The Eagle's Eye; Issue 4; Volume 19; Akins High School

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ways to celebrate valentine’s Day helpful guides for the Febraury holiday Pages 30-32

Inside: News- 4-8 | Opinions- 9-12| Entertainment 14-15 18-19| Indepth 16-17 | Sports 26-29| Life & Style 22-25| Photo Essay 13,20-21| Seasonal 30-32

news: aisd monitering internet searches..........................7 Entertainment: streaming services pros & cons........19 Life & Style: Dungeons & Dragons Revival....................20 Sports: new lifeguard training class..............................26

Quick reads

The Eagle's Eye Page 2 | Febraury 10, 2019

prom fundraising

Editors Editor-in-chief

news

Ash Catalan Mylo Bissell

Jada Houston

In depth

Life & Style

Dee Carreon

Andrew Martinez

Opinions Austin Rutledge

entertainment Anneliese Olivo

Photo

sports

Amora Arriaga

Diego Gutierrez

staff writers Frank Duran Natalia Salazar Angel Hernandez Oscar Navarro Robert Ramos Zachary Reyna Diego Rivas

Akins at large Austin Community College’s mascot, RB, visits Akins High School at a Saturday recruiting session.

Photo by Diego Gutierrez.

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Sports

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In-Depth

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Opinions

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Seasonal

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News

The Eagle's Eye Page 4 | February 10, 2020

Officials revise SBG policies to improve student grades Natalia Estrada Staff Writer

When teachers arrived back at the campus after the winter break, they had discussions to solve a new problem: more students than ever before were failing their classes.

The discussions centered around the school’s implementation of Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in almost every course besides advanced academics. Teachers and administrators said they believed the problem had to do with a perception problem with the policies for SBG. Akins Principal Tina Salazar said the problem seemed to be that students believed that they could turn in their work at the end of a grading period with no penalty, causing students to procrastinate and not turn their work in time so it could be graded before report cards are due.

During the second week back after the break, Salazar announced a new set of policies to address the problems and she recorded a video shown to all students during advisory class.

In the video, Salazar explained that the reason for the new policies was the fact that students were not turning in their work because they thought SBG meant they could always turn it in late and not lose credit.

“I need you to do the work so I can move you to mastery,” Salazar said. “If you never attempt the work until the sixth week of the six weeks, where's the revision in there?

How do I actually get you to revise to mastery? What's missing guys is the learning portion.”

The new policy will designate the final week of a grading period as revision week where teachers decide how to help students to increase their grades to the next level.

However, teachers are only required to offer revision opportunities to students if they first turn in their assignments within a week from the due date. All assignments can still be attempted more than once as long as they have turned it in during that week long window after the first due date.

The new policies require teachers to turn in at least one grade per week in the grade book so students can know their current level of mastery instead of waiting until just right before the grading period ends.

New SBG Policies

New Akins SBG Policies

Presentation

Teachers were asked to show this to their advisor upon changes to SBG policies. The policy was rolled out two weeks into the fifth six weeks.

“There will not be an exception for extracurricular students that do sports, dance, after school or any other activities because everyone is responsible for their work and also capable to do it in one week,” Salazar said.

Akins students have mixed feelings about the new SBG policy changes. Sophomore Maria Contreras said “The most positive thing is that it makes teachers to not feel pressure because students are obligated to meet a certain time limit, a certain due date for work, which I think it's good,” Contreras said. “But on the other side, I think that for the students who were not able to make up the work on the due date and have to do it in the last week of the six weeks it will be good for them.”

Seniors scramble aim to save prom after lack of funds Samantha Salazar Staff Writer

With less than 90 days until the senior prom, the Class of 2020 is scrambling to raise the $40,000 estimated to be needed to provide it with the traditional send-off activities that Akins seniors typically enjoy.

The Class of 2020 had a late start with finding a faculty sponsor to help guide their fundraising efforts. Health science teachers Jennifer Pittaway and Chevy Hernandez volunteered to take on the role in September, which put them behind when most classes start their fundraising efforts.

The senior class brought in about $7,700 from selling cookie dough and water bottles. The major expense to pay for is the cost of renting the ballroom at the Hyatt Downtown hotel, which has been reserved as the prom venue.

Much of the cost of prom tickets will go toward paying the cost of the ballroom, but there are other expenses, as well, including the DJ, caterer, and decorations.

Senior Mia Garza said she thinks working to have a nice prom is important.

“I think it's worth going to it's an experience to have

like with all your friends and it's like the like one of the last things like you do as like a class and like with everyone before everyone goes their separate ways,” she said.

To raise awareness of the problem, the prom sponsors and a group of seniors have placed posters in the hall to let them know how important it is for students to get involved. Garza said she is concerned that her class doesn’t seem to care to do the work.

“I feel like some students care, like 2% care, and the rest is really don't care,” she said. “And I mean they care but they don't. They're not willing to do anything about it. And it just shows like at the meetings and stuff if they don't come then they don't care.”

Some students sold bottles of water to drivers in the Southpark Meadows shopping center on a Sunday afternoon in January, but not many students showed up to do the work.

Pittaway said that there will be a fundraising event at Schlotzsky's on Feb. 19 and there are plans to sell popcorn soon. Her advice to the Class of 2020 is to get involved if they want to have a nice prom, as well as other activities like the annual senior breakfast and senior barbecue.

“Don't talk about it; be about it,” she said.

First things first

Mylo Bissell

A Save Prom! poster hangs in the foyer, in front of the main entrance. Students need to fund raise around $32,300 for prom and senior breakfast.

News

The Eagle's Eye Page 5 | February 10, 2020

Newly formed club offers experiences for 3D printing Tera BRaly Staff Writer

A new club on campus allows students to create objects that start simply as ideas they dream up.

The 3D Printing Club, which has been churning out designs since December, was created by junior Barmey Chum, who said he got hooked on it during his sophomore year when he took an Intro to Engineering Design class.

The club provides a chance for members to be exposed to the world of engineering and see their ideas printed out in three dimensions.

“I was really hooked on to 3D printing and 3D modeling stuff,” he said. “We're making stuff like rings and dragons and robots and castles and a lot of cool stuff.”

Chum worked with engineering teacher John Sayce, who is the faculty sponsor, to start the club. To create the designs for the printer, they design the objects in a computer-aided drawing program called Autodesk Inventor Pro that allows users to do 3D modeling.

They learn how to do technical drawing

and make parts fit together. Chum said one of their larger projects is to build a robot from individual parts that they print out.

“Basically, we're designing robot heads, robot bodies, and robot arms and legs and stuff like,” he said.

“We have to design them so that they fit together. And they stay like kind of like an action figure. And we have to make sure it looks good.”

Learning to use the design software and the printer does not require a lot of prior knowledge or experience, Sayce said.

“I would say you need to be somewhat competent with utilizing computers and software a little bit, using different software tools,” he said.

“We don't mind helping people learn it.

So if you come cold, but they had a real interest and they seem like fairly computer savvy, then we’ll assist them trying to use that tool.”

The club meets on Wednesdays after school from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and participation has grown steadily since it’s first meeting.

As 3D printers become more com-

New ways to create

Tera Braly

Mr. Sayce's 3D Printer starts to form the base of a ring. The machine spent minutes to warm up before working on the object.

monplace at high school campuses, it helps expose young people to engineering concepts and skills, Sayce said. The magic of seeing a design created in front of the designer is a gratifying experience that can motivate students to appreciate learning engineering.

“I think it will, you know, get them more interested in engineering and kind of expand their horizons about what you can and cannot do,” Sayce said. “A lot of people say ‘Is this really practical? Does it have a real value?’ And yes, they can see it.”

New composition class produces a score for silent film TERA BRALY Staff Writer

tudents have often had the opportunity to play music in high school, but the art of writing music is rarely seen in high school.

This is the first year that Akins has offered a class specifically focused on music composition. The class is taught by orchestra director Thomas Mann, who has worked as a touring musician for more than 20 years.

The composition class has a big focus on learning how to create and understand composition with more recent works. It was formed last year and their big focuses are their projects. They had a project with the AP art student pieces and making an original music piece that fit with it.

However, their biggest project that has taken their time is a commission to score an old silent film called Convict 13 and they are working very hard to meet their deadline. Mann said the students about half done with the project and about a third of the way into having a completed film score.

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Mann said the film score project requires the students to come in after school to experiment and try different things to match the mood and feel of the film.

“We meet after school, some playing some experimenting some listening to different things and trying different things out and you know, just go from there,” he said. “But the main goal right now that we're pretty much going headfirst into is getting the score done for the silent film.”

Many students that are working on it seem quite positive towards the project and class as a whole, junior Rebekah De La Cerda said.

“I think it's been rather very educational because not only have we been working with Mr. Mann and learning how to come up with our own ideas and to never throw away an idea keep it for later because it sometimes becomes something else,” De La Cerda said.

The main idea is to learn about music and creation, but all the time and learning of that goes to their big project of the film re-score, sophomore Lance Gonzales said.

“We're still making ideas about the

Artists at work

Tera Braly

Composition students look at large visual of their work. Students are currently working to score a silent film and have partnered with AP studio art.

film. It's sometimes hard to compose music wonderful because it's about the timing and everything,” Gonzalez said.

While the course may seem intimidating students in the course say it’s good just for the learning experience, junior Alaina Nesby said.

“It gives you a lot of experience in writing things, especially if you want to be a

professional musician, or if you’re wanting to go into the realm of composition, or if you even want to better yourself as a writer or composer,” she said. “It gets you used to making new products in professional time.

So it's fast. And it gives you like you have professional expectations. So you have to perform at your best 100% of the time.”

One of the biggest challenges is learn-

News

The Eagle's Eye Page 6 | February 10, 2020

Student web searches tracked, triggers safety checks Zachary Reyna Staff Writer

o many people, a breach of online privacy can leave them feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable.

However, some are okay with the idea of someone tracking their online searches if the purpose is to keep people safe.

The Austin school district is required by the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to install monitoring programs on district-provided Chromebooks. These services monitor students’ Internet searches for instances of keywords related to selfharm or harming others.

If a student searches for these kinds of words on district-provided Chromebooks — even at home — it could trigger a welfare safety check from law enforcement, a counselor or an assistant principal.

Many students are unaware that the district is monitoring their online searches even though this practice is built into the district’s “acceptable use policy” that students’ parents sign when they register their students to attend classes in Austin ISD. Some students have accidentally triggered these kinds of safety checks while researching school projects.

And others have triggered these alerts as an immature joke when a friend borrows their laptop.

Senior Valeria Rangel shared her story of how this had happened to her.

“I was in Spanish class and I was reading something in this story and I wanted to know the significance of being burned alive. The next day I got called into the counselor’s office and they started asking me questions about how I was feeling. Then my counselor said ‘e saw this search on your Chromebook and we wanted to check if everything was okay.’ I had told them that I didn’t want to self-harm and that it was a misunderstanding.”

Some believe that this kind of monitoring can prevent harm and save lives in an age when mass school-shootings and student suicides prompted by cyberbullying seem to be on the rise.

“I’m glad to know that the school had a procedure for students and that they are checking up on students that are crying out for help, and that the school can prevent things from happening,” Rangel said.

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Austin ISD is currently tracking what you are searching as said in the “Monitored Use and Filtering” section in the Austin Independent School District Acceptable Use Guidelines says that AISD can monitor and filter what we do to make sure we’re not using the laptops for inappropriate search history that have contents like “obscene, pornographic, inappropriate for students, or harmful to minors.”

Some schools use artificial intelligence technology to scan through thousands of words to find any inappropriate content; however, if anything related to self-harm pops up it will be sent and reviewed by a team in the district. This system is in place in order to protect the students from harming themselves or others before it occurs.

Assistant principals have recently begun explaining this monitoring to teachers who were unaware that students’ keyword searches were prompting administrators and law enforcement officials to investigate the flagged internet searches.

Akins Principal Tina Salazar said law enforcement would only be involved if the search occurred outside of school.

“The only time police are ever involved is if an alert was received outside of the school day and we cannot get ahold of parent or guardian,” she said. “Then the police do a welfare check to make sure the student is okay. If it happens during the school day our counselors speak to the student.”

Salazar said the monitoring can be helpful to find students who might be crying out for help.

