The Horseshoe April 3, 2014 / Denton High School, Denton, Texas / Volume 107, Issue 5 / dhshorseshoe.com Also inside this issue: the new student body president, the alumna cast in 22 Jump Street, and the legality of nudes.
Soccer faces playoff challenge tonight Pages 6-7
2 / NEWS German student wins scholarship for trip to Europe Maggie-Mae Ellison Ben Lyke Staff Writers Sophomore Logan Maltz has been chosen to travel to Germany from June 25 to July 19. Maltz was selected for the trip after he placed in the 98th percentile on the ATG German National Exam. This made him eligible for an interview, which will be conducted in German, with ATG representatives from the North Texas Region. Out of 21,000 students who took the German National Exam, 39 were chosen to go to Germany as exchange students. Being an exchange student is something that didn’t really cross Maltz’s mind until he was chosen, but he’s still excited to go to Germany. “I never really thought about what it would be like to go to high school in a foreign country,” Maltz said. “I’ve never been the exchange student, so this will be exciting.” As part of the exchange program, Maltz will be attending a German high school this summer. “I’ll being staying with a family in southeastern Germany and attending their high school, since German students go to school year round” Maltz said. Sandra Dieckman, Maltz’s German teacher, is happy for him and says his interest in German helped him to quickly pick up the language. “I’m really excited for Logan,” Dieckman said. “He’s been able to learn the language very quickly, and a lot of it is just his interest.” Maltz is younger than most who were chosen to go on this trip but Dieckman believes he’s just as prepared. “It’s unusual for a sophomore to win this trip,” Dieckman said. “Usually their German isn’t quite good enough or they aren’t mature enough, but Logan is.” While in Germany, Maltz will be immersed in the German culture and language, but he says he’s prepared. “I’m ready,” Maltz said. “I just need to get a passport.”
Marsh elected student body president Mohammad Alshara Ben Lyke Staff Writers Riding a bear to victory junior James Marsh has been elected as the 2014-2015 class president. Using comedic posters of him riding a bear in space, Marsh pulled in votes from freshman who didn’t know him by connecting with them through humor. “I worked as hard as I could to get elected, and I planned out my campaign from the beginning, so I was well organized and ready for anything,” Marsh said. “I have been working for this moment for the past two years by getting more people to support me.” Ms. Kristina Shelburne was the coordinating teacher of the class elections, and they gave her a lot of time to start learning about the nominees, and get time to connect with them. “James Marsh is very deserving of the award,” Shelburne said.
“I feel like all of the nominees worked very hard and none of them slacked off, so it was a very good election, and I was happy to be part of it.” Marsh is very proud of his win in the election and strategically planned out campaign. “I was mostly focusing on freshmen,” Marsh said. “They were the ones who could easily be persuaded since they didn’t know many of the juniors.” He has many plans for the upcoming year as president and says he will work hard to achieve those goals. “I want to make this school have a fun atmosphere, with things like homecoming and prom, but I also want to keep this school serious, and get Denton High School to have more recognition in the district,” Marsh said. Marsh hopes to make the school better than ever, and wants people to be proud of having gone to Denton High School.
You Can’t Miss the Bear: A humorous campaign features posters of him riding a bear through space helped James Marsh capture the presidency. (poster by Alex Plese) “DHS is overshadowed by the bigger schools in the district,” Marsh said. “As president, I hope
McEuin memorialized through courtyard bench
to make the people be proud to graduate from Denton High school again.”
Faces in the Crowd
Mohammad Alshara Staff Writer Approximately one year ago, Denton High School lost one of its most beloved staff members, a counselor and Denton High alumnus. Dottie McEuin may have passed, but she has not been forgotten, forever memorialized in the garden courtyard with a bench. Friends and family came to honor her memory and show their love on March 26. Physics teacher Tim Sanchez was at the event and spoke a few words. “This really helps to keep Ms. McEuin’s memory alive and just show how much the school and everyone really cares about her,” Sanchez said. Even some of her old graduating class came to honor her, including her best friend, Carol Pearson Lord. “I really love this whole event because it is what
she would have wanted,” Lord said. “She would not have wanted any of this to be gloomy. She would have wanted everyone to be happy and enjoy themselves in a time like this.” Lord enjoyed the company of all of their high school friends and was thrilled most of them could make it. “I’m happy that we could all get together and honor Dottie,” Lord said. “I’m happy that we could all see the bench dedicated to her.” Some of Ms. McEuin’s
grandchildren also showed up to the event to see their grandmother’s bench. Sophomore Caroline McEuin had mixed emotions. “I love what they’re doing here,” Caroline said. “It reminds me of her and it makes me miss her more now that I see the bench.” Lord hopes the bench will help keep the spirit of Dottie McEuin alive. “The bench is an amazing thing,” Lord said. “Now Dottie can be remembered at DHS forever.”
These images from the Inside Out project by JR were put up on the school’s north wall in February. “It was cool to do an installation on campus because I think they’re inally accepting the art program and giving us freedom,” senior Kailon Medrano said. (for more, go online)
Audirsch cast in NBC pilot Leah Bowen Staff Writer Senior Jacob Audirsch got the notification from his agent just two hours before the audition. He went in and only read one line. Jacob didn’t expect for anything to come from this. A week later, he received the call saying he got the job to act in a show that starred actress Ashley Judd.. “It was a small role in an NBC pilot called ‘Salvation,’” Audirsch said. “It is about a Texas megachurch preacher who commits suicide and then all the ramifications, like what happens and how the community goes into chaos. Basically, all I do is call
the main character’s sister a bad word and then we get into a fight.” Acting has been a long time passion for this senior. “I did theater when I was younger, and then in eighth grade I started taking film classes and I really liked it,” Jacob said. “So, I worked at it from then on. Now I am auditioning all the time for different shows, commercials, and movies. “I don’t always get the roles, but it is still working toward my goal. I have done two commercials and two voice overs, those are good and all but they are still small. This is like the biggest of anything that I have gotten. I hope that it will sort of boost my career
so I can get more and more jobs that gradually get bigger and bigger and more important.” Having this part will help Audirsch take that next step to where he wants to be. “This is like the first big thing for me,” Jacob said. “I want to eventually be like Tom Hardy. He gets to play the coolest parts. The job I just got is a resume builder, I am not close to my ending goal right now, but jobs like this one help me get there. The more of these that you get the more likely directors are going to put you in their film. Because no matter how good you are, they won’t put you in their film if you are inexperienced. So it is always good to get small jobs like this.”
