Volume 46 Issue 3 by Featherduster Westlake

THE FEATHERDUSTER

FD page 49 Westlake High School Volume 46 Issue 3 March 12, 2015 4100 Westbank Drive Austin, Texas 78746

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2/25/15 6:50 PM

2015

MARCH 05

On the hunt

Seniors participate in annual Nerf gun battle for cash prize

Joke’s on you Sit back, relax and have a good laugh with these satirical articles

Editors-in-Chief

Rachel Cooper Caitlyn Jane Kerbow Peyton Richardson

Business Manager Sabrina Knap

Copy Editor Monica Rao

Brains and Brawn

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

Student artists share stories

Get out of town and head to these cool road trip destinations

People and Places Madeline Dupre Georgina Kuhlmann Asst. Zhouie Martinez

The Great Outdoors

Sara Phillips Asst. Ananya Zachariah

Rants and Raves Katelyn Connolly Asst. Jack Speer Asst. Jack Wallace

Webmasters Alexis Huynh ZZ Lundburg

Online Editors

Nikki Humble Jacob Prothro Kathryn Revelle

Art

Editor Michaela Moss Ariana Gomez Reyes

Digital Art

Editor Alex Charnes

Photography

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

Reporters

Ally Ameel Nelson Aydelotte 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

Adviser

Deanne Brown

Cover photo by Tim Whaling. Senior Jerry Montemayor leaps into Barton Creek from a local rope swing.

Correction: The Featherduster would like to apologize for any alleged falsities in the article titled “Miss Independent” published on December 15, 2014. Since the article was published, information has been brought to light that we were unaware of at the time of publication. We aim to report facts fairly for all sides of every story, and we feel we failed to do so in the article mentioned.

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 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.

Soccer teams power through District and work for playoff spots

brains + brawn

no 5% ne

How many extracurricular activities do you do?

86% school

41% other extracurriculars 32% sports

How many days per week do you have your extracurricular(s)?

2 ev 5% er y da y

Stress — the number one thing we talk about these days. Whether it’s a big test coming up, friend drama or accomplishing a new skill in a specific sport, stress seems to be a never-ending pit we can’t quite crawl out of. This depicts how different one’s stress can be from another’s and gives a perspective of what everyone else is stressing out about. —Ellie Mizell

3 5- 3% 6

What stresses you out the most?

29% family 25% friends

How many hours of sleep do you usually get on school nights?

1 3- 9% 4

9% job

14% less than 5

2 1- 1% 2

62% 6-7 21% 8 2% 9+

17%

SOCIAL STUDIES

How many Pre-AP or AP classes do you take? 32 %

MATH

ENGLISH

How many hours do you spend doing homework?

LANGUAGES

ELECTIVES

18%

What class stresses you out the most?

SCIENCE

29%

23%

32% watch Netflix 23% How do you relieve your stress?

hang out with friends and family

22% exercise 6% I don’t

7% I don’t do homework 25% ½-1 33% 2 32% 3+

BURNED OUT

100 students were surveyed. Because of the choice to select more than one option, some percentages may add up to more than 100 percent. Others may add up to less because of non-whole percentages.

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

x Ale

near-death experiences s

r ne

a Ch

“Being in the final few teams was intense, so when the girls trying to assassinate me managed to get into their car and block my friends from leaving, it was pretty scary. I managed to run for what seemed like a mile, get picked up in my friend’s car and speed out of the neighborhood unscathed.” —senior Holden Corbett

on the hunt

Seniors “assassinate” classmates to win big money

Assassin is a game of murder — by Nerf gun. A tradition that has been at Westlake for several years, it is a game played by a large portion of the senior class. The players signed up to play with a partner for $5 in December. Seniors Alex Espejo and Matt Cosentino worked together to coordinate and run the tournament this year. “Matt and I were talking about [Assassin] one day and we really wanted it to happen,” Alex said. “So we said, ‘let’s just do it,’ and I texted the guy who organized it last year and he told me how he organized it to give us a baseline for this year.” Each set of partners is randomly assigned another set of partners to “kill.” One round lasts two weeks, and the object of the game is to kill your targets. A kill is considered legal if you have been shot or touched with a Nerf bullet. If both of the people in a partnership are killed or they fail to kill their targets within the twoweek window, the group is elimi-

nated. The game officially began on Jan. 12 and is expected to last a maximum of 12 weeks. “We thought we had our bases covered rule-wise at the beginning,” Alex said. “However, it got more out of hand than we thought it would. There were loopholes for everything. The first two days of the game were rough. We had to work out all of the kinks, figuring out all the specific situations people had. It was a lot of ironing out the rules of everything and laying down the law. But now it’s gotten a lot easier and things are running more smoothly.” One of the rules is that the high school campus is considered a “safe zone.” This was not the case a few years ago. It became enough of a problem that the administration had to step in. “You can’t be opening a classroom door and shooting a Nerf gun into a classroom,” assistant principal Stephen Shands said. “We got to a point where if you were caught playing Assassin on campus, you were suspended. We

probably suspended one, maybe two kids several years ago for it. That took care of it.” Although a prize of $800 will go to the winning partners, all students are expected to play by the rules. “It’s a very honest system,” Alex said. “We’re really counting on people to be honest and report on situations they’re unsure of.” Although the first round was stressful, Alex likes the power and responsibility that comes with running the game. “I enjoy handling the situations,” Alex said. “I’m in charge of this frankly huge game, and it’s really difficult but really rewarding at the same time.” As the remaining assassins enter round five, suspense and paranoia for the remaining teams are at an ultimate high. Eliminated players are watching closely. “Now that all the rules have been clearly ironed out, it’s time to just sit back and see who wins,” Alex said. —Sabrina Knap

“The game was way too stressful. I didn’t study for a physics test to go wait at my target’s house for three hours. At 9:20 p.m. her dad just casually goes outside and finds me hiding, so he gave my target a ride from the garage because I had her car surrounded. That was my fifth attempt. I finally just said, ‘If I go get pizza, my assassins could kill me,’ and they did.” —senior Fernanda Contreras “[One team] created a fake Facebook account of me and sent themselves messages saying that they were targeting two random people, took a screenshot of it and sent it to their targets to prove that they weren’t going after them when they really were. I thought it was hilarious and so genius, I just made them promise that they wouldn’t use my name badly and send out false messages to others.” —senior Alex Espejo

HREK

Choir musical leaves audience laughing

“The most rewarding part was getting home early Sunday morning, laying down, taking a deep breath, and realizing that everything we had worked so hard for had finally paid off,” senior Joe Richard said.

“I’ve never had such an intricate, beautiful appearance in a show,” senior Susannah Crowell said. “I’m pretty amazed I was a part of all that.”

6 8

photos by Alex Unflat and Lucy Wimmer, Aurasma by Samanth Jabour brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

1. After overhearing a conversation between Donkey and Fiona, Shrek, played by Joe Richard, sings “Build A Wall” in the choir’s performance of Shrek The Musical. 2. Humpty Dumpty, played by senior Sarah Holland, performs a solo piece. 3. Belting out a song, senior Susannah Crowell performs as Dragon. 4. Senior Ali Germann plays the fairy-tale puppet Gingy. 5. As Donkey, senior Cole Carpenter sings a song. 6. Seniors Carson Hoelscher and Landon White and junior Zach Freeman play the three pigs. 7. Junior Taylor Thomas plays the lead role of Fiona. 8. A large group of fairy-tale creatures perfom a song. 9. Senior Ryan Newberg performs as Lord Farquaad. For the full story and video, visit westlakefeatherduster.com.

“Fiona was a very deep and thoughtful role,” junior Taylor Thomas said. “Juggling both sides of her bipolar personality was a lot of fun.”

“Being Lord Farquaad was a lot of fun,” senior Ryan Newberg said. “I got to be on my knees the whole musical, sing super high and almost marry an ogre.”

THE GREAT DEBATE Debate students open up about competitions, class What are competitions like?

Why did you want to do debate? “I decided to join debate to improve my public speaking, but it has also helped me develop sharp, useful critical thinking skills.” —sophomore Luis Requejo

How does debate help you in life? “Debate is a great way to learn about all kinds of interesting subjects as well as express your opinion in an open environment. I’d recommend that anyone thinking about joining give debate a shot.” —junior Varun Rao

What have you learned in debate? “Because I am forced to defend both sides of controversial issues, I’ve gotten a lot better at arguing and thinking critically about how to approach a wide variety of issues. I also really like the community of people that debate has introduced me to.” —debate captain junior Drew Burd

“Debate competitions are bustling — everybody is working and running between rounds. But during lunch and dinner, everyone is really chill and we go out to grab lunch or talk with friends from other schools.” —extemporaneous speaking captain junior Zach Stoebner

How close are you to the other debaters? “The debate team is like one big family. We are all very close, and we have a good time hanging out in class and at tournaments. You also meet people from all over the country. Many of them have become my good friends.” —speech captain junior Tim Roy

How do you help other debaters? “I help the less-experienced debaters by teaching them about different forms of debate and looking over their rounds with them to see what they could do better.” —forensics captain senior Derek Zhou

What is your favorite part of debate? “Debate is like a stress reliever for me. While some people find debating issues stressful or pointless, I find it stimulating and interesting. It also takes away the distraction from my life and issues and moves that focus to a larger scale. It puts things in perspective.” —junior Maddie Sparks

What is the hardest part of debate? “Learning how to improve from failures was one of the hardest parts. I used to get hung up on losing and let it make me feel like a bad debater. To improve you really have to reflect on what you should do better.” —Lincoln-Douglas debate captain sophomore Caroline Firme

Service club calls awareness to domestic violence

GET

MAD

One in four women will become a victim of domestic abuse in her lifetime (National Domestic Violence Hotline). One club that calls attention to this serious issue is Girls Energized To Make A Difference, or GETMAD, which focuses on service projects both great and small benefiting the Austin community. GETMAD’s biggest activity is in the spring, when the club puts on a fashion show called “A Day to Shine.” This April 11 will mark the eighth annual show that promotes healthy relationships and body image. The event raises money for SafePlace, a local shelter for individuals and families affected by sexual and domestic violence, and its dating abuse prevention program called Expect Respect. “[The fashion show] was started because I wanted to show fun, cute fashions that were appropriate for high schoolers and wanted to do it for a nonprofit to raise awareness of dating abuse,” club coordinator and sponsor Julie Stevenson said. “Three friends and I started the fashion show and it just worked that the models would be members of GETMAD, because they were a variety of young women who had a heart for service.” Last year alone, the fashion show raised approximately $280,000 for the shelter. The show’s focus brings the issue of domestic abuse into the light for GETMAD members, especially club president senior Aubry Hinners. “My favorite thing about GETMAD is that it calls out an issue that is very silenced,” Aubry said. “A lot of people don’t think that domestic abuse is happening in Westlake because everyone always thinks the grass is greener here, but it’s not. I think that teaching people about positive and healthy relationships is really important. I know I’ve seen my fair share of bad

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

Justin Whaling Members of GETMAD take a vote on new fundraising opportunities during a meeting on Feb. 22.

relationships in high school, and I invite those people to the fashion show so they can hear the speakers and know what a real relationship should look like.” Although SafePlace’s location is undisclosed and under heavy security in order to keep victims safe, Aubry was able to organize a visit for the club’s members to help them see exactly what they are supporting and the result of domestic violence. “We had never visited before so I thought it would be a good idea to go,” Aubry said. “I thought it would stir up some emotion and get people more into what they were volunteering so much time for. We got to go and see the families and the kids, and I think it gave everyone more insight as to how they were helping. When we were there, it was easy for everyone to see the direct impact we were making.” GETMAD was established in fall 2006 by six friends. Stevenson, the mother of one of the founding students, has been the coordinator and sponsor of the club since it was formed. “The girls were all involved in athletics and other extracurricular sports, so they couldn’t participate in some of the more formal service clubs,” Stevenson said. “They decided to form their own club so they could do service projects and help people in their community while sharing meaningful experiences and growing together as friends.” Today, the student-run club is 30 members strong. In the fall, the group did candy and coat drives, gave needy families gifts for the holiday season and teamed up with Any Baby Can, a local nonprofit that aims to strengthen families through education, therapy and support, for a project memorializing local children who had died from cancer.

The club is not directly affiliated with the school, but it is comprised of Westlake sophomores, juniors and seniors. At the end of each year, the newly-elected junior officers invite 10 freshmen to join the group. “We choose people based on if we know they do service frequently,” Aubry said. “[Also] if we know that they’re going to stick to what they say they’re going to do, because we can’t have people flaking on our service projects. Overall, [we choose] just generally good people.” Stevenson has acknowledged ideas of expanding the program, knowing it would take more committed parent volunteers to grow the club successfully. However, the group has had an impact on Aubry, and she hopes to continue service beyond high school. “[Since I’ve been] in GETMAD for three years, I’ve realized what a big issue domestic violence is,” Aubry said. “It’s just made me a lot more aware of the world that isn’t Westlake. I’m thinking that when I’m at Southern Methodist University I might have a program similar to it or get something started there.” The club’s roots of service have remained strong through the years, and in most cases stay with members for the rest of their lives. “GETMAD has an impact on both its members and on the community it serves,” Stevenson said. “The members learn that serving others can take all shapes; it doesn’t have to be hard or take lots of time or money. Simple thoughtful tasks can make a huge difference in the life of someone. These girls go on to serve through college and as adults because they learned service can be fun and rewarding with a group of their friends.” —Rachel Cooper

ustice for all j Alex Unflat

The Gender Equality Club meets every other Wednesday from 4:10 to 5 p.m. in room 348.

New club strives to spread gender equality

There is a new club called the Gender Equality Club, led by the gender wage gap, domestic abuse within all genders, sex workers, juniors Sophia Alami-Nassif and Annika Mukherjee. The girls decided the porn industry, cat calls, body image ... the list goes on. It’s a very to start the club in October, when they noticed the lack of awareness free form of discussion; all ideas and comments are considered. We try about women’s issues at Westlake. to make it as explicit as the issue begs to be, less sugar coating, more “[Sophia and I realized] there was an LGBT club [and] there were raw flesh.” clubs for racial groups, but there was nothing that had to do with womTrue to its name, the Gender Equality Club is inclusive to all genen’s empowerment or gender equality,” Annika said. “We’ve both been ders, not just women. Members of all grades, backgrounds and orientapretty active in feminist issues — we got into it in around freshman tions attend. year.” “We have a wide variety of types of people in the club,” Annika said. The club focuses on sharing opinions about gender-related social is- “We have debates and things, and there are a lot of different viewpoints sues, and the girls hope to educate more students on matters of equality. being expressed, so I feel like because we’re educating and talking about “Gender equality is simple and basiit, even the more sensitive issues or concally self-explanatory: equality in all facets troversial issues, more people are aware amongst all genders,” Sophia said. “It’s not “It’s not a man-hating club; it’s not a of it. It’s on their minds more.” a man-hating club; it’s not a secret women- secret women-powered plot to take The club’s ultimate aim is to create powered plot to take over the world. Just a positive space where people are free over the world. It’s equality in all facets wanna be equal, y’all.” to share their opinions and thoughts At the club, Sophia and Annika lead amongst all genders.” on gender-related issues, and to get the group discussions about gender-related —junior Sophia Alami-Nassif word out about their cause. news, and they are not afraid to touch on “We are constantly trying to think of many controversial subjects. new ideas to spread awareness through “It’s a discussion group, and we [talk about] a different topic every the school, but it’s quite difficult getting your voice heard in a completetime,” Annika said. “Sometimes we show videos, or article[s] or talk ly student-run club,” said Sophia. “Going to Westlake you notice a lot about current events and how feminism plays into that. And if anyone of the ingrained sexism in some of the students and teachers. So we in the club has a present issue then we’ll talk about that too.” wanted to bring [feminism] to Westlake, especially before people go off It has a very casual and easygoing atmosphere; everyone is laid back to college and make fools of themselves outside of this — unfortunateand free to speak their mind, even when facing tough subjects. ly shameless — bubble of sexism. I hope we’ve changed the way some “The club is basically 10-15 people hanging out after school, eating people think, that’s really the ultimate goal and all I can ask for. In the snacks and talking about the many issues around us,” Sophia said. “We future I hope we reach more people.” talk about everything, literally everything. In the past, we’ve covered —Michelle Fairorth

