The Eagle's Eye; Issue 3; Volume 17; Akins High School

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Eagle’s Eye

W. Charles Akins High School Austin, Texas Volume 17 Issue 3 December 19, 2017 Keep up with our stories, photos, and more at akinseagleseye.com

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Pg 10: Freshman Corey Tune was physically and emotionally bullied at his middle school. It didn’t stop until a hall monitor caught the bullies. David’s Law, passed in Texas’ previous legislative session, would make it easier for individuals such as Tune and those around them to report bullying.

Boys and Girls Basketball David’s Law, named for David Molak, is an anti-bullying and cyberbullying law that allows schools to address off-campus bullying and expel students who engage in serious bullying such as suicide baiting and instigating violence against another student. It requires schools and school districts to provide an anonymous reporting system for its students.

Pg 11: “I think this could’ve been useful back then, because nobody would know who told the authorities,” Tune said.

Before the passage of David’s Law, there was no legislation applicable to situations of serious bullying or cyberbullying, making it difficult for many Texas schools to effectively act regarding harassment. Under this law, Snowing in Texas school counselors are required to serve as mediators for interpersonal conflict.

“I think mediation is a good idea,” junior Cirilo Junior Martinez-Diaz said. “Talking face-to-face with an adult Austin ISD’s there to make sure things don’t get out of hand could be really helpful.”

Acceptable Use In addition to moderation of conflicts, David’s Law allows schools to relocate serious bullies — those who Violation Hotline: engage in suicide baiting, inciting violence, or the spreading of personal or explicit photographs — to alternative 512-414-4466. disciplinary education programs. Aggressors in bullying situations could also be charged criminally. Within this legislation, cyberbullying and serious bullying is considered a Class A Correction: Bond Issue misdemeanor, an offense punishable by up to one year in prison.

“We have had numerous school districts reach out to us and tell us that they are fully In the November 15 issue of behind this law,” Maurine Molak, mother of David Molak and co-founder of David’s Legacy The Eagle’s Eye, a news artifoundation, said. “They are so glad that it passed. They were waiting for something more cle incorrectly stated that the substantial.” recently passed bond issue The David’s Legacy foundation, created after cyberbullying victim David Molak commited proposal would include funding suicide in January of 2016, advocated strongly and aided in the drafting for Senate Bill 179, to pay for the construction of a or David’s Law. Since the law’s passage, the organization has expanded its anti-cyberbullynew building to replace the poring efforts. David’s Legacy’s website, davidslegacy.org, now includes a pledge for people to table buildings that house the take. When you take the pledge, you can request stickers through their website.

Social Service Academy class“It has a little texting ellipsis bubble on it that signifies a time of waiting, thinking and rerooms. While this is a high-priormembering that there’s a soul behind every screen,” Molak said. “You never know what kind ity item that campus administraof a day a person is having when you choose to say something. So always choose kindness.” tion would like to be addressed, If a student is or knows someone who is being bullied or cyberbullied, they can find a form funding for this project has not to fill out to report bullying at this website: www.austinisd.org/respectforall/reporting been designated as part of the “I wish people were a little bit more observant,” Tune said. “No matter what bullying will still voter-approved proposal. happen, but people can at least try to help out more.”

Opinions

page 2

The Eagle’s Eye

tuesday - december 19, 2017

Laptop softwear frequently causes loss of student work Use of Go Guardian in the classroom without student knowlege leads to many frustrated kids Annie

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EDITORIAL

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ot a lot of students actually know what Go Guardian is but many have no doubt experienced exactly what it does to the laptops we were provided by Austin ISD this year. Plenty of students have walked into class with windows full of tabs of work or interesting things open only to have them all closed and replaced with tabs that simply say “Uh-oh.”

Go Guardian is a function that is built into every school provided laptop that allows a teacher to take full control of the device at any point. All a teacher has to do is type in a student’s district email address into the Go Guardian system and then they can take over the computer. The Go Guardian software has the ability to pick out specific computers as well.

A teacher can have full control over what can be viewed on the laptops even down to the number of tabs can be open at any given time. It can be setup before class even starts so that as soon as students walk in and open their laptops the f u n c t i o n a l i t y can be limited.

Yes, there are students that misuse the use the tabs and windows to cheat or play around in class by hiding what websites they are viewing. Plenty of students take a quiz in BLEND in one tab and look up the answers in another.

While other students just play games or watch videos in class and don’t participate in class activities at all. Because of these students Go Guardian has great potential for encouraging students to actually learn during class time.

On the flip side there just as many kids who use their computers to do school work like research projects or taking notes. Any

STandardized

type of research, whether it’s for school or for personal use can take up to 20 tabs alone. Depending on a students workflow each of the tabs can hold important information for various ongoing projects a student might be working on.

Ripping student’s tabs away with no warning is just cruel and unnecessary. There’s no telling what someone could lose when all their tabs close. Sure you could shut down kids who are just playing games or watching videos, but you could also ruin someone’s research project, job application, work for other classes, or a college application.

We are not asking for Go Guardian to be trashed completely. We are just asking that teachers consider the possible consequences that a student will face before taking everything away. It’s simply inconsiderate to the hard working students who are actually using their district issued laptops for productive purposes when a teacher uses such a sledgehammer approach to dealing with classroom management problems.

We as the editorial board simply ask that teachers think before they act. We hope that this problem is the result of a teacher learning curve as they learn to manage the new student laptops in their classrooms and this isn’t just a series of malicious acts.

When teachers kill our tabs they could also be setting students back on hours of work they spent working on their computers. If you have experienced a sudden computer crash that has made hours of work simply vanish into cyberspace, you can understand our frustration. It’s only compounded when the work lost is caused by a teacher who is trying to force their will on the entire class without any consideration for the consequences. All we ask for is a warning before we lose our work.

Annie Ricotta

testing

STARR rules change way too often, student’s frustrations growing State testing causes many students to lose hope of graduating after taking tests repeatedly

Editorial Policy The Eagle’s Eye is the official student newspaper of Akins High School. It is published once per six weeks, for the students, staff and community.

The Eagle’s Eye is an open forum for student expression, not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not

The Eagle’s Eye

school officials.

The Eagle’s Eye will avoid bias and/or favoritism.

We will make our content meaningful, timely and interesting. Our articles will reflect our objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality.

We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid

electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph.

Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eagle’s Eye staff or administration as a whole.

The Eagle’s Eye welcomes reader input.

Please send any letters, articles, comments

Eagle’s Eye Staff

Web Editor

Online Entertainment Editor

Editor-in-Chief

In-Depth Editor

Graphics Editor

Opinions Editor

Sports Editor

Social Media Manager

News Editor

Life & Style Editor

Entertainment Editor

Photo Editors

Staff Writers See full list on the Eagle’s Eye Web site

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.

Editorial board*

Just the name STAAR can evoke fear in the hearts of students who struggle to pass tests period — not to mention one which can prevent them from graduating unless they pass it.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness consists of 22 different exams students take over their academic career. It’s the primary driver of the state’s educational priorities because of the consequences for students and schools when students don’t pass.

Standardized tests like STAAR weren’t always as important or strict as they are now. The push toward high-stakes tests in Texas began in the 1980s, when the state started to evaluate student performance with an exam to see what students learned and retained.

They discovered the kids weren’t meeting basic standards and that the teachers were just passing them on to get them out of their classes.

In 2003, the state changed the name again to TAKS, which continued the high-stakes for students but increased the number of tests that students had to pass at different grade levels.

According to Theresa Treviño, who is the president of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA), Texas is one of only 14 states that require high-stakes tests for graduation.

