The Featherduter Volume 40 Issue 2

Fe a t h e rd u s te r

a brain, an athlete, a basketcase, a princess and a criminal. Correct?”

“You see us as:

the

Westlake High School

—The Breakfast Club

Vol. 40 Issue 2

December 15, 2008 4100 Westbank Drive Austin, Texas 78746

2008 December The Featherduster, the newsmagazine of Westlake High School, attempts to inform and entertain in a broad, fair and accurate manner on subjects which concern the readers.

The publication also seeks to provide a forum of ideas and opinions between the staff of the newsmagazine, the faculty and the local community about issues presented.

All material produced and published by The Featherduster staff is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the writer’s consent or that of the editors. Content decisions rest in the hands of the staff, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

Opinions expressed in the columns that appear

in The Featherduster do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire staff, the school administration or the adviser.

The staff encourages letters to the editor as an avenue for expressing the opinions of the readers. All letters must be signed to be considered for publication. Due to space limitations, not all letters will be published, and the editorial board reserves the right to edit them for purposes of placement. No material will be printed that is libelous, advocates an illegal activity or which the editorial board deems is in poor taste. The restriction includes letters to the staff, advertising and anything else the board feels presents an inappropriate message.

contents brains + brawn

The Taylors Band director + English teacher + student = happy family.

Jacob McLaughlin

s Amy Bolding and Kimi Patton dance during the annual performance of Spotlight, which was his year in the competition gym.

The Featherduster Staff

ditor-in-Chief

arah Adler

Managing Editor

Molly Moore

Web Masters Matthew Chang Hetty Borinstein

Graphic Designer

Copy Editors

Sofie Seiden

Brains + Brawn

Sam Womack Asst. Shannon Soule Asst. Aaron Retersdorf

atherine Kloc olly Heinrich

eah Whitlock sst. Anisha Ganguly ey Scott aty Roden sst. Meredith Kolda

eople + Places

shley Carlisle sst. Mary-Margaret arrish sst. Katie Sorenson

rends + Trads

ake Webb sst. Helen Anderson

Rants + Raves

eslie Reynolds sst. Leland Krych sst. Hannah Comtock Maff Caponi sst. Lauren Nelson sst. Trevor Wallace

Photo Editor

Business Manager Adrienne Cooksley

Subscriptions Mekala Keshu

Photographers Barrett Wilson Hannah Kunz Jacob McLaughlin Katherine Finn Moira Bering Laura Aldridge

Reporters

Abby Bost Abby Hanna Alex Bishop Alexandra Bell Amrit Khalsa Annie Valliant Blake Mackie Brett Mele

Caroline Hunt Chelsea Kneply Christina Shin Cody Crutchfield Danielle Brown Emily Huang Hillary Hurst Jake Bitting Jamie Lee Jamie Mathis Jasmin Khan Jenna Stene Jenny Messer Julie Dorland Kelsey Randle Leah-Marie Duran Lee Caffee Lizzie Friedman Luci Ortiz Matt Frank Matthew Sherman Michelle Ling Morgan Ridulfo Peter Sorensen Ryan McGrath Shelby Christopher Sofie Seiden Walter Bezanson Zach Wasfi

Adviser

Deanne Brown

people + places What hue are you?

Michael Todd sees things differently. Seriously.

trends + traditions In the family What to do when it’s already been done.

rants + raves

Men eat meat The anti-vegetarian bares all.

cover photo by Sam Womack

4

brains + brawn: the scoop on school news and sports

Seniors Omar Ontiveros and David Germann pair up during the traditional Hat Dance during the Homecoming pep rally Nov. 7.

e c o m H o m Shannon Soule

Hooligan senior Pat Herlin dances to the drum line during the third quarter of the Homecoming game.

“Hooligans is great because we get to support the team at the games and have fun hanging out too,” Pat said.

During the Homecoming Westlake vs.

Akins game, Hyline first lieutenant senior Sarah Brown dances during the halftime show. “At Homecoming, all the Hyline girls were really excited to dance,” Sarah said.

Jake Webb

Jake Webb

After catching a screen pass in the first half, senior Matt Featherston gains six yards. “It was a fun game because it was Homecoming of my senior year and it set up a great run in the playoffs,” Matt said. The Chaps beat Akins 39-3, taking the District record to 6-1.

Junior Richard Nauert plays the bass drum during the pre-Homecoming game march around the track. The cadences keep band members in step and pump up the fans.

The varsity cheerleaders perform their routine during halftime. “I love cheering at the games because it is fun to be a part of the spirit of Westlake,” captain senior Allie Goldstick said.

Jake Webb

g i n

Hannah Kunz

Jake Web

2 0 0 8 Before the pep rally, senior Zach Bohls, aka Chips, holds cheerleader junior Lauren Baggett. “It’s nice finally being the mascot as I wasn’t able to be the Wildcat at West Ridge,” Zach said.

Seniors Elly Barrett and Omar Ontiveros were crowned Homecoming Queen and King during the game. Other Homecoming Court members included seniors Kalen Faulkenberry, Caroline Farmer, Dhruv Sharma and David German, juniors Katie Darilek and Evan Breeland, sophomores Sam Hooper and Shivani Morrison, and freshmen Steven Wilbanks and Sophie Costa. “I couldn’t have been more honored or happy to be voted queen,” Elly said. “The whole experience was unreal, and I will never forget it.”

Hannah Kunz

Shannon Soule

Keeping tradition alive At the rock wall on the playground, junior Rachel Carter plays around with the Barton Creek Elementary kids.

Katherine Finn

During some free time in the Teen Teaching lounge, senior Amy Bolding and juniors Celeste Ligon and Shelby Jones dance together.

Katherine Finn

After arriving at Highland Lakes Camp, junior T.C. Fletcher unloads luggage off the bus on the first day of Live Oak.

Katherine Finn

Teen Teachers stay energized as they prepare for, return from Live Oak

Y

ou are lying in bed sound asleep when you hear the pestering “beep beep beep” of your alarm clock. It is the third day of Live Oak, and sleeping seems to be the only thing that you are capable of. But you don’t exactly have a choice. There are 80 fifth graders waiting outside your cabin for you and your fellow Teen Teachers to wake up and be as peppy as ever. So you drag yourself out of bed, put on a new change of clothes, and head out the door. After three full days of cheering, singing and having a good time, you are exhausted out of your mind. But there isn’t a single Teen Teacher who will tell you it wasn’t worth it.

Live Oak is a tradition that has taken place for more than 25 years. It is a unique experience that allows Teen Teachers to interact with younger kids, helping them learn to problem solve and function as a team.

“I thought it was cool to see the kids learn how to work and communicate with one another,” Teen Teacher senior Sean Elwood said. “Plus, I loved the fact that the kids were just as weird as I was.”

Each of the seven elementary schools in the District takes a turn to go on this three-day retreat at Highland Lakes Camp in Spicewood, Texas. A group of roughly two to four first-year and second-year Teen Teachers is assigned a team of about 10 to 15 kids, all from the same fifth grade class. Each team has its own theme with corresponding cheers and signs.

“We put a lot of time and thought into prepping for Live Oak,” Teen Teacher senior Lindsay Bixby said. “We made headbands and flags to match our theme, things that the kids can keep forever.”

The days are spent doing challenge courses and other activities. The nights are spent either watching movies, making s’mores at a campfire or rockin’ out at the dance.

However, the fun and games eventually have to come to an end. The Teen Teachers load up the bus and head for home.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Teen Teacher junior Katie Darilek said.

“I can’t wait to go back.”

—Katie Sorenson

The King Stag

Spotlight

Moira Bering

Above: Playing the roles of the bust, King Deramo and Smeraldina, Seniors Sam Womack, Jackson Wimberly and Dana Yanoshak rehearse the King Stag, which was preformed from Thursday November 20th to Saturday November 22nd. “I really like this play because all the characters have important roles with impact and I am also faced with the challenge of playing the roles of two characters through one when I am possessed.

All in all it’s just a really fun show,” Jackson Wimberly said.

Right: Acting as the parrot, senior Anna Bennett flies across the stage.

Jacob McLaughlin

Moira Bering

Performing her Funky Co. routine, Hyline member senior Sara Brown dances in the annual Spotlight. Spotlight took place Nov. 17 in the competition gym. “Spotlight was a lot of fun to perform even thought it was really different than being in the FAF, but it helped Hyline prepare for contest season,” Sara said. Once a year, Westlake’s dance department showcases the Dance 1 and 2 classes as well as Dance 3-4, Star Steppers and Hyline.

Chamber Women sing a new song

Choir department adds all-women varsity group to allow more opportunities

T

he Chamber Women is a new choir started this year that allows more junior and senior girls to sing in a talented and successful group.

“Westlake Choir has been fortunate to have a longstanding tradition of excellence,” assistant director Jenn Goodner said. “Our select auditioned ensemble for many years has been our Madrigal Choir. This group is made up of only 24-26 singers (12-13 boys and 12-13 girls).

Choir has grown to over 325 members and has many talented singers, and we realized that we needed more opportunities to feature deserving singers.”

Both Madrigals and Chamber Women sacrifice half of their lunch periods Monday through Thursday for rehearsals.

“I have Chorale fourth period with every-

body and Chamber Women fifth during half of my lunch,” senior Emilie Biechlin said. “It’s a bit of a struggle only being able to go out to lunch on Friday’s since I’m a senior… but choir’s worth it, and I save money.”

To make Chamber Women or Madrigals, you need to be in Chorale as well and you must be a junior or senior. The audition process is one of many steps.

“The selection process is exactly like the Madrigals audition process. In fact, it is the same thing,” senior Karen Tennison said. “We had to sing a song alone and in front of the two choir directors. The song was one that we sang for UIL choir. Then, we sang in a group of our section (Soprano I, Soprano II, Alto I, or Alto II) to test our range. After this process, we had to sight-read a small portion of a song.

If we did well on all of these, then I guess we would make the group.”

Both groups have set very high standards for themselves, if only because they are the leaders of the organization.

“The goals for our Madrigals and Chamber Women are always to perform both high level literature and lighter show numbers,” Goodner said. “We are fortunate to have such talented students.”

The number of the people in each choir ranges from just 12 to a whopping 120 members.

“I love the size of Chamber Women the best, just 12 girls,” Emilie said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to our voices, and every time we sing it feels like a solo because a lot of the time, you might be the only person on your voice part.

We are all good friends now too… it’s pretty sweet.”

—Jenny Messer

Connecting to a new culture Westlake, Bugil Academy form partnership to help create global perspective The clear signatures of principals Shin Hyun-ju and Linda Rawlings confirmed the agreement of the partnership between Westlake High School and the Bugil Academy of South Korea. The contract among these high-achieving schools will establish the relationship of two different institutions with one shared goal: committing themselves to excellence in education.

Shin is the principal of Bugil Academy, in the city of Cheonan, which is near Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The Bugil Academy is a secondary school that has been established for 33 years and has about 2,000 students.

Shin was impressed with Westlake because he had seen the ranking in Newsweek magazine, so he and some of his representatives came to visit Westlake around March last year. During the visit, Rawlings and Shin discussed the similarities between the two schools—the fact that both the schools are academically challenging and that they both offer many AP course choices.

“We have very high expectations of our kids and we’re both trying to have our students gain a more global perspective as they will work in the 21st century, where change will continue to occur very rapidly,” Rawlings said.

Both principals started to talk about a partnership, so Shin invited Rawlings to come to South Korea with one other guest. Rawlings took Bill Bechtol, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. They both flew over to South Korea in September for one week to see the academy. The last day of their visit, Rawlings and Shin had an official ceremony at which they signed a contract to acknowledge an understanding between the two schools.

Courtesy of Linda Rawlings

Students at Westlake’s sister school attend a typical class. At Bugil Academy, the student population attends lessons that are separated by gender.

Courtesy of Linda Rawlings

Principals Shin and Rawlings held a “signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding” in Cheonan to cement the new partnership between Westlake and Bugil Academy.

Both schools agreed to create a new exchange program between the two schools called the Global Leadership program. The first step of the agreement is that in the third week of July 2009, Westlake is going to send one English teacher, one history teacher, one science teacher, one math teacher and Jeff Pilchiek, director of college and career counseling, to South Korea for a five-day period. The teachers are going to work on a curriculum with the teachers of Bugil Academy.