“It's okay not to be okay all of the time. That is normal,” she said.

“It’s also okay to ask for help. We all need it at some point. So if you need help, ask. We are here for you.”

While the system is intended to keep students safe, some worry that this kind of monitoring can go too far.

At the end of 2019, U.S. Senator John Cornyn from Texas advocated for a bill that would encourage school districts to invest in programs that detect "online activities of minors who are at risk of committing self-harm or extreme violence against others."

Under the bill, almost all federally funded schools would be required to install software of this kind.

There are already some school districts in Texas that use software to monitor our social media and look for any concerning posts.

This is already a reality for schools in the Brazosport school district near Houston.

If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self harm call

1-800-273-8255 or text CONNECT TO 741741

If you know of someone who is thinking of harming themself go to

austinisd.org/technology/digital-concern or Student Support Services

News

The Eagle's Eye Page 7 | February 10, 2020

Final exam exemption comes to Akins, adds incentive Anneliese Olivo

Entertainment Editor inal exams.

Just reading those words causes stress and anxiety levels to rise for most students.

However, there might be some relief for Akins students this May. As students of Akins returned to school after Christmas break teachers and staff had informed the students that they could be exempted from final exams.

Students became very interested in this conversation.

Junior Karen Perez said she was very excited about this new opportunity.

“I already have good attendance and I’m already trying to have average grades,” she said.

“And I was like this is just going to put other people in the mindset that ‘Hey, even just (an 85) average can actually get you some really good things.’”

Students who take regu-

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lar classes have to have a total average grade of 85 from all three 6- week-grading periods for a class. Besides this, students will be required to have no more than three absences. If a student has more than that limit of unexcused absences then they will be ineligible for the incentive program.

“I would just like an extra day.

Like maybe the number of days missed being four or five. At least one or two more. I got really sick a week or two ago and I still came to school kept up my work and I’m still passing all of my classes and it’s just one absence,” Perez said.

AP classes have had the most attention and frustration from the students because although the absence policy is still the same, students who attend those classes have to have a 90 grade-point average instead.

Principal Tina Salazar made a video to announce the final

exemption policy to all students.

In the video, she explained that students in AP classes have to have that average of 90% because “the school is held to a higher standard by college board”.

“We are going to continue to hold the high standard to all AP courses to a 90 because our surrounding schools do the same, and it is the right thing to do,” Salazar said.

Although students can be exempted from their finals they still have to show up to school.

If a student does not show up to class they get an automatic zero for their final exam grade, which counts for 25 percent of their semester average.

Several other Austin-area high schools already offer a final exam exemption policy although they differ slightly.

Junior Leanne Al-Sayyed, who attends Westlake High School, said the expectations for students

Must have a semester average of 85 for a regular class and 90 for an advanced class You cannot miss more than 3 days of a course and no more than 5 tardies per Exemption elligibilty applies to all 8 courses ALC during the course of the year or any ISS or OSS leads to inelligibity there are different.

“In my school, we get a maximum of two exemptions per semester, the classes one chooses to exempt must have an average of 88 or higher as well as near-perfect attendance for that same class,” Al-Sayyed said.

Al-Sayyed said the exemption policy there has been helpful because studying for finals in eight different classes can produce high levels of stress and anxiety.

“Students during finals week have so much on their plate that

exemptions help them find time to study for fewer tests, and overall be more healthy,” she said.

Perez said the exemption policy would provide a good incentive for students to work hard through the school year instead of just cramming at the end.

“Yes, there is a lot of pressure but I think if you just push yourself to come to school more often it’ll be fine,” she said. “I mean your friends are here and learning isn’t that bad.”

Advanced academic policies gains updated contracts Josh Guerrero Staff Writer

o combat problems with students being unprepared and unaware of the rigors of advanced academic courses, campus administration has implemented a set of new rules and required meetings before being allowed to enroll.

Beginning in January, administrators announced the changes before counselors began meeting with students to schedule them into Advanced Placement and OnRamps classes. Students who want to take these courses are now required to sign a contract that explicitly states they are aware of the expectations of these classes.

Christine Kesling, Akins College Readiness Counselor, wrote in an email that the changes were made to ensure students and parents fully understand the requirements.

“It is always the goal of Akins teachers and staff to assist students in making choices that best fit their future college and career goals, and to ensure that students understand the expectations and responsibilities of each chosen course,” she said.

Kesling said she hopes the changes will support students in being “purposeful in their choice of courses, and that they become fully informed owners of their educational choices.”

The first step in the new approval process will be for students to attend an orientation session with the con-

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tent-area teacher that they want to take. These orientation sessions focus on the requirements and expectations.

Junior Jasmin Arrieta said she thought the new process and policies are a good improvement.

“I actually like them better because it allows students who actually want to take the classes actually be committed to them,” she said. “Otherwise, then they're just not there to actually learn and try.”

The second step is for students to attend a second orientation session with their parents so they have a better understanding of the time commitment and study habits necessary to be successful in these classes.

Kesling said these sessions should help students make better decisions as they “challenge themselves to take the advanced courses that best serve their future college and career goals.”

She said she hopes the new process will also improve the classroom environment for teachers, as well.

“Teachers will know that each student in their advanced course made a conscious and deliberate decision to take that course and fully understands the requirements and expectations,” she said.

While it is possible that the new policies could cause fewer students to sign up for advanced academic classes, that is not the intent, Kesling wrote.

“Akins ECHS wants every student to take courses that challenge them and help them prepare for their future,

Information session

Alondra Rodriguez

Zoe Drew gives information on her advanced math course. New policy requires students to hear from teachers before asking to be placed in a course.

and the school is focused on individual student need/goals and not on numbers,” she said.

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News

The Eagle's Eye Page 8 | February 10, 2020

Interview with an alumna: finding your path forward Hanniel Cruz Staff Writer

Stephanie Zuniga graduated from Akins in 2015. She is currently attending University of Texas at San Antonio having previously attended Austin Community College for 2 years.

The Eagle's Eye asked him about life after high school.

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After high school, what were your plans?

After high school, I decided to attend ACC and just do my general courses because I didn't have an idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go yet, I was undecided. During my senior year at Akins HS, I completed the 911 ECOM internship and received my emergency telecommunicator certification.

I went to ACC for a year and realized my certification was going to expire soon and at the same time saw a posting for an intern EMS cadet position with Austin-Travis County EMS and decided to apply. I was asked to come interview shortly after and continued to make it through the rounds of interviews, tests, psychological assessments, and background checks to then being hired along with 7 others out of 150 applicants to be in the first EMS intern cadet program. It was my first big job and I had just turned 18 years old so I did a lot of

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growing up quickly throughout the course of my internship. I graduated from the academy and became an EMT Medic for ATCEMS and began taking 911 calls and riding on the trucks responding to emergency calls. It was truly an eye-opening experience on who I had become and what I was exposed to.

This job set me up for success in so many different ways. I learned and adapted techniques, lessons, and tactics that will forever influence everything I do. The set-up of academies and internships at Akins gives you a good sense of what is waiting for you once you leave high school. Everything is coordinated and tailored to the academy of your choosing, almost like choosing a major, so in a way, it gives you a glimpse of what you're into and what you're not ahead of time and I think students should use that to their advantage to better help them once they reach college.

Where did you see yourself in 5 years from now when you were in high school?

I honestly can't remember since it's actually been five years now. I knew I was going to get someplace and I had my internship from Akins that I will forever appreciate because that's where my journey after high school began. Without that class, without Mrs. Williamson who taught that course, I wouldn't have taken that chance. We have the tools at our disposal but we have to put them to work. I let an outside factor (such as time)

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Stephanie Zuniga Class of 2015

Are you proud of your decisions?

I am extremely proud of my decisions. I am currently working for a Texas State Representative as a legislative aide and worked to help pass bills during the 86th Texas Legislative Session. I was a MALC (Mexican-American Legislative Caucus) fellow and had the amazing opportunities to meet many elected officials, organizations, etc,. I worked for Common Cause Texas, a non-profit, non-partisan organization and launched a voting rights campaign (LetTexasVote.org) , and volunteered for Beto O'Rourke on his senate and presidential campaign (and I got to meet him which was awesome). All this happened for me because I took the chance to apply to become an EMT and was able to work with the community, respond to emergency calls all over Austin and Travis County, meet various constituents and experience and help better their lives. That entire experience is what led me to go into politics. As a young Latina, who went to public school, who is a first-gen student, I learned through my experiences at Akins and through the 911 ECOM internship that we are underserved in many ways such as healthcare, education, representation, and in the workforce. All these experiences have brought me here now.

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push me to look for opportunities to be an EMT when I should've been pushing myself.

I remember reaching out to past teachers on advice about whether I should take on the opportunity or not and it showed me I had so many resources and people on my team.

Now, I am constantly looking for opportunities and am first in line. No self-doubt.

What advice do you have for students who want to go to college?

I recommend going to college. It's a whole other world. Attending ACC showed me a side to learning that made me excited to learn and explore. You're given a whole different level of freedom and exposed to a completely different atmosphere. If you're not sure what you want to do yet or what major you're interested in that's completely fine! Do not let those factors pull you away from education. Your education, your knowledge is something that can never be taken from you. Take every chance and don't let a setback SET YOU BACK. It happens. You are not the only college student who feels like you don't have it together. The sooner you realize that the less stressful it is. I have met so many new friends, found my calling, and have networked my way up just by going to college. These connections can last a lifetime and continue to get you further and further.

Find Zuniga on Social media Instagram: stephaniezunigatx Twitter: @SZCtx

opinions Ash

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Mylo

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Eagle's Eye Page 9 | February 10, 2020

Amora

Photo Editor

Austin

Opinions Editor

Dee

InDepth Editor

Andrew

Life & Style Editor

Anneliese

Entertainment

Diego

Sports Editor

Editorial: graduation concerns seniors parents/faculty ne of the proudest moments in a student’s high school career is their graduation. It’s a feat that signifies the end of a chapter in not only their lives but the lives of their families and mentors.

Unfortunately, this year the Akins graduation ceremony is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. on May 27, which happens to be during the middle of the 3rd Period final exam at Akins.

Every year, Akins teachers and parents alike count down the days until they can witness the children they’ve mentored and raised cross the stage. This year, however, the Austin ISD officials have made it very clear how much they care about this moment for the families and staff of Akins by effectively taking away the opportunity for teachers to participate and attend graduation unless teachers are willing to use one of their limited personal days off.

This is the first time that the district has scheduled Akins’ graduation ceremony during the same time that exams are still being conducted, which is putting students, teachers, and parents in a real bind.

This is absolutely unacceptable not only for Akins, but also Eastside Memorial, Northeast Early College, Austin High, and LBJ high schools. All of these schools have morning or early afternoon ceremonies that will prevent teachers from attending without taking off with a personal day and having a sub run the most important exams that students will have all year.

It’s outrageous that the faculty at Akins and these other schools will not be able to attend their graduation ceremonies because they will still be in class administering final exams. Many of the schools affected by this terrible schedule appear to be those that serve large numbers of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

And at Akins, some students have created strong bonds with their teachers over the years. Our academy structure and career programs provide support and motivation to at-risk students to persevere despite difficult personal circumstances.

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Akins puts a lot emphasis on aiding students to find success beyond high school with countless resources and a foundational focus on not just going to college but on the stepping stones to embarking on a career path that fits their vision for their lives.

Yet despite all of the hard work to help students graduate and become adults, it is easy to read this scheduling snafu as a slap in the face.

This is particularly frustrating for the Akins community, which often feels ignored by district officials. We seem to be the first campus that is thought of when we are asked to pilot half-baked plans for Standards-Based Grading and experimental learning management systems like BLEND. Meanwhile, there are more than 20 portable classrooms on campus that are approaching their 20-year life expectancy with no bond proposal to replace them on the horizon.

The Eagle’s Eye editorial board believes that district officials need to fix this graduation fiasco now. Otherwise, the district will confirm our worst fears that it is OK with leaving the Akins community to suffer the frustration of a poorly coordinated ceremony, which should be one of the happiest days of the year.

When you look at the graduation times, Eastside Memorial, LBJ, and Akins are all left with morning spots.

These schools are all socioeconomically disadvantaged while schools with more means like Bowie and Anderson are given evening times.

