-tutoring program for all subjects. The students who work in the Literacy Center are called Learning Consultants, and they work other students one-on-one to help them learn and complete assignments. One of the things that makes this special is that Consultants don’t give students the answers, they ask questions and guide students to finding solutions. That way, the student is learning but also gets to decide how they do their own assignment. Why be a consultant? • Get training and practice on important social skills that will help you in and outside of school, like asking questions, active listening, being interviewed, • and giving feedback • Meet and help new people on a regular basis, so you get to see how you’re helping firsthand • Great experience for college applications and a résumé • There is a very good chance (but not 100%) that we will have a fieldtrip to UT’s writing center • This is brand new, and you have a say in how it will work. You’ll be able to help create and be part of something that could last way beyond your time in high school. • You’ll be the first.
How will it work? The Literacy Center will be based in the library after school during homework haven. Once we have our consultants, I will work with them (you) to figure out a reasonable number of hours for consultants to tutor each week. Consultants will need to be able to stay before or after school at least one day every two weeks. We will also have training and practice for the fall semester before you are expected to begin consulting, and you will need to be able to attend training sessions during FIT, before school, or after school. What are the requirements? • At least a B average in the subject(s) you want to work in, and a C average overall. • At least one teacher recommendation from a subject you want to work in • A short application about your interest • A writing sample (can be a past assignment or a new assignment) • An interview How do I find out more or sign up? Stop by room 235 to get an application packet from Mr. Thomas and ask any questions Email ryan.ch.thomas@austinisd.org for more details or to ask any questions you have.
Isaac Castaneda
Noel Gil
NON PROFIT ORG PRSRT STD PERMIT NO. 12 ZIP CODE 78660
Brittnay Arrellano
The Eagle’s Eye
Brittany Arellano, Isaac Castaneda, Noel Gil have been selected as National Hispanic Scholars by the College Board. These students scored nationally in the top 2 percent of 11th grade Hispanic/Latino students taking the PSAT/NMSQT last year. Many colleges and universities use this distinction to provide scholarships or grants. Congratulations.
Akins High School 10701 S. First St. Austin, TX 78748
Students named top National Hispanic Scholars