They will come up with a two to three week unit that they can work on collaboratively. The exchange students will learn both their own curriculum and the curriculum of the other school. Potentially in February of 2010, Westlake will send a group of teachers and students to South Korea and in turn, the Korean students will then come to Austin for two weeks.

“Westlake and Bugil Academy have agreed to form a partnership in order to facilitate learning from each other,” Rawlings said.

Rawlings wants this to be more than an exchange program. She doesn’t want only a few individual students to learn something from their experience, and not provide a connection for anybody else in the school. Instead, the two principals are looking for something deeper than that.

“I came back from the trip looking at this partnership as just the beginning,” Rawlings said. “It is important for us to reach out to other countries in order to build healthy relationships with them and for our students to have a deeper exposure to a variety of cultures.”

In order to qualify for this opportunity to learn in a different country, Westlake students will need to go through an intense selection process. The school will explain the program to the student body and supply application forms. Then, students will have to meet a set of criteria and the administration will then select a smaller group to go.

Westlake is mainly focusing on kids from the class of 2011, because the students at Bugil Academy, currently sophomores, will be juniors next year.

The students of Westlake and Bugil Academy who will be accepted in this program will have to pay for their own airfare. The Bugil Academy will provide separate housing for visiting boys and girls and the Korean students will stay with Westlake students acting as host families.

“There’s nothing quite like stepping into another country and seeing and living the culture of a different group of people,” Rawlings said. “You can read about it in a book, but until you actually experience the culture through travel, it doesn’t come to life for you.”

—Christina Shin

Sounds like a winner Symphony orchestra selected out of many to perform in prestigious band, orchestra convention

W

hile most students will be busy taking their final exams Dec. 16-19, the Symphony Orchestra and 30 band members will combine to perform in Chicago at the Midwest Clinic, an International Band and Orchestra Conference.

“This is a conference held annually featuring bands and orchestras from all across the world,” head orchestra director James Edwards said.

The orchestra sent in a recording and application last March and were then selected as one of the few full orchestras from the numerous hopefuls that have the privilege of playing at the upcoming conference.

This is no small feat; orchestras from all around the world, including China, Brazil and Australia have played in the past.

“We are thrilled and honored to be playing at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago,” orchestra president senior David Lackey said. “Rather than playing for our typical audience from the Westlake community, we will be treating an international audience of renowned musicians.”

The levels of the participating orchestras vary from the middle school level to professional groups.

The WHS orchestra falls under a youth and high school orchestra category.

“There are about five others; two are full and the U.S. Army orchestra is playing as well,” Edwards said.

The conference will be held at the Chicago Hilton Towers Dec.1520. The Symphony Orchestra will arrive on Dec. 17 and perform the following morning. The students are playing nine pieces of differing lengths and difficulties. Although Edwards is able to choose the music, specific criteria must be met.

“It includes newly published works, different grade levels [difficulty] and manuscripts,” Edwards said. “Six is the hardest and one is the easiest. We’re playing nine pieces and have around 45 minutes worth of music. Our most difficult piece is Dvorak’s ‘Carneval Overture.’ It’s huge and a challenging piece for all the players.”

After their performance, the students will spend the remaining time around the city. They will be able to tour Midwest exhibits, visit venues around the city, see a show and shop.

“I’m excited to see Wicked and even more excited to visit Chicago for the very first time,” junior

Important Dates for the Orchestra Dec. 17-20: Midwest Performance Jan. 24: WHS Solo/ Ensemble Contest Jan. 31: UIL Solo/ Ensemble Contest

Feb. 11-14: TMEA All-State Convention March 12: UIL Full Orchestra Contest

April 15: UIL String Orchestra Contest May 5: WHS Orchestra Spring Concert

Courtesy of Symphony Orchestra

Elysha Smith said.

Even with the large load of music the orchestra has to learn, they are dividing their practice time wisely. The members have been participating in individual sectionals since September and weekly practices with the participating band members.

“It’s hard getting up at 6:30 to go to sectionals at 7:30, but in the end it’s worth it,” junior Michelle Suh said. “Sectionals give us a time to work on our parts instead of focusing on the piece as a whole.”

The fact that the orchestra will be missing three days from finals week does not faze Edwards. He has strict guidelines that each person must follow to be eligible to attend the clinic.

“Last May, each student signed contracts saying that they would participate, keep up their grades and be in good standing in all their classes,” Edwards said. “As for finals, we are encouraging them to exempt or to take their finals before they leave.”

Preparing for both the Midwest Clinic and school concerts has been difficult to balance. However, with the help of two new student teachers, William Balch and Sandra Martinez, things are going much more smoothly.

“Learning all that music has been a stretch for everybody,” Edwards said. “Mr. Balch and Ms. Martinez have been very important in teaching the music, particularly with sectionals before, after and during school.”

Now, with bags packed and music ready, the orchestra is prepared to play their best and have as much fun as possible during this once-ina-lifetime opportunity.

“The caliber of groups that wanted to play there and submitted applications was so high,” Edwards said. “Those that were chosen are truly the best of the best.”

—Jamie Lee

14

brains + brawn

Barrett Wilson

Nothing breaks a sweat like Trig.

Academic Decathlon team prepares for Regional meet

It’s a Friday afternoon, no task has been assigned and the teacher has been out of the room for more than 15 minutes. Aside from nuclear fission, these elements are the next most effective way to blow-up an area—teenage rowdiness is sure to ensue. As Academic Decathlon advisor Carra Martinez makes the trek back to her classroom, she begins to feel hesitant, as any teacher should, to look upon the sure monster she created. But she braves forth, turns the knob and shakes her head at what she sees before her.

In embarrassment.

In lieu of taking off, YouTubing-ing it or making a general ruckus of things, the class has formed a makeshift round table and is passionately discussing the disputed origin of the world and whether the coincidence of the theories of religion and evolution can exist harmoniously. Diagrams are involved.

“We’re weird kids,” senior Nina Beachum said. “There is no way to get around that.

We’re all able to be social, but no other class is going to fiercely debate the technology behind the election night holograms. I still say mist.”

This willingness to learn and discuss, however, is crucial to the team’s success in their Regional competition to take place on Jan. 30-31 in San Antonio. To prepare, the kids must memorize a 3” binder exploding with dates, names and trivialities, all pertaining to Evolutionary Biology in Latin America, the year’s topic of choice. In order to cover the material most efficiently, the students have become the teachers.

“At the beginning of the year, we noted special areas of study we had some expertise in,” Nina said. “Those students who expressed an interest in each area were assigned to teach the class the many intricacies of the topic. The many-teacher system made it easier to teach the class more completely each subject, as

opposed to the typical single-teacher system.

Martinez is good about stepping back and letting us do our thing.”

The “areas of expertise” she is referring to are the 10 events in which the team is to compete—Art, Essay, Impromtu Speech, Speech, Interview, Math, Literature, Economics, Music and Super Quiz, the event that most excites the students, though not necessarily because of the subject matter (the history of evolutionary biology).

“Super Quiz is awesome,” veteran member and team captain senior Emily Dunn said.

“You are asked 10 obscure questions about the subject, and if you get one right, everyone waves their pencil in the air in some fashion.

It’s a sight to behold. Our team is working hard to create a wave to blow them all away.”

While plowing through the teaching and learning of the material, a side project has popped up within the classroom. As an Independent Study project, Emily decided to make a documentary over her year in the class.

“I really enjoy Emily video-taping everything because we capture all the great moments, of which there are many,” senior Dana Yanoshak said. “There have been different school events that we have taken little sidetrips to see what’s going on. It also shows that even though we are AcaDec, we are still social and have access to the outside world.”

In typical documentary fashion, the budget is not large, with the majority of footage being captured by two low-tech camcorders placed at a strategic angle on either side of the room.

This no-frills film making though helps contribute to the feel of the project.

“As for format, think ‘The Office’ meets Waiting for Guffman,” Emily said. “As a whole we are very interesting, but we are even more engaging on our own, especially in providing running commentary on what is

going on in the class. Pulling the members out one-by-one and asking them who they are as individual people will produce a cool dynamic to oppose showcasing the class as a cohesive whole.”

As of right now she has no plans for the film other than enjoying the outcome with the class. Still, she is excited to see how it all plays out.

“I think Academic Decathlon is a really special class, and how I think all of my classes should be formatted,” Emily said. “Because of the highly diverse student makeup, the discussion is very open and opposing due to the varied mentalities. I just want to capture that.”

—Molly Moore

Decathletes Ankur Bajaj-senior, captain Nina Beachum-senior Kathryn Betts-senior Ally Breedlove-junior Emily Dunn-senior, captain Austin Garrard-junior Bryan Jester-junior Julia Judge-junior Andrew Krug-sophomore Molly Moore-senior James Stone-junior Megan Twomey-senior Dana Yanoshak-senior

Lending an extra

hand

Student trainers support teams behind the scenes

A

Jake Webb

Trainer junior Jill Horn wraps a wrist before afternoon practice. “I really like spending time making sure the football players are okay,” Jill said. “It gives me a sense of giving back to the school.”

A football team needs more than just players and coaches to which helps in evaluating injuries.” function. Football is a dangerous sport, with multiple physical risks On a daily basis, trainers fill water cups for the football players, that can instantly bench the strongest and most dedicated player for prepare the “game ready” which regulates cold water for the playthe rest of the game or the entire season. Luckily there are able indiers, manage and organize medical equipment, keep track of numbers viduals ready to prevent these types of injuries. They are the student (time), as well as put away practice pads that the football players use trainers. during practice.

Trainers are not water boys/girls or cheerleaders. Trainers are side“We can’t fool around when we’re doing those things,” trainer line nurses, instructed in the therapeutic field of sports medicine. junior Kenzy Bullard said. “We have to be serious.”

“Sports medicine is basically a medical On game days this mentality is no differfield specialized with prevention, diagnosis ent. A trainer has to be focused and prepared and treatment of injuries from sports or exfor anything, much like the players they are ercising,” trainer junior Hannah Cooper said. watching over. A time dedication is needed as “We often treat ankle sprains, muscle contuwell. Trainers attend all football games, hansions, sprained ligaments in the phalanx, dling an even busier schedule than the football Junior Kenzy Bullard fractures and turf burns.” players themselves.

Junior Hannah Cooper Although most of the injuries are minor, “On Thursdays we have to stay until 7 p.m. there have been a handful of serious injuries for the JV B games, and if you’re working the Junior Jill Horn the trainers have had to face unexpectedly.

JV A games you have to stay until 9 p.m.,” juSophomore Meagan Hawkins Broken bones, torn muscles and concussions nior Jill Horn said. “On Fridays you have to be Senior Ryan McGrath are problems encountered by the trainers, at school at 5:30 p.m. to help prepare for the who are the ones taking care of the players games, and we usually have to stay until 10:30 Junior Mary Pickett alongside the coaches until other medical p.m. During away games we sometimes don’t Freshman Alex Wooby personnel come and manage the situation. come home until 11 p.m. or midnight.”

According to the head trainer, Brad HawkDespite the tough requirements, trainers ins, the worst the trainers have had to deal all have a reason to be out there. Whether with this season was a broken leg. it’s for the college credit, the social features “If someone is hurt, something has to be or even the love of the game, being a sports done and being nervous doesn’t do anything,” Hannah said. “I am just trainer is not all fun and games. Sure, an amazing view of the game chill and ready to figure out what’s going on and what to do next.” and encouraging the football players face to face comes along with the Aside from the medical aspect of the job, there are other duties for job, but there is a large responsibility a trainer carries on his or her which a trainer is responsible. Without the trainers, coaches would shoulders. But in the end, they say it is worth it. have to handle these tasks, which would result in less time dedicated to “I really like sports training,” trainer freshman Alex Woodby said. guiding the players during practices.

“It’s fun and I plan to continue with it. The most rewarding thing is “Student trainers do a lot of the work that the coaches and myself knowing that you have helped someone who appreciates the help and normally would have to do,” Hawkins said. “Also, I think the players everything that we do.” are more honest about their injuries when talking to a student trainer, —Jamie Mathis and Ryan McGrath

Trainers:

new

A

Former rival coach Tres Ellis takes reins of basketball program

O

Opening up a new chapter in his life, Tres Ellis has been named the varsity basketball head coach, chosen to breathe life into a basketball program that has been consistent in reaching the playoffs—and losing in the first round. With him, Ellis has brought a team-first mentality and an up-tempo style of play. He will look to build trusting relationships with all of his players, as well as to work with younger players in the feeder schools. There is a twist to this otherwise typical story though—he used to coach at Austin High.

