The Eagles Eye, Issue 4, Volume 23

The

2024 Election candi dates divide many

News: students struggle to park

Students without permits park in right-of-way behind school | page 4

Sports: Community rallies for support Page 12-13

varsity basketball player battles cancer | page 17

Mark Lomas Co-Editor In Chief Diego Hernandez Co-Editor In Chief

Ashley Caceres News editor

Samantha Limon Entertainment editor

Adamaris Olivares Sports editor

kairi Natal photo editor

Rudy Morales Opinions Editor

Marcelo palacios entertainment editor

ely rodriguez Graphics editor

m pelt copy editor

Staff Writers

Andrew copeland

devan flores

sarah flores

aaliyah koehn-james

Tristan Hargrove

nadim lama michelen

river lehnhardt

alex lindao

jp lopez

Raven Martin

Morgan messer

aubrey montoya

janelle ponti

fabi rodriguez

yanitzel salazar

ariadna vazquez

brandon wicken

jonathan wilson

APR MAY

Staff Artists

e Eagle’s Eye is the o cial student newspaper of Akins High School. It is published six times a year, generally once per six weeks for the school’s students, sta and community.

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

e Eagle’s Eye will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful, timely and interesting to our readers. Our articles will re ect our genuine objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality.

We will make every e ort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph.

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

e Eagle’s Eye welcomes reader Input. Please send any letters, articles, comments, or corrections to akins.journalism@gmail.com or mail them to 10701 South First Street Austin, Texas 78748 ir drop them o in room 223 with advisor David Doerr or an editor. Letters must be signed, and emailed letters will require veri cation before publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

Parking Lot rules pushes students to Old sAn road

first group of ECHS students to graduate as realtors

Corrections officers win and make big achievements

editorial: Tiktok ban forbids freedom of speech

Nex Benedict death shows wronful use of power

upperclassmen counseling struggling to grow up

Students share spring break adventures

Election candidate policies divide many

Bill in congress aims to make ticket buying less stressful

Comfort shows help relax students in a stressful world

Helldivers 2 is one of the best live service games in years

marvels franchise leaves loose ends for viewers

‘lookmaxxing’ increases young adult insecurities

‘Glow’ clothing brand |Exchange student q&A

JROTC leadership shows excellence, achievements

school community rallies to support fellow eagle

Coach Tambunga to retire after 22 years at akins

Front cover graphic by Robert Lockay

Students without permits park along road Right-of-way area behind school is unregulated by school district

ASHLEY CACERES-SANCHEZ NEWS EDITOR

High vehicle insurance costs. Lack of a driver’s license. Below required attendance.

ese are just a few of the factors that could prevent a student from obtaining a parking permit enabling them to park on campus. And these are also common reasons why more students are using the “right-of-way” area along Old San Antonio Road as a makeshi parking lot.

e City of Austin recently placed a few “No Parking” signs in this area because student vehicles have o en blocked access to utility poles and manhole covers with their vehicles while parking in this area.

According to the Akins Student Handbook, parking permits are required to park in the school parking lot. To acquire a permit, students need to have a driver’s license, proof of vehicle insurance, and pay $25 to purchase the permit.

Before students can obtain a driver’s license, they rst need a Veri cation of Enrollment form from their school that they provide to the Texas Department of Public Safety. is form shows whether a student has maintained a 90% average of daily attendance per semester, which is required for students to receive a driver’s license.

Any one of these unmet requirements and complicating factors can make students ineligible to receive a parking permit, causing problems for students who need a place to park their vehicles while attending school.

e Eagle’s Eye conducted an online survey to ask students about their challenges with parking on campus.

About 57% of the survey respondents said they park in the student parking lot but only 37.5% of them said they have a parking permit.

Getting parking permits can be challenging for many students as they have expressed that it is time-consuming and expensive. Not having automobile insurance was o en cited in the survey results as a reason why they do not have a parking permit.

Associate Principal Manuel Garcia said he understands that insurance is typically even more expensive for young drivers.

“It’s an extra $300 so it’s not a ordable,” Garcia said. Not all Austin ISD high schools require students to have permits to park on campus. Crockett Early College High School does not require parking permits and Travis ECHS does not enforce parking permits on their students.

Since the beginning of the spring semester, the Akins administration has ramped up enforcement of parking policies by adding boots to student vehicles that are parked in teacher parking spots.

Desperate students needing a place to park have resorted to parking in the right-of-way areas along Old San Antonio that runs behind the school. is strip of road between the portables and the soccer elds has become a de facto parking lot for students who avoid the student parking lot because they don’t have a permit.

e large number of vehicles that park along the road and its status as uncontrolled by the school district has made

old san antonio road

Students who don’t have a parking permit park on the right-of-way along Old San Antonio Road. Parking here isn’t illegal as it is a public area, but the city of Austin can give out violations to those who block city utilities.

this area dangerous during the school day when every empty area is used as a parking spot. What were once grassy and dirt-covered areas are now full of deep ruts from vehicles that park there in muddy conditions.

Right-of-way is an area owned or controlled by the city that runs along roads, including grassy areas between property lines and road pavement. is area is in a legal gray area because it is not Austin ISD property and the school cannot enforce the same rules and is not responsible for it in terms of security.

Garcia said complaints about this area have to be addressed by city o cials and police and they prioritize moving, ticketing, or giving warnings to those who park on the right-of-way area.

“

ey park there because it’s a public area,” Garcia said.

Even though many students don’t like the parking permit policy it is very important.

It is all about safety, and what is needed to keep the school, students, and sta safe.

In case of an accident, the permits are used as a way to locate the student and make sure nothing harmful can happen by terminating their parking permit.

is may not seem fair to many students.

“Yes this rule is stupid and I hope my brother doesn’t have to go through these types of problems when he gets into high school,” Senior Itzel Mendoza said.

But as Garcia said this is done to maintain safety and order in the student parking lots.

“First of all, we take safety very seriously,”

On Old San Antonio Road there is a “No Parking” sign for the man holes that are on the Right Of Way area. With cars parking on the ROW the City of Austin had to palce a sign to make sure no car would park on them, but it does not stop many people from parking there.

Izaak Mireles

Ashley Caceres-Sanchez illegal parking

P-TECH provides new opportunities

Students earn an associate degree, experience in real estate

Yanitzel Salazar staff writer

Owning one’s home is o en described as the “American Dream,” and now a group of seniors may soon have the opportunity to help people make this possible.

In December, seven Akins seniors were recognized for earning their Level 1 Certi cation in Real Estate from Austin Community College. Besides their general education dual credit classes these students in the Early College High School Academy completed 18 hours of college coursework to earn this certi cation.

ese are the rst set of students graduating from what is called a P-TECH Program, which is a state program that stands for Pathways of Technology Early College High School. John Rodriguez, academy coordinator for the Early College High School Academy, said what makes P-TECH di erent than other early college programs o ered at Akins is that it provides students with career-focused training. Real estate students take classes with professors who have worked in real estate and have received support and training from the Austin Board of Realtors, which is made up of people who have worked in the Austin real estate industry. “ e main thing is that workplace learning,” Rodriguez said.

Senior Christian Cortinez, who has studied mortgage lending in the ACC program, said he hopes to get into residential real estate a er graduating and earning his real estate license.

“I want to create those dream homes for families,” Cortinez said. “ ere’s a lot of memories involved in someone buying the rst house and I’d like to be part of that.”

Joe Hammond, who is an ACC real estate professor and a licensed real estate agent for more than 16 years, began teaching Akins students a er he worked as a substitute teacher for a day.

“I had a chance to meet the students in the program and

real estate students view the inside of a model home,which is similiar to what they could showcase to a home buyer.

see their commitment and enthusiasm,” he said.

Hammond said that he teaches his students that the real estate business helps friends, family, and clients to build intergenerational wealth.

“Our communities need education on how to build communities and support our families for the bene t of their nancial future,” he said.

Senior Anthony Viegas said he was drawn into real estate because of his family’s nancial struggles.

“Seeing my family struggle nancially,” he said.

He said students in the program learn skills that they will be expected to understand later in life, including time management, perseverance through di culties, and meeting deadlines.

“ e expectations are the same as the experience you get through your education,” he said. “If you can do your best to

Hard hats students wear when they go on a construction site to view houses that are in progress to being finished.

remove barriers, you will be well-positioned to succeed.”

Senior Edgar Salgado said he was motivated to join the program because his family is in the real estate industry.

“I’m pursuing real estate because my family does it as well. So they’re just like a big motivation to me,” Salgado said. Hammond said real estate is a big part of the U.S. economy, representing about 20% of its gross domestic product (GDP). is makes it an important career eld for Akins students to consider pursuing, he said.

“

ere are so many areas of real estate you can get involved in that do not have to be sales,” he said. “All personality types work in real estate, and there is a place for you. e most important part of the real estate business is that it allows us to help our friends, family, and clients to support intergenerational wealth building.”

Courtesy John Rodriguez model home

Courtesy John Rodriguez

Akins Early College students visit a model home at KB homes as part of the P-TECH program

Courtesy John Rodriguez new house caps

CSI students learn valuable lessons

ABLLE students share their experiences in the CSI Practicum

fabi rodriguez staff writer

Strapping on a set of body armor and hustling with a team of corrections o cers to remove an uncooperative inmate from a jail cell is just one activity that students in the Correctional Service Internship compete in.

Akins has one of the most competitive jail cell extraction teams in the state, winning multiple top awards in recent years at state competitions. is practicum program also allows students to learn about every aspect of correctional services and other career options in the law enforcement eld.

