Volume 46 Issue 2 by Featherduster Westlake

THE FEATHERDUSTER

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D E T C E N CON Westlake High School Volume 46 Issue 2 December 15, 2014 4100 Westbank Drive Austin, Texas 78746

WHAT THE

STEP ONE:

IS AN

Flip through this issue of The Featherduster and find a photo marked with the Aurasma logo.

HECK FIND THEM ON PAGES:

AURASMA? 27 56

Download the Aurasma app to your phone or iPad. Follow The Featherduster account.

STEP TWO:

STEP THREE:

Open Aurasma and align the scanner over your chosen photo.

STEP FOUR:

Hold your device in place, turn the volume up and watch the video over the page. Aurasma Directors: Cooper Kerbow and Drew Brown

DECEMBER 32

Got game? Twins talk about playing sports together

Editors-in-Chief

Art

Business Manager

Editor Alex Charnes

Copy Editor

Editor Tim Whaling Asst. Lucy Wimmer Nick Appling Mary Beth Burns Samantha Jabour Alex Unflat Justin Whaling

Rachel Cooper Caitlyn Jane Kerbow Peyton Richardson Sabrina Knap Monica Rao

Family Experience

Madeline Dupre Georgina Kuhlmann Asst. Zhouie Martinez

Legacy

Emily Martin Jack Stenglein Asst. Drew Brown Asst. Sophia Ho Asst. Colleen Pletcher

Spirituality

Big sister cares for sibling with apraxia, dyspraxia

Muslim explains personal significance behind hijab

Sara Phillips Asst. Cooper Kerbow Asst. Ananya Zachariah

Personal Relationships Katelyn Connolly Asst. Jack Speer Asst. Jack Wallace

Webmasters Alexis Huynh ZZ Lundburg

Online Editors

Nikki Humble Jacob Prothro Kathryn Revelle

Editor Michaela Moss Ariana Gomez Reyes

Digital Art

Photography

Reporters

Ally Ameel Nelson Aydelotte Jae Hee Cho Lexy Connolly Raine Lipscher Jazmine Longridge Nikki Lyssy Aro Majumder Maddie Miller Ellie Mizell Arfa Momin Conor O’Bryon Kiera Quinn Julia Rasor Emily Sheffield Sage Sutton Dylan Webber Michael Wiggin Damien Wills

Adviser

Deanne Brown

Long distance couple overcomes separation, enjoys time spent together

The Featherduster attempts to inform and entertain in a broad, fair and accurate manner on subjects which concern the readers. The publication seeks to provide a forum of ideas and opinions between the staff of the newsmagazine, the faculty, the student body and the local community about issues presented. In this vein, the staff encourages signed letters to the editor. Due to space limitations, not all can be published, and the editorial board reserves the right to edit them. All material published by The Featherduster staff is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the writer’s consent or that of the

Cover photos by: Tim Whaling, Lucy Wimmer, Justin Whaling, Mary Beth Burns, Alex Unflat and Morgan Saucier. Special thanks to our courtesy photo donors. The Featherduster staff realizes the importance of including multiple perspectives in our articles. To that end, the authors of the stories on pages 20 and 58 contacted the guardians of the students to make them aware of the article’s existence and ask them for their opinions.

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. No material will be printed that is libelous, advocates any illegal activity or which the editorial board deems is in poor taste. This restriction includes letters to the staff, advertising and anything else the board feels presents an inappropriate message.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A FAMILY MATTER

The Westlake community is a big place. With more than 2,600 students at the high school alone, there is no lack of interesting family dynamics. But what trends are most common? What does a typical Westlake family look like? We polled 400 students in order to find out what their family is like, from parents to pets and everything in between.

What country are your parents from?

What is your ethnicity?

o are in y ur family s t ? e

How

m a

Which best describes your biological parents?

westlakefeatherduster.com westlakefeatherduster.com

How many hours does your family watch TV together on average (per week)?

What do your Sundays entail?

Play board games

Watch movies/concerts/etc.

Shop

Cook

Attend sporting events

Argue

Exercise/Outdoor activities

Watch sports

Eat together

o y ou li

Did your parents attend Westlake?

= 15 students

What do you do when you spend time with your family?

d ho

th? wi

How many people live in your household?

Infographic by Alex Charnes

rtment,

According to the U.S. State Depa

U.S. families adopted more than 7,000 children in 2012. exemplify at th s ie or st e ar e er H . nt re ffe Each dynamic is totally di

Y L I M A F THE

E C N E I R E EXP

family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

we are family

Family moves past hardships, stays supportive

My family is very well-known around the Westlake community. We are a loving, supportive family, and sometimes I feel like I live in a fantasy because they are so incredible. How did I ever get so lucky? I’ll spend my life being grateful for my family. My mom has always been there for me. Since the day I was born, she has sacrificed a great deal for me to help me through the trials and tribulations that came with my premature birth. She taught me how to do everything I know, how to love, laugh and be the person I am. She taught me to never give up on my dreams and to push through hard times. She lifts me up and makes me strong, brave

and fearless (even though I’m still working on the fearless part). The times we’ve shared together have been invaluable. One of my favorite memories is the first day of the 2013 Thanksgiving break. We were the only two awake, and we shared coffee and conversation for an hour before anyone else woke up. It wasn’t a big, fancy event, but something small, which made it all more meaningful. I can’t wait for our future together. I can’t imagine what I would ever do without my dad. From day one, he has poured love and support into me and given me the confidence to be my own person. He works extremely hard for all of us, and every day with him is an adventure to be remembered. I will never forget how he pushed me to surf when I was too afraid to, and how connected we felt on that board together, with him pulling me out to sea and waiting for me as I rode a wave to shore. He gave me my love of adventure. I would not be the same without my sister Julia. Every day, she

makes my life so full and I couldn’t imagine it without her in it. She is angelic. All the good times we’ve had together are only tastes of the great ones coming. She is perfect in every way and makes me laugh more than anyone. She always thought having blind sisters was completely normal and way cool, and I could not be luckier to have a sister like her, who is always willing to laugh with me, offer a helping hand, and keep my sense of humor fresh and alive. Sophie, my baby sister. I’ll never forget the day she was born. Kendal, Julia and I were so excited to meet her. I remember holding her for hours on end and rocking her to sleep. I knew I had to protect her always. Now she’s twelve, and the honor of being her big sister is all mine. She makes me laugh, smile and want to be a better person. Kendal. What would I ever do without her? She is my other half, my best friend. I’ve known her since before she was born, and she is strong, kind and compassion-

ate. We’ve been through it all together. It’s a special thing to have an identical twin that understands everything I’ve ever experienced. Together, we walk the world in darkness but I am surrounded by the light that shines from within her. For 18 years, we have shared a room. We had the option several times of having our own rooms, but we always turned the suggestion down because it’s so much more fun when we’re together. My favorite weekends are the weekends with her, in which we stay up way too late, listen to Taylor Swift and hang out for hours on end. When I went parasailing for the first time, there was no way in the world I could have done it without her right by my side. I hope that we go to the same college, but even if we aren’t in the same state, she will always be my other half. All of them bring unconditional love and support, and I would not be who I am today without my family. They are truly one of a kind. —Nikki Lyssy

courtesy The Lyssy family: Mike, Sophomore Julia, senior Nikki, Sophie, senior Kendal and Stacy. Twins Nikki and Kendal had a premature birth, causing blindness. They and their sisters have grown, and their family dynamic is a special one.

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Mary Beth Burns

Senior Alex Espejo has never met his dad. When he tells people this, they often don’t know how to react. But for Alex, it’s normal — something he has always known. For as long as he can remember, it’s just been him and his mother, Krissy Morrow, who is a Spanish teacher at West Ridge Middle School. “I never really had a strong male role model in my life,” Alex said. “My uncle tried to be it, my grandpa tried to be it — but I never really looked up to them. I always admired my mom. She is very successful. I didn’t see a need to have a male role model since my mom was so strong.” Though Alex has wished he had siblings at times, he has learned to be independent. “Where you come from doesn’t really determine where you go,” Alex said. “I came from a low-income family with a single mom, and I’m an only child, but now I’m applying to college to be a chemical engineer. It’s cool to see where I am now [compared to] where I started.” —Rachel Cooper

NO MATTER WHAT 08

family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

Tim Wha

After both of freshman Savannah Wilson’s parents passed away, she moved into the care of her grandmother, Annie Wilson. Savannah has been living with her grandmother for the past three years. When Savannah’s father passed away, she was only 5 years old, and she was 12 when her mother died. Although Savannah has adjusted well to living with her grandmother, she still misses the life she led when her parents were alive. “When you have a connection with someone, it never really goes away,” Savannah said. “It’s difficult hearing people always talk about their dad being there for them or their mom going shopping with them — it gets to me sometimes, knowing [my own parents] aren’t here anymore.” Even though Savannah’s life has changed dramatically since her parents’ deaths, she is still happy with where she is now. “It’s very different living with my grandma — everything sort of changes,” Savannah said. “When I had to move in with my grandma, I wasn’t just switching to a different home, I was moving to a new city [from Dallas]. But in the end, everything has been going pretty good, and I’m thankful for the people in my life.” —Arfa Momin

T WE LOOK LIKE

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Lucy Wimmer

For junior Micah Reich, having two moms (and now four, after they divorced and remarried) has always been just a part of life. For the most part, she hasn’t been hassled by her peers, but sometimes people are confused about where she came from. “I try to explain it, but [only] some of them get it immediately,” Micah said. “They’re confused because some people don’t understand what a donor is. Which, for those who don’t know, is [when] a man or a woman will donate their sperm or their eggs. Then people who can’t have children in the traditional way will go and use that.” In fact, her parents’ sexual orientations are one of Micah’s favorite things about her family. “It’s not a bad thing,” Micah said. “Nothing about it is bad. For those of us who grow up that way, it’s normal. I know a couple people who are like, ‘Oh that sucks,’ when I tell them [that I have gay parents], and I’m like, ‘Well … no, it doesn’t.’ I kind of like that we’re different, actually — it gives me a sense of uniqueness.” —Madeline Dupre

WE ARE ALL REAL

family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

Tim Whaling

Even though the Richardsons seem average from an outsider’s perspective, with a mom (chemistry teacher April Richardson), dad and two daughters (senior Peyton Richardson and her sister, sophomore Kelsey), their closeness sets them apart from what might be considered normal. Although Peyton is an editor-in-chief of the newspaper and Kelsey is the band librarian and a section leader for alto saxophones, they still find common ground. “I feel like my sister and I really are close,” Peyton said. “I don’t know if that’s different from a lot of families, but I know some siblings that are distant, or they don’t really like spending time together, and Kelsey and I really like spending time together. We are so in sync and sing along to Bo Burnham songs together.” The Richardsons are very busy with work, school and extracurriculars, so they don’t have a lot of time during the school year to be together as a family. “With the little free time we have, we all do different things,” Kelsey said. “I’m usually busy with band, Peyton [is busy] with work and my parents are always working around the house. I try to enjoy the time I have with my family as much as possible.” —Madeline Dupre

FAMILIES

SPLIT FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Students of divorced parents share views

When I was 6 or 7 years old, I distinctly remember asking my parents if they’d always love each other. As a question, it made sense then, but now it seems like quite an odd thing to ask. Neither of my parents had accurate enough foresight or an accomplished psychic medium to assure them they’d always love each other. Of course they said yes, but that was beside the point. How can anyone be sure of the permanence of love, when it can vanish just as quickly as it is coaxed into existence? Sure, you can try to make mutual obligation and shared assets feel like love if you try hard enough, but it’s no

substitute for the real thing. I didn’t know this then. I was younger; girls were icky; I had aspirations to become a Power Ranger when I grew up, and I had just begun learning to write in cursive. A couple of years ago my parents separated, and this year they finally divorced, much to the chagrin of my hypothetical approximately 6.5-year-old timetraveling self. The immediate response I receive to telling people I have divorced parents is either, “That’s unfortunate,” or, “Me too.” And now my response to when people tell me their parents are happily

“When you’re young, you don’t necessarily realize that your parents have a bad marriage, but as you get older, you eventually find out. [After divorce, my parents] became way more relaxed, easy going and happier.” —junior Michelle Fairorth “My parents — because of the problems they had with their first marriages — have always been afraid to let me date, and to let my older brother date.” —junior Winnifred Duncan “I don’t remember my parents being married. To me, it’s like I’ve always had divorced parents. I don’t feel like I have divorced parents. I just forget it because it’s my normal.” —senior Katie Hance

12 family experience

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together is either, “I don’t believe you,” or “Oh ... cool,” because I still have yet to find a way to respond to that in a way that is both kind and genuine. Does that make me jaded? Probably. But this disposition may be the only negative consequence of my parents’ divorce. In the words of the children of Ricky Bobby — protagonist of Talladega Nights — on their parents’ divorce, “Yay, two Christmases!” This is how I’ve come to see my parents’ divorce. While the geographical inconvenience of having a father who lives in Houston and a mother who lives in Austin has proved to be difficult to manage in

terms of transportation (which is often in the form of a Greyhound bus), this distance has provided room for my parents to develop as caretakers in isolation, and allowed me to enjoy more varied experiences, and … well … um … two Christmases. When your parents divorce, it’s not like years of being accustomed to their consistent mutual presence can simply be disregarded, but while I wouldn’t recommend that you urge your parents (in a dysfunctional relationship) to divorce quite yet, I’ll let you know that if they do, things eventually get better. — Jack Speer

“I think that every situation is different. It’s important to consider every factor in every situation. I feel like recently, divorce has kind of become an easy way out in relationships. Even though it may be beneficial to both parties in some situations, I feel like it’s both people giving up on the relationship before they did everything they could have done.” —senior John Saxton “I knew what it was because my dad’s parents had divorced and my mom’s parents were divorced, but I didn’t know the impact it would have on my life. I knew it existed, but it wasn’t something that was real to me. It was never something that I put that much thought into. There was never any, ‘Oh we might get a divorce.’ It just happened.” —sophomore Benjamin Roberts

BUILDING FAMILIES Adoption transforms local households

Alex

doug and olivia bingaman Sophomores Doug and Olivia Bingaman were adopted from a Russian orphanage on Dec. 7, 1999. They were too young at the time (Olivia was 7 months and Doug was 9 months) to garner any memories about their birth city of Perm, but the knowledge that they were adopted has given them a unique perspective on family. “[The adoption] has given me a reason to respect my parents more,” Doug said. “I feel very special because they picked me out of all the kids in the orphanage.” Their adoptive mother can trace her roots back to Russia, which was the reason she and her husband chose to adopt from there instead of from somewhere closer to home. “[My mom] wanted [to adopt] from a place that would honor her heritage,” Doug said. “I’d really like to be able to immerse myself in and study [Russian] culture.” Though Olivia feels less drawn to Russia than Doug, she is still proud of her personal history with the Eurasian giant. “I think it’s cool [that] I get to tell people I’m from Russia, and then [they] are really fascinated by it,” Olivia said. Although they are not related by blood, Olivia and Doug are siblings in every other sense of the word, and feel especially close to their adoptive parents, Marian and Gordon Bingaman.

“We’re just like any other family. Since we were young [when we were adopted], we had the same relationship with [our parents] as everyone else,” Olivia said. Because both are adopted, neither feels the sense of competition that might have grown if only one was related to their adoptive parents. “We occasionally have deep conversations, and we watch dumb TV shows together, but we [also] fight a lot. We’re very different [in] personality,” Olivia said. “[Doug is] outgoing and I’m kind of shy and I’m pretty funny and he’s not.” It’s impossible to know what life would have been like for the siblings if they had remained in Russia, but they are grateful to have grown up in a stable home with one another as company. However, even though he is happy with the way things turned out, Doug plans to hire a private investigator to find his birth parents in the future. “I was totally embraced by my [adoptive] family,” Doug said. “The only challenge I ever faced is having to wonder where my birth parents are. [Finding them is] important to me because I want to know the reason for putting me up [for] adoption and if they regret it. However, I am grateful for the fact that I have more opportunities and personal freedom [in America].” —Emily Sheffield

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Nick Ap-

sylvia coletti Nick Ap-

brittany wetmore Unlike many adopted children, senior Brittany Wetmore has known details about her biological family since she was 16. That was when Brittany’s adoptive mother told her about the letters she had been compiling from Brittany’s biological mother. “[She’s been writing since] before I was born, when she was pregnant with me,” Brittany said. “There is one from then, and she [writes], ‘I’m going to love you, even though I’m giving you away.’” These letters have given Brittany more than just information about her birth family; they’ve also helped her understand her birth mom. “It changed my perspective,” Brittany said. “Before I had kind of thought, ‘OK, she gave me up. She doesn’t really care about me.’ But then reading those I was like, ‘There’s no way this woman doesn’t care about me.’ She repeatedly says ‘I love you. I know this is what’s best for you, but I’m still going to miss you.’