Yes, that Austin High. You know, that school across the Colorado River, with the fluffy mascot and the camo-clad student section? That school that plays their home football games at House Park, and has their motto, “Loyal Forever,” inscribed in block letters on the outer face of their school. For as long as they’ve been playing against each other, Westlake and Austin High have been the biggest of rivals. So it might seem a bit odd that Westlake’s new head coach used to wear maroon and white.

However, before he was ever “loyal” to AHS, Ellis, who graduated from Westlake in 1987, was a Chaparral. And when the head coaching job at his alma mater became available last spring, it was an opportunity that Ellis couldn’t pass up.

“Since I’m a Westlake graduate, it was one of the few jobs I would look at,” he said. “I know a lot of the folks out here in the community, and I still have a lot of ties to it. So when it became open, I applied and fortunately got the job.”

His job is to guide a team that is heavy in talent but short in post-season experience.

There are no players on the roster with a playoff victory to their credit under former head coach Ben Faulkner, whose three-year tenure never lived up to the lofty expectations set by the fans.

Ellis will look to build a successful program on a foundation of cooperation, commitment and community.

“First, we need to buy in as a team-first group and I think that we’re definitely on our way towards that,” Ellis said. “Then the success will come from reaching out to the community and working with some of the younger guys, working to create a buzz about basketball. I’ve already talked to a lot of folks in the community, really trying to get them involved in supporting the players and coming out to basketball games as much as they can.”

One of the games that will be a must-see for Chap fans this season is the Jan. 13 match against Austin High at Westlake, which will be Ellis’ first game coaching against his former team. Then, on Feb. 6, Westlake will go to Austin High, playing this time on Ellis’ former home court. It will be the first time that many of the Maroon supporters get to see their former coach, and Ellis isn’t sure whether the reception will be a warm one.

“Well, it’s going to be interesting,” he said.

“I have a great relationship with those kids and the community over there as well. But I know that there is a little animosity.”

In Tres Ellis’ first year as head man at Westlake, he hopes to change the culture of a school whose attention is primarily fixed on football by getting connected with the public and generating an interest in basketball. With some talented players this year, notably juniors Cody Doolin and Conner Kemper, and a style of play that looks to force turnovers and score quickly, Westlake basketball looks to be on the way up. And Ellis is helping them get there.

“At Austin High we would go into a lot of games undermatched as far as physical ability and athleticism, but we would still win because we would come together as a group,” he said. “I think the ability to do that here is as good, and greater.”

—Trey Scott

Jake Webb

shade of red

With his up-tempo style of play, Tres Ellis looks to mold the Chaparrals into a more aggressive team. “It’s a little bit different than what they’re used to,”Ellis said. “I’m giving them freedom to go out and make plays.”

Bumping it Varsity volleyball team places second in 5A State Finals

1 5’11” middle senior Abby

Howden bumps the ball to Amarillo at the 5A state championship match at Texas State University Nov. 22.

2 Members of the Westlake

varsity volleyball team hold hands in the air to prepare for their state games against Amarillo Nov. 22. Westlake lost the fifth game by four points, coming second in state.

1

T

he locker room is tense, but not in the way one would expect.

As the pre-game rituals commence, music blares from the portable iPod speakers that have made an appearance at each playoff game. All dressed in the same blue warm-ups, the girls dance around to get pumped up for what could be one of the proudest moments of their lives. They rush down the stairs to enter the fan-filled coliseum and begin their usual run around the court to get their blood flowing. The six starters step onto the court, the whistle blows and the game begins.

At the start of its 2008 season, the varsity volleyball team was ranked second in the state due to the 2007 team’s appearance at the State Tournament last year. Although this second place ranking was a nice label, neither the team nor long-time coach Al Bennett expected it to stay that way. With only three returning starters with varsity experience—right-side hitter senior Abby Howden, setter senior Elly Barrett and outside-hitter junior Sara Shaw— this season was expected to be a “rebuilding year.” Although they sailed through District undefeated, taking first, the Chaps’ ranking had dropped to eighth in the state by the time

Barrett Wilson

playoffs rolled around.

“We knew our ranking would drop after we had some narrow defeats in our tournament season,” Abby said. “But, we also knew there were teams we could beat if we improved.”

Taking a strong win over New Braunfels in the first round of play offs, the team advanced to Area where the players then swept San Antonio Clark in a three-game defeat. But the real surprise was when the Chaps took a fivegame win over San Antonio Churchill.

“Nobody picked use to win our playoff matches,” Elly said. “We had to use that as our motivation to win and our motivation to prove everyone wrong.”

The victory over Churchill was a hardearned success, but their greatest challenge had yet to come. Their next opponent was San Antonio Reagan who, at the time, was ranked number one in the state. Once again labeled as the underdog, the Chaps won the game, securing themselves a spot in the State Tournament for the sixth time this decade, a goal that no other 5A school has accomplished.

“We had to prove a lot if we wanted to beat Reagan,” Bennett said. “All that mattered was the team believed we could do it, and we did.

The Churchill and Reagan victories were two of the best victories in Westlake volleyball his-

2

Barrett Wilson

tory, and no one can take that away from us.”

With four teams left in the playoffs, Lake Highlands was the only thing keeping them from state finals. Still focused and motivated, the girls knocked out Lake Highlands Nov. 21 at Strahan Colles in San Marcos and moved on to the championship game versus Amarillo, with high hopes of taking the State title.

It was to be a repeat matchup from last year, where the 2007 Chaps faced Amarillo in the State finals.

“Before the match I felt very confident,” Bennett said. “I knew if we played to our potential we could win because I believe we were the better team.”

As the games see-sawed back and forth, Westlake winning the first and third, it all came down to the fifth and final game. Down by six points, the Chaps closed the gap to within two points, 11-13. Despite their determination, the Chaps were unable to stop the Amarillo momentum. The whistle blew, and the game was over.

“It was mostly frustration when we lost,” Sara said. “We got so close and couldn’t pull through. But in the end, I was very proud because we had a successful season. I mean, second in state is pretty darn good.”

—Katie Sorenson

up

1 Junior outside hitter Sara Shaw hits the 4 Senior setter Elly Barrett sets the ball ball over the net in a State semi-finals match against Lake Highlands. “I was very proud of our team for redeeming ourselves from earlier this year,” Sara said.

during the State semi-finals match against Lake Highlands. They won the match 4-1.

2 Seniors Lindsay Bixby and Lauren Young

a timeout in the State semi-finals match. “[We did] a good job focusing and getting up by two and finish against a great ball control team,” Bennett said.

hug and celebrate after winning the State semi-finals match 4-1 against Lake Highlands Nov. 21. “I was so excited that we were going to state that it overshadowed all the bad calls we got,” Lindsay said.

3 Senior Abby Howden and sophomore Tessa Hunt prepare for Amarillo to serve at the 5A State championship.

1

Jake Webb

2

4

Jake Webb

5 Jake Webb

3

Jake Webb

5 Coach Al Bennett talks to his team during 6 Senior right side hitter Abby Howden

attempts to block the ball during a game in the State semi-finals match Nov. 21. “I wish we hadn’t dropped the third game, but I was really glad to have the semi-finals out of the way so we could focus on state,” Abby said.

Barrett Wilson

6

Jake Webb

24

people + places who’s who at Westlake

Haze

Don’t

me bro

Middle school students fabricate hazing rumors She straightened her already straight shirt. flattened her difficult hair back into place. Taking a deep breath, freshman Paulina De la Fuente grabbed her backpack and marched up to the school. It was the first day of high school— a.k.a the scariest day of her life. Paulina was petrified of being a freshman.

“When I was in sixth grade, someone told me the seniors on the first day of high school played some kind of prank on the freshmen,” Paulina said.

“I didn’t know what to expect, so at the freshmen orientation tour I made sure to make note of the exits.”

Rumors of hazing are the most commonly spread, especially for the new freshmen class. Most of these hazing rumors are implausible, yet loom among the other rumors in the middle school hallways.

“I heard that the freshmen were going to be put on top of the field goal then sprayed with water until they fall off,” West Ridge eighth grader Skyler Curtis said.

Most hazing rumors seem to involve water in some shape or form. And almost all the rumors seem to be directed at the freshmen class, specifically the girls.

“Someone had told me that they take all the freshman girls outside and spray them with water when it’s really cold,” Hill Country eighth grader Lauren Doggett said.

The consensus for the most-feared location of hazing: school trips. Away from the campus, there aren’t enough chaperones or teachers to be everywhere all the time. It’s some students’ worst nightmare.

“Someone told me that they terrorize the freshman girls on away trips,” West Ridge eighth grader Julia Woodby said.

“Like they turn up the temperature in the freshman girls’ rooms and when the freshmen turn the temperature back down, the upperclassArt by Alyssa Creagh men would raise it again.”

She

Other rumors could be inspired by the media and movies, originating from the well thought-out horror scenes as the new kids are hazed in some terrifying way.

“I heard that the senior girls will take the freshman girls’ clothes while they’re taking a shower after gym,” West Ridge eighth grader Hayley Mathis said. “I didn’t know if this was true, but I’ve seen it happen on TV before.”

But these are all just rumors—rich fantasies created by either over-active middle school imaginations or cruel-intentioned, wannabe bullies. Eventually, the little ones catch on and realize that they are safe in the halls.

“Now that I know the students and the sort of flow, I’m pretty sure hazing won’t -More than 1.5 million high happen,” Paulina said. “For the school students are hazed first week or so I was petrified,

Hazed out

each year

-91% of all H.S. students belong to at least one group known for hazing, and half of them, 48%, report being subjected to hazing activities -43% were subjected to humiliating activities and 30% performed potentially illegal acts as part of their initiation but now I know the stuff I was told won’t come true.”

She jammed out to the music on her iPod. She mindlessly played with the bracelet on her right hand. Hoisting her backpack onto her back, she walked into the school. It was just another day of high school and Paulina had found her place as an optimistic freshman. Now the only fear on her mind was the pre-AP geography test she still had to study for. But then again, that senior down the hall does look suspicious.

-25% of hazing victims were first hazed before the age of 13 -Only 14% of hazed high school students admit to being hazed -Every kind of high school group is involved in hazing including 24% of the students involved in church groups Statistics from www.insidehazing.com

Creating a buzz W ith about 65,000 videos uploaded and more than 100 million videos watched daily, YouTube has become a huge sensation for creative kids seeking fame across America and in the Westlake community. With their extraordinary senses of humor, imagination and a surplus of time on their hands, many students love to showcase their originality on YouTube.

“I usually upload videos that I’ve taken on my cell phone/camera/video camera during my daily life at school, home, etc. so they’re pretty short and kind of pointless, but so are more than half the videos on YouTube,” senior Sean Elwood said. “Other videos I have are short films I’ve made, or at least attempted to make, and these voice-overs I did for the Final Destination trilogy.”

Sean started uploading videos to YouTube when he lived in Richmond, Texas, after he bought his own camera. He started working on stop-motion videos, and then went on to work on films.

“I usually get my inspiration from movies I like to watch regularly, or take an idea from somewhere and twist it up a bit,” Sean said.

Senior Mia Hines uploads videos of whatever strikes her at the moment.

“Sometimes it’s videos of my friend and me discussing random things, sometimes it’s music videos,” Mia said. “I think there’s even a small stop-motion thing on my channel. It’s like a video collage of my life.”

e s u s t n e d u t S r YouTube fo n o i s s e r p x e self

While some kids aspire to be “YouTube famous” with millions of views, Mia uses her productions to express her creativity.

“I don’t know if I aspire to become famous, exactly,” she said. “I mean, in theory it sounds great, but as long as a few people find my videos entertaining, I’m happy. It’s a way of expressing myself to the world, and if that gets to be featured, then fantastic.”

Sean doesn’t expect to become YouTube famous either.