TOP OF THE

PYRAMID

Cheerleaders win National competition for third year in a row With 12,000 cheerleaders, 645 teams and 38 states represented, Westlake cheer went into the National High School Cheerleading Championships in Orlando with one thing in mind: winning for the third year in a row. Winning once is hard enough, and twice rarely happens to anyone. But winning three consecutive times was unheard of. Until this year. The Westlake Red team had prepared for seven months prior to the Feb. 10 competition, practicing most days for two to three hours. “I think the hardest part was just knowing that it was possible to win the three-peat,” sophomore SaraGrace Petersen said. “We just had to go out there and do what we knew how to do.” In the fall, Westlake went to two previous competitions — one for Regionals and one for State. Their main rival, Laredo United, had narrowly beaten them both times. “It has always been between them and us,” sophomore Kennedy Guerra said. “We have a very well-known rivalry that drives us to accomplish the things we want to.” If it weren’t for the Chaps, United would’ve gotten their own three-peat at Nationals. United was hungry for a win, refusing to let the Chaps take the first three-peat title without a fight. After a stunt fall in preliminaries, Westlake was unsure of its placement. “We were all sitting in the courtyard of our hotel waiting to hear the results,” senior Alex Valenty said. “The suspense was insane. The announcement was late, so the anticipation kept building. Once we found out we were going straight to finals, we all were all screaming and hugging.” After a long day of competing, cheering on other teams and emotions, the team members settled into their own rooms getting mentally prepared to take on the next day. The day of finals began at 4:30 a.m. with alarms blaring and girls ready and excited to start the day, even if they were running on five hours of sleep. Hair up, makeup done, RedBulls gone, it was time to get on the bus and head to ESPN Wide World of Sports. Before finals, competitors drew which order they go in. Coincidentally, United went

fourth, and Westlake was right behind them, competitors,” head coach Jeff Nixon said. meaning they were in warm-ups and backstage Finally, awards: the one moment 36 girls together. had been anticipating. The announcer started “We knew at this point the competition with 15th place. United placed fifth. When was pretty much between us and them,” senior the announcer got to the top two teams, only Emily Mansour said. “It just depended on who Westlake and Arlington, Tennessee remained. hit their routine cleanly with no deductions. “Being in my first year [on the team], I We were behind them backstage — where most didn’t really know what to expect,” freshman of the nerves and adrenaline hit you. It was ter- Hope Morrill said. “You can’t understand rifying.” the feeling unless you were there. But it was United went on while Westlake was still priceless. It’s pretty awesome to be able to say backstage. Their music stopped along with you’re the best in the whole nation. I’m extheir routine not even half way through. Some- tremely proud of what we accomplished.” one had hurt her ankle and couldn’t complete —Ellie Mizell the routine. “We were all in shock,” sophomore Caroline Imhoff said. “We didn’t really know what to think. We wanted to win knowing we were the absolute best, not because someone broke their ankle.” After United cleared off the mat, Westlake was up. All eyes were on the two-time reigning champions. “I was confident in our routine, but it was so nerve-racking,” SaraGrace said. “I was holding my friend’s hand, shaking — it was really intense. I knew there would be thousands of people watching us. It’s a real adrenaline rush.” In cheerleading, “hitting zero” is when a team hits a perfect routine with no deductions. Westlake did just that. “It’s an indescribable feeling that I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” sophomore Madelynn Walker said. “When the routine was actually over, everyone was just crying and celebrating. Everything we did in the past seven months was so worth it.” There were a few more hours of just waiting and watching teams perform until awards. United had another chance to perform. Westlake led the stadium in encouraging Lucy Wimmer chants. “[My favorite part was] watching Senior Morgan Baker cheers during the pre-competimy team stand up and cheer for their tion performance.

Senior Lucas Goldberg battles an Austin High opponent as he shoots the ball. Westlake went on to beat the Maroons 74-56 on Feb. 17.

swoosh

Mary Beth Burns

In first year back, Lucero leads team to 19-11 record The season is finally over, and it’s safe to say that Westlake exceeded expectations. After being picked to finish sixth in District, the boys banded together to clinch the last playoff spot with an 11-5 District record and a 19-11 overall record, before dropping their first round game to District 15-6A champion McNeil High School 50-54. The team overcame a shaky start and found ways to win big games down the stretch, beating teams they weren’t supposed to beat, and keeping them in the hunt for the playoffs. New varsity head coach Robert Lucero was proud of the way his players responded to adversity before and during the season. “[The players] deciding they wanted to prove people wrong and do something that they didn’t do last year or the year before, that they wanted to compete for a District Championship, came from the group,” Lucero said. “It’s not just a couple seniors or some role players; it’s everybody deciding they want to work that hard.” Because Lucero is very familiar with Westlake as he was an assistant coach for five seasons, the team did not have to suffer through a transition period. The team came together under his wing to make the postseason. “The main thing is the players and what they decide they want to do,” Lucero said. “Last year, the guys [at Hays] decided they wanted to be a good team and they were successful. This year, I feel as if all of our players, at some point, decided that they wanted to play the right way. The thing that I’ve been most proud of with this group is that from the first day of school to now, they have continued to grow and get better as a team.”

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

District play went well for the Chaps, but late season stumbles against the three teams they were chasing hurt their chances. Westlake dropped three out of its last six games, including a last-second loss to Lucero’s former team, Hays, on Jan. 30. “Those teams [Lake Travis, Hays and Anderson] are very talented and just wore us down,” Lucero said. “Those high intensity games are something we hadn’t done before.” Outside of District, they also played well. The team went to two tournaments, and they had good results in both. At the Frenship Tournament held at Frenship High School, they were the consolation champions after losing their first game to Abilene. Over winter break,

Mary Beth Burns Senior Matthew Murphy goes for the rebound over the heads of three opposing Austin High players on Feb. 17.

they played in the Westlake Holiday Classic. They earned a spot in the final against Clear Lake, but lost the game 44-54. “Those tournaments make you fight all the way to the end,” Lucero said. “It taught us that if we play the right way, we have a chance to compete with anybody we play against.” Chemistry on and off the court was one of the biggest keys to a strong season. For this team, the locker room chemistry translated into solid play on the court. “Everyone in the locker room was close,” Read said. “People got onto each other, but it was to build them up, not tear them down. The relationships we made allowed us to trust each other on the court and play for each other.” Two freshmen, point guard Luke Pluyman and wing Matthew Mayer, had the honor of playing on varsity this year, and both were welcomed onto the team. Their contributions were valuable and the team was glad to have such great young talent. “They both have a lot of confidence which I wouldn’t expect from freshmen,” varsity forward senior Lucas Goldberg said. “They played really hard and they fit in with the team.” For the seniors, it was their last chance to accomplish something in their high school basketball careers, and for some, it was the last time they played competitively. “When you hit senior year, your mindset changes, and you want this to be a successful season,” Lucas said. “When you see other people mess around, it aggravates you a little bit more because you want to have the best season you possibly can because it’s your last shot at it.” —Aro Majumder

Chaps fall in first round of playoffs after posting 13-3 District record

he varsity girls basketball team repeated a first round loss in Bi-District playoffs against Westwood on Feb. 16. The Chaps put up a fight, holding the Warriors to a five point game in overtime, but in the end were unable to bring home a win. “It’s always really tough to lose a game that close,” senior Jesse Turner said. “Our team played really hard, but it just wasn’t our night. We had an amazing season overall though, and accomplished some awesome things and made some great memories. I just wish it could have lasted longer.” Entering playoffs with an overall record of 24-7 and a District record of 13-3, the Lady Chaps surpassed expectations, especially with the tough schedule that they were faced with this season. “I felt that our team was still young, but very talented,” head coach Kathryn Hensle said. “We ended up being runner-up in the District. We had a couple of big upsets against some highly ranked opponents, and we were the only team to come close to defeating District Champions, Bowie.” Between District games, the Chaps also participated in three tournaments this season. They won the bronze division in the Georgetown Jack Frost tournament and placed third in both the Colleyville and Marble Falls tournaments. To prepare for these games, the girls spend many hours a week, Monday through Saturday, in the gym and weight rooms. “Practice is always hard, no matter what day it is,” senior Carly Anderson said, “but we try to get prepared for the next game by learning what the other

team is going to do against us. We always give it our all, even if we’re tired and don’t want to be at 6:30 a.m. practice.” All of the time spent training together over the last few months has brought the team closer. Both on and off the court, the girls work together to ensure everyone’s success. “Our dynamic is super silly and we are all really close,” junior Bailey Holle said. “Before games, we talk about the goals that we are trying to focus on and succeed at and we all give each other confidence. That’s probably my favorite part about being on the team: knowing that I have 11 friends that I could go to for anything.” The team consists of mostly juniors, two sophomores and three seniors. Although it would be intimidating for some sophomores to be a part of a team that consisted of mainly upperclassmen, it is quite the opposite for the Chaps. “It’s fun being one of the youngest on the team because everyone treats me like a little sister and roots for me, even though I’m only a year younger than them,” sophomore Regan Janssen said. “Everyone has such funny personalities, and we are always laughing and having a good time.” The camaraderie and determination that the Chaps have shown this year have greatly impressed Hensle. “I enjoy these girls,” Hensle said. “They are a hard working and fun group. They come to practice every day to learn and improve, and they are really great teammates to each other. We have grown a lot throughout the season and have gotten better with every game.” —Lexy Connolly

Tim Whaling Juniors Brooke Holle and Emily Thurston walk off the court together after defeating Austin High for the second time. The Chaps took second in District and later fell to Westwood in the first round of playofffs.

Tim Whaling Leading a drive, guard junior Lexi Cunningham squeezes by an Austin High player Jan. 16. The Chaps stomped on the Maroons 40-23 in the second round of District after previously beating the Maroons 56-54.

Tim Whaling

[ Photo Story ]

SEEING THE LIGHT When we watch Westlakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite athletes, their actions look powerful and jarring. Through the magic of long exposure photography, we reveal the hidden grace behind their power. Photos and story by Tim Whaling

Since the early days of photography, we have used cameras to record, and sometimes reinvent, how we see the world around us. Photography has completely altered the way we understand sports and the high speed mechanics involved in a run, a jump or a throw. In fact, one of the earliest practical photo experiments was the use of high speed photography to discover whether a galloping horse actually lifts all four hooves off the ground at once. Now, more than 100 years later, there are millions of motion-stopping photographs out there. The photos you see here are my attempt to show the grace that a tennis serve requires and the smooth parabolic curves of a pole vault. Instead of shooting just a fraction of a second of the action at a high shutter speed, I captured the full motion, start to finish. This required exposures of between one second for baseball and five seconds for pole vault. In order to visualize the action, the athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; equipment was wrapped with a rope of LED lights. Each individual light streaks across the photo as the athlete moves, leaving hundreds of light paths, in turn showing us every bump, twirl and curve.

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Previous page: Senior Fernanda Contreras slams home a serve. According to Fernanda, the hardest part of a great serve is “getting the balance and toss perfect.” She practices four hours a day in pursuit of perfection. Above: Flying through the darkness, senior Nicole Summersett vaults into her home pole vault pit. “Vaulting at night was pretty sketchy,” Nicole said. “I just closed my eyes and hoped I was over the pit and not over the ground.” Left: Tossing her Colorguard rifle high into the air, senior Ashley Wilson holds her right arm, called a free arm, to her body while her rifle pirouettes above her. “The hardest part about tossing a rifle is the amount of strength needed to get it around, the knowledge of how much to push and the technique to catch it solidly,” Ashley said. Opposite page: Senior Connor Gunn leans into a swing. “Focusing during an at-bat requires you to block out all extraneous sensations,” Connor said. “When the ball is in the air, you have less than a second before it gets to you, so you don’t have time to think, only to react.”

Signing day Track: Texas

Sydne Fowler

By Jazmine Longridge

How did you choose UT? It really wasn’t much of a choice, I think. I was going to go to SMU, they were recruiting me, but then UT offered me [a scholarship]. It’s one of the best schools for business and it’s here and my dad coaches there so I figured why not? What drew you to UT? Their hurdle coach Tonja Buford Bailey is the best hurdle coach out there right now in the U.S. Not to go there for hurdles, which I [am going to do], would be kinda silly. What work did you do to earn this spot? Definitely a lot of training. I train on Sundays and Mondays with my personal trainer and I work out every day with weights and speed training and I eat right. How do you feel looking forward to the next four years? I’m looking forward to them a lot. Now that I know that all my friends are going to UT it makes me feel better and super excited for track. School, not so much. But track is going to be exciting, just getting to know everyone on the track team will be great.

Tennis: Vanderblilt

Julia Rasor

Fernanda Contreras

By Monica Rao

How did you choose Vanderbilt? I went on the [official] visit first. I cut down the list and chose three schools — Vanderbilt, Yale and Rice. I visited Vanderbilt first, and at the beginning I didn’t think that I was going to go there. I still knew that I really liked [the school]. I loved being there. Then I went to Yale and it was really cold and I knew that I didn’t see myself there. It was September and already 30 degrees. I went to Rice last and it was cool, but I didn’t like Houston and the people weren’t the same. I was wishing I was at Vanderbilt. So that was when I knew. How do you feel looking forward to the next four years? I’m super pumped. I can’t wait. Every time [I think about college] I just want to be there and be with the team. How much work did you put in to get to where you are? I play tennis every day. But I also just had to stop [feeling] pressured during tournaments. I had to keep calm and do my best. And when all of the college coaches came to watch me, I had to tell myself that it was OK, I just needed to relax. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m so happy. Tim Whaling

Tennis: Brown

Charles Tan

By Monica Rao How did you choose Brown? I was looking at colleges and talking to different coaches. I had a list and I narrowed it down to five colleges, and then I visited them all and made my decision from there. I took officials at the Air Force Academy, Lehigh, William and Mary, Washington University — though that wasn’t technically an official since [the program is D3] — and then Brown. I was paying attention to the people [at each school], and just based off of that I narrowed it down to WashU and Brown. It was a tough choice from there, but I like the new coach at Brown a lot. How do you feel looking forward to the next four years? I’m pretty excited about college, and I’m looking forward to getting a good education. And winning. How much work did you put in to get to where you are? I worked pretty hard. I had really just cruised [before]. I was playing tennis just for fun until sophomore year, but I wasn’t winning as much as I wanted to if I wanted to play D1. So I set a goal and I worked really hard junior year and last semester [to get here].

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Tim Whaling

Athletes commit to play college sports By Aro Majumder

Zayne Matulis

By Katelyn Connolly

Football: Brown

Daniel Aidman

What made you choose Brown? I went to Boston my freshman year with my family. My dad and I walked around Harvard Stadium, and ever since then I knew that I wanted to play football in the Ivy League. This summer I went up to Brown for one of their camps, and they offered me [a scholarship] and that’s where I wanted to go. How do you think you will be able to contribute next year? I’m hoping I’ll be able to contribute a good amount. I’m going to be switching positions, so I’ll be playing linebacker there when I played D-line here. It’s going to be a change, but hopefully I’ll be able to play my first year. Was football or academics more important for your decision? I’d say it was a pretty even split. I didn’t want to base my decision off just football. I definitely like the school, the people and the academics. It’s a great academic school, and I couldn’t have skipped on that offer to go to one of those schools that will hopefully set me up for success later in life. What are you looking forward to the most? Just being around new people, learning new things and expanding my horizons.

Soccer: Harvard

Alex Unflat

What work did you have to do to earn this spot? I had to have my academics up and I had to get all of the proper ACT scores. I still had to be able to get in, basically. Soccer-wise I have a Hudl account where I have recordings of all my games and I can splice them and make highlight videos. I sent that off to them as well. What drew you to Harvard? I loved the campus, the team was really welcoming and the coaches were awesome. There just wasn’t anything about it that I was ever worried about. I’m originally from the Northeast [New York], so it would be nice to get back up there. What are you most looking forward to in your future as a player? As a player I think I’m looking forward to hopefully winning some Ivy League titles with my team at Harvard. But here in high school I’m hoping to go to State. I think that if we have a year this is gonna be the year. Favorite memory from your Westlake soccer career? It would have to be my best friends [seniors] Taylor Bock and Grace Burr — we all make jokes with [coach] Rebe and just goof around all the time.

Mary Beth Burns

Tim Whaling

Volleyball: USC

Madison Borowski

By Monica Rao

How did you choose South Carolina? I started emailing all the schools I was interested in freshman and sophomore year, regardless of whether they needed a setter or not. The list then narrowed down and I started talking to coaches, and [ultimately] took officials at Virginia, Villanova, University of San Diego, South Carolina and a few others. [However, at South Carolina] I really liked the coaches, and the campus was very nice. And we’re also getting great amenities since everything is new as of 2015. Plus one of my best friends is going there too. How do you feel looking forward to the next four years? I’m pretty excited because I get to play indoor and outdoor [volleyball]. I haven’t really played outdoor as much, but I definitely like it. I’m just excited for the whole experience. How much work did you put in to get to where you are? Well, I basically didn’t have a life up until senior year, I’d say. I was always working out, and [putting in] extra time outside of my club volleyball team. So it’s been hard work.