So, it was nice to know that she actually does care about me.” Brittany has not yet replied to the letters from her birth mother. “I have written [maybe] 18 letters and never sent them, but one day I’d like to write her back,” Brittany said. “I think I [didn’t send] them because I wasn’t ready when I first found out. I wasn’t really in the place to think, ‘Adoption is so great, and it’s a good thing.’ But now I’m like, ‘Yes, it’s a good thing. It’s a gift. I should appreciate it.’” As an 18-year-old, Brittany can legally meet her biological family, but she doesn’t feel that the time is right. “A lot of people ask, ‘Are you going to find your birth parents?’” Brittany said. “I tell them, ‘Well, I’m kind of happy where I am right now.’ They don’t understand that there’s a lot that [my biological parents] missed out on and a lot that [I] missed out on.” —Madeline Dupre

family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

On March 3 of every year, senior Sylvia Coletti and her family celebrate. Seventeen years ago, Sylvia was adopted from a Bulgarian orphanage. The Coletti family honors Sylvia’s day in March, designated “gotcha day,” when Sylvia came home to her adopted family. “My parents met me when I was 8 months old, but couldn't adopt me until I was a year old because of Bulgarian laws,” Sylvia said. “My dad was doing political work [in Bulgaria] while my mom was working in Bulgarian orphanages. One day my mom was talking with the manager of the orphanage, and the manager brought me out and convinced her that yes, she did want a baby of her own.” Sylvia has not returned to Bulgaria since she moved to the United States after her first birthday. “[If I could go back to Bulgaria], I would try to find my birth parents,” Sylvia said. “I really want to know what they look like, be able to compare myself to them and have someone to share resemblances with. My least favorite part of being adopted is that I’ve never had baby pictures. Or, when I go to a doctor’s office and they

ask things like “Is your mom tall?” I have no idea what the answer to that is.” In Bulgaria, Romas, also known as Gypsies, make up a large portion of the population. Sylvia’s discovery of her ethnicity has made her more interested in learning about her roots. “To be told by your mom one day that you’re a gypsy is a weird feeling,” Sylvia said. “I have always had these thoughts about gypsies like from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding but that sort of romanticized [being a gypsy]. In Bulgaria, the gypsy people are really stereotyped. I can’t even imagine the kind of poverty that my birth parents went through.” While being adopted comes with its own hardships, Sylvia said she feels that the positives outweigh the negatives. “Something great about being adopted is the stories I have to tell,” Sylvia said. “My story is unique. While I struggle a lot with the fact that I’ve never seen my mother’s face or heard her voice, there are some life moments that make it all worth it.” —Kathryn Revelle

Tim Whal-

christian broyles Senior Christian Broyles and her family have gone great distances to adopt. All the way to China, in fact. Her family adopted two children, Mia and Colin, from China in 2005 and 2009, respectively. Mia is now 10 years old, and Colin is 9. “My dad had always wanted to adopt,” Christian said. “[Then my] mom had a dream where she had a child in a different country. We started filling out the adoption papers the next morning. It was basically on an impulse. My older sister and I were both really excited. You don’t have to do extra [paperwork to adopt from China], however, it takes a lot longer because you are dealing with a foreign country.” Christian and her family then traveled to China to complete the adoption. “Going over [to China] was a culture shock,” Christian said. “They smoke everywhere, even indoors. I have asthma, so I [couldn’t breathe well]. They also treat people so differently; everyone looks at the foreigners. There’s the language barrier as well.” Prior to that visit in 2005, the Broyles family had no experience with China. “The first time I went over was in second grade, when we adopted Mia,” Christian said. “No one in my family had ever been to China; no one could speak Chinese. We really didn’t have any relationship with the country.” Mia is from the Jiangxi province, located in Southeast China, and Colin is from the Liaoning province which is located in Northeast China. “Mia’s province was very rural,” Christian said. “There wasn’t even an airport. We had to drive two hours [to get there]. It was also very poor. There were no buildings, just shacks. There was absolutely no air conditioning. Colin’s province was a very nice city. It is kind of what Chicago [is like].”

Colin and Mia’s orphanages were very different from each other. “[Colin’s orphanage] probably had about 400 kids in it,” Christian said. “It was really modern and very Westernized. [Mia’s orphanage] probably had 30 kids, and they only had one room, so it was packed.” Christian has been to China four times — in second grade, when they adopted Mia, and during her fifth, sixth and 11th grade years. The fifth grade trip was to do mission work with [the organization] The Bridge. The entire family, including Mia, went. “[The purpose of our trip] was trying to get people to become Christian and understand what [Christianity] is all about,” Christian said. The Broyles family adopted Colin during Christian’s sixth grade year, so the family returned again to China. “[After that trip] I went junior year to work in the Fujian province, which was pretty urban,” Christian said. “I was working in a critical care home, so it wasn’t really an orphanage. [The home was for kids] 9 months to 2 years old with severe medical conditions. I worked there and helped get them rehabilitated. “I think that, after seeing what those kids were going through, it made me appreciate everything that I [am privileged] to have,” Christian said. “It made me want to go back [again] to help. [I wanted to] spread the word that [kids like them are out there], because some people don’t know about them.” Christian has a loving relationship with her adopted siblings. “The nice thing is that [we] are so far apart in age, so I never fight with them,” Christian said. “Whereas with my biological sister, who is three years older, we fight all the time. With Mia and Colin, it’s almost like I’m a second mom to them. I just can’t imagine my life without them now.” —Conor O’Bryon

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

[totally tubular] Child of In Vitro Fertilization talks about unconventional conception Superman came from Krypton, Aquaman came from Atlantis and senior Dory Gurinsky came from a Petri dish. Dory’s story began over 17 years ago in a doctor’s office, where her parents were introduced to the fairly new and promising concept of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). “They were married for 17 years before thinking about having a child,” Dory said. “My mom was 45 when she wanted to have me, so they went to the doctor and asked how they could have a child. The doctor had said that IVF was a new [option.]” IVF is a process in which eggs are taken from the mother and sperm are taken from the father to create a fertilized egg outside of the womb. This fertilized egg, now called an embryo, is placed back into the womb where it develops. Doctors had stated that Dory’s chances of being born were slim — a mere 2 percent. “They said that it could work, but it probably wouldn’t,” Dory said. “Then, they got me.” Dory hasn’t always known about the circumstances of her birth, but it wasn’t long before she put two and two together. “I didn’t know when I was younger, because how would you know?”

Dory said. “But when I got older, I kind of realized something was different because my parents were older. Then they told me, and it made sense.” Dory feels that her life has been particularly unique due to her unorthodox birth. “I feel that because my parents are older, and I’m an only child, I wouldn’t have been the same person that I am [otherwise],” Dory said. “If I had siblings or if my parents were younger, then I think that it would have been a bit different. It’s helped me realize that I shouldn’t take my life for granted.” To this day, IVF has contributed to the births of approximately 5 million people. Since the first successful birth using IVF in 1978, the number of people born with IVF have increased rapidly, and the process has grown to account for 1.5 percent of the births in 2012 in the U.S., according to a news article from BioEdge. “I think that IVF is pretty amazing because 5 million people wouldn’t be here without it,” Dory said. “I’m pretty grateful for it and for being here. There’s a couple other students in this school who are also products of IVF, and it’s weird to think that we wouldn’t be here without it.” — Jae Hee Cho

Tim Whaling Senior Dory Gurinsky doesn’t hide that she is a “test-tube baby” and embraces the humor in her situation.

In 1978, the first test-tube baby was born.

The National Institutes of Health set standards for all research performed.

Costs $12,000-$17,000 for one IVF attempt. Up to 5 million In Vitro Fertilization babies have been born to date. Source: USA TODAY family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

Tim Whaling Jeff Nixon and son Riley play at the Valley View Elementary School playground. Riley was born via the surrogate process in 2008.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON Cheer coach, husband have child using surrogate Head cheerleading coach and interactive media teacher Jeff Nixon has wanted to be a parent for as long as he can remember. And he wanted the child to be biologically his. In 2006, Nixon and his husband, Joseph, who married in 2012 in Washington, DC, decided to try to have a baby using the surrogate process, which is when the woman is artificially inseminated with the father’s sperm. This method has fewer complications than In Vitro Fertilization, a process that creates an embryo using the eggs from the mother or donor, and sperm from the father or donor that are then implanted in a woman’s womb. Nixon and his husband spent a year doing research and meeting several potential surrogate mothers to determine who would carry their son. “We wanted someone who was smart, educated and attractive,” Nixon said. “It’s an interesting process that way, because it’s

almost like you’re playing with genetics, but you’re not. You’re able to find out things that some people may not know about somebody until they’ve married them.” After talking for several months online and over the phone, Nixon and his husband decided on a woman named Katy, in Portland, Oregon late December 2006. In February 2007, they flew up to Oregon to meet with her and her two children. After spending time with them, Nixon knew in his gut that she was the one. “When you finally feel like you’ve found that person, it gets really exciting,” Nixon said. “You’ve finally found the person you are going to create a life with.” The next several months were long and tedious. This was her third time being a surrogate mother, so she already had a contract ready for them. However, Nixon and his husband wanted to change and add some things. It took a year and a half of negotiat-

ing before both parties agreed on the contracts. Then came the challenge of the actual intra-uterine insemination with Nixon’s sperm. They had two failed attempts in March and April, but the third attempt in May was a success. Fittingly, on Father’s Day 2007, Nixon got a text from the surrogate mother with a picture of her positive pregnancy test. “When we first saw the picture we were really confused,” Nixon said. “We were wondering why she was sending us a picture, and then we realized, ‘Whoa, she’s pregnant.’” The surrogate mother sent them pictures of the first sonogram, but when it came to finding out the sex of the baby, Nixon and his husband knew they wanted to be there. They flew back up to Oregon to sit in on the doctor’s appointment and learned that the baby would be a boy. For Nixon and his husband, this made every-

thing much more real. “Although we didn’t care about the sex of the baby,” Nixon said, “as we were going through the process we always felt like we wanted to have a girl, mostly because we thought a girl would have an easier time dealing with potential issues of having two dads. [But] After we found out the sex and knew we were having a boy, I remember it just feeling right.” Nixon and his husband flew up a week before the due date to be there for the delivery. When they got the call at 12:34 a.m., they drove Katy to the hospital. Joseph Riley Nixon was born Feb. 22, 2008. They were able to be in the room when their son was born. “[We were] nervous, excited — the whole range of emotions — and a little bit scared,” Nixon said. “We couldn’t believe it was happening. Now that we have him I couldn’t imagine [anything else.]” —Jazmine Longridge

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

“I have so many questions,”

is a phrase that I’ve grown used to hearing, along with “no way” and “you’re joking.” Because while my family seems mundane at first glance — divorced parents, suburban home and three kids — we’ve had some wild times. While plenty of families might go camping in Utah at some point, they don’t usually stay in their Mongolian Yurts while Dad steals the kids’ toys to create an artsy photo series titled “Barbies in the Desert.” But that was my childhood. My dad, an Austrian bachelor enamored with the American West, had given up his LA-based acting career in order to transform the abandoned Colorado mining town of Dunton Hot Springs into a high-end resort. It was literally in the middle of nowhere, with a plethora of garter snakes, a colorful employee base, a handful of antique cabins and breathtaking scenery. That’s where he met my mom, a Southern-raised hippie 18 years his junior. She had settled down in a trailer after two years following the Grateful Dead tour in a burrito van, and was working as a waitress in Durango. When my dad asked her to join him for lunch to celebrate his recent purchase of “the perfect saloon table,” she agreed. The rest is history. Speaking of history, my mom’s great-great uncle was in a bar fight with Edgar Allen Poe, insisting that Poe had cheated in a writing contest (which I highly doubt, considering which one of them has been remembered through the years), and, between my mom and my dad, I have family on both sides of World War II. The directors of The Sound of Music movie wanted to use my dad’s family home as the set for the Von Trapp house, but they would have needed to cut down some trees, so the formidable old Mrs. Kuhlmann refused. When her son, my grandfather, sold the house, it was turned into the Urstein University and now provides education in the Salzburg area. That same great-grandmother’s family line founded Krupp, the German/Austrian steel company that once manufactured some of the world’s largest guns and now makes some of our elevators here at Westlake. I was born in September of 1997, soon after my parents’ wedding, and my brother Huxley followed 18 months later. As the only kids in permanent residence, we had the run of the place growing up. Huxley and I took turns rolling in the mountain snow before diving into the steamy red waters of the hot-spring that gave Dunton its name. Sometimes there were bears on our porch, so we had to stay inside until they moseyed off, and cougars left their claw marks in the same woods in which I picked strawberries. Looking back, I realize that nothing gives a

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girl a healthy appreciation of nature like growing up in a town elevated 8,600 feet in the Rockies. When my father’s work in Dunton was done, we moved to Tucson, AZ., where I would, for various reasons, change elementary schools four times in four years. These included Saint Michaels Episcopal school (though Huxley and I were baptized Lutheran), a year of home schooling and a Waldorf school, where eighth graders were taught javelin throwing and had weekly “yoga days.” Soon afterwards we went to Canada to visit my dad’s friend “Uncle Bunker” Hoover, grandson of the 20th century vacuum-cleaner mogul William Henry Hoover. For my seventh birthday, he gave me an anatomically-correct male baby doll wearing a beanie embroidered with “Rasta.” Bunker also owned a fashion mannequin that he would move about the house to surprise his guests with, and it was always a race between Huxley and myself to see who could find her first. His dog, a dainty little Jack Russell terrier called Fabrina, tried to rip my dachshund’s throat out the moment they met, and some years later I heard she had bested a badger in a fight.

Bernt, junior Georgina, Klaus and sophomore Huxley Kuhlmann enjoy the Canadian summer on their island.

courtesy phoTop left photo: Georgina and Huxley play in the mineral-infused waters of Dunton Hot springs. Bottom left photo: Georgina models her angel costume in the Dunton saloon. While it was technically a communal area, she treated it like her living room. Far right photo: Georgina and Huxley sit on the yurt steps. The structure was a gift from their father’s friend, Otgo, and it was located in Utah for several years before being moved to California. Bottom right: Georgina’s mother, Cathleen Porter, models the Xubaz for the product website.

Anyway, after falling in love with the Canadian coast, my parents bought a small island and a run-down fishing shack in the mainland village of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. We renovated the shack into a high-ceilinged, fabulously modern affair, but ran into trouble when some old colonial documents were unearthed that threw the island title into dispute. So, naturally, we joined a coalition of other island-owners and sued the Canadian government. With a lawsuit on his hands, my dad sold the Mahone Bay house and put Canada on hold to focus on his latest business venture — the “Xubaz Functional Scarf.” The idea was simple: an apparel line of scarves equipped with small pockets and straps that could be clipped onto the belt. My dad poured countless hours and dollars into that project, even uprooting the whole family to Los Angeles, but in the end he was disappointed. Was it the weight around the neck? Was it the dorky little straps? Was it the confusing name? Whatever the problem was, the “functional scarf” proved to be a dysfunctional product. It flopped. Despite the Xubaz fiasco, life in LA was far from dull. My schoolmates were a diverse, lively bunch, and the adults around us — from Karl in Topanga Canyon, a lanky Belgian director who has yet to put out any mainstream hits, to Jane Seymour, a Golden Globe-winning actress, to Otgo, a Mongolian expatriate who had worked on Dunton with my dad — were even more so. Speaking of Otgo, through him I was invited to be part of the welcoming ceremony for the President of Mongolia. I think I was supposed to be representing the children of America or something like that, so there’s a picture of 10-year-old Georgina in the book recording His Excellency Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj’s trip to the U.S. Then the economic recession rolled around in 2009; my mom got pregnant, and my dad began to have heart problems. So my parents panicked about money, and we moved to Austin. The California and Texas school curriculums don’t line up, so I only went to Forest Trail Elementary for the final three weeks of fifth grade, and I never learned the “50 States” song or the geography of the U.S. Oops. Since we came to Austin, things have settled down somewhat, but we have still had our fair share of excitement. Klaus, my youngest brother, was born a month after we came to Austin, and in sixth grade I mangled both my ankles going on a band trip to Six Flags in heels – I forgot my sneakers, OK? My dad’s second resort, a sprawling complex in Utah

called Amangiri, was finally completed, despite budgeting troubles and a “devious banker” called Homie. My parents divorced in the fall of my seventh grade year – opposites could only attract so long it seems. Mom kept the house in Westlake, and Dad moved downtown. In the spring of my eighth grade year, we received the news that the Canadian lawsuit was over and Spectacle Island was ours, so my dad set about building a house on the property, which we’ve stayed at the past few summers to escape the Texas heat. I was too young to remember playing with Tom Cruise’s kids when they visited Dunton, but I do recall later meetings with Prince William, his then-girlfriend, Kate, and the singer James Blunt at the weddings of some of my cousins. I don’t want to sound like I’m dropping names, because it was never a big deal for us – living in a luxury resort meant we were surrounded by a clientele of high-profile people. My cousin Olivia went to university with – and briefly dated – the prince, and James Blunt has been friends with my cousin’s husband since they were teenagers in a crappy garage band together. All in all, my family experience has been quite the roller-coaster ride. I hear people talk about living in one house their whole life, never having left the country or having normal parents with steady jobs, and I wonder what it’s like to have that stability, that familiarity, but at the cost of so many unique experiences. While I can’t help but be a little curious about that solid base I never had, I can’t imagine who I would be without all the weirdness and wildness that comes with being born a Kuhlmann. —Georgina Kuhlmann

[ FAMILY EXPERIENCE

BIGGER IS BETTER Womacks describe life, learning in a family of 11

courtesy photo Since the 11 members of the Womack family are seldom all in the same place at the same time, they’ve taken to Photoshopping in whomever is missing.