“That’d be pretty cool if I did become famous on YouTube, but I don’t really see it happening, so I don’t really push myself to become famous,” he said. “It’s hard competition when you have videos out there that have over one million views, or even the [popular “Shoes”] videos, so I don’t really want to try.

I do have some fans, though, because of my Final Destination voice-overs. I don’t really find myself that funny, but I guess I underestimate myself because a lot of people think those voice-overs are funny.”

Freshman Cassie Craig loves her YouTube account. Her video “Cassie’s Not Funny” is an obsession among her group of friends and has more than 500 views.

“YouTube is a great way to express myself, especially because I don’t get the chance to just have fun and be creative in everyday life,” she said. “‘Cassie’s Not Funny’ was just a random idea I had one day, and it’s so not funny that my friends find it hilarious. YouTube is

an easy and unique way to create entertainment and have fun while doing it.”

Every student who creates videos has a different reason–senior Lanie Labins uploads videos about Super Dollfies and Asian Ball Jointed Dolls.

“They’re usually informative,” she said.

“I have tried to do a couple that are funny.

Whether they are or not is up to you.”

Lanie was inspired to make videos because of the complexity of her doll-collecting hobby.

“When I first got into Super Dollfies, it was nearly impossible to find out anything about them,” she said. “I spent years learning about the dolls and decided to help other people who were interested in them. I hope that people can watch my videos and understand what the dolls are all about.”

Coming from a girl with such a unique hobby, Lanie believes that everyone should get the chance to display his or her passion.

“If you have something you enjoy doing, put it on video and upload it,” she said. “Nothing is too weird. In most cases, the weirder the video, the more views it gets.”

Uploading to YouTube is an original way for many students to let their imaginations run wild and entertain their friends and even strangers at the same time. Their videos are amusing and original, and who knows?

Westlake loves these student’s videos, so why wouldn’t the nation?

—Abby Hanna

mamamia1459

thedeadwalk2nite

Alysonsfriend

Photo courtesy of Cassie Craig

Westlake’s YouTube celebrities

Photo courtesy of Lanie Labens

Photo courtesy of Sean Elwood

Photo courtesy of Mia Hines

Westlake’s YouTube celebrities

purplebuisness

28

Fiddling people + places

The Fireants’ frontman wins prestigious award symbolizing freedom, peace

Hunched over the piano in an orchestra practice room, producing “mood” melodies from an instrument he claimed he couldn’t play, junior Ian Stewart’s humble attitude and relaxed mannerisms give no hint that he is becoming a well-known upand-comer in the Austin music community. The echoing notes of the piano fade to a thoughtful silence as Ian reaches down, pulling out a stunning handcrafted violin.

Ian’s passion for music began at the young age of six, when his mother required that he start playing the violin. He quickly fell in love with the instrument and has continued to play ever since.

“I used to walk around the house with a salad fork and spoon, pretending that I was playing the violin,” Ian said. “I think it was just some cosmic force that drew me to music.”

After years of training, Ian made the transition from classical violinist to a jazz-inspired fiddler.

“I played classical music for about four years, and I got bored with it,” Ian said. “I went to Marc O’Connor’s String Conference in San Diego when I was 10. Marc Norgard, a professor of jazz violin at UT, showed me how to improvise, and that’s when [it] started. I kept playing classical music, but got interested in fiddling.”

Ian’s musical inspiration is driven by his earlier years of classical training. His music reflects his roots; blue-grass rock with a slight classical twist.

“I try to draw from a lot of people, both alive and dead,” Ian said. “I don’t play classical music as much as I should, but I still appreciate what it’s done for me and for the musical world.”

Ian is the frontman for 2008 Battle of Bands winner, The Fireants. The five-member band consists of two other Westlake students, bassist senior Rebecca Pledger and keyboardist sophomore Steven Campbell. This summer, their gigs ranged from opening for Bob Schneider numerous times to charitable concert events.

“During the summer, we played at Rock Out for Red Cross,” Ian said. “It was in a parking garage [so just] imagine sitting in a fairly large bell and having someone ring it—but amplified. Like someone shaking your soul. It was the loudest gig we’ve ever played.”

Ian’s commitment to music is shown in his dedication to his band and their music. The Fireants attribute a lot of their success to Ian’s leadership.

“He pretty much leads us and makes most of the important decisions no one wants to make,” Steven said. “He also gives us the bluegrass, or ‘newgrass’ as some might say, feel we’re known for with his fiddle and mandolin.”

As a reward for winning first place in Battle of Bands, The Fireants received five hours recording time at Tequila Mockingbird Music House. Though they won the prize in January, they didn’t step into the studio until seven months had passed.

“It was strange to play over tracks we’d already laid down,”

Ian said. “The experience was a lot more fulfilling than I expected it to be. We had a lot of help from one of The Fireants’ great friends, cellist, pianist, fiddler and studio owner Danny Leaven.

We laid down four songs and thought we’d only record two. We accomplished more than we thought we were going to.”

The Fireants’ unique blend of blue grass, rock, jazz and funk has brought them public acclaim both on stage and off. This summer, The Fireants appeared in the Life and Arts section of the Austin AmericanStatesman. The article was a part of a series on young musicians who incorporate “a fresh spin on tradition” in their sound.

The Fireants were also featured in an article in The Chronicle as one of the four most talented teenage bands in Austin.

“It was very strange to see my words and my face on something I saw every day of my life,” Ian said. “Someone I’d never met would read the words I had said days earlier. People came up to me and asked if I was in The Fireants—it was because of the mainstream publicity.”

This summer, Ian attended the Johnny Gimble Swing Camp in Taos, New Mexico, Randy Elemore’s Fiddle Camp in Cisco, Texas and Mark O’ Connor’s National String Conference for the sixth year in a row in San Diego. At The National String Conference, Ian won their most prestigious award, the Daniel Pearl Violin.

“I really felt guilty for getting the violin,” Ian said. “I’ve seen so many people receive the violin before, and they were really good—better than me. There were so many people who were better than I was. And I thought, ‘Why did I get this?’”

The Daniel Pearl Violin represents more than music—it’s a symbol of free speech. It commemorates journalist and violinist Daniel Pearl, who was executed by Pakistani fundamentalists when his research led him to find out some of the party’s vital secrets.

“He was trying to spread his ideology of peace and unity through music and words,” Ian said. “[It symbolizes] that music is the universal language, it can be enjoyed by many audiences and that

with fire

usic’s such a beautiful thing that it can’t be tainted. It shows le that we can have a peaceful existence by having different ral and racial identities, that we can have different views of the world, and that through music and dialect we can bridge different cultures and people and have a better existence with human beings.”

Ian’s passion, talent and character allowed him to obtain the prestigious award. The judges saw a uniqueness and raw talent through which they believed Ian could spread the idea of peace and unity.

“The Daniel Pearl Award is more about the sharing and love of music than the actual player,” Rebecca said. “After first receiving it, he told me he didn’t really think he deserved it—which of course he did—but he realized later that the award isn’t about how awesome you are at the violin, but how you are going to share love, peace, kindness and hope in this world through the universal language of music. He is extremely honored to have received this award and intends to put it to use.”

The annual passing of the violin represents the sharing of music and traditions. Now it’s Ian’s job to share the message the violin carries.

“Receiving this violin means I have to speak of Pearl’s message of peace and unity through words and music whenever I play a gig, whenever someone asks me to play for them or if someone sees the violin,” Ian said. “It’s beautiful and is the best violin I’ve ever played. It is a big message to carry along, but it is one I feel very honored and humbled to have with me. It really has had a wonderful affect on me. It opened my heart to different ways of looking at the world.”

—Lauren Nelson

Junior Ian Stewart plays the Daniel Pearl Violin, which he won this past summer at Mark O’Connor’s National String Conference.

The Fireants’ Awards rf

o rsd

A

on ar

te Re

Westlake 2008 Battle of the Bands

Old Settlers Youth Talent Music Competition

Austin School of the Performing and Visual Arts

Youth Cast Choice Award

Aaron Retersdorf

Colorful

I

Numbers 0 light blue 1 black 2 white 3 green 4 yellow 5 black 6 red 7 blue 8 black 9 green 10 clear Letters a yellow b black c white d brown e lt green f brown g dk green h white i black j orange k black l orange m black n yellow o black p lt blue q lt blue r black s yellow t black u white v purple w grey x black y yellow z orange

thinking Senior Michael Todd describes his synesthesia

In English IVAP, the poetry unit includes a lesson on synesthesia. It’s a literary term that refers to a description of something that combines the senses. “His voice sounded rough,” for example—“rough” is a feeling, not a sound, so a voice can’t sound “rough.” Similarly, the idea of a number or word can’t be seen unless other senses are crossed. Senior Michael Todd, however, does just that.

He can see numbers, words and people in terms of colors.

Synesthesia, in addition to the literary device, is a neurological condition in which a person involuntarily crosses their senses—they can feel something they see, they can hear something they taste, etc. For Michael, everything that he sees or thinks about, from the tangible to the intangible, is associated with a color in his mind—it’s not like he sees a person as a colorful blob, but they are a color by asIf I see a sociation. random “Every word, letter, number or idea, anyperson on the street, thing you can think of has a color,” Michael their color isn’t as vibrant. said. “A lot of things make sense: grass is It’s vague, almost like it’s green, for example. But see-through, but not. sky is yellow—maybe because the sun is —senior Michael Todd yellow, or because S is yellow.”

All of these associations were so natural for Michael that he lived most of his life without ever knowing that it was at all abnormal.

“We didn’t know for years that Michael did this because he thought that everyone did it,” Michael’s mother and yearbook adviser Cindy Todd said. “He just took it for granted that everyone saw that way. So I didn’t know for years and years that he was seeing things differently than the rest of the world.”

It wasn’t until high school that he finally discovered that his everyday thought process was unconventional.

“One day, in history, I asked a friend, ‘What color do you think of for this?’” Michael said. “They said, ‘I don’t think of a color,’ and I was really confused. That’s when Mrs. [Debra] Wingfield jumped in and told me I had synesthesia.”

In addition to associating ideas like letters with colors, Michael associates each person he meets with a specific hue.

“People’s names have colors and so do their personalities,” Michael said. “Kalae Cordova was always black to me, because I thought his initials were KK, and K is black. But then I found out that Cordova started with a C, which is white. It really threw everything off.”

But those colors, sometimes the cues by which synesthetes remember others, don’t actually have much to do with specific people or his opinions of them.

“It’s not like ‘Oh, I don’t like your color, so I don’t like you,’” Michael said. “But it does kind of classify people. It

Synesthesia is a condition that is extremely rare.

These affected people think of a color when they experience a sense. “I didn’t realize until recently that I relate smells to colors also,” senior Michael Todd said.

Laura Aldridge

almost seems easier to like someone if they have a better color.”

Disappointingly, the preference Michael has for his favorite color green is no different than anyone else’s fondness for their favorite color—and if he associates a person with that color, it doesn’t mean that he will automatically favor them. “[How much I like a person] has nothing to do with their color, though,” he said. “When I tell people they are green, they go, ‘You must really like me then.’ But it’s not like that.”

As Michael gets to know a person, their color doesn’t change all that much. It does, however, get more vivid.

“If I see a random person on the street, their color isn’t as vibrant,” Michael said. “It’s vague, almost like it’s see-through, but not. Once I get to know them, the color becomes more vibrant. But even some people that I knew really well don’t have really vibrant colors.”

Synesthesia doesn’t just help Michael classify people more easily in his mind, it applies to numbers in math class and words in English—something that can be quite helpful when it comes to remembering things.

“In math, it really helps me because numbers, equations, even addition and subtraction all have colors,” Michael said. “Like 41 is black and yellow because 4 is yellow and 1 is black. Each word has a different color, too, so that helps with vocabulary in English.”

Despite the interest associated with the novelty and distinctiveness of synesthesia, the condition is still fairly mysterious. Although tests have shown synesthesia to be genetic, the condition does not seem to run in the Todd family. Michael himself doesn’t know a whole lot about it, and a good part of his knowledge on the subject is based on the passage he read on the Critical Reading section of the SAT not too long ago.

“In the SAT passage, it said that some of the chemicals in my brain may be imbalanced, or a wire might be crossed,” Michael said. “They said that it’s not a problem, it’s just different. Great.”