UIL performs well at district competition Rebecca Fu Staff Writer While most students slept in this past Saturday morning, 26 students were already up and about at the UIL Academic District meet. The meet, which took place March 29 at Guyer High School, concluded with DHS finishing in second place overall and qualified 14 students for advancement to the region level. The regional meet will be held May 3 at HardinSimmons University in Abilene. Of the 26 participants, over half will be competing in one or more events at the meet. The DHS Academic team also boasts a combined total of 28 individual awards and seven team awards. First place teams and individual students who place in the top three of each event are automati-
cally eligible to advance. DHS finished with five first place teams bound for Abilene. These teams include Computer Science, Current Issues and Events, Mathematics, Number Sense, and Spelling and Vocabulary. Additionally, DHS won first in the Journalism team division. Of the students advancing, many qualified for multiple events. Senior George Roberson nabbed first place in Current Events, Feature Writing, News Writing and second in Headlines. “I hoped I would qualify in all of my events, but I was pleasantly surprised when I came in first in three of them,” Roberson said. “We all had a really good day.” Junior Ana Mitchell, who placed first in Spelling/Vocabulary, is pleased with the district results. “I’ve always enjoyed language, so as a freshman I figured that Spell-
ing UIL would be right up my alley,” Mitchell said. “Learning all those words is challenging, but fun and fulfilling. At the meet we were all a bit nervous, but we pulled through, had good test scores, and made it to region.” DHS has seen an increase in region qualifiers this past district meet. “Compared to previous years, we are taking close to twice the number of students to region than we have in the past, which I think is an absolutely fantastic outcome,” Fred Mueller, UIL coach and Academic Coordinator said. “All of the students who are advancing to region really deserve to be congratulated on the hard work and effort they put into keeping up with their academic events. I am incredibly proud of every one of the students who are going to region.” For a complete list of winners, see our website.
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On Set: Senior Jacob Audirsch outside his trailer at the studios where Salvation was shot. (courtesy photo)
4 / ENTERTAINMENT
For coverage of the Arts and Jazz Festival, head to dhshorseshoe.com.
The best restaurants around town Brandon Shields Entertainment Editor As Denton grows, the appetite of its residents and citizens expand as well.These are my top four places to eat around town that are in no specific order. Each restaurant’s review is based off price, atmosphere, and taste.These are great places for hanging out or grabbing a late-night bite.
Mr. Chopsticks Mr. Chopsticks is one of the most prominent restaurants in Denton County. It has some of the best Chinese food or really the best food in general. People tend to flock here for all sorts of reasons, but most of all, it’s just truly unique based on presentation and taste. At $8.50 a favorite dish of mine is General Tso’s Chicken a dish that ranges in spice, flavor, and taste/texture. Its sweet and slightly spicy fried chicken photo: onlyindenton.com with herbs, mixed vegetables and red peppers with of course your choice of rice etc. It can be most commonly compared to sesame chicken with more of a kick. If you aren’t really into Chinese food its a good dish to transition you into that genre. The establishment has been around for nearly 30 years and has captured the hearts of many patrons. The atmosphere derives from the location near the University of North Texas so Mr. Chopsticks is filled with college students, and teenagers from around the area. If you’re into a quiet sit down occasion, this would not be your place. However, where it lacks in space, it tends to reinforce in quality. Never have I had a better Chinese food taste. It’s purely authentic and backs in variety. If you have a food allergy this would definitely be your top choice of restaurant. Mr. Chopstick’s menu within its entirety is completely flexible to adhere to the peoples taste or preference. Overall the establishment is superb in all areas whether it be taste, and quality of food, service, and location. Where Mr. Chopsticks could improve is space or size of the restaurant. Also due to the location, the restaurant tends to lean on the noisy side and I would not recommend it for small children.
LSA Burger Co.
photo: NT Daily
New to Denton and located in the square, LSA Burger was looking cool before it was even fully constructed. The restaurant from the inside is absolutely amazing. Beyond the looks, the burgers are just as solid and have a solid price tag. I enjoy a hickory burger consisting of grilled onions, bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce. It is absolutely a delicious fail safe combination for a burger and only about seven bucks so you’re not breaking the bank. In all ten dollars gets you a burger fries and a drink. Despite the plus
sides, the service is a bit lacking. I found on my few trips their service varied heavily on those working there. Normally, I am easy to get along with, but a few waiters and waitresses I had took my order and were gone for the rest of the time. However, I didn’t consider this to be a huge factor. The business is still working its way up and after all, it is new. Overall, I really enjoy LSA Burger because it’s exactly what I want in a “burger joint”. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s a step in the right direction. There’s great food, a great overall look, and a great price.
Gobi Mongolian Grill
photo: yelp.com
I tend to be very picky when it comes to the places I dine at for Asian food. Gobi has easily beaten out all other places in the Denton region in the category of Chinese food. Authentic, not pricy, and delicious; three categories help ascend them to the top. If that were not enough to catch your eye they also deliver. From a wide range of selections ranging from your normal favorite Chinese food to even creating your own, with the Mongolian grill, Gobi will definitely fit your type of restaurant. A turn off on my first visit was the Ambience as it could lull you to sleep. As far as food goes, I tend to lean towards the Mongolian grill to recreate some fine dishes. The best part are the prices as they range from nine dollars and less. One of my favorite dishes to recreate is the Teriyaki Chicken. I’m able to put my own spin on the style of cuisine and have it the way I envisioned. I start with fresh herbs, few vegetables, and an excess of chicken. I top it off with a little seasoning and of course the sauce and your taste buds will be convinced they entered heaven. Gobi delivers on everything a restaurant should whether it be delicious food or a calm atmosphere. Dining in also tends to not break the bank. It’s easy to find something there to eat for the whole family to enjoy. I enjoy the fact that they deliver is a huge factor of why Gobi is a top notch Chinese food establishment. Since Gobi just became a restaurant about a year and a half ago there is no telling what might happen when Denton’s pallets truly discover it.