The timing of the graduation ceremony will also make it difficult for relatives and siblings to attend graduation ceremonies. Imagine raising a child for nearly two decades and there’s a time to celebrate their accomplishments as well as the effort that you’d put in, but suddenly you are left having to choose between losing a day of pay or attending an aforementioned celebration.

Teachers are essential to having the ceremony run smoothly. They help organize the lines in which students stand and help students move to cross the stage. The

Ash Catalan

faculty sponsors of JROTC, choir, band, photography and floral are essential parts of the ceremony as they assist students who have important roles. Administrative staff and life skills teachers also need to be on hand to assist students with special needs to cross the stage.

There are solutions to solve this problem. We realize that changing the day and time of our ceremony is unlikely so we propose that Akins be granted a special waiver to allow a student holiday on May 27 and final exams scheduled for an earlier day. These kinds of school-specific holidays have been done before at campus like Austin High, which annually receives a day off on the Fridays of the Austin City Limits Festival. Another option would be for the district to assign central office staff to run final exams on May 27 so the teachers who have worked for years to support Akins students can attend graduation with their beloved students.

What is a staff editorial?

The Eagle’s Eye editorial board decides the positions taken in the staff editorials. The editorial board consists of the paper’s top editors. The editorials are not given a byline because editorials express the collective opinion of the board.

The topic of the editorial is discussed by the board and a position is voted on. When deciding on editorial opinions, majority rules, so most opinions reflect the vast majority of the opinions of the editorial board. The Editor-in-Chief has the final say if the group cannot come to consensus.

Opinions

The Eagle's Eye Page 10 | February 10, 2020

Former student’s life cut short in drag racing incident Jaime Rios

Staff Writer e all knew him as a great friend, a great brother, a great son, and a great-grandson. This person is Fabian Morales — a young man who lost his life due to a deadly street racing tragedy.

Everyone knew him as hard-working he would never ask anyone for anything he got everything on his own and was always there when you needed someone to vent to or even go play basketball with to get things off your mind.

He was always the class clown. He knew how to make people smile and laugh and we will all miss him. He was a big impact on everyone around him. Sophomore Carlos Moreno even got him tatted on his arm.

He had just purchased the red Infinity that he drove in the race just a week before his death. Bluff Springs is known very well for late-night racing. I live in the area so I hear it around 11 p.m. regularly but this incident will definitely make an impact on young people in the neighborhood, making them think twice about street racing. It was a big wake up call to people who do it and the people who turnout to watch.

Morales, a former Akins student, died on Jan. 16 in the 7500 block of Bluff Springs Road in a collision in which his vehicle hit another racer’s vehicle. Morales was rushed

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to the hospital after being pulled from a red Infiniti and died shortly after being admitted.

According to an article on Patch, the other driver was 20-year-old Jorge Luis Lopez Dominguez, who was arrested after returning to the crash site from where he had initially fled. He is charged two-second degree felonies, racing on a highway and failure to stop and render aid with bond set at $100,000, according to jail records.

As of now, many people are still hurt by this tragic event. Just mentioning him around my friends brings tears and the tone in their voice changes. Every time I pass the spot he passed I get goosebumps because even I still can’t believe he passed away, and I pass it every day before I get home so I think about him every day. Everyone posts about him on social media so it’s hard to heal from it, but that’s just our way of coping with it.

It’s hard losing someone like Fabian because he was a friend that you could always depend on. I remember dropping him off at work at the end of summer and we just chilled and listened to music I wish we could do that one more time. He will forever be apart of everyone’s lives and he will forever live on in our hearts.

Fabian was the definition of a go-getter because every time his family needed something he would get the job done. He was really known for his work ethic he would always say stack or starve which basically means if you don’t work you don’t eat.

For me it made me realize that just because you are young, that doesn’t mean you can’t die. And it made

Jaime Rios

me really appreciate my parents and sibling and not to take them for granted because you have to live for today because you might die tomorrow. Rest in paradise your friend Jaime Rios. #LLF Rest in peace bro and until then see you later.

Teachers should abandon the 100-point grading scale Diego Gutierrez Sports Editor

ith the release of the new Standards-Based Grading (SBG) policies at the beginning of the spring semester, it’s clear that the general teaching body at this school is still resisting change.

The new policies, which limit students’ opportunities for attempts at revision, are in direct conflict with the philosophy behind SBG. Instead of implementing a true SBG system based on clearly defined levels of mastery. Our continued use of report cards that show student grades as a numerical average has allowed teachers to continue the use of old ineffective ways of teaching to go on unabated.

Teachers are stuck on the idea of making students work for the sake of working.

The Texas education system is consumed by metrics, rankings and measuring every-

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thing, constantly forcing students to jump through hoops.

If the purpose of getting an education is meant to be fostering critical thinking — growing the mind — then it’s time to collectively abandon numerical grades to force teachers into truly adopting the SBG philosophy.

Akins teachers need to remember their “why” before they get up and come to work. When they remember that they come to Akins every day to make a difference in kids lives, it’s easy to see that these numerical grades really don’t matter. The learning is what matters.

I’ll tell you my why right now, why despite the fact that I’ve seen first hand what being a badass teacher does to your family life and what it takes out of you as a human through my mom and that’s because teaching and education aren’t just a career, it’s not just a job. It is a part of who you are. As a future teacher, I believe the next generation deserves better.

While it might be too late for me and you and all current students, there is still time to get rid of the 100-point scale for future generations. I have the privilege to

Ash Catalan

dedicate my life to making that system better for them and I’m not going to stop until I am literally no longer physically capable because that’s what doing right by my kids means. That’s what being an educator is all about — giving your all to the mission of student learning, being a guide on the journey of life, caring for your students, helping them navigate life and mentoring the next generation of humans.

We’ve become School has just become a holding area for the first 13 years of your life, meant to cultivate a labor force for our society first and foremost. rather than just jockeying for career positioning, then why are we so obsessed with making students work just for the sake of working? We forget that why is the most important question a student can ask.

opinions

The Eagle's Eye Page 11 | February 10, 2020

The NFL needs to intervene with referees missed calls Austin Rutledge Opinions Editor

t’s nothing new that the NFL is in hot water. This time it involves the officiating of games.

As we all know people often critique and share their criticism about professional sports especially with officiating. There have been many horrendous mistakes made by referees over the years. This isn’t entirely the fault of the referees as they have a hard job in which they have to make big decisions in a short period of time. It’s a deeper problem with officiating that often isn’t talked about enough or at all is the league stepping up to help refs with access to better technology and modernized rules.

At times when you’re watching the game at home, it may seem obvious to you that was a penalty, so you hop on social media to see what people are thinking and you will encounter fans quickly pointing out bad calls by officials. With the high-quality imagery that broadcasters provide in some cases, it feels as if viewers at home have better technology than the referees do on the field.

The NFL is refusing to take responsibility for its conduct in rule changes and failure to make officiating better.

The NFL recently made amends to reviewing plays such as challenging plays like pass interference after the referees

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made a botched call in the 2019 NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints, which ended up costing them a trip to the Super Bowl. The new rule on being able to challenge pass interference (PI) was supposed to make it fairer to prevent more of these mistakes; however, it only made things worse because it dramatically slows games down as the same play is played over and over again slow motion for officials to look at the ruling on the field. It usually doesn’t change as only 2 out of 41 pass interference calls were overturned 4.9 percent for the entire 2019 regular season. Just recently at Super Bowl LIV, the refs blew another PI penalty called on the 49ers two minutes before half time. The call was on tight end George Kittle after he made a long completion to the Kansas City 15 yard line, watching the play it was clear that it should’ve not been a penalty.

Ash Catalan

The solution to for these botched calls is to fire the head of NFL officiating Alberto Riveron as he has contributed to the problem and defends the plays called on the field. The NFL needs to intervene to overturn these ridiculous calls to make it fair to make the game better and fairer for teams and for fans to love the game.

Climate crisis is an international concern for all of us Kaia Newton Staff Writer

t the start of January, a devastatingly large forest fire that covered about 1.5 million acres spanning across Australia. According to TIME, the fires were caused primarily due to global warming because Australia had been “abnormally dry” since September.

Unfortunately, the fires have worsened the effects of global warming dramatically.

According to Washington Post, about a billion animals (some unique to Australia), have been killed in the fires: some have even become extinct. The number of greenhouse gasses emitted from this mega-fire are equivalent to a year worth of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. If that wasn’t bad enough, many dense rainforests were also destroyed in the fire.

The threat of these fires may seem distant, but we should all realize that these instances of natural disasters are related to the rapidly growing threat of global

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warming. The Washington Post states that Austin has favorable conditions for its own mega-fire. The threat is real people, and it is no one group of people to blame.

Instead, we all are part of the problem and can be part of the solution.

The younger generation notoriously blames the older generation for lax regulation that has allowed global temperatures to rise. As stated by TIME, President Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax, and his administration has turned away from every opportunity to do anything to address it.

Considering the increased rate of events like the Australian mega-fire and the lack of action that our government is taking to address climate change, it is easy for us to get cynical and give up hope that anything can be done.

We blame adults and oftentimes we don’t do anything to fight climate change ourselves. And yet somehow we still expect that we are going to have a healthy planet to live on in the future.

There are many easy things you can do, or habits you can develop, that will help the problem before it is too late. Becoming

Andrew Martinez

vegetarian can reduce the carbon footprint of what you eat by 50%, and for diets like veganism, that number is even higher.

Hosting your own clothes swap and trading old clothes with friends to get new ones, or even just thrifting can reduce the impact of global warming tremendously as it avoids the huge waste of the fast fashion industry.

There are many things you can do to stand up against global warming without being able to vote or having access to a huge social media platform. Blaming the problem on other people doesn’t change the fact that it is still a problem. Take charge in your future by incorporating simple global friendly techniques in your daily life, before it’s too late.

Opinions

The Eagle's Eye Page 12 | February 10, 2020

Teachers’ words can have negative affect in discipline Mylo Bissell Editor in chief

ords matter. It’s something people oftentimes take for granted but it is true. The ways we speak to one another influences more than just emotion, it has a large role in motivation and effort as well. So why are teachers talking to students as if they’re worthless yet expecting proficient level work?

Now I am by no means saying that the excuse “that teacher was mean to me” as an excuse to not do your work but teens are sensitive, they are sad and filled with angst making them more susceptible to pressure of negative comments from teachers.

Teachers are incredibly prominent in students’ lives they see them for several hours a week and at times more than a

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Jaime Bain

child’s parent. This was an issue I was willing to grin and bare but seeing how other students held themselves after walking out of conversations with some of my teachers it became evident that the ways in which they spoke to students was unacceptable Teaching is a job that we need people to

do. Our world wouldn’t work without teachers but as frustrations mount and the senioritis effects more than just seniors teachers can be left forgetting something important: you chose to work this thankless job. You don’t become a teacher for the pay or recognition if you did you have

probably received a rude awakening but taking those frustrations and feelings of being under-appreciated out on students is unacceptable.

While you can express frustration and disappointment in a lack of effort on the part of the student this is where I put in the simple request that you take a step back and think long and hard about whether or not this is the right career for you because it is never too late to start again.

The fact of the matter is when a student feels hurt by you they feel less compelled to give you high-quality work. I put in the effort of a child because it seems they view me that way before they turn around and in the same breath mention that I am almost an adult, tell me that I need to act with the responsibility of an adult than speak to and treat me like one. If you would not say it to a coworker or would worry someone would take it the wrong way then don’t say it to students.

Some district monitoring is suffcient for student use angel hernandez Staff Writer

n 2017, the students of Akins High School were given a Chromebook to improve student learning by providing a device to access assignments posted on the district’s online learning platform.

Students had to sign a contract to ensure that they will respect the device and not do anything inappropriate or use it for something else other than school learning or studying.

However, one feature that students may not be aware of is that the district also has an automatic monitoring system that flags online searches that students make, targeting words that involve self-harm or harming others. If a student searches for self-harm related keywords on these district-provided Chromebooks — even at home — it could trigger a welfare safety check from law enforcement, a counselor or an assistant principal.

If you have read the district’s “acceptable use policy” closely, this would likely not be a surprise, but some students have

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accidentally triggered these kinds of safety checks while researching school projects or as a joke.

