Issue 5

EA Eagle Angle Newspaper

Pope Francis replaces pope emeritus Benedict XVI pg 3

Bubble Tea a pleasant surprise pg 13

Archery heads to state again pg 15

MCT

photo by Saher Aqeel

photo by Victoria Erb

Allen High School // Allen, Texas, 75002 // Volume 30, Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

STRANDED

“It sometimes just feels like a dream. Like,

‘Did that really

happen? Did that really happen to me?”

Shannon Watson

Peering out Standing on the top deck, passengers look to and video tape the helicopter that brought them supplies on Feb. 14. photo submitted by Shannon Watson

Principal 1 of 4,200 passengers deserted on cruise story by Grace Lee // managing editor

I

t’s 5:30 a.m. and the speakers go off: “Alpha team, Alpha team, Alpha team,” a sense of urgency filling the crewman’s voice. Passengers roll out of their beds confused and peer across their balconies to see black smoke billowing from the back of the boat.

They don’t know that within hours, the state of the ship will crumble.

“I thought at that point that we were probably going to have to get in a life boat,” House 200

Principal Shannon Watson, who was a passenger on the Carnival Triumph cruise ship, said. “But I was never really scared that we were going to be hurt or anything.”

Sewage and urine now cover the floors where people have placed their twin-sized mattresses to sleep on.

Bread and cucumbers have replaced steak and chocolate cake. There is no way to contact family or friends back home.

“It sometimes just feels like a dream,” Mrs. Watson said. “Like, ‘Did

that really happen? Did that really happen to me?’”

How it began

O

n the morning of Feb. 10, the cruise ship Carnival Triumph lost power after a leakage in a fuel oil return line caused a fire in the engine room. More than 4,200 passengers and crewmembers were stranded on the ship in the Gulf of Mexico for five days with no electricity, broken toilets and limited food.

“The first day [of the power outage] was the hardest day for me because I couldn’t talk to my kids, and I couldn’t tell them that we were OK,” Mrs. Watson said. “I wasn’t scared, but it was just a helpless feeling. Like, ‘Who’s going to pick my kids up from school?’ I mean, I knew somebody would pick them up, but it was just like ‘Does anybody know this has happened?’”

The cruise began on Feb. 7 in Galveston and was supposed to be a four-day Caribbean trip. Mrs. Watson

went on the trip with her husband Andy and four other friends. Because non-balcony rooms had no light to see after the power outage, they all stayed together in the Watsons’ 185-squarefoot balcony room or the comedy club for the five nights.

On the first day of the power outage, sewage began to leak onto the floors. Many toilets stopped working and began to overflow, so passengers were given red biohazard bags to use // continued on pg 4

Serving for state

Culinary, management teams going to ProStart state competitions after placing 5th at regionals story by Zane Dean // staff writer

A

fter both teams placed fifth in regionals, the management and culinary teams, consisting of students working at Blu, have made it to the state level of the ProStart competition.

The teams will compete for a chance to go to the national level on March 20 and 21 in Waco.

ProStart is a two-year nationwide program that brings together Chopped Senior Dakota Hernandez practices cutting meat for the state ProStart classroom work with experience culinary competition. photo by Saher Aqeel in the industry to develop skills

for students going into the restaurant and food service industry.

“They made it this far by hard work, dedication, focus, and if they want to move on, they are going to have to do even more,” Director of Culinary and Hospitality Program Jordan Swim said.

Requirements

I

n the culinary division, the students must prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes

with two butane burners and no access to electricity or running water.

The efforts of the team, consisting of seniors Dakota Hernandez, Christian Harper, Maclean Campbell, and Justin Webb, are judged on taste, skill, teamwork, safety and sanitation.

“It’s a highly practiced routine, you know,” Swim said. “They know exactly what they are going to do for that hour. It’s like every minute is // continued on pg 2

Inside news 2-4 // feature 8-9// center 10-11 // opinions 12-14 // sports 15-19 // photo essay 20

2

Upcoming state competitions prepare culinary, management teams for careers // continued from cover

Cut Ups (top) Each doing their part of the meal preperation process, seniors Justin Webb and Dakota Hernandez practice for the ProStart competition. photo by Saher Aqeel

scripted.”

In the management division, students students create a proposal for a restaurant idea to present to a group of judges. They are then given situations that restaurant managers face on a daily basis, and must use their critical thinking skills to solve the problems.

The team consisting of seniors Anna Farmer, Gio Dizon, Natalie Sizemore and Eddie Soto, is proposing a wine barbeque restaurant.

“I feel like our design and presentation is really creative,” Soto said. “It’s not something you see every day, so it’s not anything out of the ordinary, but it’s also unique.”

Preparation

Getting Ready Senior Christian Harper practices his chopping outside of the Blu restarurant in prepration for the state competition taking place on March 20 and 21. photo by Saher Aqeel

wim said the students that compete have had a lot of training and are the most experienced students. Both of the teams have four members, all of whom have been in

to [win],” Webb said.

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) gave more than $1.4 million in scholarships in 2012.

The top five placing teams from the culinary and management divisions recieve medals and educational scholarships to further their careers in the food service industry.

Soto said he plans on going into the service industry in the near future. Swim said he could see the members of the culinary team making a professional life in the service industry as chefs. To join the culinary team, students had to write letters of intent to go into the industry to get on the team. “[Being in culinary has] just shown me how [to] work in the workforce because I work in the restaurant,” Webb said. “You have to be intent at all times, you have to listen to everyone. You can’t just be in charge of the whole kitchen. You can’t do everything yourself, you got to rely on your teammates.”

District,state no longer helps AP, IB students pay for exams story by Jessica Alaniz // staff writer student.

“For those that are in a tight financial situation, like my family is, it’s really difficult to pay all that all at once,” Kazi said.

Senior Janice Jia is taking five IB classes and one AP class. Jia said she feels that the school could be doing more to lessen the cost of exams.

“I think that since we can afford new monitors in the cafeteria we can sure find some way to have more money so that we can take these tests,” Jia said.

Kazi said some IB students take the AP exams because it’s cheaper than taking the IB exams.

“I know a couple of my friends

March 27

The Science Club brought nine teams and 12 individuals to the Regional Science Fair on Feb. 23. Junior Charles Tian, who placed first in the computer science category, was among seven students from AHS who received an award.

March 28

Juniors and seniors will be able to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test on March 27. The test, which takes about three hours, is used to determine a student’s strengths. The deadline to register is March 25.

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ASVAB Testing

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March 23

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Science Fair

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Feb. 23

The Performing Arts Center will host a show by the One O’clock Jazz Band from UNT at 7 p.m. on March 23. The show will be a tribute to Canadian jazz musician Maynard Ferguson.

There will be an informational meeting for students interested in taking dual credit courses through Collin College next year on March 28. The meeting for the class of 2014 will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the meeting for the class of 2015 will be from 7 to 8 p.m.

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Jazz Band

Dual Credit

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the news angle

that are in IB English this year who have been IB for two years, and they are taking the AP exams because $200 for [an IB] exam does not compare to the $90 that you can take for [an AP] exam,” Kazi said.

Terry said it’s important for students to take advantage of their exams because it will help them in college.

“Not only will they save money, but no matter how they do on the AP exam, they’re going to be better prepared in college,” Terry said. “It’s absolutely essential if they are in an AP or IB class they need to take the exam.”

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The high school is assisting students who participate in free and reduced lunch by paying for a portion of the exam cost and setting up payment plans. “$91 is a lot of money, but in the [end] if kids look at what the cost of [a] college class would be, they can save literally hundreds or sometimes, five, $600, maybe more depending on the school, sometimes thousands of dollars by taking one AP exam and getting college credit they could end up saving a substantial amount of money,” AP world history teacher Annette Terry said.

Senior Iqra Kazi is taking eight IB classes and is a full IB diploma

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Troy Lemons said the high school was not aware that the program from the State had ended until after IB registration and the fee reductions had already been given out. The high school didn’t feel it was fair to give IB students fee reductions and not AP, so both classes received the reduction.

Due to funds, the school could not help students this year.

“Texas is the only state that I am aware of that had an exam fee subsidy that was lost,” Lemons said. “Other states made cuts, and others did not.

For example, the state of Arkansas pays for AP exams for all of their AP students. Different states have different funding priorities.”

gl e

ue to the State of Texas ending their program, which helped students pay for AP/ IB exams, students must now pay $91 for AP exams and $105 for IB, compared to the $59 for AP exams and $70 for IB. Last school year the State of Texas helped each student taking AP and IB tests by paying $30.

This year the program that allowed them to help ended. Now students have to cover the full cost of exams themselves.

Last year Allen ISD helped students by paying for a portion of the exams while students at other schools had to pay the full price.

Advanced Academics Coordinator

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Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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the culinary program for three years.

The culinary team made it to nationals two years ago, and the management team made it to state two years ago.

This is Allen’s third year to have both teams.

“We are lucky to have the team we have because we are really cohesive,” Soto said. “We work really well, and we kind of know each other really well since we’ve been with each other for about three years in the culinary program, so we do really well.”

In preparation for state, the culinary team practices their onehour routine together. Their routine is repeated the same way each time and is down to the minute in timing.

The management team is working to fine tune their presentation that they will present to the judges by making changes to their presentation board to make it look more neat and visually appealing.

“I think we can [win state], we just need to keep practicing a little more and have a really good chance

3

No Mail Saturdays

story by Madeline Martin // staff writer

Due to a loss of nearly $16 billion last year, the postal service announced on Feb. 6 that no more mail will be delivered on Saturdays, with the goal of saving more than $2 billion for the years to come. The reason for this delivery cut is because mail services aren’t utilized as much as they once were due to email and other online services. Post offices are planning to end mail delivery on Saturdays in every U.S. city by August of 2013.

However, packages can still be received on Saturdays.

Student’s thoughts: “I think it’s ridiculous that we don’t have mail on Saturdays because I need to get my mail, and I like to have it on Saturdays when I’m home more often.” -junior Mason South “The mail generally, it doesn’t really matter to me. I never get mail. It’ll affect [my parents] because they get a lot of bills and really important stuff.

