Issue 3 by Eagle Angle

the

eaglE angle Which one of these is different?

Trick question.

They are all the same.

E-Cig popularity on the rise at AHS | pg. 20

february 2014

allen high school

volume 31 issue 3

Editors-In-Chief Megan Lucas McKenzi Morris

Copy Chief Victoria Erb

Managing Editor Laura Hallas

Assistant Editors Zane Dean Maggie Rians

Photo Editor Saher Aqeel

Sports Editor Collin Thompson

Opinions Editor Harrison Geosits

Online Editor

Rebecca Barney Asst. Callie Anderson

Business Manager Klayton Carpenter

Staffers

Ashley Acosta, Maleeha Ahsanullah, Erin Bird, Deatrik Bledsoe, Lucy Boys, Kaitlyn Brown, Madeline Chalkley, Naomi Fluckiger, Emily Haney, Fatima Huq, Morgan Kiser, Monica Martinez, Jackson Meeker, Katelyn Moody, Rachel Moretti, Danny Ortiz, Jacob Pena, Laura Pitts, Praneeka Muthu Raman, Madison Reynolds, Jordyn Ruiz, Audrey Stelmach, Nini Truong, Bailey Wood, Layal Zalkout

Adviser

Kelly Juntunen

Policy:

The Eagle Angle distributes 1000 copies of each issue 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 Any errors found within the publication will be rescinded in the following issue.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 Kelly Juntunen, newspaper adviser, at 972727-0400 x 1610. 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.

From the Editor

the one for the people

The nasty smell lingering on my clothes. The constant coughing and stinging in my eyes. Looks from friends and their parents that shout disapproval. All of these are side-effects of having a parent who smokes. I’m not the only one who has to bear this burden – innumerable young children and teenagers who are secondhand smoke victims live this struggle daily. And one of the hardest things to hear is how e-cigarettes are a solution. Because they aren’t. They don’t take care of the smell, the coughing or the looks. Actually, they are just as detrimental to a child as an actual cigarette. In reality, the only benefit that comes out of e-cigarettes is the vapor. As annoying as it may be, at least it’s only water vapor, not the smoke filled with chemicals. That’s the end of it though. There is still nicotine in them, the very thing that makes them addicting. They don’t eliminate the chances of the smoker getting cancer or lung disease or giving it to someone else. But for some reason, society has begun to accept these harmful replacement cigarettes. It started with adults. They looked at them as a healthy invention, something that will curb the addiction to actual cigarettes. That’s where the problem began. Once our parents welcomed them into our homes, the younger generation began to think e-cigarettes were OK. We look to our parents for guidance, so if they are smoking them, why can’t we? That’s when the problem escalated. Now teenagers are using them regularly. Our school is trying to stop it, but it’s hard to hinder the growth of an epidemic. In the end, anyone who has been around smokers, the original version or the new, hip kind, understands how smoking harms our society. The health side effects outweigh any “cool” points you gain with your peers by smoking one. Why people even remotely think they are cool puzzles me. Maybe that’s why I don’t fit into the new societal norm. Sincerely,

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Visit us online at theeagleangle.com for up-to-date news, bonus reviews and sports coverage.

See through the smoke pg. 20

pg. 26

pg. 18

Inside

News 6

TAFE

Around the world

Allen enrollment hits peak

react to 10 Students Snapchat breach

12 Love Week 2014 14

Community pulls together to support Strykers

Senior starts charity campaign

Junior raises service dog

theeagleangle.com

sports 22 Croquet kicks off 23 24

Column: New district nothing to worry about State: Football wins back to back

Olympics 28 Winter explained

opinions 29

Flipside: High school sweethearts

Sincerely, Stylish

Staff editorial

Award season wrap-up

The importance of George Clooney

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fightingâ&#x20AC;? for our reputation 3

Signing off At the Athletic Facility on Feb. 5, 40 senior athletes from 11 different sports participated in National Signing Day. photo by McKenzi Morris

Golf

Baseball

Basketball

Jordy LaBarbera Maddie Szeryk Drew Miller

Jordan Reynolds Troy Chezem Ryan Hoogerwerf Cole Carter Philip Ingram

Jamuni McNeace Myron Fisher Anna Horowitz Ericka May

Softball Lizzie Souza

Wrestling Bo Nickal

Football Grant Finney Kendall Clinton Christian Sam Chad Adams Carlos Arochi Chance Melancon Tejan Koroma

Tay Evans Mayomi Olootu Myles Massei Jordan Radcliffe Jay Barlow Josh Pettijohn Zack Bishop

Volleyball

Soccer

Diving

Camryn Freiberg Katie Ingle

Allison Palomo Chantal Kinsey Taylor Trent Chloe Fowler John Ridgely

Rachel Colman

Track Deonca Bookman Kaylen Rettig

Lacrosse Katherine Smith Drew Barry

News

Paving the Future for Education story by Morgan Kiser // staff writer

s they work hard to perfect their talents, 11 students from Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) head to the State competition with other Texas schools with similar goals of being the next generation of teachers. “Basically there are different chapters that are part of regional area, and at the regional conference you can go to workshops and you can compete in a variety of events, and then that regional conference goes into the state conference which has even more workshops and competitions for students to participate in,” senior McKenzie Sigle said. The TAFE members meet within their class periods with one their copresidents: Sigle or senior Madison Schallhorn. “Whenever we have our meetings, it’s really fun,” senior Alison Hunt said. “We discuss things that need to get done, and when we go to state or regionals, we get to hang out with your friends, and you get to do activities, and you get to see a different side of them instead of the one in school. You get to see the fun, outgoing people that you know your friends are.” The TAFE program is only offered to the students who are in the teaching and

At one of her schools, senior McKenzie Sigle interacts with a young student. photo submitted by McKenzie Sigle

education career pathway. “One thing that is a little unusual with ours is that our kids actually spend time in the classrooms as TAFE members, and when we go to conferences and

everything, we see students that don’t have near the experience our kids at Allen have,” sponsor Marsha Canup said. Part of that experience comes from an opportunity at Allen offered to the students who have taken the education prerequisites IPET, which is a program where students go into classrooms around the district and teach the students like they are student teachers. “IPET helps because they learn a lot of skills in the classroom, so when it comes to the competitions, they aren’t worried about standing up in front of people or being nervous about talking because that is something they have been doing in my class since sophomore year,” Canup said. Through the competitions and all the planning it takes to get ready for an event, the students try to better themselves as teachers and competitors. “TAFE has benefited me through the competitions and really trying to fine tune myself,” Sigle said. “I was in the lesson plan competition, so I had to have a video recording of me teaching. Through seeing just a video of me teaching, I think I have already been able to better myself as an educator.” Comprised of 25 students, the members have already competed locally and regionally. “Basically it’s the local competitions. We have teachers here on campus who come in and judge the local competition and then they will pick the top one or two to represent AHS and those individuals will go to regionals, and that was Nov. 20,” Canup said. “These individuals going to state have already competed locally and regionally.” There are many competitions at each conference including lesson plans, storybook competition and bulletin board. “Basically there is a rubric and there are rules and depending on the competition there are different rules that you really have to get familiar with, and for most competitions you are going to present to a judge, and then they will

score you,” Sigle said. The state competition and workshops will take place in San Antonio on Feb. 22 through 25.

After the regional competition, the state qualifiers show off their TAFE sign. photo submitted by McKenzie Sigle

“I’m excited to see people at state do their best and get the best they could possibly get, maybe first place and hopefully get scholarships,” Hunt said. The next step after state would be nationals where the Allen TAFE branch has never been before. Last year was the first year anyone even qualified. “We have to get past state before we start thinking about nationals,” Canup said. “We would really like to go to nationals because last year was the first year that anyone qualified to go to nationals.” Nationals would take place later this year with only the best students from each state getting to participate. “If we win in February when we go to state, number one and two in each event goes to nationals to represent the Lone Star State,” Canup said. Like many of the career prerequisites offered at Allen, the students in TAFE plan to take their acquired knowledge and apply it in their lives as future educators. “I am going to be a teacher, and I’m going to take what TAFE has taught me to try to be the best teacher I could possibly be and help the students achieve whatever I need them to achieve and what they need to achieve to strive,” Hunt said. “This is something I want to do the rest of my life.”

Around the World

News

This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top news stories Compiled by Deatrik Bledsoe // staff writer

On Jan. 24 officials at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth hospital acknowledged that Marlise Munoz, 33, had been brain dead since Nov. 28 and that the fetus she carried was not viable, taking her off life support after the two months of care that her husband, Erick Munoz, had argued against.

Chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne virus common in Africa and Asia, has advanced throughout the Eastern Caribbean. Public officials fear the disease will lodge in the region, but it should not affect the United States.

theeagleangle.com

The XXII Winter Olympics kicked of in Sochi, Russia, on Feb. 7 and will last until Feb. 23. It is the first time Russia has hosted the Olympics in its post-USSR days.