The Austin school district is required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to install these kinds of monitoring programs to provide guardrails to keep students safe. The companies that provide these services believe that this kind of monitoring can prevent harm and save lives in an age when mass school-shootings and student suicides prompted by cyberbullying seem to be on the rise.

However, some privacy and free speech advocates are concerned that these programs go too far. In an article published online by Quartz, Girard Kelly, the director of privacy review at Common Sense Media, said that good-faith safety efforts keep increasing the level of monitoring “until you have a sort of surveillance state in the classroom.”

Some critics believe this kind of digital surveillance might have a chilling effect on students’ freedom of expression. In other words, if students know they’re being monitored, they might censor themselves from speaking their minds.

While many students may be unaware that this kind of tracking is taking place, eventually some will find out when more

Ash Catalan

reports of safety checks. Districts like Austin ISD require parents to sign blanket consent agreements to use technology in the classroom. For example, the district’s Chromebook guidelines state that “Electronic mail transmissions and other use of the electronic communications shall not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by designated staff to ensure appropriate use for educational or administrative purposes.” This goes for personal devices using the district’s network at school, as well.

To prevent students from getting off-task ,teachers have the option to use GoGuardian, which lets teachers monitor our Chromebooks. For example, it allows

teachers to close browser tabs, lock devices, review a browser history. Students I know have had mixed opinions about being monitored by the district. In my opinion, I feel like the school should continue monitoring the usage of Chromebooks and other school computers. Students should keep in mind that these Considering the fact the Chromebooks belong to the district, it seems only right that they should be able to monitor what students are doing on them. It is the school district’s property and the administrators should be protective about what students search and do on the Chromebooks and school computers.

Photo essay

The Eagle's Eye Page 13 | February 10, 2020

Incoming 8th graders view programs at Academy Fair Amora Arriaga Photo -Editor

n the last Wednesday of every January, Akins puts its best foot forward as it showcases its various academic and career programs at the Academy Showcase.

All seven Akins academies set up booths where they set up demonstrations and pass out fliers to eighth-graders who are considering attending Akins next year. It’s one of the rare opportunities that Akins teachers have to recruit new students to enter their programs.

With more than 30 career tech programs, fine arts, and various advanced academic offerings, at Akins, there are a lot of options to consider.

This is a good opportunity for incoming eighth-graders because they get to have a better sense of knowledge for what each academy brings. And it is

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Amora Arriaga

Welcoming a new class

Incoming 8th graders take a look at all programs and classes found at Akins. Every year Akins hosts our Academy Fair, this allows parents and students to see what academy will fit them best.

not only the eighth-graders who feel good about attending this showcase, A lot of parents feel relief as well.

“So far in STEM and in the engineering area, you know, I have some robots we have some 3d printed parts and all that. So if a particular student is interested in that, it will help them get excited about it and say to their parents, “I want to go into that Academy,” for example.” said John Sayce, an engineering teacher in STEM Academy.

This year the showcase displayed farm animals, like rabbits and a calf demonstrated

by FFA, and the CSI and EMS allowed students to try on items like handcuffs and a neck brace.

“The showcases highlight some of the exciting things that the students actually accomplished in that Academy,” said Sayce, who represented the STEM Academy during the fair.

Amora Arriaga

Being informative

Akins students help inform 8th graders about their program. Akins Highschool is divided by academies that starts off students with a career pathway.

show off

helping hands

Amora Arriaga

Akins students volunteer at academy fair. This allows new incoming 8th graders to engage with students and ask questions from a first-person experience.

Amora Arriaga

Theatre students talk to 8th graders about their program. The theatre program also brought a television to show off small clips from past shows.

Local entertainment

The Eagle's Eye Page 14 | February 10, 2020

Underclassmen take on lead roles in Wizard Of Oz play Staff n the Akins Journey Theatre department’s recent staging of The Wizard of Oz, there were two Dorothy’s, two scarecrows, two tinmen and two lions.

That’s because the directors double casted the musical as a way to provide more opportunities for students to have time on stage. Double casting is a challenging endeavor because it requires careful coordination and having multiple rehearsals to prepare each cast for the stage. But the directors believed that the rewards were worth it.

Theater teacher Kade Lasseigne said double casting made him anxious at first because he had never directed a show with two casts before.

“I was worried about making sure that everyone was rehearsing enough and making sure that everybody’s getting enough attention,” he said. “And it actually ended up turning out completely opposite.

Like, I was not even worried about it at all at the end. Like I was like, ‘Man, this is actually kind of helped us out a little bit.’”

Lasseigne said he was also motivated to double cast because the number of students

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participating in musical theater has grown so much in recent years.

“We felt that we had enough amazing talents to showcase people in The Wizard of Oz by doing two different casts,” he said.

“The other thing is if you have the chance to give someone that opportunity to play Dorothy, then you should do it and let them have that opportunity.”

Junior Abigail Segura, who played Dorothy, said the double cast format created some new challenges to which actors had to adjust because the actors had to switch their mindset from either playing a lead role or as part of the ensemble, depending on different rehearsal nights. “For example, on the day before our first show for my cast, they ran B Cast that night with all their costumes and even with the band, and then our first night we had never practiced with our costumes, or with the band. So it was like it was just really more chaotic.”

Junior Skylar Melder, who played Dorothy in the B Cast, said at first it was difficult to adjust to misconceptions that people had about the labels of having an “A Cast” and a “B Cast.” While it was easy for

Mylo Bissell

The Jitterbug

Cast Members from the “A cast” performed in the Wizard Of Oz showcase. This scene shows the leads trying to fight off a curse that was put on them from the Wicked Witch of the West.

the leads to compare their performances to each other, there were also some benefits, she said.

“I think the benefits are that there’s like you get to learn from each other,” she said.

“So instead of just going into the just your own way, you’re able to also look at how the other person approaches it and learn.”

Jude Byrd contributed to this story.

Theater department adjusts to Distelhorst departing Isaac guerrero Staff Writer

fter one of the greatest plays that the Akins Journey Theatre has had, the man who made it all happened announced that he is leaving to pursue a new opportunity.

In just three short years, Brad Distelhorst is being credited with boosting morale and enabling the Akins Journey Theatre program to put on big shows and compete on an equal footing with other area schools.

Distelhorst, who started as an Akins theater teacher in 2016, announced in late December that he would be leaving to take a new position as the manager of the district’s Performing Arts Center. He stayed until the completion of AJT’s performance of The Wizard of Oz in January but has since started his new duties in the school district. Theater students and teachers shared their reflections about Distelhorst’s impact while he was here.

Junior Benjamin Greenhaw, who played Hunk in the performance of The Wizard of Oz, said Distelhorst brought a higher level of sophistication and humor to their productions.

“He was also very approachable as a teacher,” he said.“He was just someone really easy to talk to,” Greenhaw said.

Jaycob Sanchez, another senior performer who played Zeke said he was saddened to learn of Distelhorst’s departure.

“He brought us together as a family,” he said.

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Distelhorst helped improve the equipment and technology in the Akins theatre.

In the early 2017-2018 school year at Akins, Distelhorst was able to obtain a $10,000 grant to make upgrades to the theater’s equipment for the first time since Akins opened in 2000. With that grant, he was able to improve the Fine Arts departments’ visual and audio recording equipment along with improvements to the theater itself.

“The theater departments’ productions seem to have become more elaborate in recent years, with larger sets and lighting effects,” technical theatre teacher Kade Lasseigne said. Lasseigne said Distelhorst was good about growing the number of students who participated in the theater program.“He had a way of reaching out to all types of kids to really create a large group in our program,” he said. “He wanted to make everything bigger and better.”

In addition to improving the quality of the program, Distelhorst also took AJT to the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards. The Akins program earned awards for Best Lighting Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Orchestra.

A big accomplishment that Distelhorst said he was proud of was, getting nominated for Best Musical Production for Hairspray, through the GAHSMTA. “I hope they continue to produce quality shows that challenge the actors and the techs,” he said. “And I hope they continue to get audiences excited about the productions that AJT will put on.”

Final Dress Rehearsal

Jocelyn Robbins

Brad Distelhorst giving direction to students on the last day before opening night.

This was the final dress rehearsal for the Wizard Of Oz play.

reviews

The Eagle's Eye Page 15 | February 10, 2020

Artists make their own merchandise to expand music Enrique Camacho Staff Writer

uying merchandise produced by beloved musical artists has always been a big part of music fan culture.

After physical sales like CD’s started to go down because of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music rising up in popularity and usage. It Affected the revenue of an artist.

This caused artists to find new ways to increase revenue and boost album sales. This is by making their own clothing brand and selling it as Merch. Most artists today have done this or have collaborated with other brands. It’s a way to branch out and use their status to grow their brand and make more money.

Kanye West, Pharell Williams, Young Thug, and A$AP Rocky are some artists that have their own brands. Kanye West has his own brand known as YEEZY which has been very popular for some years now.

Pharell has Billionaire Boys Club and Young Thug with his own brand SPIDER that he just announced. In an interview he says “creating clothes is something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time but I wasn’t able to and becoming an artist gave me a chance to do it because of my fans,”.

“Now, I’m able to live out my dream and create clothes, menswear, womens-wear, and unisex. I’m being able to create what I wanted to do.“ An artist’s merchandise is very significant, because it is not always about making money.

Items with a logo or name are about much more than just making a few extra bucks. It’s about extending an artist’s brand through a global program of different consumer products. It’s important to learn from other industries where they have tapped ideas around merchandise being a prominent marketing vehicle and being able to build up your brand.

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When a fan of an artist is wearing their shirt, hat or any merchandise with their logo on it, it’s usually seen by a lot of people. A lot of artists take time into the clothes they make and make stuff that they would actually wear because it’s something that represents them and their image. The ability for fans to physically experience an artist’s brand is powerful, and musicians are thinking carefully whenever they create a new item, or even when it comes to launching a location, such as a pop-up shop containing their merch.

A piece of merch by any artist is special and fans will always buy it to represent their love for that specific artist.

Ash Catalan

Debates on if post mortem albums should be released Oscar navarro Staff Writer

dd Mac Miller to the list of artists whose albums have been released to the public after their deaths.

Posthumously-released albums are a complicated issue because keeping an artist’s music sacred is important but so is keeping its legacy alive on one last album.

There have been many posthumously albums throughout the decade from notorious B.I.G who released Life After Death, Tupac Shakur who released The Don Killuminati: The 7-day Theory, Jimi Hendrix who released The Cry of Love, Micheal Jackson who released Micheal and Prince who released Piano and a Microphone.

These artists have had an impact on the music community and although it might not seem right to release the album, fans still appreciate and love these albums after their tragic deaths. But fans also believe that because the artist has passed we shouldn’t release their music for them because we never know if they ever really wanted some music of theirs to be released.

Prince’s Piano and a Microphone released in 1983 was an album that didn’t clarify to listeners if he really wanted this to be put out into the public. But Prince’s estate struck a deal with Sony to have his albums streamed. Die hard fans felt overwhelmed with joy as they wanted to pay respects to their idol by keeping his music away from these services.

Sony, Lisa Coleman, and Don Batts had good intentions and never wanted to go against the artist’s wishes but rather show true and future fans what a genius he was.

However, Circles was announced by Mac Miller’s family through a new Instagram account, @92tilinfinity. “After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversation with Malcolm,” his family wrote. “We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it.”

Circles, which Warner Records released in January, is Miller’s sixth album. He was working on it before he died as the result of an accidental drug overdose in September 2018. Prior to his death, his album called Swimming was released. Circles was intended as a companion album with the whole title for the set as “Swimming in Circles.”

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Anneliese Olivo These albums hold two different styles that complement each other, completing his vision. Swimming felt like it didn’t give closure to fans so when Circles was announced fans were ready to listen to what would cement his legacy.

Here you have a kid from Pittsburgh who on his early days has rap songs titled; Donald Trump, Senior Skip Day, and Kool-aid & Frozen pizza. To evolve into something more mature and meaningful with his work on recent albums.

The evolution of Mac Millers’ career is truly astonishing.

InDepth

The Eagle's Eye Page 16 | February 10, 2020

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Misinformation aims to create mistrust and confusion Dee Carreon

In-Depth Editor n Dec. 1,2016, Edgar Maddison Welch walks into a pizzeria in DC with a loaded assault rifle and fires one or more shots, thankfully not injuring or killing anyone.