Some believe that testing companies are the primary beneficiaries of testing. Over the years, some lawmakers have been trying to reduce the number of STAAR tests students have to take. The TAMSA group pushed a bill in the last legislative session that would have reduced the number of STAAR exams to 17. The bill failed, but critics of the STAAR have said that it would have saved

the state $1.8 million in the next two years. The bill would have also allowed school districts to have used another exam besides STAAR to evaluate student academic progress.

STAAR has always been an issue for me. I had to retest test again for English 1. I’ve had to take that stupid test for the 8th time and the English 2 STAAR for the 5th time.

The problem is I have a hard time passing them. I come very close and yet so far no matter how much time I put into learning new strategies to take on the STAAR, it doesn’t help. Everytime I go in to take the test, the proctors say “This is the last time you have to take it.” They tell us “be positive.” How can we stay positive after retesting and taking the STAAR so many times just so I can graduate.

TAMSA believes it is time to eliminate high-stakes performance requirements for grade promotion and high school graduation, and I agree. Denying students a diploma based on a single test is wrong when students have met all other graduation requirements.

The only thing the STAAR test does well is stress out students who are trying their hardest to graduate, but just don’t do well on standardized tests. It’s unnecessary that the STAAR test could prevent me from graduating, and it’s not fair that the state has the “high-stakes” for high schoolers.

Then have so many restrictions before, during and after the test. I can understand not talking but no one wants to talk about the STAAR. While they’re taking it it’s frustrating as it is and they think were going to talk about it during lunch. That’s not likely. But no we yawn during lunch and they automatically think were talking. These restriction are so bad they need to change. Not it a drastic way. But enough were we can at least read a book.

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

Icon Credit:

Zeta handy Staff Writer

All icons for kickers are found on: flaticon.com

Annie Ricotta

Vol. 17, issue #3 Honors ILPC/UIL

Bronze Star Award 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

TAJE

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

CSPA

NSPA

All-American - 2013 Nominated for Pacemaker - 2013

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

Opinions world

tuesday december 19, 2017

The Eagle’s Eye page 3

overheating

Global warming is a scientifically prove fact, not a hoax

Multiple studies show that glabal warming is real even if President Trump ignores it’s effects Dee carreon Staff Writer

Climate change should already be known as an indisputable fact by now. It’s a change in the Earth’s climate regionally or globally, but there seems to be a controversy in the validity of global warming. For me it’s questionable as to why some people, especially in the United States, still try write it off as a hoax or that it’s not as bad as most think.

To provide a clear understanding, global warming is the gradual increase in the earth’s overall temperature due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that contribute to the greenhouse effect.

The major contributor to the rise of carbon dioxide emissions is the fossil fuel industry. Murray Energy is one of the biggest coal mining corporations in America and as of 2014 contributed to 6.3% of the total coal mining production in the United States.

“Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant,” said Robert E. Murray, CEO of Murray Energy Corporation stated on an interview during October 10, 2017 by PBS. “I have 40,000 scientists that tell me that it is not a pollutant … we do not have a climate change problem… mankind is not affecting climate change… the earth has cooled for the last 19 years.”

This probably one of the most dumbfounding things I’ve ever heard. During the last 400,000 years carbon dioxide levels have risen and fallen but have never reached passed the mark of 300 parts per million.

To put that into perspective, 400,000 years and it has never reached passed 300 parts per million. Within the last 68 years the earth’s CO2 level has reached around 400 parts per million. That, again, is 100 more than what has been normal for the past 400,000 years.

Now, you may ask, ‘What the hell are you blabbering on about? What does carbon dioxide do?’ Well, as previously stated, it’s one of the pollutants that factors into the

Predatory

greenhouse effect. To put it simply, imagine a greenhouse, it’s what people use to grow plants in a cold environment. It allows the sun to warm the air inside it while the heat is in turn being trapped in the room by the glass walls and roof, CO2 acts as the glass walls and roof in the Earth’s case. The warmth can cause droughts, stronger and more intense hurricanes, glacial retreat, a change in sea levels and ocean acidification. This is just to name a few.

The most heavily affected places by these changes are more poorer countries because they have a lesser ability to cope with damage from the weather, not to mention they typically have vulnerable geography.

Recently, there has been progress in combating this issue that has taken shape in something known as the Paris Agreement. The goal of the Paris Agreement, which was signed by the leaders of 270

countries that agreed to it, sets as a goal to keep the average warming of the Earth under 2 degrees Celsius and each country is responsible for figuring out how to meet that goal. However, because it is just an agreement, a country that does not accomplish its goal or does nothing, does not get punished.

The United States has made progress since 2005 starting at 6,000 million metric tons of CO2 emissions all the way down to less than 5,300 metric tons of CO2 as of 2015. Sadly, as of June 1 President Donald Trump had announced that he would cease all participation in the agreement.

“This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States, the rest of the world applauded when we signed the Paris Agreement,” Trump said when announcing the change.

The United States contributes to about 15 percent of global carbon emissions. It’s one of the top carbon emitting countries second only to China, which contributes around 22 percent. Both countries combined don’t even make up half the total carbon emissions world wide. This isn’t to say that the withdrawal of the United States won’t affect the goal of the agreement. In fact I mean just the opposite, without the United States contributing to the agreement it is further weakened because this problem is so spread out that one less country contributing, especially the United States, would stall the goal to a greater extent.

Out of all the things our president has decided upon, this was one of the most disappointing decisions he has made so far. It’s far more ridiculous that he denies the existence of such a problem even when the evidence had been right in his sight the entire time, such as hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which, mind you, was three category four hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast consecutively. It may not be the end of the world but it’s a misstep that could end up hindering us more in the long run.

Annie Ricotta

allegations

Numerous women voice sexual misconduct they have experienced Victims of sexual assault are becoming more confident with every allegation brought to light Jennifer Espinoza Staff Writer In the past, the burden of proving a claim of sexual assault was usually placed on the victim.

Our culture seems to have automatically taken the side of the accused when it comes to prominent and famous people like politicians, celebrities and media figures. It was assumed that the accusers must be lying because they wanted either money or fame instead of holding powerful men accountable for sexual misconduct in all of its various forms.

That has all changed this year. In early December, Time Magazine named “the Silence Breakers” as the Person of the Year.

The magazine’s in-depth feature story highlighted how women of all different stripes have come out of the shadows to tell their stories this year, revealing their experiences in which they were sexualy assaulted. These women spoke of the fear they had when they went through their experience and then later when they worried about possible future victims. In fact, the thought that they could prevent a future assault is what motivated many of them to finally share their stories years after living with the assault.

Now it seems that the fear is gone and that there is this huge, powerful wave of women who now have the courage to say what they wanted to say before but couldn’t. These victims aren’t taking the old set of questions of what were you wearing? What were doing? Why didn’t you do anything to stop it? Do you have any physical proof of this? Why were you there if you knew something might happen? These questions are only used to put the blame on the victim, excusing the actions of the assaulter acceptable.This year the victims of sexual assault finally said this has to end.

These victims are now standing together and putting attention to sexual assault because it’s a serious action to

do on another human and it seems to finally get the attention that it should have had before. Now it seems the tables have turned and now the women and men who have been assaulted or molested are being given a chance to be heard without assuming a sinister intent.

It’s not just one woman with this fear of standing alone anymore and facing this type of situation, but it’s this huge movement of powerful women from across the board taking action and speaking out against the monsters that hurt them and silenced them.

The origins of the movement can be traced back to several key moments this year, including the symbolic $1 case featuring Taylor Swift against DJ David Maeller who had sued her millions of dollars do to him losing his job and she countered sued him $1 which was a huge statement that women don’t have to tolerate sexual harassment and can stand up for themselves if it happens. The #MeToo hashtag took off online this fall as women — sometimes for the first time — shared their assault stories on social media. It spread like a wildfire and sparked this huge moment of women sharing their stories and the courage they have received knowing they are not alone.