Burger Time Machine
photo: urbanspoon.com
Burger Time Machine is the best place to get a hamburger in Denton. It isn’t the number one looking establishment to get a great burger, but once you have the burger, you’ll be grateful that you went. Their creativity in structure of a burger isn’t far different than that of Mooyah’s or Five Guys, since there isn’t many ways to “customize” such a delicious creation. However, you are not short when it comes to. selections of toppings. The reason why they named it Burger time Machine serves as a mystery. It may be due to the fact of the restaurant’s atmosphere or even the way the burger itself is cooked. They both lean towards an older fashioned in the way they prepare food and the way the restaurant looks. There is completely no comparison to any other establishment when it comes to burgers. Burger Time Machine is a taste vortex that consumes your taste buds completely. I tend to favor the “Cowboy Burger”. Its a ½ chunk of deliciousness filled with almost every topping that you’d ever want. I stick with crispy bacon, lettuce, definitely no tomatoes, but add cheese, grilled onions, and I’m set. Burger Time Machine is not a place to take someone out on a date, but rather take your friends out for something to eat. Overall, Burger Time Machine is exactly what I’m looking for in a burger; delicious, fast, and fresh.
Junior creates online clothing store Rebecca Fu Staff Writer Junior Morgan Woods is a fashion enthusiast with a knack for creativity and do-it-yourself projects. Last November, the junior merged her love of fashion and craftsmanship with the debut of her online clothing store, Morning Morgan, which features her original designs and creations. Her store on Etsy, an online marketplace dedicated to the sale of homemade and vintage items, has kept her busy with its constant demand. Whether making and promoting her clothing or dealing with irksome business technicalities, Woods is experiencing the effects of an entrepreneurial endeavor slowly gaining ground. The idea started with the MYP personal project for sophomores. Students had to come up with a topic for the extensive research project, and Woods posed the question of how to open a clothing store. Although she didn’t complete the project in time for the deadline, the idea sparked her interest and prompted her to give it a try. “I started to think about it more because I’m interested in dealing with creative things like art and interior design, [and] the clothing store really stuck to me,” Woods said. “That’s when I [knew] that I’m going to continue on [with the idea] in life. I want to not only have online [stores] but actually advance into my own actual store.” To start the process, Woods
Q&A
Morgan in the Morning: Junior Morgan Woods created and currently runs an online store for clothing called “Morning Morgan.” (courtesy photo) signed up for a business management class. Then, she went off to search for some second-hand steals with potential. “I’ve mainly been selling clothing that I make,” Woods said. “I either [buy clothes from] a thrift store and redo, sew, or attach things to it or I make [items] completely from scratch, like rings and earrings.” Some of her successful turnouts have been a couple of reconstructed shirts. “One of [the] things on there that I liked how it turned out the most was [this] crop top with gold detailing on it,” Woods said. “There are two different kinds, one has a sponge effect on it and
the other has these cool arrows.” To promote her clothing, Woods takes advantage of social media sites such as Instagram. Her friends also played a part in publicizing her store and even helped Woods with her latest advertisement. “I recently made a video for the new clothes I was putting [on the website] and called it my New Year’s collection,” Woods said. “My friend, a photographer, shot all of it. We [made] a whole video [with] video clips to a song.” Having an online store, however, isn’t always just fun and games. In addition to brainstorming new ideas, creating products and promoting the
store, Woods has to deal with some tedious tasks, including setting a budget. “Dealing with money and finding stuff to make clothes [are] difficult processes because I have to be conscious of what I am spending. I want to just buy everything but I can’t because I have to make sure I am spending the right amount,” Woods said. “But it’s teaching me a lot for life, like how to manage money.” She also has had to handle many technical details, including setting up bank accounts for credit and debit cards and learning how to make transactions and ship packages. “I don’t ever work with mailing, so it was confusing,” Woods said. “I’ve never worked with [the] postal service [before], so I went with my dad and he showed me [the different] kind of packages and all that kind of stuff.” Even the seemingly straightforward task of choosing the store name proved to be exasperating when Woods’ first choice in name was already taken by another user. After multiple attempts, Woods finally came up with a name that she liked: Morning Morgan. “When I was younger there were a bunch of serendipity books that I read,” Woods said. “They were all weird little tales, and [they were] called Morning Morgan, Morgan and Me…[when I was little] I just really liked the fact that it was my name.” Woods also chose the name because her name translates to “morning” in German. “Finally [Morning Morgan]
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was the one that hasn’t been taken and that fits, [and] I just like the sound of it and [how] it has a little bit of meaning to it,” Woods said. Despite the minor nuisances that come with operating an online store, Woods has no plans of of leaving the fashion business anytime soon. Eventually she hopes to own her own store, which she is preparing for by taking an entrepreneurship class next year and majoring in fashion merchandising and business in college. However, that’s not all that she wants to accomplish. “Once I understand how to work with webpages, I want to open my own blog [with links to] my [online] store,” Woods said. “That’s what I hope to advance onto before I open my own clothing store.” She also has plans for Morning Morgan, which has already received orders from New York, Washington, California, and Arizona. So far, Woods’ chevron rings and floral crowns have been favorites of shoppers. “I’ve been slowly working up into new things,” Woods said. “Once I get more business out of [the store], I want to [make] home decor items, too.” She is excited for her future and her clothing store, especially since they both have to do with what she enjoys the most. “Honestly, I really like fashion, so [Morning Morgan] is just another way for me to do what I love,” Woods said. “It’s cool to see my stuff going to people, and to know that they are wearing my creations.”