Sean Min is a CTE law and public service teacher and the instructor of the CSI program. He worked in Los Angeles as a corrections o cer in probation centers for both adult and juvenile detention. Min moved to Texas around 2008 before applying for a position at Akins.

“When I worked in juvenile prevention here in Travis County, I learned about the teaching position from the previous teacher, Mr. Lopez, who was leaving. I applied to take over for what he was doing,” Min said.

Students apply to join the internship program during their junior year by lling out an information packet, which includes their grades, attendance, and behavioral referrals. Students then write an essay that could earn them points to be eligible for the internship. In addition, they must go through an interview with a panel of o cers.

e Correctional Service Interns visit the jails on Wednesday to job shadow, see how the jail works, and get any combat or life safety lessons. ey visit the Del Valle Criminal Justice Complex and Travis County Jail where students are not allowed to have phones, jewelry or smartwatches.

Senior Matthew Ybarra participates in both the cell extraction team and is in charge of handcu ng uncooperative inmates in their competitions. He said he has had to learn a lot about safety when touring jails.

“ ere are a lot of things follow just to keep the jail said. “If an inmate gets a hold of a phone it could just become a whole di erent situation.”

Ybarra said he originally joined his academy at Akins to learn about becoming a lawyer.

“. “I didn’t know at all that I was going to end up wanting to become a law enforcement o cer,” he said.

e Akins cell extraction team competes in two compe titions each year: Texas Public Safety Association (TPSA), and Texas Public Service

Teachers Association (TXPSTA). ese competitions o er a wide variety of categories. Some of the categories Akins CSI competes in are bookings, ngerprinting, and correctional institute design.

e one competition many are familiar with is cell exrequires a group of students who erent roles and tasks. Cell extraction is when an inmate refuses to leave their cell, and the interns must make a plan to extract the inmate with the least amount of e ort and force.

Senior Maria Ramirez is the commanding cer in the cell extraction team. Her role in the cell extraction team is to shout verbal commands.

“One of the main challenges that we face is honestly

making sure that we have the equipment together and making sure that we have ourselves together,” Ramirez said.

She also participated in the Correctional Institute Design competition with Martina Garcia, a CSI intern. Ramirez and Garcia drew a blueprint of a jail using Akins as a reference. ey had to present their blueprint to o cers during the competition and explain the layout. e duo won rst place in TPSA’s regional competition.

Senior Joshua Sturgeon has had the opportunity to network with di erent deputies and o cers in di erent types of law enforcement through the internship program. He also participates in ride-alongs, which allow him to sit with a deputy or o cer on their shi . To be part of ride-alongs you must be eighteen and have a driver’s license.

“I’ve been right there with them when they roll up on a certain scene,” he said. “I’ve been on the scene when somebody died. I’ve been on the scene of serious collisions. I’ve been there for calls of family violence, domestic abuse, and even just a simple noise complaint.”

Sturgeon said he has learned a lot through his time in the corrections internship program.

“Overall I’m learning how to handle and how to operate in certain situations and what is warranted of me to make certain decisions,” he said. You’re not just gonna go in on a call, hot-headed ready to kick somebody in or arrest them.”

Marcelo Palacios contributed to this story.

Courtesy Sean Min

medals of gold Correctional Service Internship Seniors show o their awards in their uniform after competition.

Jason Ponti

Sale of TikTok turns to tug-of-war

Chinese-owned company could be forced to sell or be banned in US

Everyone has heard of TikTok, the popular app where creators share all kinds of videos, from cooking to dancing to memes to fashion. On March 13th the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a bill forcing ByteDance to either sell to a U.S. company or face the threat of being banned in the U.S. It still has to go through the Senate which will conduct its own hearings before voting on the bill. . If the bill does get passed it will then get sent to President Joe Biden who has previously said he would sign it.

Now if this app does get banned in the US it would put a lot of content creators’ jobs on the line. Content creators o en use social media as their main and sometimes only income. TikTok plays a huge role in that line of work.

is shows how if the House of Representatives want something done they can get it done. is bill got passed quickly, while more important bills are stuck in limbo. We believe banning TikTok will a ect a lot of Americans as it is one of the most used and viewed platforms. A lot of content creators rely on TikTok, including small businesses owners.

While politicians have said they fear Chinese in uence over the platform, we have not heard a compelling reason why it’s so important to lose this popular social media platform, which Americans prefer to use to express themselves. Because there is no solid public evidence that there’s harm to our privacy and security, banning TikTok would not solve any problems. We believe that until there’s good public evidence that TikTok violates our security and privacy it should not be sold or banned.

Banning TikTok would silence businesses, in uencers, and even politicians that use the app. According to USA Today, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression both strongly oppose the TikTok ban. e Senior Policy Council at the ACLU argues that there have been no extreme dangers posed to national security, and closing the app would only violate the First Amendment.

transferring U.S. TikTok-user data to cloud storage in the United States and controlled by Oracle, a U.S. technology company. But unfortunately, it never went through.

Social media is a place where people can gather to discuss and exercise their First Amendment rights, make a living by creating content and selling merchandise, and overall have the chance to come closer with others through similar interests who live across the world. Mark

One point politicians fail to see is that there has been no evidence that TikTok risked the privacy of its users, unlike other tech companies such as Facebook and Google. ere has been no real evidence that TikTok poses a real threat to U.S. users’ data. TikTok has made e orts to put at ease U.S. o cials by storing users’ data via Project Texas, a billion-dollar plan to separate U.S. data from the rest of the app. e project would have to implement transparency by

However, the concern isn’t necessarily unwarranted due to concerns over the security of our nation’s people. is is due to TikTok being a Chinese-owned social media platform, which is required to follow China’s security laws. is can permit them to try to force their hand into giving user data to them, potentially leading to a security breach of America’s data and allowing them to weaponize or in uence the U.S. public. is bill wouldn’t just ban TikTok; it would ban any website, desktop application, mobile application, augmented or immersive technology in correlation to ByteDance Ltd., a Chinese internet technology company. is would allow the president to ban any foreign adversary related to ByteDance Ltd. if they see t. is would

be quite helpful, especially when it comes to defending the data and privacy of our citizens, and could potentially ensure more safety for U.S. users.

e U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill titled Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. is bill also is very similar to the RESTRICT Act, which federal lawmakers unsuccessfully tried to use to ban TikTok last year. e RESTRICT Act gave power to the Secretary of Commerce to ban apps that were hosted by foreign adversaries. Both Biden and former President Trump also have di ering views on what to do with TikTok. For example, Trump changed his mind on banning the app, but a er watching conspiracy theory lms about how Meta/Facebook allegedly played a part in the 2020 election being stolen. He said he now believes that banning TikTok would now only bene t Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.Trump has publicly said that he believes that Facebook is an enemy of the people.

Although there is warranted fear over China’s control over TikTok, and the possible risks that come with letting Americans use such an app, we don’t think there is enough evidence that proves TikTok provides a genuine threat to the American people’s safety or privacy.

Media targeting young queer people

Death of Nex Benedict shows right wingers true views

M Pelt copy editor

On Feb. 8, an indigenous transgender student named Nex Benedict was pronounced dead in their home in Oklahoma. Just 24 hours earlier, they were in the hospital following a brutal attack in an Owasso High School girl’s bathroom.

In the last several years, the United States has seen a marked increase in the number of anti-trans and anti-LGBT bills proposed at the state level. From 2018 to 2023, the amount of proposed legislation seeking to limit the freedoms of LGBT people grew from 42 to 510 according to the American Civil Liberties Union, an increase of over 1,000%.

Oklahoma was one of the states to introduce anti-LGBT bills. In May of 2022, its bathroom bill went into e ect, requiring students at all Oklahoma schools to use bathrooms and locker rooms associated with their sex assigned at birth. In April of that same year, a teacher at an Owasso public middle school was featured in a Libs of TikTok video and harassed into resigning.

Despite outcry on social media denying any connection between the Libs of TikTok account and Nex’s death, a connection can still be seen between hate online and hate in real life. e account owner, Chaya Raichik, has made a name for herself by spreading edited videos of “liberals” to incriminate and mock them. In the last four years, the account has caused bomb threats directed at public schools across the country. Since 2020, 33 threats have been made to locations and people that were recently targeted in a Libs of TikTok video with 21 of them bomb-related and most frequently targeting schools. Other targets have included hospitals and libraries.

In January of this year, Raichik was appointed to Oklahoma’s Library Media Advisory Committee to ban books with “woke ideology.” While members of library committees typically serve on a volunteer basis rather than as a job, library committees seek to serve their communities, and Raichik has never lived in the state of Oklahoma. e speci c implementation of a far-right Internet personality from another state does not appear to be in good faith.

On March 21, Oklahoma police and the

District Attorney announced they would not be pursuing charges due to the ruling of Nex’s death as a “suicide.” eir family has since disputed this report. It has been pointed out that the autopsy report claiming their death a suicide has no mention of their head injuries, which included contusions, lacerations, and hemorrhages. Contusions and hemorrhages to the brain are generally not considered “minor” injuries. Police were not called following the assault, and Nex continued the school day as normal before being taken to the hospital by their grandmother Sue Benedict.

“

and gender identity, and while the sexual orientation equality tally is low at 1.5 out of 21.5, the gender identity tally is negative at -6.75 out of 23. Conversion therapy is not banned, and almost no legal protections exist for LGBT people within the state. In Oklahoma’s last legislative session, 40 anti-LGBT bills were led.

“ Acceptance to people from all di erent backgrounds. It may be what saves somebody’s life.