“Your family is how big?” The Womacks get that a lot. Not that it’s an unreasonable statement — there are 11 people in their family: mom Eleanor, dad Clay and their nine kids: Chase, Josh, Sam, Joy, Grace, Luke, Clay, David and Faith. Chase, Josh and Sam are triplets, and Grace and Luke are twins. And at one point, they all shared a bathroom. “[Living with a big family] is hectic,” senior Clay Womack said. “I grew up in a room with six boys in a 1000 square foot house. It was tough, but it was a lot of fun because there was always someone to hang out with, always someone to help you with homework.” Eight years ago, the Womacks loaded up a 15-passenger van (they refer to it as their personal “green machine”) and moved from their home in California to Texas. Even though it meant convincing his parents and finding a new teacher, 9-year-old Clay didn’t let the change of scenery stop him from his goal of learning Chinese. “I used to go around with my tape record-

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er to different Chinese people in my church congregation and asked them to teach me phrases,” Clay said. “I started being able to have short conversations with them. I finally found a teacher in California, but we moved a month after I found her. When we were here [in Texas], I begged my parents for a year to find me a Chinese teacher, and they said, ‘No, you’re going to start it, and it’s going to be too hard, and you’re going to quit.’ Finally, they relented. [I found a teacher who] decided to start a Chinese school out of her house, and she said I could be one of her students. She taught me Chinese [here in Austin] for six years.” Several of the Womacks have made notable achievements. At 20 years old, Joy is the prima ballerina for the Kremlin National Ballet in Russia. Chase played football at Dartmouth University and once tried out for the NFL. Luke is playing rugby at St. Andrews University in Scotland, one of the best rugby schools in the world. With rugby being recently added to the Summer Olympics, he plans to try out for the 2016 team.

[

“We have a tradition of excellence, as my dad might say,” Clay said. The Womacks might not be typical when it comes to achievement, but they have family traditions just like everyone else. “Back when everybody was at home, during Christmas we’d all have to stay upstairs until everyone was awake, and having teenage brothers, that was usually around noon,” freshman David Womack said. “I was young, so I’d wake up early, but I’d still have to wait. Once everyone was awake, we would all gather on the stairs and take a family picture.” When it comes to succeeding, the Womack children have always looked to their parents for guidance. Eleanor is a doctor and Clay Sr. is a CEO of an oil investment company, Adageo Energy. “[Our parents] haven’t pushed us that much, but they don’t need to,” David said. “We see their example and follow it. We know they’re great, and they’ve passed on that attitude [of wanting to succeed].” —Sara Phillips

Which eccentric relative are you? 2 3 4

For you, going to the dentist A. inspires fear and loathing. B. only happens when a toothache is so bad you’ve begun to starve yourself. C. is a practical, if unsavory, necessity. D. is an opportunity for free painkillers and an ice cream diet. Your car of choice is A. a Volvo with a 5-star safety rating. B. something old and rusty with jumper cables in the trunk. C. any SUV that fits eight or more. D. currently being held by the DMV, but you forget why. What do you bring to a potluck? A. Macaroni and cheese. No one can complain about macaroni and cheese. B. Frozen casserole warmed up 15 minutes before the event. C. An array of artfully decorated cakes. D. Burnt cookies. Which article of clothing would you reach for at the store? A. A conservative beige polo. B. Something stylish but a size too small. C. Mom jeans. D. Whatever’s cheapest.

Mostly A’s: The Anxious Cousin You’re the cousin who never sat at the kids’ table at Christmas parties. You have a lot of nervous social habits, but family opinion is split on whether these stem from abnormally high intelligence or an abnormally close relationship with Grandma. Either way, people appreciate your attempts to steer dinner conversation away from inappropriate topics, and you are the only one who can be trusted to accompany your unpredictable great-uncle Francis on his before-sunrise strolls.

Mostly B’s: The Relative That Actually Might Not Be Related You are a free spirit, spontaneous and loving. Perhaps one year you accompanied your significant other to a family reunion, and just kept coming back. Or you could be a distant 12th step-cousin, four times removed. No one really knows, or cares. You have a Forrest Gumpesque habit of showing up where you’re not really supposed to be, and a knack for getting out of uncomfortable situations by the skin of your teeth.

Michaela Moss

QUIZ

5 6 7

What is your airport strategy? A. Arriving the night before, of course. B. Cutting it just close enough to not be comfortable. C. Luggage cart is a necessity. D. I missed my flight. Again. Your favorite game show is A. Jeopardy! B. Deal or No Deal C. Hollywood Game Night D. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The best gift anyone could ever give you would be A. a sense of humor. B. a planner. C. even more scrap booking supplies! D. peace of mind.

Mostly C’s: The Oppressively Cheerful Aunt You’ve never seen a wedding you haven’t liked. And it’s not just that you’re one of those people who thinks a wedding is a good party. You live for family events. If you could, you would show up at every 2-year-old nephew’s birthday party. (You can.) Sometimes, the enthusiasm borders on overbearing. Traits include an omnipresent smile, aweinspiring gift-giving skills and an arsenal of obnoxious catchphrases like “Cat got your tongue?”

Mostly D’s: The Bad-Habit Grandpa There’s always that old guy in the family. The general consensus is that you are a bad influence, but really you’re just having fun. You watch football while the family eats Thanksgiving dinner — and if you do come to the table, it’s only to crack a few politically incorrect jokes. News flash: no one wants to hear another story about “the glory days,” but for the ones who stick around, you almost become charming. The rest are just haters.

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

sisterly LOVE Kneeling in the toy kitchen, senior Eden Eckstrom listens to her little sister Lucy. “Ha- ha- ha- hot...” “Hot dog?” Eden chimes in. This is Eden and Lucy’s evening ritual as Eden tries to increase her little sister’s vocabulary each time they play together. Lucy, who is almost 5, demands a little more attention than the average child her age. This was apparent to Eden and her parents when they first noticed that one of Lucy’s eyes was slightly crossed. As they continued to watch her grow they realized that Lucy was not crawling or walking at the same rate that other babies were. “I wondered why she wasn’t growing like other kids were and if something was wrong with her, but we were in denial,” Eden said. “We always wanted to be positive.” After years of monitoring, Lucy was diagnosed with dyspraxia at age 3. Dyspraxia is a developmental coordination disorder that can affect the planning of movements and coordination. In other words, the brain’s messages are not being accurately sent to the body. “It makes her really clumsy and not able to do really agile things like climb the monkey bars,” Eden said. When it was time for Lucy to begin making sounds, she was not able to. This was when Lucy’s doctors discovered her apraxia. Similar to dyspraxia, the messages from the brain are not obeyed by the body. While dyspraxia deals with the physical aspect of the body, apraxia is the most severe speech disorder one could have. “[Apraxia] makes your brain not be able to connect the words to your mouth so your mouth cannot form the words,” Eden said. “She knows the words in her head, but she just can’t say them.” Lucy has had a very unconventional childhood thus far, consisting of speech and physical therapy. She has had to work harder than other children in order to accomplish certain tasks. “She should be speaking full sentences [like] the average 5-yearold,” Eden said. “She should be able to respond to you like a normal person would respond. She cannot tell you exactly what she is feeling or thinking.” While Lucy’s disorders have presented challenges, they have not affected her relationship with her sister. Eden adores her little sister and loves to spend time with her. “She is the cutest thing ever,” Eden said. “She is so funny, and even though she can’t really talk we’re super close and really connected. She is always up and doing something; she never wants to sit down. She’s my little best friend that can’t really talk. She is just a lot of fun and loves attention.” Being her older sister, Eden has many responsibilities and holds herself accountable for being one of Lucy’s main teachers. Her responsibilities range from teaching Lucy to ride a bike to helping her form sentences. “I try not to say a lot of bad words around her,” Eden said. “I work on her speech with her. If she goes to speech therapy and is working on something new I’ll help her say those words. It is my job to make sure that she is getting better at that. I try and help her learn new things. She is just now learning how to ride a bike, but her feet won't touch the pedals, but she knows she is supposed to pedal. I’m supposed to help

her with potty training too but that’s not my favorite. I just take care of her and help her learn.” Lucy is in preschool at Eanes Elementary and is placed in a class mixed with both students who have disabilities and students who do not. “She is a funny person,” Eden said, “She gets really excited about school buses and before that she would always watch bus videos on YouTube. When we were walking her to the bus stop for the first time she was just completely silent and in awe of it. When she got home she could not stop talking about the bus.” Nothing about Lucy’s situation is abnormal or different to Eden or Lucy. It is how they go about life and how they depend on each other. The duo spend some time every day together and love every minute of it. “I cannot imagine leaving for college,” Eden said. “That is going to be so hard. I can’t imagine not seeing her every day and not saying ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ to her. I can call her and FaceTime with her but it’s not the same. It’s going to

“If she goes to speech therapy and is working on something new, I’ll help her say those words. It is my job to make sure that she is getting better at that.” —senior Eden Eckstrom

family experience westlakefeatherduster.com

Senior Eden Eckstrom plays with her 5-year-old sister Lucy. Lucy has apraxia and dyspraxia, conditions that make it very difficult for her to speak and move.

Sibling bond helps child cope with disabilities be really hard on me, and pretty hard on her, I imagine.” While Eden and her family have become accustomed to Lucy’s disorder, it is not always easy. “The most challenging part is not being able to tell what’s wrong,” Eden said. “In some ways she can tell us what is wrong when she is crying or hurt but she can’t tell us what she feels specifically. I know she wants to, and it’s hard to watch her not be able to tell us. We try harder and harder every day to understand her more and more, but we can’t always understand her.” Lucy’s disabilities have affected Eden directly. While she isn't the one physically dealing with the hardships of the disabilities, she still cares for her sister and takes the emotional aspects of the condition very personally. “I don’t want people to look at Lucy differently,” Eden said. “I hate the word retarded. I’ve heard it being said about Lucy and it kills me because she is not retarded. She is very smart. Even though she is disabled in some ways, she is able to do a lot of things. She can do a lot of things she just does it in her own way. I’m proud of everything she does every single day because she tries really hard to be like a normal kid. Her disorder is her normal. I just think people shouldn't look at other people with disorders as being retarded or stupid, it’s how they were born. It’s their normal even if it’s not your normal. Don’t look at what they can’t do, look at what they can do.” —Zhouie Martinez

BUY

YEAR BOOK el paisano 2015

your

www.jostensyearbooks.com #westlakeyearbook

photos by Lucy Wimmer To help her develop speech and movement, Eden plays with Lucy every day. The two sisters have a very strong relationship.

LET THE GAMES FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Aurasma by Cooper

Cost:

When I was invited to my grandmother’s kitchen table to play One Night Ultimate Werewolf, I was skeptical. Honestly, Werewolves are lame. But I went ahead and took a seat. About eight of us sat around the table, and my uncle read the rules. The game is complicated. Basically, a group of townspeople are trying to save the village by killing the Werewolves. Each player is dealt a card which assigns them a secret role. Your role divides you into a team: village person or Werewolf. Each special character can reveal clues as to who is the Werewolf. Since the Werewolves are your fellow players, a lot of lying and debate takes place. Role actions include switching cards between players, stealing cards, peeking at cards and, if you are a Werewolf, learning who the other Werewolves are. Every round is different and each play brings humor. However, without the help of the free One Night app that signals when to take action, the younger kids will have a hard time knowing when it’s their turn. It’s one of those games where you need to play a round to understand how it works. At the end, after some discussion, everyone votes on who to kill. If the popular vote is against the real Werewolves, the village people win. If the Werewolves survive, they win. It’s rewarding to know that you put the puzzle together correctly and helped your team save (or terrorize) the village. —Caitlyn Jane Kerbow

Do you want to make a complete fool of yourself in front of your family? Do you want to beat your siblings to the ground and show them that you’re the ruler? Then Cranium is the game for you! Cranium is a family game for ages 6 and up. The game requires at least four players who are split into teams of two. There are more than 600 different playing cards that cover 14 activities including sculpting, acting, sketching and more. The game board is a multi-colored layout, and each color belongs to a different category that corresponds with the cards. There are four different categories — Creative Cat, Data Head, Word Worm and Star Performer. In addition, there is a space on the die which represents the team’s choice of category. Whoever reaches the end of the game board first wins the game. It is elaborate and complicated, so when you can’t solve a card, it can become very frustrating. I’ve played this game numerous times with my family, and each time, I have found it just as enjoyable. My brother is so engrossed with Cranium, that since we received it as a gift last Christmas, he has begged me to play it every night. Cranium is a rewarding use of my time, and it has left me completely addicted and hooked. Because of Cranium, my Friday nights have become loud, long and cheerful and my family has become much closer. —Julia Rasor

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Cost: Have you ever tried fitting a square into a circle? That’s how perplexing In a Pickle is. You think about things that ordinarily wouldn’t cross your mind. In a Pickle is played by two to six people with 320 cards. All the cards have words on them, such as “baseball,” “bathtub” or “outer space.” The first four cards drawn are placed on the table. As you draw cards, the object is to sort them by size. For example, if the first four cards were “space,” “bathtub,” “human” and “bed,” you could only put down cards that were smaller than those things. Once four cards have been put down in a set, the person who just played a card wins that round. This game is part luck and part strategy. You have to get the right cards and play them in the right place at the right time. When I first got the game for my birthday, I was trying to fit the universe inside a cat, and the game just wasn’t in my favor. Other times, I’ve had “atom” and “straw.” This game, like the wellknown Apples to Apples, utilizes more chance than anything else. In a Pickle is fun, unique and thought-provoking, but be warned — playing it could make your family look at you like you’re crazy for saying that in theory, dreams could fit into a microwave. —Sage Sutton

BEGIN

You won’t be ‘board’ with this high-quality family entertainment

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When I first heard of Buzzword, I was dubious. The name sounded as interesting as watching paint dry, and the instructions were not much better. But my skepticism was proved wrong, and I can now say that it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played. To play, gather a group of four and partner up. Next, you or your partner receive a card with 10 phrases, a buzzword and answers on it. The buzzword is a word related in some way to all of the phrases and is somewhere in the answer. Say the phrase is “Having an advantage” and the buzzword is “Hand.” Then the answer would be “The Upper Hand.” You prompt your partner with the phrase and see how many points you can earn within 45 seconds. The opposing team gets to hazard a guess at the ones you missed or skipped. The team with the most points wins. This game is competitive and challenging. It can go on for hours and is fun and engaging for everyone involved. Warning — the pressure and intensity of the rounds may lead to some heart palpitations, but that just adds to the simple fun of the game. It’s sure to turn dreary meals or lackluster parties into a great time. —Kiera Quinn

There is no other game that even comes close to the hysterical, manic nature of Quelf. Quelf is a game designed for ages 12 and up, engrossing the players in a fun-filled adventure. The goal of it is simple: get to the end of the board by rolling a die. But to do this, you must go through a plethora of zany and absolutely insane cards. If you fail to satisfy the card’s instructions, however, you have to pay the specific penalty associated with it. From cards that tell you to stand up and shout “Pizza Party!” when the doorbell rings, to saying sentences backwards in a foreign accent, this game covers it all. These cards make it one of the most absurd games on the market. However, there are some negatives here and there (however minor they are). The biggest problem is that due to the game’s unpredictable and complex structure, Quelf can be infuriatingly confusing at moments. For instance, it can be a genuine struggle to decipher some of the cards and figure out what you need to do. While these moments are few and far between, they can be game-breaking flaws. Despite this imperfection, Quelf still holds a special place in my heart and on my shelf. It’s hilarious, wacky, quirky and utterly sure to leave you lying on the floor in fits of laughter. —Jack Wallace

Harry Potter Scene It?, a DVD play-along game where players use the timed questions and clips from the first four Harry Potter films to move across a game board, is less of a game and more of an out-of-body experience. Since the DVD player is kind of old, the idea of using the DVD remote to play along with a game seems ridiculous. But in Harry Potter Scene It? the use of the DVDs reminds me of my childhood. The campiness is less endearing, however, when you watch the same scene of Dobby dropping the cake in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets three times in the span of an hour. Reliving childhood favorites is great until you gradually begin to feel resentment towards the characters due to overexposure. Sure, Dobby’s death was heartbreaking, but, after playing this game, I was probably less sad than most people when the cake-dropping little sucker bit the dust. Despite its frustrating aspects, Harry Potter Scene It? has the one requirement for a game night — accessibility. There are questions for the members of your family who aren’t Harry Potter aficionados (the sleepy mom and too-cool siblings, also known as the weak ones) and for the enthusiasts (the dad who went to every midnight premiere and now can’t wait to crush everyone else) so the game feels fair. If you’re looking for an old-timey game that anyone in your family can join in on, Harry Potter Scene It? definitely deserves some of your time. It will blow your mind and likely change your life. —Madeline Dupre

According to The Aspen Institute,

more than 21 million youths in the U.S. play team sports on a regular basis.