Scoring streak continues with varsity girls soccer

65 points scored. 0 points allowed. In their first 10 games of District, the varsity girls soccer team has shut out every single opponent, scoring at least three goals against all. The team has a 14-1-1 overall season record as of March 2. The eight seniors have not lost a District game since they were freshmen. The team has made it to Regional Quarterfinals for the last three years. Since March of 2013, the team has not yet allowed a goal in a District game. “We have some insane speed and hustle up top,” center back senior Grace Burr said. “We have super-fast offensive players that can beat anyone down the line. They outwork people. The ball will look like it is going out, and they run their hardest and they end up getting to the ball and keeping it in. [The defense] all used to be attacking players that got moved to the back, because our entire defensive line graduated. All the balls out of the back are not kicked randomly. We find players from the back who can move it forward.” The team hopes to advance farther than they did last season. “Last year, the game we lost [in Regional Quarterfinals] was a pretty tough loss,” defender and midfielder senior Kendall Ritchie said. “We got scored on within the last minute. We were kind of surprised. We kind of took advantage of the fact that the game was [basically] over and that we were going to go into overtime and penalty kicks. I was pretty let down, because we expected too much. We use it as firepower now to push us even further, to know that we have to go the full 80 minutes. We can’t give up in the last minute.” The girls are optimistic about their chances this season. “I think that we will [go through] District easily, hopefully undefeated,” Grace said. “Hopefully we’ll go deep into playoffs; it depends on who we end up playing. Plano West is no longer in our Region, so we won’t have to play them until State, which is a good factor for us. Our District competition is nothing compared to our playoff competition. The games feel way more intense. You have to learn how to bounce back after getting scored on.” Having played together for so long, the team has bonded, creating a great photos by Nick Appling environment for players. With experienced players, the team is able to focus on more intricate details of the game. “I think we have great leadership this year,” varsity coach Rennie Rebe said. “[The seniors] have been with me for four years, so they know the expectations, they are able to be leaders on the field and take it out of my hands to lead the group. When you have a large senior class like that, hopefully that gets you to that next level, because they understand the expectations. When you have a young team, you have to work on things to build that expectation, but with the veteran team that we have, I feel that those expectations are already there, so then we can focus on trying to beat the opponent.” Rebe is extremely pleased with the team’s success. “We have a good time,” Rebe said. “The kids enjoy playing the game, representing Westlake and the team camaraderie. When everyone is having a good time and working hard, it leads to success.” —Conor O’Bryon

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1. Senior Austin Fagerberg dribbles the ball on Jan. 27 against Bowie. “We’ve all put a lot of hard work into the preseason,” Austin said. “Now it’s all coming together in the District games and paying off.” 2. Defender and midfielder senior Rolando Navarro is tripped by a Bowie player. The Chaps lost the game 1-3. 3. Captain senior Rodrigo Charles passes the ball during the game against Bowie. 4. During the game versus Lake Travis on Feb. 10, senior Torrey Kreiger controls the ball. “I love my team and destorying our enemies,” Torrey said. 5. Freshman Lucy Laguarta comes down from a header during the varsity girl’s game against Lake Travis on Feb. 10. The Chaps shut out the Cavs 5-0.

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The boys soccer team has had a very successful start to the season, placing themselves in fifth place in District with a 5-6-2 overall record and a 4-5-1 District record as of March 2. The team looks to build off their early success and make a playoff push for the first time in three years. “We had a solid showing at the Klein Showcase Tournament in Houston to start off the season,” coach John Campbell said. “We played very well and set a great tone for our season. Our expectations are high and we know we can compete and grow every game — we’re off to a great start.” The Chaps look forward to playing better competition and proving that they are ready to finally return to playoffs and make a strong run at their first State Title. “I like that our District is very strong this year,” sophomore midfielder Robert Vassilev said. “I thought we made a very strong case for ourselves at the Klein Showcase, and I know we have the talent to win games this year, and I know this is going to be a great team.” Campbell knows that to be a successful team you have to have to practice hard and never be satisfied. “We need to continue maintaining and surpassing our expectations on a daily basis,” Campbell said. “Practice and games continue to get better and I see the team starting to grow.” The team hasn’t had to deal with the obstacles of youth, or lack of leadership, they have a healthy supply of talented players and experienced seniors to lead the team. “We are very senior heavy this season,” Campbell said. “And they have done a great job of staying focused, holding one another accountable, and being motivated to get back to the state tournament. [Seniors] Luc Scranton and Rodrigo Charles are the team captains.” The Chaps fell short of beating Bowie in District on Jan. 24 at home. While they played a very strong first half and fought hard in the second half, the Chaps gave up a few unfortunate goals resulting in a 3-1 loss. “That game was disappointing for the team,” Robert said. “We played our hearts out all game and we ended up giving up a few goals that really shouldn’t have even happened. The loss was disappointing because we played like the better team and we ended up losing.” The Chaps went 5-0 against Akins on January 31, and blasted Hays for a 6-0 victory. But this winning streak came to an unfortunate end versus rival Lake Travis on Feb. 6 by a score of 4-6, as well as a 2-0 loss to Del Valle on Feb. 11. —Nelson Aydelotte

Wrestlers show strength by sending 8 to State

MUSCLE MEN

Julia Rasor

Tim Whaling

Westlake sophomore Jack Skudlarczyk faces off in the State semi-finals on Friday, Senior Alex Pankhurst wrestles at the lunchroom brawl Feb. 20 at the Curtis Culwell Community Center in Garland, TX. Jan. 14. The lunchroom brawl helped raise money for the Special Olympics.

The wrestling team finished fifth overall in the State tournament on Feb. 21 in Garland with several individuals placing in their weight class. “The guys knew they were among the best and that they belonged there,” head coach Patrick O’Harra said. “To finish in the top five in 6A wrestling in the state of Texas is a great accomplishment, and we are all very proud.” Sophomore Jack Skudlarczyk’s quest to defend his State championship title was upended in the semifinals with an overtime loss to the eventual champ. Jack ultimately brought home the bronze medal. During senior Alex Pankhurst’s quarterfinal match at State, there was a miscommunication between the official and the scoring table, resulting in him not receiving points he had earned in regulation. This error forced the match into overtime, where he ultimately lost. Alex placed fifth. “I was very frustrated because I probably would have made it to the finals,” Alex said. “I put it behind me and kept wrestling the way I always have.”

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

Sophomore Hunter Roberts lost in the semifinals, also placing fifth. In Hunter’s second match, he beat last year’s runner-up 7-3. In his semifinal match, he eventually lost after he was pinned to the mat. “I went in very optimistic from the beginning and tried not to think about the outcome very much since it wasn’t going to change the future,” Hunter said. “Losing was a real setback, but I realized I wasn’t just wrestling for me anymore. Everybody wants to win, so I accepted the loss and wrestled for all of those in the stands who trained me and traveled from other states to watch. I’m proud of myself. I’m still a solid competitor.” Senior Travis Braithwaite and junior Hunter Hershey qualified for State but lost their placement matches and finished in the top eight. On its road to State, the team won its third straight District title on Feb. 7, finishing with 292 points, 70 better than runner up Bowie, and more than 100 points over third place, Rouse High School. The Chaps

went on to win Regionals, with a 218.5 point win over second place Churchill with 119 points. “We were like a wrecking machine that rolled into the gymnasium and left the competition in our wake,” O’Harra said. “It was unbelievable. I knew we would face some tough opponents in the championship, which is normal — it’s the Region final. We faced defending champions, and in some cases, state placers. But our guys held their own, and even in the matches we lost, they wrestled well.” After coming off a strong win from District, Hunter Roberts trained at an all time high for Regionals. Working out in his garage after practice and eating right, he did everything he could to ensure his health in preparation for State. “Going into Regionals I was nervous about my semifinal match,” Hunter said. “I knew the kid was tough and had previously beaten top-ranked kids. I just turned up the music and pushed the pace in the match and had my hand raised due to a pin.” —Jazmine Longridge

Don’t cross them

Girls lacrosse prepares for District play

The girls lacrosse team powered through pre-District play, only falling to Georgetown and beating the rest of their competition by at least 4 points each game. After a disappointing 2013-14 season that resulted in a losing record of 3-9 overall, the team is determined to work hard and make it to playoffs. “We condition a lot more this season which I’ve noticed has helped us a lot,” goal keeper senior Sarah Tucker said. “We run a mile every day at the beginning of practice, work on stick skills, scrimmage and end with sprints. The team is a lot faster and stronger.” The team now has very strong leadership with 11 seniors. In addition, the team has six freshmen who have stepped up to the challenge of playing on varsity. “We have a lot of really skilled freshmen who joined the team this year and have added a ton of skill to what we already had from last year,” Sarah said. “We definitely miss last year’s seniors, but because of the amount of team bonding we’ve done this year we’re all closer as a team.”

The freshmen have stepped up and played a big part in the team’s success. “I feel really privileged to be on varsity as a freshman,” defender freshman CC Gruber said. “We are going to play our hardest and see where the season takes us.” Having a closer team has helped the girls form more group chemistry. “We go to dinner together often and have begun occasional Saturday practices that focus mainly on conditioning and bonding,” Sarah said. “This team has some of the greatest chemistry I’ve seen in the four years that I’ve played, which you can see both on and off the field.” The team is preparing for key District games against teams that have been tough opponents in past seasons such as St. Stephen’s, St. Andrew’s and defending State champs St. Michael’s. “The biggest challenge in District games this year will be to focus when we play the teams we have not traditionally done well against,” attack senior Hannah Tucker said. “It’s going to be hard to beat these

teams that practice for hours a week for most of the school year. But I know that with how well we all work together this year, winning District is a definite possibility.” In addition to a strong offense, the team has minimized goals scored on them with a powerful defense including a shutout against LBJ. “As the goalie, I definitely feel a lot of stress,” Sarah said. “I always feel terrible if I let a goal in, especially after my defense works hard, but we always regroup afterwards and discuss what could have gone better. It’s also pretty nerve-wracking to be the last resort in preventing an opposing goal.” The team is ready to work even harder to have a strong showing in District and hopefully playoffs. “I hope that this season we will make it further in District and I honestly believe we can,” Sarah said. “This team, in my opinion, works better together than any team in my past four years, and the changes our coaches have made can definitely help us reach that goal.” —Emily Martin

Finish Then you have to use your speed or your stick skills to throw as many fakes as possible to get into the front of the goal. I always think ‘fake high, shoot low’ when I go in for a shot, so I can get the goalie to move where I never intended to go, so I have a better chance of making it into the net.

Start Once you have an open lane, you have to make the split-second decision on whether you’re going to sprint in and attempt to make a shot on goal or give the ball to your teammate and try to give them the same opportunity.

After that you have to bring it into your body and protect it — like seriously protect it — or the opposing team is going to check it right off your stick as soon as you get it.

Once I get the ball, I have to maintain possession. That’s the most important part. You can’t get anywhere without having the ball. You have to strategically move yourself around so that a lane opens up on the opposing teams goal.

The goal is to shoot and score. First I try to find a way to get the ball. Either it’s off the draw or by really being an awesome defender and intercepting the pass or pressuring them to drop the ball. An important part of ground balls is to really get your butt down and choke your hand up for more control.

Midfielder sophomore Kennon Lydick describes the process of scoring

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Photo manipulation by Tim Whaling

Don’t cross them

Girls lacrosse prepares for District play

After that you have to bring it into your body and protect it — like seriously protect it — or the opposing team is going to check it right off your stick as soon as you get it.

Midfielder sophomore Kennon Lydick describes the process of scoring

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

Photo manipulation by Tim Whaling

PLAYING THE FIELD

Varsity boys lacrosse hopes to repeat District Championship

WITH

the boys lacrosse team nearing the midpoint of its season, the Chaps look primed for great success. Starting off their season with three big wins over Kingwood, Cedar Ridge and Anderson, the Chaps look more than ready to take home the District crown, and possibly more. Playing in what some consider a weak District, the Chaps are confident that this will once again be their year to defend the District Championship from last season. “Our District the past few years hasn’t been able to keep up with us,” attackman junior Cameron Bergeron said. “With so many kids in the program, there is always talent within our teams.” And while the District Championship is the first hurdle, the team wants to focus on the smaller things, which will bring them the granddaddy of them all, the State Championship. “All we want is to get better every day,” senior Will Furst said. “Every time we step on the field, our goal is to improve. We know if that is our mentality, we are going to win games, and by the end of the season, we’ll win a State Championship.” But to accomplish their goal of winning State, they’ll have the daunting task of playing the Dallas powerhouses, which include Coppell, Strake, Jesuit, Southlake Carroll, St. Mark’s and Highland Park. Last season, Westlake didn’t fare as well as they thought they would against these schools. The Chaps lost to Coppell in the final seconds of the game, got crushed by Strake and took a loss to Highland Park in the quarterfinals of the playoffs last season.

brains + brawn westlakefeatherduster.com

Despite the non-favorable results, the Chaps are hoping to turn that around this season. “The individual talent is there,” goalie sophomore Drew Brown said. “If we begin to work as a unit, and form bonds as a team, there is definitely potential to compete with the Dallas powerhouses.” With the team’s first matches against Dallas teams out of the way, the Chaps didn’t come away with the results they hoped for, but instead a new motivation to accomplish their goals. Suffering losses to Coppell and Southlake by scores of 3-11 and 5-7, the team was able to recover with an 11-6 win over Friendswood. Despite the tough losses to the Dallas teams, some of the players think it will actually aid them as they go on. “It’s a learning experience,” Drew said. “Now we know how much effort we need to put forth if we want to compete at a high level.” One reason for Westlake’s success is the recent boost in popularity for lacrosse, especially among younger athletes. The last few years have seen a growth in the number of youth teams in Westlake, which gives them the significant advantage of a deeper talent pool over other Austin teams. “I get really excited when I see how many young kids we have in our program,” Will said. “I can’t imagine how good they are going to be if they stick with the sport and continue to practice.” As the season hits the midway mark, the Chaps look to shift their focus towards their bigger opponents and to the playoffs, where they hope to replicate and build on the success they had last year. —Dylan Webber

1. Concluding the first half of the game against Southlake Carroll on Feb. 21, junior Jake Guarino walks dejectedly off the field. 2. Senior John Azar dodges a Southlake defenceman as he runs the ball up the field. 3. Reacting to a comeback goal, seniors Garrett Nolan and Brandon Ford cheer on their teammates on the field. 4. Senior Jack Sallis gets hit in the face by a Southlake defender as he attempts to get a clear lane to make a shot.

Sophomore Maggie Taylor finishes her heat and prepares to exit the pool after her relay at the State swim tournament.

Sophomore Victoria Edwards performs the butterfly stroke at the State tournament in twhe University of Texas swim center.

making waves

Swim teams dominate State, girls break 200 medley relay record

t the State meet Feb. 20-21, the girls team became S t a t e champions for the second year in a row after dominating the competition. The girls team sent seven students to the meet at the University of Texas Swim Center, six of whom medaled. The 200yard medley relay team, made up of sophomore Victoria Edwards, sophomore Maggie Taylor, freshman Dakota Luther and sophomore Catriona McGregor, set a new state record of 1: 43.21. “It was such an exiting experience to have been able to break the record,” Maggie said. “We’ve been working all season, and it was great to see our hard work pay off.” The boys team also sent six swimmers to State, placing fourth overall. With a combined 323 points, the two teams finished first in the combined team scoring, which was a first in Westlake history. “During the meet, we all cheered for each other and supported each other,” freshman Morgan Johnson said. “When we found out we won, we were all super excited, and we jumped into

the pool with our coaches.” The road to State first began in the District meet Jan. 22-23. There, the girls won by more than 50 points, while the boys, who were expected to have a tight battle with Lake Travis, won by more than 70. “I was beyond ecstatic at District,” girls coach Alison Soelter said. “The team had great energy and supported each other, and it got us really excited heading into Region and State.” At the Regional meet Feb. 6-7 in Houston, both the girls and boys teams won by a margin of almost 30 points. Furthermore, new school records were set by various swimmers on the two teams, and Victoria also set a Regional record in the 100-yard butterfly. In addition to the fantastic swims of the students at the various competitions, boys coach Steve Navarro was named Head Boys Coach of the District, Region and State for 2015. “I was deeply honored,” Navarro said. “It is an award that is voted on by the coaches at each of the meets, so that means even more to me because it tells me that my colleagues noticed the hard work we put in this year to turn the boys team around.” This is the first year at West-

lake for both Navarro and Soelter, who are husband and wife. Prior to coming to Westlake, Navarro coached high school swimming for eight years and Soelter coached high school and younger students for four years. Both coaches have had an impact on the swimmers. “I really like Coach Soelter,” Maggie said. “She’s so enthusiastic about the team and engages herself into every meet and practice. She really cares about each swimmer and has helped us all become closer as a team. She gives great advice and helps us to perform the best that we can.” Navarro and Soelter have made a few changes to the teams this season, including putting more focus on team activities such as spirit dinners and, for the girls team, girls nights. The coaches hope these changes will help bring the students closer together as a team. “We really try to see things as a team goal rather than individual goals,” Soelter said, “and it’s actually helped bring the team together to where they want to perform for each other. When you’re acting as a team, you want to go even faster. We changed the training a little, but the biggest help was making the team a family.” — Jack Stenglein

Sophomore Kevin Fang preformes a butterfly stroke in the State tournament.