Online, far-right accounts on TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) have argued that Nex started the altercation and thus deserved what they got. Common justications include “Nex started it by throwing water,” “if you throw water on someone they’ll retaliate,” and some going as far as to say that “the earth is a better place now [thanks to the assaulters].”

According to the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), Oklahoma is among the worst states for LGBT people to live in. Speci cally, it ranks fourth worst for LGBT people with only Arkansas, Tennessee, and South Dakota rated worse. e MAP uses separate scores for sexual orientation

While Texas maintains a better overall tally of -.5, over 30 anti-LGBT bills led in the last session. As a state bordering Oklahoma, and another state with a heavily conservative government, some fear exists among the LGBT population about if — and likely when — a similar incident may occur here.

In an interview with LGBT students from Akins, many said that the incident re ected their fears about being trans — or otherwise di erent — in a society that seems to treat people they don’t understand as subhuman. Other remarks were made about how easily young people, especially those at middle and high school age, can fall into conservative media online and adopt those views themselves. Some students mentioned their parents trying to ignore their identities, out of fear of what ignorant people might do to their children if they see them behaving outside the norm.

“A lot of people should, even if it’s something they don’t understand or they’re scared of, they should do research,” one student said. By encouraging people of all backgrounds to do research into things that they may not understand or that they may fear, maybe we can prevent another death like Nex’s from happening.

Not only can incidents like this be avoided through education and compassion for all kinds of people, it seems that it may also be preventable by electing lawmakers who will ght for LGBTQIA+ rights. e empowerment of bigots in state and national government clearly holds a correlation with a spike in hate crimes, as re ected by the massive spike in hate crimes following Trump’s election, the second-highest increase in hate crime rates since September 11, 2001, according to the 2018 study by Gri n Sims Edwards and Stephen Rushin titled “ e E ect of President Trump’s Election on Hate Crimes.”

Anti-LGBT hate crime rates have followed the increase in anti-LGBT legislation, increasing from 2018 to 2022 by 50%, according to FBI reports. While there were only 1,364 anti-LGBT hate crimes in 2018, there were 2,035 in 2022.

In an era where everyone seems to be online, it makes sense that online gures who are perceived as important or powerful can cause the same e ects as politicians when it comes to discrimination and prejudice.

In the interview with Akins students, the majority opinion was that the Internet plays a large role in harassment and bullying of others, with many saying the things they’ve heard people say out loud mimic what they’ve seen online. Authority gures, no matter how tangible their authority, have the ability to empower people to take action — for the better and for the worse.

We are fortunate to attend school in a district that openly celebrates Pride Week, although that is something that is currently under threat by lawmakers that have attempted to ban such celebrations in Texas’ most recent legislative session. ere are many other school districts in Texas that would never publicly celebrate LGBT pride.

As a community, it’s important for us to build an environment where our local authority gures o er acceptance to people from all di erent backgrounds. It may be what saves somebody’s life.

Marina Trevino

Provide counseling for outgoing seniors

Finding access to helpful resources while entering adulthood

Morgan Messer STAFF WRITER

Raven martin StAFF WRITER

As seniors approach the end of their nal year of high school, many things feel up in the air as they wait for that moment when they walk across the graduation stage. is is stressful when thinking about the next steps they will have to take into adulthood. Akins does have resources such as the College and Career Center and Student Support Services, but not every student knows how to utilize these resources. To gain perspective we interviewed a variety of students as well as a sta member to understand the attitude of our senior class and how supported they feel going into life post-graduation.

Senior Interviews

EE: Have you felt supported by Akins in preparing for what you’ll do a er graduating?

Senior 1: Yes, but I feel like they provide a lot of options but don’t really push any bigger (or more prestigious) schools, and they don’t support you much unless you’re deciding to go to college.

Senior 2: Yeah, when I take initiative and go to my counselor, they’re super helpful.

Senior 3 : Yes somewhat, but at the same time I’ve noticed how hard it is for myself and other students in general because they feel scared to reach out.

EE: How have you felt supported?

Senior 2: When I was talking to my counselor about my EOC from freshman year, they were helpful in getting that xed with me so I can walk the stage.

EE: What could the school do better in terms of preparing seniors for life a er graduation?

Senior 2 : I think they could do better at giving students details from the get-go instead of springing things onto us around graduation.

Senior 3 : I think it’d be good to have therapists on campus, available for students and especially seniors.

EE: Are you interested in receiving counseling a er graduation? Would you

know how to access it if you needed to?

Senior 1: I’d say maybe I would, but I don’t know where to access it.

Senior 2: Yeah, I think everyone could bene t from counseling (post-graduation), but no, I don’t know how to access it.

Senior 3: I think that counseling could be helpful, although not always necessary it could be needed for emotional reasons. If I’m being completely honest I have no idea how to nd it on my own.

Junior Interviews

EE: What do you worry about facing post graduation?

Junior 1: I worry about life problems such as being a trans person living in Texas, or the housing market.

Junior 2 : I worry about the future and what I’m going to do.

EE: Would you be seeking counseling post graduation?

Junior 1: Not exactly, but I know of places to go (such as Planned Parenthood, among other organizations).

Junior 2: Most likely not because of the cost, but if I could then I would need help

nding one.

Teacher Interview

EE: How could Akins better prepare students for life a er high school?

Math teacher: I think a way that schools can help with that is to have individual classes about mental health… we talk about physical health and psychology but not personal mental health or self care as much. I also believe that diversifying the counselors that serve so many students could make those students more open to trying to seek counseling.

rough these interviews it is clear that our Seniors are aware of the resources available but nd it di cult to access them without any help for post-high school coping mechanisms. We want to better prepare our students to be able to go forward with a positive mindset on entering adulthood and life a er school. For students to go from being in school a third of the day with the same people and same routines, to suddenly making our own schedules and dealing with our own a airs is stressful and a lot to take on in a setting where you may feel more

alone. In order to give our students access to some of those helpful resources and nd alternative ways to receive assistance that aren’t generally promoted, Raven Martin has compiled a list of resources for helpful organizations.

Website uirl:

Useful links to helpful resources

Adrian Orduna

Students share their spring break trips

Students spread their wings, explore during time off

kairi natal photo editor

Spring break is an exciting time for everyone at school to take a week o school and decompress from all the stresses of academics.

During spring break six Akins students traveled to the Dominican Republic on a service trip. e service trip consisted of eight days of learning about the impacts of over shing, tourism, and climate change on coral reefs in the Caribbean. Working with community members, Akins students collected fragments of naturally broken coral and transplanted them back into the reef. rough these e orts, they have made meaningful connections with the local community and formed meaningful relationships with others who hope to see positive environmental changes.

Some Akins students stayed close to home during Spring Break, but still found ways to have fun . Sophomore Celeste Castillja said she made a cake to show her appreciation for K-pop idol Beomgyu, a member of TXT.

“I didn’t know that a lot of K-pop stans made cakes for their groups and I thought it was so cute. e rst birthday I celebrated was Taehyuns and I made a cake and took pictures with my friend,” she said.

“I think it’s just a fun way to show my appreciation to someone that means a lot to me. I know it may sound silly but I love saying happy birthday even if they’re in Korea its also an excuse to eat cake and hang out with friends.”

akins in the dominican republic

Akins students and film teacher Kyle Monk visit the Dominican Republic during spring break. The group visited for eight days and focused on conservation e orts throughout the trip.

snack attack

Tranquility

Kyle Monk

Kyle Monk

Senior Miriam Perez-Oviedo feeds pidegons at the Domincan Republic.

Ashley Caceres-Sanchez

Senior Ashley Caceres-Sanchez visted the Austin Aquarium where she fed Koi fish.

Photo Essay

Senior Jacob Romero visited North Carolina and took this photo with his neice collecting seashells on the beach.

Junior Jaidyn Rooks photographs the Heart of Bayahibe which is a natural hot spring in the Dominican Republic.

Sophmore

Kairi Natal

catch me if you can

Seniors Richie Wright, Merritt Robertson, and Egan Lutz-Carrillo just roll’n with it at the skating rink.

Jacob Romero day at the beach

Jaidyn Rooks Heart of the sea

Celeste Castilleja very special birthday

Celeste Castilleja celebrates K-pop idol Beomgyu’s birthday by making a cake in his honor.

In-Depth In-Depth

How have the 2024 election candidates changed the past and the future?

What issues are the 2024 presidential candidates campaigning on?

Mark Lomas Co-Editor-In-Chief

Every four years, voters experience these consequences when a new president is elected and that person works to set administrative policies to implement their favored policies. Despite an apparent lack of enthusiasm for the two candidates heading the Republican and Democratic parties, young voters are expected to have a signi cant impact on whichever one wins the election on Nov. 5.

A er former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden, secured enough delegates to win their parties’ nominations, the primary season ended anti-climatically.

ARE THE

wars the US is involved with overseas, and border security. Trump and Biden are known for supporting di erent policies. For example, Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement, which would require all participating countries to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. However, when Biden took o ce, on his rst day, he rejoined the Paris Agreement. Similarly, there are many other examples of Biden’s policies. that Trump has vowed to reverse on his rst day in o ce if he is elected, again.

Border Security and Immigration

One of the many issues that many Akins students and U.S. citizens are worried about for the 2024 election is border security. Since the rst days of his presidency in 2015, Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central issue. Famously, said that he intended to use billions of dollars to build a wall along the U.S.’s Southern border with Mexico, which is about 2,000 miles long.

immigration reform in decades. A bipartisan compromise bill that would have tightened immigration rules and sped up the processing of asylum and border-crossing cases, died a er Trump told Republicans in Congress not to vote for the bill.