Even though it is an abnormality, synesthesia has been an interesting addition to Michael’s life—and has certainly not made anything more difficult for him. In fact, it has just served as a silent aid throughout his life.

“It’s just something I’ve always done,” Michael said. “It’s something I’ve used to my advantage my whole life without even knowing it.”

—Sarah Adler

Onegiantleap

Lulu for

Senior puts college on hold to pursue dance career in L.A.

At the age of 11, most girls are sitting at home watching Lizzie McGuire, fantasizing about meeting Miranda and Lizzie. Senior Lulu Wimberly didn’t have to dream—she was living it. During a week-long trip to Las Vegas when Lulu was in sixth grade, she, along with a few other girls, was selected to be a backup dancer for Lalaine Ann Vergara-Paras (Miranda). And so began her dance career. When Lulu began dancing at the age of eight, she had no idea of the effect it would have on her life. Nine years later, Lulu has decided to forgo college to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer.

>>

“I’ve been dancing since I was in the womb,” Lulu said. “Haha, not really… I started dancing when I was eight [at Alisa’s Dance Academy]. That’s also when I made my studio’s company, and I’ve danced there ever since. I probably haven’t gone two weeks without stepping foot in that studio.”

Despite spending more than 10 hours per week dancing at Alisa’s, Lulu’s dance experience isn’t limited to just her studio. While traveling across the country to dance, she was able to forge personal relationships with famous choreographers—some of whom were even featured on So You Think You Can Dance.

“Every year my company goes to several dance conventions,” Lulu said. “At conventions they have a staff of very experienced, well-known dancers and choreographers to travel around the country and teach workshops to young dancers. They last from Friday through Sunday and we are dancing the entire time, meeting these teachers and getting exposed to the dance world. They are such awesome opportunities.”

She also lives in Los Angeles every summer for about two weeks to take classes at Edge Performing Arts Center and Millennium Dance Complex, the hub of commercial dancing, where the most famous choreographers in the industry teach. Between Mia Michaels, a choreographer featured on So You Think You Can Dance, Laurie Ann Gibson from Making the Band, and a number of Janet Jackson’s current dancers, the list of choreographers from whom she has taken classes would impress almost anyone.

“Alisa Laraway, the owner of the Alisa’s Dance Academy, brings in some of those choreographers from L.A. and New York for several one-week workshops during the summer,” Lulu said. “I’ve developed personal relationships with some of these people, which is the best opportunity I could ask for, seeing as these choreographers teach thousands and thousands of kids each year.”

Monday through Friday, Lulu attends Dance 3-4 under the direction of Chelsea Harris. Although Harris watches hundreds of dancers every day, Lulu has managed to stand out.

“Lulu is an extraordinary dancer with a massive amount of talent,” Harris said. “She also has a passion for what she does.”

Laraway, who Lulu also refers to as her “second mother” or “aunt,” has seen her grow and progress as a dancer over the past 10 years.

Even on day one, Lulu’s potential was very apparent.

“She’s always been really good,” Laraway said. “In fact, at a very young age, she made it into our top company and has been dancing in that place for a long time. But she has definitely grown with her technique and even her style. Her passion is huge. She dances from the inside-out and is extremely passionate and it shows.”

Her hard work seems to have paid off. Not only are her dance skills able to hypnotize her audience, but they’re also inspiring.

“She’s so good she makes anyone want to dance,” senior Shelby Rabb said. “Seeing her at recitals and seeing all the little girls that look up to her, it’s inspiring. She makes it look so easy, but I know she’s worked so hard.”

Falling out of the norm is not a rarity for Lulu. She attends TLC, rarely goes to Westlake events and is almost 18 but has yet to acquire her driver’s license. However, she has one main quality that sets her apart from the typical Westlake student—Lulu will not be attending college and instead plans on moving to L.A. to pursue dancing for a living.

“It’s never been that I don’t want to go to college,” Lulu said. “It just happened that way because of my growing passion for dance.

Also, the kind of dancing I want to do professionally does not require college—it’s strictly talent.”

One of the main reasons she has been able to excel at dance is the

strong support of her parents. Now, with her decision to dance after high school as opposed to going to college, she is receiving the same support with mild alterations.

“My parents are very supportive of my passion,” Lulu said. “But they don’t want me to neglect an education, whether that means getting an education while dancing or after.”

Her teachers stand behind her decisions as well.

“I think that everybody has different paths in life,” Harris said.

“What’s right for one person many not be right for the other. I’m proud of her for taking the risk. I believe she can be successful.”

With hopes of someday dancing for famous music artists, Lulu wants to ensure her abilities are up to par before starting her new life.

“Eventually I want to move out to L.A. because that’s the dance center of the world,” Lulu said. “It involves tours, music videos and working with recording artists. If I were to do that, I would probably stay in Austin six months to one year after high school to prepare. Janet Jackson has always had the best dancers in the L.A. dance scene. Her dancers, in general, are people I look up to. And oh my God, to dance with Beyoncé, that would be so fierce.”

Dancing for a living may appear as a life of fun, but it involves many dangers.

Not only is a career in dance hard to begin, but dancers are also susceptible to injuries and wear and tear of the body. All these things have the potential to end a dancer’s career prematurely.

“Dancers’ careers last… not very long,” Lulu said. “It depends on your success rate. If you’re booking gigs, you’re booking gigs, if you’re not, you’re not.

And dancers put so much strain on their bodies that after a while they wear out. A lot of times when dancers get older, after they’ve danced for a lot of people, they move into choreography because they don’t have to use the full strength of their body. But it’s hard to book those jobs because you have to be well-known.”

Although she’ll be working towards status in the dance world, Lulu does not intend on fully dropping the idea of college.

“If I was to move to L.A. to get my dance career started, I would probably try also going to community college,” Lulu said. “I do plan on getting an education to fall back on someday.”

Skipping college to dance for a living?

Not your typical after-high-school plans for Westlake students. But for Lulu, it’s perfect. “[Falling out of the norm] doesn’t bother me at all,” Lulu said. “If anything, I’m extremely blessed to have found a passion because a lot of people never do.”

—Hannah Comstock

“] I take dance seriously for the sake of my

future not my college transcript.”

Breaking away from the norm] [ Two Asian students defy the stereotype The image of Asian-American students at Westlake generally goes like this: studious and sheltered, pressured by their parents, sacrificing their social life for the sake of their academic success. And to some extent this is true: it’s an undeniable fact that the Asian minority does quite well in class rank, considering the relatively small population of Asian-Americans there are at Westlake (three of the top 10 ranks of the class of 2008 went to Asians.) However, there’s a recent trend among Asians to expand from the typical package of academics and orchestra.

Sophomore Alex Cho breaks the stereotype through sports—he is the only Asian-American member of the JV football team.

“Being Asian hasn’t really influenced my extra-curricular choices,” Alex said. “My friends encouraged me to play in middle school. I really liked it, so I just kept playing.”

Though playing football is not very common among Asians, Alex didn’t let that stop him from joining the team.

“I never really liked playing instruments, and I wasn’t really good at it either,” Alex said. “I break the stereotype by playing sports.

I don’t see anything wrong with it, but some people think it’s strange.”

Keeping up with his academics and attending weekly practice are sometimes a challenge during football season.

“It is very hard during the season because regular practice usually ends at 7 [p.m.],” Alex said. “I try to get most of my work done during school, and I also try to stay focused when I’m doing my homework at home.”

His parents support his sports aspirations, as long as academics take precedence over extra-curricular activities for Alex.

“They’ve always told me grades first, sports second, and I’ve managed to do that so far,” Alex said. “They are pretty enthusiastic [about football], but not as actively as academics.”

WHS Ethnicity Distribution -White -Hispanic -Asian/Pacific Isl. -Native American -Black

Alex encourages other Asian-Americans to break away from the stereotype and explore new extracurriculars and electives.

“All people are different. Just like the rest of the people at our school, Asians should do whatever they want to do. If they want to break the stereotype, then they should go for it.”

Senior Marie Feng, on the other hand, seems to personify the quintessential Asian, as president of Mu Alpha Theta, a National Merit Semi-Finalist, and a regional finalist for the Siemens Award. One thing sets her apart, however: she’s also the president of Hyline.

“

If an Asian is smart, he’s smart because he studies, not because he’s Asian.”

—senior Marie Feng

“Freshman year, it was a toss-up between volleyball and Hyline,” Marie said. “I attended volleyball’s two-a-days for a day and a half and decided my Asian genes had handicapped my tallness gene and I was only lying to my 5’7” self that I would grow. Okay, I lie. My 5’5” self. Hence, I joined Hyline. I had been dancing and was already on a dance team. It was only the natural decision to continue frolicking in tights to Rihanna.”

Marie credits being able to keep up with school as well as Hyline to her parents’ support of her extracurriculars as well as academics.

“Considering my mother takes me on a

Hyline President senior Marie Feng dances the Hyline competition pom routine at the Nov. 17 Spotlight performance.

Jacob McLaughlin

daily basis to practice at the ungodly hour of 6:45, my parentals support [me] all the way.

They wanted to make sure I was part of something during my years of high school. Furthermore, they loved the environment that Hyline was—loving, supportive. Who wouldn’t want forty-three sisters? Academically, it’s not so much support as expectation. To not study is not an option. However, having Asian parents has its perks. I asked my mom for statistics help; my dad is my go-to tutor for anything math, science, and grammar.”

Marie believes that there are more to Asians than just studying and playing an instrument; rather than studiousness being a racial characteristic, she believes it’s more a cultural value.

“It’s not so much that Asians should break the stereotype, but build beyond that. Being intellectually curious is not a negative characteristic; it’s just looked upon with a raised eyebrow and an uttered ‘NERD ALERT.’ This is never good. I understand Asians are known to be book smart and street stupid, but we’re not always so. We should not accept this stereotype given to us, whether it be true or not. There is no way a whole ethnicity can be typecast into one characteristic. If an Asian is smart, he’s smart because he studies, not because he’s Asian.”

But at the end of the day, being a member of Hyline is a way to satisfy other goals besides academics, and simply to enjoy herself.

“A team is what makes high school so much more fulfilling. That actually sounded quite cliché, but it’s true. Belonging somewhere during the teenage years is rather nice.”

Majorly similar In 2007, the population of students at Westlake was overwhelmingly white. In fact, 2,031 students out of 2,386 at the high school that year were white. That’s an 85 percent majority. The black percentage? Less than one.

The second highest ethnic group population at the school was Asian/Pacific Islander, which was a low 7.9 percent.

Next is Hispanic, which was 5.7 percent, followed by Native American, which exceeded the African-American population by one student. Currently, on many of the ethnic distribution graphs that are available for the Westlake area, African-American doesn’t even show up.

But what does this lack of ethnic diversity say about

Westlake? It doesn’t say that the school or community intentionally discriminates–although some people might argue that it does. However, it does indicate that there are economic factors coming into play. In Austin, black citizens make up about 8.5 percent of the population, and the median income for black families is $28,161. In Eanes ISD, the median income is approximately $132,300. The exceptions to this statistic would account for the black families that are living and sending their kids to school in Westlake–but this income gap would be a good way of explaining the racial sameness that is present today in the school.

Keeping it in the

In the Westlake community, excellence is expected. Even more is demanded when the path has already been trodden by older siblings.

Though this situation is anything but uncommon, these are the stories of three of the many families that deal with living up to the family name.

f

—Katy R

[ The Farmers ] Sophomore Katherine Farmer, senior Caroline Farmer and ’07 graduate Lauren Farmer can often be found on the Homecoming court ballot or with pom-poms in hand at the pep rallies. Following the trend of their eldest sister, Lauren, a cheerleader at UT, both Katherine, who is currently on the JV squad, and Caroline, a varsity captain, are involved in Westlake cheerleading.

“It just kind of ended up like this,” Caroline said. “Lauren really liked cheerleading, so we tried it. All three of us were cheering at the same gyms together for six years.”

Katherine Farmer, Lauren Farmer and Caroline Farmer

The younger sisters both participate in Student Council, just as Lauren did throughout her four years at Westlake. However, only Caroline followed Lauren’s path on the track team while Katherine taking a path less traveled: theater.

“I’m not sure what my decision about theater and cheer will be, Katherine said. “I feel like I can do drama without it being weird. I just something Lauren and Caroline never thought about doing.”