Freshman Morgan Johnson competes in the State toutnament in the University of Texas swim center.

Art attack

Students show off their creativity —Stories by Georgina Kuhlmann

Paulina Trevino For senior Paulina Trevino, art isn’t just a hobby. It’s a way to connect with her spirituality, honor the Mexican culture she was immersed in for 15 years, and remember the beloved grandmother she lost four years ago. “A lot of my art is influenced by my religion, my language, my culture and my traditions,” Paulina said. Although Paulina didn’t become serious about art until high school, she’s always been interested, and she embraces old and new mediums alike. In addition to studio art, she’s taking a class in electronic media, something she was first exposed to when she was a little girl in her father’s graphic design agency in Monterrey, Mexico. “I would be there with the designer and he’d show me Photoshop and [other design programs],” Paulina said. “It’s always caught my attention. I want to do both digital and traditional art [in the future], because there are jobs where you only use a computer or you only draw, and I want to do both. Depending on where I go to school, I want to get a fine arts degree and then another degree in animation business or illustration.” The inspiration for Paulina’s art comes from inside of her — her pieces are based on her own thoughts and perspectives, or on people she knows or remembers. And after the death of her grandmother Aurora, Paulina has made several pieces dedicated to her memory. The first was a mixed-media affair called “Aurora,” the name that Paulina always thought was beautiful, although Aurora herself never liked the name much. “[My grandmother] was really, really religious,” Paulina said. “She had a necklace with the dove, a symbol for the Holy Spirit, on it, and I got it after she died. The red stones were from another necklace she had which she gave to me before she died. She put it in a box and said, ‘Paulina, this is for you.’ It was a really emotional piece to do.” Paulina recently completed two Day-of-the-Dead themed pieces — one digital and one painted. The holiday is personally important to Paulina because her grandmother was the one who introduced it to her. Every year they’d have a celebration in which they’d make a huge dinner and go to the cemetery bearing flowers for their deceased family members, an important Day-of-the-Dead ritual. “While I was making the digital piece, I thought a lot about [my grandma],” Paulina said. “With the bones, it’s like she’s always there for me, inside me, even though she’s not here any more. She’s going to be with me in my memories, and in flowers. Always. The painting is a more bright way of showing that same thing. She was a really joyful, happy person — she loved flowers.”

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Top: Paulina’s digital Day-of-the-Dead piece Bottom: “Aurora,” Paulina’s mixed-media piece

Samantha Jabour Samantha Jabour

Brynne Keeney Junior Brynne Keeney does not draw hearts and butterflies. She draws her nightmares. “My concentration for AP art is horror and how it relates to the human body,” Brynne said. “When you manipulate or mutate the human body it can appear terrifying, so that’s [a theme] in all my concentration pieces.” Brynne is inspired by the horror games she dominates at, by the macabre work of H.R. Giger (best known for his creation of Alien’s iconic title monster) and by her recurring dreams of a creature she calls “Bird Demon.” “[In my dreams] there’s an angel called Hyperion, and he falls after he gets possessed by a demon,” Brynne said. “They merge into one creature, Bird Demon. I’m planning on doing a piece that’s the evolution of how he changed in my mind through the years.” Although Brynne has done well in art competitions and won a Scholastic Silver Key in January for her digital painting of Hyperion, she doesn’t claim that her success came without hard work. As a small child, she started out drawing cats from her beloved Garfield comics, and eventually moved on to dragons, landscapes and now, imaginary monsters. “[My drawings] were terrible at first,” Brynne said, “but eventually I got better as I watched how other people drew things. When I went into Art 1, [I was really frustrated] be-

Competitions

Brynne draws digitally in her AP art class.

cause there were all these new things I was learning and I couldn’t understand it all at first. Overall though, art class has definitely helped me. It gives me access to more mediums, more things to include in my pieces and to people who have similar ideas.” Brynne is currently working on her AP portfolio, a collection of 24 pieces that she’ll submit to the college board in her senior year for evaluation. With several digital, mixedmedia, printed and painted pieces under her belt, she’s well on her way, but not even her creative fountain can flow 24/7. “[I get artist’s block] all the time,” Brynne said. “I’ll get things I really want to draw, but I have no idea how to start, so I just sort of sit there staring at a piece of paper for an hour. [To get out of that] I try to draw a lot of creatures that come into mind, or just draw without thinking.” One type of “unthinking” drawing takes an uncommon medium — skin. Brynne’s hands and arms are rarely unadorned with runes, gears, eyes or bones peeking out from what appear to be gaping wounds in her flesh. “Usually people don’t comment [on my arms],” she said. “But sometimes people think they’re tattoos and I’m like ‘no it’s just pen,’ and then they think it’s pretty cool. Other times I’ll meet someone who also [draws on himself] and they’re like ‘you do it too!’ Then

Alex Unflat we connect.” Brynne hopes that her talent for body art will help support her through college in the form of a job at a tattoo parlor. She plans to major in computer science and minor in art to realize her dream of designing and programming video games. “I think the future of horror will not be in the movies, but in the video game industry, because there are more jobs and profits there,” Brynne said. “Also, it’s easier to scare someone who is already immersed in a game, as opposed to a movie that’s more detached.”

Alex Unflat Brynne’s digital painting of the Bird Demon, a character from her imagination

Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) At the regional VASE competition, pieces are rated on a scale of one through four by the judges. The best “fours” go to the state competition. Scholastic Art and Writing In the Regional Scholastic Art and Writing contest, winning pieces are awarded an Honorable Mention, a Silver Key, a Gold Key or an American Vision Award. Some of these will go on to the national competition in New York City.

Visit westlakefeatherduster.com for more artists’ profiles and work

Zoe Jentzen ing her freshman year, Zoe turned to more realistic forms of expression. “It took me a while to get realistic proportions correct,” Zoe said. “Now I can do realism more than anime. [But I get frustrated] when I want to get a color scheme going and it doesn’t work out, and I feel like I have to start all over again. Also, I’ve always drawn people, so landscapes are really hard for me — I’ve been working on those a lot recently.” Zoe’s talent has not gone unnoticed. In 2012, Zoe sold hand-drawn cards at $3 a piece to people in the community, eventually raising $600 that she put towards a trip to Europe. She’s also won awards at both the regional and statewide VASE competitions for several pieces. And after entering the Regional Scholastic Art and Writing competition this January, Zoe Alex Unflat Zoe works in her AP art class. received an honorable mention for an etching she made sophomore year and Gold Key Junior Zoe Jentzen is “all about color.” “I’d describe my work as ‘out there,’” Zoe for a drawing called “Time’s Up.” The piece is said. “I usually draw females, and I cover their dreamlike, colorful and intricate almost to the eyes a lot, like they’re hiding from something. point of being chaotic, a pictorial representaSometimes you can look at other people’s art tion of the extreme anxiety Zoe’s been strugand say, ‘Yeah, I get it,’ but with mine you have gling with for years. “At one point [art teacher Frances] Grubbs to really interpret it. [My work is] very surrealasked me, ‘How can you put that feeling [of ist and symbolic.” Zoe has always dreamed of being an artist, anxiety] on paper?’” Zoe said. “For the longest and she’s spent her whole life practicing. In el- time I didn’t know how. It was a real challenge ementary and middle school she taught herself to connect the feeling to [that] image.” Zoe’s art comes from her soul, from her to draw the stylized figures from her favorite animes and mangas, but after taking Art 1 dur- thoughts and from everything around her. The Zoe’s Gold Key-winning piece “Time’s Up”

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bright colors in her pieces are a product of he vibrant personality, and she looks to the peo ple around her for inspiration. “The people around you kind of create wh you are in some ways,” Zoe said. “You adap to their personalities. When I hang out wit different people, I can start to think like the think, and I get ideas from [that]. A lot of time I’m inspired by past experiences, or by things want to experience.” Art is a welcome catharsis for Zoe, and th creative process takes on an almost meditativ quality. “Oftentimes I space out for hours thinkin about God-knows-what, and suddenly I sna back into reality and I have some art in front me,” Zoe said. “That zoned-out feeling is nic especially when you’re like me and you have lot to think about.” For Zoe, art is a way to express ideas an emotions she’s unable to put into words, an in the future, she wants to help others find th same solace in creativity. After going throug the trials and tribulations of her own adole cence, and seeing others dealing with same i sues, she realized she wanted be an art thera pist. “Art is an expression of emotion,” Zoe sai “It’s an idea or a feeling that is shown in physical manner. It’s beautiful, and it’s helpe me express myself in so many ways. I’d like t work mostly with adolescents because they’r so complicated and I’d like that challenge.”

Alex Unfl

Alex Unflat Top: Lacy paints in her AP art class. Left: Lacy’s painting of a boy smoking

Lacy Lichtenhan When senior Lacy Lichtenhan submitted a painting of a boy smoking a hookah into the Regional Scholastic Art and Writing contest, she half-expected to be disqualified for drug references. Instead, she was nominated for the American Vision Award. “A guy smoking is not what I imagine when I think of a school event like Scholastic and what they want to present as the American Vision,” Lacy said. “But I guess it shows the grungier side of America and the teenage culture.” The idea for the painting came about on a summer trip to Spain. Lacy raised her camera to take a picture of her local friend, Brad, but just as she snapped his portrait, the smoke from his pipe wafted up to obscure his face. When Lacy returned home and looked through her photos, she knew she had to paint the scene. “I liked that you can’t see his expression,” Lacy said. “It’s kind of representative of the type of person he was. He was very mysterious and had a really hard childhood that he never went into depth about.” Always a lover of detail, Lacy decided to make the painting as realistic as possible. The plaid shirt alone took about a month to complete, and Lacy labored to meet her own perfectionist standards. “I spent the majority of [the time] painting something, then painting over it and doing it again because something wasn’t right,” Lacy said. “I think I did the jawline about 50 times in all different colors. It never looked right.” Due to the painting’s subject matter, Lacy and her teachers were hesitant to submit it into a scholastic competition, but she’d worked too hard on the piece to hide it away — she decided to risk disqualification. Her gamble paid off. “People are afraid to submit [provocative] stuff into scholastic events because it’s somewhat daring,” Lacy said. “You feel like people might judge you for it, like ‘why would you submit that, it’s such a bad image to show to people.’ But I think it shows reality, and it brings diversity. It felt really good winning that award because other people appreciated how much time and effort went into it.” Lacy’s success is no fluke. She’s been taking art classes at Westlake

since freshman year, when she signed up for Studio Art 1 just to get her fine-art credit out of the way, and re-discovered a talent that had been buried since she’d stopped doodling horses in fifth grade. Soon, art class became a much needed creative respite from the rigorous work that Lacy does most of the day. “You get so overwhelmed with school stuff, and then you come to art and you can just use the other side of your brain for once,” Lacy said. Although ambitions of pursuing a career in biomedical science don’t seem to coincide much with a love of pencils, paint and Photoshop files, Lacy has found a way to marry her two passions. “I’m learning about anatomy while also doing something I love, which is art,” Lacy said. “[In some pieces] I’m showing the artistic side of anatomy rather than just technical perfection of showing every feature. [For example,] looking at [anatomy] from different angles and perspectives, and using different colors.” Lacy is currently working on a piece that not only examines the layers of the human body, but also criticizes society’s skewed standards of beauty. “It’s always really bothered me how the media has this portrayal of women and outer beauty as skinny ‘perfection,’” Lacy said. “I understand it, but I just wanted to make a statement about how we’re literally all the same inside. Not just inner beauty, like your soul, but how we have the same muscles and nerves and blood cells and fat. You can also look deeper [at the piece] and say that it’s really about how we’re all human and outer beauty is just temporary.” While she doesn’t always start a piece with the goal of making a statement, Lacy finds that, more often than not, some kind of opinion or meaning works itself in. And as she showed when she submitted her painting of the smoker to Scholastic, she’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. “Art is a way for me to stand out and make statements, to cultivate the [creative] side of my brain and to express myself in a different way,” Lacy said. “[It’s] what you want to portray, not what a teacher or a judge wants you to portray.”

“She laughs at my jokes that a lot of people don’t think are funny.”

“My mom said, ‘While you were at band camp, I talked to your counselor and I replaced your lunch with AP Statistics so you can have a higher GPA.’”

“Oh, it’s real. I got it from a sketchy East Austin army surplus store for $19. It has served me well for two long years.”

“I’ve been to 19 countries. My mom keeps lists.”

“My lung has collapsed twice. I had to have emergency lung surgery in December. The scariest part of it was that I had to sign my own consent forms. All these things like ‘If you start dying, do you want us to give you blood during the surgery?’ And I just thought ‘this is adult stuff.’”

HUMANS O 36

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“I like gloving — it‘s this kind of art form that I express with my hands. It makes me re-

“[I’m most comfortable] with my wife. Just being in her company kind of settles everything down, and to be with her is a joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

“I shot my first deer. I have really bad eyesight and I didn’t have any contacts at the time, so at first I thought it was a bunny rabbit. Puff and smoke, it was down — it was dead. You put blood on your face the first time you kill a deer. It’s tradition. In my family, it’s like a trip to

“My dog died. I had to carry his body up a hill to my house. It was the first day of summer and my brother decided to open the gate. Jack was a house dog, so he didn’t have experience outside. He just ran out and as he reached the bottom of the hill, he got clipped. There was no blood. He stumbled a little bit and just fell — you could still see him breathing. I ran to the hill yelling ‘Somebody call the vet!’ I carried him up in my arms and I ran up the hill to my house put him on my front yard, and

“That’s what they remember about you. It’s not how much money you have, it’s not your job title, it’s not what you own — it’s the way you treat people that they remember.”

“Whenever I get in trouble, [my dad] is always there to save me. Even when it’s something I do that’s really bad, he always finds a way to help me out.”

photos by Tim Whaling

Everyone has a unique story to tell. We talked to

OF WEST-

Quote collection by Alexis Huynh and ZZ Lund-

anchors away Rower achieves dream of going to Naval Academy

Justin Whaling

“I signed up [for rowing] and I loved it. Everything that has led up to this point has been perfectly in place for the Naval Academy.”