ity with their

our commun on ct pa im g in st la a g in av le e ar These people

Y C A G LE

legacy westlakefeatherduster.com

Daughter of University of Texas football coach talks about family, individuality

Most of the local sports news and hype this year has revolved around the new head football coach at the University of Texas, Charlie Strong. The Westlake community is home to many die-hard Longhorn fans. Naturally, when it was announced that Strong’s two daughters, eighth-grader Hope and senior Hailee, would be attending school in Eanes, there was even more excitement. Hailee had moved three times before due to her dad’s job, so it came as no surprise after UT called to offer her dad the job that her family would soon have to relocate. “I didn’t want to [move],” Hailee said. “I was grounded at the time, which was around New Year’s, and didn’t have my phone so I couldn’t tell my friends I was leaving. I had all my friends over so I could sit them down and tell them. It kind of sucked because I had started high school with them and I wanted to finish out and graduate with them.” For Hailee, one of the biggest shifts of moving to Austin was the school environment. Westlake was a big change for her, since she came from an all-girls Catholic school. She faced having to be the new kid for her senior year, as well

as the decision of which school to choose. “I shadowed at Austin High, and it kind of freaked me out,” Hailee said. “It was really dark and scary and like a jail. So I decided to go to Westlake. [Adjusting to Westlake] really hasn’t been as bad as I thought. I thought I wasn’t going to talk to anyone, but when I shadowed here in January I met people. [Senior] Annie Flowers has helped me a lot.” Hailee also had to adapt to the recognition that came with having a father in the public eye. “The first week of school, all the football players knew I was coming and knew who I was,” Hailee said. “They’d all stare, which kind of bothered me. Most people would stare, and then they would start talking to me, but it would always be about my dad. I’m not my dad. If you want to talk to him, go talk to him.” As glamorous as it may seem to some people, Hailee said finding family time is difficult. Her dad’s job takes a lot of time, typically leaving only one night per week for the family to spend together. “He’s not really home that much,” Hailee said. “People kind of think [coaching] is just a weekend thing since they play on Saturday. In the fall he comes home at 11:30 or 12 a.m., and then he has games on Saturday and then goes back to work on Sunday. In the spring, he’s out recruiting so he’s literally never in town. It kind of sucks because I used to play volleyball and he’d never be able to come to a game. The most I get to see him is on Thursday nights when he gets home around 7 p.m. It’s always been Thursdays when

he can come home, and sometimes if they’re not playing a hard team he can come home a little earlier. It’s been like that forever.” Though there are some downsides to her dad’s occupation, there are also perks. “I get to meet so many people,” Hailee said. “Like Matthew McConaughey, who is always at the games. And when it’s summertime we can go on family vacations which is nice.” Since Hailee’s dad has limited time away from work, her mom is an important figure in her life. “My mom is amazing,” Hailee said. “She’s kind of like a single mom because she always has to take us everywhere and she’s just awesome. When our dad’s not home she’s kind of like a mom and a dad at the same time.” Hailee knows she wants to go

to college in the South and study to be a doctor. However, UT is probably not the place for her. “I never really wanted to go to school where my dad’s coaching,” Hailee said. “I want to have my own experience and not have to tell him where I am all the time or have him in my dorm room.” Though her family is seen as local celebrities, there is nothing unusual about the quality time they spend together. “I really like when we’re all together,” Hailee said. “My mom is always laughing and my dad and my sister just pick little fights with each other. It’s always entertaining and never quiet. Most people don’t realize that we’re actually a really close family. Our life isn’t football — I mean, it is, but we’re still a family behind it.” —Rachel Cooper

courtesy photo Senior Hailee Strong and her sister Hope pose with her parents, Charlie and Victoria. The girls have moved many times for their dad’s job, but Hailee said that there are benefits to being the daughter of a college football

LEGACY

SERVING UP SISTERHOOD A team that plays together stays together

For varsity volleyball, the team has always been more important than the scoreboard. Although each year comes with high expectations, the players know that the value of their season comes from the bonds they create with each other. “What made this team particularly unique was that they were best friends on the court, yet they all hung out with different friend groups during school,” said varsity volleyball head coach Al Bennett, who was recently named as one of two National Coaches of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. “The reason this program was so successful this year was because they not only listened to each other, but respected each other’s individuality.” The team finished its season Nov. 14, following a loss to J.J. Pearce during the Regional Semifinals in Richardson. The team won District, Bi-District, Area and Regional Quarterfinals, ending the season with a 42-5 record. While the girls expected to end their season at State, the camaraderie between the players has not dampened. “The bonds we have made this season are unbreakable,” utility senior Jesse Turner said. “After spending so much time with your teammates, you make a special connection with them that can’t be broken by just losing a game or having the season end.” Most of the seniors on the team had played with each other years before this, establishing a natural sense of trust that showed during games. “We’re so comfortable with each other from all the time we’ve spent playing together as best friends that we’ve developed a flow on the court,” Jesse said. Even though most of the senior players had already formed a bond, they still made an effort to include underclassmen as well. “Everybody is a family; we end up knowing so much about each other by the end of the season,” middle blocker freshman Holly Campbell said. “The seniors still get some benefits, but they never think they’re

better than us. They’re always super nice to the underclassmen.” The seniors this year felt the same connection when they first joined varsity. Their desire to replicate this feeling creates a tradition of including new players. “I remember as a sophomore being called to the back of the bus by the scary seniors and just being able to bond with them,” Jesse said. “It’s part of the volleyball experience that we seniors have tried to continue this year.” This dedication to creating a sense of inclusion is what makes the family dynamic within the volleyball program so effective. “Every single girl is so important for the team,” Jesse said. “Everybody must know the importance of the role they play to be successful.” The loyalty within the team carries each player through difficult times. “I’ve been through a lot of injuries and tough times that have prevented me from playing,” setter senior Madison Borowski said. “My teammates have always been there for me.” While friendships may seem like a product of a successful volleyball season, the seniors would have to disagree. “In volleyball, you really have to have all the pieces come together. A lot of people have to come and work together really well and efficiently — it’s just part of the experience,” Jesse said. Volleyball allows students to become family members to each other, giving the program its lasting significance. “Westlake volleyball has given me a sense of happiness and fulfillment that you can’t get anywhere else,” middle blocker senior Lulu Schulz said. “All that matters when you’re playing volleyball is that you’re playing for each other. You may succeed together, you may lose together, but in the end you grow up together.” —Michael Wiggin

Seniors Jesse Turner and Michelle Irvin play against Hendrickson on Nov. 11 at Burger Center during the Regional

Setter senior Xena Pierce celebrates the gamewinning shot against Hendrickson on Nov. 11 where Westlake won 25-21, 25-14,

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Middle blocker senior Lulu Schulz flashes the Chap hand sign to the crowd during the game against Hendrickson on Nov. 11.

Junior Claire Hahn serves the ball during a game against Hendrickon on Nov. 11 where Westlake won 25-21, 25-14, 26-24.

Returning a serve against Hendrickson, outside hitter senior Aubry Hinners helps win a round. The volleyball team celebrates its win against Hendrickon.

photos by Justin Whaling

LEGACY

DOUBLE TROUB

Juniors Brooke and Bailey Holle

The Featherduster: What has it been like to always play sports together? Bailey: It’s been really fun, but it’s all I’ve known, so I don’t know what it’s like to play without her. Brooke: It has been cool playing sports with Bailey because I always have someone I know on my team. Brooke: We are always competing against each other. FD: Do you plan to go to the same college? Bailey: Yes, we are both committed to play basketball at Texas State. It was really exciting to commit. I think we’ll have a lot of fun. FD: What is your favorite memory playing together? Bailey: Whenever we have cool “twin moments” and know what the other one is going to do without saying anything. FD: Do you get competitive with each other? Bailey: Very. Brooke and I get competitive in basketball with things like points and also in school with test grades and stuff like that. FD: How do you guys push each other to get better?

Bailey: We both want to beat the other one so then we both go hard in whatever we are doing. FD: Do you think being a twin gives you a competitive edge? Bailey: Yes, other players get confused and forget which [twin] they were guarding. FD: Can you think of a specific moment when being a twin really helped you in sports? Bailey: Brooke and I have really good chemistry so we feed off each other’s energy on the court. One time I had the ball and I knew Brooke was going to do a back-door cut without her even saying anything and it was wide open. No one knew what was going on but the two of us. What is your favorite part of being a twin? Bailey: I always have someone that I know wherever I go. Brooke: My favorite part of being a twin is watching people’s reactions when they realize we are twins and messing with them.

Seniors Sarah and Hannah Tucker

FD: What sports did you play before lacrosse? Sarah: We were on swim team together since we were 6, then we played soccer from around age 8 to age 10 and then we were on the same basketball team in seventh and eighth grade. FD: What has it been like to always play sports together? Sarah: I remember when we played basketball our coach used to say that we had really good chemistry on the court. When we passed the ball to each other we kind of understood what the other was going to do. FD: Do you think being a twin gives you a competitive edge? Hannah: Not for lacrosse because Sarah is the goalie and I play attack.

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Sarah: For basketball we kind of sensed what the other was going to do. FD: Do you know if you’re going to the same college? Hannah: We honestly don’t know yet. We’ve talked about it, and we said we are not going to room together if we go to the same college. Sarah: But we will see each other. We will still hang out a lot. FD: What is your favorite memory playing sports together? Hannah: Whenever Sarah plays a really good game as goalie I like how happy she looks afterwards. Sarah: I remember when we were on a club basketball team our coach used to try to avoid putting us together. I’m not sure why, bu one time he decided to put us together in practice. We did really well and scored. He was really surprised. FD: Do you get competitive playing against each other? Hannah: I try and score on her when we are practicing and she is in the goal. FD: Do you push each other to get better? Hannah: I think we do. We both give each other constructive criticism. Sarah: Hannah played goal before I did and she always told me that she hated it, and that I would hate it too. But then I really liked it. She always gives me good pointers when I get frustrated letting goals in and stuff. She was really helpful. FD: What’s your favorite part of being a twin? Sarah: Always having someone to hang out with and be with. We can hang out together and practice sports together. Hannah: We understand each other on and off the field.

BLE

Twins cause problems for opponents, embrace shared passion for sports

Juniors Margaret and Olivia Norman FD: What sports did you play before soccer? Margaret: We played almost all of them: volleyball, basketball, track, cross country, softball. FD: What has it been like to always play sports together? Margaret: When we play soccer it’s really cool. Coach [Rene] Rebe puts us each on a side and it really confuses the other teams. You get comments like ‘Whoa, you were just on that side of the field and now you’re over here.’ It’s always fun for us, and we always have someone to go out and play with. FD: Do you plan to go to the same college? Olivia: Probably yes. Right now we are planning on it. If we want to do different things, and if we get into different schools that are better for different things, we might end up not going to the same school. It’s really hard to imagine in a year from now not being with each other every day. I don’t know what that would be like. FD: What is your favorite memory playing together? Olivia: When we were younger and we did three-on-three drills we were always on the same team. Our dad was the coach, it was like family bonding. We all got to do it together. Margaret: Whenever we are playing together and we pass to each other, the other one will score and everyone will say we have twin powers. People always make comments on how it is always easy for us to find each other on the field. FD: Do you get competitive with each other? Margaret: We do. It’s not as bad now as it used to be. Coaches would not put us on opposite teams in practice. We know that we can push each other as hard as we want and can be as aggressive as we want. There wasn’t really a limit on what we were willing to do to each other. FD: How do you guys push each other to get better? Olivia: I know for some aspects like long distance Margaret is better than me. She yells at me and makes me keep up with her. If it’s a weekend and we don’t have a game and we need to go out and play, if one of us doesn’t want to, the other forces them to go out. FD: Do you think being a twin gives you a competitive

edge? Margaret: Yes, because we don’t have to have other people around to go out and practice. You can always practice by yourself, but it is always different to have someone else there. We have the option all the time to just go out and play. FD: Can you think of a specific moment when being a twin really helped you in sports? Margaret: Olivia plays in the middle and for some reason it’s just really easy for her to know where I’m going to be running — even if I’m not calling for the ball — just because that’s where she would be if she was on the outside. Olivia: If a ton of people are calling for the ball or there is a lot of noise I can pick her voice out because I’m so used to hearing it. I can hear where she’s at, so it’s easier for me to play her the ball.

FD: What is your favorite part of being a twin? Olivia: For me it’s always having someone there. If you are going to a camp you already have a friend and you always have partners. It’s like having your best friend with you all the time. Margaret: You don’t have to worry about what you say or how you act because she’s kind of stuck with you. We are just really similar so it doesn’t matter how we act around each other, because the other person would do the same thing. It’s better than a best friend. —Emily Martin

Photos by Justin Whaling, Tim Whaling, Alex Unflat. Throwback photos courtesy.

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Duran clan

Brother captains varsity football team, sister reports from the sidelines The Duran family legacy began in 2012, when graduate Lance Duran started playing football at Westlake. His brother, senior Gabe, and his sister, sophomore Alexa, both contribute greatly to the Westlake football program today. With Alexa on the sidelines as an iReporter for Friday Night Fanstand and Gabe on the field as a starting linebacker, the tightly knit family continues to support the Chaps. Gabe is well known for his role as starting linebacker and respected leader of the Westlake varsity football team. “[Gabe] is the heart of our football team and probably the hardest worker,” sophomore Sam Ehlinger said. “He gets to practice early — even if it’s at 5:30 [in the morning] — and always has a great attitude. He is one of the biggest leaders on the team because of his passion and heart for Westlake football.” Gabe’s love for football and his team is shown both on and off the field. “My favorite parts of being a member of this team are the coaching, the brotherhood and the memories,” Gabe said. “I love the family aspect of it and being able to spend so much time with my teammates.” The oldest brother of the Duran family, Lance, who plays for Sam Houston University as a linebacker, has helped Gabe get to where he is today, serving as a critic for Gabe’s play and as a caring brother. “My brother really made me the player that I am,” Gabe said. “He has something for me to fix even when I play well. We grew up together spending every second we could by each other's side. Tim Whaling He helped me learn to be disciplined and humble at the same time.” Although the spirit of competition has been fierce between the brothers during their football careers, they greatly support each other along the way. “It’s tough following in his footsteps because he is incredible,” Gabe said. “I try my best to do so, yet he has taught me everything I know. Hopefully that helps me succeed.” Born into a family with two older brothers who treat football like a religion, Alexa caught on to the tradition early. “I remember sitting around our living room every Sunday, all day,” Alexa said. “Lance and Gabe would be wearing their designated football jerseys cheering on their team. For a while I didn’t know what the big deal was, but as I grew older I became accustomed to the weekly activity and seemed to fall in love with it.” Alexa learns from her brothers’ mistakes, and furthermore becomes a better person with their guidance along the way. “Both Lance and Gabe have come so far while being faced with many physical and emotional challenges,” Alexa said. “They have taught me to never give up and keep working hard to accomplish what I want. They helped me realize that not everything happens the way

you want it to, even if you work hard for it. We have all failed at one point, and my brothers have always been there to pick me back up.” Throughout the years, Alexa has learned more about the rules of the sport. This developed passion has led her to become a part of it herself. Beginning this fall, Alexa took on the role of the team’s iReporter. Being an iReporter means Alexa provides commentary on the game and interviews the players afterwards. This footage will then get turned in to the head of the Fanstand Website where they will put it all together. Friday Night Fanstand provides content from multiple iReporters at different schools across Central Texas to post updates on game highlights and scores. Starting to report in high school was a dream for Alexa in pursuing her career. “There’s nothing that I want more than to be a sports reporter,” Alexa said. “It’s my dream job.” The players greatly support Alexa’s role and enjoy having her as an asset to the team. “I love having Alexa as our reporter,” sophomore Levi Jones said. “You can tell she really loves what she’s doing and interacts with the team very well.” Although being a female sports reporter is not an easy job, Tim Whaling Alexa enjoys it very much. Sophomore Alexa Duran films the “I don’t find [being a female Round Rock playoff game Nov. 14. “I reporter] weird at all,” Alexa said. was very emotional because it was “I think it is easier for the players the last game I got to see my brothto open up to a girl rather than a er play on that field,” Alexa said. guy. My brother and the rest of the team thought I was the right During his last game as a Chaparral, one for the job since I know a lot senior Gabe Duran turns to the fans about football. I’ve gotten really to hype them up. close with a lot of the players because of it.” Gabe is proud to see his sister follow her dreams and doing whatever it takes to accomplish them. “Having her as our team’s iRepoter is really fun,“ Gabe said. “I love her so much, and to have her watching me so closely for my last year here is just amazing.” The Durans are extremely close. They look up to and support each other in everything they do. The siblings have influenced each other to become the men and women they are today. Gabe has always been there alongside Alexa, helping and encouraging her when she played volleyball and when she ran track. She is always happy to help Gabe when he needs it as well. Whether it’s encouragement when playing football, help studying, or anything in between, the Duran family is always there for each other. “My relationship with my brothers is a rare one,” Alexa said. “We get along really well. The only thing is that they’re both very protective — which can get annoying. But, I know it’s just because they love me. We’re very hard on each other with high standards, but the best part is that we’re able to we make fun of each other and laugh together. We’re like a trio of best friends.” —Drew Brown and Ellie Mizell

LEGACY

the football family You could say for senior Breckyn Hager, football runs in the family. His father, Britt Hager, was an All-American at the University of Texas where he set multiple records before embarking on a nine-year NFL career during which he played for the Eagles, Broncos and Rams. Breckyn’s three brothers, Bron, Bryce and Brayven, played at Westlake before starting college careers of their own. Breckyn didn’t believe football was in his future because he was smaller than his brothers. But things changed. Bron went to State his senior year. Breckyn started playing football and his dad started to push him hard. He learned to be tough, despite his size. “He was always my Pop-Warner coach,” Breckyn said. “He taught me how to be intense from the get go.” By the time Breckyn entered middle school in 2008, Bron was off playing football at North Texas, Bryce was starting on varsity at Westlake and Brayven was a freshman following in their footsteps. Meanwhile, at Hill Country Middle School, people knew who the Hagers were. The family had earned a reputation as hard-nosed football players, and people were expecting big things out of the youngest one. “All of the coaches were saying, ‘oh look, it’s another Hager,’ and expecting me to live up [to] their reputation,” Breckyn said.