They wouldn’t take it out on me, but the dogs would be sad because they like checking the mail.” -sophomore Faith Janes Grade: “Then I won’t be able to receive [college acceptance letters]. I’ll have to wait. It will upset me, but I guess I’ll just have to be patient even though I won’t want to be.” -junior Bernice Calzada “I don’t really know how I feel about that. I never really counted on mail on Saturdays.” -sophomore Tiffany Tang “I have a friend in the services and it will affect the letters that we send to each other.”

- senior LaShira McCully

Students share opinion on first Pope resignation in 600 years A new pope On March 13, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, 76, of Buenos Aries, Argentina, was elected as the church’s 266th pope.

He is the first pope from the Americas, first Hispanic pope and the first to take the name “Francis.”

MCT

MCT

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

Pope Francis was chosen after just 24 hours of voting.

story by Megan Lucas // assistant editor

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fter seven years as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI stepped down from the papacy at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28. The 85-year-old pope announced his resignation on Feb. 11, citing his advanced age as the reason for his decision.

“I think Pope Benedict will be remembered for his theological expertise, for his ability to explain the faith,” the Reverend Tim Church from St. Jude Catholic Church in Allen said. “Sometimes we just forget about people, that someday they’re going to die. I think [his resignation is] kind of sad.”

Benedict, elected in 2005 at age 78, became the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years. The Vatican already said his resignation is due to

old age, not a rumored underlying sickness. Senior Clara Kohlmetz said she understands his decision to step down.

“I think it’s a really hard job to be in charge of a huge religion like Catholicism,” Kohlmetz said. “I feel like his health was deteriorating, and he was thrust into a position where the church was basically in turmoil, and he had to hold it together. I think that he was more doing a battle than fulfilling a position, and I think that if he felt like he couldn’t do it anymore, then he shouldn’t have.”

The last time a pope resigned was 600 years ago in 1415, but Church said the pope’s resignation is not as sensational as it is seems.

“It’s probably not as dramatic as we make it out to be,” Church said.

“I think that the next pope will be dedicated to the same goals and the same ideals, and a lot of people may say or may think that a lot of changes will take place, but changes in the Catholic Church are pretty unusual.”

Located in the Vatican City inside Rome, the pope’s duties include leading the Catholic Church, making policy decisions for the church, appointing bishops (a senior member of the Catholic clergy) and developing a stand on modern issues.

Kohlmetz said since the pope is so far away, it’s hard to see his impact on her church.

“This is going to sound bad, but basically [his resignation means] a different name being said on every Sunday,” Kohlmetz said. “There’s nothing direct about [his decisions]

because he’s so far away, and the church is such a big organization.”

According to the Pew Research Center, the distribution of Catholics worldwide has spread from Europe to Asia and Africa. South America has the greatest population of Catholics with 11.7 percent of the worldwide population.

Since the dawn of the Catholic papacy in 32 AD with the appointment of St. Peter, all 265 popes have been European. Senior James Havran said he expects there to be popes from places other than Europe as the church expands.

“The world’s not just Europe and Asia now. It’s the whole world,” Havran said. “So I think we’re going to start seeing a new, maybe younger generation of popes or maybe

American popes, African popes, Asian popes, when there’s really never been one before. There’s just been European popes.”

Havran also said that he thinks young Catholics should care about the papacy because it affects their future as Catholics. “[The pope] is the head of the Catholic Church, and I feel that Catholicism as a whole is really misunderstood,” Havran said. “And it’s up to the young people to understand their religion and preach it. […]

I think that a new pope, maybe a different kind of pope, not European, not as old, will help [Catholics] draw attention back towards [the] church when their attention hasn’t been toward it.”

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

graphic by Madyson Russell // layout editor

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Principal endures Carnival cruise power outage // continued from cover in replacement of toilets.

“When they first told us that they wanted [us] to go in bags and use the showers, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” Mr. Watson said. “That’s when I knew, ‘Yeah, this is getting real if they’re telling us to use the shower.

Wow, that’s not good.’”

The experience

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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he passengers ate sandwiches and cereal with chocolate milk for the first two nights, but after other Carnival ships sent over supplies and generators, they ate hamburgers and hotdogs as well. Mrs. Watson said that one of her friends picked out a sandwich with two pieces of white bread and a slice of onion in the middle as a meal. Mr. Watson also said that there were passengers who hoarded the hamburgers.

“You’re always told that you never want to pray for patience because you’ll get it but not the way you want it,” Mr. Watson said. “We definitely got first-hand experience on having to be patient by waiting in line two or three hours for food and waiting in line to use the bathroom and waiting in line to do this and that.

So it made me a lot more patient and a lot more grateful for what we have.”

Because the boat had drifted 90 miles toward the United States on the first night of the power outage, the ship’s original course to head back to Progreso, Mexico, was changed to

arrive in Mobile, Alabama. The ship landed in Mobile on Thursday, Feb. 14, three days later than the expected date of arrival. After the ship docked, the Watsons and their friends stood in line for four and a half hours to get off the boat. They arrived in Houston after a nine-hour bus ride.

“When we got off, I turned around, and I took a picture of the boat,” Mrs. Watson said. “I looked at my friends and said ‘I’ve never been so happy to see the outside of a boat.’”

Reactions

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unior Huy Do, who went on a cruise on the Carnival Triumph from Dec. 31 to Jan. 5, heard about this incident when one of his friends from his trip posted an article about it on Facebook. He said that even after hearing about this occasion, he would still go on a cruise.

“I was never afraid of something going wrong with the ship because it’s a really big boat,” Do said. “I didn’t think anything could possibly go wrong. The boat was kind of rocky, but it was pretty stable considering it was pretty big.”

Passengers who did not have balcony rooms brought their mattresses out into the hallways, deck or any space available to sleep. Mrs. Watson said that some people on the boat did not get out of their beds for five days.

In order to brighten up the kids’ moods on the boat, one of the Watson’s friends gave children Lay’s chips that she brought from home. On Tuesday, Mr. Watson and two of the men also started singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and everybody on the ship sang along before the Mardi Gras parade that was being held.

“I’m proud of the people that I went with because we were not the group that just gave up,” Mrs. Watson said. “None of us fought the whole time. We tried to lift other people’s spirits. We talked to everyone. We were a very social group. I was really proud of how we handled the situation.”

All passengers on the ship received compensation for their trip, including a full refund, credit in the amount paid for this voyage for a future cruise and $500 per person.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Watson said that they would still go on cruises after this incident.

“It’s definitely a story to tell,” Mrs. Watson said. “Just being able to look back and say ‘I knew we were safe the whole time,’ I hope that it inspires people to think that even in a really rough situation, you can find the good out of it. That’s definitely what we did and so knowing that, I can look at whatever things come our way and know that we can get some good out of whatever comes our way.”

Turn of events The day before the engine room fire, the Watsons and their friends take a group picture in Cozumel, Mexico. photo submitted by Shannon Watson

Tent city White bed sheets cover the floors and chairs on the top deck of the Carnival Triumph. Passengers sleep outside due to the leakage and lack of light in non-balcony rooms. “It was just such a surreal situation. That’s the only way to put it. Like is this really happening?” Shannon Watson said.

photo submitted by Shannon Watson

Makeshift Inside the muster station of the Carnival Triumph, mattresses and sheets lie on the ground where passengers stayed for the five days they were stranded. photo submitted

by Shannon Watson

HOSA hosts annual non-profit fundraiser March 18-23 story by Jarret Rogers //

staff writer

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very year HOSA organizations across America set aside a week to fundraise for and sponsor an organization that is dedicated to helping individuals affected by disease. This year HOSA will be sponsoring the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation the week of March 18-23.

“The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is our national project for HOSA, so all the chapters have the opportunity to fundraise [and] find a cure for cystic fibrosis,” HOSA sponsor Kim Lane said.

Cystic fibrosis is a disease passed down through families that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body. Patients with cystic fibrosis, which also affects the pancreas, intestine and liver, have an average life expectancy of 37 years.

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, but treatment has gotten better over the years “This is a way we can educate but also raise money for cystic fibrosis,” Lane said. “They are coming up with new medications, but these people have a difficult life.”

To raise money the HOSA students will be selling shirts, wristbands and a CD featuring students and faculty. There will also be a walk at the track stadium on March 23 where participants will be able to make direct donations.

“We are also going to end the week on [March] 23 with a walk, and we are going to give people boxes to fill with change or bills, and then we are going to have a walk at the AHS track with food vendors there to supply food for our walkers and all of

that,” Lane said.

The CD is an idea that is unique to Allen and was something that came together through multiple people in a meeting.

“We’ve been meeting with a representative from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the mom who is speaking to us because she is very involved in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” HOSA adviser Stephanie Cook said. “[The idea for a CD] came up in a meeting and everyone said yeah that sounds great, let’s do that.”

The week will host speakers including Christy Beasley, whose son has cystic fibrosis, to talk about life with the disease. There will also be posters and fliers with information about cystic fibrosis and what HOSA is doing in order to educate the student body.

“Our whole goal is to educate our student body as well as the HOSA members about cystic fibrosis and also to do fundraising for cystic fibrosis,” Lane said.

Both Lane and Cook said they believe that the fundraiser is stirring up a sense of excitement. The privilege of serving others, they say, makes most HOSA students driven to serve.

“I think for the most part they are excited to do something like this,” Cook said. “Because they know, they see somebody, they know they have a cause, they are helping, I think some of them are so motivated to do service stuff like this.”

Over the past four years the campaign has been very successful.

For the past two years HOSA organizations across the nation have

supported juvenile diabetes. This will be the first year cystic fibrosis is fundraised for.

“We have gotten recognized nationally for how much we have raised, especially for juvenile diabetes last year,” HOSA president Angela Freeman said. “So we hope for [the same] for cystic fibrosis.”

HOSA has hopes of a great week full of fundraising and educating students about cystic fibrosis so that others will become interested in finding a cure.

“I want to see us having a lot of kids coming together,” Land sad learning about CF, being more aware of it, raising money, having a passion, that they are contributing to something that they want to, a great cause that they want to cure.”