An air raid in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo killed 90 people on Feb. 1. Women and children were reported among the dead, and President Al-Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime is reported to be responsible for the attacks.

News

Enrollment on the upswing story by Laura Hallas // managing editor

nrollment at the high school has increased by more than 180 percent in the last 10 years as a result of the growth of school programs and of the city itself. “We have seen a big growth here the last few years,” Student Information Manager Megan Perkins said. “I think this is due to the fact that the school has so much to offer and programs that other schools just don’t have.” Allen offers both AP and IB classes, as well as more than 60 extracurricular activities, many of which are student initiated. Since the addition of the Performing Arts Center in 2012, enrollment has increased by an average of 252 students a year. “Parents looking at two comparable programs, two different schools, where both schools offer the programs and they’re solid programs, then they start looking at what might be the extracurricular [activities] that could be good for my student, and since we offer so many, we’re just going to draw more people,” Perkins said. AP and IB classes have increased in enrollment by

more than four percent from 2011 to 2013. The IB program, added to the curriculum around the time of Perkins’ graduation from Allen in 2003, is one program that Advanced Academics Coordinator Lindsay O’Neal said continues to meet the needs of students. “The IB diploma was added at about the time [Perkins was] graduating,” O’Neal said. “So I think that draws in a different set of students who are looking for a more liberal arts approach to their advanced education.” O’Neal said that Allen’s academics differ from that of other high schools. Allen has both AP and IB tracks as well as career and technical paths. “You get to build your own resume,” O’Neal said. “It’s not like you walk in and we hand you a set schedule and you don’t have a choice. If you want to pursue something that they may want to pursue later in college, it gives them the opportunity to get a jumpstart on something or try something out that they think they might want to do later in college.” Enrollment growth has corresponded with that of the city. Since 2003, Allen

has grown by more than 25,000 people, growth which can be seen in the plans to add Lindsey Elementary to Allen ISD’s current rank of 17 elementary schools. The only requirements for enrollment in AISD are that the applicants are residents of Allen. As parents look to move into the Dallas area, this is one of the things that they research, Perkins said. She has received calls from families as far away as Dubai. “That gives students the opportunity to get more of an international perspective, you are meeting students from totally different places,” Perkins said. “You are actually getting to have communication with people from all over and different ways of life and that kind of thing, so it’s a great learning opportunity for students if they are willing to try something new and learn where [new students are] from and what brought them here.” New students are shown around their new A day and B day classes by PALs like junior Katie Primrose. Primrose said new students often have trouble getting used to the school.

“Most of [the new students] seem shocked by Allen,” Primrose said. “They usually come from much smaller schools.” For now, O’Neal said, the size is here to stay. The city is expected to level out at 98,000 residents, meaning even more students. And while O’Neal said that AISD has no desire to divide the high school, other adjustments may have to be made to accommodate an increasing population. Perkins said there are several ways to remain as one high school, whether it be running on a college-like schedule or offering online classes. New teachers have also been hired in recent years to keep constant class sizes. “There is no plan to ever have another high school in Allen,” Perkins said. “That was their intent to have one school in the community and not have the high school be divided into two or three different schools like Plano or McKinney. They wanted to have one school that was close knit so that everyone was joined together behind one school, so I don’t see them ever adding another school. They don’t want that at all.”

Graduated Graduating 2003

100 students

2014 graphic by Laura Hallas

YEARBOOKS FOR SALE Memories might fade But yearbooks will stay So don’t miss your chance Be sure to pay today Hooray Books cost $95 Jan.15 – March 15 Books cost $100 after March 15 Buy a book at www.smart-pay.com Tweet @eagleyearbook or email yearbook@allenisd.org if you have any questions.

News

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

public

News

overexposed

Students react to Snapchat breach story by Layal Zalkout // staff writer

ake a photo. Send it. In 10 seconds or less after being viewed, it’s gone. Known as an easy and private way to communicate, Snapchat has joined Instagram and Facebook as one of the top photo-sharing apps for iPhones and Androids. After its launch in Sept. 2011, the app gained popularity for the “privacy” it offered users and was considered to be a “more secure alternative” for other social networks. Yet, Snapchat’s security was questioned on New Year’s Eve, when hackers leaked the phone numbers and usernames of 4.6 million Snapchat users. “I never thought that I would see a hack of 4.6 million [usernames and phone numbers],” junior Hermon Feron said. “It came as a shock to me because the number of people affected was so, so big.” The information was posted on a site called SnapchatDB. info and could be downloaded. While the last two digits of the phone numbers were censored out, the hackers said on SnapchatDB.info that “under certain circumstances, [they] may agree to release” the uncensored version of the database. Sophomore Autumn Knoernschild said it never occurred to her that hackers would be able to expose such a vast amount of information. “I didn’t think that [a leak this big] would happen,” said Knoernschild. “I guess I underestimated people’s abilities.” By downloading the leaked usernames and phone numbers, people are able to search for matching information on other social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. The anonymous group of hackers said the leaked information could also be used to figure out phone numbers of people “you wish to get in touch with.” “[If my information was leaked], I’d actually be pretty mad,” said sophomore Christina Sundar Singh. “[I was told] that [people] couldn’t see my phone number or any of my information.” According to the hackers, this information was leaked in order to “raise awareness” on Snapchat’s security issues. The company had been warned of a major security hole, but took no action to fix it. Feron said she does not believe that users should have paid for Snapchat’s negligence. “In a way, I’m glad the company was exposed for their

weakness and not fixing the glitch,” Feron said. “But, I don’t think it was worth exposing people’s information in order to teach the company a lesson.” Other than this leak, Singh said she had heard of another Snapchat privacy issue. This one involved pictures. “I had first found out that Snapchat was actually taking pictures of the stuff we send and selling them sometimes,” said Singh. “That’s why I stopped sending selfies. I rarely sent them out and now I don’t send them at all. I know where half of those pictures go. It’s not places where you want them to be.” Also, a study carried out by a US firm said Snapchat does not delete the photos after they are viewed. Instead, the company makes them unreadable by changing the extension. It is then possible for the photos to be extracted from devices after they are viewed. Another study said the unread photos stay on the app’s servers for around 30 days, and are not deleted immediately. Feron said after this leak and these new findings, the hackers could possibly end up exposing Snapchat photos as well. “These hackers have really amazing skills when it comes to stuff like this,” Feron said. “[Snapchat] should probably learn how to delete the photos instantly instead of waiting for 30 days.” Knoernschild said Snapchat’s security issues have made her want to be more careful when using the app, but she still enjoys its features. “I like that I can communicate with my friends without having to give out my phone number,” said Knoernschild. “So, if we’re not that close, we can still communicate. [Also, the app] is picture oriented, and you can draw on the picture and do fun stuff with it. It’s really quick.” Snapchat is working to prevent future leaks and released an updated version of the app to increase privacy. Feron said she will still be using the app, and is sure that the security issues will be fixed soon. “I think that the safety of Snapchat is slightly at risk, but has room for improvement,” said Feron. “The Snapchat app creators should look into protecting the millions of people using their app in order for [the company] to continue to grow successfully.”

News

L O V E w e e k 2 0 1 4 12

Monday: “Dress in Pink and Blue” Tuesday: “Favorite Team” Wednesday: “Animal Print” Thursday: “Dress Like Your Favorite Dr. Seuss Character” Friday: “Wear You Love Week Shirt and Button”

News

This year

is the 34th year Allen has had Love Week and the fifth year it has had a district wide event led by the IB full diploma students. Senior Emily Stambaugh, a student at Allen who was killed in a car accident Nov. 7, was nominated as this year’s recipient. Even though Love Week is normally only a fundraiser for a single cause, this year had special circumstances, as sophomore Travis Stryker passed away Nov. 26 in a car accident as well. “We got quite a few letters and requests from students asking if we could extend Love Week to show concern for Travis Stryker,” Deborah Vernon, Love Week’s advisor, said. “This is the first time we have ever seen Love Week nominations go to two different recipients.” Although money is being raised in the names of Stambaugh and Stryker, the money fundraised will go to different recipients. “The shirts and buttons for Emily will all go toward Allen Animal Shelter,” senior Emily Cantwell, co-chairman of the Love Week program, said. “This is because she had a passion for animals. It will also go to raising a scholarship in her name.” Stambaugh was an active member in the Veterinary Technology program. Travis’s fundraiser will most likely go directly to his remaining family, but since he was accepted as an additional recipient later on, this is not a final decision. “Love Week is coordinated and sponsored by the IB full diploma candidates,” Vernon said. “But the PALS, Eagle Edge, art students and cheerleaders are all involved.” The PALS, student council and cheerleaders all help with fundraising and advertising for Love Week by making posters and spreading awareness. The art students helped to design the t-shirts being sold as a fundraiser. The Eagle Edge is carrying the t-shirts and buttons. Students may also choose to participate in designated dress-up days during the period of Love Week. This year’s dress-up days were: dress in pink and blue, Emily’s favorite colors; favorite sports team, Emily was on the swim team and Travis was on the hockey team; wear animal print, showing support for Allen Animal Rescue Shelter; dress like your favorite Dr. Seuss character, because Emily’s mantra was “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” a Dr. Seuss quote; and finally, wear your purchased Love Week apparel. “Emily was so young, but she taught us something that takes a lifetime for others to learn: love,” Brandon Morning, Stambaugh’s boyfriend, said.