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And it would be hard to live up to Britt Hager’s reputation. He’d been a high school standout, a kid who had played through a broken band of cartilage in his hip and the ensuing infection that was caused by all the painkilling shots. He set records at UT that probably will never be broken. Britt was born in Odessa, in the barren lands of the West Texas oil fields, where life revolved around two things: how much a barrel of crude was selling for, and how Permian’s football team was doing. “If you didn’t play football, you were out in the oil fields working,” Britt Hager said. “They valued hard work and manual labor. It really made me tough, shaped my work ethic, and gave me a can-do attitude.” A three-year starter for Permian, he was on three straight District Championship teams and helped the Panthers reach the quarterfinals in 1983. Named to the All-State team at linebacker, his athleticism caught the eye of then Texas head coach Fred Akers, who persuaded Britt Hager to come to the UT to play. Sporting a mullet and mustache, he started for two years at middle linebacker. He recorded a school record with 199 tackles in 1988, leading the nation and breaking the UT record of 187 he’d set the year before. When the season ended, he’d been named to the All-Ameri-

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can team. Five months later, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft. “[Playing in the NFL] took me from being a boy to being a man,” Britt Hager said. “I used skills that were based on the same principles as those I learned in the NFL to succeed in the rest of life.” Bryce was born in the spring of 1992, while Britt was still with the Eagles. Bryce started for three years at linebacker, and in his senior year, helped the Chaps reach the State Title game. Like his father, Bryce was named All-State. But unlike his father, Bryce wasn’t heavily recruited, and Mack Brown never came calling. Bryce decided to go and play for Baylor, a school that was considered to be in the basement of the Big 12. But Bryce witnessed the program turn itself around under the leadership of Art Briles, and flip the hierarchy of football programs within the state of Texas. While Bryce was making a name for himself in Waco, some 100 miles down Interstate 35, Breckyn was showing that like his brothers, he too had the talent to play college football. As a sophomore in 2012, he started on varsity and was named to the second-team All-District 15-5A squad. That offseason, he received his first scholarship offer. But something happened that offsea

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Tim Whaling

Senior Breckyn Hager follows in family’s footsteps, prepares for college career at University of Texas son, something that threatened to change Breckyn’s life by taking away what he loved. “I was trying to do a 360 dunk, just messing around,” Breckyn said. “I came down wrong on my knee, and my kneecap came out of my skin.” Doctors said he’d face a long recovery process, and that he may never be the same player he once was. “They told me it’d be an eight-month recovery process,” Breckyn said. “It took me six, but it hurt. I just worked through the pain.” Before his junior year, Breckyn dedicated himself to the weight room. He thought the only way to be better than his brothers was to outwork them, and the results were evident when the season started. “They were always 10 steps ahead of me,” Breckyn said. “That summer my weight shot up from 180 to around 200, and I started to realize I had the genetics to do something great.” His junior season was cut short by a broken collarbone, but he still played enough to earn All-Central Texas recognition and caught the eye of a few prominent college coaches. “I was looking at Oklahoma pretty hard,” Breckyn said. “Stanford was showing me some interest, but hadn’t offered, so I was waiting for one of those schools out in California to offer me.”

At first, Breckyn wanted to follow the path that Bryce had cut during his recruitment and go to Baylor. Following the 2014 spring game, he called Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett and let him know that he planned to wear the green and gold. “I chose Baylor [at first] because they were the first big school to offer me,” Breckyn said. “They saw my talent first, and I felt sort of loyal to them because of that.” But, Baylor wasn’t his first choice. He wanted to be like his father. He wanted to be a Longhorn, and wear the burnt orange and white, and play on the same field his dad once played on. But, there was a problem: Texas hadn’t offered him a scholarship. “[Former UT coach] Mack Brown was recruiting me a lot, but when he left, I didn’t hear much from [new head coach] Charlie Strong,” Breckyn said. “[Defensive Coordinator] Vance Bedford visited me in the spring and told me that they’d be watching me, but I didn’t believe it and kind of forgot about it.” That changed in the first few weeks of the 2014 season. “They sent a scout to the Temple game,” Breckyn said. “[Shortly after] Coach Strong called me and basically told me he liked what he saw, and he wants another Hager playing for the University of Texas. He offered me a scholarship.”

Breckyn faced a difficult decision. He liked Baylor, the upstart program, with the flashy uniforms and the shiny new stadium on the banks of the Brazos. But he was raised a Longhorn. He bled burnt orange. And even though Texas was in a rough patch, with a new coach and a losing record, he felt the appeal that was the University of Texas. “Every morning I look out at the Tower,” Breckyn said. “Playing there has been my dream for as long as I can remember.” So, on the morning of Sept. 24, he walked to the top of Chaparral Stadium and looked out toward the Austin Skyline where the modern glass towers rise above the flat lands of the Edwards Plateau and to their left stands the classic Clock Tower at the University of Texas. He dialed a number and told Strong that he was in. He will enroll at the University of Texas next August, but that’s six months away. And six months can seem like an eternity when you’re 17. Besides, Breckyn feels like he has unfinished business at Westlake. “I feel like I still owe something to this community,” Breckyn said. “I’m going to try and bring home a State Title in discus, and work with [my trainer] Angel to get ready to be a Longhorn.” —Jacob Prothro Left: Linebacker Britt Hager hits a flying Rodney Hampton during a game between the Eagles and Giants in the early‘90s. He played for the University of Texas for four years, garnering All-American honors before embarking on a nine-year NFL career. Right: Baylor linebacker Bryce Hager tackles the TCU quarterback during the Bear’s 61-58 win in October. Hager was an All-State linebaker for Westlake in 2009.

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LEGACY

ALL IN THE FAMILY The Bakers — James, Ashley, Mary Ann, Dale and triplets Dallen, Grayson and Everly — spend time together despite their busy schedules. For the Bakers, teaching has always been a family affair. Dale Baker had already been working at Westlake for more than 30 years as the Art and Electronic Media instructor when his son, James, and his future daughter-in-law, Ashley, began teaching in 2009. James and Ashley Baker met in their first year of teaching while playing in a sand volleyball league together. Surprisingly, the chemistry between them was not always as strong as it is today. “At first, I thought [James] was really loud and annoying,” Ashley Baker said. “I know he wasn’t very fond of me either. But, eventually we had a bonfire at a fellow teacher’s house and ended up engaging in great conversation. He asked me out on an official date at that point, but it wasn’t until a few weeks later that he came over to my apartment and made me a delicious dinner.” They began dating in the spring of 2010 and ended up getting married the next year. Since then, the Bakers have made the most of each other’s company at school. “For many families, you work all day and when you go home you see your spouse or family members,” James Baker said. “I see my [family] throughout the day, so it gives us time later on to just relax with each other. We are able to leave work talk at work because we can talk about it there. It leaves only family time for when we are at home.” This time spent together became even more important about two years ago when the Bakers received the shocking news that they would be having triplets. “I was on the examination table having an ultrasound, and I knew that there was potential for me to have multiple [children], but I didn’t know how many,” Ashley Baker said. “When I found out it was triplets I nearly fell off the table. The doctor just kept counting.” Dallen, Grayson and Everly were born on Sept. 11, 2013, altering the lives of the Bakers. “Having three children has definitely made

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Teachers balance responsibilities of jobs, raising kids

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things busier,” James Baker said. “It forces you to prioritize; everything is about them and our family now. It has changed things, but we have definitely embraced the change and wouldn’t have it any other way.” Caring for triplets has presented many challenges for the Bakers, especially when it comes to attending to a career as stressful as teaching. “We’re supposed to have our masters in eight years in order to keep teaching at Westlake,” Ashley Baker said. “I was going through my schedule to figure out financially and schedule-wise, with children, whether or not we could do it. We pretty much came to the conclusion that there’s just no way.” Although the plans for their future are not completely clear, the Bakers hope to remain teaching at Westlake. “I love Westlake, and I don’t want to leave,” Ashley Baker said. “I don’t want to view it as a stepping-stone either; I want it to be the place our kids eventually go to school; I want it to be a place we call home. We want to be in a great place where we feel we can impact the lives of students.” Luckily, the Bakers don’t have to worry about the well-being of their children while they are at school. Dale Baker and his wife, former elementary school teacher Mary Ann, are more than happy to take care of their grandchildren during the day. “I try to play a big part in [my grandchildren’s] lives,” Dale Baker said. “I keep them in the mornings before I go to work. Since I’m part-time, I don’t go in until the afternoons, so I am there to feed them breakfast, play with them and put them down for a nap. Then I

leave, and my wife keeps them for the rest of the day.” James and Ashley have appreciated having a more experienced teacher in such close proximity. “There are so many people here who love my father-in-law and think highly of him because he’s such a great teacher,” Ashley Baker said. “It’s nice to be able to carry on the Baker name and to be associated with someone who is so good at what he does.” Growing up, James Baker’s life was greatly influenced by his father. He hopes to teach his kids many of the same valuable lessons that he learned from his parents. “My father is extremely hard-working, so he set high expectations for [me] and helped give [me] the tools to reach those goals,” James Baker said. “I would not be anywhere close to where I am now without him. [He taught me] that your education is the most important thing you can have after your family. It is really the only thing any of us can control fully. You can learn every day, and if you do, your life will be more fulfilled.” The Bakers have been faced with many learning opportunities, especially in the last year. In the midst of all the early mornings, late grading nights and hectic weekends, they have been able to discover what the important things in their lives are and prioritize them. “I would not trade any of it for the world,” Ashley Baker said. “After having the triplets, I cannot even begin to imagine having my life any different.” —Lexy Connolly

“I love Westlake, and I don’t want to leave. I want it to be a place we call home.” —Ashley Baker

12/31/14

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According to the Pew Research

Center,

about 83.1% of people who live in the U.S. practice a religion.

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Y T I L A U T I SPIR

IN GOOD FAITH SPIRITUALITY

Religious families discuss how beliefs shape them

The Germanns Mormons — sometimes they are stereotyped as the polygamists, the ones who don’t drink caffeine and have 100 children. There are many misconceptions about Mormons and their religion — the Germanns prove these stereotypes to be false. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a sect of Christianity. The main difference that separates this church from other Christian denominations is the phrase “of Latter-day Saints,” which simply translates to “prophets in this day and age.” This church not only studies the Bible but also the Book of Mormon, which is how its followers got the more commonly known name of Mormons. The Germann family is just one of several Mormon families in the Westlake community. Both parents, Chris and Leigh, were technically born into the religion, but weren’t raised in practicing homes. Growing up, both Chris

and Leigh independently immersed themselves in the religion. Finding their way through their religion, they each ended up at Brigham Young University, a privately owned university operated by the church. They met at BYU, got married and had five children, all of whom have graduated from or currently attend Westlake. The youngest of the family, Lauren, is a sophomore and older sister Ali is a senior. “My religion means everything to me,” Lauren said. “It’s the basis of how I live my life. Growing up, it’s helped me make important decisions and helped me when I needed guidance. My faith in Christ has shaped who I am today. I know I am never alone. He is always there for me.” One of the main components of the religion is that family holds the utmost importance in their lives. “My family is really close,” Ali said. “Our faith is what brings us

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courtesy photo Back row: Eric, Leigh, Chris and Andrew Germann. Front row: Lauren, senior Ali, Lindsay, David and sophomore Lauren Germann pose for a family portrait at David and Lindsay’s wedding in December 2013. together and enhances our family married, they go to temple to get bond. My brothers had a [great] “sealed” together. When they get reputation going through West- sealed, they are blessed for eterlake, and it was an expectation nity. The children born into the that I had to uphold. Our entire family are automatically sealed family holds each other to a high- at birth, creating an everlasting er standard, always pushing each bond. Getting sealed creates a other to be better. I think it’s permanent family unit that conthe main thing that kept me so tinues on in the afterlife. “Being sealed to my family grounded throughout my life. It’s who I am and I like to keep up the is so important to me because I expectation that my parents and know that I will be with them for eternity, even after death,” Lauren my brothers created.” The two eldest of the Germann said. Although there are times when children, Eric and David, followed the footsteps of their parents and hard decisions need to be made, attended BYU, graduating in 2013 Ali is always comforted by her religion and knowing what is right and 2015, respectively. “I hope to attend BYU not in her heart. only because my parents and my “My faith in Christ and His inbrothers went there, but also be- finite love for me is so important cause I want to be around people in my life,” Ali said. “Being Morwho have the same beliefs and mon isn’t just a thing I go along goals as I do,” Ali said. “I feel like with. It’s the one thing in my life my faith would be strengthened so I’m really passionate about. It’s much, and that’s something I real- who I am, and I don’t want to know my life without it.” ly value.” —Sabrina Knap When a Mormon couple gets

The Rosenburgs Imagine growing up with 10 other kids in your house. For sophomore Sophie Rosenburg, that is her reality. Her oldest sibling is 34, and Sophie, at age 15, is the youngest. Living with a large family can be challenging, but being the youngest gives her a chance to see how her older siblings’ choices affect their lives. “There is always a lot going on,” Sophie said. “My family members are either having an issue, someone’s getting married or they’re having another baby. I also got to see how my siblings grew up, what they did and what choices they made.” The Rosenburgs are strong followers of Judaism. Sophie is not able to participate in a lot of major religious holidays and rituals because they fall on school days. Instead she chooses to attend school and avoid the make-up work. “I take off school for high holidays [Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur] if I can,” Sophie said. “I go to synagogue school and I pray all day. A lot of people think I’m lucky for getting to take off school for high holidays, but it doesn’t feel like a day off.” Her siblings have different thoughts on

Judaism, but all found time to attend her Bat Mitzvah, a Jewish girl’s coming-of-age ceremony. “All my siblings have different beliefs and different obligations they feel they need to fulfill,” Sophie said. “At my Bat Mitzvah, my whole family came, and all my siblings and I

Only 2.1 percent of people living in the U.S. are Jewish. —2010 U.S. Census were there on the stage. We were in front of the Torah, and a friend of ours said that he could see all the different sides of Judaism just from my family. I feel like a lot of my siblings who are super religious, like orthodox, became that way because they felt something missing when they were growing up. That’s how it felt [for me] leaving Hebrew day school to go to middle school, because I felt like I was losing a part of my Judaism teachings, and I thought I’d be a

lot less religious. I tried being orthodox for a few months, and then it was so hard because no one else around me was.” Her family tries to eat kosher, which means the meat they eat has to be slaughtered in a ritually proper manner. Many of her family members worship at the synagogue on Saturdays, but some don’t go every week, just for the high holidays. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, about 2.1 percent of people living in the United States are Jewish, and that makes it harder for Sophie to find other people who share her faith; however, she has come to accept many different cultures and religions. “When I was younger, I used to hate Christmas,” Sophie said. “I always thought that Christmas was overpowering Hanukkah. But now I accept that Christmas is definitely bigger because there are more people who celebrate it. I respect it just like I respect other religions and their traditions and their holidays. [My family has] a lot of crazy traditions that I think are fine because we’re different. I’ve always liked the uniqueness of my family.” —Sage Sutton

Sophomore Sophie Rosenburg (fifth from left) is the youngest of nine siblings. This summer, they all gathered in Israel for her sister’s wedding. The two young girls pictured are Sophie’s nieces.

courtesy photo

SPIRITUALITY

The Richards On Sunday mornings, Lake Hills Church is full of people wanting to hear God’s message. At the end of each service, Pastor Mac Richard closes with a special prayer tailored to those people who have not yet accepted Christ into their lives: “If you are praying this prayer for the first time, put your hands up. As you put your hands down, we like to put our hands together and welcome you.” The service closes, and the crowds disperse. The Richard family knows it has been a successful morning. When 2013 graduate Emily was 3 and senior Joseph was 1, their parents established Lake Hills, a nondenominational church located just past the Senna Hills neighborhood on Bee Cave Road. “We were living in Dallas and were part of a great church,” Pastor Richard said. “We saw the church reaching a lot of people who weren’t connected to any church. When they came to that church, we saw them discover a great message: that God loves us, and that He has an incredible life in store for us. And we thought, ‘Man, that message, presented in a creative way, would really fly in Austin, Texas.’” Seventeen years after Lake Hills was started, Emily and Joseph have reaped its many benefits. They have grown up in the church, and even as a young boy, Joseph always gravitated to Lake Hills. “My parents made it a place where Emily and I wanted to be,” Joseph said. “They didn’t force it on us. I have always loved being there. After school or during the summer, whenever I’m bored, that’s where I’ll go, and it gives me different perspectives on relationships.”

spirituality westlakefeatherduster.com

Alex UnSenior Joseph Richard’s parents started Lake Hills Church in 1997. Joseph and his sister, 2013 graduate Emily, grew up with the church.