It can also be traced to the election of President Donald Trump, who has himself been accused of sexual assault and misconduct. Let’s not forget that the so called “Women’s March,” which took place in cities around the planet, the day after his inauguration.

Maybe Several women’s rights protests this year have encouraged women to stand up to unfairness and to be strong and to stand up against anything that they feel is an injustice to them.

Now more attention has been drawn because there is this fact that sexual assault could happen to everyone and anyone, before victims were left to feel dirty, shameful, and terrified for the rest of their lives because they knew that nobody would take their side. The feeling of being touched by someone sexually without consent never goes away, and the paranoia of wondering if it will happen again or if someone else might do something to them can follow victims like a shadow. Nobody should go through a sexual assault, not a woman, a man, a child, or adult.

It’s a terrifying action that can destroy someone and can change them entirely. It’s a horrible mental state of doubting everything that happened and wondering if it was your own fault when it was not.

It should never be the victim’s fault because there is no such thing as knowing when something as serious as sexual assault can happen. It can happen

anytime, anywhere to anybody.

These victims are trying to encourage as many people as possible to stand up and to raise their voices so everyone can see that it’s OK to say something and to seek justice for something like this. They are also raising awareness that this is happening and it’s happening everywhere and it will continue to happen unless we all speak out about it.

These victims should be praised for risking everything and facing their monsters with their head held high because they realized that they didn’t have to be afraid anymore. They are setting an example for every present and future child who experiences this.

They are spreading the message that it is alright to be afraid but to also let people know that they are strong enough to do something about it so nobody else gets hurt. Teenagers now can see this and know that they don’t have to be afraid anymore. They can speak out for themselves and stop future sexual assaults from happening and maybe save another person from having this horrible situation happen to them.

Annie Ricotta

In-Depth

page 4

The Eagle’s Eye

Tuesday - December 19, 2017

AUSTIN’S RAPID GROWTH CREATES NEW AMENITIES, HEADACHES ELIANA GUTIERREZ In-Depth Editor

For Austin residents who say that it feels like there are 100 people moving to Austin every day, they would be right.

Actually, according to the Austin Business Journal there are 159 people moving to Austin per day in this past year.

Students and teachers born and raised in Austin have seen dramatic changes in Austin’s landscape and infrastructure.

“I think (Austin’s traffic) is bad because there was already a lot of traffic so with more people coming in there’s a lot more traffic,” sophomore Laura Flores said.

Flores said that despite the travel strains she loves living in Austin, but would move if the opportunity presented itself.

“I plan to stay in Austin because it’s pretty, but if my job takes me somewhere else than I’ll be happy,” Flores said.

Austin’s economy has benefited significantly, ranking 27th in the nation, according to The Austin Chamber. In 2016, Austin’s real GDP rose to 16.6 percent, making it a major metropolitan.

Austin surpasses the average of all metros in the U.S. by industry growth rates. This city holds an industry growth rate of 5% in all categories except for a decline in natural resources and mining.

The city’s job growth rate has also increased, providing over 1 million non-farm jobs in the past year.

Criminal Justice teacher Carmen Garcia moved to Austin in 2003 to pursue a job opportunity.

“I just fell in love with the atmosphere, the environment,” Garcia said.

Garcia moved to Austin from Brownsville, Texas to join the police academy.

“There’s more things to do in Austin,” Garcia said. “Austin

159 $9.1 Austin Business Journal

Austin Business Journal

People moved to Austin per day

Austin Chamber

+47,000

Billion generated by tourism annually

(net gain)

Businesses in the Austin Metro Area

AUSTIN’S POPULATION GROWTH

1,000,000

is very diverse... there’s a lot of culture.”

Garcia embraces Austin’s unique attributes such as the music scene.

Austin’s rapid density growth has a push-pull effect varying on a person’s income and desires.

“Austin is more expensive that’s for sure,” Garcia said. “(Austin) provides the lifestyle that I would want.”

Social studies teacher Sharon Kay Fayad grew up in Austin and attended Reagan High School.

“I moved away for college, but my family has always been here and I’ve always liked Austin,” Fayad said.

Having grown up as the city has grown, Fayad recalls Austin’s development over the years.

“I was looking at the skyline and the way Austin used to look about 10 years ago, and it’s totally different,” she said.

“The traffic used to just be ‘5 o’clock traffic’ but now it is the way it is because Austin has grown so much. I’ve really seen the growth from the traffic to the buildings, I’ve noticed it more in the last 3 years.”

Austin’s growth is largely due to the influx of people everyday.

As an Austinite, Fayad said the growth is “positive except for traffic.”

“Overall, the infrastructure like all of the houses being built around Akins and the widening of the roads has been good,” Fayad said.

Despite the complaints about traffic and the rising cost of living, growth in Austin doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

According to a study by the Urban Institute, if migration and the birth rates are higher than expected, the Austin area could grow by more than 80 percent by the year 2030.

91% City of Austin

Occupied residential units as of 2015

Open Data Network

3,133 Density Rate (people per square mile)

*Data Provided by the City of Austin

800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0

2005

2000

*Data Provided by Austin Chamber

2010

2016 Eliana Gutierrez

“(Austin) feels incredibly different...

I love how developed it has become, but I also don’t want it to grow too big.”

-Emily espresion, senior

MEDIAN HOME PRICE (Single-Family)

300,000

AUSTIN IS RANKED 15TH IN THE NATION FOR THE WORST TRAFFIC

250,000

200,000

150,000

“I didn’t like that our culture was being pushed out...now i don’t mind the changes because I’ve met some great people.”

-ebone zamarron, teacher

100,000

50,000

0

2014

2015

2016

Background art: Jorkaed Rodriguez

Page Layout and Design: Eliana Gutierrez

News

The Eagle’s Eye

Page 5

Tuesday - December 19, 2017 Recruiting

Programs

Students, staff give back to community through donation School organizations contribute to charities, homeless students to celebrate holiday season ruben nava

Recommended Charities - Stop Abuse for everyone - Caritas of Austin - Austin Diaper Bank - CASA of Travis County - better World Books - CENTER FOR CHILD PROTECTION - My Two Front Teeth - CAPITOL SCHOOL OF AUSTIN

Foreign

Staff Writer

The holiday season is known as one of biggest times of the year for charitable giving in the United States and the same is true at Akins. Many clubs and organizations on campus come together each holiday season to give back to their community.

Staff and students alike have been working beyond regular school hours to provide for and help students who are in need. There are various efforts to collect winter clothing, toys and even food for students and their families who cannot afford these items on their own.

The two groups of people that have been playing a huge role in helping homeless families or students in major need have been Student Support Services and Toni Holder.

The Student Support Services office has been focusing on taking care of the homeless students at Akins.

“We are doing a combination of things such as the Coats for Kids (drive) and different Christmas present programs along

with different churches and people who are willing to donate,” social worker Colleen Arnold said.

Student Support Services has also coordinated efforts to provide gift bags for homeless students that included clothing and snacks. Arnold said that many of these items are provided at other times of the year as well, but it’s especially important to give these supplies out during winter break when students are away from campus for a longer period of time.

Student groups like Student Council and the National Honor Society are also helping out with charitable giving projects this holiday season. NHS is volunteering at Merry Memories, an event in which volunteers give out goodie bags and toys to families and children, along with having games and music.

“We volunteered at the Chuy’s Parade over Thanksgiving break and we’re doing Operation Santa, which is giving gifts to kids who don’t or can’t necessarily get gifts,” said Saba Naiyer, president of National Honor Society.