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Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

8 Eagle Run funds scholarships, grants for students, teachers story by Victoria Erb // assistant editor

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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s House 200 counselor Dustin Tamplen submitted his application for a grant to fund his field trip project Destination: Wings in March 2007, he didn’t know what to expect. He knew there were many staff members in the district who were deserving of the opportunity, but he still wanted the Foundation For Allen Schools to fund his program using the money raised at the Eagle Run. In May of the same year, Tamplen discovered whether the program had been approved or not. It was good news.

“There wasn’t a field trip that had been funded [by the foundation],” Tamplen said. “We were the first field trip that got a grant. At first I was a little leery [to submit an application], but we went ahead and did it just to see what happened, and we actually have received the grant five years in a row.”

The purpose of Destination: Wings is to provide students in grades 9 through 12 an opportunity to see different post-secondary options in the area. This is just one project that has been funded by the proceeds from the Eagle Run. The run, held March 2 this year, also supports scholarships for that year’s graduating class.

“I think it’s an excellent opportunity [to provide these grants],” Tamplen said. “What the

foundation has done for the school district is incredible. I mean the number of scholarships they’re able to provide to the students and then all the grants they are able to give the teachers to help support those students, I don’t know that you find that in other districts.”

The Eagle Run was held for the fifth time this year. There were almost 3,000 participants this year, up from were 2,120 last year. Foundation For Allen Schools director and grant coordinator Regina Taylor said that although they did not anticipate this large growth, she is proud of the program.

“Allen is unique in that, even though we’ve grown a tremendous amount, we still have a lot of small town and community, sense of community,” Taylor said. “The community, the school district, the city, we work very well together. So I’m proud, very proud, that the Eagle Run is becoming a signature event for the community. It’s a fun thing for us to do.”

Junior Corinne Monick participated in the Eagle Run for the first time this year and ended with a time of 38:08. In order to train for the race, she took a 30 or 45-minute run around her neighborhood every day. Monick said she enjoys running because it is exhilarating.

Going strong Senior David Tolstyka, number 3701, finished 30th in the Eagle Run on March 2. photo by Taylor Brill

“[Running] gets that feeling inside you where you have an accomplishment to make it towards the end,” Monick said. “Personally, whenever I do a run, I never really think about winning. I think about the endurance that I [have], and the fact that hey, I finished. I did good. If I finished, I did good.”

According to Taylor, the purpose

Run On With over 3000 participants this year, the Foundation For Allen Schools hosts the fifth annual Eagle Run on on March 2. photo by Taylor Brill

of the run is to not only provide scholarships and grants but to promote healthy lifestyles among children and give families an opportunity to do something together.

“This year it’s especially exciting for our families and for a lot of the elementary kids because they get to finish the race by running into Allen Eagle stadium, and they’re actually

going to run from one end of the field to the other,” Taylor said.

Monick said she was excited to participate in the run because of the opportunity to run into the stadium and support teachers and students.

“I feel really good about [doing the run],” Monick said. “I would gladly do it every year just to help with this foundation.”

Teachers decorate classrooms to stimulate learning story by Kendall Hays // staff writer

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Window to wall Featuring several historical events against brightly colored paper, Patrick Kealy’s room decorations highlight important newspaper headlines about the history of the United States. photo by Harrison

Geosits

Red, white and blue The various colors, pictures and hanging decorations in Rebecca Richardson’s room serve as a point of interest to all the visitors in her classroom. photo by Harrison Geosits

t’s the first day of school, and when sophomore Meredith Marlowe walks into her class, her eyes are immediately drawn to the posters around the room. She sits down and attempts to concentrate but finds herself zoning out and redirecting her attention on the many crazy decorations covering the walls instead of the lesson. She knows it’s going to be a long year.

“Sometimes you’re not really looking for a distraction, but then something catches your eye, and you have to look at it and examine it,” Marlowe said.

A study from the Eastern Communication Association found that students reported instructors to be more friendly, animated and trustworthy if they had aesthetically pleasing offices, and students were not as comfortable in blank or cluttered looking rooms.

“The best atmosphere is probably where there’s a happy medium,” sophomore Darcy Baldwin said. “If it’s totally blank on the walls, then I feel like I’m trapped in a prison cell.”

AP U.S. History teacher Rebecca Richardson’s classroom is covered in red, white and blue with various pictures creating a timeline for U.S. history. After conducting a survey about her classroom décor, she said that some of her students told her that they find empty classrooms to be distracting. In this anonymous survey, Richardson found that 100 percent of her students find her classroom not distracting.

Junior Alex Becerra said that he enjoys decoration in classrooms and feels like he’s in solitary confinement when the walls are just blank. “[The decorations] give me a break from whatever I’m doing, and

I can just look around the room,” Becerra said. “Sometimes when I get deterred, I can just look around the room, and I come back refreshed.”

Pre-AP and regular English II teacher Brittany Castillo said she believes that teachers spending a lot of time on their decorations shows that they love what they do.

“I think that when teachers put enthusiasm into their decorations when it revolves around the subject [of the class], as soon as the student knows that the teacher loves what they teach, that they’re willing to put that much effort into their room, then they’re going to put that effort into helping them succeed,” Castillo said.

Instead of overhead fluorescent lights, Castillo uses lamps in order to create a better learning environment for the students.

“My goal was to make it like it’s their classroom and an environment that they would want to be in,” Castillo said. “I don’t want it to be a cold, sterile environment.”

Castillo said that her students seem to enjoy the lamps, and they even wonder if something is wrong when the overhead fluorescent lights are on.

“I think that as soon as [the students] walk in here, they can relate to the atmosphere, and it helps them relate to me,” Castillo said.

Richardson said that making her students feel more comfortable is her main priority, and she is happy that her students enjoy her classroom.

“I think [decorations] are more fun,” Richardson said. “I do think it could increase the effectiveness of the learning environment and that could lead to better levels of success in the class.”

Level up

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Junior receives national technology award story by Laura Hallas // staff writer

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promise in the field. Students fill out an online application along with an essay and teacher recommendation. The total process lasts September to May. Hilbig applied for the honor after a recommendation from her computer science teacher Bryan Baker, who received recognition as an educator. He has been interested in programming since a young age and has taught at Allen for almost 18 years.

Baker said that wishes he the oppurtunity to work with the current tools and technology that Hilbig uses when he was a high school junior.

“The tools and what Allison is doing right now [in class] I would have killed for as a junior,” Baker said. “I started really doing this kind of work as a junior [in high school].

They will be phenomonal stuff, it is just going to get better and more interesting. Everyone is just going to be using this technology in some shape or form, and everyone in this class right now is going to have a leg up on a lot of other people.”

Like Hilbig, sophomore Joanna Hill is in Baker’s class and thinks that Hilbig is deserving of the award.

“She is very hard working, and very

sweet,” Hill said. “She helps me when I need help and is very smart.”

Each regional winner received a trophy at a ceremony in Richardson on Feb. 15 and in some cases, prize money or scholarship offers. Hilbig received the offer of a full ride scholarship to the University of Texas High Score Allison Hilbig works on her video game after school in her computer science class. at Dallas should she choose to attend. Baker photo by Saher Aqeel said the award is good for a resume and will Technogically be helpful for networking. advanced “[Tech companies] are going to be Allison stands looking for these ladies when they get out with Bryan and they are going out into the real world Baker, holding and working, and those are going to be their her National first candidates for choice for jobs if they Center for can get them,” Baker said. “I anticipate that Women and [Hilbig] will be fought over when she gets Technology out of school, and that’s really nice. Instead award. Baker of looking for jobs, jobs are coming to you.” also received recognition as According to the NCWIT, women make an educator. up about 25 percent of the IT workforce and photo submitted sometimes face discrimination. However,

by Allison Hilbig Hilbig said she still plans to continue into the field as a programmer.

“I think that [the award] is encouraging to me and the other girls who want to continue and succeed in the field,” Hilbig said.

Gold girls Girl Scouts work to earn prestigious Gold Award story by Callie Anderson // staff writer n April, 100 to 120 girls will receive the Gold Award in the North East council. The Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award known to Girl Scouts and is offered to girls beginning at age 15, Seniors and Ambassadors, teenage Girl Scouts, can start working on preparing their project.

“The purpose of the Gold Award is to do a project that leaves a lasting impact on the community, and it has to be continuously running,” Tiffany Fowler, Retail/Administrative Assistant at the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas store in the Villages of Allen said.

To qualify for the Gold Award , a girl create and carry out a project that involves solving or informing others about a community problem. The seven step project requires a girl to choose an issue, investigate it, receive help, create a plan, present the plan, receive feedback and take action.

The employees at the Girl Scout store, including Fowler help the Allen Girl Scouts in improving their projects before the council looks at them. Junior Shelley Gullord is doing her project on Juvenile Diabetes Awareness.

“Well I got inspiration from this because my next door neighbor is 6 years old, and he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 3,” Gullord said. “I’ve not grown up with

I

it, but I’ve seen him grow up with it, and I’ve babysat him all the time, so I know a lot of it just because I’ve been exposed to him.”

Since she was in kindergarten, Gullord has been a Girl Scout.

Although her troop disbanded because the members of her group quit, she is still working to receive her Gold Award next year as a senior.

Senior Jessie Lanier chose a project where she is making videos to teach American Sign Language and raise awareness for deaf culture.

Lanier has been working on her project for about two months and she says she hopes to finish by April so she can receive the award.

“There is a whole separate culture within the United States that’s not U.S. culture, it’s different,” Lanier said.

She said she plans on sending them out to elementary school teachers when she is done to help them teach their students. She is also taking ASL classes to learn more about the culture or the form of communication.

“It is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride to know that you put your hard work, your blood, sweat into it to get the payoff and know that you did a good job, you made it happen,” Fowler said. “That is the greatest feeling you can feel is to achieve that.”

gourmet burgers hand-dipped shakes diner specialties 20% discount when you present your school ID! The Village of Fairview 148 Fountain Court Northeast Corner of Stacy Rd. and 75 972-549-4133 www.purplecowtexas.com Valid for students, parents, staff and faculty. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Dine in or carry out.