—senior Annie Laurie Gibson

Princeton’s acceptance rate is 7.4 percent. Stanford’s is 7 percent. The United States Naval Academy has an acceptance rate of 6.8 percent. Senior Annie Laurie Gibson is part of that 6.8 percent, thus achieving her long-term dream of going to one of the military academies. “Westlake has many qualified applicants,” Annie Laurie said. “There are a lot of hurdles and sometimes it’s just a matter of how the pieces fall into place.” To get in shape for the military academies, Annie Laurie took up rowing in the beginning of her sophomore year. She currently rows at Austin Rowing Club and was accepted into the Naval Academy as a student athlete. Annie Laurie will be participating in a Division 1 NCAA rowing program, which is the top college rowing program in the country. “I heard rowing was a really tough sport,” Annie Laurie said. “I signed up, and I loved it. Everything that has led up to this point has been perfectly in place for the Naval Academy. Only that [military] college offered the opportunity to participate in a D1 NCAA program.” Not only has rowing helped Annie Laurie achieve her dream of going to the Naval Academy, it’s also been an important and enjoyable part of her life. “My greatest achievement in rowing was the development of my lifelong friendships and working as a strong team,” Annie Laurie said. “We set [goals] and [won] many championships, but this could not have been accomplished without the trust and respect for each other. The girls are great and they’re hilarious, we spend a lot of time together. Every day is just a fun time.” To be accepted into the Naval Academy, applicants must complete a form online with certain checkpoints, such as a health exam and a nomination from either a congressman, a senator, the vice president or the president of the United States. Annie Laurie received her nomination from local congressman Roger Williams. “My dad has been close friends with Roger Williams since before I was even born,” Annie Laurie said. “I had been going to his campaigns and doing his fundraisers. He knew me really well, and he knew my love for the

academy.” After graduating, Naval Academy students serve at least five years in the Navy or in the U.S. Marines. Naval Academy students choose where they want to start their service, and start off as second lieutenants in the Marines or as Ensigns in the Navy. “At the end of junior year, you pick [Navy or Marines], and senior year you make your final decision where you want to go — for example Marine aviation, or Navy aviation,” Annie Laurie said. “It’s called commissioning week. It’s a really big deal. It is difficult to know exactly where I would like to be commissioned after Navy. During my four years, I will explore all of my options. However, it has been my dream to fly Ospreys in the Marine Corps from the start of my interest in the academies.” The Naval Academy not only offers exceptional education in STEM majors, as well as a few other majors, but it also trains its students to be professional officers in the military. The students are considered midshipmen, who are naval cadets, and are technically on active duty in the U.S. Navy while attending the college. Annie Laurie first began seriously considering the military academies in middle school, and was inspired by her grandfather, who served in the Air Force. “My grandfather and I are really close,” Annie Laurie said. “He was in the Air Force and served right after high school. He would always talk to me about planes, and that’s when I first wanted to fly planes, but he said I had to get a degree first. That’s when I first started to consider the academies. The Naval Academy became my main focus around freshman year. It is the best education out of all the academies and gives me the most options in serving my country upon graduation.” Annie Laurie’s grandfather was vice president at Bell Helicopter and was head of manufacturing on the Ospreys, the type of plane Annie Laurie would like to fly. Ospreys revolutionized aircraft in the military, combining the skills of helicopters and long-range aircrafts. “Ospreys have saved thousands of lives, and I think the work he did was just so important,” Annie Laurie said. “He is my inspiration, and I plan to fly this aircraft to honor him.” —Colleen Pletcher

Tim Whaling

CHANGE of COURSE Naval Academy prospect forced to make contingency plans Three and a half years: 42 months; 1,277 days; 30,648 hours — time spent working for one goal. One form and one letter that changed everything. Senior Court Manske has dreamed of attending the Naval Academy since the beginning of his freshman year. Many don’t discover their calling until late into their college days, but an unsuspecting trip to the library led Court to find his at the age of 14. “Everything really started in ninth grade,” Court said. “We had ISR and I didn’t have a book, so I ran to the library. They have a suggested shelf, and Ender’s Game was on it. In Ender’s Game there’s a battle school, and I really liked the book and the idea of that, so I started doing research and discovered West Point. And I thought, ‘Maybe this is a realistic goal.’ So I started working for it.” Court devoted more time to researching his options, including the military. He focused on keeping his grades up to the necessary standards and fleshed out his extracurricular activities.

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“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Court said. “I’ve done things and worked harder because of it, which helps me in the long run, but I could’ve had a very different high school experience if I wasn’t [aiming for the Naval Academy]. I almost quit football after freshman year, but I wanted to go to the Academy, and I knew that wouldn’t be possible [without four years in the sport].” This seemingly distant dream soon began to become reality during his junior year, when Court was admitted into the summer seminars at West Point in West Point, N.Y. and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “I didn’t even start thinking about the Naval Academy until halfway through junior year,” Court said. “They have summer seminars for each of the academies, so I applied to Air Force, West Point and the Naval Academy. I knew I wanted to go to [one of] the academies, but I didn’t know anything about them. I found out first that I got into the Naval Academy [seminar]. Then I found out about West Point and I was thrilled, because at that point I thought I wanted to go there more. The day

school ended [last year], May 31, I got on a plane and left for Annapolis. Before I got accepted, I had always talked about wanting to go, but it was all talk and no walk.” During the summer Court spent a week at each academy. “I went to the Naval Academy seminar and it was just beautiful,” he said. “It’s right on the water and everything is just amazing. I was just blown away. I didn’t really have high expectations of the Naval Academy since I thought I wanted to go to West Point, but they knocked it out of the park. The very next week I went to West Point. I was already pretty burnt out when I got there, but it just didn’t live up to the standard I had gotten at the Naval Academy. It was just different. I learned a lot more about the Navy and the Army [that summer], and I made the decision that I want to be in the Navy.” Now dead set on the Naval Academy, Court began the process of obtaining a congressional nomination. Though both of his parents were supportive of his choice, neither one had ties to the military, which made the challenge that

“I was so close. I didn’t cry or anything, but I just kept thinking ‘How can something that’s such an insignificant part of my life have such a drastic effect on it?’” —senior Court Manske much steeper. “To get the congressional nomination usually you need to have an ‘in,’” Court said. “You need to know someone. There are a bunch of ways you can get a nomination. I’m not in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) because they don’t have it at Westlake. So basically after I got back in the summer, I went and saw my congressman [Roger Williams] give a speech, and I went up and shook his hand. I tried to get my name out there. I wrote so many letters to people during this process. My family and I talked to different people we thought [could help], to send letters to his office saying ‘You should consider this kid.’ And I don’t think any of this helped, but you know, you’ve got to try something. If I didn’t get the nomination I would be screwed. [After that], filling out the application is just like another college app. It’s all of these blanket, cliche questions like ‘Why do you want to go to a military academy?’ You get really good at answering those questions.” Aside from focusing on the logistics of the of the nomination, Court also began preparing for his interview with Roger Williams’ staff. “[My interview] was in Killeen,” Court said. “I was all dressed up, and I was nervous. But I knew what I was going to say because I kind of knew the questions that they were going to ask me. I walked into the room, and I thought that there would be just four or five people representing each academy, but there were like 20 people in the room all sitting around this table, and then me at the end of the table. I just sat there, and they asked questions. It wasn’t super stressful I guess because I’m pretty damn good at talking to people about this. I’ve been doing it for years. They just grilled me with questions, ‘What do you want to major in? What do you want to do? Why do you want to go to the academy?’” Though he had aced the interview, Court also had to worry about the numerous other candidates vying for the same nomination. “I had no way to know for sure because there were [some] girls who had letters of assurance,” Court said. “Once you have an LOA you immediately get accepted. However, I hadn’t gotten an LOA because those girls had been recruited. But I beat out two other girls who had LOAs for the nomination. They had to try and get a nomination another way, otherwise they couldn’t go.” Obtaining a congressional nomination is the most difficult part of applying to a military academy. Court succeeded against 40 other students, all with the same goal. He and senior Annie Laurie Gibson were the only two candidates who received a nomination from Con-

gressman Roger Williams. The only step of the process left was the acceptance. However, on Oct. 9, he received a letter in the mail. Throughout his childhood, Court experienced bouts of sleepwalking. It was a condition that persisted until early adolescence, but he eventually outgrew it, and it had never appeared to be a serious problem. Until now. “I first got a letter saying that I didn’t pass the medical exam,” Court said. “That didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to be able to go to the Naval Academy. That just meant that I was going to need to get a waiver. Automatically, if the academy thinks you’re a good candidate, they start the waiver process [for you]. So the academy started the waiver process for me, and then it was just a waiting game.” On Dec. 5, Court received a second letter. He was disqualified from attending the Naval Academy. “I found out in December that I was … nothing,” Court said. “Honestly, it sucked so bad. And it still really sucks. I was so close. I didn’t cry or anything, but I just kept thinking ‘How can [sleepwalking,] something that’s such an insignificant part of my life, have such a drastic effect on it?’” However, Court and his family made the decision to appeal the verdict. “The problem was sleepwalking after the age of 15,” Court said. “They chose 15 because after that point, adolescence should be coming to a close. I didn’t really know when the last time I sleepwalked was, so when I filled out the form I just threw down an arbitrary date. And that’s why we’re appealing it. Because I just threw down a date. I didn’t know for sure. But it’s very likely that because I wrote down that date, nothing’s going to happen.” There’s roughly a 5 percent chance that the disqualification will be appealed. Although the news is devastating, Court continues to focus on his future. “It’s likely the appeal isn’t going to work out, so if I still don’t know what I’m going to do, I could go to The University of Texas at Austin, and do NROTC, which is the Navy ROTC for a year, and I could have no incidents sleepwalking and then try to apply to the academy next year and get a recommendation from them. But the problem is that currently I can’t work in the Navy as a commissioned officer — I can’t join any branch of the military. If they do say I could join the NROTC, nothing is still for sure. I very well just might be f----d. [Luckily,] when I was applying to the Naval Academy, I applied to five other schools anyway. I’ve already gotten into Texas A&M; I applied to UT, North Carolina, Washington in St. Louis, University of Virginia and then Reed College.”

Court initially expected UT Austin to be his back-up plan if the appeal fell through. However, he was placed in the Coordinated Admission Program, also known as CAP, which offers students admission at other UT campuses. If students make the required freshman grades, they have sophomore admission at UT Austin. “The real issue now is to figure out what I’m going to do and what is going to happen,” Court said. “I’d like to say I’m optimistic, but stuff just keeps happening. I’m optimistic that I will do something, and that I will be successful one day and be a happy person. But at the moment I don’t know how I’m going to get there. And every time it seems like I do know, something changes. Who knows what will happen, but life will persist, the world will keep turning, and I will continue being a happy person. Being realistic, I have the Texas Tomorrow fund, which means for in-state schools I get my tuition paid. It just makes going out of state less economically viable. Doing the CAP program wouldn’t be the end of the world, I just would like to keep all the AP credits [I have]. I don’t know what the best path for me is. I would love to stay in Austin, since there are a lot of cool people and things to do here. I really don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t even tell you what I’m going to major in.” Although Court doesn’t regret attending the summer seminars, the magnitude of the situation still haunts him. “You feel robbed,” he said. “But at the same time, ‘You gotta control what you can control,’ as Coach [Todd] Dodge says. If I just sat and thought about it all the time, I’d be very sad, so I don’t really think about it all that much. I have lots of friends that I met during the summer seminars, and I kind of stopped talking to them for about a month after I found out. I talk to them now, and I told them. It’s just that I’ve been working for four years, and it’s been taken away. It sucks but I’m going to keep living. I will hopefully end up doing something I really want to do, once I figure out what that is. I’m not too worried I guess. I’m going to try and fix it, but there’s not much I can do. Hopefully it works out.” Court’s Naval Academy dream has been a part of his life for almost four years — one he hasn’t gone a day without thinking about. “People ask me now, ‘So where do you want to go to school?’” Court said. “And I have to say, ‘Well I want to go to the Naval Academy but I can’t.’ I’ll end up going to school somewhere, but I don’t know. It’s going to be weird being 40 one day and knowing that had I not written something down on a piece of paper, I very likely could’ve lived a different life.” —Monica Rao

GAINING Athlete adjusts to vision loss

enior Devyn Sieck beams as he races down the football field after a game. The crowd in the stands screams as the team runs off to the locker room. This is how most people know Devyn — a multiplesport athlete. When he looks around the darkened locker room, his vision becomes muted. For his entire life, Devyn has experienced problems with his vision at night. He thought it was completely normal because it was all he ever knew. However, during his freshman year, he was involved in a car accident which caused him to suffer a concussion. Along with test results for the concussion came some shocking information about his vision. “[The doctors] did a test and said my eyes weren’t responding,” Devyn said. “They said I could have retinitis pigmentosa. The two main symptoms are night blindness and tunnel vi-

This photo illustration depicts how senior Devyn Sieck, diagnosed with retinitis pigmintosa, views the world on a daily basis.

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sion.” Devyn was subjected to many tests over the course of his freshman and sophomore years, and in spring of 2013 the diagnosis was confirmed. Devyn and his family were left in shock. “[Running through my head] was, ‘You’re going to go blind, and there’s [probably] nothing the doctors can do about it,” Devyn said. “It was shocking and scary and [I was filled with] disbelief. It was a very bad time for all of us.” Retinitis pigmentosa is a condition in which vision deteriorates over time. The timeline of vision loss is unknown; Devyn could go blind in six months or 30 years. Devyn faced a new reality after his diagnosis. While his peripheral vision is better than many facing the same disease, and he can see during the day, he is unable to see anything in the dark, requiring him to use a cane and flashlight to navigate. During the day, he maneuvers through the halls wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses to protect his eyes from UV ra-

diation, which speeds up the process of vision loss. Because of his condition, Devyn has never been granted a driver’s license. He is hoping to one day drive with the help of a new driverless car invented by Google. “The thing that’s ironic about it is, I’ve always wanted to drive, and a year before I could, I find out I have an eye disease and can’t,” Devyn said. “There never really was a point where I could drive because I would be a danger to other people.” He is currently a member of the football and rugby teams. He played as a guard on the offensive line on the football team this fall. Through the various sports teams he is a part of, Devyn has a large group of friends who support and encourage him. The team recently sold T-shirts for Devyn’s benefit. “My friends and teammates have been there for me and try to help me,” Devyn said. “If it is late at night and I have to leave, they will help me to the car and try to find my bag. They are very protective of me, and we’re like

INSIGHT caused by rare eye disease a family. They have definitely made having this disease a lot easier.” From a very young age, Devyn said he learned valuable life lessons from his participation in athletics. “I’ve been playing since I was very little, and it’s affected my life because it has [taught] me to never give up,” Devyn said. Fellow senior and friend Ryan Newberg said he admires Devyn’s strong work ethic on the football team. “He’s a very humble guy,” Ryan said. “He works hard. I’ve never heard him complain [in the four years I’ve known him.] He’s a perfect man.” Devyn is hoping to continue playing football in college. He has been recruited by Southwestern University, Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls and Graceland University, located in Iowa. As his senior year wraps up, Devyn is spreading the word about his condition. On March 28, his friends and family will partici-

pate in Vision Walk in San Antonio, a fundraiser to raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness which is helping to research and find a cure for RP. “Vision Walk is an event that I did last year, and this is the sixth annual one,” Devyn said. “All the money that is raised goes to research. [Last year] we raised [more than] $100,000.” Although living with the knowledge that he is one day going to lose his vision is ultimately “really scary,” Devyn is focusing on preparing for what is coming. “I asked my vision instructor if I could start learning Braille,” Devyn said. “I’ve actually been able to learn all the alphabet, which has been a big accomplishment.” Devyn hopes to undergo surgery to restore his vision one day, depending upon the circumstances. He has gained hope from stories of other people in his position. “There are so many people who have had RP and now can see,” Devyn said. “My family always sends me [those stories]. I live every

day like the last day. I try not to think about it, but just live for right now.” Devyn acknowledges that he will miss the luxury of seeing everyday things. “[I’ll miss being able to see] my pets and my family,” Devyn said. “[I’ll miss] the clear blue water and looking at the sunset. It’s such a pretty sight.” If he woke up tomorrow and had lost his vision, Devyn would still be grateful for what he’s had a chance to see. “I feel like I’ve done a lot in life, and I’ve gotten to see a bunch of amazing things that most people don’t get to see, like the water of the Virgin Islands,” Devyn said. Devyn is grateful for the continuing support his family and friends provide. “I’m lucky I have a great support system,” Devyn said. “The knowledge that I have so many people behind me [helps comfort me]. Even when you don’t want to fight, your support system will fight for you.” —Nikki Lyssy

“[I’ll miss being able to see] my pets and my family; [I’ll miss] the clear blue water and looking at the sunset. It’s such a pretty sight.” —senior Devyn Sieck

Justin Whaling

on board

Board game enthusiast starts business, attends conventions

e was sitting at the same table for nearly seven hours. The room was tense, full of quick-witted, backstabbing opponents who would do anything to win. They were at the Geekcon board game convention in Dallas, and the Game of Thrones board game was full of what gamers like to call AP prone or “analysis-paralysis” players (the sneaky, prepared kind of players you want to stay away from). He contemplated which one of his cards he should play next — militia or tactical. After slaving over this hardcore, fantasy version of Monopoly, junior Lucas McWhirter won second place. Lucas developed a passion for boardgaming when he was in seventh grade and was introduced to the game that was the gateway for his hobby, The Settlers of Catan. While most people would put board games back on the shelf after playing with them, Lucas decided to take it a step further. “I hated working under someone else after a summer of working as a lifeguard,” Lucas said. “I started to watch Shark Tank, and I really liked the idea of working for [myself]. I tried to fuse the idea of how I could get board games to be cool and make money out of it.” The idea of creating a company first came about in May of 2014 after Lucas joined with fellow juniors and board-game-enthusiasts, Eugene Miravete and Collin Michael, to create Friday Night Boards. Because board games can cost up to $120, many passionate gamers can’t afford to own and play more than a couple of their favorites. That’s where Friday Night Boards comes in. The three boys paid out of pocket for Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Dominion and the Game of Thrones board game as a kickstart for the business. They then charged people $2 to play the games they love at either Lucas’ house or Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church on Friday nights. “I came up with the idea of the company,” Lucas said. “I knew nothing about financial matters so I called Eugene, because he is really good at finance and taxes. And then I called Collin because I don’t know a lot about computers. Collin is really good about programming and doing InDesign.” Although the idea of the business seems simple, it is lot of work for Lucas, who is in football and track, captain of the ultimate frisbee team and was in the school musical. “This is all hands-on learning,” Lucas said. “Everything I have learned is either from an entrepreneurship magazine, from what I’ve read from other people’s stories or what I’ve learned from myself.” Although he’s got a lot on his plate, all of Lucas’ hard work has paid off. He recently won an Entrepreneur Grand Prize at Camp Enterprise in the Rotary Club of Austin, and his company is starting to take off. “When I won, it I was kind of surprised because I usually don’t win these kinds of things. The challenge was to make a business within 12 hours. You had to make a business plan, and somehow make a $2 million profit, because we had to give a million dollars of our investment back to our investors. It was very frustrating when the numbers didn’t work out. When I actually did end up winning, it was a good feeling because all my hard work paid off.” In May of last year, the opening night for Friday Night Boards had a turnout of seven people and in January of 2015, the numbers had risen to about 20. “I project that next year we will be phenomenal,” Lucas said. “I pray that we have at least 50 people.” Not only does Lucas own a company centered around his hobby, he also takes part in board gaming conventions. In the conventions, there are about 2,700 people in a room three times the size of the Chap Court