A magician reveals his tricks Senior Darrian Ortega, known for his cafeteria magic tricks, talks about magic and his future in it. (by Nichole Darbey)
How did you get started with magic?
When you do tricks, how do people react?
Is it your dream to become a magician?
When I was really really really young, and hated the world. I saw a magician, I saw how his trick connected people, how it connected total strangers. Then a magician did a trick for me and it fell from there. It’s been my dream to make the world a happy place and use magic to do so. Now, I always have a deck of cards on me.
Well, the jocks burst out screaming and yelling. Some people are dull, some are in awe or shock. Almost everyone asks me to do the trick again. Most people think it’s a gimmick. But I don’t do gimmicks. I do what the professionals do. If I did a gimmick here, they’ll eat me alive!
I’m practicing every chance I get. At school, home, basically anywhere. I especially like doing tricks on my mom because it drives her crazy and she can never igure it out. I even practice while I watch TV. My dream is to connect the world on a deeper level, using magic to spread joy and happiness.
6 / SPORTS
Keep the ball rolling: Junior Zach Alspach looks upfield for a teammate during the Broncos’ 5-0 victory in the area round. Denton will again travel to Wichita Falls tonight to face District 9-4A runners-up Rider. (cover and center photos by Austin Pugh)
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Broncos ready for third round playoff matchup with Rider after pair of routs Chandler Elsbecker Sports Editor For the ϐirst time in almost a decade, the Broncos will see third-round action tonight. Head coach Scott Hefϐley’s squad ϐinished with 12 points in the district season, good enough for second place in highly-competitive District 11-4A. The sectional game at Wichita Falls versus District 9-4A runners-up Rider comes on the heels of a pair of clean sheets in the bi-district and area rounds in which the Broncos scored a combined seven goals. Junior Chris Torres drew ϐirst blood in last Tuesday’s bidistrict contest versus Saginaw on a penalty kick in the 15th minute. The penalty was the result of the aggressive play of junior Jose Herrera, who was tripped up by the Saginaw keeper on a break into the Rough Riders’ penalty area. Three minutes out of halftime sophomore winger Jordan King set up junior Feliciano Amaya with a cross that bounced off the keeper and directly to Amaya, who did not miss the net. The 2-0 clean sheet victory was the ϐirst for Denton in the playoffs since the 3-0 win over El Paso Irvin in the 2005 Regional Semi-Final game. Hefϐley says that his players wouldn’t settle for another ϐirst-round exit from the playoffs. “At the beginning of the year we talked about where we wanted to be,” Hefϐley said. “And this is where we wanted to be.” After losing the coin ϐlip with second-round opponent Hirschi, Denton had to hit the road
again the subsequent Thursday, this time to Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls. Herrera opened the scoring 24 minutes in on a one-man break similar to that from the last game, getting the ball through the pressuring hands of the Husky keeper and giving his side an early lead. Amaya got his ϐirst goal of the day with a strike to the bottom right corner of the net, and then followed it up with his second to the bottom left corner 19 minutes into the second half after a long-distance setup from junior Braeden Petrie. Hefϐley appreciates the output from his junior midϐielder, who has four goals and an assist in his last four games. “He’s a guy that we’ve grown to depend on,” Hefϐley said. “He’s one of those players that we feel we can rely on game in and game and that’s going to give us consistent effort. When you tie that in with his natural ability and his speed, it just always gives us an attacking threat.” Junior Zach Alspach joined in with a long-range goal of his own in the 61st minute, and senior Diego Gonzalez left zero doubt of the outcome with an acrobatic bicycle kick goal in the 73rd. The Broncos ended the 5-0 demolition having outshot their opponents 27-6 (143 in shots on goal), ensuring a punched ticket to the Sectional round. “Getting the second seed in our district put us in a position we wanted,” Hefϐley said. “With respect to the two teams we faced, it was a good draw for us, because I think we matched up well with the teams, and it sort
of played out that way.” However, despite his side’s offensive explosion, Hefϐley thought that the result was not indicative of the quality of their performance. As such, he sees plenty of room for improvement. “I thought we played better against Saginaw than we did today, and I never really felt comfortable,” Hefϐley said after the Hirschi game Thursday. “While obviously it was enough today to get the result that we wanted, I deϐinitely think we could’ve played better than we did. I was kind of disappointed that we didn’t, because at this stage… I expected us to have a little bit more energy, a little bit more urgency than we displayed today.” Hefϐley’s words were not lost on his players. Senior Zack Farmer knows that the effort displayed Thursday won’t be enough. “We were happy with the win, but what Coach Hefϐley usually says is, ‘It doesn’t matter if you win; it matters how you win,’” Farmer said. “He wants us to look good as possible, and apparently we were slacking a little bit.” Hefϐley, however, still thinks that his team’s experience in a tough district will prove valuable against another quality opponent. “It’s going to be the toughest opponent we’ve faced in the playoffs yet,” Hefϐley said. “That said, we feel like we were seasoned pretty well in our district, playing against the likes of Guyer and Byron Nelson. It deϐinitely prepared us for teams like the one we’re about to face.”