Parent Support Specialist Toni Holder

Language

Programs

also helped take care of homeless students and Akins families in need by giving out free turkeys for Thanksgiving. She said this is usually at the request of parents.

“I have a lot of parents that come through the office or they call me and say ‘Hey, I don’t think we’re going to have a very good Thanksgiving. Do you have any resources?’”

Holder said.

Holder said she loves being able to help these students and families out, saying it motivates her work in reaching out to parents. The means for this comes from a group of donors and churches that Holder works closely with. She was able to help 175 families over Thanksgiving break. Holder said she also plans to give out gift cards to students in need for the winter holidays.

Her current plan for the holidays is to give out packages with necessities to 46 families. She also has gift cards ranging from $25 – $200 to give to families. These gift cards can be used for clothing and food to help families over the winter break.

“I’m a huge motivator to myself and I try to motivate everyone else to help,” she said.

Technology

Akins receives new exchange students from four countries Raidy Zanjeel

Briefs

Junior Matthieu Gerrer from France is following in his sister’s footsteps by coming Staff Writer to the United States. He said that he hopes to Every year, Akins hosts exchange students grow by learning about the culture and expefrom different countries from around the riencing new things. Gerrer said he likes the world.

United States and he’s having fun with his Exchange students go through a long pro- host family. cess in which they fill out applications, sign Gerrer said he is enjoying being away from contracts, obtain insurance, and test their lan- home and living more independently away guage and academic proficiency. When they from his parents. He said it is good to have are accepted, they are given three countries this opportunity because it would open more they can choose from. doors for the future, such as colleges. Gerrer There are currently four exchange students said the average level in schools in the United at Akins hailing from Denmark, China, States are the AP level in France and Japan and France. All of them said that the hours are much longer. it took them at least one month “School is very different in to feel comfortable living in France,” he said. “We work a “ School is very Austin and attending Akins. lot more.”

Sophomore Caroline Andifferent in France.

Gerrer said the relationdersen from Denmark said ships between teachers and WE work a Lot More. ” she has enjoyed her experistudents are different in -Matthieu Gerrer ence in the United States, esFrance. pecially touring around Austin.

“It’s like you’re kind of very “Because my host parents realclose to him and you can discuss ly like to go around the city and exvery easily,” he said. “In France is more ploring things, we went to this like lantern like the teacher is teaching his stuff and you festival,” she said. “It was a really beautiful sit on the table and you write what you see. light. All these lanterns just flying around. It’s like half a world.”

But I really just like this city driving around Freshman Boxiao Lyu from China said and it’s just like, I love it.” that he is exploring the way of life in the Andersen said there are many differences United States because it’s different from his between school lives in Denmark and in the home country’s schools. He is also participatUnited States including grading, grade lev- ing in marching band, an activity that is not els and teaching style. She said that they get offered in his hometown. graded on participation and grades are deter“All the band members think about band mined more by overall performance. and have rehearsals everyday,” Lyu said. “No“It’s just kind of grading everything we body complains and say they are tired. Instead do without necessarily being an assignment,” they are excited everyday while it actually Andersen said. “We do not have the opportu- really really is tiring but nobody talks about nity to do retakes. So a grade is a grade.” it.”

PSAT Results Students can now access their PSAT scores for the tests they took earlier this fall by going online to studentscores.collegeboard. org. Students can log in with the email that they recorded on their PSAT answer document. Students who do not have a College Board account can make one to access their results.

If the site prompts students to enter an access code, it can be obtained from College Readiness Counselor Christine Kesling in Room 149 or via email at christine.kesling@austinisd.org.

On the site, students and link their scores to Khan Academy’s SAT prep courses to receive an assessment of what skills they should work on. College Board also shows students their National Merit Scholarship Corporation selection index.

There will be a “Next Steps” seminar in the library in January regarding what can be done with student scores in College Board.

Britney Gonzalez

▲ Increasing Understanding

Translation devices sit in Parent Support Specialist Toni Holder’s office. The devices allow parents who do not speak English recieve translations in meetings more easily.

Support specialist purchases translation devices for meetings Britney Gonzalez

parents that connect with a wireless headset worn by a translator.

Holder said the device allows parents to receive translations simultaneously as the rest of the audience so they can feel more a part of the conversation than they have been in the past.

“I wanted the parents to feel comfortable when communicating and get involved,” she said.

“I wanted them to feel welcomed and get involved with the school more.”

The Audio Resource system has already been used at some Coffee with the Principal meetings and a PTSA Loteria Night event, where more than 100 parents showed up. Holder said she believes that having the transmitter system helped make those event successful.

Staff Writer

When parents who don’t speak English attend important meetings, they can often feel out of place and in the spotlight when the translator gets up to speak.

The meeting can drag on because the primary speaker must pause to give time for a translator to interpret what the speaker just said.

It can be an awkward experience for non-English speakers.

Toni Holder, the school’s Parent Support Specialist, has recently found a device that she hopes will help eliminate some of the problems with traditional translation situations for large groups. The product, called Audio Resource, is made up of a kit of wireless headphones worn by

Upcoming Events S M 1 7

College Readiness Counselor Christine Kesling said she is looking forward to using the translation system at the PSAT Results Night event in January.

Kesling said she believes parents feel more comfortable hearing school information in the language in which they are most fluent, which can be difficult for a school to arrange with separate language meetings.

“I believe it is most important that parents feel welcome and that we try our best, through things like the translation devices and materials written in both English and Spanish, to make sure all our parents feel included in our school family and are getting the necessary information to help their children be successful in school,” she said.

January

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9. Financial Aid Seminar

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

17. Dance Solo and Ensemble 23. Rising Senior Night 25-27. Hairspray Musical

Entertainment

Page 6

The Eagle’s Eye

Tuesday - December 19, 2017

Staff Picks The Greatest Showman Annie

Hollywood

failure

Justice League example of Hollywood’s worst

CEOs ruin superhero movies by putting profit ahead of storyline

The Greatest Showman: An original musical that shows the birth of show business with Hugh Jackman, Zac Effron, and Zendaya.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Releasing Dec. 12, 2017

Insidious: The Last Key jandr

le

A

a

C A L E N D A R

Opinions Editor

Entertainment Editor

Courtesy of D.C.

Jon Garza

Guest Contributor

Why I picked this movie: I really love scary movies, so I try to see every one that comes out.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Releasing Jan. 5, 2018

The Post

F I L M

a eli na

InDepth Editor Why I picked this movie: It gives a behind the scenes look at how the Washington Post fought for Democracy.

Courtesy of Amblin Entertainment

W I N T E R

Releasing Jan. 12, 2018

Mary and the Witch’s Flowers bee

vengeance

people would clap or cheer once a character got on screen and said a funny line. The audience just ate it up, and wanted more. And I know that pleasing the mainstream is how Hollywood bigwigs make money, but they’re also the same people holding us back.

It’s not that all reboots are inherently bad.

Blade Runner 2049, which was a reboot from the original 1982 movie, is a perfect example of what can be done if producers and directors approach a film as a piece of art instead of a product. It completely changed the way I look at sequels.

It had an original story, well developed characters, a beautiful score that embodies the emotion of the film, and yet the movie didn’t make that much money.

Unfortunately, audiences tend to prefer to shell out money to buy tickets for movies with recognizable characters and thus we see studios pumping out half-baked superhero movies every year, ruining what could have been so much better.

Pursuit of the almighty dollar is persuading producers to make the same films. But I have hope things will change, and I think it will. Justice League isn’t making that much money domestically. This isn’t just apparent in superhero films, but in modern films.

People are starting to want new creative films. We need to show Hollywood what we want with our wallets, not our words. I don’t want to sound mean or pretentious, I just want change.

seeker

Netflix updates Punisher for TV series

Editor-In-Chief

Former solider seeks justice through extreme means, violence

Why I picked this: Has several animators working from the same creators of movie’s like Studio Ghibli and takes a bunch of inspiration from it.