The expectations for these girls can seem pretty high, but they d place too much pressure on each other.

“I feel a little pressure when it comes to grades,” Caroline said.

“But I don’t set expectations, I just expect Katherine to know when do the right thing. If she doesn’t want to cheer for all four years, th fine. I expect more with choosing what’s right rather than [succeed ing in certain] extracurricular activities. And I feel like Lauren set same standards for me.”

However, the youngest sister seems to feel differently.

“Yes… I feel pressure in school, cheerleading, everything,” Kath ine said.

With the Farmer name continuously appearing on the Homeco ing ballot, Lauren winning queen her senior year, and Caroline an Katherine both winning princess their freshman years, a legacy ha formed.

“If [our family’s reputation] is a good thing, I don’t want to bre it,” Caroline said. “I just try to be polite and nice to everyone.”

After this year, the youngest Farmer will be the only sister left Westlake.

“It’ll be weird,” Katherine said. “I like having Caroline at schoo and seeing her. But I think I’ll like it, no offense.”

Whatever paths the girls take in Westlake or after graduation, family ties will always keep them close.

“We have our sisterly moments,” Caroline said. “We can have f together.”

amily Below: From left to right, Casey, Corey, Conner and Collin

Courtesy photo

[ The Finnigans ] Jaw dropping solos in choir concerts, outstanding performances in school musicals and a wild sense of humor describe three of the four Finnigan boys: junior Collin Finnigan, ’07 graduate Corey Finnigan and ’04 graduate Casey Finnigan. However, Conner, who graduated from Westlake in 2000, took the football route throughout his high school years. Even with one fourth of the brotherhood not being involved in choir, the beautiful voice gene is wired into each of the Finnigans.

“I’ve always been a choir man,” said Collin, who plans to participate in choir all four years just as Casey and Corey did.

This legacy also comes with high expectations.

“There’s always been the ‘ol’ Finnigan singing pressure,’ especially when it’s around musical time in choir,” Collin said. “[But] mom and pop raised us to be our own person and be different, so sometimes there’s pressure, sometimes not. I don’t think any of us mind it [the pressure] because it’s been around for a while.”

The talent engrained in each of them brings the brothers closer.

“We share our inside jokes and we can always come together and play music, whether it’s opera arias or just jamming on guitars,” Collin said. “When you get all four of us together and our true nature comes out, there’s a strong chance that we will spontaneously break out in song.”

[ The Howdens ] Bethany Howden, ‘00 Westlake graduate, former UT volleyball player and NCAA Division I All-American created some big shoes to fill for her younger sister, senior Abby Howden. Both girls participated in Westlake volleyball all four years in high school, and Abby is considering following her sister’s path into college volleyball.

“Bethany set a lot of volleyball and track records that I wish I could break,” Abby said.

Two very impressive and related athletes have created a name for the family.

“I like having something to be known for,” Abby said. “But I don’t feel like volleyball is a stereotype because it has a lot to do with who I really am.”

Not only are there high standards in athletics, but the two older siblings, Sarah and

Sam, also set expectations. Sarah, ‘94 graduate, is a nurse, married and just recently had her second son. Sam, ‘96 graduate, is in the Marines and was awarded a Purple Heart in Iraq.

“I want to be like [my siblings] in many ways,” Abby said. “But I still want to be an individual. I respect their good choices in life and I would like to be a teacher like Bethany is now. Sarah also made really good grades, [so family expectations] have pushed us in sports and academics.”

Sharing the ups and downs of volleyball together structured a strong bond between the sisters.

“My first game after tearing my ACL and going through rehab, I got an ace,” Abby said.

“My sister cried like a proud mother.”

Courtesy photo

Above: Clockwise from top, Sam Howden, Sarah Howden, Abby Howden and Bethany Howden.

Beating

past

[

[

the

Shannon Soule

Jacob Erickson overcomes tough childhood, strives to avoid family members’ mistakes

A

s he stepped through the gates, he looked upon the massive concrete facility that was holding his father. Walking inside, he noticed the encaged holding pen that held not livestock, but humans. He always wondered if any other kid at Valley View Elementary School was experiencing the loss of a father, not to death, but to a penitentiary.

Jacob Erickson, a junior at Westlake, has lived a life many would not believe, partly because he has been able to conceal the realities of his difficult past.

It all began for Jacob when he was 4 years old.

His father, Mikel Erickson, was facing a two-year sentence in jail for possession of an illegal deadly weapon, a sawed-off shotgun. Additionally, he was involved in drug use, though it was not part of his criminal charge.

“I was 4, I didn’t know what was going on, it didn’t really make much sense at the time,” Jacob said. “They broke down the door and before I knew it the adults were all in cuffs and me and my brothers were in the corner.”

Every weekend, Jacob and his two older brothers would drive with their mother to Three Rivers Federal Prison, about three hours south of Austin, to visit their father.

“I remember listening to ‘Black Hole Sun’ by Soundgarden on the trip there,” Jacob said. “Every time that song comes on the radio or one of my friends plays it, I’m warped back to those long trips to see my dad and briefly talk to him behind a piece of thick glass.”

For two years, Jacob grew up without a father.

As he matured, he realized why his dad was away and how he felt about the situation.

Junior Jacob Erickson cleans up after customers at The Grove during his shift on Nov. 20. Because of his hard work maintaning a job and keeping up with school, his dad rewarded him with a car.

“It didn’t really change my outlook on him,” Jacob said. “Things happen, it’s life, he is my father and I love him. People change, he’s changed, it’s the past and it doesn’t affect the future for me now.”

With the absence of their primary source of income, Jacob’s mother struggled to provide for her family. Jacob and his family had to spend time at his mother’s friends’ houses because they weren’t equipped with the everyday resources needed to live while his dad was in prison.

“We didn’t have AC,” Jacob said. “We used fans with mist bottles in the summer and in the winter we just kicked it old school and burned a fire in the fireplace for heat and huddled together.”

After serving his sentence, Jacob’s father, now clean and sober, moved back in with the family. Times were rough—his parents’ marriage was shaky and was not to last much longer.

“After he moved back in, mom was unhappy and thought he was completely different,” Jacob said. “To me he was the same dad who was now sober, but to her it was different. She pretty much just wanted out. Even though she loved us, she had to go.”

His mother said she didn’t know her husband anymore. His dad told her this is who he was, seeing life through sober eyes.

They soon divorced and Mikel got custody of Jacob and his brothers.

After his mom left, life didn’t get any better for Jacob. With his dad back and working at a car dealership, Jacob lived similarly to the way he did before his dad’s return.

“We didn’t live too badly,” Jacob said. “We ate Ramen and frozen TV dinners every day, and if we weren’t drinking water, it was Kool-aid. Anything that was cheap. It was needed so we did it, and even if I didn’t enjoy it, I knew life would get better. It just takes time. Plus on weekends we always went bowling. It was our bonding time, just the four guys. Our lives were being remodeled.”

Despite the hardships within his life, Jacob managed to continue through elementary school with good grades and behavior. But everything changed when he was sent to West Ridge Middle School. After barely passing sixth grade, sevJunior Jacob Erickson and enth grade became the new his father, Mikel, stand challenge in Jacob’s life, a outside their house. They battle he would be unable were seperated for two to win. With the increased years during Jacob’s childpeer pressure and negahood while his father was tive influence of his friends in prison. and brothers, marijuana Shannon Soule crept into his life and slowly dragged him down.

“Mm… seventh grade. It was fun, I have to admit, but I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to,” Jacob said. “I was jacking around, and the

“

We used fans with mist bottles in the summer and in the winter we just

kicked it old school and burned a fire in the fireplace for heat and huddled together.

—Jacob Erickson

”

pot didn’t help. I was only 12, and I failed every class. Yes, every single one. I just plain didn’t care. I remember the counselors telling me I had to repeat seventh grade. It sucked, bad. They even had my girlfriend come in and talk to me. They forced her to say that she wouldn’t be with me anymore. You know that feeling when you’re dropping down on a rollercoaster? I had that, but 20 times worse and just from someone’s words, even though I knew it was coming. ” After failing the seventh grade, Jacob continued on the same destructive path, but managed to get into high school two years later. As a freshman, being only 14, he watched his brothers destroy themselves with drugs, an addiction that would eventually cause one to drop out of high school. But in spite of this influence, Jacob persevered to do what he knew was right.

“Failing definitely woke me up,” Jacob said. “It changed my study habits completely. I saw one of my brothers drop out and I thought if I did the same I’d be living up to a bad expectation. It was almost as if I was trying to make my dad know that someone in the family could finish high school. I also agreed to random drug testing to help me say no and allow my parents to trust me.”

Jacob and his brothers decided his father needed a new companion.

They convinced him to go online and look for someone he thought would be right. In 2005, Jacob’s dad remarried. Janice, Jacob’s new step-mom, became the mother figure in the household and is someone Jacob can vent to about his problems.

“She’s a great person,” Jacob said. “Most people call their stepmoms by their first name, but I call Janice ‘mom.’ To me, she is my mom at home, and she treats me like a true son. It’s like I was born with her in the house. She fits in perfectly and makes our home a better place to live.”

Now at age 17 and a junior, Jacob is working harder than ever. He maintains a steady job as a bus boy at The Grove and, unlike his brothers, he works and studies for school at the same time. Recently, his father gave him a car for all of his hard work, a gesture that reminded Jacob that he needed to continue down the right path.

“My brothers never got a car from my dad,” Jacob said. “I think my dad knows I’ve been trying hard and that giving me this car will help boost me up and make me want to do what’s right and have responsibility.”

For most, breaking the chain of failure is a seemingly impossible task, but Jacob is overcoming the odds and showing everyone that he is the one to do it. He doesn’t have just the brawn and the charm, he has the brains as well, and he is determined to let nothing stop him from graduating from college.

“I believe if I can get through high school and most of college I will be successful,” Jacob said. “I mean, my dad is, and he didn’t finish high school. I know education is important and I want it to back me wherever I go.”

As for Jacob’s dad, he now works in construction and has been helping rebuild hurricane-hit Houston and New Orleans. Additionally, he remodels homes in the Austin area. He has been sober for 13 years and is breaking another cycle in his family.

“He is an amazingly hard worker,” Jacob said. “He has inspired me to work hard and has encouraged me to do well in school. He is a great father who deserves a medal of his own.”

Jacob can inspire many from the challenges he has been able to overcome by making people realize that not everyone in this world has it given to them; some truly have to work for it.

—Blake MacKie

“

I saw one of my brothers drop out and I thought if I did the same I’d be living up to a bad expectation.

—Jacob Erickson

”

ode

An to the lunch lady

[staff editorial]

Living la vida luncha

Oh lunch lady so gentle and fun, my love and adoration your food has won.

For without your tasty lunchroom meal, I would be empty, both figuratively and for real.

Your hair net compliments your dazzling eyes, The fingers on your hand probably smell like fries.

White smock, white smock around your waist, I’m sorry, it’s probably an apron, my facts are debase!

Pizza, salad, nachos and cheese, it’s true, lunch lady, you know how to please.

You care for us, at the most important time of the day.

We are so glad that our lunch is not lumpy and grey.

The calm, collected demeanor with which you operate, has me enamored with a fervor I cannot abate.

My heart seems to bound when fourth period ends, for I know I will be spending a meal with my lunch lady friends.

Art by Katy Doughty

W

e are going to come right out and say it: our school’s cafeteria rocks. You may meet us with torches and pitchforks, but we are not going to back down from this decree. “We love our dining hall.”

Yes, we said dining hall, almost reminiscent of Hogwarts, eh? Pity we don’t have messenger owls.

The lack of nocturnal predatory raptors shouldn’t dishearten you though, considering the cafeteria’s many scrumptious dishes that should appease your appetite.

Not only is the food delicious, but the staff— lordy, lordy, feels like we’re back at grandma’s house, feastin’ on some just-baked cookies and other fattening sweets to make up for the lack of things we have in common due to our age barrier.

That wasn’t a very good simile at all, in fact that’s not even what we are trying to say. We’re trying to say that the lunch ladies are friendly and very nice.