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

hen she applied for computer science, junior Allison Hilbig was just trying to fulfill her graduation credits. She had no plans to win regional competitions or receive a nationally acclaimed award and trophy, but with a win of the National Center for Women and Information Technology award, she did just that. “[Going to receive the trophy] was a little nerve-wracking,” Hilbig said. “But it was cool to be recognized.”

Hundreds of women have received the award for aspirations in computing since it was first bestowed by the NCWIT in 2007.

The non-profit organization works to increase the participation of women in information technology and computing. Hilbig said that she began to enjoy the work done in her computer science class and realized it was the career path she wanted to follow.

“It’s kind of like math and logic,” Hilbig said. “It makes a lot of sense for me because that is what I enjoy. Just to be able to have a problem and go through the steps and solve it, it’s fun.”

The award is available to any female grades in nine through 12 who has shown

A little enchantm

Junior creates successful busine

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hildren g a t h e r around the living room as they munch on birthday cake, but one little girl follows the princess with the long, flowing blonde locks and admirably says, “I love you,” thinking she is Rapunzel.

But in reality, the princess is not a real princess at all. It is junior Allison Ponthier in disguise.

“I truly have the best job in the world,” Ponthier said.

Ponthier started A Little Enchantment Entertainment, a self-made princess party business, in November 2012. The parties include singing, dancing and stories that are all performed by Ponthier, who dresses up as Disney characters.

“The reason I started [my business] was because I love kids,” Ponthier said. “I have a friend in Minnesota who has a business

story by Maggie Rians // staff writer

like mine, too. So I thought it was a really cool idea to start something like that.”

The princesses Ponthier dresses up as include Snow White, Belle, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Tinkerbell, Cinderella and Merida from Disney Pixar’s “Brave.”

“I think [Ponthier’s business] is successful because she has such a wide variety of princesses to choose from,” senior Cullin Burchfield, a friend and customer of Ponthier’s, said. “And there is also the fact that so many people know her and know how she is. Her personality is very outgoing.”

Preparing her business took six months and included writing character scripts and coming up with a series of games for each individual princess. She also had to purchase and make costumes and memorize songs.

“I wasn’t expecting [the preparation] to take that long, but it took a very long time,” Ponthier said.

“Basically, everything that had to be

done had to be done by me before I bought the costumes and started the parties.”

Senior Bishop Wash, Ponthier’s boyfriend, said he has supported her through the whole preparation and process of A Little Enchantment Entertainment. He has yet to assist her with a party, but he will once help is needed. Wash said that when he attends a party with Ponthier, he will dress up as Prince Charming and Flynn Rider from Disney’s “Tangled.”

“I thought the idea of the business was perfect for her because it is everything she does, everything she is,” Wash said. “I am proud of her.

I am very proud of her. And to do this for the little girls and to make their day memorable is a very sweet thing.”

Above everything else with her business, Ponthier said that the hardest part is scheduling.

She said that her parties usually happen on Saturdays,

meaning that she cannot accept every party request because of time. The parties usually last from a 30-minute to a three-hour visit.

“I haven’t been incorporated quite yet, but I am part of the business and basically, if the party is too big for her, then I will come in as a helper, the prince,” Wash said. “I will help her take care of things and round up children and what not and maybe sing something.”

For her first appointment in midNovember 2012, Ponthier dressed up as Rapunzel for Burchfield’s little sister, Addison.

“I first felt terrified [at Addison’s party],” Ponthier said. “It was really scary, but it went really well. I didn’t know how well I did, but at the end all of the parents were coming up to me and I got a text from Cullin and he said that all of the little girls were talking about

ment

ess with princess costumes [the party].”

After experiencing his sister’s princess party, Burchfield said that he was impressed and that his sister often wears the crown that Ponthier gave her.

“I knew she would do a good job, but she really kept them entertained the whole time,” Burchfield said.

“She just went with the flow and did everything well.”

Initially, A Little Enchantment Entertainment solely advertised online through a website and Facebook page. Most recently an advertisement was placed in the school’s musical “The Wizard of Oz” playbill.

Ponthier said that business started to boom in January. She sometimes gets up to four party requests per week.

“We might have had something like this in our area, but

photos by Saher Aqeel artwork by Garrett Holcombe

nothing quite as strong,” Wash said.

“She becomes each princess very, very well and it travels by word of mouth, the quality of her work. I think that is one of reasons it has been successful.”

Ponthier said that the kids’ reactions vary, but the parents, especially the mothers, usually love the princess parties.

“Some kids are in absolute shock, they won’t even come up to me,” Ponthier said. “Some kids run up and hug me, and they can’t believe [that I am the princess] and some kids treat me like I am their best friend.

Like they will come up to me and talk to me and they’ll just be super cool with me.”

The reactions of Ponthier’s peers have been mostly positive.

She said that she is now willing to talk to almost anyone about A Little Enchantment Entertainment. “[The business] was a project I have been working on for a very long time,” Ponthier said. “At first, I

was like, ‘I’m not going to tell anyone about it,’ because it is kind of dorky. I am really, really proud of it and now I love telling people about it and they like it. Everyone thinks it is a cool job.”

In the future, Ponthier said that becoming a princess in Disney World would be an ideal side job for her.

Ponthier’s voice teacher and she are preparing for Disney auditions.

“I really wanna prepare for that because in the summer, it is a really good job to have,” Ponthier said.

“And I really do love kids so on top of that, I think it is great for that.”

Overall, Ponthier said that her job has taught her valuable lessons she can take and use in life.

“A Little Enchantment Entertainment has made me more confident, especially with children,” Ponthier said. “I have learned a lot. [It’s taught me] about finances and running a business. It’s a huge reason of why I do what I do.”

Because of the lessons it teaches, Ponthier said that Disney will remain a lasting passion throughout her life. “[Disney princesses] teach really great values,” Ponthier said “When I was younger, I would like to watch the [princess] movies and the main reason is because they are so demure and graceful. But on top of that, they are all a little silly and have their own flaws. And they are just like a true human being.”

Don’t test me

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story by Harrison Geosits //

staff writer

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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irst, let me state the obvious: people are annoying. To be more specific: the people in your testing room are annoying. Whether they pop their gum or kick your chair, we all have at least one (or if you’re like me, 20 to 30) infuriating people in our testing rooms. And unfortunately, that not-so-joyful time of the year is right around the corner, seeing as April 1 marks the first STAAR test for sophomores, and juniors just finished TAKS testing.

For one week a year, students are tormented, ticked off and terrified by the students in their testing rooms.

All I ask is that I can take my STAAR or TAKS exams without having to put up with bothersome people. And for some reason, it seems that every year the people I like in my testing room are slowly disappearing and being replaced with loud-breathing degenerates.

Testing brings out the worst in people. It brings out sweatpants and Looney Toons pajama bottoms and ultra-fluffy sweatshirts. It also tends

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to turn respectable teenagers into exhausted, nearly brain dead zombies, their only thoughts consumed with sleep and food.

Most of all, testing shatters the seemingly flawless image we have of our classmates. Students slowly start to realize that the girl they see in F-Hall every day breathes like a 90-year-old man. And the kid they say “hey” to in the cafeteria clicks his pen way too much. These frustrating habits they never noticed before are suddenly so aggravating; a student will do anything to go back to being happily unaware of the things that bother them. Mix these irritating habits with high stress levels from increasingly difficult tests and teenagers can get a little short tempered.

At first, they are only a minor distraction. And then they start sneezing. And after the fifth “bless you,” you quit saying anything because it’s no longer funny, and they really need to get that under control.

The point is to avoid letting all these suddenly annoying people distract you from the task at hand. Focus on taking a test and making a good score.

One thing is for sure, if you see me rocking the sweatpants and fluffy sweatshirt look during testing week, run the other way. I can get testy.

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aking fun of a teacher is hilarious right? Trying to get back at her for failing you?

Well you’re wrong. While teachers can sometimes be unfair, they don’t deserve the lack of respect they receive from students. The teachers work hard to organize the classrooms and to create a good learning environment for the students, and they just take advantage of that by disrespecting the teacher.

Teachers and other adults are

only trying to is help the kids with their education.

Cases when a teacher has taken up a phone are said to be “unfair” and cause a lot of students to lash out at the teachers. They say how cruel and unreasonable the teacher is being and instead of just waiting an hour to get their phone back, the student would rather go to the office. The kids in this generation feel as if they can’t live a day without their technology and it’s sad that teenagers revolve their life around technology. Students become angry so easily when it comes to their phones and take their anger out on the teachers for taking the phone up when the teacher has done nothing wrong. They just want every student to be focused and know what is going on in the lesson.

story by Lucy Boys // staff writer

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Adults deserve more respect story by Rebecca Cernadas //

Pursuit of knowledge

And then there is dress code.

Students get way too worked up whenever a teacher or adult tells a student to change because what they are wearing is not suitable for school. The adults in school are only here to help, and if they think what the student is wearing is too inappropriate, they should accept what they say and change without being angry with the adults. Students need to learn that when an adult addresses their outfit, they are not being cruel but just trying to help us mature.

Being rowdy in class is another issue where students are disrespectful.

When a teacher tells a class to quiet down or to lower their voices, there is most likely a good reason why they are telling the students to be quiet.

Students need to be aware of their noise level in a classroom because the classes next door could be testing or doing something important. When a teacher tells the student to lower their voice, it is only because the student is being too loud for a classroom and needs to learn to lower their voice.

Teachers, other staff members and adults in general should be treated with more respect. Sometimes they can be unfair in certain situations, but it’s rare. Students tend to over exaggerate a lot of situations when an adult is involved or when something about that person, such as their clothes, phone, etc., is involved, and the kids should just learn to control what they say or do and have more respect for the adult. In the end it can save a lot of trouble.

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ait, Egypt is in Africa?”

When I heard my classmate say this, I speedily replied, “yes, it’s by the Suez Canal which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.”

“That’s Lucy for you,” he said to another student. “She’s a brain.”

That’s right. I’ve been called everything from “brain” to “encyclopedia” because of my grasp of wide-ranging subjects. And I’m proud of it.