Biden has also sparred with Republican Greg Abbott on immigration issues a er the Texas Governor implemented “Operation Lone Star in March of 2021. is state operation has sent o cers with the Texas Department of Public Safety O cers and members of the Texas National Guard to the border in an attempt to stop people from crossing the border. While it is controversial in many aspects, it

Both candidates are trying to make the case that they would be better at managing the economy and stimulating economic growth.

According to a PolitiFact article that tries to fact-check the candidates’ claims on the economy, there’s not a simple answer for who has been better on economic issues.

Now that they are done competing in their parties’ primaries, voters are taking a look at both of these men’s records as president and where they stand on the issues that they care about. Both candidates have di erent views on dealing with border security, managing the economy, and how to project or restrict Americans’ rights.

Despite a tumultuous term in o ce, Trump held a 4 percent advantage over President Joe Biden in a New York Times/Siena College poll of likely voters released on March 2.

Of respondents who said they were likely to vote, 48 percent said they would vote for the former president if the presidential election were to be held today, with 44 percent responding they would vote for Biden. Among registered voters, Trump had support from 48 percent of respondents and Biden 43 percent.

However, polling results can shi over time and response rates can con ict with other polls. For example, on April 7, a poll conducted by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist found that President Biden and former President Donald Trump are statistically tied, with Biden holding a slim 2-point lead, 50%-48%.

Although these two candidates and the policies they have supported are well known, there is still a chance that voters could change their support for either of them. e NPR/ PBS NewsHour/Marist survey found that 40% of respondents said they are at least open to changing their minds. Issues on everyone’s mind include the economy, equal rights, women’s reproductive rights, climate change, ongoing

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump implemented an emergency public health order known as Title 42, which enabled federal border agents to quickly turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19 Before Title 42 health order, it was easier for border crossers to enter the United States and then ask for asylum. However, under Title 42, immigrants were immediately turned away at the border. According to an article by the Associated Press, immigration o used the health order more than 2.8 million times to expel migrants, many of whom have been removed multiple times a er making repeated attempts to enter the U.S. at the southern border.

Biden initially kept Title 42 in place a er he took o ce, then tried to end its use in 2022. Republicans sued, arguing the restrictions were nec essary for border security. Courts kept Title 42 in place until the Biden administration announced in January that it was ending national COVID-19 emergencies.

Title 42 border restrictions in May of 2023.

Biden has said changes to rules for border crossing are necessary because Congress has not passed

Presidents o en have to face unpredictable and di cult-to-control economic issues such as the economic losses the country faced when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shut down and businesses to slow production.

Akins poll finding how many people believed the U.S. was headed in the right or wrong direction Wrong

“On the numbers, Biden has some advantages over Trump, and vice versa,” wrote Luis Jacobson. “Other economic statistics show both presidents putting up impressive numbers during their rst three years in o ce.” President Biden and former President Trump both have very di erent economic policies. For example, Trump insti-

Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to deal with the economic slowdown. It also created a larger budget de cit of $3.1 trillion for the 2020 scal year. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also dropped as the pandemic went on. Trump le o ce with 3 million fewer jobs than when he started. When Biden took o ce in 2021, he was dealing with high ation, record unemployment, and high debt accumula-

Biden’s economic policies have focused on infrastructure investments, attempting to increase the national miniordable healthcare, and canceling student loan debt. Biden also signed into law the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act (CHIPS), which will provide$40 billion in funding to semiconductor companies to build fabrication facilities to build semiconductor chips in the United ation Reduction Act, which lowered prescription drug prices, helped to lower the government budget de cit, and aims to lower CO2 emissions by 2040.

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ended the constitutional right to an abortion. is would lead to many laws being passed in many states banning abortions, while some states allow aborree of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade were appointed by Trump.

Trump also enacted many policies including blocking abortion clinics from accessing federal funds, restricting the U.S. government from providing funds to international family planning organizations, and rolling back a rule that was supposed to help shrink the gender pay gap.

President Biden has focused on making both women and men more equal. He started by appointing a black woman, Kamala Harris as his vice president. President Biden has also attempted to enshrine abortion rights into federal law.

In his State of the Union address, Biden called on Congress to set aside $12 billion to research women’s health. Biden has tried to champion himself on women’s rights, repeatedly attacking Trump for taking away the right to an abortion.

is November will most likely see a rematch of the 2020 presidential election. Many key issues are on the table, and voters are trying to decide who will do the best job as president. Some look back on Trump’s presidency and think it was a good presidency, and some could say the same about Biden’s time in the White House.

“

With many members of the Class of 2024 turning 18 and becoming eligible to vote in the November elections, their vote or lack of voting could have a signi cant e ect on the outcome of who serves as president for the next four years, and which of their policies we will all live with.

When the average person casts their vote in a federal election, they’re voting for the electors who’ll cast the nal votes for President -League of Women Voters

“

Many Americans and Akins students are looking back at Trump’s policies compared to Biden’s policies, to make their decision.

On the other hand, many students/people believe that voting isn’t important. However, many people agree that you have to vote if you want your voice to be heard. While the U.S. isn’t democratic in that if the candidate you were voting for wins the popular vote, they become president, however, the vote you cast can in uence the outcome of the presidential election. e League of Women Voters explains the electoral college as, “when the average person casts their vote in a federal election, they’re voting for the electors who’ll cast the nal votes for President and Vice President.”

Adrian Orduna

Concert ticket purchases costly, dif cult

Fans First Act aims to address aws in the current live event ticketing

Ariadna vazquez staff writer

For many teenagers, going to a live music concert is one of the biggest highlights of their lives. ey are o en their rst opportunity to see one of their favorite artists and/or celebrities in person. ere is nothing quite like the experience of thousands of people crowded together singing and dancing together in a joyous celebration.

According to an article by e Guardian, Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, reported its biggest year ever in 2023, in terms of both attendance and ticket sales. In its end-of-year report, the company said concert attendance was up by 20% compared to 2022, with more than 145 million fans attending more than 50,000 events.

While attendance at live concerts is up, so are complaints about the process of obtaining tickets and their rapidly rising costs. People’s views on how bad the problems are depend on how easy and expensive the tickets are.

“

regular tickets with a higher price and no bene ts. A lot of the time the seats in the same section or row as those platinum tickets are cheaper. is really gives no reason for those Platinum Tickets to be sold.

Ticketmaster also decided to join in doing dynamic pricing, meaning if an artist is in high demand, prices can go up and down in real time depending on the demand and the number of seats available. is means that tickets can originally be $50 but could go up without a limit depending on if a lot of people are trying to go to that same area in the concert venue. Not everyone has a bad experience with attending concerts, according to an online survey by e Eagle’s Eye.

Respondents to the survey, which included both students and sta , wrote that they did not have a bad experience with getting tickets or ticket prices. One of the lowest ticket prices a student said they obtained was $15 to see User Unauthorized. ey wrote that they had a great experience at the concert.

Doja Cat and Paramore were relatively easy. Trying to get an Olivia ticket made me want to hurt someone.

Because of this many people have complained about ticket websites crashing or problems once potential ticket buyers make it to the payment section. e website o en won’t accept their payment, causing them to have to settle for worse seats. But that’s not all. Some online scalpers use bots to buy many tickets and resell them for a much higher price than they were originally. Some ticket buyers will pay exorbitant prices because they don’t want to miss out on seeing their favorite artists live, leading them to spend much more money.

— Akins sta , Rebecca Rodriguez

“

Some other students said they paid $30-$80 for a ticket and also had a great experience. One of the students paid $65 for the ticket which was General Admission, and they were able to get in the front row. However, some of the respondents indicated that they did not pay for the tickets themselves or they were either invited to attend with someone else.

Some students said they bought two tickets to see Tomorrow X

To combat these problems, U.S. senators introduced a federal bill in December called e Fan First Act. It is designed to address complaints about high fees, out-of-control prices, and deceptive selling practices. e bill would require sellers to disclose the full price of a ticket, including all fees; indicate what seat or section, and say whether the ticket being o ered is original or “primary.” is bill would also help out by banning the computer bots that help online scalpers buy large numbers of tickets at once to resell later.

Ticketmaster is one of the biggest companies for purchasing tickets for concerts but even though it has been in business for more than 40 years, it still has many aws. A lot of people struggle so much with Ticketmaster whether it’s from overpriced tickets or trying to get tickets.

Ticketmaster also likes to make “special” seats for events called “platinum tickets.” ese tickets are just

Together at the Act: Sweet Mirage Tour for the San Antonio the Day 2 stop and paid $269 per ticket. e tickets were the original price and the seats were on the third oor. ey wrote that when they got to the venue and got to their seats they were able to see the whole stage but the screens were a line they were not able to see nothing on the screens they got curious and decided to look on Ticketmaster and see if they could nd some cheaper tickets or at least closer down and they found some tickets closer to rst oor for $298 each and they were able to get them, they had a great view of the stage and were much closer than they thought.

ey also just recently bought tickets for the same group in Houston and they said they struggled to get tickets. Not only were the tickets hard to obtain but were really pricey. ey said that oor tickets close to the stage which were “VIP 1” were $600 but they saw that for other people in other ticket spots ranged from $600-$800 for VIP 1 and some stops were not seated. Some seated were around $1,000 some were even around $1,300 per ticket.

A & E

Comfort TV That Can Relieve Stress

Comfort TV explained and options of popular comfort tv shows

AaliYah Koehn StAFF wRITER

Due to stress, people sometimes look for temporary relief through things such as movies and television shows o en referred to as comfort shows.