This event was the result of a fake conspiracy theory claiming that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign chair, John Podesta, ran a child sex ring in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, a pizzeria in Washington D.C. Fake news and misinformation is everywhere these days and has potentially dangerous consequences, especially when it comes to politics.

Facebook posts advocating for the message “No invaders allowed” (playing off Republican calls during the 2016 campaign for border security measures), “Blue Lives Matter” (blaming the Black Lives Matter Movement for “gruesome attacks on the police”) or the “Buff Bernie” coloring book aimed at the LGBTQ movement.

We live in an age now where many people want nothing to do with politics. You hear it all the time — people are exhausted with the constant fighting and name calling. with Understanding politics is confusing — like tracking what’s happening in the White House or who who’s currently leading in the primary elections. , But when you add layers of misinformation and propaganda to the mix,

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understanding our current politics can be all but impossible.

“The press ideally should sift fact from fiction and give the public the information it needs to make enlightened political choices,” wrotey Sean Illing in a Vox.com article.

“If you short-circuit that process by saturating the ecosystem with misinformation and overwhelm the media’s ability to mediate, then you can disrupt the democratic process.”

And some political campaigns and foreign actors use misinformation as a political strategy to overwhelm the masses with information. Whether it is in the form of tweets from the president, memes shared on Reddit or bogus posts on Facebook, this information that may or may not be fact-based. And these posts often are skewed to add a favorable spin or mislead readers. In short, the media today is a confusing and disorienting jungle.

This new form of propaganda works not by creating unanimity on a narrative but by disorienting the public perspective so it feels impossible to know the truth about anything. The intent is not form a public consensus of understanding, but instead to encourage complete distrust in the press.

The result: most would rather turn the other way to completely tune out of the dizzying mess. They have stopped looking for proper and accurate information and, instead, stick to places that feed them what they most

If you short-circuit that process by saturating the ecosystem with misinformation and overwhelm the media’s ability to mediate, then you can disrupt the democratic process.”

A Vox article Written by Sean Illing

want to hear. This is the propagandist’s desired result.

There is nothing more evident of this process in the current times than Trump’s post-Iowa caucuses messages.

The Trump campaign took advantage of the ongoing delay in the state party reporting caucuses results. The Iowa Democratic Party said the delay was due in part to technical errors with an app that was used to report results from each precinct. However, Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted that it was evidence that the process was rigged against a candidate the establishment of the Democratic Party didn’t want to be the winner — namely Sen. Bernie Sanders.

It was just another effort by the Trump campaign to discourage would-be Democratic voters in trusting the political process to discourage their involvement.

Despite human error and other possible technical problems being accounted for in this process, misinformation seems to always come out the winner. During this time, top trending terms on twitter included “#BernieWon” and “#TomPerezResign.”

The question remains: How do we protect against misinformation? How do we separate fact from fiction?

For more strategies on how identify misinformation visit AkinsEagesEye.com

Indepth

The Eagle's Eye Page 17 | February 10, 2020

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Does the URL match the news

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Is the article timely? (Does it have a current date?)

Dee Carreon

Is the story backed

with credible sources?

pop culture

The Eagle's Eye Page 18 | February 10, 2020

Drake and his cultural impact throughout the decade Rhett moore Staff Writer

rom Room for Improvement to Scorpion, Drake has dominated the charts and changed the rap scene with his versatility and sheer talent.

Often being compared to the new age Michael Jackson, Drake didn’t get to the top on accident, he worked for his spot. After his self-released mix-tape; Room for Improvement in 2006, he released his second mix-tape; Comeback Season in 2007.

On February 13, 2009, Drake released his third mix-tape called So Far Gone, changing the world of rap forever. It consisted of 18 tracks and a running time of an hour and 13 minutes. This self-released album would change how mix-tapes were perceived by hip-hop fans.

Before the release of So Far Gone, mix-tapes were not reaching the level of success that Drake was able to acquire from it. Drizzy showcased his lyrical and singing talent inspiring a whole new sub-genre of melodic rap. In later years, The Weeknd, Bryson Tiller, and Tory Lanez would follow Drake into developing this sub-genre and becoming some of the most prominent artists in hip-hop right now.

After ending the 2000s strong, Drake was ready to catapult himself into the 2010s and would never look back. He started off the decade with a bang, releasing Thank Me Later and Take Care in 2010 and 2011. These records are widely regarded as some of Drake’s best work.

Without a project in 2012, Drake made sure he did not disappoint in 2013 with his third studio album Nothing Was the Same. This would be the year that Drake would propel himself through the threshold of success.

During this time social media had exploded and everyone was making Instagram, Twit-

F

ter, and Facebook accounts to follow Drake and keep up with the Courtesy of Director X things he was doing when it came to his music. Drake used the expansion of social media to his advantage and his influence in the music industry to absolutely take over.

Drake ushered in a new wave of rappers using social media to attract more attention and get more people listening to their music. He always gave the fans something to talk about. Rappers today use similar tactics and this is because of Drake.

His musical impact was big and amazing. But all good things come to an end and some rappers are on the rise to take his place, but who?

New decade brings in room for pop cultural evolution Diego Rivas

Staff Writers ver the last ten years, Drake and his music has inspired many hip-hop artists that may take over the upcoming decade. Many believe that there will never be someone that will create the same impact that Drake has.

But let’s not forget that each rapper has their own unique style when they make and produce music. An artist that may take Drakes spot and that has ignited and created a label within himself, Travis Scott.

Travis Scott is 5 projects in and is finishing what Kid Cudi started, ‘leading the stampede of lost souls’ while putting his own spin on the concept. Adding a pure rage and psychedelic feel all at once. He has the energy, the rapping ability, and the influence.

There hasn’t been an artist that has created such a great impact on people of all ages, every single fan wants to resemble him as much as possible from the way he dresses to the way he dances Travis loves to involve his fans as much as possible into his projects, but I would say that the most significant one was when let fans from a high school in Houston, to demonstrate their creativity by making art for his famous annual festival Astrofest.

La Flame has been able to create a lifestyle that is followed by millions all over the globe. His collaborations with big clothing brands like Nike, have made it easier for him to spread his ideas and creativity.

Personally, I was amazed by the art, the message behind

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every single painting and sculpture shows how much the fans love what he does, and that’s really important because it creates an unbreakable bond between the fan and the artist. His music is what made him become one of the most influential rappers in the last couple of years and his music career started when Kanye brought him into the music industry.

Travis had idolized Yeezy while growing up and when finally his dream came true, Kanye decided to bring him into his compilation album Cruel Summer, in exchange Kanye appeared on Travis’ song Piss on your grave that’s part of his album called Rodeo.

Lastly, his concerts consist of people jumping from the stage into the public and huge mosh pits. It’s an out of this world experience with the level of production he puts into his performances that include rideable roller coasters and fireworks that light up the dark sky.

All of these aspects are what makes Travis Scott the artist to rise up, take Drakes spot, and be the next biggest rapper.

But is it enough to overthrow Drake?

Some say that Tyler, The Creator is one of the most talented and influential people in rap today. From Odd Future to Igor, Tyler has matured from his reckless teenage years to become a very personal writer. Opening up about his sexuality on Flower Boy and falling in love and being heartbroken on Igor. Tyler has created some very introspective records leaving his mark on hip-hop.

Whoever takes the crown must be ready to embrace it and hold tight.

Rhett Moore contributed to this story.

Courtesy of Rich Fury

Reviews

The Eagle's Eye Page 19 | February 10, 2020

The pros and cons of using certain streaming services kayden harnett Staff Writer

I

n an increasingly fast-paced world with more information at our fingertips, people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with commercials and moving towards streaming. It can become overwhelming with the amount of services out there to choose from. What

Pros

1. Netflix exclusive shows are shows that you are only able to watch if you pay for Netflix.

is a good combination? Is there one that’s just better than all the others? With the recent introduction of Disney+ to the streaming world, it makes it more difficult to pick between all of the streaming platforms there are available. The original content each unique service offers and the prices make the decision more philosophical than simply trying a service. So if you’re stuck between what streaming platform you should use then go ahead and take a look at our list of pros and cons for each streaming platform.

Cons

Netflix

1. Netflix does not add the latest TV shows or movies.

2. It takes a while before new movies and TV shows are added onto Netflix, when they do decide to put certain content on the app.

2. Netflix allows users to download shows and movies

so that you can watch them offline.

3. Netflix charges $8.99 per month for the basic plan

but it’s a good price for the content that comes with it.

1. Hulu Live TV offers around 60 channels including FX, CNN, Food Network, MSNBC, and Fox News.

Netflix

Hulu

1. Users can only download up to 25 titles across 5 different devices, but you have to watch it within 30 days of downloading.

2. Hulu is only $5.99 per month with ads, which makes it the cheapest streaming platform on this list.

2. The movies are outdated and there are only 2,500 movies you can pick from.

3. They have the most mid-season/ episode for episode updates.

1. Offers a student membership which costs $59 per

3. Netflix tends to take off many movies and shows randomly causing viewers to be upset because they wanted certain content to be kept on the app.

Hulu

Amazon Prime

year or $6.49 per month, which makes it very affordable.

3. A lot of programs you need to purchase add ons to

see.

1. You can pay for your Amazon per year or per month

but it cost $119 per year (9.92 a month) or $12.99 per month which makes it the most expensive on this list.

2. Along with TV shows and movies, Amazon Prime offers music as well.

2. Amazon Prime has a very poor user interface.

3. All of their originals have good longevity and production value.

3. Users run into the problem of accidentally renting.

Amazon Prime Video

1. One of the cheapest options for streaming platforms, with it being only $6.99 a month.

Disney +

1. Original series are uploaded by episodes instead of being uploaded by season.

2. Offers a combined deal with Hulu and ESPN+, allowing users to bundle all three streaming services for $12.99 a month.

2. Now that Disney has its own streaming platform there is no longer any Disney content available on other streaming platforms.

3. No limits on the number of titles that you can

3. Waiting for newer Disney products to be released

can be exhausting.

download.

Disney+

Photo essay

The Eagle's Eye Page 20 | February 10, 2020

Over the

double

rainbow Mylo Bissell

Amora Arriaga Photo-Editor

his year when putting on their production of Wizard of Oz the Akins Journey Theater did something entirely new, they double cast. Having different lead cast members for the weekend’s, attendees got to experience two different shows but when the news was first announced a lot of cast members didn’t feel that at first.

“We felt that we had enough amazing talents to showcase people in The Wizard Of Oz by doing two different casts.” AJT director, Kade Lasseigne said.

Before the play, the cast had some confusion on whether A and B were a way to rank both casts.

“With an A team and a B team, everyone thinks the A team is better and the B

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cast is just good,” Junior Skyler Melder, who played one of the Dorothys’, said.

The A cast and B cast titles were used as a way to label casts to “give everyone opportunities” as Melder explained.

Junior Abigail Segura played the A cast Dorothy and experienced a little bit of that same confusion.

“People didn’t understand, it’s not like one’s better than the other, just they’re two separate units.”

Akins Journey Theatre performed six shows, over two weekends.

“I think that it went really well. We had a lot of performances, we had a lot of people that showed up to come to the show... It turned out really well and I was really proud of them,” Lasseigne said.

Mylo Bissell contributed to this story

Jocelyn Robbins

Practice makes perfect Ready for the show

AJT Dance Ensemble practice their choreographies. The ensemble is made up of 16 students who belong to both the A and B casts.

Jocelyn Robbins

Junior Skyler Melder Rehearsing for the play. She is playing Dorothy gale in the b cast , this is Medlers 4th show with AJT

playing the soundtrack

Jocelyn Robbins

Akins’ Band and Orchestra plays music for WIzard of Oz. Unlike the cast, Akins orchestra students played live music during the play every night of the performances.

Merry old land of oz

Mylo Bissell

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, & Lion preform the first musical number of Act II. This is peformed when they first get to The Land of Oz.

Photo essay

The Eagle's Eye Page 21 | February 10, 2020

Alexa Hudson

yelling at oz

Abigail Segura, playing Dorthy, yells at the Wizard of Oz after melting the Wicked Witch of the West. This was after Oz refused to help Dorthy after he tricked her into killing the witch for him. Segura also assisted with designing choreography for the show.