Mary Beth Burns Junior Lucas McWhirter smiles while playing the Game of Thrones board game in the courtyard. He is one of the founders of Friday Night Boards. playing board games. After they finish playing their game, they are able to enter a library filled with about 2000 games in it and choose any other game to play. “Board gaming conventions are very different,” Lucas said. “They’re not your average Comic-Con where everyone is dressed up as knights and Power Rangers, but more like a bunch of cool people who are very calm and very relaxed, and they just wanna have fun over the weekend.” Lucas says that most people show their true colors while playing board games and that he is is wary of the ones who will try to befriend him in the first round because they’re more likely to stab him in the back later in the game. “I find that being a risk taker in board games has to lead into being a risk taker in life,” Lucas said. “My dream is to do all I can to make sure this business thrives — whether that means taking entrepreneurship classes or business management classes in order to pursue my goal, then that’s what I’ll do.” Find more about Lucas’ business at fridaynightboards.com —Raine Lipscher

50 Teacher pushes for environmental sustainability 51 Westlake begins compost program 52 Is our generation wasteful? 54 Green living statistics 56 Seven roadtrip desitinations 60 Which wildflower are you? 61 Homebody survives campout 62 Senior climbs Mount Kilimanjaro

THE GREAT

OUTDOORS

Environmental science teacher Lauren Gehman’s dedication to green living and urban sustainability makes her a tried-and-true

Tree Hugger Austin, Texas — alleged liberal oasis. A place where the hippies don’t have dreadlocks, but still want you to eat your locally-grown kale. Land of plastic bag bans and zero waste initiatives. A city that feels clean and green — but how does it really stack up? Environmental science teacher Lauren Gehman said she believes that Austin is quickly becoming an example of urban sustainability, and this is exactly the shift she’s always been working towards. “Honestly, [my interest in the environment] has always been ingrained,” Gehman said. “My family always recycled when I was younger, and we always made sure to separate out everything that we could. My mom’s side of the family lives on the West Coast — Seattle and Portland — and they are very environmentally conscious over there. Whenever I’d go visit them we’d always separate out compost as well. It’s just one of those things where when you see it as a child, you know that’s the right thing to do and you're taught it, and there’s no swaying from that. It’s when you start out with practices that are not sustainable and then you get told those aren’t correct — that’s when it becomes harder to change your habits.” By no means is Austin the world’s top producer of renewable energy — it hardly compares to many European nations — but it is still taking valuable strides. “Compared to Portland and Seattle, Austin still needs work,” Gehman said. “But compared to other cities in the state of Texas, it is pristine. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas-Ft. Worth, and those areas are not sustainable. Pretty much not even slightly sustainable. It might have changed since the eight to 10 years I’ve been away, but Austin is pretty good. We’re going for zero waste, and we have actual wind farms and solar farms that we get some of our electricity from. Austin is pretty high up there in trying to stay sustainable.” In her personal life, Gehman is doing as much as she can to minimize her environmental impact. An example of these efforts is her own home, which she bought over a year ago. “The lady who built my house was amaz-

outdoors westlakefeatherduster.com

ing,” she said. “She designed it and built it in 1970. She designed the entire house to be as efficient as it could possibly be, and we lucked out in buying it that way. We’re on a corner lot, so she could have pointed the house in any direction she wanted to, but she designed things in very specific ways to make sure that there was a certain amount of heat that came in. We have certain windows that allow sunlight in, and certain windows that don’t allow sunlight in so that it doesn’t warm up the room too much. It’s all passive, and our electricity bill is ridiculously low. We don't have to turn on the heat most times during the winter. That’s amazing to me, that she designed it.” This is her second year teaching environmental science, and her first without a partner, following the retirement of teacher Bob Murphy. Currently, she is working to make the class into something that students can connect with through real-world interactions. This plan was kick-started with a recent field trip to Bastrop State Park, where students planted trees with the urban forestry organization TreeFolks. The group was brought in to assist the Nobelity Project with their Replant the Park initiative, shifting focus onto planting trees correctly and educating about local habitats. “TreeFolks is a great group,” Gehman said. “What I like about them is the fact that they put education into it. They’re very big on making sure that people are educated on the correct way to plant trees, to make sure that they survive, knowing what native plants need to be there as well. They don’t want to just throw a bunch of trees out there when most of them won't survive because you’re not treating them the way they need to be [treated]. They are willing to go to people’s homes and plant trees in very specific neighborhoods, as well as in city parks. It’s a big organization, city-wide, a group that actually can make a difference because of the amount of people who are in it.” Gehman's association with TreeFolks is not limited to the Bastrop effort. Acting on a student’s recommendation last year, she began attending their planting events around the city of Austin, and has now been offered an opportunity within their internship program, where

she will gain an in-depth knowledge of Austin trees and soil. She also sponsors C.U.T.E. Club, the group that manages recycling throughout the school, and was a major advocate for the new cafeteria compost initiative. But is her lifestyle and her interest in carbon footprints merely the exception, and not the rule? An optimist, she likes to think that the entire city, and even the country, is heading this way. “It is 100 percent attainable to switch over [to sustainable energy sources],” Gehman said. “It’s just politics. The government will give money to their friends, and their friends just all happen to own coal and fossil fuels. All it would really take is for those people who are in charge of fossil fuels to realize that there is a lot of money to be made in renewable, and that’s what people want. And once they put their money and their interest there, government will go that direction.” —Katelyn Connolly

Tim Whaling Lauren Gehman is an intern with the urban forestry organization TreeFolks. As part of the program, she will become educated on Austin trees and soil.

tree huggers in training Students recently accompanied Gehman on a replanting excursion in Bastrop

Cade Stone Seniors ZZ Lundburg and Alexa Condos smile for the camera in Bastrop State Park.

ZZ Lundburg Alexa is a member of Gehman’s environmental science class.

Trash Talk Composting has been a trending topic for quite some time now. You can purchase an at-home compost spinner for relatively cheap, so a good chunk of American families have given food-recycling a shot. EISD has also taken a step in environmental sustainability by implementing a compost program in its schools. “First of all, composting is good for the environment,” assistant director of maintenance, operations and facilities Emily Richardson said. “And it’s an educational process of what happens to food after we’re done with it, and how to avoid it going into landfills [because] that takes a lot of space. It also saves us a little bit of money, because if our dumpsters get full of trash we have to pay for an extra pickup.” Texas Disposal Systems currently picks up all waste from the schools in the district. “Last year we switched trash companies,” Richardson said. “There’s a special dumpster right next to our recycle dumpster. Once a week, they empty it just like they do with recycling. It’s the same price to do trash and recycling as it is to do trash, recycling and compost.

The trash company ends up selling it — that’s why they don’t charge us. They’re making a profit. It’s called GardenVille. They have stores that sell the dirt and they also distribute to H-E-B. If you buy a bag of dirt from H-E-B, it probably came from Eanes. Apparently, TDS has huge compost piles that reach about 120 degrees. It only takes about a week to go from food to dirt.” The elementary schools have been composting since last school year, but Westlake was trained to compost at the beginning of the semester. “It’s a little harder to do a big cafeteria with less structure,” Richardson said. “The elementary school kids have a teacher with them and they release tables one at a time. High school has a lot more kids doing whatever they want. Westlake does well with compost because the kitchen staff is very good at putting any leftover food into their compost cans in the kitchens. Our middle schools have more weight in compost because the kids are required to take a full tray rather than the high school students which buy only the food they want.” —Caitlyn Jane Kerbow

Ava Palmo Shovel in hand, senior Ian Yonge plants a tree in Bastrop State Park.

District implements composting initiative

Zhouie Martinez Westlake is the last school in the district to implement a composting system.

[ staff editorial ]

Wasteful Thinking Addition of compost bins in lunchroom sparks environmental conversation

Every day the Chap Court is littered with trash, left because “it’s someone else’s job to deal with it” or “it’s not a big deal; it’s just one little wrapper.” But these excuses do not work any more. We can’t say that we will start cleaning up after ourselves later. Later is now. It’s time that we learn to clean up after our own messes. Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture when we have grown up around abundance. We throw away food because we aren’t hungry or need to go somewhere in a rush. We buy water bottles because of the convenience, then we throw them into the trash because the recycling bin is on the other side of the room. We live in a culture that has grown blind to how much we consume and how much we waste. We often complain about the world left for us by our parents and grandparents, saying that climate change, deforestation and depleted water resources are products of their carelessness, but we will be equally responsible if we don’t learn from their mistakes. “Things are getting better,” you say. “We know better than our parents did. We’re improving.” But are we? The Center for Sustainability and Commerce at Duke University has found that the average person produces 4.3 pounds of trash per day — 1.6 pounds more than the average for 1960. And this trash isn’t going anywhere for a long time. It takes between 500 and 1,000 years for plastic to biodegrade in sunlight. So why is this still happening? Every day we have choices to make, and sometimes it’s tempting to save time and take the easy way out. The problem with that solution is that it is only temporary. The school has made it easier than ever to recycle and compost with the addition of the new bins in the Chap Court. Westlake is known for being the best of the best, but we are actually behind when it comes to recycling and composting. Our campus was the last in the district — by a year — to implement compost bins in the lunchroom.

Take a day to look around you and see what impact you are leaving on the world. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Cut your shower time in half. We have all learned about the environment, the water cycle and pollution since we were in kindergarten, but we turn a blind eye to the impact of our bad habits. Yes, Texas is in a drought, but people still take excessively long showers and over-water their lawns because they think they are not the ones who will run out of water. We need to take responsibility for our actions and learn that they have consequences. We cannot afford to be wasteful, greedy or apathetic, because we might have inherited an imperfect earth, but it is our job to fix it. There is no way to reverse the damage that a throw-away society has caused, but we can make sure it does not get worse.

Ariana Gomez Reyes

Green living

100 students reveal really just how much they care about the environment

12.22% No

Does your family recycle on a regular basis? 87.78% Yes

16%

How many minutes do you spend in the

shower?

10.10%

37.37% 23.23% 18.18% 11.11%

11-20

21-30

> 30

Information collected by Conor O’Bryon, infographic by Jack Wallace

trends + trads

of students’ families own an electric or hybrid car

westlakefeatherduster.com

5-10

3/4

32%

of students’ families have a sprinkler system of students’ families have gardens

47%

of students buy reusable water bottles

cars

How many does your family own? Two cars

One car More than three cars

5.32%

Michaela Moss

29.79%

electronics

Sometimes No

twice

17.35%

>3 5%

How often do you water your lawn per week?

thrice

82.65%

Yes

on in your home

25%

lights

31%

Do you leave the when you leave?

none

Yes

60.61%

Three cars

31%

6.06% 33.33%

41.49%

once

Do you leave on throughout the day?

23.40%

Household

Outside

Cars

Your home is a great place to start an environmentally friendly campaign. Plastic, paper and bottles can all be recycled instead of being sent to a landfill. Many of us bring a bottle of water into the classroom. Try to purchase a reusable water bottle from the store and fill it up daily from your tap, instead of constantly purchasing bottled water. Also try cutting down on time spent in the shower, to conserve water.

Do you have a sprinkler system? If so, it is important to program your system for optimal watering times. Try having your sprinkler start in the early morning, and refrain from watering during the hottest times of the day, which is usually early afternoon. In Westlake, most neighborhoods are in a once-aweek pattern of watering due to the drought. If you are watering more than once weekly, cut down.

According to a poll by ABC News, Americans spend anywhere from 80100 minutes behind the wheel each day. However, there are some ways to reduce the amount of energy and pollution cars create. Cars with good gas mileage require fewer fill-ups which saves you money and means that less CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Hybrid and electric cars generate little to no pollution.

45.5

In the fall, near Halloween, they have the maze, pumpkin painting stations, tractor rides — which are especially fun for younger kids — and more. Visitors pay for each activity they wish to do. If you want to go in the fall, try going earlier in October — it will be much less crowded the farther away it is away from Halloween. The prices are pretty fair, especially for the wide range of activities that are available. Sweet Berry Farm is closed for winter and late summer, but opens in March at the start of strawberry season and in September at the start of the harvest season. —Colleen Pletcher

miles away

sweet berry farm

Located in Marble Falls, Sweet Berry Farm has fun and family-friendly activities year round. I have been going there ever since I was a little kid. In the spring, you can pick incredibly fresh strawberries, paid for by the pound. Later in the spring, blackberries, potatoes, onions and peaches are also available. Additionally, they have a Texas Maze, where the goal is to try to find each station to win a free water or soda. I would suggest getting family or friends together and making the Texas Maze into a little competition to see who can finish it first.

18.5

miles away

ziplining If your friends were to jump off a bridge, would you? Well, if you’re participating in a ziplining adventure through the treetops of the Texas Hill Country, the answer is yes. When I first suggested that we go on a Cypress Valley Canopy Tour, the extravagant price tag of $75 per person and a fear of heights made my mom less than enthusiastic about the idea. But, not far into the hour-and-a-half adventure, she came to realize that the experience was well worth the cost. Located in Spicewood, about 30 minutes from downtown Austin, Cypress Valley Canopy Tours provides day-trippers the perfect opportunity to escape from urban life and immerse themselves in nature. We were greeted by our guides, Libby and Shelby, who were exactly the kind of goofy free-spirits that you would expect to lead an outdoors ziplining adventure. Every moment was the right moment for a cheesy nature joke. The adventure began as we were taken to the equipment room and “mugged” of any belongings that could fall off while soaring through the trees. We then got strapped into our har-

outdoors westlakefeatherduster.com

nesses and buckles, and, after everybody passed a five-minute ground school, it was time to move on to the first real zip-line. As I looked down at the sharp bristles and hard rocks 40 feet below me, I reluctantly stepped up onto the stool where Shelby fastened my buckles onto the rope. When she got the “all clear” from Libby, she told me I could lift my feet and go. I took a deep breath and stepped off the platform into the open air. I would like to say that the sound that came from my mouth was some type of victorious battle cry. Unfortunately, observers would probably describe it as more of a panicked squeal. I was plummeting through the sky, wind whipping my hair, seemingly unstoppable. The view from the first line was mostly of the parking lot, so I focused more on staying alive. As I approached the end of the rope, I gently pressed my hand down on the rope and came to a steady stop right at the platform. I had successfully finished my first zipline. I waited with pride as the rest of our tour group zipped over to join us on the platform, bringing us to the second part of the tour: learning about our surrounding environment. Libby and Shelby identified many of the plants and animals in the ecosystem and explained how we would use them should we participate in Naked and Afraid: Texas Hill Country.

Due to this new knowledge of the habitat and my increasing comfort with flying, I was able to appreciate the next two ziplines even more than the first. More relaxed, I took the time to lean back and look through the branches of the cypress trees up to the sky, forgetting the harness and embracing the feeling of flying. As we approached the fourth zip-line I noticed something different. This time there were two ropes instead of one, which could only mean one thing: a race. I high-fived my mom and we walked up to the platform. We got geared up and ready for the launch. Then she began the count off: “on your marks, get set ...” but before she even said, “go,” my mom was off the platform heading straight for the finish line. My own mother had deceived me. I jumped into the air and curled my body into a ball, but it was no use. By the time my mom had reached her end platform, I still had at least 15 feet of line to zip. With the sting of defeat still fresh on my mind, we moved on to the fifth and final zip-line. I made the most of my last flight, spreading my arms and legs into a star and howling like a monkey. From the final platform, we channeled our inner rock climbers, rappelling 40 feet to the ground. At that point, our adventure was over. We all piled into a golf cart and drove back to the

Sweet Berry Farm opens for strawberry season in March.