Comfort shows o en serve as a retreat meant for temporary relief, o ering a much-needed escape from the stress of daily life. Take, for instance, the variety of comfort shows such as “ e O ce,” “Friends,” “Two Broke Girls,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Despite their vastly di erent plots, each of these shows shares a common thread: the ability to allow viewers to escape their realities where worries are meant to disappear.

In “ e O ce,” audiences are treated to a comedic glimpse into the normal yet amusing world of o ce life and interpersonal relationships. Similarly, “Friends” invites viewers into the close-knit circle of six friends as they navigate everyday life. On the other hand, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” follows the thrilling comedic life of a talented detective and his co-workers within the team as they tackle crime in New York. Also being a comedy, “Two Broke Girls” is a sitcom that gives viewers a glimpse into the life of two waitresses living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York while being poor and having a business. What unites these shows is their capacity to provide a much-needed escape from the stresses of reality.

can momentarily set aside their burdens and immerse themselves in the comfort of ctional worlds.

Comfort shows serve as a vital tool for self-care, allowing viewers to recharge their spirits before rejoining the stress of everyday life. By providing a soothing relief for the body and mind, these series remind us of the importance of taking moments to unwind and nd joy amidst life’s chaos.

Comfort shows play a vital role in providing a distraction, and relaxation in an increasingly stressful world.

— Akins sta , Alliyah Koehn

Net ix, Hulu, and similar streaming services help provide shows that are meant for background noise rather than for the viewers’ full attention which a majority of the time include not very well put together shows. Furthermore, the accessibility of comfort shows on streaming platforms like Net ix, Hulu, and similar services has made it easier than ever for viewers to indulge in their favorite series anytime, anywhere. Whether it’s binge-watching an entire season in one sitting or tuning in for a quick episode during a lunch break, these platforms o er unparalleled convenience and exibility, allowing people to tailor their viewing experience to their preferences.

Favorite Comfort TV Shows

rough witty humor, heartfelt friendships, and fun adventures, these shows o er viewers a brief escape from their worries and anxieties. ey serve as a mental sanctuary, where individuals

Comfort shows play a vital role in providing a distraction, and relaxation in an increasingly stressful world. With their comforting narratives, relatable characters, and escapist appeal, these shows o er a much-needed vacation from the pressures of daily life. Whether it’s a laugh-out-loud comedy, a heartwarming drama, or an action-packed thriller, comfort shows provide a welcome escape for viewers seeking temporary relief from the stress of everyday life.

Marvel’s loose ends leaves lore lacking

End credits leaves fans with more questions than answers

Tristan hargrove Staff Writer

Marvel Studios is best known for its ever expanding connected universe. With a staggering 33 lms, there is a ton of content within that expands the world building of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

While cli angers are a great way to get the viewer excited for what’s to come, some cli angers that Marvel has thrown at us aren’t as hyped up with them having no immediate follow ups. Here are some of the stragglers in Marvel’s great web of loose ends.

Harry Styles as Starfox - Eternals 2021

Harry Styles, beloved by millions of fans and a former member of One Direction, took on the role of Starfox, anos’s brother, in the 2021 movie Eternals. With anos being a prominent character in his two big movies In nity War and Endgame, the reveal of anos’s brother should be an important story beat that leaves an opening for many storylines to come. Unfortunately,the story ended before it even started. e cameo of starfox was only in one end credit scene, so those ten seconds we see him are all we have. ere was supposed to be an Eternals 2 that would have started production this year, butMarvel Studios decided to pull that movie along with other projects like Silver Surfer, and Sinister six, both cancelled due to performance failure such as Eternals. e director of Eternals has mentioned that there’s more in store for Starfox than a couple minutes of introduction, but until the possibility of Eternals 2 getting unshelved becomes a reality, it looks like we’re not going to be seeing “ e Handsome Titan” for a while.

Scorpion in Prison - Spider-man: Homecoming (2017)

Mac Gargan, also known as Scorpion: a professional criminal working for e Vulture who, like many other Spider-Man villains, hates Spider-Man. Scorpion wasn’t a very prominent char acter in Spider-man: Homecoming, with him only having a few minutes of screen time. However, the end credit scene is where the real character development happens. Scorpion, now sporting a messed up eye, talks to Vulture about how he wants to kill the Spider-man and aksVulture for his name. Vulture, not wanting to reveal Spider-man’s identity, chooses not to tell him and pretends he doesn’t know.

passed away in August 2020. e lm did a great job at continuing his legacy with Shuri becoming the next black panther, although Shuri isn’t the only member of the family who can carry on the mantle.

We have zero information on the whereabouts of e Scorpion, because the Spider-man movies a Homecoming were quick shi ed to the overseas plotline. For all we know, Scorpion could very well be out of prison and hunting for Spi der-man as we speak. Spider-Man 4 is currently in development , which at rst gave hope to the possibility of seeing the character return to the big screen, but the pro ducers of the movie stated that the villain of the fourth lm will be a villain not yet adapted into live-action. So it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing Scorpion for a very long time, if at all.

In the post credit scene of Wakanda Forever, it was revealed that the character of T’Challa had a son, Prince T’Challa II, who was kept a secret to everyone in Wakanda except for his wife Nakia. When Shiri was shown T’Challa’s son, she was taken aback and hopeful for the future, saying that she knows he will be a strong great leader in the future.

We do have some information regarding the future of the T’Challa family. In the comics, T’Challa’s son joins the Young Avengers, a project we will be seeing e end credit scene also states that we will see the Black Panther again. Whether it’s Shuri’s Black Panther or T’Challa’s Black Panther we don’t know for sure, but if Marvel Studios were to not have the story continue it would be a huge miss out.

Prince T’Challa II - Black Panther: Wakanda Forev er (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was more than a sequel to the original Black Panther in 2018. It was a goodbye letter to the late star Chadwick Boseman, who

ese are only a few of the many loose ends Marvel has yet to clear up. Some have promising futures, while others might end up on the cutting room oor. Only time what direction Marvel decides to go in with a huge number of movies and shows lined up, but let’s hope to not have to make another one of these lists with even more of Marvel’s loose ends.

Helldivers 2 spreads ‘Democracy’

Brandon Wicken Staff Writer

Helldivers 2, an online multi-player co-op shooter, is the newest smash hit on the scene that nally answers players’ calls for fair monetary practices and consistent new content. A er playing for dozens of hours, I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about it.

Developed as a sequel to Arrowhead Game Studios’ 2015 top-down shooter and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Helldivers 2 is a live service game currently exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and the PC platform Steam, where it has continued to grow in popularity over time.

e playable character is known as a Helldiver, a nameless patriotic soldier given mere minutes of training before being sent out to ght in an intergalactic war who will be replaced with a new recruit the moment they fall in battle.

Players are matched up with three other players to complete missions in procedurally generated alien environments that contribute to the community’s larger goals, such as a planet’s liberation or defense. e game focuses on a community-driven campaign against, as of early April 2024, two enemy factions: the Terminids and the Automatons.

e Terminids are alien bugs heavily inspired by the 1997 cult-classic lm Starship Troopers. Meanwhile, the Automatons are creations of one of the former game’s factions, the Cyborgs, whose designs are reminiscent of various Terminator models from their namesake franchise.

e game has an over-the-top satirical theme to poke fun at authoritarianism and patriotism through “Super Earth,” a future Earth that has united together and ensured its control to a “managed democracy,” where votes are cast automatically for its citizens without them even needing to touch a ballot.

Of course, this is obviously a totalitarian regime veiled as a democracy through propaganda, but it allows the game’s community to make satirical comments in line with the game’s fervent and patriotic population, as well as for the developers to poke fun at real-world themes like the military-industrial complex, nationalist propaganda and militarism.

e story of the game even hints that the Terminids were

intentionally released by the government because their bodies decompose into a ctional resource (element 710) that allows faster-than-light travel and serves as a metaphor and palindrome for oil, the source of many con icts in our real world. In a similar vein, the Automatons aren’t initially hostile to humans, but were vili ed by Super Earth for being unthinking socialist machines and for revealing the truth of their government to some Super Earth citizens.

e game also wears its inspiration from other scimedia on its sleeve, with similar armor designs to Star Wars’ stormtroopers and Halo’s ODSTs. Terminids are similar to Warhammer 40,000’s Tyranids in both name and design.

e biggest inspiration behind the gameplay loop itself is the 1959 Starship Troopers novel and 1997 movie. In it, the futuristic soldiers are described as being dropped to planets from orbit before completing missions and lighting beacons for pickup from gunships, which is nearly identical to Helldiver’s gameplay loop.

As for more particulars about the game, we should discuss its technical performance. While there are a lot of bugs in the game, thankfully most of them are enemies rather than technical glitches, and most of the game-breaking ones that prevent you from playing have been patched within a reasonable amount of time a er launch. One of the greatest problems at launch was that the game was too successful and didn’t have the server capacity to handle continuously growing demand for a few weeks. While you’re still quite likely to encounter wonky animations or be ung across the map by an explosion, these bugs usually add to the experience and give you something to laugh at with friends.

ey’re also a great source moments to be shared referring to the famous programming maxim “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.”

is even leads me to one of the greatest points of the game, its cinematic gameplay.

rough the use of a

physics engine that had its support discontinued during development and was heavily modi ed by the developers, the game is great for capturing awesome unrepeatable moments that can be shared online, allowing its unexpected boom and continued growth a er launch.