8 / SPORTS
For all of The Horseshoe’s playoff soccer coverage, go to dhshorseshoe.com/sports
Denton alumnus on path to bigs Dareious Scott Staff Writer Most teenagers only dream of playing professional sports, but that dream became a reality for Denton High alumnus Hunter Dozier. Dozier was drafted seventh overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2013 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He received $2.2 million signing bonus. He is currently is playing in the minor leagues for the Royals after attending spring training. When people see Denton High, they see a school with little athletic success. They see Denton High as the “ghetto” school, or the school people go to when they’re not accepted anywhere else. Dozier, who attended DHS all four years, sees it as something totally different. “It’s a great school. Academics have always been great, and athletics are getting a lot better,” Dozier, Denton High Class of 2010, said. “When I was here, the athletic department wasn’t as strong as it is now. It’s easy to tell that the athletic department is slowly starting to turn around, and one day soon it’s going to be a powerhouse.” Most people are not gifted to have the ability to wake up in the morning, and be great at sports. It takes a lot of self discipline. Dozier had to put in a lot of work outside of practice to get to where he is now. “I did a lot of extra work while at Den-
Crowning Achievement: Denton High alumnus Hunter Dozier, right, accepts the 2013 Player of the Year award of the Royals’ rookie ball affiliate at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Dozier, taken seventh overall in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, is ranked tenth among all minor league third base prospects by MLB.com. (courtesy photo) ton High,” Dozier said. “I would wake up early, work out, and afterwards, we would have baseball practice. I normally stayed after practice, and took some extra hitting and took some extra ground balls. I’d go to the batting cage at my house, and I’d hit off the tee right after school. I was constantly working to make it.” Along with the success that Dozier is receiving it wouldn’t mean half as much if it wasn’t for the support of his parents. His mother, Kelly Dozier, is one of his
Baseball looks for wins Jonathon Peterson Contributing Writer A record of 0-7 in district is not what the Broncos had in mind when starting this season. The team allows 6.4 runs a game, but that comes from a lot of defensive errors rather than the pitching staff giving away runs. However, the blame doesn’t fall on one group. “We have the talent,” junior pitcher Chris Torralba said. “We just aren’t playing to our full potential.” Suffering close losses against Guyer and Lake Dallas seem to be frustrating the team, but most of their games haven’t ended so close. This is because the offense’s performance has been
lacking, averaging less than a run per game. “We have people who are in the best positions, but were not coming through and picking enough people up,” head coach Glen Harrison said. “The other teams are doing that. They are picking their people up and our run production is not what it needs to be.” Things aren’t going so well so far, but that doesn’t mean Harrison is going to let the team off the hook. “I’m expecting our guys to continue to fight, play as if it is the first of the season, continue to get better, a lot of practice, minimize our mistakes that we’ve made in our previous games,” Harrison said. “If we do that, we’ll always have a chance to win.”
prime supporters. “It’s very exciting,” Kelly said. “It’s nice because he’s worked so hard for his dream to come true. It’s just very exciting to see everything he has done paid off.” Since getting drafted by the Royals, Dozier’s family has been all over the place traveling through various cities, and different states. “It’s just been a whirlwind since he got drafted,” Kelly said. “We’ve been to Kansas City twice, and got to see him get all of these awards. He left for spring training Feb. 24, so he went to Arizona. When he first got drafted we got to spend seven days in Idaho Falls with him. When he was at Stephen F. Austin we went down there quite a bit as well.” Seeing your son achieve a childhood dream is probably one of the proudest moments when you are a parent. The hard work and dedication pays off in many ways, and it’s something that he deserves. “It’s just nice to see your son receive what he always wanted since he was little. Something that I always tell my son is to stay true to who he is,” Kelly said. “I also tell him to believe in himself because he’s still coming up now so he just has to stay true to himself.” Prior to getting drafted, Dozier was a two year starting quarterback for the Broncos. He threw for 3,340 yards and 19 touchdowns during that two year span. Along with football, Dozier spent two years on varsity baseball playing shortstop and third base during his run, but it
wasn’t smooth sailing for him. His junior year he suffered a major shoulder injury which caused him to miss his entire junior year of baseball. His arm healed just in time for him to play football and baseball his senior year. Current Denton head baseball coach Glen Harrison coached Dozier from his sophomore year until he graduated, and knows Dozier as well as anyone else outside of his family. “There was a time where Dozier wanted to quit football and just go straight baseball, and I talked him out of that,” Harrison said. “I encouraged him to stay in for the offseason program, the discipline, and the physical and mental toughness that football provided. Those were all the characteristics and components that turned Hunter into a great baseball player.” After sticking through the football program, and receiving a scholarship from Stephen. F Austin, according to Harrison, Dozier’s dad was greatly appreciative of the advice given to him, and claimed it was the best thing that he could of done. “In my 27 years of baseball, he is the hardest worker I’ve ever seen,” Harrison said. “He utilizes the talent that he has, and increases that with his hard work and dedication.” Director of Player Development for the Royals, Scott Sharp, feels that he has a gifted prospect on his hands. The qualities that Dozier has on and off the field are things that stand out even more than most people. “Hunter Dozier is one of the most advanced and intelligent baseball players I have had the opportunity to be around,” Sharp said. “He is physically gifted, emotionally mature, and has great leadership qualities. I believe all of these things are what Lonnie Goldberg, our Scouting Director, was looking for when he chose to select Hunter with our first pick last year.” When Dozier was finally able to achieve his lifelong dream of getting drafted to the majors, one can only imagine the emotions that ran through him. Not only was it an incredible feeling being the highest player ever drafted in Denton County, but he got to celebrate that milestone with his family. “It was an amazing feeling and it was very exciting,” Dozier said of draft day. “I had a lot of family over that day, and it made it even better to share that moment with them. When they called my name the room kind of erupted. It was just an awesome feeling, and something I’ll never forget.”
Juarez sets example Maggie-Mae Ellison Staff Writer
Next up on the schedule
Hitting it Off: Senior Jessica Juarez belts one to left field for a hit in a February tournament at Denton High School. (photo by Austin Pugh) Ramos said. “If you’ve ever coached a kid who put everything that they had in it and gave 110% every single time, she’s done that for the past four years.” Because of her hard work players in the softball program with Juarez see her as a role model. “The underclassmen look
Softball fighting for playoffs Maggie-Mae Ellison Staff Writer The Lady Bronco Softball team has had a rough start to their 2014 season. Head coach Rhana Ramos knows that they aren’t in the best position, being in sixth place, but she doesn’t at all think the team is out of the playoff race. “I know that our record doesn’t show how much work we’ve put into preparation for this year, but this is definitely the strongest team that I’ve had,” Ramos said. Even with a strong, hard working team the Lady Broncos still face a difficult district this season. “We have a tough district,” Ramos said. “Out of the four that go to playoff they go at least the three rounds deep.” Ramos said that if they want to make the playoffs, the Lady Broncos need to work together to win games. “Developing that last bit of team unity, we’re one hit or one really great inning away from winning most of these ball games,” Ramos said. Ramos is hoping to build that team unity to finish out the season better than the team began it. “The rest of the season I want to go in on a much more positive note, I would hope to win at least half of our games for the second half of district,” Ramos said. Overall, whether the team wins or loses, Ramos still enjoys her team this season. “I couldn’t ask for a better group,” Ramos said. “Period.”