Mylo Bissell

scouting the yellow brick road Singing poppy's Wicked Witch of the West scouts for Dorothy. Kasey Williams, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, was in both the A and B casts of the play.

Casey Coffman

Skylar Melder, playing Dorthy, is laying on the stage in a scene where after she curses the poppy flowers and they sing to sleep with a lullaby.

lion wants courage

Alexa Hudson

Isabel Velasquez, playing the lion, sings King of the Forest number in which the Lion shares that he is seeking courage from The Wizard of Oz.

Life K Style

The Eagle's Eye Page 22 | February 10, 2020

Transgender students face unique school experiences Alondra Rodriguez Staff Writer

o what are you?

This can be a common question that transgender students hear when they tell someone they don’t know that they are transgender.

The concept of transgender identity is not commonly taught well by schools or parents. So when students begin coming out publicly at school, they are often subject to misunderstandings, harassment or even assaults.

Last year, the Austin school board approved a new sex education curriculum last year that will begin to teach elementary and middle school students about concepts related to gender identity in the coming years. In grades 3-5 the district’s curriculum will define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or different gender. In 6-8 grade schools get into more depth about the difference between gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

The new district curriculum will not address the high school sex education curriculum.

According to the 2017 National School Climate Survey, 87.3% of LGBTQ+ students said they faced some type of harassment or assault based on personal characteristics while in school. The constant feeling of them not fitting in leads to a condition called “minority stress,” which can manifest in anxiety, depression or self-harm.

While there has been some progress in recent years to improve the rights and acceptance of transgender people, there are still many people who either do not accept them or simply do not understand them.

People coming out as anything other than straight doesn’t just come with happiness from being able to love someone they want but it also comes with a lot of bullying, threats, harassment and much more. According to the Humans Rights Campaign survey, 26% of LGBTQ+ youth say their biggest problems are not feeling accepted by their family, trouble at school/bullying, and a fear to be out/open.

People don’t know the trouble of someone coming out as LGBTQ+, especially as a child.

The term “transgender” was forwarded and popularized by activists such as Kate Bornstein, Holly Boswell, Leslie Feinberg, and Riki Wilchins, to create a coalition of persons who did not fit neatly into gender binaries, or who defied gender norms and expectations. “Transgender” was also adopted by persons who did not identify

S

“

with the earlier label “transsexual,” due to its association with medical transition across the gender binary.

Nearly 2% of high school students in the United States identify as transgender, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another, 27% feel unsafe at school or traveling to or from campus while 75% of transgender students feel unsafe at school and 35% attempt suicide.

Transgender students at Akins face unique challenges with having other students and teachers respecting their preferred pronouns or even expressing disbelief about their gender identity, said sophomore Chris Sanchez.

“No like physical bullying or anything like that,” Sanchez said. “No one’s like threatens me or anything like that it’s just like people make comments, ... and they say like, ‘oh but you’re not really what you say you are.’”

Trans students at Akins said they don’t feel in danger at Akins, but they also don’t Sophomore feel completely safe either.

No public incidents of severe harassment are widely known, but trans students say they do face the smaller and quieter types of harassment that can cause them to feel like an outsider.

Akins doesn’t have non-labeled bathrooms or locker rooms. Also, teachers and staff have not received training on how to respectfully work with transgender students.

That said there are staff and teachers who are really accepting and try their best to make LGBTQ+ students accepted at Akins. The Akins Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club also provides a safe refuge for students to meet other LGBTQ+ students and supporters.

Correct pronoun usage is an important part of how transgender people identify themselves, the most known pronoun instead of “he” and “she” are “they” and “them.”

Sanchez told some teachers about them being non-binary and that Sanchez uses specific pronouns.

“It’s hard (for them) to get used to, some teachers don’t use the right pronouns at all but for the most part, they try to,” Sanchez said.

people make comments, ... and they say like, ‘oh but you’re not really what you say you are.’”

Chris Sanchez

Ash Catalan

15%

OF TRANSGENDER RESPONDANTS make <$10,000/YEAR The National Transgender Discrimination Survey

only 18 states prohibit employment and housing discrimination based on gender identity National Coalition of

72% OF LQBTQ 72% hate violence Victims were

Anti-Violence Programs OF LQBTQ based on gender identity

trans women

Michigan radio

Life K Style

The Eagle's Eye Page 21 | February 10, 2020

D&D enjoys a revival with new online, YouTube videos Ash Catalan

Co-Editor-In-Chief ome teens may have heard of Dungeons and Dragons through shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things or casually mentioned in a TV show.

It was known to be a game exclusively for nerds, but in recent times, that has appeared to change. YouTubers like those on the Critical Role channel have brought Dungeons of Dragons into the world of streaming as actors make the role-playing aspects of the game into an entertaining experience just to watch.

D&D is experiencing a revival as casual watchers become players themselves. With nerd and gaming culture becoming more popular, it’s no surprise that D&D has been a game to be amongst them.

For those who don’t know, the way you play D&D is by role playing a character, such as a barbarian or a rouge. You can make up whatever character you want, like a tiefling rogue or a halfling druid. You choose to play however you want, with the roll of a dice deciding if you succeed or not. You can go on a heist mission or

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defeat crazy monsters at the leisure of your dungeon master. The dungeon master builds a world and a story to follow, but the players ultimately decide what to do.

The role-playing aspect of D&D has helped this game, first released in 1975 alive and relevant today.

“It’s therapy,” Avid D&D player Liam Lohse said. “You get to hop out of yourself and play a different character.”

Many, myself included, agree with that idea. It’s much different from other games in the way that you can play however you’d like. Your dungeon master might tell you that you have the option to exit through the door or window, but you could still choose to dig a hole underneath the room to escape.

The appeal of Dungeons and Dragons for me is that you’re playing with a group of friends and interacting with them in ways that are different than in a normal conversation. It also helps that with websites like Roll20, D&D. Beyond, and voice chat services like Discord, playing D&D is no longer limited to just your friends you see in person. It’s so much more accessible

Ash Catalan

in today’s digital age.

Nowadays, you can sit down with friends from Florida and bust out a 3-hour session playing as kobolds.

“Playing in person is a lot more scheduling,” Lohse says.

With Netflix planning to release an animated version of Critical Role’s first D&D

campaign, Vox Machina, it’s yet another way that this role-playing game is going to gain popularity. I have high hopes with the future of D&D, with young players getting to discover this totally different game, or veteran players revisiting their campaign from their friends in middle school for the first time in years.

Teens need self-defense tactics for safety while alone zachary reyna Staff Writer

he risk of being assaulted isn’t something that is at the front of our mind when we go out especially in an area you aren’t the most familiar with.

Not everyone has the skills to use martial arts or any other type of fighting style to properly defend themselves and self-defense weapons are very complicated due to different laws.

To be clear self-defense (where the use of force to protect yourself is justified) is only permitted whenever someone attempts to murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated robbery.

The number 1 rule from anybody who specialized in self-defense is never to make yourself seem vulnerable or weak.

Most attackers will go for people who seem weak or distracted and not aware of their surroundings.

Kajunkenbo a hybrid martial art form practiced by Allison Venancio a junior at Akins. She’s been practicing this self-defense

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method since 7th grade Connor Harkins a senior and his brother Collin Harkins both trained in the fighting style Bushikan Connor 11 years Collin 10 years.

Asking the Harkins how important it is to know self-defense and some advice for the average person “Self-defense is very important, especially in today’s world. Where people will do whatever to get money or what they want. I think self-defense is one of the most important things for people to know.”

Connor says. “Never Ash Catalan start a fight. Never underestimate your opponent.”

Collin says that “I mean, I think it’s actually really important because it’s always good to have that thing to protect you from different things.

And just be able to be ready if something were to happen. Like you don’t usually want to go around and be like, Oh, I know martial arts. I know Kung Fu stuff like that and just be like, I can beat you up. It’s just it’s nothing learned about that. It’s all the discipline and respect that makes you

go through it” Collin’s advice for everyone is “Just have your ears wide open and make sure you’re staying focused. Don’t if you’re going into it go into the mentality of being a student and not a person that’s cocky.”

The students who have taken a self-defense class think that it is a very important skill to have for their safety so they can go in with confidence when a situation might pop up.

Easy Self-Defense Tactic If you are in danger, SING!

Solar Plexus- Push your elbow back into

their side

Inner step- Stomp on their foot near big toe Nose-Toss your head back against their nose Groin- Throw your elbow into their groin

Life K Style

The Eagle's Eye Page 24 | February 10, 2020

Students seek help during college application season Barmey Chum and Bethany Bissell Staff Writer and Former Editor-in-chief

inter break reached its conclusion and the new semester followed its course. Annette Gutierrez, the new college and career adviser, looked to work with students to plan out the course for their upcoming future. Information sessions paired with counselor meetings throughout January helped students consider different possibilities in their futures and plan the steps necessary to take in order to meet their goals.

Bethany Bissell, 2019 Akins graduate, reflected on her process of applying for colleges.

W

Q Q

where do you think students struggle most with

A

The essay is the hardest part of the applications for students, because they get so tripped off on what they should put. Not sharing enough or sharing too much. It’s kind of this trick, tricky line of really sharing who you are and what your struggles are and what you’ve learned from it. And, sharing a part of yourself, but making sure that it’s not like a diary entry where you’re sharing a little too much where you kind of scare the admissions personnel.

what are the top five priorities a junior or an early

A

Make sure that you have your test whether that’s a TSI, the SAT or ACT, making sure that you are preparing for it and taking it seriously. The next thing is making a list of your schools and not just focusing on the schools that are nearby or that suit what mom and dad want, but what you want.

And application dates, because a lot of students don’t realize that application date deadlines come early. If you wait until the latest deadline, you’re going to be competing for a smaller number of seats and scholarships scholars.

Preparing for college

Students hear from College and Career Counselor Annette Gutierrez during an advising session in the library.

Q

Bethany Bissell Class of 2019 Freshman at Louisiana State University Applying he application process was the most hectic part of my senior year. I spent the first semester working on essays and setting submission schedules, and winter break and the first half of the spring semester waiting on acceptances and financial aid. I set high expectations for my application process, and I learned a valuable lesson from trying hard to be proud of myself when I didn’t meet all of them.

T C

What is a trade that colleges are LOOKING FOR?

A

Well rounded, but not to the extent that you’re in 10 different clubs and taking AP everything. They want to see that maybe you’re in two or three different clubs, but in one of those clubs or sports like you’ve been doing it for a long time, and you’ve been investing in it and you’ve got a leadership role. And somehow it ties back to the career that you want to do. Whether that’s gaining that leadership experience from being captain of your varsity team, or it’s being president of the debate team, because you want to go and be a lawyer, like it’s just connecting. Finding a way to connect everything that you’re in to what you want to do. Being passionate about it. So not just doing things to check off boxes, but actually being interested in it. Maybe you tried something, but you decided from that trial, you did not like it, but you gave it a try. And even just writing about that experience about how crazier tougher out of your realm of comfort that you were, but that you tried it is awesome. So just being well rounded, willing to try leadership experience

Adjustments he biggest adjustment that I had to make when I moved in at LSU was how I spent my time. In college, all of your time is your own. Because you don’t spend all day in a school building, it can be easy to lose sight of your assignments or what you should be doing. Initially, developing effective study and work habits is difficult, but it teaches an incoming student a lot about discipline. I’ve found that a “self-bargaining” technique is really effective for managing my time; I try to reward myself at checkpoints when I’m doing homework and studying.

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Class lasses in college aren’t always more demanding than high school courses, but they’re always less structured. Because of that, it’s important to find a few people in class that you can rely on for help, notes or clarification when you need it.

When registering for a course, always consult the Internet. It’s a good idea to check out websites like RateMyProfessor to see if the instructor will be a good fit for you, and there are online exchanges for textbooks and resources for most universities.

Barmey Chum

Advice ollege is full of new people and opportunities, which can be both exciting and daunting. The most valuable advice I could give for a smooth transition is to embrace those changes. It’s difficult, but it’s essential to push through nerves to form connections and find a home in the community you’re spending the next few years of your life in. It’s a fun and enriching experience, but only when one allows it to be.