story by Audrey Stelmach // staff writer

theeagleangle.com

News

honoring another

Community pulls together to support Strykers story by Madeline Chalkley // staff writer

Travis last November, when the Stryker family took their trip to Las Vegas. Photos submitted by Austin Stryker

ophomore Travis Stryker and his parents, James and Rebecca Stryker, passed away in a car accident in Arizona on the 26th of November of last year. Austin Stryker, who was also in the vehicle during the accident, sustained minor injuries. The family was on their way to Las Vegas, where Travis and Austin were to play hockey with their junior team, the Penguins, at the Silver Stick Pacific District Regional Qualifying Tournament. The news of the accident spread and caused many people to reach out to Austin and his sister Stephanie. Members of the sorority Delta Zeta at Texas A&M University showed their support by creating a website on EverRibbon.com that allows people to donate money to help Stephanie with her college expenses. The Dallas Junior Hockey Association, where Travis and Austin played, also set up a PayPal donation on their homepage, where 100 percent of the funds donated

will be given to the family. Austin was given support from many teams and players in the hockey community around the United States as well. “I got contacted by Connecticut University, people from

as a whole,” Austin said. Through all the sports that Austin and Travis shared, they became very close. Not only did they share a love for hockey, but traveling as well. The family explored many different parts of

“People Miss him.”

-Sophomore Austin Stryker, Travis’ twin brother A&M, people who played [hockey] for UT, people who played for the junior team here in Dallas called the Dallas Snipers and just the hockey community

North America and even Europe together. “I think [Travis] would want to be remembered by his friends, his love for hockey and traveling,”

Austin said as he started to recall some trips the brothers shared in the past. “We have a lake house we go to every summer, and when we were 12 we did a camping trip from coast to coast in Canada. This summer my family went to Italy, and then [Travis] flew to France by himself and did a language school there for two weeks.” Family and friends of Travis have described him as a laid-back kid whose presence was usually very funny and carefree. One of Travis’ teammates, senior Huy Do, explained that Travis was always willing to help and never argued. He even got in trouble for helping people too much sometimes. “You couldn’t have asked for a better person,” Allen Hockey Coach Chris Margiotta said. “He had a bigger heart than any room he walked in.” When Austin was asked what he would say if he could say absolutely anything to Travis, he simply replied, “People miss him.”

bottling hope

News

Senior starts water charity campaign story by Jacob Pena // staff writer

Eighteen. The age to be a it was for a good cause. legal adult. The age to vote. The “It is a sad situation, and age to buy tobacco products. The I think we should be more age to get a tattoo. Typically, appreciative of what we people ask their parents and have here and not take it for friends for spectacular presents granted,” Parchman said. on this occasion, presents Although she said she had that will help them signify previous knowledge of the adulthood. lack of clean water available to For senior Camryn Freiberg, developing countries, Parchman her coming into adulthood was said Freiberg’s campaign celebrated differently. The only further opened her eyes to thing she asked her friends and the situation. Parchman said family for on her 18th birthday she knew Freiberg, but that were donations to her campaign they were only acquaintances, giving clean water to those in although that did not stop her developing countries. from donating. The organization is called “It was a good way to Charity: Water, a non-profit help others, so even if I didn’t For her birthday, senior Camryn Freiberg asked for donations to organization that invests the know her, I would have still her campaign that raises money to give clean water to developing money raised by its individual contributed because it is the countries. For every $ 18 collected, one person receives clean water campaigns to build sustainable, right thing to do,” Parchman through her personal charity. photo by Saher Aqeel community-owned water said. thought $100 was achievable. She raised projects worldwide. Since its Freiberg has raised more $268 in the first day alone. start in 2006, it has funded 9,458 water than $700, which helps approximately “If I can help one person get clean projects and given 3.5 million people 37 people receive clean water. Freiberg water ,I would be happy,” Freiberg said. clean water in 20 countries. has changed her goal for donations twice, “I am going to be turning 18, and I have “There are many websites that do originally setting it at $100, and after gotten plenty of great gifts in the past. this kind of charity, but this one stuck exceeding that in the first day she set it to I don’t need a bunch when kids are out out to me.” Freiberg said. “I hope more $600 which she again exceeded. Currently there dying because they need clean people would want to do more stuff like her goal stands at $1,000, which Freiberg water.” this.” said she hopes to achieve by March 31, the Freiberg said she asked her family According to research conducted end date for her campaign. and friends to donate, but what was most by the World Health Organization, 90 “It seems like such an easy thing for surprising to her were the people whom percent of the 1.8 million people dying us, [and] there are people in America that she did not know who donated. every year from diarrheal diseases are do struggle with this [lack of clean water], “I had someone going to my college children under the age of 5. Eighty-eight but it’s not just America, it’s mainly that donated,” Freiberg said. “I have percent of these diseases are caused the developing countries who need it,” never even heard of him, but he is going by lack of proper water supply and Freiberg said. “This charity is amazing to High Point [University]. He wrote that sanitation. and I am so happy that this opportunity “Kids shouldn’t die and be dying from he was happy to donate. I love seeing was shown to me that I could help in any people’s generosity. I am glad that they diarrhea,” Freiberg said. “If you could get way possible.” can see that this is close to my heart.” a clean water well, they are more likely to Senior Courtney Parchman was one go to school, and having more water could You can donate to Freiberg’s campaign at: of the first people to make a donation to help them stay clean and healthier.” my.charitywater.org/ Freiberg’s campaign. She learned about When Freiberg started her campaign, the project through a Twitter post and camrynscampaign4water. she said she wasn’t sure how high to set said she donated to the campaign because her goal for receiving donations, but she theeagleangle.com

News

A new companion Junior raises service dog puppy

story by Megan Lucas // Co-Editor-in-Chief

omeday, Beatrice will be able to turn on a light switch. She’ll be able to pick up a dime off the floor. Someday, she’ll even be able to open a door. But first, the 3-month-old golden retriever puppy learned how to sit. “She has a list of commands to learn before she’s 4 months old, and she’s already learned all of them,” junior Samantha Johnson said. In December, Samantha started an 18-month project she said she’s been dreaming about since 2nd grade – raising a service dog. “I’ve just always loved animals, and I want to be a vet when I’m older, and so I thought it would look really good on a college application,” Samantha said. “I’m [also] in Girl Scouts, so I thought it would be a really great gold award. And I don’t know, I just really like the idea of her helping somebody. “ Samantha is raising the puppy through an organization she found out about last July at the Allen Public Library called Canine Companions International (CCI), which is the largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs. Julie Johnson, Samantha’s mother, said she received an email about the CCI presentation at the library and thought it would be a good idea to check it out. “I thought she might see how much was involved and it would discourage her, but it didn’t,” Johnson said. “There were about four puppies there with their trainers, after we saw the presentation and the videos that really get you because they showed how it helped

other people who use these dogs, and she just gave me that look, like, ‘I really want to train a dog.’” Johnson said she talked with Samantha’s father, and they decided together that it would be a worthy investment for Samantha. “After talking with her dad, it was like, well, this is really a passion of hers, and even though we know we don’t really have time for it, we’ll make time for it because we know its her passion,” Johnson said. About two weeks after the presentation, Samantha applied online to train a dog. Since she is under 18, her mother is her “sponsor,” although Samantha does all the training herself. About two months after submitting the online application, she interviewed with the CCI southwest regional manager over the phone, and then had a house interview a few weeks later. “They sent one of the puppy raisers in our area out to check [the house] out,” Samantha said. “Another month later, they called and said they would have a male, full yellow lab puppy available for November.”

However, Samantha said she was advised to get a female puppy first, because they were easier to train.