Joseph has grown up with the faith from his family’s church and feels it has shaped him into the person he is today. “A strong foundation in anything is essential in building character,” Joseph said. “I’ve grown up in the same church with essentially the same people. My foundation has been strong and keeps growing.” Inspired by his parent’s service, Joseph believes it is his duty to teach the next generation. In sixth grade, he began leading elementary school students in worship services. “My favorite part is honestly being able to connect with the kids that come every week,” Joseph said. “I’ve been a small group leader for the same group since they were in kindergarten, and I have a really cool relationship with all of them. Mentoring them is an experience I will never take for granted.” Joseph feels accountable for the decisions he makes now and those he will make in the future because of his role as a mentor. “If I screw up in a big way, those kids are going to find out, and it’s going to taint all my credibility with them,” he said. “It just lets me make sure that what I’m telling them is right.” Joseph has found that the relationships in his life have been greatly influenced by his faith. “If you look at the people that I’m closest to, it’s the people at the church and the people that have helped me grow in my faith,” Joseph said. “I think all of my really essential relationships are rooted in my faith, so it’s affected them a lot.” Having a sense of security in his faith is important to Joseph. “I don’t waver in [my faith],” Joseph said. “I

know why I believe in it. A lot of people assume I only believe in it because my dad’s a pastor. But I believe it because I think it’s the right thing to believe.” Joseph’s friends ask him about the Bible, but he doesn’t feel he has a more superior knowledge of it than anyone else. “I have people come up to me and ask me questions relating to the Bible, but I don’t see myself any more capable of answering them than any other high school student who goes to church on Sunday,” Joseph said. In preparing for college, Joseph knows he wants to go somewhere that has a strong church community. “One of my five factors in choosing a college is whether there is a good local church that I can plug into,” Joseph said. Even though his family started a church that serves their community well, Joseph said it is unpretentious in it’s faith. “We don’t put ourselves on a pedestal,” he said. “We put God on a pedestal, but there’s nothing special about us.” Beyond church, Joseph cherishes the times when his family is together. “Our favorite memories don’t come from anything special,” Joseph said. “When my sister was in middle school and high school, we would just watch TV and hang out. We like each other.” The Richard family has been, and continues to be, rooted in the strong faith that they share with people all over the community. “The foundation that I was raised on is something I always come back to,” Joseph said. “And all roads lead to the cross.” —Nikki Lyssy

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SCHOOL SPIRIT SPIRITUALITY

Athletes participate in Christian group Eating Chick-fil-A, cookies and brownies, about 30 students sit in a loose circle. They are mostly quiet, listening to the one person who is talking. His speech is an emotional and personal story about his relationship with Jesus and his journey as an athlete. This scene is a common occurrence at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which meets each Thursday during fourth and fifth periods. FCA has three sponsors, and they have divided the responsibilities of the job among themselves. Baseball coach Jeff Montgomery is in charge of the fourth period meetings, and basketball coach Tres Ellis is in charge of the fifth period meetings, while football coach Brandon Murdock leads meetings with the football players before school. At the meetings, students will hang out, do homework and share stories of their successes, failures and struggles with faith and sports. “FCA is like the Republican Club or the Liberal Club — it gives students with similar ideas the ability to come together,” Montgomery said. “Seeing like-minded individuals helps them bond, and it comforts them to know others believe the same thing too.” Outside of meetings, FCA participates in service projects to help those in need. Although this year’s project has not been determined yet, in past years the members of FCA have

worked with Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Feed My People and Blue Santa. “I like doing service projects because it is a great way for FCA to give back to the community,” FCA leader sophomore Jimmy Fields said. “One of the big things we try to do is impact Westlake as a school and as a community.” FCA strives to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. To do this, members demonstrate their commitment to Jesus through integrity, service, teamwork and excellence. “We can show who we are and what we believe by getting people to come to meetings and just have a great time with people who care for them,” Jimmy said. “FCA stands for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and we believe that the base of our club is fellowship.” With about 130 participants, FCA has many members with whom students can interact, connect and learn more about their faith. “My favorite part is all the people that are a part of it,” Jimmy said. “We have people who come back every week, parents who provide us with food and leaders who work towards making FCA as good as possible. There is so much dedication put into FCA, which makes it great.” —Jack Steinglein

Sophomores Lana Picone and Christina Rose pray during a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

quotes collected by Raine Lipscher and Dylan Webber

“[FCA] will help me remember to act with kindness throughout my day. It helps me to be able to speak out in any way.” —junior Elois Caswell 46

spirituality westlakefeatherduster.com

“You get closer to your teammates [in FCA] by talking to someone about your religion. It means they really trust you.” —junior Rachel Clay

Students express faith through Young Life

When current Young Life student leader senior Elisabeth Ledoux was experiencing a crisis, Young Life sought her out to help her through her struggles. “I was going through a very rough patch in my life, and was using boys and other substances to try to mend my troubled mind,” Elisabeth said. “In the midst of it all, a Young Life leader was trying to become a part of my life. She made the effort to talk to me and let me know she cared. She spoke a lot of truth into my life. She encouraged me to go to Young Life camp. At camp one night, I decided to pray, and I asked God to be able to focus on what was being sung that night. We sang a song called ‘One Thing Remains.’ In the song it says, ‘Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.’ At that moment when I heard those lyrics repeated, I realized what those lyrics really meant to me. I discovered I didn’t need boys or other substances to satisfy me. God’s love was the only love that truly mattered to me.” Young Life is a Christian organization that

is led by mostly volunteer college students, except for two head leaders who raise money to pay for all of the activities, as well as their own salaries. Unlike most religious organizations, Young Life has no affiliation with any particular church or denomination. Young Life has many chapters across the U.S. and in 10 European and Asian countries. Young Life’s mission statement is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. “Young Life is important because it gives high schoolers a place to remove themselves from the stressful high school life and spend time with friends and leaders in college who try to give them hope,” Elisabeth said. Rather than focus on traditional religious lessons and formal Bible study, Young Life aims more for an entertaining approach, developing activities that help students learn Christian principles without boring them. “We have Club, [which is a meeting], every week on Monday at 7:45 p.m. at the garage by The Midway food park,” senior Craig Kemper

said. “We hang out, sing songs, play games, watch skits and listen to a short talk.” Outside of Young Life Club, the college leaders guide smaller groups in something called Campaigners. For these meetings, the kids are divided by gender and get to spend quality time with their leaders and the Bible. “Campaigners is great because it gives you an opportunity to develop your faith more outside of church and Young Life on a small group basis,” junior Ty Henderson said. “It also gives you an opportunity to hang out with your friends.” To its members, Young Life is a very important group that enriches their knowledge of the Bible and its teachings. “I think it’s important because it’s a very fun, exciting environment that has the ability to introduce students to the good news about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and what that means for them,” Craig said. —Dylan Webber

Left: University of Texas student leader Kari Edick and senior Emma Martino perform at a Young Life meeting on Nov. 17. Right: Senior Kyle Wassmuth and sophomore Alex De La Fuente wrestle before club. Young Life meetings start at 7:45 p.m. on Monday nights at The Midway on photos by Morgan Saucier loop 360.

“Westlake Young Life has helped me grow in my faith of Christ. It’s nice to deepen my faith with people I trust.” —senior Morgan Saucier

“Young Life’s goal is a simple one: teach teens about the Bible in a fun, caring environment.” —junior Ty Henderson

SPIRITUALITY

It has been three years since the death of Jake Breedlove’s big brother, Ben, and his loss still affects the family.

HEART AND SOUL

Tim Whaling

Brother’s passing inspires reevaluation of faith, impacts whole community

It was Christmas Day, 2011. The Breedlove family had opened their gifts, and the two boys, then senior Ben and his younger brother, now freshman Jake, were jumping on the trampoline, trying to work their new GoPro camera. Ben told his younger brother that he felt light-headed and asked for help. “I ran inside and at this point I yelled at my parents, ‘Hey, Ben needs help,’ and I went to call 911,” Jake said. Ben was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, at birth, and it caused complications his whole life. He relied on a pacemaker, but that didn’t stop him from having a normal childhood. “A lot of people think that he wasn’t a normal kid,” Jake said. “He would do crazy things with me, his friends and our neighbors, and there is no way that he didn’t look like a normal kid.” Because of his heart problems, Ben had many near-death experiences, but that did not make that Christmas Day any less terrifying.

spirituality westlakefeatherduster.com

Jake described it as a slow-motion experience. “I was not really in the moment and someone called [our home phone],” Jake said. “I tried to explain to them that I had to call 911. My older sister, [Ally Breedlove], just ripped the phone out of my hand, hung up on them and called 911. Then, I ran out to the street and was waiting for the ambulance to come. A couple of my friends came because we were going to hang out, and I had to tell them that it wasn’t really the time. When the ambulance came — I don’t know if it was me or them — but they seemed really slow. In my mind I was like, ‘OK, they need to at least start jogging’ because I was pretty sure that they were walking.” Hours later, at the hospital, Ben’s condition showed no signs of improvement. Jake and his sister anxiously waited and prayed with family friends in a separate room while his parents went to check on Ben. “At this time, things were still not going well,” Jake said. “My parents walked in and they had really sad looks on their faces. They

didn’t say anything, but we just kind of knew that Ben had passed away, so we all ran up to them and started crying.” Jake said that, while Ben’s death initially put some stress on the family, they’ve become more connected. “[Ben’s death] has definitely brought our family closer together,” Jake said. “Ben has touched so many lives and changed people’s perspectives on life. Like for me, it has brought me closer to Christ. Before Ben passed away, I kind of just said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m a Christian.’ I believed in Jesus, but it never dawned on me what it really meant. After he passed away, I was like ‘I feel so happy right now.’ I know that [sounds weird], but I knew that Ben was in heaven. He’s in a better place, and he doesn’t have to struggle on earth any more.” Less than a month before his death, Ben fainted in the Commons on Dec. 6. He was considered dead for three minutes before the doctors brought him back. This event changed his outlook on his faith.

“My sister couldn’t find my brother one night [soon after the Commons incident] so she texted him, and he said that he was sitting on the dock,” Jake said. “She went out there, and eventually Ally asked him, ‘Did you want to come back?’ He said no and then started crying. He said that he felt an overwhelming peace when he was in the ‘waiting room of heaven,’ standing in front of a mirror overlooking his whole life. He wanted to be in heaven. He didn’t mean it like he wanted to leave us, but he just said that it was the best peace that he had ever felt in his life.”

“Ben has touched so many lives and changed people’s perspectives on life.” —freshman Jake Breedlove Life immediately after Ben’s death was hectic for the entire family. Ben’s Youtube videos, posted on Dec. 18, 2011, “This is my story” Parts 1 and 2 went viral. Part 1 has garnered more than 8 million views and Part 2 has close to 5 and a half million. “Those [videos] impacted a lot of people,” Jake said. “Today, I still get messages on Instagram and Facebook about people that watched his videos and loved them. We got so many messages through mail, email and Facebook. Just tons and tons of stuff. This one girl even drew a picture of Ben holding up the ‘I do’ card. It was really well done and other people made other kinds of artwork and sent it to us. It was really interesting.” News outlets across the globe covered Ben’s story. His memorial service was streamed live on KXAN’s website and more than 11,000 people watched online. “When there was a lot of media, interviews and all that, it would get really annoying,” Jake said. “There was one time when a news station just came to our house and it was kind of unexpected. We went ahead and let them because we didn’t think that it would be that big of a deal. But there were lights and cameras all around the place. I was in the living room and I couldn’t even get into the kitchen. And they would need it to be quiet, so I couldn’t open any doors.” The Breedloves were surrounded by a strong community of friends and family during the months following Ben’s death. The fam-

ily received meals from their neighbors most nights and Jake’s friends wrote him notes. “Other people were very generous,” Jake said. “Different families would have turns to make us a meal because they weren’t sure quite how we were feeling. That went on for quite a while, actually. I was in sixth grade at the time, and my friends made me a bunch of cards. At the time I thought that it was just kind of goofy, but now I know that they were just trying to help me out. Westlake has also done a great deal for us. When Ben was in high school they made sure that he could get through all of his classes because he missed a lot of school. Also the nurses helped him out a lot, like when he passed out in the Commons.” It has been three years since that Christmas of 2011, and Jake’s sister, Ally, has since written a book, When Will the Heaven Begin?, about Ben’s story. “My sister wrote When Will the Heaven Begin? with the help of another writer,” Jake said. “My parents helped out a lot. We were approached by several publishers, and then we picked one that we thought was great, Penguin Publishers. They helped out a lot.” Jake speaks openly about his brother and his death, and the whole family does their best to remember Ben in their everyday lives and little actions. “I don’t mind talking about Ben or people bringing it up, but my friends know that it was a big deal for me,” Jake said. “This year, we didn’t do too much for his birthday, but a year or two ago we had a bunch of his good friends come to our house, and we had a little party. We just continue on with our lives and remember him.” Jake continues to wakesurf in honor of his brother, a skill that Ben taught him at age 9. “He helped me learn how to wakeboard and wakeskate,” Jake said. “After that we just kept wakeboarding together, and I picked it up pretty fast. That means a lot to me because now I compete in wake surfing competitions and he would really like that a lot — to know that he helped me to get somewhere like this. It’s a big deal to me because it’s what I do all the time now.” Jake said that if he has learned anything from this experience, it is that he appreciated the time he had with Ben. He urges other students to connect more with their siblings and take advantage of their time together. “I miss him just being here,” Jake said. “We would do everything together. I recommend that other students take time to get to know their siblings more. Because I know that I did a lot. I didn’t really recognize that Ben might not be here for as long as I wanted him to be, but I definitely did have a great time with him.” —Peyton Richardson

courtesy photo Top: The Breedloves received this painting, done by a family friend, artist Mark Kohler. Bottom: Ben’s sister, Ally Breedlove, wrote When Will the Heaven Begin? about Ben’s story and his struggle with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. “Writing was a cathartic process,” Ally said. “It enabled me to work through the painful memories and also relive the good ones.”

SPIRITUALITY

Unveiled Muslim speaks about choice to wear hijab

Tim Whaling Senior Yasmeen Tizani shows off her hijab. The hijab is a part of Yasmeen’s spiritual and cultural identity. She has been wearing it almost all of her life.

spirituality westlakefeatherduster.com

In a school where white Converse and though it is rare for her to encounter and Kendra Scott earrings are wardrobe public discrimination, side glances are not staples, senior Yasmeen Tizani has a sta- uncommon in her everyday life. ple of her own — a hijab. This veil — which “I feel like if I didn’t wear my hijab, I covers the head and chest — is worn by would have a different group of friends,” Muslim women as a symbol of privacy, Yasmeen said. “They wouldn’t realize that modesty and morality. Yasmeen, whose I’m Muslim. They wouldn’t see me as difmother is from Syria and whose father is ferent. Because people see me as so differfrom Lebanon, attended a private Muslim ent, it’s kind of hard for me to integrate school in Austin from kindergarten until into their group.” eighth grade where the hijab was part of Because of this constant, tangible, visuthe uniform. In eighth grade, she began al reminder of her ancestry and faith, Yaswearing it outside of school. meen is extremely conscious of her actions “You’re supposed to start wearing it and choices. when you start your period,” Yasmeen “People ask me if it’s hard to wear the said. “But not everyone [chooses to wear scarf, and it is, but not in the way you it]. In Syria, half of the [women] wear would think,” Yasmeen said. “People see it it, and half don’t. I as being hard to wear think if the mother because it’s very rewears the scarf then strictive, but that’s “I feel like if I didn’t the daughter wears not why it’s hard for wear my hijab, I it too, because it’s me. It’s hard because more normal for sometimes I forget would have a differthem.” how I’m supposed ent group of friends. The hijab is to act. It’s hard bemeant to be worn cause sometimes in They wouldn’t realize when a woman is in the morning I wake that I’m Muslim. They public, especially if up and I’m like, ‘I the woman is around just want to wear a wouldn’t see me as men other than her t-shirt and jeans todifferent.” brother, husband or day; I don’t want to father. However, it fix myself up.’ But —senior Yasmeen does not have to be that’s normal. Other Tizani worn in front of othpeople go through er women in a prithat too.” vate atmosphere. The hijab does “Some people choose not to wear the not define or limit Yasmeen’s ambitions in hijab in this country because, when you any way. She hopes to study architecture wear it, you are immediately identified as and open her own international architecMuslim,” Yasmeen said. “People take in ture firm that specializes in improving my appearance when they see me. That struggling communities’ infrastructures. affects what they think of me even when Still, she does feel that the hijab is a centhey’re not trying to let it affect their tral part of her identity. Though she has, thoughts. In the media, every single story on occasion, tried to picture what her life that you hear involving Muslims is about would be like if she didn’t wear it, she bewar. That’s it. So people associate my re- lieves that without it she would be missing ligion with violence. That’s the only thing a significant part of herself. It represents they’ve ever heard about people that prac- not only her religion, but also the commutice my religion.” nity she has grown up in and her ideals. This generalization about people of “If I wasn’t Muslim, I wouldn’t have a the Islamic faith can be frustrating for second family,” Yasmeen said. “It’s a comYasmeen. She is keenly aware of the at- munity that I can rely on.” tention that the hijab naturally attracts, —Ananya Zachariah

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dear parents,

[ staff editorial ]

We know that you need to be strict. We understand the need for rules, for consequences, for curfews. However, being too strict tends to hurt more than help. Giving us breathing room is important. We understand the worry, the fear and the love that leads to rules, but we’ll never learn anything until you let us make mistakes. Teenagers are hard to deal with. And to some extent, we get that. But sometimes it seems like you don’t really understand that being a teenager comes with its own difficulties and problems. From your point of view, you think that, “Yes, being a teenager sucks, but everyone goes through it, and when these kids grow up, it’ll be just a blip on their radar.” And that is probably true. But for us, this “hormonal craziness” is our whole world, and it comes with its challenges. So please, take our problems seriously, because to us, they really are serious. Although giving us our space is important, don't leave us completely on our own. We might never admit that we value your advice, but some of it does stick. Let us make our own mistakes, but be there for us when we do. There’s a fine line between being involved in

our lives and being a “helicopter” parent. Coming to sports games or debate competitions to support us is great, but trying to tell us what to do or grilling us about our performance is another thing entirely. Similarly, there is a difference between initiating conversation and prying into our lives. We most likely want to tell you something about ourselves, but phrasing questions like an interrogation causes us to go on the defensive. Sometimes just being there for us, whether we succeed or fail, means more than trying to lecture or forcefully help. One of the most important things you can do is to apologize to us when you are wrong. You might force us to apologize to a sibling or a friend, but it doesn’t carry as much weight if we don’t have an example to follow, or if we don’t understand the meaning behind it. A relationship where we both admit our faults enables us to connect and fosters greater understanding. Try to grasp that being a teenager now is different from what it was when you were our age, just like your experiences as adolescents were different from your parents’. Each generation comes with its own set of identifiers: be it selfies or rock ’n’ roll. Degrading our identifiers does not make us like them any less: it

only widens the generation gap and makes us feel more frustrated than we already are. Our problems, not just our likes and dislikes, are vastly different from what you experienced as a teenager. When you were younger, social media didn’t exist. Nowadays, we are constantly viewing the world through an Instagram-filtered lens. We compare our normal selves to the picture-perfect images that others post. While your generation experienced these comparisons through magazines and television, they didn’t follow you everywhere you went. These days, a college education does not guarantee a job, and tuition is through the roof. Getting into college is more about being well-rounded than getting good grades, but our school curriculum is much more rigorous than it was 30 or 40 years ago. So please, bear with us as we try to navigate the joys and the problems of living in this generation. We love you all. Truly, we do. If you could please work on a couple of things, it would improve all of our lives substantially. Place yourself in our shoes, and we think that you'll find it’s easier for us to place ourselves in yours. Just remember, we haven’t seen the other side yet.

love, your kids

Michaela Moss

PERSONAL

DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FOND ER

Couple meets online, keeps up long-distance relationship

Senior Jenna Jones, her boyfriend AJ Lopez and I are sitting in the back-corner booth of Hat Creek. Jenna and AJ are sitting impossibly close, with their shoulders constantly touching, eating their fries. For them, sitting with each other is a rare occurrence. For the entirety of their relationship, they have lived miles apart — in Texas and Michigan, respectively. In the summer of 2012, they met online playing a video game with a girl who became a mutual friend. After that first connection, their bond continued to grow. FD: How did your relationship develop? J: He made a Skype, and we started instant messaging. I got his number and we started texting. He had a crush on me — I rejected him a lot. He kept trying. Eventually, I realized that I did like him, so why not give it a shot? A: I made you like me. J: Yeah, sure. FD: How did your friends and family react to your relationship?