Nathan Martinez Staff Writer

Courtesy of Toho

Releasing Jan. 18, 2018

Paddington 2 As

Is the superhero movie dead? That’s the question that ran through my head after watching Justice League.

Audiences are being hit by a tsunami of blockbuster superhero films and generic comedies every year, making me worry that filmmakers are starting to lose their integrity.

Every year we see people get “hyped” for the next big cinematic event. And that’s it, the audience and greedy Hollywood executives are holding back the movie industry.

Studios have figured out that people are willing to pay for the same thing over and over again. Even though a lot of people, including me, love superhero movies, audiences are starting to notice that they’re becoming the same thing.

In the name of nostalgia we keep seeing a bunch of reboots, sequels, and “new” projects that are thinly veiled rip-offs or spin-offs of tried and true hits from the past. Blame the king CEO and the round table of producers for the mess we are in when it comes to tragic failures such as Justice League, which join a long list of disappointments like Batman v Superman, Independence Day Resurgence, and most modern horror films.

Justice League was plagued with problems since the beginning, like introducing half the team, setting up sequels, and trying to make their trinity likable. But before we can talk

about the movie itself, we have to see what happened behind the scenes.

Director Zack Snyder had this vision that failed in his previous films, and with a tragic event in his life that made him leave this film.

Warner Bros. thought this to be the perfect opportunity to copy their competitor Marvel Studios. They next hired Joss Whedon to take over as the new director, who just so happened to have also directed the Marvel smash hit The Avengers. Unfortunately, these two directors have completely different directing styles.

Synder is an action and visual storyteller while Whedon has more humorous character interactions and typically follows a linear type of storytelling. These two styles clashed and it was apparent.

Bringing up The Avengers is important because Justice League is basically the same movie. An alien with an army comes to Earth in search of a box or boxes to give to his boss, and then open a portal to destroy Earth.

While in this event, a man dressed all in black unites a team to stop this big threat. Along the way the movie sets up future sequels.

The film’s score composer Danny Elfman based Justice League’s music on that from previous films like Superman (1978) and Batman (1989), but in a darker tone. Everything about this movie exemplifies the problems with modern Hollywood movies.

Critics didn’t like the film, but the mainstream audience did. As I watched the film,

hley

Life & Style Editor Why I picked this: Because the first one was really cool and the second one looks better.

Courtesy of StudioCanal

Releasing Jan. 18, 2018

Obsessed with vengeance.

That is the most concise way to describe the key character element of The Punisher.

He’s always been an anti-hero character who is out for revenge and will go to extremes to punish those who have wronged him.

The latest iteration of The Punisher on Netflix is consistent with this theme, but updates his story to focus on current issues such as soldiers returning from war and corruption in the government. It tells a story about a broken man dealing with the killings of his wife and two kids while being riddled with PTSD from his tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During the series Frank Castle (Punisher) is confronted by a computer hacker named David Lieberman, a.k.a. Micro. He comes to Castle to tell him that the same people that killed his family are responsible for what happened to him.

One year ago Micro was shot in the chest, but his phone blocked the bullet and since then he has been in hiding trying figure out a way to get rid of the ones who are preventing him from reuniting with his family. Eventually Castle and Micro join together and take down the ones who damaged them by not

Courtesy of Marvel Studios Courtesy of Netflix and Marvel

only killing them and exposing the ones who they can’t get to.

While Frank Castle fought with the Marines in Afghanistan, he and his unit were unwittingly forced into committing war crimes, motivating his desire to take down everyone responsible without waiting years for the criminal justice system to take care of it.

While serving in the military, Castle’s covert mission was to capture selected targets, interrogate them for information and then kill them. However, what Castle did not know was that a corrupt agent in the CIA was using the dead bodies to smuggle heroin.

The Punisher web series is not for the faint of heart. It’s a R-rated show that includes many very violent scenes. The gore factor in this show is high, featuring graphic displays of murder and torture. If you enjoy scenes that make your toes curl up like those in other popular anti-hero movies like Pulp Fiction, Deadpool or Django Unchained then you will be right at home with the Punisher.

While the show is geared toward fans of the other Marvel Studios shows on Netflix, the gore level might not make it everyone’s cup of tea. That said anyone can jump into this series.

Entertainment Innocent

Tuesday December 19, 2017

The Eagle’s Eye Page 7

Fun

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is a stress-free joy to play

Mobile version of Nintendo classic offers slimmed-down gameplay for fans of all ages, types Henry dominguez Staff Writer

Almost five years since Animal Crossing: New Leaf was released on 3DS, the latest version of the game is finally out, although Pocket Camp might not be what fans were expecting.

I’ve been playing for a couple of weeks now and while I have enjoyed the game for the most part, my overall experience with Pocket Camp itself pales in comparison to the experiences I have had with previous installments. It makes changes to the usual formula that most fans might be used to by removing some traditional features and introducing some new ones.

The Animal Crossing franchise is best known for its carefree and relaxing atmosphere that can be enjoyed by anyone of all ages.

It’s large cast of charming and friendly characters is filled with personality and almost always make players feel welcomed and at home. It’s an open-ended life simulation game full of freedom and exploration, where players could do just about whatever they want whenever they want.

The first thing players should know is that because it is designed for mobile, Pocket Camp is a slimmed down, almost bare bones version of what the series typically offers. So if you play it you should not expect it to give you the entire experience that you might be used to.

In Pocket Camp players are still befriending neighborly animals, customizing personal spaces, and collecting fruits, fish, and insects. However, instead of being set in an urban area like in previous games, players begin their journey on an empty campsite that is given to them to manage.

The player’s objective here is to both transform the campsite into a outdoor getaway and host as many campers as they can by inviting them to their campsite. However, this is easier said than done. Depending on what kind of furniture and amenities the players craft based on materials they have collected, they determine how an animal will feel and whether or not the animal will choose to stay at the campsite. How players go about

Movie

Images courtesy of Nintendo

doing all this is where Pocket Camp begins to differ from other titles.

In past games players could get offered to do favors for the animals and choose whether or not to complete the requests. But in Pocket Camp completing requests is one of the main focuses, if not the only one. Players gather most of their materials from completing fetch quests for the animals that they interact with.

However, other materials can be awarded to the player either by leveling up, or completing in game goals. The things that animals will request will range from fruits, fish, bugs and other items that the player will come across and be able to collect. Doing favors for the animals will make them more affectionate and build a closer bond with the players as the game progresses. The higher the affection meter between the player and the animals the higher the player’s level will go.

Pocket Camp introduces a new form of in-game currency aside from Bells. Leaf Tickets that can be slowly collected or bought with real money purchases. Both are earned in game for free, but Leaf Tickets require more of a grind. The game doesn’t ever pressure or punish players for not having enough Leaf Tickets though. I haven’t once felt the need to buy any Leaf Tickets

because I’ve been able to make due with what the game has already provided me by leveling up. The purpose of Leaf Tickets are merely to serve as an incentive to spend money. They make timed events such as crafting furniture and amenities finish much quicker. If players are missing certain materials to craft a certain piece they can use Leaf Tickets instead of the missing material needed.

In Pocket Camp, players are also given their very own camper, which is essentially a minivan that they can personalize and decorate. Overtime, as players accumulate more Bells and Leaf Tickets they will be able to make changes to their camper with special paint jobs, customizable interior options, and eventually have the ability to add a second floor. All of this is done at OK Motors which is run by the newly introduced characters Giovanni and his colleagues Beppe and Carlo.