up to her,” Ramos said. “She’s a soft spoken leader and she doesn’t just come and say what they need to do but people follow what she does based on her actions, she walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk.” Juarez maybe a role model to her teammates, but they are also her friends and one of her former coaches, who left
the softball program before Juarez’s senior year, is her inspiration. “She was just a really good person, so I looked up to her,” Juarez said. “It was hard when Coach Hirsch said she was leaving. She was a really big part of the team, but my whole senior year I’ve been trying to finish the season with her in mind.”
April 3 Soccer - Sectional at Rider Tennis - District 5-4A (at TCU) April 4 Baseball - at Lake Dallas Softball - at Lake Dallas April 8 Baseball - vs. Guyer Softball - vs. Guyer April 11 Baseball - at Wichita Falls Softball - at Wichita Falls April 17 Baseball - at Azle April 18 Softball - at Azle April 22 Baseball - at Rider April 25 Baseball - vs. Byron Nelson Find The Horseshoe Sports online at dhshorseshoe.com/sports
Track prepares for district Jonathon Peterson Contributing Writer Denton track is having a successful season so far this year. Placing third and abovee in all of their meets, the team is competing at their best. “We are actually coming along pretty well for a young team,” senior April Peña said. “We’re competing well against other schools.” With the district meet coming up next Thursday and Friday, the team plans to continue their success. “I expect us to do really great in the he district meet because we have the talentt and have done well in our other meets,” junior unior Juan Campos said. With the district meet coming up soon, oon, players have goals set up for themselves lves too. “My goal for district is to clear 14 feet and make regionals.” sophomore pole vaultaulter Cody Roche said. The team’s goals for district would be to get a trophy and earn their banner for or the
season, but the th individual players’ goals are to move on to the meet and then on to regional mee state. “I think we are ready to compete and many of our athletes will go on to the athlete next round,” Roche nex ssaid. The district meet will be the team’s last of the season, but a player has the chance to make it to the regional meet if they place high enough district. Then after comin district peting in regionals, they chance to go to state have the ch qualify. if they qual excited for the district “I’m excit meet and I think thin that the team is ready for it too,” Roche said.
(photo of junior Gabriel Aranda to left by Alex Plese)
Softball is senior Jessica Juarez’s life. Juarez’s family plays softball so when she was old enough to start T-ball she also began playing. Since then Juarez has been playing softball, and her senior year, she has the best batting average on the team and is a role model for the underclassmen in the softball program. “My family is involved with softball so when I was five I was old enough to start T-ball,” Juarez said. “Softball has been a big part of life but it’s not always about winning,” Juarez said. “It’s about having fun and with my teammates. I really enjoy playing.” Although Juarez believes playing softball should be fun, she has still worked hard to improve during her high school career. “She came to me as a freshman, and I could tell there was a lot of raw potential there,” head softball coach Rhana
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The Legality of Nudes Brendan Kimberlin Staff Writer
Earlier this year, a 16-year-old girl in Virginia faced child pornography charges when she posted a naked selfie on Twitter. In Florida, a 17-year-old boy was put on a five-year probation and charged as a sex offender when he sent nudes to his girlfriend. Stories like this are common with the access to endless amounts of social networks. According to dosomething.org, 22 percent of high-school age teens (14 to 17-years old) send naked photos. Since this is happening and becoming more and more ordinary, one major question arises: what are the consequences of sending nudes? “We deal with it when it’s reported to us,” Assistant Principal Mr. Paul Martinez said. “It’s not like we can just go looking for naked pictures. It typically happens when a parent calls and says they have a problem with their son or daughter getting these pictures sent to them.” According to Martinez, it becomes a sort of slippery slope when they’re sending nudes outside of school. “If they’re sending naked pictures outside of school and not showing them in school, we can’t do anything about it,” Martinez said. “But when they show these pictures to another person, then they have broken the rules. We usually end up dealing with it when they show someone a picture on their phone and someone gets wind of it. This usually results in an inschool suspension.” Martinez tries to educate students on the consequences of sending nudes. “The law is still trying to catch up with technology,” Martinez said. “That’s why we try to get them to understand what happens with that picture after you send
it. It’s not really a widespread problem in our office, but in teenage society, definitely. If there’s a couple of people doing it, then there’s a couple too many.” According to the United States Department of Justice website, “any violation of a federal child pornography law is a serious crime, and convicted offenders face severe statutory penalties.” Laws deem the transfer of nudes a bad and serious crime. Some people question if it’s fair for teenagers who are under 18 to be incarcerated for posting or sending nude pictures of themselves. Sophomore Mallory Ingram says it’s not. “I think people should be able to send nudes regardless if they’re 18 or not,” Ingram said. “It’s not right for people who send nudes to be charged as sex offenders. If you send nudes then that’s your problem. If you want to show someone your body, then you should be able to. A person already has to deal with the consequences of people finding out. They shouldn’t get in legal trouble.” Sophomore Eric Foreman* has sent at least 15 nudes since freshman year. “With nudes, you can pretty much choose what you want to send,” Foreman said. “I like to send them first because I feel like they’d feel more inclined to send them back. I don’t really care if they leak or not because I feel that it wouldn’t really affect me. Every single one of my friends sends nudes and they’re all really open about it. Nudes are probably the greatest thing ever.” Junior Nathan Nick also doesn’t see a problem with people mutually sending. “There’s no problem sending nudes,” Nick said. “I think that being labelled as a
sexual offender is unfitting. When I think of sex offenders, I think of creepy adults going to parks and molesting little children, not people sending nudes. When people are labelled with the crippling title of a sex offender, it damages a lot of their social interactions with others. For example, when people figure out that someone is a sexual offender, they have prejudgement placed on the person from the start.” Nick does however think that harassment can be a problem with people send-
sent nudes,” sophomore Jackie Burkhart* said. “I didn’t feel comfortable sending them. My boyfriend asked for nudes and I thought it was just something I had to do because we were in a relationship. After we broke up, he threatened to release them.” This is what can happen when people are in a relationship and they feel safe sending to each other. The couple breaks up and the ex can blackmail the other person since they still have their pictures.