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J: People were very interested in how we met. Most of the time I would lie or tell a halftruth. People would say that he was probably a 40-year-old fat man. I just said that we met through a mutual friend — which is kind of true. Jenna and AJ dated for more than one year before meeting in person in summer of 2013 in AJ’s hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan. FD: What was it like to see each other in real life for the first time? J: [My mom, aunt and I] had been driving for two hours, and when we got to the hotel, we waited in the parking lot for the longest 20 minutes of my life. A: I didn’t know where I was heading. I wasn’t thinking of anything; all I knew was that I was driving to a hotel. I pulled in and I was like, ‘here we go.’ J: He got out of the car and he just stood there. I didn’t know what to do. A: This is the first time I’ve ever done long-distance. I didn’t know what to expect … and then, boom. We went from there. When we met, we knew we should see each other again. FD: Was it hard to plan your first meeting? J: It failed a lot. I have family that lives in Michigan, two hours away from him. We were going to visit my family for Christmas and then see him for a day, but that didn’t happen. Same thing happened at spring break. And then finally, over the summer, my mom got a bonus and wanted to visit her family. I talked her into letting us spend two days in Kalamazoo. FD: What was your first date like? J: Our first real date was the movies on the

75%

couples are long distance 54 personal relationships westlakefeatherduster.com

of all engaged couples have at some point been long-distance

first night I was up there. That was our only date [then] because I was there for 23 hours. A: Everything is time. I know how many hours total we were together. We can count it. Out of the two years, we can count how many days we’ve been together. That’s how little [time] we’ve spent together. After Jenna’s initial visit, she flew to Michigan one more time, right before AJ left for boot camp in Illinois. AJ is training to be a combat medic in the United States Navy. While at boot camp, he wasn’t allowed a cell phone, and landline privileges were limited. FD: How did AJ’s time at boot camp go? What was it like? J: It was really rough ... going from talking to him all the time to not talking. It was almost three weeks of not hearing from him. I kept my phone on with the volume up just in case he called. I was at my friend’s house and it was a rough day. My phone was ringing and it was an unlisted number. I never answer those. But I answered it and I just heard, ‘Hey, babe.’ I freaked out. He was so pleased with himself for surprising me. A: That phone call didn’t last that long. They said we were going to have an hour, but it was not a fun day for anyone. We got to the phones late and only had 10 minutes. I had to wait for a phone because everyone was calling. That phone call made me happy, but after that I was sad. It was just, ‘hi’ and ‘bye.’ We didn’t get another call for a month. FD: Did you write a lot? A: I wrote her every night. Sometimes we didn’t even sleep, but I would always find a way. Even if I didn’t have a letter to respond to,

1 in 10

of American marriages began as long-distance

I always wrote. J: I wrote him every day. I never missed a day. The way the mail worked was that I would get three letters at once and then it would be a few days before I got another one. Letter days were my favorite. I religiously checked my mailbox. After almost two months in boot camp in Illinois, he was moved to Ft. Sam Houston, in Texas, this August. Compared to boot camp, Ft. Sam is a more relaxed environment. He also has the weekends to himself, so he usually takes the bus to Austin. FD: What’s life like for you now? A: I moved down here right after boot camp. I got my orders to be a combat medic, so my school is at Ft. Sam. They sent me here for four months — it’s easier. It’s only two or three days out of the seven, [seeing her] is a lot easier than our normal. FD: Has your relationship changed since you now see each other more often? J: I don’t think our relationship changed at all, other than he spends a lot more money. A: I don’t care about that part. It changed a little because of the physical factor. Instead of talking for a year and then having 24 hours ... J: It’s a lot less lonely. It was hard before because for dances, my date was 2,000 miles away. But he got to come to Homecoming this year, which was exciting. FD: Jenna, your friends and family have been spending time with AJ. What has that been like? J: He’s been meeting all my friends and they all really like him. He’s a lot different than all my friends thought he was. He’s quieter. A: I thought her parents wouldn’t like me, but they actually really like me. J: They like him more than they like me. A: Especially her dad. J: Sometimes I feel like he’s dating my family and friends, not me. A: That’s not true. FD: In a perfect world, what would your situation be like? J: In retrospect, I’m kind of thankful for how we met. We had time to know each other without having to worry about anything physical. In the long run, it’s better. A: I like it how it is. It’s a little challenging, but it’s interesting. We have things that we have to overcome, and it helps solidify our relationship. It’s never about not doing this anymore, it’s about finding a way [to continue]. J: I don’t think anyone thought we would keep dating this long. Nobody thought we could do it. I didn’t think about it too much, I just went with it. We tried to make it work, and we work well. FD: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting a long-distance relationship? A: Don’t think about what could go wrong. When you think about it, you start looking for it. You just have to keep looking forward. If you

know you’re going to see each other in a year, look forward to that. It is tough, but don’t compare yourself to other people. You’re different, so embrace it. J: It can get really easy to get caught up in your ‘real life’ — hanging out with friends, doing homework, football games, whatever. But 30 minutes a day is so important. We’ve both been so busy recently, but every morning before he leaves for class, he calls me at 6 a.m. and we talk for 15 minutes. I’m still basically asleep, but the small things like that make a big difference. FD: How does your time together compare to that of close-proximity couples? A: When you see each other, you appreciate it a lot more than other couples do. Even just lying on the couch is a big deal. It’s important to us. We feel it a lot more. It’s a lot more intense. Being able to talk to each other face-to-face is better than anything. FD: Jenna, what’s your favorite thing about AJ? J: Um ... A: Say it. Say it. FD: Yeah, what’s his selling point? J: I don’t know. Let me think. A: I have hers. I’m in the military and she keeps up with my schedule. I sink. I drag the schedule down. I don’t always have time for her, but she understands. She deals with it. That’s my favorite thing about her. Her eyes, too. I want to steal her eyes. I want green eyes. J: He’s a lot more level-headed than I am. I’m all over the place and he knows how to bring me back down. He has this little chuckle that I’ve only ever heard him use when I do something dumb. Do you know what I’m talking about? A: No.

J: Well, he puts up with me and all the crazy stuff I do. A: My favorite memory is when we played Risk. At this point, Jenna stood up to refill our drinks. A: She whipped me on that, bad. We’ve always played video games, but board games are different, tangible. I can always beat her in chess, but when she beats me, it’s [better]. When it makes her happy, that’s the best thing ever. AJ paused to finish his burger. Jenna returned to the table with our drinks. J: Did he tell you about how I kicked his ass in Risk? And Battleship. We spent $80 on board games. A: When she beats me, she gets that smile on her face. She’d break her face if she smiled any harder. J: I’ll beat him at chess one day. My favorite time was when I was up [in Michigan] this summer. We didn’t do much. We just drove to the supermarket to pick up his mom’s food. That week was my favorite. It was so easy. It was effortless. AJ will finish his medical training at Ft. Sam Houston in December and move to Virginia to continue his education. FD: What does your future look like? A: We’ll go back to the normal way. To us, being long-distance is normal. [Being together] is a luxury for us. We’ll go back to how we met. J: We’re kind of champs at it. —Caitlyn Jane Kerbow

Caitlyn Jane Kerbow

Senior Jenna Jones and United States Navy trainee AJ Lopez have been dating for more than two years. Most of their relationship has been spent apart.

PERSONAL

FAR AWAY FRIENDS Companionship blossoms through online medium

M My best friend lives more than 1,300 miles away from me, and the first time we met in our three-year friendship was this summer. In 2011, I met Jess through the social blogging website Tumblr. They say the biggest journeys start with the smallest steps, and ours started when I sent a message wishing her a happy birthday and kicked off a conversation. She’s been my best friend ever since. We Skype at least twice a week, text every day and send big packages and long letters to each other once a month. Most people don’t understand, especially adults. Usually, when I mention that my best friend lives in California and that we met over the internet, I’m greeted with judgmental stares and the constant question of, “How do you know she’s not a 50-yearold man?” Probably because a 50-year-old man wouldn’t have stuck around when I bared the ugliest parts of my soul to them. Before Jess, I’d never had a friend who completely and totally understood me, who knew what I was thinking before I said it. She’s always there to catch me when I fall, and then to help me get back up. In turn, I do the same for her. Jess was the first person I’d ever met who wanted to hear about all the things going on inside my head. We were two little girls with messed up monsters in our minds, and the love between us grew when we had both given up on asking for love to come. When I had to go to treatment for my attempted suicide, I got a letter from Jess every day I was there. When she was sent to the hospital for three months because of her eating disorder, I called her every single day. I call her my best friend, but after the three years that I’ve know her, that word isn’t quite

enough to describe everything Jess means to me. In truth, I picture it as something of a love story, although not the conventional kind. It isn’t a story of romance, but rather one of finding a person to call home. Most of the year, we live miles and miles away from each other, although I keep her in my heart always. This isn’t a friendship that comes and goes, it’s once-ina-lifetime. It’s me finding her and her finding me out of 7 billion people in the world, no matter how big the distance separating us. What are the odds of a girl living in Austin finding her heart in a girl living in San Diego, and vice versa? We are two needles in a haystack. The thing is, your best friend is still your best friend, even from half a world away. Distance can’t sever that connection, because best friends are the kind of people who can survive anything. And after three years of never meeting — separated by more miles than I thought

I could bear — Jess came to visit me for two weeks this summer. Sometimes you meet someone, and it’s just so clear that you two belong together in some way. That’s how it worked for Jess and me. You’ll meet people like this throughout life, people who feel like a perfectly shaped piece added to the infinite puzzle that is you. I met Jess under the strangest circumstances, and she helps me feel alive. I don’t know if that makes me a believer in fate or luck or coincidence, but it makes me believe in something bigger than ourselves, even if it’s just two hearts connected across many state borders. Seeing her step off that plane felt like I had finally found home after three years spent searching for it. And when I hugged my best friend for the first time, it felt like all my broken pieces stuck back together. —Sophia Ho

photo by Samantha Jabour, courtesy video

personal relationships westlakefeatherduster.com

Sophomore Sophia Ho Skypes with her online best friend. Since 2011, the pair communicate via Skype and texting, and finally met in August.

[related issue]

Student reunites with long lost family via mother’s birth parent house in the hills of North Carolina, my stomach was fluttering from the nerves and my usual car sickness. When my mom parked our rental in front of a sprawling house on the crest of a ridge, I watched as a small, spry woman jumped off the porch and hurried towards us, finding myself seriously regretting my presence in this foreign place. My nervousness dissipated in the air as Jean wrapped me in a welcoming embrace. Because she felt just like my mother. This is an interesting study in nurture versus nature. Some things that are carried in blood, like appearance, are just taken for granted. But walking around Jean’s house and seeing pictures of her as a young woman that were nearly identical to my mom’s high school and college photos, was an eerie experience. I’d never before had relatives who looked like me. I could see glimmers of my mother as a grandmother in the creases around Jean’s eyes. And personality? Well, there’s no doubt that my mother’s characteristics are closely aligned with Jean. They are alike in mind as much as body. My mom’s parents can be difficult to talk to, but the words flow out to Jean with ease. After I got home from North Carolina, everybody was trying to put words in my mouth. “Must have been weird to meet those people,” said my friends. “I bet it was difficult to relax,” said my aunts and uncles. And my personal favorite, from my dad’s mom: “How did you like your grandma-come-lately?” The thing is, I didn’t feel weird around Jean. I felt pretty at ease. She is certainly no replacement for the grandmas I already have, but she fits into a different spot in my life, a spot not everybody has. If my mom wants to maintain a relationship with the woman who gave birth to her, then I will not stand in her way — especially when she makes it so easy to connect. And although she came into our lives so abruptly, my family has enough room to add a “new grandma” into the mix. — Katelyn Connolly

Michaela Moss

One normal school day last February, I discovered that I had a whole new set of relatives. They weren’t any sort of royalty. They weren’t famous or endowed with wealth and privilege that I would later inherit. And I wasn’t really shocked. My sister and I simply came home one day to the greeting, “Girls, you have a new grandma.” Both of my parents were adopted, which means that our family is pretty much the same as every other family, except with no medical history and a much vaguer knowledge of our ethnic background. My dad, adopted from an orphanage in the Bronx after two years in foster care, has never shown any interest in connecting with his birth mother. My mom had been interested and trying fruitlessly to make that connection for years. Then, she received word of Jean. After years of research and work with agencies, my mom was finally able to make contact with the woman who gave her up five days after birth. This decision wasn’t taken lightly. My aunt had to call ahead first to scout out Jean’s reaction. But eventually it was my mom’s time, and she dialed the number that had been waiting for her whole life. I half expected that Jean would want nothing to do with my family. I was sure that best-case-scenario there would be no more contact than a few phone calls and hopefully an exchange of medical records. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried sick about my mom dealing with the blow of rejection that might come. None of my predictions came close to being true. As it turned out, Jean wanted us to be a part of her family. A little bit of history on Jean. Back in 1968,

the year my mom was born, Jean was one of those hippie types — long hair, bell-bottom jeans, free love and so on. She had another child, a boy, about one year after giving my mom up. This one she kept, even though she was working through college. Her adult life has been devoted to helping low-income kids stay off the streets, stick with jobs and go to college. She has fostered so many children that it’s no surprise she was willing to take one more in. The first time they talked on the phone, they cried for hours. Jean later mentioned that she thought she’d scared my mom off, acting like a crazy person. Despite that emotional mess, my mom went to North Carolina to visit her anyway. When she came back, some things had changed. This new relationship with a birth mother appeared to be putting a strain on my parents’ relationship with each other. I guess they had always shared the bond of having no blood-relations besides my sister and me, so now whenever my mom spoke of her great new family, there was a tenseness in my dad, a sarcastic comment or two thrown in. It seems immature, but some jealousy is inevitable any time new people are added to a dynamic — families included. Regardless, this was no help to my mother, who was already grappling with conflicting emotions at having two moms, struggling with questions like “How would things have been different if I’d never been given up?” Often I write off these kinds of thoughts as pointless musings about what could have been, when time would be much better spent making the most of what you have. But here my mom was, faced with a new world that was welcoming her in. Who could blame her for asking Then she decided it was time for my sister and me to meet Jean. I was not too thrilled about this idea. I kept remembering this one time when I was about 12 and reading one of the files on a possible birth mother. I made a joke about something I read in the file. My mom freaked out, told me nothing about her search was a joke, and I didn’t really talk about it again. Now, with stakes so much higher, I knew I would feel a lot of pressure to not say the wrong thing in front of Jean. My dad opted out of the visit because he didn’t want to intrude, yet I, who also felt like an intruder, was being dragged along. Driving up the windy, tree-lined road to Jean’s

PERSONAL

COMING OUT AHEAD LGBTQA+ teens share their experiences

Senior Angel Ramirez hasn’t told his parents he’s a boy. “I’ve lived with [a friend’s] family since last year, [but] my real parents still have custody over me to some extent,” Angel said. “If they knew I was trans, they could potentially try to pull me out of this family that is safe and loving. That’s a big reason I haven’t come out to my real family — because I’m terrified.” Angel’s fear of his biological parents has forced him to walk a thin line between who he knows he is and who he must pretend to be. His guardians support him, and he’s out to his friends, his grandmother and his boyfriend, but not to his parents. And because he hasn’t always identified as a boy, he worries about people thinking his gender is just a phase. “With [people I interact with a lot] I’m not scared for my safety, but [scared of] being judged,” Angel said. “I don’t know if I’m willing to tell them I’m trans because then they might think I’m being wishy washy and ‘trending.’” Angel can’t always tell whether or not people will accept him for who he is at first meeting, and while making introductions can be nerve racking for anyone, most kids aren’t scared for their safety. Angel doesn’t have that luxury. “I worry about new people I meet and

having to tell them [I’m trans] because of all the horror stories I’ve heard about violence against trans people,” Angel said. “It’s a scary thing. I don’t want to dramatize [it], but coming out is dangerous.” Dangerous indeed — the Southern Poverty Law Center reported in 2010 that members of the LGBTQA+ community experienced more violent hate crimes in proportion to population than any other minority between 1995 and 2008.