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp could have easily been another cash grab, but instead it turned out to be what I think as a low-stress game that is a convenient fun diversion always available on your phone.. It makes changes to the traditional formula, but nothing too drastic that makes it unrecognizable. The new take with its crafting, leveling and other similar RPG mechanics can feel somewhat refreshing even if it’s not what fans are used to or expecting.

And if that’s not enough, there is still more to come as the game itself has made announcements of major updates coming soon to the mobile game.

Analysis

Pixar’s Coco hits the right notes to honor Mexican culture, tradition

Movie defies critics’ low expectations through attention to detail, avoiding cliché stereotypes Alejandra Arguello Entertainment Editor

Arriving a day before Thanksgiving in the United States, Coco swept the theatres and audience alike in a wind of marigold petals and vibrant colors.

Topping the charts for the third week in a row, Coco continues to move and wow audiences of all ages. Coco truly is unlike any other attempt I have seen to properly portray and capture Mexican culture.

From the altares (shrines on the Day of the Dead), the spirit guides, even the infamous chancla.

Coco follows the story of young Miguel Rivera, a boy aspiring to be great musician who sadly lives in a family where all types of music is banned. In a determined quest to find his idol, he ends up in the land of the dead. There he meets with his deceased relatives as well as a skeleton named Hector with no family. Although Miguel is rebelling against his family he comes to appreciate them through his adventures with Hector.

There were people who complained about Coco online before its release, and because of this I initially did not want to see it at first. Disney was accused of ripping off the 2014 movie The Book of Life. Purely from the trailers there was obvious similarities between both. From the marigolds to the guitar carried by both protagonists and the scenes where they cross over to the Land of the Dead. This automatically caused a bias against Coco. After much refusal, I decided to watch Coco. And to be honest I loved it. Coco was nothing like The Book of Life, having only very very minor similarities.

The Book of Life mostly focused on a love interest storyline with a stereotypical which-manly-manwill-win-the-girl plot, as well as it being filled with slightly Mexicanized versions of American songs.

Coco on the other hand had a storyline very heavily based on the importance of family. Aside from its heartwarming storyline, Coco captured the hearts of audience members through its portrayal of Mexican culture. I really appreciated the fact that unlike in other films who merely skimmed the surface of my culture and only worked with the Americanized stereotypes, Coco actually took the time to properly appreciate and depict it. Having an all-Latinx based cast, they really did take the time to learn from the people in Mexico and observe the Day of the Dead festival. The soundtrack for the movie also was incredible. Coco was overall an incredible movie, doing a great job at taking Mexican culture and honoring it rather than just pandering to it with sombreros, matadors and mariachis.

BE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT $11.00 all positions knmanagement.com/careers

Great job.

Courtesy of Disney

Life & style

page 8

The Eagle’s Eye

Tuesday -december 19, 2017 Patriotic

duty

The story behind why Akins students joined Junior ROTC Officers, cadets explain benefits of belonging to program that emphasizes civic responsibility

▲ Bryann Colmenarez

Marcelo Cruz

Joined JROTC because brother belonged. Was inspired to do all of the work he did for the community.

▲ Monique Rottman

Joined JROTC to enhance leadership skills, express patriotism, and display support to soldiers and veterans.

Andy Clay

Staff Writer While students in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Akins are known for their dedication, to the uninitiated the reasons why people join this group can be misunderstood.

JROTC is often thought of as a training program for students who want to join the military, but students in the program say it provides a lot more than that. They point to some of the benefits like scholarships and involvement in activities such as Veterans’ Day ceremonies that increase their civic pride in serving others.

Beyond gaining civic pride in serving others, membership in JROTC also has its benefits including consideration for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships. Many of these scholarships will pay for two, three, or four years of tuition, books, and fees at numerous universities and colleges.

We interviewed several members of the Akins JROTC to ask them about why they joined.

Bryann Colmenarez , Senior — vice corps commander Eagle’s Eye: Why did you join JROTC? BC: I joined JROTC because my brother was in it before me and I got inspired to do all of the work he did for the community and school.

EE: What do you do in JROTC? BC: I am the vice corps commander, so I help organize events, advise commanders on their events, and coordinate data through the corps.

Modified

Ulysses Luna

Ulysses Luna

▲ Ty Odom

▲ Jerris Ridge

Joined JROTC to become a better citizen and help the community through community service.

EE: Why do you continue to be in JROTC? BC: I find JROTC to be a fun class where I can test my leadership, work with great people, and help the school as much as I can.

Monique Rottman , Junior Academics Officer EE: Why did you join JROTC? MR: I joined JROTC in order enhance leadership skills, express patriotism, and to display support to the valiant individuals that defend our country. I saw JROTC as an organization that represented integrity, selflessness, and compassion.

EE: What do you do in JROTC? MR: In JROTC, the cadets participate in a variety of events in order to support their community and make their presence known.

JROTC is a spirit force on the Akins Campus, and we take pride in knowing that we positively affect our peers by showing support.

EE: Why do you continue to be in JROTC? MR: I continue with JROTC because I respect and appreciate their belief of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. This maxim creates better citizens in the community and prepares cadets for the future. Additionally, the individuals in the corps all have ambitious and inspiring goals that encourage and make me proud to know and share significant experiences with such an amazing group of people.

EE: What does JROTC mean to you?

JROTC is an organization that provides individuals with a way to enhance leadership and communication skills. It establishes lasting friendships and connections with individuals that strive to become better citizens and positively affect their community. JROTC

Ulysses Luna

Joined JROTC to get his PE credit and have it help him on his way to college.

is a program filled with opportunities and a group that provides guidance.

Ty Odom, Sophomore PT Deputy EE: Why did you join JROTC? TO: I joined JROTC to become a better citizen and to help my community through community service.

EE: What do you do in JROTC? TO: In JROTC we are taught how to be productive citizens and participate in community service activities like presenting colors at retirement homes.

EE: Why do you continue to be in JROTC? TO: I love the esprit de corps (a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group), having people you know you can trust while also always finding ways to help people.

Jerris Ridge, Freshman EE: Why did you join JROTC? JR: I joined JROTC to get my PE credit and have it assist me on my way to college.

EE: What do you do in JROTC? JR: We usually have uniform wear every week and do inspection, we study aerospace science and leadership education and take notes, and every Friday we have Physical Training and play sports.

EE: Why do you continue to be in JROTC? JR: I continue to take JROTC because I would like the credit for college and it will assist me in graduating a few years from now

Chow downs

MOD Pizza offers ability to customize pies with multiple toppings National chain with indie charm expands to South Austin with new Southpark Meadows spot Bee Barto

Editor-in-Chief Mod Pizza is a national business that was first founded in Seattle Washington, but now has stores all across Austin, including our very own Southpark Meadows.

Mod takes a unique spin on the average pizza restaurant set up. When you walk in you have two primary options to choose from: choose from a list of their suggested combinations or design your own from scratch. Either way customers can choose between more than 30 different toppings to add to their suggested pies or your own creation.

All of this culminates together to create Bee Bar what the Mod pizza website calls “artisan-style to pizzas.”

One of the best parts is that regardless of what you add to the pizza, the only price you pay is for the base size of the pizza. A 6-inch pizza or a “mini MOD” is $4.87. An 11-inch or a “MOD” is $7.87 and finally there is the “Mega MOD” which costs $10.87.

Other than pizza, Mod also offers different types of foods including salads, breadsticks and desserts.

The whole Mod dining experience feels more like ordering a sandwich at Thundercloud than your average pizza restaurant. You can actually see the ingredients in front of you and tell the cooks exactly

how much of each ingredient you want added before they put it in the oven.

Although it is a national chain, Mod has the charm of a local, indie business very similarly to Austin’s own Torchy’s Tacos. However, Mod has maintained their quality and — in my opinion — even competes with Austin favorites like Homeslice and VIA 313.