Nothing like the stereotypical lunch lady in movies that just grunts, takes a drag of her cigarette and then piles a mass of slovenly gruel all over your tray. In fact, they don’t plop anything onto your tray unless you ask them to. And that’s what’s great about our American cafeteria. We have the freedom to choose. One day we might want Szechwan chicken, the next a bacon burger and then finally a giant pile of nachos. We are spoiled at Westlake and at a good price. If you’re shying away from the cafeteria because of money, here is a little fun fact: lunch costs on average $3.25 in the lunchroom, so stop your whining and chow

down. Speaking with the Coordinating Manager of the lunch rooms, we learned that the Food and Nutrition Department does not make much of a profit, so you conspiracy theorists can just be quiet when you want to suggest that the school is robbing you of your money.

Okay, if you’re not clinging to your money like Ebenezer Scrooge, maybe you’re crying about the discontinuation of Thundercloud subs. Well boohoo, you weren’t eating enough of them to justify the buying of the subs, so stick that complaint in your pie-hole (sandwich-hole?).

Besides, there are some important new additions to the menu that are catching the gnarliest wave into our stomachs (are we cool yet?).

Murderous Mondays—yes, that’s what we are calling it. Feel free to dress up in barbarian gear and feast on the new entrée in the Grill Works: turkey legs. Mmm, we can feel the blood/grease/ meat dripping from our bearded jowls already. For those fond of eating baby chickens, the cafeteria will now sell Chick-N-Mini’s in the morning on Mondays and Fridays. Not pleasing your tastes?

How about the addition of Bonzai sushi to the salad bar? This should be interesting to vegetarians (non-fish roll), sushi-lovers and even the occasional grizzly bear and/or pelican.

So the next time you feel like complaining about the price of pizza, or the lack of variety in the food at Westlake, we will ignore you once again and head down to the Ninth Grade Center with our animal skins and two-headed axe, ready to tear into a turkey leg.

Awkwardity and you

T

Surviving potentially uncomfortable situations

The hallways of Westlake High School are a dark and scary place. No one is safe. Not even the secretaries in the AP office are safe (although there can be little doubt that their attempt to escape would somehow involve a form printed on colored paper). You can avoid it for a little while, but sooner or later you will fall prey to The Awkward Situation.

Never fear, for here are some of the most common awkward situations and expert (sort of) solutions for how to deal with them. First let’s discuss…

The Failed Greeting There are many versions of the failed greeting. One of the most frequent situations is one in which one individual, Person A, attempts to greet Person B in some manner, only to be completely ignored by Person B. Situations such as these become all the more awkward when Person A has attempted to wave at Person B. In the event that you happen to have waved at someone who has not acknowledged your existence, know that there is no way to recover. Your hand is in the air, and there is no way of getting it back down without looking foolish. If you truly want to avoid this situation, it is suggestible that you stop waving altogether. This will ensure that you never face the moment of realization when that person you thought waved at you was actually greeting the person behind you.

However, there is another solution. A new experimental maneuver has recently been brought into the field of awkwardity recovery: the Spontaneous One Finger Dance Maneuver (figure 1.), or, S.O.F.D.M. Should you happen to wave to an oblivious party, form a fist with your forefinger extended and rotate it in a circular motion. For this to work most effectively, it is recommended that you complete this action even when you have not attempted a failed wave. This will make it pos-

Figure 1.

sible for people to assume that the S.O.F.D.M. is an action you are prone to perform for no particular reason.

The Forgotten Name Out of all of the situations in which awkwardity is known to thrive, few are as sinister or as irreparable as the Forgotten Name. It is rivaled only by the Misdiagnosed Pregnancy.

In the event that you find yourself in a situation in which you encounter an individual whose name escapes you, be aware that you should not under any circumstances meet the conundrum head on. Instead, employ any number of diversionary tactics. The most effective strategy is to avoid them as though they had contracted the Ebola virus. The only other alternative is to refer to them by a generic term of quasi-endearment. i.e. buddy, champ, brah, home slice, cutie pie, darlin’, or anything which will divert attention away from the fact that you can not for the life of you remember that person’s name.

If you are particularly bad at remembering names you may find it helpful to stop introducing yourself to people altogether. This will ensure that you are never forced to endure the awkward situation referred to by scholars as The Introduction Apocalypse (figure 2.).

The parameters of this meeting mishap are as follows. One individual introduces him or herself to another, only to discover that they have already done so.

Should you find yourself in the middle of such a debacle, be aware that there is only one possible glimmer of hope: respond cordially, “I’m sorry, I just know a lot of identical twins so I try not to assume.” If this fails, your first impulse will probably be to apologize profusely. This won’t work. You have only one course of action: Run. Adopt an alias, adjust your course schedule, flee to New Jersey (well, maybe not New Jersey…), anything to make sure you never encounter that person again.

Social Bubbles Placed throughout the school in a seemingly random pattern are circles of social interactions. These are frequently seen as a group of any varying number of individuals standing in a vaguely circular pattern conversing with one another about seemingly unimportant things. They are often placed directly in the way of hallway traffic and can therefore be difficult to circumvent.

Your main concern with these groups should be how to best enter or exit one. Some might assume that, because a circle already exists, the obvious solution is to jump into the center and begin to break dance. This is a mistake. If you are unable to join the bubble, it is advisable that you find a place in the circle and allow the discussion to continue.

The problem with this is that if you are not part of the group’s exchange, you cannot easily say goodbye, and walking away is considered rude. To avoid having to say goodbye, there is one exception. To take advantage of this, one should always be sure to carry a nickel in his pocket. Should you find yourself trapped, simply act as though you have dropped the nickel and free yourself from the bubble by pretending to chase after it.

There are many tactics for avoiding awkwardity, but there is one that is universally applicable. If you find yourself confronted with a potentially awkward scenario, accept it and forge ahead. It will only become awkward if you allow it to by backing down or apologizing.

The hallways are a scary place, but be not afraid. Even if you succeed in turning yourself into a social pariah by completely ignoring even the most germane societal norms, you’ll have enough spare time to study your way into the top ten percent.

—Trevor Wallace

Figure 2.

Art By Trevor Wallace

KAISER CHIEFS

New album shines despite flaws

t’s I

really hard to dislike the Kaiser Chiefs. The guitar hooks are maddeningly infectious; the choruses are anthemic shout-alongs that never fail to get the stadium audience jumping; the lyrics have the perfect blend of clever and stupid that feels right at home with the indie teen population.

Yet the 30-something British pop rockers still made the classic and predictable misstep of taking a critically and commercially successful debut album, 2005’s Employment, and coming back with an overworked and underpowered sophomore effort, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, that united the fans and critics in opposition. So now comes their “make or break” album, the third record that determines if they can stick around or fade away as one-hit wonders.

Fortunately for them (and us), the Kaiser Chiefs aren’t going anywhere. Off With Their Heads features some of the best music they’ve made, albeit with some of their worst. While not revolutionizing their sound, they’ve improved it and tightened it from the consistent but unexciting Angry Mob. The album opens with “Spanish Metal,” which sounds a lot like Spanish metal, weird progressions of hard rock riffs, with a hint of pop thrown in for good measure. Lead single “Never Miss A Beat” is the strongest track on the album and probably the band’s best to date.

The opening guitar lick is their catchiest yet and settles into a militant fist-pump beat that sounds straight off a Clash record. The lyrics are bitingly ironic, as frontman Ricky Wilson sings “What did you do today?/I did nothing. What did you learn at school?/I didn’t go/Why didn’t you go to school?/I don’t know,” and “It’s cool to know nothing,” poking fun at the same “kids on the street who never miss a beat” that will be shouting along to the chorus en masse.

“You Want History” goes in a slightly different direction, with synths and surging dance floor beats powering into an outstanding minute-anda-half closing romp.

Somebody’s

summer music fest is going to be bouncing to that song for days afterwards. “Half The Truth” keeps the synths and adds a cameo by British rapper Sway that drives the song into its final “everybody scream it” chorus of “I will not lie to you/But I definitely only told you half the truth.”

“Addicted to Drugs” is one of the more mediocre tracks on the album, taking a boring guitar riff and combining it with it an irritatingly funk-based cowbell rhythm section and distractingly overt reference to Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” (“Might as well face it, I’m addicted to drugs”).

Speaking of ripping off titles from people named Robert, “Good Days Bad Days” is a cheerful yet laid-back almost folk pop song that gets a lot of help from some conga drums in the background but drags on too long without going anywhere exciting. “Tomato in the Rain” (pronounced “toh-MAH-toh”) wanders through stale verses into an excellently lyrical chorus while making heavy use of both acoustic guitars and the organ.

The closing track, “Remember You’re A Girl,” sung by drummer Nick Hodgson, is a surprisingly good John Lennonesque ballad that comes from so far out of left field at this point on the album that you wonder if some other band managed to slip their own track onto the tail end of the Chiefs’. It’s a rather subdued way to shut things down that almost makes you forget how much fun the rest of the record was.

You can tell from listening to it that it won’t be as popular with the critics and fans as was Employment— and it isn’t as good as Employment was—but Off With Their Heads did what the band needed it to: push their past into the past and keep the material fresh.

The eyebrow-raising tracks like “Spanish Metal” and “Addicted to Drugs,” as well as the flirtation with dance rhythms and hip hop shows that Kaiser Chiefs aren’t afraid to experiment with their sound, as long as they keep it within the safe bubble of pop rock.

And as for the fans and critics who take issue with those flirtations, well, off with their heads.

—Maff Caponi

Meatitarian

New diet explores carnivorous horizons The Meat-eater’s Log Day One:

Breakfast: I pour a bowl of cereal, but realize I cannot eat it. Dumping the slush out, I attempt to cook eggs, but I burn them and must throw them out.

Lunch: I purchase a cold turkey sandwich at school, however, am forced to remove the bread, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. I stuff the cold turkey and American cheese slice in my mouth. It tastes terrible.

Dinner: I scrounge my fridge at home for meat.

I find old hot dogs and eat them without any buns or toppings. I feel sick for the rest of the night.

Day Two:

Breakfast: I wake up, after dreaming about scurvy, to an empty stomach. I eat seven packets of yogurt and drink lots of milk. They all turn out to be expired.

Lunch: My stomach feels terrible. I purchase a corndog, strip the breading off, then decide I do not want to eat it. I am still hungry.

Dinner: My stomach is screaming in agony. I consume large amounts of cheese that begins to taste funky as I eat it.

Day Three:

Breakfast: I am regretting every decision I have made the past two days. I do not know what to eat. Panicking, I try some dog food claiming it is 100% beef. It tastes better than the cheese I had the night before.

Lunch: I decide I no longer wish to partake in such madness. Screaming with glee, I devour large quantities of bread and fruit as people stare at me like I’m a crazy man.

T

here comes a time in a boy’s life when he must either become a man or a pretty little girl. For this author, that time has come.

Sickened by those hoity toity beings who declare superiority over me because they do not eat animals, I have decided to fight them. To fight the world! Henceforth, I shall only eat that which comes from the living, breathing beasts of the earth: MEAT. And I will not stop there, oh no. I will take on the vegetarian enemy with their own tactic: I will promote the rights of all the plants that suffer at the hands of veg-heads.

Have you ever heard the screaming of turnips in the blood-soaked fields of Topeka, Kansas? Have you ever seen the tears of little baby squash as their mothers are ripped apart before their very eyes? I don’t care if they don’t have eyes. It is now my duty, nay, my God-given mission to save these innocent plants from the murderous hands that butcher them.

What about animals? Well, they are my diet. Considering I will only consume that

which vegans do not eat, I shall join the ranks of the Inuit of Alaska or the cannibals of Fiji.

Barbaric you say? No, just carnivorous. Humans are designed to eat meat. Haven’t you ever touched your canine teeth and felt the sudden urge to consume raw flesh?

Where would we be without our fellow predatory friends? Without the Tyrannosaurus, we would have no Jurassic Park. Without Godzilla, we would have… well, I don’t want to imagine that. No, the true monsters in history are those that prey upon the helpless and weak: the herbivores. How such fiends can devour something that cannot flee from their evil hands sends shivers down my spine.

So the next time you see a leopard seal devouring a penguin, don’t cry. It is simply nature’s way. HOWEVER, if you are unfortunate enough to witness a fellow friend stuff their face full of lettuce, well by Jove! Give them a good slap to the face. When they come to their senses, hopefully they will realize the only right way to feast is that of the meatitarian.