“With [people I interact with a lot] I’m not scared for my safety, but [scared of] being judged,” —senior Angel Ramirez “What keeps me from coming out to some [people] but not to others is if I feel like my personal safety is at risk,” Angel said. “I do know people who would legitimately beat me up if they knew, and that’s not cool, but luckily none of them go to this school. I’m more worried about family affecting my life to a major extent, and that’s the main reason why I’m not fully out. [When I’m 18] I intend on telling my mother about my gender, and then I never want to speak to her again.” Angel hates feeling like he’s lying to the

Freshman Katie’s (name changed) parents pulled her out of bed on a Wednesday night to quiz her on her sexuality. “They literally woke me up,” Katie said. “I was in bed, and they woke me up. They were like, ‘We know something’s going on. Just tell us.’ There was an hour-long conversation about it, and I was just like, ‘Fine, I’ll tell you … I’m not straight.’ They pulled it out of me, even though I wasn’t exactly ready to tell them.”

“Before [I was out] I kind of felt like I was closed off because no one ever bothered to explain to me that what I was feeling was OK.” —Katie While she wishes she had been able to come out to her parents on her own terms, Katie is relieved to know that they accept her, even if they don’t completely understand bisexuality just yet. Katie’s younger siblings have responded less kindly, even going so far as to call her demeaning names, putting a strain on their relationship. “[My family] still has the image that there are only gay and lesbian [people], and I’m helping them understand more about it,” Katie said. “[At first] my mom was like, ‘There’s no such thing as bi. You’re a lesbian.’ So she’s still trying to get her head wrapped around the different

personal relationships westlakefeatherduster.com

people he hasn’t come out to, even if it’s only through omission. “I’m more comfortable with the people who know who I am, and I feel more at peace with them,” Angel said. “Whereas when I’m with the people that don’t know, it’s constantly on my mind. Like, ‘Is the subject going to come up? How would I react to that?’ It’s this feeling that’s always looming over me. It’s difficult, is all I can really say, for lack of better words.” For Angel and the rest of the LGBTQA+ community, coming out is not, as many believe, a single momentous event. Instead, it’s a process of explanation and uncertainty that they have to deal with their whole lives. And it can be exhausting. “I’m out to everybody in this school who knows me well, but if I overhear a stranger using the wrong pronoun I’m just like, ‘whatever,’” Angel said. “I’m not indifferent, but there’s this tiredness that comes with repeating myself and dealing with the anxiety of ‘how are they going to react?’ I hope that people who read this will start using my preferred pronouns, because it’s hard for me to speak up. So if you read this and don’t know me that well, use [male] pronouns because they make me comfortable.” — Georgina Kuhlmann

stereotypes and things.” Katie has always been close with her parents, but after the stress of her coming-out night, she feels uncomfortable when they ask her personal questions. She knows they also worry that her bisexuality is a result of outside influences. “They’re OK with everything, but they think that everything I say is just because someone else said it, and I just heard it,” Katie said. “It’s kinda been hard to deal with.” The variety of social stigmas facing people who identify as bi — such as false notions that they are indecisive, greedy or trying to get attention — made Katie hesitant to open up about her sexuality at the cost of self-isolation. “Before [I was out] I kind of felt like I was closed off because no one ever bothered to explain to me that what I was feeling was OK,” Katie said. Katie hopes that as time passes, her family will realize her sexuality is something they don’t need to overanalyze or worry about. Meanwhile, she and her parents have been working to improve their communication and understanding of one another. Among friends, Katie is open about her bisexuality if asked. “If they don’t accept [my sexuality] then I’m just going to not really talk to them anymore,” Katie said. — Georgina Kuhlmann

Know your terms: • • • • •

Gender identity: a person’s sense of their gender Transgender: when a person’s gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth Nonbinary: when a person does not identify as male or female Genderqueer: umbrella term for the gender identities that are not male or female Genderfluid: person whose identity shifts between genders sources: gender.wikia.com, glaad.org

Freshman Morgan and junior Alex (names changed) have more in common than a shared interest in weird fandoms and wild hair. Neither teen identifies as their assigned gender, and both prefer to use the pronoun “they” rather than “he” or “she.” Morgan is nonbinary, and Alex is genderfluid. “Nonbinary is basically when you don’t identify as either gender,” Morgan said. “It’s not too hard a concept really, but a lot of people don’t realize that gender is a spectrum. From a really young age, I knew I didn’t like being my assigned gender, female, and when I got into middle school I started seeing what it would be like to be a guy, but I wasn’t really feeling that either.”

I didn’t know that being genderfluid was even a thing, but when I [heard the term] I realized ‘hey, that might be me.’ —Alex Alex’s gender identity shifts between male, female and nonbinary, so they’re not too picky about pronouns. To avoid confusion however, Alex encourages people to use the gender-neutral “they” and “them.” Nonbinary and genderfluid identities, which fall under the umbrella term of genderqueer, have existed throughout human history, but there’s been little recognition of either in contemporary Western culture. As a result, it took a while for both Alex and Morgan to find a label that fit. “Until I learned more [about the gender identity spectrum] and got more involved in the trans and genderqueer community, I didn’t know that being genderfluid was even a thing,” Alex said. “But when I [heard the term] I realized ‘hey, that might be me.’ Sometimes I feel like a boy, but I’m not 100 percent ‘dude-man,’ and I still want to be a lady sometimes.”

While both teens are out to their close friends, Morgan has only told select family members about their gender identity, and Alex has withheld the information from all relations except their brother. “I preferred to tell my parents rather than have them come to their own conclusions,” Morgan said. “On my mom’s side [of my extended family] everyone’s pretty chill, but I’m not comfortable telling most [of them] about being nonbinary — they don’t know there’s anything other than lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and they all think I’m a lesbian — so I’ve just sort of left it at ‘I’m most definitely not straight.’” Morgan hasn’t said anything about their gender to the strictly-conservative paternal side of their extended family. “It depends on who you’re talking to, but most of them are really homophobic and transphobic,” Morgan said. “I really don’t feel comfortable [coming out to them]. I think when I’m older and most of my uncles and aunts [on my dad’s side] are gone, I’m going to tell [the younger generation].” The taciturn Alex, on the other hand, just doesn’t feel like their gender is their parents’ business. “I don’t have a bad relationship with my parents, but I’m not incredibly close to them,” Alex said. “I don’t disclose a lot about myself, and it’s just one of those things I don’t feel like I need to tell them. If they asked I wouldn’t lie to them, but they’re not bringing it up so I won’t either.” Morgan prefers to be around people who know that they are nonbinary, as it takes the weight of carrying a secret off their shoulders. “I’m a lot more comfortable being around people who know [I’m nonbinary] because they respect me,” Morgan said. “[I worry] about people [who don’t know] finding out be-

Georgina Kuhlman

cause I don’t know how they’re going to feel about me afterward.” Due to the near-invisibility of the genderqueer identities, Morgan and Alex frequently have to explain themselves to people who don’t understand. Even Morgan’s mom has told them that they “can’t be nonbinary,” and have to be one of the two genders. Both teens have had to deal with invalidation and prejudice from peers and adults alike, which has played a major factor in keeping them from coming out to everyone they know. “Overall I get the vibe that the people here are tolerant, but not necessarily accepting of the [LGBTQA+] community,” Morgan said. “A lot of kids I’m in class with say really homophobic stuff, but I don’t think they really understand the connotations that come with what they’re saying. I’m afraid they might think I’m weird for not being either gender, even though that’s just how I am.” — Georgina Kuhlmann

“A lot of people don’t realize that gender is a spectrum.” —Morgan

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[two’s company]

Student shares single dad experience, reveals reality of father-son relationship

o this day I still have trouble coming to grips with the fact that my family will never be the same. I started out with the traditional, nuclear family: my dad, my mom, my brother and me. Now, it’s just my dad and me. Welcome to my unconventional family of two. Prepare yourself. I really despise retelling the story of what happened to my mom. Not so much the fact that it is a painful experience for me, but more so because nobody really wants to hear it. People think they want to hear about it, but it’s just a sad tale. My mother died of breast cancer when I was in seventh grade, leaving just my dad, my brother and me. Recently, my brother departed from home to attend college at the University of Texas. He’s a drive away, but I hardly ever see him. He comes back every once in a while for holidays and special events, but for the most part he hangs out at UT. My mother and I were incredibly close. I could yell at her, cry to her and really share all of the stuff that scared me in this life. She was always there for me when I needed personal help. My dad is a great person, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not the same. Other guys would agree with me on this as well; it’s very rare for heart-to-heart talks to happen between males. And even when they do, it’s often an awkward mess. Where was I supposed to turn? In my case, I’ve turned to myself more often than not. I used to be incredibly expressive with my feelings. If something was both-

Ariana Gomez Reyes ering me, I’d say it. If something was making me happy, you would hear it from me. Now, whenever I feel depressed, I tend to flee into my mind, flat-out imprisoning my emotions inside. There’s nobody to yell, cry or scream at. And so the emotions stay within their tiny jail, slowly tearing my mind apart until I find someone to vent at with all the hateful words I can come up with. It’s such a miserable experience to find yourself utterly dehumanizing your own friends over a couple of bad days. I’ve tried talking to my father about my worries and fears, but often I get the whole “deal with it” response. There are certainly times when he is able to expertly diffuse a problem with no trouble at all, but there are also many times where this is just not the case. I’m looking for someone who can tell me exactly what to do in times of trouble, to reassure me in my darkest hours. I’m looking for someone who isn’t there. But it’s not all that bad. I spend most of my time entirely independent, taking control over all my responsibilities and managing my activities. If anything, the death of one and the departure of another of my kin has made me far more self-sufficient than I ever was before. Sure, I largely had to take care of myself when my mother was going through chemo, but I could always turn to someone for assistance around the house. Now, I no longer rely on others for minute things. However, I still depend on my father for some larger tasks. No matter how self-reliant I become, he’s the one who pays the bills and drives me to hockey. While my mother’s death

did drive a wedge between us in some emotional aspects, it’s forced us closer in many more. I like to think of it like this: one cannot survive without the other. We are the last people who can relate to each other in the whole house. It sucks, but we can honestly use the “Oh hey, I too have a dead loved one,” topic as a bonding experience. Remember how I said that I have an immense amount of trouble bonding with my dad on a deeper level? Well, here is the one exception. Lately our relationship has improved. We’re much more honest with each other and have become significantly more open to each other. While we do have our differences at times, my dad is one of the funniest people out there, and also has the ability to be one of the kindest. Please don’t take from my previous statements that he is a poor father — that’s not true at all. He’s a great man, but we have one heck of an odd relationship. Now, I’m no Dr. Phil, but I’d say this relationship is screwed-up on many levels. Hell, we started with four family members and now we’re down one and missing another at college. But if I were to predict the path of this odd pair, I’d say we are definitely strengthening our partnership. We are all we have for three more years. Better make them count, right? While I have become significantly more bitter and unemotional since my mom’s death, I can surely say I’m getting better. And so is my father. If anything, time and patience truly do heal even the deepest of wounds. — Jack Wallace

PERSONAL

dog days are over Pet enthusiasts share stories of exotic animal friends Sophomore Maddy Beago One snake One chameleon Two sugar gliders 10 turtles

Cooper Kerbow

Senior Alex Charnes One axolotl One snail

Do you own the pets yourself? I own the iguana and chameleon myself, but the other pets are family pets. Any personal responsibilities with the animals? I’m in charge of feeding all of the animals every day. I [also] named all of the animals except for the dog. What are your sugar gliders like? [Amelia and Lizzie] are extremely energetic and nocturnal, so they are up all night barking really loudly and jumping around in their cage. Where did you get your chameleon? I got my chameleon, because they were selling them at an art festival downtown, and we just thought it would be cool to own more exotic pets. Are there other pets you would like to own that you don’t already? I would like to have a pet chinchilla, a dwarf hamster and a bunny. How do your parents feel about all of the animals? My parents both love getting new animals and caring for the different pets. They are interested in the different animals just as much as I am. How long have you had your axolotl? About 10 months. What is its name? Samson. I don’t know if it’s a male or female yet. Where do you keep it? I have a 10-gallon fish tank which I keep right next to my bed. Where did you purchase it? I think they’re illegal in Texas. I can’t say the fish store, but I knew the people there, and they had some [axolotls]. They’re endangered. They originally came from one river in Mexico, but [now] they’ve been bred in captivity. Why an axolotl instead of a lizard? I wanted to get a leopard gecko, but my mom wouldn’t let me.

photo by Tim Whaling; Aurasma by Caitlyn Kerbow

Senior Savannah South One tarantula One scorpion Three tortoises Four birds Four horses Four fish Seven chickens 11 snakes

Mary Beth Burns

personal relationships westlakefeatherduster.com

Do you have different types of snakes? They’re all ball pythons. I breed them, so I have a lot of different genetic patterns. So you’ve watched eggs hatching? I’ve had several eggs hatch normally, and I’ve had a couple that I’ve had to cut open since [the babies] weren’t strong enough. I was really excited when my first eggs hatched. It’s a lot like winning the lottery, when a rare color pokes its head out of the shell. Any funny stories involving your pets? One night, I was taking a shower, and one of my baby snakes crawled out of the drain. Do any of your pets have distinct personalities? Our tortoise, Squirtle, will open the back door and walk around inside until we give him an apple. When did your love for animals begin? My dad had always dreamed of owning a pet store, and when he married my mother, they started one together. I was incredibly lucky to grow up around animals, and I’ve always loved them. —Ally Ameel

STUFF WE LIKE Minivans

The minivan: mark of the soccer mom, bane of the stay-at-home dad. There are many stereotypes about minivan owners, and they are all true. The van that has built-in movie screens for entertainment during the five-minute ride to school is the epitome of cool. Automatic sliding doors: greatest invention of our time. Non-automatic? World’s greatest arm workout. The minivan is never clean. Cheerio dust looms in the air and coats every square inch of the interior. When it is finally time to decontaminate the van, things we didn’t know were lost reappear. A sticker for each year Johnny played the trombone in the Chap Band lines the left side of the back windshield. Four cheery little stick figures man the bottom right corner. The easiest way to learn one’s life story? Enter their minivan.

Middle Children

Ariana Gomez Reyes

If you’re not the middle child, you’re missing out. When you’re the middle child, no one cares — you have the utmost freedom. With all the attention on the eldest and the youngest, we as middle children get to do basically whatever we want. Whenever you start complaining about your lack of attention, just remember all the things you got to do when your older sibling couldn’t, and the fact that you’re not sheltered like the youngest. Honestly, the middle child tends to go the furthest. Abraham Lincoln. Nelson Mandela. Bill Gates. Anne Hathaway. We’re ruthless. We run the world.

Sharing A Bathroom

Rocky vs Apollo. Biggie vs Tupac. Harry vs Voldemort. Cain vs Abel. All classic feuds, and all trumped by the battle that rages every morning in houses across the country. There is a plague wreaking havoc on the youth of America, and it’s called sharing a bathroom. Doom awaits if you dare to sleep even a second after your slotted shower time. If you do, expect no mercy. Give up. You’re not making it to school on time. Sharing a bathroom is a conflict that destroys an otherwise blissful sibling relationship. What is more frustrating than a sister who dominates the mirror and countertops as she straightens her hair and fixes her eye makeup seven times each morning? Is there any sight more horrifying than a pile of your brother’s boxers turning the floor into a minefield? For the love of God, you beg your parents, what you really need for Christmas is your own bathroom.

Soap Operas

Antonio was found in the heart of the Amazon rainforest as a child by a group of tourists. This tall, dark and handsome man grew up to be an elite plastic surgeon at the age of 17, living in a mansion in Venezuela with a gruff-butlovable maid as his trusty life coach. He finally found his love in Rebecca Blingerhaven, an enchanting 34-year-old Alaskan woman who aspired to teach orphans the way of the Dragon Warrior. But Antonio’s life began to fall apart when his long-lost diabolical twin, Oinotna, stole his woman … who actually was Antonio’s sister the entire time. Antonio finally managed to restart his life with the guidance of his dead grandmother through a Ouija board and the aid of his second wife, Anzhelika Anastasia Von Glukhov, a former Bond girl. He now resides only on his lavish house-boat. Thanks to medical advances and blood magic, he now lives forever.

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