“Sending nudes is something that is expected among teenagers. But most people don’t understand the consequences of them.” ing nudes. “If someone doesn’t want nudes from you, they should tell you that,” he said. “If they continue to pester you with nude photographs, that’s when it becomes a problem. Nudes are meant to be sent among people who both mutually want them.” I don’t think that a person should get in trouble for sending one nude to a person and then figuring out they don’t want them. “The receiver of the nudes should inform the sender that they aren’t wanting them,” he said. “But if the nudes continue where the receiver doesn’t want them, that’s when it’s wrong and harassment.” Sometimes teenagers are coerced into sending nudes. If they’re asked to send nudes by someone they really like, theyfeel more inclined to send them. “My freshman year was the first year I
“At one point, I was really scared of him releasing them,” Burkhart said. “I was afraid of getting into trouble with the law since I’m underage and it’s a crime for me to send naked pictures. This experience has taught me to never send nudes again.” Burkhart felt like she had to send naked pictures to him since they were in a relationship. “I thought that sending him those types of pictures was a way of pleasing him,” Burkhart said. “Sending nudes is something that is expected among teenagers. If you’re in a relationship with someone, then people tend to assume that you must send them nudes. But most people don’t understand the consequences of them. In the long run, it’s not worth it to send nudes. It can be very dangerous.” *Names changed to protect sources’ identities.
High school relationships suck Maggie-Mae Ellison Staff Writer Relationships in high school are a hot topic for not only high school students but their parents, teachers, and pretty much anyone else they associate with. I haven’t dated a lot in my high school career and maybe that’s why other people’s views on it confuse me. Every aspect of high school relationships is confusing and involves too many terms and conditions. The one thing that confuses me more than anything else about relationships is “talking.” I know that “talking” is basically a new term for dating before making the relationship “official.” What’s confusing is all the rules people have made up for when you’re talking to or are official with someone. I’ve heard multiple people say you shouldn’t talk to more than one person at a time. I thought that you had to get to know someone and be friends before you got into a relationship with them so why limit yourself to getting to know one person only to find out you don’t even like them that much. The expectations for relationships in high school have been set too damn high. Dating shouldn’t be about the material things like what they bought you for your birth-
day or how they asked you to prom it should be about whether or not you’re truly happy with the other person. When you’re happy with someone in your life it shouldn’t matter what you call them, whether you call them your girlfriend/ boyfriend or just friends. If you’re both on the same
page you don’t need to worry about what other people think or say. Although some people may get married to the person they dated in high school it’s highly
unlikely. Statistics show that only between 2 and 14 percent of high school sweethearts actually get married and 54 percent of couples who get married as teenagers get divorced within the first 10 years of marriage. Dating and relationships in high school can help you figure out what qualities are impor-
tant to you not only in a relationship but all of the people you surround yourself with. You don’t have to date to find these things out, though. It’s totally okay to date a lot of people
in high school, and it’s also totally okay not to date anyone either. Once a relationship is over it’s time to reflect on bettering yourself and moving on. Moving on doesn’t necessarily mean finding another person right away but if one person does the other should respect their decision and not write disrespectful things on Twitter or try to break their new relationship up. To be blunt, they are over obviously not going to get back together with you and if you spend your time trying to make their life awful there is no chance they will ever want to get back together with you. Ultimately relationships not only in high school but every relationship is between the two people in the relationship. Other people can offer advice but they shouldn’t decide what you can and can’t do in your relationship. High school relationships aren’t supposed to last forever and you shouldn’t make important life decisions based on your boyfriend/girlfriend. And finally dating and relationships are a part of high school and becoming an adult but its not the only part and certainly not the most important part so don’t get too hung up on finding love in high school. You have your entire life to do so.
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The Horseshoe 1007 Fulton Denton, TX 76201 940-369-2150 Editor-in-Chief: George Roberson Assistant Editor: Jordan Gill Sports Editor: Chandler Elsbecker Online Editor: Ryan Carr Entertainment Editor: Brandon Shields Opinion Editor: Shelby DuPont Staff Writers: Omar Akram, Mohammad Alshara, Leah Bowen, KJ Cox, Mo Diop, Maggie-Mae Ellison, Emily Fu, Rebecca Fu, Brendan Kimberlin, Ben Lyke, Dareious Scott Photographers: Nichole Darbey, Cynthia Pantaleon, Austin Pugh Adviser: Mr. Greg Bogomol Principal: Mr. Dan Ford The student newspaper of Denton High School is published by the publications staff. The ideas expressed in this publication and on the Opinion page are solely those of the individuals providing them, and do not necessarily re lect the opinion of the entire staff, adviser, faculty, administration, or the Denton ISD Board. Find us online at www.dhshorseshoe.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. A version of this issue formatted for the Internet can be accessed at issuu.com/dhshorseshoe.