—Lee Caffee

A take-out box worth of

culture

Michelle Ling

Chinese food 101: what you need to know Picture it: you’re sitting in a typical Chinese restaurant complete with Chinese zodiac place mats, blue porcelain china and a rubbed down golden Buddha in the corner to polish off the oriental effect. The ambrosial smell of sesame chicken, slathered in a dark red sauce seeps through your senses—the smell made to perfection by a mouthwatering side dish of sweet and sour soup and steaming fried rice. After savoring this delectable meal, you polish it off with a fortune cookie, providing not only a tasty aftermath, but also a generally optimistic outlook on life as you leave the restaurant, now fully satisfied.

That’s pretty much Chinese culture in a take-out box for most teenagers here, some nice “Chi-merican food” to satisfy the curiosity of experiencing and understanding places and traditions outside of America. Or maybe you’ve accepted places like Panda Express and Buffet Palace as authentic food because that’s the only piece of China you’ve been fed. Whatever the deal is, here it is straight.

First and foremost, I would like to state that there is no such thing as “Chinese food.” Period. Chinese food is, in fact, the generalization of an entire nation of people with different ethnicities that retain different lifestyles, philosophies and cuisine. There are 56 ethnicities in China and every province has its own taste in food. People who reside in the wilderness of metropolitan Shanghai survive on distinctly sweet and colorful foods with stronger spices. In the city of Hunan, people devour handfuls of chili peppers by the dish, savoring the zesty sensation. The differences between foods are gargantuan, not microscopic.

Maybe you’ll wonder where this misconception of Chinese food took root in the first place. Did immigrants actually have a secret evil plot to plump up the American population in preparation for the mass sacrificial ceremony? Or did they just feel like “changin’ it up a bit?”

In actuality, it has to do with money (doesn’t everything?). Don’t underestimate those inconspicuous petite people: they mean business.

While authentic Chinese food might have been well-liked in America, there was no guarantee that Americans would include it in their daily dietary supplement. What if it tasted too weird? So in response to this economic pressure, they created a marketing plan: by taking away some of the more unusual Chinese herbs and spices and focusing on dishes that were made stir-fried, they would attract a consistent flow of

Chi-merican Restaurants Dragon Gate Chinatown 3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 3300 Bee Caves Rd. Ste. 200 Ste. J-180.

(512) 327-6588 (512) 732-7278 Lotus Hunan 3201 Bee Cave Rd # 109 (512) 327-7776

customers.

Something else for your brain to chew on: wonton soup, dumplings, spring rolls and many of the other foods on the “side dish” portion of a Chi-merican food menu originated in Hong Kong. Cantonese people would not be pleased with this misconception of the origin of their delicacies, especially since they worked so hard to become independent from China and form their own independent city-state in the first place. They have their own Olympic team and everything. Yeah, whoops.

Don’t get me wrong though, just because Chi-merican food isn’t authentic, doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. I have found myself falling for a good plate of heady orange chicken and over-fried spring rolls. Preferring fried-rice to the plain white rice that Chinese people actually eat is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s good stuff.

Take Mexican food and Tex-Mex, for example: everybody loves Taco Bell (with 99 cent burritos, who wouldn’t?) But does Taco Bell in any way, shape or form resemble authentic Mexican food? That would be a big fat “NO” from your neighborhood Hispanic community.

The main point isn’t what you eat. You can eat Chi-merican food or whatever-city-in-China food, it doesn’t really matter: people have their own preferences. The idea is to know what you’re eating, to be an informed consumer and to understand the value of the food. To disregard where the food came from and just focus on how it ended up on your plate is disrespectful to millions of people all over the world.

You’ve minimized their role in creating foods that you take advantage of. Besides, it must make you feel at least a little sheepish to eat food from a culture you know absolutely nothing about. Will this information change your life? Probably not, but it may save you from an awkward situation if ever the 1,321,851,888 currently living, and multiplying, in China think that you’ve been ignorant long enough and decide to pay you a little visit.

—Michelle Ling

Authentic Chinese Restaurants Din Ho Pao’s Mandarin House 8557 Research Blvd. #116 2300 Lohmans Spur (512) 832-8788 Ste.134 Lakeway, TX 78734 (512) 263-8869 Mandarin House 8929 N. Lamar Blvd (512) 837-6361

56 rants + raves

Part of my world

Obsession with all things Disney still holds true My most played song on iTunes is Mulan’s “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” with 127 counts. I have spent a whole Saturday watching the entirety of The Little Mermaid’s special features options. Although I own a well-worn VHS copy of The Emperor’s New Groove, it occupied a spot on my Netflix queue for the sole intent of watching the director’s commentary. My ideal Friday night consists of watching The Rescuers Down Under while curled up on the couch in my pajamas with my homemade peanut butter cookies. So, I guess you could say I’m a Disney fan. Or, you may also argue, a socially-inept 18-year-old who prefers the company of fictional characters to actual people.

My immersion into the Wonderful World of Disney began when I was still an undeveloped embryo. In 1990, Disney had recently recovered from the barren ’70s and ’80s with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. My parents, in their frenzied new-parent-whatthe-heck-are-we-doing preparations, bought out the local Toys “R” Us and bombarded my still-unborn self with plush Cinderella dolls and countless Disney classics.

Needless to say, Disney served almost as a third parent to me during my formative years, teaching me the importance of being truthful and believing in one’s dreams. (And, you know, that it’s possible for a pumpkin to turn into a carriage. Fairy Godmothers are so useful.) My mother bought every Disney movie that “came out of the vault,” and I am proud to say that my brother and I had vast knowledge of virtually every film’s minor characters and plot developments.

When I was 10, The Emperor’s New Groove premiered and quickly became my favorite Disney movie, a hard feat to accomplish considering I owned upwards of 40 videos. My brother’s and my unparalleled love for the movie led to the creation of our favorite road trip game, in which we would quiz each other on every possible trivial detail and

idiosyncrasy of the movie. My parents listened to the 30-minute discussions on whether the bird Kronk found in the jungle was a yellowbellied warbler or a yellow-spotted warbler (I’m almost positive it was the former) with shock and amazement, unknowing that the Disney seed they had planted would grow to be such a huge monstrosity.

But my obsession with The Emperor’s New Groove didn’t end there. During the summer of fifth grade, my brother and I, along with our two neighborhood friends, put on a low-budget reenactment of the entire movie. Of course, I was the main star, playing the role of Kuzco, the self-obsessed emperor-turned-llama. I never once had to consult the movie for lines, as I had the whole script forever engraved in my brain. (My friends did not believe that this was possible, so I once recited the entire first scene’s dialogue word for word. They have never questioned the extent of my Disney knowledge since.) When I tell new acquaintances of this production of sorts, it always elicits the same “Huh… Cool…” before the aforementioned acquaintance changes the subject.

Although Disney is undoubtedly an inseparable aspect of my being, I am not the family film equivalent of the crazy cat lady. I do actually have friends who have learned to put up with my somewhat unusual movie taste and who simply roll their eyes whenever I reference an obscure character from Aladdin in everyday conversation. I could probably have used the part of my brain that is solely devoted to storing random Disney trivia for physics equations or important dates in United States history, but this seemingly unneeded data may be important if I ever land my dream job as a production manager for Walt Disney Studios. Just wait, Westlake: I may play a key role in the development of your children. Are you comfortable with that?

— Katherine Kloc

ACTUAL

Disney Princesses Only Beyond This Point

KATHERINE’S quiz

1.

What was the primary reason for Ariel’s hair being red? a. Splash, a film starring Darryl Hannah as a blonde mermaid, was recently released and Disney wanted Ariel to be unique b. The color variations of the blonde hair looked green when shadowed c. The director’s daughter was a redhead

3.

Match the character to the voice actress a. Judy Kuhn 1. Belle from Beauty and the Beast b. Paige O’Hara 2. Ariel from The Little Mermaid c. Jodi Benson 3. Pocohontas from Pocahontas

4.

In The Rescuers, Bianca the mouse is from which country? a. Austria b. Hungary c. Czechoslovakia

5.

In The Emperor’s New Groove, the guard who was excused from duty had been transformed into what kind of animal? a. snake b. octopus c. cow d. lizard

6.

Alan Menken has composed the music to all of the following films EXCEPT a. Aladdin b. The Little Mermaid c. Beauty and the Beast d. The Lion King

7.

In The Little Mermaid, Ursula’s eel cronies are named… a. Charlie and Moe b. Flotsam and Jetsam c. Meeko and Flit d. Flip and Flop

8.

Which of the following is actually a Disney movie? a. Sword and the Stone b. Anastasia c. Swan Princess d. The Iron Giant

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Answers: 1) C 2) A 3) A3, B1, C2 4) B 5) C 6) D 7) B 8) A If you did not get a perfect score on this quiz, you are vastly inferior to me.

If you did get a perfect score, why haven’t we met before?

2.

What song from Beauty and the Beast won an Oscar in 1992? a. “Be Our Guest” b. “Belle” c. “Beauty and the Beast”

Stuff We Like Piñatas

Speed Walking

Could there be any greater way to instill the principles of love and kindness into the hearts of young children than letting them pillage a brightly colored, defenseless animal and then feast on its innards? We think not. The piñata is a sacred rite. An important ritual passed down from padres to hijos, madres to hijas and unisex extraterrestrials to their unisex offspring. Piñatas are embraced worldwide by birthday party enthusiasts and homicidal maniacs alike because of their violent tendencies. The history of the piñata had been shrouded in mystery until about 1743, when the great archeologist Edward P. Fiesta uncovered the remains of an ancient artifact in the Spanish mountains that unraveled the enigma once and for all. You may know it as Old Stinky, but this fossilized Crunch Bar held engravings that explained the ancient tradition of beating fake animals to death. For more information, consult the world wide web of your imagination. Oh yeah, who doesn’t love swinging a bat blind-folded with a bunch of your friends around you?

Whoosh! An elite athlete races by you in Zilker Park. Okay, maybe he doesn’t race past you—he is definitely not running, nor is he jogging slowly. I would say he’s moseying with rapidity. Ah yes, the fabled sport of racewalking, the most trying event on two legs. Race-walking is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. No, these guys are not shuffling their feet lazily across the linoleum in order to shock great aunt Gertrude’s cat, Mr. Fluffikans.

These Herculean athletes are walking with stupendous velocity, sometimes exciting the sound barrier with top speeds of 12.5 kilometers per hour.

Race-walking is a competitive Olympic sport that requires contestants to race-walk 20 kilometers or, for the hardcore, veteran pace masters, 50 kilometers. So next time somebody shuffles past you at high speeds, bombard him with the cheer, “You can do it Nizhegorodov!” Because who knows? Maybe it is THE world famous race-walker Denis Nizhegorodov, champion of the free world.

Christmas Claymation It opens with a snowy, cold day in the middle of the forest—the stereotypical start of a Christmas claymation movie. Out comes a snowman ready to tell his story. As he begins to share his words of wisdom, all you can focus on is that he is terribly cuddly looking. With his eyes like coal and his beard white as snow, he is the perfect man—that is—snow man. All the characters just make your heart long for them with their cute little turned up red noses and jollyness. These 1960s classics captivate viewers with catchy tunes that have you humming the wonderful songs long after the holidays.

Even though most of these movies are only half an hour, we get to watch them all the time since they play on ABC Family 24/7. And although some characters are a little distorted, the point of these movies is to bring you into the Christmas spirit, not make you never want to watch these movies.

Cell Phones and You Texts, music, internet, calls, games—what more could a person ask for? This little device is the sole lifeline for teenagers these days.

Think about it. What seems Lauren Nelson worse? Losing your homework or forgetting your new iPhone in the car for one class period (if you run fast you may be able to get it soon, but how can you survive the next 50 minutes stuck in a room, experiencing yet another mindless lecture, without Tetris and your 40 closest friends at your fingertips?). Without a phone you can’t maintain your basic needs: listening to your music in the halls, taking pictures of the stupid things your friends are doing and—gasp!—not being able to text during class while trying to zone out that boring teacher.

Face it. We need cell phones—they’re the very reason for our existence. Heck, we practically live, breathe and eat cell phones…well maybe not eat, that may be just a bit unhealthy.