Nowadays, knowledge has become connected to our hatred for school, because students are forced to sit and learn with very little say in the matter. As a result, true learning is frowned upon by our generation.

Google and calculators are rapidly creating the viewpoint that we do not need to learn certain subjects, such as history or mathematics. People ask, why remember when you can learn it again in a Google search of .34 seconds?

One of the reasons to not frown up intelligence is that knowledge brings respect. People secretly look up to those who can help them with homework. It also shows that you are not trying for minimum, but instead shooting beyond your limits. The sight of an achiever motivates others because of their respect for you.

As unlikely as it sounds, someday we may be somewhere with no Internet signal, relying on what we learned in school. This situation could occur when presenting a project to a company or giving a public speech. In those cases, one must rely on what’s in their head and the more, the better.

So embrace learning history and government systems, trigonometry and proofs or how to write persuasively. It’s how you better yourself and improve the world for others, present and future. It’s the pursuit of knowledge.

the eagle angle Editor-In-Chief Lydia Gardner Managing Editor Grace Lee Assistant Editors Megan Lucas Victoria Erb Business Manager Breanne McCallop Online Editor Kailey Warren Allen High School

Assistant Online Editor Rebecca Barney Operations Manager McKenzi Morris Photo Editor Saher Aqeel Layout Editor Madyson Russell Sports Editor Akshay Mirchandani

Staff Writers Alexis Mane Ashley Acosta Callie Anderson Carter Adams Collin Thompson Damian Sroka Danny Ortiz Harrison Geosits Jarret Rogers Jessica Alaniz

300 Rivercrest Blvd. Allen, Texas 75002

Katelyn Moody Kendall Hays Klayton Carpenter Laura Hallas Laura Pitts Lucy Boys Maggie Rians Madeline Martin Nini Truong Rebecca Cernadas Rebecca Moss Zane Dean 972-727-0400

Policy: 1000 copies of each issue are distributed on campus to faculty and students. Content may be viewed online at theeagleangle.com. Letters to the editor should be submitted to eagleanglestaff@yahoo.com. Any errors found within the publication will be rescinded in the following issue. Businesses who wish to advertise should contact Callie Wiesner, newspaper adviser, at 972-7270400 x 1609. The Eagle Angle reserves the right to deny publication of advertisements. Advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by the staff or administration. All editorials reflect the views of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the staff, adviser or administration. The Eagle Angle is a member of Quill and Scroll, the Interscholastic League Press Conference and JEA/NSPA.

eagleanglestaff@yahoo.com

13

“Bloom”

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Nosleeprecords.tumblr.com

oon to be out on their upcoming album “Magnolia” on April 16, “Bloom” by pop punk band Turnover is one of the best singles from the group.

The song starts with a light strum of the guitar and the lead

vocalist Austin Getz laments about better times and better days; “Bloom” really showcases the hidden and more underground talent that is Turnover, considering they have been a band for less than three years and spent most of those three years touring in a

small, white van and being in school.

The song is moody and melancholy, yet very energetic with the pleasant blend of a guitar and bass.

“Bloom” is a fantastic sneak peek into the future of an up-and-coming band.

There is more to come with Turnover.

is perfect for those who want summer to come faster. The cheesy lyrics “As long as we live/We should live it up,” act as an anthem for teenagers by telling us to simply live our lives.

The album continues with the similar vibes of youthful innocence and teen angst with the weak but still

amazing “Many Enemies” by Braid and the powerful “Say” by Balance and Composure, with its blend of pop and punk.Truly, the album is one of Braid’s finest in years and demands attention for Balance and Composure who are on the rise. The diamond of the album is “You Can’t Fix Me,” a slower-paced

song by Balance and Composure. In one listen, you can hear the strains in lead vocalist Jon Simmons’ voice as he belts the words to a song of regrets and sorrows. All in all, Braid and Balance and Composure’s split was beautifully done, and I can only hope to own a copy on vinyl.

R’s descriptions of being a zombie and shuffling around the airport with his “best friend” whom he couldn’t even talk to often caused chuckles throughout the movie theater. When R falls in love with a human named Julie, played by Teresa Palmer, he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings, and his insecurity is often obvious in his narration and makes it easy to relate to his character.

I was pleased with R’s narration in “Warm Bodies” and how he would always have to tell himself not to be creepy, which makes him seem like a normal teenage boy. However, I wanted to know more background such as how the apocalypse happened.

Instead, there was little information

about how any of it occurred, and R himself seemed to not remember anything from his previous life.

The relationship between the main characters, R and Julie, didn’t seem genuine or believable. For Julie to fall in love with a zombie after a couple of days when she had hated them her whole life just didn’t seem realistic. R and Julie’s relationship wasn’t the only relationship that wasn’t well developed. Almost none of the history between Julie and her father were explained, and their relationship didn’t seem to have any depth.

At times the pace of the love story was unrealistic. R has a personality that is more human-like

than the other zombies, but I left without knowing why he ended up being so different from the rest of the zombie population. Often, things would happen with little explanation, and I left the movie feeling confused about certain developments.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with “Warm Bodies,” and I’m surprised that it keeps getting good reviews. Despite this, the comedy in the movie made up for some of the lack of character and relationship development. It wasn’t a complete waste of $9, but for a story with so much promise, it could have been a lot better.

and Hwy 121. As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed with bright circles on the walls. The different mixture of blues, yellows and reds on the leather seats gives the feel of a bubbly and upbeat atmosphere.

After looking at the menu, filled with different blended coffees, espressos and hot tea, I ordered the mango cold tea with mango tapioca balls. It was fantastic. It tasted sweet, but not too sweet that I couldn’t

drink it. The tea and tapioca pearls tasted just like mango and were refreshing, everything you would want in tea, but 10 times better. In addition, I was in and out in a flash.

There was barely a line and the wait wasn’t long either.

Yes, bubble tea sounds weird at first, but Delish Bubble Tea is definitely a great place for everyone who loves a clean, tidy and fun place to get amazing bubble tea.

“The Split”

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itunes

ogether, ‘90s emo band Braid and alternative rock band Balance and Composure released a split extended play on Feb. 26. A split album is an album that two or more artists collaborate on.

The album opens with “Lux” by Braid, a song with fantastic vocals that

“Warm Bodies” “

arm Bodies,” directed

by Jonathan Levine, follows a zombie-human relationship in a post-apocalyptic world. This seemed like a refreshing spin on the classic human and supernatural person relationship, and after hearing rave reviews from my friends I was convinced it would be great.

After watching the movie, it took me awhile to figure out how I felt about it. At times, it was hilarious and had a cute story and idea, but in the end it didn’t live up to my expectations.

R, played by Nicholas Hoult, is the teenage zombie protagonist, and has many comedic moments, which made him entertaining and enjoyable.

Delish Bubble Tea

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hen I went to Delish Bubble Tea, I was expecting a simple tea that didn’t have anything special to it, but instead I was happily surprised.

Bubble tea is a cold, frothy drink made with iced tea, sweetened milk and usually includes tapioca balls or “pearls” that add different flavors of your choice.

Delish Bubble Tea, established in 2010, is in McKinney off of Custer

photo by Saher Aqeel

ASAP

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photo by Saher Aqeel

efore I went to ASAP, I had never heard of a to-go restaurant serving pizza, po’boys, wings and even Chinese food. The variety drew me in. Excited, I hunted the place down, something not easy to do since it’s not on Google maps, and drove with my family, ready to eat.

Arriving at the restaurant, I was pleased by the decorations and menu. The waiting area was warm and inviting, and the menu sported actual pictures of the food whereas most restaurants show edited pictures. After ordering one cheese pizza, one pepperoni pizza, dumplings, a burger, regular fries and Cajun fries, I sat in the lobby

chairs to wait… and wait… and wait. I understand that food takes time to make, but most people don’t like long waits when the food is togo. When the food finally came, it all looked mouthwatering, and we took it home to dig in.

Settling down with a foodstacked plate, I took my first bite of the cheese pizza. The cheesy slice hit the spot and kept me wanting more. After finishing, I had a bite of the pepperoni pizza that was not tasty like the cheese. The parmesan topping was too salty and the pepperoni was very greasy.

Moving on I ate some fries, and they tasted great, though there was no difference between the regular

and the Cajun fries. The fries had a nice taste to them and had just the right amount of salt. After finishing the fries, I tasted a dumpling and was not pleased because the meat tasted really off. The dumpling met my expectations just as much as my burger did, which is not at all. The burger’s meat just didn’t taste real.

Overall, I was disappointed.

With such a big menu, I hoped it would taste as good as it looked.

But it’s understandable that with all the food some things will taste better than others. As much as I didn’t like some items, others were good enough, like the cheese pizza and fries, to strengthen my resolve to return.

stories by Nini Troung, Kendall Hays, Laura Pitts, & Alexis Mane // staff writers

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

photo by IMBD

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14

How to Harlem Shake Con los terroristas

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

0:12/0:32 38,879,878 views

Add a comment .

Harrison Geosits I love it when a Harlem Shake is creative with their opening. Things like elderly people, Beanie Babies and sports teams really make the Harlem Shake an intriguing thing to watch while bored.

2 hours ago

Laura Pitts Good costumes are vital to making an amazing Harlem Shake. The costumes bring the humor and an upbeat vibe to the video and make it stand out from the rest of the thousands of videos online.

5 hours ago

Callie Anderson Location, location, location. You can’t have a good Harlem Shake just anywhere. Pick a place that nobody has used before so it is rare and interesting.

10 hours ago

Zane Dean The only way to make a Harlem Shake video actually be awesome is crazy choreography. Nothing bores me more in a Harlem Shake where a bunch of people just do boring, generic dances, but Harlem Shake videos are made when people are doing wacky, funny stuff, like flailing around, or dancing with props.

16 hours ago

Saher Aqeel

2 days ago

Crazy is all I think of when I hear Harlem Shake. Random outfits, insane dancing and an unexpected people doing surprising things without caring how ridiculous they look are the best Harlem Shakes.

Akshay Mirchandani A good Harlem Shake has to have the aspect of unexpectedness. Some random person is dancing around at the beginning, but then all of a sudden someone in a banana costume pops out and starts acting crazy. Something unexpected just makes a Harlem Shake that much better.