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Life K Style

The Eagle's Eye Page 25 | February 10, 2020

Teachers reflect upon experiences of their prom night Gregory Roque Staff Writer

his year, the Class of 2020 is having a problem raising money for Prom.

So far, raising money for prom has been slow so Akins seniors are planning a series of new fund raisers to help pay the estimated $40,000 bill to cover all of the end of the year senior activities, including prom.

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Prom Rules

Several rules have been made in order to go to prom.

Students cannot be assigned to attend the Alternative Learning Center this year. Students must receive credit in 6 out of 8 classes in the Fall 2019 and must pass 6 out of 8 classes for the 4th & 5th six weeks. And students can have no more than five absences per class in the spring.

For seniors check out forms they need completion of FAFSA/ TASFA applications, no unpaid fees for the library, textbooks or AP exams. Students should also have taken all three sections of the TSI test.

This year, Akins High School is pretty serious for seniors in order to do what it says on the forms.

Akins will be allowing students to bring non-Akins students but they will need to have permission by Associate Principal Manuel Garcia in the main office. Non-Akins students will get a 2020 prom visitor application that will expire on May 6, 2020.

Teacher Stories from Prom

We asked teachers to share a memory of their prom and whether or not students should attend prom. They shared a few surprising stories from the teacher’s proms

Law teacher Armin Salek told the story of the unconventional relationship around his 2009 prom.

“I was deathly afraid of asking girls out in high school.

In an absolute miracle, I mustered up the courage to ask a junior to the senior prom. She said yes and I was absolutely thrilled! I went back to campus and headed to the locker room to get ready for my soccer game (pretty sure we were playing Akins that day). The team asked me who I was going with and I told them I was going with Renee (pseudonym). That’s when I found out that my date had a boyfriend. I was confused, so I asked her later that night if it was true. She said it was and that her boyfriend did not mind. He was also a junior and was not eligible for prom.

I wasn’t a big fan of going to prom with someone in a relationship, but I definitely didn’t have the guts to go back on my invitation. We went to prom together and basically separated at the door. I had a great time dancing with all of the folks that came without dates. It wasn’t a sitcom worthy prom night, but I’m glad I didn’t stay at home and wonder what could have been,” Salek said.

Salek was not the only one who had a bit of a wrench in their prom. Spanish teacher Beatriz Valle-Moreno shared her experience at prom.

“Attending Prom with my friends was one of the best decisions I made during my senior year. It was my first formal dance, my friends and I rented a limousine, gathered in one of my friend’s house and then we all went to a nice restaurant. It was our first limousine ride and we were enjoying it until we were on our way to prom, our limousine broke down. The limousine driver called for another limousine and they sent us an upgraded version.

We got out of the limousine and we were all laughing and making fun of that, that could only have happened to us.

We laughed so much and then we took pictures beside our rented broken down limousine beside the highway.

When we see each other we still go back to that day, my friends and I will never forget those moments. When we arrived at our prom, we had so much fun. We danced, we laughed, and overall, we enjoyed each other’s company during our first formal dance,” Valle-Moreno said.

Psychology teacher Katie Delmore didn’t share any catastrophe but she shared the reason why her prom experience may be different than many others.

“I went to prom 4 times because my high school was so small that everyone in 9th-12th grade could go. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money to have fun at prom. The first year I went, my mom sewed my dress and my best friend found hers on clearance for $19. We didn’t get limos and we did our own hair and makeup. To me, the best part about prom was seeing everyone transformed from their everyday selves into something fancy for one night. It’s still my favorite part about prom as a teacher,” Delmore said.

Prom is often something seniors ponder for a long while, many deciding at the beginning of the year that they won’t attend often times saying it’s lame or too expensive, or without someone to go with.

Valle-Moeno argues that prom is worth all the hassle.

“For me, Prom was definitely worth it! And it is worth it if you go with the people that make you happy and you enjoy their company and of course, they enjoy yours,” she said.

From left to right: Teacher Armin Salek pictured with prom date; Teacher Beatriz Valle-Moreno with friends; Teacher Katie Delmore pictured with friend at her prom.

Sports

The Eagle's Eye Page 26 | February 10, 2020

Evolution of NFL safety equipment through 100 years Austin Rutledge Editor in Chief

s the 100th season of the NFL comes to a close, its clear lots of things have changed since the NFL’s inception in 1920, helmets, uniforms, and basic safety standards have all changed.

In its 100-year existence, the NFL has been very successful. Bloomberg estimates that the NFL made around $15 billion during the 2018 season alone and much of that is related to the sales of sportswear and safety equipment.

They’re a global sports giant full of iconic franchises and brands and probably the most iconic thing about football is the helmet.

However, football didn’t start off with head protection made from molded polycarbonate shells with foam padding inside. The first official helmets were nothing more than soft leather, hard leather replaced the soft leather, and in 1940 the first plastic helmets were developed. 1943 was the first year the league required all players to wear helmets and in 1962 all teams were required to have facemasks on their helmets, air bladders were added next to soften the impact when collisions occurred. Yet with many improvements to safety standards over the years, there are many critics who believe the NFL hasn’t done enough with helmet safety standards.

The recent Netflix documentary about former NFL player Aaron Hernandez is putting new light on the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a brain disorder caused by multiple hits to the head. Researchers believe Hernandez, who committed suicide in prison while serving a life sentence for murder, suffered the most severe case of CTE ever discovered in a person his age. They believe it was damage that would have significantly affected his decision-making, judgment, and cognition.

Recently, the NFL earmarked $100 million in funding toward CTE and allocated 60% of that money toward technological improvements. The NFL is researching the use of the new Zero1 helmet.

A

Barmey Chum

However, there are doubts that any kind of new technology would be able to protect players from the risk of players developing CTE in the future. Some have said that the Zero1 can protect against this sort of hit about as well as an airbag can protect someone in the back seat of a car against whiplash.

Do you think our new UIL district will impact teams?

Yes. the competition will be better for our players for next year

Jai’Shaun Upton

10

I believe that the district change will impact us athletes in a positive way because taking out two schools to put a bigger and competitive will help us be successful and train harder

Delanie Loya

11

Yes because it will help our players. It would also be good to see and meet new teams

Nate Davis

10

“I believe that the new UIL district is going to have a huge impact on our teams by making us not only work harder, but giving us an even bigger challenge

Oscar Adame

11

Sports

The Eagle's Eye Page 27 | February 10, 2020

Varsity tennis team facing massive turnover next fall Barmey Chum Staff Writer

s the Akins Tennis Team embarks on a new horizon, a generation finally reaches the end of their journey.

The team is beginning the spring season with their heads held high, even with a few obstacles in the way.

They have already put their first junior varsity tournament behind them on January 30, where they traveled to the Austin High hosted tournament at the Whitaker Sports Complex.

“They’re one of the reasons I come to work every day.

They are always willing to try and hustle and volunteer to help out another teammate and they work hard in their studies as well,” said tennis Head Coach Christina Jenschke said. Jenschke said the players’ long history of playing together since they were freshman has been an asset for the team. “They were on varsity freshman year, sophomore year, junior year and senior year so they got to travel to matches together, got to travel to tournaments together and really cheer each other on and get that family feeling.”

But with the team comprised mostly of seniors, this season will be the final act of their many of their high school careers. Jenschke has enjoyed watching the core of the tennis team grow throughout the years, and with them leaving after the season, the team moves forward and looks to rebuild.

“I’m going to be sad to see them go and hopefully they have a good run these last few matches, but overall, I think this season is going to be great,” Jenschke said.

“We’re looking forward to getting out there in the sun and

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playing some matches.”

Senior Andy Doan, who has played on the Akins team since he was a freshman, said the team has made a lot of improvement since last year.

“I feel like we’re going to win a lot of tournaments.

Possibly even advance to district.”

Doan doesn’t believe his confidence is misplaced either. He has faith in his teammates’ ability to push themselves and continue to become better tennis players and bring home many trophies in their last run.

“A common misconception people generally have about tennis is that it’s not very difficult to master,” Doan said.

“If you want to get competitive in (tennis), it’s hard,” Doan said. “Like people, they have low expectations until they hit the ball and it goes all over the place. That’s when they realize, ‘Oh shoot. This sport is hard. And then, when they play someone who actually knows how to play the sport, they get crushed by them. They’re just going to be like ‘Huh, I was making fun of tennis all this time until I realize, it’s actually a hard sport.’”

Doan expects a lengthy rebuild process following this core’s departure, however, considering the team’s enormous senior presence.

“It’s definitely rough when we all leave, there’s definitely going to be a big hole in our team... we seniors comprise almost all of varsity,” Doan said. “We believe in our underclassmen like Jacques and Yarin to push our team even further and carry on what we’ve built here,” he said.

Barmey Chum

Practice makes perfect

Current sophomores Yarin Meirovich (top middle and bottom right) and Jacques Car An Dang (top right and bottom left) joke around at practice. They’re expected to carry the torch next year with the seniors gone.

Basketball icon leaves behind a legacy of compassion Austin rutledge Opinions Editor

ecently the world lost a basketball legend, a role model and an icon — Kobe Bryant.

Bryant was an inspiration to many.

According to ESPN, about a quarter of all NBA players in the league right now grew up watching Bryant play the game. He was a great player but also as a person, what he did on and off the court was special.

Bryant, was a five-time NBA champion and two-time finals MVP. He went to the NBA straight out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore Pennsylvania at 18 years old. The legacy he leaves behind is nothing less than spectacular. In the last game of his career, he dropped 60 points on the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. We will have a generation that doesn’t know Bryant and won’t ever know the magic he brought to the game.

He was an academy award winner, a noted

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philanthropist and a loving father to his children. Fans mourned Bryant’s passing at the Staples Center where they had gathered so many times before to watch him work. Flowers, jerseys and thousands of gifts were laid out on the grounds the day of his death. His daughter Gigi, who died in the same incident that took Bryant’s life, was 13 years old. She loved the game more than he did, he often talked about how she was better than he was at her age. According to him, he was teaching her moves he didn’t pick up until years in the league and she was taking them and making them her own. Anytime Kobe’s legacy got brought up he was asked whether or not he wanted a boy to carry on his legacy, his answer was always what Gigi told him, she had next.

Those kinds of questions used to crack him up according to those who knew him, she brought him back to the game after his retirement, nobody else would’ve made a more perfect successor. Kobe gave his

all to every aspect of his life, that’s what the mamba mentality is, that’s what Gigi embodied. That work ethic is what he carried with him into a second act that was just barely getting started. He was the happiest he’d ever been according to his friends and family, it’s tragic knowing that Kobe will never get to give his hall of fame speech or watch Gigi carry the torch that is

Ash Catalan his legacy but solace can be found in the fact that he died doing what he truly loved, being a dad.

Kobe Bean Bryant and Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant are survived by wife and mother Vanessa Laine Bryant and the couple’s 3 other children Natalia Diamante Bryant, Bianka Bella Bryant and Capri Kobe Bryant.

Sports SPORTS

The Eagle's Eye Page 28 | February 10, 2020

Head coaching diversity continues to be controversial Diego Gutierrez Sports Editor

he Rooney Rule is the name for an NFL policy instituted in 2003 that dictates that every team with a head coaching vacancy must interview at least one minority candidate throughout the interview process.

The rule, named for former Pittsburgh Steelers owner and former chairman of the league’s diversity committee Dan Rooney, was created following the controversial 2002 firings of head coaches Tony Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dennis Green of the Minnesota Vikings.

It happened at a time when Dungy had a winning record and Green had just had his first losing season in ten years.

At the time Dungy and Green seemed like fixtures in the league. Dungy’s Bucs and Green’s Vikings were both viewed as contenders and these moves were met with confusion across the league.

Following this, U.S. civil rights attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Cyrus Mehri released a study showing that black head coaches — despite winning a higher percentage of games — were less likely to be hired and more likely to be fired than their white counterparts. With this problem identified, people like former NFL players Kellen Winslow and John Wooten set to work putting together a self-described “affinity group” of minority scouts, coaches, and front-office personnel in order to advocate for the rule’s creation.