Alexa Condos parking lot. Of course the exhilarating feeling of soaring through the open air was a unique and exciting experience, but what really made the Cypress Valley Canopy Tours special were the wonderful guides and the tranquility of being completely submerged in nature. Whether you’re a thrillseeking adrenaline junkie or just trying to find an activity to get you out of the house this weekend, I would suggest you abandon common sense and leap off a bridge into the wilderness. —Lexy Connolly

courtesy photo Lexy Connolly ziplines at the Cypress Valley Canopy Tour on Jan. 18. Tours cost $75 and last about an hour and a half.

krause springs

Located just 45 minutes away in Spicewood, TX, Krause Springs is a beautiful and convenient campground perfect for day trips and weekend excursions alike. Adults can camp for just $14, but if you just plan on spending the afternoon, day passes cost $7. Upon arriving, the first thing I always notice is a bell-like sound floating through the air. Krause Springs has a wind chime garden near the front entrance which adds an ethereal effect. The grounds leading down to the springs are green and covered with trees, keeping the place shady and cool in the summer. I always feel a sense of tranquility here that’s hard to find anywhere else. During the summer, the grounds are open between 9 A.M. and 9 P.M., but the best time to come visit is on a weekday. I once went on a Monday morning in June, and my friends and I practically had the place to ourselves. There was no line for the rope swing, so we were able to embrace our inner Tarzans to our hearts’ content. When we got sick of that, we swam underneath the shocking spray of the waterfall that flows into the spring. My favorite part about Krause Springs is that it lets me enjoy the beauty of nature without having to give up every modern luxury. There’s

a man-made pool near the top of the grounds filled with the same icy water as the springs. There are also bathrooms equipped with showers in case you feel like washing off before heading home. If you plan on taking a trip out to these picturesque grounds, just remember to leave pets and glass containers at home. Visitors are, however, more than welcome to bring their own supplies and snacks. If you happen to forget your food or your sunblock at home, don’t worry, because just down the road is a barbecue joint and a convenience store. But don't forget your camera, because you'll want to remember Krause Springs for a long time. —Sara Phillips

miles 29.5 away

GREEN BELT

Wilderness enthusiast Drew Brown reveals favorite outdoor spaces

Mountain biking the Hill of Life:

Rock climbing Seismic Wall:

Swimming at Lost Creek:

The Hill of Life is known as a great hiking trail, or an entrance to the to famous Lost Creek stretch of the Greenbelt. What people don't know is how great the Hill of Life is as a mountain biking trail. The Mountain Biking Club frequently practices there just like my dad did when he was training for a 100mile bike race through the Rocky Mountains. If that doesn't qualify this trail as an intense ride, then I don't know what does. As an intermediate rider, going down the trail is fairly easy if you take it slow. You can fly down the trail and then take a steep climb back up, to add a challenge. It's a blast to conquer this trail with your friends or by yourself, and it's an extremely good workout.

A quick 10 minute trail hike brings you to a large limestone wall that towers 50 feet over you. At first glance, the limestone wall seems to be like any other in the greenbelt. But on closer inspection we can see ropes dangling from 30-50 feet up the wall. This beginner-tointermediate rock climbing wall is a great place to start climbing if Main Event isn’t your style. Some more experienced climbers may be able to conquer the wall on their own with ease, while newcomers to the sport should look into having someone more advanced in the field take them on this journey. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you are responsible for bringing your own ropes and harnesses, as they are not provided. This wall is a great frequent trip, or can suffice as a day adventure with some friends to belay with a guide.

Lost Creek serves as a fantastic place to hike, fish, relax or swim with your friends. With two main entrances (by the country club and the Hill of Life) a 15-20 minute hike brings you to a beautiful stretch of water with rope swings and small waterfalls. Almost every day during the summer, I found myself waking up at 8 a.m. to fish with my friend, and then staying there the rest of the day to eat lunch, swing off the rope swing, meet up with more friends and swim by the waterfall where adults, college kids, high schoolers and children alike gathered to relax in the sun and have a good time. While the hike can get tiring, the Lost Creek Greenbelt has served as one of the best places to make memories with my friends over the past summer.

Nick Appling Biking the greenbelt is great way to have fun and exercise.

Nick Appling Senior Maxson Boyd rock climbs in the Greenbelt.

Tim Whaling Senior Jerry Montemayor takes a dip in Barton Creek.

Flower power Ah, springtime. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing and the wildflowers are blooming. Before you rush out to take pictures in the bluebonnets, take this quiz to discover which wildflower embodies your spirit. —Sara Phillips 1) What is your signature scent? A. Clean and classic. Trendy celebrity perfumes aren’t my thing. B. Whatever deodorant I'm wearing. Perfumes and colognes are so overpowering. C. Light and sweet. I'm a teenager, I'd rather wear Viva la Juicy than Chanel No. 5. D. Is this really a question?

2) A magic genie offers you one wish. What do you wish for? A. Fame. My worst fear is dying and not being remembered for anything. B. Financial security. I want to be able to do whatever I want and not have to worry about paying the bills. C. More wishes. Duh. D. A private island. I want everyone to leave me alone.

3) If you could go on a dream vacation at no ex- pense, where would you go? A. B. C. D.

New York City. It’s the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Yosemite. I love nature, and I’d choose tents over hotels any day. Seaside, Florida. I was born for sunny days and beautiful beaches. Staycation. Leaving town is such a hassle.

4) If you could only drink one beverage for the rest of your life, which would it be? A. B. C. D.

Sweet tea. What Texan can live without sweet tea? Water. I never liked sugary liquids anyway. Dr Pepper. Do I even have to explain why? Coffee. I take it black.

5) What's your favorite movie genre? A. Superhero. The Avengers was a mind-blowing instant classic. B. Indie. If it’s not playing at Violet Crown Cinema, I don’t want to see it. C. Literally anything Disney. I like to sing "A Whole New World" as a duet with my cat. D. Horror. Hannibal Lecter is just a really misunderstood guy, you know?

6) Finally, what's your dream job? A. Entrepreneur. I have good ideas and the drive to accomplish my dreams. B. Environmental lawyer. Someone's got to save the planet from industry fat cats. C. Fashion designer. I'm creative and read Vogue religiously. D. Anything that doesn’t involve customer service. Need I say more?

Mostly A's: Bluebonnet

Mostly C’s: Mountain Laurel

You're a tried-and-true classic. Everyone likes you and wants to get a picture with you. You don't have to try very hard to be awesome, and people always like having you around. Though some might try to say that flowers like you are a dime a dozen, don't listen to the haters. They're just jealous they aren't you.

You pride yourself on your appearance and always make sure you smell amazing. You look great in purple and know how to rock high heels. You welcome new experiences, but you aren’t ashamed to say you like mainstream things like Frozen. No one can bring you down, mostly because you grow on trees.

Mostly B’s: Indian Paintbrush

Mostly D’s: Dead Grass

A total free spirit, you can’t be oppressed by the norms of society. You enjoy nature, your cat and trips to the farmers market. Wherever you go, you bring color, beauty and insight. You aren’t on everyone’s radar, but you choose friends wisely and have a good reputation. Also, you’re probably a vegan.

You hate that you have to live beneath bluebonnets because you think they’re obnoxious and pretentious. Even though you don’t have a lot of friends, you’re not really a people-person, so it’s probably for the best. If you’re ever feeling down, just remember that you’ll still be around in winter when all the flowers are dead.

outdoors westlakefeatherduster.com

Michaela Moss

Tentative Plans ome z Re na G

ing, but I know enough to know that without stakes and poles, a tent is just a piece of fabric. We could now hear actual coyotes howling. After several frantic phone calls, my mom agreed to run by my friend’s house to look for the tent poles and stakes to bring us. In the meantime, we laid out a tarp to sit on and I started a fire (shoutout to my three months of being a Girl Scout). We then proceeded to burn our burgers to the consistency of hockey pucks, and our potatoes burned as well, because apparently you’re supposed to poke holes in them before wrapping them in tin foil and tossing them into the fire. In the end, all we had left that was actually edible were s’mores, which are pretty hard to mess up. The temperature was dropping, and without any sort of shelter, we were freezing to death. It started to lightly sprinkle, so we zipped ourselves inside our sleeping bags with our teeth chattering, waiting for our inevitable death. Finally, after about an hour of it drizzling and us dying, my mom showed up. She was unable to find the tent poles, so she gently suggested that maybe camping wasn’t such a good idea and that we should come home with her. She had barely finished her sentence before we jumped our frozen bodies into the warm car. If I’m being honest, I had hoped that on our camping trip, I would discover my inner mountain woman, which clearly didn’t happen. I’m too attached to Wi-Fi, central heating, microwaveable pizza and warm-toned lighting for applying makeup. Does this make me weak? Probably. But those things weren’t invented for nothing, so I might as well enjoy them. Maybe liking pink bubble baths makes me less strong than someone who hikes through the wilderness and sleeps outside in the rain, but I think it also makes me a lot smarter. —Sophia Ho

Aria

I’ve never understood camping. Humankind has invented amenities at the turn of a knob like hot water, air conditioning and indoor plumbing for one main reason: it sucked to live without them, which is why I don’t understand people who are inclined to give it all up for “fun and relaxation.” My definition of fun and relaxation involves Netflix, mac and cheese, my cat and maybe some online shopping — not twigs in my hair and sleeping on the ground. It was high time I broadened my horizons and at least attempted camping, even though I could probably be voted most likely to die if stranded in the wilderness. Weeks in advance, I planned out the trip meticulously, listing everything I needed to borrow or buy, planning the menu and recruiting some brave friends to accompany me. I secured a ride, booked a campsite and amassed my weapons for a battle with the outdoors. What I didn’t plan on was it raining every single day of the week leading up to the camping trip, leaving the ground muddy and slippery, the sky a dreary gray and the weather much colder than I had expected. Nevertheless, we sucked it up, and my friends and I journeyed to Emma Long Park and paid our $20 camping fee. Our trip took place on a Friday, so we arrived at 5 p.m., knowing the sun would set at 6 p.m. The park was beautiful, even if the weather wasn’t, and herds of deer ate grass and took long strolls near our campsite. Sadly, the deer wouldn’t let me pet them, even when I chased them while throwing some deer-friendly snacks their way. The sun started to set, and it was time to set up our tent. Opening the tent bag that I had borrowed from a friend, we dumped out the materials and began to read the instructions, only to discover the worst — the tent my friend had lent me was missing both stakes and poles. I don’t know a lot about camp-

yes

Indoors enthusiast braves the wild

MOUNTAIN MAN

Adventurer summits Kilimanjaro this past summer At 19,341 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, stands as the tallest mountain on the continent of Africa, 9,688 feet shorter than Everest. Senior Justin Dunlap took a hike up to the peak of Kilimanjaro this past summer. Justin’s crew included his and two other families, guides and porters. The porters carried some equipment for the trek, but Justin still carried water, sleeping bags and other food supplies. “My dad’s friend, Jason, had the idea to do the trip,” Justin said. “It was his 50th birthday and he really liked hiking, so he invited us and one other family that we are friends with to climb Kilimanjaro with him. We ended up summiting on Jason’s birthday as planned, and we celebrated his birthday at the top.” During the trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, Justin met a guide that he enjoyed learning from and spending time with. “One of our guides, Ezekiel, looked and sounded exactly like Snoop Dogg,” Justin said. “I called him Mufasa, because in Swahili, that means ‘king.’ I learned that from The Lion King. He called me Rafiki, and we were best friends. He was so cool — he taught me ‘poa kichizi kama ndizi’ which means ‘cool as bananas,’ I think. We would chant it when we walked.” Mount Kilimanjaro takes four days to sum-

mit and two days to descend, for a total of six days hiking. The hike is extremely different from other hikes, primarily because of the dramatic climate change. “Kilimanjaro is so gradual that it’s almost like hiking all the way — you don’t have to actually have an ice pick or anything, but in comparison the climate change is insane,” Justin said. “It was 100 degrees the first two days, and as you went up above the tree line at around 8,000 feet, it started to cool off and the nights were freezing. It was 40 degrees every night.” Being an experienced camper, Justin kept up with his hydration, but the diet he experienced on the mountain wasn’t as appetizing as he had hoped. “Every day they would have a meat,” Justin said. “You’d get fried chicken, steak or something else. Then you’d get a soup. One day it was cucumber soup, another day zucchini, but it tasted the same. At the end of the trip, you’d smell the soup and you’d just start gagging, it was so bad.” At altitudes above 8,202 feet, 20 percent of climbers are at risk of getting altitude sickness. The symptoms include headaches, fatigue and nausea. To avoid getting it, hikers can climb up slower to acclimate to the thinner air. “Altitude sickness was a really big problem and all but four people got it — my mom, my

Left: The group hiked on several tough terrains during the hike. Right: Senior Justin Dunlap, far right, hiked up Mount Kilimanjaro with his and two other families.

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dad, my sister and me,” Justin said. “Rebecca, [a mother from one of the other families], got altitude sickness so bad she was going to quit, but we took a rest day and we just got acclimated again.” Justin and his crew faced challenges such as extreme cold and physically demanding eight-hour-long days. “It’s not like one of those Into the Wild things where I discovered myself,” Justin said. “I mean it was really nice not having to worry about other stuff. I guess you do that on every vacation, but on the mountain there is literally nothing else to do except for hike.” They woke up at 3:30 a.m. and prepared for their final ascent. As they powered up the last section of their journey, they saw headlights of other hikers winding towards the summit. “Summit day was quite demanding physically, and we took breaks way more frequently,” Justin said. “We reached the summit a couple of hours before sunset, and we only stayed for around an hour due to the extreme cold. The top had a crater-like look to it, and there were glaciers everywhere. Aside from how cold I was, I remember seeing all the people at the top and how happy they were. It really was super cool to see the walls of glaciers at the top of a giant rock in the middle of Africa.” —Sage Sutton and Cooper Kerbow

courtesy photos

rants + raves

VEG OUT

Trailer-made food appeases vegan connoisseur If you are trying to find the Vegan Yacht, you need to know is dark and brooding, with music and multicolored string-lights, and where to look. It’s tucked away neatly behind the Spiderhouse Café the booth seats look like the red leather interior of a coffin. At one point on 2908 Fruth Street. When I say tucked away, I mean it in the literal while I was eating, a cat snuck in through the front door and nobody sense; it is so well hidden it might as well be playing a professional game even batted an eye. The cat just curled up next to a girl sitting in a booth, of hide-and-go-seek, and trying very hard to win first place. It is possibly and she started mindlessly petting him. Though the outdoor seating will the best location on earth for reeling in absolutely no business — which, give you a great view of the Love Balls fountain, I recommend eating against all odds, they still manage to reel in plenty of, and rightfully so. inside the café. If you’re looking for a vegan place that, for once, doesn’t massively The Vegan Yacht is open from — wait for it — 6 p.m. to midnight. suck, or suck at all, in fact, the Vegan Yacht is your man. Or woman, if Those are exactly the hours between which I’m usually hungry, and I you oppose the patriarchy. Or person, if you oppose gender binary. In am glad that someone finally understands this dilemma and has taken the end, it doesn’t matter what you oppose: the Vegan Yacht is not a it upon themselves to cater to this particular need. They are not open on person at all. It is not even a yacht. It is a palace — a shining castle of Sundays, which is fine, because Sundays are useless. aristocracy, disguised as a dingy airstream food trailer with a stupidDrawback: everything is $7-8. If you regularly spend $12 and up on looking octopus painted on the side. a meal, this will feel like small potatoes to you. However, I feel this very It is parked next to another food trailer called Love Balls, in front strongly: no one should have to spend $8 on a taco — delicious though of which there stands a lovely angel fountain, peeing into a claw-foot it may be — under any circumstances. bathtub which looks like it was salvaged from a junk yard. If you reach Drawback #2: I was given no cutlery. I was forced to eat off a napkin, this trailer, you are in the wrong place. like a peasant. I was not given the opportunity to eat from a paper plate The Vegan Yacht’s menu consists of exactly four items. I know this as God intended. However, I spread the napkins out on the table like a because I counted. I ordered one of everything, just to be safe. Here are makeshift newspaper cat toilet, and I felt just fine, if a little undignified. my thoughts, not all of them, just the ones about the Vegan Yacht: In closing, the Vegan Yacht has managed to tackle a feat never before Freeto Burrito: very bean-y, avocado-y and crunchy on the inside. witnessed in history: delicious vegan food without tofu. You tofu haters The flour tortilla was toasted perfectly; I couldn’t taste the vegan in this can all rejoice, if in fact that is a thing you tofu haters do. I very much at all. Five out of five stars. recommend the Vegan Yacht for both vegans and non-vegans alike. EvFreeto Pie: also very bean-y, essentially the innards of the Freeto erybody wins — except Love Balls; they lose. Burrito squeezed into a take-away box, minus the tortilla. This was my —Michelle Fairorth least favorite dish, but still a success and very enjoyable. Requires a spoon. Mock Wrap: definitely my favorite of the four dishes. This burrito is filled with sprouts and carrots, soy-based meat and a really tasty sauce. Shockingly delicious, even if you don’t normally like sprouts. Mock Taco: very similar to the Mock Wrap, only messier, and stuffed inside a corn tortilla. Sproutier than the Mock Wrap. Also very delicious. If you’re going to the Vegan Yacht and can’t decide what to order, I would recommend getting one “Freeto” item and one “Mock” item in order to experience the two different flavors. The “Freeto” style is more reminiscent of your typical burrito, while the “Mock” dishes are heavier on the veggie flavor. An order of two dishes is more than enough food for one person, but you can bring friends or, if you don’t have any of those, bring your leftovers home in a to-go box. More for you. The Vegan Yacht does have outdoor seating. However, The Vegan Yacht sits near the because it was below freezing that night, the owner offered intersection of West 29th Street to bring us our order inside the Spiderhouse Café. Calling it and Fruth Street. a café is a bit of a stretch: it is a bar. The Spiderhouse Café

rants + raves westlakefeatherduster.com

Julia Rasor

BEHIND THE WHEEL What does your car say about you?