4 days ago

graphic by Madyson Russell // layout editor

Carnival catastrophe should not influence decision to cruise story by // Eagle Angle Staff

A

fter an engine-room fire on the Carnival Triumph left passengers stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days, many people have been wary to step foot on a cruise ship. While this was a horrible catastrophe, it should not affect anyone’s decision to take a cruise According to ABC News, two of the top 10 reasons to take a cruise are that they are family friendly and offer a great value. The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association said that today’s ships offer surf pools, planetariums, ice-skating rinks and bungee-

trampolines. There is no reason to miss out on these once-in-a-lifetime experiences because according to pbs.org, industry official statistics cited only 16 deaths on a ship in the five years leading up to 2010. Also the price of a ticket includes food, accommodations, entertainment and transportation. Not only will families save money, but they will also create memories that will last a lifetime.

Though the passengers of the Triumph might have been left desiring more, a study conducted by TNS found that 94 percent of customers

rate cruising as a satisfying vacation, and 45 percent rate it as extremely satisfying. Despite everything that could go wrong on a cruise, like a food shortage, pirate attack, rogue wave, or even an engine fire, the statistics do not lie. It definitely isn’t recommended to take a cruise if you are prone to seasickness, but if it’s something you have always wanted to do, don’t let the mere possibility of danger keep you from following your dreams.

Sometimes it is the people working on a cruise ship who make

the vacation worthwhile. Triumph passenger Melanie Jinkins credits the Triumph crew for making the best of a horrible situation: they continued to smile despite feeling miserable, dirty and exhausted. In fact, they handled it so well that Jinkins is already planning her next cruise… on a Carnival ship.

It sounds crazy, but if someone who experienced the “[five]-day camping trip on the ocean” can turn around and walk right back up the gang plank, it’s safe to say anyone can.

People should not be blamed for feeling anxiety over booking

a cruise for their next vacation, especially on a Carnival line, but going out of one’s comfort zone is largely recommended. Those who are nervous can try going on a daylong ferry ride to get a taste of what a week-long cruise would feel like.

It all comes down to this: just try it. The passengers of the Triumph had no way of knowing of the ship’s impending catastrophe, but they embraced the experience regardless.

While they probably don’t want to repeat the past, they built friendships – and memories – that will surely encourage others to take the same risk.

Hot shot On Feb. 12 in the last district game against the Plano West Wolves, varsity junior Myron Fisher shoots to score a basket. photo by Taylor Brill

Basketball team makes playoffs in coach’s 1st year, loses by 7 story by Danny Ortiz // staff writer

that came down to one possession. So by the time district came, we were ready to win.”

The team has played far from perfect this past season, so there will be some areas that will need some work on.

“The biggest thing I think that caught up to us in the playoffs is offensively being efficient,” McCullough said. “Taking care of the ball, executing some of the things, and we gotta be able to shoot the ball a little bit better which will be a focus on our offseason.”

The first win was followed by a three-game skid, but the boys managed to quickly get it together and won seven straight games.

“We’re like brothers,” McNease said. “We hang out, eat together, we have our share of fights but that’s what brothers do.”

The basketball program has begun its rebuilding process by bringing in freshmen players to try and get them used to the style of game the upperclassmen play.

“I think the future is bright,” McCullough said. “So there’s a lot of good things going on, alot of good opportunities, nice young players that we feel good about going in to next year.”

story by Katelyn Moody // staff writer

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fter coming in third in the state tournament last year, the archery team took 56 shooters to state on Feb. 15 for the second year. Archery team A was second out of 49 schools with a score of 3,285.

Archery team B also went to state and came in ninth with a score of 3,041. When shooting, each ring on the target is worth one to 10 points, starting at one point on the outside ring and 10 points in the middle ring.

“My favorite part was walking in and everyone was like, ‘That is the No. 2 team in the state,’” senior Brook Cooper said. “‘They are one of the best, they are the newest,’ and just walking in there, everyone knew who we were. Everyone knew what school we were from. It was like all eyes were on us. It was awesome.”

In her second year in archery club, junior Sarah May shot 287 out of 300 and finished first in the high school female division and No. 2 overall in the female rank for the state.

“The competition was much higher this year,” May said. “Last year the state record was 282, but this girl was hitting 290 out of 300, so I had to worry about her and of course the

former state champion. I also had to worry about another girl on my team who was hitting in the 290s. So I was stressed out.”

May attended an awards ceremony on Feb. 26 at Lowery. She received a trophy, a new bow and a $2,000 scholarship. After finishing in top 13 last year, May said going to state the first time can be nerve racking.

“It was so bad,” May said. “I had never been to state before and that’s all part of the experience. Your first time at state probably isn’t going to be your best because it’s overwhelming.”

After attending state last year, Cooper returned this year and came in 43rd in the high school male division and 74th overall with a score of 268.

“Going to state is like, one of the biggest thrills of being in archery,” Cooper said. “It’s one of the main reasons we join the program. Our goal is to go there and show people that we’re a new program but we know what we’re doing and we can succeed in what we have here.”

Team A came three points behind the first place winner, Canton High School, which finished with a

score of 3,288. Head coach Jason Anderson said every arrow counts when it comes to archery.

“We missed it by three points,” Anderson said. “Three points is really one arrow. It came down to the last arrow. It’s hard. I would’ve rather lost by 50 points than three points, but it’s hard.”

After taking a smaller group of 33 to state last year, more have joined the program and the number of shooters qualifying for state has increased to 56.

“The goal going into this year was just continuing to build the program,” Anderson said. “That was the goal this year. Getting more students involved.”

Team A qualified to go to nationals along with May, but Anderson said they are not sure if they will attend due to the cost. Anderson said he was pleased with the effort the students put in to make Allen the No. 2 archery school in the state.

“We accomplished our goals,” Anderson said. “I’m very happy with the kids and the way they shot. Yeah, [I’m] disappointed because we lost by three points, but that’s nobody’s fault.

That’s archery.”

Listening in (top) After receiving their second place medals at the awards ceremony, the archery team listens to Executive Principal Steve Payne speak. photo by Victoria Erb

Recognition

(left) The archery team celebrates its second place win at the state tournament during an awards ceremony on Feb. 26 at Lowery.

Slam dunk At

the Allen Classic Tournament, junior Jamuni McNease dunks a basket when playing the Southeast Oklahoma City High School Spartans on Dec. 6. photo by Taylor

Brill

photo by Victoria Erb

Best in state (left)

In addition to a new bow and $2,000 scholarship, junior Sarah May received a trophy from NASP director Burnie Kessner for finishing first in the women’s division. photo by Victoria Erb

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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fter ending the regular season at 15-14 with a 7-3 district record, the varsity boys basketball team made the playoffs in head coach Jeff McCullough’s first season at Allen.

The team played Jesuit in the UIL Bi-district round of the playoffs but lost 53-40 on Feb. 19. Despite the loss, McCullough said that he believes this was a successful season.

“We did some things, we had some kids really step out,” McCullough said. “We got some people in the community a little bit more interested and involved and students a little bit more involved.

Now we just gotta take the next step.”

McCullough was brought in from Norman High School in Oklahoma to replace Steve Specht after four years.

“He’s a good coach and he made sure we pushed ourselves every day in practice, which paid off in some of our games,” sophomore forward Bobby Evans said.

The Eagles got off to a 0-5 start to the season before getting their first win against Fort Worth Eastern Hills 60-46.

“We had a tough schedule,” junior forward Jamuni McNease said.

“Before district we played a lot of top teams and had some real close games

Archery teams place 2nd, 15 9th at state with 56 shooters

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Spotlight on spring sports

Softball

story by Collin Thompson // staff writer

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ed by head varsity coach Debbie Evans, the softball team started the season back in January, but began playing against district opponents on March 8th against Plano East.

Despite a 0-2 record to start the season against district opponents, the team expects a successful season.

“We’ve gotten off on a pretty slow start,” junior catcher Caitlin Anderson said. “We haven’t won a lot of games, but there’s been a lot of close games. The teams this year are

really tough.”

The team lost eight seniors over the past year to graduation, but it hasn’t stopped them from playing.

“We have to try to blend with new people,” Anderson said. “We still have to try to mesh together. I mean, we’re doing okay right now, but we’re just used to other people. We’re just trying to get used to it now.”

Sophomore pitcher Lydia Crouser said the team hasn’t lost focus on the game due to the loss of multiple older players, and is

confident about the results of the season.

“We’ve kinda bought in to a new team this year,” Crouser said. “I see us winning a lot more games towards the end of the season once we start getting a feel for district. Once we start getting a feel for the varsity level, we’ll pick it up and we’ll finish off great.”

The team is aiming for the playoffs, but they know that they have to play one game at a time to make it there.

“We’re working out before and after school every day pretty much and we’re just taking games day by day,” Crouser said. “We’ve improved a lot over the whole entire season already, so I would just say that we need to work on keeping our hitting up and just basic defense.”

Despite the the slow district start Anderson said the team is ready for the playoffs.

“We’re going to the playoffs,” Anderson said. “I know we are. It’s going to happen.”

Diving play (left) During after school practice on March 7, varsity outfielders work on diving drills with coach Kathy Klepac. photo by Saher Aqeel

Track

story by Mckenzi Morris // operations manager ince starting their season on Jan. 31 with a dual meet against Prosper, Girl’s Track has participated in six additional meets.

Of the seven meets, varsity has placed 1st three times and 2nd once.

In the McKinney Boyd Relays on Feb. 23, junior Mercedes Johnson placed ninth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.58 seconds. She had not ran track since the summer season two years ago, and said going

S

Striding to first Junior Deonca Bookman practices her

hurdles in practice on March 4 in the track stadium. photo by Ashley Acosta

Going the distance

into this season she was nervous. “[I was] kind of scared, but I [felt] good,” Johnson said. “I’m starting back and doing what I like to do.”

In the 1600-yard sprint medley at the McKinney Boyd Relays, Allen came in third. Junior Mandu Mbride ran the second leg of the relay.

“I felt very surprised, exhilarated and accomplished,” Mbride said. “It always feels good to win.”