You own you: the problem with nudes laws Brendan Kimberlin Staff Writer Child pornography laws are made to protect children from being exposed. This being said, why would a minor be charged for child pornography for sending naked pictures of themselves? According to that logic, they’re both the victim and the suspect. The law punishes the person sending their own nudes. The purpose for laws are to prevent people from harming other people. That’s the main reason they exist. If I was to steal a car from a neighbor, it would be appropriate for me to be jailed since I took something away
from them. If I killed a person, I would be jailed because I hurt that person and took away their life. Two teenagers sending each other naked pictures isn’t harming anyone. You may say that it’s harming the senders of them because their pictures will eventually be exposed to unwanted viewers. If that’s true, then the victims shouldn’t be punished. It’s the same as someone being put in jail for knocking down their own mailbox. People are being charged for “victimizing” themselves. This also applies to other things in life. If someone wants to do drugs in the privacy of their own home, then they should be able to do so; if they
want to marry six men and three women, with their consent of course, then heck, they should be able to. This is just another example of how laws control people in an unfair way. The laws tell you what substances you can put in your body, which gender you can marry, and even what type of pictures you can send. These laws are unjust because they restrict people from doing things that aren’t harmful to others. If I wanted to inject heroin into my arm, then I should have the right to. Doing heroin wouldn’t affect anyone except the person doing the drugs. It irks me when I hear people praise America for being the
most free nation. Ever since grade school, I’ve had the idea of America being “the land of the free” drilled into my head. Every morning, students and teachers would recite the pledge which talks about America’s indivisibility, liberty, and justice. It didn’t bother me because I, along with every other first grader, didn’t know what any of those words truly meant. But the truth is, the words don’t really match the reality of America. Sure, compared to oppressive countries like Russia and North Korea, America is a land of wondrous possibilities. Although this may be true, we’re definitely not the most free country in the world. It’s igno-
rant for people to parade around and act like we are when at the same time, we have laws telling people what they can and can’t do with their bodies. For there to be a law, there has to be a victim. If someone steals from you, that means they took something you earned and acted as if they were entitled to it. That’s wrong. That should be against the law. They hurt someone financially and made them into a victim. If you’re murdered, you are a victim. If you’re raped, you are a victim as well. I don’t see any victim with two teenagers sending each other naked pictures. If there is no victim, then there is no crime.
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Ashlyn McEvers lands part in 22 Jump Street Jordan Gill Assistant Editor Graduating high school takes every student in a different direction. Some choose college, some take a year off, and some start with a job. Ashlyn McEvers chose to follow her dream as an actress. McEvers graduated from DHS in 2013 and jumped into the acting industry as soon as she had the chance. “After I graduated, I moved to New Orleans to be closer to my agency,” McEvers said. “I booked a recurring role on the show ‘Star-Crossed,’ which is on the CW, and as I got more jobs, my IMDb star meter went up. My manager then found me on IMDb, and I moved to L.A. two months ago to be with her.” McEvers started her career as an actress doing small commercials and print advertisements. “I started acting when I was 14 years old,” McEvers said. “I started with national commercials and print jobs that I got from my agent. I did advertisements for Febreeze and Top Golf.” Once McEvers began acting, she immediately fell in love. She knew that this is what she wanted to do with her life. “When I left Denton my goal
was to be on film,” McEvers said. “I love to be around it so I just needed to find work. I have no goal to be famous. I just want to be able to do what I love and I believe that with my hard work fame may come.” With her goals in mind McEvers landed a role in the upcoming movie 22 Jump Street. “This is just a small role but I was super excited when I got it,” McEvers said. “I’m still waiting for my big break in the industry. You kind of have to slowly work your way up and take it one step at a time. It’s like dominos. Once you get booked, other people will see you and you will get more roles.” McEvers had an amazing time on set filming her scenes and each time she films it reminds her of why she loves acting so much. “My favorite thing about being on set are the endless amounts of food, I love it,” McEvers said. “Also I love that you’ll never know how the scene will turn out. It’s not acting; it’s changing your emotions for the scene and to play off the other person that you are acting with. I never know what I look like or how I’m portraying my lines until I watch it.” McEvers’ mother, Tiffany, is also an actress and is a huge in-
spiration to her daughter. “My mom acted for 15 years and she made all the young actress’ mistakes,” McEvers said. “Because of this she was always able to guard me from the bad opportunities and help me leap past that stage.” Both of McEvers’ parents are supportive of her pursuits in the acting industry. “My biggest inspiration is from my parents,” McEvers said. “They are big on following my dreams. Most parents push their kids to go to college but for me it was just a different case. They were supportive of me taking the next step and moving to New Orleans after graduation, and supportive all the way through, just like any other parent.” Throughout high school, McEvers was involved in cheer, soccer, and she took an art class. She loved being with her friends but she knew that school just wasn’t for her. She found happiness in other things and she made the decision to not attend college, knowing that it would only be an obstacle between her and her dream of being a working actress. “While going through high school nobody knew I acted,” McEvers said. “People would just assume I was going to be famous, so nobody knew me for who I really was. When I moved people were totally surprised. There is no need to show off, goals are personal and the accomplishments are what people can hear about.” McEvers has learned a lot since leaving the small town of Denton to live in New Orleans only to move to Los Angeles where she is currently residing by herself. “It is important to not be a follower, “McEvers said. “In high school it’s so easy to just fall into the wrong crowd and surround yourself with judgmental people. It’s crucial to take the time to find your passion. I found out that school wasn’t really meant for me and although going to college is so encouraged by everyone, I decided that it wasn’t the best thing for me to do personal-
Throwback Thursday: Ashlyn McEvers (left) at the homecoming carnival two years ago during her junior year. (courtesy photo) ly. I wanted to follow my dream, and college wasn’t going to get me there.” McEvers encourages everyone to follow their dreams. “Everything is possible, even if it’s silly,” McEvers said. “If there’s one thing I learned since I started acting is that if you sit back and think you can’t do it, you‘ll never even get the chance to do it. People that have made it to the top started at the bottom with a dream.” Being an actress has influenced McEvers positively. She learned a lot from working on set, auditioning, meeting new people, and being with her manager. “This line of work is lucky,”
McEvers said. “People spend years looking for a good manager but my manager just came to me. I am very grateful for her and all the hard work that she does for me.” McEvers loves living in Los Angeles and is enjoying her life as a working actress. Although times can get rough, she keeps pushing through, always with her passion to succeed in mind. “The acting industry is full of rejection,” McEvers said. “One of my favorite actresses, Charlize Theron, finally got booked after her 100th audition. She kept her head up high and never gave up because life is just full of rejection.”