“They said to feel free to go ahead and take the puppy, but it might be [harder],” Johnson said. “I thought maybe we might heed some advice.” So on December 11, Samantha received Beatrice. Along with Beatrice, she also received all the training materials she would need – a binder with a care and training schedule, and a DVD with demonstrations on the way to teach commands to the dog. Samantha said the training schedule starts at 5 am and ends after dinner. “I get up anyway at five in the morning for cross country,” Samantha said. “So that really worked out, because I wouldn’t get up at 5 a.m. if it weren’t for cross country. So I wake up and I usually get myself ready so I’m not late if I run out of time, and then I take her outside directly, and then I’ll come inside and train her if I have time, and I’ll feed her and take her outside again

News and then put her back in her kennel.” Samantha said since Beatrice’s attention span is small, the training sessions only last five minutes. She said the morning training session repeats before lunch and dinner. “She always trains before she eats,” Samantha said. “She works for her food. And usually after lunch or after dinner I’ll let her go out into the backyard and play with [our other dog] Buddy so that she’ll sleep, ’cause she doesn’t like her kennel.” The training Beatrice undergoes the next 18 months includes simple commands, like “stay” and “shake.” But according to CCI regional coordinator Beth Jerner, who has trained six CCI dogs, these commands are the building blocks for more advanced commands the puppies learn in what Samantha called “puppy college,” a six to nine month intensive training program that follows the 18 months of training the puppy gets from Samantha. “[The puppy raiser] teaches them to shake, like you know shake paws with you, but later in training that becomes light, like on the wall you ‘shake’ the light switch,” Jerner said. “So [the puppy raisers] teach them the building blocks, kinda like ABCs, like how to write and read small words, and when they go out for advanced training, they build off [those] of the things.” If they graduate from puppy college, CCI dogs are matched with a recipient for free, which the organization is able to do because the puppy raisers pay the dog’s expenses while training them. “These guys go to somebody that has a hearing disability, or a veteran that comes back from war and has an injury and walks with a cane, or a prosthetic limb, or like a child with autism, or any other personal disorder like that,” Jerner said. “So when the training is all said and done, they will eventually be able to pick up things as small as a dime on the ground, turn on and off light switches, hit elevator buttons, [and] open and close doors.” But Beatrice won’t be graduating for a while – and for now Samantha said it’s theeagleangle.com

been hard not to get attached to her. “[At first] I was like, we’ll just look at it like she’s another visitor, coming to our house,” Samantha said. “It’s not working like that though, she’s my baby.” Samantha said she wants to train a boy dog next, to see the differences in training, and that she’s excited simply that her goal of raising a service puppy has already come to fruition. “I would always used to see people in the grocery story or mall with service dogs and I’d be like ‘Can I pet it’ and like I want to do this, and it’s just cool,” Samantha said. “Like I knew would want to do it later in life, I just didn’t know how soon it would be.”

Far Left: 3-month-old Beatrice. Photo by Lucy Boys. Above: Samantha hold her service dog puppy, Beatrice, who she is raising through Canine Companions International. Below: Samantha practices commands with Beatrice. Photos by Megan Lucas

News

a is for animal Psychology teacher raises, shows alpacas story by Laura Pitts // staff writer

extbook, red pen and alpacas? AP Psychology teacher Jennifer Bost has been raising alpacas for many years. She began with three, but now owns a total of 18 alpacas. “We actually have a decent amount of property,” Bost said. “And so we wanted to put something on the property and my husband originally wanted to put cattle out there so that we can butcher them and eat them, but I didn’t want to do that because I didn’t want to eat my pets, so we got something that we could just put out there that was pretty to look at.” Bost not only raises these alpacas, but also shows them with her family at several different competitions here in Texas

all the way to Georgia and Missouri, attending almost eight a year. Bost said that taking care of the animals may seem like a difficult task, but they are actually easy to maintain. “They eat hay and grain and they pretty much eat the grass,” Bost said. “I feed them once a day. I make sure they have water and give them monthly shots and that’s pretty much it.” When going out of town, Bost puts her trust in her former student, senior Jake May. “The main thing that I do is, I give them hay, give them oats and make sure their water bins are filled up,” May said. “They have two dogs there and I feed the dogs give them water [and] give them treats. Make

sure everything’s okay and make sure the alpacas aren’t acting funny or that they aren’t sick or anything like that so I’m just making sure everything is okay.” Alpacas, just like the any other animal, have their own personalities. “There’s one you can feed him from your hand these little berries or these little mini apples,” May said. “But then there’s other ones that run away from you if you’re with in five feet and if you get close to them while they’re eating some of them have a tendency to spit on you.” Buying an alpaca can range from prices of $500 all the way to $10,000 depending on whether it is a pet or show animal. “First you have to decide

Jennifer Bost shows off her Alpacas at her NorTex Alpaca farm in Parker, TX. photo by Ashley Acosta

do you want pets or do you want show animals? Because show quality animals are going to be more expensive. Pet animals [someone] could buy easily for $500.” Bost said. “So if they’re a pet animal they are going to go for around $500 sometimes up to $1000 [to] $1200. If it’s a show animal, the sky is the limit a lot of the time. Show animals, good show animals, start at about $10,000. The highest recorded alpaca that I know of that sold was $675,000.” In early January, Bost welcomed another addition to her alpaca family. “We just had a baby [on] Jan. 3rd, and a baby is called a cria. And then our oldest one is probably 8. So we have all the way from 8 to a couple weeks old,” Bost said.

Psychology teacher Jennifer Bost looks on to her Alpaca farm where some of her 18 Alpacas graze behind her home. photos by Saher Aqeel

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e vapes at home. He vapes in his car. He vapes at Walmart. He vapes 24/7. Senior Joshua Hewes is addicted to electronic cigarettes. “I love [electronic cigarettes],” Hewes said. “ I think the idea is great. People just use them for the wrong reasons. It’s like a status. They use [electronic cigarettes] to make themselves look cool and look important. They don’t use it for the way they were meant to be used, a tool to help you kick the habit of smoking.” Electronic cigarettes, better known as e-cigs, have recently swept the nation due to their rising popularity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, one in every 10 high school students has experimented with e-cigs. Originally aimed to prevent or lessen the use of tobacco smoking, e-cigs are battery-powered devices that use a heating element to vaporize a liquid solution. This liquid solution may contain a combination of nicotine and other flavorings, but they do

- ddicted

E-Cig popularity on the Rise at AHS story by Maggie Rians and Bailey Wood // assistant editor and staff writer

cover

not necessarily have to contain nicotine. Before he started using e-cigs last May, Hewes said he would constantly smoke regular cigarettes, smoking at least two and a half to three packs of cigarettes a day. He said one of the reasons he wanted to make the transition to e-cigs was because of the high expense of regular cigarettes and the health concerns. “When I smoked, it killed my stamina,” Hewes said. “It made me breathe real heavy and I felt lazy. I felt fat. I couldn’t do anything, but like whenever I stopped smoking and started doing e-cigs, I got my stamina back. I can eat right, I just feel a lot better. I feel like a weight has lifted off of me.” The key difference between regular and e-cigs is that e-cigs do not contain tobacco. However, the CDC said that nicotine is highly addictive and people can still become addicted to these battery-operated cigarettes. Sophomore Mallory, a past user of both regular and electronic cigarettes who’s last name has been omitted to protect her privacy, said the difference between the two is apparent. “Cigarettes are nasty compared to e-cigs,” Mallory said. “I’ve tried [regular smoking], but I didn’t like it. E-cigs taste good, but they’re not strong, and they don’t burn. Cigarettes burn your throat and they’re not tasteful.” Even though the use of nicotine in e-cigs is optional, there are still health concerns regardless of the nicotine. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration completed an analysis regarding the harm of e-cigs and discovered that they contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals. The FDA also detected tobacco nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic to humans. Because of these health concerns, students like sophomore Cameron Evans are opposed to the use of these alternative cigarettes. “A lot of people think [e-cigs] are not as harmful as cigarettes, but they actually have harmful chemicals like chemicals used in anti freeze,” Evans said. “It is poisonous. People also believe that they release water vapor, which it’s actually also an assortment of chemicals.” Evans said he was once offered to vape with someone, but he refused. He said they make him uncomfortable. “I try not

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to judge, but [if people smoke], it does worsen my opinion on them a little bit, honestly,” Evans said. “It just makes me feel like they don’t care about themselves and they are dishonoring themselves and their body.” Executive Principal Steve Payne said that e-cigs are against school policy because they can contain liquid nicotine, which is considered a drug. “[E-cigs] are distracting,” Payne said. “Just like if someone was smoking, that’s distracting and someone who uses e-cigarettes would also be distracting. It doesn’t have a place in school. This is a place of learning, an institution of learning and e-cigarette use is not appropriate at school.” Mallory said she does not vape too often, but does not like when people use e-cigs at school. “Actually when I had [my e-cig], I’d like stay in my room and watch Netflix and smoke it, but it wasn’t like I take it to school,” Mallory said. “There are a lot of teenagers that take theirs to school and smoke them in the PAC and stuff like that. It’s really kind of stupid, why do you need to bring it to school? It’s just stupid.” Because of the use of liquid nicotine, Payne said that students who use e-cigs on campus would receive the same punishments as a student who uses regular cigarettes on campus. He said that the student will initially get a detention and if the habit continues, then it is considered insubordination and further consequences will take place. “If someone is of age and wants to use cigarettes and wants to use electronic cigarettes, then that is a personal choice if that is what they want to do,” Payne said. “It’s not that I am opposing e-cigarettes. It’s that I am upholding our rules.” Hewes said he would recommend e-cigs to someone who is trying to stop a smoking habit because it is safer alternative than using tobacco cigarettes. “If you’ve been smoking for 10, 15, 20 years, or so on so forth, I would recommend [e-cigs] if you want to kick it,” Hewes said. “If you want to kick the habit the smart way, get an e-cig. You can get a nicotine one if you want but, you can have it look exactly how you want, and taste the way you want, while also maintaining its job. It’s a really smart thing. I like it.”