In the track stadium on March 4, Sophomore Destyni Rogers long jumps during practice. photo by Ashley Acosta

Baseball story by Akshay Mirchandani // sports editor varsity have come from football, so we’ve bonded a little bit in there,” Hoogerwerf said. “Just a lot of the kids have known each other for a long time.”

Hoogerwerf said that he believes that they can make state and wants to prove their wrong.

“Each year the coaches get together before the season and they put like a pre-ranking out and for like the past four years, we’ve been last in the pre-ranks,” Hoogerwerf said. “So that’s a big motivation for us.”

coach Paul Coe pitches, senior Cory Scheibner takes batting practice during spring break on March 14.

Golf

Feb. 23

Soccer

As the Eagle Angle goes to press, the boys soccer team is currently 9-4-5 on the season and second in their district only behind McKinney Boyd. The team has one game left against McKinney on Tuesday March 19th. The girl’s soccer team is in fourth place with a record of 9-6-2 and two games remaining, the next game will be Tuesday March 19th against McKinney.

The wrestling team competed in the UIL State Tournament in Austin from Feb. 21-23. The Eagles won the tournament with a total of 251.5 points while second place El Paso Franklin scored just 79 points.

Swimming

March 19

The girl’s swim team came in 13th place in the State swim meet February 22-23. The girls scored 51.5 points in the meet.

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Feb. 22

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Wrestling

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Feb. 21

The boys golf team competed in the NISD Boys Concan Classic from Feb. 22-23 and came in fourth place with a total of 640 points. The Varsity 2 girls team competed in the Ranchview Spring Invitational on Feb. 26 and placed sixth.

Chris Balogh throws with his teammates during practice on March 14.

The team currently has a 10-3-3 record and are first in district.

ha

the sports angle

photo by Saher Aqeel

Concentration After batting, senior

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Eye on the ball As head varsity

good team,” junior third basemen Ryan Hoogerwerf said. “But I just feel like this year with the people that have come back and the people that we’ve gained, we’re more of a bonded unit so I think we’ll be a better team this year than we were last year.”

All of the starting pitchers from last year have returned for this season and Hoogerwerf said that makes pitching one of the team’s strong points and that new players will be able to help. He also said that the chemistry on the team is very strong.

“I mean a lot of the players on

an

photo by Saher Aqeel

ast season the baseball team did not finish as one of the top four teams in their district and did not make the playoffs. They finished in fifth place falling just short of the postseason.

This season, the team is 10-33 and first in district and looks to make the playoffs for the first year since the 2009 season. Junior third basemen Ryan Hoogerwerf said that his expectations for the team are high and that they have the potential to be better than they have been in the past.

“Well last year we had a really

nd

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Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

Perfect strike (far left) Working with her team on infield and baserunning drills, sophomore Lydia Crouser pitches after school on March 7. photo by Saher Aqeel

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Gentleman’s game

Victory grab (left) Senior Josh Bailey jumps for a ball in a scrimmage against Plano on Feb. 16. photo submitted by Nancy Tabor Fight forward (below) Senior Will Tabor runs run through the Plano team on Feb. 16. photo

submitted by Nancy Tabor

Rugby aims to build on state finals success, searches for more players story by Collin Thompson // staff writer

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the opponent’s goal line and touch the ball to the or kick the ball through the upper portion of the goal posts, with no forward passing or time-outs. “[Rugby is] fast paced and it’s more of a brotherhood than any other sport,” Weinberger said. “I’m definitely closer to these guys than most people because we have to trust each other on the field.”

Head coach Kelly Meek, along with assistant coaches John “Hoss” Lynd and Mike Logsdon, played rugby for the University of Oklahoma before coming to Allen to coach rugby three years ago. Meek said that the team, despite its playoff appearances the last two seasons, still has problems that they can keep improving on.

“They need to work on the depth of knowledge of the game, and their seeing the game at a high level is getting there,” Meek said. “Our competition is really getting stouter, so that’s a challenge for our players.

But I think [they can work on] just learning more, and the more you play, the better they get. The learning curve on rugby is amazingly fast.”

With rugby’s introduction for the first time into the Summer Olympics in 2016, senior eight man Colton Grantham said rugby’s popularity will only increase.

“I think rugby will grow at Allen and we’ll eventually have a nice field like lacrosse,” Grantham said. “Kids

will actually wanna come out and play. It all starts with winning.”

The rugby team struggles with attracting potential players due to a lack of public knowledge of the team’s existence and the over-abundance of press on other sports. The team usually has to play with less than 15 players.

“We need to work on getting more recruits out here that are actually dedicated and want to play,” senior second row Kyle Fisher said.

“We don’t want people to show up here just because they want to do something. We want someone here that wants to learn and wants to get dedicated.”

Due to fear of injury,

Meek said that rugby’s reputation as a harsh, brutal sport directly affects the team’s ability to get students to consider joining the team.

“I think a lot of it is people just not knowing or understanding what rugby really is,” Meek said. “I think they think that it’s just a barbaric game, that it’s just bloody and messy, but it’s really a beautiful game because it keeps flowing.

There’s a lot, a lot of

contact involved, and we believe it’s a much safer game than some other contact sports.”

Despite the finals and semifinals appearances, the players said they are not interested in winning state just for themselves but for the future of the rugby program.

“We’ve been so close every year,” Fisher said. “It’s about freakin’ time we got there. Allen’s a winning school, and we wanna keep the tradition going. We wanna get some respect.”

Take down

During the Allen rugby team’s after school practice seniors John Jennings and Kyle Fisher and junior Jesse Killebrew run a drill during practice on Feb. 28. photo by Saher Aqeel

1st Allen female wrestler to make finals also wins state story by Akshay Mirchandani // sports editor

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Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks are currently 32-35 and in 10th place in the Western Conference. They are three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff spot in the west.

Stars: The Dallas Stars are currently 1312-3 on the season and in 13th place in the Western Conference. Loui Eriksson leads the team in points with 19 and Jaromir Jagr leads the team in goals with 10. Derek Roy leads the team in assists with 13.

Rangers: The Texas Rangers are 12-11 in spring training play. The team’s season opener is on March 31 on the road against the Astros and their home opener is April 5 against the Los Angeles Angels. graphic by Madyson Russell // layout editor

t the UIL State Wrestling tournament in Austin from Feb. 21-23, senior Vanessa Smith became the first Allen female wrestler to both advance to the finals and win. Smith was one of seven Allen wrestlers to win an individual championship.

“I worked really hard all year,” Smith said. “[I] worked really hard the past four years and to come out with another state title meant a lot. Hard work pays off, and it felt really good.”

This marks the second state championship Smith has won in Texas, beating Sarah Flanagan of League City Clear Falls in the finals. The first one came in 2011 when she lived in Frisco and she also won championships in Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas for a total of five state titles. “[Smith] had a very good game plan, moved very well and before it was all over, she was wowing the crowd,” assistant wrestling coach Todd Wyckoff, who has coached Smith all season, said.

“The ease that she was able to score points and just the way she was able to move on the mat, you could see that she was something special.”

Smith moved to Allen from Apple Valley, Minnesota, at the beginning of this school year and is one of two female wrestlers at Allen. Allen doesn’t have its own girls wrestling program, but the girls occasionally practice with the guys.

“Well Allen’s always been built on men’s wrestling and because of that we haven’t really had a girls team,” Wyckoff said. “[Vanessa] could be the

Fighting on Senior Vanessa Smith wrestles in the state wrestling tournament from Feb. 21-23. Smith is the first Allen female to win an individual state championship. photo by Ray Shoaf catalyst to starting a full-fledged girls program here.”

Smith said that she does not think that girl wrestlers face any extra challenges compared to male wrestlers.

“It’s not about whether you’re a girl or guy,” Smith said. “You’re a wrestler on the mat. We all work hard to achieve everything we accomplish.”

Smith has signed to wrestle at Wayland Baptist University in college but said that she has enjoyed being a part of the Allen wrestling program.

“It’s an honor to be a part of something so great,” Smith said. “I mean, coming into the school, I knew they were a great wrestling team, so it felt pretty good to be able to be a part of the team and wrestle for state with Allen.”

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

ehind the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., there are students who call themselves The Gentlemen of Allen Rugby. The rugby team made it to the state finals two years ago and the state semi-finals last year, losing both times to rival Stony Point High School. The team played its first match of the season on Feb. 23.

“This year we’re working more as a team, and we all have one goal,” senior fly-half Nick Weinberger said.

“The last two years, some of us have been to state, and this year, it’s our last year playing rugby in high school, and we really wanna get it.”

Unlike UIL sanctioned sports such as football and basketball that are funded by the school, rugby is a club sport and is completely funded through fundraisers and sponsors, like Sunny Delight and David Toney D.D.S. They have to buy their own equipment, uniforms and don’t have their own field to use.

“A lot of people don’t know,” Weinberger said. “We actually have to do concessions and actually work for our money just to go out of town because we can’t just afford to go.”

Rugby, popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Island regions, is similar to football but without the protection.

The sport is played continuously by two teams of 15 players. The point of the game is to run with the ball across

18

Point Counter Point

Should the NBA continue to require a year of college before players can enter the pros?

Choice should be left to players

story by Akshay Mirchandani //

story by Jarret Rogers //

sports editor

staff writer

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

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College toughens, matures players

he top high school basketball players in the nation are a group of special guys with elite talents, great upside and a fantastic opportunity at the NBA some day. But it is the “some day” aspect that should not be in the picture. The top players should not have to go through one year of college to get to the league. They should be able to make their own decision of whether or not they are ready to compete at the top level.

After 2006, players could not enter the NBA straight out of high school. There would not be any more stories of players like LeBron James, Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant. Players were going to college whether they wanted to or not. But more importantly whether they need it or not.

When being realistic we have to sit back and wonder how much college changes players in the span of a year and if the one year truly does boost their potential. Does being coached by John Calipari and other college coaches for one year change a player?

The answer is no. A year of college does not change them any more than an NBA training camp would. Players are throwing away valuable NBA experience, money and risking injury that could affect their draft stock. Just ask Nerlens Noel how his year at Kentucky has been.