SUV

USED

Vroom vroom! You stroll away from your SUV, after parking it at the perfect angle to ensure it will ding the doors of whatever car is unfortunate enough to be stuck next to you. You have a master’s degree in inferiority complexes, and feel the need to prove this by being a parking hog and driving a car which is just high enough to decapitate anyone in a smaller car, should you get into a collision. This contributes to your fantasy of power and dominance over everyone.

You and this car have some pretty great memories. It’s where you learned to drive, where you sat in the front seat for the first time and where your mother’s water broke on the way to the hospital to deliver you. Every morning, you say a quick prayer to the car gods that today is not the day your car dies on you. Your trash can on wheels has carried you faithfully through many troubling times. You can try to fight it, but this car will always win — it knows when you have to be somewhere, because that’s exactly when it refuses to work. It knows.

TRUCK PRIUS A bald eagle soars overhead, and you place your hand over your heart as “America the Beautiful” plays and a single patriotic tear streams down your cheek. Nothing screams ‘Murica like a truck, and its big, brash, out-of-my-way vibe is so classically Texan. Your road rage is something of a legend, although you’ve never actually been in a fight in your life. This is your fifth accident, and your dad is starting to get angry.

SPORT

You skip away from giving yet another lecture about the environment and hop into your eco-friendly car, happy that at least your conscience is clear. I bet you’ve been on at least three juice cleanses this year, and insist that your friends not squish spiders. You radiate positive energy, have a “Keep Austin Weird” bumper sticker and perhaps are considering making yourself eternally miserable by pursuing a career in environmental law.

JEEP

Michaela M

oss

“I’m going to miss you so much princess,” you tell your car before the school day begins, giving it a passionate kiss and lovingly caressing the 100 percent sheepskin imported leather seats. You love your car more than you love yourself — and that’s saying something. Affectionately referred to as “your baby,” you make sure that your car gets the best of everything — be that parking spots, car washes or premium gas. The list of rules that your friends must follow in order to be allowed inside your hallowed vehicle is not only excessive, but insane. Another thing: you’re 17. Who in their right mind buys a 17-year-old a sports car?

You can’t wait to drive away from school this Friday, breeze flapping through your hair, the sun glinting off your vintage sunglasses, so you can go on the adventure of a lifetime — in your room, alone in the dark, marathoning Breaking Bad. You’ve fooled most people into thinking you’re the rugged type, but we’re not buying it. It’s great that your car has four-wheel drive for easy steering in off-road terrain, except we’re pretty sure that your pristine Jeep has never actually been off-road. In your backseat, you store Patagonia jackets, Camelbak water bottles and cowboy boots all in an effort to perfect the poseur outdoor enthusiast aesthetic. –Sophia Ho

FANATICAL

Fall Out Boy worshipper shares her love for the band Falling in love with Fall Out Boy was like falling out of a Cork tree. I saw the fall coming, felt the rush of adrenaline as I began to descend, and then it was over and done with. I was in love, and that’s all there was to it. If I recall correctly, it began one fateful, rainy afternoon. I had those Jet Pack Blues, the kind that make June feel like September, that always seem to accompany complete and utter boredom. So, after I spent a good half hour contemplating the pros and cons of breathing, I did what many bored kids do: I went on YouTube. “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” was the song that I first encountered. By the time the chorus had been sung, I knew. Fall Out Boy and I were meant to be. I spent many hours over the next few weeks watching music videos and looking up lyrics and putting names to faces until I became an FOB expert. Having heard all the music released from their first four albums, I eagerly searched the date of their next release. A year went by with no news. Then two years passed, and still I was met with nothing. I’ll admit, I began to lose hope. The band I fell in love with didn’t produce any new music for five whole years after the release of Folie a Deux in 2008. Sometimes before it gets better the darkness gets bigger. I felt betrayed, like I would never believe in anything again, but you know what? Things got better. In 2013, FOB came back with a fifth album. Capturing the energy of young volcanoes, Patrick, Pete, Andy and Joe came together and rose from the ashes like a phoenix once again — to Save Rock and Roll. Then, with the release of the band’s latest album American Beauty/American Psycho this January, I think I fell in love again. Following the unforgettable single “Centuries,” which came out in late 2014 and acted as the album’s mission statement (“Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold, but you will remember me”), the song “American Beauty/American Psycho” set the stage for Fall Out Boy’s sixth record. I pre-ordered the record a month before its release and couldn’t be more pleased with it. Their new collection takes pop culture and mixes it with witty, lawless lyrics to produce phenomenal new songs including “Novocaine” and “Irresistible.” These additions to Fall Out Boy’s repertoire make me want to jump up and start dancing like Uma Thurman. But my favorite song from the new album is

“The Kids Aren’t Alright,” for its almost aggressively melancholy, yet liberating lyrics. It’s obvious that Fall Out Boy’s music has changed since the days of the band’s first album, Take This To Your Grave. The older music sounds like something you’d hear in Chicago’s underground pop-punk scene during the early 2000s, while the new music is geared toward modern-day pop. It’s great that the band is trying new sounds while still staying true to its original mantras. You can bet I’ll be front row at the legendary concert in July that I’ll remember for centuries. —Emily Sheffield

Alex Charnes

rants + raves westlakefeatherduster.com

Everybody knows those eye-catching headlines and sensational stories that make us stop and click, the links filled with useless content that inspire us to read on. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no denying our addiction. We are living in a

Resident problem-solver Jack Speer responds to your questions with his unqualified opinions I’m a junior about to take the SAT for the first time, and I’m a bit stressed. What are some helpful tips that could help me score better? —Bahdat Testin

Hello! I’ve compiled a short but comprehensive list below: 1.) Bubble in the first 50 answers so that the bubbles form letters spelling the word “SWAG.” Most SAT prep classes won’t teach you this, but that’s because they are kept under oath not to. However, these bonus points cannot be made the same way every year. In years past, bubbles have spelled the word “YOLO” and depicted a hand with its middle finger extended. 2.) Eat a 10-course meal before taking the test. Research shows that eating more will give you more energy to burn while sitting in place and staring at a Scantron. 3.) Cheat. Science shows that those who cheat often score the same as those they cheat off of. Assuming everyone is smarter than you, this could greatly benefit your test score. Pro tip: pay the test administrator to turn a blind eye to your shifting gaze. 4.) Every answer is C. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone I told you.

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hlm a Ku n i g eor

rants + raves westlakefeatherduster.com

Hey. So I have the feeling that my parents just don’t get me. When I showed them the music video to DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s quintuple-platinum masterpiece, “Turn Down For What,” they only responded with a look of disgust. How do I make them understand? —Miss Understood

First off, your parents’ opinions are wrong, but I suppose that is beside the point. The only way to resolve this matter is to correct them. Hypnosis is the obvious option, but if you would like to take a less transparently manipulative route, another choice remains. Contact DJ Snake’s label (Columbia) and offer to pay them a few million dollars to coerce Mr. Snake into recording a song for your parents entitled “Parentz R Kewl (Tame Family Game Night Mix).” The song should be primarily instrumental, but must also include key vocal samples shouting things like “Filing taxes!”, “SUVs!” and “Casual but moderated wine consumption!” so they can connect to the song on a deeply personal level.

My dilemma is an ageold one, but I value your opinion. I like someone, but I don’t know if she likes me. How can I tell, and what should I do if she does? —Leonard Lovestruck

Bonjour! The best way to discover what anyone is thinking is to use telepathy. But if you have already tried tapping into this ability and your results have proved unfruitful, place a listening device on an item she commonly uses and wait for your name to come up in conversation. If she mentions you, you’re golden. It doesn’t necessarily have to be positive, she just has to acknowledge your existence. Eg: “Leo is so hot,” or “Leo’s a cool dude,” or “Who is that cloaked figure behind that tree with the binoculars? Leo?” or the optimal “I have strictly romantic, non-platonic feelings toward Leo and would like to fulfill my role in this patriarchal society as a subservient facilitator of procreation.” Once you’ve established that you think she knows who you are, convince your father to give hers a minimum of six goats. After the exchange is made, you’re en route to a beautiful, withstanding and legally-binding relationship.

A defense of students’ natural right to Internet access Rigor. Relevance. Reddit. Three key components of any wellrounded education, but clearly one of them is missing from Westlake. For far too long, we’ve allowed this school to restrict our Internet access, destroying our right to explore the unfiltered time-wasters of the Internet which make up the third and greatest pillar of our schooling. The so-called “excellence” that our school prides itself on cannot be upheld without our daily dose of cat gifs. How can we, as developing citizens of the world, realize our full potential if this institute of learning prevents us from absorbing the sage advice Tumblr offers? For many of us, school provides the only opportunity for relaxation since our actual responsibilities demand the rest of our attention. Indeed, we are too busy finishing homework in the morning, performing extracurricular activities in the afternoon and marathoning Netflix at night to comply with such a prohibitive Internet policy. Put simply, we will not accept this flawed educational system because it does not coincide with what we want. We’re entitled to search up whatever sinful thought enters our pu-

bescent minds at home, so obviously the same privileges should apply in the classroom. There’s a time and place for everything, and the unholy soul of the Internet is appropriate for any public school. It’s not like we’d search for anything that we would be embarrassed to show our parents. No, our cleared histories don’t prove anything. Sure, our school prides itself in efficiency. Sure, teenagers easily get distracted by technology. And of course, Westlake just wants to provide us with the best learning environment possible. But none of that actually matters because at the end of the day, it’s not about education or protection or development or community. It’s about us. Let this be a warning to all school officials in charge of Internet security — we will no longer tolerate this injustice. Since complaining clearly does not work, we’ll just do what we do naturally: manipulate those oppressing us until we are satisfied. Please, don’t try and say that the world doesn’t revolve around us. We’re teenagers — now let us get back to upvoting rage comics. —Michael Wiggin

1. When a besotted new parent says, “Look at my baby! Isn’t he just adorable?” No. Their precious little pumpkin looks more like a hairless baboon than one of Michelangelo’s cherubs. You can tell them so, too.

2. When an authority figure asks you if you think they’re stupid. Say yes. The results are just as funny as the movies lead you to believe, I promise.

3. When your dentist asks how often you’ve been flossing. To respond “regularly” would only be a disservice to your health and your morals. You mean once or twice a monthyear.

4. When you go back to the sample counter at the grocery store for your fifth piece of fudge. You don’t have a lot of really needy little siblings, OK? Or a grumpy uncle. Or a cousin from Arkansas. All that fudge went straight into your belly.

5. When an application you’re filling out asks how you spend your free time. Watching Netflix and playing League of Legends surely count as hobbies. You walked upstairs like two whole times today — that’s exercising. Doodling through Pre-Cal totally counts as art. This is the stuff elite institutions are impressed by.

6. When a random someone asks you how you’re feeling after you’ve been out sick. You’re used to saying, “I’m fine.” What you should be saying is, “I can’t breathe through my nose and I feel like I’m going to faint because of this fever that’s been hanging over me for days and I’ve forgotten what it feels like to not be achy and my head is pounding like an octopus going to town on a bass drum.” People deserve to hear the dark tales of your plight.

7. When you click the “I have hereby read and understood the full terms and conditions” button. Don’t click that button. —Georgina Kuhlmann

April Fool’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way is there to kick off spring than to pull some family-friendly tricks on the ones you love? Here are five updates on classic pranks that will totally make this holiday fun again. —Jack Wallace

One pleasantly surprising trick to play on your best friend is to utilize the deception technique. All you have to do is distract your buddy for long enough to put salt in his drink when he isn’t looking. Then, when you’re both laughing about it, drug him and steal his identity.

Here’s a trick that will throw everyone for a loop. Round up four dogs and label them one, two, three and five. Release them to run rampant through the school halls. Not only will the custodians and APs spend forever trying to find the “fourth” dog, but one of the four pooches has rabies. It’s like a really, really painful version of Russian roulette. Everybody better hope they got their shots.

The next prank is a bit complex, but with a little effort and determination, you can easily befuddle your pals with this five-step method. Step one: obtain doggy poop. Step two: obtain lighter. Step three: arrive at a friend’s doorstep at midnight. Step four: set their house ablaze. Step five: throw poop at friend as he flees the inferno. People tend to get kind of upset when you pull this off, so make sure to compensate them by giving them stuff like, oh I don’t know, saltine crackers or a small pack of tissues.

Another simple, effective practical joke is a bit costly, but the result is well worth the money. Pay everyone you know about $100 each, give or take, to pretend that they don’t recognize your victim. Repeat until subject suffers horrendous mental breakdown, even if it takes until the next week … or month. Don’t worry though, the effects aren’t permanent. There’s nothing a lifetime of therapy can’t fix.

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Our last prank is by far the most difficult, but also the funniest. What better prank is there than to end humanity’s existence? First, you must obtain the Necronomicon (offered at your friendly neighborhood bookstore) and proceed to follow the instructions to summon Cthulhu into this world, spelling out Earth’s demise. Parent supervision may be required for this, as occult rituals are strictly reserved for mature adults.

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STUFF

WE LIKE Alex Charnes

bicyclists

water cups

gopros

teletubbies

If you're riding a bike down the side of the highway without wearing spandex, did it really even happen? The cyclist experience isn't complete without the full biker ensemble: skintight neon body suit, wraparound shades and a fierce look of determination to triumph over an invisible competitor. If you didn't know any better, you might think the common cyclist was ready to compete in the Tour De France at any minute, with an overly-expensive and overly-large helmet atop his head. As they strut into the grocery store to restock on Gatorade, the close-fitting attire bikers sport leave little to the imagination, if you know what we mean. Don't be surprised if a cyclist stops you in your tracks to ask the pressing question: "Does this spandex make my butt look big?"

“Would you like anything to drink?” Just a cup for water. A small cup, akin to the bathroom Dixie, slides across the counter. You spend the whole meal getting up to refill your plastic shot glass in between bites. This sad reality is present in almost every fast-food restaurant and movie theater today. For years the water cup has been an outcast, an after-thought — and it is time for us all to come together and demand cup equality. Just because we don’t want to spring the extra $2 for some sugary beverage, and we actually enjoy the natural nectar that is H2O, doesn’t mean we should be punished. If anything, we deserve larger cups. Give us the Big Gulp! We will not rest until we are promised a full-sized cup that can handle our water needs. And don’t even TRY to get us to buy a bottle of water.

The GoPro: small, portable, “indestructible.” The GoPro is the perfect camera if you’re seeking to look as adventurous as the people in the videos on the GoPro TV at your local sporting goods store. Because we all are going to go skydiving or swimming with sharks at some point, right? And everyone goes dirt biking on the reg. But best of all, GoPro-ing is as simple as pulling the device out once in a blue moon to freshen up your Instagram feed with documentation of your perilous trip to the Outback — otherwise known as the 360 overlook. Or maybe you just want to capture that sweet crowd selfie at ACL — who could forget the selfie stick feature, so no one gets cropped out. GoPro: the camera for when the sorority squat gets boring. And to get all of the add-ons you only have to pay $649.99.

Who knows why parents let their toddlers watch Teletubbies. This show is anything but child-friendly: creepy, unemotional aliens are shown worshipping the sun every day, for their whole lives, on some bizarre planet. And who thought it was a great idea to make them have TVs on their stomachs, showing videos of little children? The show is riddled with these awkward, terrifying moments that leave you questioning but offer no hope of an answer. Like, why does the sun have a baby in it? Why do they eat tubby custard? Where are they? Watching this show is basically the equivalent of tripping on LSD. The only thing this show has ever instilled in us is a crippling fear of the Teletubbies and their demonic laughter straight from hell. And don’t even get us started on Tinky-Winky.