The rule’s purpose was to ensure that minority coaches, especially African Americans, would be granted equal opportunity to fill high-level coaching and executive positions. Until 1979, when Tom Flores was hired by the Raiders, Fritz Pollard way back in the 1920s had been the only minority head coach in NFL history and by the time the rule was implemented only 6 minority head coaches (Tom Flores, Art Shell, Dennis Green, Ray Rhodes, Tony Dungy, and Herman Edwards) had ever held that position.

Dungy’s story, in particular, is a perfect example of how minority candidates were treated before the rule was instituted. He struggled for years before getting a head coaching job; despite often being promoted as a head coaching candidate by Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Noll when he was an assistant under Noll in the 80s with the Steelers. And yet he wouldn’t get his shot at head coaching until 1996 when he took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he not only revolutionized the way defense is played in the NFL, but also took a franchise that had historically been known for mediocrity and made them respectable.

In his time at Tampa Dungy made the playoffs 5 of 6 seasons, taking the team to the NFC championship game for the first time in franchise history where they fell to the eventual Superbowl champion “Greatest Show on Turf ” St. Louis Rams. Despite all that success Dungy still found himself without a job following the 2001 season. He’s credited for building the team Jon Gruden won the Super Bowl with the following season but while he did eventually get a ring with the colts he was the first head coach in Buccaneers history to be fired with a winning record.

Another former Steelers assistant, Marvin Lewis, also struggled to find a head coaching position despite im-

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Tara Baraly

mense success as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator and wouldn’t be granted a head coaching opportunity until being hired by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, the year the Rooney Rule went into effect.

Lewis was one of the first hires made utilizing the rule and while he never won a championship with the Bengals he’s credited with helping build the franchise we know today. Their current reputation notwithstanding, there’s something to be said about their record following his departure because the Bengals went from mediocrity to the #1 overall draft pick simply due to their head-coaching change.

And that is my point. Before I get to Mike Tomlin who has become the face of the Rooney Rule, I think it’s interesting that when you look at the side by side comparisons, all these names, all these people of color who have been granted an opportunity to lead a team have done something with it.

Franchises have been built on the backs of these men.

Franchises are still carried by them. Just this past year Mike Tomlin took a Pittsburgh Steelers team that had no business even winning a game after losing their starting quarterback and most of their offensive weapons and had them one game outside of the postseason.

Tomlin’s record speaks for itself. Following his hiring

in 2007 the Steelers have yet to finish a season under .500 with Tomlin at the helm. In his time with the Steelers Tomlin has made the playoffs 8 times, won his division 6 times and became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. After winning Super Bowl XLIII, he’s one of only three coaches in NFL history to go his first 10 seasons without a losing season.

And yet despite all of the success enjoyed by him and others like Ron Rivera, Anthony Lynn, Jim Caldwell and others like them, the “blueprint” teams are looking for when they make these hires remain unchanged. Just this past season five head coaching vacancies came open and the number of minority head coaches actually stayed the same.

The Panthers fired Ron Rivera which momentarily took the number down from 3 to 2 but he was quickly picked up by the Redskins, the other four openings (including the Panthers) were filled by men like ex-Patriots special teams and wide receivers coach Joe Judge, while incredible coaches like 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Sallah and Chiefs Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy can’t seem to get a text back. The NFL just concluded its 100th season and we’ve still yet to see more than 8 men of color lead a team in the same season hopefully it won’t take another 100 years to get past 16.

Sports

The Eagle's Eye Page 29 | February 10, 2020

How league sports affects varsity and JV participation Rhett Moore Staff Writer

e are midway through the high school basketball season and as the best teams in the district get ready for the playoffs others will be watching from the bleachers. Only 3 months until those same players begin packing their duffle bags, boarding planes, and taking long bus rides to play AAU. Often being compared to each other, Amateur Athletic Union has bared more of the negativity due to the playstyle and lack of practice.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was founded in 1888 as an organization that would strive to establish uniformity for young athletes. Over time it has evolved into a flashy version of its high school counterpart attracting college coaches from all over the country.

Some players enjoy playing on an AAU team because it gives them more opportunities for success even if their school team struggles racking up wins. There are many students who play on AAU league teams and some play for both school teams and for AAU. Sophomore Torrey Smith, who plays for the Austin Warriors, said there is a difference in intensity between the league and school teams.

“I feel like high school basketball is more intense and AAU is like more laid back,” he said.

Sophomore Kale Parkins, who plays for the ATX

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Impact, said there are some advantages of playing AAU basketball.

“I feel like, for AAU basketball, it can help you get ready during the off-season, other times like that so you’re constantly working on basketball and getting better,” he said.

High school coaches also have strong opinions. Girls freshmen basketball coach Mario Howell said has definitely noticed an uptick in popularity of league basketball in recent years. He said he thinks it is more popular now because the costs are more affordable.

“Before when you looked at league sports it was kids with money so now that it has become more affordable for kids to do you get more and more kids playing league.”

Howell said.

He sees the benefit to league teams. “league teams have a greater chance at getting you recognized by colleges, especially since you are traveling more and you play more with elite talent” he said but Howell wouldn’t advise players to choose league over school teams nor vice versa.

“More exposure is more exposure so at the end of the day if you want to play league do it, you’re only enhancing your chances,” Howell said “Would I say pick league over school? No. (Coaches) want the kids to practice more and play more (over summer because) that’s how you get better. But then also you don’t want them to get hurt(playing league during offseason). It’s a balancing act”

David Doerr

Impact Players

Sophomore AAU players Kale Perkins (left) and Torrey Smith (right) pose for a photo. They both play for the Impact Sportz basketball club in South Austin.

Swim program grants new opportunities for students Mylo Bissell Editor in Chief

ecoming a lifeguard has often been an iconic summer job for teens, think Stranger Things, or Sandlot where one of the main love interests is a high school junior who was a lifeguard. Often advertising the job posting in years past, Akins happily welcomed a swim program after it’s success at Reagan high school.

“The City of Austin and the YMCA contacted me to see if I could get it started here so we got it going (at Akins)” said coach Jerry De La Huerta who is the instructor for the course.

“The class was supposed to be a lifeguard training class but we changed it into more of a learning how to swim class,” De La Huerta said, “because we saw a high need for (teaching kids) how to swim.”

Freshman Charles Isaacs joined to learn how to swim. “It was free and you do learn how to swim.” Isaacs said, “It teaches you how to swim, the principles of lifeguarding and gets you CPR certified, certified in first aid and just basic job and life skills.”

The class will work to get students ready to pass prerequisites to become a lifeguard, which includes a 300-meter swim and a brick test, where trainees are tasked with swimming 25 meters, picking up a block with their feet and getting back to the starting point in under one minute and 40 seconds.

“The main skills you learn are front crawl and breaststroke. Those are the two main skills then they also need to be able to tread water for two minutes without using their hands.” Huerta said.

“Becoming a lifeguard to me is something special,” Sophomore Breezeyeda Ramos said “it’s a benefit at the end when you get certified because you can start getting paid good money” In Austin, lifeguards average about $15 an hour and De La Huerta hopes students will take advantage of the opportunity afforded to them. “(Huerta wants how do the program) to be able to provide opportunities for our kids so they can be present in our communities working at local pools,” he said.

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Charlize Moore

Learning to Swim

Coach Jerry De La Huerta conducts and observes swim practice.

For some students this is their first time learning to swim.

Seasonal

The Eagle's Eye Page 30 | February 10, 2020

Palentines day adventure

T Art by Kaia Newton and Ash Catalan.

EE EXPLORES Mylo Bissell

Co-Editor-in-Chief hen people think of Valentine’s day, they tend to default to romantic love but something that is equally as important is to appreciate the platonic relationships in your life. Humans by nature are social and friendships are a vital part of maintaining good mental health. So where do we go to celebrate our friends on Valentine’s day? South Congress is a great place to go! With tons of different stores to wander in and out of as well as a wide variety of meal options it’s a good place to start with options on where to go depending on your willingness to explore.

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here are few things that bring people together like pizza. It’s one of those foods that has all the components of good food, warmth, cheese with a good pull, the tartness of the sauce. It’s a food that makes people smile and few places in town have managed to perfect it like Homeslice pizza. Homeslice Pizza opened in 2005 and they “vow, humbly and with devotion, to make the world a better place one slice at a time” as stated on their website.

These NY-style slices offer pure elation with each bite and are something to be thoroughly enjoyed. At $23 dollars for a signature pie as well as a custom one topping large, this is a great price especially for that area of town. Both the white pie with spinach as well as eggplant pie and of course age old pepperoni are all wonderful.

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hile most only think of it as a wonderful festival venue here in the live music capital of the world, it’s actually a wonderful place to have a picnic when there’s nothing going on. With a wonderful view of downtown from across the lake and plenty of friendly dogs running around it quickly becomes a wonderful places to sit and take a break with friends.

Grab food from any of the places listed above and bring a blanket with you and boom! A perfect picnic for all your friends to enjoy.

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here is a lot about being on South Congress that is deeply enjoyable, but the experience of going into Big Top Candy Shop in unparalleled. The look is styled in a way that immediately makes it exciting turning every person into a kid in a literal candy store as soon as they cross the threshold. The vintage register, the old school soda fountains behind the bar, but the pièce de résistance is the candy by the pound. Splitting the back of the store into half gummy and half chocolate you can fill your bag, though they charge by the quarter pound. This is a place where the cost can quickly add up but grabbing a little of all your favorites is more than worth it.

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orchy’s taco has an incredibly accurate slogan. It’s damn good. Tacos are almost a type of soul food in Texas . It’s checks all those boxes: fats, carbs, and cheese. Plus once you get into some of their specialty items like the fried avocado taco it checks that fried food box making things even better than before. Grabbing a nice variety of tacos and splitting the costs makes for a pretty affordable evening.

seasonal

The Eagle's Eye Page 31 | February 10, 2020

Easy and simple winter decoration Final Product

This is the result of a completed Yarn pom pom love bug.

Mylo Bissell

Co-Editor-in-Chief t can be easy to get swept up in all the corporate parts of Valentine’s day. The cards and candies and the fancy dinners. The idea of making something small by hand for those you are interested in can quickly get dismissed as childlike or naive when it comes to the ideas of relationships but it’s always a good way to express your interest in someone or to reinforce how much they matter to you. Here is a small craft to make that can work for just about everyone: a lovebug!

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Cut out a piece of yarn at whatever length you desire. The more yarn the bigger and softer your lovebug will be.

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Andrew Martinez

Cut the loops apart to create the fringe that gives the lovebug it’s distinct look.

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Andrew Martinez

Wrap the yarn around the palm of your hand, leave about 2-3 inches at both the beginning and end.

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Andrew Martinez

Slide the pipe cleaners through the knot, shape them as you wish.

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Andrew Martinez

Tie the loose ends together around the center of the loop that you just created to create two smaller loops.

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Andrew Martinez

Attach the googly eyes with an adhesive, such as tape or hot glue. Now your done!

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Andrew Martinez

Seasonal

The Eagle's Eye Page 32 | February 10, 2020

Mini strawberry cheesecake Ingredients

Alondra rodriguez

For the crust: 1 cup (120 grams) graham cracker crumbs, about 8 full-sheet graham crackers 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar 3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter, melted

Staff Writer

For the cheesecake filling: 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature 1/3 cup (75 grams) sour cream, room temperature 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs room temperature

CHEESECAKE

For the strawberry sauce topping: 1 pint fresh strawberries stems removed and sliced (or 2 and 1/4 cups frozen sliced strawberries) ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Strawberry sauce

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and mix until it’s well combined.

After, add eggs one at a time and slowly mix everything together.

In a medium saucepan, stir strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice then place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 5-8 minutes.

Then slightly reduce heat to low-medium, continue to stir constantly until the mixture thickened, about 15-20 min. Then pour in a heat resistant container and allow to cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate.

Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling between the cavities.

Bake at 325 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until the top of the cheesecakes are set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool down at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the pan to a container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Once the cheesecakes are chilled, top them with strawberry sauce and enjoy.

Crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and add cupcake liners to the pan, cover with a little bit of butter or baking spray.

Add 8 full sheets of graham crackers to a blender and process until there are no more big pieces of crackers.

Scoop the crumbs into a mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugar, mix everything until it’s combined.

After, put it in the pan, making sure to press firmly and bake for 5-6 minutes. When ready, remove and let them cool down.