sports

The University Interscholastic League released the 2014-2016 district realignments on Feb. 3. Allen moved up to 6A, and is now districted with the three Plano high schools, McKinney Boyd, Lewisville, Hebron, Flower Mound and Flower Mound Marcus. Below are the teams’ football records during the regular season.

district 6 - 6A Allen 12-0 hebron 8-4 flower mound 2-8 Flower Mound 2-8 marcus

lewisville 3-7 mckinney boyd 6-4 Plano East 5-5 plano senior 7-3 Plano West 6-4

New District Nothing To Fret story by McKenzi Morris // Co-Editor-In-Chief

istrict Champions. That’s all the Allen football team has known since 2006. And with the new district alignments, nothing should change. UIL announced the finalized list for the new classes and districts, effective in the 2014-15 school year, on Feb. 3. They eliminated the title of “6-man” for smaller schools, and have since moved them up to a 1A classification. New student enrollment cutoff numbers were released as well, stating that to be considered 6A, a school must have at least 2,100 enrolled students. All 5A and 6A school will no longer be divided into regions either. With these changes, from 2014 to 2016 Allen will be considered a 6A high school. Now that Allen has moved up a division, some people believe our momentum may be halted and the current

championship streak will come to an end. Definitely not true. If anything, this shift gives Allen’s athletic teams greater drive to perform well, knowing that they will be competing against larger schools with significantly bigger talent pool. Just because certain teams dropped out of our district and some were added does not mean athletes won’t train with the same tenacity, if not more. The pregame preparation and focus during a game coming from the Allen players matter more than who is on the other side. They are simply another opponent on the schedule. Yes, some teams may require more work than others. But of the eight other teams in the new district, four are teams we faced and defeated both last year and this year. And the remaining four have previously been

districted with Allen. None of these schools are completely new to any Allen athletic team and this sense of familiarity should be taken with a smile. I mean, Allen is the only team in District 6 to bring home a football state championship since 2005-when Hebron won the 4A Division II title. But we defeated them last year, narrow victory or not. When you think about it, Allen is the school of overcoming adversity. We lost a heartbreaker to Coppell in 2012, but came back the next week stronger and made our way to a state title. That drive continued on into the next season and they were perfect. Literally, 12-0. When a senior class graduates, there are prepped and ready junior and sophomore classes stepping up and taking charge. The same is expected for next season despite the new district because two key parts

of the team are staying the same-the quarterback and the head coach. With Kyler Murray taking the snaps and Tom Westerberg calling the shots, not much can go wrong for the Eagles, no matter who the opponent may be. Shifting from a 5A Division I school to not only the largest 6A school, but the largest high school in the state with 5,987 students, is not something to be taken lightly. Football analysts and college scouts will have their eyes fixated on these teams for the next two school years like it’s nobody’s business. But that is to be expected with high school football in Texas. And as big of a deal as it may be, it’s truly not anything for Allen to worry about. No matter who the foe, the Eagles know how to work hard and come out victorious, something everyone here has grown accustomed to.

Croquet Club Kicks Off

sports

story by Jackson Meeker // staff writer

he Croquet Club made its debut Jan. 10 with more than 40 students attending the first meeting. Meetings take will place once a month in the field behind G-hall. “People can recruit all their friends and bring them over to play,” croquet club president Paul Russell said. “We’re kind of working out some new things, and different competitions where people can win. Eventually it will become a big thing where a bunch of people from AHS can get together and everyone will play croquet.” A typical game of croquet consists of nine wickets and

six croquet balls. A wicket is a thin metal arch that goes in the ground. The object of the game is to consecutively get the ball through the nine wickets, alternating shots between players. Croquet is a sport more common overseas in places like England. “I started the idea because I had this croquet set at my house for a really long time, and I never used it,” Russell said. “And I was hanging out with some friends one night, and it was the middle of the night and we decided to play croquet, and I enjoyed it. So I was like, ‘I want to start a club now.’ And croquet was something

I’ve been doing for a little bit, so I was like, ‘why not croquet?’” With a plan in place, the last step to take was to get a teacher to sponsor the club, and Russell said he knew just the teacher who would endorse their croquet club. “Paul Russell approached me about having the club,” sophomore Phoenix teacher Shannon Green said. “We applied through the front office to have the club approved. We were initially denied because they didn’t think there would be much interest. Then Paul

started a petition to show interest, and he got so many signatures that it was approved.” Russell pulled off the organization of the very first croquet club at the school. An accomplishment that he says he is proud of and will cherish for a long time. Green said she was also glad she got to take part in this operation. “I had the privilege of teaching Paul and several of the club officers and we had a great year with each other, so I was excited to get another opportunity to work with him again,” Green said.

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sports

Pinnacle of perfection story by Collin Thompson // sports editor They’ve done it again. The Allen Eagles have reached the top for the second year in a row and for the third time in six years. Champions, yet again. Except this time, they’re perfect. Sixteen wins. Zero losses. The Eagles repeated as Texas 5A State Champions on Dec. 21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington when they defeated the Pearland Oilers 63-28 in front of a Texas high school record 54,347 people. The 63 points the team scored was a Texas 5A championship record. But the Eagles are no stranger to high scoring games, putting up as much as 77 points in a game against Plano West this season. “The offense is always very explosive,” senior captain offensive lineman Tejan Koroma said. “Great offensive line, great receivers, Kyler Murray at quarterback. I’m surprised we

didn’t put up more points, honestly.” Koroma, along with fellow senior captains receiver Cole Carter, cornerback Mayomi Olootu and defensive back Chad Adams have all been on the team since sophomore year and have been able to use that playing time to become better leaders on the team. “As a captain, you have to hold the younger guys accountable,” Olootu said. “They’re not only representing their team, but they’re representing the city of Allen, and that’s what we really do this for.” Twenty-nine members of the 2012 state championship team returned for this season, which resulted in the Eagles coming into the season ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Today. “We had a good core defense coming back and offense was still looking pretty good. I was just

confident,” Olootu said. “My thing was thinking, how are we gonna focus for 16 weeks? How are we gonna stay consistent and get better each week? I knew we could overcome anything.” Starting at such a high ranking gave other teams more motivation to win and be the team that could beat Allen, but despite those hopes, the Eagles were still able to handle every team they faced this season. “Everyone expects Allen to win the state championship every year, so you’re always gonna have that target on your back,” Carter said. “We knew we were gonna get every team’s best game, so we really had to come with it every week, so there [were] just 16 weeks of hard work.” Despite those high early rankings, Olootu said he never felt the pressure was becoming too much for him to handle.

just another game

sports

Far left: As the players receive their gold medals after the game, senior Andrew McLaughlin holds a banner made for the team. Left: After a decisive victory over Pearland on Dec. 21, players hoist their latest trophy. With a final score of 6328, the Eagles became back-to-back 5A Division I State Champions. Bottom: During the state championship game, senior linebacker Tay Evans blocks a Pearland offensive lineman. photos by Saher Aqeel

“I never felt pressure playing for the Allen Eagles,” Olootu said. “It’s never all on you. It’s a team effort. It’s never all on just one person. The players on the team, they know what to do. I look up to a lot of my teammates. They have a lot of heart, a lot of passion. We play for each other.” Head coach Tom Westerberg said that there is always pressure in Allen to win, but that the players never seem to show it keeping them down. “Every year there’s pressure. After you win like we have, every year has pressure,” Westerberg said. “But the kids handle it pretty well and we took our best shot. Those kids know how to win and to watch them come together as a team and the leadership of the captains, it just reflects on how we played, being able to go 16-0.” The defense was able to consistently stop offenses and put the Eagles in a position to put points on the board, forcing 74 punts over the season, while the Eagles only punted 30 times, nearly theeagleangle.com

three times less a game. “Offense makes the defense better, defense makes the offense better,” Adams said. “It’s a long season. At the end of the day, you stay together, and we always had each other’s back. Our defense went out there and got stops and caused turnovers so the offense could get the ball back, and that’s what we always try and do. Just escort the ball to our offense and let them go to work.” Part of the team’s success this season was the low number of injuries. The team was able to stay well for the most part, which directly contributed to their success and undefeated season. “In any year you gotta stay healthy,” Westerberg said. “Playing 16 games is a long, long season,and we played 16 the year before, so playing 32 games in two years is like adding a third season. You’ve really gotta stay healthy through that, and then when somebody does go down, watching somebody step up and play, that’s really the key.” Olootu said that Westerberg, along

with the 10 other coaches, gave the team the best chance to repeat as state champions and helped them accomplish their goals this season. “Every practice they encourage us. They put us in the best position to make plays,” Olootu said. “It’s just like, you go out there and you do your things, and they’re gonna always put us in the right position to do our best. They give us a lot of motivation by talking to us. They’re expecting a lot from us to start with.” Olootu said the season could not have been better and that it can’t compare to any other season of football that the players have experienced. “To go in week in and week out and win, that’s the hardest part in my opinion,” Olootu said. “It’s really hard to go undefeated. Not a lot of teams in the history of high school football get to say they went 16-0. The atmosphere was awesome. Last year, there were some good games, but this year, it was just an awesome feeling knowing that we’re perfect.”