One of the advantages of the game running as a live service is that there are near-in nite possibilities for future content to retain players through gradual releases. Recently, the developers have released new content like stratagems, two more permanent “battle passes” with new weapons and cosmetics to earn as well as new enemies for both factions. e developers have even kept players engaged by increased teasing of new enemies through the former game’s third faction: the Illuminates. is allows the community to build hype and keep each other engaged in the game’s evolving con ict, with the possibility of the developers sourcing content ideas from the community, ensuring that there will be a dedicated player base for years to come.

On the other hand, the community and the game’s themes have their downsides, with some instances of players taking the roleplay too far with teamkilling and toxic behavior over “meta” builds. is is an unfortunate reality of any online game that grows large enough, but the developers have so far done a good job of balancing the game to keep both the weapons and community of di erent kinds of players fair and united.

Finally, this leads to my overall take on the game. Helldivers 2 o ers players a refreshing live service experience that doesn’t nickel-and-dime players while still providing a co-op experience with possibly the best potential future content and support.

Along with the backing of Sony, the game is a safe bet for players wanting to get the most out of $40 while still providing an exhilarating experience to enjoy with friends. I very strongly recommend Helldivers 2 for PlayStation and PC players and hope that the over 100,000 Xbox players petitioning for a port get their wish to experience the game alongside the rest of the commu-

Arrowhead Games Studio

Looksmaxxing preys on low self-esteem

Mewing, ‘self-care’ trends causes insecurities in young teens

If you want to look the best you can, you should be hitting yourself in the face with a hammer at least once a year — or, at least, this is what “looksmaxxers” on TikTok and Reddit are saying.

Although the phrase was coined in 2015, it didn’t gain traction in mainstream communities until the 2020s, with the biggest spike coming in 2023 with the rise in popularity of “mewing” which is the practice of tucking your tongue to the roof of your mouth for periods of time with the intent of sharpening your jawline.

While appearance has always been a big deal to a lot of people, quarantine during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic drew more attention to the level of self-care that people practice. A lot of people experienced “glow-ups,” and with many nding online stardom at the time, the camera and perceived attractiveness became more and more important. For many, “looksmaxxing” is mostly treated as a joke. However, many are unaware that the concept has dark roots of which many are unaware - so dark in fact that it may seem like some insane rumor started on the depths of TikTok.

e website Looksmaxxer.com was registered to the Internet Archive in 2015 a er associated practices became popular in “manosphere” forums in the 2010s. is creation of Looksmaxxer.com in uenced the subsequent creation of related 4chan message boards. For those who aren’t familiar with 4chan, the site is commonly known for being an “incel” gathering place. A phrase that can also commonly be found on these looksmaxxing message boards is “black pill.”

e “manosphere” is, of course, a group of websites and online communities centered around being a man, with a particular focus of opposing feminism and promoting misogyny. “Incels” are involuntary celibates, most o en associated with “manosphere” communities, who typically support extreme and o en sexual violence against women and sexually active men. “Black pill” is a term that is closely related to both of these groups, describing an ideology of self-defeatism and sexism rooted in the belief that women will only choose the most attractive sexual partners, placing the blame on their sexual failures on women as a whole.

While many of these phrases may seem out of le eld for many “looksmaxxing” enjoyers, it doesn’t take long to nd content that seems very closely aligned with incel, manosphere, black-pilled ideas when scrolling through the tag on TikTok.

Terms such as “phenotype,” “canthal tilt,” and “BMI” are thrown around and presented as the end-all-be-all of being attractive. Phenotype seems to refer to the racial aesthetic of someone’s face, even sometimes skin color, and looksmaxxing forums and some TikTokers seem to recommend plastic surgery to “ x” a bad phenotype.

Canthal tilt also seems heavily racialized, referring to the angle of the outer corner of the eyes, prioritizing a “positive” tilt (or li ed outer corners) with double eyelids- a very Western standard. BMI is a phrase that many of us were introduced to in elementary school, the Body Mass Index that determines how under or overweight you are — and which was never intended for medical use, and began to be exposed as pseudoscience in the early 2000s.

With looksmaxxing becoming more popular on the internet, and the promotion of these factors on social media as de nite measures of beauty and health, it’s only natural that young people become introduced to these new words and new insecurities. On any site or post related to the trend, it’s easy to nd young boys — as young as 12 sometimes — lamenting about their eye posture, weight, jawline, and lack of romantic attention.

Despite this clear trend online, Akins students responded in an online survey that they don’t believe looksmaxxing has caused them to develop any new insecurities. One anonymous respondent said that while the trend hasn’t caused them to feel more insecure, “I think it does a ect younger viewers.” e same respondent referred to the trend as a scam, a sentiment that was echoed by several others.

It’s important to note that many of these looksmaxxing in uencers sell their own products, ranging from hand grip trainers and jaw trainers to supplements and diet pills. Understandably, a lot of these products are understood to be scams, or basic products that have been priced higher than they should be.

e consensus from the responding Akins students seemed to be in favor of looksmaxx-

ing, and many said that they believe the trend has some truth to it, though most of the “e ective” tactics seem to be basic self-care and hygiene.

is departure from previous looksmaxxing methods is certainly a welcome one, and prioritizes the use of basic skincare and dental hygiene products to “optimize” one’s natural beauty. However, not all looksmaxxing posts are created equal, and some still promote plastic surgery, supplements, and hammers to the face as trustworthy — and even necessary — aspects of improving your physical appearance.

While it’s unclear what the general opinion on looksmaxxing is from professionals, we do know that orthodontists view mewing, a practice coined by orthodontist John Mew, as a hoax that prevents people from getting the dental care they need. In January of this year, the American Association of Orthodontists released an article stating that “scienti c evidence supporting mewing’s jawline-sculpting claims is as thin as dental oss.”

Mike Mew, son of John Mew and practicing orthodontist, is currently on trial for misconduct due to his promotion of mewing online. On his YouTube channel, Mew claimed that mewing was capable of reshaping the cranial structure and curing sleep apnea.

e trend of “bone smashing” is in the same boat as mewing as one of the few looksmaxxing-aligned practices that professionals actively denounce. Plastic surgeon Ben Schultz included blindness, abnormal growth of the bones, and bone weakness upon healing as some of the harmful side e ects of this bizarre method of increasing attractiveness.

So, if these aspects of looksmaxxing are so dangerous, how have these practices become so popular on TikTok, and as a joke or as a real method? Even when these things are treated as a joke, people might still be internalizing these concepts as idealized forms of beauty.

In our society, being perceived as attractive is one of the most important things you can be. While young people don’t place much value on the seriousness of trends like looksmaxxing, it’s undeniable that some of the practices promoted are internalized to some extent. ere’s a reason why looksmaxxing and other appearance-based trends get so much attention online, especially from young people.

It’s also worth considering how the origins of looksmaxxing relates to what it looks like today. With its creation on incel forums, it’s clear that it began as something focused on men, and this holds true today. All of the top “looksmaxxing in uencers” are young men, and their idols are male models.

Looksmaxxing seems to be one of the few male-centric trends online that focuses on physical appearance, drawing in young men with the promise of making them more attractive.

ese feelings of insecurity, and the pressure from the idea that you’re doomed to die alone if you have low “sexual market value,” are likely the reasons why so many young men are susceptible to falling prey to incel thinking and behavior.

Jonathon Wilson

Life & Style

Ricardo Ramos-ramirez StAFF WRITER

Since fall 2022, a beige and green hoodie with arabic lettering for the word GLOW, has become a popular item to wear on campus at Akins.

e GLOW streetwear fashion line is the brainchild of senior Luther Lagamon. He has promoted his brand on Instagram and has a wait list to sign up for his item drops. His original design featured a phrase written in Arabic on the back in four lines of text that read “Brightest in the Sky.” So far he has released three designs with the most recent being late January. He has collaborated with some other Akins streetwear designers, including the guys who made the Billion $ Tribe shirt release.

Lagamon said he wanted his designs to help people “shine brighter in a place where everyone is already shining bright.”

e Eagle’s Eye interviewed Lagamon to ask him about his inspiration and his hopes for the future.

EE: When did you rst decide to make your streetwear?

LL :I always had an interest in clothing making my own jeans and shirts

EE: What was your motivation to make your clothing?

Exchange student discusses life abroad Student markets GLOW clothing line

fabi rodriguez StAFF WRITER

Many of us are unaware of the processes a student takes to be transferred to other countries as an exchange student.

Johnny Barbano, an exchange student from the small independent country of San Marino in Italy, knows this process very well. His home-country has roughly 40 miles square, an altitude of 70 meters with a population of around 33,000 thousand people.

“ e top of it it’s basically a mountain where there’s a city and everything around it,” Barbano said. “It’s a little more than a hill but it’s like a very low mountain,”.

is is Barbano’s third time doing an exchange student program. He chose a basic program where he could pick a speci c country, but he couldn’t choose a certain city or his host parents.

His application requirements consisted of vaccines, a health report, extracurriculars, hobbies, interviews to test language pro ciency, and a mental preparation exam. e agency takes his information over to an American Agency that creates a pro le for him where host families choose a student.

e cost for fees, passport and visa taxes, insurance, and the amount of money that has to be sent for expenses was about 15,000 euros, which is about $16,000 ere is only one high school in San Marino called Scuola Secondaria Superiore San Marino. Students don’t have a school bus and get to school by driving, walking, or using public transportation.

“(At) 14, you can drive these (small) cars, and from 16 you can drive faster cars and motorbikes and (at) 18 you get

LL: My motivation is thinking about the bigger picture and what my brand can become

EE: What did you have to learn to sell online?

LL: I had to learn the website aspect for my business

EE: Where did you draw your inspiration from?

LL: I drew inspiration from clint419 owner of Corteiz, and the way he built his brand to be exclusive, and have people run for his clothes

EE: What does GLOW mean to you?