Adding to Mods charm, they include the music they play in their stores in a radio on their website, which all is notably pretty good music.

Overall Mod pizza, has overall quality in every aspect of their business. Their food is delicious, the prices are affordable, they give wonderful service, they always have beautiful designed restaurants, (Southpark Meadows especially) all of this culminates together to create a fantastic experience and most importantly, just some really tasty pizza.

Some Toppings Available: Sauce:

CHeese:

Veggies & Good Stuff: Meat:

-BBQ sauce -garlic rub -extra virgin -olive oil -pesto -red sauce

-asiago -dairy-free feta -gorgonzola -mozzarella -parmesan

-white sauce

-ricotta

-artichokes -arugula -basil -black olives -cilantro -crouton -jalapenos -kale -mushrooms -pineapple -red onion -roasted broccoli

-roasted cauliflower -roasted corn -roasted garlic -romaine -rosemary -spinach -tomatoes -various peppers - and more!

-anchovies -bacon -canadian bacon -grilled chicken -ground beef -mild and spicy italian sausage -pepperoni -salami

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

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life & style trendy

tuesday december 19, 2017

The Eagle’s Eye page 9

ensemble

Eagle Vogue: Cozy, simple and affordable winter outfits Outfits provide lightweight, fashionable chilly weather options for mild Central Texas climate Ashley Sanchez

• Store: Forever 21

Life & Style Editor

Shopping for winter outfits in Central Texas can be a challenge as the major designers don’t always have our warmer temperatures in mind.

We have selected two outfits that are simple and cute and won’t have you sweating bullets when the temperature rises to 80 degrees in the afternoon.

These outfits are also relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of buying a full-on winter wardrobe.

For the women’s outfit we like a combination of a faux metallic moto jacket, a fluffy white sweater, cropped skinny jeans and a pair of faux leather ankle boots. This outfit will run about $145, which sometimes could be the same as the price of a single winter jacket.

For the men’s outfit, we like a combination of a wool-blend overcoat, a curved hem waffle knit tee, slim-fit woven trousers and to top it off a pair of Chuck Taylor Comme Des Garcons sneakers. Without the designer sneakers, which run $125, this outfits adds up to about $105. If you can’t afford or find these shoes, you could easily buy a pair of plain white Converse sneakers.

But the best part of this outfit is the coat being one of the hottest trends for men, giving it that dressy yet casual look.

Both of these outfits are available from Forever 21, which is known for being a good quality brand, but also inexpensive. You can find these two outfits and many more on their Instagram and website.

• Item: Metallic Faux Shearling-Lined Moto Jacket • Price: $59.90

• Store: Forever 21 • Item: F u z z y C r o p p e d S we a t er • Price: $19.90

Most images courtsey Forever 21

• Store: Forever 21 • Item: Cropped Skinny Jeans • Price: $32.90 • Store: Forever 21 • Item: Faux Leather Ankle Boots • Price: $32.90

• Store: Forever 21 ▲ Cute and Casual

• Item: Curved Hem

Forever 21 Instagram

Waffle Knit tee

We like a combination of a faux metallic moto jacket, a fluffy white sweater, cropped skinny jeans and a pair of faux leather ankle boots. This outfit will run about $145.

• Price: $10.90 • Store: Forever 21 • Item: Slim-Fit Woven Trousers • Price: $24.90

• Store: Forever 21 • Item: Wool-Blend Overcoat • Price: $69.90

Forever 21 Instagram

▲ Dressy but Casual

We like a combination of a wool-blend overcoat, a curved hem waffle knit tee, slimfit woven trousers and a pair of Chuck Taylor Comme Des Garcons sneakers.

• Store: Bloomingdale’s • Item: Men’s Chuck Taylor Lace Up Sneakers Comme Des Garcons • Price: $125.00

Sports

Page 10

The Eagle’s Eye

Tuesday- december,19, 2017 basketball

season

Akins Basketball preparing for anything set in their way Boys work on having a better season than last year with a new head coach on duty spencer Seyfarth

Larry Durden

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Beginning the pre-season with 2 wins and 8 loses, the Varsity basketball leaders think they are making progress before the district games start.

The team is also adjusting to having Rashad Culver as the new head coach although the players know him from when he coached JV teams in the past.

The Varsity boys have been practicing in and out of school and seem to be positive about the start of the season no matter what their pre-season stats are.

Throughout the fall, they worked to determine who the team leaders would be. Nelson White has taken on that role of becoming the team captain. However, he is not alone taking on new responsibilities.

“All the seniors are leaders, but like different times different people will notice different things,” he said. “As a program we sit somewhere so anyone can correct anyone else. We have our seniors who are supposed to be there.”

Beyond leadership, senior KJ Robinson has taken on the role as a motivator to keep the team going when things get tough.

“He always likes to get on people if they’re feeling down,” said senior Jason Evans.

Students who encourage hard work are the ones that lead the team and they are the ones that everyone looks up to.

“I feel like the leaders bring a sense of seriousness to the game,” Robinson said. “Because we have more freedom, we have more responsibility to be serious and get stuff done.”

The seniors said they like having Culver as their head coach because many of them had him as their freshman coach when they started at Akins.

“He’s been coaching me since freshman year,” White said.

“He’s doing new things but I think since he’s new he takes a lot of information from the players and tries to listen to them a lot.”

The players have a close bond/relationship with Culver because he jokes around with the team and has also coached most of the varsity team for 4 years now. Senior Robinson said enjoys having Culver as his coach.

“The main difference this year is that we have more freedom just to play basketball,” Robinson said.

Culver said he strives to find strength out of every stuPhoto Illustration by Alex Castro dent to help the team in any situation.

“I will use every player that I think will help us win a game,” Culver said.

The team is united in its goal of making it to the playoffs. Beyond their goals for the team, the players have their own goals for personal growth this year.

The boys Varsity Basketball Team will play their first district game against the Del Valle Cardinals at home on January 12.

— Staffers Fabian Morales, Larry Durden, Jaden Garrion contributed to this story.

recap

Lady Eagles have hopes of going far this season with the help of an experianced coach

football

Akins football goes through a rough season but makes playoffs Johnniece Walker Staff Writer With spirits low and doubts high, the Akins Eagles Varsity Football team pulled off a surprise upset in November, securing the team’s second appearance in a playoff game in school history.

Despite only winning two regular season games and suffering four losses, the Eagles persevered to secure the playoff spot in the last few seconds of the game against the Manor Mustangs. It was a dramatic turnaround for the team, which struggled with many challenges throughout much of the season however, also managing to make it to playoffs as a result.”

“Going into playoffs felt as if all of our hard work has finally paid off — with all the late night practices and especially being the second team in Akins football history to go,” senior Rowan Sterling said.

Out of five district games, the Eagle’s record was 2 – 4, winning against Del Valle and Manor with losses to San Marcos, Anderson, and Bowie. However, with these two wins, the Eagles’ were able to make it into 2017 playoffs.

After losing the team’s first two district games against San Marcos and Anderson, the team rallied to unite in its match aginast Del Valle, staying focused to overcome one of their rivals.

After that win, many at Akins believed the team had a chance at playoffs if they continued to rack up wins. However, the Eagle’s lost their next

game to Bowie.

Senior Ammon Ivey said although they lost due to lack of sticking together and playing as a team, he still believed they had a chance at playoffs at this moment if they stayed positive.

This made the final game against Manor crucial for the Eagles’ because it was the team’s ticket to making it into the playoffs. The Eagles played their last district game united and focused, resulting in sophomore Antonio Lopez catching the winning touchdown with seconds on the clock.