Sports

one more time

story by McKenzi Morris // Co-Editor-In-Chief

hirteen wrestlers. Nine state qualifiers. Seven first place finishes. One regional championship team. These were the results after two days of wrestling in the Region II tournament. From Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 in the main gym at the high school, the boys’ wrestling team competed in four rounds of matches looking to place in the top four of their weight class and move on to state. “[Placing first at regionals] was a good feeling,” senior Bo Nickal said. “I was really happy with my performance

Clockwise from right: Wrestling in the 113 pound weight class, junior Howard Smith competes in the Dual State championship for Allen. | During the semifinal round of the regional tournament, senior Jeff Ptak looks to gain take points for a take down. He took first in his weigh class. | In a 182 weight class match, senior Tracey Eitel attempts to take down his opponent. At the end of the final tournament, he finished first. photos by McKenzi Morris

and the team’s performance, so it went well.” The University Interscholastic League (UIL) state tournament will be held in Garland from Feb. 14-15. To prepare for their last tournament of the season, the team has added practices to their schedule, are running extra sprints and partaking in sandbag workouts. “I’m pretty confident. We’re going to do really well,” Nickal said. “I’m just excited and ready to leave with a bang.”

the Highest score

sports

From their past three tournaments, the wrestling team has scored a total of 849 team points, setting a district 8-5A record.

254

312

283

Regional

District

Dual State

Tournament

Back in the neutral position during the semifinal round, senior Bo Nickal goes for a take down. He finished the tournament in first place. photo by McKenzi Morris theeagleangle.com

sochi 2014

Sports

photos courtesy of MCT Campus

story by Katelyn Moody // staff writer The 2014 Winter Olympics will be taking place in Sochi, Russia. The opening ceremony was on Feb. 7 with the closing ceremony on Feb. 23. There are 98 events in 15 discipline sports scheduled with a total of 88 nations are participating.

Bobsled Bobsleigh is a sport in which teams of two or four ride down a narrow ice track on a sled. The times of each run are combined to calculate the final score. The crew pushes the sled for 50 meters before making the run down the course, which is also known as a heat. Race times are recorded in hundredths of seconds and can impact the score greatly. In the Winter Olympics, all competitions consist of four heats.

Figure skating Figure skating has been a part of the Winter Olympics since 1924. Ice skating events consist of men’s singles, ladies’ singles, pairs and ice dancing. The USA is ranked first for most medals earned for figure skating. Points are awarded individually for every skating technique shown and the sum of these scores is the total score.

Curling Curling is a sport that involves two teams at a time, each with four players, taking turns sliding stones across ice toward a target with four rings. Each team has eight stones and attempts to meet the goal of achieving the highest score. Points are made by the stone resting closest to the center. Curling has been given the nickname “chess on ice.”

Biathlon Biathlon is a race where contestants ski on a cross-county track and the distance is broken up by shooting rounds. The rounds are done half in prone position and the other half of the rounds are done in a standing position. Time can be added to a racer’s total time based on shooting performance. The racers are timed on how long it takes to finish the race and the racer with the shortest amount of time wins the round.

Snowboarding Snowboarding at the Winter Olympics is made up of different events for both men and women. The events are the halfpipe, parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, slopestyle and snowboard cross. The USA is ranked number one for most medals won for snowboarding. Shaun White and Seth Wescott are the only double gold medalists for the United States in snowboarding.

Flip S ide I Won’t Give up why bother?

opinions

story by Monica Martinez // staff writer

story by Madison Reynolds // staff writer

“

all me a hopeless romantic, but there’s something about the idea of high school sweethearts that’s enticing. Realistically, I understand that most high school relationships rarely make it through the entirety of high school itself, but the cliché “high school sweethearts” is the ultimate high school fantasy for any romantic hopeless or not. Since high school is a time of ups and downs, getting to know your partner through this time allows you to see how they’ll handle what life throws at them. Because of such a deep connection and history, high school sweethearts know their significant other like the back of their hand, which is helpful when it comes to resolving problems and enduring tough times. High school and college make for great stories that will surely be passed down for generations. What better way to reminisce about your favorite memories with the person you shared most of these moments with - your high school sweetheart? Pursuing the relationship after high school ensures more memories to be created and shared with your first love. Continuing a high school relationship is like bringing a piece of home to college with you. Whether you go to the same school as your significant other or not, it is comforting to know that the person you share such a strong bond with is experiencing similar things as you and understands you like none other. Of course, going off to college poses several potential problems for many couples, whether it’s long-distance, jealousy or fear of people changing. While going separate ways later down the road remains a possibility, relationships that have somehow managed to survive the chaos we call high school shouldn’t call it quits because everyone around them says it won’t work out. Most high school relationships nowadays may end in heartbreak, but there’s always an exception. If you’ve made it this far, you should keep going. You just might be the exception.

opinion on High school sweethearts

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College is a time to find yourself.” “It’s the best four years of your life.” We’ve heard these sayings regarding leaving the nest and being uprooted from our childhood home, friends and yes, even our high school sweethearts. Preparing ourselves for a fouryear journey unbound by our parents. When is it time to leave the relationships we made in high school? The answer is: As soon as you get out. You’re supposed to bring your physical baggage to college, so leave the emotional baggage behind. You see it glamorized in the media, movies and books, all going on and on about teenagers finding their “true love” in high school. What high school sweethearts in the real world need to realize is, you don’t always get a happily after, and there is the inevitable fact that you guys will either break up or get married. Chances are you’ll get sick of each other by the time college comes around. You can only make out in the middle of the hall way during passing period so many times until it gets annoying for all the people being forced to watch your little ‘moment,’ before you get just as sick of it as the rest of us. Phone calls, text messages, Facetime and Skype dates. Who has time for that? News flash: college only gets harder, and I have no idea how people have successful high school relationships, much less college ones. Trying to make it work with miles, or even states apart seems excessive, time consuming and hopeless. If you and your high school sweetheart even think about applying to the same colleges based solely on staying together, stop. Don’t ruin the college experience before it even happens. College is about freedom, so why be tied to the old ball and chain? Your future is yours and hopefully you’ve wrapped around the fact that everyone has their own. As sad as it is for me to break the news to you, your sweetheart’s future might not include you. Like crowded hallways, endless hours of homework and mean teachers, “high school sweethearts” should be left in high school.

Sincerely, Stylish

Opinions

Size: Who cares

story by Emily Haney // staff writer e live in a society The word “fat” is thrown confined by walls built of around and overused without unachievable beauty. Most a second thought. But the have been brainwashed into weight of that word follows thinking that if a woman a young girl for the rest of is not a size two, she is not her life. If we didn’t live in beautiful. What happened a society that so strongly to Marilyn Monroe being places an emphasis on the the ideal shape for young non-existent ideal, there women? would be nothing to obsess We have evolved as a over. Every female can say society into accepting skin they are a victim of their own and bone as the only body critical thoughts. And that is type acceptable for females. why the lingering residue of Besides her perfect curves a comment as harsh as “fat” and bombshell aura, I can destroy the confidence think Miss Norma Jean was someone might have had. beautiful because, despite So what if you don’t have her size six or eight or 12 or a gap between your thighs, whatever size America claims and so what if you’re trying she was, she was comfortable to work off the extra 10 in her own skin. pounds you’ve had on you

since turkey and dressing. If you’re always comparing yourself to someone else you will always find a difference. The fact that someone is doing their job right in airbrushing or sculpting the bodies in a digital image ultimately proves the point that perfection is nonexistent. You cannot live up to the standards of a human being who called you “fat” because their mind has been diluted with this concept that something else would look better for you. I’m an advocate of women working hard to look strong instead of starving themselves to be thin. The difference between

the two? One is healthy and empowering and the other is harmful and selfdefeating, because the limit begins to disappear when you see someone else as your stopping point, or your ultimate “perfect body” goal. The most beautiful women to me are the ones who don’t pay attention to the suffocating standards of Hollywood. This is why Jennifer Lawrence is such a positive role model for young women because she can accept the criticism of people telling her that she’s “overweight” because she doesn’t have the body of a model. Confidence is the best thing a woman can wear.