Players have been extremely successful coming out of high school. Kobe Bryant passed up on Duke and the opportunity to

be coached by the great Mike Krzyzewski.

Kevin Garnett came into the league straight from high school and became a defensive superstar with one of the most intense outlooks on basketball the game has ever seen.

Not all the players are superstars like Garnett and Bryant however, they have still had successful careers. Players like Tyson Chandler, Kendrick Perkins and DeShawn Stevenson have not been faces of franchises but have been key contributors on great championship teams.

With the success that players coming out of high school have had there have certainly been failures straight out of high school. Eddy Curry and Kwame Brown come to mind when thinking about atrocious, overweight and non-motivated NBA players who have been drafted straight out of high school. The argument that the reason this happened is because they came straight out of high school is invalid.

Hasheem Thabeet, Michael Beasley and Adam Morrison are just scratching the surface of players who have not performed up to standards without injury playing a factor.

The NBA is a place for athletes who are hungry to compete and want to get better. Whether or not a player is ready for that after their senior year of high school or after graduating college should be their decision and not the NBA’s. It is time for the one and done rule to be put to an end. .

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etting a bunch of 17-to 18-year old basketball players skip out on college and handing them millions of dollar is just a bad idea. End of story.

The NBA draft eligibility rule currently requires players to go to college for a year before declaring for the pros.

Many believe that the rule should be changed back to the way it was before 2005 so that the players cango to the NBA straight out of high school. The one-year rule makes perfect and logical sense. In reality players are nowhere near mature enough to sign a million dollar contract to play in the NBA straight out of high school.

LeBron James was the first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft right out of St.Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio. While James’ talent was evident, his maturity and mental toughness were both questioned. Having mental toughness is important because it helps ignore doubters and quickly get over and bounce back from tough losses or challenges.

Even though James silenced his critics last season when he won his first NBA championship, if he had gone to college for at least a year, I doubt it would have taken him nine years to win his first ring. He may have been physically ready to perform at the NBA level straight out of high school, but his mental toughness was nowhere near ready.

There is a big difference between playing in high school and then going to play with a bunch of professionals. The

talent required as well as the physical nature of the players is obviously far more advanced in the NBA.Even playing a year of college basketball helps to decrease that learning curve as well as prepare players for everything the NBA throws at them.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft from Duke and is already an all star in his second year in the league.

Irving only played 11 games in his college days at Duke due to a toe injury, but being in the presence of Mike Krzyzewski, one of the best basketball coaches of all time, drastically helped Irving’s development.

College coaches are more experienced than the coaches in high school, and NBA coaches already expect their players to catch on quickly. Going to college and being with a college coach helps a player prepare for what the NBA expects.

But what if a player with Irving’s superstar potential suffers a career threatening injury? To me it doesn’t matter. The risk of injury can’t be avoided in sports no matter what level it is. Yeah a player can suffer a gruesome injury that can ruin his career in college, but a player can also get injured in the pros. There’s no sense in skipping out on college to avoid an injury when it can happen anywhere.

There’s no sense in changing a rule that is for the players’ own good and make the quality of basketball better in both the NBA and NCAA.

My one true love: March madness story by Klayton Carpenter //

staff writer

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election Sunday. Sweet 16.

Elite 8. Final 4. National Championship Game. This is the best time of the year. This is March Madness.

Why is this the best time of the year? There is nothing throughout the whole year that can compare to it.

Nothing gives me all of that joy with a little bit of necessary sadness.

From the start of the tournament, there is nonstop action.

Nonstop fun. There is nothing that will ever take this spot as the best time of the year.

Every year, I look forward to the emotional roller coaster in March.

Cinderella stories and upsets- two of the best things about March Madness.

The upsets show the true talent of teams and the Cinderella stories can shock the nation with one shot.

Selection Sunday starts it all off.

The selection committee determines who gets to play in the tournament.

There are the obvious teams: Kansas, Duke and Kentucky and then there are the teams that are questionable on whether they are going to get in.

Teams like Norfolk State and UNCAsheville stand around the TV, waiting on that final decision. Are they going dancing or are they going home?

After all 68 teams have been picked, that’s where I come in. I print off my bracket, get out my iPad and start doing research. What are the odds? What are the analysts saying?

That Monday, I don’t leave my house.

I stay in all day and pick my teams.

The first round is mostly a breeze; the one through six seeds almost always win, with some exceptions. Nothing special, at this point I am still sane. Although it is usually pretty bland, last year the first game for two seed Missouri was against 15 seed Norfolk State, an easy win according to many but Norfolk State thought otherwise.

They defeated Missouri in the biggest upset of the tournament.

As a basketball fan it was great to see a team come from behind to beat arguably one of the best teams in the nation.

The second round through the Elite Eight can only be described with one word, insanity. I watch every game that I can, no matter where I go I have my iPad with me and I’m

flipping from game to game. This may seem hectic, because it is, and I love it.

When I have my teams picked to win, they have to win. My stress levels are extremely high and I can’t control it. There are some things that I can’t control; my addiction to this tournament is one of those things.

This is it. Two teams have played six games and they are on the highest stage in all of college basketball.

Three weeks of traveling around the country after five months of games and practices. By this time, I have cried tears of sadness and tears of joy.

My sleep schedule is totally off track, and I just want to find out who wins.

When the tournament is over, I feel emptiness in my heart. An emptiness that can only be filled by next year’s March Madness. The one and only true love in my life.

Tournament facts: Big 12 champions: Kansas Jayhawks

Pac 12 champions: Oregon Ducks

Big East champions: Louisville Cardinals

SEC champions: Ole Miss Rebels

Big 10 champions: Ohio State Buckeyes

Number one seeds:

Louisville Cardinals, Indiana Hoosiers, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kansas Jayhawks

Three teams with the most championships: 1. UCLA Bruins (11) 2. Indiana Hoosiers (5) 3. North Carolina (5)

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Rate Your Reaction On a scale from 1 to 10 how much does having a big crowd impact the game?

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Lacrosse

Jessica Cobaugh Tennis

“It really gets the players pumped up on either team. So, it affects the game a lot when you have a big crowd.”

“Especially if the other team doesn’t have a lot of people supporting them, then that player could get kinda upset or angry.”

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Tyler Tarbox Baseball “The crowd can get into the other team’s head, but on the other hand a lot of times you don’t really pay attention to the crowd.”

“When you have a big crowd and you’re doing good, you feed off the crowd. It gives you, like if you’re tired and the crowd’s going crazy. It gives you I guess an extra boost of energy.”

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Tejan Koroma Footballl “It’s nice to play in front of a big crowd, but either way it’s still just the same football field.”

Loss of players won’t hurt Rangers, success will surpass last year story by Collin Thompson // staff writer

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n the first game of the 2013 MLB season, the Texas Rangers will face their new American League West opponent Houston Astros in Houston on March 31. The team will not only be trying to start off the season with a win but show that their experiences over the last three seasons along with losses of star players hasn’t stopped their ability to be a dominant ballclub.

Last season, if you don’t remember, (I wish I didn’t), the Rangers completed one of the worst playoff race collapses in MLB history.

Due to a multitude of problems such as poor baserunning and a huge Josh

Hamilton slump, the team lost the AL West division lead on the last day of the season to the Oakland Athletics.

They ended up losing 5-1 to the Baltimore Orioles at home in the one game Wild Card playoff to go to the MLB Playoffs.

But that was last season.

With new additions to the team, including former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, veteran first baseman Lance Berkman and the possible emergences of top prospects like shortstop Jurickson Profar, third baseman Mike Olt and lefty pitcher Martin Perez, the Rangers are still going to be a hard team to beat in the Major Leagues this season.

It’s time for the Rangers to brush themselves off and get ready for another push. And it’s gonna be a very difficult push.

The Rangers’ biggest problem this season will be their own division,

especially the powerhouse Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Led by future hall-of-famer Albert Pujols, along with last year’s Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up Mike Trout, Texas will have to compete against them to stay relevant. Young teams, like the 2012 AL West Champions Oakland Athletics, along with the Seattle Mariners and the Astros will give Texas a harder challenge than they did last year. But if the Rangers can avoid underestimating their talent like last season, they can be overcome.

Everything that the team has been through the last couple of seasons, from losing two consecutive World Series to last year’s catastrophic mess, will only give the ball players a better analysis of the game and will help them over the course of the season.

No more Hamilton who left as a free agent to sign a five year, $125 million dollar contract with the hated

rival Angels. No more fan-favorite catcher Mike Napoli who is now on the Boston Red Sox. Not even the Rangers hits leader, Michael Young, who was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in December following one of the worst seasons of his career. But new additions and young prospects will take their places, and hopefully do what they’ve been brought in to do.

I love the Rangers. Always have.

But I don’t think this is their season.

I have them getting second in the division behind the Angels. They’ll win the AL Wild Card again, but the Angels will go on to beat them in the ALCS in seven games. I believe the Washington Nationals have the best chances to win the World Series this year.

But in the words of Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, “That’s the way baseball go.”

Rangers losses: Josh Hamilton:

signed with the Los Angeles Angels. Five years, $125 million.

Mike Napoli:

signed with the Boston Red Sox for one year, $5 million.

Michael Young: traded to Phillies.

the

Philadelphia

Rangers additions: A.J. Pierzynski:

signed a one year, $7.5 million contract.

Lance Berkman:

signed a one year, $10 million contract.

Allen High School // Issue 5 // March 20, 2013

8

Erin Young

10

Danny Gordon Basketball

Choral collaboration

A

ll 6th grade choir students from across Allen joined the Allen Chorale students at the Performing Arts Center for the annual Cluster Concert on Feb. 26.

To prepare for the concert, choir students from the elementary schools practiced twice with the Chorale students at the PAC before the performance. The goal of the event to persuade current 6th grade choir students to participate in choir in the future as 7th graders. story by Saher Aqeel // photo editor

Promotional Performanc (all photos) At their second joint practice on

Feb. 26, Brian McKinney instructs 6th grade Allen choir and Chorale students in the Performing Arts Center in preparation for their concert on Feb. 26. photo by Saher Aqeel