After winning the game, senior Rowan Sterling said he was glad to say that this 2017 football team was the second team ever in Akins school history to go to playoffs. He said he couldn’t imagine doing it with any other group of players.

Now with the Eagle’s on the road to playoffs, many of the team agreed that Cedar Ridge was just another obstacle. Coming face to face with the other team, they threw taunts at the Eagles. However the team kept their composure and faith of winning this playoff game. In the end, the Eagles lost 63-14 to Cedar Ridge.

Despite the loss senior Jeyson Martinez said it was worth all the hardwork just to make it into the district play offs.

“The playoff game was fun, seeing and playing with your brothers for the last time,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Although this season was tough one, making it to the playoffs was a positive development that made the losses less bitter.

Starting the preseason off with an 5 – 9 record and being under new coaching, the Lady Eagles Varsity Basketball team is making progress toward their goal of making a deep run in playoffs and becoming district champions.

Senior guard Denae Lofton said the team is working hard everyday in practice.

“In order to be those district champs and have that deep playoff run, we have to start in practice,” she said.

Senior Gina Sweeney said the team members are mentally preparing in the preseason to give it their all when district play begins and the wins and losses start to count.“We make sure we’re going hard every day because the season could be over in a blink of an eye and district will come,” Sweeney said. “Then next thing you know playoffs will come, and we have to be ready to take both of those titles home.”

The team is adjusting to having a new head coach after longtime girls basketball coach left Akins at the end of the last school year.

New Head Coach Erica Routt has a lot of basketball experience to draw on after having played in the WNBA, European teams and the University of Texas when she was in college. She most recently coached at Reagan High School before coming to Akins.

Coach Routt shares the same goals as the team members: to become champions.

“Every team and every coach all have the same goal: to make it to playoffs and win district,” Routt said. “But I came to this program knowing that if the team and I both gave our all in practice and games, then we can make those things possible.”

Along with Coach Routt another new addition to the team is her daughter Shay Routt, who transferred to Akins with her mom.

“I’ve been coached by my mother my whole life, and coming into a new program was more fun than I thought,” Shay Routt said. they have learned how to adjust to her coaching style.

“She knows a lot concerning basketball, and the main thing is she wants us to have fun,” Senior forward Arielle Varela said. “But she wants us to still have that competitive spirit.”

Senior forward Analise Perez said she appreciates coach Routt’s sense of humor.

“She knows how to make us laugh but keep us focused at the same time,” she said.

Perez said she also respects Routt’s knowledge of basketball.

“She knows the game very well and she is looking to bring all that she knows, to us and our practices,” she said.

The Lady Eagles will play their first district game against in San Marcos on January 5.

Photo Essay

The Eagle’s Eye

page 11

Tuesday - December 19, 2017

Akins community captures snow memories with photos

Joseph Saxe

▲ A Snowy Night

Snow falls steadily over the Akins High School courtyard on Dec. 7, transforming its appearance into a winter scene sight almost unrecognizable to students and staff.

Marcelo Cruz & Ulysses Luna Co-Photo Editors

▲ Captain Snow Pupper

Annie Ricotta

Senior Annie Ricotta’s dog Captain enjoys basking in the snow and watches the children play.

▲ Freeze and Focus

On Dec. 7, Austin experienced its first large-scale snow storm since the 1980s, leaving the city blanketed with the white stuff and classes canceled for what became an authentic snow day.

The unexpected storm transformed the city into a winter wonderland as 1 to 3 inches of snow covered homes in the area around Akins.

Students performing a guitar concert that night got to experience the snowfall while on campus and others simply watched from their porches at home.

The next morning, students ventured outside to have snowball fights, make snowmen and snow angels, performing all of the snow-related activities that they typically only experience when watching movies.

It wasn’t the first time that it has snowed in Austin in the students’ lifetime, but it was the only time those growing up in Austin in the last 20 years have had a chance to really have fun in the snow. There were countless amounts of snow angels and snowmen made while others went outside to capture photos of such a rare event to happen in Central Texas.

However, the snow did not last long. By the end of the next day, much of the snow had melted away in the warm Texas sun. All that remained were memories of the Great Snow Day of 2017.

Elena Salinas

▲ First Snow

Lucia Rose, Spanish teacher Brooke Maudlin, new baby experiences her first snow day, keeping warm in her pink

▲ Dashing Through the Snow

Junior Elena Salinas takes a photo of her little sister holding a pile of snow.

Brooke Maudlin

Ulysses Luna

Freshman Sierra Gomez, runs through the melting snow and enjoying her day off of school.

▲ Tiny Snowman

Nico Mingote

Spanish teacher Nico Mingote shows off his tiny snowman.

▲ Icing Nature

Ulysses Luna

Snow flakes form into ice crystals on some tree leaves during the night of the snowfall.

▲ A Wintery Scene

Elena Salinas

A blanket of snow covers this neighborhood landscape turning it into a fascinating wonderland.

▲ Lookin’ Cool

Bee Barto

When all the snow started to melt away the day after the snow day, the “Cool” snowman decided to stick around.

Photo Essay

page 12

The Eagle’s Eye

Tuesday - December 19, 2017

Winter Wonderland debuts at the Circuit of the Americas

Ulysses Luna

▲ Water Colors

Lights shine on the waters’ surface bringing an amazing view throughout the pond.

▲ Trees with Spirit

Ulysses Luna

These trees glowed and sang Christmas sing-along songs while the children danced and cheered.

Ulysses Luna

Attendees take advantage of the Christmas lights, snapping selfies around some colorful holiday displays.

Ulysses Luna

▲ Camel Rides

▲ Christmas Selfie

Among the many interactive booths, winter wonderland decided to add camels to the list for everyone to ride.

▲ Animal Friends

Ulysses Luna

The petting zoo features animals such as baby goats that you can feed and love.

Marcelo Cruz & Ulysses Luna Co-Photo Editors

Lights, Music, Rides. Winter Wonderland at the Circuit is now open and is a phenomenal experience for children, teenagers, and adults alike. With countless amounts of beautiful lights, carnival rides, train rides, a petting zoo, camel rides, food trucks, a full store, and even a hot air balloon there is fun for the whole family. Or it could be a destination for a perfect date with that special someone.

After getting tickets and walking into the main entrance of the Circuit there is the skating rink centered around a bright Christmas tree of lights with classic holiday music to skate to. Then to the right and left side of the skating rink are carnival rides such as a few kiddie rides for children, bumper cars, and a Ferris wheel. Past the carnival rides on the right side of the entrance is the start of the pathway of lights around the F1 racetrack with beautiful bright lights and fascinating designs. The pathway goes along half of the racetrack with a full stage and live bands performing Christmas music. Halfway through the pathway, there is a shortcut that leads to Santa’s Workshop for those little ones who want to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas.

The miniature train rides rode back and forth along the racetrack giving the riders a wonderful view of the lights and scenery around them. Everywhere you went, Christmas music played all around the Winter Wonderland and were also sung by some Christmas trees.

With children dancing in front of their light soft glow.

The general admission for ages 6 and up is $16 a ticket, but there are no costs for parking. Be prepared to spend some money on high priced food and drinks, with water bottles costing $4, and $10 B.B.Q sandwiches.

▲ Going Up

Ulysses Luna

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Santa Shot

The hot air balloon is a huge hit at the Circuit with long lines of people ready to ride it.

Families lined up to have a chance to visit with Santa, take photos and tell him what they want for Christmas.

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Hall of Lights

This hallway of lights changes colors and patterns that resemble in intricate designs.

Marcelo Cruz

▲ The Glow of the Lights

Vibrant lights covered this whole area of trees casting a bright violet glow.

Marcelo Cruz

▲ Merry Go Round

Children and their parents enjoy a carousel near the exit of the event.