New Pot trend

story by Callie Anderson // assistant online editor Marijuana has been debated over the last few years and the discussion will continue as other states consider legalization. Colorado and Washington have legalized it medically and recreationally, and 20 states and the District of Columbia allow medical marijuana for sale. Adults must be 21 in order to purchase up to a gram of the substance. Colorado started selling marijuana Jan. 1. Alaska and Wyoming are pushing the legalization of recreational marijuana, but they plan to wait and see how Colorado and Washington handle the legalization before pushing further action.

A students Perspective “I feel like if we were going to [legalize pot], they should just make it like cigarettes,” an anonymous senior said. “Tax them and do all that.” “I don’t think it’s right because it dangers other people,” sophomore Kaylee Davis said. “If [pot] is used properly for people that have cancer, then I think it’s right,” junior Brianna Stidham said. “People shouldn’t use it as like a drug.” “I wish [marijuana] was legal everywhere because it helps people”, junior Josh Cole said. “I really believe it’s a good thing.” Medical Use Only: Medical and Recreational Use:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABlank-USA%2BPRVI-CSS_map.svg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACannabis_leaf.svg

“I don’t think that [pot] is a good choice unless it’s for medical reasons like cancer,” senior Brianna Thomas said. “That’s when I think it’s needed, but other than that I don’t think it should be legalized.”

Opinions

electronic cigarettes create dangerous environment story by The Eagle Angle Staff

efore the rest of the world realized that tobacco and nicotine were bad for you, Herbert A. Gilbert was coming up with the design for the first ever electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. Although his patent was filed in 1963 and accepted, his invention didn’t take hold because smoking was common and not seen as unhealthy. Fast forward 50 years, and e-cigarettes are unfortunately all the rage. High schoolers and middle schoolers are “vaping” in the middle of class. Many pair their e-cigarette with marijuana oil in order to get high. E-cigarettes are taking over, and this new trend has got to stop. These “healthy” alternatives to smoking are dangerous and addictive, and there is no real proof that they wean people off regular cigarettes, the main reason for which they were invented. Many people are under the impression that e-cigarettes offer a safe way to get a nicotine fix, but this absolutely is not true, especially for children. In fact, according to the Texas Poison Center, theeagleangle.com

52 percent of the calls regarding exposure to e-cigarettes have involved children under the age of 5. There is absolutely no excuse for putting a child at risk. And while it may be true that e-cigarettes are slightly safer than the traditional cigarette with tobacco, the health risks posed by these electronic machines cannot continue to be overlooked. A 2009 Federal Drug

breathing difficulty in all people. Furthermore, e-cigarettes do contain various levels of nicotine, a fact that most people do not know. Nicotine is a highly addictive and poisonous chemical for children, teenagers and adults alike – one drop of pure nicotine will kill a full-grown adult. A National Youth Tobacco survey found that between 2011 and 2012,

ridiculous to risk a healthy body and lifestyle for 10 minutes of vaping. If the harmful and addictive nature of e-cigarettes isn’t enough to prove their danger, ABC News reported that there is little to no evidence that e-cigarettes curb smoking habits. Young adults may claim they are using an e-cigarette to stop their use of regular, tobaccofilled cigarettes, but in reality they vape as a way to appear cool to their peers or meet new friends. But there is absolutely nothing cool about seeing another person waste their money and their life on a device that could possibly be slowly killing them. There are much better, healthier, cheaper ways to achieve the same adrenaline rush an e-cigarette supposedly provides. Just as with any drug, there are healthier, cheaper and better ways to achieve the same adrenaline rush an e-cig supposedly provides. With so many other activities available to them, teenagers shouldn’t let their youth (and health) escape them in a puff of smoke.

Staff Editorial Administration analysis found that samples of the liquid inside e-cigarettes contain carcinogens and other unsafe chemicals, such as diethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze, a liquid added to the water in a vehicle’s radiator in order to change the water’s boiling and freezing points. When ingested, the diethylene glycol in antifreeze can cause severe heart, liver and brain damage and sometimes leads to death. In addition, a report from researchers in Greece determined that e-cigarettes increase

e-cigarette use almost doubled among high school students. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nicotine activates the part of your brain that regulates feelings of pleasure. It also increases levels of dopamine, a chemical that regulates the desire to consume drugs. It is a well-known fact that teenagers’ brains are not fully developed, which makes them even more susceptible to the dangerous effects of nicotine - including severe nausea and vomiting, increased blood pressure and cancer. It is absolutely

Opinions

Golden Globes

Dynamic duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were back for the 71st annual Golden Globes, showing no mercy and starting right where they left off last year with relentless punch lines. Jennifer Lawrence won Best Supportive Actress in a Motion Picture for her flawless performance in “American Hustle.” Lawrence accepted the award with all of her usual spunk and attitude, and did it all without falling. Though the award-winning night had some memorable highlights, the evening’s greatest disappointment was definitely Kerry Washington not taking home a welldeserved Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Drama.

The Grammys

Besides a few awards that no one really cared about here and a few boring acceptance speeches there, the night was officially spectacular. The ever-dapper Leonardo Dicaprio accepted his Golden Globe for best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical, or Comedy for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street with finesse and the most charming smile of the night. Fey and Poehler have definitely made this year’s Golden Globes one to remember. From the red carpet flooding to Leo’s adorable dimple smile, the 71st annual Golden Globes was the best one yet. “This is the beautiful disaster we hoped it to be,” Fey and Poehler said, a perfect closing to the night.

The Grammy’s have come back full force, easily being the best award show of this season. Pink’s trapeze act was expected, but that made it no less impressive. Daft Punk and Pharrell‘s “Get Lucky” was pretty tame at first, but once Stevie got comfortable, and the Robots appeared behind the faux studio, it became perhaps the highlight of the night. They were totally committed to that ’70s studio vibe, resulting in a well executed, hard-todislike performance. It is hard to believe that rap fans were bracing for the worst all night, knowing Kendrick Lamar would be paired with

Imagine Dragons. But you know what? Their “Radioactive”/“m.A.A.d city” mashup was incredible. You gotta give it to ID’s singer, Dan Reynolds for his great rock howl. As for Beyonce, she gave us a promising start, with a flash dance rendition of “Drunk In Love,” rocking wet hair and a bodyhugging suit. Hubby Jay Z joined her near the end of the song in his suit and bow tie once again, and they held hands and embraced for some classy steamy Grammy goodness. This action packed award night has definitely set the standard high for future Grammy’s for years to come.

People’s Choice The red carpet pre-show kicked off the People’s Choice Awards with a dazzling display of glittering gowns and flashing camera lights. Stars poured onto the runway, joking with the pre-show host Dave Karger as they made their way to the Vine photo booth which posted a six second all around view of their evening ensemble for all to see. Beth Bhers and Kat Dennings kicked off the show dressed as their characters from 2 Broke Girls on CBS with a parade of waitresses offering burgers and fries to all seated in the audience. This Parade of Broke Girls in their mustard and ketchup colored uniforms made its way to the top moments of the night.

Winners

Many of the stars offered tear-wrenching acceptance speeches as they recounted many of the people who helped them on their way to the recognitiown. Other celebrities joked and laughed with the audience as they accepted their awards. Bhers and Dennings yet again performed the highlight of the show as Bhers took the microphone herself, her voice resounding through the room as she sang popular tunes ending with her performance of “Baby Got Back,” originally by Sir-Mix-a-Lot. Overall, the People’s Choice Award show was a whirl of excitement and reality as the peoples’ voices were heard and displayed for all to see.

stories by Jordyn Ruiz and Naomi Fluckiger // staff writers

Golden Globes

The Grammy’s

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Best Rock Performance: Imagine Dragons for “Radioactive”

Best Actor in a Motion Picture: Leonardo Dicaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Country Group/Duo: The Civil Wars for “From This Valley”

Red Carpet Review

Opinions

Golden Globes

The Grammy’s

The Good: Kerry Washington

The Good: Beyonce

The “Scandal” star, enveloped in a pregnancy glow, was a hard one to miss in a stunning white Balenciaga gown. She definitely rocked that baby bump like a good pair of heels.

Beyonce stunned the red carpet displaying her famous curves in a white mermaid gown that was almost completely see-through, adorned in lace embroidery.

The Bad: Anna Gunn

The Bad: Nadeea Volianova

Anna Gunn may be beautiful on Breaking Bad, but her Donna Karan Alelier gown did nothing for her great figure. There is a fine line between modesty and fashion failures.

The singer arrived looking as if she was on her way to a high school prom, not the red carpet. While her singing captivates many, her shoes were enough to turn anyone away.