LL: GLOW means to me that you get to shine in your own way, when people say “happy glow day “ usually it’s referring to their birthday but why can’t you GLOW every day

EE: How does it make you feel to see other people wear your clothing?

LL: I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see everyone supporting my vision, being able to see what I made feels surreal

EE: And in the future what do you plan to do?, especially a er you graduate?

LL: All the money I get from my clothes I put back into my brand, a er graduating I want to pull all my attention to my brand and market it to where it’s nationwide

your actual driver’s license,” Barbano said.

Education is paid through taxes, but each year students take around thirteen classes and have to buy textbooks for each class. e total amount for these textbooks is about 400 euros (roughly $500). At the end of the year, the government refunds 60% of the money paid for books.

High school in San Marino runs for ve years. Students start at the age of fourteen and graduate at the age of nineteen. eir core classes are called primary classes which consist of literature, philosophy, English, mathematics, and history. Every year their hours of primary classes diminish.

“I used to do four hours of math when I was like in my rst year, and now I’m doing like two (classes) per week,” Barbano said.

ey have class pathways very similar to academy classes. Barbano takes languages, which allows him to take classes where he studies French, German, and English. In addition, he takes many science classes like chemistry, physics, and biology. Students use number grades ranging from 1 to 10., with a grade of six considered a passing grade.

eir school doesn’t provide extracurriculars like sports and music. Instead, students have to pay for lessons in private academies. Barbano does extracurriculars like soccer and piano. Barbano is even part of San Marino’s national Futsal team, a soccer-like sport typically played indoors on a hard court.

“If you’re talented, if you’re a little talented you can even train with your national team. I managed to get in under 17 in my soccer national team. But a er injuries and a er a few problems I quit and now I made the futsal national team which is quite a reward for me. And I’m also in the adult national team so I even get paid,” Barbano said.

Ricardo Ramos-Ramirez

Fabi Rodriguez

JROTC provides leadership opportunities

Program rebounds with new leaders after facing pandemic challenges

and start building a name for ourselves,” Lewis said.

From basic acts of dedication like raising the ags in front of the school each morning to larger volunteer projects, everything the Akins Air Force JROTC program does is focused on developing character traits dedicated to serving the nation and community.

e o cial AFJROTC objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills, promote community service, instill a sense of responsibility, and develop character, leadership, and self-discipline through education and instruction in air and space fundamentals and the Air Force’s core values of “Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do.”

Like almost all student-based clubs and programs, the Akins JROTC program struggled to keep going during the years of remote learning that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020. Since then a new set of leaders have stepped up to rebuild the JROTC program to regain the strength and impact the JROTC program makes in the Akins community.

Col. Kerry Lewis took over as the top faculty leader of the program during the 2021-2022 school year when most students were still only attending classes remotely via Zoom. It was a di cult time to run a program that requires in-person activities and focuses on developing character traits.

“When I got here it was our rst year coming out of COVID, rst time back in-person so we were trying to build the program, build the excitement, get the uniforms out,

Rebuilding and recruiting has been Lewis’ focus since his rst days at Akins and that continues now. Lewis said he has reached out to Akins’ feeder middle schools to grab the attention of new students coming into Akins.

“It’s a big school. I mean, we can get attention, right? And so we’ve been able to do that,” Lewis said.

Over the 30 years since he joined the Air Force in 1992, Col. Lewis worked on a wide variety of things, including military contracts and missiles. He would soon switch to occupational health. Col. Lewis worked to make the working environment safer by checking drinking water, chemical safety, biological and nuclear safety, overall just any hazardous material in general.

Lewis was familiar with the ROTC programs, which stands Reserve O cers’ Training Corps, from being a part of one in college. He said he was fascinated with the program and its potential even when on active duty, which led him to instruct at some college ROTC programs.

“We have a lot of cadets and we were just talking to some today that are currently in ROTC in college,” Lewis said. “We talked to some who are already on active duty in the military, and they appreciate what they learned here and they’re actually getting awards and being recognized at basic training for their success.”

e JROTC program has traditionally been taught and guided by two teachers — a colonel and a Chief Master Sergeant — but during the fall of the 2022-2023 school

year, Lewis had to lead the program on his own. at changed in January of 2023 when Master Chief Sergeant Andre Davis was hired and began to share the responsibilities of leading the Akins JROTC unit.

Davis didn’t start his military service in the Air Force. Instead, he started as a combat engineer and drill instructor in the army but switched over to the Air Force in 1996 as an electrician. A er his time as an electrician, he trained managers and sent people to an Air Force o cer training school (OTS) and medical schools and helped many more people get to ight schools. A er 12 years of doing this, he went to work at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., overseeing training.

“Working with the colonel and then the cadets was the thing that made me choose the school easily, and I have just been here ever since then,” Davis said. “It’s nice. Our job is to take what we learned in the military to give you tools to be successful.”

Senior Hope Rodriguez is the unit’s cadet lieutenant commander, has been involved with the Akins JROTC program since her freshman year. Last year she was promoted to deputy commander and has been a leader for the Akins JROTC unit ever since. Although new cadets now see a strong leader, it wasn’t always like this, she said.

Rodriguez’s freshman year was di erent. COVID a ected all forms of school and JROTC was no di erent. She didn’t know much about the program and its drill teams as a freshman. She mostly knew that they issued a uniform and it had to be worn. Even with this rough start, she became the head of the program, leading cadets and inspiring them to strive for greatness.

Master Chief Seargant Andre Davis assists a JROTC student in a rocket launch for class project on Akins Track.

“I think one of our biggest strengths is just our relationship with each other, “ Rodriguez said.

“I think something in me just kind of snapped and I was just like, ‘I really care about these students.’ I really take care of my sta and the rest of my cadets” she said.

Alex Luna StAFF WRITER

Karen Sabillion Blast off!

The nal season

Coach Roy Tambunga will retire after more than 20 years with Akins

Adamaris Olivares Sports Editor

A er 20 years of teaching and coaching at Akins High School, and another 10 years of experience, Coach Roy Tambunga will be retiring at the end of the school year.

In his nal year, as he prepares for retirement, Tambunga said he does not believe he has a legacy, despite praise from his coaching colleagues, students and the athletes he has coached. Instead, he just hopes to stay in contact with his friends at Akins.

Tambunga started teaching at Akins in 2002, just two years a er the school opened. Before taking the job at Akins, he had worked as a wrestling coach at his previous job. With multiple pushes and receiving multiple rejections, Tambunga was able to create a wrestling period from a “zero-hour class,” which met before school started.

From then on, he has inspired other schools to create wrestling periods, along with that, he has taken a competitor to the State UIL meets every year of his time at Akins. A er shaping the wrestling team to be one of the best, being an educator, inspiration, and motivator, Tambunga will be retiring.

Athletic Coordinator Joey Saxe said Tambunga has had an impactful legacy at Akins whether he recognizes it or not.

“ e legacy is like the relationship that he built with kids, helped change their lives through wrestling for better, he mentored kids, he’s just made such an impact,” he said. “You know, yes in wrestling, yes on the mat, but it’s beyond all that. He changes kids’ lives. He helps them with their academics. He helps them when they’re going through something, just life struggles. He just makes a di erence with kids. Truly a game changer.”

“

While battling through these rejections, Tambunga kept helping his athletes in the zero hour, learning how to use loopholes to improve his athletes.

“I used to have conference eighth period. e soccer coach, we were real good friends, said, just put them all in my subclass. And I’ll send them to you,” Tambunga said. “So for almost 10 years, during my conference period, he would send me all my wrestlers, and I would work them out.”

Although Tambunga struggled to create a class for 10 years, Tambunga has been teaching at Akins for over 20 years, with English Teacher Rebecca Redland being one of the coworkers who has shared this long experience with him.

“I was at Akins when the school opened,” Redland said. “Coach Tambunga came to Akins a few years a er we opened. I remember meeting him and thinking that he was a good t for our new school; I was so happy that he chose to work at Akins.”

roughout the years of watching Akins grow, the school di ers greatly from when Tambunga rst started at Akins. While sharing few experiences with teachers, Tambunga now looks at the school through a di erent lens.

“Changes can be a little bit di cult because the focus moves and shi s into stu that you may or may not agree should be the focus,” Tambunga said. “You start feeling like a little sh out of water a little bit.”

A er multiple years of giving up his conference period, and successes of the wrestlers, the wrestling class was nally created. Even without the class, Tambunga created successful wrestlers who every year have competed in the State UIL meet.

But that’s the biggest accomplishment... be a part of a lot of people’s lives.

Roy Tambunga

“

As Coach Tambunga prepares for retirement, leaving a huge legacy, the wrestling class would have not been possible if he had not insisted on creating one.

“I used to always try to get an athletic period, and (the principal) would at out every year, tell me no. Because she’s the one that quote said, ‘wrestling is a minor sport,’” Tambunga said.

“Just every kid that he’s put to the state tournament, to the next level, he has several athletes that went on to wrestle in college which you know is great because they get to continue to do what they love to do,” Saxe said.

While Coach Saxe celebrates his success, he describes his work as a standard of excellence to be followed. Even then, he believes the relationships he has built have surpassed any wins, Tambunga said he believes his successes was realized through forging strong

Morales

FINAL Words

Coach Roy Tambunga talks with wrestler Jacob Ortiz at Akins High School against Bowie High School on Jan. 10. Ortiz won this match right after speaking with him.

relationships with athletes instead of just earning medals.