Washington at the Globes Gunn at the Golden Globes

Beyonce at the Grammy’s Volianova at the Grammy’s

People’s Choice

The Oscar’s

Favorite TV Miniseries: American Horror Story on FX

Predicted Win for Best Picture: American Hustle

Favorite TV Bromance: Sam, Dean and Castiel from Supernatural theeagleangle.com

Predicted Win for Best Actor in a Leading Role: Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street 33

Opinions

The importance of geOrge clooney story by Harrison Geosits // opinions editor

eorge Clooney eats class for breakfast. Kanye West is the space vacuum that sucks class out of this world. But guys these days kids and teens alike - look up to West as if he is a god, a ridiculous ideal he oh-so modestly claims in his latest album “Yeezus.” And that, my friends, is where society has derailed. Our parents move heaven and earth to teach us manners, respect and modesty. Unfortunately, West’s $11.99 album washes all of that parenting down the drain with meaningless rap

“Clooney is a good force in the world. He is surrounded by positive media because he is unfailingly loyal to his morals.” lyrics and guttural hollers. Although it may be a great workout playlist, West’s songs teach arrogance and promote egotistical attitudes. On the other end of the spectrum lies Clooney. A beacon of gentlemanliness, he upholds values like respect and generosity and represents both the bold masculine and sensitive sides of man in perfect unison. His acting ability is impeccable - he can play the crooked cop, the playboy millionaire or the honest politician without ruining the perfect press on his extremely expensive suits. He is also actively involved with Not On Our Watch, a charity working

to stop mass atrocities, and is a vocal humanitarian on the world stage. His use of fame to support charities and social movements makes him an ideal role model for young men. Instead of basketball shorts and profane graphic tees, guys would be exhibiting the clothing and attitudes women often talk about men needing if they looked up to Clooney. You can’t argue with Clooney’s class when he’s been on the cover of GQ and named the “Sexiest Man Alive.” Clooney may not have the catchy, hardcore auto-tuned sound that Kanye has, but he is an internationally recognized figure that teens should be looking to for inspiration. The problem is Clooney and West are both A-list celebrities, but only one of them is a dominant figure in modern pop culture, and it’s not the astronaut (“Gravity,” anyone?). Kim Kardashian’s baby daddy is influencing teen guys, already juiced with testosterone, to objectify women and become terrifyingly big-headed. Clooney and West are equals on the fame stage but the adolescent spotlight is falling on the wrong star. Clooney appears as a good force in the world. He is surrounded by positive media because he is unfailingly loyal to his morals. That’s where we should be drawing the lines at role models. That’s the importance of George Clooney.

“Fighting” for our reputation story by Rachel Moretti // staff writer

ollowing multiple fights at fire alarm pulled. the end of last month that In order to build a better all involved sophomores, reputation we need to change. many negative opinions We need to stop encouraging have been expressed about fights. Although they may the class of 2016. Letting seem entertaining and spread the foolish and immature almost instantaneously on actions of a few students social media, they are just plain reflect the entire class as a wrong. We are setting up fellow whole is unacceptable. This classmates to fail again. And is an embarrassment. We are again. And again. Is it really becoming most known for our that funny to watch someone’s failures. Is that the reputation reputation and respect be we want? ruined in a few short seconds? The class of 2016 should Instead, get an adult to break be recognized for the up the fight or report possible outstanding academic and activity before it happens. moral achievements that Maybe if we didn’t idolize the we are certainly capable of individuals participating in the reaching. We aren’t some photos and videos from these inner city school infested fights, they wouldn’t keep with crime. We are part of reoccurring. The popularity an amazing high school with and fame resulting from opportunities for success in participation in these fights are every direction. We should be fleeting. And in 10 years when taking advantage of this and trying to get a job and make stop trying to be something we something of yourself, it will be aren’t. Or maybe the problem detrimental. isn’t that we’re trying to be Overall what is most something we aren’t, perhaps important to realize is that the we’re not bothering to be class of 2016 is actually going anything at all. somewhere. Recent events The root of these problems have caused some people to is immaturity and a lack of look down on sophomores, understanding that we are but we can’t let this destroy a few short years away from our reputation. The actions being adults. In “We are part of an amazing high the real world, school with opportunities for this kind of success in every direction. We should behavior won’t be taking advantage of this and stop be tolerated. trying to be something we aren’t.” Every choice we make now, individually and as of a few are insignificant a whole, weighs heavily on our compared to the success of the future successes. rest of us. Let’s create a better Some of us have already reputation, rather than having started to fail miserably and our immature actions create it will continue to fail with every for us.

opinions

artists to watch in 2014 The Top ten Things to say during a lockdown Attention, Attention: This campus is now on twitter.

1. “Is this a drill?” 2. “Wait, is this real?” 3. “No, it’s real. I saw it on twitter.” 4. “Is someone protecting Kyler?” 5. “Is someone protecting our trophies?” 6. “My legs are asleep.” 7. “My butt is asleep.” 8. “The kid next to me is asleep.” 9. “This can’t be real.” 10. “Attention, Attention.” list by Harrison Geosits // opinions editor

say the British ballad bombshell will release a new Adele Sources album sometime in 2014. We don’t know much about this album, but we know it will set fire to the charts.

Foster the People

The almost-folk band exploded in late 2011 and is back with a new album, and we’re hoping it provides another sing-along track like “Pumped Up Kicks.”

Pharrell

This may be a bit of a long shot, but can you blame us? “Happy” was one of the best songs of 2013, and we’re hoping Pharrell does something. Anything. Please?

Foxes (girl, not animal) made her debut in “Clarity,” Zedd’s major hit in late 2013. We’re hoping to hear less electronic dance and more of Foxes’ voice. In short we’d like to know what the Fox says.

Foxes

We’re looking forward to hearing something

A$AP Mob from the rest of A$AP. Make sure to check

out “Trillmatic,” featuring some of the other A$AP crew.

James Blake blends gospel and electronic music with his powerful vocals, creating an entire new genre for us to dive into. We’re hoping something more upbeat is in the works for Blake.

James Blake

Fitness first story by Klayton Carpenter // business manager

“

The most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said while training for the Mr. Olympia competition in 1975, the largest stage of bodybuilding in the world. Little did he know he would inspire a 16-year-old from Allen to form a love that can never be taken away from him: the pump. I remember being at the YMCA when I was little and watching my brothers lift with my dad. It looked like so much fun, of course the level that they were on is nowhere near where my brother would end up being. All I wanted was one theeagleangle.com

thing: I wanted to lift. I put aside my desire to lift weights until my brother moved to Texas with us. He would lift every day and I saw how much he liked it and how strong and muscluar he got. I wanted to try, so I got a membership and started going once a week. When it turned out that the motivation just wasn’t there, I gave it up. At least until April 1, 2013, the day it all began. I started a program called Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size, my first real workout program. I would do these workouts and love it, but there was one thing missing. I wasn’t growing enough. I would see small

gains but I wanted to get huge. Fast forward to fall of 2014, here I am: 165 lbs, 10 percent body fat and an addict of a different breed. No drugs, no alcohol, just me and the weights. I spend two hours a day at the gym and I love it. I have my routine down perfectly: I walk to the locker room, get my preworkout drink ready, sit in the sauna, stretch, do a few minutes on the bike to get warm, and I go to work. I know more people at the gym than I do at school. I have people I can go to for any type of advice: nutrition, supplements, workouts and

anything else. Although my gym has a lot of losers who specialize in thumb workouts and gossiping while sitting on the bench press with an amount of weight on the bar that everyone knows they cannot lift with the proper form, I have learned to block out those people. That is who I am. A 16-year -old fitness addict who will maybe become a bodybuilder, maybe a powerlifter or a personal trainer. I don’t know where my life is going to take me, but I know for a fact that fitness will be involved. I can’t stop and I won’t stop. It would change my whole life.

At AT&T Stadium, drum major seniors Evan Smith, Alden Zuck and Alyssa Harrott and junior Kate Henderson run onto the field to commence their final halftime show. Band members perform the fight song at the end of halftime at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 21 At the state championship game, senior officers Kristen Condren, Shannon Rockwell and Ashley HIbbs end halftime with the Tallenettesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Christmas box routine at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 21. photos by Saher Aqeel

Players show off their medals and 5A Division I State Championship Trophy after defeating the Pearland Oilers 6328 at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 21. photo by Taylor Brill

From every Perspective

n front of a Texas high school football record 54,347 people, the Eagles repeated as Texas 5A Division 1 State Champions on Dec. 21 at AT&T Stadium when they defeated the Pearland Oilers 63-28. The 63 points are also a new 5A championship record, passing Marcus’ 1997 59 point performance. The win was Allen’s 16th of the year, capping off the Eagles’ first undefeated season in the program’s history.

Clockwise from above During halftime, senior colorguard member Victoria Lambo performs the Escadrille’s show Celebration Espanol Pt.1 on Dec. 21 at AT&T Stadium. | Followed by players, junior cheerleaders Nicole Naccerella and Kaleigh Srader and blue crew member junior Anthony Viera run onto the field before the kick off of the state championship game. | Students celebrate and cheer on their team after a big play against the Pearland Oilers. | After winning the 5A Division I State Championship, head coach Tom Westerberg is given the state championship trophy.| photos by Saher Aqeel theeagleangle.com

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