“I’ve been to, you know, quinces, I’ve been to weddings, and funerals, unfortunately, and stu like that,” Tambuga said. “But that’s the biggest accomplishment, I got to meet and be with a lot of people, be a part of a lot of people’s lives.”

In his nal year, as Tambunga prepares to say goodbye, he hopes to continue to be a part of the lives of the Akins community.

“I’m perfectly ne with just going on, you know, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t want all this stu ,” Tambunga said. “I just, I would like for the kids, the people that I’ve been in contact with, to keep in contact. I want to see when they grow old and when they get married. And when they have kids.” Redland, who has shared some of these

experiences with him, believes he has truly changed students’ lives. With all the years of working together, she has seen the changes he has made to the program and for students.

“I will miss his smile, his leadership, and his presence on campus,” Redland said. “ ank you for making the decision to work at Akins. ank you for the many hours that you have dedicated to the students in your classroom and in the gym. You have changed lives. I will miss you.”

Redland won’t be the only one to miss Tambunga. A er changing lives for 20 years, he continues to impact his wrestlers today.

“I appreciate you for everything you have done for me, pushing me hard in practice, and making me the best wrestler I can be,” senior Yahya Pierre said.

Cruz

Varsity point guard battles cancer Akins community, basketball team rallies to support athlete in need

Adamaris Olivares Sports Editor

On Friday, Feb. 2, Darius Hedspeth’s life changed forever. Tuesday, Jan. 30 Hedspeth was hit in the groin twice during his school basketball game. is led to a doctor’s appointment, which then led to a referral to a urologist, including CT scans and ultrasounds. Unfortunately, the doctor’s visits don’t end there. Hedspeth was diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer that was discovered a er an orange-sized cancerous tumor was removed.

At that point, Hedspeth knew that he was in a battle with cancer that he never expected.

“I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was and didn’t think it would be cancer,” Hedspeth said.

e shocking news hit the school within the rst weeks of February. Before it reached the school, Hedspeth’s mother felt the hit rst.

“You never think that this can happen to your kid. Especially when they’re healthy, they’re athletic, or they work out probably seven days out of the week, Hedspeth’s mother Olivia Vasquez-Deleon said. “ ey’re doing something physical and you just never think that it can happen to them. So it was I was in shock.”

e news didn’t only hit Hedspeths family hard, but his coaches and friends also took the news badly.

“I broke down when I found out,” Hedspeth’s friend Coda Trevino said.

Now Hedspeth prepares for a long battle that includes medications, chemotherapy, and long trips to Houston where his chemotherapy will take place.

“He’s trying to be strong. I think that he still has a positive mind going into this. At rst, I didn’t think that he understood the severity of it or I don’t think that he wanted to accept it,” Vasquez-Deleon said. “Because he had so much going on in his life already that he didn’t want that to stop. But right now, he’s, he’s taking it day by day.”

Hedspeth’s mother acknowledges his strength through the process. He has maintained a strong mind, and a positive attitude through a very hard experience. Vasquez-Deleon also tries to remain strong as she begins to grasp the realities of these battles.

“I think I broke down once in front of him,” Vasquez-Deleon said. And he told me that it was hard for him to be strong, if I’m not strong. So I just take my car rides or on my way to work, or in the bathroom, you know, those are when I have my moments.”

Unfortunately, this is not the rst battle the family had with cancer. In 2015, Hedspeth lost his grandfather to cancer. Every game he played would be dedicated to his grandfather, to be the strong kid for him.

“It’s just terrifying news because we’ve gone through that hurt before,” Vasquez-Deleon said.

She continues to be strong through her son’s diagnosis and

Darius Strong

Darius Hedspeth (center) poses for a picture with his coaches during Mini-Golf Fundraiser on March 20 at Memorial Mini-Golf in Buda. This is one of the many fundraisers for Hedspeth.

treatment, but even then, this experience is even harder and she now has to go through it again.

“His grandfather, who basically raised him when he was younger with me. It was like a father gure to him. He passed away from cancer so it’s really hard,” Vasquez-Deleon said.

e family continues to stay strong through the challenges they have faced starting in 2015, and resurfacing now.

rough this experience, Vasquez-Deleon urges parents and coaches to educate students about the importance of understanding their bodies.

“I think that parents need to make it normal for kids to be open about their bodies and if they see anything, if they feel a little lump or if they feel something, they need to tell their parents right away because it could be something as serious as this,” Vasquez-Deleon said.

O ering her advice to families going through the same

thing, Vasquez-Deleon says the community has consistently shown support. Students like Rae Ramos o er checkups, and coaches such as Coach Anderson have visited to help him through this experience.

“We’re just overwhelmed by all the support that he’s gotten, the people who know him and that I didn’t even know that knew him, or knew, maybe have seen him play over the years,” Vasquez-Deleon said.

While the community continues to support Hedspeth through his ght with cancer, he remains erce in this long, terrifying, and unknown struggle.

“I would like to thank the Akins community, my family, and friends,” Hedspeth said.

To donate to Darius Hedspeth click here; bit.ly/3TPIBLg

AndrewCopelandandRicardoRamos-Ramirez contributedtothisstory

Courtesy Olivia Vasquez-Deleon

Humor & Solar

“Can’t talk, I’m mewing” cruz burrows StAFF ARTIST

Students make sacri ces on eclipse day

Diego Hernandez

Eclipse cult member

A er the district announced school wouldn’t be canceled on April 8, when a Total Solar Eclipse is expected to blot out the sun over Austin, both students and sta are uno cially deciding to hold sacri cial ceremonies on school that day.

Some students are partaking in fun eclipse related activities, such as coloring books, informational videos about the event, and sacri ces of personal belongings to appease the gods.

“I decided to throw some overdue homework into the giant bon re, ” Selene Luna said. “I’m failing the class, but I’m sure this will give me a 100 in it! If I’m still failing a er the end of the world my parents are gonna kill me.”

Some students haven’t even been able to make it to school due to tra c, and will arrive late, if at all, to the Eclipse day activities.

“I’ve been stuck in tra c for the past hour, everyone in the area is trying to get to another place for another Eclipse sacri ce,” ___ said over the phone . “If I don’t get there soon, I might miss the sacri ces! I can’t a ord that, I was gonna sacri ce all my cash savings for a day o school!”

Despite all the fun Eclipse Day activities, students say the end of the world should’ve been a good enough reason for AISD to cancel school.

“Man….No one even came to school today, everyone stayed and did their sacri ces at home, ” Helios Sol said. “ is personal sacri ce thing could’ve gone smoother if they had just canceled school. At least it’s the end of the world, so no point in coming to school tomorrow!” is is, of course, satire.

Students view total solar eclipse at Akins

Akins students and sta gathered outside here at school for a once-in-a-lifetime event to witness a total Eclipse, where the Moon covers the Sun’s light from the Earth and caused darkness for a few minutes. Students and sta went outside and used school-issued Eclipse glasses to look up at the sky and witness this natural phenomenon.

◊ 1. By Renzo Montgomery, who traveled to Lano, Texas to take photos of the total Eclipse without cloud cover.

◊ 2. By Robert Lockay, taken in front of the school entrance where students gathered to witness the Eclipse.

◊ 3. By David Doerr, dozens of both students and sta gather in the school’s front parking lot right before the Eclipse.

◊ 4. By Lillian Crider, where students and sta all begin seeing the Ring of Fire during totality.

Eagle Family!

It is hard to believe that we only have a few weeks left in the 23-24 school year! It has been an amazing year and we have many incredible accomplishments to celebrate! is year will mark our second true class of ACC graduates in the Early College program. is is an unbelievable accomplishment for many of our ECHS students who will earn an associate’s degree before they receive their High School diploma! On top of that, our seniors have racked up over 3 million dollars in scholarships so far this school year with many award letters still to come. We also received UIL sweepstakes in Band, Orchestra, Mariachi and Choir! Akins also placed multiple students 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in several state level competitions in CTE and athletics with some students even qualifying for nationals! Finally, by the time you read this, you will have seen your rst total solar eclipse, an event that you will likely experience only once in your lifetime. And you got to see it at Akins!

However, the school year isn’t over yet! Seniors, there is still time to wrap up completing college applications and FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) with the help of Mrs. Claudia Arellano Ferretiz in the College and Career Center (Room 146). is is the time to ask for help because this nine-weeks will be over before you know it!

Juniors (2025) and Sophomores (2026), it is time to make sure you are TSIA ready. We will be testing students Monday- ursday during the summer beginning at 9:00 a.m. Juniors, if you want to choose your 4th year English

Michael

and math class, it is important that you take care of this early.

On top of that, students enrolled in English 1, English 2, Algebra 1, Biology and/or US History are gearing up for their STAAR EOC tests starting in mid-April. In addition to those exams, we will also have Advanced Placement exams occurring in May. I am proud of the focus and e ort exhibited by both students and teachers in preparation for these important assessments. I know you will do great!

On a more personal note, I want to thank all of you that have made my second year at Akins a great one. e sta and students at this campus are truly amazing. I also want to thank our Akins community for all of their work in supporting our students this school year. I have been so impressed by your consistent focus on improving the outcomes of our kids. is is a truly amazing campus and I consider myself lucky to be an Eagle. Wings up!

Sincerely,

Principal Michael Herbin

In March and April students have passed EKG Technician, Medical Assisting Certi cations and the Biotechnology Assistant Credentialing exams. In the medical assisting practicum, 18 students passed their EKG Technician certi cations and 43 passed the Medical Assisting certi cation. In the Biomedical Practicum, six students have passed their Biotechnology Assistant Credentialing Exam. Other programs have also had students pass exams. Stay tuned to our